{"title":"EU gives Ukraine \u20ac2bn of ammunition after shell plea - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-20","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba hailed the \"game-changing decision\" from the EU.","section":"Europe","content":"Members of Ukraine's Armed Forces 80th Separate Air Assault Brigade at their position near the frontline city of Bakhmut, eastern Ukraine, last week\n\nMore than a dozen European Union member states have agreed to supply Ukraine with at least one million artillery shells over the next year.\n\nThe plan, worth \u20ac2bn in total, was agreed in Brussels on Monday.\n\nUkraine had told the EU it needed 350,000 shells a month to hold back advancing Russian troops and launch a counter-offensive this year.\n\nUkrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba hailed the \"game-changing decision\" from the EU.\n\n\"Exactly what is needed,\" he wrote on Twitter. \"Urgent delivery and sustainable joint procurement.\"\n\nThe deal comes as Russia grows concerned at a Ukrainian counter-offensive near Bakhmut or in southern Ukraine, according to a report from think tank Institute for the Study of War.\n\nMeanwhile, Russia's own new year offensive \"may be nearing culmination\", the ISW added.\n\nDefence and foreign ministers from 17 EU countries and Norway signed the ammunition agreement.\n\nThe first part of the plan commits \u20ac1bn ($1.06bn; \u00a3863m) of shared funding for EU states to draw upon their existing stockpiles, with the hope of sending this to Ukraine by the end of May.\n\nThe second part of the deal would see a further \u20ac1bn used to jointly order 155mm shells for Ukraine - the most sought-after artillery rounds.\n\nThe EU is hoping this joint order will incentivise European defence firms to increase their output, with the hope that contracts can be signed by the start of September.\n\nThe deal means each country will have to share details of their ammunition stockpiles - something normally kept secret.\n\nCurrent ammunition production in Europe is said to be lagging behind the levels Ukraine insists it needs to fight Russia.\n\nThere are also questions about how much EU countries can share from their own stockpiles without leaving themselves vulnerable.\n\n\"Increasing industrial capacity is essential,\" EU internal market commissioner Thierry Breton said during a visit to French arms industry company Nexter on Monday.\n\nEU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell recently warned that the bloc had to supply the artillery shells Ukraine needed, or face the prospect of Ukraine losing the war with Russia.\n\nHe said Russian forces were firing about 50,000 rounds of artillery each day and that Ukraine's supplies must be lifted to the same level.\n\nHungary, which has not sent ammunition to Ukraine and has often threatened to veto sanctions against Russia, abstained from Monday's vote in Brussels but foreign minister Peter Szijjarto said it would \"not prevent others from doing what they want\".\n\nNorway also announced on Monday that it had delivered eight German-made Leopard II tanks to Ukraine to be used in a possible Ukrainian counter-offensive against Russia this spring.\n\nSeparately, the US is authorising another $350m in military aid for Ukraine, Secretary of State Antony Blinken said. It includes ammunition for Himars missile launchers, 155mm shells, and howitzer cannon.\n\nLargest donors of military aid to Ukraine by country.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/world-europe-65018434"}
{"title":"Boris Johnson submits evidence before Partygate grilling - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-20","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"A committee of MPs is investigating whether the former PM misled Parliament over Covid rule-breaking parties.","section":"UK Politics","content":"Boris Johnson has submitted evidence to MPs investigating whether he misled Parliament over Covid rule-breaking parties in Downing Street.\n\nThe former prime minister, who denies misleading MPs, wants his defence to be published as soon as possible.\n\nThe Privileges Committee said it was reviewing the material to make redactions before publication.\n\nMr Johnson will be questioned by the cross-party committee in a televised session on Wednesday.\n\nIn an initial report earlier this month, it found Mr Johnson may have misled Parliament multiple times.\n\nThe committee confirmed it had received Mr Johnson's written evidence on Monday afternoon and would publish it \"as soon as is practicably possible\".\n\nHowever, a spokesman added: \"The committee will need to review what has been submitted in the interests of making appropriate redactions to protect the identity of some witnesses.\"\n\nWednesday's session, which could last up to five hours, will be crucial in determining his political future.\n\nIf Mr Johnson is found to have misled Parliament, the committee will consider whether this was reckless or intentional, and recommend how he should be punished.\n\nMPs would have to approve any sanction, but potential punishments range from ordering him to apologise to suspension from the Commons. If he is suspended for more than 10 days, this could trigger a by-election in his constituency.\n\nDowning Street sources say MPs will be given a free vote, meaning they will not be told to vote either for or against the sanction.\n\nThe Privileges Committee, which is chaired by Labour's Harriet Harman, is made up of seven MPs - four Conservatives, one more Labour MP and one SNP MP.\n\nAllies of Mr Johnson have raised concerns about the independence of the inquiry.\n\nConor Burns, a Tory MP who served as a minister under Mr Johnson, pointed to a tweet by Ms Harman in April last year, before the committee launched its investigation, where she suggested that by accepting a fine for breaking Covid rules, the then-prime minister would be admitting he misled Parliament.\n\nHe told BBC Radio 4's Westminster Hour: \"Boris Johnson contests that but it seems to me the person who is chairing this committee has predetermined it and that causes me a degree of anxiety for Parliament's reputation in handling this with integrity.\"\n\nTory peer Lord Greenhalgh, who was a deputy mayor under Mr Johnson, told Times Radio he was worried the inquiry would be \"a witch-hunt\".\n\nHowever, the prime minister's official spokesman has defended the investigation and endorsed comments from Commons Leader Penny Mordaunt that the committee must be able to \"get on with their work without fear or favour\".\n\nBoris Johnson celebrates his birthday - for which he received a fine - in a photo released by the committee\n\nReports of gatherings in government buildings during Covid lockdowns first emerged in late 2021.\n\nOn several occasions, Mr Johnson, who was then prime minister, told the Commons the rules had been followed.\n\nHe later admitted his original statements had since proved incorrect. However, he has insisted he believed them to be true at the time and that he had been assured this was the case.\n\nAn investigation by senior civil servant Sue Gray found widespread rule-breaking had taken place and a police inquiry led to 83 people, including Mr Johnson himself, being fined for attending events.\n\nThe Privileges Committee's initial report said it had seen evidence that \"strongly suggests\" Covid rule breaches would have been \"obvious\" to Mr Johnson.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/uk-politics-65012967"}
{"title":"'I did not send my child to university to die' - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-20","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"The mother of Edinburgh student Romy Ulvestad calls for universities to have a legal duty of care.","section":"Edinburgh, Fife & East Scotland","content":"University of Edinburgh student Romy Ulvestad died at her parents' London home four days after her 21st birthday.\n\nShe had killed herself after staff failed to provide additional support, despite repeated warnings that she was struggling with her mental health.\n\nNow her mother is adding her support to a campaign for the UK government to create legal duty of care for students.\n\nThe university, which apologised for failing Romy, said it had improved the support it offers since her death.\n\nLibby Kitson, Romy's mother, has joined calls for Westminster to change the law to better protect students, and hopes the Scottish government will follow suit.\n\nThe petition to the UK government is being supported by 25 bereaved families, who have come together and set up The LEARN Network.\n\nIt reached more than 127,000 signatures before the deadline at midnight on Mothers' Day, meaning Parliament will consider the subject for debate.\n\nSpeaking to BBC Scotland, Ms Kitson said she did not know that her daughter was struggling with her mental health when she returned to London during the Covid lockdown in 2020.\n\n\"Her father and I had no idea about her mental health struggles but they had been well-flagged to people at the University of Edinburgh who could have done something about it,\" she said.\n\n\"I sent Romy to off to university to study classics, which would be a pivotal point for the rest of her life. What I didn't expect to do was send her off to university to die.\"\n\nRomy, a classics student and part-time model, died in April 2020, more than a year after she communicated with the university about her struggles by requesting a \"special circumstances\" application to resit her exams without penalty.\n\nMs Kitson said: \"We want there to be a legal duty of care within all higher education institutions, and I think some people, including our government, seem to think there is some legal requirement in place but there really isn't.\n\n\"You want to know that if your child is suffering with any kind of mental health issues, or is overwhelmed by university life, there are people there who are trained and skilled to help deal with it.\n\n\"And if they really, really are in a state of crisis you would want to be informed.\"\n\nLibby Kitson hopes the Scottish government will legislate after the UK government\n\nCampaigners from ForThe100 want a change in law to ensure higher education institutions have a legal duty of care towards their students, as schools already do.\n\nThe Department of Education has said creating a legally enforced duty of care \"would be a disproportionate response\".\n\nMs Kitson said the campaign was not looking to provide a means for families to sue universities, but to prevent similar deaths.\n\nShe said she did not want any other parent to have to go through the same situation.\n\n\"We would hope that the Scottish Parliament would look at England and Wales and think 'they've led by example, we should follow suit',\" she said.\n\n\"A Scottish student's life is no less important.\"\n\nA University of Edinburgh spokeswoman said it had been \"shocked and deeply saddened by what happened\" to Romy and \"deeply sorry\" for the gaps in support given to her.\n\n\"Supporting our students' mental health and ensuring their wellbeing is our absolute priority,\" she said. \"Our support policies and practices are under regular review as we continue to focus and improve upon our mental health support provision and provide the best possible environment for our students.\"\n\nStudents at the university now have access to a \"named-contact relationship\" with staff trained in wellbeing and mental health, alongside other support services.\n\nThe spokeswoman added: \"We continue to engage with students through both the Students' Association and the Sports Union to identify how best we can shape and develop our services to support students most effectively.\n\n\"We work closely with the three other universities in Edinburgh and NHS mental health colleagues to improve pathways into specialist mental health services for students.\"\n\nThe Department for Education previously responded to the petition by saying that higher education providers already had a \"general duty of care not to cause harm to their students through their own actions\".\n\nA spokesperson said: \"We acknowledge the profound and lasting impact a young person's suicide has upon their family and friends, and know among the petitioners there are those who have personal experience of these devastating, tragic events.\n\n\"[However] we... feel further legislation to create a statutory duty of care, where such a duty already exists, would be a disproportionate response.\"\n\nIn a response to the petition, the Scottish government said: ''We are determined to support the mental health of all students. Over the last three years we have invested \u00a311.5m to introduce additional counsellors in colleges and universities''.\n\nThe BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/uk-scotland-edinburgh-east-fife-65007151"}
{"title":"Ukraine says Russian missiles destroyed in Crimea - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-20","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"If confirmed, the strike suggests Ukraine's capacity to deploy drones has increased.","section":"Europe","content":"Footage shared on social media showed an explosion lighting up the night sky\n\nAn explosion in the north of annexed Crimea has destroyed Russian missiles being transported by rail, Ukraine's defence ministry has said.\n\nThe Russian-installed head of the city of Dzhankoi said the area had been attacked by drones.\n\nUkraine announced the explosions but, as is normal, did not explicitly say it was behind the attack.\n\nIf confirmed, it would be a rare foray by Ukraine's military into Crimea, which has been annexed since 2014.\n\nRussia has suffered attacks in Crimea before, but in most cases, responsibility has either been unacknowledged by Ukraine or blamed on some kind of partisan sabotage.\n\nThis strike, if confirmed, suggests that the capacity of the Ukrainian air force to deploy drones has increased.\n\nUntil now, Crimea has largely seemed out of the range of Ukrainian missiles. But this attack indicates that a drone at least can reach deeper behind Russian lines than previously thought.\n\nThe \"mysterious\" explosions destroyed Russian Kalibr-NK cruise missiles, intended for use by Russia's Black Sea Fleet, Ukrainian defence intelligence said. Kailbr missiles have been widely used in attacks on Ukrainian cities and infrastructure in recent months.\n\nOne unconfirmed report from a resident cited on Ukrainian TV spoke of \"booms\" that went on for 30 minutes, leaving part of Dzhankoi with no electricity. The blasts \"continue the process of Russia's demilitarisation and prepares the Ukrainian peninsula of Crimea for de-occupation\", the defence ministry said.\n\nDzhankoi has been used by Russian forces as a rail hub between Crimea and other areas of occupied Ukraine. Russian TV reports said that Tuesday's strike had not caused any damage to rail infrastructure.\n\nRussia's investigative authority said a residential building and a shop were damaged, according to initial findings. All the targets were civilian, it claimed.\n\nIhor Ivin, the Russian-installed administrator, said a 33-year-old man was taken to hospital for treatment for a shrapnel injury from a downed drone. He made no mention of any military targets being damaged.\n\nSeveral buildings caught fire and the power grid was damaged, Mr Ivin was quoted as saying by local media. Another Russian-appointed official said a drone had been hit over a technical school, between an instruction area and a student residence.\n\nRussia's top official in occupied Crimea, Sergei Aksyonov, said air defences near Dzhankoi had been activated and the situation was under control. He urged residents not to pay attention to \"fakes disseminated by Ukrainian propaganda\".\n\nLast August, an ammunition depot was targeted near Dzhankoi. Weeks later, Russia blamed Ukraine for carrying out a drone attack on the Black Sea Fleet in the Crimean port city of Sevastopol in which a warship was damaged.\n\nThis latest attack suggests Kyiv is determined to continue harrying the supply chains of Russian forces, targeting in particular its stock of missiles, as well as the routes along which they may be transported into southern occupied Ukraine via Crimea.\n\nSpeaking on Ukrainian TV, military spokeswoman Natalia Humeniuk reminded viewers that Dzhankoi was a hub station for the occupying force and that, from the start of the Russians' full-scale invasion, it had been made clear that defeating their logistics would play a big part in the future status of Crimea.\n\nKyiv has a political incentive to keep Crimea in the news, too: a reminder that its current objective is not just to force Russian forces out of those areas captured since February last year, but also from the Black Sea peninsula annexed illegally in 2014.\n\nIn a separate development, authorities in southern Russia accused Ukrainian forces of using a drone to target a pumping station on an oil pipeline north of the Ukrainian border. The governor of Bryansk region said there were no casualties.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/world-europe-65021987"}
{"title":"Miss Wales says she is grateful after life-changing M4 crash - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-20","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"Darcey Corria was left with a broken neck and pelvis in a collision on the M4 in January.","section":"Wales","content":"This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Darcey Corria was left with serious injuries after a car crash\n\nA beauty queen who was thrown through her car window after initially escaping unharmed from a crash said the experience had changed her life.\n\nMiss Wales Darcey Corria, 21, from Barry in Vale of Glamorgan, was left with a broken neck and pelvis in a collision on the M4 in January.\n\nTwo months on, she is still in pain but said her rehabilitation had given her \"a completely different take on life\".\n\nShe said it had opened her eyes to \"different realities\".\n\nDue to be competing at the Miss World competition this year, she said she would be there as \"the best version of herself\" after struggling with her mental and physical recovery.\n\nThe 21-year-old remembers driving home from Swansea in bad weather when she lost control of her car near Bridgend. She skidded to a halt but was unharmed.\n\nAs she tried to escape, with her car still across the motorway, her vehicle was hit.\n\nCurrent Miss Wales Darcey Corria says the crash has made her realise life is short\n\n\"As I was climbing over, I remember looking back to see how close the cars were and as I've looked back to see, the car hit me and I went through the passenger window,\" she said.\n\nThe window broke her neck and jaw and the impact of hitting the floor broke her pelvis and lower back.\n\n\"It's more scary to think back now,\" she said.\n\n\"The scariest time was when I was on the side of the road and there was a lady who was helping me.\n\n\"I just remember being really cold, I was losing a lot of blood, it was getting dark and I just felt like I was on my own.\"\n\nDarcey spent 20 days in hospital and is still receiving treatment. There is a chance she might have to have an operation on her neck.\n\n\"Looking back at the first week home and I was still on my medication, I felt really strong, I was going on social media and it hadn't hit me yet. It was like I was dreaming,\" she said.\n\nBut coming off medication and leaving hospital was when it hit her.\n\n\"The week after that I was just being really angry. I have really gone through so many emotions.\n\n\"But to be here now and feel positive and wake up and not cry and feel happy and to know I will make a full recovery is really reassuring.\"\n\nDarcey says she has even more motivation to win Miss World and use her voice\n\nDarcey has posted updates on her social media accounts to show that \"life isn't always sequins and tiaras\" and said a visit by Miss World to her hospital bed was \"an honour\".\n\nThe neck brace she has been wearing, even while sleeping, has caused some to stare when she is out and about which she admitted made her feel \"self-conscious\".\n\nShe said she also noticed a lack of disabled toilets when she was first out of hospital and needed to use them.\n\n\"That just wakes me up to what people who are disabled live with every day,\" she said.\n\n\"So in a way I am grateful that it has opened my eyes up to the different realities of life which I haven't experienced.\n\n\"It has been life-changing. It's woken me up to how thin the line between life and death is and just how short life is.\n\n\"Love, respect and appreciate the relationships you've got because you never know when they might be taken from you.\"\n\nDarcey will compete at the Miss World competition later this year, something she qualified for after winning the Miss Wales title last May.\n\n\"I will be a different person than I ever thought I would be standing on the stage at Miss World. I would love to win but I am just really grateful I can still go.\n\n\"I will just enjoy every single second.\"","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/uk-wales-64981797"}
{"title":"UN climate report: Scientists release 'survival guide' to avert climate disaster - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-20","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"Technology is providing solutions but the climate forecast is worsening, scientists say in major report.","section":"Science & Environment","content":"Scientists from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change met in Switzerland where glaciers are melting\n\nUN chief Antonio Guterres says a major new report on climate change is a \"survival guide for humanity\".\n\nClean energy and technology can be exploited to avoid the growing climate disaster, the report says.\n\nBut at a meeting in Switzerland to agree their findings, climate scientists warned a key global temperature goal will likely be missed.\n\nTheir report lays out how rapid cuts to fossil fuels can avert the worst effects of climate change.\n\nIn response to the findings, UN secretary general Antonio Guterres says that all countries should bring forward their net zero plans by a decade. These targets are supposed to rapidly cut the greenhouse gas emissions that warm our planet's atmosphere.\n\n\"There is a rapidly closing window of opportunity to secure a liveable and sustainable future for all,\" the report states.\n\nGovernments had previously agreed to act to avoid global temperature rise going above 1.5C. But the world has already warmed by 1.1C and now experts say that it is likely to breach 1.5C in the 2030s.\n\nThe UK government responded that the report makes it clear that countries must \"work towards far more ambitious climate commitments\" ahead of the UN climate summit COP28 in November.\n\n\"The UK is a world leader in working towards net zero, but we need to go further and faster,\" a spokesperson said.\n\nSmall islands in the Pacific are some of the countries expected to be worst hit by climate change.\n\nResponding to the report, the chair of the Alliance of Small Island States Fatumanava-o-Upolu III Dr. Pa'olelei Luteru said: \"While our people are being displaced from their homes and climate commitments go unmet, the fossil fuel industry is enjoying billions in profits. There can be no excuses for this continued lack of action.\"\n\nThe report from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change - the scientific body that advises the UN on rising temperatures - is agreed on by all governments involved.\n\nTheir new study aims to boil down to one slim volume several landmark findings on the causes, impacts and solutions to climate change that have been released since 2018.\n\nIt outlines the significant impacts that climate change is having on the world already, and explains that these will get much worse.\n\nBy 2100 extreme coastal flooding that used to happen once-a-century is expected to occur at least annually in half of the world's tidal gauge locations - places where sea level recordings are made.\n\nConcentrations of the warming gas CO2 in the atmosphere are at their highest in 2 million years. The world is now warmer than at any time in the past 125,000 years - and will likely get warmer still over the next decade.\n\n\"Even in the near term, global warming is more likely than not to reach 1.5C even under the very low greenhouse gas scenario,\" the report states.\n\n\"If we aim for 1.5C and achieve 1.6C, that is still much much better than saying, it's too late, and we are doomed and I'm not even trying,\" Dr Friederike Otto, from Imperial College, a member of the core writing team for this report, told BBC News.\n\n\"And I think what this report shows very, very clearly is there is so much to win by trying.\"\n\nThe synthesis shows that projected emissions of CO2 from existing fossil fuel infrastructure, such as oil wells and gas pipelines, would bust the remaining carbon budget - the amount of CO2 that can still be emitted - for staying under this key temperature threshold.\n\nAnd while not explicitly mentioning new projects like Willow oil in the US or the Cumbria coal mine in the UK, the scientists involved have few doubts about their impact.\n\n\"There's not a cut-off day (for fossil fuels), but it's clear that the fossil fuel infrastructure we already have will blow through that carbon budget,\" Dr Oliver Geden, from the German Institute for International and Security Affairs and a member of the report's core writing team, told BBC News.\n\nWorld-leading scientists wrote the UN report which must also be agreed on by governments\n\n\"The remaining carbon budget in opening new fossil fuel infrastructure is certainly not compatible with the 1.5C target.\"\n\nThe document argues strongly that going past 1.5C will not be the end of the world as this may only be a \"temporary overshoot\".\n\nThe authors say that they are optimistic that dramatic changes can be achieved rapidly, pointing to the massive falls in the price of energy made from solar and wind.\n\nThey also argue that changes driven by consumers in terms of diet, food waste and switching to low carbon transport can achieve significant cuts in emissions from many sectors.\n\nBut the report also acknowledges that in addition to getting to net zero emissions as soon as possible, large scale use of carbon dioxide removal technology will be needed.\n\nSome observers have their doubts. \"We know what needs to happen, but the carbon removal part and carbon capture and storage ideas are a massive distraction,\" said Lili Fuhr, from the Centre for International Environmental Law, who attended the approval session.\n\nResponding to the report's call for more urgent action, the UN secretary general is calling for countries to bring forward their plans for net zero by a decade.\n\n\"Leaders of developed countries must commit to reaching net zero as close as possible to 2040, the limit they should all aim to respect,\" he said in a statement. He also calls on the likes of India and China who have announced net zero plans for beyond 2050 to try and bring them forward by a decade as well.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/science-environment-65000182"}
{"title":"Bryn Hargreaves: Body of missing former Wigan Warriors star found - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-20","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"Former Wigan Warriors rugby star Bryn Hargreaves had been missing in the US for more than a year.","section":"Manchester","content":"Bryn Hargreaves moved to the United States when he quit rugby league\n\nThe body of former Wigan Warriors rugby star Bryn Hargreaves has been found more than a year after he went missing in America, his family have confirmed.\n\nThe 37-year-old moved to the US about 10 years ago after quitting the sport. He was reported missing in January last year.\n\nThe family had turned to a private investigator in a bid to find him after a police search \"turned up nothing\".\n\nHis brother said \"with incredible sadness we have finally found Bryn\".\n\nHis former clubs including St Helens and Bradford Bulls have also expressed sadness at the news and paid tribute to him.\n\nThe ex-prop forward last spoke to his family on 3 January 2022, nine days before they contacted police after his apartment was found to be empty.\n\nDespite a police search and family members going to America to join in the efforts, no trace was found of him.\n\nPosting on Facebook, his brother Gareth Hargreaves said the family do not yet know the cause of his death or \"what actually happened on 3\/1\/22\".\n\nHis mother Maria Andrews said she was \"in bits\" and \"heartbroken\".\n\nHargreaves played for Wigan, St Helens and Bradford Bulls before leaving the game and moving to the US\n\nWigan Warriors, where Hargreaves made 33 appearances over a two-year stint, said the club was \"deeply saddened\".\n\nSt Helens RFC chairman Eamonn McManus said: \"Bryn was extremely well liked and respected by his team mates and all involved with the club during his four seasons with us from 2007 to 2010.\n\n\"He was very much part of the great Saints team of that era and was a World Club Challenge winner in 2007 and a Challenge Cup winner in 2008.\n\n\"He will be remembered with genuine warmth and with affection by us all.\"\n\nHargreaves joined Bradford Bulls in 2010, before quitting the sport, saying he had become disillusioned by off-field problems at the club.\n\nHe moved to Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, with his now ex-wife, before he relocated to rural West Virginia.\n\nBradford Bulls posted on Twitter: \"We are extremely saddened to learn the body of former player Bryn Hargreaves has been found.\n\n\"Our thoughts and condolences are with Bryn's family and friends at this difficult time.\"\n\nThe Foreign Office said it was providing support to the family and was in contact with local authorities in the US.\n\nWhy not follow BBC North West on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram? You can also send story ideas to northwest.newsonline@bbc.co.uk\n\nThe BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/uk-england-manchester-65014006"}
{"title":"Bruce Willis's wife speaks of her grief at his dementia on his 68th birthday - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-20","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"Emma Heming Willis discusses the impact her husband's dementia is having on the family.","section":"Entertainment & Arts","content":"Emma Heming Willis and Bruce Willis have two daughters together\n\nEmma Heming Willis, the wife of actor Bruce Willis, has spoken about the \"grief and sadness\" she feels over her husband's dementia, as they celebrated his 68th birthday.\n\n\"I have started the morning by crying, as you can see by my swollen eyes,\" she said in an Instagram video.\n\n\"It's important that you see all sides of this,\" she said, as she continues to raise awareness about his condition.\n\nWillis was diagnosed with frontotemporal dementia in February.\n\nThis came after he developed aphasia, which causes difficulties with speech, last year.\n\nHis family said last year that he was giving up acting as the condition was affecting his cognitive abilities.\n\nThe actor's dementia diagnosis affects language as well as behaviour and the ability to plan. There is no cure or intervention that can slow down the progress, so his symptoms will continue to worsen.\n\nThis Instagram post cannot be displayed in your browser. Please enable Javascript or try a different browser. View original post on Instagram The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Skip instagram post by emmahemingwillis This article contains content provided by Instagram. We ask for your permission before anything is loaded, as they may be using cookies and other technologies. You may want to read Meta\u2019s Instagram cookie policy, external and privacy policy, external before accepting. To view this content choose \u2018accept and continue\u2019. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.\n\nIn her post, Heming Willis addressed the loss she feels as she cares for her husband.\n\n\"I always get this message where people always tell me, 'Oh you're so strong. I don't know how you do it',\" she said.\n\n\"I'm not given a choice. I wish I was but I'm also raising two kids in this.\n\n\"Sometimes in our lives, we have to put our big girl panties on and get to it, and that's what I'm doing. But I do have times of sadness every day, grief every day and I'm really feeling it today on his birthday.\"\n\nShe is going public with her experiences, she said, as the \"silver lining or flip side\" is that she and the family are appreciative of the \"warmth and love\" of fans.\n\n\"As much as I do it for myself, I do it for you because I know how much you love my husband.\"\n\nEmma Heming Willis [L], Bruce Willis and Demi Moore [second R] are pictured with his eldest three daughters in 2015\n\nIn another post featuring footage of Willis playing with their children, she called her husband \"pure love\".\n\nWillis's former wife, actress Demi Moore was also part of his birthday celebrations. She and Willis have three daughters together.\n\nShe posted footage of him singing with his family as they wished him happy birthday and give him a birthday pie.\n\nThis Instagram post cannot be displayed in your browser. Please enable Javascript or try a different browser. View original post on Instagram The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Skip instagram post 2 by demimoore This article contains content provided by Instagram. We ask for your permission before anything is loaded, as they may be using cookies and other technologies. You may want to read Meta\u2019s Instagram cookie policy, external and privacy policy, external before accepting. To view this content choose \u2018accept and continue\u2019. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.\n\nHe was seen smiling and joining in the celebrations, and stumbling slightly after blowing out his candles.\n\nMoore said: \"So glad we could celebrate you today. Love you and love our family. Thank you to everyone for the love and warm wishes - we all feel them.\"\n\nWillis became a household name in the 1980s and 90s after starring in blockbuster films such as Die Hard, The Sixth Sense, Armageddon and Pulp Fiction, along with the hit TV series Moonlighting.\n\nHe has also been nominated for five Golden Globes - winning one for Moonlighting - and three Emmys, where he won two.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/entertainment-arts-65012888"}
{"title":"Saudi Arabia invited Iran's President Raisi to visit, Tehran says - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-20","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"The visit - not yet confirmed by Riyadh - would build on a thaw in tensions, brokered by China.","section":"Middle East","content":"President Raisi (pictured) is an ultra-conservative close to Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei\n\nIran says Saudi Arabia has invited Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi for an official visit - just over a week since the countries agreed to restore diplomatic relations.\n\nThe invitation is said to have come in a letter from King Salman, but has not yet been confirmed by the Saudis.\n\nThe Middle East's recent history has been dominated by hostility between the two nations.\n\nChina brokered the thaw, which could reshape the region's geopolitics.\n\nA senior Iranian official, Mohammad Jamshidi, tweeted about the invitation to visit the Saudi capital, Riyadh, saying Mr Raisi had welcomed it and \"stressed Iran's readiness to expand co-operation\".\n\nSeparately, Iran's Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian told reporters that the two countries had agreed to hold a meeting at foreign minister level, and that three possible locations had been proposed.\n\nHe did not name the locations, nor say when the meeting might take place.\n\nThe BBC's Middle East Editor, Sebastian Usher, says the recent improvement in bilateral relations, which came unexpectedly following days of talks brokered by China, appears to be building serious momentum.\n\nBoth have announced they will reopen embassies within two months and re-establish trade and security relations.\n\nThis development was cautiously welcomed by many, including the US and the United Nations, after previous attempts at reconciliation were unsuccessful.\n\nSaudi Arabia cut ties in January 2016 after demonstrators stormed its embassy in Tehran.\n\nThat was after Riyadh had executed the prominent Shia Muslim cleric Sheikh Nimr al-Nimr, who was convicted of terror-related offences.\n\nSince then, tensions between the Sunni- and Shia-led neighbours have often been high, with each regarding the other as a threatening power seeking regional dominance.\n\nThey have been on opposing sides of several regional conflicts, including the civil wars in Syria and Yemen.\n\nMr Amir-Abdollahian also said that Iran hoped steps would be made to improve ties with Bahrain, a close Saudi ally that followed Riyadh in severing diplomatic ties with Tehran in 2016.\n\n\"We hope that some obstacles between Iran and Bahrain will be removed and we will take basic steps to reopen the embassies,\" he said.\n\nBahrain has not responded to the comments, but earlier welcomed the Iran-Saudi agreement to restore diplomatic ties.\n\nIran has also expressed a willingness to resume or improve relations with other regional Arab rivals, including Jordan and the United Arab Emirates.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/world-middle-east-65010185"}
{"title":"XXXTentacion: Three men found guilty of murdering rapper in 2018 - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-20","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"The rapper, 20, real name Jahseh Onfroy, was shot and killed during a Florida robbery in 2018.","section":"US & Canada","content":"This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser.\n\nThree men accused of killing 20-year-old rapper XXXTentacion during a 2018 ambush robbery have been found guilty.\n\nA Florida jury convicted Michael Boatwright, 27, Dedrick Williams, 26, and Trayvon Newsome, 24 on Monday after deliberating for more than a week.\n\nAll three were charged with first-degree murder in connection to the death of the controversial rapper.\n\nAnother man, Robert Allen, pleaded guilty last year to second-degree murder.\n\nThe three face a possible sentence of life behind bars.\n\nRapper XXXTentacion, real name Jahseh Onfroy, was shot and killed in broad daylight in Florida in June 2018.\n\nHe was visiting a motorcycle shop and was leaving when he was approached by two armed masked men who \"demanded property\" from him, police said at the time.\n\nAt least one of the men shot XXXTentacion during a 45-second struggle. The suspects then grabbed a Louis Vuitton bag full of $50,000 (\u00a342,000) in cash that the rapper had just withdrawn from the bank before fleeing the scene in an SUV.\n\nDuring the trial, the lawyer for Boatwright argued that his client's DNA was not found on XXXTentacion's body. He said the DNA of the two other men did not match either.\n\n\"Whoever (XXXTentacion) struggled with is not in this courtroom,\" lawyer Joseph Kimok said during closing arguments.\n\nThe fourth suspect, Allen, testified against the other three after he pleaded guilty last year. Lawyers for the other suspects have argued that Allen lied about their client's involvement in the robbery and death.\n\nThey also claimed that investigators botched the case and failed to consider other suspects.\n\nLead prosecutor Pascale Achille, however, said that the lack of DNA evidence was irrelevant, as cell phone data shows the three accused were together near the motorcycle shop at the time of the rapper's death.\n\nMs Achille said that Bluetooth data shows the accused were in the SUV used by the shooters at that same time.\n\nProsecutors presented surveillance video from the motorcycle shop as evidence, as well as cell phone videos that the accused allegedly took hours after the killing showing them flashing handfuls of $100 bills.\n\nXXXTentacion's music explored themes of depression, loneliness, abandonment and suicide. The platinum-selling rising rap artist faced some controversies in his brief career.\n\nHis personal life was plagued by allegations of domestic violence. He was facing 15 felony charges at the time of his death, including aggravated battery of a pregnant woman, domestic battery by strangulation and witness tampering.\n\nHis song Look at Me took off on SoundCloud and later exploded to No 34 on the Billboard Hot 100.\n\nMany of his tracks climbed up the charts in the UK and the US shortly after his death, and his memorial was attended by thousands of fans.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/world-us-canada-64825205"}
{"title":"Aleksandar Mitrovic: FA says standard ban 'clearly insufficient' as Fulham striker charged - BBC Sport","published_date":"2023-03-20","authors":null,"description":"Fulham\u2019s Aleksandar Mitrovic is charged with violent and improper conduct after his red card at Manchester United, but the Football Association says the standard punishment is \u201cclearly insufficient\u201d.","section":null,"content":"Aleksandar Mitrovic: FA says standard ban 'clearly insufficient' as Fulham striker charged Last updated on .From the section Fulham\n\nAleksandar Mitrovic had put Fulham in front with his 12th goal of the season before being sent off at Manchester United Fulham striker Aleksandar Mitrovic is facing a lengthy ban after the Football Association said its standard punishment for his sending off at Manchester United was \"clearly insufficient\". The Serbian has been charged with violent and improper conduct after a straight red card for pushing referee Chris Kavanagh during Sunday's 3-1 FA Cup quarter-final defeat. Manager Marco Silva has also been charged with abusive behaviour towards match officials. Fulham boss Silva will also face an improper conduct charge for allegedly throwing a water bottle in the direction of the assistant referee. And the club has landed an additional charge of failing to control its players in the Old Trafford encounter. Former Premier League striker Chris Sutton has called for Mitrovic, 28, to be given a 10-match ban, but manager Silva appealed for \"fairness\" for his frontman from the FA. A player is typically suspended for three matches after being shown a straight red card for violent conduct, but that ban can be extended, depending on the circumstances. Paolo di Canio was banned for 11 games in 1998 for shoving referee Paul Alcock when playing in a Premier League game for Sheffield Wednesday against Arsenal. \"The standard punishment which would otherwise apply to Aleksandar Mitrovic for the sending-off offence of violent conduct that he committed towards the match referee is clearly insufficient,\" the FA said in a statement. \"In addition, Aleksandar Mitrovic's behaviour and\/or language was allegedly improper and\/or abusive and\/or insulting and\/or threatening following his dismissal.\" Fulham's 12-goal leading scorer had put his side in front against United early in the second half. But he was dismissed in the 72nd minute after the hosts were awarded a penalty following a Video Assistant Referee (VAR) check that resulted in Brazil winger Willian also being sent off for a deliberate handball on the line. Kavanagh also sent boss Silva to the stands for his actions on the touchline as the referee walked past him to view the pitchside monitor. An FA statement read: \"It's alleged that Marco Silva used abusive and\/or insulting words and\/or gestures and\/or behaviour towards the match referee; that he used abusive and\/or insulting words towards the fourth official prior to his dismissal; and that he also used abusive and\/or insulting words and\/or gestures and\/or behaviour towards the fourth official after being sent off. \"It's further alleged that in throwing a water bottle in the direction of the assistant referee that his behaviour was improper.\" 'More than 10-game ban needed', say refs Former referees' chief Keith Hackett echoed Sutton's demand for a 10-game ban, while head of the Referees' Association Paul Field said Mitrovic should serve longer for pushing a referee - and even face carrying out community work. \"I hope it's more than 10 games,\" said Field, who hoped the FA would consider a punishment similar to the nine-month ban Manchester United's Eric Cantona received in 1995 for an attack on a fan at Crystal Palace. He told BBC Radio 5 live: \"Why couldn't he go down to some of the pitches down in London? \"Turn up - there's no car parking space, there's no changing room, there's a cold cup of tea, it's pouring down with rain, the pitches are in poor condition, every player is looking to pull one over on you. And, with all of that, you get abused by the parents. So why not do that for six months? \"At an amateur level, a player is looking at about a year's ban - why doesn't that carry through to the professional game? \"Think about what Eric Cantona did nearly 30 years ago and he got nine months. I think they should put a really decent time on this.\" Sutton expressed fears that children and players at grassroots level may repeat Mitrovic's behaviour - a point Field agreed with. Grassroots referee Simon King also told BBC Radio 5 live there is \"100%\" a link between the behaviour fans see on the pitch and how players at grassroots level behave. \"I was stunned,\" he added. \"The stalking and intimidation, having to be forcibly dragged away. \"My first thought was, what would have happened had he not been dragged away by his own team-mates? And I think some of the Manchester United players helped get him away from the referee. \"When he initially put his hands on him you cannot do that. It's quite frightening that happens at the top level.\" King said he would \"100%\" support a lengthy ban for Mitrovic and added: \"A statement needs to be made to everybody. If that was to happen at any level of football, the ban should be set. People should be aware beforehand.\"\n\u2022 None Listen to the latest The Far Post podcast\n\u2022 None Our coverage of Fulham is bigger and better than ever before - here's everything you need to know to make sure you never miss a moment\n\u2022 None Everything Fulham - go straight to all the best content","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/sport\/football\/65018262"}
{"title":"Prosecuting Donald Trump would be politically motivated, say Republicans - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-20","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"Members of the ex-president's party claim prosecutors investigating him are part of the \"radical left\".","section":"US & Canada","content":"Prosecuting Donald Trump would be a politically motivated move by his opponents, senior Republicans say.\n\nOn Saturday, the former US president said his arrest could happen next week, based on media reports.\n\nBut Democrats have said no-one is above the law and accused Mr Trump of recklessly stoking political divisions.\n\nThe case focuses on alleged hush money paid on Mr Trump's behalf by his lawyer to porn star Stormy Daniels ahead of the 2016 presidential election.\n\nThe 76-year-old is also the subject of several other separate inquiries, although he has not yet been charged in any and denies wrongdoing.\n\nMr Trump has pledged to continue his campaign to become the Republican nominee in the 2024 presidential election, even if he is indicted.\n\nIt is not yet known if he is going to be criminally charged or even, beyond the most basic details, what any indictment might contain.\n\nFormer US vice-president Mike Pence and the most senior Republican in the US Congress, Kevin McCarthy, have both spoken out against any criminal prosecution.\n\nSpeaking to US network ABC News, Mr Pence said Manhattan district attorney Alvin Bragg, who is a Democrat, was carrying out a \"politically charged prosecution\" against Mr Trump.\n\n\"I'm taken aback at the idea of indicting a former president of the United States, at a time when there's a crime wave in New York City,\" Mr Pence said.\n\n\"The fact that the Manhattan DA [district attorney] thinks that indicting President Trump is his top priority, I think is, just tells you everything you need to know about the radical left in this country,\" he told the broadcaster.\n\nIn his statement on Saturday Mr Trump called for mass protests from supporters and accused Mr Bragg's office of \"illegal leaks\" to journalists.\n\nAsked about the call for protests, Mr Pence said that US citizens have a \"constitutional right to peaceably assemble\" - but also said any action must take place \"peacefully and in a lawful manner\".\n\nSpeaker of the US House of Representatives Kevin McCarthy called the investigation \"an outrageous abuse of power by a radical DA\".\n\nIn a tweet, he also promised to investigate whether federal money was being used to interfere in elections \"with politically motivated prosecutions\".\n\nDemocrats accused Mr Trump of stirring up political divisions with his claims.\n\nSpeaking to ABC News, Democratic Senator Elizbeth Warren said \"no-one is above the law\" even if they happen to have been president and any investigation must be \"allowed to go forward appropriately\".\n\n\"There's no reason to protest this. This is the law operating as it should without fear or favour for anyone,\" she said.\n\nMr McCarthy's predecessor as House Speaker, Nancy Pelosi, echoed Ms Warren's sentiments - adding that Mr Trump's remarks were \"reckless\" and designed to \"keep himself in the news and to foment unrest among his supporters\".\n\n\"He cannot hide from his violations of the law, disrespect for our elections and incitements to violence. Rightfully, our legal system will decide how to hold him accountable,\" she wrote on Twitter.\n\nThe Stormy Daniels case centres on how Mr Trump reimbursed his lawyer Michael Cohen after he paid Ms Daniels $130,000 before the 2016 US election.\n\nThe record for the payment reimbursing Mr Cohen says it was for \"legal fees\". Prosecutors could conclude this amounts to Mr Trump falsifying business records, which is a misdemeanour offence in New York.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/world-us-canada-65007991"}
{"title":"John Lewis considers plan to change staff-owned structure - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-20","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"The chain's famous staff-ownership structure could be watered down to raise new funds.","section":"Business","content":"John Lewis is considering a potential change to its employee-owned business structure, upending more than 70 years of tradition.\n\nThe group, which also owns Waitrose, is currently fully owned by its staff, who receive a share in the profits.\n\nBut in the face of tougher trading, the firm is said to be exploring the idea of selling a minority stake.\n\nThe Sunday Times, which first reported the move, said the firm hoped to raise up to \u00a32bn.\n\nIt said the firm's chairwoman Dame Sharon White was considering a potential plan to dilute the famous partnership structure in order to invest in better technology, data analysis and Waitrose's supply chain.\n\nThe BBC has been told the idea is at the \"very, very early stages\" of discussion and may not eventually happen. However, if it did it would not amount to removing the mutual ownership structure altogether and that staff would retain majority control.\n\nIt could still prove controversial among staff, however, who jointly own the whole of the business, benefiting from any profits.\n\nThe profit-sharing model has occasionally resulted in big windfalls. In 2008 staff received a sum equivalent to about 10 weeks' pay as a bonus.\n\nHowever in the past three years the firm has had to steer through the choppy waters of the pandemic and a cost of living crisis. It made a loss of \u00a3234m in 2022-3 and paid no bonus to staff, for only the second time since 1953. It has also closed stores and cut staff numbers.\n\nJohn Lewis has worked with outside companies in the past: Ocado launched grocery deliveries for Waitrose and more recently it set up a joint venture to build residential properties with investment firm Abrdn. If the move were to go ahead, it would be the first sale of a stake in the core business.\n\nAt times the mutualised structure has been held up as model for how businesses could be run differently, taking a broader range of stakeholders into account and focusing less on shareholder profit.\n\nWhen Sir Nick Clegg was deputy prime minister he heralded the group as a model for the whole economy.\n\nJohn Lewis has not commented on the reports, but said: \"We've always said we would seek partnerships to help fund our transformation and exciting growth plans.\n\n\"We've done this with Ocado in the past and now with Abrdn. Our partners, who own the business, will be the first to hear about any developments.\"","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/business-65006218"}
{"title":"Taliban officials must sack sons given government jobs - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-20","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"Afghanistan's Islamist leader says officials should replace appointed sons or nephews and hire other workers.","section":"Asia","content":"The leader of the Taliban has ordered Afghan officials to sack relatives they have hired to government positions.\n\nHibatullah Akhundzada's decree says officials should replace appointed sons or other family members - and refrain from hiring relatives in future.\n\nThe Taliban dismissed some senior staff when they took power in 2021, while others fled.\n\nThere have been allegations that inexperienced staff have been hired based on their personal connections.\n\nThe Afghan Islamic Press, based in Peshawar, Pakistan, reported that the decree followed allegations that several senior Taliban officials had appointed their sons to roles within the government.\n\nA photo of the decree was posted on the Office of Administrative Affairs' Twitter page on Saturday.\n\nAfghanistan has faced a deepening economic and humanitarian crisis since the Taliban swept into Kabul and regained control of the country. Foreign military forces had been in the country for two decades, fighting a war that killed tens of thousands and displaced millions more.\n\nSince then, sanctions have been placed on members of the Taliban government, the central bank's overseas assets have been frozen, and most foreign funding has been suspended - cutting off an economic lifeline.\n\nAfghanistan is estimated to be sitting on natural resources - including natural gas, copper and rare earths - worth more than $1tn (\u00a3831.5bn), but those reserves remain untapped due to decades of turmoil in the country.\n\nThe Taliban government's treatment of women has outraged the international community and increased its isolation while its economy collapses.\n\nEducation of women and girls has been particularly contentious. Currently girls and women are barred from secondary schools and universities in most of Afghanistan.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/world-asia-65005792"}
{"title":"Victim's father marks 30 years since Warrington IRA bombing - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-20","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"Colin Parry says spending the last three decades campaigning for peace has kept his family together.","section":"Liverpool","content":"Colin Parry and his wife Wendy have spent the last three decades campaigning for peace\n\nA father whose 12-year-old son was killed by an IRA bomb 30 years ago has said campaigning for peace is \"the glue which has kept the family together\".\n\nTim Parry and three-year-old Johnathan Ball died and 54 others were hurt when two bombs hidden inside litter bins exploded on 20 March 1993.\n\nThe Provisional IRA acknowledged its involvement the following day.\n\nColin Parry said he and his wife Wendy had \"focused so much on turning something bad into something good\".\n\nThey established the Tim Parry Johnathan Ball Peace Foundation which opened in March 2000, on the seventh anniversary of the boys' deaths.\n\nMr Parry said: \"I don't need to be a time traveller, I can go back that day, the moment when we heard there'd been a bomb and the moment we were told how badly injured Tim was and everything that flowed from that for the next five days.\n\n\"For a while we thought he might live but of course that wasn't to be.\"\n\nJohnathan Ball, three, and Tim Parry, 12, died after the IRA bombing\n\n\"The appetite for normal life changed because life wasn't normal any more so we had to channel our energies into something new, and that new is something that's still there 30 years on and it will go on,\" Mr Parry told BBC Breakfast.\n\n\"We've focused so much on turning something bad into something good, and I think we've done it reasonably well, we're still here and we have a purpose in life.\"\n\nTim was killed alongside Johnathan when the IRA detonated bombs near a busy shopping centre in Warrington, Cheshire, on the day before Mother's Day in 1993.\n\nMr Parry said people still \"remember the sense of utter shock\".\n\n\"A town without any military significance shouldn't have been targeted,\" he said.\n\n\"Why Warrington? And why a shopping street? Why the day before Mother's Day? All these strange questions which lead me to the view that it was a cynical, deliberate choice by the IRA to hit a soft target and they must have known that there would be children likely to be injured or possibly killed through those two bombs.\"\n\nThe River of Life memorial was placed at the site of the attack on Bridge Street in 1996\n\nHe added: \"They've never been caught, we'll never know who they are, not that it matters any more.\n\n\"It matters more to me the positive things that have come along that we carry on doing for as long as we can.\"\n\nMr Parry said his son was \"the joker in the pack\" who was \"different to our other children\".\n\nHe said: \"He was the one that did the things he shouldn't have done and got away with it because he was the middle one.\n\n\"He was an entertainer and he wanted to do so many things.\n\n\"I often wonder what he would have become. I could have seen him in the Royal Navy, maybe he would even have played for Everton, they need him badly enough.\"\n\nFormer Prime Minister John Major attended an event in Warrington to mark the bombing's 30th anniversary\n\nA commemorative event held in Warrington town centre to mark the anniversary was attended by former Prime Minister Sir John Major, and included a one-minute silence.\n\nSir John told BBC North West Tonight he could still remember the moment he was informed of the bombing.\n\n\"It was a truly dreadful event and one which nearly encouraged the end of the peace process,\" he said.\n\nHe added that the \"tremendous work\" of the foundation was \"beyond praise\".\n\n\"To think Colin and Wendy Parry did that after losing their son in that dreadful way in a murder, I think it's absolutely remarkable what's been achieved,\" he said.\n\nAn emotional commemoration to mark one of Warrington's darkest days.\n\nThe town fell silent just after 12:25 GMT to remember what happened on that day 30 years ago and all those affected by it.\n\nPeace and reconciliation were the main messages from those who spoke. They included former Prime Minister Sir John Major and the friends and family of Johnathan Ball and Tim Parry.\n\nArthur, the nephew that Tim never got to meet, read a poem named World Peace.\n\nThe final words read: \"Our fight should be for peace instead, so it's love not war that we should spread.\"\n\nA message that resonated with everyone gathered in the town.\n\nWhy not follow BBC North West on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram? You can also send story ideas to northwest.newsonline@bbc.co.uk\n\u2022 None Warrington Bombing- The bomb victim who lost her leg - BBC News\n\nThe BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/uk-england-merseyside-64995094"}
{"title":"Ullapool: The Highland community facing a 100-mile trip to see a dentist - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-20","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"A shortage of NHS dentists means people in Ullapool are also likely to have to pay for dental care.","section":"Highlands & Islands","content":"People in Ullapool are facing a 100-mile round trip for dental care after the village's only dentist retired.\n\nNHS Highland has been unable to recruit a replacement and has suggested patients register with private practices in Gairloch or Inverness.\n\nThose unable to afford private dental care have been unable to find NHS dentists taking on new patients.\n\nEarlier this week the British Dental Association (BDA) warned of a crisis facing dentistry in Scotland.\n\nNHS Highland blamed a national shortage of dentists for the situation in Ullapool.\n\nSue Pomeroy, from Little Loch Broom, is among local people \"desperately\" trying to find an NHS dentist.\n\nSue Pomeroy says her children need to be able to access NHS dentists\n\n\"I've phoned everywhere, practices as far as Easter Ross, but no-one is taking on NHS patients.\n\n\"One dentist told me I could be added to their waiting list but it's a year-and-a-half long. My friend has contacted 20 different dentists.\n\n\"I've got children who need regular check-ups, and I need follow-up treatment after dental surgery.\"\n\nHer former dentist served the town, which has a population of 1,500, and its outlying areas.\n\nSome have signed up for private care but Ms Pomeroy said this may not be affordable for people with families, or accessible for older people.\n\nInverness and Gairloch are both more than an hour's drive away from Ullapool.\n\nJonathan Miller, 66 has lived just outside Ullapool for the last 30 years. He told BBC Scotland that the cost of private dental care as well as fuel costs could put him off attending the dentist.\n\nHe said: \"It's a round trip of around 110 miles, which is a couple of hours there and back, you can't just nip out to the dentist.\n\n\"If it's going to cost me upwards of \u00a378 to go to Inverness just for a check-up, I'm not going to bother.\"\n\nHe has concerns that the lack of preventative care may lead to bigger dental issues in the future, which will end up costing him even more money.\n\nMr Miller said he felt people were being \"forced to go private\", adding: \"It starts with teeth, but where does it end?\"\n\nHe said it was the latest in a line of cuts that was making it \"increasingly difficult and expensive to live in rural areas.\"\n\nJonathan Miller is concerned about the costs of private dental care\n\nA spokesperson for NHS Highland said patients affected by the Ullapool surgery's closure had been given the option to access private dental care.\n\nChildren have been offered access to NHS dentistry.\n\nEarlier this week the professional body for dentists warned that NHS dental staffing problems could get worse.\n\nSpeaking to the BBC Radio's Good Morning Scotland, BDA Scotland director Charlotte Waite warned that 80% of dentists planned to reduce their NHS commitment this year, with 30% saying they would leave the profession or seek early retirement.\n\nShe said dentists were struggling with patient backlogs and soaring running costs, meaning the fees they were paid to offer NHS services were no longer covering the cost of carrying out the services. This means many dentists are operating at a loss.\n\nThe BDA has asked the Scottish government to bring payment reform forward.\n\nMs Waite said: \"If they don't sort out and reform the funding of this system there is a real risk that they will lose even more dentists from the NHS service.\"\n\nA Scottish government spokesperson said NHS Highland had now received expressions of interest for opening new dental practices, and the government would work with the health board to provide funding support if the applications were successful.\n\nThe government is also continuing to work \"apace\" on payment reform.\n\nThe BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/uk-scotland-highlands-islands-64976569"}
{"title":"Terry Hall: Coventry scooter ride-out pays tribute to singer - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-20","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"Hundreds of people ride through Coventry on what would have been the singer's 64th birthday.","section":"Coventry & Warwickshire","content":"Some scooters were decorated in honour of The Specials singer\n\nHundreds of people have taken part in a scooter ride-out in Terry Hall's home city of Coventry to mark what would have been his 64th birthday.\n\nHall, singer with The Specials, died in December of pancreatic cancer.\n\nScooters were a symbol of the Two Tone scene of which Hall was an icon, at its peak in the late 1970s and early 1980s.\n\n\"The whole mods and rude boys, it all just amalgamated into one scene. They all rode scooters; they all looked sharp,\" said organiser Richard Willie.\n\nHannah Tobin, from the city, said the sheer number of scooters who turned out from all over the West Midlands had been \"absolutely amazing\".\n\n\"It was quite moving and brilliant seeing them all in convoy to remember him,\" she said.\n\nPeople from scooter clubs wanted to pay their respects to Terry Hall\n\nSuki Singh, who helped to organise the event, said many people had been in touch, asking to take part,\n\n\"We've had other clubs - CV Collective, All or Nothing, groups from Solihull, Kettering and Northampton - that all wanted to get involved and as soon as people found out about it - it just got sort of bigger and bigger,\" he said.\n\n\"Some things pass you by at the time but suddenly, years later, we realise how big Two Tone was, and a massive part was played, obviously, by The Specials.\n\nThe city's 2-Tone Village has music and stalls to raise funds for Tonic, a charity supported by Hall, that aims to help people's mental health and recovery through music.\n\nPeople were moved by the number of scooter riders taking part\n\nParking in the village was affected\n\nThe top end of Marlborough Road became a scooter park for the day, affecting parking in some roads, the village said.\n\nThe Specials spearheaded the Two Tone and ska scenes, their music reflecting an era of upheaval, unemployment and racial tension.\n\nThis Twitter post cannot be displayed in your browser. Please enable Javascript or try a different browser. View original tweet on Twitter The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Skip twitter post by Hannah 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\u2019s cookie policy, external and privacy policy, external before accepting. To view this content choose \u2018accept and continue\u2019. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.\n\nThey split in 1981 but hits such as Ghost Town and Too Much Too Young ensured their legacy.\n\nHall went on to found Fun Boy Three, The Colourfield and Vegas, and also performed as a solo artist.\n\nTerry Hall died in December aged 63 after being diagnosed with pancreatic cancer\n\nThe Specials reformed in 2008, featuring Hall, but without co-founder Jerry Dammers.\n\nMr Willie, who runs the Lounge Lizards Scooter Club, said Hall had \"touched all of our souls\".\n\n\"We all loved Terry Hall,\" said Mr Willie.\n\n\"When he died, we just wanted to do something to honour his legacy and all the music he made, which was a massive part of our lives.\"\n\nRichard Willie organised the event, with The 2 Tone Caf\u00e9 owners Angela and Alf Knight set to cater for the riders\n\nFollow BBC West Midlands on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. Send your story ideas to: newsonline.westmidlands@bbc.co.uk","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/uk-england-coventry-warwickshire-65006801"}
{"title":"Transport for Wales rail passengers face disruption into April - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-20","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"Transport for Wales says it is struggling to get parts needed to bring trains back into operation.","section":"Wales","content":"Transport for Wales are asking passengers to check their website to make sure certain trains are running as normal\n\nRail disruption across Wales will continue into April after trains were withdrawn following several fires.\n\nMore than 100 services were cancelled in part or in full at the start of March after three \"mechanical failures\" on Class 175 trains.\n\nTransport for Wales (TfW) said it was struggling to get the parts it needed to bring trains back into operation.\n\nServices between Chester and Liverpool remain cancelled, with replacement buses in place for several other lines.\n\n\"All necessary checks and repairs must be completed on our Class 175 trains before they are allowed back into service,\" a TfW spokesperson said.\n\n\"For some of the trains, additional engine repair work has been found to be required.\"\n\nTfW said it could mean train cancellations between Fishguard Harbour and Clarbeston Road, and Birmingham New Street and Wolverhampton.\n\nOn Monday, bus replacement services were in place between Llandudno and Blaenau Ffestiniog, Milford Haven and Swansea, Wrexham and Bidston on Merseyside, and Newport and Cross Keys.\n\nPassengers are being asked to check the TfW website before travelling.\n\nRail passengers travelling between Wrexham and Bidston, Merseyside, had to use bus replacement services\n\nThe operator said it was trying to find parts internationally and would gradually bring more trains back into service over the next few weeks.\n\n\"We're expecting some disruption to continue into April,\" the spokesperson said.\n\n\"We're very sorry for the disruption to customers' journeys while we work to carry out this essential work.\"\n\nJan Chaudhry van der Velde, chief operations officer at Transport for Wales, said: \"A large proportion of the trains will need a modification to the engine. That process has now started at Chester depot, which is where these 175s are maintained.\n\n\"We've got about 25 of these Class 175 trains. We've got about five in service as we speak now.\n\n\"The position will gradually get better. It's all dependent on a regular flow of the spare parts that we need to do these repairs.\"\n\nStudent Harry Mawdsley says the bus replacement service means getting up a lot earlier\n\nHarry Mawdsley, a student, called the disruption \"really not good\".\n\nHe normally travels by train to Wrexham for lectures.\n\n\"I have to get up a lot earlier to get a bus that can often be late,\" he explained.\n\nMeena Powell was also stuck using a replacement bus service from Wrexham.\n\nMeena Powell says she will probably start using her car is train disruption out of Wrexham continues into April\n\n\"It just takes longer,\" she said. \"They do what they can on the roads with the traffic but it's a pain.\n\n\"When you rely on the train it's really hard.\"\n\nIf the disruption continues into April Ms Powell said she would probably go back to using her own car.\n\n\"That's a lot of single person car journeys to be making.... environment wise,\" she said. \"Not everyone has the option unfortunately of hopping in the car and it's not something I want to do.\"\n\nTfW said it was also dealing with a broken down train causing delays on its Crewe to Shrewsbury service on Monday.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/uk-wales-65012434"}
{"title":"Jeffrey Epstein banks to face sex-trafficking case - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-20","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"A US court says the banks must face claims they enabled the deceased financier's sex trafficking.","section":"Business","content":"Financier Epstein was awaiting trial on sex-trafficking charges in 2019 when he was found dead in his cell\n\nTwo banks connected with the late Jeffrey Epstein will face lawsuits over claims they enabled his sex trafficking, a US court has ruled.\n\nTwo women who say the financier sexually abused them brought the case against JP Morgan Chase and Deutsche Bank.\n\nJudge Jed Rakoff also gave the go-ahead to a case against JP Morgan from the US Virgin Islands.\n\nThe banks deny being aware of Epstein's abuses.\n\nIn a four-page order Judge Rakoff wrote that the women and Virgin Islands government could try to make the case the banks had \"knowingly benefitted from participating in a sex trafficking venture\".\n\nHe also allowed the women to pursue claims the banks were negligent and obstructed enforcement of a federal anti-trafficking law.\n\nHe dismissed some of the other claims.\n\nThe decision means the banks could be financially liable for their relationships with the American financier if the claims are proven in court.\n\nEpstein, who died in prison in 2019 while awaiting trial on charges of sex trafficking, was a client of JP Morgan from 2000 to 2013, and of Deutsche Bank from 2013 to 2018.\n\nJP Morgan and Deutsche Bank, which had both sought to have the lawsuits dismissed, declined to comment on the recent ruling to Reuters.\n\nThe move comes after JP Morgan filed a lawsuit against Jess Staley, who handled Epstein's business as a senior executive at the bank, accusing him of failing to disclose potentially damaging information about his client.\n\nMr Staley went on to serve as chief executive of Barclays after leaving JP Morgan. He stepped down in 2021 after an investigation into his ties to Epstein.\n\nAt the time he said he would contest the findings.\n\nEpstein, who was convicted in 2008 for soliciting prostitution from a minor, moved in social circles that included Prince Andrew and former presidents Donald Trump and Bill Clinton, as well as many key figures of the business world.\n\nProsecutors in 2019 accused him of running a \"vast network\" of underage girls for sex.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/business-65017982"}
{"title":"RMT members at Network Rail vote to accept pay deal - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-20","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"Rail workers have voted on a revised pay offer, ending walkouts for some RMT strikers.","section":"Business","content":"Thousands of signal workers and maintenance staff in the RMT union have voted overwhelmingly to accept an offer from Network Rail to end its dispute.\n\nIt means they will not take part in any more strikes in the long-running dispute over pay, jobs and working conditions.\n\nRMT members who work for 14 train operating companies are still due to walk out on 30 March and 1 April.\n\nBut the Network Rail result will be seen as a significant breakthrough.\n\nRMT general secretary Mike Lynch said the offer had not been as high as he would have liked, but members had voted decisively to accept the deal.\n\n\"We're not pretending this is an overwhelming victory,\" he said. \"We're not celebrating the outcome, but we do accept our members' verdict that they have said 'this is enough'.\"\n\nThe turnout for the vote was nearly 90%, said the RMT, with 76% of members voting in favour of the pay offer.\n\nThe deal comes after Network Rail amended its previously rejected offer of a 5% pay rise for 2022 and a 4% increase this year.\n\nThe government did not put any more money on the table, but the tweaked proposals backdated this year's pay increase by three months, meaning workers end up with a bigger lump sum upfront.\n\nThe RMT - the country's biggest rail union - said the offer amounted to an uplift on salaries of between 14.4% for the lowest paid grades to 9.2% for the highest paid.\n\nTransport secretary Mark Harper welcomed the \"resounding\" vote in favour of accepting the offer.\n\n\"I'm very pleased, on behalf of the travelling public, that at least on the Network Rail side of the rail business we've now solved the industrial disputes,\" he said.\n\nHe said Network Rail would proceed with the modernisation and maintenance reforms, that the RMT opposes.\n\nMr Harper said he hoped the deal would be followed by a vote amongst staff in dispute with the train operating companies, represented by the Rail Delivery Group (RDG), who he said had made a \"fair and reasonable\" offer.\n\nMr Lynch said he would be meeting with RDG representatives on Tuesday, but that next week's strikes would still go ahead unless they received a \"cleaner deal\".\n\nThat should include more money and a dilution of some of the companies' demands, Mr Lynch said. The question of driver-only operated trains and the removal of ticket offices still had not been resolved, he added.\n\nWith a deal agreed at Network Rail, the disruption for passengers from future action will be on a slightly smaller scale, since maintenance and signalling staff will not be involved. It also means train operating companies that aren't directly involved in the dispute will be unaffected.\n\nDuring last Saturday's strike, workers at 14 train operators walked out, with between 40% and 50% of trains running.\n\nWorkers in various industries have held strikes, mainly over pay, which has not increased in line with rising prices. Inflation - the rate at which prices rise - is at its highest in nearly four decades.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/business-65015207"}
{"title":"Rupert Murdoch set to marry for fifth time at 92 - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-20","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"The billionaire tycoon announces his engagement to former police chaplain, Ann Lesley Smith.","section":"Entertainment & Arts","content":"Media tycoon Rupert Murdoch has announced his engagement to his partner Ann Lesley Smith, a former police chaplain.\n\nMr Murdoch, 92, and Ms Smith, 66, met in September at an event at his vineyard in California.\n\nThe businessman told the New York Post, one of his own publications: \"I dreaded falling in love - but I knew this would be my last. It better be. I'm happy.\"\n\nHe split with fourth wife Jerry Hall last year.\n\nMr Murdoch added that he proposed to Ms Smith on St Patrick's Day, noting that he was \"one fourth Irish\" and had been \"very nervous\".\n\nMs Smith's late husband was Chester Smith, a country singer and radio and TV executive.\n\n\"For us both it's a gift from God. We met last September,\" she told the New York Post.\n\n\"I'm a widow of 14 years. Like Rupert, my husband was a businessman... so I speak Rupert's language. We share the same beliefs.\"\n\nMr Murdoch, who has six children from his first three marriages, added: \"We're both looking forward to spending the second half of our lives together.\"\n\nThe wedding will take place in late summer and the couple will spend their time between California, Montana, New York and the UK.\n\nMr Murdoch was previously married to Australian flight attendant Patricia Booker, Scottish-born journalist Anna Mann, and Chinese-born entrepreneur Wendi Deng.\n\nMr Murdoch attended the Super Bowl recently with daughter Elisabeth Murdoch (left) and Ann Lesley Smith (right)","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/65012754"}
{"title":"Newborn puppies saved from being dumped in carrier bag - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-20","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"A man is arrested on suspicion of animal cruelty after the six puppies were found in a bag.","section":"Tees","content":"The six puppies will be found new homes once they are fully recovered\n\nSix newborn cocker spaniel puppies were saved from being dumped in a carrier bag, police said.\n\nTwo Durham police officers spotted a man swinging a carrier bag on the edge of a bank near Bishop Auckland.\n\nWhen they put on their blue lights, he threw the bag on to the front seat and pretended to check a tyre, they said. The puppies were found in the bag.\n\nA man in his 50s was arrested on suspicion of animal cruelty and other offences.\n\nThe five-day-old puppies, which have been reunited with their parents, are now being looked after by vets after being found in the car on the A689 on Saturday morning.\n\nTwo PCs heard squealing coming from a carrier bag inside the parked up vehicle near Bishop Auckland\n\nPC Liam Vernon from Durham Police said: \"The puppies were riddled with fleas and if we'd have passed just seconds before, we would have been none the wiser.\n\n\"Both myself and PC Luke Howie are huge dog lovers, so it has been one of those jobs which has really stuck with us.\n\n\"We've hardly stopped thinking about it but are just glad to have saved them - it really was right place, right time.\"\n\nThe officers heard squealing coming from the sealed bag and found the puppies, some which had not opened their eyes, inside.\n\nA man in his 50s was arrested on suspicion of animal cruelty, money laundering and trafficking in a controlled drug.\n\nHe has been released on bail while investigations continue.\n\nFollow BBC North East & Cumbria on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram. Send your story ideas to northeastandcumbria@bbc.co.uk.\n\nThe BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/uk-england-tees-65014920"}
{"title":"Georgia Harrison: I was living in fear of more sex footage - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-20","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"Reality TV star Stephen Bear was jailed for sharing explicit footage online without Ms Harrison's consent.","section":"UK","content":"This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser.\n\nReality TV star Georgia Harrison says she was \"living in fear\" that more footage from an explicit video shared without her consent would be released.\n\nHer ex-partner, Stephen Bear, was jailed for 21 months after being found guilty of voyeurism and sharing private sexual videos online.\n\nThe 28-year-old said seeing the footage on subscription site OnlyFans was \"the final straw\" for her.\n\nMs Harrison said she feared Bear would sell even more footage.\n\nHe had used CCTV cameras in his garden to capture them having sex and then sent it to a friend and sold the video online - none of which she consented to.\n\nA six-minute clip was posted online but the original video was 20 minutes long.\n\nMs Harrison told the BBC's Sunday with Laura Kuenssberg programme she was aware some people \"were viewing the whole thing\" which was \"a lot harder\" for her to cope with.\n\n\"I was living in fear that he was going to sell more,\" she added.\n\nMs Harrison - who has waived her right to anonymity - started criminal proceedings against Bear, who she met on a reality show, in December 2020.\n\nShe said the process of going to court was tough but \"empowering\".\n\n\"I just felt it was the only option. I'd been pushed so far, and before I actually saw the video had gone viral on the internet, I'd had multiple men telling me they had it shown to them,\" she said.\n\nBear was given a restraining order to not contact Ms Harrison, who has appeared on Love Island and The Only Way Is Essex, for five years.\n\nHe was also ordered to sign the sex offenders' register and will be subject to notification requirements for 10 years.\n\nStephen Bear was jailed after he was found guilty of voyeurism and disclosing private, sexual photographs and films\n\nThe incident \"took away an innocent sort of spark\" Ms Harrison had and made it difficult for her to trust others, she said.\n\nWhile her case has \"shocked the British public\", she said incidents like this are actually \"such a common thing\" and she receives messages from at least five women going through a similar situation every day.\n\n\"Ever since this happened to me I became someone that victims reach out to, and I get at least five women a day - usually victims but sometimes mothers of victims or family members who want advice,\" she said.\n\n\"You just wouldn't believe how big this is and how many people are affected by it.\"\n\nAbout one in 14 adults in England and Wales have experienced a threat to share intimate images, according to the Ministry of Justice.\n\nMs Harrison said she has been \"enjoying making a difference\" through her work as a campaigner on this issue and would be interested in getting involved in politics.\n\nAsked whether she would like to become the next prime minister, she joked: \"We won't push it.\"\n\nSharing explicit footage without consent - also known as non-consensual pornography or image-based sexual abuse - was made illegal in 2015.\n\nAn amendment to the law was created in 2021, which also made threatening to release private sexual images and films an offence.\n\nHowever it can be difficult to convict suspected perpetrators, due to the law requiring intent behind the release of pictures and videos - either to cause distress or embarrassment.\n\nMs Harrison is calling on the government to remove the requirement to prove intent from the law.\n\nAn amendment to this effect was proposed as part of the Online Safety Bill in November. It is currently not known when this bill would become law.\n\n\"I think if you are sharing explicit images or videos without consent - it's very obvious that it will cause distress.\n\n\"If they were to change it and take that out I think a lot more victims would have a chance of getting some justice, like I did,\" she said.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/uk-64998904"}
{"title":"Private firms profiting from UK asylum hotels - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-20","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"The government pays millions each day to house asylum seekers in almost 400 hotels across the UK.","section":"UK","content":"The government uses hotels to accommodate thousands of refugees\n\nPrivate firms are making increased profits as the government pays millions of pounds a day to put up asylum seekers in the UK, the BBC has learned.\n\nBBC News has been told 395 hotels are being used to house asylum seekers, as arrivals to the UK rose last year.\n\nDocuments show one booking agency used by the Home Office trebled its pre-tax profits from \u00a32.1m to \u00a36.3m in the 12 months up to February 2022.\n\nThe Home Office says the asylum system is under \"incredible strain\".\n\nThe government has never publicly confirmed the number of hotels involved, but a government source told BBC News it is now using 395 to accommodate more than 51,000 asylum seekers, at a cost of more than \u00a36m a day.\n\nOf those hotels, 363 are in England, 20 in Northern Ireland, 10 in Scotland and two in Wales.\n\nIt means Northern Ireland and England have far more hotels housing asylum seekers per head of population than Scotland and Wales.\n\nThe use of hotels has increased exponentially as the number of people claiming asylum in the UK has increased, reaching a near 20-year high of 74,751 last year, according to Home Office data.\n\nAsylum applications to the UK peaked at 84,132 in 2002, but then fell sharply to a low of 17,916 in 2010.\n\nSmall boat arrivals, accounting for about 45% of asylum applications in 2022, were also at record levels and the backlog of asylum cases now amounts to about 166,000 people.\n\nBecause of a lack of other suitable accommodation, asylum seekers are housed in hotels, which are often taken over by the government with only a few days' notice.\n\nThe BBC has been told existing bookings at some hotels, including business conferences and weddings, have been cancelled at short notice.\n\nHotel owners are approached to hand over their properties to outsourced companies, which run the business on behalf of the Home Office.\n\nThree large firms have contracts to run the hotels.\n\nOne, Serco, provides some 109 hotels in England, according to a High Court judgement from December 2022, mostly in the Midlands, East and North West.\n\nSerco, which also provides other services on behalf of the government, references \"growth\" in its immigration work in its 2022 annual report.\n\nCourt documents have revealed Mears Group is running 80 hotels in north-east England, Scotland and Northern Ireland. According to its annual report, the company increased its annual revenue by 22% in 2021.\n\nThe report said the increase was \"largely driven\" by its work finding hotel accommodation for asylum seekers.\n\nHome Office spending records show a smaller firm, Calder Conferences, received \u00a320.6m in payments from the Home Office in 2021 to book hotels. That figure increased to \u00a397m in 2022.\n\nHome Office sources suggested this work related principally to finding bridging hotels for Afghan refugees who arrived following the Taliban takeover in 2021.\n\nLeeds-based Calder's annual accounts for the year ending February 2022 show turnover increased from \u00a35.98m to \u00a323.66m. The firm's pre-tax profits trebled, from \u00a32.1m to \u00a36.3m.\n\nCalder's director, Debbie Hoban, saw her annual remuneration increase from \u00a3230,000 to \u00a32.2m.\n\nThe firm has not responded to the BBC's request for comment.\n\nThe choice of hotels appears indiscriminate. BBC analysis found contracts with ones at airports, golf courses, country houses, the seaside, and some used for city business workers.\n\nSome towns, Swindon for example, have more than one hotel housing asylum seekers, others have none.\n\nUK government sources complain that Scotland's government has actively blocked hotels being booked for asylum seekers in the country. But the Scottish government said in a statement that because the asylum system is not devolved, the backlog was \"of the UK government's own making\".\n\nCommunities have spoken of their anger about the lack of consultation before asylum seekers moved in. There have been some protests, with far-right elements involved.\n\nAt the Wiltshire Leisure Village, a retirement complex near Royal Wootton Bassett, asylum seekers have been housed at a nearby hotel and fences erected, meaning residents of the leisure village do not have access to the golf course.\n\nFredricka Reynolds, a florist, lost her regular work for a hotel in Kegworth, Leicestershire, when asylum seekers moved in last month.\n\nShe said: \"They rang me on the Thursday, before the asylum seekers came on the Monday and cancelled all my weddings for the foreseeable [future].\"\n\nThe hotel is a major part of life for the village of about 4,000 people. Its swimming pool and gym, used by local people, have been closed.\n\n\"I understand they need housing, but then also why Kegworth? Why the main business in Kegworth that brings many people to the village, a lot of money into the village? It's all gone now,\" said Ms Reynolds.\n\nSecurity guards often stop journalists approaching the asylum seekers, but two men living in the Wiltshire hotel spoke of their boredom.\n\nSimpay Khalifa complained: \"We stay the whole day at the room doing nothing\"\n\nSimpay Khalifa, a 25-year-old Sundanese man who arrived by small boat from France in November, said the hotel was \"far from civilisation\".\n\n\"There is nothing to do actually. We have to take a bus to get to Swindon. We need something to do like, for example, study some English courses,\" he said.\n\n\"Some people volunteer and do some charity work, but there is nothing to do here. Nothing. We stay the whole day at the room doing nothing.\"\n\nThe BBC used Freedom of Information requests to ask all UK councils how many hotels were being used for asylum seekers and how many individuals were living in them.\n\nOf the 398 councils approached, 320 responded. The majority said there were no hotels or asylum seekers in their area, or referred the BBC to the Home Office.\n\nOne authority refused the request on the grounds it could lead to asylum seekers being exposed to \"harassment, threats and physical or mental harm\".\n\nHowever, another council not only provided the number of hotels and individuals, but the address of a hotel.\n\nA Home Office spokesperson said the government was \"committed to making every effort to reduce hotel use and limit the burden on the taxpayer\".","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/uk-64991234"}
{"title":"Putin to Xi: We will discuss your plan to end the war in Ukraine - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-20","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"China's leader, whose Ukraine plan has been criticised in the West, gets a warm welcome in Moscow.","section":"Asia","content":"This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser.\n\nVladimir Putin has said he will discuss Xi Jinping's 12-point plan to \"settle the acute crisis in Ukraine\", during a highly anticipated visit to Moscow by the Chinese president.\n\n\"We're always open for a negotiation process,\" Mr Putin said, as the leaders called each other \"dear friend\".\n\nChina released a plan to end the war last month - it includes \"ceasing hostilities\" and resuming peace talks.\n\nBut on Friday the US warned the peace plan could be a \"stalling tactic\".\n\nUS Secretary of State Antony Blinken said: \"The world should not be fooled by any tactical move by Russia, supported by China or any other country, to freeze the war on its own terms.\"\n\nHe added: \"Calling for a ceasefire that does not include the removal of Russian forces from Ukrainian territory would effectively be supporting the ratification of Russian conquest.\"\n\nChina's plan did not specifically say that Russia must withdraw from Ukraine - which Ukraine has insisted as a precondition for any talks.\n\nInstead, it talked of \"respecting the sovereignty of all countries\", adding that \"all parties must stay rational and exercise restraint\" and \"gradually de-escalate the situation\".\n\nThe plan also condemned the usage of \"unilateral sanctions\" - seen as a veiled criticism of Ukraine's allies in the West.\n\nOn Monday, a military band gave Mr Xi a warm welcome to Moscow. Mr Putin hailed China for \"observing the principles of justice\" and pushing for \"undivided security for every country\".\n\nIn return, Mr Xi told Mr Putin: \"Under your strong leadership, Russia has made great strides in its prosperous development. I am confident that the Russian people will continue to give you their firm support.\"\n\nBefore Mr Xi's arrival, Mr Putin wrote in China's People's Daily newspaper that the two nations would not be weakened by \"aggressive\" US policy.\n\nPublicly, Ukrainian leaders have been emphasising the common ground they have with China - respecting sovereignty and territorial integrity.\n\nBut privately, they have been lobbying for a meeting - or telephone call - between President Volodymyr Zelensky and Mr Xi.\n\nThe fear in Kyiv is that China's support for Russia - currently based around technology and trade - might become military, potentially including artillery shells.\n\n\"If China does move to openly supply weapons to Russia, it will in effect be taking part in the conflict on the side of the aggressor,\" said Oleksiy Danilov, the secretary of Ukraine's National Security and Defence Council.\n\nIt was in Beijing's interests to stabilise the relationship with Russia, with which it shares a 4,300km (2,700 mile) border, said Yu Jie, a research fellow on China at Chatham House.\n\nRussia is a source of oil for Beijing's huge economy, and is seen as a partner in standing up to the US.\n\nMs Yu added that Mr Xi had just scored a diplomatic victory in mediating between Iran and Saudi Arabia, which have now resumed diplomatic ties.\n\nThis could be a chance for him to explore the opportunity to mediate between Russia and Ukraine.\n\nOn Monday evening, Mr Xi was treated to a seven-course meal including nelma fish from the Pechora River in northern Russia, a traditional Russian seafood soup and pancakes with quail - alongside Russian wine.\n\nPresidential spokesperson Dmitry Peskov indicated there would be a \"detailed explanation\" of Moscow's actions in Ukraine over dinner. Russian and Chinese delegations will hold talks on Tuesday - the main day of the visit.\n\nThe meeting comes days after the International Criminal Court (ICC) issued an arrest warrant for the Russian president over war crime allegations.\n\nThis means Mr Putin could technically be arrested in 123 countries - though neither China nor Russia are on that list.\n\nMaking a trip to Moscow so soon after the ICC's announcement suggests China feels \"no responsibility to hold the Kremlin accountable\" for atrocities in Ukraine, Mr Blinken said.\n\nWestern leaders have been attempting since last February to isolate Russia, following its full-scale invasion of Ukraine.\n\nBut they have been unable to establish a global consensus, with China, India and several African nations reluctant to condemn Mr Putin.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/world-asia-65018657"}
{"title":"France pension reform: Macron's government survives no-confidence vote - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-20","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"More than 100 people are arrested after protests across Paris following Monday's vote.","section":"Europe","content":"Rubbish and bins were set alight across Paris during protests following Monday's vote\n\nThe French government has narrowly survived a vote of no-confidence, which was triggered when it forced through an increase in the pension age to 64.\n\nIt sparked new anti-government protests in Paris, where 101 people were arrested after stand-offs with police.\n\nThe vote, tabled by centrist MPs, had 278 votes in favour, falling short of the 287 votes needed.\n\nHad it been successful, President Emmanuel Macron would have had to name a new government or call new elections.\n\nA second no-confidence motion, tabled by Marine Le Pen's far-right National Rally party, also did not pass.\n\nNow both votes have failed, the controversial bill to raise the retirement age from 62 to 64 will become law.\n\nThe votes were held after Prime Minister \u00c9lisabeth Borne used a special constitutional power, called Article 49:3, to push the bill through without a vote last week.\n\nIt sparked angry protests at the weekend, with some demonstrators clashing with police and blocking streets with debris fires in central Paris, as well as cities around the country.\n\nMonday's failed votes saw fresh protests in the capital, with a tense standoff between protesters and anti-riot police.\n\nThe first motion, which had the backing of several left-wing parties including the Green Party and the Socialist Party, was the only one likely to succeed.\n\nWhen that vote failed, members of the left-wing contingent that voted for it held placards reading \"continue\" and \"we'll meet in the streets\", and shouted that the prime minister should resign.\n\nOpposition MPs held up signs protesting against the government's pension age increase after the no-confidence vote\n\n\"Nothing is solved, we'll continue to do all we can so this reform is pulled back,\" hard-left La France Insoumise parliamentary group chief Mathilde Panot said.\n\nOne university student called Shola who turned out to protest in Paris told AFP news agency: \"People think this subject does not concern us but in fact it does. If our grandparents will now have to work longer, we know that things will get worse.\"\n\nFellow student Marie said they were protesting \"because we have been abandoned, because we have been ignored, because it is a government that doesn't care about us, it mocks us\".\n\nBefore the votes, members of the opposition booed and jeered Ms Borne when she took to the podium for a debate, which grew increasingly tense.\n\nThe prime minister said that the government had \"never gone so far\" to find a compromise to pass the law.\n\nBoris Vallaud from the Socialist Party, who backed the centrist the no-confidence vote, called on the government to \"withdraw\" the pension reform or \"submit it to the vote of the French people\".\n\nMr Macron has argued that France's ageing population makes the current pension scheme unaffordable. But that is not a sentiment shared by all in parliament.\n\nThe author of the first no-confidence votes, Charles de Courson, said removing the government was \"the only way of stopping the social and political crisis in this country\".\n\nHowever the leader of France's conservative Republican party, \u00c9ric Ciotti, said last week they would not support the no-confidence motions.\n\nMr Ciotti said the decision to invoke the clause was \"a result of many years of political failures\" that demonstrated \"a profound crisis in our constitution\", but he did not believe the vote of no-confidence was the solution.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/world-europe-65014336"}
{"title":"Bin collections: Plans to change recycling risks chaos, say councils - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-20","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"Councils say government plans for consistent waste and recycling policies across England could be unworkable.","section":"UK Politics","content":"The UK government wants to introduce consistent recycling collection policies across England\n\nThe UK government's plans to introduce consistent waste collection policies across England could prove chaotic and unworkable, councils have warned.\n\nThe details of major government reforms to waste collection in England are expected to be confirmed soon.\n\nThe changes could see councils ordered to arrange the separate collection of six types of recyclable waste.\n\nThe government said standardisation will increase recycling rates and simplify waste management.\n\nBut council leaders told the BBC the changes could backfire, with one saying it would be \"madness\" to force local authorities with different needs to collect waste in the same way.\n\nPeter Fleming, the Conservative leader of Sevenoaks District Council in Kent, said the reforms would mean more bin lorries on the roads and do nothing to encourage household waste reduction through behavioural change.\n\n\"The idea that standardisation - a national bin service - is the way forward makes absolutely no sense,\" he told the BBC.\n\nWaste management is largely a devolved matter in the UK, with the administrations in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland setting their own policies.\n\nAt the moment, councils in England have discretion over how and when waste is collected from households and businesses.\n\nBut last year, the government passed a new law that required a consistent set of recyclable waste materials to be collected separately from all households and businesses.\n\nLocal authorities will be required to collect the recyclable waste streams separately unless it is not technically or economically practicable, or there is no significant environmental benefit in doing so.\n\nThe Environment Act, which became law in 2021, also requires that food waste collection must take place at least once a week.\n\nThe government also wants councils to collect garden waste for free, but give them the right to charge for this beyond the basic service.\n\nProgress on recycling across the UK has been slower in recent years, with the rate in England hovering around the 45% mark since 2015.\n\nThe UK government has committed to meet a 65% municipal recycling rate by 2035.\n\nIn 2021, the Department for Environment Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) ran a public consultation on the best way to use its waste collection powers under the Environment Act.\n\nThe BBC has been told councils expect the government to release its long-awaited response to the consultation this week. A Defra source did not deny this but would only say the response would be published \"in due course\".\n\nThe consultation says the government expects councils to start implementing these new waste policies this year.\n\nThe proposals in the consultation would cost more than \u00a3465m per year for the first seven years of implementation, according to research by the District Councils' Network, a lobby group.\n\nThe government has said it would \"fully fund\" all new waste collection burdens on local authorities.\n\nGiven the pressure on council budgets, \"it is essential that the full implementation and running costs of any changes are reimbursed\", a spokesperson for the District Councils' Network said.\n\nThe spokesperson said they were concerned about the reforms and \"their potential to reduce local freedom to deliver services that work in the best way for our communities\".\n\nThose concerns were echoed by Sarah Nelmes, the leader of Three Rivers District Council in Hertfordshire.\n\nCouncil leader Sarah Nelmes fears the standardisation of waste management could be counterproductive\n\nThree Rivers says its residents currently recycle 63.5% of their waste and the council is consistently near the top of the league table for recycling in England.\n\n\"Our residents do the recycling, we just make it easy for them,\" Ms Nelmes said. \"If we change the rules, some people just won't bother. If I had to have another three boxes, would I recycle?\"\n\nShe said if the changes go ahead as planned, there may be \"hidden costs\" for councils and \"bottlenecks\" as they scramble to buy new bin lorries and expand depots.\n\n\"I'm concerned it will be chaos because everybody will be trying to do the same thing at the same time,\" she said.\n\n\"If every council in the country is having to buy different bins, that's not going to work great.\"\n\nFollowing the outcome of this consultation, Environment Secretary Therese Coffey will specify the types of materials to be collected within each recyclable waste stream, in new regulations.\n\nCharlotte Paine, who leads South Holland District Council's operational services, said collecting recyclable materials separately was appealing, in principle.\n\n\"But trying to say that has to be done in a particular way just will not work given the complexities of different areas,\" she said.\n\n\"Much depends on where your waste goes, your local recycling facility, and how well they can deal with that. That's where this consistency is going to fall down.\"\n\nMr Fleming questioned the environmental benefits of forcing councils to buy more plastic bins and expanding waste collection operations.\n\nHe said: \"In a place like mine, where the majority of people don't live in the towns, why should we be running 26-tonne diesel vehicles all over the countryside to pick up Mrs Miggins's jam jar, or a bit of peeling from her potatoes?\n\n\"This does feel like some kind of zealot in Defra pushing this through. And I'm not sure they'll achieve the environmental outcomes they're looking for.\"\n\nA Defra spokesperson said the reforms to waste management would \"make recycling easier and ensure that there is a comprehensive, consistent service across England\".\n\n\"This will help increase recycled material in the products we buy and boost a growing UK recycling industry,\" the spokesperson said. \"We have held a public consultation on the proposed changes and will announce further details shortly.\"","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/uk-politics-64995473"}
{"title":"Credit Suisse: US markets subdued after bank taken over by Swiss rival UBS - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-20","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"The troubled Swiss bank was bought by its rival UBS in a government-backed deal after urgent weekend talks.","section":"Business","content":"Some stability has returned to the banking sector.\n\nUBS shares are down 5% today having been 14% lower this morning. Shares in other European banks have also recovered after early steep falls. Deutsche Bank was down 10% but is now 3% lower.\n\nRegulators in Europe, the UK and the US will be breathing a sigh of relief that the deal for UBS to buy Credit Suisse at a knockdown rate, with offers of cheap credit and a ready supply of dollars has seemingly calmed frayed nerves.\n\nThis was an enormously complex deal to do over a weekend and it is perhaps no surprise that many feel it leaves some awkward loose ends. The fact that shareholders in Credit Suisse got $3bn from the deal while some lenders to the troubled bank got nothing at all is not what the way it's supposed to work.\n\nTraders are mystified and alarmed that this deal ignored the practice of prioritising bond holders over shareholders and similar bonds in other banks have tumbled in value today.\n\nThe next test for the improvement in sentiment over the last three hours will be the opening of US financial markets.\n\nThe regulators have moved quickly and offered more help than banks have currently taken up - which means they either fear things could be worse than they look, or that they want to stay a step ahead of events at every turn they can.\n\nEveryone hopes it's the latter.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/live\/business-65011579"}
{"title":"Climate change: Couple set for Pole-to-Pole electric car challenge - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-20","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"The husband and wife will journey 17,000 miles from the Arctic to Antarctica, aided by renewables.","section":"NE Scotland, Orkney & Shetland","content":"This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Julie and Chris Ramsey have been planning the adventure for years\n\nA husband and wife from Aberdeen aim to drive from the Arctic to Antarctica in an electric car.\n\nChris and Julie Ramsey will set off to travel 17,000 miles (27,000km) from the Magnetic North to South Pole this week.\n\nTheir vehicle will be powered for much of the trip by solar and wind energy.\n\nThe couple will navigate into Canada, then head south through the United States and into warmer temperatures in South America over the space of 10 challenging months.\n\nThey will travel through Mexico, Nicaragua, Honduras, Costa Rica, Panama, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, Chile and Argentina.\n\nThey accept the journey could put a lot to the test, including their relationship.\n\nAnd coming from Aberdeen, they will take supplies of the humble buttery - the famous long-lasting local delicacy made of lard, butter and sugar, which is also known as a rowie or Aberdeen roll - to help keep their strength up.\n\n\"One of the most common questions we get asked is how we're going to charge the car in the polar regions where there's no electricity source,\" Mrs Ramsey said.\n\n\"There will be a wind turbine and full double solar on this device which will be towed along, harnessing the renewable energy sources - the wind and the sun - to power the car.\n\nThe couple's car will be powered by solar and wind energy\n\n\"That has been really challenging, innovative, pioneering - it's never been done before.\"\n\nShe explained: \"It's to dispel common myths that people have when they question electric vehicles - things like range and how far can they go.\n\n\"We are putting the car through the harshest of environments - minus temperatures and extreme heat - so we're really pushing the car to its limits and seeing what capability it has.\"\n\nLarge tyres have been fitted to the vehicle in a bid to cope with harsh terrain.\n\nThere are also some mod-cons, such as a coffee machine in the boot. And there is a drone launcher, so the couple can film their journey.\n\nPenguins in Antarctica are one of the sights awaiting the couple\n\nMr Ramsey said: \"Pole to Pole is the world's first drive from a magnetic North Pole location - up in the Arctic - all the way through the Americas and then all the way into the South Pole in Antarctica.\n\n\"No car in history has ever attempted this - and certainly no electric vehicle.\n\n\"People might think it's 10 months because of the limitations of the car, but it's not. We're travelling in 10 months because we're going from season to season.\n\n\"So summer season in the Arctic, we'll benefit from the sun for solar, and in Antarctica the expedition season is December. And that's 24\/7 daylight as well, which helps us with the solar.\"\n\nThe husband and wife are looking forward to the challenge\n\nThe couple are no stranger to defying the odds.\n\nIn 2017, they were the first team to complete the Mongol Rally in an electric car - a 10,000-mile (16,000km) journey from London to Mongolia.\n\n\"Having done the Mongol Rally, it has given me confidence that we can do this,\" Mrs Ramsey said.\n\n\"We have put the right measures in place and are working with the right people. With our passion and belief and the car being capable I have every confidence that we can do it.\n\n\"Yes there will be challenges, it's not going to be an easy ride, but what's an adventure without a challenge?\"\n\nShe added that the couple would not be forgetting their rowie supplies.\n\n\"We'll take a bit of Scotland over with us,\" she said.\n\u2022 None Why East Antarctica is a 'sleeping giant' of sea level rise - BBC Future\n\u2022 None Pole to Pole EV \u2013 The ultimate electric vehicle expedition. British adventurer and Guinness World Record holder Chris Ramsey The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/uk-scotland-north-east-orkney-shetland-64964294"}
{"title":"Iraq war 20 years on: How invasion plunged country into decades of chaos - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-20","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"The BBC's Jeremy Bowen explains why Iraqis are still living with the consequences 20 years on.","section":"Middle East","content":"The fence is lined with photos of people killed by the Islamic State group\n\nThe invasion of March 2003 was a catastrophe for Iraq and its people.\n\nMore proof of that, measured in broken lives, was at a suspected site of a mass grave in the desert outside Sinjar, not far from the border with Syria.\n\nSurvivors of one of Iraq's damaged communities, the Yazidis, looked on as the earth in a marble quarry was excavated. On a wire fence around the site were photos of dozens of people, mostly men, who had been killed by jihadists from the Islamic State group. They were from Zile-li, a village near the quarry, where 1,800 men were taken and killed on 3 August 2014.\n\nThe Yazidis revere both the Quran and the Bible; their religion is influenced by both Christianity and Islam. Islamic State considered them to be infidels and carried out a genocidal assault. It happened after the Americans and British had ended their occupation, but a direct line links the massacre to the invasion, and the disastrous years that followed.\n\nAmong those watching the excavation was Naif Jasso, the Sheikh of Kocho, a Yazidi community that suffered an even worse attack than Zile-li. He said that in Kocho, 517 people out of a population of 1,250 were killed by jihadists from IS, also known as ISIS or Daesh.\n\nIn Zile-li, men were separated from their families at gunpoint and shot dead at the quarry. Sofian Saleh, who was 16 at the time, was among the crowd at the excavation. He is one of only two men from Zile-li who survived. As he waited for death with his father, brother and 20 to 30 other men, he saw another group shot dead. Their bodies tumbled down a cliff into the quarry. Then it was their turn.\n\n\"They tied our hands from behind before the shooting. They took us and threw us on the ground,\" he said.\n\nSofian's father and brother were killed, but he survived because bodies fell on him, covering him up.\n\nSofian Saleh is one of only two men who survived\n\nIslamic State was using its favourite tactic. First, they killed the men, then took the women as slaves. Children were removed from their mothers to be indoctrinated as IS recruits. A mother sitting near the suspected grave wept as she remembered the baby ripped from her and given to a jihadist family.\n\nNext to the wire fence around the site, Suad Daoud Chatto, a woman in her 20s, stood with a poster. On it were the faces of nine men from her extended family who were killed, and two missing female relatives. She said jihadists captured her in 2014 when she was 16, along with many other women and girls, and held her in Syria. She remained until 2019, when she was rescued as the Caliphate collapsed.\n\nSuad Daoud Chatto holds a poster showing nine of her relatives who were killed\n\n\"They were like barbarians, they kept us in handcuffs for a long time. Our hands were still tied even during the meals,\" she said.\n\n\"They married me off many times\u2026 they were marrying the slaves. They did not spare anyone. We were all raped. They were killing people before our eyes. They killed all the Yazidi men - they killed eight of my uncles. They destroyed many families.\"\n\nIn the end, only a few bags of human bones were found at the site. Dozens of others are still to excavated.\n\nBy the time IS rampaged through Iraq in the summer of 2014, the US and the UK had ended their occupation. Jihadist ideology existed long before the invasion, and had inspired the 9\/11 attacks.\n\nBut far from destroying the ideology of Osama Bin Laden and the jihadist extremists, the years of chaos and brutality set off in 2003 turbo-charged murderous jihadist violence. Al-Qaeda, broken for a while by an alliance between the Americans and Sunni tribes, regenerated into the even more barbarous IS.\n\nIraq is more stable so far this year than it has been for a long while. Baghdad, Mosul and other cities are much safer. But Iraqis feel the results of the invasion every day. Its consequences have shaped and blighted millions of lives and changed their country profoundly.\n\nIt is a grim irony that the invasion has dropped out of political and public debate in the US, which conceived and led it, and in the UK, its closest ally in the coalition. The Americans and British bear a heavy responsibility for what happened after the invasion, and its consequences also affect them.\n\nIraq's tyrant, Saddam Hussein, was well worth overthrowing - he had imprisoned and killed thousands of Iraqis, even using chemical weapons against rebellious Kurds. The problem was how it was done, the way the US and UK ignored international law, and the violence that gripped Iraq after the Bush administration failed to make a plan to fill the power vacuum created by regime change.\n\nThe past 20 years since the invasion, coming on top of Saddam's dictatorship, add up to almost half a century of torture for the Iraqi people.\n\nEven for those who were there, it is hard to recreate the febrile atmosphere of \"fear, power and hubris\", as one historian put it recently, that gripped the US in the 18 months between al-Qaeda's 9\/11 attacks in 2001 and the invasion of Iraq.\n\nI was in New York a few days after the Twin Towers of the World Trade Center were destroyed, as F-15 jets patrolled above Manhattan. It was a visible demonstration of American force, as the biggest military power on the planet worked out how to respond.\n\nThe shock of the attacks swiftly produced George W Bush's declaration of \"war on terror\" against al-Qaeda and its jihadist fellow travellers. UK Prime Minister Tony Blair chartered Concorde to cross the Atlantic to offer support. He believed Britain's best guarantee of influence in the world was to stay close to the White House.\n\nUS President George W Bush and British Prime Minister Tony Blair at the White House in November 2001\n\nThey moved fast against al-Qaeda's network in Afghanistan. Before the end of the year, a US-led coalition removed the Taliban regime from power when it refused to give up al-Qaeda's leader, Osama Bin Laden. Kabul was not enough for America.\n\nPresident Bush and his advisors saw a global threat to the US. They thought states that opposed them could make deadly alliances with al-Qaeda and its imitators. The biggest target in their sights was Iraq. Saddam Hussein had been a thorn in America's side ever since he sent his army into Kuwait in 1990. Without any evidence, the Americans tried to manufacture a link between Saddam and al-Qaeda when none existed. In reality the Iraqi leader, a secular dictator, saw religious extremists as a threat.\n\nThe president's father, George HW Bush, decided not to remove Saddam from power in Baghdad after the Iraqi occupiers were driven out of Kuwait by an international coalition assembled by the US in 1991. The first President Bush and his advisors saw trouble ahead if they continued to Baghdad. A long, belligerent occupation of Iraq looked like a morass and they had no UN authorisation to topple the regime.\n\nI was in Baghdad when the ceasefire was declared. Regime officials I knew could not believe that Saddam's dictatorship had survived.\n\nTwelve years later, by 2003, America's rage and arrogance of power blinded the second President Bush to the realities that had constrained his father. When the US and UK could not persuade the UN Security Council to pass a resolution explicitly authorising invasion and regime change, Messrs Bush and Blair claimed earlier resolutions gave them the authority they needed.\n\nAmong many who did not buy their argument was the UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan. In a BBC interview 18 months after the invasion, he said it was \"not in conformity\" with the UN Charter - in other words, illegal. France and other Nato allies refused to join the invasion. Tony Blair ignored huge protests in the UK. His decision to go to war dogged the rest of his political career.\n\nNo president or prime minister faces a bigger decision than going to war. George Bush and Tony Blair embarked on a war of choice that killed hundreds of thousands of people. The justifications for the invasion were soon shown to be untrue. The weapons of mass destruction that Tony Blair insisted, eloquently, made Saddam a clear and present danger, turned out not to exist. It was a failure not just of intelligence but of leadership.\n\nUS Marines from the 1st Marine Division get set to deploy close to Baghdad in April 2003\n\nThe Americans called the huge air raids that started their offensive \"shock and awe\". Neo-conservatives around George W Bush deluded themselves that democracy, and regional stability, could be imposed through the barrel of a gun. Overwhelming US force would not just safeguard America, it would stabilise the Middle East too, and democracy would spread through Syria, Iran and beyond, like a good virus.\n\nUS troops topple a statue of Saddam Hussein in Baghdad\n\nSaddam was removed within weeks. Iraqis were in no mood to be grateful. In Saddam's last decade as leader, the vast majority of them had been impoverished by sanctions authorised by the UN, but driven hardest by the US and UK. The Americans, the British and their allies were unable to bring peace to the streets. Nightmarish years started with wholesale looting, revenge attacks and crime.\n\nIraqi Sunni Muslim insurgents in front of a burning US convoy on the outskirts of Fallujah in 2004\n\nAn insurgency against the occupation turned into a sectarian civil war. Iraqis turned against each other as the Americans imposed a system of government that split power along ethnic and sectarian lines - between the country's three main groups, Shia Muslims, Kurds and Sunni Muslims. Armed militias fought each other, the occupiers, and killed each other's civilians.\n\nJihadist groups moved in to exploit the chaos and kill foreigners. Before the Americans managed to kill him, a brutal Sunni extremist from Jordan, Abu Musab al-Zarqawi, targeted attacks to turn the insurgency against the occupation into a sectarian civil war. Shia death squads retaliated with their own reign of terror.\n\nNo-one knows exactly how many Iraqis have died as a result of the 2003 invasion. Estimates are all in the hundreds of thousands. The tide of violent sectarianism continues to rumble around the Middle East.\n\nThe geopolitical legacy of the invasion is still shaping events. Unwittingly, the Americans turned the balance of power in Iraq in Iran's favour by overthrowing Saddam Hussein, who was considered a Sunni bulwark against the Islamic Republic. Removing him empowered Shia politicians who were close to Tehran. Militias armed and trained by Iran are among the most powerful forces in Iraq and have representatives in government.\n\nThe US and UK's fear of causing another disaster hamstrung their response to the Arab uprisings of 2011, and especially the war against his own people launched by President Bashar al-Assad in Syria.\n\nDisorder in Iraq, where the population is growing fast, fuels the trade in people-smuggling to Europe. According to the British Home Office, Iraqis are the fourth largest national group crossing the English Channel in small boats. The UK Refugee Council says the vast majority whose cases have been processed are granted asylum as refugees.\n\nAmerican and British leaders do not dwell on the invasion these days, but others have not forgotten. One reason why much of the global south stayed neutral after Russia invaded Ukraine, ignoring appeals to uphold international law, was the memory of how the US, the UK and Western allies who joined the coalition ignored it as they steamrollered opposition to their invasion of Iraq.\n\nIt is a sign of how bad the past 20 years have been that Saddam nostalgia is well established in Iraq, not just among his own Sunni community. People complain that at least you knew where you were with the old dictator. He was an equal opportunities killer of anyone he saw as an enemy, including his own son-in-law.\n\nIn a queue for diesel in a camp near Mosul, a 48-year-old Sunni named Mohammed, raged against the Shia-led government in Baghdad and against the years of sectarian killing that followed the invasion.\n\n\"We wish that Saddam's rule could come back, even for one day. Saddam was a dictator, and it was one man's rule - correct. But he was not killing the people based on whether they were Shia, Sunni, Kurdish, or Yazidi.\"\n\nIraq has signs of hope. Parts of towns and villages are still in ruins, but they feel safer, even though Iraqis still face threats that would be considered a national crisis in the West. Well-trained anti-terrorist units are containing IS jihadist cells, who still manage to carry out bombings and ambushes. Even so, shopkeepers are hoping for a bumper Ramadan, their busiest time of the year.\n\nLonger term, the biggest legacy of the invasion for Iraq might be the political system that the Americans instigated, which divides power along ethnic and sectarian lines. As developed by Iraqi politicians, it has offered prodigious chances for corruption.\n\nEstimates of the amount stolen since 2003 range from $150bn (\u00a3124bn) to $320bn (\u00a3264bn). Most Iraqis, of all sects, who have not benefited from the bonanza of theft, face constant power cuts, bad water, and inadequate medical care, in hospitals that were once considered to be as good as ones in Europe. Walk down most streets and you will see children working or begging, instead of going to school. Iraq used to have one of the best educational systems in the Middle East.\n\nIraq's latest prime minister, Mohammed Shia al-Sudani, has promised a new start. His biggest challenge is keeping his promise to tackle corruption, the cancer that is eating the country from within. He even did a broadcast surrounded by piles of confiscated banknotes that were being returned to Iraq's treasury.\n\nBut the people that matter most are the innocent victims. Not just the dead, but millions of Iraqis, and others in the Middle East whose lives were made much worse because of the invasion and its consequences.\n\nAt the mass grave near Sinjar, Yazidi activists appealed for international protection. Survivors said that the IS jihadists who carried out the genocidal massacres in 2014 had Iraqi accents, some from Tel Afar, a nearby town.\n\nFarhad Barakat, a 25-year-old Yazidi activist who survived because he managed to escape to Mount Sinjar, said they were still scared of their neighbours. The killers, he said, were from their \"surrounding clans or tribes, Arab clans. So how it that possible? The ones who killed us, raped the Yazidi women, they were Iraqis.\"\n\nThe BBC's security correspondent Gordon Corera seeks to find new answers to why the Iraq war happened, what it meant, and its legacy today.\n\nListen at 13:45 BST each weekday or stream or download all 10 episodes on BBC Sounds","link":"https:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/world-middle-east-64976144"}
{"title":"Indian High Commission: Diplomat summoned after London protest - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-20","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"Two security guards were injured after a crowd gathered to protest outside the building in London.","section":"UK","content":"Windows were broken as crowds gathered at the Indian High Commission in London on Sunday\n\nA senior British diplomat in Delhi has been summoned after a protest at the Indian High Commission in London.\n\nCrowds gathered outside the building in Aldwych, Westminster, on Sunday and windows were broken.\n\nThe Indian foreign ministry issued a statement saying the senior diplomat had been asked to explain \"the complete absence of British security\".\n\nAfter the protest a man was arrested on suspicion of violent disorder and a police investigation was launched.\n\nThe Metropolitan Police said two security guards were injured.\n\nVideos on social media showed a crowd waving yellow \"Khalistan\" banners and a man detach the Indian flag from the first-floor balcony of the building.\n\nKhalistan is the proposed name of a Sikh state separatist groups wants to create in the Punjab region, which spans both India and Pakistan.\n\nThe London protest took place as police in India searched for Amritpal Singh, a supporter of the Khalistan movement and self-styled preacher who has been on the run since Saturday. His supporters are accused of storming a police station last month.\n\nHe is considered a fugitive by the Indian authorities, and a massive search operation which has seen internet access suspended for millions is continuing.\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser.\n\nThe Indian foreign ministry said it expected the UK government to take \"immediate steps\" and to put security measures in place to prevent a similar incident happening again.\n\nOfficers were called to the Indian High Commission at about 13:50 GMT on Sunday.\n\nUpon arrival \"the majority of those present had dispersed prior to the arrival of police\", said the Met.\n\nThe force's spokesperson said \"windows were broken\" and two members of security staff sustained minor injuries which did not require hospital treatment.\n\nThe man who was arrested has been bailed until mid-June. The Met said inquiries were continuing.\n\nResponding to the incident, London's mayor Sadiq Khan said he condemned \"the violent disorder and vandalism that took place\".\n\n\"There is no place in our city for this kind of behaviour\", he tweeted.\n\nThe British High Commissioner to India Alex Ellis described the incident as \"disgraceful\" and \"totally unacceptable\".\n\nForeign Office minister Lord Tariq Ahmad of Wimbledon said he was \"appalled\" and the government would take the security of the Indian High Commission \"seriously\".\n\n\"This is a completely unacceptable action against the integrity of the Mission and its staff\", he said.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/uk-65010388"}
{"title":"Strike averted as nurses and midwives accept pay offer - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-20","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"Members of nursing and midwifery unions vote to accept the Scottish government's 6.5% pay deal.","section":"Scotland","content":"Members of the Royal College of Nursing and the Royal College of Midwives have voted to accept a new pay offer from the Scottish government.\n\nThe unions had recommended its members back the deal which would see a 6.5% increase from April.\n\nOn top of a 7.5% pay rise imposed for 2022\/23, it means many staff will see their pay increase by 13-14% over two years.\n\nThe votes to accept the offer ends the immediate threat of strike action.\n\nIt comes after members of GMB Scotland, the union representing NHS and ambulance staff, accepted the offer last week.\n\nAll three unions had mandates to strike after rejecting the 2022\/23 pay offer but they were suspended in January ahead of intensive negotiations over the 2023\/24 pay deal.\n\nThe new deal also includes the commitment to modernising the Agenda for Change pay system, and to support workforce recruitment, sustainability and retention.\n\nThe Scottish government has previously said the offer would make Scotland's NHS staff by far the best paid in the UK.\n\nThe RCN confirmed just over 50% of eligible members took part in the consultative ballot with 53.4% voting to accept the offer.\n\nAmong RCM members, 44% took part in the ballot, with 69% voting to accept the deal\n\nAnnouncing the result of the ballot, RCN director Colin Poolman praised the union's members for bringing the Scottish government back to the table. He added: \"Members have narrowly voted to accept this offer but the Scottish government must be under no illusion, much more is required for nursing staff to feel valued and to ensure Scotland has the nursing workforce it needs.\"\n\nA new pay offer was made to staff including ambulance workers\n\nJulie Lamberth, chair of the union's Scotland board said it took \"the real threat\" of nursing strikes to secure the offer.\n\nShe added: \"While members voted by a narrow margin to accept the offer, the chronic staff shortages and low morale that led to the strike mandate are still very real.\"\n\nJaki Lambert, RCM director for Scotland, added: \"While pay is crucial this was also about midwives feeling seen and valued. Improving retention through better working conditions, professional midwifery issues and the wellbeing of staff are also a key component of this.\n\n\"Most importantly, it was also about our members standing tall and being prepared to take action to ensure better care for women, babies, and their families.\"\n\nThe Scottish government said it had committed an extra \u00a3568m to the 2023\/24 offer to 160,000 NHS Scotland workers on Agenda for Change contracts - who includes nurses, paramedics, midwives and porters.\n\nStaff up to Band 8a would see an uplift of at least 6.5%.\n\nIn addition, all staff would receive a one-off payment between \u00a3387 and \u00a3939 depending on banding.\n\nNurses protest during a strike by NHS medical workers outside University College London Hospital in London\n\nMeanwhile, in England a 5% pay rise from April has been offered to NHS staff including nurses and ambulance workers.\n\nIn addition, staff have been offered a one-off payment of at least \u00a31,655 to top up the past year's pay award.\n\nUnions are recommending members back the deal, after nearly two weeks of talks with ministers, raising hopes the bitter dispute may be coming to an end.\n\nThe offer covers all NHS staff except doctors, who are on a different contract.\n\nIt comes after a winter of industrial action, with nurses, ambulance staff and physios all striking.\n\nThe unions put further action on hold, after the two sides agreed to discussions last month.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/uk-scotland-65019788"}
{"title":"Ruth Perry: Ofsted urged to pause inspections after teacher death - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-20","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"Head teacher Ruth Perry took her own life while waiting for the publication of an Ofsted report.","section":"Berkshire","content":"Ruth Perry was the head at Caversham Primary School in Caversham, Reading\n\nEducation unions have called for Ofsted inspections to be paused in the wake of the death of a head teacher.\n\nRuth Perry, head at Caversham Primary School in Reading, took her own life while waiting for the publication of a report that downgraded her school from outstanding to inadequate.\n\nThe National Education Union, school leaders' union NAHT and the Association of School and College Leaders have called for inspections to be halted.\n\nOfsted has been asked for a comment.\n\nMs Perry's family said the 53-year-old had described the inspection in November as the worst day of her life.\n\nPaul Whiteman, general secretary of school leaders' union NAHT, said: \"It is clear that school leaders up and down the country are placed under intolerable pressure by the current approach.\n\n\"It cannot be right that we treat dedicated professions in this way. Something has to change. Whilst it should never take a tragedy like this to prompt action, this has to be a watershed moment.\n\n\"The anger and hurt being expressed currently by school staff is palpable. It is essential that all policy makers, including Ofsted, listen and respond.\n\n\"Given the strength of feeling and the need for a period of calm reflection, Ofsted should pause inspections this week.\"\n\nDr Mary Bousted, Joint General Secretary of the National Education Union, said: \"Given recent events and widespread concerns about leaders' wellbeing, it's the height of insensitivity for Ofsted to be going into schools or colleges this week.\n\n\"Ofsted should pause all its inspections and reflect upon the unmanageable and counterproductive stress they cause for school leaders, and the impact on leaders.\"\n\nGeoff Barton, general secretary of the Association of School and College Leaders, called for \"an immediate review\" and urged the inspectorate to consider replacing the current system of \"graded judgements which reduce everything that a school or college does to a single blunt descriptor\".\n\nHe said: \"These judgements do not do justice to schools and colleges, and negative outcomes are devastating to leaders, staff and communities.\"\n\nMs Perry's sister, Julia Waters, has called for schools to \"boycott Ofsted\".\n\nIn a Facebook post she said: \"In Ruth's memory and to protect others, I call on headteachers (with the support of teaching unions) to boycott Ofsted until a thorough, independent review has been conducted and changes implemented; refuse Ofsted inspectors entry to their school (or, at least, refuse to comply with inspectors' requests).\"\n\nShe previously said her sister told her in feedback to the senior leadership team inspectors said a boy doing a dance move akin to flossing was evidence of the sexualisation of children at the school.\n\nThere were also said to be claims of child-on-child abuse, which turned out to be a playground fight.\n\nIn the report, seen by the BBC but not published on the Ofsted website, leaders were described as having a \"weak understanding of safeguarding requirements and procedures\".\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser.\n\nThe report stated there was not \"appropriate supervision during breaktimes\", which meant pupils were \"potentially at risk of harm\".\n\nBut it also described a \"welcoming and vibrant school\", where relationships between staff and pupils were \"warm and supportive\", and bullying was rare.\n\nFlora Cooper, executive head of John Rankin Schools in Newbury, Berkshire, had earlier tweeted Ms Waters' plea and said she had refused access to inspectors who were due to visit on Tuesday.\n\nShe tweeted: \"I've just had the call. I've refused entry. This is an interesting phone call. Doing this for everyone for our school staff everywhere!\"\n\nIn a statement West Berkshire Council later said that following discussions the inspection would go ahead as planned.\n\n\"We understand that the inspection process can be a busy and stressful time for teachers, governors and school staff. As a council, we work closely with all of our schools to support them through the inspection process and address any individual concerns,\" it added.\n\nThe Department for Education said inspections were a \"legal requirement\".\n\nA spokesman said: \"Inspections are hugely important as they hold schools to account for their educational standards and parents greatly rely on the ratings to give them confidence in choosing the right school for their child.\n\n\"We offer our deep condolences to the family and friends of Ruth Perry following her tragic death and are continuing to provide support to Caversham Primary School at this difficult time.\"\n\nThe school inspectors who work for Ofsted have the legal right to enter schools and ask for any documents they wish.\n\nIn theory, under the law, anyone who obstructs them could be fined up to \u00a32,500. But the reality is it would never come to that.\n\nThese are unusual circumstances - a head teacher, grieving for a colleague, who wants to take a stand.\n\nHead teachers describe Ofsted inspections as a process many find almost unbearably stressful, which takes a toll on their mental and physical health.\n\nOfsted has a legal duty to check on the standard of education and welfare of children in school. The shocking death of a head teacher in her prime has ignited strong feelings and debate about how they do that.\n\nA petition calling for education secretary Gillian Keegan and Ofsted chief inspector Amanda Spielman to review the inspection and to make changes to the inspection system has so far gathered more than 40,000 signatures.\n\nIn the report seen by the BBC, but yet to be published on the Ofsted website, the watchdog rated the school as inadequate, the lowest rating.\n\nMatthew Purves, Ofsted regional director for the south east, said: \"We were deeply saddened by Ruth Perry's tragic death.\n\n\"Our thoughts remain with Mrs Perry's family, friends and everyone in the Caversham Primary School community.\"\n\nFollow BBC South on Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram. Send your story ideas to south.newsonline@bbc.co.uk.\n\nThe BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/uk-england-berkshire-65019341"}
{"title":"The man extradited to the UK for a 41-year-old pub brawl - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-20","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"A man who fled the UK after a fight in 1980 is acquitted after extradition proceedings 41 years later.","section":"UK","content":"Rory McGrath with his wife and sons in the US\n\nDecades after moving to the US, retired construction worker Rory McGrath was extradited to the UK to face trial for a 41-year-old crime. Eventually he was found not guilty.\n\nRory McGrath had just stepped through his front door carrying the morning newspaper when a dozen or so officers from the US Marshals Service arrived at his New York home with their guns drawn.\n\nThey ordered his wife and twin 18-year-old sons out of bed at gunpoint. It was May 2021 and New York was starting to emerge from Covid restrictions, but for McGrath and his family it was just the start of a \"nightmare that has never ended\".\n\nThe officers were acting at the request of prosecutors in England. McGrath, a retired construction worker, faced extradition and trial in the UK over his involvement in a drunken street fight four decades earlier.\n\nThe story began in March 1980 when McGrath, an Irish-British national born in Leeds, was out drinking with friends. The 21-year-old, by his own admission, became involved in a drunken fight between two groups of young men. In his telling, he fled to a nearby pub when police arrived. \"I'm not getting involved with the police,\" he remembers thinking.\n\nBut British prosecutors alleged he was part of a group that assaulted an officer, who suffered a broken nose, cuts and bruising while attempting to restrain a suspect.\n\nFive men were charged, including McGrath. Instead of facing justice, he fled to Ireland.\n\nHe says he absconded because he believed he was being \"set up\". The case against him was based in part on the evidence of an off-duty officer, who has since died, who said he recognised McGrath running from the scene.\n\n\"I believe I was forced to abscond because [of] the simple reason they fabricated identification,\" he says.\n\nMcGrath says that as an Irish national living in England in the 1970s and 80s, he faced \"constant harassment\".\n\n\"All my life, since I can remember, [I was] constantly harassed by the English police, so I knew it wasn't going to be a good outcome.\"\n\nHis life in England was set against the backdrop of the IRA bombings of the 1970s. A series of high-profile convictions linked to some of the attacks - including the Guildford Four, Birmingham Six and the Maguire Seven - were later found to be miscarriages of justice, involving false confessions and police misconduct.\n\n\"Tensions were high, always,\" says McGrath.\n\nIn 1986, after several years living in Dublin working as a carpenter, he went to the US on holiday.\n\n\"I was hearing a lot about it, so I went for a couple of weeks and I ended up staying for 12 years.\"\n\nHe met his wife Alice in New York in 1990. They married in 1992, and 10 years later he returned to Ireland to successfully apply for US citizenship.\n\nAs a dual Irish-British citizen, he assumed that US authorities would have contacted the UK Home Office.\n\n\"I know that they knew where I was as early as 2002, for the simple reason all the paperwork from the citizenship went back to England.\" he says.\n\nThe Home Office has declined to answer questions about the case.\n\nMcGrath says he did not view himself as a fugitive. He travelled to the UK on several occasions, using his own name and passport, including for his brother's wedding in 1996.\n\nWhile accepting he had absconded in 1980, McGrath says he had come to believe the matter was closed. He was never contacted by authorities and experienced no difficulties while travelling in the UK.\n\nThe first he knew of any extradition request was the US Marshals' raid in 2021. But events had been set in motion six years earlier.\n\nIn 2015, a local neighbourhood police officer in West Yorkshire \"became aware and revisited\" an outstanding warrant for McGrath. The officer referred the case to the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS), which began extradition proceedings in 2016.\n\nMcGrath's lawyer, Daniel Martin, says it is difficult to understand what motivated \"this sudden need\" to get McGrath back to face trial.\n\n\"The victim was a police officer and obviously a request was made by his police force,\" he says. \"It seems this has been sat on some cabinet somewhere gathering dust until one day someone picked it up and decided it was imperative [McGrath] be extradited.\"\n\nUnder US law, people facing extradition are typically held in prison, except when there are \"special circumstances\" permitting their release. After McGrath's arrest in May 2021, a judge granted bail, and said he presented no real flight risk or danger to the public.\n\nThe judge also acknowledged that McGrath was at greater risk from Covid-19 due to respiratory complications, some of which related to time spent volunteering at the site of the World Trade Center after the 9\/11 terror attacks. He was among the first to comb through the scene of destruction and it left a lasting impact.\n\n\"You'd walk into an office, there would be a coffee cup half-drunk, a doughnut with a bite taken out of it,\" he says. \"It was eerie.\"\n\n2001: McGrath volunteered at the 9\/11 wreckage site in New York\n\nAfter 15 months of house arrest - largely confined to his home on a quiet residential street in Pearl River, New York - McGrath was flown to the UK in July 2022. He spent seven months in HMP Leeds awaiting trial.\n\nIn February this year, a jury rejected the prosecution case and found McGrath not guilty. He had always maintained his innocence.\n\nAccording to local media, after McGrath was acquitted, the judge told jurors that he did not know why the case had been brought after so many years: \"We have worse things to deal with, if I can put it that way,\" he said.\n\nMartin, a partner at law firm JMW Solicitors, says he has \"never seen such a flagrant waste of taxpayer resources as in this case\".\n\nWhen McGrath was arrested in the US, courts in England and Wales were experiencing unprecedented delays and a backlog of cases that had grown during the pandemic.\n\nMartin questions why prosecutors chose to \"spend so much money and time and effort bringing back Mr McGrath for an allegation, which by any standards was low on the Richter scale of assaults\".\n\nHe claims the prosecution case was flawed. It relied in part on the assault victim identifying McGrath after a description had been circulated and he was in custody - a process which is no longer permitted. Several other witnesses had died or could not be found by police.\n\nCPS guidance states that extraditions should only be used where it is \"clearly appropriate and proportionate\".\n\nIt maintains that assaults on police officers are a serious matter regardless of when they happened, and that it was right to put all the evidence before a jury: \"Two judges, including the trial judge, ruled that there was no abuse of process by the prosecution in this case.\"\n\nWest Yorkshire Police said its pursuit of McGrath was \"appropriate\" and a consequence of him \"deliberately avoiding the criminal justice process by failing to attend court at the time he was charged\".\n\nMcGrath is now back with his family in the US. He says the case has had a \"devastating\" impact on his wife and sons.\n\n\"There are multiple victims here,\" he says. \"It's been very stressful for everybody.\"\n\nHe is slowly adjusting to life back home and attempting to put the \"pure hell\" of the past two years behind him.\n\n\"It's like Ground Zero - I don't care to think about it, but it's always going to be there.\"","link":"https:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/uk-64678781"}
{"title":"UK banking system 'safe' after Credit Suisse rescue - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-20","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"Despite the swift action by regulators, stock markets in the UK and Asia fell.","section":"Business","content":"The UK's central bank has said banks are \"safe\" after regulators agreed a rescue deal for Credit Suisse aimed at preventing fears over banks spreading.\n\nThe bank was bought by rival UBS in a Swiss government-backed deal on Sunday after regulators worked frantically round the clock to secure a deal.\n\nIt comes amid fears over the global financial system after two smaller US banks failed in recent weeks.\n\nDespite the action by regulators on Sunday, shares in European banks fell.\n\nDeutsche Bank and UBS were trading 1.8% and 3.7% lower respectively, having regained some ground.\n\nBritish banks, which last week saw their steepest falls in more than a year, also remained in the red.\n\nHowever, experts are not forecasting a repeat of the 2008 financial crisis when the failure of a number of big banks sparked a global recession.\n\nThe Swiss National Bank said the rescue deal for Credit Suisse was the best way to restore the confidence of financial markets and to manage risks to the economy.\n\nThe last-minute deal valued Credit Suisse at just over $3.15bn (\u00a32.6bn), a fraction of its $8bn price tag on Friday.\n\nBut the sale has achieved what regulators set out to do - secure a result before the financial markets opened on Monday.\n\nMark Yallop, the former UK chief executive of UBS, said the his former employer's purchase of Credit Suisse \"should\" do the job of reassuring investors.\n\n\"This is a takeover of a challenged institution with particular idiosyncratic problems that relate to it specifically [and are] not reflective of broader issues in the banking markets,\" he told the BBC's Today programme.\n\n\"I think this transaction will definitely stabilise [the bank] and should bring a good degree of confidence back to the banking market more generally.\"\n\nMr Yallop suggested the sale of Credit Suisse should be viewed as a separate event to failure of two smaller banks in the US, which he said had been hit by the impact of rising interest rates.\n\nIn a bid to keep cash available through the global financial system, six central banks, including the Bank of England, also announced they would boost the flow of US dollars through the global financial system.\n\nThe Bank of England, along with the Bank of Japan, Bank of Canada, the European Central Bank, US Federal Reserve and Swiss National Bank, said the move served as an \"important backstop to ease strains in global funding markets\" and take the pressure off banks.\n\nThe chairmen of both banks spoke at a news conference in Bern on Sunday\n\nIn a statement following UBS's takeover of Credit Suisse, Switzerland's central bank said the deal protected the Swiss economy \"in this exceptional situation\".\n\nThe 167-year-old bank is loss-making and has faced a string of problems in recent years, including money laundering charges.\n\nIt was given an emergency $54bn lifeline from the Swiss National Bank on Wednesday in a bid to reassure markets, but Credit Suisse shares tumbled 24%, meaning a rescue deal was needed.\n\nSpeaking in the Swiss capital Bern after Sunday night's announcement, UBS chairman Colm Kelleher said the takeover had been \"attractive\" for UBS shareholders, but described it as \"an emergency rescue\".\n\nMr Kelleher said UBS would be winding down the investment banking part of Credit Suisse.\n\nThe UBS chairman said it was \"too early\" to say what would happen about jobs. Credit Suisse has around 74,000 staff, around 5,000 of them in the UK.\n\n\"We need to do this in a rational way thoughtfully, when we've sat down and analysed what we need to do,\" he said.\n\nOther global financial institutions praised the deal.\n\nThe Bank of England said it welcomed the \"comprehensive set of actions\" set out by the Swiss authorities.\n\n\"We have been engaging closely with international counterparts throughout the preparations for today's announcements and will continue to support their implementation.\"\n\nIt added the UK banking system was \"well capitalised and funded, and remains safe and sound\".\n\nChristine Lagarde, president of the European Central Bank, said she welcomed the \"swift action\" of the Swiss authorities.\n\n\"The euro area banking sector is resilient, with strong capital and liquidity positions,\" Ms Lagarde added.\n\nUS Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen and Federal Reserve chairman Jerome Powell both said the US banking system remained \"resilient\".\n\nCredit Suisse has become the latest and most important casualty of a crisis of confidence that has already seen the failure of two mid-sized US banks and an emergency industry whip-round for another. But this is different. Switzerland's second biggest lender was considered one of the top 30 most important banks in the world - which is why this takeover was rushed through by the Swiss authorities.\n\nAlthough the reasons for each failure differ slightly, the main factor has been a sharp rise in global interest rates which has hit the value of even safe investments that banks keep some of their money in. That has spooked investors and seen the share prices of all banks fall with those considered weakest hit hardest.\n\nThe financial authorities in the EU, US and UK are saying they support this deal, stressing that banks are strong and people's savings and deposits are safe.\n\nThe acid test as to whether this Swiss rescue has calmed nerves in the financial world will be when financial markets open on Monday - which is why it was so important to get this done on Sunday night.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/business-65007871"}
{"title":"Australian former SAS soldier Oliver Schulz held over alleged war crime in Afghanistan - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-20","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"Oliver Schulz, 41, faces charges over the 2012 murder of an Afghan man, Australian police say.","section":"Australia","content":"Oliver Schulz has been charged in connection with the death of an Afghan man in 2012\n\nA former Australian SAS soldier has been charged with murder, following an investigation into alleged war crimes in Afghanistan.\n\nOliver Schulz, 41, is the first Australian serviceman or veteran to be charged with a war crime under Australian law.\n\nThe offence carries a maximum sentence of life in jail.\n\nHe was arrested on Monday in New South Wales (NSW) and has been remanded in custody.\n\nHe will appear in a Sydney court at a later date.\n\nThe Australia Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) says Mr Schulz is the person referred to as Soldier C in a 2020 ABC Four Corners documentary exposing alleged war crimes.\n\nFootage showed Soldier C shooting an Afghan man in a wheat field in Uruzgan Province in southern Afghanistan in 2012.\n\nThe investigation was carried out by the Office of the Special Investigator (OSI), the body set up to investigate alleged war crimes following a four-year inquiry led by an Army Reserve major general and NSW Supreme Court judge Paul Brereton.\n\nThe Brereton Report - released in 2020 - found there was \"credible evidence\" that Australian elite soldiers unlawfully killed 39 people during the Afghan war.\n\nIt said 19 current or ex-special forces soldiers should be investigated by police over killings of \"prisoners, farmers or civilians\" from 2009 to 2013.\n\nThis is believed to be the first arrest linked to that inquiry.\n\nAt the time, the Australian Defence Force (ADF) blamed crimes on an unchecked \"warrior culture\" among some soldiers.\n\nMr Schulz's case should set an \"important precedent\" for the West and its allies on how to handle suspected wrongdoing in the military, said Tim McCormack, a law professor at the University of Tasmania and special adviser on war crimes to the prosecutor of the International Criminal Court in The Hague.\n\n\"We've never had a situation in the past where a member of the ADF, either current or former, has been charged with a war crime and slated for trial in a civilian court,\" he told the ABC.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/world-australia-65010345"}
{"title":"Investor fears appear to ease as UK and US share prices rise - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-20","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"Investors appear largely reassured after Credit Suisse rescue, but First Republic shares plunge.","section":"Business","content":"Fears in financial markets appeared to ease, a day after regulators agreed a rescue deal for troubled lending giant Credit Suisse.\n\nThe bank was bought by rival UBS on Sunday after regulators worked around the clock to secure the takeover.\n\nAlong with the collapse of two smaller US banks, its struggles had sparked fears over the global financial system.\n\nHope that the deal would help contain the crisis helped lift shares in Europe and the US.\n\nLondon's FTSE 100 closed up roughly 0.9%, recovering ground after early losses. Major indexes in Europe also ended higher, with UBS climbing roughly 1.5% by the end of the day.\n\nIn the US, the three major exchanges also gained, despite worries about another regional bank, First Republic.\n\nShares in the San Francisco-based firm sank more than 40%, as the injection of funds by 11 of America's biggest banks last week failed to restore confidence in the bank's future.\n\nThere were reports of another effort to stabilise the bank - which has seen shares plunge as customers transfer their money - as authorities sought to keep the crisis contained.\n\nShares of some other banks in the US and Europe also remained under pressure.\n\nIn the UK, a spokesperson for Prime Minister Rishi Sunak aimed to reassure investors saying UK banks were \"safe and well capitalised\" after the emergency rescue of Credit Suisse.\n\nIt came after central banks around the globe made similar comments.\n\nSix central banks, including the US Federal Reserve, also announced they would boost the flow of dollars in the global financial system to make sure banks had easy access to cash.\n\nDespite the panic, experts do not expect a repeat of 2008 when banks stopped lending to each other. The situation was so dire then it sparked a global recession.\n\nBanks have been struggling with the recent rise in interest rates which has left some sitting on substantial losses.\n\nIt led to the collapse of Silicon Valley Bank and Signature Bank - two medium sized lenders - in the US last week and sparked concerns other banks could get into trouble.\n\nCredit Suisse - which had been loss-making for some time but which was otherwise well capitalised - has been hit by this crisis of confidence.\n\nThe 167-year-old institution is one of around 30 banks worldwide deemed too big to fail because they are of such importance to the banking system.\n\nSwitzerland's second largest lender, which has struggled with a string of scandals over the last few years, was sold to UBS at just over $3.15bn (\u00a32.6bn), a fraction of its $8bn price tag on Friday.\n\nMark Yallop, the former UK chief executive of UBS, said the deal \"should\" do the job of reassuring investors.\n\n\"This is a takeover of a challenged institution with particular idiosyncratic problems that relate to it specifically [and are] not reflective of broader issues in the banking markets,\" he told the BBC's Today programme.\n\nThe chairmen of both banks spoke at a news conference in Bern on Sunday\n\nUBS chairman Colm Kelleher said it would wind down Credit Suisse's investment banking operations but that it was \"too early\" to say what would happen about jobs.\n\nCredit Suisse has around 74,000 staff, around 5,000 of them in the UK.\n\n\"We need to do this in a rational way thoughtfully, when we've sat down and analysed what we need to do,\" he said.\n\nOrdinary people have little reason to fear for their funds.\n\nIn the highly unlikely scenario that a bank or building society actually collapses, then deposit protection is in place.\n\nIn the UK, that means \u00a385,000 per person, per institution is protected (or \u00a3170,000 in a joint account).\n\nSo, if you have \u00a385,000 in one bank, and another \u00a385,000 in a separately licensed bank, then it is all safe if both went bust, under the Financial Services Compensation Scheme.\n\nThere is also a higher temporary limit of \u00a31m for six months, if you get a sudden influx of funds, such as an inheritance.\n\nProtection is similar in the EU, and the US government has safeguarded deposits of up to $250,000 for a long time.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/business-65012275"}
{"title":"Credit Suisse: Bank rescue damages Switzerland's reputation for stability - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-20","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"Beset by scandals and crisis, many people are questioning how a totemic bank ended up beyond repair.","section":"Business","content":"So farewell to Credit Suisse. Founded in 1856, the bank has been a pillar of the Swiss financial sector ever since. Although buffeted by the financial crisis of 2008, Credit Suisse did manage to weather that storm without a government bailout, unlike its rival-turned-rescuer UBS.\n\nMore recently, the marketing face of Credit Suisse has been Switzerland's tennis god Roger Federer. He smiles down from posters at Swiss airports, a symbol of strength, excellence, staying power and reliability.\n\nBut behind the glossy promotion were some big problems. Divisive management, costly exposure to finance company Greensill Capital, which collapsed in 2021, a seedy money laundering case, and waning customer confidence in the last few months, which saw billions being withdrawn from the bank.\n\nAll it took to turn those doubts into a stampede was an apparently off the cuff remark from the Saudi National Bank, which owns almost 10% of Credit Suisse, suggesting it would not be increasing its investment.\n\nCredit Suisse's shares went into free fall, and even a statement of confidence from the Swiss National Bank, and an offer of $50bn (\u00a341bn) in financial support, couldn't stabilise the situation.\n\nHow could this have happened?\n\nAfter the financial crisis 15 years ago Switzerland introduced strict so-called \"too big to fail\" laws for its biggest banks. Never again, went the thinking, should the Swiss taxpayer have to bail out a Swiss bank, as happened with UBS.\n\nBut Credit Suisse is a \"too big to fail\" bank. In theory, it had the capital to prevent this week's catastrophe.\n\nAlso in theory Swiss financial regulators and the Swiss National Bank keep an eye on those systemically important banks and can intervene before disaster strikes.\n\nIt was odd, last week, to see the rest of the world reacting with real concern as Credit Suisse shares tumbled, and to hear, at first, nothing from Switzerland.\n\nRoger Federer went from winning prize money sponsored by Credit Suisse, to being its marketing figurehead\n\nEven the Swiss media seemed not to notice the headlines over at the Financial Times, and seemed more interested in the continued debate over how much support neutral Switzerland should be offering to Ukraine.\n\nBy the time people did notice, such damage had been done that Credit Suisse was beyond saving. The fallout had begun to threaten not just Switzerland's entire financial sector, but Europe's.\n\nAs the government met in emergency session to try to find a solution, you could almost smell the panic in Bern.\n\nAnnouncing the bank takeover, Swiss President Alain Berset said \"an uncontrolled collapse of Credit Suisse would lead to incalculable consequences for the country and the international financial system\".\n\nIt's hard to avoid the conclusion, some Swiss are now saying, that the very people who should have acted to prevent Credit Suisse's meltdown were asleep at the wheel.\n\nThat lack of attention is going to be very costly. UBS's takeover, for the paltry sum of $3bn (\u00a32.5bn), besides being an utter humiliation for Credit Suisse, is likely to leave its shareholders a good bit poorer.\n\nThere will also be job losses, perhaps in the thousands. There are Credit Suisse and UBS branches in just about every Swiss town. Once the takeover is complete, there will be little point in UBS keeping them all open.\n\nBut perhaps the most costly damage of all could be to Switzerland's reputation as a safe place to invest.\n\nDespite the scandals over the years related to the secret bank accounts of dictators (including Ferdinand Marcos from the Philippines, Congolese dictator Mobutu Sese Seko and many more), or the money laundering for drug lords and tax evaders, Swiss banks hung on to that reputation symbolised by Roger Federer: strong, and reliable.\n\nBut now? A system that allows a 167-year-old bank to go belly up, in the space of a few days, at the cost of many jobs and massive losses in share value?\n\nThat could cause huge reputational damage. The Swiss banking sector, Switzerland's financial regulators, and its government, all say the takeover is the best solution.\n\nIn the end, at the very last minute, it was the only solution. In the coming days, there will be some tough questions to answer.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/business-65009996"}
{"title":"Putin arrest warrant: Biden welcomes ICC's war crimes charges - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-20","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"The International Criminal Court accuses the Russian leader of unlawfully deporting Ukrainian children.","section":"Europe","content":"Vladimir Putin could now be arrested if he sets foot in one of the ICC's more than 120 member states\n\nUS President Joe Biden has welcomed the International Criminal Court's issuing of an arrest warrant against his Russian counterpart, Vladimir Putin.\n\nThe ICC accused President Putin of committing war crimes in Ukraine - something President Biden said the Russian leader had \"clearly\" done.\n\nThe claims focus on the unlawful deportation of children from Ukraine to Russia since Moscow's invasion in 2022.\n\nMoscow has denied the allegations and denounced the warrants as \"outrageous\".\n\nIt is highly unlikely that much will come of the move, as the ICC has no powers to arrest suspects without the co-operation of a country's government.\n\nRussia is not an ICC member country, meaning the court, located in The Hague, has no authority there.\n\nHowever, it could affect Mr Putin in other ways, such as being unable to travel internationally. He could now be arrested if he sets foot in any of the court's 123 member states.\n\nMr Putin is only the third president to be issued with an ICC arrest warrant.\n\nPresident Biden said that, while the court also held no sway in the US, the issuing of the warrant \"makes a very strong point\".\n\nHis administration had earlier \"formally determined\" that Russia had committed war crimes during the conflict in Ukraine, with Vice-President Kamala Harris saying in February that those involved would \"be held to account\".\n\nThe United Nations also released a report earlier this week that found Moscow's forced removal of Ukrainian children to areas under its control amounted to a war crime.\n\nIn a statement on Friday, the ICC said it had reasonable grounds to believe Mr Putin committed the criminal acts directly, as well as working with others. It also accused him of failing to use his presidential powers to stop children being deported.\n\nRussia's commissioner for children's rights, Maria Lvova-Belova, is also wanted by the ICC for the same crimes.\n\nICC prosecutor Karim Khan has said the warrants were \"based upon forensic evidence, scrutiny and what's been said by those two individuals\".\n\nThe court had initially considered keeping the arrest warrants a secret, but decided to make them public to try and stop further crimes being committed.\n\n\"Children can't be treated as the spoils of war, they can't be deported,\" Mr Khan told the BBC.\n\n\"This type of crime doesn't need one to be a lawyer, one needs to be a human being to know how egregious it is.\"\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. WATCH: Can Vladimir Putin actually be arrested?\n\nMr Khan also pointed out that nobody thought that Slobodan Milosevic, the Serbian leader who went on trial for war crimes in Croatia, Bosnia and Kosovo in the 1990s, would end up in The Hague to face justice.\n\n\"Those that feel that you can commit a crime in the daytime, and sleep well at night, should perhaps look at history,\" Mr Khan said.\n\nSir Geoffrey Nice KC, who led the prosecution in the trial of former Serbian President Slobodan Milosevic, said the warrant would change how foreign leaders view Mr Putin.\n\n\"He will remain an alleged criminal until and unless he submits himself for trial, or is handed over for trial and acquitted. That seems extremely unlikely, so he will remain an alleged criminal until the end of his life,\" he told BBC Radio 4's Today programme.\n\nKremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said any of the court's decisions were \"null and void\" and former Russian President Dmitry Medvedev compared the warrant to toilet paper.\n\nRussian opposition activists have welcomed the announcement. Ivan Zhdanov, a close ally of jailed opposition leader Alexei Navalny, has tweeted that it was \"a symbolic step\" but an important one.\n\nUkrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has expressed his thanks to Mr Khan and the ICC for their decision to press charges against \"state evil\".","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/world-europe-64998165"}
{"title":"Henry Dimbleby: Conservatives' obesity strategy makes no sense, ex-adviser says - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-20","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"Henry Dimbleby says the reluctance of government to intervene will cause \"huge problems\" for the NHS.","section":"UK Politics","content":"The government's own former adviser has criticised the Conservative Party's approach to tackling obesity, saying it \"makes no sense\".\n\nHenry Dimbleby announced his resignation as the government's food tsar in the Sunday Times.\n\nThe co-founder of food chain Leon said ministers had \"pulled back\" on promises to restrict junk food advertising.\n\nThe government said it would continue to work with industry to help people make healthier choices.\n\nMr Dimbleby said he was stepping back from his role because he wanted to be free to speak out against government policy.\n\n\"I think the ideology of the Conservative Party and the way that they are dealing with the problem of diet-related disease makes no sense,\" he told BBC Radio 4's Today programme.\n\n\"In 10 years' time, whatever government is in power they are going to be dealing with huge problems to the NHS, which is going to suck money from the rest of government spending and cause misery from diet-related disease.\"\n\nHe blamed a \"feedback loop between companies and their commercial incentives and our appetite\", adding that \"the government needs to intervene\".\n\nBut instead, Mr Dimbleby said \"this modern Conservative ideology just thinks it can leave everything in the system without any intervention at all\", with the government reluctant to be seen as taking a \"nanny state\" approach.\n\nHe argued that voters, including those in so-called Red Wall areas - former Labour seats which the Tories are keen to keep hold of - wanted the government to act because \"they're fed up of their children being marketed junk food\".\n\nMr Dimbleby was a non-executive board member at the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs for five years.\n\nAs part of his role he conducted an independent review of the food system. The report's recommendations included measures such as taxing the salt and sugar in processed foods, with some of the revenues used to provide fresh fruit and vegetables to low-income families.\n\nHowever, Mr Dimbleby was critical of the government's response to the review, saying many of his policy recommendations had not been taken forward.\n\nLast year, the government delayed a planned ban on \"buy one get one free\" offers on unhealthy foods in England until October 2023 to assess the impact on household finances in light of the cost-of-living crisis.\n\nA ban on TV advertising of junk food before 21:00 has also been pushed back to October 2025 to give the industry more time to prepare for the restrictions.\n\nAn estimated 26% of adults in England are obese, while a further 38% are overweight, according to the latest NHS figures.\n\nA Department of Health and Social Care spokesperson said: \"We take tackling obesity seriously and we will continue to work closely with industry to make it easier for people to make healthier choices.\n\n\"We recently announced \u00a320m to trial new obesity treatments and technologies to help save the NHS billions, and remain committed to introducing restrictions banning adverts on TV for foods and drinks high in fat, salt, or sugar (HFSS) before 9pm, as well as paid-for adverts online.\"","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/uk-politics-65012960"}
{"title":"BBC advises staff to delete TikTok from work phones - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-20","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"The corporation is taking the decision over privacy and security concerns about the popular app.","section":"UK","content":"The BBC has advised staff to delete TikTok from corporate phones because of privacy and security fears.\n\nThe BBC seems to be the first UK media organisation to issue the guidance - and only the second in the world after Denmark's public service broadcaster.\n\nThe BBC said it would continue to use the platform for editorial and marketing purposes for now. TikTok has consistently denied any wrongdoing.\n\nThe app has been banned on government phones in the UK and elsewhere.\n\nCountries imposing bans include the US, Canada, New Zealand and Belgium, while the same applies to anyone working at the European Commission.\n\nHowever, it is still permitted on personal devices.\n\nThe big fear is that data harvested by the platform from corporate phones could be shared with the Chinese government by TikTok's parent company ByteDance, because its headquarters are in Beijing.\n\nTikTok says the bans are based on \"fundamental misconceptions\".\n\nByteDance employees were found to have tracked the locations of a handful of Western journalists in 2022. The company says they were fired.\n\nAlicia Kearns, who chairs the Foreign Affairs Committee, was asked for her view on the BBC's decision, and tweeted: \"If protecting sources isn't a priority, that's a major problem.\"\n\nDominic Ponsford, editor-in-chief of journalism industry trade publication the Press Gazette, said it would be interesting to see what other media organisations decide to do.\n\nHe told the BBC: \"I suspect everyone's chief technical officer will be looking at this very closely.\n\n\"Until now, news organisations have been very keen to use TikTok, because it's been one of the fastest-growing social media platforms for news publishers over the last year, and it's been a good source of audience and traffic.\n\n\"So most of the talk in the news media has been around encouraging TikTok rather than banning it.\"\n\nThe short-video platform is known for its viral dance crazes, sketches and filters and is hugely popular among young people, with more than 3.5 billion downloads worldwide.\n\nChannel 4 News presenter Krishnan Guru-Murthy tweeted in reaction to the decision: \"BBC News making big play for views on TikTok but now the BBC is telling staff not to have it on their phones\".\n\nA BBC spokesperson said it took the safety and security of its systems, data and people \"incredibly seriously\".\n\nIn an email to staff on Sunday, it said: \"The decision is based on concerns raised by government authorities worldwide regarding data privacy and security.\n\n\"If the device is a BBC corporate device, and you do not need TikTok for business reasons, TikTok should be deleted from the BBC corporate mobile device.\"\n\nStaff with the app on a personal phone that they also use for work have been asked to contact the corporation's Information Security team for further discussions, while it reviews concerns around TikTok.\n\nBBC News has its own TikTok channel with 1.2 million followers, and has recently recruited journalists to work specifically on creating content for it. A separate BBC account, which shares BBC programme clips, has more than four million followers.\n\nWhen asked, by BBC News, why the BBC was continuing to indirectly encourage use of the app by audiences while removing it from many corporate phones, the corporation said that it was giving guidance to staff with access to sensitive data, and was not issuing a public warning about the general use of TikTok.\n\nTikTok said it was disappointed with the BBC's decision.\n\nA spokesperson said: \"The BBC has a strong presence on our platform, with multiple accounts from news through to music reaching our engaged community both in the UK and around the world.\n\n\"We believe these bans have been based on fundamental misconceptions and driven by wider geopolitics.\n\n\"We remain in close dialogue with the BBC and are committed to working with them to address any concerns they have.\"\n\nOther social media platforms have also faced criticism over privacy and data, but they are mainly US-owned - whereas ByteDance has faced claims of being influenced by Beijing.\n\nWhile there has been no solid proof of this, there have been a number of incidents which have raised suspicions despite TikTok's repeated denial that it has ever shared data with the Chinese government. It asserts that all Western users' data is stored outside the country.\n\nFor example, a US TikTokker shared a video criticising the Chinese government's treatment of the Uighur Muslims, and it was taken down. TikTok said this was a mistake.\n\nThis has added to the nervousness of governments and security specialists - despite the firm's consistent denials.\n\nAll Western social networks, which TikTok says gather similar data on their users, are officially blocked in China.\n\nChina has accused the US of spreading disinformation and suppressing TikTok. Both former President Donald Trump and current President Joe Biden believe the platform should be sold to a US company.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/uk-65008599"}
{"title":"Royals share photos to mark first Mother's Day without late Queen - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-20","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"New photos are released including of King Charles, the Princess of Wales and Camilla, the Queen Consort.","section":"UK","content":"The picture of Queen Elizabeth II and King Charles was posted alongside a message\n\nKing Charles has remembered the late Queen on his first Mother's Day since her death.\n\nA photo showing the King as a baby on the Queen's lap was released by the Royal Family on social media on Sunday.\n\nThey also shared a photo of Camilla, the Queen Consort, with her mother.\n\nBoth images were accompanied with a message wishing a special Mother's Day \"to all mothers everywhere, and to those who may be missing their mums today\".\n\n\"We are thinking of you,\" the message read.\n\nThis was the first Mother's Day since the death of the late Queen, who died on 8 September 2022 aged 96.\n\nThe Prince and Princess of Wales also posted pictures of Catherine with her three children on Sunday.\n\nCatherine also shared memories to mark the day\n\nIn one photograph, she is pictured sitting in a tree with Prince George, 9, Princess Charlotte, 7, and Prince Louis, 4.\n\nAnother picture shows Catherine holding Prince Louis in her arms.\n\nThe photos were accompanied with a message reading: \"Happy Mother's Day from our family to yours\".\n\nCamilla's mother, Rosalind Shand, died in 1994 from the bone disease osteoporosis aged 72. Following her mother's death, Camilla tried to help raise awareness of the condition with several visits to bone units in hospitals across the UK.\n\nA ceremony taking place at Westminster Abbey in London on 6 May 2023 will see King Charles III crowned alongside Camilla.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/uk-65007719"}
{"title":"The Weeknd settles copyright case over Call Out My Name - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-20","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"The star had been sued over alleged similarities between his song and a 2017 track called Vibeking.","section":"Entertainment & Arts","content":"The Weeknd is one of the biggest recording artists of the last decade\n\nTwo musicians who sued The Weeknd claiming he'd stolen one of their songs say they have reached a settlement with the star to end the lawsuit.\n\nSuniel Fox and Henry Strange said the singer copied an \"atmospheric and melancholic\" track called Vibeking to create his 2018 song Call Out My Name.\n\nThe two songs contained similar \"lead guitar and vocal hooks\" said their lawyer when the case was filed in 2021.\n\nThe Weeknd denied the claims. Terms of the settlement have not been disclosed.\n\n\"The parties are still in the process of formalising, executing, and consummating\" the deal, said Fox and Strange's lawyers in a filing at Los Angeles federal court on Friday.\n\nCall Out My Name was the only single released from The Weeknd's 2018 EP My Dear Melancholy, reaching the top 10 in both the US and UK.\n\nAlthough it is in a different key to Vibeking, Fox and Strange - who perform as the electro-house duo Epikker - pointed out several similarities between the two songs.\n\n\"Both works are in a 6\/8 meter that is less common in popular music,\" they said in their initial court filing.\n\n\"Both works are played at a similar tempo. And both works use features of electronica, ambience, pop, hip-hop, rock, and R&B to achieve a particularly atmospheric and melancholic sound.\"\n\nThis YouTube post cannot be displayed in your browser. Please enable Javascript or try a different browser. View original video on YouTube The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. YouTube content may contain adverts. Skip youtube video by TheWeekndVEVO 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\u2019s cookie policy, external and privacy policy, external before accepting. To view this content choose \u2018accept and continue\u2019. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. YouTube content may contain adverts.\n\nUnusually for a copyright case, the musicians claimed to have evidence that The Weeknd had heard their song before writing Call Out My Name.\n\nThey said they had sent their track to The Weeknd's DJ and playback engineer Eric White in 2015, and cited an alleged email in which he recorded the star's response to the song as: \"It's fire\".\n\nAlmost a year later, White contacted Strange again. \"I sent [The Weeknd] that track u made a while ago. He listened and liked it. But nothing ever happened,\" his email was purported to say.\n\nShortly afterwards, White allegedly sent another update, saying: \"Just gonna tell [The Weeknd] that our production team wrote the track. Cool? Or u have another idea? Just don't wanna say 'hey, [Strange] wrote this' when he doesn't know u.\"\n\nStrange responded to say that The Weeknd had met him \"on [the] Drake tour\" and \"knows him\".\n\nDespite that, the musicians claimed, they were never asked for permission to use or license their song.\n\nThey had asked the court for a share in the song's past and future royalties, as well as coverage for their legal fees.\n\nThe Weeknd, whose real name is Abel Tesfaye, had denied the allegations but, as the case never came to trial, did not have the opportunity to respond to the case in detail.\n\nNotifying the court of the settlement, Fox and Strange's lawyers asked for all future hearings to be cancelled and for the case to be dismissed.\n\nThe lawsuit had also named The Weeknd's co-writers, Adam Feeney and Nicolas Jaar, his producer Frank Dukes, record label Universal Music and streaming services including Spotify, Apple Music and YouTube.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/entertainment-arts-65012702"}
{"title":"Iraq War: The helmet that saved a Black Watch soldier's life - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-20","authors":null,"description":"Black Watch veteran Kevin Stacey served three tours of Iraq, despite being seriously injured by a bomb.","section":null,"content":"It has been 20 years since the beginning of the invasion of Iraq.\n\nThe third generation of his family to serve with the Black Watch, Kevin Stacey was among thousands of British troops deployed to Iraq in 2003.\n\nHe ended up serving three tours of the country, despite being seriously injured by an IED in the city of Basra in 2004.\n\nSince leaving the Army, Kevin has pursued his passion for cycling in the Scottish Highlands, helping him come to terms with his experiences.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/uk-scotland-65008347"}
{"title":"Car gets wedged outside historic Bath hotel - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-20","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"The car became stuck by the basement windows of the Francis Hotel in the early hours of Sunday.","section":"Somerset","content":"The car crashed into the Francis Hotel in the early hours of the morning\n\nDiners at one of Bath's historic hotels were met with an unusual sight on Mother's Day when a car became wedged against its basement windows.\n\nAvon Fire and Rescue Service said they were called to the Francis Hotel in Queen Square at about 04:45 GMT on Sunday.\n\nA rescue crew freed one of the occupants from the vehicle, while another was able to get out by himself.\n\nThe car remains stuck but the hotel is open as normal.\n\nEmily, 47, was visiting family from London for Mother's Day lunch when she saw the accident.\n\nShe told BBC West: \"We thought it might have been a small fire but we looked over the railings and there was a whole car fitted in there and people making jokes about parking - you can't really see how it got down there.\n\n\"There was quite a large section of the railings that were broken and some stonework had also been damaged, so you could see it must have been quite high impact.\n\n\"There was a fire engine and a few crew, but there didn't seem to be anything happening - I don't know if the fire crew were just guarding the site.\n\n\"The hotel was open - it was a bit strange because you could see through the window and there were people having their lunch and their afternoon tea above where the car was.\"\n\nA member of staff at the hotel said the basement was used for storage and guest rooms had been unaffected.\n\nA fire crew helped one male exit the car, while another got out by himself\n\nA spokesman for Avon Fire and Rescue said: \"We were called at 04:45 due to a car having left the road and colliding with a hotel and ended up in a precarious position over a basement area.\n\n\"An ambulance was in attendance and requested we help them rescue a young adult male from within that area.\"\n\nFirefighters used specialist equipment to free the male, the spokesman said, before handing him into the care of paramedics.\n\n\"We worked closely with the Francis Hotel to make sure their business was not affected,\" the spokesman added.\n\nFollow BBC West on Facebook,TwitterandInstagram. Send your story ideas to: bristol@bbc.co.uk\n\nThe BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/uk-england-somerset-65008705"}
{"title":"SNP not in a mess, it's growing pains - Sturgeon - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-20","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"The first minister disagreed with comments made by SNP's new chief executive over the membership row.","section":"Scotland politics","content":"This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Nicola Sturgeon tells the Loose Women panel that \"renewal and refresh\" was right\n\nNicola Sturgeon has said the SNP is not \"in a mess\" and is going through \"growing pains\" as she faced questions about a membership row.\n\nThe comment was made by interim chief executive Mike Russell as he replaced Ms Sturgeon's husband, Peter Murrell.\n\nThe party has lost 32,000 members since December 2021, but initially denied the decline to a newspaper.\n\nMr Murrell took responsibility for misleading the media and resigned on Saturday.\n\nThe BBC was told he had been set to face a vote of no confidence by the National Executive Committee (NEC) had he not stepped down.\n\nThe first minister was asked about Mr Russell's remarks during an appearance on ITV's Loose Women.\n\nMs Sturgeon said: \"Mike was referring to some of the issues around the leadership race.\n\n\"The SNP is not in a mess, it's going through some growing pains right now - they are necessary but they're difficult. But I'm stepping down from a party that hasn't lost an election since 2010 in Scotland.\"\n\nThe power couple - Nicola Sturgeon is the outgoing FM of Scotland and Peter Murrell was chief executive of the SNP\n\nThe first minister told Loose Women that the party had \"mishandled\" the situation.\n\nOn the denial of membership numbers to the media, she said: \"We were asked a specific question, not about what's the size of your membership, but have you lost 30,000 members because of X and Y?\n\n\"We answered in that sense, we should have framed it in a bigger way. So these things are all opportunities to learn and reflect.\"\n\n12 February - The Sunday Mail reports that the SNP has lost 30,000 members over the gender reform bill and a stalled independence referendum.\n\n14 February - The SNP describe the Sunday Mail's report as \"wholly inaccurate\", with party media chief Murray Foote describing it as \"drivel\".\n\n15 February - Nicola Sturgeon resigns as first minister and SNP leader, triggering a leadership contest.\n\n24 February - The candidates to replace Ms Sturgeon are confirmed as Ash Regan, Humza Yousaf and Kate Forbes.\n\n15 March - Ash Regan and Kate Forbescall for clarity on membership numbers in an open letter to SNP chief executive Peter Murrell.\n\n16 March - The SNP publishes its membership numbers, revealing it has about 72,000 members - 32,000 fewer than the 104,000 it had two years ago.\n\n17 March - SNP media chief Murray Foote resigns over the party's response to the Sunday Mail's story on party numbers.\n\n18 March - SNP chief executive Peter Murrell resigns, taking responsibility for misleading the media about membership numbers.\n\n27 March - New SNP leader due to be announced.\n\nEarlier Mr Russell told BBC Radio's Good Morning Scotland the three leadership candidates could have confidence in the contest.\n\nAll three have pledged to reform the SNP's operations.\n\nMs Sturgeon said it was important for the party not to \"throw the baby out with the bath water\" and lose things that have made them successful in the past.\n\nShe added: \"Perspective is important in these things. We don't know this for sure because other parties in Scotland don't tell us what their membership figures are but on the most recent assessments, even with that decline, the SNP has more members in Scotland than all of the other parties combined.\n\n\"We are the only mass membership party in the country.\"\n\nMs Sturgeon last appeared on Loose Women in April 2022 when she discussed her anxieties about going through menopause and coping with it while in a public role.\n\nOn Monday she spoke to the panel about having a miscarriage at the end of 2010 - and how she had not yet processed the experience.\n\nLast week the Scottish government announced a memorial book for those who experience pregnancy or baby loss prior to 24 weeks.\n\nNicola Sturgeon said looking at this picture, taken at a 2010 commemoration of the Ibrox disaster, people could see she was in \"a lot of pain\"\n\n\"These are the things that often get dismissed in politics as soft soap but I think they're really important because they go to the heart of the values you have as a country,\" Ms Sturgeon said.\n\n\"You can find a photograph of me at an event actually while I was still having a miscarriage at a public commemoration... Looking at that photograph now, it's clear that I'm in a lot of pain - and so how do you deal with it?\n\n\"I think back then if there had been some way of recognising it that would have brought a lot of comfort at a really difficult time.\"\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. 'Hopefully more time to slob about the house after leaving office' - Nicola Sturgeon\n\nLooking towards her final days as first minister this week, Ms Sturgeon said she hopes to continue championing issues that are important to her.\n\nShe said she would not follow in the footsteps of Matt Hancock who took part in ITV's I'm A Celebrity reality show, adding: \"I can say categorically, definitely no Strictly, definitely no jungle.\n\nAsked \"What about Bake Off?\", she said: \"I can't cook or bake.\"\n\nOn the subject of her legacy, Ms Sturgeon said it is for others to decide - but she is most proud of policies like the Scottish Child Payment, the baby box scheme and the rise in young people from working class backgrounds attending university.\n\nShe said: \"These are the things I'm proudest of because I think in years to come, the impact of these kind of measures will be seen.\"","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/uk-scotland-scotland-politics-65013722"}
{"title":"Bath: Man arrested after car wedged outside hotel - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-20","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"The 19-year old was arrested after the car became stuck at the basement windows of the Francis Hotel.","section":"Somerset","content":"The car crashed into the Francis Hotel in the early hours of Sunday morning\n\nA 19-year-old man has been arrested on suspicion of drink-driving after a car became wedged against the basement windows of a historic hotel.\n\nAvon Fire and Rescue Service was called to the scene outside the Francis Hotel in Queen Square, Bath, at about 04:45 GMT on Sunday.\n\nA rescue crew freed one of the occupants of the Kia Picanto, while the second managed to get out on their own.\n\nThe man was released on unconditional bail while investigations continue.\n\nA fire crew helped one male exit the car, while another got out by himself\n\nAvon and Somerset Police said officers would like to speak to anyone who saw the crash, including those who may have any dashcam or mobile phone footage.\n\nThe car remains stuck but the hotel is open as normal.\n\nA member of staff at the hotel said the basement was used for storage and guest rooms had been unaffected.\n\nFollow BBC West on Facebook,TwitterandInstagram. Send your story ideas to: bristol@bbc.co.uk\n\nThe BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/uk-england-somerset-65013277"}
{"title":"Cloete Murray: South African corruption investigator shot dead - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-20","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"Cloete Murray was the liquidator for Bosasa, a company implicated in government contract scandals.","section":"Africa","content":"A South African accountant who was investigating high-level corruption cases has been shot dead along with his son.\n\nCloete Murray, 50, was the liquidator for Bosasa, a company implicated in numerous government contract scandals.\n\nHe also worked as a liquidator for firms linked to the wealthy Gupta brothers, who deny bribery accusations.\n\nPolice will see if there is a link between Mr Murray's murder and these corruption investigations.\n\nMr Murray was shot by unknown gunmen while driving in Johannesburg with his 28-year-old son Thomas, a legal adviser, on Saturday.\n\nHis son died at the scene while Mr Murray was taken to hospital and later died of his injuries, local media reported, citing a police spokesperson.\n\nThe pair were driving their white Toyota Prado towards their home in Pretoria, South African media reported.\n\nMr Murray's job as a court-appointed company liquidator was to look into the accounts of firms that had folded, recover assets, and report any criminality.\n\nOne of those companies was Bosasa, a government contractor specialising in prison services.\n\nThe landmark Zondo commission into corruption concluded the company extensively bribed politicians and government officials to get government contracts during the nine-year presidency of Jacob Zuma, from 2009 to 2018.\n\nMr Zuma refused to co-operate with the inquiry but has denied accusations of corruption.\n\nIn 2018, current South African President Cyril Ramaphosa said he would repay a $35,000 (\u00a327,300) donation from Bosasa.\n\nAn anti-corruption investigator found he had misled parliament over the donation, but that finding was dismissed by the country's High Court.\n\nMr Ramaphosa has also faced other corruption allegations, which he denies.\n\nBosasa went into voluntary liquidation after banks closed its accounts.\n\nMr Murray was also working as a liquidator for firms linked to the Gupta brothers. The Zondo commission found that the brothers - Ajay, Rajesh and Atul - tried to influence political and economic decisions during Mr Zuma's presidency in a process known as \"state capture\".\n\nThe Guptas moved from India to South Africa in 1993 and owned a wide-ranging portfolio of companies that enjoyed lucrative contracts with South African government departments and state-owned companies.\n\nThe South African authorities are currently working on having the Gupta brothers extradited from the UAE, where they have been arrested, to stand trial.\n\nThey have denied accusations of paying financial bribes to win contracts.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/world-africa-65007942"}
{"title":"Brexit: DUP will vote against Windsor Framework plans - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-20","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"Downing Street says there are no plans for substantial changes to the Windsor Framework.","section":"Northern Ireland","content":"This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Sir Jeffrey Donaldson says the Windsor Framework \"doesn't work for Northern Ireland\"\n\nThe Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) will vote against the government's Windsor Framework Brexit plans in Parliament this week.\n\nIts leader Sir Jeffrey Donaldson said he would continue to work with the government on \"outstanding issues\".\n\nBut Downing Street has said there are no plans for substantial change to the deal.\n\nMPs will be given a chance to vote on the so-called \"Stormont Brake\" aspect of the Windsor Framework on Wednesday.\n\nSir Jeffrey said the party had made the decision to vote against it during a meeting on Monday.\n\nThe framework builds on the Northern Ireland Protocol, which led to disagreements between the UK and European Union (EU) over trade rules.\n\nThe Stormont Brake mechanism aims to give the Northern Ireland assembly a greater say on how EU laws apply to NI.\n\nPrime Minister Rishi Sunak said it was proof that the UK has \"taken back control\" in the agreement he struck with the EU last month.\n\nHis spokesperson said it was \"the best deal for the people and businesses of Northern Ireland\" and that the PM remained \"confident it will be backed by the house\" .\n\nBut Sir Jeffrey said the DUP had \"unanimously agreed\" to vote against it because of \"ongoing concerns\".\n\nHe told BBC News NI the party would continue to assess the deal, but that \"we don't believe that this represents the significant progress that we need to see in order to have the institutions restored at this point\".\n\n\"There remain for us concerns, for example, and the Stormont Brake deals with the application of EU law in Northern Ireland, but it doesn't address how are we dealing with change to UK law, which could impact on NI's ability to trade within the United Kingdom itself.\"\n\nHe said he wanted to ensure \"what the prime minister is claiming is translated into law\".\n\n\"Our seven tests have not yet been met. Sufficient progress has not yet been made. I am determined to continue engaging with the government and to get this right,\" he added.\n\nBut Sinn F\u00e9in's Deirdre Hargey said the deal had already been done and called on the DUP to return to Stormont.\n\n\"If the DUP have concerns they have a right to raise them, but that shouldn't get in the way of the formation of an executive,\" she said.\n\nThe Windsor Framework was announced by Rishi Sunak and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen last month\n\nSir Jeffrey said the party was committed to the restoration of the political institutions \"under the right circumstances\".\n\n\"We're looking to the government to ensure that there is further legislation that will protect Northern Ireland's place within the United Kingdom and its internal market,\" he added.\n\nThe DUP has blocked the functioning of the power-sharing government at Stormont for more than a year in protest at the Northern Ireland Protocol.\n\nThe protocol led to new checks being carried out on goods at Northern Ireland ports in order to maintain an open land border between Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland, which is in the EU.\n\nA majority of members of the Northern Ireland Assembly elected in May 2022 were in favour of the protocol, in some form, remaining.\n\nSinn F\u00e9in, Alliance and the SDLP have said improvements are needed to ease its implementation.\n\nUnionist politicians want it replaced with new arrangements.\n\nThe Windsor Framework was signed to alter the Northern Ireland Protocol - and aims to significantly reduce the number of checks on any goods arriving in Northern Ireland from Great Britain.\n\nThe Stormont Brake mechanism would also allow the Northern Ireland Assembly to object to new EU rules.\n\nThirty assembly members, from two or more parties, can pause new EU legislation applying in NI.\n\nThis could happen in instances were a new EU law would have a \"significant impact specific to everyday life\".\n\nOnce triggered by the 30 assembly members the new rule would be suspended from applying.\n\nThis begins a process of negotiation with London and, ultimately, with Brussels.\n\nAt that point the government can veto the rule at the UK-EU Withdrawal Agreement Joint Committee and have it permanently disapplied.\n\nThat veto power must be used unless there is cross-community support for the rule, if it would apply to a new regulatory border between Great Britain and the Northern Ireland, or in \"other exceptional circumstances\", although it is not known what constitutes an exceptional circumstance.\n\nThe government said the brake can only be used by a fully-functioning devolved government at Stormont.\n\nJames Cleverly and Maros Sefcovic, pictured here in Brussels in February, will meet later this week\n\nMeanwhile, the EU-UK body which oversees the NI Brexit deal is due to meet on Friday to formally ratify the legal changes brought about by the Windsor Framework.\n\nThe Joint Committee is co-chaired by UK Foreign Secretary James Cleverly and European Commission Vice President Maros Sefcovic.\n\nThe committee is important because it is empowered to amend the Withdrawal Agreement, which contains the NI Protocol in its original form.\n\nThe body last met in February last year.\n\nMinisters from EU member states are also due to discuss the Windsor Framework in Brussels on Tuesday.\n\nIt is on the agenda of the General Affairs Council, the monthly meeting of foreign ministers or ministers responsible for European affairs.\n\nThey will approve the changes to the NI protocol brought about by the framework, ahead of the Joint Committee meeting.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/uk-northern-ireland-65008991"}
{"title":"Met officers investigated for sexual misconduct working as normal - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-20","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"The figures from the Met come as the force is expected to be heavily criticised in a new report.","section":"London","content":"The Met said it was working to rebuild trust with communities\n\nMore than 100 Metropolitan Police officers being investigated for sexual misconduct are currently working without restrictions, figures reveal.\n\nThe Liberal Democrats have found that as of 3 February, more than a quarter of 548 officers being investigated for domestic abuse and sexual misconduct were working as normal.\n\nThe party said the figures \"undermine public trust\".\n\nThe Met said it was working to rebuild trust with communities.\n\nOf the 548 officers being investigated for sexual misconduct and domestic abuse claims, 111 were working as normal, according to a Freedom of Information request (FOI) submitted by the Liberal Democrats.\n\nA further 236 have been placed on restricted duties, 71 have been suspended and 97 have left the force.\n\nThe FOI revealed that 111 of 361 officers being investigated solely for sexual misconduct were still undertaking normal duties.\n\nThe sexual and domestic abuse allegations could have come from both the public or from within the force.\n\nThe new figures come in the week the force is expected to be heavily criticised for being racist, sexist and homophobic in a report by Baroness Casey.\n\nShe was appointed to review the force's culture and standards after the murder of Sarah Everard by serving officer Wayne Couzens.\n\nThe report is also expected to criticise how the Met protects its own people ahead of the public.\n\nWayne Couzens admitted the murder, kidnap and rape of Sarah Everard\n\nThe force is already facing a separate independent inquiry into how Couzens and the serial rapist officer David Carrick were able to become policemen and were not identified as threats to women.\n\nThe interim Casey review published in October found hundreds of Met officers had been getting away with breaking the law and misconduct.\n\nA spokeswoman for the force said the status of officers under investigation was regularly reviewed and can change throughout the process.\n\nLiberal Democrat MP for North East Fife and former police officer Wendy Chamberlain said the latest figures were \"horrifying\".\n\n\"The fact that it's business as usual for dozens of officers under investigation for sexual misconduct is a betrayal of survivors everywhere.\n\n\"We need swift action and proper answers from the Met about how they determined which officers should be allowed to continue working as normal - and how their vetting procedures allowed for this in the first place,\" she said.\n\nDeputy Assistant Commissioner Helen Millichap said: \"We recognise identifying and bringing to justice those in the Met who corrupt our integrity by committing abuses against women and girls is vital in rebuilding the trust of our communities and increasing reporting.\"\n\nSteps were being taken towards this goal through expanding and creating new units to investigate officers, she added.\n\nAsked if it was too difficult for police forces to sack officers, Helen King, former assistant commissioner at the Met, said \"there is clear evidence that the current system doesn't work\".\n\nSpeaking to Radio 4's Today programme, she pointed to a recent case which saw British Transport Police launching a judicial review in order to remove an officer from its own force.\n\nPC Imran Aftab had been found guilty of gross misconduct by a disciplinary panel but was given a final written notice rather than a dismissal, until Chief Constable Lucy D'Orsi took the matter to the High Court.\n\nBut as well as changes to the rules, Ms King said, police leaders needed to \"put the resourcing and expertise into making sure that those who shouldn't be carrying a warrant card aren't able to do so\".\n\nHave you been affected by the issues raised in this story? Please email us: haveyoursay@bbc.co.uk.\n\nPlease include a contact number if you are willing to speak to a BBC journalist. You can also get in touch in the following ways:\n\nIf 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 HaveYourSay@bbc.co.uk. Please include your name, age and location with any submission.\n\nFollow BBC London on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. Send your story ideas to hellobbclondon@bbc.co.uk\n\nThe BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/uk-england-london-65005957"}
{"title":"Gwynedd councillors intimidated after sex education debate - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-20","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"Councillors were held in a separate chamber for \"safety reasons\" after a debate descended into chaos.","section":"Wales","content":"Police were called to the Gwynedd council offices in August after a debate on sex education was heckled by members of the public\n\nCouncillors say they felt unsafe and \"intimidated\" after a sex education debate descended into chaos.\n\nGwynedd council was discussing the roll-out of relationships and sexuality education (RSE) in August when the meeting was interrupted by hecklers.\n\nPolice attended, the public gallery was cleared and councillors were held in a separate chamber for \"safety reasons\".\n\nCouncillor Linda Ann Jones said she needed police help after being the target of abuse after the meeting.\n\n\"I'm not on Facebook, but friends sent me messages about the things that were being said. I felt intimated,\" she told a committee meeting on Thursday.\n\n\"I went to the police, they started to track it, but it still carried on.\"\n\nMs Jones said it was only after police went to the home of the perpetrator that she \"was left alone\".\n\nFellow councillor Beca Brown also reported being subjected to a targeted campaign after the August meeting.\n\n\"I've been threatened, too. Someone said I'd put a rope around my own neck by supporting the code. Someone else said I deserved the death penalty,\" she previously told Newyddion S4C.\n\n\"The police have been here to talk to me about safety measures... that wasn't something I'd expected when I took charge of the council's education portfolio.\"\n\nGwynedd council has since adapted more robust \"practical arrangements\" for its Caernarfon chamber, following August's interruption, according to the Local Democracy Reporting Service.\n\nCouncillor Dewi Owen said he had \"suffered similar difficulties a few years ago\", and the community council had \"faced issues which put people off becoming councillors\".\n\n\"People won't turn up to meetings, they don't want to be intimidated. It becomes a concern,\" he said.\n\n\"We have concerns as councillors, it can happen to anyone. It is not just a matter for Cyngor Gwynedd [council] but all Wales.\"\n\nIan Jones, head of corporate support at the council, described how \"violence and harassment suffered by some members had increased their stress\".\n\nHe said risk assessments were \"now undertaken for each multi-location meeting, including the chamber and remote locations\".\n\nPolice cleared the public gallery and members were held back in a separate chamber for \"safety reasons\" at August's meeting\n\nCatrin Love, assistant head of corporate support, said improved safety steps included the chamber design but \"more work on the public gallery was needed\".\n\nOther safety initiatives include the use of a rope between the public gallery and chamber, posters noting the rules, arrangements to hold a recess during disturbances and considerations over employing a security firm if the risk level was considered high.\n\nCouncillor Stephen Churchman described the August meeting as \"most frightening\" and \"unique\".\n\n\"We've seen physical attacks against politicians and have to take the threat to our safety seriously, we must be mindful it could happen again,\" he said.\n\nHe called for more than a rope to be put in place between the council chamber and public gallery.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/uk-wales-65011525"}
{"title":"Ukraine war latest: China's peace proposal can be basis for settling Ukraine war - Putin - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-20","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"Russia's president says he and China's President Xi had paid great attention to Beijing's peace proposals during their meetings.","section":"Europe","content":"Precisely how far China will go in supporting Russia has been one of the most important questions of the war in Ukraine - and Xi Jinping will have to answer it following his three-day visit.\n\nJudging by yesterday's informal meeting between Xi and Vladimir Putin, the two sides exchanged all kinds of diplomatic niceties. While Xi re-emphasised China\u2019s ties with Russia as \u201cno-alliance, no-confrontation and not targeting any third party\u201d, there appears to have been very little military discussions.\n\nChina\u2019s foreign policy has always been shaped by interests rather than values. Even when it comes to Russia, the two countries\u2019 bond is based mainly on shared resentment of US hegemony. By deepening their bilateral cooperation in recent years, they have been able to achieve a level of great-power status with which to counterbalance America.\n\nXi's goal for this trip is to preserve the status quo with Russia, not to move an inch closer or pave the way for new cooperation.\n\nRussia\u2019s war has left the West more firmly united than it has been in years. And as China\u2019s relations with the US have reached new lows, Chinese leaders want to avoid alienating the EU, which is one of the country\u2019s biggest trading partners.\n\nChina also made strenuous efforts to avoid taking explicit sides. By all means, the war in Ukraine is not China\u2019s conflict. As a result, an unconfirmed phone call between Xi and President Zelensky might prove necessary to seek that precarious balance.\n\nThe war in Ukraine continues to test China\u2019s ability to navigate a thorny patch of conflicting interests and rapidly changing sentiments.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/live\/world-europe-64993665"}
{"title":"Extreme weather: What is it and how is it connected to climate change? - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-20","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"Heatwaves, wildfires, floods and droughts highlight how extreme weather is linked to climate change.","section":"Science & Environment","content":"People around the globe are experiencing more intense heatwaves, deadly floods and wildfires as a result of climate change.\n\nUnless global emissions are cut, this cycle will continue.\n\nHere are four ways climate change is changing the weather.\n\nTo understand the impact of small changes to average temperatures, think of them as a bell curve with extreme cold and hot at either end, and the bulk of temperatures in the middle.\n\nA small shift in the centre means more of the curve touches the extremes - and so heatwaves become more frequent and extreme.\n\nTemperatures in the UK topped 40C for the first time on record, in July last year, leading to transport disruption and water shortage.\n\nThe Met Office estimates the extreme heat is ten times more likely now because of climate change. And things could worsen.\n\n\"In a few decades this might actually be a quite a cool summer,\" says Professor Friederike Otto, a climate scientist at Imperial College London.\n\nThe Met Office has also pointed out that heatwaves are not just hotter: They're also lasting longer. Warm spells have more than doubled in length in the past 50 years.\n\nHeatwaves can be made longer and more intense by another weather phenomenon - a heat dome.\n\nIn an area of high pressure, hot air is pushed down and trapped in place, causing temperatures to soar over an entire continent.\n\nWhen a storm distorts the jet stream, which is made of currents of fast-flowing air, it is a bit like yanking a skipping rope at one end and seeing the ripples move along it.\n\nThese waves cause everything to slow drastically and weather systems can become stuck over the same areas for days on end.\n\nIndia and Pakistan faced successive heatwaves, with Jacobabad, in Pakistan, registering 49C at one point in May.\n\nIn the same month, Onslow in Western Australia hit 50.7C, the joint-highest temperature ever reliably recorded in the Southern Hemisphere.\n\nOne theory suggests higher temperatures in the Arctic are causing the jet stream to slow, increasing the likelihood of heat domes.\n\nThe Arctic is also warming more than four times faster than the global average in recent decades. In June 2020, average temperatures in Siberia were up to 10\u00b0C above normal, reaching a new record of 38\u00b0C in the Arctic circle. This triggered devastating wildfires and sea ice loss.\n\nThe World Weather Attribution network (WWA), a collaboration between international climate scientist, concluded this was \"almost impossible\" without climate change.\n\nScientists warn 2023 could be even warmer, as a climate phenomenon called La Ni\u00f1a - which has been suppressing global temperatures - has come to an end.\n\nMaking a direct link between climate change and individual drought events is challenging. A number of factors influence water availability, not just temperature and precipitation.\n\nBut as heatwaves become more intense and longer, droughts are likely to worsen.\n\nLess rain falls between heatwaves, so ground moisture and water supplies run dry more quickly. This means the ground takes less time to heat up, warming the air above and leading to more intense heat.\n\nDrought in Somalia - the country has suffered three failed rainy seasons in a row\n\nDemand for water from humans and farming puts even more stress on water supply, adding to shortages.\n\nWildfires can be sparked by direct human involvement - but natural factors can also play a huge part.\n\nThe cycle of extreme and long-lasting heat caused by climate change draws more and more moisture out of the ground and vegetation.\n\nThese tinder-dry conditions provide fuel for fires, which can spread at an incredible speed.\n\nEarlier this year the Chilean government put three regions on high alert for forest fires amid weeks of high temperatures.\n\nDozens of people have died and been evacuated in Chile as wildfires burn across the country\n\nIn Australia, New South Wales is experiencing its worst fires since the 2019\/20 \"Black Summer\" - as strong winds and scorching temperatures drive the fires' rapid spread.\n\nLast summer, France, Spain, Portugal, Greece, Croatia and Albania experienced severe wildfires - with thousands of residents evacuated and several hundreds reported to have died.\n\nMore than 10,000 residents and tourists were evacuated in France during the 2022 wildfires\n\nIn 2021, Canada experienced heatwaves that led to fires which developed so rapidly and explosively that they created their own weather system, forming pyrocumulonimbus clouds. These colossal clouds then produced lightning, igniting more fires.\n\nCompared with the 1970s, fires larger than 10,000 acres (40 sq km) are now seven times more common in western America, according to Climate Central, an independent organisation of scientists and journalists.\n\nIn the usual weather cycle, hot weather creates moisture and water vapour in the air, which turns into droplets to create rain.\n\nThe warmer it becomes, however, the more vapour there is in the atmosphere. This results in more droplets and heavier rainfall, sometimes in a shorter space of time and over a smaller area.\n\nIn 2022 floods hit Spain and also parts of eastern Australia. In a period of just six days Brisbane saw almost 80% of its annual rainfall, while Sydney recorded more than its average annual rainfall in little over three months.\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser.\n\nThese rainfall events are connected to the effects of climate change elsewhere, according to Peter Gleick, a water specialist from the US National Academy of Sciences.\n\n\"When areas of drought grow, like in Siberia and western US, that water falls elsewhere, in a smaller area, worsening flooding,\" he said.\n\nThe weather across the globe will always be highly variable - but climate change is making those variations more extreme.\n\nAnd the challenge now is not only limiting the further impact people have on the atmosphere but also adapting to and tackling the extremes we are already facing.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/science-environment-58073295"}
{"title":"SNP leadership: Party in 'tremendous mess', interim chief says - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-20","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"Interim chief executive Mike Russell says the leadership vote must go ahead regardless of party problems.","section":"Scotland politics","content":"This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Mr Russell told BBC Scotland's The Sunday Show that there is \"tremendous mess\" in the SNP over the party's leadership race.,\n\nThere is \"tremendous mess\" in the SNP over the party's leadership race, the new interim chief executive has said.\n\nSNP President Mike Russell, who stepped in to replace outgoing Peter Murrell, said the voting process must go ahead regardless.\n\nMr Murrell resigned on Saturday after taking responsibility for misleading the media on party membership numbers.\n\nAll three candidates vying for the leadership of the SNP have pledged to reform its operations.\n\nMr Murrell, who is married to outgoing party leader Nicola Sturgeon, resigned with immediate effect on Saturday, saying he had become a distraction to the leadership race.\n\nHe had been set to face a vote of no confidence by the National Executive Committee (NEC) had he not stepped down, the BBC has been told.\n\nHis resignation came a day after that of Murray Foote, the SNP's head of media at Holyrood. He had previously described press reports about the membership numbers as \"inaccurate\" and \"drivel\".\n\nHowever, an NEC source told the BBC Mr Foote had been \"thrown under the bus\" by Mr Murrell.\n\nThe party this week confirmed there had been a big drop in membership numbers.\n\nSpeaking on BBC Scotland's The Sunday Show, Mr Russell said the SNP was \"basically a good party\" but things had gone \"spectacularly wrong in recent weeks\".\n\nHe said: \"I think it is fair to say there is a tremendous mess and we have to clear it up, and that's the task I'm trying to take on in the short term.\"\n\nPeter Murrell said he had become a distraction to the leadership race\n\nMr Russell said the most important thing now was that \"they have a fair electoral process that produces a clear accepted outcome\".\n\n\"We have got to have this concluded in the next eight days and then... the new leader has to look at the party and say let's rebuild this and let's rebuild the trust of Scotland.\"\n\nHe added: \"This has not been an edifying process. There hasn't been a contested leadership in the SNP for 19 years, and it shows.\"\n\nMr Russell said he did not know that the SNP membership numbers had dropped by about a third over about two years, and said he did not know if it was related to the controversial Gender Recognition Reform bill.\n\n\"We were losing members and we were losing members that we should have known about, absolutely,\" he said.\n\n\"We were clearly not told about that. That is something I want to know why that took place, but I don't want to know it this week.\n\n\"What I want to know this week is we have got a process we can complete and can get a new leader of the party.\"\n\nTwo of the leadership candidates, Kate Forbes and Ash Regan, last week questioned the independence of the election process.\n\nOn Sunday, Ms Forbes said future decisions had to be made by \"a big team\" rather than a few people.\n\nSpeaking on Sunday with Laura Kuenssberg, she said SNP members wanted to know that the institution was democratic.\n\n\"There have been questions around, for example, the membership numbers that we've been looking for answers to,\" she said.\n\n\"I think at the heart of this is that the decisions within the SNP have been taken by too few people and I think that's well recognised across the political domain.\"\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Kate Forbes told the Sunday with Laura Kuenssberg programme: \"Decisions within the SNP have been taken by too few people\".\n\nShe added that members felt disempowered from the process.\n\n\"I think within government we need to make sure that it's a wide tent with a big team, rather than a very few people making decisions,\" Ms Forbes said.\n\nShe said she favoured a different approach to leading the party.\n\n\"We have a self-professed continuity candidate who says that he's going to keep doing the same things, and my response to that would be, you do the same things and get the same results,\" Ms Forbes said\n\n\"Let's put integrity, honesty at the heart, let's make the case for change and it's not just a change in terms of our policies, it's a change in terms of delivery and the culture of transparency,\" she said.\n\nLeadership candidate Humza Yousaf has promised an internal shake-up from day one, telling the BBC: \"There needs to be internal reform within our headquarters, of that there is simply no doubt.\n\n\"I've said from day one, since I launched my campaign, that internal reform is very much needed and certainly I will be looking to see what I can do to shake up that operation at headquarters from day one.\"\n\nBut during a visit to Glasgow Gurdwara, Mr Yousaf said the party's row over membership numbers was an \"own goal\".\n\nDiscussing the party's finances, he added: \"I've not delved into this - I don't know the finances of the party because I don't hold an office-bearer position. But clearly If I'm elected leader of the SNP it's one of the first things I'd want to get up to speed on.\"\n\nAsh Regan said she was \"encouraged to see the democratic foundations of the party now asserting their rightful function\".\n\nShe added that the SNP's foundations were based on accountability, transparency, modernity and accessibility.\n\nMs Forbes also told Laura Kuenssberg that on approaching the contest, she had weighed up having a young family with future potential responsibilities.\n\nShe gave birth to her daughter in August last year and was on maternity leave when First Minister Nicola Sturgeon announced her resignation.\n\n\"I've had to juggle a very young family with the contest but many mothers do that,\" she said.\n\nWho are the SNP candidates?\n\nMs Forbes added that the role of first minister should be open to anyone, irrespective of their personal circumstances.\n\nWithin a couple of days of confirming she would stand in the contest, Ms Forbes found herself at the centre of a political storm.\n\nShe lost several supporters after telling journalists she would not have voted for gay marriage had she been an MSP at the time.\n\nSubsequently Ms Forbes told Sky News that she believed having children outside marriage was \"wrong\" according to her faith as a member of the evangelical Free Church of Scotland, while stressing that: \"In a free society you can do what you want.\"\n\nBut on Sunday with Laura Kuenssberg, she addressed the gay community, saying: \"I give you an honest pledge today to govern in a way that delivers for you, that does not in any way undermine your rights and actually seeks to enhance your opportunities in Scotland to ensure that Scotland is truly that tolerant and pluralistic nation that we all want to see.\"\n\nMs Forbes said that people were \"rightly scrutinising\" who she was and what she believed.\n\nShe added: \"I also think that in a pluralistic society, in a tolerant society, we can find a way to live together and to defend one another's rights.\n\n\"It's incumbent on me as a person of a minority community, somebody of faith to defend other minorities' rights and I hope that they might defend my rights too, that is truly the definition of a tolerant society.\"\n\nMs Forbes also confirmed that despite her faith, she would work on Sundays if she was appointed first minister.\n\nShe said: \"The nature of the job is, of course, that it's 24\/7. I recognise that. I hope nobody would begrudge me some hours off every week to be with family because I think that certainly makes for a more balanced life and hopefully better decision-making.\"\n\nOpposition parties have criticised the SNP's handling of the leadership race and suggested Mr Russell was not being honest about party membership numbers.\n\nThe Scottish Conservatives said Mr Russell must have been the most \"hands-off party president ever\" if he did not know about falling numbers.\n\nParty chairman Craig Hoy said: \"He's asking us to believe that he had no idea what the SNP membership figures were until they were published a few days ago, nor who was responsible for ordering the party's former chief spin doctor to rubbish a perfectly accurate newspaper report on that figure.\n\n\"This is symptomatic of the secrecy and lack of accountability which infects the top of the SNP.\"\n\nScottish Labour deputy leader Jackie Baillie said the \"election is in chaos\" with allegations and resignations appearing on a daily basis.\n\n\"There is no way the president of the SNP did not know about the exodus of members from the party,\" she said. \"Mr Russell should 'grasp the thistle' by facing up to the chaos in his party.\n\n\"If this is how the SNP run their own party, just imagine the chaos in government - Scotland deserves better.\"","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/uk-scotland-scotland-politics-65001543"}
{"title":"Danish far-right leader banned from UK over threat to burn Quran in Wakefield - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-20","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"Rasmus Paludan had said he planned to burn the Islamic text in Wakefield.","section":"Leeds & West Yorkshire","content":"Rasmus Paludan had threatened to burn a copy of the Quran in Wakefield\n\nA Danish far-right politician has been barred from the UK after threatening to burn a copy of the Quran in Wakefield.\n\nSecurity minister Tom Tugendhat said Rasmus Paludan, founder of the anti-Islam party Stram Kurs, had been added to the UK's immigration watchlist.\n\nMr Paludan had said he planned to burn the religious text in a public square in the West Yorkshire city this week.\n\nIt comes after four pupils at a Wakefield school were suspended over damage to a copy of the Quran.\n\nIn a video posted to Twitter on Sunday, Mr Paludan said he would travel to the city to \"fight back\" against \"undemocratic forces\".\n\nHe claimed he intended to burn the Quran on Wednesday to coincide with the start of Ramadan.\n\nMr Paludan has held several previous protests in which the Islamic text was burned, with some leading to violent counter-demonstrations.\n\nIn January he burned a copy of the Quran outside the Turkish embassy in Stockholm.\n\nThat protest became part of a diplomatic row between Turkey and Sweden - with Turkey now holding up Sweden's application to join Nato.\n\nThe security minister told the House of Commons about his intervention after Simon Lightwood, the Labour MP for Wakefield, raised concerns on Monday about Mr Paludan's potential visit.\n\nMr Lightwood said: \"Far-right Islamophic Danish politician Rasmus Paludan said he is going to travel from Denmark to Wakefield for the sole purpose of burning a Quran in a public place.\n\n\"Mr Paludan was previously jailed in Denmark for his hateful and racist statements. He is a dangerous man that should not be allowed into this country.\n\n\"Can the home secretary assure me and my community that the government is taking action to prevent this?\"\n\nMr Tugendhat said Mr Paludan had been added to to the UK's warnings index.\n\nHe added: \"His travel to the United Kingdom would not be conducive with the public good and he will not be allowed access.\"\n\nFour pupils were suspended from Wakefield's Kettlethorpe High School in February after a Year 10 student brought in a Quran, reportedly as part of a dare.\n\nThe cover of the Islamic text had been torn and some pages scuffed, but police concluded no offences were committed and the school's headteacher said she was satisfied there was \"no malicious intent by those involved\".\n\nFollow BBC Yorkshire on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. Send your story ideas to yorkslincs.news@bbc.co.uk.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/uk-england-leeds-65020528"}
{"title":"Credit Suisse: Lessons learned from the last banking crisis? - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-20","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"Speed is of the essence when dealing with the banking industry - as know from the 2008 crash.","section":"Business","content":"Shares in Swiss banking giant Credit Suisse have been on a rollercoaster ride in recent days, hitting an all-time low on Wednesday, and leaving financial markets all over the world feeling distinctly queasy.\n\nBut the Swiss National Bank threw Credit Suisse a \u00a345bn lifeline and on Thursday its shares climbed back up, allowing everyone to catch their breath.\n\nThe move from the Swiss central bank comes just days after regulators in Washington had to take control of two US banks, and HSBC swooped in to pick up the UK arm of one of them for \u00a31.\n\nIt does feel eerily like the days leading up to the great financial crisis: cracks appearing in the financial pipes, prompting questions about whether they will burst, as they did nearly 15 years ago.\n\nThe economist Nouriel Roubini, nicknamed \"Dr Doom\" for his usually pessimistic and sometimes correct predictions, argues Credit Suisse could be a Lehmans moment - too big to fail, too big to save, he told Bloomberg.\n\nLarry Fink, the founder of the world's biggest asset manager, Blackrock, said we may be in for \"slow rolling crisis\" which could see hundreds of small banks go bust, like the savings and loans crisis of the 1980s, when more than 1,000 smaller US lenders went under.\n\nNouriel Roubini has been nicknamed \"Dr Doom\" but his warnings carry weight\n\nBut Noel Quinn, chief executive of HSBC, which is the new owner of Silicon Valley Bank UK, disagreed. He said the authorities - in this case the UK Treasury and the Bank of England - had acted swiftly to find a solution as did their US counterparts in taking over the US parent bank.\n\nIt's clear that international regulators have learned from the last crisis that speed is of the essence, which is just as well.\n\nTechnology bosses in the US admitted they had debated in online chats whether to take deposits out of Silicon Valley Bank. When some did, they all did within a matter of minutes, thanks to the social media grapevine, effectively breaking the bank.\n\nIf nothing else, these outbreaks of instability make it clear that when you reverse nearly 15 years of close-to-zero interest rates suddenly things can and do break. The weakest organisations are the most at risk, and both depositors and investors are perfectly rational in being extremely jittery.\n\nMore questions remain around the other big teaching points from the last crisis: whether it's ok to assume the central bank ambulance will always arrive in time, and whether that assumption has made people too relaxed in the face of lurking financial danger.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/business-64976316"}
{"title":"Central banks take swift action to keep cash flowing amid investor fears - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-20","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"Six central banks move to keep credit flowing worldwide after two big institutions collapsed.","section":"Business","content":"Central banks have rushed to keep cash flowing through the world's financial systems after the failures of two US banks and the rescue of Credit Suisse sent shockwaves across global markets.\n\nSix central banks, including the Bank of England, announced they would boost the flow of US dollars from Monday.\n\nSuch measures were last taken during the 2008 financial crisis and at the height of the Covid pandemic.\n\nIt comes after Credit Suisse was bought by UBS in a state-backed rescue deal.\n\nStock markets have fallen sharply since Silicon Valley Bank and Signature Bank collapsed in the US last week, sparking fears of runs on other banks.\n\nThey remained under pressure on Monday despite the rescue of Switzerland's second largest lender this weekend.\n\nCentral banks have stressed the global banking system is safe, but there are concerns other lenders could get into trouble after recent rises in interest rates left some sitting on large losses.\n\nIn a statement the Bank of England, Bank of Japan, Bank of Canada, the European Central Bank, US Federal Reserve and Swiss National Bank said they had launched the coordinated action to keep credit flowing.\n\nThe central banks said the move served as an \"important backstop to ease strains in global funding markets\" and to lessen the impact on the supply of credit to households and businesses.\n\nInstead of borrowing on the open market, British banks will be able to go direct to the Bank of England, and it will borrow from the US Federal Reserve.\n\nIt will work in the same way for banks in the eurozone, Canada, Japan, Switzerland and the US.\n\nBanks will be able to access this funding on a daily basis.\n\nThe US dollar cash flow arrangement will run from Monday until at least the end of April, the Bank of England said.\n\nGlobal banking stocks slumped following the failure of Silicon Valley Bank, despite reassurances from President Joe Biden the US would do \"whatever is needed\" to protect the banking system.\n\nSince then, two more medium-sized US lenders have faced difficulties - with Signature Bank collapsing and First Republic having to seek a $30bn (\u00a324.8bn) funding injection to shore up its finances.\n\nA subsidiary of New York Community Bancorp - Flagstar Bank - has reached a deal with regulators to buy Signature's assets, the US Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) said on Sunday.\n\nThe deal involves almost all of Signature Bank's deposits, some of its loans, and all 40 of its former branches.\n\nThe announcement of \"co-ordinated action\" by six of the world's biggest central banks shows how serious is the more general nervousness about the fragility of the global banking system.\n\nThe facility hasn't been used in the UK since the financial pains at the onset of the pandemic exactly three years ago. This is not as dramatic a move as, for example, the Bank of England had to deploy after the mini-budget last autumn. But it is a clear sign that, although the past week has been dominated by specific issues in identifiable banks, the fall of a former giant such as Credit Suisse might be enough to ignite a more general concern.\n\nThe fear is less about the direct impact of problems at Credit Suisse or Silicon Valley Bank, but instead that a set of common factors are affecting some other institutions. For example non-insured deposits pouring out of some institutions and into larger ones at incredible speed, without anyone visiting a branch, thanks to technology, and influenced by social media commentary. There has also been an uncertain response by some regulators.\n\nThe bigger picture is, as I have said before, that rapidly rising interest rates were always going to set off some ticking timebombs under some institutions, and in some murky corners of the financial plumbing, where the players had started to become a little too reliant on very low interest rates. This is now happening.\n\nThe more calming news is that, for example here, British banks are well capitalised and have significant funding, or as the Bank of England put it on Sunday \"safe and sound\". But the fact it has joined forces with its counterparts around the world represents a show of force and an attempt to prevent risks from spilling over.\n\nIn particular there is a concern that rising rates on the funds that banks lend to one another could rapidly filter into the economy and have a very real impact.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/business-65010255"}
{"title":"Somalia drought may have killed 43,000 last year - UN - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-20","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"Half of the deaths are thought to be in children, and many thousands more will die, a report says.","section":"Africa","content":"Nunney Hassnow Abdyow, one of many Somalis fleeing drought and conflict, pictured in a camp last November\n\nAround 43,000 people may have died in Somalia last year after several failed rainy seasons, a new report from the Somali government and UN suggests.\n\nIt is the first official death toll from the drought in the Horn of Africa. Half of the fatalities are thought to be in children under five.\n\nThe crisis is \"far from over\", with 18,000-34,000 more deaths expected in the first six months of this year.\n\nIn 2011, a famine in Somalia killed over a quarter of a million people.\n\n\"We are racing against time to prevent deaths and save lives that are avoidable,\" said World Health Organisation (WHO) representative Dr Mamunur Rahman Malik.\n\nHe added that the \"cost of our inaction\" would mean children, women and vulnerable people would die as \"we hopelessly, helplessly witness the tragedy unfold\".\n\nThe UN says it needs $2.6bn (\u00a32.1bn) for its Somalia drought response plan this year. So far, under 15% of that has been funded.\n\nMillions of farm animals have died in the crisis, which has been worsened by climate change, political instability and the global rise in food prices.\n\nOne problem has been getting aid into territory controlled by al-Shabab, which is affiliated to al-Qaeda and considered a terrorist group by both the US and UK.\n\nAl-Shabab regularly launches brutal attacks in Somalia and poses a massive obstacle to humanitarian activity.\n\nBut strict US government rules blocking any assistance from benefitting designated terrorist groups have also complicated efforts to reach many desperate communities.\n\nSome humanitarian officials believe the international community has sidelined the crisis due to the war in Ukraine.\n\nIn January, the UN's humanitarian coordinator in Somalia, Adam Abdelmoula, said traditional donors had \"washed their hands and focused on Ukraine\", according to the Associated Press news agency.\n\nThe report released on Monday was commissioned by Unicef and the WHO and carried out by the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine and Imperial College London.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/world-africa-65015084"}
{"title":"SNP members should be able to edit vote - leader candidate Ash Regan - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-20","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"Party chiefs reject the move, saying it would be \"massively disruptive and confusing\" for members.","section":"Scotland politics","content":"This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Leadership contender Ash Regan would like party members to be given the chance to change their vote\n\nOne of the candidates in the SNP leadership contest says party members should be able to \"edit\" their vote before the poll closes next week.\n\nAsh Regan believes that those who had \"buyer's remorse\" after voting should be allowed to change it via the online system.\n\nHer suggestion comes in the wake of turmoil over the voting system.\n\nThe SNP's interim chief executive later said such a move would be \"massively disruptive and confusing\" for members.\n\nMike Russell took on the role from Nicola Sturgeon's husband, Peter Murrell, who resigned on Saturday over misleading statements to the media about membership figures.\n\nMs Regan is running against Health Secretary Humza Yousaf and Finance Secretary Kate Forbes with the winner due to be announced on 27 March.\n\nVoting has been open for a week now but Mr Russell said an editing option was not something that was done in any public election and could pose a cyber security risk.\n\nIn response, Ms Regan's team said it was now up to SNP members to raise the issue with the party and demand the ability to edit their votes \"if that is what they would like to do\".\n\nEarlier Ms Regan said a number of party members had asked for the contest to be re-run but she acknowledged that might not be possible.\n\nShe told BBC Scotland: \"Members should be able to edit their vote.\n\n\"So, for those people who feel that they have buyer's remorse now and they would like to change their vote - and I am not saying that that will be everyone. So, if you have cast your vote and you are quite happy with your vote you don't have to do anything.\n\n\"But if you have cast your vote and you want to change it you can go into the online system and edit it.\"\n\nMr Russell said there was no need to re-run the ballot, despite concerns that some party members would have cast their vote before events of the last few days.\n\nMr Murrell's resignation came a day after Murray Foote quit as the SNP's head of media at Holyrood.\n\nMr Foote had described press reports about falling SNP membership as \"drivel\", before the party confirmed a big drop in numbers to 72,000.\n\nMr Murrell took responsibility for the misleading information on the figures.\n\nNow Mr Russell, who was previously SNP chief executive for five years prior to Mr Murrell, said he was brought in to \"steady the ship\".\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Mr Russell previously told BBC Scotland there was \"a tremendous mess\" in the SNP\n\nHe told BBC Radio's Good Morning Scotland a \"whole host of things\" had gone wrong, but his focus was on getting to the end of the leadership contest \"in much better form\".\n\nLater on Monday he said he was wanted to ensure there was \"confidence in the integrity of the current process\".\n\nIn a statement, Mr Russell added: \"On the specific issues raised today, it would clearly be massively disruptive and confusing for members to be able to recall their ballot - something that is not done in any public election and which cyber security experts have advised, most recently to the Conservatives when they considered an online ability to change a vote, could be subject to hacking attempts.\"\n\nMs Regan said she had suggested two proposals that would \"provide assurance to members\" over the election process.\n\nThe first would be to allow SNP members who have already voted to change their vote, if desired.\n\nThe second proposal would be to allow candidates to email SNP members, using the party mailing system, with an updated election message that reflected \"current events\".\n\nBut Mr Russell later said such a proposal was not within the rules and added the candidates' views on all internal and external issues related to the contest had been widely shared during the leadership campaign.\n\nMs Regan said: \"It is important that all parties respect the outcome of the ballot and give full support to the new leader of the SNP.\"\n\nMr Yousaf poured cold water on Ms Regan's suggestion that members should be allowed to change their vote.\n\n\"I don't think in the last seven days of this contest, we need to be reopening ballots or changing the process,\" he told the BBC.\n\nThe health secretary also said that as far as he could see, all three candidates now had \"no issues with the integrity of the ballot, and will respect the outcome\".\n\n\"I think what the people of Scotland want us to do in the last seven days is to talk about the policies that matter to them,\" he added.\n\nMr Russell said he did not know how many SNP members had voted so far, and was \"assured\" that no-one in the party had access to those figures.\n\nHe said he would not bring in outside auditors to oversee the ballot process.\n\nMr Russell added that whoever succeeds Ms Sturgeon would have to focus on reforming the SNP's operations.\n\nKate Forbes told the BBC she was \"very confident\" in the party's ability to complete the leadership process, despite previously calling - along with Ms Regan - for an independent third party auditor.\n\nShe said that while she had trust in the process, she was \"very conscious other people didn't\".\n\nMs Forbes added: \"I strongly believe that the events over the last few days - which have of course hurt, and I think bemused, a lot of SNP members - have confirmed my calls from the very beginning of the contest, which is that we need change in the SNP, and we need change in government.\"\n\nMr Yousaf has also promised an internal shake-up of the party, telling the BBC: \"There needs to be internal reform within our headquarters, of that there is simply no doubt.\"\n\nWho are the SNP candidates?","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/uk-scotland-scotland-politics-65013144"}
{"title":"Cat caught up in Swansea explosion found alive a week later - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-20","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"It is believed Teddy the ragdoll had been living in the remains of his owner's home.","section":"Wales","content":"It is believed Teddy the ragdoll had been living in the remains of the home\n\nA cat caught up in an explosion has been found alive almost a week after it went missing.\n\nA 68-year-old man died in the suspected gas blast which damaged several houses in Morriston, Swansea on Monday.\n\nThree others were injured, including the missing animal's owner Claire Griffiths-Bennett and her son.\n\nWhile one of the family's cats was rescued from the rubble soon afterwards, ragdoll Teddy's whereabouts remained unknown.\n\nBut on Sunday, the RSPCA's Llys Nini animal centre said: \"Teddy has been caught!\"\n\nTeddy was reunited with owner Claire (right) on Sunday\n\nIt is believed Teddy had been living in the remains of the family home.\n\nThe centre said Ms Griffiths-Bennett had been sitting next to the animal at the time of the blast.\n\nThere were concerns he may not have survived, but on Tuesday he was spotted by Swansea Cats Protection, Llys Nini and South Wales Police.\n\nLlys Nini's Sally Hyman said they saw him \"sitting on a pile of rubble\".\n\nMs Hyman said Teddy was looking at her and washing, but it was not until Sunday that they managed to catch him.\n\nShe said: \"He was big, fluffy and dirty but alive and well. Maybe he was hiding in the debris in the house.\"\n\nThere were concerns the property would be demolished with Teddy inside.\n\n\"So today [Sunday] was make or break,\" Ms Hyman added.\n\nBrian Davies died in the suspected gas explosion and three others were injured\n\nIn a Facebook post, the animal centre said: \"Claire was released from hospital on Sunday and went straight to the remains of the house to see if Teddy would respond to her whistle.\n\n\"However on arrival she was greeted with the news that Teddy had, just at that moment, been trapped.\n\n\"There were tears all around.\"\n\nTeddy was described as \"dusty\" and \"cross\", but apparently unharmed.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/uk-wales-65009394"}
{"title":"Concern grows for man missing on Kinloch Rannoch camping trip - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-20","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"Reece Rodger from Fife was last seen in the Kinloch Rannoch area of Perthshire on Saturday night.","section":"Tayside and Central Scotland","content":"Reece Rodger was last seen in the Kinloch Rannoch area on Saturday night.\n\nPolice said they are extremely concerned for a 28-year-old man who went missing during a camping trip in Highland Perthshire.\n\nReece Rodger, from Fife, was last seen in the Kinloch Rannoch area at 23:30 on Saturday.\n\nOfficers said Mr Rodger was camping on the shore of Loch Rannoch with friends, who believed he had gone to bed.\n\nHowever, there was no trace of Mr Rodger the following morning and he was reported missing.\n\nSgt Lindsay Brown of Blairgowrie Police Station said: \"We are extremely concerned for his safety as he is not dressed for the cold weather and he is not familiar with the area.\n\n\"Searches and inquiries are ongoing to trace him as soon as possible to ensure that he is safe and well.\"\n\nMr Rodger is described as 6ft tall, of slim build, with dark hair.\n\nHe was last seen wearing a black t-shirt, black jogging trousers, and wellington boots.\n\nSgt Brown added: \"I would also ask anyone living in the local area to please check their outbuildings or sheds in case he has taken shelter there.\"","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/uk-scotland-tayside-central-64892079"}
{"title":"Hampshire shark: Appeal for head to be returned - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-20","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"It is thought to be a smalltooth sand tiger shark but its head was removed after it was discovered.","section":"Hampshire & Isle of Wight","content":"Scientists want access to the head and teeth of the shark, which washed up on a Hampshire beach, for research\n\nA plea has been made to return the head of a rare shark so it can be analysed.\n\nOn Saturday, local residents walking on Lepe beach in Hampshire discovered a dead shark which was later spotted without its head, tail and fin.\n\nBroadcaster and historian Dan Snow told BBC Breakfast: \"People can keep it but if they can just let the scientists have a good look at it first.\"\n\nThe Shark Trust said the head \"holds the key to unlocking intricate details of the shark's life\".\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Alisha Openshaw filmed her efforts to save a shark but it later died\n\nMr Snow said it was a \"once-in-a-lifetime\" discovery of an \"incredibly valuable\" shark.\n\n\"Scientists say that no shark of this species, of this scale - it's well over two metres long - has ever washed up on UK shores before,\" he added.\n\n\"If people want the jaw for their clubhouse or whatever, they can keep it.\n\n\"But if they can just let the scientists have a good look at it first, that would be really community spirited of them.\"\n\nBroadcaster Dan Snow described it was a \"once-in-a-lifetime find\" in the UK\n\nMr Snow, who lives near Lepe Beach, was away when people began to spot the dead shark on the beach.\n\nAfter tweeting about it, he was contacted by scientists who asked him to secure the carcass as they believed the animal could be a smalltooth sand tiger shark - usually found in warmer waters.\n\nBy the time Mr Snow got home the shark's head, fin and tail were missing but he and a group of local residents managed to secure the rest of the shark which will be collected by the Zoological Society of London on Tuesday for it to be studied.\n\nThe Shark Trust has also issued a plea the head to be returned, describing smalltooth sand tiger sharks as \"exceptionally rare visitors\" in waters north of Biscay off northern Spain.\n\nAli Hood, the trust's director of conservation, told the BBC: \"Keeping specimens intact is always preferable, especially exceptionally rare encounters like this.\n\n\"There is so much we are yet to learn and the head in particular holds the key to unlocking intricate details of the shark's life, even from before birth.\"She said an example of this was the lenses in a shark's eye which develop in utero, and that \"analysis of atoms in the lens, through a technique known as stable isotope analysis, can help identify where a pregnant female was feeding\".\n\nOn Friday, Alisha Openshaw, 38, had spotted the shark while it was stuck on the seabed close to the shore and went into the water to help it.\n\n\"I was fully aware it was a shark,\" she told the BBC. \"It wasn't until I actually got hold of it that I realised how big it was.\"\n\nWith the help of her mother, Ms Openshaw managed to help get the shark swim forwards and it was seen swimming later that afternoon.\n\nOn Saturday, local residents walking on Lepe beach discovered a dead shark intact, before its head, fin and tail were removed\n\n\"I honestly thought that he might be alright because he obviously swam off, but then he did turn around and started to swim back towards us so we got out the water,\" she said.\n\nSpeaking about the removal of the shark's head, she added: \"It's just as barbaric. I don't understand it and isn't it random that someone has the shark's head in their house at the moment?\"\n\nDr Ben Garrod, a professor in evolutionary biology at University of East Anglia, said it was important for scientists to see the shark as it offered a \"snapshot\" of animals living in international waters.\n\n\"The oceans cover 71 or 72% of our planet, however it's still incredibly mysterious,\" he told the BBC.\n\n\"Every time we see a whale breaching or a shark washing up, this is like finding a Roman hoard or Viking daggers.\"\n\nHe said this species was not typically seen on UK shores and studying it could offer an insight into feeding patterns and water temperatures, depending on how healthy the shark was prior to its death.\n\nFollow BBC South on Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram. Send your story ideas to south.newsonline@bbc.co.uk.\n\nThe BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/uk-england-hampshire-65013372"}
{"title":"Amazon to cut another 9,000 jobs - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-20","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"The online retail giant said the positions would be closed \"in the next few weeks\".","section":"Business","content":"Online retail giant Amazon plans to cut another 9,000 jobs as it seeks to save costs.\n\nThe firm, which employs 1.5 million people worldwide, said the cuts would fall mainly in areas including cloud computing and advertising.\n\nIt did not say which countries would be affected but said the positions would be closed in the next few weeks.\n\nBoss Andy Jassy said it was a \"difficult decision\" but it would be best for the company in the long term.\n\nThe firm already axed 18,000 jobs in January.\n\nMr Jassy said that in recent years, most areas of Amazon's business had been adding roles.\n\n\"However, given the uncertain economy in which we reside, and the uncertainty that exists in the near future, we have chosen to be more streamlined in our costs and headcount,\" he continued.\n\nLike many tech giants, Amazon saw sales boom during the pandemic when customers were stuck at home.\n\nBut more recently its sales have slowed down as consumers spend less due to the cost of living crisis.\n\nOther companies, including Google and Facebook-owner Meta, have been grappling with how to balance cost-cutting measures with the need to remain competitive.\n\nLast week Meta, which also owns Instagram and WhatsApp, announced plans to cut 10,000 jobs.\n\nMr Jassy said it is \"never easy\" to lose employees, adding: \"To those ultimately impacted by these reductions, I want to thank you for the work you have done on behalf of customers and the company.\"\n\nAnother area that will see cuts is Twitch, a livestreaming platform for content including gaming and music.\n\nIt comes days after Emmett Shear announced he would be stepping down as Twitch's chief executive officer after 16 years in post.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/business-65018007"}
{"title":"Menindee: Australia begins mass fish death clean-up - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-20","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"Authorities are working out what to do with millions of rotting fish and reassuring the public about water quality.","section":"Australia","content":"A major clean-up effort is under way in Australia after millions of fish died in a river in western New South Wales (NSW).\n\nFish will be cleared from \"high density areas\", but it will not be possible to remove all the carcasses, police say.\n\nThe deaths are thought to have been caused by low oxygen levels in the river after a recent heatwave.\n\nAn emergency hub has been set up in the town of Menindee in western NSW to co-ordinate the response and monitor water quality.\n\nDescribing the operation as \"very challenging and significant\", NSW Police Commander Brett Greentree said the event was \"unprecedented in terms of the millions of fish which have died.\"\n\n\"The water supply via the treatment plant works Menindee is monitored 24\/7\u2026 I'm comfortable we're in a good spot regards to water quality at the moment,\" he told reporters.\n\nCommander Greentree said contractors with specialised skills would use \"a netting procedure\" to remove the fish.\n\n\"But I need to be very upfront with the community and say 'will every fish be removed?' I don't think so, from the information I've had,\" he added.\n\nPosting a Facebook video showing rotting fish lining the riverbank, local resident Graeme McCrabb wrote \"the worst is still coming\".\n\nThe mass death of fish was first reported on Friday.\n\nTemperatures in the area reached 40C (104F) at the weekend.\n\nMeanwhile, volunteers from conservation charity OzFish have begun a search and rescue operation to retrieve as many surviving native fish from the river as possible.\n\nDescribing the smell as \"putrid\", Braeden Lampard told the Australian Broadcasting Corporation his team were transferring rescued fish to a holding tank.\n\nHe estimated 85% of the dead fish were native species such as Bony Bream and Golden Perch, with the rest consisting of non-native types such as carp.\n\nCassie Price, OzFish's director of programs, said most of the floating remains would sink to the river bed within 48 hours.\n\n\"It would be pretty unlikely to get most of [fish] biomass out of the river. It will sink down, which will cause a bit of a nutrient spike, which is not good for the water quality either,\" she told the BBC.\n\n\"It's likely to cause algal blooms, which will cause more issues for a while,\" she added.\n\nThe deaths were caused by hypoxic blackwater, a naturally occurring phenomenon which causes extremely low oxygen levels, police said.\n\nState government agencies said they were releasing higher quality water to boost dissolved oxygen levels, and would work with federal agencies to find the underlying cause.\n\nThe latest event follows another mass fish die-off in the same area that occurred in similar conditions in 2018.\n\nThe Darling-Baaka River forms part of the Murray-Darling Basin, which is Australia's largest river system.\n\nIts ecosystem has faced pressure from drought and increased human use in recent years, while last year brought severe flooding after intense rainfall and storms.\n\nAuthorities said the latest die-off had been exacerbated by \"significantly increased numbers of fish in the system\" as floodwaters receded.\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser.\n\u2022 None Millions of dead fish wash up in Australian town","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/world-australia-65010344"}
{"title":"Putin in Mariupol: What the Russian president saw on his visit - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-20","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"The Russian leader tours parts of the Ukrainian port city that saw some of his army's fiercest attacks.","section":"Europe","content":"This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser.\n\nDriving through the ruined city at night, Vladimir Putin has made his first visit to Mariupol - devastated when Russian forces besieged the city earlier on in the war.\n\nThe BBC has traced part of the route he took, which passed near the locations of several notorious attacks during his army's months-long assault. Russia finally overran the city in May.\n\nVideo released by Russian media show Mr Putin chatting to a companion as they head towards the city's concert hall. The Kremlin says the visit took place late on Saturday and Mr Putin decided \"spontaneously\" to tour the city.\n\nMariupol's Ukrainian mayor in exile Vadym Boychenko told the BBC that Mariupol was \"personal\" to Mr Putin because of what had happened there.\n\n\"We have to understand that Mariupol is a symbolic place for Putin, because of the fury he inflicted on the city of Mariupol. No other city was destroyed like that. No other city was under siege for so long. No other city was subjected to carpet bombing,\" he said.\n\n\"He has come in person to see what he has done,\" he added.\n\nThe BBC identified some of the key landmarks along the Russian leader's route. Mr Putin appears to be driving down Kuprina St, turning into Myru Avenue and then into Metalurhiv Avenue, where the Philharmonic Concert Hall is and which he visits later on in the footage.\n\nHe is sitting next to a man in a black cap, who Russian media identify as Russian Deputy Prime Minister Marat Khusnullin.\n\nOn his left as they drive down Myru Avenue are sculptures of birds in what was Mariupol's Freedom Square.\n\nFurther on, on the right and not shown in the footage, is Mariupol's Maternity Hospital Number Three, which was bombed in a notorious incident last March.\n\nPictures of heavily-pregnant Marianna Vyshemirskaya, her face bloodied, descending rubble-strewn steps were widely shared amid outrage at the attack. She survived and gave birth the following day. Another pregnant woman was among the victims.\n\nUkrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky called it a war crime but Russia's embassy in London claimed the hospital had no longer been in use, and was instead being used by members of the Azov regiment, which was set up as a volunteer militia with links to the far right in 2014 but had since been incorporated into Ukraine's National Guard.\n\nMr Putin turned off Myru Avenue just before the road arrives at Theatre Square - the scene of a deadly bombing that is thought to have killed at least 300 and possibly as many as 600 civilians.\n\nCivilians had been using the building as a refuge from the siege and a large sign spelling \"children\" had been daubed in Russian in front of the theatre. The building collapsed when it was hit. Russia denied bombing it and blamed the Azov battalion. In December the Ukrainian city authorities in exile said Russia was demolishing the ruins of the theatre.\n\nRussia \"understood where there was a concentration of people, and deliberately destroyed these places, killing people. They systematically worked on this\", said Mr Boychenko.\n\nFootage then shows Mr Putin on a walking tour of a new residential compound, said to be in Mariupol's Nevsky district. He is guided by Mr Khusnullin, who shows him some plans of the reconstruction work. He is also seen talking to people said by Russian media to be local residents and he also visits an apartment that he is told is made up of three rooms.\n\nNevsky is a new district comprising a dozen apartment blocks in the west of the city. It is named after the River Neva, on which President Vladimir Putin's home city of St Petersburg stands.\n\nMayor Boychenko said many of the Russian-built buildings were on the city outskirts. \"They built this just to prove that their version of what's happening there is true. But they lie! They lie that they came to liberate the city. But they destroyed it. This city does not exist any longer. And it takes 20 years to restore it!\" he said.\n\nMariupol residents have been telling the BBC that new buildings are going up and some of those damaged by the Russian military are being removed. The UN estimates that 90% of residential buildings were damaged or destroyed in the Russian onslaught.\n\nNorwegian journalist Morten Risberg, who visited Mariupol in December, said he saw \"large-scale rebuilding and restoration\" amid \"destruction everywhere you looked\".\n\n\"They're changing street names and they're painting over Ukrainian colours with Russian colours, and they're putting Russian flags everywhere,\" he told the BBC. Most of the remaining civilians in the city were \"just focusing on surviving\", he said.\n\nIn another part of the footage, President Putin is seen walking through the interior of a concert hall in Mariupol. Russian state media said it was the Philharmonic Concert Hall - and the BBC has verified that the footage matches the interior of the venue.\n\nThis is the same building that the UN warned was to be used to stage trials of Ukrainian troops who held out against Russian forces for months in Mariupol's massive Azovstal iron and steel plant. Russia finally gained complete control of Mariupol in May after the defenders surrendered.\n\nThe concert hall was to be the venue for show trials of Ukrainian POWs but they were traded in a prisoner swap instead\n\nImages posted on social media in August - including by Ukrainian authorities - appeared to show metal cages being built on the stage. According to the UN, prosecuting prisoners of war (POWs) for taking part in hostilities is a war crime.\n\nBut the trials never took place, as the POWs were later part of a prisoner swap for 55 prisoners from Ukraine, including a pro-Kremlin former MP, Viktor Medvedchuk.\n\nThe latest footage from inside the concert hall shows the interior of the building has since been redecorated and the cages are no longer visible.\n\nDuring the siege the concert hall, like the drama theatre, was used by civilians for shelter. The cultural institutions were \"where people hid in basements and waited for the Russian terror to end,\" Mr Boychenko said.\n\nBefore the invasion it had been the venue for the Mariupol Classic festival for classical music. Mr Boychenko said the festival was a \"great celebration of classical music for the people of Mariupol\" that drew artists from abroad and other parts of Ukraine.\n\n\"Many people always gathered at this festival to feel the mood that always prevailed in Mariupol,\" he said.\n\nIn a later shot, President Putin is seen visiting a World War Two memorial built to commemorate Soviet troops who recaptured the city from Nazi Germany.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/world-europe-65007289"}
{"title":"Swansea: Who was the Italian behind Joe's ice cream parlour? - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-18","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"\"Joe's\" and \"ice cream\" are synonymous in Swansea - thanks to Luigi Cascarini and his family.","section":"Wales","content":"Luigi Cascarini left his native Italy for south Wales at the end of the 19th Century\n\nIn 1898, Luigi Cascarini left his home town of Picinisco, nestled in the mountains between Rome and Naples, in pursuit of a better life.\n\nIn most respects his story was no more remarkable than the thousands of other Welsh-Italians who made the same trip.\n\nYet, 125 years on, his descendants still run Joe's ice cream parlour, a true Swansea institution.\n\nIn the city the words \"Joe's\" and \"ice-cream\" are virtually interchangeable - so how did that happen?\n\n\"Right from the start of the Industrial Revolution in the mid-19th Century, Italians - in common with people from all over Europe - were being drawn to Wales in search of the jobs and lifestyle which the new technology and industry offered,\" said Rob Basini, a member of Amici Val Ceno (Galles), a group who organise social and charity events within the Welsh-Italian community in Wales.\n\nThe group was set up to celebrate the links between Wales and the valley of the river Ceno, home of the northern Italian town of Bardi, from where many Italians emigrated.\n\n\"However, by the 1880s a series of very harsh winters and wet summers had caused the crops in Italy to fail... for people barely scratching a living off the land this was a life-or-death disaster, so the trickle to Wales became a procession.\"\n\nMany came on foot, spending a year or more to make the journey through France and stopping off to take seasonal jobs.\n\nJoe Cascarini borrowed money from his father Luigi to open Joe's in 1922\n\nMr Basini, from Treorchy, Rhondda Cynon Taf, recalls meeting a teacher on his return visits to Bardi, who would tell the pupils: \"You climb over the mountain, get down to the coast in Genoa, and then you turn right and keep on walking until you get to Britain.\"\n\nOnce in Wales, some went to work in the mines and iron works, but many others found there was more money to be made from filling the gaps left by the relentless pull of manpower into heavy industry.\n\nIn 1930 there were said to be 53 coal mines in the valleys compared with 54 Italian cafes and shops.\n\nSo popular was one chain, the Bracchis, that the name remains a generic term for any cafe or corner shop the south Wales valleys to this day.\n\nLuigi Cascarini was just such an entrepreneur, selling coffee and roasted chestnuts from a barrow while the weather was cold and ice cream and lemonade during the brief Welsh summers.\n\nJoe's Ice Cream Parlour - pictured here in the 1940s - remains on the same site as when it opened in 1922\n\nNow, with his brother Dominic, Luigi's great-grandson Adrian Hughes is Joe's current owner.\n\n\"The 1901 census lists Luigi as a musician, so possibly that was another string to his bow, entertaining his customers with a barrel organ or singing while they ate and drunk.\n\n\"By 1922 however he was well enough established in Wales to loan his son Joe the money to open a permanent ice cream parlour on St Helen's Road, where we are to this day.\"\n\nMr Hughes said the only condition of the loan was that Joe did not open on the same street as the family members who had backed him.\n\n\"Of course, what did Joe do? Set up next door to our cousins, the Pelosis!\"\n\nYet every success story needs a stroke of luck, and that's exactly what happened with the rise of the Temperance movement in the early 20th Century, which opposed drinking alcohol.\n\nMr Hughes said: \"Joe wanted to make his experience as different from the pubs as possible.\n\n\"He wasn't much of a businessman, but he knew how to put on a show, with silver-plated cutlery, crystal glasses and bone china, all from Mappin and Webb. He paid a fortune for it!\"\n\nAdrian Hughes now owns Joe's Ice Cream Parlour, along with his brother Dominic\n\nWhen Luigi Cascarini died in 1936, thousands turned out for his funeral, with local newspapers extolling his contribution to Swansea, along with other Welsh-Italians, but disaster was just around the corner.\n\nAfter Mussolini declared war on Britain in June 1940, Winston Churchill ordered: \"Collar the lot\", and Italian cafe shop and restaurant owners were indiscriminately rounded up.\n\nThey included BBC Wales Today presenter Nick Servini's great-grandfather Bartolomeo Rabaiotti who ran Rabaiotti's Cafe on Pontypridd's High Street.\n\n\"He was 59 and no threat to anyone, yet he was interned and put on a prison ship called the Arandora Star, bound for a camp in Canada,\" said Nick.\n\nOn 2 July 1940 the Arandora Star was torpedoed by a German U-boat, and along with 800 \"alien prisoners\". Bartolomeo died.\n\nMany could not escape because of barbed wire which had been erected around the deck.\n\n\"Like many of the Italians who'd originally come from mountainous areas, he couldn't swim, and the disaster left a long shadow over everyone in the community.\"\n\nJoe - who had lost a leg and an eye to diabetes - was considered safe enough to be kept prisoner on a farm in Llandeilo, Carmarthenshire.\n\nMr Hughes said this could have provided yet another stroke of good fortune in the tale of Joe's ice cream when his mother took over in 1969 and looked into the recipe - the amount of cream written down made it \"prohibitively expensive\" to make.\n\n\"The mystery is how he'd been able to get his hands on so much cream in the years immediately following the war - the only answer we've been able to come up with is that he forged some sort of black market connections with the people he met whilst interned in Llandeilo.\n\n\"Either way it's remained unique and massively popular to this day.\"\n\nNick Servini waited tables at his uncle's cafe in Aberdare - pictured here in 1934\n\nNick Servini is the fifth generation of his family in Wales and grew up waiting on the tables of his uncle's cafe in Aberdare in the 1980s.\n\n\"Back then we'd return to Bardi every year for massive parties called Scampagnata, I suppose the nearest translation would be a picnic, but on a much grander scale.\n\n\"Back then they'd last six weeks, now it's more like a week.\n\n\"Some of the older generation think it's sad that we're losing that connection, but I just think it's a great story of assimilation, two cultures melding so closely that you can hardly tell them apart anymore.\"","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/uk-wales-64989512"}
{"title":"SNP chief executive Peter Murrell resigns over membership row - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-18","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"Peter Murrell, the husband of Nicola Sturgeon, confirms he has resigned from the role with immediate effect.","section":"Scotland politics","content":"Peter Murrell said he was very proud of the part he played in securing the electoral success the party had achieved and praised his dedicated team\n\nThe SNP chief executive Peter Murrell has resigned after taking responsibility for misleading the media about party membership numbers.\n\nMr Murrell, who is married to outgoing party leader Nicola Sturgeon, said he had become a distraction to the leadership race.\n\nHe had been set to face a vote of no confidence had he not stepped down, the BBC has been told.\n\nThe party this week confirmed there had been a big drop in membership numbers.\n\nThis contradicted an earlier denial that that was the case.\n\nParty president and former chief executive Michael Russell will take on Mr Murrell's role on a voluntary basis until a new party leader is in place and a permanent replacement is appointed.\n\nMr Murrell, 58, has been a hugely influential figure in the party - where he has been chief executive since 1999 and is responsible for the day-to-day running of the SNP.\n\nTwo leadership candidates, Kate Forbes and Ash Regan, have questioned the independence of the election process.\n\nAnd on Friday, the SNP's head of media at Holyrood, Murray Foote, resigned, saying there were \"serious issues\" with statements he had issued in \"good faith\" on behalf of party headquarters.\n\nA National Executive Committee source told the BBC Mr Foote had been \"thrown under the bus\" by Peter Murrell.\n\nMr Murrell has been married to Ms Sturgeon since 2010.\n\nThe SNP leader said her husband was right to resign.\n\nShe told Sky News Mr Murrell had \"obviously taken responsibility for the recent issue with membership\".\n\nMs Sturgeon added: \"He had intended to step down when there was a new leader but I think he was right to make that announcement today [Saturday].\n\n\"Peter has been a key part of the electoral success we have achieved in recent years and I know there will be a recognition of that across the party.\"\n\nIn his resignation statement Mr Murrell said: \"Responsibility for the SNP's responses to media queries about our membership number lies with me as chief executive.\n\n\"While there was no intent to mislead, I accept that this has been the outcome.\n\n\"I have therefore decided to confirm my intention to step down as chief executive with immediate effect.\"\n\nHe said he had not planned to step down until after the leadership contest but recognised that he had become \"a distraction from the campaign\".\n\n\"I have concluded that I should stand down now, so the party can focus fully on issues about Scotland's future,\" he said.\n\nMr Murrell has been married to Nicola Sturgeon since 2010\n\nMr Murrell added that he had no role in the running of the election contest.\n\n\"I have worked for independence all my life and will continue to do so, albeit in a different capacity, until it is achieved - and I do firmly believe that independence is now closer than ever,\" he said.\n\nSNP leadership candidate Kate Forbes said: \"I think that the party owes Peter Murrell a great debt of gratitude because he oversaw the party's expansion in membership and he's been the reason we won so many elections with his leadership at the top.\n\n\"I've said repeatedly from the beginning of this contest that I think there's an appetite for fresh faces and that will hopefully pave the way for new people in headquarters to be able to run the SNP in a way that maintains the trust of SNP members and supports the SNP in government.\"\n\nMs Forbes added that despite having called for an independent auditor to oversee the leadership vote, she had \"no concerns\" about Peter Murrell.\n\nThis is a miserable end to Peter Murrell's long career in charge of SNP headquarters where he helped turn the party into a successful election-winning machine.\n\nHe is taking responsibility for the party misleading the media about a big fall in the SNP's membership but concerns about his stewardship go wider than that.\n\nTwo leadership candidates called for an independent auditor to be appointed to oversee the election although Mr Murrell insists he had \"no role in it at any point\".\n\nThere is an ongoing police investigation into how \u00a3600,000 raised by the party for independence campaigning has been spent - with the SNP denying any wrongdoing.\n\nSome members of the party's ruling body were threatening a vote of no confidence in the chief executive, with one telling the BBC he had become a \"hindrance\".\n\nOthers in the SNP have long questioned the wisdom of the party being run by Nicola Sturgeon's husband - arguing that too much power has been concentrated in one household.\n\nHumza Yousaf, another SNP leadership hopeful said: \"Peter Murrell has been an outstanding servant of the independence movement and the SNP.\n\n\"As I have said repeatedly throughout this campaign, he is the most electorally successful chief executive of any party in the UK and the SNP has been lucky to have him. Our election wins from 2007 to 2021 owe much to his political abilities.\n\nMr Yousaf added that he agreed it was time for Mr Murrell to stand down.\n\n\"With less than 10 days to go in this leadership contest, it is vital we all focus on the policies and vision we have for the party, movement and country,\" he said.\n\nParty leadership candidate Ash Regan posted on Twitter: \"Eight years ago was the point where it was unacceptable to have the husband of the party leader as the CEO.\n\n\"I am encouraged to see the democratic foundations of the party now asserting their rightful function.\"\n\nShe added that the SNP's foundations were based on accountability, transparency, modernity and accessibility.\n\nSNP business convener Kirsten Oswald said she had called an National Executive Committee meeting on Saturday which had reaffirmed the body's faith in the leadership election process.\n\nQuestions have mounted over a loan of more than \u00a3100,000 that Mr Murrell gave to the party in June 2021 to help it out with a \"cash flow\" issue after the last election.\n\nScottish Conservative chairman Craig Hoy MSP said: \"A fish rots from the head down - and the same applies to the SNP.\n\n\"Peter Murrell's resignation is long overdue - but there remain serious questions for him to answer, not least over the 'missing' \u00a3600,000 from party accounts.\"\n\nHe added: \"The brutal, shambolic SNP leadership election appears to have been the tipping point that's forced the first minister's husband to quit before he was pushed.\"\n\nMr Hoy said Mr Murrell must fully co-operate with any probes into the way the leadership election had been run and the police inquiry into the SNP's finances.\n\nIn recent months, Ms Sturgeon was repeatedly asked about the origin of finances used by her husband but said the funds were entirely his own and she could not recall when she first learned of it.\n\nThe SNP has also been under investigation over the past 18 months after questions were raised about the fate of \u00a3600,000 that was raised from supporters in 2017 for the purposes of a future referendum campaign.\n\nAn SNP spokesman said the loan was a \"personal contribution made by the chief executive to assist with cash flow after the Holyrood election\".\n\nScottish Labour deputy leader Jackie Baillie said: \"This latest resignation of a top SNP figure goes to show that the wheels have fallen off the SNP wagon. When Scotland most needs responsible governance, the SNP has turned inward and begun to tear itself apart. \"If this is what is happening in the party, just imagine the chaos in government.\"\n\nThe ballot to find a replacement for Ms Sturgeon, which uses the single transferable vote system, opened on Monday with the winner to be announced on 27 March.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/uk-scotland-65000606"}
{"title":"Putin arrest warrant issued over war crime allegations - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-18","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"The Russian president is wanted by the ICC for alleged war crimes during his Ukraine invasion.","section":"Europe","content":"Vladimir Putin and Maria Lvova-Belova, Russia's commissioner for children's rights, during a meeting last month\n\nThe International Criminal Court (ICC) has issued an arrest warrant for Russian President Vladimir Putin.\n\nThe court alleges he is responsible for war crimes, and has focused its claims on the unlawful deportation of children from Ukraine to Russia.\n\nIt says the crimes were committed in Ukraine from 24 February 2022 - when Russia launched its full-scale invasion.\n\nMoscow has denied the allegations and labelled the warrants as \"outrageous\".\n\nIt is highly unlikely that much will come of the move - the ICC has no powers to arrest suspects, and can only exercise jurisdiction within its member countries - and Russia is not one of them.\n\nHowever it could affect the president in other ways, such as being unable to travel internationally.\n\nIn a statement, the ICC said it had reasonable grounds to believe Mr Putin committed the criminal acts directly, as well as working with others. It also accused him of failing to use his presidential powers to stop children being deported.\n\nWhen asked about the ICC's move, US President Joe Biden said \"well, I think it's justified\". He noted that the US is not signed up to the ICC, \"but I think it makes a very strong point\". Mr Putin \"clearly committed war crimes\", he said.\n\nRussia's commissioner for children's rights, Maria Lvova-Belova, is also wanted by the ICC for the same crimes.\n\nIn the past, she has spoken openly of efforts to indoctrinate Ukrainian children taken to Russia.\n\nLast September, Ms Lvova-Belova complained that some children removed from the city of Mariupol \"spoke badly about the [Russian President], said awful things and sang the Ukrainian anthem.\"\n\nShe has also claimed to have adopted a 15-year-old boy from Mariupol.\n\nThe ICC said it initially considered keeping the arrest warrants a secret, but decided to make them public in the event that it stopped further crimes from being committed.\n\nICC prosecutor Karim Khan told the BBC: \"children can't be treated as the spoils of war, they can't be deported\".\n\n\"This type of crime doesn't need one to be a lawyer, one needs to be human being to know how egregious it is,\" he said.\n\nReactions to the warrants came within minutes of the announcement, with Kremlin officials instantly dismissing them.\n\nSpokesperson Dmitry Peskov said any of the court's decisions were \"null and void\" and former Russian President Dmitry Medvedev compared the warrant to toilet paper.\n\n\"No need to explain WHERE this paper should be used,\" he wrote on Twitter, with a toilet paper emoji.\n\nHowever Russian opposition leaders welcomed the announcement. Ivan Zhdanov, a close ally of jailed opposition leader Alexei Navalny, tweeted that it was \"a symbolic step\" but an important one.\n\nUkrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said he was grateful to Mr Khan and the criminal court for their decision to press charges against \"state evil\".\n\nUkraine's Prosecutor General Andriy Kostin said the decision was \"historic for Ukraine\", while the country's presidential chief of staff, Andriy Yermak, lauded the decision as \"only the beginning\".\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. WATCH: Can Vladimir Putin actually be arrested?\n\nBut because Russia is not a signed member of the ICC, there is very little chance that Vladimir Putin or Maria Lvova-Belova will appear in the dock at The Hague.\n\nThe ICC relies on the cooperation of governments to arrest people, and Russia is \"obviously not going to cooperate in this respect\", Jonathan Leader Maynard, a lecturer in international politics at King's College London, told the BBC.\n\nHowever Mr Khan pointed out that no-one thought Slobodan Milosevic, the Serbian leader who went on trial for war crimes in Croatia, Bosnia and Kosovo, would end up in The Hague.\n\n\"Those that feel that you can commit a crime in the daytime, and sleep well at night, should perhaps look at history,\" he said.\n\nLegally, however, this does present Mr Putin with a problem.\n\nWhile he is the head of a G20 state, and about to shake hands with China's Xi Jinping in an historic meeting, Mr Putin is now also a wanted man, and this will inevitably place restrictions on which countries he can visit.\n\nThere is also a level of embarrassment for the Kremlin, which has always denied allegations of Russian war crimes, that such an influential, pan-national body as the ICC simply does not believe its denials.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/world-europe-64992727"}
{"title":"Colwyn Bay: Crewless boat discovered adrift in sea prompts search - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-18","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"A lifeboat crew searched the waters for casualties but none were discovered.","section":"Wales","content":"The 20ft cabin cruiser, named Phoenix Hardy, was found adrift in Colwyn Bay\n\nMystery surrounds a crewless boat discovered adrift in the sea at Colwyn Bay on Saturday.\n\nA lifeboat was called to the scene at 07:20 GMT where a 20ft (6m) cabin cruiser, named Phoenix Hardy, was found between the pier and Porth Eirias.\n\nThe crew searched the waters in Conwy county for casualties but none were found.\n\nNorth Wales Police said it was made aware of the vessel at around 06:00 and is appealing for information.\n\nDet Sgt Mark Bamber said: \"We believe that the boat came into the area yesterday and entered the water in Conwy.\"\n\nThe coastguard said it is \"reasonably\" confident four men who were aboard are safe\n\nThe RNLI said its search of the waters was \"inconclusive\".\n\nHM Coastguard said it was \"reasonably\" confident that four men who were aboard the boat got off safely.\n\nA spokesman added: \"We continue to work with the police until we are satisfied that is the case.\"","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/uk-wales-65001558"}
{"title":"SNP media chief Murray Foote resigns over membership dispute - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-18","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"Murray Foote denied SNP membership had dropped, before the party confirmed a decline of 32,000.","section":"Scotland","content":"Murray Foote said he had issued agreed party responses to the media\n\nAn SNP media chief has resigned in a row over the party's membership numbers - after it denied the figure had dropped by 30,000.\n\nMurray Foote had described press reports about the numbers last month as \"inaccurate\" and \"drivel\".\n\nThe SNP confirmed yesterday that membership had fallen to 72,186 from the 104,000 it had two years ago.\n\nMr Foote said he issued agreed party responses to the media which \"created a serious impediment\" to his role.\n\nSNP leadership candidates Ash Regan and Kate Forbes this week demanded to know how many members were eligible to vote in a row over the integrity of the contest.\n\nThey issued a joint letter to Peter Murrell - the SNP's chief executive and husband of Nicola Sturgeon.\n\nThe party initially refused to reveal the numbers, then confirmed there was a drop of 32,000 since December 2021.\n\nLast month the Sunday Mail - where Mr Foote was formerly editor in chief - reported the SNP had lost 30,000 members, which the party said was \"not just wrong, it's wrong by about 30,000\".\n\nMr Foote tweeted: \"Acting in good faith and as a courtesy to colleagues at party HQ, I issued agreed party responses to media inquiries regarding membership.\n\n\"It has subsequently become apparent there are serious issues with these responses.\n\n\"Consequently, I concluded this created a serous impediment to my role and I resigned my position with the SNP group at Holyrood.\"\n\nThe SNP said Mr Foote had been an outstanding head of press for the Holyrood group, adding: \"He has acted entirely in good faith throughout.\"\n\nIn a statement it said: \"The party was asked a specific question about loss of members as a direct result of the GRR [gender recognition reform] Bill and Indyref2. The answer given was intended to make clear that these two reasons had not been the cause of significant numbers of members leaving.\n\n\"The membership figure is normally produced annually and is not produced in response to individual media queries, including in this instance.\n\n\"In retrospect, however, we should not have relied on an understanding of people's reasons for leaving as the basis of the information given to Murray and, thereafter, the media.\n\n\"A new, modernised membership system is currently being developed for the party.\"\n\nMr Foote became editor of the Daily Record and Sunday Mail newspapers in 2014.\n\nHe was responsible for \"The Vow\" front page which was seen as being highly influential in the outcome of the 2014 Scottish independence referendum.\n\nIt was written by the Better Together campaign in which they promised more powers for Holyrood.\n\nIn an article written for the first anniversary of the vote, Mr Foote wrote that he and colleagues did not believe Alex Salmond was \"offering true independence\" at the time.\n\nHe was appointed the SNP's media chief in 2019.\n\nScottish Conservative MSP Russell Findlay, a former journalist, defended Mr Foote - saying he had been given false information.\n\n\"He didn't lie. The SNP lied,\" Mr Findlay said. \"The problem is not a press officer. The problem is the rotten SNP leadership who deliberately lied to the press and public.\n\n\"We wish our best to Mr Foote, who was clearly told false information and is the fall guy for the SNP hierarchy.\"\n\nAlex Salmond, former first minister and leader of the Alba party, also accused the SNP of \"blatant lies\".\n\nSpeaking to BBC Scotland's Drivetime programme - prior to Mr Foote stepping down - Mr Salmond said the SNP's loss of members was \"catastrophic\", but \"more important is the reduction in credibility\".\n\nNicola Sturgeon's chief adviser Liz Lloyd also announced on Friday that she would be stepping down from the role when the first minister leaves office.\n\nShe said it had been the \"biggest honour of my life\" to have worked with Ms Sturgeon but that she planned to pursue new opportunities outside politics.\n\nEarlier in the week the Scottish Sun had reported Ms Lloyd was advising Mr Yousaf's campaign.\n\nMurray Foote's former colleagues have been highlighting his integrity as they react to his departure from the SNP.\n\nIt was a surprise for many when the man who helped created the unionist \"Vow\" during the 2014 independence campaign joined the party.\n\nBut he's relished his task - although now it ends in tears.\n\nIn the resignation statement, he emphasises how \"in good faith\" he gave the inaccurate membership numbers provided by the party.\n\nHis former journalistic colleagues were furious at how they'd been treated and, it seems, so is he.\n\nMr Foote says this created a \"serious impediment\" to his role.\n\nSo who gave the figures to him? There are now big questions for SNP HQ and its chief executive, Peter Murrell.\n\nAs the leadership race continues, it's tearing through the SNP, wreaking havoc.\n\nThe SNP's membership hit a peak of 125,000 in 2019 as support for the party surged in the wake of the independence referendum but had dropped to 85,000 by the end of last year.\n\nThat suggests a drop of 12,000 inside a matter of months.\n\nAfter the most recent membership figures were released, Kate Forbes' campaign manager, Michelle Thomson MSP, said she was pleased that \"common sense has prevailed\" - but that the \"alarming drop in members shows that the party needs a change in direction\".\n\nAsh Regan's campaign linked the decline to the Scottish government's controversial gender recognition reforms while the party's president Mike Russell suggested cost of living pressures could offer an alternative explanation.\n\nThe third candidate in the contest, Health Secretary Humza Yousaf, said it was \"really important\" the SNP did not lose any more members but said the best way to do this was to continue with the party's \"progressive agenda\".\n\nFollowing Mr Foote's departure on Friday, Mr Yousaf tweeted that he would be sorely missed, and added: \"Reform of our HQ operations has been a key part of my campaign. With fresh party leadership should come a fresh approach to our HQ operation.\"","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/uk-scotland-64993032"}
{"title":"France pension protests: Crowd clashes with police over government reform by decree - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-18","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"A second night of unrest grips France after the government pushed through pension changes without a vote.","section":"Europe","content":"This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser.\n\nProtesters have clashed with police again in central Paris over the French government's pension reforms.\n\nThousands of demonstrators lit fires and some threw firecrackers at police, who used tear gas to disperse them.\n\nIt is the second night of unrest since President Emmanuel Macron decided to push through the controversial reforms to raise the retirement age from 62 to 64 without a vote.\n\nNo-confidence motions have been filed against his government in response.\n\nThe first was signed by independents and members of the left-wing Nupes coalition in parliament, while a second came from the far-right National Rally party.\n\nBoth are expected to be debated early next week.\n\nMarine Le Pen, leader of the National Rally MPs in parliament, called the decision to push through the pension changes \"a total failure for the government\".\n\nPolice made dozens of arrests during the unrest at Place de la Concorde, not far from the parliament building.\n\nProtests also took place on Friday in other French cities - notably Bordeaux, Toulon and Strasbourg.\n\n\"We won't give up,\" one demonstrator told AFP news agency. \"There's still hope that the reform can be revoked.\"\n\nAnother told Reuters that pushing the legislation through without a vote was \"a denial of democracy... a total denial of what has been happening in the streets for several weeks\".\n\nThe government has said the changes to pensions are essential to ensure the system is not overburdened and prevent it collapsing.\n\nBut many people, including union members, disagree and France has now seen more than two months of heated political debate and strikes over the issue.\n\nTransport, public services and schools have all been affected, while a rolling walkout by waste collectors has seen thousands of tonnes of rubbish left on the streets of the capital.\n\nFuel deliveries have also been blocked and there are plans to stop production at a large refinery in Normandy in the coming days.\n\n\"Changing the government or prime minister will not put out this fire, only withdrawing the reform,\" said the head of the moderate CFDT union, Laurent Berger.\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Watch: Uproar on the streets of Paris as PM jeered in parliament","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/world-europe-64997414"}
{"title":"Attack heroes on Queen's final bravery awards list - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-18","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"Five of the civilian commendations go to men who confronted the London Bridge attacker in 2019.","section":"UK","content":"Darryn Frost had fought the attacker with a narwhal tusk on display at Fishmongers' Hall\n\nMembers of the public who tackled the man behind the London Bridge attack in 2019 are among the recipients of the final civilian gallantry awards approved by the late Queen.\n\nThe list includes a Queen's Gallantry Medal for Darryn Frost who used a narwhal tusk to fend off Usman Khan outside the Fishmongers' Hall event.\n\nThe same award goes to two ex-offenders - John Crilly, who used a fire extinguisher on the attacker, and Steven Gallant, who helped confront him until police arrived.\n\nMr Gallant, who had been convicted of murder but has since been freed, has since spoken of wanting to inspire prisoners wanting to turn their lives around.\n\nHe was commended for standing his ground against Khan, who was carrying two knives and wearing what turned out to be an imitation belt of explosives.\n\nThe bravery award winners are among 15 people praised for their heroic actions in the last list approved by the Queen, who died last September.\n\nSuch awards in future will be known as the King's Gallantry Medal or the King's Commendation for Bravery.\n\nIn November 2019 Khan fatally stabbed Cambridge University graduates Jack Merritt, 25, and Saskia Jones, 23, and injured three other people at the conference held by an organisation involved in the rehabilitation of offenders in the City of London. He then ran on to London Bridge, and was later shot dead by armed officers.\n\nA porter at the hall, Lukasz Koczocik, also received a Queen's Gallantry Medal for forcing Khan out of the venue, using an ornamental spear, despite him having sustained serious injuries from three stab wounds.\n\nAnd prison officer Adam Roberts was commended for providing emergency first aid, while the attack was going on around him.\n\nThe bravery awards include those caught up in the terror attack beside London Bridge that claimed two lives\n\nThe five men brought together by the event were commended for the courage of their response - using improvised weapons and facing great danger themselves, as they chased the attacker on to the bridge.\n\nMr Frost used a narwhal tusk that had been on display at Fishmongers' Hall and pinned Khan down, despite the risk from what had seemed to be the suicide belt.\n\nThe final Queen's awards also include a posthumous Queen's Gallantry Medal for John Rees, who at the age of 88, died when he intervened in a knife attack at a shop in Penygraig, Rhondda in south Wales in May 2020.\n\nThere are also awards for Lisa Way and Ayette Bounouri who came to his assistance. Mrs Bounouri used a shopping basket to try to deflect the attacker.\n\nThe recipients, announced by the Cabinet Office, are nominated by the public in recognition of \"exemplary bravery in saving the lives of others\".\n\nThey are approved by the monarch, on the advice of the George Cross Committee which considers such awards, with these latest civilian honours the first for two years.\n\nOliver Dowden, Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster, said the latest recipients were \"extremely worthy winners\" of the Queen's last such awards.\n\n\"We all hope we'd react with courage in the face of danger. These people have lived through that test, and responded in the most admirable way,\" said Mr Dowden.\n\u2022 None Honour for man, 88, who died trying to stop killer","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/uk-64991962"}
{"title":"Six Nations 2023: Ireland face wounded England for historic Grand Slam - BBC Sport","published_date":"2023-03-18","authors":null,"description":"Ireland aim to end their Six Nations by celebrating a Grand Slam in Dublin, but a wounded England side are determined to spoil the party.","section":null,"content":"Last updated on .From the section Rugby Union\n\nCoverage: Listen on BBC Radio 5 Live and BBC Radio Ulster; follow live text commentary on the BBC Sport website and app\n\nThe 2023 Six Nations has reached what promises to be a captivating climax as Grand Slam-hunting Ireland welcome a wounded England to Dublin on St Patrick's Day weekend.\n\nSaturday's tournament closer at the Aviva Stadium could be a huge step in Ireland's journey under Andy Farrell.\n\nHaving entered the competition as the world's number one side, the Irish have masterfully navigated their way through the first four rounds to give themselves a shot at winning a fourth Grand Slam - and first in Dublin.\n\nAfter a memorable 2022 that included a Test series triumph over the All Blacks in New Zealand, a Six Nations clean sweep would be the ultimate statement six months out from the World Cup in France.\n\nEngland are in a different boat. With their title hopes mercilessly crushed by a rampant France at Twickenham last week, Steve Borthwick's team arrive in Dublin with two main aims: restoring pride and spoiling the Irish party.\n\nEngland are not the only side with designs on raining on Ireland's parade, of course, as France can still retain their title. To have any chance, however, Les Bleus must beat Wales in Paris (14:45 GMT) before Ireland and England take to the pitch on Lansdowne Road.\n\n'Super Saturday' opens with Scotland hosting Italy at Murrayfield (12:30 GMT), which is live on BBC One.\n\u2022 None Final-round permutations - how Ireland or France can win the title\n\u2022 None 'Home Grand Slam would be Sexton's dream Six Nations finale'\n\nIreland have handled everything the Six Nations has thrown at them, from losing key players to injury to grinding out wins when they haven't been at their best.\n\nThe most impressive Irish display came against France in Dublin in round two when Farrell's men ran out 32-19 winners in an epic battle between the world's top two sides.\n\nBeating the holders felt big, but defeating England to deliver a Grand Slam in Dublin for the first time brings even greater pressure, and Farrell has called on his players to show calmness in the midst of the \"circus\".\n\n\"All this stuff that you guys [the media] are going to be writing, it all becomes part of the circus, you know, managing all that,\" he said.\n\n\"But in reality, anyone who has ever played in a big game, when you get over that white line all bets are off. It's business time, isn't it?\n\n\"All the emotion gets taken out after the first five minutes anyway and then you've got to be at your best.\n\n\"To me, desperation is an illness. You want to try and stay away from that.\n\n\"You can't be accurate if you're desperate. Being calm enough to be yourself and being controlled enough to be accurate when it matters is a temperament that we're all chasing.\"\n\nEven without the chance of winning a title, this is an important game for an England side keen to extinguish the pain of their worst home defeat in 113 years of Test rugby against France last week.\n\nFor Borthwick, who replaced Eddie Jones as head coach in December, Saturday presents an opportunity to put England back on the right path in the last tournament outing before the World Cup.\n\nIt will be a big ask, though, considering Ireland have won their last 13 Tests at home.\n\n\"We know that after the bitter disappointment of the display against an exceptional France side, we will have to be much improved to meet the challenge of playing the side ranked number one in the world,\" said Borthwick.\n\n\"However, I have witnessed an England squad determined to make amends for the defeat at Twickenham.\n\n\"I'm confident that the team announced will once again want to show the sort of resilience and attitude that brought us victory in Wales.\"\n\nWhat the pundits say\n\nFormer England scrum-half Danny Care on BBC Radio 5 Live's Rugby Union Daily podcast: \"You can make mistakes like decision-making or skill execution, which you can forgive, but the one non-negotiable in rugby and especially when you're wearing an England shirt is you don't give up.\n\n\"I don't think you'll see an attitude problem from England this weekend. The players and coaches won't let it happen.\n\n\"I think Ireland will win but you'll see a more combative performance from England.\"\n\nFormer Ireland and British and Irish Lions wing Shane Horgan: \"Ireland are uber-confident and are very relaxed at their ability to deliver a performance.\n\n\"That confidence has been built over a long period. They've won a tour in New Zealand, they've beaten all the southern hemisphere teams and against France, Ireland really dominated.\n\n\"They're secure in their ability and they're not looking over their shoulders.\"\n\nAs ever, Ireland and England's performance will be dictated by their fly-halves, around whom there has been a contrasting narrative in recent weeks.\n\nThis is being built up as Johnny Sexton's big day. It is the Ireland captain's last Six Nations game and he can secure his place in Irish sporting history by becoming the first skipper to win a Grand Slam in Dublin.\n\nHe also needs just one point to surpass predecessor Ronan O'Gara as the Six Nations' all-time record scorer.\n\nOn the other hand, England fly-half Owen Farrell - the son of Ireland head coach Andy - is seeking redemption after being dropped for Marcus Smith in the France defeat.\n\u2022 None Farrell v Farrell 'has never been difficult'\n\u2022 None Sexton wants to take emotion out of swansong","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/sport\/rugby-union\/64988703"}
{"title":"Imran Khan court hearing prevented by Islamabad clashes - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-18","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"The former Pakistan PM marks his attendance in Islamabad and denies charges he sold state gifts.","section":"Asia","content":"This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser.\n\nA court in Pakistan has decided that a hearing into charges former Prime Minister Imran Khan sold state gifts could not take place due to clashes between his supporters and police.\n\nPolice said Mr Khan's backers threw stones and fired tear gas near the High Court in Islamabad.\n\nThe former cricketer-turned-politician has since set off back to his home in Lahore, which police raided in his absence and made arrests.\n\nHe denies the charges against him.\n\nThe chaotic scenes saw Mr Khan unable to enter the court before the judge agreed that he could mark his attendance and return home.\n\nThe ex-PM says the charges against him are politically motivated but says he is attending court \"because I believe in the rule of law\". The government says the charges against him have nothing to do with politics.\n\nHe told Reuters that he had formed a committee to lead his party, the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), in the event of his arrest.\n\nAbout 4,000 security officials, including elite commandos and anti-terrorism squads, have been deployed in Islamabad, AFP reported.\n\nPolice blocked the highway into Islamabad with shipping containers and large trucks to stop Mr Khan's convoy as it approached the city.\n\nOfficers armed with sticks and tear gas cannisters let his vehicle through, but most of his supporters were turned away.\n\nSpeaking to the BBC when the convoy was stationary, Mr Khan said that the authorities were trying to put him in prison to keep him out of the general election race later this year. \"I won't be able to campaign - that's the whole thing,\" he said.\n\nEarlier this week he told the BBC: \"Whether I am in jail or not they will not be able to stop my party winning.\"\n\nPolice raided Mr Khan's Lahore home while he was on his way to Islamabad\n\nIn a sign of the deep divisions within Pakistani politics, the current Prime Minister Shebaz Sharif tweeted that Mr Khan's \"antics of the last few days\" had \"laid bare his fascist and militant tendencies\" and accused him of using supporters as \"human shields\".\n\nEarlier in the week Lahore police tried to arrest Mr Khan after he missed a hearing, and officers clashed with supporters outside his home. On Friday, the court granted Mr Khan protection against arrest on the assurance that he would appear in court on Saturday.\n\nOn Saturday Lahore police used a digger to gain entry to Mr Khan's residence in an operation involving nearly 1,000 security personnel, according to local media. Police later said they had arrested Khan supporters who had been involved in violence against police earlier in the week, including for throwing petrol bombs.\n\nThe Punjab police chief said some officers would remain outside Mr Khan's residence.\n\nMr Khan was ousted as prime minister last April in a no-confidence vote but has kept up pressure on his successor Mr Sharif with demonstrations and speeches calling for elections due later this year to be held early.\n\nHe blames Mr Sharif for an assassination attempt at a rally in November in which he was wounded in the leg. Authorities have rejected the accusation.\n\nMr Khan faces multiple court cases, including terrorism charges. He has cited a variety of reasons - including security concerns and injury from the assassination attempt in November - for not showing up to hearings.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/world-asia-64998922"}
{"title":"Nicola Sturgeon's husband Peter Murrell gave \u00a3100,000 loan to SNP - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-18","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"The party said its chief executive Peter Murrell made a personal contribution to help it with cash flow after the election.","section":"Scotland politics","content":"Nicola Sturgeon is the leader of the SNP while her husband Peter Murrell is its chief executive\n\nNicola Sturgeon's husband gave a loan of more than \u00a3100,000 to the SNP to help it out with a \"cash flow\" issue after the last election.\n\nPeter Murrell, the SNP's chief executive, loaned the party \u00a3107,620 in June 2021.\n\nThe SNP had repaid about half of the money by October of that year.\n\nAn SNP spokesman said the loan was a \"personal contribution made by the chief executive to assist with cash flow after the Holyrood election\".\n\nHe said it had been reported in the party's 2021 accounts, which were published by the Electoral Commission in August.\n\nThe spokesman added: \"The nature of this transaction was initially not thought to give rise to a reporting obligation.\n\n\"However, as it had been recorded in the party's 2021 accounts as a loan, it was accordingly then reported to the Electoral Commission as a regulated transaction.\"\n\nElectoral Commission records of the loan say that no interest was being charged by Mr Murrell, and that a total of \u00a347,620 was repaid in two instalments in August and October of last year.\n\nThe loan was first reported by the Wings Over Scotland website.\n\nScottish Conservative chairman Craig Hoy said it was \"beyond odd for the SNP chief executive - and Nicola Sturgeon's husband - to be lending his employer a six-figure sum of money\".\n\nScottish Labour MSP Neil Bibby claimed that the SNP operated \"under a veil of secrecy\" and called for greater transparency \"about the dealings going on in the party of government\".\n\nThe SNP spent nearly \u00a31.5m in its campaign for the Holyrood election, which was held in May last year.\n\nIts annual accounts showed that its total income was \u00a34.5m in 2021, of which, it said, 85% came from voluntary contributions by supporters and members. Some \u00a3740,000 was raised through \"independence related appeals\", the accounts stated.\n\nHowever, the party has spent a total of \u00a35,259,805, meaning it made a loss of about \u00a3750,000 over the year. It had about \u00a3145,000 in cash at the end of the year, and reserves of \u00a3610,000.\n\nSNP MP Douglas Chapman quit as the party's treasurer shortly after the election, claiming that he was not given enough information about its finances to do his job. Three other members of the SNP's finance committee also resigned.\n\nMr Chapman's decision to stand down was understood to be linked to a row about the use of \u00a3600,000 which was raised by activists who were told it would be ringfenced for a second independence referendum.\n\nPolice Scotland recently confirmed that its investigation into what happened to the money was ongoing. The party has denied any wrongdoing.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/uk-scotland-scotland-politics-63973961"}
{"title":"Comic Relief raises over \u00a334m with The Traitors and Eurovision sketches - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-18","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"This year's event will support people struggling with the cost of living crisis and food poverty.","section":"Entertainment & Arts","content":"Dawn French brought a twist to The Traitors during the fundraiser\n\nThe annual Comic Relief fundraiser, which featured sketches based on the show The Traitors and Eurovision, has raised over \u00a334m.\n\nDame Mary Berry, Danny Dyer and Jamie Dornan made appearances on the show.\n\nThe money raised during the event was announced live by hosts Paddy McGuiness, David Tennant and Zoe Ball.\n\nThis year's fundraising effort will support people struggling with the cost of living crisis, food poverty, mental health problems and homelessness.\n\nComic Relief was founded by Sir Lenny Henry and Richard Curtis in 1985 with the aim to put an end to child poverty in the UK and around the world.\n\nFor the first time since the programme was first launched, Sir Lenny was not there but he appeared in a pre-recorded appeal to help starving communities in the African continent.\n\nFollowing a montage of clips from his past visits to the continent with the charity, Sir Lenny said: \"But I think what I said then, still rings true to me now. Forget geography. These are your neighbours\".\n\nDuring the opening credits, the co-founder regenerated into Doctor Who star Tennant who said: \"For the first time in Comic Relief's history, we are flying without our captain, Sir Lenny Henry.\"\n\nSinger Zara Larsson performing during the Red Nose Day night of TV for Comic Relief\n\nThe 2023 show, hosted at Salford's Media City, also included AJ Odudu, Joel Dommett and Paddy McGuinness as presenters.\n\nPerformances from Zara Larsson and Tom Grennan came live from Salford.\n\nCelebrities began fundraising ahead of Friday night's live show, with Radio 1's Arielle Free taking part in a cycling challenge and BBC Morning Live's Gethin Jones dancing for 24 hours.\n\nArielle Free joined by Jordan North and Vick Hope at the finish line\n\nThe live TV event also included a video appeal from the Prince of Wales, in which he met homeless people helped by Comic Relief.\n\nPrince William said his mother would be \"disappointed\" to see that the UK is still no further along the line in terms of tackling homelessness, and preventing it from happening.\n\nThere was also a parody sketch of The Traitors, featuring real contestants Maddy and Wilf, alongside Dame Mary Berry and Danny Dyer.\n\nComedians Jennifer Saunders, Stephen Merchant and Rosie Jones featured in the sketch, with a twist as Dawn French took on Claudia Winkleman's host role.\n\nElsewhere on the show there was an appearance from Kylie Minogue, whilst Blackadder star Sir Tony Robinson read a bedtime story as the character Baldrick.\n\nSir Tony Robinson returned as the character of Baldrick to read a bedtime story\n\nGraham Norton, Lulu and last year's UK Eurovision entrant Sam Ryder paid homage to the European music contest, by playing a mock judging panel looking for the next UK star to enter the competition.\n\nAuditions came from Jamie Dornan who had \"lost his voice\" and held up big cards with the words to Adele's Someone Like You and comedian Miranda Hart who sang and danced to Hero by Mariah Carey.\n\nDavid Walliams also auditioned by singing Eye of the Tiger by Survivor and hit his own \"golden buzzer\", while TV chef Gordan Ramsey tried to impress the judging panel by playing the recorder.\n\nEurovision fans got another treat though as during the fundraiser, two tickets for the Liverpool final were given away on the show by Eurovision presenters Scott Mills and Rylan Clark.\n\nThe cast of Mrs Doubtfire The Musical also delivered their first UK performance of Make Me A Woman from the new stage show.\n\nA sketch which saw the UK's 'most serious people' telling jokes also saw appearances from news broadcasters Clive Myrie, Kay Burley, Huw Edwards and Naga Munchetty as well as Susanna Reid, Piers Morgan and Richard Madeley.\n\nThis year's Red Nose was designed by Sir Jony Ive, who is best known for being a designer for Apple.\n\nThis Twitter post cannot be displayed in your browser. Please enable Javascript or try a different browser. View original tweet on Twitter The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Skip twitter post by Comic Relief 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\u2019s cookie policy, external and privacy policy, external before accepting. To view this content choose \u2018accept and continue\u2019. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.\n\nSir Jony said: 'We've grown up with Comic Relief and are proud to support their remarkable work.\n\n'This new and seemingly simple Red Nose has been a fabulously complex little object to design and make and has involved our entire team. We hope it brings a little moment of joy to everyone who wears one.'\n\nIt is made from plant-based materials and is available to buy from the Comic Relief website or Amazon.\n\nAt the end of the broadcast on Friday night, the hosts announced the show had raised \u00a331,952,141 and that total was updated overnight to \u00a334.1m.\n\nThis Twitter post cannot be displayed in your browser. Please enable Javascript or try a different browser. View original tweet on Twitter The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Skip twitter post 2 by BBC Radio 1 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\u2019s cookie policy, external and privacy policy, external before accepting. To view this content choose \u2018accept and continue\u2019. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/entertainment-arts-64989732"}
{"title":"Cost of living: Unpaid carers going without basics - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-18","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"Unpaid carers say increased financial pressures mean they are unable to buy basic essential items.","section":"Wales","content":"Tegan (far left) helps to care for disabled family members\n\nUnpaid carers say increased financial pressures mean they are unable to buy even basic essential items and feel forgotten by those in power.\n\nA young carer who supports three disabled adults said her family could not afford haircuts and underwear.\n\nThose who care for someone for at least 35 hours a week can claim \u00a369.70 a week but do not get paid extra for caring for more than one person.\n\nThe Welsh government said it valued unpaid carers.\n\nTegan and her aunt Scarlett, who she helps to care for\n\nTegan Godden, 19, from Newport, lives with her grandparents, her two uncles, her aunt and her brother.\n\nHer grandmother is the primary carer for three disabled family members - Tegan's grandfather, one of her uncles and her aunt.\n\nTegan supports her grandmother by taking her relatives for days out or to hospital appointments, giving medication, washing her aunt and helping around the house, all while running her own cake and hot food business full time.\n\nTegan said her family struggled financially - her grandmother's caring responsibilities mean she is unable to work and she can only claim Carer's Allowance for one person she cares for.\n\n\"With the number of mouths she has to feed it's really hard,\" said Tegan.\n\nTegan's grandmother is the primary carer for three adults\n\nShe said she believed her grandmother often skipped meals and she often witnessed her going without other essentials.\n\n\"I see my nan not even being able to buy socks or pants, walking around the house with holes in her socks,\" she said.\n\n\"It's really upsetting seeing what she has to go through.... she's so selfless. It's upsetting a lot of the time for us.\"\n\nTegan as a child (far right) with her grandmother, brother and aunt\n\nTegan wants to see people like her grandmother paid for the work they do.\n\n\"If she went out and worked as a carer for other people, she'd be paid by the hour or by the day,\" she said.\n\nThe family try to make ends meet by cooking in bulk and sticking rigidly to shopping lists, Tegan said.\n\n\"Everything's gone up in price and the government expects people to eat healthy and eat nutritious meals but the cheapest food in the supermarkets is the most unhealthy that you could buy,\" she said.\n\n\"We try to keep as healthy as we possibly can but it's just the biggest struggle, we just pick meals that we're able to afford.\"\n\nShe said another struggle was the cost of energy.\n\nThe family live in a specially adapted council house where two three-bedroom properties have been knocked into one, making it expensive to heat.\n\nThe family also uses lots of electric equipment for her aunt, such as a blender for her meals, her mobility bed and feeding pump which pushes their bills up further.\n\nIn a recent UK-wide survey of 1,109 young carers by Carers Trust, 56% of respondents said the cost-of-living crisis was always or usually hitting them and their family.\n\nNon-profit organisation Carers UK has said unpaid carers are facing unprecedented financial difficulties because of the UK's current cost of living crisis.\n\nIt said without urgent support from government it was \"extremely worried that many will simply be unable to cope\".\n\n\"We don't want charity,\" said Tegan.\n\n\"We don't want to be treated any differently or pitied on but I think there's so many other families like us who are struggling and need support and just don't have it.\"\n\nShaun cared for his mother Sheila (pictured) before she died with dementia and he now cares for his father\n\nShaun Moore, 60, from Blackwood in Caerphilly county has been an unpaid carer for four years after leaving his job to care for his mother who had dementia.\n\nHis mother died two years ago and weeks later his father had a stroke. Shaun now cares for his father full time.\n\n\"I've got to do everything for Dad,\" he said.\n\n\"Your life stops dead in its tracks.\n\n\"I'm not blaming my father or my mother for that because it's my duty to look after them, the same as they would do for me .\"\n\nShaun as a child with his mum and brother\n\nShaun said it was very difficult to have any kind of life outside of caring for his father.\n\n\"You can't go anywhere, and you can't do nothing [sic],\" he said.\n\n\"I can't go out with friends for a night out and have a pint because I know for a fact I've got to keep my wits about me. If I have a phone call I would have to get back home straight away.\n\n\"Mentally it's draining. I have about one hour a night sleep - Dad wants to go to the toilet five, six, seven, eight times a night.\n\n\"We don't moan about it because we have to do it but it strips you of everything.\"\n\nShaun's father has two carers who call to see him for 15 minutes in the morning and again in the evening.\n\nHe claims \u00a369.70 a week in Carer's Allowance and \u00a3576 in Universal Credit a month out of which he pays \u00a3420 rent as well as all his other outgoings such as running his car, food and all his bills.\n\n\"We are the forgotten,\" he said of himself and other unpaid carers.\n\n\"What would the government do if carers like myself - not that we would - but if we turned around and said 'we can't do this anymore. You're going to have to take all our parents and loved ones into care, we're not doing it',\" he said.\n\n\"They couldn't cover it. They haven't got enough places to put people and they haven't got enough carers. It would be pandemonium.\"\n\nShaun wants unpaid carers to be given a wage\n\nHe believes people like himself are \"saving the government thousands of pounds\".\n\n\"It's not fair,\" he said.\n\nHe wants to see an increase to the benefits unpaid carers are able claim and would like to be taken off benefits and paid a wage for the care he gives.\n\n\"I'm not saying I want thousands, but I could do without a little bit extra to make life a little bit easier, so I wouldn't have to struggle,\" he said.\n\nAlan Wilson, 78, from Pontypridd, Rhondda Cynon Taf, has cared for his wife Coral, 79, for almost 40 years.\n\nCoral was diagnosed with sensory neuropathy in her mid-40s and in the past four years she has had two strokes and a bleed to the brain and now needs 24\/7 care.\n\n\"It is the lack of support and the feeling of isolation,\" he said.\n\n\"I feel constantly tired and I fear what the future holds for Coral.\n\n\"If I was to be taken ill how would Coral manage? That is my major concern.\"\n\nAlan gets 12 hours a week respite which he uses to shop, go to appointments or sleep.\n\n\"Without that I'd really struggle,\" he said.\n\nAlan receives his state pension and a private work pension which means he is unable to claim Carer's Allowance.\n\nThose who care for someone but earn more than \u00a3128 a week or receive other benefits such as a state pension are not entitled to Carer's Allowance.\n\n\"I feel a bit aggrieved about it,\" he said.\n\n\"When I was working I paid 12% of my pay into the private pension.\n\n\"Don't get me wrong, I'm happy to care for my wife but if she was in a nursing home you're looking at \u00a31,500 a week and I think the carers are saving the government millions if not billions every year.\"\n\nA Welsh government spokesperson said: \"We identify and value unpaid carers and are committed to helping carers access the support they are entitled to.\n\n\"Our national Carers Delivery plan sets out how we will meet this commitment. We are working with our partners to help more carers access advice and support, including their right to a carer's needs assessment.\n\n\"We have listened to unpaid carers' calls for help with respite and are investing \u00a39m into a new Short Breaks Scheme. Our \u00a34.5m Carers Support Fund has also helped thousands of carers access financial support and services.\"\n\nA UK government spokesperson said: \"We know families caring for those with disabilities face extra costs, which is why we are increasing disability benefits in line with inflation, making an extra \u00a3150 disability support payment as well as \u00a3900 cost of living help for those on means-tested benefits and saving households around \u00a31,300 on energy bills this winter.\"\n\nTegan, Shaun and Alan first spoke to spoke to Dot Davies on BBC Radio Wales","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/uk-wales-64951275"}
{"title":"Calls for SNP chief executive Peter Murrell to resign - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-18","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"The majority of the SNP's national executive committee are prepared to support a motion of no confidence, the BBC understands.","section":"Scotland politics","content":"The SNP's ruling body has called for Peter Murrell to stand down from his role as the party's chief executive\n\nA group of members of the SNP's ruling body is trying to oust the party's chief executive, Peter Murrell.\n\nA source on the national executive committee told the BBC Nicola Sturgeon's husband was a \"hindrance\".\n\nA majority of members are prepared to support a motion of no confidence in Mr Murrell if he does not stand down.\n\nIt comes after a week of chaos in the SNP, which saw two leadership candidates question the independence of the election process.\n\nOne source on the committee told the BBC: \"Peter's time has come. There's a really strong feeling among a number of NEC members that he is now a hindrance and damaging the party and it would be wise for him to announce a date for his departure\".\n\nThe party was also forced to confirm a massive drop in its membership numbers, a situation the party had previously denied.\n\nThat prompted the resignation of the SNP's head of media at Holyrood, Murray Foote, who said there were \"serious issues\" with statements he had issued in \"good faith\" on behalf of party headquarters.\n\nThe NEC source said Mr Foote had been \"thrown under the bus\" by Peter Murrell who is the husband of First Minister Nicola Sturgeon.\n\nA second member of the committee said there were no circumstances in which Mr Murrell could continue as party chief executive.\n\nA third member of the committee indicated that the situation was moving fast and that there could be developments later in the day.\n\nPeter Murrell has been approached for comment.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/uk-scotland-65000274"}
{"title":"Hunter Biden sues repairman over release of personal data from laptop - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-18","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"The US president's embattled son is under renewed scrutiny from Republicans in Congress.","section":"US & Canada","content":"The US president's embattled son is under renewed scrutiny from Republicans in Congress.\n\nHunter Biden, the US president's embattled son, is suing a Delaware computer repair shop owner over the handling of his private laptop.\n\nMr Biden and his attorneys allege John Paul Mac Isaac illegally copied and distributed private information from the laptop's hard drive.\n\nThat personal data was used by Republicans to attack Joe Biden during the 2020 presidential election.\n\nMr Isaac argues the laptop became his property when it was abandoned.\n\nIn a suit he filed last year, Mr Isaac accused Hunter Biden, the Biden 2020 campaign, a Democratic congressman and two US media outlets of defaming him by claiming he illegally accessed the data.\n\nHunter Biden's counterclaim, filed on Friday in a Delaware district court, claims Mr Isaac gave away his data to \"political enemies\" because he opposed his father's candidacy.\n\nThe document alleges that the repairman sent copies of the hard drive to his father in New Mexico and to a lawyer who worked with Mr Trump's then-personal attorney, Rudy Giuliani.\n\nMr Giuliani and other allies of Mr Trump, including Steve Bannon, would later gain access to some of the data.\n\n\"Mac Isaac intended and knew, or clearly should have known, that people to whom he provided the data that he believed to belong to Mr Biden would use it against then-candidate Joseph Biden and to assist then-President Trump,\" the filing reads.\n\nIt adds that disseminating private data in this manner \"is offensive and objectionable to Mr Biden, and would be highly offensive and objectionable to any reasonable person\".\n\nThe laptop's existence was first brought to the public's attention by the conservative-leaning New York Post less than one month before the 2020 election.\n\nThe Post alleged that emails found on its hard drive suggested Mr Biden's business dealings abroad were influencing US foreign policy while his father was vice-president.\n\nThe president and his family have denied any wrongdoing in overseas business dealings.\n\nDonald Trump and Republican Party operatives seized on it as a campaign issue, saying it was evidence of alleged nepotism and corruption in the Biden family.\n\nThe Biden campaign said at the time that the leaked data might have been linked to a Russian disinformation campaign to influence the election, but it provided no evidence for the claim.\n\nMore material from the laptop has since been released, painting a sordid picture of the younger Biden. They include texts and financial records related to his overseas business dealings in China and Ukraine, as well as provocative photos and videos of him having sex and doing drugs.\n\nOften referenced in conservative US media as the \"laptop from hell\", the computer itself is now in the FBI's possession.\n\nThe agency has been investigating the president's son since 2018 over his tax payments related to foreign business dealings. Federal officials are also probing whether he lied about his prior drug use on a gun application form in 2018.\n\nHunter Biden, 53, and his attorneys have shifted their strategy in recent weeks as a new Republican majority in the US House of Representatives vows to step up scrutiny of the Biden family.\n\nOn Thursday, House Oversight Committee chairman James Comer alleged that Hunter Biden and at least two relatives received more than $1m in funds from a Chinese energy company.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/world-us-canada-64991918"}
{"title":"Caerphilly: Woman dies and man critical after van crash - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-18","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"A woman has died and a man is in a critical condition after a crash involving a van in Caerphilly.","section":"Wales","content":"The collision happened outside The Station Inn pub on Nantgarw Road in Caerphilly\n\nA 67-year-old woman has died and a 58-year-old man is in a critical condition after a crash involving a van.\n\nThe collision with two pedestrians happened on Nantgarw Road, Caerphilly, on Friday at around 19:50 GMT.\n\nA 48-year-old man from Caerphilly was arrested on suspicion of causing death by dangerous driving, serious injury by dangerous driving, drink-driving and drug-driving.\n\nHe remains in police custody and is being questioned.\n\nGwent Police, which is appealing for witnesses, said specialist officers are supporting the family of the dead woman.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/uk-wales-65002832"}
{"title":"Heathrow security to strike for 10 days including Easter - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-18","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"The airport says contingency plans will be in place when 1,400 guards walk out in a pay dispute.","section":"UK","content":"Security guards at Heathrow Airport's Terminal Five are to strike for 10 days from 31 March in a dispute over pay.\n\nThe Unite union says more than 1,400 of its members employed by Heathrow will walk out in a period which covers the school Easter holidays.\n\nWorkers at T5, used by British Airways and those who check cargo entering the airport, will take part in the action, ending on Easter Sunday.\n\nHeathrow says contingency plans will be put in place to keep the airport open.\n\nIn a statement, Heathrow said passengers can be assured the airport will be \"open and operational despite unnecessary threats of strike action by Unite\".\n\nThe company said it had proposed \"an inflation-beating 10% increase in pay\".\n\nBut Unite says the offer does not make up for years of pay freezes and cuts.\n\nUnite union secretary general Sharon Graham says workers at Heathrow Airport are on \"poverty wages\" while \"the chief executive and senior managers enjoy huge salaries\".\n\nShe said Unite members are \"simply unable to make ends meet due to the low wages\" and they are striking \"due to need not greed\".\n\n\"It is the airport's workers who are fundamental to its success and they deserve a fair pay increase,\" the Unite boss said.\n\nIt comes as more than 1,000 Passport Office workers announced they would go on strike for five weeks over a dispute about jobs, pay and conditions.\n\nMembers of the Public and Commercial Services union working across England, Scotland and Wales will walk out from 3 April to 5 May.\n\nMeanwhile, those working in Belfast will strike from 7 April to 5 May.\n\nThe union warned of delays to applications and the delivery of passports in the run-up to summer, adding that the strike action was being targeted to cause mass disruption.\n\nAccording to travel expert Simon Calder, at peak times - which includes April - the Passport Office can receive 250,000 applications per week. It means that more than one million applications could be sent during the strike period.\n\nNews of the strike has given rise to fears passports will not be processed in time for some people's holidays this summer.\n\nThe Home Office said it was disappointed with PCS's decision to walk out, adding that the strike does not affect its guidance which is still to allow up to 10 weeks to get a passport, with preparations under way to meet demand.\n\nWhen the strike takes place at Heathrow T5 from 31 March, the airport will likely need to move resources from other areas.\n\nThe airport says the wage proposal on offer is fair, and \"threatening to ruin people's hard-earned holidays with strike action will not improve the deal\".\n\nIt said staff at Heathrow are paid at least the London Living Wage, while the starting salary for a security officer would be \u00a327,754, plus shift pay and allowances, if its 10% offer is accepted.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/uk-64994967"}
{"title":"Putin arrest warrant: Biden welcomes ICC's war crimes charges - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-18","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"The International Criminal Court accuses the Russian leader of unlawfully deporting Ukrainian children.","section":"Europe","content":"Vladimir Putin could now be arrested if he sets foot in one of the ICC's more than 120 member states\n\nUS President Joe Biden has welcomed the International Criminal Court's issuing of an arrest warrant against his Russian counterpart, Vladimir Putin.\n\nThe ICC accused President Putin of committing war crimes in Ukraine - something President Biden said the Russian leader had \"clearly\" done.\n\nThe claims focus on the unlawful deportation of children from Ukraine to Russia since Moscow's invasion in 2022.\n\nMoscow has denied the allegations and denounced the warrants as \"outrageous\".\n\nIt is highly unlikely that much will come of the move, as the ICC has no powers to arrest suspects without the co-operation of a country's government.\n\nRussia is not an ICC member country, meaning the court, located in The Hague, has no authority there.\n\nHowever, it could affect Mr Putin in other ways, such as being unable to travel internationally. He could now be arrested if he sets foot in any of the court's 123 member states.\n\nMr Putin is only the third president to be issued with an ICC arrest warrant.\n\nPresident Biden said that, while the court also held no sway in the US, the issuing of the warrant \"makes a very strong point\".\n\nHis administration had earlier \"formally determined\" that Russia had committed war crimes during the conflict in Ukraine, with Vice-President Kamala Harris saying in February that those involved would \"be held to account\".\n\nThe United Nations also released a report earlier this week that found Moscow's forced removal of Ukrainian children to areas under its control amounted to a war crime.\n\nIn a statement on Friday, the ICC said it had reasonable grounds to believe Mr Putin committed the criminal acts directly, as well as working with others. It also accused him of failing to use his presidential powers to stop children being deported.\n\nRussia's commissioner for children's rights, Maria Lvova-Belova, is also wanted by the ICC for the same crimes.\n\nICC prosecutor Karim Khan has said the warrants were \"based upon forensic evidence, scrutiny and what's been said by those two individuals\".\n\nThe court had initially considered keeping the arrest warrants a secret, but decided to make them public to try and stop further crimes being committed.\n\n\"Children can't be treated as the spoils of war, they can't be deported,\" Mr Khan told the BBC.\n\n\"This type of crime doesn't need one to be a lawyer, one needs to be a human being to know how egregious it is.\"\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. WATCH: Can Vladimir Putin actually be arrested?\n\nMr Khan also pointed out that nobody thought that Slobodan Milosevic, the Serbian leader who went on trial for war crimes in Croatia, Bosnia and Kosovo in the 1990s, would end up in The Hague to face justice.\n\n\"Those that feel that you can commit a crime in the daytime, and sleep well at night, should perhaps look at history,\" Mr Khan said.\n\nSir Geoffrey Nice KC, who led the prosecution in the trial of former Serbian President Slobodan Milosevic, said the warrant would change how foreign leaders view Mr Putin.\n\n\"He will remain an alleged criminal until and unless he submits himself for trial, or is handed over for trial and acquitted. That seems extremely unlikely, so he will remain an alleged criminal until the end of his life,\" he told BBC Radio 4's Today programme.\n\nKremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said any of the court's decisions were \"null and void\" and former Russian President Dmitry Medvedev compared the warrant to toilet paper.\n\nRussian opposition activists have welcomed the announcement. Ivan Zhdanov, a close ally of jailed opposition leader Alexei Navalny, has tweeted that it was \"a symbolic step\" but an important one.\n\nUkrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has expressed his thanks to Mr Khan and the ICC for their decision to press charges against \"state evil\".","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/world-europe-64998165"}
{"title":"Cambridge University college to examine its slavery legacy - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-18","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"Trinity College says a new role will consider ways the college may have gained from slavery.","section":"Cambridgeshire","content":"Trinity College has pledged to donate \u00a31m over five years to Cambridge Caribbean Scholarships\n\nA Cambridge University college is to appoint an academic to a four-year post to examine its legacies of slavery.\n\nTrinity College said its new Legacies of Slavery Research and Teaching Fellow would consider the ways in which the college might have gained from slavery.\n\nThis could be through fees and bequests from students and alumni or from investments by the college.\n\nThe fellow, to be appointed in October, will also explore any contributions by Trinity members who opposed slavery.\n\nIsuri Ratnayake, ethnic and inclusion officer of Trinity's Graduate Society, said: \"Examining and acknowledging the college's legacies of slavery is crucial in cultivating a culture of accountability and inclusivity.\n\n\"Only by facing our past can we pave the way towards a more equitable future, where all members of our community can thrive free from the shadows of oppression and discrimination.\n\n\"I hope that other institutions along with Trinity continue in recognising their historical ties to slavery and taking tangible steps towards repair and reconciliation.\"\n\nDr Michael Banner, Dean and Fellow of Trinity, said it was a \"welcome initiative\" and \"essential to enabling us to comprehend the extent to which the college was involved or benefited from slavery, whether directly or indirectly\".\n\n\"This research will enable debate and discussion from a wide range of perspectives, both within the college community and with the wider public,\" he said.\n\nIt comes after Cambridge University's 2019-2022 Legacies of Slavery Inquiry.\n\nRecommendations were made for the establishment of a research centre at Cambridge and for funding for new partnerships in Africa and the Caribbean, including Cambridge Caribbean Scholarships.\n\nTrinity College has pledged to donate \u00a31m over five years to Cambridge Caribbean Scholarships, enabling up to three Masters' students per year from the Caribbean to study at Cambridge.\n\nTwo PhD studentships will also be available during the five-year initiative, which begins in October.\n\nFind BBC News: East of England on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter. If you have a story suggestion email eastofenglandnews@bbc.co.uk\n\nThe BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/uk-england-cambridgeshire-64995973"}
{"title":"Menindee: Millions of dead fish wash up near Australian town - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-18","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"\"Just imagine leaving a fish in your kitchen to rot\" said one resident, describing the smell.","section":"Australia","content":"This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser.\n\nResidents in a regional Australian town have woken to find millions of dead fish in their river.\n\nThe large-scale fish deaths were first reported on Friday morning in the New South Wales' (NSW) town of Menindee.\n\nThe state's river authority said it was a result of an ongoing heatwave affecting the Darling-Baaka river.\n\nLocals say it is the largest fish death event to hit the town, which experienced another significant mass death of fish just three years ago.\n\nIn a Facebook post, the NSW Department of Primary Industries (DPI) said the heatwave put \"further stress on a system that has experienced extreme conditions from wide-scale flooding\".\n\nHeatwaves have become more frequent, more intense, and last longer because of human-induced climate change. The world has already warmed by about 1.1C since the industrial era began and temperatures will keep rising unless governments around the world make steep cuts to emissions.\n\n\"There's about 30 kilometres of dead fish,\" local resident Graeme McCrabb told the BBC\n\nSpeaking to the BBC, Menindee resident Graeme McCrabb described the deaths as \"surreal\".\n\n\"It'll probably be a bit more confronting today,\" he said, as he warned that locals were anticipating that even more fish would die as the already decomposing fish sucked more oxygen from the water.\n\nAround 500 people live in the town in far-west New South Wales. The Darling-Baaka river is a part of the Murray Darling Basin, Australia's largest river system.\n\nThe NSW DPI also said that the fish deaths were \"distressing to the local community\", a sentiment echoed by Mr McCrabb.\n\n\"You can just imagine leaving a fish in your kitchen to rot with all the doors shut and no air conditioner, and we've got millions of them.\"\n\nThe temperature in Menindee was expected to reach 41C on Saturday.\n\nHe added that locals in the regional town rely on the Darling-Baaka for water supplies, \"we use the river water for washing and showering in so people won't be able to use that water for those basic needs again,\" he said.\n\n\"Over time those people won't be able to access that water for domestic use which is just shameful\".\n\nThis week's fish deaths throws a light on the troubles facing the Murray Darling Basin. Drought and increased human use has impacted the health of the Murray Darling ecosystem.\n\nThe Murray Darling Basin authority said agriculture, industries and communities have used water from the river system which has resulted in less water flowing through the river.\n\nIt also said the Basin is prone to extreme weather events and has a highly variable climate that makes it vulnerable to both fires and droughts.\n\nIn 2012, a plan worth A$13bn (\u00a38.45bn at the time) was implemented to try and stop the river from drying up and returning it to a healthier level.\n\nThe NSW DPI said it will work with federal agencies to respond to the latest incident, and to find the underlying causes of the deaths.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/world-australia-64992726"}
{"title":"George Floyd killer Derek Chauvin convicted of tax fraud - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-18","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"The disgraced former policeman and his now-ex-wife lied about their taxable income between 2014 and 2019.","section":"US & Canada","content":"Former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin and his now-ex-wife underreported their taxable income from 2014 to 2019\n\nEx-Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin, who is serving a 22-year sentence for killing George Floyd, has pleaded guilty to tax fraud.\n\nHe admitted to two counts of aiding and abetting tax fraud, after he and his now ex-wife underreported their taxable income between 2014-19.\n\nChauvin was sentenced to 13 months in prison and ordered to pay restitution.\n\nThe May 2020 killing of Floyd, an unarmed black man, led to mass protests around the United States.\n\nChauvin and his ex-wife, Kellie May Chauvin, were charged with tax crimes shortly after Floyd's killing.\n\nShe pleaded guilty to the same charges last month, and is expected to be sentenced to community service at a hearing in May.\n\nThe disgraced ex-officer entered his plea on Friday in a virtual hearing from a federal prison in Tucson, Arizona.\n\nChauvin worked part-time security jobs that were separate from his work as a police officer, and failed to report to tax officials over $95,000 (\u00a378,000) in cash payments that he received for the work.\n\nKellie Chauvin, who filed for divorce after murder charges were announced, worked as a real estate agent and ran a photo business.\n\nThe charges cover a time period when they were married and filing taxes jointly.\n\nAccording to the Minneapolis Star Tribune newspaper, officials began to suspect tax fraud after interviews with Chauvin's father, an accountant who prepared his 2014-15 taxes.\n\nOne day after tax documents were taken from Chauvin's home by detectives, Kellie Chauvin called her husband in jail to say that investigators were looking into their tax returns.\n\nChauvin suggested they get help from the person \"who we have used to handle for many years\", the newspaper reports.\n\nShe responded: \"Yeah, well we don't want to get your dad involved because he will just be mad at me, I mean us for not doing them for years.\"\n\nThe probe uncovered that the Chauvins did not report their entire income in 2014 and 2015, and did not file tax returns at all in 2016, 2017, or 2018.\n\nThe couple ultimately failed to pay more than $20,000 and have been ordered to pay state tax officials nearly $38,000 in restitution.\n\nFriday's sentence will run concurrently with the murder conviction, as well as Chauvin's later 20-year sentence for violating Floyd's civil rights during the murder.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/world-us-canada-64996161"}
{"title":"John Caldwell: Man, 23, released over Omagh shooting claim - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-18","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"The 23-year-old was in custody over a claim of responsibility for shooting Det Ch Insp John Caldwell.","section":"Northern Ireland","content":"John Caldwell is a senior detectives in the Police Service of Northern Ireland\n\nA 23-year-old man has been released after he was questioned about a claim of responsibility made for the shooting of one of Northern Ireland's top detectives.\n\nDet Ch Insp John Caldwell suffered life-changing injuries after he was shot in front of his young son in Omagh on 22 February.\n\nThe man was arrested after the search of a property in Londonderry.\n\nHe was taken to Musgrave Police Station in Belfast for questioning.\n\nAn admission of responsibility for the shooting was made in a typed statement taped to a wall beside shops in the Creggan estate in Derry.\n\nPolice believe the dissident republican group the New IRA was behind the attack.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/uk-northern-ireland-65000786"}
{"title":"Meta rolls out paid verification for Facebook, Instagram in US - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-18","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"Facebook used to be free, but now you'll pay to be who you say you are.","section":"Technology","content":"Meta has rolled out its paid verification in the US\n\nFacebook parent company Meta has rolled out a paid verification service in the United States.\n\nSimilar to Elon Musk's Twitter Blue service, Meta Verified will grant users a blue tick for $14.99 (\u00a312) per month on iOS and Android devices, or $11.99 (\u00a310) per month on the website.\n\nThe service will be available on Instagram and Facebook.\n\nThe new feature comes after Meta's announcement earlier this week that it would lay off 10,000 employees.\n\nMeta Verified subscribers must be at least 18 years old and will need to submit a government ID in exchange for impersonation protection, direct access to customer service, and their blue tick.\n\nIn November Twitter announced a verification process, which it quickly jettisoned after the blue tick system was used to impersonate politicians and celebrities.\n\nThe company relaunched Twitter Blue several weeks later with different coloured ticks for individuals, companies, and governments.\n\nMeta Verified is launching in the US after two months of testing Meta Verified in Australia and New Zealand.\n\nFor nearly two decades Facebook has been free. It's relied on advertising revenue, which makes up the vast majority of the company's revenue.\n\nAs advertising revenue continues to decline, Meta is looking for different revenue streams.\n\nOther Silicon Valley social networks Snap, Telegram and Twitter have also launched paid verification as a way to generate revenue outside of advertising.\n\nA paid verification service marks a step away from the well-known quote about Facebook: \"If the product is free, then you are the product\".","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/technology-64996934"}
{"title":"Match of the Day: 'Great to be here', says Lineker as he makes TV return - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-18","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"Lineker hosts BBC sports coverage for first time after being taken off air in an impartiality row.","section":"UK","content":"This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Watch: Gary Lineker says \"it's great to be here\" as he returns to present BBC football following suspension\n\nGary Lineker has returned to presenting BBC football coverage for the first time since last week's impartiality row, saying it is \"great to be here\".\n\nPundit Alan Shearer said it had been a \"really difficult situation for everyone concerned\" as he welcomed Lineker back.\n\n\"It's good to get back to some sort of normality,\" he added.\n\nLineker was taken off air following a critical tweet on the government's asylum policy.\n\nLast Saturday's Match of the Day was broadcast without presenters or commentary and was only 20 minutes long after many of Lineker's BBC Sport colleagues, including Shearer, walked out in \"solidarity\".\n\nOn Monday the BBC said it would launch an independent review of its social media guidelines, particularly for freelancers like Lineker, 62 - but he could return in the meantime.\n\nAt the start of the BBC's live coverage of Manchester City v Burnley in the FA Cup on Saturday, Shearer said: \"I just need to clear up and wanted to say how upset we were [to] all the audiences who missed out on last weekend.\n\n\"It was a really difficult situation for everyone concerned, and through no fault of their own some really great people in TV and in radio were put in an impossible situation.\n\n\"That wasn't fair. So it's good to get back to some sort of normality and be talking about football again.\"\n\nOn Twitter, Lineker quashed any rumours and said Match of the Day on Saturday \"was always\" going to be presented by broadcaster Mark Chapman.\n\n\"For those who missed it and are asking, I presented the Match of the Day's live FA Cup game earlier this evening\", he said.\n\nEarlier, he tweeted a picture of himself on set at the Etihad Stadium and wrote: \"Ah the joys of being allowed to stick to football.\"\n\nThis Twitter post cannot be displayed in your browser. Please enable Javascript or try a different browser. View original tweet on Twitter The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Skip twitter post by Gary Lineker \ud83d\udc99\ud83d\udc9b 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\u2019s cookie policy, external and privacy policy, external before accepting. To view this content choose \u2018accept and continue\u2019. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.\n\nIn another tweet, he posted a picture of pundits and ex-England footballers Shearer and Micah Richards calling them \"teammates\".\n\nThe BBC confirmed it had asked Lineker to step back from his TV duties in a statement last week, after Lineker described the asylum policy as an \"immeasurably cruel policy directed at the most vulnerable people in language that is not dissimilar to that used by Germany in the 30s\".\n\nHis agent Jon Holmes wrote that the former England striker thought he had permission to voice an opinion on such matters.\n\n\"Gary takes a passionate interest in refugees and immigration and, as he saw it, had a special agreement with Tim Davie, the BBC's director general, to tweet about these issues,\" Jon Holmes wrote in the New Statesman.\n\nMr Davie has said he is committed to looking at how the corporation's impartiality guidelines apply to freelance staff, acknowledging there are \"grey areas\".\n\nHe apologised for what he acknowledged had been \"a difficult period\" for staff, presenters and audiences - and described the BBC's commitment to freedom of expression and impartiality as a \"difficult balancing act\".\n\nHe also denied his deal to get the presenter back on air was a \"climbdown\", telling BBC News: \"I've always said we needed to take proportionate action.\"\n\nAfter the official BBC statement statement was published, Lineker tweeted: \"I have been presenting sport on the BBC for almost three decades and am immeasurably proud to work with the best and fairest broadcaster in the world. I cannot wait to get back in the MOTD chair on Saturday.\"","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/uk-65003113"}
{"title":"Abortion pills banned in Wyoming as Texas judge considers nationwide decision - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-18","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"The ban comes as a Texas judge considers revoking nationwide approval of a common abortion pill.","section":"US & Canada","content":"Wyoming has become the first US state to ban abortion pills after its governor signed a bill that made prescribing or selling them illegal.\n\nViolating it is punishable by up to six months in jail and a $9,000 fine.\n\nWomen \"upon whom a chemical abortion is performed or attempted\" will not be prosecuted.\n\nAs Mark Gordon signed the bill on Friday, a Texas judge was considering a lawsuit that could effectively ban a common abortion pill nationwide.\n\nAbortion pills are the most common method of pregnancy termination in the US.\n\nThe Wyoming bill, which was passed by the state's Republican-controlled legislature earlier this month, makes it illegal to \"prescribe, dispense, distribute, sell or use any drug for the purpose of procuring or performing an abortion\".\n\nThe law is scheduled to take effect on 1 July.\n\nIt does not cover morning-after pills or treatment to protect a woman whose health or life is in danger.\n\nIt also exempts treatment of a \"natural miscarriage according to currently accepted medical guidelines\".\n\nWyoming American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) advocacy director Antonio Serrano criticised the bill, saying \"a person's health, not politics, should guide important medical decisions - including the decision to have an abortion\".\n\nWyoming only has one clinic that provides abortions - the Women's Health & Family Care Clinic in Jackson.\n\nThe state is one of many in which legal fights over abortion bans are ongoing after the Supreme Court reversed the landmark 1973 Roe v Wade judgement legalising abortion.\n\nMore than a dozen states have enacted near-total bans on abortions, several of which have been put on hold by the courts.\n\nMr Gordon, who is a Republican, also said he would allow a separate, wider bill that bans abortion except in limited circumstances to become law on Sunday without his signature. Both this ban and the ban on abortion pills could face challenges in the courts. It is not clear when a wider ban would come into force.\n\nEven more states have placed restrictions on abortion medication, such as requiring an in-person visit to a doctor before obtaining a pill.\n\nMeanwhile in Texas, Judge Matthew Kacsmaryk, an appointee of former President Donald Trump, is expected to rule imminently on whether a commonly used abortion pill, mifepristone, should be sold in the US, in a ruling that could curtail access to the drug nationwide.\n\nMifepristone can be taken at home and is used in more than half of US pregnancy terminations.\n\nThe judge is set to rule on a lawsuit filed by an anti-abortion group in Texas arguing that the drug's safety was never properly studied by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA), which approves medicines.\n\nPresident Joe Biden's administration has argued that mifepristone's approval was well supported by science.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/world-us-canada-64998920"}
{"title":"Six Nations 2023: Ireland 29-16 England - Irish seal Grand Slam in Dublin - BBC Sport","published_date":"2023-03-18","authors":null,"description":"Ireland win their fourth Grand Slam as they wear down 14-man England in a tense Six Nations finale in Dublin.","section":null,"content":"Last updated on .From the section Rugby Union\n\nIreland won their fourth Grand Slam as they wore down 14-man England in a tense Six Nations finale in Dublin.\n\nTwo early Owen Farrell penalties put England ahead before Ireland hit back with a well-worked Dan Sheehan try.\n\nEngland's hopes of an upset were dashed when Freddie Steward was sent off just before half-time.\n\nRobbie Henshaw and Rob Herring tries either side of Sheehan's second of the game ensured Ireland's first Grand Slam in five years, and first won in Dublin.\n\nEngland, much improved from their humiliating defeat by France at Twickenham last week, scored a deserved second-half try through Jamie George, but were unable to pull off a major upset and ruin Ireland's big day.\n\nDespite being tested by a resilient English side, Ireland - as they have so often done under Andy Farrell - found a way to win as they gave talismanic captain Johnny Sexton the perfect send-off in his final Six Nations match, even though his day ended early because of injury.\n\nThe full-time whistle was greeted with Irish celebrations at a jubilant Aviva Stadium as the home side delivered on their immense promise, having entered the competition as the world's number one side.\n\nWith the prospect of being confirmed as champions before kick-off ended by France's 41-28 win over Wales, the tension inside the Aviva Stadium was palpable from the start as Ireland plotted the dream finale to a memorable campaign.\n\nBut while few gave England much chance of spoiling the Irish party following their record-breaking hammering by France last week, it was the visitors who settled quicker.\n\nTheir reward was two penalties, both scored by Farrell, the second coming after Alex Dombrandt stopped Johnny Sexton from scoring with a crucial tackle at the other end.\n\nClearly nervous, Ireland were made to wait until the 18th minute for their first score. But it was a big one as Sexton thumped a penalty between the sticks to surpass Ronan O'Gara as the competition's record scorer.\n\nWhile Sexton's record-breaking penalty settled a few nerves, Sheehan's score produced a massive roar from the Aviva crowd, the hooker crossing after a well-worked set-piece that saw Josh van der Flier breaking from a line-out maul.\n\nWith Sheehan having given Ireland a much-needed shot in the arm, things went from bad to worse for England on the cusp of half-time when Steward was sent off after colliding with Hugo Keenan.\n\nAfter an Irish pass went forwards, Keenan stooped to pick up the loose ball. The on-rushing Steward turned sideways at the last moment and Keenan's head collided with the England full-back's arm, with referee Jaco Peyper ruling that the contact merited a red card.\n\nDespite their numerical disadvantage, England refused to lie down in the second half, and moved to within a point when Farrell booted his third penalty between the posts.\n\nBut Ireland managed to regain control and exerted enough pressure to prise open holes in the English defence, with Henshaw able to slip through before Sheehan's second score seemingly put the hosts out of England's reach.\n\nTo their credit, England continued to plug away and scored their only try when George crashed over, but after the visitors' Jack Willis was sin-binned, replacement Irish hooker Herring stretched to score his first Six Nations try and complete a famous triumph for Ireland.\n\nWhile England head coach Steve Borthwick can take heart that his side delivered on their promise to show more fight than they did against France, a fourth-place finish is a stark reminder of the task facing Eddie Jones' successor.\n\nIn contrast, Ireland will now approach the World Cup later this year with relish as they look to progress past the quarter-finals of rugby's quadrennial showpiece for the first time.\n\nThat is all to come. For now, Ireland can celebrate retaking their place at the top of the Six Nations.\n\u2022 None Ireland have now won four Grand Slams with triumphs coming in 1948, 2009, 2018 and 2023\n\u2022 None They have won five Six Nations titles with their other wins in 2009, 2014, 2015 and 2018\n\u2022 None Andy Farrell's side set a new national record of eight straight Six Nations wins, surpassing the seven-game streak they set between 2004 and 2005\n\u2022 None Ireland are on a national record run of 14 wins at home\n\nAnalysis - what they said\n\nFormer England captain Matt Dawson on BBC Radio 5 Live: \"I'm proud of the way England fronted up but they gave away far too many penalties.\n\n\"Their ill-discipline kept giving easy ball to Ireland. A good performance by England but the focus should be on this tremendous Irish side.\n\n\"I just cannot see anyone beating the Irish. They are head and shoulders ahead.\n\n\"This Ireland team have what it takes, not just to win the Six Nations, but the World Cup as well.\"\n\nFormer Ireland number eight Jamie Heaslip on Radio 5 Live: \"It's a great day for the Irish. They are a special group with a different mindset to the past. They are comfortable with being the number one side in the world.\"","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/sport\/rugby-union\/64992479"}
{"title":"Kuenssberg: Sunak is now hostage to his promises on childcare and small boats - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-18","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"Failure to deliver on childcare and small boats pledges could set back the progress of his first months.","section":"UK Politics","content":"\"You can get a lot done in a week\" - a snap from Rishi Sunak's oh-so-casually put-together social media feed shows him sitting on a bench, reading through his notes on the tarmac near a couple of parked-up fighter jets.\n\nThe stream of images is designed to show the world a few days of frenetic activity. Here I am with Joe Biden! Here I am at the Budget! Here I am working as hard as I can on your behalf!\n\nDuring his first couple of months in charge Rishi Sunak's workaholic tendencies were applied to a set of acute and immediate problems - could he stop the turmoil in the Tory Party and the financial markets? Then, did he have a clear idea of what he wanted to get done?\n\nHe tried to answer that with his five pledges at the turn of the year. Allies say there's a \"chipper mood\" and a sense now he can start to focus on priorities he chooses, rather than mop up the mess of what happened before.\n\nBut here's the next challenge - can Rishi Sunak make what he has promised to voters a reality?\n\nThe Budget was, one government insider said, \"all right, given we had no money\". Budgets sometimes unravel in a mess in the days that follow them - remember George Osborne's \"omnishambles\", or Philip Hammond's breach of the Conservative manifesto on National Insurance rises that he had to ditch?\n\nThat hasn't happened this time. In fact, one former minister branded it a \"snoozefest\". But that doesn't mean it's trouble-free. The idea designed to catch the eye of most voters is also a massive logistical task.\n\nGiving hard-pressed parents a lot more support sounds appealing and could make a practical difference to many voters' lives. From a purely political point of view it also has an allure for Tory HQ, because childcare was an issue where Labour was trying to make the running.\n\nBut what ministers have branded the \"biggest-ever expansion on childcare\" in England could be extremely hard to make happen. Nurseries have been closing in recent years, as they find it harder and harder to make childcare viable as a business.\n\nMinisters are aware that it could be a stretch: that is why the changes are being phased in gradually. But if the promise of more gleaming nurseries, happy toddlers and less-stressed parents is not matched by reality, the government may be punished.\n\nThere's a strand of Conservative opinion uneasy with what amounts to another expensive expansion of the state.\n\nAnd don't forget the big picture - the Budget pointed to the pressure on people's wallets, with living standards dropping and fears of a \"lost decade\". A big, expensive promise on childcare that's hard to keep doesn't erase that reality overnight.\n\nChancellor Jeremy Hunt pledged a big increase in childcare, but nurseries have been closing\n\nThe prime minister has also piled huge amounts of political effort into ending the passage of migrants across the Channel.\n\nThe slogan, \"Stop the Boats\", even appears on his government lectern. This simple three-word phrase, lifted from Australia, has already become part of the political lexicon.\n\nThe home secretary has just touched down in Rwanda where she hopes to push on with efforts to have migrants who arrive in the UK sent there. Almost every time a government minister opens their mouth they mention the steps they are taking, more new laws that have just started to make their way through Parliament this week, notwithstanding the doubts expressed by some senior Conservatives, even Theresa May.\n\nBut keeping that vow to end the crossings will be extremely difficult. The courts soon have another say over the legality of sending new arrivals to Rwanda. The practicalities of where anyone detained will be housed are unclear.\n\nRelations with France are on a much better footing with \"le bromance\" between Rishi Sunak and President Emmanuel Macron. But France has not signed up to a returns agreement. It is impossible to know if Rishi Sunak's promise will make very much difference.\n\nA sceptic might suggest that ministers are aware of that, and being seen to make an effort also matters. The party's strong language on immigration also is a point of contrast with the Labour Party. Yet - just as with the big offer on free childcare - a promise made, but not kept, could be intensely damaging.\n\nFor a leader who favours under-promising and over-delivering, Rishi Sunak has set the government two very significant tasks, neither of which he can be sure of achieving. In the coming weeks, there'll be more - new measures to tackle anti-social behaviour, a push on green business, and possibly plans for local healthcare too.\n\nThe French president hailed a \"moment of reconnection\", but there was no deal on returning migrants across the Channel\n\nHis supporters reckon the prime minister now has his own momentum, an elusive element in politics that is hard to create. But there are banana skins that could cause the calm to slip in the coming days.\n\nHis old boss will be in front of MPs answering questions on the toxic mess of Partygate. Like it or not, Boris Johnson is a walking, talking headline-generator, who sucks up nearly all available political oxygen.\n\nOne minister told me the \"'bring back Boris' brigade are more muted now\", but his presence is always unpredictable and disruptive, a headache the current No 10 could do without.\n\nMore seriously, this week there is a vote on what the prime minister hailed as a genuine breakthrough, the Windsor Framework, to unpick the long-standing knot of the Northern Irish Protocol.\n\nThe Northern Irish unionists, the DUP, who have long objected to the effects the arrangements have, are yet to reveal exactly what they will do. They are not big in number, but their support - or lack of it - is fundamental to whether government can get up and running in Northern Ireland again.\n\nFor all that Rishi Sunak's allies and many Conservative MPs reckon his approach is starting to work, there's not much evidence of it in the polls, which remain stubbornly appalling for the Conservatives. But polls aren't real votes.\n\nIt's not long now until the prime minister faces the most important verdict of all and his first in the job - local elections at the ballot box in May. Then his promises, and the public's belief that he can keep them, will be put to the test for real.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/uk-politics-65001267"}
{"title":"Russia and Ukraine extend grain deal despite disagreement - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-18","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"The renewed accord means exports can continue via Ukraine's Black Sea ports, but it is unclear how long for.","section":"Europe","content":"The UN says nearly 25 million tonnes of grain have left Ukraine under the deal\n\nA deal allowing Ukraine to export millions of tonnes of grain through the Black Sea despite the ongoing conflict with Russia has been extended.\n\nBut it is unclear how long it will last, with Ukraine pushing for 120 days, and Russia calling for 60 days.\n\nRussia has warned it will not allow the deal to go on longer unless sanctions against Moscow are softened.\n\nThe UN and Turkey helped broker the export agreement last July following fears of a global food crisis.\n\nUkraine is one of the world's top producers of grain, but its access to ports in the Black Sea was blocked by Russian warships following the invasion in February last year.\n\nCountries that suffer with food insecurity, such as Yemen, rely heavily on these supplies.\n\nTurkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan announced an agreement on extending the deal on Saturday, with hours to go before it was due to expire.\n\n\"This deal is of vital importance for the global food supply. I thank Russia and Ukraine, who didn't spare their efforts for a new extension, as well as the United Nations secretary general,\" he said.\n\nBut neither Mr Erdogan nor the UN clarified how long it would last. Ukraine wanted it to be extended for 120 days, but Russia said it was only willing to renew the pact for another 60 days.\n\nVassily Nebenzia, Russia's ambassador to the UN, said on Friday that the EU, UK and US had two months to remove any sanctions targeting Russia's agricultural sector if they wanted the deal to continue.\n\nMoscow wants Russian producers to be able to export more food and fertiliser to the rest of the world, but says Western sanctions are preventing them.\n\nWhile food and fertiliser exports have not been targeted, Russia says restrictions on payments, insurers and shippers makes exports difficult.\n\nRussia briefly withdrew from the deal in November last year, accusing Ukraine of attacking its fleet in the Crimea - but it re-joined a few days later.\n\nAccording to the UN, the deal has already allowed nearly 25 million tonnes of foodstuffs from Ukraine's Black Sea ports reach global markets.\n\u2022 None What is the Ukraine grain deal and is it working?","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/world-europe-65000324"}
{"title":"Imran Khan's chaotic court summons in 60 seconds - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-18","authors":null,"description":"The BBC travelled in the former prime minister's convoy as he faces charges of corruption at a court in Islamabad.","section":null,"content":"The former Prime Minister of Pakistan, Imran Khan, is answering charges of corruption, which he dismisses as politically motivated, at a court in Islamabad\n\nA warrant for his arrest was suspended on Friday on the condition that he appear at court.\n\nHe was accompanied by armed security as he left his home in Lahore, which was raided by police after he left.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/world-asia-64999864"}
{"title":"RAF Scampton: Historians pen letter against WW2 airfield migrant plan - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-18","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"The group is opposed to plans for RAF Scampton, former home of the Dambusters and the Red Arrows.","section":"Lincolnshire","content":"Historian James Holland said RAF Scampton was one of the richest places for aviation history in the country\n\nA group of world-renowned historians have written to the government opposing plans to house asylum seekers at a historic air base.\n\nEarlier this month, West Lindsey District Council confirmed RAF Scampton in Lincolnshire was being considered as an asylum centre by the Home Office.\n\nThe airfield was the HQ of the famous World War Two Dambusters 617 squadron.\n\nBut historian James Holland said there were other less historically important sites to house migrants.\n\nThe World War Two expert said Home Secretary Suella Braverman would have the letter, signed by \"a raft of historians and broadcasters\", by Monday.\n\nA letter signed by 40 historians has urged the Home Secretary to rethink any plans to house asylum seekers at the former RAF Scampton\n\nThe station was home to the Royal Air Force Aerobatic Team - the Red Arrows - and was where 617 Squadron, the Dambusters squadron, was officially formed on 23 March 1943.\n\nThe Dambusters squadron took part in raids over Germany in World War Two and breached Germany's Mohne and Eder dams.\n\nMr Holland said the open letter's 40 signatories included Sir Antony Beevor, Dan Snow, Sir Max Hastings and Professor David Edgerton.\n\nHe said there were \"so many places around the country where asylum seekers could be housed with the kind of sensitivity and care that they absolutely need\".\n\n\"But it just doesn't have to be on one of the richest places in terms of history and heritage in the country for aviation,\" he added.\n\nThe Red Arrows were a familiar sight in the skies around RAF Scampton for more than 20 years\n\nThe letter describes RAF Scampton as \"a hub of innovation from Barnes Wallis' bouncing bombs to the low-level precision by the Dambusters\".\n\nIt said the \"dramatic change of use to an asylum centre\" could threaten the \"rich heritage\" of the site.\n\nIt added the base could once again become an innovation centre for future generations of engineers if \"action was taken to quickly\" implement a proposed regeneration scheme for the site.\n\nNews the site could be used to house migrants emerged on 8 March when Conservative MP Sir Edward Leigh said he had been told civil servants were working on plans.\n\nA Home Office spokesperson said: \"We have always been upfront about the unprecedented pressure being put on our asylum system, brought about by a significant increase in dangerous and illegal journeys into the country.\n\n\"We continue to work across government and with local authorities to look at a range of accommodation options and sites but the best way to relieve these pressures is to stop the boats in the first place.\"\n\nFollow BBC East Yorkshire and Lincolnshire on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. Send your story ideas to yorkslincs.news@bbc.co.uk\n\nThe BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/uk-england-lincolnshire-65000047"}
{"title":"Mark King suspended from World Snooker Tour during betting investigation - BBC Sport","published_date":"2023-03-18","authors":null,"description":"England's Mark King is suspended from the World Snooker Tour while an investigation is carried out into reports of irregular betting patterns.","section":null,"content":"Last updated on .From the section Snooker\n\nEngland's Mark King has been suspended from the World Snooker Tour while an investigation is carried out into reports of irregular betting patterns.\n\nThe World Professional Billiards and Snooker Association (WPBSA) is looking into reports around King's 4-0 defeat by Joe Perry at February's Welsh Open.\n\nThe WPBSA said King was barred from \"attending or competing\" on the tour with \"immediate effect\".\n\nThe 48-year-old world number 57 has the right to appeal against the decision.\n\n\"The suspension will remain in place until the conclusion of the investigation or any subsequent charges that may or may not be brought,\" the WPBSA added.\n\nKing turned professional in 1991 and reached a career-high world ranking of 11 in 2003, with his only ranking title coming at the Northern Ireland Open in 2016.\n\u2022 None The rise and fall of the jeweller-turned-criminal: Listen to Gangster: The Story of John Palmer\n\u2022 None Watch Saving Lives in Leeds on BBC iPlayer now","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/sport\/snooker\/65000697"}
{"title":"Novak Djokovic: World number one will not play at Miami Open after being denied entry to US - BBC Sport","published_date":"2023-03-18","authors":null,"description":"World number one Novak Djokovic has failed in his bid to play at next week's Miami Open after being denied entry to the United States.","section":null,"content":"Last updated on .From the section Tennis\n\nWorld number one Novak Djokovic has failed in his bid to play at next week's Miami Open after being denied entry to the United States.\n\nThe 22-time Grand Slam winner, 35, had applied for special permission to enter the US because he is not vaccinated against Covid-19.\n\nThe US requires international visitors to be vaccinated and proof will be required until at least 10 April.\n\nDjokovic withdrew from the ongoing Indian Wells event for the same reason.\n\n\"Obviously, we're one of the premier tournaments in the world, we'd like to have the best players that can play,\" said Miami Open tournament director James Blake.\n\nSpeaking to the Tennis Channel, he added: \"We did all that we could. We tried to talk to the government, but that's out of our hands. We tried, and he wasn't able to play.\n\n\"Same result that he had in Indian Wells, where I know [fellow tournament director] Tommy Haas did as much as he could. We tried to get Novak Djokovic to be allowed to get an exemption, but that wasn't able to happen.\n\n\"We'd love to have him, and he's our greatest champion, he's won six times here. Unfortunately, that's way above my pay grade.\"\n\nSerbia's Djokovic missed last year's US Open because of his vaccination status.\n\nDjokovic, who also missed last year's Australian Open and was deported from the country because of his vaccination status, has said he would skip Grand Slams rather than have a Covid-19 vaccination.\n\nHe was permitted to travel to Melbourne in January and won a record-extending 10th Australian Open title, tying Rafael Nadal's men's record of 22 Grand Slam wins.\n\nDjokovic suffered his first defeat of the season last week when he was beaten in straight sets by Daniil Medvedev in the semi-finals of the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships.\n\nHe is next set to play on the clay of the Monte Carlo Masters from 9 April.\n\u2022 None Alerts: Get tennis news sent to your phone","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/sport\/tennis\/64997434"}
{"title":"Jacqueline Gold: the woman who brought sex to the High Street - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-18","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"Jacqueline Gold, whose death was announced on Friday, changed the lives of women at home and at work.","section":"Business","content":"Jacqueline Gold famously brought the vibrator into the front rooms of middle England, helping to spark a social revolution for the prudish British.\n\nBut as the tributes that poured in after her death, at the age of 62, have highlighted, she also launched an overhaul in attitudes more broadly, inspiring a generation of women entrepreneurs and bringing sex onto the High Street.\n\nHer insight was one shared by half of the population already - that women had sexual appetites too - and that that represented a huge untapped market. She arrived at Ann Summers, the family business, crashing through social taboos, and refashioned it after her own purpose.\n\n\"She absolutely paved the way for women to feel empowered in the bedroom and the boardroom and really brought female sexuality into the mainstream,\" says Lucy Litwack, chief executive of Coco de Mer, another British sex toy and lingerie retailer, that followed in Ann Summers' wake.\n\n\"[But] it was her vision and championing of women, that I found so inspiring, that I think will be her legacy,\" she says.\n\nJacqueline Gold often spoke about the initial scepticism she faced at Ann Summers, then a small chain oriented towards male customers. She suggested they reach out to women, inviting them to host Tupperware-style parties to sell lingerie and sex toys in their homes. The board took some convincing.\n\nBut she had other stories to tell too, that illustrated the hurdles she faced, as she took charge at the family firm.\n\nCharlotte Hardie, Editor of Retail Week, where Jacqueline Gold was a guest contributor, recalls the controversial launch of an Ann Summers store in Dublin in 1999.\n\n\"It came up against a lot of criticism from religious groups,\" says Ms Hardie. \"They did not want her to open this store and there was lots of bad PR.\"\n\nThere were petitions and protests. Jacqueline was even sent a bullet through the post.\n\nBut says Ms Hardie: \"She hated the idea that she was going to be bullied into not opening a store, so she ploughed on regardless.\n\n\"She was hugely resilient, hugely determined, and she always did what she set out to do.\"\n\nAnother example: when the government said Ann Summers couldn't advertise for staff in Jobcentres, she took them to court and won.\n\nBut although she was determined, friends say she never tried to prove she was more ruthless than the men around her, or change her behaviour in an effort to fit their mould.\n\n\"She was always kind, welcoming, empathetic, she displayed all those leadership qualities that are so admired today,\" says Ms Hardie.\n\nShe even accepted in good humour the time at a Retail Week conference when she was waiting backstage to join a panel and a well-known chief executive from another firm assumed she was a member of staff.\n\n\"He said: 'Dear, would you mind just just getting me a glass of water?',\" says Ms Hardie.\n\nWhile Jacqueline was incensed at the time, she did fetch him a drink, and was able to laugh about it afterwards.\n\nJacqueline Gold also had huge hurdles to overcome in her private life, which she shared in her autobiography. She was sexually abused by her step-father and suffered from depression.\n\nAs an adult, she struggled to conceive, went through IVF treatment but lost her infant son Alfie at the age of eight months. Later the nanny to her daughter attempted to poison Jacqueline with screenwash.\n\nYet, despite these challenges, she always seemed to have a twinkle in her eye, according to her friend Jacqueline Hurst, a life coach.\n\n\"She just had this lust for life,\" says Ms Hurst.\n\nShe loved breaking taboos, especially the idea of the little woman at home, cooking, without much more to their lives, she recalls.\n\nShe was a \"powerhouse of determination\" when it came to supporting other women, says Ms Hurst, organising breakfasts and other get togethers so women could talk, taking part in groups that supported women in business. She launched her own scheme on social media to provide mentoring for women entrepreneurs.\n\nAnd she was always perfectly turned out, dressed elegantly, in heels, says Ms Hurst, because underneath it all her philosophy was as much about enjoying life as making money.\n\n\"I think that's the biggest thing I'd take away from her, is to always remember to have fun,\" she says. That, and: \"Don't let anyone tell you you can't\".","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/business-64994801"}
{"title":"William Hill: Gambling addict says bookmaker didn't help him stop - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-18","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"A teacher says William Hill should have done more to stop him betting when he was staking thousands.","section":"Wales","content":"Matthew phoned William Hill to close his account, but the firm allowed him to carry on betting\n\nA gambling addict has said bookmaker William Hill should have done more to help him stop betting when he was staking thousands on single bets.\n\nMatthew, not his real name, from south Wales, racked up more than \u00a370,000 of debt with William Hill between 2012 and 2019.\n\nCalls showed he was angry and upset, with gambling rules saying bookmakers should intervene at signs of distress.\n\nWilliam Hill said it found no shortcomings in its procedures.\n\nMatthew, a teacher and father of three, had a salary of about \u00a335,000 a year when he started staking small amounts on big events such as the Grand National.\n\nBefore long, he was opening online accounts and taking advantage of free bets.\n\nHe said this escalated as he \"chased\" small losses, with his stakes increasing from a couple of pounds to as much as \u00a310,000 at once.\n\nWilliam Hill made him a gold customer - its VIP scheme - and Matthew was soon staking his \u00a32,300 a month take-home salary on payday.\n\nIn a Radio 4 documentary named Desperate Calls, Matthew has listened back to 89 phone conversations he had with William Hill.\n\nMost of these were to use a service called \"Quick Cash\", allowing him to withdraw money directly to the bookmaker without having to wait for money to clear in his bank account.\n\nThis service at William Hill is now called CashDirect.\n\nSometimes he would leave the shop with \u00a35,000 in cash.\n\nMatthew made calls from a phone box as he could no longer afford a mobile phone\n\nDozens of these calls were made from a dilapidated phone box just outside the shop.\n\nHe was spending so much on gambling he could not afford his mobile phone bill.\n\nWilliam Hill said Matthew won many times and withdrew thousands from his account, but Matthew said he would re-stake those winnings almost immediately.\n\nHe said: \"The dynamics changed rapidly, life revolved around gambling.\n\n\"On reflection life was a blur, I struggle to recall much of the last decade, other than some extremely dark thoughts, severe lows and the odd high. Not being focused on family and the people closest to me.\"\n\nHe still owes \u00a370,000 to family and friends.\n\nMany of the calls he made to William Hill showed him to be angry and upset.\n\nThe Gambling Commission has rules, saying operators should spot problem gamblers and intervene if they are showing signs of distress.\n\nMatthew said William Hill did not check with him on these points and allowed him to carry on betting.\n\nA member of staff from William Hill's due diligence team phoned Matthew after he said in an email he wanted to \"self-exclude\" because he was angry over a lack of free bets.\n\nThis meant closing his account permanently and banning him from other online betting sites too.\n\nBut during the conversation, the staff member discussed self-exclusion and other processes to curb Matthew's gambling, but ultimately allowed him to continue because he thought the complaint was due to the service he was getting and a lack of free bets, rather than a social responsibility issue.\n\nMatthew said he did not say he had a problem because stopping \"is not a desirable outcome at that point\".\n\n\"Underlying all that is you just want to win [the money] back\".\n\nIt reached a point when Matthew knew he had to stop gambling. His family took him to the GP and he has since had counselling to treat his gambling disorder.\n\nBut Matthew wanted to know what had happened: \"Once the cycle of gambling was broken I analysed a mountain of data obtained under a subject access request. I wrote a letter of complaint to William Hill.\"\n\nWilliam Hill said it took customer complaints seriously\n\nWilliam Hill said: \"We conducted a thorough investigation into our management of Matthew's account and identified no shortcomings in our safer gambling procedures in relation to Matthew's account requirements during the period in question.\n\n\"Ensuring high standards of safer gambling and preventing gambling-related harm is central to the way William Hill operates and we take any customer complaint in this area incredibly seriously, and are committed to driving continuous improvement in this area.\"\n\nThe bookmaker was fined \u00a36.2m in 2018 for failing to protect consumers.\n\nMany of the cases highlighted by the regulator were similar to Matthew's and occurred at about the same time.\n\nA UK government white paper is due to be published soon, with recommendations for strict affordability checks and a new ombudsman for consumer complaints expected.\n\nCurrently, people with social responsibility complaints can only write to the Gambling Commission, which cannot comment on what action it is taking, leaving many people in limbo.\n\nMatthew said: \"Without significant change there will be many more who fall foul of the pitfalls as I did. More lives destroyed, more families and friendships ruined and more lives lost.\"\n\nSupport for addiction issues is available via the BBC Action Line","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/uk-wales-64975068"}
{"title":"Taylor Swift launches Eras tour with three-hour, 44-song set - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-18","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"The star plays for three hours as she launches her long-awaited Eras stadium tour in Arizona.","section":"Entertainment & Arts","content":"The 52-date tour is currently only scheduled to play in the US\n\nIt's been five years since Taylor Swift last went on tour, during which time she's released four albums, including the Grammy Award-winning Folklore.\n\nHer live absence - enforced by the pandemic - was clearly a source of frustration, because her first show back was a three-hour, fifteen-minute extravaganza, including 44 songs from across her career.\n\n\"I can't even go into how much I've missed you,\" Swift told fans, as she took to the stage for the opening night of her Eras tour.\n\nThe star had promised the show would be \"a journey through all of my musical eras\" and the appetite for tickets was so great that it caused Ticketmaster's systems to fall over.\n\nDespite that, the tour broke the record for the most concert tickets sold by an artist in a single day, at 2.4 million.\n\nAbout 80,000 of those fans attended the first show at Arizona's State Farm Stadium, where they were treated to a trawl through Swift's hugely varied back catalogue.\n\nThe set was split into sections, one for each of her 10 albums, tracing her journey from country ing\u00e9nue to chart-topping pop star to lockdown-era folk singer (albeit with a mixed-up chronology).\n\nShe opened with Miss Americana & The Heartbreak Prince, a cherished fan favourite from 2019's Lover album, before segueing into the dreamy pop of Cruel Summer.\n\nDressed in a diamond-encrusted leotard outfit and surrounded by dancers with elaborate peacock tails, she soaked up the crowd's applause, declaring: \"I don't know how to process all of this and how it's making me feel right now.\n\n\"[But] let me start by saying you're making me feel fantastic\".\n\nThe show is a massive production, with 16 dancers, multiple set and costume changes and a long, illuminated catwalk leading to a second stage.\n\nAt one point, she appeared to dive into the stage and swim to the middle of the stadium, before emerging on a rising platform to play her recent single, Lavender Haze.\n\nThis Twitter post cannot be displayed in your browser. Please enable Javascript or try a different browser. View original tweet on Twitter The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Skip twitter post by Pop Crave 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\u2019s cookie policy, external and privacy policy, external before accepting. To view this content choose \u2018accept and continue\u2019. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.\n\nLook What You Made You Do was performed against a giant video wall showing Swift in various personas from her 17-year career while Blank Space featured dancers riding blue neon bikes, straight out of Tron.\n\nFor the more pastoral songs of Folklore, Swift appeared inside a moss-covered country shack, first seen in her 2021 Grammy Awards performance. Later, on the cutthroat revenge fantasy Vigilante, she performed a Fosse-inspired chair routine.\n\nBut the highlight for many was the full 10-minute version of All Too Well - the song she allegedly wrote about actor and ex-boyfriend Jake Gyllenhaal - which was performed in a flowing red overcoat as snowflakes fell across the stage.\n\nThroughout, the audience sang every word in devoted adoration. The feeling was very clearly mutual.\n\nAt one point, Swift interrupted her own stage patter to deadpan: \"I'm trying to tell you I love you and I'm babbling.\"\n\nEarly reviews for the concert have been enthusiastic, highlighting the extensive setlist and cinematic production values.\n\n\"The queen of pop reclaims her throne,\" declared The Times, adding: \"If there is a danger that shifting between 10 such different albums could lead to an uneven experience it is somehow avoided here, with Swift managing to produce a cohesive experience despite the constantly changing outfits and backdrops.\"\n\n\"She managed to make it look easy, enjoying the journey as much as the Swifties in attendance did,\" agreed local news outlet Arizona Central.\n\n\"The Swifties are certainly going to be Enchanted,\" said Hello magazine, in a review peppered with Swift's song titles.\n\n\"It's been a long wait back to this moment, but karma is, indeed, a queen - and this was worth the wait.\"\n\n\"The achievement is often staggering\" concluded Billboard, \"with costume changes, set-piece upheaval [and] vulnerable moments in a crowd of thousands and sing-alongs that will rival the scope of any tour this year.\"\n\nThe only criticism, from fans and reviewers alike, was that Swift's third album Speak Now was given short shrift, with only one song on the setlist (the understated ballad Enchanted, performed in a ballgown, pictured above).\n\n\"She paid this album dust,\" wrote one concertgoer on Reddit. \"The dress was beautiful though.\"\n\nRumours are already circulating that the Speak Now section will be expanded during the tour, with Swift expected to release a re-recorded version of the album as part of her ongoing campaign to regain control of her masters.\n\nFor now, the 52-date tour is restricted to the US. It is not known whether the extravagant production will come to the rest of the world - but fans are living in hope.\n\nFollow us on Facebook or on Twitter @BBCNewsEnts. If you have a story suggestion email entertainment.news@bbc.co.uk.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/entertainment-arts-64999388"}
{"title":"Conwy man who used car as a weapon to hit biker jailed - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-18","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"Graham Robinson's own dashcam recorded him chasing a motorcyclist before deliberately hitting him.","section":"Wales","content":"This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Graham Robinson's driving was described as \"completely out of control\"\n\nA man whose own dashcam recorded him using his car as a weapon to run a motorcyclist down has been jailed.\n\nGraham Robinson, 69, of Kinmel Bay, Conwy, chased Liam Guest in a road rage episode on 5 August 2022.\n\nCaernarfon Crown Court heard Robinson claimed Mr Guest clipped his wing mirror and shouted \"I am going to knock you off your bike\" before the pursuit.\n\nJudge Timothy Petts told Robinson his driving was \"completely out of control\" and \"highly dangerous\".\n\nProsecutor Rosemary Proctor told the court a woman had been in the front room of her bungalow when she heard a \"terrific bang\" outside on the afternoon of the incident.\n\nHer garden was in disarray, the fence broken, a blue car in vegetation and a motorbike on the ground.\n\nDuring the incident, the prosecution said the defendant had shouted: \"I am going to knock you off your bike.\"\n\nA pursuit then ensued with Robinson's dashcam showing he reached 80km\/h (50mph) on side roads and 64km\/h (40mph) on a dirt track where he collided with the motorcyclist.\n\nMs Proctor said Mr Guest was cut and grazed and later complained of pain and flashbacks.\n\nRobinson had at first lied to police that his dashcam was broken and not in his car.\n\nSimon Killeen, defending, said Robinson lived with his wife and was under additional stress because of her illness at the time.\n\nRobinson, who had no previous convictions, claimed Mr Guest had struck his wing mirror but then made the \"appalling\" decision to pursue him afterwards, Mr Killeen added.\n\nJudge Timothy Petts said there was strong personal mitigation but told the pensioner he had used his car \"as a weapon against a vulnerable road user\".\n\nJudge Petts said \"the best part of \u00a33,000 damage\" was also caused to the fence.\n\n\"For anyone to use their car as a weapon as you were doing to settle a grudge with a more vulnerable road user is highly dangerous and the sentence has to reflect that.\n\n\"It's no thanks to you the injuries were not more serious than they were.\"\n\nRobinson was jailed for eight months. A three years and four month driving ban with an extended re-test was also imposed.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/uk-wales-64986555"}
{"title":"Thousands may have lost out to crypto trading app - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-18","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"Experts who investigated iEarn Bot say it could be part of one of the biggest-ever crypto scandals.","section":"Technology","content":"Thousands of people are believed to have lost their savings after investing in a cryptocurrency trading app called iEarn Bot.\n\nExperts who have investigated the company say it could be one of the largest crypto scandals to date.\n\nTrading in cryptocurrencies has become popular, with people often promised large rewards over short periods.\n\nBut law enforcement agencies warn of a growing number of scams and recommend investors conduct \"due diligence\".\n\nRoxana, not her real name, is from Romania. She says she lost hundreds of euros when she invested in iEarn Bot. She asked not to have her identity revealed as she fears her professional reputation might be damaged.\n\nCustomers buying the bots - like Roxana - were told their investment would be handled by the company's artificial intelligence programme, guaranteeing high returns.\n\n\"I invested in a bot for one month,\" Roxana tells the BBC. \"You could see in the app how many dollars the app was creating: there were graphics showing how the investment was progressing.\n\n\"It looked quite professional until, at some point, they announced maintenance.\" At that point, for some time, withdrawals from the app were frozen.\n\n\"Some people started to say 'I cannot withdraw... what is happening',\" explains Roxana. \"I made the request to withdraw and the money just disappeared. The portfolio became zero - but I was never credited on my wallet with any money.\"\n\nIn Romania, dozens of high-profile figures, including government officials and academics, invested via the app.\n\nRoxana says she felt reassured in investing in iEarn bot because it was recommended, among others, by Gabriel Garais, a leading IT expert in the country, through a referral scheme.\n\n\"We had the knowledge to think this might be a scam,\" she says, \"but the fact that, in between us and the company there was a reputable teacher, meant that we didn't check too much - we didn't doubt too much.\"\n\nBut Mr Garais insists he too is a victim, as he was fooled into investing his own savings in the app and lost his money.\n\nAfter iEarn Bot blocked the withdrawals in Romania, Mr Garais publicly distanced himself from the company in a video published originally on YouTube and then shared on Telegram, in which he said the way iEarn Bot behaved pointed to a Ponzi scheme rather than a legitimate tech company.\n\nWhat happened in Romania is not an isolated incident. Nor is it unique to Romania.\n\nSilvia Tabusca, a Romanian organised crime expert from the European Center for Legal Education and Research, began looking into iEarn Bot after dozens of people lost their money in Romania, including her family members. She discovered that many people in other countries had also lost their money in the scheme.\n\nWhat surprised her most was the scale of the operation.\n\nSilvia Tabusca, an expert in organised crime, has been surprised by the scale of the operation\n\n\"From what we have seen, the number of investors is quite high,\" she says. \"In Indonesia, for example, they [iEarn Bot] claim they had 800,000 customers.\"\n\n\"At first the app works very well,\" says Ms Tabusca.\n\n\"When they have enough investors and enough money invested in a specific country, they don't allow that country to withdraw any more - and they open other countries.\"\n\niEarn Bot presents itself as a US-based company with excellent credentials, but when the BBC fact-checked some information on its website, it raised some red flags.\n\nThe man whom the site names as the company's founder told us he had never heard of them. He said he has made a complaint to the police.\n\nThe Massachusetts Institute of Technology, alongside companies such as Huawei and Qualcomm, are all named as \"strategic partners\" of iEarn Bot, but they too said they have no knowledge of the company and they are not working with it.\n\nOn the website, the company does not provide any contact information. When the BBC checked the history of its Facebook page, we learned that until the end of 2021, the account was advertising weight-loss products. It is managed from Vietnam and Cambodia.\n\niEarn Bot places a big emphasis on pushing investors to recruit more people to join the app.\n\n\"The way people in this company operate is more similar to a Ponzi scheme, than an actual business,\" says Ms Tabusca.\n\nThe BBC has also seen chat conversations where people, who claim to be from iEarn Bot's customer service, told investors that in order to withdraw their money, they must pay a 30% fee.\n\n\"Some people were quite desperate to get their money back, so they paid the fee - but they still couldn't withdraw,\" says Ms Tabusca.\n\nThe BBC has repeatedly approached iEarn Bot for comment but so far it has not responded.\n\nIn some countries, such as Nigeria and Colombia, local leaders were pushed by iEarn Bot mentors - with whom they only ever communicated on Telegram - to organise recruiting events.\n\nAndres, from Colombia, said he actively recruited people to join the app. He still believes the company is legitimate.\n\n\"They had their registration in the US that showed they were legit,\" he says. \"And they were paying.\"\n\nIn his country, withdrawals were stopped in December. People were told the company was transforming investment in USDT - a well-established cryptocurrency - into a new coin called iBot, which had the same value.\n\nInvestors were asked to be patient until March, when the new coin was expected to be officially launched. But people are still waiting to access their money.\n\n\"[People] took loans to invest. They used money from other sources, many people were affected,\" says Andres. \"As the local leaders did not have answers, people started to get angry.\"\n\nWith the help of an analyst, the BBC managed to identify one main crypto wallet that received payments from about 13,000 potential victims, for a profit of almost $1.3m (\u00a31m) in less than one year.\n\nBut we could not track down where and to whom the money went.\n\nFor investigators, this is a common issue.\n\n\"One of the challenges is to identify and attribute who the illicit actor is, where the value is going, and then being able to take investigative steps and law enforcement action,\" says Patrick Wyman, chief of the FBI's new Virtual Assets Unit.\n\nInvestigations in this sort of scheme, he says, go global quickly.\n\nSuch investigations require international co-operation and may take longer, but he insists that those responsible are eventually brought to justice.\n\nPatrick Wyman says educating people on investment risks is key to stopping scammers\n\nThe FBI set up the Virtual Assets Unit last year in order to respond to the growing number of crimes using virtual currencies.\n\nIt invites people who have been victims of scams to make a complaint on the FBI's dedicated page.\n\nBut law enforcement agencies maintain the best way to fight scammers remains prevention.\n\n\"Knowledge - and doing some due diligence before the investment - it's critical,\" says Mr Wyman.\n\n\"It's like everything else: if it sounds too good to be true, it often is.\"\n\nClarification 21st March 2023: This article has been updated to more precisely reflect Gabriel Garais's involvement with iEarn Bot, through a referral scheme also used by others, and to make clear that he had released a video publicly distancing himself from the company.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/technology-64939146"}
{"title":"Harry Styles checked staff were ok after his Grammys performance went wrong - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-18","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"The star made sure the technicians responsible for his performance were OK following a stage mishap.","section":"Entertainment & Arts","content":"Harry Styles had a nightmare at February's Grammy Awards, when the stage he was performing on started to spin in the wrong direction.\n\nThe star and his dancers quickly had to adapt their routine when a technical malfunction put their stage in reverse.\n\nBut rather than berate the technicians, Styles \"called the team in charge to make sure they were OK,\" says Grammys set designer Julio Himede.\n\nThe mishap \"was heart-breaking,\" he told the BBC's Eurovisioncast podcast.\n\n\"In rehearsals his performance was so polished. I was sitting there admiring how amazing Harry and his dancers were to just run with it and cope with it.\n\n\"To continue the performance live and all of a sudden think, 'I have to just go in reverse now', is quite incredible\".\n\nDancers had previously said they had to think on their feet when the turntable they had rehearsed on started spinning the wrong way\n\nAfter the Grammys, Himede's next major project is the set design for the 2023 Eurovision Song Contest.\n\nHe said mishaps like the one Styles endured show why multiple rehearsals are so important for live television.\n\n\"What's really interesting about working on Eurovision is that we have 37 artists performing on that stage,\" he told Eurovisioncast.\n\n\"Whereas, when we do the Grammy's we might have up to 13 performances. Everything [at Eurovision] is bigger and larger. Everything's faster.\"\n\nHe explained that a typical award show has three minutes between performances. At the song contest, the stage has to be reset in less than 60 seconds.\n\n\"It is mesmerising because most people don't realise, unless you're there in the arena, what it takes.\n\n\"It's chaotic, but it's organised chaos\".\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser.\n\nThis year's Eurovision stage is based on the themes of \"togetherness, celebration and community\", acknowledging that the UK is hosting the show on behalf of last year's winners, Ukraine.\n\nThe stage \"takes inspiration from a wide hug, opening its arms to Ukraine, the show's performers and guests from across the world,\" Himede said when his design was unveiled last month.\n\nConstruction will begin at Liverpool's M&S arena by the end of the month, with several previously-booked shows cancelled or moved to make way for the competition.\n\nWeeks of rehearsals will be held to ensure that none of the performers suffer a similar fate to Styles, in front of the contest's 160 million viewers.\n\nTickets for the nine shows in Liverpool sold out in 90 minutes last week, with fans being warned that hotels they have booked are being targeted by phishing email cyber-attacks putting their data at risk.\n\nThe stage design is intended to give the impression of the contest \"opening its arms to Ukraine\"\n\nAll the build-up, insights and analysis is explored each week on a new BBC podcast called Eurovisioncast.\n\nEurovisioncast is available on BBC Sounds, or search wherever you get your podcasts from.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/entertainment-arts-64991570"}
{"title":"Antonio Conte criticises Tottenham Hotspur ownership and 'selfish' players - BBC Sport","published_date":"2023-03-18","authors":null,"description":"A furious Antonio Conte says his Tottenham players are \"selfish\" and the club \"can change the manager but the situation cannot change\".","section":null,"content":"A furious Antonio Conte says his players are \"selfish\" and Tottenham \"can change the manager but the situation cannot change\" in a stinging criticism of the club's culture.\n\nThe Spurs boss said his team \"don't want to help each other\" after a 3-3 draw at Southampton on Saturday.\n\n\"Tottenham's story is this - 20 years there is this owner and they never won something. Why?\" Conte said.\n\nSpurs had led by two goals at St Mary's but conceded twice in 15 minutes.\n\n\"The fault is only for the club, or for every manager that stay here?\" said Conte. \"I have seen the managers that Tottenham had on the bench. You risk to disrupt the figure of the manager and to protect the other situation in every moment.\n\n\"Until now I try to hide the situation but not now because, I repeat, I don't want to see what I have seen today because this is unacceptable and also unacceptable for the fans.\"\n\u2022 None 'Conte blames Spurs players but is part of problem'\n\nTottenham have won one trophy since the ownership group, chaired by Daniel Levy, took over the club in 2001 - the League Cup in 2008.\n\nThey have had 11 different managers in that time, including three since the 2019 departure of Mauricio Pochettino, who took them to the Champions League final before being sacked six months later.\n\nSpurs are out of all cup competitions this season with Sheffield United knocking them out of the FA Cup before AC Milan ended their Champions League hopes - and Conte said it is time for the club and players to start taking responsibility.\n\n\"Not only the club, the manager and the staff. The players have to be involved in this situation because it is time to change this situation if Tottenham want to change,\" he said.\n\n\"If they want to continue in this way, they can change the manager, a lot of managers, but the situation cannot change. Believe me.\n\n\"Maybe previously in the other games something can change. But here we're used to it for a long time. The club has the responsibility for the transfer market, every coach that stayed here has the responsibility. And the players? The players? Where are the players?\n\n\"In my experience, I can tell you that if you want to be competitive, if you want to fight, you have to improve this aspect. And this aspect, I can tell you, in this moment is really, really low. And I see only 11 players that play for themselves.\"\n\u2022 None Listen to the latest The Far Post podcast\n\nWhen asked why this is the case at Tottenham, Conte said: \"Because they are used to it here, they are used to it. They don't play for something important here. They don't want to play under pressure, they don't want to play under stress.\"\n\nSpurs remain fourth in the Premier League and had the chance to go above Manchester United into third with victory over Southampton, but during his damning media conference after the match, Conte said if their current form continues they will be lucky to secure a Champions League spot at all.\n\nHe said: \"There are 10 games to go and some people think we can fight. Fight for what with this spirit, this attitude, this commitment? What? For seventh, eighth, 10th place?\n\n\"We are 11 players that go into the pitch. I see selfish players, I see players that don't want to help each other and don't put their heart.\n\n\"I am not used to this position. I'm really upset and everyone has to take their responsibility.\"\n\nConte had said on Thursday he does not expect to get sacked by the club, after comments he made following Spurs' European exit that they may decide to dismiss him before his contract ends in the summer.\n\nHe said those comments were \"a joke\", but indicated in his criticism that the club are \"worse\" than last season when they pipped London rivals Arsenal to a top-four spot.\n\n\"It's much better to go into the problem, because the problem is that for another time we showed that we are not a team,\" Conte said.\n\n\"Before today I prefer to hide this situation and to try to speak, to try to improve the spirit, the situation, with the words, With a lot of situations.\n\n\"If I have to compare last season and this season, we have to improve, but now we are worse in this aspect. When you are not a team, anything can happen, in any moment. Today is the last situation.\n\n\"Being a team, it is the most important thing. To understand that we play for the badge.\"\n\nMidfielder Dejan Kulusevski said Tottenham's performance at Southampton was \"not good enough\" as the draw made it five away matches without a win in all competitions.\n\n\"Being up 1-0, 2-1, 3-1, the game should be finished so very bad from us,\" the Sweden international told Tottenham's website.\n\n\"The penalty is not even a pen but we shouldn't be in that situation so it is completely our fault. We are very disappointed with ourselves and it is not good enough.\n\n\"It feels like a loss. We needed this win. We know this three points was very important and we prepare for this game a lot this week. We are very disappointed.\"\n\u2022 None Our coverage of Tottenham Hotspur is bigger and better than ever before - here's everything you need to know to make sure you never miss a moment\n\u2022 None Everything Spurs - go straight to all the best content","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/sport\/football\/65002960"}
{"title":"Cardiff crash: Cause of death for three not yet determined - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-18","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"Further tests will determine how Eve Smith, Rafel Jeanne and Darcy Ross died, an inquest hears.","section":"Wales","content":"Eve Smith, 21, Rafel Jeanne, 24, and Darcy Ross, 21, died in the collision\n\nFurther investigations are needed to determine the cause of death for three people found in a car crash two days after going missing, an inquest has heard.\n\nEve Smith, 21, Darcy Ross, 21 and Rafel Jeanne, 24, were found in a car off a major road in Cardiff.\n\nPost-mortem examinations have been done, Pontypridd Coroner's Court heard.\n\nBut a provisional cause of death was not done \"pending further investigation of histology and toxicology\".\n\nTwo others who were in the car, Sophie Russon, 20, and Shane Loughlin, 32, were taken to hospital in a critical condition after the crash at about 02:00 GMT on 4 March.\n\nThe victims of the crash were not found for almost two days.\n\nSophie Russon, 20, and Shane Loughlin, 32, are seriously injured in hospital\n\nThe three women, from Newport, had gone to The Muffler club in the city's Maesglas area on the night of the crash.\n\nThey then travelled 36 miles (58km) to Trecco Bay Caravan Park, in Porthcawl, Bridgend county, with the two men, both from Cardiff, but were not found until the early hours of 6 March.\n\nThe inquests were adjourned until a later date for further investigations to be carried out.\n\nPeople gathered to grieve for the victims of the crash","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/uk-wales-64987581"}
{"title":"Italy leaves children of same-sex parents in limbo - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-18","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"Italy's right-wing government prompts an outcry by halting registration of children of same-sex parents.","section":"Europe","content":"Milan's centre-left mayor Giuseppe Sala allowed same-sex parents to register their children, but has now been forced to halt the practice\n\nIn 2018, Maria Silvia Fiengo and Francesca Pardi were among Italy's first same-sex couples to be registered as parents.\n\nThe mayor of Milan, Giuseppe Sala, took a progressive stance and allowed children born to parents of the same gender to be acknowledged in the absence of clear national legislation.\n\nFor Maria Silvia and Francesca - and their four children Margherita, twins Giorgio and Raffaele, and Antonio - being finally recognised as a household after years of legal challenges and discrimination was \"truly incredible\".\n\nThis week, however, what was then seen as a major victory for equality and acceptance by the LGBT community was reversed.\n\nItaly's right-wing government instructed Milan's city council to stop registering the children of same-sex parents, reigniting a debate around Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni's conservative agenda.\n\nHundreds of people protested against the government ban in Milan on Saturday.\n\nThe newly elected leader of the centre-left Democratic Party, Elly Schlein, was among them. She said her message to the prime minister was \"not to discriminate against the daughters and sons of these wonderful families\".\n\n\"We are talking about boys and girls already growing up in our communities and going to our schools,\" Ms Schlein said. \"It is no longer tolerable, and these families are tired of being discriminated against.''\n\nHundreds of people rallied in support of same-sex couples in Milan\n\nMs Meloni, who leads the far-right Brothers of Italy party, made anti-LGBT rhetoric a cornerstone of her electoral campaign, promising to protect traditional values.\n\n\"We were always a family, but being officially recognised as such by our own mayor made us feel welcome,\" said Maria Silvia Fiengo. \"Today, looking at what the government is doing, and knowing that other families won't be able to have the same opportunity, we feel discouraged.\"\n\nHowever, stiff resistance from Catholic and conservative groups meant that the law stopped short of granting adoption rights to same-sex couples as well. Opponents said it would encourage surrogate pregnancies, which are still illegal in Italy.\n\nThat left a regulatory vacuum surrounding several aspects of LGBT family life, including adoption. Solutions aimed at getting around bureaucratic hurdles were reached on a case-by-case basis, as cases went to court.\n\nSome local administrators, including the centre-left mayor of Milan, decided that children of same-sex couples would be registered independently.\n\nAhead of her election victory, Giorgia Meloni campaigned against what she termed \"gender ideology\" and the \"LGBT lobby\"\n\nMr Sala has now announced he has been forced to halt the practice after he was sent a letter by the interior ministry. It cited a ruling by Italy's highest court requiring court approval for legal recognition of parental status.\n\n\"It is a clear step backwards, politically and socially, and I put myself in the shoes of those parents who thought they could count on this possibility in Milan,\" said the mayor in his daily podcast Buongiorno Milano, adding that he was left with no other choice.\n\nChildren who are denied the right to have both parents recognised on their birth certificate are left in a legal limbo.\n\nTheir families face a range of challenges. In the most extreme scenario, if the legally recognised parent were to pass away, the children could become wards of the state and face the prospect of being orphaned.\n\nIn Italy's LGBT community, this has led to a growing sense of frustration and anxiety, while the Meloni government's hostile approach to LGBT rights has further exacerbated the issue.\n\n\"Children end up having limited access to key services and benefits, such as healthcare, inheritance and child support,\" said Angelo Schillaci, law professor at Sapienza University in Rome.\n\n\"At present, only one parent is recognised by law, the other one is a ghost. In real life, parents and children play together, cook together, play sports and go on holiday together. But on paper, they are apart, the state does not see them. It's a paradoxical situation.\"\n\nMaria Silvia Fiengo and Francesca Pardi were registered as parents of their four children in Milan in 2018\n\nThe prime minister, elected last September, has been a vocal supporter of traditional family and Christian values, campaigning against what she calls \"gender ideology\" and the \"LGBT lobby\". Months before she came to power, she proposed a law that would make surrogacy by an Italian citizen a universal crime, and it is still on her party's agenda.\n\n\"Boys and girls with two mothers and two fathers already exist in Italy, Prime Minister Meloni should get over it,\" said Alessia Crocini, president of the Rainbow Families association. \"We must guarantee our children the same rights as their peers.\"\n\n\"We feel under attack,\" said Angela Diomede, who was planning to take part in the Milan rally with her wife and their six-year-old girl. \"I don't understand this obsession of the government with targeting children, it doesn't lead anywhere.\"\n\nItaly's Senate this week also rejected a proposal for a standardised European parenthood certificate that would be recognised across all 27 member states of the EU.\n\nFor children, it would mean proof of parenthood and for parents it would be a guaranteed right to be recognised across the EU, protecting rights such as inheritance and citizenship.\n\nBut for Italy's far-right infrastructure minister, Matteo Salvini, it was a step too far. \"A person can be heterosexual, homosexual or bisexual: love is free, beautiful and sacred for all,\" he tweeted.\n\nBrussels cannot impose the concept of family on us: a child needs a mother and a father. Children are not bought, not rented, not chosen on the internet\n\nRiccardo Magi, an opposition MP in favour of the Europe-wide certificate, complained: \"The world goes one way, the [Italian] government goes the other.\"\n\nThe debate is being followed closely from the north-eastern city of Udine by Stefano Zucchini and his husband Alberto.\n\nThey have two six-year-old twins, who were born in California through surrogacy, and hope to be legally recognised as a family one day. In the US, they are both recognised as parents. But in Italy, Stefano is listed as a single father, and that legal status makes life complicated.\n\n\"Even things that are normal for most people, such as driving the kids to the kindergarten or to a doctor appointment, can become a challenge,\" he told the BBC.\n\n\"They don't see us, but our love is as strong as ever. That, for sure, exists.\"\n\u2022 None Italy may jail people smugglers for up to 30 years","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/world-europe-64967517"}
{"title":"Lance Reddick, star of The Wire and John Wick, dies aged 60 - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-18","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"Reddick, who played Charon in the John Wick action-thriller movies, died of natural causes.","section":"US & Canada","content":"Actor and musician Lance Reddick was known for starring in the John Wick movie franchise and the HBO series The Wire\n\nLance Reddick, an actor in the popular HBO series The Wire, has died aged 60, according to US media outlets.\n\nReddick was also known for starring as Charon in the John Wick action-thriller movie franchise.\n\nThe musician and actor died suddenly of natural causes on Friday in his Los Angeles home, his publicist said.\n\nPolice were called to the actor's house around 09:30 local time (16:30 GMT), the publicist told US media.\n\n\"Lance will be greatly missed,\" his publicist, Mia Hansen, said in a statement. \"Please respect his family's privacy at this time.\"\n\nReddick had been in the middle of a press tour for the fourth instalment of the John Wick movies, which is slated to be released on 24 March.\n\nHe is also set to appear in the upcoming John Wick spinoff, Ballerina, starring Ana de Armas.\n\nReddick, a native of Baltimore, appeared in more than a dozen films and shows during his 25-year acting career.\n\nHe was Charon, the hotel concierge at a New York criminal underground hub called The Continental Hotel in the John Wick movies. He appeared in the original movie, its two sequels and is set to appear in the fourth instalment.\n\nThe actor was also known for his breakout role as Baltimore police lieutenant Cedric Daniels in The Wire, a series that ran from 2002 to 2008 and examined the narcotics scene in Baltimore from the perspective of law enforcement as well as drug dealers and users.\n\nReddick told the Guardian in 2010 that he thought the show would be a \"hit\" but did not anticipate it \"would become this phenomenon\".\n\nThe actor was in the Resident Evil Netflix series and the science fiction-action movie Godzilla vs. Kong.\n\nHe was known for his voice acting work as well, including for the TV series Rick and Morty.\n\nReddick studied classical music at the Eastman School of Music at the University of Rochester in New York, where he received a bachelor's degree before attending the Yale School of Drama.\n\nHe earned a SAG Award nomination in 2021 along with fellow cast members for his role in the film One Night in Miami.\n\nThe actor is survived by his wife, Stephanie, as well as a daughter, Yvonne Nicole Reddick, and a son, Christopher Reddick.\n\nReddick told the Los Angeles Times in 2009 that he felt like an \"artist at heart\".\n\n\"When I went to drama school, I knew I was at least as talented as other students, but because I was a black man and I wasn't pretty, I knew I would have to work my butt off to be the best that I would be,\" he said at the time.\n\nHis death comes two years after Reddick's co-star Michael K Williams, who played Omar in The Wire, died of an overdose. Last year, four people were charged for allegedly selling the drugs that Williams took before his death.\n\u2022 None Four charged in drug death of The Wire actor","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/world-us-canada-64959805"}
{"title":"Ecuador earthquake kills at least 15 people - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-18","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"A 6.7-magnitude quake off Ecuador's southern coast left people trapped in collapsed houses.","section":"Latin America & Caribbean","content":"Emergency services survey the damage in Cuenca, following the powerful 6.7 magnitude earthquake in southern Ecuador\n\nAt least 15 people have died and more than 400 are injured after a 6.7-magnitude earthquake struck Ecuador's southern coast.\n\nBuildings were damaged in several cities when the earthquake hit at around midday local time (17:00 GMT).\n\nThe southern province of El Oro was the worst affected and 12 people died there, authorities said.\n\nNorthern Peru felt the quake and a 14-year-old girl died in Tumbes, a border province, when her home collapsed.\n\nIn Ecuador, Machala and Cuenca were among the cities that suffered damage to buildings and vehicles, as emergency services rushed to help people.\n\nThe epicentre was near Balao, about 80km (50 miles) from Ecuador's second-largest city, Guayaquil, where about three million people live.\n\n\"We ran from the house,\" Machala resident Exon Tobar told the BBC. \"The ground - it was a very powerful explosion - it made it shake and it made the electric cables, the windows, and everything move. People were in the streets praying because it didn't stop.\"\n\nChunks of buildings fell into the road in Guayaquil\n\nPresident Guillermo Lasso asked Ecuadoreans to remain calm as officials assess the damage.\n\nHe also visited a hospital in the city of Machala to meet with some of the injured people.\n\nThe government said more than 250 injured people were treated in the town of Pasaje, in El Oro, and nearly all of them were eventually discharged.\n\nSeveral roads have been blocked by landslides, while several homes, educational buildings and health centres have been damaged, authorities said.\n\nOne person was reported killed in the city of Cuenca, in Azuay province, after a wall collapsed onto their car, while three people died when a security camera tower came down on Jambel\u00ed Island, in El Oro province.\n\nThere have also been reports of the earthquake being felt in several other cities, including Manabi, Manta and the capital Quito.\n\nThis is the strongest quake to hit Ecuador since 2016, when nearly 700 people died and thousands were injured.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/world-latin-america-65004163"}
{"title":"Rail strikes: Transport ministers should follow health lead, says RMT - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-18","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"Mick Lynch says ministers must offer \"new money\" in union talks, as rail strikes take place.","section":"UK","content":"Transport ministers must follow the example of their colleagues in the Department of Health and offer \"new money\" in union negotiations, the head of the RMT union says.\n\nMick Lynch was speaking at a picket line at London's Euston station as rail workers strike over pay and conditions.\n\nTrain passengers are facing further disruption this weekend as a result.\n\nIt follows a week of strike action from teachers, junior doctors and civil servants as well as rail workers.\n\nMr Lynch said ministers in the health service had shown a small \"change in attitude\" in offering NHS staff in England - including nurses and ambulance workers - a 5% pay rise from April as part of government negotiations.\n\n\"The difference in that is there are no conditions, it's new money - but our members are expected to swallow vast changes to their working conditions and they're not prepared to do that to get a very modest, poor pay rise,\" he said.\n\n\"In order to get something moving they'll have to take away some of the conditions they've put on this proposal, and we want some fresh money in the pay proposal, so we'll see what happens next week.\"\n\nThree of the biggest unions - the Royal College of Nursing, Unison and the GMB - are backing the deal.\n\nIn Saturday's rail strike, workers at 14 train operators are walking out over a long-running dispute over pay, job cuts and conditions.\n\nAcross the UK, only between 40 and 50% of trains are expected to run on Saturday, with no services at all in some places.\n\nRail passengers have been advised to check before travelling, with services starting later and finish much earlier than usual.\n\nFootball fans, those making the journey to Cheltenham Festival by train and people travelling for the weekend are among those expected to be affected.\n\nSome travellers posted on social media about disruption to their journeys.\n\n\"I hate train strikes, M6 is just traffic forever,\" wrote a supporter of Aston Villa Football Club who are playing Bournemouth at Villa Park stadium in Birmingham this afternoon.\n\n\"Missing Southampton FC because of train strikes is miserable, come on you saints. Wishing I was there,\" wrote another football fan travelling to a separate game.\n\nAnother said: \"Train strikes. Roadworks everywhere. Rain. It's almost as if a higher power is telling me not to go to Queens Park Rangers today.\"\n\nThe Rail, Maritime and Transport union said more than 20,000 workers were walking out on Saturday.\n\nSteve Montgomery. who chairs the Rail Delivery Group (RDG), said the latest strike action would be a \"further inconvenience\" for passengers \"who have already experienced months of disruption\".\n\n\"Unfortunately, while we will pull out all the stops to keep as many trains running as possible, there will be reduced services across many parts of the rail network on strike days, so our advice is to check before you travel,\" he added.\n\nRMT members also walked out on Thursday and further strike action is planned for 30 March and 1 April.\n\nUnions say any pay offer should reflect the rising cost of living, which is currently above 10%.\n\nOn 19 January, the RDG offered the RMT a 9% pay rise over two years for crew and station staff in a bid to end the long-running strike action.\n\nMr Lynch said the private rail companies were \"in complete chaos\".\n\nHe said the RDG needed to \"sort themselves out and settle our dispute with an improved offer\".\n\n\"They are incapable of providing a decent service to passengers and the sooner they are brought into public ownership the better.\"\n\nFollowing the walkout, there are warnings that trains services could also be disrupted on Sunday morning as some rolling stock will not be in the right depots.\n\nOn Friday, a five-week strike by 1,000 Passport Office workers was announced and security guards at Heathrow Airport's Terminal Five said they would strike for 10 days.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/uk-64998204"}
{"title":"Unison members accept Scottish government pay offer - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-18","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"The pay deal - which was made to 160,000 NHS staff, equates to an average 6.5% increase in 2023\/24.","section":"Scotland","content":"The pay offer was made to NHS staff, including nurses, midwives and paramedics\n\nMembers of Scotland's largest NHS union, Unison, have voted to accept the Scottish government's pay offer.\n\nIn a digital ballot where 54% of eligible members voted, 78.5% accepted the offer.\n\nAnother union, GMB Scotland, accepted it earlier in the week after 59.7% of balloted members agreed to the deal.\n\nThe pay deal - which was made to 160,000 NHS staff, including nurses, midwives and paramedics - equates to an average 6.5% increase in 2023\/24.\n\nIt also includes the commitment to modernising Agenda for Change (AfC), which is nearly 20 years old, to support workforce recruitment, sustainability and retention.\n\nAfC is the main pay system for staff in the NHS, excluding doctors, dentists and senior managers.\n\nUnison Scotland's health committee chairwoman Wilma Brown said: \"While acceptance of this pay offer removes the spectre of industrial action, there is no room for complacency.\n\n\"This deal does nothing to solve the NHS Scotland staffing crisis.\n\n\"Government commitments to review the working week, deliver fair wage rises on promotion and tackle the workforce crisis must make rapid progress.\"\n\nShe added that it must also be backed up with new money to ensure patients and staff got the NHS they deserved.\n\nThe union's head of health Matt Mclaughlin said: \"This deal was agreed after intensive talks between the government, unions and employers.\n\n\"There's now a need to get back around the table to sort out the staffing crisis in Scotland's NHS.\"\n\nHe added that patients were waiting too long for routine operations and staff were working under unacceptably stressful conditions.\n\n\"Unison has agreed to go straight back into talks with the government to review nursing, reduce staff vacancies and look again at NHS pay structures,\" Mr Mclaughlin said.\n\n\"The NHS needs to be made fit for purpose so staff can provide a world-class service.\"","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/uk-scotland-65001544"}
{"title":"My dad wouldn't want Stone of Destiny at Coronation - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-18","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"Ian Hamilton, who died last year, was a student when he broke into Westminster Abbey and took the stone in 1950.","section":"Scotland","content":"The Stone of Destiny was originally used during the coronation of Scottish kings\n\nThe son of the man who removed the Stone of Destiny from Westminster Abbey and smuggled it back to Scotland says his father would be against it returning for the King's Coronation.\n\nIan Hamilton, who died last year, was a student when he broke into the abbey and took the stone in 1950.\n\nHis son Jamie said his father would not want the stone to go to London for the crowning of King Charles in May.\n\n\"I think his view would be it's ridiculous,\" he said.\n\nThe Stone of Destiny is seen as a historic symbol of Scotland's monarchy.\n\nIt was used in the inauguration of Scottish kings for centuries but was seized by England's King Edward I in 1296 and built into a coronation throne at Westminster Abbey.\n\nIn 1950, Mr Hamilton and three other students from Glasgow carried out an audacious heist in order to make a bold statement about Scottish nationalism.\n\nThey broke into the abbey and whisked away the 150kg (336lb) red sandstone block, accidentally splitting it in two in the process.\n\nIt was found months later, 500 miles away, at the high altar of Arbroath Abbey.\n\nThis picture shows the Coronation Chair and the Stone of Destiny in 1937\n\nThe stone was taken back to Westminster Abbey and was used in the coronation of Queen Elizabeth in 1953.\n\nIt remained in London until it was agreed that it would be legally moved to Edinburgh Castle in 1996.\n\nIt now lies alongside the crown jewels of Scotland in the castle's Crown Room but will be temporarily taken to London to be used in the coronation ceremony for King Charles III in May.\n\nMr Hamilton's son Jamie, 62, said his father would have said the stone should rest in Scotland.\n\nHe said: \"If people want to be crowned on it they should come to Scotland and be crowned on it. I think that would be his standpoint.\"\n\nIan Hamilton died last year at the age of 97\n\nThe ancient stone was damaged when the students dragged it from the abbey in 1950.\n\nMr Hamilton's son Jamie told the BBC he had a fragment of the red sandstone in a piece of jewellery his father gave to his mother.\n\nHe said his father did not really sit down and explain to his children what he had done.\n\n\"I think it was something that we just gathered over time and made up our own story,\" he said.\n\nJamie Hamilton said his dad would think the idea was ridiculous\n\nKathy Richmond, the head of collections at Historic Environment Scotland, said that when the stone was legally returned to Scotland in 1996 it was agreed it would still be used to crown the monarch.\n\n\"We have a royal warrant which says that the stone is to be kept in Scotland and it's to be transported back to Westminster abbey for any future coronation,\" she said.\n\nDr Lucy Dean, from the University of the Highlands and Islands, said it was important the stone was used in the new ceremony because it had such a rich heritage.\n\n\"It's a symbol of royal power but it's also a symbol of nationhood and identity for both Scotland and the British Isles,\" she said.\n\n\"In Scotland it was used in inaugurations up to the 13th Century when it was taken from Scotland to England by Edward I and it was taken as a prize essentially.\n\n\"But during that time in England, it gained new meaning.\"\n\nPlans are now being made for the return - with the guarantee it comes back to Scotland after the coronation.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/uk-scotland-64978455"}
{"title":"Penygraig: Honour for man who died trying to stop killer - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-18","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"John Rees died trying to save a nurse from a woman armed with a knife.","section":"Wales","content":"John Rees was stabbed while his wife Eunice sat in a car outside\n\nA man who died attempting to save a nurse from an armed assailant in a shop has been recognised for his bravery.\n\nJohn Rees, 88, intervened to stop Zara Radcliffe from attacking shoppers in Penygraig, Rhondda on 5 May 2020.\n\nLisa Way and Ayette Bounouri will also get Queen's gallantry medals for attempting to prevent her onslaught.\n\nBoth women said they were honoured to be recognised but it was \"bitter sweet\" given that Mr Rees was killed.\n\nRadcliffe was detained with a hospital order after admitting Mr Rees' manslaughter on the basis of diminished responsibility.\n\nThe 30-year-old also pleaded guilty to the attempted murder of three others.\n\nMr Rees intervened when Radcliffe, who had schizophrenia, began attacking shoppers at a Co-op store.\n\nHe was at the shop counter when he saw her enter and begin stabbing at passing customers with a kitchen knife.\n\nAyette Bounouri and Lisa Way said they were honoured to be recognised but it was \"bitter sweet\"\n\nHe took hold of Radcliffe's right arm and placed himself between her and nurse Gaynor Saurin while trying to defuse the situation.\n\nMrs Way, who recounted the incident with Mrs Bounouri in an interview on BBC Radio Wales Breakfast, said there was \"just no talking to\" Radcliffe.\n\nTrying to help Mr Rees, Mrs Way grabbed the assailant's arm while Mrs Bounouri tried to use a shopping basket to disarm her.\n\nAs they tried to distract Radcliffe, she lunged at Mrs Way several times with the knife before stabbing her, leaving \"blood running down my neck\".\n\nZara Radcliffe admitted manslaughter on the grounds of diminished responsibility\n\nMrs Bounouri said she grabbed Mr Rees by his jacket and dragged him from the front to the back of the shop to try to \"get him to safety\" but the attacker followed and Mrs Bounouri tried to fight her off.\n\nMrs Way described how she ran out of the shop \"screaming for someone to try and help us\" and she called the police who arrived on the scene quickly.\n\nDespite their bravery Mr Rees was stabbed and bludgeoned to death with two wine bottles and a fire extinguisher.\n\nThe attack unfolded in a Co-op in Penygraig, Rhondda Cynon Taf\n\nThe two women have since since become friends, along with Ms Saurin.\n\n\"It's interesting how the worst situation can bring people together,\" said Mrs Bounouri.\n\nMrs Way agreed, adding: \"We've got each other.\"\n\nWelsh Secretary David TC Davies said the three \"showed true heroism by standing up to protect others\".\n\nThe awards form part of the final civilian gallantry list to be approved by the late Queen Elizabeth II.\n\nThey recognise the bravery of people who have put themselves in danger trying to save lives.\n\nThe three are among 15 named in the 2023 Civilian Gallantry List, published by the Cabinet Office on Saturday.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/uk-wales-64992811"}
{"title":"Who is Peter Murrell? SNP chief and Scotland's 'First Husband' - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-18","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"The chief executive of the SNP for the past 24 years has resigned, What do we know about him?","section":"Scotland politics","content":"The power couple - Nicola Sturgeon is the outgoing FM of Scotland and Peter Murrell was chief executive of the SNP\n\nPeter Murrell was a constant in the hierarchy of the Scottish National Party for more than two decades.\n\nHe became chief executive as the sun was setting on the last century and as the dawn was rising on the new chapter of devolution.\n\nDuring the 58-year-old's tenure the party grew in confidence and became an indomitable election winning machine.\n\nBut in the public's eye he would be remembered for something else - being married to Scotland's first minister.\n\nIt was on a summer's day in 2010 when Nicola Sturgeon married her long-term partner Peter at a ceremony in Glasgow.\n\nHe had already been SNP chief for 11 years and she was deputy first minister in charge of the health brief for the Scottish government, led by Alex Salmond.\n\nPolitics played its part in bringing these two together. According to a biography of Ms Sturgeon by David Torrance they first met in 1988 at an SNP youth weekend and became a couple in 2003.\n\nThey never had children but Ms Sturgeon later revealed the painful experience of suffering a miscarriage when she was 40, shortly before the 2011 Scottish parliamentary election campaign.\n\n\"Sometimes... having a baby just doesn't happen - no matter how much we might want it to,\" she said.\n\nPeter Murrell and Nicola Sturgeon were married in 2010 in Glasgow\n\nThe powerful couple would be seen together at party conferences, outside polling stations and at official events such as the Queen's Jubilee concert. But while relaxed in each other's company, they were not gushy hand-holders who lingered before a gathered media.\n\nOn occasions when asked about her husband - notably during her appearance on ITV's Loose Women - Ms Sturgeon was quick to credit Mr Murrell for his cooking skills.\n\nShe has also given insight into how he has supported her political leadership. Ms Sturgeon told the Sunday Times: \"One of the things I value is that he's happy with me having the public role... He's not one of those guys who would feel threatened by it. He doesn't have that sort of ego, he's very self-assured.\"\n\nMr Murrell has similarly spoken of his respect for his wife's intellect, saying: \"She's very, very sharp and on top of whatever the issue of the day is. That spark is always there. We are constantly having conversations that I'm amazed by.\"\n\nIt clearly suited the FM's husband to be in the background but he, and his role as chief executive, came under scrutiny during the inquiry into the Scottish government's handling of complaints against former first minister Alex Salmond.\n\nAt the Holyrood Inquiry in 2020, Mr Murrell denied plotting against Mr Salmond. But opposition MSPs believed that Mr Murrell contradicted himself, and Ms Sturgeon, over some of the details he gave in evidence.\n\nHe was pressed repeatedly about whether the meetings between Ms Sturgeon and Mr Salmond were SNP business, as the first minister had insisted, or government business - which would need to be officially recorded.\n\nUnder Nicola Sturgeon and Peter Murrell the SNP was an election winning machine\n\nMr Murrell was back in the media spotlight in December last year when it was confirmed he had given a loan of \u00a3107,620 to the SNP to help it out with a \"cash flow\" issues.\n\nThe SNP had repaid about half of the money by October of that year and the party's official line was that the loan was a \"personal contribution made by the chief executive to assist with cash flow after the Holyrood election\".\n\nThese questions were difficult ones for Ms Sturgeon and she had to awkwardly bat away media probes about what she knew of her husband's financial situation - \"that is for him,\" she said at an FM's update at the beginning of the year.\n\nDespite this discomfort she continued to lead the country and he continued to be in charge of the party machine.\n\nBut then Ms Sturgeon announced her decision to resign. Some commentators said it would be inevitable that Mr Murrell would also have to go but his departure has happened before his wife's.\n\nPressure mounted on him when two of the three candidates vying to be new party leader and first minister publicly questioned the contest they were taking part in.\n\nFrom the outset, contender Ash Regan said Mr Murrell's position as SNP chief executive was a \"clear conflict of interest\".\n\nAnd this theme would not go away with another candidate, Kate Forbes, questioning the integrity of the electoral process.\n\nWhat led the chief executive to go was linked to a row about party membership and who would be voting in this election.\n\nOne point of pride for Mr Murrell had been his campaign to increase followers after the failed Scottish independence referendum of 2014 and the coronation of his wife as leader and first minister.\n\nThe SNP went from a membership of less than 25,000 in 2013 to more than 125,000 by December 2019.\n\nBut that figure has fallen back to 72,000 and the party only reluctantly confirmed this when media and opposition pressure, plus questions from all three candidates, became too much.\n\nThe power couple who helped shaped Scottish politics in the first two decades of this century are no more - Mr Murrell is now gone and his wife will soon follow.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/uk-scotland-scotland-politics-64972863"}
{"title":"Boris Johnson: Ex-PM to reveal evidence in his defence over Partygate - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-18","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"Boris Johnson faces a marathon televised hearing this week to convince MPs he did not mislead Parliament.","section":"UK Politics","content":"Boris Johnson will publish evidence in his defence ahead of a grilling by MPs over whether he misled Parliament about Covid rule-breaking parties.\n\nThe former prime minister faces a crucial televised evidence session in front of the Commons Privileges Committee on Wednesday.\n\nThe committee is yet to publish its final verdict - but its initial update earlier this month said Mr Johnson may have misled Parliament multiple times.\n\nWednesday's session, which could last up to five hours, will be a key chance for Mr Johnson to persuade the seven cross-party MPs who make up the committee that he did not mislead MPs in December 2021.\n\nThat would include when he told the Commons that he had \"been repeatedly assured since these allegations emerged that there was no party and that no Covid rules were broken\".\n\nSources close to Mr Johnson say he will publish a \"compelling dossier\" that will provide evidence and arguments that he did not knowingly mislead parliament.\n\nIf he fails to convince the committee and is found guilty, he could be suspended from the Commons, and even faces a recall petition, which would trigger a by-election, if that suspension is for more than 10 days.\n\nCrucially, though, MPs would have to approve any sanction on Mr Johnson.\n\nIn May last year, an inquiry by senior civil servant Sue Gray found widespread rule-breaking had taken place, and Mr Johnson was among 83 people fined by police for attending law-breaking events.\n\nThe Sunday Times, Observer and Sunday Telegraph report that Mr Johnson's \"dossier\" will include advice he claims he was given at the time by No 10 aides, advising him that Covid rules were not broken.\n\nThe Sunday Times quotes one source saying the messages show \"in black and white\" that what Mr Johnson told Parliament was what he had been advised to say by officials and his No 10 team, claiming he was forced to rely on advice because he was not at some of the events.\n\nCabinet minister Oliver Dowden - who served in Mr Johnson's government - told the BBC's Laura Kuenssberg on Sunday programme he expected the former prime minister to \"put forward a robust defence of his conduct\".\n\nThe newspapers also report that Mr Johnson's defence may repeat allegations of bias levelled at the former top civil servant Sue Gray, whose inquiry found widespread rule-breaking had taken place in Whitehall during Covid.\n\nSue Gray produced a highly critical report into lockdown parties under Boris Johnson that contributed to his downfall as PM\n\nSue Gray has since resigned and has been offered a job as Sir Keir Starmer's chief of staff, which caused anger among allies of Boris Johnson including his former cabinet colleagues Jacob Rees-Mogg MP and Nadine Dorries MP.\n\nThe Labour Party has said it will give all the information related to its approach to her to the Advisory Committee on Business Appointments (ACOBA) - the government's appointments watchdog.\n\nBut minister Jeremy Quin has said her proposed move may have breached Whitehall's rules, as approval must be obtained prior to a job offer being announced.\n\nDowning Street sources say any sanctions against Mr Johnson would be a matter for the House of Commons and MPs will therefore be given a free vote - meaning they will not be \"whipped\" to vote a certain way.\n\nThat means Tory MPs would not be asked to vote one way or another, as they were over the proposed suspension of Owen Paterson in November 2021, when Mr Johnson was still prime minister.\n\nThe government tried to block Mr Paterson's suspension from the Commons but, after a backlash, was later forced to U-turn. He then resigned as an MP.\n\nAt the time, Mr Johnson came in for criticism from many of his own MPs about being told to back Mr Paterson, amid Labour accusations of \"sleaze\". The first Partygate stories broke only a few weeks later.\n\nThe Paterson row was the beginning of the end for Mr Johnson's time as prime minister, and Mr Johnson later admitted he \"crashed the car\" in his handling of the case.\n\nA spokesman for Mr Johnson said: \"The Privileges Committee will vindicate Boris Johnson's position.\n\n\"The evidence will show that Boris Johnson did not knowingly mislead parliament.\"","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/uk-politics-65001385"}
{"title":"Man sent bailiffs to Luton Airport for Wizz Air refund - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-18","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"An out-of-pocket dad sends in reinforcements to claim money from an airline over a cancelled flight.","section":"Beds, Herts & Bucks","content":"Russell Quirk and two of his three daughters, who were due to go on a family holiday to Portugal\n\nA passenger sent bailiffs to Luton Airport to confront Wizz Air over money owed to him after his family's flights were cancelled at the last minute.\n\nRussell Quirk said he was left with little choice but to find another route to Portugal which cost him \u00a34,500.\n\nAfter months of waiting for Wizz Air reimbursement, he went to court and ended up sending in the bailiffs.\n\nWizz Air paid up, apologised and said it \"fell short of our own aspirations and our customers' expectations\".\n\nThe company is one of a number of budget airlines facing county court claims against them, as consumer magazine Which? reported.\n\nThe way customers have been treated by Wizz Air has been \"shocking, shambolic and shoddy\", Mr Quirk, a property expert from Brentwood, in Essex, told the BBC.\n\nHe had booked flights from Luton Airport to Faro in January last year for a family holiday with his wife and three daughters in the May half-term.\n\nHe awoke early on the morning of their flight to find a message from Wizz Air saying it was cancelled.\n\nThe Quirk family had booked to fly to Portugal from Luton with airline Wizz Air\n\n\"There was no explanation, no alternative offered and no apology,\" he said.\n\n\"I had to wake my three daughters and tell them we weren't going on holiday - they were very upset.\"\n\nWith hotels, transfers and an airport lounge already paid for, he said the only viable option was to find another carrier, which the family took the following day.\n\nThose flights, together with money lost on a night in hotel rooms and other expenses, cost him \u00a34,500, he said.\n\nOn his return he tried to get recompense from Wizz Air, but he said it took almost two months for the cost of his original flights to be returned along with other legal compensation.\n\nBut, he said Wizz Air repeatedly ignored his claim for \"consequential losses\" - the \u00a34,500 extra he had spent.\n\nHe took his case to the county court but said Wizz Air \"ignored\" the judgement made against the company, so bailiffs were sent in to the Wizz Air desk at Luton Airport.\n\n\"Their option was to hand over the money or the bailiffs would take it in goods - it might have been chairs, tables, computers or an aircraft,\" said Mr Quirk.\n\nHe joked that he might have liked a plane at home, but the company did pay him his money.\n\nHe said taking his case to court cost him about \u00a3180 in court fees, plus \u00a360 to send in the bailiffs - although additional costs associated with the bailiff visit would have had to be paid by Wizz Air.\n\nMr Quirk said: \"Increasingly businesses are thinking they can treat customers like dirt and I'm determined to eradicate that.\n\n\"My message is, where big companies stonewall you, if you persevere you can get what is owed to you.\"\n\nA spokesperson for Wizz Air said: \"In the summer of 2022, due to unprecedented levels of disruption across Europe and the UK which affected the entire industry, we fell short of our own aspirations and our customers' expectations.\n\n\"When things went wrong, we did not react quickly enough to manage the high volume of customer claims that resulted from this disruption. We are sorry about this and we are working to ensure that our customers' experience with Wizz is better this year.\n\n\"Since December, Wizz has paid all CCJs [county court judgements] where it received the judgment, and is continuing to work to settle all other outstanding claims as quickly as possible.\"\n\nFind BBC News: East of England on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter. If you have a story suggestion email eastofenglandnews@bbc.co.uk\n\nThe BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/uk-england-beds-bucks-herts-64999557"}
{"title":"Junior doctor strike led to 175,000 cancellations - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-18","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"The walkout was the most disruptive NHS strike yet this winter - but pay talks have now been agreed.","section":"Health","content":"More than 175,000 patient appointments and procedures had to be cancelled in England when junior doctors went on strike this week, figures reveal.\n\nThat makes it the most disruptive NHS strike yet this winter.\n\nTens of thousands of medics took part in the 72-hour strike, with more senior hospital colleagues asked to cover.\n\nJunior doctors' representatives at the British Medical Association (BMA) have now accepted an offer to enter pay talks with the government.\n\nThe BMA said it would not announce new strike action while the negotiations were taking place.\n\nWhile emergency care was provided by consultants during the strike, many planned, non-urgent treatments were rescheduled.\n\nNHS England medical director Prof Sir Stephen Powis said: \"Despite the huge efforts that NHS staff made to keep patients safe and minimise disruption, this strike was on an unprecedented scale and had a greater impact than all the other industrial action we have seen so far this winter combined.\n\n\"Over 175,000 appointments and procedures were rescheduled to protect emergency, critical and urgent care for patients, which will inevitably impact on efforts to tackle the Covid backlog.\"\n\nSome of the delayed appointments and procedures will include hip and knee operations, as well routine checks for patients with conditions such as diabetes and even cancer.\n\nThe NHS has been trying to tackle a backlog made worse by Covid - there are still 7.2 million people on waiting lists for treatment in England.\n\nNurses, ambulance workers and physios have also staged strikes this winter, but have now paused action while they consider a pay offer from government.\n\nThe Department of Health and Social Care said it deeply regretted the cancellation of appointments but was \"pleased\" the BMA had agreed to enter talks, on the same terms as unions representing the other NHS workers.\n\nIt added the government was seeking a \"fair settlement which recognises the crucial role of junior doctors and the wider economic pressures facing the UK\".\n\nThe BMA said it sent a letter to Health Secretary Steve Barclay on Friday after the government's new pay offer to other NHS workers, proposing to meet next week.\n\nIn a Twitter post, the BMA said its aim was to achieve full pay restoration, adding it would enter the negotiations in \"good faith\".\n\nThe BMA is calling for a 35% pay rise for junior doctors, arguing this would reverse 15 years of cuts.\n\nJunior doctors represent nearly half of the medical workforce in England and include those who have just graduated from university, through to some with 10 years of experience.\n\nTwo-thirds of junior doctors are members of the BMA.\n\nThe latest figures suggest at least 86,000 were involved in the industrial action this week.\n\nDr Vivek Trivedi and Dr Rob Laurenson, the co-chairs of the BMA junior doctors committee, said: \"Every day junior doctors despair as they see operations cancelled and treatment postponed for the millions on the waiting lists because our health services are in crisis.\n\n\"But rescheduling appointments as a result of the strike action could have been avoided if the health secretary had come to the table and negotiated an agreed settlement with us before any strike action was taken.\n\n\"The NHS had more than two months' notice that we would strike for 72 hours if the ballot was successful; the government has been in no doubt about our campaign for full pay restoration for over six months and this has been borne out by the number of junior doctors in England who have taken part in the industrial action.\"\n\nThe BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/health-64995025"}
{"title":"SNP leader candidates call for 'robust' audit of vote system - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-18","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"Teams for Kate Forbes and Ash Regan believe party members and the public need reassurance over the ballot.","section":"Scotland","content":"Two of the three candidates vying to be leader of the SNP want an independent auditor to oversee the leadership vote.\n\nKate Forbes' campaign manager, MSP Michelle Thomson, said concerns had been raised about the integrity of the ballot process.\n\nAsh Regan said an auditor would provide transparency to party members and the public.\n\nThe SNP has so far refused to say how many party members will be able to take part in the leadership vote.\n\nThat is despite all three candidates in the contest - Ms Forbes, Ms Regan and Health Secretary Humza Yousaf - calling on it to do so.\n\nThe SNP's national secretary, Lorna Finn, has written to the candidates to address their concerns about transparency.\n\nShe said it was not clear to her what their concerns were, but she was \"satisfied as to the integrity of the ballot\".\n\nThe ballot, she said, is being managed by an independent company, Mi-Voice, which the SNP has used for internal contests since 2013.\n\n\"No-one in HQ has access to live data from the ballot or any Mi-Voice systems, and no-one will know the result until it is provided to me by Mi-Voice on 27 March,\" the national secretary wrote.\n\nFirst Minister Nicola Sturgeon told the BBC she also had no doubts about the integrity of the voting system.\n\nSNP president Michael Russell said he has told Ms Finn that he supports publishing the membership figures, but has said he was \"disgusted by the abuse directed at SNP staff by individuals who damage our cause and aid our enemies\".\n\nThe national secretary said she had asked the SNP's executive committee to release the membership figures on Thursday.\n\nThe party had previously said it would only make the figure public after the result of the vote is announced on 27 March, but senior SNP sources are understood to be confident publication will be brought forward.\n\nThe SNP said its membership had reached 125,000 by 2019, but the Electoral Commission put the figure at 104,000 two years later.\n\nThe Mail on Sunday reported that Southampton-based polling firm Mi-Voice, which is overseeing the leadership vote, had been given the names of just 78,000 members by the SNP.\n\nMs Regan has called for transparency in an open letter, also written on behalf of Ms Forbes, to SNP chief executive officer Peter Murrell - who is the husband of Ms Sturgeon.\n\nMr Murrell was urged to clarify how many \"paid-up\" members the party has, and the number of digital and postal voting papers that have been released.\n\nIt is widely believed that Mr Yousaf is the preferred candidate of Ms Sturgeon and the wider party hierarchy, with Ms Regan previously claiming that his supporters were being \"bussed in\" to hustings events by SNP HQ.\n\nCandidate Humza Yousaf has also asked for clarity over party membership\n\nMs Regan told BBC Scotland she would like to see the appointment of an independent election monitor to ensure the vote is fair.\n\n\"My concern is that the membership of the SNP and the country need to have full transparency and honesty in the process,\" she said.\n\n\"So the fact that all the teams haven't been given something as simple as the number of members in the SNP is obviously a concern.\"\n\nMs Thomson, who is supporting Ms Forbes, said some concerns that had been raised about the ballot were \"based on hearsay or are from bad faith actors\".\n\nHowever others had been expressed by longstanding party members, she added.\n\nShe said she had written two letters to the party's national secretary but had not yet had a response.\n\nMichelle Thomson confirmed she had asked for the appointment of an independent auditor\n\nIn a statement Ms Thomson said: \"There seems to be a perception that the third party company operating the ballot process is a) independent and b) are responsible for the entire process.\n\n\"This is not the case - they are simply a company contracted by the SNP to provide services to their client's specification. This is entirely different.\n\n\"The SNP themselves remain ultimately accountable and responsible for many of the processes, oversight and ultimate integrity of the ballot.\"\n\nMs Thomson said the fact that questions were being asked could only further undermine trust in headquarters.\n\n\"This is not a position I wish to see,\" she said. \"We all agree that the party must unify around any newly elected leader.\n\n\"I have asked that the SNP appoint a robust, experienced, third-party auditor of both the ballot processes and the eventual tally of the vote. This third party must have full oversight of all membership numbers, data and processes.\n\n\"This should be done without delay.\"\n\nHowever SNP MP Gavin Newlands dismissed the statement by Ms Thomson, tweeting that he could not believe \"this Trumpian nonsense has now hit my own party\".\n\nHe insisted the vote was being carried out by \"a highly regarded and independent third party\".\n\nHumza Yousaf's team said they would be happy for the SNP to provide whatever reassurances are required but added that the way in which the ballot is being questioned would be very upsetting for party members.\n\nThis leadership contest continues to cause headaches for the SNP.\n\nNicola Sturgeon's resignation was a blow in the first place.\n\nMany of the first minister's opponents were relieved that a politician who had delivered a string of landslide election victories for her party was leaving the stage.\n\nPlenty of her supporters worried that her departure was an implicit admission that Scottish independence could not be delivered any time soon.\n\nNow the race to succeed Ms Sturgeon is posing further problems.\n\nDivisions on economics and social issues, as well as on tactics and the party's record in government, have been exposed for all to see and for rivals to exploit.\n\nIt's also clear that many backers of Kate Forbes and Ash Regan are deeply suspicious about the manner in which the party hierarchy appears to be swinging behind Humza Yousaf.\n\nTheir calls for transparency about the election process have already been dismissed on Twitter by one SNP MP, Gavin Newlands, as \"Trumpian nonsense\" and fake news.\n\nIf senior party figures join the MP for Paisley and Renfrewshire North in rubbishing the concerns of Ms Forbes and Ms Regan, the distrust - and the pain - for the SNP could become even worse.\n\nMs Sturgeon, who said she expected the party to publish figures on the number of eligible voters on Thursday, told reported she had \"100% confidence in the integrity\" of the voting system.\n\nSpeaking to BBC Scotland, she said: \"There's been one specific issue raised by candidates that I think the NEC has been right to look at again.\n\n\"Beyond that, as far as I can tell, there are no specific concerns being raised. It's a general concern and I don't think that general concern is justified.\"\n\nShe said candidates to succeed her \"should remember that the task is to retain the trust of the Scottish people\".\n\nAn SNP spokesperson previously told BBC Scotland that the candidates had been told \"responsibility for the leadership election does not rest with any member of staff\".\n\nDeputy First Minister John Swinney said he did not know how many members the party has, adding: \"I quite understand why people would want to know that data at this stage rather than at the end of the process.\"\n\nWestminster leader Stephen Flynn told BBC Scotland on Tuesday he had \"no idea\", adding: \"I think the last time I heard it was about 100,000.\"\n\nEarlier in the campaign, the party's national executive committee was at the centre of a row over blocking media access to party hustings events for the leadership contest - a decision that was reversed.\n\nThe ballot to find a replacement for Ms Sturgeon, which uses the single transferable vote system, opened on Monday with the winner to be announced on 27 March.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/uk-scotland-64972800"}
{"title":"Sam Neill diagnosed with non-Hodgkin lymphoma - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-18","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"The Jurassic Park star opens up about living with non-Hodgkin lymphoma in his new memoir.","section":"Entertainment & Arts","content":"Sam Neill played palaeontologist Dr Alan Grant in the 1993 film Jurassic Park, and later reprised the role\n\nThe actor Sam Neill has revealed he has had \"a ferocious type of aggressive\" non-Hodgkin lymphoma.\n\nThe Jurassic Park star, 75, was diagnosed with Stage three cancer in March 2022 and thought: \"I'm crook, I'm dying.\"\n\nUnable to work, he started writing as a distraction and to \"give me a reason to get through the day,\" he tells the BBC.\n\nIn his new memoir, Did I Ever Tell you This?, he discusses his illness and his near 50-year career on screen.\n\nNeill first noticed he had lumpy glands in his neck on a publicity tour for Jurassic World Dominion last year.\n\nWhen doctors told him what was wrong, he said his reaction was \"pretty phlegmatic\", but it made him \"take stock of things.\"\n\n\"I thought I need to do something, and I thought, 'Shall I start writing?'\" he says.\n\n\"I didn't think I had a book in me, I just thought I'd write some stories. And I found it increasingly engrossing.\n\n\"A year later, not only have I written the book - I didn't have a ghost writer - but it's come out in record time.\n\n\"I suspect my publishers, they're delightful people, but I think they wanted to get it out in a hurry just in case I kicked the bucket before it was time to release the thing.\"\n\nIndeed at one point he thinks the subtitle for the book might have been Notes from a Dying Man.\n\nThere are, he says, \"dark days.\" He lost his hair after the first round of chemotherapy and writes in the memoir that when he looks in the mirror, \"there's a bald, wizened old man there.\"\n\n\"More than anything I want my beard back. I don't like the look of my face one bit.\"\n\nNon-Hodgkin's lymphoma is a less common cancer that develops in the lymphatic system - the vast network of vessels and glands in the body.\n\nBut the star of films including The Piano, and TV's Peaky Blinders, is now in remission and remains positive.\n\n\"I'm not afraid of dying,\" he says. \"What I don't want to do is to stop living, because I really enjoy living.\"\n\nHe continues: \"I've regarded it as an adventure, quite a dark adventure, but an adventure nevertheless. And the good days are just fantastic and when you get some good news it's absolutely exhilarating.\"\n\nThe book, he is at pains to stress, is not about cancer. \"I can't stand cancer books.\"\n\nInstead it is mostly about what he calls his \"fun\" and \"unlikely\" life and long career. He's appeared in more than 70 films, working alongside actors including Meryl Streep, Cate Blanchett and Jeff Goldblum.\n\nHe doesn't think screen acting has changed much over the decades but he does have a grumble about \"mumbling\" - actors who fail to enunciate their lines.\n\n\"I think it's a thing that a lot of young actors have that it's kind of sexy to have a whispering kind of thing that no one else can hear.\"\n\nHe blames neck microphones, which he says enable actors to \"get away with whispering and mumbling because the neck microphone is going to record everything.\"\n\n\"It's ridiculous. We speak so we can be understood. We don't go around mumbling because someone has hung a microphone around our necks.\"\n\nIn the book Neill travels \"through the past and the alleyways of my life.\" It was \"a pleasure\", he says, before mischievously adding: \"Mostly.\" And at times he is refreshingly uncensored.\n\nHe describes his co-star in The Piano, the American actor Harvey Keitel, as \"truculent and difficult and a bit graceless\".\n\nThere is also clearly no love lost between Neill and the Australian actress Judy Davis. They appeared together in three films including My Brilliant Career and he says she's the only actress who \"made it clear I wasn't in her league.\"\n\n\"Look,\" he adds, \"I should've probably called this book, Spilling the Beans, because some beans I probably shouldn't have spilled and one of them was meeting Barbra Streisand.\"\n\nHe was flown to meet her in a hotel suite in New York in the early 1980s, to discuss a role in her film Yentl.\n\nWhile he says he has always admired her, he admits: \"I've never enjoyed her singing.\"\n\nSo when she sang not one, but two, songs from the film, at full volume from a distance of about five feet away from him, he was, he says, \"in a state of shock and dismay.\"\n\nNeill's new memoir is full of family photos and also sees him \"spill the beans\" on other famous faces\n\nHe is currently starring in the TV series The Twelve\n\nNeill is also the man who didn't want to be James Bond. He auditioned for the part in the 1980s, on the say-so of his \"assertive\" agent and against his better judgment.\n\n\"I really didn't want to be the Bond that everyone didn't like.\n\n\"I didn't really want that gig at all because you're stuck with it for the rest of your life... I have never wanted to be a celebrity.\"\n\nThe book ends with good news. While Neill still has to undergo chemotherapy treatments, the tumours have gone.\n\nIndeed he is about to start work on a new film in Australia with the star of American Beauty, Annette Bening. He is currently starring in the ITVX legal drama series The Twelve.\n\n\"The last thing I want is for people to obsess about the cancer thing,\" says Neill, \"because I'm not really interested in cancer.\n\n\"I'm not really interested in anything other than living.\"\n\nDid I Ever Tell You This? by Sam Neill is out on 23 March.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/entertainment-arts-64969344"}
{"title":"Deportation of Ukrainian children to Russia is war crime - UN - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-18","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"A report by the UN says over 16,000 children have been transferred to areas under Russian control.","section":"Europe","content":"Over 16,000 children are thought to have been transferred to Russia or Russia-controlled areas.\n\nRussia's forced deportation of Ukrainian children to areas under its control amounts to a war crime, UN investigators have said.\n\nThe UN Commission of Inquiry on Ukraine said there was evidence of the illegal transfer of hundreds of Ukrainian children to Russia.\n\nThe Commission's report is categorical that Russia also committed other war crimes in Ukraine.\n\nThey include attacks on hospitals, torture, rape and wilful killings.\n\nUkraine government figures put the number of children forcibly taken to Russia at 16,221.\n\nRussia has introduced policies such as the granting of Russian citizenship and the placement of children in foster families to \"create a framework in which some of the children may end up remaining permanently\" in Russia, the report notes.\n\nWhile the transfers were supposed to be temporary \"most became prolonged\", with both parents and children facing \"an array of obstacles in establishing contact\", UN investigators wrote.\n\nIn some cases, parents or children told the Commission that once in Russia-controlled areas, transferred children were made to wear \"dirty clothes, were screamed at, and called names.\" They also said that \"some children with disabilities did not receive adequate care and medication.\"\n\nThe burden of contacting their parents fell primarily to the transferred children as the adults faced \"considerable logistical, financial, and security challenges\" in finding or retrieving their children, the report says.\n\nIt also quotes witnesses as saying that the smaller children transferred may have not been able to establish contact with their families and might, as a consequence, \"lose contact with them indefinitely\".\n\nThe forced deportations of Ukrainian children \"violate international humanitarian law, and amount to a war crime\", concludes the report.\n\nThe UN said that in addition to the rapes, killings and \"widespread\" torture, Moscow could be responsible for the even more serious \"crimes against humanity\" - notably the wave of Russian attacks on Ukraine's energy infrastructure that began last October.\n\nThe commission is also trying to determine whether the bombing and siege of the city of Mariupol last May might constitute a crime against humanity.\n\nThe investigators said they had also documented \"a small number\" of violations committed by Ukrainian armed forces.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/world-europe-64985009"}
{"title":"Nicola Sturgeon's legacy as first minister in eight charts - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-27","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"As she prepares to leave office, what do the numbers tell us about Ms Sturgeon's record on the key issues?","section":"Scotland politics","content":"Nicola Sturgeon is preparing to leave office after more than eight years as Scotland's first minister, with MSPs giving her a standing ovation on Thursday as she made her final speech in the Scottish Parliament before standing down.\n\nMs Sturgeon has spoken of her pride at what she has accomplished - pointing to Scotland's ambitious climate change targets, record funding for the NHS and her remarkable eight election wins.\n\nBut her political opponents have claimed that Scotland's schools and hospitals are in a worse state now when she took over.\n\nWe dove into the statistics to try to draw some hard conclusions about what Ms Sturgeon's record time in office has meant for Scotland's economy, politics and climate change credentials, as well as its health and education systems.\n\nNicola Sturgeon's term in office has seen the SNP all but wipe its political rivals off the electoral map.\n\nThe party had already chased down and overtaken Labour at Holyrood, seizing power in 2007 and securing an unprecedented majority in 2011 with Alex Salmond at the helm.\n\nBut within months of Ms Sturgeon taking charge, the SNP also enjoyed remarkable general election.\n\nThe party won all but three of the 59 seats in Scotland in the 2015 election, gaining 40 from Labour and 10 from the Liberal Democrats.\n\nLabour's collapse was so comprehensive that the Conservatives achieved what once seemed unthinkable by replacing them as the second party in Scotland right through to the local elections in 2022 - but the Tories did not come close to catching the SNP.\n\nMs Sturgeon's run continued with thumping Holyrood victories in 2016 and 2021, as well as another big UK win in 2019.\n\nThe fact the 2017 general election came as a setback - when the SNP won \"only\" 35 seats - only underlines how total the SNP's domination of electoral politics in Scotland has become in recent years.\n\nScotland's record toll of drug-related deaths is perhaps the country's grimmest statistic of recent years.\n\nIt has by far the worst death rate recorded by any country in Europe, and was 3.7 times higher than the UK as a whole when the last comparable figures were available.\n\nA slew of policy responses have been tried - including working groups, action teams and a dedicated minister for the issue - without managing to make any significant reduction to the figures.\n\nAfter years of alarming acceleration, there was a slight fall in the number of deaths in the most recent figures - but the death toll from drugs continues to be far higher than it was before Ms Sturgeon took office.\n\nFurther attempts to turn the tide are in the pipeline, with the government's top lawyer reassessing whether safe consumption rooms can be set up to help prevent overdoses.\n\nA new Scottish income tax regime was set up on Ms Sturgeon's watch, and in the most recent budget her government doubled down on its approach of raising rates at the top end.\n\nThe five-band system introduced in 2016 has resulted in higher earners paying more than those elsewhere in the UK, and those on the lowest incomes paying slightly less.\n\nMinisters have always been careful to strike the balance so that the majority of Scots ratepayers - currently 52% of them - pay less in tax than they would if they lived south of the border, to the tune of \u00a322 a year.\n\nThe differences are much starker at the top end. Someone earning \u00a350,000 a year in Scotland will see an extra \u00a31,552 go to the taxman compared to the UK regime, and those on \u00a3100,000 pay an extra \u00a32,606.\n\nQuestions have been raised about the amount of extra cash this actually raises once behavioural changes are factored in, and whether it could impact on productivity.\n\nBut the government views it as an important principle in the social contract - that those who earn more should pay a bit more in order to help build a \"fairer society\".\n\nThe aim of the changes to the income tax system has been to shift wealth from the better off to those on lower incomes.\n\nAnother major part of this agenda has been the creation of Social Security Scotland, a new welfare agency set up to deliver benefits devolved to Holyrood in the wake of the 2014 referendum.\n\nThese are often designed to be more generous than the UK equivalents being replaced, and welfare spending is projected to rise considerably in the coming years - one of the only areas of the budget forecast to actually go up.\n\nThis chart - using figures from the Institute for Fiscal Studies - incorporates a range of different measures including the income tax system, benefits like the Scottish Child Payment and Best Start Grant, and the action taken to mitigate UK benefit capping moves like the \"bedroom tax\".\n\nIt shows that - at least in theory - the poorest households in Scotland have more disposable income than their counterparts in England and Wales, while better-off ones have comparatively less.\n\nIt doesn't adjust for changes in behaviour or cover the sharply varying rates of council tax in different areas, but it does illustrate the Scottish government's broader goal of redistributing wealth across society.\n\nIt was famously Ms Sturgeon's \"number one priority\" and one she wished to be judged on - closing the gap in educational outcomes between school pupils from better off and more deprived areas.\n\nIt was a bold policy promise, but one which has been thrown back in her face repeatedly by opponents in the years since, because the gap has stubbornly refused to close.\n\nThe government points to the Covid pandemic as a major factor, by having a disproportionate impact on learning for children from more deprived backgrounds.\n\nAnd it might well be the case that some of the efforts to tackle child poverty and expand childcare provision will, in time, have a positive impact on educational attainment.\n\nBut education reforms have stuttered throughout Ms Sturgeon's time in office, with a flagship piece of legislation shelved in 2018 and work to replace the qualifications and schools bodies ongoing.\n\nMs Sturgeon was one of the first politicians to formally announce a \"climate emergency\" back in 2019.\n\nShe also brought the Scottish Greens into government, met Greta Thunberg at COP26 as the climate conference kicked off in Glasgow in 2021, and has called for a \"just transition\" away from North Sea oil and gas.\n\nThis was a major shift for a leader who only a few years earlier had committed to \"maximise economic recovery from the North Sea\" and who leads a party whose most famous slogan was once \"It's Scotland's oil\".\n\nUnder Ms Sturgeon, the Scottish government has set ambitious targets for cutting carbon emissions to \"net zero\" by 2045. However it has not always lived up to those lofty aims, with interim goals missed.\n\nAnd the Committee on Climate Change has warned that Scotland has now lost its lead over other parts of the UK, warning that progress on cutting emissions had \"largely stalled\".\n\nThe NHS has just limped though its most difficult winter ever, having already been rocked to its foundations by the Covid pandemic.\n\nBut lockdown was actually the only time the government's waiting times target - for 95% of patients to be seen within four hours - has actually been hit in recent years.\n\nHospital delays became a weekly fixture of questions to the first minister from opposition leaders, with Ms Sturgeon frequently confronted with case studies of patients who had been left waiting for hours for an ambulance to arrive or in accident and emergency units.\n\nWhile she would always admit that these stories were unacceptable, she would also highlight that the challenges are not unique to Scotland.\n\nHowever direct comparison is extremely difficult - for all that politicians regularly try - because of the differences in how A&Es are categorised in different parts of the country, and how the figures are compiled.\n\nMs Sturgeon entered politics largely because she wanted Scotland to be independent, and entered Bute House off the back of a referendum campaign which fell short of achieving that goal.\n\nDid she move the dial on the issue which has driven her politics since her teenage years?\n\nPolls suggest that the country remains every bit as divided over the issue as it was on the day she took over from Alex Salmond.\n\nThere was a bounce for No following 2017's post-Brexit election, and a bump for Yes during the Covid pandemic - which is often hailed as Ms Sturgeon's best leadership moment.\n\nHer supporters argue that being within margin-of-error touching distance of victory is a pretty good starting point for a new campaign, given the Yes movement started the previous one miles behind.\n\nBut she is leaving behind a party divided on how to pursue independence, with the UK government continuing to refuse to allow a second referendum and the Supreme Court having rejected the notion of Holyrood holding a vote on its own.\n\nA planned SNP conference to set a new strategy was postponed following Ms Sturgeon's resignation announcement, and it will be down to her successor to try to chart a course towards a goal which ultimately eluded her.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/uk-scotland-scotland-politics-64785030"}
{"title":"Israel protests: Netanyahu addresses nation after turmoil over judicial reforms - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-27","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"The Israeli prime minister says the country is at a \"dangerous crossroads\" as he acts to try and defuse widespread anger over the plans.","section":"Middle East","content":"Four hours after the sacking of Israel\u2019s defence minister led to spontaneous protests across the country, an uneasy calm is beginning to return.\n\nToday has been unprecedented. The country\u2019s biggest trade union called a strike, and Israelis watched society close down around them. From the main airport to shops and banks \u2013 even in hospitals \u2013 services were stopped. The co-ordinated action was designed to push Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu back from the brink of forcing through controversial judicial reform legislation by the end of this week.\n\nWhen he finally addressed the nation tonight, he was quick to cast blame. He accused an \u2018extremist minority\u2019 of trying to divide the nation, and criticised military reservists who\u2019d opposed the bill by saying they wouldn\u2019t report for duty. His own part in the country\u2019s upheaval wasn\u2019t acknowledged.\n\nThe solution Netanyahu has proposed will buy him time. But it won\u2019t solve the problem. Demonstrators were fighting for this bill to be scrapped, not delayed. Israel\u2019s opposition have said they\u2019ll enter into fresh dialogue.\n\nBenjamin Netanyahu\u2019s far-right coalition partners have been offered a new national guard to ensure their continuing support. In the heart of Jerusalem, around the Knesset, supporters and critics held counter-protests.\n\nOne thing united them \u2013 the blue and white flag waved by both groups. This is one nation, for weeks bitterly divided. Tonight Opposition Leader Yair Lapid has called this \"the biggest crisis in the history of the country\".\n\nIsraelis know it isn\u2019t over yet","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/live\/world-middle-east-65085001"}
{"title":"Nato condemns 'dangerous' Russian nuclear rhetoric - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-27","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"President Putin says Russia will station tactical nuclear weapons in Belarus.","section":"Europe","content":"President Putin announced he would station nuclear weapons in neighbouring Belarus on Saturday\n\nNato has condemned Russia's \"dangerous\" and \"irresponsible\" rhetoric after Vladimir Putin's decision to station tactical nuclear weapons in Belarus.\n\nThe organisation is \"closely monitoring\" the situation and said the move would not lead it to change its own nuclear strategy.\n\nThe US said it did not believe Russia was preparing to use nuclear weapons.\n\nBelarus shares a long border with Ukraine, as well as with Nato members Poland, Lithuania and Latvia.\n\nUkraine has called for an emergency meeting of the UN Security Council to address the potential threat of President Putin's announcement on Saturday.\n\nPresident Putin said Moscow would not be transferring control of its arms to Minsk and that Belarusian leader Alexander Lukashenko - a firm ally of the Kremlin and supporter of its invasion of Ukraine - had long raised the issue with him.\n\nUkraine says the move violates nuclear non-proliferation agreements - an accusation President Putin has denied, instead comparing it to the US stationing its weapons in Europe.\n\nBut Nato on Sunday described Russia's reference to nuclear sharing as \"misleading\".\n\n\"Nato allies act with full respect of their international commitments,\" Nato spokesperson Oana Lungescu said.\n\nThe military alliance also accused Russia of consistently breaking its own arms control commitments, including the country's decision to suspend the new START treaty - a deal signed in 2010 which limits the number of US and Russian nuclear warheads and gives each the power to inspect the other's weapons.\n\nEU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell urged Belarus to opt out of the deal with Putin, warning the country could face further sanctions if it went through with it.\n\n\"Belarus can still stop it, it is their choice,\" he wrote on Twitter.\n\nOn Sunday, a top security adviser to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky accused Russia of making Belarus a \"nuclear hostage\".\n\nOleksiy Danilov wrote on Twitter that Russia's plans were a \"step towards internal destabilisation\" in Belarus and predicted anti-Russian sentiment in the country would grow.\n\nExiled Belarusian opposition leader Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya said Russia's deployment of nuclear weapons in her country \"grossly contradicts the will of the Belarusian people\" and would make it a potential target for retaliatory strikes.\n\nBut Yuriy Sak, an adviser to Ukraine's ministry of defence, told the BBC that Ukraine was used to nuclear threats from Russia, adding that the deployment in Belarus would not change the outcome of the war.\n\n\"They cannot win this war because it is for them unsustainable, it is unwinnable, [and] they cannot defeat Ukraine because we have been living with the hypothetical threat of a possible nuclear strike from day one of the large-scale invasion,\" he said.\n\nMr Sak said there was nothing new in Russia's behaviour, as it had been stationing military equipment in Belarus since the start of the war in 2022.\n\nMykhailo Podolyak, another senior adviser to President Zelensky, characterised the move as \"scare tactics\" and said the Russian leader was \"too predictable\".\n\nAnalysts at the US think tank Institute for War said the risk of escalation to nuclear war following the announcement remained \"extremely low\".\n\nA small number of Iskander tactical missile systems, which can be used to launch nuclear weapons, have already been transferred to Belarus, President Putin said in his address on Saturday.\n\nThis will be the first time since the mid-1990s that Moscow will have based nuclear arms outside the country.\n\nThe Soviet Union's collapse in 1991 meant weapons became based in four newly-independent states - Russia, Ukraine, Belarus and Kazakhstan - with the transfer of all warheads to Russia completed in 1996.\n\nRussia will start training crews to operate the weapons from next week. The construction of a storage facility for tactical nuclear weapons in Belarus will be completed by 1 July, President Putin said.\n\nThe announcement comes only days after Chinese President Xi Jinping's visit to Moscow, during which Russia and China issued a joint statement saying \"all nuclear powers must not deploy their nuclear weapons beyond their national territories, and they must withdraw all nuclear weapons deployed abroad\".","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/world-europe-65081575"}
{"title":"Humza Yousaf succeeds Nicola Sturgeon as SNP leader - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-27","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"Scotland's health secretary defeats rivals Kate Forbes and Ash Regan in a vote of party members.","section":"Scotland politics","content":"This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Humza Yousaf told his party now it is time for the SNP to come together and deliver independence\n\nHumza Yousaf is to succeed Nicola Sturgeon as SNP leader and Scotland's first minister after a vote of party members.\n\nMr Yousaf defeated rivals Kate Forbes and Ash Regan in a leadership contest that exposed deep divisions within the party.\n\nThe 37-year-old is the first Muslim to lead a major UK party.\n\nHe is set to be confirmed as the first ethnic minority leader of a devolved government on Tuesday.\n\nMr Yousaf is currently Scotland's health secretary and was widely assumed to be Ms Sturgeon's preferred successor, although she did not explicitly back any of the candidates in the contest.\n\nThe leadership election was decided by the Single Transferable Vote system, with 50,490 of the SNP's 72,169 members casting a ballot - the vast majority of them online.\n\nMr Yousaf failed to win a majority in the first round of voting, but won 52.1% of the votes after second preference votes from Ms Regan, who was eliminated after finishing third, were redistributed.\n\nMs Forbes came second with 47.9% of the votes when second preferences were included, with Mr Yousaf receiving 26,032 votes and Ms Forbes 23,890.\n\nThe new SNP leader will face a vote in the Scottish Parliament - which he is certain to win - on Tuesday before becoming Scotland's sixth first minister.\n\nHe had been the clear favourite with the bookmakers during the contest, although polling expert Prof Sir John Curtice said ahead of the result that Ms Forbes appeared to be more popular with Scottish voters as a whole.\n\nMs Forbes, a member of the evangelical Free Church of Scotland, had been attacked by the SNP hierarchy during the contest over her socially conservative views on issues such as gay marriage, abortion and having children outside of marriage.\n\nSpeaking after being confirmed as the new leader at Murrayfield Stadium in Edinburgh, Mr Yousaf said it would be \"the greatest honour and privilege of my life\" to be the next first minister.\n\nAnd he called on the party to unite behind him after what has often been a fractious leadership contest.\n\nHe said independence would be won \"on the doorsteps\" and pledged to kickstart a grassroots campaign, adding: \"We will be the generation to win independence for Scotland\".\n\nMr Yousaf added: \"In the SNP we are a family. Over the last five weeks we may have been competitors or supporters of different candidates.\n\n\"We are no longer team Humza, or team Ash, or team Kate, we are one team.\"\n\nMr Yousaf also said his grandparents had arrived in Scotland from Pakistan in the 1960s barely able to speak a word of English, and would not have believed \"in their wildest dreams\" that their grandson would one day become first minister of Scotland.\n\nMs Sturgeon, who was Scotland's longest-serving first minister, announced last month she was stepping down after more than eight years in the job.\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Humza Yousaf defeated rivals Kate Forbes and Ash Regan in the leadership contest\n\nShe said Mr Yousaf will be an \"outstanding\" leader as she congratulated him on his appointment, adding: \"I could not be prouder to have him succeed me\".\n\nIt was the first time the SNP has had a leadership contest since 2004, with Ms Sturgeon being unopposed when she replaced Alex Salmond in 2014.\n\nMr Yousaf becomes only its fifth leader since 1979, and will face the task of uniting a party that has dominated Scottish politics in recent years but which has looked deeply divided in the wake of Ms Sturgeon's resignation.\n\nMs Sturgeon's surprise announcement that she was resigning came just three weeks after she insisted that she had \"plenty in the tank\" and still believed she would lead Scotland to independence.\n\nHer husband, Peter Murrell, was forced to resign midway through the campaign after it emerged the party's membership stood at 72,000 rather than the 104,000 it had consistently claimed to have.\n\nThe party still faces a police probe over the use of \u00a3600,000 which was raised by activists who were told it would be ringfenced for a second independence referendum, and questions over why Mr Murrell gave a SNP a loan of more than \u00a3100,000 in June 2021.\n\nThe SNP and Mr Murrell both deny they have done anything wrong, with Ms Sturgeon saying she \"can't recall\" when she first learned of her husband's six-figure loan.\n\nMr Yousaf was seen as the \"continuity candidate\" throughout the campaign - a strong position given Nicola Sturgeon's enduring popularity with SNP members.\n\nHe had by far the most endorsements from MSPs and MPs, including most of Ms Sturgeon's inner circle.\n\nThat means he should have a relatively easy time putting together a cabinet and bringing the party back together in parliament.\n\nHe was also the candidate best-placed to bring the Greens back into government, although they are meeting this afternoon to decide their next steps.\n\nBut it is inescapable that Mr Yousaf's margin of victory was razor-thin. A big, big chunk of the SNP voted for candidates promising change.\n\nSo the question now will be the extent to which the \"continuity candidate\" seeks to differentiate himself from his predecessor's agenda. Will he forge on with all of her policies, or seek to carve out more of an identity for himself?\n\nAnd given he only just won over half of his own party, will he be able to replicate Ms Sturgeon's popularity with the broader electorate when the next election rolls around?\n\nMr Yousaf had pitched himself to some extent as the \"continuity candidate\" during the leadership campaign, and was forced to deny claims that the SNP establishment was doing everything it could to ensure he won.\n\nHe has often spoken of his admiration for Ms Sturgeon, but insists that he is \"his own man and will do things my own way\".\n\nHe was on the receiving end of a withering attack from Ms Forbes in a live STV debate, when she told him: \"You were transport minister and the trains were never on time, when you were justice secretary the police were stretched to breaking point, and now as health minister we've got record high waiting times\".\n\nBut Ms Forbes congratulated him on his success, saying: \"Whatever the robust disagreements or frank exchanges of the last few weeks, I am confident we will unite behind Humza as our new party leader in the shared and common objective of independence.\"\n\nMs Regan, who had always been regarded as the outsider in the contest, tweeted her congratulations to Mr Yousaf after what she described as a \"lively contest\" and urged everyone to \"get behind Team SNP\".\n\nHis supporters say Mr Yousaf is a polished communicator who is best placed to unite the party and maintain the power-sharing agreement with the Scottish Greens - which had been widely expected to collapse if either Ms Forbes or Ms Regan had won.\n\nMr Yousaf was congratulated by his wife Nadia El-Nakla, as well as his daughter and step-daughter\n\nThe Scottish Greens said its council had voted unanimously to continue to support the agreement with the SNP and for its MSPs to back Mr Yousaf in the vote to become the next first minister.\n\nGreens co-leader Patrick Harvie said: \"This overwhelming endorsement of our arrangement will allow us to continue with the progressive, collaborative politics we know can help deliver a fairer, greener and more equal Scotland for all.\"\n\nMr Yousaf was first elected in 2011 as a regional MSP for Glasgow and was appointed a junior minister the following year, before becoming justice secretary in 2018 and health secretary three years later.\n\nHe will immediately face having to make a host of tough decisions, including whether to fight the UK government's block on Scotland's gender reforms in the courts - Mr Yousaf says he wants to but only if the legal advice is that it stands a chance of success - and what to do with other controversial polices inherited from Ms Sturgeon such as the deposit return scheme and new national care service.\n\nThe country's health service has seen record waiting times under Mr Yousaf's watch - although he points out that the issue is not unique to Scotland - and he will now also be ultimately responsible for an education system that has so far shown little sign of achieving Ms Sturgeon's mission of closing the wide attainment gap between the wealthiest and most deprived pupils.\n\nAfter being voted leader of the Scottish National Party, we ask - who is Humza Yousaf?\n\nAvailable now on BBC iPlayer (UK only).\n\nDowning Street said the prime minister was looking forward to working with Mr Yousaf, but stressed it will be focused on the \"issues that matter to people\" such as reducing inflation and dealing with the cost of living crisis rather than independence.\n\nDouglas Ross, the leader of the Scottish Conservatives, said he had \"serious concerns\" about Mr Yousaf's ability, adding: \"We hope he does not lurch from failure to failure as he did when he was Nicola Sturgeon's health secretary, justice secretary and transport minister\".\n\nScottish Labour leader Anas Sarwar - who was at school with Mr Yousaf at the private Hutchesons' Grammar in Glasgow - said the election of a first minister from an ethnic minority background would be a \"significant moment for Scotland\".\n\nBut he said Mr Yousaf was inheriting \"the SNP's woeful record, but he has not inherited Nicola Sturgeon's mandate\", and called for a Holyrood election to be held.\n\nMr Ross and Mr Sarwar will both stand against Mr Yousaf in the first minister vote in the Scottish Parliament on Tuesday afternoon, as will Liberal Democrat leader Alex Cole-Hamilton - although none of the opposition leaders has any prospect of winning.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/uk-scotland-scotland-politics-65086551"}
{"title":"Gwyneth Paltrow ski crash trial: Accuser heard 'blood-curdling scream' - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-27","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"A man suing Gwyneth Paltrow over a ski crash says it sounded \"like someone was out of control\".","section":"US & Canada","content":"This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser.\n\nA man suing Gwyneth Paltrow over a ski accident heard a \"blood-curdling scream\" shortly before the collision, a court in Utah has heard.\n\nTerry Sanderson, 76, said it sounded \"like someone was out of control\" and he had never been hit so hard skiing.\n\nHe accuses the actress of being responsible for the 2016 crash and is seeking damages of $300,000 (\u00a3245,000)\n\nMs Paltrow, 50, has denied being responsible and countersued for $1 and her legal costs.\n\nA ski instructor told the jury on Monday that the actress was not a reckless skier.\n\nTestifying on Friday, Ms Paltrow had said the incident in Park City, Utah, left her with a sore knee and she got a massage afterwards.\n\nOn Monday, Mr Sanderson described hearing the scream in the moments before the collision, saying: \"It was like somebody was out of control and going to hit a tree and was going to die.\"\n\nHe said he had never been struck so hard while skiing, describing the crash as a \"serious, serious smack\".\n\nMr Sanderson also told the court he had suffered physical, mental and emotional injuries from the accident, describing himself being a \"self-imposed recluse\" since.\n\nHe said these medical issues had changed his relationships with his children, as well as contributing to his split from his partner and losing friends.\n\nA lawyer for Terry Sanderson told the jury last week that the Hollywood actress's \"reckless\" actions had caused the collision on the slopes of Deer Valley ski resort.\n\nDescribing the aftermath, Mr Sanderson told the court he remembered hearing a \"very angry\" male voice accusing him of being at fault for the collision, which was later said to be that of Deer Valley ski instructor Eric Christiansen.\n\nMr Sanderson said the man had been \"insistent\" he was the \"bad guy\" in the situation and had been trying to bully him.\n\nIn his own testimony, Mr Christiansen said it was \"ridiculous\" to claim he had been hostile towards Mr Sanderson, given instructors who get into confrontations with guests \"don't last\" at the ski resort.\n\nHe told the jury Ms Paltrow was not a \"reckless\" or \"dangerous\" skier and was skilled at \"making short radius turns\".\n\nMr Christiansen, who was teaching Ms Paltrow's son Moses on the day, said that neither she nor Mr Sanderson had asked for assistance from a ski patrol after the incident.\n\nHe said if anyone had asked for help \"that would have changed everything\", as when people are hurt ski patrol must be called to take statements and assess the extent of the injuries.\n\nMr Christiansen also denied there had been a \"cover-up\" to protect the actress.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/world-us-canada-65095127"}
{"title":"How will Scotland's new first minister be appointed? - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-27","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"Humza Yousaf will face a vote in the Scottish Parliament on Tuesday before being confirmed as the country's sixth first minister.","section":"Scotland politics","content":"Humza Yousaf has won the race to succeed Nicola Sturgeon as leader of the SNP, and will now face a vote in the Scottish Parliament before being confirmed as the country's sixth first minister.\n\nAbout 50,000 of the SNP's 72,000 members took part in the leadership vote, which saw Mr Yousaf defeat Kate Forbes and Ash Regan.\n\nThe leadership election was decided by the Single Transferable Vote system, with Mr Yousaf failing to win a majority in the first round of voting.\n\nBut he won 52.1% of the votes after second preference votes from Ms Regan, who was eliminated after finishing third in the first round, were redistributed.\n\nMs Forbes came second with 47.9% of the votes when second preferences were included, with Mr Yousaf receiving a total of 26,032 votes and Ms Forbes 23,890.\n\nWhen Ms Sturgeon announced that she was standing down, she said she would continue as first minister until her successor was chosen.\n\nIt is expected that she will now formally inform the King of her intention to resign as first minister after more than eight years in the role.\n\nOn Tuesday, Mr Yousaf will be nominated by MSPs to replace Ms Sturgeon as first minister.\n\nAny MSP from any party can also be nominated for the role. There were seven candidates in 2003, with Ms Sturgeon defeating then-Conservative leader Ruth Davidson in 2014, Liberal Democrat leader Willie Rennie in 2016 and both Mr Rennie and current Tory leader Douglas Ross in 2021.\n\nIt is expected that Mr Yousaf will be up against Mr Ross, Scottish Labour leader Anas Sarwar and Lib Dem leader Alex Cole-Hamilton this time around - although none of the opposition leaders has any prospect of winning.\n\nAfter the nominees have all made a brief speech in parliament, MSPs will vote for their preferred candidate.\n\nA candidate must receive more votes than all of their rivals combined in order to win.\n\nIf this does not happen, the contender with the least number of votes drops out and another round of voting is held.\n\nThis process continues until one candidate gets a majority of the votes cast.\n\nThe parliament's presiding officer, the equivalent of the Speaker in the House of Commons, will then recommend to the King that he appoints the winning candidate as first minister of Scotland. Unless something truly remarkable happens, that will be Mr Yousaf.\n\nIn the unlikely event that parliament cannot elect a first minister within 28 days, an election would be held.\n\nThe new first minister will be formally sworn in - probably on Wednesday - in a short ceremony at the Court of Session in Edinburgh.\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Nicola Sturgeon was sworn in in a simple ceremony at the Court of Session in Edinburgh\n\nHe will then take the \"official declaration\", or oath of office, with the court's Lord President also asking them to take a vow as Keeper of the Scottish Seal.\n\nFinally, he will also make an oath of allegiance to the King.\n\nThe first minister is likely to start the process of appointing government ministers after he has been sworn in.\n\nMr Yousaf - a republican - will also become a member of the King's Privy Council group of advisors, and is likely to be invited for a private audience with the monarch.\n\nOn Thursday, he will face opposition leaders for the first time at the weekly First Minister's Questions session.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/uk-scotland-scotland-politics-65080624"}
{"title":"Prince Harry and Elton John appear at High Court in Associated Newspapers hearing - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-27","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"The Duke of Sussex has accused the publisher of the Daily Mail of unlawful information gathering.","section":"Entertainment & Arts","content":"This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser.\n\nThe Duke of Sussex unexpectedly appeared at the High Court as legal proceedings began over alleged phone-tapping and other breaches of privacy.\n\nPrince Harry, who is one of those suing Associated Newspapers, the publisher of the Daily Mail, was joined in the court room by singer Sir Elton John.\n\nThe duke claims \"suspicion and paranoia\" were caused by Associated's publication of some articles.\n\nThe publisher \"vigorously denies\" all the claims against it.\n\nPrince Harry arrived at the High Court on Monday morning, while Sir Elton, who is also involved in the legal proceedings, joined proceedings at lunchtime.\n\nSir Elton John arrived at the High Court on Monday lunchtime\n\nThe pair, along with actresses Sadie Frost and Liz Hurley, are among the individuals who allege unlawful information gathering by the company, which also publishes the Mail on Sunday.\n\nOthers taking part in the legal action include Sir Elton's husband David Furnish, and Baroness Doreen Lawrence, the mother of Stephen Lawrence, who was murdered in a racist attack in 1993.\n\nThe four-day preliminary hearing in London is considering legal arguments and a judge will decide whether the case will go any further. Associated Newspapers (ANL) wants to end the claims without trial.\n\nDavid Sherborne, the lawyer for the group of prominent individuals, said: \"The claimants each claim that in different ways they were the victim of numerous unlawful acts carried out by the defendant, or by those acting on the instructions of its newspapers, the Daily Mail and the Mail on Sunday.\"\n\nHe said the alleged unlawful activity included \"illegally intercepting voicemail messages; listening into live landline calls; obtaining private information, such as itemised phone bills or medical records, by deception or 'blagging'\".\n\nThe activity also allegedly included \"using private investigators to commit these unlawful information gathering acts on their behalf and even commissioning the breaking and entry into private property\".\n\nHe added: \"They range through a period from 1993 to 2011, even continuing beyond until 2018.\"\n\nActress Sadie Frost also appeared on Monday, and sat two seats away from Harry in the courtroom\n\nIn a document filed on Prince Harry's behalf, Mr Sherborne said the duke was \"troubled that, through Associated's unlawful acts, he was largely deprived of important aspects of his teenage years\".\n\nIn particular, he said, the prince had \"suspicion and paranoia\" caused by the publication of articles by ANL using unlawfully gathered information.\n\nThe barrister said: \"Friends were lost or cut off as a result and everyone became a 'suspect' since he was misled by the way that the articles were written into believing that those close to him were the source of this information being provided to Associated's newspapers.\"\n\nHe added: \"The claimant regards Associated's unlawful acts to amount to a major betrayal given promises made by the media to improve its conduct following the tragic and untimely death of his mother, Princess Diana, in 1997.\"\n\nSir Elton's lawyer said the singer and his husband were \"appalled\" by ANL's alleged conduct\n\nThe High Court was told Sir Elton and Mr Furnish's landline at their home in Windsor was tapped by a private investigator on the instructions of Associated Newspapers Limited.\n\nMr Sherborne said they were \"mortified to consider all their conversations, some of which were very personal indeed, were tapped, taped, packaged and consumed as a commercial product for journalists and unknown others to pick over regardless of whether or not they were published\".\n\nThe High Court heard Sir Elton and Mr Furnish had not seen a copy of their first child's birth certificate before it was unlawfully obtained by ANL.\n\nBaroness Doreen Lawrence, whose son Stephen was murdered in a racist attack, also attended court on Monday\n\nMr Sherborne also told the court a private investigator acting on behalf of ANL hacked Hurley's phone and placed a \"sticky window mini-microphone\" outside her home.\n\nHe added her ex-boyfriend Hugh Grant's car was bugged to unlawfully obtain information about her finances, travel plans and medicals during her pregnancy.\n\nHe also told the court ANL paid a private investigator to unlawfully find the address of a man it believed was the male lover of Liberal Democrat politician Sir Simon Hughes.\n\nBaroness Lawrence's bank accounts were monitored to check whether she was receiving any money from other newspapers during the Daily Mail's Justice for Stephen Lawrence Campaign, Mr Sherborne alleged.\n\n\"She finds it hard to believe the level of duplicity and manipulation that was clearly at play, knowing now as she does that the Daily Mail's outward support for her fight to bring Stephen's killers to justice was hollow and, worse, entirely false,\" he said.\n\nANL has said it categorically denies the serious claims made in the litigation and will vigorously defend them if necessary.\n\nThe group launched the legal action last year. ANL's lawyer Adrian Beltrami KC said, in written submissions, that the legal actions had been brought too late, were \"stale\" and the claims were \"largely inferential\".\n\nThe barrister said the individuals had to prove they did not know earlier, or could not have discovered earlier, they might have had a claim against ANL for alleged misuse of their private information.\n\nHe said none of the group said they believe they continued to be targeted by unlawful information-gathering after 2015.\n\nIn a statement after Monday's hearing, it added: \"A private investigator whose 'confessions' form a key element of a privacy case being brought against Associated Newspapers by Prince Harry, Baroness Doreen Lawrence, Elton John and others has denied their allegations that he acted illegally against them on behalf of the Daily Mail or Mail on Sunday.\"\n\nIt said while the Mail's \"admiration of Baroness Lawrence remained undimmed\", we are \"profoundly saddened that she has been persuaded to bring this case\".\n\nIt added: \"The Mail remains hugely proud of its pivotal role in campaigning for justice for Stephen Lawrence. Its famous 'Murderers' front page triggered the Macpherson report.\"\n\nThe Duke of Sussex was last seen in the UK at the late Queen's funeral\n\nThe duke's appearance on Monday is believed to be the first time he has been back in the UK since the late Queen's funeral in September.\n\nHis surprise return comes nearly three months after he publicised his troubled relationship with his father the King and brother the Prince of Wales in his controversial autobiography Spare.\n\nThe Duke and Duchess of Sussex also released a Netflix documentary in December, titled Harry & Meghan.\n\nThe King was due to be away on Monday on the first official state visit of his reign, but the trip to France was cancelled due to rioting over pension reforms.\n\nHe is due to leave for a state visit to Germany on Wednesday morning.\n\nBuckingham Palace said he was not in Windsor or London on Monday.\n\nThe Duke and Duchess of Sussex have been asked to vacate their UK home, Frogmore Cottage on the Windsor estate, in a move sanctioned by the King.\n\nThe duke is also taking legal action against the Home Office over security arrangements when he is in the UK, raising questions about his own security provisions during this visit.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/entertainment-arts-65087072"}
{"title":"Poole oil leak not as bad as first thought, says harbour commissioner - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-27","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"The pipeline was shut down and specialist oil spill companies brought in after the 200-barrel leak.","section":"Dorset","content":"Perenco said the leak was \"quickly stopped and contained\"\n\nAn oil leak from a pipeline at an onshore oil field into Poole Harbour was \"not as bad as initially thought\", Poole Harbour Commissioners (PHC) said.\n\nAbout 200 barrels of reservoir fluid, including oil, leaked from the pipeline run by Perenco on Sunday.\n\nPHC said \"two clusters\" of oil remained in the harbour - at Poole Marina and at Ower Bay, near the source of the leak.\n\nThe government said investigations were under way to find the cause of the fault and prevent any recurrence.\n\nThere are concerns for the impact the incident will have on wildlife in the area, with the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (RSPB) saying it had received reports of \"oiled birds\" being spotted around the bay on Monday.\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Aerial footage shows a large boom across Poole Harbour the day after the leak\n\nPeople are being urged not to swim at the harbour or surrounding areas.\n\nPHC chief executive Jim Stewart said more than 100 people, aided by a helicopter and drones, had been involved in the clean-up.\n\nHe said aerial footage gathered on Monday morning suggested there had been \"a 60-70% reduction in oil sightings on the water\".\n\n\"We are pleasantly surprised that it's not as serious as we initially thought,\" he said.\n\n\"Currently there seems to be a substantial reduction of oil slicks from yesterday and there are just two places in the whole of the harbour that we can see which has got the black crude oil that was released.\"\n\nPHC urged members of the public not to try to help and leave it to the specially trained teams.\n\nThe leak came from Wytch Farm, an oil field and processing facility that produces about 14,000 barrels of oil equivalent per day.\n\nOil was pictured on the surface of the water at Poole Harbour on Sunday afternoon\n\nIn the House of Commons, South Dorset MP Richard Drax asked the government to ensure that a full investigation into the \"potentially catastrophic\" leak was carried out by a regulator.\n\nHis Conservative colleague Sir Robert Syms, the MP for Poole, said: \"Clearly this has an impact on public confidence, which is why we need an inquiry to look at it.\"\n\nRachael Maskell, Labour MP for York Central, asked: \"...can [the minister] say when the infrastructure was last examined for its compliance with safety?\"\n\nEnvironment minister Rebecca Pow said investigations were already under way, adding: \"There's a full regime... run through the regulator for checking the pipework and so forth, but... all of the records and the maintenance records will be looked at.\"\n\nBoat owner Steve Harding said he first encountered oil on the water on Sunday at the the exit to Salterns Marina on the eastern side of the harbour.\n\n\"I'm out on the water quite a lot and this was definitely noticeable - there was a significant amount of oil on the surface of the water,\" he said.\n\n\"The sea area that this has dispersed over looks to be pretty big, unfortunately. I certainly won't be on the water this week.\"\n\nAnnie Gilbert and her husband Ian have run a business fishing for bass in the harbour for almost 20 years.\n\n\"Poole Harbour is a bass nursery area - and obviously the fish come in to breed and spawn. It may affect us in the future,\" she said.\n\nThe leak came from Wytch Farm oil field\n\nPHC said on Sunday that Perenco had reported \"no risk\" of further leakage after the pipeline was shut down and booms were placed on either side of the leak to minimise pollution.\n\nPerenco said each barrel contained 158 litres (35 gallons) of fluids which were \"a mix of water with a small amount of oil\" made up of 85% water and 15% oil.\n\nPHC said the \"maximum amount\" of crude oil leaked was six tonnes.\n\nAbout 5,000 acres of Poole Harbour is a Site of Special Scientific Interest\n\nPeople I've been speaking to here at Poole Harbour are concerned.\n\nThe skipper of a charter boat heading out to sea told me he didn't know what he would find in the water; and fishing boats are loading up for a day at sea, hoping their work will be unaffected.\n\nTheir crew members are all asking the same questions as the authorities: just how much oil has leaked, how easily can it be cleaned up, and how serious will any lasting impact be?\n\nIt may take some time to establish that. But in an area popular with swimmers and nature lovers, it's a case of watching and waiting and hoping for the best.\n\nPoole has the largest natural harbour in Europe and about 5,000 acres of it is a Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI).\n\nIts salt marshes and mudflats are a feeding and breeding-ground for seabirds including spoonbills, avocets and black-tailed godwits.\n\nThe National Trust said it was \"not aware\" of any pollution washing ashore on its land, including Brownsea Island nature reserve, following the spill.\n\nThe harbour is also home to an osprey reintroduction programme, and a male returned to the site at the weekend\n\nThe harbour is also home to an osprey reintroduction programme, aiming to establish a breeding population of the fish-eating birds of prey after 200 years.\n\nAnyone who has come into contact with the spill should wash themselves immediately with soap and water. If eyes have come into contact with the spill, they should be rinsed with water.\n\nThis Twitter post cannot be displayed in your browser. Please enable Javascript or try a different browser. View original tweet on Twitter The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Skip twitter post by birdsofpooleharbour 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\u2019s cookie policy, external and privacy policy, external before accepting. To view this content choose \u2018accept and continue\u2019. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.\n\nFollow BBC South on Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram. Send your story ideas to south.newsonline@bbc.co.uk.\n\u2022 None Harbour clean-up under way after 200-barrel leak\n\nThe BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/uk-england-dorset-65085130"}
{"title":"SNP to announce Nicola Sturgeon's successor - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-27","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"The party will confirm their next leader later after a process that has revealed deep divisions.","section":"Scotland politics","content":"Humza Yousaf, Ash Regan and Kate Forbes are the three candidates in the contest to succeed Nicola Sturgeon\n\nThe winner of the contest to succeed Nicola Sturgeon as SNP leader is to be announced later.\n\nAsh Regan, Humza Yousaf and Kate Forbes have been standing in the race, with the successful candidate to be revealed in Edinburgh at about 14:00 BST.\n\nThe winner will face a vote at Holyrood on Tuesday before also being confirmed as Scotland's new first minister.\n\nMs Sturgeon announced last month that she was standing down after more than eight years in the roles.\n\nThe online ballot of SNP members closed at midday, with the result to be announced two hours later by SNP national secretary Lorna Finn in front of an audience of about 300 people at Murrayfield Stadium.\n\nIt is the first time the SNP has had a leadership contest since 2004, with Ms Sturgeon being unopposed when she replaced Alex Salmond in 2014.\n\nWhoever wins will become only its fifth leader since 1979, and will face the task of uniting a party that has dominated Scottish politics in recent years but which has looked deeply divided in the wake of Ms Sturgeon's resignation.\n\nBookmakers have Health Secretary Mr Yousaf - seen as Ms Sturgeon's preferred successor - as the clear favourite to win the leadership election, which is being held under the Single Transferrable Vote system.\n\nHowever, polling expert Prof Sir John Curtice said Ms Forbes, who has been on maternity leave from her finance secretary role, appears to be more popular than Mr Yousaf among Scottish voters as a whole.\n\nMeanwhile, Ms Regan is best known for quitting as a junior minister over the Scottish government's controversial gender recognition reforms, and is generally regarded as being the outsider in the contest.\n\nBut Sir John said there had been little polling of SNP members during the campaign, and therefore \"none of us know what is going to happen\" - with the outcome potentially hinging on who voters put as their second-choice candidate.\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Nicola Sturgeon addressed the Holyrood chamber for the last time as first minister on Thursday\n\nMs Sturgeon's surprise announcement that she was resigning came just three weeks after she insisted that she had \"plenty in the tank\" and still believed she would lead Scotland to independence.\n\nHer husband, Peter Murrell, quit as the SNP's chief executive midway through the leadership contest after being forced to admit its membership had fallen from 104,000 to 72,000 since December 2021.\n\nThe party previously ridiculed newspaper reports that it had lost 30,000 members, and had refused to tell the three candidates how many people would be able to vote in the leadership election.\n\nSNP media chief Murray Foote also resigned over the row, with the party still facing a police probe over the use of \u00a3600,000 which was raised by activists who were told it would be ringfenced for a second independence referendum, and questions over why Mr Murrell gave the SNP a loan of more than \u00a3100,000 in June 2021.\n\nThe party and Mr Murrell both deny they have done anything wrong, with Ms Sturgeon saying she \"can't recall\" when she first learned of her husband's six-figure loan and that the \"resources that he lent to the party were resources that belonged to him\".\n\nMr Yousaf has denied allegations that the contest was specifically designed by the party hierarchy to help him win, with both of his rivals questioning the fairness and transparency of the process.\n\nThe early stages of the race saw Ms Forbes, a member of the evangelical Free Church of Scotland, come under fire from senior SNP figures, including Deputy First Minister John Swinney, over her conservative views on social issues such as gay marriage, abortion, trans rights and having children outside marriage.\n\nMr Swinney - a staunch ally of Ms Sturgeon for decades - is also set to leave the government once a successor is appointed.\n\nMs Forbes later hit back by slating the competence of Mr Yousaf in a live TV debate, while also launching thinly-veiled criticism of Ms Sturgeon when she said that \"more of the same\" would be an \"acceptance of mediocrity\".\n\nThe attack did little to placate those colleagues who were already pondering whether they could serve under Ms Forbes because of her views on social issues - with the SNP's deputy leader at Westminster, Mhairi Black, warning that the party could split if the finance secretary wins.\n\nThe new leader will immediately face having to make a host of tough decisions, including whether to fight the UK government's block on Scotland's gender reforms in the courts - only Mr Yousaf says he wants to - and what to do with other controversial polices inherited from Ms Sturgeon such as the deposit return scheme and new national care service.\n\nThey will also find themselves in charge of a health service with record waiting times and an education system that has so far shown little sign of achieving Ms Sturgeon's mission of closing the wide attainment gap between the wealthiest and most deprived pupils.\n\nThere is also doubt about the future of the SNP's power sharing agreement at Holyrood with the Scottish Greens if either Ms Forbes or Ms Regan become first minister because of their opposing views on issues such as gender self-identification and economic development.\n\nGreen co-leaders Patrick Harvie and Lorna Slater said at the weekend that the new first minister must have \"progressive values\" if the agreement is to continue, and that a commitment to climate justice and trans rights were \"non-negotiable\".\n\nMuch of the focus of the contest has been on how the candidates would look to build support for independence, with polls suggesting that it remains broadly where it was when Ms Sturgeon took over the party leadership after the referendum in 2014 - although it has fluctuated over that time.\n\nDespite the turmoil that has hit the party over the past month, Ms Sturgeon has said that she is leaving whoever replaces her with a \"brilliant foundation\" on which to build, pointing to her eight election victories as party leader and first minister.\n\nShe has also dismissed suggestions from some within her party - including its interim chief executive Michael Russell - that the SNP is currently in \"a mess\", insisting that it was instead merely going through \"growing pains\" that are \"necessary but difficult\".\n\nThe outgoing first minister carried out her final official engagement before leaving office on Friday, when she opened a \u00a333m treatment centre for orthopaedic surgery in Kirkcaldy.\n\nMs Sturgeon had been given a standing ovation in the Scottish Parliament the previous day, when she said her time as first minister \"truly has been the privilege of my lifetime\" and thanked Scots for \"placing your trust in me\".\n\nIt is not yet known what she will do after leaving office - beyond learning to drive and \"probably\" writing a book about her 30 years in politics - but few expect her to still be serving as a backbench MSP when the next Holyrood election is held in 2026.\n\nThe UK government's Scottish secretary, Alister Jack, has urged whoever replaces Ms Sturgeon to \"turn from confrontation to collaboration\" in their relationship with Westminster, saying that the \"fundamental political differences\" between them should not stop the two governments working together to improve people's lives.\n\nScottish Labour leader Anas Sarwar claims that the new first minister will have no mandate to govern and has called for a Holyrood election to be held - pointing to similar demands made by Ms Sturgeon for a general election during last year's Conservative leadership contest.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/uk-scotland-scotland-politics-65065112"}
{"title":"Laughing gas: Experts warn nitrous oxide ban will not stop use - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-27","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"The government defends new plans to tackle anti-social behaviour by clamping down on nitrous oxide.","section":"UK Politics","content":"A ban on laughing gas will not stop people using it and will drive it into criminal hands, say experts.\n\nThe government has defended its plans to tackle anti-social behaviour, including making the possession of nitrous oxide a criminal offence.\n\nThe Drug Science scientific charity says a blanket ban \"is completely disproportionate\" and \"would likely deliver more harm than good\".\n\nThe \u00a3160m plan will also address homelessness, begging and graffiti.\n\nUnveiling his plans to clamp down on anti-social behaviour on Monday, Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said there was a need for a \"zero-tolerance\" approach and stressed the importance of \"immediate justice\".\n\nSpeaking at a boxing club in Chelmsford, Essex, Mr Sunak said he wanted to deal with a small minority of people who were being disruptive.\n\nThe decision to make nitrous oxide a Class C drug goes against advice from the Advisory Council on the Misuse of Drugs (ACMD), which recently said nitrous oxide should not be banned under the Misuse of Drugs Act 1971.\n\nIts review also found \"no substantive evidence of links between nitrous oxide and anti-social behaviour\" aside from littering.\n\nOn Monday afternoon, Home Secretary Suella Braverman told MPs the government was expected to \"take a broader view\" on the ACMD's findings, adding there was still \"emerging evidence that [nitrous oxide] does cause serious harm to health and wellbeing\".\n\nShe said the government would \"put an end to hordes of youths loitering in and littering parks with empty canisters\".\n\nBut shadow home secretary Yvette Cooper claimed the government's crackdown was \"too weak, too little and too late\".\n\n\"There are 10,000 fewer neighbourhood police and PCSOs on our streets today than there were seven years ago,\" she said.\n\nShe said Labour supported a ban on nitrous oxide, but stressed it needed to be part of an integrated anti-social behaviour strategy.\n\nThe gas, sold in metal canisters, is known as NOS and is one of the most-used drugs by UK 16 to 24-year-olds.\n\nHeavy use can lead to a vitamin deficiency that damages nerves in the spinal cord.\n\nProposals in the government's crackdown on anti-social behaviour also include:\n\nSome 16 areas will get funding for either the \"hotspot\" policing or a new \"immediate justice\" scheme, where those who carry out anti-social activity will undertake repair and clean-up works within 48 hours of being handed orders. Four areas will trial both schemes.\n\nVictims of anti-social behaviour will get a say in people's punishments \"to ensure justice is visible and fits the crime\", the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities said.\n\nThe government defended its move to clamp down on laughing gas, with Policing Minister Chris Philp saying there were concerns that nitrous oxide was being consumed on \"a very large scale\".\n\nQuestioned about the decision to go against ACMD advice, he told BBC Radio 4's Today Programme: \"We have taken a broader view - considering firstly the social harms caused by nitrous oxide, the contribution it makes to anti-social behaviour, a sense sometimes of menace in local communities, the littering that goes with it and also the very early evidence of some medical harm.\"\n\nIn its policy paper, the government said it intends to make nitrous oxide a Class C drug with potential prison sentences and unlimited fines for unlawful supply and possession, when parliamentary time allows.\n\nDavid Badcock, chief executive of Drug Science, said he was \"disheartened\" at the proposed ban and the government was \"going completely against its own advisory panel\".\n\nHe went on to ask: \"What's the point in the ACMD when the very best scientists and experts have looked at the evidence and advised what to do and they completely ignore it?\"\n\nSteve Rolles, senior policy analyst at the Transform Drug Policy Foundation, said criminalising nitrous oxide would \"hand control of the product to criminal gangs\".\n\nProf Adam Winstock, an addiction medicine specialist and founder of the Global Drug Survey, told the BBC that getting a criminal record \"is going to be a far greater harm than the risks for the vast majority of people using nitrous oxide\".\n\nRishi Sunak during a Q&A session in Chelmsford on Monday\n\nIt is already illegal to produce or supply the gas for its psychoactive effects under the Psychoactive Substances Act 2016, but this does not cover possession unless it is with the intent to supply.\n\nAccording to the ACDM, the number of deaths and demand for treatment for problematic use of nitrous oxide remains low compared with other drugs.\n\nHowever, there have been reports of an increase in neurological harms, including nerve and spinal cord damage, related to heavy and persistent use.\n\nNitrous oxide is also regularly used as an anaesthetic in medicine and dentistry, and as a gas for making whipped cream in cooking.\n\nThe Liberal Democrats said: \"Making something like this illegal doesn't work and hands profit and control to serious criminals.\"","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/uk-politics-65085987"}
{"title":"Actor Orlando Bloom meets children affected by Ukraine war and visits Zelensky - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-27","authors":null,"description":"The Lord of the Rings star, who is a goodwill ambassador for Unicef, also met President Zelensky.","section":null,"content":"Actor Orlando Bloom has visited a centre in Kyiv which provides support to children affected by the war in Ukraine.\n\nThe Lord of the Rings star, who is a goodwill ambassador for the UN children's organisation Unicef, also met with Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskiy, and praised the strength of the Ukrainian people as \"awe-inspiring\".","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/world-europe-65085212"}
{"title":"Welsh: Law to help all Wales' pupils speak confidently by 2050 - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-27","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"But campaigners are warning of a danger that the aim is \"too vague and the actions insufficient\".","section":"Wales","content":"The Welsh government has published its White Paper on Welsh language and education\n\nA new law will help all pupils in Wales become confident Welsh speakers by 2050, the Welsh government has said.\n\nProposals for a new Welsh Medium Education Bill have been published by Labour ministers and Plaid Cymru.\n\nPlaid Cymru said it set the foundation for every pupil to have Welsh-medium education.\n\nBut campaigners have warned of a \"danger that the targets are too low, the aim too vague, and the actions insufficient\".\n\nProposals include reflecting the target of one million Welsh speakers by 2050 in law as well as giving legal status to the language categories for schools.\n\nThe aim is to increase Welsh language provision within English-medium schools and also to increase the number of schools in the Welsh-medium category.\n\nThere is also a proposal to establish a clear system to describe language skill levels so that everyone has a common understanding of Welsh skills, including employers.\n\nEnabling all pupils to leave school as a \"confident speaker\" would mean having the ability to work through the medium of Welsh.\n\nA consultation will be open until 16 June, and the Welsh government has pledged to introduce a Welsh Education Bill before the end of the parliamentary term.\n\nThe Minister for Education and Welsh Language Jeremy Miles said the government was \"committed to a future where everyone has the ability and opportunity to use Welsh in their everyday lives\".\n\nOther proposals include requirements on local authorities to promote Welsh-medium education, a national plan by ministers which would include targets for the recruitment of Welsh-medium teachers and a commitment to conduct a study looking at accelerating the growth of Welsh-medium education.\n\nThe proposals aim to improve pupils' confidence with their Welsh language skills\n\nPlaid Cymru MS Cefin Campbell said the proposals go \"further towards ensuring that our education system delivers Welsh to all pupils in a way that creates confident speakers\" and where Welsh-medium provision is normalised.\n\n\"The proposals offer a foundation towards an education system that delivers Welsh-medium education for all pupils,\" he said.\n\nLanguage campaigners Cymdeithas yr Iaith described the White Paper as \"an important step forward\".\n\nHowever, it said the final law should include \"ambitious statutory targets in terms of developing the Welsh-language education workforce and increasing the number of children receiving Welsh-medium education\".\n\nWelsh Conservative shadow minister for the Welsh language, Samuel Kurtz MS, said: \"It's important that parental choice is included in the Labour-Plaid Cymru plans and that we have enough teachers able to teach their subjects well through the medium of Welsh.\"\n\nA Welsh Language Education Bill is a pledge in the co-operation agreement between the government and Plaid Cymru, but the First Minister Mark Drakeford and Plaid Cymru leader Adam Price clashed over Welsh language education last December.\n\nIn the Senedd chamber, Mr Drakeford said \"compulsory education for everybody through the medium of Welsh\" was not the answer to growing the language.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/uk-wales-65082197"}
{"title":"Teachers' strikes: NEU urges teachers to reject new pay deal - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-27","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"Schools in England could face further strikes, as the NEU is unhappy with the government's offer.","section":"Family & Education","content":"Teachers from the National Education Union held three national strike days in February and March\n\nSchools in England could face further strike action as the National Education Union has asked teachers to reject a new pay offer, after intensive talks.\n\nThe government has offered teachers a \u00a31,000 extra cash payment this year and a 4.3% rise for most staff next year.\n\nMany teachers in England received a pay rise of 5% in September 2022 but unions say this was a cut due to inflation.\n\nThousands of schools were disrupted by the latest walkout by teachers who are members of the NEU.\n\nFour unions have been involved in six days of intensive talks with the education secretary since 17 March about teachers' pay, conditions and workload.\n\nThe NAHT, NEU, ASCL and NASUWT unions have been calling for above-inflation pay rises, funded by extra money from the government rather than coming from schools' existing budgets.\n\nThe government says it is giving schools \u00a32.3bn over the next two years and starting salaries for new teachers will reach \u00a330,000 next year.\n\nIt says this is \"a fair and reasonable offer\" and commits to reducing workload by five hours each week.\n\nIn an interview with the BBC, Kevin Courtney, the NEU's general secretary, said his union was unhappy with the offer and believed it was \"not fully funded in schools, and that the majority of schools would have to make cuts in order to afford it\".\n\nMembers will be able to vote on the offer through an electronic ballot, which will run until Sunday. The result of that will be announced at the NEU conference on 3 April.\n\nMore walkouts could be called if members reject the offer.\n\nMr Courtney said the \"lack of teacher pay rises\" was one reason schools were struggling to recruit and retain staff.\n\n\"That's impacting on children's education every day,\" he said.\n\nSpeaking to BBC Breakfast, Mr Courtney said the government \"isn't funding schools well enough\".\n\nIf accepted \"60% of schools would have to make cuts to fund even this inadequate offer\", he said.\n\nHe stressed that if further strikes were planned \"local arrangements\" would be made to ensure Year 11 and Year 13 students would be in school ahead of exams.\n\nThe NASUWT union is also recommending its members reject the government's offer. It says the government has chosen to respond only to a small number of the working-condition issues raised by unions.\n\nThe school leaders' union, the NAHT, is asking members whether they want to accept or reject the offer.\n\nIt will also ask if they would be prepared to vote for industrial action if the offer is rejected.\n\nResults of their first ballot in January showed that the majority of members were in favour of strike action but turnout was 42%, under the legal requirement of 50%.\n\nThe ASCL is also consulting its members.\n\nMore than 50% of schools in England were fully closed or restricted attendance during strike days on 15 and 16 March, according to government data\n\nTeacher salaries fell by an average of 11% between 2010 and 2022, after taking inflation into account, the Institute for Fiscal Studies says.\n\nThe government had offered most teachers a 3% rise for the next school year, 2023-24.\n\nThe NEU says the new pay offer will give teachers an average increase of 4.5%, but experienced teachers will get 4.3%. The union says this is a real-terms pay cut which will leave many teachers still struggling to make ends meet.\n\nThe BBC has been told if the unions reject the offer, the decision on how much teachers will be offered will be passed to the pay review body, an independent body which gathers evidence on what some public sector workers are paid. But if this happens, the \u00a31,000 cash payment for this year would not happen.\n\nOutside a primary school in Manchester, Fahad, who has two primary school-aged children, says he is still supportive of the teachers' demands even if more strikes go ahead.\n\n\"These professions should be looked after and given more support and more increase in pay,\" he says.\n\nFarnaz said teachers were well within their rights to strike if they wanted to, but that \"it's hard when they're off because then I have to take time off work\".\n\n\"I hope they come to some sort of agreement and that (teachers) do get what they want,\" she adds.\n\nA Department for Education spokesperson said the government had put forward a \"fair and reasonable offer, backed with funding for schools\".\n\n\"The offer provides an average 4.5% pay rise for next year, puts \u00a31,000 into the pockets of teachers as a one-off payment for this year, and commits to reducing workload by five hours each week.\n\n\"This is a good deal for teachers that acknowledges their hard work and dedication.\"\n\nFahad, who has two children in primary school, says if more strikes go ahead he is still supportive of teachers' demands\n\nThe dispute over teachers' pay has been resolved in Scotland.\n\nTeachers in Scotland have accepted a 7% rise for 2022\/23, which will be backdated to April. They have also accepted a 5% rise in April 2023, and a 2% rise in January 2024.\n\nTeachers from the largest teaching union in Wales, the NEU, have agreed on an increased pay offer of 8% for 2022\/23, which consists of a 6.5% annual pay rise and a one-off lump sum payment, as well as a 5% pay rise for 2023\/24.\n\nBut Wales' school leaders' union, NAHT Cymru, has rejected the offer and says funding arrangements remain a major concern for school leaders. Members are continuing to take action short of strikes - which includes refusing to attend evening meetings and only responding to calls and emails between 09:00 and 15:00 BST.\n\nIn Northern Ireland, five unions are also continuing to take action short of a strike.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/education-65037422"}
{"title":"Mass Israel protests after Netanyahu fires defence minister - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-27","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"Thousands demonstrate after the firing of Yoav Gallant - who spoke out over controversial judicial reforms.","section":"Middle East","content":"This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser.\n\nTens of thousands of people have taken to the streets across Israel after Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu fired his defence minister.\n\nYoav Gallant had spoken out against controversial plans to overhaul the justice system.\n\nIn Jerusalem, police and soldiers used water cannon against demonstrators near Mr Netanyahu's house.\n\nEarly on Monday morning, Israel's President Isaac Herzog called on the government to halt the reforms.\n\n\"For the sake of the unity of the people of Israel, for the sake of responsibility, I call on you to stop the legislative process immediately,\" he said on Twitter, adding that \"the eyes of all the people of Israel are on you\".\n\nThe US also said it was deeply concerned about the developments and called for a compromise.\n\nA week of disruption had already been planned over the new law.\n\nThe reforms include plans that would give the government decisive control over the committee which appoints judges.\n\nThey would also make it harder for courts to remove a leader deemed unfit for office, which has angered many who consider it in the interests of the incumbent, Benjamin Netanyahu, who faces an ongoing trial for corruption.\n\nMr Netanyahu says the reforms are designed to stop the courts over-reaching their powers and that they were voted for by the public at the last election.\n\nAfter protesting outside Mr Netanyahu's home, the demonstrators - many flying Israeli flags and banging pots and pans - then evaded police forces to arrive at Israel's parliament, the Knesset.\n\nOne government employee told the BBC that she felt Mr Netanyahu \"crossed every line we have as a democratic country\".\n\n\"We're defending the last bit of democracy we have and I can't go to sleep this way. I can't do anything until we stop this craziness\", she said.\n\nProtesters duck below blasts of water fired from a water canon\n\nIn Tel Aviv, flag-waving protesters blocked one of the main highways for more than two hours, before they were cleared by mounted police and water cannon.\n\nMr Gallant is a former soldier, who for weeks has heard from reservists who were unhappy with the proposed law change.\n\nIn early March, fighter pilots in an elite Israeli Air Force squadron vowed not to attend training, in an unprecedented protest against the government.\n\nThey later agreed to attend and hold talks with their commanders.\n\nMr Gallant spoke out against the law on Saturday, where he said members of the Israeli Defence Forces were angry and disappointed.\n\nMr Netanyahu - who was out of the country at the time of Mr Gallant's TV appearance - said he no longer had faith in him as defence minister.\n\nThe prime minister wants to get the new legislation through parliament by the end of the week.\n\nThe two politicians are members of the same Likud party and while the defence minister won the backing of some fellow members, others on the far right called for him to go.\n\nA week of disruption had already been planned over the controversial plans to overhaul the justice system\n\nAfter he was fired, Mr Gallant took to Twitter to reaffirm: \"The state of Israel's security has always been and will always be my life's mission.\"\n\nIsrael's opposition leader Yair Lapid described Mr Gallant's sacking as \"a new low\" for the government.\n\n\"Netanyahu can fire Gallant, but he can't fire reality or fire the people of Israel who are fronting up to resist the coalition's madness,\" Mr Lapid added.\n\nA White House spokeswoman raised US concerns about the situation, saying: \"As the president recently discussed with Prime Minister Netanyahu, democratic values have always been, and must remain, a hallmark of the US-Israel relationship.\"\n\nShe added that \"fundamental changes\" to a democratic system should be \"pursued with the broadest possible base of popular support\".\n\n\"We continue to strongly urge Israeli leaders to find a compromise as soon as possible.\"","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/world-middle-east-65083776"}
{"title":"Nashville school shooting: Six killed by 28-year-old ex-student in Tennessee - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-27","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"Nashville police say the shooter was a 28-year-old former student at the private Christian school.","section":"US & Canada","content":"This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Watch: Police says the Nashville suspect was a female armed with assault weapons\n\nSix people - three children and three staff - have been killed in a shooting by an ex-student at a school in the US city of Nashville, Tennessee.\n\nThree of the victims were pupils aged nine or under at Covenant School. Police named them as Evelyn Dieckhaus, Hallie Scruggs and William Kinney.\n\nThe adult victims were named as Cynthia Peak, 61, Katherine Koonce, 60, and Mike Hill, 61.\n\nThe private Christian school has about 200 students.\n\nIt teaches pupils from three years old up to around 12.\n\nMs Peak was a substitute teacher working at the school that day. Mr Hill was a janitor and Ms Koonce was described as the Head of School on Covenant's website.\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser.\n\nPolice said the suspect was 28-year-old Audrey Hale, who identified as transgender.\n\nHale was armed with three guns, including a semi-automatic rifle, and was shot dead by police.\n\nPolice received the first call about the incident at 10:13 local time (15:13 GMT) on Monday.\n\nThe suspect drove to the school in a Honda Fit and got in by firing through one of the school doors, which were all locked.\n\nVideo later released by Nashville police show Hale using a gun to gain entry by shattering glass panes on the front doors, then wandering the school's deserted corridors - at one point walking past a room labelled \"Children's Ministry\".\n\nIn the CCTV footage, Hale is wearing what looks to be a protective vest and carrying an assault-style rifle in one hand, with a second, similar weapon also visible hanging from the left hip.\n\nThe shooter fired at police from the second floor when they arrived\n\nHale fired shots on the ground floor before moving to the building's second floor.\n\nAs police cars arrived, Hale fired on them from the second floor, striking one in the windscreen, said police.\n\nOne officer was injured by broken glass. Police rushed inside and shot the suspect dead at 10:27.\n\nA search of a nearby parked car led officers to \"firmly believe\" that Hale was a former student of the school, said police.\n\nPolice spoke with the attacker's father during a search of a nearby home that was listed as the shooter's address.\n\nNashville Police Chief John Drake said investigators there found a manifesto and \"a map of how all of this was going to play out\", including entry and exit points at the school building.\n\nHe also said the shooter had conducted surveillance while planning the attack.\n\nAfter the shooting, parents gathered at a nearby church to be reunited with their children. As buses of children arrived, they hung their heads and hands out of the windows to wave to their parents, according to the Tennessean newspaper.\n\nThe Presbyterian-affiliated Covenant School is located in the upmarket Green Hills neighbourhood, just south of downtown Nashville.\n\nThe mother of one pupil said her son had been left traumatised by the shooting.\n\n\"I think he's doing better now that he knows that the shooter is dead,\" Shaundelle Brooks told BBC News.\n\n\"These are conversations we shouldn't be having,\" she added. \"We're failing our children.\"\n\nThe killer shot through a locked side door to break inside\n\nBy nightfall on Monday, the entrance to Covenant looked like that of any other church that has a school, except for the growing memorial and police presence.\n\nThere was a sign outside promoting registration for a summer programme and the Easter Sunday service schedule.\n\n\"When I heard it I couldn't get any more work done. I was sad and angry,\" says Mark from south Nashville.\n\n\"Bringing flowers is my way of paying respects to the lives lost.\"\n\nIn a statement, Nashville Mayor John Cooper said the city had \"joined the dreaded, long list of communities to experience a school shooting\".\n\n\"We have to do more to stop gun violence,\" he said, once again calling on Congress to pass gun control laws. \"It is ripping our communities apart, and ripping at the very soul of this nation.\"\n\nThe attack was America's 129th mass shooting of 2023, according to Gun Violence Archive, a non-profit that tracks gun violence data.\n\nAccording to data compiled by Education Week, there have been 12 school shootings that have resulted in deaths or injuries in the US this year up until the end of last week.\n\nHave you been affected by what's happened? Are you in the area? If it's safe to do so, you can get in touch by emailing haveyoursay@bbc.co.uk.\n\nPlease include a contact number if you are willing to speak to a BBC journalist. You can also get in touch in the following ways:\n\nIf 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 HaveYourSay@bbc.co.uk. Please include your name, age and location with any submission.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/uk-65092102"}
{"title":"Families of HMS Dasher dead want honest answers - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-27","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"Aircraft carrier HMS Dasher exploded in 1943 killing 379 - 80 years on relatives feel cheated of the truth.","section":"Scotland","content":"HMS Dasher was a merchant ship converted into an aircraft carrier\n\nThe families of hundreds of sailors killed in Scottish waters during World War Two, say they have been cheated of the truth.\n\nAt poignant events marking the 80th anniversary of the sinking of aircraft carrier HMS Dasher, the desire to know what happened to the bodies of hundreds of its crew was stronger than ever.\n\nThe vessel blew up in the Firth of Clyde on March 27th 1943 and went down within eight minutes not far from the shore. The cause is not clear but it did not involve enemy action.\n\nThere are continuing questions about what might have happened to those who lost their lives.\n\nLast weekend, descendants of those lost, accompanied by Royal Navy personnel and representatives of the Royal British Legion took the ferry from Ardrossan to Brodick on the Isle of Arran.\n\nThe ferry stopped over the site of the wreck of HMS Dasher. Wreathes were laid over the side after a short service of commemoration.\n\nDame Mary Richardson attended the memorial and has tried for many years to find out what happened to the remains of crew members\n\nDame Mary Richardson, aged 87, was there remembering her father George Habgood. She later read a tribute in a remembrance service at the HMS Dasher memorial gardens in Ardrossan.\n\nOut of 528 personnel on board, the death toll was 379 but only 23 were given official burials. Some of those were carried out in Ardrossan cemetery.\n\nDame Mary and other relatives of victims have been trying for decades to find out what might have happened to the bodies of the rest of the crew.\n\nShe told BBC News: \"There were so many families there who had links with Dasher and it is quite clear the Dasher memory is embedded in these families - there were some there with three generations and they are still asking questions.\n\n\"There is a feeling they've been cheated - that they've never been given their right to an honest and full answer and I think that has to come. Far from dying out, it is as strong as it ever was.\"\n\nHMS Dasher blew up in the Firth of Clyde in March 1943\n\nWitnesses at the time have passed on testimony that there were many more than 23 bodies washed ashore and suggested there must be unmarked graves.\n\nBill Watson's father, also named Bill, was a student in 1943 and working as a volunteer ambulance driver. Mr Watson told us that his father was asked to work with others recovering bodies washed up on the shoreline around Ardrossan.\n\nHe said: \"There were two in each group and there were several groups. His recollection is there were many trips. They would get six of these poor souls onto these ambulance trailers and they would be taken to local mortuaries. Some were laid out in a hall on the dancefloor.\n\n\"His estimation - him and his small group - is greater than 50 - if there were other groups you would assume many more than 50.\"\n\nBill Watson's father - also Bill - worked as a volunteer recovering bodies from the shore in 1943.\n\nDame Mary Richardson has been told by one family member that his step-father was an 18-year-old sailor serving on a minesweeper which was in the area at the time.\n\nHe had spoken of taking part in a burial party and recalled that some bodies were buried on an island. Dame Mary has personally funded an archaeological survey of Sanda island off the Mull of Kintyre. This has revealed some intriguing indentations near the shoreline.\n\nMany were presumed dead but relatives never found out what happened to their remains\n\nThe survey was carried out by Drone Scotland acting for GUARD Archaeology (formerly part of Glasgow University).\n\nIt concludes: \"The survey located an anomaly that has the characteristics that are associated with burial and, especially, mass burial; a measurable dip in the ground surface coupled with distinct edges where the cut was made.\"\n\nThe report does make clear though that there is only the \"potential\" for there to be graves on the site.\n\nIn a statement, the Royal Navy has said that the creation of a mass unmarked grave would clearly run counter to Admiralty policy on the burial of wartime casualties and that all sources relating to the sinking of HMS Dasher are in the public domain.\n\nAs the anniversary events drew to a close, Dame Mary made it clear she would continue her investigation and, working with other families, campaign for more official information to be revealed.\n\nShe connects with words from the wartime poem The Life That I Have by Leo Marks.\n\n\"It makes me very sad,\" she said. \"It's a commemoration of these men - but I think like in the poem \"sleeping in the long green grass\" for 80 years but alone and unrecognised.\n\n\"Eighty years is a long time and by the time 100 years comes I won't be here - so I've got a limited time to find these men\".","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/uk-scotland-65086104"}
{"title":"Civil servants to strike in April - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-27","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"The PCS union said 130,000 members voted to strike on 28 April in a continued row over pay, pensions and job security.","section":"Business","content":"Members of the PCS union walked out on Budget Day\n\nMore than 130,000 civil servants have voted to go on strike next month over pay, pensions and job security.\n\nThe PCS union said its members voted to take action on 28 April to increase the pressure on the government and were \"not backing down\".\n\nPCS general secretary Mark Serwotka said: \"Ministers need to resolve the dispute by putting money on the table.\"\n\nThe government said their demands would cost an \"unaffordable \u00a32.4bn\".\n\nUrging the PCS union to call off the strikes, a spokesperson said the government's focus was to \"ease the pressure on households across the country\" as the cost of living soars.\n\n\"That is why public sector pay awards strike a careful balance between recognising the vital importance of public sector workers, while delivering value for taxpayers and avoiding higher prices in the future,\" the government spokesperson added.\n\nMembers of the PCS union, who have been offered a 2% to 3% increase, last walked out on Budget day earlier this month.\n\nThe PCS union represents hundreds of thousands who work in government departments as well as those at organisations such as Ofsted, the Maritime and Coastguard Agency and Border Force.\n\nIt has been calling for a 10% pay rise, better pensions, job security and no cuts to redundancy terms.\n\nMr Serwotka said: \"We know our strikes have already caused serious disruption. The new strikes and another national day of action will pile the pressure on a government that refuses to listen.\"\n\nThe union said the all-out strike on 15 March was \"brilliantly\" supported by members, with big picket lines and demonstrations.\n\nTeachers, junior doctors, rail workers and London Underground tube drivers are some of the industries whose workers have walked out in disputes - mainly over pay - over the last year as wages do not align with the rising cost of living.\n\nOne of the biggest days of strikes was whilst Chancellor Jeremy Hunt deliver his Budget, with workers congregating around Westminster.\n\nMembers from 186 different employers were balloted over the latest strike action last week, the PCS union said.\n\u2022 None More civil servants to strike on Budget day","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/business-65091905"}
{"title":"Gwyneth Paltrow trial: Ski instructor in witness box over US ski crash - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-27","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"Eric Christiansen testifies over the skiing accident that involved the US actress at an upmarket resort in Utah.","section":"US & Canada","content":"'The first thing I did was observe them on the ground'\n\nOwens asks Christiansen: \"Did you try to figure out what had happened?\" Christiansen says he did: \"The first thing I did was observe the way they were on the ground. Sanderson's head was uphill, his skis downhill.\" They were very close to the edge of the run; after the fall, both had their skis below them, still had their boots on and Paltrow was on top Sanderson, he adds. He's asked about what it means having their boots on. Christiansen says this means the following: \"They went down with no heavy impact that would knock them over.\" It would be very difficult to get in that position without someone hitting from behind, he says. The next thing he observed is what they were saying, he says; Paltrow was saying she'd just been hit, Sanderson said she'd just appeared in front of him and that he was sorry.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/live\/world-us-canada-65065144"}
{"title":"More storms feared after Mississippi tornado - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-27","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"Friday night's tornado in the southern US killed 26 people and has displaced hundreds more.","section":"US & Canada","content":"This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser.\n\nMore severe weather could be on its way to the US state of Mississippi following the tornadoes which killed 26 people, the governor has warned.\n\nGovernor Tate Reeves said significant risks remained in parts of the state.\n\nHundreds of people have been displaced in the wake of the tornadoes which tore through Mississippi and Alabama on Friday night.\n\nThe mayor of one of the worst affected towns said he had lost personal friends in the disaster.\n\nFriday's tornado was the deadliest in the state of Mississippi in more than a decade. At least 25 people have died in the state, with one person confirmed dead in neighbouring Alabama.\n\nTrees have been uprooted, trucks have overturned into houses and power lines have been brought down by the tornado - classified as \"violent\" and given the second-highest rating possible.\n\nMore than 36,000 people remained without power as of Monday morning in what is one of the poorest regions in the country.\n\nOn Saturday, survivors of the disaster could be seen walking around, dazed and in shock. Sunday, on the other hand, has been a hive of activity.\n\nVolunteers, some coming from neighbouring Arkansas, Louisiana and Tennessee, have been helping with the clean-up operation.\n\nPresident Joe Biden has declared a state of emergency and deployed federal resources to help with the rescue and response in some of the worst-hit towns.\n\nThe devastation is so great, it must be difficult to know where to begin. Crews are working to remove broken trees that are pinning down power lines, with thousands of people losing power during Friday's storm.\n\nStations have been set up outside some of the few buildings still partially standing where people can collect water and sandwiches.\n\nBut while local communities are grappling with the response, there are warnings of further severe storms to come.\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Watch: Governor Tate Reeves told reporters he was \"damn proud to be a Mississippian\"\n\nSpeaking at a news conference convened in the western town of Rolling Fork, Governor Reeves said: \"What we've seen, much like the storm that occurred Friday night, is in the 24-36 hours that are leading up to this afternoon, it appears that the risks seem to be getting worse and worse, not better.\n\n\"And when you stand here and see this, what feels like a beautiful weather day in Mississippi, please be aware and please know: if you are south of I-55 in Mississippi today there are significant risks. We are prepared.\"\n\nThe governor said it had been \"heart-breaking\" to see the loss and devastation caused by the twister, but said he was \"damn proud to be a Mississippian\" after seeing how locals had responded.\n\n\"Because Mississippians have done what Mississippians do,\" he said. \"In times of tragedy, in times of crisis, they stand up and they show up, and they're here to help themselves, help their neighbours.\"\n\nIn the town of Rolling Fork, where about one-fifth of the population lives below the poverty line, the extent of the devastation is still difficult to comprehend.\n\nAs you approach the town from the south, you can clearly see the tornado's path. A straight line of trees have been stripped of their branches and uprooted, while others to either side are untouched.\n\nDebris is strewn across the acres of farmland that surround the town, where parts of buildings and vehicles were deposited.\n\nMayor Eldridge Walker, also speaking at Sunday's news conference, said the town would come back \"bigger and better than ever before\" to rounds of applause from those who gathered.\n\n\"I'm not only just the mayor of this community, but I've lost personal friends,\" he said.\n\n\"I'm also the local funeral director - now I'm having to meet those who have lost loved ones and help them make it through.\"\n\nUS Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas visited Rolling Fork, where he pledged to help rebuild stronger buildings.\n\nMr Mayorkas said the stronger buildings would prevent the same tragedy happening again as severe weather events increase in frequency and gravity.\n\nHe earlier pledged to help the people of Mississippi, \"not just today but for the long haul\".\n\n\"It is inspiring to see the people of Mississippi come together... and the people of this country come together to assist those in dire need,\" he said.\n\nSoon after he spoke a lightning storm put a pause on the recovery operation.\n\nMore than 20 million Americans are under threat of severe storms on Monday.\n\nThe impact of climate change on the frequency of storms is still unclear, but we know that increased sea surface temperatures warm the air above and make more energy available to drive hurricanes, cyclones and typhoons.\n\nAs a result, they are likely to be more intense with more extreme rainfall.\n\nAre you or your family in the affected areas? If you are safe to do so, please share your experiences by emailing haveyoursay@bbc.co.uk.\n\nPlease include a contact number if you are willing to speak to a BBC journalist. You can also get in touch in the following ways:\n\nIf 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 HaveYourSay@bbc.co.uk. Please include your name, age and location with any submission.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/world-us-canada-65082746"}
{"title":"Five planets line up with Moon in night sky - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-27","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"Mercury, Jupiter, Venus, Uranus, Mars and the Moon aligned in an arc across the evening sky.","section":"Science & Environment","content":"Jupiter, Venus, the Moon, and Mars were all expected to be easily visible but Uranus and Mercury a bit harder to spot\n\nMercury, Jupiter, Venus, Uranus, Mars, and the Moon aligned in an arc across the evening sky on Monday, with some visible to the naked eye.\n\nThis is often called \"a planetary parade\" and was visible after sunset in the west.\n\nA good view of the horizon and clear skies offered the best chance of spotting the alignment.\n\nLast summer Mercury, Venus, Mars, Jupiter, and Saturn came together in a rare planetary conjunction.\n\nThe best shot at spotting the planets on Monday was away from any bright city lights, somewhere with a clear, unobstructed view.\n\nYou needed to be observing early in the evening because Mercury and Jupiter quickly disappeared over the horizon.\n\nSome of the best views were from northern parts of Scotland and its islands because of clear skies.\n\nProf Catherine Heymans, the Astronomer Royal for Scotland, watched the spectacle from Edinburgh's Portobello beach.\n\n\"Planet spotting on a crystal clear night along with so many other planetary parade enthusiasts was an absolute delight!\" she told the BBC.\n\nThis Twitter post cannot be displayed in your browser. Please enable Javascript or try a different browser. View original tweet on Twitter The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Skip twitter post by Astronomer Royal for Scotland | Catherine Heymans 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\u2019s cookie policy, external and privacy policy, external before accepting. To view this content choose \u2018accept and continue\u2019. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. End of twitter post by Astronomer Royal for Scotland | Catherine Heymans\n\nAstronomer Jake Foster from Royal Observatory Greenwich said such alignments were very particular to our perspective from Earth.\n\n\"The planets aren't aligned right now, they are all spread out across the Solar System but just from our perspective, every once in a while they get close enough to each other in the sky that we're able to see quite a few at once,\" he said.\n\nAnglesey, north Wales, has some of the darkest skies in Europe.\n\nYnys Enlli (Bardsey Island), off the Ll\u0177n Peninsula, has become the first site in Europe to be awarded International Dark Sky Sanctuary certification.\n\nSpeaking from Anglesey, Dani Robertson, the dark skies officer for North Wales, said the evening had been a visual treat despite a light cloudy haze.\n\n\"I'm in my back garden and I can see a very nice little crescent Moon, to the top left and just above it I can see Mars, which has a lovely red glow, and a bit lower towards the horizon there's a really bright light and that's Venus,\" she said.\n\n\"If it were clearer, I could see all of it, the only one you wouldn't be able to see is Uranus, you'd need a telescope.\"\n\nIn Hexham, near the border with Scotland, Dan Pye from the Kielder Observatory said seeing the planets in alignment offered perspective about our place in the solar system.\n\nHe said: \"Over the course of the night the distance between these objects shifts as the moon goes around us, we move a little further around the sun, and the planets continue their journeys around the sun.\n\n\"I think witnessing this, helps you realise that connection we have to the cosmic ballet we have with other objects in just our very local space theatre.\"\n\nMs Robertson, an amateur astronomer, said that 98% of people in the UK lived under polluted skies.\n\n\"It's a shame because that's our home galaxy, another part of being human that is being denied to lots of people,\" she said.\n\n\"When we look at the night sky, things like Taurus, the Pleiades, the Moon, they've been the same for the whole of human existence.\"\n\nBut she said that unlike other types of pollution, this one was relatively easy to fix permanently.\n\n\"Once we've fixed a light to make dark skies, that's the problem solved.\"\n\nDan Pye at the Kielder Observatory looking up at Mars, the Moon and Venus aligning","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/science-environment-65056407"}
{"title":"Rotherham grooming survivor awarded \u00a3425k after suing rapist - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-27","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"Liz says she is \"proud\" to have brought the action against the man who raped her as a teenager.","section":"Sheffield & South Yorkshire","content":"It is hoped the case will encourage other survivors to take action\n\nA rapist convicted as part of the Rotherham grooming scandal has been ordered to pay \u00a3425,000 in damages to his victim by the High Court.\n\nThe grooming survivor, who is known as Liz, started civil proceedings against Asghar Bostan in 2020.\n\nBostan was jailed for nine years in 2018 following a trial at Sheffield Crown Court.\n\nLiz said she was \"proud\" to have brought the case and hoped it would show survivors could get justice.\n\nShe said she was approached to take the action as a test case.\n\n\"I decided to go with it, not having my hopes up, but we managed to get a result,\" she said.\n\nHer solicitor Robin Tilbrook described it as an \"ice-breaker\" of a case, which would allow \"others to follow\".\n\nAsghar Bostan was jailed for raping Liz in 2018\n\nDuring Bostan's trial in 2018, Liz recounted being raped twice by him at a flat in Rotherham after being given alcohol and drugs.\n\nHis prosecution followed the National Crime Agency's Operation Stovewood inquiry into historical sexual abuse in Rotherham.\n\nLiz said despite his conviction she did not believe the judicial process worked for abuse survivors.\n\n\"We've been walking around for years and years full of trauma and psychological damage,\" she said.\n\nShe said they had faced a constant battle, but hoped her legal action would show that survivors could come forward and get justice.\n\n\"I wanted to give something back not only to myself, but to other survivors and do something not only for Rotherham but for all the UK,\" she said.\n\nReferring to the damages of \u00a3425,934.09 she was awarded, she said it had not \"sunk in\" yet.\n\n\"I am really, really pleased for the outcome and really, really pleased this might open the floodgates for other survivors.\n\n\"It will never heal the past, we will always walk in these shoes, but it is about closing a chapter.\"\n\nMr Tilbrook said the key question for bringing action was that the defendant had been convicted, in this case of two counts of rape.\n\n\"The damage is endured for the life of the victim therefore the amount of damages are always likely to be very large.\"\n\nHe said his client had been \"very brave\" and was a \"great example to all the other victims\".\n\nLiz said: \"I am proud this is what I have done and this could help so many people.\"\n\nBostan was released from prison in 2022, and the Probation Service said sex offenders faced some of the \"strictest licence conditions\", adding: \"If an offender breaches their conditions we will not hesitate to return them to prison to protect the public.\"\n\nFollow BBC Yorkshire on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. Send your story ideas to yorkslincs.news@bbc.co.uk.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/uk-england-south-yorkshire-65090793"}
{"title":"Linda Nolan says cancer has spread to her brain, in fourth diagnosis - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-27","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"The Nolans singer calls her latest diagnosis \u201cfrightening\u201d, but says she is \u201cstaying positive\u201d.","section":"Entertainment & Arts","content":"Linda Nolan said she was not giving up and was \"staying positive\"\n\nSinger Linda Nolan has revealed her cancer has spread to her brain, in her fourth diagnosis with the disease.\n\nPart of the singing group The Nolans, alongside her sisters, Linda, 64, told Good Morning Britain she was diagnosed last week.\n\n\"Obviously that's very frightening because there isn't much help for brain cancer at the moment, apart from radiotherapy which I'm going to be having.\"\n\nShe said she will take a \"wonder drug\".\n\nThe singer did not name it, but added: \"There is a new drug that's been in use for a year for brain cancer and we're going to try me on that as a chemo drug, with some other treatment.\"\n\nThe Nolan sisters, pictured during the late 70s: Linda, Anne, Bernie and Maureen\n\nShe and her sisters, Bernie, Maureen, Anne, Coleen and Denise, formed a singing group during the 70s. enjoying a string of hits, including 1979's I'm in the Mood for Dancing and Don't Make Waves.\n\nLess fortunately, they have also had to deal with diagnoses of cancer many times in their family.\n\nLinda was first diagnosed with breast cancer in 2006; it returned in her hip in 2017. Then in 2020, she was told it had spread to her liver. Her husband, Brian, died of skin cancer in 2007.\n\nTwo of her sisters were also diagnosed with breast cancer - Bernie, who died in 2013 aged 52, and Anne who has been diagnosed twice but is now in remission.\n\nLinda, who has appeared on Loose Women and Celebrity Big Brother in recent times, said it was \"scary\".\n\n\"I'm not giving up, I'm positive,\" she insisted. Acknowledging that she would be losing her hair for a fourth time because of chemotherapy, she said one of her sisters had joked: \"At least you've got some nice wigs!\"\n\nNonetheless, she added it was a \"really, really scary trip to be on, this one\".\n\nShe said she realised something was wrong after she experienced some \"quite nasty falls\" and is now using a wheelchair and staying with her sister Denise.\n\nThe Nolan Sisters pictured in 2012 (L-R: Linda, Coleen, Bernie and Maureen)\n\nThe singer had been hoping that it was \"something to do with my spine\" as \"my speech hadn't been affected or my vision.\n\n\"I wasn't getting headaches - so, really, it was a shock that the doctor said, 'it's in your brain'.\"\n\n\"The hope is that [the drug she is using] will do wonders for me, please God.\"\n\nShe added that she was determined to get out and about in her wheelchair, rather than sit at home and \"feel sorry for myself\".\n\nShe told Good Morning Britain, she was getting fresh air and \"making the most of every day - and spending it with people I love\".\n\nHowever, she did feel \"angry\" at getting cancer again, she said.\n\n\"There's moments where I am in a heap in the corner, crying. I try not to say 'why me?' because why not me?\"\n\n\"You know, there's so many people who are suffering with this terrible disease, but I think I talk about it, and I always have.\n\n\"Maybe I can help somebody who is on their own and say: 'It's OK to cry, it's OK to feel angry, it's OK to feel sorry for yourself - but just don't let it overtake you.'\"\n\nShe added that she and her sisters had been tested for the BRCA1 cancer gene - which can leave women at a higher risk of ovarian and breast cancer - but they did not have it.\n\n\"The professor at the genetic testing [centre] said there will be a gene somewhere, they just haven't found it yet.\"","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/entertainment-arts-65086268"}
{"title":"Police strip-searched children as young as eight - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-27","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"Some children were strip-searched in the back of police vans, schools and fast-food outlets.","section":"UK","content":"Children as young as eight are being strip-searched by the police, according to a report showing \"deeply concerning\" and \"widespread\" failures.\n\nIt also found some children were strip-searched in the back of police vans, schools and fast-food outlets.\n\nThe report by Children's Commissioner Dame Rachel de Souza showed 2,847 children were strip-searched in England and Wales from 2018 to mid-2022.\n\nThe National Police Chiefs' Council will \"carefully consider\" the findings.\n\nThe Runnymede Trust, a race equality charity, said: \"Our children are being failed by the state institutions there to protect them.\"\n\nThe report found black children were up to six times more likely to be searched than the overall child population.\n\nMore than half (52%) of the searches took place without an appropriate adult confirmed to be present - a legal requirement, except when there is serious risk to a child's life or welfare.\n\nAnd the data shows 51% of the searches led to no further action.\n\nDame Rachel requested data in the wake of the Child Q scandal, which came to light in March 2022.\n\nThe case of the 15-year-old - strip-searched at school by two female Metropolitan Police officers while on her period and without an appropriate adult present - drew national outrage.\n\nIt prompted Dame Rachel to request figures from Scotland Yard, which she found so concerning that she then asked all forces for comparable data.\n\nSome 39 of 43 forces responded. The figures cover searches under stop-and-search powers over four-and-a-half years.\n\nThey reveal evidence of \"deeply concerning practice\", Dame Rachel said.\n\nHer office identified searches at 27 forces which raise concerns about children's safeguarding, or indicate a breach of the statutory code of practice. It has asked for these to be referred to the police watchdog.\n\nOf the nearly 3,000 searches, almost a quarter (24%) took place on children aged 10-15. The youngest was eight years old.\n\nThe vast majority were boys (95%), and black boys accounted for more than a third (37%) of strip-searches.\n\nDame Rachel said it was \"utterly unacceptable\" that black children were six times more likely to be strip-searched compared with the national child population. White children were around half as likely.\n\n\"We cannot have black children treated like this,\" she said.\n\nChildren's Commissioner Dame Rachel de Souza says the findings of her report were \"utterly unacceptable\"\n\nGuidelines need to be strengthened urgently to ensure they are followed properly and \"to robustly challenge a culture that has allowed widespread failures to go unchallenged\", she said.\n\nShe continued: \"This data, combined with that which I received from the Metropolitan Police last year, is the clearest indication yet that what happened to Child Q was far from an isolated incident.\"\n\nSpeaking on BBC Breakfast, she warned that strip-searches can be traumatic for children, and the first thing officers should do is \"call mum and dad\".\n\nDame Rachel said she wanted to ensure that if strip-searches were done there was \"really good justification\".\n\nPolicing Minister Chris Philp said there needed to be clarity on why these searches were undertaken.\n\n\"Very often criminal gangs exploit young people to transport drugs concealed in intimate body cavities\", he said.\n\n\"It is important that these searches get done to safeguard young people who may be getting exploited\", he told BBC Breakfast.\n\nIn 45% of cases the location of the strip-searches was not recorded.\n\nBut Dame Rachel said the data also revealed \"some places that are really not acceptable for a strip-search\" including amusement parks and takeaway outlets. Fourteen strip-searches were in police vehicles or schools.\n\nPolice guidelines say that strip-searches under stop and search can occur at a nearby police station or other nearby locations out of public view - but not a police vehicle.\n\nOther recommendations in the report include that the Home Office should require forces to report annually on the strip-searching of children under stop and search, and that parents or guardians should be informed before a strip or intimate search of a child.\n\nSeparate Home Office figures, from November, show 3,133 children aged 10-17 were strip-searched in custody in the year to March 2022.\n\nChief Constable Craig Guildford, from the NPCC, said any search of a child should be carried out in line with the law and police policy.\n\nHe said the NPCC was working with other policing bodies to \"implement positive change wherever it is required\", adding: \"We will carefully consider the findings from the children's commissioner as part of this work\".\n\nThe Home Office said nobody should be strip-searched because of their race and ethnicity, and there were safeguards to prevent this.\n\nA spokesperson said: \"We take the concerns raised about children's safeguarding extremely seriously.\n\n\"The Independent Office for Police Conduct is currently investigating several high-profile incidents of strip-search of children and it is vital that we await their findings.\"\n\nThe figures follow last week's damning report into the Metropolitan Police by Baroness Casey, which said London's black communities have been \"over-policed and under-protected\".\n\nIt said previous data found \"significant racial disproportionality\" in the strip-searches of children by Met officers.\n\nThe report said this gave weight to the claim that \"adultification\" - where black children are treated as adults and as a threat, justifying greater use of force or intrusion - was present in the force.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/uk-65081765"}
{"title":"Where next for Scotland as the Nicola Sturgeon era ends? - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-27","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"The first minister's resignation triggered a divisive leadership campaign - but what could happen now?","section":"Scotland politics","content":"Nicola Sturgeon is standing down after eight years as first minister\n\nIf Nicola Sturgeon had prevailed, Scotland would be going to the polls again this autumn to consider dissolving the 316-year-old union with England.\n\nLast summer, the outgoing first minister proposed 19 October 2023 as the date when, for the second time in nine years, voters would be asked \"Should Scotland be an independent country?\"\n\nThe plan she set out in Edinburgh was thwarted by politicians and judges in London.\n\nThe Conservative prime minister Boris Johnson refused to recognise a pro-independence majority in the Scottish Parliament - the accepted trigger for the first referendum in 2014 - as a mandate for a second vote.\n\nThen, in November, the UK Supreme Court ruled that the Scottish Parliament did not have the power to organise its own referendum without Westminster's approval.\n\nThe Supreme Court issued its ruling on the indyref2 case in November 2022\n\nThe judgment laid bare the true nature of the 1707 union which created the state of Great Britain. While theoretically a marriage of equals, one partner, it seemed, could not leave without the other's consent.\n\nMs Sturgeon had run out of road and she knew it.\n\nAfter briefly flirting with the idea of treating the next general election as a referendum in all but name, she announced her resignation less than three months after the court ruling.\n\nHer departure marks the end of a remarkable career as a political campaigner.\n\n\"Eight election victories in eight years as first minister, that's the verdict that matters to me,\" said Ms Sturgeon in her 286th and final session of First Minister's Question Time on Thursday.\n\nTriumphs in three general elections, two Holyrood elections, two local government elections, and a European parliamentary election are impressive for sure - but, unusually for a political party, winning elections to enact policies in government is not actually the central mission of the SNP.\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Nicola Sturgeon addresses the Holyrood chamber for the last time as first minister\n\nOn the binary measure of independence, Ms Sturgeon, like Alex Salmond before her, leaves office as a failure. Scotland remains in the United Kingdom.\n\nShe began campaigning for independence as a teenager in 1980s Ayrshire and was just 21 when she first stood for election, unsuccessfully challenging Labour in the working class Glasgow Shettleston constituency under the SNP slogan \"Free by '93\".\n\nThirty years on, the SNP has made great strides towards its goal but Ms Sturgeon's resignation implicitly acknowledges that Scotland will not be \"free\" by '23, or any time soon after.\n\nThe abrupt announcement of her departure set in train a damaging and divisive leadership contest, with splits emerging on economic and social issues as well as on electoral and constitutional strategy.\n\nDiscipline, for which the SNP had been famed, began to crumble.\n\nEven contenders for Ms Sturgeon's crown publicly criticised the lack of progress on independence during her eight years in office.\n\nHumza Yousaf, Kate Forbes and Ash Regan are competing to become the next SNP leader\n\n\"For too many years, we've become the party of referendums rather than the party of independence,\" said Finance Secretary Kate Forbes, who promises to \"turn a divided nation into a settled majority\" for leaving the UK.\n\nAccording to former minister Ash Regan: \"The SNP has lost its way. There's been no progress on independence in the last few years, despite the worst UK governments of all time.\"\n\n\"I think what we are now hearing publicly is what many people have been saying privately for a long time,\" says James Mitchell, professor of public policy at Edinburgh University.\n\nThe SNP's looming crisis deepened when the party admitted that it had covered up a dramatic fall in its membership, prompting the resignations of director of communications, Murray Foote, and chief executive Peter Murrell, who is married to Ms Sturgeon.\n\nAlso following his wife out of government are two of her most trusted lieutenants, senior adviser Liz Lloyd and Deputy First Minister John Swinney.\n\nIt has been a chaotic and painful few weeks for the SNP and yet the final days of the first minister's tenure have been characterised by boosterism and denial.\n\n\"The SNP's not in a mess,\" Ms Sturgeon insisted on ITV's Loose Women. \"It's going through, how can I put this, some growing pains right now.\"\n\nThen there was her denial that SNP president Mike Russell had said the party was in a mess.\n\nMr Russell had answered the question \"Is your party in turmoil?\" with the words: \"Well, I think it's fair to say that there's a tremendous mess and we have to clear it up.\"\n\nMs Sturgeon also insisted that her party had not lied to journalists about its plummeting membership figures despite evidence to the contrary, not least the resignations of Mr Foote and Mr Murrell.\n\nThe whole membership affair was, leadership contender and Health Secretary Humza Yousaf told Tuesday's Times Radio debate, a \"total own goal\".\n\nSo, is Nicola Sturgeon's dream of a sovereign Scottish state, standing tall on the world stage, dead and buried?\n\nHistory says don't be so sure.\n\nOn the day the Hollywood epic Braveheart had its American premiere in Seattle, a more peaceful political drama was playing out on the streets of the old country.\n\nThe death of the Conservative MP for Perth and Kinross had triggered a by-election, and the SNP candidate Roseanna Cunningham was on the march - and under attack.\n\nA senior Tory accused Ms Cunningham - caricatured as Republican Rose because she opposed the monarchy - of fighting a campaign \"against Queen and country\".\n\nAt 18 years old, I was easily the least experienced journalist on the by-election trail - but even I could see that the Tories were in trouble in territory which they had dominated for decades.\n\nTheir candidate, a gaffe-prone merchant banker, was keen to talk about one topic above all others, campaigning (literally) under the banner: \"A Strong Union\".\n\nYou could understand why. The spoils of Empire; the unifying experience of defying Hitler's Germany; and the creation of the welfare state had all bound Scotland tightly into the union.\n\nRoseanna Cunningham (centre) put independence at the heart of her by-election campaign in 1995\n\nMargaret Thatcher's response, as Conservative prime minister during the 1980s, was to fight and win a war abroad while hastening a profound economic shift at home.\n\nHer vision of a modern British economy meant moving away from state subsidy of heavy industry; weakening the trade unions; and encouraging the creation of wealth through private enterprise.\n\nFor many in Scotland, where culture, tradition and pride were intertwined with coal, steel and textiles, the pace of change was bewildering.\n\nA lack of direct and obvious benefit from the vast quantities of oil being sucked out of the North Sea also contributed to a rise in nationalist sentiment.\n\nBy the time of the Perth and Kinross by-election, Scotland was rediscovering an old identity.\n\nWhen it premiered in Stirling that autumn, Braveheart's romanticisation of the wars of independence from England in the 13th and 14th Centuries seemed in tune with the mood of the moment.\n\nHaving placed independence front and centre in her campaign, Ms Cunningham won handsomely, further reducing Tory Prime Minister John Major's slender majority in the House of Commons.\n\n\"Scotland is waking from its slumber,\" proclaimed the victorious new MP during a feisty and raucous declaration in the city hall.\n\nWas it though? The SNP had scored spectacular by-election successes before \u2014 Motherwell in 1945; Hamilton in 1967; and Glasgow Govan in 1973 and 1988 \u2014 only to lose each seat at the subsequent general election.\n\nThis time was different. Perth remains SNP territory to this day.\n\nThe party may be in trouble now but, with large majorities of younger voters telling pollsters that they support independence, the constitutional question which hangs over Scottish politics is not going away.\n\nIt is a question which Labour, a party forged in the din of Scotland's industrial revolution, has tussled with since its creation.\n\nThe Scottish Labour Party was founded in 1888 by two extraordinary but very different men, the miner and trade unionist Keir Hardie, and the aristocratic adventurer RB Cunninghame Graham.\n\nHardie went on to become the first leader of the UK Labour Party in 1906; Cunninghame Grahame the first president of the Scottish National Party in 1934.\n\nThe most fundamental change to Scottish governance in the democratic era was delivered by Labour when the Scottish Parliament took charge of domestic affairs such as health and education in 1999.\n\nBut it was the SNP which benefited most, gradually capturing almost all of the post-industrial seats which Labour had held for decades and, from 2007, taking charge of the Scottish government.\n\nLabour's Donald Dewar was the first first minister of Scotland when the Scottish Parliament opened in 1999\n\nNearly a quarter of a century later, Labour is led by Keir Hardie's namesake, Sir Keir Starmer, who spies an opportunity in the SNP's travails.\n\nOn Friday I accompanied Sir Keir, Scottish Labour leader, Anas Sarwar and shadow climate change and net zero secretary, Ed Miliband on a trip to SSE's Beatrice wind farm off the east coast of Caithness.\n\nThe leader of the opposition at Westminster was in buoyant form, and no wonder.\n\nHis party sees the departure of multiple election winner Nicola Sturgeon \u2014 whom he calls a \"giant in Scottish politics\" \u2014 as great news.\n\n\"The SNP is imploding,\" he told me on the harbour side at Wick. \"I think everybody can see that.\"\n\nThe party, he added, \"has run out of road when it comes to the case for independence and that's shone a light on their record\".\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser.\n\nWith a large and sustained polling lead across the UK, and signs of improvement in Scotland, Labour may be in a positive place but the path to Downing Street is not straight and clear, running through mixed terrain.\n\nFirst, there is the cosmopolitan and multicultural domain of London and other big English cities.\n\nThen there are the more socially conservative, Brexit-inclined \"red wall\" seats, in the Midlands and the north of England, which switched from Labour to Boris Johnson's Conservatives at the last general election.\n\nFinally there is the party's old Scots fiefdom, stretching from Ayrshire in the west through the central belt to Fife in the east, where the SNP have dominated with a pro-independence, pro-European message since 2015.\n\nThe SNP hold 45 of the Scottish 59 seats at Westminster (two more have defected to Alex Salmond's Alba Party since the last general election) but Labour strategists now reckon at least 15 of those would be competitive based on current polling, particularly in Glasgow, Fife, Midlothian and East Lothian.\n\nWith that in mind, on this trip Sir Keir appears to have adopted the doctor's maxim: first, do no harm. In our interview he uses the word \"humility\" a lot.\n\n\"I think Labour lost its way and got too far from voters here in Scotland and that's why I've spent a lot of time in Scotland listening, engaging, talking about the future,\" he says.\n\nPrecisely what he means by getting too far from the voters is not terribly clear.\n\nSir Keir Starmer, Ed Miliband and Anas Sarwar travelled to the Beatrice wind farm off Caithness on Friday\n\nHow would he respect the democratic will of the Scottish people to remain in the European Union, and the pro-independence majority in the Scottish Parliament?\n\nThe real answer to both questions is, he won't. But that would sound harsh so he adopts softer language.\n\nOn Brexit he says: \"If you want a closer relationship with the EU, I hear you, I agree with you and we will set about ensuring that we do have that close relationship.\"\n\nOn independence he rejects \"breaking up the United Kingdom,\" while recognising that there is a \"desire for change\".\n\nLabour's attempt to defuse independence as an issue is to acknowledge an asymmetry in political and economic power between the prosperous south east of England and other parts of the UK, which it proposes to tackle by embracing some of the recommendations in Gordon Brown's recent commission on the UK's future, while considering whether to adopt others.\n\nAlready on Labour's agenda are House of Lords reform; decentralisation of economic power to the nations and regions of the UK; and improved intergovernmental working between the various administrations of these islands.\n\n\"Decisions should be made by people most closely affected by those decisions,\" says Sir Keir.\n\nIsn't that an argument for independence?\n\nNo, he insists, it's an argument for local decision-making within the UK framework.\n\n\"The people in the Highlands can make decisions in partnership with the Labour government about the future living standards here, the future jobs, the skills we're talking about this morning,\" he explains.\n\nAware of this looming Labour threat, the SNP is keen to conflate Sir Keir's party with Rishi Sunak's, reminding voters that Labour and Tories joined together in the Better Together campaign against independence in 2014.\n\nLabour politicians joined Conservative and Liberal Democrat counterparts to campaign for the union ahead of the 2014 referendum\n\nSir Keir's decision to approvingly quote Margaret Thatcher in a speech on crime while in Stoke this week makes the SNP's job easier while underlining the Labour leader's difficulty in assembling such a diverse electoral coalition.\n\nStill, he can take comfort that his opponents here also face immense challenges.\n\nThe new SNP leader will have to tackle deep-rooted problems in Scotland's public services which are costing and blighting lives.\n\nHe or she will also be under pressure to set out a credible route map towards \u2014 and a credible plan for \u2014 independence.\n\nAnd the winner must also reunite a divided party in time for a general election expected to be held next year in which, it is now clearer than ever, Scotland will be a key battleground.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/uk-scotland-scotland-politics-65063944"}
{"title":"DR Congo man uses bare hands to rescue trapped gold miners - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-27","authors":null,"description":"Authorities say nine men survived the incident in the Democratic Republic of Congo.","section":null,"content":"Following heavy rain, a tragedy was narrowly averted at a collapsed gold mine in the Democratic Republic of Congo after nine miners emerged from the rubble.\n\nFootage shows the men crawling out of the narrow entrance after a man used his bare hands to clear away debris.\n\nA lack of safety procedures and proper equipment are factors often blamed for issues at local mines. Incidents like this are considered quite common in South Kivu province, which is peppered with informal, often-hazardous mining sites.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/world-africa-65095295"}
{"title":"Nitrous oxide: Southend mum's campaign over 'laughing gas' - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-27","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"Bereaved mum Emma Cain approaches people she sees inhaling \"laughing gas\" and issues stark warnings.","section":"Essex","content":"Emma Cain still has one of Jon's prized possessions, his acoustic guitar\n\nA bereaved mother has described how she stops other youngsters in the street who she sees inhaling volatile substances to warn of the dangers.\n\nEmma Cain's son, Jon, died aged 17 from cardiac arrest in 2011 immediately after inhaling butane.\n\nA government review is considering whether possessing nitrous oxide, the most commonly taken volatile substance, should be criminalised.\n\n\"Anyone who I see using it, I will stop them,\" said Miss Cain, from Southend.\n\nButane, which is contained in aerosols, is the gas primarily associated with substance abuse in the UK.\n\nIt carries a far greater risk of fatality than nitrous oxide, an anaesthetic which is also one of the most-used drugs by UK 16 to 24-year-olds.\n\nOn one occasion, the 45-year-old said she picked up the box containing her son's ashes to show it to four young people outside her house who were inhaling from balloons.\n\n\"They were all very polite and respectful. One of them was quite freaked out about it, and two or three of them let go of their balloons when I asked them to,\" she said.\n\n\"I tell them 'this is my son, he's in a box, stop doing it, you're hurting yourselves'.\n\n\"I'm just one person, trying to stop people from doing it, and if that means I have to stop them on the street, I will do that.\n\n\"I will tell them it's dangerous, and that they're playing with their lives.\"\n\nJon, far right, taught himself guitar\n\nJon auditioned for Britain's Got Talent three times, and went to watch an X Factor live show with his mum, Emma\n\nJon taught himself how to play guitar and auditioned three times for Britain's Got Talent.\n\n\"He was amazing,\" said Miss Cain.\n\n\"These substances should be put under, at the very least, class B, so a penalty can be given for wrongful use.\"\n\nEssex Police have seized nitrous oxide canisters in Southend, including these, during the summer\n\nSouthend West MP, Anna Firth (left) met with the Home Secretary, Suella Braverman, last week\n\nThe Advisory Council on the Misuse of Drugs (ACMD) is expected to provide a recommendation in 2023 on whether nitrous oxide should be criminalised.\n\nThe 2019-20 Crime Survey for England and Wales indicated it was the second most-used illegal drug among 16-24 year olds, with more than 500,000 taking it.\n\nThe Conservative MP for Southend West, Anna Firth, met with Conservative Home Secretary, Suella Braverman, earlier this month, to discuss the issue.\n\n\"Nitrous oxide is a toxic presence on our seafront,\" said Ms Firth.\n\nIn a statement, Essex Police said: \"We appreciate and understand concerns regarding the use of this substance and we will always arrest and seek to prosecute those caught supplying nitrous oxide.\n\n\"We work closely with our agency partners and others across the county to deal with any anti-social behaviour connected with this substance.\"\n\nA Home Office spokesperson said: \"Given concerns about the use of nitrous oxide by young people, the former home secretary sought advice from the independent ACMD last year.\n\n\"When the ACMD responds, the government will consider the advice carefully.\"\n\nFind BBC News: East of England on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter. If you have a story suggestion email eastofenglandnews@bbc.co.uk\n\u2022 None Advisory Council on the Misuse of Drugs The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/uk-england-essex-63076794"}
{"title":"Germany 'mega strike': Public transport network halted over pay - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-27","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"The 24-hour walkout is one of the largest the country has experienced in decades.","section":"Europe","content":"Monday's strike is expected to be the largest in Germany for decades\n\nGermany's transport network is at a near standstill as the country experiences one of its largest strikes in decades.\n\nStaff at airports, ports, railways, buses and subways walked out shortly after midnight for a 24-hour stoppage.\n\nTwo of the Germany's largest unions are demanding higher wages to help with the rising cost of living.\n\nThe country's Interior Minister Nancy Faeser said she was optimistic an agreement would be reached this week.\n\n\"Many public service workers are suffering the high energy prices and high inflation,\" she told Reuters on Monday. \"That's why it's our job to find a good agreement.\"\n\nThere have recently been smaller walkouts by other public servants.\n\nMonday's \"mega strike\", as it has been dubbed in local media, has affected commuter and regional trains operated by Deutsche Bahn, Germany's national rail operator.\n\nLocal transport services, including trams and buses, are also not operating in seven states.\n\n\"Petrol and food prices have risen,\" one protester in Berlin told the AFP news agency. \"I'm feeling it in my wallet.\"\n\nMembers of two of Germany's biggest unions are involved in Monday's strike\n\nThousands of flights have been cancelled, including at two of the country's biggest airports - Munich and Frankfurt.\n\nMultiple flights from Munich Airport were also disrupted on Sunday by strike action.\n\n\"I am a bit shocked actually,\" said one man, who was trying to fly to the Spanish city of M\u00e1laga. \"I didn't hear of it [the strike], so I have to find out what to do right now.\"\n\nGermany's airport association said about 380,000 air travellers would be affected by the strike but added it was \"beyond any imaginable and justifiable measure\".\n\nJenny Hill, the BBC's Berlin correspondent, said it was very rare for a dispute over pay to escalate so dramatically in Germany, but this time two of the country's largest unions have joined forces.\n\nVerdi represents about 2.5 million employees across the public sector, including in public transport and at airports. It wants to secure a 10.5% pay rise for staff.\n\nEVG represents about 230,000 employees at Deutsche Bahn and other bus companies. It wants a 12% rise in pay.\n\nBoth unions hope the strike will increase pressure on employers ahead of another round of pay negotiations this week.\n\nIn an interview with the German newspaper Bild, the chief of Verdi, Frank Werneke, described the pay rise as \"a matter of survival for many thousands of employees.\"\n\n\"The people are not only underpaid, they are hopelessly overworked,\" he said.\n\nEVG chairman, Martin Burkert, told the regional Augsburger Allgemeine newspaper that employers had not yet made a viable offer to them and warned there could be further strikes, including over the Easter holiday break.\n\nOn Monday he added to Reuters: \"We expect an offer over which we can negotiate. To this day we don't have one.\"\n\nMs Faeser said that the government had \"presented a good offer\".\n\n\"I now expect the unions to move away from their high demands and meet us somewhere along the way,\" she added.\n\nThousands of flights have been cancelled because of the strike\n\nDeutsche Bahn is among the organisations that have condemned the strike, describing it as \"completely excessive, groundless and unnecessary\".\n\nSome employer representatives have also warned the unions are making unreasonable demands that risk alienating the public.\n\nNevertheless, successful wage increases have been negotiated recently. Postal workers won an 11.5% pay rise in early March.\n\nMonday's strike follows a similar walkout in February. More than 2,300 flights were cancelled and representatives of small and medium business associations accused the unions of taking the whole country hostage for their own interests.\n\nThere have also been multiple walkouts by other public service sectors in recent weeks, including childcare and education.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/world-europe-65083774"}
{"title":"Israel defence minister fired in legal reform row - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-27","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"Yoav Gallant is sacked by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu after opposing the controversial shake-up.","section":"Middle East","content":"Israeli's defence minister has been sacked after he spoke out against controversial plans to overhaul the justice system.\n\nPrime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu summoned Yoav Gallant to a meeting and told him he no longer had faith in him as defence minister.\n\nThe plan to limit the powers of the judiciary led to months of protests.\n\nTens of thousands of protestors returned to the streets on Sunday night following Mr Gallant's dismissal.\n\nIn Jerusalem, police and soldiers used water cannon against demonstrators near Mr Netanyahu's house.\n\nThe leaders of the protest accuse Mr Netanyahu of behaving like a dictator and destroying the security of Israel.\n\nThe new law makes it harder for courts to remove a leader deemed unfit for office, which has angered many who consider it in the interests of the incumbent, Benjamin Netanyahu, who is on trial for corruption.\n\nThe leader of the opposition, Yair Lapid, described Mr Gallant's sacking as a new low for the government, while Mr Gallant himself has described the planned legislation as an \"immediate and tangible danger\" to state security.\n\nIn a brief televised statement on Saturday night, Mr Gallant said members of the Israeli Defence Forces were angry and disappointed, with an intensity he had never seen before.\n\nShortly after his dismissal a day later, Mr Gallant wrote on Twitter: \"The state of Israel's security has always been and will always be my life's mission.\"\n\nThe defence minister had won the backing of some fellow members of Mr Netanyahu's Likud party, but others on the far right had called for him to go.\n\nThe law is part of the right-wing coalition government's contentious plan to limit the powers of the judiciary.\n\nThe reforms include plans that would give the government full control over the committee which appoints judges, which he has said will pass in the Knesset next week.\n\nFar-right national security minister Itamar Ben-Gvir supported Mr Netanyahu's move, saying,\"The prime minister decided on the necessary step and I congratulate him for that.\"\n\nIt includes enabling parliament to overrule decisions made by the Supreme Court - a move that critics say will undermine the independence of the judiciary and could be used for political ends.\n\nBut Mr Netanyahu says the reforms are designed to stop the courts overreaching their powers and that they were voted for by the public at the last election.\n\nIsrael's opposition leader Yair Lapid described Mr Gallant's sacking as \"a new low\" for the government.\n\n\"Netanyahu can fire Gallant, but he can't fire reality or fire the people of Israel who are fronting up to resist the coalition's madness,\" Mr Lapid added.\n\nFormer defence minister Benny Gantz praised Mr Gallant, who he said had put the security of the country above all interests.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/world-middle-east-65080919"}
{"title":"Can Humza Yousaf unite the SNP? - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-27","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"Humza Yousaf faces several challenges as he takes over as SNP leader and Scotland's first minister.","section":"Scotland politics","content":"Humza Yousaf will face several challenges in his new job\n\nHumza Yousaf faces some enormous challenges as he takes over from Nicola Sturgeon as SNP leader and Scotland's first minister.\n\nBeing the leader of a divided nation and a divided party is difficult.\n\nThe narrow nature of his victory does not make it any easier.\n\nIn his acceptance speech, he acknowledged the \"bruising\" nature of the leadership campaign and called for divisions to be healed quickly.\n\nTo some extent that will depend on what he decides to do next.\n\nHe will need to consider carefully whether he wants to give his defeated rivals jobs in government and if so which posts to offer.\n\nOne of his supporters told me to expect a \"generosity of spirit\".\n\nHaving defeated Kate Forbes by 52% to 48% she enjoys a substantial following in the party.\n\nHumza Yousaf defeated Ash Regan and Kate Forbes in the leadership contest\n\nMight he want to recognise that with a very big job? If so, the most obvious upgrade from her current role as finance and economy secretary would be to deputy first minister.\n\nThat's not a prediction. Just an observation. I expect that whatever she might be offered, Kate Forbes would want a fair amount of autonomy if she is to continue in government.\n\nIf he can reach an agreement with her, that could go some way to easing tensions.\n\nThen of course there are significant policy issues to be addressed. Not least the Scottish government's response to the UK blocking the gender recognition reform bill.\n\nAt the start of the leadership contest Humza Yousaf seemed committed to challenging that position in court. More recently, he has left a little more room for manoeuvre by saying he would be guided by the legal advice he receives.\n\nWhile his power-sharing partners in the Greens will be looking for a robust approach, that could risk prolonging divisions in his own party. Careful handling is required.\n\nHumza Yousaf noted in his acceptance speech that delivering independence is the shared goal that unites the SNP.\n\nWhile that is substantially true, it may not be the only factor. It seems to me electoral success and the strong leadership of Alex Salmond and then Nicola Sturgeon have also had a binding effect.\n\nIt is not yet clear whether Humza Yousaf can maintain their grip.\n\nHis approach to the independence question will also be important.\n\nWhile he has distanced himself from the idea of using the next election as a substitute referendum, he has promised to renew calls for the UK government to give Holyrood the power to hold a vote.\n\nThat may help to underline his commitment to the cause but it is not likely to alter Rishi Sunak's response, which has been to reject indyref2.\n\nHe also risks sending out a mixed message to the wider Scottish public.\n\nHumza Yousaf has promised to be a first minister for everyone in Scotland and to earn the trust and respect of those who are not persuaded on independence by governing well and focusing on shared priorities.\n\nIf the first thing he does is to formally demand another independence referendum, he may struggle to convince some that he is serious about those commitments.\n\nHe has said dealing with cost of living pressures and NHS recovery will be his first concerns.\n\nThese are another two massive challenges that suggest the new first minister's honeymoon period in office, if he gets one, may be particularly short.\n\nAfter being voted leader of the Scottish National Party, we ask - who is Humza Yousaf?\n\nAvailable now on BBC iPlayer (UK only).","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/uk-scotland-scotland-politics-65095168"}
{"title":"Benjamin Netanyahu, Israel's defiant leader - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-27","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"How an ex-commando became the most dominant figure in the country's recent history.","section":"Middle East","content":"Benjamin Netanyahu is serving an unmatched sixth term in office as prime minister\n\nBenjamin Netanyahu is facing one of the biggest crises of his long political life, amid uproar over his government's attempts to change the way the country's judicial system works.\n\nRe-elected for a record fifth time in November 2022, leading the most right-wing coalition in Israel's history, he promised to govern for all Israelis, regardless of political differences. But, instead, his planned reforms have met with mass protests on a scale barely seen since the creation of the state 75 years ago.\n\nThe Likud party leader's return to power followed a relatively brief spell in opposition after 12 straight years as prime minister, his dramatic comeback sealing a belief among his supporters that \"King Bibi\" is politically invincible.\n\nIsrael's longest-serving leader, Mr Netanyahu has held office six times - more than any other prime minister in the country's history.\n\nThe 73-year-old's unrivalled success owes much to the image he has cultivated as the person who can best keep Israel safe from hostile forces in the Middle East.\n\nHe has taken a tough line towards the Palestinians, putting security concerns at the top of any talk of peace, and long warned of existential danger to Israel from Iran.\n\nBut hanging over his political achievements is the cloud of an ongoing criminal trial for alleged bribery, fraud and breach of trust - charges he fiercely denies. And for a man described by the Times of Israel as \"ultra-divisive\", his opponents see him as a danger to Israeli democracy itself.\n\nBenjamin Netanyahu was born in Tel Aviv in 1949. In 1963, his family moved to the US when his father Benzion, a prominent historian and Zionist activist, was offered an academic post.\n\nAt the age of 18, he returned to Israel, where he spent five distinguished years in the army, serving as a captain in an elite commando unit, the Sayeret Matkal. He was wounded in a raid on a Belgian airliner hijacked by Palestinian militants which landed in Israel in 1972, and fought in the 1973 Middle East war.\n\nMr Netanyahu (R) was a captain of the elite Sayeret Matkal commando unit\n\nIn 1976, Mr Netanyahu's brother, Jonathan, was killed leading a raid to rescue hostages from a hijacked airliner in Entebbe, Uganda. His death had a profound impact on the Netanyahu family, and his name became legendary in Israel.\n\nMr Netanyahu set up an anti-terrorism institute in his brother's memory and in 1982 became Israel's deputy chief of mission in Washington.\n\nOvernight, Mr Netanyahu's public life was launched. An articulate English speaker with a distinctive American accent, he became a familiar face on US television and an effective advocate for Israel.\n\nHe was appointed Israel's permanent representative at the UN in New York in 1984.\n\nMr Netanyahu became involved in politics when he returned to Israel in 1988, winning a seat for the Likud party in the Knesset (parliament) and becoming deputy foreign minister.\n\nHe later became party chairman, and in 1996, Israel's first directly elected prime minister after an early election following the assassination of Yitzhak Rabin.\n\nMr Netanyahu has a loyal political base in the Likud party\n\nMr Netanyahu was also Israel's youngest leader and the first to be born after the state was founded in 1948.\n\nDespite having fiercely criticised the 1993 Oslo peace accords between Israel and the Palestinians, Mr Netanyahu signed a deal handing over 80% of Hebron to Palestinian Authority control and agreed to further withdrawals from the occupied West Bank, to much opprobrium from the right.\n\nHe lost office in 1999 after he called elections 17 months early, defeated by Labour leader Ehud Barak, Mr Netanyahu's former commander.\n\nMr Netanyahu stepped down as Likud leader and was succeeded by Ariel Sharon.\n\nAfter Mr Sharon was elected prime minister in 2001, Mr Netanyahu returned to government, first as foreign minister and then as finance minister. In 2005, he resigned in protest at the Israeli withdrawal from the occupied Gaza Strip.\n\nHis chance came again in 2005, when Mr Sharon - just before a massive stroke that left him in a coma - split from Likud and set up a new centrist party, Kadima.\n\nMr Netanyahu won the Likud leadership again and was elected prime minister for the second time in March 2009.\n\nHe agreed to an unprecedented 10-month freeze on settlement construction in the West Bank, enabling peace talks with Palestinians, but negotiations collapsed in late 2010.\n\nAlthough in 2009 he had publicly announced his conditional acceptance of a Palestinian state alongside Israel, he later toughened his position. \"A Palestinian state will not be created, not like the one people are talking about. It won't happen,\" he told an Israeli radio station in 2019.\n\nPalestinian attacks and Israeli military action repeatedly brought Israel into confrontation in and around the Gaza Strip before and after Mr Netanyahu returned to office in 2009.\n\nThe fourth such conflict in just 12 years erupted in May 2021, putting a temporary halt to efforts by parties opposed to Mr Netanyahu to oust him following a series of inconclusive elections.\n\nIsrael has fought four major conflicts with militants in Gaza\n\nAlthough during the conflicts Israel had the support of the United States, its closest ally, relations between Mr Netanyahu and President Barack Obama were difficult.\n\nThey reached a low point when Mr Netanyahu addressed Congress in March 2015, warning against a \"bad deal\" arising out of US negotiations with Iran over its nuclear programme. The Obama administration condemned the visit as interfering and damaging.\n\nThe advent of Donald Trump's presidency in 2017 led to a closer alignment between US and Israeli government policies, and within a year Mr Trump announced his recognition of Jerusalem as Israel's capital.\n\nThe move sparked fury across the Arab world - which supports the Palestinians' claim to the eastern half of Jerusalem occupied by Israel since the 1967 Middle East war - but it handed Mr Netanyahu a major political and diplomatic coup.\n\nAnd in January 2020, Mr Netanyahu hailed Mr Trump's blueprint for peace between Israel and the Palestinians as \"the opportunity of the century\", though it was spurned by Palestinians as one-sided and left on the table.\n\nMr Netanyahu also saw eye-to-eye with Mr Trump on Iran, welcoming the president's withdrawal in 2018 from the Iran nuclear deal and reinstatement of economic sanctions.\n\nMr Trump however made stinging remarks about the Israeli leader, accusing him of disloyalty, after he congratulated Joe Biden on winning the presidency in November 2020.\n\nAfter 2016, Mr Netanyahu was dogged by a corruption investigation, which culminated in him being charged with bribery, fraud and breach of trust in connection with three separate cases in November 2019.\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. After being charged in 2019, Benjamin Netanyahu railed against what he saw as an \"attempted coup\"\n\nMr Netanyahu is alleged to have accepted gifts from wealthy businessmen and dispensed favours to try to get more positive press coverage.\n\nHe denies wrongdoing and says he is the victim of a politically motivated \"witch hunt\" engineered by his opponents. He went on trial in May 2020, becoming the first serving prime minister to do so.\n\nThe spectacle did not, though, harm his electability.\n\n\"We have won a huge vote of confidence from the people of Israel,\" he told jubilant supporters in November.\n\nFor his political base, Mr Netanyahu's return marked the start of another, new dawn.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/world-middle-east-18008697"}
{"title":"Warning big infrastructure projects moving too slowly - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-27","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"The National Infrastructure Commission says the government's approach to big projects is \"off track\".","section":"Business","content":"The first drill which began boring the tunnel for HS2 in West London\n\nThe government is moving too slowly with its infrastructure projects to meet its economic targets and climate goals, a new report suggests.\n\nThe National Infrastructure Commission (NIC) said it should focus on fewer, bigger and better targeted initiatives for growth and a lower carbon economy.\n\nIt said hyperfast broadband coverage had improved but advances in UK homes' energy efficiency were \"negligible\".\n\nThe government said it was committed to net zero.\n\nThe Commission said progress towards major infrastructure objectives had stuttered over the last year \"just as the need for acceleration has heightened\".\n\n\"In a range of areas government is off track to meet its targets and ambitions,\" the panel of independent experts said.\n\nThe NIC called for a \"greater sense of certainty\" around progressing HS2, which earlier this month the government said was being delayed by two years.\n\nSimilarly, it said more clarity was needed for Northern Powerhouse Rail - a major rail system to for the north of England - stressing that delays inevitably push back the economic benefits for communities.\n\nThere had been positive growth in broadband and renewable electricity, both of which had enjoyed a \"relatively stable policy environment\", the report said.\n\nBut the NIC was critical of the installation of low carbon heating solutions or the securing of a sustainable balance of water supply. The report pointed out the gap between ambition and reality: the government wants to install at least 600,000 heat pumps each year by 2028 but in 2021 only 55,000 were fitted.\n\nMeanwhile, 1.5m gas boilers were installed, the Commission said.\n\nIt noted the government wants 300,000 public electric vehicle (EV) charge points installed by 2030 but has 37,000 in place.\n\nThe Commission said the government needed \"policy staying power\" to deliver long-term goals.\n\nIt urged government to move away from \"small scale funding and repeated consultations\" to focus on fewer but bigger projects and to allow regional centres greater funding and decision making powers. It said \"unblocking\" the planning regime for nationally significant infrastructure projects was the first big step.\n\nIt identified 10 priorities including an acceleration of home energy efficiency improvements and the faster roll out of EV public charge points.\n\nIt also highlighted the need to finalise proposals on water efficiency labelling and new building regulations to achieve the 110 litres per day consumption target by 2050.The Commission also warned that the UK must remain attractive to investors and said policies in the EU and US make the \"investment environment more challenging\".\n\n\"Ambitious and stable policy from government, alongside effective regulation, is critical for providing the private sector with the certainty it needs to invest,\" the report said.\n\nIn a statement, a Treasury spokesperson said: \"We are committed to achieving our net zero goals and are spending \u00a312.6bn this decade to cut national energy consumption by 15%.\n\n\"Delivering high quality infrastructure is the foundation of our future growth and we have maintained our total investment at record levels over the next five years with the Commission recognising our progress on gigabit broadband rollout and renewable electricity generation.\"\n\nEarlier in March Transport Secretary Mark Harper said the government was investing more than \u00a340bn in transformational transport schemes over the next two financial years across the country.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/business-65081390"}
{"title":"Boat Race 2023: Cambridge's men and women complete boat race double - BBC Sport","published_date":"2023-03-27","authors":null,"description":"Cambridge's men win the Boat Race to complete a double for the university over rivals Oxford.","section":null,"content":"Last updated on .From the section Rowing\n\nCambridge's men won the Boat Race to complete a double for the university over rivals Oxford.\n\nThey held off a late charge from Oxford on choppy waters to win by just over a length for their fourth victory in the past five races.\n\nEarlier, Cambridge's women took victory by four-and-a-quarter lengths over Oxford despite a protest from their opponents over potential encroachment.\n\nIt was a sixth straight win for the women's team.\n\n\"The rush of emotions when we crossed the line, there's nothing like it,\" said Cambridge men's cox Jasper Parish, whose brother Ollie was also part of the team.\n\n\"That was the time of our lives, I'll remember this for a long time.\"\n\nThe Cambridge boat earned a warning from umpire Tony Reynolds as Oxford, with the weight advantage, pulled ahead early in the race.\n\nA bold move from Jasper Parish paid off when he steered his crew closer to the bank in Fulham hoping to find friendlier waters.\n\nThis gave Cambridge a half-length lead which they held on to until the finish, despite a spirited effort from Oxford.\n\nIn the women's race, Oxford made an aggressive start with the weather making for rough conditions, but Cambridge soon took control of the race and maintained a steady pace to coast to victory.\n\nThe umpire was forced to issue stern warnings to both as they came close to colliding before Cambridge stretched into the lead.\n\nOxford protested against the result after the race as they believed Cambridge had encroached, but the umpire dismissed the plea as there was no contact.\n\nCambridge president Caoimhe Dempsey, the only returnee for either team, said she was \"proud\" of her crew.\n\n\"That was a whirlwind of a race,\" she told BBC Sport. \"The conditions changed so much from start to finish. I'm so proud; it is still sinking in. The girls are so tenacious, strong and brave.\"\n\nOn the near collision, Dempsey added: \"That is the nature of the boat race. It makes it so exciting.\"\n\nCambridge lead the rivalry 47-30 in the women's event, while Cambridge men have won 86 times to Oxford's 81.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/sport\/rowing\/65082185"}
{"title":"Clearview AI used nearly 1m times by US police, it tells the BBC - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-27","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"Clearview AI has been used by the police nearly a million times in the US, it tells the BBC.","section":"Technology","content":"Facial recognition firm Clearview has run nearly a million searches for US police, its founder has told the BBC.\n\nCEO Hoan Ton-That also revealed Clearview now has 30bn images scraped from platforms such as Facebook, taken without users' permissions.\n\nThe company has been repeatedly fined millions of dollars in Europe and Australia for breaches of privacy.\n\nCritics argue that the police's use of Clearview puts everyone into a \"perpetual police line-up\".\n\n\"Whenever they have a photo of a suspect, they will compare it to your face,\" says Matthew Guariglia from the Electronic Frontier Foundation says. \"It's far too invasive.\"\n\nThe figure of a million searches comes from Clearview and has not been confirmed by police. But in a rare admission, Miami Police has confirmed to the BBC it uses this software for every type of crime.\n\nClearview's system allows a law enforcement customer to upload a photo of a face and find matches in a database of billions of images it has collected.\n\nIt then provides links to where matching images appear online. It is considered one of the most powerful and accurate facial recognition companies in the world.\n\nHoan Ton-That, founder and CEO of Clearview AI, speaking with the BBC\n\nThe company is banned from selling its services to most US companies, after the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) took Clearview AI to court in Illinois for breaking privacy law.\n\nBut there is an exemption for police, and Mr Ton-That says his software is used by hundreds of police forces across the US.\n\nPolice in the US do not routinely reveal whether they use the software, and it is banned in several US cities including Portland, San Francisco and Seattle.\n\nThe use of facial recognition by the police is often sold to the public as only being used for serious or violent crimes.\n\nIn a rare interview with law enforcement about the effectiveness of Clearview, Miami Police said they used the software for every type of crime, from murders to shoplifting.\n\nAssistant Chief of Police Armando Aguilar said his team used the system about 450 times a year, and that it had helped solve several murders.\n\nHowever, critics say there are almost no laws around the use of facial recognition by police.\n\nMr Aguilar says Miami police treats facial recognition like a tip. \"We don't make an arrest because an algorithm tells us to,\" he says. \"We either put that name in a photographic line-up or we go about solving the case through traditional means.\"\n\nThere are a handful of documented cases of mistaken identity using facial recognition by the police. However, the lack of data and transparency around police use means the true figure is likely far higher.\n\nMr Ton-That says he is not aware of any cases of mistaken identity using Clearview. He accepts police have made wrongful arrests using facial recognition technology, but attributes those to \"poor policing\".\n\nClearview often points to research that shows it has a near 100% accuracy rate. But these figures are often based on mugshots.\n\nIn reality, the accuracy of Clearview depends on the quality of the image that is fed into it - something Mr Ton-That accepts.\n\nCivil rights campaigners want police forces that use Clearview to openly say when it is used - and for its accuracy to be openly tested in court. They want the algorithm scrutinised by independent experts, and are sceptical of the company's claims.\n\nKaitlin Jackson is a criminal defence lawyer based in New York who campaigns against the police's use of facial recognition.\n\n\"I think the truth is that the idea that this is incredibly accurate is wishful thinking,\" she says. \"There is no way to know that when you're using images in the wild like screengrabs from CCTV.\"\n\nHowever, Mr Ton-That told the BBC he does not want to testify in court to its accuracy.\n\n\"We don't really want to be in court testifying about the accuracy of the algorithm\u2026 because the investigators, they're using other methods to also verify it,\" he says.\n\nMr Ton-That says he has recently given Clearview's system to defence lawyers in specific cases. He believes that both prosecutors and defenders should have the same access to the technology.\n\nLast year, Andrew Conlyn from Fort Myers, Florida, had charges against him dropped after Clearview was used to find a crucial witness.\n\nMr Conlyn was the passenger in a friend's car in March 2017 when it crashed into palm trees at high speed.\n\nThe driver was ejected from the car and killed. A passer-by pulled Mr Conlyn from the wreckage, but left without making a statement.\n\nAlthough Mr Conlyn said he was the passenger, police suspected he had been driving and he he was charged with vehicular homicide.\n\nHis lawyers had an image of the passer-by from police body cam footage. Just before his trial, Mr Ton-That allowed Clearview to be used in the case.\n\n\"This AI popped him up in like, three to five seconds,\" Mr Conlyn's defence lawyer, Christopher O'Brien, told the BBC. \"It was phenomenal.\"\n\nThe witness, Vince Ramirez, made a statement that he had taken Mr Conlyn out of the passenger's seat. Shortly after, the charges were dropped.\n\nBut even though there have been cases where Clearview is proven to have worked, some believe it comes at too high a price.\n\n\"Clearview is a private company that is making face prints of people based on their photos online without their consent,\" says Mr Guariglia.\n\n\"It's a huge problem for civil liberties and civil rights, and it absolutely needs to be banned.\"\n\nViewers in the UK can watch the Our World documentary into Clearview AI on BBC iPlayer","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/technology-65057011"}
{"title":"Israel protests: PM Netanyahu delays legal reforms after day of strikes - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-27","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"His proposed changes provoked an outpouring of anger from nearly all parts of Israeli society.","section":"Middle East","content":"An uneasy calm is returning to Israel after Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced he would delay a key part of controversial plans to overhaul the justice system.\n\nOn Monday night he said he would pause the legislation to prevent a \"rupture among our people\".\n\nHowever it is unclear what a delay will achieve beyond buying time.\n\nIt followed intensified protests after he fired his defence minister, who had spoken against the plans.\n\nIn unprecedented events, the country's biggest trade union called a strike, and Israelis watched society close down around them.\n\nFrom the main airport to shops and banks - even in hospitals - services were stopped. The co-ordinated action was designed to push Mr Netanyahu back from the brink of pushing through the reforms by the end of this week.\n\nOpposition Leader Yair Lapid called it the \"biggest crisis in the history of the country\".\n\nThe government, Israel's most right-wing ever, is seeking to take decisive control over the committee which appoints judges. The reforms would give the parliament authority to override Supreme Court decisions with a basic majority and would make it difficult to declare a prime minister unfit for office and remove them from power.\n\nMr Netanyahu said the changes would stop courts over-reaching their powers, but critics said they would help him as he faces an ongoing trial for corruption. He has been on trial facing charges of bribery, fraud and breach of trust in three cases. The prime minister denies any wrongdoing and claims he is the victim of a \"witch hunt\".\n\nThe proposed changes have provoked an outpouring of anger from nearly all parts of Israeli society, including parts of its powerful military, since they were announced on 4 January.\n\nMany Israelis also rallied in support of the judicial reforms in Jerusalem on Monday\n\nWhen he finally addressed the nation on Monday night, he was quick to cast blame. He accused an \"extremist minority\" of trying to divide the nation, and criticised military reservists who had opposed the bill by saying they wouldn't report for duty. His own part in the country's upheaval was not acknowledged.\n\nThe solution Mr Netanyahu has proposed will buy him time, but it won't solve the problem - demonstrators were fighting for this bill to be scrapped, not delayed.\n\nIsrael's opposition have said they'll enter into fresh dialogue.\n\nMr Netanyahu's far-right coalition partner, the Jewish Power party, said they had withdrawn a veto on any delay to passing the reforms in return for a guarantee that Mr Netanyahu would pass them during the next session of parliament.\n\nThat could happen any time from the end of April, when parliament returns following a recess which begins on Sunday.\n\nItamar Ben-Gvir, Jewish Power's leader, also said he accepted the delay because, in exchange, Mr Netanyahu had agreed to put his national security ministry in charge of a new \"national guard\".\n\nIn the heart of Jerusalem, around the Knesset, supporters and critics held counter-protests. One thing united them - the blue and white flag waved by both groups. This is one nation, for weeks bitterly divided and Israelis know it is not over yet.\n\nPolice had to separate rival groups of protesters in Jerusalem\n\nProtests erupted on Sunday after Netanyahu fired his defence minister Yoav Gallant, who had spoken out against controversial plans to overhaul the justice system.\n\nHowever a nationwide strike put forward by the Histadrut labour union was called off after Mr Netanyahu said he would delay the reforms.\n\nIsrael's president, Isaac Herzog, said the delay was \"the right thing to do\". He had previously called for an immediate halt to the plans.\n\nMr Lapid cautiously welcomed the delay to the reform package.\n\n\"If the government engages in a real and fair dialogue we can come out of this moment of crisis - stronger and more united - and we can turn this into a defining moment in our ability to live together,\" he said.\n\nElsewhere, the White House said US President Joe Biden would address the Israeli prime minister's decision later on Monday.\n\nSpokesperson John Kirby said the United States remained concerned about the situation in Israel but declined to comment specifically on the delay.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/world-middle-east-65093509"}
{"title":"NI charity funding package being finalised, government says - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-27","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"The announcement comes four days before money from the European Social Fund comes to an end.","section":"Northern Ireland","content":"Many of the organisations which stand to lose EU funding help people with learning difficulties to gain workplace skills\n\nThe UK government has said a financial package is being finalised to help Northern Ireland charities facing a funding crisis at the end of March.\n\nThe announcement comes four days before money from the European Social Fund (ESF) comes to an end due to Brexit.\n\nLevelling Up Secretary Michael Gove said he was \"well aware of the need to deliver quickly\".\n\nSome charities have warned they would have to cut staff and support programmes if funding is not replaced.\n\nIt is still not clear if the UK government package will fully replace all the ESF funds.\n\nThe problem relates to the switchover from EU to UK funding and mainly applies to organisations which help people find employment.\n\nAbout \u00a340m a year of money from the ESF will come to an end on Friday.\n\nThis money was 35% match-funded from Stormont, giving \u00a354m in total.\n\nThe UK government's Shared Prosperity Fund is due to replace the ESF funding.\n\nSpeaking to MPs, Mr Gove said his ministerial colleague Dehenna Davison had \"been working to ensure we deal with the cliff edge\".\n\nHe said the total amount of spending being talked about was \u00a326.9m.\n\nOrganisations who help people with disabilities to work warned as far back as 2019 there was a \"lack of detail\" about what would replace EU funding.\n\nA leader in the sector said their warnings had been \"ignored and disabled people have been abandoned\".\n\nBut despite that warning four years ago, many groups do not yet know if their work will be funded on 1 April.\n\nBut although an application process for \u00a342m available over two years took place in December 2022 and January 2023, organisations who applied have still not been told if they will receive funding.\n\nBefore Mr Gove's announcement, BBC News NI obtained a briefing paper from the Northern Ireland Union of Supported Employment (NIUSE) which was published in May 2019.\n\nIt warned then of \"an absence of specific detail\" about how the Shared Prosperity Fund would operate.\n\nNow we are at crisis point with less than five days to go - Edyth Dunlop from NIUSE\n\n\"ESF is the primary and consistent source of funding for employment projects for disabled people in Northern Ireland,\" it said.\n\nThe briefing paper also warned there was a \"lack of clarity\" about long-term funding and that replacing ESF was \"a critical issue\".\n\nThe NIUSE represents a range of groups including Mencap, Disability Action, Action Mental Health and the Now Group who train and support people with disabilities to find employment.\n\nSome groups have warned the most vulnerable people in society will suffer if services lose funding.\n\nThey have also said that hundreds of jobs in the community sector are at risk.\n\nThe 2019 policy paper highlighted concerns over loss of EU funds\n\nEdyth Dunlop from NIUSE said the 2019 briefing paper showed the organisation had been \"forewarning\" both the UK government and Northern Ireland administration for years about the end of ESF funding.\n\n\"Now we are at crisis point with less than five days to go and it could have been diverted,\" she said.\n\n\"We have been ignored and disabled people have been abandoned.\n\n\"Often those most vulnerable are the easiest to ignore.\"\n\nNorthern Ireland has the lowest rate of employment for people with disabilities in the UK.\n\nJust over a third of disabled people in Northern Ireland are in work, compared with more than half in the rest of the UK.\n\nMs Dunlop told BBC News NI that \"it doesn't make sense to not continue vital services which address this\".\n\n\"From 1 April there will be no pre-employment training for disabled people or those most vulnerable unless actions and decisions are made now,\" she said.\n\n\"We want to work with the local departments and develop solutions together and address the high rate of economic inactivity and disability employment gap.\"\n\nOther organisations which work with groups like vulnerable young people or the long-term unemployed are also threatened by the uncertainty about funding.\n\nThe Department for the Economy (DfE) was the managing authority for ESF in Northern Ireland.\n\nIn a statement issued before Mr Gove's announcement, DfE said it \"empathises with the concerns of the sector currently supported under the NI European Social Fund (ESF) Programme\".\n\n\"The UK government has committed to fully replace EU structural funds through their Shared Prosperity Fund (SPF),\" they continued.\n\n\"We have been clear with all providers for some time now that we have no ability to finance this activity beyond March this year when the SPF is due to start.\"","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/uk-northern-ireland-65081565"}
{"title":"Ukraine war: Drone downed over Russia, Moscow says - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-27","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"Kyiv has dismissed previous claims that it has attacked Russian civilian targets with explosive drones.","section":"Europe","content":"A Ukrainian drone has been shot down by Russian air defences, Moscow has said.\n\nThe drone came down in the town of Kireyevsk - some 400km (249 miles) from the Ukraine border - on Sunday, the defence ministry announced.\n\nRussian state media is reporting that at least three people were injured in an explosion after it was brought down.\n\nUkraine has dismissed previous claims that it has attacked Russian civilian targets with explosive drones and has not yet commented on this incident.\n\nMoscow has deployed hundreds of drones against Ukraine.\n\nRussian law enforcement authorities say the drone - said to be a Strizh-type (Tu-141) UAV packed with explosives - was brought down at 15:20 local time (13:20 BST), causing a large crater in the heart of Kireyevsk.\n\nSeveral apartments have reportedly been damaged in the town - which lies in the Tula region, 220km south of Moscow - but there have not been any serious injuries.\n\nIn a statement on its Telegram channel, the Russian Defence Ministry accused Ukraine of attempting to carry out a strike.\n\n\"The grouping of Russian air defence systems deployed in the Tula region - S-300 and Pantsir-S1 anti-aircraft missile systems, as well as Pole-21 electronic warfare systems - provide reliable cover from this direction,\" the defence ministry said.\n\n\"In particular, the Pole-21 electronic warfare complex handled the Ukrainian strike drone, which resulted in its navigation system being disabled.\"\n\nIn December, Moscow said three Russian air force personnel died after being wounded by falling debris from a drone that was shot down at the Engels airbase in the south of the country.\n\nThe Engels air base has been repeatedly used by Russia to carry out missile strikes on various targets in Ukraine since Moscow launched its full-scale invasion last February.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/world-europe-65082747"}
{"title":"UK is poorer as a country, says Michael Gove - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-27","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"The levelling up secretary blames war in Ukraine and pandemic, but denies government is at fault.","section":"Business","content":"This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Watch: Michael Gove says the Ukraine war and Covid pandemic made the UK poorer\n\nThe UK is poorer than it would have been, partly due to the war in Ukraine, but also the pandemic, Levelling Up Secretary Michael Gove has admitted.\n\nBut he said ministers were taking action on the soaring cost of living, including giving help on energy bills.\n\nThe head of the independent forecaster, the Office for Budget Responsibility (OBR), said living standards were seeing their biggest squeeze on record.\n\nRichard Hughes said Brexit had been similar to the pandemic in its impact.\n\n\"It's a shock to the UK economy of the order of magnitude to other shocks that we've seen from the pandemic, from the energy crisis,\" he told the BBC.\n\nPoor productivity had also hurt growth, he said.\n\nAnd he warned living standards would not return to pre-pandemic levels for another five to six years.\n\nAsked whether he agreed with the OBR's assessments, Mr Gove said economic forecasting was \"a very difficult exercise\". He added that the UK was dealing with \"the aftershocks of two significant events\".\n\n\"[There's] both the war in Ukraine, the first time we've had war on this scale on the continent in Europe since the Second World War, and the Covid pandemic, the biggest global health pandemic since the end of the First World War,\" he told the BBC's Sunday with Laura Kuenssberg programme.\n\n\"They have had a huge effect on our economy and on others' economies.\"\n\nMr Gove denied that the government was to blame after 13 years in power, but added: \"One can always do better, yes.\"\n\nHowever, he insisted ministers were taking action to address soaring inflation - the rate at which prices rise - by taxing oil and gas firms' profits and lowering household energy bills.\n\nHe also said the Budget had taken steps to help people back to work and to help families, including with childcare.\n\nThe OBR forecasts that inflation will fall below 3% this year - down from 10.4% currently - as food and energy prices rise less quickly.\n\nBut speaking on the same programme, OBR chairman Richard Hughes said the outlook was volatile given Britain was a net importer of food and energy - the prices of which were set in global markets.\n\nMr Hughes added that the longer term outlook for the economy was bleak, with people's real spending power - allowing for inflation - not forecast to recover to pre-pandemic levels until the end of the decade.\n\nMr Hughes blamed a range of issues for holding back the economy, saying: \"We've lost around 500,000 people from the labour force, we've seen stagnant investment since 2016 and also our productivity has slowed dramatically since the financial crisis and not really recovered.\"\n\nHe also said that overall output was forecast to be 4% lower than it would have been as a result of leaving the EU.\n\nLast week the Bank of England put up interest rates for the 11th time since December 2021 as it continued its battle to ease inflation.\n\nThe decision to lift rates to 4.25% from 4% came after the inflation rate rose unexpectedly last month to 10.4%.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/business-your-money-65079792"}
{"title":"Man who praised Samuel Paty murder found guilty of terrorism offences - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-27","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"Ajmal Shahpal posted an image of a terrorist victim's severed head on Twitter.","section":"Nottingham","content":"Amjal Shahpal praised the killer of French school teacher Samuel Paty for being \"as brave as a lion\" on Twitter\n\nA man who posted an image of a terrorism victim's severed head on Twitter, urging others to decapitate those who insult Islam, has been found guilty of encouraging terrorist acts.\n\nAjmal Shahpal also praised the killer of French school teacher Samuel Paty for being \"as brave as a lion\".\n\nThe 41-year-old, of Birkin Avenue in Radford, Nottingham, was convicted after a trial at Birmingham Crown Court.\n\nHe is due to be sentenced on 13 April.\n\nJurors deliberated for about five hours before convicting Shahpal by majority verdicts of one count of intentionally encouraging terrorist acts and one of doing so recklessly.\n\nAjmal Shahpal was on trial at Birmingham Crown Court\n\nHe was cleared of a third charge of encouraging acts of terrorism.\n\nAfter the verdicts, Judge Melbourne Inman KC rejected a bail application and remanded Shahpal in custody.\n\nThe judge told him: \"You have been convicted of two offences. Obviously I will have to decide what the sentence is in due course, but a custodial sentence is inevitable for this type of offence.\n\n\"In the circumstances therefore, you will be remanded in custody pending your sentence.\"\n\nA two-week trial was told Shahpal was arrested at his home in March 2021 after tweeting messages backing a Pakistan-based political party which supported the \"out-of-hand murder of those who it thinks have committed blasphemy\".\n\nOpening the Crown's case against Shahpal at the start of the trial, prosecutor Dan Pawson-Pounds said: \"This is a case about terrorism, that is the encouragement by this defendant of others to commit acts of terrorism.\n\n\"He did that by publishing tweets on his Twitter account which specifically encouraged others to behead those who he believed had insulted his religion, his religion being Islam.\"\n\nJurors were told Shahpal, originally from Kashmir, sent some of the tweets on his open account on 26 September 2020, a day after Charlie Hebdo's former office in Paris was targeted for a second time by Islamic extremist Zaheer Hassan Mehmood.\n\nThe court was also told he expressed support for extremists who had attacked those he viewed as blasphemers, including French school teacher Samuel Paty, who was killed on 16 October 2020.\n\nHe also tweeted an image of the severed head of Mr Paty lying on the street, saying that \"the insolent had been sent to hell\".\n\nSamuel Paty was killed after receiving threats when he showed cartoons of Mohammed to a class\n\nFurther tweets said that whoever insulted Islam should be killed, and threatened the French government.\n\nDuring his evidence, Shahpal claimed he was retweeting other people's views \"just to have some more followers\".\n\nHe told jurors he did not know he had retweeted a picture of Mr Paty's severed head, claiming: \"At the time I did not know what picture it was that I was retweeting.\n\n\"A friend of mine who set up this account for me, he told me that if you do this, you are going to get more followers.\"\n\nFollow BBC East Midlands on Facebook, on Twitter, or on Instagram. Send your story ideas to eastmidsnews@bbc.co.uk.\n\nThe BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/uk-england-nottinghamshire-65086949"}
{"title":"Nashville school shooting: Nashville shooter bought seven guns legally - police - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-27","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"Police are giving an update on the school shooting that left six dead, including three children.","section":"US & Canada","content":"Robert Gay is calm and thoughtful as he speaks to me by phone about the Katherine Koonce he knew while in grade school.\n\nKoonce, one of the victims of Monday\u2019s shooting, was the Head of the Covenant School.\n\nShe was also a teacher at Christ Presbyterian Academy, which Gay attended from 2000-2006. He and his brother were good friends with Koonce\u2019s son, David.\n\n\u201cShe always made her students feel that they were loved by a God who cared about them personally and that it was our job to show that love to each other as fellow people,\u201d Gay said.\n\n\u201cShe was so engaged with all the students.\u201d\n\nThe school community was tight-knit, with less than 150 students enrolled there at the time. Gay says everyone knew everyone.\n\n\u201cShe helped identify the best ways for students to learn,\u201d he said. \u201cShe could speak really carefully in a way that would encourage students to see the best in them and to grow.\u201d\n\n\u201cThat encouragement is one of the biggest things I remember about her along with an incredible intelligence. Students walked away feeling empowered and maybe smarter than before she came into the room.\u201d","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/live\/world-us-canada-65087221"}
{"title":"Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu vows to continue with legal reforms - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-27","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"Protests continue after MPs voted to stop the attorney general from being able to declare a leader unfit.","section":"Middle East","content":"Benjamin Netanyahu (R) promised to curb the powers of the judiciary after returning to power in December\n\nIsrael's prime minister has said he will press on with his \"responsible legal reforms\", despite continuing protests over them.\n\nThe passing of a new law on Thursday that makes it harder for courts to remove a leader deemed unfit for office has angered many people.\n\nIt is considered to be in the interests of the incumbent, Benjamin Netanyahu, who is on trial for corruption.\n\nHours after the vote, opponents began what they called a \"day of paralysis\".\n\nTens of thousands of demonstrators gathered in Tel Aviv and other cities, and blocked major roads. A large Israeli flag and a banner with the declaration of independence were also draped over a wall in the Old City of Jerusalem.\n\nPolice used water cannon and mounted officers to disperse a crowd on a busy Tel Aviv highway and said they had arrested dozens of people across the country for public disturbance.\n\nIn the evening, protesters began marching towards the ultra-Orthodox Tel Aviv suburb of Bnei Brak, where there is widespread support for the government.\n\nAhead of the event, protesters set up chairs and tables, surrounded by Israeli flags, and invited members of the community to meet them for reconciliation talks about the planned law changes. There were heated conversations.\n\nPhotos emerged on social media of one of the protest leaders, a doctor, lying bloodied on the ground after being hit by a car. But the organisers later said that it had been an accident, not a deliberate act.\n\nAmid the growing political turmoil at home, Mr Netanyahu travelled to the UK on Thursday ahead of a meeting with British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak on Friday.\n\nMr Netanyahu vowed to \"do everything to calm the situation and bring cohesion\" and to reach a solution acceptable to both supporters and critics of the proposal.\n\nBut he vowed to press ahead with the reforms, including plans to give the government full control over the committee which appoints judges, which he has said will pass in the Knesset next week.\n\n\"We cannot allow any dispute to endanger our collective future,\" he said.\n\nProtesters draped a large Israeli flag on a wall of Jerusalem's Old City\n\nOpposition leader and former prime minister, Yair Lapid, has dismissed Mr Netanyahu's promises as \"lies\".\n\n\"Stop the attempt to turn us into an undemocratic country,\" Mr Lapid urged the prime minister. \"Listen to the hundreds of thousands of loyal patriots who took to the streets.\"\n\nNational Unity Party leader and former defence minister Benny Gantz tweeted that he believed many in the Israeli parliament, known as the Knesset, were opposed to the changes.\n\n\"Tonight it is clear beyond any doubt that the coup will seriously damage democracy and Israeli society,\" said Mr Gantz. \"This would be a direct violation of Israel's security and a lack of national responsibility of the first order.\"\n\nThe new Incapacitation Law, which passed by 61 votes to 47 in the 120-seat Knesset following a heated all-night debate, prevents a prime minister from being declared unfit to hold office by the attorney general.\n\nIt stipulates that only the prime minister or three-quarters of their cabinet can declare them unfit to hold office on physical or psychological grounds.\n\nThe law is part of the right-wing government's contentious plan to limit the powers of the judiciary, which has led to months of protests.\n\nThe governing coalition introduced the legislation last month after Attorney General Gali Baharav-Miara said Mr Netanyahu could not be involved in its judicial overhaul due to the potential conflict of interest arising from his ongoing court cases.\n\nHe is standing trial on charges of bribery, fraud and breach of trust in three cases. He denies any wrongdoing and says he is the victim of a \"witch hunt\".\n\nThe new law would effectively prevent Ms Baharav-Miara from declaring Mr Netanyahu unfit to hold office if she believes that he is attempting to halt his trials.\n\nOfir Katz, a member of Mr Netanyahu's Likud party, argued the legislation would bring \"stability\" by making it harder to remove a prime minister against their will.\n\nPolice used water cannon to in an attempt disperse protesters blocking a major road in Tel Aviv\n\nThe protests have continued to grow since Mr Netanyahu returned to power at the end of last year, leading the most right-wing, nationalist coalition in Israel's history and promising to curb the powers of the judiciary.\n\nThe changes would ultimately strip the Supreme Court of crucial powers to strike down legislation.\n\nMr Netanyahu says the reforms are designed to stop the courts over-reaching their powers and that they were voted for by the public at the last election.\n\nMost legal scholars say they would effectively destroy the independence of the judiciary, while opponents describe them as an attempted \"regime coup\".\n\nEarlier this week, the coalition announced it would delay part of the judicial overhaul until after the Knesset's break for the Jewish Passover holiday.\n\nBut, crucially, the coalition also said it would attempt to push through key changes to the judicial appointments committee before the recess starts on 2 April, albeit with some modifications it sees as a gesture to soften the reforms.\n\nThe opposition immediately rejected the move, while protest leaders said the announcement was not a compromise but a declaration of war against Israeli democracy and its citizens.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/world-middle-east-65049937"}
{"title":"Italian art experts astonished by David statue uproar in Florida - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-27","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"A Florida school head was forced out after the famous Michaelangelo statue was shown to art students.","section":"Europe","content":"The Florence museum that houses Michelangelo's statue of David has invited teachers and students from a Florida school to visit, after an uproar over an art lesson.\n\nThe school's principal quit after a complaint about a sixth-grade art class that included an image of the statue.\n\nA parent had complained the image was pornographic.\n\nCecilie Hollberg, director of Galleria dell'Accademia, has now issued the invitation to the class.\n\nShe said the principal should be \"rewarded, not punished\".\n\n\"Talking about the Renaissance without showing the David, an undisputed icon of art and culture and of that historical period, would make no sense,\" Ms Hollberg said.\n\nThe controversy began when the board of Tallahassee Classical School - a charter school in Florida's state capital - pressured principal Hope Carrasquilla to resign after three parents complained about a lesson that included a photo of the 17ft nude marble statue.\n\nThe statue, one of the most famous in Western history, depicts the biblical David going to fight Goliath armed only with a sling and his faith in God.\n\nThe board reportedly targeted Ms Carrasquilla because the parents claimed they weren't notified in advance that a nude would be shown, with one parent calling the statue \"pornographic\".\n\nThe incident has left Florentines and experts on Renaissance art bewildered.\n\nThe David is considered a masterpiece of the Italian Renaissance and a symbol of humanist values. It has been displayed in the Galleria dell'Accademia since 1873.\n\nMs Hollberg said she was \"astonished\", stating that to think that the David statue could be considered pornographic means not only failing to understand the Bible, but Western culture itself.\n\n\"I cannot believe that actually happened, at first I thought it was fake news, so improbable and absurd was it,\" she said.\n\n\"A distinction must be made between nudity and pornography. There is nothing pornographic or aggressive about the David, he is a young boy, a shepherd, who even according to the Bible did not have ostentatious clothes but wanted to defend his people with what he had.\"\n\nThe mayor of Florence, Dario Nardella, also invited the teacher who showed the students the image of Michelangelo's David to visit the city and its works of art.\n\n\"Mistaking art for pornography is simply ridiculous,\" he tweeted. \"Art is civilisation and those who teach it deserve respect.\"\n\nIn an interview with Slate online magazine, Barney Bishop, chairman of the school board, said that last year the principal sent a notice to parents warning them that students were going to see Michelangelo's David, but this wasn't done this year.\n\nHe called it an \"egregious mistake\" and said that \"parents are entitled to know anytime their child is being taught a controversial topic and picture\".\n\nAccording to Florentine art historian and dean of the University for Foreigners in Siena, Tomaso Montanari, such an attitude is \"disconcerting\".\n\n\"First comes the dismay at the absence of educational freedom, as it should not be restricted or manipulated by families,\" Mr Montanari said.\n\n\"On the other hand, from a cultural perspective, the Western world has a tendency to associate fundamentalism and censorship with other societies, believing it possesses the capability to spread democratic ideals worldwide.\n\n\"But this cultural backsliding clearly highlights the presence of fundamentalist views within the West as well.\"\n\nWhile several parents and teachers plan to protest Ms Carrasquilla's resignation at the school board meeting, she isn't sure she would take the job back even if it were offered.\n\n\"There's been such controversy and such upheaval,\" she said in an interview with the Associated Press. \"I would really have to consider, 'Is this truly what is best?'\"\n\nBack in Florence, Ms Hollberg remarked: \"From majestic statues to charming fountains and paintings, Italy is overflowing with works of art, not just in its museums, but in all its cities, squares and streets, with some featuring naked figures.\n\n\"Does that make it pornography? Should entire cities be shut down because of the artistic depictions of the human form?\"","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/world-europe-65087218"}
{"title":"Heathrow strike forces BA Easter flight cancellations - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-27","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"The move is due to a planned 10-day strike by some Heathrow security workers in the Unite union.","section":"Business","content":"British Airways is cancelling around 32 flights a day to and from Heathrow Airport at the start of the Easter holidays.\n\nThe move is due to a planned 10-day strike by 1,400 Heathrow security workers in the Unite union, who are taking action in a dispute over pay.\n\nBA said it had offered a range of options to affected customers.\n\nHeathrow says contingency plans will be put in place to ensure it can \"operate as normal\".\n\nWorkers at Terminal 5, which is used by British Airways, will take part in the action, as will those who check cargo.\n\nThe walkout is due to start on 31 March and end on 9 April. Talks last week failed to avert the action.\n\nBA has been told by the airport to reduce its schedule on those days by 5% and has stopped selling tickets.\n\nIn a statement, the airline said: \"We've regrettably had to make a small number of adjustments to our schedule.\n\n\"We've apologised to customers whose travel plans have been affected and have offered them a range of options, including rebooking onto a new flight with us or another airline, or requesting a full refund.\"\n\nA Heathrow spokesperson said: \"We will not let these unnecessary strikes impact the hard-earned holidays of our passengers.\"\n\nThe airport said it was deploying 1,000 additional staff, together with its management team, who will be in the terminals providing assistance to passengers over the Easter break.\n\nIt said it may take \"a little longer than usual to get through security\", and advised passengers to help ensure a smooth departure by checking their flight status before travelling to the airport, and by having their liquids and electronics ready for security.\n\nSharon Graham, general secretary of the Unite union, said \"our members are simply unable to make ends meet due to the low wages paid by Heathrow. They are being forced to take strike action due to need not greed.\"\n\nHeathrow says it has offered a 10% pay rise.\n\nStrike action in other countries, notably France, has already caused a number of airlines to cancel flights this year.\n\nMonday's strike in Germany has also caused cancellations.\n\nHow will the Heathrow strike affect your plans? You can get in touch by emailing haveyoursay@bbc.co.uk.\n\nPlease include a contact number if you are willing to speak to a BBC journalist. You can also get in touch in the following ways:\n\nIf 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 HaveYourSay@bbc.co.uk. Please include your name, age and location with any submission.\n\u2022 None Strike action: What do rail workers, nurses and others want?","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/business-65091012"}
{"title":"Jonathan Majors: Creed III actor arrested on assault charges - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-27","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"The Hollywood star's lawyer says his client is innocent and expects charges to be dropped imminently.","section":"World","content":"Creed III actor Jonathan Majors has been arrested on strangulation, assault and harassment charges.\n\nThe New York Police Department said Mr Majors, who stars alongside Michael B Jordan in the recently released film, was involved in a domestic dispute with a 30-year-old woman on Saturday.\n\n\"The victim informed police she was assaulted,\" a police spokesperson said.\n\nMr Majors was briefly taken into custody. A lawyer for the 33-year-old actor denied any wrongdoing.\n\nThe NYPD said they were called around 11:14 local time after receiving a 911 call from an apartment in Manhattan's Chelsea district.\n\nThey added the woman suffered minor head and neck injuries and was taken to hospital.\n\nHe was released from custody by Saturday night, an NYPD spokesperson told the Associated Press news agency.\n\nIn a statement obtained by the BBC, Mr Majors' lawyer said the actor was \"completely innocent\" and alleged the star was the victim of the altercation involving a woman known to him.\n\nPriya Chaudhry said: \"We are quickly gathering and presenting evidence to the District Attorney with the expectation that all charges will be dropped imminently.\n\n\"This evidence includes video footage from the vehicle where this episode took place, witness testimony from the driver and others who both saw and heard the episode, and most importantly, two written statements from the woman recanting these allegations.\n\n\"All the evidence proves that Mr Majors is entirely innocent and did not assault her whatsoever.\"\n\nMr Majors' arrest comes just weeks after the actor presented an award at the Oscars.\n\nHis career took off after breaking through in 2019's The Last Black Man in San Francisco, before going onto to star in Netflix western The Harder They Fall and Marvel Comics film Ant-Man and The Wasp: Quantumania.\n\nJonathan Majors, right, and Creed III co-star Michael B Jordan recently presented an award at the Oscars","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/world-65081847"}
{"title":"MoT: Northern Ireland delays remain despite record number of tests - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-27","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"The Department for Infrastructure says more than 500,000 tests were conducted in the last six months.","section":"Northern Ireland","content":"Some motorists are facing waits of more than three months at their closest test centre\n\nSome drivers in Northern Ireland are still struggling to book an MoT despite a record number of tests being carried out in the last six months.\n\nThere has been a backlog since testing was suspended several times in 2020.\n\nThe Department for Infrastructure (DfI) said more than 500,000 tests were conducted in the last six months as part of efforts to cut delays.\n\nBut some drivers trying to book online still face long waits for an appointment.\n\nBetween September last year and the end of February 2023, a total of 506,967 full vehicle tests had been carried out by the Driver and Vehicle Agency (DVA), she added.\n\nThat is a 22% increase on the same period in 2021\/2022.\n\n\"This increase in capacity has been achieved by adopting a range of measures including the recruitment of additional vehicle examiners, the use of overtime to provide cover for leave and by offering vehicle test appointments on a Sunday and bank holidays, when testing is not normally available,\" the DfI said.\n\n\"The DVA currently issues reminder notifications six weeks in advance of your MoT expiry date.\n\n\"The DVA will keep this notification period under review as it continues to manage the demand for vehicle testing.\"\n\nThey added that it did not currently hold information to enable it to accurately report the average waiting times for vehicle tests \"given that this position changes on a regular basis\".\n\nBBC News NI logged on to the booking system on Friday to check the current availability.\n\nThe soonest date some MoT centres are offering in Northern Ireland are in June and July\n\nIt appears many motorists are facing two or three-month delays for an MoT, unless a cancellation appears, when using the DVA online system.\n\nAn MoT certificate ensures a vehicle meets legal standards and is required for tax and insurance purposes.\n\nThe Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) previously said it would not penalise drivers whose MoT has expired as long as they met a number of criteria.\n\nThe PSNI told BBC News NI that exemption remains in place.\n\n\"In the event police encounter a vehicle with no current MoT, so long as we can ascertain that a vehicle is roadworthy, has a forthcoming MoT test date and is not sorned (statutory off road notification), then police will not take any further action,\" a spokesperson said.\n\nAs for insurers, the Association of British Insurers (ABI) said \"where motorists in Northern Ireland have a confirmed MoT appointment booking for their test, they should not be prejudiced by a lack of a valid MoT certificate if it has run out before the test takes place\".\n\nABI said its members had agreed to maintain cover for customers who, \"through no fault of their own\", could not get a test.\n\n\"However, motorists whose MoTs are due must keep trying to book a test with the DVA, even if the date falls after when their MoT certificate expires.\"\n\nThe spokesperson added that insurers must keep their vehicle in a roadworthy condition.\n\nDrivers requiring an MoT to tax their vehicle, who cannot get an appointment before their current certificate expires, are asked to \"book the earliest available appointment and keep checking the booking system for an earlier appointment\", according to the DfI.\n\n\"If they get to within five days of the expiry date of their vehicle tax and they have been unable to secure an appointment or their vehicle tax has expired, they should contact the DVA customer services team at dva.customerservices@infrastructure-ni.gov.uk and they will do their best to get an urgent appointment for the vehicle,\" a spokesperson added.\n\nMoT tests in Northern Ireland were first suspended in January 2020 due to safety concerns about equipment being used during the tests.\n\nThen Covid-19 hit, bringing another halt to MoT tests in March 2020.\n\nTesting resumed in stages from June 2020, at a reduced capacity due to social distancing measures, before returning fully in July 2021.\n\nA new online booking system was set up in September 2021 to deal with the backlog that built up from January 2020, but it initially faced technical problems and created further delays.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/uk-northern-ireland-65061824"}
{"title":"England 2-0 Ukraine: Harry Kane and Bukayo Saka score in comfortable win - BBC Sport","published_date":"2023-03-27","authors":null,"description":"England maintain their winning start to their Euro 2024 qualifying campaign with a comfortable victory over Ukraine at Wembley.","section":null,"content":"Last updated on .From the section England\n\nEngland maintained their winning start to Euro 2024 qualifying with a comfortable victory over Ukraine at Wembley.\n\nGareth Southgate's side built on the foundation of their first away win against Italy since 1961 with an efficient performance that was more than enough to see off the visitors.\n\nEngland struggled to build any momentum until record scorer Harry Kane made it 55 international goals when he bundled in Bukayo Saka's cross at the far post eight minutes before half-time.\n\nThe second arrived three minutes later and was all Saka's own work, the Arsenal winger turning away from his man on the edge of the area and curling a superb effort beyond the reach of Anatoliy Trubin and into the top corner.\n\nLeicester City's James Maddison made a good impression on his first England start while Brentford's Ivan Toney won his first cap as a late substitute, captain Kane making way once there was never any serious danger of a Ukrainian comeback.\n\nSaka is part of England's young generation that Southgate hopes will form a key component of their Euro 2024 campaign and the quest to finally claim a major trophy - and what a talent he is.\n\nSaka has been outstanding as Arsenal lead the Premier League table and after a fine World Cup in Qatar he has simply carried on the form he has been showing all season.\n\nHe was a constant danger down England's right flank and the 21-year-old merely confirmed what he is showing on an almost weekly basis, namely that he has a golden future ahead of him.\n\nSaka's cross unlocked a well-organised Ukraine defence for Kane to pounce and set England on their way before producing a superb piece of individual skill to effectively end the contest.\n\nEngland manager Southgate could not have hoped for a better start to these qualifiers as two of arguably their more testing fixtures have resulted in maximum points.\n\nAnd he will be happy with portions of England's performances in both games, particularly the first half against Italy in Naples and the manner in which they closed this game out with the minimum of fuss.\n\nEngland are the favourites to qualify at the top of their group and secure a place at the Euros in Germany, where they will be among those touted as potential winners, and these opening two games have certainly justified that status.\n\nThey survived a poor second half in Italy and a drab first half-hour here but the end results certainly count as a job well done.\n\u2022 None Attempt saved. Jack Grealish (England) right footed shot from the left side of the box is saved in the bottom right corner. Assisted by Conor Gallagher.\n\u2022 None Attempt missed. Harry Maguire (England) header from the left side of the box is just a bit too high. Assisted by Jordan Henderson with a cross following a corner.\n\u2022 None Attempt saved. Harry Maguire (England) header from the centre of the box is saved in the centre of the goal. Assisted by Ben Chilwell with a cross.\n\u2022 None Attempt saved. Conor Gallagher (England) right footed shot from the centre of the box is saved in the bottom left corner. Assisted by Ben Chilwell.\n\u2022 None Delay over. They are ready to continue.\n\u2022 None Delay in match because of an injury Taras Stepanenko (Ukraine). Navigate to the next page Navigate to the last page\n\u2022 None Our coverage of your Premier League club is bigger and better than ever before - follow your team and sign up for notifications in the BBC Sport app to make sure you never miss a moment","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/sport\/football\/65004815"}
{"title":"School buses escorted by police after Tennessee shooting - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-27","authors":null,"description":"Police cars line the street after a Tennessee school shooting.","section":null,"content":"After a school shooting in Tennessee, police cars and yellow buses wait outside the crime scene.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/world-us-canada-65093519"}
{"title":"Lebanon reverses decision to delay daylight savings time change - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-27","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"Christian authorities changed clocks on Sunday, in defiance of a move meant to help fasting Muslims.","section":"Middle East","content":"Churches, business and schools changed their clocks as usual on Sunday, which was the last in March\n\nLebanon's government has reversed a decision to delay the shift to daylight savings time by a month, which had sparked both anger and confusion.\n\nCaretaker Prime Minister Najib Mikati announced that clocks would now go forward on Wednesday night.\n\nHe had agreed to a delay last week so Muslims could break their fasts earlier during the holy month of Ramadan.\n\nBut Christian authorities defied the order and changed their clocks as usual on Sunday, which was the last in March.\n\nMany businesses, media outlets and educational institutions followed suit, leaving people living in one of the smallest countries in the Middle East struggling to deal with two different time zones.\n\nMr Mikati, who is a Sunni Muslim, insisted on Monday that his initial decision to delay the time change until 20 April to \"relieve\" those fasting during Ramadan had not been for \"sectarian reasons\", adding: \"A decision like this should not have triggered such sectarian responses.\"\n\nHe blamed the deep political and religious divisions that have resulted in parliament being unable to agree on a new president since October and a caretaker cabinet with limited powers being left to run the country.\n\n\"The problem is not summer time or winter time... The problem is the presidential vacuum.\"\n\nThe political paralysis has also compounded Lebanon's crushing economic crisis, which has left more than 80% of the population living in poverty and struggling to afford food and medicine.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/world-middle-east-65090888"}
{"title":"Dramatic scenes from school shooting in Tennessee - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-27","authors":null,"description":"Six people, three of them children, have been killed in a primary school shooting in Nashville.","section":null,"content":"Six people, three of them children, have been killed in a primary school shooting in Nashville. The shooter was a 28-year-old female who was killed by police, officers said.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/world-us-canada-65094530"}
{"title":"Silicon Valley Bank: Collapsed US lender bought by rival - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-27","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"The collapsed lender was seized by US regulators after a run on the bank.","section":"Business","content":"The assets and loans of collapsed US lender Silicon Valley Bank (SVB) are being bought by rival First Citizens BancShares.\n\nInvestors welcomed the deal, sending First Citizens shares up more than 40%.\n\nThe rise helped drive broader gains in banking shares, which have been in turmoil since SVB's failure sparked fears over the stability of the sector.\n\nIn Europe, worries over the strength of Swiss banking giant Credit Suisse led to a rushed takeover by rival UBS.\n\nThe deal for SVB brings to a close a saga that started earlier this month after a run on the bank forced US regulators to take over. Its collapse was swiftly followed by the failure of another US lender, Signature Bank.\n\nThe demise of the two were the biggest bank failures in the US since the financial crisis of 2008.\n\nUnder the SVB takeover deal, all 17 former SVB branches will open under the First Citizens brand on Monday. SVB customers are being advised to continue using their current branch until they receive notice from First Citizens Bank that their account has been fully moved across.\n\nFirst Citizens is based in Raleigh, North Carolina and calls itself America's biggest family-controlled bank. It has been one of the largest buyers of troubled banks in recent years.\n\nThe Federal Deposit Insurance Corp, the US financial regulator that announced the deal, said First Citizens had bought around $72bn of SVB's assets at a discount of $16.5bn - a deal that will make the bank one of the 25 biggest in the US.\n\nThe FDIC said it would retain control of about $90bn of SVB's assets and estimated the cost of the SVB failure to its deposit insurance fund would be about $20bn. It will also receive an equity stake in First Citizens worth up to $500m.\n\nThe FDIC said it had received 27 bids from 18 bidders before settling on the First Citizens deal. \u200b\n\nThe UK arm of SVB was bought by HSBC earlier this month for \u00a31.\n\nInterest rates were cut sharply during the 2008 global financial crisis and again during the Covid pandemic as central banks around the world sought to encourage economic growth.\n\nBut rates have been rising over the past year as central banks try to rein in soaring prices.\n\nThese rate rises have hit the value of investments that banks keep some of their money in, and contributed to the bank failures in the US.\n\nThe worry that has unnerved financial markets is that there could be other problems in the banking sector, which have not yet emerged.\n\nCentral banks around the world have stressed that the banking system is safe and lenders are well capitalised.\n\nSarah Hewin, head of Europe & Americas research at Standard Chartered bank, told the BBC's Today programme that there is a \"very febrile environment\" among investors.\n\n\"At the moment there's a lot of psychology rather than reality which is running markets.\"\n\nOn Sunday, the head of the International Monetary Fund, Kristalina Georgieva, said there was a \"need for vigilance\" given the turbulence in the banking sector and warned it was \"clear that risks to financial stability have increased\".\n\n\"At a time of higher debt levels, the rapid transition from a prolonged period of low interest rates to much higher rates... inevitably generates stresses and vulnerabilities.\"\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Is this the start of a financial crisis?","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/business-65084248"}
{"title":"X-Ray: Locals fix nurse's kitchen after extension issues - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-27","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"Nurse Catharine Lewis thanks locals and tradespeople who stepped in after her builders walked out.","section":"Wales","content":"Work has resumed on the property after support from her community\n\nA nurse has been overwhelmed by people's generosity after her kitchen extension plan turned into a nightmare.\n\nCatharine Lewis from Tonyrefail, Rhondda Cynon Taf, hired a company to construct her extension, but the builders stopped before its completion.\n\nIt meant she had to wash dishes in a downstairs basin, mop up regular leaks in the bathroom and set up a makeshift kitchen in her lounge.\n\nOthers agreed to help after her story was shown on BBC Wales' X-Ray TV show.\n\nMrs Lewis had agreed a price of \u00a357,000 with her builders to create a ground floor extension in January last year.\n\nThe work was originally expected to take 12 weeks, but it ran months over schedule, by which time she had paid out \u00a361,000 and, by December, the builders abandoned the project, citing several issues.\n\n\"We have a completely open, exposed house and every time it rains it pours in,\" said Mrs Lewis in an interview for the programme last month.\n\nCatharine Lewis hired builders to construct her extension but they stopped before its completion\n\nSupports have been installed to prevent Mrs Lewis's back wall from collapse\n\nAfter it aired, she said she had been inundated with \"amazing\" offers of help.\n\n\"Plumbers, electricians, carpenters, roofers, general labourers, tilers, everything possible to potentially get this finished,\" said Mrs Lewis, who had worked full time throughout pandemic at an NHS intensive care unit.\n\nOne building team has already strengthened the support under a bedroom, and a kitchen firm has offered to supply a kitchen at cost, and fit it for free.\n\nNeighbour Nicola Wellman also set up a GoFundMe page that has raised more than \u00a35,000.\n\nAnd the community has rallied around offering to do everything from drying clothes to even doing her dishes.\n\nBuilding work has resumed on the extension thanks to people's goodwill\n\n\"It feels like it's gone from a light at the end of the tunnel to floodlight showing me that I can make my house a home again for my family,\" said Mrs Lewis.\n\nNicky Middleton, from N&K Kitchens, told X-Ray it had dozens of happy customers who were satisfied with their work.\n\nHe said bad weather delayed work on Mrs Lewis' extension, with unforeseen building issues then leading to significant extra costs.\n\nHe claimed they walked off the job because Mrs Lewis owed them money for outstanding invoices, and that while he regretted the state her home was left in, he blamed structural issues at the back of the property on work done by a previous builder.\n\nThe last episode of X-Ray is aired on BBC One Wales on Monday at 20:00 BST, repeated on Wednesday at 22:30 and will be available on iPlayer, with the series coming to an end after 22 years","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/uk-wales-65079928"}
{"title":"Guns and bullets found in Ballinamallard hedge during litter pick - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-27","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"A member of the public found them inside a plastic bag as they picked litter in County Fermanagh.","section":"Northern Ireland","content":"The litter pick was taking place at Baragh Gardens in Ballinamallard\n\nTwo guns and bullets were found by a member of the public during a community litter pick in County Fermanagh.\n\nThey were discovered inside a plastic bag in a hedge at Baragh Gardens in Ballinamallard on Saturday afternoon.\n\nThe police cordoned off the area and Army ammunition experts were called in to determine whether the weapons were real or fake.\n\nIt is understood they confirmed the guns were real and the items were taken away for forensic examination.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/uk-northern-ireland-65080300"}
{"title":"Ministers see off Tory rebels over migration plans - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-27","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"A group of MPs say they have assurances after seeking to toughen up rules for removing migrants in the Illegal Migration Bill.","section":"UK Politics","content":"The UK government has defused a rebellion from backbenchers wanting to toughen up new rules for removing migrants.\n\nA group of Tory MPs had tabled several amendments to the Illegal Migration Bill, ahead of votes in Parliament.\n\nBut some withdrew their proposals, after minister Robert Jenrick said he would \"engage\" with Tory MPs who have concerns.\n\nIt follows talks between them and Home Secretary Suella Braverman.\n\nThe legislation, unveiled earlier this month, would prevent anyone entering the UK illegally from claiming asylum.\n\nIt is central to Prime Minister Rishi Sunak's pledge to \"stop\" small boats crossing the English Channel, but has provoked outrage among charities and opposition parties, which say it breaches international law.\n\nSome Conservative MPs, however, believe it does not go far enough and tabled a series of amendments aiming to further toughen the bill.\n\nAmendments they were supporting included one aiming to make it harder to challenge removal orders issued by courts.\n\nAnother would have meant the duty to remove migrants would apply irrespective of any orders issued by the European Court of Human Right (EHCR).\n\nThe Strasbourg-based court, unpopular on the Tory right, blocked the removal of migrants to Rwanda last year pending legal challenges.\n\nMr Jenrick assured Tory MPs he would speak to those who feared human rights law would interfere with the legislation.\n\nSpeaking during the bill's committee stage, he said: \"I am certainly keen to give them an undertaking to engage with them and other colleagues who are interested in these points ahead of report stage of the bill.\n\n\"We are united in our determination that this bill will be a robust bill, that it will be able to survive the kind of egregious and vexatious legal challenges that we have seen in the past, and that it will enable us to do the job and to remove illegal immigrants to safe third countries like Rwanda.\"\n\nMr Sunak has made \"stopping\" small boats one of his top priorities as prime minister\n\nMr Jenrick also made commitments designed to resist pressure from a different group of Tory MPs to create more safe and legal routes for asylum seekers.\n\nThe group, led by East Worthing and Shoreham MP Tim Loughton, put forward proposals that would force ministers to establish more such routes before the rest of the bill can come into force.\n\nThey had been signed by former Brexit secretary David Davis and Dame Diana Johnson, the Labour chair of the home affairs select committee.\n\nBut Mr Sunak's spokesman told reporters it was necessary to \"get a grip on those crossing illegally\" before new legal routes are set up.\n\nThis was \"so we can plan and make a proper decision about the numbers of people the country, local authorities, councils, GPs, are able to deal with each year,\" he added.\n\nMr Loughton withdrew the amendment after Mr Jenrick committed \"to engage with him and other colleagues\", and \"if necessary bringing forward further amendments to ensure there are new routes in addition to the existing schemes\".\n\nOn Monday night, MPs voted to reject four amendments that would have:\n\nMore than 45,000 people entered the UK via Channel crossings last year, up from about 300 in 2018.\n\nUnder the new bill, people removed from the UK would be blocked from returning or seeking British citizenship in future. Migrants will not get bail or be able to seek judicial review for the first 28 days of detention.\n\nIt will also place a legal duty on the home secretary to detain and remove those arriving in the UK illegally, to Rwanda or a \"safe\" third country - this will take legal precedence over someone's right to claim asylum.\n\nIn a letter to MPs following publication of the bill earlier this month, Ms Braverman conceded there is a \"more (than) 50% chance\" the bill is incompatible with international law.\n\nIt is expected to come up against opposition in the House of Lords, and subsequently expected to face a wave of legal challenges, whilst opposition parties have dismissed it as unworkable.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/uk-politics-65084430"}
{"title":"Outrage at new project for firm behind P&O sackings - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-27","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"DP World has been chosen to run a new freeport, despite having sacked 800 workers without notice last year.","section":"Business","content":"A decision to allow the owner of P&O Ferries to be involved in a major new infrastructure project has sparked outrage, after the firm sacked 800 workers without notice last year.\n\nDP World has been approved to co-run the Thames Freeport in Essex, as part of Rishi Sunak's freeports plan.\n\nThe Trades Union Congress said it was an \"appalling decision\", enabling other employers \"to act with impunity\".\n\nThe government said the new freeport would \"help to grow the economy\".\n\nP&O Ferries sacked hundreds of seafarers in March 2022 and replaced them with foreign agency workers paid less than the minimum wage.\n\nThe move sparked outrage and led to calls for P&O's boss Peter Hebblethwaite to resign.\n\nA week afterwards, Mr Hebblethwaite admitted to MPs that the decision had broken employment law.\n\nAt the time, the government called the workers' treatment \"wholly unacceptable\".\n\nGrant Shapps, who was then transport secretary, said the law would be changed to stop companies firing staff on-the-spot.\n\nThe government also cancelled a contract with P&O Ferries in May, a decision it said was in response to the sackings.\n\nBut on Monday, the government confirmed it had recently approved plans for the Thames Freeport, and that it would be run by a partnership between DP World, carmaker Ford and Forth Ports.\n\nThe port will receive \u00a325m in government funding, which will go to local authorities, as it works to attract \u00a34.6bn more in public and private investment.\n\nPaul Nowak, general secretary of the TUC, said ministers should have \"stripped the company of all its public contracts and severed commercial ties\" after the P&O sackings.\n\n\"But the government has chosen instead to reward DP World with another bumper deal. This is giving a green light to other rogue employers to act with impunity.\"\n\nA spokesperson for Thames Freeport said that DP World and its partners had invested heavily in port and logistics infrastructure over the past decade.\n\nThey added that the new port would benefit the \"levelling up of the region\", with more than 21,000 direct and indirect jobs created.\n\nThe government said the project would lead to \"much needed\" investment in the area.\n\nLocal authorities will administer the government funding \"to benefit the entire region\", it added, while the freeport will receive \"potentially hundreds of millions in locally-retained business rates\".\n\nFreeports aim to create economic activity - like trade, investment and jobs - near shipping ports or airports. Goods imported into freeports are exempt from taxes, called tariffs, that are normally paid to the government.\n\nEight freeports have already been set up in England, with more in the pipeline.\n\nThe Thames Freeport will be made up of three sites - the London Gateway in Thurrock, the Port of Tilbury near Southend-on-Sea, and Ford's Dagenham car plant.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/business-65086060"}
{"title":"Nashville shooting: Survivor of Illinois tragedy makes angry plea - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-27","authors":null,"description":"After surviving a mass shooting in Illinois, a woman visiting Nashville confronts media.","section":null,"content":"This video can not be played\n\nTo play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/world-us-canada-65095161"}
{"title":"PM looks forward to working with SNP leader Yousaf - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-27","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"Rishi Sunak congratulates Nicola Sturgeon's successor, saying they should both focus on \"issues that matter\".","section":"Scotland","content":"Victory by 52% to 48% is not the ringing endorsement Humza Yousaf would have wanted from the party membership, but a win is a win and it was accepted by all three candidates.\n\nIt is a massive personal moment for Mr Yousaf, but very quickly he will no longer be able to bask in the glory because he will be immersed in the detail and challenges that come with this big responsibility.\n\nUnder Alex Salmond and then Nicola Sturgeon, the SNP was a fairly united party and able to keep everybody on pretty much the same page, but underlying tensions have bubbled to the surface during this campaign.\n\nMr Yousaf has called for the party to come together and those signals in the days ahead will be important - will he try to bring in Kate Forbes and Ash Regan?\n\nBut some arguments will continue because they were pretty fundamental \u2013 the direction to take on independence, whether to challenge the UK government on its decision to block the gender reform legislation passed by Holyrood.\n\nWe now know Mr Yousaf's position is pretty secure, with the Greens - who share power \u2013 deciding they want to continue that agreement and backing him as first minister.\n\nSo he will easily see off the challenge from other parties in tomorrow's vote, but it is straight down to work because there are enormous challenges facing the Scottish government \u2013 trying to bring down huge NHS waiting lists, levels of poverty and drug-related deaths.\n\nHe now also carries the torch for the SNP\u2019s ultimate goal of independence. It is clear he will continue to pursue that goal, as well as use Holyrood\u2019s devolved powers to tackle some of the big challenges of the day, including the cost of living crisis.\n\nThere is always a tension in that. His rivals say every time he talks about independence, he is prolonging division in the country, whereas Humza Yousaf himself says he wants to govern for all the people of Scotland.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/live\/uk-scotland-65086830"}
{"title":"Where do SNP candidates stand on the key issues? - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-27","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"Three candidates - Ash Regan, Humza Yousaf and Kate Forbes - are standing to succeed Nicola Sturgeon.","section":"Scotland politics","content":"Three candidates - Ash Regan, Humza Yousaf and Kate Forbes, are standing in the contest to succeed Nicola Sturgeon as SNP leader and Scotland's first minister.\n\nThe winner will be decided by a vote of SNP members, with the result to be announced on 27 March.\n\nHere is where the contenders stand on some of the key issues facing the country:\n\nAll three candidates have said they believe Scotland will become independent within the next five years.\n\nAsh Regan has pitched herself as the candidate who is best placed to unite and reinvigorate the independence movement, and has accused her two opponents of being \"wishy for washy\" on the issue.\n\nShe wants to create a cross-party Independence Convention, and has said a majority of people voting for parties who back independence in any election would be enough to trigger negotiations with Westminster on Scotland leaving the UK through her \"voter empowerment mechanism\"\n\nKate Forbes has taken a more cautious approach, saying that she wants to build support for independence to a point where it is well beyond 50% by winning over people who are currently opposed to the idea.\n\nMs Forbes has said she would do this by using the existing powers of the Scottish Parliament to show that Scotland can flourish, and through \"gentle persuasion, making the economic case and earning people's trust\".\n\nHumza Yousaf has also spoken of the importance of building support for independence by talking about policies rather than process, but has said he could consider a snap Holyrood election as part of a strategy to secure independence.\n\nHe said: \"We have got to inspire people with a vision for independence. We have to make sure that we're not obsessing about Section 30s and de facto referendums because people just don't get inspired by that.\"\n\nMr Yousaf is the only candidate to have said he would challenge the UK government's block on the gender recognition reforms in the courts and to have backed the proposals in the final vote last December.\n\nThe health secretary has warned the SNP against a \"lurch to the right\" on social issues, which he said could see it \"lose vast swathes of support\" and make it \"very possible we will not be electable\".\n\nBut he has faced accusations - which he strongly denies - that he \"ducked\" the vote that legalised gay marriage in 2014 because of religious pressure from a Glasgow mosque.\n\nAsh Regan quit as the Scottish government's community safety minister over the gender reforms, saying that her conscience would not allow her to support the self-identification plans.\n\nShe is a long-standing critic of the proposals and has said she would \"never vote for anything that would put women and girls in danger\".\n\nMs Regan has also made clear she would not challenge the UK government block in the courts as \"I don't believe we would win\".\n\nKate Forbes did not take part in the final vote on the gender reforms as she was on maternity leave, but was one of the SNP politicians who had previously signed an open letter to Nicola Sturgeon highlighting concerns over the legislation.\n\nShe has said she would not have supported the reforms if she had been in parliament, and it seems unlikely that she would launch a legal challenge to the UK government's veto.\n\nMs Forbes, who is a member of the Free Church of Scotland, has faced fierce criticism from senior SNP figures including Deputy First Minister John Swinney over her opposition to gay marriage and her socially conservative views on issues such as abortion and having children outside marriage.\n\nKate Forbes has said she would not raise income tax for higher earners and would instead focus on growing the economy and expanding the tax base by cutting red tape for businesses - including a pause on the deposit return scheme - and improving transport infrastructure.\n\nThe finance secretary was on maternity leave when the Scottish government raised income tax rates for higher earners, and has said she wants Scotland to be a high growth economy \"so that high tax is no longer required\".\n\nShe has argued that the only way of cutting poverty is \"make the Scottish economy more prosperous because that creates more, better jobs and raises more funding to reinvest in front line services\".\n\nHumza Yousaf has outlined a plan to fast-track the expansion of childcare to one and two-year-olds, which he believes would be a game changer for working families and the wider economy. The UK government has unveiled a similar plan for England.\n\nHe backed the recent income tax rises, and argues that the \"failed economic consensus of both Westminster parties has given Scotland the worst of both worlds - low growth and low productivity, combined with unacceptably high poverty and inequality\".\n\nHe has said he wants Scotland to \"chart a different course\" and to create a \"wellbeing economy\" that \"puts the equality, happiness and health of all Scotland's citizens at its heart\" and which would see trade unions and workers have a greater input into economic policy and has said that small businesses could be excluded from the deposit return scheme for the first year.\n\nAsh Regan wants a pause to the deposit return scheme, which aims to improve recycling rates for single-use drinks containers but has been at the centre of controversy over its impact on smaller firms such as craft breweries.\n\nShe has said the scheme was an example of the Scottish government failing to listen to what people were saying, and that some businesses \"just don't know how they are going to make this work\".\n\nMs Regan has also said that many of the issues facing the Scottish economy, including child poverty rates, cannot be fixed under devolution and that the country needs the full economic levers of independence.\n\nHumza Yousaf - who is currently the country's health secretary - has said he would be open to changing controversial plans to create a national care service if he becomes first minister by working with critics of the scheme in an attempt to find compromise.\n\nHis supporters say that Mr Yousaf has the experience of guiding the NHS through the aftermath of the Covid pandemic, and has managed to avoid the strikes by health workers that have hit other parts of the UK.\n\nHe apologised for soaring NHS waiting times during the recent BBC Scotland TV debate, telling an audience member whose husband was facing a wait of between three and six years for knee surgery that \"not just myself as health secretary, but the entire government is focused on reducing those waiting lists\".\n\nAsh Regan has said that improving the health service would be her main objective if she becomes the country's next first minister.\n\nShe wants to hold a summit of frontline health workers to identify and then tackle the issues facing NHS staff.\n\nMs Regan said: \"There has been too much focus on targets and goals - the nurses and midwives I've met during this leadership election are telling me they are exhausted, the NHS has been running on goodwill for too long, it is time for change\".\n\nKate Forbes has said she wants to rethink the national care service plans because the scheme must have the confidence of everyone who delivers and uses it if it is to be successful.\n\nShe has also proposed setting up an inquiry to look at giving the NHS a radical overhaul, but has stressed that it must remain free at the point of need.\n\nMs Forbes said: \"We shouldn't be shy of discussing the need for reform in order to ensure that our NHS is prepared, and not just for the next year, but it's still providing treatment free at the point of need in the next few decades.\"\n\nKate Forbes has said she wants to simplify the education system and \"empower\" teachers and other frontline staff by reducing the burden on them, giving them greater freedom over staffing and resources and allowing them to get on with the job of teaching children.\n\nShe said: \"What I want to see is an education system that teachers our children and that ensures that when they leave school they are ready for further education or they are ready for the workplace\".\n\nMs Forbes has also highlighted the importance of cutting poverty levels, saying that some children in Scotland are arriving at school \"too hungry to learn\".\n\nAsh Regan believes many teachers are having to spend too much time dealing with bureaucracy and \"filling in forms\" rather than teaching, and wants to free them up from that.\n\nShe has also said that some schools are expecting teachers to also effectively be psychologists and social workers.\n\nMs Regan has said that some schools could therefore have an in-house social worker \"which could take that away from the teachers and free them up just to teach, which is obviously what they do best\".\n\nHumza Yousaf has said he wants to reduce inequality and for \"every single child in Scotland to have the same opportunities both my girls have\".\n\nHe has admitted that the Scottish government has \"much further to go\" in closing the attainment gap between the wealthiest and most deprived pupils.\n\nMr Yousaf wants to expand the provision of free school meals, breakfast clubs and after-school clubs, with a particular focus on those areas with the highest deprivation, and to improve the early diagnosis of autism and learning difficulties.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/uk-scotland-scotland-politics-64943150"}
{"title":"Jack Ma: Alibaba founder seen in China after long absence - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-27","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"The 58-year-old reportedly visited a school that he founded in his hometown of Hangzhou.","section":"China","content":"Jack Ma had rarely been seen in public since late 2020\n\nAlibaba founder Jack Ma, who has rarely been seen in public in the past three years, has resurfaced at a school in Hangzhou, a report says.\n\nThe 58-year-old has kept a low profile since criticising China's financial regulators in 2020.\n\nMr Ma was the most high-profile Chinese billionaire to have disappeared amid a crackdown on tech entrepreneurs.\n\nHe recently returned to China after more than a year overseas, according to the South China Morning Post.\n\nThe Alibaba-owned newspaper said he had made a short stopover in Hong Kong, where he met friends and also briefly visited Art Basel, an international art fair.\n\nIt added that Mr Ma has been travelling to different countries to learn about agricultural technology, but made no reference as to why he had disappeared from public view in recent years.\n\nMr Ma, a former English teacher, met staff and toured classrooms at the Yungu School in Hangzhou, the city in which Alibaba is headquartered.\n\nHe talked about the potential challenges of artificial intelligence to education, according to the school's social media page.\n\n\"ChatGPT and similar technologies are just the beginning of the AI era. We should use artificial intelligence to solve problems instead of being controlled by it,\" he said.\n\nOnce the richest man in China, Mr Ma gave up control of financial technology giant Ant Group in January this year.\n\nIt was seen by some commentators as further evidence that he had fallen foul of the Chinese Communist Party for becoming outspoken and too powerful.\n\nIn October 2020, Mr Ma told a financial conference that traditional banks had a \"pawn-shop mentality\".\n\nThe following month, Ant's planned \u00a326bn stock market flotation, which would have been the world's largest, was cancelled at the last minute by Chinese authorities, who cited \"major issues\" over regulating the firm.\n\nSince then, there have been reported sightings of him in various countries including Spain, the Netherlands, Thailand and Australia.\n\nLast November, the Financial Times newspaper reported that Mr Ma had been living in Tokyo, Japan for six months.\n\nWhen Mr Ma first stopped making public appearances, it was rumoured that he had been placed under house arrest or had been otherwise detained.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/world-asia-china-65084344"}
{"title":"Nitrous oxide: Possession of laughing gas to be criminal offence - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-27","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"Targeting the use of nitrous oxide is part of a crackdown on anti-social behaviour.","section":"UK Politics","content":"Nitrous oxide, sold in metal canisters, can lead to a vitamin deficiency that damages nerves in the spinal column\n\nPossessing laughing gas is to be made a criminal offence for the first time, the government has announced.\n\nThere will also be tighter controls on retailers to prevent the supply of nitrous oxide for misuse.\n\nIt goes against recommendations from the Advisory Council on the Misuse of Drugs (ACMD) which recently advised against new laws to ban nitrous oxide.\n\nNitrous oxide, sold in metal canisters, is known as NOS and is one of the most-used drugs by UK 16 to 24-year-olds.\n\nThe details are expected to be released on Monday. The BBC understands the ban would be issued under the Misuse of Drugs Act 1971, which regulates drugs based on their perceived harm and potential for misuse.\n\nIt is already illegal to produce or supply the gas for its psychoactive effects under the Psychoactive Substances Act 2016. The law makes production, supply and importation of nitrous oxide for human consumption illegal, but not possession.\n\nThe change is part of a crackdown on anti-social behaviour, which Prime Minister Rishi Sunak will announce on Monday for England and Wales.\n\nThe plans will also give police and councils additional powers to deal with people who are \"causing nuisance\" by blocking shop doorways, asking for money at cash machines or leaving their belongings on pavements.\n\nThese people will then be \"directed towards the support they need\", such as accommodation, mental health or substance misuse services.\n\n\"The debris and paraphernalia which causes blight will then be cleared,\" the government added.\n\nOutlining the reasons behind the nitrous oxide ban, the government said it was \"concerned about the rise in health and social harms\" of laughing gas, \"particularly to young people\".\n\n\"We are for the first time making possession of nitrous oxide an offence; preventing supply for misuse by putting tighter controls on retailers; and giving greater powers to law enforcement to take action against those who are in breach,\" it added.\n\nSpeaking on the BBC's Sunday with Laura Kuenssberg programme, Michael Gove said: \"We are doing this because if you walk through any urban park you will see these little silver cannister which are the evidence of people regarding public spaces as arenas for drug taking.\n\n\"It is unacceptable. People should feel those spaces are being looked after in a way which means they are safe for children.\"\n\nThe levelling up secretary said the drug has an \"intoxicating and potentially damaging effect on young brains and young nervous systems\".\n\nHeavy use can lead to a vitamin deficiency that damages nerves in the spinal column.\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser.\n\nSeveral drugs charities have criticised the announcement, claiming criminalising possession could lead to the drug becoming more dangerous.\n\nSteve Rolles, senior policy analyst at the Transform Drug Policy Foundation, said: \"The idea that this is a deterrent effect is ridiculous it just criminalises users and will hand control of the product to criminal gangs.\n\n\"This is just political theatre - if you need any proof you just need to see that they have ignored their own advisers. This is a particularly ugly example of performative politics.\"\n\nTransform Drug Policy Foundation is a charity which campaigns for drugs to be legalised and regulated.\n\nProf Adam Winstock, an addiction medicine specialist and founder of the Global Drug Survey, told the BBC that getting a criminal record \"is going to be a far greater harm than the risks for the vast majority of people using nitrous oxide\".\n\nReducing the risks of nitrous oxide is \"better achieved with smart education, not blunt regulation that may compound existing harms and create new ones\", he added.\n\nEarlier this year the Home Office asked the ACMD to provide advice on whether to make possession of nitrous oxide a crime.\n\nThe report recommended the substance should not be controlled under the Misuse of Drugs Act - which allows the use of life sentences for those supplying or producing some drugs.\n\nThe ACMD stated the Psychoactive Substances Act - which limits prison sentences to a maximum of seven years - \"remains appropriate legislation\".\n\nIt said sanctions for the offences would be disproportionate with the level of harm associated with nitrous oxide, as well as creating \"significant burdens\" for legitimate uses of the substance.\n\nThe review also found \"no substantive evidence of links between nitrous oxide and anti-social behaviour\" aside from littering.\n\nAlexandre Piot, director of research at the Conservative Drug Policy Reform Group, said it was \"shocking that the government feels it knows better than its own independent body of experts set up by law\".\n\n\"The more they don't listen to them, the more drug policy will continue to fail,\" he said.\n\nNitrous oxide is regularly used as an anaesthetic in medicine and dentistry, and as a gas for making whipped cream in cooking.\n\nLabour backed the plans to ban the sale of nitrous oxide. Shadow culture secretary Lucy Powell said its use \"causes a huge amount of littering disruption and anti-social behaviour\".\n\nShe added: \"We do need to tackle at source these kind of behaviours that are blights on our community.\"\n\nIt comes as the government unveils a new strategy to crack down on anti-social behaviour.\n\nPublic drug use, fly-tipping and low-level crimes such as graffiti are to be targeted with a strategy of \"hotspot\" policing and \"short and sharp\" punishments.\n\nPeople who vandalise public spaces will have to repair the damage they cause within 48 hours of being given an order.\n\nA pilot, covering 10 areas, aims to show the public such acts are \"quickly and visibly\" punished.\n\nMs Powell said the plans \"amount to nothing\".\n\nLabour have also accused the government of cutting neighbourhood policing, leading to fewer offenders being punished.\n\n\"We've heard it all before from this government and I think we have to judge them by their record,\" Ms Powell added.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/uk-politics-65079772"}
{"title":"Two mothers react to Nashville school shooting - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-27","authors":null,"description":"Two mothers react after a woman opened fire inside a Nashville school and killing six people.","section":null,"content":"Six people, three of them children, have been killed in a primary school shooting in Nashville. The shooter was killed by police, officers said.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/world-us-canada-65093794"}
{"title":"NFT: Plans for Royal Mint produced token dropped - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-27","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"Plans for a government-backed digital token, ordered to be created by Rishi Sunak, have been axed.","section":"UK Politics","content":"Plans for the NFT for Britain were launched when Rishi Sunak was chancellor\n\nPlans for a government backed non-fungible token (NFT) produced by the Royal Mint have been dropped, the Treasury has announced.\n\nRishi Sunak ordered the creation of a \"NFT for Britain\" that could be traded online, while chancellor in April 2022.\n\nNFTs are assets in the digital world that can be bought and sold, but which have no physical form of their own.\n\nThe Royal Mint announced it was \"not proceeding with the launch\" following a consultation with the Treasury.\n\nEconomic Secretary Andrew Griffiths said the department would keep the proposal \"under review\".\n\nNFTs have been touted as the digital answer to collectables, but some sceptics fear they could be a bubble waiting to burst. They have been used as speculative assets and some have sold for millions of dollars.\n\nResponding to the announcement, Harriet Baldwin, chair of the Treasury Select Committee, said: \"We have not yet seen a lot of evidence that our constituents should be putting their money in these speculative tokens unless they are prepared to lose all their money.\n\n\"So perhaps that is why the Royal Mint has made this decision in conjunction with the Treasury.\"\n\nNFTs are unique units of digital data that use the same \"blockchain\" technology behind cryptocurrencies - such as Bitcoin. The records cannot be forged because the blockchain ledger is maintained by thousands of computers around the world.\n\nThe digital tokens, which emerged in 2014, can be thought of as certificates of ownership for virtual or physical assets, and can be bought using traditional currency or cryptocurrency.\n\nThe Treasury is working to regulate some cryptocurrencies and had planned to enter the NFT market as part of a wider bid to make the UK a hub for digital payment companies.\n\nIn April 2022, the then-chancellor Mr Sunak said: \"We want to see the [cryptocurrency] businesses of tomorrow - and the jobs they create - here in the UK, and by regulating effectively we can give them the confidence they need to think and invest long-term.\"\n\nAmong the best-known NFTs are a series known as the \"Bored Ape Yacht Club\", which give the bearer ownership over a unique picture of a cartoon ape. Prices of the NFTs plummeted last year after crypto exchange FTX went bankrupt.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/uk-politics-65094297"}
{"title":"Antonio Conte: Tottenham manager leaves after 16 months in charge - BBC Sport","published_date":"2023-03-27","authors":null,"description":"Manager Antonio Conte leaves Tottenham after 16 months in charge and his dismissal comes after he called the Spurs players \"selfish\".","section":null,"content":"Last updated on .From the section Tottenham\n\nAntonio Conte had been Spurs manager since November 2021 Manager Antonio Conte has left Tottenham Hotspur by mutual consent after 16 months in charge. Conte called the Spurs players \"selfish\" and criticised the club's culture in a remarkable news conference after their recent draw at Southampton. Tottenham are fourth in the top flight but are out of all cup competitions. Conte's assistant Cristian Stellini will step up as head coach for the rest of the season, with former midfielder Ryan Mason his deputy. \"We have 10 Premier League games remaining and we have a fight on our hands for a Champions League place,\" chairman Daniel Levy said. \"We all need to pull together. Everyone has to step up to ensure the highest possible finish for our club and amazing, loyal supporters.\"\n\u2022 None Who should be Conte's long-term Spurs successor? 'I see selfish players' - Conte furious after what proves to be his final game with Spurs His departure means Spurs are searching for their fourth permanent manager in four years since Mauricio Pochettino left in 2019. They suffered a tame exit to AC Milan in the Champions League earlier in March, after Championship side Sheffield United knocked them out of the FA Cup at the start of the month. Italian Conte, who had won league titles with former clubs Chelsea, Juventus and Inter Milan, was appointed in November 2021 after Spurs sacked Nuno Espirito Santo. They struggled for consistency for much of his early tenure before a six-game unbeaten run, including a 3-0 win over rivals Arsenal, secured a top-four finish. But Tottenham's troubles have continued this season with nine defeats and four draws in 28 league games and questions about the playing style.\n\u2022 None Listen to the latest The Far Post podcast Conte's Spurs were loudly booed after the 0-0 draw against Milan which resulted in a 1-0 loss on aggregate and condemned the club to another campaign without a trophy. His last match in charge saw Tottenham throw away a 3-1 lead to draw at struggling Southampton on 18 March, with Conte launching a furious criticism of his players and the club after the match. \"Tottenham's story is this: 20 years there is this owner and they never won something. Why?\" Conte said. \"Until now I try to hide the situation but not now because, I repeat, I don't want to see what I have seen today because this is unacceptable and also unacceptable for the fans.\" Tottenham have won one trophy since the ownership group chaired by Levy took over the club in 2001 - the League Cup in 2008 - and have had 11 different managers. Conte's exit, by mutual consent, takes the number of managerial departures this season to 11 - a new Premier League record. There have been nine sackings and two departures - Conte and Graham Potter leaving Brighton for Chelsea - during this campaign, while the previous record was the 10 sackings in 2021-22. Only six top-flight managers have been in charge for more than three years, with the league average now standing at about two years. This season saw Conte requiring gallbladder surgery in February. He was absent for a victory over Manchester City on 5 February and, after briefly returning for two matches, missed another four games to focus on his recovery in Italy, with Stellini taking charge in his place. Three close friends of Conte's, Spurs fitness coach Gian Piero Ventrone, Sinisa Mihajlovic and Gianluca Vialli, have all died in recent months.\n\u2022 None Our coverage of Tottenham Hotspur is bigger and better than ever before - here's everything you need to know to make sure you never miss a moment\n\u2022 None Everything Spurs - go straight to all the best content","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/sport\/football\/64168691"}
{"title":"Poole Harbour: Clean-up under way at after 200-barrel fluid leak - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-27","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"People are being urged not to swim at the harbour or in the surrounding areas until further notice.","section":"Dorset","content":"Poole Harbour Commissioners said an oil spill plan had been activated\n\nA clean-up operation is under way after about 200 barrels of reservoir fluid including oil leaked into the water at Poole Harbour in Dorset.\n\nA major incident was declared when a leak occurred at a pipeline operated by gas company Perenco, under Owers Bay on Sunday.\n\nMembers of the public have been urged not to swim at the harbour or nearby until further notice, Poole Harbour Commissioners said.\n\nPerenco said it was \"under control\".\n\nThe company said a small amount of reservoir fluid - made up of 85% water and 15% oil - escaped from the pipeline.\n\nThe leak came from Wytch Farm, an oil field and processing facility that produces about 14,000 barrels of oil equivalent per day.\n\nPoole Harbour commissioners, who regulate activities on the harbour, said Perenco reported \"no risk\" of further leakage, and the surface slick is \"already dispersing\".\n\nPoole is the largest natural harbour in Europe and a site of special scientific interest, which is home to a range of wading birds.\n\nIn a statement PHC said: \"It is estimated that approximately 200 barrels of reservoir fluid has been released into the water column in Poole Harbour.\n\n\"Anyone who has come into contact with the spill should wash immediately with soap and water. If eyes have come into contact with the spill, they should be rinsed with water.\"\n\nOil was pictured on the surface of the water at Poole Harbour earlier\n\nIt added it had activated its oil spill plan and the pipeline had been shut down, with booms placed on either side of the leak.\n\nCompanies specialising in oil spill response have also been mobilised, according to PHC.\n\nPoole Harbour commissioners said a further assessment of the clean-up operation would be made on Monday morning.\n\nFranck Dy, Perenco UK's Wytch Farm general manager, said: \"Any spill is an extremely serious matter and a full investigation will be launched to ascertain what happened in Poole Harbour.\n\n\"It is important to stress that the situation is under control, with the discharge of fluids having been stopped and the spill is being contained.\"\n\nThe MP for Poole, Sir Robert Syms, said he and neighbouring South Dorset MP Richard Drax have requested the government take an urgent question on the incident on Monday.\n\nBournemouth Christchurch and Poole Council said it was \"working as part of a multi-agency response to the major incident declared this afternoon\".\n\nIn a statement on Twitter, council leader Philip Broadhead added the leak had been declared as a major incident so that \"all relevant partner agencies [were] working together\".\n\nOn Sunday afternoon, the Environment Agency said it had received reports of a \"large amount of oil\" in Poole Harbour.\n\nIn a statement, the agency said: \"We are supporting the port authority and other partners in responding to this incident.\"\n\nDorset Police said it was informed by PHC at 13:43 BST on Sunday of an oil leak in Poole Harbour.\n\nIn a statement, the force said the incident was being led by PHC and there was no requirement for police attendance.\n\n\"We will continue to liaise with our partner agencies and offer support if required,\" the force added.\n\nFollow BBC South on Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram. Send your story ideas to south.newsonline@bbc.co.uk.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/uk-england-dorset-65081094"}
{"title":"Afghanistan girls' education: 'When I see the boys going to school, it hurts' - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-27","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"Afghan teenage girls describe feeling \"broken\" at being barred from attending school under Taliban rule.","section":"Asia","content":"Left to right: Habiba, Mahtab and Tamana - they are all devastated that young women in Afghanistan cannot attend school\n\n\"Every day I wake up with the hope of going back to school. They [the Taliban] keep saying they will open schools. But it's been almost two years now. I don't believe them. It breaks my heart,\" says 17-year-old Habiba.\n\nShe blinks and bites her lip trying hard not to tear up.\n\nHabiba and her former classmates Mahtab and Tamana are among hundreds of thousands of teenage girls who have been barred from attending secondary school in most of Afghanistan by the Taliban - the only country to take such action.\n\nOne-and-a-half years since their lives were brought to a halt, their grief is still raw.\n\nThe girls say they fear that global outrage over what's happened to them is fading, even though they live with the pain every day - intensified this week when another school term started without them.\n\n\"When I see the boys going to school and doing whatever they want, it really hurts me. I feel very bad. When I see my brother leaving for school, I feel broken,\" says Tamana. Her voice trembles and tears roll down her cheeks but she goes on.\n\n\"Earlier, my brother used to say I won't go to school without you. I hugged him and said you go, I'll join you later.\n\n\"People tell my parents you shouldn't worry, you have sons. I wish we had the same rights.\"\n\nThere was a little freedom at the beginning, but gradually that changed\n\nAny hopes they might have had of schools being reopened have been dented by the increasing restrictions the Taliban government has imposed on women.\n\n\"There was a little freedom at the beginning, but gradually that changed,\" Habiba says.\n\nThe first restriction following the secondary school ban came in December 2021, when the Taliban ordered that women would have to be accompanied by a male relative if travelling more than 72km (48 miles).\n\nIn March 2022, the Taliban government announced that secondary schools would reopen for girls, only to close them within hours.\n\nLess than two months later, a decree was passed that women would have to wear clothing that covered them from head to toe, including a face veil.\n\nIn November, women and girls were barred from parks, gyms and swimming pools. Girls were no longer allowed to choose subjects such as economics, engineering and journalism at university.\n\nA month later, a massive blow was delivered when universities were closed to female students, and women were banned from working in domestic and international NGOs except those in the health sector.\n\nLife has no meaning without education. I think death is better than a life like this\n\n\"If these limitations increase, I don't think this life is worth living anymore for women. We don't have access to our basic rights as human beings. Life has no meaning without education. I think death is better than a life like this,\" Mahtab says.\n\nMahtab had been injured in a bombing at Sayed Ul-Shuhada school in May 2021, when the Taliban were fighting the forces of the previous government of Afghanistan.\n\n\"I had injuries on my neck, face and foot. They were painful. But I was determined to continue studying,\" she says. \"I even attended my mid-term exam, but soon after the Taliban came and it was all over.\"\n\nThe Taliban have said that schools and universities are only temporarily closed to women and girls until a \"suitable environment\" can be created. It is evident that there are divisions within the Taliban government on the issue, but so far any efforts by those who believe girls should be allowed to study have yielded no results.\n\nRegarding some of the other restrictions, the Taliban say they were imposed because women were not wearing a hijab (head covering) or following Islamic laws. Enforcement of the Taliban's rules isn't uniform across provinces, but the regulations create an environment of fear and confusion.\n\n\"We always wear a hijab. But it doesn't make a difference. What do they mean? I don't understand,\" Tamana says.\n\nIn our time in Afghanistan before and after the Taliban takeover, we have never met an Afghan woman not wearing a hijab.\n\nWhen I see my brother leaving for school, I feel broken\n\nTo counter the shrinking public spaces for women, Laila Basim had co-founded a library for women in Kabul which we visited in November last year. Thousands of books were neatly stacked on shelves that covered three walls of the room. Women came in to read books, and sometimes just to meet each other - an escape from being indoors in their homes.\n\nNow the library is closed.\n\n\"Twice when the Taliban shut the library, we managed to reopen it. But the threats increased day by day. I got phone calls saying how dare I open a library for women. Once they came to the library and told women that they had no right to read books,\" says Laila. \"It became too risky to run it, so I had to take the inevitable decision to shut it down.\"\n\nLaila Basim has closed the women's library since this photo was taken in November\n\nShe says she will continue to find other means to fight the Taliban's policies.\n\n\"Of course, I am scared, but the closure of the library is not the end of the road. There are other approaches through which we can raise the voices of Afghan women. It is difficult and will require sacrifices, but we have started it and are committed to it,\" she adds.\n\nFor women who are the only earning members of their families, it's hard to even get from day to day.\n\nMeera (name changed) is a widow in her mid-forties. She used to work as a cleaner at a girls' school, supporting her family of 10. She lost her job when the school closed, and, amid an economic crisis in the country, she's not found much work since.\n\nShe now begs on the streets of Kabul.\n\n\"I feel like I'm not alive. People know I have nothing so they try to help me out. It is better to die than to live a life without dignity,\" she says, weeping inconsolably. \"If I get potatoes one day, I peel them and cook them. The next day I cook the peelings to feed my family.\"\n\nEven amid her struggles, Meera wishes her daughters could go to school.\n\n\"If they could be educated, they could get jobs. One of my daughters wants to study law and another wants to study medicine. I tell them that I will find money for their education, even if I have to beg for it, but they can't go to university because the Taliban don't allow it,\" she adds.\n\n\"There is nothing except pain or sorrow in every house now,\" she says.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/world-asia-65058099"}
{"title":"Cardiff crash: Bereaved father's emotional tribute to daughter - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-09","authors":null,"description":"Everton Smith says daughter Eve was \u201ceverything a father could wish for\u201d.","section":null,"content":"The father of a woman who died in a crash that killed three people has spoken of his devastation.\n\nEve Smith, 21, along with with Rafel Jeanne, 24, and Darcy Ross, 21, died after a crash near the A48 at St Mellons in the early hours of Saturday.\n\nSpeaking outside his business in Newport, Everton Smith said daughter Eve was \u201ceverything a father could wish for\u201d.\n\nEve, from Newport, had something \"so special\", Mr Smith said.\n\n\u201cShe was just so intelligent, she knew her mind,\u201d he added.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/uk-wales-64909756"}
{"title":"Abi Burton: 'I nearly died' - the Olympian sectioned and fighting back from an induced coma - BBC Sport","published_date":"2023-03-09","authors":null,"description":"British Olympian Abi Burton was sectioned for 26 days and spent 25 days in an induced coma - this is her story.","section":null,"content":"Last updated on .From the section Rugby Union\n\nWhen Abi Burton returned to England after missing out on a medal at the Tokyo Olympics, she felt \"really, really lost\".\n\n\"It was a really tough time,\" she recalls of the months that followed Team GB's defeat in their rugby sevens bronze-medal match in July 2021.\n\nBut Burton, 22, had no idea just how tough life was about to get.\n\nOne year on from losing to Fiji, she was sectioned for 26 days, spent 25 days in an induced coma, and contracted pneumonia twice.\n\nThis is her story.\n\nAs Burton looked back on her first Olympic experience, she knew she and her team-mates would have inspired a new generation of sevens players. It was not enough.\n\n\"You feel empty because you work towards an Olympics for so long and then you don't come away with what you want to achieve,\" she tells BBC Sport's Jo Currie.\n\nRugby had defined Burton's life, but she was soon given a \"new perspective\".\n\nBurton, who made her England debut aged 18, says she first noticed a change in her behaviour when she started to feel \"really down\" and had no energy.\n\nShe remembers being put on anti-depressants because \"the first thing people go to is mental health\".\n\n\"I was in training camp and I hadn't been selected for the European tournament, which was to help us qualify for the World Cup,\" she says. \"It was the first tournament I hadn't gone to in my four years of playing.\n\n\"They said to have a bit of time at home, to try and figure out what's wrong.\"\n\nThen - on 15 June 2022 - she suffered her first fitting seizure, while sitting at the dinner table with her mum.\n\nAfter being assessed in hospital she was discharged as it was her first seizure and \"could also be the last\".\n\nBut her behaviour would change significantly.\n\n\"I went from being a timid, unresponsive person, to really quite manic behaviour,\" she says. \"I was really aggressive towards my parents, siblings and even the dog.\"\n\nBurton does not remember that period of her life - including two tournaments she played in. She even told her parents she did not want them at the London Sevens - the first time they would have been able to watch her in England in the national shirt.\n\n\"As my behaviour got a lot worse, I couldn't function properly in daily life,\" she says.\n\nAfter more seizures, Burton was sectioned, and says doctors thought she had stress-induced psychosis.\n\n\"My mum and dad had to basically just let them take me and hope they could fix me,\" she says. \"I can't imagine how scary that was for them.\"\n\n'I rugby tackled a few of the security guards'\n\nBurton spent 26 days in Fieldhead - a psychiatric hospital in Wakefield - and her behaviour continued to deteriorate.\n\n\"I was being treated for psychosis, basically,\" she says. \"They didn't rule out an autoimmune illness, but they didn't test me for it either.\"\n\nBurton's behaviour and seizures did not improve until her father was approached by a member of the autoimmune diseases research staff who had reviewed her notes.\n\n\"He came up to my dad and said: 'I think your daughter has something physical, I don't think it's mental.\"\n\nAfter tests, Burton was diagnosed with autoimmune encephalitis, which occurs when the body's immune system mistakenly attacks the brain.\n\nRichard Robinson - chief medical officer at the Mid Yorkshire Hospitals NHS Trust - describes it as a \"very rare\" disease that presents a \"major challenge for clinicians worldwide to diagnose and investigate\".\n\nAfter Burton's diagnosis she was moved to a different hospital but was initially treated in the acute assessment ward as there were no beds available in the stroke and neurology unit.\n\n\"It was a battle for my dad every day because he was trying to stop me from being aggressive towards people, but he's no doctor so he didn't know how to treat me,\" she says.\n\n\"I was so poorly. I knocked a few people out of the way trying to escape the ward. I rugby tackled a few of the security guards apparently, trying to bust my way through the doors, which are magnetic and don't open normally.\"\n\nOnce a bed became free on the stroke and neurology unit, Burton's family made the difficult decision to have her put in a coma so she could receive plasma exchanges.\n\n\"They knew they couldn't treat me,\" she says. \"I was too agitated, it had gone too far.\"\n\nBurton spent more than three weeks in a coma - at the same time her team-mates were competing in the Commonwealth Games in Birmingham.\n\nBurton contracted pneumonia twice while she was in the coma and when she came out of it she was unable to walk and talk, and had lost more than three stone.\n\n\"I don't think I realised how poorly I was when I first woke up, and I had no desire to ask,\" she says.\n\n\"I had no muscle. I thought: 'This is awful. This isn't me. I don't look like me.' It was really tough.\"\n\nThe physical challenges were obvious, but Burton also had to contend with the fact she had missed out on a home Commonwealth Games.\n\n\"I grieve for that part because it was taken away from me,\" she says. \"For so many years, rugby was my identity and then I couldn't play.\"\n\nBut Burton was not going to give up. After completing an intensive programme set by Team GB's doctor, she returned to training with her team-mates last month.\n\n\"I'm very stubborn and I like to do things a certain way,\" she adds. \"When I was told I couldn't, I said: 'I am!'\"\n\nAfter a whirlwind 2022, Burton has set herself targets both on and off the rugby field.\n\nOn it, she wants to return to the World Sevens Series this year, then make amends for the disappointment of Tokyo, at the 2024 Paris Olympics.\n\n\"Next season, a medal at the Olympics is the goal and I want it to be a gold,\" she says.\n\nShe also wants to raise awareness of autoimmune encephalitis in the hope no-one else has to go through what she has.\n\n\"If I could never play rugby again then I would be gutted, but if I can raise awareness to help change the protocols in the NHS, then I'd be content with that,\" she says.\n\n\"I could never have been diagnosed, and I could have died if I hadn't. It's hard to imagine what the outcome could have been. It could have been a lot different.\"\n\u2022 None A raw documentary goes inside the high stakes world of parole hearings\n\u2022 None Go Hard or Go Home:","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/sport\/rugby-union\/64876477"}
{"title":"Ukraine war: Russia fires hypersonic missiles in new barrage - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-09","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"At least nine people die as Russia fires powerful weapons, including hypersonic missiles.","section":"Europe","content":"This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser.\n\nAt least nine people have died in a new wave of strikes across Ukraine in which Russia used powerful weapons, including rare hypersonic missiles.\n\nRussia had reportedly not fired Kinzhal hypersonic missiles - which can evade air defences - since the early months of the conflict.\n\nThe latest barrage was the most severe to hit Ukraine for weeks.\n\nIt cut power to the Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant - Europe's biggest - although it was later restored.\n\nOn Thursday Russian defence ministry spokesman Igor Konashenkov said: \"High-precision long-range air, sea and land-based weapons, including the Kinzhal hypersonic missile system, hit key elements of Ukraine's military infrastructure.\"\n\nIt was the biggest day of Russian strikes on Ukraine since the end of January,\n\nThe Ukrainian military claimed it had successfully shot down 34 cruise missiles and four Iranian-made Shahed drones.\n\nBut it also said it had been unable to intercept the six Kinzhal ballistic missiles - nor was it able to destroy older weapons, such as Kh-22 anti-ship missiles and S-300 anti-aircraft missiles.\n\n\"This was a major attack and for the first time with so many different types of missiles,\" the Reuters news agency quoted a Ukrainian air force spokesperson as saying. \"It was like never before.\"\n\nPresident Vladimir Putin has highlighted Russia's investment in ballistic hypersonic missiles, which can travel at more than five times the speed of sound.\n\nNuclear energy operator Energoatom said the strike at the Zaporizhzhia plant had cut off the link between the facility and the Ukrainian power system.\n\nFor the sixth time since it was taken over by Russia a year ago, the facility operated on diesel generators until the link was restored later on Thursday.\n\nElectricity is needed for cooling radioactive material present at the plant.\n\n\"Today's loss of all external power once again demonstrated how fragile and dangerous the situation is for the Zaporizhzhya Nuclear Power Plant,\" said Rafael Grossi, the head of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA).\n\nEarlier on Thursday he had called for an international commitment to protect the plant, following a series of strikes since the invasion began.\n\n\"Each time we are rolling a dice. And if we allow this to continue time after time then one day our luck will run out,\" Mr Grossi said.\n\nIn the capital Kyiv, emergency services attended the scenes of blasts in western and southern districts.\n\nA missile also hit an energy facility in the port city of Odesa, triggering power cuts, its governor Maksym Marchenko said. Residential areas were also hit but no casualties were reported.\n\nElsewhere, Ukraine's military says it has pushed back intense Russian attacks on the embattled eastern city of Bakhmut despite Russian forces claiming to have taken control of its eastern half.\n\nMoscow has been trying to take Bakhmut for months, as both sides suffer heavy losses in a grinding war of attrition.\n\n\"The enemy continued its attacks and has shown no sign of a let-up in storming the city of Bakhmut,\" the general staff of the Ukrainian armed forces said. \"Our defenders repelled attacks on Bakhmut and on surrounding communities.\"\n\nBetween 20,000 and 30,000 Russian troops have been killed or wounded in the battle for the Ukrainian city of Bakhmut since it began last summer, Western officials say. The figures cannot be verified independently.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/world-europe-64903202"}
{"title":"Gary Lineker: Why his comments present a problem for the BBC - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-09","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"How the presenter's remarks, comparing UK asylum policy to 1930s Germany, place the BBC in a pickle.","section":"Entertainment & Arts","content":"The BBC is speaking to Lineker over comparing UK asylum policy to 1930s Germany\n\nAs the UK's most scrutinised media organisation in increasingly polarised times, to say Gary Lineker's recent tweets cause difficulty for the BBC is an understatement.\n\nThe director general, Tim Davie, has made impartiality a key platform of his leadership.\n\nTrust in the corporation is at the heart of this. It matters if the public believes its public service broadcaster doesn't represent their views, or that the BBC is shaped by a particular perspective.\n\nDavie has previously said: \"If you want to be an opinionated columnist or a partisan campaigner on social media then that is a valid choice, but you should not be working at the BBC.\"\n\nAll staff and on-air talent are bound by \"due\" impartiality which the BBC is committed to achieving across its output.\n\nDirector general Tim Davie has said people who want to be opinionated columnists should not be working at the BBC\n\nOfcom defines due impartiality, an important distinction from simply impartiality, as \"means adequate or appropriate to the subject and nature of the programme\".\n\nTo use the classic example: If someone says the earth is round, the BBC does not have to give equal weight to someone else who claims the earth is flat.\n\nLineker is a sports presenter. He tweets on his personal Twitter account.\n\nIf a news presenter commented, as he has done, about the government's asylum policies, or about Brexit for example, they would at the very least receive a very serious warning.\n\nLineker, as somebody associated with sport for the BBC, and who argues he is a freelancer, is in a different position.\n\n\"I try to be sensible,\" he told Radio 4's Media Show in 2021, saying that as a freelancer he's \"considerate\" to his employers when it comes to what he tweets.\n\nHe added that the BBC rules \"only apply to people in news and current affairs\".\n\nFrom the outside, it can appear more complicated.\n\nThe BBC's editorial guidelines state: \"Where individuals identify themselves as being linked with the BBC, or are programme makers, editorial staff, reporters or presenters primarily associated with the BBC, their activities on social media have the potential to compromise the BBC's impartiality and to damage its reputation.\"\n\nLineker presents Match of the Day, the BBC's flagship football programme\n\nLineker's Twitter account has 8.7m followers. So he has a huge platform.\n\nAnd, whatever the set up of the BBC as a broadcaster, with sport and news being distinct from one another, for audiences that distinction can be less clear. In many people's minds, if you are on the BBC, you work for it, and Lineker happens to be one of corporation's most high profile presenters.\n\nThat's why the BBC's editorial guidelines also say that people with platforms have a greater responsibility to uphold impartiality.\n\nLast year, a different tweet by Lineker was found to have broken BBC rules. That concerned a post about the then-Foreign Secretary Liz Truss urging a boycott of the Champions League final in Russia.\n\nThe Match of the Day host added: \"And her party will hand back their donations from Russian donors?\"\n\nThe BBC's Executive Complaints Unit ruled that, although the star is not required to uphold the same impartiality standards as BBC journalists, he has an \"additional responsibility\" because of his profile.\n\n\"We expect these individuals to avoid taking sides on party political issues or political controversies and to take care when addressing public policy matters,\" the ruling said.\n\nTo his detractors, Lineker has form. He has made comments before that some have found controversial, including, in 2016, that the government's treatment of asylum seekers was \"hideously racist and utterly heartless\".\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Watch: Suella Braverman says she is \"disappointed\" by Gary Lineker's tweet\n\nBut he is also a much loved and well respected sports broadcaster. Match of the Day is a very popular programme.\n\nHe may be the BBC's highest paid star, but he could probably earn even more if he switched to another broadcaster.\n\nLineker clearly cares deeply about the issue of migrant crossings, and he has taken refugees into his own home in the past.\n\nHe has not removed his original Twitter comments criticising the government's asylum announcements, which he posted on Tuesday.\n\nAfter those tweets caused controversy, he tweeted on Wednesday: \"Great to see the freedom of speech champions out in force this morning demanding silence from those with whom they disagree.\"\n\nThis Twitter post cannot be displayed in your browser. Please enable Javascript or try a different browser. View original tweet on Twitter The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Skip twitter post by Gary Lineker \ud83d\udc99\ud83d\udc9b 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\u2019s cookie policy, external and privacy policy, external before accepting. To view this content choose \u2018accept and continue\u2019. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.\n\nHe also thanked his followers for their \"love and support\", pledging to \"continue to try and speak up for those poor souls that have no voice\".\n\nLineker appears bullish. And he isn't the only sports presenter straying into politics this morning, with BT Sport anchor Jake Humphrey describing the government's \"stop the boats\" pledge as being \"a cruel slogan\".\n\nThis Twitter post cannot be displayed in your browser. Please enable Javascript or try a different browser. View original tweet on Twitter The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Skip twitter post 2 by Jake Humphrey 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\u2019s cookie policy, external and privacy policy, external before accepting. To view this content choose \u2018accept and continue\u2019. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.\n\nThe News Agents presenter and former BBC journalist Emily Maitlis said it was \"curious that Gary Lineker [was] free to raise questions about Qatar's human rights record - with the blessing of the BBC - over the World Cup, but cannot raise questions of human rights in this country if it involves criticism of government policy\".\n\nHowever, this is arguably a false equivalence. Voicing an opinion on a government policy about migrant crossings, a divisive subject, is not the same thing as highlighting well-documented human rights breaches in Qatar, something which is a matter of fact.\n\nThe BBC is in a difficult position. They say a \"frank\" conversation is being had with Lineker. But in the end, what are the options?\n\nWith some Conservative MPs calling for him to be sacked, not for the first time, the pressure is mounting.\n\nPerceptions on impartiality matter, but it's also clear that impartiality can be politicised by people who have an agenda against the BBC.\n\nAs it navigates the demands of its editorial standards, its talent and its audiences, the BBC is walking a tightrope.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/entertainment-arts-64889868"}
{"title":"Budget 2023: Struggling parents to get more help with childcare - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-09","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"The government is attempting to boost the number of people in work, a key economic challenge for the UK.","section":"Business","content":"Research shows the lack of affordable childcare is a barrier for many people hoping to work\n\nStruggling parents are set to get more help with childcare as the government tries to boost the number of workers.\n\nThe plan is part of a comprehensive strategy to get hundreds of thousands of workers back into the workforce.\n\nThe strategy - set to be announced at Wednesday's Budget - will include more funding for childcare, thought to be focused on people on Universal Credit.\n\nCurrently those eligible for this support pay upfront and then claim a refund.\n\nThis form of support has been frozen for several years, and has fallen well behind the surging cost of care.\n\nThe BBC understands that an advertising campaign encouraging older workers who have left the workforce since the pandemic to return could also be launched.\n\nThe government is also considering allowing international students to work more than the current limit of 20 hours a week.\n\nThere are expected to be changes to disability benefits too.\n\nInsiders say there is a \"carrot and stick\" approach to try to boost the workforce, a key economic challenge for the UK.\n\nLast month the Governor of the Bank of England Andrew Bailey told the BBC that the failure of the UK workforce to return to its size before the pandemic was \"unusual\".\n\n\"What is unusual is that most other countries have seen that labour force participation has reversed itself [since the pandemic] to a greater or lesser extent that has not happened in this country. And that is what marks out the UK\".\n\nThe government has been investigating the source of the shortage and broadly attributes it to early retirees, carers, students and long term sick.\n\nWhile the government has downplayed the impact of post Brexit shortages of European workers in certain key sectors, the Migration Advisory Committee is also expected to expand its key Shortage Occupation List soon.\n\nThe aim of this series of Budget interventions which could see bespoke strategies for millions of non-workers, is to persuade the Office for Budget Responsibility (OBR) to increase its projections for the size of the workforce and so for its growth forecasts. This could in theory help limit the need for further tax rises or spending cuts.\n\nThe OBR has been historically very cautious in assuming the success of such policies.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/business-64902154"}
{"title":"Afghanistan blast: Taliban governor killed in his office - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-09","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"A provincial governor is the most senior official to be killed in attacks since the Taliban retook power.","section":"Asia","content":"Governor Muzammil arrived in his office moments before the explosion, one survivor said\n\nThe Taliban governor of Afghanistan's northern Balkh province has been killed in a suicide attack claimed by the Islamic State (IS) group.\n\nMohammad Dawood Muzammil was killed in his office in the provincial capital, Mazar-e Sharif, on Thursday.\n\nHe is the most senior Taliban official to be killed since the militants returned to power in 2021.\n\nViolence has since decreased sharply, but pro-Taliban figures have been targeted by IS.\n\nTaliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid said on Twitter that the governor had been \"martyred in an explosion by the enemies of Islam\".\n\nMuzammil had led the fight against IS in his previous posting as governor of the eastern province of Nangarhar. He was moved to Balkh last October.\n\nBalkh police spokesperson Mohammed Asif Waziri said the explosion occurred on Thursday morning on the second floor of the governor's office.\n\n\"There was a bang. I fell on the ground,\" Khairuddin, who was wounded in the blast, told AFP news agency. He said he had seen a friend lose a hand in the explosion.\n\nA man who was wounded in the attack at the governor's office is admitted to hospital\n\nLater on Thursday, IS said one of its soldiers had managed to enter the building and detonate his suicide belt. Some security guards were also killed in the blast, the statement added.\n\nA day earlier provincial Taliban authorities said they had killed eight \"rebels and kidnappers\" in Mazar-e Sharif.\n\nThe Taliban were ousted as Afghanistan's rulers in 2001 - the militant Islamist group swept back to power in August 2021 after US-led forces pulled out.\n\nA string of deadly bomb blasts since then has mainly targeted mosques and minority communities, many claimed by the regional affiliate of the militant Islamic State (IS-K) group, who are bitter rivals of the Taliban.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/world-asia-64899335"}
{"title":"Boris Johnson gives evidence in Dominic Raab bullying probe - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-09","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"Dominic Raab served as deputy prime minister and foreign secretary under Boris Johnson.","section":"UK Politics","content":"Former prime minister Boris Johnson has given evidence to the inquiry into allegations of bullying against Dominic Raab, the BBC has been told.\n\nSenior lawyer Adam Tolley KC is investigating eight formal complaints about the deputy PM's behaviour.\n\nA spokesman for Mr Johnson said: \"It would be inappropriate to comment on an ongoing inquiry.\" It is not clear what evidence Mr Johnson gave.\n\nMr Raab, who is also the justice secretary, denies claims of bullying.\n\nHe is facing multiple complaints from civil servants, who have worked with him in a range of government departments.\n\nThe MP for Esher and Walton held several cabinet positions throughout Mr Johnson's three-year premiership - including foreign secretary and justice secretary.\n\nMr Raab was sacked when Liz Truss became prime minister in September but was returned to the cabinet by his close ally Rishi Sunak when he then became PM.\n\nMr Tolley was asked to launch an investigation in November and his interviews have been taking place in recent weeks.\n\nThe eight complaints involve at least 24 people.\n\nThey include six from his time at the Ministry of Justice, one from his period at the Foreign Office, and one from his time at the former Department for Exiting the European Union.\n\nSome of the witnesses have given positive and some have submitted negative evidence about Mr Raab, the BBC understands.\n\nSome individuals have proactively offered to give evidence to the inquiry, and others have been contacted by Mr Tolley's team.\n\nThe investigation is now in its final stages.\n\nLabour, the Liberal Democrats and the FDA union, which represents civil servant, had called on Mr Sunak to suspend Mr Raab while he is under investigation.\n\nBut Mr Sunak said he would wait for the outcome of Mr Tolley's inquiry before taking any action.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/uk-politics-64896582"}
{"title":"Harry and Meghan's children get official royal titles - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-09","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"Archie and Lilibet are named as Prince and Princess of Sussex on the Royal Family's website.","section":"UK","content":"The Duke and Duchess of Sussex's children have officially been named as prince and princess on the Royal Family's official website.\n\nIt comes the day after Prince Harry and Meghan announced their daughter Lilibet had been christened and they used the title princess for the first time.\n\nArchie, three, and Lilibet, one, are named as the Prince and Princess of Sussex on the line of succession page.\n\nThey are sixth and seventh in line to the throne.\n\nPreviously they were listed as Master Archie Mountbatten-Windsor and Miss Lilibet Mountbatten-Windsor.\n\nThe rules governing the titles of royal children were set out by King George V - Queen Elizabeth's grandfather - in 1917.\n\nArchie and Lilibet were not prince and princess at birth, because they were not grandchildren of the monarch, but they gained the right to these titles when King Charles acceded to the throne.\n\nA spokesperson for Prince Harry and Meghan said: \"The children's titles have been a birthright since their grandfather became monarch.\n\n\"This matter has been settled for some time in alignment with Buckingham Palace.\"\n\nIt comes after the couple announced that Lilibet, who was born in June 2021, had been christened at their home in California.\n\nThe Right Reverend John Harvey Taylor, the Bishop of Los Angeles, presided over the christening last Friday.\n\nPrince Harry and Meghan relocated to the United States after stepping down as working royals in 2020.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/uk-64901227"}
{"title":"Cancer in crisis warning over long treatment waits in Wales - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-09","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"Ailsa Guard waited seven months from the point of suspicion to start treatment for breast cancer.","section":"Wales","content":"Ailsa Guard waited more than 140 days for cancer treatment\n\nCancer care is in crisis in Wales as some patients face anxious waits for treatment, a charity has warned.\n\nAbout half of all patients will be treated within 62 days of the disease being suspected, but for gynaecological cancers it is as low as a quarter.\n\nHead of Macmillan Cancer Support Richard Pugh said: \"We're in a bad place in Wales at the moment.\"\n\nWales' top cancer doctor Prof Tom Crosby said more patients were being treated, but demand is growing.\n\nThe target is that 75% of patients will wait less than 62 days from the point of suspicion to starting treatment - but this has never been met, with the number currently at 52.9%.\n\nAilsa Guard described being pushed to her limits, with her mental health being badly affected, as she waited seven months from the point of suspicion to start treatment for breast cancer.\n\n\"I just went into a bit of a meltdown, thinking I'm going to die from this because I don't know how long this has been in my system,\" she said.\n\nThe mother-of-two found a lump under her arm in November 2021, and her GP referred her for a scan.\n\nIt proved inconclusive, but a second scan on 2 February, 2022 was diagnosed as cancer.\n\nAilsa Guard - pictured during treatment - faced an anxious wait before it started\n\n\"I naively thought you get told you have cancer and things are done really quickly,\" she said, explaining that she eventually started chemotherapy in June 2022.\n\n\"I'm a completely different person coming out of it the other side. It's been one of the most horrendous, draining periods of my life.\"\n\n\"In the beginning it was the delays that changed me a lot. That started the anxiety off in me - I felt like I was in a little box screaming and no one was listening to me. I was having to chase things.\"\n\nShe described \"screaming and shouting\" for quicker treatment, adding: \"I was only 46 then - 47 now - I don't want to die, I've got two kids, I've got a life, I want to live.\"\n\nA year on from first finding the lump, she has had five months of chemotherapy, has just finished a course of radiotherapy and is about to start two years on a new drug.\n\nThe target is three quarters of patients will wait less than 62 days from the point of suspicion to starting treatment.\n\n\"The figures are showing that we're in trouble and cancer is in crisis in Wales, with that target not being met again,\" Mr Pugh added.\n\n\"This isn't just this month. It's an ongoing basis and we have to call it out for what it is - we're in a bad place in Wales at the moment.\"\n\nHe described the impact of waiting as \"huge\", with the effect on individuals and families growing the longer it goes on.\n\nMr Pugh said: \"We used to see a lot of people who are worried.\n\n\"Well, now we are seeing worried-diagnosed and what that means is they're coming forward for more information from us and other charities - particularly around psychological services and counselling.\"\n\nAilsa Guard is about to start taking a new drug as treatment continues\n\nFor gynaecological cancers, there were 76 cases in December, with 25% treated within the target.\n\nHead and neck cancers also saw just a quarter of cases treated within the target, though there were fewer cases.\n\nLower gastro-intestinal cancers, such as bowel cancer, accounted for 189 cases in December, with just 34.9% of them being treated in under 62 days.\n\nUrological cancers had similarly high numbers at 265, with 39.6% meeting the target.\n\nOther cancers fare better - there were 286 skin cancers in December with 74.8% meeting the target, though that is still slightly below the target.\n\nSo why is there such a discrepancy between the different types of cancers?\n\n\"Our staff are diagnosing and treating more patients than they've ever treated before,\" explained Prof Tom Crosby, national clinical director for cancer in Wales.\n\n\"But demand is outstripping the capacity we have.\n\n\"And although the reasons for that shortfall and capacity vary between people, between machines, between facilities and hospitals... the main problem we have is in the cancer workforce and it's just not very easy to correct in the short-term.\"\n\nHe also described pathways for patients as varying wildly. Some need just one or two tests to confirm cancer, while others may need five steps and these can be more complicated.\n\nEarlier this year, the Wales Cancer Network launched a three-year improvement plan to tackle patient outcomes and experiences.\n\nWithin that were plans for rapid diagnostic centres and regional hubs.\n\nWhile patients might be accustomed to travelling further for treatment at specialist cancer centres, Prof Crosby said he would like to see resources being pooled in other areas too.\n\nDespite waits, patient surveys suggest 92% rate their care as either very good or excellent.\n\nBut Prof Crosby described the situation overall in Wales as \"unacceptable\", adding: \"I would say that the challenges we are facing, we haven't experienced ever before.\n\n\"I wouldn't like to use the word crisis. I don't predict that the performance in our pathways will get a lot worse, but I think it will take a little while before they get better.\"\n\nA Welsh government spokesman said: \"The NHS is working hard to reduce waiting times and we are investing heavily in cancer services to improve early detection and provide rapid access to investigation, treatment and high-quality care.\n\n\"We recently announced \u00a386m for new cancer diagnostic and treatment facilities and are increasing the number of training places for specialists in cancer diagnosis, treatment and palliative care.\"","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/uk-wales-64888722"}
{"title":"Former Shell boss Ben van Beurden's pay package jumps to \u00a39.7m - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-09","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"Ben van Beurden's pay package rose by a third in 2022 after the firm made record profits.","section":"Business","content":"Former Shell boss Ben van Beurden received a pay package of \u00a39.7m last year, up more than 50% from 2021.\n\nHis pay was revealed in the oil and gas giant's annual report and accounts.\n\nShell reported the highest annual profits in its 115-year history last year after a surge in energy prices following Russia's invasion of Ukraine.\n\nMassive profits made by energy firms have added to pressure to tax them more as households struggle with rising energy bills.\n\nWhen its results came out in February, opposition parties said the company's profits were \"outrageous\" and that the government was letting energy firms \"off the hook\" on taxation.\n\nIn 2021, Mr van Beurden was paid the equivalent of \u00a36.3m - he was paid in euros because Shell had yet to move its headquarters from the Netherlands to Britain.\n\nHe was replaced on 1 January this year by Wael Sawan, the former head of Shell's gas and renewables business.\n\nThe annual report said Mr Sawan was appointed on a salary of \u00a31.4m, although performance-related payments can often add to the overall pay package considerably. Mr van Beurden's salary was \u00a31.4m in 2022.\n\nMr van Beurden's pay package was criticised by human rights and environment charity Global Witness.\n\n\"It's a sign of just how broken our energy system is that Shell and other fossil fuel companies have made record-breaking profits from an energy crisis that's forcing families to choose between heating their homes and putting food on the table,\" said Alice Harrison, fossil fuels campaign leader at Global Witness.\n\n\"We're calling on the UK government to implement a people-first windfall tax in next week's Spring Budget, which includes executive bonuses.\"\n\nDean Bruckner, policy director at the UK Shareholders' Association, which campaigns for shareholders' rights, said he had concerns that Mr van Beurden's pay package looked \"indefensible\".\n\nHe said pay settlements such as this risk bringing \"the corporate world into disrepute\".\n\nInflation in the UK has been soaring, with huge increases in the cost of energy a key factor.\n\nAs prices rise across the board, putting pressure on struggling households, so oil and gas firms have been coming under political pressure.\n\nWhen he was chancellor, Prime Minister Rishi Sunak brought in a 25% Energy Profits Levy.\n\nThis was increased to 35% from January 2023 by current chancellor Jeremy Hunt, and will run until 2028.\n\nThe levy applies to profits made from extracting UK oil and gas, but not on refining, or selling petrol and diesel.\n\nLess than 5% of Shell's profits come from UK production.\n\nThe scheme was criticised because it allowed oil firms an 80% investment allowance which overall allowed then to claim back 91p in every pound invested, including in oil and gas.\n\nThis investment allowance was reduced from 80% to 29% from 1 January.\n\nHowever, the biggest oil producer in the North Sea, Harbour Energy, has been a vocal critic of the tax.\n\nIt said on Thursday that the Energy Profits Levy had \"all but wiped out our profit for the year\". Harbour reported pre-tax profits of $2.5bn, but tax - including $1.5bn set aside for the levy - had left the company with $8m in post-tax profit.\n\nThe tax \"has driven us to reduce our UK investment and staffing levels,\" said its boss Linda Z. Cook, who used to be a Shell executive.\n\nShe added that it had given impetus to the firm to expand internationally.\n\nHarbour Energy has not gone ahead at drilling at two sites, and did not take part in the latest North Sea offshore licensing round, a spokesman said.\n\nThe planned job cuts are under consultation, the spokesman added.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/business-64899421"}
{"title":"Ukraine war: The cost and scale of rehabilitating the wounded - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-09","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"Ukraine is trying to rehabilitate thousands of soldiers left with life-changing war wounds.","section":"Europe","content":"Illya Pylypenko was badly wounded when his tank rolled over a mine in southern Ukraine\n\nIt was in early September last year, during Ukraine's grinding counter-offensive in the southern Kherson region, that Illya Pylypenko's war ended abruptly.\n\nThe soldier's tank drove over a mine as it headed into combat. When the 30-year-old regained consciousness, he was surrounded by fire.\n\n\"You are not thinking about what you need to do,\" he says. \"You do it because you want to live.\"\n\nIllya survived because he was able to crawl out and be evacuated by his comrades. He has since had several operations and skin transplants for his burns, and his right leg had to be amputated below the knee.\n\nSix months later, he still contemplates his life-changing injuries.\n\n\"I had both disappointments and hope,\" he says. \"The hardest stage of my treatment is behind me. I dream about walking soon.\"\n\nBefore the war Illya was an estate agent from Vinnytsya, in central Ukraine. A keen runner, he finished a marathon in 2021 and planned to compete in more. He signed up to fight just days after Russia launched its full-scale invasion in February last year.\n\n\"You should not underestimate yourself but also you should not pity yourself,\" he adds. \"Everything is still ahead of me. I'm alive and healthy. It's not the end.\"\n\nIllya is one of 11,000 patients who've been treated at the Unbroken National Rehabilitation Centre so far\n\nLviv's general hospital is one of 244 across Ukraine which take in injured soldiers and civilians, treating them for physical and psychological wounds.\n\nMen in military uniforms mix with members of the public. Subtle hints that these aren't normal times.\n\nThe deeper you go into the building, the more pronounced those clues become. Mostly young men fill the corridors - the majority are missing limbs.\n\nIn a war defined by artillery, the most common injuries are from exploding shells, according to Ukraine's health ministry.\n\nAccording to the World Health Organization (WHO), one in two Ukrainians needed some form of rehabilitation before the invasion last year, when the country had already seen eight years of fighting in the east. The pandemic has also been partly blamed by the WHO.\n\nRussia's full-scale invasion has dramatically increased the need for rehabilitation services across Ukraine.\n\nMoney from international allies and local sponsors has paid for the state-of-the-art gym these men are being trained in.\n\nMost of those receiving treatment at the centre are missing limbs\n\nDespite investment, Ukraine's health system is under strain.\n\nOfficials say they're struggling to deal with antibiotic resistance as hospitals become overcrowded with civilians and soldiers.\n\nCancer diagnoses and mental health provision have also been affected by prioritising wounded personnel.\n\nVasyl Strilka, who's in charge of physical rehabilitation at Ukraine's health ministry, admits more patients are dying because of cancelled operations and delayed cancer treatments.\n\nWhile nine years of Russian aggression has left the country well-practised in treating injured soldiers, Mr Strilka says the quality of treatment they get can vary.\n\n\"There are some hospitals where doctors provide good rehabilitation,\" he tells me. \"There are also some where doctors have not had any experience, and their care is not good enough.\"\n\nAs the soldiers are put through core stability exercises, their stares into the distance reflect the brutal fighting they've emerged from. Health officials say that because they are having to prioritise physical trauma, there is a growing mental health crisis across the population.\n\nDespite all these hurdles, there are people who show a return to a fuller life is possible.\n\nThe BBC first met Hlib in May, lying in a hospital with a broken jaw and pelvis\n\nOn a bitterly cold Kyiv morning, the sight of Hlib Stryzhko jogging with his friends is a moving one.\n\nWe last saw him in May, when he was lying in a hospital bed with a broken pelvis and jaw.\n\nHe was injured while defending the south-eastern city of Mariupol early in the invasion. Despite then being captured, he somehow made it home.\n\nHe'd always said he wanted to return to the front line. However, after losing sight in one eye, he's been told his military days are over.\n\nNow Hlib works at a veterans hub, organising events and lectures for other former soldiers.\n\n\"I struggled for a long time,\" he says. \"Sadly, my unit doesn't exist any more as I knew it. Those who served there with me were either killed or captured.\n\n\"I then realised I wasn't betraying them by not returning.\"\n\nHlib now helps other veterans with their rehabilitation\n\nThe soldier says he's grateful to the psychologist who helped him deal with flashbacks, as well as the sense of guilt and loneliness.\n\n\"I had some challenges, like fully acknowledging all of the horrors I survived,\" he says, \"as well as all of the wonderful things of this war, like the support of my friends.\"\n\nThe healing process for Ukraine's soldiers is made all the more difficult with the continued fighting.\n\nThis 26-year-old shows it is still possible, despite everything.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/world-europe-64862900"}
{"title":"Weeping US Marine describes Afghan 'catastrophe' before Congress - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-09","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"A congressional inquiry into the 2021 withdrawal hears emotional testimony from a bomb victim.","section":"US & Canada","content":"This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Tyler Vargas-Andrews: \"There was an inexcusable lack of accountability\"\n\nA former US Marine badly injured in Afghanistan has described the withdrawal in 2021 as a \"catastrophe\" in testimony before Congress.\n\nTyler Vargas-Andrews spoke in the first of a series of Republican-led hearings examining the Biden administration's handling of the pull-out.\n\nHe detailed a period of chaos and unpreparedness in the days after the Taliban captured Kabul.\n\nOthers spoke of enduring trauma and the moral injury of abandoning allies.\n\nSgt Vargas-Andrews, 25, was one of several US military personnel tasked with protecting Kabul's airport on 26 August 2021, when two suicide bombers attacked crowds of Afghans trying to flee the Taliban during the US evacuation.\n\nThirteen US soldiers died in the bombing, along with 170 Afghan civilians.\n\nSgt Vargas-Andrews testified that he and another US Marine had received intelligence about the bombing before it occurred, and that he had spotted the suspect in the crowd.\n\nHe said he had alerted his supervisors and requested permission to act but had never received it.\n\n\"Plain and simple, we were ignored,\" Sgt Vargas-Andrews said.\n\nIn emotional testimony, he described being thrown in the air during the bombing and opening his eyes to see his comrades dead or lying unconscious around him.\n\n\"My body was overwhelmed from the trauma of the blast. My abdomen had been ripped open. Every inch of my exposed body took ball bearings and shrapnel,\" he said.\n\nSgt Vargas-Andrews called the withdrawal a \"catastrophe\", adding: \"There was an inexcusable lack of accountability and negligence.\"\n\n\"I see the faces of all of those we could not save, those we left behind,\" he said.\n\nThe House Foreign Affairs Committee inquiry into the evacuation from Afghanistan also heard from other US soldiers and veterans who spoke of the mental health toll that the withdrawal has had on them.\n\nRetired Lt Col David Scott Mann, who worked to evacuate Afghans at the time, testified that the experience trying to get allies out had been \"gutting\".\n\nHe added that calls to the Veteran Affairs hotline spiked 81% after the withdrawal from Afghanistan, and he warned that the US was on the \"front end of a mental health tsunami\".\n\nHe said a friend he had served with had died by suicide in the aftermath.\n\n\"He just couldn't find his way out of the darkness of that moral injury,\" Lt Col Mann said.\n\nTestimony from the majority of witnesses placed the blame on every presidential administration since US troops were first deployed to Afghanistan, from George W Bush to Joe Biden.\n\nWitnesses also urged immediate action to help Afghan allies who are now in limbo both in Afghanistan and in the US.\n\n\"America is building a nasty reputation for multi-generational systemic abandonment of our allies where we leave a smouldering human refuse, from the Montagnards of Vietnam to the Kurds in Syria,\" Lt Col Mann said.\n\nRepublicans who had long pushed for an investigation placed the blame on the Biden administration.\n\nPanel chairman Mike McCaul, a House Republican from Texas, said the withdrawal had been a \"systemic breakdown of the federal government at every level, and a stunning failure of leadership by the Biden administration\".\n\nIn response, Democrats spoke out in defence of President Biden.\n\nCongressman Gregory Meeks from New York said that Mr Biden had \"made the right decision to bring all our troops home\".\n\n\"I can't in good conscience imagine sending more American men and women to fight in Afghanistan.\"\n\nMr Biden had previously said that he bore \"responsibility for fundamentally all that has happened\", but he also blamed former President Donald Trump for overseeing the withdrawal deal with the Taliban.\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser.\n\u2022 None US announces it has left Afghanistan","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/world-us-canada-64897424"}
{"title":"Cardiff crash: Dad who lost daughter says life has changed forever - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-09","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"The heartbroken dad of Eve Smith speaks outside his business where floral tributes have been laid.","section":"Wales","content":"This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Everton Smith says daughter Eve was \u201ceverything a father could wish for\u201d\n\nThe heartbroken father of one of the victims of a crash in Cardiff which killed three has said his life has changed forever after her death.\n\nEve Smith, 21, along with Rafel Jeanne, 24, and Darcy Ross, 21, died after a crash near the A48 at St Mellons in the early hours of Saturday.\n\nA sixth person who had been with the five who were in the crash had been dropped home earlier.\n\nThe group were not found until the early hours of Monday morning, almost two days after they were last seen.\n\nEverton Smith, pictured with his daughter Eve, has been left devastated by her death\n\nEverton Smith spoke outside a martial arts school he runs in Newport's Commercial Street where dozens of floral tributes had been laid.\n\nIn the window was a display of photos of his daughter as well as a poem and a sign which said the business was closed until further notice.\n\nMr Smith said his daughter was \"everything a father could wish for\".\n\n\"It's going to change my life, I don't know how much it will,\" Mr Smith said.\n\n\"Nothing will be the same. I just need her here to get me through this. This is an impossible situation.\"\n\nMs Smith's sister Xana Doyle, 19, was also killed in a crash in Newport in 2015.\n\n\"This is like nothing anyone could expect to go through, it's like deja vu,\" Mr Smith said.\n\nMr Smith called his Eve beautiful and \"so intelligent\".\n\nHis son Zaine, on the right, said he and his sister were \"the closest\"\n\n\"I'm not surprised people have come and brought flowers,\" Mr Smith said.\n\n\"Anyone who met my daughter only had to meet her once to know there was something special about her.\"\n\nHe said the tribute at his business was not just for Eve.\n\n\"It's for Eve, it's for Darcy, it's for Sophie, it's for all of them,\" he said.\n\nHis son Zaine, 22, said he and his sister were \"the closest\".\n\nMr Smith read from the poem in the window.\n\n\"Even though I miss you, you're not too far away,\" he said.\n\n\"Because my heart is full of memories, and I treasure them every day.\"\n\nFamily solicitor, Andrew Collingbourne, said he was hoping to meet the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) on Monday.\n\nHe said: \"I am satisfied there will be a fair and objective investigation into what has gone on.\"\n\nThe IOPC said on Tuesday it was investigating the actions of South Wales Police and Gwent Police.\n\nEve Smith, 21, Rafel Jeanne, 24, and Darcy Ross, 21, died in the collision\n\nThe women, from Newport, had gone to The Muffler club in the city's Maesglas area late on Friday.\n\nThey then travelled 36 miles (58km) to Trecco Bay Caravan Park, in Porthcawl, Bridgend county, with the two men, both from Cardiff.\n\nPolice are aware of a noise complaint made to the park's security lodge about the group, according to the PA news agency.\n\nA caravan at the holiday park has been cordoned off.\n\nThe sixth person with the group, who was dropped off before the group was last seen at 02:00 GMT on Saturday in Cardiff, is said to be cooperating fully with police.\n\n\"Specialist officers are carrying out a detailed investigation to piece together what has happened,\" South Wales Police said.\n\nSophie Russon, 20, and Shane Loughlin, 32, are seriously injured in hospital\n\nInvestigations are ongoing to establish the exact time of the crash.\n\nA spokesperson for Trecco Bay Holiday Park said: \"We are assisting police with their enquiries and we will not be commenting further.\"\n\nSouth Wales Police said: \"Our thoughts continue to be with the families and all those affected by this tragic incident.\n\n\"Specialist officers are carrying out a detailed investigation to piece together what has happened.\n\n\"Family liaison officers are supporting the families involved at what must be a hugely difficult time for them.\"","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/uk-wales-64907357"}
{"title":"Tiger Woods' ex-girlfriend says she was tricked out of shared home - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-09","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"Erica Herman, who dated Mr Woods for six years, says she was told to pack for a holiday, then locked out.","section":"US & Canada","content":"A lawsuit filed by Tiger Woods' ex-girlfriend claims he tricked her into packing a bag and leaving their shared home before locking her out.\n\nLawyers for Erica Herman, who began dating the golfer in 2017, argue she is owed $30m (\u00a325m) due to the way she was suddenly evicted from the house.\n\nIn a separate lawsuit, she wants a non-disclosure agreement (NDA) she signed with Mr Woods to be cancelled.\n\nA representative for Mr Woods, 47, did not immediately comment.\n\nThe couple's break-up has not been formally announced. They have not been seen together in public since attending the US Open tennis tournament in New York last August.\n\nMs Herman, 38, had previously worked at the 15-time major champion's Florida restaurant, The Woods Jupiter.\n\nA lawsuit she filed in October against a homestead trust held by Mr Woods has only now emerged. It alleges she was locked out of their shared home in Hobe Sound, Florida.\n\n\"Specifically, by trickery, agents of the Defendant convinced the Plaintiff to pack a suitcase for a short vacation and, when she arrived at the airport, they told her she had been locked out of her residence,\" according to the court documents seen by the BBC.\n\nThe legal action says Ms Herman's personal possessions were removed from the property.\n\nShe also says that $40,000 of her money was \"misappropriated\", adding that representatives of the trust then made \"scurrilous and defamatory allegations about how she obtained the money\".\n\nSeparate legal documents filed by Ms Herman's lawyers on Monday in a court in Martin County, Florida, near where the couple had been living together, challenge her NDA with Mr Woods.\n\nThe civil lawsuit, also reviewed by BBC News, argues Ms Herman's agreement with Mr Woods is \"invalid and unenforceable\" due to the 2022 Speak Out Act, which limits the enforceability of NDAs in cases of sexual assault or harassment.\n\nHowever, her legal action does not detail any such allegations.\n\nMs Herman, her lawyers say, is \"currently unsure what other information about her own life she may discuss or with whom\".\n\nHer attorney, Benjamin Hodas, did not immediately respond to a BBC request for comment.\n\nMs Herman had been regularly seen by Mr Woods' side in the past six years, including as he was recovering from a severe car accident that, it was initially feared, could end his golf career.\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. From 2021: Tiger Woods fans react to his car accident","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/world-us-canada-64897829"}
{"title":"Cardiff car crash: 'Public distress' over police handling - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-09","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"Plaid Senedd member highlights concern over police handling of a crash in which three people died.","section":"Wales politics","content":"Eve Smith, 21, Rafel Jeanne, 24, and Darcy Ross, 21, died in the collision\n\nThere is a great deal of public distress over the police handling of a car crash in which three people died, a Plaid Cymru politician has said.\n\nThe three were found in a car which had come off a major road early on Saturday morning. They had been reported missing almost two days earlier.\n\nSenedd member Peredur Owen Griffiths said the \"disquiet\" from families of the victims cannot be ignored.\n\nHe said police prioritisation processes for missing persons needed to improve.\n\nTwo other people in the crash, who were also reported missing, were taken to hospital critically injured.\n\nPolice have previously said they cannot comment while an investigation is pending.\n\nThe South Wales and Gwent police forces were asked for a response to the Senedd proceedings.\n\nEve Smith, 21, Darcy Ross, 21, and Rafel Jeanne, 24, died in the collision after the crash on the A48 after a night out in Newport.\n\nMs Russon's mother Anna Certowicz has said police \"didn't seem to think it was worth investigating\", when the five people were reported missing.\n\nRaising the matter in the Welsh Parliament on Wednesday, the South Wales East Member of the Senedd said: \"There's been a great deal of public distress following the crash\".\n\n\"You cannot ignore the public disquiet from the families and the friends of the crash victims\", he added.\n\nHe quoted comments on BBC Wales by Winston Roddick, the former Police and Crime Commissioner for North Wales, on the police response.\n\nMr Roddick had said he was surprised about the lack of action by police, given reports that the phones and social media of the people involved had been inactive between their disappearance until they were found.\n\nMr Griffiths asked what input the Welsh government could have into improving police prioritising processes for missing persons to \"ensure incidents like this can be avoided in the future\".\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Eve Smith, 21, Darcy Ross, 21 and Rafel Jeanne, 24, died after the crash\n\nSocial Justice Minister Jane Hutt said both Gwent and South Wales Police had referred themselves to the Independent Office for Police Conduct, who would \"look at exactly what happened\".\n\n\"We just have to recognise that extraordinary public grief that was expressed in the vigil for victims that took place at the site of the crash last night,\" she said.\n\nDescribing the crash as a \"devastating tragedy\", she said: \"My thoughts remain with the families and the friends of the young people involved in the crash on the A48.\n\n\"This will be an extraordinarily difficult time for all affected by this terrible incident.\"\n\nSenedd Presiding Officer Elin Jones said she remembered watching Rafel Jeanne in the same team as her nephew in primary school.\n\nHe was \"such a young fast talent on the rugby field\", she said.\n\n\"And on behalf of us all in the centre of our sympathies are with the friends and families of Eve, Darcy and Rafel, and our hopes are with Sophie and Shane for a full recovery,\" she said.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/uk-wales-politics-64890998"}
{"title":"WhatsApp: Rather be blocked in UK than weaken security - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-09","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"The encrypted app will refuse to comply with the Online Safety Bill if required to scan messages.","section":"Technology","content":"WhatsApp says it would rather be blocked in the UK than undermine its encrypted-messaging system, if required to do so under the Online Safety Bill.\n\nIts head, Will Cathcart, said it would refuse to comply if asked to weaken the privacy of encrypted messages.\n\nThe app Signal previously said it could stop providing services in the UK if the bill required it to scan messages.\n\nThe government said it is possible to have both privacy and child safety.\n\nWhatsApp is the most popular messaging platform in the UK, used by more than seven in 10 adults who are online, according to communication regulator Ofcom.\n\nEnd-to-end encryption scrambles messages so even the company running the service cannot view the contents.\n\nBut critics of the Online Safety Bill say it grants Ofcom the power to require private encrypted-messaging apps and other services to adopt \"accredited technology\" to identify and remove child-abuse material.\n\nUndermining the privacy of WhatsApp messages in the UK would do so for all users, Mr Cathcart said.\n\n\"Our users all around the world want security - 98% of our users are outside the UK, they do not want us to lower the security of the product,\" he said. And the app would rather accept being blocked in the UK.\n\n\"We've recently been blocked in Iran, for example. We've never seen a liberal democracy do that,\" he added.\n\nSignal president Meredith Whittaker previously told BBC News it \"would absolutely, 100% walk\" and stop providing services in the UK if required by the bill to weaken the privacy of its encrypted messaging system.\n\nShe later tweeted she was \"looking forward to working with @wcathcart and others to push back\".\n\nA day later, Mr Cathcart replied: \"And very important we work together (and honoured to get to do so) to push back.\"\n\nThis Twitter post cannot be displayed in your browser. Please enable Javascript or try a different browser. View original tweet on Twitter The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Skip twitter post by Will Cathcart 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\u2019s cookie policy, external and privacy policy, external before accepting. To view this content choose \u2018accept and continue\u2019. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. End of twitter post by Will Cathcart\n\nAsked if he would go as far as Signal, Mr Cathcart said: \"We won't lower the security of WhatsApp. We have never done that - and we have accepted being blocked in other parts of the world.\" And he feared the UK would set an example other nations might follow.\n\n\"When a liberal democracy says, 'Is it OK to scan everyone's private communication for illegal content?' that emboldens countries around the world that have very different definitions of illegal content to propose the same thing,\" Mr Cathcart said.\n\nThe government, and prominent child-protection charities, have long argued encryption hinders efforts to combat the growing problem of online child abuse.\n\n\"It is important that technology companies make every effort to ensure that their platforms do not become a breeding ground for paedophiles,\" the Home Office said.\n\nThe National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children (NSPCC) says research shows grooming and child-abuse-image crimes recorded in the UK have increased dramatically.\n\nThe charity's Richard Collard said the Online Safety Bill \"will rightly make it a legal requirement for platforms to identify and disrupt child sexual abuse taking place on their sites and services and companies could be preparing by developing technological solutions that protect the safety and privacy of all users, not least that of child abuse victims\".\n\n\"Experts have demonstrated that it's possible to tackle child-abuse material and grooming in end-to-end encrypted environments,\" he added.\n\nThe government said: \"The Online Safety Bill does not represent a ban on end-to-end encryption.\n\n\"It is not a choice between privacy or child safety - we can and we must have both.\"\n\nBut critics say the only way to check the contents of encrypted messages for child-sexual-abuse material would be to have services scan them on a device such as a phone before they are encrypted and sent. And this client-side scanning undermines the privacy encryption provides.\n\nLawyer Graham Smith tweeted: \"You could argue that you don't break a fence by digging round the end of it - literally true but where does it get you if the objecti[ve] is to trespass on private property? And once the hole has been dug, you might as well not have the fence.\"\n\nAnd Mr Cathcart asked: \"If companies installed software on to people's phones and computers to scan the content of their communications against a list of illegal content, what happens when other countries show up and give a different list of illegal content?\"\n\nDr Monica Horten, of digital-rights campaigners the Open Rights Group, said: \"With over 40 million users of encrypted chat services in the UK, this turns it into a mass-surveillance tool, with potentially damaging consequences for privacy and free-expression rights.\"\n\nThe Information Commissioner's Office, which says it is working closely with Ofcom, told BBC News any interventions that could weaken encryption must be \"necessary and proportionate\".\n\n\"Where less intrusive measures are available, they should be used,\" it said. And it supported \"technological solutions that facilitate the detection of illegal content without undermining privacy protections for everyone\".","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/technology-64863448"}
{"title":"Phone-hacking: Prince Harry key figure in May trial - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-09","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"The Duke of Sussex is among high-profile figures bringing damages claims against a newspaper publisher.","section":"Entertainment & Arts","content":"The Duke of Sussex is one of a number of high-profile figures bringing damages claims against Mirror Group Newspapers\n\nPrince Harry will be at the centre of a trial against a newspaper publisher over phone-hacking allegations.\n\nThe Duke of Sussex is one of a number of high-profile figures bringing damages claims against Mirror Group Newspapers (MGN) over alleged unlawful information gathering.\n\nThe trial is due to begin on 9 May, the week after the King's coronation.\n\nHe is one of a handful of representative claimants selected as test cases at a hearing in London.\n\nOther celebrities involved in the case include the singer and former Girls Aloud star Cheryl, the estate of the late singer George Michael, ex-footballer and TV presenter Ian Wright and actor Ricky Tomlinson.\n\nMr Justice Fancourt ruled on Wednesday that the duke's claim should be one of those tried, saying it was an \"obvious selection\" because his claim covers an extensive period of time and 24 private investigators.\n\nThe court heard that the duke's case is that 148 articles published between 1996 and 2010 included information that was allegedly obtained through unlawful means, including phone hacking.\n\nThe estate of the late singer George Michael (pictured in 2013) is also involved in the legal action\n\nThe judge said the number of articles to be considered at trial should be reduced to about 33.\n\nHe said the duke's case is one which \"will not settle\", on the basis of what he has read and heard in court, adding: \"So it will have to be tried at some stage and might as well be tried now.\"\n\nDavid Sherborne, representing the claimants, said the duke would be the only witness in his claim.\n\nThe other claimants selected for trial are former Coronation Street actress Nikki Sanderson, comedian Paul Whitehouse's ex-wife Fiona Wightman and actor Michael Turner.\n\nMGN is contesting the claims, arguing that some have been brought too late.\n\nThe publisher of titles including the Daily Mirror, Sunday Mirror and the Sunday People, MGN has previously settled a number of claims against it in relation to unlawful information gathering, as has News Group Newspapers (NGN) - the publisher of the now-defunct News Of The World and the Sun - in a separate ongoing legal action.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/entertainment-arts-64895912"}
{"title":"Harry and Meghan's daughter Princess Lilibet Diana christened in US - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-09","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"Princess Lilibet Diana, who turns two in June, was christened at the couple's LA home last week.","section":"UK","content":"The Duke and Duchess of Sussex's daughter has been christened at the couple's California home.\n\nPrincess Lilibet Diana, who was born to Prince Harry and Meghan in June 2021, was christened on Friday.\n\nThe announcement is the first time she has been publicly called a princess and confirms that Harry and Meghan will use the royal titles for their children.\n\nThe couple's spokesperson said members of the Royal Family were invited to the christening.\n\nAlthough Lilibet was not a princess at birth, because she was not a granddaughter of the monarch, she gained the right to that title when King Charles acceded to the throne.\n\nBuckingham Palace has said the royal website - which currently lists her and brother Archie with the titles Miss and Master - will \"be updated in due course\" to reflect the title.\n\nLilibet is the second child of Harry and Meghan, who relocated to the US after stepping down as working royals in 2020. Their son Archie was born in May 2019.\n\nThe BBC understands members of the Royal Family were invited to the christening but it appears none were in attendance.\n\nHarry and Meghan are understood to want their children to decide for themselves whether or not to use their titles when they are older.\n\nThe couple will not use the titles conversationally, the BBC understands, but Archie and Lilibet will be referred to as prince and princess in formal contexts.\n\nThe children will not be able to style themselves as HRH given the right to do so comes from their father and he stopped using it when he stepped back from being a working royal.\n\nThe rules governing the titles of royal children were set out by King George V in 1917.\n\nAs the children of the son of a sovereign, Archie and Lilibet are automatically entitled to be called prince and princess.\n\nRight Reverend John Harvey Taylor, the Bishop of Los Angeles, presided over the christening.\n\nThe ex-newspaper journalist worked in the office of former US President Richard Nixon between 1984 and 1990 prior to being ordained.\n\nEarlier this week, it emerged that Harry and Meghan were weighing up whether or not to travel to the UK for the King and Queen Consort's coronation.\n\nA statement issued on behalf of the couple said Harry had been contacted about the event on 6 May by the King's private office via email.\n\nThe BBC understands some prospective guests are being asked to save the date ahead of official invitations to be sent later.\n\nBuckingham Palace has declined to comment on the guest list.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/uk-64890702"}
{"title":"Climate change: New idea for sucking up CO2 from air shows promise - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-09","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"A new way of removing carbon from the air is up to three times more effective than current technology.","section":"Science & Environment","content":"A new way of sucking carbon dioxide from the air and storing it in the sea has been outlined by scientists.\n\nThe authors say that this novel approach captures CO2 from the atmosphere up to three times more efficiently than current methods.\n\nThe warming gas can be transformed into bicarbonate of soda and stored safely and cheaply in seawater.\n\nThe new method could speed up the deployment of carbon removal technology, experts say.\n\nWhile the world has struggled to limit and reduce emissions of carbon dioxide in recent decades, several companies have instead focussed on developing technology to remove CO2 from the atmosphere.\n\nClimeworks in Switzerland is perhaps the best known. Over the past ten years it has developed machines to suck in the air from the atmosphere that filter and trap the carbon dioxide molecules.\n\nClimeworks have established the world's largest direct air capture plant in Iceland\n\nAt a plant in Iceland the captured CO2 is injected deep underground where it is permanently turned into stone.\n\nThe company has recently started selling a certified carbon removal service to large corporate clients including Microsoft, Spotify and Stripe.\n\nHowever, one big problem for most current approaches to direct air capture is cost.\n\nCO2, although a powerful warming agent, is relatively diluted in the atmosphere at around 400 parts per million (ppm) in air.\n\nSo big machines that require large amounts of energy are needed to both absorb and discharge the CO2.\n\nThis new approach, using off-the-shelf resins and other chemicals, promises far greater efficiency and lower cost, say the scientists involved.\n\nThe research team have borrowed an approach used for applications in water, and \"tweaked\" existing materials to remove CO2 from the air.\n\nIn tests, the new hybrid absorbing material was able to take in three times as much CO2 as existing substances.\n\nPlanting trees on a large scale, like here in China, is a cheap form of carbon removal but it uses large areas of land\n\n\"To my knowledge, there is no absorbing material which even at 100,000 ppm, shows the capacity we get it in direct air capture of 400 ppm,\" said lead author Prof Arup SenGupta from Lehigh University in the US.\n\n\"This simple ability to capture CO2 at a high quantity, in a small volume of material, is a unique aspect of our work.\"\n\nThe development, while in its early stages, has been welcomed by others in the field.\n\n\"I am happy to see this paper in the published literature, it is very exciting, and it stands a good chance of transforming the CO2 capture efforts,\" said Prof Catherine Peters from Princeton University, an expert in geological engineering, who wasn't involved in the research project.\n\n\"What is clever about this is that the starting point was a technology previously designed for applications in water. This advance applies this technology to the gas phase - a new idea.\"\n\n\"The demonstrated performance for CO2 capture is promising.\"\n\nOne of the big challenges in capturing CO2 is what to do with the trapped gas.\n\nStoring it under the ground or sea in former oil wells is one widely used approach. But the new paper suggests that with the addition of some chemicals the captured CO2 can be transformed into bicarbonate of soda and stored simply and safely in sea water.\n\nDespite the rapid deployment of renewable energy, controlling rising temperatures will likely require extensive carbon removal as well\n\nDr SenGupta says he now wants to establish a spin-off company to develop the technology further.\n\nHe believes that removing CO2 in this way will not only be critical to limiting the rise in global temperatures but could also be directly empowering for developing countries.\n\n\"We have to take it to places like Bangladesh, Barbados or the Maldives, they also have a role to play, they cannot be just bystanders who keep suffering.\"\n\nSome scientists are reluctant to put too much emphasis on new and emerging technologies like direct air capture because they fear that it could dilute the carbon cutting efforts of governments and individuals.\n\nBut with the temperature thresholds of the Paris climate agreement under threat from rising emissions, many others feel that the rapid deployment of direct air capture in addition to massive cuts in carbon is the best hope of avoiding dangerous climate change.\n\n\"It has become even more important now that we are definitely in an overshoot regime, where we have to take carbon back from the environment,\" said Prof Klaus Lackner, a pioneer in the field of removing CO2.\n\n\"DAC will have to get cheaper to make a useful contribution. I am optimistic that it can do this.\"\n\nProfessor SenGupta shares that optimism, believing that this new approach can remove CO2 for less than $100 a tonne.\n\nThe research has been published in the journal, Science Advances.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/science-environment-64886116"}
{"title":"Ukraine war: Russian air strikes cut power at Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-09","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"The electrical power supply at Europe's largest nuclear power plant is lost after Russia launches missiles.","section":"Europe","content":"This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Watch: Drone footage posted by Ukrainian official shows Lviv debris after Russian strike\n\nAt least nine people have been killed and power at Europe's largest nuclear plant has been lost after Russia launched missiles across Ukraine.\n\nThe attacks hit cities from Kharkiv in the north to Odesa in the south and Zhytomyr in the west.\n\nBuildings and infrastructure were hit in Kharkiv and Odesa, with power blackouts in several areas. Attacks on the capital Kyiv are also reported.\n\nUkraine said Russia fired 81 missiles, in what is the biggest strike in weeks.\n\nThe military claimed it successfully shot down 34 cruise missiles and four of the eight Iranian-made Shahed drones which were fired.\n\nThe attacks mark the biggest day of Russian missile strikes on Ukraine since the end of January, when 11 people died after dozens of buildings were struck in several regions.\n\nIn Thursday's attacks, at least five people were killed in Lviv in western Ukraine, after a rocket hit their home, the region's governor Maksym Kozytskyi said on Telegram.\n\nRussian shelling killed three people in the southern city of Kherson, where a public transport stop was hit, Ukraine's presidential chief of staff Andriy Yermak said.\n\nWhile one person died and two others were injured following drone and missile strikes in the Dnipropetrovsk region, according to governor Serhii Lysak.\n\nNuclear energy operator Energoatom said a strike at the Zaporizhzhia plant meant the \"last link\" between the facility and the Ukrainian power system was cut off.\n\nFor the sixth time since it was taken over by Russia a year ago, the facility is now operating on diesel generators, which have enough supplies to last at least 10 days.\n\nThe director general of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) called for a commitment to protecting the safety of the plant, saying he was \"astonished by the complacency\" surrounding the successive strikes since the invasion began.\n\n\"Each time we are rolling a dice. And if we allow this to continue time after time then one day our luck will run out,\" Rafael Grossi said.\n\nRussia-installed officials in the Moscow-controlled part of Ukraine's Zaporizhzhia region said the halt in electricity supplies to the power station from Ukrainian-held territory was \"a provocation\".\n\nUkrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said it was \"a difficult night\", after Russia resumed its \"wretched tactics\".\n\nHe said energy systems were being restored and all services were working after the \"massive\" rocket attack struck critical infrastructure and residential buildings.\n\nIn Kyiv, emergency services are at the scenes of blasts in western and southern districts of the capital where the mayor, Vitaly Klitschko, said explosions had taken place.\n\nMr Klitschko said cars were burning in the courtyard of one residential building and he urged people to stay in shelters. Much of the city has been left without electricity, with four in 10 people without power, he added.\n\nPeople gathered outside a residential building in Kyiv following the strikes\n\nA mass missile attack struck an energy facility in the port city of Odesa, triggering power cuts, its governor Maksym Marchenko said. Residential areas were also hit but no casualties were reported, he added.\n\n\"About 15\" strikes hit Kharkiv city and region, with \"critical infrastructure facilities\" and a residential building targeted, regional administration chief Oleg Synegubov said.\n\nOther regions hit include Vynnytsia and Rivne in the west, and Dnipro and Poltava in the centre of the country.\n\nRussian President Vladimir Putin launched his invasion just over a year ago. Since then tens of thousands of combatants and civilians have been killed or injured and millions of Ukrainians became refugees.\n\nThe US Director of National Intelligence, Avril Haines, suggested on Wednesday that President Putin might be planning to drag out the war for years but that Russia was not strong enough to launch major new offensives this year.\n\nShe said the war in Ukraine had become a \"grinding attritional war in which neither side has a definitive military advantage\".\n\n\"We do not foresee the Russian military recovering enough this year to make major territorial gains, but Putin most likely calculates the time works in his favour, and that prolonging the war including with potential pauses in the fighting may be his best remaining pathway to eventually securing Russia's strategic interests in Ukraine, even if it takes years,\" she said.\n\nEmergency workers attended burning cars damaged by the Russian missile strikes in Kyiv\n\nMs Haines said Russia might turn to defending the territories it now occupies, adding that it would need additional \"mandatory mobilization and third-party ammunition sources\" to sustain even its level of operations in Ukraine.\n\nUkraine's military says it has pushed back intense Russian attacks on the embattled eastern city of Bakhmut despite Russian forces claiming to have taken control of its eastern half.\n\nMoscow has been trying to take Bakhmut for months, as both sides suffer heavy losses in a grinding war of attrition.\n\n\"The enemy continued its attacks and has shown no sign of a let-up in storming the city of Bakhmut,\" the general staff of the Ukrainian armed forces said. \"Our defenders repelled attacks on Bakhmut and on surrounding communities.\"\n\nBetween 20,000 and 30,000 Russian troops have been killed or wounded in the battle for the Ukrainian city of Bakhmut since it began last summer, Western officials say. The figures cannot be verified independently.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/world-europe-64897888"}
{"title":"T-level delays: Colleges face disruption after courses are pushed back - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-09","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"The rollout of four technical courses in England is being pushed back because of quality concerns.","section":"Family & Education","content":"The government has delayed four of its flagship T-levels, which had been due to roll out in England from September.\n\nTechnical qualifications in areas such as hair and beauty are among those that had been planned for the coming academic year.\n\nBut the Department for Education (DfE) said more work was needed to ensure they were of sufficient quality.\n\nThe Association of Colleges (AoC) welcomed that decision but said the news had caused \"massive disruption\".\n\nSchool leaders' union ASCL was concerned about the impact on students who had planned to start the courses in September.\n\nThe first T-level results were given out to 1,029 students in England last year - with a 92% pass rate.\n\nSix further T-levels were due to launch in September - but three of them are now being delayed until 2024:\n\nA fourth, in catering, is being delayed until \"beyond 2024\".\n\nEducation Secretary Gillian Keegan said T-levels would give post-16 students a technical option of equal quality to A-levels.\n\n\"T-Level technical qualifications will only be approved for delivery where we are sure they are good enough and can be delivered to a high standard,\" she said. And more work was needed, which would \"not be possible in time for launch this September\".\n\nKevin Gilmartin, of the ASCL school leaders' union, warned that Year 11 students who had planned to study the delayed T-levels \"may now have missed the opportunity to apply for alternative courses and this will be a real distraction just months before they sit their GCSEs\".\n\nHe added that the DfE's timescale for broader changes to 16-19 qualifications by 2025 - which includes approving funding for Level 3 qualifications other than A-levels and T-levels - was \"simply unworkable\".\n\nAoC chief executive David Hughes said the DfE was \"right to ensure only T-Levels of high enough quality enter the market\", but added: \"Colleges will be massively disrupted by this announcement happening so late in the year.\n\n\"Colleges already had plans in place for how to deliver these now delayed T-levels, and have been marketing them to potential learners.\n\n\"Alternative arrangements will now need to be made urgently.\"\n\nQualifications that overlap with the delayed T-levels, such as BTecs, were due to have their funding cut from 2025, by which time the T-levels were meant to have been in place for two years.\n\nHowever, Ms Keegan said this time frame would remain the case for the three qualifications being pushed back to 2024, despite the delay to their introduction.\n\nShe said there would be \"at least one year\" between the introduction of a T-level and the removal of funding for overlapping qualifications, and that the implications for qualifications that overlap with the catering T-level - being moved to 2025 - would be announced at a later date.\n\nMr Hughes said that, while T-levels were \"an important addition to the qualification landscape\", they should be completed by two year groups of students before other qualifications were defunded.\n\nJames Kewin, of the Sixth Form Colleges Association, said it made \"absolutely no sense to press ahead with plans to scrap existing Level 3 qualifications\" in the delayed subject areas.\n\nA total of 18 T-levels will be available from September - and the following new courses will roll out as planned:","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/education-64904427"}
{"title":"King Charles visits Surrey avian influenza scientists - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-09","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"The King is given a tour of the Animal and Plant Health Agency's headquarters in Surrey.","section":"Surrey","content":"King Charles looks at mosquitos under a microscope at the Animal and Plant Health Agency in Weybridge, Surrey\n\nKing Charles has congratulated scientists for their work in combating the largest-ever avian influenza outbreak in the UK.\n\nSince October 2021, there have been 330 confirmed cases of avian influenza across the country.\n\nThe King was given a tour of the Animal and Plant Health Agency's (APHA) headquarters in Weybridge, Surrey.\n\nHe said he was \"full of admiration\" for the staff at the Weybridge site - the UK's main animal health laboratory.\n\nThe King's tour on Thursday included briefings on avian influenza and bovine tuberculosis, as well as plant health challenges including invasive non-native species.\n\nKing Charles met members of staff during his visit to the Animal and Plant Health Agency\n\nHe also visited specialist research laboratories to see genome mapping and a mosquito laboratory to learn about APHA's vector-borne disease programme.\n\nIn an impromptu speech, the King said: \"I'm full of admiration for what you do, what you manage to achieve against these huge challenges in all directions. I know many have been working such late hours for days and days.\n\n\"So I can only say you are totally heroic, we're incredibly lucky to have you battling away for our safety and our future.\"\n\nThe APHA government agency is responsible for controlling endemic and exotic diseases in animals, plants and bees.\n\nDuring the visit, the King also learnt about the potential threat posed by mosquitos.\n\nLord Benyon, minister for biosecurity, marine and rural affairs with King Charles\n\nAhead of the visit, chief veterinary officer Dr Christine Middlemiss, told BBC Radio 4's Today programme: \"I'm delighted that their hard work over the last three winters is being recognised at such a level.\n\n\"The scale of avian influenza outbreaks across the UK and Europe has been unprecedented and our response has been underpinned by the world-leading science and disease control work carried out at Weybridge.\"\n\nFollow BBC South East on Facebook, on Twitter, and on Instagram. Send your story ideas to southeasttoday@bbc.co.uk.\n\nThe BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/uk-england-surrey-64893806"}
{"title":"Ukraine war: Why Bakhmut matters for Russia and Ukraine - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-09","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"Tens of thousands have died fighting for a city with little strategic value. Why?","section":"Europe","content":"Russia has virtually destroyed Bakhmut in its attempts to seize the city\n\nFor more than seven long months, this small industrial city in eastern Ukraine has been pounded by Russian forces.\n\nAccording to its deputy mayor, Oleksandr Marchenko, there are just a few thousand civilians left living in underground shelters with no water, gas or power. \"The city is almost destroyed,\" he told the BBC. \"There is not a single building that has remained untouched in this war.\"\n\nSo why are Russia and Ukraine fighting so hard over this pile of rubble? Why are both sides laying down the lives of so many of soldiers to attack and defend this city in a battle that has lasted longer than any other in this war?\n\nMilitary analysts say Bakhmut has little strategic value. It is not a garrison town or a transport hub or a major centre of population. Before the invasion, there were about 70,000 people living there. The city was best known for its salt and gypsum mines and huge winery. It holds no particular geographic importance. As one Western official put it, Bakhmut is \"one small tactical event on a 1,200-kilometre front line\".\n\nAnd yet Russia is deploying huge military resources into taking the city. Western officials estimate between 20,000 and 30,000 Russian troops have been killed or injured so far in and around Bakhmut.\n\nUkraine has suffered many casualties - such as this soldier being buried in Lviv - in its defence of Bakhmut\n\nThe Kremlin needs a victory, however symbolic. It has been a long time since the summer when Russian forces seized cities like Severodonetsk and Lysychansk. Since then what territorial gains they have made have been incremental and slow.\n\nSo Russia needs a success to sell to pro-Kremlin propagandists back home. Serhii Kuzan, chairman of the Ukrainian Security and Co-operation Centre, told the BBC: \"They are fighting a political mission, not a purely military one. Russians will continue to sacrifice thousands of lives to achieve their political goals.\"\n\nRussian commanders also want to take Bakhmut for military reasons. They hope it might give them a springboard for further territorial gains. As the UK Ministry of Defence noted in December, capturing the city \"would potentially allow Russia to threaten the larger urban areas of Kramatorsk and Sloviansk\".\n\nAnd then there is question of the Wagner mercenary group that is at the heart of the assault.\n\nIts leader Yevgeny Prigozhin has staked his reputation, and that of his private army, on seizing Bakhmut. He hoped to show his fighters could do better than the regular Russian army. He has recruited thousands of convicts and is throwing waves of them at Ukrainian defences, many to their deaths.\n\nIf he cannot succeed here, then his political influence in Moscow will diminish. Mr Prigozhin is at odds with Russia's defence minister, Sergei Shoigu, criticising his tactics and now complaining about not getting enough ammunition. There is, Mr Kuzan said, a political struggle between both men for influence in the Kremlin \"and the place for this struggle is in Bakhmut and its surroundings\".\n\nFew civilians remain in Bakhmut, which was once home to about 70,000 people\n\nSo why has Ukraine been defending Bakhmut so doggedly, losing thousands of troops in the process?\n\nThe main strategic purpose is to use the battle to weaken Russia's army. One Western official put it bluntly: \"Bakhmut, because of the Russian tactics, is giving Ukraine a unique opportunity to kill a lot of Russians.\"\n\nNato sources estimate five Russians are dying for every one Ukrainian in Bakhmut. Ukraine's national security secretary, Oleksiy Danilov, says the ratio is even higher at seven to one.\n\nThese numbers are impossible to verify. Serhii Kuzan told the BBC: \"As long as Bakhmut fulfils its function, allowing us to grind down the enemy's forces, to destroy much more of them proportionately than the enemy inflicts losses on us, until then we will of course keep on holding Bakhmut.\" By defending the city, Ukraine also ties up Russian forces that could be deployed elsewhere on the front line.\n\nLike Russia, Ukraine has also given Bakhmut political significance. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has made the city an emblem of resistance. When he visited Washington in December, he called it \"the fortress of our morale\" and gave a Bakhmut flag to the US Congress. \"The fight for Bakhmut will change the trajectory of our war for independence and for freedom,\" he said.\n\nThe battle for Bakhmut has raged for months\n\nSo what if Bakhmut falls? Russia would claim a victory, a rare piece of good news to bolster morale. Ukraine would suffer a political, symbolic loss. No longer would Ukrainians be able to cry \"Bakhmut holds!\" on social media. But few believe there would be a huge military impact. The US Defence Secretary Lloyd Austin said: \"The fall of Bakhmut won't necessarily mean that the Russians have changed the tide of this fight.\"\n\nMick Ryan, a strategist and former Australian general, believes there would be no fast Russian advance: \"The Ukrainians\u2026 will be withdrawing into defensive zones in the Kramatorsk areas that they have had eight years to prepare. And the city sits on higher, more defensible ground than Bakhmut. Any advance on the Kramatorsk region is likely to be every bit as bloody for the Russians as its campaign for Bakhmut.\"\n\nSo perhaps what matters most in the battle for Bakhmut are how many losses each side has incurred and what that might mean for the next phase in this war. Will Russia have suffered so many casualties that its capacity to mount further offensives will have been weakened? Or will Ukraine have lost so many soldiers that its army would be less able to launch a counter-offensive later in the spring?","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/world-europe-64877991"}
{"title":"Wimbledon 2023: Clare Balding to lead BBC coverage of this year's Championships - BBC Sport","published_date":"2023-03-09","authors":null,"description":"Clare Balding will be the lead presenter for coverage of this year's Wimbledon in July, the BBC announces.","section":null,"content":"Last updated on .From the section Tennis\n\nClare Balding will be the lead presenter for the BBC's coverage of this year's Wimbledon.\n\nBalding takes over from Sue Barker, who decided to step down from her role at the end of the 2022 Championships after 30 years of broadcasting live sport for the BBC.\n\n\"It's a huge honour to be given this responsibility but I am very aware that no one person can fill Sue's shoes,\" said Balding.\n\nBalding has worked on Wimbledon as a reporter, commentator and presenter for the BBC since 1995.\n\nThe award-winning presenter has also worked on other major sporting events for the corporation, including seven summer Olympic Games.\n\nBalding added: \"This will always be a team effort and we're lucky that the BBC line-up includes former professionals with huge insight as well as wonderful reporters and commentators.\n\n\"It's my job to bring out the best in them and to help make our viewers feel they have a front-row seat on the greatest sporting stage.\"\n\nDirector of BBC Sport Barbara Slater said Balding will bring her \"passion and knowledge for the prestigious event\" to the viewers watching at home.\n\nAs with last year, Isa Guha will present the early coverage before Balding takes over later in the day.\n\nThe partnership between the BBC and the All England Lawn Tennis Club is the longest in sports broadcasting history, spanning more than 85 years on BBC TV and more than 95 years on BBC radio.\n\u2022 None Listen to all-new versions of their biggest hits and a surprising cover\n\u2022 None Searching for new converts in Manchester: The Mormons Are Coming follows young missionaries during their make-or-break training","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/sport\/tennis\/64902037"}
{"title":"Adidas Kanye West's Yeezy shoes 'collectors' items' - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-09","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"A US shoe chain says sales are up 30% since the sportswear giant dropped Mr West over anti-Semitic comments.","section":"Business","content":"US retailer Impossible Kicks said people saw the Yeezy trainer as a \"collector's item\" and sales had spiked 30%\n\nShoppers in the US are buying Kanye West's Yeezy shoes as collectors' items since Adidas ended its partnership with the rapper, a US shoe chain has said.\n\nImpossible Kicks said sales had risen by 30% since the sportswear giant parted ways with Mr West over anti-Semitic comments he made last year.\n\nAdidas has said it is unsure what to do with the \u00a31bn (\u20ac1.2) worth of shoes left from its association with West.\n\nBut Impossible Kicks CEO John Mocadlo said buyers had not been put off.\n\nThe US retailer, which has 17 stores across 11 states, said sales had risen sharply since the relationship soured and ties were cut last October.\n\nA pair of Yeezy 350 \"Zebra\" shoes sells for between $340 and $360, (\u00a3285-\u00a3302) compared with around $260 four months ago, according to Mr Mocadlo.\n\n\"People are targeting the product as a collector's item now. When they come into a store they don't even know he's associated with the product,\" Mr Mocadlo told the BBC's Radio 4's Today Programme.\n\nAdidas said it was considering selling the footwear and donating the profits to charity and had ruled out other options, such as burning them.\n\nThe firm said giving the shoes away for free was also complicated, notably because their resale value had surged.\n\nBut Mr Mocadlo said the company had \"a lot of soul-searching to do\".\n\n\"The product they're sitting on does have a value. There's a lot of resellers who'd be very interested in getting them because there's still a lot of people who still want the product,\" he said.\n\nAnd the retailer did not believe there was a conflict in selling the goods: \"We stand against everything he [West] says, we just sell it because it's a collector's item and there's very limited supply at this point.\"\n\nAdidas ended its relationship with West, who goes by the name of Ye, when the artist posted anti-Semitic tweets after showing a \"White Lives Matter\" T-shirt design at Paris Fashion Week in October.\n\nThe sportswear brand said at the time it would \"not tolerate antisemitism and any other sort of hate speech\".\n\nThe company said the split cost the firm \u00a3534m (\u20ac600m) in the last three months of 2022 and warned investors profits could be hit by at least \u00a3444m (\u20ac500m) in the 2023 financial year.\n\nAdidas boss Bjorn Gulden said: \"We should not do a decision just to please someone. We should do a decision when the consequences of that decision are the most positive that we can do.\"","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/business-64892898"}
{"title":"Hamburg shooting: Video appears to show person firing weapon - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-09","authors":null,"description":"The moment a suspected gunman attacked a Jehovah's Witness hall was caught on camera.","section":null,"content":"Video shot by an eyewitness appears to show a person firing a weapon through a window at a Jehovah's Witness centre in Hamburg, Germany.\n\nSeven people, including an unborn baby, were killed in the attack in the German city of Hamburg, police say.\n\nThey say the gunman acted alone on Thursday evening, and later took his own life. His motives are unknown.\n\nThe suspect, named only as Philipp F, 35, is a former member of the religious community, who had \"ill-feelings\".\n\nRead more on this story.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/world-europe-64910862"}
{"title":"Cardiff car crash: Tributes to three found dead after night out - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-09","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"Tributes are paid to three people who were found dead in a crashed car days after going missing.","section":"Wales","content":"Eve Smith, 21, Rafel Jeanne, 24, and Darcy Ross, 21, died in the collision\n\nTributes have been paid to three people who were found dead in a crashed car days after they went missing.\n\nEve Smith, 21, Darcy Ross, 21 and Rafel Jeanne, 24, were found in a car which had come off a major road in Cardiff.\n\nSophie Russon, 20, and Shane Loughlin, 32, were taken to hospital where they remain in a critical condition.\n\nAll five had been on a night out in Newport when the car is believed to have veered off the A48 into trees, with it unclear what exactly happened.\n\nSophie Russon was having surgery on Monday evening, while friends of the group held a vigil at the scene.\n\nSouth Wales Police said specialist officers are trying to \"piece together\" what happened.\n\nFamily and friends had made repeated appeals to find the missing group over the course of the weekend.\n\nThe mother of one of the women said she had been told to stop contacting police for updates.\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Watch: BBC reporter at the scene of busy road where missing group found\n\nSpeaking at the scene, a friend of the three women said she believed the police \"could have done a lot more\".\n\nTamzin Samuels, 20, said: \"They only posted the appeal an hour before the girls were found. We found them before the police found them - we rang the police.\"\n\nShe added: \"They were really popular girls, the life of the party, and it was really out of character for them to do what they did, which is why we knew something was wrong.\"\n\nThe women, from Newport, had gone to The Muffler club in the Maesglas area of the city late on Friday.\n\nThey then travelled 36 miles (58km) to Trecco Bay, a caravan park in the seaside resort of Porthcawl, Bridgend county, with the two men, both from Cardiff.\n\nA Snapchat photo shared by Ms Ross' sister showed her and Mr Jeanne together on the night they went missing.\n\nThe group was last seen in Llanedeyrn, Cardiff, in the early hours of Saturday, but it is not yet clear when the crash happened.\n\nSophie Russon, 20, and Shane Loughlin, 32, are seriously injured in hospital\n\nTributes have been paid on social media with family members confirming their loved ones had died.\n\nOne of Miss Smith's relatives wrote: \"I will not comment on anyone other than Eve Smith to confirm that she has been confirmed as deceased.\n\n\"Thank you for your support and shares and I won't be answering messages please allow us some time as a family to digest this terrible news.\"\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Flowers were laid near the scene of the accident\n\nA friend of Miss Ross and Miss Smith wrote: \"I don't really have the words right now.\"\n\nTalking about Miss Ross, the friend said: \"You were one of a kind, I'm going to miss trying to 'life coach' you as you would've said. You were a real ray of sunshine especially on my bad days.\"\n\nDescribing Miss Smith, she added: \"Eve Smith you were truly a beautiful young girl\", saying her heart was \"made of gold\".\n\nDarcy Ross, pictured here with Rafel Jeanne, on Snapchat\n\nA friend of Mr Loughlin said: \"I'm so proud of us all pulling together out there searching for our dear friends last night.\n\n\"It's heartbreaking what's happened to Rafel Jeanne and those two girls. My body is still shaking and I can't stop being sick, the thought of them all there all of that time.\n\n\"Many times I have driven past, it just makes me so sad.\"\n\nHe described how \"helpless\" Mr Loughlin must have felt \"trapped inside\", adding: \"Wish Sophie a speedy recovery and I send all my love and strength to all the families involved.\"\n\nBBC journalist Adam Hale said no obvious signs of a crash were visible, even in daylight, to drivers using the slip road to approach the busy roundabout over the weekend.\n\n\"I was one of the potentially thousands of motorists who will have passed the scene of the accident over the weekend who could be forgiven for not noticing anything out of the ordinary,\" he said.\n\n\"There are a lot of trees that line that particular stretch of road that could easily obscure a car that had left the road.\n\n\"In terms of things you'd expect to see in the aftermath of a road accident - tyre marks on the road, parts of a car strewn across the way - none were clearly visible to myself or friends or family who live in the area and also travelled past the site across Saturday and Sunday.\"\n\nDominic Shields, 58, lives close to the site of the crash and said his running route goes through the area.\n\n\"I was going to run there on Sunday but decided to go to Cardiff fields instead,\" he said.\n\n\"It really makes you think, 'if I just made a different choice?'\n\n\"I drove down the slip road four times on Saturday and Sunday and it just brings home how often you are on autopilot.\n\n\"If I had my wits about me I could have seen something and got help to to them sooner.\"\n\nFloral tributes have been left at the site of the crash\n\nA number of floral tributes have been left at the scene of the collision.\n\nOne said: \"Fly high. You're in a better place now. This was the last thing we expected. I know you're still partying up there.\"\n\nNewport West MP Ruth Jones urged people to avoid speculating about the collision on social media.\n\nMs Jones told BBC Radio Wales's Drive: \"I know people have taken to social media to express their condolences, but rumours and things are circulating and sometimes it's quite tricky to actually establish the facts.\n\n\"I think people need to be careful because there are families who are grieving tonight.\"\n\nSouth Wales Police's Assistant Chief Constable Jason Davies said: \"Our thoughts are with the families of all those affected by this tragic incident.\n\n\"Specialist officers are carrying out an investigation to piece together what has happened.\n\n\"Family liaison officers are supporting the families involved at what must be a hugely difficult time for them.\n\n\"To ensure independent oversight, South Wales Police has referred the matter to the Independent Office for Police Conduct, as is usual in these circumstances.\"\n\nA Gwent Police spokeswoman said: \"Three of those who were reported missing have been found deceased, two have been taken to hospital with serious injuries.\n\n\"Specialist officers are supporting the families of those involved and enquiries are ongoing.\n\n\"The case has been referred to the IOPC in line with normal procedures.\"\n\nThe IOPC said: \"We will carry out an assessment in due course to determine what further action may be required from us.\"","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/uk-wales-64867187"}
{"title":"HS2 line between Birmingham and Crewe delayed by two years - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-09","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"Government blames soaring construction prices but says it is \"committed\" to the high speed rail link.","section":"Business","content":"The Birmingham to Crewe leg of high speed railway HS2 will be delayed by two years to cut costs.\n\nThe government suggested Euston station's opening could also be delayed as an \"affordable\" design is worked on.\n\nTransport secretary Mark Harper blamed soaring prices and said he was \"committed\" to the line linking London, the Midlands and North of England.\n\nHS2 has been beset by delays and cost rises. In 2010, it was expected to cost \u00a333bn but is now expected to be \u00a371bn.\n\nMr Harper said \"significant inflationary pressure\" and increased project costs meant the government was to \"rephase construction by two years\".\n\nHe said the decision had been \"difficult\" but that it was part of \"controlling inflation and reducing government debt\".\n\nMark Thurston, chief executive of HS2 Ltd, recently told the BBC that he and the government were examining the phasing of the build and the timing.\n\nJohn Foster from business group CBI said the delay would harm investor confidence in the rail sector.\n\n\"Delays to projects may create short-term savings, but they can ultimately lead to higher overall costs and slow down the UK's transition to a better, faster and greener transport network,\" Mr Foster added.\n\nLabour said the decision to pause the HS2 at Birmingham was \"astonishing\".\n\nShadow Transport Secretary Louise Haigh said the party had committed to delivering HS2 in full if it gets into government, and to partly funding the work by its green prosperity plan.\n\nThe head of the Northern Powerhouse Partnership, Henri Murison, said the delay was \"disappointing\" and \"holds back economic benefits\".\n\nThe project is grappling with the rising cost of materials due to the high rate of inflation.\n\nThe government hopes that the delays will allow it to spread the cost over a longer period of time, making it more affordable by reducing annual expenditure.\n\nChancellor Jeremy Hunt, who will outline his Budget next week, wants debt to fall as a percentage of GDP within five years - a target explicitly set by the Prime Minister.\n\nMichael Fabricant, Conservative MP for Lichfield in Staffordshire, which contains part of the HS2 line, said he would ask the government whether the delay \"marks the end of HS2 north of Birmingham for good and whether HS2 will make good the damage already done in southern Staffordshire\".\n\nHe added: \"Simply saying the project is delayed is not good enough. The area has been blighted by whole fields turned into construction sites.\"\n\nLast week, Mr Thurston said the impact of inflation had been \"significant\" in the past year, affecting the costs of raw material, labour, energy and fuel.\n\n\"We're looking at the timing of the project, the phasing of the project, we're looking at where we can use our supply chain to secure a lot of those things that are costing us more through inflation,\" he said.\n\nHS2 trains are scheduled to carry the first passengers between Old Oak Common station in West London and Birmingham, between 2029 and 2033.\n\nEuston station in London is currently scheduled to open later, by 2035. Further stretches to Crewe and then to Manchester are due by 2034 and 2041.\n\nMost of the HS2 leg to Leeds was scrapped in 2021.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/business-64901985"}
{"title":"Georgia drops 'foreign agents' law after protests - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-09","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"The ruling party says it will pull a controversial Russian-style bill amid widespread criticism.","section":"Europe","content":"Protesters have accused the Georgian government of trying to steer the country away from the EU\n\nGeorgia's ruling party has said it will withdraw a controversial draft law, in the face of mass protests and widespread international criticism.\n\nThousands of protesters have taken to the streets in Tbilisi this week in anger as a Russian-style law began its passage through parliament.\n\nUnder the bill, non-government groups and media would be targeted if they take over 20% of funding from abroad.\n\nThe main ruling party said it was pulling the bill \"unconditionally\".\n\nDescribing itself as a party of government responsible to all members of society, Georgian Dream referred to the need to reduce \"confrontation\" in society.\n\nGeorgia has applied for candidate status of the European Union and sought to join Nato. EU officials had condemned the draft legislation as incompatible with EU values.\n\nIn a statement, the EU delegation in Georgia said the move to drop the law was a \"welcome announcement\" and encouraged political leaders to resume \"pro-EU reforms\".\n\nThe government's U-turn followed a second night of clashes between riot police and protesters outside parliament. Tear gas and water cannon were used to disperse the demonstrators as they chanted \"no to the Russian law\".\n\nProtesters arrested during the demonstrations have been released, according to the Ministry of Internal Affairs.\n\nOfficials said some were brought before the court but the rest \"were released based on the expiration of the term of stay in the pre-trial detention centre\".\n\nMeanwhile, Georgian President Salome Zurabishvili praised protesters for coming out against the proposal. Ms Zourabichvili had backed the demonstrations and had vowed to veto the bill, although ultimately the government would have had the power to override her move.\n\n\"I want to congratulate society on its first victory. I am proud of the people who made their voices heard,\" Ms Zurabishvili said in a televised address from New York. \"There is distrust towards the government as we pursue our European path.\"\n\nIn its statement, Georgian Dream complained that the proposal had been unfairly labelled and said that as the \"emotional background subsides\" it would explain the importance of the bill and transparency in foreign funding to the public.\n\nDespite the decision to drop the bill, opposition parties said they had no plans to halt the protests. They called for clarity on how the proposals were to be withdrawn and demanded the release of protesters detained this week.\n\nArmaz Akhvlediani, an independent opposition member of parliament and former secretary-general of Georgian Dream, welcomed the party's promise to withdraw the legislation but said it had \"Russian interests\" that worked against \"democracy and rule of law\".\n\nPrime Minister Irakli Gharibashvili had earlier condemned the \"stir\" over the bill. His party maintained that the legislation mimicked American laws from the 1930s, an argument also used by the Kremlin when it passed a similar law in 2012.\n\nKremlin Press Secretary Dmitry Peskov said Russia had \"absolutely nothing\" to do with the bill, as he sought to distance his country from the protests.\n\nHe said the Kremlin did not inspire the proposal and that the US \"pioneered the practice of introducing these laws\".\n\nMr Peskov also advised Russians living in Georgia to be \"extremely careful\" and stay away from the street riots.\n\nThat Russian law has gradually intensified and now suppresses Western-funded NGOs, independent media, journalists and bloggers, who are required to label their content with the sinister phrase \"foreign agent\".\n\n\"Again and again they are trying everything to take us far away from the European Union, European values,\" said 30-year-old protester Luka Kimeridze.\n\nEka Gigauri of Transparency International in Georgia told the BBC that NGOs were already subject to 10 different laws and the finance ministry already had full access to accounts, funding and other information.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/world-europe-64899041"}
{"title":"Increase in mental health callouts received by police over past five years - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-09","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"Some forces told the BBC they saw incidents multiply by four or five times between 2017 and 2022.","section":"UK","content":"Sgt Paul Shelley and mental health nurse Owen Winsland work within the Merseyside team\n\nPolice forces across Great Britain have seen a significant rise in the number of mental health incidents they have dealt with in the past five years.\n\nSome 21 forces out of 48 in England, Scotland and Wales responded to a BBC freedom of information request - and every force reported a rise since 2017.\n\nIn Merseyside, mental health-related incidents increased from 7,629 in 2017 to 28,039 last year - a 313% rise.\n\nThe government says such pressures are stopping officers fighting crime.\n\nThe Home Office said a new approach involving police and health partners is being developed to free up police time and better care for people in a mental health crisis.\n\nBBC Two's Newsnight asked forces how many incidents had been tagged as involving mental health each year.\n\nOf those that responded, police in North Wales saw the largest proportional increase, responding to more than five times as many incidents in 2022 (3,910) as in 2017 (781).\n\nGloucestershire Police saw the lowest rise, an increase of 16% over the same five-year period - from 6,737 incidents to 7,369.\n\nIt is not clear how the data was collected by individual forces and whether the definition of mental health incidents differed between forces, or changed over the five years.\n\nNewsnight was given exclusive access to Merseyside Police's mental health triage team.\n\nAs part of the team, a mental health nurse and a police officer work together in Liverpool visiting those who are thought to be struggling with their mental health.\n\nA triage car was first commissioned in 2019 as part of a six-month pilot and it was then recommissioned in April 2020. There are now three cars in the area. Experts believe the model reduces the amount of time police spend on such cases.\n\nPolice officers are believed to spend 20-40% of their time dealing with mental health calls and incidents\n\n\"It can help prevent hospital admission, get [patients] more access to more appropriate support and in a more timely fashion,\" says Owen Winsland, a mental health nurse on the team. \"And for the police, it reduces the amount of officer time that is spent dealing with health and social care issues.\"\n\n\"Certainly in my time, 17 years, we've never had any standardised formal mental health training,\" Sgt Paul Shelley told Newsnight. \"We do have inputs from health around - in particular - diagnosis and how to deal with people in a particular way.\"\n\nThe College of Policing defines a mental health incident as \"any police incident thought to relate to someone's mental health where their vulnerability is at the centre of the incident\". And police officers are estimated to spend 20-40% of their time dealing with such incidents.\n\nSome police chiefs believe the rise is down to police increasingly being seen as the first resort for people in a crisis, as well as a lack of capacity in the community to deal with growing mental health demands.\n\nIn November last year, the commissioner of London's Metropolitan Police said for every mental health patient his officers deal with, they spent an average of 14 hours in A&E. Sir Mark Rowley said officers were doing health and social care work that was \"not police work\".\n\nThe Home Office said the new approach it is developing \"will make it easier for staff in police control rooms to identify the right agency to deploy at the outset when responding to 999 calls concerning individuals experiencing a mental health crisis\".\n\nThe government says \u00a3150m capital investment announced last month will improve the places and spaces across the NHS for people experiencing - or at risk of experiencing - mental health crises to receive care and support in more appropriate settings outside of A&E.\n\nIt says the funding will allow for the procurement of up to 90 new mental health ambulances, which will take specialist staff directly to patients to deliver support on scene or transfer them to the most appropriate place for care.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/uk-64891572"}
{"title":"Mystic Meg: Astrologer dies aged 80 - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-09","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"The TV star, whose real name was Margaret Lake, was a well-known TV figure in the 1990s.","section":"Entertainment & Arts","content":"The Sun's editor Victoria Newton said Mystic Meg's death was \"devastating news\"\n\nTV astrologer Margaret Lake, better known as Mystic Meg, has died aged 80.\n\nShe was a well-known TV figure in the 1990s, appearing on the National Lottery, and has written horoscopes for the Sun for more than two decades.\n\nAccording to the newspaper, Lake died in the early hours of Thursday morning after being admitted to hospital last month after suffering from flu.\n\nHer agent Dave Shapland said: \"Without any question, she was Britain's most famous astrologer by a million miles.\n\n\"Nobody came close to Meg in that respect. She was followed by millions in this country and also around the world.\n\n\"She even became part of the English language - if a politician, somebody from showbiz or ordinary people in the street are asked a tricky question they will say 'Who do you think I am, Mystic Meg?'\n\n\"It shows what an impact she made.\"\n\nIsraeli-British TV personality Uri Geller led the tributes to Mystic Meg on social media, noting that she was \"so identifiable by name and image\".\n\n\"The quintessential fortune teller who brought mystery and mystique to millions of believers. She defied the dreary sceptics, as did her fans,\" he wrote. \"Much love and positive energy, Meg, on your onward journey.\"\n\nMystic Meg, pictured in 1996, is well known for appearing on the National Lottery\n\nThe Sun's editor Victoria Newton said: \"This is devastating news. We have lost an icon.\n\n\"For more than two decades Mystic Meg has been a must-read column and cemented her as Britain's most famous astrologer.\n\n\"She was a true professional whose guidance helped our readers daily - our postbag bears testament to this.\"\n\nBorn in 1942 in Lancashire, Lake was perhaps best-known for presenting Mystic Meg Predicts on the National Lottery from 1994 to 2000, which aired on BBC One.\n\nThe item saw Mystic Meg deliver a 45-second reading during which she attempted to predict facts about the future lottery winner, before the numbers were drawn.\n\nIllusionist and magician Uri Geller noted Mystic Meg was \"so identifiable by name and image\"\n\nMystic Meg pictured with TV presenter Andi Peters and on stage at the Live and Kicking Red Nose Awards show in 1995\n\nHer regular spot was dropped by the BBC in a programme shake-up in 1997, but the following year she made a comeback for a sketch alongside comic Brian Conley.\n\nShe was also an astrologer for the News of the World until its demise in 2011 and her predictions also featured in publications in Australia and the US.\n\nIn her practice, she worked with runes, crystal balls, I Ching, tarot and numerology. According to astrological charts, Mystic Meg's star sign was a Leo.\n\nThis Twitter post cannot be displayed in your browser. Please enable Javascript or try a different browser. View original tweet on Twitter The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Skip twitter post by Justin Myers 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\u2019s cookie policy, external and privacy policy, external before accepting. To view this content choose \u2018accept and continue\u2019. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.\n\nOver the years, she also released a number of books including Mystic Meg's Astrolife and Mystic Meg's Lucky Numbers For Love Life And The Lottery.\n\nA previous Lotto roll-over winner credited Mystic Meg with prompting her to check her ticket after she had hidden it in a biscuit tin next to her bed.\n\nAfter mother-of-four Mary Jones from Gwynedd, North Wales, won \u00a39.3 million in 2004 she said: \"I read Mystic Meg in The Sun and it said don't forget to check your lottery ticket. I couldn't believe it when I realised it had come true.\"","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/entertainment-arts-64900348"}
{"title":"Manchester United 4-1 Real Betis: Bruno Fernandes 'brilliant' in Europa League last-16 first-leg win - BBC Sport","published_date":"2023-03-09","authors":null,"description":"Manchester United manager Erik ten Hag praises the brilliance of Bruno Fernandes in his side's dominant Europa League last-16 first-leg victory against Real Betis.","section":null,"content":"Last updated on .From the section European Football\n\nManchester United manager Erik ten Hag hailed goalscoring skipper Bruno Fernandes as the star man in his side's Europa League last-16 first-leg victory against Real Betis.\n\nFernandes had taken the brunt of huge criticism heaped on United following Sunday's record 7-0 Premier League humiliation at Liverpool.\n\nBut Ten Hag confirmed in the build-up the Portuguese would remain captain if Harry Maguire was not on the field - and Fernandes repaid that faith with an outstanding contribution to a much-needed win.\n\nIt included his eighth goal of the season as he headed home Luke Shaw's 58th-minute corner.\n\n\"He was the best player on the pitch,\" said Ten Hag. \"He played a little deeper role and he was brilliant, making the game from the back position, with a lot of good passes in between the lines. From there we created a lot of chances.\"\n\u2022 None Reaction from Old Trafford and Thursday's European action\n\nTen Hag accepted Fernandes was not perfect. A late tackle on Betis' former Manchester City goalkeeper Claudio Bravo brought the midfielder a yellow card and did not look good.\n\nBut the United boss admitted it is a fine line Fernandes has to tread.\n\n\"His passion is his strength,\" added Ten Hag. \"But sometimes he has to control that because when it's too much, it becomes a weakness. He knows that, but there are always small margins.\"\n\nFernandes ran away to celebrate his goal with his hands to his ears as the home fans chanted 'Bruno, Bruno' in his honour, showing they are behind him as well.\n\nMarcus Rashford, Antony and Wout Weghorst were also on the scoresheet as United put themselves in a strong position to reach the last eight when the tie is concluded in Seville next week.\n\nBut Ten Hag knows one win alone will not banish the memory of Sunday's annihilation at Anfield, especially as he had been irritated by some of his side's performances preceding it, including the Carabao Cup final victory against Newcastle.\n\n\"We don't ignore it,\" he said. \"We made mistakes and we got hammered. We showed complacency and you can never do that in top football.\n\n\"In the weeks before, I was not happy against Newcastle and the performance against Leicester in the first half, but sometimes you have to get the bad result where everyone opens their eyes.\"\n\nIn his programme notes, Ten Hag described the Anfield debacle as 'unacceptable' and said he had left his players in no doubt such performances would not be tolerated.\n\nAnd, in a move that smacked of the Dutchman applying collective responsibility for the loss rather than singling out individuals for blame, he named an unchanged line-up.\n\nFor half an hour, all went well.\n\nThe hosts dominated as Rashford drove home his 26th goal of a magnificent season in the sixth minute after Fernandes' cross had been diverted into his path.\n\nFurther chances were created - the issue was none of them went in.\n\nBravo twice denied Rashford, Fernandes had a shot blocked and Weghorst's near-post effort was deflected wide even though he didn't get a corner.\n\nBetis' form in La Liga, where they are fifth, suggested they were not as poor as it appeared and Ayoze Perez proved it when he drilled home a low shot from the angle of the penalty area.\n\nHad the on-loan Leicester City forward got a second after he was set up by Juanmi - gifted possession by David de Gea, who rolled a pass straight to him from inside his six-yard box - anxiety might have spread through home ranks.\n\nAs it was, Perez's deflected shot bounced back off a post and United survived - although question marks remain over keeper De Gea, whose contract expires in the summer.\n\nEven Betis coach Manuel Pellegrini, who barely said anything noteworthy to the media during his three years as Manchester City boss, couldn't resist a pre-match dig at United after their seven-goal defeat at Liverpool.\n\nAs the weeks pass, it will be interesting to see if any individual does pay a price for what unfolded in what many view as the Premier League's greatest rivalry.\n\nFor now though, it can be claimed normal service has resumed.\n\nAntony's superb curling shot restored the home side's advantage seven minutes after the restart and Weghorst found the net with a first-time strike eight minutes from time.\n\nThe key element of that late effort though was the contribution of Facundo Pellistri.\n\nGood enough to play all three games for Uruguay in Qatar at the World Cup, the 21-year-old was only making his fifth United appearance, all off the bench.\n\nBut Pellistri's role in Weghorst's second United goal suggests he will be called upon more often as the campaign reaches its crucial phase.\n\nIgnoring the safety-first option of a pass back to halfway, he took off on a run past the Betis defence to the byeline where he sent a cross back to Scott McTominay, whose effort was blocked and bounced kindly for Weghorst to finish.\n\u2022 None Offside, Manchester United. Casemiro tries a through ball, but Jadon Sancho is caught offside.\n\u2022 None Attempt saved. Facundo Pellistri (Manchester United) right footed shot from the right side of the box is saved in the bottom right corner. Assisted by Bruno Fernandes.\n\u2022 None Attempt missed. Lisandro Mart\u00ednez (Manchester United) left footed shot from the right side of the six yard box is too high. Assisted by Bruno Fernandes with a cross following a corner.\n\u2022 None Attempt missed. Casemiro (Manchester United) right footed shot from outside the box misses to the left. Assisted by Bruno Fernandes.\n\u2022 None Attempt blocked. Jadon Sancho (Manchester United) right footed shot from the centre of the box is blocked.\n\u2022 None Attempt saved. Aitor Ruibal (Real Betis) header from the centre of the box is saved in the bottom right corner. Assisted by Abner with a cross.\n\u2022 None Offside, Manchester United. Rapha\u00ebl Varane tries a through ball, but Facundo Pellistri is caught offside.\n\u2022 None Goal! Manchester United 4, Real Betis 1. Wout Weghorst (Manchester United) right footed shot from very close range to the bottom left corner following a corner.\n\u2022 None Attempt saved. Scott McTominay (Manchester United) right footed shot from the centre of the box is saved in the centre of the goal. Assisted by Facundo Pellistri. Navigate to the next page Navigate to the last page\n\u2022 None Our coverage of Manchester United is bigger and better than ever before - here's everything you need to know to make sure you never miss a moment\n\u2022 None Everything United - go straight to all the best content","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/sport\/football\/64893700"}
{"title":"Chaim Topol: Fiddler on the Roof star dies aged 87 - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-09","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"The acclaimed actor and singer also appeared in Flash Gordon and the Bond film For Your Eyes Only.","section":"Entertainment & Arts","content":"The actor Chaim Topol, best known for his portrayal of milkman Tevye in Fiddler On The Roof, has died at the age of 87, Israel's president has said.\n\nHis death was confirmed by President Isaac Herzog, who described Topol as \"one of the giants of Israeli culture\".\n\nTopol was Oscar nominated for his all-singing performance in the 1971 film adaptation of the musical.\n\nHis other famous film role included in Flash Gordon, Follow Me, and the James Bond film For Your Eyes Only.\n\nHerzog described Topol, who was diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease several years ago, as \"a gifted actor who conquered many stages in Israel and overseas, filled the cinema screens with his presence and above all entered deep into our hearts\".\n\nThe actor, singer and illustrator, he added, had \"represented us with great respect\".\n\nBritish actor and comedian Omid Djalili, who followed in Topol's footsteps by playing Tevye in a production of the musical during a run at the Chichester Festival Theatre in 2017, led the tributes.\n\nHe posted: \"Anyone who plays Tevye knows he can never top Topol. God rest his soul.\"\n\nIsraeli-British TV personality Uri Geller also paid his respects, sharing a picture of himself with the \"sweet and modest\" late star, and former Israeli President Shimon Peres.\n\nThis Twitter post cannot be displayed in your browser. Please enable Javascript or try a different browser. View original tweet on Twitter The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Skip twitter post by Uri Geller 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\u2019s cookie policy, external and privacy policy, external before accepting. To view this content choose \u2018accept and continue\u2019. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.\n\nMeanwhile, Frozen actor Josh Gad offered: \"There is no way to overstate how much this man and this performance meant to me.\n\n\"Topol is a large reason why I became an actor. In fact, his performance of Tevye in Fiddler was the very first performance I ever saw on a Broadway stage. RIP to a great.\"\n\nChaim Topol in 1974 as scientist Galileo Galilei in the biographical film Galileo, directed by Joseph Losey and based on the play by Bertolt Brecht\n\nTopol was born in Tel Aviv in 1935, and began his acting career in an entertainment troupe during his Israeli army service.\n\nHe rose to prominence in the Israeli comedy Sallah Shabati, about the hardships of a Mizrachi Jewish immigrant family in Israel in the early 1960s, which won him a Golden Globe award for most promising male newcomer.\n\nMore film roles followed in both Israel and the US, including the titular part in the 1975 adaptation of Bertolt Brecht's Galileo, as Dr Hans Zarkov in the 1980 sci-fi adventure Flash Gordon, alongside Brian Blessed, and opposite Sir Roger Moore as the smuggler Milos Columbo in the 1981 James Bond movie For Your Eyes Only.\n\nBut it was for playing Tevye, a troubled milkman in the village of Anatevka who attempts to maintain his Jewish traditions by marrying off his five daughters, that he will be most remembered.\n\nThe role, which saw him perform songs such as If I Were a Rich Man, scored him a second Golden Globe, this time for best actor.\n\nHe was on active duty with the Israeli army when he was received his Academy Award nomination - becoming the first Israeli actor to do so - in 1972. But he was granted leave so he could attend the ceremony in Los Angeles.\n\nThe late actor and singer pictured playing the troubled milkman Tevye in Fiddler on the Roof\n\nSpeaking to Desert Island Discs in 1983, the actor said he still believed the producers \"were very brave to let me have that part\".\n\n\"Considering that I was 30 years old, considering that my English was so limited - a vocabulary of 50 words - I still don't understand how they let me have it.\"\n\nThe decision to cast Topol, instead of US actor Zero Mostel, who had made the role famous on stage, was a controversial one at the time but he later thanked his predecessor.\n\n\"Anyone who ever plays Tevye should be thankful to Zero Mostel,\" Topol was once quoted as saying. \"He gave us all room and I know I wouldn't have done the movie without the advantage of a year's rehearsal on stage.\"\n\nReprising the role in the 1991 Broadway revival of Fiddler On the Roof, he was also nominated for a Tony Award for best actor.\n\nTopol would play the part more than 3,500 times, he once claimed, on stages around the world from the late 1960s until 2009.\n\nAway from acting, the charitable star founded Variety Israel, an organisation that provides support for children living with disabilities and their families.\n\nHe also served as the president of Jordan River Village, a free overnight camp for sick Israeli children.\n\nIn 2005, Topol was voted the 90th-greatest Israeli of all time, in a poll by the Israeli news website Ynet. And 10 years later, he was awarded the Israel Prize - the country's most prestigious award - for lifetime achievement and special contribution to society and the state.\n\nHe is survived by his wife Galia and their three children.\n\nHis son Omer Topol, this week called his father an \"amazing actor who developed all kinds of tactics to cover up the problems that began to arise\".\n\n\"When he won the Israel Prize, his Alzheimer's was in its early stages,\" he confirmed.\n\n\"He spoke wonderfully at the ceremony, and also at other events, and no one even felt it.\"","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/entertainment-arts-64898895"}
{"title":"UN buys huge ship to avert catastrophic oil spill off Yemen - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-09","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"The vessel will head to Yemen and remove 1.1 million barrels of oil from a stricken tanker.","section":"Middle East","content":"The FSO Safer has been abandoned since 2015 and is carrying 1.1m barrels of oil\n\nThe UN has purchased a huge ship that it hopes will prevent an environmental catastrophe off the coast of Yemen.\n\nFor years, more than a million barrels of crude oil have been sitting on a decaying supertanker in the Red Sea.\n\nThere are fears the vessel could soon break apart or explode, risking one of the worst oil spills in recent memory.\n\nBut on Thursday, the UN said it had purchased a crude carrier that would head to Yemen and remove the oil from the stricken ship.\n\n\"The purchase of this suitable vessel... marks the beginning of the operational phase of the plan to safely remove the oil and avoid the risk of an environmental and humanitarian disaster,\" Achim Steiner from the UN Development Programme (UNDP) said, adding that it was a \"major breakthrough\".\n\nA UNDP statement said the ship - which it purchased from major tanker company Euronav - was undergoing routine maintenance in China and would arrive for the operation in early May.\n\n\"A major spill would devastate fishing communities on Yemen's Red Sea coast, likely wiping out 200,000 livelihoods instantly. Whole communities would be exposed to life-threatening toxins. Highly polluted air would affect millions,\" it said.\n\nThe organisation added that a potential oil spill could cost up to $20bn (\u00a316.7bn) to clean up.\n\nThe UN had been searching for years for a solution and appealed for donations. The planned operation is estimated to cost $129m of which $75m has been received and another $20m has been pledged, it said.\n\nThe stranded ship - the FSO Safer - was left abandoned off the port of Hodeida after Yemen's civil war broke out in 2015. It has not been serviced since.\n\nIt was constructed as a supertanker in 1976 and converted later into a floating storage for oil. It is anchored near the Ras Isa oil terminal, which is controlled by Yemen's rebel Houthi movement.\n\nThe 376m (1,233ft) vessel holds an estimated 1.14m barrels of crude oil.\n\nThe Safer's structural integrity has deteriorated significantly since maintenance operations were suspended in 2015, when the Houthis seized large parts of Yemen and a Saudi-led coalition intervened in support of the government. The ensuing conflict has reportedly killed more than 150,000 people and left more than 23 million in need of aid.\n\nMr Steiner told reporters on Thursday: \"Let me be very clear - this is a risky operation and things could go wrong.\" He added that it could still be suspended if they fail to raise enough funds.\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. BBC Middle East Editor Jeremy Bowen meets terrified children running from civil war and 'ghosts' in Yemen","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/world-middle-east-64904985"}
{"title":"Ukraine war: The renowned airman fighting from a low-flying helicopter - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-09","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"The BBC gets rare access to a renowned airman and his ageing helicopter during a low-flying mission.","section":"Europe","content":"This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser.\n\nThe best way to come back alive is to stay low, hugging the ground, and skimming the treetops. Too low and you can be shot down by machine gun fire - too high and you can be detected by enemy air defence systems.\n\nFor helicopter pilots in war-time Ukraine, there is little margin for error.\n\nHe has flown countless combat missions for Ukraine's Sikorsky Brigade and been decorated for valour. He tells us his age - 34 - but not his last name.\n\n\"The closer to the target, the lower we fly. It's one or two metres above ground,\" he tells the BBC. \"It's not enough just to strike the target. You have to come back safe and bring your crew and helicopter back safely for the next mission.\"\n\nOver the past year some of his fellow pilots have not made it back.\n\nWe were given rare access to Ukraine's war in the skies at an air strip on a patch of open ground. We can't say where it is - if Russia could identify the location, it would be a major target.\n\nWe watch Roman take off for his latest sortie on Ukraine's eastern front with our camera in the cockpit. His helicopter is followed by two others; their blades slice the air beneath a muddy grey sky.\n\nBelow them a Ukrainian trench zigzags across the landscape, and a village lies deserted.\n\nThey speed across a frozen lake as if skating on ice. Half an hour later they return, having unleashed 80 missiles.\n\nRoman comes in to land circling low enough over our heads for us to see him wave from the window. He's renowned among fellow airmen in his brigade for executing difficult manoeuvres - a Ukrainian top gun in an ageing Soviet aircraft.\n\nHis Mi-8 helicopter is about as old as he is, and lacks heavy armour, or modern warning systems about incoming missiles. Every mission could be his last.\n\n\"Of course, there is some risk,\" he says after touching down. \"I just don't think about this. If it happens, it will not be my problem, it will be a problem for my relatives\". It sounds like a joke, but his expression is concealed by his balaclava.\n\nThe helicopter fires missiles during a sortie in eastern Ukraine\n\nHe will not disclose his target, but chances are it was close to the eastern city of Bakhmut - which the Russians are battling to encircle.\n\n\"It was just an ordinary mission. You concentrate 100% on your task,\" he says. \"You think of your guys waiting for you on the ground. They are really striving if they call for aviation.\"\n\nWhat he doesn't think about is the Russian troops on the receiving end.\n\n\"If they came here with war,\" he tells me, \"we are just protecting our country. We are not aggressors. We are the victim. And if to win this war we should kill Russian soldiers, we are ready to kill them all.\"\n\nAs soon as the helicopters land, maintenance crews converge, refuelling and rearming the aircraft to be ready for the next flight.\n\nThe missiles are loaded by hand. One is inscribed with a crude message to Russian troops.\n\nWithin minutes Roman has co-ordinates for a new target and is wheels up again.\n\nHe says Ukraine can't win this war with the Soviet equipment it's got.\n\nThe helicopter on the ground in eastern Ukraine\n\nA spokesman for his brigade spells it out.\n\n\"We need new helicopters with navigation equipment, high precision weapons and ammunition,\" he tells us. \"We need everything.\"\n\nAdd this to the fighter jets already requested by President Volodymyr Zelensky, and it's a long list for what may be a long war.\n\nWhen Russian President Vladimir Putin invaded last year, Roman was part of a Ukrainian peacekeeping mission in the Democratic Republic of Congo. Now this former peacekeeper sees a danger of endless conflict with Russia.\n\n\"Just look back at our history,\" he says. \"We have always had problems with our neighbour. When we win this one if they don't change, they will come back to attack us again, in years or in decades.\"","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/world-europe-64779505"}
{"title":"Eurovision 2023: Mae Muller announced as UK act for song contest - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-09","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"The 25-year-old will perform I Wrote A Song at May's competition as the UK hosts on Ukraine's behalf.","section":"Entertainment & Arts","content":"This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser.\n\nMae Muller will represent the United Kingdom at this year's Eurovision Song Contest.\n\nThe 25-year-old will perform her track I Wrote A Song at the competition in May, hoping to follow the success of Sam Ryder last year.\n\n\"To compete in such a massive music competition is simply brilliant,\" she said, describing her involvement as \"a dream\".\n\nThe UK is one of the last competing countries to reveal its song for 2023.\n\nFollowing the same selection process as last year, the BBC has been working with a management company to pick the act.\n\nThis YouTube post cannot be displayed in your browser. Please enable Javascript or try a different browser. View original video on YouTube The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. YouTube content may contain adverts. Skip youtube video by Eurovision Song Contest 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\u2019s cookie policy, external and privacy policy, external before accepting. To view this content choose \u2018accept and continue\u2019. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. YouTube content may contain adverts.\n\nMuller was born in 1997 - the year the UK last won Eurovision - and has previously supported Little Mix on tour as well as working with artists like Aitch and Sigala.\n\n\"I'm a huge fan of so many of the artists that have found success at Eurovision, from ABBA to M\u00e5neskin,\" Muller said.\n\n\"Sam Ryder was so amazing last year and proved the UK can be back on the left-hand side of the leaderboard.\"\n\nRyder came second in last year's contest, giving the UK its best result in 20 years.\n\nMuller said she was aware she had a lot to live up to.\n\n\"This is obviously such a level up from anything I've ever done, and I can really feel it,\" said the singer. \"You've got to go big and you've got to do it right.\"\n\nShe said Ryder had already been in touch with some tips. In an Instagram video, he also congratulated Muller on her selection.\n\n\"You're in for the most wild, inexplicable ride and I'm chuffed for you,\" he said. \"Have a blast.\"\n\nThe UK's Sam Ryder won the jury vote in last year's contest with his song Space Man\n\nAfter years of dismal results, Ryder turned things around for the UK at the 2022 competition, placing second to Ukraine.\n\nTaP Music management, which has worked with Dua Lipa, Lana Del Rey and Ellie Goulding, were the team who selected the TikTok star and his song Space Man for the contest.\n\nThis year, they started with \"a shortlist of 50 or more\" acts, said co-owner Ben Mawson; but when they met Muller, they instantly \"fell in love with her\".\n\n\"We needed someone with a huge amount of charisma and an incredibly strong voice, who can perform flawlessly on the night without making any mistakes,\" added the firm's co-president Anna Neville.\n\n\"Mae is witty, she's funny, We've got so much faith in her. Mae is going to bring it home.\"\n\nSpiky break-up songs are Mae Muller's trademark, and I Wrote A Song is no exception.\n\nOver a polished club beat, she gleefully takes down a cheating ex, listing all the things she wants to do to him - make a scene outside his house, crash his car, generally make his life a misery.\n\nInstead, she goes meta, working out her anger by writing a song about writing a song about him. \"And that's what we call growth, ladies and gentlemen,\" she said in a video introducing the song.\n\nDescribed by one colleague as \"a Bulgarian nightclub banger\" and by my 13-year-old as \"too good for Eurovision\", it's certainly the most contemporary, credible song we've sent to the contest in a long time.\n\nMuller was pictured outside Radio 2 headquarters after being announced as the UK entrant\n\nMae's sassy north London charisma conveys the depth of her contempt, and the singalong chorus is instantly memorable.\n\nThe flourishes of flamenco guitar are more Mi Chico Latino than La Isla Bonita. But still, they're an astute acknowledgment of Europe's influence on a British music industry that too often sees itself as superior.\n\nAs for the song's chances, I'm in two minds. My first reaction to the song was like a cat tasting wasabi: Get this horror show away from me.\n\nIt took a couple of listens to fully embrace Mae's campy insouciance. After 24 hours, I can't get it out of my head - but in Liverpool, she only gets one chance to impress the Eurovision voters.\n\nThe country will be holding its breath to see what they decide.\n\nLike Ryder, Muller will spend the months leading up to the contest promoting her song to outside the UK.\n\n\"There's an extra Eurovision dynamic, which involves going to countries you wouldn't ordinarily go to on a promotional campaign,\" said Mawson.\n\n\"Lots of travel, lots of radio and TV, lots of interviews. It's going to be be a tiring few months for her - but hopefully fun.\"\n\nMuller said she was raring to go. \"I can't wait to see you all. I can't wait to get to Liverpool,\" she posted on TikTok. \"I'm very excited! What is life?\"\n\nMost of the 37 competing countries have confirmed the song and act they will be sending to Liverpool, with a deadline set for 13 March for the handful who have yet to confirm their plans in public.\n\nThere are typically two ways a Eurovision entry is chosen: An internal selection, in which an act is chosen behind the scenes; or a national selection, involving a TV show where the winner gets to fly their country's flag in Liverpool.\n\nThousands of Eurovision fans follow how each country chooses its act with events like Super Saturday gripping devotees across the continent.\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. The rundown on the 2023 contest in 50 seconds\n\nNormally, the country who wins hosts it the following year but organisers ruled it was too dangerous in Ukraine, following Russia's invasion, so the BBC was asked to host it instead.\n\nEarlier this week, tickets for May's event sold out in 90 minutes, with fans now being warned scammers are targeting their hotel bookings with phishing cyber-attacks.\n\nAll the build-up, insights and analysis is explored each week on a new BBC podcast called Eurovisioncast.\n\nEurovisioncast is available on BBC Sounds, or search wherever you get your podcasts from.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/entertainment-arts-64888312"}
{"title":"Nicola Bulley: Man, 34, arrested over police scene footage - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-09","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"Man is held on suspicion of malicious communications offences and perverting the course of justice.","section":"Lancashire","content":"Nicola Bulley was last seen during a riverside walk on 27 January\n\nA man has been arrested over footage shot from inside a police cordon on the day the body of Nicola Bulley was found in a river in Lancashire.\n\nMs Bulley, 45, disappeared while walking her dog and her body was found 23 days later in the River Wyre.\n\nLancashire Police said the 34-year-old man from Kidderminster, Worcestershire, was arrested on Wednesday morning.\n\nHe was detained on suspicion of malicious communications offences and perverting the course of justice.\n\nThe arrest relates to footage taken from inside a police cordon on 19 February.\n\nMs Bulley, who worked as a mortgage adviser, was last seen walking her springer spaniel Willow after dropping off her two daughters, aged six and nine, at school on 27 January.\n\nHer disappearance sparked a major search operation in St Michael's on Wyre. Her body was recovered more than three weeks later in the river a mile away from where she was last seen.\n\nThe man was arrested with assistance from West Mercia Police, and has since been released on bail with conditions, police said.\n\nA spokesman for the force said: \"Our priority is, and has always been, to support Nicola's family and the wider community in St Michael's.\n\n\"We hope this arrest provides reassurance that we take concerns seriously and will act on them.\"\n\nIt comes following reports of a number of apparent content creators descending on the village where Ms Bulley went missing.\n\nExperts have claimed social media algorithms that reward and encourage controversial content fuelled the waves of online interest in Ms Bulley's disappearance.\n\nDuring the investigation, Det Supt Rebecca Smith said social media users had been \"playing their own private detectives\".\n\nWhy not follow BBC North West on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram? You can also send story ideas to northwest.newsonline@bbc.co.uk\n\u2022 None Police looking for Nicola Bulley find body in river\n\nThe BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/uk-england-lancashire-64896952"}
{"title":"Mental-health crisis from Covid pandemic was minimal - study - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-09","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"Most people remained resilient, BMJ research suggests, but some groups were still badly affected.","section":"Health","content":"People's general mental health and anxiety symptoms hardly deteriorated at all during the pandemic, research suggests.\n\nMost people are resilient and made the best of a difficult situation, it says.\n\nThe BMJ review analysed 137 studies, most from high-income European and Asian countries.\n\nDepression became a little worse overall and among women, older people, university students and those belonging to sexual or gender minorities.\n\nOther studies have found women felt the impact of the pandemic more because of the jobs they do and the role they play in family life.\n\n\"At a population level, there has been a high level of resilience during Covid-19,\" the Canadian researchers, from institutions including McGill, Ottawa and Toronto universities, say.\n\n\"And changes in general mental health, anxiety symptoms, and depression symptoms have been minimal to small.\"\n\nBut the pandemic continues to affect societies around the world.\n\n\"The pandemic has affected the lives of many people - and some are now experiencing mental-health difficulties for the first time,\" the researchers say.\n\n\"Governments should continue to ensure that mental-health supports are available and respond to population needs.\"\n\nThe review did not look at lower-income countries, or specifically focus on children, young people and those with existing problems, the groups most likely affected, experts say, and risks hiding important effects among disadvantaged groups.\n\n\"There is evidence from other studies of considerable variation - with some people's mental health improving and others' deteriorating,\" Dr Gemma Knowles, from King's College London, said.\n\n\"This may mean no overall increase - but this shouldn't be interpreted as suggesting the pandemic didn't have major negative effects among some groups.\"\n\nOther studies suggest the pandemic increased mental distress for particular groups, such as children, young people and parents in poverty.\n\nAs many as one in six seven-16-year-olds and one in four 17-19-year-olds in England had a probable mental disorder in 2022, an online NHS survey found, up on previous years.\n\nSeparate NHS figures show the number of children in contact with mental-health services rose by nearly 30% between 2020-21 and 2021-22, to nearly a million.\n\nAnd in a survey by mental-health charity Mind, in 2021, about a third of adults and young people said their mental health had become much worse since March 2020.\n\nThose most affected by the pandemic were people who struggled with their mental health before Covid.\n\nDr Roman Raczka, who chairs the British Psychological Society's division of clinical psychology, said the full picture remained unclear and more studies among people with health problems in deprived areas were needed.\n\n\"We do know that overstretched and underfunded mental-health services have been unable to meet soaring demand in recent years,\" he said.\n\nOlly Parker, from charity YoungMinds said the study findings were \"interesting\" but differed from some recent research on young people's mental health.\n\n\"We know that more and more young people are reaching out for help and not being able to get it fast enough, and that many would say the pandemic put a further strain on their mental health,\" he said.\n\n\"Rather than focusing on the impact of the pandemic, we'd like to see action on how to tackle the record numbers of young people being referred for further support.\"\n\nThe charity Mind said its local services had been facing \"increasing demand since the first lockdown\", and the complexity of calls to its helpline went up \"significantly\" during the pandemic.\n\n\"It's important to note that most of the studies in this review are from high-income European and Asian countries, so overlook the toll taken on some less visible - but more disadvantaged - groups,\" said Stephen Buckley, head of information at Mind.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/health-64890952"}
{"title":"Lola James: Murder accused filmed limp body, court told - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-09","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"Jurors are shown footage of Kyle Bevan and Lola James hours after she was injured.","section":"Wales","content":"Lola James died at the Noah's Ark children's hospital on 21 July, 2020\n\nA man accused of murdering a two-year-old girl while her mother slept recorded a video of her limp body, telling the camera \"she's gone\".\n\nLola James died in hospital on 21 July 2020 having suffered a \"catastrophic\" head injury and 101 external injuries.\n\nIn footage shown to jurors, Kyle Bevan, 31, from Aberystwyth, Ceredigion, tries to make injured Lola stand before allowing her to fall to the floor.\n\nHe denies murdering her four months after moving in with Lola's mother.\n\nSinead James, 30, denies causing or allowing her death at the family home in Haverfordwest, Pembrokeshire.\n\nProsecutor Caroline Rees KC told jurors at Swansea Crown Court the video was shot sometime after Mr Bevan carried out a \"brutal and extremely violent physical assault\" on Lola in the early hours of 17 July.\n\nTaken on his propped-up phone, a topless Mr Bevan was seen lifting an unresponsive Lola and trying to place her on her feet and get her to stand.\n\nHe then lets her go and a thud can be heard as she falls to the ground.\n\nLola James was described in court as \"happy\" and \"beautiful\"\n\nMr Bevan then places Lola back on the sofa where she can be heard snoring, and he walks towards the camera saying: \"She's gone. She's gone.\"\n\nHe sent the video to his mother, Alison Bevan, a healthcare worker, who said she chose not to watch it.\n\nIn transcripts of messages shown to the jury, Ms Bevan urges her son to call the emergency services. Almost an hour later he messaged back asking her to call an ambulance.\n\nThe jury has been told about a catalogue of injuries to Lola while in Mr Bevan's care including extensive damage to both her eyes and brain injuries compared with those found in car crash victims.\n\nMr Bevan has claimed the family dog, an American bulldog called Jessie, caused Lola's injuries by pushing her down the stairs.\n\n\"If this really was an accident,\" Ms Rees said, \"why was Kyle Bevan spending time staging a recording like this rather than doing everything he could to contact the emergency services?\"\n\nLola's mother Sinead James is charged with causing or allowing her death\n\nThe court heard that Facebook messages between the couple showed Lola had suffered a series of injuries in the months leading up to her death, including a bloodied nose, a grazed chin and a split lip.\n\nFollowing the last injury Mr Bevan sent a message to Lola's mum claiming the toddler had fallen off her bed.\n\nCasey Morgan, a close friend of Ms James, testified about incidents before Lola's death.\n\nShe said on 7 July she saw Mr Bevan push a pram into the road outside her house with another child still in it.\n\nSobbing, she recounted how her friend asked to come over to her house but said Mr Bevan arrived first.\n\n\"He was foaming by the mouth, his eyes were huge, he didn't look good,\" Ms Morgan said. \"He was aggressive and it was really scary.\"\n\nShe said Ms James arrived with Lola looking \"petrified\".\n\nThe day Lola was taken to hospital, Ms Morgan said she got a message from her friend saying \"something's happened to Lola\".\n\nWhen she arrived at her friend's house she said Mr Bevan was holding on to his hair in the kitchen saying, \"it's all my fault, it's all my fault\", adding \"they're going to pin it on me\".\n\nThe jury was shown messages between the two defendants, sent while Lola was in hospital, in which Mr Bevan insisted the pair relay the same story to the police about what happened.\n\nMr Bevan wrote their accounts needed to be \"bang on\".\n\nThe previous owner of the family dog, Coral Barker, said the American bulldog had not been aggressive with her four young children, calling her a \"nanny dog\", adding she liked \"cuddles and fusses\".\n\nWhen cross-examined by John Hipkin KC, defending Mr Bevan, he asked Ms Barker: \"Do you know where Jessie is now?\"\n\nMs Barker said: \"She was put to sleep a couple of months ago.\"\n\nMr Hipkin said: \"Was that because she injured someone.\"","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/uk-wales-64906521"}
{"title":"Small boats: Sensible to give France cash to stop crossings, says PM - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-09","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"Rishi Sunak says \u00a363m a year is delivering benefits, as he meets French President Emmanuel Macron.","section":"UK Politics","content":"Spending more money with France to stop small boat crossings is a \"sensible investment\", Rishi Sunak has said during an Anglo-French summit in Paris.\n\nThe PM has met French President Emmanuel Macron and the two men are holding a news conference later.\n\nSpeaking ahead of their meeting, Mr Sunak said giving France \u00a363m a year to boost policing on its beaches was yielding benefits for the UK.\n\nHe argued it was better than paying to house migrants in the UK.\n\n\"I think everyone knows that we are spending \u00a35.5m a day plus on hotels - we would rather not do that, and the best way to stop that is to stop people coming in the first place,\" he said.\n\nThe UK government hopes to use the summit to boost UK-French efforts to stop migrants crossing the English Channel.\n\nBut the two countries are not expected to reach a deal on returning migrants arriving in the UK to France.\n\nThe French government is thought to prefer a deal between the UK and the European Union, something of a frustration to British diplomats who would like to see quicker action.\n\n\"We want a EU-UK returns agreement and will push that forward,\" the prime minister's spokesman said.\n\n\"But it is equally important that there is work on the ground right now to stop the crossings we are seeing even in these winter months.\"\n\nA French government source said: \"At this stage, and due to Brexit, there is no readmission agreement between France and the United Kingdom.\"\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. The UK government has \u201clost control\u201d of its borders, says the Labour leader.\n\nLabour leader Sir Keir Starmer argued that without a returns agreement for failed asylum seekers, the talks between the UK and France would \"make a bad situation worse\".\n\n\"We'll have people who can't go through the system, can't be returned, and they will therefore end up in hotels and other accommodation at the taxpayers' expense,\" he added.\n\nThe conflict in Ukraine, nuclear power and renewable energy are also on the agenda at the Paris summit.\n\nMr Sunak also said he was planning to talk to the French president about relations with China, ahead of Mr Macron's visit to the country.\n\nThe prime minister met Mr Macron at the Elysee Palace on Friday morning and the two men are now taking part in a roundtable discussion with French and British companies.\n\nMr Sunak is being accompanied on his trip by Foreign Secretary James Cleverly, Home Secretary Suella Braverman and Environment Secretary Therese Coffey.\n\nThe summit comes in the week Mr Sunak unveiled his plans to deter people from making the channel crossing in small boats.\n\nUnder the plans, anyone found to have entered the UK illegally would not only be removed within 28 days, but also be blocked from returning or claiming British citizenship in future.\n\nThose arriving on the UK's beaches would either be returned to their home country, or another \"safe third country\" like Rwanda.\n\nA group of migrants brought to Dungeness in Kent, after being rescued by the RNLI\n\nThe British government feels the relationship with their opposite numbers in Paris on this issue has improved significantly in the last couple of years.\n\nBut Downing Street's desire \"to make the small boat route across the Channel unviable\" is a bold ambition - especially given that the numbers proving it to be the opposite have continued to rocket.\n\nMore than 45,000 people entered the UK via Channel crossings last year, up from about 300 in 2018.\n\nSo far this year, around 3,000 people have arrived on small boats, but the two governments claim their joint work has stopped a similar number from embarking on the journey.\n\nAn announcement on deepening co-operation on the issue is expected, rather than a big breakthrough.\n\nThe joint work the two countries do on this issue remains politically sensitive, as our Europe editor Katya Adler writes here.\n\nOfficials point out that both the UK and France are nuclear powers, members of the G7, G20 and the Nato defence alliance and permanent members of the United Nations Security Council.\n\nBrexit has been something of a stone in the shoe of the relationship between the UK and France in recent years.\n\nBut diplomats believe the deal between the UK and the European Union on Brexit arrangements in Northern Ireland creates a much better atmosphere between the two countries.\n\nIt is a month of particularly intense activity between the two countries - as King Charles and the Queen Consort will be in France in a few weeks.\n\nNext year marks the 120th anniversary of the Entente Cordiale, which put an end to centuries of rivalry between the two countries.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/uk-politics-64909510"}
{"title":"Heavy snow and high winds bring treacherous travelling conditions - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-09","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"Motorists described being stuck for hours after heavy snow caused lane closures on the M62 motorway.","section":"UK","content":"Traffic on the M62 trans-Pennine motorway ground to a halt after snow swept in\n\nHeavy snow overnight has brought treacherous conditions to parts of the UK, with motorists in affected areas warned to travel only if essential.\n\nYellow warnings of snow and ice are in force across much of the UK, with freezing conditions and strong winds also disrupting rail and air travel.\n\nSome areas may see 50mph winds and 40cm (1ft 3in) of snow as blizzards cause \"significant disruption\".\n\nHeavy snow has caused long delays on the M62 trans-Pennine motorway.\n\nDrivers reported stationary traffic on the eastbound carriageway between Rochdale in Greater Manchester and Huddersfield in West Yorkshire.\n\nNational Highways said two lanes had been closed between junctions 20 and 22, causing around 17 miles of congestion by midday.\n\nDozens of Twitter users described spending hours stuck in standstill traffic early on Friday morning.\n\nOne woman who got stranded on a nearby road told the BBC she had \"never seen anything like it\" and had to be helped by mountain rescue.\n\nKim Ward was on her way home from to Halifax from a concert in Manchester overnight with her sister-in-law, niece and a friend.\n\nThe M62 is in the area subject to the Met Office's severe weather warning for snow\n\nShe told the BBC: \"The M62 was shut, so we thought we would take the A road.\n\n\"We thought we would be alright, but as we got higher and higher, it just got worse and worse.\n\n\"We spent a couple of hours completely stuck, freezing - we actually started nodding off in the car.\n\n\"Next thing we knew mountain rescue were knocking on the window with their torches.\"\n\nMs Ward continued: \"I have been on numerous ski holidays, but I have never seen anything like it, up on the top there.\n\n\"It's scary, thinking you are going to actually spend the night here in the car.\"\n\nA severe weather warning for snow from National Highways remains in place across the North East, Midlands, and North West on Friday.\n\nTemperatures overnight were expected to match Wednesday's, the coldest of the year so far, before falling further on Friday night.\n\nBBC weather forecaster Billy Payne said blizzard-like conditions could occur later on Friday as east to north-easterly winds strengthen, particularly over high ground.\n\n\"This could of course make travel more difficult with snow piling up more in some areas,\" he added.\n\nThe winter weather has been named Storm Larisa by the French weather service.\n\nA postal delivery worker wearing shorts in heavy snow fall during his delivery rounds in Oldham, Greater Manchester\n\nHundreds of schools across the UK had to close because of the conditions.\n\nForecasters say there could be further sleet and snow at the weekend, and yellow warnings are in place for northern England and Scotland until Sunday morning.\n\nSimilar warnings covering north and central England, Wales and northern Ireland are due to lift at 09:00 GMT on Saturday.\n\nMilder air is forecast for Sunday into Monday when a thaw will begin and conditions will start to improve.\n\nYellow weather warnings are issued when severe weather that could cause disruption to everyday life is possible, according to the Met Office's website.\n\nHeavy snow in the North West on Thursday is expected to continue overnight\n\nMerseyrail said the first trains on Friday would be cancelled due to the weather conditions.\n\nMeanwhile, National Highways said it had closed the A66 between Bowes in County Durham and Brough in Cumbria in both directions, while the A628 Woodhead Pass in Derbyshire was closed in both directions for about 14 miles between Flouch, South Yorkshire, and Hollingworth, Greater Manchester.\n\nDerbyshire County Council added it had closed six roads, with many minor roads also impassable.\n\nThe wintry conditions have caused at least 350 schools to shut in Wales.\n\nAir passengers are being advised to check with their airlines for the most up-to-date flight information.\n\nThe RAC said there had been 50% more breakdowns than usual in the worst affected areas - with some drivers stuck in the snow in parts of South Yorkshire and Wales.\n\n\"Given the weather, we recommend thinking carefully before setting out,\" RAC spokesman Rod Dennis said.\n\n\"With more snow forecast, things are likely to get worse on the roads before they get better.\"","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/uk-64904704"}
{"title":"Hamburg shooting: Seven killed in attack on Jehovah's Witness hall - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-09","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"An unborn baby was among those killed by the gunman, who was a former member of the religious group.","section":"Europe","content":"This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser.\n\nSeven people, including an unborn baby, have been killed in a shooting at a Jehovah's Witness meeting hall in the German city of Hamburg, police say.\n\nThey say the gunman acted alone in Thursday's attack, and later took his own life. His motives are unknown.\n\nThe suspect, named only as Philipp F, is said to have had \"ill feelings\" towards the religious community, of which he had previously been a member.\n\nVideo has emerged appearing to show him firing through a window of the hall.\n\nAt a briefing on Friday, the police said four men and two women were shot dead. All the dead were German nationals.\n\nEight people were injured, four seriously. A Ugandan and a Ukrainian were among those hurt.\n\nA woman who was seven months pregnant was shot - killing her unborn baby. The mother survived.\n\nThe first emergency call came at 21:04 local time (20:04 GMT) on Thursday, to report that shots had been fired in the building on Deelb\u00f6ge street, Gross Borstel district, the police said.\n\nOfficers were on site four minutes later, and they were almost immediately joined by special forces. The officers had to break windows to enter the building where about 50 people had gathered.\n\nThe suspect - described as 35-year-old \"sports shooter\" who had a gun licence - had fled to the first floor. His \"lifeless body\" was found shortly afterwards.\n\nHe had managed to shoot nine magazines of ammunition, and 20 more were found in his backpack.\n\nGerman Senator Andy Grote said \"fast and decisive actions\" by police officers had saved many lives. He also described the attack as the \"worst crime\" in Hamburg's recent history.\n\nPolice confirmed that they had previously received an anonymous tip-off that raised concerns about the perpetrator's mental health. Officers had visited him after the tip-off - but did not have enough grounds to take away his gun at the time.\n\nGregor Miesbach, who filmed the gunman shooting through a first-floor window, told the Bild newspaper: \"I didn't realise what was happening. I was filming with my phone, and only realised through the zoom that someone was shooting at Jehovah's Witnesses.\n\n\"I heard loud gunshots... I saw a man with a firearm shooting through a window and filmed it,\" he said.\n\nLara Bauch, a 23-year-old student who lives nearby, told the DPA news agency that \"there were about four bursts of gunfire - several shots were fired in each burst - with gaps lasting roughly 20 seconds to a minute\".\n\nShe said that from her window she could see a person frantically running from the ground floor to the first floor. \"The man was wearing dark clothing and moving fast,\" she added.\n\nAn alert was sent on the federal warning app, NINAwarn, on Thursday evening telling locals that \"one or more unknown perpetrators shot at people in a church\".\n\nLocal residents were told not to leave their homes amid the ongoing police operation.\n\nFootage showed police escorting people out of the meeting hall, some to ambulances.\n\nForensic experts worked at the scene through the night\n\nThe reasons behind the shooting were \"still completely unclear\".\n\nGerman Chancellor Olaf Scholz described it as a \"brutal act of violence\", saying his thoughts were with the victims and their relatives.\n\nIn a statement, the Jehovah's Witness community in Germany said it was \"deeply saddened by the horrific attack on its members at the Kingdom Hall in Hamburg after a religious service\".\n\nForensic experts in white suits worked through the night inside the brightly lit interior of the meeting house.\n\nJehovah's Witnesses are members of a Christian-based religious movement, founded in the US at the end of the 19th Century.\n\nIn its latest report from 2022, the movement says there are about 8.7 million Jehovah's Witnesses worldwide, including about 170,000 in Germany.\n\nIn the city of Hamburg, there are believed to be nearly 4,000 members of the organisation.\n\nJehovah's Witnesses are probably best known for their door-to-door evangelism; witnessing from house to house and offering Bible literature.\n\nAlthough Christian-based, the group believes that the traditional Christian Churches have deviated from the true teachings of the Bible, and do not work in full harmony with God.\n\nGermany has some of the strictest gun laws in Europe, including a clause that anyone aged under 25 must pass a psychological evaluation before getting a gun licence.\n\nIn 2021, there were around one million private gun owners in Germany, according to the National Firearms Registry. They account for 5.7 million legal firearms and firearm parts, most of them owned by hunters.\n\nAfter mass arrests were made last December in relation to a suspected plot to overthrow the government, the German authorities are planning to tighten the country's gun laws even further.\n\u2022 None Video appears to show suspect firing through window. Video, 00:01:18Video appears to show suspect firing through window","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/world-europe-64910415"}
{"title":"Weather: Snow causes widespread disruption and school closures - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-09","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"A new amber weather warning is in place after more than 300 schools are closed due to heavy snow.","section":"Wales","content":"This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. A farmer from Conwy describes how he is trying to keep his sheep safe in snowy conditions\n\nNearly 300 schools were closed across Wales due to heavy snow which caused widespread disruption and cut off rural communities.\n\nThe Met Office upgraded its weather warning to amber, running from midday Thursday until 09:00 GMT on Friday.\n\nBus services were cancelled in Wrexham and roads closed in Denbighshire.\n\nSchools were closed in Wrexham, Conwy, Denbighshire, Flintshire, Powys, Blaenau Gwent, Gwynedd, Torfaen and Caerphilly.\n\nIt comes after about 10cm (4in) of snow fell on Wednesday.\n\nFlintshire council has announced all schools across the county will close on Friday as heavy snow is expected to continue to cause disruption into the morning.\n\nThere were 235 schools closed across north Wales on Thursday.\n\nMore than 200 schools were closed on Wednesday after heavy snow fell in south, west and mid Wales.\n\nThe Met Office said heavy snow was likely to cause significant disruption. The amber warning affects Conwy, Denbighshire, Flintshire, Gwynedd, Powys and Wrexham.\n\nIt also warned of ice from 04:00 on Friday to 10:00 in Blaenau Gwent, Caerphilly, Merthyr Tydfil, Monmouthshire, Neath Port Talbot, Powys, Rhondda Cynon Taf, and Torfaen.\n\nThis Twitter post cannot be displayed in your browser. Please enable Javascript or try a different browser. View original tweet on Twitter The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Skip twitter post by Met Office - Wales 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\u2019s cookie policy, external and privacy policy, external before accepting. To view this content choose \u2018accept and continue\u2019. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.\n\nBBC weather presenter Sabrina Lee said the affected areas could see 10 to 20cm (4 to 8in) of snow, with a chance of up to 30cm (12in) on higher ground.\n\nA yellow warning for snow and ice is also in place for 10 of Wales' 22 local authority areas until 14:00 on Friday.\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Large parts of Wales have seen heavy snowfall on Thursday\n\nThis Twitter post cannot be displayed in your browser. Please enable Javascript or try a different browser. View original tweet on Twitter The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Skip twitter post 2 by Derek Brockway - weatherman 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\u2019s cookie policy, external and privacy policy, external before accepting. To view this content choose \u2018accept and continue\u2019. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.\n\nAnglesey County Council leader Llinos Medi told BBC Radio Wales Breakfast gritters had been out overnight on the island.\n\nIt was important during the day that carers could get out to rural areas, she said. She urged people to check on vulnerable neighbours.\n\nTucker and Molly enjoying the snow in Pandy, Wrexham\n\nFarmer John Jones took extra feed for his sheep near Llandyrnog, Denbighshire on Thursday morning\n\nThe Met Office warned vehicles could become stranded on roads, with rail services cancelled and possible power cuts.\n\nThe mountain road between Heol y Glo and Llangynwyd in Bridgend county was impassable at points because of heavy snowfall.\n\nIn north Wales, the A542 Horseshoe Pass between Llangollen and Pen-y-Stryt in Denbighshire, and the A4086 in Caernarfon, Gwynedd, were both closed.\n\nThe A543 was also shut in both directions from the A5 at Pentrefoelas, in Conwy, to the Llyn Brenig turn off.\n\nThe B4368 between The Abermule pub, in Abermule, Powys, and the Newtown turn off at Kerry was impassable in both directions.\n\nThe B5113 was closed in both directions from the B5427's Llanrwst turn off, at Nebo, in Gwynedd, to the A5 at Pentrefoelas.\n\nBryn Road, at Bryn-y-Baal, Flintshire, is impassable in both directions between Llewelyn Drive and Alltami Road.\n\nFor the latest traffic updates, you can follow Traffic Wales.\n\nBus services have also been affected. Arriva Buses Wales said all services in Wrexham had begun again after they were earlier suspended.\n\nFurther updates to bus services can be found here.\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Sabrina Lee explains why Wales has had snow\n\nA warning for heavy snow was issued for Conwy","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/uk-wales-64893497"}
{"title":"A cartel's mistake may explain kidnappings in Mexico - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-09","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"A theory that the kidnapping of four Americans was a case of mistaken identity gains strength.","section":"Latin America & Caribbean","content":"This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Video shows the moment four Americans were kidnapped in Mexico\n\nFour Americans were kidnapped by armed men last week soon after crossing into the Mexican border city of Matamoros. Two of them were killed and two survived the ordeal.\n\nFor now, the Mexican government remains tight-lipped about the motive for the attack. However, the attorney general's office in the state of Tamaulipas said the theory that this was a case of mistaken identity was \"strengthening\".\n\nOfficials wouldn't comment on two specific suggestions - that a drug gang had confused them either for US-based rivals, Haitian drug gang members or people smugglers. But they said there were multiple and \"diverse\" lines of investigation, and that none was being ruled out at this stage.\n\nMatamoros is caught between warring factions of the Gulf Cartel, as they battle for control of the so-called plazas - the drug smuggling routes north into the US.\n\nApparently unwitting, the group of friends from North Carolina drove their minivan straight into that maelstrom. Their ordeal lasted for four days.\n\nAs the US citizens were being moved between safehouses to prevent detection, the US Embassy issued a statement demanding their immediate release. For any Mexican cartel - or even a common criminal gang operating along the border - that will have spelt trouble.\n\nThe armed gang will have understood immediately that the full force of a joint operation by US and Mexican federal law enforcement was going to be turned in their direction. Had the motive been ransom, as is so often the case in Mexico, they will have realised it was now very unlikely to be paid.\n\nFar easier, then, to simply turn the Americans over and deflect some of the intense heat bearing down on their gang.\n\n\"My guess is that's the most reasonable explanation for what happened,\" says Mexican drug war analyst, Alejandro Hope. \"They might have had connections or contacts with local police and they just told their contacts where their safehouse was.\"\n\nKidnappings in Mexico are disturbingly common. Last year, Mexico reached the horrific figure of 100,000 people disappeared or missing in the country. Most kidnappings are carried out with complete impunity, particularly in the case of undocumented immigrants travelling north to the US.\n\nIn comparison, this case was resolved incredibly quickly. Some Mexicans voiced frustration on social media at the speed with which such crimes are resolved when foreigners are involved.\n\n\"In under a week. And the thousands and thousands of kidnapped Mexicans?\" wrote one Twitter user.\n\n\"That's not untrue,\" says Mr Hope. \"Mexican institutions have a limited set of capabilities. But if they focus those capabilities on specific cases, yes, they can solve them.\"\n\n\"It's about visibility and political impact,\" he says.\n\nClearly, in this instance, the political will in Mexico to find a solution couldn't have been higher.\n\nUS Ambassador Ken Salazar met Mexican President Andr\u00e9s Manuel L\u00f3pez Obrador to discuss the matter, and said the US State Department had \"no greater priority\" than the well-being of its citizens abroad.\n\nThe case was brought to an end within 24 hours.\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Mexico missing: 'If I find a body, I recover a piece of my son'","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/world-latin-america-64825204"}
{"title":"Elle Edwards: Three arrests in connection with fatal shooting at pub - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-09","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"Elle Edwards, 26, was shot in the head while celebrating with friends at a pub on Christmas Eve.","section":"Liverpool","content":"Three people have been arrested by detectives investigating the murder of a woman outside a Merseyside pub on Christmas Eve.\n\nElle Edwards, 26, was shot in the head while celebrating with friends at The Lighthouse pub in Wallasey Village.\n\nA man and a woman, both 23, were arrested on suspicion of conspiracy to commit murder, Merseyside Police said.\n\nThomas Waring, 20, was charged with possession of a prohibited weapon and assisting an offender.\n\nMr Waring, of Private Drive, Barnston, Wirral, is due to appear at Wirral Adult Remand Court on Thursday.\n\nThe man, from Heswall, and woman, from Tranmere, have been released on bail.\n\nConnor Chapman, 22, has already been charged with murdering Ms Edwards and is due to go on trial on 7 June.\n\nWhy not follow BBC North West on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram? You can also send story ideas to northwest.newsonline@bbc.co.uk","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/uk-england-merseyside-64897319"}
{"title":"Breakthrough as eggs made from male mice cells - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-09","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"Researchers have created eggs from the cells of male mice, raising the prospect of male couples having their own children.","section":"Science & Environment","content":"A Japanese researcher has told a major genetics conference that he has created eggs from the cells of male mice.\n\nThe research, still in its early stages, involved turning male XY sex chromosomes into female XX ones.\n\nProf Katsuhiko Hayashi from Osaka University is working on developing fertility treatments.\n\nThe development, which he has submitted for publication in the scientific journal Nature, raises the prospect of male couples having their own children.\n\nProf George Daley of Harvard Medical School, who is not involved in the research, said that there was still a long way to go before society was faced with such a decision.\n\n''Hayashi's work is unpublished but fascinating. [Doing this on Humans] is harder than the mouse,\" he said. We still don't understand enough of the unique biology of human gametogenesis (the formation of reproductive cells) to reproduce Hayashi's provocative work in mice''.\n\nDetails were presented at the human gene-editing summit at the Crick Institute in London.\n\nProf Hayashi, a globally respected expert in the field, told delegates at the meeting that the work was at a very early stage. The eggs, he said were of low quality and the technique could not be used safely on humans at this stage.\n\nBut he told BBC News that he could see current problems overcome in ten years and he would like to see it available as a fertility treatment for both male and female and same sex couples if it is proven to be safe to use.\n\n\"If people want it and if society accepts such a technology then yes, I'm for it\".\n\nProf Katsuhiko Hayashi announces that he has created eggs from male mice cells\n\nThe technique involves first taking a skin cell from a male mouse and then turning it into a stem cell - a cell that can turn into other types of cell.\n\nThe cells are male and therefore have XY chromosomes. Prof Katsuhiko's team then delete the Y chromosome, duplicate the X chromosome and then stick the two X's together. This adjustment allows the stem cell to be programmed to become an egg.\n\nThe technique could be used to help infertile couples where women are not able to produce their own eggs. He stressed though that it was a long way off from being available as a fertility treatment.\n\n\"Even in mice there are many problems in the quality of the egg. So before we can think of it as a fertility treatment we have to overcome these problems, which could take a long long time,\" he said.\n\nProf Hayashi said he would not be in favour of it being used by a man to create a baby using his own sperm and artificially created eggs.\n\n\"Technically this is possible. I'm not so sure whether at this stage it is safe or acceptable for society\".\n\nProf Amander Clark, a stem cell scientist from the University of Californa, Los Angeles said that the LBGTQ+ community should have a say in the use of the technology for reproduction.\n\n\"The LGBTQ+ community have unique needs when it comes to having a family. It may be possible in the future for same-sex reproduction based upon current research using laboratory models to develop the technology.\n\n\"However, today this technology is not available for human use, safety and efficacy has not been proven, and it is unclear how long the technology will take to get to the clinic. There is still much to learn about the human germ line and fundamental knowledge gaps serve as a barrier to translating this research to humans.\"\n\nAlta Charo, professor of law at the University of Wisconsin Maddison, said different cultures would have \"profoundly different views\" on whether to use the technology, if it became available.\n\n\"In some societies a genetic contribution to one's children is considered absolutely essential, and for them it's a question of 'is this a step to take?' for those who are not in a heterosexual arrangement.\n\n\"For other societies that's not as nearly as important, and child adoption is perfectly acceptable, because for them families are more about the personal relationship and less about the biological connection.\"\n\nProf Haoyi Wang, of the Chinese Academy of Science believes there is a very a long way to go before the technology could be considered for use in the clinic.\n\n\"Scientists never say never, in principle it has been done in mice so, of course, it may be possible in humans, but I can foresee a lot of challenges and I couldn't predict how many years that would be.\"","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/science-environment-64893170"}
{"title":"'Sushi terror' pranks outrage Japan as police make arrests - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-09","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"Some sushi trains are no longer running conveyor belts amid fears of customers tampering with food.","section":"Asia","content":"It's feared a wave of unhygienic pranks will scare off sushi train customers\n\nJapanese police have arrested three people over \"sushi terror\": viral, unhygienic pranks that are threatening the world-famous feature of sushi conveyor belt restaurants.\n\nLast month, a video of a man licking a soy sauce bottle on a sushi conveyor went viral, sparking outrage.\n\nIn the video, he can be seen squashing sushi dishes at a Kura Sushi restaurant branch.\n\nSince then, dozens of such videos have proliferated sparking public concern.\n\nIncidents filmed include diners - many of whom are children and young people - spoiling others' orders by touching sushi dishes passing by.\n\nOne video which emerged last month showed a customer putting wasabi on another's dish, while another person licked the presented chopsticks.\n\nIn another video, filmed at a Sushiro chain outlet, a diner is seen rubbing saliva on passing sushi pieces.\n\nThe viral trend has horrified many Japanese and spurred action from several conveyor-belt sushi chains - known as kaitenzushi locally.\n\n\"I know people from overseas look forward to eating sushi here so as a Japanese person, I am ashamed of such actions,\" one woman Yukari Tanaka told the BBC.\n\nAnother person, Nana Kozaki, said: \"Kaitenzushi is Japanese culture we can be proud of but actions of few people like that really ruins that.\"\n\nOthers said they were \"a bit scared\" by the trend - admitting they were less willing to go to restaurants.\n\nJapan is renowned for its exacting cleanliness standards and culinary etiquette.\n\nSo the \"sushi terrorism\" pranks have not only shocked millions around the country but also led to falls in share prices of companies like the Sushiro chain.\n\nThis has spurred several kaitenzushi chains to make public appeals for offenders to stop their food sabotage.\n\nSome eateries have even made the choice to stop operating their main attraction altogether - with sushi conveyor belts coming to a halt across the country.\n\nIn eastern Japan, the Choushimaru chain said it would stop using its conveyor belts altogether after a customer placed a cigarette butt in a jar of pickled ginger.\n\nStaff will now bring dishes to customers directly - and only hand out condiments and sauces when they've taken their seats.\n\nA spokesman for the Kura Sushi - the restaurant chain targeted by those arrested on Wednesday - said the viral video trend was \"extremely dangerous\" and posing a threat to the foundation of the conveyor-belt restaurant model.\n\n\"Conveyor belt sushi is something we are proud of as part of Japanese culture. We want to make sure our customers can eat sushi delivered on the belt safely and comfortably,\" he said.\n\nSeveral sushi chains have already threatened legal action - but Wednesday's detentions are believed to be the first arrests of offenders.\n\nPolice in the central Japanese city of Nagoya allege Ryoga Yoshino, 21, licked a communal soy sauce bottle at a Kura Sushi conveyor-belt sushi restaurant on 3 February.\n\nTwo minors aged 19 and 15 were also involved. Police said their actions constituted obstruction of business under Japan's Penal Code.\n\nAll of the suspects admitted to the wrongdoing, police said. One also reportedly apologised for his actions.\n\nRestaurant-owning companies had already been struggling - with global supply chains under strain to a weaker yen, the war in Ukraine and the coronavirus pandemic.\n\nMany had to raise prices on their cheapest offerings last year.\n\nNow they face another struggle with the wave of unhygienic pranks.\n\nIt's led to restaurants around the country scrambling to reassure customers of their hygiene standards.\n\nThe Sushiro chain changed its service rules last month, requiring diners to collect their own utensils and condiments from staff to cut down on potential sabotage attempts.\n\nKura Sushi has now also developed an alert system, where some of its conveyor belts will now be equipped with sensors and cameras.\n\nIf a person is caught returning a plate that has been tampered with, an alert will be sent to the chain's offices in Saitama prefecture, near Tokyo and Osaka. The affected restaurant would also be informed, Kura Sushi said.\n\nThe company said the new sensors would also be able to identify the specific plate and seat number affected.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/world-asia-64898111"}
{"title":"Ukraine war: Urgent UN warning after power interrupted to Ukraine nuclear plant - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-09","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"\"How can we allow this?\" an official asks after the Zaporizhzhia facility again lost off-site power following Russian strikes.","section":"Europe","content":"That's all for our live coverage for now\n\nWe leave you with the headline that the power is back on at Ukraine's largest power plant - after an interruption following the biggest Russian missile barrage for weeks. The team had a hectic morning as reports of the fresh strikes came in. Kyiv said more than 80 missiles were fired - 34 of which were shot down. Moscow said its hypersonic missiles were involved. The most extraordinary line of the day came from Rafael Grossi, the man who heads up the UN's nuclear watchdog. In a chastening address to colleagues about Zaporizhzhia, he said: \"What are we doing? How can we sit here in this room this morning and allow this to happen? This cannot go on.\" Several deaths have been reported across Ukraine, with President Volodymyr Zelensky saying 10 regions were struck. Crews in Ukraine have been working to restore power after damage to infrastructure. Thanks for tuning in today. The page has been put together by Nathan Williams, Anna Boyd, Jasmine Andersson, Tarik Habte, Gem O'Reilly, Alex Fouch\u00e9, Andre Rhoden-Paul, Alys Davies, Tom Spender, James FitzGerald and me.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/live\/uk-64899277"}
{"title":"Boots cuts Advantage Card points earned per pound - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-09","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"Customers will receive 3 pence worth of loyalty points for every \u00a31 spent, down from 4 pence.","section":"Business","content":"Boots is changing the way its loyalty card works by offering discounts on more of its own-brand products but cutting the points earned per pound.\n\nThe health and beauty retailer said that from May, holders of the Advantage Card would collect 3p worth of points for every \u00a31 spent, instead of 4p.\n\nThe move comes when many retailers' costs are increasing amidst record rises in energy bills and overheads.\n\nOne retail analyst said shoppers \"want their jam today rather than waiting\".\n\n\"Loyalty schemes where shoppers collect points to use later are losing appeal as shoppers want the best price and discount right now, and the cost of running these schemes is also significant,\" said Catherine Shuttleworth.\n\nAfter the changes, every point people earn will continue to be worth 1p to spend in Boots.\n\nBoots added that customers would be able to save 10% in store on 6,000 of its own-brand products.\n\nIt said customers would also save on hundreds of products with its Price Advantage scheme in a move which was to \"make things stretch that little bit further\". Price Advantage allows Boots card holders exclusive access to lower prices on certain products.\n\nIt said the move was in response to customer feedback.\n\nOn its website, Boots said: \"We understand that more customers are looking to access instant savings, so offering 10% off our Boots own brand range will give even more opportunities to save.\n\n\"We understand that many customers still love saving up their points for big purchases in the future, so will continue to offer 3p worth of points for every \u00a31 spent at Boots.\"\n\nThe retailer said students would continue to receive a 10% discount storewide, alongside the extra 10% for Boots branded products.\n\nRecent research suggests that shoppers have been switching away from branded products at certain retailers and opting for own-brand equivalents to save money at the till, as inflation - the rate at which prices rise - reaches record highs.\n\nMs Shuttleworth said Boots is competing with other High Street firms to hold on to shoppers amid rising cost pressures, and that points \"really aren't enough\" anymore.\n\n\"Boots is faced with shoppers that are looking for better prices and great value and are shopping far and wide to find it from discount retailers like B&M and Home Bargains to supermarkets and online,\" she told the BBC.\n\n\"Younger shoppers in particular are well versed in unlocking immediate discounts offered to them.\"\n\nShe said that with the cost-of-living crisis, shoppers are increasingly savvy about making their money stretch as far as possible.\n\n\"Changes to schemes and devaluation of points can mean that shoppers choose to give up collecting their points and simply shop elsewhere,\" she said.\n\nAnnich McIntosh, managing editor of Loyalty Magazine, said Boots had been the \"last bastion of high-value loyalty points\".\n\n\"It always had been one of the more generous schemes since the start of the loyalty push,\" she said.\n\nThe shift to instant discounts was common across retailers, she said, allowing companies to continue to collect extremely valuable data about spending habits, while keeping their own costs down.\n\nThey could also use the power of differential pricing to push their own-brand products, and have branded products supplied cheaper, to enhance profits.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/business-64899536"}
{"title":"Ukraine war: Latvia sends cars seized from drunk drivers to help Kyiv - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-09","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"The confiscated vehicles are being delivered under a Latvian scheme to help the Ukrainian military.","section":"Europe","content":"The impounded cars have been transferred to a charity delivering donated vehicles to Ukraine\n\nCars confiscated from drunk drivers in Latvia are being sent to Ukraine, under a new scheme designed to help the war effort there.\n\nEight seized vehicles left a car pound in the capital, Riga, on Wednesday and are due to cross the border soon.\n\nIt is the first convoy to be sent under the plan, approved by the Latvian parliament last month.\n\nMPs agreed to allow the transfer of state-owned cars to the Ukrainian military and hospitals.\n\nLate last year, Latvia changed the law so that drivers found with three times the legal limit could have their vehicles seized and sold by the government.\n\nLatvia has among the worst rates of drinking and driving in Europe, according to public broadcaster LSM, with an estimated 3,500 cases a year.\n\nThe change in the law led to a surge in confiscations that filled state pounds in Latvia in a matter of weeks.\n\nAs a result, authorities pledged to hand over two dozen cars a week to Twitter Convoy, a Latvian charity that sends donated vehicles to Ukraine.\n\n\"No-one expected that people are drunk-driving so many vehicles,\" the NGO's founder, Reinis Poznaks, told Reuters news agency. \"They can't sell them as fast as people are drinking. So that's why I came with the idea - send them to Ukraine.\"\n\nThe first eight cars had a combined value of about \u20ac18,500 (\u00a316,500), according to Latvian website Delfi. One owner had left a Russian flag pinned on his seized vehicle, Reuters reported.\n\nAbout a quarter of Latvia's population are ethnic Russians and Latvia moved fast after the Russian invasion of Ukraine to ban dozens of websites assessed as disseminating Kremlin propaganda.\n\nVladimir Putin has repeatedly sought to justify the war in Ukraine as providing protection for Russian-speakers with the Kremlin's protection.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/world-europe-64903201"}
{"title":"Only drive if necessary, motorists told as heavy snow falls - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-09","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"The Met Office warns of \"treacherous conditions\", forecasting up to 40cm (16in) of snow overnight in parts of England and Wales.","section":"UK","content":"You've been capturing the snow around the UK today.\n\nHere's some of our favourite shots.\n\nWhile some have been experiencing travel woes, others have been making the most of the snowy weather Image caption: While some have been experiencing travel woes, others have been making the most of the snowy weather\n\nA Weather Watcher in North Wales sent in this striking image of the ice on plants at Keepers Pond, Blaenavon Image caption: A Weather Watcher in North Wales sent in this striking image of the ice on plants at Keepers Pond, Blaenavon\n\nAs you can tell, we're partial to your pictures of our canine friends - this one is in Derbyshire Image caption: As you can tell, we're partial to your pictures of our canine friends - this one is in Derbyshire\n\nWe're also partial to a sun set scene, especially when it features a dusting of snow - such as this view over Loch Broom, near Ullapool in the Highlands Image caption: We're also partial to a sun set scene, especially when it features a dusting of snow - such as this view over Loch Broom, near Ullapool in the Highlands","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/live\/uk-64883505"}
{"title":"Indian Wells 2023: Emma Raducanu beats Danka Kovinic to reach second round - BBC Sport","published_date":"2023-03-09","authors":null,"description":"Britain's Emma Raducanu overcomes a disrupted build-up to earn a gutsy first-round win at Indian Wells, despite deciding only 20 minutes before the start to play.","section":null,"content":"Last updated on .From the section Tennis\n\nBritain's Emma Raducanu overcame a disrupted build-up to earn a gutsy first-round win at Indian Wells, despite deciding only 20 minutes before the start to play.\n\nThe 2021 US Open champion, ranked 77th, faces Poland's Magda Linette next at the prestigious tournament.\n\n\"I didn't feel too good this morning,\" she told BBC Radio 5 Sports Extra.\n\n\"I'm just so happy with the way I fought and dealt with the circumstances.\n\n\"I just woke up feeling not great to be honest. I felt quite ill so I'm just happy to have played the match and then to win it despite how I felt today.\n\n\"Today before the match, I did not warm up. Two minutes before I was called I was sleeping in the treatment room so I'm just proud to have got out there and then won.\"\n\nIn the men's draw, Andy Murray defeated Tomas Etcheverry 6-7 (5-7) 6-1 6-4 to reach the second round while fellow Briton Jack Draper needed just 55 minutes to win his opener, beating Switzerland's Leandro Riedi 6-1 6-1 to set up a meeting with compatriot Dan Evans.\n\nIndian Wells is one of the biggest events outside of the four Grand Slam tournaments.\n\nSince sensationally winning the US Open as a virtually unknown teenage qualifier, Raducanu has been unable to build on that success as her progress continues to be stalled by fitness problems.\n\nVarious injuries over the course of 2022 wrecked her chances of finding momentum in her first full year on the WTA Tour and the wrist problem that ended her season returned to threaten her participation in Indian Wells.\n\nWith tonsillitis also forcing her out of a tournament in Austin last week, the British number one summed up her fortunes by telling BBC Sport: \"When it rains, it pours.\"\n\nBut an efficient victory over 62nd-ranked Kovinic - in Raducanu's first match since losing to Coco Gauff at the Australian Open - should help lift any lingering gloom.\n\nRaducanu trailed 2-0 in each of the two sets, but grew in confidence as 28-year-old Kovinic produced a stream of errors.\n\nKovinic played some loose shots and struggled with her first-serve percentage in both sets, with Raducanu staying patient and playing smart to grind out a solid win.\n\u2022 None Listen to all-new versions of their biggest hits and a surprising cover\n\u2022 None Searching for new converts in Manchester: The Mormons Are Coming follows young missionaries during their make-or-break training","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/sport\/tennis\/64909690"}
{"title":"Ukraine hit by Russian missiles day after West's offer of tanks - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-09","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"Eleven people have been killed and 11 others injured after strikes hit buildings in several regions.","section":"Europe","content":"The aftermath of a Russian strike was seen on Thursday in the town of Hlevakha, outside Kyiv\n\nRussia launched a wave of missiles at Ukraine on Thursday, a day after Germany and the US pledged tanks to aid Kyiv's fight against the invasion.\n\nEleven people died and 11 others were injured after 35 buildings were struck across several regions, the state's emergency service said.\n\nIt added the worst damage to residential buildings was in the Kyiv region.\n\nOfficials also reported strikes on two energy facilities in the Odesa region.\n\nThe barrage came as Russia said it perceived the new offer of military support, which followed a UK pledge to send Challenger 2 battle tanks, as \"direct\" Western involvement in the conflict.\n\nIn what was a sustained and wide-ranging attack, the head of the Ukrainian army said Moscow launched 55 air and sea-based missiles on Thursday.\n\nValery Zaluzhny added that 47 of them were shot down, including 20 around Kyiv.\n\nEarlier, Ukraine's air force said it had downed a cluster of Iranian-made attack drones launched by Russian forces from the Sea of Azov in the south of the country.\n\nA 55-year-old man was killed and two others wounded when non-residential buildings in the south of the capital were struck, officials reported.\n\nThe offensive was a continuation of Russia's months-long tactic of targeting Ukraine's infrastructure. The freezing winter has seen power stations destroyed and millions plunged into darkness.\n\nAfter Thursday's strikes, emergency power cuts were enforced in Kyiv and several other regions to relieve pressure on the electricity grid, said DTEK, Ukraine's largest private power producer.\n\nA day earlier, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz promised to provide Ukraine with 14 Leopard 2 tanks, following weeks of international pressure. They are widely seen as some of the most effective battle tanks available.\n\nThe heavy weaponry is expected to arrive in late March or early April.\n\nPresident Joe Biden later announced the US would send 31 M1 Abrams battle tanks, marking a reversal of longstanding Pentagon arguments that they are a poor fit for the Ukrainian battlefield.\n\nCanada has also promised to supply Ukraine with four \"combat-ready\" Leopard tanks in the coming weeks, together with experts to train Ukrainian soldiers in how to operate them.\n\nUkrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said on Thursday that 12 countries had now joined what he called the \"tank coalition\".\n\nBut for tanks to be \"game-changer\", 300 to 400 of them would be needed, an adviser to Ukraine's defence minister told BBC Radio 4's Today programme.\n\n\"The sooner we defeat Russia on the battlefield using Western weapons, the sooner we will be able to stop this missile terror and restore peace,\" Yuriy Sak said.\n\nSpeaking on the same programme, Nato Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said sending tanks to Ukraine would make a big difference to the country's ability to win the war.\n\nHe also warned that Russia was planning a fresh offensive, just as reports began emerging from Ukraine of missile strikes following drone attacks overnight.\n\nOn Thursday, the US designated Russia's Wagner group, which is believed to have thousands of mercenaries in Ukraine, a transnational criminal organisation.\n\nIt also imposed fresh sanctions on the group and their associates to \"further impede [Russian President Vladimir] Putin's ability to arm and equip his war machine\", Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen said in the statement.\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/world-europe-64411259"}
{"title":"UK microchip firms ask government for hundreds of millions - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-09","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"The boss of a leading microchip maker warns without huge investment companies will go abroad.","section":"Business","content":"Semiconductors, or microchips, are used to control electronic devices\n\nThe boss of one of the UK's leading microchip firms is calling for the government to invest \"hundreds of millions\" in the sector.\n\nMillions of products from cars to washing machines and mobiles rely on microchips also called semiconductors.\n\nScott White, of Pragmatic Semiconductor, said without a huge funding boost UK firms will go abroad.\n\nThe government said it would soon publish its strategy to improve access to skills, facilities and tools.\n\nIt comes as a new report says the UK government \"must act now to secure the future of the vital UK semiconductor industry\".\n\nMr White, Pragmatic's chief executive, said the government \"can't just spend a few tens of millions of pounds\" on the semiconductor sector, as \"that isn't enough to move the needle\".\n\n\"It has to be hundreds of millions, or even more than \u00a31bn, to make a substantive difference,\" he said.\n\n\"It is not about unfair subsidies, it is about having a level playing field with other countries around the world.\"\n\nMr White said that other governments were \"investing substantially\" in their microchip industries, and that the UK had to follow suit.\n\nPragmatic Semiconductor employs 200 people across its headquarters in Cambridge and at two production sites in Country Durham.\n\nMr White added that while the company wanted to keep manufacturing in the UK, \"that only makes sense if the economies are justified compared to elsewhere\".\n\nScott White says the UK industry just wants a \"level playing field\"\n\nA joint report published on Thursday by the Institute of Physics (IOP) and the Royal Academy of Engineering (RAE) found \"skills shortages, high costs and low public awareness threaten the UK's position in the vital semiconductor race\".\n\nThe study follows a global shortages of microchips in recent years temporarily halted production of everything from games consoles to cars.\n\nThe IOP and RAE are calling for financial support for the sector in the UK.\n\nThey also want to see more children encouraged to study sciences at school, to help increase the number of qualified potential employees, and highlighting the importance of the sector.\n\nThe report - entitled UK Semiconductor Challenges and Solutions - also calls for the government to release its long-awaited national semiconductor strategy. This has now been two-years in the making.\n\nThe IOP's director of science, innovation and skills, Louis Barson, said the UK cannot simply rely on importing the microchips it needs.\n\nHe said: \"We need a strong homegrown semiconductor industry, and that is critical to our economic security and physical security.\"\n\nThe UK's semiconductor sector is valued at $13bn (\u00a311bn), according to one recent estimate. That might sound like a lot, but the global industry is said to be worth $580bn (\u00a3490bn).\n\nMeanwhile, a parliamentary report last autumn said that the UK only produced 0.5% of the world's semiconductors.\n\nThe IOP says that there are currently 40 or so semiconductor firms in the UK, with 25 doing manufacturing work. And it estimates that the total workforce is around 11,400 people.\n\nThere have recently been some worrying signs for the industry in the UK.\n\nLast week, the UK's top chip-designer Arm announced that it would be listing its shares on the New York Stock Exchange instead of London's. The news came despite UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak meeting with bosses from Arm's parent company, Japan's SoftBank.\n\nArm is due to list its shares in New York rather than London\n\nIn addition, another UK chip firm, IQE, has already warned that it might have to relocate abroad without more government support for the sector.\n\nAll this comes against a backdrop of big overseas government investment in the semiconductor sectors. Last summer, the White House announced that it would invest $50bn in the industry in the US over five years, $29bn in boosting production, and $11bn in research and development.\n\nIt is a similar picture in the European Union, with Brussels planning to invest \u20ac43bn ($46bn; \u00a338bn).\n\n\"Other countries are continuing to invest significantly in their own semiconductor industries, and the UK will fall behind without timely government action and a coherent strategy,\" said Prof Nick Jennings, chairman of the RAE's engineering policy centre committee.\n\nIn addition to the matter of funding, the IOP and RAE want the government to confirm that it will proceed with its proposed plan to set up a national body for the sector, a so-called \"semiconductor institute\".\n\n\"Crucially it could speak for the sector, provide a coordinated voice that would allow the industry to present a united front,\" said Mr Barson.\n\nA government spokesman said: \"Our forthcoming semiconductor strategy will set out how the government will improve the sector's access to the skills, facilities and tools it needs to grow. The strategy will be published in due course.\"","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/business-64872465"}
{"title":"Moscow police officers who abused women sanctioned - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-09","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"Identified as abusing protesters by a BBC investigation, the two officers are sanctioned by the EU.","section":"Europe","content":"Ivan Ryabov, who subjected female anti-war protestors to brutal interrogations, was among those sanctioned\n\nTwo Moscow police officers identified by the BBC as perpetrators of abuses against female anti-war protesters have been sanctioned by the EU.\n\nThe EU accused Ivan Ryabov and Alexander Fedorinov of arbitrary arrest and torture.\n\nThey were among nine people and three institutions sanctioned over sexual and gender-based violence, to coincide with International Women's Day on Wednesday.\n\nOthers included Taliban ministers and officials from South Sudan and Myanmar.\n\nA BBC Eye investigation detailed how Ivan Ryabov was identified by protesters who had been physically abused by him when they were detained in March 2022.\n\nAlexander Fedorinov was identified by the BBC using facial recognition software.\n\nAnnouncing the sanctions in a statement, EU's High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Police Josep Borrell said the EU was moving \"from words to action\" in its commitment to \"eliminate all forms of violence of violence against women\".\n\nHe said the sanctions were \"enhancing efforts to counter sexual and gender-based violence, to ensure that those responsible are fully accountable for their actions, and to combat impunity\".\n\nThe two Moscow police officers were sanctioned for their role in \"arbitrary arrests and detentions as well as torture and other cruel, inhuman and degrading treatment in the context of the censorship and oppression led by the Russian authorities\".\n\nOn 6 March last year, a group of anti-war protesters were arrested and taken to Moscow's Brateyevo police station. There, at least 11 detainees - mostly young women - were subjected to physical abuse at the hands of a plainclothes police officer.\n\nAnastasia identified the police officer who abused her using a data leak from a food delivery app\n\nThe officer didn't give his name, and there was no record of him on any police websites. The protesters felt they had little chance in identifying their abuser, who they called the \"man in black\".\n\nThat was until a huge data leak from the popular Russian food delivery app, Yandex Food, provided the breakthrough they needed.\n\nAnastasia - who says she had been suffocated with a plastic bag by the \"man in black\" - trawled through the data and found only nine users who had ordered food to Brateyevo police station. Working with the other victims, she searched the names and phone numbers included in the leak, looking for pictures she recognised.\n\nFinally she came across a face that was imprinted in her memory - it was the \"man in black\" and his name was Ivan Ryabov.\n\nAnastasia also wanted to identify another officer who was present that evening and refused to give his name. The detainees had called him the \"man in beige\".\n\nAlthough he wasn't involved in the abuse of protesters, Anastasia felt he was somehow in charge. \"All communication took place through him,\" she said.\n\nUsing facial recognition on a short video captured inside the police station, the BBC was able to name the man as Alexander Fedorinov. At that time, he was the acting head of the Brateyevo police department.\n\nThe BBC identified Alexander Fedorinov, acting head of the Brateyevo police department, from this video\n\nDespite appeals mentioning Ryabov and Fedorinov, sent to Russian authorities from victims and a Moscow politician, there was no evidence that either of the men had faced any repercussions inside Russia. The BBC did not receive a response after contacting the two men for comment in August 2022.\n\nBut as of 7 March 2023, both men are now subject to an asset freeze and travel ban within the EU.\n\nAnastasia told the BBC that the year since her arrest has not been easy. \"But Ryabov's inclusion on the sanctions list only strengthens my belief that I did and said the right thing,\" she said.\n\nAnastasia has left Russia and says she is happy to be in a country where she isn't afraid to share her anti-war views on social media.\n\nIvan Ryabov and Alexander Fedorinov were sanctioned alongside two acting Taliban ministers - Neda Mohammad Nadeem and Muhammad Khalid Hanafi - responsible for the decrees which banned women from higher education in Afghanistan.\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Listen to the \u201cman in black\u201d shouting insults at Marina and Alexandra\n\nThe list also included high-ranking members of the Russian armed forces whose units systematically participated in acts of sexual and gender-based violence in Ukraine in March and April last year.\n\nIt also named two South Sudanese officials, who according to the EU had commanded government militias which used sexual violence as a tactic of war and a reward for the men under their command.\n\nAnd the EU also sanctioned Major-General Toe Ui, Myanmar's deputy minister of home affairs, along with the country's Office of the Chief of Military Security Affairs (OCMSA), where he was formerly second-in-command. OCMSA is accused of using sexual violence and torture against men, women and members of the LGBT community.\n\nThe other institutions sanctioned were Qarchak Prison in Iran, where pro-democracy protestors have been detained, and the Syrian Republican Guard, which is accused of using widespread sexual and gender-based violence to repress and intimidate the Syrian people.\n\nBBC Eye Investigations tells the story of how these young Russian women came together to expose the identity of their torturer and his commanding officer.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/world-europe-64838937"}
{"title":"Snow and travel delays expected as Arctic blast hits UK - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-09","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"People across the Peak District and Pennines are being warned of potential disruption on Thursday.","section":"UK","content":"A row of snow-covered houses in Aberbeeg, Wales on Wednesday\n\nForecasters have warned of heavy snow and travel disruption as a wave of Arctic air brings icy conditions to central and northern England.\n\nAn amber warning affecting an area between Stoke-on-Trent and Durham is set to come into force at 15:00 GMT on Thursday.\n\nThe warning indicates a likelihood of travel delays, power cuts, and that some rural communities will be cut off.\n\nIt comes after the UK recorded its coldest March temperature since 2010.\n\nThe area affected by the amber warning includes the Peak District, Leeds, the Yorkshire Dales, and the North Pennines.\n\nThe Met Office said around 10-20cm (4-8in) of snow is likely to fall across much of the area, with 30-40cm (12-16in) in some parts, and to be accompanied by \"strong winds bringing blizzard conditions\".\n\nThe amber warning is not set to be lifted until midday on Friday.\n\nLess severe yellow weather warnings for snow and ice remain in place for much of the rest of the UK. These mean journey times are likely to be longer and icy patches on untreated roads and pavements are expected.\n\nNational Highways in England has issued a severe weather alert for snow in the North West, North East and Midlands between 09:00 GMT on Thursday and 08:00 GMT on Friday.\n\nRoad users are being warned to plan ahead for possible disruption and that challenging conditions could include poor visibility.\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Watch latest UK weather forecast: Will I get snow in my area tomorrow and into the weekend?\n\nMotoring organisation the RAC has urged drivers to take the weather warnings seriously and to work from home if possible.\n\nThose with no choice should make sure tyres are properly inflated, and oil, coolant and screenwash are topped up, it said.\n\nNational Rail has also warned snowy and icy conditions could affect trains in south-eastern England over the next few days.\n\nOther warnings in place are:\n\nThis Twitter post cannot be displayed in your browser. Please enable Javascript or try a different browser. View original tweet on Twitter The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Skip twitter post by BBC Weather 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\u2019s cookie policy, external and privacy policy, external before accepting. To view this content choose \u2018accept and continue\u2019. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.\n\nBBC Weather's Jennifer Bartram says the cold spell is due to a change in wind direction \"with northerly winds bringing cold air down from the Arctic\".\n\nShe said although it was not unusual to have snow and cold weather at the start of March, \"this feels like a bit of a shock to the system after what was a mild and relatively dry February for most\".\n\nEarly morning swimmers braved the cold at King Edward's Bay, near Tynemouth on the north east coast of England on Wednesday morning\n\nA picturesque snow-covered mountain reflects off the water at Lochcarron in the Highlands\n\nPeople across the UK have been enjoying the snow\n\nTo prepare for the cold spell, two coal-fired power stations have begun generating power again.\n\nThe plants in West Burton in Lincolnshire were due to close last September, but the government requested they stay open for an extra six months because of fears of possible power shortages.\n\nSome ski resorts in Scotland have opened runs after the heavy snowfall, with Snowsport Scotland saying it hoped the recent weather would be \"the start to another boost for the mountains\".\n\n\"Looking at the forecast, this could be our biggest week of the year,\" said Alison Grove from Snowsport Scotland.\n\nA man runs on during freezing conditions in a park in Blackwood, Wales\n\nA group of women swimmers brave the freezing conditions as they gather to celebrate International Women's Day at King Edward's Bay, near Tynemouth\n\nA level-three cold alert has been issued by the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) for the whole of England and will remain in place until midnight on Thursday.\n\nDr Agostinho Sousa, the agency's head of extreme events and health protection, advised people to check on vulnerable relatives, adding that pensioners or anyone with an underlying health condition should heat their home to at least 18C (64F).\n\nVeterinary charity PDSA advises giving dogs and cats extra blankets for their beds over the winter months. Raised beds can keep older dogs away from draughts, while cats may like high-up dens.\n\nMotorists drove through heavy snowfall on the M5 near Taunton, Somerset\n\nA Scottish terrier plays in the snow on the Dunstable Downs in Bedforshire\n\nA wild horse leaves footprints in the snow in Colpy, Aberdeenshire","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/uk-64875441"}
{"title":"Gary Lineker says he will 'keep speaking for those with no voice' after asylum row - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-09","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"The Match of the Day host was criticised for tweets he posted about the government's new asylum plan.","section":"UK","content":"Gary Lineker has said he will try to keep speaking up for people with \"no voice\", after criticism of his tweets on the government's asylum policy.\n\nThe Match of the Day host had said the language setting out the plan was \"not dissimilar to that used by Germany in the 30s\".\n\nHome Secretary Suella Braverman said she was disappointed by the remarks.\n\nThe BBC said it was having a \"frank conversation\" with Lineker about the BBC's need to remain impartial.\n\nOn Tuesday, the government outlined its plans to ban people arriving in the UK illegally from ever claiming asylum, in a bid to address a rise in the number of people crossing the Channel in small boats.\n\nOpposition MPs and humanitarian organisations have strongly criticised the proposals to detain and swiftly remove adults regardless of their asylum claim - but the PM and home secretary have defended the plan, saying stopping the crossings is a priority for the British people.\n\nThe presenter described it on Twitter as an \"immeasurably cruel policy directed at the most vulnerable people in language not dissimilar to that used by Germany in the 30s\".\n\nHis remarks were criticised widely by Conservative MPs and ministers, including Ms Braverman and Downing Street.\n\nThe furore surrounding Lineker's latest remarks puts pressure on the BBC, with director general Tim Davie having made impartiality a cornerstone of his leadership.\n\nResponding to some of the criticism on Wednesday, Lineker tweeted: \"Great to see the freedom of speech champions out in force this morning demanding silence from those with whom they disagree.\"\n\nHe followed up shortly after with: \"I have never known such love and support in my life than I'm getting this morning (England World Cup goals aside, possibly). I want to thank each and every one of you. It means a lot.\n\n\"I'll continue to try and speak up for those poor souls that have no voice.\"\n\nEarlier, Ms Braverman told BBC One's Breakfast she was \"disappointed, obviously\" in his comments.\n\n\"I think it's unhelpful to compare our measures, which are lawful, proportionate and - indeed - compassionate, to 1930s Germany.\n\n\"I also think that we are on the side of the British people here.\"\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Watch: Suella Braverman says she is \"disappointed\" by Gary Lineker's tweet\n\nDowning Street later said Lineker's criticism of the new asylum policy was \"not acceptable\".\n\nThe prime minister's press secretary told reporters: \"It's obviously disappointing to see someone whose salary is funded by hard-working British (licence fee) payers using that kind of rhetoric and seemingly dismissing their legitimate concerns that they have about small boats crossings and illegal migration.\"\n\nBut beyond that, they added, \"it's up to the BBC\" and they would not comment further.\n\nA spokesman for Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer said comparisons with Germany in the 1930s \"aren't always the best way to make\" an argument.\n\nLineker, who has presented Match of the Day since 1999, is the BBC's highest paid star, having earned about \u00a31.35m in 2020-21.\n\nHe has in the past been vocal about migrants' rights and has taken refugees into his home. He has also been critical of successive Conservative governments over issues including Brexit.\n\nIn October, the BBC's complaints unit found Lineker had broken impartiality rules in a tweet asking whether the Conservative Party planned to \"hand back their donations from Russian donors\".\n\nThe comment came after the then Foreign Secretary Liz Truss urged Premier League teams to boycott the Champions League final in Russia over the invasion of Ukraine.\n\nMr Davie said in 2020 he was prepared to sack people to protect the BBC's reputation for impartiality.\n\nHe issued new social media guidelines and said he was willing to \"take people off Twitter\" - a comment which Lineker responded to at the time by saying \"I think only Twitter can take people off Twitter\".\n\nThe presenter's frequent outspoken online posts have been viewed by some as a test of the BBC's ability to balance its impartiality duty with its ability to attract top talent in the era of social media.\n\nEarlier on Wednesday, when asked about how many \"strikes\" the presenter has had over social media posts, Mr Davie said he wasn't going to speak specifically about individuals.\n\nHe added: \"I think the BBC absolutely puts the highest value on impartiality and that's clearly important to us.\"\n\nIn a series of tweets on Wednesday, Lineker indicated he had no intention of retracting his comment or steering clear of politics outside of his work for the BBC.\n\nRichard Sambrook, the BBC's former director of global news, said the controversy highlighted the need for the broadcaster to clarify how impartiality rules apply to its sport staff and freelancers.\n\nHe told Radio 4's PM programme similar cases would \"corrode trust\" in the BBC unless the position was made clearer.\n\nThe Lineker row also comes amid scrutiny of the circumstances surrounding the appointment of BBC chairman Richard Sharp and his relationship with Boris Johnson.\n\nA committee of MPs said last month Mr Sharp had committed \"significant errors of judgement\" by not disclosing his involvement in the then-prime minister's financial affairs while seeking the senior BBC post. Mr Sharp insists he got the job on merit.\n\nThe broadcaster's editorial guidelines state the organisation is \"committed to achieving due impartiality in all its output\" and that \"public comments, for example on social media, of staff [or] presenters... can affect perceptions of the BBC's impartiality\".\n\nA spokesperson for the corporation said: \"The BBC has social media guidance, which is published.\n\n\"Individuals who work for us are aware of their responsibilities relating to social media.\n\n\"We have appropriate internal processes in place if required.\n\n\"We would expect Gary to be spoken to and reminded of his responsibilities.\"\n\nThe corporation has also responded to previous criticism of Lineker by highlighting that he is not involved in its news or political output and is a freelance broadcaster, not a member of staff.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/uk-64891734"}
{"title":"Gary Lineker says he does not fear BBC suspension over asylum policy tweet - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-09","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"The Match of the Day host said he stands by his tweet that criticised the government's asylum policy.","section":"UK","content":"This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Watch: Gary Lineker says he stands by tweets criticising government's asylum policy\n\nGary Lineker has said he does not fear BBC suspension in an impartiality row over a tweet criticising the government's asylum policy.\n\nThe Match of the Day host has tweeted that he is \"looking forward to presenting\" the show on Saturday.\n\nLineker had compared the language the government used to set out asylum plans to \"that used by Germany in the 30s\".\n\nSpeaking to the BBC, the home secretary said the comment \"diminishes the unspeakable tragedy\" of the Holocaust.\n\nDespite the intense criticism, Lineker expects to be retained as a presenter. The BBC has not commented.\n\nHe wrote on social media: \"Happy that this ridiculously out of proportion story seems to be abating and very much looking forward to presenting [Match of the Day] on Saturday. Thanks again for all your incredible support. It's been overwhelming.\"\n\nSuella Braverman told the BBC's Political Thinking podcast the Nazi comparison used by Lineker was \"lazy and unhelpful\".\n\nThe home secretary said her family \"feel very keenly the impact of the Holocaust\" as her husband is Jewish and said it was \"offensive\" to draw the comparison.\n\nWhen it was put to her by host Nick Robinson that Lineker was passionate about the rights of asylum seekers, she said the Germany comment was an \"unhelpful way to frame the debate\".\n\nThe BBC said on Wednesday it was having a \"frank conversation\" with Lineker about the BBC's guidelines on remaining impartial following his Twitter remark.\n\nAsked by a reporter if he regretted the post, the host answered: \"No\".\n\nPressed on whether he had spoken to the BBC director general, he said he had and that they \"chat often\". Asked if he stood by the tweet, he said: \"Course\".\n\nSpeaking in the Commons earlier on Thursday, Culture Secretary Lucy Frazer said Lineker's remark was \"disappointing and inappropriate\" and referenced her grandmother who escaped Nazi Germany.\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Suella Braverman says Gary Lineker's tweet about immigration policy is \"a lazy and unhelpful comparison to make\".\n\nMs Frazer said it was \"important for the BBC to retain impartiality if it is to retain the trust of the public who pay the licence fee\" but that the broadcaster is \"operationally independent\" of the government.\n\nFormer culture secretary Sir John Whittingdale urged the government to ensure \"all those who are presenters on the BBC\" - including freelancers like Lineker - were covered by impartiality rules when the charter was reviewed.\n\nBut Richard Sambrook, the BBC's former director of global news, said on Twitter it had \"become unsustainable for the BBC to force freelance presenters to fall in line with BBC policies in their non-BBC activities\".\n\nHe added that the policy was \"full of fudge\" and the BBC needed to clarify \"to what extent impartiality rules extend beyond news\".\n\nOn Tuesday, Suella Braverman outlined the government's plans to ban people arriving in the UK illegally from ever claiming asylum, in a bid to address a rise in the number of people crossing the Channel in small boats.\n\nOpposition MPs and charities have strongly objected to the proposals, but the PM and home secretary have defended the plan, saying stopping the crossings is a priority for the British people.\n\nLineker's remarks have been widely criticised by Conservative MPs but he has received support by many on social media who oppose the government's proposals.\n\nIn response to some of the criticism, Lineker tweeted on Wednesday: \"I'll continue to try and speak up for those poor souls that have no choice.\"\n\nLineker, 62, who has presented Match of the Day since 1999 also works for LaLiga TV.\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser.\n\nThe corporation's former editorial policy controller Richard Ayre said the presenter had a choice to make over his role at the BBC.\n\nHe said Lineker must consider whether to stay or to leave and \"become a social media influencer\".\n\nMr Ayre, a former member of the broadcasting regulator Ofcom's content board, said it was \"unacceptable\" to have someone who works for the BBC \"comparing Suella Braverman to the third Reich\".\n\nAsked whether BBC director general Tim Davie may have to let the sports presenter go, Mr Ayre told BBC Radio 4's Today programme: \"I don't think he is going to have any choice but to let him go unless he can be certain that this is the end of it.\"\n\nThe former BBC trustee was also asked about BBC chairman Richard Sharp, who is facing criticism over his role in facilitating a \u00a3800,000 loan for then-prime minister Boris Johnson.\n\nMr Ayre said the BBC's chairman was \"hanging by an absolute thread\", adding: \"It is quite likely that, within the next few days or weeks, we'll perhaps see two heads roll - one from the left and one from the right, the chairman and Gary Lineker.\n\n\"And then, maybe, once each side has scored a goal, we can get back to normal business.\"","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/uk-64899472"}
{"title":"Lidl lifts all restrictions on fresh produce - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-09","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"The supermarket is ending restrictions that it had put on some fruit and vegetables as shortages ease.","section":"Business","content":"Lidl is lifting restrictions on the sale of fruit and vegetables as supply issues begin to ease.\n\nLast week the supermarket had put limits of three per customer on sales of peppers, tomatoes and cucumbers, but it said that by Monday, all limits will be lifted.\n\nIt comes after Asda and Morrisons also lifted restrictions on the sale of some fruit and vegetables.\n\nMany supermarkets restricted sales of some salad items blaming bad weather.\n\nLimits on cucumbers will be lifted at Morrisons, although the supermarket is still restricting sales of tomatoes, lettuces and peppers to two per person.\n\nAsda is lifting restrictions on cucumbers, lettuces, broccoli, cauliflower, raspberries and salad leaves, but limits of three per person remain in place for tomatoes and peppers.\n\nIt said that supply of remaining restricted produce is expected to be back to normal within weeks.\n\nThe unusually cold spell of weather in Europe and North Africa affected some harvests which then had a knock-on effect on supply of fruit and vegetables to the UK.\n\nIn the winter months the UK imports around 95% of its tomatoes and 90% of its lettuces, most of them from Spain and north Africa, according to trade group the British Retail Consortium (BRC).\n\nThe UK also gets some produce at this time of year from domestic growers and the Netherlands, but those supplies have been tighter since farmers in both countries have cut back on their use of greenhouses due to higher electricity prices.\n\nThe National Farmers' Union has called for more support for UK growers.\n\nThe idea behind the supermarket restrictions was to ensure that as many customers as possible could buy what they need.\n\nFood and farming minister Mark Spencer held a video meeting with representatives from UK supermarkets in late February, aimed at finding out what supermarkets were doing to \"get shelves stocked again\" and how the UK can avoid a repeat of the current situation.\n\nMr Spencer had asked retailers to \"look again\" at how they work with farmers to \"further build preparedness for these unexpected incidents\".","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/business-64908081"}
{"title":"Army urged to stop giving out ceremonial daggers as gifts after murders - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-09","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"A coroner writes to the defence secretary after a veteran used his retirement gift to kill a couple.","section":"Somerset","content":"Collin Reeves used a ceremonial dagger, given to him when he left the Army, to kill his neighbours\n\nThe Army has been urged to stop giving out weapons as retirement gifts after a veteran used a ceremonial dagger to murder his neighbours.\n\nCollin Reeves killed Stephen Chapple, 36, and wife Jennifer, 33, in 2021 after a long-running parking dispute.\n\nThe dagger had been handed to Reeves when he retired from the British Army.\n\nSenior Somerset Coroner Samantha Marsh has written to Defence Secretary Ben Wallace urging him to consider the \"appropriateness\" of such gifts.\n\nStephen and Jennifer Chapple were stabbed to death while their children slept upstairs\n\n\"The dagger was not a blunt replica, it was a fully functional weapon capable of causing significant harm, injury and, sadly, in the Chapples' case, death,\" she wrote in a prevention of future deaths report.\n\n\"Please reconsider the appropriateness of providing anyone leaving the British Army, regardless of rank or status, with what is to all intents and purposes a deadly weapon.\n\n\"Such presentation\/gifting has essentially put a deadly weapon in the community where I understand it sadly remains, having never been recovered as it was removed from the scene prior to police attendance, and I am not persuaded that this is appropriate.\"\n\nReeves, an ex-Royal Engineer who served in Afghanistan, was jailed for life in June last year and ordered to serve at least 38 years after being convicted of the double murder in Norton Fitzwarren, Somerset.\n\nReeves called police just a few minutes after the killings to confess, but later denied murder, claiming he was guilty of manslaughter due to diminished responsibility.\n\nBut two forensic psychiatrists found he was not suffering from psychosis or acute post-traumatic stress disorder, and diagnosed him with only mild to moderate depression.\n\nOn the night of the murders, Reeves was caught on a security camera climbing the fence separating his garden from the victims' garden, and entering through the back door.\n\nThe court heard that the Chapples and Reeves previously had a good relationship but it had deteriorated when Mrs Chapple learned to drive and bought a second car.\n\nRows over parking spaces escalated to the point that Reeves' wife Kayley and Mrs Chapple had told their friends they were anxious about bumping into each other on the school run.\n\nThe Defence Secretary has until April 25 to respond to the coroner's report.\n\nFollow BBC West on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. Send your story ideas to: bristol@bbc.co.uk\n\nThe BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/uk-england-somerset-64896245"}
{"title":"Rare 'snow tornado' spotted by Shetland crofter - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-09","authors":null,"description":"Michael Peterson witnessed the phenomenon while feeding his sheep in snowy conditions.","section":null,"content":"Have you ever seen a \"snow tornado\"?\n\nMichael Peterson was feeding his sheep on his croft in Shetland when he spotted the rare weather event following a hailstorm on Tuesday.\n\nHe told BBC Radio Shetland he was lucky to be in the \"right place at the right time\".\n\nAn Arctic blast continues to hit many parts of Scotland, with school closures in Shetland, Aberdeenshire and Highland.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/uk-scotland-64900417"}
{"title":"Channel migrants: Rishi Sunak to meet Emmanuel Macron - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-09","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"After years of tense UK-France relations, it's all smiles ahead of a key Paris summit on Friday.","section":"World","content":"The French president and UK prime minister have much to discuss at Friday's summit\n\nParis is world famous for romance. But what about bromance (or romance fraternelle, as the UK's French cousins might say)?\n\nAn explosion of mutual admiration is predicted in the French capital this Friday when Prime Minister Rishi Sunak meets President Emmanuel Macron.\n\nBut is bromance exaggerated? Perhaps a bit glib?\n\nAfter seven years of pretty appalling Franco-British relations following the UK's Brexit vote, and with conventional warfare back and raging in Europe as Russia continues its bloody assault on Ukraine, there is a voracious appetite on both sides of the Channel for new beginnings and constructive co-operation.\n\nAnd there are remarkable similarities between the French and British leaders.\n\nFormer investment bankers and finance ministers, who attended elite schools, they are both ideologically from the centre-right. They were young when they took the reins of power: Mr Sunak is 42, while Mr Macron became the youngest president in French history at 39.\n\nRather diminutive in stature, the two men are hugely ambitious. Part of their \"let's get down to business\" image is a liking for signature, sharply tailored, slim-cut navy suits. France's Le Monde newspaper noted, in a flourish of sartorial snobbery, that Mr Sunak's seemed \"too tight\".\n\nBut there are other similarities the two men probably prefer not to boast about.\n\nFrance has been gripped by protests against Macron's plan to raise the retirement age to 64\n\nNeither of them has a convincing popular mandate. Mr Sunak became prime minister after his predecessor's resignation. Mr Macron's Renaissance party runs a minority government after punishing parliamentary elections.\n\nThe two leaders are beset by public sector strikes: over pay in the UK and pensions in France. Critics accuse them of arrogance at times and of seeming distant from the concerns of most voters. Mr Sunak, because of his personal wealth; the French president, for his grand manner. He's mockingly dubbed \"Jupiter\" at home, implying he sees himself as godlike, and also \"president of the rich\" because of some of his policies.\n\nOf course, Mr Sunak voted for Brexit, while Mr Macron once touted himself as Mr Europe. They are by no means two peas in a pod. But in a post-Brexit and post-pandemic world challenged by Russia and China, they share an apparent conviction that political pragmatism, rather than dogmatic ideology, is the order of the day.\n\nLondon and Paris have billed Friday's summit as ambitious - covering immigration, the environment, Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine, Iran's nuclear programme, civil nuclear co-operation, bilateral trade, youth opportunities, how to handle China and more.\n\nBut what can actually be achieved in such a short meeting? Is this more symbolism than content?\n\nRishi Sunak is trying to tackle the problem of people crossing the Channel from France in small boats\n\nMr Macron has a defence and security message uppermost in his mind. Mr Sunak has a big focus on migration, as I discuss below. But as the UK's ambassador to France Menna Rawlings pointed out in a French media interview, what was important was actually getting the two sides together at this high level after five years.\n\nMeetings like this between the UK and France used to happen pretty much annually. Covid has been a factor in the summit-freeze, of course, but it was the Brexit process that really opened a chasm of bad-tempered bitterness between these two countries with their long history of frenemy-ship.\n\nNow though, the enormity of the geopolitical crisis over Russia and Ukraine and the impact it's having on wider continental security and on energy prices has helped focus minds and calm relations, reminding both sides of the values they share.\n\nFrench political commentator Pierre Haski predicts Mr Macron will use the summit on Friday to showcase France and the UK as big military powers, standing side-by-side and shoulder-to-shoulder.\n\nThey are Europe's only significant military players (Germany's pledge to become one will take a very long time to realise). Both countries have a seat on the UN security council. Both are nuclear powers - testing their warheads at the same facility in France - and they've worked very closely together inside Nato since the start of Russia's invasion.\n\nThe UK and France are close military allies and Nato members\n\nMr Haski notes that Mr Macron, a long-time champion of boosting European defence (not necessarily an \"EU army\"), with individual countries investing more in security, has seen his dream finally taking shape - and yet it's been the US, not France, leading the way in the face of Moscow's aggression.\n\n\"He needs to be seen to be playing the Nato game,\" says Mr Haski.\n\nMeanwhile Mr Sunak will arrive in Paris this Friday with migration very much on his mind.\n\nHe's made stemming the arrival of migrants to the UK one of five pledges against which he says he should be judged by voters come next year's general election.\n\nBut tough words at home and a cosier relationship with Paris won't stop the people-smugglers' boats trying to cross the Channel. And this is an issue where expectations of the summit should probably be limited.\n\nNumbers have been steadily on the rise - 46,000 people crossed those waters in small boats last year alone - grabbing UK headlines, causing tragic loss of life and leading over time to much finger pointing between Britain and France.\n\nFrance and the UK have cooperated in recent years on the Channel migrant crisis, but people keep making the journey\n\nThe UK says Paris hasn't been doing enough to stop the dinghies leaving along France's coastline, despite increasing UK financial support. France rejects the accusation, saying it prevented over 30,000 people making the crossing last year. The French government receives an estimated three times as many asylum claims as the UK annually. It insists, when it comes to small boats across the Channel, it's suffering the effects of the UK's asylum policy - something the UK government strongly contests.\n\n\"Migration is not only an issue for the UK,\" an Elys\u00e9e official said again pointedly this week. \"We need to accept a broader focus. It is not Britain versus the continent, or Britain versus France. It is very much a global issue.\"\n\nBoth sides have already spoken of their ambitious co-operation agreements to crackdown on people smuggling gangs. They openly admit it's a shared problem. But what Mr Sunak is unlikely to get in public, or private, despite the new warm mood of Franco-British pragmatism, is an assurance from Mr Macron that France will take back asylum-seekers who've crossed the Channel from his country.\n\nThat scenario has been described to me by a number of French journalists as politically toxic. The left would accuse Mr Macron of doing the UK's policing for them, they say, while the far right would accuse him of filling up France with those they label \"illegal migrants\".\n\nIt's not the first time the French have protested to UK lawmakers that \"we have politics too.\"\n\nRussia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine is now in its second year - something the UK and France want to halt\n\nI heard the same argument often, during those bitter post-Brexit negotiations with the EU, where Mr Macron appeared to relish the role of \"bad cop\" - even though, in reality, his position was rarely dissimilar to that of the other big EU power, Germany.\n\nThe UK became engulfed in a domestic political crisis post-Brexit, but the concern of Mr Macron, an overt champion of the EU, those close to him would say, was that if the UK got the advantages of bloc membership after leaving (such as a favourable financial services deal or customs breaks) that would play into the hands of the increasingly popular French far right which, in those days, was agitating for \"Frexit\" - that is, France leaving the European Union.\n\nThat, in the French president's mind, according to Macron-watchers, was a key reason for sounding tough on Brexit, as well as the wider EU argument of \"protecting their single market\".\n\nFormer UK ambassador to France Peter Ricketts thinks Franco-British ties suffered particularly badly after Brexit because of the two countries' closeness:\n\n\"The friction of Brexit fell on to the UK-French relationship. We live next door to each other. No country has closer links to us in so many ways, whether it's through family, business, or war commemorations. We are so very alike that our relationship is often a competitive one. It's like sibling rivalry.\"\n\nMany UK politicians and much of the country's popular press believed Paris was out to punish its neighbour, dismissively nicknamed \"Les Rosbifs\". There were rows over customs, migrant smuggler dinghies and fishing rights (including the UK getting out the gunboats in 2021 as both countries postured out at sea). Boris Johnson's successor as prime minister, Liz Truss, publicly questioned whether the French president was a friend or foe to the United Kingdom.\n\nFrench relations with the UK have been tense in recent years\n\nBut now says, Pierre Haski, \"No-one in France talks about Brexit. It hardly features at all in the French media.\" Deals with the UK won't be viewed in those terms anymore. And EU membership is more popular in France these days, even if a distaste for Brussels' perceived interference is still widespread.\n\nIt's also important to point out, that while Franco-British political relations have been fractious and strained over the last years, contacts of course continued between the cross-Channel neighbours.\n\nAmbassador Ricketts spoke to me with enthusiasm about King Charles' upcoming trip to France, closely co-ordinated with Downing Street. You could say it's the icing on the g\u00e2teau of a sweeter Franco-British understanding.\n\nThis will be the King's first state visit. And the French, Peter Ricketts observes are \"really touched.\" It's a strong symbol of the ties between the two countries, he says, that rises above politics.\n\nThe French - who violently finished off their own monarchy a couple of hundred years ago - are rather obsessed by, you could say enamoured with, the British Royal Family, an influential figure at the Elys\u00e9e confided in me.\n\n\"We all watched the [TV series] The Crown. We were addicted,\" she gushed.\n\nQueen Elizabeth II made frequent visits to France during her reign, and spoke French fluently\n\nAhead of Friday's summit the Elys\u00e9e Palace told journalists that France and the UK are \"committed not only to work together, but to work together for the benefit of each other.\"\n\nTranslation: the two countries are no longer in post-Brexit defensive mode. There's a new confidence that cooperating and collaborating won't immediately be seen as a win for one, or the weakness of the other.\n\n\"Emmanuel Macron is willing to invest in Rishi Sunak,\" Lord Ricketts told me, even though the prime minister faces a general election next year, with the odds stacked against him.\n\nI once heard Franco-British relations likened to a climate, rather than an evolving relationship.\n\nIf that is the case, the weather is currently looking clement.\n\nRishi Sunak's recent Brexit deal with the EU over Northern Ireland has also really helped the bilateral atmosphere. Paving the way for possible new deals to ease other post-Brexit complications like trade hurdles at Dover and Calais, and job opportunities in France and the UK for youngsters.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/world-64891459"}
{"title":"Food fraud probe into beef falsely labelled as British - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-09","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"A supplier is under investigation after pre-packed meat was found to be from South America and Europe.","section":"Business","content":"The National Food Crime Unit (NFCU) is investigating potential food fraud involving pre-packed sliced beef which was labelled as British but came from South America and Europe.\n\nA supermarket in the UK has been forced to remove products from its shelves.\n\nThe unit has declined to name the retailer or the supplier of the meat.\n\nAndrew Quinn, deputy chief of the NFCU, said it was not a food safety issue but a matter of food fraud, which it takes very seriously.\n\nMr Quinn said: \"The retailer was notified on the same day that we took action against the food business suspected of the fraud and immediately removed all affected products from their shelves.\n\n\"The retailer continues to work closely and cooperatively with the NFCU investigation to progress the case against the supplier. This is not a food safety issue but a matter of food fraud.\"\n\nThe BBC has contacted UK supermarkets for comment. Tesco, Sainsbury's, Asda, Aldi, Lidl, the Co-op, Waitrose, Morrisons, Iceland and Marks & Spencer said they are not the retailer that had been supplied with the beef.\n\nCharlotte Di Cello, Waitrose commercial director, said: \"We know each and every farmer that produces our Waitrose beef. At Waitrose, higher welfare means higher welfare and British means British. These standards are fundamental to our makeup and this will never change.\"\n\nThe investigation - codenamed \"Operation Hawk\" - was made public in December by the Food Standards Agency, which is the parent body of the NFCU.\n\nAt the time it said it was looking into the directors of a company which sold large volumes of pre-packed meat to UK supermarket retailer \"who pride themselves on only selling British products\".\n\nHowever, it did not disclose details of the probe, including what type of meat was in question.\n\nSome trade associations told Farmers Weekly magazine, which revealed that beef was at the centre of the investigation, they were disappointed that it had taken until now for some facts to be released.\n\nA spokesman for the Association of Independent Meat Suppliers, said: \"It is only today that we have found the product concerned is beef, and it is our belief, given the popularity of sliced cooked beef across all trade channels, that its sale by food fraudsters will not have been limited to a single supermarket.\n\n\"The NFCU's current play book has the potential to damage UK overseas trade simply by their policy of a lack of transparency and industry engagement.\"\n\nThe NFCU's Mr Quinn said: \"Any fraud investigations of this nature take time to go through evidence and bring to any outcome, including any potential prosecution.\n\n\"We take food fraud very seriously and are acting urgently to protect the consumer.\"","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/business-64904334"}
{"title":"Weather forecast for the UK - BBC Weather","published_date":"2023-03-09","authors":null,"description":"Weather forecast for the UK","section":null,"content":"This is the weather forecast for the UK.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/weather\/forecast-video\/21416743"}
{"title":"Doctors' strike threatens tackling backlog, warn NHS bosses - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-09","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"Health leaders say it is inevitable next week's 72-hour walkout in England will have an impact.","section":"Health","content":"Data for England is shown by NHS trust, where the trust includes at least one hospital with a Type 1 A&E department. Type 1 means a consultant-led 24 hour A&E service with full resuscitation facilities. Data for Wales and Scotland is shown by Health Board and in Northern Ireland by Health and Social Care Trust.\n\nWhen you enter a postcode for a location in England you will be shown a list of NHS trusts in your area. They will not necessarily be in order of your closest hospital as some trusts have more than one hospital. Data for Wales and Scotland are shown by NHS board and by Health and Social Care trust in Northern Ireland.\n\nComparative data is shown for a previous year where available. However, where trusts have merged there is no like-for-like comparison to show. Earlier data is not available for all measures, so comparisons between years are not always possible.\n\nA&E attendances include all emergency departments in that trust or health board, not just major A&E departments, for example, those who attend minor injury units.\n\nEach nation has different target times for some of the measures shown, therefore comparisons between them may not be possible.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/health-64827249"}
{"title":"Up to 30,000 Russian casualties claimed in Bakhmut - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-09","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"The number of killed and wounded is out of proportion to the city's worth, say Western officials.","section":"Europe","content":"Bakhmut has lost most of its pre-war population since the start of the Russian invasion\n\nBetween 20,000 and 30,000 Russian troops have been killed and wounded in the battle for the Ukrainian city of Bakhmut since it began last summer, Western officials say.\n\nThe epic nature of the battle is out of all proportion to Bakhmut's strategic significance, they add.\n\nBut after more than six months of grinding, horrific fighting, the future of Bakhmut still hangs in the balance.\n\nSince the fighting began, some 90% of its pre-invasion population has fled.\n\nThis small administrative city in the Donbas is a wasteland of shattered buildings and trees.\n\nEven if it falls to Russia - something that could still take time and is not guaranteed - Moscow will, Western officials say, have gained little and lost much.\n\nFor Ukraine, one official said, the battle for Bakhmut has been \"a unique opportunity to kill a lot of Russians\".\n\nUkraine's military has also paid a heavy price, although Western officials reject figures cited on Tuesday by Russia's defence minister.\n\nIn a statement to a defence meeting, posted on Telegram, Sergei Shoigu said Ukraine had lost 11,000 troops in February alone.\n\n\"The Kyiv regime's indifference towards its own people is astonishing,\" Mr Shoigu claimed, perhaps deliberately flipping Ukraine's criticism of Moscow's own human-wave tactics on its head.\n\nBy contrast, they believe the Wagner mercenary group, which has led Russia's attempt to capture Bakhmut, is running short of manpower and equipment.\n\nIn the latest in a series of broadsides against the Russian military, Wagner's boss Yevgeny Prigozhin accused the Russian military of failing to supply the ammunition Wagner needs to take the city.\n\nThis, Prigozhin argued, was the result of \"ordinary bureaucracy or a betrayal\".\n\nWhatever happens to Bakhmut - one official said he thought the Russian effort was \"stalling\" - there's a clear hope among Ukraine's allies that the battle has wrecked Moscow's chances of making any further meaningful headway in the near future.\n\nOne Western official dismissed the battle for Bakhmut as \"quite a small tactical event\" which held no strategic significance \"for either side\".\n\nIn his remarks posted on Telegram, Sergei Shoigu said the \"liberation of Artyomovsk [the Russian name for Bakhmut] continues,\" and he suggested that it would represent a breakthrough.\n\n\"The city is an important defensive hub for Ukrainian forces in the Donbas,\" he said. \"Taking control of it will allow\u2026 further offensive actions into the Ukrainian military's defensive lines.\"\n\nBut Western officials said there was currently no sign of any wider Russian offensive.\n\nThe general in charge of Moscow's war effort, Valery Gerasimov, they said, was \"under pressure\".\n\n\"It's hard to see how he's going\u2026 to regain the initiative,\"\n\nThis isn't the first time Kyiv's Western backers have suggested that Moscow's campaign has come unstuck. Similar claims were made following Ukraine's lightning counter-offensives last autumn.\n\nBut Russia's territorial gains over the winter have been extremely modest.\n\nMeanwhile, Ukraine has been receiving fresh batches of Western military equipment, including tanks and other armoured vehicles, and laying plans for its own offensive, which could come as early as May.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/world-europe-64880268"}
{"title":"England 10-53 France: Hosts slump to record home defeat against Six Nations holders - BBC Sport","published_date":"2023-03-11","authors":null,"description":"France produce a ruthless display to condemn England to their heaviest home defeat and keep their Six Nations title defence alive with a seven-try win.","section":null,"content":"France produced a ruthless display to condemn England to their heaviest home defeat and keep their Six Nations title defence alive with a seven-try win.\n\nThomas Ramos scored the first of France's tries before Thibaud Flament powered over from close range.\n\nCharles Ollivon added a third to hand France a 24-point lead at the break.\n\nFreddie Steward crossed but Flament and Ollivon did so again and Damian Penaud scored twice as England fell to the third biggest defeat in their history.\n\nVictory with the full quota of five points means France will take the title race into the final weekend, regardless of Ireland's result against Scotland on Sunday.\n\nFrance, who had not won in the Six Nations at Twickenham since 2005, showed exactly why they are the number two side in the world and among the favourites to win the World Cup on home soil in six months.\n\nMeanwhile, England's title challenge is over in humiliating fashion and means this is the first Six Nations campaign where they have lost two home matches.\n\nIt is a stark reminder of the work they need to do to catch the best teams in the world - and things could get even worse with a trip to face Grand Slam-chasing world number one side Ireland in Dublin next weekend.\n\nThere was a noticeable buzz as England fans made their way to Twickenham with Marcus Smith given a chance to steer the ship at fly-half following his excellent display for Harlequins over the same blades of grass last weekend.\n\nSmith was given the nod instead of the experienced Owen Farrell, who dropped to the bench, with the hope it would ignite the England attack.\n\nBut you could still feel the heat from the pre-game stadium pyrotechnics when Ramos opened the scoring in the first minute with his third try of the tournament.\n\nFrance sniffed an opportunity and moved the ball wide quickly for the full-back to scamper clear. It was a sign of what was to come.\n\nFlament had a short run-up before bursting on to a flat pass to carry three white shirts over the line for the second, and Ollivon momentarily wore Smith on his back for the third.\n\nThe game was out of sight by the interval and England had barely laid a glove as they trailed by their biggest ever half-time deficit at home.\n\nThe hosts must have had the stern words of Steve Borthwick and his staff ringing in their ears as they emerged for the second half like a different team.\n\nSmith's crossfield kick almost reached Max Malins on the full before Steward used all his might to crash over near the posts.\n\nScrum-half Alex Mitchell had been introduced off the bench and immediately injected pace into the England attack, while Farrell replaced centre Henry Slade.\n\nThe volume went up a level but France showed the clinical edge their hosts were lacking and the influence of the world-class Antoine Dupont began to tell.\n\nThe France captain nudged the ball over the England defence for Romain Ntamack to palm back to Flament for the bonus point, and England's fire was extinguished.\n\nMore boot to ball in the swirling rain and more white shirts running backwards. This time Smith collected the ball deep in English territory before being hauled down as Ollivon claimed the loose ball for try number five.\n\nEngland had thrown in the towel but France were intent on adding to their misery. Gael Fickou's crossfield kick bounced fortuitously for Penaud and then it was a race between the wing and Alex Dombrandt with only one winner.\n\nPenaud was over again moments later after latching on to a flat pass to run England's noses in it for the seventh try.\n\nFormer England scrum-half Matt Dawson on BBC Radio 5 Live: \"There are no excuses. From the off, England have not been at the races. It's miserable for England fans, the players, the management.\n\n\"I'd like to say you write it off as a bad performance but England were exposed. Ireland will be watching this game thinking we can do that. We can play that way. We can manipulate England in that manner.\n\n\"It will put more doubt into the England coaching set-up. We have questioned whether England are playing the right game. They cannot expect to win games against the top teams if they play in that manner.\"\n\u2022 None The A-list movie star sits down for an honest chat with Tony Bellew\n\u2022 None Listen to all-new versions of her greatest hits and a classic cover","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/sport\/rugby-union\/64928055"}
{"title":"Fears of a hidden rise in Roma children in care - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-11","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"Court cases show families in acute need, but unable to access benefits due to lack of settled status.","section":"UK","content":"Roma community workers in Bradford say there has been a rise in the number of Roma children subject to care proceedings, but they may not be visible in official data, because parents fear discrimination if they identify themselves as Roma or Gypsy.\n\nCare cases we observed during a family court reporting pilot at Leeds Family Court showed some Roma families were in acute financial difficulty, and their children were living in homes without adequate food or heating.\n\nMost Roma families in Bradford are originally from Eastern Europe, and settled after 2004 when citizens of new EU states were allowed to move to the UK.\n\nHowever, some have not obtained settled status required by the Home Office since Brexit for EU nationals permanently resident in the UK.\n\nThat means they are not entitled to access services and benefits.\n\nIn one case we followed, Bradford council took several young children from one family into care six months ago.\n\nThe father is abroad and told the council he wanted the children to live with him outside the UK. The father had not instructed a lawyer and did not participate in the proceedings.\n\nThe mother was in prison, and was expected to be released shortly. Her barrister told the court the mother wanted the children to live with her again.\n\nThe mother was learning English, and wanted to turn her life around, the lawyer said. She added, \"She has shown me that she is really determined\".\n\nCourt papers show that social workers first contacted the family in 2020.\n\nThe parents had separated, and the mother was living with her own family. There were violent incidents in the home.\n\nIn August 2021, the police were called and \"noted that there seemed to be no electricity as the landlord had cut off the supply,\" the papers show. The children were \"seen to be dirty and dishevelled\" there was \"limited fresh food\" in the house.\n\nThe council moved the mother to emergency accommodation. Social workers remained worried, noting a lack of food, even though the mother was being given supplies. Unknown adults were staying with the family, and the children's school attendance was \"still an issue\".\n\nThe youngest child appeared unwell to social workers, but was not being taken to health appointments. Professionals \"had to intervene to book GP appointments\" for the children.\n\nBecause of problems with the temporary accommodation, the council moved the family to a hotel. Staff there alerted social workers that the mother was leaving the children alone there \"for hours at a time\". In May 2022, staff came across a small bag containing white powder. The mother \"accepted to social care that she was using cocaine\".\n\nShe was then arrested and detained, and the children taken into care. The court was told they are doing well in their foster placements, especially one little boy.\n\n\"In the short time he has been in placement, we have seen an immediate change in his presentation,\" the report said.\n\n\"He is chatty and comfortable expressing his wishes and feelings.\"\n\nThere will be another hearing in May.\n\nThe mother in this case did not have settled status, and the council had been helping her try to get it for herself and the children. But she said she did not have their identification documents as they were with the father.\n\nDaniel Balaz runs the community interest company \"Connecting Roma\" to help families and Bradford Children's Services work together. He said it was not an accident that we observed several care cases involving Roma families in Bradford - even though the community are a small minority in the city.\n\nBradford has a population of over half a million people, and it's estimated there are between 13,000 and 20,000 Roma.\n\nMr Balaz said he was seeing more cases involving children of Roma heritage because families were under acute financial pressure. The deadline for resident EU citizens to apply to the Home Office for settled status was two years ago, but many had missed it.\n\nHe said it was common for Roma to lack the paperwork they need to complete an application.\n\nMr Balaz said it was unlikely the increase he had observed would show up in official data, because so many Roma families were reluctant to identify themselves as Roma or gypsy.\n\n\"They feel they would be stereotyped or discriminated against,\" he said, adding that now they were also \"reluctant\" to put down their country of origin.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/uk-64919261"}
{"title":"Gary Lineker: Impartiality row leads to fresh calls for BBC chairman to resign - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-11","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"The BBC chairman is under renewed pressure with the broadcaster in the grip of a major impartiality row.","section":"UK","content":"Pressure is growing on BBC chairman Richard Sharp to resign amid the Gary Lineker impartiality row.\n\nLiberal Democrat leader Sir Ed Davey said the presenter's suspension \"has shown failure at the top\".\n\nMr Sharp's appointment is being investigated over his relationship with Boris Johnson. He denies wrongdoing.\n\nBut ex-BBC head Greg Dyke said the Sharp allegations had \"helped fuel the perception\" the corporation bowed to government pressure on Lineker.\n\nFresh questions are being asked about Mr Sharp's position in light of another impartiality row involving Match of the Day host Lineker.\n\nAn ongoing KC-led review into Mr Sharp's appointment as BBC chairman is investigating whether he failed to properly disclose details of his involvement in the facilitation of an \u00a3800,000 loan guarantee for the then PM Boris Johnson. He has denied any involvement in the arrangement of a loan for Mr Johnson.\n\nThe BBC is also conducting its own internal review over any potential conflicts of interest Mr Sharp may have in his current role as BBC chairman.\n\nAn MPs' committee said Mr Sharp made \"significant errors of judgement\" in doing so while applying for the BBC job. He insists he got the job on merit.\n\nMr Sharp has previously admitted the affair had embarrassed the BBC but insisted he had \"acted in good faith to ensure that the rules were followed\".\n\nLineker's suspension for his criticism of the language used around the government's asylum policy and likening its rhetoric to Nazi Germany triggered an impromptu walkout by BBC Sport staff that has taken TV and radio coverage off air.\n\nLib Dem leader Sir Ed said the government had \"systematically attacked and undermined the independence of our BBC\" and that the chairman's position was \"totally untenable\".\n\n\"We need leadership at the BBC that upholds our proud British values and can withstand today's consistently turbulent politics and Conservative bullying tactics,\" he added.\n\nMr Dyke, who led the BBC between 2000 and 2004, said Lineker's suspension was a \"mistake\" and \"undermined its own credibility\".\n\nThe decision to suspend Lineker was signed off by director general Tim Davie who, unlike Mr Sharp, is not appointed by the government.\n\nMr Sharp has previously accepted he set up a meeting between the Cabinet Office and Sam Blyth, a Canadian multi-millionaire and distant cousin of Mr Johnson who had offered to help him financially.\n\nThe Cabinet Secretary Simon Case instructed Mr Sharp to have no further involvement in the loan discussions as it could raise conflict of interest issues in light of his BBC application.\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser.\n\nMr Sharp, who has insisted he got the job on merit, did not disclose his involvement in arranging the meeting when he was vetted ahead of his appointment.\n\nThe process is being investigated by the Commissioner for Public Appointments and the BBC Board has said it will review his conflicts of interest without giving a timeline for when it will be completed.\n\nBBC culture and media editor Katie Razzall makes the point that the organisation has no say in its chairman's appointment and that as a board member, Mr Sharp does not have a say in editorial matters.\n\nThe chairman is in charge of upholding and protecting the BBC's independence and ensuring the BBC fulfils its mission to inform, educate and entertain, among other things.\n\nMr Sharp was named as the government's preferred candidate for the BBC chairmanship in January 2021 and at the time the Commons Digital, Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) Committee backed his appointment.\n\nThe government's choice is ultimately decided by the prime minister - at the time Mr Johnson - on the advice of the culture secretary, who is in turn advised by a panel.\n\nAs he is appointed by the government, Mr Sharp can only be sacked by the secretary of state or resign, he cannot be axed by the BBC.\n\nLabour's shadow culture secretary Lucy Powell said Mr Sharp is \"totally unable\" to handle the Lineker row and has written to Culture Secretary Lucy Frazer asking for his position to be \"urgently clarified\".\n\nShe wrote: \"He is the one who should be giving staff, viewers and complainants the confidence that the organisation has acted proportionately and fairly. He is totally unable to perform this function.\"\n\nMs Powell also called on Ms Frazer to give details on any conversations she had with Mr Sharp, as well as Director General Tim Davie and other BBC executives about Lineker's suspension.\n\nFormer journalist Baroness Wheatcroft, a crossbench peer who sits on the Lords Communications and Digital Committee, added the BBC should \"call for the suspension\" of \"clearly political\" Mr Sharp after the Lineker row.\n\nShe told BBC Radio 4's Today programme: \"The problem is that the BBC has guidelines, but it doesn't apply them fairly. Guidelines only work if they are applied right across the board within the scope of the guidelines, and clearly the BBC has failed on that.\"\n\nFormer head of BBC TV News and director of sport, Roger Mosey, also called for Mr Sharp to go as he said the chairman had \"damaged the BBC's credibility\".\n\nHe wrote on Twitter: \"Ideally, Lineker should stay within clear, agreed guidelines. And the BBC should send out its executives to be interviewed and explain how they intend to resolve this crisis.\"\n\nProf Steven Barnett, professor of communications at the University of Westminster, told BBC News he had supported Mr Sharp's appointment but now thought he should go.\n\n\"It is clear it is now a big question mark over the whole of the BBC's output and commitment to impartiality,\" he says.\n\nDowning Street previously said it was reserving judgement on Mr Sharp's appointment until investigations are completed.\n\nThe BBC has approached Mr Sharp for comment.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/uk-64926923"}
{"title":"Mikaela Shiffrin: American skier wins 87th World Cup to break long-standing record - BBC Sport","published_date":"2023-03-11","authors":null,"description":"Mikaela Shiffrin becomes the greatest Alpine skier of all time with her 87th World Cup win - exactly 12 years after making her debut.","section":null,"content":"Last updated on .From the section Winter Sports\n\nMikaela Shiffrin became the greatest Alpine skier of all time with her 87th World Cup win - exactly 12 years after making her debut.\n\nSlalom victory in Are, Sweden, saw the 27-year-old American surpass the record of 86 held by Swede Ingemar Stenmark since 1989.\n\nShe had drawn level with Stenmark in winning the giant slalom on Friday.\n\nShiffrin, who won her first World Cup in the same resort in 2012, said her achievement was \"hard to comprehend\".\n\nShe clocked one minute 41.77 seconds across her two runs, putting her 0.92 seconds ahead of Switzerland's Wendy Holdener in the standings.\n\n\"The best feeling is to ski on the second run when you have a lead,\" said Shiffrin.\n\n\"You have to be smart but also I just wanted to be fast too and ski the second run like its own race, and I did it exactly how I wanted and that's amazing.\"\n\nShiffrin, who turns 28 on Monday, was surprised on the finish line by her brother, Taylor, who she did not know was in attendance.\n\nThe Colorado native made her World Cup debut on 11 March 2011, competing in the giant slalom in the Czech Republic.\n\nThis season she has amassed 13 wins across all disciplines so far and has secured the overall, slalom and giant slalom World Cup crystal globes.\n\nMeanwhile on the men's World Cup circuit, Marco Odermatt wrapped up his second successive overall title with giant slalom victory in Kranjska Gora.\n\nHe leads Norway's Aleksander Aamodt Kilde by 486 points with five races remaining, but retained his title with Kilde - Shiffrin's partner - skipping this weekend's giant slalom races.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/sport\/winter-sports\/64925857"}
{"title":"Li Qiang: China appoints Xi Jinping ally as premier - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-11","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"Li Qiang received almost every vote from more than 2,900 delegates at the rubber-stamp parliament.","section":"China","content":"Li Qiang, left, is the former Communist Party leader of Shanghai\n\nThe man nominated as China's next premier by President Xi Jinping has been formally appointed by parliament.\n\nLi Qiang, the former Communist Party leader of the country's biggest city of Shanghai, will now lead the government, replacing retiring Li Keqiang.\n\nThe 63-year-old received almost every vote from more than 2,900 delegates at the National People's Congress.\n\nA close ally of Mr Xi, he is seen as a pragmatist and will be tasked with reviving China's struggling economy.\n\nNew ministerial appointments are expected to be announced on Sunday.\n\nNo reporters were allowed in the room while ballots were cast during a meeting of China's rubber-stamp parliament. There was applause as Mr Xi cast his vote.\n\nMr Li - who is now the second-highest ranking official in China's political system - received a total of 2,936 votes, with just three delegates voting against his appointment and eight abstaining.\n\nHe then took an oath, swearing to be loyal to China's constitution and to \"work hard to build a prosperous, strong, democratic, civilised, harmonious and great modern socialist country\".\n\nMr Li was President Xi's chief of staff in the early 2000s, when Mr Xi was party chief of Zhejiang province. Mr Li was made party secretary of Shanghai in 2017.\n\nDuring the pandemic, he oversaw Shanghai's strict lockdown, which led to some residents struggling to access food and medical care.\n\nHis appointment comes after Mr Xi secured a historic third term as president on Friday.\n\nThe president has solidified his rule as China reopens from his bruising zero-Covid policy that has fuelled anti-government protests. The country is also facing a falling birth rate that threatens its economic growth engine.\n\nThe so-called Two Sessions of the National People's Congress and the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC) this week is closely watched as it provides a glimpse into China's direction in the coming years.\n\nSince Mao Zedong, leaders in China had been limited to two terms in office. When Mr Xi had this restriction changed in 2018, it transformed him into a figure with a reach not seen since Chairman Mao.\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. WATCH: Why China's president gets two teacups...in 59 seconds","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/world-asia-china-64924440"}
{"title":"Snow and ice disrupt schools, roads and trains in Wales - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-11","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"Areas of north and west Wales can expect up to a foot of snow on Friday, the Met Office warns.","section":"Wales","content":"This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser.\n\nHeavy snow has caused widespread disruption to schools, roads and rail services in mid and north Wales for a second day.\n\nA Met Office yellow warning for snow was in place until about midday as the Arctic blast continued to hit the UK.\n\nA further yellow warning for ice until 10:00 GMT on Saturday warns of temperatures as low as -11C (12F).\n\nMore than 350 schools were closed on Friday and people were urged to avoid travelling.\n\nSixty-two homes in Merthyr Tydfil lost power on Friday morning but this has since been restored.\n\nMeanwhile, SP Energy Networks also reported power cuts in the Mold area, at Carmel, Greenfield, near Holywell, in the Whitford area, Flintshire, and at Bwlchgwyn, near Wrexham.\n\nTransport for Wales has suspended its trains between Blaenau Ffestiniog and Llandudno, and Shrewsbury and Llanelli via the Heart of Wales on Friday due to the weather.\n\nThe provider added that passengers were advised not to attempt travel.\n\nThis Twitter post cannot be displayed in your browser. Please enable Javascript or try a different browser. View original tweet on Twitter The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Skip twitter post by Trafnidiaeth Cymru Trenau Transport for Wales Rail 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\u2019s cookie policy, external and privacy policy, external before accepting. To view this content choose \u2018accept and continue\u2019. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. End of twitter post by Trafnidiaeth Cymru Trenau Transport for Wales Rail\n\nHeavy snowfall led to the closure of several major roads on Friday, but traffic conditions improved throughout the day.\n\nThe A458 remains closed in both directions at Buttington, Powys, from the Buttingdon roundabout to Halfway House.\n\nA section of the A55 was closed earlier but has since re-opened, Traffic Wales said.\n\nTraffic cameras show snowy conditions on the A55 in Flintshire\n\nNorth Wales Police said it was \"advising motorists to only travel if necessary\" on Friday morning.\n\n\"We are experiencing a high number of calls, please be patient and only use the 999 line in an emergency,\" the force added.\n\nThis Twitter post cannot be displayed in your browser. Please enable Javascript or try a different browser. View original tweet on Twitter The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Skip twitter post 2 by Derek Brockway - weatherman 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\u2019s cookie policy, external and privacy policy, external before accepting. To view this content choose \u2018accept and continue\u2019. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.\n\nIt is estimated some areas could see up to 30cm (12in) of snow, with a snow depth of 27cm (10.6in) at Capel Curig, Conwy county, the greatest depth so far recorded in the UK.\n\nAt 09:00, Met Office weather stations recorded 16cm (6in) of snowfall in Lake Vyrnwy, Powys, 5cm (1.9in) in Hawarden, Flintshire and Bala, Gwynedd, and 4cm (1.5in) in Sennybridge, Powys.\n\nAt Llanrwst, Conwy county, paramedic Tom McLay skied to his job in the town's ambulance station from his home in Capel Curig about 9 miles (14kms) away.\n\nThis Twitter post cannot be displayed in your browser. Please enable Javascript or try a different browser. View original tweet on Twitter The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Skip twitter post 3 by Welsh Ambulance 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\u2019s cookie policy, external and privacy policy, external before accepting. To view this content choose \u2018accept and continue\u2019. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.\n\nLynda Jones, who owns Fronheulog Caravan Park in Lake Vyrnwy, said she was \"so glad\" the caravan site is shut until 1 April.\n\nThe site homes sheep and two horses, which she admitted were lapping up the snow.\n\n\"They love it because they're so young - they're out in the snow playing, they're like little kids,\" she said.\n\nKatie Wilby, of Flintshire council, told Radio Wales Breakfast: \"It's pretty challenging conditions. We've had gritting crews out ploughing and gritting all night. We've had extra vehicles out.\n\n\"There has been significant snowfall overnight. We've seen 20 to 40 centimetres in places, particularly on high ground, but I think most parts of Flintshire have seen snow this morning and will wake up to snow.\n\n\"It's coming down as fast as we're clearing it at the moment so it's really tricky.\"\n\nMs Wilby added that the authority has spread about 360 tonnes of gritting salt and covered 1,466 miles (2,360km) of road in 36 hours.\n\nShe said some disruption must be expected, adding: \"We are working really hard to keep the roads open but I would advise that people don't travel unless absolutely necessary.\"\n\nThis Twitter post cannot be displayed in your browser. Please enable Javascript or try a different browser. View original tweet on Twitter The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Skip twitter post 4 by Arriva Buses Wales 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\u2019s cookie policy, external and privacy policy, external before accepting. To view this content choose \u2018accept and continue\u2019. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.\n\nCouncillor Hugh Jones, lead member for environment at Wrexham council, added: \"All our resources have been out overnight. The work has been hampered by a number of fallen trees as well, but we have managed to get the main routes open.\n\n\"The advice is if you don't have to travel, don't travel, because there will be enough people who have to travel to spread the salt.\n\n\"People have to understand that our teams have been working for over 24 hours, so it's really a tough time.\"\n\nArriva bus said that Wrexham services suspended on Friday morning have since returned to operation but buses would only be using the main roads until further notice.\n\nBoth Wrexham and Flintshire councils have also confirmed that all refuse and recycling collections will be suspended on Friday, with updates posted to their respective websites.\n\nTucker and Molly enjoying the snow in Pandy, Wrexham on Thursday\n\nHelen Kynaston, of the Newtown Community Cafe in Powys: \"This morning it was snowing really heavily early on.\n\n\"Yesterday was a major challenge and we only had a handful of customers, but our chef managed to get in. It took my neighbours and I about three-quarters of an hour to dig [us] out.\n\n\"We made the bowling club really nice and warm and we had requests from our regular customers who really struggled, so we delivered to them which we don't normally do on a Thursday.\"\n\nThis Twitter post cannot be displayed in your browser. Please enable Javascript or try a different browser. View original tweet on Twitter The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Skip twitter post 5 by BBC Weather 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\u2019s cookie policy, external and privacy policy, external before accepting. To view this content choose \u2018accept and continue\u2019. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.\n\nMeanwhile, Brian Dulson from Tanat Valley Coaches said the company has had to cancel its Powys services for a second day.\n\nHe said: \"Still pretty heavy in the last couple of hours. Our local schools are closed.\n\n\"Everywhere the snow is really bad, so it's getting the buses out because if you get stuck in the snow it's a nuisance. We've got little lanes and side roads, our routes are not just on the main roads.\"","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/uk-wales-64912164"}
{"title":"Gary Lineker: BBC director general Tim Davie's interview in full - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-11","authors":null,"description":"Watch Nomia Iqbal's full interview with the BBC director general on the Gary Lineker crisis.","section":null,"content":"Tim Davie, the BBC's director general, says he will not resign over the fallout related to Gary Lineker's removal from Match of the Day.\n\nIn this interview, he is pressed by correspondent Nomia Iqbal on trust in the BBC, accusations of double standards and whether he faced pressure from the government to remove Lineker.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/uk-64928580"}
{"title":"Sharon Stone says Basic Instinct role cost her custody of her son - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-11","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"Her famous flash in the 1992 erotic thriller made the judge rule for the father, she says.","section":"US & Canada","content":"Sharon Stone's famous flash in the 1992 hit movie Basic Instinct made the judge award custody of her son to the father, the actress says.\n\nActress Sharon Stone says one of her most famous roles caused her to lose custody of her son in 2004.\n\nHer famous flash in the 1992 Basic Instinct warped perceptions of her, Stone said on a podcast.\n\n\"Do you know your mother makes sex movies?\" Stone recalled the judge asking her four-year-old son.\n\nBacklash from the scene, where she briefly exposes herself while crossing her legs, has made her avoid similar roles, she says.\n\nStone and her then-husband Ron Bronstein adopted their son, Roan, in 2000. But when the couple divorced in 2004, the judge awarded custody to Mr Bronstein.\n\nThe loss caused Stone severe heartache, she told host Bruce Bozzi on the Table for Two podcast.\n\n\"I ended up in the Mayo Clinic with extra heartbeats in my upper and lower chamber of my heart,\" Stone said. \"It literally broke my heart.\"\n\nConsidering how much sex and nudity appears on TV today, Stone said, her treatment after the hit movie was brutal.\n\n\"You saw maybe like a 16th of a second of possible nudity of me,\" Stone said. \"And I lost custody of my child.\"\n\nStone said others in Hollywood judged her for her role in the erotic thriller as Catherine Tramell, a novelist who seduces a police detective, played by Michael Douglas.\n\n\"I got nominated for a Golden Globe for that part, and when I went to the Golden Globes and they called my name, a bunch of people in the room laughed,\" Stone said.\n\n\"I was so humiliated,\" she said. \"I was like, does anybody have any idea how hard it was to play that part? How gut-wrenching and frightening\"?\n\nStone said she now avoids roles that cast women in a sexualised light or with dark personalities. But she added that fans should not confuse actors with their characters.\n\n\"The guy who played Jeffery Dahmer \u2014 no one thinks he's a [person] who eats people,\" Stone said. \"It makes him a very complex person who took an incredibly difficult part.\"","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/world-us-canada-64892225"}
{"title":"Budget 2023: Universal credit claimants to get more childcare cost help - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-11","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"The announcement in next week's Budget is part of government plans to encourage people back to work.","section":"Business","content":"Parents claiming universal credit are to get more help with childcare costs under government's plans to encourage people back into work.\n\nThe chancellor will announce in his Budget on Wednesday that the government will start paying childcare costs up front for those on the benefit.\n\nCharities have warned the current scheme of paying and claiming a refund risks people getting into debt.\n\nJeremy Hunt says the Budget aims to put the country on a path to growth.\n\nAt the moment, people in England, Scotland and Wales who are eligible for the current support pay childcare costs upfront and then claim a refund.\n\nBut the support has also been frozen at \u00a3646-a-month per child for several years, meaning it has not kept up with the rising cost of care.\n\nMr Hunt is also expected to announced that the maximum amount people can claim for childcare on universal credit will be increased by several hundred pounds. An exact figure for the increase has not yet been given.\n\nUnder the plans set to be announced, benefit claimants will be asked to attend more meetings with work coaches and attend skills bootcamps to help them get back to work.\n\nThe government's \"back to work\" plan will also aim to get over-50s in employment, as well as people with disabilities and those on long-term sickness.\n\nSpeaking ahead of the Budget, the chancellor said: \"For many people, there are barriers preventing them from moving into work - lack of skills, a disability or health condition, or having been out of the jobs market for an extended period of time.\n\n\"I want this back-to-work Budget to break down these barriers and help people find jobs that are right for them.\n\n\"We need to plug the skills gaps and give people the qualifications, support and incentives they need to get into work.\"\n\nChancellor Jeremy Hunt will announce plans for childcare payments in the Budget on Wednesday\n\nIt comes after BBC News previously reported unemployment was almost at its lowest rate since the 1970s after official figures showed around 1.3 million people in the UK were unemployed in December 2022 (an unemployment rate of 3.7%).\n\nThe average annual price for full-time nursery childcare in England for a child under-two was more than \u00a314,000 in 2022, according to children's charity Coram.\n\nThis means the cost of childcare in the UK is among the most expensive in the world, according to the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) - taking up nearly 30% of the income of a couple with two young children.\n\nAnd a survey of 24,000 parents, which was published this month by campaign group Pregnant Then Screwed, found 76% of mothers who pay for childcare feel it no longer makes financial sense for them to work, according to Reuters.\n\nLauren Fabianski, head of campaigns and communications at Pregnant Then Screwed, added childcare and early years education should be seen as infrastructure.\n\nShe said: \"Parents cannot work without good quality, affordable childcare. We have to see the government invest in this in order to get more women back into the workplace.\"\n\nLabour's shadow work and pension's secretary Jonathan Ashworth said: \"Over recent months, Labour has outlined welfare reforms to get Britain back to work and now the Tories are following our lead.\"\n\nLast month, the International Monetary Fund (IMF) warned the UK economy will shrink this year, even though every other major economy will grow.\n\nThe Bank of England also predicted a recession in the UK this year - although it is likely to be shorter and not as severe than previously forecast.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/business-64927833"}
{"title":"Manchester Arena: Ex-bomb suspect regained citizenship in MI5 U-turn - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-11","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"Security services no longer suspect Mohammed Soliman helped plan the Manchester Arena attack.","section":"UK","content":"Mohammed Soliman was detained for eight months after losing his British citizenship, his mother said\n\nA former suspect in the Manchester Arena bombing had his British citizenship revoked and then returned after MI5 changed its view of his role in the attack, the BBC can reveal.\n\nMohammed Soliman, 26, was arrested in Libya after being stripped of his citizenship over suspicions he helped prepare the May 2017 attack.\n\nHe appealed the decision and said he was mistreated while detained in Libya.\n\nBut the government avoided a court case by returning his citizenship in 2021.\n\nHe has always said he did not knowingly help the bombers.\n\nThe Home Office declined to answer specific questions about the case, but said the UK has one of the world's most robust counter-terror systems.\n\nBy not proceeding to a full hearing, the court did not consider Mr Soliman's claims about ill treatment in Libya or how he came to be arrested there, including any role played by British intelligence.\n\nHe was detained for eight months, his mother said in a police witness statement.\n\nThe BBC has been told he was arrested on the basis of information from the UK.\n\nReporting restrictions preventing Mr Soliman from being named in relation to these events have now been lifted after the BBC wrote to the court, allowing the story to be told for the first time.\n\nTwenty-two people were killed and hundreds injured when Salman Abedi detonated a suicide bomb at the end of an Ariana Grande concert.\n\nMI5 has said publicly that its assessment is that no-one other than Salman and his brother Hashem Abedi, who is serving life in prison, were knowingly involved in the bomb plot.\n\nA public inquiry last week was critical of MI5's decision making before the attack. It also said the brothers were probably helped by an unknown source in Libya.\n\nDuring the early weeks of the police investigation, over 20 people were arrested.\n\nA key feature of the case soon emerged: the Abedi brothers had asked several friends and relatives to buy chemicals used to make the bomb.\n\nMr Soliman, who worked in a takeaway with Hashem Abedi, was among them.\n\nTen litres of sulphuric acid were purchased using his own bank details and Amazon account in March 2017.\n\nThe chemical was delivered to Mr Soliman's home and officers raided the property after the attack.\n\nTwenty-two people died in the bombing on 22 May 2017\n\nAll those questioned about buying chemicals denied knowing of the bomb plot and said Hashem Abedi had claimed he needed help purchasing the products for legitimate reasons. None were charged in relation to the attack and some became prosecution witnesses at Hashem Abedi's trial.\n\nHowever, Mr Soliman was not in the UK or about to come back, so was not questioned by police and did not provide his version of events.\n\nHe had flown out of Manchester in April that year, eventually making his way to stay with family in Benghazi, Libya.\n\nIn July 2017, the home secretary Amber Rudd removed his citizenship. As is typical in such cases, she was acting on advice from MI5.\n\nHe was arrested by Libyan law enforcement the same month.\n\nMr Soliman appealed against the removal of his citizenship at the Special Immigration Appeals Commission (SIAC).\n\nThe government justified its actions by saying he was an associate of Salman Abedi, might have known about the bombing beforehand, and might have helped in its preparation.\n\nSIAC is a semi-secret court and many of its hearings and rulings are never made public, because they include sensitive evidence which the government says it cannot divulge.\n\nMr Soliman's case took place entirely in secret.\n\nIt ended in July 2021 without going to a full hearing. The then home secretary Priti Patel \"decided to withdraw the decision\" to deprive Mr Soliman of his British citizenship, according to the formal document which confirmed the move.\n\nIn doing so, she was also acting on advice from MI5, but their advice had changed - without Mr Soliman ever being questioned by British police.\n\nAs part of the appeal, Mr Soliman claimed he had been subjected to \"detention and ill treatment\" abroad after his citizenship was removed.\n\nThe BBC has been told his arrest in Libya was ultimately because of information from the UK.\n\nHe was not publicly named in the UK in connection to the case until Hashem Abedi's trial. His arrest in Libya, therefore, could not have been based on information in the public domain.\n\nIt is a controversial issue because British police have not made formal requests for suspects in the arena case to be arrested and questioned in Libya, partly owing to the potential for allegations of torture and British complicity in it.\n\nHashem Abedi was arrested in Libya the day after the arena attack, after his brother had been named as the bomber. British authorities have denied requesting his arrest. He was transferred to the UK in 2019, and later claimed he had been tortured during questioning in Libya.\n\nHis lawyers included these claims in an unsuccessful attempt at halting his trial in 2020.\n\nThe families of two victims told the BBC how police said that, if Mohammed Soliman was in the UK, he would have been tried alongside Hashem Abedi.\n\nCaroline Curry from South Shields, whose 19-year-old son Liam was killed, said that at the time of the trial a senior detective had claimed Mr Soliman \"would have been alongside him charged with 22 counts of murder\".\n\nLiam died alongside girlfriend Chloe Rutherford, 17, whose family say they were told the same thing.\n\nBoth families think detectives believed he would not return and the claims would not be tested. In fact, a charging decision had never been taken.\n\nAfter Mr Soliman's citizenship was restored, he returned to Britain in October 2021 and was arrested on arrival.\n\nHe answered detectives' questions and denied knowing anything about the bomb plot.\n\nIn a witness statement, Mr Soliman said Hashem Abedi had pressured him to let him use his bank card, saying he needed it to buy car engine oil.\n\n\"I was not aware and did not suspect that Hashem and\/or Salman planned to attack any location or person or carry out any form of terrorist attack,\" his statement said.\n\nMr Soliman also said his flight from Manchester had been planned before Hashem purchased the sulphuric acid, and he was eventually going to Libya, where he was due to enrol at university.\n\nHe was told by the police he would not be charged with any offence and would face no further action.\n\nThe BBC attempted to contact Mr Soliman for comment but has received no response.\n\nThe Home Office said: \"The government, working with our world-class police and security and intelligence agencies, will always take strongest action possible to protect national security and public safety.\"\n\nDo you have information about this story? Share your experiences by emailing haveyoursay@bbc.co.uk.\n\nPlease include a contact number if you are willing to speak to a BBC journalist. You can also get in touch in the following ways:\n\nIf 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 HaveYourSay@bbc.co.uk. Please include your name, age and location with any submission.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/uk-64890833"}
{"title":"In pictures: Northern Ireland's snow day - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-11","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"The heaviest falls were in the east but most areas saw at least some overnight snow.","section":"Northern Ireland","content":"A puppy enjoys its first experience of snow\n\nWhile blizzard conditions and heavy snow led to school closures and travel disruption, it also provided a picturesque scene for many people to wake up to.\n\nSome areas were more severely affected than others with the east of Northern Ireland bearing the brunt of the snowfall.\n\nPeople flocked to Stormont to take advantage of the snowy slopes\n\nThe view in Carryduff on the outskirts of Belfast\n\nHowever, most places saw at least a light dusting.\n\nRoads in Antrim were passable but motorists were warned to be extra careful\n\nAt its worst, some roads were described as \"treacherous\" especially over high ground.\n\nIndustrial action has had an impact on some gritting operations\n\nA tape measure shows how deep some of the snowfalls were overnight - this was in Armagh\n\nMore than 200 schools across Northern Ireland closed, leaving thousands of pupils at home for the day.\n\nClosed schools allowed children an opportunity to show their creativity in other areas\n\nAn amber warning was issued for counties Antrim, Down and Armagh while other areas were given a less severe yellow warning.\n\nThe early morning view over the river Foyle\n\nEnjoying the snow on the Stormont estate while Parliament Buildings remains in cold storage\n\nAnd it's not over yet as a weather warning remains in place for Friday night and Saturday morning when low temperatures will see icy conditions persist.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/uk-northern-ireland-64916450"}
{"title":"Mark Drakeford says grief will not stop his work in emotional speech - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-11","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"Welsh first minister says his grief at losing his wife will not stop his work for Labour.","section":"Wales politics","content":"Mark Drakeford has been Welsh Labour leader since 2018\n\nIn an emotional speech to his party First Minister Mark Drakeford has said his grief losing his wife will not stop his work for Labour.\n\nClose to tears, the Welsh party leader thanked those who showed him kindness after his wife Clare died in January.\n\nHe also called for Sir Keir Starmer to ditch first past the post in favour of proportional representation.\n\nBut the UK Labour leader said it was not a priority for an incoming Labour government.\n\nEarlier Sir Keir said he would return control over economic aid to Welsh ministers if he became PM.\n\nMr Drakeford spoke at Welsh Labour conference in Llandudno on Saturday.\n\nHe said in recent weeks he had been given \"words of kindness and sympathy, from people within our party, and also from people I've never met\".\n\n\"That has been a strength to me, personally - a heartfelt thanks to you all.\"\n\nLater he added: \"Even when our hearts are weighed down with the intolerable burden of grief, we know our duty, our moral obligation... that this party has to run towards the dangers that blight so many lives, and never ever run away from them.\"\n\nIn his speech he gave his strongest support yet for major reforms to the Westminster electoral system.\n\nHe called for Sir Keir Starmer to bring an end to the first past the post voting system, which sees MPs elected based on which candidate wins the most votes in a constituency.\n\nKeir Starmer and Mark Drakeford both spoke on the first day of Welsh Labour conference.\n\n\"The next Labour government must lead the task of democratic renewal,\" he said.\n\n\"I do not believe that we can go on simply accepting a system which time and time again produces Conservative majorities on a minority of the votes cast.\"\n\nAppearing to address critics of proportional representation within his own party, Mr Drakeford said: \"To those who continue to fear a change in the electoral system.\n\n\"I say simply look at what we have done here in Wales - 25 years of winning and working within a proportional electoral system.\"\n\nHe accused the Conservatives of hollowing out democracy with a \"dreadful brand of selfish, self-enriching politics, where even a football commentator is expected to toe the Tory line or to find their job at risk\".\n\nResponding to Mr Drakeford's calls for voting reform, Sir Keir said praised Mr Drakeford's \"powerful speech\".\n\n\"I don't think anybody could not be moved by Mark's speech.\" He added: \"It's not a priority for an incoming Labour government.\"\n\nThis was an emotional speech from Mark Drakeford whose enthusiasm for public life is clearly undimmed by his recent tragedy.\n\nWith all eyes at conference on an expected general election in 2024 he gave a rousing endorsement of UK Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer.\n\nBut while Mr Drakeford is passionate about securing a UK Labour victory, it's also the case that the two men have very different views on some policy issues.\n\nSir Keir looked uncomfortable when Mr Drakeford argued for electoral reform at Westminster and the avowed socialist, Mark Drakeford, looked less than enthused by Sir Keir's emphasis on \"sound money\" .\n\nWelsh Labour conference has always loved Mark Drakeford as first minister and his rapturous reception continued this time.\n\nDelegates gave Sir Keir a notably warmer reception than he's had at previous Welsh party conferences, a sign perhaps of the party's increasing confidence ahead of the next election.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/uk-wales-politics-64926567"}
{"title":"Meta exploring plans for Twitter rival - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-11","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"Meta is looking at plans to launch a new social media app in its bid to displace Twitter.","section":"Technology","content":"Meta, the parent firm of Facebook and Instagram, is working on a standalone, text-based social network app.\n\nIt could rival both Twitter and its decentralised competitor, Mastodon.\n\nA spokesperson told the BBC: \"We're exploring a standalone decentralized social network for sharing text updates.\n\n\"We believe there's an opportunity for a separate space where creators and public figures can share timely updates about their interests.\"\n\nA Twitter-like app would allow Meta to take advantage of the current chaos at the Elon Musk-led company, where cost-cutting has been rampant.\n\nTwitter has been struggling to hold on to its advertising base since Mr Musk's takeover of the platform late last year.\n\nCompanies have pulled back spending following Twitter's move to restore suspended accounts and release a paid account verification which resulted in scammers impersonating firms.\n\nAccording to MoneyControl, the new app is codenamed P92, and will allow users to log in through their existing Instagram credentials.\n\nMeta's app will be based on a similar framework to the one that powers Mastodon, a Twitter-like service which was launched in 2016.\n\nThe new app would be decentralised - it cannot be run at the whim of a single entity, bought or sold.\n\nMeta's plans come at a time when its biggest platform, Facebook, is struggling to attract the attention of a younger audience.\n\nIt has also heavily invested in the metaverse, a virtual world where users interact and work - which has yet to come to fruition.\n\nIts video-sharing app, Instagram, is also facing stiff competition as content makers or hit influencers abandon the platform for TikTok.\n\nIt was not immediately clear when Meta would roll out the new app.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/technology-64917397"}
{"title":"DR Congo's M23 ceasefire: Angola to deploy troops after failed truce - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-11","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"Angola's soldiers are to help secure M23 rebel areas after a ceasefire it brokered failed.","section":"Africa","content":"M23 rebels say they are withdrawing from several captured villages\n\nAngola says it will send a military unit to eastern Democratic Republic of Congo, days after a truce it brokered failed to end fighting.\n\nBoth sides in the conflict - the M23 rebels and government troops - have accused each other of breaking the ceasefire that began on Tuesday.\n\nAn East African force was also recently deployed to the area, which is rich in minerals and has dozens of militias.\n\nThe UN says the conflict forced 300,000 people from their homes last month.\n\nThis happened in North-Kivu province, which borders Rwanda and Uganda, and is a fertile and mountainous area long plundered by rival groups.\n\nThere is increasing concern about the humanitarian crisis caused by the fighting, which was still ongoing on Friday.\n\nThe European Union has just started an operation to fly in aid to the regional capital, Goma, saying humanitarian agencies have become overwhelmed.\n\nA statement from the Angolan president's office said the soldiers would be deployed to help secure areas that have been held by the M23 rebel group and to protect ceasefire monitors.\n\nKenyan soldiers, who are part of the East African Community Regional Force, have deployed to these areas too.\n\nThe rebels, who are widely reported to be backed by Rwanda, had just hours earlier said they would withdraw from several captured villages.\n\nThe Congolese government will welcome the arrival of Angolan troops to help in the fight against the rebels.\n\nBut there is a danger of this becoming a wider international conflict.\n\nMore than 20 years ago the armies of at least eight African countries fought a war in eastern DR Congo, dubbed \"Africa's world war\", that caused immense suffering for the civilian population.\n\nRwanda has for many years criticised the Congolese authorities for failing to disarm Hutu rebels - some of whom are linked to the Rwandan genocide in 1994.\n\nIt denies backing the M23, which has captured vast swathes of territory over the past year and has been advancing towards Goma.\n\nA decade ago, M23 fighters also captured large parts of North Kivu - but were eventually routed by UN and regional troops and as part of a peace deal disarmed.\n\nLargely made up of Congolese army deserters, they first took up arms in 2009 accusing the government of marginalising the country's ethnic Tutsi minority and failing to honour previous peace accords.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/world-africa-64927180"}
{"title":"Gary Lineker: Why his comments present a problem for the BBC - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-11","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"How the presenter's remarks, comparing UK asylum policy to 1930s Germany, place the BBC in a pickle.","section":"Entertainment & Arts","content":"The BBC is speaking to Lineker over comparing UK asylum policy to 1930s Germany\n\nAs the UK's most scrutinised media organisation in increasingly polarised times, to say Gary Lineker's recent tweets cause difficulty for the BBC is an understatement.\n\nThe director general, Tim Davie, has made impartiality a key platform of his leadership.\n\nTrust in the corporation is at the heart of this. It matters if the public believes its public service broadcaster doesn't represent their views, or that the BBC is shaped by a particular perspective.\n\nDavie has previously said: \"If you want to be an opinionated columnist or a partisan campaigner on social media then that is a valid choice, but you should not be working at the BBC.\"\n\nAll staff and on-air talent are bound by \"due\" impartiality which the BBC is committed to achieving across its output.\n\nDirector general Tim Davie has said people who want to be opinionated columnists should not be working at the BBC\n\nOfcom defines due impartiality, an important distinction from simply impartiality, as \"means adequate or appropriate to the subject and nature of the programme\".\n\nTo use the classic example: If someone says the earth is round, the BBC does not have to give equal weight to someone else who claims the earth is flat.\n\nLineker is a sports presenter. He tweets on his personal Twitter account.\n\nIf a news presenter commented, as he has done, about the government's asylum policies, or about Brexit for example, they would at the very least receive a very serious warning.\n\nLineker, as somebody associated with sport for the BBC, and who argues he is a freelancer, is in a different position.\n\n\"I try to be sensible,\" he told Radio 4's Media Show in 2021, saying that as a freelancer he's \"considerate\" to his employers when it comes to what he tweets.\n\nHe added that the BBC rules \"only apply to people in news and current affairs\".\n\nFrom the outside, it can appear more complicated.\n\nThe BBC's editorial guidelines state: \"Where individuals identify themselves as being linked with the BBC, or are programme makers, editorial staff, reporters or presenters primarily associated with the BBC, their activities on social media have the potential to compromise the BBC's impartiality and to damage its reputation.\"\n\nLineker presents Match of the Day, the BBC's flagship football programme\n\nLineker's Twitter account has 8.7m followers. So he has a huge platform.\n\nAnd, whatever the set up of the BBC as a broadcaster, with sport and news being distinct from one another, for audiences that distinction can be less clear. In many people's minds, if you are on the BBC, you work for it, and Lineker happens to be one of corporation's most high profile presenters.\n\nThat's why the BBC's editorial guidelines also say that people with platforms have a greater responsibility to uphold impartiality.\n\nLast year, a different tweet by Lineker was found to have broken BBC rules. That concerned a post about the then-Foreign Secretary Liz Truss urging a boycott of the Champions League final in Russia.\n\nThe Match of the Day host added: \"And her party will hand back their donations from Russian donors?\"\n\nThe BBC's Executive Complaints Unit ruled that, although the star is not required to uphold the same impartiality standards as BBC journalists, he has an \"additional responsibility\" because of his profile.\n\n\"We expect these individuals to avoid taking sides on party political issues or political controversies and to take care when addressing public policy matters,\" the ruling said.\n\nTo his detractors, Lineker has form. He has made comments before that some have found controversial, including, in 2016, that the government's treatment of asylum seekers was \"hideously racist and utterly heartless\".\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Watch: Suella Braverman says she is \"disappointed\" by Gary Lineker's tweet\n\nBut he is also a much loved and well respected sports broadcaster. Match of the Day is a very popular programme.\n\nHe may be the BBC's highest paid star, but he could probably earn even more if he switched to another broadcaster.\n\nLineker clearly cares deeply about the issue of migrant crossings, and he has taken refugees into his own home in the past.\n\nHe has not removed his original Twitter comments criticising the government's asylum announcements, which he posted on Tuesday.\n\nAfter those tweets caused controversy, he tweeted on Wednesday: \"Great to see the freedom of speech champions out in force this morning demanding silence from those with whom they disagree.\"\n\nThis Twitter post cannot be displayed in your browser. Please enable Javascript or try a different browser. View original tweet on Twitter The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Skip twitter post by Gary Lineker \ud83d\udc99\ud83d\udc9b 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\u2019s cookie policy, external and privacy policy, external before accepting. To view this content choose \u2018accept and continue\u2019. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.\n\nHe also thanked his followers for their \"love and support\", pledging to \"continue to try and speak up for those poor souls that have no voice\".\n\nLineker appears bullish. And he isn't the only sports presenter straying into politics this morning, with BT Sport anchor Jake Humphrey describing the government's \"stop the boats\" pledge as being \"a cruel slogan\".\n\nThis Twitter post cannot be displayed in your browser. Please enable Javascript or try a different browser. View original tweet on Twitter The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Skip twitter post 2 by Jake Humphrey 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\u2019s cookie policy, external and privacy policy, external before accepting. To view this content choose \u2018accept and continue\u2019. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.\n\nThe News Agents presenter and former BBC journalist Emily Maitlis said it was \"curious that Gary Lineker [was] free to raise questions about Qatar's human rights record - with the blessing of the BBC - over the World Cup, but cannot raise questions of human rights in this country if it involves criticism of government policy\".\n\nHowever, this is arguably a false equivalence. Voicing an opinion on a government policy about migrant crossings, a divisive subject, is not the same thing as highlighting well-documented human rights breaches in Qatar, something which is a matter of fact.\n\nThe BBC is in a difficult position. They say a \"frank\" conversation is being had with Lineker. But in the end, what are the options?\n\nWith some Conservative MPs calling for him to be sacked, not for the first time, the pressure is mounting.\n\nPerceptions on impartiality matter, but it's also clear that impartiality can be politicised by people who have an agenda against the BBC.\n\nAs it navigates the demands of its editorial standards, its talent and its audiences, the BBC is walking a tightrope.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/entertainment-arts-64889868"}
{"title":"Police unwittingly released Idaho murders suspect - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-11","authors":null,"description":"Two weeks before the Idaho murders suspect was arrested, police pulled him over in a traffic stop.","section":null,"content":"An Indiana state trooper unknowingly pulled over the Idaho murders suspect in a traffic stop, only to let him off with a verbal warning.\n\nBryan Kohberger, 28, was pulled over twice on 15 December for following other vehicles too closely in his white Hyundai Elantra.\n\nHe was arrested last Friday on suspicion of killing four students while they slept.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/world-us-canada-64034446"}
{"title":"Belvedere deaths: Nadja De Jager and her sons found at house - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-11","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"Nadja De Jager and her sons Alexander, nine, and Maximus, seven, were found on Thursday morning.","section":"London","content":"Alexander, nine, and Maximus, seven, were found dead at the scene\n\nA woman and her two sons have been found dead in a house in south-east London.\n\nThe Met says Nadja De Jager, 47, Alexander, nine, and Maximus, seven, were found in Mayfield Road, Belvedere, on Thursday morning.\n\nThe force says it is not seeking anyone in connection with its investigation.\n\nDet Insp Ollie Stride said: \"This is a deeply sad case and we are continuing to establish the circumstances that led to this tragic incident.\"\n\nThe children's school paid tribute to the two brothers, saying they were \"loving and caring\".\n\nBelvedere Infant and Junior School said the boys were \"model pupils\", adding that it was \"clear that they were each other's best friend\".\n\nThe police said officers forced entry into the property after being called about concerns for the welfare of the occupants at the address at around 11:50 GMT.\n\nThe victims' family has been informed and are being supported by specialist officers. A post-mortem examination will be held in due course.\n\nA heavy media presence has descended on this leafy street, which is a stone's throw from Franks Park.\n\nOfficers in this part of Bexley are knocking on doors and speaking to neighbours to try to piece together exactly what might have happened - although most people here are not speaking to journalists.\n\nForensic teams have been searching a vehicle outside this semi-detached house, which is now a crime scene.\n\nA wheelie bin has also been taken inside for analysis.\n\nForensic officers have been in attendance\n\nDet Insp Stride said: \"I would like to thank the local community for their co-operation while our officers go about their inquiries.\n\n\"Our thoughts today are very much with the family as they struggle to come to terms with their loss and we ask that their privacy be respected at this extremely difficult time.\"\n\nEmergency services went to the house after a report raising concerns for the occupants' welfare was made\n\nLondon Ambulance Service said a medic was sent out in a fast-response car, along with two incident response officers, but the woman and two boys were pronounced dead at the scene.\n\nFollow BBC London on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. Send your story ideas to hellobbclondon@bbc.co.uk","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/uk-england-london-64916557"}
{"title":"Eating disorders: Patients in Wales could be sent to Scotland - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-11","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"Georgia Taylor, who was treated for anorexia, says she was made to feel \"like an object\".","section":"Wales","content":"Georgia Taylor has called for specialist centre to be set up in Wales\n\nPeople with eating disorders in Wales could be sent as far away as Scotland in order to get treatment.\n\nPatients were sent to Cotswold House, a specialist NHS unit in Oxford, but this system ended in August.\n\nGeorgia Taylor, 19, from Bridgend, was treated for anorexia there in 2022 but said not knowing where she was going made her feel like \"an object\".\n\nThe Welsh Health Specialised Services Committee (WHSSC) said this was \"in line\" with other parts of the UK.\n\nUntil August, there was a 10-year contract with Oxford NHS Trust, guaranteeing beds for patients from south Wales.\n\nNow patients are assessed on the \"greatest clinical need\" by an NHS England panel, which then decides where in the UK they will be treated.\n\nWales does not have an adult inpatient eating disorder unit, with the Welsh government looking into the feasibility of establishing one - something Georgia believes is needed, along with a focus on early intervention.\n\nDr Isabela Jurewicz, chairwoman of the devolved eating disorder faculty at the Royal College of Psychiatrists, said the new way of placing people meant they would be \"negatively impacted\" due to the uncertainty of where they will be treated.\n\nGeorgia was treated at Cotswold House but had an uncertain wait before being sent there\n\nGeorgia said the wait for a bed at a treatment centre was traumatising, but Cotswold House had \"really good staff members\".\n\nShe added: \"It was so uncertain where I was going to go. It just made me feel like I was an object. I could have died if it had gone on any longer.\"\n\nDr Jurewicz said the end of the Oxford contract meant explaining to patients that doctors did not know where they would be treated, adding \"to what is already a really difficult and stressful situation\".\n\nShe also said there was a \"big need\" for education about eating disorders.\n\nGeorgia says she is \"still having to live with my eating disorder to this day\"\n\nGeorgia said a lack of education at school about eating disorders meant she felt like \"it was something I needed to hide or something I needed to be ashamed of\".\n\n\"I'm still having to live with my eating disorder to this day. I am fighting really, really hard.\n\n\"I want to go to university. I want to volunteer abroad I want to continue having a job and enjoy my life.\n\n\"But this is still there in my background and I'm still very dependent on the eating disorder and community mental health team for this support.\"\n\nJo Whitfield from eating disorder charity Beat says everyone in Wales must able to access specialist treatment at the earliest opportunity\n\nJo Whitfield from the eating disorder charity Beat said she had heard of patients being sent as far as Scotland for treatment, which was \"devastating for patients\".\n\nThe charity called on the Welsh government to publish a plan with timescales to ensure \"everyone in Wales is able to access specialist treatment at the earliest opportunity\".\n\nThis was echoed by Member of the Senedd Sarah Murphy, the new chairwoman of a cross-party group on eating disorders who has struggled with anorexia herself.\n\nShe told Wales Live: \"We need timescales now. It's been long enough. Eating disorders and the treatment was in crisis before the pandemic, it's more of a crisis now.\n\n\"I was very severely ill and I was days away from being admitted to an adult psychiatric unit at the old East Glamorgan Hospital because we had nothing here in Wales.\"\n\nThe WHSSC said it was looking at paying for beds from the independent sector to provide care \"potentially closer to home\".\n\nA Welsh government spokesman said it was investing an extra \u00a32.5m in 2022-23, adding: \"Most people who need to access services, including in-patient care, will receive this care in Wales and we are also working with NHS Wales to scope the feasibility of a specialist eating disorder unit in Wales.\n\n\"We expect all health boards to provide specialist, multi-disciplinary support for people with eating disorders.\"","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/uk-wales-64888723"}
{"title":"Gary Lineker: Football star who became a Saturday TV fixture - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-11","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"The ex-England player is one of the most recognisable figures associated with the BBC.","section":"UK","content":"For many years, Gary Lineker has been one of sport's most famous faces - both on the football pitch and on television screens.\n\nThe last week has seen the Match of the Day host again move from the back pages to the front, after his criticism over the government's asylum plans sparked an impartiality row.\n\nThe 62-year-old is one of the most recognisable figures associated with the broadcaster, and is part of the footballing landscape in the UK.\n\nHe took over as host of the BBC's football highlights programme in 1999 after a stellar career as a striker for England, Leicester City, Everton, Spurs and Barcelona that finished in Japan.\n\nOne of the broadcaster's highest-paid presenters, Lineker is viewed by many as one of the faces of the BBC - and he has not shied from using his high profile to express his political views.\n\nHis outspoken positions on divisive issues have earned him criticism and plaudits in equal measures - and, on occasion, caused BBC bosses a headache.\n\nThe corporation is committed to impartiality, meaning staff and stars are expected to follow guidance on expressing political opinions in the BBC's output and on social media.\n\nBut Lineker, who is technically a freelancer rather than a BBC employee, has not always bitten his tongue.\n\nIn 2022, he posted a story on Twitter about the then-Foreign Secretary Liz Truss urging a boycott of the Champions League final in Russia. He asked: \"And her party will hand back their donations from Russian donors?\"\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. WATCH: How the Match of the Day row played out on Saturday... in 60 seconds\n\nThe incident led to the BBC's Executive Complaints Unit (ECU) upholding a complaint and concluding that, as \"one of the BBC's highest-profile stars\", he did not meet the corporation's editorial standards on impartiality.\n\nIn 2018, Lineker posted a thread of tweets as Conservatives held a no-confidence vote in Theresa May, who was then prime minister, and indirectly criticised Labour's leader at the time, Jeremy Corbyn.\n\nTwo years earlier he blasted some in the media for being \"hideously racist and utterly heartless\" to refugees.\n\nHe has taken refugees into his home and spoken passionately about the need to protect people who come to the country in need.\n\nDespite criticism from politicians, some in the media and colleagues, Lineker has steadfastly defended his right to speak out on issues that matter to him, often to his 8.7 million Twitter followers.\n\nLineker scored more than 300 career goals for club and country\n\nThe presenter is the face of Match of the Day and the FA Cup\n\nA tweet aimed at Jonathan Agnew, a BBC cricket host who had criticised his 2018 political posts, summed up his approach. \"I'll continue to tweet what I like and if folk disagree with me then so be it,\" he wrote.\n\nLineker has now caused a row with a tweet commenting that the government's new Illegal Migration Bill was an \"immeasurably cruel policy directed at the most vulnerable people in language that is not dissimilar to that used by Germany in the 30s\".\n\nResponding to critics of his comments, he said he would \"continue to try and speak up for those poor souls that have no voice\".\n\nFor its part, the BBC said that when it came to leading its football and sports coverage, Lineker was \"second to none\".\n\nBut it said: \"We consider his recent social media activity to be a breach of our guidelines\" - and \"he should keep well away from taking sides on party political issues or political controversies\".\n\nLineker has previously argued he can impart his opinion because he is a freelancer. On top of that, he works on BBC's Sport output, away from the inevitably more sensitive news operation.\n\nBut critics point to the \u00a31.35m he was paid by the BBC in 2021\/22, a sum which makes him the highest paid presenter whose salary must be disclosed (although this does not include famous faces who are employed via private production firms).\n\nThey also argue his platform comes via his BBC work, and so he should follow its rules.\n\nLineker is contracted until 2025, and on top of hosting Match of the Day also fronts the BBC's coverage of major football tournaments and co-presents BBC Sports Personality Of The Year.\n\nHe also works as a presenter on LaLigaTV, which covers football in Spain for viewers in the UK and Ireland.\n\nThe media company he co-founded - Goalhanger Podcasts - produces The Rest Is Politics, a regular political discussion show featuring former Labour aide Alastair Campbell and ex-Tory minister Rory Stewart.\n\nHe has worked for other broadcasters, including a stint presenting the Champions League for BT Sport, and is also widely known as the face of Walker's Crisps, a business founded in his home town of Leicester.\n\nBefore taking to the airwaves, Lineker first made his name with his local team, Leicester City FC, in 1978.\n\nHis goalscoring habit continued after moves to Everton and Tottenham Hotspur, and he topped the scoring charts for both teams in the First Division - the top flight of English football before the Premier League was created.\n\nHe made his England debut in 1984 and played 80 times for his country - the last time in 1992.\n\nHis tally of 48 international goals has been bettered by only three Englishmen.\n\nHe retired from the game in 1994 - having notably never been shown a yellow card - and was inducted into the English Football Hall of Fame.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/uk-64895590"}
{"title":"The chef, the model and Rishi's missing millions - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-11","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"The inside story of Britain\u2019s biggest Bounce Back Loan fraud - \u00a310m stolen by one criminal gang.","section":"UK","content":"Ten people have now been convicted for their roles in laundering millions of pounds\n\nThe final three members of a money laundering gang which also stole \u00a310m of UK taxpayers' money after taking advantage of a covid loan scheme, have been sentenced.\n\nIt means the BBC can now tell the full story of a case that illustrates just how easy it was to exploit a scheme aimed at supporting small businesses struggling during the pandemic.\n\nIn 2020, the gang used scores of bogus companies to take advantage of the then-Chancellor Rishi Sunak's Bounce Back Loan scheme.\n\nAny small company could apply for up to \u00a350,000 of taxpayers' money but, in the rush to save the economy, checks on borrowers were limited.\n\nIn fact, the gang's \u00a310m is only a drop in the ocean. The National Audit Office estimates the taxpayer could lose billions of pounds in Bounce Back Loan fraud.\n\nThe latest convictions - bringing the total number to 10 - are a good result for the Organised Crime Partnership, a joint unit made up of the National Crime Agency and Met Police.\n\nIt's thought the gang laundered as much as \u00a370m. But only \u00a3181,600 of the money has been recovered and it's believed other offenders involved in the fraud are still at large.\n\nThe gang were able to steal so much money because long before covid, its ringleaders had already established a network of bogus companies to launder cash from VAT fraud and other criminal activities, including drug dealing and construction scams.\n\nBut when the pandemic struck, Artem Terzyan, a Russian, and Deivis Grochiatskij from Lithuania, who had been on the NCA's radar since 2017, suddenly found themselves with a reduced income.\n\nArtem Terzyan and Deivis Grochiatskij spent the money on watches, holidays and cars\n\nAs the world locked down, criminals were hit just like legitimate businesses. The pair realised they had to diversify, targeting the UK Government Bounce Back Loans emergency scheme which saw more than 1.5 million loans worth nearly \u00a347bn approved.\n\nThe men bagged \u00a310m - they applied for the cash claiming their bogus companies were in danger of going bust.\n\nBut they got careless. As well as the loan cash, they continued to launder other money, all under the noses of the NCA.\n\nSo when officers arrested them again in November 2020, they found overwhelming evidence of wrongdoing.\n\nThe men deposited thousands of pounds each day in banks across London\n\nAt their trial in December 2021, the court heard how both men had used the money to buy high-end watches, foreign holidays and cars. The rest of the cash had been transferred immediately abroad.\n\nThe NCA's John Coles says usually only lottery winners could suddenly spend money so freely.\n\n\"These people won the lottery in a totally different way.\"\n\nIn December 2021, Terzyan and Grochiatskij were jailed for laundering as much as \u00a370m and stealing \u00a310m in Bounce Back Loans. Terzyan is serving 17 years - and Grochiatskij, 16.\n\nThe last of three trials concluded on Friday at Kingston Crown Court, with the final three defendants receiving suspended sentences. It means reporting restrictions can now be lifted.\n\nWe found details of two of the companies' directors by scouring social media accounts\n\nEach of Terzyan and Grochiatskij's bogus companies that received Bounce Back Loan money in 2020 had a real person appointed as a director.\n\nWe decided to trace two of these directors and find out if they had any idea where the money had gone.\n\nScouring court documents and the files of Companies House, the names of two of these bogus firms stood out - Bart Solution Ltd and JK Consult Ltd. The prosecution said they had been used to launder large amounts of money.\n\nJust over \u00a310m was paid into and out of the accounts of Bart Solution Ltd during 2020. The prosecution told the court most of this money came from Bounce Back Loans.\n\nIn court, JK Consult LTD was described as a \"shell company\" with no assets. Despite that, millions of pounds was deposited into its accounts and then sent on to other companies both in the UK and around the world.\n\nThe Companies House database also provided us with two names - each one a director of the two bogus firms. Povilas Bartkevicius was the name listed for Bart Solution Ltd - and Yekaterina Kobrina, the director of JK Consult Ltd.\n\nBy examining social media accounts we learned that Mr Barkevicius is a chef, while Ms Kobrina is a model with thousands of followers on Instagram. Both have links to the capital of Lithuania, Vilnius, so we went to try to track them down.\n\nWe enlisted the help of BBC colleagues based in Vilnius, but a scan of local telephone and government online directories came up blank, with neither director listed.\n\nPovilas Bartkevicius told the BBC he was working two jobs to make ends meet\n\nMr Barkevicius stopped posting on social media in 2021, but his final posts show he worked at an expensive restaurant just outside the capital.\n\nWe rang the restaurant but were told that he was not working there, and they refused to give us his home address. They then became suspicious and wanted to know why we were searching for him. It felt like a dead end.\n\nSo we decided to get creative. Taking the user name of his Facebook and Instagram accounts, we searched for him elsewhere online - Telegram and Tiktok. But with no luck.\n\nThen we tried the activity app Strava, which cyclists, runners and walkers use to track their progress. Remarkably, we found he had an account and that he had not set it to private.\n\nIt showed that in the summer of 2022, he cycled from the same location every morning and returned each evening. We followed this trail back through the city to a Soviet-era block of hundreds of apartments - but which one was his?\n\nThe inside story of a crime gang that stole millions of pounds in government loans.\n\nWe then did more digging on Facebook and discovered he likes BMWs. In fact, he posted a picture of his car, asking members of a BMW owners' group for help with a broken rear light. We hunted around the car parks near the blocks and matched the photo online to his silver BMW. Bingo.\n\nThe following day we were up in the dark at 05:30 - it was below zero and there was snow on the ground. We drove to the block and parked near his car, waiting by the communal door.\n\nToo cold to cycle, we assumed he must now be driving to work. Within minutes, Mr Bartkevicius walked out of the block of flats and we were there to greet him.\n\nWe introduced ourselves and asked if he knew where the money in the bogus company he was linked to had gone. He seemed genuinely shocked to see us and confused by our question. He insisted he had no idea he had been a named director for Bart Solution Ltd.\n\nHe said he had read accounts of the court case in the papers but knew nothing about what the gang were up to before then.\n\n\"I heard that they were laundering money, but I didn't know that they laundered \u00a310m [in] my name,\" Mr Bartkevicius told us.\n\nHe insisted he was in the dark about the loan money.\n\n\"If I had some money, even 10,000, I wouldn't work two job,\" he said. \"I just married two months ago. I was working all weekends, just to be able to buy everything for my wedding.\"\n\nHe maintained he had no idea what happened to the money. He has not been interviewed by the police in Lithuania or the NCA in the UK.\n\nYekaterina Kobrina says she has 'huge loans'\n\nBut what of the model Yekaterina Kobrina?\n\nWe rang a clothes shop in Vilnius which she used to model for, to see if we could book her for an assignment. But the owner was suspicious and wouldn't help.\n\nMs Kobrina had posted a lot of photos on her social media of holidays in exotic places, but very little about her life in Vilnius.\n\nBizarrely though, after searching a whole range of local Facebook groups, one of her posts popped up in a group full of people angry about the poor quality of produce available in their local supermarket.\n\nWe could see Ms Kobrina regularly complained about the state of the vegetables, especially the potatoes.\n\nWe traced the shop to an area of grimy tower blocks in the north of the city. We spent the next couple of days in the area trying to trace her. But it was only after a tip-off from a local BBC producer, that we spotted her walking down a street.\n\nShe seemed surprised when we approached her, but she shook my hand, laughed and told me how nice it was to see me.\n\nWe asked her about the company she was a named director of - JK Consult Ltd - and if she knew where all the money from the Bounce Back Loans had gone.\n\nMs Kobrina told us: \"I don't have any answers, you can check that all my property is leased, I have huge loans. I don't know anything. You should ask other people. Because I live in Vilnius, in Lithuania.\n\n\"No comments, only with my lawyer.\" Then she drove away.\n\nWe learned later that she had been interviewed by police in Lithuania, but had not been charged.\n\nSo, despite our efforts, we were no closer to knowing whether Mr Bartkevicius or Ms Kobrina knew anything about the fraud or what their names were being used for.\n\nThe most recent government report estimated 8% of all Bounce Back Loans could be lost to fraud or error\n\nOne man who is not surprised by this story is Mike Craig, who has waged a one-man campaign to highlight problems with the loans.\n\nHis Twitter profile has tens of thousands of followers and his \"Mr Bounceback\" website tries to help legitimate firms.\n\nThe most recent government report estimated 8% of all Bounce Back Loans could be lost to fraud or error.\n\nTo date, 273 investigations have been launched - involving \u00a3160m of bogus loans. Forty-nine people have been arrested.\n\nThe Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy said the government was \"bearing down\" on this fraud. A spokesman said: \"We are working with lenders, law enforcement, and partners across government to recover fraudulently-obtained loans. We wholly support the Insolvency Service in penalising those who sought to defraud the scheme for their own financial gain.\"\n\nMr Craig says the loan scheme was obviously vulnerable from the start - requiring no affordability or credit checks, which was \"like a jackpot for a lot of people\".\n\n\"At the start I thought all you need for a Bounce Back Loan is an eligible company and a pulse. But it turns out you didn't need either,\" he says.\n\nI ask him where that leaves the taxpayer? He replies, \"Stuffed for billions of pounds\".","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/uk-64879444"}
{"title":"Hamburg shooting: Police spoke to gunman weeks before attack - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-11","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"He co-operated with officers and there were not enough grounds to take away his gun, police say.","section":"Europe","content":"This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser.\n\nA man who shot dead seven people in Germany was visited by police last month after a tip-off raised concerns about his mental health.\n\nHe co-operated with officers and there were not enough grounds to take away his gun at the time, police said.\n\nThe 35-year-old suspect, named only as Philipp F, had a licence to own the weapon for sporting purposes.\n\nThe country is preparing a new law involving tighter curbs on gun ownership, the interior minister said.\n\nSeven people, including an unborn baby, were killed in Thursday's attack which unfolded at a Jehovah's Witness meeting hall in the city.\n\nThe first emergency call came at 21:04 local time (20:04 GMT) to report that shots had been fired, and officers were on site four minutes later.\n\nVideo appeared to show the gunman firing through a window. He then stormed the building where dozens of people had gathered, firing nine magazines of ammunition before apparently turning the gun on himself after police arrived.\n\nEight people were injured, including a woman who was seven months pregnant. She survived but her unborn baby was killed.\n\nChancellor Olaf Scholz said the death toll could rise.\n\nFloral tributes have been placed outside the Jehovah's Witness meeting hall in Hamburg\n\nGerman Senator Andy Grote said \"fast and decisive actions\" by police officers saved many lives. He described the attack as the \"worst crime\" in Hamburg's recent history.\n\nOfficials said the suspect had \"ill feelings\" towards the religious community, of which he had previously been a member before leaving \"on bad terms\".\n\nJehovah's Witnesses are members of a Christian-based religious movement, founded in the US at the end of the 19th Century.\n\nIn its latest report from 2022, the movement says there are about 8.7 million Jehovah's Witnesses worldwide, including about 170,000 in Germany. In the city of Hamburg, there are believed to be nearly 4,000 members.\n\nOn Friday, Hamburg Police Chief Ralf Martin Meyer said officers visited the man in February after they received an anonymous letter claiming he \"bore particular anger toward religious believers, in particular toward Jehovah's Witnesses\".\n\nThe letter also said he \"might be suffering from a mental illness, although it had not been medically diagnosed\".\n\nPolice said he was co-operative and had an open conversation with the officers. \"The bottom line is that an anonymous tip in which someone says they're worried a person might have a psychological illness, isn't in itself a basis for [such] measures,\" Chief Meyer said.\n\nForensic experts worked at the scene of the shooting on Deelb\u00f6ge street through the night but have since left the area.\n\nMourners have left floral tributes near to the front door. One man, holding his little boy and girl by the hand, told the BBC he tried to come home last night but his way was blocked by police wielding assault rifles.\n\nGermany already has some of the strictest gun laws in Europe, including a clause that anyone aged under 25 must pass a psychological evaluation before getting a licence.\n\nIn 2021, there were about one million private gun owners in Germany, according to the National Firearms Registry. They account for 5.7 million legal firearms and firearm parts, most of them owned by hunters.\n\nAfter mass arrests were made last December in relation to a suspected plot to overthrow the government, the German authorities have been under pressure to tighten the country's gun laws even further.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/world-europe-64918160"}
{"title":"Gary Lineker: BBC boss Tim Davie 'sorry' after sport disruption in Lineker row - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-11","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"Football coverage was severely impacted by a staff walk-out in support of the Match of the Day host.","section":"UK","content":"This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Watch Nomia Iqbal's interview in full: Tim Davie is asked whether he has lost control of the BBC\n\nBBC director general Tim Davie has apologised to licence fee payers after a day of sports programme disruption.\n\nFootball shows were pulled at the last minute on Saturday after presenters and commentators walked out in support of Match of the Day host Gary Lineker.\n\nMatch of the Day was reduced to a 20-minute edition.\n\nLineker was suspended after criticising the government's controversial asylum policy. But Mr Davie denied the government pressured him into the move.\n\nAs well as having no presenter, Match of the Day on BBC One on Saturday night was broadcast without commentary, and pundits Alan Shearer and Ian Wright did not appear.\n\nThe programme was also without its famous theme tune and opening credits. The show started with a graphic reading \"Premier League Highlights\" before launching straight into clips from the Bournemouth v Liverpool game - the usual commentary replaced by the sound of the crowd.\n\nMr Davie admitted it had been a \"difficult day\" for the corporation but said \"we are working very hard to resolve the situation\".\n\nInterviewed by BBC News, Mr Davie said \"success for me is getting Gary back on air and together we are giving to the audiences that world-class sports coverage which, as I say, I'm sorry we haven't been able to deliver today\".\n\nThe director general said he would \"absolutely not\" be resigning but admitted \"this has been a tough time for the BBC\".\n\nHe said there had been no \"pandering\" to any political party amid accusations from opposition parties that BBC executives had bowed to pressure from Downing Street and ministers over the anti-government tweet.\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. How the row played out on Saturday... in 60 seconds\n\nMr Davie said Lineker had been asked to \"step back\" after getting \"involved in party political matters\". He added he was prepared to review impartiality rules for freelance staff like Lineker.\n\nIn the Sunday Mirror, Lineker's son, George, is quoted as saying he thought his father would return to presenting Match of the Day. However, George said \"he [Lineker] won't ever back down on his word\".\n\nCommenting on the Illegal Migration Bill on Tuesday, Lineker called it an \"immeasurably cruel policy directed at the most vulnerable people in language that is not dissimilar to that used by Germany in the 30s\".\n\nHis suspension on Friday triggered a wider debate about BBC impartiality, the government's asylum policy and the position of the broadcaster's chairman Richard Sharp.\n\nIt also led to an unprecedented day of turmoil for the BBC's sport operation, with staff including some of the most recognisable faces and voices associated with its football coverage downing tools.\n\nOn a day which should have featured morning to evening football programming on TV and radio, the BBC was forced to air re-runs of programmes or play podcasts on Radio 5 Live to plug gaps in the schedule.\n\nFootball Focus was due to air at noon but was pulled when host Alex Scott tweeted it \"doesn't feel right going ahead with the show today\" an hour-and-a-half before it was due to start.\n\nFinal Score was axed from the 16:00 slot when host Jason Mohammad told the BBC he was refusing to present.\n\nRadio 5 Live's regular Saturday morning show Fighting Talk was cancelled when staff boycotted, a decision host Colin Murray said was \"taken by the entire... team and myself\".\n\nFans tuning in to follow the afternoon's action on TV were met with re-runs of Bargain Hunt and The Repair Shop. At one point, 5 Live resorted to replaying old pre-recorded material.\n\nBefore Match of the Day aired on BBC One at 22:20, a continuity presenter told viewers: \"We're sorry we're unable to show our normal Match of the Day, including commentary tonight, but here now is the best action from today's Premier League matches.\"\n\nThere are major questions surrounding Sunday's planned coverage and whether the BBC can get Match of the Day 2 with Mark Chapman onto TV screens. The host was absent from the airwaves on Saturday.\n\nPrime minister Rishi Sunak called Lineker a \"talented presenter\" in a statement on Saturday evening, but added the row was not a matter for the government.\n\nHe said: \"As prime minister, I have to do what I believe is right, respecting that not everyone will always agree. That is why I have been unequivocal in my approach to stopping the boats.\n\n\"Gary Lineker was a great footballer and is a talented presenter. I hope that the current situation between Gary Lineker and the BBC can be resolved in a timely manner, but it is rightly a matter for them, not the government.\"\n\nA Department for Culture, Media and Sport spokesperson said \"individual cases are a matter for the BBC,\" but Downing Street and several senior ministers have been vocally critical in recent days.\n\nHome Secretary Suella Braverman and Culture Secretary Lucy Frazer have both attacked the presenter for implying a comparison between the government's language and Nazi Germany.\n\nMs Braverman said the Nazi comparison used by Lineker was \"lazy and unhelpful\".\n\nSenior Labour politicians have expressed support for Lineker, including leader Sir Keir Starmer. He said the government should focus on fixing the asylum system rather than \"whingeing on\" about Lineker and accused BBC bosses of bowing to pressure from ministers.\n\nLiberal Democrat leader Sir Ed Davey called for BBC chairman Richard Sharp to stand down, saying the row exposed \"failings at the top\" of the corporation.\n\n\"We need leadership at the BBC that upholds our proud British values and can withstand today's consistently turbulent politics and Conservative bullying tactics,\" he added.\n\nEarlier on Saturday, Greg Dyke, who acted as director general between 2000 and 2004, said the BBC had \"undermined its own credibility\" over its handling of the row.\n\nHe pointed to the ongoing controversy surrounding Mr Sharp, adding the Lineker move could create the impression the \"BBC has bowed to government pressure\".\n\nAn ongoing KC-led review into Mr Sharp's appointment as BBC chairman is investigating whether he failed to properly disclose details of his involvement in the facilitation of an \u00a3800,000 loan guarantee for the then PM Boris Johnson. He has denied any involvement in the arrangement of a loan for Mr Johnson.\n\nThe BBC is also conducting its own internal review over any potential conflicts of interest Mr Sharp may have in his current role as BBC chairman.\n\nFormer head of BBC TV News and director of sport, Roger Mosey, also called for Mr Sharp to go and said the chairman had \"damaged the BBC's credibility\".\n\nHowever, others have been more supportive of the BBC's actions. Richard Ayre, former controller of editorial policy at the corporation, said on Friday the BBC had \"no choice\" but to take action against Lineker.\n\nHe said the BBC's director general Tim Davie had \"clearly tried\" to reach an agreement with Lineker but failed, adding: \"It's inevitable now that having in effect not sacked him but removed him temporarily at least, the BBC will now come under a torrent of criticism saying it's acting under the government's behest.\"\n\nLineker has hosted Match of the Day since 1999 and is the BBC's highest paid star, having earned about \u00a31.35m in 2020-21. He is employed by the BBC on a freelance basis.\n\nBBC employees are expected to remain impartial on political matters and must follow strict social media guidelines, but there is significant debate about how they should apply to staff outside of news.\n\nBBC News has been told that the Match of the Day production team were not told in advance about its decision on Lineker.\n\nLineker has not yet publicly commented on the latest developments and was seen attending a Leicester City home game on Saturday.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/uk-64918162"}
{"title":"Cyclone Freddy: Winds and rain lash Mozambique as storm arrives - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-11","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"Freddy, which has caused at least 28 deaths over a month, has hit mainland Africa for a second time.","section":"Africa","content":"Streets are already flooded in some coastal areas\n\nMozambique is being lashed by rain, powerful winds and flooding as Cyclone Freddy makes landfall for the second time in a month.\n\nThe southern African nation has received more than a year's worth of rainfall in the past four weeks.\n\nFreddy may become the longest-lasting storm on record, having formed to the north-west of Australia 34 days ago.\n\nOne person is reported to have died, bringing the death toll to at least 28 since the storm first made landfall.\n\nThe cyclone made its second landfall near the eastern seaport of Quelimane at around 22:00 (20:00 GMT) on Saturday.\n\nPeople have been urged to move into temporary shelters - including schools, churches and warehouses.\n\nMore than half a million people could be at risk of a humanitarian crisis this time around, according to local disaster agencies.\n\nAs the high winds hit the country, one person died when his house collapsed, Reuters news agency quotes state channel TVM as saying.\n\nElectricity has been turned off as a precaution by the power utility firm and all flights have been suspended, according to TVM.\n\nThe cyclone is reported to have stalled offshore and is thought to be making its way on to land soon.\n\n\"I can see some houses with roofs torn apart, broken windows and the streets flooded. It's really scary,\" charity worker Vania Massingue, from the port city of Quelimane in Zambezia province, told Reuters.\n\nExperts says climate change is making tropical storms around the world wetter, windier and more intense.\n\nFreddy had already broken records for the strength it has accumulated over the 8,000-km (5,000-mile) path it travelled across the Indian Ocean from north-western Australia.\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser.\n\nMozambique's national disaster management agency estimates more than 1.5 million people have been affected since the storm first hit last month, with more than 8,000 forced from their homes.\n\nA humanitarian operation is under way in the region, but there are fears that aid efforts may be hampered by new heavy rains from Freddy's return.\n\nNeighbouring Malawi - where health authorities are battling a cholera outbreak - is also set to be affected.\n\nWeather experts predict the cyclone will bring destructive winds and extreme rainfall over large areas, including north-east Zimbabwe as well as south-east Zambia.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/world-africa-64928093"}
{"title":"Asteroid headed toward Earth may arrive on Valentine's Day 2046 - Nasa - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-11","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"The space rock has about a 1 in 560 chance of hitting this planet, the agency says.","section":"US & Canada","content":"Asteroid 2023 DW has a better chance of hitting a date of 14 February than our planet, NASA says.\n\nA newly detected asteroid has a very small chance of impacting the Earth in 2046, Nasa tweeted on Tuesday.\n\nIf it does hit, the asteroid, roughly the size of an Olympic swimming pool, may arrive on Valentine's Day 2046 according to Nasa calculations.\n\nThe closest the asteroid is expected to get to Earth is about 1.1 million miles (1.8m km), Nasa says.\n\nBut researchers are still collecting data, which they say may change predictions.\n\nThe asteroid, dubbed 2023 DW, has about a 1 in 560 chance of hitting Earth, according to Nasa. It's the only space rock on Nasa's risk list that ranks a 1 on the Torino Impact Hazard Scale.\n\nThe scale, which goes from 0-10, measures the risk of space objects colliding with Earth. All other objects on the scale rank 0, indicating no risk for impact.\n\nA ranking of 1 means that an actual collision is extremely unlikely and no cause for public concern, Nasa's Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) says.\n\n\"This object is not particularly concerning,\" JPL navigation engineer Davide Farnocchia told CNN.\n\nIf it does collide with us, 2023 DW would not have the same doomsday effect as the asteroid that decimated the Earth's dinosaurs 66 million years ago. That asteroid was far bigger at 7.5 miles (12km) wide, Scientific American says.\n\nBut an impact from 2023 DW could still cause significant damage if it were to land atop a major city or densely populated area. A meteor less than half the size of 2023 DW exploded over Chelyabinsk, Russia, 10 years ago, causing a shock wave that blew out windows across 200 square miles and injured roughly 1,500 people.\n\nWhile contact with an asteroid seems unlikely, scientists have been preparing for such an encounter for years. Last October, Nasa confirmed the agency's Double Asteroid Redirection Test (Dart) mission had successfully changed the travel path of a small asteroid by slamming a spacecraft into it.\n\n\"That's the very reason why we flew that mission,\" Mr Farnocchia said, \"and that mission was a spectacular success.\"","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/world-us-canada-64919125"}
{"title":"Premature births: Baby born at 22 weeks survives against odds - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-11","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"Imogen was born just days after her mother hosted a gender reveal party and was rushed to hospital.","section":"Wales","content":"Imogen's mother Rachel was 22 weeks and five days pregnant when she gave birth\n\nA baby given less than a 10% chance of surviving when she was born at 22 weeks has beaten the odds and is thriving, her parents have said.\n\nImogen weighed 515g (1lb 1oz) when she was born at Swansea's Singleton Hospital on 6 September.\n\nNow, after 132 days in hospital, the six-month-old is back home in Bridgend.\n\nHer mother Rachel Stonehouse, 28, said: \"Imogen has gone through so much and more than we will ever go through in our lifetime and she smashed it.\"\n\nThe world's most premature surviving baby is thought to be Curtis Zy-Keith Means from the USA, born at 21 weeks and one day, 11 days earlier than Imogen.\n\nRachel initially went to Bridgend's Princess of Wales Hospital, just days after the gender reveal party for Imogen, with a bleed before her waters broke and she and her partner Corey were taken by ambulance to Singleton Hospital.\n\n\"It was so scary,\" she said.\n\n\"The pain was horrendous... I just went into survival mode for me and my baby and tried to just keep breathing through the pain.\"\n\nRachel said when Imogen was born she was smaller than her hand\n\nImogen was delivered just minutes after arriving at the hospital and was immediately placed in a bag in an incubator to mimic the womb.\n\nRachel said seeing her new, tiny baby in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU), and taking in her extremely fragile and translucent image was \"like an out-of-body experience\".\n\nShe said she remembered thinking: \"This baby should be in my stomach but she's not. This foetus is now my baby in front of me and I now have to trust all these people around me.\"\n\nRachel and Corey were told their baby had a grade three bleed on the brain.\n\nAfter 98 days in NICU in Swansea, Imogen was moved to the Princess of Wales Hospital\n\nOver the 98 days she spent in NICU she overcame countless obstacles, including a heart murmur, a pulmonary haemorrhage, sepsis and numerous blood transfusions.\n\n\"She was poked and prodded all day, every day but I had to remember this was to make her better,\" said Rachel.\n\nMidwives helped Rachel to express colostrum and with their help she was able provide breast milk for Imogen until it dried up at about 16 weeks.\n\nThe hospital housed the couple nearby for 13 weeks to make sure they could be with Imogen as much as possible and offered post-traumatic stress disorder counselling.\n\nOn 15 January, Imogen was moved to the special care baby unit at the Princess of Wales Hospital where she spent a further 34 days.\n\nAfter 132 days in hospital, it was finally home time for the family\n\n\"It was the scariest time of my life but I would never know it because of how amazing the staff has been with me and my family. They always trusted me as a mum and my instincts.\"\n\nImogen is now home, but still requires oxygen and Rachel said doctors were happy with her organs and she has no sight or hearing problems.\n\nRachel said the reason she went into premature labour was unclear, but she has been told she has a 40% chance of it happening again.\n\nFor now she is loving every minute of being a new mum and said she would be forever grateful to the NHS.\n\n\"When they say these nurses and doctors are superheroes in scrubs they are not lying,\" she said.\n\n\"We wouldn't have got through everything we have without them all.\"\n\u2022 None Twins thought to be UK's most premature to survive","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/uk-wales-64875309"}
{"title":"Can Sunak-Macron bromance help stop the boats? - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-11","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"The PM is staking his reputation on resolving the issue of migrants crossing the Channel.","section":"UK Politics","content":"Wandering onto the crunch of the courtyard gravel of the Elysee Palace in Paris, the president and the prime minister shared smiles and a brolly.\n\nIt was the image that said more than many more words had sought to convey.\n\nThese leaders of similar age and similar background clearly get on; that word \"bromance\" is going to get a good workout in the write ups of the Franco-British summit.\n\nTo focus on the chemistry between political leaders may feel superficial.\n\nBut relationships in diplomacy really matter, particularly when the contrast is so striking.\n\nLast summer, the then Foreign Secretary Liz Truss, who would become prime minister weeks later, said the \"jury is still out\" when asked if President Macron was a friend or foe.\n\nHowever throwaway or in jest that remark may have been, it is impossible not to notice the contrast now.\n\nMr Sunak has put great store in what he sees as restoring the UK as an honest broker and reliable ally on the world stage after the chaos of Ms Truss's brief premiership and what might be gently described as the idiosyncrasies of Boris Johnson.\n\nMr Johnson and President Macron were a million miles apart on Brexit.\n\nBut, remember, so are the president and Mr Sunak.\n\nMr Macron pointedly claimed the implications of the UK's departure from the European Union had been \"underestimated\" by some of its advocates.\n\nMr Sunak was an early backer of Brexit.\n\nBut diplomats often reflect privately that many European leaders struggled to trust Mr Johnson as prime minister.\n\nMr Sunak is working hard to attempt to ensure that is no longer the case now he is in the job.\n\nHis calculation is that it is a necessary but not necessarily sufficient approach to achieve his political objectives, as well as protective, or perhaps restorative, of the UK's reputation worldwide.\n\nSo, beyond the personality stuff, let's take a look at precisely what has come of this summit.\n\nThere were important discussions between two allies about Ukraine and China.\n\nBut the most politically potent theme for Mr Sunak was small boat crossings.\n\nFor a man who has five political priorities, one of which is stopping the boats, doing something to stop at least some of them really matters.\n\nThis involves giving France almost \u00a3500m over the next few years.\n\nAnd at least some of it will not deliver anything quickly - the new detention centre will be years in the making.\n\nDowning Street think the funding they had already allocated was good value for money with tangible benefits.\n\nAnd so their logic is more could deliver more.\n\nThe problem for them is whatever benefits they can point to - crossings that would have otherwise happened - the numbers have continued to spiral.\n\nAnd that promise is clear cut.\n\nWhy on earth would a political leader shackle themselves to such a stark promise when this is a complex, international, diplomatically fraught, politically risky issue?\n\nWhen I put this to one well placed minister, they said the calculation was any caveating or diluting would have sounded pathetic, and they would rather their ambition be clear cut, even if the delivery falls short.\n\nBut there is still a difference between a considerable reduction and no reduction at all.\n\nOr the numbers continuing to climb.\n\nMr Sunak repeatedly pointed out to us at this summit that there is \"no one silver bullet\" as he puts it to resolve the issue of migrants crossing the Channel in small boats.\n\nBut resolve it is what he has promised to do.\n\nAnd so the political jeopardy for the prime minister is simple: anything short of that will be seen by critics as a transparent failure.\n\nHis political reputation, at least in part, rests on how well he does.\n\u2022 None UK to give \u00a3500m to help France stop small boats","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/uk-politics-64922634"}
{"title":"Stephen Flynn backs Humza Yousaf in SNP leadership race - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-11","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"SNP Westminster leader Stephen Flynn is the latest senior party figure to endorse the health secretary.","section":"Scotland politics","content":"Stephen Flynn was elected as the SNP's new leader at Westminster in December\n\nSNP Westminster leader Stephen Flynn has backed Humza Yousaf in the race to replace Nicola Sturgeon.\n\nMr Flynn is the latest high-profile figure in the party to endorse the Scottish health secretary.\n\nOn Saturday Mr Yousaf will join fellow contenders Kate Forbes and Ash Regan for a hustings event at Strathclyde University.\n\nSNP members will start voting for the new leader on Monday, with the winner to be announced on 27 March.\n\nSpeaking on BBC Radio's Good Morning Scotland programme, Mr Flynn said: \"I think, for all of us, we need a big bit of hope at the moment.\n\n\"We have had a difficult few years with Brexit, with Liz Truss crashing the economy in October, with the cost of living crisis, and I think that Humza can provide that hope.\"\n\nThe Aberdeen South MP praised Mr Yousaf's plans to expand childcare and provide help with the cost of living.\n\nHe also said the health secretary understood the necessity for energy security and green jobs.\n\nThe three SNP leadership candidates will take part on a BBC Scotland debate next Tuesday\n\nDuring last week's STV debate, leadership rival Kate Forbes delivered a sharp critique of Mr Yousaf's recording in government, telling him: \"You were a transport minister and the trains were never on time, when you were justice secretary the police were stretched to breaking point, and now as health minister we've got record high waiting times.\"\n\nAsked about that scathing criticism, Mr Flynn said: \"It is inevitable that when you are having a contest people will perhaps overegg things.\n\n\"When it comes to health Humza has overseen the NHS obviously in a very difficult spot. I don't think anyone is ever going to try and undersell that.\n\n\"But our NHS is performing better than any of those on these isles.\"\n\nChallenged about record waiting times, Mr Flynn blamed a backlog from the Covid pandemic and an ageing population.\n\nHe also said Mr Yousaf's record in transport and justice was one to be \"proud of\", citing examples such as the delivery of the Queensferry Crossing under budget and falling crime figures.\n\nAsked if divisions in the party had been exposed since Ms Sturgeon announced she was standing down, Mr Flynn said there were disagreements within every political party.\n\nBut he added: \"I think when colleagues are having debate they need to remember that whilst you can disagree you don't necessarily need to be disagreeable.\"\n\nMs Forbes has criticised Mr Yousaf's record as transport, justice and health secretary\n\nSNP Westminster deputy leader Mhairi Black had already announced her support for Mr Yousaf, criticising Ms Forbes, who has said she would not have voted for same-sex marriage if she had been at Holyrood when the legislation was passed.\n\nBruce Crawford, a former parliamentary business secretary in the Scottish government, also endorsed Mr Yousaf.\n\nThe former MSP tweeted: \"I have thought long and hard about who should be the next leader of the SNP. I believe that Humza Yousaf is the candidate who has best demonstrated the qualities and attributes to be that leader.\"\n\nVeteran SNP MSPs Annabelle Ewing and Christine Grahame are among those to have announced they will be voting for Ms Forbes.\n\nOne of the party's best known MPs, Joanna Cherry KC, has given her support to Ms Regan.\n\nMr Yousaf has revealed he called in police in the erly stages of his leadership campaign\n\nMeanwhile, Mr Yousaf has revealed he was forced to call in Police Scotland over abuse he experienced in the early days of his campaign.\n\nMr Yousaf spoke of his fears that running to be first minister could impact his family, and his children in particular.\n\nHe said: \"It's one of the long conversations, the hard conversations, that I had with the family who know about the racial and Islamophobic abuse that I get.\n\n\"Ultimately you don't really worry about yourself too much - you worry about your kids.\"\n\nA Police Scotland spokesman confirmed a 25-year-old man and 35-year-old woman were arrested and charged in connection to reports of abusive and threatening behaviour in the Dundee area last month.\n\nThe three leadership candidates will take part in an hour-long Debate Night programme from Edinburgh at 20:00 on Tuesday 14 March on BBC One Scotland.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/uk-scotland-scotland-politics-64925333"}
{"title":"Paris Olympics 2024: Government calls on sponsors to support Russia & Belarus athlete ban - BBC Sport","published_date":"2023-03-11","authors":null,"description":"Culture Secretary Lucy Frazer writes to Olympic sponsors asking them to support a ban on Russian and Belarussian athletes competing at the 2024 Paris Games.","section":null,"content":"Last updated on .From the section Olympics\n\nThe UK government has asked Olympic sponsors to support a ban on Russian and Belarusian athletes taking part in the 2024 Paris Games.\n\nIt follows a commitment by the International Olympic Committee to \"explore a pathway\" for the countries' athletes to compete as neutrals.\n\nCulture Secretary Lucy Frazer made the call in a letter to UK chief executives of the IOC's 13 worldwide partners.\n\n\"Join us in pressing the IOC to address the concerns raised,\" she wrote.\n\nFrazer chaired a summit in February of 36 countries, including France and the United States, that released a joint statement pledging their support for an ongoing ban on Russian and Belarusian athletes competing in international sporting events.\n\nUkraine, which was not part of the summit, has threatened to boycott the Paris Olympics if the IOC allows Russian athletes to compete.\n\n\"Having hosted the Games in London in 2012 we know what an incredible event it is to be involved in, and we appreciate how vitally important the sponsors are to the Games' successful delivery,\" wrote the Culture Secretary to companies including Coca-Cola, Intel, Samsung and Visa.\n\n\"We know sport and politics in Russia and Belarus are heavily intertwined, and we are determined that the regimes in Russia and Belarus must not be allowed to use sport for their propaganda purposes.\"\n\nThe IOC called on federations to exclude athletes from Russia and Belarus following the invasion of Ukraine and banned the nations from the Winter Paralympics in March 2022 - though athletes were allowed to compete under a neutral flag.\n\nIOC president Thomas Bach said that initial decision was made to protect the athletes and in December claimed the organisation faced a \"big dilemma\" in ensuring athletes do not suffer as a result of sporting sanctions.\n\nThe IOC argued in February that the Games could \"inspire us to solve problems by building bridges\", but said no decision had been made on what practical steps it would take to allow Russian and Belarussian athletes to compete.\n\nFrazer has now urged sponsors to press the IOC on this issue before such plans are put in place.\n\n\"As long as our concerns and the substantial lack of clarity and concrete detail on a workable 'neutrality' model are not addressed, we do not agree that Russian and Belarusian athletes should be allowed back into competition,\" she wrote.\n\n\"Noting the IOC's stated position that no final decisions have been made, we have strongly urged the IOC to address the questions identified by all countries and reconsider its proposal accordingly.\n\n\"As an Olympic partner, I would welcome your views on this matter and ask you to join us in pressing the IOC to address the concerns raised in our statement.\"","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/sport\/olympics\/64920417"}
{"title":"Cheltenham stabbing: Man held under Terrorism Act - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-11","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"The man was first held on suspicion of attempted murder after the attack outside a leisure centre.","section":"Gloucestershire","content":"A woman was stabbed outside the leisure centre in Tommy Taylors Lane, Cheltenham, on Thursday night\n\nA man has been arrested on suspicion of terrorism offences after a woman was stabbed outside a leisure centre.\n\nThe woman was attacked outside the centre in Cheltenham on Thursday night and was taken to hospital where she is now said to be in a stable condition.\n\nThe 29-year-old man was originally arrested on suspicion of attempted murder after the attack.\n\nHowever, Gloucestershire Police said he was re-arrested on Friday night under the Terrorism Act.\n\nThe force said the man was being held on suspicion of the commission, preparation or instigation of terrorism as well as on suspicion of preparing acts of terrorism.\n\nIt said that \"due to some specific details of this incident\" Counter Terrorism Policing South East was leading the investigation, working alongside Counter Terrorism Policing South West and officers from the Gloucestershire force.\n\nPolice believe the attack was an \"isolated incident\"\n\nOfficers urged anyone with information about the attack - outside the Leisure at Cheltenham centre in Tommy Taylors Lane at about 21:15 GMT - to contact them.\n\nAssistant Chief Constable Richard Ocone, of Gloucestershire Police, said: \"I would like to reassure those living locally or visiting the county that we believe this was an isolated incident and we are not aware of any wider threat to members of the public.\n\n\"We are working closely with our partners in Counter Terrorism Policing.\"\n\nOfficers have until 16 March to question the man after obtaining a warrant of further detention.\n\nFollow BBC West on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. Send your story ideas to: bristol@bbc.co.uk\n\nThe BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/uk-england-gloucestershire-64928963"}
{"title":"Watch: Shed topples as Hemsby cliff collapses at high tide - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-11","authors":null,"description":"There are fears for homes as a cliff continues to crumble in Hemsby.","section":null,"content":"The coastline at Hembsy has been hit by severe erosion in recent weeks, leaving homes at risk of collapse.\n\nBBC reporter Jon Ironmonger and cameraman Richard Knights captured the moment a shed was lost to the sea on Friday night.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/uk-england-norfolk-64924665"}
{"title":"Teacher strike dates called off after new Welsh government offer - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-11","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"Teachers cancel two strike dates after a revised pay offer from Welsh government.","section":"Wales","content":"NEU members had been set to walk out on 15 and 16 March\n\nTeachers in Wales have called off two strike dates after the Welsh government proposed a new pay offer.\n\nNational Education Union (NEU) members were due to walk out on 15 March and 16 March.\n\nBut the union has announced that the strikes will be cancelled following talks with the Welsh government.\n\nEducation Minister Jeremy Miles has offered to give teachers an 8% increase in pay for 2022-23.\n\nThe Welsh government told unions if members were to benefit from a pay rise this year, they must reach an agreement by 17 March.\n\nMr Miles said he would pay teachers the rise as talks continue if they suspended action until the end of the academic year.\n\nMr Miles said it would provide teachers with a \"significant\" back payment.\n\nHis letter to teachers said the offer was in the interests of Welsh school children.\n\nMr Miles said it was \"imperative\" that while negotiations continued pupils should not face losing more school days.\n\nMr Miles has also made an improved offer of 5% for 2023-24, which is up from 3.5%.\n\nDr Mary Bousted and Kevin Courtney, the NEU's joint general secretaries, thanked the Welsh government for the \"constructive manner in which they have pursued a solution.\"\n\nNEU members will now be balloted on the 8% pay increase\n\n\"It is vital that we do all we can, together, to combat the recruitment and retention crisis and ensure that more people join the profession and stay in the profession,\" they said.\n\n\"The Welsh Government recognises this and has also understood the importance of the pay offer being fully funded. In addition, they have committed to working with us on tackling workload.\"\n\nThe Welsh government welcomed the decision to pause strikes.\n\n\"This is good news for pupils, parents and the teaching profession,\" a spokesperson said. \"Taken alongside the progress we have made in bringing together a package of measures to reduce workload, we believe this is a good pay offer that we hope members can support.\"\n\nAll schools in Wales were affected by strike action on 2 March, postponed from 14 Feb.\n\nThe strike originally planned in Wales for 14 February was postponed so the NEU could consult members on an improved pay offer from the Welsh government, which was later rejected.\n\nMembers of the NAHT, which represents head teachers, are currently taking industrial action short of a strike, while teachers' union the NASUWT had rejected the offer and was due to ballot members.\n\nNAHT Cymru leader, Laura Doel, said: \"This is a positive move but we still have concerns about some elements about the funding of the offer.\"\n\nNASUWT general secretary, Patrick Roach, said: \"The minister's offer to deliver an award to teachers on a without prejudice basis before the end of the financial year should mean that teachers will benefit from additional money today rather than empty promises of jam tomorrow.\"","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/uk-wales-64918704"}
{"title":"Gary Lineker told to step back from presenting Match of the Day - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-11","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"The BBC took the decision after an impartiality row over his criticism of the government's asylum plans.","section":"UK","content":"This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser.\n\nGary Lineker has been told to step back from presenting Match of the Day until an agreement is reached on his social media use, the BBC has said.\n\nIt follows an impartiality row over comments he made criticising the government's new asylum policy.\n\nThe BBC said it considered Lineker's \"recent social media activity to be a breach of our guidelines\".\n\nIt added he should \"keep well away from taking sides on party political issues or political controversies\".\n\nThe BBC asked Lineker to step back after \"extensive discussions with Gary and his team in recent days\".\n\nIt \"decided that he will step back from presenting Match of the Day until we've got an agreed and clear position on his use of social media\", the statement said.\n\nIt continued: \"When it comes to leading our football and sports coverage, Gary is second to none.\n\n\"We have never said that Gary should be an opinion free zone, or that he can't have a view on issues that matter to him, but we have said that he should keep well away from taking sides on party political issues or political controversies.\"\n\nThe move has led to Saturday's Match of the Day going ahead without presenters or pundits - as one by one contributors ruled themselves out.\n\nFirst, Ian Wright said he would not appear in \"solidarity\", tweeting: \"Everybody knows what Match of the Day means to me, but I've told the BBC I won't be doing it tomorrow. Solidarity.\"\n\nAlan Shearer, who also presents on the show, said he had \"informed the BBC that I won't be appearing on MOTD tomorrow night\".\n\nThey were followed shortly after by contributors Jermaine Jenas and Micah Richards who both said that while they were not due to work on Saturday's programme, they would not have appeared. Ex-England player Alex Scott also indicated she would not go on the show.\n\nThe BBC said the programme would instead \"focus on match action without studio presentation or punditry\".\n\nLineker has not yet publicly commented but while presenting 5News earlier, former BBC presenter Dan Walker read out a text live on air from the 62-year-old.\n\nWalker said he had messaged Lineker asking: \"What is happening. Are you stepping back?\"\n\nHe said he had received a reply saying: \"No, they've [the BBC] told me I have to step back.\"\n\nOn Tuesday, Home Secretary Suella Braverman outlined the government's plans to ban people arriving in the UK illegally from ever claiming asylum, in a bid to address a rise in the number of people crossing the Channel in small boats.\n\nLineker reacted to it on Twitter calling it an \"immeasurably cruel policy directed at the most vulnerable people in language that is not dissimilar to that used by Germany in the 30s\".\n\nMs Braverman hit out at Lineker's tweet, saying it \"diminishes the unspeakable tragedy\" of the Holocaust.\n\nSpeaking on the BBC's Political Thinking podcast, the home secretary said the Nazi comparison was \"lazy and unhelpful\" and said her family \"feel very keenly the impact of the Holocaust\" as her husband is Jewish.\n\nMany opposition MPs and charities also strongly objected to the government's plans.\n\nPrime Minister Rishi Sunak defended the proposals saying stopping the arrival of small boats is a \"priority\" for the British people.\n\nRichard Ayre, former controller of editorial policy at the BBC, who also served as a member of the regulator Ofcom's content board, said the corporation had \"no choice\" but to take action against Lineker after his tweets criticising the government's asylum policy.\n\nSpeaking to BBC Radio 4's PM programme, he said: \"I think it was inevitable. He [Lineker] has the letters BBC written across his forehead and yet he's plunged right into the most controversial story of the day.\"\n\nHe said BBC Director General Tim Davie had \"clearly tried\" to reach an agreement with Lineker but failed, adding: \"It's inevitable now that having in effect not sacked him but removed him temporarily at least, the BBC will now come under a torrent of criticism saying it's acting under the government's behest.\"\n\nA Labour source told the BBC that the corporation should \"rethink their decision\".\n\nIt said: \"The BBC's cowardly decision to take Gary Lineker off air is an assault on free speech in the face of political pressure.\n\n\"Tory politicians lobbying to get people sacked for disagreeing with government policies should be laughed at, not pandered to. The BBC should rethink their decision.\"\n\nScotland's First Minister Nicola Sturgeon called the BBC's decision \"indefensible\". Writing on Twitter, she said the corporation was \"undermining free speech in the face of political pressure - and it does always seem to be right-wing pressure it caves to\".\n\nThe Department for Culture, Media and Sport said in a statement: \"Individual cases are a matter for the BBC.\"\n\nLineker has hosted Match of the Day since 1999 and is the BBC's highest paid star, having earned about \u00a31.35m in 2020-21.\n\nHe is employed by the BBC on a freelance basis.\n\nThe ex-footballer has previously housed asylum seekers and publicly called for better rights and protections for refugees. He has also been critical of successive Conservative governments over issues including Brexit.\n\nHis comments have attracted widespread support on social media, with one tweet getting 235,000 likes.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/uk-64920557"}
{"title":"Lineker row hits BBC Scotland sports output - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-11","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"BBC Scotland says it is only able to bring \"limited sport programming this weekend\".","section":"Scotland","content":"Gary Lineker left his home on Saturday to watch Leicester City's match against Chelsea\n\nBBC Scotland has curtailed its sports coverage amid the ongoing row over Gary Lineker.\n\nThe Match of the Day presenter was taken off air after tweeting about the UK government's new migration law, prompting a row over BBC impartiality.\n\nMany UK-wide sports programme have already been hit by an impromptu staff boycott in support of Lineker.\n\nBBC Scotland said it would only be able to bring \"limited sport programming this weekend\".\n\nIn a statement the corporation said: \"Sportscene will run this evening on BBC One Scotland and BBC Scotland, with an amended format similar to current plans for Match of the Day.\n\n\"Some of the Sportsound slot on Radio Scotland was replaced by pre-recorded material.\n\n\"We are sorry for these changes which we recognise will be disappointing for BBC sport fans.\n\n\"We are working hard to resolve the situation and hope to do so soon.\"\n\nThe statement added schedules would be amended to reflect the changes.\n\nIt is unclear how planned BBC Scotland coverage of major sporting events on Sunday, including the Six Nations and Scottish Cup, will be affected.\n\nThe row began on Tuesday, when controversial plans were unveiled to ban people arriving in the UK illegally from ever claiming asylum.\n\nThe UK government says the tough measures are necessary to address a rise in the number of people crossing the Channel in small boats.\n\nBut Lineker reacted to it on Twitter calling it an \"immeasurably cruel policy directed at the most vulnerable people in language that is not dissimilar to that used by Germany in the 30s\".\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser.\n\nThe ex-England striker, who is employed by the BBC on a freelance basis, has hosted Match of the Day since 1999 and is the corporation's highest paid star, having earned about \u00a31.35m in 2020-21.\n\nBBC employees are expected to be remain impartial on political matters and must follow strict social media guidelines, but there is significant debate about how they should apply to staff outside of news.\n\nAfter Lineker was suspended on Friday several high profile stars, including Ian Wright and Alan Shearer, confirmed they would not be appearing on Match of the Day.\n\nBBC director general Tim Davie, who has said impartiality should be at the heart of the corporation, told a BBC journalist: \"I think we always look to take proportionate action and that's what we've done.\"\n\nBy Saturday several BBC TV and radio sports shows had been pulled at the last minute, including Football Focus, Final Score and Fighting Talk.\n\nFirst Minister Nicola Sturgeon is among those who have criticised the decision to suspend the former footballer.\n\nOn Friday she tweeted: \"As a strong supporter of public service broadcasting, I want to be able to defend the BBC. But the decision to take @GaryLineker off air is indefensible. It is undermining free speech in the face of political pressure - & it does always seem to be rightwing pressure it caves to.\"","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/uk-scotland-64926313"}
{"title":"John Swinney backs Humza Yousaf in SNP leadership race - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-11","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"Deputy First Minister John Swinney is the most senior party figure to endorse the health secretary.","section":"Scotland politics","content":"Humza Yousaf said he was honoured to have the backing of Mr Swinney, whom he described as \"a true giant of the SNP and independence movement\"\n\nDeputy First Minister John Swinney has backed Humza Yousaf in the race to replace Nicola Sturgeon as SNP leader and first minister.\n\nMr Swinney is the most high-profile figure in the party to endorse the Scottish health secretary.\n\nBut Kate Forbes' campaign manager said the announcement suggested the SNP hierarchy were \"absolutely panicking\".\n\nMr Yousaf is standing against the finance secretary and ex-community safety minister Ash Regan.\n\nSNP members will start voting for the new leader on Monday, with the winner to be announced on 27 March.\n\nMr Swinney's endorsement comes after the party's Westminster leader Stephen Flynn confirmed he would be supporting Mr Yousaf.\n\nNicola Sturgeon has previously said she would not be publicly backing any of the three candidates.\n\nLast month John Swinney questioned whether it would be appropriate for someone with Ms Forbes' views to be SNP leader.\n\nHe spoke out after the finance secretary, who is a member of the Free Church of Scotland, made clear she would not have voted for gay marriage if she had been an MSP in 2014.\n\nKate Forbes, Humza Yousaf and Ash Regan will take part in a BBC Scotland debate on Tuesday\n\nIn a statement released on Saturday night he said: \"Humza is best placed to lead our party because he will strengthen the SNP as a force for progressive change in Scottish politics.\n\n\"Humza will govern effectively by using the partnership that we enjoy with the Scottish Green Party - guaranteeing us a pro-independence majority in the Scottish parliament.\n\n\"And crucially, Humza will widen our support in attracting new supporters to Scottish Independence.\"\n\nMr Swinney, who will stand down as deputy first minister later this month, said Mr Yousaf was the candidate who would \"complete our journey to independence\" and praised his track record in power.\n\nThe Perthshire North MSP added: \"Humza is an experienced minister who's done all the tough stuff that you have to do day in day out within government.\n\n\"He's put his heart and soul into all the work he's done within the party to make the SNP an inclusive political party.\"\n\nMr Yousaf said he was honoured to have the backing of a \"true giant of the SNP and independence movement\".\n\nHe added: \"Like Nicola, our party owes so much of our success to John's stewardship.\n\n\"John's backing is a massive boost to my progressive grassroots campaign to stand up for Scottish democracy, protect and advance rights, unite our Yes movement and secure independence for Scotland.\"\n\nIt's the endorsement every candidate wanted, short of that of Nicola Sturgeon herself.\n\nMany waited to see what John Swinney was going to do before deciding on their own leadership campaigns, such is his popularity within the SNP.\n\nSo this is a coup for Humza Yousaf - and an addition to the host of high-profile backers he has already got in the bag.\n\nIt does underline his position as the \"continuity candidate\", given much of the present regime is now backing him.\n\nAnd while Mr Yousaf insists he is very much his own man, he has embraced the idea that continuing the electoral success the party has enjoyed would be no bad thing.\n\nThere is a slight danger for him in appearing too much of an establishment figure, in a movement with a distinctly anti-establishment ethos.\n\nBut he will be hoping that the backing of influential members like Mr Swinney will trickle down to the grassroots and help to deliver victory.\n\nFollowing Mr Swinney's announcement Ms Forbes' campaign manager questioned the timing of the move.\n\nFalkirk East MSP Michelle Thomson said: \"When the current deputy first minister decides to personally intervene in the leadership contest at such a late stage, you get the sense that senior figures in the party have seen the polls and are absolutely panicking.\n\n\"Given how close we are to the vote opening, many party members will look upon this 11th hour intervention rather cynically. They don't need to be told by party HQ what to think or how to vote.\"\n\nMs Thomson said it appeared the SNP hierarchy would prefer \"an establishment transfer of power\" rather than allowing its members the freedom to make \"a healthy democratic choice\".\n\nBBC Scotland has asked Ms Regan's campaign for a response to Mr Swinney's statement.\n\nKate Forbes speaking at an SNP hustings event at Strathclyde University on Saturday\n\nVeteran SNP MSPs Annabelle Ewing and Christine Grahame are among those to have announced they will be voting for Ms Forbes.\n\nOne of the party's best known MPs, Joanna Cherry KC, has given her support to Ms Regan.\n\nThe three leadership candidates will take part in an hour-long Debate Night programme from Edinburgh at 20:00 on Tuesday 14 March on BBC One Scotland.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/uk-scotland-scotland-politics-64926319"}
{"title":"Northern Ireland snow: Rare 'snow rollers' spotted in County Down - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-11","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"It may look like the result of someone having fun in the snow but these rollers occur naturally.","section":"Northern Ireland","content":"The snow rollers were photographed by entomologist Adam Mantell in Annahilt\n\nIt might look like someone has been out having fun in the snow, but the rare snow rollers spotted in a field in County Down are a naturally occurring phenomenon.\n\nThey occur when strong winds blow across a flat, snow-covered field or hillside, according to the Royal Meteorological society (RMETS).\n\nThe photos were taken in Annahilt by entomologist Adam Mantell.\n\nIt came after Northern Ireland was hit with heavy snow on Thursday.\n\nAccording to Royal Meteorological Society (RMETS) three conditions need to be met for the snow rollers to form:\n\nThe snow rollers usually resemble hay bales, doughnuts or a swiss roll.\n\nRMETS say snow rollers cannot form if the wind is too strong, too weak or the snow is too tightly packed.\n\nThe snow rollers often look like a hay bale, a doughnut or a Swiss roll, and can be hollow inside.\n\nThe heavy snowfall caused major disruption across Northern Ireland, with many schools closed and power outages in homes.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/uk-northern-ireland-64926295"}
{"title":"Watch: Murder suspect flees US courtroom - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-11","authors":null,"description":"Edi Villalobos escaped from an Oregon courtroom during jury selection for his upcoming trial.","section":null,"content":"Edi Villalobos escaped from an Oregon courtroom during jury selection for his upcoming trial.\n\nIn accordance with Oregon law, all of the suspect\u2019s restraints, such as handcuffs and leg shackles, were removed while in the courtroom for the trial.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/world-us-canada-64929190"}
{"title":"Kuenssberg: The Budget cannot mask big changes to our economy - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-11","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"Both main parties are under pressure to make the country and its people richer, writes Laura Kuenssberg.","section":"UK Politics","content":"In normal times (remember them?) there would be a frenzy this weekend about what's coming up in next week's Budget.\n\nIf it feels a bit muted so far, that isn't just because of a bit of a media frenzy over something else (what could that be?) but because Jeremy Hunt was employed as a \"calm down\" chancellor - called in like a soothing manager of many years' experience in a sensible bank to sort things out after some crazy young guns spent all the loot.\n\nGiven how he got his job and his political character he's not going to wake up on Wednesday morning and spring a red box full of massive shocks on an unsuspecting public.\n\nOne senior Conservative MP is hopeful of a few \"pleasant surprises\" but notes the Downing Street neighbours' priority is to \"hold on to their reputation for caution and prudence\".\n\nExpect headlines about the country being less in the red than expected, a possible giveaway on pension savings and some goodies to help working families with the soaraway costs of childcare - you can read Faisal's primer here.\n\nBut when we sit down on our programme this Sunday with Jeremy Hunt and Labour's Rachel Reeves - who hopes to fill his job - there's so much more than the specifics of what's coming on Wednesday to talk about.\n\nNo one Budget can mask some big shifts in how the economy works - or perhaps doesn't work for many voters. Long-term changes to wealth and wages feed into how we all vote.\n\nStatistics in the last few days suggest the economy is not in such dire straits as predicted a few months ago, but what's happened over the past few years and is possibly coming next isn't pretty.\n\nBluntly, the economy has failed to grow persuasively for a long time, and no strong surge is coming soon. In fact, the Bank of England reckons growth will be measly in the coming years too, only getting back to the levels it was at before Covid in 2026.\n\nPoliticians aren't short of explanations for what's gone wrong - some self-inflicted, some out of their control.\n\nThere has been the Ukraine war, the pandemic and the disruption of Brexit. We've also seen years of political strife, the markets' disastrous reaction to Liz Truss' decisions, the effects of a spending squeeze during the 2010s and even the long-lasting hangover from the 2008 financial crisis. Remember experts brandishing \"L-shaped\" graphs during that time - warning that it would take years for the economy to climb back to anything with vigour?\n\nThose political and economic dramas have had real-life consequences, presenting huge challenges to what, years ago, politicians presented to voters as normal, achievable aspirations - the hope and expectation that each generation would do better than the last. Perhaps that's shaky now.\n\nTake for example this statistic from the Institute for Fiscal Studies: in 1997 more than 60% of people on middle incomes between the ages of 25 and 35 owned their own homes. Twenty years later, that figure had slumped to just over 20%.\n\nThink about that for a moment - it is a profound change. There is a blizzard of statistics of course, and each year, every Budget, there are moves up and down. Think how much impact Kwasi Kwarteng's short time with the No 11 Downing Street red box had.\n\nBut let's look at the big changes that have been in the works over a longer period.\n\nFor years, wages have been sluggish and growing more slowly than wealth. Paul Johnson, economist and director of the IFS, says a \"significant fraction\" of people in their 20s and 30s are earning less than their parents at the same stage of life.\n\nIt's harder to buy a house. It's more expensive to rent one if you can't afford to buy. For decades, what your parents passed on was becoming less important to your chances of prosperity. That seems to have gone into reverse and could have huge consequences for our political choices.\n\nIt's given Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer ammunition to suggest that under the Conservatives that pact - that \"social contract\" with the public that you get back what you put in - has frayed.\n\n\"Hard-working families\" - the nebulous group so beloved by successive generations of politicians whose votes might swing if only the right solutions could be dangled in front of them - are likely to be working harder and feel life's harder too.\n\nYou can add to this the pressures of an ageing population: fewer people in the workforce paying tax, happily living longer but requiring more cash for health and care.\n\nThe two main political parties share a desire to get the economy growing strongly. It's not abstract - if the economy doesn't grow and the government needs more money for health or defence for example, ministers have either to borrow, increase taxes or cut spending. Those aren't ideas parties like to put on the front of leaflets, lecterns or Facebook ads.\n\nRachel Reeves and Sir Keir Starmer have been at pains not to push businesses away\n\nThe trouble for the Conservatives is that even inside the party they disagree over how to do it. Former Prime Minister Liz Truss's verdict was to slash taxes, borrowing to do so, which ended in disaster.\n\nEven though Jeremy Hunt and Rishi Sunak promised radical tax cuts when they were vying to be Tory leader, neither of them says now is the right time. There will probably be hints on Wednesday and promises of tax cuts to come, but they're unlikely to cave to backbench pressure to cut now.\n\nWe'll hear more from Rachel Reeves on Sunday's programme about how Labour would spend billions to try to create thousands of jobs and get growth going through supporting green industries. But there's perhaps a tension too for Labour, promising massive state intervention in industry while vowing to watch every single penny.\n\nRishi Sunak has soothed nervous Tory brows in the last few weeks with a frenzy of activity, fewer leaks from cabinet, and pointers the economy might not be in such dire straits as previously thought. His calm down chancellor, Jeremy Hunt, did reassure the manic financial markets when he took over. But Labour's been solidly ahead in the polls for months and shadow chancellor Rachel Reeves has carefully been building its reputation for credibility and making nice with business.\n\nWhat happens to our wallets makes a huge difference to what happens at the ballot box. There is huge pressure on both main parties to address the big shifts in how we make our livings as individuals and as a country.\n\nThat's not just about what happens this Wednesday but about who wins much bigger arguments that affect us all in the months and years ahead.\n\nWe'll be asking Mr Hunt and Ms Reeves about those big questions in the morning, and perhaps, talking a little about what's going on at the BBC too.\n\nRemember, we love to get your questions - you can email me kuenssberg@bbc.co.uk.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/uk-politics-64926786"}
{"title":"Israel sees one of its biggest-ever protests - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-11","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"At one of Saturday's rallies, opposition leader Yair Lapid said this was Israel's \"greatest crisis\".","section":"Middle East","content":"About 200,000 are believed to have taken to the streets in Tel Aviv\n\nHundreds of thousands of Israelis rallied against the government's judicial plans on Saturday night, in what organisers said were the biggest street protests in Israel's history.\n\nPrime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu says the changes - which would curb the power of courts - will restore balance between the branches of government.\n\nAt one of Saturday's rallies, opposition leader Yair Lapid said this was Israel's \"greatest crisis\".\n\nIn a separate development, Israeli troops shot dead three armed Palestinians near the West Bank city of Nablus on Sunday, the Israeli army said. It said the gunmen had fired at an Israeli army post.\n\nPalestinian officials have not commented on the incident. There has been a marked surge in violence between Palestinians and Israel in recent months.\n\nOn Saturday, protest organisers said as many as 500,000 demonstrators took to the streets across Israel for the 10th consecutive week, in what the Haaretz newspaper called \"the largest demonstration in the country's history\".\n\nAbout 200,000 people turned up in Tel Aviv - many carrying Israel's national flag - to rally against planned reforms by Mr Netanyahu's hardline government.\n\nA BBC producer in the city described the protests as the busiest yet, with a non-stop flow of demonstrators packing the streets until late into the night.\n\nIn remarkable scenes, crowds applauded Tel Aviv police chief Amichai Eshed as he walked in uniform through the rally.\n\nOn Thursday, National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir had said he was transferring Mr Eshed to head a training division, amid reports the ultra-nationalist politician accused the commander of being too soft on protesters, whom he calls \"anarchists\".\n\nBut Attorney General Gali Baharav-Miara later overruled Mr Ben-Gvir, saying the decision was being frozen, while national police chief Kobi Shabtai on Saturday said he had \"made a mistake\" in dismissing Eshed.\n\nThe clash over the commander's position is significant. It comes amid predictions of a possible constitutional crisis, involving Israel's civil service and security forces being unable to take orders from the government, if no compromise is reached on the planned reforms, says the BBC's Tom Bateman in Jerusalem.\n\nSpeaking at the demonstrations in Tel Aviv, former Israel police chief Moshe Karadi described Mr Ben-Gvir's control of the force as an unprecedented danger.\n\nHe said the minister was \"a convicted felon, enacting a hostile takeover of the police and trying to turn it into a private militia to serve his political purposes\".\n\nMr Ben-Gvir has previous convictions for racist incitement and supporting terrorism over his backing of a Jewish extremist group. He has said police would have \"zero tolerance\" of demonstrators who block roads, with forces using water cannon and stun grenades against protesters last week.\n\nSpeaking in the southern city of Be'er Sheva, Mr Lapid warned that the country was facing an unprecedented crisis.\n\n\"A wave of terrorism is hitting us, our economy is crashing, money is escaping the country. Iran just signed yesterday a new agreement with Saudi Arabia. But the only thing this government cares about is crushing Israeli democracy,\" he said.\n\nIn the northern city of Haifa, a record crowd of 50,000 marched on Saturday.\n\nThe planned reforms have caused deep divides in Israeli society\n\nThe reforms aim to give the elected government decisive influence over the choice of judges, and limit the ability of the Supreme Court to rule against the executive or strike down legislation.\n\nThe issue has caused deep divides in Israeli society and, significantly, has seen reservists - the backbone of Israel's military - threatening to refuse to serve as a way of showing their opposition.\n\nLast Monday, in an unprecedented move, dozens of reserve fighter pilots in an elite Israeli Air Force squadron said they would not report for training. They later reversed course and agreed to attend and hold talks with their commanders.\n\nOn Thursday, protesters blocked roads and attempted to stop Mr Netanyahu flying out of the country. He later took off for Rome.\n\nThe government has stood firm in the face of the uproar, claiming the protests are being fuelled by political opponents.\n\nCritics say the planned reforms, which are already making their way through parliament, will politicise the judiciary and could lead to an authoritarian government.\n\nMr Netanyahu says the reforms are designed to stop the courts overreaching their powers and that they were voted for by the Israeli public at the last election.\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. WATCH: Protesters flood the streets of Tel Aviv this week","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/world-middle-east-64929563"}
{"title":"Tiger Woods denies he had a tenancy deal with ex-girlfriend - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-11","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"Lawyers for the golfer argue Erica Herman was a \"guest\" who had been \"invited\" to stay with him.","section":"US & Canada","content":"Lawyers for Tiger Woods have denied that he and his ex-girlfriend, who is suing him, had a deal that allowed her to share his Florida home with him.\n\nErica Herman is seeking $30m (\u00a325m) from a trust held by Mr Woods, claiming she was tricked into packing her bags for a holiday, then locked out.\n\nA non-disclosure agreement she signed with Mr Woods in 2017 requires that any legal disputes be settled out of court.\n\nShe is trying to have that agreement cancelled by a court.\n\nMs Herman, who managed a restaurant owned by Mr Woods before their relationship began, has filed two lawsuits in Martin County, Florida.\n\nShe is arguing that the non-disclosure agreement (NDA) she signed is invalid because of a new federal law that limits the enforceability of NDAs in cases of sexual harassment or abuse. She did not make any such allegations in her lawsuit.\n\nShe is also suing the Jupiter Island Irrevocable Homestead Trust, which Mr Woods controls, claiming that the 15-time champion golfer violated an oral agreement that allowed her to live in the home with his two children.\n\nMs Herman says she was allowed to live there rent-and-expense free for the six years of their relationship in exchange for personal services that she provided to Mr Woods. She says there were five years left of the deal when he broke off the relationship.\n\nBut lawyers for Mr Woods argue that she was a \"guest\" who had been \"invited\" to stay with him.\n\n\"Mr Woods never negotiated an oral tenancy agreement with Ms Herman. Nor was there ever a written tenancy agreement between Mr Woods or the Trust,\" his lawyers said in a court filing.\n\nThe documents say that Mr Woods notified Ms Herman on 13 October last year that he was ending their relationship.\n\nThe court filing says he \"informed Ms Herman that she was no longer welcome in the Residence\".\n\n\"Mr Woods arranged for Ms Herman to stay at a local luxury resort and provided funds she could apply toward a new residence,\" the document adds.\n\nHis lawyers argue that she sued the trust to try to bypass the NDA, and maintain that the NDA remains legally binding.\n\nThe court documents have come to light a month before Mr Woods heads to Augusta National in the US state of Georgia to play in the Masters.\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. From 2021: Tiger Woods fans react to his car accident","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/world-us-canada-64922792"}
{"title":"Wildfire warnings issued despite snow and ice in Scotland - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-11","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"Scotland's fire service says the drying effect of frost increases the risk of dead grass catching fire.","section":"Scotland","content":"Warnings of possible wildfires have been issued for parts of Scotland, despite the snow and freezing weather.\n\nThe Scottish Fire and Rescue Service (SFRS) warned of an \"extreme\" risk of grassland catching fire in parts of southwest and central Scotland.\n\nThe SFRS said cold, dry conditions can create the \"ideal set of circumstances\" for wildfires to spread.\n\nA Met Office alert for snow and ice is in place for much of Scotland from 18:00 until 06:00 on Sunday.\n\nThe wildfire warning comes at the end of a week which has seen temperatures plummet, with -16C recorded at Altnaharra - the lowest UK March temperature since 2010.\n\nFurther snow is forecast this weekend, with up to 10cm (4in) expected at the highest levels.\n\nMany parts of the Borders, like Midlem, saw snowfalls overnight from Thursday into Friday\n\nThe SFRS said the increased risk of wildfires was due to the weather pattern over the next few days, dominated by low pressure, warm air to the south, cold air to the north and low humidity in the south-west.\n\nLarge amounts of dead grass and heather from last year have dried out quickly due to the combination of frost, low relative humidity, sunshine and wind.\n\nSFRS Deputy Assistant Chief Officer, Bruce Farquharson, said Scotland's spring weather presented the ideal conditions for wildfires.\n\nHe added: \"We have the combination of vegetation that's dried out over the winter and frost has pulled all the moisture out of that vegetation.\n\n\"It just takes the slightest ignition source and we have great opportunities for fires to take hold and spread.\n\n\"So cold, dry days with a little bit of sun make an ideal set of circumstances for wildfires to start.\"\n\nThe fire service has urged people visiting or working outside in rural areas to exercise caution to avoid starting fires.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/uk-scotland-64919199"}
{"title":"How a tummy-tuck kidnap ended in cartel confusion - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-11","authors":null,"description":"Two US citizens have been returned and a Mexican drug cartel handed over its own men. Here is what we know.","section":null,"content":"Two US citizens have been returned to the US after being kidnapped by a Mexican drug cartel, but questions still remain about the murky details. The BBC's Will Grant explains.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/world-us-canada-64753595"}
{"title":"Hemsby: Work to demolish at-risk cliff-top homes starts - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-11","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"The owner of the first home to be flattened says her hopes and dreams have been destroyed.","section":"Norfolk","content":"This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. The property is one of three to be demolished from the top of the dunes\n\nWork to demolish three homes close to the cliff edge in Norfolk has started after high tides cut into sandy cliffs.\n\nResidents have left their wooden properties in The Marrams in Hemsby, some of which are within 1m (3.2ft) of the cliff edge and at risk of collapse.\n\nSeveral outbuildings were lost to the sea as high tide hit at about 21:00 GMT on Friday.\n\nSue, whose property was the first to be taken down, said it was \"soul-destroying\".\n\nSue, who did not want to give her surname, said watching her home being demolished was \"soul-destroying\"\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser.\n\nThe demolition of her house is now complete, and the two other properties will be flattened on Sunday, contractors on the site say.\n\nAlong with her neighbours, Sue spent the morning hurriedly packing up her belongings before the demolition teams moved in.\n\nSue, who did not want to give her surname, said she wished more could have been done to save her home of three years.\n\nBy the end of Saturday one home had been demolished - a further two are expected to be torn down on Sunday\n\n\"It's really annoying, it's all your hopes and dreams collapsed into nothingness,\" she said.\n\nThis time last week there was up to 20ft between her property and the cliff edge, and then there was just 3ft.\n\nShe was told she would have to get planning permission for her home to be moved back from the cliff edge but there was not enough time.\n\nWatching her house being destroyed with her head in her hands, she said: \"We've got some very happy memories there because it's got lovely energy to it, lovely atmosphere.\"\n\nAssessment work was carried out before the demolition work started\n\nMary Withey, whose home is due to be demolished, said she had collected what she could of her belongings\n\nMary Withey, whose home is also set to be demolished, said she and her partner \"had got what we can\".\n\n\"I'm not OK with it, it's been my home, I don't want to move... it's very sad,\" said Ms Withey, who has lived in her house for four years,\n\n\"When I first heard I was in shock and today I've just been tearful, it's horrible.\"\n\nAll the homeowners have been packing up any last bits\n\nJane Beck, head of property and asset management at Great Yarmouth Borough Council, had initially planned to demolish all three properties within the day, before the next high tide at 21:38.\n\n\"It's extremely sad for those people and we're trying to do everything we possibly can to help them through that process,\" Ms Beck said.\n\nThe beach and surrounding area at Hemsby should be avoided, she added, and she urged people to stay away for their own safety.\n\nThe properties were on the verge of going into the sea\n\nThe only access road to properties on the Marrams has also been cordoned off and is expected to collapse.\n\nFire crews knocked on doors on Friday and urged anybody still in the affected properties to leave their homes.\n\nDuring the evening, a shed and a playhouse toppled over the cliff but Hemsby Independent Lifeboat crew managed to rescue two chickens from the shed which they said \"put a smile on everyone's face\".\n\nHemsby Independent Lifeboat crew rescued two chickens from a shed just before it toppled into the sea\n\nDaniel Hurd, coxswain with the lifeboat crew, said it had been a \"long old night\".\n\nThe Highways Agency blocked off the road on Friday evening and BT responded to a telegraph pole that was tilting on the edge.\n\n\"Luckily we managed to get that on to the beach and not risk public safety by it falling on top of them,\" he said.\n\nDaniel Hurd, coxswain, with the Hemsby lifeboat crew said Friday had been \"a long old night\"\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser.\n\n\"My concern now is that if [the erosion] gets to the car parks, we possibly may have to shut the doors on the lifeboat station and then you won't have sea cover off Hemsby at all... and that is serious,\" he added.\n\nThe BBC understands that the owner of the property on the edge of the dunes on the south side of gap, has been given the chance to move it across the road\n\nGreat Yarmouth Borough Council's chief executive, Sheila Oxtoby, said the authority was looking to bring some rock on to the beach to protect the road access to a number of other properties as a \"temporary solution\".\n\nIt is understood 1,900 tonnes of granite are due to arrive on Wednesday.\n\nMs Oxtoby said: \"At the same time as dealing with the immediate issue, we're also looking at how we can use our emergency powers to provide a temporary rock berm solution to give us more time for the main scheme.\"\n\nA water main pipe that was buried in the ground has been exposed\n\nMr Hurd, however, said the current situation was \"heart-breaking\" and could have been resolved earlier.\n\nHe said: \"I just think it's absolutely ridiculous, this has been an emergency for years and it's taken this weekend for them to see it's an emergency to then get a rock berm put on the beach.\"\n\nBorough councillor, James Bensley, said he could understand people were frustrated but there had been \"so much bureaucracy\".\n\n\"It's a real minefield of making sure that what local government and the authorities do is the correct line of procedure and I can totally understand people's frustrations,\" he said.\n\nBorough councillor for Hemsby, James Bensley, said he could understand people were frustrated about the time taken to put defences in but local government \"has to do it correctly\"\n\n\"We [also] have to make sure it works, we have to make sure it's cost affordable and doesn't affect further south down the coast.\n\n\"I know the process and the time that has been taken is exhausting and I can fully appreciate and understand that but we have to do it correctly and with the tools that we have got and through the right channels.\"\n\nHemsby, near Great Yarmouth, is home to about 3,000 people and was once home to a Pontins holiday camp.\n\nSeven bungalows along The Marrams had to be demolished when sandy cliffs washed away in March 2018 and, in December 2013, \"the worst storm surge in 60 years\", destroyed seven homes.\n\nLast year, a 1.3km (0.8 mile) rock berm at the base of the cliff was approved in principle, but the council funding for the \u00a315m scheme was challenging to obtain, with just \u00a32.5m available from the government.\n\nFind BBC News: East of England on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter. If you have a story suggestion email eastofenglandnews@bbc.co.uk\n\nThe BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/uk-england-norfolk-64924782"}
{"title":"Campaigners slam government river bathing decision - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-11","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"Just one river included in government's proposal for new designated swimming sites","section":"Science & Environment","content":"The River Wharfe was the first UK river to have an officially designated bathing site.\n\nThe government's rejection of all but one application for bathing water status for English rivers is \"very disappointing\", environmentalists say.\n\nPart of the River Deben in Suffolk is still in the running but campaigners for clean water say proposals for eight other river sites were declined.\n\nDesignation as an official bathing site obliges the Environment Agency to regularly test water quality.\n\nCampaigners say they have not been told why the decisions have been made.\n\nYou can still swim in non-designated sites but it's unlikely the water quality will be monitored or tested.\n\nWater companies currently have to provide data on how many hours raw sewage flows into waterways, but there is limited testing of what it means for water quality.\n\nThere will now be a period of public consultation on four new sites becoming officially designated as bathing water. Two are at a reservoir in Rutland with the others on the coast in Plymouth, as well as the River Deben in Suffolk.\n\n\"The actions we have taken mean that people across the country will be able to swim at more sites and in better quality water, but we know there is more to do,\" says Water Minister Rebecca Pow.\n\nThere are already 421 designated bathing water sites in England. The vast majority of them are coastal with just two, in Yorkshire on the River Wharfe and Oxfordshire, on the Thames on rivers.\n\nApplicants for official bathing status are asked to provide evidence of local support, data on how many people swim at the site and whether there are facilities nearby, such as toilets.\n\nKirsty Davies, community water quality officer for campaign group Surfers Against Sewage called the rejections \"a slap in the face for communities who are trying to tackle the sewage pollution crisis.\"\n\n\"It's a Catch 22,\" Ms Davies said. \"They won't care for waters that aren't designated, but we apply for designation, and they decline.\"\n\nOne of those turned down is at Wallingford on the River Thames. In a statement South Oxfordshire District council said they were \"extremely disappointed\" by the decision and were seeking clarification on the reasons behind it.\n\nIn 2020 part of the Wharfe in Ilkley became the first UK river to be designated as a bathing site, in what was then seen as a major victory for water quality campaigners. But efforts to get three more stretches of the Wharfe officially designated have been rejected.\n\nCouncillor Linda Richards, who had been working on the designation told the BBC that they had been sent emails which said they'd failed to meet the criteria but didn't explain why.\n\n\"This is a disappointing setback but not the end of the road,\" she said, explaining that they would bid for designated status again.\n\nA spokesperson for DEFRA said they would not comment on individual applications but that sites that did not meet criteria would not progress to national consultation.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/science-environment-64919789"}
{"title":"Italy migrants: Hundreds in trouble off Calabria coast - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-11","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"Rescue efforts are under way near the scene of a shipwreck in which dozens of migrants died last month.","section":"Europe","content":"Italy's coast guards are being supported by the country's navy\n\nA large operation is under way off Italy's coast to rescue 1,300 migrants in overcrowded boats.\n\nThe country's navy and coastguard say they are racing to help three vessels near the southern region of Calabria.\n\nItaly's coastguard described the operation as \"particularly complex\", because of the number of boats and people at risk.\n\nThe rescue effort comes almost two weeks after at least 73 migrants died in a shipwreck in the same region.\n\nThe victims included a six-year-old boy whose body was discovered on Friday.\n\nAfter last month's disaster, Italy's far-right government was accused of not doing enough to prevent the loss of lives.\n\nPrime Minister Giorgia Meloni responded by taking her cabinet to the site of the wreck in the town of Cutro.\n\nShe has proposed prison terms of up to 30 years for people smugglers responsible for deaths and serious injuries.\n\nItaly has seen an increase of migrants arriving by sea this year. It has recorded three times as many arrivals as during the same period last year, according to its interior ministry.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/world-europe-64920955"}
{"title":"Gary Lineker revolt becomes a test of BBC's values - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-11","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"The broadcaster is facing a test of its fundamental values and mission following a day of tumult.","section":"UK","content":"When the BBC's director general, Tim Davie, took over in 2020, he declared his founding principle to be \"impartiality\".\n\nThree years later, a row over that principle and how it applies across the corporation has created a crisis that has quite clearly caught managers by surprise.\n\nFamiliar, fixed points in the weekly TV schedule unexpectedly falling off air in quick succession is proof of a crisis that has become something much bigger than a row about some tweets.\n\nThe Gary Lineker issue is more than an argument about the opinions of a highly paid sports presenter - it is a test of the BBC's fundamental values and the current director general's core mission.\n\nThe passions provoked by Lineker's political tweets and the decision to keep him off air until he and the BBC resolve this issue has poured petrol on a fire that was already well alight - the debate about the BBC's role in British politics and perceptions of bias both to the left and the right.\n\nBut first, let's look at the immediate issue.\n\nIt's worth noting that complaints about Lineker's politically charged tweets are not new.\n\nIn 2016 and 2018 the BBC defended comments made by the Match of the Day presenter about child migrants and Brexit by saying he was a freelance presenter, it was a private Twitter account and the stringent rules for journalists did not apply equally to sports presenters.\n\nThe guidelines at the time said the risk to compromising the BBC's impartiality \"is lower where an individual is expressing views publicly on an unrelated area, for example, a sports or science presenter expressing views on politics or the arts\".\n\nSince then rules have been tightened. New guidelines on social media demanded an \"extra responsibility\" for presenters with a \"high profile\". Some described the new rule as the \"Lineker clause\".\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Watch: BBC boss Tim Davie asked if he bowed to government pressure\n\nThe question is whether that rule is being fairly applied. Twitter is awash with examples of what some people think are presenters who have gone too far over recent years. Names frequently raised include Alan Sugar, Chris Packham and Andrew Neil.\n\nIn response, Mr Davie said on Saturday evening that he was in \"listening mode\" and suggested there might be an escape route by re-examining those guidelines.\n\nThere is good reason for him to want to bring this to a conclusion. Impartiality is hugely important but so too is providing a service that people pay for through their licence fee.\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. WATCH: How the Match of the Day row played out on Saturday... in 60 seconds\n\nMatch of the Day went ahead on BBC One on Saturday night - but was reduced to a 20-minute edition that did not have a presenter, pundits or any commentary - while other football coverage was dropped.\n\nEvery cancelled programme is a source of further complaint from licence payers who may not care what Lineker says on Twitter but care deeply about their favourite programmes staying on air on a Saturday night.\n\nThere is also the wider context of a government that has in recent years been critical of the BBC and its perceived liberal bias.\n\nGreg Dyke, a former director general, who left the BBC over a clash with the Labour Government in 2004, says the decision to pull Gary Lineker from Match of the Day looks like a corporation bowing to political pressure from a Tory government.\n\nAll of which leads to another issue that asks questions of the BBC's impartiality, the BBC's chairman, Richard Sharp, a former donor to the Conservative party who is the subject of an ongoing inquiry looking in to his appointment and what he did or did not disclose about his part in the arrangement of an \u00a3800,000 loan guarantee to the former prime minister, Boris Johnson. He has denied any involvement in arranging the loan.\n\nLineker has become a lightning rod for a much bigger debate and the BBC would like to resolve the issue as quickly as possible to stop a very public row turning into a monumental crisis. However, with the corporation saying it wants Lineker, with his 8.7 million Twitter followers, to stop the political tweets while he shows no sign of agreeing to be silenced, it's hard to see quite how this will resolve itself.\n\nFor the BBC this is about impartiality but to many others it is about free speech. Indeed, there is a statue outside the BBC's headquarters in London of the author of 1984, George Orwell, a former BBC talks producer. Inscribed on the wall behind the Orwell statue are these words: \"If liberty means anything at all it means the right to tell people what they do not want to hear.\"\n\nEighty years after Orwell left the BBC, the corporation finds itself in a deepening crisis. That thought from Orwell and the questions it raises for the BBC are at the very heart of the Lineker debate.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/uk-64929269"}
{"title":"EIS teaching union backs pay deal to end school strikes - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-11","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"Scotland's largest teaching union the EIS confirms 90% of members voted to accept the new pay deal.","section":"Scotland","content":"Members of the EIS union have been voting on the latest pay offer\n\nMembers of Scotland's largest teaching union the EIS have accepted a pay deal to end long-running school strikes.\n\nTeachers will receive a 7% pay rise backdated to last April, a further 5% next month and 2% in January.\n\nThe union suspended strikes last week when the pay offer was made. The EIS said 90% voted for the deal, from a ballot turnout of 82%.\n\nEducation Secretary Shirley-Anne Somerville said it was a \"fair, affordable and sustainable\" offer.\n\nThe EIS said that pay for most teachers would increase by 12.3% by next month, then 14.6% by January 2024.\n\nGeneral Secretary Andrea Bradley said: \"While it does not meet our aspirations in respect of a restorative pay settlement, it is the best deal that can realistically be achieved in the current political and financial climate without further prolonged industrial action.\n\n\"It compares favourably with recent pay settlements across the public sector, and does provide pay certainty for Scotland's teachers until the next pay settlement is scheduled in August 2024.\"\n\nMembers of the SSTA have also voted to end industrial action\n\nThe EIS, SSTA and NASUWT teaching unions have been in a year-long industrial dispute with councils.\n\nThe deadlock was broken last week when councils, using extra money from the Scottish government, made a fresh offer that would see most teachers' salaries rise by \u00a35,200 in April.\n\nThe EIS paused targeted strikes that were being held in constituencies of senior politicians including First Minister Nicola Sturgeon and Deputy First Minister John Swinney.\n\nOn Thursday, members of the SSTA also voted overwhelmingly to accept the deal.\n\nThe NASUWT union said it would ballot its members on the offer, but described it as \"paltry\" and said it fell short of what teachers wanted.\n\nThe teachers' strike is now effectively over. Two of the three unions which represent classroom teachers - the EIS and the SSTA - have now said they will accept the pay offer.\n\nThe third - the NASUWT - is urging rejection and is still consulting its members. The AHDS, representing heads and deputes, also intends to accept it. This means that the pay offer will almost certainly be put into effect.\n\nAs is often the case in industrial disputes, the resolution is a compromise. Both sides gave ground.\n\nThe 7% rise for 2022-23 is below the 10% pay claim. The 5% this April followed by a further 2% in January is still below inflation. But it is still better than the offer made just before the strikes started - worth around 5% for the majority of teachers.\n\nHowever few teachers will feel like celebrating a victory. Many were saddened that industrial action on this scale was necessary and were all too aware of the potential impact of strikes on children, teenagers and families.\n\nThe unions had hoped the mere threat of a strike would have proved sufficient.\n\nWith the pay dispute over, the question is whether the relationship between teachers' unions, employers and the Scottish government has been damaged.\n\nTeachers had initially demanded a 10% increase this year, with the dispute seeing almost all schools in Scotland closed by a series of strikes.\n\nThe pay deal follows talks between the EIS, Shirley-Anne Somerville and John Swinney last week.\n\nMs Somerville welcomed the EIS ballot result and said it was an \"historic\" deal.\n\nShe added: \"Teachers in Scotland are already the best paid in the UK and this deal will mean a salary rise of \u00a35,200 in April for most teachers, and a cumulative rise of 33% since January 2018.\n\n\"A resolution to this dispute and an end to the threat of further strike disruption in our schools will be a huge relief for children, young people, parents, carers, and teachers, too.\"\n\nEducation Secretary Shirley-Anne Somerville said the offer was the most generous in more than 20 years\n\nThe Scottish Conservatives accused Ms Somerville of being \"asleep at the wheel\" over the strike action.\n\nParty education spokesman Stephen Kerr MSP said: \"It would never have lasted this long - and caused so much disruption to our children's education - had Shirley-Anne Somerville been on top of her brief and shown the required urgency to resolve it.\"\n\nScottish Labour also criticised Ms Somerville for taking too long to reach the settlement.\n\nEducation spokesperson Michael Marra MSP said: \"The SNP government needs to take a long, hard look at its approach to industrial relations.\n\n\"The delay tactics have hurt Scotland's pupils, who have now missed a full week of learning in this academic year.\"\n\nScottish Lib Dem education spokesperson, Willie Rennie MSP, said it was a \"travesty\" that it took so long for an agreement to be reached.\n\nHe added: \"The prolonged and bitter dispute has caused unquantifiable harm to the relationship between the teaching profession and an SNP government that told them they were paid more than enough.\"","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/uk-scotland-64906111"}
{"title":"BBC and Gary Lineker: Tweets decision comes at high price for BBC - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-11","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"One of the BBC's best loved presenters has been taken off air due to an impartiality row.","section":"Entertainment & Arts","content":"It can't have been what the BBC intended.\n\nOne of its most famous and best loved presenters has been taken off air - and it appears to be in the midst of a stand-off with no clear exit strategy for either side.\n\nSticking to its guns on impartiality has come at a high price for the corporation and opened up new faultlines in the process.\n\nFirst up, Match of the Day, which saw its star-studded presenting and commentating cast of sport royalty drop out in quick succession or assert that they would not appear on set - in solidarity with Gary Lineker.\n\nIn scenes more reminiscent of the 1960s epic film Spartacus than a football highlights show, presenters and pundits are standing with Gary Lineker, effectively declaring \"I'm Spartacus\".\n\nIan Wright and Alan Shearer began the exodus from the show this weekend, with Jermaine Jenas and Micah Richards also posting that, if they'd been due to be on the show, they too would have said no.\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. WATCH: How the Match of the Day row played out on Saturday... in 60 seconds\n\nAlex Scott has also tweeted, heavily implying she would not present the programme in Gary Lineker's place.\n\nNow, MOTD have said it will broadcast a show focused on highlights - and without the characteristic punditry. It's an unenviable position to be in.\n\nWho could have predicted that the government's asylum policies and the language around them, so robustly criticised by Gary Lineker in his tweets, would end up reducing the BBC's most popular football show to this?\n\nImpartiality is at the heart of Director General Tim Davie's strategy for the corporation, as he has declared many times.\n\nAlan Shearer and Ian Wright began the exodus from the show this weekend\n\nSome argue that was a reaction to pressure from the Conservative government.\n\nBut there is no doubt Mr Davie has always insisted he genuinely believes in impartiality as a way to ensure the BBC, funded by licence fee payers, is for everyone.\n\nStaff and on-air talent are asked to leave their opinions at the front door. But there is some nuance in that.\n\nIn its statement on Friday, the BBC said: \"We've never said Gary should be an opinion free zone.\"\n\nTim Davie has said impartiality should be at the heart of the BBC\n\nGary Lineker is a sports presenter not a political presenter or news journalist. But the BBC's Executive Complaints Unit has previously ruled that, although the star is not required to uphold the same impartiality standards as BBC journalists, he has an \"additional responsibility\" because of his profile.\n\n\"We expect these individuals to avoid taking sides on party political issues or political controversies and to take care when addressing public policy matters,\" the ruling said.\n\nBy deciding Gary Lineker's \"recent social media activity to be a breach of our guidelines\" and deciding to take him off air, the BBC has, though, opened itself up to criticisms that it's on the wrong side of free speech arguments.\n\nSo on top of the fate of Match of the Day, that's another headache.\n\nAre we really saying, argue the critics, that somebody who isn't a news journalist but appears on the BBC in another capacity, can't tweet their views about politics in a personal capacity? Where will it end, they ask?\n\nCan a gameshow host not have an opinion on a government policy? Or an actor who's closely linked to a high profile BBC drama? A comedian?\n\nEven more ominously, they ask is this actually only about people whose views diverge from those of the government of the day?\n\nAnd while the BBC's free speech credentials are under scrutiny, the BBC is also being accused of double standards, of caving in to political pressure at a time when its own Conservative-linked chairman remains in post.\n\nRichard Sharp has been under pressure for his role in facilitating a loan agreement for Boris Johnson when he was prime minister and not declaring it as a potential conflict of interest in the appointment process when he was under consideration to be chairman of the BBC.\n\nMr Sharp has previously admitted the affair had embarrassed the BBC but insisted he had \"acted in good faith to ensure that the rules were followed\".\n\nThe Shadow Culture Secretary Lucy Powell has specifically linked the two cases saying \"the same cries of impartiality were totally absent when the BBC Chair failed to disclose aspects of his close friendship with the then PM\".\n\nThe BBC is justified in arguing that it has no say in the case of the BBC chair. Mr Sharp is a political appointment, and his appointment is now being investigated by the commissioner for public appointments.\n\nBut perceptions matter. And the BBC is accused by one side of coming down heavily on Gary Lineker for his anti-government rhetoric, while apparently having a chair in post who is mired in a row and has given money to the Conservatives in the past.\n\nOne counter argument is that Richard Sharp, as a Board member, isn't involved in editorial matters.\n\nPlenty would say, though, neither is Gary Lineker. He has no editorial say on air about politics. Sport is his thing - and as a sports presenter, the BBC today called him \"second to none\".\n\nBut no longer - this weekend anyway - for the BBC.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/entertainment-arts-64922674"}
{"title":"More snow and ice forecast for parts of the UK after travel chaos - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-11","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"Temperatures are set to drop \"like a stone\" overnight, bringing the risk of freezing ice.","section":"UK","content":"This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Watch: Travel chaos on the M62, but others enjoy a March snow day\n\nMore snow and ice is predicted in parts of the UK, after blizzard conditions caused chaos on Friday, with some drivers stranded for hours.\n\nYellow warnings for snow and ice remain in place until Saturday for much of the UK, apart from southern England.\n\n\"With clearing skies and snow on the ground, temperatures tonight will drop like a stone,\" said BBC weather forecaster Matt Taylor.\n\nHe said icy conditions would be an issue in many areas.\n\nSome rural areas in Scotland, England and Wales could see temperatures of -10C to -13C overnight into Saturday.\n\nNational Highways operational control director Andrew Page-Dove said there was a risk of potentially freezing rain and more snow.\n\n\"The conditions are actually going to get worse rather than better,\" he said.\n\nHeavy snow overnight into Friday in parts of Wales and north-west England caused disruption including long delays on the M62 trans-Pennine motorway.\n\nDrivers reported stationary traffic on the eastbound carriageway between Rochdale in Greater Manchester and Huddersfield in West Yorkshire.\n\nBy midday, congestion stretched for around 17 miles after two lanes were closed between junctions 20 and 22.\n\nBlizzard conditions saw drivers stranded for hours on the M62\n\nMr Page-Dove said the traffic chaos was down to a \"combination of volume of traffic and [drivers] maybe not being as well prepared for the conditions\".\n\nNational Highways gritters were delayed on the M62 by stranded lorries unable to cope with the conditions, he added.\n\nConfirming that the M62 would remain open, he said: \"We have well-rehearsed plans which we execute every time we have these types of events.\"\n\nDozens of people took to social media early on Friday, describing spending hours stuck in standstill traffic on the motorway.\n\nOne woman who got stranded on a nearby road told the BBC she had \"never seen anything like it\" and had to be helped by mountain rescue.\n\nKim Ward was on her way home from to Halifax from a concert in Manchester overnight with her sister-in-law, niece and a friend.\n\nShe told the BBC: \"The M62 was shut, so we thought we would take the A-road.\n\n\"We thought we would be alright, but as we got higher and higher, it just got worse and worse.\n\n\"We spent a couple of hours completely stuck, freezing - we actually started nodding off in the car.\n\n\"Next thing we knew mountain rescue were knocking on the window with their torches.\"\n\nMs Ward continued: \"I have been on numerous ski holidays, but I have never seen anything like it, up on the top there.\n\n\"It's scary, thinking you are going to actually spend the night here in the car.\"\n\nA postal delivery worker wearing shorts in heavy snow fall during his delivery rounds in Oldham, Greater Manchester\n\nThe winter weather has been named Storm Larisa by the French weather service.\n\nOn Friday, more than 200 schools shut their doors in Wales, while in Northern Ireland, more than 100 were closed as a result of the snow.\n\nIn England, hundreds of schools across North, South and West Yorkshire, as well as the West and East Midlands, Lancashire and Greater Manchester, were also forced to close.\n\nSome schools were closed on Thursday in Aberdeenshire, in Scotland, but Aberdeenshire Council said there were no planned closures for Friday.\n\nMilder air is forecast for Sunday into Monday when a thaw will begin and conditions will start to improve.\n\nYellow weather warnings are issued when severe weather that could cause disruption to everyday life is possible, according to the Met Office's website.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/uk-64916816"}
{"title":"Gary Lineker row: BBC director general apologises over sports disruption but will not resign - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-11","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"Tim Davie says disruption to programmes hit by presenter boycott is \"a real blow\" and apologises to audiences.","section":"Entertainment & Arts","content":"Amid all the noise in this affair Rishi Sunak hadn\u2019t before now uttered the words \"Gary Lineker\" as far as I can tell. So why now?\n\nThrough the week a host of his top team had been all too happy to weigh in.\n\nSunak\u2019s Press Secretary (speaking on his behalf), Culture Secretary Lucy Frazer, immigration minister Robert Jenrick and Home Office minister Chris Philp all criticised Lineker\u2019s comments.\n\nAnd Home Secretary Suella Braverman said: \"I don\u2019t think anything that is happening in the UK today can come close to what happened in the Holocaust.\"\n\nThat\u2019s a lot of ministers caring about an issue enough to address it. They didn\u2019t explicitly call for action against Lineker, but criticised him roundly.\n\nThe minute Lineker was suspended that dynamic changed. No ministers commenting, just an official line: \"individual cases are a matter for the BBC.\"\n\nThe government, it seems, was happy enough to weigh in while the issue gained momentum. It kept the story in the headlines.\n\nNumber 10 wants people to see it\u2019s pushing ahead with its new legislation on small boats. If the plan causes some outrage, from Downing Street\u2019s viewpoint, that\u2019s not necessarily a bad thing.\n\nIt helps create the impression this is a tough approach, pushing boundaries. Which might translate into support among its target voters.\n\nBut the minute Gary Lineker was suspended it became a bit more tricky. Now, if you are in Number 10, you don\u2019t want to be dragged into the row any further.\n\nHe\u2019s popular, there\u2019s a backlash growing as his colleagues rally behind him. And there\u2019s already lots of criticism about the Conservatives putting pressure on the BBC.\n\nIf this ends with Lineker leaving the BBC you want as much distance from that decision as possible.\n\nTime to soften the tone, praise Lineker - he\u2019s \"a great footballer and is a talented presenter\". Time to say the PM \"hopes\" this can be \"resolved\" but it\u2019s for the BBC \"not the government\".\n\nAn effort to extricate the PM in case there\u2019s fall out.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/live\/entertainment-arts-64895316"}
{"title":"High-value Amazon orders 'switched for cat food', say customers - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-11","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"Dozens of Amazon customers get in touch to share their stories of ordering cameras and computer kit.","section":"Wiltshire","content":"Jonathan said he was surprised to find cat food in the box, instead of the camera and lens he had paid for\n\nAfter the BBC published a story in January about how a man was sent dog food by Amazon instead of the iPhone he ordered, dozens of readers have been in touch with similar complaints.\n\nMany of those we spoke to told of high-value products such as cameras and computer kit being swapped for low-value items like cat food or face masks. Here, we share a selection of readers' experiences.\n\n\"When I opened the box, I was hit by a wave of panic, I was shocked to see Felix cat food,\" Jonathan said.\n\n\"I was very anxious, as I knew it was not going to be easy to get my money back.\"\n\nHe had purchased a Sony Alpha 6-400 camera, priced at \u00a3900, and a Tamron telephoto lens priced at \u00a3520, on 8 September. The order had a combined value of \u00a31,420.\n\nJonathan said when the delivery driver arrived with the package, it \"looked normal\" at first sight, so he gave the driver a one-time-code, and accepted the parcel.\n\nI suddenly heard screaming and crying - he had unwrapped his present to find a box of pink surgical face masks.\n\nBecause Jonathan had signed for the delivery, Amazon initially refused to refund the sum.\n\nHowever, after multiple conversations with different staff in the complaints department they decided to allow it to go through, he said.\n\nAlthough he received a replacement lens within a couple of weeks, they no longer had the camera in stock, so he had to wait more than three weeks for a \u00a3900 refund.\n\nAn Amazon spokesman said: \"We're sorry that some customer experiences have fallen short of the high standards that we expect.\"\n\nHeather from Glasgow, described the \"absolute devastation\" felt by her 15-year-old son Nicholas when he ordered a computer part from Amazon using his life's savings.\n\n\"He had bought a graphics card for the discounted price of \u00a3400 on Black Friday [22 November], ahead of Christmas, it was going to be his present,\" she said.\n\nAmazon customers have been contacting the BBC with their experiences\n\n\"Building a computer was his dream, he had been saving birthday and Christmas money for years, and the graphics card was the final part he needed.\"\n\nHeather said Amazon kept delaying the delivery and he did not get his present in time for Christmas Day.\n\n\"In mid-January it was finally delivered.\n\n\"It seemed normal, I passed the packaged on to my son, and said 'Merry Christmas, sorry it's late'.\n\n\"Nicholas opened the package, which revealed a box wrapped in Christmas paper.\n\n\"I suddenly heard screaming and crying - he had unwrapped his present to find a box of pink surgical face masks.\n\n\"He was absolutely devastated- it felt like a sick joke.\"\n\nThe graphics card was the final part he needed to build his computer\n\nAfter complaining to Amazon, and spending hours on the phone, Heather said she was told she could have a refund, but she had to return the box of face masks first.\n\n\"We had to pay \u00a311 postage to send the face masks back to the USA - out of our own pockets,\" she said.\n\nAmazon refunded Nicholas on 20 February, nearly three months after he ordered the graphics card.\n\n\"It was a massive blow to myself and my son who felt robbed of his life savings and his dream- I had also wasted hours on the phone with Amazon during the process,\" Heather added.\n\nAnother customer, Steve De Vos, 61, from Hertfordshire, ordered a OnePlus 9 mobile phone at a cost of \u00a3513.99.\n\nThe next day, when Mr Vos was at home with his wife, he said he received an email from Amazon saying there had just been \"a failed delivery attempt\".\n\nSteve de Vos said the delivery driver did not ring the doorbell the first time and did not have a package the second time\n\nThe delivery driver had not rung the doorbell, or tried to alert anyone inside the house, despite walking up to the door with the package, Mr de Vos said.\n\nHe contacted Amazon customer service, and forwarded some outdoor CCTV footage as evidence, but an hour later, while Mr de Vos was still in the house, he was notified again of \"a second failed delivery attempt\".\n\nAgain, CCTV showed the same driver walking up to the front door, but this time he carried no package in his hand, Mr de Vos said.\n\nHe stood at the door, but did not ring the doorbell, he went on his phone to mark the delivery as failed, and walked away, Mr de Vos added.\n\nThe next day, the package was delivered by another driver.\n\nThe parcel looked normal but after opening it, I was shocked to find a tin of dog food and some Eau de toilette instead of the phone I had ordered.\n\n\"The parcel looked normal but after opening it, I was shocked to find a tin of dog food and some Eau de toilette instead of the phone I had ordered.\"\n\nHe immediately contacted Amazon and lodged a formal complaint against the driver, but was told he would not be recredited the purchase price and the matter would be referred to a specialist team.\n\n\"As I had not received the phone I had ordered, I placed an order for a replacement item shortly afterwards.\n\n\"A week later, I chased Amazon and the customer services representative agreed to refund me.\"\n\nEthan Martin, 22, from Wednesbury, ordered a Panasonic Lumix camera and lens for \u00a31,999, and it was sent to an Amazon hub counter, inside a shop, on 10 January.\n\nHe collected it and opened the package in front of the shopkeeper, he said.\n\nCCTV footage showed Ethan Martin opening the Amazon package in front of the shopkeeper\n\n\"Inside there was two pairs of cheap shoes - no camera to be seen - it was horrible and disappointing,\" Mr Martin said.\n\n\"I was worried about getting a refund, as I had spent so much money.\"\n\nThe shopkeeper gave Mr Martin a copy of the CCTV, which clearly showed him opening the box and showing the contents to the person behind the checkout.\n\nMr Martin said he was still owed a refund for the camera he did not recieve\n\nMr Martin said despite complaining multiple times to Amazon, and telling them he had CCTV evidence, Amazon had not refunded him.\n\nHe said he had since disputed the payment with his bank.\n\n\"I feel robbed, I am \u00a32,000 down, I really hope the bank can help me, it is my last resort,\" he added.\n\nAn Amazon spokesman added: \"We work hard to create a trustworthy shopping experience by protecting customers, selling partners and Amazon from abuse and we have systems in place to detect suspicious behaviour.\n\n\"We are investigating these specific cases and are in contact with the customers affected.\"\n\nFollow BBC West on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. Send your story ideas to: bristol@bbc.co.uk","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/uk-england-wiltshire-64874963"}
{"title":"Northern Ireland snow: Cancellations, disruptions and closures - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-11","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"Drivers urged to take care on roads that may not have been gritted, as temperatures fall below zero.","section":"Northern Ireland","content":"A snowy road in Drumbo in Lisburn at 07:00 on Friday morning\n\nA yellow warning for ice has been issued across Northern Ireland lasting until 10:00 GMT on Saturday.\n\nEarlier on Friday police asked NI road users to take extra care following heavy snowfall overnight.\n\nAmid treacherous conditions in some areas, a number of roads were closed due to fallen trees and power lines and some homes remain without power.\n\nIt came as heavy snow brought disruption to other parts of the UK.\n\nMore than 200 schools across Northern Ireland closed on Friday due to the weather.\n\nThe Met Office has said 13cm of snow fell at Glenanne in County Armagh, while Lough Fea in County Londonderry saw 11cm of snow.\n\nTranslink has made changes to a number of its bus services.\n\nNewcastle, County Down framed by some snow-capped Mourne Mountains\n\nSome flights at Belfast International and City Airports were delayed and cancelled on Thursday night.\n\nLying snow and ice will continue to be a hazard through the Friday, although mainly in higher areas.\n\nHowever, snow melt will become icy this evening and overnight as temperatures widely fall below zero.\n\nSome parts, particularly the countryside of County Down, could see thermometers drop close to -10C during the early hours of Saturday.\n\nThe Met Office is warning of injuries from slips and falls as well as travel disruption on roads, pavements, and cycle paths.\n\nIt said: \"With snow and slush affecting many areas and likely to refreeze quickly after dusk, footpaths and walk ways are likely to remain treacherous for much of the next 24 hours, increasing the risk of slips and falls.\"\n\nThis Twitter post cannot be displayed in your browser. Please enable Javascript or try a different browser. View original tweet on Twitter The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Skip twitter post by Met Office - Northern Ireland 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\u2019s cookie policy, external and privacy policy, external before accepting. To view this content choose \u2018accept and continue\u2019. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.\n\nAn amber weather warning issued on Thursday ended at 04:00 GMT on Friday. It is the second-highest level of warning that can be issued by the Met Office and means there is a risk of travel delays and road closures.\n\nUpper Cavehill Road on Friday morning in a blanket of snow\n\nLate on Thursday night, the police urged people to avoid unnecessary journeys.\n\nThis Twitter post cannot be displayed in your browser. Please enable Javascript or try a different browser. View original tweet on Twitter The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Skip twitter post 2 by NI Road Policing and Safety 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\u2019s cookie policy, external and privacy policy, external before accepting. To view this content choose \u2018accept and continue\u2019. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. End of twitter post 2 by NI Road Policing and Safety\n\nThe Strangford ferry was suspended due to the weather conditions but normal service resumed on Friday morning.\n\nArmagh, Banbridge and Craigavon Borough Council said all council facilities would remain closed due to the snowfall. They include Gosford Forest Park, Loughgall Country Park and Lough Neagh Discovery Centre.\n\nIn Newry, Mourne and Down District Council all forest parks are closed with further closures possible. The council also said no refuse collections would take place on Friday.\n\nSome community health services in the north west have also been disrupted due to the recent period of cold weather.\n\nThe Western Health Trust said some staff have had difficulty getting to clients but added that carers were making every effort to reach people in their homes.\n\nThe Education Authority warned that its school transport service could be disrupted, particularly in rural areas.\n\nAt Belfast City Airport a number of inbound flights have been cancelled, with passengers warned to check the status of their flight on the airport's website.\n\nTwo outbound flights have also been cancelled at Belfast International Airport.\n\nFirefighters were out this morning clearing snow from Crumlin Fire Station\n\nIn the Republic of Ireland, a status yellow warning is in place until 12:00 on Friday, with a further yellow warning issued for 15 counties from 19:00 on Friday until 10:00 on Saturday.\n\nThe Irish weather service Met \u00c9ireann has said widespread frost and ice could lead to hazardous driving conditions.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/uk-northern-ireland-64907787"}
{"title":"Cardiff crash: Police say victims were not found for 46 hours - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-11","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"Eve Smith, 21, Rafel Jeanne, 24, and Darcy Ross, 21, died after the car crash in Cardiff.","section":"Wales","content":"Eve Smith, 21, Rafel Jeanne, 24, and Darcy Ross, 21, died in the collision\n\nDetectives have confirmed the victims of a crash that killed three were trapped for almost two days.\n\nPolice said CCTV was studied and number plate recognition cameras used to establish the crash happened at 02:03 GMT on Saturday, 4 March.\n\nIt was not until 46 hours later the victims were found, just after midnight on Monday morning.\n\nEve Smith, 21, Rafel Jeanne, 24, and Darcy Ross, 21, died after the crash near the A48 in St Mellons, Cardiff.\n\nSophie Russon, 20, and Shane Loughlin, 32, are seriously injured in hospital\n\nA sixth person, who had been with the five who were in the crash, had been dropped at home earlier.\n\nThe three women, from Newport, had gone to The Muffler club in the city's Maesglas area late on Friday.\n\nThey then travelled 36 miles (58km) to Trecco Bay Caravan Park, in Porthcawl, Bridgend county, with the two men, both from Cardiff.\n\nA first missing person report was made to Gwent Police at 19:34 on Saturday, with further missing person reports made to the same force at 19:43 and 21:32 on Saturday.\n\nA further missing person report was made to South Wales Police at 17:37 on Sunday.\n\nThe IOPC said on Tuesday it was investigating the actions of South Wales Police and Gwent Police.\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Everton Smith says daughter Eve was \u201ceverything a father could wish for\u201d\n\nMs Russon's mother Anna Certowicz has said police \"didn't seem to think it was worth investigating\" when the five people were reported missing.\n\nEve Smith's dad, Everton Smith, said his life had been changed forever by his daughter's death.\n\nThe accident happened after the white Volkswagen Tiguan the five were in left the carriageway and entered a wooded area.\n\nAssistant Chief Constable Jason Davies said: \"The investigation is making good progress in piecing together the events leading up to the collision.\n\n\"Specialist officers will continue to carry out a detailed investigation which will enable us to provide the facts of what happened during the early hours of Saturday morning.\"\n\nPolice are appealing for witnesses and dashcam footage.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/uk-wales-64918697"}
{"title":"NHS Wales: Falls project avoids 50 needless ambulance callouts - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-11","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"This pilot project uses St John Ambulance Cymru in a bid to prevent people having to go to hospital.","section":"Wales","content":"Sandra Davies' husband Teifion was helped by the falls team, meaning he did not have to go to hospital\n\nA new scheme to help people who have suffered falls has prevented 50 ambulances being unnecessarily sent this year.\n\nSt John Ambulance Cymru works with Hywel Dda health board, Pembrokeshire to send its people for 999 calls.\n\nSandra Davies, whose husband Teifion fell at home, said it was \"marvellous\" as he did not want to go to hospital.\n\nThe pilot has been used 96 times since January but it needs more health board funding to continue after March.\n\nAgeing Well in Wales estimates that between 230,000 and 460,000 over 60s fall each year.\n\nWhen people dial 999, it can be directed to the St John Ambulance Cymru falls response team, who are sent to perform an assessment and identify whether the person can stay home or needs an ambulance to take them to hospital.\n\nSt John Ambulance Cymru operational team leader Robert James said in 60% of cases, the person was well enough to stay at home.\n\n\"You can imagine if you were sending an ambulance crew out and it has wasted 60% of the crew's time, well it's a big saving towards the NHS and the ambulance service in itself,\" he added.\n\n\"Provided there are no injuries, or reason for them to go to hospital, they can be discharged on the scene.\"\n\nJanice John is part of the team that is sent to assess people who have suffered a fall\n\nThe \"falls\" car has covered 2,200 miles (about 3,540km) since January and includes equipment to lift people safely.Janice John, a St John Ambulance Cymru falls assistant, used the specialist gear to help lift Mr Davies, who has dementia, after he fell while walking to the bathroom at his home in Haverfordwest. \"We checked him over and there were no obvious injuries,\" she said.\n\n\"We used a slide sheet to get him into position from where he was, as he was in an awkward position and we then used a lifting device called a Mangar Camel was used to get him of the floor.\"Following these checks, he did not need to go to hospital.\n\nMrs Davies said: \"I think it's marvellous because I couldn't lift him myself. I used to but I can't do it anymore.\n\n\"He's got Alzheimer's and dementia so he doesn't understand half the time, what you are telling him, so I've found it very handy having people like the St John Ambulance coming out. He doesn't want to go into hospital.\"\n\nSt John Ambulance Cymru workers use a device called a Mangar Camel to help people off the floor\n\nIn 2022, the Welsh Ambulance Service received approximately 55,000 calls nationally relating to falls, 38,000 of which required a physical attendance on scene.\n\nJessica Svetz, who works for the health board, said anyone waiting more than an hour - an increasing issue as ambulance waiting times get worse - \"have to be conveyed to hospital which might mean they have to be admitted\".\n\n\"Having St John Ambulance [Cymru] arrive early improves their outcome tremendously,\" she said.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/uk-wales-64902736"}
{"title":"Has Putin\u2019s assault on Ukraine\u2019s power grid failed? - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-11","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"For 22 days Ukraine went without power cuts, and there are hopes Russia's strikes are losing momentum.","section":"Europe","content":"This week's barrage of strikes on Ukrainian cities was the worst in weeks\n\nUkrainians are enjoying the onset of spring. The nights are still cold, but they are emerging from a winter of Russian missile strikes that have cut their power, heating and their water too.\n\nThe winter was very hard but it was now over, declared President Volodymyr Zelensky. Ukraine still had heat and the country was unbreakable, was the message.\n\nUntil Thursday, Ukraine had just gone for more than three weeks in a row with no blackouts and even had surplus in the system.\n\nThere had been no Russian attacks for three weeks either, and it looked as if Vladimir Putin's battle to bring down Ukraine's supply was over.\n\n\"Yes, we're doing it, but who started it?\" he said in December, pinning the blame on Kyiv.\n\nIt was a far more desperate story at that point. As much as half the energy infrastructure was damaged and a Ukrainian nuclear security expert warned the situation was close to critical.\n\nBut during those weeks of quiet, Russia was stocking up weaponry. In the early hours of Thursday it fired 81 missiles and left four regions grappling with emergency power cuts. By Friday, half a million people still had no power in Kharkiv, Ukraine's second-biggest city.\n\n\"It's totally cold now. We have food, but only part of it has been cooked,\" said Oleksii as he watched the battery life on his mobile phone slip to 14%.\n\n\"Invincibility centres\" like this in Kharkiv have become a lifeline during winter power cuts\n\nFive hundred people live in his block of flats, and when he went to his local \"invincibility centre\" to power up his phone, there were too many people with the same idea.\n\nKyiv was also hit and one hospital treating 700 people went without heating and hot water for several hours.\n\nAnother 150,000 people were left with no power in Zhytomyr, two hours' drive south of the Belarus border. The mayor said the next few weeks would be critical and rolling blackouts are looming for this city west of Kyiv.\n\nBut, as resident Eugene Herasymchuk wrapped up his day at work on a sunny spring day, he was confident for the future.\n\n\"We had three weeks without attacks and we had power. And the power in the system allowed local authorities to start up the trolleybuses and trams. That was a big step because before that public transport was on a pause.\"\n\nAnd for many Ukrainians, it was not long before they were back on the grid.\n\n\"It's safe to say that Ukraine won on the energy front,\" said Tetyana Boyko from civic network Opora, praising the fleet of energy workers and international help. \"Let's pray, but I think the worst-case scenario is over.\"\n\nUkrainians have found various ways of getting through power cuts and generators are highly prized\n\nThe winter may be over, but Oleksii in Kharkiv believes the battle to save Ukraine's power supply from Vladimir Putin's missiles will continue as long as Russia has the ability to strike it.\n\nEvery one of Ukraine's thermal and hydroelectric power plants has been damaged since Russia launched its assault on the energy infrastructure last October. Kyiv had already lost the use of Europe's biggest nuclear power plant at Zaporizhzhia, which is in Russia hands.\n\nSub-stations have been reduced to hunks of twisted metal, no longer capable of transforming the electricity to power for homes and businesses.\n\nFor two weeks in the depth of winter, the BBC followed teams of engineers and technicians rushing to repair the damage that the missiles had done.\n\nOne substation was hit six times with missiles or drones and replacing these damaged transformers will take time.\n\nMore from Paul Adams: On the front line with engineers in Ukraine\n\nTransformers have quickly become Ukraine's number one requirement. It needs more than the world can produce in a year and so far only one high-voltage transformer has been sent, although dozens of lower-power machines have arrived.\n\nRussian missiles have also targeted turbine halls in a bid to cripple the power supply\n\nAs the winter wore on, Ukraine's armed forces grew more adept at shooting down Russia's missiles and drones.\n\nBut this week, only 34 of the missiles were destroyed, because Russia used different, high-speed weapons. They included hypersonic Kh-47 Kinzhal missiles as well as anti-ship and anti-aircraft missiles.\n\n\"They can cause huge, huge destruction,\" said one industry official.\n\nUntil Russia's full-scale war on Ukraine began in February 2022, there were 15 nuclear reactors on stream at four power stations. Six of those reactors were at Zaporizhzhia, seized by the occupying military in the early days of the invasion.\n\nFor months, the plant has been at the centre of a high-stakes nuclear row, amid accusations that Moscow wants to connect it to Russia's electricity grid.\n\nThe other three power stations are South Ukraine and Rivne and Khmelnytskyi in the west. Between them, they now produce half of Ukraine's power.\n\nThat may sound bleak, but a combination of an unusually mild winter and sheer hard work means Ukraine has moved back from the brink and the sense of optimism is palpable.\n\nPower plants have been restored and repaired. One source in the industry told the BBC that as the days became sunnier and warmer, it would become harder and harder for Russia's military might to terrorise his country.\n\nThe east-central city of Dnipro has endured several deadly missile strikes over the winter, and this week was no different.\n\nBut there have been no problems for weeks with energy supplies.\n\n\"The city has transformed. Finally, street lights are back, and it's no longer scary to walk the city streets,\" said Inna Shtanko, a young mother with a son under the age of two.\n\nTrams are running in Dnipro and the street lights are back as life appears more normal\n\nCooking and having a hot shower have become part of the daily routine once more for her family. \"Our psychological state has improved considerably, because our family and other mothers too can easily plan our day.\"\n\nThere's a similar story in Kherson, occupied by Russian forces until they retreated across the Dnipro river last November.\n\nLife was hard for several weeks after the Russians left the southern city with no basic utilities.\n\n\"We didn't have any electricity for about month and a week, then we had it for two hours a day, then gradually it stopped breaking,\" said local entrepreneur Alexei Sandakov.\n\nNow he boasts a regular power supply, although the pressure on the system is far lower than before the war because the population of 55,000 is a fraction of what it was before the Russians invaded.\n\nPopulation numbers have fallen across Ukraine, with more than eight million refugees beyond its borders, and that too has put less strain on the energy infrastructure. Consumption is down and the refugees have not yet come back, as one official remarked.\n\nThe overall sense is that the damage caused by this latest wave of missiles will be repaired quickly.\n\nThe damage was considerable, but engineers have become highly skilled at restoring power within days, even after a major attack.\n\n\"It's like a competition: how quickly can they cause us damage and how quickly can we repair. And we are winning that competition,\" said Oleksandr Kharchenko, director of Kyiv's Energy Industry Research Centre.\n\nIn Zhytomyr, Eugene Herasymchuk believes things are looking up. \"A lot of Ukrainians say it's better to have one cold and one dark winter than 100 years with Russia - so I think we can handle this.\"\n\nUkrainians now have everything on their side, according to Mr Kharchenko, from the improving weather to the support of international donors and the professional staff in the energy industry. But he is more guarded about the future.\n\n\"I don't say we've won the energy war, but I can say we won the energy battle this winter.\"","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/world-europe-64899045"}
{"title":"Northern Ireland weather: Heavy snowfall in some counties - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-11","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"The Met Office warns of \"atrocious\" conditions as a weather warning is in place until 04:00 on Friday.","section":"Northern Ireland","content":"Roads and fields near Enniskillen turned white as snow fell on Thursday afternoon\n\nFlights have been disrupted and some roads closed as heavy snow falls in parts of Northern Ireland.\n\nA number of homes are without power due to severe weather conditions causing damage to the network, Northern Ireland Electricity (NIE) said.\n\nA severe weather warning has been issued for three counties.\n\nThe Met Office has said parts of counties Antrim, Down and Armagh could expect snow and ice between 15:00 GMT on Thursday and 04:00 on Friday.\n\nThe amber warning is the second highest level that can be issued by the Met Office and means there is a risk of travel delays and road closures.\n\nOther counties are under a lesser, yellow-level warning.\n\nSnow has been falling across many areas overnight and it is expected to become more heavy and persistent towards the east coast.\n\nThe Met Office is warning of \"atrocious\" travel conditions, especially over higher ground.\n\nBetween 4cm and 8cm of snow is expected away from coastal areas, with between 10cm and 20cm over higher ground.\n\nThis lamb in a field near Carryduff felt the chill of a snowy day for the first time\n\nThe yellow warning for the rest of Northern Ireland lasts from 07:00 GMT on Thursday until 14:00 on Friday.\n\nA number of roads have been closed due to treacherous conditions, including Church Road in Holywood, County Down.\n\nThe Strangford ferry has been suspended and some bus services disrupted.\n\nBelfast International and Belfast City Airports have tweeted that there may be flight disruption due to the weather conditions.\n\nThe Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) is advising drivers to take extra care, especially on roads that may not have been gritted.\n\nThis Twitter post cannot be displayed in your browser. Please enable Javascript or try a different browser. View original tweet on Twitter The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Skip twitter post by NI Road Policing and Safety 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\u2019s cookie policy, external and privacy policy, external before accepting. To view this content choose \u2018accept and continue\u2019. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. End of twitter post by NI Road Policing and Safety\n\nRoad gritting services have been disrupted by industrial action in a dispute about pay.\n\nStormont's Department for Infrastructure said some gritting would be done but the service would be reduced.\n\nIt has said it will \"prioritise the areas at greatest risk, such as high ground\".\n\nIt added that it had \"external snow clearance contractors available to treat areas such as the Glenshane Pass if we need to do so\".\n\nRostrevor in County Down saw steady snowfall on Thursday afternoon\n\nRoad maintenance workers in the Unite and GMB unions have protested over a pay bonus, which they argue should be given to all staff.\n\nThe department said it was \"committed to resolving this dispute\" but called for a \"derogation for winter service for the next few days\".\n\nThe government information service NI Direct has posted a listed useful emergency contact numbers for those affected by the snow and ice.\n\nThis Twitter post cannot be displayed in your browser. Please enable Javascript or try a different browser. View original tweet on Twitter The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Skip twitter post 2 by nidirect 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\u2019s cookie policy, external and privacy policy, external before accepting. To view this content choose \u2018accept and continue\u2019. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.\n\nArmagh, Banbridge and Craigavon Borough Council has announced that all council facilities will close until midday on Friday due to the snowfall.\n\nIn the Newry, Mourne and Down District Council area all forest parks have been closed with further closures possible on Friday.\n\nThe Education Authority warned that its school transport service may be disrupted on Friday morning, particularly in rural areas.\n\nIn the Republic of Ireland, snow and ice warnings have been issued through Thursday and Friday.\n\nThe second highest level of warning has been issued for for snow across 13 counties in Ulster, Connacht and parts of Munster and Leinster.\n\nThe Irish weather service Met \u00c9ireann has warned of significant snow and ice in some areas.\n\nIn the Republic, National Emergency Coordination Group chair Keith Leonard said there will be major disruption across the road network on Friday.\n\nMr Leonard added that schools may close on Friday, but it will be decided by principals based on the local weather conditions.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/uk-northern-ireland-64889662"}
{"title":"Silicon Valley Bank: Regulators take over as failure raises fears - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-11","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"Regulators take over Silicon Valley Bank as the collapse raises wider fears about the banking sector.","section":"Business","content":"Silicon Valley Bank (SVB) offices were shut as customers sought their funds\n\nUS regulators have shut down Silicon Valley Bank (SVB) and taken control of its customer deposits in the largest failure of a US bank since 2008.\n\nThe moves came as the firm, a key tech lender, was scrambling to raise money to plug a loss from the sale of assets affected by higher interest rates.\n\nIts troubles prompted a rush of customer withdrawals and sparked fears about the state of the banking sector.\n\nOfficials said they acted to \"protect insured depositors\".\n\nSilicon Valley Bank faced \"inadequate liquidity and insolvency\", banking regulators in California, where the firm has its headquarters, said as they announced the takeover.\n\nThe Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC), which typically protects deposits up to $250,000, said it had taken charge of the roughly $175bn (\u00a3145bn) in deposits held at the bank, the 16th largest in the US.\n\nBank offices would reopen and clients with insured deposits would have access to funds \"no later than Monday morning\", it said, adding that money raised from selling the bank's assets would go to uninsured depositors.\n\nWith many of the firm's customers in that position, the situation has left many companies with money tied up at the bank worried about their future.\n\n\"I'm on my way to the branch to find my money right now. Tried to transfer it out yesterday didn't work. You know those moments where you might be really screwed but you're not sure? This is one of those moments,\" one start-up founder told the BBC.\n\nSilicon Valley Bank (SVB) offices were shut as customers sought their funds\n\nAnother founder of a healthcare start-up said: \"Literally three days ago, we just hit a million dollars in our bank account... And then this happens.\"\n\nHe managed to get the money wired to a different account 40 minutes before the deadline. \"It was pending. And then this morning, it was there. But I know other people who did the same thing minutes after me, and it's not transferred.\"\n\n\"It was a crazy situation,\" he said.\n\nThe collapse came after SVB said it was trying to raise $2.25bn (\u00a31.9bn) to plug a loss caused by the sale of assets, mainly US government bonds, which had been affected by higher interest rates.\n\nThe news caused investors and customers to flee the bank. Shares saw their biggest one-day drop on record on Thursday, plunging more than 60% and fell further in after-hours sales before trading was halted.\n\nConcerns that other banks could face similar problems led to widespread selling of bank shares globally on Thursday and early Friday.\n\nSpeaking in Washington on Friday, US Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen said she was monitoring \"recent developments\" at Silicon Valley Bank and others \"very carefully\".\n\nShe later met with top banking regulators, where the Treasury Department said she expressed \"full confidence in banking regulators to take appropriate actions in response and noted that the banking system remains resilient\".\n\nJanet Yellen expressed confidence in the resilience of the banking sector\n\nSVB did not respond to a request for comment.\n\nA crucial lender for early-stage businesses, the company is the banking partner for nearly half of US venture-backed technology and healthcare companies that listed on stock markets last year.\n\nThe firm, which started as a California bank in 1983, expanded rapidly over the last decade. It now employs more than 8,500 people globally, though most of its operations are in the US.\n\nBut the bank has been under pressure, as higher rates make it harder for start-ups to raise money through private fundraising or share sales, and more clients withdrew deposits, moves that snowballed this week.\n\nIn Silicon Valley the reverberations from the collapse were widespread as companies faced questions about what the collapse meant for their finances.\n\nEven businesses without direct business were affected, like customers of Rippling, a firm that handles payrolls software and had used SVB. It warned that current payments may face delays and said it was switching its business to another bank.\n\nSVB's UK subsidiary said it will be put into insolvency from Sunday evening.\n\nThe Bank of England said Silicon Valley Bank UK would stop making payments or accepting deposits in the interim and the move would allow individual depositors to be paid up to \u00a385,000 from the UK's deposit insurance scheme.\n\n\"SVBUK has a limited presence in the UK and no critical functions supporting the financial system,\" the BoE added.\n\nSilicon Valley Bank, led by chief Gregory Becker, catered to the tech industry and expanded rapidly over the last decade\n\nAs well as being a major blow to the tech industry, the collapse of SVB has raised concerns about the wider risks facing banks, as rapid increases in interest rates hit bond markets.\n\nCentral banks around the world - including the US Federal Reserve and the Bank of England - have sharply raised borrowing costs over the last year as they try to curb inflation.\n\nBut as rates rise, the value of existing bond portfolios typically declines.\n\nThose falls mean many banks are sitting on significant potential losses - though the change in value would not typically be a problem unless other pressures force the firms to sell the holdings.\n\nShares in some major US banks recovered on Friday, but the sell-off continued to hit smaller firms, forcing trading halts of names such as Signature Bank and others.\n\nThe tech-heavy Nasdaq ended the day down 1.7%, while the S&P 500 dropped 1.4% and the Dow closed 1% lower.\n\nMajor European and Asian indexes also closed lower, with the FTSE 100 down 1.6%.\n\nAlexander Yokum, equity research analyst at CFRA, said banks that specialise in single industries are seen as vulnerable to rapid withdrawals, like the one that hit SVB.\n\n\"Silicon Valley Bank would not have lost money if they hadn't run out of cash to give back to their customers,\" he said. \"The issue was that people wanted money and they didn't have it - they had it invested and those investments were down.\"\n\n\"I know there's a lot of fear, but it's definitely company-specific,\" he said.\n\n\"The average Joe should be fine,\" he added, but he said tech firms would likely find it even harder to raise money. \"It's not good,\" he said.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/business-64915616"}
{"title":"Canadian siblings certified as world's most premature twins - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-07","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"If the children had been born one hour earlier, life-saving measured would not have been attempted.","section":"US & Canada","content":"A Canadian brother and sister born at 22 weeks have been named by Guinness as the world's most premature twins.\n\nAdiah and Adrial Nadarajah were born at 126 days early, overtaking the previous record of 125 days early set in 2018 by twins in the US state of Iowa.\n\nIf the children had been born even one hour earlier than 22 weeks, life-saving measures would not have been attempted by the hospital, Guinness says.\n\nA full-term pregnancy is usually 40 weeks, making them 18 weeks premature.\n\nMum Shakina Rajendram said that when she began labour at just 21 weeks and five days, doctors told her that the babies \"were not viable\" and had \"0% chance of survival\".\n\nIt was her second pregnancy, after she lost her first just a few months earlier in the same hospital near their home in Ontario.\n\nFather Kevin Nadarajah said that the hospital told them they would be unable to help with such an early pregnancy, leaving him awake at night praying with a \"face streaming with tears\".\n\nMost hospitals do not attempt to save children born before 24 to 26 weeks. But luckily, the couple were able to move to Mount Sinai Hospital in Toronto, which has a specialist neonatal intensive care unit.\n\nOn Mrs Rajendram's second day of labour - 21 weeks and six days into the pregnancy - she was told that if the children were born even a few minutes before 22 weeks, they would be left to die.\n\nDespite heavy bleeding, she said she tried her best to \"hold the babies in\" for a few more hours.\n\nHer water eventually broke 15 minutes after midnight. Less than two hours after entering 22 weeks in the womb, the children were born.\n\nAdiah and Adrial have now lived to be one year old, despite serious medical issues early on.\n\n\"We watched the babies almost die before our eyes many times,\" Mrs Rajendram said. While they are still being closely followed by doctors, the siblings are \"doing great\".\n\nThe most premature baby ever born was Curtis Means of Alabama, who was born at 21 weeks and one day.\n\u2022 None US boy certified as world's most premature baby","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/world-us-canada-64870470"}
{"title":"Rob Burrow receives \u2018Points of Light\u2019 award from Rishi Sunak - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-07","authors":null,"description":"The ex-Leeds Rhinos star was the 2,000th recipient of the award for outstanding individual volunteers.","section":null,"content":"Rob Burrow has received an award from Prime Minister Sunak for his campaigning on motor neurone disease (MND).\n\nIn a special ceremony at Downing Street, the former Leeds Rhinos star accepted the 2,000th \u2018Points of Light\u2019 award, which recognises outstanding individual volunteers.\n\nBurrow was diagnosed with MND in 2019 and has campaigned for three years for better research into the disease.\n\nIn 2022 the government pledged to fast-track \u00a350-million of funding into research for a cure.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/uk-64876195"}
{"title":"Kidnapped Americans were in Mexico for tummy tuck - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-07","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"Relatives of four people bundled into a truck by armed men in a border town say they urged them not to go.","section":"US & Canada","content":"Four Americans kidnapped by heavily armed men in Matamoros, Mexico, had travelled there for cosmetic surgery, relatives told US media.\n\nOne of them was to have a tummy tuck - removing abdominal fat - in a border town, said the sister of one of them.\n\n\"To see a member of your family thrown in the back of a truck and dragged, it is just unbelievable,\" Zalandria Brown, told AP about her brother Zindell.\n\nA Mexican woman was killed in the incident.\n\nThe FBI has offered a $50,000 (\u00a342,000) reward for the return of the Americans.\n\nThe other people in the group have been identified in US media as Latavia McGee - a mother of six, according to CNN - Shaeed Woodard and Eric James Williams.\n\nThey were driving through Matamoros - a city of 500,000 located directly across the border from the Texas town of Brownsville - in a white minivan with North Carolina licence plates when unidentified gunmen opened fire, the FBI said.\n\nVideo shows them being put in a pickup truck by heavily armed men. One is manhandled onto the vehicle while others appear to be unconscious and are dragged to the truck.\n\nMexican President Andr\u00e9s Manuel L\u00f3pez Obrador described the incident as a \"confrontation between armed groups\". He said his \"entire government\" was working to secure the Americans' release.\n\nAccording to an unnamed US official quoted by CNN, investigators believe a Mexican cartel probably mistook the Americans for Haitian drug smugglers.\n\nBarbara Burgess, Ms McGee's mother, told ABC news that she had warned her daughter not to go but her daughter told her: \"Ma, I'll be OK.\"\n\nOn Friday her daughter called her to say she was about to go to the appointment for the tummy tuck operation, also known as an abdominoplasty.\n\nWhen Barbara Burgess called her back later that day, the phone went to voicemail.\n\nMs Brown said her brother, who lives in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, had been aware that parts of Mexico could be dangerous.\n\n\"Zindell kept saying, 'We shouldn't go down',\" she told AP, adding that it was \"like a bad dream you wish you could wake up from\".\n\nMatamoros is in Tamaulipas state, one of six Mexican states that the US State Department advises travellers not to visit because of \"crime and kidnapping\".\n\nDrug cartels control much of the territory and often hold more power than local law enforcement.\n\nThe US government says hundreds of thousands of Americans cross the border into Mexico each year to receive healthcare services in search of cheaper treatments.\n\nMexico is one of the top medical tourism destinations around the world, while cosmetic surgery is one of the top procedures patients seek abroad, according to Patients Beyond Borders, a medical tourism guidebook.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/world-us-canada-64875131"}
{"title":"Japan forced to destroy flagship H3 rocket in failed launch - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-07","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"The rocket's failure to launch is a significant blow to the country's space plans.","section":"Asia","content":"This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser.\n\nJapan was forced to blow up its new rocket during a failed launch on Tuesday, setting back efforts to crack a market led by Elon Musk's SpaceX.\n\nIts space agency had to send a self-destruct command to the H3 rocket when its second-stage engine failed minutes after lift-off.\n\nObservers say it is a significant setback for Japan's Aerospace Exploration Agency (Jaxa).\n\nThe H3 rocket is the first medium-lift rocket designed by Japan in three decades.\n\nIt has been presented as a cheaper alternative to SpaceX's Falcon 9 for launching commercial and government satellites into Earth's orbit.\n\nOn Tuesday, engineers had aimed to send the 57m (187ft) rocket into space with a monitoring satellite on board. The ALOS-3 system is capable of detecting North Korean missile launches.\n\nBut Jaxa said soon after launch, engineers were forced to send a self-destruct prompt to the H3 after it experienced \"reduced velocity\" in the second stage of its launch.\n\nTuesday's launch came after an aborted launch in February, when the rocket failed to get off the launch pad due to faulty rocket boosters.\n\n\"Unlike the previous cancellation and postponement, this time it was a complete failure,\" Hirotaka Watanabe, a space policy professor at Osaka University told Reuters.\n\n\"This will have a serious impact on Japan's future space policy, space business and technological competitiveness,\" he added.\n\nJapan's Science Minister Keiko Nagaoka said authorities would investigate the cause of the engine failure.\n\nShe apologised for \"failing to meet the expectations of the public and related parties\" and described the development as \"extremely regrettable\".\n\nJapan had presented the H3 as a viable commercial alternative to the Falcon 9 rocket because the H3 ran on a lower-cost engine with 3D-printed parts.\n\nHad the mission succeeded, Jaxa said it had planned to launch the H3 around six times a year for the next two decades.\n\nJapan is deepening co-operation with the US in space and has committed to carrying cargo to the planned Gateway lunar space station - which Nasa plans to deploy to the moon's orbit.\n\nTokyo's broader space programme also involves sending people to the moon, including Japanese astronauts.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/world-asia-64871603"}
{"title":"Eleven-year-old boy dies in east London flat fire - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-07","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"A number of families and nine properties have been affected by the fire in Barking in the early hours.","section":"London","content":"The scene in Stern Close, Barking, following the flat fire\n\nAn 11-year-old boy has died following a fire in a flat in east London.\n\nEmergency services were called to the fire in a three-roomed flat in Stern Close, Barking, at 03:25 GMT.\n\nTwo adults and two children, who left the second floor flat before firefighters arrived, were taken to hospital where they received treatment for non-life threatening injuries.\n\nLondon Fire Brigade (LFB) said the flat was \"destroyed\" by flames. Nine properties have been affected.\n\nNine properties were affected by the fire on Tuesday morning\n\nAn investigation has been launched; the Met Police said at this time it did not appear to be suspicious.\n\nThe boy's next of kin have been told.\n\nLFB said six fire engines and about 40 firefighters from Barking, East Ham and surrounding fire stations, were called to the scene and had extinguished the fire by 05:18.\n\nAnother man was treated at the incident by London Ambulance Service crews.\n\nAn investigation has been launched into the cause of the flat fire\n\nDarren Rodwell, leader of Barking and Dagenham London Borough Council, said a number of families have been impacted.\n\nHe said his \"thoughts and prayers\" were with the family of the boy who died.\n\n\"Our hearts go out to everyone affected. We're aware that some residents have lost everything including their homes and possessions.\n\n\"We will be continuing to support our residents with their needs including accommodation and emotional support.\"\n\nFollow BBC London on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. Send your story ideas to hellobbclondon@bbc.co.uk\n\nThe BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/uk-england-london-64878858"}
{"title":"Syria Earthquake: Why did the UN aid take so long to arrive? - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-07","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"The delay in sending aid to Syrian victims of last month's quake was unjustified, experts say.","section":"Middle East","content":"A child sits in the rubble of a collapsed building in Jindires, Syria\n\nThe UN's delay in delivering life-saving aid to Syrian victims of last month's devastating earthquake was unnecessary, legal experts have told the BBC.\n\nThey said the UN did not need to wait for permission to enter from the Syrian government or the Security Council and could have applied a broader interpretation of international law.\n\nIt took a week before the UN got approval from Syria's president to open extra border crossings to allow access to the opposition-held north-west.\n\nThe UN itself has said it is crucial to try and rescue quake victims within 72 hours. It disputes the BBC's findings that it could have acted differently.\n\n\"What matters in terms of responding to an earthquake is time and the immediacy of the response. And the UN just stood there completely paralysed,\" international human rights lawyer, Sarah Kayyali, told the BBC.\n\nMore than 4,500 people were killed and more than 8,700 injured in north-west Syria by the earthquake, the UN says.\n\nCentred near Gaziantep in Turkey, the 6 February 7.8 magnitude tremor and subsequent earthquakes and aftershocks killed at least 45,968 people in Turkey, according to officials there, and about 6,000 in Syria as a whole.\n\nAndrew Gilmour was a senior UN official when the first resolution on delivering aid to rebel-held territories to Syria was negotiated in 2014.\n\nHis opinion is that cross-border aid is legally permitted.\n\n\"If a UN lawyer tries to interpret it as meaning you somehow can't provide milk powder to a starving baby, then he is making an obscene and illegitimate farce of international law,\" he says.\n\nThe BBC has spoken to more than a dozen experts in total, including eminent lawyers, professors, retired judges of the International Court of Justice and former UN legal officials. All said that deaths could have been prevented, if the UN had used a different interpretation of international law to allow it to respond in north-west Syria.\n\nUN spokesperson St\u00e9phane Dujarric told the BBC that: \"To deliver humanitarian aid across an international border, we need either the consent of the government, or in the case that we have in Syria, a binding Security Council resolution... we can have academic discussions for weeks, months, and years about international law. Our position is that international law has not delayed our work.\"\n\nIn addition to delivering aid itself, the UN also plays a vital role in co-ordinating international relief efforts offered by other countries after a natural disaster. It arranges search and rescue through United Nations Disaster Assessment and Coordination (Undac). Undac teams can deploy anywhere in the world within 12 to 48 hours of a request, which is what happened in Turkey.\n\nBut the UN made no formal request for emergency medical teams to enter north-west Syria, and was not able to tell us about any formal request for search and rescue teams to deploy there. International humanitarian specialists working on the response have told the BBC that without that call from the UN there was no clear way for emergency teams to deploy.\n\nThe UN's St\u00e9phane Dujarric says the lack of emergency teams is down to national government decision-making. \"There are security concerns. There are all sorts of political concerns\" which may have influenced this, he says.\n\nMarco Sassoli, special advisor to the prosecutor at the International Criminal Court, said that the Geneva Conventions - the basis of international humanitarian law - provides a framework for the UN to deliver aid without the need for Syria's permission.\n\n\"The Geneva Conventions, to which Syria is a party, has a provision stating that an impartial humanitarian body\u2026 may offer its services\" to all sides of a conflict, he told the BBC.\n\nVictims of the earthquake have complained about the UN's response.\n\nOmar Hajji lost his wife and five children to the disaster.\n\nOmar Hajji had to scrabble in the rubble to look for his loved ones\n\nHe spoke to the BBC in the days following the quake as he looked for his remaining missing son, 14-year-old Abduhrahman. He was finally reunited with him after three days of searching.\n\n\"UN aid wasn't sufficient,\" Omar says, who spent days digging through rubble looking for friends and family with his bare hands. \"The most significant aid we received was from locals\u2026 If the UN aid had arrived earlier things would've been very different.\"\n\nOne week after the quake, Martin Griffiths, the UN's head of emergency relief, visited the Bab al-Hawa border crossing. The UN has \"so far failed the people of north-west Syria\", he wrote on Twitter. \"They rightly feel abandoned. Looking for international help that hasn't arrived.\"\n\nThis story has been amended to clarify a quote.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/world-middle-east-64866689"}
{"title":"Suppressing China won't make America great - Chinese Foreign Minister Qin Gang - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-07","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"The US seeing China as a primary rival is \"like putting the first button in the shirt wrong\".","section":"China","content":"Qin Gang has held his first press conference as China's foreign minister\n\nChina's foreign minister says China-US relations have \"seriously deviated\" while warning of potential conflict.\n\n\"Containment and suppression will not make America great. It will not stop the rejuvenation of China,\" said Qin Gang.\n\nMr Qin, China's former ambassador to the US, held his first press conference as foreign minister on Tuesday.\n\nThe spy balloon saga has heightened tensions between the superpowers despite recent efforts to improve ties.\n\n\"It [the US] regards China as its primary rival and the most consequential geopolitical challenge. This is like the first button in the shirt being put wrong,\" said Mr Qin, speaking on the sidelines of the annual meeting of China's parliament in Beijing.\n\nThe foreign minister was responding to a question on whether a healthy China-US relationship was still possible as differences between the countries grew.\n\nThe US called for establishing \"guardrails\", but what it really wants is for China to not hit back with words or actions when provoked, Mr Qin added.\n\nHe was referring to US President Joe Biden's comments last month that the US would \"compete fully with China but [is] not looking for conflict\".\n\nMr Qin said: \"If the US does not put on the brakes and continues to roar down the wrong road, no amount of guardrails can stop the derailment and overturning, and it is bound to fall into conflict and confrontation. Who will bear its disastrous consequences?\"\n\nHe also said the diplomatic crisis caused by the balloon incident could have been averted but the US acted with \"the presumption of guilt\".\n\nWashington has previously described the suspected spy balloon as a \"clear violation of US sovereignty\". Beijing admitted the object belonged to them, but said it was a civilian airship blown off-course.\n\nThe BBC's Gordon Corera breaks down what we know about spy balloons\n\nWatch now on BBC iPlayer (UK only)\n\nRelations between the two countries deteriorated during former US President Donald Trump's administration, which launched a trade war against China in 2018. The two superpowers continue to clash on various issues, including Taiwan, China's militarisation of the South China Sea and the origins of Covid.\n\nMr Qin's comments follow Chinese President Xi Jinping's unusually direct rebuke of the US on Monday.\n\nMr Xi said \"Western countries led by the US had implemented all-round containment, encirclement and suppression\" against China and that this brought \"severe challenges\" to the country.\n\nOn Tuesday, Mr Qin said an \"invisible hand\" was driving the Ukraine crisis but did not name any country or individual. He reiterated that China had not provided weapons to either side of the Russia-Ukraine war and called for peace talks to resume.\n\nHowever, he asked: \"Why should the US demand that China refrain from supplying arms to Russia when it sells arms to Taiwan?\"\n\nThe Ukraine crisis has reached a \"critical juncture\", he said.\n\n\"Either a ceasefire will stop the war, restore peace and embark on a political settlement, or fuel the fire, expand the crisis and drag it into the abyss of losing control.\"\n\nMr Qin, 56, was named China's foreign minister in December 2022 and is one of the youngest appointees to this post in the country's history. He replaced Wang Yi, who was promoted to the politburo of the ruling Communist Party in October that year.\n\nA trusted aide of Chinese President Xi Jinping, Mr Qin is well known as a tough-talking diplomat.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/world-asia-china-64871808"}
{"title":"Worker asks Elon Musk on Twitter: Have I been fired? - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-07","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"In a viral Twitter thread, Halli Thorleifsson is asked by Elon Musk what work he has done for the firm.","section":"Technology","content":"A Twitter employee has appealed to Elon Musk on the platform to ask whether he had been sacked.\n\nIn a tweet to the firm's chief executive, Halli Thorleifsson said: \"Your head of HR is not able to confirm if I am employed or not\".\n\nMr Musk responded by asking: \"What work have you been doing?\"\n\nMr Thorleifsson told the BBC that nine days after being frozen out of Twitter's accounts he did not know whether he had been fired or not.\n\nAfter a series of follow up questions and answers with Mr Musk, that read like a live interview for his job, Mr Thorleifsson said he received an email confirming that he had been sacked.\n\nTwitter did not immediately respond to the BBC's request for comment.\n\nMr Thorleifsson, 45, was a senior director in product design for Twitter. He told the BBC the ambiguity around his job was \"strange\" and \"extremely stressful\".\n\n\"I opened my computer on Sunday morning nine days ago and saw that the screen was grey and locked, indicating that I had been locked out of my Twitter accounts\", he said.\n\n\"After a few days had passed I started reaching out to people, including Elon and the head of HR to ask about my situation.\n\n\"The head of HR has since twice emailed me and has not been able to answer whether or not I am an employee at Twitter.\"\n\nThis Twitter post cannot be displayed in your browser. Please enable Javascript or try a different browser. View original tweet on Twitter The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Skip twitter post by Halli 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\u2019s cookie policy, external and privacy policy, external before accepting. To view this content choose \u2018accept and continue\u2019. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.\n\n\"Maybe if enough people retweet you'll answer me here\", Mr Thorleifsson said.\n\nThis Twitter post cannot be displayed in your browser. Please enable Javascript or try a different browser. View original tweet on Twitter The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Skip twitter post 2 by Elon Musk 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\u2019s cookie policy, external and privacy policy, external before accepting. To view this content choose \u2018accept and continue\u2019. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.\n\nAfter several follow up questions Mr Thorleifsson supplied a list of things he had done at the company. The exchange ended with Mr Musk posting two laughing emojis.\n\nThis Twitter post cannot be displayed in your browser. Please enable Javascript or try a different browser. View original tweet on Twitter The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Skip twitter post 3 by Elon Musk 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\u2019s cookie policy, external and privacy policy, external before accepting. To view this content choose \u2018accept and continue\u2019. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.\n\nShortly after that exchange Mr Thorleifsson said that Twitter's Human Resources department had contacted him and said that he had been fired.\n\nThe exchange was widely shared on Twitter, with Mr Musk wading in with some replies.\n\nHe went on to further criticise Mr Thorleifsson saying: \"The reality is that this guy (who is independently wealthy) did no actual work, claimed as his excuse that he had a disability that prevented him from typing, yet was simultaneously tweeting up a storm.\n\n\"Can't say I have a lot of respect for that.\"\n\nThe Iceland-based entrepreneur had sold his company, Ueno, a creative design agency, to Twitter in early 2021 - after founding the firm in Reykjavik in 2014.\n\nAs part of the acquisition he became a full-time employee at Twitter.\n\n\"I decided to sell for a few reasons but one of them is that I have muscular dystrophy and my body is slowly but surely failing me,\" he told the BBC.\n\n\"I have a few good work years left in me so this was a way to wrap up my company, and set up myself and my family for years when I won't be able to do as much.\"\n\nMr Thorleifsson is worried that Mr Musk will not honour the contract he signed with Twitter when he sold them his company.\n\n\"This is extremely stressful. This is my retirement fund, a way to take care of myself and my family as my disease progresses. Having the richest man in the world on the other end of this, potentially refusing to stand by contracts is not easy for me to accept,\" he said.\n\nLast month, Elon Musk appeared to fire another 200 Twitter employees. It means that Twitter now has just over 2,000 workers - down from approximately 7,500 in October.\n\n\"Companies let people go, that's within their rights,\" Mr Thorleifsson said. \"They usually tell people about it but that's seemingly the optional part at Twitter now\".\n\nJames Clayton is the BBC's North America technology reporter based in San Francisco. Follow him on Twitter @jamesclayton5.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/technology-64871183"}
{"title":"BBC cuts to classical singers and orchestras labelled 'utterly devastating' - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-07","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"The BBC Singers will be closed, while there will also be cuts to three BBC English orchestras.","section":"Entertainment & Arts","content":"The BBC Symphony Orchestra conducted by Gemma New performing in February\n\nThe Musicians' Union (MU) has described proposed cuts to the BBC's classical music performing groups, announced on Tuesday, as \"utterly devastating\".\n\nThe cuts will see the end of the BBC Singers, its in-house chamber choir, resulting in the loss of 20 posts.\n\nThere will also be a 20% reduction of roles in the BBC's English orchestras - Symphony, Concert and Philharmonic.\n\nThe BBC said it was part of a plan that \"prioritises quality, agility and impact\".\n\nSimon Webb, head of orchestras and choirs, told BBC Radio 4's Front Row the move would cut the budget for its ensembles by 20%.\n\nThe latest BBC annual report said \u00a325m was spent on orchestras and performing groups in the last financial year.\n\nThe corporation said the new strategy would create \"agile ensembles\" that can work with \"more musicians and broadcasting from more venues\" around the UK.\n\nThe BBC Singers would be replaced by investment \"more widely in the future of choral singing across the UK\" and a choral development programme for new talent, it said.\n\nThe MU said it was now in \"urgent talks\" with the broadcaster about the plans.\n\nGeneral secretary Naomi Pohl said the union would \"fight for every job\", while urging the BBC to \"look at alternative measures\".\n\n\"The BBC is the biggest employer and engager of musicians in the UK and it plays a unique role in the ecosystem of our music industry,\" she said\n\n\"From Glastonbury to the Proms, from Jools Holland to BBC Radio, its coverage, support and promotion of British musical talent nationally and internationally is unrivalled.\n\n\"It is because we appreciate the BBC's role so much that these proposed cuts are so utterly devastating.\"\n\nThe announcement follows a 2022 review, which looked into the classical sector and the BBC's role in it.\n\nJo Laverty, MU organiser for orchestras, said the review \"indicated a full commitment from the broadcaster\" to the \"ongoing employment\" of the \"key asset\" performing groups.\n\n\"To now hear of potential redundancies across the BBC orchestras in England and the closure of the Singers as a performing group is unthinkable.\"\n\nCharlotte Moore, chief content officer at the BBC, said its new strategy - which includes doubling funding for music education, launching new training initiatives and creating a single digital home for its orchestras - constituted \"the first major review of classical music at the BBC in a generation\".\n\n\"This new strategy is bold, ambitious and good for the sector and for audiences who love classical music,\" she said.\n\n\"That doesn't mean that we haven't had to make some difficult decisions, but equally they are the right ones for the future.\n\n\"Great classical music should be available and accessible to everyone, and we're confident these measures will ensure more people will engage with music, have better access to it, and that we'll be able to play a greater role in developing and nurturing the musicians and music lovers of tomorrow.\"\n\nThe corporation said the new strategy \"ensures every pound of licence fee funding works harder for the sector and for our audiences now, and in the future\".\n\nIn 2022, the BBC licence fee was frozen for two years, which the corporation has said is expected to create a funding gap of around \u00a3400m by 2027.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/entertainment-arts-64875989"}
{"title":"Japan forces H3 rocket to self-destruct after failed launch - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-07","authors":null,"description":"The failure of the second-stage engine sets back efforts to crack a market led by Elon Musk's Space X.","section":null,"content":"Japan was forced to blow up its new rocket during a failed launch on Tuesday, setting back efforts to crack a market led by Elon Musk's Space X.\n\nThe Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency says the H3 rocket launched but the second engine failed to ignite so a decision was made to abort the mission. Officials are trying to determine the cause of the failure.\n\nRead more: Japan destroys new rocket minutes after lift-off","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/world-asia-64873439"}
{"title":"Snow closes schools and causes travel problems in Scotland - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-07","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"Schools in Shetland, Aberdeenshire and Skye are badly hit, and drivers face testing conditions.","section":"Scotland","content":"An accident on the A90, south of Stonehaven, caused delays\n\nDozens of schools have been closed as heavy snow causes problems in parts of Scotland.\n\nAll schools in Shetland have been shut due to the weather, as have more than 80 in Aberdeenshire. Almost all schools on Skye have either had to close or open later.\n\nSome schools in Wester Ross and Sutherland were also affected.\n\nThe Met Office warned snow and ice could cause travel disruption in Scotland through to Friday night.\n\nMany bus services have been delayed or cancelled, as commuters face difficult driving conditions.\n\nIn the north-east of Scotland, the snow gates were closed on the A93, the B974 and the B939.\n\nSchools in areas including Aboyne, Alford, Banchory, Mintlaw, Turriff and Westhill were among those closed.\n\nThis Twitter post cannot be displayed in your browser. Please enable Javascript or try a different browser. View original tweet on Twitter The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Skip twitter post by Aberdeen Airport \u2708\ufe0f 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\u2019s cookie policy, external and privacy policy, external before accepting. To view this content choose \u2018accept and continue\u2019. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.\n\nAberdeen International Airport said there were only some minor delays after teams worked \"flat-out\" to get the runway operational.\n\nShetland's Sumburgh Airport saw some disruption after being closed in the morning due to snow but later reopened.\n\nSnow-covered Aberdeen as seen from the air\n\nAberdeen City Council said there would be \"continuous gritting\".\n\nThe council said: \"Please stay at home if possible as many roads are affected. There are cars stuck on roads which is impacting our gritter routes. Please take care.\"\n\nHighland Council said heavy overnight snow had fallen to depths of 15cm (6in) across Skye and Lochalsh.\n\nOn Skye, the local authority said the drivers of service buses were forced to abandon their vehicles because of the conditions on the A855 at Uig and Staffin on Monday night.\n\nThe Cairngorm Mountain snowsports centre, near Aviemore, reported having had 35cm (14in) of fresh snow in the space of 24 hours.\n\nForecasters said Arctic air would bring the coldest temperatures of the year, and up to 40cm (15in) of snow could accumulate in the southern Highlands.\n\nIt was a case of spot the dog in this Aberdeen park\n\nAberdeen was covered in snow on Tuesday morning\n\nA series of yellow \"be aware\" warnings have been issued.\n\nThe heaviest snowfalls are expected on Friday with the Highlands, Aberdeenshire and central and southern Scotland covered by warnings.\n\nThe cold conditions follow Scotland's third-mildest February on record, according to provisional statistics.\n\nIn January, an amber warning for snow was issued for the Highlands, Western Isles and Orkney and Shetland and the weather closed schools across the north of Scotland.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/uk-scotland-64867408"}
{"title":"Greggs to open 150 shops and extend opening hours - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-07","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"The move comes after the bakery chain posted bumper sales for last year, but also put up prices.","section":"Business","content":"Greggs plans to open around 150 new bakeries in 2023 as part of major plans to expand.\n\nThe firm, which opened its first shop in Newcastle in 1951, also plans to extend the opening hours of some outlets and test 24-hour drive-thrus.\n\nIt comes after the chain posted bumper profits for 2022, despite cost of living pressures hitting consumers.\n\nThe bakery chain has put up its prices several times in the last few years blaming rising costs.\n\nUnder the new plans Greggs, which currently has around 2,300 shops, aims to open more branches in airports, train stations, supermarkets and shopping centres.\n\nIt also said it hoped to grow its total number of bakeries to over 3,000 in the coming years.\n\nThe chain - which made profits of \u00a3148.3m last year - put its growth down to the \"value\" it was offering customers impacted by the rising cost of living.\n\nInflation - the rate at which prices rise - is near a 40-year-high, forcing many consumers to cut back their spending or find way ways to cut costs.\n\nHowever, the cost of ingredients for Gregg's pasties and pies has been going up, along with its energy bills and staff wages.\n\nAs a result, the chain's prices rose in 2022 and 2023. In January it increased the price of a sausage roll from \u00a31.15 to \u00a31.20 - the fourth price rise since 2021 when the snack cost \u00a31.\n\nAs well as opening 150 new shops, Greggs said it would refurbish another 150 and relocate 40 of its shops to larger sites.\n\nLast year, the opening hours of 500 shops were extended until 20:00 or later and in 2023, Greggs said it planned to extend hours in 300 shops to 21:00.\n\nGreggs was first founded by John Gregg in the late 1930s when he began delivering yeast, eggs and confectionery on his bicycle to homes around mining terraces in Newcastle.\n\nThe company then opened its first shop on Gosforth High Street in 1951 and the firm has gone onto to become a well-known brand.\n\nRuss Mould, investment director at AJ Bell, said the firm's value proposition put it in a good place in the current climate.\n\n\"With the best will in the world and even when household budgets are under real pressure sometimes people are just too busy to make sandwiches. There is always going to be a place for food-on-the-go venues and Greggs' offering is perfectly pitched in the current environment,\" he added.\n\nHowever, Mr Mould warned Greggs needed to be \"careful ambition does not tip over into hubris\" and questioned how popular the brand might be when \"people have a bit more money in their pocket\".\n\nGreggs is not alone in its expansion plans, with Starbucks announcing on Monday plans to open 100 new stores across the UK this year.\n\nOnly last year Starbucks was reportedly looking to sell its UK operations after sales were hit hard during the pandemic.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/business-64874761"}
{"title":"Iran: Suspected school poisonings unforgivable crime, Khamenei says - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-07","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"Iran's supreme leaders says anyone found to have targeted schoolgirls must be punished severely.","section":"Middle East","content":"Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said there would be \"no pardons\" if anyone was identified as a perpetrator and convicted\n\nIran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has called the wave of suspected poisonings of schoolgirls in recent months an \"unforgivable crime\".\n\n\"If there are any people involved in the matter, and there certainly are... the perpetrators must be given the most severe of punishments,\" he warned.\n\nMore than 1,000 girls at dozens of schools have been affected by unexplained illnesses since November.\n\nIncidents were reported in at least 15 cities and towns on Sunday alone.\n\nAuthorities have released very little information about their investigations and announced no arrests, but they have accused Iran's \"enemies\" of using the suspected poisonings to undermine the clerical establishment.\n\nSome Iranians believe the girls' schools are being targeted by hard-line elements to stop them receiving an education.\n\nOthers suggest the authorities may be punishing girls for their leading role in the nationwide anti-government protests that erupted in September.\n\nThis Twitter post cannot be displayed in your browser. Please enable Javascript or try a different browser. View original tweet on Twitter The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Skip twitter post by Parham Ghobadi 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\u2019s cookie policy, external and privacy policy, external before accepting. To view this content choose \u2018accept and continue\u2019. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.\n\nThe first known case was reported at a school in the Shia holy city of Qom on 30 November, when 18 schoolgirls fell ill and were taken to hospital.\n\nSince then, a total of 127 schools in 25 of Iran's 31 provinces have been affected, according to a tally by the reformist news outlet Etemad Online.\n\nStudents have said they smelled tangerine or rotten fish before falling ill. Many have suffered respiratory problems, nausea, dizziness and fatigue.\n\nIn his first public comments on the matter Ayatollah Khamenei called on law enforcement and intelligence agencies to \"seriously pursue the issue\".\n\n\"The poisonings are a grave and unforgivable crime,\" he declared during a speech at a tree planting event in Tehran, adding that there would be \"no pardons\" if anyone was identified as a perpetrator and convicted.\n\nJudiciary Chief Gholamhossein Mohseni Ejei meanwhile warned that they could face the charge of \"corruption on earth\", which is punishable by death.\n\nHe also said special courts would be set up in each province to summon \"lie-spreaders and disrupters of public opinion in the case of the poisonings\".\n\nTheir remarks came a day after a series of suspected poisonings was reported in at least 15 cities and towns, with the south-western city of Ahvaz and the central city of Yazd said to have been worst affected.\n\nOpposition activist collective 1500 Tasvir posted footage that it said showed girls at Fatemieh Art School in the western city of Hamadan shouting: \"We don't want to die.\"\n\nIn another video, a woman in the northern city of Rasht said security forces had fired tear-gas at concerned mothers protesting outside the local education department.\n\nOn Saturday, Interior Minister Ahmad Vahidi said that investigators had gathered \"suspicious samples\" at affected schools, but provided no details.\n\nHealth Minister Bahram Eynollahi meanwhile told a conference last Tuesday that research indicated that \"a kind of mild poison caused the intoxication\".\n\n1500 Tasvir tweeted on Sunday that it had \"received the results of 25 blood tests from poisoned students in different cities\" and that the \"MCV number in all of them is lower than normal\".\n\nThe MCV, or \"Mean Corpuscular Volume\" count, measures the average size of red blood cells, which are responsible for transporting oxygen from the lungs to other parts of the body.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/world-middle-east-64862714"}
{"title":"Rishi Sunak backs Simon Case over Hancock WhatsApp row - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-07","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"The PM says civil service chief is doing a \"great job\" amid claims he has become too political.","section":"UK Politics","content":"Simon Case was appointed cabinet secretary by Boris Johnson in 2020\n\nRishi Sunak has backed the UK's top civil servant Simon Case over comments he made about the government's Covid policies in WhatsApp messages.\n\nIn exchanges with Matt Hancock, published by The Telegraph, Mr Case calls then PM Boris Johnson a \"distrusted\" figure.\n\nHe also mocks people forced to stay in quarantine hotels and appears to criticise other ministers.\n\nMr Sunak rejected calls to sack Mr Case over the comments.\n\nHe said the cabinet secretary had \"done a great job\" and \"works hard to support the government's agenda\".\n\nAsked if Mr Case would still be in his job at the time of the next general election, Mr Sunak said he looked forward to working with him for a \"long time to come\".\n\nSeparately, a cabinet office insider told the BBC Mr Case was uncomfortable with being in the spotlight, especially as he is unable to respond to the criticism in public because of civil service rules.\n\nAnother source said Mr Case's departure from his job was \"extremely unlikely\".\n\nAs a senior civil servant, Mr Case is required to give impartial policy advice to government ministers.\n\nBut he has faced criticism over the tone of the exchanges with Mr Hancock.\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser.\n\nConservative MP Marcus Fysh told BBC News the messages \"just make it untenable for him [Mr Case] to be credible as a leader of the civil service\".\n\nThe Yeovil MP, a former member of the Commons Public Administration Committee, said Mr Case should be replaced by someone who can offer a \"balanced\" view.\n\n\"He needs to fall on his sword and the government needs to encourage that,\" said the MP, who was highly critical of Covid lockdown extensions during the pandemic.\n\nOne WhatsApp exchange with Mr Hancock, from June 2020, appears to suggest opposition to tougher Covid rules was \"pure Conservative ideology\".\n\nIn a separate exchange, Mr Case reportedly said then-Chancellor Rishi Sunak had been \"going bonkers\" over a row about contact tracing.\n\nIn another exchange with Mr Hancock, from October 2020, Mr Case said the government was \"losing the war\" on getting people to isolate after testing because messages were coming from Mr Johnson who was \"nationally distrusted\".\n\nHe added that keeping Mr Johnson focussed on \"numbers\" of new Covid cases would \"keep him honest\".\n\nThe messages also included exchanges between Mr Hancock and Mr Case, from February 2021, in which the cabinet secretary said it was \"hilarious\" that international travellers had to isolate on their return to the UK.\n\n\"I just want to see some of the faces of people coming out of first class and into a Premier Inn shoe box,\" he told Mr Hancock.\n\nA collection of more than 100,000 messages sent between former Health Secretary Matt Hancock and other ministers and officials at the height of the Covid-19 pandemic have been obtained by the Telegraph. Here are some of our stories on the leaks:\n\nA former senior civil servant, speaking on condition of anonymity, said the exchanges published by the Telegraph did not necessarily tell the whole story.\n\nBut discussing government business on WhatsApp in this way suggested \"a lack of professionalism\", not least because the messages can be made public.\n\n\"It does seem to display a laxity in the decision-making process. with decisions being made for, frankly, emotional, personal, or 'small p' political reasons\", he said of Mr Case's exchanges with Mr Hancock.\n\nSome of this may be down to Mr Case's \"inexperience\" as a senior civil servant, he suggested, and his apparent desire to act as \"courtier\" to ministers, rather than an impartial adviser.\n\n\"As a cabinet secretary, you don't need to curry favour, to be seen to be 'on side' with ministers, in this case Matt Hancock,\" said the former civil servant.\n\nIt was, he suggested, \"illustrative, perhaps, of a lack of grip on the job\" and he would not be surprised if Mr Case was considering quitting.\n\n\"There is wisdom in choosing the time of your own departure and maybe that is something he will be thinking about.\"\n\nThe messages are part of trove of more than 100,000 WhatsApp messages leaked to the Telegraph by journalist Isabel Oakeshott.\n\nThe BBC has not been able to independently verify the messages, which were supplied to Ms Oakeshott in confidence by then-Health Secretary Matt Hancock.\n\nMr Hancock has said they offer an \"entirely partial account\" of the government's handling of the pandemic.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/uk-politics-64875607"}
{"title":"Twitter insiders: We can't protect users from trolling under Musk - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-07","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"Current and former employees of the company say there are serious ramifications from mass lay-offs.","section":"Technology","content":"Elon Musk took control of Twitter in October 2022\n\nTwitter insiders have told the BBC that the company is no longer able to protect users from trolling, state-co-ordinated disinformation and child sexual exploitation, following lay-offs and changes under owner Elon Musk.\n\nExclusive academic data plus testimony from Twitter users backs up their allegations, suggesting hate is thriving under Mr Musk's leadership, with trolls emboldened, harassment intensifying and a spike in accounts following misogynistic and abusive profiles.\n\nCurrent and former employees of the company tell BBC Panorama that features intended to protect Twitter users from trolling and harassment are proving difficult to maintain, amid what they describe as a chaotic working environment in which Mr Musk is shadowed by bodyguards at all times. I've spoken to dozens, with several going on the record for the first time.\n\nThe former head of content design says everyone on her team - which created safety measures such as nudge buttons - has been sacked. She later resigned. Internal research by Twitter suggests those safety measures reduced trolling by 60%. An engineer working for Twitter told me \"nobody's taking care\" of this type of work now, likening the platform to a building that seems fine from the outside, but inside is \"on fire\".\n\nTwitter has not replied to the BBC's request for comment.\n\nAbuse on Twitter is nothing new for me - I'm a reporter who shares my coverage of disinformation, conspiracies and hate there. But throughout most of last year I noticed it steadily lessening across all of the social media sites. And then in November I realised it had got worse on Twitter again.\n\nIt turns out, I was right. A team from the International Center for Journalists and the University of Sheffield have been tracking the hate I receive, and their data revealed the abuse targeted at me on Twitter had more than tripled since Mr Musk took over, compared with the same period in the year before.\n\nAll of the social media sites have been under pressure to tackle online hate and harmful content - but they say they're taking measures to deal with it. Measures that no longer seem to be top of the agenda at Twitter.\n\nIn San Francisco, the home of Twitter's headquarters, I set out to look for answers. What better place to get them than from an engineer - responsible for the computer code that makes Twitter work. Because he's still working there, he's asked us to conceal his identity, so we're calling him Sam.\n\n\"For someone on the inside, it's like a building where all the pieces are on fire,\" he revealed.\n\n\"When you look at it from the outside the fa\u00e7ade looks fine, but I can see that nothing is working. All the plumbing is broken, all the faucets, everything.\"\n\nHe says the chaos has been created by the huge disruption in staffing. At least half of Twitter's workforce have been sacked or chosen to leave since Musk bought it. Now people from other teams are having to shift their focus, he says.\n\n\"A totally new person, without the expertise, is doing what used to be done by more than 20 people,\" says Sam. \"That leaves room for much more risk, many more possibilities of things that can go wrong.\"\n\nHe says previous features still exist but those who designed and maintained them have left - he thinks they are now left unmanned.\n\n\"There are so many things broken and there's nobody taking care of it, that you see this inconsistent behaviour,\" he tells me.\n\nThe level of disarray, in his view, is because Mr Musk doesn't trust Twitter employees. He describes him bringing in engineers from his other company - electric car manufacturer Tesla - and asking them to evaluate engineers' code over just a few days before deciding who to sack. Code like that would take \"months\" to understand, he tells me.\n\nHe believes this lack of trust is betrayed by the level of security Mr Musk surrounds himself with.\n\n\"Wherever he goes in the office, there are at least two bodyguards - very bulky, tall, Hollywood movie-[style] bodyguards. Even when [he goes] to the restroom,\" he tells me.\n\nHe thinks for Mr Musk it's about money. He says cleaning and catering staff were all sacked - and that Mr Musk even tried to sell the office plants to employees.\n\nLisa Jennings Young, former head of content design, says her entire team was cut\n\nLisa Jennings Young, Twitter's former head of content design, was one of the people who specialised in introducing features designed to protect users from hate. Twitter was a hotbed for trolling long before Mr Musk took over, but she says her team had made good headway at limiting this. Internal Twitter research, seen by the BBC, appears to back this up.\n\n\"It was not at all perfect. But we were trying, and we were making things better all the time,\" she says. It is the first time she's publicly spoken of her experience since she left after Mr Musk's takeover.\n\nMs Jennings Young's team worked on several new features including safety mode, which can automatically block abusive accounts. They also designed labels applied to misleading tweets, and something called the \"harmful reply nudge\". The \"nudge\" alerts users before they send a tweet in which AI technology has detected trigger words or harmful language.\n\nTwitter's own research, seen by the BBC, appears to show the \"nudge\" and other safety tools being effective.\n\nResearch shows abuse targeting me on Twitter has more than tripled since Musk took over\n\n\"Overall 60% of users deleted or edited their reply when given a chance through the nudge,\" she says. \"But what was more interesting, is that after we nudged people once, they composed 11% fewer harmful replies in the future.\"\n\nThese safety features were being implemented around the time my abuse on Twitter seemed to reduce, according to data collated by the University of Sheffield and International Center for Journalists. It's impossible to directly correlate the two, but given what the evidence tells us about the efficacy of these measures, it's possible to draw a link.\n\nBut after Mr Musk took over the social media company in late October 2022, Lisa's entire team was laid off, and she herself chose to leave in late November. I asked Ms Jennings Young what happened to features like the harmful reply nudge.\n\n\"There's no-one there to work on that at this time,\" she told me. She has no idea what has happened to the projects she was doing.\n\nSo we tried an experiment.\n\nShe suggested a tweet that she would have expected to trigger a nudge. \"Twitter employees are lazy losers, jump off the Golden Gate bridge and die.\" I shared it on a private profile in response to one of her tweets, but to Ms Jennings Young's surprise, no nudge was sent. Another tweet with offensive language we shared was picked up - but Lisa says the nudge should have picked up a message wishing death on a user, not just swear words. As Sam had predicted, it didn't seem to be working as it was designed to.\n\nDuring this investigation, I've had messages from many people who've told me how the hate they receive on Twitter has been increasing since Mr Musk took over - sharing examples of racism, antisemitism and misogyny.\n\nEllie Wilson, who lives in Glasgow, was raped while at university and began posting about that experience on social media last summer. At the time, she received a supportive response on Twitter.\n\nRape survivor Ellie Wilson says she has noticed a recent surge in hateful messages\n\nBut when she tweeted about her attacker in January after he was sentenced, she was subject to a wave of hateful messages. She received abusive and misogynistic replies - with some even telling her she deserved to be raped.\n\n\"[What] I find most difficult [is] the people that say that I wasn't raped or that this didn't happen and that I'm lying. It's sort of like a secondary trauma,\" Ms Wilson told me.\n\nHer Twitter following was smaller before the takeover, but when I looked into accounts targeting her with hate this time around, I noticed the trolls' profiles had become more active since the takeover, suggesting they'd been suspended previously and recently reinstated.\n\nSome of the accounts had even been set up around the time of Mr Musk's takeover. They appeared to be dedicated to sending out hate, without profile pictures or identifying features. Several follow and interact with content from popular accounts that have been accused of promoting misogyny and hate - reinstated on Twitter after Musk decided to restore thousands of suspended accounts, including that of controversial influencer Andrew Tate.\n\n\"By allowing those people a platform, you're empowering them. And you're saying, 'This is OK, you can do that.'\"\n\nSeveral of the accounts also targeted other rape survivors she's in contact with.\n\nAndrew Tate did not respond to the BBC's request for comment.\n\nNew research from the Institute for Strategic Dialogue - a UK think tank that investigates disinformation and hate - echoes what I've uncovered about the troll accounts targeting Ellie.\n\nIt shows that tens of thousands of new accounts have been created since Mr Musk took over, which then immediately followed known abusive and misogynistic profiles - 69% higher than before he was in charge.\n\nThe research suggests these abusive networks are now growing - and that Mr Musk's takeover has created a \"permissive environment\" for the creation and use of these kinds of accounts.\n\nPanorama investigates how Elon Musk's ownership is transforming one of the world's most influential social media platforms.\n\nWatch on BBC One at 20:00 GMT, Monday 6 March\n\nMr Musk's key priorities since the takeover - according to his tweets - are to make the social media company profitable and to champion freedom of expression.\n\nIn December 2022, he released internal documents called the \"Twitter Files\" to explain why he believed the company hadn't been fairly applying its moderation and suspension policies under the old leadership.\n\nBut those who have been on the inside, feel like Mr Musk has used this to de-prioritise protecting users from harm altogether. Even the dangerous content he's lobbied against, including Child Sexual Abuse and networks of so-called bot accounts deliberately designed to mislead, isn't being tackled as it was before, they say.\n\nIt is not just individual trolls that Twitter has previously tried to guard against, but also so-called \"influence operations\" - state-sanctioned campaigns seeking to undermine democracy and target dissidents and journalists.\n\nRay Serrato worked in a team that specialised in tackling these operations. He left in November because he felt there wasn't a clear vision to protect users under the new leadership. He says his team would identify suspicious activity like this \"daily\". Now his team has been \"decimated\" and exists in a \"minimised capacity\".\n\nRay Serrato, who specialised in tackling state-sponsored disinformation, says his team was \"decimated\"\n\n\"Twitter might have been the refuge where journalists would go out and have their voice be heard and be critical of the government. But I'm not sure that's going to be the case anymore.\"\n\n\"There are a number of key experts that are no longer in that team that would have covered special regions, or threat actors, from Russia to China,\" he tells me.\n\nAnother insider, who we're calling Rory, is also very concerned about that drain of expertise - and how it appears to be undermining a Musk priority, preventing paedophiles using Twitter to groom victims and share links to abuse. Rory was employed until very recently as part of a team tackling child sexual exploitation [CSE].\n\nHis team would identify accounts sharing abusive content about children, escalating the worst to law enforcement. Before the takeover such content was a huge problem, he says - and he already feared they were understaffed.\n\n\"Every day you would be able to identify that sort of material,\" he says.\n\nBut his team was cut soon after the acquisition, he says, from 20 people to around six or seven. In his view that's too few to keep on top of the workload.\n\nRory says - before he left - neither Mr Musk nor any other member of the new management made contact with him and his old team, who between them had years of experience in this area.\n\n\"You can't take over a company and suddenly believe you have knowledge\u2026 to deal with [Child Sexual Exploitation] without having the experts in place,\" he says.\n\nTwitter says it removed 400,000 accounts in one month alone to help \"make Twitter safer\". But Rory is worried there are now fewer people with the knowledge to effectively escalate concerns about this content with law enforcement.\n\n\"You can by all means suspend hundreds of thousands of accounts in a month. But if the reporting of that content [to law enforcement] has dropped, then it doesn't really mean anything, and most of the users who had their accounts suspended would just set up a new account anyway.\"\n\nHe adds that offending users can then just set up new accounts, at a time when suspended profiles are being welcomed back to Twitter.\n\nI wanted to ask Elon Musk about the takeover, his vision for Twitter and how he thinks it is playing out in reality. I tried to contact him via email, tweets and even a Twitter \"poll\". This wasn't a real poll but Mr Musk has used these votes to make decisions about Twitter's future, and I was hoping it might catch his attention. More than 40,000 users voted and 89% said Mr Musk should do an interview with me. I had no response.\n\nElon Musk did not formally respond to Panorama - but he did tweet after we published this article\n\nTwitter and Musk are yet to formally respond to BBC Panorama's investigation.\n\nI'm told all of Twitter's communications team have either resigned or been sacked. Twitter's policies, publicly available online, say that \"defending and respecting the user's voice\" remains one of its \"core values\".\n\nMusk did however tweet about our piece after its publication, saying: \"Sorry for turning Twitter from nurturing paradise into place that has\u2026 trolls.\"\n\nHave you been affected by the issues raised in this story? Share your experiences by emailing haveyoursay@bbc.co.uk.\n\nPlease include a contact number if you are willing to speak to a BBC journalist. You can also get in touch in the following ways:\n\nIf 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 HaveYourSay@bbc.co.uk. Please include your name, age and location with any submission.","link":"https:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/technology-64804007"}
{"title":"Turkey opposition names Kilicdaroglu as joint challenger to Erdogan - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-07","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"Quiet-spoken centre-leftist Kemal Kilicdaroglu is chosen by the opposition to run for president.","section":"Europe","content":"Mr Kilicdaroglu is known in Turkish media as \"Gandhi Kemal\" for his resemblance to the Indian civil rights leader\n\nTurkey's often divided opposition parties have come together to choose a single candidate to face President Recep Tayyip Erdogan in May's election.\n\nPolls suggest a tight race in a country highly polarised after two decades of Mr Erdogan's authoritarian rule.\n\nEconomic crisis and errors during last month's earthquake may make him more vulnerable than in previous elections.\n\nA huge crowd of supporters cheered Mr Kilicdaroglu, a former civil servant, as he was chosen by an opposition alliance known as the Table of Six.\n\nTheir agreement had been thrown into doubt when one of the six parties involved, the nationalist Good Party of Meral Aksener, complained he lacked popular appeal.\n\nMs Aksener favoured the mayors of either Istanbul or Ankara but a compromise was eventually agreed that would see both men appointed vice presidents.\n\n\"Our table is the table of peace,\" said Mr Kilicdaroglu, a soft-spoken 74 year old. \"Our only goal is to take the country to days of prosperity, peace and joy.\"\n\nHe offers a radically different vision in both substance and style to President Erdogan's fiery, charismatic approach and promised his supporters that he would govern Turkey through consensus and consultation.\n\nHe also said he would return the country to a parliamentary system. Mr Erdogan oversaw a transition to a presidential system in 2018, gaining sweeping powers.\n\nThe CHP was created by modern Turkey's founder, Mustafa Kemal Ataturk, and is the country's oldest political party, though it has been out of power centrally since the 1990s.\n\nHowever, Mr Kilicdaroglu has broadened its appeal by embracing minority groups and has formed alliances with right-wing parties.\n\nHe has also shown himself willing to challenge Mr Erdogan, a leader who has become increasingly intolerant of criticism.\n\nIn February's earthquake, in which more than 45,000 people were killed in south-eastern Turkey, Mr Kilicdaroglu led attacks on the government, which he said had allowed corruption and poor building standards.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/world-europe-64867467"}
{"title":"Nitrous oxide: Laughing gas should not be banned, review says - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-07","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"Nitrous oxide, known as laughing gas, is the second most-used drug in the UK among 16 to 24-year-olds.","section":"UK","content":"This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser.\n\nA review for the government has stopped short of recommending a laughing gas ban.\n\nNitrous oxide, sold in metal canisters, is the second most-used drug by 16 to 24-year-olds in the UK.\n\nHeavy use can lead to a vitamin deficiency that damages nerves in the spinal cord.\n\nBut the independent Advisory Council on the Misuse of Drugs (ACMD) said nitrous oxide should not be banned under the Misuse of Drugs Act 1971.\n\nIt comes after the Home Office asked the ACMD to provide advice on whether to make possession of nitrous oxide a crime.\n\nEarlier this year, ministers had been considering a ban on possession of the drug - and on all direct sale of it to consumers - as part of a move to tackle antisocial behaviour.\n\nThe ACMD recommended the substance should not be controlled under the Misuse of Drugs Act 1971.\n\nIt said sanctions for the offences would be disproportionate with the level of harm associated with nitrous oxide, as well as creating \"significant burdens\" for legitimate uses of the substance.\n\nNitrous oxide is regularly used as an anaesthetic in medicine and dentistry, and as a gas for making whipped cream in cooking.\n\nCurrently, non-legitimate use of the substance is controlled under the Psychoactive Substances Act 2016, which the council said \"remains appropriate legislation\".\n\nThe Act makes production, supply and importation of nitrous oxide for inhalation illegal, but not possession.\n\nInterventions should also included tackling non-legitimate supply of the drug, like closing down websites.\n\nA Home Office spokesman said: \"This government is working to crack down on drug misuse in our communities, that is why we asked the ACMD to provide updated advice on nitrous oxide.\n\n\"We thank them for their report, which we will now consider.\"\n\nEarlier this year, Prime Minister Rishi Sunak addressed laughing gas use in a speech about anti-social behaviour, in which he spoke about instances of \"nitrous oxide canisters in children's playgrounds\".\n\nThe government said it commissioned the report following what it described as a \"concerning\" rise in young people using the drug, often at festivals, house parties and outside nightclubs.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/uk-64869760"}
{"title":"BA-owner and EasyJet hold millions of unclaimed travel vouchers - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-07","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"BA owner IAG and EasyJet issued the vouchers instead of cash when flights were cancelled in the pandemic.","section":"Business","content":"Passengers of BA-owner IAG and rival EasyJet have yet to reclaim some \u20ac724m (\u00a3643m) in travel vouchers going back to the beginning of the pandemic.\n\nIAG, which owns five airlines including Aer Lingus, said it had about \u20ac600m (\u00a3533m) in unclaimed vouchers.\n\nEasyJet's most recent results suggested it had \u00a3110m in unclaimed vouchers.\n\nThe practice of issuing vouchers attracted criticism because many people wanted a cash refund instead, with some claiming it was difficult to get one.\n\nAviation consultant and former IAG employee Robert Boyle, who flagged the IAG figures, said that when airlines were forced to cancel a huge number of flights during the pandemic they encouraged customers to accept vouchers for future travel rather than issue refunds.\n\nGiven so many vouchers have yet to be redeemed Mr Boyle questioned how many of the vouchers will ever be used.\n\nThe rate of voucher use might increase as the expiry date approaches he said: \"But if even 20% of the original \u20ac1.4bn [\u00a31.24bn] of vouchers expire unused, that would be a \u20ac280m [\u00a3248m] release to profit\".\n\n\"However, if the vouchers are never used, IAG will have extra seats available to sell. Given what has happened to ticket prices since the pandemic, the cash value of those seats will be even bigger than the reported voucher values.\"\n\nBoth BA and EasyJet have extended the expiry date of their vouchers several times.\n\nIn its most recent set of results EasyJet said no vouchers had expired yet as expiry dates had been extended \"to ensure customers have the maximum opportunity to utilise their vouchers\".\n\nThe airline said the number of unused vouchers at the end of its last financial year on 30 September equated to \u00a3110m, or 2% of its ticket revenue in 2019, so there was a \"very small proportion of customers who have not yet used their vouchers\".\n\n\"And it is also worth noting that the number will have reduced since then as five months have passed - including a busy booking period at the turn of year.\n\nBA's will now run out in September 2023, though the airline said it was \"always reviewing that\".\n\nIt said last year 700,000 vouchers were used and it was sending reminders to customers holding outstanding ones.\n\nAirlines, including BA, faced accusations during the pandemic of making it difficult for people to claim a refund.\n\nBA said when a flight was cancelled it always offered the option to get a full refund, rebook or reroute. It never automatically issued vouchers, which had to be requested by a passenger.\n\nBut it said it recognised that during the height of the pandemic it could not offer \"all the usual channels for customers to request a refund\".\n\nAs a result, it added, if a customer had been due to travel on a flight cancelled by the airline between 9 March 2020 and 19 November 2020 and they opted for a voucher, BA had already contacted them to offer a full refund.\n\n\"We have issued 4.8 million refunds since the start of the pandemic and offered highly flexible booking policies enabling millions of our customers to change their travel dates or destinations,\" BA said.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/business-64810681"}
{"title":"Small boats bill aimed at galvanising political support at home - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-07","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"Rishi Sunak and Suella Braverman hope the Illegal Migration Bill will reverse Tories' flagging poll ratings.","section":"UK Politics","content":"It was delivered by Suella Braverman, but this was unmistakeably Rishi Sunak's own policy.\n\nThe prime minister has made \"passing new laws to stop the small boats\" one of his five priorities.\n\nHe was conspicuously seated behind his home secretary, visible in the TV coverage, nodding, smiling and voicing his assent at key points as she outlined the new legislation.\n\nDelivering the new law is part of his plan to try to turn around the Conservatives' flagging poll ratings before the next election.\n\nMs Braverman spoke of her approach being \"supported by the British people\" and she made a point of warning of 100 million people \"who could qualify for protection under our current laws... they are coming here\" aiming to tap into fears about growing numbers of arrivals.\n\nSo the legislation may be, on the face of it, about stopping boats, it's also squarely aimed at galvanising political support at home.\n\nThe debate was a divisive one, short on any details about the how this new policy is actually going to work.\n\nOne after another, opposition MPs stood up to criticise the plan as a policy \"that depends on dehumanising some of the most vulnerable people on earth\", one based on \"xenophobia and racism\" and one that may breach the UK's international legal obligations.\n\nSuella Braverman appeared content to portray herself as someone prepared to take robust action. It was, she said, \"irresponsible to suggest someone who wants to take a firm line on our borders is racist\".\n\nOne after another Conservative MPs rose to praise her approach as \"excellent\".\n\nBut she couldn't say whether the legislation in fact complies with human rights law, where holding centres will be built, what 'safe' countries refugees could be deported to, or what routes will be opened for people to come legally to the UK.\n\nIn a letter to MPs about the bill, Ms Braverman said there was a \"more than 50% chance\" that the legislation was not compatible with international law, and specifically the UK's obligations under the European Convention on Human Rights.\n\nIt's pretty rare for the government to publish legislation that it knows may breach international law. So why is it pressing ahead? Well, the answer is down to how this will all play with audiences in the UK.\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Government must act with determination and compassion - Suella Braverman\n\nThe debate clearly illustrates how Rishi Sunak and Suella Braverman hope to try to corner Labour.\n\nTheir aim is to paint Labour as weak when it comes to stopping boats. Labour's Yvette Cooper launched into her attack on the new legislation saying it does little different to that passed by Priti Patel a year ago and that hasn't solved the problem, rather made it worse.\n\nLabour wants to portray the government as ineffective. Its plan is to call for more serious cross-border police action and says the government is stirring up this issue to \"have someone else to blame.\"\n\nThe prepared retort from Ms Braverman was that Labour's leader Sir Keir Starmer \"doesn't want to stop the boats\".\n\nThe issue didn't figure in his \"missions\" for his leadership, she said, seeking to draw a contrast with Mr Sunak.\n\nThe new policy is already being put to work to try to frame people's views of the government and its opponents.\n\nSo already in this first debate you could see how the government hopes to exploit the issue politically, using it to try to frame people's views of Mr Sunak and his opponents.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/uk-politics-64879314"}
{"title":"Uefa to refund Liverpool fans who had tickets for 2022 Champions League final - BBC Sport","published_date":"2023-03-07","authors":null,"description":"Uefa is to refund Liverpool fans who had tickets for the 2022 Champions League final in Paris.","section":null,"content":"Last updated on .From the section Liverpool\n\nUefa is to refund Liverpool fans who had tickets for the 2022 Champions League final in Paris.\n\nIt follows a recent independent report that found Uefa bears \"primary responsibility\" for the chaotic scenes before the game against Real Madrid.\n\nFans were penned in and sprayed with tear gas outside Paris' Stade de France as kick-off was delayed by 36 minutes.\n\nUefa said the refund scheme \"covers all of the Liverpool FC ticket allocation for the final, i.e. 19,618 tickets\".\n\n\"We have taken into account a huge number of views expressed both publicly and privately and we believe we have devised a scheme that is comprehensive and fair,\" said Uefa general secretary Theodore Theodoridis.\n\n\"We value the input from the Liverpool FC supporter organisations Spirit of Shankly and Liverpool Disabled Supporters Association as well as the open and transparent dialogue throughout this period.\n\n\"We recognise the negative experiences of those supporters on the day and with this scheme we will refund fans who had bought tickets and who were the most affected by the difficulties in accessing the stadium.\"\n\nLiverpool were also part of the process of securing refunds for their fans and, as supporters bought tickets from them directly rather than Uefa, the club will administer the process.\n\nUefa and French authorities initially blamed ticketless fans for the events outside the stadium.\n\nThe report, which Uefa commissioned after the 28 May final, said there was \"no evidence\" to support the \"reprehensible\" claims.\n\nIt added that \"it is remarkable no one lost their life\" and the collective action of Liverpool supporters was \"probably instrumental\" in preventing \"more serious injuries and deaths\" outside the stadium.\n\nThe report made 21 recommendations in an attempt to ensure \"everything possible is done\" to prevent any similar incident happening again at a major sporting event.\n\nSpirit of Shankly and the Liverpool Disabled Supporters' Association said they \"welcomed\" the \"unprecedented\" refund from Uefa.\n\n\"With a promise to reimburse supporters, Uefa have gone some way to acknowledging their part in the fiasco,\" said a statement.\n\n\"But it does not excuse Uefa, exempt them from criticism or lessen the need for them to implement all of the recommendations made by the independent inquiry.\n\n\"We will work alongside Liverpool and publish details once we know how and when refunds will be processed.\"\n\nLiverpool manager Jurgen Klopp, whose side lost 1-0 to Real Madrid in the final, said it was \"super important\" that the club's fans had been exonerated for the situation which occurred before the game.\n\nA law firm representing Liverpool fans in a claim against Uefa relating to events in Paris has said it \"will be pushing ahead with our legal claim to seek appropriate compensation for our clients\", while another said \"our legal case is still progressing\".\n\u2022 None Listen to the latest The Red Kop podcast\n\u2022 None Our coverage of Liverpool is bigger and better than ever before - here's everything you need to know to make sure you never miss a moment\n\u2022 None Everything Liverpool - go straight to all the best content","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/sport\/football\/64875183"}
{"title":"Climate change: Warming could raise UK flood damage bill by 20% - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-07","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"Cutting greenhouse gas emissions could save millions of pounds in flood damage costs.","section":"Science & Environment","content":"Researchers have produced a detailed \"future flood map\" of Britain - simulating the impact of flooding as climate change takes its toll.\n\nIt has revealed that annual damage caused by flooding could increase by more than a fifth in today's terms over the next century.\n\nThat could be reduced if pledges to reduce global carbon emissions are met.\n\nClimate change is set to have a particular impact on \"hotspots\" where homes and businesses are in harm's way.\n\nEven if climate change pledges are met - keeping temperature increase to around 1.8C - places including south-east England, north-west England and south Wales are set to experience significantly increased flooding.\n\nThe detail in the new \"flood risk map\" also reveals locations that will be largely unaffected. This level of detail, the researchers say, is critical for planning decisions.\n\nTo create these flood risk maps, the research team from Bristol University and Fathom - a company that assesses flood and climate risk - simulated all types of flooding in the coming decades.\n\nThey used information about terrain, river flow, rainfall patterns and sea level to build a detailed picture of how much flood damage there would be to people's homes and businesses across England, Scotland and Wales.\n\nThey combined this with Met Office climate predictions over the next century.\n\nThe team is also currently modelling flooding in Northern Ireland to expand the forecasts to include the whole of the UK as the climate warms.\n\nThe annual cost of flood damage across the UK currently, according to the Association of British Insurers, is \u00a3700m.\n\nChief research officer at Fathom, Dr Oliver Wing, explained that it was crucial to understand how that \"flood risk landscape\" would change in a warming world, because it will be different for every community.\n\n\"Our model shows that there are many places where flood risk is growing,\" said Dr Wing. \"Being able to understand the communities where this is likely to happen allows us to make sensible investment decisions - about flood defence structures, natural flood management or even moving people out of harm's way.\"\n\nVolunteers in Calderdale create diversions for the water to slow its flow down the hillside\n\nCalder Valley in West Yorkshire is one of the areas at particularly high risk from flooding caused by heavy rain.\n\nKatie Kimber, from community volunteer group Slow the Flow, explained that the steep-sided valley meant that run-off swelled the river quickly.\n\n\"When it happens it's really fast - it's a wave of destruction,\" she told BBC News. \"Then it's a case of clearing up the damage - it's mentally and physically very hard for people here.\"\n\nDuring the 2015 Boxing Day floods, more than 3,000 properties were flooded in the Calder Valley, causing an estimated \u00a3150m of damage.\n\nAfter the clean-up, Katie and other volunteers started their own flood-prevention efforts, with the help of the National Trust.\n\n\"We're essentially creating speed bumps for the water running down the hillside [before it gets to the homes and businesses below],\" she explained. \"We're stuffing the channels with branches.\"\n\nThe community members also dig diversion channels to divert and slow water down.\n\nCalderdale is a flood hotspot on the new map. But many places are set to see very little change or - when it comes to flood risk - actually improve, Dr Wing explained. Those areas include swathes of north-east and central England as well as eastern and northern Scotland.\n\nThis level of detail, according to the scientists, is missing from the government's own current efforts to measure flood risk.\n\n\"Current government flood maps are not scrutinised by scientists, generally speaking,\" said Dr Wing. \"The methods they use are not transparent.\n\n\"And every pound we spend on flood risk mitigation is a pound that could be spent on teachers, nurses, hospitals, schools, so it's really important that it's grounded in accurate science.\"\n\nThe scientists add that the UK as a whole is \"not well adapted to the flood risks it currently faces, let alone any further increases in risk due to climate change\". They hope this detailed forecast could help change that.\n\nBack on the Calderdale hillside, Katie says that better forecasting would be invaluable.\n\n\"Anything that helps us to prepare and plan,\" she said. \"Because we want to keep living here - we love this area. So we need to face these challenges, particularly with climate change.\"\n\nDr Wing added that the new, detailed maps could help land use planning decisions.\n\n\"Those are something that ultimately put people in the way of floods in the first place,\" he said. \"That's something we see the world over - that the most important part of flood risk is where people are, not necessarily how the floods are changing.\"","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/science-environment-64866058"}
{"title":"Spain $1.7m wine theft: Couple jailed for four years - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-07","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"A former Mexican beauty queen and her partner stole 45 bottles of wine from a luxury Spanish hotel.","section":"Europe","content":"The pair were arrested in July following a nine-month international police hunt\n\nA former Mexican beauty queen and her partner have been jailed in Spain for four years for stealing 45 bottles of wine worth an estimated $1.7m (\u20ac1.6m; \u00a31.4m).\n\nThe incident happened in 2021 at a luxury hotel in the Spanish city of C\u00e1ceres, where the couple were staying as guests.\n\nThe couple later fled, but they were arrested nine months later at the Croatia-Montenegro border and returned to Spain.\n\nNone of the wine has been recovered.\n\nThe court named the couple only as Tatania and Estanislao, but they have been identified by Spanish media as Priscila Guevara and Constant\u00edn Dumitru.\n\nAccording to the court, Tatania checked into the exclusive Atrio hotel in October 2021 using a fake Swiss passport.\n\nShe was later joined by Estanislao and they both enjoyed a 14-course meal at the property's Michelin star restaurant, followed by a guided tour of the wine cellar.\n\nEstanislao then returned in the early hours of the following morning to raid the cellar using a stolen key, which the court suggested he took from reception while Tatania provided a distraction.\n\nOne of the bottles of wine, which were stuffed into their backpacks, had a unique 19th Century vintage and is reported to have been worth \u20ac350,000 (\u00a3310,000).\n\nThe theft sparked an international police hunt that ended in July when the pair were caught while trying to cross into Croatia.\n\nAccording to the El Pa\u00eds newspaper, the pair had reportedly visited the restaurant at least three times beforehand in order to prepare for the robbery.\n\nThe couple have also been ordered to pay more than \u20ac750,000 to insurers in damages.\n\nTheir sentences are not yet final and the couple will have the opportunity to appeal them.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/world-europe-64865977"}
{"title":"Student finance: Remote learners left out of maintenance loan plans - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-07","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"New loans and living cost support for technical courses are part of an overhaul in England.","section":"Family & Education","content":"More students will be able to access loans in an overhaul to England's student finance system - but remote learners will not get maintenance help.\n\nThe government has confirmed plans to allow people to access loans worth the equivalent of four years of post-18 education (\u00a337,000 in today's tuition fees) throughout their lives.\n\nIt says the lifelong loan entitlement (LLE) will make courses more flexible.\n\nBut maintenance loans will be available only for in-person courses.\n\nCurrently, student finance for higher education in England is designed mainly to provide tuition-fee and maintenance loans for three-year undergraduate degrees. Education is devolved, so student finance is different in different parts of the UK.\n\nThe new plans involve splitting courses up from 2025, so that people can get loans to study university and college courses a module at a time, or part-time.\n\nIt is hoped the lifelong loan entitlement will help people balance training or studies alongside other commitments, such as childcare.\n\nStudents can get a loan whether or not they have already been to university. For example, graduates of three-year degrees will still be entitled to one year's worth of tuition-fee loan, which could be used to fund a short course or a set of modules. Details on how individual loan entitlements are calculated will be released in the autumn, the government says.\n\nGraduates will also be able to secure a loan to study an equivalent or lower-level of qualification than they already have, which is currently not allowed.\n\nHow much the LLE plans will cost and how they will be funded will be set out in the next government Spending Review, which is not expected to be until 2024.\n\nSome groups are concerned about how the system will work.\n\nProf Tim Blackman, vice-chancellor of the Open University, said the absence of maintenance loans for distance learners - those who choose to do a course remotely - was a \"major inequity\" in plans.\n\n\"We know at the OU that maintenance loans make a difference to whether a student is able to study, and currently, we are seeing many of our students abandon their study because they need to prioritise working more hours or paying other bills,\" he said.\n\n\"These are the very people who often stand to benefit most from higher education because they have faced disadvantages earlier in life, or want to move into more highly-skilled jobs, including in our public services.\"\n\nThe Open University says it taught 47% of the UK's part-time undergraduates in the academic year 2020-21.\n\nAnn-Marie Spry, vice-principal at Luminate Education Group, said the LLE would be \"vital\" for \"evolving skills needs\" but that plans must be joined up with the rest of the education system.\n\nShe said better investment was needed for level-3 courses \"to create the pipeline of students for this initiative\".\n\nNick Hillman, director of the Higher Education Policy Institute think tank, said the loans would \"help open up education\", but that factors such as insufficient childcare might continue to prevent some people from taking up studying.\n\nTuesday's announcement comes after a landmark review in 2019 suggested ideas to provide better value for money in higher and further education.\n\nLegislation to change the student-finance system is currently going through Parliament.\n\nAre you a remote learner? How do you feel about these plans? Email haveyoursay@bbc.co.uk.\n\nPlease include a contact number if you are willing to speak to a BBC journalist. You can also get in touch in the following ways:\n\nIf 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 HaveYourSay@bbc.co.uk. Please include your name, age and location with any submission.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/education-64841402"}
{"title":"Scottish Prison Service faces prosecution for corporate homicide - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-07","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"Police are asked to examine whether Scotland's prison service has corporate responsibility over the death of Allan Marshall.","section":"Scotland","content":"Allan Marshall had been on remand at HMP Edinburgh\n\nPolice have been told to investigate whether the Scottish Prison Service should be prosecuted over the death of a remand prisoner, the BBC can reveal.\n\nAllan Marshall died after being restrained face down by 13 prison officers at HMP Edinburgh in 2015.\n\nThe officers were given immunity from prosecution when they gave evidence at a fatal accident inquiry.\n\nNow the lord advocate has instructed police to examine whether the prison service has corporate responsibility.\n\nDorothy Bain KC has also told the family she cannot prosecute the officers for perjury because their immunity is so far-reaching.\n\nIf the prison service is prosecuted for corporate homicide, which is the equivalent of manslaughter in England and Wales, it will be the first time this action has been taken over a death in custody.\n\nAllan's older brother, Alistair Marshall, has spoken about the case for the first time in an interview with BBC Scotland.\n\nHe welcomed the lord advocate's actions, but said he was angry about how long it had taken.\n\nAllan Marshall, from South Lanarkshire, was 30 when he died in March 2015.\n\nHe had been placed on remand for 30 days before his next court date, for unpaid fines and breach of the peace charges.\n\nHe had only five days left in prison when the incident took place.\n\nAllan was transferred to the jail's segregation unit on 24 March after officers said he had become agitated.\n\nHe was then put in the shower and it is unclear exactly what happened next, but CCTV footage shows him being dragged into a corridor and restrained face down by 13 prison officers. He died four days later.\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. The prison service had tried to stop the broadcast of CCTV footage showing Allan Marshall being dragged along the ground\n\nThe sheriff who held a fatal accident inquiry into what happened said the death had been \"entirely preventable\" and that the prison officers were \"mutually dishonest\".\n\nAt the time of that inquiry, the officers involved in restraining Mr Marshall were given immunity from prosecution.\n\nAfter its findings were published in 2019, Mr Marshall's family called for action to be taken against the officers.\n\nA year ago, the lord advocate met Allan's brother and aunt and promised to review the case and re-interview all the witnesses.\n\nMs Bain met them again on Friday to update them on progress.\n\nThe family said the lord advocate, who is head of Scotland's prosecution service, had apologised for the way they had been treated and for the officers being granted immunity.\n\nMs Bain told the family she could not prosecute the individual officers - but has instructed an investigation into the Scottish Prison Service on the grounds of corporate responsibility, including corporate homicide.\n\nAllan's older brother, Alistair Marshall, has spoken out about the case for the first time\n\nAlistair Marshall said he was relieved the prosecution service was looking to hold the prison service to account - but was angry it had taken so long to get to this point.\n\n\"People should have done their jobs right from the start,\" he said.\n\nAlistair remembers his younger brother as \"mischievous, adventurous and energetic\".\n\nHe said Allan did an apprenticeship in construction, then worked in his dad's garage before setting up his own business recycling electronics.\n\nEvery year the two brothers took part in the Pedal For Scotland sponsored bike ride from Glasgow to Edinburgh to raise money for MS. Their mother had the condition.\n\n\"He loved going camping,\" he said.\n\n\"He always wanted to have a life of fun and always brought people together - all the cousins, the brothers and other friends. It is not the same now Allan's not here.\"\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Allan's aunt, Sharon MacFadyen, told the BBC she was \"grateful\" to the lord advocate for reviewing the case\n\nAlistair said he wanted the prison service to be held accountable for killing his brother.\n\nHe said Allan's body had been so badly decomposed when the police returned it to the family that the undertaker phoned up in tears.\n\n\"They never even took care of his body even when he was dead,\" said Alistair.\n\nAllan's aunt, Sharon MacFadyen, said she was \"grateful\" to the lord advocate for reviewing the case and \"hopeful\" that the new police investigation would lead to a prosecution.\n\nShe told the BBC: \"He only had five days to go [on remand] when this happened. It is unbelievable.\n\n\"To me they've been given a licence to kill. They think they are above the law - and the powers that be just cover up for them.\n\n\"I don't want this to happen to anyone else.\n\n\"He has got a son and daughter and they don't even know their dad.\"\n\nDorothy Bain is the head of Scotland's prosecution service\n\nMs Bain KC said she had been grateful for the opportunity to meet Mr Marshall's family and update them on the inquiries which she had ordered.\n\n\"I have the utmost respect for their desire to have answers for their questions about Allan's death,\" said the lord advocate.\n\n\"I accept that some aspects of the initial case work fell short of what they were entitled to expect.\n\n\"Since Allan's death, the way in which custody death cases are handled by the procurator fiscal has been reviewed and transformed.\n\n\"I am confident that new structures and processes in place will ensure that all death in custody cases are undertaken rigorously, respectfully and compassionately.\"\n\nA spokesperson for the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service said the decision not to prosecute individual prison officers could not be reversed.\n\n\"The lord advocate has instructed that Police Scotland should investigate possible corporate responsibility by the Scottish Prison Service.\"\n\nAllan Marshall was described as adventurous and energetic\n\nLindsay Farmer, a professor of law at Glasgow University, said the Crown was in effect using corporate homicide legislation as a \"backstop\" to prosecute the organisation, partly because there was no route to prosecute the individuals.\n\nHe described the move as \"a novel development\".\n\nThe Scottish Prison Service said: \"Our thoughts remain with Mr Marshall's family. We will fully co-operate with any investigation undertaken by Police Scotland.\"\n\nA Police Scotland spokesperson said: \"We have received instruction from the lord advocate to investigate possible corporate responsibility by the Scottish Prison Service.\n\n\"We are not able to comment further at this time due to the live nature of this investigation.\"","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/uk-scotland-64841142"}
{"title":"Ukraine denies involvement in Nord Stream pipeline blasts - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-07","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"A New York Times report says US officials believe a pro-Ukrainian group was behind last year's blasts.","section":"Europe","content":"Ukraine has denied any involvement in September's attack on the Nord Stream pipelines, which were built to carry Russian natural gas to Germany.\n\nThe denial follows a report from the New York Times, which cites anonymous US intelligence officials who suggest a pro-Ukrainian group was to blame.\n\nMykhailo Podolyak, an adviser to the Ukrainian president, said Ukraine \"was absolutely not involved\".\n\nMoscow questioned how the US could make assumptions without an investigation.\n\nKremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov called the report a \"co-ordinated fake news media campaign\" and told the state news agency Ria-Novosti those who attacked the pipeline \"clearly... want to divert attention.\"\n\nRussia has blamed the West for the explosions and called on the UN Security Council to independently investigate them.\n\nGerman investigators said on Wednesday they had searched a ship in January which was suspected of transporting the explosives used to sabotage the two gas pipelines. There was at this stage no evidence to suggest a foreign state was involved, they said.\n\nRussian gas deliveries had been suspended before the blasts. Russia shut down the Nord Stream 1 pipeline in August last year, saying it needed maintenance. Nord Stream 2 had never been put into service.\n\nThe exact cause of the 26 September blasts that hit the natural gas pipelines is unknown, but it is widely believed they were attacked.\n\nNato and Western leaders have stopped short of directly accusing Russia of attacking its own pipelines, although the EU has previously said Russia uses its gas pipelines as a weapon against the West.\n\nOn Tuesday, the New York Times reported that new intelligence reviewed by US officials suggested that a pro-Ukrainian group had carried out the attack on the Nord Stream pipelines.\n\nCiting anonymous US officials, the report said there was no evidence that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky or his top lieutenants were involved in the operation.\n\nThe US newspaper reported that the officials declined to disclose the nature of the intelligence, how it was obtained or \"any details of the strength of the evidence it contains\".\n\nIt added: \"Officials who have reviewed the intelligence said they believed the saboteurs were most likely Ukrainian or Russian nationals, or some combination of the two.\"\n\nResponding to the New York Times report, Mr Podolyak added that Kyiv had no information about what had happened.\n\nMeanwhile, German website Die Zeit reported that German authorities had made a breakthrough in their investigation into the cause of the attacks.\n\nAccording to joint research by several German media organisations, the boat used to plant the explosives was a yacht hired from a firm based in Poland, which reportedly belonged to two Ukrainians. The nationalities of those who carried out the attack were unclear.\n\nGerman investigators later refused to confirm details of the report but said that a ship had been searched seven weeks ago.\n\nDefence Minister Boris Pistorius warned against jumping to conclusions. It could be a false-flag operation aimed at pinning the blame on pro-Ukrainian groups, he told German radio: \"The likelihood of one [theory] or the other is just as high.\"\n\nAt least 50m (164ft) of the underwater Nord Stream 1 pipeline bringing Russian gas to Germany is thought to have been destroyed by September's blast.\n\nDanish police believe \"powerful explosions\" blew four holes in the pipe and its newer twin, Nord Stream 2.\n\nGerman, Danish and Swedish authorities have all been investigating the incident.\n\nMr Peskov said Nord Stream shareholder countries should insist on an urgent, transparent investigation.\n\n\"We are still not allowed in the investigation,\" he said. \"Only a few days ago we received notes to that effect from the Danes and Swedes. This whole thing is not just weird. It reeks of a heinous crime.\"\n\nFor decades, Russia supplied huge amounts of natural gas to Western Europe. But after the war in Ukraine began in February of last year, most EU countries drastically reduced their reliance on Russian energy.\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/world-europe-64877979"}
{"title":"Pupils missing school on Fridays as parents are at home, MPs told - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-07","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"\"Huge\" school absences when \"mum and dad are at home\", England's children's commissioner says.","section":"Family & Education","content":"More children are thought to be absent from school on Fridays\n\nSome pupils have missed school on Fridays since the pandemic because their parents are at home, England's children's commissioner has said.\n\nThe number of pupils regularly missing school in England remains higher than pre-Covid levels.\n\nDame Rachel de Souza told MPs there was \"a huge amount\" of absence on Fridays - when \"mum and dad are at home\" - that \"wasn't there before\".\n\nThe government said it is providing help for regularly absent children.\n\nPupils count as persistently absent if they miss 10% or more of school sessions, which would amount to seven days in the autumn term.\n\nDame Rachel told the Commons Education Select Committee on Tuesday that 818,000 of the 1.6 million children who were persistently absent across the autumn and spring terms in 2021\/22 were off school for reasons other than illness.\n\nAnd some pupils are missing school on Fridays more than on other days of the week, she said - a trend that did not exist before the pandemic - citing analysis of attendance data from autumn 2021, covering 32,000 children from three multi-academy trusts.\n\nDame Rachel said conversations with families suggested one reason for lower school attendance was that remote learning during lockdown had led to an attitude of \"Well, why can't we just have online learning?\"\n\nShe added: \"Parents are at home on Fridays. We've had evidence from kids: 'Well, you know, mum and dad are at home - stay at home'.\"\n\nOne survey published last year suggested only 13% of UK workers go into the office on a Friday. However, the Office for National Statistics says most people do not work from home.\n\nThe Education Select Committee has launched an inquiry into why persistent absence has grown since the pandemic.\n\nA quarter (25.1%) of pupils were persistently absent last term, compared with 13.1% in the autumn term of 2019. The increase was partly driven by high levels of flu and other viruses, the government said at the time.\n\nResponding to Dame Rachel's comments on Tuesday, a Department for Education spokesperson said: \"The vast majority of children are in school and learning but we are offering targeted help for children who are regularly absent.\n\n\"This includes working with schools, trusts, governing bodies, and local authorities to identify pupils who are at risk of becoming, or who are persistently absent and working together to support that child to return to regular and consistent education.\"","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/education-64875643"}
{"title":"Olivia Pratt-Korbel cried 'Mum I'm scared' before shooting - court - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-07","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"Thomas Cashman is accused of shooting dead nine-year-old Olivia Pratt-Korbel in her Liverpool home.","section":"Liverpool","content":"Olivia was shot when a man burst into her house and opened fire\n\nNine-year-old Olivia Pratt-Korbel screamed \"Mum, I'm scared\" seconds before she was shot dead in her own home, a jury has heard.\n\nShe was on the stairs behind her mother when she was hit in the chest by a bullet fired by alleged gunman Thomas Cashman, Manchester Crown Court heard.\n\nOlivia had been frightened out of bed after hearing a commotion outside their home in Dovecot, Liverpool.\n\nMr Cashman, 34, was allegedly in pursuit of intended target Joseph Nee.\n\nHe claims he was not the gunman.\n\nOpening the trial, David McLachlan KC said the man chasing Mr Nee \"meant business, and it wasn't good business\".\n\n\"This is what this case is all about,\" he said. \"The ruthless pursuit of Thomas Cashman to shoot Joseph Nee without any consideration for the community.\"\n\nOn the night of the 22 August shooting, Mr Cashman, of West Derby, had a loaded pistol and revolver in his possession and was \"lying in wait\" for Mr Nee, who was \"without doubt the intended target\", Mr McLachlan said.\n\nWarning: This article contains details which some readers may find distressing.\n\nThomas Cashman is accused of murdering the schoolgirl\n\nThe court heard Olivia's mother, Cheryl Korbel, who was at home with her three children, opened her door after hearing noise outside and, as she did, Mr Nee \"made a dash\" towards her house, with Mr Cashman in pursuit.\n\nMr McLachlan said: \"[She] then realised, pretty quickly, the gravity of the situation that she now faced and she turned in a panic, and ran back towards her house.\"\n\nMr Cashman began firing at Mr Nee from the revolver, but the bullet missed him and hit the front door of the family home, the court heard.\n\nMr McLachlan said one shot likely \"passed through the door, then passed through Cheryl Korbel's right hand as she was no doubt trying to shut the door\".\n\n\"The bullet then went into the chest of Cheryl Korbel's daughter Olivia Pratt-Korbel.\"\n\nThe court heard Mr Nee had been banging on the door and shouting \"help me\" and Ms Korbel said she was screaming at him to \"go away\".\n\nOlivia's mother Cheryl Korbel was also injured in the shooting\n\nShe said: \"I heard the gunshot and realised. I felt it, it hit my hand.\"\n\nMr McLachlan said she then turned round and saw Olivia, who had come down the stairs screaming \"Mum, I'm scared\".\n\n\"She went all floppy and her eyes went to the back of her head,\" she said.\n\n\"I realised that she must've been hit - because I didn't know until then - and I lifted her top up and the bullet had got her right in the middle of the chest.\"\n\nOlivia's sister Chloe Korbel heard their mother screaming that \"Livia had been hit\", the court heard.\n\nMs Korbel was saying to her wounded daughter \"stay with me, baby\" as Mr Nee slumped on the hallway floor, the jury was told.\n\nA neighbour told police she was in bed when she heard two bangs outside, then two \"muffled bangs\" followed by \"the worst screaming I've ever heard in my life\".\n\nOlivia suffered a gunshot wound to her chest and later died in hospital\n\nShe then heard Chloe on the phone saying: \"Where are they, where are they? She is dying.\"\n\nArmed police arrived at about 22:10 BST, with one officer, PC Cooper, going inside the house while a second, PC Metcalf, got a first aid kit out of the boot of the patrol car, the court heard.\n\nBut they decided to take her straight to hospital.\n\nPC Metcalf could feel a faint heartbeat and Olivia's eyes were open but her lips were blue and she was unresponsive, the jury was told.\n\nOlivia was pronounced dead at Alder Hey Children's Hospital later that night.\n\nA post-mortem examination showed Olivia suffered three gunshot wounds caused by a single bullet, which went into her chest, exited the chest and became embedded in her upper arm.\n\nMr McLachlan said Mr Cashman ran away from the scene of the shooting through back gardens.\n\nThe court heard he went to the house of a woman, who cannot be named for legal reasons, who said she heard Mr Cashman say the name \"Joey Nee\".\n\nShe also said she heard him say something along the lines of: \"I've done Joey.\"\n\nThe jury was told Mr Cashman was later driven back to where he had parked his Citroen Berlingo van earlier in the day.\n\nNeighbours said they saw Mr Nee stumble out of the house and collapse in the road, where he made a phone call before a black car with five males in it arrived and took him away, the court heard.\n\nThe jury of 10 men and two women were told the main issue in the case would be whether they were sure Mr Cashman was the gunman.\n\nPolice escorted a van into Manchester Crown Court before the opening of the trial\n\nThe court earlier heard Mr Nee had been watching a football match at the home of another man, Timothy Naylor, shortly before the chase began.\n\nMr McLachlan said when Mr Nee left the house, with his friend Paul Abraham, Mr Cashman ran behind him and fired three shots from a self-loading pistol, one of which struck Nee in the midriff.\n\nThe jury was told witnesses heard Mr Nee shouting \"please don't\", \"don't lad\" and \"what are you doing lad?\"\n\nMr McLachlan said Mr Nee stumbled and Mr Cashman stood over him and tried to fire again but, possibly because the pistol malfunctioned, he was unable to complete his \"task\" and kill Mr Nee.\n\nThe jury heard that was when Mr Nee ran away from Mr Cashman and made for Ms Korbel's house.\n\nMr Cashman had intended to shoot Mr Nee earlier in the day after seeing his van outside Mr Naylor's house, but had been \"thwarted\" when he returned and Mr Nee had left, the court was told.\n\nThe court heard Mr Cashman was arrested almost two weeks later on 4 September in Runcorn.\n\nHe swore at officers and told them \"youse are stitching me up for whatever it is\", the jury was told.\n\nWhen he was told the circumstances and that he was being arrested on suspicion of murder, he said: \"Youse are mad\" and \"I've done nothing. It's nothing to do with me.\"\n\nDuring an interview he gave a prepared statement saying he had no involvement and then answered \"no comment\" to questions, the court heard.\n\nThe jury was told he was re-arrested at an address in Liverpool on 29 September and told police: \"You've got an innocent man.\"\n\nMr McLachlan said a forensic scientist found gunshot residue on a pair of tracksuit bottoms found in Mr Cashman's sister's house, as well as his DNA.\n\nHe told the jury it was a \"pre-planned and ruthless attempt to kill Joseph Nee\" but, instead of the planned \"execution\", he had instead shot a nine-year-old girl.\n\nMr Cashman, of Grenadier Drive, is also charged with the attempted murder of Mr Nee and the wounding with intent of Olivia's mother, as well as two counts of possessing a firearm with intent to endanger life.\n\nThe trial is expected to last about four weeks.\n\nWhy not follow BBC North West on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram? You can also send story ideas to northwest.newsonline@bbc.co.uk\n\nThe BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/uk-england-merseyside-64873789"}
{"title":"Ukraine launches investigation into unarmed soldier killing - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-07","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"A graphic video published on social media appears to show an unarmed Ukrainian prisoner being killed.","section":"Europe","content":"A screenshot from the video purportedly showing the Ukrainian prisoner of war before he was shot dead\n\nUkraine has launched an investigation to find Russian soldiers who apparently killed an unarmed Ukrainian prisoner of war, after graphic footage emerged.\n\n\"We will find the murderers,\" President Volodymyr Zelensky said late on Monday.\n\nIn the video, the Ukrainian soldier is seen smoking a cigarette in a trench. He says \"Glory to Ukraine!\" before being shot with automatic weapons.\n\nOne military unit has named the soldier as one of its own, but there are conflicting reports about his identity.\n\nIn the footage, one of the shooters - believed to be a Russian soldier - is heard saying \"die\" and using an expletive after the prisoner of war (POW) is shot dead.\n\nThe alleged killer or killers - who are not seen in the clip - have not been identified.\n\nThe video first emerged on social media on Monday. The BBC has not verified where and when the footage was made, or how the soldier was captured.\n\nThe general staff of Ukraine's armed forces said: \"The shooting of an unarmed prisoner is a cynical and brazen disregard for the norms of international humanitarian law and the customs of war. This is what worthless murderers do, not warriors.\n\n\"The Russian occupiers have once again shown that their main goal in Ukraine is the brutal extermination of Ukrainians.\"\n\nRussia has not publicly commented on the incident.\n\nIn his video address, President Zelensky said \"the occupiers\" killed \"a warrior who bravely said to their faces: 'Glory to Ukraine!'\"\n\n\"I want us all to respond to his words together, in unity: 'Glory to the Hero! Glory to the Heroes! Glory to Ukraine!'\"\n\nMr Zelensky was referring to a battle cry in Ukraine's military that has become popular among millions of Ukrainians.\n\nMeanwhile, Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba tweeted that the footage was \"another proof this war is genocidal\", and he called for an \"immediate investigation\" by the International Criminal Court.\n\nAnd Ukraine's Prosecutor General Andriy Kostin said a criminal investigation had already been opened.\n\nOn Tuesday, Ukraine's military named the soldier as Tymofiy Shadura, citing preliminary information.\n\nHis unit, the 30th Separate Mechanised Brigade, said he was last seen on 3 February near the eastern city of Bakhmut - the scene of fierce fighting in recent months.\n\nBut it added that the identification could only be completed after the body was returned.\n\nBefore the soldier was named, Mr Shadura's sister, Olia, said she recognised her brother: \"[He] would certainly be capable of standing up to the Russians like that,\" she told the BBC.\n\nHowever, there is some doubt over the identity of the soldier, with one well-known Ukrainian journalist naming him as somebody else.\n\nMr Shadura's sister later told the BBC that she was not collecting money on behalf of relatives due to the conflicting reports on the unarmed soldier's identity.\n\n\"I recognise my brother in that video. But if that's not him, then I feel for his relatives, and in that case can someone help me to find my brother?\"\n\nKyiv and its Western allies have accused Russian troops of committing mass war crimes since President Vladimir Putin launched a full scale-invasion of Ukraine on 24 February 2022. Russia denies the allegations.\n\nUkraine has previously accused Russian troops of torturing, raping and killing Ukrainian prisoners of war.\n\nLast July, a video emerged that showed a captured Ukrainian soldier being castrated in the Russian-occupied Donbas region in eastern Ukraine.\n\nThe Russian soldier filmed carrying out the attack in the town of Severodonetsk was identified as a member of a unit belonging to Chechen leader Ramzan Kadyrov.\n\nIn November, Moscow accused Ukrainian forces of executing a group of Russian prisoners.\n\nIt followed a video from the front line in eastern Ukraine showing the apparent surrender of a number of soldiers, in an incident that ended in their deaths.\n\nA Ukrainian official said the surrender was \"staged\" by Russian troops in an attempt to attack their captors.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/world-europe-64872623"}
{"title":"Cardiff car crash: Hundreds attend St Mellons vigil - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-07","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"Three of the group died following the crash, while two remain in a critical condition.","section":"Wales","content":"This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Eve Smith, 21, Darcy Ross, 21 and Rafel Jeanne, 24, died after the crash\n\nHundreds of people have attended a vigil for five people involved in a crash at the weekend.\n\nEve Smith, 21, Darcy Ross, 21 and Rafel Jeanne, 24, died in the collision in Cardiff and Shane Loughlin, 32, and Sophie Russon, 20, remain in hospital in a critical condition.\n\nAll five had been on a night out in Newport when the car is believed to have veered off the A48 into trees.\n\nFriends and family gathered at the scene in St Mellons on Tuesday.\n\nPart of the road was closed to allow the crowds to congregate.\n\nLuke Thole, a close friend of Mr Jeanne, was one of the organisers of the vigil.\n\nHe said he was \"lost for words\" over the loss of a his friend who was \"like a brother\".\n\nCandles were lit at the scene\n\nHe added: \"I'm glad of the turnout, a lot of people here which obviously Rafel would love.\n\n\"It's very big for Cardiff and Newport to be honest with you, they're well known people. And like I said, Rafel loves all this type of stuff so he'd be happy up there seeing all what's gone on for him.\"\n\nOrganiser Luke Thole says Rafel Jeanne was \"like a brother\" to him\n\nHe said that he wished friends and family had known the location of the car much sooner. The crash is believed to have taken place in the early hours of Saturday, with the car found just after midnight on Monday morning.\n\n\"[We] could've potentially saved him maybe, because they were there for 48 hours. To be honest, I am lost for words and it's hit a lot of people,\" he said.\n\nThe five were last seen on Friday night, but Gwent Police did not put out a public appeal until 23:00 GMT on Sunday, about one hour before the car was located.\n\nPink balloons as well as flowers were taken to the scene\n\nThe Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) will investigate police actions following missing person reports after the crash, it has confirmed.\n\nTamzin Samuels, 20, a friend of the women who helped in the search effort, said: \"I do think the police could have done a lot more in putting the helicopters out earlier.\n\n\"They only posted the appeal an hour before the girls were found.\"\n\nAt the vigil, a minute's silence was held, while people stood holding hands in tears and hugging each other.\n\nCheers and calls of \"fly high\" could be heard as people released balloons, set off fireworks as well as pink and blue flares.\n\nA relative of Mr Jeanne who did not want to be named told BBC Wales the family were \"still in shock\" by his death, but were heartened by the turnout of people.\n\n\"It goes to show how much he was loved by so many different people,\" they said.\n\nPeople at the vigil let off flares\n\nThe women, from Newport, had gone to The Muffler club in the Maesglas area of the city late on Friday.\n\nThey then travelled 36 miles (58km) to Trecco Bay, a caravan park in the seaside resort of Porthcawl, Bridgend county, with the two men, both from Cardiff.\n\nEve Smith, 21, Rafel Jeanne, 24, and Darcy Ross, 21, died in the crash\n\nA Snapchat photo shared by Ms Ross' sister showed her and Mr Jeanne together on the night they went missing.\n\nThe group was last seen in Llanedeyrn, Cardiff, in the early hours of Saturday, but it is not yet clear when the crash happened.\n\nFriends and family tried to comfort each other at the vigil\n\nSouth Wales Police and Gwent Police believe only one car was involved in the crash and confirmed the collision occurred during the early hours of Saturday.\n\nThe exact time will be confirmed by an investigation.\n\nHowever, Ms Russon's mum Anna Certowicz said police \"didn't seem to think it was worth investigating\" at the start.\n\nShe criticised the police response, saying they could have been found sooner if officers had started investigating straight away.\n\nWinston Roddick, former police and crime commissioner for north Wales, said the police's response to worried parents' calls about their missing children was \"not quite right\".\n\nHe said the victims' silence should have set off alarm bells sooner as young people today use their mobile phones continually.\n\n\"Maybe there should be questions asked and some effective inquiry made to see whether any one or more of them could be traced. If not, then the question mark becomes bigger,\" he said.\n\nMr Roddick said although this was an \"unusual case\", it was not unusual for the two forces to be referred to the IOPC and added it was far too early to jump to conclusions.\n\nThe forces said they could not comment while an investigation was pending.\n\nThey confirmed a first missing person report was made to Gwent Police at 19:34 GMT on Saturday, with further missing person reports made at 19:43 and 21:32.\n\nA further missing person report was made to South Wales Police at 17:37 on Sunday.\n\nPeople gathered to grieve for the victims of the crash\n\nThe police helicopter was requested at 23:50 on Sunday to search an area of Cardiff, after which the Volkswagen was found, they said.\n\nMatthew Pace, 45, and his son Lewis, 26, told Sky News that they found the car in a wooded area along the A48 just after midnight on Monday morning.\n\nMatthew Pace said a police officer arrived soon after and another officer subsequently got the helicopter to search the area. The force then confirmed the vehicle had been found, he said.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/uk-wales-64880383"}
{"title":"Covid booster jab to be offered this spring - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-07","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"Everyone over 75 is being advised to take up the extra vaccine to protect them over the summer.","section":"Health","content":"A spring booster vaccine against Covid-19 is to be offered to people at most risk of serious illness from the disease to protect them this summer.\n\nUK vaccine experts say it should be available to everyone over 75, care-home residents and anyone extremely vulnerable aged five and over.\n\nVaccinations in England and Wales are to start in early April, with Northern Ireland's rollout from mid-April.\n\nScotland's booster campaign will start in the final week of March.\n\nThe Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI) said hospital admission rates for Covid-19 in autumn 2022 showed that the risk of becoming seriously ill from coronavirus was noticeably higher in people over 75.\n\nAs a result, they would gain the most from protection from an additional vaccine dose this spring, with health chiefs warning against complacency.\n\nAnyone who lives in a care home for older adults and people aged five and over who are defined as immunosuppressed are also to be offered a booster jab.\n\nThey include people who have had organ transplants or who have blood cancer, and those undergoing chemotherapy treatment for cancer.\n\nIt is advised that the booster vaccine be given six months after someone's previous dose.\n\nProf Wei Shen Lim, JCVI chairman, said: \"Vaccination remains the best way to protect yourself against Covid-19, and the spring booster programme provides an opportunity for those who are at highest risk of severe illness to keep their immunity topped up.\n\n\"This year's spring programme will bridge the gap to the planned booster programme in the autumn, enabling those who are most vulnerable to be well protected throughout the summer.\"\n\nThe NHS in England is expecting to offer the first spring booster doses to those eligible in April, and the campaign will last until late June. Wales has confirmed it will start on 1 April.\n\nFour different vaccines, made by Pfizer-BioNTech, Moderna, Sanofi\/GSK and Novavax could be used.\n\nIt's likely most doses will protect against the Omicron variant as well as previous ones.\n\nSince last summer, different versions of the Omicron variant of Covid have been spreading the most - the latest being Omicron BQ.1.\n\nChildren under 12 years of age will be offered a children's formulation of the Pfizer BioNTech vaccine.\n\nDr Mary Ramsay, head of immunisation at the UK Health Security Agency, said Covid-19 was still circulating widely and there had been recent increases in older people being admitted to hospital.\n\n\"It is important those at highest risk of severe illness do not become complacent and I would encourage everyone who is eligible to come forward once the booster programme starts.\"\n\nPeople at higher risk of severe Covid-19 are also expected to be offered a booster vaccine dose in autumn 2023 in preparation for the winter.\n\nLast autumn, frontline health and care workers, adults aged 50 and over, and some carers and household contacts were offered a booster dose, too.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/health-64876657"}
{"title":"Snow and travel delays expected as Arctic blast hits UK - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-07","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"People across the Peak District and Pennines are being warned of potential disruption on Thursday.","section":"UK","content":"A row of snow-covered houses in Aberbeeg, Wales on Wednesday\n\nForecasters have warned of heavy snow and travel disruption as a wave of Arctic air brings icy conditions to central and northern England.\n\nAn amber warning affecting an area between Stoke-on-Trent and Durham is set to come into force at 15:00 GMT on Thursday.\n\nThe warning indicates a likelihood of travel delays, power cuts, and that some rural communities will be cut off.\n\nIt comes after the UK recorded its coldest March temperature since 2010.\n\nThe area affected by the amber warning includes the Peak District, Leeds, the Yorkshire Dales, and the North Pennines.\n\nThe Met Office said around 10-20cm (4-8in) of snow is likely to fall across much of the area, with 30-40cm (12-16in) in some parts, and to be accompanied by \"strong winds bringing blizzard conditions\".\n\nThe amber warning is not set to be lifted until midday on Friday.\n\nLess severe yellow weather warnings for snow and ice remain in place for much of the rest of the UK. These mean journey times are likely to be longer and icy patches on untreated roads and pavements are expected.\n\nNational Highways in England has issued a severe weather alert for snow in the North West, North East and Midlands between 09:00 GMT on Thursday and 08:00 GMT on Friday.\n\nRoad users are being warned to plan ahead for possible disruption and that challenging conditions could include poor visibility.\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Watch latest UK weather forecast: Will I get snow in my area tomorrow and into the weekend?\n\nMotoring organisation the RAC has urged drivers to take the weather warnings seriously and to work from home if possible.\n\nThose with no choice should make sure tyres are properly inflated, and oil, coolant and screenwash are topped up, it said.\n\nNational Rail has also warned snowy and icy conditions could affect trains in south-eastern England over the next few days.\n\nOther warnings in place are:\n\nThis Twitter post cannot be displayed in your browser. Please enable Javascript or try a different browser. View original tweet on Twitter The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Skip twitter post by BBC Weather 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\u2019s cookie policy, external and privacy policy, external before accepting. To view this content choose \u2018accept and continue\u2019. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.\n\nBBC Weather's Jennifer Bartram says the cold spell is due to a change in wind direction \"with northerly winds bringing cold air down from the Arctic\".\n\nShe said although it was not unusual to have snow and cold weather at the start of March, \"this feels like a bit of a shock to the system after what was a mild and relatively dry February for most\".\n\nEarly morning swimmers braved the cold at King Edward's Bay, near Tynemouth on the north east coast of England on Wednesday morning\n\nA picturesque snow-covered mountain reflects off the water at Lochcarron in the Highlands\n\nPeople across the UK have been enjoying the snow\n\nTo prepare for the cold spell, two coal-fired power stations have begun generating power again.\n\nThe plants in West Burton in Lincolnshire were due to close last September, but the government requested they stay open for an extra six months because of fears of possible power shortages.\n\nSome ski resorts in Scotland have opened runs after the heavy snowfall, with Snowsport Scotland saying it hoped the recent weather would be \"the start to another boost for the mountains\".\n\n\"Looking at the forecast, this could be our biggest week of the year,\" said Alison Grove from Snowsport Scotland.\n\nA man runs on during freezing conditions in a park in Blackwood, Wales\n\nA group of women swimmers brave the freezing conditions as they gather to celebrate International Women's Day at King Edward's Bay, near Tynemouth\n\nA level-three cold alert has been issued by the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) for the whole of England and will remain in place until midnight on Thursday.\n\nDr Agostinho Sousa, the agency's head of extreme events and health protection, advised people to check on vulnerable relatives, adding that pensioners or anyone with an underlying health condition should heat their home to at least 18C (64F).\n\nVeterinary charity PDSA advises giving dogs and cats extra blankets for their beds over the winter months. Raised beds can keep older dogs away from draughts, while cats may like high-up dens.\n\nMotorists drove through heavy snowfall on the M5 near Taunton, Somerset\n\nA Scottish terrier plays in the snow on the Dunstable Downs in Bedforshire\n\nA wild horse leaves footprints in the snow in Colpy, Aberdeenshire","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/uk-64875441"}
{"title":"Channel migrants: Sunak says we tried every other way, it hasn't worked - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-07","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"The PM has held a news briefing on plans aimed at stopping people crossing the Channel in small boats.","section":"UK Politics","content":"More aid agency reaction now. This has come in from Medecins Sans Frontieres, which says the new legislation will cost lives\n\nIn a statement, MSF said it \"strongly condemns the dangerous new Illegal Migration Bill\".\n\n\u201cThe idea that people will be rapidly returned or expelled to Rwanda is not realistic, and so we anticipate that thousands of people will become stuck indefinitely after arrival to the UK, where there is no clear plan to accommodate them,\u201d said Natalie Roberts, Executive Director of MSF UK.\n\nRoberts said the bill is similar to policies on Greek Islands \"where our teams report overwhelming numbers of people suffering from serious mental and physical health issues while contained in deplorable living conditions\".\n\nMSF says the plans \"are particularly concerning given that there are virtually no safe and legal routes for people from the vast majority of countries to reach the UK\".\n\n\u201cWe know, and this government knows too, that this utterly cruel legislation will not stop people fleeing violence, persecution and other hardships,\u201d Roberts added.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/live\/uk-politics-64868158"}
{"title":"Channel migrants: Chance for progress - but can Sunak deliver? - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-07","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"Rishi Sunak has asked to be judged on tackling Channel crossings but there are no easy solutions.","section":"UK Politics","content":"As the government prepared to announce plans to tackle small boat crossings more than 100 migrants arrived along the Channel coast in three vessels\n\nIt is dark, cold and wet.\n\nI'm on the seafront in Dymchurch in Kent, as we hear more than 100 migrants have arrived in three small boats along the Channel coast in the last 24 hours.\n\nThe latest arrivals among thousands - as we await the government's plan to do something about it.\n\nSenior figures in Whitehall look at the current situation and contrast it with just over four years ago when the former Home Secretary Sajid Javid rushed back from a holiday after a group of 12 migrants were spotted in Greatstone on Sea, five miles down the road from here.\n\nThe numbers now, bluntly, are huge in comparison with then.\n\nSo what are ministers planning?\n\nWe will get the details on Tuesday lunchtime.\n\nHere are the challenges they need to address:\n\nLabour are scathing about what they have heard so far, suggesting it is reheating previous plans that have not worked.\n\nBut they acknowledge there are no easy solutions.\n\nOne senior government figure suggested their plan, as it was being worked up, would \"press our nose up against the window of legality\".\n\nIn short, they need a solution that is sufficiently radical to make a difference, but on the right side of the law, including the UK's commitments to the European Convention on Human Rights, which the government remains committed to, for now at least.\n\nBut ministers expect this to cause a row.\n\nIt is perhaps the first row they have consciously picked since Rishi Sunak became prime minister, rather than walked into by accident.\n\nIt is, remember, one of the PM's five key promises.\n\nThree relate to the economy, one to the NHS and the final one is to \"stop the boats\".\n\nIt is the \"last chance for the Conservatives to sort this,\" one insider acknowledges - and Conservative MPs say it really matters to plenty of the voters they want to keep onside.\n\n\"It also helps keep the right of the party happy\", a former cabinet minister tells me.\n\nAnd yes, it does have the capacity to bind the Conservatives together, if - and it is a big if - the plan is seen to work.\n\nMr Sunak sees the issue as one about fairness.\n\nA sense that it is unfair that people attempt to get here illegitimately, as he will argue. A sense that the UK is a fair and tolerant and welcoming country, but that has to include being firm about those who are seen to abuse the system.\n\nThere is a reason this is happening this week. The prime minister thinks he has reset relations with the European Union with his new Brexit deal for Northern Ireland.\n\nAnd he is meeting President Macron of France in Paris on Friday.\n\nA window for progress is open. Or at least there's the absence of shutters.\n\nFor \"far too long\" we have ended up annoying the French on this, a minister says. \"We have to do something that makes it work and keeps them onside.\"\n\nBut it is a benchmark against which Rishi Sunak has asked to be judged.\n\nAnd we are about to find out, and be able to scrutinise, what he is planning.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/uk-politics-64870504"}
{"title":"Hancock backed pressuring MP into voting for lockdown, messages reveal - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-07","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"The then-health secretary discussed blocking a disability unit in a MP's town ahead of a vote on Covid tiers.","section":"UK Politics","content":"This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser.\n\nMatt Hancock supported threatening to block a disability centre in a Tory MP's constituency in a bid to get him to vote for the Covid tier system in England, leaked messages suggest.\n\nWhatsApp messages show Mr Hancock agreed to put pressure on James Daly, Conservative MP for Bury North, if he failed to vote with the government.\n\nMr Hancock's spokesperson said: \"What has been accused here never happened.\"\n\nMr Daly said he was \"very disappointed\" to learn about the exchange.\n\nHowever, speaking to BBC Radio Manchester, he said the threat was not carried out.\n\nAsked how he would have responded if such a conversation had taken place, the MP said: \"I would have told him where to go, and reported matters to a higher authority.\n\n\"To think somebody would use potential funding that could help someone vulnerable in our community to get votes for the government is just not acceptable.\"\n\nAsked about the incident, Downing Street said Rishi Sunak would \"of course\" not want his ministers to behave in that way. \"There are rules and guidelines that apply,\" the spokesperson said.\n\nEx-Conservative Party chair Sir Jake Berry accused Mr Hancock of \"weaponising the provision of care to young disabled people\" and said it \"crosses a line of what's acceptable in public life\".\n\nHe said the former health secretary had been \"drunk on power\".\n\nIn messages leaked to the Daily Telegraph, Mr Hancock's political aide Allan Nixon suggested putting pressure on MPs elected in 2019 whose \"re-election hinges\" on central government funding.\n\nMr Nixon proposed warning Mr Daly that funding for a new centre for disabled children and adults in his constituency would be \"off the table\" if he voted against new plans for a stricter tiered lockdown on 1 December 2020.\n\nMr Daly told the Telegraph he was unaware the Department for Health and Social Care had plans to give Bury North a disability hub, which would provide specialists with a dedicated centre for co-ordinating local activity.\n\nUnder the December 2020 tier scheme, every area of England was put into one of three tiers - medium (one), high (two) and very high (three) - with the vast majority of the population in the higher two tiers.\n\nAccording to the paper, leaked messages show Mr Daly was more concerned with support for pubs in areas placed in the higher tiers because they were unable to serve food.\n\nUnder the system, bars in tier two were only allowed to stay open if they served \"substantial meals\", while those in tier three could only provide takeaways or deliveries.\n\nThe tier system put restrictions on how pubs and restaurants could operate\n\nMPs eventually backed the government's plans for the tier system by 291 votes to 78 despite a large rebellion by Tory MPs - including Mr Daly.\n\nFifty-five Conservatives voted against the plan - the largest rebellion of then-Prime Minister Boris Johnson's time in No 10.\n\nA spokesperson for Mr Hancock said the message exchange was an \"entirely partial account\".\n\n\"The missing context here is vitally important because this vote was critical for saving lives,\" the spokesperson added.\n\n\"What's being accused here never happened, demonstrating the story is wrong, and showing why such a biased, partial approach to the evidence is a bad mistake, driven by those with a vested interest and an axe to grind.\n\n\"The right place to consider everything about the pandemic objectively is in the public inquiry.\"\n\nThe BBC has not been able to independently verify the messages.\n\nThe texts are the latest release from more than 100,000 WhatsApp messages leaked to the Telegraph by journalist Isabel Oakeshott.\n\nA collection of more than 100,000 messages sent between former Health Secretary Matt Hancock and other ministers and officials at the height of the Covid-19 pandemic have been obtained by the Telegraph. Here are some of our stories on the leaks:","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/uk-politics-64870505"}
{"title":"Dame Judi Dench backs call to overturn York blue badge ban - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-07","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"The James Bond star says she believes York city centre \"should be free for all to enjoy\".","section":"York & North Yorkshire","content":"Dame Judi Dench told a group campaigning to lift the ban in York the city \"should be free for all to enjoy\"\n\nDame Judi Dench has given her \"wholehearted support\" to campaigners calling for a ban on blue badge parking in York city centre to be lifted.\n\nA permanent ban on disabled parking in pedestrianised areas was introduced in November 2021.\n\nThe decision angered many of those affected, who said they had been made to feel like \"second-class citizens\".\n\nMarilyn Crawshaw, from the group Reverse The Ban, said Dame Judi's support was \"a great boost\".\n\nShe said the group was \"absolutely delighted\" to have received a message from the James Bond star, who was born in the Heworth area of York.\n\nCity of York Council previously said counter-terrorism measures were requested by the police to mitigate against a vehicle attack\n\nThe Oscar-winning actor, 88, said: \"York city centre is a rare jewel that should be free for all to enjoy, including those with a disability and for whom accessible parking is essential.\n\n\"As someone living with sight loss, I know only too well how gaining access to places can be exceptionally difficult.\n\n\"York city centre should be fully accessible through these types of schemes.\n\n\"I should like to offer my wholehearted support to people in the City of York who are asking the local council to reconsider any ban to the blue badge scheme in the city centre.\"\n\nMs Crawshaw said \"When we have somebody like Dame Judi Dench coming out and supporting us it's a great boost to us.\n\n\"It's lovely to think that somebody with such a high profile is willing to speak out.\"\n\nCampaigners said Dame Judi had joined \"a growing list of well-known figures that want to see the blue badge ban reversed\"\n\nMs Crawshaw said Dame Judi's words were \"particularly heart-warming and encouraging and we hope it will help the situation change.\"\n\nThe parking ban came into force after the council installed anti-terror measures to prevent the risk of so-called hostile vehicle attacks.\n\nCouncillors previously said they had approved a series of mitigation measures, including dropped kerbs, the employment of an access officer and a feasibility study into an accessible shuttle service.\n\nMs Crawshaw said postgraduate students from the University of York had conducted research into the way counter-terror measures could be reconciled with meeting the rights of disabled people.\n\nShe told BBC Radio York the group planned to issue findings from the research soon.\n\nFollow BBC Yorkshire on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. Send your story ideas to yorkslincs.news@bbc.co.uk.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/uk-england-york-north-yorkshire-64872475"}
{"title":"Amsterdam \u2018erotic centre\u2019: EMA unhappy at planned red-light district - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-07","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"The European Medicines Agency (EMA) moved its headquarters from London to Amsterdam after Brexit.","section":"Europe","content":"The European drugs regulator says it does not want a purpose-built red-light district near its post-Brexit headquarters in Amsterdam.\n\nThe European Medicines Agency (EMA) says it fears \"nuisance, drug-dealing, drunkenness and disorderly behaviour\".\n\nAmsterdam's mayor, Femke Halsema, wants to build a multi-storey \"erotic centre\" to replace its central red-light area.\n\nBut she faces strong local opposition to the new centre, where legalised prostitution would take place.\n\nNow the EMA has joined the criticism, saying the problems currently plaguing the red-light district would simply be transferred to any new location.\n\n\"Locating the Erotic Centre in close proximity to EMA's building is likely to bring the same negative impacts to the adjacent area,\" it said in a statement.\n\nThe EMA moved its headquarters to Amsterdam's southern Zuidas district in 2019 after the UK left the EU. Zuidas is one of several locations under consideration for the erotic centre.\n\nIn 2021, Amsterdam officials agreed plans to move the city's infamous red-light district amid rising crime and overcrowding in the area's narrow lanes and canalside paths.\n\nThey commissioned architects to design a building containing rooms for sex services, as well as bars and entertainment centres.\n\nMs Halsema said she wanted to improve the situation of sex workers and reduce the influence of organised crime.\n\n\"I hope it's possible to create an erotic centre that has some class and distinction and isn't a place where only petty criminals and the most vulnerable women gather,\" she told the Observer newspaper last November.\n\nShe also admitted that she was aware many residents would not want it located near them.\n\nLast month, Amsterdam announced rules making it illegal to smoke cannabis on the street in Amsterdam's red-light district, as well as limiting bar and restaurant opening hours.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/world-europe-64880267"}
{"title":"Sunak says he is up for the fight on illegal Channel crossings - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-07","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"The prime minister says he is confident the government would win any legal battles over its new law.","section":"UK","content":"This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Sunak: We've tried every other way and it hasn't worked\n\nRishi Sunak has said he is \"up for the fight\" to bring in new legislation to prevent migrants crossing the Channel on small boats to reach the UK.\n\nThe prime minister said he was confident the government would win any legal battles over the \"tough, but necessary and fair\" measures.\n\nEarlier his home secretary, Suella Braverman, announced the bill during a divisive debate in Parliament.\n\nLabour said the Tories' latest plans were like \"groundhog day\" and a \"con\".\n\nIt is not just opposition MPs who have criticised the plans. The UN's refugee agency, the UNHCR, said the proposed legislation amounted to an \"asylum ban\".\n\nStanding behind a lectern emblazoned with the slogan \"stop the boats\", Mr Sunak confirmed the planned new law, which will see illegal migrants deported \"within weeks\", would apply retrospectively to everyone arriving in the UK illegally from Tuesday.\n\nHe said he knew there would be a debate about the toughness of the Illegal Migration Bill but the government had tried \"every other way\" of preventing the crossings and they had not worked.\n\nWhile he admitted it was a \"complicated problem\" with no single \"silver bullet\" to fix it, he said he would not be standing there if he did not think he could deliver.\n\nMore than 45,000 people entered the UK via Channel crossings last year, up from about 300 in 2018.\n\nThe government believes stopping small boats is a key issue for voters and Mr Sunak has made it one of his top five priorities.\n\nThis is politically risky - as the outcome may not be entirely in his hands.\n\nSpeaking in the Commons, shadow home secretary Yvette Cooper said serious action was needed to stop small boat crossings, but said the government's plans risked \"making the chaos worse\".\n\nOpposition MPs attacked the legislation one after another, with some saying it was unlawful, while others suggested it would not work in practice.\n\nBut Tory MPs backed their home secretary as they took turns to welcome the move, and Ms Braverman retorted that Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer \"doesn't want to stop the boats\".\n\nTrying to set out the scale of the problem the home secretary said 100 million people around the world could qualify for protection under current UK laws - and \"they are coming here\".\n\nThis refers to a UNHCR figure that there are more than 100 million people forcibly displaced around the world, although there is nothing to suggest they would all want to come to the UK.\n\nAcknowledging the likelihood of a legal battle, Ms Braverman wrote to Conservative MPs saying there was \"more than a 50% chance\" the legislation was incompatible with the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR).\n\nThis potentially makes legal challenges - and a rough ride for the bill in the Lords - more likely.\n\nBut the political calculation could well be that the new legislation puts clear blue water between government and opposition.\n\nAnd if the bill is stymied, the prime minister may be hoping he gets some political credit from voters for trying to find a solution.\n\nMr Sunak told a Downing Street conference he believed it would not be necessary for the UK to leave the ECHR and said the government believed it was acting in compliance with it and \"meeting our international obligations\".\n\nHe said part of the problem was people making one claim \"then down the line they can make another claim, and then another claim\" and said the UK cannot have a system which could be taken advantage of.\n\nThe deterrent effect of the new legislation could be \"quite powerful quite quickly\", he added.\n\nThe UN's refugee agency, the UNHCR, said it was \"profoundly concerned\" by the bill, calling it a \"clear breach\" of the refugee convention.\n\n\"Most people fleeing war and persecution are simply unable to access the required passports and visas,\" it said.\n\n\"There are no safe and 'legal' routes available to them. Denying them access to asylum on this basis undermines the very purpose for which the Refugee Convention was established.\"\n\nThe Refugee Council said it was \"not the British way of doing things\", with its chief executive Enver Solomon saying the plans were \"more akin to authoritarian nations\", while Amnesty International called it a \"cynical attempt to dodge basic moral and legal responsibilities\".","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/uk-64881908"}
{"title":"Chelsea 2-0 Borussia Dortmund (agg 2-1): Blues fight back to reach last eight - BBC Sport","published_date":"2023-03-07","authors":null,"description":"Graham Potter enjoys his finest night as Chelsea manager as they overcome a first-leg deficit against Borussia Dortmund to reach the Champions League quarter-finals.","section":null,"content":"Last updated on .From the section European Football\n\nGraham Potter enjoyed his finest night as Chelsea manager as they overcame a first-leg deficit against Borussia Dortmund to reach the Champions League quarter-finals.\n\nPotter was under huge pressure after a dismal run of results following Chelsea's huge outlay in the transfer market, but he will hope the manner of this performance and the advance into the latter stages of Europe's elite competition will deliver a measure of calm and stability to Stamford Bridge.\n\nChelsea fully deserved their win, although they squandered several big opportunities before Raheem Sterling made the breakthrough after 43 minutes, firing past Dortmund keeper Alexander Meyer after initially fluffing his shot.\n\nThe goal which settled the tie and overturned Dortmund's 1-0 advantage from the first leg came in contentious fashion from the penalty spot eight minutes after the break.\n\nDortmund were furious when a VAR review penalised Marius Wolf for handball from Ben Chilwell's cross and their sense of injustice heightened after Kai Havertz struck the post with his spot-kick only for a re-take to be ordered.\n\nThis time Havertz made no mistake and Chelsea were on their way into the last eight.\n\nSpeaking after the game, Potter said: \"The players were tremendous and the supporters were tremendous.\n\n\"We had to be against a team that were doing so well. Over the two games I felt that we deserved to go through. It was a special night.\"\n\nIs this lift-off for Potter?\n\nPotter was been waiting for a show of strength such as this from the moment he left Brighton to take over at Chelsea, succeeding Champions League winner Thomas Tuchel.\n\nPotter has struggled to convince Chelsea's fans he has the personality required to take on this occasionally dysfunctional football beast and his cause has not been helped by poor Premier League form and a battle to establish any sort of shape and stability from the influx of players assembled at vast expense by new owner Todd Boehly.\n\nThe pressure was released somewhat with Saturday's narrow win over Leeds United at Stamford Bridge but a big Champions League win against opponents of such European pedigree as Borussia Dortmund will go some way to convincing the doubters that Potter is cut out for the task.\n\nThere is still much work to do as Chelsea lie in a wholly unacceptable 10th place in the Premier League and two victories will not change the landscape instantly but there is no doubt Stamford Bridge felt like a much happier place when Dutch referee Danny Makkelie sounded his final whistle.\n\nPotter will have been satisfied to see big performances from fit-again Reece James with Ben Chilwell also outstanding. And his former Brighton player Marc Cucurella also looked much more at home than he has before.\n\nThe scenes at the final whistle were a sharp contrast to many witnessed at Stamford Bridge this season with Potter punching the air in front of joyous Chelsea supporters as their Champions League journey continues.\n\nPotter added: \"To win a game and go into the last eight of the Champions League, it's up there with one of the games or evenings of my career.\n\n\"I watched the first penalty and it didn't work so well. I can't do anything. It's down to Kai and his talent and testament and that's at the top level.\"\n\nAll eyes were England teenager Jude Bellingham from the moment he arrived at Stamford Bridge, with waiting Chelsea fans making an instant sales pitch for the young star, who is expected to be pursued by every big club in Europe this summer.\n\nThis was not Bellingham's best night as Dortmund's Champions League campaign came to an end with the added disappointment of squandering a first-leg lead, but the 19-year-old still showed why he will be in such demand.\n\nBellingham's night had low points, such as when he poked a great chance wide from eight yards in the second half and a very poor challenge in the closing seconds that left Reece James prostrate and brought a yellow card.\n\nHe did, however, show class and arrogance on the ball, vision, and a marauding style as Dortmund chased an equaliser in vain after Chelsea grabbed control.\n\nBellingham trooped off at the final whistle and is likely to be playing his Champions League football elsewhere next season, but in little flashes he still showed what all the fuss is about.\n\u2022 None Jude Bellingham (Borussia Dortmund) is shown the yellow card for a bad foul.\n\u2022 None Attempt saved. Marius Wolf (Borussia Dortmund) right footed shot from the centre of the box is saved in the top centre of the goal. Assisted by Donyell Malen.\n\u2022 None Attempt missed. Marius Wolf (Borussia Dortmund) header from the centre of the box misses to the right. Assisted by Giovanni Reyna with a cross following a corner.\n\u2022 None Attempt blocked. Rapha\u00ebl Guerreiro (Borussia Dortmund) left footed shot from outside the box is blocked.\n\u2022 None Attempt missed. Nico Schlotterbeck (Borussia Dortmund) header from the centre of the box misses to the left. Assisted by Giovanni Reyna.\n\u2022 None Offside, Chelsea. Kalidou Koulibaly tries a through ball, but Christian Pulisic is caught offside.\n\u2022 None Attempt missed. Jude Bellingham (Borussia Dortmund) header from the centre of the box is too high. Assisted by Marius Wolf with a cross. Navigate to the next page Navigate to the last page\n\u2022 None Our coverage of Chelsea is bigger and better than ever before - here's everything you need to know to make sure you never miss a moment\n\u2022 None Everything Chelsea - go straight to all the best content","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/sport\/football\/64866476"}
{"title":"Cardiff car crash: Tributes to three found dead after night out - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-07","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"Tributes are paid to three people who were found dead in a crashed car days after going missing.","section":"Wales","content":"Eve Smith, 21, Rafel Jeanne, 24, and Darcy Ross, 21, died in the collision\n\nTributes have been paid to three people who were found dead in a crashed car days after they went missing.\n\nEve Smith, 21, Darcy Ross, 21 and Rafel Jeanne, 24, were found in a car which had come off a major road in Cardiff.\n\nSophie Russon, 20, and Shane Loughlin, 32, were taken to hospital where they remain in a critical condition.\n\nAll five had been on a night out in Newport when the car is believed to have veered off the A48 into trees, with it unclear what exactly happened.\n\nSophie Russon was having surgery on Monday evening, while friends of the group held a vigil at the scene.\n\nSouth Wales Police said specialist officers are trying to \"piece together\" what happened.\n\nFamily and friends had made repeated appeals to find the missing group over the course of the weekend.\n\nThe mother of one of the women said she had been told to stop contacting police for updates.\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Watch: BBC reporter at the scene of busy road where missing group found\n\nSpeaking at the scene, a friend of the three women said she believed the police \"could have done a lot more\".\n\nTamzin Samuels, 20, said: \"They only posted the appeal an hour before the girls were found. We found them before the police found them - we rang the police.\"\n\nShe added: \"They were really popular girls, the life of the party, and it was really out of character for them to do what they did, which is why we knew something was wrong.\"\n\nThe women, from Newport, had gone to The Muffler club in the Maesglas area of the city late on Friday.\n\nThey then travelled 36 miles (58km) to Trecco Bay, a caravan park in the seaside resort of Porthcawl, Bridgend county, with the two men, both from Cardiff.\n\nA Snapchat photo shared by Ms Ross' sister showed her and Mr Jeanne together on the night they went missing.\n\nThe group was last seen in Llanedeyrn, Cardiff, in the early hours of Saturday, but it is not yet clear when the crash happened.\n\nSophie Russon, 20, and Shane Loughlin, 32, are seriously injured in hospital\n\nTributes have been paid on social media with family members confirming their loved ones had died.\n\nOne of Miss Smith's relatives wrote: \"I will not comment on anyone other than Eve Smith to confirm that she has been confirmed as deceased.\n\n\"Thank you for your support and shares and I won't be answering messages please allow us some time as a family to digest this terrible news.\"\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Flowers were laid near the scene of the accident\n\nA friend of Miss Ross and Miss Smith wrote: \"I don't really have the words right now.\"\n\nTalking about Miss Ross, the friend said: \"You were one of a kind, I'm going to miss trying to 'life coach' you as you would've said. You were a real ray of sunshine especially on my bad days.\"\n\nDescribing Miss Smith, she added: \"Eve Smith you were truly a beautiful young girl\", saying her heart was \"made of gold\".\n\nDarcy Ross, pictured here with Rafel Jeanne, on Snapchat\n\nA friend of Mr Loughlin said: \"I'm so proud of us all pulling together out there searching for our dear friends last night.\n\n\"It's heartbreaking what's happened to Rafel Jeanne and those two girls. My body is still shaking and I can't stop being sick, the thought of them all there all of that time.\n\n\"Many times I have driven past, it just makes me so sad.\"\n\nHe described how \"helpless\" Mr Loughlin must have felt \"trapped inside\", adding: \"Wish Sophie a speedy recovery and I send all my love and strength to all the families involved.\"\n\nBBC journalist Adam Hale said no obvious signs of a crash were visible, even in daylight, to drivers using the slip road to approach the busy roundabout over the weekend.\n\n\"I was one of the potentially thousands of motorists who will have passed the scene of the accident over the weekend who could be forgiven for not noticing anything out of the ordinary,\" he said.\n\n\"There are a lot of trees that line that particular stretch of road that could easily obscure a car that had left the road.\n\n\"In terms of things you'd expect to see in the aftermath of a road accident - tyre marks on the road, parts of a car strewn across the way - none were clearly visible to myself or friends or family who live in the area and also travelled past the site across Saturday and Sunday.\"\n\nDominic Shields, 58, lives close to the site of the crash and said his running route goes through the area.\n\n\"I was going to run there on Sunday but decided to go to Cardiff fields instead,\" he said.\n\n\"It really makes you think, 'if I just made a different choice?'\n\n\"I drove down the slip road four times on Saturday and Sunday and it just brings home how often you are on autopilot.\n\n\"If I had my wits about me I could have seen something and got help to to them sooner.\"\n\nFloral tributes have been left at the site of the crash\n\nA number of floral tributes have been left at the scene of the collision.\n\nOne said: \"Fly high. You're in a better place now. This was the last thing we expected. I know you're still partying up there.\"\n\nNewport West MP Ruth Jones urged people to avoid speculating about the collision on social media.\n\nMs Jones told BBC Radio Wales's Drive: \"I know people have taken to social media to express their condolences, but rumours and things are circulating and sometimes it's quite tricky to actually establish the facts.\n\n\"I think people need to be careful because there are families who are grieving tonight.\"\n\nSouth Wales Police's Assistant Chief Constable Jason Davies said: \"Our thoughts are with the families of all those affected by this tragic incident.\n\n\"Specialist officers are carrying out an investigation to piece together what has happened.\n\n\"Family liaison officers are supporting the families involved at what must be a hugely difficult time for them.\n\n\"To ensure independent oversight, South Wales Police has referred the matter to the Independent Office for Police Conduct, as is usual in these circumstances.\"\n\nA Gwent Police spokeswoman said: \"Three of those who were reported missing have been found deceased, two have been taken to hospital with serious injuries.\n\n\"Specialist officers are supporting the families of those involved and enquiries are ongoing.\n\n\"The case has been referred to the IOPC in line with normal procedures.\"\n\nThe IOPC said: \"We will carry out an assessment in due course to determine what further action may be required from us.\"","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/uk-wales-64867187"}
{"title":"Cardiff car crash: Three of missing five found dead - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-07","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"The car was found in the early hours two days after the group went missing after a night out.","section":"Wales","content":"Shane Loughlin, Eve Smith, Sophie Russon, Rafel Jeanne and Darcy Ross (clockwise from top left) had been reported missing\n\nPolice searching for five people have found three dead and two injured two days after they went missing following a night out.\n\nGwent Police said it believed the group had been involved in a car crash.\n\nSophie Russon, 20, Eve Smith, 21, Darcy Ross, 21, Rafel Jeanne, 24, and Shane Loughlin, 32, were last seen at about 02:00 GMT on Saturday in Cardiff.\n\nThe family of Ms Smith have named her on social media as being one of those who has died.\n\nFamily and friends made repeated appeals to find the missing group over the course of the weekend, with the mother of one of the girls saying she had been told to stop contacting police for updates.\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. The road is a major route into Cardiff\n\nThe car the group were last seen in was found by a member of the public early on Monday on the A48 in St Mellons.\n\nThe road is a major route into Cardiff and the car was found near a busy roundabout close to a garden centre.\n\nThe family of Eve Smith have confirmed her death on social media\n\nMs Russon is one of the two in hospital and is in a critical condition, her cousin said, while the other two who have died are yet to be identified by police or family members.\n\nA long police cordon marked out the crash scene at what would normally be a busy stretch of dual carriageway, connecting Cardiff and Newport.\n\nJust below the slipway, down a small bank is a wooded area where the car was discovered. Officers have been working there, hidden from view by the trees, recovering the bodies and investigating the scene.\n\nOne resident said the area was hard to reach on foot and was in an area where \"no one walks\".\n\nThe car was removed on a truck just before 13:00, with the vehicle covered over by police and the road reopened an hour later.\n\nPolice will be trying to establish exactly when the car crashed there following the last sighting of the group, and why it took until the early hours of Monday for it to be discovered.\n\nNear the scene, people have laid flowers.\n\nPeople have been laying floral tributes near the scene in St Mellons\n\nA woman who lives nearby said many people felt shocked after waking up to hear about the tragedy.\n\nJo Warner, who lives near the crash site, said walking past the scene made it feel horribly real.\n\nShe added: \"What they've been through, you can't bear thinking about it can you? I wouldn't like to surmise what happened but it's just heart-breaking.\n\n\"It could have been anyone's kids. It could have been mine.\"\n\nElishia Rebecca Ross shared a photo on social media asking if anyone had seen her sister, Darcy Ross, pictured here with Rafel Jeanne\n\nOver the weekend, family and friends of the missing group appealed numerous times on social media to find them.\n\nThe women, from Newport, had gone to The Muffler club in the Maesglas area of the city late on Friday.\n\nThey then travelled 36 miles (58km) to Trecco Bay, a caravan park in the seaside resort of Porthcawl, Bridgend county, with the two men, both from Cardiff.\n\nA Snapchat photo shared by Ms Ross' sister showed her and Mr Jeanne together on the night they went missing.\n\nThe group was last seen in Llanedeyrn, Cardiff, in the early hours of Saturday, but it is not yet clear when the crash happened.\n\nMs Russon's mother, Anna Certowicz, 42, was driving around in a desperate search for her daughter after police officers told her to \"stop ringing\" the station for updates.\n\nShe told the Daily Mail: \"They didn't seem to care. I had to drive to Cardiff to knock on doors myself because they were doing sod all. They just didn't seem to think it was worth investigating. It was so frustrating.\"\n\nWriting on Twitter, Hollie Smith said her cousin, Ms Russon, had been taken to hospital in a critical condition.\n\n\"Sadly, the three other passengers have died and we're thinking of the families who have lost their loved ones,\" she wrote.\n\nThe Volkswagen Tiguan they were travelling in was found in the early hours of Monday near a busy roundabout on the A48, close to Cardiff Garden Centre.\n\nAn investigation is under way at the scene\n\nA temporary fence was put up at the side of the carriageway where officers concentrated their investigation.\n\nBefore the car was found, one of the girls' aunts said there had been \"no contact and no social media presence since the early hours of Saturday morning\".\n\nIn an appeal to find them, Tori Preece shared a message on Facebook saying that \"all of the families involved are extremely concerned\".\n\n\"They are not girls who take unnecessary risks and are always in close contact with their families,\" she wrote.\n\nMs Preece shared a post from Lauren Doyle who said it was \"unusual\" the girls had not made contact and friends and families were \"worried sick and thinking the worst\".\n\nSpecialist officers are supporting the families, police said.\n\nThe case has been referred to the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) in line with normal procedure.\n\nThe IOPC said: \"We will carry out an assessment in due course to determine what further action may be required from us.\"\n\nThe women had gone to The Muffler club in the Maesglas area of Newport late on Friday\n\nGwent Police has confirmed South Wales Police was investigating the crash.\n\nSouth Wales Police said it received a call at 00:15 \"to a report of a car being located\" off the A48 in St Mellons.\n\n\"Our thoughts are with the those affected by this incident,\" it said.\n\nSt Mellons resident Howard Dainton, 72, said the scene of the crash was in a wooded area.\n\n\"No one walks down there because it's hard to get in that area on foot,\" he said.\n\n\"It's just a copse of trees and a ditch and behind that farmer fields.\n\nA recovery vehicle removed the car from the scene\n\nMeanwhile, a man has been arrested at the scene for prevention of breach of the peace, police said.\n\nPA news agency reported that it was understood that Thomas Taylor, 47, from Rumney, Cardiff, had been arrested after being asked to leave the area.\n\nSpeaking before he was arrested, Mr Taylor, a film and TV extra, told PA: \"When I heard the reports, I just couldn't believe it could be possible that a car could come off and no-one know they were there.\n\n\"It's natural they might have disappeared for a bit, but the families' instincts are right.\"","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/uk-64859195"}
{"title":"Two dead, two alive after Americans kidnapped in Mexico - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-07","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"Two survivors are delivered back to the United States, after Mexico confirms the fatalities.","section":"Latin America & Caribbean","content":"This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Video shows the moment four Americans were kidnapped in Mexico\n\nTwo of the four Americans kidnapped at gunpoint in Mexico last week are dead and two are alive and now back in the US, Mexican and US officials say.\n\nFour US citizens were kidnapped by armed men on 3 March while driving into the city of Matamoros in the north-eastern state of Tamaulipas, Mexico, across the border from Texas.\n\nThey had travelled there for cosmetic surgery, relatives told US media.\n\nOne man, named only as Jos\u00e9 \"N\", 24, from Tamaulipas, has been arrested.\n\nWhite House National Security Council spokesman John Kirby said: \"We offer our deepest condolences to the friends and families of those who were killed in these attacks.\"\n\nThe two surviving victims were delivered to the US on Tuesday in co-operation with the US consulate in Matamoros, Tamaulipas Attorney General Irving Barrios Mojica said in a tweet.\n\nThey were brought back under armed escort by a heavily armed Mexican military convoy.\n\nThe FBI later confirmed that two Americans were found dead and that the other two have been brought to American hospitals for treatment.\n\n\"One of the surviving victims sustained serious injuries during the attack,\" the FBI said.\n\nThe statement added that the agency will work with international partners and other law enforcement agencies to \"hold those responsible for this horrific and violent attack accountable for their crimes\".\n\nThe bodies of Zindell Brown and Shaeed Woodard have been recovered and are being repatriated, US officials said.\n\nMexican President Andr\u00e9s Manuel L\u00f3pez Obrador said: \"We are very sorry that this happened in our country and we send our condolences to the families of the victims, friends, and the United States government, and we will continue doing our work to guarantee peace and tranquillity.\"\n\nThe injured Americans were named by family members as Latavia \"Tay\" McGee, a mother of six from South Carolina, and Eric James Williams.\n\nThe four were driving through Matamoros - a city of 500,000 located directly across the border from the Texas town of Brownsville - in a white minivan with North Carolina licence plates when unidentified gunmen opened fire, the FBI said this week.\n\nVideo shows them being loaded into a pickup truck by heavily armed men. One is manhandled on to the vehicle while others appear to be unconscious and are dragged to the truck.\n\nA Mexican woman, believed to be a 33-year-old bystander more than one block away, was killed in last Friday's incident.\n\nAt a news conference later on Tuesday, Mexican officials confirmed a 24-year-old man had been arrested and that the four Americans were discovered at a wooden shack outside Matamoros.\n\nThe victims had been transferred to various locations between the kidnapping on Friday and their discovery on Tuesday \"to create confusion\", officials say.\n\nInvestigators think the Gulf Cartel, one of the oldest organised crime groups in Mexico, is responsible for the attack, a US law enforcement source told CBS.\n\nIt is still unclear whether the Americans were ambushed, mistaken for competing drug traffickers, or were caught in cross-fire between warring factions.\n\nUS state department officials said on Tuesday that the investigation was still in the early stages.\n\nMs McGee was said to be travelling to the Mexican border town to have a tummy tuck, a cosmetic surgery procedure to remove abdominal fat.\n\nHer mother Barbara Burgess told ABC News that she had asked her daughter not to go, but her daughter had reassured her she would be safe.\n\nThe FBI offered a $50,000 (\u00a342,000) reward for the return of the Americans.\n\nMatamoros is in Tamaulipas state, one of six Mexican states that the US state department advises travellers not to visit because of \"crime and kidnapping\".\n\nMedical tourism is common, particularly among people living in US border states.\n\nBut Matamoros is one of the most dangerous cities in the country, as drug cartels control large swathes of the state of Tamaulipas and can hold more power than local law enforcement.\n\nState police kept watch at the scene where the bodies of two Americans were found","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/world-latin-america-64878721"}
{"title":"SNP rivals set out indyref2 plans in fiery TV debate - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-07","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"Kate Forbes, Humza Yousaf and Ash Regan clash in the first SNP leadership TV debate.","section":"Scotland politics","content":"SNP leadership candidates Kate Forbes, Humza Yousaf and Ash Regan took part in a SNP leadership debate at STV's studios in Glasgow on Tuesday\n\nThe three candidates vying to replace Nicola Sturgeon as SNP leader have set out their plans for independence during the contest's first live TV debate.\n\nHumza Yousaf said he wanted to build a \"consistent majority\" by continuing the party's radical agenda.\n\nKate Forbes said a new approach was needed to win over undecided voters, adding \"continuity won't cut it\".\n\nRival candidate Ash Regan said the SNP had \"lost its way\" and pledged to unite the broader Yes movement.\n\nThe debate, hosted by STV, was marked at points by the candidates' personal attacks on each other's political records.\n\nFollowing Nicola Sturgeon's decision to step down, all three contenders are running to become both the next SNP leader and Scotland's first minister.\n\nMr Yousaf, currently health secretary, pledged to grow support for independence \"to new heights\" and said he would challenge Westminster's blocking of gender recognition reforms passed at Holyrood.\n\nFinance Secretary Ms Forbes said it was time for a new generation to lead and that she was ready for the job, stating \"more of the same is not a manifesto - it's an acceptance of mediocrity\".\n\nMs Regan said the SNP had to use the ballot box via elections as the \"gold standard\" to gaining independence and said she would \"build the foundations for independence\" through a dedicated commission and convention, describing the approach of the other candidates as \"wishy washy\".\n\nDuring an often feisty cross-examination section, Ms Forbes attacked Mr Yousaf's record as a Scottish government minister.\n\n\"You were a transport minister and the trains were never on time, when you were justice secretary the police were stretched to breaking point, and now as health minister we've got record high waiting times,\" she said.\n\nThe three candidates had some feisty exchanges during the first live TV debate of the contest\n\nAsked if he was the \"continuity candidate\" and if that means he is the \"no change candidate\", Mr Yousaf hit back at Ms Forbes, saying: \"If change means lurching to the right, Kate, if it means rolling back on progressive values, that's not the right change\".\n\nMr Yousaf then raised comments made by Ms Forbes, his cabinet colleague, earlier in the campaign when she said she would not have voted for same-sex marriage if she had been an MSP when the legislation passed.\n\nThe health secretary claimed \"many people, particularly from our LGBTQ community, say they wouldn't vote for independence\" as a result of this, adding, \"forget persuading No voters, you can't even keep Yes voters.\"\n\nBut Ms Forbes stressed she had made a \"solemn and honest pledge when it comes to upholding and defending the right of every Scot\".\n\nEach candidate was asked if they would invite their rivals into the newly formed cabinet. Ms Forbes said there was \"room for Humza Yousaf\" if she won the leadership race but quipped, \"maybe not in health\".\n\nThis debate was the first opportunity to see the candidates directly challenge each other.\n\nThe SNP hustings so far have been respectful - even convivial - in tone but the contrasting approaches to achieving the goal of independence are very different, and that was laid bare even before they were given the opportunity to question each other.\n\nFirst, Ash Regan described Humza Yousaf's and Kate Forbes' more gradualist approaches to independence as \"wishy washy\".\n\nThen during the cross-examinations, the challenges got personal too.\n\nMs Forbes hit out at Mr Yousaf's ministerial record. What makes him think, she asked, that he could do a better job as first minister?\n\nIt's clear the three contenders are in this contest to win it, but they'll have to tread a fine line between battling each other and handing the opposition a full round of ammunition.\n\nAreas where all three candidates found common ground included increasing welfare payments for children and hitting out at UK immigration plans.\n\nBut they were divided on the Scottish Greens remaining part of the Scottish government.\n\nMs Regan said she would \"review\" the power sharing agreement to ensure it was \"working for the people of Scotland\".\n\nDuring the debate, Scottish Greens co-leader Patrick Harvie said on Twitter that Ms Regan's claim she had spoken to the leaders of all major pro-independence parties earlier on Tuesday was not true.\n\nMs Regan later clarified that she left a message and had not had her call returned by the party.\n\nMr Yousaf described the government deal with Mr Harvie's' party as \"vital\", while Ms Forbes refused to say categorically the arrangement would remain, adding it would be for the Greens to decide if they were happy with her approach if she won the leadership contest.\n\nAsked if they would keep the monarchy in an independent Scotland, Ms Forbes said there were \"bigger issues facing Scotland\".\n\nShe added: \"I am pretty relaxed, I would see us as part of the Commonwealth.\"\n\nBut both Mr Yousaf and Ms Regan declared themselves to be republicans.\n\nMr Yousaf said he would \"keep the monarchy for a period of time\" but added \"I would hope an independent Scotland would be a republic in the future\".\n\nMs Regan said her preference would be to have an elected head of state for an independent Scotland.\n\nAnd she said in the \"new circumstances\" after the death of the Queen last year it might be time for the SNP conference to debate if retaining the monarchy was still the right policy for the party \"or whether we should move to a policy of having an elected head of state\".\n\nThe SNP leadership candidates will take part in an hour-long debate on BBC Scotland next week.\n\nA special edition of the Debate Night programme from Edinburgh will air at 20:00 on Tuesday 14 March on BBC One Scotland.\n\nSNP members can vote for Ms Sturgeon's successor from 13 March.\n\nThe winner will be announced on 27 March.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/uk-scotland-scotland-politics-64880055"}
{"title":"Nobel scientist says 'UK research is in jeopardy' - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-07","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"A new assessment of Britain's research capability concludes it has \"serious and longstanding problems\".","section":"Science & Environment","content":"The report warns of ''serious underspending'' on UK research\n\nA new assessment of Britain's research capability has concluded that it has \"serious and longstanding problems\".\n\nThe report's author, Nobel Prize winner Sir Paul Nurse, said that the government \"seriously underspends\" on research.\n\nHe also added that association with the EU's Horizon programme was \"critical\".\n\nSir Paul said the Prime Minister might not have received the best advice, following a BBC News report that he was considering alternative proposals.\n\nSir Paul's assessment is contained in a report commissioned by the department for business last year.\n\nIn summarising its conclusions, Sir Paul said that UK research was \"fragile, in jeopardy, and needs fixing\".\n\nA spokesperson for the newly created Department for Science, Innovation and Technology (DSIT) welcomed the report which was described as \"thorough and thoughtful\".\n\n\"It will help us further understand the challenges and opportunities faced by UK researchers, and we will consider it carefully before responding in full,\" they added.\n\nSir Paul's conclusions will come as a surprise, following as they do, a commitment by government to substantially increase research funding and the recent establishment of a new department specifically dedicated to research.\n\nBut a new funding assessment by Sir Paul and DSIT officials has found that direct government spending on research, as a proportion of the UK's Gross Domestic Product, is just 0.46%. This compares with an average for other OECD, or higher-income, countries of 0.6%. It puts the UK 27th in a list of 38 such nations.\n\nAnd the 0.46% number is substantially lower than South Korea, Germany and the United States, which spend 0.66-0.96% of GDP on research and development (R&D).\n\n(GDP is a measure of the size and health of a country's economy over a period of time).\n\nSir Paul also denounces successive ministers for short-term thinking by announcing \"shiny new institutes\", rather than having a stable, long-term plan for science.\n\nIt is a view supported by James Wilsdon, a professor of research policy at University College London.\n\n\"The problem is that we have a government which has now shown over 13 years, 5 prime ministers and 10 or 11 science ministers that it has far more interest in tweaking and tinkering with the fine detail of the R&D system than in providing the long-term stability of vision and investment that the system urgently needs.\"\n\nProf Sir Paul Nurse warns that PM may not have received the best advice on the Horizon Europe programme\n\nSir Paul reserved some of his strongest remarks about reports that the Prime Minister was considering not taking up the arrangement offered by the European Union of full association to the bloc's \u00a385bn (\u20ac95.5bn) Horizon research programme.\n\nBBC News reported last week that Mr Sunak was considering an attempt to renegotiate a cut-down association, with the money saved spent on a UK-led alternative international scientific collaborations.\n\n\"The UK will find it extremely difficult to be an effective research power if it stands alone and is not part of a European network.\n\n''The alternative arrangements being discussed will be utterly inadequate,\" Sir Paul said at a news conference.\n\n\"The Prime Minister may not have received the best advice. He is a sensible person, and I don't think he will want the risk of alienating the entire scientific community.\"\n\nSir Paul added that lack of access to Horizon was putting off some of the brightest overseas scientists from applying to work in the UK, with many telling his review that Britain was no longer perceived as a welcoming place to work; some, he said, had left the country to find jobs elsewhere.\n\nProf Sir Adrian Smith, President of the Royal Society which represents the UK's leading scientists, welcomed Sir Paul's calls for increased investment in science.\n\n\"The newly established Department for Science, Innovation and Technology needs to rapidly drive the changes needed across the whole of government, if they are to deliver on the Prime Minister's ambition for the UK.\"\n\nProf Sarah Main, Executive Director of the Campaign for Science and Engineering (Case) said: \"This review is a blueprint for how the UK can make the most of its science capabilities to improve lives and livelihoods, through integrating national assets, infrastructure, skills, and investment. Long-termism is the magic ingredient, and we call on all political parties to work together to secure a UK strategy for R&D.\"","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/science-environment-64879544"}
{"title":"Emergency coal power plants used for first time as UK sees cold snap - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-07","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"Two coal-fired power stations have begun making electricity again to keep up with demand during the cold weather.","section":"Business","content":"Two old coal-fired power plants have begun generating again as the UK expects to see its coldest night of the year so far.\n\nThe plants had been put on standby in case of shortfalls, but started feeding power into the grid this afternoon.\n\nNational Grid blamed high demand and a shortage of electricity from other sources.\n\nThe coal plants began operating in 1966 but were due to close last September.\n\nHowever, operators have kept them open for an extra six months at the request of the government, amid fears of possible power shortages.\n\nTemperatures are expected to drop to -15C (5F) in some parts of the UK on Tuesday evening, with snow sweeping parts of the country.\n\nThe cold snap is expected to last for the next few days, with weather warnings in place across the UK.\n\nThe two coal-powered stations that are in use again again are in West Burton in Nottinghamshire.\n\nTwo further contingency coal fired units, at Drax power station in Yorkshire, were ordered to get ready for use as well earlier in the day but have now been stood down.\n\nNational Grid has a total of five coal-fired generating units on standby - the other is at Ratcliffe on Soar.\n\nThe extra generating capacity was lined up this week due to concerns that the margin between supply and demand was becoming too narrow.\n\nNational Grid blames the cold weather, a shortage of wind and solar power generation, and a lack of electricity available through interconnectors from France due to strike action in the country.\n\nHowever, plans to use the so-called demand flexibility service - which pays people to use less electricity - have been set aside.\n\nAlthough the cold weather is expected to continue tomorrow, the grid is expected to be under less strain because more electricity will be available through international undersea cables.\n\nCoal is the dirtiest of all fossil fuels and produces almost twice the emissions of natural gas.\n\nGas and wind power have been replacing coal in powering the UK's electricity supply over recent years.\n\nBut this has been delayed by the government following concerns over the disruption to Russian gas supplies to Europe after Russia invasion of Ukraine. The coal-fired plants were due to close last autumn to move the UK towards more sustainable energy production.\n\nCoal-fired power generation accounted for 2% of the country's electricity produced last year.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/business-64879044"}
{"title":"Foxtons boss: Struggling renters have to move further out of London - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-07","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"The boss of London's biggest estate agency says a lack of available properties is driving people further out.","section":"Business","content":"The boss of London's biggest estate agent has said the lack of rental options in the capital is so \"dramatic\" people will need to move further out.\n\n\"We absolutely don't welcome this but people are going to have to move,\" Foxtons chief executive Guy Gittins told the BBC.\n\nPeople who are being priced out will \"have to compromise on the property type or location,\" he said.\n\nIt came as Foxtons reported its annual profits had doubled in the past year.\n\nIts lettings business saw particularly strong growth, with revenue up more than 17%.\n\nRising rents have been blamed for driving renters out of London. But Mr Gittins said a mismatch between supply and demand was the real problem.\n\n\"The main issue is not affordability for the majority of the market - it's the stock issue,\" he told Radio 4's Today Programme.\n\nMr Gittins put the \"unhealthy\" supply and demand challenges down to recent policy decisions.\n\nIn its update to investors, Foxtons said the housing market relied on the availability of mortgage financing. It noted that interest rates had increased globally last year, with the UK impacted \"in particular\" by the government's \"mini-budget\" last September.\n\nIn the immediate aftermath, there was a drop in buy-to-let mortgage deals with many property investors reliant on interest-only mortgages hit by the volatility. Foxtons said this was likely to \"adversely affect affordability\" in the housing market.\n\nHe predicted the shortage in the market would continue for the next two to three years.\n\nBut Foxtons expects sales activity, which has slowed in the last six months, to improve in the latter part of this year.\n\n\"Mortgage rates have started to reduce in recent weeks and buyer activity is picking up, which may result in a more favourable sales market in the latter part of the year,\" the company said in a statement.\n\nRental site SpareRoom said the number of renters versus rooms available in London and its surroundings was higher this month compared to the same time last year.\n\nAccording to its data, there were five active renters for each room available, versus two last March. The number was as high as eight per room in September 2022.\n\n\"The last 12 months has seen rents across the UK hit record highs and, unless new supply comes into market over the coming months, it's hard to see how those rents will come down,\" SpareRoom director Matt Hutchinson told the BBC.\n\n\"High rents not only make it difficult for tenants who need to move now, it also means that many stay put to avoid paying more rent,\" he added.\n\nAverage UK house prices fell in the second half of 2022 as buyers were squeezed by higher mortgage rates and living costs.\n\nHowever, fresh figures from the Halifax suggest the situation has improved somewhat. Average UK property values increased by 1.1% on a monthly basis in February, it said, accelerating from 0.2% growth in January.\n\nKim Kinnaird, director at Halifax Mortgages, said: \"Recent reductions in mortgage rates, improving consumer confidence, and a continuing resilience in the labour market are arguably helping to stabilise prices following the falls seen in November and December.\n\n\"Still, with the cost of a home down on a quarterly basis (by 2.5%), the underlying activity continues to indicate a general downward trend.\n\nEarlier this month, property portal Rightmove found that house hunters are looking in a wider geographical area compared to before the pandemic, with increased searches for more properties in cheaper areas further afield.\n\nGuy Gittins took up his role last September, faced with the worst housing market since the financial crisis.\n\nIn an early move, he bought a fleet of green and yellow Mini Coopers for the estate agent's sales force.\n\nHe also spent on sending around 100 of the firm's top-performing employees to the Italian ski resort of Courmayeur.\n\nMr Gittins started his career at Foxtons in 2002 on a salary of \u00a322,000. He then rose to becoming the boss of rival agent Chestertons.\n\nHis current role has a starting salary of \u00a3450,000 and a maximum bonus one and a half times this figure.\n\nOn Radio 4 and 5 Live we're looking in depth at rented housing in the UK and we want to hear your stories for our Rental Health project at the end of March.\n\nWhat impact is the cost of rent having on you? If you are looking for somewhere to rent are you having to queue to view? What conditions are you living in? If you are a landlord, what pressures are you under?\n\nIf 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 HaveYourSay@bbc.co.uk. Please include your name, age and location with any submission.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/business-64873369"}
{"title":"Flooding: Doctor spends thousands of pounds protecting home - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-07","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"Edwin Gale and his wife built 2.1m high defences around their home on the banks of the River Usk.","section":"Wales","content":"Edwin Gale and his wife built 2.1m banks around their home\n\nA retired doctor spent tens of thousands of pounds surrounding his home with flood defences after it was wrecked by Storm Dennis.\n\nEdwin Gale built banks higher than 2.1m (6.9ft) to ensure there is never a problem again.\n\nDr Gale said it was worth stumping up himself to ensure his property was protected in future.\n\nThe Welsh government said it was committed to its largest ever flood defence programme.\n\nNRW said society must accept some places would flood and communities may have to move.\n\nIn 2020, water went over the couple's existing flood defences and rose halfway up the wall on the first floor, as communities across south Wales were devastated by Storm Dennis.\n\nThat meant Dr Gale and his wife were unable to live in the former mill, in Bettws Newydd, Monmouthshire, for a year.\n\nInsurance covered the damage, at their home on the banks of the River Usk, but not the cost of future-proofing their home.\n\n\"We built what the locals call a 'bund' around the house,\" Dr Gale, who is in his 70s, said.\n\n\"That involved moving 5,000 tonnes of subsoil and raising the level 2.1m.\n\n\"It cost us quite a lot of money and we had to pay it ourselves because that wasn't covered by insurance.\"\n\nDr Gale said it was worth stumping up himself to ensure his property was protected in future\n\nDr Gale said they had no choice but to do the work if they wanted to stay in their house.\n\n\"We're now insurable, we're flood resilient, and we can at least feel that while other people are at risk of flooding, it is very, very unlikely that it will ever happen to us,\" he said.\n\nHe urged everyone in flood-risk areas to consider the impact of climate change.\n\nDr Gale said: \"Many people will find themselves in the same position we did unless they take steps now.\"\n\nIn Wales, 250,000 homes, or one in eight, are at risk of flooding, according to NRW.\n\nIt said climate change meant the number of people at risk of floods was increasing.\n\nNatural Resources Wales' flood chief Jeremy Parr said: \"The amount of money that we would need to protect everybody from all flooding - it's just not feasible.\n\n\"It will happen more frequently. It is a natural phenomenon. You can't protect people all the time from all flooding.\"\n\nMr Parr insisted where possible defences would be built.\n\n\"We have a lot of defences all the way across Wales and that will continue to be the case,\" he said.\n\n\"In some places, it makes sense to build defences and protect communities.\n\n\"But there's only so much money.\"\n\nNRW's Jeremy Parr said it was not possible to protect everyone from flooding\n\nThe Welsh government has created a National Infrastructure Commission to ensure Wales can cope with climate change.\n\nOne commissioner, Dr Eurgain Powell, is worried people do not understand how their lives would be affected.\n\n\"We need people to get a much better understanding of the impacts that we're likely to face over the coming decades,\" she said.\n\n\"And what we can do collectively to adapt and prepare.\"\n\nDr Powell fears for those who cannot afford to protect their homes.\n\n\"There could be an issue around those who can't afford to do that, and an issue around those communities and people who have been left behind,\" she said.\n\n\"So there's definitely an equity issue and a social justice, or a just transition issue, that we need to be very mindful of.\"\n\nThe Welsh government said it had committed to its largest ever flood programme.\n\nDr Eurgain Powell is worried people did not understand how their lives would be affected by climate change\n\nClimate Change Minister Julie James said more than \u00a3214m would be invested over the next three years.\"We are working with partners to support communities that will be most affected,\" she said.\n\n\"In some circumstances, difficult decisions will need to be made to safeguard people, property and infrastructure and it is important such decisions are made at a local level and led by local authorities and Natural Resources Wales.\"","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/uk-wales-64867941"}
{"title":"Australia helicopter collision: Pilot did not recall hearing radio call - report - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-07","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"One pilot involved in a fatal Australian helicopter crash said he did not hear a vital radio call.","section":"Australia","content":"Two Australians and a British couple died in the mid-air crash\n\nA helicopter pilot said he did not hear a vital radio call shortly before a deadly mid-air collision in Australia, according to an interim report.\n\nThe report also said the pilots may not have been able to see each other.\n\nThe two helicopters collided off the Gold Coast in January, killing four people and injuring several.\n\nOne helicopter, which had just taken off, ended up crashing. The other, which was returning, managed to land with heavy damage.\n\nThe aircraft were used for short sightseeing trips by Sea World Helicopters.\n\nThe report released by the Australian Transport Safety Bureau (ATSB) details the calls made by Michael James, who was piloting the returning helicopter.\n\nHe said he saw passengers boarding the other helicopter as it was preparing to depart. He did not see it take off, but he thought it would pass behind him.\n\nHe told investigators he \"did not recall the pilot [of the other helicopter] making a standard taxiing call, thereby announcing their intentions to depart\", according to the report.\n\nThe ATSB said this did not mean a taxiing call was not made, and that they would carry out a detailed analysis of radio activity at the time of the crash.\n\nThe pilot of the departing helicopter, 40-year-old Ashley Jenkinson, was killed in the crash.\n\nFootage later emerged of a passenger trying to warn a pilot that another aircraft was approaching.\n\nBut the report said this did not mean that the two pilots had seen each other's helicopters.\n\nThe two aircraft collided at a height of 130ft (39 metres), with the rotor blades of Mr Jenkinson's helicopter smashing into the cabin of the other, the report said.\n\nMr Jenkinson's helicopter broke apart and crashed into shallow water just off the shore, killing him and three passengers.\n\nThe ATSB said the \"complex and comprehensive\" investigation will scrutinise operating procedures to identify any underlying safety issues.\n\nThe helicopters were flying in non-controlled airspace, where pilots use a common radio frequency to communicate with other aircraft, the ATSB said.\n\nThe victims included a British couple, 65-year-old Ron and 57-year-old Diane Hughes from Cheshire, who were holidaying in Queensland at the time, police said.\n\nAustralian woman Vanessa Tadros, 36, also died in the crash, and her 10-year-old son Nicholas was among the seriously injured survivors.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/world-australia-64870697"}
{"title":"Charles Bronson would not cope with release, parole panel told - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-07","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"Charles Bronson says he has had \"more porridge than Goldilocks and the Three Bears\" while in prison.","section":"Beds, Herts & Bucks","content":"Charles Bronson, who uses the name Charles Salvador, has had parole refused at previous hearings\n\nCharles Bronson, one of the UK's longest-serving prisoners, would not cope with being released, a Parole Board panel has heard.\n\nThe 70-year-old, one of the UK's most violent offenders, has been in prison for much of the last 50 years.\n\nHe told the panel he had had \"more porridge than Goldilocks and the Three Bears, and I'm sick of it\".\n\nThe first witness, his prison offender manager, said Bronson would not have the skills to cope on the outside.\n\nThe panel heard that he spends 23 hours a day in his cell and only associates with three other inmates who he does not get on with.\n\nWhen asked to give evidence, he spoke for about 10 minutes.\n\n\"First of all,\" he said. \"It's no secret. I have had more porridge than Goldilocks and the Three Bears, and I'm sick of it.\n\n\"I've had enough of it and I want to go home.\n\n\"Of the 50 years I have been in prison I have probably deserved a good 35 of it.\n\n\"Because I have been very naughty. Not naughty-naughty but just naughty.\n\n\"I have had 11 hostages. I am not proud of it but I am not ashamed of it,\" he said.\n\nCharles Bronson told the parole hearing: \"I want to go home\"\n\nBronson told the hearing he was now able to control his emotions.\n\n\"I was battling against the system. It was my way of getting back and there's nothing like wrapping a governor up like a Christmas turkey.\n\n\"I have come to the stage of me life now\u2026 where I am going out with a bus pass,\" he said.\n\n\"I have slept in body belts, I have slept in strait-jackets. But how much longer have I got to go?\n\n\"I'm ready now, I'm a chilled-out man, I feel comfortable in myself.\n\n\"I handle situations 100 times better than I used to.\"\n\nBronson added he was \"no longer angry\", was \"a born-again artist\" and said it was his \"mum's last dream\" for him to be released.\n\nThe prisoner - who now uses the last name Salvador - is being held at a specialist close supervision centre at Woodhill Prison in Milton Keynes.\n\nThis is only the second Parole Board hearing ever to be held in public, but this one has a far higher profile than the first..\n\nMembers of the press and public filled Court 76 at the Royal Courts of Justice to watch the hearing on a live video link.\n\nWhen Bronson was told the Parole Board panel hearing the case had not watched a recently-broadcast television documentary about him, he replied: \"I find that hard to believe.\"\n\nThe panel also heard about his brief time as an unlicensed boxer, of which Bronson said: \"I had six fights. Five with men and one with a Rottweiler.\"\n\n\"I was strong, thick, fast. The only way you could knock me out was with an axe in the back of me head.\"\n\nWhen questioned about several incidents behind bars a few years ago and why they happened, Bronson said: \"I love a rumble. What man doesn't?\"\n\nThe Parole Board heard he \"took half a tub of Lurpak\" and \"greased up\" after stripping naked in his cell.\n\n\"You have to grow up sooner or later,\" he added.\n\nSpeaking of what he would like to do, if released, he said: \"I dream of walking on grass, you know.\n\n\"I'd like to go to see art shows; I'd like to go swimming.\"\n\nHe continued: \"Give me a chance, a break, to prove to you people that I am just a normal geezer wanting to get on with his life.\"\n\nShortly after the proceedings started, he spilled some liquid over himself while drinking from a carton.\n\nHe told the panel he had not wet himself, but used stronger language, and later swore and said \"we'll be all day\" when his prison offender manager paused while giving evidence.\n\nThe offender manager said Bronson's ability to control his emotions had improved and he had fewer outbursts.\n\n\"There's been no violence. There has been some flexibility with his thinking and willingness to engage,\" she said.\n\nShe was asked what would happen if Bronson was released from prison.\n\n\"He would struggle in the community. He wouldn't have the skills to cope with such a vast change so quickly,\" she said.\n\nAsked if Bronson was ready for \"open\" prison conditions, she replied: \"I think he still has a way to go.\"\n\nThe panel heard Bronson was allowed out of his cell for about an hour a day.\n\nHe would come out to collect his food and go to the yard or the gym, or walk along the balcony.\n\nWhile in his cell for the remaining 23 hours, he would listen to the radio or create artwork.\n\nThe panel was told he received mail from more than 500 people. A panel member asked the prisoner offender manager if Bronson replied to them all.\n\n\"Bloody hell, I can't reply to all of them,\" Bronson interrupted.\n\nAfter about an hour of proceedings, Bronson said: \"I'm getting bored mate.\"\n\nThe Parole Board panel is deciding whether he is still a risk to the public, or whether he can be released from prison.\n\nIf they decide against releasing him they are also being asked to consider allowing Bronson to be moved to \"open\" prison conditions, where he would have much more freedom.\n\nFind BBC News: East of England on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter. If you have a story suggestion email eastofenglandnews@bbc.co.uk\n\nThe BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/uk-england-beds-bucks-herts-64861518"}
{"title":"Natalie McGarry: Ex-MP cannot repay proceeds of crime, court told - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-07","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"Prosecutors are seeking to recover \u00a3130,000 from Natalie McGarry, who was jailed for embezzlement.","section":"Scotland","content":"Natalie McGarry, who was the MP for Glasgow East between 2015 and 2017, was not in court for the hearing\n\nFormer SNP MP Natalie McGarry will be able to pay back \"essentially nil\" of the \u00a3130,000 prosecutors are seeking from her, a court has heard.\n\nMcGarry, 41, was sentenced to two years in jail for embezzling \u00a325,000 from the SNP and a pro-independence group.\n\nThe ex-politician lost an appeal over her conviction last month, but had her prison term cut to 20 months.\n\nProsecutors are now aiming to recover embezzled funds at a proceeds of crime hearing at Glasgow Sheriff Court.\n\nMcGarry, who was the MP for Glasgow East between 2015 and 2017, was not in attendance on Tuesday.\n\nAdvocate Allan MacLeod, defending, told the hearing that the Crown were about to serve a fourth statement of information.\n\nHe said: \"The proposal is to continue for four to six weeks but I will ask for four weeks as the defence is very anxious to draw a line under this case as soon as possible.\n\n\"I do not know what the next version will say but there is a low available amount.\n\n\"The available amount is essentially nil.\"\n\nProsecutor Mark Allan told the court he was informed the latest version of the statement of information was to be sent from the Crown on Monday night, but that he was not aware of its content.\n\nA new date has now been set for early April.\n\nSheriff Barry Divers, who told the court he had also not received the report, said: \"Hopefully that will be for settlement to be achieved.\"\n\nMcGarry has been ordained to appear in the meantime.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/uk-scotland-64876280"}
{"title":"Ukraine war: Bakhmut defenders double down - Zelensky - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-07","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"The president says the embattled eastern city's defence goes on, and that senior generals back the move.","section":"Europe","content":"Operations to defend the embattled eastern city of Bakhmut will go on, and are backed by senior generals, Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelensky has said.\n\nWestern analysts suggested at the weekend that Ukraine was probably withdrawing some of its troops, as Russian forces close in on the city.\n\nMoscow has been trying to take Bakhmut for months, as both sides suffer heavy losses in a grinding war of attrition.\n\nA local official says there has been street fighting in recent days.\n\nBut Deputy Mayor Oleksandr Marchenko said, at the weekend, that Russia had not yet gained control of the city.\n\nMeanwhile Yevgeny Prigozhin, head of the Wagner private army involved in the Russian campaign, has complained of a lack of ammunition amid apparent friction between his fighters and regular Russian forces.\n\nHe also says his representative had been barred from a Russian military headquarters.\n\nAnalysts say Bakhmut has little strategic value, but has become a focal point for Russian commanders who have struggled to deliver any positive news to the Kremlin.\n\nCapture of the city would bring Russia slightly closer to its goal of controlling the whole of Donetsk region, one of four regions in eastern and southern Ukraine annexed by Russia last September following referendums widely condemned outside Russia as a sham.\n\nMr Zelensky said in his evening address that he had discussed Bakhmut with senior generals.\n\n\"[They] responded not to withdraw, but to strengthen [our defences],\" he said.\n\n\"The command unanimously supported this position. There were no other positions. I told the commander-in-chief to find the appropriate forces to help our guys in Bakhmut.\"\n\nThe comments followed a report by the German newspaper Bild, quoting Ukrainian government sources, that armed forces commander Valery Zaluzhny had disagreed with Mr Zelensky about the operation several weeks ago, recommending a retreat from the city.\n\nAt the weekend the US-based think tank the Institute for the Study of War said Ukrainian troops were probably conducting a \"limited fighting withdrawal\" while \"continuing to inflict high casualties\" on the Russians.\n\nGround forces commander Olexandr Syrsky, quoted by Ukrainska Pravda newspaper during a visit to the front line on Sunday, said the fighting in Bakhmut had reached the \"highest level of tension\".\n\n\"The enemy has been throwing extra Wagner forces into the battle,\" he said. \"Our troops have been courageously defending our positions in the north of Bakhmut, trying to prevent the encirclement of the city.\"","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/world-europe-64864496"}
{"title":"France pension protests: Fuel deliveries blocked by strikers - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-07","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"Unions claim a full blockade of refineries as protesters aim to bring France to a standstill.","section":"Europe","content":"Tuesday's strike was the sixth so far and unions are expected to all a seventh at the weekend\n\nFuel deliveries were blocked from all French refineries, according to union officials, as protesters again took to the streets over government plans to raise the pension age from 62 to 64.\n\n\"The strike has begun everywhere,\" said Eric Sellini of the CGT union.\n\nTuesday marked the sixth day of strikes and protests since mid-January and trade unions said it would be the biggest yet.\n\nMost train and metro services were cancelled and many schools closed.\n\nPolice estimated between 1.1 million and 1.4 million would taking part in the 260 protests highlighted by unions. The hardline CGT said as many as 700,000 demonstrators had turned out in Paris alone, although police figures were likely to be far lower.\n\nWith the government showing no sign of backing down on its pension plan, one union leader, Emmanuel L\u00e9pine, said last week that the aim of blocking fuel deliveries was to \"bring the French economy to its knees\".\n\nIt was unclear how long the refinery blockades would last. There are eight refineries in mainland France and the CGT said strikers had blocked the exits to all of them, including those run by TotalEnergies and Esso-ExxonMobil.\n\nRefineries around Le Havre in the north were among those blocked, French trade unions said\n\nIn the days ahead, there will be calls to extend the strikes to include power generation too.\n\nSo far, for all the noise and sporadic disruption, the campaign has caused little damage to the economy and the bill is proceeding through parliament.\n\nUnions and the Left know time is running out before the reform becomes a reality - which is all the more reason for them to up the pressure now.\n\nPresident Emmanuel Macron has called the reform \"essential\" because of deficits forecast for France's pension system over the next 25 years, according to analysis by the independent Pensions Advisory Council.\n\nAs well as raising the pension age by two years, the government says workers would have to contribute for 43 years into France's shared pension fund before earning a full pension.\n\nVery few French workers have personal pensions linked to capital investments.\n\nNeighbouring European economies have already raised the retirement age in recent years to reflect longer life expectancy. Italy, Germany and Spain have moved towards raising the official retirement age to 67, while in the UK it is currently 66.\n\nThe majority of French citizens back the continuing strikes, a poll by French survey group Elabe suggests.\n\nAccording to the opinion poll, 56% of people support rolling strikes and 59% back the call to bring the country to a standstill.\n\nTwo-thirds of people support the protest movement against the government's planned pension reforms in general, the poll indicates.\n\nHowever, the number of protesters taking to the streets began to fall last month and union leaders now believe rolling strikes are their best hope of success.\n\n\"If the refineries are blocked, we could run out of petrol by the end of the week,\" warned Thierry Cotillard, head of French supermarket group Les Mousquetaires.\n\nGovernment spokesman Olivier V\u00e9ran told France 2: \"We don't want French people to be, quote, unquote, 'victims' of a long-term blockade.\"\n\nLast week, he warned that the strikes could lead to an \"ecological, agricultural and health catastrophe\".","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/world-europe-64870836"}
{"title":"Trains and flights to France cancelled due to strikes - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-07","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"Services affected as a general strike brings much of France to a standstill.","section":"Business","content":"People travelling to France have been warned to expect flight cancellations due to strikes over pension reforms.\n\nFerry crossings and rail services are set to be affected, with companies such as Eurostar and P&O Ferries warning of delays and disruption to journeys.\n\nUnions are staging a general strike in France over proposed pension changes, which include raising the retirement age from 62 to 64.\n\nIt's the sixth big strike since January and protests are planned in Paris.\n\nWith the French government showing no sign of backing down on its pension plan, one union leader has warned of escalation and \"bringing the country to its knees\". Fuel deliveries and refining were disrupted at several French sites operated by TotalEnergies and Esso on Tuesday.\n\nMost industries including travel will be hit by the walkouts. A majority of train and metro services have been cancelled, and schools will be closed.\n\nBoth Easyjet and Ryanair said cancellations and delays to flights were possible on Tuesday and Wednesday, due to French Air Traffic Control staff walking out.\n\nThe airlines both apologised for the inconvenience but said the disruption was out of their control.\n\nRyanair said any affected passengers would be \"notified as soon as possible\", while Easyjet said those impacted were being \"notified in advance and offered the option to change their flight for free or receive a refund\".\n\nEasyjet said airlines had been requested by French authorities to \"make cancellations\" because of the flights.\n\nEurostar said it would be running a reduced timetable on Tuesday and Wednesday and urged passengers to check if their train had been cancelled before travelling.\n\nP&O Ferries said it was sailing between Dover and Calais \"with some disruption\" to services.\n\n\"We anticipate this to be the case for the rest of the day,\" it said in a Twitter post.\n\nFrench transport minister Clement Beaune said Tuesday's strike would be \"one of the most difficult ones\" for travellers.\n\n\"For many it will be a real hassle,\" he said.\n\nAccording to an opinion poll by French survey group Elabe, the majority of citizens back the ongoing strikes against President Emmanuel Macron's pension reforms.\n\nMr Macron has called the reform \"essential\" because of deficits forecast for France's pension system over the next 25 years.\n\nNeighbouring European economies have already raised the retirement age to 65 or above to reflect longer life expectancy. In the UK, the state pension age is gradually increasing for men and women, and will reach 67 by 2028.\n\nAre you affected by the strikes in France? Are you hoping to travel there this week? Share your experiences by emailing haveyoursay@bbc.co.uk.\n\nPlease include a contact number if you are willing to speak to a BBC journalist. You can also get in touch in the following ways:\n\nIf 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 HaveYourSay@bbc.co.uk. Please include your name, age and location with any submission.\n\u2022 None French plan to raise pension age by two years to 64","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/business-64872707"}
{"title":"UK Weather: Snow and ice warnings extended to more parts of UK - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-07","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"Met Office yellow weather warnings are in force, with disruption to travel and other activities possible.","section":"UK","content":"This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser.\n\nWarnings of snow and ice have been extended to many parts of the UK over the coming days.\n\nYellow weather warnings remain in place for parts of north-east Scotland and England until Wednesday morning.\n\nThe Met Office issued a slew of further yellow warnings on Monday which cover much of the UK during the next five days.\n\nHeavy snow could bring \"significant disruption\" to northern and central parts on Thursday and Friday, it said.\n\nForecasters say a \"major change\" is under way as Arctic air sweeps in from the north, bringing snow, ice and plunging temperatures for many.\n\nA fresh warning of ice and some snow across areas of the Midlands, East, south of England and Wales comes into force between 21:00 GMT tonight and 10:00 on Tuesday.\n\nThis could lead to \"difficult travel conditions\" in some parts, the Met Office said.\n\nSome roads and railways were likely to be affected in these areas, it said, and people should expect longer journey times.\n\nA similar warning covering much of Northern Ireland is also in place overnight.\n\nSnow is likely to cause some travel disruption across parts of southern England and Wales throughout Wednesday, according to another warning.\n\nFurther warnings for heavy snow are in place for Thursday and Friday in much of Scotland, northern England, parts of the Midlands, north Wales and Northern Ireland.\n\nWeather conditions may disrupt travel and other day-to-day activities, with more alerts likely to be issued.\n\nThe first Met Office warning began on Sunday evening for parts of Scotland, covering places including Aberdeen and Dundee, the Highlands, Orkney and Shetland.\n\nThe warning in place on Monday encompasses more of Scotland and a corridor of north-east England that extends to Newcastle upon Tyne and Yorkshire.\n\nFor Tuesday, the area grows further to cover Strathclyde, more of Yorkshire and the Humber, and the East Midlands.\n\nFrequent snow is expected, with northern Scotland experiencing frequent and often heavy snow showers on Monday afternoon.\n\nThe Met Office said snow could cause delays on roads in these places, as well as rail and plane cancellations. It also warned of the risk of slips and falls on icy surfaces.\n\nThere was \"slight chance\" that rural communities could be cut off, it said, adding that cuts to power and phone services were possible.\n\nTuesday night may prove to be the coldest of the year so far, when the temperatures could fall as low as -15C in some sheltered Scottish glens.\n\nSome uncertainty surrounds Wednesday, when a \"battleground\" is expected to be set up as milder Atlantic air from the south meets colder Arctic air from the north.\n\nBBC forecaster John Hutchinson said it would be \"a very cold start to March\", with many areas likely to see snow at some point.\n\nIn some areas, this may only but a small amount, with the heaviest snowfall likely to be in northern Scotland over the next few days, he added.\n\nOn Thursday and Friday, he said snow may become \"a bit more widespread in central and northern Britain\" and flurries may be \"fairly persistent\".\n\nThere could be drifting and some disruption to travel and power, he added.\n\nThe UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) has extended its level three cold weather alert to all of England, with the warning in place from 01:00 on Monday to midnight on Thursday.\n\nThis means there is a 90% chance of severe cold weather, icy conditions or heavy snow.\n\nThe agency said this could have a \"serious impact\" on the health of those who are vulnerable to cold weather, and urged people to check on relatives.\n\nIt advised over-65s, or those with pre-existing medical conditions, to heat their homes to at least 18C.\n\nHow is the cold weather affecting you? Share your experiences by emailing haveyoursay@bbc.co.uk.\n\nPlease include a contact number if you are willing to speak to a BBC journalist. You can also get in touch in the following ways:\n\nIf 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 HaveYourSay@bbc.co.uk. Please include your name, age and location with any submission.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/uk-64848688"}
{"title":"Dozens of bushfires spread as heat grips Australia's east - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-07","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"Fire services warn the situation may worsen, with high winds and temperatures forecast to continue.","section":"Australia","content":"A major blaze near Mudgee, New South Wales, has burned more than 2,000 hectares since Sunday\n\nDozens of bushfires burning across Australia's east coast could get worse as a severe heatwave continues, fire services have warned.\n\nAfter two years of rains and floods, a return to warmer conditions has sparked New South Wales state's worst fires since the 2019\/2020 \"Black Summer\".\n\nA blaze 250km (155 miles) north-west of Sydney triggered the region's first emergency fire warning in two years.\n\nResidents in affected areas across New South Wales - Australia's most populous state - have been urged to evacuate, and there are reports of damage to some properties.\n\nTemperatures in some parts of the state also hit 40C (104F) on Monday, for the first time since January 2021.\n\nOn Tuesday, 33 fires were still burning across the state, 10 of which were not under control, fire authorities said.\n\nThe NSW Rural Fire Service said strong winds had driven the fires' rapid spread.\n\n\"It's going to be another tough day for firefighters and potentially even into tomorrow before we get some reprieve,\" RFS Commissioner Rob Rogers told the Australian Broadcasting Corporation.\n\nAustralia's Bureau of Meteorology (Bom) also warned that dry thunderstorms were possible across eastern NSW, which could spark new fires.\n\nRFS Inspector Ben Shepherd told the BBC a number of other fires in western NSW were \"likely to be problematic\".\n\nThe hot and dry conditions are expected to last until Wednesday.\n\nEastern Australia has experienced three consecutive summers of La Ni\u00f1a conditions, with above-average rainfall causing widespread flooding.\n\nIn 2022, Sydney recorded its wettest year since records began.\n\nBut last week, the Bom said its models suggested La Ni\u00f1a was \"likely near its end\", with a return to neutral conditions or even the hot and dry El Ni\u00f1o phenomenon, likely in the southern hemisphere's autumn.\n\nAt least 33 people and an estimated 3 billion animals and birds died in 2019-20 Black Summer fires, one of Australia's worst-ever natural disasters.\n\nHave you been affected by the issues raised in this story? Share your experiences by emailing haveyoursay@bbc.co.uk.\n\nPlease include a contact number if you are willing to speak to a BBC journalist. You can also get in touch in the following ways:\n\nIf 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 HaveYourSay@bbc.co.uk. Please include your name, age and location with any submission.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/world-australia-64870696"}
{"title":"Hopes of end to rail strike row as workers vote on pay offer - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-07","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"The new offer equates to a pay rise of up to 14.4% for the lowest paid workers.","section":"Business","content":"The UK's biggest rail union RMT has suspended strikes at Network Rail and will hold a vote on a new pay offer.\n\nThe surprise development will raise hopes of a breakthrough in the dispute between workers and the rail industry, which had appeared deadlocked.\n\nUnion bosses said it was up to workers how to vote on the new pay deal.\n\nThe new offer equates to a pay rise of up to 14.4% for the lowest paid workers and 9.2% for the highest paid, the union said on Wednesday.\n\nWhile the government has not put more money on the table, under these proposals Network Rail rail employees would get this year's pay increase backdated by three months, ending up with a bigger lump sum.\n\nThe referendum will start on Thursday and close on 20 March.\n\nNetwork Rail's chief executive Andrew Haines said the vote on the revised deal would give train staff the chance to end \"many months of disruption to the railway network\", and that he hoped RMT members would vote to accept the package.\n\nRMT members who work for train companies - including train guards - are currently set to continue action, with strikes set for 16, 18 and 30 March and 1 April as well as next Thursday.\n\nOn Wednesday evening, the Rail Delivery Group, which represents train operating companies, urged the RMT to return to talks on Thursday, but asked for strikes to be called off before talks resume.\n\nThe RMT said it would join talks seeking a new offer, but before then will not call off the strikes, leaving it unclear whether or not talks with the RDG would resume.\n\nHowever with workers at Network Rail - which manages the UK's rail infrastructure - no longer joining them, disruption will not be on the same scale and is likely to vary by operator.\n\nLast month the RMT rejected what the industry and government described as \"best and final\" offers.\n\nOne was from Network Rail and the other from the RDG, representing 14 train companies employing guards and station staff.\n\nThe RDG, which is also still to agree a deal with the RMT, has now invited the union to hold urgent talks on the back of Network Rail's offer.\n\n\"The RMT leadership's decision to put Network Rail's deal to its membership is a welcome development, but train operating staff will rightly be asking why their union continues to deny them the opportunity to have their say on our equivalent offer,\" the RDG said in a statement.\n\nThe RMT has previously said it is \"focused on coming to a negotiated settlement\" and it had carried out an \"in-depth consultation\" before the decision to reject the pay offer was made.\n\nThe industry and government have said all along that any pay increase must come with changes to working practices.\n\nNow, the RMT has said it is seeking an unconditional pay offer, among other requests.\n\nThere have been a number of false dawns in this long-running dispute.\n\nBut the RMT views Network Rail's tweaked offer as an improvement, and its communication suggests a shift in approach.\n\nSignificantly, this time it will not tell members how they should vote in the referendum.\n\nThe government hasn't put any more money on the table.\n\nBut this revised deal would see backpay increased.\n\nThere is now a wait to see what members make of it.\n\nWithout Network Rail's signallers joining in, RMT strikes lose some of their bite, and their national scale.\n\nThe question now is whether the Network Rail development will lead to any shift in the dispute with the train companies.\n\nStrikes have been taking place across the country's railways since June last year.\n\nUnions have argued any pay offer should reflect the rising cost of living - currently above 10%.\n\nBut the rail industry is under pressure to save money, after the pandemic left a hole in its finances. Bosses say reforms need to be agreed, to afford pay increases and modernise the railway.\n\nDuring industrial action skeleton services have run on some lines with passengers often warned to avoid travelling where possible in case of disruption.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/business-64883158"}
{"title":"Nashville school shooter hid guns in parents' house - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-29","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"Police say the parents felt the suspect should not own weapons, but did not realise guns were in the house.","section":"US & Canada","content":"This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser.\n\nThe shooter who killed six people at a school in Nashville, Tennessee, on Monday bought seven guns legally and hid them at home, police say.\n\nInvestigators say the suspect's parents felt the 28-year-old should not own weapons, and did not realise the guns had been concealed in their house.\n\nSix people, including three children age nine, were killed in the attack at the Covenant School.\n\nThe suspect was under \"doctor's care for an emotional disorder\", police say.\n\nThey believe it was the school that was targeted rather than any particular individual but have not indicated any motive.\n\nTennessee has no laws that allow police to seize guns from violent suspects.\n\nDespite the absence of such so-called red-flag laws, police said they would still have sought to have the weapons confiscated if authorities had had any warning that the suspect could have posed a threat.\n\nThe pupils killed in the attack were Evelyn Dieckhaus, Hallie Scruggs and William Kinney.\n\nThree adult employees at the privately run Christian school also died: Cynthia Peak, 61, Katherine Koonce, 60, and Mike Hill, 61.\n\nMs Koonce, the head of the school, and Ms Peak, a substitute teacher, were both close friends with the Tennessee governor's wife.\n\nGovernor Bill Lee said his wife, Maria, had planned to meet Ms Peak the night after she was killed.\n\nPolice have spoken to the parents of the suspect, Audrey Hale, who was killed by police less than 15 minutes after the attack began.\n\nHale, who identified as transgender and was a former student at the school, was armed with three guns, including a semi-automatic rifle.\n\nThe attack took place after the killer conducted surveillance of the premises, drew maps and wrote what police described as a \"manifesto\".\n\nA police spokesman said the attacker did not target any person in particular, but did target \"this school, this church building\".\n\nHale's parents thought the suspect had owned only one gun, but that it had been sold.\n\nThey believed the suspect \"should not own weapons\", and were unaware the suspect \"had been hiding several weapons within the house\", said Nashville Police Chief John Drake on Tuesday.\n\nThe weapons were legally purchased from five shops around the city.\n\nThe killer \"was under care - doctor's care - for an emotional disorder\", Chief Drake said, without providing further details.\n\nIf there had been reports of suicidal or violent tendencies, he added, police would have sought to confiscate the guns.\n\n\"But as it stands, we had absolutely no idea who this person was or if [the suspect] even existed,\" he said.\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser.\n\nPolice received the first call about the incident at 10:13 local time (15:13 GMT) on Monday.\n\nThe suspect drove to the school in a Honda Fit and got into the building by firing through one of the doors, which were all locked.\n\nVideo later released by Nashville police shows the shooter opening fire to shatter glass panes on the front doors, then wandering the school's deserted corridors - at one point walking past a room labelled \"Children's Ministry\".\n\nIn the CCTV footage, the suspect is wearing what appears to be a protective vest and carrying an assault-style rifle in one hand, with a second weapon visible hanging from the left hip.\n\nPolice Chief John Drake said the suspect may have had firearms training\n\nThe suspect fired shots on the ground floor before moving to the building's second floor.\n\nAs police cars arrived, the shooter fired on them from the second floor, striking one vehicle in the windscreen.\n\n\"We believe there has been some training to have been able to shoot from a higher level,\" Chief Drake said.\n\nHe said the suspect had stood away from the glass to avoid being an easy target for police.\n\nOne officer was injured by broken glass. Police rushed inside and shot the suspect dead at 10:24, said Chief Drake.\n\nPresident Joe Biden on Tuesday called for Congress to pass new gun control legislation.\n\n\"As a nation, we owe these families more than our prayers,\" he said. \"We owe them action.\"\n\nUS Attorney General Merrick Garland was asked during a Senate hearing in Washington DC whether the attack will be investigated as a hate crime targeting Christians.\n\nHe said it was too early to say and that agents were still working to identify a motive.\n\nThe attack was America's 131st mass shooting so far this year, according to Gun Violence Archive, a non-profit that tracks gun violence data.\n\nThere have been 15 mass shootings at schools or universities in the US since the Columbine High School massacre in 1999, according to a database maintained by the Associated Press.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/world-us-canada-65106976"}
{"title":"Humza Yousaf to announce cabinet after being sworn in - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-29","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"The new first minister starts to shape his team after Kate Forbes says she is leaving the government.","section":"Scotland politics","content":"Mr Yousaf has been sworn in as first minister at the Court of Session\n\nHumza Yousaf is beginning the job of shaping his new government after being officially sworn in as Scotland's first minister.\n\nMr Yousaf took the oath of office during a short ceremony at the Court of Session on Tuesday morning.\n\nHe will soon begin to announce his ministerial appointments.\n\nKate Forbes, the finance secretary he narrowly defeated in the SNP leadership contest, is leaving government after turning down a move to rural affairs.\n\nBBC Scotland political editor Glenn Campbell said he understands that Ms Forbes felt the SNP's partnership agreement with the Scottish Greens would have \"tied her hands and cost her dearly in her constituency\".\n\nIvan McKee, who had been the business minister under Nicola Sturgeon, will also leave the government.\n\nMr McKee had initially been campaign manager for Ms Forbes in the leadership contest but stepped back from that role after early controversies in her campaign.\n\nHe was offered a job by Mr Yousaf that he viewed as being a demotion and will now not be a part of the new first minister's team.\n\nPotential members of Mr Yousaf's new ministerial team, including his leadership campaign manager Neil Gray, have been arriving at his Bute House residence throughout the morning.\n\nHe has already confirmed that Shona Robison - a close friend of Nicola Sturgeon - will serve as his deputy first minister.\n\nMs Robison, who as social justice secretary played a key role in introducing the controversial gender recognition legislation, was one of the MSPs who nominated Mr Yousaf for SNP leader.\n\nThe first minister has also re-appointed Ms Sturgeon's chief of staff, Colin McAllister, to the same role.\n\nDuring the SNP leadership campaign Mr Yousaf said he favoured a \"big tent\" rather than \"inner circle\" approach to making key decisions and has pledged to bring the party back together again after deep divisions were exposed by the contest.\n\nHe faced withering criticism of his own ministerial record from Ms Forbes in a live STV debate, while her views on issues such as gender recognition reform and gay marriage led the Scottish Greens to question whether they could work with her.\n\nGiven the narrow margin of his victory over Ms Forbes, by 52.1% to 47.9%, some of her supporters had urged Mr Yousaf to keep her in government.\n\nKate Forbes congratulated Mr Yousaf after he was elected first minister but later turned down a new role in his cabinet\n\nThe BBC understands she was offered the job of rural affairs secretary - which would generally be regarded as a demotion from finance secretary - but turned it down and will return to the backbenches.\n\nShe later tweeted that Mr Yousaf had her full support and she had \"full confidence that he will appoint a talented cabinet and ministerial team\".\n\nScottish Conservative chairman Craig Hoy said Mr Yousaf had \"poured petrol on the SNP civil war\" by effectively trying to demote Ms Forbes despite her being backed by almost half of the party members who voted in the leadership contest.\n\nMs Robison told BBC Radio's Good Morning Scotland that the new cabinet's number one priority would be the cost of living crisis.\n\nShe also denied Ms Forbes had been snubbed by the new first minister.\n\nThis Twitter post cannot be displayed in your browser. Please enable Javascript or try a different browser. View original tweet on Twitter The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Skip twitter post by Humza Yousaf 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\u2019s cookie policy, external and privacy policy, external before accepting. To view this content choose \u2018accept and continue\u2019. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.\n\nMs Robison said the first meeting Mr Yousaf had after being confirmed as the SNP's new leader on Monday was with Ms Forbes at Murrayfield.\n\n\"He made clear that he wanted Kate to be in government and they spoke on a number of occasions over the last two days about a role in government,\" Ms Robison said.\n\n\"I understand the discussion was very cordial and was very much centred on what Kate's thoughts were.\n\n\"I really hope Kate makes a return to government at some point in the future.\"\n\nAsked if Ms Forbes had been offered a demotion, Ms Robison told the BBC all government roles were important.\n\nShe added: \"I know that the first minister was prepared to look at other roles, but after consideration it was Kate who made it clear that she wanted out of the spotlight.\"\n\nMs Robison also confirmed she would not be taking up the post of health secretary for a second time.\n\nHumza Yousaf and Shona Robison, after his election at first minister\n\nAnother key supporter of Mr Yousaf's leadership campaign, Neil Gray, is also tipped for an important role in his government.\n\nHumza Yousaf is the first member of an ethnic minority to lead the Scottish government and, at 37, he will be the country's youngest first minister.\n\nHe was nominated as first minister at Holyrood on Tuesday, securing 71 votes from SNP and Green MSPs with whom he plans to continue a power-sharing agreement.\n\nHe formally becomes first minster once he has taken the official oath in front of the Lord President of the Court of Session and other senior judges on Wednesday morning.\n\nMr Yousaf has confirmed that he intends to appoint a \"minister for independence\", something he had promised during the hustings.\n\nPrime Minister Rishi Sunak called him on Tuesday afternoon to congratulate him on his new role.\n\nMr Sunak is said to have \"reiterated his desire to continue working constructively with the Scottish government\" to deliver on what he argued were the \"peoples priorities across Scotland, including the need to half inflation, delivering growth, and cut waiting times.\"\n\nMr Yousaf raised the issue of an independence referendum, but Mr Sunak suggested this would \"distract\" from \"delivering on the things that are top of the priority list for people across Scotland\".\n\nThe first minister designate tweeted that they had a \"constructive discussion\" on a range of issues, including helping people through the cost of living crisis.\n\n\"I also made clear that I expect the democratic wishes of Scotland's people and Parliament to be respected by the UK government,\" he added.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/uk-scotland-scotland-politics-65104987"}
{"title":"Radio station's shock at presenter O'Grady's sudden death - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-29","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"Paul O'Grady, who has died at 67, had been due to present again on Warwickshire-based Boom Radio.","section":"Coventry & Warwickshire","content":"Paul O'Grady, pictured with his producer Malcolm Prince, at Boom Radio\n\nA radio station due to host Paul O'Grady over Easter said the news of his death was \"absolutely shocking\".\n\nThe presenter had been due to host a show on Warwickshire-based Boom Radio on Easter Sunday after a successful programme on Christmas Day.\n\nThe station's co-founder Phil Riley said O'Grady had \"rocketed our audience\" and garnered them a record number of listeners.\n\n\"The bond between him and radio listeners was fantastic,\" he said.\n\n\"We definitely benefitted even in just a small way from that. It's tragic he won't be able to carry on that bond with listeners because they absolutely loved him.\"\n\nO'Grady's husband Andre Portasio announced he had died \"unexpectedly but peacefully\" on Tuesday\n\nO'Grady rose to fame in the 1990s, hosting entertainment programmes as his drag persona Lily Savage before going on to host a number of chat shows out of drag.\n\nHis husband Andre Portasio announced on Tuesday evening he had died \"unexpectedly but peacefully\" at the age of 67.\n\nMr Riley, from Leamington Spa, said he had been speaking with management \"only yesterday\" about finalising details for a long term contract with the TV star.\n\n\"It's absolutely shocking,\" Mr Riley said, extending his sympathise to O'Grady's family and friends. \"I don't think anybody's come to terms with it yet.\"\n\nHe believes that while O'Grady, who he described as \"larger than life\", dazzled on TV, \"his personality was probably best suited for radio\".\n\n\"He was like the cheeky neighbour that had come round for a gossip and to tell you what was going on with the other neighbours, that you're having a laugh over a cup of tea,\" Mr Riley said.\n\n\"That was the relationship he had with the audience and that's why they loved him.\"\n\nO'Grady's long-time radio producer Malcolm Prince, from Solihull, said he had visited the star at his home on Tuesday afternoon, describing him as \"laughing, smiling, and full of life\".\n\nMr Prince posted on Twitter: \"He was so proud of Annie, so happy to be back on Boom Radio, and he was looking forward to so many new projects.\n\n\"And now he's gone. I can't believe it. We have lost a unique talent - and I've lost a dear friend.\"\n\nFollow BBC West Midlands on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. Send your story ideas to: newsonline.westmidlands@bbc.co.uk\n\nThe BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/uk-england-coventry-warwickshire-65109599"}
{"title":"Paul O'Grady: Camilla says she is 'deeply saddened' by TV star's death - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-29","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"The Queen Consort says the late broadcaster's \"infectious humour lit up the lives of so many\".","section":"Entertainment & Arts","content":"Paul O'Grady was pictured with Camilla, the Queen Consort, in February 2022\n\nCamilla, the Queen Consort, has said she is \"deeply saddened\" by the death of TV and radio host Paul O'Grady.\n\nThe broadcaster died \"unexpectedly but peacefully\" on Tuesday evening at the age of 67, his husband has announced.\n\nIn a statement, Camilla said O'Grady's \"warm heart and infectious humour lit up the lives of so many\".\n\nCelebrities paying tribute included Sir Elton John, Amanda Holden, Zoe Ball and Paddy McGuinness, who described O'Grady as an \"icon of British TV\".\n\nStrictly Come Dancing judge Craig Revel Horwood, with whom O'Grady had been sharing the role of Miss Hannigan in a theatre production of Annie, remembered the performer as a \"gorgeous colleague and friend\".\n\n\"He was such a wonderful human being, funny and to the point,\" Horwood said. \"Paul, legend, RIP darling.\"\n\nComic Peter Kay said he had \"happy memories of the lovely Paul O'Grady\", who he said was \"kind, genuine and naturally funny\".\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser.\n\nMark Downie, former editor of daytime programmes at Channel 4, recalled the star's generosity. \"When we worked together at Channel 4, Paul O'Grady insisted that new roles on his show were advertised in the local Job Centre,\" he said.\n\n\"He wanted anyone and everyone to be able to apply so they could get a break like he had. And it made the show better. A kind and generous man.\"\n\nSir Elton remembered the broadcaster as a \"brilliant entertainer\", a \"supporter of LGBTQ+ rights\" and someone who was at the forefront of the \"fight against Aids and HIV\".\n\nIn an emotional Instagram post, the singer thanked O'Grady for, among other things, hosting his and husband David Furnish's \"stag party before our civil partnership in 2005\" - the first year ceremonies could be performed in England.\n\n\"Thank you for all the joy you brought into the world, Paul,\" Sir Elton said. \"You went places nobody had gone before and we will miss you very much.\"\n\nThis Instagram post cannot be displayed in your browser. Please enable Javascript or try a different browser. View original post on Instagram The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Skip instagram post by eltonjohn This article contains content provided by Instagram. We ask for your permission before anything is loaded, as they may be using cookies and other technologies. You may want to read Meta\u2019s Instagram cookie policy, external and privacy policy, external before accepting. To view this content choose \u2018accept and continue\u2019. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.\n\nO'Grady's impact on and contribution to the LGBTQ community was highlighted by several of those paying tribute to the entertainer on social media\n\n\"When it felt like no one I ever knew in my life was gay, turning on the telly at tea time seeing someone so charismatic, camp and beloved was beyond comforting for so many of us,\" said journalist Harrison Brocklehurst.\n\nComedian and campaigner Joe Lycett added: \"I'm sad about Paul O'Grady. I hoped I might meet him one day to tell him what an inspiration he was to me: I loved [how] gloriously loose and effortless his shows were, how he proved you could be political in a light entertainment space and that you could do all this and be really, really funny.\"\n\nO'Grady's husband Andre Portasio, pictured at the National Television Awards in 2019, said the entertainer had died \"unexpectedly but peacefully\" on Tuesday evening\n\nOne of O'Grady's most recent TV appearances came last year with Camilla, the Queen Consort, for a one-off episode of ITV's For The Love of Dogs - a series the star helped launch in 2012 that followed the work of the Battersea Dogs and Cats Home, an organisation for which he was an ambassador.\n\nA statement released on behalf of Camilla on Wednesday said she was \"deeply saddened to have learned of the death of Paul O'Grady, with whom she worked closely to support the work of Battersea Dogs and Cats Home and whose warm heart and infectious humour lit up the lives of so many\".\n\nFollowing his death, the animal home remembered O'Grady as a \"devoted animal lover\" and a \"champion for the underdog\".\n\nQI host Sandi Toksvig said: \"Working with Paul O'Grady was one of the greatest pleasures of my life. Funny, fearless and full of rage. The best. The world seems a little less bright.\"\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Watch: Paul O'Grady speaks to Michael Parkinson about his alter ego Lily Savage (2002)\n\nGaby Roslin, who occasionally sat in for O'Grady on his BBC Radio 2 show, said his death was \"unbelievably sad news\", describing him as a \"one-off\".\n\n\"Goodness me, we laughed together so much,\" she said. \"Our chats lasted for hours and he'll be up there now nattering away and keeping everyone laughing.\"\n\nO'Grady broadcast his final BBC radio show in August 2022, having hosted the Sunday afternoon programme for nearly 14 years.\n\nSpeaking on her BBC Radio 2 breakfast show on Wednesday, Zoe Ball said: \"We're all heavy of heart here this morning at the news of our dear friend Paul O'Grady. I know he was so loved by the Radio 2 listeners and all of us here.\"\n\nO'Grady received an honorary fellowship from Liverpool John Moores University for services to entertainment in 2005\n\nTop Gear host McGuiness said that O'Grady, for whom he stood in on his chat show more than 15 years ago, \"was always supportive, kind and just great to be around\".\n\n\"Paul started in the pubs and working men's clubs but finished as an icon of British TV. I'll miss him very much.\"\n\nFormer BBC Radio 2 presenter Ken Bruce described O'Grady as a \"unique and brilliant broadcaster who brightened the nation\".\n\nDrag queen Danny Beard told BBC Breakfast that the star was \"the most important person in British culture for drag\".\n\n\"I don't think there's anyone who does the job that I do that doesn't class Paul as an icon,\" added Beard, who won series four of Ru Paul's Drag Race UK.\n\nPaul O'Grady was also well known as his drag queen alter-ego Lily Savage\n\nWhenever we talk about on-screen representation, there's a saying; \"If you can't see it, you can't be it.\"\n\nAnd as tributes to Paul O'Grady pour in, it's clear the saying has never been more appropriate.\n\nHe played pubs and clubs as rough-around-the-edges drag queen Lily savage in the 80s, and brought the character to the mainstream in the 90s.\n\nBut it was what Paul did next - and how he did it - that made him a trailblazer for gay representation on screen and inspired a whole generation of entertainers that might not ever have thought it possible.\n\nAs Britain emerged from the AIDs crisis, with homophobia and stigma still rife, Paul managed to become a staple of prime-time light entertainment; not just as Lily, but as himself. A working class gay man from Birkenhead.\n\nHe never assimilated. He never attempted to \"straighten up\" or change his persona.\n\nAnd for so many in the LGBT community - who are used to making ourselves smaller or hiding parts of our personality in certain company - that was a game changer.\n\nFrom documentaries, to his own chat shows, the Blind Date reboot and of course his ITV show Love of Dogs, he never dimmed himself down or tried to make himself more palatable for certain audiences.\n\nHe was unapologetically camp, and bitchy. He was Paul - perhaps, though, always with a hint of Lily\u2026\n\nO'Grady was also mentioned by several MPs during Wednesday's Prime Minister's Questions.\n\nLabour's deputy leader Angela Rayner and MP Chris Bryant both paid tribute to the entertainer, while deputy prime minister Dominic Raab said Lily Savage \"broke glass ceilings and broke boundaries\".\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Labour MP Chris Bryant pays tribute to Paul O'Grady's role in British gay life and makes an unusual offer to Dominic Raab\n\nComic Omid Djalili said he was \"just coming to terms with the unexpected passing of Paul O'Grady\".\n\n\"I don't think I've ever been so immediately enamoured with a personality on a first meeting. He truly elevated the very atmosphere in which he moved. God rest his mighty soul.\"\n\nPresenter and actor Les Dennis described O'Grady as \"a true comedy great\", adding: \"His twinkly, mischievous presence will be missed by so many.\"\n\nActor and TV host Rob Brydon said: \"Paul O'Grady was a lovely warm and caring man with a lightning fast and devastating wit. What terrible news.\"\n\nThis Twitter post cannot be displayed in your browser. Please enable Javascript or try a different browser. View original tweet on Twitter The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Skip twitter post by Erron Gordon 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\u2019s cookie policy, external and privacy policy, external before accepting. To view this content choose \u2018accept and continue\u2019. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.\n\nSpeaking on BBC Radio 4's Today programme, TV presenter Carol Vorderman said: \"He just fizzed, he was one of those people that just made you feel every part of you was alive.\n\n\"He exploded through the daft, made-up rules of society. He was a massive talent, but you can't forget he was a social worker when he was younger, he saved babies and young children from abuse, he lived in Soho before it was gentrified, he never judged the vulnerable, the weak, the misunderstood.\"\n\nO'Grady had recently been on tour playing Miss Hannigan in the musical Annie and had been due to present on Boom Radio in less than two weeks time for Easter Sunday.\n\nO'Grady won trophies at the TV Baftas and National Television Awards during his career\n\nThe presenter was born in Birkenhead, on the Wirral, Merseyside, in 1955, to a mother whose maiden name was Savage - which is believed to have inspired his famous drag act.\n\nHe began performing as Lily Savage in the 1970s. His drag persona later helmed in a solo show that ran for eight years at London's Royal Vauxhall Tavern, and made a name by speaking out about LGBT issues.\n\nLater, he hosted chat show The Lily Savage Show for BBC for a short run in 1997, before turning his hand to hosting a revived version of game show Blankety Blank, which remained on air until 2002.\n\nO'Grady later hosted teatime programme The Paul O'Grady Show on ITV from 2004 to 2005, before moving with it to Channel 4 from 2006 until 2009. It was later revived in 2013 on ITV and remained on air for two years.\n\nDuring 2013, the chat show was fronted by guest hosts after he suffered a health scare. He had previously had heart attacks in 2002 and 2006, the latter requiring a stay in intensive care.\n\nDuring his career O'Grady won a TV Bafta, British Comedy Award and a National Television Award for The Paul O'Grady Show.\n\nIn 2008, he was made an MBE in the Queen's Birthday Honours for services to entertainment.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/entertainment-arts-65062542"}
{"title":"NHS: Public satisfaction with health service drops to record low - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-29","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"Just 29% of Britons say they are satisfied, citing waiting times and lack of staff as key concerns.","section":"Health","content":"Public satisfaction with the NHS has slumped to its lowest level ever recorded by the long-running British Social Attitudes survey.\n\nJust 29% said they were satisfied with the NHS in 2022, with waiting times and staff shortages the biggest concerns.\n\nThat is seven percentage points down on last year and a drop from the 2010-high of 70% satisfaction.\n\nThe poll - the gold-standard measure of the public's view of the health service - has been running since 1983.\n\nA&E saw the biggest drop in satisfaction, but ratings for all services, from GPs and dentistry to general hospital care, fell.\n\nThe fall in overall satisfaction was seen across all ages, income groups, sexes and supporters of different political parties.\n\nWhat is more, the survey of more than 3,300 people was carried out in the autumn before the winter months hit, a period which saw the worst waiting times on record in England, Scotland and Wales.\n\nAll three nations are missing their core NHS waiting-time targets.\n\nHow are your local NHS services coping this winter? Data for England is shown by NHS trust, where the trust includes at least one hospital with a Type 1 A&E department. Type 1 means a consultant-led 24 hour A&E service with full resuscitation facilities. Data for Wales and Scotland is shown by Health Board and in Northern Ireland by Health and Social Care Trust. When you enter a postcode for a location in England you will be shown a list of NHS trusts in your area. They will not necessarily be in order of your closest hospital as some trusts have more than one hospital. Data for Wales and Scotland are shown by NHS board and by Health and Social Care trust in Northern Ireland. Comparative data is shown for a previous year where available. However, where trusts have merged there is no like-for-like comparison to show. Earlier data is not available for all measures, so comparisons between years are not always possible. A&E attendances include all emergency departments in that trust or health board, not just major A&E departments, for example, those who attend minor injury units. Each nation has different target times for some of the measures shown, therefore comparisons between them may not be possible. A modern browser with JavaScript and a stable internet connection are required to view this interactive.\n\nThe survey showed the public most valued the NHS being free at the point of use and the quality of care when they were seen.\n\nMore than eight in 10 supported the principle that the NHS should be available to everyone and be funded primarily through taxes.\n\nSome 43% said taxes should go up to provide more funding, but 28% said the NHS should live within its budget.\n\nGareth Griffiths says the fall in satisfaction is not surprising given the state of the NHS.\n\nHis father, Anthony, who died from cancer six weeks ago aged 83, was taken to A&E after a fall at his home in Somerset in December.\n\nHe waited nine hours for an ambulance and then spent the night in a corridor as there were no beds available on the wards. He was assessed and had a scan before being sent home.\n\n\"There were corridors full to the brink with patients needing care. I think someone passed [away] while we were there. It is so sad to think someone would lose their life in a corridor after paying their taxes all their life.\n\n\"It felt like some kind of World War I scene in the bunkers with nurses going around treating the dying. It was quite shocking to see.\n\n\"The staff were amazing, but they were pushed to their limits.\"\n\nThe findings were published by the Nuffield Trust and King's Fund think tanks which sponsor the health questions.\n\nDan Wellings, of the King's Fund, said: \"It is easy to become desensitised to the relentless flow of bad news about struggling health services, but we cannot underestimate the significance of the unprecedented results.\n\n\"These stark findings should act as a wake-up call to those in power.\"\n\nHe said it would take a long time to turn around public attitudes to the NHS, given how far satisfaction had dropped.\n\nThe survey showed even lower satisfaction ratings for social care, which is run by councils. Just 14% of people said they were satisfied with those services, which includes care homes, home help and children's care.\n\nLouise Ansari, of the patient watchdog Healthwatch England, said the findings chimed with the feedback it was receiving.\n\n\"Access is a real problem at the moment. The long waits are really distressing for people,\" she said.\n\n\"What we find is that when people get to see someone they do rate their treatment really high. It is just that access is a real problem at the moment.\"\n\nShe said the NHS was facing a \"perfect storm\" of rising demand, a frailer population post-Covid and workforce shortages and strikes. \"It is very worrying,\" she added.\n\nBut a Department of Health and Social Care spokeswoman said extra spending on the NHS was starting to make a difference, following the disruption to services and waiting times during the pandemic.\n\n\"Cutting waiting lists is one of the prime minister's five priorities - and so far we have virtually eliminated waits of over two years for treatment and latest figures show the number of patients waiting over 18 months has reduced by 80% from the peak,\" she said.\n\nShe said extra testing and scanning facilities would also help improve cancer-detection rates.\n\nRecovery plans, supported by extra funding, have also been published in Wales and Scotland.\n\nLabour shadow health secretary Wes Streeting said: \"After 13 years of Conservative mismanagement, the public has lost faith that the NHS will be there for them when they need it.\n\n\"People are just praying they don't have to dial 999 or go to A&E.\"\n\nWhat's your recent experience of the NHS? Email haveyoursay@bbc.co.uk.\n\nPlease include a contact number if you are willing to speak to a BBC journalist. You can also get in touch in the following ways:\n\nIf 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 HaveYourSay@bbc.co.uk. Please include your name, age and location with any submission.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/health-65093449"}
{"title":"Thomas Cashman: Jury considers Olivia murder trial verdict - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-29","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"Thomas Cashman, 34, accused of shooting Olivia Pratt-Korbel, denies being the gunman.","section":"Liverpool","content":"Olivia was shot when a gunman burst into her house and opened fire\n\nA jury has retired to consider its verdict in the trial of a man accused of murdering Olivia Pratt-Korbel.\n\nThomas Cashman is accused of shooting the nine-year-old girl and injuring her mother Cheryl Korbel, 46, after chasing a man into their Liverpool home at about 22:00 BST on 22 August.\n\nThe 34-year-old, who is on trial at Manchester Crown Court, has denied being the gunman.\n\nHe has pleaded not guilty to murder, attempted murder, and other offences.\n\nThe jury was sent out to consider its verdicts shortly before midday, three-and-a-half weeks after the trial began.\n\nThe prosecution allege the defendant shot convicted drug dealer Joseph Nee in the street, before his victim fled into Ms Korbel's home as she tried to block him from entering her house in the Dovecot area of the city.\n\nJurors were told Mr Cashman fired again, with the bullet travelling through Ms Korbel's hand before hitting and killing Olivia, who was standing behind her.\n\nThe court has heard Mr Cashman was a \"high-level\" cannabis dealer in the area, but he denied \"scoping out\" Mr Nee on the day of the killing.\n\nHe told the jury that at the time of the shooting he was at a friend's house counting \u00a310,000 in cash and smoking a spliff.\n\nThomas Cashman has been on trial at Manchester Crown Court\n\nA woman who he had a fling with told the court he came to her house after the shooting and changed his clothes, before she heard him say he had \"done Joey\".\n\nBut Mr Cashman said the witness was lying because she was a \"woman scorned\".\n\nDuring his closing arguments, his barrister said Mr Cashman was \"probably one of the most hated people in the country\" but he was not guilty.\n\nMr Cashman, of Grenadier Drive, West Derby, has denied the murder of Olivia, the attempted murder of Mr Nee, wounding Ms Korbel with intent, and two counts of possession of a firearm with intent to endanger life.\n\nWhy not follow BBC North West on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram? You can also send story ideas to northwest.newsonline@bbc.co.uk\n\nThe BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/uk-england-merseyside-65088176"}
{"title":"Bodycam footage shows police response in school shooting - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-29","authors":null,"description":"The video shows Nashville officers confronting and shooting the attacker in the Covenant School.","section":null,"content":"Police release bodycam footage from a school shooting in Nashville that left six people dead, including three children. It shows officers confronting and shooting the attacker in the Covenant School, a private Christian school for students aged three to 11.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/world-us-canada-65104632"}
{"title":"Timeline of dissident republican activity - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-29","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"Details of significant events involving dissident republican activity in Northern Ireland since March 2009.","section":"Northern Ireland","content":"BBC News NI takes a look at significant events involving dissident republicans since March 2009.\n\nThe term \"dissident republicans\" describes a range of individuals who do not accept the Good Friday Agreement - the 1998 peace deal which ended the worst of the Troubles in Northern Ireland.\n\nThe Provisional IRA - the main armed republican paramilitary group for most of the Troubles - declared a ceasefire in the run up to the agreement and officially ended its violent campaign in 2005.\n\nDissident republicanism is made up of various groups which broke away from the Provisional IRA in the 1980s, 1990s and 2000s, including the Continuity IRA and New IRA.\n\nThe groups are much smaller than the Provisional IRA, although they have access to high-calibre weapons and have used improvised explosive devices and mortars in attacks and attempted attacks.\n\nThey have continued to use violence to attempt to unite Northern Ireland with the Republic of Ireland in a single state but their activities have been sporadic and often undermined by the security services.\n\nThe terrorism threat level in Northern Ireland is increased from substantial to severe, meaning the risk of attack or attacks is now \"highly likely\" instead of \"likely\".\n\nThe move, based on an MI5 intelligence assessment, reverses a downgrade to the threat level in 2022, the first such downgrade in 12 years.\n\nA severe threat level is one step below critical, the highest level of threat.\n\nIt comes after the shooting of Det Ch Insp John Caldwell in February and a bomb attack on police officers in November 2022.\n\nSenior police officer Det Ch Insp John Caldwell was shot at a sports complex in Omagh, County Tyrone, on 22 February.\n\nHe was off duty and was putting footballs into the boot of his car after coaching young people when two gunmen approached him and shot him several times.\n\nPolice said the primary focus of their investigation was on violent dissident republicans, including the New IRA.\n\nThe New IRA later claimed responsibility in a typed statement which appeared in Londonderry on Sunday 26 February.\n\nAn attempted murder investigation was launched after a police patrol vehicle was damaged in a bomb attack in Strabane, County Tyrone, on 17 November.\n\nPolice said a strong line of inquiry was that the New IRA was behind the attack.\n\nFour men who were arrested were later released.\n\nA grey Ford Mondeo was hijacked by a number of men before being driven to a police station\n\nOn 20 November a delivery driver was held at gunpoint by a number of men and forced to abandon his car outside Waterside police station in Londonderry.\n\nA suspicious device, which was later described by police as an elaborate hoax, was placed in the vehicle.\n\nCh Supt Nigel Goddard described the attack as \"reckless\" and said detectives believed the New IRA were involved.\n\nOfficers were attacked with petrol bombs following an Easter parade linked to dissident republicans in Derry.\n\nThe police described the attack at the City Cemetery on 18 April as \"premeditated violence\".\n\nThe violence broke out following a parade that had been planned by the National Republican Commemoration Committee, which organises events on behalf of the anti-agreement republican party, Saoradh - a party police say is linked to the New IRA.\n\nA police officer was targeted in this attack in Dungiven\n\nA bomb was left near a police officer's car outside her home on 19 April in County Londonderry in what the police said was an attempt to kill her and her young daughter.\n\nThe explosive was attached to a container of flammable liquid next to her car in Dungiven.\n\nPolice said they linked the attempted murder to the New IRA.\n\nPolice provided this image of the bomb\n\nA bomb was found in the Creggan area of Derry after police searches in the area on 9 September.\n\nThe device was found in a parked car and was described by detectives as in \"an advanced state of readiness\" and was made safe by Army technical officers.\n\nIt contained commercial explosives which could have been triggered by a command wire.\n\nDuring the searches, police were attacked with stones and petrol bombs.\n\nPolice photos show the bomb just metres from the door of a house\n\nA mortar bomb was left near a police station in Church View, Strabane on 7 September.\n\nHomes were evacuated and Army technical officers made the device safe.\n\nPolice said the device had been an attempt to target police officers but that it could have killed or seriously injured anyone in the vicinity.\n\nA 33-year-old man was arrested under terrorism legislation but was released after questioning.\n\nA police officer at the scene of the bomb at Cavan Road, Fermanagh\n\nA bomb exploded near Wattlebridge in County Fermanagh, on 19 August.\n\nPolice said it was an attempt to lure officers to their deaths. Initially, a report received by police suggested a device had been left on the Wattlebridge Road.\n\nPolice believed a hoax device was used to lure police and soldiers into the area in order to catch them by surprise with a real bomb on the Cavan Road.\n\nChief Constable Simon Byrne later blamed the Continuity IRA for the attack.\n\nDissident republicans tried to murder police officers during an attack in Craigavon, County Armagh, the Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) said.\n\nA long bang was heard on the Tullygally Road and a \"viable device\" was later found.\n\nPolice said they believed the attack was set up to target officers responding to a call from the public.\n\nThe bomb was discovered at Shandon Park Golf Club in east Belfast\n\nThe \"New IRA\" claimed responsibility for a bomb under a police officer's car at Shandon Park Golf Club in east Belfast.\n\nThe Irish News said the group issued a statement to the newspaper using a recognised codeword.\n\nPolice said they believed \"violent dissident republicans\" were behind the attack.\n\nA journalist is shot dead while observing rioting in the Creggan area of Derry.\n\nPolice blame the killing of 29-year-old Lyra McKee on dissident republicans.\n\nThe previous week a horizontal mortar tube and command wire were found in Castlewellan, County Down.\n\nThe PSNI said the tube contained no explosive device and it was likely to be collected for use elsewhere\n\nThe device sent to Heathrow Airport caught fire when staff opened it\n\nFive small explosive packages were found at locations across Great Britain and the Republic of Ireland.\n\nThe letter bombs were sent in the post to Waterloo Station in London, buildings near Heathrow and London City airports and Glasgow University. A further device was found at a post depot in County Limerick.\n\nThe New IRA said it was behind the letter bombs, according to the Irish News.\n\nThe bomb exploded outside Bishop Street Courthouse in Derry\n\nA bomb placed inside a van explodes in the centre of Derry.\n\nThe blast happened on a Saturday night outside Bishop Street Courthouse.\n\nThe PSNI said the attack may have been carried out by the New IRA, adding that a pizza delivery man had a gun held to his head when his van was hijacked for the bombing.\n\nThe bullets and guns exploded after being left in a hot boiler house\n\nA stash of bullets and guns believed to belong to dissident republicans exploded after being left on top of a hot boiler at a house in west Belfast.\n\nResponding to reports of a house fire in Rodney Drive, police and firefighters discovered two AK-47s, two sawn-off shot guns, a high-powered rifle with a silencer and three pipe bombs.\n\nPolice blamed the New IRA and said the weapons were believed to have been used in previous attempts to murder police officers in Belfast in 2015 and 2017.\n\nThe weapons including two shotguns, four handguns, explosives, ammunition and a suspected mortar tube\n\nPolice said a \"significant amount of dangerous weapons\" were seized during a 12-day search operation in counties Armagh and Tyrone.\n\nThirteen searches took place on land and properties in Lurgan and Benburb from 29 April to 11 May.\n\nThe weapons included two shotguns, four handguns, explosives, ammunition and a suspected mortar tube.\n\nPolice believed the munitions belonged to two dissident republican paramilitary groups - Arm Na Poblachta. (Army of the Republic) and the Continuity IRA.\n\nPetrol bombs and stones were thrown at police vehicles during an illegal dissident republican parade in Derry on 2 April.\n\nAbout 200 people attended the Easter Rising 1916 commemoration parade in the Creggan estate.\n\nA neighbour said Raymond Johnston had been making pancakes for Pancake Tuesday when he was murdered\n\nDissident republicans may have been behind the murder of a man in west Belfast, police said.\n\nRaymond Johnston, 28, was shot dead in front of an 11-year-old girl and his partner at a house in Glenbawn Avenue on 13 February.\n\nPolice said the main line of inquiry was that Mr Johnson was murdered by dissidents.\n\nIn a statement, it said that \"at this time the environment is not conducive to armed conflict\".\n\nThe group said it would \"suspend all armed actions against the British state\" with immediate effect.\n\nIt was responsible for a number of high-profile attacks, including the attempted murder of police officer Peadar Heffron and a bomb attack at Palace barracks in Holywood.\n\nCharges suggested that Ciar\u00e1n Maxwell first became involved in terrorism in 2011\n\nFormer Royal Marine Ciar\u00e1n Maxwell pleaded guilty to offences related to dissident republican terrorism, including bomb-making and storing stolen weapons.\n\nThe County Antrim man had compiled a library of terrorism documents, including instructions on how to make explosives and tactics used by terrorist organisations.\n\nHe also had maps, plans and lists of potential targets for a terrorist attack, and a stash of explosives in purpose-built hides in England and Northern Ireland.\n\nHe was jailed for 18 years.\n\nThe bomb exploded as it was being examined by the Army\n\nA bomb exploded outside the home of a serving police officer in Derry on 22 February as Army experts tried to defuse it.\n\nThe device, which police described as more intricate than a pipe bomb, was reportedly discovered under a car in Culmore in the city.\n\nChildren were in the area at the time, police said.\n\nMeanwhile a gun attack on a 16-year-old boy in west Belfast on 16 February was \"child abuse,\" a senior police officer said.\n\nThe attack followed a similar one the previous night, when a man was shot in the legs close to a benefits office on the Falls Road.\n\nThe shooting happened at a petrol station on the Crumlin Road\n\nA police officer is injured in a gun attack at a garage on the Crumlin Road in north Belfast on 22 January.\n\nPolice said automatic gunfire was sprayed across the garage forecourt in a \"crazy\" attack.\n\nThe number of paramilitary-style shootings in west Belfast doubled in 2016 compared to the previous year, according to police figures.\n\nOn 15 January, police said a bomb discovered during a security operation in Poleglass, west Belfast, was \"designed to kill or seriously injure police officers\".\n\nA 45-year-old mechanic caught at a bomb-making factory on a farm was told he would spend 11 years behind bars.\n\nBarry Petticrew was arrested in October 2014 after undercover police surveillance on farm buildings near Kinawley, County Fermanagh.\n\nPolice found pipes, timer units, ammunition and high grade explosives in the buildings.\n\nExplosive devices, improvised rockets, detonators, timing units and Semtex were discovered by Irish police\n\nOn 6 December, a 25-year-old dissident republican was jailed in Dublin for five years.\n\nDonal \u00d3 Coisdealbha from Killester, north Dublin was arrested on explosive charges in the run-up to the visit of Prince Charles to Ireland in 2015.\n\nHe was arrested during a Garda (Irish police) operation when explosive devices, improvised rockets, detonators, timing units and Semtex were discovered.\n\nFollowing the sentencing, police released a photo of the heavily bloodstained scene of the shooting\n\nA man who admitted taking part in a paramilitary shooting in Belfast was sentenced to five years in jail and a further five years on licence.\n\nPatrick Joseph O'Neill, of no fixed address, was one of three masked men who forced their way into the victim's home in Ardoyne in November 2010.\n\nThe man was shot several times in the legs and groin in front of his mother, who fought back with kitchen knives.\n\nThe dissident republican group \u00d3glaigh na h\u00c9ireann claimed responsibility for the shooting shortly after it took place.\n\nJoe Reilly was shot dead in a house at Glenwood Court\n\nWest Belfast man Joe Reilly, 43, was shot dead in his Glenwood Court, Poleglass home on 20 October.\n\nIt is understood a second man who was in the house was tied up by the gang.\n\nThe shooting was the second in the small estate in less than a week - the other victim was shot in the leg.\n\nPolice later said they believed the the murder was carried out by a paramilitary organisation and there may have been a drugs link.\n\nDissident republicans formed a new political party called Saoradh - the Irish word for liberation.\n\nSeveral high-profile dissidents from both sides of the border were among about 150 people at its first conference in Newry.\n\nThe discovery of arms in a County Antrim forest on 17 May was one of the most significant in recent years, police said.\n\nA \"terrorist hide\" was uncovered at Capanagh Forest near Larne after two members of the public found suspicious objects in the woods on Saturday.\n\nSome of the items found included an armour-piercing improvised rocket and two anti-personnel mines.\n\nThe threat level from Northern Ireland-related terrorism in Great Britain was raised from moderate to substantial.\n\nTwo Claymore mines were among the arms found in Capanagh Forest\n\nA man died after being shot three times in the leg in an alleyway at Butler Place, north Belfast, on15 April.\n\nMichael McGibbon, 33, was taken to the Royal Victoria Hospital in Belfast, where he later died.\n\nPolice said Mr McGibbon contacted them to say two masked men had arrived at his house on the evening of 14 April.\n\nThe men asked him to come out of the house but he refused and the men told him they would come back.\n\nThe shooting took place in an alleyway at Butler Place in north Belfast\n\nPolice said his killing carried the hallmarks of a paramilitary murder.\n\nAdrian Ismay was the 32nd prison staff member to be murdered in Northern Ireland because of his job\n\nA murder investigation was launched after the death of prison officer Adrian Ismay, 11 days after he was injured in a booby-trap bomb attack in east Belfast.\n\nThe device exploded under the 52-year-old officer's van as he drove over a speed ramp in Hillsborough Drive on 4 March.\n\nDays later, the New IRA said it carried out the attack.\n\nMr Ismay was thought to have been making a good recovery from his injuries, but was rushed back to hospital on 15 March, where he died.\n\nA post-mortem examination found his death was as a \"direct result of the injuries\" he sustained in the bomb.\n\nDissident republicans were dealt \"a significant blow\" by a weapons and explosives find in the Republic of Ireland, the garda\u00ed (Irish police) said.\n\nThe weapons, including AK-47 assault rifles, mortars, detonators and other bomb parts, were discovered in County Monaghan, close to the border with Rosslea in County Fermanagh, on 1 December.\n\nOn 15 December, a further arms find, described as a \"significant cache\" by Irish broadcaster RT\u00c9, was made in County Louth.\n\nA number of shots hit the passenger window of a police car in an attack in west Belfast\n\nA gun attack on police officers in west Belfast on 26 November, in which up to eight shots were fired, was treated as attempted murder.\n\nA number of shots struck the passenger side of a police car parked at Rossnareen Avenue.\n\nTwo officers who were in the car were not injured but were said to have been badly shaken.\n\nSupt Mark McEwan said that from September 2014 there had been 15 bomb incidents in the Derry City and Strabane District council area.\n\nThey included seven attacks on the police.\n\nOn 10 October, a bomb was found in the grounds of a Derry hotel ahead of a police recruitment event.\n\nThe police recruitment event was cancelled. Two other police recruitment events in Belfast and Omagh went ahead despite bomb alerts at the planned venues.\n\nOn 16 October police said a \"military-style hand grenade\" was thrown at a patrol in Belfast as officers responded to reports of anti-social behaviour.\n\nPolice say the device, which failed to explode, was thrown at officers near Pottingers Quay.\n\nDissident republicans were suspected of being responsible for the attack.\n\nPolice found a mortar bomb during an alert in Strabane\n\nPolice said a mortar bomb found in a graveyard in Strabane, County Tyrone, on 1 August was an attempt to kill officers.\n\nThe device was positioned where it could be used to attack passing PSNI patrols, police said.\n\nA bomb was found under a police officer's car in Eglinton, near Derry, on 18 June.\n\nPolice said the attack was a \"clear attempt to murder police officers\".\n\nPSNI district commander Mark McEwan said the wife of the officer was also a member of the PSNI.\n\nTwo bombs found close to an Army Reserve centre in Derry were left about 20m from nearby homes.\n\nThe devices were left at the perimeter fence of the Caw Camp Army base and were discovered at 11:00 BST on 4 May.\n\nAbout 15 homes in Caw Park and Rockport Park were evacuated during the security operation.\n\nPolice said a bomb left at Brompton Park in north Belfast was designed to kill officers\n\nA device found in north Belfast on 1 May was a substantial bomb targeting police officers, the PSNI said.\n\nA controlled explosion was carried out on the device at the Crumlin Road junction with Brompton Park.\n\nThe PSNI blamed dissident republicans for the bomb and said it could have caused \"carnage\".\n\nOn 28 April, a bomb exploded outside a probation office in Crawford Square, Derry.\n\nPolice said they were given an \"inadequate\" warning before the device went off.\n\nA bomb was found during a search of the Curryneiran estate in Derry\n\nA bomb is found was found during a security alert in the Curryneiran estate in Derry on 17 February.\n\nPolice said they believe the bomb was intended to kill officers and that those who had left it showed a \"callous disregard for the safety of the community and police officers\".\n\nMeanwhile at least 40 dissident republican prisoners were involved in an incident at Maghaberry Prison on 2 February.\n\nPrison management withdrew staff from the landings in Roe House housing dissidents.\n\nA protest, involving about 200 people, took place outside the prison in support of the republican prisoners.\n\nOn 8 January, the head of MI5 says most dissident republican attacks in Northern Ireland in 2014 were foiled.\n\nAndrew Parker said of more than 20 such attacks, most were unsuccessful and that up to four times that amount had been prevented.\n\nHe made the remarks during a speech in which he gave a stark warning of the dangers UK was facing from terrorism.\n\nHe said it was \"unrealistic to expect every attack plan to be stopped\".\n\nDissident republicans are believed to have used a home-made rocket launcher in an attack on a police Land Rover at Twaddell Avenue in north Belfast on 16 November .\n\nIt struck the Land Rover and caused some damage, but no-one was injured.\n\nPolice described the attack as a \"cold, calculated attempt to kill police officers\".\n\nMeanwhile garda\u00ed described the seizure of guns and bomb-making material during searches in Dublin on 15 November as a \"major setback\" for dissident republicans.\n\nAn AK-47 rifle, a sawn-off shotgun and a number of semi-automatic pistols were found in searches in the Ballymun, East Wall and Cloughran areas of Dublin.\n\nThe Irish Army carried out a controlled explosion at one search location where bomb components were discovered.\n\nA device that hit a police vehicle in Derry on 2 November was understood to have been a mortar, fired by command wire.\n\nDissident republicans were responsible for the attack, police said.\n\nPolice foiled an attempted bomb attack in Strabane's Ballycolman estate on 23 October.\n\nOfficers were lured to Ballycolman estate on 23 October to investigate reports of a bomb thrown at a police patrol vehicle the previous night.\n\nThe alert was a hoax but then a real bomb, packed with nails, was discovered in the garden of a nearby house.\n\nDissident republicans claimed responsibility for a device that partially exploded outside an Orange hall in County Armagh on 29 September.\n\nIn a phone call to the Irish News, a group calling itself The Irish Volunteers admitted it placed the device at Carnagh Orange hall in Keady.\n\nOn 16 June, police investigating dissident republican activity said they recovered two suspected pipe bombs in County Tyrone.\n\nOn the night of 29 May, a masked man threw what police have described as a \"firebomb\" into the reception area of the Everglades Hotel, in the Prehen area of Derry.\n\nThe hotel was evacuated and the device exploded a short time later when Army bomb experts were working to make it safe.\n\nNo-one was injured in the explosion but the reception was extensively damaged.\n\nThe man who took the bomb into the hotel said he was from the IRA.\n\nA prominent dissident republican was shot dead in west Belfast on 18 April.\n\nTommy Crossan was shot a number of times at a fuel depot off the Springfield Road.\n\nMr Crossan, 43, was once a senior figure in the Continuity IRA.\n\nIt was believed he had been expelled from the group some years ago after falling out with other dissidents.\n\nPolice said a bomb found at a County Tyrone golf course had the capability to kill or cause serious injury.\n\nBomb disposal experts made the device safe after it was discovered at Strabane Golf Club on 31 March.\n\nA Belfast man with known dissident republican links died on 28 March a week after he was shot in a Dublin gun attack.\n\nDeclan Smith, 32, was shot in the face by a lone gunman as he dropped his child at a cr\u00e8che on Holywell Avenue, Donaghmede.\n\nHe was wanted by police in Northern Ireland for questioning about the murder of two men in Belfast in 2007.\n\nOn the night of 14 March, dissidents use a command wire to fire a mortar at a police Land Rover on the Falls Road in west Belfast.\n\nThe device hit the Land Rover, but police said it caused minimal damage.\n\nNo-one was injured in the attack.\n\nThe dissident group calling itself the New IRA said it carried out the attack and claimed the mortar used contained the military explosive Semtex and a commercial detonator.\n\nSeven letter bombs delivered to army careers offices in England bore \"the hallmarks of Northern Ireland-related terrorism\", Downing Street said.\n\nThe packages were sent to offices in Oxford, Slough, Kent, Brighton, Hampshire and Berkshire.\n\nOn 13 December, a bomb in a sports bag exploded in Belfast's busy Cathedral Quarter.\n\nAbout 1,000 people were affected by the alert, including people out for Christmas dinners, pub-goers and children out to watch Christmas pantos.\n\nA telephone warning was made to a newspaper, but police said the bomb exploded about 150 metres away as the area was being cleared.\n\nDissident republican group, \u00d3glaigh na h\u00c9ireann, said it was were responsible.\n\nOn 5 December, two police vehicles were struck 10 times by gunfire from assault rifles while travelling along the Crumlin Road in north Belfast.\n\nA bomb, containing 60kgs (132lbs) of home-made explosives, partially exploded inside a car in Belfast city centre on 24 November.\n\nA masked gang hijacked the car, placed a bomb on board and ordered the driver to take it to a shopping centre.\n\nIt exploded as Army bomb experts prepared to examine the car left at the entrance to Victoria Square car park.\n\nOn 21 November, a bus driver was ordered to drive to a police station in Derry with a bomb on board.\n\nThe bus driver drove a short distance to Northland Road, got her passengers off the bus and called the police.\n\nA former police officer is the target of an under-car booby-trap bomb off the King's Road in east Belfast.\n\nThe man spotted the device when he checked under his vehicle at Kingsway Park, near Tullycarnet estate on 8 November.\n\nThe man was about to take his 12-year-old daughter to school.\n\nDissidents are blamed for a number of letter bomb attacks at the end of the month.\n\nA package addressed to the Northern Ireland secretary was made safe at Stormont Castle, two letter bombs addressed to senior police officers were intercepted at postal sorting offices, and a similar device was sent to the offices of the Public Prosecution Service in Derry.\n\nTwo police officers escaped injury after two pipe bombs are thrown at them in north Belfast.\n\nThe officers were responding to an emergency 999 call in Ballysillan in the early hours of 28 May.\n\nPolice were fired on in the Foxes Glen area of west Belfast\n\nThey had just got out of their vehicle on the Upper Crumlin Road when the devices were thrown. They took cover as the bombs exploded.\n\nPolice escaped injury after a bomb in a bin exploded on the Levin Road in Lurgan in County Armagh on 30 March.\n\nOfficers were investigating reports of an illegal parade when the device went off near a primary school.\n\nPetrol bombs were thrown at police during follow-up searches in the Kilwilkie area.\n\nPolice say a bomb meant to kill or injure officers on the outskirts of Belfast on 9 March may have been detonated by mobile telephone.\n\nOfficers were responding to a call on Duncrue pathway near the M5 motorway when the bomb partially exploded.\n\nOn 4 March, four live mortar bombs which police said were \"primed and ready to go\" were intercepted in a van in Derry.\n\nThe van had its roof cut back to allow the mortars to be fired. Police say they believed the target was a police station.\n\nIt is the first time dissidents had attempted this type of mortar attack.\n\nAn off-duty policeman found a bomb attached to the underside of his car on the Upper Newtownards Road in east Belfast.\n\nA bomb was found under a police officer's car in east Belfast\n\nThe officer found the device during a routine check of his family car on 30 December, as he prepared to take his wife and two children out to lunch.\n\nAn Irish newspaper reported that a paramilitary plot to murder a British soldier as he returned to the Republic of Ireland on home leave had been foiled by Irish police.\n\nThe Irish Independent said the Continuity IRA planned to shoot the soldier when he returned to County Limerick for his Christmas holidays.\n\nOn the first day of the month, a prison officer was shot and killed on the M1 in County Armagh as he drove to work at Maghaberry Prison, Northern Ireland's high security jail.\n\nMr Black was shot as he drove to work at Maghaberry Prison\n\nDavid Black, 52-year-old father of two, was the first prison officer to be murdered in Northern Ireland in almost 20 years.\n\nOn 12 November, a paramilitary group calling itself \"the IRA\" claimed responsibility for the murder.\n\nThe following day, a bomb was found close to a primary school in west Belfast.\n\nPolice said the device \"could have been an under-car booby trap designed to kill and maim\".\n\nSecurity forces were the target of two bombs left in Derry on 20 September.\n\nA pipe bomb and booby trap bomb on a timer were both made safe by the Army.\n\nThe pipe bomb was left in a holdall at Derry City Council's office grounds and the booby trap attached to a bicycle chained to railings on a walkway at the back of the offices.\n\nDissident republicans were blamed for leaving the bombs.\n\nOn 26 July, some dissident republican paramilitary groups issued a statement saying they were to come together under the banner of \"the IRA\".\n\nThe Guardian newspaper said the Real IRA had been joined by Republican Action Against Drugs (RAAD) and a coalition of independent armed republican groups and individuals.\n\nA gunman fired towards police lines from within a crowd gathered at Brompton Park in Ardoyne on 12 July.\n\nRepublican Action Against Drugs said it was behind a bomb attack on a police vehicle in Derry on 2 June.\n\nThe front of the jeep was badly damaged in what is understood to have been a pipe bomb attack in Creggan. The police described the attack as attempted murder.\n\nA pipe bomb was left under a car belonging to the elderly parents of a police officer in Derry on 15 April.\n\nA number of homes were evacuated while Army bomb experts dealt with the device at Drumleck Drive in Shantallow.\n\nA 600lb bomb was found in a van on the Fathom Line in Newry\n\nA fully primed 600lb bomb was found in a van on the Fathom Line near Newry on 26 April and made safe the following day.\n\nA senior police officer said those who left it had a \"destructive, murderous intent\".\n\nAssistant Chief Constable Alastair Finlay said it was as \"big a device as we have seen for a long time\".\n\nOn 30 March two men were convicted of murdering police officer Constable Stephen Carroll in Craigavon in March 2009.\n\nTwo men were convicted of murdering Constable Stephen Carroll in Craigavon\n\nThe 48-year-old officer was shot dead after he and colleagues responded to a 999 call.\n\nConvicted of the murder were Brendan McConville, 40, of Glenholme Avenue, Craigavon, and John Paul Wootton, 20, of Collindale, Lurgan.\n\nDerry man Andrew Allen was shot dead in Buncrana, County Donegal, on 9 February.\n\nThe 24-year-old father of two was shot at a house in Links View Park, Lisfannon.\n\nRepublican Action Against Drugs (RAAD) later admitted it murdered Mr Allen who had been forced to leave his home city the previous year.\n\nStrabane man Martin Kelly was jailed for life by the Special Criminal Court in Dublin on 24 January for the murder of a man in County Donegal.\n\nAndrew Burns, 27, from Strabane, was shot twice in the back in February 2008 in a church car park.\n\nThe murder was linked to the dissident republican group, Oglaigh na hEireann. Kelly, from Barrack Steet, was also sentenced to eight years in prison for possession of a firearm.\n\nOn 20 January, Brian Shivers was convicted of the murders of Sappers Patrick Azimkar and Mark Quinsey at Massereene Barracks in March 2009.\n\nPolice in Derry believed dissident republicans were responsible for two bomb attacks on 19 January.\n\nThe bombs exploded at the tourist centre on Foyle Street and on Strand Road, close to the DHSS office, within 10 minutes of each other.\n\nHomes and businesses in the city were evacuated and no-one was injured.\n\nA bomb was left in the soldier's car in north Belfast\n\nA Scottish soldier found a bomb inside his car outside his girlfriend's house in the Ligoniel area of north Belfast.\n\nIt is understood the device contained a trip wire attached to the seat belt.\n\nPolice say if the bomb had gone off the soldier, and others in the vicinity, could have been killed. Dissidents admitted they carried out the attack.\n\nA bomb outside the City of Culture offices was blamed on dissidents\n\nA bomb exploded outside the City of Culture offices in Derry on 12 October.\n\nSecurity sources said the attack had all the hallmarks of dissident republicans, who damaged a door of the same building with a pipe bomb in January.\n\nThe Real IRA was blamed for two bomb attacks near Claudy, County Londonderry on 14 September.\n\nOne of the bombs exploded outside the family home of a Catholic police officer. No-one was in the house at the time.\n\nThe other device was made safe at the home of a retired doctor who works for the police.\n\nTwo masked men threw a holdall containing a bomb into a Santander bank branch in Derry's Diamond just after midday on Saturday 21 May.\n\nPolice cleared the area and the bomb exploded an hour later. No-one was injured.\n\nHowever, significant damage was caused inside the building.\n\nThe grenade was thrown at officers during a security alert\n\nA grenade was thrown at police officers during a security alert at Southway in Derry on 9 May.\n\nThe device, which was described as \"viable\", failed to explode.\n\nTwo children were talking to the officers when the grenade was thrown.\n\nThe mother of one of them said he could have been killed and whoever threw the grenade must have seen the children.\n\nThe Real IRA, threatened to kill more police officers and declared its opposition to Queen Elizabeth II's first visit to the Republic of Ireland.\n\nA statement was read out by a masked man at a rally organised by the 32 County Sovereignty Movement in Derry on Easter Monday, 25 April.\n\nA 500lb bomb was left in a van at an underpass on the main Belfast to Dublin road in Newry.\n\nConstable Ronan Kerr was killed after a bomb exploded under his car outside his home in Omagh on 2 April.\n\nNo group claimed responsibility for the attack but dissident republicans were blamed.\n\nThe 25-year-old had joined the police in May 2010 and had been working in the community for five months.\n\nForensic experts at the scene of Derry courthouse bomb\n\nThe PSNI described a bomb left near Bishop Street Courthouse as a \"substantial viable device\".\n\nDistrict commander Stephen Martin said a beer keg, left in a stolen car, contained around 50kg of home-made explosives.\n\nA number of shots were fired at police officers at Glen Road in Derry on the night of 2 March.\n\nPolice said it was an attempt to kill.\n\nA policeman found an unexploded grenade outside his home in County Fermanagh.\n\nThe device was discovered at the property in Drumreer Road, Maguiresbridge, on 23 December.\n\nA grenade was found outside a police officer's home in County Fermanagh\n\nIn the Republic, three men from Northern Ireland were jailed for IRA membership on 15 December.\n\nGerard McGarrigle, 46, from Mount Carmel Heights in Strabane was sentenced to five years in prison.\n\nDesmond Donnelly, 58, from Drumall, Lisnarick, Fermanagh and Jim Murphy, 63, from Floraville in Enniskillen, were given three years and nine months.\n\nThey were arrested in Letterkenny in February after Irish police received a tip-off that dissident republicans were about to carry out a 'tiger' kidnapping\n\nA military hand grenade was used to attack police officers called to a robbery at Shaw's Road in west Belfast on 5 November.\n\nThree police officers were hurt and one of them suffered serious arm injuries when the grenade was thrown by a cyclist.\n\nThe dissident paramilitary group Oglaigh na hEireann (ONH) said it was responsible for the attack.\n\nThe Ulster Bank on Culmore Road was damaged in a car bomb attack in Derry\n\nA car bomb exploded close to the Ulster Bank, shops and a hotel on Derry's Culmore Road on 4 October.\n\nThe area had been cleared when the bomb exploded, but the blast was so strong that a police officer who was standing close to the cordon was knocked off his feet.\n\nLurgan man Paul McCaugherty was jailed for 20 years for a dissident republican gun smuggling plot that was uncovered after an MI5 sting operation.\n\nMcCaugherty was found guilty of attempting to import weapons and explosives.\n\nDermot Declan Gregory from Crossmaglen, was found guilty of making a Portuguese property available for the purpose of terrorism. He was sentenced to four years.\n\nThree children suffered minor injuries when a bomb exploded in a bin in Lurgan's North Street on 14 August.\n\nThe bomb went off at a junction where police would have been expected to put up a cordon around the school. The explosion injured the children after it blew a hole in a metal fence.\n\nThree children were hurt after a bomb exploded in a bin in Lurgan\n\nA booby trap partially exploded under the car of a former policeman in Cookstown, County Tyrone, on 10 August.\n\nThe man was unhurt in the attak.\n\nA bomb was found under the car of a Catholic policewoman in Kilkeel in County Down on 8 August.\n\nIt is believed the device fell off the car before being spotted by the officer.\n\nA booby-trap bomb was found in the driveway of a soldier's house in Bangor\n\nOn 4 August, booby trap bomb was found under a soldier's car in Bangor.\n\nIt then fell off and he discovered it as he was about to leave his home.\n\nA car that exploded outside a police station in Derry contained 200lb of homemade explosives.\n\nNo-one was injured in the attack, which happened on 3 August, but several businesses were badly damaged in the blast.\n\nA bomb exploded between Belleeks and Cullyhanna in south Armagh, blowing a crater in the road and damaging a stone bridge on 10 July.\n\nPolice viewed it as an attempt to lure them into the area in order to carry out a follow-up ambush.\n\nDissident republicans were blamed for organising two nights of sustained rioting in the Broadway and Bog Meadows areas of west Belfast on Friday 2 and Saturday 3 July.\n\nLater rioting on 11, 12, 13 and 14 July in south and north Belfast, Lurgan and Derry is also believed to have involved dissidents.\n\nDissidents were believed to have organised riots in Belfast\n\nScores of police officers were injured during the violence, which featured gun attacks, petrol bombs and other missiles being thrown.\n\nShots were fired at Crossmaglen PSNI station on 2 July.\n\nDissident republicans said they were behind two similar attacks in December and January.\n\nA car bomb exploded outside Newtownhamilton Police Station in County Armagh, injuring two people.\n\nPeople also reported hearing gunshots before the blast.\n\nThere were five pipe bomb attacks on houses in the west of Northern Ireland in a week - two of them claimed by a group calling itself Republican Action Against Drugs.\n\nA car bomb was defused outside Newtownhamilton police station in south Armagh on Tuesday 13 April.\n\nA bomb in a hijacked taxi exploded outside Palace Barracks in Holywood, on Monday 12 April - the day policing and justice powers were transferred to Northern Ireland.\n\nThe barracks is home to MI5's headquarters in Northern Ireland.\n\nPolice said a car bomb left outside Crossmaglen on Easter Saturday night could have killed or seriously injured anyone in the area.\n\nThe bomb - made up of a number of flammable containers - was made safe by Army experts.\n\nKieran Doherty was murdered by the Real IRA\n\nThe naked and bound body of 31-year-old Kieran Doherty was found close to the Irish border near Derry on 24 February.\n\nThe Real IRA said it killed Mr Doherty who, it claimed, was one of its members.\n\nTwo days earlier a bomb damaged the gates of Newry courthouse in County Down.\n\nOfficers were evacuating the area when the bomb went off. Police said it was a miracle no-one was killed.\n\nA 33-year-old Catholic police officer was seriously injured in a dissident republican car bomb about a mile from his home in Randalstown in County Antrim.\n\nOn the last day of the month the Real IRA opened fire on a police station in County Armagh.\n\nNo-one was injured in the attack in Bessbrook.\n\nDissident republicans were blamed for leaving a car containing a 400lb (181kg) bomb outside the Policing Board's headquarters in Belfast.\n\nThe car, which had been driven through a barrier by two men who then ran off, burst into flames when the device partially exploded.\n\nOn the same night, shots were fired during an undercover police operation in the County Fermanagh village of Garrison, in what police described as an attempt to kill a trainee PSNI officer.\n\nOne of Northern Ireland's top judges moved out of his Belfast home over fears of a dissident republican threat against him.\n\nDemocratic Unionist Party politician Ian Paisley junior said police had warned him that dissident republicans were planning to murder him.\n\nMr Paisley, who was then a member of the Policing Board, said officers contacted him to inform him of the foiled attack.\n\nA police officer's partner was injured when a bomb exploded under her car in east Belfast.\n\nThe 38-year-old was reversing the vehicle out of the driveway of a house when the device exploded.\n\nIn the same month a bomb exploded inside a Territorial Army base in north Belfast.\n\nThe police confirmed that \"some blast damage\" had occurred inside the base off the Antrim Road and shrapnel from the overnight explosion was found in neighbouring streets.\n\nThe PSNI said a 600lb (272kg) bomb left near the Irish border in south Armagh was intended to kill its officers.\n\nThe bomb was defused by the Army near the village of Forkhill.\n\nDays later the Real IRA claimed responsibility for placing two explosive devices near the homes of a policeman's relatives in Derry.\n\nThe first device exploded outside his parents' home while a second device, which was found outside his sister's home, was taken away for examination by the Army.\n\nConor Murphy, then a Sinn F\u00e9in MP and minister in Northern Ireland's devolved administration, blamed dissident republicans for an arson attack on his home in south Armagh.\n\nDissident republicans were suspected of involvement in a petrol bomb attack on the Derry home of senior Sinn F\u00e9in member Mitchel McLaughlin.\n\nNorthern Ireland's then Deputy First Minister Martin McGuinness said dissident republicans had threatened to kill him.\n\nSappers Patrick Azimkar and Mark Quinsey died in the attack\n\nTwo young soldiers were shot dead as they collected pizzas outside Massereene Barracks in County Antrim.\n\nSappers Patrick Azimkar and Mark Quinsey were killed just hours before they were due to be deployed to Afghanistan.\n\nThe Real IRA was blamed for the attack.\n\nWithin 48 hours policeman Stephen Carroll was shot dead in Craigavon, County Armagh, becoming the first police officer to be murdered in Northern Ireland since 1998.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/uk-northern-ireland-10866072"}
{"title":"Humza Yousaf confirmed as Scotland's new first minister - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-29","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"The SNP leader wins a majority of votes from MSPs to become the country's sixth first minister.","section":"Scotland politics","content":"This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser.\n\nHumza Yousaf has been confirmed as Scotland's new first minister after a vote in the Scottish Parliament.\n\nThe SNP leader was backed by his own MSPs and the Scottish Greens - guaranteeing him a majority.\n\nAll three opposition leaders stood against him but knew they had no prospect of being successful.\n\nMr Yousaf, who succeeds Nicola Sturgeon, is the country's sixth first minister and first from an ethnic minority background.\n\nHe is also the youngest first minister at 37, and the first Muslim to lead a major UK party.\n\nFollowing the vote, Prime Minister Rishi Sunak phoned Mr Yousaf to congratulate him.\n\nHe said he wanted to continue \"working constructively with the Scottish government\" to deliver on what he argued were the \"people's priorities across Scotland, including the need to half inflation, delivering growth, and cut waiting times.\"\n\nMr Yousaf raised the question of a second independence referendum, but Mr Sunak suggested this would \"distract\" from \"delivering on the things that are top of the priority list for people across Scotland\".\n\nThe new first minister started to shape his team on Tuesday afternoon with the announcement that Shona Robison - who has been serving as the social justice secretary and was a close ally of Ms Sturgeon - would be become his deputy first minister.\n\nHe also confirmed he would have a \"minister for independence\" in his government, a role he pledged to create during the leadership campaign\n\nMs Sturgeon formally tendered her resignation to the King earlier on Tuesday after more than eight years as first minister. She announced last month that she would be standing down once a replacement was appointed.\n\nMr Yousaf was backed by all 64 SNP MSPs and the seven Greens, with the two parties having a power-sharing agreement in the 129-seat parliament.\n\nMr Yousaf was congratulated by Shona Robison, who will become his deputy first minister\n\nAll 31 Conservative MSPs voted for Douglas Ross, the 22 Labour members for Anas Sarwar and the four Liberal Democrats backed Alex Cole-Hamilton.\n\nMr Yousaf said it was a signal of the progress that Scotland has made that two of the nominees for first minister - himself and Mr Sarwar, who were at school together at the private Hutchesons' Grammar in Glasgow - were from minority ethnic communities.\n\nHe described the moment as \"a privilege of my life\", and said Ms Sturgeon - who watched the vote from the backbenches - leaves \"some very big shoes to fill indeed\".\n\nMr Yousaf added: \"I pledge that Scotland will continue to be a positive, progressive voice on the world stage\".\n\nAnd he said his government would \"listen carefully and pay respect\" to the views of all MSPs while standing up to any attempts to \"undermine devolution\".\n\nNicola Sturgeon now sits on the back benches at Holyrood\n\nThe new first minister said: \"I will never shy away from tackling the big issues our country faces.\n\n\"My starting point will be that we all want the best for Scotland and the people that we are so privileged to represent. I will stand up unequivocally for this parliament and against any attempts to undermine devolution.\n\n\"I will work every hour of every day to harness the potential of Scotland and every single person. I will place no limits on the ambitions that we have collectively for ourselves, for our country or indeed for the world that we live in.\"\n\nMr Yousaf will be officially sworn in as first minister during a brief ceremony at the Court of Session in Edinburgh on Wednesday, and is expected to then start the process of appointing the rest of his cabinet team.\n\nHe will also face opposition leaders for the first time at the weekly First Minister's Questions session on Thursday.\n\nThere will be considerable interest in the future of Kate Forbes, who finished a close second to Mr Yousaf in the SNP leadership contest after attacking his competency and Ms Sturgeon's record in government in a live STV debate during the campaign.\n\nMs Forbes had herself been attacked by senior SNP figures including outgoing Deputy First Minister John Swinney, who has also now left the government, over her socially conservative views on issues like gay marriage and abortion.\n\nShe has been on maternity leave as the country's finance secretary and Mr Yousaf has said he has spoken to her and \"absolutely\" wants her to be part of the government - but it not yet known what role he would offer or whether she would accept.\n\nHumza Yousaf's speech was really an introduction to himself as first minister. Unlike the other party leaders, there was relatively little in the way of politics.\n\nHe leaned heavily on his family, who were packed into the VIP gallery. His children were warned that Bute House's stairways offer plenty of space for a \"naughty step\".\n\nAnd he talked about the impact of being a Muslim in the UK in the aftermath of the September 11 attacks.\n\nMr Yousaf hopes it sends a message to many in minority groups that he could go from fearing he did not have a place in Scotland to leading its government.\n\nThere was some broad-brush policy towards the end - a commitment to ease cost of living pressures and boost the NHS. He pledged to continue many of Nicola Sturgeon's plans, and sounded the obvious note in favour of independence.\n\nBut this was very much Day One of the Yousaf government. There will be plenty of time to come for detail and debate - today was all about beginnings.\n\nPrime Minister Rishi Sunak said he was looking forward to meeting and working together with Mr Yousaf, but the UK government has already made clear it will continue to refuse to grant formal consent for another independence referendum.\n\nMr Yousaf was also congratulated on his appointment by opposition leaders at Holyrood, with Mr Ross saying: \"With both the first minister and the prime minister representing the UK's diverse communities, this sends a strong, positive message to everyone that there are no barriers to what you can achieve in this country.\"\n\nBut he went on to claim that Mr Yousaf \"seems to be doing his best to offer a poor imitation of his predecessor\" having decided on his first day to \"renew Nicola Sturgeon's constitutional conflict with the UK government\" by calling on it to grant formal consent for an independence referendum.\n\nMr Sarwar told Mr Yousaf that their respective grandparents \"could never have imagined\" that their grandchildren would reach the positions of first minister and Scottish Labour leader when they arrived in the country and made Scotland their home.\n\nHe added: \"I know that he (Mr Yousaf) has faced personal abuse and racism, as have so many others who don't have the platform that he and I are fortunate to have.\n\n\"I am proud of the work we have done alongside others to stand against hatred and bigotry, and my promise is that I will continue to stand alongside you in that fight for all of us.\"","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/uk-scotland-scotland-politics-65098609"}
{"title":"King Charles praises Ukraine support on state visit to Germany - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-29","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"The King promises to \"strengthen\" relations with the country and says they stand together on Ukraine.","section":"UK","content":"This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser.\n\nKing Charles III has paid tribute to Germany's \"extraordinary hospitality\" towards Ukrainian refugees during his first state visit as monarch.\n\nThe King said both the UK and Germany \"stand together\" with Ukraine in \"defence of freedom and sovereignty\".\n\nIn his toast at a lavish state banquet, which he delivered partly in German, the King promised to strengthen ties.\n\nThe speech to dignitaries from both countries, including ex-leader Angela Merkel, drew many laughs and applause.\n\nThe King's three-day tour with Camilla, the Queen Consort, comes after a planned visit to France was cancelled following unrest in several cities over pension reforms.\n\nGermany, due to be the second stop on the trip, is instead the location of King Charles' first foreign visit of his reign - and the first of a British monarch since the late Queen Elizabeth II's own state visit there in 2015.\n\nThe British government hopes the King's visit will reinforce relations between the two nations following the UK's decision to leave the EU - described as a \"sad day\" by German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier in his own toast.\n\nAt the President's Bellevue Palace on Wednesday evening, the King said he would do everything he could to \"strengthen the connections between us\".\n\nHe also heaped praise on the \"generosity of spirit of the German people\" for taking in more than one million Ukrainian refugees displaced as a result of the ongoing conflict with Russia.\n\n\"We stand side-by-side in protecting and advancing our shared democratic values,\" he said.\n\n\"This is epitomised so clearly today as we stand together with Ukraine in defence of freedom and sovereignty in the face of unprovoked aggression.\"\n\nThe King also spoke about the fight against climate change, adding: \"I am utterly convinced that the connections between us will grow ever stronger as, together, we pursue a more sustainable, prosperous and secure future.\"\n\nHe also mentioned his late mother, thanking the German people for the messages of \"support and affection\" they sent when she died last year.\n\n\"Over all these years, and in so many ways, I have been struck by the warmth of the friendship between our nations and by the vitality of our partnership in countless areas,\" the King said.\n\n\"It was, Mr President, a friendship which mattered greatly to my mother, the late Queen, who cared deeply about the bond between our two countries.\n\n\"The relationship between Germany and the United Kingdom matters greatly to me... I will do all I can to strengthen the connections between us.\"\n\nIn his speech the King drew laughs from guests when he referenced a British comedy sketch called \"dinner for one\".\n\nIn it an elderly aristocrat dines alone while her waiter gets progressively more drunk as he consumes the alcohol poured for her missing dinner guests.\n\nBoth the King and president raised a toast at the end of their remarks, with President Steinmeier also unveiling a photograph of Charles as a child with his late father, the Duke of Edinburgh.\n\nThis is King Charles's first state visit as monarch\n\nKing Charles praised the \"generosity of spirit\" of the German people\n\nFormer German chancellor Angela Merkel sat next to King Charles at the banquet\n\nStrictly Come Dancing judge Motsi Mabuse and her husband, Ukrainian dancer Evgenij Voznyuk, met the royals before the banquet - Camilla is reported to be a Strictly fan\n\nWednesday's state visit began with a 21-gun salute and fighter jet fly-past as the King and Camilla emerged from the ministerial plane Voyager after touching down at Berlin-Brandenburg Airport.\n\nAs a mark of respect, the couple's plane was escorted by two Typhoon jets as it approached the airport.\n\nFrom there, it was on to the ceremonial arrival at the Brandenburg Gate, the symbolic heart of Berlin. The sky was cold and grey, but the display in King Charles' honour was intended to show the warmth of the greeting from President Steinmeier.\n\nThis was the first time in history the Brandenburg Gate had served as the backdrop to the welcome reception of any visiting head of state.\n\nThe monument is a symbol of the country's division during the Cold War and subsequent reunification. For more than three decades, it stood just behind the wall which divided West and East Germany.\n\nThere were also splashes of colour from flags which hung around Pariser Platz - and not just German and British flags, but also conspicuously many EU flags.\n\nAnd that reflected the underlying purpose of this state visit - to strengthen relations with an important European partner that might have been frayed by Brexit.\n\nIt was a formal meeting between heads of state, with military bands and tight security, but it was also a carefully choreographed piece of diplomatic theatre, delivering an image of unity in Germany's most iconic setting.\n\nAfter the flags were hoisted and national anthems were played, King Charles and President Steinmeier made their way to greet crowds of people who had lined the streets to catch a glimpse of the British monarch.\n\nThe King and Queen Consort were formally welcomed by President Steinmeier and First Lady Elke B\u00fcdenbender\n\nThe King and German president shook hands and spoke with some of those in the crowd\n\nPresident Steinmeier described the decision to pick Germany to host the state visit as an \"important gesture for German-British relations\".\n\nIn his banquet speech, he acknowledged how that relationship had changed but said \"we are opening a new chapter\" between the two countries.\n\n\"Our situation is different as we look to the future, yet we are doing so together,\" he said.\n\n\"No matter what lies ahead, I know that our German-British friendship will remain significant and will remain firm. Our friendship is important and it is strong.\"\n\nKing Charles and Camilla, the Queen Consort, sign the Golden Book as they visit Schloss Bellevue\n\nAs head of state, the King's official visits are decided on government advice. The choice of Germany - and originally, France - as the first overseas destinations visited by the monarch will be seen as prioritising stronger relations with European neighbours.\n\nAnnouncing the state visit earlier this month, Buckingham Palace said it would \"celebrate Britain's relationship\" with Germany, \"marking our shared histories, culture and values\".\n\nAs well as addressing what a palace spokesperson called the \"sacrifices and challenges of our shared past\", the trip is intended to focus on modern challenges, including climate change and the war in Ukraine.\n\nThe King will become the first British sovereign to address the Bundestag, the German Federal Parliament, on Thursday.\n\nKing Charles and Camilla were originally due to be welcomed at a red carpet reception in the Elys\u00e9e Palace in Paris on Sunday.\n\nBut the French leg of their European tour was cancelled last week after protesters planned further demonstrations over President Emmanuel Macron's pension reforms to coincide with the visit.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/uk-65115192"}
{"title":"Melissa Joan Hart: I helped kids flee shooting - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-29","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"The Sabrina The Teenage Witch actress says she was near Monday's deadly Nashville school shooting.","section":"US & Canada","content":"Melissa Joan Hart said this is the second time a mass shooting had occurred in her community\n\nUS actress Melissa Joan Hart has said she helped children flee after the Nashville school shooting.\n\nIn an emotional video on Instagram, Hart said her children go to school near The Covenant School, where an attacker opened fire on Monday.\n\nThe Sabrina The Teenage Witch actress said she and her husband helped a class of kindergartners escape and reunite with their families.\n\nThree children and three adults were killed in the shooting.\n\nThe children were nine-year-old pupils at the Christian private school. The adults were all staff members.\n\nHart said that she and her husband were in the area on their way to attend conferences at their children's school when the shooting unfolded on Monday morning.\n\nThey then assisted with family reunification efforts as pupils from The Covenant School began to flee.\n\n\"We helped a class of kindergartners across a busy highway. They were climbing out of the woods. They were trying to escape the shooter situation at their school,\" Hart said, appearing visibly upset.\n\n\"So we helped all these tiny little kids cross the road and get their teachers over there, and we helped a mom reunite with her children.\"\n\nThis Instagram post cannot be displayed in your browser. Please enable Javascript or try a different browser. View original post on Instagram The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Skip instagram post by melissajoanhart This article contains content provided by Instagram. We ask for your permission before anything is loaded, as they may be using cookies and other technologies. You may want to read Meta\u2019s Instagram cookie policy, external and privacy policy, external before accepting. To view this content choose \u2018accept and continue\u2019. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.\n\nHart noted that this is the second time a mass shooting had occurred in her community.\n\nShe previously lived in Connecticut and her children attended a school near Sandy Hook, where a gunman opened fire and killed 20 children in 2012.\n\n\"This is our second experience with a school shooting with our kids being in close proximity,\" she said.\n\n\"I just don't know what to say anymore,\" she added later in the video. \"It is just, enough is enough. Just pray. Pray for the families.\"\n\nThe Nashville shooter has been identified by police as 28-year-old Audrey Hale, a former student of the school.\n\nOfficers said Hale was armed with at least two assault-style weapons and a handgun, all of which were purchased legally. The suspect was killed by police shortly after the shooting began.\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Watch: 'No parent should have to receive that call'","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/world-us-canada-65114339"}
{"title":"Man guilty of murdering train passenger with horseshoe in Reading - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-29","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"Kirkpatrick Virgo attacked Thomas Parker after an argument over music being played on their train.","section":"Berkshire","content":"Thomas Parker and his brother became involved in an argument about music being played on the train\n\nA man who killed a fellow passenger with a horseshoe after a row about music being played on their train has been found guilty of murder.\n\nKirkpatrick Virgo attacked Thomas Parker, 24, on a platform at Reading station after the journey on 30 July.\n\nIt followed an argument between the pair after one of Virgo's friends was told to turn the music down.\n\nVirgo, 42, from Slough, had previously admitted manslaughter and carrying an offensive weapon but denied murder.\n\nKirkpatrick Virgo told Reading Crown Court he bought the horseshoe as a \"lucky charm\"\n\nDuring a trial at Reading Crown Court, the jury heard the row started at about 23:00 BST when Mr Parker's brother Craig, 27, asked for the volume of the music to be lowered.\n\nThe two groups shouted at each other before the altercation was ended by off-duty police officers.\n\nVirgo then followed the Parker brothers after the train arrived at Reading station, the jury was told.\n\nCraig Parker told the court he went to be sick behind a pillar after feeling ill from a McDonald's milkshake he had consumed during the journey.\n\n\"Once I vomited I felt Tom looking over me, making sure I was all right,\" he said, adding: \"Then it happened, so quickly, Tom was on the floor in front of me.\"\n\nVirgo followed the group before removing the horseshoe from his rucksack\n\nThe court heard Virgo had followed the group, removing a heavy horseshoe from his rucksack, which he then used to hit Thomas Parker in the head.\n\nVirgo told jurors he bought the horseshoe as a \"lucky charm\" from an antiques shop and was carrying it because he had not got round to hanging it on a door.\n\nHe claimed he was spat at and racially abused by Thomas Parker who he feared was going to attack him.\n\nBritish Transport Police (BTP) said the victim had been on his way home from a match between Arsenal and Sevilla at the Emirates Stadium in London.\n\nCCTV footage showed Virgo and two friends boarding the same train at Slough carrying a boom box and accounts taken from witnesses stated they were playing loud music, the force said in a statement.\n\nDuring the argument, passengers heard Virgo remark: \"Do you want to die tonight?\"\n\nFollowing the attack, Craig Parker chased Virgo through the station, catching him on the concourse and tackling him to the floor in a \"bear hug\" before rail staff intervened and alerted emergency services.\n\nAfter Virgo was detained, Mr Parker said he heard someone tell him: \"You best come down now.\"\n\nHe returned to find his brother surrounded by paramedics. He was pronounced dead at the scene at 00:40 BST.\n\nThomas Parker, a golf greenkeeper, was described by his family as \"loving and funny\",\n\nSpeaking after the verdict, Det Ch Insp Paul Langley, from BTP, said Mr Parker was a young man with his whole life ahead of him.\n\n\"But that life was taken away by an extremely violent individual who fatally struck him following a disagreement,\" he said.\n\n\"Thanks to a single shocking act of violence by Kirkpatrick Virgo, Tom's family now face the rest of their lives without their brother, son and friend.\"\n\nVirgo will be sentenced at the same court on Friday.\n\nFollow BBC South on Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram. Send your story ideas to south.newsonline@bbc.co.uk.\n\nThe BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/uk-england-berkshire-65104602"}
{"title":"Next says prices to rise by less than expected this year - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-29","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"Lower shipping costs and factory prices means price rises will be lower this year, retailer says.","section":"Business","content":"High Street retailer Next has said it will put up its prices by less than expected this year.\n\nIt said it now expected prices to rise by 7% in the spring and summer of 2023, and 3% in the autumn and winter - slightly less than the increases it warned of in January.\n\nIt said shipping costs were falling and suppliers were charging better rates.\n\nIt came as Next reported a 5.7% rise in pre-tax profits to \u00a3870.4m for the year to January.\n\nOn Tuesday, the retailer also announced it would buy the Cath Kidston fashion brand for \u00a38.5m, but not its shops.\n\nNext has about 500 stores and trades online. It is often considered a good indicator of how the British High Street is doing.\n\nThe retailer had already put up its prices in 2022, blaming rising production costs and a weaker pound.\n\nAnd in January it said prices would have to rise again by 8% this spring and summer, and by a further 6% this autumn.\n\nBut on Wednesday, Next boss Simon Wolfson said he expected the UK to be \"past peak inflation\" towards the end of the year.\n\nDespite the strong results, Next is forecasting 2023 will be bumpy, with sales and profits falling as energy and wage costs remain high.\n\nMost businesses have been putting up prices, with grocers Aldi and Lidl hiking them recently.\n\nLast year bakery chain Greggs, retailer Marks & Spencer and furniture business Dunelm also announced price increases.\n\nThe Bank of England expects overall inflation - the rate at which prices rise - to fall to under 3% by the end of the year, as energy and food costs come down.\n\nBut there was a surprise jump in inflation to 10.4% in the year to February from 10.1% in January.\n\nThe Bank of England has put up interest rates 11 times since December 2021 to try to control rising prices.\n\nAnd Governor Andrew Bailey has urged businesses not to put up prices faster than inflation, warning it would drive up the cost of living even further.\n\n\"I would say to people who are setting prices - please understand, if we get inflation embedded, interest rates will have to go up further and higher inflation really benefits nobody,\" Andrew Bailey told the BBC's Today programme.\n\nLord Wolfson declined to comment on Mr Bailey's remarks but suggested Next would reflect falling inflation rates in its pricing.\n\n\"Where we get better prices, we've passed them on to consumers\u2026 We want to remain competitive in the long run.\"","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/business-65109131"}
{"title":"Paul O'Grady death: Camilla and Elton John pay tribute - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-29","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"The Queen Consort, who knew the 67-year-old through their charity work, is \"deeply saddened\" by his death.","section":"Entertainment & Arts","content":"While Paul wasn\u2019t born in Liverpool - though many think he was - he became an icon on the city.\n\nHere at the Royal Albert Dock his actual birthplace, Birkenhead, is visible over the River Mersey.\n\nAnd it\u2019s here that people have come to pay their respects thanks to a very special, and quite funny, portrait of him.\n\nThe Paul O\u2019Grady portrait, made of Jelly Beans, has become somewhat of a local landmark.\n\nI walk my dog almost daily around the Albert Dock and it\u2019s rare that I walk past without spotting someone posing for a photograph next to it.\n\nSo naturally, as people pass today, many are stopping for an extra few moments to pay their respects to Paul.\n\nMartin Davies from Newport with the jelly bean portrait of Paul O'Grady Image caption: Martin Davies from Newport with the jelly bean portrait of Paul O'Grady\n\nAmong them are Clive and Diane Ballard, on holiday in Liverpool from Essex.\n\nDiane said: \u201cHe was such a comedian. He had that great sense of humour. He seemed to be a warm hearted person that anyone would get along with.\u201d\n\nClive added: \u201cWe loved him for Lilly Savage. Drag Queens are always such characters and he was a right character.\u201d\n\nMartin Davies, visiting Liverpool from Newport, South Wales, is among the many who stopped to get pictures with the portrait.\n\nHe said: \u201cI think people just loved him because he was himself. He was so genuine.\u201d","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/live\/entertainment-arts-65108689"}
{"title":"Elon Musk among experts urging a halt to AI training - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-29","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"Elon Musk among those calling for training in powerful artificial intelligence to be suspended.","section":"Technology","content":"Elon Musk is among those warning of the risks from advanced AI\n\nKey figures in artificial intelligence want training of powerful AI systems to be suspended amid fears of a threat to humanity.\n\nThey have signed an open letter warning of potential risks, and say the race to develop AI systems is out of control.\n\nTwitter chief Elon Musk is among those who want training of AIs above a certain capacity to be halted for at least six months.\n\nApple co-founder Steve Wozniak and some researchers at DeepMind also signed.\n\nOpenAI, the company behind ChatGPT, recently released GPT-4 - a state-of-the-art technology, which has impressed observers with its ability to do tasks such as answering questions about objects in images.\n\nThe letter, from Future of Life Institute and signed by the luminaries, wants development to be halted temporarily at that level, warning in their letter of the risks future, more advanced systems might pose.\n\n\"AI systems with human-competitive intelligence can pose profound risks to society and humanity,\" it says.\n\nThe Future of Life Institute is a not-for-profit organisation which says its mission is to \"steer transformative technologies away from extreme, large-scale risks and towards benefiting life\".\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser.\n\nMr Musk, owner of Twitter and chief executive of car company Tesla, is listed as an external adviser to the organisation.\n\nAdvanced AIs need to be developed with care, the letter says, but instead, \"recent months have seen AI labs locked in an out-of-control race to develop and deploy ever more powerful digital minds that no-one - not even their creators - can understand, predict, or reliably control\".\n\nThe letter warns that AIs could flood information channels with misinformation, and replace jobs with automation.\n\nThe letter follows a recent report from investment bank Goldman Sachs which said that while AI was likely to increase productivity, millions of jobs could become automated.\n\nHowever, other experts told the BBC the effect of AI on the labour market was very hard to predict.\n\nMore speculatively, the letter asks: \"Should we develop non-human minds that might eventually outnumber, outsmart, obsolete [sic] and replace us?\"\n\nStuart Russell, computer-science professor at the University of California, Berkeley, and a signatory to the letter, told BBC News: \"AI systems pose significant risks to democracy through weaponised disinformation, to employment through displacement of human skills and to education through plagiarism and demotivation.\"\n\nAnd in the future, advanced AI's may pose a \"more general threat to human control over our civilization\".\n\n\"In the long run, taking sensible precautions is a small price to pay to mitigate these risks,\" Prof Russell added.\n\nBut Princeton computer-science professor Arvind Narayanan accused the letter of focusing on \"speculative, futuristic risk, ignoring the version of the problem that is already harming people\".\n\nIn a recent blog post quoted in the letter, OpenAI warned of the risks if an artificial general intelligence (AGI) were developed recklessly: \"A misaligned superintelligent AGI could cause grievous harm to the world; an autocratic regime with a decisive superintelligence lead could do that, too.\n\n\"Co-ordination among AGI efforts to slow down at critical junctures will likely be important,\" the firm wrote.\n\nOpenAI has not publicly commented on the letter. The BBC has asked the firm whether it backs the call.\n\nMr Musk was a co-founder of OpenAI - though he resigned from the board of the organisation some years ago and has tweeted critically about its current direction.\n\nAutonomous driving functions made by his car company Tesla, like most similar systems, use AI technology.\n\nThe letter asks AI labs \"to immediately pause for at least six months the training of AI systems more powerful than GPT-4\".\n\nIf such a delay cannot be enacted quickly, governments should step in and institute a moratorium, it says.\n\n\"New and capable regulatory authorities dedicated to AI\" would also be needed.\n\nRecently, a number of proposals for the regulation of technology have been put forward in the US, UK and EU. However, the UK has ruled out a dedicated regulator for AI.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/technology-65110030"}
{"title":"Prince Harry accuses Associated Newspapers of 'criminality' - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-29","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"The Duke of Sussex is bringing a legal case alongside six other claimants, including Sir Elton John.","section":"UK","content":"Prince Harry has criticised attempts by Associated Newspapers to have the High Court case thrown out\n\nPrince Harry says he is determined to hold the publisher of the Mail newspapers to account as he says he is \"deeply concerned\" by their \"unchecked power, influence and criminality\".\n\nHis witness statement was disclosed as part of his privacy case against Associated Newspapers.\n\nIn it, he also claimed he was kept out of Royal Family discussions about taking legal action on phone hacking.\n\nHe attended the High Court for a second day of legal arguments on Tuesday.\n\nThe Duke of Sussex and six other claimants, including Sir Elton John and Baroness Doreen Lawrence - the mother of murdered teenager Stephen Lawrence - claim their personal information was obtained illegally and used as material for Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday stories.\n\nAssociated Newspapers has dismissed the claims as \"preposterous smears\" based on a \"fishing expedition\".\n\nIn the duke's statement, he criticises attempts by the publisher in court this week to have the case thrown out for legal reasons.\n\n\"Unfair is not a big enough word to describe the fact that Associated is trying at this early stage to prevent me from bringing my claim,\" the statement reads.\n\n\"If the most influential and popular newspaper in the UK can evade justice without there being a trial of my claims, then what does that say about the industry as a whole and the consequences for our great country.\n\n\"I am bringing this claim because I love my country and I remain deeply concerned by the unchecked power, influence and criminality of Associated.\"\n\nThe statement details stories the duke claims were based on private information which had been obtained illegally.\n\nThey include reports about his relationships with two girlfriends.\n\nHe also criticises a story about his reaction, along with that of his brother William, to the publication of pictures of his dying mother in the Italian media.\n\n\"It is really disgusting\", he says, with a \"crude headline\" and \"explicit reference to a phone call\".\n\n\"My brother and I were relatively young at the time (I was just 21) and we were having private conversations about photographs of our dead mother which had been put into the public domain.\"\n\nIn his witness statement, Prince Harry said the Royal Family - which he referred to as the Institution - had been withholding information from him about the possibility of taking legal action in response to media intrusions.\n\nHe said he only started talking to a senior lawyer for the Royal Family when he began dating his now wife and \"defamatory stories\" were published.\n\nThe prince eventually became aware he could take legal action over phone hacking in 2018, he says.\n\n\"The Institution made it clear that we did not need to know anything about phone hacking and it was made clear to me that the Royal Family did not sit in the witness box because that could open up a can of worms,\" he said.\n\nSir Elton John and his husband David Furnish have made claims in the High Court case\n\nFellow claimant Sir Elton John has meanwhile accused a private investigator of tapping his home phone and that of his gardener.\n\nHe said it was a \"violation of our home and the safety of our children and loved ones.\"\n\nSir Elton is claiming damages in relation to 10 articles for which he says the Mail titles \"misused information which they stole from our family and friends\".\n\nIn his witness statement, he said the Mail exploited \"love, connection, trust and bonds to find out information shared in confidence\".\n\nSir Elton's case against Associated Newspapers includes the claim that a private investigator obtained details of his medical conditions, including that he had \"collapsed on a plane\".\n\nHis husband, David Furnish, is also making claims in the High Court legal action.\n\nHis statement reveals the couple were informed by the actor Liz Hurley of the allegation that their live phone calls had been intercepted by an investigator working for the Mail on Sunday.\n\nShe said the investigator appeared to know that Sir Elton did not have his own mobile phone and used several landlines.\n\nMs Hurley alleged that her calls had also been tapped.\n\nBaroness Lawrence claims private investigators working for the Daily Mail tapped her home phone and hacked her voicemails.\n\nIn her own statement to the High Court, she also accused the newspaper of commissioning investigators to monitor her bank accounts and phone bills.\n\nShe says she trusted the Daily Mail, which had strongly campaigned for justice for her family, but concluded: \"I was played for a fool.\"\n\nAssociated Newspapers rejected her allegations as \"appalling and utterly groundless smears\".\n\nThe publisher said the claims were based on the word of private investigator Jonathan Rees, who has served a prison sentence for perverting the course of justice.\n\nIn a statement last year, Associated said: \"It is deeply saddening that whoever is cynically and unscrupulously orchestrating these claims appears to have persuaded Baroness Lawrence - for whom the Mail has the greatest respect and admiration - to endorse the word of someone who is such a manifestly discredited and untrustworthy liar.\"\n\nBut Baroness Lawrence said in her witness statement, disclosed by the court, that she feared the actions of private investigators may have disrupted investigations into Stephen's murder.\n\nIn her statement, she said: \"We developed good relationships with the press and by February 1997 we aligned ourselves with the Daily Mail and who always held themselves out to be the guardians of truth and justice, the people who fight corruption and who hold the bad people accountable and who really cared about the fact my son's killers had walked free.\"\n\nBut upon discovering the alleged use of private investigators, she said there had been a \"level of trust\" and \"the betrayal I felt when that was taken away and I realised it had all been false was intense\".\n\nShe added: \"I cannot think of any act or conduct lower than stealing and exploiting information from a murder and from a mother who buried her son, and by people who pretended to be my friends.\n\n\"It has been a new trauma and injustice for me.\"\n\nAllegations in the case against Associated Newspapers include phone tapping, \"hacking\" of voicemail messages and the use of private investigators to obtain personal data.\n\nMore than 70 journalists have been implicated by the allegations made by seven claimants - Prince Harry, Sir Elton John and his husband David Furnish, Sadie Frost, Liz Hurley, Baroness Doreen Lawrence and Sir Simon Hughes.\n\nTheir names cannot be reported for legal reasons.\n\nLegal arguments on Tuesday centred on ledgers setting out payments made by Associated Newspapers (ANL) to 19 private investigators in the past, alleged to have been working for the journalists.\n\nThe seven claimants say these were for large sums of money and are proof that illegal methods were being used to gather information about them.\n\nThe ledgers were disclosed to the Leveson Inquiry into press standards in 2011.\n\nANL is trying to get part of the case struck out because, it says, the Leveson files cannot be used in other cases, due to confidentiality rules.\n\nThe company also says that two barristers in this case, and Sir Simon Hughes, were closely involved in the Leveson Inquiry and gave \"undertakings\" not to disclose documents they received.\n\nBarristers for ANL told the court these restrictions would have to be removed by the government if the evidence was to be used in the current case. This has not happened and they said sections of the case relying on the ledgers should therefore be struck out.\n\nBut David Sherborne, representing the seven who are suing Associated, told the judge, Mr Justice Nicklin, that the ledgers had in fact been obtained by an investigative journalist, not from the Leveson Inquiry.\n\nAs a leading barrister at the Leveson Inquiry, representing victims of press intrusion, he had personally agreed not to disclose confidential information.\n\nBut he said that undertaking ended when the inquiry report was published in 2012.\n\nThe court also released the witness statement of private investigator Gavin Burrows, who denied all allegations that he hacked phones, tapped landlines, or bugged cars on behalf of the Daily Mail or Mail on Sunday.\n\nAddressing the specific allegations made by Prince Harry, Baroness Lawrence, Elton John, David Furnish, Sadie Frost and Liz Hurley, he said: \"I was not instructed or commissioned by the Mail on Sunday or the Daily Mail to conduct unlawful information gathering.\"\n\nTwo other private investigators have also made statements to the court admitting their role in supplying illegally-obtained information to journalists at the Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/uk-65105315"}
{"title":"Julian Knight: Met Police drop sexual assault investigation into Tory MP - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-29","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"Julian Knight, who was suspended as a Tory MP over the case, had always denied the allegations.","section":"UK Politics","content":"The Metropolitan Police has said it is no longer investigating allegations of sexual assault against a Tory MP.\n\nJulian Knight, who was suspended from the parliamentary Conservative Party over the case, had always denied the allegations.\n\nThe Tory whips office said it would not restore Mr Knight as a Tory MP following \"further complaints\".\n\nMr Knight has claimed he is the victim of a \"continuing a witch hunt against me\" by the whips.\n\nA spokesperson for the Chief Whip Simon Hart said: \"Following further complaints made to the Whips' Office, we will not be restoring the whip to Julian Knight.\n\n\"These complaints, if appropriate, will be referred to the relevant police force, or appropriate bodies.\"\n\nMr Knight said the statement from the whips \"smacks of a desperate attempt to cover up the identities and motives of those in Parliament who colluded for many months to bring the false allegation against me to the police\".\n\n\"The whips office now seems intent on continuing a witch hunt against me in an attempt to prevent my naming names,\" he added.\n\nAn investigation was launched after police received allegations of serious sexual assault.\n\nScotland Yard received an allegation on 28 October last year, before a further referral relating to the incident was made on 7 December.\n\nIn a statement, the police said they are no longer proceeding with an investigation and there have been no arrests.\n\nMr Knight said he was not interviewed by the police, in a statement released before the whips office announced that he would not return to sit as a Conservative MP.\n\nHe said: \"The fact is that there was never anything for the police to investigate. This was a single, false and malicious allegation initially brought to them by third parties, each of whom had their own clear motives for doing so.\"\n\nHe said the Conservative whips office \"acted disgracefully and in breach of natural justice\" in \"publicly naming me in connection with the allegation\".\n\n\"Their actions meant my name was dragged through the mud and my good reputation immeasurably damaged,\" Mr Knight said.\n\nHe added: \"Had the police taken the simple step at outset of interviewing me under caution, they would have seen that the allegation was false and scandalous. Instead, they waited four months, without ever talking to me, before deciding there was nothing for them to investigate.\n\n\"I have been left effectively to prove my innocence through my public statements and letters to the Commissioner of the Metropolitan Police and the Chief Whip. That cannot be right.\n\n\"It is now my intention to use every legal route available to pursue those inside and outside Parliament involved in having this allegation brought against me.\"\n\nThe Solihull MP is the chairman of the Commons Digital, Culture, Media and Sport Committee and has represented the constituency since 2015.\n\nHe currently sits as an independent after being suspended as a Conservative MP in December last year.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/uk-politics-65115208"}
{"title":"Scotland 2-0 Spain: Steve Clarke's classy and clinical side give coming of age show - BBC Sport","published_date":"2023-03-29","authors":null,"description":"Scotland deliver a performance for the ages to vanquish a new-look Spain on an unforgettable night at Hampden, writes Tom English.","section":null,"content":"On nights like this - tumultuous and turbulent and a triumph from beginning to end - you raise your eyes to the heavens and thank the man above for Scott McTominay and his giant-killing chums, for Steve Clarke and his heroic leadership, and for the Hampden crowd in all their ground-shaking-under-your-feet euphoria.\n\nScotland hadn't beaten Spain since 1984, when Mo Johnston and Kenny Dalglish were the heroes. Ronald Reagan was president of the United States of America in 1984. Band Aid was in 1984. Diego Maradona joined Napoli in 1984. 1984 was a long, long, long time ago. Clarke had his 21st birthday that year.\n\nWhen Kieran Tierney sped away from the Champions League-laden Dani Carvajal early in the second half, an entire stadium jumped to its feet in anticipation. When McTominay drilled his shot between the legs of David Garcia and past Kepa Arrizabalaga, the place erupted.\n\u2022 None Podcast: 'There's no reason this team can't get to the Euros'\n\nNever mind being able to hear the noise from one end of Glasgow to the other, you could have heard the racket from Santiago de Compostela to Seville. They'll have been gulping in Norway and Georgia, too. This was a night that will have reverberated around Europe.\n\nWith a new manager, a new captain, a new team, new tactics, Spain also had a new experience. Before this, they had lost only seven times in 146 qualifying games for European Championships and World Cups.\n\nMake that eight. Make that a haunted look on the face of their players. Make it a post-mortem in their media and some deeply uncomfortable times for Luis de la Fuente, only in the job a wet week and already in danger of being overcome by a deluge of flak.\n\n'Spain high on histrionics but low on cutting edge'\n\nTwo goals to the good, this was fantasy football come true. McTominay, an utter colossus on a night of giants, came off the bench on Saturday against Cyprus and scored twice late on. He took seven minutes to score again.\n\nPoor Pedro Porro. Nobody warned him how tricky underfoot the Hampden pitch can be. Never let another bad word be said about this majestic, magic carpet. He slipped on the surface and let Andy Robertson in behind him. Robertson, like a terrier, pulled it back for McTominay and his shot got a deflection that took it past Kepa.\n\nHampden screamed its head off and rubbed its eyes in disbelief.\n\nOn the touchline, De la Fuente turned away in angst. He said that a new era in Spanish football had dawned with his appointment but he can't have predicted this. He took Luis Enrique's World Cup squad, World Cup tactics and World Cup mindset with its sideways passing and its attempt to inflict death by possession and chucked it in the bin. But what has he replaced it with?\n\nHe elevated younger players and dispensed with older ones. He took other older ones from the wilderness and put them in his team. Against Norway on Saturday, he gave Espanyol striker Joselu a debut two days short of his 33rd birthday. Against Scotland, he gave Osasuna centre-back David Garcia a debut at 29.\n\nFrom Spain's exit from the World Cup to the Norway game, his first in charge, the coach made a host of changes. From Norway to Hampden, he made another eight. A brand-new team with a new back four, a new attacking three and a new front man. None of it worked. None of it.\n\nRobertson's tenacity and McTominay's Midas touch set the night up perfectly; it engaged the crowd and rattled the Spaniards, who came steaming back into it. The first half was frenetic and narky. There was all sorts going on. Lusty tackles, play-acting, missed chances, controversy.\n\nJoselu, scorer of two goals in two minutes against Norway, was the pantomime baddie here. He missed from point-blank range midway through the half, he hit the crossbar from whatever position is more point-blank range than point-blank range seconds later. Spain's crosses were sumptuous, their finishing slapstick.\n\nAnd there was the incident that drove them scatty. Robertson's shoulder connected with Porro's chin and down the Tottenham defender went. Down and over and across he went, like a fish being landed. Robertson, it has to be said, was lucky. His elbow caught Porro and he got away with it. It was a big break on a momentous night that only got more intoxicating as it went on.\n\nSpain were high on histrionics but low on cutting edge. They could and should have had a penalty, Joselu going down after his shirt was pulled, but maybe he was seen as the boy who cried wolf at that point. Play went on, Joselu beat the grass in frustration, Hampden laughed. Uproariously.\n\nIt was one of the most brilliant halves of football seen at Hampden in years. This wasn't a grim, but exciting, battle against a minnow; not a thrilling get-out-of-jail situation, the like of which we have seen in the recent past. This was a top nation being beaten by a fast-emerging nation, a new Spain team being put away by a team truly coming of age.\n\nMcTominay's second was a joy, pure and simple. Tierney, with little game time under his belt for Arsenal, made light of Carvajal down the left. He made the decorated full-back look like an old man. The finish from the Manchester United player was more akin to a guy from across the city. Haaland-esque.\n\nThere was more, loads more. Spain dug deep to try to claw their way out of the hole they were in but Scotland, showing the resilience that has seen them concede one goal in their last five competitive matches, were having none of it.\n\nEverybody stepped up. Everybody. If the aristocrats from Madrid, Barcelona and beyond weren't aware of the legend of Ryan Porteous, then they're aware of it now.\n\nSpain had some moments that were snuffed out. Scotland had some other moments that were also missed, not that it mattered. It mattered not an inch, not when they were already a veritable mile ahead.\n\nThey closed it out like the excellent team they are now. Confident, classy and clinical. A new Scotland, top of the table. Bask in the glory.\n\u2022 None Watch the nail-biting final of The Apprentice\n\u2022 None Is paying more for premium petrol worth it?: Greg Foot drives the investigation into the fumy world of petrol","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/sport\/football\/65107499"}
{"title":"Amsterdam launches stay away ad campaign targeting young British men - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-29","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"The Dutch city targets UK men aged 18-35 in an ad campaign aimed at changing its reputation.","section":"Europe","content":"Amsterdam has warned rowdy British sex and drug tourists to \"stay away\".\n\nA digital discouragement campaign targeting men aged 18 to 35 in the UK is being pushed out by the Dutch city's council.\n\nThe initiative forms part of efforts to clean up Amsterdam's raunchy reputation as Europe's most liberal party capital.\n\nTypically blunt, the videos show young men staggering in the street, handcuffed by police, finger-printed and having their mugshots taken.\n\nThe online ads, highlighting the risks associated with the excessive use of drugs and booze, will be triggered when people in Britain tap in terms like - stag party, cheap hotel or pub crawl Amsterdam.\n\nThe message is uncompromising - a long weekend in Amsterdam may create the wrong kind of memories, the escapism you crave in the renowned party capital could result in inescapable convictions.\n\nBrits can find return flights to Amsterdam for \u00a350 (\u20ac57; $62).\n\nUK-based travel agencies also offer stag weekends in Amsterdam, including canal boat cruises with unlimited booze, \"steak and strip\" nights and red light district pub crawls.\n\nFor years people have complained of drunken Brits urinating in public, throwing up in canals, stripping off and engaging in drunken brawls.\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser.\n\nThis is not a new phenomenon. Almost a decade ago, Amsterdam's then mayor invited his London counterpart Boris Johnson, who had described the city as \"sleazy\", to see for himself what Brits got up to.\n\n\"They don't wear a coat as they slalom through the red light district\u2026 they sing 'You'll never walk alone'. They are dressed as rabbits or priests and sometimes they are not dressed at all. I'd love to invite him to witness it,\" Eberhard van der Laan said at the time.\n\nCritics argue the targeted ad campaigns are discriminatory and are based on unfair stereotypes.\n\nIn the Netherlands, coffee shops are allowed to sell cannabis as long as they follow certain strict conditions, like not serving alcoholic drinks or selling to minors.\n\n\"Tourists come for the museums and also for the coffeeshops,\" Joachim Helms, owner of the Greenhouse coffee shop, told me.\n\nHe nodded towards a woman in her 60s and pointed out his clientele came from all social and economic walks of life, arguing that attempts to exclude some based on their age and gender violated the principles of freedom, tolerance and equality that Amsterdam prided itself on.\n\nJoachim Helm's coffee shop has been visited by many stars, including Miley Cyrus, Snoop Dogg, Rihanna and Justin Bieber\n\nBut the narrow, cobbled, bike-laden streets and canals are under pressure.\n\nAmsterdam is one of the world's most visited cities. Around 20 million visitors - including a million Brits - visit the city, which has a population of approximately 883,000, every year.\n\nBut over-tourism is testing the locals' tolerance and has compelled the council to act.\n\nLarger-than-life billboards displayed in the red light district show photos of residents, with words reminding visitors: \"We Live Here\".\n\nThe council is in the process of moving the famous neon-lit windows, where sex workers parade for trade, out of the residential heart of the capital to a new \"erotic zone\".\n\nWhispers about banning the sex trade entirely have faded for now. Instead, more stringent operating rules are being introduced.\n\nStarting this weekend, brothels and bars will have earlier closing times and a ban on smoking cannabis on the streets in and around the Red Light District comes into force in May.\n\nThere is still debate about whether tourists should be banned from the Dutch capital's cannabis cafes.\n\nAmsterdam's mission is to make the industry less seedy, more sustainable, and the city, more liveable.\n\nBut many locals living in the tall narrow townhouses that line the 17th-Century canal rings tell me it is not the young men who are the problem but the sheer numbers.\n\n\"It feels like we're living in Disneyland or a zoo,\" the Visser family told me.\n\nDeputy Mayor Sofyan Mbarki said Amsterdam was already taking more management measures than other large cities in Europe.\n\n\"Visitors will remain welcome but not if they misbehave and cause nuisance,\" he added.\n\nPeople have been responding to the anti-tourism campaign on social media, with one man joking it \"looks more like a commercial to me\" and another remarking it was a \"mystery why 18-35 [year olds] would be attracted to a city with legalised drug cafes and brothels\".\n\nOthers seem sceptical of the campaign, with one woman writing: \"They want to make money with families and museums but they know it's weed and red light that keep the city running.\"","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/world-europe-65107405"}
{"title":"Jason Smyth: Six-time Paralympic champion retires aged 35 - BBC Sport","published_date":"2023-03-29","authors":null,"description":"Ireland's Jason Smyth, who won 21 major titles in an illustrious sprinting career, announces his retirement at the age of 35.","section":null,"content":"Last updated on .From the section Disability Sport\n\nJason Smyth, Paralympic sport's fastest man until 2021, has announced his retirement at the age of 35.\n\nThe Ireland sprinter earned six Paralympic titles, which included 100m and 200m doubles at the Beijing and London Games in 2008 and 2012.\n\nVisually-impaired Smyth stayed unbeaten during a Paralympic career which began at the 2005 European Championships.\n\nHis final Paralympic triumph saw him hold off Algeria's Skander Djamil Athmani in the T13 100m in Tokyo.\n\nThat was the Northern Irishman's 21st major title of a Paralympic career, which also included nine world titles and six European gold medals, and he remains the fastest-ever sprinter in his classification.\n\nHe has now taken up a new role with Paralympics Ireland which will see him work as strategy manager with the organisation.\n\nSmyth enjoyed the status of being the world's outright fastest Paralympian from 2012 until the Tokyo Paralympics in 2021, when his 100m time of 10.46, set in the T13 class, was beaten by 0.03 of a second by T12 runner Salum Ageze Kashafali.\n\nCounty Londonderry's Smyth had perfect vision up until the age of nine before a hereditary condition known as Stargardt's Disease began to cause his sight to deteriorate.\n\nHis athletics talent was developed by current UK Athletics technical director Stephen Maguire, who initially coached Smyth to an Irish Schools title before learning the full extent of his disability.\n\nThe Strabane man realised Smyth might be eligible for Paralympic competition and by the following summer he was a double European Paralympic champion, those performances qualifying Smyth for the maximum 40,000 Euros Irish Sports Council grant.\n\nIn addition to starring on the Paralympic stage, Smyth's 100m personal best of 10.22 seconds saw him compete alongside Usain Bolt and the planet's other greatest able-bodied sprinters at the 2011 World Championships in Daegu, South Korea.\n\nSmyth had become the first Paralympic athlete to compete at a European Championships when he reached the 100m semi-finals in Barcelona in 2010 and had high hopes of representing Ireland at both the Paralympics and Olympic Games at London 2012.\n\nHis 100m personal best from 2011 was an agonising 0.04 seconds outside the Olympic standard but he regrouped from that disappointment in spectacular style as he defended his Paralympic titles in London.\n\nIn the 100m final in the Olympic Stadium, Smyth improved his own T13 100m world record to 10.46 seconds and he produced an even more impressive performance in the 200m as he lowered his existing global mark to 21.05 seconds - 0.11 slower than his fastest performance in able-bodied competition in the longer sprint.\n\nThose two times remained his fastest performance in Paralympic competition but the titles continued to roll in for the Eglinton native over the next nine years - despite often battling against injury.\n\nSmyth's hopes of a third successive Paralympic sprint double were dashed by the International Paralympic Committee's decision to remove the T13 200m from the programme at the Rio Games in 2016.\n\nHowever, Smyth, who two years earlier had represented Northern Ireland at the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow, comfortably retained the 100m title as he clocked 10.64 seconds to finish 0.14 ahead of Namibia's Johannes Nambala.\n\nIt was altogether closer at the Tokyo Games in August 2021 which had been delayed for a year by the Covid-19 pandemic.\n\nSmyth's prized unbeaten record in Paralympic competition looked under major threat from emerging Algerian Athmani but a superb start from the Irishman gave him an early advantage in the final and his perfectly-judged dip at the finishing line helped him hold off the north African by the tightest of margins - 0.01 seconds.\n\nFollowing his Tokyo triumph, Smyth said that he would consider prolonging his Paralympic career until Paris 2024 but some 17 months before those Games, he has opted to bring the curtain down on his competitive days.\n\nSmyth's retirement closes a glorious Paralympic athletics chapter for both Irish and Northern Ireland sport following his great friend Michael McKillop's exit from the sport after the Tokyo Games.\n\nLike Smyth, McKillop secured double gold for Ireland at London 2012 after winning his first Paralympic title in Beijing four years ago and went on to clinch another triumph at the Rio Games.\n\nDespite his astonishing run of success, Smyth often spoke of his frustration at how the media interest would invariably quickly fade following his return home.\n\nIn the run-up to the delayed Tokyo Games, he also said he doubted there were obvious successors to Northern Ireland's golden generation of Paralympians which also included swimmer Bethany Firth, skier Kelly Gallagher as well as his fellow athlete McKillop.\n\nWith Smyth now retired, Firth is the only member of that quartet who remains in competition.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/sport\/disability-sport\/65100668"}
{"title":"Glan Clwyd Hospital: No major improvement at troubled A&E - report - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-29","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"Patients at Glan Clwyd Hospital are at significant risk of harm, inspection report finds.","section":"Wales","content":"It is the third critical inspection report in a year for Glan Clwyd Hospital's A&E department\n\nA third inspection in a year failed to find any major improvements at a north Wales hospital's emergency department.\n\nStaff at Glan Clwyd Hospital's A&E were said to be working tirelessly to give the best care possible, but the service still requires significant improvement.\n\nInspectors said poor sepsis screening and triage and pain relief delays were putting patients at significant risk.\n\nHealth Minister Eluned Morgan admitted there were still \"very, very serious problems\" at the department.\n\nInspectors' concerns about standards in the department were classified as the most significant, with minimal improvements since their two previous visits.\n\nThe report comes a month after the health board was placed back in special measures following a damning audit report, and 11 independent board members were told to quit by the Welsh government.\n\nHealthcare Inspectorate Wales (HIW) visited the emergency department of the hospital in Bodelwyddan, Denbighshire, in November after previous visits in March and May of 2022.\n\nTheir report again highlights an \"incredibly busy department, struggling with shortages of staff, high numbers of seriously unwell patients and a lack of space to treat them\".\n\nThe same could be said of emergency departments across Wales, but the fact that so little has been done to improve things since two previous visits means it remains under HIW's highest level of scrutiny.\n\nSome speciality doctors refused to review patients in the emergency department, inspectors found\n\nHIW chief executive Alun Jones said: \"This inspection found evidence of a department struggling to cope with the day-to-day demand of providing a safe service to patients.\n\n\"It has highlighted areas such as poor team working between the ED [emergency department] and other departments within the hospital which, in turn, is compounding nationally recognised challenges around patient flow.\n\n\"The health board will need to take strong and decisive action to tackle the issues identified in our inspection. We will continue to engage with the health board to ensure sustained action is taken in relation to our findings.\n\n\"Inspectors found the standard of patient notes had improved, however rotas were challenging as there was a heavy reliance on bank and agency staff because of recruitment and retention issues.\n\n\"While waiting times to see a doctor had improved since May, the flow of patients through the department was still extremely challenging.\n\n\"Waits to see a specialty doctor varied and inspectors found on some occasions those doctors refused to review patients waiting in the ED, leading to further delays.\"\n\nHIW said it would continue to monitor the response of the health board very closely.\n\nThe health board has apologised to patients who may not have received \"the level of care they deserved\".\n\nDr Nick Lyons, executive medical director and interim deputy chief executive of Betsi Cadwaladr health board, noted improvements highlighted by inspectors but acknowledged \"we still have some way to go\" to improve care for all patients.\"\n\n\"It is true staff within the ED at Glan Clwyd Hospital have been under enormous strain for the past three years and this has increased since restrictions eased,\" he said.\n\n\"Attempts to attract permanent members of staff to support the ED's work continues and another recruitment open day is planned within the next few weeks.\n\n\"However, the fragility in staffing and the volume of acutely unwell people we receive each day means we remain a service requiring significant improvement.\n\n\"The vast majority of our colleagues are a credit to our organisation and we value their hard work and professionalism. We will continue to strive to make sure they feel supported by colleagues in other specialties and their hospital management teams.\"\n\nDr Lyons said he noted \"with pride\" inspectors' comments about the commitment of staff, and the satisfaction of the \"majority of patients\" with their care.\n\nHe added: \"Despite the issues raised in the report inspectors acknowledged progress has been made but we know this needs to accelerate.\n\n\"Our colleagues within ED, and in other areas of the hospital, are fully focused on driving this change forward and we are pleased to see the proportion of patients moving through the department within four hours continuing to rise.\"\n\nFollowing publication of the inspection report, Health Minister Eluned Morgan agreed there were \"still very, very serious problems\" at Ysbyty Glan Clwyd and its emergency department \"in particular\".\n\nEluned Morgan: \"There seems to be a specific problem with the emergency department in Ysbyty Glan Clwyd\"\n\nAnswering questions in the Welsh Parliament, the minister said there had been \"serious discussions\" with Dr Lyons \"to ask about what exactly has been put in place\" to improve the situation.\n\n\"There seems to be a specific problem here with the emergency department in Ysbyty Glan Clwyd,\" she said.\n\n\"We've got to encourage\" the department to learn from the other emergency departments within Betsi Cadwaladr health board that are \"working better\", the minister said.\n\nThere had been \"some encouraging improvements after the previous inspection\" but it was \"very disappointing that many of the issues have still not been fully resolved\".\n\nMs Morgan was answering questions from members including Vale of Clwyd Conservative MS Gareth Davies, who later urged Ms Morgan to \"get a grip on the situation\" and \"stop passing the buck\".\n\n\"Patients, along with the people of North Wales, deserve better,\" he added.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/uk-wales-65101747"}
{"title":"NI Water to increase bills for businesses - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-29","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"Businesses will see an average increase of 13.4% in their water bills from next month.","section":"Northern Ireland","content":"Businesses will face the increase from 1 April\n\nBusinesses in Northern Ireland are facing an above inflation increase in water charges.\n\nThe average increase of 13.4% will also apply to other non-domestic customers like schools and churches.\n\nNI Water said it had \"absorbed as much cost as possible\" but was facing \"significant financial pressures\" from rising energy prices.\n\nUnlike other parts of the UK, households in Northern Ireland are not billed for water.\n\nThe water system in Northern Ireland is mostly funded by government resources rather than consumer charges.\n\nNI Water is government-owned and mostly funded by the block grant provided to Stormont by the Treasury.\n\nSpecific bill changes for non-domestic customers operate according to a formula agreed with the Northern Ireland Utility Regulator.\n\nNI Water director of finance Ronan Larkin said measured customer bills will rise by 12.7%, while unmeasured and trade effluent bills will rise by 13.7% and 15.5% respectively.\n\nHe added that this \"compares favourably with other utilities across Gas and Electricity sectors\".\n\nThe increases will mean a shop or small office unit, connected to sewer, using 285M\u00b3 of water, will pay \u00a3478, a rise of \u00a354 per year.\n\nA farmer using 400M\u00b3 of water, with septic tank, will pay \u00a3345, a rise of \u00a337.\n\nThe increases will take effect from 1 April.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/uk-northern-ireland-65109990"}
{"title":"Lib Dems: Tories making cost-of-living crisis worse - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-29","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"Sir Ed Davey accuses the Tories of \"crashing the economy\" as he launches the Lib Dem local elections campaign.","section":"UK Politics","content":"This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser.\n\nThe Lib Dems have accused the Conservatives of making the cost-of-living crisis worse, as the party launched its local elections campaign.\n\nLeader Sir Ed Davey said the Tory government had \"crashed the economy\" and added hundreds of pounds to people's monthly mortgage payments.\n\nHe said May's polls were the last chance to send a message to the government before a general election.\n\nOn 4 May, 230 councils across England will hold elections.\n\nSir Ed launched his party's campaign by driving a yellow tractor through a \"blue wall\" of hay bales in the former Conservative heartland of Berkhamsted, Hertfordshire, before giving a speech to councillors and party members.\n\n\"We're going to need some heavy machinery to clear up the mess of the Conservatives,\" he joked, after arriving in the tractor.\n\nHe told the crowd that with energy, food and housing costs \"going through the roof\", millions of families and pensioners were \"struggling like never before\".\n\n\"But the Conservative government is letting people down badly. They're taking people for granted,\" he said.\n\nHe added that the Conservatives had \"made the cost-of-living crisis so much worse with their total chaos\", with \"unfair tax rises and cuts to essential public services, paying for the damage that they caused in the first place\".\n\nSir Ed also accused the government of \"letting the NHS crisis spiral out of control\", by failing to deliver promised new hospitals and recruit enough doctors, as well as cutting GP numbers.\n\nEarlier, the Lib Dems called for 8,000 new GPs to be recruited over four years to save \"on-the-brink\" local health services.\n\nAnalysis by the party has found there are now 500 fewer open and active GP surgeries than in 2019.\n\nRecruiting extra GPs would reduce pressure on A&E and ambulance services from patients struggling to be seen by a doctor, the Lib Dems said.\n\nThe Lib Dems are also calling for energy bills to be cut by an average of \u00a3400 this year and a ban on water companies dumping raw sewage.\n\nAt last May's local elections, the Lib Dems won 224 new council seats - more than any other party.\n\nThe Lib Dems will be targeting both Labour and Conservative-held seats at this year's election, Mr Davey said.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/uk-politics-65106745"}
{"title":"Paul O'Grady: TV presenter and comedian dies aged 67 - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-29","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"The TV presenter and comedian died \"unexpectedly but peacefully\" on Tuesday evening, his husband says.","section":"Entertainment & Arts","content":"This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser.\n\nPresenter and comedian Paul O'Grady has died at the age of 67.\n\nHe died \"unexpectedly but peacefully\" on Tuesday evening, his husband Andre Portasio said in a statement.\n\nO'Grady rose to fame in the 1990s with his drag queen persona Lily Savage, going on to present BBC One game show Blankety Blank and other light entertainment programmes.\n\nLater in his career, he went on to host a number of chat shows, and also brought his love of dogs to the screen.\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Watch: Paul O'Grady speaks to Michael Parkinson about his alter ego Lily Savage (2002)\n\n\"It is with great sadness that I inform you that Paul has passed away unexpectedly but peacefully yesterday evening,\" Mr Portasio said.\n\n\"He will be greatly missed by his loved ones, friends, family, animals and all those who enjoyed his humour, wit and compassion.\n\n\"I know that he would want me to thank you for all the love you have shown him over the years.\"\n\nA statement released on behalf of Queen Consort, Camilla, she was \"deeply saddened to have learned of the death of Paul O'Grady, with whom she worked closely to support the work of Battersea Dogs & Cats Home and whose warm heart and infectious humour lit up the lives of so many\".\n\nA spokesperson said she will be \"sharing her sympathies with Paul's family privately in due course\".\n\nHe had recently been on tour playing Miss Hannigan in the musical Annie.\n\nWriting on Instagram a few weeks ago, after returning from performing in Newcastle, O'Grady said he was \"thoroughly enjoying\" playing the role again after so long \"especially with a truly amazing and lovely cast\".\n\nThe broadcaster left his weekly BBC Radio 2 show in August 2022, confirming it was because he was unhappy about sharing his Sunday afternoon slot.\n\nHe was due to present on Boom Radio in less than two weeks time for Easter Sunday.\n\nO'Grady as his drag alter-ego Lily Savage at the Brit Awards in 1995\n\nO'Grady's long-time radio producer Malcolm Prince said he had visited the star at his home on Tuesday afternoon, describing him as \"laughing, smiling, and full of life\".\n\nMr Prince posted on Twitter: \"He was so proud of Annie, so happy to be back on Boom Radio, and he was looking forward to so many new projects.\n\n\"And now he's gone. I can't believe it. We have lost a unique talent - and I've lost a dear friend.\"\n\nSpeaking on her BBC Radio 2 breakfast show on Wednesday, Zoe Ball said: \"We're all heavy of heart here this morning at the news of our dear friend Paul O'Grady. I know he was so loved by the Radio 2 listeners and all of us here.\"\n\nO'Grady was described as a \"really special man\" by ITV's Lorraine Kelly. \"Such sad news. Paul O'Grady - funny, fearless, brave, kind and wise,\" she tweeted. \"Will be sorely missed.\"\n\nWriting on Instagram, TV host Amanda Holden said O'Grady was \"strong, funny, opinionated, no-nonsense, brilliant\", while radio presenter Simon Mayo added he was \"a lovely man, always funny and a radio natural\".\n\nSinger and TV host Aled Jones described O'Grady as \"a lovely lovely person\", while presenter Vernon Kay said he was \"one of the nicest and kindest people I've ever met, always a joy to be around and obviously, so much fun\".\n\nLast year Paul O'Grady was joined by Camilla, the Queen Consort, for an episode for The Love of Dogs\n\nDanny Beard, winner of the fourth series of Ru Paul's Drag Race UK, told BBC Breakfast O'Grady was \"the most important person in British culture for drag\".\n\nCampaigner Peter Tatchell described the presenter as a \"much-admired campaigner for LGBT+ equality and animal rights\".\n\nSpeaking on BBC Radio 4's Today programme, TV presenter Carol Vorderman said: \"He just fizzed, he was one of those people that just made you feel every part of you was alive.\n\n\"He exploded through the daft, made-up rules of society. He was a massive talent, but you can't forget he was a social worker when he was younger, he saved babies and young children from abuse, he lived in Soho before it was gentrified, he never judged the vulnerable, the weak, the misunderstood.\"\n\nO'Grady had been due to present a show on Boom Radio next weekend for Easter Sunday\n\nOne of O'Grady's most recent TV appearances was last year with Camilla, the Queen Consort, for a one-off episode of ITV's For The Love of Dogs - a series he helped launch in 2012, following the staff at Battersea Dogs and Cats Home, an organisation for which he was an ambassador.\n\nFollowing his death, the animal home remembered O'Grady as a \"devoted animal lover\" and a \"champion for the underdog\".\n\nFormer BBC Radio 2 presenter Ken Bruce wrote: \"Such shocking sad news about Paul O'Grady. A unique and brilliant broadcaster who brightened the nation.\"\n\nTop Gear host Paddy McGuinness added: \"Paul started in the pubs and working men's clubs but finished as an icon of British TV. I'll miss him very much. Rest in peace Paul.\"\n\nO'Grady won trophies at the TV Baftas and National Television Awards during his career\n\nO'Grady was born in Birkenhead, on the Wirral, Merseyside, in 1955, to a mother whose maiden name was Savage - which is believed to have inspired his famous drag act.\n\nHe began performing as Lily Savage in the 1970s. The drag queen later performed in a solo show that ran for eight years at London's Royal Vauxhall Tavern, and made a name by speaking out about LGBT issues.\n\nLater he hosted chat show The Lily Savage Show for BBC for a short run in 1997, before turning his hand to hosting a revived version of gameshow Blankety Blank, which remained on air until 2002.\n\nHe later hosted teatime programme The Paul O'Grady Show on ITV from 2004 to 2005, before moving with it to Channel 4 from 2006 until 2009. It was later revived in 2013 on ITV and remained on air for two years.\n\nDuring 2013, the chat show was fronted by guest hosts after he suffered a health scare. He had previously had heart attacks in 2002 and 2006, the latter requiring a stay in intensive care.\n\nThe broadcaster also took over the reins presenting Blind Date from close friend Cilla Black, during a 2017 reboot of the show on Channel 5.\n\nDuring his career O'Grady won a TV Bafta, British Comedy Award and a National Television Award for The Paul O'Grady Show.\n\nIn 2008, he was made an MBE in the Queen's Birthday Honours for services to entertainment.\n\nThe TV star had a daughter with his friend Diane Jansen in 1974. He later married a Portuguese lesbian in 1977 in a marriage of convenience and only legally divorced her in 2005.\n\nHe married his husband at a ceremony in London in 2017.\n\nO'Grady, who lived in Aldington, near Ashford, was appointed one of Kent's deputy lieutenants in November. The role is responsible for representing the King at events in the area.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/entertainment-arts-65108130"}
{"title":"Who is Kate Forbes, defeated SNP leadership candidate? - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-29","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"Ms Forbes was at the centre of a political storm over her religious beliefs at the start of the contest.","section":"Scotland politics","content":"Kate Forbes, who finished second to Humza Yousaf in the SNP leadership race, has announced that she is leaving the Scottish government.\n\nScotland's finance secretary was on maternity leave after the birth of her daughter when Nicola Sturgeon suddenly announced that she was quitting as SNP leader and Scotland's first minister.\n\nWithin a couple of days of confirming she would be standing in the contest to succeed her, Ms Forbes found herself at the centre of a political storm.\n\nHer views on issues such as gay marriage, abortion, trans rights and having children outside of marriage were savaged by Deputy First Minister John Swinney, who had been standing in for the deeply religious Ms Forbes since last July.\n\nMs Sturgeon herself also made thinly-veiled barbs at the woman she had appointed finance secretary at the age of 29, just hours before she had to deliver a budget speech.\n\nScotland is a progressive country, Ms Sturgeon stated, and the views of the next first minister therefore matter.\n\nMs Forbes saw several supporters desert her campaign in response to the furore, which was ignited when she told journalists that she would not have voted for gay marriage had she been an MSP at the time.\n\nShe subsequently told Sky News that she believed that having children outside of marriage is \"wrong\" according to her faith as a member of the evangelical Free Church of Scotland, while stressing that: \"In a free society you can do what you want.\"\n\nMs Forbes has never hidden her religious beliefs, leaving pundits wondering why they had appeared to come as a shock to some of her supporters.\n\nThe Free Church, of which she is a devout follower, has strongly opposed gay marriage since it was legalised in Scotland in 2014.\n\nMs Forbes and her husband Ali celebrated the birth of daughter Naomi last year\n\nIn 2018, Ms Forbes spoke at the National Prayer Breakfast for Scotland a day after a Westminster debate on abortion, when she called on politicians to \"recognise that the way we treat the most vulnerable - whether the unborn or the terminally ill - is a measure of true progress\".\n\nShe was among the 15 SNP politicians who wrote an open letter to Ms Sturgeon the following year asking for a delay to gender recognition reforms that would allow people in Scotland to self-identify their sex.\n\nThe final vote on the proposals was held when Ms Forbes was on maternity leave, but when she launched her leadership campaign she made clear that she still had significant concerns about self-identification and would not have been able to vote for the legislation in its current form.\n\nSeveral senior figures within the Scottish government reacted with fury to her comments, with Mr Swinney saying he profoundly disagreed with her views despite also having deep Christian faith.\n\nHumza Yousaf warned that independence could only be won if the SNP sticks to \"progressive values\" and avoids a \"lurch to the right\".\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser.\n\nThe bubbling tensions boiled over in a televised STV debate, when Ms Forbes launched an attack on Mr Yousaf in which she slated his performance as a government minister.\n\nMs Forbes told Mr Yousaf: \"You were transport minister and the trains were never on time, when you were justice secretary the police were stretched to breaking point, and now as health minister we've got record high waiting times.\n\n\"What makes you think you can do a better job as first minister?\"\n\nMs Forbes presumably did little to endear herself to the SNP hierarchy watching at home - although Ms Sturgeon says she didn't tune in for the debate - when she declared that it was time for a new generation to lead the party and that \"more of the same is not a manifesto - it is an acceptance of mediocrity\".\n\nThe remark could be read as a dig at Mr Yousaf, who to some extent pitched himself as the \"continuity candidate\", and the record of Ms Sturgeon herself.\n\nShe later doubled down by saying she would potentially have space for Mr Yousaf in her cabinet if she won the contest - but not as health secretary.\n\nMs Forbes was born in Dingwall in the Highlands, but was partly raised in India as her parents travelled there twice as missionaries, the first time when she was four years old.\n\nHer parents are reported to have been members of the more liberal Church of Scotland, with Ms Forbes claiming that she had chosen to join the Free Church after returning from India as it was \"just down the road\".\n\nMs Forbes (centre) had two spells in India during her childhood\n\nShe went to a Gaelic school while in Scotland and became a fluent speaker of the language as a child.\n\nWhen she returned to India at the age of 10, she studied at Woodstock School - an international residential school in the foothills of the Himalayas.\n\nShe went on to complete degrees at Cambridge University and Edinburgh University and became a chartered accountant for Barclays in London.\n\nShe worked as an assistant to the SNP MSP for Skye, Lochaber and Badenoch, Dave Thompson, for two years before being selected to replace him when he stood down.\n\nOn the backbenches, the then 26-year-old campaigned to ban plastic straws and delivered a speech in the Holyrood chamber entirely in Gaelic.\n\nIn 2018 she entered government as public finance minister working alongside Derek Mackay, who she would go on to succeed as finance secretary when he was forced to stand down just hours before delivering his budget speech after it emerged he had sent inappropriate text messages to a 16-year-old schoolboy.\n\nMs Forbes became Scotland's first female finance secretary and was widely praised for delivering the budget speech with just a few hours' notice, having only received the call from Ms Sturgeon at 7am that morning.\n\nShe has said the SNP needs to win over No voters by using the Scottish Parliament's existing powers to show that Scotland can flourish if it is to secure independence.\n\nMs Forbes had only a few hours to prepare for a budget speech after being appointed to the finance brief\n\nMs Forbes told the Guardian: \"We keep holding ourselves as hostages to fortune by setting a timetable rather than by focusing on what is really going to shift the dial.\n\n\"So day one, I would start the campaign for independence. But I would do that through gentle persuasion, making the economic case and earning people's trust back. The more successful and effective we are at that, the shorter the timetable becomes.\"\n\nShe has said she would not raise income tax for higher earners and would instead focus on growing the economy and expanding the tax base by cutting red tape for businesses, improving transport infrastructure and having a \"cautious\" transition away from North Sea oil and gas.\n\nMs Forbes has also described the government's bottle return scheme as well-intentioned but \"badly executed\".\n\nDuring a Channel 4 debate, presenter Krishnan Guru-Murthy told Ms Forbes that her views on taxation and economic growth sounded \"a bit like Liz Truss\".\n\nThe three candidates were Ash Regan, Humza Yousaf and Kate Forbes\n\nLittle of this would be popular with the Scottish Greens, whose power-sharing deal with the SNP would have been very unlikely to survive under Ms Forbes - particularly because of her views on social issues.\n\nThe SNP's social justice secretary, Shona Robison, said she would have to think long and hard about whether she would serve in government under Ms Forbes, while the party's deputy leader at Westminster, Mhairi Black, warned of a possible split if the finance secretary had won the leadership.\n\nSeveral of her colleagues were said to have been furious over her attack on Mr Yousaf's record, which they believe will be quoted repeatedly by opposition parties as they seek to attack the SNP's record in government.\n\nThe Scottish Conservatives have already said they want to use Ms Forbes' remarks in their next party political broadcast.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/uk-scotland-scotland-politics-64886840"}
{"title":"Pope Francis spends 'calm' night in hospital - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-29","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"The pontiff, 86, will stay in hospital for a few days, but does not have Covid, the Vatican says.","section":"Europe","content":"Pope Francis was helped into the popemobile after his weekly general audience on Wednesday\n\nPope Francis spent a calm night in hospital after being admitted for a respiratory infection and is expected to remain there for a few days for treatment, a Vatican source has said.\n\nItalian news agency Ansa reported nurses were optimistic he would be out of hospital in time for Palm Sunday this weekend.\n\nIt added tests had ruled out heart problems and pneumonia.\n\nIn a statement, the Vatican said said Pope Francis had a respiratory infection and would need to remain there for a few days.\n\nThe 86-year-old has had breathing difficulties in recent days, but does not have Covid, its statement said.\n\n\"Pope Francis is touched by the many messages received and expresses his gratitude for the closeness and prayer,\" the statement added.\n\nHis closest staff, including security, spent the night at the Gemelli Hospital, a person with direct knowledge told the BBC.\n\nThis is the busiest time of the year for Pope Francis, with many events and services scheduled ahead of Easter weekend.\n\nA Palm Sunday Mass is scheduled this weekend, with Holy Week and Easter celebrations next week.\n\nHe is also scheduled to visit Hungary at the end of April.\n\nOn Wednesday morning, he presided over his weekly general audience in St Peter's Square. He appeared in good spirits, but was seen grimacing as he was helped into his vehicle.\n\nThe Vatican initially said the Pope had gone to hospital for a previously scheduled check-up, but Italian media questioned this account after a television interview was cancelled at short notice.\n\nReacting to the news, President Joe Biden asked people to make an \"extra prayer\" for the Pope's recovery.\n\nMr Biden, who is only the second Roman Catholic to be elected leader of the US, also described the pontiff as one of the \"most Christ-like figures I've ever met\".\n\nPeople in the Pope's home city of Buenos Aires, Argentina, shared their feelings with Reuters news agency. One man, Daniel Saco, said the pontiff \"must ask himself whether he can continue\".\n\n\"It is very sad because, as a Latin American, I feel represented by this Pope, who is very open-minded and human,\" said Victoria Veira, who is originally from Brazil.\n\nAnibal Pizelle, who met the Pope when he was bishop of Buenos Aires, said she was optimistic for a recovery as Francis was \"physically and mentally strong\" and a \"person with enormous faith\".\n\nThe Pope has used a wheelchair in recent months because of mobility problems related to his knee.\n\nHe also underwent surgery to treat a colon problem in 2021. In January, he said the condition had returned.\n\nDespite his ailments, the Pope has remained active and has undertaken trips abroad. He visited the Democratic Republic of Congo and South Sudan in February.\n\nIn January, the Pope led the funeral of his predecessor Pope Benedict XVI - who was the first pope to step down voluntarily for centuries. He said this was due to ill health.\n\nPope Francis has previously indicated that he may also wish to follow in Benedict's footsteps in the event that his health deteriorates.\n\nA statue of late Pope John Paul II in front of the Gemelli hospital in Rome, where Pope Francis is being treated\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. From February: BBC religion editor Aleem Maqbool witnesses the Pope's visit to Kinshasa","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/world-europe-65117270"}
{"title":"Video of deadly fire at Mexico migrant centre causes outrage - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-29","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"Footage appears to show officers failing to open a cell door as the fire erupted.","section":"Latin America & Caribbean","content":"This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser.\n\nOutrage is growing in Mexico following a fire at a migrant centre in Ciudad Ju\u00e1rez that killed 38 migrants.\n\nFootage has emerged which shows the moment the fire started at the centre run by Mexico's National Migration Institute (INM).\n\nUniformed officials seem to walk away as the blaze erupts in a corner, leaving a group of men behind in what appears to be a locked cell.\n\nThe men unsuccessfully try to open the barred door as smoke quickly spreads.\n\nThe BBC verified the footage by reverse searching the thumbnail and seven frames from the 32-second video and found no copy of it before Tuesday evening, indicating the footage is recent.\n\nIt also spoke to Alejandra Corona, a co-ordinator for the Jesuit Refugee Service in Ciudad Ju\u00e1rez, who visits the facility weekly.\n\nShe said the view seen on the video was consistent with the location of a security camera at the entrance to the men's detention area.\n\nMs Corona explained that the migrant centre - located just south of the bridge which links Ciudad Ju\u00e1rez with the city of El Paso in Texas - houses offices where migrants are processed, as well as areas where they can be detained.\n\nShe described the area behind bars that can be seen in the footage as \"a cell\".\n\n\"The door has always been locked when we have visited [this area], and even when we come to speak to the migrants, they can't come out, we have to stay on the outside,\" she explained.\n\n\"I am not aware of an emergency exit, as far as I know the door you can see in the video is the only exit.\"\n\nMs Corona said that on her visits the cell, which usually holds between 40 and 60 men, has been watched over by a private security guard and a staff member of the INM, which squares with the two uniformed men who can be seen in the footage.\n\nThe footage has been widely shared on Twitter and published by a number of Mexican newspapers, with many people expressing shock at what they said was a failure by the uniformed staff to act.\n\nThey point to the moment at which one of the men in uniform seems to ignore a man behind the barred door, who appears to try to open it and fails as the flames spread.\n\nAs the video has no sound it is not possible to ascertain what, if anything, was said as the fire erupted. It is also unclear what the uniformed staff are doing when not on camera.\n\nThe smoke then fills the room making it hard to make out anything beyond the glare of the flames.\n\nThe footage appears to back up the account of the wife of a Venezuelan migrant who survived the fire.\n\nViangly Infante Padr\u00f3n's husband was inside the facility when the fire broke out. He has survived\n\nViangly Infante Padr\u00f3n told reporters that officers had left her husband and the other male migrants \"behind locked bars\" as they fled.\n\n\"There was smoke everywhere. They let the women out and the migration staff, but it wasn't until the firefighters arrived that they let the men out,\" she told Associated Press news agency.\n\nShe also said that the men had been protesting because they had not been given any water while in custody.\n\nOn Monday, Mexican President Andr\u00e9s Manuel L\u00f3pez Obrador said the migrants set mattresses alight \"when they learned that they'd be deported\".\n\nOn Tuesday, he said a thorough investigation would be carried out and vowed there would be \"no impunity and no one will be protected\".\n\nMexican officials say a total of 68 men were in the facility at the time of the blaze. The majority were from Guatemala with the others from Colombia, Ecuador, El Salvador, Honduras and Venezuela.\n\nMexican officials have released the names of all the men but have not yet provided clarification as to which of them are dead and which have survived.\n\nINM Commissioner Francisco Garduno visited some of the injured migrants in hospital\n\nThey also revised the number of dead down from 40 to 38, while 28 are reported to be seriously injured and suffering from smoke inhalation.\n\nDistraught relatives have complained about not being given enough information about the fate and whereabouts of their loved ones.\n\nEven an updated list of casualties still contained erroneous information, further heightening the anxiety among those waiting for news, Ms Corona of the Jesuit Refugee Service said.\n\nThe relatives also queried why the men had been locked up in the first place.\n\nMs Corona told the BBC that raids to detain migrants had become more frequent in Ciudad Ju\u00e1rez. \"Anyone who enters Mexico in an irregular way can face arrest.\"\n\nShe added it was important to note that that did not mean that those held at the facility had committed any crime.\n\n\"Their relatives told us that some had been detained upon landing at the airport, others at the bus terminal and yet others on the streets of the city,\" Ms Corona explained.\n\nThe fire comes at a time when Mexico is struggling to deal with an influx of migrants, most of whom are crossing Mexico in the hope of reaching the United States.\n\nMany of them have been camped out in cities on the US-Mexico border for weeks and sometimes months, awaiting the possible lifting of a Trump-era policy which allows US border officials to deny individuals entry to the US \"to prevent the spread of communicable diseases\".\n\nThe Biden Administration had moved to end the policy, which is known as Title 42, last year, but the US Supreme Court blocked the move at the end of December and it remains in place.\n\nHowever, many migrants from Central and South America, as well as from as far afield as Africa, continue to embark on long treks to the US-Mexico border in the hope of the restrictions being lifted.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/world-latin-america-65111258"}
{"title":"Diesel 17p more per litre than petrol despite oil price falls - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-29","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"Difference between price per litre is \"scandalous\" given similar wholesale costs, RAC says.","section":"Business","content":"Diesel is being sold for about 17p per litre more on average than petrol, despite wholesale costs falling to similar levels, a motoring group said.\n\nAverage diesel prices are \u00a31.64 per litre compared with \u00a31.47 per litre for petrol, while both are priced at about \u00a31.15 wholesale, the RAC said.\n\nIt said the difference was \"scandalous\" and that cuts in the wholesale price had not been passed on to customers.\n\nRetailers said they \"understood the cost pressures\" drivers faced.\n\nSupermarkets and private retailers buy fuel on the wholesale market to sell to consumers.\n\nThe RAC, which tracks and campaigns on fuel prices, said diesel wholesale prices had fallen and were now the same as petrol on average.\n\nBut Simon Williams, fuel spokesman for the motoring group, said there was \"still more than 17p difference at the pump\" which he described as \"absolutely shocking\".\n\nMr Williams said given the amount wholesale prices had dropped, forecourts should have already reduced pump costs for diesel to about \u00a31.52, and a further cut to \u00a31.47 in the coming weeks should feed through.\n\nWhen prices change in the wholesale market, they can take time to feed through to changes at the pumps, due to how frequently smaller sellers restock.\n\nBut Mr Williams said larger supermarkets, which dominate sales, had been given \"plenty of time\" to pass on lower prices to customers.\n\n\"They [supermarkets] remain totally resolute in their refusal to cut their prices substantially which is nothing short of scandalous, particularly in a cost-of-living crisis,\" he said.\n\n\"For retailers to be taking a margin of nearly 20p a litre on average throughout March, compared to the long-term average of 7p, is devastating for every driver and business that relies on diesel.\"\n\nHowever, Andrew Opie, director for food at the British Retail Consortium, which represents supermarkets, said: \"Retailers understand the cost pressures facing motorists and will do everything they can to offer the best value-for-money across petrol forecourts.\"\n\nThe trade body did not comment on the disparity in prices directly, but said because prices at the pump tend to lag behind wholesale prices, the recent falls in diesel wholesale prices were still filtering through to consumers.\n\nFuel costs surged in the aftermath of Russia's invasion of Ukraine as global oil prices soared to more than $130 a barrel.\n\nHowever, crude oil costs have now returned to levels seen before the war.\n\nNathan Piper, an oil and gas analyst, told the BBC diesel prices have been typically higher due to the UK needing to import the fuel, whereas it is self-sufficient when it comes to petrol production.\n\nThe UK imported about 20% of its diesel from Russia before the war in Ukraine.\n\nMr Piper said cutting ties with the country meant prices increased as demand rose globally.\n\nBut there has been criticism from motoring groups like the RAC that while petrol retailers were quick to put up prices, they've been slower to bring them down as costs have fallen.\n\nA competition investigation is ongoing into whether retailers made greater profits through so-called \"rocket and feather\" pricing, which is when fuel prices rise as wholesale costs rise, but then fall more slowly than costs come down.\n\nThe Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) watchdog said in its latest update it had seen some evidence of that in 2022, in particular for diesel pricing.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/business-65098942"}
{"title":"Scotland 2-0 Spain: Steve Clarke's side earn consecutive Euro 2024 qualification wins - BBC Sport","published_date":"2023-03-29","authors":null,"description":"Sensational Scotland take a seismic leap in their bid for consecutive European Championships by stunning Spain in a heroic triumph.","section":null,"content":"Last updated on .From the section Football\n\nSensational Scotland took a seismic leap in their bid to reach consecutive European Championships by stunning Spain in a heroic triumph.\n\nScott McTominay crashed in a deflected opener after just seven minutes, triggering an explosion of noise inside a charged Hampden Park.\n\nSteve Clarke's team rode their luck to stay ahead at the break, only for McTominay to repeat his earlier feat just after the restart to cause chaos in the stands as well as in the bamboozled Spanish defence.\n\nScotland, in their first competitive victory over Spain for 39 years, now top Group A - three points above the humbled Spaniards and five in front of a stuttering Norway.\n\u2022 None Podcast: 'There's no reason this team can't get to the Euros'\n\nThis one was for the lovers. It was also for the the long suffering.\n\nScotland's support are among the most passionate. Even in defeat in Kazakhstan; in incessant matches with Israel; in a 1-0 humbling by Costa Rica; in a last-gasp Harry Kane equaliser; and also in getting to a major championships for the first time in a generation only to have your goalie lobbed from the half-way line.\n\nA top-10 side in Croatia were undone here 10 years ago, but surely not since World Cup finalists France were heroically beaten in 2006 and 2007 has that loyalty been vindicated as it was at a national stadium dripping with drama as much as the damp Glaswegian weather.\n\nClarke steered Scotland to Euro 2020, but in terms of landmark nights, this one is up there with dumping Denmark and shootouts in Serbia. And then some.\n\nFrom the seventh minute, Scotland were on the march. Pedro Porro, Spurs' beleaguered full-back, slipped, leaving the door open for Andy Robertson to pounce. His cut back was perfect for McTominay, whose low rifled shot whizzed off the sprawling Inigo Martinez and into the net.\n\nIf that was met with hysteria, you could have heard a pin drop when Scotland's new hero struck again on the 51st minute.\n\nThis time it was Kieran Tierney's cross after a marauding run that the Spaniards didn't deal with. Fifty thousand held their collective breath as the leather of McTominay's boot struck on the half volley.\n\nBedlam ensued in the stands, while Clarke allowed himself a modest fist pump in a fleeting glimpse of emotion.\n\nIn truth, it was a killer blow that caused Spain - who made eight changes from the side which overcame Norway 3-0 on Saturday - to capitulate. Passes all over the place, 50\/50s lost.\n\nThey were a shadow of the team that had the Scots clinging to a half-time lead. Their second defeat in 39 European Championship qualifiers was in the post.\n\nWhile Ryan Christie's meandering run and toe poke whistled past for what would have been a quick second, Espanyol's Joseulu soon caused chaos. He had a free header straight at Angus Gunn saved, before then thundering another off a rattled crossbar.\n\nThere was then a moment of madness from Robertson, who was lucky to escape a shoulder to Porro's jaw. It was a bombardment at that point.\n\nBut Scotland should have added to their lot, too. Lyndon Dykes steered over when one-on-one just before the break, while John McGinn whacked the bar straight from a free-kick.\n\nIn the end it did not matter. The game came to a close with a chorus of \"no Scotland, no party\". It may be going for some time.\n\nAre sweet dreams made of these? - analysis\n\nThis isn't how it's meant to be, is it?\n\nAfter two games, Scotland are sitting pretty in Group A. Their performance here was markedly up from the one which was enough in a perfunctory 3-0 win over Cyprus on Saturday. In truth, it is potentially a new watermark for this team.\n\nWith a new contract just signed, there is a feeling now Clarke and this squad have a real future. An anti-climactic Euro 2020 and a dismal World Cup play-off defeat will act as markers along the road for this team, painful memories in the rear-view mirror to offer a sign of what can happen when this wee nation gets carried away.\n\nBut the Tartan Army, just perhaps, can allow themselves to dream big again. Norway will be a different proposition with Erling Haaland back in their ranks, and undoubtedly Scotland got a Spain in transition at exactly the right time. But what a chance they now have.\n\u2022 None Scotland earned their first win over Spain since November 1984 (3-1 in a World Cup qualifier), while this was just their third ever competitive victory against them (1957, 1984 and 2023).\n\u2022 None Spain suffered their first defeat in a Euro qualifying match since October 2014 (1-2 v Slovakia), having won 17 of their last 19 such fixtures (D2) and never conceding more than once in a game in this run.\n\u2022 None Scotland have won five consecutive home matches for the first time since September 2006-October 2007, when they won six in a row between tenures of Walter Smith and Alex McLeish.\n\u2022 None McTominay became the first Scotland player to score a brace against Spain since Maurice Johnston in a World Cup qualifier in November 1984, which also came in a win at Hampden Park.\n\u2022 None McTominay has scored twice in each of his last two caps, becoming just the second Scotland player this century to score a brace in consecutive international outings, after James Forrest in November 2018.\n\u2022 None Robertson has assisted three goals in his last three games for Scotland, while he's the first player to assist in three consecutive appearances since Ryan Fraser in March 2019.\n\nScotland go to Norway on 16 June (19:45 BST) for an encounter which could have huge ramifications in Group A, before hosting Georgia three days later.\n\u2022 None Scott McTominay (Scotland) is shown the yellow card for a bad foul.\n\u2022 None Attempt saved. Lawrence Shankland (Scotland) left footed shot from the left side of the box is saved in the bottom left corner. Assisted by Callum McGregor.\n\u2022 None Attempt missed. Yeremy Pino (Spain) right footed shot from outside the box misses to the right following a corner.\n\u2022 None Offside, Spain. Gavi tries a through ball, but Nico Williams is caught offside. Navigate to the next page Navigate to the last page","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/sport\/football\/65022207"}
{"title":"Yousaf appoints 'ambitious' cabinet - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-29","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"Humza Yousaf says his team will deliver a \"radical, ambitious and progressive policy agenda\".","section":"Scotland","content":"Humza Yousaf has opted for a balance of youth and experience in his cabinet.\n\nThis is underlined by the way he has split the finance portfolio between his deputy Shona Robison \u2013 an MSP since 1999 and a veteran of several government posts \u2013 and a fresher face in Neil Gray, who takes on the economy brief.\n\nAngela Constance and Michael Matheson both know their way around government, and have been handed two of the trickier jobs in justice and health.\n\nBut perhaps the stiffest task has been reserved for cabinet newbie Jenny Gilruth, the former teacher who must now attempt to close the attainment gap \u2013 a task which eluded a succession of education secretaries including John Swinney.\n\nThere are one or two glaring absences though.\n\nKeith Brown is out as justice secretary, two years after returning to government. He will presumably go back to focusing on his post as deputy leader of the SNP, with big changes in the offing at party HQ.\n\nAnd the absence of Kate Forbes may make it harder for Mr Yousaf to pull the party back together, given how close she ran him in the leadership contest.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/live\/uk-scotland-65098644"}
{"title":"NHS Tracker: Find out about hospital waiting times in your area this winter - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-29","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"Flu, staff shortages and Covid backlogs are putting the NHS under severe strain, find out what's happening in your area.","section":"Health","content":"Data for England is shown by NHS trust, where the trust includes at least one hospital with a Type 1 A&E department. Type 1 means a consultant-led 24 hour A&E service with full resuscitation facilities. Data for Wales and Scotland is shown by Health Board and in Northern Ireland by Health and Social Care Trust.\n\nWhen you enter a postcode for a location in England you will be shown a list of NHS trusts in your area. They will not necessarily be in order of your closest hospital as some trusts have more than one hospital. Data for Wales and Scotland are shown by NHS board and by Health and Social Care trust in Northern Ireland.\n\nComparative data is shown for a previous year where available. However, where trusts have merged there is no like-for-like comparison to show. Earlier data is not available for all measures, so comparisons between years are not always possible.\n\nA&E attendances include all emergency departments in that trust or health board, not just major A&E departments, for example, those who attend minor injury units.\n\nEach nation has different target times for some of the measures shown, therefore comparisons between them may not be possible.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/health-59549800"}
{"title":"Visitors can walk on rare coronation floor in socks - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-29","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"Westminster Abbey will allow access to the spot on a 750-year-old floor where the King will be crowned.","section":"UK","content":"The coronation will take place on this 750-year-old decorated floor\n\nHistoric medieval flooring, at the exact spot where King Charles will be crowned inside Westminster Abbey, is going to be opened to visitors - as long as they take off their shoes.\n\nAbbey authorities say this will be the first time in living memory that the public will have been able to walk across the \"Cosmati pavement\".\n\nThe mosaic is claimed as one of Britain's greatest medieval treasures.\n\nBut visitors will have to wear socks to protect the 13th Century surface.\n\nAt the centre of the medieval mosaic is a polished stone circle with a swirling pattern, surrounded by rings of designs in glass, marble and coloured stone, and this is where the coronation chair will be placed when King Charles is crowned on 6 May.\n\nSince the 19th Century, the richly-decorated but rather battered floor had been covered up with carpets - including for Queen Elizabeth II's coronation in 1953 - or roped off from public access.\n\nThe medieval floor had been covered by carpets at the previous coronation in 1953\n\nBut the intricate mosaic, claimed as the most important example of this style outside Italy, will be revealed for the coronation of King Charles, with the 700-year-old coronation chair being placed in the centre of the floor.\n\nFor 10 weeks after the coronation, from 15 May to 29 July, visitors will be able to walk across the Cosmati pavement and stand on the spot where centuries of royal coronations have taken place.\n\nStanding in their socks - bare feet will not be allowed to avoid the floor getting \"sticky\" - visitors would be able to get the view that King Charles had, looking towards the high altar with the congregation and choir behind him.\n\nThe Abbey, expecting a high demand for this one-off experience, said the visits must be pre-booked, with people allowed on to the flooring in small groups, as part of a \u00a315 guided tour.\n\nVisitors to the Abbey can see the flooring designed by medieval Italian craftsmen\n\nBut this week the site was also briefly occupied by anti-monarchy protesters, who walked on to the Cosmati pavement, wearing shoes, and held up a banner.\n\nA spokesman for campaign group Republic, which has called for the abolition of the monarchy, criticised the coronation as a \"pointless parade\" that would shore up an \"unelected head of state\".\n\nThe medieval floor has had painstaking restoration work, taking off centuries of grime, but the Abbey's head conservator Vanessa Simeoni says much of the stone is original.\n\nShe said that working on the historic floor gives her a real sense of continuity with the original craft workers who laid the mosaic 750 years ago.\n\nVanessa Simeoni, head conservator, says she feels a connection with the original makers of the flooring\n\n\"It's absolutely amazing. I always feel a connection with the people who made these objects. They knew their materials, they knew their designs,\" says the conservator.\n\nWorking on the stones she says the conservators can see different techniques that were being tried by their medieval forebears, such as a way of waterproofing and keeping out the damp that the Italians working in London had developed.\n\nAnti-monarchy protesters walked on to the Cosmati pavement and held up a banner\n\nThe floor, named after the Italian craftsmen who created it, was commissioned by Henry III and completed in 1268. It's a square of about 7.5 metres, with a design of interlocking patterns, using inlaid stones, such as purple-coloured porphyry and yellow limestone.\n\nWhen it was first laid, the marble, glass and coloured stones would have been highly polished, so that the floor would have shimmered in the candlelight.\n\nMs Simeoni said that as well as Italian and local English materials, the floor includes stones from Egypt, Greece and Turkey.\n\nMany of the pieces of stone and marble used in the floor were taken from Roman ruins and recycled by Italian craftsmen who brought them to Britain, she added.\n\nIt means that the coronations of monarchs in Westminster Abbey have taken place for centuries on a surface built from the fragments of an even older Roman Empire.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/uk-65027039"}
{"title":"Gigantic dinosaur skeleton on show in London - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-29","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"The Natural History Museum displays the bones of one of the biggest animals ever to walk the Earth.","section":"Science & Environment","content":"This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Watch: A timelapse movie of Patagotitan's assembly at the Natural History Museum\n\nA colossus has landed in London: A cast of what was one of the biggest animals ever to walk the Earth is now on show at the Natural History Museum.\n\nPatagotitan was a dinosaur that lived 100 million years ago in South America.\n\nMeasuring some 37m (121ft) from nose to tail, the beast could have weighed up to 60 or 70 tonnes in life.\n\nThe museum has brought over not just a representative skeleton but some of the real fossil bones first discovered in Argentina in 2014.\n\nThe largest is a 2.4m-long femur, or thigh bone. It's been erected upright to give visitors an extraordinary selfie opportunity.\n\nThere are interactive games and videos - and a few selfie opportunities\n\n\"Patagotitan was what we call a sauropod dinosaur,\" explained palaeontologist Prof Paul Barrett.\n\n\"It's a relative of things like Diplodocus that you might be a bit more familiar with. It's one of these large barrel-bodied animals with forced-out legs. It almost looks like a giant elephant that's had an anaconda snake threaded through it, with a very long neck and a long tail,\" he told BBC News.\n\nThe replica skeleton is on loan from Argentina's Museo Paleontol\u00f3gico Egidio Feruglio (MEF), whose staff unearthed the original fossils.\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Prof Paul Barrett: \"They turned their bodies into huge fermentation tanks\"\n\nThe London institution had to put its thinking cap on to work out how best to display the creature.\n\nIt only just fits in its Waterhouse Gallery, its largest exhibition space. Even then, the end of the tail has had to be bent around a column.\n\nThe floor also needed to be strengthened, but, cleverly, engineers have been able to hide some of the supporting armature, or support frame, so that it looks as though the dinosaur is walking along the carpet.\n\n\"It's been quite the challenge, second only to hanging our blue whale from the ceiling in the museum's Hintze Hall,\" said head of technical production, Jez Burn.\n\nThe cast is accompanied by lots of interactive videos and games that explain the life stories of the exceptionally large sauropods that lived in the Cretaceous Period of Earth history.\n\nWho exactly was the biggest of these titanosaurs is difficult to say, but animals like Patagotitan and another creature called Argentinosaurus were right up there.\n\n\"What's incredible about Patagotitan is the amount of the dinosaur that was found,\" said exhibition developer Sin\u00e9ad Marron.\n\n\"The other giant dinosaurs are known from just a few fragments of bones, whereas the skeleton of Patagotitan is known from a couple of hundred bones from at least six different individuals. We simply know more about Patagotitan than all the other giants.\"\n\nGet in there and touch. Patagotitan strides directly across the carpet. It's not on a plinth\n\nScientists are unsure why the titanosaurs were so big, but they have a good idea as to how they developed their immense bulk.\n\nThis probably had something to do with the relatively poor quality plant food available to them, which required a large digestive system to get the most out of it.\n\nEssentially, they were giant fermentation tanks on sturdy legs.\n\nVisitors will get to squeeze some tubes intended to simulate a titanosaur's intestines. Prepare to be shocked by the beast's tummy rumbles.\n\nAn animal as big as Patagotitan would have had to eat all day and most of the night to sustain itself.\n\nBy one calculation, the animal could have consumed over 130kg of plants every day. This is equivalent to approximately 515 round lettuces.\n\nFrom Pangea to the present day A series of images animated to show how Pangea evolved over time to create the world land masses that we know today\n\nNo wonder scientists describe titanosaurs as \"ecosystem engineers\". As they moved across the landscape, they would have cleared all vegetation in front of them.\n\nImagine the slurry production... from a whole herd.\n\nIt's a yucky thought but with it would have come the mass processing and shifting of nutrients, along with the dispersal of countless seeds.\n\nThe influence on the environment and the lives of all animals around at the time would have been profound.\n\nThe exhibition - Titanosaur: Life as the Biggest Dinosaur - opens on Friday and runs until 7 January next year. It is a ticketed event.\n\nThe dinosaur bones were unearthed in 2014 in Patagonia, Argentina","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/science-environment-65094602"}
{"title":"King Charles says Germany and UK have shared future in speech to Bundestag - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-29","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"Speaking in German at the Bundestag, he covered the war in Ukraine, climate change, and the Lionesses' victory at the Euros.","section":"UK","content":"It's been a busy day in Germany for King Charles and Camilla, the Queen Consort.\n\nNot only did he make history by becoming the first British monarch to address the Bundestag, Germany's federal parliament, he also met with Chancellor Olaf Scholz and paid a visit to a local market\n\nThe red carpet was rolled out for the King's meeting with Scholz Image caption: The red carpet was rolled out for the King's meeting with Scholz\n\nThe King and the Queen Consort then visited a street market, where they greeted members of the public and chatted with stall holders Image caption: The King and the Queen Consort then visited a street market, where they greeted members of the public and chatted with stall holders\n\nThen it was off to the Bundestag, where the King received a warm reception to his speech - which was mainly delivered in German Image caption: Then it was off to the Bundestag, where the King received a warm reception to his speech - which was mainly delivered in German\n\nLater, he tried his hand at table football while visiting Ukrainian refugees at an arrival centre Image caption: Later, he tried his hand at table football while visiting Ukrainian refugees at an arrival centre","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/live\/uk-65063333"}
{"title":"Shona Robison replaces Kate Forbes as finance secretary in new cabinet - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-29","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"Shona Robison is given the finance brief as well as serving as Humza Yousaf's deputy first minister.","section":"Scotland politics","content":"Ms Robison will be responsible for drawing up the annual Scottish budget in her new role as finance secretary\n\nShona Robison is to replace Kate Forbes as Scotland's finance secretary after new First Minister Humza Yousaf announced his first cabinet.\n\nMs Robison has been given the finance brief as well as serving as deputy first minister.\n\nShe is a close friend of former First Minister Nicola Sturgeon.\n\nMs Robison was responsible for introducing the controversial gender reforms in her previous role as social justice secretary.\n\nThe announcement came as Mr Yousaf unveiled his new cabinet team after being formally sworn as first minister in a brief ceremony at the Court of Session.\n\nOther key appointments include Michael Matheson taking over from Mr Yousaf as health secretary, while former transport minister Jenny Gilruth will join the full cabinet for the first time as education secretary.\n\nAnother cabinet newcomer, Mairi McAllan, will be the net zero and just transition secretary, at the age of just 30.\n\nThe new cabinet team consists of six women and three men\n\nAnd Neil Gray, who led Mr Yousaf's SNP leadership campaign, also joins the cabinet after being given responsibility for the wellbeing economy, fair work and energy briefs.\n\nThe SNP's deputy leader, Keith Brown, has been replaced by Angela Constance as the country's justice secretary.\n\nThe remaining three members of the nine-strong cabinet team are:\n\nThe full list of 18 non-cabinet ministerial roles was also announced on Wednesday, including a new post of minister for independence, which will be filled by Jamie Hepburn.\n\nThe co-leaders of the Scottish Greens Patrick Harvie and Lorna Slater have been reappointed to the roles they held under Nicola Sturgeon as part of the partnership agreement with the SNP.\n\nThere is no role in Humza Yousaf's government for defeated SNP leadership candidate Ash Regan.\n\nKate Forbes, who was narrowly defeated by Mr Yousaf in the contest, announced on Tuesday she was leaving the government.\n\nShe had been offered a new role by Mr Yousaf that would have given her Ms Gougeon's rural affairs job rather than finance - which would generally be viewed as a demotion - but she turned it down.\n\nThe new cabinet team has five members under the age of 40 and, for the first time, a majority of women.\n\nMr Yousaf said it reflected the priorities that the government will pursue, including tackling child poverty, improving public services and building a fairer, greener economy.\n\nHe added: \"I have committed myself to a radical, ambitious and progressive policy agenda for Scotland - and I know that this team is the right one to deliver it.\n\n\"As we make the case for Scottish independence, we will continue to govern well and demonstrate to the people of Scotland the benefits of decisions about their lives being taken here in Scotland.\"\n\nMr Yousaf said he wanted a government that looked as much as possible like the people it represented, but insisted that all of his appointments had been made on merit.\n\nHe also paid tribute to those ministers who are now departing government - including Nicola Sturgeon and her deputy John Swinney.\n\nAnd he said he was disappointed that Ms Forbes was not in his cabinet as \"she's a great talent, she's somebody who has got a lot to give\".\n\nMairi McAllan joins the cabinet for the first time, at the age of 30\n\nDuring the SNP leadership campaign, Mr Yousaf said he favoured a \"big tent\" rather than \"inner circle\" approach to making key decisions and has pledged to bring the party back together again after deep divisions were exposed by the contest.\n\nHe faced withering criticism of his own ministerial record from Ms Forbes in a live STV debate, while her views on issues such as gender recognition reform and gay marriage led the Scottish Greens to question whether they could work with her.\n\nGiven the narrow margin of his victory over Ms Forbes, by 52.1% to 47.9%, some of her supporters had urged Mr Yousaf to keep her in government.\n\nBBC Scotland understands that Ms Forbes felt the SNP's partnership agreement with the Scottish Greens would have \"tied her hands and cost her dearly in her constituency\" if she had taken the rural affairs job.\n\nIt emerged earlier on Wednesday that Ivan McKee, who had been the business minister under Nicola Sturgeon, will also leave the government after being offered a new role that he regarded as a demotion.\n\nMr McKee had initially been campaign manager for Ms Forbes in the leadership contest, but stepped back from that role after early controversies in her campaign.\n\nHumza Yousaf has opted for a balance of youth and experience in his cabinet.\n\nThis is underlined by the way he has split the finance portfolio between his deputy Shona Robison - an MSP since 1999 and a veteran of several government posts - and a fresher face in Neil Gray, who takes on the economy brief.\n\nAngela Constance and Michael Matheson both know their way around government, and have been handed two of the trickier jobs in justice and health.\n\nBut perhaps the stiffest task has been reserved for cabinet newbie Jenny Gilruth, the former teacher who must now attempt to close the attainment gap - a task which eluded a succession of education secretaries including John Swinney.\n\nThere are one or two glaring absences though.\n\nKeith Brown is out as justice secretary, two years after returning to government. He will presumably go back to focusing on his post as deputy leader of the SNP, with big changes in the offing at party HQ.\n\nAnd the absence of Kate Forbes may make it harder for Mr Yousaf to pull the party back together, given how close she ran him in the leadership contest.\n\nScottish Labour deputy leader Jackie Baillie described the new cabinet team as \"dismal\" and said it \"cements the SNP's new status as a deeply divided party led by B-rate politicians\".\n\nShe added: \"The first minister promised to bring the country together, but he can't even bring his own party together. Loyalty is being rewarded over talent - but both are in short supply in the SNP.\n\n\"At the heart of this continuity government are some of the most incompetent politicians of the last decade, set to deliver more of the same failure.\"\n\nScottish Conservative chairman Craig Hoy said: \"This is a cabinet in Humza Yousaf's image - failed, continuity ministers appointed by a failed, continuity minister.\n\n\"The likes of Shona Robison, Michael Matheson, Angela Constance and Jenny Gilruth have been found sorely wanting in previous ministerial roles, yet all have been 'rewarded' with promotion by the new first minister.\"","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/uk-scotland-scotland-politics-65112195"}
{"title":"Kate Forbes: SNP leadership candidate leaves government - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-29","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"Her departure came hours after SNP leader Humza Yousaf was confirmed as Scotland's new first minister.","section":"Scotland politics","content":"Ms Forbes and Mr Yousaf embraced after he was confirmed as Scotland's new first minister on Tuesday afternoon\n\nKate Forbes, who finished second in the SNP leadership race, is to leave the Scottish government.\n\nThe BBC understands the finance secretary was offered a move to rural affairs by the new first minister, Humza Yousaf, but turned down the job.\n\nHer departure came hours after the new SNP leader was confirmed as Scotland's first minister after a vote in the Scottish Parliament.\n\nThe post she was offered by Mr Yousaf would be seen as a major demotion.\n\nMs Forbes later tweeted that Mr Yousaf had her \"full support\" and said: \"I have full confidence he will appoint a talented cabinet and ministerial team, able to meet the challenges facing the country.\"\n\nShe had been on maternity leave from her role when Nicola Sturgeon resigned as first minister and SNP leader last month.\n\nMr Yousaf was elected as first minister after being backed by his own MSPs and the Scottish Greens, which guaranteed him a majority over the opposition party leaders.\n\nHe becomes Scotland's youngest first minister, at the age of 37, and the first Muslim to lead a major UK party.\n\nPrime Minister Rishi Sunak spoke to Mr Yousaf to congratulate him on Tuesday.\n\nMs Forbes had launched a highly-personal attack on Mr Yousaf during the SNP leadership contest when she questioned whether he was capable of being first minister during a live STV debate.\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser.\n\nShe told Mr Yousaf: \"You were transport minister and the trains were never on time, when you were justice secretary the police were stretched to breaking point, and now as health minister we've got record high waiting times\".\n\nMs Forbes came under fire from senior SNP colleagues during the campaign over her socially conservative views on issues like abortion and gay marriage, with Mr Yousaf warning the party against a \"lurch to the right\".\n\nHer beliefs as a member of the evangelical Free Church of Scotland also clash with those of the Scottish Greens, who had threatened to walk away from their power-sharing agreement with the SNP if she had won the contest.\n\nSpeaking shortly after being confirmed as the new first minister on Tuesday afternoon, Mr Yousaf said he had spoken to Ms Forbes and \"absolutely\" wanted her to remain in government - but it was not known at that stage what role she had been offered or whether she would accept.\n\nMr Yousaf narrowly defeated Ms Forbes by 26,032 votes to 23,890 to become SNP leader on Monday after a contest that exposed deep divisions within the party.\n\nThe result was closer than many people expected, and showed that Ms Forbes has considerable support among grassroots SNP members despite Mr Yousaf being backed by the party hierarchy.\n\nPolling expert Prof Sir John Curtice has said Ms Forbes appeared to be more popular than Mr Yousaf with Scottish voters as a whole.\n\nMs Forbes congratulated Mr Yousaf after he was confirmed as the new SNP leader on Monday, saying: \"Whatever the robust disagreements or frank exchanges of the last few weeks, I am confident we will unite behind Humza as our new party leader in the shared and common objective of independence\".\n\nThe pair also embraced in the Scottish Parliament chamber after the vote that saw him also appointed as the country's sixth first minister.\n\nFollowing the vote, Mr Yousaf announced that Shona Robison - who has been serving as the social justice secretary and was a close ally of Ms Sturgeon - would be appointed as his deputy first minister.\n\nScottish Conservative chairman Craig Hoy said Mr Yousaf had \"poured petrol on the SNP civil war\".\n\nNicola Sturgeon tendered her resignation as first minister in a letter to the King\n\n\"Kate Forbes' furious snub to his offer of a cabinet demotion shows his mission to reunite their feuding party is doomed to failure,\" he said.\n\n\"It makes a mockery of his claim only yesterday that: 'We are no longer team Humza, or team Ash, or team Kate, we are one team.' The reality is the SNP are divided from top to bottom.\"\n\nIn his conversation with the new first minister on Tuesday, the prime minister is said to have reiterated his desire to \"continue working constructively with the Scottish government\".\n\nAfter his victory, Mr Yousaf promised he would \"argue tirelessly for independence\"\n\nHe raised the question of an independence referendum during their call, but Mr Sunak suggested this would \"distract\" from \"delivering on the things that are top of the priority list for people across Scotland\".\n\nEarlier in the day, Nicola Sturgeon officially tendered her resignation as Scotland's first minister in a letter to the King.\n\nThis is a big setback for Humza Yousaf's efforts to reunite the SNP after a bruising leadership contest in which Kate Forbes ran him close.\n\nOn Monday, he appealed for the party to come together as \"one team\" and to quickly heal the divisions that opened up in the campaign.\n\nToday he told me he \"absolutely\" wanted Kate Forbes in government but within a couple of hours she had turned down his offer to move to rural affairs.\n\nThat would have been a demotion from finance but those close to Humza Yousaf say it was a genuine offer informed by earlier indications from Kate Forbes.\n\nAllies of Kate Forbes say she has had to consider whether or not she could effect real change in Mr Yousaf's government.\n\nShe will also have weighed up whether serving in his team would help or hinder her prospects should there be another leadership contest in the coming years.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/uk-scotland-scotland-politics-65105951"}
{"title":"Gwyneth Paltrow 'visibly upset' after ski crash, says daughter - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-29","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"Testimony from Apple and Moses Martin was read to jurors about the 2016 collision on the slopes in Utah.","section":"US & Canada","content":"Ms Paltrow, seen in court on Tuesday, has been present throughout the trial\n\nGwyneth Paltrow's daughter has testified that her mother was \"visibly upset\" after a 2016 collision with another skier, who says the incident left him with life-changing injuries.\n\nThe Hollywood actress' trial has heard sworn testimony from Apple Martin about the crash on a beginners' slope at the Deer Valley resort in Utah.\n\nThe 18-year-old said her mother seemed to be in pain after the collision.\n\nTerry Sanderson is suing Ms Paltrow, alleging she crashed into him.\n\nThe retired eye doctor - who says the incident left him with brain damage and broken ribs - is seeking $300,000 (\u00a3245,000) in damages.\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser.\n\nThe Oscar winner has countersued for $1, plus legal fees.\n\nApple and her brother, 16-year-old Moses Martin, had both been expected to testify in person on Tuesday.\n\nBut time restraints imposed by the judge meant that transcripts of their previous depositions were read to the court instead.\n\nNeither of the teenagers - Ms Paltrow's children with her ex-husband, Coldplay star Chris Martin - witnessed the crash.\n\nBut they said in their sworn testimony that they had been told right afterwards by their mother that a skier had hit her and knocked her down at the upmarket resort.\n\nApple, who recalled being 11 or 12 years old at the time of the incident, said: \"Well, she, I've never seen her really, like, shaken up like that, and she was very clearly visibly upset, and she had some sort of pain.\"\n\nIn his testimony, Moses who was nine at the time, said he remembered seeing his mother on the ground after the crash.\n\nApple Martin, seen at a Paris fashion show this year\n\nMoses seen with his father in Los Angeles in 2016, the year the crash occurred\n\nAccording to the boy's sworn testimony, he skied to the scene and heard Ms Paltrow saying: \"What the F-word, you just ran into me.\"\n\nThe children's depositions were read out on Tuesday after over seven hours of testimony from expert witnesses on human anatomy and neurological rehabilitation.\n\nMs Paltrow and her two children were skiing with her now-husband, Brad Falchuk, and his two children when the crash occurred.\n\nMr Falchuck has already said he is not an eyewitness and it is unclear if he will be called to testify.\n\nTwo of Mr Sanderson's daughters have already testified in court.\n\nPolly Sanderson-Grasham and Shae Herath said last week that their father changed significantly after the crash.\n\nMs Sanderson-Grasham said her father, once \"outgoing\" and \"gregarious\", now gets \"agitated\" and \"easily frustrated\".\n\nShe also said her father had become \"obsessed\" with getting an apology from Ms Paltrow.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/world-us-canada-65107933"}
{"title":"Is this NHS crisis really worse than ones before? - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-29","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"Winter is always the most difficult time of year. How alarming are the current problems?","section":"Health","content":"The headlines were terrifying. Hospitals facing intolerable pressures with patients left dying in corridors, the BBC reported.\n\nIt got so bad that 68 leading A&E doctors wrote to the prime minister to spell out their concerns.\n\nThis is not now though. It was the winter of 2017-18 - the last bad flu season when more than 300 people a day were dying from that virus at one point.\n\nAnd that was not even a one-off. In January 2016 hospitals were cancelling routine operations, telling patients to stay away from A&E if they could, and emergency treatment areas were being set up outside some units - just as they are now.\n\nThe truth is the past decade has been a story of lengthening waits and declining performance.\n\nA&E waits are the best barometer of this. The proportion of patients waiting less than four hours - a key metric in measuring NHS effectiveness - has been gradually eroded.\n\nIt is a similar story elsewhere in the UK - with performance even worse in Wales and Northern Ireland.\n\nThis should not come as a surprise, as NHS spending has been squeezed.\n\nBetween 2010 and 2019 the annual rises for health were well below those traditionally given since the birth of the NHS, making it difficult to keep up with the needs of the ageing population.\n\nDuring that period, the Tories have been in power - albeit with the Lib Dems for the first five years.\n\nBut it is worth noting, in its 2010 and 2015 election manifestos, Labour was not proposing any tangibly higher increases in spending either.\n\nThe financial crash of 2008 meant all the main political parties were signed up to the idea that spending had to be curtailed.\n\nThis parliament has seen a change - annual rises are now planned to be close to 4% and will end up higher once the pandemic spending is taken into account.\n\nBut the result of the squeeze in the 2010s is fewer doctors and nurses per head of population than our Western European neighbours.\n\nThe turn of the year is always the hardest time. And with the latest data for A&E only covering November, we need to look elsewhere to judge how alarming the current pressures driven by the Omicron variant are.\n\nSince Christmas there have been reports of hospitals declaring critical incidents. At one point on Wednesday evening, one in seven hospital trusts in England were in this situation.\n\nA modern browser with JavaScript and a stable internet connection are required to view this interactive. How is the NHS in your area coping this winter? This trust does not currently supply A&E waiting time figures. When patients arrive at hospital by ambulance they should be handed over within 15 minutes. This data shows the proportion of ambulance patients who waited 30 minutes or more, in the week shown. It comes from daily situation reports which are published weekly during the winter in England. As this is fast-turnaround data, the NHS says only minimal validation can be carried out but it is considered fit for purpose. Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland do not publish ambulance queue data. Patients at A&E should be seen within four hours of arrival. This data shows the proportion of patients attending A&E who waited longer than four hours to be treated, discharged or admitted. This data is published monthly for England and Wales and weekly for Scotland. Northern Ireland publishes its data quarterly and Winter 2021 is not yet available. If a patient at A&E needs to be admitted, the wait from decision to admit to being given a bed on a ward is recorded in England. The bed waits figure is the proportion of patients admitted via A&E who waited longer than four hours for a ward bed. In Wales, bed wait data is not published, so the figure shown is the occupancy level in general and acute beds. Scotland and Northern Ireland do not publish bed wait or bed occupancy data. Data for England is show by NHS trust, where the trust includes at least one hospital with a Type 1 A&E department. Type 1 means a consultant-led 24 hour A&E service with full resuscitation facilities. When you enter a postcode for a location in England you will be shown a list of NHS trusts in your area. They will not necessarily be in order of your closest hospital as some trusts have more than one hospital. Data for Wales and Scotland are shown by NHS board. Comparative data from two years ago is shown where available. However, where trusts have merged there is no like-for-like comparison to show. Bed occupancy data in Wales only goes back to April 2020.\n\nIt is, however, very hard to judge exactly what these declarations tell us. They are not normally made public and instead are there to alert local health systems that a service needs help. We have nothing to compare them to.\n\nIf we look at the delays ambulances face when dropping off patients at A&E - this data is available in England up to last weekend - we can see the current difficulties are worse than the last winter before the pandemic hit.\n\nBut it is also fair to say this does not represent the collapse of the NHS, despite all the headlines.\n\nThe truth is the health service will not suddenly become overwhelmed. Instead, what is happening is that care is deteriorating bit by bit.\n\nThe heart attack patients are waiting longer for an ambulance, more elderly patients are spending nights on a trolley in A&E and growing numbers of people are waiting for hip and knee replacements.\n\nThe challenges are, of course, different from winters past. It is a pandemic after all.\n\nA mass vaccination campaign is underway, while the level of staff absence from Covid is bringing another added complexity - it is nearly twice what you would expect - and explains why the army has had to be brought in.\n\nHospitals have also had to completely reconfigure their wards to create Covid and non-Covid areas.\n\nAnd the sheer numbers coming in are a problem. Traditionally winter would see around 1,000 admissions a day for all types of respiratory infections.\n\nCurrently the NHS is seeing more than double that for Covid alone - although a chunk admittedly are people who are ill with something else, such as broken arms, strokes and cancer for example, and may well have come in anyway.\n\nBut even if you discount these patients, you are still well above the 1,000 threshold.\n\nHowever, the NHS has been helped by lower pressures elsewhere. Flu is at rock-bottom levels. There are fewer than 50 patients in hospital with the virus in England.\n\nSo what can we conclude? The challenges are certainly worse and that is translating into poorer quality services.\n\nBut this is not the first year care has been compromised. What matters now is when Covid infections peak - that will determine just how bad this winter will be.\n\nHas your NHS treatment been delayed? Share your experiences by emailing haveyoursay@bbc.co.uk.\n\nPlease include a contact number if you are willing to speak to a BBC journalist. You can also get in touch in the following ways:\n\nIf 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 HaveYourSay@bbc.co.uk. Please include your name, age and location with any submission.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/health-59909860"}
{"title":"First cheetah cubs born in India since extinction 70 years ago - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-29","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"The four cubs are the first to be born in the country since the big cat was declared extinct there.","section":"India","content":"This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Watch: Cheetah cubs snuggle up after rare birth in India\n\nIndia has welcomed the birth of four cheetah cubs - more than 70 years after the animals were declared officially extinct there.\n\nThe country has been trying to reintroduce the big cats for decades, and last year brought eight cheetahs over from Namibia as part of the plan.\n\nAnother 12 cheetahs were brought to India from South Africa last month.\n\nThe four cubs were born in Kuno National Park wildlife sanctuary to one of the females that came from Namibia last September.\n\nAnnouncing the news on Twitter, Environment Minister Bhupender Yadav said he was \"delighted\".\n\n\"I congratulate the entire team of Project Cheetah for their relentless efforts in bringing back cheetahs to India and for their efforts in correcting an ecological wrong done in the past,\" he said.\n\nThe cubs were believed to have been born five days ago, but they were spotted by officials on Wednesday, the Press Trust of India reported.\n\nA park official told the news agency that the mother Siyaya and the cubs were fine and healthy.\n\nBut the announcement of the new cubs comes just two days after one of the other eight Namibian cheetahs died at the Kuno National Park due to kidney failure.\n\nWhen they were transported to India last year, it was the first time a large carnivore had been moved from one continent to another and reintroduced in the wild.\n\nCheetahs - the world's fastest land animal - became officially extinct in India in 1952, after years of dwindling numbers because of hunting, a loss of habitat and not having enough prey to eat.\n\nThe vast majority of the 7,000 cheetahs in the world are now found in Africa - in South Africa, Namibia and Botswana.\n\nThe Asiatic cheetah is critically endangered and now only found in Iran, where there are thought to be about 50 left.\n\nThe cheetah is listed globally as \"vulnerable\" on the International Union for the Conservation of Nature Red List of Threatened Species.\n\nIt can race across grasslands at speeds touching 70 mph (112km\/h) to capture prey.\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/world-asia-india-65113651"}
{"title":"'Boy in the Tent' Max Woosey sets Guinness World Record for charity camp-out - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-29","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"Max Woosey, 13, has spent every night for three years under canvas, raising more than \u00a3750,000.","section":"Devon","content":"Max Woosey, pictured with Andrea Crisp (left) and Dee Thorne of North Devon Hospice, has raised more than \u00a3750,000 for the charity\n\nA teenager known as the \"Boy in the Tent\" has set a Guinness World Record for the most money raised by camping.\n\nInspired by a family friend who died of cancer, Max Woosey, 13, has raised more than \u00a3750,000 for North Devon Hospice.\n\nHe has spent every night under canvas since starting his marathon camping mission exactly three years ago in the garden of his home in Braunton, Devon, even pitching up at 10 Downing Street.\n\n\"It's been the best three years of my life,\" he told BBC News.\n\nMax began camping in his garden in March 2020 after being inspired by a family friend who died of cancer\n\nMax's epic camp-out started when he was 10 following the death of family friend Rick Abbot in February 2020.\n\n\"Before my neighbour died of cancer, he gave me a tent and told me to 'have an adventure',\" Max said.\n\n\"The North Devon Hospice took such good care of him I wanted to do something to say thank you to them.\"\n\nAlong the way, the rugby fan has camped out at the Exeter Chiefs' Sandy Park stadium and has even pitched up in the garden of 10 Downing Street, meeting the then-prime minister, Boris Johnson.\n\nMax estimates he has got through 15 tents since beginning his challenge\n\nMax met Boris Johnson and Dilyn the dog when he camped out at 10 Downing Street\n\nThrough storms, snow, hail, torrential rain and baking sun, Max has stuck it out in his tent.\n\n\"The worst night was when the tent collapsed,\" he said.\n\n\"It was chucking it down with high winds, it was 12 o'clock at night and we couldn't find another tent to pitch up.\"\n\nMax, who was granted the British Empire Medal in 2022, reckons he has gone through about 15 tents since starting his challenge.\n\n\"I only set out to have an adventure and raise \u00a3100,\" he said.\n\n\"It is crazy that it has got so much attention but I hope it makes people see that children are capable of a lot more than people think.\"\n\nMax was presented with a British Empire Medal in May 2022\n\nHis mum Rachael said: \"Any time we mentioned him stopping there would be tears and tantrums.\n\n\"And then after Christmas he toyed with the idea.\n\n\"So we tried to back off and then he said three years was enough and he wanted to focus on other things.\"\n\nHayley Robinson, healthcare assistant at North Devon Hospice, said of Max's achievement: \"You can't imagine what it would be like with the weather that we've had.\n\n\"We used to worry about him being so young. but doing that for the hospice is just amazing.\"\n\nMax has also announced he will hold a final celebratory camp-out festival on 1 April at Broomhill Estate in North Devon.\n\n\"There have been ups and downs but I wanted to finish on a high, and hopefully there will be more adventures in the future,\" he added.\n\nFollow BBC News South West on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram. Send your story ideas to spotlight@bbc.co.uk.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/uk-england-devon-65110616"}
{"title":"Baroness Casey urges Met Police chief to accept problems are institutional - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-29","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"Baroness Casey challenges police chief to fully accept her report, in a BBC debate.","section":"UK","content":"This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser.\n\nThe author of a damning report which found evidence of racism, misogyny and homophobia in the Metropolitan Police has urged the force's chief to accept its problems are \"institutional\".\n\nThe report by Baroness Louise Casey published last week laid bare deep and widespread failings in the force.\n\nShe said it would \"mean so much\" if Met Police Commissioner Sir Mark Rowley accepted the term \"institutional\".\n\nBut Sir Mark said the word had become politicised and is ambiguous.\n\nThe report, which found the Met Police was institutionally racist, misogynist and homophobic, was commissioned following the abduction, rape and murder of Sarah Everard by serving police officer Wayne Couzens, in 2021.\n\nBaroness Casey concluded the force was failing women and children, was unable to police itself and that public confidence had been shattered.\n\nShe also warned there could be more officers like murderer Wayne Couzens and serial rapist David Carrick.\n\nSpeaking on BBC Radio 4's The Today Debate, Baroness Casey said: \"I think it's really important for Londoners, and particularly people of colour in London, and women and children, that somehow there's a moment where actually just sort of accepting what people want you to accept is more important than me, or you, or even the report I suppose, Mark.\"\n\nShe urged Sir Mark to accept the description, adding: \"I just think it would really help move things on.\"\n\nSir Mark said he accepted the diagnosis of racism, misogyny and homophobia in the Met - but he refused to use the term institutional.\n\nHe said the the term means different things to different people and is \"quite ambiguous\".\n\nLast week, Baroness Casey said the report found a \"boys club\" culture was rife and the force could be dismantled if it does not improve.\n\nMina Smallman, the mother of two murdered sisters whose bodies were photographed by police officers, also took part in the Today debate, alongside Baroness Casey and Sir Mark.\n\nMs Smallman said she was \"gobsmacked\" at the Met commissioner refusing to to use the term \"institutional\" and described it as \"an own goal\".\n\nTwo Met PCs were jailed for sharing photos of the murder scene and referring to the victims as \"dead birds\" in WhatsApp messages.\n\nDuring the BBC debate, on the theme Policing and us - how do we fix it?, Ms Smallman also expressed concern that the report could \"disappear again\".\n\n\"I'm sick and tired of people hiding behind reports and feeling as though the job is done because the report's done it.\"\n\nShe said the \"hard work of putting everything in place is not done\".","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/uk-65110300"}
{"title":"Betty Boothroyd: Funeral held for first woman Commons Speaker - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-29","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"Baroness Boothroyd, who served as Commons Speaker from 1992 to 2000, died aged 93 in late February.","section":"Leeds & West Yorkshire","content":"Betty Boothroyd, who served as Commons Speaker from 1992 to 2000, died aged 93\n\nThe funeral of Betty Boothroyd, the first female Speaker of the House of Commons, has taken place.\n\nWest Yorkshire-born Baroness Boothroyd, who served as Speaker from 1992 to 2000, died in February aged 93.\n\nShe was the Labour MP for West Bromwich West from 1973 to 2000 and became a baroness in the House of Lords in 2001.\n\nPrime Minister Rishi Sunak, Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer and current speaker Sir Lindsay Hoyle were among those at the service in Cambridgeshire.\n\n\"Today we come together from across the political spectrum to remember one of our greatest Speakers - the remarkable Betty Boothroyd,\" the Prime Minister tweeted.\n\n\"Parliament stands taller because of her service.\"\n\nPrime Minister Rishi Sunak, Labour Leader Sir Keir Starmer and current speaker Sir Lindsay Hoyle were among those in attendance at Baroness Boothroyd's funeral\n\n\"A devoted public servant, Betty was at the forefront of a generation of women who smashed the glass ceiling for female politicians,\" he tweeted.\n\n\"She will be dearly missed by all in politics.\"\n\nThe service was held at the 12th Century St George's Church in Thriplow, the village where she lived in her later years.\n\nFour pallbearers carried Baroness Boothroyd's coffin, adorned with a white floral tribute, into the stone church as organ music played.\n\nThe service concluded with the congregation singing The Battle Hymn Of The Republic.\n\nDeputy Prime Minister Dominic Raab and Deputy Labour Leader Angela Rayner stood in for Mr Sunak and Sir Keir respectively during Wednesday's Prime Minister's Questions in the House of Commons.\n\nThe service was held at the 12th Century St George's Church in Thriplow\n\nSpeaking after the service, Sir Lindsay described Baroness Boothroyd as one of the \"greatest women\" he had ever known and said he will always be \"in awe\".\n\n\"She supported me to become Speaker and she always gave me advice, whether I wanted it or not, Betty would ring up and just put me right,\" he said.\n\n\"She smashed that glass ceiling to smithereens, she became the first and only woman speaker we've ever had.\n\n\"Didn't she climb some hills, from Yorkshire to the hills of Westminster, she took every challenge in her stride and didn't she know how to do it.\"\n\nThe current Commons Speaker said Betty Boothroyd \"smashed that glass ceiling to smithereens\"\n\nThe Reverend Angela Melaniphy, who led the service, said Baroness Boothroyd had planned the service and \"chosen all the music\".\n\n\"The entry music was Climb Ev'ry Mountain sung by Dame Patricia Routledge, who was a very close friend of Baroness Betty Boothroyd's,\" she said.\n\n\"What was lovely about it was that her family was there, her very close friends were there, members of the village were there and members of Parliament were there - it was a service that included all of her life and each part of that reflected how highly she was regarded.\"\n\nBetty Boothroyd was born on 8 October 1929 in Dewsbury and was the only daughter of mill workers.\n\nGrowing up in a political environment - her father was a trade unionist - she described herself as coming \"out of the womb into the Labour movement\".\n\nBaroness Boothroyd was a professional dancer from 1946 to 1948 and appeared in pantomime in London's West End before going into politics.\n\nShe then took a number of office jobs, working for the Labour MP Barbara Castle and on the campaign to elect John F. Kennedy as US President.\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Watch: Time's up! Betty Boothroyd's farewell to the Commons\n\nIn May 1973, after several attempts, she entered Parliament, securing the seat of West Bromwich, later renamed West Bromwich West.\n\nAfter nearly two decades in Parliament she was elected by her fellow MPs to the position of Speaker of the House of Commons - a job which involves presiding over proceedings in the chamber.\n\nThis Twitter post cannot be displayed in your browser. Please enable Javascript or try a different browser. View original tweet on Twitter The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Skip twitter post by Keir Starmer 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\u2019s cookie policy, external and privacy policy, external before accepting. To view this content choose \u2018accept and continue\u2019. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.\n\nShe stepped down from the position in 2000, but continued to be active in politics - calling for a statue in central London to commemorate the part women played in World War Two.\n\nShe was also passionately involved in the campaign to keep the UK in the EU.\n\nMs Melaniphy added: \"In the country she was known to many people as Baroness Boothroyd, in Parliament she was Madam Speaker, but to us she was simply Betty.\"\n\nFollow BBC Yorkshire on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. Send your story ideas to yorkslincs.news@bbc.co.uk.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/uk-england-leeds-65113102"}
{"title":"Royal Mail talks over pay on brink of collapse - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-29","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"A source says continuing strike action could mean Royal Mail is put into administration.","section":"Business","content":"Talks to resolve a long-running row with Royal Mail staff over pay and conditions are close to collapse.\n\nDiscussions are \"precarious\" and in their \"last throes\", with the next 24-48 hours key to settling the dispute, a source close to the talks said.\n\nThe Royal Mail board is reported as threatening to put the firm into administration if a deal is not done.\n\nThe BBC understands that there may be movement on the current pay offer to unions to try and resolve the issues.\n\n\"Administration is a real possibility for Royal Mail if the industrial action continues. It is not a negotiating ploy,\" the source told the BBC.\n\nA separate source said that Royal Mail is in \"uncharted territory\" in terms of what would happen if it went into administration, but the unprofitable letter delivery part of the business would likely have to be split from the parcel delivery part.\n\nA Royal Mail spokesman said the firm is \"doing all we can\" to resolve the dispute, and that the firm is \"committed to getting the right deal\".\n\nBut he said the firm has been \"very clear about the damaging impact of strike action\".\n\nA CWU spokesman said it was \"clear\" that Royal Mail Group are in a \"serious financial situation\", but that this was due to \"mismanagement and recklessness at the most senior level of the company\".\n\n\"There is no positive future for Royal Mail without the support of the workforce,\" he added.\n\nThe government would have to approve a move into administration.\n\nThis could mean Royal Mail, including Parcelforce, is declared insolvent.\n\nThe dispute is not just over pay. Royal Mail is also trying to make changes to the way postal staff do their jobs including changes to start times and sick pay.\n\nThe long-running dispute has seen workers and management at loggerheads, leading to industrial action including a strike over Christmas, with further possible strikes.\n\nThe company has been beset by recent problems, including the prospect of further strikes, and a cyber attack which disrupted overseas mail.\n\nRoyal Mail has said it is losing \u00a31m a day and that it is projected to lose more than \u00a3350m for the financial year ending in April.\n\nIt has said the strikes have cost the company \u00a3200m in lost business and in covering striking staff.\n\nTalks between the company and the Communications Workers Union (CWU) have been ongoing since the end of last year.\n\nIn the past few days, Sir Brendan Barber, the former head of the TUC and ex-chair of conciliation service Acas, has been brought in to help facilitate the talks.\n\nThere is currently a pay offer of 9% over two years starting in April, including a 2% offer for 2022\/23.\n\nThe business says modernisation is essential if the company is to improve its parcel delivery service.\n\nThe firm has been trying to move away from letter delivery, which it has said is unprofitable, but it is obliged to deliver letters to all parts of the UK.\n\nThe CWU has previously said that Royal Mail's management was trying to \"casualise\" the postal service and that they \"want to turn it into an Uber-style employer\".","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/business-65099143"}
{"title":"Climate change: England not ready for impact - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-29","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"The government's advisers urge a \"step change\" in climate adaptation policy to avoid an increased risk to life.","section":"Science & Environment","content":"England is not ready for the unavoidable impacts of global warming, the government's advisers on climate change say in a new report.\n\nThe Committee on Climate Change (CCC) said the government hasn't achieved any of its targets and needed a policy \"step change\" to avoid loss of life.\n\nThe CCC reviews the government's adaptation plans - preparations to cope with the effects of global warming.\n\nThe government said it would take the recommendations into account.\n\nThe committee, also known as the CCC, is an independent group of experts set up to provide the government with advice on the climate crisis.\n\nBaroness Brown, chairwoman of the CCC's sub-committee on adaptation, said that the government wasn't taking the issue seriously enough.\n\n\"The government's lack of urgency on climate resilience is in sharp contrast to the recent experience of this country,\" she said.\n\nOver the last couple of years, England has faced a series of extreme weather events, likely made worse by climate change.\n\nLast year was the warmest on record for the UK - temperatures broke 40C for the first time and more than 25,000 wildfires broke out.\n\nSheffield was hit by wildfires last year as summer temperatures breached 40C in parts of England\n\nAs well as extreme heat, rainfall has been consistently low for parts of south and southeast England, affecting crop yields.\n\nAndrew Blenkiron's 6,000-acre (24 sq km) farm in Thetford, Norfolk saw just 2.4mm of rain in February compared to the local average for that month of 43mm. He has now been forced to cut back on plans to plant potatoes, onions, parsnips and carrots by around a fifth.\n\nHe said: \"Farmers are at the very forefront of climate change on a day-to-day basis... we are used to working with these issues, but we are concerned with the extremes we are now facing.\"\n\nTo cope with the impacts of extreme heat Mr Blenkiron has enlarged reservoirs on his farm and shifted harvesting patterns to prevent wildfires.\n\nBut he said that farmers needed more money from government to implement their climate plans, especially if they involved new infrastructure projects like reservoirs.\n\nAndrew Blenkiron has adapted his farm to reduce emissions and lower the impact of climate change\n\nA UK government spokesperson told the BBC: \"We have taken decisive action to improve the UK's climate change resilience - including investing a record \u00a35.2bn into flood defences.\"\n\nThe spokesperson said the government would factor in the committee's recommendations to the new National Adaptation Plan, which is expected to be published this summer.\n\nThe committee said the government needed to consider the resilience of farming systems in other countries.\n\nNearly half of all the food the UK consumes is imported. The CCC said this makes all of the UK's food supply vulnerable to global weather patterns.\n\nAlready this year supermarkets have placed limits on fruit and vegetable sales after bad weather in North Africa affected supply.\n\nThe committee has recommended the government require all large food sector companies by law to assess the climate risks to their supply chains.\n\nClimate change could lead to more empty supermarket shelves\n\nThe committee reviewed the government's plans across 12 other areas - from buildings to transport to nature. They found that just five out of the 45 policy areas had fully credible climate change plans and none were making progress to improve climate resilience.\n\nThe committee commended the government for updating building regulations last year for new domestic properties - requiring developers to take account of overheating.\n\nBut they said this needed to be extended to cover all existing homes - as 80% of all homes that will be around in 2050 have already been built.\n\nAs many as 4.6 million homes overheat, according to a recent survey, putting those with existing health conditions like asthma at risk.\n\nThe report singled out England's internet networks as being woefully unprepared for climate change despite their crucial importance.\n\nEngland's internet networks - made up of hundreds of data centres, and extensive networks of cables and masts - underpin the UK's service-based economy.\n\nThis infrastructure is already at risk from extreme weather, including heat and strong winds during storms. In November 2021, Storm Arwen left one million British properties without power and internet supply.\n\nThe committee found \"there was no visible plan by the industry or government, to manage long-term risk\".\n\nThe UK's internet supply is at risk from extreme weather as shown during Storm Arwen\n\nMatt Evans, director of Markets at techUK, the UK's tech trade association, told the BBC the report showed there needed to be better collaboration across industry and government.\n\nBut he said it \"doesn't fully capture the resiliency strategies employed by high-tech industries\".\n\nThe committee did praise local governments for innovative climate change preparation, including the work of Kent County Council to help farmers switch their crops to those that will fare better in warmer weather.\n\nBut Baroness Brown said that central government needed to better support local adaptation plans by providing more funding and more region-specific information on future threats.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/science-environment-65099546"}
{"title":"Minister confirms plans to house asylum seekers in military bases - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-29","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"Labour's Yvette Cooper says the plans are an \"admission of failure\".","section":"UK Politics","content":"If you're just joining our live coverage, or need a bit of a catch up, it's safe to say it's been a busy afternoon in the Commons.\n\nWe had PMQs at midday... in which deputy Labour leader Angela Rayner and justice secretary Dominic Raab stood in for their respective leaders, who were attending former speaker Baroness Boothroyd's funeral.\n\nRayner focused on... violence against women and girls, challenging the government on low rape convictions, and slow case progress. In a thinly veiled reference to his own bullying enquiry, she also asked Raab whether he wanted to see bullies brought to justice.\n\nIn response, Raab... said the conviction rate measured by the CPS in rape cases had gone up 69%; funding for victims had been quadrupled; and violence against women was one of the government's \"top priorities\". He also accused Rayner of being more interested in playing \"political games\" than the issues she was raising.\n\nAway from Westminster, Sunak attended the funeral of former Commons speaker Baroness Boothroyd Image caption: Away from Westminster, Sunak attended the funeral of former Commons speaker Baroness Boothroyd\n\nAfter that, we had a statement by Immigration Minister Robert Jenrick... who confirmed plans to house migrants arriving in the UK on small boats in accommodation such as repurposed barrack blocks on former military bases in Essex and Lincolnshire. There'll be another site in East Sussex, as well as one in Rishi Sunak's constituency.\n\nShadow home secretary Yvette Cooper... branded the plans an \"admission of failure\" by the government to tackle the migrant crisis. She said small boat crossings had increased and 40% fewer asylum cases were being decided due to the policies. She also accused the Home Office of behaving in such a panicked way that it had, she said, bid against itself for hotel contracts - driving prices up.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/live\/uk-politics-65110010"}
{"title":"Watch: King Charles speaking German in Berlin - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-29","authors":null,"description":"The King joked with his hosts as he impressed with his language skills at a lavish banquet.","section":null,"content":"King Charles has delivered a speech partly in German at Bellevue Palace in Berlin during a state visit to the country, his first since becoming monarch.\n\nThe monarch made several jokes and praised the ties between the UK and Germany.\n\nThe King and his wife Camilla, the Queen Consort, attended a state banquet hosted by German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier.\n\nAmong those in attendance were the first lady Elke B\u00fcdenbender, as well as dignitaries from both Germany and the UK, including former Chancellor Angela Merkel and British Foreign Secretary James Cleverly.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/uk-65118773"}
{"title":"UK asylum: Ex-military bases to be used in migrant housing plan - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-29","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"The move will cut down on the use of private hotels, immigration minister Robert Jenrick says.","section":"UK","content":"This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Robert Jenrick's plans to use military bases \"being disposed of\" face criticism from both sides of the Commons.\n\nThree sites including two ex-military bases will be used as migrant housing in a bid to cut down on hotel use.\n\nSites in Lincolnshire and Essex, plus another in East Sussex, could house \"several thousand\", Immigration Minister Robert Jenrick said.\n\nThe government is \"exploring the possibility\" of using ferries but no firm decision has been taken, he said.\n\nLabour shadow home secretary Yvette Cooper said the announcement was \"an admission of failure\" on asylum policy.\n\nThe plans are likely to meet local opposition and have been criticised by MPs whose constituencies are impacted, with one Conservative warning the government a legal challenge would be launched.\n\nMr Jenrick told the Commons \"the sheer number of small boats have overwhelmed the asylum system\" and said the government would \"not elevate the wellbeing of illegal migrants above the British people\".\n\n\"Accommodation for migrants should meet essential living needs and nothing more, because we cannot risk becoming a magnet for the millions of people who are displaced and seeking better economic prospects,\" he added.\n\nMr Jenrick said the three new sites will help reduce the need to rely on private hotels but conceded that \"these sites on their own will not end the use of hotels overnight\".\n\nHe also revealed barracks at Catterick Garrison in Prime Minister Rishi Sunak's constituency was being assessed for suitability as potential accommodation.\n\nLater, bosses of a commercial port on the Dorset coast in southern England said the Home Office had asked it to provide space for an \"accommodation facility\".\n\nBill Reeves, chief executive of Portland Port, said: \"We are currently liaising with the Home Office about the next steps.\"\n\nConservative-led Dorset Council has said it has \"serious concerns\" about the location.\n\nThere had been media speculation the government could announce plans to use vessels to house migrants, but it wasn't included in what the minister called the \"first tranche\" of housing options.\n\nThe government says \u00a36.2m a day is being spent on hotels for migrants and areas with high concentrations of people face a strain on local services.\n\nThe BBC understands more than 51,000 people are currently being housed in 395 hotels.\n\nMr Jenrick said new funding would be made available for local authorities to help deal with costs.\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser.\n\nThe BBC understands necessary planning changes has been secured to repurpose military sites in Lincolnshire and Essex, and both could be used to house people who enter the country illegally within weeks.\n\nMr Jenrick did not name the individual sites during his Commons statement but their locations have previously been reported.\n\nUse of RAF Scampton - home of the Dambusters squadron during World War Two - near Scampton, Lincolnshire, could trigger a legal challenge.\n\nIts local Tory MP, Sir Edward Leigh, criticised the choice as a \"thoroughly bad idea\" and said the local authority would launch an immediate judicial review.\n\nA deal was agreed in March to allow West Lindsey District Council buy the base from the Ministry of Defence as part of a \u00a3300m regeneration project of the site for commercial activity, heritage, tourism and research.\n\nForeign Secretary James Cleverly has previously criticised plans to house people at the base near the village of Wethersfield in his Essex constituency of Braintree.\n\nHe said the site was \"inappropriate\" because it was remote and had limited transport infrastructure. The local authority has confirmed it is considering legal action.\n\nFormer home secretary Priti Patel, who represents a neighbouring constituency, has also questioned the site's suitability.\n\nBexhill and Battle MP Huw Merriman identified the East Sussex site as Northeye near Bexhill, which formerly housed an RAF property, a prison and a training centre.\n\nGovernment sources say each site will be able to house between 1,500 and 2,000 migrants, and initially are more likely to be used for new arrivals rather than to rehouse people currently in hotels.\n\nMr Jenrick said the sites would be used to house single adult males and stressed it was not his \"intention\" that minors will be taken there.\n\nThe current system of housing asylum seekers in hotels is deeply unpopular with many Conservative MPs. But the alternatives are also unpopular with a few.\n\nThe lack of detail on exactly what the government is \"exploring\" by way of options for using ferries and barges certainly looks like it's caused some jitters.\n\nIt was noted that several Tory MPs with ports or docks in their areas spoke out against the plans.\n\nIt's also allowed the opposition to question if the much-trailed idea is really a runner at all.\n\nAs for the two military sites, the opposition from local councils is fierce and seems it may be headed for the courts.\n\nThe dilemma isn't going away though: people going through the asylum system need somewhere to live.\n\nThe government has pinned its reputation on dealing with this issue so the prospect of some local fights, however fierce, is unlikely to put it off.\n\nShadow home secretary Yvette Cooper said the government's announcement was an \"admission of failure\" and not a proposal to cut or provide an alternative to \"costly hotel use\".\n\n\"They've got this huge backlog of asylum decisions, so much so that 98% of last year's small boats arrivals simply haven't even been decided or processed.\"\n\nLiberal Democrat leader Sir Ed Davey has accused the government of \"going after headlines\" while failing to solve the problem of people arriving in small boats.\n\nThe Refugee Council believes the accommodation being suggested is \"entirely unsuitable\" to the needs of asylum seekers.\n\nAlex Fraser, from the British Red Cross, said: \"Military sites, by their very nature, can re-traumatise people who have fled war and persecution\".\n\nMr Sunak told his cabinet on Tuesday the cost of the current approach and pressure it put on local areas was not sustainable, according to No 10.\n\nAt a Commons liaison committee, the prime minister said children cannot be exempted from plans to detain people who cross the Channel in small boats to prevent the creation of a \"pull factor\".\n\nIt comes as the government's asylum proposals laid out in the Illegal Migration Bill are being debated in Parliament.\n\nThe legislation aims to stop migrants claiming asylum in the UK if they arrive through unauthorised means, by crossing the English Channel in small boats.\n\nPeople could be detained without bail or judicial review for 28 days before being removed to their home country or a safe third country like Rwanda.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/uk-65107827"}
{"title":"Newtownards and Bangor: Two men charged after attacks - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-29","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"Three other men who were arrested in connection with the attacks have been released by police.","section":"Northern Ireland","content":"A forensic officer in Moyne Gardens in Newtownards after two petrol bombs were thrown at a house on Sunday\n\nTwo men have been charged following a series of attacks in north Down.\n\nA 30-year-old has been charged with a range of offences, including arson with intent to endanger life and possessing petrol bombs.\n\nThe second man, also aged 30, has been charged with a number of offences including arson with intent to endanger life and making a petrol bomb.\n\nPolice said on Monday that in recent days eight houses in north Down had been attacked.\n\nSome of the attacks, including one on a house in Moyne Gardens in Newtownards on Sunday, involved petrol bombs.\n\nBoth of the men are due to appear before Newtownards Magistrates' Court on Wednesday morning.\n\nThree other men - aged 29, 50 and 53 - who were arrested under the Terrorism Act in relation to the incidents in north Down have all been released following questioning.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/uk-northern-ireland-65094671"}
{"title":"AI could replace equivalent of 300 million jobs - report - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-29","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"ChatGPT-style AI will have a large impact but new jobs could emerge, a Goldman Sachs report says.","section":"Technology","content":"Artificial intelligence (AI) could replace the equivalent of 300 million full-time jobs, a report by investment bank Goldman Sachs says.\n\nIt could replace a quarter of work tasks in the US and Europe but may also mean new jobs and a productivity boom.\n\nAnd it could eventually increase the total annual value of goods and services produced globally by 7%.\n\nGenerative AI, able to create content indistinguishable from human work, is \"a major advancement\", the report says.\n\nThe government is keen to promote investment in AI in the UK, which it says will \"ultimately drive productivity across the economy\", and has tried to reassure the public about its impact.\n\n\"We want to make sure that AI is complementing the way we work in the UK, not disrupting it - making our jobs better, rather than taking them away,\" Technology Secretary Michelle Donelan told the Sun.\n\nThe report notes AI's impact will vary across different sectors - 46% of tasks in administrative and 44% in legal professions could be automated but only 6% in construction 4% in maintenance, it says.\n\nBBC News has previously reported some artists' concerns AI image generators could harm their employment prospects.\n\n\"The only thing I am sure of is that there is no way of knowing how many jobs will be replaced by generative AI,\" Carl Benedikt Frey, future of-work director at the Oxford Martin School, Oxford University, told BBC News.\n\n\"What ChatGPT does, for example, is allow more people with average writing skills to produce essays and articles.\n\n\"Journalists will therefore face more competition, which would drive down wages, unless we see a very significant increase in the demand for such work.\n\n\"Consider the introduction of GPS technology and platforms like Uber. Suddenly, knowing all the streets in London had much less value - and so incumbent drivers experienced large wage cuts in response, of around 10% according to our research.\n\n\"The result was lower wages, not fewer drivers.\n\n\"Over the next few years, generative AI is likely to have similar effects on a broader set of creative tasks\".\n\nAccording to research cited by the report, 60% of workers are in occupations that did not exist in 1940.\n\nBut other research suggests technological change since the 1980s has displaced workers faster than it has created jobs.\n\nAnd if generative AI is like previous information-technology advances, the report concludes, it could reduce employment in the near term.\n\nThe long-term impact of AI, however, was highly uncertain, chief executive of the Resolution Foundation think tank Torsten Bell told BBC News, \"so all firm predictions should be taken with a very large pinch of salt\".\n\n\"We do not know how the technology will evolve or how firms will integrate it into how they work,\" he said.\n\n\"That's not to say that AI won't disrupt the way we work - but we should focus too on the potential living-standards gains from higher-productivity work and cheaper-to-run services, as well as the risk of falling behind if other firms and economies better adapt to technological change.\"","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/technology-65102150"}
{"title":"Shona Robison to be Scottish deputy first minister - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-29","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"The Dundee East MSP is the first appointment to Humza Yousaf's new Scottish government.","section":"Scotland politics","content":"Scotland's new First Minister Humza Yousaf has announced that Shona Robison will serve as his deputy.\n\nMs Robison has been an MSP since 1999, and has served as health secretary and social justice secretary.\n\nMr Yousaf made the announcement moments after MSPs voted to make him Scotland's sixth first minister.\n\nHe will be sworn in at the Court of Session on Wednesday morning, and is expected to start appointing his cabinet in the afternoon.\n\nMs Robison, who is MSP for Dundee City East, is a close friend of Mr Yousaf's predecessor Nicola Sturgeon - who posted congratulations on Twitter.\n\nThe former health secretary nominated Mr Yousaf for the post of first minister in advance of the formal vote which made him parliament's nominee for the post.\n\nAnd after it concluded, he told reporters she would be his deputy first minister.\n\nMr Yousaf was also nominated by MSP Neil Gray, who played a key role in his campaign and is also expected to land a key role in government.\n\nFurther appointments are expected to be announced on Wednesday, before being confirmed in more votes at Holyrood on Thursday.\n\nMs Robison has held a series of roles in government, dating back to before Mr Yousaf was elected to Holyrood.\n\nShe was the minister who oversaw the 2014 Commonwealth Games in Glasgow, was health secretary under Ms Sturgeon and was later in charge of social justice, housing and local government.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/uk-scotland-scotland-politics-65104651"}
{"title":"Mortgage lending hits lowest level since 2016 excluding pandemic - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-29","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"Borrowing falls sharply but more mortgage applications are being approved, says Bank of England","section":"Business","content":"Mortgage lending in February fell to its lowest level since 2016, excluding the pandemic, the Bank of England has said.\n\nBut the number of mortgages approved by lenders rose slightly, suggesting the slowdown may be stabilising.\n\nIt comes as higher borrowing costs make buying property less affordable.\n\nHomeowners borrowed \u00a3700m in February, down from \u00a32bn in January, the Bank said. That is the lowest level since April 2016 apart from the Covid crisis.\n\nHowever, mortgage approvals rose to their highest level for three months, climbing to 43,500 in February from 39,600 in January.\n\nKaren Noye, a mortgage expert at Quilter, suggested people were still in \"wait-and-see\" mode as borrowing costs remained high.\n\nBut she said the rebound in approvals meant \"green shoots might be appearing\" in the housing market.\n\n\"It's clear that home-buyers are cautiously returning back to the market in early 2023 after the huge shocks at the back end of last year made many put their house hunts on ice. How this all feeds through to house prices is yet to be seen.\"\n\nMortgage rates began to rise last year as interest rates climbed, but they spiked in September after Liz Truss's mini-budget caused panic on financial markets.\n\nRates have stabilised but remain much higher than they were a few years ago, squeezing people's purchasing power.\n\nIt has fed through to house prices, which in the year to February saw their biggest annual fall in more than ten years, according to Nationwide.\n\nNevertheless, the Bank of England forecast that fewer households were likely to struggle to afford mortgage payments this year than previously forecast due to falling energy prices.\n\nIn December it warned 670,000 households could face difficulties.\n\nAlice Haine, personal finance analyst at Bestinvest, said buyers were going for smaller homes to reflect their budgets as the \"cost-of-living crunch is still very real\".\n\n\"The cost pressures mean buyers simply cannot afford the same properties they could a year ago and must consider smaller or cheaper homes if they want to push ahead with a purchase at this time,\" she said.\n\nThe mini-budget last autumn sparked market turmoil, with the Bank of England having to step in to stabilise pension funds.\n\nIt bought up government debt to stop a fire-sale by some pension funds of assets which could have led to their collapse.\n\nOn Wednesday, the Bank laid out a range of ways pension funds could protect themselves in future, to avoid another crisis.\n\nIt urged the funds at the heart of last year's crisis - known as Liability Driven Investment funds - to have enough money to withstand a surge in government bond yields, as well as other measures.\n\nIt came as the Bank of England's committee watching for financial risks said the UK economy had remained resilient, and banking system robust, despite global stresses.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/business-65112278"}
{"title":"Renting: 'We were kicked out because we complained' - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-29","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"Renters tell the BBC how they have been evicted for complaining about the state of their homes.","section":"Business","content":"Mould and a broken toilet were just some of the problems Chiara said she and her family faced in their rented home over the past two years.\n\nBut when the teacher complained to her landlord, she said they responded with a no-fault eviction notice.\n\nIt comes as a survey found tenants in England who complain to landlords were more than twice as likely to get an eviction notice than those who do not.\n\nIt has renewed calls to scrap no-fault evictions, known as Section 21 notices.\n\nThe government pledged to ban the use of Section 21 orders in England last June, but since then the number of households threatened with homelessness because of such notices has increased by 34%.\n\nShelter, a major housing charity, said that scrapping no-fault evictions was more urgent than ever, especially with the number of homes available to rent in the UK dropping by a third over the past 18 months.\n\nChiara told the BBC that she, her husband Ben and their three-year-old daughter Maggie had \"lived with disrepair for two years\" in a flat in Leyton, London.\n\n\"We had moths in the carpet, the cellar was flooded, we had no bath, the toilet broke so we had no toilet,\" she said.\n\nWith mould and damp also causing problems, Chiara complained about the state of the flat to her landlord.\n\n\"They responded with a Section 21, giving us two months' notice to vacate the property,\" she said.\n\n\"We were kicked out because we complained.\"\n\nChiara, who is a teacher in Walthamstow, said that after they got the notice in January, the family experienced a frantic search to find a new home, finally moving into a new place two weeks ago.\n\nShe said while searching they discovered that rents had surged.\n\nChiara said it made it \"pretty much impossible\" for them to find another two-bed flat with a garden, so now the family has moved into a one-bed.\n\nAccording to a YouGov survey of just over 2000 private renting adults in England commissioned by charity Shelter, tenants facing issues with properties who then complained about disrepair to their landlord were more than twice as likely to be handed an eviction notice than those who had not.\n\nThe research found that 76% of private renters in England have experienced disrepair in the last year, and a quarter of renters have not asked for repairs to be carried out due to fear of eviction.\n\n\"We just need to get rid of Section 21,\" said Polly Neate, Shelter's chief executive.\n\nShe added there needed to be a \"situation where landlords can evict people for legitimate reasons, and can't evict them just because they complain about the poor condition of their home\".\n\nDavid and Samira from Richmond in North Yorkshire have had a similar experience to Chiara and her family.\n\nThe couple were issued with a no-fault eviction just before Christmas after complaining about damp.\n\nSamira was six months' pregnant at the time.\n\nDavid said the eviction was \"really unfair\" and caused a lot of stress for the parents-to-be.\n\n\"Looking at the options we had as tenants there was very little we could do. It was just really baffling, really confusing, it doesn't seem like a fair process,\" David added, after being outbid or rejected for more than 30 properties they had viewed.\n\n\"Soul destroying is the term I'd use for it, it was just rejection after rejection after rejection.\"\n\nDavid and Samira managed to find a new home just in time for the arrival of their daughter Aila last week.\n\nThe government is due to introduce a Renters' Reform Bill before the summer, which it has said will redress the balance in the market and provide more security for tenants.\n\nHousing rules are different in each of the devolved nations, and Scotland and Wales have already banned no fault evictions.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/business-65114284"}
{"title":"Barmouth: David Redfern guilty of bed mix-up murder - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-29","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"David Redfern murdered 71-year-old Margaret Barnes after she mistook his home for a B&B.","section":"Wales","content":"Margaret Barnes died in the street following the attack in Barmouth, Gwynedd, last July\n\nA man has been found guilty of murdering a 71-year-old who mistook his home for a B&B and got into his bed.\n\nMargaret Barnes, from Birmingham, died following the attack last July while she was visiting Barmouth, Gwynedd.\n\nDavid Redfern, 46, found Mrs Barnes asleep in his bedroom and dragged her downstairs by her feet before kicking and stamping her to death.\n\nRedfern denied murder but was found guilty after a trial at Caernarfon Crown Court.\n\nMrs Barnes had been out drinking with friends and had been planning to stay at a B&B on Marine Parade, where Redfern lived.\n\nShe mistakenly went into Redfern's house and went straight to his bedroom and fell asleep.\n\nMichael Jones, prosecuting, described that as a \"mistake that ultimately cost her her life\".\n\nAfter returning home and finding Mrs Barnes in his bed, Redfern, who had self-confessed anger issues, dragged her downstairs by her ankles.\n\nRedfern, a 6ft 1in (1.85m) man who weighed 21 stone (133kg), then kicked and stamped on Mrs Barnes, breaking numerous ribs.\n\nDavid Redfern found Mrs Barnes in his bedroom, dragged her downstairs and kicked and stamped on her\n\nA post-mortem examination found she had a traumatic liver injury and extensive internal bleeding.\n\nIn police bodycam footage shown during the trial, Redfern said: \"I threw her out the bedroom, dragged her down the stairs by her ankles and threw her out the door.\n\n\"You do not expect to find someone else in your bed. I just wanted to get this strange woman out of the house.\"\n\nIn CCTV footage, Redfern is heard telling his partner: \"I didn't mean to kill her\".\n\nHis partner replied: \"You could have just escorted her out. It's an old lady.\"\n\nRedfern told the jury when he and his fianc\u00e9e came into the room, they found Mrs Barnes sitting up in their bed drinking gin and tonic with her false teeth on the bedside table.\n\nRedfern claimed Mrs Barnes became aggressive and lunged at his partner after the couple called the police.\n\nAfter dragging Mrs Barnes downstairs Redfern delivered a \"deliberate, gratuitous, and forceful\" kick or stamp to her.\n\nRedfern denied murdering Mrs Barnes, but was found guilty after a trial\n\nRedfern claimed there was accidental contact during the confrontation and accepted saying \"some appalling things\" but always maintained he was not responsible for her death.\n\nA pathologist told the jury Mrs Barnes' injuries were the sort they would expect to see in a car crash.\n\nMrs Barnes collapsed outside the front door of Redfern's home, where he mocked her as she complained of chest pains before losing consciousness.\n\nDespite the efforts of neighbours and paramedics, she could not be revived and was pronounced dead in the early hours of 11 July.\n\nThe jury found Redfern guilty of a single charge of murder after deliberating for 15 hours.\n\nAddressing Redfern, Mr Justice Bourne said he must expect a life sentence when he is sentenced on Friday, with the minimum time he must serve to be decided.\n\nRedfern told the court he \"just wanted to get this strange woman out of the house\"\n\nAfter the trial, Mrs Barnes' family said she was a much-loved wife, mother and grandmother.\n\n\"As a family it has been the hardest time of our lives,\" they said.\n\n\"It has been especially difficult for Margaret's husband who had been her partner for 56 years.\n\n\"We now have some sort of closure on what has happened however no length of sentence will ever fill the void that Margaret has left behind.\"","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/uk-wales-65062565"}
{"title":"Adidas backtracks on Black Lives Matter design opposition - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-29","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"The firm previously said a Black Lives Matter design would create confusion with its famous three-stripe mark.","section":"Business","content":"Adidas says it is withdrawing a request to the US Trademark Office to reject a Black Lives Matter (BLM) application for a trademark featuring three parallel stripes.\n\nThe sportwear giant did not give a reason for the reversal.\n\nOn Monday, Adidas said the Black Lives Matter Global Network Foundation design would create confusion with its own famous three-stripe mark.\n\nIt added that it has been using its logo for more than 70 years.\n\n\"Adidas will withdraw its opposition to the Black Lives Matter Global Network Foundation's trademark application as soon as possible,\" a spokesperson for the German company said in a statement emailed to the BBC on Wednesday.\n\nThe company declined to make any further comment on the decision.\n\nBlack Lives Matter Global Network Foundation is the most prominent entity in the decentralised BLM movement.\n\nThe group applied for a US trademark in November 2020 for a yellow three-stripe design to use on merchandise including clothing and bags.\n\nIn a notice of opposition submitted to the trademark office, Adidas said the proposed design \"incorporates three stripes in a manner that is confusingly similar to the Three-Stripe Mark in appearance and overall commercial impression\".\n\nThe company added that consumers who are familiar with its goods and services \"are likely to assume\" that those offered under the applicant's mark \"originate from the same source, or that they are affiliated, connected, or associated with or sponsored by Adidas\".\n\nThe US Patent and Trademark Office gave Black Lives Matter Global Network Foundation until 6 May to respond to the challenge.\n\nBlack Lives Matter Global Network Foundation did not immediately respond to a BBC request for comment.\n\nBLM rose to prominence after the 2012 death of Trayvon Martin, an unarmed black 17-year-old who was shot by neighbourhood watch volunteer George Zimmerman, in Florida.\n\nThe movement gained further support in the summer of 2020 after George Floyd, an unarmed black man, was murdered in Minneapolis, Minnesota by a police officer who knelt on his neck.\n\nIn January this year, Adidas lost a court case to try to stop the luxury brand Thom Browne from using a design.\n\nThe sportswear giant argued that Browne's four stripes were too similar to its three stripes.\n\nBrowne argued that shoppers were unlikely to confuse the two brands as - among other reasons - his had a different number of stripes.\n\nDocuments used in the case showed that Adidas had launched over 90 lawsuits and signed more than 200 settlement agreements related to its trademark since 2008.\n\nAccording to Adidas, the number of stripes on its famous mark does not have any significance. The company said its founder Adolf Dassler tested several versions and combinations of stripes, and found that those shown on its mark showed up most prominently in photographs.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/business-65107924"}
{"title":"Rishi Sunak's wife holds shares in childcare firm given Budget boost - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-29","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"Rishi Sunak faces questions over the shares and says his interests have been declared \"in the normal way\".","section":"UK Politics","content":"Rishi Sunak is facing questions over shares his wife holds in a childcare agency that could benefit from a new policy unveiled in the Budget.\n\nThe Chancellor announced a pilot of payments for new childminders with more for those who sign through agencies.\n\nAkshata Murty was listed as a shareholder in one of those agencies, Koru Kids, as recently as 6 March.\n\nThe prime minister's press secretary said all Mr Sunak's interests \"have been declared in the usual way\".\n\nMinisters are expected to provide a written list of all financial interests that might \"give rise to a conflict\".\n\nMr Sunak mentions Ms Murthy's venture capital company, Catamaran Ventures, in his list of ministerial interests, but does not mention Koru Kids.\n\nThe PM also did not mention Ms Murthy's links to Koru Kids when he was questioned by MPs over the policy at a parliamentary committee hearing on Tuesday.\n\nLabour MP Catherine McKinnell asked Mr Sunak whether he had any interest to declare, and in reply he said: \"No, all my disclosures are declared in the normal way.\"\n\nThe Liberal Democrats say there are \"are serious questions for Rishi Sunak to answer\" about \"any extra income his family could receive from his own government's policy\", and have urged the government's ethics adviser, Sir Laurie Magnus, to investigate Mr Sunak over a potential breach of ministerial rules.\n\nLabour's deputy leader Angela Rayner said Mr Sunak must explain why his wife's shareholding \"was not deemed necessary to publish in the register of members' interests\".\"He must urgently correct the record and set out what steps he took to avoid an actual or perceived conflict of interest,\" Ms Rayner said.\n\nWhen asked about Ms Murty's shareholding - which was reported by the i newspaper - Mr Sunak's press secretary told reporters the details of Ms Murthy's holding in the agency were not in the public domain, but indicated they would be included in the updated statement of ministers' interests, due out in May.\n\n\"The ministerial code sets out a process by which ministers declare their interests. They do that in writing, in this case to the Cabinet Secretary. That process was followed to the letter by the prime minister,\" the press secretary said.\n\nDeclarations to the Cabinet Office are not immediately available to MPs or others to see.\n\nPressed that MPs are usually expected to draw attention to an interest they have declared if questioned about it in a committee, Mr Sunak's press secretary said \"there was not a specific interest that was put to him\".\n\nThe BBC has sought to ask both the company and Ms Murthy for comment.\n\nThe pilot of bonuses for childminders was announced in the Budget on 15 March as part of the government's overhaul of childcare.\n\nMr Hunt said the government would be \"piloting incentive payments of \u00a3600 for childminders who sign up to the profession, rising to \u00a31,200 for those who join through an agency\".\n\nThe pilot could drive up the number of childminders entering the profession and generate more business for companies such as Koru Kids.\n\nKoru Kids is listed as one of six childminder agencies on the government's website.\n\nOn its website, Koru Kids welcomed the government's reforms and said \"the new incentives open to childminders are great\".\n\nThe website says new childminders would get a bonus of \u00a31,200 if they \"come through an agency like Koru Kids who offer community, training and ongoing support\".","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/uk-politics-65115204"}
{"title":"Ministers can veto prisoners' parole in Victims and Prisoners Bill - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-29","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"The government has promised to make it easier for victims of crime in England and Wales to get justice.","section":"UK Politics","content":"Ministers will be able to block the release of some prisoners and stop others getting married under new plans to overhaul the parole system.\n\nThe idea is among measures in its Victims and Prisoners Bill, which is aimed at giving greater rights to victims of crime in England and Wales.\n\nMinisters promise to make it easier for crime victims to get justice.\n\nBut critics fear efforts to improve life for victims will be lost in a bill which also combines parole reform.\n\nSome victims of crime, especially of rape and sexual assault, feel that the criminal justice system has let them down as investigations are slow, and information scarce. Many do not make it to court. Those that do face further delays.\n\nNow the government is promising new legislation to allow victims to be kept informed, and also to challenge decisions.\n\nJustice Secretary Dominic Raab said the plans will \"make sure that victims are front and centre of the criminal justice system\".\n\nHe told BBC Radio 4's Today programme: \"I want to make sure that the drift away from public protection [in the parole system] is curtailed.\"\n\nThe plan for a ministers' veto on some parole decisions follows the cases of double child-killer Colin Pitchfork, who was recalled to prison within months of being released, and black cab rapist John Worboys, which the government says have shaken public confidence in the system.\n\nIt will mean ministers can veto recommendations to release criminals including murderers, rapists and terrorists, the government said. Bids for freedom could be blocked on multiple occasions up until the end of a sentence.\n\nMr Raab previously told MPs that public protection would be the \"exclusive focus\" of the Parole Board decision-making process under the reforms.\n\nThe changes are in an effort to \"stop a balancing exercise taking into account prisoners' rights\", the Ministry of Justice said.\n\nMr Raab said: \"Our reforms will improve the experience for victims from the first meeting with a police officer to the support they get in court, and we will refocus the parole system on its overriding duty to protect the public from violent and sexual criminals.\"\n\nHe acknowledged that the Parole Board did not like the changes, but he said he wanted to take the parole process in \"a different direction\" with the emphasis on public safety.\n\nThose serving whole-life orders will be banned from marrying behind bars. These plans also follow an attempt by serial killer Levi Bellfield to marry in prison, and reportedly making a bid for legal aid to challenge the decision to block his marriage.\n\nThe 54-year-old is serving two whole-life orders for killing 13-year-old Milly Dowler, Marsha McDonnell and Amelie Delagrange, as well as the attempted murder of Kate Sheedy.\n\nLabour said it had been eight years since the Conservatives first promised this bill, \"and now they've had to combine it with parole reform\".\n\n\"Yet again, the Tories overpromise and underdeliver,\" said Labour's shadow victims minister Anna McMorrin.\n\n\"Victims are now waiting years for a trial because of record court backlogs, with criminals getting off scot-free at a record rate. Rape victims are suffering on average for three years as they wait to hear their case in court.\"\n\nDiana Fawcett, chief executive at Victim Support, said the charity welcomed many of the measures in the bill \"which will make a real and meaningful difference to the experience of victims\".\n\n\"But we are seriously worried that expanding its scope to include prisoners will be a distraction and delay it even further.\"\n\nThe End Violence Against Women Coalition said women and girls' confidence in justice agencies was at an all-time low because of their \"persistent failures towards victims and survivors of rape, sexual violence and domestic abuse\", and said it was concerned the bill \"will not transform victims' experiences without significant changes\".\n\nIt said there was a \"glaring absence of funding\" in the bill and said it was concerned it was \"creeping away from its intended aim of improving victims' experiences\".\n\nDirector Andrea Simon said: \"Recovery is an essential part of justice, and we need to ensure every survivor who needs help can access specialist support that is tailored to their needs\" - but added matters were a \"long way from that being a reality\".\n\nA Parole Board spokesman said: \"Public protection has always been, and will always be, at the heart of Parole Board decision-making, which is based on the evidence and the law.\n\n\"We are committed to working with the ministry and Parliament to ensure this important legislation receives the consideration that it richly deserves.\"","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/uk-politics-65105135"}
{"title":"Nashville shooter sent a former classmate messages moments before attack - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-29","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"\"I'm still trying to wrap my head around what we're going through,\" former classmate Averianna Patton told the BBC.","section":"US & Canada","content":"This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser.\n\nAverianna Patton is thought to be one of the last people the Nashville school shooter messaged before the attack.\n\nOn Monday morning, Ms Patton received a message on Instagram from her former classmate, who sounded depressed and desperate.\n\n\"She said that I would see her on the news later on\u2026 and something tragic was about to happen,\" Ms Patton told BBC News.\n\n\"I don't know what she was battling... but I knew it was a mental thing, you know?\" Ms Patton said.\n\n\"Just something in my spirit, when she reached out, I just jumped into the mode of trying to call around make sure that I'm doing everything that I could.\"\n\nBut within minutes, Audrey Hale attacked the Covenant School, killing three nine-year-old pupils and three staff members.\n\n\"I later found out that this was not a game, this was not a joke, it was [Hale] who did this,\" she said. \"It's just been very, very heavy.\"\n\nMs Patton said that police came to her home that afternoon to review the messages from Hale.\n\n\"I'm still trying to wrap my head around what we're going through as a city and trying to find solutions to prevent this from happening again,\" she said.\n\nMs Patton, who is a local TV personality and influencer in Nashville, said she and the shooter were once teammates on the same middle school basketball team.\n\nThe suspect, Ms Patton said , could be \"standoffish\" at times.\n\nBut the shooter remained in contact with teammates over the years, and occasionally attended Ms Patton's events in the city.\n\nMs Patton said she last saw the shooter earlier this month.\n\nNow, she's left turning over the same question plaguing Nashville residents and indeed the rest of the country: why?\n\n\"I am asking that the same thing. And I guess you know, just we'll never know. And I'm really sorry.\n\n\"I would have never in a million years imagined this.\"","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/world-us-canada-65106763"}
{"title":"Russian whose daughter drew anti-war picture flees jail term - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-29","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"Alexei Moskalev was investigated after his daughter drew an anti-war picture at school.","section":"Europe","content":"Masha's school contacted the police after the 12-year-old drew this picture\n\nA Russian single father whose daughter was reported for drawing an anti-war picture has been given a two-year jail term for discrediting the army.\n\nBut Alexei Moskalev, 53, was not in court in Yefremov for the verdict. The court press secretary said he had escaped house arrest.\n\n\"I don't know where he is,\" his lawyer Vladimir Biliyenko told the BBC.\n\nHis daughter Masha, 13, was sent to a children's home in early March when the criminal case began.\n\nMoskalev was accused of repeatedly criticising the Russian army on social media and had appeared in court the day before.\n\nHe is only the latest Russian to be given a jail term for discrediting the military, but his case 320km (200 miles) south of Moscow has attracted international attention because of the authorities' decision to remove his daughter from their home early in March.\n\n\"I'm in shock,\" Yefremov town councillor Olga Podolskaya said. \"A prison sentence for expressing your opinion is a terrible thing. A two-year jail term is a nightmare.\"\n\n\"When I heard that Alexei had gone on the run, that was the second shock. We hope that Alexei is OK and that nothing has happened to him.\"\n\nThe family's problems began last April, she told the BBC, when Masha Moskaleva's school told the police that the girl had drawn a Ukrainian flag with the words \"Glory to Ukraine\", rockets and a Russian flag bearing the phrase \"No to war!\"\n\nAlexei Moskalev had contacted Ms Podolskaya last year to tell her about the pressure he and his daughter were coming under. Masha's mother does not live in the area and is estranged from the family.\n\nMoskalev was initially fined for a comment about the war made on a social media network last year. But after his flat was searched in December he was charged under the criminal code because he had already been convicted of a similar offence.\n\nHe has been recognised as a political prisoner by human rights group Memorial, which has itself been banned by Russia's authorities.\n\nMoskalev was not allowed to communicate with the BBC during a visit to his building earlier this month. However, his lawyer said Moskalev was very worried that his daughter was not with him.\n\nAlexei Moskalev was being held under house arrest ahead of the verdict in Yefremov\n\nSocial services in Yefremov have officially been tasked with looking after the girl. The local Juvenile Affairs Commission had already taken legal action to restrict her father's parental rights. Last week he wasn't allowed to leave his house arrest to attend a preliminary hearing.\n\nAhead of the verdict on Tuesday Vladimir Biliyenko visited the children's home where Masha has spent most of the month.\n\nThe director told him that the girl had gone to a children's cooking festival and passed on two drawings she said Masha had done for her father, as well as a letter she had written him. Mr Biliyenko told Sotavision that Masha had written the words: \"Papa you're my hero.\"\n\nHe later spread the drawings on a table in court.\n\nAlthough Moskalev had turned up the day before, court press secretary Olga Dyachuk said he had escaped house arrest overnight and should have been taken into custody after the verdict.\n\n\"To say I'm surprised would be an understatement,\" Mr Biliyenko told the BBC. \"I've never seen anything like it. No client of mine has ever gone missing like this. I don't know when he fled, or if he has.\"","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/world-europe-65102392"}
{"title":"Afghan refugees to be moved out of hotels under new government plans - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-29","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"But campaigners say ministers' plans could risk leave Afghans at risk of homelessness.","section":"UK","content":"A new plan to move Afghan refugees out of hotels and into permanent homes in the UK has been announced.\n\nAfghans in \"bridging hotels\" will be written to and given at least three months' notice to move, Veterans Minister Johnny Mercer said.\n\nLabour said the government was \"serving eviction notices\" with no guarantee of suitable housing for families.\n\nMr Mercer said new people arriving from Afghanistan under government schemes would not be housed in hotels.\n\nSpeaking in the Commons, he said the new plan meant Afghan refugees living in hotels who turn down an offer of housing would not receive a second offer.\n\nThe new plan applies to Afghans who have arrived in the UK under two resettlement schemes: the Afghan Citizens Resettlement Scheme (ACRS), which focuses on women, children and religious minorities, and the Afghan Relocations and Assistance Policy (ARAP), for Afghans who worked for the British military and UK government.\n\nIn August 2021, thousands of people fled Afghanistan after the Taliban took back control of the country. Many refugees have since been living in hotels across the UK.\n\nMr Mercer said the thousands of people who left Afghanistan were housed in \"bridging hotels\" which were never meant to be permanent.\n\nHe added that of the 24,500 people now living in the UK under the two resettlement schemes, about 8,000 remained in hotels, with about half of those being children - costing \u00a31m a day.\n\nThe government says that Afghans make up a fifth of all people living in bridging hotels.\n\nMr Mercer said the long-term residency in hotels has \"prevented some Afghans\" from putting down roots, committing to employment and integrating into communities, as well as creating uncertainty.\n\nBut campaigners said the new policy would cause anxiety and upheaval for refugees who had already experienced trauma, and could leave Afghans at risk of becoming homeless.\n\nAfter its withdrawal from Afghanistan, the UK pledged to resettle up to 20,000 more vulnerable Afghans under the ACRS.\n\nThe government will begin writing to families and individuals housed in hotels at the end of April, giving them \"at least three months' notice\" before they are forced out, Mr Mercer told the Commons.\n\nHe promised \"generous\" support, with trained staff based at hotels to provide advice - including Home Office staff and charity workers.\n\nThe veterans minister said \u00a335m of funding would help councils provide increased support and the local authority housing fund would be expanded by \u00a3250m.\n\nThe increased fund for local authorities will help councils to source homes for Afghan refugees currently in hotels, the government says.\n\nMr Mercer noted there was a \"national duty\" owed to Afghan refugees who helped British forces during the war.\n\nHe added that \"in return, we do expect families to help themselves\" and where an offer of accommodation was turned down, \"another will now not be forthcoming\".\n\nHe said: \"At a time when there are many pressures on the taxpayer and the housing market, it is not right that people can choose to stay in hotels when other perfectly suitable accommodation is available.\"\n\nVeterans Minister Johnny Mercer announced the plan in the Commons\n\nEnver Solomon from the Refugee Council said the government's plan risked people being left \"homeless and destitute on the streets of Britain\".\n\nHe said: \"This is not how those who were promised a warm welcome in the UK should be treated.\"\n\nGovernment plans to resettle Afghans who had worked with the UK during the war were initially named Operation Warm Welcome.\n\nMr Solomon added: \"To expect councils to suddenly move them out of hotels by putting pressure on Afghan families risks causing great misery and anxiety for those who have already experienced trauma and upheaval.\"\n\nLabour called on the government to ensure no Afghans would be left homeless.\n\nShadow defence secretary John Healey accused the government of \"serving eviction notices on 8,000 Afghans - half of whom are children - with no guarantee they will be offered a suitable, settled place to live\".\n\nHe said: \"Never mind 'Operation Warm Welcome', never mind the warm words from the minister today. He has confirmed the government is giving them the cold shoulder.\"\n\nLiberal Democrat Home Affairs spokesperson Alistair Carmichael the public would \"have no faith in this initiative\".\n\n\"They have proven time and time again they cannot treat refugees, including women and young children, with the respect they deserve.\"\n\nLib Dem MP Munira Wilson said the government's promise of help for those who remained in danger in Afghanistan was \"utterly hollow\".\n\nShe said she had repeatedly raised the case of five British children who were still \"living in hiding\" in Kabul and had been \"abandoned\" by the government.\n\nThe Local Government Association (LGA) said councils would need extra resources to help find and fund the accommodation or there would be a risk of a further increase in homelessness.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/uk-65098829"}
{"title":"Easter holiday travel: No repeat of airport chaos, industry says - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-29","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"Airports and airlines say they have enough staff to cope, with travel set to return to pre-Covid levels.","section":"Business","content":"Airports and airlines have told the BBC they are confident they have enough staff to avoid a repeat of last year's disruption in the Easter holidays.\n\nSome struggled with staff shortages last year as passengers returned, leading to delays and cancellations.\n\nWages have risen, as businesses try to attract and keep new recruits.\n\nAirline bosses have warned strikes in France are likely to cause issues, but still expect passenger numbers to return to pre-Covid levels of 2019.\n\nEasyJet's chief operating officer, David Morgan, said: \"When they close an airport because of strikes you are going to see disruption. But the vast majority of flights, even during a disrupted period, will run smoothly\".\n\nEasyJet started recruitment six months early, while Manchester Airport said it already had enough security staff for the summer peak.\n\nPassenger numbers swiftly returned after Covid restrictions were lifted in March 2022. But many holidaymakers encountered huge disruption, as some aviation businesses could not scale up or reverse pandemic job cuts quickly enough to cope.\n\nFor people to get away on flights smoothly, various businesses need to work together with the right resources in place.\n\nLast spring, Manchester Airport faced particular criticism for long queues caused by shortages of security staff. By the summer, its managing director Chris Woodroofe could only promise a \"reasonable\" experience.\n\nThis time he promises a \"great\" experience, adding: \"I can absolutely reassure passengers they won't see the [security] queues they saw in summer 2022. We're aiming to deliver at least 95% of our passengers in fifteen minutes\".\n\nHe said the airport had 350 more security officers than the same time last year, and there would be enough staff in place this April to cope with the busiest day in August.\n\nA new 100 person-strong 'resilience team' has been set up, trained to help in any area where pressure builds up.\n\nStaff shortages led to long queues at airports last Easter\n\nLast year, shortages of ground handlers also proved a particular challenge. These teams do tasks like unloading baggage and helping to prepare the plane for departure.\n\nIt is the responsibility of airlines, many of whom contract out the services to specialist providers. Swissport is the world's biggest, operating at 292 airports including Manchester.\n\nKaren Cox, Swissport UK & Ireland managing director, said returning to peak levels of operations in 2022 had been a \"massive challenge\".\n\nTo prepare better this time, she said Swissport had kept on 5,000 workers over the winter and recruited 1,500 more.\n\nMs Cox described an \"absolute war for labour\", caused by Covid and Brexit reducing the pool of available workers. But she said: \"I sit here now at end of March ready for summer.\"\n\nAs well as recruiting early, she said Swissport had done a number of things to recruit and retain workers.\n\n\"We did the single biggest pay deal in our history, and we've given all of our people advance roster notification so they can actually plan their lives,\" she said.\n\nBacklogs in security clearance for new workers were also an issue last year, but Swissport says this is not a problem now.\n\nAirlines too are optimistic. EasyJet was just one carrier to make large numbers of cancellations last year. The carrier and British Airways offered bonuses as airlines battled to recruit and retain staff.\n\nEasyJet's David Morgan said the airline started hiring for this summer as early as July last year.\n\n\"We would not normally start recruiting until January, something like that,\" he said. \"So we wanted to get ahead of the game to make sure that if there were challenges getting people through, we had plenty of time to do that.\"\n\nHe added: \"I can say confidently that we are fully staffed for this summer. We have a good resilient number of crew in the system even to cope with the bumps if stuff that's thrown at us.\"\n\nMr Morgan acknowledged wages have gone up across the industry, and these costs and higher fuel prices are being reflected in fares.\n\nBut he insisted this was not hitting bookings. \"We are seeing people prioritise travel. Easter is booking really well and we're seeing good signs for the summer as well.\"\n\nThe communication director of travel firm TUI, Aage Duenhaupt, said: \"You can never come to the point where you can give a guarantee for everything. But what we can prepare, that's what we're doing.\"\n\nMr Duenhaupt said ground handling partners had given assurances they now had the right resources in place, and the airline had made extra planes available.\n\nElsewhere, security staff at London Heathrow's Terminal 5 are due to begin a 10-day strike on 31 March, which has already caused British Airways to remove flights from its schedules and could mean queues for security.\n\nIn a cost of living crisis, are people still keen to travel? Richard Slater of Henbury Travel in Macclesfield thinks so.\n\nHe said many customers - who include those looking for package holidays and cruises - are booking late. But his agency had \"seen incredible demand, back to 2019 in fact probably higher\".\n\n\"We're certainly seeing some people having to cut their cloth a little bit and potentially shorten their holiday, whereas others have been saving up through the pandemic,\" he added.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/business-65113682"}
{"title":"Associated Newspapers says Prince Harry and other accusers are 'out of time' - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-29","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"The Duke of Sussex and six others are bringing a legal case against Associated Newspapers.","section":"UK","content":"The Duke of Sussex attended court in person this week\n\nBarristers for Associated Newspapers have argued to a High Court judge that Prince Harry and six other well-known people have run out of time to bring privacy claims against the Mail titles.\n\nThe law requires that claims are brought within six years.\n\nBut some of the allegations against Associated date back decades.\n\nLawyers for the claimants - also including Sir Elton John and Baroness Doreen Lawrence - argue that new evidence has recently come to light.\n\nThe newspaper publisher said \"they haven't come close\" to proving that only now could they sue the Mail and Mail on Sunday.\n\nLast year, the seven claimants said they had only recently become aware of \"compelling and highly distressing evidence that they had been the victims of abhorrent criminal activity and gross breaches of privacy by Associated Newspapers\".\n\nThis included, they said, evidence that the publisher's journalists paid private investigators for bugging cars and homes, listening to private telephone calls, paying police officials and obtaining medical and financial records.\n\nIn the case of the Duke of Sussex, his witness statement published on Tuesday stresses that he was not told by lawyers acting for the Royal Family of the possibility of suing newspapers.\n\nHe said he only realised this when press interest grew around his relationship with his now wife, which was when he started talking to a senior Royal Family lawyer.\n\nAt the Leveson Inquiry in 2011, the Mail's editor Paul Dacre swore on oath that his journalists had not used illegal methods of gathering information.\n\nThe lawyers for the claimants say legal action was prevented because of these denials.\n\nThey are now arguing that the clock for bringing a legal action only started when the new evidence came to light.\n\nBut Adrian Beltrami KC for Associated Newspapers argued that the claimants should have complained about articles in the Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday at the time they were published.\n\nHe told the judge, Mr Justice Nicklin, that there was no new evidence which justified lifting the time restriction on bringing a case.\n\nSir Elton John, another claimant in the case, was also seen outside the court\n\nLedgers kept by the newspapers of payments to private investigators could not be used to prove the case because they had been leaked from a public inquiry, he said, referring to a legal disagreement the judge will have to resolve.\n\nEven if they were valid as evidence, the claimants could have obtained them years ago, he said.\n\nIn the same way, admissions by private investigators that they worked for Mail titles in the 1990s and 2000s were not new.\n\nTurning to a \"handful\" of documents he said were being used to suggest Mail journalists had commissioned illegal activities, Mr Beltrami asked: \"Are they the tipping point?\"\n\n\"If this is supposed to be the tipping point they can not bear the weight which is attributed to them,\" he said.\n\nIf the judge decides in favour of the newspapers, the case could be brought to an end long before it comes to a trial.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/uk-65117106"}
{"title":"Joe Biden defiant on NI visit after terrorism threat level raised - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-29","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"The US president says \"they can't keep me out\" after the terrorism threat level was raised in NI.","section":"Northern Ireland","content":"President Biden told reporters \"they can't keep me out\"\n\nUS President Joe Biden has said he still plans to visit Northern Ireland despite MI5's decision to increase the terrorism threat level to \"severe\".\n\nThe move follows a rise in dissident republican activity, including a recent gun attack on a top police officer.\n\nMr Biden was asked by reporters on Tuesday if it would affect his upcoming visit to mark the 25th anniversary of the Good Friday Agreement.\n\n\"No. They can't keep me out,\" he said.\n\nPresident Biden has been a vocal supporter of the peace deal signed on 10 April 1998, which was designed to bring an end to three decades of conflict in Northern Ireland.\n\nFollowing a meeting with UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak in March, Mr Biden said he intended to visit both Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland as part of the anniversary celebrations.\n\nFull details of Mr Biden's visit are yet to be confirmed, but the White House has said the increased threat level \"does not have any potential implications for future travel\".\n\nFormer US President Bill Clinton, ex-British Prime Minister Tony Blair and former Taoiseach (Irish PM) Bertie Ahern are among those expected to visit Northern Ireland for commemorative events.\n\nFormer PM, Tony Blair, and then taoiseach (Irish Prime Minister) Bertie Ahern are also due to visit\n\nMI5, rather than the PSNI or the government, is responsible for setting the Northern Ireland terrorism threat level, which it has been publishing since 2010.\n\nThe move reverses a downgrade in Northern Ireland's terror threat level last March - its first change for 12 years.\n\nOn Wednesday, Deputy Prime Minister Dominic Raab said the rise in the threat level was \"disappointing\".\n\nHowever, Mr Raab said it is worth nothing that the number of dissident republican attacks has been in significant decline since its peak in 2009 and 2010.\n\nHe was responding to a question from DUP leader Sir Jeffrey Donaldson who asked for assurance the government would provide the PSNI and the security services with the resources they need to counter the threat.\n\nMI5, the UK's Security Service, is believed to review the threat level every six months.\n\nThe terrorism threat level remains substantial in the rest of the UK, meaning an attack is a strong possibility.\n\nIn a written statement to MPs, Mr Heaton-Harris said: \"The public should remain vigilant, but not be alarmed, and continue to report any concerns they have to the Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI).\"\n\nPrime Minister Rishi Sunak met with Joe Biden in California earlier this month and invited him to Northern Ireland for Good Friday Agreement anniversary events\n\nDeputy Chief Constable Mark Hamilton said dissident republicans were focused on attacking police officers, not the public.\n\n\"You should be worried for your police service,\" he said.\n\n\"I wouldn't encourage people to be hugely concerned about their own safety broader than that.\"\n\nIn February Det Ch Insp John Caldwell was shot several times by two gunmen as he was putting footballs into his car boot having been coaching a youth training session in Omagh.\n\nOn Tuesday, police said the 48-year-old father-of-one had been moved out of intensive care for the first time but remained in a serious condition.\n\nDet Ch Insp John Caldwell was moved out of intensive care for the first time on Tuesday but remains in a serious condition\n\nThe attack on him was admitted by the New IRA, the biggest and most active group dissident group, whose main areas of operations are in Londonderry and County Tyrone.\n\nThe group was formed in 2012 and previous security assessments estimated it had about 500 supporters, some 100 of whom are prepared to commit acts of terrorism.\n\nAlthough tensions within loyalist groups have led to attacks in parts of County Down in the past few days, the change to the threat level is not related to this flare up.\n\nSeveral loyalist paramilitary groups - the largest being the Ulster Volunteer Force and the Ulster Defence Association - are active in Northern Ireland but are not considered a threat to national security and therefore are not a factor in MI5's assessment.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/uk-northern-ireland-65110382"}
{"title":"Space scientists reveal brightest gamma explosion ever - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-29","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"Nasa satellites detected an explosion two billion light years away that lit up the galaxy.","section":"Leicester","content":"Satellites captured images of how the gamma blast lit up dust rings in space\n\nScientists have revealed how Nasa satellites detected the brightest gamma ray explosion in space.\n\nThe gamma-ray burst (GRB) occurred two billion light-years from Earth and illuminated much of the galaxy.\n\nImages of the rare and powerful cosmic phenomenon show a halo and \"bullseye\" like shapes.\n\nExperts, including academics from the University of Leicester, say the GRB was 10 times brighter than any other previously detected.\n\nThey have released detailed analysis of the powerful explosion that was spotted on 9 October, 2022.\n\nThe blast was officially named GRB 221009A but has been nicknamed the BOAT - Brightest Of All Time - by those working on a mission Nasa calls Swift.\n\nThe images captured have shown unprecedented details of GRBs\n\nX-ray astronomer Dr Phil Evans, who leads the University of Leicester's involvement in Swift, said: \"We were really lucky to see something like this. We estimate that events this bright occur roughly once every thousand years.\n\n\"By studying the evolution of this astonishingly bright GRB in great detail, we can learn a lot about the physics of a blast wave.\n\n\"Just like slow-mo cameras reveal details about movement, breaking our data into small time pieces allows us to see how the GRB changes and learn more.\"\n\nThe Swift team said its Neil Gehrels Swift Observatory, a satellite telescope designed to study GRBs from space, was initially unable to observe the burst because the Earth was obstructing its view.\n\nHowever, 55 minutes later, when the satellite's orbit allowed it to have a clear view of the GRB, its systems successfully detected it and created images of it.\n\nDr Andy Beadmore, who is also part of the Swift team at the University of Leicester, said: \"These patterns are not just beautiful but are also useful scientifically.\n\n\"We're seeing a significant amount of dust in our galaxy being lit up by the intense burst of light from the GRB - two billion light years away - like a torch shining through a cloud.\n\n\"This lets us study its nature and composition, which was found to extend to large distances from the Sun.\n\n\"The brightness of this GRB means that we can collect much better data than normal, and so move beyond simple models of the GRB physics that we normally use - they just can't explain these data.\"\n\nDr Evans adds: \"Even after 18 years of operation, Swift can still surprise us with something unexpected, awesome, and scientifically powerful, and it can still challenge us.\n\n\"Those dust rings may look pretty but they gave us some headaches, they really complicated the data analysis.\n\n\"Even with those complications, though, this event gives us an opportunity to study a GRB in unprecedented detail.\n\n\"Then there's the beautiful dust halo that Andy discovered.\n\n\"This is caused by massive clouds of dust in our galaxy - but it's the light from the GRB, around two billion light years away - that's actually revealed those clouds to us.\n\n\"Now, we can measure their distance and their composition using this GRB 'backlight'.\n\n\"This discovery is a testament to the power of careful observation and the potential of serendipitous discoveries.\n\n\"I'm thrilled that our team was able to contribute to our understanding of the Universe in such a meaningful way.\"\n\nFollow BBC East Midlands on Facebook, on Twitter, or on Instagram. Send your story ideas to eastmidsnews@bbc.co.uk.\n\nThe BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/uk-england-leicestershire-65104115"}
{"title":"Paul O'Grady: A life in pictures - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-29","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"His career spanned more than three decades - from drag acts in London, to an MBE and beyond.","section":"Entertainment & Arts","content":"Presenter, comedian and drag queen Paul O'Grady, who has died aged 67, had a vibrant and varied career in the entertainment industry spanning more than three decades.\n\nAfter making his mark on London's comedy scene as Lily Savage, O'Grady would go on to become one of the most recognisable faces on TV.\n\nO'Grady began his career using his drag act Lily Savage, pictured here in 1993 alongside fellow comedian Mark Thomas in Soho, London\n\nO'Grady became a household name after starring on TV in programmes like the game show Blankety Blank\n\nSavage appeared as the Wicked Queen in Snow White & The Seven Dwarfs at London's Victoria Palace Theatre in 2004\n\nHe hosted the Paul O'Grady Show on ITV and Channel 4 between 2004 and 2015\n\nO'Grady won a Bafta for best entertainment performance for the show in 2005\n\nO'Grady (pictured with Holly Willoughby and Dermot O'Leary) also won a National Television Award in 2008\n\nThe plaudits would keep on coming for O'Grady, who was made an MBE in 2008. He celebrated the honour alongside his partner Andre Portasio (left), sister Sheila Rudd and daughter Sharyn Mousley\n\nO'Grady was made an MBE by the then Prince of Wales, now King Charles\n\nHe appeared alongside Robbie Williams and Darcey Bussell on the Graham Norton Show in 2012\n\nO'Grady was a well-known animal welfare campaigner, who worked to raise money for Battersea Dogs and Cats Home over many years\n\nWith the late Queen for the opening of new dog kennels at Battersea Dogs and Cats Home in 2015\n\nO'Grady with his husband Andre at the 2019 National Television Awards\n\nPictured with Camilla, Queen Consort, then Duchess of Cornwall, in 2022 - a fellow supporter of Battersea's efforts\n\nO'Grady was set to host a one-off Easter Sunday show on Boom Radio, alongside his long-term producer Malcolm Prince\n\nO'Grady will be remembered as one of the UK's favourite entertainers","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/entertainment-arts-65107949"}
{"title":"UK rules out new AI regulator - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-29","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"In a white paper due out today, the UK government says current regulators should also include AI","section":"Technology","content":"The government has set out plans to regulate artificial intelligence with new guidelines on \"responsible use\".\n\nDescribing it as one of the \"technologies of tomorrow\", the government said AI contributed \u00a33.7bn ($5.6bn) to the UK economy last year.\n\nCritics fear the rapid growth of AI could threaten jobs or be used for malicious purposes.\n\nThe term AI covers computer systems able to do tasks that would normally need human intelligence.\n\nThis includes chatbots able to understand questions and respond with human-like answers, and systems capable of recognising objects in pictures.\n\nA new white paper from the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology proposes rules for general purpose AI, which are systems that can be used for different purposes.\n\nTechnologies include, for example, those which underpin chatbot ChatGPT.\n\nAs AI continues developing rapidly, questions have been raised about the future risks it could pose to people's privacy, their human rights or their safety.\n\nThere is concern that AI can display biases against particular groups if trained on large datasets scraped from the internet which can include racist, sexist and other undesirable material.\n\nAI could also be used to create and spread misinformation.\n\nAs a result many experts say AI needs regulation.\n\nHowever AI advocates say the tech is already delivering real social and economic benefits for people.\n\nAnd the government fears organisations may be held back from using AI to its full potential because a patchwork of legal regimes could cause confusion for businesses trying to comply with rules.\n\nInstead of giving responsibility for AI governance to a new single regulator, the government wants existing regulators - such as the Health and Safety Executive, Equality and Human Rights Commission and Competition and Markets Authority - to come up with their own approaches that suit the way AI is actually being used in their sectors.\n\nThese regulators will be using existing laws rather than being given new powers.\n\nMichael Birtwistle, associate director from the Ada Lovelace Institute, carries out independent research, and said he welcomed the idea of regulation but warned about \"significant gaps\" in the UK's approach which could leave harms unaddressed.\n\n\"Initially, the proposals in the white paper will lack any statutory footing. This means no new legal obligations on regulators, developers or users of AI systems, with the prospect of only a minimal duty on regulators in future.\n\n\"The UK will also struggle to effectively regulate different uses of AI across sectors without substantial investment in its existing regulators,\" he said.\n\nThe white paper outlines five principles that the regulators should consider to enable the safe and innovative use of AI in the industries they monitor:\n\u2022 Safety, security and robustness: applications of AI should function in a secure, safe and robust way where risks are carefully managed\n\u2022 Transparency and \"explainability\": organisations developing and deploying AI should be able to communicate when and how it is used and explain a system's decision-making process in an appropriate level of detail that matches the risks posed by the use of AI\n\u2022 Fairness: AI should be used in a way which complies with the UK's existing laws, for example on equalities or data protection, and must not discriminate against individuals or create unfair commercial outcomes\n\u2022 Accountability and governance: measures are needed to ensure there is appropriate oversight of the way AI is being used and clear accountability for the outcomes\n\u2022 Contestability and redress: people need to have clear routes to dispute harmful outcomes or decisions generated by AI\n\nOver the next year, regulators will issue practical guidance to organisations to set out how to implement these principles in their sectors.\n\nScience, innovation and technology secretary Michelle Donelan said: \"Artificial intelligence is no longer the stuff of science fiction, and the pace of AI development is staggering, so we need to have rules to make sure it is developed safely.\"\n\nBut Simon Elliott, partner at law firm Dentons told the BBC the government's approach was a \"light-touch\" that makes the UK \"an outlier\" against the global trends around AI regulation.\n\nChina, for example, has taken the lead in moving AI regulations past the proposal stage with rules that mandate companies notify users when an AI algorithm is playing a role.\n\n\"Numerous countries globally are developing or passing specific laws to address perceived AI risks - including algorithmic rules passed in China or the USA,\" continued Mr Elliott.\n\nHe warned about the concerns that consumer groups and privacy activists will have over the risks to society \"without detailed, unified regulation.\"\n\nHe is also worried that the UK's regulators could be burdened with \"an increasingly large and diverse\" range of complaints, when \"rapidly developing and challenging\" AI is added to their workloads.\n\nIn the EU, the European Commission has published proposals for regulations titled the Artificial Intelligence Act which would have a much broader scope than China's enacted regulation.\n\nThey include \"grading\" AI products according to how potentially harmful they might be and staggering regulation accordingly. So for example an email spam filter would be more lightly regulated than something designed to diagnose a medical conditions - and some AI uses, such as social grading by governments, would be prohibited altogether.\n\n\"AI has been around for decades but has reached new capacities fuelled by computing power,\" Thierry Breton, the EU's Commissioner for Internal Market, said in a statement.\n\nThe AI Act aims to \"strengthen Europe's position as a global hub of excellence in AI from the lab to the market, ensure that AI in Europe respects our values and rules, and harness the potential of AI for industrial use,\" Mr Breton added.\n\nMeanwhile in the US The Algorithmic Accountability Act 2022 requires companies to assess the impacts of AI but the nation's AI framework is so far voluntary.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/technology-65102210"}
{"title":"Peter Thomas: Former Cardiff chairman dies aged 79 - BBC Sport","published_date":"2023-03-29","authors":null,"description":"Former Cardiff chairman and businessman Peter Thomas dies aged 79.","section":null,"content":"Last updated on .From the section Welsh Rugby\n\nFormer Cardiff chairman and businessman Peter Thomas has died aged 79.\n\nThomas played for Cardiff RFC in the 1960s and returned to help run the club before its 2003 transition to one of Wales' regions.\n\nThomas first invested in the club in 1994 and was chairman for 22 years before stepping down in 2018.\n\nCardiff said Thomas \"remained fiercely loyal and active in club matters until the very end and leaves a lasting legacy at Cardiff Arms Park\".\n\nIn a statement, the region said Thomas, their life president, passed away peacefully at home on Wednesday with his family by his side.\n\nHe had been diagnosed with lung cancer in 2021.\n\nThomas' association with Cardiff spanned more than six decades.\n\nA former hooker, he played 11 times for the club before becoming one of the powerbrokers in the game in Wales during his spell as chairman.\n\nThomas brought some of the biggest names in the game to the Arms Park including Jonathan Davies, Iestyn Harris and Jonah Lomu.\n\n\"Cardiff Rugby are saddened to announce the passing of life president, Peter Thomas CBE,\" the region's statement said.\n\n\"Thomas is survived by his wife Babs, four children Holly, Deborah, Steph and Rhod, and nine grandchildren.\n\n\"A full obituary and tributes will be issued in due course and Cardiff Rugby ask that both the public and media respect the privacy of the Thomas family at this difficult time.\"\n\nDuring Thomas' off-field involvement at the Arms Park, Cardiff reached the inaugural 1996 Heineken Champions Cup final, in which they lost 21-18 to Toulouse.\n\nThey also twice won Europe's second-tier Challenge Cup, beating Toulon 28-21 in 2010 and edging Gloucester 31-30 eight years later.\n\nIn 2009 Cardiff also won the now-defunct Anglo-Welsh Cup, comprehensively beating Gloucester 50-12 at Twickenham.\n\nThomas stood down as Cardiff chairman in November 2018 - pledging to write off debts of more than \u00a311m as he did so - but remained a board member and benefactor.\n\nDuring his era as an influential figure in the game, Welsh rugby has often been beset by disputes and financial troubles at the top level.\n\nCardiff joined Swansea in 1998-99 for what became dubbed as Welsh rugby's \"rebel season\" when they played England's top-tier teams.\n\nWelsh rugby's transition from clubs to regions at elite level took place in 2003 with Cardiff Blues formed as a region - a name that changed to Cardiff Rugby from the 2021-22 season.\n\nHis father Thomas Stanley Thomas, known as Stan, launched Thomas Pies in the 1950s, selling sausage rolls, pies and pasties around the south Wales valleys.\n\nPeter's brother, Sir Stanley Thomas, is also a businessman with strong rugby connections, having backed their hometown club Merthyr in the Welsh Premiership in recent seasons.\n\nBy 1976, the family company had moved to its current base in Bedwas, Caerphilly, when it became known as Peter's Pies.\n\nAfter their father's retirement in 1986, Peter Thomas and brother Stanley took over. They made their first fortune when they sold the business for \u00a375m in 1988.\n\nA number of Cardiff players have paid tribute to Thomas on social media.\n\n\"Incredibly sad day, proud to have known him grateful to have spent time with him, indebted for everything he has done for Cardiff Rugby,\" wrote captain Josh Turnbull.\n\nBack row Thomas Young, the son of head coach Dai Young, wrote: \"As a family we owe you a lot and will forever be grateful. Thank you, RIP Peter Thomas.\"","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/sport\/rugby-union\/65082708"}
{"title":"Western Trust: Blind man paid \u00a33,000 in discrimination settlement - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-29","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"Stephen Campbell says taking the case against two health organisations was \"frankly embarrassing\".","section":"Northern Ireland","content":"Stephen Campbell said it was embarrassing he had to take the case against the Western Trust\n\nA blind man will be paid \u00a33,000 after he alleged a health trust failed to accommodate his needs when he tried to apply for a promotion.\n\nStephen Campbell took a disability discrimination case against two organisations, including his employer the Western Health Trust.\n\nHe claimed the job application process did not meet his needs as a blind man.\n\nThe Western Health Trust and the HSC Business Services Organisation (BSO) did not accept liability.\n\nA spokesperson for the Western Trust said the organisation was committed to ensuring everyone has \"equality of access\" to its services.\n\nMr Campbell, who worked in the trust's ICT department, uses a screen reader to interact with laptops.\n\nWhen an opportunity for promotion arose within the trust, Mr Campbell wanted to apply.\n\nHowever, he found that the online process, on the Health and Social Care Northern Ireland (HSCNI) website, could not be activated by his screen reader.\n\nHe also could not find any information on where reasonable adjustments could be made so he could apply.\n\nAs part of the settlement terms, both organisations confirmed their commitment to ensuring they comply with their obligations under relevant equality laws.\n\nThe BSO also said it would keep the Royal National Institute for the Blind (RNIB) updated on development of the HSCNI website.\n\nMr Campbell said: \"For two job applications, the Western Trust did accommodate me by stalling the recruitment exercise and reasonable adjustments were made to facilitate me.\"\n\nHe said he brought the case \"to raise awareness of the issue and hopefully remove this barrier to accessing employment for disabled people in the health service here\".\n\nMr Campbell further told BBC News NI that it was \"frankly embarrassing\" he had to take the case.\n\nEoin O'Neill said the case will benefit all people with disabilities seeking employment\n\n\"In this day and age, in public bodies and in the private sector, we shouldn't have to encounter these issues. We should be able to apply for posts like our sighted counterparts,\" he said.\n\nThe Western Trust said it would work with the Equality Commission on policies around the recruitment process for blind people.\n\nThe spokesperson added: \"The trust's HR department will always strive to support individuals who need assistance through a recruitment process, as we did on a number of occasions for Mr Campbell.\"\n\nEoin O'Neill, director of legal services at the Equality Commission, said the employment rate for disabled people in Northern Ireland at 36%, is the lowest in the UK.\n\nHe said Mr Campbell's case will benefit other disabled people in reminding organisations to ensure they are as accessible to disabled people as possible.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/uk-northern-ireland-65100390"}
{"title":"Paul O'Grady obituary: From Lily Savage to TV national treasure, with a love of dogs - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-29","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"How Paul O'Grady went from a mould-breaking drag comedian to a much-loved prime-time TV host.","section":"Entertainment & Arts","content":"This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser.\n\nPaul O'Grady went from being a social worker protecting children, to a mould-breaking drag icon, before reinventing himself again as a much-loved prime-time host and animal lover. Throughout it all, he retained his trademark direct humour and down-to-earth compassion.\n\nOne night in 1985, Paul O'Grady was working behind the bar at a gay pub in London when he remarked that he could do a better job of hosting ladies' night than the current compere.\n\n\"And they said, 'Well go on then, up you get and do it,' he recalled. \"And the following week I did it, and Lily was born.\"\n\nThat was the first appearance of Lily Savage, the sharp-tongued blonde bombshell alter ego who became famous before O'Grady himself was well known.\n\nThe comic character had been forming before that, though. O'Grady gained the nickname Shanghai Lil after attending a party on a Chinese ship at the age of 18 in Liverpool, and he would often amuse himself by impersonating Scouse housewives. \"So it was just an extension of that.\"\n\nO'Grady as Lily Savage, with his dog, on the red carpet at the Bafta Awards in 1998\n\nSavage was his mother's maiden name, and the character was also inspired by other tough but colourful women in his family.\n\nIn particular, there was Aunt Chrissie, a bus conductor with \"a mouth like a bee's arse\", as O'Grady put it on BBC Radio 4's Desert Island Discs.\n\n\"She was the talk of Birkenhead,\" he said. \"She was witty and had a great string of one-liners. She came across as quite hard-bitten, but she wasn't at all. She was daft as a brush... I look back to Auntie Chris now - I see her on the bus and I sort of see where Lily was germinated.\"\n\nWomen dominated his household growing up, with the men often away in the Navy. It was a loving family, too. But their world was shattered when O'Grady's mother suffered a heart attack when he was 17.\n\n\"She was taken into hospital and the doctor said to my father, 'She's not going to last the night',\" he said.\n\nHowever, it was his father who was dead by the morning.\n\n\"He just collapsed on the spot,\" O'Grady recalled. \"The doctor said, 'If I could put on the death certificate, he's died of a broken heart, then I would'.\n\n\"I'll never forget it. I was stood next to him and he went down like a tonne of bricks. He literally couldn't cope without my mother.\"\n\nHis mother survived, and would live for another 15 years.\n\nShortly after his father's death, O'Grady became a dad himself.\n\nO'Grady said Lily Savage could get away with saying things he couldn't as himself\n\n\"People might wonder how a gay man managed to father a daughter,\" he said. \"But I was a highly promiscuous teenager.\" He saw his daughter occasionally in her youth, but they grew closer as they got older.\n\nPartly to pay child support, O'Grady took a job as a peripatetic care officer, looking after other people's children in Camden.\n\n\"Say a mum went into hospital and there were five children - rather than split the kids up and put them into various homes and stuff, I'd go in and look after them to keep them as a family unit,\" he explained, before adding: \"God knows why, because most of them were the anti-christ version of The Waltons.\"\n\nIt wasn't an easy job. \"Nine times out of 10, you're dealing with real squalor,\" he recalled. Drunken boyfriends would turn up in the middle of the night and think he was the mum's bit on the side. \"I'd be having fights in Camden High Street at three o'clock in the morning with babies under my arm.\n\n\"And I'd think, I'm 25, give us a break, I should be having a life.\n\n\"But I really enjoyed it,\" he added. \"I'm painting a bad picture but it wasn't all bad. I met some really great people.\"\n\nHe was also a regular star of pantomimes like Cinderella in 2016\n\nOn days off, he did try to have a life and worked in bars like the Royal Vauxhall Tavern before starting his regular turn there as Lily Savage.\n\nOne night in 1987, police raided the venue - an action that was ostensibly taken over concerns about the use of amyl nitrate, but was more widely believed to be part of a crackdown on gay clubs.\n\nMore than 20 officers flooded into the club, all wearing rubber gloves because, at the height of the Aids crisis, they didn't want to touch those they were arresting. \"Well well, it looks like we've got help with the washing up,\" O'Grady quipped.\n\nThe following night, he was back on stage, undeterred. That defiance, combined with public support for LGBT campaigns in the years that followed and his performances as Lily, helped make him an icon in that community.\n\nLast year, he was given a Rainbow Honour \"for his stellar work to advance the rights of LGBTQI people in Britain and around the world\"\n\nHis comedy career started to take off when he took Lily to the Edinburgh Fringe and was nominated for the prestigious Perrier Award in 1991.\n\nThe character followed a tradition of popular drag acts, but O'Grady said he wanted to stand out from the \"matronly and sexless\" figures who had come before, such as Dame Edna Everage and Hinge and Bracket.\n\n\"Nobody was ever sexual, and Lily was. She was unashamed. She turned tricks for money and all that business.\"\n\nLily also didn't have a highly polished look. \"I had this image of this hard-bitten hooker from Birkenhead with her roots showing and a rip in her tights and a bit of old ratty leopard skin and a big handbag,\" O'Grady said.\n\nWith her gauche glam style and foul-mouthed wit, O'Grady's subversion of the drag tradition proved a hit.\n\nLily became a national star when she took over from Paula Yates interviewing celebrities on the bed on Channel 4's The Big Breakfast in the mid-1990s, and she was subsequently given her own BBC chat show.\n\nHe presented a Bafta to his friend and fellow former Blind Date presenter Cilla Black in 2014\n\nThe transition to mainstream TV personality became complete when Lily followed in the footsteps of Terry Wogan and Les Dawson as the host of game show Blankety Blank.\n\nThe real O'Grady initially stayed in the background - but his profile gradually began to take over.\n\nITV scheduled The Paul O'Grady Show at teatimes in 2004, and it was poached by Channel 4 in 2006. He was such a big star that ITV then poached him back, offering a reported \u00a38m for a deal including the Friday night chat show, Paul O'Grady Live.\n\nThere were also Blind Date and a BBC Radio 2 slot, plus sitcoms, documentaries, autobiographies, pantomimes and other theatre shows - and in 2012, he was able to show a gentler side when he launched Paul O'Grady: For the Love of Dogs.\n\nHe became a passionate advocate for animal rights and an ambassador for Battersea Dogs & Cats Home\n\nHis genuine affection for, and natural sense of protection over, the unwanted pets at Battersea Dogs and Cats Home shone through, and made that show a firm favourite for a decade.\n\nHis love of animals was also evident on the smallholding in Kent where he and husband Andre Portasio looked after sheep, chickens, pigs, owls and goats - as well as dogs.\n\nHe had met Andre while caring for Brendan Murphy, his boyfriend of 25 years, who died of cancer in 2005. O'Grady and Portasio married in 2017.\n\nIt wasn't the presenter's first marriage - he had wed a Portuguese lesbian friend in 1977, simply to help alleviate pressure from her family.\n\n\"I worked with her in a bar. She had strict Catholic parents who wanted her to settle back home. I thought, 'She'll have to get married' - so I offered. I never got anything out of it. I even provided the wedding buffet, but she was a good friend.\"\n\nThey stayed married until 2003. O'Grady had suffered a heart attack the previous year, which was followed by another in 2006. His parents, grandparents and siblings had also suffered from heart problems.\n\nThat all made him aware of his mortality. Speaking about his health and his career in 2017, he reflected: \"I think I could lie there on my death bed and say, 'Well, I've had a good time and filled a book. I've done everything I wanted to do'.\"","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/entertainment-arts-65108950"}
{"title":"King Charles's first state visit: What to expect from Germany trip - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-29","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"Improving relations with Europe is the priority, as the King's first state visit heads for Germany.","section":"UK","content":"King Charles and Camilla, the Queen Consort (pictured in 2019) will be building relations with Europe on the trip to Germany\n\nIt's second time lucky for King Charles's first overseas state visit, when he touches down in Germany on Wednesday.\n\nIt should have begun at the weekend in France, but when it looked like the King was flying into a riot zone the initial stage of the visit had to be postponed.\n\nThe French protests were a reminder that even fairy-tale palaces have real-world political consequences, and it became impossible for President Macron to host King Charles at Versailles, with the prospect of angry protesters outside the gates.\n\nA bouquet of tear gas and unemptied bins wasn't exactly the right atmosphere for the diplomatic courtship of a state visit.\n\nStreet protests over pension reforms stopped the King's planned visit to France\n\nSo, several days later than planned, a curtailed trip is getting under way again, with King Charles and Camilla, the Queen Consort, arriving in Berlin for a three-day visit.\n\nBut the underlying purpose remains the same. There is a symbolic importance attached to the first state visit of a new reign - and this is about showing that Europe is the UK's diplomatic priority.\n\n\"There is an obvious rationale for the visit - to improve relations after Brexit,\" says Sir Vernon Bogdanor, leading constitutional expert and historian.\n\nSuch trips are made on the advice of the government and all the background briefings have been that this will be an important statement about rebuilding relationships with European neighbours.\n\nThis is the first state visit by a British monarch for eight years and it will reinforce what Buckingham Palace called \"shared histories, culture and values\".\n\nIt follows a meeting between the King and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen when a Northern Ireland Brexit deal was announced.\n\nKing Charles on a visit to Germany in 2019\n\nAfter Queen Elizabeth II's coronation in 1953, her first trip was a tour of Commonwealth countries.\n\nFor King Charles. 70 years later, the priority is to build bridges with European allies, particularly at a time of pressure over Ukraine.\n\nAuthor and historian Sir Anthony Seldon said it was a message to Germany that \"Britain might have left the European Union, it is not leaving the most powerful country in Europe\".\n\nThat this was originally planned as a dual trip to France and Germany was a signal that neither country's importance to the UK could be questioned, they were both being given equal billing, says royal expert Prof Pauline Maclaran.\n\nPerhaps some of the more dramatic moments would have been in France - \"what could be more cinematic than travelling down the Champs-Elysees?\", says Prof Maclaran.\n\nBut this is about realpolitik as well as rapprochement, and King Charles will become the first British monarch to give an address to Germany's parliament, the Bundestag.\n\nThe royal couple will lay wreaths at St Nikolai in Hamburg, damaged by wartime Allied bombing\n\nAlso, on the state visit:\n\nExpect to hear some German spoken by the King, after all he has strong family ties to the country, and there will be plenty of references to environmental causes and supporting refugees from Ukraine.\n\nBut what impact will King Charles's trip make? Do state visits particularly cut through in the 21st Century?\n\n\"It's a really big deal\", and will make a much bigger impression than a PM's visit, says Sir Anthony Seldon, who argues \"we consistently underestimate the significance\".\n\nFor better or for worse, King Charles is an instantly recognisable, global figure; wherever he goes there will be cameras, commentary and crowds.\n\n\"The monarch is a central part of how the UK projects soft power,\" says former diplomat and ambassador Tom Fletcher.\n\nMr Fletcher, now principal of Hertford College Oxford, says for such trips \"the theatre matters as much as the substance\".\n\nDuring the late Queen Elizabeth II's long reign there were state visits that became historic in their own right, recognising a changed relationship - like the first visit to India after independence in 1961, the post-apartheid visit to South Africa in 1995 and the bridge-building visit to Ireland in 2011.\n\nState visits can be historic landmarks, such as the late Queen's trip to post-apartheid South Africa in 1995\n\nSir Vernon believes the UK has a diplomatic advantage in being able to deploy a monarch on such visits. King Charles is more famous than many heads of state, but he can also stay above the party politics that can embroil a president like Emmanuel Macron.\n\nBut there are some sceptical voices in the UK about the value of the King's state visit.\n\nGraham Smith, of the anti-monarchy group Republic, says sending a monarch gives a \"misleading picture of the UK\", where \"we promote the idea that we're stuck in the past, always looking backwards and unable to fully embrace democratic values\".\n\nIn Berlin the King will be given a formal welcome at the Brandenburg Gate\n\nAt the centre of all this is the King himself, and he must have been disappointed at how the French section of the trip was called off.\n\nParticularly when Prof Maclaran believes that this is the type of serious role that the King would enjoy: \"There's an obvious sense of purpose to it.\"\n\nSuch visits, with their set-piece speeches, are a chance to put down a marker for his reign.\n\nAlso in the background this week is another headline-grabbing royal visit - the Duke of Sussex arriving in London for a court case against Associated Newspapers.\n\nPrince Harry is a magnet for press attention - so the timing risks an awkward clash which could overshadow the King's visit.\n\nWith the inaugural state visit already delayed, Buckingham Palace won't want any more distractions or disruptions and will want the carefully choreographed events in Germany to get the trip back on track.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/uk-64954731"}
{"title":"Hero's return for astronaut Shaun the Sheep - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-29","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"Europe's space mascot comes home \"alive and wool\" to Bristol after a 1.5 million mile journey around the Moon.","section":"Science & Environment","content":"This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Rosemary Coogan: \"Shaun's adventures have been so engaging\"\n\nIt was a giant leap for lamb-kind, but now he's baa-ck.\n\nShaun the Sheep has returned to Britain after taking part in the US space agency's (Nasa) epic mission to the Moon last year.\n\nA model of the animated movie character was a passenger in the capsule that was blasted into orbit by the world's most powerful operational rocket.\n\nShaun covered almost 1.5 million miles on his lunar travels before splashing down in the Pacific Ocean.\n\nThe 16cm-tall stop-motion model was strapped in for the ride.\n\nHe earned his astronaut wings as the mascot on the mission for the European Space Agency (Esa). The agency had provided the propulsion module that pushed the Nasa capsule along on its 25-day journey.\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser.\n\nWednesday saw Dr David Parker, the agency's director of exploration, visit Aardman studios in Bristol, where all of Shaun's TV programmes and films are produced.\n\n\"It is always a special pleasure to greet European astronauts when they return from space, and today I am delighted to welcome Shaun the Sheep, alive and wool after a well-deserved rest on the farm,\" he said, tongue firmly in cheek.\n\n\"As the first sheep to fly to the Moon and back, he's got a lot to teach us about the ambition, talent and diversity needed for Europe's exploration of space.\"\n\nFlock-star: Since his return, Shaun has been recuperating at home on Mossy Bottom farm\n\nDr Parker unveiled Shaun's official Esa astronaut photo, and presented Aardman with a certificate from Nasa.\n\nAccompanying the Esa executive was the UK's newest human astronaut candidate, Dr Rosemary Coogan.\n\nThe astrophysicist was selected in November to join the agency's astronaut corps and will begin formal training next month.\n\nEuropeans will fly with their American colleagues on follow-up missions to the Moon later this decade. Dr Coogan could therefore emulate Britain's most famous sheep.\n\n\"I think Shaun going to space has been an incredible way to engage the public,\" she told BBC News.\n\n\"It's an absolute thrill to think about following in Shaun's footsteps, going around the Moon and getting involved with all of Nasa's missions. It would be an absolute pleasure to do that, and we'll see what the future holds.\"\n\nNasa's Orion capsule has another mission planned for next year. Shaun wants to be on board again\n\nShaun has become one of Aardman's most popular characters.\n\nHis TV series is currently broadcast in 170 territories around the world and his Facebook page has over 5.5 million followers.\n\nHannah Brooks is one of his animators.\n\nIn classic stop-motion style, she moves Shaun's silicone body parts, little by little, taking a photo at every step to build up the action. It's a slow process. A day's work in the studio will produce only a few seconds of storyline.\n\nStop-motion animation is a slow process: 25 movements for one second of storyline\n\n\"He's such a cute, cheeky little character,\" said Hannah.\n\n\"I can only imagine he would love to have such a big adventure. It's always what he's trying to do in all of his little episodes. He's a bit too naughty, but he has the need to go explore.\"\n\nShaun's habit of getting into various scrapes on his home farm, Mossy Bottom, probably convinced Nasa he had to be strapped in at all times.\n\nOnly the American agency's mascot - a toy Snoopy the Dog - was allowed to float free around the cabin.\n\nEsa's tie up with Aardman began with publicity around the studio's release of a Shaun the Sheep sci-fi movie, Farmageddon, in 2019.\n\nAardman co-founder Peter Lord was shocked when the agency suggested Shaun go on a real space mission.\n\n\"I virtually couldn't believe it. It seemed incredible,\" he told BBC News. \"It's every child's dream, isn't it, to be an astronaut? And so the fact that he was doing it for us seemed very, very important. Extraordinary. Our baby, our creation.\"\n\nNasa's project to return people to the Moon is called Artemis (or as Shaun likes to call it: \"Baa-rtemis\").\n\nThe next mission is scheduled to occur at the end of next year. Four human astronauts will fly around the Moon.\n\nAardman hopes its little sheep will once again be in the capsule.\n\nShaun's reputation for getting into scrapes meant he had to stay in his seat\n\nShaun has a certificate from Nasa to officially document his mission","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/science-environment-65107594"}
{"title":"Police call handlers used fake system for eight years - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-29","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"Thousands of calls to a control room were allocated to a fictitious call sign to manipulate response times.","section":"Scotland","content":"One of Scotland's main police control rooms used a fake system to manipulate response time targets for eight years, according to documents seen by the BBC.\n\nThousands of calls to the Bilston Glen control room were allocated to a fictitious call sign known as DUMY.\n\nInternal systems would register that the calls had been passed to officers - but instead they were parked on a list.\n\nThis meant a police vehicle would not have been dispatched quickly to calls which had been judged as high priority.\n\nIt appears that many calls were not attended at all.\n\nThe practice, according to official police documents, was designed to \"provide artificial levels of incident management performance\".\n\nThe documents reveal that the DUMY call sign was used at Bilston Glen in Loanhead, Midlothian, from at least 2007 until the system was discovered in 2015 and stopped.\n\nPolice Scotland said the practice should not have been used after the creation of the national police force in 2013, and was \"permanently discontinued\" in March 2015.\n\nThe practice appears to have ended just four months before the M9 tragedy in July 2015. Lamara Bell and John Yuill died after their car lay undiscovered for three days after a crash, despite police being alerted.\n\nLamara Bell and John Yuill were found inside their car after it crashed down an embankment off the M9\n\nPolice Scotland was criminally prosecuted and admitted that failures in its call handling processes at Bilston Glen contributed to the death of Ms Bell.\n\nThe lawyer who acted for one of the bereaved families has told the BBC they were never told about the DUMY process.\n\nDavid Nellaney, of Digby Brown, said this was information which should have been disclosed to the families.\n\nHe added: \"I'm astonished to be perfectly honest. I think that puts the wider public at risk if calls are not being actioned\u2026 and to not respond to them and put them into a DUMY system whereby there's no guarantee that they'll come back to them, is quite shocking.\n\n\"I think it probably gives an indication of potentially the practices that were going on. When you adopt that type of practice you're bringing in factors such as human error, which have played a part in what happened with Lamara and John.\"\n\nMoi Ali said the system sounded like \"an attempt at deception\"\n\nMoi Ali, who was on the board of the Scottish Police Authority watchdog from 2013 to 2017, said this was the first time she had heard of the system.\n\n\"These are exactly the kind of things that should be flagged to the board so that we can start an internal investigation or inquiry,\" she said.\n\n\"So if that was concealed from us, I find that very, very concerning.\"\n\nTwo heavily-redacted documents were released to BBC Scotland after a lengthy Freedom of Information (FOI) process with Police Scotland.\n\nAn undated official misconduct document says an officer was being disciplined for conduct which \"discredits the Police Service or public confidence in it\".\n\nIt states that staff at Bilston Glen utilised a \"fictitious call sign known as 'DUMY', which had been introduced to prevent the activation of internal alarms and provide artificial levels of incident management performance.\"\n\nEach police car is given a four letter or number call-sign, which is used to allocate the calls which are received by the force.\n\nWhen a call was given to DUMY, the system would recognise that it had been allocated successfully - but instead, these calls were parked on a separate list.\n\nThis would help artificially inflate the centre's call-handling response times.\n\nThese internal targets were not published, but the then Chief Constable Stephen House was known to be target-driven, and staff have previously spoken about the pressure to meet them. Stephen House has been approached for comment.\n\nA report by Her Majesty's Inspectorate of Constabulary in Scotland (HMICS) - the independent body which scrutinised Police Scotland - highlighted understaffing as one of the issues which contributed to the control room's problems around the time of the M9 crash.\n\nHowever, the HMICS investigation into the call-handling process at Bilston Glen makes no mention of the DUMY system.\n\nA HMICS spokesperson told the BBC its inquiry \"did not include a retrospective inspection of historical practices before this period\" and declined to say whether or not it knew about the practice.\n\nA second briefing document, dated 28 July 2015, reveals that the DUMY practice was in use at the Lothian and Borders force from at least 2007, and continued for two years after the country's regional forces merged into Police Scotland in 2013.\n\nIt states that being placed on the DUMY list would cause the incident \"to go to the bottom of the controller's incident list\".\n\nThe practice was halted briefly in January 2015, when the control system was being upgraded to a new system known as Storm Unity, and the DUMY call sign was no longer available.\n\nBut staff at Bilton Glen \"lobbied\" senior management to re-introduce it to the new system, and this was approved by a senior person whose name and title has been redacted on the documents.\n\nThe DUMY system was up and running for another six weeks before a member of the Glasgow control room noticed and raised the alarm.\n\nIn December last year, the BBC learned that Police Scotland chiefs had been so worried about the DUMY practice that they launched an internal investigation, led by then Ch Supt Paul Anderson.\n\nWe asked Police Scotland, under FOI, to provide a copy of his report. It told the BBC that it \"does not hold a copy of the report requested\".\n\nHowever, Mr Anderson, now a Deputy chief constable at Humberside Police, confirmed to the BBC that he did in fact carry out an investigation, and produced a report.\n\nA spokesman for Mr Anderson told the BBC he \"undertook a review on request of the chief officer team. The review pertained to an allocation practice in a particular call centre.\n\n\"A report was completed with recommendations made. The subject of the report and its findings is a matter for Police Scotland to formally comment on.\"\n\nThe BBC asked Police Scotland whether it had shredded the report. The force said it no longer holds the report, in line with its data retention policy.\n\nOne of the documents Police Scotland did release includes a table of how many calls were allocated to the DUMY call sign in the six weeks between 9 February and 21 March 2015.\n\nCalls are graded when they come in to the control room in order to decide how they should be handled.\n\nA priority one call is designated as \"immediate\" and described as \"an ongoing incident where there is an immediate or apparent threat to life or a serious crime in progress\". Police Scotland targets stipulate that a police car must be dispatched within five minutes.\n\nA priority two call is designated as \"priority\" and described as an incident \"where there is a degree of urgency associated with police action\". priority two calls should be dispatched with 15 minutes.\n\nIt appears that 101 priority one calls were allocated to the DUMY call sign during that six-week period. This suggests none was dispatched within the five-minute target. The table suggests only 29 of these calls were attended at all.\n\nIn the same period 822 priority two calls were allocated to DUMY. The table suggests only 238 of these were attended.\n\nIf the numbers for that six-week period were averaged out over the eight years, it would suggest around 7,000 priority one calls were allocated to the DUMY call sign, with around a third actually being attended.\n\nUsing the same extrapolation, more than 50,000 priority two calls may have been allocated to the DUMY call sign, with around a third being attended.\n\nThe briefing paper says that all the priority one incidents \"are currently being viewed in order to confirm that there are no unresolved incidents remaining in the system\".\n\nIt adds: \"Direction on the requirement for a review of all DUMY incidents is sought from senior management.\"\n\nMoi Ali said the DUMY system sounded like \"an attempt at deception\".\n\n\"I think it cuts to the very heart of public trust and confidence in policing,\" she said.\n\n\"When you're at your most vulnerable and you dial 999, you really expect to get a quick service.\"\n\nA Police Scotland spokesperson said: \"The DUMY call sign was a practice which had been in use by one legacy service since 1997 to assist controllers to allocate resource during periods of high demand.\n\n\"The practice should not have continued under Police Scotland and local use of the call sign in one service centre was halted in January 2015 when a new command and control system was introduced.\n\n\"The practice was permanently discontinued in March 2015 and appropriate action taken to address further use of the call sign between February and March 2015.\"","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/uk-scotland-tayside-central-65086107"}
{"title":"William says Diana would be disappointed at level of homelessness - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-16","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"The Prince of Wales says his mother would be disappointed at lack of progress on homelessness.","section":"UK","content":"Prince William is taking part in this year's appeal for Comic Relief\n\nPrince William says his mother, Princess Diana, would have been disappointed at the lack of progress in preventing homelessness.\n\nHe shared his thoughts during a video recorded for this year's Red Nose Day charity appeal.\n\nMaking the video, the Prince of Wales spent time with people who had been helped by a homelessness charity.\n\nHis comments will be shown on BBC One on Friday as part of the annual appeal to raise funds for Comic Relief.\n\nAs a child, Prince William was brought by his mother on visits to charities working with homeless people, such as the Passage in central London.\n\nPrincess Diana with Harry and William at the Passage charity in 1993\n\n\"My mother introduced me to the cause of homelessness from quite a young age, and I'm really glad she did,\" said the prince, in the video to be shown during the Red Nose Day appeal.\n\n\"I think she would be disappointed that we are still no further on, in terms of tackling homelessness and preventing it, than when she was interested and involved in it.\"\n\nComic Relief quotes official government figures which reveal that rough sleeping in England has risen by 26% in a year, which it linked to a \"spiralling cost-of-living crisis\".\n\nIt also warned that the numbers of those sleeping on the street remained the \"tip of the iceberg\" in terms of the wider problem of homelessness.\n\nPrince William spoke to people who had been supported by the Groundswell charity, funded by Comic Relief.\n\nThis included Miles, who told the prince: \"Homelessness is about not having a safe space - it's a very isolating life. You exist, you don't live.\"\n\nMiles told Prince William about the isolation of homelessness\n\nAnother person in the video, Nawshin, told him: \"I didn't have a choice but to leave home - I had a lot of childhood trauma and circumstances happened around me that were out of my control.\"\n\nPrince William is patron of the Passage homelessness charity. Last month he opened two residential buildings which will support 225 people per year.\n\nAt the opening ceremony in London, in February, he rejected the idea that homelessness was \"inevitable\", saying \"ending homelessness must be thought of as more than simply a wishful aspiration. Instead, it should be viewed as an achievable goal\".\n\n\"I am personally more determined than ever to play my part in working with others to do all we can to stop the human tragedy that is homelessness,\" said the prince.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/uk-64970278"}
{"title":"Video shows moment Russian fighter jet hits US drone over Black Sea - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-16","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"US footage shows the jet apparently dumping fuel as it makes two close passes with the drone.","section":"Europe","content":"This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Watch: US releases footage from its drone of the encounter with a Russian jet\n\nThe US military has released footage of a Russian jet crashing into one of its drones over the Black Sea.\n\nThe US said the damage to the large drone meant it had to be brought down into the water near Crimea on Tuesday.\n\nRussia denied its Su-27 fighter jet clipped the propeller of the drone, but the video appears to back up the American version of events.\n\nIt was in the Pentagon's interest to release this video - not least to verify its version of events.\n\nThe BBC has not seen the events before or after the collision. The US initially said the confrontation lasted around 30-40 minutes, but the released footage lasts for less than a minute.\n\nOn Wednesday night, US Defence Secretary Lloyd Austin said: \"We remain confident in the facts we've conveyed so far.\"\n\nHe said then the Pentagon was looking at what video could be released. It is not unusual for militaries to take some time to declassify video footage before making it public.\n\nMr Austin previously described Russia's actions as dangerous and reckless - and the edited video released appears to back that up.\n\nA feed from a camera fitted under the fuselage of the surveillance drone shows a Russian Su-27 making two extremely close passes while releasing what appears to be fuel as it approaches.\n\nIn the first pass it seems to mire the lens of the camera. The second pass is even closer - disrupting the video feed from the remotely piloted aircraft.\n\nWhen the picture returns, a blade of the drone's propeller at the back of the aircraft can be seen bent out of shape.\n\nNational Security Council spokesman John Kirby told the BBC's US broadcast partner CBS that it was not clear whether the Russian action was deliberate or accidental.\n\nBut he said this did not matter because the moves were \"completely inappropriate, unsafe and unprofessional\".\n\nSurveillance flights would continue over the Black Sea, he said, but there was no need for military escorts, which he said were unnecessary and would put pilots at risk.\n\nRussia has claimed the drone was approaching its territory, but all we can see from the video is sea, sky and cloud.\n\nMoscow appeared to suggest on Tuesday that it had imposed a unilateral no-fly zone over the region as part of its invasion of Ukraine.\n\nRussian Ambassador to the US Anatoly Antonov said the drone had \"violated boundaries of the temporary airspace regime established for the special military operation\".\n\nBut Mr Kirby said the airspace was international and not restricted.\n\nIn a statement released hours after the crash, the US said Russian jets dumped fuel on the drone several times before the collision.\n\nPentagon spokesman Brig Gen Pat Ryder told reporters the drone was \"unflyable and uncontrollable\", adding the collision also likely damaged the Russian aircraft.\n\nRussia's defence ministry said the drone crashed after a \"sharp manoeuvre\", and that it was flying with its transponders (communication devices) turned off.\n\nThe Kremlin has not yet responded to the release of the US video. On Wednesday Russia's security council secretary Nikolai Patrushev said attempts were being made to find and retrieve the remnants of the drone.\n\nOn Thursday, Russian ships were seen at the site of the downed drone on the Black Sea, US media reported.\n\nMr Kirby said the US was also searching for the aircraft, but stressed that if Russia beat them to it, \"their ability to exploit useful intelligence will be highly minimised\".\n\nThat message was reiterated by General Mark Milley, America's top military general, who said the US has taken \"mitigating measures\" to ensure there was nothing of value on the downed drone.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/world-europe-64975766"}
{"title":"Bakhmut: Russian casualties mount but tactics evolve - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-16","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"The BBC has been given access to positions held by Ukrainian army brigades defending Bakhmut's southern flank.","section":"Europe","content":"This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Watch: The battle for Bakhmut, a city in Ukraine's eastern Donbas region, rages on\n\nUkraine has drawn a line in the dirt, and that line is Bakhmut. It is a city that few say matters strategically, but that tens of thousands have died fighting over. It began more than seven months ago, and is the longest battle of the war so far.\n\nTwo Ukrainian army brigades defending the city's southern flank gave the BBC access to their positions last week as fierce fighting continued in and around Bakhmut. The men have spent months facing both regular Russian army forces, and prisoners recruited by the Wagner private military group who have swarmed their trenches in droves. Troops say Russian casualties far outweigh theirs, but the enemy is deploying new techniques to try to seize the city and surrounding countryside.\n\nUkraine's forces are outgunned and outnumbered, but on a chalk hillside to the south, there is the anti-tank group from the 3rd Separate Assault Brigade. 3Storm - as they are known - are unyielding. They've dug trenches deep into the earth. Timber props supporting the roof shudder as Russian artillery lands in the near distance, and field mice scurry along duck boards. An antiquated field telephone sits in a wooden nook; these are conditions their grandfathers would recognise.\n\n\"They cannot get to us, we can see for a kilometre in all directions,\" says a bearded 26-year-old soldier who goes by the call sign \"Dwarf\", pointing out Russian positions. \"We can hit the enemy with everything we have,\" he says.\n\nThe 26-year-old goes by the call sign \"Dwarf\" as he's a big Lord of the Rings fan - although the name on the body armour actually translates as \"Gnome\"\n\nNeither the Russian nor Ukrainian armies release official casualty figures for Bakhmut, or elsewhere, but the mostly abandoned city has become a slaughter house.\n\nIn a week fighting for the city, Dwarf's company faced conscripted prisoners from Russia's Wagner group. \"We had battles every two hours,\" he says. \"I guess a single company eliminated 50 people per day.\" In case of any doubt, he points out these numbers were confirmed by aerial reconnaissance. \"The [Russian vehicle] arrives, 50 bodies come out, a day passes, 50 bodies come out again,\" he says. His company lost a fraction of that number, he says.\n\nOfficially, Ukraine estimates that for every one of its soldiers killed, Russia loses seven. Earlier this week, Russia said it had killed more than 220 Ukrainian service members in a 24-hour period in the battle for Bakhmut. None of these numbers can be independently verified.\n\nIn a newspaper interview, two captured Wagner conscripts told the Wall Street Journal that before they are sent forward, they receive little training beyond learning to crawl through forests in the dark. After six months serving at the front they are freed - assuming they survive.\n\nConditions all along the 600-mile-long eastern front have begun to change. 3Storm's chalky hilltop hideout feels like dry land compared with the surrounding territory. An early spring has turned the hard ground of winter to mud porridge - which may favour the defenders. To get there, we had to follow the Ukrainian soldiers on foot - within a few paces my boots become lumpen and heavy with thick dirt. A battlefield ambulance speeds by unsteadily, its caterpillar tracks ploughing up the ground, and spraying pools of sludge as it struggles for grip.\n\nThe villages around here - the location can't be revealed - are in ruin. Handwritten signs on gates, mostly in Russian, announce \"People Live Here\", a plea as much as it is a statement. But the streets are entirely empty, apart from abandoned dogs who roam the ruins of destroyed farms and homes.\n\nFor the past two months, Russian forces have steadily advanced, trying to encircle Bakhmut. The commander of Ukrainian ground forces, General Oleksandr Syrsky, says his forces will continue to resist. \"Every day of steadfast resistance wins us valuable time to reduce the enemy's offensive capabilities,\" he says, sending more reinforcements to the area. But it isn't only Russians who have fallen into the Bakhmut trap. Ukrainians are dying there, too, in ever increasing numbers.\n\nOn the hillside, a group of soldiers have gathered around a gun position, and I ask Dwarf - given that Ukraine is losing soldiers to untrained Russian convicts - if the defence of dead city, surrounded by the enemy, makes sense.\n\nHe says, \"I was wondering, myself, if we should keep defending Bakhmut. On the one hand what's happening here now is awful. There are no words to describe it. But the alternative is we give up Bakhmut and move to another settlement. What's the difference between defending Bakhmut or any other village?\"\n\nHis comrade, a strongly built man with a full dark beard who goes by the call sign Holm, agrees. \"It's not a strategic question for us here. We are ordinary soldiers. But this is our land. We may then retreat to Chasiv Yar, from Chasiv Yar to Slovyansk, and so we retreat up to Kyiv. Let it take a year or two, four, five - but we have to fight for every piece of our land.\"\n\nThe men have been fighting for more than a year now, and they say the Russians are evolving.\n\n\"They are learning, they are getting cleverer, and it really freaks me out,\" says Dwarf. \"They send out a group - five morons taken from prison. They are shot, but the enemy sees where you are, walks around, and you are surrounded from behind.\"\n\nHolm chimes in that Russia is now using drones armed with grenades more effectively. \"We used to drop them and freak them out,\" he says. \"Now they're dropping drone grenades on our positions.\"\n\nBefore the war, Dwarf was an outdoor youth worker and would take youngsters hiking in the Carpathian Mountains on the country's western edge. Here on Ukraine's eastern front, that is a far-off memory. He's been in many battles since then, but the horror of Bakhmut is what lives with him now.\n\nWhen I ask about Wagner's convict army, he pauses to think and says, \"I'll be honest. It's genius. Cruel, immoral, but effective tactics. It worked out. And it's still working in Bakhmut.\"\n\nSoviet-era UAZ jeep makes it way through the mud\n\nDays later, I'm back in the same area, crammed with four others into a Soviet-era UAZ jeep. Its steering wheel has the BMW logo - a joke says the driver, Oleg. He says little else as he grips the wheel and concentrates hard as the car whines and struggles over hills and through the shoals of muck. The automatic gunfire ahead signals we are nearing the 28th Mechanised Brigade, who are directly facing the Russians.\n\nThe landscape of war shifts in an instant - the men are holed up in a small wood, its trees shattered and split by Russian fire. In a month, the wood will offer them cover. For now, its bare branches expose them to surveillance drones. Nearby there's an exchange of gunfire, and Russian shells strike around 500m away. But Borys, a 48-year-old former architect who is serving now as a captain, seems untroubled.\n\n\"Today's war is a drone war,\" he says, \"but we can walk around freely, because there's wind and rain today and drones are blown away. If it was quiet today, both our drones and our enemy's would be hovering over us.\"\n\nOn the way back, Oleg brings the jeep to a sudden halt. Lying in the dirt in front of us is a drone that has been blown off course. Its battery is quickly removed and it is brought inside - it turns out to be Ukrainian.\n\nBut today's war isn't so very different from the past.\n\nTwo nights before, the 28th Brigade was attacked by Russian infantry and tanks. In a timbered gun position below ground, the cold rain drips through the roof onto the dirt floor, and there, peering out into the bare landscape, is a Maxim belt-fed machine gun with stout iron wheels.\n\n\"It only works when there is a massive attack going on\u2026then it really works,\" says Borys. \"So we use it every week\".\n\nAnd this is how the battle for Bakhmut is being fought, as winter turns to spring in 21st Century Europe. A 19th Century weapon still mows down men by the score in the black Ukrainian earth.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/world-europe-64955537"}
{"title":"Strikes Update: How Thursday 16 March's strikes affect you - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-16","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"What you need to know about the teachers' walkout in England and widespread rail disruption.","section":"Business","content":"Disruption for pupils and parents continues on Thursday, on day two of a 48-hour walkout by some teachers in England. There will also be reduced rail services across 18 train companies.\n\nWednesday saw strikes by junior doctors in England, up to 150,000 civil servants across 100 government departments and agencies, and on the London Underground.\n\nMembers of the National Education Union (NEU) in England will continue their two-day strike on Thursday - part of an ongoing dispute over pay and funding.\n\nMany schools - more than half on previous strike dates - will be closed or have restricted attendance.\n\nSixth-form colleges will also be affected.\n\nParents are advised by the Department for Education (DfE) to send children to school unless school leaders have said otherwise.\n\nNo further industrial action is currently planned in Scotland, Wales or Northern Ireland.\n\nYou can read more here about why teachers are striking.\n\nMembers of the RMT union working at 18 train companies are striking over pay, job cuts and changes to terms and conditions.\n\nThey will also walkout this Saturday 18 March - and also on 30 March and 1 April, which is the start of the Easter school holidays for many.\n\nThere will be reduced services - and no trains at all in some places.\n\nNetwork Rail, which manages the tracks, advises passengers to check train-operating company websites before setting out.\n\nIt also warns of possible next-day disruption because of the knock-on impact on shift patterns.\n\nRoutes in England will be worst hit - but some services which run into Scotland and Wales are also likely to be hit.\n\nOn the London Underground - following Wednesday's walkout by RMT and Aslef union members - Thursday's services are expected to start later than normal.\n\nTransport for London (TfL) also says Thursday's national rail strike action will have an impact on the Overground, Elizabeth Line and some parts of the Bakerloo and District lines through Thursday and into Friday morning.\n\nTens of thousands of staff at 150 universities across the UK - including academics, librarians, technicians, security and catering workers - begin five days of strikes on Thursday.\n\nMembers of the University and College Union (UCU) are also walking out this Friday - and Monday to Wednesday next week.\n\nThe strikes have caused \"low and isolated\" levels of disruption to students, according to the Universities and College Employers Association (UCEA).\n\nSome universities - says Universities UK (UUK), which represents 140 institutions - have extended coursework deadlines and rescheduled teaching.\n\nThe UCU action is over pay and working conditions and also pension cuts - but staff are only striking over both issues at 62 universities.\n\nMembers of the National Union of Journalists at BBC sites across England are in the middle of a 24-hour walkout - finishing at 11:00 on Thursday.\n\nBBC local radio, regional television and digital services are being disrupted.\n\nThe strike is because of plans to merge some local radio programmes.\n\u2022 University staff who are members of the University and College Union and Unison are on strike\n\u2022 Union members at 150 universities have been taking part in industrial action Read more: Will my lecture be cancelled? There are currently no national strikes planned for this date There are currently no national strikes planned for this date There are currently no national strikes planned for this date There are currently no national strikes planned for this date There are currently no national strikes planned for this date There are currently no national strikes planned for this date There are currently no national strikes planned for this date There are currently no national strikes planned for this date There are currently no national strikes planned for this date There are currently no national strikes planned for this date There are currently no national strikes planned for this date\n\u2022 More than 1,000 Passport Office workers are on strike in a dispute about jobs, pay and conditions\n\u2022 Members of the Public and Commercial Services union have warned of delays to applications and the delivery of passports in the run-up to summer\n\u2022 More than 1,000 Passport Office workers are on strike in a dispute about jobs, pay and conditions\n\u2022 Members of the Public and Commercial Services union have warned of delays to applications and the delivery of passports in the run-up to summer\n\u2022 More than 1,000 Passport Office workers are on strike in a dispute about jobs, pay and conditions\n\u2022 Members of the Public and Commercial Services union have warned of delays to applications and the delivery of passports in the run-up to summer\n\u2022 More than 1,000 Passport Office workers are on strike in a dispute about jobs, pay and conditions\n\u2022 Members of the Public and Commercial Services union have warned of delays to applications and the delivery of passports in the run-up to summer\n\u2022 More than 1,000 Passport Office workers are on strike in a dispute about jobs, pay and conditions\n\u2022 Members of the Public and Commercial Services union have warned of delays to applications and the delivery of passports in the run-up to summer\n\u2022 More than 1,000 Passport Office workers are on strike in a dispute about jobs, pay and conditions\n\u2022 Members of the Public and Commercial Services union have warned of delays to applications and the delivery of passports in the run-up to summer There are currently no national strikes planned for this date\n\nHow are you affected by the strikes? Are you taking part in strike action? You can email: haveyoursay@bbc.co.uk.\n\nPlease include a contact number if you are willing to speak to a BBC journalist. You can also get in touch in the following ways:\n\nIf 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 HaveYourSay@bbc.co.uk. Please include your name, age and location with any submission.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/business-64966053"}
{"title":"SNP says its membership has fallen to 72,000 - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-16","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"The party reveals its membership numbers amid a row over the conduct of its leadership race.","section":"Scotland","content":"Leadership candidates Kate Forbes, Ash Regan and Humza Yousaf had pushed for the membership figures to be published\n\nThe SNP's membership has fallen to just over 72,000, the party has confirmed amid a row over the integrity of its leadership race.\n\nCandidates Ash Regan and Kate Forbes had demanded to know how many members were eligible to vote in the contest to succeed Nicola Sturgeon.\n\nThe party initially refused to do so - but has now told the candidates that it has 72,186 members.\n\nIt means it has lost 32,000 members from the 104,000 it had two years ago.\n\nThe SNP's membership hit a peak of 125,000 in 2019 as support for the party surged in the wake of the independence referendum but had dropped to 85,000 by the end of last year.\n\nIts Westminster leader, Stephen Flynn, told BBC Scotland earlier this week he had \"no idea\" how many members the party had, but that \"I think the last time I heard it was about 100,000\".\n\nMs Forbes' campaign manager, Michelle Thomson MSP, said she was pleased that \"common sense has prevailed\" and the membership numbers had been published - but that the \"alarming drop in members shows that the party needs a change in direction\".\n\nMs Regan issued a statement that said only: \"I get things done\", with her campaign questioning on Twitter whether the big drop in membership - which it linked to the government's controversial gender reforms - was a reason for Ms Sturgeon's resignation.\n\nShe later told BBC Scotland's Drivetime programme that it had been several weeks since she first asked for the membership figures to be released, but that she was pleased it had been as \"we want to show that the SNP is fair, transparent and accountable\".\n\nMs Regan also repeated her call for an independent observer to be appointed to oversee the leadership election.\n\nThe SNP's national secretary, Lorna Finn, wrote to the candidates earlier on Thursday in an attempt to address their concerns about transparency.\n\nA spokesperson for the party said: \"All three candidates were successful in parliamentary selection contests using exactly the same voting system and independent ballot services firm.\n\n\"The national secretary has again confirmed all necessary safeguards are in place to protect the integrity of the ballot.\"\n\nThe third candidate in the contest, Health Secretary Humza Yousaf, said his two rivals had produced no tangible evidence that would throw the integrity of the election process into question.\n\nBut he added that it had been \"a bit of an own goal\" for the party not to have published the figure at the start of the process, adding: \"I don't know why they didn't - they should have done and certainly if I'm the leader of the party I'll make sure they are published annually.\"\n\nThis is a massive drop in the SNP's membership in a relatively short period of time and it seems to have been particularly acute over the last few months.\n\nThe party has lost more than 10,000 members since the end of last year when the row over reform of the process for legally changing gender was raging.\n\nIt is not possible to measure the extent to which that controversy may be responsible for members leaving.\n\nThe party's president Mike Russell has suggested cost of living pressures could offer an alternative explanation.\n\nFalling membership also places Nicola Sturgeon's decision to stand down in a new context, albeit that she insisted it was not a response to short term pressures.\n\nThe SNP remains the largest political party in Scotland but it is considerably smaller now compared to its post referendum peak of around 125,000.\n\nMr Yousaf is widely seen as being the favoured candidate of Ms Sturgeon and the SNP hierarchy as a whole, with Ms Regan previously claiming that the party HQ was \"bussing in\" his supporters to hustings events.\n\nMs Regan has also questioned the role of SNP chief executive Peter Murrell - Ms Sturgeon's husband - in the leadership contest, saying it was a \"clear conflict of interest\".\n\nHer campaign had also said it had concerns about votes from deceased party members or those who have allowed their membership to expire.\n\nAn open letter sent on behalf of Ms Regan and Ms Forbes to Mr Murrell had called on him to clarify how many \"paid-up\" members the party has, and the number of digital and postal voting papers that have been released.\n\nMs Regan and Ms Forbes had urged Peter Murrell to clarify how many members the party currently has\n\nMs Sturgeon denied her party was in crisis and said she had \"100% confidence\" in the process as she left her penultimate First Minister's Questions on Thursday.\n\nShe added: \"My party is having a democratic leadership election - growing pains for any organisation can be painful, but they are important.\n\n\"I think it's incumbent for the three candidates standing to succeed me that they remember the task is to retain the trust of the Scottish people that we have won consistently over, not just the eight years of my leadership, but consistently since 2007.\"\n\nSNP president Mike Russell told BBC Scotland the highest standards were being observed but accepted that the membership figures should have been published earlier.\n\n\"The party has to unite after this,\" he said. \"We have an important job to do for Scotland and I'm quite sure the three candidates are capable of that.\"\n\nScottish Conservatives chairman Craig Hoy said the SNP \"had to be dragged kicking and screaming into even releasing these numbers\".\n\nHe added: \"The SNP government are out-of-touch with the real priorities of Scotland and it seems tens of thousands of now former members have also come to that conclusion and decided enough is enough.\"\n\nThe leadership ballot is being managed by Southampton-based polling firm Mi-Voice, which the SNP has used for internal contests since 2013. The result is due to be announced on 27 March.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/uk-scotland-64976104"}
{"title":"NHS and ambulance staff in Scotland accept latest pay offer - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-16","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"GMB Scotland said its members accepted the improved pay offer by a majority of 59.7%.","section":"Scotland","content":"A new pay offer was made to staff including ambulance workers\n\nThe union representing NHS and ambulance staff in Scotland have accepted the latest pay offer from the Scottish government.\n\nGMB Scotland said 59.7% of balloted members had accepted the new offer.\n\nHealth Secretary Humza Yousaf has been locked in negotiations with health unions in recent months amid the threat of industrial action.\n\nStrikes were suspended earlier this year while members of three unions considered the improved deal.\n\nBoth the Royal College of Nursing (RCN) and the Royal College of Midwives (RCM) are also balloting their members, with the recommendation to accept the deal.\n\nThe result of the RCN vote is expected next week.\n\nThe pay offer made to 160,000 NHS staff, including nurses, midwives and paramedics, equates to an average 6.5% increase in 2023\/24.\n\nIt also includes the commitment to modernising Agenda for Change, which is nearly 20 years old, to support workforce recruitment, sustainability and retention.\n\nThe offer is on top of the imposed pay rise already allocated for 2022\/23, meaning many staff could receive a consolidated 13 to 14% pay increase over a two-year period.\n\nKeir Greenaway, GMB Scotland senior organiser for public services, welcomed the acceptance but urged ministers to heed the warnings of the proportion of the union membership that voted to reject the pay offer.\n\nHe said: \"We would warn that no-one in government circles should be na\u00efve enough to think this puts the issue of worker value back in the box.\n\n\"The sizeable minority of members who voted to reject the offer illustrate the point and this sends a loud and clear message on future pay offers.\n\n\"If ministers want to seriously tackle the understaffing crisis in our health service and recruit and retain the people needed to build a recovery of our broken NHS, then the bar must continue to rise for the pay and conditions of staff in the years to come.\"\n\nHealth Secretary Humza Yousaf said he was \"delighted\" that GMB members had accepted the pay offer.\n\nHe said: \"This will ensure that Scotland's NHS Agenda for Change staff are, by far and away, the best paid anywhere in the UK. We are also committed to delivering the most progressive package of terms and conditions reform in decades.\n\n\"We await the outcome of the remaining union ballots.\"","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/uk-scotland-64980613"}
{"title":"US drone downing: Russia will try to retrieve remnants of drone - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-16","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"A US surveillance drone plunged into the Black Sea after an encounter with Russian jets on Tuesday.","section":"Europe","content":"This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser.\n\nRussia said on Wednesday that it would try to retrieve the remnants of a US drone that crashed into the Black Sea.\n\nThe large MQ-9 Reaper drone plunged into the water on Tuesday.\n\nThe US said it brought down the damaged drone after it became \"unflyable\" when a Russian jet clipped its propeller - but Moscow has denied these claims.\n\nSpeaking on state television, Russian security council secretary Nikolai Patrushev confirmed Moscow was attempting to find the aircraft.\n\n\"I don't know whether we'll be able to retrieve it or not but it has to be done,\" Mr Patrushev said.\n\nHe also said that the drone's presence in the Black Sea was \"confirmation\" that the US was directly involved in the war.\n\nSenior Washington official John Kirby said the US was also searching for the aircraft, but stressed that if Russia beat them to it, \"their ability to exploit useful intelligence will be highly minimised\".\n\nThat message was reiterated by General Mark Milley, America's top military general, who said the US has taken \"mitigating measures\" to ensure there was nothing of value on the downed drone.\n\nHe said it would be challenging to retrieve the drone, noting the water where it crashed was anywhere between 4,000ft to 5,000ft (1,200m to 1,500m) deep.\n\nUS military officials said the incident happened on Tuesday morning and the confrontation lasted around 30-40 minutes.\n\nIn a statement, the US said Russian jets dumped fuel on the drone several times before the collision.\n\nPentagon spokesman Brig Gen Pat Ryder told reporters the drone was \"unflyable and uncontrollable\", adding the collision also likely damaged the Russian aircraft.\n\nRussia has denied its two Su-27 fighter jets made any contact with the US drone.\n\nRussia's defence ministry said the drone crashed after a \"sharp manoeuvre\", and that it was flying with its transponders (communication devices) turned off.\n\nThe US Defence Secretary, Lloyd Austin, confirmed he had spoken with his Russian counterpart, Sergei Shoigu, the day after the drone was downed.\n\nIn a statement released after the phonecall, Russia's defence ministry said Mr Shoigu blamed the incident on \"increased reconnaissance activities against the interests of the Russian Federation\". It also called US drone flights off the coast of Crimea \"provocative\".\n\nThe US and UK have previously gone to extraordinary lengths to recover their technology after crashes.\n\nThey retrieved the wreckage of their stealth fighter jet, the F-35 from the bottom of the South China Sea after it sank.\n\nBut on the face of it, the Pentagon seems more relaxed about losing a Reaper drone. It's older technology and numerous have been lost before.\n\nAnd trying to recover a downed drone in deep waters, next to a war zone, with Russian ships and submarines patrolling, could present even greater risks of escalation.\n\nTensions have risen over the Black Sea ever since Russia's annexation of nearby Crimea in 2014.\n\nAnd since Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine, the US and the UK have stepped up surveillance flights, though always operating in international airspace.\n\nThe lost Reaper may have been carrying a surveillance pod able to suck up electronic data such as radar emissions.\n\nThe US Department of Defense said in a press release that the surveillance trips are used to gather information which helps improve security for Europe and supports \"allied partners\".\n\nThe US has reportedly shared intelligence with Ukraine previously, including to help it sink a Russian ship in the Black Sea.\n\nUkraine's foreign minister told BBC reporter James Landale that incidents such as the downing of a US drone over the Black Sea are inevitable until Russia leaves Crimea.\n\nDescribing it as a \"routine incident\", Dmytro Kuleba said: \"As long as Russia controls Crimea, these kinds of incidents will be inevitable and the Black Sea will not be a safe place.\"\n\nRussia annexed Crimea in 2014, but the vast majority of countries still recognise it as part of Ukraine.\n\nThe BBC asked Mr Kuleba if, following the drone incident, the US and other allies might become more cautious.\n\n\"If the West wants to demonstrate its weakness, it should certainly demonstrate its cautiousness after an incident like this, but I don't have a feeling that this is the mood in capitals,\" he replied.\n\n\"The mood is not to escalate but nor is the mood to lean under the pressure - the physical or rhetorical pressure - of Russia.\"\n\nUS Defence Secretary Lloyd Austin vowed the military would \"continue to fly and operate\" wherever international law allows.\n\nAfter being summoned to speak to officials in Washington, Russian ambassador Anatoly Antonov said Moscow saw the drone incident as \"a provocation\".\n\nFrom the Kremlin's point of view Mr Antonov added: \"The unacceptable activity of the US military in the close proximity to our borders is a cause for concern.\"\n\nOn Wednesday, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov reporters there has been no high-level contact between Moscow and Washington over the incident.\n\nBut he said Russia would never refuse to engage in constructive dialogue.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/world-europe-64961958"}
{"title":"Jeremy Hunt's Budget is focused on the next election - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-16","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"The chancellor's policies to boost growth are frontloaded to try to provide a boost before the election.","section":"Business","content":"The big claim from Chancellor Jeremy Hunt is a modest one - we are no longer going into recession, and inflation will fall faster.\n\nThat is better news, relatively speaking, given the size of the shock to the economy from higher energy prices. But the big picture on living standards is that we are still in the middle of an historic fall. It is little wonder that Mr Hunt felt compelled to extend the largest part of the energy bill support that was due to run out.\n\nBut the big broad strategic decision the chancellor has made is to spend the windfall from better upfront growth in the economy to try to get the UK out of a slow growth mire.\n\nThe government has spent nearly all the extra revenue from better economic news, which means it has borrowed about \u00a320bn a year to spend on trying to boost business investment, getting people back to work and extra defence.\n\nThe plans to boost growth look like microsurgery: several dozen measures, designed to unlock two key self-admitted problems - poor business investment, and getting the workforce back up to full strength. And that surgery has a notable timing - all frontloaded to provide as big a boost possible now, before the next general election.\n\nThere are some eye-catching thrusts into a high-tech future of a dozen Canary Wharfs situated near our biggest universities. Post-Brexit changes to trading rules are focused on five key sectors. Pharmaceuticals will get the fastest regulator in the world and automatically accept medicines approved in the US, EU and Japan, building on the Covid vaccine success.\n\nBut some of the biggest measures run out just after the election, and that's why the forecasts from the government's independent forecaster, the Office for Budget Responsibility (OBR), show growth declining afterwards.\n\nSo it's maximising the bang for the buck early, trying to get a deliverable, visible, noticeable impact for voters by the time of the election, which we're expecting by late 2024.\n\nIn fact in the small print of the OBR report it says that because the changes to corporation tax are a temporary measures \"we have assumed that the Budget measure has no long run impact on the capital stock\" and \"all the additional investment is ultimately displaced from future years\".\n\nSo you get a pre-election boom in business investment and then it falls below the level that it would have done without the policy, with \"no overall impact\" on total investment.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/business-64968942"}
{"title":"Metropolitan Police expected to be heavily criticised for being racist, sexist and homophobic in report - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-16","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"The BBC understands the report will criticise the Met's tolerance of wrongdoing within its ranks.","section":"UK","content":"The Metropolitan Police is expected to be heavily criticised for being racist, sexist and homophobic in a report.\n\nBaroness Casey's review will be published on Tuesday.\n\nShe was appointed to review the force's culture and standards after the murder of Sarah Everard by serving officer Wayne Couzens.\n\nThe BBC has not seen a draft of Baroness Casey's report but understands that it will heavily criticise the Met's tolerance of wrongdoing.\n\nThe report is also expected to criticise how the Met protects its own people ahead of the public.\n\nA government source told the BBC the findings of the draft report were \"very serious\" and would make for \"bad reading\".\n\nHome Secretary Suella Braverman has been in talks with the Met Commissioner, Sir Mark Rowley, this week about the findings after it is understood the final draft of the report was sent to them.\n\nSir Mark was appointed commissioner in September and even after the critical report is published next week, the Home Office will back his leadership to reform the Met and bring about change, and wants to give him the time to do so.\n\nThe force is already facing a separate independent inquiry into how Couzens and the serial rapist officer David Carrick were able to become policemen and were not identified as threats to women.\n\nThe interim Casey review which was published in October found hundreds of Met officers had been getting away with breaking the law and misconduct.\n\nIt found many claims of sexual misconduct, misogyny, racism and homophobia had been badly mishandled.\n\nSir Mark apologised and admitted there were officers still serving who should have been sacked.\n\nWhile the interim report focused on the failures of the force's internal misconduct system, this final report is expected to be much wider.\n\nIt has examined, and will criticise the culture, recruitment, training and leadership of the force.\n\nOne source told the BBC the final report contained a lot of findings that were extremely bad for the Met.\n\nThe BBC has spoken to two women whose ex-partners are serving Met officers. Both women raised concerns that the force is unable to deal with abusive officers within its ranks.\n\nSally, not her real name, was living with a Met officer who she met when he investigated a crime she had been a victim of. Last year, she told the Met that he had domestically abused her and had misused police powers. He is now going through the Met's misconduct system and is on restricted duties.\n\nShe told the BBC she felt as though the force had not dealt with her complaints.\n\n\"I think it's easier to let these police officers stay than to get rid of them,\" she said. \"He's still working, he's still getting paid, he's still going to get his full pension.\n\n\"I don't trust the police at all and I do not understand why we report allegations against the police to other police officers. There is no place in the police service for an officer like him, absolutely not.\"\n\nA woman the BBC has called Natalie to protect her identity claims her ex-husband, a Met officer, coercively controlled her. She said she struggled to find the right avenues to complain to the force to get them to take action.\n\n\"You're brought up to believe the police are there to protect. The police should be there to protect, that's what we pay taxes for but they just seem to protect themselves.\"\n\n\"I've been in police stations, I've spoken to policewomen who squeezed my arm and looked compassionate, and told me this time it would be sorted. (That) it was unacceptable\" she said. \"You hear nothing and it then makes him worse. He's bolstered by this isn't he? He's enabled and protected.\"\n\nCdr James Harman from the Met's directorate of professional standards acknowledged that the force needs to do more, saying: \"I recognise that we are in a bad place but we are committed and absolutely determined to turn that around and we are going to do so.\n\n\"I completely understand that people will often feel nervous or hesitant to report a crime committed by the police.\"\n\nThe Met Police said in a statement \"the report will play an important role in informing and shaping our work to deliver 'More Trust, Less Crime and High Standards'.\n\n\"It will be published next week which will be the appropriate point for us to respond in further detail.\"\n\nA Home Office spokesperson said: \"The Home Secretary has been clear that culture and standards in policing must be raised in order to regain the trust and confidence of the public. We await the publication of Baroness Casey's full report.\"\n\nA statement from a spokesperson for the Casey Review has said the review will \"not be commenting on its contents ahead of publication\". They have also asked other parties not to comment either.\n\n\"The review into the culture and standards of the Metropolitan Police was commissioned in light of the appalling facts relating to the murderer of Sarah Everard\" the statement read.\n\n\"This must be remembered if at all possible as we move towards its publication\".\n\nHave you been affected by the issues raised in this story? Please email us: haveyoursay@bbc.co.uk.\n\nPlease include a contact number if you are willing to speak to a BBC journalist. You can also get in touch in the following ways:\n\nIf 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 HaveYourSay@bbc.co.uk. Please include your name, age and location with any submission.\n\nThe BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/uk-64984878"}
{"title":"Khayri Mclean: Boy killed near school by 'youths lying in wait' - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-16","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"Khayri Mclean, 15, was stabbed outside his school in Huddersfield and died later in hospital.","section":"Leeds & West Yorkshire","content":"Khayri Mclean, 15, died after he was stabbed near the entrance to North Huddersfield Trust School\n\nA boy was killed outside his school by two youths who were lying in wait for him wearing balaclavas and carrying knives, a court heard.\n\nKhayri Mclean, 15, was stabbed near the entrance to North Huddersfield Trust School and later died in hospital.\n\nLeeds Crown Court heard that as he left for the day, Khayri was met by two boys, aged 15 and 16, who \"charged\" towards him aggressively.\n\nThe younger boy admits murder, the older denies it.\n\nProsecutor Jonathan Sandiford KC told the court the 15-year-old had shouted \"Oi Khayri\" or \"Yo Khayri\" before jumping in the air, swinging a knife with a 30cm blade and stabbing Khayri.\n\nThis proved to be the fatal blow as it went through his ribs and penetrated one of his lungs and heart, the court was told.\n\nMr Sandiford said Khayri fell to the floor and was \"defenceless on his back\" when the 16-year-old went after him, knife in hand, and stabbed him again.\n\n\"Fortunately, Khayri was able to lift his legs to block the blow and so the knife penetrated his lower leg rather than a more vital part of his body,\" the prosecutor said.\n\nKhayri Mclean was stabbed near the entrance to North Huddersfield Trust School on 21 September 2022\n\nThe jury was told that the 15-year-old had pleaded guilty to murder. The 16-year-old, who has since turned 17, denies murdering Khayri and is on trial.\n\nMr Sandiford told the court that although the older defendant did not inflict the fatal blow on 21 September 2022, he is guilty of murder because the pair acted together, \"encouraging and supporting each other to carry out that attack\".\n\n\"This was not an act of spontaneous violence but a planned attack in which [the defendants] armed themselves with knives, changed some of their clothing and wore balaclavas to hide their identities before going to lie in wait to attack Khayri as he walked home from school,\" he said.\n\nAfter attacking Khayri, the boys ran away together, before stopping to remove their balaclavas and the clothing worn for the attack, Mr Sandiford said.\n\n\"Those items, and most likely the knives used to murder Khayri, were left in bags, concealed in woodland, from where they were later retrieved and disposed of by others,\" he told the court.\n\nHaving changed their appearances, the boys calmly walked to within a short distance of where Khayri lay fatally injured in the street, he added.\n\nThe court was also told that the older defendant's mother had texted him in the aftermath of the incident saying: \"Your enemy has been stabbed and it doesn't look good.\"\n\nMr Sandiford said the 17-year-old has since claimed that he went to the school to confront another person who he believed had broken windows at his mother's house.\n\nHe was concerned this person and his friends might have knives, so he picked up \"a small kitchen knife to defend himself if necessary\", the court was told.\n\nHe did not name his co-defendant, but said \"another boy\" offered to come with him, and when a group of pupils approached them, the other boy rushed at them and he \"instinctively\" followed.\n\nThe boy claims he swung his knife at Khayri \"in panic\" as he \"feared he would be attacked\".\n\nMr Sandiford described the claim as \"a pack of lies\".\n\n\"The prosecution says this was a well-planned and targeted attack on Khayri Mclean with the intention of killing him or at least causing him really serious harm,\" he added.\n\nFollow BBC Yorkshire on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. Send your story ideas to yorkslincs.news@bbc.co.uk\n\nThe BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/uk-england-leeds-64969594"}
{"title":"Northern Ireland travel disruption fears as heavy rain sweeps in - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-16","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"After heavy snowfall, now it's the turn of the rain with some areas facing 40mm in under 24 hours.","section":"Northern Ireland","content":"The rain warning is in place until 10:00 GMT on Thursday\n\nDisruptive rain is forecast for Northern Ireland from this afternoon with a weather warning issued by the Met Office.\n\nTravel disruption is expected as the rain becomes more persistent later on Wednesday.\n\nIt is due to last until later on Thursday morning, with between 20mm to 30mm of rain expected quite widely.\n\nSome areas could see up to 40mm of rainfall accumulating during that period.\n\nThat is likely to lead to surface spray and flooding on roads before conditions improve from the west on Thursday.\n\nThe warning is in place from 14:00 GMT on Wednesday until 10:00 GMT on Thursday.\n\nIt comes after heavy snowfall last week caused major delays and disruptions across the country.\n\nThis Twitter post cannot be displayed in your browser. Please enable Javascript or try a different browser. View original tweet on Twitter The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Skip twitter post by Met Office - Northern Ireland 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\u2019s cookie policy, external and privacy policy, external before accepting. To view this content choose \u2018accept and continue\u2019. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/uk-northern-ireland-64962940"}
{"title":"Unions close to pay deal to avert more NHS strikes - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-16","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"The offer in England includes a bonus for this year and a higher pay rise for next year than planned.","section":"UK","content":"A fresh pay offer for NHS staff in England, including nurses and ambulance workers, is expected to be announced this afternoon, the BBC understands.\n\nThe deal includes a bonus likely to be in excess of \u00a31,000 for this year and a rise of close to 5% for the next financial year starting in April.\n\nNegotiators on both sides have agreed it is the best deal they can get to.\n\nFourteen unions have been represented at the talks - and it is now up to them whether they recommend it to members.\n\nA statement is expected in the coming hours.\n\nThe talks with government have lasted nearly two weeks.\n\nThe offer covers all NHS staff except doctors, who are on a different contract.\n\nIt comes after a winter of industrial action which has seen nurses, ambulance staff and physios all go on strike.\n\nThe unions involved in the current talks put further action on hold after the government agreed to enter discussions last month.\n\nEarlier, Chancellor Jeremy Hunt said he hoped a resolution to the dispute was near.\n\n\"We are working really hard to try and solve these issues,\" he told BBC Breakfast. \"We have engaged very productively so I'm keeping my fingers crossed.\"\n\nThe talks have been led the the NHS Staff Council, which represents the 14 health unions.\n\nA spokesperson for the Department of Health and Social Care said the government, NHS employers and unions had been holding constructive and meaningful discussions covering pay and non-pay matters and that the talks were ongoing.\n\nThe government had given NHS staff a pay rise of 4.75% this year on average and had originally suggested a 3.5% increase in April.\n\nA 72-hour strike by junior doctors, who say inflation means the real value of their pay has fallen 26% since 2008, went ahead on 13-15 March.\n\nThey are asking for a 35% pay rise, but the government has said the request is \"completely unaffordable\".\n\nThe British Medical Association has called the strikes the \"first round of action\".","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/uk-64973045"}
{"title":"Five things we learned from the SNP leaders' debate - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-16","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"A live studio audience, a move away from personal attacks and a wide range of policies were on show.","section":"Scotland politics","content":"There were more smiles on show, with fewer direct attacks between the candidates compared to previous debates\n\nThe three candidates to replace Nicola Sturgeon as SNP leader and first minister of Scotland have taken part in the final TV debate of the campaign.\n\nHow did Kate Forbes, Ash Regan and Humza Yousaf approach the live TV event, and what does it tell us about how the contest will play out?\n\nThis was the only TV debate of the campaign to feature a live studio audience. Hustings have taken place in front of party members, but those have been altogether cosier in-house affairs.\n\nThis was where the candidates had to bump up against the general public for the first time, and thus a fascinating chance to see if the themes their campaigns have been based on chime with the priorities of the wider populace.\n\nHealth and the cost of living are obvious topics for all, but this debate featured perhaps the most discussion there has been about education in the contest to date - still all of about five minutes.\n\nAnd seeing how the audience reacted to the pitch from each candidate was almost as enlightening as the policies themselves.\n\nThere was applause for the candidates - but also some sharp interventions from punters less than impressed by their efforts.\n\nIt was a reminder that whoever wins this contest will need to be the first minister for the whole country.\n\nThey only need to win over SNP members to get the job - they will need to convince the nation at large to keep it.\n\nKate Forbes changed tack from the direct attacks she used in previous debates\n\nThis was, broadly, a debate focused on policy rather than personality - something summed up when Humza Yousaf said he was \"not going to sit here and slag off colleagues in government\".\n\nIn previous debates, the candidates rarely missed an opportunity to kick lumps out of each other, but the cross-examination here was notably less fiery.\n\nThat may be in part because yellow-on-yellow attacks are greeted with glee by opposition parties, but it is also a mark of how the candidates have evolved their approach.\n\nHumza Yousaf may have been braced for another broadside from Kate Forbes, but instead was greeted by policy-laden questions which promoted the finance secretary's own strengths.\n\nAsh Regan used her questions to Mr Yousaf to bring up gender reform - again, something she sees as a strength of her own campaign.\n\nMr Yousaf was actually ticked off by Stephen Jardine for talking about his own policies at length when he was meant to be questioning Ms Forbes.\n\nThis may be because of the fear that mud thrown now could still be stuck on when future elections roll around.\n\nBut it may also be because this race uses a single transferable vote system - and in a tight contest, second-preference votes could turn out to be crucial.\n\nThe candidates might have calculated that it is profitable to make friends than to try to knock out opponents entirely.\n\nAsh Regan is the candidate pushing for independence with the most urgency\n\nThings are going to change, regardless of who wins this contest.\n\nPerhaps that's obvious - none of the candidates are Nicola Sturgeon. But they have all worked for her, only to have developed some concerns about her policies since she decided to resign.\n\nKate Forbes has pitched herself as the change candidate, but even so it is striking to hear the sitting finance secretary talking about a need to \"reset the relationship with business\".\n\nAsh Regan said the government she had resigned from \"isn't in touch with the priorities of people and it seems like the government isn't listening\", and talked about ending the partnership deal with the Greens.\n\nEven Humza Yousaf, who has accepted the mantle of continuity candidate, wants to see changes to the deposit return scheme and said the delays to ferry projects were \"unacceptable\".\n\nOne audience member called out the \"lack of accountability\" on the part of government ministers who have been in post for years, now calling for a change of direction.\n\nAfter a long run of stability under Nicola Sturgeon and indeed Alex Salmond before her, it feels like the direction of the Scottish government is up in the air for the first time in 15 years.\n\nHumza Yousaf has accepted the mantle of continuity candidate, looking to continue Nicola Sturgeon's legacy\n\nAll three leadership candidates said they could see Scotland being independent within five years.\n\nFrankly in order to lead the SNP, they probably need to say that. There may not be much appetite among the membership for pumping the brakes on the campaign now.\n\nBut the three of them still have quite different ideas about how to get there.\n\nAsh Regan stands apart from Humza Yousaf and Kate Forbes in urgency, bringing up independence in response to quite a few other questions.\n\nHer idea of a \"voter empowerment mechanism\" essentially bakes the de-facto referendum into every election, for all that question marks hung over that approach.\n\nHumza Yousaf, meanwhile, said the party should not be \"obsessing\" about process, saying that a surge of grassroots support will answer any and all questions. It sounds a lot like Nicola Sturgeon's approach of a few years ago, when she talked about not having a \"magic wand\" to bring about a referendum overnight.\n\nAnd Kate Forbes was the most explicit in pitching herself as the candidate who can reach out to No voters - perhaps hoping that if she appears more electable with the broader electorate, that will be appealing to the SNP members who have a vote here.\n\nPerhaps because it was taking part in front of a mixed audience rather than one of SNP devotees, it was striking that this debate ultimately focused more on winning people round to the \"why\" of independence, rather than the knotty question of \"how\".\n\nWho are the SNP candidates?\n\nWhen Nicola Sturgeon announced she was stepping down, plenty of names were thrown around as potential successors.\n\nPerhaps not many would have predicted that the final three would be Humza Yousaf, Kate Forbes and Ash Regan.\n\nBut watching this debate, they certainly provide a broad choice for the SNP membership in both style and substance.\n\nThe field includes sitting cabinet ministers who have represented almost every top job in government, but also a minister who quit in protest over policy.\n\nOne represents the pro-business tribe within the party, another a group focused on social justice, and the other a group impatient for action on independence.\n\nThere are competing promises of change and of continuity - anything from tinkering around the edges of Nicola Sturgeon's legacy to tearing it up entirely.\n\nWhich of these campaigns wins out will be a fascinating test of where the SNP membership stands in 2023 - because the three candidates clearly have quite a different view of it.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/uk-scotland-scotland-politics-64959575"}
{"title":"Welsh football: FAW members suspended for inappropriate behaviour - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-16","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"The allegations include misogyny and sexism, breaching confidence and mocking political correctness.","section":"Wales","content":"Former FAW President Phil Pritchard is one of the members currently serving a suspension\n\nThree male members of the Football Association of Wales (FAW) have been suspended in the past 10 months after allegations of inappropriate behaviour.\n\nThey were suspended from the FAW council, which is made up of 36 members representing local clubs, leagues and area associations across Wales.\n\nThe allegations include misogyny and sexism, breaching confidence and mocking political correctness publicly.\n\nThe FAW said it took a \"robust approach\" to sanctions.\n\nThe findings by the Newyddion S4C programme come at a time when sport in Wales is under scrutiny after allegations of sexism and misogyny within the Welsh Rugby Union (WRU) were revealed by the BBC Wales investigates programme.\n\nThe FAW referred two of the disciplinary cases to independent arbitrators Sport Resolutions, with the other matter dealt with internally by the FAW as it was considered less serious in nature.\n\nFormer FAW President Phil Pritchard is one of the men currently serving a suspension for comments made at a pre-match dinner deemed misogynistic and sexist.\n\nMr Pritchard says he admitted fault due to the cost of legal fees\n\nWhen asked for a response to the allegation, he lashed out at his suspension.\n\nHe denied making any sexist remarks, but claimed he pleaded guilty because paying for representation at the independent tribunal \"would have cost \u00a312,000 in legal costs\".\n\nMr Pritchard added: \"There is always a happy atmosphere at pre-match events, with plenty of banter.\"\n\nHe explained \"the last thing he wanted to do\" was upset anybody, adding he was \"having a laugh and a joke when this young lady walked in and must have mistaken something\".\n\n\"There were witnesses within 1ft [of me] on my table who said it didn't happen,\" he said.\n\n\"The only reason I said I did it was because it would have cost me a lot otherwise.\"\n\nLife councillor Ron Bridges is also currently serving a long suspension for a breach of confidence. His case was also referred to Sport Resolutions.\n\nWhen contacted, Mr Bridges admitted his transgression and said he had passed on embargoed team information to his son, who posted it on a popular Facebook group.\n\n\"I can't complain about the suspension or the way it was handled,\" said Mr Bridges.\n\n\"I broke the rules and pleaded guilty and so I'm suspended as an FAW council member, but still active in the game.\"\n\nSouth Wales representative Huw Jones has served his suspension and now resumed his role.\n\nNewyddion S4C has learned that his suspension, which was deemed less serious and therefore dealt with internally by the association, related to a social media post referencing a chant about former Wales international Nathan Blake.\n\nMr Jones was found to have used pronouns inappropriately in an attempted joke about political correctness, which was deemed unacceptable.\n\nMr Jones has also been asked to respond.\n\nAn FAW statement added: \"Whilst we cannot comment on individual cases, the Football Association of Wales takes all disciplinary matters extremely seriously in relation to council members.\n\n\"We have processes and procedures set out within our rules and regulations, which govern how such matters must be dealt with.\n\n\"Depending on the nature of the alleged offence, it is either dealt with by an internal disciplinary procedure, or for more serious matters by an independent arbitration panel.\"\n\nLast year, FAW chief executive Noel Mooney had said: \"Ensuring that football in Wales is equal, diverse and inclusive for everyone is a priority for us at the Football Association of Wales.\"\n\nElections to the FAW council are due to take place this summer.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/uk-wales-64970096"}
{"title":"Libya uranium: Tonnes gone missing, UN says - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-16","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"UN inspectors are trying to locate around two and a half tonnes of uranium ore.","section":"Africa","content":"The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) is the UN's nuclear watchdog\n\nTwo and a half tonnes of uranium have gone missing from a site in Libya, the UN's nuclear watchdog has said.\n\nThe International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) sounded the alarm after a visit by its inspectors to the undisclosed site earlier this week.\n\nThey found that 10 drums containing uranium ore had disappeared, the IAEA said.\n\nInspectors fear the uranium could pose a radiological risk, and also have concerns over nuclear security.\n\nThe IAEA said that the site where the uranium was stored was not in government-controlled territory.\n\nIn a statement, the organisation said it would conduct further activities \"to clarify the circumstances of the removal of the nuclear material and its current location\".\n\nIt is unclear when the uranium went missing or who could have taken it.\n\nIt was removed from a very remote location in southern Libya, where there were \"lots of ungoverned areas\", according to Scott Roecker from the Nuclear Threat Initiative, a global security organisation working on nuclear issues.\n\n\"If you're removing this material from this location you must really want it,\" he told the BBC's Newsday programme, adding that the quantity that appears to have been taken is \"approximately one tenth of the amount of material\" stored at the facility \"so you would absolutely see it missing\".\n\nThe IAEA told the BBC it was working to clarify what happened, how the nuclear material was removed and where it was now.\n\nMr Roecker said the material \"in its current form [known as yellow cake] cannot be made into a nuclear weapon\", although it could be used as \"feedstock\" - the raw material needed for a nuclear weapons programme.\n\nHe also downplayed fears of radiation, noting that \"yellow cake doesn't really have any radiation in its current form\" and as a result it had been stored in some \"pretty rudimentary drums\".\n\nMr Roecker suggested that it could potentially be used for other purposes, such as nuclear energy, but pointed out that countries would normally buy material for that on the open market.\n\n\"Perhaps it was stolen by someone who wants to make a profit out of this? There's a lot of scenarios around this,\" he said.\n\nThe IAEA explained that reaching the site had been complicated in recent times.\n\nInspectors had wanted to visit the location last year, but the trip had to be postponed because of fighting between rival Libyan militias.\n\nBut since Libya's former leader Colonel Muammar Gaddafi was deposed in 2011, the country has been divided into competing political and military factions.\n\nIt is now split between an interim government in the capital Tripoli and another one in the east led by Gen Khalifa Haftar.\n\nNeither is in control of the south where the uranium was taken from.\n\nMany foreign governments and groups have been vying for influence in Libya since Nato-backed forces overthrew Col Gaddafi. They include Russia's Wagner Group, and Islamic State militants.\n\nThe oil-rich country is largely lawless, and has previously been described as an \"arms bazaar\".\n\nIn 2103, UN experts reported that weapons smuggled out of Libya were fuelling conflicts in other parts of Africa and the Middle East.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/world-africa-64972945"}
{"title":"Ukraine war: Florida's Ron DeSantis invited to visit after 'territorial dispute' remarks - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-16","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"The man likely to run for president said the \"territorial dispute\" was not a \"vital national interest\".","section":"Europe","content":"This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Watch: Five things to know about Ron DeSantis\n\nUkraine has invited Florida Governor Ron DeSantis to visit, after the Republican dismissed the Russian invasion as a \"territorial dispute\".\n\nMr DeSantis is widely expected to run for president in 2024 and made his remarks in response to questions sent to possible Republican contenders.\n\nThe former congressman said continued US support of Ukraine was not among the country's \"vital national interests\".\n\nThe comment signalled he would probably scale back aid if he became president.\n\nIt also aligned Mr DeSantis with former President Donald Trump, the leading contender for the Republican nomination, who has opposed US support for Kyiv and criticised the Biden administration's handling of the war.\n\nTheir comments show the divide in the Republican Party between isolationists who are sceptical of providing military aid and the establishment party policy of supporting Kyiv.\n\nIn his response to a questionnaire by Fox News anchor Tucker Carlson, Mr DeSantis said: \"While the US has many vital national interests... becoming further entangled in a territorial dispute between Ukraine and Russia is not one of them.\"\n\nThe 44-year-old has not officially announced his intention to challenge Mr Trump for the Republican nomination, but has been taking all the necessary steps suggesting he will do so.\n\nWhen asked the same question on whether US backing for Kyiv was vital for Washington, Mr Trump said: \"No, it is for Europe. But not for the United States.\"\n\nUkraine's foreign ministry spokesman Oleg Nikolenko criticised Mr DeSantis's comments and tweeted his invitation to the Republican governor on Tuesday.\n\n\"We are sure that as a former military officer deployed to a combat zone, Governor Ron DeSantis knows the difference between a 'dispute' and war,\" Mr Nikolenko said.\n\n\"We invite him to visit Ukraine to get a deeper understanding of Russia's full-scale invasion and the threats it poses to US interests.\"\n\nWhile studying law at Harvard University, Mr DeSantis was commissioned as an officer in the US Navy and was assigned to its legal arm, the Judge Advocate General's (JAG) Corps.\n\nHis service as a JAG officer included working with detainees held in Guantanamo Bay, as well as an assignment as a legal adviser for elite US Navy Seals deployed to Iraq.\n\nMany Republicans, including the party's senior leadership in the Senate, have long said defending Ukraine is in the best interests of the US.\n\nSouth Carolina Senator Lindsey Graham said Mr DeSantis' comments displayed \"a misunderstanding of the situation\" on the part of the governor.\n\n\"This is not a territorial conflict, it's a war of aggression. To say it doesn't matter is to say war crimes don't matter,\" Mr Graham said.\n\nFormer Vice-President Mike Pence has also called for the US to increase its support.\n\nBut there is a vocal wing of the party - mostly in the House of Representatives - that is hesitant about the continuing aid.\n\nRepublican House Speaker Kevin McCarthy has supported Ukraine, but recently warned that there \"can't be a blank cheque\" for the country given the scale of US debt.\n\nPoliticians from both parties in Congress have voted in favour of Western support for Ukraine, approving more than $112bn (\u00a392.47bn) in 2022 alone.\n\nUS Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said on Wednesday that he expects bipartisan support for Ukraine will remain strong, as senior leaders of both parties agree on the importance of the US offering aid.\n\n\"Ukraine matters. It matters not to just Ukraine or to the United States, it matters to the world. This is about the rules-based international order,\" Mr Austin said.\n\nThe US is the largest contributor to Ukraine in terms of money spent. It pays for drones, tanks, missiles and other munitions systems, as well as training, logistics and intelligence support.\n\nHumanitarian aid has included food assistance, safe drinking water, medical supplies and other necessities for Ukrainians displaced by the conflict. Financial aid keeps Ukraine's government operating by paying civil servants, healthcare workers and teachers.\n\nLargest donors of aid to Ukraine as percent of donor country GDP.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/world-europe-64880145"}
{"title":"Wiltshire shoplifter made \u00a3500k with refund trick crime spree - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-16","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"Narinder Kaur is convicted after duping stores into giving her refunds for goods she had stolen.","section":"Gloucestershire","content":"Kaur's crimes were spread across much of the UK\n\nA woman who made half a million pounds by shoplifting on \"an industrial scale\" has been warned to expect a \"substantial\" jail sentence.\n\nNarinder Kaur, 53, tricked high street stores into giving her refunds for goods she had stolen.\n\nShe was found guilty at Gloucester Crown Court of 25 separate offences on Friday after a four-month trial.\n\nIt is believed Kaur, from Cleverton, Wiltshire, stole from more than 1,000 shops across the country.\n\nJudge Ian Lawrie KC remanded her in custody ahead of a sentencing date yet to be fixed.\n\nThe jury, praised by the judge after what is believed to have been the longest-ever trial at the court, found Kaur guilty of 14 offences of fraud, two of money laundering, four of possessing the proceeds of crime, one of conspiracy to defraud, and four of perverting the course of justice.\n\nThe court was told Kaur, originally from Worcester, had legally changed her name from Nina Tiara.\n\nAt the start of the trial on 8 November, prosecutor Gareth Weetman said she was \"an intelligent but also a highly dishonest and manipulative individual\" who had deceived shops, banks, solicitors and even the courts.\n\nThe jury was shown several images of Kaur stealing from shops\n\nHe said that when she was finally arrested and charged with wholesale offending, she was not deterred - and continued her life of crime by lying to courts to get her bail conditions amended so she could go out stealing again.\n\nMr Weetman said Kaur had discovered a way of \"beating the system\" by getting retailers to pay her the full value of things she had stolen.\n\n\"The defendant discovered that with many large retailers, if you take an item that they sell into a store, claim you've bought it but don't have the receipt, but say that you just want to exchange it, you're much more likely to succeed,\" he said.\n\nThe jury was told Kaur targeted branches of Boots, Debenhams, Homebase, John Lewis, House of Fraser, Monsoon, M&S and TK Maxx.\n\nThe prosecutor detailed how she spent \u00a35,000 at Boots stores including in Cheltenham, Malvern, Solihull, Kidderminster, and Dudley - but obtained refunds she was not entitled to totalling \u00a360,000.\n\nAt Debenhams stores, she got refunds of \u00a342,800 but spent only \u00a33,600. She defrauded John Lewis stores in Watford, Chester, Milton Keynes and Cardiff out of \u00a333,000 after spending only \u00a35,200.\n\nFor a \u00a31,181 spend in Homebase and TX Maxx stores in 15 different towns and cities she tricked the retailers into handing over \u00a319,540 in refunds.\n\nAt House of Fraser stores in Bristol, Cardiff, Cwmbran and Exeter she spent \u00a32,850 and claimed refunds of \u00a323,000.\n\nKaur's method was to shoplift, then trick shops into giving her refunds for the stolen goods\n\nHer crime spree came to an end when police took an in-depth look at her bank and credit cards and discovered \"an extraordinary history of refund payments\", Mr Weetman said.\n\nKaur also defrauded eight firms of solicitors, instructing them to sue her brother for money, and using male accomplices to pay the compensation using stolen credit cards. The firms then forwarded the money to her before the frauds were uncovered.\n\nThe prosecutor said Kaur \"failed to be deterred\" after being caught and charged, lying to the court to get changes in her bail conditions for medical appointments so she could steal again.\n\nBut she raised suspicions at Dunelm in Swindon while trying to get a refund and was arrested. Police searched her house and found 49 shopping bags full of goods and \u00a3108,000 in cash.\n\nHer home was searched again after she tried the trick at an Asda, and police found \u00a34,000 cash in a carrier bag, among a total of \u00a338,000 around her house.\n\nAnthony Montgomery, defending, said Kaur had already had a lengthy period in custody on remand and later had been on bail but had not offended again during that time.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/uk-england-gloucestershire-64965027"}
{"title":"Amir Khan: CCTV of gunpoint robbery shown to court - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-16","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"The former world boxing champion was forced to hand over his bespoke \u00a372,000 watch in the footage.","section":"London","content":"This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. The assailant pointed the gun at Mr Khan and ordered him to take off his watch\n\nCCTV capturing the moment former world boxing champion Amir Khan was robbed at gunpoint has been shown in court.\n\nMr Khan, 36, was targeted when he and his wife left the Sahara Grill restaurant in Leyton, east London, in April last year.\n\nSnaresbrook Crown Court has heard he was forced to hand over his bespoke \u00a372,000 Franck Muller watch by gunman Dante Campbell, 20.\n\nThe assailant pointed the gun in his face and said: \"Take off the watch.\"\n\nIsmail Mohamed, 24, from Edmonton; Ahmed Bana, 25, from Tottenham; and Nurul Amin, 25, from Harringay; all north London, all deny conspiracy to rob.\n\nCampbell, from Hornsey in north London, has pleaded guilty to the charges, the jury has been told.\n\nThe robbery, which lasted just seconds, was captured on CCTV played to the jury.\n\nIn the footage, Mr Khan is seen smiling as he leaves the restaurant with his wife Faryal Makhdoom, 31, before crossing the road towards a waiting car being driven by the sportsman's friend, Omar Khalid,\n\nTwo robbers get out of a silver Mercedes coupe parked in front and a hooded man jogs towards Mr Khan, raises his arm and points a gun at the boxer.\n\nMr Khan previously told the court that having a gun pointed at him was scarier than any of his fights\n\nMr Khan hands over his watch and the robbers run back to the Mercedes.\n\nThey drive away as members of the public rush towards Mr Khan.\n\nMr Bana is alleged to have been the driver of the car, which dropped Campbell and another unknown robber at the scene before serving as the getaway vehicle.\n\nMr Amin and Mr Mohamed, along with another man who is not on trial, are said to have acted as \"spotters\" - dining in the restaurant to keep track of Mr Khan's movements and relay them by phone to Mr Bana.\n\nFollow BBC London on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. Send your story ideas to hellobbclondon@bbc.co.uk","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/uk-england-london-64971147"}
{"title":"Multi-billion dollar rescue deal for First Republic Bank - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-16","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"Wall Street says the move to prop up First Republic reflects confidence after bank failures.","section":"Business","content":"Bigger banks are injecting funds into First Republic in a bid to shore up confidence in the banking system\n\nA group of big US banks has injected $30bn (\u00a324.8bn) into a smaller regional bank, First Republic, which had been seen as at risk of failure.\n\nThe move came as authorities in the US are trying to quell panic over the health of the banking system, after a series of bank collapses.\n\nWorries about the sector have spread globally, raising fears of a crisis.\n\nUS regulators called the move \"most welcome\", while the banks said their action reflected their \"confidence\".\n\nThey said the banking system had plenty of cash and made big profits.\n\n\"Recent events did nothing to change this,\" they said. \"The actions of America's largest banks reflect their confidence in the country's banking system.\"\n\nReports of plans for the aid from the 11 banks, led by JP Morgan and Citigroup, helped lift financial markets and sent shares in First Republic surging more than 20% at one point, triggering trading halts.\n\nBut a sell-off started again in after-hours trade in a sign that concerns remain.\n\nThe San Francisco-based firm had seen its share price plunge nearly 70% over the last week, as investors worried it was the next bank at risk of a rush of customers withdrawing their deposits.\n\n\"This show of support by a group of large banks is most welcome, and demonstrates the resilience of the banking system,\" US financial officials said.\n\nProblems in the banking sector surfaced in the US last week when Silicon Valley Bank (SVB), the country's 16th-largest lender, collapsed in the biggest failure of a US bank since 2008.\n\nThat was followed two days later by the failure of New York's Signature Bank.\n\nAuthorities stepped in to guarantee deposits beyond typical limits in an effort to head off further runs on bank deposits, but financial markets have remained jumpy.\n\nIn a sign of strains in the system, the US central bank reported a surge in emergency lending to banks, with $318bn in outstanding loans as of Wednesday, up from $15bn a week earlier.\n\nThat included roughly $12bn offered through a fund created after the SVB collapse.\n\n\"The size of the spike in the Fed's emergency lending underlines that this is a very serious crisis in the banking system that will have significant knock-on effects on the real economy,\" Paul Ashworth, chief North America economist at Capital Economics said.\n\nIn an appearance before politicians in Washington, US Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen said that depositors should have confidence in the system, while acknowledging the severity of the episode.\n\n\"We felt that there was serious risk of contagion that could have brought down and triggered runs on many banks and that's something, given that our judgement is that the banking system overall is safe and sound,\" she said.\n\nMeanwhile, the vice president of the European Central Bank (ECB), Luis de Guindos, said the banking industry in Europe was \"resilient\" and firms there had \"limited exposure to the institutions of the US\".\n\nHe spoke as the ECB announced a further increase to interest rates from 2.5% to 3%, sticking to its plan for a rise despite concerns about how the move might affect the market turmoil.\n\nCentral banks around the world have sharply raised borrowing costs over the last year to try to curb the pace of overall price rises, or inflation.\n\nThe moves have hurt the values of the large portfolios of bonds bought by banks when rates were lower, a change that contributed to the collapse of Silicon Valley Bank, and has raised questions about the situation at other firms.\n\nThe Swiss National Bank on Wednesday said it was extending up to \u00a344bn in emergency funds to troubled lending giant Credit Suisse, which was seen as vulnerable in the wake of the US bank failures.\n\nIts shares bounced back more than 15% after big falls a day earlier, while major indexes across Europe also gained.\n\nSir John Gieve, former deputy governor at the Bank of England, told the BBC that central banks were sending a \"message\" that such problems would be contained locally.\n\nHe added that in Credit Suisse's case, the Swiss National Bank's action was likely to be enough to stop the crisis spreading.\n\n\"What we've seen overnight is the Swiss central bank saying 'no, we will not let this get into a disorderly collapse',\" he said.\n\n\"I don't know what the future for Credit Suisse holds but so far they are still standing and it looks like the Swiss central bank will ensure it's standing long enough to rearrange its affairs for the future.\"\n\nCredit Suisse, founded in 1856, has faced a string of scandals in recent years, including money laundering charges, spying allegations and high profile departures.\n\nIt lost money in 2021 and again in 2022 and has warned it does not expect to be profitable until next year. Customers pulled millions of dollars from the firm in recent months.\n\nWhite House spokesperson Karine Jean-Pierre said officials had been monitoring the developments at Credit Suisse but its troubles were \"distinct\" from events in the US.\n\n\"Its problems are not related to the current economic situation,\" she said.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/business-64973321"}
{"title":"Energy bills: Power NI customers face electricity price increase - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-16","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"Government support with energy bills will be reduced in Northern Ireland at the end of March.","section":"Northern Ireland","content":"Falling electricity prices have been offset by a reduction in government support\n\nPower NI customers will face a 14% increase in electricity prices from 1 April.\n\nIt is actually reducing its tariffs by 16.2%, but that has been offset by a reduction in government support to customers.\n\nThat support was through the Energy Price Guarantee (EPG), which protects customers from price rises by limiting the amount suppliers can charge.\n\nThe government said that means a typical Northern Ireland household using electricity and mains gas will see their energy bill increase from the equivalent of \u00a31,952 a year to \u00a32,109.\n\nOn Wednesday, the Chancellor announced that in Great Britain the EPG will be extended for three months at its current level keeping a typical household bill at the equivalent of \u00a32,500 a year.\n\nHowever, in Northern Ireland the EPG will become less generous from the end of March.\n\nThis is because the scheme was originally introduced later in Northern Ireland than in Great Britain, so Northern Ireland customers got an additional backdated discount.\n\nThat extra support will be withdrawn at the end of March.\n\nWilliam Steele, director of customer solutions at Power NI, said any customers worried about paying bills should contact the company directly.\n\nMr Steele said Power NI would \"ensure the most vulnerable in our society and those who are struggling get the help they need\".\n\nPeter McClenaghan, of the Consumer Council, said it was likely the other four unregulated electricity suppliers in Northern Ireland will also increase their prices.\n\n\"Consumers should consider reviewing their tariff in the coming months to ensure they are on the best deal for their needs, as money can be saved by switching supplier, tariff, or billing method,\" he said.\n\nOne of Northern Ireland's smaller electricity suppliers, Click Energy, has also contacted customers to say prices will be increasing as a result of the EPG change.\n\nClick says its underlying tariff rates have not changed and the increase is solely to do with the EPG.\n\nElectric Ireland has announced a rise in energy bills too due to the reduction of government support.\n\nIts customers' weekly bills will rise from an average of \u00a320.35 to \u00a324.02.\n\nBudget Energy have about 96,000 customers in Northern Ireland\n\nBudget Energy announced it will be reducing its tariffs by 19% for prepay and bill-pay domestic customers from 1 April due to a decrease in wholesale energy costs\n\nHowever, their prices will also likely be going up because of the change to EPG, although it's not yet clear by how much.\n\nThe company is one of the largest energy providers in Northern Ireland with about 96,000 customers.\n\nThe new rate means prepay customers will save about \u00a3324 a year including VAT.\n\nBudget Energy said it will be communicating with customers in writing over the coming days what a reduction in the EPG change will mean for them.\n\nGeneral manager Sean O'Loughlin said the rate reduction should offset the majority of household bills increases following the reduction of government support.\n\n\"We hope that this is the first step in returning household electricity prices to more affordable levels for our customers,\" he said.\n\nMeanwhile, SSE Airtricity domestic gas bills in Greater Belfast are expected to rise almost 15% from the start of April due to the cut in the EPG subsidy.\n\u2022 None What does the Budget mean for Northern Ireland?","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/uk-northern-ireland-64975470"}
{"title":"Fire at security building in Russia's Rostov-on-Don - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-16","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"One person dies in the blaze in a federal security service building in the southern Russian city.","section":"Europe","content":"This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser.\n\nAt least one person has been killed and two injured in a fire at a building used by Russia's Federal Security Service (FSB) in the southern city of Rostov-on-Don, Russian media say.\n\nDramatic footage on social media shows a large blaze, with smoke visible all over the city.\n\nRostov's regional governor said a short circuit appeared to have caused the fire, which ignited fuel tanks.\n\nThe street where the building is located has been cordoned off.\n\nThe blaze occurred at a building belonging to the FSB's regional border patrol section in a built-up area of the city.\n\nThe FSB is Russia's internal security service and is responsible for counter-intelligence, border security and counter-terrorism.\n\nRostov Governor Vassily Golubev said the fire had spread over 800 sq m, causing two walls to collapse.\n\nIn a statement, the FSB's public relations office said the blaze started at around 12:30 local time (09:30 GMT). It also confirmed there had been fatalities, but offered no further details.\n\nAuthorities managed put out the blaze by 16:00 local time (13:00 GMT), Russian media reported.\n\nThe city is the capital of the southern Rostov region bordering on the Donetsk and Luhansk regions of Ukraine, currently the scene of intense fighting in the war.\n\nThere have been a spate of arson attacks on government buildings in Russia, such as enlistment and conscription offices, since the February 2022 invasion of Ukraine.\n\nPresidential aide Mykhaylo Podolyak said on Twitter that the incident was a \"manifestation of panic\" in Russia. \"Ukraine doesn't interfere, but watches with pleasure,\" he said.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/world-europe-64975202"}
{"title":"Strictly judge Motsi Mabuse says she can't understand northern accents - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-16","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"Motsi Mabuse says she needs fellow Strictly judge Craig Revel Horwood's help with northern accents.","section":"Entertainment & Arts","content":"Motsi Mabuse admitted she asks fellow Strictly judge Craig Revel Horwood for help understanding some northern people\n\nStrictly Come Dancing judge Motsi Mabuse has said she struggles to understand the accents of people from the north of England.\n\nMabuse, who speaks five languages, admitted she has to \"really concentrate\" when making conversation in the UK.\n\nShe added that fellow Strictly judge Craig Revel Horwood helps translate when an accent is \"too strong\".\n\nMabuse grew up in South Africa but now lives in Germany.\n\nSpeaking to comedians Ed Gamble and James Acaster on their Off Menu podcast, the 41-year-old said: \"The thing is, you [Britons] all speak differently.\n\n\"Every time I'm in the country I really have to concentrate.\n\n\"Some people I just don't know \u2026 I'm just like, 'Are we speaking the same language?'\n\n\"There's a lot of accents here.\"\n\nMabuse was then asked if she struggled with contestant AJ Odudu's Blackburn dialect during series 19 of the dance reality show back in 2021.\n\n\"Yes! Yes, yes, yes. But there have been quite a few people from the north, so I'm always asking Craig. I'm just trying to understand \u2026 but it's not easy.\"\n\nShe added fellow judge Craig Revel Horwood sometimes acts as a translator for her when they interact with some people from the north of England.\n\n\"I really struggle with people that come from the north.\n\n\"I'm like, can you please translate at this point? It's so strong, I just don't understand, really. I'm being honest.\"\n\nMabuse can speak five languages: English, German and three South African languages including Afrikaans and Setswana.\n\nShe said that she often accidentally slips into German during broadcasts: \"It's happened quite a few times.\n\n\"Plus I have that South African accent, so it's a mess. It's a complete mess.\"\n\nMabuse lives in Germany and has appeared on their version of Strictly called Let's Dance.\n\nWhen the dance competition airs on BBC One every autumn and winter, she commutes to the UK every week for the live shows.\n\nShe joined Strictly in 2019 as a judge alongside Head Judge Shirley Ballas, Revel Horwood and Anton Du Beke.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/entertainment-arts-64980687"}
{"title":"Mounted police ride after driver holding his phone - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-16","authors":null,"description":"Two mounted police officers ride after a man holding his phone while driving through a town centre.","section":null,"content":"Two mounted police officers rode after a man spotted holding his mobile phone while driving.\n\nThey saw him driving through East Reach in Taunton, Somerset last Tuesday and quickly turned their horses around and caught up with him.\n\nIt is illegal to hold and use a phone, tablet, or any device that can send or receive data, while driving or riding a motorcycle.\n\nAvon and Somerset Police said the man had been issued with a traffic offence report and would be issued with a \u00a3200 fine plus six points on his licence, or he could choose to take the matter to court.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/uk-england-bristol-64982398"}
{"title":"France's Macron to force through pension reform with no vote - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-16","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"The French government will use the constitution to push through a pension age rise from 62 to 64.","section":"Europe","content":"This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser.\n\nThe French government has been forced to push through unpopular pension reforms, to avoid a knife-edge vote in the National Assembly.\n\nAlthough the plan to raise the pension age from 62 to 64 passed the upper house on Thursday, ministers realised they might not win the support of MPs.\n\nPrime Minister \u00c9lisabeth Borne was jeered as she invoked article 49:3 of the constitution.\n\nThat power enables the government to avoid a vote in the Assembly.\n\n\"We cannot bet on the future of our pensions and this reform is necessary,\" the prime minister told a rowdy session of the lower house.\n\nAs she took the stand, left-wing MPs sang the national anthem La Marseillaise while holding placards that read \"No to 64\".\n\nThe session was briefly suspended and when she began to speak she was interrupted with cries of \"Resign, Resign!\"\n\nForcing the bill through may be the least bad option for the government, but it's also fraught with risk. It exposes the government to a censure motion and risks enflaming the country.\n\nThe far-right National Rally immediately called a confidence vote, while Marine Le Pen, who challenged Mr Macron for the presidency, said the government's move was a recognition of his personal failure.\n\n\"It's his reform, he's the one who proposed it and defended it during his campaign,\" she added.\n\nThe pension reforms have prompted weeks of protests and strikes across France. They do not just raise the retirement age by two years, but also require an additional year of contributions to the national pension scheme.\n\nAs the drama unfolded inside the Assembly, a group of some 1,500 mainly young protesters rallied a short distance away at Place de la Concorde, chanting \"general strike\".\n\nEven though President Emmanuel Macron was re-elected last year on a platform of retirement reforms, his ruling coalition has no majority in the Assembly and would have needed support from the Republicans party.\n\nOfficials from his Renaissance party spent the morning desperately whipping members into line in a bid to get their bill over the line. They knew some of their MPs could vote against or abstain, faced with the evident unpopularity of the bill.\n\nPresident Macron even suggested on the eve of the vote that he could dissolve the Assembly and call early elections. Maybe it was a bluff, or maybe it wasn't.\n\nHe began Thursday afternoon closeted with the prime minister and other key figures at the \u00c9lys\u00e9e Palace, counting the yes and the no votes. Minutes before the Assembly was due to convene, sources told French media that Ms Borne would go ahead without a vote.\n\nThe unions, which have already masterminded eight days of protests across France, earlier appealed to MPs to reject the reforms. \"Seventy per cent of the population and 94% of workers are opposed to this project,\" said Fran\u00e7ois Hommeril of the CFE-CGC.\n\nSimon Duteil of the Solidaires union complained that the government's decision to force the law through was a \"100% denial of democracy\".\n\nAnother union leader, Laurent Berger of the CFDT, made clear that there would be further protests.\n\nLeading Republicans figure Olivier Marleix said his party regretted that the Assembly could not have a vote on a reform that affected all of France.\n\nEarlier, police moved in to clear a waste depot in Paris after police chief Laurent Nu\u00f1ez told Paris Mayor Anne Hidalgo that striking bin workers would be forced back to work under a government threat of jail or a large fine.\n\nSince 5 March, piles of bin-bags have built up in many districts of Paris and several other cities, with some 7,600 tonnes uncollected by Thursday.\n\nRefuse collectors currently work until they are 57, because of difficult working conditions. Under the reforms, they would have to continue until they are 59.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/world-europe-64967516"}
{"title":"Buck Ruxton: The Jigsaw Murders case where forensics were key - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-16","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"The remains of Buck Ruxton's victims were found dumped under a bridge near Moffat in the 1930s.","section":"South Scotland","content":"Dr Buck Ruxton was sentenced to death for his crimes\n\nIt was one of the highest profile murder cases of the 1930s and also a pioneering one in terms of how the killer was brought to justice.\n\nThe downfall of Lancashire doctor Buck Ruxton began after human remains were found under a bridge near Moffat.\n\nA painstaking investigation saw him sentenced to death for the murder of his common-law wife and housemaid.\n\nA new exhibition is set to open in Moffat museum highlighting the area's role in solving the notorious crime.\n\nJanet Tildesley is a volunteer and trustee who has helped to put it all together and explained why the case - dubbed the Jigsaw Murders - still fascinated people nearly 90 years later.\n\nAfter murdering the two women in September 1935 in Lancaster, Ruxton dissected the bodies and wrapped them in newspaper, old clothes and sheets and drove north.\n\nThat is where Moffat comes into the story as he found the spot north of the town he thought was remote enough for his crime to go undiscovered.\n\n\"He threw the body parts over a bridge into a ravine,\" Ms Tildesley said.\n\n\"The body parts were found a couple of weeks later by a visitor when she noticed them and got the police involved.\n\n\"That's when, I guess, the case really started.\"\n\nJanet Tildesley has been involved in putting together the exhibition on the Buck Ruxton case\n\nThe initial job was simply to try to identify who had been killed.\n\n\"They thought, originally, that it was a man and a woman and gradually began to piece it together,\" said Ms Tildesley.\n\n\"What was important about the case was its use of forensics - it was one of the earliest cases to use forensics - the evidence in this case was almost wholly circumstantial.\n\n\"First of all, they had to prove who these body parts belonged to and then to, if you like, assign a murderer to the murder.\"\n\nA team led by Prof John Glaister of the University of Glasgow - involving experts in a range of areas - worked on the investigation.\n\nThey used pioneering techniques to get fingerprints from one of the badly damaged bodies and also superimposed photographs onto one of the skulls they had found to help identify one victim.\n\nAnother significant piece of work was their use of entomology to establish the time of death \"really conclusively\" based on the life-cycle of maggots.\n\nThe exhibition in Moffat will also highlight the role of local police officer, Sgt Robert Sloan, which Ms Tildesley said had been \"really underestimated\".\n\nHe was first on the scene after the bodies were discovered.\n\nThe case provoked huge public interest when it went to court\n\n\"He did not seem to be overawed by what he saw and he secured and preserved the crime scene,\" said Ms Tildesley.\n\n\"Nowadays, of course, that's what people would do, police are trained and there's all kinds of tape that they have and body suits - but he had none of that.\"\n\nHis notes and map of the scene were vital as was the fact that he carefully handled the newspaper in which some of the remains were wrapped.\n\n\"They were really significant because later on in the process when these were dried out, they were able to identify which newspaper it was, which date it was, and the fact that this was a limited-circulation newspaper which was of great importance,\" she explained.\n\n\"This was a real first. The trial was all about forensic specialist evidence and the fact that it led to Buck Ruxton's conviction really engendered huge public and professional trust in the whole development of forensics.\"\n\nMaid Mary Jane Rogerson is thought to have witnessed the first murder and been killed\n\nRuxton's version of events also fell apart while the evidence against him was being gathered.\n\nHis maid Mary Jane Rogerson had been reported missing, then he reported his wife missing as police north and south of the border worked together to make their case.\n\nMs Tildesley said he was, in layman's terms, \"beginning to unravel.\"\n\n\"His story was changing and he was beginning to get quite distressed,\" she said.\n\nHuge crowds gathered on the day of Buck Ruxton's execution\n\nThe evidence gathered in Moffat helped to convict Ruxton of the murder of Isabella Kerr, his common-law wife, and Ms Rogerson and he was sentenced to death.\n\n\"The story seems to be that she [Ms Kerr] came back very late one night and he was just incandescent with jealousy and rage, and he strangled her,\" said Ms Tildesley.\n\n\"The maid was there and she came upon it and he murdered her as well.\n\n\"I think it was a crime of passion and he then panicked.\n\n\"It's a macabre story, you know, ghastly in parts, hugely interesting in parts, hugely significant in terms of forensics - and terribly, terribly sad.\"\n\nThe exhibition opens at Moffat Museum on 1 April and runs until the end of October.\n\nThe BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/uk-scotland-south-scotland-64939242"}
{"title":"Drought risk to England regions after dry February, scientists warn - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-16","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"Parts of England could face drought conditions again without sustained rain in coming weeks.","section":"Science & Environment","content":"Water levels in rivers, reservoirs and groundwater levels were abnormally low in February\n\nIt might feel wet this week but experts are warning that parts of England need unseasonable rainfall to compensate for an abnormally dry winter.\n\nRivers in some of England and Wales ran their lowest on record for February, according to data from the UK Centre for Ecology and Hydrology.\n\nEngland had its driest February for 30 years, according to the Met Office.\n\nRivers and reservoirs that supply drinking water and feed crops rely on winter rain to top up before spring.\n\nWithout \"unseasonably sustained rainfall\" in the coming months, South West England and East Anglia are at risk of drought, the UKCEH explains.\n\n\"The wet weather and snow during the first two weeks of March has led to an increase in river flows and rewetting of the soils [but] some areas of England were starting March with below-average groundwater levels or below-average reservoir stocks,\" Steve Turner at UKCEH told BBC News.\n\nDrought was declared in England and Wales last summer, leading to hosepipe bans, farmers losing crops and some wildlife dying.\n\nRain in February was also in short supply in Wales and Northern Ireland, with Wales seeing just 22% of its average for the month.\n\nThis had caused water levels to fall in reservoirs and in groundwater, which supply drinking water to millions. In Wales reservoir levels were at their lowest for February since 1996.\n\nRiver flows were below-average across much of the UK. The Trent in the Midlands, Erch in north Wales and Warleggan in Cornwall all broke their records for lowest water levels in February.\n\nRiver water levels were below average in most of Great Britain in February\n\nLow river flows are a serious threat to wildlife as they concentrate pollution, reduce oxygen levels and can affect fish breeding patterns, explains Joan Edwards, director of policy for The Wildlife Trusts.\n\n\"Last summer's devastating droughts should be the wake-up call to protect the most precious of resources - water,\" she told BBC News.\n\nAreas with low subsurface wetness could potentially have drought if dry conditions continue\n\nDry weather also poses serious problems for farming.\n\nIn East Anglia, just 2.4mm rain fell on Andrew Blenkiron's farm compared to the usual amount of around 50mm for February.\n\nLow river levels meant he had little water to fill his reservoir. He has now been forced to cut back on plans to plant potatoes, onions, parsnips and carrots by around a fifth.\n\nAndrew has had to reduce his crop by a fifth because he does not have enough water\n\n\"We dare not plant a crop that requires irrigation,\" he told BBC News.\n\nHis farm had barely recovered from the impacts of the intense heat last summer before the dry weather this year.\n\nIt is piling on the pressure in a year when energy prices have tripled his costs. He warns that if many farmers are forced to reduce their crops, it could affect food supplies in the autumn.\n\nIn the rest of Europe warnings are in place for dry conditions, including in France and Spain which could further affect supplies of tomatoes and salad.\n\nScientific analysis of the drought in Northern Europe in 2022 suggested that climate change made those dry conditions more likely.\n\nLast month the chair of the National Drought Group, John Leyland, warned that England was just one dry spell away from drought this summer.\n\nThe chances of a dry spring are higher than normal, according to the Met Office three-month forecast.\n\nThe dry conditions in February highlighted \"the need to remain vigilant\" especially in areas that have not recovered from the drought last year, a spokesperson for Environment Agency told BBC News.\n\n\"We cannot rely on the weather alone, which is why the Environment Agency, water companies and our partners are taking action to ensure water resources are in the best possible position both for the summer and for future droughts,\" they added.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/science-environment-64966953"}
{"title":"More than half of England's schools disrupted by strikes - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-16","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"Teachers walked out for two days this week in their long-running dispute over a fully-funded pay rise.","section":"Family & Education","content":"Families joined teachers on a protest march in London on Wednesday\n\nMore than 50% of schools in England closed or restricted attendance because of this week's teachers' strikes, according to government data.\n\nTeachers belonging to the National Education Union (NEU) walked out on 15 and 16 March.\n\nOn 15 March, junior doctors, civil servants, London Underground train drivers and some BBC staff also took strike action.\n\nIt was one of the biggest days of action since the wave of unrest began.\n\nData released by the Department for Education showed 47% of all schools in England were open but restricting attendance, and 6% were fully closed on both strike days this week.\n\nSecondary schools were worst affected, with 79% restricting attendance and 5% fully closed on 15 March. On 16 March, 80% restricted attendance and 6% were shut.\n\nLondon had the highest proportion of affected schools, with only 18% able to fully open on both strike days.\n\nIn Manchester, mum Alison Dickinson had to juggle work and childcare again this week, with daughter Liv's school closed because of the strikes.\n\nIt was Liv's fourth day of school missed since the first national teachers' strike on 1 February.\n\nSingle mum Alison was working from home on the strike days while looking after daughter Liv\n\nAlison's dad Pete travelled down from Preston to their home in Sale and stayed overnight to help with childcare.\n\nBut Alison said eight-year-old Liv has been struggling with the disruption.\n\n\"I think I understand the bigger picture - but it's just super-frustrating,\" said Alison, who runs after-school singing and drama classes for children.\n\n\"Liv's year especially, they've only had one normal year of school with no disruption, which was last year, but now every couple of weeks there's a random day off and it's so disruptive.\"\n\nSpeaking on Wednesday, Alison added: \"She'll be all over the place tomorrow - day two - and although they think it's a novelty and fun being off school, I think she'll be bored stiff tomorrow, missing her friends, missing school, because that's her world.\n\n\"They spend so much time there, so to have that routine broken - it's a lot.\"\n\nTeachers' salaries fell by an average of 11% in real terms between 2010 and 2022, according to the Institute for Fiscal Studies. Unions claim teacher pay has fallen by as much as 23% in that time.\n\nIn England, most teachers had a 5% rise last year.\n\nUnions argue these are pay cuts because of inflation, but the government says it has already agreed to an extra \u00a32bn in school funding in England.\n\nThe NEU is calling for a fully-funded pay rise, so that any rise does not have to be paid out of schools' existing budgets.\n\nIn Wales, strike action was called off this week while the NEU consults with members on a recent offer.\n\nIn Scotland, strikes have also been suspended after the Educational Institute of Scotland and the Scottish Secondary Teachers' Association accepted a new pay deal. The NASUWT is still consulting its members.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/education-64983812"}
{"title":"Budget summary: Key points from Jeremy Hunt\u2019s 2023 Budget - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-16","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"Chancellor Jeremy Hunt is announcing new economic measures - here's what you need to know.","section":"UK Politics","content":"This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser.\n\nChancellor Jeremy Hunt has unveiled the contents of his first Budget in the House of Commons.\n\nIt had a focus on prompting those who have left their jobs to return to the workforce, and boosting business investment.\n\nHere is a summary of the main announcements.\n\u2022 None Free childcare plan: 'Why do we have to wait?'","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/business-64789405"}
{"title":"John Lewis axes staff bonus and plans to cut jobs - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-16","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"The department store operator and Waitrose owner reports losses in \"a very tough year\".","section":"Business","content":"John Lewis has axed its staff bonus for a second time and signalled job cuts are in the pipeline, after what it described as a \"very tough year\".\n\nThe department store firm, which also owns Waitrose supermarkets, reported a \u00a3234m pre-tax loss.\n\nPartnership chair Dame Sharon White said the stores had attracted more customers, but they had spent less.\n\nShe said the losses meant bonuses could not be issued this year for the second time since it began the scheme in 1953.\n\nDame Sharon suggested the firm may have to reduce staff numbers, or \"partners\" as they are known at the company.\n\n\"As we need to become more efficient and productive, that will have an impact on our number of partners,\" she said.\n\nWhen questioned about specific plans around job losses Dame Sharon said: \"There are no numbers.\"\n\nBut the firm said it faced a \"more challenging environment\" and was tripling its target to make savings from \u00a3300m to \u00a3900m by January 2026.\n\nIt said savings would be made through the sale of assets, such as its Berkshire golf club, and by improving productivity.\n\nMeanwhile, the plan to move into the residential property market was \"working really well\" Dame Sharon said.\n\nJohn Lewis said its long-term aim was for almost half (40%) of profits to come from outside of shops by 2030.\n\nBut Dame Sharon said soaring prices last year had \"hit us like a hurricane\" and that customers had \"felt the pain\".\n\nDespite Waitrose reporting more shoppers in the year to the end of January, customers spent less. It said the size of the average basket fell by 15% and people were buying cheaper items.\n\nConsequently, full-year sales at Waitrose fell by 3% to \u00a37.31bn.\n\n\"The big online growth of the pandemic years was partly reversed,\" said Dame Sharon, adding: \"Shoppers shifted some of their grocery spending to the discounters.\"\n\nThe cost of living crisis has hit John Lewis hard, with worse-than-expected results. Customer numbers may be up but they are buying less, especially at Waitrose, which revealed a drop in volumes of 10% for the year.\n\nThe group is also grappling with its own spiralling costs, up by nearly \u00a3180m in a year, including higher energy bills and pay. It has already made \u00a3300m of savings as part of its existing plans to turnaround the business. Now the firm's chair Dame Sharon White says she wants to save another \u00a3600m by 2026. That will likely mean job losses as the business tries to become more efficient.\n\nShe has appointed the Partnership's first ever chief executive to supercharge the transformation and get profits back on track. That's not an easy job right now in the current economic environment.\n\nRetail analyst Catherine Shuttleworth said shoppers were \"cherry picking what they buy at Waitrose\".\n\nThe decline in Waitrose sales was significant Ms Shuttleworth said: \"Volumes are the life-blood of supermarket businesses - the more you sell, the better the prices you can offer to shoppers.\n\n\"One glimmer of hope is that shoppers are back in department stores with sales up 20% - the strategy to invest more in a reduced store network is clearly working especially at seasonal peaks particularly Christmas.\"\n\nThe figures come following recent upheavals within senior management after Pippa Wicks departed as executive director of the department store business.\n\nNish Kankiwala was appointed on Wednesday as John Lewis' first ever chief executive and will oversee the daily running of the entire business.\n\nIt is the third year of pre-tax losses for John Lewis. Last year, it reported a \u00a327m loss, far below this most recent result.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/business-64945767"}
{"title":"Cocaine production reaches record levels as new trafficking hubs emerge - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-16","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"After Covid lockdowns hit both demand and supply, production is at record levels, the UN says.","section":"World","content":"Doctors have warned cocaine is often mixed with other harmful substances\n\nGlobal cocaine production has reached record levels as demand rebounds following Covid lockdowns, a new report has found.\n\nThe UN Office on Drugs and Crime said coca cultivation rose by 35% between 2020 and 2021 to record levels.\n\nFindings suggest new hubs for trafficking have emerged in West and Central Africa.\n\nThe report also said traffickers were using international postal services more often to get drugs to consumers.\n\n\"Globally, the use of parcel and courier services increased significantly during the Covid-related lockdown due to restrictions on passenger flights,\" the Global Report on Cocaine report said.\n\nIt noted a rise in West African countries in the use of \"well established, globally operating postal services as well as smaller shopping companies\" used to smuggle quantities of cocaine to Europe and beyond.\n\nOverall, the the report found Europe and North America are the largest markets for cocaine, followed by South and Central America and the Caribbean.\n\nWhile the report said the markets in Africa and Asia were \"still limited\", the UN's Ghada Waly said the potential for the market to expand there was a dangerous reality.\n\nProduction increase was the result of an expansion in the cultivation of coca bush, as well as improvements in converting coca into powdered cocaine, the report found.\n\nIt added the outbreak of Covid-19 had a \"disruptive\" effect on drug markets as international travel was severely curtailed.\n\nDemand for cocaine slumped as nightclubs and bars were shut during the pandemic lockdowns.\n\n\"However, the most recent data suggests this slump has had little impact on longer-term trends,\" the report says. \"The global supply of cocaine is at record levels.\"\n\nIn the UK, the report says there has been a \"significant increase\" in seizures of cocaine in the \"fast parcel and postal modes\".\n\nInterceptions by law enforcement have also been on the rise - at a higher speed than production, the report outlines.\n\nReacting to the report, UN's chief of research and trend Angela Me said the supply of cocaine has risen in South America as criminal groups have taken control of areas previously run by Colombia's largest rebel group - Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (Farc).\n\nShe said this has led to competition among groups - including some foreign groups - which has increased the production.\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Watch: Nick Beake investigates how Antwerp became the cocaine gateway to Europe","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/world-64974346"}
{"title":"ChatGPT-style tech brought to Microsoft 365 - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-16","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"The tech giant reveals how AI will be embedded into Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook and Teams.","section":"Technology","content":"The technology behind the world's most talked about artificial intelligence (AI) system, ChatGPT, is being added to its most ubiquitous work software, Microsoft 365.\n\nMicrosoft is calling the system Copilot and says it will be embedded into Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and Outlook.\n\nMicrosoft boss Satya Nadella said it would \"fundamentally change the way we work.\"\n\nHowever, the firm admitted Copilot would sometimes make mistakes.\n\nChat GPT has captured the world's attention with its ability to quickly provide human-like responses to questions, even very complicated or abstract ones.\n\nHowever, those replies are sometimes inaccurate or provide completely invented information.\n\nWhile the tech being deployed by Microsoft in Office365 is not simply ChatGPT itself, it is based on the same language-learning model.\n\nThe firm acknowledged that Copilot may also sometimes be \"usefully wrong\".\n\n\"We all want to focus on the 20% of our work that really matters, but 80% of our time is consumed with busy work that bogs us down. Copilot lightens the load,\" the tech giant said in a statement.\n\nIt has not yet revealed roll-out details.\n\nOn Tuesday, OpenAI launched GPT4, un updated version of the model which powers ChatGPT. Microsoft has invested billions of dollars in the firm.\n\nOpenAI said GPT4 had \"more advanced reasoning skills\" than ChatGPT - but warned that it may still be prone to sharing disinformation.\n\nChatGPT is a big runner in the worldwide AI chatbot race.\n\nGoogle - whose lucrative search business could be threatened by ChatGPT - has launched a rival called Bard.\n\nMeta has its own chatbot, named Blenderbot, and in China, the tech giant Baidu has released a more advanced version of its chatbot Ernie, also known as Wenxin Yiyan.\n\nMake no mistake, this is a significant milestone for generational AI and, more importantly, for the world of work.\n\nBringing the powers behind ChatGPT to the humble Word, Excel and PowerPoint programmes, quite possibly the most used work programmes in most offices, plonks it directly in the daily lives of millions of workers.\n\nI know people have been using ChatGPT to help them do their jobs - to write computer code, speeches, website copy. Students are using it to help them with their homework.\n\nBut most of us have been having fun, getting it to write poems, songs, jokes. I asked an audience at a live event recently who had tried ChatGPT. Most hands shot up. But most went back down immediately when I asked who was using it professionally.\n\nPutting Copilot into Office365 is a real game-changer. Imagine instead of summarising that long dull report for your client meeting, you just get a chatbot to do it for you in a few seconds. But why stop there - do you even need to be at the meeting at all? Just get Copilot to recap it for you and send you the notes of it afterwards.\n\nWatching a demo of it creating a stylish PowerPoint presentation in moments was really quite heartwarming for anyone familiar with the phrase \"death by PowerPoint\".\n\nMicrosoft would argue that this frees up your time to do other jobs. But what if Copilot has one day beaten you to those things as well?","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/technology-64970062"}
{"title":"Leila Borrington: Woman jailed for killing three-year-old stepson - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-16","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"Harvey Borrington was non-verbally autistic and therefore could not tell of Leila Borrington's abuse.","section":"Nottingham","content":"Harvey Borrington died from head injuries, including a fractured skull and a bleed on the brain\n\nA woman who killed her disabled three-year-old stepson and filmed him as he lay dying has been given a 15-year prison sentence.\n\nHarvey Borrington died from head injuries including a fractured skull and a bleed on the brain.\n\nNottingham Crown Court heard Harvey was non-verbally autistic and could not tell his mother he was being abused.\n\nHis stepmother Leila Borrington was convicted of his manslaughter following a trial but acquitted of murder.\n\nThe prosecution said the 23-year-old struck Harvey several times to the head at her home in Nottinghamshire in August 2021.\n\nShe then filmed him lying unconscious on the floor and sent the video to Harvey's father, with a text saying: \"Why does this happen to me?\"\n\nShe did so before she called 999 for an ambulance, and then lied to paramedics when they arrived, claiming Harvey had fallen and hit his head.\n\nHarvey's biological mother, Katie Holroyd, cried as she told the court: \"To this day I can't bear to think of him lying on that floor with him dying and her filming him, delaying getting medical help for him.\"\n\nThe video, shot on Borrington's phone, showed her taking Harvey's left arm, lifting it up and letting it drop loosely to the floor.\n\nShe then continued to film as he lay not moving on the living room floor.\n\nLeila Borrington was convicted of manslaughter by a jury\n\nBorrington assaulted Harvey at her home in Main Road, Jacksdale, which she shared with Harvey's father.\n\nShe inflicted the fatal injuries on 7 August 2021 and he died in hospital two days later.\n\nThe court heard Harvey was killed following a history of abuse by Borrington.\n\nJonas Hankin KC, prosecuting, said Harvey's age and disability made him vulnerable, which were aggravating features.\n\n\"He was severely non-verbally autistic,\" Mr Hankin said.\n\n\"His challenging behaviour demanded greater empathy and kindness from his carers. It cannot justify the defendant's offending in any way.\"\n\nBorrington told the trial she had never harmed Harvey, maintaining he had fallen off a sofa and banged his head.\n\nHowever, an expert witness called by the prosecution said she believed Harvey had died as a result of \"direct blunt force trauma\", sustained after Borrington assaulted the youngster.\n\nSentencing Borrington, Mr Justice Nicklin told her: \"Precisely what happened to Harvey only you know, but by their verdict the jury were sure that your account of Harvey having fallen, hitting his head on the floor, was not the truth or at least not the full truth.\n\n\"The jury's verdict shows they were sure you had assaulted Harvey, causing the very serious head injuries that led to his death.\"\n\nBorrington was also convicted of inflicting grievous bodily harm for previously breaking Harvey's arm, and assault occasioning actual bodily harm for an incident in which she squeezed his cheeks.\n\nShe was given a two-year prison sentence and a six-month term for these offences, to be served concurrently with her manslaughter sentence.\n\nThe judge also said she would serve two-thirds of the 15-year sentence in prison before being released on licence.\n\nHarvey's mother described him as \"my world\" and a \"treasured grandson\" to her parents.\n\n\"To have it confirmed that Harvey before his death had been assaulted by Leila Borrington will be a life-long trauma for me, a recurring nightmare which I will never be able to wake from,\" she told the court.\n\nShe cried as she explained that her son's disability meant he could not tell her about the abuse being inflicted by his stepmother.\n\n\"He couldn't tell me he didn't want to go [to stay with Borrington],\" she said.\n\nAn NSPCC spokesperson said the case \"highlighted the vulnerability of young children and those with disabilities, who are entirely dependent on those who care for them and are at increased risk of abuse\".\n\nDona Parry-Jones, a senior crown prosecutor at CPS East Midlands, said Harvey had \"died at the hands of someone who should have been there to care for him and nurture him\".\n\nDet Insp Simon Harrison, of Nottinghamshire Police, said the case had been \"disturbing and upsetting\" to work on.\n\n\"The death of any child is a tragedy, but there is something especially awful about cases of this nature,\" he said.\n\n\"As a police officer I am pleased that justice has now been done, but I am aware that no custodial sentence can adequately reflect the pain and anguish felt by Harvey's family.\n\n\"My thoughts, and the thoughts of my colleagues, remain with them today.\"\n\nFollow BBC East Midlands on Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram. Send your story ideas to eastmidsnews@bbc.co.uk.\n\nThe BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/uk-england-nottinghamshire-64975538"}
{"title":"France pension bill: Macron forces through pension reform without vote - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-16","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"Minutes before a vote, the French government pushes through controversial plans to raise the pension age from 62 to 64.","section":"Europe","content":"The Place de la Concorde is sealed off by police. Protesters \u2013 a couple of thousand \u2013 are massed by the bridge across to the National Assembly, and they have lit a couple of fires. Noisy but pretty good-humoured.\n\nIt is Macron\u2019s resort to the 49:3 that has been the trigger.\n\nIt may sound pretty abstruse but the procedure is very much part of the political vocabulary in France. Whenever a government invokes the 49:3, it can be sure it will be accused straightaway of riding roughshod over the will of the people.\n\nIn fact the 49:3 has been used precisely 100 times in the more than 60 years of the Fifth Republic, and by governments of all shades.\n\nObviously it tends to be used more frequently by governments that do not have an in-built majority in the Assembly \u2013 like the socialist Michel Rocard\u2019s in the 1980s and \u00c9lisabeth Borne\u2019s today.\n\nShe\u2019s in fact already used it several times but those occasions were for public finance bills, which were less controversial.\n\nThe big lesson to draw from all of this is once again, I am afraid, the unreformability of France. By comparison with other countries in Europe, the change to the pension age is far from dramatic. But the bill is regularly described by opponents as \u201cbrutal\u201d, \u201cinhuman\u201d and \u201cdegrading\u201d.\n\nMorale in France is low and getting lower. For many, retirement is the one bright spot in the future. And now this rich-man\u2019s government is taking even that away.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/live\/world-europe-64981283"}
{"title":"Cheltenham stabbing: Man charged with attempted murder after woman attacked - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-16","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"A woman was attacked outside a leisure centre in Tommy Taylors Lane, Cheltenham, last week.","section":"Gloucestershire","content":"The woman was stabbed outside the leisure centre in Tommy Taylors Lane, Cheltenham, on Thursday night\n\nA man has been charged with attempted murder over the stabbing of a woman outside a leisure centre in Cheltenham, the Crown Prosecution Service has said.\n\nJoshua Bowles, 29, will also be charged with causing actual bodily harm over the incident which happened near a leisure centre in Tommy Taylors Lane at around 21:15 GMT last Thursday.\n\nHe is due to appear at Westminster Magistrates' Court on Thursday.\n\nThe woman who was attacked sustained serious injuries and was taken to hospital where she remains in a stable condition.\n\nThe investigation into the incident was led by detectives from Counter Terrorism Policing South East.\n\nDet Ch Supt Olly Wright said police believe it was an isolated incident, saying: \"We would encourage people not to speculate on the specific circumstances surrounding this incident.\"","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/uk-england-gloucestershire-64970866"}
{"title":"SNP candidates predict independence in five years - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-16","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"Ash Regan, Humza Yousaf and Kate Forbes were speaking as they faced each other in a BBC Scotland TV debate.","section":"Scotland politics","content":"This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Humza Yousaf, Kate Forbes and Ash Regan believe it is possible to achieve independence for Scotland within five years\n\nAll three SNP leadership candidates have predicted that Scotland can be an independent country within five years if they win the contest.\n\nAsh Regan, Humza Yousaf and Kate Forbes were speaking as they faced each other in a BBC Scotland TV debate.\n\nMr Yousaf said he believed the country \"can and will be\" independent by 2028 in response to a question from an audience member.\n\nMs Regan and Ms Forbes both said they believed the same.\n\nThe leadership contest was sparked by Nicola Sturgeon's surprise announcement that she was quitting as both SNP leader and Scotland's first minister after eight years in the roles.\n\nRecent polls have put support for independence at broadly the same level as it was when Ms Sturgeon succeeded Alex Salmond after the referendum in 2014, which saw Scottish voters reject independence by 55% to 45%.\n\nThat is despite the turbulence in UK politics in recent years that saw the country leave the EU despite Scotland voting overwhelmingly in favour of remaining and Boris Johnson's often chaotic time as prime minister.\n\nThe Supreme Court has also ruled that the Scottish Parliament does not have the power to hold a referendum without the agreement of the UK government - which has repeatedly made clear that it has no intention of granting formal consent through a Section 30 order.\n\nMr Yousaf, the health secretary who is the bookies favourite to win the contest and is widely viewed as being Ms Sturgeon's preferred candidate, told the Debate Night Special that he believed he could build sustained majority support for independence that would see those political obstacles disappear.\n\nHe added: \"I would want to be the one who delivers independence, but to do that you've got to stop talking about process and talk about policy.\n\n\"We have got to inspire people with a vision for independence. We have to make sure that we're not obsessing about Section 30s and de facto referendums because people just don't get inspired by that.\"\n\nWho are the SNP candidates?\n\nMs Forbes, the finance secretary who is currently seen as being Mr Yousaf's closest challenger for the leadership, said she believed the dial could be shifted in favour of independence by building a case on the issues that people were concerned about.\n\nUsing the example of the cost of living crisis, she said: \"People can't afford next month's energy bill in a country that is rich in energy in terms of oil and gas and in terms of our renewables. It doesn't stack up because the decisions are being made far, far away from those that are most affected.\n\n\"I think we should be using all democratic opportunities to campaign for and make the case for independence but in a way that is respectful of the reasons why people may not be persuaded\".\n\nMeanwhile, Ms Regan outlined her plans for what she calls a Voter Empowerment Mechanism that \"just uses the ballot box to allow the people of Scotland to say when they are ready to be independent\".\n\nShe added: \"You can use each and every election. So you could start with the next election and then the Scottish election after that. And it's there in the background and then the people of Scotland decide when they're ready to become independent.\"\n\nMs Regan quit as the country's community safety minister over the government's controversial gender recognition plans, and is seen as being the outsider in the contest.\n\nShe clashed with Mr Yousaf - who is the only one of the three to say he would launch a legal challenge to the UK government's block on legislation - over the case of trans rapist Isla Bryson, who was initially sent to a women's prison.\n\nWhen asked by Ms Regan why he had not listened to concerns about cases such as Bryson's ahead of the reforms being passed, and whether he regarded Bryson as a man or as woman, Mr Yousaf said: \"Isla Bryson should not be in a woman's prison.\n\n\"Isla Bryson is a rapist who's completely at it, I don't think they're a genuine trans woman, I think they're trying to play the system.\"\n\nThe three candidates are seeking to succeed Nicola Sturgeon as SNP leader and Scotland's first minister\n\nThe candidates also faced questions on topics including NHS waiting lists - with one audience member saying her husband has chronic health problems and is facing a six-year waiting list - as well as the state of Scotland's education system and the government's controversial Deposit Return Scheme.\n\nMs Regan and Ms Forbes have both said they would pause the scheme, which has faced criticism over its implementation, while Mr Yousaf has pledged to create an exemption for small businesses such as craft brewers.\n\nMs Regan said: \"We can't be putting too many burdens on small businesses. We need to look again at this, we need to involve small business, to come and talk to us about where it needs changed, get it right and then implement it.\"\n\nMs Forbes also said small businesses needed a \"bit of breathing space\".\n\nMr Yousaf said he would not \"slag off\" Lorna Slater, the Scottish Green minister responsible for bringing in the initiative which is designed to boost the recycling of single-use drinks containers by adding 20p to the price which is then refunded when the consumer returns it.\n\nHe said small firms should be excluded from it for its first year but added: \"I can't see any point in pausing the scheme when the big boys, the Coca Colas, the Pepsis of this world, they are already taking part in about 40 DRS schemes across the world. We can't let them off the hook\".\n\nThere was less trashing of one another in this debate and some consensus between the candidates on what the SNP in government has got wrong.\n\nNone of them are happy with the current plans for a deposit return scheme and all three promised to change it in the face of strong criticism from some businesses.\n\nKate Forbes objected to the proposed ban on alcohol advertising and described long waits in the NHS as \"unacceptable\".\n\nHumza Yousaf - the current health secretary - found himself apologising for one patient's experience and offered a \"hands up\" over failures to deliver new ferries on time and on budget.\n\nAsh Regan, who resigned from the Scottish government over gender reform, also called for a review of the SNP's power sharing deal with the Greens.\n\nThe trouble with all this criticism is that all three candidates have served for years in the Scottish government and although Ash Regan has now quit and Kate Forbes has been on maternity leave, they all bear some collective responsibility for its performance.\n\nFor me, one of the stand out moments in this debate was when an audience member called them out on that, arguing that it was \"ridiculous\" that they had not done more before now to challenge mistakes.\n\nVoting in the SNP leadership election, which is using the single transferable vote system, opened on Monday with the winner to be announced on 27 March.\n\nThe SNP has refused to confirm exactly how many party members will be able to take part in the vote, with its Westminster leader Stephen Flynn telling BBC Scotland earlier on Tuesday that he had \"no idea\" and that \"I think the last time I heard it was about 100,000.\"\n\nThe SNP said its membership had reached 125,000 by 2019, but the Electoral Commission put the figure at 104,000 two years later.\n\nThe Mail on Sunday has reported that Southampton-based polling firm Mi-Voice, which is overseeing the leadership vote, has been given the names of just 78,000 members by the SNP.\n\nIf this is correct, it would suggest that the party may have lost nearly 50,000 members over the past four years. The newspaper also reported that Mi-Voice expected about 54,000 members to actually submit a vote.\n\nPolling expert Prof Sir John Curtice has said Mr Yousaf currently appears to be the most popular of the three candidates among the SNP members who will be picking the new leader, with Ms Forbes second and Ms Regan third.\n\nBut Ms Forbes seems to be more popular than her rivals with both SNP voters and the public as a whole, Sir John said.\n\nHe added that it \"looks as though there is plenty to play for\" and that \"maybe everything could turn on the unknown second preferences of Ms Regan's supporters\".\n\nWhoever wins the SNP leadership contest will face a Scottish Parliament vote on 28 March to confirm them as the new first minister, before being sworn into office the following day.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/uk-scotland-scotland-politics-64956321"}
{"title":"Bakhmut: Russian casualties mount but tactics evolve - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-16","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"The BBC has been given access to positions held by Ukrainian army brigades defending Bakhmut's southern flank.","section":"Europe","content":"This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Watch: The battle for Bakhmut, a city in Ukraine's eastern Donbas region, rages on\n\nUkraine has drawn a line in the dirt, and that line is Bakhmut. It is a city that few say matters strategically, but that tens of thousands have died fighting over. It began more than seven months ago, and is the longest battle of the war so far.\n\nTwo Ukrainian army brigades defending the city's southern flank gave the BBC access to their positions last week as fierce fighting continued in and around Bakhmut. The men have spent months facing both regular Russian army forces, and prisoners recruited by the Wagner private military group who have swarmed their trenches in droves. Troops say Russian casualties far outweigh theirs, but the enemy is deploying new techniques to try to seize the city and surrounding countryside.\n\nUkraine's forces are outgunned and outnumbered, but on a chalk hillside to the south, there is the anti-tank group from the 3rd Separate Assault Brigade. 3Storm - as they are known - are unyielding. They've dug trenches deep into the earth. Timber props supporting the roof shudder as Russian artillery lands in the near distance, and field mice scurry along duck boards. An antiquated field telephone sits in a wooden nook; these are conditions their grandfathers would recognise.\n\n\"They cannot get to us, we can see for a kilometre in all directions,\" says a bearded 26-year-old soldier who goes by the call sign \"Dwarf\", pointing out Russian positions. \"We can hit the enemy with everything we have,\" he says.\n\nThe 26-year-old goes by the call sign \"Dwarf\" as he's a big Lord of the Rings fan - although the name on the body armour actually translates as \"Gnome\"\n\nNeither the Russian nor Ukrainian armies release official casualty figures for Bakhmut, or elsewhere, but the mostly abandoned city has become a slaughter house.\n\nIn a week fighting for the city, Dwarf's company faced conscripted prisoners from Russia's Wagner group. \"We had battles every two hours,\" he says. \"I guess a single company eliminated 50 people per day.\" In case of any doubt, he points out these numbers were confirmed by aerial reconnaissance. \"The [Russian vehicle] arrives, 50 bodies come out, a day passes, 50 bodies come out again,\" he says. His company lost a fraction of that number, he says.\n\nOfficially, Ukraine estimates that for every one of its soldiers killed, Russia loses seven. Earlier this week, Russia said it had killed more than 220 Ukrainian service members in a 24-hour period in the battle for Bakhmut. None of these numbers can be independently verified.\n\nIn a newspaper interview, two captured Wagner conscripts told the Wall Street Journal that before they are sent forward, they receive little training beyond learning to crawl through forests in the dark. After six months serving at the front they are freed - assuming they survive.\n\nConditions all along the 600-mile-long eastern front have begun to change. 3Storm's chalky hilltop hideout feels like dry land compared with the surrounding territory. An early spring has turned the hard ground of winter to mud porridge - which may favour the defenders. To get there, we had to follow the Ukrainian soldiers on foot - within a few paces my boots become lumpen and heavy with thick dirt. A battlefield ambulance speeds by unsteadily, its caterpillar tracks ploughing up the ground, and spraying pools of sludge as it struggles for grip.\n\nThe villages around here - the location can't be revealed - are in ruin. Handwritten signs on gates, mostly in Russian, announce \"People Live Here\", a plea as much as it is a statement. But the streets are entirely empty, apart from abandoned dogs who roam the ruins of destroyed farms and homes.\n\nFor the past two months, Russian forces have steadily advanced, trying to encircle Bakhmut. The commander of Ukrainian ground forces, General Oleksandr Syrsky, says his forces will continue to resist. \"Every day of steadfast resistance wins us valuable time to reduce the enemy's offensive capabilities,\" he says, sending more reinforcements to the area. But it isn't only Russians who have fallen into the Bakhmut trap. Ukrainians are dying there, too, in ever increasing numbers.\n\nOn the hillside, a group of soldiers have gathered around a gun position, and I ask Dwarf - given that Ukraine is losing soldiers to untrained Russian convicts - if the defence of dead city, surrounded by the enemy, makes sense.\n\nHe says, \"I was wondering, myself, if we should keep defending Bakhmut. On the one hand what's happening here now is awful. There are no words to describe it. But the alternative is we give up Bakhmut and move to another settlement. What's the difference between defending Bakhmut or any other village?\"\n\nHis comrade, a strongly built man with a full dark beard who goes by the call sign Holm, agrees. \"It's not a strategic question for us here. We are ordinary soldiers. But this is our land. We may then retreat to Chasiv Yar, from Chasiv Yar to Slovyansk, and so we retreat up to Kyiv. Let it take a year or two, four, five - but we have to fight for every piece of our land.\"\n\nThe men have been fighting for more than a year now, and they say the Russians are evolving.\n\n\"They are learning, they are getting cleverer, and it really freaks me out,\" says Dwarf. \"They send out a group - five morons taken from prison. They are shot, but the enemy sees where you are, walks around, and you are surrounded from behind.\"\n\nHolm chimes in that Russia is now using drones armed with grenades more effectively. \"We used to drop them and freak them out,\" he says. \"Now they're dropping drone grenades on our positions.\"\n\nBefore the war, Dwarf was an outdoor youth worker and would take youngsters hiking in the Carpathian Mountains on the country's western edge. Here on Ukraine's eastern front, that is a far-off memory. He's been in many battles since then, but the horror of Bakhmut is what lives with him now.\n\nWhen I ask about Wagner's convict army, he pauses to think and says, \"I'll be honest. It's genius. Cruel, immoral, but effective tactics. It worked out. And it's still working in Bakhmut.\"\n\nSoviet-era UAZ jeep makes it way through the mud\n\nDays later, I'm back in the same area, crammed with four others into a Soviet-era UAZ jeep. Its steering wheel has the BMW logo - a joke says the driver, Oleg. He says little else as he grips the wheel and concentrates hard as the car whines and struggles over hills and through the shoals of muck. The automatic gunfire ahead signals we are nearing the 28th Mechanised Brigade, who are directly facing the Russians.\n\nThe landscape of war shifts in an instant - the men are holed up in a small wood, its trees shattered and split by Russian fire. In a month, the wood will offer them cover. For now, its bare branches expose them to surveillance drones. Nearby there's an exchange of gunfire, and Russian shells strike around 500m away. But Borys, a 48-year-old former architect who is serving now as a captain, seems untroubled.\n\n\"Today's war is a drone war,\" he says, \"but we can walk around freely, because there's wind and rain today and drones are blown away. If it was quiet today, both our drones and our enemy's would be hovering over us.\"\n\nOn the way back, Oleg brings the jeep to a sudden halt. Lying in the dirt in front of us is a drone that has been blown off course. Its battery is quickly removed and it is brought inside - it turns out to be Ukrainian.\n\nBut today's war isn't so very different from the past.\n\nTwo nights before, the 28th Brigade was attacked by Russian infantry and tanks. In a timbered gun position below ground, the cold rain drips through the roof onto the dirt floor, and there, peering out into the bare landscape, is a Maxim belt-fed machine gun with stout iron wheels.\n\n\"It only works when there is a massive attack going on\u2026then it really works,\" says Borys. \"So we use it every week\".\n\nAnd this is how the battle for Bakhmut is being fought, as winter turns to spring in 21st Century Europe. A 19th Century weapon still mows down men by the score in the black Ukrainian earth.","link":"https:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/world-europe-64955537"}
{"title":"St Patrick's Day: Thousands expected at Northern Ireland festivals - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-16","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"Details of the main parades, performances and family activities planned for this year's 17 March.","section":"Northern Ireland","content":"Organisers of the Belfast parade will be hoping for better weather than marchers experienced last year\n\nTowns and cities across Northern Ireland, and many other parts of the world, will host parades and other festivities on Friday to celebrate St Patrick's Day.\n\nBBC News NI lists some of the biggest events on offer this year.\n\nThe city is hosting a 10-day festival (10-19 March) filled with concerts, traditional music sessions, dances, workshops and tours, as well as the annual parade through the city.\n\nCustom House Square is hosting a St Patrick's Eve concert from 17:00 GMT on Thursday, headlined by Dublin singer-songwriter Lisa Hannigan.\n\nTickets were free and Belfast City Council has advised that all places have been allocated.\n\nFor the fittest festival-goers, St Patrick's Day itself kicks off with a 6.2 mile (10km) race from Belfast City Hall to Ormeau Park, starting at 09:00 GMT.\n\nThe main parade begins at City Hall at 13:30 GMT and will travel in a loop along Chichester Street, Victoria Street, High Street, Castle Place and Donegall Place, before returning to its starting point.\n\nThe theme for this year's event is voices of Belfast and is billed to \"celebrate Belfast's music heritage from pop to punk and traditional to disco\".\n\nThe parade is staged by the arts organisation Beat Carnival, which is also intending to use the event to mark the 25th anniversary of the Good Friday Agreement.\n\nIt has invited people who were born around the time of the 1998 deal - those aged 24, 25 and 26 - to walk with them in the parade and share their visions and hopes for the future of the city.\n\nBelfast City Council is also using its building at 2 Royal Avenue (the former Tesco store) to stage various events including St Patrick's Tales of Our City.\n\nThis is a sound installation through which Belfast residents share their personal stories of living in the city in the past and present, with new participants welcome to contribute tales.\n\nThe venue will also host a sold-out Celtic Storm concert on Saturday, featuring musicians and a former Riverdance lead dancer.\n\nSee the full list of Belfast events.\n\nDerry City and Strabane Council said it expects \"tens of thousands\" of people to throng Derry's streets on Friday for its St Patrick's Day celebrations.\n\nTraditional Irish musicians will take to the stage at Guildhall Square from 13:00 GMT while, at the nearby Peace Garden, children will be entertained by a drama performance of A Tale of Fairies.\n\nThe parade begins at Bishop Street at 15:00 GMT and travels to the Diamond, Shipquay Street and along Queen's Quay before ending at Strand Road car park.\n\nThe theme is recycle and renewal and the cavalcade will be staged by North West Carnival Initiative.\n\nThe mayor will also host a 24-hour charity buskathon in aid of homelessness, beginning at 18:00 GMT on the steps of the Guildhall.\n\nSee the full list of Derry events.\n\nChildren from Saval Gaelic Athletic Association club took part in Newry's 2022 parade\n\nThere will be live music and street entertainers in Hill Street from 12 noon on St Patrick's Day and free craft workshops for children in Bagenal's Castle until 16:00 GMT, although pre-booking is advised.\n\nThe parade, compered by broadcaster Julian Simmons, begins at the Albert Basin at 13:00 GMT and proceeds along Buttercrane Quay, Merchants Quay, Sugar Island to Kildare Street beside the city hall.\n\nMcClelland Park, off Edward Street, will be transformed into Newry's Family Festival Village for the day and will host family activities for a range of age groups.\n\nSee the full list of Newry events.\n\nSt Patrick is reportedly buried on the Hill of Down and is commemorated at Down Cathedral\n\nThe purported resting place of St Patrick goes all out every year to honour Ireland's patron saint and this year is no different.\n\nThe celebrations begin at noon in the aptly named St Patrick's Square, with live music and free children's activities including face painting, balloon modelling and arts and crafts.\n\nThe parade begins at Ardglass Road at 13:30 GMT and the route takes in Edward Street, John Street, Irish Street and Market Street before finishing up at Rathkeltair car park.\n\nDown County Museum and Down Arts Centre is also hosting St Patrick's Day-themed events from 11:00 GMT, including free arts and crafts workshops, live music and dance.\n\nSee the full list of Downpatrick events.\n\nFermanagh's wakeboarding leprechauns will return to Enniskillen to entertain St Patrick's Day revellers\n\nBouncy castles, balloon modelling and face-painting are among the free children's activities on offer at Broadmeadow in Enniskillen from 13:30 to 15:30 GMT.\n\nThe County Fermanagh island town is also staging plenty of water-based entertainment in Lough Erne, including the return of its popular wakeboarding leprechauns.\n\nHighland and Irish dancers will take to the stage on the Diamond from 13:30, followed by live music.\n\nThe main parade begins at the Lakeland Forum at 15:30 GMT.\n\nThe theme of this year's parade is back to the future and will feature both vintage and futuristic vehicles as well as a guest appearance by \"T-rex the interactive dinosaur\".\n\nSee the full list of Enniskillen events.\n\nThursday's vigil will start at Armagh's Protestant cathedral and end at the city's Catholic cathedral (above)\n\nFor those looking for a more spiritual offering, Armagh prides itself as the place where Patrick began his Christian mission, and the cathedral city is starting its commemorations early.\n\nOn the eve of St Patrick's Day, the leaders of the Catholic Church in Ireland and the Church of Ireland will lead a torchlit vigil walk between their two cathedrals.\n\nThe event aims to be a \"symbolic reflection of St Patrick's own journey to unite through Christianity\" and begins at 21:00 GMT at the Church of Ireland Cathedral.\n\nA free concert featuring Celtic trad rock band More Power to Your Elbow and flautist Rioghnach Connolly takes place in the Shambles Yard from 17:30 GMT on Thursday.\n\nArmagh's community parade begins at 14:30 GMT on Friday at the Christian Brothers' School.\n\nIt will travel towards Cathedral Road, past the Shambles Market and finish at the Cathedral Road Recreation Centre.\n\nSee the full list of Armagh events.\n\nHikers make an annual pilgrimage to Slemish mountain every St Patrick's Day\n\nThousands of pilgrims climb the County Antrim peak every 17 March in honour of St Patrick, who is believed to have worked as a shepherd on Slemish as an enslaved teenager.\n\nThe hike to the summit and back is just short of one mile (1.5km) in total and takes approximately one hour in good weather, according to Mid and East Antrim Council.\n\nIt has organised live music and children's activities at the site, but advises suitable footwear and waterproof clothing for anyone attempting the climb.\n\nRevellers packed the streets of central Dublin on St Patrick' Day 2022\n\nMeanwhile in the Republic of Ireland, organisers expect half a million people to line the streets of the Irish capital for a parade which begins at Parnell Square at noon on Friday.\n\nMarchers will proceed along O'Connell Street, over O'Connell Bridge, past Trinity College, up Dame Street, past Christ Church and St Patrick's Cathedral, finishing at Kevin Street.\n\nThe guest of honour will be Irish-American actor Patrick Duffy, who played Bobby Ewing in Dallas.\n\nThe parade will be led by the Republic of Ireland women's national football team.\n\nSee the full list of Dublin events.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/uk-northern-ireland-64940696"}
{"title":"North Korea fires long range missile ahead of Japan-South Korea talks - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-16","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"The ICBM marks Pyongyang's fourth round of launches in a week as South Korea and Japan leaders meet.","section":"Asia","content":"People in Seoul watching news reports of the long-range missile's launch on Thursday morning\n\nNorth Korea fired an intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) just hours before the leaders of South Korea and Japan were due to meet for landmark talks.\n\nBoth Japanese and South Korean officials confirmed the long-range missile's launch on Thursday morning.\n\nIt flew about 1,000km (620 miles) landing in waters west of Japan.\n\nIt is Pyongyang's fourth missile launch in a week and comes as the US and South Korea hold joint navy drills.\n\nThe other missiles launched - last Thursday, on Saturday and on Monday - had been short-range ballistic missiles.\n\nNorth Korea's ramped-up missile activity will most likely be top of the agenda when South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol meets Japan's Prime Minister Fumio Kishida in Tokyo later on Thursday - the first such visit in 12 years.\n\nSince Monday, the US and South Korea have been carrying out drills around the Korean peninsula- the allies' largest in five years. North Korea has repeatedly said it sees such exercises as provocation.\n\nThursday's missile was fired at 07:10 (22:10 GMT) from Pyongyang on the east coast of North Korea, South Korea's Joint Chiefs of Staff said.\n\nJapan's defence ministry confirmed it as an ICBM type and said it flew higher than 6,000km for about 70 minutes. It landed at about 08:20 outside of Japan's exclusive economic zone, the ministry said.\n\nJapan officials have not reported any damage from the missile.\n\nFollowing Thursday's launch, Mr Yoon ordered his country's military to continue with the joint US exercises as planned.\n\nPyongyang would pay for its \"reckless provocations\", he said.\n\nNorth Korea last fired an ICBM less than a month ago - an action that sparked a UN emergency meeting and condemnation from G7 countries.\n\nICBMs are particularly worrying because of their long range. Experts have said that such missiles launched from North Korea could potentially reach mainland United States.\n\nPyongyang is also believed to have developed ICBMs that can carry multiple warheads.\n\nThe escalation in North Korean aggression over the past year is one of the central topics to be discussed at the Tokyo meeting on Thursday.\n\nMany hope the meeting - which has been hailed as a \"milestone\" in the rapprochement of South Korea and Japan - will result in closer security ties and military cooperation between the two countries.\n\nBoth countries said they would convene their national security councils following Thursday's missile launch.\n\nIn 2022, North Korea launched more than 90 missiles - the most it has ever fired in a single year to date - despite being subject to a raft of sanctions from the UN, the US, the EU and its neighbouring countries.\n\nNorth Korea has become more assertive in its nuclear strategy under Kim Jong-un, who has overseen much of its recent development of its weapons programme, and four of the six nuclear tests so far.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/world-asia-64972944"}
{"title":"NHS 5% pay offer may end bitter dispute in England - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-16","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"Unions urge nurses, ambulance staff and other members to back deal including a one-off payment.","section":"Health","content":"A 5% pay rise from April has been offered to NHS staff in England, including nurses and ambulance workers.\n\nIn addition, staff have been offered a one-off payment of at least \u00a31,655 to top up the past year's pay award.\n\nUnions are recommending members back the deal, after nearly two weeks of talks with ministers, raising hopes the bitter dispute may be coming to an end.\n\nThe offer covers all NHS staff except doctors, who are on a different contract.\n\nHealth Secretary Steve Barclay said it was a \"fair pay rise\" that would also protect the government's commitment to halve inflation.\n\n\"I hugely admire the incredible work of NHS staff,\" he said. \"I look forward to continuing our work together to make the NHS a better place to work.\"\n\nMr Barclay said there had been movement on both sides and praised the \"constructive engagement\" of the unions.\n\nFourteen unions were represented at the talks, covering:\n\nThe biggest three - the Royal College of Nursing, Unison and the GMB - are all backing the deal, while Unite the Union has said it cannot recommend it to members but will put it to a vote.\n\nUnison head of health Sara Gorton said: \"It's a shame it took so long to get here.\n\n\"Health workers had to take many days of strike action and thousands more had to threaten to join them to get their unions into the room and proper talks under way.\"\n\nIf her members accepted the deal, it would mean a \"significant\" boost in pay, Ms Gorton added.\n\nRCN general secretary Pat Cullen said: \"Members took the hardest of decisions to go on strike and I believe they have been vindicated today.\"\n\nBut Unite told BBC News that it is not advising its members on how to vote on the pay offer because \"it falls short of what we were asking for\".\n\nSpeaking to BBC News, Unite official Onay Kasab said members \"wanted a consolidated payment... they did not want one-off non-consolidated sums\".\n\nThe offer, he claims, is \"not really going to help recruitment in the NHS\" because \"only current staff members will get it\".\n\nIt comes after a winter of industrial action, with nurses, ambulance staff and physios all striking.\n\nThe unions put further action on hold, after the two sides agreed to discussions last month.\n\nPrime Minister Rishi Sunak said he was \"delighted\" with the agreement over pay during a visit to a hospital in London on Thursday afternoon.\n\nDespite weeks of criticism from opposition parties and unions about the government's \"dither and delay\" leading to more strikes, Mr Sunak said: \"We have taken a reasonable approach throughout.\"\n\nHe also called the pay \"affordable for the taxpayer and continues to deliver on my promise to halve inflation\".\n\nMr Sunak and Mr Barclay visited a hospital in London on Thursday.\n\nA Downing Street spokesperson later added the government does not believe the pay offer will be inflationary.\n\nWhen asked about the fact it had said, earlier in the dispute, that giving more than a 3.5% pay award could stoke inflation, Mr Sunak's deputy spokesperson said he did not believe that would happen with this deal, adding: \"We don't believe so. The two one-off payments for 22\/23 we don't believe will create future inflationary pressures.\"\n\nThe spokesperson added the rise for the coming year would also not stoke inflation, since \"5% is broadly in line with pay growth in the wider economy so we don't see it having an impact on private sector pay which ultimately leads to inflation\".\n\nAnd when asked whether the money to fund the rise would have to come from the existing NHS\/Department for Health and Social Care (DHSC) budget the spokesperson insisted frontline service would not suffer and discussions were taking place between the DHSC and the Treasury.\n\nWhen asked about further money for the NHS to fund the deal, the spokesperson again said discussions would take place with the Treasury.\n\nHowever, shadow health secretary Wes Streeting criticised the \"last minute\" nature of the offer, calling the government \"incompetent\" and saying Mr Barclay \"doesn't know how he's going to pay for it\".\n\n\"Even when they arrive at a solution it's so late that it causes a new wave of problems.\"\n\nNHS staff have seen pay rise by an average of 4.75% during 2022-23 - with the lowest paid receiving the biggest rises - but unions had been asking for above-inflation rises, which at one point, would have equated to an increase of more than 14%.\n\nThe one-off payment to top up that pay award starts at \u00a31,655 for the lowest-paid staff such as cleaners and porters and rises to just over \u00a32,400 for the most senior front-line roles such as nurse consultants.\n\nFor staff in management positions, such as directors of nursing and chief finance officers, the one-off payment is worth up to \u00a33,789.\n\nThe government had originally offered 3.5% from April, for the 2023-24 financial year - but during the talks, ministers agreed to 5%. The lowest paid will receive more.\n\nMatthew Taylor, of the NHS Confederation, which represents managers, said health leaders would \"breathe a sigh of relief\". \"We now await the decision of union members,\" he said.\n\nHe also urged the British Medical Association to enter talks - junior doctors staged a three-day walkout this week, in their fight for a 35% pay rise.\n\nThey say this is needed to make up for below-inflation wages rises over the past 15 years - but ministers say it is unaffordable.\n\nMinisters have offered the BMA talks on the same basis as with the other unions - but it has declined.\n\nStrike action has also been paused in Wales and Scotland by most unions while new offers are considered. The GMB in Scotland has accepted the Scottish offer, worth 14% over two years.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/health-64977269"}
{"title":"Midhurst fire: Historic hotel housing refugees engulfed by blaze - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-16","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"The fire is believed to have started in a property in Midhurst before spreading to the Angel Inn.","section":"Sussex","content":"This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Watch: The Angel Inn hotel in Sussex engulfed by a fire\n\nA 400-year-old hotel that was housing Ukrainian refugees has been engulfed by a major blaze.\n\nThe fire started in a property in North Street, Midhurst, in the early hours, before spreading to the roof of the Angel Inn hotel next door.\n\nMore than 30 people, including \"a number\" of Ukrainian refugees, have been evacuated, firefighters said.\n\nThe community was praised for its \"generosity and keenness to help\" after an appeal for donations was inundated.\n\nLocal resident David Behan, who witnessed the fire, said the refugees spent the night in a nearby Indian restaurant before they were transported to a leisure centre, from where they have been re-homed.\n\nMr Behan said: \"They arrived at Christmas with very little. And what little they had, they've just completely lost, which is desperate.\"\n\nMore than 30 people, including a number of Ukrainian refugees, were evacuated\n\nMidhurst Town Council arranged a donation point nearby for those who have been affected by the fire.\n\nThe site became inundated with donations and closed only hours after it opened.\n\nA council spokeswoman said: \"We have been overwhelmed by people's generosity and keenness to help, and now have everything we need to provide support for those who have lost their homes and belongings.\"\n\nThe refugees had been very much welcomed into the community here. Some had jobs, and you'd often hear people speaking Ukrainian on the streets.\n\nThe Angel Inn has been here for about 400 years, and has been owned by the same family for at least two generations.\n\nThe firefighters have told some of the residents that the building cannot be saved. It is going to have to be demolished.\n\nIt would be a horrible thing to have to lose for Midhurst.\n\nAnother local resident, Hilton Holloway, said some children were among those evacuated from the hotel, which he said had about 15 rooms.\n\n\"I spoke to one young woman who seemed relatively calm,\" he added.\n\nThe cause of the fire is not yet known. Four people were treated at the scene but did not require hospital treatment.\n\nRoad closures are in place, and firefighters, police and paramedics remain at the scene.\n\nThe fire brigade said crews were called to North Street at 01:08 GMT, and 15 fire engines and two aerial ladder platforms were deployed.\n\nA total of 15 fire engines and two aerial ladder platforms were sent to the scene\n\nFirefighters were met with a \"significant fire in the roof space\" at the hotel, which spread to neighbouring properties, a spokesman said.\n\n\"More than 30 people, including a number of Ukrainian refugees, were safely evacuated from the buildings, and they are now being looked after in a local relief centre,\" he added.\n\nSpeaking at the scene, the brigade's area manager, Richard Abbot, said: \"We are advising residents to keep their windows and doors closed as there is large amounts of smoke in the area.\n\n\"It's too early in the incident to know the cause of the fire, however we will be investigating the fire as soon as it is safe to do so.\"\n\nFollow BBC South East on Facebook, on Twitter, and on Instagram. Send your story ideas to southeasttoday@bbc.co.uk.\n\nThe BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/uk-england-sussex-64975302"}
{"title":"Cigarette prices rise but draught beer duty is frozen - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-16","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"Duty for draught pints is frozen but the average price of a pack of 20 cigarettes rises to \u00a314.39.","section":"UK","content":"The price of a packet of cigarettes rose hours after the Budget while drinkers will see tax on alcohol go up by 10.1% in August, in line with inflation.\n\nThe only alcohol not to see a rise was draught beer where duty will be frozen.\n\nChancellor Jeremy Hunt said this was to help \"the great British pub\".\n\nThe change to tobacco products came into effect at 18:00 GMT on Wednesday and sees the cost of an average pack of 20 cigarettes increase to \u00a314.39.\n\nIn the Budget, the chancellor revealed the duty rates on all tobacco products would increase by the Retail Price Index (RPI) of 10.1%, plus 2%. This means an increase of about 12%.\n\nThe RPI is a measure of inflation which came down to 10.1% in January.\n\nAccording to the Office for National Statistics, the average price for a packet of 20 cigarettes in January 2023 was \u00a312.84.\n\nThe increase in duty rates announced in the Budget means an average packet of 20 cigarettes would increase to \u00a314.39 at 18:00 GMT on Wednesday.\n\nThe rate on all hand-rolling tobacco products will increase by RPI, plus 6% and the minimum excise tax will increase by RPI plus 3%.\n\nThis is the first rise in tobacco duty since October 2021.\n\nAs part of a bid to help people with the rising cost of living, Mr Hunt announced a freeze on the duty tax for draught pints to help \"the great British pub\".\n\nThe new rule, which will also apply to Northern Ireland, will see alcohol duty 11p lower on pulled pints compared to supermarket sales from 1 August.\n\nIn the Commons, Mr Hunt said: \"Madam Deputy Speaker, British ale may be warm, but the duty on a pint is frozen.\"\n\nHowever, drinkers will see tax on other alcohol soar by 10.1% in August in line with inflation when a new system is introduced.\n\nIn December, the government extended a freeze on alcohol duty for six months, but this will end in August.\n\nScotland's whisky industry has accused the chancellor of delivering an \"historic blow\".\n\nThe Scottish Whisky Association (SWA) said the 10.1% increase was the \"the wrong decision at the wrong time\".","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/uk-64969334"}
{"title":"Budget 2023: Pensions tax cut for all is wrong, Labour leader says - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-16","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"Sir Keir Starmer says tax breaks aimed at keeping doctors in work should only apply to them.","section":"UK Politics","content":"This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Sir Keir Starmer: 'Easy to bring in tailor-made' pensions to help retain doctors.\n\nPension tax breaks aimed at keeping doctors in work should not have been given to all, Sir Keir Starmer has said.\n\nIt comes after Chancellor Jeremy Hunt scrapped the overall \u00a31m lifetime limit on tax-free pensions savings in Wednesday's Budget.\n\nThe Labour leader branded the move a tax break for \"the richest 1%\" that showed the \"wrong priorities\".\n\nHe added that any pensions tweak should be \"tailor-made\" for doctors.\n\nDoctors have said the current tax-free pension allowances are pushing some of them into declining overtime shifts or into early retirement.\n\nMr Hunt, a former health secretary, says the changes to the pension pot rules are a \"very important measure to get the NHS working\".\n\nAt the Budget, he announced he was abolishing the current \u00a31.07m cap on how much individuals can build up in their private pension pots over their career without having to pay additional tax.\n\nThe annual tax-free allowance on pensions will also increase from \u00a340,000 to \u00a360,000.\n\nThe chancellor said the changes would stop doctors retiring early - but would also contribute to the government's wider drive to persuade retirees back into work.\n\n\"I have realised the issue goes wider than doctors. No one should be pushed out of the workforce for tax reasons,\" he told MPs.\n\nThe financial watchdog, the Office for Budget Responsibility, estimated the changes to the allowance would increase overall employment by 15,000 workers.\n\nThe combined cost will be more than \u00a31.1bn a year by 2027\/8, according to official estimates.\n\nHowever, the decision to opt for a wider change to pension rules has been criticised by Labour, which branded it a \"one billion pound pensions bung\" for the wealthy.\n\nThe party has committed to overturning the government's changes if it wins power at the next general election, and replacing it with an alternative scheme just for doctors.\n\nIt has not yet offered details of its alternative approach, but has suggested it could be based on a scheme for judges introduced in 2022, under which the tax allowances are disapplied.\n\nShadow health secretary Wes Streeting has previously told the Telegraph in September he favoured \"doing away with\" the savings cap.\n\nSpeaking earlier, Mr Hunt said it suggested Mr Streeting had previously advocated the government's approach.\n\nBut Mr Streeting insisted his previous comments were about how the allowance affected doctors - and he had \"consistently argued\" they should have their own carve-out from the rules.\n\nHe told BBC News this would cost \"a fraction\" of the blanket change proposed by ministers, which he called \"a sledgehammer to crack a nut\".\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser.\n\nMr Hunt defended making a rule change across the board, arguing it was the \"simplest and quickest way\" to resolve the issues facing doctors.\n\nHe added that the change could be introduced in two weeks, delivering help to the NHS when it \"most needs support\".\n\nHe pointed to Royal College of Surgeons statistics, saying the organisation had found that 69% of their members had reduced their hours because of the \"way pension taxes work\".\n\nOn Wednesday, Treasury Minister John Glen said a targeted scheme risked legal challenges from other highly-paid public sector workers, such as senior civil servants.\n\nSpeaking to BBC2's Politics Live, he added that a wider change to the rules would also have a \"positive effect on the economy as a whole\".\n\nThe announcement was welcomed by NHS Providers, which represents hospitals in England.\n\nChief executive Sir Julian Hartley said it would help \"stem the flow of senior NHS staff either taking early retirement or not taking on extra work for fear of punitive tax bills\".\n\nBut the independent Institute for Fiscal Studies said the change would \"encourage a relatively small number of better-off workers to stay in the workforce a bit longer\" and was \"unlikely to have a big effect on overall employment\".\n\nThe Resolution Foundation think tank, which focuses on people on low to middle incomes, described the policy as \"hugely regressive and wasteful\".\n\nChief executive Torsten Bell said: \"It's a big victory for NHS consultants but poor value for money for Britain.\"","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/uk-politics-64972143"}
{"title":"Credit Suisse to borrow up to $54bn from Swiss central bank - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-16","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"A slump in the troubled lender's shares has intensified fears about a broader bank crisis.","section":"Business","content":"Troubled banking giant Credit Suisse says it will borrow up to 50bn francs ($54bn; \u00a344.5bn) from the Swiss central bank to shore up its finances.\n\nThe lender said it was taking decisive action to strengthen its liquidity as it looked to become a simpler bank.\n\nShares in Credit Suisse fell 24% on Wednesday after it said it had found \"weakness\" in its financial reporting.\n\nThis prompted a general sell off on European markets, and fears of a wider financial crisis.\n\nCredit Suisse said its borrowing measures demonstrated \"decisive action to strengthen [the bank]\".\n\n\"My team and I are resolved to move forward rapidly to deliver a simpler and more focused bank built around client needs,\" Credit Suisse's chief executive Ulrich Koerner said in a statement.\n\nProblems in the banking sector surfaced in the US last week with the collapse of Silicon Valley Bank, the country's 16th-largest bank, followed two days later by the collapse of Signature Bank.\n\nAfter Credit Suisse shares plunged on Wednesday, a major investor - the Saudi National Bank - said it would not inject further funds into the Swiss lender.\n\nThe worries spread across financial markets with all major indexes falling sharply.\n\n\"The problems in Credit Suisse once more raise the question whether this is the beginning of a global crisis or just another 'idiosyncratic' case,\" wrote Andrew Kenningham of Capital Economics.\n\nThe Swiss National Bank, which is Switzerland's central bank, and the Swiss Financial Market Supervisory Authority sought to calm investor fears, saying they were ready to help Credit Suisse if necessary.\n\nStrict rules apply to Swiss financial institutions to \"ensure their stability\" and Credit Suisse meets the requirements for banks considered systemically important, the regulators said.\n\n\"There are no indications of a direct risk of contagion for Swiss institutions due to the current turmoil in the US banking market,\" they said in a joint statement.\n\nThe BBC understands that the Bank of England has been in touch with Credit Suisse and the Swiss authorities to monitor the situation.\n\nCredit Suisse, founded in 1856, has faced a string of scandals in recent years, including money laundering charges and other issues.\n\nIt lost money in 2021 and again in 2022 - its worst year since the financial crisis of 2008 - and has warned it does not expect to be profitable until 2024.\n\nShares in the firm had already been severely hit before this week - their value falling by roughly two-thirds last year - as customers pulled funds.\n\nThe bank's disclosure on Tuesday of \"material weakness\" in its financial reporting controls renewed investor concerns.\n\nThese were intensified when the chairman of the Saudi National Bank, Credit Suisse's largest shareholder, said it would not buy more shares in the Swiss bank on regulatory grounds.\n\nAt that time, Credit Suisse insisted its financial position was not a concern. But shares in the lender ended Wednesday down 24%, as other banks rushed to reduce their exposure to the firm and prime ministers in Spain and France spoke out in an attempt to ease fears.\n\nA bank run on Silicon Valley Bank ended in its collapse last week\n\nThis comes after Silicon Valley Bank (SVB) - which specialised in lending to technology companies - was shut down on Friday by US regulators in what was the largest failure of a US bank since 2008. SVB's UK arm was snapped up for \u00a31 by HSBC.\n\nIn the wake of the SVB collapse, New York-based Signature Bank also went bust, with the US regulators guaranteeing all deposits at both.\n\nHowever, fears have persisted that other banks could face similar troubles, and trading in bank shares has been volatile this week.\n\nIn the US, shares in both small and large banks were hit, helping to push the Dow down almost 0.9%, while the S&P 500 fell 0.7%.\n\nThe UK's FTSE 100 fell by 3.8% or 293 points - the biggest one-day drop since the early days of the pandemic in 2020.\n\n\"This banking crisis came from America. And now people are watching how the whole thing could also cause problems in Europe,\" said Robert Halver, head of capital markets at Germany's Baader Bank.\n\n\"If a bank has had even the remotest problem in the past, if major investors say we don't want to invest any more and don't want to let new money flow into this bank, then of course a story is being told where many investors say we want to get out.\"","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/business-64964881"}
{"title":"Immigration rules relaxed for builders and carpenters - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-16","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"Construction workers are added to list but hospitality sector not included in government review.","section":"Business","content":"Overseas bricklayers and carpenters could be able to get work visas more easily in the UK after the government updated its shortage occupation list.\n\nThe list, which now also includes roofers and plasterers, highlights occupations that employers are struggling to fill.\n\nHowever, hospitality, which has had problems recruiting, was not included.\n\nThe change on construction workers is not expected to make a major difference to overall migration figures.\n\nGovernment advisors in the Migration Advisory Committee (MAC) looked at 26 occupations in construction and hospitality, and recommended five for inclusion on the shortage occupations list.\n\nThe committee did not recommend any hospitality occupations be included, although it said Brexit and the pandemic had \"significant effects\" on both sectors.\n\nThe five occupations approved by the committee are:\n\nPeople on the shortage occupation list are able to apply for a skilled worker visa to come and work in the UK.\n\nThe construction and hospitality shortage review, published on the same day as the Budget, reveals vacancies have risen strongly in both hospitality and construction, relative to pre-pandemic levels\n\nFrom November 2022 to January 2023, compared with the period before the pandemic from January to March 2020, vacancies are 72% higher in hospitality and 65% higher in construction.\n\nThis compares to an increase of 42% in the overall economy.\n\nThe committee said its review was based on whether an occupation made up more than 0.5% of the sector workforce and earned below the current general threshold for migrants which stands at \u00a326,200.\n\nIt said it also considered the \"strategic importance of construction for the UK economy\" and how its workforce was likely to change in the next decade, with \"demand likely to increase markedly\".\n\nIt said overall employment in hospitality had recovered since a large fall during the pandemic and \"now comfortably\" exceeded pre-pandemic levels.\n\nThe committee said it did not recommend any of the hospitality occupations for the shortlist - including chefs, restaurant or bar managers - because \"the government was clear that such a recommendation should be exceptional and based on particularly strong evidence\".\n\n\"Perhaps inevitably, given the shortened time frame that stakeholders had to respond to us, we do not consider any of the evidence submitted sufficiently strong to justify a recommendation\", it said.\n\nLast October, Home Secretary Suella Braverman said she wanted to get net migration down into the tens of thousands.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/business-64969468"}
{"title":"Linfield footballer Ross Larkin 'lucky to be alive' after cancer - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-16","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"Northern Ireland under-21 defender Ross Larkin had a brain tumour just before Christmas 2021.","section":"Northern Ireland","content":"This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Ross Larkin is not giving up hope of a return to action\n\nLinfield footballer Ross Larkin has said he feels fortunate to be alive after a life-threatening brain tumour.\n\nThe 23-year-old from Newry, County Down, has undergone surgery, radiotherapy and chemotherapy.\n\nThe Northern Ireland under-21 defender hopes to make a full recovery but it is not clear whether he will be able to play top-flight football again.\n\nHowever, he continues to build his fitness back up and is training for the Belfast City Marathon.\n\nDetails of his illness were not made public when the brain tumour was discovered just before Christmas in 2021.\n\nTo protect his privacy, Linfield simply put out a statement saying the centre-half was in hospital for a \"procedure\".\n\nIt was, in fact, brain surgery.\n\nRoss played for Linfield 28 times before his illness\n\nIn his first interview about his illness, Larkin told BBC News NI: \"Thank God I had that surgery and it was successful.\n\n\"I'd had no symptoms whatsoever and next thing I'm admitted to hospital for a brain tumour.\n\n\"I just couldn't believe it. My family couldn't believe it. It was hard to take.\"\n\nBefore illness struck, he was riding high in life.\n\nBy the age of 22, he had a university degree and a full-time football contract at the biggest club in Belfast.\n\nHe had played 28 times for Linfield, after previously starring for Portadown as a teenager.\n\nAt 6ft 4in (1.93m), he was making a name for himself as a defender who was good in the air as well as on the ground.\n\nAfter playing for Linfield against Warrenpoint at Windsor Park on 11 December 2021, he started preparing for his winter graduation at Queen's University Belfast the following week.\n\nHe had successfully completed a course in business management.\n\nOn the day of his graduation, he started to feel unwell during the evening after the ceremony.\n\n\"I felt a pressure at the side of my eye - I lost peripheral vision,\" he said.\n\nRoss - pictured with his parents - first felt ill on the day of his graduation\n\nAfter being taken to hospital, he was examined and it was thought he may have had a stroke.\n\nAfter a scan, the brain tumour was discovered and initially it was feared it was untreatable.\n\nFurther tests concluded that although it was cancerous, treatment might work.\n\nAfter surgery on Christmas Eve, a period of daily radiotherapy began and then chemotherapy.\n\n\"It's such a rare disease and for it to happen to me was just hard to take,\" he said.\n\n\"But I got through it and am stronger for it now.\n\n\"I feel so thankful to everyone for being so good to me.\"\n\nHe is grateful to the medical staff who saved his life as well as his family and friends.\n\nHe also received constant support from Linfield and manager David Healy.\n\nSo will he be able to play football again?\n\n\"I've talked to the doctors and the brain surgeons. They're not recommending it fully.\n\n\"But I'm personally not giving up on it. I'll see how I am, maybe in a year's time and reassess.\n\n\"I'm doing the Belfast marathon and I want to focus on this at the moment and after the marathon I'll sit down and I'll see where I am.\"\n\nPreparing for the marathon on 30 April has given him a new goal to work towards.\n\nHe is hoping to raise money for the Brainwaves NI charity.\n\nThe marathon training has restored his competitive spirit after a gruelling 12 months of treatment.\n\n\"I might try and win it,\" he says, with a wide smile.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/uk-northern-ireland-64966567"}
{"title":"Corporation tax: Jeremy Hunt confirms rise to 25% from April - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-16","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"The chancellor confirms corporation tax will go up but opposition is expected from some Tory MPs.","section":"Business","content":"The rate of corporation tax, paid on company profits, will rise next month, the chancellor has confirmed.\n\nIt will go up from 19% to 25% for companies with over \u00a3250,000 in profits, Jeremy Hunt told the Commons.\n\nHe also announced a new scheme to allow every pound invested by businesses in IT equipment, plants or machinery to be deducted in full from taxable profits.\n\nThe tax hike, first announced in 2021 when Rishi Sunak was chancellor, has been a source of much political debate.\n\nEx-PM Liz Truss attempted to scrap the policy in her mini-budget last September and some Conservative MPs still oppose it.\n\nDelivering his Spring Budget, Mr Hunt said the UK would still have the lowest headline rate of corporation tax in the G7, a group of the world's seven richest nations, even after the rise in April.\n\nHe said only 10% of businesses would pay the full rate and anticipated that his new \"full capital expensing\" policy was equivalent of a corporation tax cut worth an average of \u00a39bn a year.\n\nHe told the Commons it would lead to a 3% increase in business investment a year and without it, the UK would have \"fallen down international league tables on tax competitiveness and damaged growth\".\n\nThe \"full capital expensing\" policy will mean companies can deduct spending on investment from profits, meaning they have to pay lower amounts of corporation tax.\n\nThe policy would be in place for three years initially but the government hoped to make it permanent \"as soon as we can responsibly do so\", the chancellor said.\n\nIndependent analysis by the Office for Budget Responsibility (OBR) said that as a temporary measure, it provided a strong incentive for businesses to bring forward any investment that had been planned for a later date.\n\nAt its peak, the scheme could see business investment up by about 3%, the OBR report said. However it also pointed out that this was lower than the 5% rise under the super-deduction scheme which this policy replaces.\n\nMr Hunt made the announcement after he confirmed the OBR forecasts the British economy is to avoid a technical recession in 2023 but contract by 0.2%, before returning to growth in 2024.\n\nPlans to hike corporation tax to 25% were first put forward by Rishi Sunak two years ago, when he was chancellor under Boris Johnson.\n\nThe rise was justified as a means to claw back some of the billions of pounds worth of public money that had been used to prop up businesses during the Covid-19 pandemic.\n\nMr Sunak deferred the rise by two years, and in the time since, the policy has been axed, reinstated and divided opinion in the Conservative Party.\n\nKeeping corporation tax at 19% was a key plank of Liz Truss' low-tax leadership platform when she beat Mr Sunak to become prime minister.\n\nOn 23 September, then-chancellor Kwasi Kwarteng confirmed the move in the Commons, telling the country it would boost growth - but his Budget quickly unravelled.\n\nThree weeks later, Mr Kwarteng was sacked and the 25% policy was readopted by Ms Truss as she sought to get investors and her own party back onside.\n\nSome Tory MPs publicly oppose the rise, including Mr Johnson, despite the fact he signed off on it when he was PM.\n\nDuring a speech earlier this month, Mr Johnson said the government should be \"cutting corporation tax to Irish levels or lower\". The rate is as low as 12.5% for some companies in Ireland.\n\nFormer business secretary Jacob Rees-Mogg echoed that view, saying the best approach to tax policy was low rates with few exclusions.\n\nHe told the Commons: \"We have a rise now in corporation tax but we then sort of salami slice it a bit with some capital allowances to pretend it's not much of a rise. This is not a good approach to tax policy.\"","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/business-64963631"}
{"title":"Chris Kaba family concerned about watchdog resignations - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-16","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"Chris Kaba was shot dead by a Met Police officer and the police watchdog is investigating.","section":"London","content":"Chris Kaba, who was due to become a father, was shot through a car windscreen by a Met Police officer\n\nThe family of an unarmed black man who was killed by police have voiced concerns over the resignations of two watchdog staff members overseeing an investigation into what happened.\n\nChris Kaba, 24, was shot by a Met Police officer in Streatham Hill.\n\nThe Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) is investigating the shooting as a potential homicide and considering whether race was a factor.\n\nAn IOPC spokesman said: \"We can confirm our investigation has concluded.\"\n\nHe added: \"We are now deciding whether to refer the matter to the Crown Prosecution Service for a charging decision.\n\n\"We will also make our decision on whether the officer involved should face disciplinary action. We will confirm our decisions once all the parties involved have been informed.\"\n\nMr Kaba's family has accused the Met of racism and said it took too long for the force to suspend the police marksman. They have called for criminal charges to be brought.\n\nAn inquest has been opened and adjourned into the construction worker's death.\n\nThe family released a statement reading: \"We have concerns that two of the senior people at the IOPC who have been overseeing the homicide investigation in this case \u2014 Michael Lockwood and Sal Naseem \u2014 have resigned during the investigation.\"\n\nThe family said they found it \"unsettling\" and they were \"concerned\" about any potential impact on the inquiry and its timeframe.\n\n\"We have already waited too long to know if the IOPC is seeking advice on criminal charges from the CPS,\" they said.\n\nMr Lockwood resigned in December after becoming the subject of a police investigation, Home Secretary Suella Braverman previously revealed.\n\nThe reason for Mr Naseem's resignation has not been disclosed.\n\nThe IOPC said that the recent departure of Mr Naseem \"will have no impact on the progress of this investigation\".\n\nIt said a \"decision-maker\" role had been reallocated to the director of operations, Amanda Rowe.\n\nThe inquiry was due to last between six and nine months.\n\nMr Kaba's family speaking outside his inquest hearing in October\n\nAt the opening of Mr Kaba's inquest, Inner South London Coroner's Court heard he had been driving an Audi that had been linked by police to a firearms incident the previous day, although his name was not included in a briefing given to officers.\n\nAt 21:52 BST on 5 September, about 15 minutes before the shooting, a pursuit began by officers in an unmarked police car with no lights or sirens.\n\nAfter driving the Audi down Kirkstall Gardens, Mr Kaba was blocked by a marked police car and there was contact between the Audi and police vehicles, the hearing was told.\n\nAn officer standing to the front of the Audi then fired a single shot through the windscreen, which hit Mr Kaba in the head.\n\nHe was taken to hospital but died soon after midnight.\n\nThe IOPC previously said it was waiting on an external report it required in order to conclude its investigation and finalise its report.\n\nIt could then decide whether to refer a file of evidence to the Crown Prosecution Service for a charging decision.\n\nFollow BBC London on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. Send your story ideas to hellobbclondon@bbc.co.uk","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/uk-england-london-64982978"}
{"title":"Napoli v Eintracht Frankfurt: Football fans throw chairs at Naples riot police - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-16","authors":null,"description":"Eintracht Frankfurt fans clash with police in Italy ahead of a Champions League match - despite a ban on their attendance.","section":null,"content":"Eintracht Frankfurt fans have clashed with police in Italy ahead of their club's Champions League last-16 match against Napoli.\n\nFootage showed chairs being hurled at riot police, who had been responding with tear gas.\n\nNaples authorities had banned residents of the German city from buying tickets for the match, after violence during the first leg in Frankfurt.\n\nMore on this story: Eintracht fans clash with police before Napoli tie","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/world-europe-64970977"}
{"title":"World's first octopus farm proposals alarm scientists - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-16","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"Methods used on the Spanish farm would be \"cruel\" to such intelligent animals say experts, as details emerge.","section":"Science & Environment","content":"A plan to build the world's first octopus farm has raised deep concerns among scientists over the welfare of the famously intelligent creatures.\n\nThe farm in Spain's Canary Islands would raise about a million octopuses annually for food, according to confidential documents seen by the BBC.\n\nThey have never been intensively farmed and some scientists call the proposed icy water slaughtering method \"cruel.\"\n\nThe Spanish multinational behind the plans denies the octopuses will suffer.\n\nThe confidential planning proposal documents from the company, Nueva Pescanova, were given to the BBC by the campaign organisation Eurogroup for Animals.\n\nNueva Pescanova sent the proposal to the Canary Islands' General Directorate of Fishing, which has not responded to a BBC request for comment.\n\nOctopuses caught in the wild using pots, lines and traps are eaten all over the world, including in the Mediterranean and in Asia and Latin America.\n\nThe race to discover the secret to breeding them in captivity has been going on for decades. It's difficult as the larvae only eat live food and need a carefully controlled environment, but Nueva Pescanova announced in 2019 that it had made a scientific breakthrough.\n\nThe prospect of intensively farming octopus has already led to opposition: Lawmakers in the US state of Washington have proposed banning the practice before it even starts.\n\nNueva Pescanova's plans reveal that the octopuses, which are solitary animals used to the dark, would be kept in tanks with other octopuses, at times under constant light. The creatures - the species octopus vulgaris - would be housed in around 1,000 communal tanks in a two-storey building in the port of Las Palmas in Gran Canaria.\n\nThey would be killed by being put in containers of water kept at -3C, according to the documents.\n\nCurrently there are no welfare rules in place, as octopuses have never been commercially farmed before. However studies have shown that this method of slaughtering fish using 'ice slurry' causes a slow, stressful death. The World Organisation for Animal Health says it \"results in poor fish welfare\" and the Aquaculture Stewardship Council (ASC) - the leading farmed seafood certification scheme - is proposing a ban unless fish are stunned beforehand.\n\nSome supermarkets have already moved away from selling fish that have been killed using ice, including Tesco and Morrisons.\n\nProf. Peter Tse, a cognitive neuroscientist at Dartmouth University, told the BBC that \"to kill them with ice would be a slow death \u2026 it would be very cruel and should not be allowed.\"\n\nAdding that they were \"as intelligent as cats\" he suggested that a more humane way would be to kill them as many fishermen do, by clubbing them over the head.\n\nThe global octopus trade is now estimated to be worth more than \u00a32.2bn\n\nTo supply \"premium international markets\" including the US, South Korea and Japan, Nueva Pescanova wants to produce 3,000 tonnes of octopus a year. This equates to around one million animals, with some 10-15 octopuses living in each cubic metre of tank, according to campaign group Compassion in World Farming (CiWF), which has studied the plans.\n\nNueva Pescanova estimates in its documentation that there will be \"a mortality rate of 10-15%\".\n\nJonathan Birch, associate professor at the London School of Economics, led a review of more than 300 scientific studies which he says shows that octopuses feel pain and pleasure. It led to them being recognised as \"sentient beings\" in the UK's Animal Welfare (Sentience) Act 2022. Prof Birch and his co-authors believe that high-welfare octopus farming is \"impossible\" and that killing in ice slurry \"would not be an acceptable method of killing in a lab\".\n\n\"Large numbers of octopuses should never be kept together in close proximity. Doing this leads to stress, conflict and high mortality \u2026 A figure of 10-15% mortality should not be acceptable for any kind of farming.\"\n\nIn a statement to the BBC, Nueva Pescanova said: \"The levels of welfare requirements for the production of octopus or any other animal in our farming farms guarantee the correct handling of the animals. The slaughter, likewise, involves proper handling that avoids any pain or suffering to the animal ...\"\n\nIn the wild, octopuses are fiercely territorial agile hunters. Nueva Pescanova is proposing that the farmed animals be fed with industrially produced dry feed, sourced from \"discards and by-products\" of already-caught fish.\n\nThe tanks would be filled with seawater piped in from an adjacent bay. The tanks would be different sizes for the different phases of the octopuses' life, with the salinity and temperature closely controlled.\n\nThe initial brood of 100 octopuses - 70 males and 30 females - would be taken from a research facility, the Pescanova Biomarine Centre, in Galicia, northern Spain.\n\nThe plans state that the company has achieved a level of \"domestication\" in the species and that they do not \"show important signs of cannibalism or competition for food\".\n\nElena Lara from CiWF called on the Canary Islands authorities to block construction of the farm, which she said would \"inflict unnecessary suffering on these intelligent, sentient and fascinating creatures\".\n\nReineke Hameleers, CEO at Eurogroup for Animals added that the European Commission was currently reviewing its animal welfare legislation and had a \"real opportunity\" to \"avoid terrible suffering\".\n\nOctopuses are highly intelligent, and have been observed trying to escape from aquariums\n\nAlong with the welfare of the octopuses, CiWF has concerns around the wastewater produced by the farm, which would be pumped back into the sea. Octopuses produce nitrogen and phosphates as waste. \"The water entering and leaving the plant will be filtered so that it will have no impact on the environment,\" Nueva Pescanova told the BBC.\n\nAround 350,000 tonnes of octopus are caught each year - more than 10 times the number caught in 1950 - which is putting pressure on populations. Nueva Pescanova stated that \"aquaculture is the solution to ensuring a sustainable yield\" and that it would \"repopulate the octopus species in the future.\" However conservationists believe farming them would lower the price, potentially creating new markets.\n\nNueva Pescanova emphasised to the BBC that it dedicated \"great efforts to promote responsible and sustainable performance throughout the value chain to ensure that best practices are adopted.\"\n\nThe government of Gran Canaria has not responded to a request for information.\n\nPeople in London march against octopus farming - there have been protests in other countries\n\u2022 None The world's first octopus farm - should it go ahead?","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/science-environment-64814781"}
{"title":"Maghaberry Prison: Daniel McConville's death prompts call for changes - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-16","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"Daniel McConville died in 2018 shortly after he warned prison staff that he intended to self-harm.","section":"Northern Ireland","content":"Daniel McConville, a father of two, died in jail on 30 August 2018\n\nA report into the death of a 22-year-old prisoner has called for improvement in how people with complex needs are assessed and managed while in jail.\n\nDaniel McConville died in Maghaberry Prison in 2018, shortly after he warned staff that he intended to self-harm.\n\nThe prison ombudsman investigated after Mr McConville's family raised concerns about his treatment in custody.\n\nBut the ombudsman said she found no evidence to suggest Mr McConville was assaulted or bullied by prison staff.\n\n\"The care provided by the Prison Service was appropriate based on the information and knowledge available to prison officers,\" the report by Prisoner Ombudsman Lesley Carroll concluded.\n\nHowever, she added that prison staff managing Mr McConville on a day-to-day basis were \"unaware of much of his background\" and she has made recommendations to improve the supervision and care of inmates with neurodevelopmental disabilities.\n\nThe prisoner, who had 80 previous convictions, had a documented history of self-harm, drug abuse and depression.\n\nHe had been prescribed anti-depressants, but was without access to this medication on three occasions in jail and it was not present in his body at the time of his death.\n\nDuring his early childhood, Mr McConville was also diagnosed with a learning difficulty and Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD).\n\nThe ombudsman's report pointed out \"there is no specific service for those with ADHD\" within the prison system.\n\n\"I am concerned that the needs of those who face multiple challenges in their lives, including multiple low-level health diagnoses, could be better addressed while they are in custody,\" Ms Carroll said.\n\nUsing prison records, her report documents the events leading up to the night of 29\/30 August 2018, when Maghaberry staff found Mr McConville unresponsive in his cell.\n\nFollowing a number of short stays in custody throughout his youth, he was charged with burglary and theft in June 2018 and was remanded in custody.\n\nDuring a 70-day detention period, Mr McConville had several health assessments and moved cells seven times.\n\nHe also had altercations with other inmates, lost privileges after breaking prison rules and complained that he had been assaulted by prison staff.\n\n\"Based on materials examined as part of this investigation and the significant number of interviews conducted, I was not able to substantiate the allegations made of mistreatment and bullying,\" the ombudsman concluded.\n\n\"It seems more likely that, at least in part, Mr McConville's behaviour was challenging for prison staff who had very little understanding or knowledge of his underlying conditions.\"\n\nHowever, her report also noted at the time of his death, the prisoner was being managed under the Supporting People At Risk (SPAR) process and was therefore considered as being at \"increased risk\" of self-harm and suicide.\n\nShe added that the evidence suggested that Mr McConville had not taken his prescribed anti-depressant medication for at least a week prior to his death and that this \"also put him at an elevated risk of suicide\".\n\nMaghaberry Prison is a high-security men's jail which holds both sentenced and remand prisoners\n\nOn 28 August 2018 - the day before Mr McConville was found unresponsive in his cell - he alleged he was being bullied by staff on the landing of Erne House.\n\nHe threatened to cut himself if he was not moved from his cell and, as a result, a senior prison officer interviewed him and opened a SPAR.\n\nThis action required staff to observe Mr McConville every 30 minutes.\n\nThe following day, the prisoner appeared in court via video-link to apply for release on bail.\n\nThe court refused, because no bail address could be secured for him.\n\nHe returned to his cell and prison records state that checks were carried out exactly every 30 minutes from 21:05 until he was found unresponsive at 23:04.\n\nAn ambulance and fire fighters were called but Mr McConville was pronounced dead shortly after midnight on 30 August.\n\nAn inquest into the cause of his death is pending.\n\nThe ombudsman's report contains five recommendations, including a suggestion of better communication between the police and prison services about the progress of investigations into prison assaults.\n\nShe also recommended that prison staff and health workers should access training on neurodevelopmental disabilities including ADHD to \"inform practice in response to behaviour and presentation of individuals in custody\".\n\n\"While I have found that Mr McConville's care was within standards, I am also convinced that there is considerable work to be done to ensure that the notion of rehabilitation is a reality for young men such as Mr McConville\", she concluded.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/uk-northern-ireland-64957131"}
{"title":"Childcare costs put parents off having more children - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-16","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"Parents say they are putting off having more children due to nursery and childcare fees in Wales.","section":"Wales","content":"Danny Carter said he and his partner have delayed having a second baby due to childcare costs\n\nChildcare costs in Wales have priced some parents out of work and stopped them from having more children.\n\nThe Welsh government is under pressure to bring its childcare plans into line with the UK government's in England.\n\nParents there will get up to 30 hours a week of free childcare for children as young as nine months from 2025.\n\nIn Wales, this is for three and four-year-olds, but a minister said the Welsh government was \"rolling out\" an expansion to include two-year-olds.\n\nDanny Carter, a climbing centre manager in Cardiff, said he worried \"constantly\" about paying for childcare.\n\n\"Our budget is a lot tighter than it's ever been, but we're earning more than we've ever earnt,\" he said.\n\nThe 32-year-old said he and his partner had recently got \"significantly\" higher paying jobs, but as it meant more days in nursery for their two-year old son, ended up much worse off.\n\nThey have gone from paying \u00a3200 a month for one day a week to \u00a3900.\n\n\"It's a lot of money, it's a lot more than our mortgage - it's our biggest expenditure by far,\" he said.\n\nAccording to children's charity Coram, childcare prices have risen faster on average in Wales than in England and Scotland - with 50 hours a week for children under two up more than 4% since 2021.\n\nMr Carter said his son's nursery had recently announced that fees would go up from \u00a363 to \u00a370 per day from April.\n\n\"There's no treats anymore, we're living hand to mouth,\" he added.\n\n\"It shouldn't be the case. We're earning \u00a360,000 between us. We shouldn't be so skint and worrying if we can afford food one week or next.\n\n\"We can't plan on having a second child now until our son is three years old and eligible for free childcare and the money worries ease up a bit.\n\n\"It's an enforced age gap, we've always wanted to have more children, but we couldn't afford to have another kid now without some more support.\"\n\nLiz Jeffries has two children - Dylan, eight, and Elsie, two\n\nEducation and childcare are devolved, so any potential changes to childcare support in Wales will be a matter for the Welsh government.\n\nFinance Minister Rebecca Evans said the Welsh government had already budgeted for an extra 4,500 families with two-year olds to receive free childcare hours next year.\n\nThe Welsh government is set to receive an additional \u00a3180m after Chancellor Jeremy Hunt announced plans to expand free childcare hours in England.\n\nMs Evans added: \"Obviously we want to do more in this space. The question is, will we have enough funding to move further and over what period?\"\n\nShe said ministers would need to sit down and \"look at the figures\" to work out if there could be any further expansion to free childcare in Wales.\n\nLiz Jeffries, 38, has wanted to pick up more hours at work since her daughter, Elsie, turned two last year.\n\nLiz Jeffries has had to turn down extra work because she would end up worse off\n\nBut the mother-of-two, who works part-time as an administration manager for an estate agent in Abergavenny, Monmouthshire, said she would only take home about \u00a35 a day extra after she accounted for childcare.\n\n\"I really wanted to do it, but my decision [to turn down the work] was purely based on financial reasons.\n\n\"Childcare is just so expensive. The situation irritates me because I know I can give more to my current employer but I'm being held back by the childcare system.\n\n\"I do worry it will affect my career progression because I'm not here as much.\"\n\nMs Jeffries said her daughter would qualify for the Welsh government's existing 30-hour free childcare scheme from September, but more help was needed.\n\nShe added: \"From other people I've talked to about this as well, there's a lot of people out there, all parents, who are being offered more work but can't take it up because of childcare.\"","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/uk-wales-64964543"}
{"title":"Megan Newborough: Murdered woman's family stunned by sentence decision - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-16","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"The 23-year-old's family say her killer deserves a longer jail term before he is considered for release.","section":"Leicester","content":"The family of a young woman murdered by her boyfriend has said he should serve longer in prison before being considered for parole.\n\nRoss McCullam was jailed for life in December for killing 23-year-old Megan Newborough and told he would serve at least 23 years before being considered for release.\n\nThe Court of Appeal rejected a bid by the solicitor general to increase his sentence on Tuesday.\n\nHer family said they were stunned.\n\nMcCullam, 30, and Ms Newborough were colleagues who had been in a short relationship before he invited her to his home in Windsor Close, Coalville, Leicestershire, on 6 August 2021.\n\nHe strangled her and slashed her throat with a knife before driving to a remote rural location and hiding her body in undergrowth.\n\nHe then lied to police to try to cover up what he had done.\n\nMcCullam strangled Ms Newborough in the living room of his home\n\nMcCullam admitted the manslaughter of Ms Newborough, from Nuneaton, Warwickshire, but denied murdering her.\n\nHe claimed he lost control of himself when he attacked her during an episode of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), triggered by abuse he suffered as a child.\n\nThe jury convicted him of murder after a six-week trial.\n\nA judge jailed him for life beginning his sentence consideration at 15 years before parole and adding eight for aggravating factors such as McCullam's cover-up.\n\nAt Tuesday's Court of Appeal hearing, lawyers for Solicitor General Michael Tomlinson argued McCullam should serve a minimum of 30 years before parole because the murder involved sexual conduct.\n\nThey said McCullam had expressed violent sexual fantasies in messages to Ms Newborough \"which she did not share\" in the weeks before he killed her.\n\nThey also said McCullam searched for violent killers on the internet and watched pornography in the hours after the murder.\n\nHowever the appeal judges said they were \"not persuaded that there is any basis in which it can be said that the judge fell into error\" and upheld the original sentence.\n\nMs Newborough's father Anthony told the BBC: \"We had found a sense of justice when a cold, calculated killer was brought to justice for taking our daughter from us and convicted for murder in December last year.\n\n\"We went [to the Court of Appeal] optimistic that we had a hearing and some confidence that, having got that far, the sentence would be increased.\n\n\"We were left very upset, stunned and shell-shocked that the sentence remained the same.\n\n\"The sentence guidelines need to be changed as 15 years as a starting point for murder in comparison to other crimes is far too low for taking someone's life.\"\n\nMs Newborough's family said she was sensible and safety-conscious\n\nMr Newborough added: \"We want to keep Megan's name in the public domain to ensure that other girls and young women do not suffer a similar fate and to ensure that those causing untold harm will face the punishment they deserve.\n\n\"There is not a day that goes by when we are not thinking about Megan in one way or another.\n\n\"We would like to thank our family and friends for all their continued support.\"\n\nHe said the family was considering options for campaigning to change the sentencing guidelines.\n\nFollow BBC East Midlands on Facebook, on Twitter, or on Instagram. Send your story ideas to eastmidsnews@bbc.co.uk.\n\nThe BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/uk-england-leicestershire-64969016"}
{"title":"Vote to be held on eradicating all Uist estate's deer - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-16","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"A call for a cull in South Uist follows concerns about the spread of Lyme disease from infected deer ticks.","section":"Highlands & Islands","content":"A vote is to be held on whether all the red deer on a community-owned estate in the Western Isles should be culled.\n\nSome residents of 93,000-acre South Uist Estate have raised concerns about Lyme disease, which can be spread to humans from infected deer tick bites.\n\nSouth Uist has among the worst rates of the disease in the Western Isles.\n\nThe board of community company St\u00f2ras Uibhist, which manages the estate and would oversee the cull of 1,200 deer, believes the action to be unnecessary.\n\nIt said the animal's population could be reduced through targeted culls.\n\nBut about 200 members of St\u00f2ras Uibhist have signed a petition calling for the removal of all the estate's deer. The vote next week could involve up to 870 people.\n\nAs well as concerns around the disease, there have been complaints about grazing on croft land and the damage the deer do to woodland, gardens and other property.\n\nSt\u00f2ras Uibhist said it recognised deer numbers had been too high, adding that it had taken action to tackle the problem.\n\nA spokesman said: \"We believe eradication is unnecessary and would be economically damaging both to the estate directly and also to the wider community.\"\n\nThere have been concerns around incidence of Lyme disease for a number of years.\n\nThe bacterial infection can cause neurological problems and joint pain if left untreated.\n\nResearch carried out by several organisations, including NHS Western Isles, suggested the Western Isles had a far higher recorded incidence of Lyme disease in its population than elsewhere in Scotland.\n\nIslander Tommy MacDonald said ticks had become a growing problem.\n\nHe said: \"We have seen a huge increase in the numbers of ticks.\n\n\"When I was younger we used to only see ticks when shearing sheep or after a walk on the hills. But in recent years you could pick up a tick even in people's gardens.\"\n\nLocal vet David Buckland said he hoped people would understand the need for a large-scale cull, saying the risks posed by Lyme disease to islanders were \"very, very real\".\n\nBut among those arguing against eradication is Alasdair Moffat, who has Lyme disease and had to have a pacemaker fitted because the infection affected his heart.\n\nMr Moffat said deer management provided jobs for young people in South Uist.\n\nAnother islander Rory MacGillivray, a gamekeeper with 40 years experience, said the situation had come to a head because St\u00f2ras Uibhist had not managed deer numbers properly in recent years.\n\nHe said a mass cull would pose the community company with a \"horrendously large task\".\n\nThe Scottish Gamekeepers Association has also warned such a large-scale cull would be expensive, and has argued the deer densities on the estate were below Scottish government guidelines.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/uk-scotland-highlands-islands-64964575"}
{"title":"SNP leader candidates call for 'robust' audit of vote system - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-16","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"Teams for Kate Forbes and Ash Regan believe party members and the public need reassurance over the ballot.","section":"Scotland","content":"Two of the three candidates vying to be leader of the SNP want an independent auditor to oversee the leadership vote.\n\nKate Forbes' campaign manager, MSP Michelle Thomson, said concerns had been raised about the integrity of the ballot process.\n\nAsh Regan said an auditor would provide transparency to party members and the public.\n\nThe SNP has so far refused to say how many party members will be able to take part in the leadership vote.\n\nThat is despite all three candidates in the contest - Ms Forbes, Ms Regan and Health Secretary Humza Yousaf - calling on it to do so.\n\nThe SNP's national secretary, Lorna Finn, has written to the candidates to address their concerns about transparency.\n\nShe said it was not clear to her what their concerns were, but she was \"satisfied as to the integrity of the ballot\".\n\nThe ballot, she said, is being managed by an independent company, Mi-Voice, which the SNP has used for internal contests since 2013.\n\n\"No-one in HQ has access to live data from the ballot or any Mi-Voice systems, and no-one will know the result until it is provided to me by Mi-Voice on 27 March,\" the national secretary wrote.\n\nFirst Minister Nicola Sturgeon told the BBC she also had no doubts about the integrity of the voting system.\n\nSNP president Michael Russell said he has told Ms Finn that he supports publishing the membership figures, but has said he was \"disgusted by the abuse directed at SNP staff by individuals who damage our cause and aid our enemies\".\n\nThe national secretary said she had asked the SNP's executive committee to release the membership figures on Thursday.\n\nThe party had previously said it would only make the figure public after the result of the vote is announced on 27 March, but senior SNP sources are understood to be confident publication will be brought forward.\n\nThe SNP said its membership had reached 125,000 by 2019, but the Electoral Commission put the figure at 104,000 two years later.\n\nThe Mail on Sunday reported that Southampton-based polling firm Mi-Voice, which is overseeing the leadership vote, had been given the names of just 78,000 members by the SNP.\n\nMs Regan has called for transparency in an open letter, also written on behalf of Ms Forbes, to SNP chief executive officer Peter Murrell - who is the husband of Ms Sturgeon.\n\nMr Murrell was urged to clarify how many \"paid-up\" members the party has, and the number of digital and postal voting papers that have been released.\n\nIt is widely believed that Mr Yousaf is the preferred candidate of Ms Sturgeon and the wider party hierarchy, with Ms Regan previously claiming that his supporters were being \"bussed in\" to hustings events by SNP HQ.\n\nCandidate Humza Yousaf has also asked for clarity over party membership\n\nMs Regan told BBC Scotland she would like to see the appointment of an independent election monitor to ensure the vote is fair.\n\n\"My concern is that the membership of the SNP and the country need to have full transparency and honesty in the process,\" she said.\n\n\"So the fact that all the teams haven't been given something as simple as the number of members in the SNP is obviously a concern.\"\n\nMs Thomson, who is supporting Ms Forbes, said some concerns that had been raised about the ballot were \"based on hearsay or are from bad faith actors\".\n\nHowever others had been expressed by longstanding party members, she added.\n\nShe said she had written two letters to the party's national secretary but had not yet had a response.\n\nMichelle Thomson confirmed she had asked for the appointment of an independent auditor\n\nIn a statement Ms Thomson said: \"There seems to be a perception that the third party company operating the ballot process is a) independent and b) are responsible for the entire process.\n\n\"This is not the case - they are simply a company contracted by the SNP to provide services to their client's specification. This is entirely different.\n\n\"The SNP themselves remain ultimately accountable and responsible for many of the processes, oversight and ultimate integrity of the ballot.\"\n\nMs Thomson said the fact that questions were being asked could only further undermine trust in headquarters.\n\n\"This is not a position I wish to see,\" she said. \"We all agree that the party must unify around any newly elected leader.\n\n\"I have asked that the SNP appoint a robust, experienced, third-party auditor of both the ballot processes and the eventual tally of the vote. This third party must have full oversight of all membership numbers, data and processes.\n\n\"This should be done without delay.\"\n\nHowever SNP MP Gavin Newlands dismissed the statement by Ms Thomson, tweeting that he could not believe \"this Trumpian nonsense has now hit my own party\".\n\nHe insisted the vote was being carried out by \"a highly regarded and independent third party\".\n\nHumza Yousaf's team said they would be happy for the SNP to provide whatever reassurances are required but added that the way in which the ballot is being questioned would be very upsetting for party members.\n\nThis leadership contest continues to cause headaches for the SNP.\n\nNicola Sturgeon's resignation was a blow in the first place.\n\nMany of the first minister's opponents were relieved that a politician who had delivered a string of landslide election victories for her party was leaving the stage.\n\nPlenty of her supporters worried that her departure was an implicit admission that Scottish independence could not be delivered any time soon.\n\nNow the race to succeed Ms Sturgeon is posing further problems.\n\nDivisions on economics and social issues, as well as on tactics and the party's record in government, have been exposed for all to see and for rivals to exploit.\n\nIt's also clear that many backers of Kate Forbes and Ash Regan are deeply suspicious about the manner in which the party hierarchy appears to be swinging behind Humza Yousaf.\n\nTheir calls for transparency about the election process have already been dismissed on Twitter by one SNP MP, Gavin Newlands, as \"Trumpian nonsense\" and fake news.\n\nIf senior party figures join the MP for Paisley and Renfrewshire North in rubbishing the concerns of Ms Forbes and Ms Regan, the distrust - and the pain - for the SNP could become even worse.\n\nMs Sturgeon, who said she expected the party to publish figures on the number of eligible voters on Thursday, told reported she had \"100% confidence in the integrity\" of the voting system.\n\nSpeaking to BBC Scotland, she said: \"There's been one specific issue raised by candidates that I think the NEC has been right to look at again.\n\n\"Beyond that, as far as I can tell, there are no specific concerns being raised. It's a general concern and I don't think that general concern is justified.\"\n\nShe said candidates to succeed her \"should remember that the task is to retain the trust of the Scottish people\".\n\nAn SNP spokesperson previously told BBC Scotland that the candidates had been told \"responsibility for the leadership election does not rest with any member of staff\".\n\nDeputy First Minister John Swinney said he did not know how many members the party has, adding: \"I quite understand why people would want to know that data at this stage rather than at the end of the process.\"\n\nWestminster leader Stephen Flynn told BBC Scotland on Tuesday he had \"no idea\", adding: \"I think the last time I heard it was about 100,000.\"\n\nEarlier in the campaign, the party's national executive committee was at the centre of a row over blocking media access to party hustings events for the leadership contest - a decision that was reversed.\n\nThe ballot to find a replacement for Ms Sturgeon, which uses the single transferable vote system, opened on Monday with the winner to be announced on 27 March.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/uk-scotland-64972800"}
{"title":"France pension protests: Clashes after Macron orders rise in pension age without vote - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-16","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"France's president has sidelined MPs and forced through plans to raise the pension age from 62 to 64.","section":"Europe","content":"This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Watch: Uproar on the streets of Paris and jeers in parliament over retirement age increase\n\nPolice in Paris have clashed with protesters after the French government decided to force through pension reforms without a vote in parliament.\n\nCrowds converged on Place de la Concorde in response to raising the retirement age from 62 to 64.\n\nThe plans had sparked two months of heated political debate and strikes.\n\nFinally, Prime Minister \u00c9lisabeth Borne invoked article 49:3 of the constitution - allowing the government to avoid a vote in the Assembly.\n\nThe decision was taken minutes before MPs were scheduled to vote on the controversial bill, because there was no guarantee of winning a majority.\n\nThe move caused fury among opposition politicians. Many jeered the prime minister, sang La Marseillaise and held up signs of protest in parliament.\n\nA no-confidence motion was filed against President Emmanuel Macron's government on Friday by a group of opposition parties.\n\nLeader of left-wing party La France Insoumise (LFI), Mathilde Panot, tweeted that Mr Macron had plunged the country into a government crisis, without parliamentary or popular legitimacy.\n\nThousands of people came out on the streets of Paris and other French cities to reject the move, singing the national anthem and waving trade union flags.\n\nSome protesters clashed with police as evening fell. A fire was lit in the middle of the Place de la Concorde and police with shields and batons fired tear gas and moved to clear the square.\n\nBy nightfall, 120 people had been arrested, Paris police told AFP news agency.\n\nBut unions vowed to maintain their opposition to the pension changes, with the Conf\u00e9d\u00e9ration G\u00e9n\u00e9rale du Travail (CGT) saying another day of strikes and demonstrations was being planned for Thursday 23 March.\n\nThe constitutional procedure that has prompted all this anger may sound obscure, but it is very much part of the political vocabulary in France.\n\nEven though Mr Macron was re-elected last year on a platform of retirement reforms, his ruling coalition has no majority in the Assembly and would have needed support from the Republicans party to pass the pension changes.\n\nOfficials from Mr Macron's Renaissance party spent the morning desperately whipping members into line in a bid to pass their bill.\n\nThey knew some of their MPs could vote against or abstain, faced with the evident unpopularity of the bill, so they resorted to special constitutional powers.\n\nBut whenever a government invokes the 49:3, it can be sure it will be accused straight away of riding roughshod over the will of the people.\n\nIn fact, it has been used precisely 100 times in the more than 60 years of the Fifth Republic, and by governments of all shades.\n\nObviously, it tends to be used more frequently by governments that do not have an in-built majority in parliament, such as the socialist Michel Rocard's in the 1980s and \u00c9lisabeth Borne's today.\n\nShe has in fact already used it several times, but those occasions were for public finance bills which were less controversial.\n\nUse of the procedure is a way to bypass a vote which might be lost, but the down side for the government is that the opposition parties can immediately table a vote of no-confidence.\n\nIf these are voted through, the government falls. That is a theoretical possibility now, but unlikely, because it would mean the far-right, the left and much of the conservative opposition all coming together.\n\nThe dispute once again makes France look unreformable. By comparison with other countries in Europe, the change to the pension age is far from dramatic.\n\nBut the bill is regularly described by opponents as \"brutal\", \"inhuman\" and \"degrading\".\n\nMorale in France is low and getting lower, and people see retirement as a bright spot in the future. But many feel that this is a rich man's government taking even that away.\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/world-europe-64984374"}
{"title":"Snapchat killer found guilty of murdering Kyle Walley - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-16","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"Mark Jones, 20, posted footage of his 19-year-old victim online after stabbing him with a knife.","section":"Wales","content":"A man who stabbed his friend in the heart and posted videos of his dead body on Snapchat has been found guilty of murder.\n\nKyle Walley, 19, died on his kitchen floor in Rhosymedre, Wrexham, on 11 July 2021.\n\nA video filmed just before the fatal attack and posted on Snapchat was shown to jurors at Mold Crown Court.\n\nMark Jones, 20, of Chester Road, Wrexham, denied murder but was found guilty.\n\nThe Snapchat footage showed Jones drinking cider and bourbon at Mr Walley's flat and making stabbing motions towards him while his back was turned.\n\nHe also posted videos from the flat saying he was \"thinking of stabbing someone up right now\".\n\nJones also sent phone messages to Mr Walley the day before his death, which included an image of himself with a cartoon knife and the message \"I'm going to stab you up tomorrow\".\n\nMold Crown Court heard during the trial how Jones had an \"obsession\" with knives.\n\nThe court was also shown videos, which were posted online, of Mr Walley lying dead while the defendant kicked him.\n\nIn another, where Jones showed his bloodstained hands to the camera, he said he had \"stabbed up\" Mr Walley and was \"going to do time\".\n\nConcerned friends who saw the videos called police.\n\nProsecutor John Philpotts said a friend of Kyle Walley, Attia Jones was on the phone with him just before he was attacked, heard him shouting \"put the knife down\".\n\nShe then heard screaming, and Mr Jones shouting that he was sorry, and \"it's my ADHD\".\n\nMr Walley had expected to watch the Euro 2020 final between England and Italy with Jones, whom he considered to be his friend.\n\nJones arrived at Mr Walley's flat at lunchtime but shortly before 17:00 BST, before the game had even started, Mr Walley had been stabbed to death.\n\nGiving evidence during the trial, Jones said he had acted in self defence because Kyle Walley had come at him with the knife.\n\nHe claimed he had grabbed the knife and struck his friend to \"get him away from me\".\n\nMr Justice Stephen Eyre told Jones the sentence would be one of life imprisonment.\n\nHe will be sentenced on Friday, when the judge will determine the minimum term he will serve in custody.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/uk-wales-64974896"}
{"title":"Moody's warns of more pain for US banks as downgrades sector - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-16","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"The ratings giant warns of a 'rapid deterioration in the operating environment' for US banks.","section":"Business","content":"This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Is this the start of a financial crisis?\n\nRatings giant Moody's has warned of more pain ahead for the US banking system after a run on deposits led to the collapse of Silicon Valley Bank.\n\nMoody's cut its outlook for the sector to \"negative\" from stable, warning of \"a rapid deterioration in the operating environment\".\n\nThe downgrade came as banking shares in the US and Europe rebounded following earlier losses.\n\nBut Moody's said some other banks faced risks of customer withdrawals.\n\nIt said rising interest rates also pose a challenge, exposing banks that bought assets such as government bonds when interest rates were low, to potential losses.\n\n\"Banks with substantial unrealized securities losses and with non-retail and uninsured US depositors may still be more sensitive to depositor competition or ultimate flight,\" Moody's said in the report.\n\n\"We expect pressures to persist and be exacerbated by ongoing monetary policy tightening, with interest rates likely to remain higher for longer until inflation returns to within the Fed's target range.\"\n\nAuthorities have acted quickly to try to contain fallout after the shock collapse of Silicon Valley Bank (SVB), the 16th largest in the US.\n\nThe firm, a key lender to technology firms, failed last week after a rush of customer withdrawals, sparked by the bank's disclosure that it needed to raise money and had been forced to sell a portfolio of assets, mostly government bonds, at a loss.\n\nUS regulators took over the bank and said they would guarantee deposits beyond the $250,000 level typically insured by the government. They took similar steps at smaller Signature Bank.\n\nOfficials from the Department of Justice and Securities and Exchange Commission are now investigating the collapse, US media reported.\n\nReports have suggested that some customers of smaller US banks have been trying to put their money into bigger institutions.\n\nHowever, ratings agency S&P Global said it hadn't seen evidence of runs on banks other than at those that had collapsed.\n\nIt said emergency measures brought in by the Federal Reserve should lower the risk of bank customers losing confidence.\n\nHowever, it added that \"conditions remain fluid\" and \"some banks are showing greater signs of stress than others\", including First Republic bank.\n\nAnalysts expect the turmoil in the financial system sparked by the failures to lead the Fed to slow or pause its rate rises when it meets next week.\n\nThat view gained traction on Tuesday after the latest inflation report showed prices in the US up 6% in the 12 months to February, in line with expectations, helping to boost shares.\n\nAs trading began on Tuesday, San Francisco-based First Republic Bank - which had seen its share price tank by 62% on Monday - jumped more than 50%, one of a number of firms whose shares were staging a recovery. It ultimately closed roughly 30% higher.\n\nThe three main stock indexes also climbed, with the Dow up 1%, the S&P 500 climbing 1.7% and the Nasdaq ending the day more than 2% higher.\n\nIn the UK, bank shares - which saw sharp falls on Monday - were all mostly higher by Tuesday afternoon. The FTSE 100 ended up roughly 1.2%.\n\nThe European Stoxx banking index also opened lower on Tuesday but then recovered to end nearly 3% higher.\n\nBut shares in HSBC, which rescued SVB's UK business for \u00a31, closed down 1%, and there were steep losses overnight in Japan, where major lenders such as the country's largest bank MUFG, saw their share prices tumble by more than 8%.\n\nAn index of Japanese banking stocks, known as the Topix Banks Index, plunged by 7.4%, despite reassurances from the Bank of Japan (BoJ).\n\n\"Japanese financial institutions' direct exposure to Silicon Valley Bank is small, and thus the impact is likely limited,\" said a BoJ official.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/business-64949786"}
{"title":"Lineker thought he had special BBC Twitter agreement - agent - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-16","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"The football presenter believed he was allowed to tweet about refugee rights, his representative says.","section":"UK","content":"Gary Lineker thought he had a \"special agreement\" with the BBC's director general to tweet about refugees and immigration, his agent has said.\n\nIn a piece in the New Statesman, Jon Holmes has described the crisis talks held with BBC bosses during last week's stand-off.\n\nHe said he warned them that suspending Lineker could be damaging, hours before a staff walk-out began.\n\nThe BBC apologised for the disruption and will review its social media rules.\n\nOn last week's row, Mr Holmes said: \"Gary Lineker, with whom I've worked since 1980, had tweeted about the policy, reiterating his support for refugees.\n\n\"Gary takes a passionate interest in refugees and immigration and, as he saw it, had a special agreement with Tim Davie, the BBC's director general, to tweet about these issues.\"\n\nHe said social media guidelines for some BBC staff were \"a bit vague\", but said his client \"assiduously avoids\" appearing on political programmes.\n\nMr Holmes said Lineker asked him to \"sort it out\" when the row first erupted, and \"initial contact with various BBC staff hadn't produced a result\".\n\nLineker was then suspended over the tweet, in which he called the government's new asylum policy \"immeasurably cruel\" and said the language used around it was \"not dissimilar to that used by Germany in the 30s\".\n\nHis suspension sparked a boycott by presenters which severely impacted football coverage for two days.\n\nThe BBC confirmed it had asked Lineker to step back from his TV duties in a statement last Friday.\n\n\"We have never said that Gary should be an opinion-free zone, or that he can't have a view on issues that matter to him, but we have said that he should keep well away from taking sides on party political issues or political controversies,\" the statement read.\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser.\n\nA meeting with BBC executives last Friday \"didn't achieve much\", Mr Holmes wrote. His warning that taking Lineker off air \"would not be helpful\" was not heeded, he added.\n\nLineker will return to screens this weekend after the row was resolved. An independent review of social media rules at the BBC was also announced.\n\nBBC director general Tim Davie has said he is committed to looking at how the corporation's impartiality guidelines apply to freelance staff, acknowledging there are \"grey areas\".\n\nAfter the agreement with Lineker was reached, Mr Davie apologised to licence fee payers and BBC employees, acknowledging \"this has been a difficult period for staff\".\n\nHe denied his deal to get the presenter back on air was a \"climbdown\", telling BBC News: \"I've always said we needed to take proportionate action.\n\n\"For some people, by the way, we've taken too severe action... others think we're being too lenient.\"\n\nLineker won't return to Match of the Day this weekend as he was already scheduled to miss the show. Instead, he'll be presenting the BBC's live coverage of Manchester City v Burnley in the FA Cup on Saturday afternoon.\n\nDame Melanie Dawes, the chief executive of broadcast regulator Ofcom, said the row goes \"straight to the heart\" of the BBC's wider reputation.\n\nBBC executives \"need to be weighing freedom of expression alongside the wide reputation they have for impartiality,\" she told the Digital, Culture, Media and Sport Committee earlier this week.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/uk-64976007"}
{"title":"Lola James' injuries like those of car crash victim - court - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-16","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"Doctor said head trauma Lola James had when she died was probably the result of abuse.","section":"Wales","content":"Lola James died at the Noah's Ark children's hospital on 21 July, 2020\n\nCatastrophic head injuries suffered by a toddler were like those caused by high speed car crashes, a court heard.\n\nDr Deborah Stalker told Swansea Crown Court head trauma Lola James had when she died on 21 July 2020 was probably the result of abuse.\n\nKyle Bevan, 31, denies murdering the two-year-old four months after moving in with her mother Sinead James, 30.\n\nMs James denies causing or allowing her daughter's death at the family home in Haverfordwest, Pembrokeshire.\n\nDr Stalker, a paediatrician, said she didn't think there was a part of Lola, who had 101 external injuries, that was not bruised.\n\nMr Bevan, from Aberystwyth, Ceredigion, claimed the family's American bulldog, Jessie, caused Lola's injuries by pushing her down the stairs.\n\nDr Stalker said: \"In my opinion Lola's severe and extensive injuries cannot be explained by a fall down the stairs.\n\n\"Physical abuse is the most likely cause. A stair fall does not explain the catastrophic and extensive injuries to the head with bleeding to both eyes.\"\n\nShe told the court such injuries were associated with physical abuse.\n\nLola's mother Sinead James is charged with causing or allowing her daughter's death\n\nDr Stalker said: \"An extensive subdural haemorrhage is usually the result of a high velocity road traffic collision where a child is thrown from the collision, or a fall from a great height, such as a fall from a balcony or bedroom window of more than 10 feet.\"\n\nBruising such as Lola had to her ears was rarely the result of an accident, the court heard.\n\n\"It is usually the result of a direct blow, not one from a fall,\" Dr Stalker said.\n\nShe added that injuries like those on Lola's neck were rarely caused accidentally but could have resulted from strangulation.\n\nDr Stalker said it was unlikely Lola's bruises could have been caused accidentally and that their large size was unusual.\n\nA lot of them were of a kind normally caused by gripping and often associated with abuse.\n\n\"Injuries to the neck are also very unlikely to be caused by accident and can be caused by strangulation,\" she said.\n\n\"The whole picture of Lola's head injuries led me to conclude they were caused by abusive head trauma.\"\n\nThe court heard shaking was the most likely cause of Lola's brain injuries.\n\nDr Stalker said injuries to Lola's back and legs were extensive and caused by a forceful blow.\n\n\"It looks like three or four blows with a weapon,\" she said.\n\nDr Stalker said she could find no medical reason to explain Lola's injuries.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/uk-wales-64980577"}
{"title":"TikTok: UK ministers banned from using Chinese-owned app on government phones - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-16","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"Ministers fear sensitive data is at risk - but TikTok denies handing information to Chinese government.","section":"UK Politics","content":"British government ministers have been banned from using Chinese-owned social media app TikTok on their work phones and devices on security grounds.\n\nThe government fears sensitive data held on official phones could be accessed by the Chinese government.\n\nCabinet Minister Oliver Dowden said the ban was a \"precautionary\" move but would come into effect immediately.\n\nTikTok has strongly denied allegations that it hands users' data to the Chinese government.\n\nTheo Bertram, the app's vice-president of government relations and public policy in Europe, told the BBC it believed the decision was based on \"more on geopolitics than anything else\".\n\n\"We asked to be judged not on the fears that people have, but on the facts,\" he added.\n\nThe Chinese embassy in London said the move was motivated by politics \"rather than facts\" and would \"undermine the confidence of the international community in the UK's business environment\".\n\nMr Dowden said he would not advise the public against using TikTok, but they should always \"consider each social media platform's data policies before downloading and using them\".\n\nPrime Minister Rishi Sunak had been under pressure from senior MPs to follow the US and the European Union in barring the video-sharing app from official government devices.\n\nBut government departments - and individual ministers - have embraced TikTok as a way of getting their message out to younger people.\n\nUse of the app has exploded in recent years, with 3.5 billion downloads worldwide.\n\nIts success comes from how easy it is to record short videos with music and fun filters, but also from its algorithm which is good at serving up videos which appeal to individual users.\n\nIt is able to do this because it gathers a lot of information on users - including their age, location, device and even their typing rhythms - while its cookies track their activity elsewhere on the internet.\n\nUS-based social media sites also do this but TikTok's Chinese parent company ByteDance has faced claims of being influenced by Beijing.\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser.\n\nDowning Street - which last posted a TikTok video of Larry the Cat predicting football results - said it would continue to use TikTok to get the government's message out. It said there were exemptions to the ban under some circumstances.\n\nSome politicians are also reluctant to give up the TikTok habit, despite the security warnings.\n\nCabinet minister Grant Shapps - an enthusiastic TikTokker - reacted to the ban by posting a clip from the film, Wolf Of Wall Street, in which Leonardo DiCaprio, playing a New York stockbroker, uses a series of expletives and declares: \"The show goes on\".\n\nMr Shapps called the ban \"sensible\", but added: \"I've never used TikTok on government devices and can hereby confirm I will NOT be leaving TikTok anytime soon!\"\n\nMinisters have not been banned from using the site on their personal phones - just their work devices.\n\nBut Nadine Dorries - who experimented with TikTok videos when she was culture secretary - said she would be deleting the app from her personal phone, adding: \"I think all MPs should do likewise.\"\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Oliver Dowden and Angela Rayner on banning the use of TikTok on government devices over cyber-security fears.\n\nHours before the ban was announced the Ministry of Defence (MoD) uploaded a video of a Challenger 2 tank, a type being supplied to Ukraine, to its TikTok account.\n\nThe MoD said it would continue to use the app \"to promote the work of the Armed Forces and to communicate our support to Ukraine\". The department's sensitive data is \"held on a separate system\", it added.\n\nThe Welsh government has also banned TikTok from the work phones of ministers and civil servants.\n\nIn Edinburgh, a spokesperson for the Scottish government said officials were liaising with the Cabinet Office \"as we consider the need for further action\".\n\nBut MSPs and staff working at the Scottish Parliament have been \"strongly advised\" by Holyrood officials to remove the app from their devices.\n\nHolyrood officials said the advice was precautionary but necessary on security grounds.\n\nIn a statement on Thursday, TikTok said the UK government's decision was based on \"fundamental misconceptions\".\n\n\"We remain committed to working with the government to address any concerns but should be judged on facts and treated equally to our competitors,\" a spokesman added.\n\nThe Ministry of Defence says it will continue to post on TikTok\n\nA handful of Western journalists were found to have been tracked by ByteDance employees. ByteDance says they were fired.\n\nA US TikTokker shared a video criticising the Chinese government's treatment of the Uighur Muslims, and it was taken down. TikTok said this was a mistake.\n\nThis has added to the nervousness of governments and security specialists - despite the firm's consistent denials.\n\nThe Chinese state demands loyalty from all businesses based in the country and nobody really knows to what extent ByteDance might be pushed to comply with demands for data.\n\nLarry the Downing Street cat starred in the most recent No 10 TikTok video in the summer of 2021\n\nThe United States barred TikTok from official devices in December, and the European Commission followed suit last month. Canada, Belgium and India have taken similar action.\n\nNew Zealand on Friday also issued a ban on government devices.\n\nChina has accused the US of spreading disinformation and suppressing TikTok amid reports the White House wants its Chinese owners to sell their stakes in the firm.\n\nTikTok insists it does not share data with Chinese officials, but Chinese intelligence laws requires firms to help the Communist Party when requested.\n\nWestern social media apps such as Facebook, Instagram and Twitter are blocked in China.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/uk-politics-64975672"}
{"title":"Budget 2023: Jeremy Hunt insists plans will get people back to work - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-16","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"Jeremy Hunt tells the BBC his plans will kick start growth, but Labour says the UK economy is stagnating under the Tories.","section":"UK Politics","content":"This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. The chancellor said his first Budget will give \"nearly five times more help\" for parents dealing with child care costs.\n\nJeremy Hunt insists his Budget will get young parents and over-50s back into work - and it will not just benefit the rich who are saving for retirement.\n\nThe chancellor told the BBC he wanted to fill a million vacancies across the UK so firms can \"grow faster\".\n\nHe plans to expand free childcare in England and scrap the \u00a31m cap for tax-free pension savings.\n\nLabour has said it will reverse the pension move if elected, calling it a \"tax cut for the top 1%\".\n\nIt was \"the wrong priority, at the wrong time\", said shadow chancellor Rachel Reeves. Labour has said it would target the pensions tax cut at NHS doctors if it wins power.\n\nIn his Budget speech, Mr Hunt claimed the UK economy would avoid a recession, with inflation predicted to more than halve by the end of this year.\n\nBut he said a shortage of workers was holding back growth, and he wanted more over-50s, people with disabilities and parents of young children to get back to work.\n\nOffering eligible working parents with children as young as nine months in England 30 hours of free childcare is a key part of the plan - but it will not be introduced fully until September 2025.\n\nMr Hunt said he would like to have extended childcare help sooner but it first needed a big increase in the number of childminders and nurseries.\n\nAs well as scrapping the \u00a31m cap on the amount people can save for their pensions before it is taxed extra, he increased the annual tax-free allowance on pensions from \u00a340,000 to \u00a360,000.\n\nThe changes aim to encourage senior teachers and doctors to keep working.\n\nAsked about criticism that it was a \"Budget for the rich\", allowing people who are already well off to save more for their pensions, he said: \"Well, of course we want to help older people who want to stay in work.\n\n\"By definition, they will generally be on higher salaries, but nearly five times more help is going to young parents to help them with childcare costs, a nearly 60% reduction in childcare costs of \u00a36,500 a child.\n\n\"That will make a huge difference to families. But also it will make a huge difference to businesses who worry - particularly smaller businesses - that they are losing valuable employees when they start a family.\"\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Tory Budget shows 'just how out of touch they are' - Starmer\n\nThe government's independent forecaster, the Office for Budget Responsibility (OBR), says the chancellor's policies are likely to add about 110,000 people to the UK workforce, depending on how they react to the various incentives.\n\nAsked why after 13 years of a Conservative government a whole generation is not doing as well as their parents had, Mr Hunt said his growth plan meant \"better jobs and better opportunities\".\n\n\"We had half a million people who left the labour force during the lockdowns,\" he added. \"That's an effect you haven't seen in other countries and that's why I've announced the measures I've announced today to encourage people back to work.\"\n\nOne senior government figure described it as \"a steady-as-she-goes Budget\", after the turbulence of Liz Truss's short-lived premiership.\n\nThe OBR said the UK economy would shrink by 0.2% this year, which is better than previously forecast and does not, technically, count as a recession.\n\nInflation is forecast to fall from 10.7% in the final quarter of last year to 2.9% by the end of 2023.\n\nLiving standards are still expected to fall by the largest amount since records began, according to the OBR, but the decline will not be as bad as it had forecast in November.\n\nThe economy is predicted to return to growth - but house prices are projected to fall by 10% by 2025.\n\nThe OBR also highlighted Rishi Sunak's April 2021 decision, when he was chancellor, to freeze tax thresholds, which it said amounted to the equivalent of a 4p increase in the basic rate of income tax.\n\nThat move, dubbed a \"stealth tax\" by critics, is due to come into effect next month and will increase government income by \u00a329.3bn a year.\n\nSpeaking to BBC Breakfast on Thursday morning, Mr Hunt admitted \"for a while the tax burden will be higher\" due to costs incurred during the pandemic and on subsidising energy costs.\n\n\"These things have to be paid for\", he said, adding \"it's the right thing to do to get through this difficult period\". He said the government wants to cut taxes \"when we can\".\n\nPressed on why childcare reforms will take years to roll out, he described the changes as \"the biggest in my lifetime\" and said the sector needs time to adjust to a new surge in demand.\n\nHe also defended the decision to remove the lifetime allowance on pension pots as a measure which will help the NHS retain doctors who otherwise might opt for early retirement or to cut their hours.\n\nLabour's Rachel Reeves said the policy is a tax giveaway for the \"top 1%\" and should have been targeted at the health sector, rather than applied more broadly.\n\nSome Tory MPs were disappointed by the decision to go ahead with a planned rise to corporation tax next month.\n\nHowever, Mr Hunt said that businesses would be able to deduct money they invest in IT equipment and machinery from their taxable profits for the next three years.\n\nThere was no announcement in this Budget of extra money for public sector pay, as a wave of strikes by workers including junior doctors, teachers and rail staff continues.\n\nIn his speech, Mr Hunt also pledged an expansion in wraparound care at the start and finish of the school day for parents with older children and changes to staff-to-child ratios in England to expand supply of childcare, although the target date for the measure was September 2026.\n\nAnd he announced plans to abolish Work Capability Assessments, which he said would \"separate benefit entitlement from an individual's ability to work\".\n\nFrom 2026, the government will use another test, currently used to assess eligibility for Personal Independence Payments, the main disability benefit, to decide if someone is eligible for additional payments.\n\nOther measures unveiled in the Budget include:\n\nLabour leader Sir Keir Starmer said: \"After 13 years of his government, our economy needed major surgery, but like millions across our country, this Budget leaves us stuck in the waiting room with only a sticking plaster to hand.\n\n\"A country set on a path of managed decline, falling behind our competitors, the sick man of Europe once again.\"\n\nSNP economy spokesman Stewart Hosie said: \"It's truly pathetic that the chancellor has failed to cut energy bills, despite having ample resources to do so.\"\n\nLiberal Democrat leader Sir Ed Davey said: \"Jeremy Hunt and Rishi Sunak had a chance to show they care about the cost-of-living crisis that's hitting millions of Britain's families and pensioners but they failed miserably.\"\n\nHow has the Budget affected you? You can get in touch by emailing haveyoursay@bbc.co.uk.\n\nPlease include a contact number if you are willing to speak to a BBC journalist. You can also get in touch in the following ways:\n\nIf 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 HaveYourSay@bbc.co.uk. Please include your name, age and location with any submission.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/uk-politics-64964911"}
{"title":"Budget 2023: Pension perks to the highest paid likely to be the next political flashpoint - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-16","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"The end of the cap on tax-free pension savings could yet prove totemic, writes our political editor.","section":"UK Politics","content":"\"A steady as she goes Budget.\" That's how one senior figure described it to me.\n\nFireworks have rather gone out of fashion after the political pyrotechnics of the last year.\n\nThe backdrop is clear: it is bleak. Just not as bleak as some thought it would be.\n\nWages have been stagnant for many, year after year after year, and are likely to remain so. Living standards are squeezed.\n\nThe Office for Budget Responsibility - the government's independent economic forecaster - says real household disposable income per person will fall more between last year and next year than at any time since records began in 1956.\n\nThe tax burden is high, reaching a post-war high in 2027. And for millions of people, income tax is going up.\n\nYes, you read that right, and no, you didn't hear the chancellor talk about it. So what's going on?\n\nThe thresholds at which people start paying income tax, or start paying the higher rates, are not changing.\n\nBut as wages tick upwards, people cross those thresholds and start paying a higher rate for every extra pound they earn.\n\nThe forecast suggests by 2027 that will mean 3.2 million new income taxpayers, paying 20p in the pound on earnings over \u00a312,500.\n\nThere will be 2.1 million new higher rate taxpayers, starting to pay 40p in the pound on earnings over \u00a350,000 a year and around 350,000 new additional rate taxpayers, paying 45p in the pound, on earnings over \u00a3150,000 a year.\n\nSo far, so rather hard to sell from the government's perspective.\n\nJeremy Hunt is seeking to present himself as a responsible and cautious economic custodian, seeking to address some of the most thorny of problems.\n\nOne of the biggest: luring people back to work, whether young parents or people in their 50s and 60s.\n\nThe provision of childcare in England is a keenly fought political space. The Conservatives want to appear competitive as Labour sets out its rival pitch.\n\nThere is deep pride within government at having settled things down after all the recent turbulence.\n\nWhen I interviewed Jeremy Hunt, he sought to explain away those rising income tax levels as responsible: the pandemic and energy prices rocketing have been vastly expensive to the government and they need to be paid for.\n\nMr Hunt also claimed that the economic shocks of Liz Truss's brief and disastrous premiership were over. But the opinion polls suggest voters have not yet forgiven the Conservatives.\n\nNext comes the detailed scrutiny of the Budget. And the political flashpoint looks like it will be those pension perks being offered to the very highest paid.\n\nNecessary, argues the government, to ensure vastly experienced cancer surgeons and the like remain in operating theatres and not on golf courses.\n\nUnfair, argue Labour, as it amounts to a massive tax cut for the already very well off. Expect the shadow chancellor, Rachel Reeves, to push it to a vote in the Commons next week.\n\nSome on the opposition benches are comparing the idea to Liz Truss's plan to cut the rate of income tax for the very highest earners, a plan that didn't survive for long in contact with reality.\n\nWill this feel as totemic? Let's see - Labour are determined to try to make it so.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/uk-politics-64972934"}
{"title":"Budget dresses up stagnation as stability, Keir Starmer says - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-16","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"The Labour leader says the UK is \"set on a path of managed decline\" and \"falling behind our competitors\".","section":"UK Politics","content":"This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Tory Budget shows 'just how out of touch they are' - Starmer\n\nSir Keir Starmer has accused the chancellor of \"dressing up stagnation as stability\" in his Budget.\n\nThe Labour leader also criticised plans to abolish the pensions allowance limit as \"a huge giveaway\" for the wealthy.\n\nBut Jeremy Hunt said the UK would avoid entering a recession and the economy was \"proving the doubters wrong\".\n\nThe government's independent forecaster said the economy was still likely to shrink this year, but by less than it previously thought.\n\nThe Office for Budget Responsibility (OBR) is also warning of a big drop in living standards, which it says will not recover to pre-pandemic levels until at least 2027.\n\nSir Keir told the Commons that after 13 years of the Conservatives \"our economy needed major surgery\" but the government was providing \"only a sticking plaster\".\n\n\"A country set on a path of managed decline, falling behind our competitors, the sick man of Europe once again,\" he said.\n\nHe added that the country was \"stuck in a doom loop of lower growth, higher taxes and broken public services\".\n\nThe Labour leader also attacked the decision to abolish the cap on how much workers can accumulate in their pensions savings over their lifetime before having to pay extra tax.\n\nMr Hunt said the move would incentivise doctors and other experienced professionals to stay in work for longer.\n\nBut Sir Keir said it would \"benefit those with the broadest shoulders when many people are struggling to save into their pension\".\n\n\"We needed a fix for doctors, but the announcement today is a huge giveaway to some of the very wealthiest,\" he said.\n\n\"The only permanent tax cut in the budget is for the richest 1%. How can that possibly be a priority for this government?\"\n\nOn the government's plans to expand free childcare for working parents in England, Sir Keir said \"more money in the system is obviously a good thing\".\n\n\"But we have seen the Tories expand so-called free hours before and as parents up and down the country know, it's no use having more free hours if you can't access them,\" he said. \"And it pushes up the costs for parents outside the offer.\"","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/uk-politics-64967889"}
{"title":"Spacesuit for return to the Moon unveiled - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-16","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"After 40 years Nasa's astronauts finally get a spacesuit upgrade for their next mission to the Moon.","section":"Science & Environment","content":"This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser.\n\nA new generation of spacesuit for humanity's return trip to the Moon has been unveiled by Nasa.\n\nThe novel design comes with specialist features to support astronauts as they conduct scientific experiments on the lunar surface.\n\nThe prototype is said to be a better fit for female space travellers.\n\nNasa hopes to have the updated suit ready for the Artemis III mission to the Moon in 2025.\n\nThe existing spacesuits worn by US space travellers have not been fully redesigned since 1981.\n\nWhen Nasa announced that humanity would return to the moon after more than five decades, they promised to send the first woman and person of colour to the lunar surface.\n\nBut previous plans to send female astronauts to space have been scuppered by the lack of spacesuits in their size.\n\nA well-fitting suit is crucial to prevent excessive fatigue and at worst, physical harm.\n\nIn 2019 Nasa had planned to send an entirely female team of astronauts to complete a space walk from the International Space Station.\n\nBut just days before Anne McClain and Christina Koch were due to depart on the walk, Nasa realised they didn't have two spacesuits in the correct size for both women, and McClain had to be replaced by colleague Nick Hague.\n\nNasa now believes the new design will overcome these problems and meet some of the challenges posed by the Artemis III mission to the moon, due to lift off in 2025.\n\nAstronaut Anne McClain was replaced on an International Space Station walk in 2019 because of an ill-fitting spacesuit\n\nThe key requirement of a spacesuit is to provide oxygen at the right pressure to the astronauts which allow them to survive in the near-vacuum of space. This aspect requires careful design, as failure would see an astronaut's lungs rapidly expand causing death.\n\n\"We have a lot of tough requirements on this suit,\" said Lara Kearney, manager of Nasa's spacesuit and rovers team, at today's demonstration of the new design.\n\n\"The moon is a hostile place, and the south pole is really going to be a challenge. A lot of thermal requirements, we are looking for improved mobility so our astronauts can operate more efficiently.\"\n\nTexas-based company Axiom Space won a $228 million (\u00a3190m) contract last year to design the suits, and now six months later they've revealed the first prototype.\n\nIn contrast to previous suits, the new Axiom Extravehicular Mobility Unit (AxEMU) spacesuit, has joints stitched in to provide the astronauts with more flexibility. It also sports inbuilt lights in the helmet.\n\nThese features are crucial as the astronauts will be required to survey geology, retrieve samples, and collect other data to further our understanding of the Moon's south polar region.\n\nThe helmet also comes with an HD video camera to allow videos from the moon to be watched in high definition back on Earth.\n\nThe new space boots should be able to withstand the freezing temperatures that are found in the permanently shadowed regions of the lunar surface.\n\nChief Engineer Jim Stein shows the new suit off in a live demonstration\n\nThe suits will be made using advanced manufacturing methods including 3-D printers and laser cutters to ensure exact measurements.\n\nThe prototype is part of a $1bn investment by Nasa to get two flight-ready spacesuits in time for the Moon mission.\n\nIn 2021, the space agency revealed it had already spent $420m on spacesuit development internally but was struggling to see results, so took the decision to commission the private sector to continue the work.\n\nBuzz Aldrin on the Moon in 1969 wearing one of the original spacesuits\n\nMike Suffredini, Axiom Space president and CEO, said in a statement that: \"Axiom Space's Artemis III spacesuit will be ready to meet the complex challenges of the lunar south pole and help grow our understanding of the moon in order to enable a long-term presence there.\"\n\nThe spacesuits will undergo further testing at Nasa's Johnson Space Center's Neutral Buoyancy Lab over the next year, before Artemis III launches in 2025.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/science-environment-64965767"}
{"title":"Hillary Clinton 'hopeful' over Northern Ireland power-sharing - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-16","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"MPs are set to get a vote on the new Brexit deal for Northern Ireland, known as the Windsor Framework.","section":"Northern Ireland","content":"This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Hillary Clinton says she is hopeful Stormont institutions will be restored by next month.\n\nHillary Clinton has said she is hopeful the Stormont institutions will be restored in time for the Good Friday Agreement's 25th anniversary.\n\nThe former US secretary of state was speaking in an interview with BBC NI.\n\nMrs Clinton said all the parties have been elected to serve the people of Northern Ireland.\n\nShe said they should either form a government or \"resign and let someone from their party who is willing to be part of a new government move forward\".\n\nNorthern Ireland has been without a power-sharing government since its second-largest party, the DUP, collapsed the Stormont executive over its opposition to the trade arrangements for Northern Ireland that resulted from the original Brexit deal between the UK and the EU.\n\nSpeaking in Washington, Mrs Clinton said: \"Let's get the government up and going and, you know, my thought always is you never agree with somebody 100 per cent of the time, find the 60, 70 per cent of what you do agree on, get it done and then continue to talk and, you know, argue about what remains.\n\n\"So let's get the government up and going let's do the things that government is expected to do.\"\n\nMPs are set to get a vote on the new Brexit deal for Northern Ireland, known as the Windsor Framework.\n\nCommons leader Penny Mordaunt confirmed that on Wednesday there will be a vote on the Stormont Brake, an element of the new arrangements.\n\nThe Stormont Brake aims to give the NI Assembly a greater say on how EU laws apply to Northern Ireland.\n\nThe Stormont Brake aims to give the NI Assembly a greater say on how EU laws apply to Northern Ireland.\n\nBut the DUP (Democratic Unionist Party) and other Stormont parties have asked the government for clarification.\n\nGovernment officials have told the BBC that the intention is this vote will also be a chance for MPs to have their say on the overall UK-EU agreement in principle.\n\nDowning Street said the vote \"honours the prime minister's commitment\" to give MPs a say on the revised trading arrangements for Northern Ireland.\n\nActually implementing the framework will require further legislation over the coming weeks and months.\n\nThe Windsor Framework was signed to alter Brexit's Northern Ireland Protocol.\n\nIt will mean goods moving from Great Britain which are staying in Northern Ireland would use a 'green lane' at Northern Ireland ports, meaning they should face minimal paperwork and no routine physical checks.\n\nGoods which are due to travel into the Republic of Ireland would use a 'red lane', meaning they face customs processes and other checks.\n\nIt is not clear how the DUP will vote next week, as its leader Sir Jeffrey Donaldson has said he is not yet sure if the deal will match his party's seven tests before returning to the executive at Stormont.\n\nChuck Schumer used his speech at the Ireland Funds dinner to urge the DUP to return to Stormont\n\nA spokesman for the prime minister said the government remained \"open to speaking to the DUP and answering any questions they may have\".\n\nAsked why the vote was only on the brake, the spokesman said the government believed it was the \"most significant part of our agreement\".\n\nEarlier, the US Senate leader said he hoped the new Brexit deal for Northern Ireland \"clears the way\" for the DUP to return to power sharing.\n\nChuck Schumer was speaking at a gala dinner in the US, attended by senior politicians from Northern Ireland.\n\nHe praised the \"sometimes spluttering\" progress made to achieve peace.\n\n\"I say to all parties in the north, but especially the DUP, let's get to the people's business,\" he said.\n\nThe leaders of the five main parties in Northern Ireland sat together for the dinner in Washington DC\n\nStormont's five party leaders and high-profile Irish politicians were among several hundred guests at the dinner in Washington DC on Wednesday night.\n\nThey are in the US for a series of events ahead of St Patrick's Day.\n\nTaoiseach (Irish Prime Minister) Leo Varadkar used his speech to say he hoped the DUP would \"take the path that leads towards the restoration\" of devolved government at Stormont.\n\nAsked whether he was feeling pressure to return to Stormont after the dinner, Sir Jeffrey Donaldson said: \"Not at all\".\n\nHe added: \"I think we have a very receptive audience here that understands the need to ensure there is proper balance and cross-community consensus is key to moving Northern Ireland forward,\" he said.\n\nTUV leader Jim Allister said Mr Schumer's \"attempts to interfere with politics\" was, what he anticipates to be, \"the first of many lectures\" from US politicians.\n\n\"Unionist politicians would do well to remember that they answer to the voters in Northern Ireland, not New York,\" he added.\n\nIt was a night when Sir Jeffrey Donaldson felt the weight of Irish America on his shoulders.\n\nLast year it was the Speaker of the House, Nancy Pelosi, who turned the heat up on his party - this time it was Senate leader Chuck Schumer.\n\nAnd as the gala guests applauded Mr Schumer's remarks, the DUP leader sat with his arms folded.\n\nDid he feel the pressure? \"Not at all,\" was his response.\n\nBut there was defiance, too, from those sitting around him.\n\nThere is a Good Friday Agreement milestone to celebrate and no DUP boycott is going to spoil that party.\n\nThe Windsor Framework was agreed last month by Prime Minister Rishi Sunak and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen after more than a year of talks.\n\nIt aims to significantly reduce the number of checks on goods entering Northern Ireland from Great Britain.\n\nThe DUP has yet to say whether it supports the deal - it has set up an eight-member panel to assess it and come to a \"collective decision\" on whether to back it.\n\nThe party's support for the Windsor Framework is seen as vital if the Northern Ireland Assembly and the Stormont executive are to function again.\n\nBill Clinton and Joe Biden have both said they will visit Northern Ireland next month\n\nThe date of Mr Biden's visit has not been confirmed but there is speculation he could attend a conference at Queen's University Belfast, which runs from 17 to 19 April.\n\nFormer US President Bill Clinton and his wife, former US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, have both confirmed they will be attending.\n\nOther high-profile figures are also believed to have received invites.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/uk-northern-ireland-64971992"}
{"title":"TikTok says US threatens ban if China stake not sold - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-16","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"TikTok, owned by Chinese firm ByteDance, says it has been contacted about a change in ownership.","section":"Technology","content":"The US government says TikTok should be sold or else face a possible ban in the country.\n\nThe video-sharing app, owned by Chinese company ByteDance, is accused of posing a national security risk through data gathered from millions of users.\n\nA request for a change in ownership, first reported in the Wall Street Journal (WSJ), was confirmed to BBC News by TikTok.\n\nThe company said a forced sale would not change its data flows or access.\n\nThe White House has not yet responded to a BBC News request for comment.\n\nFor years American officials have raised concerns that data from the popular app could fall into the hands of the Chinese government.\n\nAccording to the WSJ, US President Joe Biden's administration wants ByteDance to divest itself of TikTok to create a clear break from China.\n\nThe newspaper said the Committee on Foreign Investments in the United States (CFIUS), which oversees national security risks, unanimously recommended ByteDance divest from TikTok.\n\nA spokesperson for TikTok said it did not dispute the WSJ's reporting and confirmed it had been contacted by CFIUS.\n\nHowever, the spokesperson said the reporting was overstated and it was not clear what \"divestiture\" meant in practice.\n\n\"If protecting national security is the objective, divestment doesn't solve the problem: a change in ownership would not impose any new restrictions on data flows or access,\" the spokesperson said.\n\n\"The best way to address concerns about national security is with the transparent, US-based protection of US user data and systems.\"\n\nA ban was first threatened under then-President Donald Trump in 2020.\n\nHowever, Mr Biden's administration has also taken a dim view of the social network.\n\nTikTok hoovers up huge amounts of data on its users, similar to Instagram and Twitter.\n\nIt can take biometric data from users and has access to location data. The fear is the information could be passed to the Chinese government.\n\nTikTok says it has undertaken an effort to move all US-based data to the US as part of an initiative it calls Project Texas.\n\nThe company has told BBC News it still plans to move forward with that plan.\n\nThe development comes a week after new legislation was unveiled in the senate, which could expand the president's authority to ban TikTok nationwide.\n\nThe Restrict Act would allow the US Commerce Department to declare foreign-linked companies national security risks.\n\nTikTok is banned on government phones in the US, Canada and the EU.\n\nIts chief executive, Shou Zi Chew, is set to testify before the US Congress next week in a widely anticipated showdown.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/technology-64973156"}
{"title":"Free childcare expanded to try to help parents back to work - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-16","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"Once a child is nine-months-old parents in England will be able to access up to 30-hours of free childcare.","section":"UK Politics","content":"Free childcare for working parents in England will be expanded to cover all children under five by September 2025, as the chancellor looks to get more parents back to work.\n\nThe move could allow 60,000 more parents of young children to enter the workforce, according to the government's independent forecaster.\n\nSome 1.3 million people in the UK were unemployed in December 2022.\n\nThe new help for parents will be introduced in stages.\n\nThe plans are part of a government drive to boost economic growth.\n\nChildcare in the UK is among the most expensive in the world and the government has been under pressure, including from some of its own MPs, to provide more help for parents.\n\nThe rising cost of childcare has been widely seen as a deterrent for some parents to go back to work or work full time.\n\nThe extension of free childcare has been lobbied for by business group the CBI, which calculates that while it will cost several billion pounds, it could raise up to \u00a310bn in further revenue by increasing the number of parents able to work.\n\nHowever, Paul Johnson, director of the Institute of Fiscal Studies (IFS), doubted it would make \"a big difference\".\n\n\"The childcare package is expected to only get a few tens of thousands more mothers, mostly, back into work,\" he told the BBC.\n\n\"We know a lot of people don't even take up what they're entitled to among the three and four-year-olds.\"\n\nWhile the chancellor has increased the amount of free childcare available for pre-school children, nurseries have been calling for more money to pay for those children who already get government-funded provision.\n\nJeremy Hunt said he would increase that funding \"by \u00a3204m from this September rising to \u00a3288m next year. This is an average of a 30% increase in the two-year-old rate this year\".\n\nWe got in touch with the Treasury to ask for more details and they told us that the amount paid for two-year-olds is going up from \u00a36 to \u00a38 an hour, which is what the chancellor was referring to.\n\nBut funding for three and four-year-olds is going up from \u00a35.29 to \u00a35.50 an hour, which is only about 4%.\n\nThe IFS estimated this afternoon that the extra \u00a3288m is about a 7.5% increase in the current budget.\n\nThe government will also introduce changes to the staff-to-child ratios - moving from one carer for every four children to 1:5 to align with Scotland.\n\nSupporters of the idea say it could help cut costs for parents.\n\nHowever, the Early Years Alliance, which represents around 14,000 childcare providers in England, said relaxing ratios was a \"shameful decision\" which risked compromising safety and quality of care, as well as putting more pressure on the workforce during \"a severe staffing crisis\".\n\nThe organisation's chief executive, Neil Leitch, also raised concerns about whether there would be enough childcare places to meet increased demand.\n\n\"At a time when settings are closing at record levels and early educators are leaving the sector in their droves, unless the proper infrastructure is put in place by the time the extended offers are rolled out, many parents of younger children expecting funded places to be readily available to them are likely to be left sorely disappointed,\" he said.\n\nHow will you be affected by the issues in this story? Share your experiences by emailing haveyoursay@bbc.co.uk.\n\nPlease include a contact number if you are willing to speak to a BBC journalist. You can also get in touch in the following ways:\n\nIf 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 HaveYourSay@bbc.co.uk. Please include your name, age and location with any submission.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/uk-politics-64959611"}
{"title":"Budget 2023 live: Impact of Hunt's childcare plan is highly uncertain, IFS says - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-16","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"The chancellor hopes expanding free childcare to include younger children will make it easier for more parents to work.","section":"UK","content":"'From the most competitive to the middle of the pack'\n\nDelestre now moves on to talking about corporation tax. He says there has been a long-term pattern of rate cutting in the UK over the years, but with the planned rise from 19% to 25%, the country is now moving from being one of the most competitive in the world to the \"middle of the pack\" - though still lower than any other G7 country. He says the revenue corporation tax will create as a percentage of GDP will reach the \"highest ever level\" by the end of the forecast period. He notes that with planned rises to corporation tax there will be concerns that it could dampen investment in the UK. Delestre adds Hunt has countered this by introducing a temporary increase to tax allowance on investments for the largest companies.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/live\/uk-64831837"}
{"title":"Cheltenham stab suspect 'believed woman worked at GCHQ' - court told - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-16","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"Joshua Bowles, 29, is accused of attempted murder and causing actual bodily harm.","section":"Gloucestershire","content":"Joshua Bowles is charged with attempted murder and causing actual bodily harm\n\nA man allegedly stabbed a woman who he believed worked for intelligence agency GCHQ, a court has heard.\n\nJoshua Bowles, 29, of Welwyn Mews in Cheltenham, is charged with attempted murder and causing actual bodily harm.\n\nHe was remanded in custody after a hearing at Westminster Magistrates' Court in London on Thursday.\n\nA woman sustained serious injuries after the attack and is in a stable condition, police had said.\n\nThe victim, who was not named in court, was stabbed outside a leisure centre on Tommy Taylors Lane in Cheltenham at about 21:15 GMT on 9 March.\n\nA woman sustained serious injuries after the alleged attack\n\nThe court heard Mr Bowles is alleged to have punched and stabbed the woman with a knife in the car park, before attacking her in the leisure centre where she had gone to try to escape.\n\nProsecutor Kathryn Selby alleged Mr Bowles believed \"she is a worker for GCHQ and he holds views on the work he believes they conduct. In his mind she represents the state\".\n\nMr Bowles has also been charged with causing actual bodily harm to Alex Fuentes.\n\nThe court was told it is alleged Mr Fuentes was repeatedly punched by the defendant when he tried to intervene.\n\nMr Bowles is due to appear at the Old Bailey on 31 March.\n\nFollow BBC West on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. Send your story ideas to: bristol@bbc.co.uk\n\nThe BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/uk-england-gloucestershire-64975022"}
{"title":"Budget back to work plan 'to cost \u00a370,000 per job' - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-16","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"The chancellor's schemes will only recruit small numbers at a high cost per job, a think tank forecasts.","section":"Business","content":"Budget plans to encourage people back to work will have limited impact and cost \u00a370,000 a job, a think tank says.\n\nThe changes are expected to bring 110,000 back to work, which the Institute for Fiscal Studies said was \"just a fraction\" of the those who'd left work over the past two years.\n\nThe government will spend billions to boost labour supply via tax breaks on pensions and expanded free childcare.\n\nIt said the plans would help to grow the economy and raise living standards.\n\nPaul Johnson, director of the IFS, said the government's forecaster had calculated the overall plan to boost workforce numbers will cost around \u00a37bn a year and increase employment by around 110,000.\n\n\"That's a cost of nearly \u00a370,000 per job,\" he says.\n\nWhile the chancellor \"might have some success\" it was likely to be modest given the large number of people \"lost from the workforce in the last couple of years\", he added.\n\nUK economic growth has flatlined in recent months and the economy is expected to shrink his year. About a quarter of people of working-age - around 10 million people - do not have jobs.\n\nPersuading workers to work for longer is part of UK plans to boost growth, with Chancellor Jeremy Hunt's Wednesday announcement on tax and spending being dubbed the \"Back to work Budget\".\n\nMr Johnson said the impact of annual net immigration numbers - assumed at 245,000 - would be far more significant for boosting employment.\n\nThe government said its independent finances watchdog, the Office for Budget Responsibility (OBR) had revised its outlook for economic growth upwards \"by the largest amount ever in their forecasts\" as a result of the Budget's measures.\n\nA spokesman added: \"[The OBR] also says extending 30 hours of free childcare to parents of nine months to two year olds... will lead to many more increasing their hours - helping to grow the economy and raise living standards for everyone.\"\n\nThe Budget also included measures to support disabled people who want to work, programmes to encourage retirees to take on jobs or apprenticeships, and changes to the rules around health-related benefits and universal credit.\n\nOn Wednesday, the OBR, noted that the impact of the back to work policies was uncertain, saying the final figure for the number of extra people in work could be half (or double) the main estimate of 110,000 workers.\n\nThat could, in turn, double or halve the cost-per-worker of the policy.\n\nThe OBR further estimate that extra workers will boost the size of the economy by 0.2% - equivalent to about \u00a34.5bn, some of which the government will get back in extra taxes and a smaller benefits bill.\n\nThe pension tax changes, removing any limit to the amount that workers can accumulate in their pension savings over a lifetime before paying extra tax, have come in for particular criticism.\n\nThey are designed to encourage pension savers not to retire early - in particular senior doctors.\n\nBut the Resolution Foundation think tank, which focuses on low and middle income earners, described them as \"poor value for money\" and said they may not work as hoped.\n\nUnder the plans announced in Wednesday's Budget, the tax-free limit for pension savings during a lifetime will be abolished in April.\n\nAt present, people can save just over \u00a31m before an extra tax charge is levied.\n\nThe annual allowance will remain in place, but will go up from \u00a340,000 to \u00a360,000, after being frozen for nine years. Those who are already drawing a pension, but want to save more will be able to put in \u00a310,000 a year, up from \u00a34,000.\n\nChancellor Jeremy Hunt insisted the abolition of the lifetime allowance was the quickest and simplest way to solve issues with NHS doctors and consultants, who have been retiring early, reducing hours or turning down overtime for tax reasons.\n\nBut the Resolution Foundation said giving pension savers \"very large wealth boosts will actually encourage some people to retire earlier than they otherwise would have done\".\n\n\"It's a big victory for NHS consultants but poor value for money for Britain,\" said Torsten Bell, chief executive of the think tank.\n\nLabour's shadow chancellor Rachel Reeves said the party would reverse the policy if it wins the next general election and replace it with one targeted at doctors rather than a \"free-for-all for the wealthy few\".\n\nThe move comes as the government is freezing general tax thresholds, which will drive up many people's tax bills.\n\nThe move is expected to raise more than \u00a330bn by 2028, the bulk of this coming from taxes on employees' income.\n\nIt will also create 3.2 million new income taxpayers and 169,000 more will have to pay VAT.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/business-your-money-64975682"}
{"title":"Watch: A fast forward look at Budget Day - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-16","authors":null,"description":"The Chancellor delivered his first budget and presented the government's plans for spending and taxation.","section":null,"content":"Unveiling his Budget, Chancellor Jeremy Hunt said parents of one and two-year-olds in England would get 30 hours a week of free childcare by September 2025 and scrapped the lifetime allowance on tax-free pension contributions.\n\nLabour Leader Sir Keir Starmer told the Commons that after 13 years of the Conservatives \"our economy needed major surgery\" but the government was providing \"only a sticking plaster\".","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/uk-politics-64971760"}
{"title":"Evacuated Afghan women's team included 'false' footballers - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-16","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"Women footballers evacuated to the UK included some who were not the top players it was claimed.","section":"World","content":"A high-profile evacuation to the UK of Afghan female footballers fleeing the Taliban included a number of women who were not the top-tier players that it was claimed, a BBC investigation has been told.\n\nThirty-five women and their families - 130 people in total - were flown to the UK from Pakistan in November 2021.\n\nWomen footballers were seen to be at risk from the Taliban, and some feared they would be punished for participating in a sport the new regime viewed as un-Islamic.\n\nThey were granted visas by the Home Office. However, Newsnight has had access to the list of evacuees that was submitted to the British authorities in order to obtain entry to the UK.\n\nWhile the names and other identity details are genuine, the description of the principal applicants as national players or members of a regional team - in some cases - appears to be false.\n\nThe BBC spoke to a number of former Afghan players, coaches and officials who identified 13 individuals who they believed were not members of the teams listed.\n\nMany of the evacuees were described as members of the Herat Youth Team. But Newsnight tracked down the team's former coach, Najibullah Nowroozi, who now works in women's football in Italy.\n\nHe says that when he saw the list of people who were evacuated, he wondered if some of them had ever visited the Herat football ground, let alone played for the national team: \"I have seen people in the list who have not even worn a football strip in Herat.\"\n\nThere is resentment among genuine players now living under Taliban rule in Afghanistan, that others appear to have got out with false credentials.\n\nOne, who wishes to remain anonymous, tells Newsnight: \"The Taliban have banned sports for women and girls... we are left behind in Afghanistan with no future. It just makes me feel very neglected and very sad because we are the real players and not some of those that got evacuated.\"\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Ayesha (not her real name: 'I can't even go out without my husband, we are like slaves'\n\nSabriah Nawrouzi is a former captain of the Herat Youth Team who was evacuated along with her team-mates.\n\nShe now plays football in the north of England. While staying in a Pakistan hotel en route for the UK, she says she met some women for the first time, who claimed to be part of her team.\n\nMs Nawrouzi says that once in England, she had to split the evacuees into two teams, because \"because one team couldn't play football\".\n\nWe tried to put the allegations to those football players who our sources claimed were not genuine, but only three responded. They all insisted they were footballers, although two of the women said they had never claimed to be national players.\n\nAfghan footballer Sabriah Nawrouzi says that not all the evacuees to the UK could play the game\n\nThe football evacuation took place in the months following the fall of Kabul and was personally championed by Priti Patel, the home secretary at that time.\n\nThe Home Office says the move demonstrated the UK's commitment to helping at-risk Afghans resettle in the UK: \"Their love of football put these women and girls at risk from the Taliban. We are proud that members of the Afghan Girls Development Squad and their family members were brought to safety in the UK.\"\n\nSiu Anne Gill ran the Rokit Foundation charity which was involved in bringing the footballers to the UK. She says the Home Office failed to check the credentials of the women footballers on the flight, relying instead on names provided by former Afghan international player and campaigner Khalida Popal.\n\nMs Gill said: \"Khalida Popal personally had been including more names and more names and more names. We asked Khalida, 'Did you check that these are footballers?' She said 'Yes, they're definitely footballers.'\"\n\nMs Popal runs a non-profit organisation called Girl Power which works to empower women through sport. She says she didn't knowingly help non-footballers to claim asylum through the scheme, and told us that the Rokit Foundation had also removed and added others to the list.\n\nRokit accept that they added some names to the list, and that this was agreed between them and Ms Popal.\n\nIn a statement Ms Popal told Newsnight: \"I categorically deny the allegations directed at me. I have repeatedly provided extensive evidence and explanations about why any suggestion that I had any formal role in verification and\/or knowingly misled anyone about the identities of those evacuated is wrong.\"\n\nA Home Office spokesman says: \"We worked with a number of organisations who identified and referred the group to us, undertaking security checks as part of the process. Should there be evidence that the information provided was incorrect, the Home Office will investigate.\"","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/world-64967941"}
{"title":"Dominic Raab's ex-colleagues speak out as bullying probe reaches final stages - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-06","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"One told the BBC that the deputy prime minister could turn incredibly angry \"at a flick of a switch\".","section":"UK Politics","content":"This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Three former colleagues of Dominic Raab spoke to the BBC's Ione Wells about their experience of working with him.\n\nFormer colleagues of Dominic Raab have spoken to the BBC about their experience of working with him, as an inquiry into bullying claims reaches its final stages.\n\nThe investigation into the allegations against Mr Raab is being led by senior lawyer Adam Tolley KC.\n\nDozens of people, including Mr Raab himself, have now given evidence to the inquiry.\n\nThe deputy prime minister and justice secretary has strongly denied bullying.\n\nMr Raab's evidence is now being reconciled with other witnesses, in a sign the probe is approaching its conclusion.\n\nMr Tolley has been interviewing people to gather evidence, both positive and negative, with some interviews lasting more than two hours each.\n\nHis investigation is expected to conclude soon and was commissioned to establish the facts. It will then be for the prime minister to judge whether his findings show that Mr Raab broke ministerial rules on bullying or not.\n\nThe inquiry is investigating eight formal complaints from Mr Raab's time at three government departments, involving at least 24 complainants.\n\nThe complaints relate to Mr Raab's time as justice secretary and foreign secretary under Boris Johnson, and his time as Brexit secretary under Theresa May.\n\nDozens more people have given evidence to the inquiry as witnesses.\n\nThe complainants cannot speak publicly while the inquiry is ongoing, but the BBC has spoken to a number of other people who worked closely with Mr Raab, who characterise his behaviour in different ways.\n\nThey wished to remain anonymous to not compromise their jobs.\n\nSomebody who advised Mr Raab in a senior role in one department said: \"I didn't personally feel bullied. I did observe though what I would characterise as bullying behaviour. There is no question in my mind about that.\"\n\nThey said he \"expected high standards of people\" but claimed he was \"pretty belittling in terms of how he would go about those things\".\n\n\"And he would frequently humiliate members of his private office and\/or others that are working with him,\" they said.\n\n\"At a flick of a switch he could turn incredibly angry and pretty offensive in the way in which he talked to people.\"\n\nHis conduct did not just impact colleagues, but taxpayers too, they say.\n\n\"Junior officials were, to all intents and purposes, protected from being exposed to his nastiness, his humiliation, his belittling, and therefore would not be invited to go to meetings with him.\n\n\"The effect was that he probably achieved something that no minister or secretary of state should try to achieve, which was to shut up those who are meant to be advising him. If you don't treat people humanely, fairly, with respect, the implications are that you're not going to get back quality outcomes.\"\n\nOne of Mr Raab's former parliamentary staffers says he was not a bully, but that reports about his behaviour have resonated with what they witnessed.\n\n\"There were a handful of occasions where I observed him make a member of staff cry, because he was not happy with their work. That was probably one of the things that I found most uncomfortable,\" they said.\n\n\"I think if a colleague cries and they come back to their desk and they're still fretting, and that happens more than once, then I think anybody should recognise that somebody is hurt from that interaction.\"\n\n\"If a member of his staff had delivered some work, which he didn't think was at the standard it should have been, he would tear it apart - frankly literally at times. I did observe that,\" they added.\n\n\"The reason I left was the intensity of the job. I think both professionally and emotionally.\"\n\nAnother parliamentary staffer that Mr Raab's office put us in touch with said they only had good things to say about him.\n\nA different official, who has given evidence to the inquiry and worked with Mr Raab in multiple departments, said even in the most challenging experiences they had \"never seen him swear or raise his voice\".\n\n\"He was always very focused on his job, but always super nice, more perceptive than you'd realise,\" they said.\n\nOn hearing the news of the inquiry they said: \"I was sad because everybody's experience is clearly different and it didn't correlate at all to my experience in the slightest\u2026 I think people would admit he's hard work because he is a perfectionist and he will go above and beyond to deliver for a department he wants to make changes [to].\"\n\nFrom people the BBC has spoken to, Mr Raab's behaviour seems to have had different impacts on different people. At times, similar descriptions of his behaviour are characterised very differently. That is the challenge for the lawyer investigating him.\n\nThe report of the investigation will be made public. Mr Raab has said he will resign if he is found to have been a bully, a judgement Prime Minister Rishi Sunak will have to make when presented with the facts.\n\nHe told the BBC's Laura Kuenssberg he was confident he was not a bully and \"behaved professionally throughout\".\n\nHis spokesperson has said that Mr Raab has been \"very clear that he has always acted with professionalism and integrity, that he has never shouted or sworn, that he has enjoyed strong working relationships with a range of fantastic civil servants, and that he will address all allegations put to him in the fair and formal setting of the independent inquiry that he called for\".","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/uk-politics-64834813"}
{"title":"Keir Starmer's job offer to Sue Gray may have broken rules, says minister - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-06","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"Minister Jeremy Quin accuses Labour of playing \"fast and loose\" with civil service impartiality.","section":"UK Politics","content":"Former civil servant Sue Gray's proposed move to Sir Keir Starmer's office may have breached Whitehall's rules, a minister has said.\n\nJeremy Quin accused Labour of \"acting fast and loose\" with the impartiality of the civil service.\n\nMs Gray, who investigated parties held in Downing Street during the Covid pandemic, has been invited to become Sir Keir's new chief of staff.\n\nAngela Rayner said Tory MPs were indulging in \"conspiracy theories\".\n\nBoris Johnson and his allies have seized on Labour's job offer to claim Ms Gray's investigation into lockdown gatherings in Downing Street when he was prime minister was an attempt to smear him.\n\nAnswering an urgent question in the Commons, Paymaster General Mr Quin said this was \"an exceptional situation, it is unprecedented for a serving permanent secretary to resign to seek to take up a senior position working for the leader of the opposition.\"\n\nHe said there were four rules for civil servants that might have been broken, including informing the government appointments watchdog, the Advisory Committee on Business Appointments (Acoba).\n\n\"The rules state that approval must be obtained prior to a job offer being announced. The Cabinet Office has not as yet been informed that the relevant notification to Acoba has been made,\" he said.\n\nOther rules that would be looked at by the Cabinet Office concerned impartiality, the declaration of outside interests, and contact with opposition parties being cleared with ministers, he added.\n\nMr Quin urged Labour to publish details of its communications with Ms Gray, including when these began and who was involved.\n\nDeputy Labour leader Ms Rayner accused a \"sleaze-addicted\" government\" of being \"so self-obsessed that they are using parliamentary time to indulge in the conspiracy theories of the former prime minister and his gang\".\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Angela Rayner and Jeremy Quin on Labour\u2019s job offer to civil servant Sue Gray.\n\n\"What will they ask for next, a Westminster Hall debate on the moon landings, the bill of dredging the Loch Ness, or a public inquiry into whether the Earth is flat?\" she asked.\n\n\"This debate says more about the delusions of the modern Conservative Party than it does anything else.\"\n\nBut former cabinet minister Jacob Rees-Mogg - a close ally of Mr Johnson - suggested Ms Gray had \"smashed to pieces the idea of an independent civil service\" by \"conniving in secret meetings\" with Labour.\n\nHer Partygate report \"we now know was done by a friend of the socialists. Does this not undermine all her previous work?\" he asked.\n\nEarlier, Sir Keir told LBC radio he had had \"absolutely no contact\" with Ms Gray, who left the civil service on Thursday, as she prepared her report into the lockdown gatherings in government buildings.\n\nBut the Labour leader repeatedly declined to say when he first approached the then senior civil servant about becoming his chief of staff.\n\n\"I've been looking for a chief of staff for a little while now, but Sue will lay that out, but there's nothing improper at all,\" he said.\n\nSir Keir added that he had known her since he was director of public prosecutions - a role he occupied from 2008-2013 - but she was not a friend.\n\nMs Gray was expected to tell Acoba on Monday when her contacts with Labour began.\n\nAn Acoba spokeswoman told the BBC this was a confidential process and no statement would be made until a new job was taken up, when its advice on an appropriate waiting period would be published.\n\nNo timescale for the process was known, she added.\n\nSenior civil servants, as well as ministers, are expected to check with Acoba about any employment they wish to take within two years of leaving government.\n\nThe body provides advice and can recommend a delay of up to two years in starting a new job, but it has no power to block appointments.\n\nHowever, Labour has said the party and Ms Gray will abide by Acoba's recommendations.\n\nEarlier, Science Secretary Michelle Donelan said there was \"no reason to believe\" Ms Gray was not impartial when she carried out her Partygate investigation.\n\n\"She was a leading civil servant who obviously swore and accepted the civil service code in which one of those key requirements is impartiality,\" she told Sky News.\n\nBut, Ms Donelan added, the main concern was about \"what process has taken place for her to acquire this new job, have talks taken place when potentially they shouldn't have, etc?\"\n\nMs Gray produced a highly-critical report into lockdown gatherings held in Downing Street while Mr Johnson was prime minister last year.\n\nMr Johnson is now facing a different inquiry, being conducted by a cross-party group of MPs, into whether he misled Parliament when he said Covid rules had not been broken in Downing Street.\n\nIn an initial report published on Friday, the MPs on the Privileges Committee said the evidence they had seen \"strongly suggests\" Covid rule breaches would have been \"obvious\" to Mr Johnson.\n\nMs Gray joined the civil service in the 1970s and has held a number of senior positions, including head of the government's propriety and ethics team.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/uk-politics-64862036"}
{"title":"Falkirk wheelchair racer Abby Cook is new Blue Peter presenter - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-06","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"Abby Cook from Falkirk said she was speechless after being chosen as the show's 42nd presenter.","section":"Tayside and Central Scotland","content":"Abby Cook said Blue Peter was a show she had \"loved and grown up with\"\n\nFalkirk wheelchair racer Abby Cook said she was \"speechless\" after being chosen as the 42nd Blue Peter presenter.\n\nAbby, 20, will join Mwaka Mudenda, Joel Mawhinney and Henry the dog as she makes her debut on the long-running BBC children's show on Friday.\n\nShe trains twice a week with Paralympians as part of the Forth Valley Flyers athletics club.\n\nAbby said she \"had to check it was true\" when she was picked for the high-profile role.\n\nThe former Grangemouth High School pupil said: \"It was a very emotional moment knowing I would actually be presenting a show I love and had grown up with.\"\n\nShe will combat her fear of heights as she takes on her first challenge to collect a Blue Peter badge by abseiling down Millers Dale Viaduct in the Peak District National Park.\n\nAbby trains twice a week with Paralympians as part of the Forth Valley Flyers athletics club\n\nAbby said: \"Helen (Skelton) and (dog) Barney were my era, but I also became obsessed with watching You Decide when the public got to choose the latest presenter and they picked Lindsey (Russell).\n\n\"I remember thinking what a great role model she was, she had never presented before but here was this strong woman going on the show and doing an amazing job.\n\n\"I'm hoping to do the same because I know what a lasting impression the presenters can have on the audience.\"\n\nSince studying applied biological science at Forth Valley College, Abby has worked with Forth Valley Disability Sport, supporting disabled and non-disabled young people becoming active.\n\nShe has also worked as a mental health project administrator for Scottish Disability Sport.\n\nBlue Peter editor Ellen Evans said: \"When Abby came to the studio, we knew she would be great for the show because she has an unstoppable 'can do' attitude.\n\n\"She's up for any challenge and we know she'll connect beautifully with our audience because she has a real affinity for working with young people, but she also has the biggest of hearts.\"","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/uk-scotland-tayside-central-64863530"}
{"title":"Gladiator fights were staged in Roman Britain, evidence suggests - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-06","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"Research into a vase in Colchester reportedly provides the \"only evidence\" of such fights staged in Britain.","section":"Essex","content":"The Colchester Vase depicts a pair of gladiators named Memnon and Valentinus\n\nGladiator fights were once staged in Roman-occupied Britain, new research suggests.\n\nTests have proven that the Colchester Vase - an ancient artefact which depicts a fight between combatants - was locally made and decorated.\n\nWith no written information, this was the \"only evidence\" of such duels in Britain, the head of Colchester and Ipswich Museums told The Observer.\n\nThe findings have led to \"startling new conclusions\", Frank Hargrave added.\n\nThe vase in question, which is nearly two millennia old, was used as a cremation vessel and discovered in a Roman grave in Colchester in the mid-1800s.\n\nThe 23cm-high (9in) vessel, made around AD 160-200, is described as \"one of the most important, and perhaps famous, pots from Roman Britain\" by Colchester Museums.\n\nIt depicts scenes which may have been witnessed in a Roman arena - namely animal hunts and a duel between a pair of gladiators.\n\nMr Hargrave told The Observer that the vase was of \"such high quality that there's been a bit of snobbery, an assumption that it couldn't possibly have come from Britain.\"\n\nBut, he said, the fresh research had \"put that to bed.\"\n\nAs well as confirming that the artefact was made from local clay, the analysis crucially showed the names of gladiators Memnon and Valentinus were written into the clay while the pot was being made.\n\nIt was previously believed that the inscriptions had been added after the vase had been fired - suggesting less of a link between the decoration and local events.\n\nAnalysis of the human remains inside the pot suggested the deceased person was aged over 40, and may have come from overseas.\n\nGlynn Davis, a senior curator of Colchester and Ipswich Museums, told The Observer that the vase may have belonged to a sponsor of the gladiatorial fight depicted.\n\nThe item is due to go on display at Colchester Castle from 15 July, along with other significant Roman finds.\n\nColchester is one of England's most historic cities, having become the capital of Roman Britain soon after the conquest of AD 43, and known as Camulodunum.\n\nPrevious discoveries have indicated the presence of Roman-era gladiators in Britain, even if the evidence of arena combat here has been more thin.\n\nSkeletons from an ancient \"gladiator cemetery\" went on display in York in 2011, although archaeologists said they could not be certain the men were fighters.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/uk-england-essex-64855991"}
{"title":"Sarah Everard: How Wayne Couzens planned her murder - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-06","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"Wayne Couzens is jailed for life for his premeditated attack on a victim he chose at random.","section":"UK","content":"The body of Sarah Everard was found hidden in woodland\n\nMet Police officer Wayne Couzens has been sentenced to a whole-life term for the murder of Sarah Everard, in a case that sparked national outrage and calls for more action to tackle violence against women.\n\nCouzens admitted the kidnap, rape and murder of the 33-year-old marketing executive when he appeared in court several months ago.\n\nBut it was only during his sentencing that the full details of his crimes emerged.\n\nMs Everard was walking home from a friend's house in Clapham, south London, at about 21:30 BST on 3 March when she was abducted.\n\nCouzens' choice of victim was random, but the attack was planned.\n\nIn his sentencing remarks, Lord Justice Fulford said there had been \"significant planning and premeditation\" by Couzens.\n\nThe police officer had \"long planned to carry out a violent sexual assault on a yet-to-be-selected victim\" who he intended to coerce into his custody, noted the judge.\n\nCouzens spent at least a month travelling to London from Deal, Kent, where he lived, to research how best to carry out his crimes.\n\nSeveral days before the attack, he booked a hire car, which he would use for the abduction, as well as a roll of self-adhesive film advertised as a carpet protector on Amazon.\n\nAfter finishing a 12-hour shift at the US embassy that morning, Couzens, a parliamentary and diplomatic protection officer, went out \"hunting\" for a lone, young woman to kidnap and rape, the prosecution said.\n\nCCTV footage played in court showed Couzens and Ms Everard beside a vehicle on Poynders Road in Clapham\n\nThe court heard how Couzens used the knowledge he had gained from working on Covid patrols in January and his Metropolitan Police-issue warrant card to trick his victim under the guise of a fake arrest for breaching coronavirus guidelines.\n\nThe 48-year-old, who had been a police officer since 2002, handcuffed her before bundling her into the car and driving away.\n\nThe abduction was witnessed by a couple travelling past in a car - but they believed they had seen an undercover police officer carrying out a legitimate arrest, so did not intervene.\n\nThe whole kidnapping took less than five minutes.\n\nCouzens then drove to Dover in Kent, where he transferred Ms Everard to his own car, before travelling to a remote rural area nearby.\n\nIt was there that he raped and murdered his victim - strangling her with his police belt.\n\nBy 02:31 Couzens had left the scene and was spotted at a service station buying drinks.\n\nHe visited the site where Ms Everard's body was dumped twice, leaving just before dawn.\n\nThe next day, as the search for her escalated, Couzens bought petrol, which he used to burn her body inside a fridge.\n\nHe also purchased two green rubble bags, which he used to dump the remains in a pond near an area of woodland he owned in Hoads Wood, Ashford.\n\nA week after she disappeared, Ms Everard's body was found in a woodland stream, just metres from land owned by Couzens.\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. A CCTV timeline shows key evidence used to arrest and prosecute Wayne Couzens\n\nMeanwhile, Couzens returned to normal life, carrying out mundane activities like calling a vet about his dog.\n\nDays later, he even took his wife and two children on a family trip to the woods where he had burnt his victim's body.\n\nHowever, on the 8 March, the day he was due to return to work, he reported in sick.\n\nThe following day he was arrested at his home in Deal.\n\nIn a brief police interview, he told a false story about being threatened by an Eastern European gang, claiming they had demanded he deliver \"another girl\" after he had underpaid a prostitute a few weeks before. He then claimed he kidnapped Ms Everard, drove out of London and handed her over to three men in a van in a layby in Kent, while she was alive and uninjured.\n\nBut after Ms Everard's body was discovered in a pond just 130 metres from land owned by Couzens, he was charged.\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. In video from a police interview at his home on 9 March, Couzens denies knowing Sarah Everard\n\nCouzens has since been sacked by the Met, but the force is still facing questions over whether chances were missed to prevent his predatory behaviour.\n\nAfter Ms Everard's murder, the police watchdog announced it was probing alleged failures by the Met to investigate two indecent exposure incidents linked to Couzens in February.\n\nThe Independent Office for Police Conduct is also investigating alleged failures by Kent Police to investigate a flashing incident linked to Couzens in 2015.\n\nCouzens transferred to the Met in 2018, from the Civil Nuclear Constabulary, where he had worked since 2011.\n\nTwo years later he began working for the Parliamentary and Diplomatic Protection Command as an authorised firearms officer at diplomatic premises around central London.\n\nIn July, appearing by video link from Belmarsh high security jail, Couzens pleaded guilty to murder at the Old Bailey.\n\nOn Wednesday he appeared in court again - this time in person - for a two-day sentencing hearing.\n\nThere, he faced Ms Everard's mother, father and sister, who described to the court the torment of losing their loved one in such horrendous circumstances.\n\nHer father, Jeremy, demanded that Couzens looked at him as he told the murderer he could never forgive him for taking away his daughter.\n\nHer mother, Susan, said she was \"tormented\" at the thought of what her \"precious little girl\" had endured.\n\n\"I go through the sequence of events. I wonder when she realised she was in mortal danger,\" she told the court.\n\n\"Burning her body was the final insult. It meant we could never again see her sweet face and never say goodbye.\n\n\"Our lives will never be the same. We should be a family of five, but now we are four. Her death leaves a yawning chasm in our lives that cannot be filled.\"","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/uk-58746108"}
{"title":"Novak Djokovic withdraws from Indian Wells because of vaccination status - BBC Sport","published_date":"2023-03-06","authors":null,"description":"World number one Novak Djokovic withdraws from this week's Indian Wells Masters event with the Serb unable to enter the United States.","section":null,"content":"Last updated on .From the section Tennis\n\nWorld number one Novak Djokovic has withdrawn from this week's Indian Wells Masters event with the Serb unable to enter the United States.\n\nThe 22-time Grand Slam winner, 35, had applied for special permission to enter the US because he is not vaccinated against Covid-19.\n\nThe US requires international visitors to be vaccinated and proof will be required until at least 10 April.\n\nDjokovic missed last year's US Open because of his vaccination status.\n\n\"World number one Novak Djokovic has withdrawn from the 2023 BNP Paribas Open. With his withdrawal, Nikoloz Basilashvili moves into the field,\" organisers said in a statement.\n\nIndian Wells - one of the most prestigious tournaments on the tennis calendar outside of the Grand Slams - starts on 6 March.\n\nOn Friday the United States Tennis Association and the US Open said they were \"hopeful\" Djokovic would be allowed to play this month's Indian Wells and Miami Masters 1,000 events.\n\nDjokovic, who also missed last year's Australian Open and was deported from the country because of his vaccination status, has said he would skip Grand Slams rather than have a Covid-19 vaccination.\n\nHe was permitted to travel to Melbourne in January and won a record-extending 10th Australian Open title, tying Rafael Nadal's men's record of 22 Grand Slam wins.\n\u2022 None Alerts: Get tennis news sent to your phone\n\u2022 None A corrupt copper and a gangster bound by decades of dishonesty:\n\u2022 None Do more expensive AA batteries last longer?: Sliced Bread is charged up to find out","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/sport\/tennis\/64859353"}
{"title":"Harry and Meghan weigh up coronation invitation - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-06","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"Duke and Duchess of Sussex will not say if they plan to attend after receiving an email from the Palace.","section":"UK","content":"Prince Harry and Meghan, the Duchess of Sussex, will be invited to King Charles III's coronation, a statement from the couple suggests.\n\nThey say they have been emailed about the coronation, on 6 May, but will not confirm whether they plan to attend.\n\nIt is understood that some prospective guests are being asked to save the date ahead of official invitations that will be sent later.\n\nBuckingham Palace has declined to comment on invitations.\n\nThere has been speculation about whether the US-based couple would be invited, and whether they would attend the coronation of King Charles and Camilla, the Queen Consort.\n\nA statement from Prince Harry and Meghan said they had been contacted about the coronation.\n\n\"I can confirm the Duke has recently received email correspondence from His Majesty's office regarding the coronation,\" a spokesperson for the couple said.\n\n\"An immediate decision on whether the Duke and Duchess will attend will not be disclosed by us at this time.\"\n\nWestminster Abbey, where the coronation will take place, has capacity for about 2,200 guests. Many public figures, politicians and international dignitaries are expected to attend, as well as the King's family and friends.\n\nFormal printed invitations are expected to be sent closer to the time, but it is believed that some groups of guests are being approached in advance, advising them to save the date.\n\nThe focus on whether Prince Harry and Meghan will come to the coronation follows revelations in his memoir about tensions with his family.\n\nThis included an account of an altercation with his brother Prince William, who as Prince of Wales is likely to have a role in the coronation ceremony.\n\nIn a previous interview about his memoir, Prince Harry had declined to say whether he would attend his father's coronation, saying: \"The door is always open. The ball is in their court.\"\n\nIf Prince Harry does return for the coronation, it is not known what part he might play, as he is no longer a \"working royal\".\n\nDuring the Queen's Platinum Jubilee, Prince Harry and Meghan were not part of the appearances on the Buckingham Palace balcony. These traditional appearances for the crowds will also be part of the coronation celebrations.\n\nIn an online interview on Saturday, Prince Harry said he had always \"felt slightly different\" to other members of his family - and that his late mother, Diana, had felt the same.\n\nIt also emerged last week that Prince Harry and Meghan had been asked to vacate Frogmore Cottage, the couple's UK base in Windsor.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/uk-64854803"}
{"title":"Ambulance strikes: Unite union suspends action in England - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-06","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"The Unite union suspends strikes in England to enter pay talks, following the Unison and GMB unions.","section":"Business","content":"Ambulance strikes due to take place in England on Monday and Wednesday have been called off.\n\nThe Unite union suspended the industrial action to enter pay talks with the government, it said.\n\nIt followed the Unison and GMB unions earlier suspending walkouts after what they called a \"huge shift\" in the government's position.\n\nUnite is the smallest of the three ambulance unions, representing about 3,000 workers.\n\nTens of thousands of staff had been expected to walk out across large parts of England. Unite members at ambulance trusts in the West Midlands, North West, South East and East Midlands had planned to strike on Monday. Staff in Yorkshire had planned to join them on Wednesday.\n\nUnite head of operations Gail Cartmail said: \"Following further assurances from the government over the weekend Unite has in good faith agreed to pause the strike action.\"\n\nThese assurances related to \"a confirmation that any deal will include new money, rather than placing further pressure on NHS budgets\", the union said, as well as an \"indication that discussions about 'efficiencies' and 'productivity savings' will not result in attacks on the conditions of NHS staff\".\n\nIf the government did not meet those assurances, \"strike action will resume\", Ms Cartmail said.\n\nThe union is expected to hold talks with the government this week.\n\nA Department of Health and Social Care spokesperson said: \"We're pleased that unions representing the majority of ambulance workers, nurses, physiotherapists, porters, cleaners and other non-medical staff have agreed to pause strikes and enter a process of intensive talks.\n\n\"We want to find a fair and reasonable settlement that recognises the vital role of NHS workers, the wider economic pressures facing the UK and the prime minister's priority to halve inflation.\"\n\nOn Friday the GMB union said the government had given it assurances of extra cash \"above existing budgets\".\n\nWhen Unison and the GMB called off their planned action, it was understood that talks with the government would discuss a one-off cost-of-living payment for the current financial year, which ends in April, as well as a new pay deal for 2023-24.\n\nIndustrial action by Unite and GMB had already been paused in Wales for further talks with the Welsh government.\n\nLast month, thousands of nurses in England suspended a series of strikes after Health Secretary Steve Barclay said he would meet the Royal College of Nursing for \"intensive talks\" over pay.\n\nHowever, tens of thousands of junior doctors are still scheduled to strike in England on 13, 14 and 15 March.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/health-64857174"}
{"title":"Iran: Suspected school poisonings unforgivable crime, Khamenei says - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-06","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"Iran's supreme leaders says anyone found to have targeted schoolgirls must be punished severely.","section":"Middle East","content":"Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said there would be \"no pardons\" if anyone was identified as a perpetrator and convicted\n\nIran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has called the wave of suspected poisonings of schoolgirls in recent months an \"unforgivable crime\".\n\n\"If there are any people involved in the matter, and there certainly are... the perpetrators must be given the most severe of punishments,\" he warned.\n\nMore than 1,000 girls at dozens of schools have been affected by unexplained illnesses since November.\n\nIncidents were reported in at least 15 cities and towns on Sunday alone.\n\nAuthorities have released very little information about their investigations and announced no arrests, but they have accused Iran's \"enemies\" of using the suspected poisonings to undermine the clerical establishment.\n\nSome Iranians believe the girls' schools are being targeted by hard-line elements to stop them receiving an education.\n\nOthers suggest the authorities may be punishing girls for their leading role in the nationwide anti-government protests that erupted in September.\n\nThis Twitter post cannot be displayed in your browser. Please enable Javascript or try a different browser. View original tweet on Twitter The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Skip twitter post by Parham Ghobadi 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\u2019s cookie policy, external and privacy policy, external before accepting. To view this content choose \u2018accept and continue\u2019. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.\n\nThe first known case was reported at a school in the Shia holy city of Qom on 30 November, when 18 schoolgirls fell ill and were taken to hospital.\n\nSince then, a total of 127 schools in 25 of Iran's 31 provinces have been affected, according to a tally by the reformist news outlet Etemad Online.\n\nStudents have said they smelled tangerine or rotten fish before falling ill. Many have suffered respiratory problems, nausea, dizziness and fatigue.\n\nIn his first public comments on the matter Ayatollah Khamenei called on law enforcement and intelligence agencies to \"seriously pursue the issue\".\n\n\"The poisonings are a grave and unforgivable crime,\" he declared during a speech at a tree planting event in Tehran, adding that there would be \"no pardons\" if anyone was identified as a perpetrator and convicted.\n\nJudiciary Chief Gholamhossein Mohseni Ejei meanwhile warned that they could face the charge of \"corruption on earth\", which is punishable by death.\n\nHe also said special courts would be set up in each province to summon \"lie-spreaders and disrupters of public opinion in the case of the poisonings\".\n\nTheir remarks came a day after a series of suspected poisonings was reported in at least 15 cities and towns, with the south-western city of Ahvaz and the central city of Yazd said to have been worst affected.\n\nOpposition activist collective 1500 Tasvir posted footage that it said showed girls at Fatemieh Art School in the western city of Hamadan shouting: \"We don't want to die.\"\n\nIn another video, a woman in the northern city of Rasht said security forces had fired tear-gas at concerned mothers protesting outside the local education department.\n\nOn Saturday, Interior Minister Ahmad Vahidi said that investigators had gathered \"suspicious samples\" at affected schools, but provided no details.\n\nHealth Minister Bahram Eynollahi meanwhile told a conference last Tuesday that research indicated that \"a kind of mild poison caused the intoxication\".\n\n1500 Tasvir tweeted on Sunday that it had \"received the results of 25 blood tests from poisoned students in different cities\" and that the \"MCV number in all of them is lower than normal\".\n\nThe MCV, or \"Mean Corpuscular Volume\" count, measures the average size of red blood cells, which are responsible for transporting oxygen from the lungs to other parts of the body.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/world-middle-east-64862714"}
{"title":"Ukraine war: Russian reservists fighting with shovels - UK defence ministry - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-06","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"Troops could be engaging in hand-to-hand combat in Ukraine, Britain's defence ministry says.","section":"Europe","content":"The MPL-50 is particularly mythologised in Russia, the UK defence ministry said (stock photo)\n\nRussian reservists could be using \"shovels\" for \"hand-to-hand\" combat in Ukraine due to a shortage of ammunition, the UK's Ministry of Defence says.\n\nIn late February, reservists described being ordered to assault a Ukrainian position \"armed with only 'firearms and shovels'\", the ministry said in its latest intelligence update.\n\nIt mentioned a shovel known as MPL-50.\n\nThe tool was designed in 1869 and had changed little, the ministry said.\n\nIt has been part of the Russian reservist army kit for decades.\n\n\"The lethality of the standard-issue MPL-50 entrenching tool is particularly mythologised in Russia,\" the ministry said.\n\nThe continued use of the shovel \"as a weapon highlights the brutal and low-tech fighting which has come to characterise much of the war\", it said.\n\nOne of the reservists described being \"neither physically nor psychologically\" prepared for the action, the update added.\n\n\"Recent evidence suggests an increase in close combat in Ukraine,\" it said.\n\n\"This is probably a result of the Russian command continuing to insist on offensive action largely consisting of dismounted infantry, with less support from artillery fire because Russia is short of munitions.\"\n\nThe BBC has been unable to independently verify these reports. The ministry did not give information on where such battles were taking place.\n\nAnalysts say that although there is indeed an ammunition shortage, the situation is more complex than the intelligence update suggests, with Russian forces still using twice as much ammunition as the Ukrainian side.\n\nMeanwhile Russian forces appear to have secured a sufficient positional advantage in the besieged city of Bakhmut, the Institute for the Study of War (ISW) said.\n\nBakhmut has seen months of fighting, as Russia tries to take control of the small city, where around 4,000 civilians remain.\n\nTaking the city would be a rare battlefield success in recent months for Russia, but the city's strategic value has been questioned.\n\nThe ISW said Russia's positional advantage could allow a \"turning movement\" in the city.\n\nThe purpose of a turning movement is to force the enemy to abandon prepared defensive positions, and is different from the aim of an encirclement, which is to trap and destroy enemy forces, the ISW says.\n\n\"The Russians may have intended to encircle Ukrainian forces in Bakhmut, but the Ukrainian command has signalled that it will likely withdraw rather than risk an encirclement,\" the ISW said.\n\nHowever, the Ukrainian military said on Sunday that it had no intention of withdrawing from Bakhmut.\n\nA statement by the Armed Forces General Staff acknowledged that Russian forces were still trying to surround the city, but said more than 100 attacks had been repelled in the eastern Donbas region in the past 24 hours.\n\nThousands of Russian troops have died trying to take Bakhmut, which had a pre-war population of around 75,000.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/world-europe-64855760"}
{"title":"Twitter insiders: We can't protect users from trolling under Musk - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-06","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"Current and former employees of the company say there are serious ramifications from mass lay-offs.","section":"Technology","content":"Elon Musk took control of Twitter in October 2022\n\nTwitter insiders have told the BBC that the company is no longer able to protect users from trolling, state-co-ordinated disinformation and child sexual exploitation, following lay-offs and changes under owner Elon Musk.\n\nExclusive academic data plus testimony from Twitter users backs up their allegations, suggesting hate is thriving under Mr Musk's leadership, with trolls emboldened, harassment intensifying and a spike in accounts following misogynistic and abusive profiles.\n\nCurrent and former employees of the company tell BBC Panorama that features intended to protect Twitter users from trolling and harassment are proving difficult to maintain, amid what they describe as a chaotic working environment in which Mr Musk is shadowed by bodyguards at all times. I've spoken to dozens, with several going on the record for the first time.\n\nThe former head of content design says everyone on her team - which created safety measures such as nudge buttons - has been sacked. She later resigned. Internal research by Twitter suggests those safety measures reduced trolling by 60%. An engineer working for Twitter told me \"nobody's taking care\" of this type of work now, likening the platform to a building that seems fine from the outside, but inside is \"on fire\".\n\nTwitter has not replied to the BBC's request for comment.\n\nAbuse on Twitter is nothing new for me - I'm a reporter who shares my coverage of disinformation, conspiracies and hate there. But throughout most of last year I noticed it steadily lessening across all of the social media sites. And then in November I realised it had got worse on Twitter again.\n\nIt turns out, I was right. A team from the International Center for Journalists and the University of Sheffield have been tracking the hate I receive, and their data revealed the abuse targeted at me on Twitter had more than tripled since Mr Musk took over, compared with the same period in the year before.\n\nAll of the social media sites have been under pressure to tackle online hate and harmful content - but they say they're taking measures to deal with it. Measures that no longer seem to be top of the agenda at Twitter.\n\nIn San Francisco, the home of Twitter's headquarters, I set out to look for answers. What better place to get them than from an engineer - responsible for the computer code that makes Twitter work. Because he's still working there, he's asked us to conceal his identity, so we're calling him Sam.\n\n\"For someone on the inside, it's like a building where all the pieces are on fire,\" he revealed.\n\n\"When you look at it from the outside the fa\u00e7ade looks fine, but I can see that nothing is working. All the plumbing is broken, all the faucets, everything.\"\n\nHe says the chaos has been created by the huge disruption in staffing. At least half of Twitter's workforce have been sacked or chosen to leave since Musk bought it. Now people from other teams are having to shift their focus, he says.\n\n\"A totally new person, without the expertise, is doing what used to be done by more than 20 people,\" says Sam. \"That leaves room for much more risk, many more possibilities of things that can go wrong.\"\n\nHe says previous features still exist but those who designed and maintained them have left - he thinks they are now left unmanned.\n\n\"There are so many things broken and there's nobody taking care of it, that you see this inconsistent behaviour,\" he tells me.\n\nThe level of disarray, in his view, is because Mr Musk doesn't trust Twitter employees. He describes him bringing in engineers from his other company - electric car manufacturer Tesla - and asking them to evaluate engineers' code over just a few days before deciding who to sack. Code like that would take \"months\" to understand, he tells me.\n\nHe believes this lack of trust is betrayed by the level of security Mr Musk surrounds himself with.\n\n\"Wherever he goes in the office, there are at least two bodyguards - very bulky, tall, Hollywood movie-[style] bodyguards. Even when [he goes] to the restroom,\" he tells me.\n\nHe thinks for Mr Musk it's about money. He says cleaning and catering staff were all sacked - and that Mr Musk even tried to sell the office plants to employees.\n\nLisa Jennings Young, former head of content design, says her entire team was cut\n\nLisa Jennings Young, Twitter's former head of content design, was one of the people who specialised in introducing features designed to protect users from hate. Twitter was a hotbed for trolling long before Mr Musk took over, but she says her team had made good headway at limiting this. Internal Twitter research, seen by the BBC, appears to back this up.\n\n\"It was not at all perfect. But we were trying, and we were making things better all the time,\" she says. It is the first time she's publicly spoken of her experience since she left after Mr Musk's takeover.\n\nMs Jennings Young's team worked on several new features including safety mode, which can automatically block abusive accounts. They also designed labels applied to misleading tweets, and something called the \"harmful reply nudge\". The \"nudge\" alerts users before they send a tweet in which AI technology has detected trigger words or harmful language.\n\nTwitter's own research, seen by the BBC, appears to show the \"nudge\" and other safety tools being effective.\n\nResearch shows abuse targeting me on Twitter has more than tripled since Musk took over\n\n\"Overall 60% of users deleted or edited their reply when given a chance through the nudge,\" she says. \"But what was more interesting, is that after we nudged people once, they composed 11% fewer harmful replies in the future.\"\n\nThese safety features were being implemented around the time my abuse on Twitter seemed to reduce, according to data collated by the University of Sheffield and International Center for Journalists. It's impossible to directly correlate the two, but given what the evidence tells us about the efficacy of these measures, it's possible to draw a link.\n\nBut after Mr Musk took over the social media company in late October 2022, Lisa's entire team was laid off, and she herself chose to leave in late November. I asked Ms Jennings Young what happened to features like the harmful reply nudge.\n\n\"There's no-one there to work on that at this time,\" she told me. She has no idea what has happened to the projects she was doing.\n\nSo we tried an experiment.\n\nShe suggested a tweet that she would have expected to trigger a nudge. \"Twitter employees are lazy losers, jump off the Golden Gate bridge and die.\" I shared it on a private profile in response to one of her tweets, but to Ms Jennings Young's surprise, no nudge was sent. Another tweet with offensive language we shared was picked up - but Lisa says the nudge should have picked up a message wishing death on a user, not just swear words. As Sam had predicted, it didn't seem to be working as it was designed to.\n\nDuring this investigation, I've had messages from many people who've told me how the hate they receive on Twitter has been increasing since Mr Musk took over - sharing examples of racism, antisemitism and misogyny.\n\nEllie Wilson, who lives in Glasgow, was raped while at university and began posting about that experience on social media last summer. At the time, she received a supportive response on Twitter.\n\nRape survivor Ellie Wilson says she has noticed a recent surge in hateful messages\n\nBut when she tweeted about her attacker in January after he was sentenced, she was subject to a wave of hateful messages. She received abusive and misogynistic replies - with some even telling her she deserved to be raped.\n\n\"[What] I find most difficult [is] the people that say that I wasn't raped or that this didn't happen and that I'm lying. It's sort of like a secondary trauma,\" Ms Wilson told me.\n\nHer Twitter following was smaller before the takeover, but when I looked into accounts targeting her with hate this time around, I noticed the trolls' profiles had become more active since the takeover, suggesting they'd been suspended previously and recently reinstated.\n\nSome of the accounts had even been set up around the time of Mr Musk's takeover. They appeared to be dedicated to sending out hate, without profile pictures or identifying features. Several follow and interact with content from popular accounts that have been accused of promoting misogyny and hate - reinstated on Twitter after Musk decided to restore thousands of suspended accounts, including that of controversial influencer Andrew Tate.\n\n\"By allowing those people a platform, you're empowering them. And you're saying, 'This is OK, you can do that.'\"\n\nSeveral of the accounts also targeted other rape survivors she's in contact with.\n\nAndrew Tate did not respond to the BBC's request for comment.\n\nNew research from the Institute for Strategic Dialogue - a UK think tank that investigates disinformation and hate - echoes what I've uncovered about the troll accounts targeting Ellie.\n\nIt shows that tens of thousands of new accounts have been created since Mr Musk took over, which then immediately followed known abusive and misogynistic profiles - 69% higher than before he was in charge.\n\nThe research suggests these abusive networks are now growing - and that Mr Musk's takeover has created a \"permissive environment\" for the creation and use of these kinds of accounts.\n\nPanorama investigates how Elon Musk's ownership is transforming one of the world's most influential social media platforms.\n\nWatch on BBC One at 20:00 GMT, Monday 6 March\n\nMr Musk's key priorities since the takeover - according to his tweets - are to make the social media company profitable and to champion freedom of expression.\n\nIn December 2022, he released internal documents called the \"Twitter Files\" to explain why he believed the company hadn't been fairly applying its moderation and suspension policies under the old leadership.\n\nBut those who have been on the inside, feel like Mr Musk has used this to de-prioritise protecting users from harm altogether. Even the dangerous content he's lobbied against, including Child Sexual Abuse and networks of so-called bot accounts deliberately designed to mislead, isn't being tackled as it was before, they say.\n\nIt is not just individual trolls that Twitter has previously tried to guard against, but also so-called \"influence operations\" - state-sanctioned campaigns seeking to undermine democracy and target dissidents and journalists.\n\nRay Serrato worked in a team that specialised in tackling these operations. He left in November because he felt there wasn't a clear vision to protect users under the new leadership. He says his team would identify suspicious activity like this \"daily\". Now his team has been \"decimated\" and exists in a \"minimised capacity\".\n\nRay Serrato, who specialised in tackling state-sponsored disinformation, says his team was \"decimated\"\n\n\"Twitter might have been the refuge where journalists would go out and have their voice be heard and be critical of the government. But I'm not sure that's going to be the case anymore.\"\n\n\"There are a number of key experts that are no longer in that team that would have covered special regions, or threat actors, from Russia to China,\" he tells me.\n\nAnother insider, who we're calling Rory, is also very concerned about that drain of expertise - and how it appears to be undermining a Musk priority, preventing paedophiles using Twitter to groom victims and share links to abuse. Rory was employed until very recently as part of a team tackling child sexual exploitation [CSE].\n\nHis team would identify accounts sharing abusive content about children, escalating the worst to law enforcement. Before the takeover such content was a huge problem, he says - and he already feared they were understaffed.\n\n\"Every day you would be able to identify that sort of material,\" he says.\n\nBut his team was cut soon after the acquisition, he says, from 20 people to around six or seven. In his view that's too few to keep on top of the workload.\n\nRory says - before he left - neither Mr Musk nor any other member of the new management made contact with him and his old team, who between them had years of experience in this area.\n\n\"You can't take over a company and suddenly believe you have knowledge\u2026 to deal with [Child Sexual Exploitation] without having the experts in place,\" he says.\n\nTwitter says it removed 400,000 accounts in one month alone to help \"make Twitter safer\". But Rory is worried there are now fewer people with the knowledge to effectively escalate concerns about this content with law enforcement.\n\n\"You can by all means suspend hundreds of thousands of accounts in a month. But if the reporting of that content [to law enforcement] has dropped, then it doesn't really mean anything, and most of the users who had their accounts suspended would just set up a new account anyway.\"\n\nHe adds that offending users can then just set up new accounts, at a time when suspended profiles are being welcomed back to Twitter.\n\nI wanted to ask Elon Musk about the takeover, his vision for Twitter and how he thinks it is playing out in reality. I tried to contact him via email, tweets and even a Twitter \"poll\". This wasn't a real poll but Mr Musk has used these votes to make decisions about Twitter's future, and I was hoping it might catch his attention. More than 40,000 users voted and 89% said Mr Musk should do an interview with me. I had no response.\n\nElon Musk did not formally respond to Panorama - but he did tweet after we published this article\n\nTwitter and Musk are yet to formally respond to BBC Panorama's investigation.\n\nI'm told all of Twitter's communications team have either resigned or been sacked. Twitter's policies, publicly available online, say that \"defending and respecting the user's voice\" remains one of its \"core values\".\n\nMusk did however tweet about our piece after its publication, saying: \"Sorry for turning Twitter from nurturing paradise into place that has\u2026 trolls.\"\n\nHave you been affected by the issues raised in this story? Share your experiences by emailing haveyoursay@bbc.co.uk.\n\nPlease include a contact number if you are willing to speak to a BBC journalist. You can also get in touch in the following ways:\n\nIf 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 HaveYourSay@bbc.co.uk. Please include your name, age and location with any submission.","link":"https:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/technology-64804007"}
{"title":"Firefighters will not strike after accepting new pay offer - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-06","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"Fire Brigades Union members vote to accept backdated 7% pay rise, with a further 5% increase in July.","section":"UK","content":"Firefighters have accepted a new pay offer, meaning strike action which was put on hold during negotiations last month will not go ahead.\n\nThe deal includes a 7% pay rise backdated to last July, with a further 5% from July this year.\n\nSome 96% of Fire Brigades Union (FBU) members voted to take the offer, with an 84% turnout.\n\nHad the strikes gone ahead, they would have been the first UK-wide fire service strikes over pay since 2003.\n\nFBU general secretary Matt Wrack said an \"overwhelming\" majority of members had backed the settlement, which he described as \"favourable to firefighters\".\n\nMore than 80% of FBU members had backed strike action in December, before it was delayed while talks took place in February.\n\nThe union's executive had recommended that members voted to accept the new offer during the ballot, which closed on Monday.\n\nMr Wrack praised the process of collective bargaining - in which pay and conditions are negotiated on behalf of a group of workers - and said it was a better alternative to independent pay review bodies, which advise the government on pay for public sector workers.\n\n\"We moved our employers from 2% in June last year, to 5% in November, and now to 7% plus 5%, with an agreement to immediate talks on other areas where we have concerns over pay,\" he said.\n\nBut he added the union had not wanted to \"sugar-coat\" the offer, saying the initial 7% rise was still a real-terms pay cut amid high inflation.\n\nPrior to the latest agreement, a trainee firefighter in London earned a salary of \u00a328,730, rising to \u00a337,032 once they were qualified.\n\nOutside of London, trainee firefighters could earn \u00a324,191, rising to \u00a332,244 when qualified.\n\nThere has been a wave of industrial action across the country in recent months, with strikes by thousands of different workers - including nurses, teachers, civil servants and railway workers.\n\nEarlier on Monday, the British Medical Association said consultants in England were ready to strike after a consultative ballot showed support for industrial action.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/uk-64867729"}
{"title":"Turkey opposition names Kilicdaroglu as joint challenger to Erdogan - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-06","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"Quiet-spoken centre-leftist Kemal Kilicdaroglu is chosen by the opposition to run for president.","section":"Europe","content":"Mr Kilicdaroglu is known in Turkish media as \"Gandhi Kemal\" for his resemblance to the Indian civil rights leader\n\nTurkey's often divided opposition parties have come together to choose a single candidate to face President Recep Tayyip Erdogan in May's election.\n\nPolls suggest a tight race in a country highly polarised after two decades of Mr Erdogan's authoritarian rule.\n\nEconomic crisis and errors during last month's earthquake may make him more vulnerable than in previous elections.\n\nA huge crowd of supporters cheered Mr Kilicdaroglu, a former civil servant, as he was chosen by an opposition alliance known as the Table of Six.\n\nTheir agreement had been thrown into doubt when one of the six parties involved, the nationalist Good Party of Meral Aksener, complained he lacked popular appeal.\n\nMs Aksener favoured the mayors of either Istanbul or Ankara but a compromise was eventually agreed that would see both men appointed vice presidents.\n\n\"Our table is the table of peace,\" said Mr Kilicdaroglu, a soft-spoken 74 year old. \"Our only goal is to take the country to days of prosperity, peace and joy.\"\n\nHe offers a radically different vision in both substance and style to President Erdogan's fiery, charismatic approach and promised his supporters that he would govern Turkey through consensus and consultation.\n\nHe also said he would return the country to a parliamentary system. Mr Erdogan oversaw a transition to a presidential system in 2018, gaining sweeping powers.\n\nThe CHP was created by modern Turkey's founder, Mustafa Kemal Ataturk, and is the country's oldest political party, though it has been out of power centrally since the 1990s.\n\nHowever, Mr Kilicdaroglu has broadened its appeal by embracing minority groups and has formed alliances with right-wing parties.\n\nHe has also shown himself willing to challenge Mr Erdogan, a leader who has become increasingly intolerant of criticism.\n\nIn February's earthquake, in which more than 45,000 people were killed in south-eastern Turkey, Mr Kilicdaroglu led attacks on the government, which he said had allowed corruption and poor building standards.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/world-europe-64867467"}
{"title":"Bangladesh investigates huge fire at world's largest refugee camp - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-06","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"The blaze in Bangladesh has left at least 12,000 people - mainly Rohingya refugees - without shelter.","section":"Asia","content":"This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Video shows fire engulfing part of the camp, destroying shelters made from bamboo and tarpaulin\n\nBangladesh authorities are investigating the cause of a massive fire in a Rohingya refugee camp which has left 12,000 people without shelter.\n\nNo casualties have been reported, but the fire on Sunday razed 2,000 shelters after spreading quickly through gas cylinders in kitchens, officials said.\n\nPolice are investigating if the fire was an act of sabotage. One man has been detained, local media reported.\n\nThe camp in the south-east is believed to be the world's largest refugee camp.\n\nMost of its more than one million residents, Rohingya refugees, had fled persecution in neighbouring Myanmar.\n\nOn Monday, hundreds had returned to the Cox's Bazar area to see what they could salvage from the ruins.\n\nThe blaze had started at about 14:45 local time Sunday (08:45 GMT) and quickly tore through the bamboo-and-tarpaulin shelters, an official said.\n\n\"Some 2,000 shelters have been burnt, leaving about 12,000 forcibly displaced Myanmar nationals shelterless,\" Mijanur Rahman, Bangladesh's refugee commissioner, told AFP news agency.\n\nThe blaze was brought under control within three hours but at least 35 mosques and 21 learning centres for the refugees were also destroyed, he added.\n\nPhotos are now emerging that show the extent of the devastation.\n\nMany of those who lived there can be seen picking through the charred area, where only metal struts and singed corrugated roofing remains.\n\nHrusikesh Harichandan, from the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies, told the BBC there had been \"massive damage\" to the camp.\n\nHe said basic services such as water centres and testing facilities had also been affected.\n\n\"My shelter was gutted. [My shop] was also burnt,\" Mamun Johar, a 30-year-old Rohingya man, told AFP.\n\n\"The fire took everything from me, everything.\"\n\nThick black clouds were seen rising above Camp 11, one of many in the border district.\n\nIt will be difficult to relocate the estimated 12,000 people affected by the fire - given the already overcrowded conditions in the \"mega camp\", said Hardin Lang from Refugees International.\n\nDelivering basic services to those people in other parts of the camp would also be a challenge because many services - health clinics, schools - have been destroyed.\n\n\"This is in essence an acute incident on what was already a chronically very vulnerable and precariously poised population,\" he told the BBC.\n\nThe camps, overcrowded and squalid, have long been vulnerable to fires.\n\nBetween January 2021 and December 2022, there were 222 fire incidents in the Rohingya camps including 60 cases of arson, according to a Bangladesh defence ministry report released last month.\n\nIn March 2021, at least 15 people were killed and some 50,000 were displaced after a huge fire tore through a camp in the settlement.\n\nThe refugee camp houses people who fled from Myanmar following a military crackdown against the Rohingya ethnic minority.\n\nThe Rohingya are Muslims in largely Buddhist Myanmar, where they have faced persecution for generations.\n\nThe latest exodus of Rohingya escaping to Bangladesh began in August 2017, after Myanmar's military brutally retaliated when a Rohingya insurgent group launched attacks on several police posts.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/world-asia-64858932"}
{"title":"Nitrous oxide: Laughing gas should not be banned, review says - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-06","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"Nitrous oxide, known as laughing gas, is the second most-used drug in the UK among 16 to 24-year-olds.","section":"UK","content":"This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser.\n\nA review for the government has stopped short of recommending a laughing gas ban.\n\nNitrous oxide, sold in metal canisters, is the second most-used drug by 16 to 24-year-olds in the UK.\n\nHeavy use can lead to a vitamin deficiency that damages nerves in the spinal cord.\n\nBut the independent Advisory Council on the Misuse of Drugs (ACMD) said nitrous oxide should not be banned under the Misuse of Drugs Act 1971.\n\nIt comes after the Home Office asked the ACMD to provide advice on whether to make possession of nitrous oxide a crime.\n\nEarlier this year, ministers had been considering a ban on possession of the drug - and on all direct sale of it to consumers - as part of a move to tackle antisocial behaviour.\n\nThe ACMD recommended the substance should not be controlled under the Misuse of Drugs Act 1971.\n\nIt said sanctions for the offences would be disproportionate with the level of harm associated with nitrous oxide, as well as creating \"significant burdens\" for legitimate uses of the substance.\n\nNitrous oxide is regularly used as an anaesthetic in medicine and dentistry, and as a gas for making whipped cream in cooking.\n\nCurrently, non-legitimate use of the substance is controlled under the Psychoactive Substances Act 2016, which the council said \"remains appropriate legislation\".\n\nThe Act makes production, supply and importation of nitrous oxide for inhalation illegal, but not possession.\n\nInterventions should also included tackling non-legitimate supply of the drug, like closing down websites.\n\nA Home Office spokesman said: \"This government is working to crack down on drug misuse in our communities, that is why we asked the ACMD to provide updated advice on nitrous oxide.\n\n\"We thank them for their report, which we will now consider.\"\n\nEarlier this year, Prime Minister Rishi Sunak addressed laughing gas use in a speech about anti-social behaviour, in which he spoke about instances of \"nitrous oxide canisters in children's playgrounds\".\n\nThe government said it commissioned the report following what it described as a \"concerning\" rise in young people using the drug, often at festivals, house parties and outside nightclubs.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/uk-64869760"}
{"title":"Important to review Nicola Bulley case, says PCC - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-06","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"The search for the mother-of-two and investigation into her disappearance attracted huge scrutiny.","section":"Lancashire","content":"The search for Nicola Bulley and investigation into her disappearance has drawn huge scrutiny\n\nA police boss said it was important to review a force's handling of the Nicola Bulley case to understand how the narrative got so \"out of control\".\n\nThe disappearance of the mother-of-two sparked a major search operation but it also attracted dozens of amateur social media sleuths to travel to the area.\n\nLancashire's Police and Crime Commissioner Andrew Snowden has ordered a review of the police investigation.\n\nHe said he hoped \"lessons can be learned\" from the \"tragic case\".\n\nMs Bulley, 45, disappeared while walking her dog by the river in St Michael's on Wyre after dropping off her daughters, aged six and nine, at school.\n\nA major search operation got under way but it was 23 days before her body was found in the river one mile away from where she was last seen.\n\n\"We are bringing in the College of Policing to look at [the case] and provide that assurance for the public about how, on a case where the police theory around what had happened had been proven to be correct all the way along, did the narrative go so national and international and get out of control?\n\n\"How did the police lose control of that narrative around what was actually happening on the ground?\"\n\n\"It was lost that we were searching for a missing mother, missing partner, missing sister,\" Mr Snowden told BBC Radio Lancashire.\n\nAndrew Snowden has commissioned an independent review into the handling of the case\n\n\"That got lost in the narrative in what became almost like a social media pile-on in parts around who could be the next best detective to come up with all these different increasing theories.\n\n\"A lot of them had absolutely no base in any reason or fact.\"\n\nThe investigation into Ms Bulley's disappearance attracted widespread speculation as well as criticism of the police response.\n\nLancashire Police came under fire after revealing Ms Bulley's struggles with alcohol and perimenopause three weeks after she vanished.\n\nBut Mr Snowden said the vast majority of people that he had spoken to \"think the police did a good job against all the difficult circumstances\".\n\n\"I don't feel that this has brought a collapse in confidence of policing,\" he said.\n\n\"At the end of the day, the police were right all the way along.\n\n\"It was the narrative that was lost not the actual police investigation.\"\n\nA major search operation was mounted after Nicola Bulley went missing\n\nThe review by the College of Policing will focus on the investigation and search, communication and public engagement, and the releasing of personal information.\n\n\"It's important that we do a review and learn lessons not just for Lancashire but for national policing as well,\" he said.\n\n\"How do the police maintain control of the narrative when everybody wants to fill air time and column inches in particularly what became a sensationalised story?\"\n\nA separate investigation by the Independent Office for Police Conduct is also under way into a police visit to Ms Bulley's home weeks before her disappearance.\n\nWhy not follow BBC North West on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram? You can also send story ideas to northwest.newsonline@bbc.co.uk","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/uk-england-lancashire-64864726"}
{"title":"Spain $1.7m wine theft: Couple jailed for four years - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-06","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"A former Mexican beauty queen and her partner stole 45 bottles of wine from a luxury Spanish hotel.","section":"Europe","content":"The pair were arrested in July following a nine-month international police hunt\n\nA former Mexican beauty queen and her partner have been jailed in Spain for four years for stealing 45 bottles of wine worth an estimated $1.7m (\u20ac1.6m; \u00a31.4m).\n\nThe incident happened in 2021 at a luxury hotel in the Spanish city of C\u00e1ceres, where the couple were staying as guests.\n\nThe couple later fled, but they were arrested nine months later at the Croatia-Montenegro border and returned to Spain.\n\nNone of the wine has been recovered.\n\nThe court named the couple only as Tatania and Estanislao, but they have been identified by Spanish media as Priscila Guevara and Constant\u00edn Dumitru.\n\nAccording to the court, Tatania checked into the exclusive Atrio hotel in October 2021 using a fake Swiss passport.\n\nShe was later joined by Estanislao and they both enjoyed a 14-course meal at the property's Michelin star restaurant, followed by a guided tour of the wine cellar.\n\nEstanislao then returned in the early hours of the following morning to raid the cellar using a stolen key, which the court suggested he took from reception while Tatania provided a distraction.\n\nOne of the bottles of wine, which were stuffed into their backpacks, had a unique 19th Century vintage and is reported to have been worth \u20ac350,000 (\u00a3310,000).\n\nThe theft sparked an international police hunt that ended in July when the pair were caught while trying to cross into Croatia.\n\nAccording to the El Pa\u00eds newspaper, the pair had reportedly visited the restaurant at least three times beforehand in order to prepare for the robbery.\n\nThe couple have also been ordered to pay more than \u20ac750,000 to insurers in damages.\n\nTheir sentences are not yet final and the couple will have the opportunity to appeal them.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/world-europe-64865977"}
{"title":"Talks to avoid more rail strikes on brink of failure - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-06","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"Union members and rail bosses are negotiating ahead of more strikes on Thursday.","section":"Business","content":"National level talks between the Rail Delivery Group and the RMT appear to be on the brink of failure, as another train strike looms next Thursday.\n\nNow, the RDG, which represents train companies, has written to the union saying that if the latest offer is not put to union members in a vote, national level talks may not resume.\n\nIt says talks would have to be opened between the RMT and each individual train company involved.\n\nThe RMT has been contacted for comment.\n\nThe national rail dispute has been at an impasse since the RMT's national executive committee rejected \"best and final\" offers from rail bosses.\n\nThe RDG will wait for the RMT's response before deciding how to proceed.\n\nThe Rail Delivery Group (RDG) and the RMT - the largest rail union - have been negotiating for months.\n\nUnions have been calling for an unconditional pay offer during talks with the RDG and Network Rail.\n\nThe RMT has previously said it is \"focused on coming to a negotiated settlement\", and that it had carried out an \"in-depth consultation\" before the decision to reject was made. As well as an unconditional pay offer, it called for \"a job security agreement and no detrimental changes being imposed on members' terms, conditions and working practices\".\n\nThe government and industry have said all along that any pay increase must be on condition of \"reforms\".\n\nThe industry viewed the demand for an \"unconditional\" pay offer as rejecting the premise of negotiations.\n\nRail workers have been offered pay rises of 5% for 2022\/23 and 4% for 2023\/4, in exchange for changes to working practices.\n\nThe government controls how much money is on the table and has to sign off on what is agreed. There has been no sign it is prepared to enable further offers to be made.\n\nNetwork Rail boss Andrew Haines has also cast doubt on the prospect of negotiations resuming, expressing frustration.\n\nHe said: \"We are having to take stock because three consecutive times we've agreed\u2026 what we believed was an in principle deal with the negotiators, only for it to be rejected three times by the executive committee of the RMT.\"\n\nNetwork Rail hopes that more trains will be able to run on 16 March compared with previous strikes, however the service that is on offer will still be very limited.\n\nSeparately, the train drivers' union Aslef has held a series of meetings with the RDG in recent weeks, after its initial offer was strongly rejected. The union viewed it as a chance to start again with a blank sheet.\n\nAslef currently has no more strikes in the diary but further action is possible without a breakthrough.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/business-64861170"}
{"title":"Prince Harry praises mother Diana's legacy in fighting HIV - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-06","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"The Duke of Sussex recalls the work of Princess Diana in removing the stigma around HIV.","section":"UK","content":"The Duke of Sussex has said the fight against HIV was a \"big piece of my mum's legacy\", in a message marking the 40th anniversary of the Terrence Higgins Trust sexual health charity.\n\nPrince Harry, recalling the efforts of his mother, Diana, Princess of Wales, to raise awareness, said he was proud \"to continue her advocacy\".\n\nHe said the princess had shown empathy for those with HIV at a time of \"fear\".\n\nAt the height of the epidemic, she made high-profile visits to HIV patients.\n\n\"Like many, my mother grew up in a world where HIV was likely a death sentence,\" wrote Prince Harry, in a message to the charity.\n\n\"Yet, in the midst of all that uncertainty, she led with empathy, finding the humanity in all around her and demonstrating the power of connection in the face of fear.\"\n\nPrince Harry said the goal was to end transmissions of HIV - and emphasised the importance of testing and \"eradicating stigma\".\n\n\"Though the last 40 years have shown significant progress, we cannot slow down now, we must finish the job,\" wrote Prince Harry, in a message to the Terrence Higgins Trust.\n\nPrincess Diana on a 1989 visit to a hospice for HIV patients\n\nLeaders of the charity have previously spoken of the great importance of Princess Diana's role in tackling the taboos around HIV and Aids-related illnesses in the 1980s.\n\nFormer chief executive Ian Green described her \"momentous impact on public perceptions of HIV\".\n\n\"With every gloveless handshake and every hug, she helped to challenge the hysteria and fear which was rife at the time,\" said the charity head.\n\n\"HIV does not make people dangerous to know,\" Princess Diana had said when opening the UK's first specialist HIV\/Aids ward in London in 1987. \"You can shake their hands and give them a hug,\"\n\nPrince Harry's memoir, Spare, highlighted his great sense of unresolved grief after his mother's death in a car crash in Paris in 1997, when he was 12.\n\nIn an online interview on Saturday with a trauma expert, Prince Harry spoke of his fears that therapy would mean \"losing the feeling that I had of my mum... whatever I had managed to hold onto of my mother\".\n\nPrince Harry said that growing up he had always \"felt slightly different to the rest of my family... and I know that my mum felt the same\".\n\nSince it emerged that Prince Harry and his wife, the Duchess of Sussex, would be invited to his father's coronation in May, there has been much speculation about whether the couple will attend.\n\u2022 None Harry: I always felt different to rest of family","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/uk-64869164"}
{"title":"Twitter has tech issues for second time in week - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-06","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"The platform now says that services are \"working as normal\".","section":"Technology","content":"Twitter has experienced major problems with posting some images and links - the second time in a week it has suffered technical issues.\n\nClicking on links in posts resulted in users receiving an error message.\n\nTwitter said some parts of the service were not \"working as expected\" and blamed an internal change that \"had some unintended consequences\".\n\nIt later said \"things should now be working as normal. Thanks for sticking with us!\"\n\nThis Twitter post cannot be displayed in your browser. Please enable Javascript or try a different browser. View original tweet on Twitter The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Skip twitter post by Twitter Support 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\u2019s cookie policy, external and privacy policy, external before accepting. To view this content choose \u2018accept and continue\u2019. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.\n\nAs the problems emerged, chief executive Elon Musk tweeted \"this platform is so brittle (sigh). Will be fixed shortly\".\n\nAt one point Downdetector, which tracks technical problems across a number of websites, found that more than 5,000 people had reported issues.\n\nSome news publishers warned users of issues in interacting with their twitter accounts.\n\nBloomberg tweeted a link to its report on problems with the message \"if you can click this link, Twitter's fixed its bug\".\n\nSome third-party services that use a system called an API to exchange data with the platform also suffered issues.\n\nExperts have noted that the platform seems to be experiencing more technical issues of late.\n\nFollowing previous problems on 1 March that lasted two hours, Alp Toker, director of internet outage tracker NetBlocks, said Twitter's reliability issues seemed to have increased under Mr Musk's leadership.\n\n\"It started shortly before the Musk takeover itself,\" he said, but added: \"The main spike has happened after the takeover, with four to five incidents in a month - which was comparable to what used to happen in a year.\"\n\nTwitter has joined other tech giants in cutting significant numbers of staff, including a fresh round of cuts just seven days ago, although there is no evidence that this is the cause of the latest problems.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/technology-64863450"}
{"title":"Wayne Couzens: Met apologises for not arresting former PC - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-06","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"Former police officer Wayne Couzens is already serving a whole-life sentence for murdering Sarah Everard in March 2021.","section":"UK","content":"The CCTV footge released by the Metropolitan Police shows two incidents in which Couzens drives his Seat car into the drive-through McDonald's in Swanley.\n\nFor the second, the date is 27 February 2021. Couzens had just finished a 12-hour shift in London and was heading home.\n\nYou can first see Couzens stop the car to place an order using an intercom.\n\nThe registration number of the vehicle can be seen.\n\nHe then moves to the payment window using his Mastercard, the same one he used during the previous offence at the same drive-through.\n\nNot seen on the CCTV released, Couzens then drives towards the collection window where he indecently exposes himself to a female member of staff as she hands over part of his order.\n\nShe immediately informed her manager who said the customer had done it before, and took the order over from her.\n\nA telephone call was made to police the following day, by the manager, passing on the registration number and the last four digits of the Mastercard.\n\nBut we heard today in court that Couzens was not spoken to about his behaviour until after the kidnapping of Sarah Everard.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/live\/uk-64841109"}
{"title":"Scottish Prison Service faces prosecution for corporate homicide - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-06","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"Police are asked to examine whether Scotland's prison service has corporate responsibility over the death of Allan Marshall.","section":"Scotland","content":"Allan Marshall had been on remand at HMP Edinburgh\n\nPolice have been told to investigate whether the Scottish Prison Service should be prosecuted over the death of a remand prisoner, the BBC can reveal.\n\nAllan Marshall died after being restrained face down by 13 prison officers at HMP Edinburgh in 2015.\n\nThe officers were given immunity from prosecution when they gave evidence at a fatal accident inquiry.\n\nNow the lord advocate has instructed police to examine whether the prison service has corporate responsibility.\n\nDorothy Bain KC has also told the family she cannot prosecute the officers for perjury because their immunity is so far-reaching.\n\nIf the prison service is prosecuted for corporate homicide, which is the equivalent of manslaughter in England and Wales, it will be the first time this action has been taken over a death in custody.\n\nAllan's older brother, Alistair Marshall, has spoken about the case for the first time in an interview with BBC Scotland.\n\nHe welcomed the lord advocate's actions, but said he was angry about how long it had taken.\n\nAllan Marshall, from South Lanarkshire, was 30 when he died in March 2015.\n\nHe had been placed on remand for 30 days before his next court date, for unpaid fines and breach of the peace charges.\n\nHe had only five days left in prison when the incident took place.\n\nAllan was transferred to the jail's segregation unit on 24 March after officers said he had become agitated.\n\nHe was then put in the shower and it is unclear exactly what happened next, but CCTV footage shows him being dragged into a corridor and restrained face down by 13 prison officers. He died four days later.\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. The prison service had tried to stop the broadcast of CCTV footage showing Allan Marshall being dragged along the ground\n\nThe sheriff who held a fatal accident inquiry into what happened said the death had been \"entirely preventable\" and that the prison officers were \"mutually dishonest\".\n\nAt the time of that inquiry, the officers involved in restraining Mr Marshall were given immunity from prosecution.\n\nAfter its findings were published in 2019, Mr Marshall's family called for action to be taken against the officers.\n\nA year ago, the lord advocate met Allan's brother and aunt and promised to review the case and re-interview all the witnesses.\n\nMs Bain met them again on Friday to update them on progress.\n\nThe family said the lord advocate, who is head of Scotland's prosecution service, had apologised for the way they had been treated and for the officers being granted immunity.\n\nMs Bain told the family she could not prosecute the individual officers - but has instructed an investigation into the Scottish Prison Service on the grounds of corporate responsibility, including corporate homicide.\n\nAllan's older brother, Alistair Marshall, has spoken out about the case for the first time\n\nAlistair Marshall said he was relieved the prosecution service was looking to hold the prison service to account - but was angry it had taken so long to get to this point.\n\n\"People should have done their jobs right from the start,\" he said.\n\nAlistair remembers his younger brother as \"mischievous, adventurous and energetic\".\n\nHe said Allan did an apprenticeship in construction, then worked in his dad's garage before setting up his own business recycling electronics.\n\nEvery year the two brothers took part in the Pedal For Scotland sponsored bike ride from Glasgow to Edinburgh to raise money for MS. Their mother had the condition.\n\n\"He loved going camping,\" he said.\n\n\"He always wanted to have a life of fun and always brought people together - all the cousins, the brothers and other friends. It is not the same now Allan's not here.\"\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Allan's aunt, Sharon MacFadyen, told the BBC she was \"grateful\" to the lord advocate for reviewing the case\n\nAlistair said he wanted the prison service to be held accountable for killing his brother.\n\nHe said Allan's body had been so badly decomposed when the police returned it to the family that the undertaker phoned up in tears.\n\n\"They never even took care of his body even when he was dead,\" said Alistair.\n\nAllan's aunt, Sharon MacFadyen, said she was \"grateful\" to the lord advocate for reviewing the case and \"hopeful\" that the new police investigation would lead to a prosecution.\n\nShe told the BBC: \"He only had five days to go [on remand] when this happened. It is unbelievable.\n\n\"To me they've been given a licence to kill. They think they are above the law - and the powers that be just cover up for them.\n\n\"I don't want this to happen to anyone else.\n\n\"He has got a son and daughter and they don't even know their dad.\"\n\nDorothy Bain is the head of Scotland's prosecution service\n\nMs Bain KC said she had been grateful for the opportunity to meet Mr Marshall's family and update them on the inquiries which she had ordered.\n\n\"I have the utmost respect for their desire to have answers for their questions about Allan's death,\" said the lord advocate.\n\n\"I accept that some aspects of the initial case work fell short of what they were entitled to expect.\n\n\"Since Allan's death, the way in which custody death cases are handled by the procurator fiscal has been reviewed and transformed.\n\n\"I am confident that new structures and processes in place will ensure that all death in custody cases are undertaken rigorously, respectfully and compassionately.\"\n\nA spokesperson for the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service said the decision not to prosecute individual prison officers could not be reversed.\n\n\"The lord advocate has instructed that Police Scotland should investigate possible corporate responsibility by the Scottish Prison Service.\"\n\nAllan Marshall was described as adventurous and energetic\n\nLindsay Farmer, a professor of law at Glasgow University, said the Crown was in effect using corporate homicide legislation as a \"backstop\" to prosecute the organisation, partly because there was no route to prosecute the individuals.\n\nHe described the move as \"a novel development\".\n\nThe Scottish Prison Service said: \"Our thoughts remain with Mr Marshall's family. We will fully co-operate with any investigation undertaken by Police Scotland.\"\n\nA Police Scotland spokesperson said: \"We have received instruction from the lord advocate to investigate possible corporate responsibility by the Scottish Prison Service.\n\n\"We are not able to comment further at this time due to the live nature of this investigation.\"","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/uk-scotland-64841142"}
{"title":"CBI boss Tony Danker steps aside after misconduct allegations - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-06","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"Tony Danker said he was \"mortified\" to hear that he had caused \"offence or anxiety to any colleague\".","section":"Business","content":"The boss of one of the UK's largest business groups has stepped aside while an investigation takes place into complaints about his conduct at work.\n\nThe CBI said it took all matters of workplace conduct \"extremely seriously\", but would not comment further until the probe was complete.\n\nIn a tweet, Tony Danker said he was \"mortified\" to hear that he had caused \"offence or anxiety to any colleague\".\n\n\"It was completely unintentional, and I apologise profusely,\" he wrote.\n\nThe CBI said it was first made aware of an allegation regarding Mr Danker's workplace conduct involving a female employee in January. It said it had investigated this \"thoroughly\" at the time and \"dealt with it comprehensively\".\n\nIt said it decided at the time decided that the issue did not require escalation to a disciplinary process.\n\nHowever, in early March, the CBI said it was made aware of new reports regarding Tony Danker's workplace conduct.\n\n\"We have now taken steps to initiate an independent investigation into these new matters,\" the CBI said in a statement.\n\n\"It is important to stress that until this investigation is complete, any new allegations remain unproven and it would be inappropriate to comment further at this stage,\" it added.\n\nThe investigation comes after The Guardian newspaper approached the CBI over the complaints. It said it understood the female employee claimed that Mr Danker made \"unwanted contact with her and [she]considered this unwanted conduct to be sexual harassment\".\n\nMr Danker said he supported the decision.\n\n\"We always strive for the highest standards. I therefore support the decision we've taken to review any new allegations independently.\"\n\nThe CBI represents 190,000 businesses across a variety of sectors from IT to retail.\n\nMr Danker has headed the group for just over two years.\n\nPrior to joining the CBI, Mr Danker held a range of roles in business, media and government, including working at the Guardian newspaper and as a policy adviser for the Cabinet Office and Treasury.\n\nHe was also the first boss of not-for-profit group Be The Business aimed at improving business performance, in which former Chancellor George Osborne was also involved.\n\nJoanna Chatterton, head of the employment law team at firm Fox Williams LLP, will lead the independent investigation into Mr Danker's workplace conduct.\n\nMatthew Fell, the chief UK policy director at the CBI, will lead the group during the investigation.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/business-64861370"}
{"title":"GB News host Mark Steyn's Covid vaccine claims broke Ofcom rules - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-06","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"Mark Steyn made \"potentially harmful and materially misleading\" claims, the media regulator rules.","section":"Entertainment & Arts","content":"GB News broke broadcasting rules last April when ex-presenter Mark Steyn made \"potentially harmful and materially misleading\" claims about Covid-19 vaccines, regulator Ofcom has said.\n\nHe spoke about \"only one conclusion\" from official data, about the third jab's \"significantly greater risk\" of \"infection, hospitalisation and death\".\n\nOfcom said that was wrong and \"may have resulted in viewers making important decisions about their own health\".\n\nGB News said it was \"disappointed\".\n\nIn his show, Steyn referred to data from the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) to compare people who had received the first two vaccinations with those who had also had a third as a booster.\n\n\"His interpretation that there was 'only one conclusion' from this comparison... was misleading because it did not take account of key factors such as the significant differences in age or health of the people in these two groups,\" Ofcom said.\n\n\"The programme also failed to reflect that the UKHSA reports made clear that the raw data should not be used to draw conclusions about vaccine efficacy, due to the biases inherent in the vaccinated and unvaccinated populations.\"\n\nOfcom said the group who had been boosted \"included far larger numbers of older people\", and Steyn failed to take into account \"the fact that older people are more likely to die or be hospitalised than younger people\".\n\nThe regulator said it took into account the \"definitive\" way the Canadian broadcaster and author presented his conclusion, and the \"absence of adequate counterweight or genuine challenge\".\n\nOfcom said broadcasters are \"free to transmit programmes which may be considered controversial and challenging, or which question statistics or other evidence produced by governments or other official sources\".\n\n\"It can clearly be in the public interest to do so,\" it added. \"However, with this editorial freedom comes an obligation to ensure that, when portraying factual matters, audiences are not materially misled.\"\n\nIn response, GB News said its role was \"to ask tough questions, point out inconsistencies in government policy, and hold public bodies to account when the facts justify it\".\n\n\"Mark Steyn's programme did exactly that,\" its statement added. \"We support his right to challenge the status quo by examining the small but evident risks of the third Covid booster.\n\n\"As news stories in the last week have highlighted, it was prescient to question whether the government was candid with all the facts. It is an important story in the public interest.\"\n\nSteyn \"drew a reasonable conclusion from the facts\", but \"drew only one conclusion\", GB News continued.\n\n\"We accept that the data offered several valid interpretations, and he should have made this clear. Had he done so, the story would have remained within the wide freedoms that Ofcom's Broadcast Code allows.\"\n\nAt the heart of most misinformation that spreads online is a fact or genuine set of figures that has been twisted or taken out of context.\n\nThat can lend such misleading claims an air of authority, making them very convincing.\n\nThis is what happened here. Mark Steyn took official statistics on illness and deaths in people who received two doses of the Covid vaccine, and compared them with those who received three. But he failed to give context: that far fewer people in the general population took the third booster dose than the first two jabs, and that the third dose was particularly popular with older people - who have a higher risk of dying in any case.\n\nIn fact, when the Office for National Statistics adjusted the figures to take into account the number of people, and the age of those who had taken it, it found people who had taken three doses were considerably less likely to die.\n\nIt can be easy - and tempting - to cherry-pick real stats in a way that supports what we already believe.\n\nNow Ofcom seems to be emphasising that, to borrow a phrase, we are all entitled to our own opinion but not to our own facts.\n\nSteyn left GB News three months ago amid a dispute over contract terms he claimed could have made him personally liable for Ofcom fines.\n\nOfcom said it was not imposing a fine or other sanction.\n\nSteyn's programme is also the subject of a second Ofcom investigation into comments made by a guest, author and journalist Naomi Wolf, about the vaccine on 4 October.\n\nA Twitter account run by his team posted a picture of the Ofcom office with the caption \"The Ministry of Truth Rules\", linking to a statement headlined \"Steyn found guilty!\", which also said: \"Mark intends to appeal this and get it before a real court.\"","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/entertainment-arts-64862979"}
{"title":"Toblerone: Swiss rules mean chocolate bar to drop Matterhorn from packaging - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-06","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"Production of some of the chocolate is moving outside Switzerland so the Alpine peak can no longer be used.","section":"Business","content":"Rules about \"Swissness\" dictate some products cannot use national symbols if not exclusively made in the country\n\nToblerone is to remove the Matterhorn mountain peak from its packaging when some of the chocolate's production is moved from Switzerland to Slovakia.\n\nThe pyramid-shaped bar, which mirrors the Alpine peak, will undergo a labelling revamp and include its founder's signature, its maker said.\n\nUS firm Mondelez said the image of the 4,478m (14,692 ft) mountain will be replaced by a more generic summit.\n\nStrict rules have applied about \"Swissness\" since 2017.\n\nThey state that national symbols are not allowed to be used to promote milk-based products that are not made exclusively in Switzerland. For other raw foodstuffs the threshold is at least 80%.\n\nThe Matterhorn's jagged silhouette was first used on the chocolate's packaging in 1970\n\nIn a statement to the BBC, Mondelez said it was moving some production outside of the country to \"respond to increased demand worldwide and to grow our Toblerone brand for the future\".\n\nIt said its new packaging would include a \"distinctive new Toblerone typeface and logo that draw further inspiration from the Toblerone archives and the inclusion of our founder, Tobler's, signature\".\n\nToblerone, the mountain-shaped chocolate made from Swiss milk with honey and almond nougat, first went on sale in 1908 in Bern, the capital city of Switzerland.\n\nBut it was not until 1970 that the Matterhorn's jagged silhouette debuted on its packaging, with the Bernese bear and eagle featuring before then, according to the Toblerone website.\n\nMondelez said Bern was an \"important part of our history and will continue to be so for the future\".\n\nIn 2016 Toblerone courted controversy by changing the design of the chocolate bar to space out the distinctive triangular chunks in a bid to keep down costs.\n\nAfter much criticism the company reverted to the original shape two years later.\n\nFeta cheese is designated as a protected product in the EU\n\nIn both the UK and EU, food and drink products can be granted speciality status based on where they are made, the method of composition or their ingredients. There's also evidence that being awarded this status can mean better prices for producers. Here are some examples:\n\nOnly cheeses originating Greece that are soaked in brine and strained without pressure can be called Feta, the European Court of Justice has ruled. This is despite opposition from Germany and Denmark who produce a similar cheese. The Danes are still exporting their version under the name Feta to markets outside the EU.\n\nJam\u00f3n Ib\u00e9rico is also protected in the EU. The ham must come from Iberian blackfoot pigs that spend the last months of their lives eating acorns on the \"dehesa\", a Spanish or Portuguese pasture with old oak trees. It must also be hung and dry cured for at least 36 months.\n\nBut some US firms are now importing blackfoots to make their own ham which will be marketed as jam\u00f3n ib\u00e9rico armericano or Ibericus meat. They are allowed to because they are not beholden to EU law.\n\nThe US also makes it's own champagne as it never ratified the 1919 Treaty of Versailles, under which the drink became a protected brand.\n\nIndia's government forbids tea not made in Darjeeling from being labelled as such, and all producers must enter into a license agreement with the Tea Board of India. The tea can't be blended with teas of other origin and must be exported with certificates showing this. India's Tea Board went to the World Trade Organisation over what they called the unauthorised use and registration of 'Darjeeling' by Japanese companies in Japan.\n\nDespite opposition from some Belgian and Swiss firms, the EU officially recognised Cambodia's Kampong Speu palm sugar as a protected product. It's made from the sap of the palm sugar tree and is characterised by a rich aroma.\n\nThe protected status of the fruit cake is currently under consideration. Proponents say it must always be decorated with whole almonds and has to be prepared, decorated and baked at locations within Dundee postcodes. But the application has led to objections from bakers outside Dundee including an Edinburgh baker who supplies the 300-year old London department store Fortnum and Mason.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/business-64854720"}
{"title":"Bangladesh fire: Thousands shelterless after blaze at Rohingya camp - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-06","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"The crowded refugee camp in Bangladesh was home to thousands who had fled violence in neighbouring Myanmar.","section":"Asia","content":"This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Video shows fire engulfing part of the camp, destroying shelters made from bamboo and tarpaulin\n\nThousands of people have been left without shelter after a massive fire broke out in a crowded Rohingya refugee camp in southeastern Bangladesh.\n\nThe blaze, which broke out on Sunday, engulfed some 2,000 shelters at a camp known as Cox's Bazar.\n\nHundreds of people have now returned to the area to see what they can salvage from the ruins.\n\nIt is estimated around 12,000 people, most of whom escaped violence in neighbouring Myanmar, are now homeless.\n\nThe cause of the fire is not yet known and no casualties have been reported.\n\nThe blaze started at about 14:45 local time (08: 45 GMT) and quickly tore through the bamboo-and-tarpaulin shelters, an official said.\n\n\"Some 2,000 shelters have been burnt, leaving about 12,000 forcibly displaced Myanmar nationals shelterless,\" Mijanur Rahman, Bangladesh's refugee commissioner, told AFP news agency.\n\nThe blaze was brought under control within three hours but at least 35 mosques and 21 learning centres for the refugees were also destroyed, he added.\n\nPhotos are now emerging that show the extent of the devastation.\n\nMany of those who lived there can be seen picking through the charred area, where only metal struts and singed corrugated roofing remains.\n\nHrusikesh Harichandan, from the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies, told the BBC there had been \"massive damage\" to the camp.\n\nHe said basic services such as water centres and testing facilities had also been affected.\n\n\"My shelter was gutted. [My shop] was also burnt,\" Mamun Johar, a 30-year-old Rohingya man, told AFP.\n\n\"The fire took everything from me, everything.\"\n\nThick black clouds were seen rising above Camp 11, one of many in the border district where more than a million Rohingya refugees live.\n\nThe camps, overcrowded and squalid, are vulnerable to fires.\n\nBetween January 2021 and December 2022, there were 222 fire incidents in the Rohingya camps including 60 cases of arson, according to a Bangladesh defence ministry report released last month.\n\nIn March 2021, at least 15 people were killed and some 50,000 were displaced after a huge fire tore through a camp in the settlement.\n\nThe refugee camp, said to be the world's largest, houses people who fled from Myanmar following a military crackdown against the Rohingya ethnic minority.\n\nThe Rohingya are Muslims in largely Buddhist Myanmar, where they have faced persecution for generations.\n\nThe latest exodus of Rohingya escaping to Bangladesh began in August 2017, after Myanmar's military brutally retaliated when a Rohingya insurgent group launched attacks on several police posts.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/world-asia-64854843"}
{"title":"Channel migrants: Chance for progress - but can Sunak deliver? - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-06","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"Rishi Sunak has asked to be judged on tackling Channel crossings but there are no easy solutions.","section":"UK Politics","content":"As the government prepared to announce plans to tackle small boat crossings more than 100 migrants arrived along the Channel coast in three vessels\n\nIt is dark, cold and wet.\n\nI'm on the seafront in Dymchurch in Kent, as we hear more than 100 migrants have arrived in three small boats along the Channel coast in the last 24 hours.\n\nThe latest arrivals among thousands - as we await the government's plan to do something about it.\n\nSenior figures in Whitehall look at the current situation and contrast it with just over four years ago when the former Home Secretary Sajid Javid rushed back from a holiday after a group of 12 migrants were spotted in Greatstone on Sea, five miles down the road from here.\n\nThe numbers now, bluntly, are huge in comparison with then.\n\nSo what are ministers planning?\n\nWe will get the details on Tuesday lunchtime.\n\nHere are the challenges they need to address:\n\nLabour are scathing about what they have heard so far, suggesting it is reheating previous plans that have not worked.\n\nBut they acknowledge there are no easy solutions.\n\nOne senior government figure suggested their plan, as it was being worked up, would \"press our nose up against the window of legality\".\n\nIn short, they need a solution that is sufficiently radical to make a difference, but on the right side of the law, including the UK's commitments to the European Convention on Human Rights, which the government remains committed to, for now at least.\n\nBut ministers expect this to cause a row.\n\nIt is perhaps the first row they have consciously picked since Rishi Sunak became prime minister, rather than walked into by accident.\n\nIt is, remember, one of the PM's five key promises.\n\nThree relate to the economy, one to the NHS and the final one is to \"stop the boats\".\n\nIt is the \"last chance for the Conservatives to sort this,\" one insider acknowledges - and Conservative MPs say it really matters to plenty of the voters they want to keep onside.\n\n\"It also helps keep the right of the party happy\", a former cabinet minister tells me.\n\nAnd yes, it does have the capacity to bind the Conservatives together, if - and it is a big if - the plan is seen to work.\n\nMr Sunak sees the issue as one about fairness.\n\nA sense that it is unfair that people attempt to get here illegitimately, as he will argue. A sense that the UK is a fair and tolerant and welcoming country, but that has to include being firm about those who are seen to abuse the system.\n\nThere is a reason this is happening this week. The prime minister thinks he has reset relations with the European Union with his new Brexit deal for Northern Ireland.\n\nAnd he is meeting President Macron of France in Paris on Friday.\n\nA window for progress is open. Or at least there's the absence of shutters.\n\nFor \"far too long\" we have ended up annoying the French on this, a minister says. \"We have to do something that makes it work and keeps them onside.\"\n\nBut it is a benchmark against which Rishi Sunak has asked to be judged.\n\nAnd we are about to find out, and be able to scrutinise, what he is planning.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/uk-politics-64870504"}
{"title":"Gary Rossington: Lynyrd Skynyrd's last founding member dies aged 71 - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-06","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"Guitarist Gary Rossington had survived a 1977 air crash that killed several of his bandmates.","section":"Entertainment & Arts","content":"Rossington was the only musician to play on every Lynyrd Skynyrd album\n\nGuitarist Gary Rossington, the last remaining original member of US rock band Lynyrd Skynyrd, has died at the age of 71.\n\nOne of the band's founding members, he appeared on all of their albums and co-wrote the 1974 hit Sweet Home Alabama.\n\nHe was also one of the survivors of a 1977 plane crash that killed several of his bandmates.\n\nAlthough he had suffered heart problems in recent years, Rossington had been playing shows as recently as February.\n\nA statement on the band's Facebook page said: \"It is with our deepest sympathy and sadness that we have to advise, that we lost our brother, friend, family member, songwriter and guitarist, Gary Rossington, today.\n\n\"Gary is now with his Skynyrd brothers and family in heaven and playing it pretty, like he always does.\"\n\nNo cause of death was given, but Rossington had heart surgery in 2021, according to a post from the band at the time.\n\nLynyrd Skynyrd in the studio recording their first album\n\nRossington was born in 1951 in Florida, founding the first iteration of Lynyrd Skynyrd - called Me, You, and Him - in 1964 with drummer Bob Burns and bassist Larry Junstrom.\n\nThey added singer Ronnie Van Zant, who played on a rival baseball team, later that summer, after a game turned into a jam session.\n\nThey settled on the name Lynyrd Skynyrd - a dig at their high school gym teacher, who was notorious for punishing students with long hair.\n\nThe band's rebellious blues-rock earned them a fearsome live reputation in America's southern states. Their debut album, titled Pronounced Leh-Nerd Skin-Nerd, included the nine-minute epic Free Bird - which featured Rossington's distinctive slide guitar work.\n\n\"We always said we had a lot of balls back then, or gumption, whatever you call it, for playing a song that long,\" the musician said in an interview with Guitar World.\n\n\"Singles are only two, three minutes at the most, and five is lucky. Free Bird was nine minutes. They said, 'Nobody will ever play that song. You guys are crazy'.\"\n\nBut an edited version of the track became a top 20 hit in the US and, after touring with The Who, Skynyrd won a devoted following.\n\nThis YouTube post cannot be displayed in your browser. Please enable Javascript or try a different browser. View original video on YouTube The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. YouTube content may contain adverts. Skip youtube video by Wolfgang's Lynyrd Skynyrd 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\u2019s cookie policy, external and privacy policy, external before accepting. To view this content choose \u2018accept and continue\u2019. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. YouTube content may contain adverts.\n\nIn 1974, Sweet Home Alabama - a withering response to Neil Young's Southern Man - gave the band their first UK hit, charting at number 31.\n\nIts popularity has endured, and it is the UK's most-streamed track from 1974.\n\nRossington co-wrote several more of Skynyrd's most-loved songs, including I Ain't The One, Things Goin' On, Don't Ask Me No Questions and Gimme Back My Bullets.\n\nHe also inspired Van Zant to write That Smell - a warning about the band's hedonistic lifestyle, penned after Rossington drove his Ford Torino into a tree while drunk and on drugs.\n\nThe lyrics cautioned that \"tomorrow might not be here for you\" and \"the smell of death surrounds you\".\n\nEerily, three days after it was released, a plane carrying the band between shows crashed in Mississippi, killing Van Zant, guitarist Steve Gaines, his sister and backing singer Cassie Gaines, assistant road manager Dean Kilpatrick and both pilots.\n\nTwenty people survived, including Rossington, who was knocked unconscious and woke up with the plane's door on top of him.\n\n\"I've talked about it here and there, but I don't like to,\" Rossington told Rolling Stone in 2006.\n\n\"It was a devastating thing. You can't just talk about it real casual and not have feelings about it.\"\n\nLynyrd Skynyrd did not perform for 10 years after the plane crash that claimed several members' lives\n\nThe surviving members decided not to continue after the tragedy. Rossington, who was severely injured, had to learn to play again with steel rods in his arm.\n\nHe formed a new group, The Rossington Collins Band, with several former bandmates in the 1980s, before Lynyrd Skynyrd reformed in 1987 to commemorate the 10th anniversary of the crash, with Van Zant's younger brother Johnny on lead vocals.\n\nThe band kept going, recording nine studio albums and churning through almost 25 members, as well as being inducted to the Rock and Roll Hall Of Fame in 2006.\n\nThey were also one of the acts who took to the stage at the 2016 Republican Convention, where Donald Trump was chosen as the party's presidential candidate.\n\nFellow musicians paid tribute to the guitarist. Metallica frontman James Hetfield thanked Rossington for \"bringing me so much joy with your guitar playing and songwriting in one of my all time favourite bands\".\n\nCountry star Travis Tritt said he was \"heartbroken\", adding: \"Gary was not only a friend, but a collaborator that wrote songs with me and played guitar with me in studio recordings and onstage so many times. RIP.\"\n\nThis Instagram post cannot be displayed in your browser. Please enable Javascript or try a different browser. View original post on Instagram The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Skip instagram post by metallica This article contains content provided by Instagram. We ask for your permission before anything is loaded, as they may be using cookies and other technologies. You may want to read Meta\u2019s Instagram cookie policy, external and privacy policy, external before accepting. To view this content choose \u2018accept and continue\u2019. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.\n\n\"The last of the original Free Birds has flown home,\" said The Charlie Daniels Band on Instagram.\n\nIn a post on Facebook, former Megadeth bassist David Ellefson detailed his friendship with Rossington, recalling: \"It seemed Gary kept his world small to the outside world but he always let me in it and trusted me as a music buddy...\n\n\"Prayers and condolences to his family, friends & band. He and his legendary guitar work will be missed by us all.\"","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/entertainment-arts-64860924"}
{"title":"Wayne Couzens: Did indecent exposure warn of murder? - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-06","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"The murderer will be sentenced for exposing himself - could those crimes have identified a future killer?","section":"UK","content":"CCTV footage played in court showed Couzens, using his position as a police officer, to stop Sarah Everard\n\nWayne Couzens, the ex-police officer who used his position to trick his way to raping and murdering Sarah Everard in March 2021, is returning to court this week to be sentenced for indecent exposure.\n\nCouzens will never leave prison. That means the real questions now are whether these earlier offences should have identified him as a violent threat to women - and what his case tells us about so-called flashers going on to commit far more serious sexual offences.\n\nBefore Couzens killed Ms Everard, detectives have identified six incidents of indecent exposure linked to him - he has pleaded guilty to three, while the others will lie on his file.\n\nThe first of those was in June 2015, when Kent Police received a report of a man in a car in Dover exposing himself. A witness gave officers the car registration plate, which was registered to Couzens, then at the Civil Nuclear Constabulary. Yet officers took no further action.\n\nThen, in November 2020, four months before the murder, a woman was cycling along a country lane in Deal, Kent, when a totally naked man stepped out of a wooded bank and looked straight at her.\n\nShe cycled away, but spotted a number plate of a parked car. That car belonged to Couzens, by now a Met Police officer. A later analysis of mobile phone data placed his phone in the area at the right time. This is one of the three incidents Couzens has admitted.\n\nThe two other admissions are part of four virtually identical allegations of escalating concern in the weeks before the murder.\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser.\n\nCouzens repeatedly visited a drive-thru restaurant and exposed himself to staff while sitting in his car, on one occasion while he was paying for food. The last incident was less than a week before Ms Everard disappeared.\n\nSo are these incidents relevant to Ms Everard's murder? Jennifer Grant is a criminologist who studies sex offenders, having worked with them previously as a probation officer.\n\nThe Portsmouth University academic says \"it's a really complicated question to answer\", but there is evidence that some men graduate from indecent exposure to serious sexual assaults and rape.\n\n\"There's long been a suggestion that indecent exposure is connected to anti-social behaviour more generally rather than a sexual motivation. And not everyone who exposes themselves is doing it to get sexual pleasure.\"\n\nThere is a group of offenders who are potentially violent because the way they expose themselves involves anger, and an apparent desire to frighten and control women they approach, she says.\n\nThe most reliable evidence comes from a 2014 United States study analysing data going back 30 years. It concluded that between 5% and 10% of men who commit \"exhibitionist\" crimes escalate to sexual assaults.\n\nWithout getting into the distressing details of what Couzens did, each of his exposure incidents places him in the category of a man seeking sexual control over his target.\n\n\"Couzens is clearly a worst-case,\" says Mrs Grant. \"But there is a clear pattern of him gaining confidence and an increasing frequency of incidents. I saw this with some offenders who [over time] would be getting closer to victim.\"\n\nSo despite Kent Police having actionable evidence in 2015 - a car registration plate - why was the suspect not pursued?\n\nPart of the answer to that lies in the disciplinary proceedings now taking place.\n\nBut the fact is that indecent exposure has historically, and culturally, been regarded by many as a \"nuisance\" offence rather than a sexual crime.\n\nThat's because its origins lie in the Vagrancy Act of 1824 - a law aimed at cleaning squalid Georgian streets of \"rogues and vagabonds\".\n\nThat law was in place until 2003 - when Parliament finally recognised indecent exposure as a sexual offence. The maximum penalty went from three months in jail to two years.\n\nPolice in England and Wales recorded more than 13,000 incidents of indecent exposure and voyeurism in the year to September 2022. But the trend of annual charging and conviction rates is very low.\n\nThe most recent data shows that just 457 men were convicted and sentenced for exposure in 2021. Just 120 of them were jailed - and most were locked up for less than six months.\n\n\"If we don't charge and convict, then we cannot manage the sex offender,\" says Mrs Grant. \"If we convict, then they're on the sex offenders register. There is an offender manager assigned to them in prison and a probation officer providing oversight on the outside.\n\n\"Even if they receive a minor sentence, the experience can have a huge deterrent effect.\"\n\nWhich brings us back to the question of what any of this would have meant for Wayne Couzens.\n\nA Kent police sergeant is facing a misconduct hearing over the handling of the 2015 indecent exposure allegation - while a former Metropolitan Police officer faces a gross misconduct hearing over how the February 2021 reports were dealt with.\n\nA Home Office inquiry is also looking at whether there was a wider failure.\n\nMy straw poll of leading criminal barristers found that they all think Couzens would have been jailed or received a suspended sentence had he been convicted over the 2015 allegation - although the sentence would probably have been short.\n\nBut more importantly, his police career would have been over. He would never have made it into uniform in the Met Police.\n\nEven if he had only been identified in 2020 or early 2021, the suspicion that he was offending would have enough to have him suspended.\n\nThe awful truth is we can't say that Couzens would not have gone on to rape and murder a woman because the crime he was committing would not have led to a sentence longer enough to control him forever.\n\nBut had he been caught and sacked, it would have meant that it would have been far harder for him to trick Sarah Everard into his car - ending her life in awful circumstances and causing untold damage to society's confidence in the police.\n\nHave you been affected by the issues raised in this story? Tell us by emailing: haveyoursay@bbc.co.uk\n\nPlease include a contact number if you are willing to speak to a BBC journalist. You can also get in touch in the following ways:\n\nIf 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 HaveYourSay@bbc.co.uk. Please include your name, age and location with any submission.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/uk-64827593"}
{"title":"Mother of Frankie Thomas wants answers from tech firms over daughter's death - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-06","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"Judy Thomas tells the BBC she struggled to get information from tech firms after her teenage daughter died.","section":"UK","content":"This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Judy Thomas: \"We were absolutely in the wilderness...we just wanted someone to come alongside\"\n\nA mother said she was left \"in the wilderness\" trying to find out information from tech companies after her daughter took her own life.\n\nThe family repeatedly tried to get information and were left \"absolutely at a loss,\" she told the Sunday with Laura Kuenssberg programme.\n\nShe and other bereaved families are campaigning for a change in the law.\n\nThey want an amendment to the Online Safety Bill, which is going through Parliament, that would allow families and coroners to enlist the support of the regulator Ofcom in helping them legally obtain information from tech companies about the material their children were accessing before they died.\n\nFrankie, who had autism, was found dead at her home in Witley in Surrey in September 2018.\n\nAn inquest heard she had taken her own life after spending months viewing graphic content about suicide and self-harm on school laptops and iPads.\n\nMs Thomas told the programme the family had \"no idea why Frankie had taken her own life\".\n\n\"We wrote online to Instagram. This went on for about a year with no answers.\"\n\nIn an emotional interview she recalled: \"We wanted to speak to somebody and just say, would you help us? We were devastated... we just wanted to know.\"\n\nMs Thomas added: \"We would have really appreciated the platforms coming to the inquest as they were requested to.\"\n\nBaroness Kidron, the online safety campaigner, is working with the bereaved families in calling for the amendment.\n\nThe group - which also includes the father of Molly Russell, who died after viewing suicide content online - has written to the prime minister, justice secretary, and secretary of state for science and technology calling for the law to be changed.\n\nBaroness Kidron said there needed to be \"a proper formal route for parents and for coroners to get the kind of information we need to see.\"\n\nShe told the programme the inquest into Frankie's death \"opened and closed\" without all the information the family needed from the tech firms.\n\n\"My inbox is full of bereaved families who want access to data.\n\n\"The coroner service has not managed to get that information, families have not managed to get that information.\n\n\"It is inhuman, and the sort of distress that is happening all of these years later is unacceptable.\"\n\nShe said the amendment had support across the Lords and the Commons.\n\nThe letter sent to the government - and seen by the BBC - says: \"We have each lost a child in circumstances relating to the digital world, and we have each struggled to gain information we needed to understand more about their deaths. Sadly, each year, there are hundreds of families who find themselves in similarly distressing circumstances.\n\n\"The process of attempting to access data has been inhumane. In some cases, it has taken years, and we have been left in automated loops, speaking to online bots, as though we were contacting lost property.\"\n\nLawyers for Molly Russell's father Ian have also written to the government saying there is still, even five years later, information Meta has not provided to them relating to her death.\n\nThey say: \"Meta for example, never disclosed records of what content was promoted to Molly on Instagram; they disclosed some of the harmful content Molly saved or liked only weeks before the final inquest; and the initial disclosure was provided in a manner wholly inaccessible to Molly's family.\"\n\nThe families will be in Parliament this week pressing their case.\n\nMs Thomas said in some respects she did \"despair\" over the situation but added it would be brilliant if the government now took the opportunity to act.\n\nMeta, who owns Instagram - one of the sites accessed by Frankie - apologised to her family for the experience they had when they first contacted them.\n\nA spokesperson for Meta said: \"What the Thomas family have been through is devastating and our deepest sympathies are with them and anyone affected by suicide.\n\n\"This is a challenging and complex issue, and we must comply with our privacy and data protection obligations. We've been in touch with the family and want to be as helpful as we can during this time.\"\n\nThe inquest in Frankie's death heard she went on a platform called Wattpad where users can write and share stories, with the last piece she read mirroring the method she used to take her own life that afternoon.\n\nWattpad said it sent a statement to the coroner.\n\n\"We were deeply saddened to learn of the heartbreaking case of Frankie Thomas. Our sympathies continue to be with Frankie's family and loved ones,\" it said.\n\n\"Wattpad participated in the coroner's inquest, sending a robust witness statement to the Surrey Coroner's Office on July 7th 2021 as part of the proceeding. Wattpad's focus has been, and continues to be, to create a safe, inclusive, and respectful space for readers and writers online.\"","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/uk-64854204"}
{"title":"China's new human gene-editing rules worry experts - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-06","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"Regulations were updated after an outcry over gene-edited babies but a leading expert says they don't go far enough.","section":"Science & Environment","content":"Gene editing has the potential to treat numerous inherited disorders\n\nNew rules in China to regulate gene editing in humans don't go far enough, a leading expert has warned scientists.\n\nDr Joy Zhang of Kent University, a global expert on the governance of gene editing in China, said authorities are susceptible to \"regulatory negligence\".\n\nThe regulations were updated following an outcry five years ago when a Chinese scientist said he had created the world's first gene-edited babies.\n\nChina says the new laws are in line with international rules.\n\nThey set requirements for ethical approval, supervision and inspection, but experts worry that they may not apply to the private sector.\n\nDr Zhang, one of the main speakers at an international human genome-editing summit in London, told BBC News: \"My biggest concern is that the new measures fail to cover a chronic and increasing problem in trying to deal with private ventures that are taking place outside of conventional scientific institutes.\n\n\"The new rules may struggle to keep up with the burgeoning innovation that is happening in China.''\n\nGene editing is a new technique that enables scientists to make precise changes to DNA. Scientists believe it could be used to correct many inherited diseases.\n\nIt is controversial, though, because it raises the possibility of making permanent changes to a person's genetic make-up that will be passed down to their offspring.\n\nThe world's leading scientists in the field were stunned when Dr He Jiankui, from Shenzhen in Guangdong Province, claimed five years ago that he had created the world's first gene-edited babies - twins nicknamed Lulu and Nana.\n\nThe girls' DNA had been altered while they were at an early embryonic stage in a way that Dr He claimed would make them resistant to HIV infection.\n\nHe was fined and sentenced to three years in prison in 2019. No-one, other than Dr He, has had access to the twins. But at a recent scientific meeting, he said they were in good health.\n\nUpon his release, it emerged last month that he was planning to set up a clinic in Hong Kong to research using gene editing to develop a treatment for children with a rare inherited muscular disorder, called Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy. Immigration officials announced that they had rescinded his visa after they discovered he had a criminal record.\n\nThe new rules close the loopholes that enabled Dr He to evade regulations, which previously only applied to experiments on human beings in hospitals, for example for drug trials. The updated regulations cover all research institutions and everything relating to humans, including work on tissues, organs and embryonic cells.\n\nDr He Jiankui served a three-year prison sentence following claims that he created the world's first gene-edited children five years ago.\n\nThe summit organiser, Prof Robin Llovell-Badge, from the Crick Institute, where the meeting is being held, said he was concerned that there was still too much secrecy in Chinese research.\n\n''I understand why China wants to be leaders in technology, but there are some areas that require special attention and gene editing is one of them,\" he said.\n\n''It has to be done properly and with the appropriate governance and oversight, and I'm concerned that they are not there yet.''\n\nSpeaking at the summit, Dr Yangin Peng, of the Chinese Academy of Science, said the government has \"accelerated\" laws and regulations in gene editing.\n\n\"China has considerably tightened its legislation and regulations,\" he said. \"Permanent, inherited changes are banned, governance has adopted a precautionary approach and our laws are in line with international rules.\"\n\nDr Francoise Baylis, a Canadian bioethicist from Dalhousie University, said she wanted more details of the updates to China's rules.\n\n''I saw [that in the updated rules] research should be in line with ethical principles. I would want to know which ethical principles, where they are set out and whether they are open to questioning,'' she said.\n\nShe added that China was not alone in grappling with how to regulate the private sector.\n\n''We have similar issues in North America, so I think it is wrong to focus on China,'' she said.\n\nDr Piers Millett, of the International Biosafety and Biosecurity Initiative, based in Washington, acknowledged that: ''China is probably leading the way in revising the rules in this area.''\n\nGene editing enables precise genetic changes to be made at the embryonic stage\n\nMany scientists have wondered how Dr He could be allowed to return to clinical research after serving time in prison.\n\n\"I, like many people, had been wondering whether there had been an individual or institution in China that had been backing or protecting He Jiankui,\" said Dr Zhang.\n\nBut she said she now thought that \"we are looking at a simple case of regulatory negligence\".\n\nThat led her to believe that \"without getting clarifications on Dr He's case, the recent talk of good governance is hypocritical\".\n\n\"I worry less about what He Jiankui is up to, and more about the Chinese authorities are doing,\" she said.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/science-environment-64857311"}
{"title":"Twitter reportedly lays off 200 more employees - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-06","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"The cuts account for about 10% of Twitter's remaining 2,000 workers, down from 7,500 in 2022.","section":"Technology","content":"Twitter has laid off at least 200 staff in another round of cuts, according to reports in the New York Times.\n\nIt said the tech giant had cut 10% of its current workforce, which it estimated at 2,000 people.\n\nThis is the latest round of job losses at Twitter since chief executive Elon Musk sacked about 50% of its 7,500 employees when he took over in October.\n\nAs staff learned of their fate, Mr Musk tweeted: \"Hope you have a good Sunday. First day of the rest of your life.\"\n\nEsther Crawford, chief executive of Twitter Payments, who oversaw the Twitter Blue verification subscription model, said she was \"deeply proud of my team\" in a tweet after being among those released.\n\nAnd senior product manager Martijn de Kuijper, who founded newsletter tool Revue which Twitter acquired in 2021, said he found out he had lost his job after being locked out of his work emails.\n\nThis Twitter post cannot be displayed in your browser. Please enable Javascript or try a different browser. View original tweet on Twitter The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Skip twitter post by Martijn 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\u2019s cookie policy, external and privacy policy, external before accepting. To view this content choose \u2018accept and continue\u2019. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.\n\nIt's been a while since my phone blew up on a Sunday because of news about Twitter - not because there hasn't been any, but because we've all got used to it.\n\nMore divisive user-experience changes to the platform, more provocative tweets from its owner Elon Musk... we are familiar with that drill. But nobody was expecting Esther Crawford, who had established herself as an influential figure in so-called Twitter 2.0, to be laid off.\n\nIn November, she shared a picture of herself lying down inside a sleeping bag and wearing an eye mask on the floor at Twitter HQ. She has tirelessly cheerleaded the firm's path under Mr Musk. Some thought the product manager might even become the company's next chief executive. Mr Musk said weeks ago that he would stand aside in the role as soon as he found a replacement.\n\nIt demonstrates once again this new brutal environment in which even the most loyal are unprotected. It will be familiar to many in the commercial sector and it's increasingly the way big tech is going as budgets start to bite.\n\nEsther herself tweeted that it was \"a mistake\" to think that her \"optimism and hard work\" had been a bad decision. \"I'm deeply proud of the team for building through so much noise and chaos,\" she wrote.\n\nShe probably wouldn't have called it \"noise and chaos\" this time last week.\n\nThe Twitter cuts are the latest in a long line of lay-offs in the tech industry over the past few months.\n\nAmazon, Microsoft and Google-owned Alphabet announced tens of thousands of lay-offs between them, but the cuts across the industry are wide-reaching.\n\nAt the end of January, more than 10,000 jobs were lost in eight days across six large tech companies including Spotify, Intel and IBM.\n\nThe Twitter cuts come a month after Reuters reported the firm had made its first interest payment on a bank loan used by Mr Musk to finance the purchase.\n\nHe paid $44bn (\u00a337bn) to take control, with $13bn - a third of the total amount - covered by loans from banks including Morgan Stanley and Barclays.\n\nThese loans are leveraged against Twitter - in other words, the tech company itself is responsible for the loan repayments, not Mr Musk.\n\nReuters reported Twitter paid about $300m to the banks in January.\n\nMeanwhile, there are further indications that the tech company is struggling with financing.\n\nIt is being sued by the Crown Estate in the UK over alleged unpaid rent for its London headquarters, and faces a similar lawsuit in the US over unpaid rent at its San Francisco HQ.\n\nAnd a lawyer representing more than 100 former employees sacked by Twitter told the BBC in February the number of staff launching legal action against the company \"goes up daily\".\n\nMr Musk told this month's World Government Summit in Dubai: \"I think I need to stabilise the organisation and just make sure it's in a financially healthy place.\n\n\"I'm guessing probably towards the end of this year would be good timing to find someone else to run the company, because I think it should be in a stable position around the end of this year.\"","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/technology-64784368"}
{"title":"Mothers denied gas and air in labour say their births were traumatic - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-06","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"Women say their labours were traumatic at hospitals that have banned gas and air amid safety concerns.","section":"Essex","content":"Theo was born after being induced, with the labour lasting for an hour and ten minutes\n\nWhen Leigh Milner gave birth to her baby boy last month she was expecting \"all the pain relief\" but ended up with just paracetamol and describes her labour as absolutely unbearable.\n\nThe BBC journalist delivered her son Theo at the Princess Alexandra Hospital in Harlow, one of several that have recently suspended gas and air due to fears midwives and doctors have been exposed to unsafe levels.\n\nLeigh was warned beforehand that gas and air wouldn't be available but said she was promised she could have other pain relief.\n\nLeigh and her husband Chris welcomed baby Theo on 1 February\n\nHowever, her labour progressed very quickly after being induced due to pre-eclampsia, and doctors said there was no time for an epidural - an injection in the back to stop feeling pain - or anything else.\n\n\"I desperately needed something to take the edge off,\" the 33-year-old says.\n\n\"My whole body was shaking. I kept begging for pain relief but the only thing they said they could give me was paracetamol. The pain was so much that I was in and out of consciousness.\n\n\"It felt like a Victorian birth and it shouldn't have. From start to finish, that day was an absolute mess.\"\n\nLeigh believes mothers need more clarity and support amid confusing advice from hospitals\n\nThe hospital has since put three temporary gas and air units in place but when Cheryl Lake, 39, gave birth to her daughter, Sophie, at the hospital on 13 February the one in her room wasn't working.\n\n\"My two midwives were absolutely fantastic but they can only work with the resources they have got,\" she says.\n\nCheryl wasn't able to have gas and air during her labour with her daughter Sophie\n\nPermanent gas and air units are being fitted soon at the hospital, Giuseppe Labriola, director of midwifery, says.\n\n\"We also have a designated helpline in place for women and people who are due to give birth to call with any queries they have,\" he adds.\n\nThe NHS maternity survey for 2022 shows 76% of women used gas and air, also known as nitrous oxide, during their labour.\n\nKirsty Old, 33, from Ipswich, wanted to use it during the delivery of her third child, Hallie, in December.\n\nThe day before she was due to be induced, Kirsty spotted a local newspaper story on Facebook which suggested Ipswich Hospital had suspended its use.\n\nKirsty only found out that gas and air wasn't available while she was being induced\n\n\"The lack of communication was unbelievable. No-one had mentioned this to me during my pregnancy. During my induction, I asked if it was true and the midwife said 'yes but you can have pethidine instead or an epidural', but that wasn't what I wanted,\" she says.\n\nKirsty had previously used pethidine in labour and had a bad reaction. She did not want an epidural because she wanted to be mobile throughout labour and \"know what was happening to my body\".\n\nKirsty feels like the hospital's communication about her labour options was poor\n\nBut 15 hours in to the labour she was in \"so much pain and was so tired\" she asked for one.\n\n\"I'm still quite cross about it. I don't feel like I had the birth experience I wanted. I had a lovely labour with just gas and air with my second child but this was taken away from me,\" the 33-year-old adds.\n\nKirsty with her husband, Ian, and other children, Elodie and Ezra\n\nDr Giles Thorpe, chief nurse at East Suffolk and North Essex NHS Foundation Trust, which runs Ipswich Hospital, said he was sorry to hear about Kirsty's experience.\n\nGas and air was reinstated last month, he said, but the trust appreciates it was a \"very frustrating and anxious time\" for mothers.\n\n\"As soon as we were aware of the issue we shared information on our website, social media channels and through local media in order to reach as many people as quickly as we could\".\n\nGas and air, also known by its brand name Entonox, is harmless to women and babies in small doses but long-term exposure can affect vitamin B12 levels, leading to potential nerve damage and anaemia.\n\nSeveral other hospital trusts have temporarily suspended its use in maternity units over the last few months, including:\n\nVal Willcox, from the National Childbirth Trust, believes many pregnant women are worried and anxious about the issue.\n\n\"Hospital trusts need to urgently look into how to make the environment in maternity wards and birth centres safer, so that midwives are protected and women in labour have more choices around pain relief,\" she added.\n\nThe health of midwives must be protected, says author Leah Hazard\n\nMidwife and author Leah Hazard says she feels sympathy for women denied the use of gas and air, but the health of midwives must be protected.\n\n\"We want birthing women to have access to a wide range of pain relief options, but staff also have the right to safe working conditions.\n\n\"Midwives especially over the last few years with Covid have been exposed to such dangerous environments at work. It is unfortunately having a knock-on effect on women but it is a basic safety at work issue and it needs to be addressed.\"\n\nThe Royal College of Midwives (RCM) believes the issue has arisen because of poor ventilation in delivery suites and labour wards.\n\nIn January it said its members at Basildon Hospital were considering legal action after being exposed to almost 30 times the legal workplace exposure limit for nitrous oxide.\n\nDr Suzanne Tyler, the RCM's executive director, says many of the buildings that house maternity services are not fit for purpose.\n\n\"We know of crumbling walls, ceilings being held up by props and even sewage flowing onto wards. We need to see proper investment in maternity services, including the bricks and mortar,\" she adds.\n\nIn new guidance to trusts last week, NHS England said hospitals should only suspend gas and air as \"a last resort\".\n\n\"Where there is no other option but to remove this provision, there must be clear communication with all service users who may be affected, with alternative options explained to support informed patient choice,\" it said.\n\nFor Leigh and many other women the guidance comes too late but she hopes other mothers won't have to go through the traumatic experience she did.\n\n\"Yes I have a healthy baby boy but your mental health matters too and you shouldn't have to sacrifice that to give birth,\" she adds.\n\nFind BBC News: East of England on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter. If you have a story suggestion email eastofenglandnews@bbc.co.uk","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/uk-england-essex-64823160"}
{"title":"Food shortages due to 'supermarket culture', says Leon co-founder - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-06","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"Henry Dimbleby, co-founder of Leon, says UK vegetable shortages are a result of \"market failure\".","section":"Business","content":"The government's food tsar has blamed Britain's \"weird supermarket culture\" for shortages of certain vegetables.\n\nHenry Dimbleby said \"fixed-price contracts\" between supermarkets and suppliers meant that when food is scarce, some producers sell less to the UK and more elsewhere in Europe.\n\nBut the body that represents supermarkets denied that business was hampered by such contracts.\n\nSeveral supermarkets have limited sales of fresh produce in recent weeks.\n\nTomatoes, peppers and cucumbers are among those vegetables in scarce supply, largely because of extreme weather affecting harvests in Spain and North Africa.\n\nShortages are said to have been compounded by high energy prices impacting UK growers, as well as issues with supply chains.\n\nThey also come as households are being hit by rising prices, with food inflation at a 45-year high.\n\nAs an example of \"market failure\", Mr Dimbleby, who advises the government on food strategy in England, said UK lettuce prices in supermarkets were kept stable, regardless of whether there was a shortage or over supply.\n\nHe said this meant farmers could not sell all their produce when they had too much - or be incentivised to grow more.\n\n\"If there's bad weather across Europe, because there's a scarcity, supermarkets put their prices up - but not in the UK. And therefore at the margin, the suppliers will supply to France, Germany, Ukraine,\" he told the Guardian newspaper.\n\nBut Andrew Opie, director of food and sustainability at the British Retail Consortium (BRC), which represents UK supermarkets, said retailers were \"pragmatists and recognise they need to pay more when costs are high and product is short\".\n\n\"They're working with growers every day,\" he added.\n\nMr Opie said regulation for supermarkets in many European countries meant retailers there were \"able to, and actually required\" to pass on extra costs to customers.\n\n\"Whereas UK retailers are doing everything they can to insulate consumers from rapidly rising prices meaning cutting their margins and negotiating on behalf of customers to keep prices as low as possible,\" he added.\n\nHe said importing tomatoes and lettuces from abroad during the winter allowed supermarkets to offer customers \"best value for money\".\n\nMr Dimbleby, however, said he found the current situation \"frustrating\" because \"everyone is suddenly worried about a gap of vegetables in February, when there are much bigger structural issues\".\n\n\"There's just this weird supermarket culture,\" he said. \"A weird competitive dynamic that's emerged in the UK, and nowhere else in the world has it, and I don't know why that is.\"\n\nHe added it was a \"very difficult one for the government to solve\".\n\nMinette Batters, president of the National Farmers' Union (NFU), told the BBC that some producers were on contracts that could be renegotiated to factor in higher production costs - but not all of them.\n\nMinette Batters, president of the NFU, said the government's approach to home-grown food was \"na\u00efve\"\n\n\"The fact that these contracts in many cases are not fit for purpose and if you're not getting a fair return for what it is costing you, you're going to contract your business,\" she said.\n\n\"It's why we are seeing many of the glasshouses across the country mothballed. They should be producing high quality food, peppers, tomatoes, cucumbers, to deal with this shortage.\"\n\nThe NFU president said the war in Ukraine had changed the outlook for food security, but added she had been told previously by ministers and officials that \"food grown on our land is really not important at all, we are a wealthy nation and we can afford to import it\".\n\n\"I think that is now looking na\u00efve in the extreme,\" she said. \"We've got huge capability here to be producing more of our fruit and vegetables.\"\n\nThe government said that while there were some issues with fresh vegetable supplies, the UK \"has a highly resilient food chain and is well equipped to deal with disruption\".\n\n\"We meet regularly with representatives from the entire food system - from farm to fork - to discuss how we can respond to emerging situations impacting the supply chain quickly and effectively,\" a spokesperson said.\n\nMr Dimbleby criticised the government last year and said ministers had only taken on half of his recommendations from a landmark review of Britain's food system.\n\nHe told the Guardian that food shortages would not be resolved until ministers looked at what he outlined in his food strategy.\n\nLast year, the UK faced a shortage of eggs, with supermarkets limiting how many customers could buy.\n\nThe BRC said at the time that a variety of factors including avian flu and the cost of production had hit supplies - but some farmers blamed retailers for not paying a fair price.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/business-64853683"}
{"title":"Cardiff car crash: Tributes to three found dead after night out - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-06","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"Tributes are paid to three people who were found dead in a crashed car days after going missing.","section":"Wales","content":"Eve Smith, 21, Rafel Jeanne, 24, and Darcy Ross, 21, died in the collision\n\nTributes have been paid to three people who were found dead in a crashed car days after they went missing.\n\nEve Smith, 21, Darcy Ross, 21 and Rafel Jeanne, 24, were found in a car which had come off a major road in Cardiff.\n\nSophie Russon, 20, and Shane Loughlin, 32, were taken to hospital where they remain in a critical condition.\n\nAll five had been on a night out in Newport when the car is believed to have veered off the A48 into trees, with it unclear what exactly happened.\n\nSophie Russon was having surgery on Monday evening, while friends of the group held a vigil at the scene.\n\nSouth Wales Police said specialist officers are trying to \"piece together\" what happened.\n\nFamily and friends had made repeated appeals to find the missing group over the course of the weekend.\n\nThe mother of one of the women said she had been told to stop contacting police for updates.\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Watch: BBC reporter at the scene of busy road where missing group found\n\nSpeaking at the scene, a friend of the three women said she believed the police \"could have done a lot more\".\n\nTamzin Samuels, 20, said: \"They only posted the appeal an hour before the girls were found. We found them before the police found them - we rang the police.\"\n\nShe added: \"They were really popular girls, the life of the party, and it was really out of character for them to do what they did, which is why we knew something was wrong.\"\n\nThe women, from Newport, had gone to The Muffler club in the Maesglas area of the city late on Friday.\n\nThey then travelled 36 miles (58km) to Trecco Bay, a caravan park in the seaside resort of Porthcawl, Bridgend county, with the two men, both from Cardiff.\n\nA Snapchat photo shared by Ms Ross' sister showed her and Mr Jeanne together on the night they went missing.\n\nThe group was last seen in Llanedeyrn, Cardiff, in the early hours of Saturday, but it is not yet clear when the crash happened.\n\nSophie Russon, 20, and Shane Loughlin, 32, are seriously injured in hospital\n\nTributes have been paid on social media with family members confirming their loved ones had died.\n\nOne of Miss Smith's relatives wrote: \"I will not comment on anyone other than Eve Smith to confirm that she has been confirmed as deceased.\n\n\"Thank you for your support and shares and I won't be answering messages please allow us some time as a family to digest this terrible news.\"\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Flowers were laid near the scene of the accident\n\nA friend of Miss Ross and Miss Smith wrote: \"I don't really have the words right now.\"\n\nTalking about Miss Ross, the friend said: \"You were one of a kind, I'm going to miss trying to 'life coach' you as you would've said. You were a real ray of sunshine especially on my bad days.\"\n\nDescribing Miss Smith, she added: \"Eve Smith you were truly a beautiful young girl\", saying her heart was \"made of gold\".\n\nDarcy Ross, pictured here with Rafel Jeanne, on Snapchat\n\nA friend of Mr Loughlin said: \"I'm so proud of us all pulling together out there searching for our dear friends last night.\n\n\"It's heartbreaking what's happened to Rafel Jeanne and those two girls. My body is still shaking and I can't stop being sick, the thought of them all there all of that time.\n\n\"Many times I have driven past, it just makes me so sad.\"\n\nHe described how \"helpless\" Mr Loughlin must have felt \"trapped inside\", adding: \"Wish Sophie a speedy recovery and I send all my love and strength to all the families involved.\"\n\nBBC journalist Adam Hale said no obvious signs of a crash were visible, even in daylight, to drivers using the slip road to approach the busy roundabout over the weekend.\n\n\"I was one of the potentially thousands of motorists who will have passed the scene of the accident over the weekend who could be forgiven for not noticing anything out of the ordinary,\" he said.\n\n\"There are a lot of trees that line that particular stretch of road that could easily obscure a car that had left the road.\n\n\"In terms of things you'd expect to see in the aftermath of a road accident - tyre marks on the road, parts of a car strewn across the way - none were clearly visible to myself or friends or family who live in the area and also travelled past the site across Saturday and Sunday.\"\n\nDominic Shields, 58, lives close to the site of the crash and said his running route goes through the area.\n\n\"I was going to run there on Sunday but decided to go to Cardiff fields instead,\" he said.\n\n\"It really makes you think, 'if I just made a different choice?'\n\n\"I drove down the slip road four times on Saturday and Sunday and it just brings home how often you are on autopilot.\n\n\"If I had my wits about me I could have seen something and got help to to them sooner.\"\n\nFloral tributes have been left at the site of the crash\n\nA number of floral tributes have been left at the scene of the collision.\n\nOne said: \"Fly high. You're in a better place now. This was the last thing we expected. I know you're still partying up there.\"\n\nNewport West MP Ruth Jones urged people to avoid speculating about the collision on social media.\n\nMs Jones told BBC Radio Wales's Drive: \"I know people have taken to social media to express their condolences, but rumours and things are circulating and sometimes it's quite tricky to actually establish the facts.\n\n\"I think people need to be careful because there are families who are grieving tonight.\"\n\nSouth Wales Police's Assistant Chief Constable Jason Davies said: \"Our thoughts are with the families of all those affected by this tragic incident.\n\n\"Specialist officers are carrying out an investigation to piece together what has happened.\n\n\"Family liaison officers are supporting the families involved at what must be a hugely difficult time for them.\n\n\"To ensure independent oversight, South Wales Police has referred the matter to the Independent Office for Police Conduct, as is usual in these circumstances.\"\n\nA Gwent Police spokeswoman said: \"Three of those who were reported missing have been found deceased, two have been taken to hospital with serious injuries.\n\n\"Specialist officers are supporting the families of those involved and enquiries are ongoing.\n\n\"The case has been referred to the IOPC in line with normal procedures.\"\n\nThe IOPC said: \"We will carry out an assessment in due course to determine what further action may be required from us.\"","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/uk-wales-64867187"}
{"title":"Georgia lawmakers brawl over 'foreign agents' law - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-06","authors":null,"description":"Critics say a proposed law is modelled on Russian legislation and designed to curtail freedom of speech.","section":null,"content":"Lawmakers in Georgia fought during a parliamentary committee hearing into proposed legislation that seeks to force some organisations to list themselves as 'foreign agents'.\n\nIt would apply to organisations that receive more than a fifth of their funds from abroad, and compel them to submit to monitoring from the authorities.\n\nCritics have been protesting outside parliament and say the legislation is modelled on Russian legislation designed to curtail freedom of speech and stifle dissent.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/world-europe-64866068"}
{"title":"Bake Off: The actor portraying Paul Hollywood in GBBO musical - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-06","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"The Great British Bake Off has been turned into a West End musical.","section":"Wales","content":"The real Paul Hollywood with John Owen-Jones, who is playing a character based on him\n\nHow on earth do you whisk the Great British Bake Off into a musical?\n\n\"That was the million dollar question,\" said West End star John Owen-Jones, who is tackling his hardest role yet based on Paul Hollywood.\n\nThe stage production, which has been in the works for six years, is based on the TV series and shows the trials and tribulations of fictional contestants.\n\nThe final product, John claims, brought a tear to the real Paul Hollywood's eye.\n\nThe Great British Bake Off - often just called Bake Off or GBBO - has been on our screens for 13 years and sees a group of amateur bakers compete against each other in a series of rounds, attempting to impress two judges with their baking skills.\n\nThe stage show adaptation opens in the West End on Monday, with Welsh musical theatre star John Owen-Jones playing judge Phil Hollinghurst - who happens to look exactly like the real Bake Off judge, Paul Hollywood.\n\nOwen-Jones has played some of the most recognisable faces in theatre, including the phantom in Phantom of the Opera.\n\nHe said playing a character based on a real person, however, has been one of his biggest challenges yet.\n\n\"When you're portraying somebody like that you have a responsibility,\" he said.\n\n\"We gently tease and tweak the character to make it funnier and more theatrical but when I was asked to do it I thought this isn't me at all - that was until I coloured my hair grey and I thought I looked a bit like him.\n\n\"When you are playing a real life person who is still alive you have to be very aware of their feelings and be careful, but Paul is a very lovely man.\"\n\nSpot the difference - John Owen-Jones and Hadyn Gwynne fill the boots of some of the most recognisable faces on British TV\n\nHollywood is known for the 'Hollywood Handshake' that he gives to bakers who win his approval - and John was very much hoping for a handshake too.\n\n\"Paul came to see the show and loved it,\" said John.\n\n\"He gave me two handshakes after and is going to bring his mum back. He'd never even seen a musical before this.\"\n\nJohn didn't tell the cast that Hollywood was in the audience, but he added: \"I swear I saw him wipe away a tear at the end\".\n\n\"I've watched Bake Off from the very beginning so I felt like I knew Paul anyway\", he continued.\n\n\"I am good friends with Matt Lucas who was previously presenting the show so he gave me some good inside information.\"\n\nJohn, who was previously a butcher alongside his father and brother in Burry Port, Carmarthenshire, loves to cook and dabbles in baking off the stage too.\n\n\"I have grown up in the food industry and I played Jean Valjean in Les Miserables, who famously stole a loaf of bread.\n\n\"So it is nice to actually be in a role where we are creating bread.\"\n\nJohn said the musical's writers \"have managed to achieve the impossible and create something special from a TV show\".\n\nHe said the core human stories are what makes it work so well on TV and the stage.\n\n\"It is one of those shows where you want people on it to do really well and to succeed and have a good time\", he added.\n\nThe real things - Paul Hollywood and Prue Leith on The Great British Bake Off\n\nHadyn Gwynne plays Pam Lee, a character based on the judge Dame Prue Leith. She researched the role by watching past episodes of GBBO and reading Leith's autobiography.\n\n\"I decided not to be completely imitative with my voice because my singing voice is so different, but I did listen to her because she grew up in South Africa in Cape Town and I can really hear the South African rhythms in her voice,\" she said.\n\n\"So I've fed that into it and other aspects of it without trying to do some complete impersonation.\"\n\nJake Brunger and Pippa Cleary had the job of putting the dreams and dramas of the tent into song, which Pippa said they jumped at.\n\n\"It was quite an easy 'oh my god yes'\", she said.\n\n\"We got the call in lockdown one where it was obviously quite a depressing time in theatre, so we were very feeling sorry for ourselves.\n\n\"We loved Bake Off already, have been fans of the show for years and years so we were very excited.\"\n\nLockdown research involved a lot of Bake Off programme watching and cake sampling.\n\nThe writing team say the key to success was eating a lot of cake when researching\n\nPippa said while the contestants are not based on real life, they have \"sprinkled\" in references and stories that might be familiar.\n\n\"We wanted this to have real heart as it's not a parody - it's a proper musical\", she said.\n\nJake said the biggest part of the process was figuring out how to do the judges.\n\n\"We tried to so many different versions over many different iterations, whilst sticking as close as you can to what the people at home know and love\", said Jake.\n\n\"But we've called them Pam Lee and Phil Hollinghurst. So the initials and the syllables are the same - but other than that, we can't get sued. I hope.\"","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/uk-wales-64814322"}
{"title":"Matt Hancock texts reveal concern at plans to relax Covid isolation - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-06","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"The former health secretary expressed concern about relaxing rules for Covid contacts in late 2020.","section":"UK Politics","content":"This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser.\n\nMatt Hancock was concerned that relaxing Covid isolation rules would imply ministers had been \"getting it wrong\", leaked messages suggest.\n\nIt appears the former health secretary was told in late 2020 that scientific advisers wanted to try replacing 14-day quarantine for confirmed contacts with five days of testing.\n\nHe replied that the idea \"sounds very risky\" and \"like a massive loosening\".\n\nMr Hancock's spokesperson said the story was based on \"partial evidence\".\n\nHe said this latest message exchange showed Mr Hancock was \"in favour of protecting the public and saving lives\" through the pandemic.\n\nThe BBC has not been able to independently verify the messages, between Mr Hancock and England's chief medical officer Prof Chris Whitty.\n\nThe texts are the latest release from more than 100,000 WhatsApp messages leaked to the Telegraph by journalist Isabel Oakeshott.\n\nThe leaked exchange between the two men took place on 17 November 2020, when confirmed contacts of Covid cases in England had to isolate for 14 days.\n\nProf Whitty is shown telling Mr Hancock that the UK's chief medical officers, as well as Sage, the government's group of scientific advisers, were \"in favour\" of a pilot \"with presumption in favour of testing for 5 days in lieu of isolation (alternative 10 days isolation)\".\n\nHe added that the pilot was to \"check it works\" - whilst the MHRA, the medicines regulator, had \"not yet signed off for self use\".\n\nIn the exchange published by the Telegraph, Mr Hancock replies that the idea \"sounds like a massive loosening\".\n\nProf Whitty then says that scientific modelling \"suggests it's pretty well as good\".\n\nIn a reply, Mr Hancock says he is \"amazed\" - adding that \"this sounds very risky and we can't go backwards\". He asks whether allowing people to test for 10 days would be \"a safer starting point\".\n\nProf Whitty replies that \"we could push to 7 [days]\" but \"the benefits really flatten off after 5\".\n\nMr Hancock is then shown to reply: \"So has the 14 day isolation been too long all this time?\"\n\nThe chief medical officer then replies that a 14-day isolation period is \"marginally safer than 10\" - but at the expense of reduced compliance, meaning \"it probably balances out\".\n\nMr Hancock replies that cutting the isolation period to seven days would be \"huge for adherence\" but any lower than that would \"worry people and imply we'd been getting it wrong\".\n\nProf Whitty then says he will \"go back\" to the chief medical officers, adding, \"I think they will be sympathetic to this\".\n\nThe isolation period for close contacts was reduced to 10 days across the UK the following month.\n\nSome exemptions for double-jabbed critical workers were introduced seven months later, in July 2021, following disruption to businesses and public services.\n\nSelf-isolation for all fully-vaccinated contacts was dropped the month after that.\n\nThe WhatsApp messages were handed to the Telegraph by Ms Oakeshott, who had been given them by Mr Hancock for the purposes of co-writing his book, Pandemic Diaries. She has argued there is a public interest in publishing the messages.\n\nA spokesperson for Mr Hancock said the latest message exchange showed he was \"in favour of protecting the public and saving lives\" - and \"that shouldn't be a surprise to anyone\".\n\n\"Throughout the pandemic Mr Hancock acted to save lives - as the independent inquiry will show,\" the spokesperson added.\n\n\"We should wait for that to ensure we get a proper understanding of what happened, not be misled by these biased accounts based on an anti-lockdown agenda and partial evidence.\"\n\nA collection of more than 100,000 messages sent between former Health Secretary Matt Hancock and other ministers and officials at the height of the Covid-19 pandemic have been obtained by the Telegraph. Here are some of our stories on the leaks:","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/uk-politics-64858758"}
{"title":"Snow and ice warnings issued for Scotland - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-06","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"Warnings of snow and ice have been updated to include large parts of Scotland on Thursday and Friday.","section":"Highlands & Islands","content":"Residents in Aberdeen woke up to a wintry scene on Tuesday\n\nThe Met Office has said snow and ice could cause travel disruption in Scotland through to Friday night.\n\nForecasters said Arctic air would bring the coldest temperatures of the year, and up to 40cm (15in) of snow could accumulate in the southern Highlands.\n\nA series of yellow \"be aware\" warnings have been issued until 18:00 on Friday.\n\nHeavy snow and ice is making for hazardous driving conditions on Tuesday across the north east, including in Aberdeen.\n\nA number of schools are closed in the Aberdeen City Council, Aberdeenshire Council and Highland Council areas.\n\nMeanwhile, Shetland Isles Council confirmed no schools will open due to the wintry conditions.\n\nThe Met Office said many locations across Scotland could see between 5-10cm (2-4in) of snow at the end of the week.\n\nThe heaviest snowfalls are expected on Friday with the Highlands, Aberdeenshire and central and southern Scotland covered by warnings.\n\nWeather alerts had earlier been issued for north and north east Scotland.\n\nThe Met Office said the lower temperatures were expected on Monday night on higher ground in northern Scotland, with northerly winds making it feel even colder.\n\nCalMac has issued a warning that some of its sailings in and out of Oban on Monday will be liable to cancellation or disruption as a result of the expected adverse weather.\n\nA covering of snow at Rogart in the Highlands\n\nIn Shetland all schools in the North Isles, North Mainland and West Mainland were closed on Monday due to the weather conditions. Schools in the central and south mainland remained open, but many had reduced school transport services.\n\nPublic bus services in the North Isles were cancelled, and many ferry services were also disrupted.\n\nTingwall airport was closed, however, Sumburgh was operating flights as normal.\n\nMore than 140 homes were without power for several hours in Vidlin on Mainland due to an overhead line coming down, though SSEN said there was no evidence to suggest it was caused by the wintry weather. Supplies were restored at 13:10.\n\nMeteorologist Honor Criswick said: \"We are expecting pretty cold conditions and snow showers over the next few days across Scotland.\n\n\"Temperature wise, we could possibly see lows of -10C in the sheltered glens and higher ground across northern Scotland on Monday night, so it's going to be feeling quite cold and the breeze is picking up a little bit so will be feeling rather chilly.\n\n\"Potentially we could see some of the coldest temperatures so far this year.\"\n\nThe cold conditions follow Scotland's third mildest February on record, according to provisional statistics.\n\nIn January, an amber warning for snow was issued for the Highlands, Western Isles and Orkney and Shetland and the weather closed schools across the north of Scotland.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/uk-scotland-highlands-islands-64840752"}
{"title":"Cardiff car crash: Three of missing five found dead - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-06","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"The car was found in the early hours two days after the group went missing after a night out.","section":"Wales","content":"Shane Loughlin, Eve Smith, Sophie Russon, Rafel Jeanne and Darcy Ross (clockwise from top left) had been reported missing\n\nPolice searching for five people have found three dead and two injured two days after they went missing following a night out.\n\nGwent Police said it believed the group had been involved in a car crash.\n\nSophie Russon, 20, Eve Smith, 21, Darcy Ross, 21, Rafel Jeanne, 24, and Shane Loughlin, 32, were last seen at about 02:00 GMT on Saturday in Cardiff.\n\nThe family of Ms Smith have named her on social media as being one of those who has died.\n\nFamily and friends made repeated appeals to find the missing group over the course of the weekend, with the mother of one of the girls saying she had been told to stop contacting police for updates.\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. The road is a major route into Cardiff\n\nThe car the group were last seen in was found by a member of the public early on Monday on the A48 in St Mellons.\n\nThe road is a major route into Cardiff and the car was found near a busy roundabout close to a garden centre.\n\nThe family of Eve Smith have confirmed her death on social media\n\nMs Russon is one of the two in hospital and is in a critical condition, her cousin said, while the other two who have died are yet to be identified by police or family members.\n\nA long police cordon marked out the crash scene at what would normally be a busy stretch of dual carriageway, connecting Cardiff and Newport.\n\nJust below the slipway, down a small bank is a wooded area where the car was discovered. Officers have been working there, hidden from view by the trees, recovering the bodies and investigating the scene.\n\nOne resident said the area was hard to reach on foot and was in an area where \"no one walks\".\n\nThe car was removed on a truck just before 13:00, with the vehicle covered over by police and the road reopened an hour later.\n\nPolice will be trying to establish exactly when the car crashed there following the last sighting of the group, and why it took until the early hours of Monday for it to be discovered.\n\nNear the scene, people have laid flowers.\n\nPeople have been laying floral tributes near the scene in St Mellons\n\nA woman who lives nearby said many people felt shocked after waking up to hear about the tragedy.\n\nJo Warner, who lives near the crash site, said walking past the scene made it feel horribly real.\n\nShe added: \"What they've been through, you can't bear thinking about it can you? I wouldn't like to surmise what happened but it's just heart-breaking.\n\n\"It could have been anyone's kids. It could have been mine.\"\n\nElishia Rebecca Ross shared a photo on social media asking if anyone had seen her sister, Darcy Ross, pictured here with Rafel Jeanne\n\nOver the weekend, family and friends of the missing group appealed numerous times on social media to find them.\n\nThe women, from Newport, had gone to The Muffler club in the Maesglas area of the city late on Friday.\n\nThey then travelled 36 miles (58km) to Trecco Bay, a caravan park in the seaside resort of Porthcawl, Bridgend county, with the two men, both from Cardiff.\n\nA Snapchat photo shared by Ms Ross' sister showed her and Mr Jeanne together on the night they went missing.\n\nThe group was last seen in Llanedeyrn, Cardiff, in the early hours of Saturday, but it is not yet clear when the crash happened.\n\nMs Russon's mother, Anna Certowicz, 42, was driving around in a desperate search for her daughter after police officers told her to \"stop ringing\" the station for updates.\n\nShe told the Daily Mail: \"They didn't seem to care. I had to drive to Cardiff to knock on doors myself because they were doing sod all. They just didn't seem to think it was worth investigating. It was so frustrating.\"\n\nWriting on Twitter, Hollie Smith said her cousin, Ms Russon, had been taken to hospital in a critical condition.\n\n\"Sadly, the three other passengers have died and we're thinking of the families who have lost their loved ones,\" she wrote.\n\nThe Volkswagen Tiguan they were travelling in was found in the early hours of Monday near a busy roundabout on the A48, close to Cardiff Garden Centre.\n\nAn investigation is under way at the scene\n\nA temporary fence was put up at the side of the carriageway where officers concentrated their investigation.\n\nBefore the car was found, one of the girls' aunts said there had been \"no contact and no social media presence since the early hours of Saturday morning\".\n\nIn an appeal to find them, Tori Preece shared a message on Facebook saying that \"all of the families involved are extremely concerned\".\n\n\"They are not girls who take unnecessary risks and are always in close contact with their families,\" she wrote.\n\nMs Preece shared a post from Lauren Doyle who said it was \"unusual\" the girls had not made contact and friends and families were \"worried sick and thinking the worst\".\n\nSpecialist officers are supporting the families, police said.\n\nThe case has been referred to the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) in line with normal procedure.\n\nThe IOPC said: \"We will carry out an assessment in due course to determine what further action may be required from us.\"\n\nThe women had gone to The Muffler club in the Maesglas area of Newport late on Friday\n\nGwent Police has confirmed South Wales Police was investigating the crash.\n\nSouth Wales Police said it received a call at 00:15 \"to a report of a car being located\" off the A48 in St Mellons.\n\n\"Our thoughts are with the those affected by this incident,\" it said.\n\nSt Mellons resident Howard Dainton, 72, said the scene of the crash was in a wooded area.\n\n\"No one walks down there because it's hard to get in that area on foot,\" he said.\n\n\"It's just a copse of trees and a ditch and behind that farmer fields.\n\nA recovery vehicle removed the car from the scene\n\nMeanwhile, a man has been arrested at the scene for prevention of breach of the peace, police said.\n\nPA news agency reported that it was understood that Thomas Taylor, 47, from Rumney, Cardiff, had been arrested after being asked to leave the area.\n\nSpeaking before he was arrested, Mr Taylor, a film and TV extra, told PA: \"When I heard the reports, I just couldn't believe it could be possible that a car could come off and no-one know they were there.\n\n\"It's natural they might have disappeared for a bit, but the families' instincts are right.\"","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/uk-64859195"}
{"title":"Charles Bronson would not cope with release, parole panel told - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-06","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"Charles Bronson says he has had \"more porridge than Goldilocks and the Three Bears\" while in prison.","section":"Beds, Herts & Bucks","content":"Charles Bronson, who uses the name Charles Salvador, has had parole refused at previous hearings\n\nCharles Bronson, one of the UK's longest-serving prisoners, would not cope with being released, a Parole Board panel has heard.\n\nThe 70-year-old, one of the UK's most violent offenders, has been in prison for much of the last 50 years.\n\nHe told the panel he had had \"more porridge than Goldilocks and the Three Bears, and I'm sick of it\".\n\nThe first witness, his prison offender manager, said Bronson would not have the skills to cope on the outside.\n\nThe panel heard that he spends 23 hours a day in his cell and only associates with three other inmates who he does not get on with.\n\nWhen asked to give evidence, he spoke for about 10 minutes.\n\n\"First of all,\" he said. \"It's no secret. I have had more porridge than Goldilocks and the Three Bears, and I'm sick of it.\n\n\"I've had enough of it and I want to go home.\n\n\"Of the 50 years I have been in prison I have probably deserved a good 35 of it.\n\n\"Because I have been very naughty. Not naughty-naughty but just naughty.\n\n\"I have had 11 hostages. I am not proud of it but I am not ashamed of it,\" he said.\n\nCharles Bronson told the parole hearing: \"I want to go home\"\n\nBronson told the hearing he was now able to control his emotions.\n\n\"I was battling against the system. It was my way of getting back and there's nothing like wrapping a governor up like a Christmas turkey.\n\n\"I have come to the stage of me life now\u2026 where I am going out with a bus pass,\" he said.\n\n\"I have slept in body belts, I have slept in strait-jackets. But how much longer have I got to go?\n\n\"I'm ready now, I'm a chilled-out man, I feel comfortable in myself.\n\n\"I handle situations 100 times better than I used to.\"\n\nBronson added he was \"no longer angry\", was \"a born-again artist\" and said it was his \"mum's last dream\" for him to be released.\n\nThe prisoner - who now uses the last name Salvador - is being held at a specialist close supervision centre at Woodhill Prison in Milton Keynes.\n\nThis is only the second Parole Board hearing ever to be held in public, but this one has a far higher profile than the first..\n\nMembers of the press and public filled Court 76 at the Royal Courts of Justice to watch the hearing on a live video link.\n\nWhen Bronson was told the Parole Board panel hearing the case had not watched a recently-broadcast television documentary about him, he replied: \"I find that hard to believe.\"\n\nThe panel also heard about his brief time as an unlicensed boxer, of which Bronson said: \"I had six fights. Five with men and one with a Rottweiler.\"\n\n\"I was strong, thick, fast. The only way you could knock me out was with an axe in the back of me head.\"\n\nWhen questioned about several incidents behind bars a few years ago and why they happened, Bronson said: \"I love a rumble. What man doesn't?\"\n\nThe Parole Board heard he \"took half a tub of Lurpak\" and \"greased up\" after stripping naked in his cell.\n\n\"You have to grow up sooner or later,\" he added.\n\nSpeaking of what he would like to do, if released, he said: \"I dream of walking on grass, you know.\n\n\"I'd like to go to see art shows; I'd like to go swimming.\"\n\nHe continued: \"Give me a chance, a break, to prove to you people that I am just a normal geezer wanting to get on with his life.\"\n\nShortly after the proceedings started, he spilled some liquid over himself while drinking from a carton.\n\nHe told the panel he had not wet himself, but used stronger language, and later swore and said \"we'll be all day\" when his prison offender manager paused while giving evidence.\n\nThe offender manager said Bronson's ability to control his emotions had improved and he had fewer outbursts.\n\n\"There's been no violence. There has been some flexibility with his thinking and willingness to engage,\" she said.\n\nShe was asked what would happen if Bronson was released from prison.\n\n\"He would struggle in the community. He wouldn't have the skills to cope with such a vast change so quickly,\" she said.\n\nAsked if Bronson was ready for \"open\" prison conditions, she replied: \"I think he still has a way to go.\"\n\nThe panel heard Bronson was allowed out of his cell for about an hour a day.\n\nHe would come out to collect his food and go to the yard or the gym, or walk along the balcony.\n\nWhile in his cell for the remaining 23 hours, he would listen to the radio or create artwork.\n\nThe panel was told he received mail from more than 500 people. A panel member asked the prisoner offender manager if Bronson replied to them all.\n\n\"Bloody hell, I can't reply to all of them,\" Bronson interrupted.\n\nAfter about an hour of proceedings, Bronson said: \"I'm getting bored mate.\"\n\nThe Parole Board panel is deciding whether he is still a risk to the public, or whether he can be released from prison.\n\nIf they decide against releasing him they are also being asked to consider allowing Bronson to be moved to \"open\" prison conditions, where he would have much more freedom.\n\nFind BBC News: East of England on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter. If you have a story suggestion email eastofenglandnews@bbc.co.uk\n\nThe BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/uk-england-beds-bucks-herts-64861518"}
{"title":"Ukraine war: Russia's Wagner boss suggests 'betrayal' in Bakhmut battle - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-06","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"\"What if they [the Russian authorities] want to set us up?\" the Russian mercenary boss asks.","section":"Europe","content":"Yevgeny Prigozhin, head of the Wagner group, speaking in Bakhmut in a video released on 3 March\n\nThe head of Russia's Wagner private army says it is not getting the ammunition it needs from Moscow, as it seeks to gain control of Bakhmut.\n\nThe eastern city has seen months of intense fighting, as Wagner and regular Russian troops try to seize it.\n\nBut Wagner boss Yevgeny Prigozhin says his army's lack of ammunition could be \"ordinary bureaucracy or a betrayal\".\n\nUkraine's president and military commanders have agreed to strengthen their defence of Bakhmut.\n\nRussia has appeared determined to capture the city for months, but many analysts say it has become a symbolic prize in the war and has little strategic value.\n\nAn apparent rivalry between the mercenaries and the regular Russian army seems to have intensified in recent weeks, and this is not the first time Mr Prigozhin has accused the Russian defence ministry of withholding the ammunition it needs.\n\nIn a social media post on Sunday, Mr Prigozhin said documents had been signed on 22 February, with ammunition expected to be sent to Bakhmut the next day.\n\nBut most had not been shipped, he said, before suggesting it could be deliberate.\n\nAnd in a further sign of the rift, on Monday Mr Prigozhin said his representative was unable to access the headquarters of Russia's military command. It is unclear where the headquarters is located.\n\nMr Prigozhin said it came after he wrote to the chief of Russia's \"special military operation\", Valery Gerasimov, about the \"urgent necessity to give us ammunition\".\n\nSeparately, in a video uploaded on Saturday - but seemingly filmed in February - Mr Prigozhin said his men feared that they were being \"set up\" as scapegoats in case Russia lost its war in Ukraine.\n\n\"If we step back, we will go down in history as the people who took the main step to lose the war,\" he said.\n\n\"And this is precisely the problem with the shell hunger [ammunition shortage]. This is not my opinion, but that of ordinary fighters...\n\n\"What if they [the Russian authorities] want to set us up, saying that we are scoundrels - and that's why they are not giving us ammunition, not giving us weapons, and not letting us replenish our personnel, including [recruiting] prisoners?\"\n\nIn Saturday's video, Mr Prigozhin also said Russia's front line would collapse without his troops.\n\nHe suggested Wagner fighters were taking on the \"entire Ukrainian army... destroying it\" and depriving it of the chance to concentrate on other parts of the front.\n\nUkraine's troops were probably conducting a \"limited fighting withdrawal\" in eastern Bakhmut, the Institute for the Study of War (ISW) said on Monday.\n\nBut it added Ukraine was \"continuing to inflict high casualties\" on Russian forces.\n\nUkrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said his country's military commanders supported continuing operations to defend and strengthen positions in Bakhmut.\n\nIn a statement, President Zelensky's office said he had held a meeting with Valery Zaluzhny, the head of Ukraine's armed forces, and Oleksandr Syrsky, commander of the country's ground forces.\n\nThey spoke \"in favour of continuing the defensive operation and further strengthening our positions in Bakhmut\".\n\nOn Saturday, the deputy mayor of Bakhmut told the BBC that there was street fighting between Russian and Ukrainian forces.\n\nHowever Oleksandr Marchenko said Russian troops had not yet gained control.\n\n\"They have no goal to save the city... their only goal is killing people and the genocide of the Ukrainian people,\" Mr Marchenko told the Today programme.\n\nSeparately, Moscow's Mr Shoigu has visited the occupied city of Mariupol during a trip to eastern Ukraine - a year after his troops besieged the city.\n\nThe defence ministry said he was inspecting work carried out to \"restore infrastructure in the Donbas\" - words that are likely to grate in Ukraine, given Russia's responsibility for the destruction.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/world-europe-64859780"}
{"title":"Turkey earthquake: Survivors living in fear on streets - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-06","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"Train carriages, volleyball courts and public roads - families now find shelter wherever they can.","section":"Europe","content":"Songul Yucesoy carefully washes her dishes, soaping the plates and cutlery before rinsing off the bubbles and laying them out to dry. An unremarkable scene, except she's outdoors, sitting in the shadow of her ruined house.\n\nIt tilts at an alarming angle, the window frames are hanging out and there's a large chunk of the rusty iron roof now resting in the garden.\n\nIt is a month since the devastating earthquakes in Turkey and Syria - with officials putting the number of deaths in Turkey alone at 45,968. In Syria, more than 6,000 are known to have lost their lives.\n\nThose who survived face an uncertain future. One of their most serious problems is finding somewhere safe to live. At least 1.5 million people are now homeless, and it's unclear how long it will take to find them proper shelter.\n\nThe Turkish disaster agency Afad, meanwhile, says almost two million people have now left the quake zone. Some are living with friends or loved ones elsewhere in the country. Flights and trains out of the region are free to those who want to leave.\n\nBut in the town of Samandag, near the Mediterranean coast, Songul is clear that she and her family aren't going anywhere. \"This is very important for us. Whatever happens next - even if the house falls down - we will stay here. This is our home, our nest. Everything we have is here. We are not going to leave.\"\n\nThe deadly quake destroyed properties in the region, leaving thousands of families homeless\n\nTents have appeared everywhere in the town of Samandag, but more are needed\n\nPrecious pieces of furniture have been carefully pulled from the house and set up outside. On top of a polished wooden side table is a holiday souvenir, a picture made of shells from the Turkish resort of Kusadasi. There's a bowl of fruit, with white mould creeping across a large orange. Things that look normal indoors feel strange and out of place when they're sitting in the street.\n\nRight now, the whole family is living in three tents just a few steps away from their damaged home. They sleep and eat there, sharing food cooked on a small camping stove. There's no proper toilet, although they've recovered one from the bathroom and are trying to plumb it in in a makeshift wooden shed. They've even created a small shower area. But it's all very basic, and the lack of space and privacy is obvious. These tents are cramped and overcrowded.\n\nIt's been an agonising month for Songul. Seventeen of their relatives were killed in the quake. Her sister Tulay is officially missing. \"We don't know if she is still under the rubble,\" she tells me. \"We don't know whether her body was taken out yet or not. We're waiting. We can't start mourning. We can't even find our lost one.\"\n\nPeople are sleeping on seats in train carriages in the port city of Iskenderun\n\nSongul's brother-in-law Husemettin and 11-year-old nephew Lozan died when their apartment building in Iskenderun collapsed around them as they slept. We visited what was left of their home, a sprawling pile of twisted debris. Neighbours told us three blocks of flats had fallen.\n\n\"We brought Lozan's body here,\" Songul says quietly. \"We took him from the morgue and buried him close to us in Samandag. Husemettin was buried in the cemetery of the anonymous, we found his name there.\"\n\nA picture of the family smiles out of Tulay's still-active Facebook profile, their arms around each other, faces close. Lozan holds a red balloon tightly.\n\nFor 5 Minutes On - the BBC's Middle East correspondent, Anna Foster, reflects on the devastation she witnessed in southern Turkey and how other parts of the country fear further deadly earthquakes.\n\nThe homelessness crisis created by the quake is so acute because of the real shortage of safe spaces that are left standing. More than 160,000 buildings collapsed or were badly damaged. The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) estimates at least 1.5 million people are still inside the quake zone, but with nowhere to live. It's hard to know the real figure, and it could be far higher.\n\nStudy cabins are arriving, but too slowly. Tents have appeared everywhere, from sprawling new encampments to individual ones dotted amidst the rubble. There still aren't enough. News that the Turkish Red Crescent had sold some of its stock of taxpayer-funded tents to a charity group - albeit at cost price - led to frustration and anger.\n\nIn some cities, people are still living inside public buildings.\n\nFamilies are sharing tents together, weeks after the disaster\n\nIn Adana, I met families sleeping on blankets and mattresses spread across a volleyball court. In the port city of Iskenderun they have made their home on two trains parked at the railway station. Seats have become beds, luggage racks are filled with personal possessions and the staff there try hard to keep things clean and tidy. Tears fill the eyes of one young girl as she hugs a pillow instead of a teddy bear. This isn't home.\n\nSongul's children are struggling, too. Toys and games are stuck inside dangerous houses, and there's no school. \"They're bored, there's nothing to keep them busy. They just sit around. They play with their phones, then go to bed early once they run out of charge.\"\n\nWhen night falls, things are even harder. There's no electricity in Samandag now. Songul has draped colourful solar lights across their white tent, just above the bold UNHCR logo. Homeless in their own country, they're not refugees, but they've still lost everything.\n\nSongul says her family now live in fear, with aftershocks often keeping them awake overnight\n\n\"I put the lamps here to be seen,\" Songul explains. \"We're scared when it gets dark. Having no power is a big problem. The fear is too big, and all night long we feel the aftershocks, so it's hard to sleep.\" Starting to cry, she wipes away the tears with her hand.\n\n\"We are free people, we are used to freedom, independence, everyone living in their own houses,\" adds her husband, Savas. \"But now we are three families, eating in one tent, living and sitting in one single tent.\"\n\n\"This is all new to us, we don't know what the future holds. And there's always the fear. Our houses have collapsed, what will happen next? We just don't know.\"\n\nOne month on from the devastating earthquake we speak to survivors living in fear on the streets","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/world-europe-64824516"}
{"title":"Twitter insiders: We can't protect users from trolling under Musk - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-06","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"Current and former employees of the company say there are serious ramifications from mass lay-offs.","section":"Technology","content":"Elon Musk took control of Twitter in October 2022\n\nTwitter insiders have told the BBC that the company is no longer able to protect users from trolling, state-co-ordinated disinformation and child sexual exploitation, following lay-offs and changes under owner Elon Musk.\n\nExclusive academic data plus testimony from Twitter users backs up their allegations, suggesting hate is thriving under Mr Musk's leadership, with trolls emboldened, harassment intensifying and a spike in accounts following misogynistic and abusive profiles.\n\nCurrent and former employees of the company tell BBC Panorama that features intended to protect Twitter users from trolling and harassment are proving difficult to maintain, amid what they describe as a chaotic working environment in which Mr Musk is shadowed by bodyguards at all times. I've spoken to dozens, with several going on the record for the first time.\n\nThe former head of content design says everyone on her team - which created safety measures such as nudge buttons - has been sacked. She later resigned. Internal research by Twitter suggests those safety measures reduced trolling by 60%. An engineer working for Twitter told me \"nobody's taking care\" of this type of work now, likening the platform to a building that seems fine from the outside, but inside is \"on fire\".\n\nTwitter has not replied to the BBC's request for comment.\n\nAbuse on Twitter is nothing new for me - I'm a reporter who shares my coverage of disinformation, conspiracies and hate there. But throughout most of last year I noticed it steadily lessening across all of the social media sites. And then in November I realised it had got worse on Twitter again.\n\nIt turns out, I was right. A team from the International Center for Journalists and the University of Sheffield have been tracking the hate I receive, and their data revealed the abuse targeted at me on Twitter had more than tripled since Mr Musk took over, compared with the same period in the year before.\n\nAll of the social media sites have been under pressure to tackle online hate and harmful content - but they say they're taking measures to deal with it. Measures that no longer seem to be top of the agenda at Twitter.\n\nIn San Francisco, the home of Twitter's headquarters, I set out to look for answers. What better place to get them than from an engineer - responsible for the computer code that makes Twitter work. Because he's still working there, he's asked us to conceal his identity, so we're calling him Sam.\n\n\"For someone on the inside, it's like a building where all the pieces are on fire,\" he revealed.\n\n\"When you look at it from the outside the fa\u00e7ade looks fine, but I can see that nothing is working. All the plumbing is broken, all the faucets, everything.\"\n\nHe says the chaos has been created by the huge disruption in staffing. At least half of Twitter's workforce have been sacked or chosen to leave since Musk bought it. Now people from other teams are having to shift their focus, he says.\n\n\"A totally new person, without the expertise, is doing what used to be done by more than 20 people,\" says Sam. \"That leaves room for much more risk, many more possibilities of things that can go wrong.\"\n\nHe says previous features still exist but those who designed and maintained them have left - he thinks they are now left unmanned.\n\n\"There are so many things broken and there's nobody taking care of it, that you see this inconsistent behaviour,\" he tells me.\n\nThe level of disarray, in his view, is because Mr Musk doesn't trust Twitter employees. He describes him bringing in engineers from his other company - electric car manufacturer Tesla - and asking them to evaluate engineers' code over just a few days before deciding who to sack. Code like that would take \"months\" to understand, he tells me.\n\nHe believes this lack of trust is betrayed by the level of security Mr Musk surrounds himself with.\n\n\"Wherever he goes in the office, there are at least two bodyguards - very bulky, tall, Hollywood movie-[style] bodyguards. Even when [he goes] to the restroom,\" he tells me.\n\nHe thinks for Mr Musk it's about money. He says cleaning and catering staff were all sacked - and that Mr Musk even tried to sell the office plants to employees.\n\nLisa Jennings Young, former head of content design, says her entire team was cut\n\nLisa Jennings Young, Twitter's former head of content design, was one of the people who specialised in introducing features designed to protect users from hate. Twitter was a hotbed for trolling long before Mr Musk took over, but she says her team had made good headway at limiting this. Internal Twitter research, seen by the BBC, appears to back this up.\n\n\"It was not at all perfect. But we were trying, and we were making things better all the time,\" she says. It is the first time she's publicly spoken of her experience since she left after Mr Musk's takeover.\n\nMs Jennings Young's team worked on several new features including safety mode, which can automatically block abusive accounts. They also designed labels applied to misleading tweets, and something called the \"harmful reply nudge\". The \"nudge\" alerts users before they send a tweet in which AI technology has detected trigger words or harmful language.\n\nTwitter's own research, seen by the BBC, appears to show the \"nudge\" and other safety tools being effective.\n\nResearch shows abuse targeting me on Twitter has more than tripled since Musk took over\n\n\"Overall 60% of users deleted or edited their reply when given a chance through the nudge,\" she says. \"But what was more interesting, is that after we nudged people once, they composed 11% fewer harmful replies in the future.\"\n\nThese safety features were being implemented around the time my abuse on Twitter seemed to reduce, according to data collated by the University of Sheffield and International Center for Journalists. It's impossible to directly correlate the two, but given what the evidence tells us about the efficacy of these measures, it's possible to draw a link.\n\nBut after Mr Musk took over the social media company in late October 2022, Lisa's entire team was laid off, and she herself chose to leave in late November. I asked Ms Jennings Young what happened to features like the harmful reply nudge.\n\n\"There's no-one there to work on that at this time,\" she told me. She has no idea what has happened to the projects she was doing.\n\nSo we tried an experiment.\n\nShe suggested a tweet that she would have expected to trigger a nudge. \"Twitter employees are lazy losers, jump off the Golden Gate bridge and die.\" I shared it on a private profile in response to one of her tweets, but to Ms Jennings Young's surprise, no nudge was sent. Another tweet with offensive language we shared was picked up - but Lisa says the nudge should have picked up a message wishing death on a user, not just swear words. As Sam had predicted, it didn't seem to be working as it was designed to.\n\nDuring this investigation, I've had messages from many people who've told me how the hate they receive on Twitter has been increasing since Mr Musk took over - sharing examples of racism, antisemitism and misogyny.\n\nEllie Wilson, who lives in Glasgow, was raped while at university and began posting about that experience on social media last summer. At the time, she received a supportive response on Twitter.\n\nRape survivor Ellie Wilson says she has noticed a recent surge in hateful messages\n\nBut when she tweeted about her attacker in January after he was sentenced, she was subject to a wave of hateful messages. She received abusive and misogynistic replies - with some even telling her she deserved to be raped.\n\n\"[What] I find most difficult [is] the people that say that I wasn't raped or that this didn't happen and that I'm lying. It's sort of like a secondary trauma,\" Ms Wilson told me.\n\nHer Twitter following was smaller before the takeover, but when I looked into accounts targeting her with hate this time around, I noticed the trolls' profiles had become more active since the takeover, suggesting they'd been suspended previously and recently reinstated.\n\nSome of the accounts had even been set up around the time of Mr Musk's takeover. They appeared to be dedicated to sending out hate, without profile pictures or identifying features. Several follow and interact with content from popular accounts that have been accused of promoting misogyny and hate - reinstated on Twitter after Musk decided to restore thousands of suspended accounts, including that of controversial influencer Andrew Tate.\n\n\"By allowing those people a platform, you're empowering them. And you're saying, 'This is OK, you can do that.'\"\n\nSeveral of the accounts also targeted other rape survivors she's in contact with.\n\nAndrew Tate did not respond to the BBC's request for comment.\n\nNew research from the Institute for Strategic Dialogue - a UK think tank that investigates disinformation and hate - echoes what I've uncovered about the troll accounts targeting Ellie.\n\nIt shows that tens of thousands of new accounts have been created since Mr Musk took over, which then immediately followed known abusive and misogynistic profiles - 69% higher than before he was in charge.\n\nThe research suggests these abusive networks are now growing - and that Mr Musk's takeover has created a \"permissive environment\" for the creation and use of these kinds of accounts.\n\nPanorama investigates how Elon Musk's ownership is transforming one of the world's most influential social media platforms.\n\nWatch on BBC One at 20:00 GMT, Monday 6 March\n\nMr Musk's key priorities since the takeover - according to his tweets - are to make the social media company profitable and to champion freedom of expression.\n\nIn December 2022, he released internal documents called the \"Twitter Files\" to explain why he believed the company hadn't been fairly applying its moderation and suspension policies under the old leadership.\n\nBut those who have been on the inside, feel like Mr Musk has used this to de-prioritise protecting users from harm altogether. Even the dangerous content he's lobbied against, including Child Sexual Abuse and networks of so-called bot accounts deliberately designed to mislead, isn't being tackled as it was before, they say.\n\nIt is not just individual trolls that Twitter has previously tried to guard against, but also so-called \"influence operations\" - state-sanctioned campaigns seeking to undermine democracy and target dissidents and journalists.\n\nRay Serrato worked in a team that specialised in tackling these operations. He left in November because he felt there wasn't a clear vision to protect users under the new leadership. He says his team would identify suspicious activity like this \"daily\". Now his team has been \"decimated\" and exists in a \"minimised capacity\".\n\nRay Serrato, who specialised in tackling state-sponsored disinformation, says his team was \"decimated\"\n\n\"Twitter might have been the refuge where journalists would go out and have their voice be heard and be critical of the government. But I'm not sure that's going to be the case anymore.\"\n\n\"There are a number of key experts that are no longer in that team that would have covered special regions, or threat actors, from Russia to China,\" he tells me.\n\nAnother insider, who we're calling Rory, is also very concerned about that drain of expertise - and how it appears to be undermining a Musk priority, preventing paedophiles using Twitter to groom victims and share links to abuse. Rory was employed until very recently as part of a team tackling child sexual exploitation [CSE].\n\nHis team would identify accounts sharing abusive content about children, escalating the worst to law enforcement. Before the takeover such content was a huge problem, he says - and he already feared they were understaffed.\n\n\"Every day you would be able to identify that sort of material,\" he says.\n\nBut his team was cut soon after the acquisition, he says, from 20 people to around six or seven. In his view that's too few to keep on top of the workload.\n\nRory says - before he left - neither Mr Musk nor any other member of the new management made contact with him and his old team, who between them had years of experience in this area.\n\n\"You can't take over a company and suddenly believe you have knowledge\u2026 to deal with [Child Sexual Exploitation] without having the experts in place,\" he says.\n\nTwitter says it removed 400,000 accounts in one month alone to help \"make Twitter safer\". But Rory is worried there are now fewer people with the knowledge to effectively escalate concerns about this content with law enforcement.\n\n\"You can by all means suspend hundreds of thousands of accounts in a month. But if the reporting of that content [to law enforcement] has dropped, then it doesn't really mean anything, and most of the users who had their accounts suspended would just set up a new account anyway.\"\n\nHe adds that offending users can then just set up new accounts, at a time when suspended profiles are being welcomed back to Twitter.\n\nI wanted to ask Elon Musk about the takeover, his vision for Twitter and how he thinks it is playing out in reality. I tried to contact him via email, tweets and even a Twitter \"poll\". This wasn't a real poll but Mr Musk has used these votes to make decisions about Twitter's future, and I was hoping it might catch his attention. More than 40,000 users voted and 89% said Mr Musk should do an interview with me. I had no response.\n\nElon Musk did not formally respond to Panorama - but he did tweet after we published this article\n\nTwitter and Musk are yet to formally respond to BBC Panorama's investigation.\n\nI'm told all of Twitter's communications team have either resigned or been sacked. Twitter's policies, publicly available online, say that \"defending and respecting the user's voice\" remains one of its \"core values\".\n\nMusk did however tweet about our piece after its publication, saying: \"Sorry for turning Twitter from nurturing paradise into place that has\u2026 trolls.\"\n\nHave you been affected by the issues raised in this story? Share your experiences by emailing haveyoursay@bbc.co.uk.\n\nPlease include a contact number if you are willing to speak to a BBC journalist. You can also get in touch in the following ways:\n\nIf 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 HaveYourSay@bbc.co.uk. Please include your name, age and location with any submission.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/technology-64804007"}
{"title":"Ukraine war: Bakhmut defenders double down - Zelensky - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-06","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"The president says the embattled eastern city's defence goes on, and that senior generals back the move.","section":"Europe","content":"Operations to defend the embattled eastern city of Bakhmut will go on, and are backed by senior generals, Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelensky has said.\n\nWestern analysts suggested at the weekend that Ukraine was probably withdrawing some of its troops, as Russian forces close in on the city.\n\nMoscow has been trying to take Bakhmut for months, as both sides suffer heavy losses in a grinding war of attrition.\n\nA local official says there has been street fighting in recent days.\n\nBut Deputy Mayor Oleksandr Marchenko said, at the weekend, that Russia had not yet gained control of the city.\n\nMeanwhile Yevgeny Prigozhin, head of the Wagner private army involved in the Russian campaign, has complained of a lack of ammunition amid apparent friction between his fighters and regular Russian forces.\n\nHe also says his representative had been barred from a Russian military headquarters.\n\nAnalysts say Bakhmut has little strategic value, but has become a focal point for Russian commanders who have struggled to deliver any positive news to the Kremlin.\n\nCapture of the city would bring Russia slightly closer to its goal of controlling the whole of Donetsk region, one of four regions in eastern and southern Ukraine annexed by Russia last September following referendums widely condemned outside Russia as a sham.\n\nMr Zelensky said in his evening address that he had discussed Bakhmut with senior generals.\n\n\"[They] responded not to withdraw, but to strengthen [our defences],\" he said.\n\n\"The command unanimously supported this position. There were no other positions. I told the commander-in-chief to find the appropriate forces to help our guys in Bakhmut.\"\n\nThe comments followed a report by the German newspaper Bild, quoting Ukrainian government sources, that armed forces commander Valery Zaluzhny had disagreed with Mr Zelensky about the operation several weeks ago, recommending a retreat from the city.\n\nAt the weekend the US-based think tank the Institute for the Study of War said Ukrainian troops were probably conducting a \"limited fighting withdrawal\" while \"continuing to inflict high casualties\" on the Russians.\n\nGround forces commander Olexandr Syrsky, quoted by Ukrainska Pravda newspaper during a visit to the front line on Sunday, said the fighting in Bakhmut had reached the \"highest level of tension\".\n\n\"The enemy has been throwing extra Wagner forces into the battle,\" he said. \"Our troops have been courageously defending our positions in the north of Bakhmut, trying to prevent the encirclement of the city.\"","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/world-europe-64864496"}
{"title":"Blackpool attack: Football fan dies after post-match brawl at pub - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-06","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"Blackpool FC pay tribute to \"lifelong Seasider\" Tony Johnson and lay flowers at the ground.","section":"Lancashire","content":"Tony Johnson with his partner who said she is \"devastated\" to have lost her \"soul mate\"\n\nA man has died after a fight between football fans outside a pub.\n\nTony Johnson, 55, was found with a serious head injury near The Manchester bar on the Promenade in Blackpool at 19:00 GMT on Saturday.\n\nBlackpool Football Club said they were \"deeply shocked and saddened\" by the grandfather's death.\n\nMr Johnson's partner said his family were \"heartbroken\" and \"devastated\". Supporters had clashed after the match between Blackpool and Burnley.\n\nIn a tribute, his partner said: \"I am devastated to have lost my best friend, life partner and soul mate in a cruel act.\n\n\"We all, as a family, are so heartbroken and our lives are never going to be the same.\"\n\nOfficers from Lancashire Constabulary administered CPR before Mr Johnson was taken to hospital.\n\nDet Ch Insp Tracey McMurdo said: \"Sadly Mr Johnson died in hospital overnight and his family are understandably devastated.\"\n\nShe appealed for any footage that might assist the police investigation and asked anyone who did have video not to post it online because \"at the heart of this is a grieving family, who are incredibly distressed\".\n\nLancashire Police said there was no suggestion Mr Johnson was specifically targeted.\n\nFlowers have been left at the Stan Mortensen Statue\n\nThe force earlier said it was working with both Blackpool and Burnley football clubs to establish what had happened.\n\nBlackpool have opened a book of condolence in the Moretti Lounge for supporters to pay their respects.\n\nHead coach Mick McCarthy, players and supporters have left floral tributes at the Stan Mortensen Statue behind Bloomfield Road's north stand in honour Mr Johnson.\n\nThe club said: \"All of the thoughts of everyone at the football club go out to Tony's family and friends. Rest in peace, Tony.\"\n\nBlackpool Tower will be lit up tangerine later to \"show support to the BFC community and everyone affected by the devastating news\", the council said in a tweet.\n\nThe Armfield Club, a Blackpool supporters' club, tweeted it was \"deeply saddened\" by Mr Johnson's death, adding he was \"Blackpool through and through\".\n\nA fight broke out outside the Manchester pub shortly after the match\n\nBurnley said they were \"shocked and saddened\", adding: \"We share our thoughts and condolences with his family, friends and everyone at Blackpool Football Club.\"\n\nA fundraising page set up to help pay for the \"loyal and true\" Seasider's funeral has raised more than \u00a310,000.\n\nA 33-year-old man who was arrested on Saturday on suspicion of wounding has been bailed pending further inquiries.\n\nBlackpool drew 0-0 with Burnley in the Championship clash at Bloomfield Road.\n\nWhy not follow BBC North West on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram? You can also send story ideas to northwest.newsonline@bbc.co.uk\n\nThe BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/uk-england-lancashire-64861231"}
{"title":"UK Weather: Snow and ice warnings extended to more parts of UK - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-06","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"Met Office yellow weather warnings are in force, with disruption to travel and other activities possible.","section":"UK","content":"This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser.\n\nWarnings of snow and ice have been extended to many parts of the UK over the coming days.\n\nYellow weather warnings remain in place for parts of north-east Scotland and England until Wednesday morning.\n\nThe Met Office issued a slew of further yellow warnings on Monday which cover much of the UK during the next five days.\n\nHeavy snow could bring \"significant disruption\" to northern and central parts on Thursday and Friday, it said.\n\nForecasters say a \"major change\" is under way as Arctic air sweeps in from the north, bringing snow, ice and plunging temperatures for many.\n\nA fresh warning of ice and some snow across areas of the Midlands, East, south of England and Wales comes into force between 21:00 GMT tonight and 10:00 on Tuesday.\n\nThis could lead to \"difficult travel conditions\" in some parts, the Met Office said.\n\nSome roads and railways were likely to be affected in these areas, it said, and people should expect longer journey times.\n\nA similar warning covering much of Northern Ireland is also in place overnight.\n\nSnow is likely to cause some travel disruption across parts of southern England and Wales throughout Wednesday, according to another warning.\n\nFurther warnings for heavy snow are in place for Thursday and Friday in much of Scotland, northern England, parts of the Midlands, north Wales and Northern Ireland.\n\nWeather conditions may disrupt travel and other day-to-day activities, with more alerts likely to be issued.\n\nThe first Met Office warning began on Sunday evening for parts of Scotland, covering places including Aberdeen and Dundee, the Highlands, Orkney and Shetland.\n\nThe warning in place on Monday encompasses more of Scotland and a corridor of north-east England that extends to Newcastle upon Tyne and Yorkshire.\n\nFor Tuesday, the area grows further to cover Strathclyde, more of Yorkshire and the Humber, and the East Midlands.\n\nFrequent snow is expected, with northern Scotland experiencing frequent and often heavy snow showers on Monday afternoon.\n\nThe Met Office said snow could cause delays on roads in these places, as well as rail and plane cancellations. It also warned of the risk of slips and falls on icy surfaces.\n\nThere was \"slight chance\" that rural communities could be cut off, it said, adding that cuts to power and phone services were possible.\n\nTuesday night may prove to be the coldest of the year so far, when the temperatures could fall as low as -15C in some sheltered Scottish glens.\n\nSome uncertainty surrounds Wednesday, when a \"battleground\" is expected to be set up as milder Atlantic air from the south meets colder Arctic air from the north.\n\nBBC forecaster John Hutchinson said it would be \"a very cold start to March\", with many areas likely to see snow at some point.\n\nIn some areas, this may only but a small amount, with the heaviest snowfall likely to be in northern Scotland over the next few days, he added.\n\nOn Thursday and Friday, he said snow may become \"a bit more widespread in central and northern Britain\" and flurries may be \"fairly persistent\".\n\nThere could be drifting and some disruption to travel and power, he added.\n\nThe UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) has extended its level three cold weather alert to all of England, with the warning in place from 01:00 on Monday to midnight on Thursday.\n\nThis means there is a 90% chance of severe cold weather, icy conditions or heavy snow.\n\nThe agency said this could have a \"serious impact\" on the health of those who are vulnerable to cold weather, and urged people to check on relatives.\n\nIt advised over-65s, or those with pre-existing medical conditions, to heat their homes to at least 18C.\n\nHow is the cold weather affecting you? Share your experiences by emailing haveyoursay@bbc.co.uk.\n\nPlease include a contact number if you are willing to speak to a BBC journalist. You can also get in touch in the following ways:\n\nIf 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 HaveYourSay@bbc.co.uk. Please include your name, age and location with any submission.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/uk-64848688"}
{"title":"Wayne Couzens admits indecent exposure offences - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-06","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"Wayne Couzens exposed himself shortly before he abducted, raped and killed Sarah Everard in 2021.","section":"London","content":"Wayne Couzens, who will never be freed from prison, is due to be sentenced on 6 March for the indecent exposure offences\n\nFormer Met Police officer Wayne Couzens has admitted three counts of indecent exposure, one of which he committed four days before killing Sarah Everard.\n\nThe pleas relate to three incidents in Kent - two offences at a fast-food restaurant in February 2021, and another at woodland in Deal in 2020.\n\nThree remaining counts will not be pursued by the prosecution and will be left on file, the Old Bailey heard.\n\nThe 50-year-old entered the pleas by video-link from Frankland Prison.\n\nCouzens, who had a long grey beard and wore a grey tracksuit, is serving a whole-life sentence at the Durham prison for the kidnap, rape and murder of 33-year-old Ms Everard in March 2021.\n\nOn both 14 and 27 February 2021, Couzens exposed his genitals to staff at the drive-in fast food restaurant. He is said to have looked straight at the workers while sitting in his car as he paid for his food.\n\nMrs Justice May told the Old Bailey: \"The female staff were shaken, upset and angry.\"\n\nStaff took a registration number after the second incident and identified the car from CCTV as a black Seat. It was registered to Couzens, who had in any case used a credit card in his name to pay.\n\nThis happened four days before the then-serving officer with the Met Police used his position to trick Ms Everard into his car.\n\nThe significance of Wayne Couzens' guilty pleas should not be underestimated: we now know he was a serial sex offender before he murdered Sarah Everard.\n\nBut more importantly his number-plate was given to Met Police officers after he exposed himself in February 2021.\n\nIt's fair to say if the police had carried out the correct checks they would have realised he was a police officer, but he was free, just days later, to murder Sarah Everard using his status as a policeman.\n\nMany women have said the police don't take indecent exposure seriously enough despite the fact it's known often to lead to more serious offences.\n\nIt's fair to say this was a missed opportunity to stop Wayne Couzens.\n\nDet Ch Insp Katherine Goodwin, who led the team which originally investigated the murder of Sarah Everard, said Couzens had \"tried to frighten and demean\" his victims, \"but they have only shown strength and dignity in reporting him and supporting this investigation\".\n\n\"I would like to thank them for their patience, co-operation and help throughout the case,\" she added.\n\nDeputy Assistant Commissioner for professionalism in the Met, Bas Javid, said: \"We know the public will, understandably, be sickened at yet more grotesque crimes by Couzens.\n\n\"The process of flushing out the corrupt and the criminal from the Met will be slow and painful, but is necessary and we will continue to do so.\"\n\nLast year, Couzens failed in an attempt to have his whole-life term reduced, when the Lord Chief Justice ruled the crimes against Ms Everard were so exceptional the tariff should stand.\n\nCouzens is due to be sentenced for the indecent exposure offences on 6 March.\n\nFollow BBC London on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. Send your story ideas to hellobbclondon@bbc.co.uk","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/uk-england-london-64622477"}
{"title":"Liverpool 7-0 Manchester United: Reds thrash old rivals in Anfield rout - BBC Sport","published_date":"2023-03-06","authors":null,"description":"Liverpool hit seven goals past old rivals Manchester United in a rout as Mohamed Salah becomes their leading Premier League goalscorer.","section":null,"content":"Last updated on .From the section Premier League\n\nLiverpool delivered the complete performance and Mohamed Salah became the club's record Premier League goalscorer as Manchester United were overwhelmed at a joyous Anfield. United's renaissance under manager Erik ten Hag already has the tangible reward of the Carabao Cup but Liverpool unleashed a brutal reality check on their progress with a severe thrashing. Liverpool took control of what had been a tight game, with Bruno Fernandes and Marcus Rashford missing presentable chances, when former Old Trafford target Cody Gakpo applied a smooth finish to Andy Robertson's perfect pass two minutes before the break. The second half was a tale of sheer joy for Liverpool and unrelenting misery for United, starting after 47 minutes when Darwin Nunez's header diverted Harvey Elliott's driven cross past goalkeeper David de Gea. Salah bamboozled Lisandro Martinez to play in Gakpo for another classy finish three minutes later before the Egyptian resumed his long-time role of United tormentor by getting on the scoresheet himself. Salah ended a swift counter-attack by lashing a finish high past De Gea and the rout continued as Nunez flashed another header in from Jordan Henderson's cross. Salah then scrambled in the sixth to become Liverpool's highest Premier League goalscorer with 129, passing Robbie Fowler. He is also Liverpool's highest marksman against Manchester United with 12 - and 10 of those have come in his past five encounters. And in a fitting finish, Roberto Firmino - who has announced he is leaving Anfield at the end of the season - completed a remarkable game by making it 7-0 from close range. This is the biggest win in the history of the fixture, passing Liverpool's 7-1 victory in the 1895-96 Second Division. Liverpool are now an ominous presence in the chase for the Champions League places, standing only three points behind Tottenham with a game in hand.\n\u2022 None How did you rate Liverpool's performance? Have your say here\n\u2022 None What did you make of Manchester United's display? Send us your views here Liverpool have resembled a shadow of their real selves this season. The old guarantees, such as intensity and firepower, have been missing far too often. They all returned here - and how - in the most spectacular manner as Manchester United, who have been undergoing a revival this season, were blown away by a team in full cry. Once Jurgen Klopp's side took control of a tightly contested game just before half-time, they were ruthless. They scored seven, and missed chances to get more. Klopp wanted this to be a pivotal week in the race for the top four as his team look to salvage something from a season that has, to this point, been below par. His players responded. Wolverhampton Wanderers were beaten at Anfield and United, to put it mildly, outclassed. Liverpool won 5-0 at Old Trafford and 4-0 at Anfield in the Premier League last season while United had a 2-1 win at home early in this campaign to get the Ten Hag era going - and this was another remarkable game to add to that catalogue. Gakpo was on United's wanted list before he moved to Liverpool in January and his two cool finishes showed why Ten Hag was a fan. Nunez demonstrated his growing threat with a double while Salah always rises to the occasion against United and punished them once more. There was even the perfect finale of a goal in front of the Kop for Firmino, who announced on Friday he would end a great Liverpool career at the conclusion of this season. Liverpool manager Klopp resisted a fist pump celebration in front of the Kop - but for him, this day could not have gone any better. In seven days, Manchester United have gone from the high of their first trophy since 2017 with the Carabao Cup win against Newcastle United at Wembley to the pain of abject humiliation at Anfield. Bizarrely, United were right in this game for 43 minutes, with Fernandes and Rashford missing arguably the game's two best chances before Gakpo scored and the sky fell in on Ten Hag's team. United have had a heavy programme of fixtures but the manner in which they capitulated must be an embarrassment for manager, players and fans. There can be no excuses. Argentine defender Martinez, normally so reliable and combative, was taken apart, especially when Salah led him a merry dance to set up Gakpo to settle the game with Liverpool's third five minutes after half-time. To lose against Liverpool is a painful business at any time but to be on the receiving end of what was a record defeat in this fixture will send shock waves through Old Trafford. They must have thought it could not get worse than the 5-0 home thrashing last season - but this was and was inflicted in front of an ecstatic Anfield. Manchester United must now lick their wounds and return to Europa League action at home to Real Betis on Thursday - and those wounds will hurt after this beating at the home of their arch-rivals.\n\u2022 None Delay over. They are ready to continue.\n\u2022 None Delay in match because of an injury Diogo Jota (Liverpool).\n\u2022 None Delay over. They are ready to continue.\n\u2022 None Goal! Liverpool 7, Manchester United 0. Roberto Firmino (Liverpool) right footed shot from the right side of the six yard box to the centre of the goal. Assisted by Mohamed Salah with a through ball.\n\u2022 None Offside, Manchester United. Rapha\u00ebl Varane tries a through ball, but Alejandro Garnacho is caught offside.\n\u2022 None Mohamed Salah (Liverpool) is shown the yellow card for excessive celebration. Navigate to the next page Navigate to the last page\n\u2022 None Our coverage of your Premier League club is bigger and better than ever before - here's everything you need to know to make sure you never miss a moment","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/sport\/football\/64775037"}
{"title":"Moment ceiling collapses, nearly hits commuter at Massachusetts subway station - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-06","authors":null,"description":"The local transport authority in Massachusetts says it will now inspect panels in all of its stations.","section":null,"content":"CCTV shows the moment a ceiling panel came crashing down, nearly hitting a commuter at a subway station in Cambridge, Massachusetts.\n\nThe Massachusetts Department of Transportation (MBTA) said the panel was installed in the 1980s, and weighed about 11kg (25 lbs) because of moisture build-up.\n\nNo injuries were reported, and the MBTA said it had now removed any other panels from the station that posed an immediate safety concern. It also announced it would carry out inspections on panels in all of its stations.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/world-us-canada-64865242"}
{"title":"Nashville school shooter hid guns in parents' house - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-28","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"Police say the parents felt the suspect should not own weapons, but did not realise guns were in the house.","section":"US & Canada","content":"This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser.\n\nThe shooter who killed six people at a school in Nashville, Tennessee, on Monday bought seven guns legally and hid them at home, police say.\n\nInvestigators say the suspect's parents felt the 28-year-old should not own weapons, and did not realise the guns had been concealed in their house.\n\nSix people, including three children age nine, were killed in the attack at the Covenant School.\n\nThe suspect was under \"doctor's care for an emotional disorder\", police say.\n\nThey believe it was the school that was targeted rather than any particular individual but have not indicated any motive.\n\nTennessee has no laws that allow police to seize guns from violent suspects.\n\nDespite the absence of such so-called red-flag laws, police said they would still have sought to have the weapons confiscated if authorities had had any warning that the suspect could have posed a threat.\n\nThe pupils killed in the attack were Evelyn Dieckhaus, Hallie Scruggs and William Kinney.\n\nThree adult employees at the privately run Christian school also died: Cynthia Peak, 61, Katherine Koonce, 60, and Mike Hill, 61.\n\nMs Koonce, the head of the school, and Ms Peak, a substitute teacher, were both close friends with the Tennessee governor's wife.\n\nGovernor Bill Lee said his wife, Maria, had planned to meet Ms Peak the night after she was killed.\n\nPolice have spoken to the parents of the suspect, Audrey Hale, who was killed by police less than 15 minutes after the attack began.\n\nHale, who identified as transgender and was a former student at the school, was armed with three guns, including a semi-automatic rifle.\n\nThe attack took place after the killer conducted surveillance of the premises, drew maps and wrote what police described as a \"manifesto\".\n\nA police spokesman said the attacker did not target any person in particular, but did target \"this school, this church building\".\n\nHale's parents thought the suspect had owned only one gun, but that it had been sold.\n\nThey believed the suspect \"should not own weapons\", and were unaware the suspect \"had been hiding several weapons within the house\", said Nashville Police Chief John Drake on Tuesday.\n\nThe weapons were legally purchased from five shops around the city.\n\nThe killer \"was under care - doctor's care - for an emotional disorder\", Chief Drake said, without providing further details.\n\nIf there had been reports of suicidal or violent tendencies, he added, police would have sought to confiscate the guns.\n\n\"But as it stands, we had absolutely no idea who this person was or if [the suspect] even existed,\" he said.\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser.\n\nPolice received the first call about the incident at 10:13 local time (15:13 GMT) on Monday.\n\nThe suspect drove to the school in a Honda Fit and got into the building by firing through one of the doors, which were all locked.\n\nVideo later released by Nashville police shows the shooter opening fire to shatter glass panes on the front doors, then wandering the school's deserted corridors - at one point walking past a room labelled \"Children's Ministry\".\n\nIn the CCTV footage, the suspect is wearing what appears to be a protective vest and carrying an assault-style rifle in one hand, with a second weapon visible hanging from the left hip.\n\nPolice Chief John Drake said the suspect may have had firearms training\n\nThe suspect fired shots on the ground floor before moving to the building's second floor.\n\nAs police cars arrived, the shooter fired on them from the second floor, striking one vehicle in the windscreen.\n\n\"We believe there has been some training to have been able to shoot from a higher level,\" Chief Drake said.\n\nHe said the suspect had stood away from the glass to avoid being an easy target for police.\n\nOne officer was injured by broken glass. Police rushed inside and shot the suspect dead at 10:24, said Chief Drake.\n\nPresident Joe Biden on Tuesday called for Congress to pass new gun control legislation.\n\n\"As a nation, we owe these families more than our prayers,\" he said. \"We owe them action.\"\n\nUS Attorney General Merrick Garland was asked during a Senate hearing in Washington DC whether the attack will be investigated as a hate crime targeting Christians.\n\nHe said it was too early to say and that agents were still working to identify a motive.\n\nThe attack was America's 131st mass shooting so far this year, according to Gun Violence Archive, a non-profit that tracks gun violence data.\n\nThere have been 15 mass shootings at schools or universities in the US since the Columbine High School massacre in 1999, according to a database maintained by the Associated Press.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/world-us-canada-65106976"}
{"title":"Prince Harry and Elton John appear at High Court in Associated Newspapers hearing - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-28","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"The Duke of Sussex has accused the publisher of the Daily Mail of unlawful information gathering.","section":"Entertainment & Arts","content":"This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser.\n\nThe Duke of Sussex unexpectedly appeared at the High Court as legal proceedings began over alleged phone-tapping and other breaches of privacy.\n\nPrince Harry, who is one of those suing Associated Newspapers, the publisher of the Daily Mail, was joined in the court room by singer Sir Elton John.\n\nThe duke claims \"suspicion and paranoia\" were caused by Associated's publication of some articles.\n\nThe publisher \"vigorously denies\" all the claims against it.\n\nPrince Harry arrived at the High Court on Monday morning, while Sir Elton, who is also involved in the legal proceedings, joined proceedings at lunchtime.\n\nSir Elton John arrived at the High Court on Monday lunchtime\n\nThe pair, along with actresses Sadie Frost and Liz Hurley, are among the individuals who allege unlawful information gathering by the company, which also publishes the Mail on Sunday.\n\nOthers taking part in the legal action include Sir Elton's husband David Furnish, and Baroness Doreen Lawrence, the mother of Stephen Lawrence, who was murdered in a racist attack in 1993.\n\nThe four-day preliminary hearing in London is considering legal arguments and a judge will decide whether the case will go any further. Associated Newspapers (ANL) wants to end the claims without trial.\n\nDavid Sherborne, the lawyer for the group of prominent individuals, said: \"The claimants each claim that in different ways they were the victim of numerous unlawful acts carried out by the defendant, or by those acting on the instructions of its newspapers, the Daily Mail and the Mail on Sunday.\"\n\nHe said the alleged unlawful activity included \"illegally intercepting voicemail messages; listening into live landline calls; obtaining private information, such as itemised phone bills or medical records, by deception or 'blagging'\".\n\nThe activity also allegedly included \"using private investigators to commit these unlawful information gathering acts on their behalf and even commissioning the breaking and entry into private property\".\n\nHe added: \"They range through a period from 1993 to 2011, even continuing beyond until 2018.\"\n\nActress Sadie Frost also appeared on Monday, and sat two seats away from Harry in the courtroom\n\nIn a document filed on Prince Harry's behalf, Mr Sherborne said the duke was \"troubled that, through Associated's unlawful acts, he was largely deprived of important aspects of his teenage years\".\n\nIn particular, he said, the prince had \"suspicion and paranoia\" caused by the publication of articles by ANL using unlawfully gathered information.\n\nThe barrister said: \"Friends were lost or cut off as a result and everyone became a 'suspect' since he was misled by the way that the articles were written into believing that those close to him were the source of this information being provided to Associated's newspapers.\"\n\nHe added: \"The claimant regards Associated's unlawful acts to amount to a major betrayal given promises made by the media to improve its conduct following the tragic and untimely death of his mother, Princess Diana, in 1997.\"\n\nSir Elton's lawyer said the singer and his husband were \"appalled\" by ANL's alleged conduct\n\nThe High Court was told Sir Elton and Mr Furnish's landline at their home in Windsor was tapped by a private investigator on the instructions of Associated Newspapers Limited.\n\nMr Sherborne said they were \"mortified to consider all their conversations, some of which were very personal indeed, were tapped, taped, packaged and consumed as a commercial product for journalists and unknown others to pick over regardless of whether or not they were published\".\n\nThe High Court heard Sir Elton and Mr Furnish had not seen a copy of their first child's birth certificate before it was unlawfully obtained by ANL.\n\nBaroness Doreen Lawrence, whose son Stephen was murdered in a racist attack, also attended court on Monday\n\nMr Sherborne also told the court a private investigator acting on behalf of ANL hacked Hurley's phone and placed a \"sticky window mini-microphone\" outside her home.\n\nHe added her ex-boyfriend Hugh Grant's car was bugged to unlawfully obtain information about her finances, travel plans and medicals during her pregnancy.\n\nHe also told the court ANL paid a private investigator to unlawfully find the address of a man it believed was the male lover of Liberal Democrat politician Sir Simon Hughes.\n\nBaroness Lawrence's bank accounts were monitored to check whether she was receiving any money from other newspapers during the Daily Mail's Justice for Stephen Lawrence Campaign, Mr Sherborne alleged.\n\n\"She finds it hard to believe the level of duplicity and manipulation that was clearly at play, knowing now as she does that the Daily Mail's outward support for her fight to bring Stephen's killers to justice was hollow and, worse, entirely false,\" he said.\n\nANL has said it categorically denies the serious claims made in the litigation and will vigorously defend them if necessary.\n\nThe group launched the legal action last year. ANL's lawyer Adrian Beltrami KC said, in written submissions, that the legal actions had been brought too late, were \"stale\" and the claims were \"largely inferential\".\n\nThe barrister said the individuals had to prove they did not know earlier, or could not have discovered earlier, they might have had a claim against ANL for alleged misuse of their private information.\n\nHe said none of the group said they believe they continued to be targeted by unlawful information-gathering after 2015.\n\nIn a statement after Monday's hearing, it added: \"A private investigator whose 'confessions' form a key element of a privacy case being brought against Associated Newspapers by Prince Harry, Baroness Doreen Lawrence, Elton John and others has denied their allegations that he acted illegally against them on behalf of the Daily Mail or Mail on Sunday.\"\n\nIt said while the Mail's \"admiration of Baroness Lawrence remained undimmed\", we are \"profoundly saddened that she has been persuaded to bring this case\".\n\nIt added: \"The Mail remains hugely proud of its pivotal role in campaigning for justice for Stephen Lawrence. Its famous 'Murderers' front page triggered the Macpherson report.\"\n\nThe Duke of Sussex was last seen in the UK at the late Queen's funeral\n\nThe duke's appearance on Monday is believed to be the first time he has been back in the UK since the late Queen's funeral in September.\n\nHis surprise return comes nearly three months after he publicised his troubled relationship with his father the King and brother the Prince of Wales in his controversial autobiography Spare.\n\nThe Duke and Duchess of Sussex also released a Netflix documentary in December, titled Harry & Meghan.\n\nThe King was due to be away on Monday on the first official state visit of his reign, but the trip to France was cancelled due to rioting over pension reforms.\n\nHe is due to leave for a state visit to Germany on Wednesday morning.\n\nBuckingham Palace said he was not in Windsor or London on Monday.\n\nThe Duke and Duchess of Sussex have been asked to vacate their UK home, Frogmore Cottage on the Windsor estate, in a move sanctioned by the King.\n\nThe duke is also taking legal action against the Home Office over security arrangements when he is in the UK, raising questions about his own security provisions during this visit.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/entertainment-arts-65087072"}
{"title":"Gary Lineker wins appeal over \u00a34.9m tax bill - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-28","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"The sports presenter's dispute with HMRC centred on whether he was a freelancer or an employee.","section":"Entertainment & Arts","content":"Sports presenter Gary Lineker has won his appeal against HMRC over a \u00a34.9m tax bill.\n\nThe UK tax authority pursued the star over taxes on income from both the BBC and BT Sport from 2013 to 2014 and 2017 to 2018.\n\nLineker presents BBC's Match of the Day and used to also work for BT Sport.\n\nHMRC said he was an employee of both broadcasters but a judge has now ruled he was a freelancer and had contracts with both broadcasters.\n\n\"The effect of my conclusions is that because there were direct contracts, between the BBC and Mr Lineker and BT Sport and Mr Lineker, the intermediaries legislation (IR35) does not, and cannot as a matter of law, apply,\" Tribunal Judge Brooks said in a statement.\n\n\"Accordingly, and notwithstanding GLM (Gary Lineker Media) being a partnership, that is the end of the matter and the appeal succeeds.\"\n\nMr Lineker wrote on social media: \"I had already paid all tax due at the top rate and happily so. I'm totally flabbergasted as to why I was expected to pay double. Thankfully justice was done.\"\n\nIR35 is designed to clampdown on tax avoidance by so-called disguised employees, who charge for their services via limited companies.\n\nThroughout proceedings, the presenter, 62, insisted all taxes were paid on the income via a partnership (GLM) set up in 2012 with his ex-wife Danielle Bux.\n\nThe case follows similar attempts by HMRC to target other broadcasters including Lorraine Kelly and Kaye Adams.\n\nEarlier tribunal documents said Mr Lineker was disputing the bill and it had been agreed he paid the income tax in full.\n\nLast month Mr Lineker's lawyer James Rivett KC told a preliminary hearing in London that the star had been \"dragged through the papers accused of not paying income tax which has been paid\", and claimed there was a political element to the investigations.\n\nFollowing the ruling an HMRC spokesperson said: \"The tribunal has confirmed the off-payroll rules apply to partnerships, as we have always said.\n\n\"However, we do not agree with its decision that the rules cannot apply in this case and we're considering an appeal.\n\n\"It is our duty to ensure everyone pays the right tax under the law, regardless of wealth or status.\"\n\nHMRC has 56 days to appeal to the Upper Tribunal (Tax and Chancery Chamber).\n\nLineker hit the headlines earlier this month when he was taken off air by the BBC over a tweet criticising government asylum policy.\n\nHe later returned to Match of the Day after the BBC's director general Tim Davie said an independent review of social media guidelines would be carried out.\n\nMr Davie denied accusations that the BBC had backed down.\n\nMr Lineker, a former England striker who also played for teams including Everton, Leicester, Tottenham and Barcelona, has hosted Match of the Day since 1999.\n\nHe is the BBC's highest paid star, having earned about \u00a31.35m in 2020-21.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/entertainment-arts-65103265"}
{"title":"Awaab Ishak: Rochdale housing group dismissed residents - report - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-28","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"Rochdale Boroughwide Housing was \"dismissive\" and \"unsympathetic\" with residents, a report finds.","section":"Manchester","content":"Awaab Ishak died from a respiratory condition caused by mould in his home\n\nA housing association criticised over the death of a toddler treated its residents in \"dismissive, inappropriate or unsympathetic ways\", a report says.\n\nThe Housing Ombudsman launched an investigation after the death of Awaab Ishak, who lived in a mouldy flat owned by Rochdale Boroughwide Housing (RBH).\n\nUntil the two-year-old boy's inquest, the company had struggled to \"learn from its mistakes\", the report said.\n\n\"We accept their findings,\" she said. \"Sadly for me there were things that weren't surprising, there were things that we've found over the last few months that need to be addressed and really I'd just like to start by saying sorry.\"\n\nRichard Blakeway, housing ombudsman, said: \"Our investigation has highlighted that culture change will be central to the landlord's recovery.\n\n\"The weakness in policies, repeated failures and failure to learn from complaints has led us to conclude there was wider service failure by the landlord in areas other than its response to damp and mould, including record keeping and communication.\n\n\"Our investigation found reoccurring instances of residents being treated in dismissive, inappropriate or unsympathetic ways. In some instances, the language used was derogatory.\"\n\nAwaab died in December 2020 from a respiratory condition caused by exposure to mould in his home.\n\nRBH, which has 12,500 properties in the borough and has admitted more than 1,800 homes have issues with damp, was widely criticised after the coroner's conclusion regarding Awaab's death.\n\nThe boy's father had repeatedly raised concerns with the housing association but no action was taken.\n\nRBH was consequently stripped of \u00a31m in funds for new housing by the government, with Housing Secretary Michael Gove saying it had \"failed its tenants\".\n\nThe ombudsman's special investigation found the \"dismissive and discriminatory attitude towards residents\" was not restricted to Awaab's family, nor complaints about damp and mould - with issues arising in cases involving general repairs, the ending of tenancies and anti-social behaviour.\n\nThe report said: \"This strongly indicates that unsympathetic, inappropriate, or even heavy-handed behaviour towards residents is present throughout the landlord's interactions.\n\n\"While all staff were provided with 'respect' training at induction there is no evidence this is repeated.\n\n\"This is a significant concern and requires a comprehensive and sustained focus on shifting behaviour and culture.\"\n\nBut it praised Ms Arrowsmith who was \"determined to lead from the front with the development of their recovery plan\".\n\nShe said it was \"just not acceptable\" that any residents \"felt that their voice hasn't been heard\".\n\nBut she said \"we do have a lot of very good staff here who are really want to make the changes that are needed and we have a plan in place\".\n\nMs Arrowsmith acknowledged there was \"a significant problem with damp and mould\" in homes but said her organisation was \"trying to get all of the treatments done as quickly as we can\".\n\nStaff were also looking at \"vulnerabilities within the household to see how we prioritise them,\" she said.\n\n\"But it's a big task and it's going to take us time to work our way through that.\"\n\nWhy not follow BBC North West on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram? You can also send story ideas to northwest.newsonline@bbc.co.uk\n\nThe BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/uk-england-manchester-65091686"}
{"title":"Nashville school shooting: Police seize guns at home of attacker - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-28","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"Three children and three adults have been killed by an ex-student at a school in Nashville.","section":"US & Canada","content":"This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Police released CCTV images showing the shooter gaining entry to the school\n\nThree children and three adults have been killed in a shooting by an ex-student at a school in the US city of Nashville, Tennessee.\n\nThe attack took place at The Covenant School, a private Christian school for students aged three to 11. The three pupils who died were all aged nine.\n\nPolice said the suspect, armed with three guns, gained entry by shooting through a door at the school.\n\nNew video footage shows officers racing through the school to find the shooter.\n\nThe child victims have been named as Evelyn Dieckhaus, Hallie Scruggs and William Kinney.\n\nThe adult victims were named as Cynthia Peak, 61, Katherine Koonce, 60, and Mike Hill, 61.\n\nThe suspect, identified as 28-year-old Audrey Hale, was shot dead by police.\n\nThere has been some confusion about Hale's gender identity - with police initially describing the attacker as a woman, and later saying that Hale identified as transgender.\n\nA police spokesperson told the Washington Post that Hale \"is a biological woman who, on a social media profile, used male pronouns\".\n\nHale, who had no criminal record, was a former student at the school and officers said they believe \"resentment\" may have been a motive.\n\nThe shooter was armed with three guns, including a semi-automatic rifle. A search of the suspect's home led to officers seizing more firearms.\n\nPolice also found a manifesto, a detailed map of the school, and a plan for other attacks, including on a Nashville mall.\n\nThe incident unfolded on Monday morning and police received the first call about the shooting at 10:13 local time (15:13 GMT).\n\nPolice said the suspect drove to the school and got in by firing through one of the school doors, which were all locked.\n\nSurveillance footage released by Nashville police shows Hale using a gun to gain entry by shattering glass panes on the front doors, then wandering the school's deserted corridors - at one point walking past a room labelled \"Children's Ministry\".\n\nThe shooter is seen wearing what looks like a protective vest and carrying an assault-style rifle in one hand, with a second, similar weapon also visible hanging from the left hip.\n\nVigils took place at the Woodmont Christian Church\n\nAs police cars arrived, Hale fired on them, striking one in the windscreen, said police.\n\nBody camera footage released by police on Tuesday shows officers rushing inside and confronting the suspect. Hale was shot and killed by police at 10:27 local time.\n\nPolice spoke with the attacker's father during a search of a nearby home that was listed as the shooter's address.\n\nIt is where officers found a manifesto and \"a map of how all of this was going to play out,\" said Nashville Police Chief John Drake.\n\nPolice also found additional weapons, including a sawed-off shotgun and a second shotgun.\n\nHale had reportedly messaged a former middle school basketball teammate 15 minutes before the attack, writing: \"I've left more than enough evidence behind. But something bad is about to happen.\"\n\nHale's mother, Norma Hale, told ABC News: \"It is very, very difficult right now\", before asking for privacy.\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser.\n\nThe Presbyterian-affiliated Covenant School is located in the upmarket Green Hills neighbourhood, south of central Nashville.\n\nIn a statement, the school said they are \"grieving tremendous loss and are in shock\".\n\nThe mother of one pupil said her son had been left traumatised. \"I think he's doing better now that he knows that the shooter is dead,\" Shaundelle Brooks told BBC News.\n\nHours after the shooting, a memorial service for the victims was held at the nearby Woodmont Christian Church.\n\nSenior minister Clay Stauffer tearfully said that Evelyn Dieckhaus's sister, who is 11, had plans to be baptised in a few weeks, according to local outlet the Tennessean.\n\nEvelyn's sister cried as she said, \"I don't want to be an only child.\"\n\n\"We have to do more to stop gun violence,\" he said, once again urging Congress to pass tougher gun control laws. \"It is ripping our communities apart, and ripping at the very soul of this nation.\"\n\nThe attack was America's 129th mass shooting of 2023, according to Gun Violence Archive, a non-profit that tracks gun violence data.\n\nAccording to data compiled by Education Week, there have been 12 school shootings that have resulted in deaths or injuries in the US this year up until the end of last week.\n\nHave you been affected by what's happened? Are you in the area? If it's safe to do so, you can get in touch by emailing haveyoursay@bbc.co.uk.\n\nPlease include a contact number if you are willing to speak to a BBC journalist. You can also get in touch in the following ways:\n\nIf 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 HaveYourSay@bbc.co.uk. Please include your name, age and location with any submission.\n\u2022 None Is \u2018Run, Hide, Fight\u2019 the best advice for shootings?","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/world-us-canada-65096684"}
{"title":"Five planets line up with Moon in night sky - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-28","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"Mercury, Jupiter, Venus, Uranus, Mars and the Moon aligned in an arc across the evening sky.","section":"Science & Environment","content":"Jupiter, Venus, the Moon, and Mars were all expected to be easily visible but Uranus and Mercury a bit harder to spot\n\nMercury, Jupiter, Venus, Uranus, Mars, and the Moon aligned in an arc across the evening sky on Monday, with some visible to the naked eye.\n\nThis is often called \"a planetary parade\" and was visible after sunset in the west.\n\nA good view of the horizon and clear skies offered the best chance of spotting the alignment.\n\nLast summer Mercury, Venus, Mars, Jupiter, and Saturn came together in a rare planetary conjunction.\n\nThe best shot at spotting the planets on Monday was away from any bright city lights, somewhere with a clear, unobstructed view.\n\nYou needed to be observing early in the evening because Mercury and Jupiter quickly disappeared over the horizon.\n\nSome of the best views were from northern parts of Scotland and its islands because of clear skies.\n\nProf Catherine Heymans, the Astronomer Royal for Scotland, watched the spectacle from Edinburgh's Portobello beach.\n\n\"Planet spotting on a crystal clear night along with so many other planetary parade enthusiasts was an absolute delight!\" she told the BBC.\n\nThis Twitter post cannot be displayed in your browser. Please enable Javascript or try a different browser. View original tweet on Twitter The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Skip twitter post by Astronomer Royal for Scotland | Catherine Heymans 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\u2019s cookie policy, external and privacy policy, external before accepting. To view this content choose \u2018accept and continue\u2019. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. End of twitter post by Astronomer Royal for Scotland | Catherine Heymans\n\nAstronomer Jake Foster from Royal Observatory Greenwich said such alignments were very particular to our perspective from Earth.\n\n\"The planets aren't aligned right now, they are all spread out across the Solar System but just from our perspective, every once in a while they get close enough to each other in the sky that we're able to see quite a few at once,\" he said.\n\nAnglesey, north Wales, has some of the darkest skies in Europe.\n\nYnys Enlli (Bardsey Island), off the Ll\u0177n Peninsula, has become the first site in Europe to be awarded International Dark Sky Sanctuary certification.\n\nSpeaking from Anglesey, Dani Robertson, the dark skies officer for North Wales, said the evening had been a visual treat despite a light cloudy haze.\n\n\"I'm in my back garden and I can see a very nice little crescent Moon, to the top left and just above it I can see Mars, which has a lovely red glow, and a bit lower towards the horizon there's a really bright light and that's Venus,\" she said.\n\n\"If it were clearer, I could see all of it, the only one you wouldn't be able to see is Uranus, you'd need a telescope.\"\n\nIn Hexham, near the border with Scotland, Dan Pye from the Kielder Observatory said seeing the planets in alignment offered perspective about our place in the solar system.\n\nHe said: \"Over the course of the night the distance between these objects shifts as the moon goes around us, we move a little further around the sun, and the planets continue their journeys around the sun.\n\n\"I think witnessing this, helps you realise that connection we have to the cosmic ballet we have with other objects in just our very local space theatre.\"\n\nMs Robertson, an amateur astronomer, said that 98% of people in the UK lived under polluted skies.\n\n\"It's a shame because that's our home galaxy, another part of being human that is being denied to lots of people,\" she said.\n\n\"When we look at the night sky, things like Taurus, the Pleiades, the Moon, they've been the same for the whole of human existence.\"\n\nBut she said that unlike other types of pollution, this one was relatively easy to fix permanently.\n\n\"Once we've fixed a light to make dark skies, that's the problem solved.\"\n\nDan Pye at the Kielder Observatory looking up at Mars, the Moon and Venus aligning","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/science-environment-65056407"}
{"title":"Timeline of dissident republican activity - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-28","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"Details of significant events involving dissident republican activity in Northern Ireland since March 2009.","section":"Northern Ireland","content":"BBC News NI takes a look at significant events involving dissident republicans since March 2009.\n\nThe term \"dissident republicans\" describes a range of individuals who do not accept the Good Friday Agreement - the 1998 peace deal which ended the worst of the Troubles in Northern Ireland.\n\nThe Provisional IRA - the main armed republican paramilitary group for most of the Troubles - declared a ceasefire in the run up to the agreement and officially ended its violent campaign in 2005.\n\nDissident republicanism is made up of various groups which broke away from the Provisional IRA in the 1980s, 1990s and 2000s, including the Continuity IRA and New IRA.\n\nThe groups are much smaller than the Provisional IRA, although they have access to high-calibre weapons and have used improvised explosive devices and mortars in attacks and attempted attacks.\n\nThey have continued to use violence to attempt to unite Northern Ireland with the Republic of Ireland in a single state but their activities have been sporadic and often undermined by the security services.\n\nThe terrorism threat level in Northern Ireland is increased from substantial to severe, meaning the risk of attack or attacks is now \"highly likely\" instead of \"likely\".\n\nThe move, based on an MI5 intelligence assessment, reverses a downgrade to the threat level in 2022, the first such downgrade in 12 years.\n\nA severe threat level is one step below critical, the highest level of threat.\n\nIt comes after the shooting of Det Ch Insp John Caldwell in February and a bomb attack on police officers in November 2022.\n\nSenior police officer Det Ch Insp John Caldwell was shot at a sports complex in Omagh, County Tyrone, on 22 February.\n\nHe was off duty and was putting footballs into the boot of his car after coaching young people when two gunmen approached him and shot him several times.\n\nPolice said the primary focus of their investigation was on violent dissident republicans, including the New IRA.\n\nThe New IRA later claimed responsibility in a typed statement which appeared in Londonderry on Sunday 26 February.\n\nAn attempted murder investigation was launched after a police patrol vehicle was damaged in a bomb attack in Strabane, County Tyrone, on 17 November.\n\nPolice said a strong line of inquiry was that the New IRA was behind the attack.\n\nFour men who were arrested were later released.\n\nA grey Ford Mondeo was hijacked by a number of men before being driven to a police station\n\nOn 20 November a delivery driver was held at gunpoint by a number of men and forced to abandon his car outside Waterside police station in Londonderry.\n\nA suspicious device, which was later described by police as an elaborate hoax, was placed in the vehicle.\n\nCh Supt Nigel Goddard described the attack as \"reckless\" and said detectives believed the New IRA were involved.\n\nOfficers were attacked with petrol bombs following an Easter parade linked to dissident republicans in Derry.\n\nThe police described the attack at the City Cemetery on 18 April as \"premeditated violence\".\n\nThe violence broke out following a parade that had been planned by the National Republican Commemoration Committee, which organises events on behalf of the anti-agreement republican party, Saoradh - a party police say is linked to the New IRA.\n\nA police officer was targeted in this attack in Dungiven\n\nA bomb was left near a police officer's car outside her home on 19 April in County Londonderry in what the police said was an attempt to kill her and her young daughter.\n\nThe explosive was attached to a container of flammable liquid next to her car in Dungiven.\n\nPolice said they linked the attempted murder to the New IRA.\n\nPolice provided this image of the bomb\n\nA bomb was found in the Creggan area of Derry after police searches in the area on 9 September.\n\nThe device was found in a parked car and was described by detectives as in \"an advanced state of readiness\" and was made safe by Army technical officers.\n\nIt contained commercial explosives which could have been triggered by a command wire.\n\nDuring the searches, police were attacked with stones and petrol bombs.\n\nPolice photos show the bomb just metres from the door of a house\n\nA mortar bomb was left near a police station in Church View, Strabane on 7 September.\n\nHomes were evacuated and Army technical officers made the device safe.\n\nPolice said the device had been an attempt to target police officers but that it could have killed or seriously injured anyone in the vicinity.\n\nA 33-year-old man was arrested under terrorism legislation but was released after questioning.\n\nA police officer at the scene of the bomb at Cavan Road, Fermanagh\n\nA bomb exploded near Wattlebridge in County Fermanagh, on 19 August.\n\nPolice said it was an attempt to lure officers to their deaths. Initially, a report received by police suggested a device had been left on the Wattlebridge Road.\n\nPolice believed a hoax device was used to lure police and soldiers into the area in order to catch them by surprise with a real bomb on the Cavan Road.\n\nChief Constable Simon Byrne later blamed the Continuity IRA for the attack.\n\nDissident republicans tried to murder police officers during an attack in Craigavon, County Armagh, the Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) said.\n\nA long bang was heard on the Tullygally Road and a \"viable device\" was later found.\n\nPolice said they believed the attack was set up to target officers responding to a call from the public.\n\nThe bomb was discovered at Shandon Park Golf Club in east Belfast\n\nThe \"New IRA\" claimed responsibility for a bomb under a police officer's car at Shandon Park Golf Club in east Belfast.\n\nThe Irish News said the group issued a statement to the newspaper using a recognised codeword.\n\nPolice said they believed \"violent dissident republicans\" were behind the attack.\n\nA journalist is shot dead while observing rioting in the Creggan area of Derry.\n\nPolice blame the killing of 29-year-old Lyra McKee on dissident republicans.\n\nThe previous week a horizontal mortar tube and command wire were found in Castlewellan, County Down.\n\nThe PSNI said the tube contained no explosive device and it was likely to be collected for use elsewhere\n\nThe device sent to Heathrow Airport caught fire when staff opened it\n\nFive small explosive packages were found at locations across Great Britain and the Republic of Ireland.\n\nThe letter bombs were sent in the post to Waterloo Station in London, buildings near Heathrow and London City airports and Glasgow University. A further device was found at a post depot in County Limerick.\n\nThe New IRA said it was behind the letter bombs, according to the Irish News.\n\nThe bomb exploded outside Bishop Street Courthouse in Derry\n\nA bomb placed inside a van explodes in the centre of Derry.\n\nThe blast happened on a Saturday night outside Bishop Street Courthouse.\n\nThe PSNI said the attack may have been carried out by the New IRA, adding that a pizza delivery man had a gun held to his head when his van was hijacked for the bombing.\n\nThe bullets and guns exploded after being left in a hot boiler house\n\nA stash of bullets and guns believed to belong to dissident republicans exploded after being left on top of a hot boiler at a house in west Belfast.\n\nResponding to reports of a house fire in Rodney Drive, police and firefighters discovered two AK-47s, two sawn-off shot guns, a high-powered rifle with a silencer and three pipe bombs.\n\nPolice blamed the New IRA and said the weapons were believed to have been used in previous attempts to murder police officers in Belfast in 2015 and 2017.\n\nThe weapons including two shotguns, four handguns, explosives, ammunition and a suspected mortar tube\n\nPolice said a \"significant amount of dangerous weapons\" were seized during a 12-day search operation in counties Armagh and Tyrone.\n\nThirteen searches took place on land and properties in Lurgan and Benburb from 29 April to 11 May.\n\nThe weapons included two shotguns, four handguns, explosives, ammunition and a suspected mortar tube.\n\nPolice believed the munitions belonged to two dissident republican paramilitary groups - Arm Na Poblachta. (Army of the Republic) and the Continuity IRA.\n\nPetrol bombs and stones were thrown at police vehicles during an illegal dissident republican parade in Derry on 2 April.\n\nAbout 200 people attended the Easter Rising 1916 commemoration parade in the Creggan estate.\n\nA neighbour said Raymond Johnston had been making pancakes for Pancake Tuesday when he was murdered\n\nDissident republicans may have been behind the murder of a man in west Belfast, police said.\n\nRaymond Johnston, 28, was shot dead in front of an 11-year-old girl and his partner at a house in Glenbawn Avenue on 13 February.\n\nPolice said the main line of inquiry was that Mr Johnson was murdered by dissidents.\n\nIn a statement, it said that \"at this time the environment is not conducive to armed conflict\".\n\nThe group said it would \"suspend all armed actions against the British state\" with immediate effect.\n\nIt was responsible for a number of high-profile attacks, including the attempted murder of police officer Peadar Heffron and a bomb attack at Palace barracks in Holywood.\n\nCharges suggested that Ciar\u00e1n Maxwell first became involved in terrorism in 2011\n\nFormer Royal Marine Ciar\u00e1n Maxwell pleaded guilty to offences related to dissident republican terrorism, including bomb-making and storing stolen weapons.\n\nThe County Antrim man had compiled a library of terrorism documents, including instructions on how to make explosives and tactics used by terrorist organisations.\n\nHe also had maps, plans and lists of potential targets for a terrorist attack, and a stash of explosives in purpose-built hides in England and Northern Ireland.\n\nHe was jailed for 18 years.\n\nThe bomb exploded as it was being examined by the Army\n\nA bomb exploded outside the home of a serving police officer in Derry on 22 February as Army experts tried to defuse it.\n\nThe device, which police described as more intricate than a pipe bomb, was reportedly discovered under a car in Culmore in the city.\n\nChildren were in the area at the time, police said.\n\nMeanwhile a gun attack on a 16-year-old boy in west Belfast on 16 February was \"child abuse,\" a senior police officer said.\n\nThe attack followed a similar one the previous night, when a man was shot in the legs close to a benefits office on the Falls Road.\n\nThe shooting happened at a petrol station on the Crumlin Road\n\nA police officer is injured in a gun attack at a garage on the Crumlin Road in north Belfast on 22 January.\n\nPolice said automatic gunfire was sprayed across the garage forecourt in a \"crazy\" attack.\n\nThe number of paramilitary-style shootings in west Belfast doubled in 2016 compared to the previous year, according to police figures.\n\nOn 15 January, police said a bomb discovered during a security operation in Poleglass, west Belfast, was \"designed to kill or seriously injure police officers\".\n\nA 45-year-old mechanic caught at a bomb-making factory on a farm was told he would spend 11 years behind bars.\n\nBarry Petticrew was arrested in October 2014 after undercover police surveillance on farm buildings near Kinawley, County Fermanagh.\n\nPolice found pipes, timer units, ammunition and high grade explosives in the buildings.\n\nExplosive devices, improvised rockets, detonators, timing units and Semtex were discovered by Irish police\n\nOn 6 December, a 25-year-old dissident republican was jailed in Dublin for five years.\n\nDonal \u00d3 Coisdealbha from Killester, north Dublin was arrested on explosive charges in the run-up to the visit of Prince Charles to Ireland in 2015.\n\nHe was arrested during a Garda (Irish police) operation when explosive devices, improvised rockets, detonators, timing units and Semtex were discovered.\n\nFollowing the sentencing, police released a photo of the heavily bloodstained scene of the shooting\n\nA man who admitted taking part in a paramilitary shooting in Belfast was sentenced to five years in jail and a further five years on licence.\n\nPatrick Joseph O'Neill, of no fixed address, was one of three masked men who forced their way into the victim's home in Ardoyne in November 2010.\n\nThe man was shot several times in the legs and groin in front of his mother, who fought back with kitchen knives.\n\nThe dissident republican group \u00d3glaigh na h\u00c9ireann claimed responsibility for the shooting shortly after it took place.\n\nJoe Reilly was shot dead in a house at Glenwood Court\n\nWest Belfast man Joe Reilly, 43, was shot dead in his Glenwood Court, Poleglass home on 20 October.\n\nIt is understood a second man who was in the house was tied up by the gang.\n\nThe shooting was the second in the small estate in less than a week - the other victim was shot in the leg.\n\nPolice later said they believed the the murder was carried out by a paramilitary organisation and there may have been a drugs link.\n\nDissident republicans formed a new political party called Saoradh - the Irish word for liberation.\n\nSeveral high-profile dissidents from both sides of the border were among about 150 people at its first conference in Newry.\n\nThe discovery of arms in a County Antrim forest on 17 May was one of the most significant in recent years, police said.\n\nA \"terrorist hide\" was uncovered at Capanagh Forest near Larne after two members of the public found suspicious objects in the woods on Saturday.\n\nSome of the items found included an armour-piercing improvised rocket and two anti-personnel mines.\n\nThe threat level from Northern Ireland-related terrorism in Great Britain was raised from moderate to substantial.\n\nTwo Claymore mines were among the arms found in Capanagh Forest\n\nA man died after being shot three times in the leg in an alleyway at Butler Place, north Belfast, on15 April.\n\nMichael McGibbon, 33, was taken to the Royal Victoria Hospital in Belfast, where he later died.\n\nPolice said Mr McGibbon contacted them to say two masked men had arrived at his house on the evening of 14 April.\n\nThe men asked him to come out of the house but he refused and the men told him they would come back.\n\nThe shooting took place in an alleyway at Butler Place in north Belfast\n\nPolice said his killing carried the hallmarks of a paramilitary murder.\n\nAdrian Ismay was the 32nd prison staff member to be murdered in Northern Ireland because of his job\n\nA murder investigation was launched after the death of prison officer Adrian Ismay, 11 days after he was injured in a booby-trap bomb attack in east Belfast.\n\nThe device exploded under the 52-year-old officer's van as he drove over a speed ramp in Hillsborough Drive on 4 March.\n\nDays later, the New IRA said it carried out the attack.\n\nMr Ismay was thought to have been making a good recovery from his injuries, but was rushed back to hospital on 15 March, where he died.\n\nA post-mortem examination found his death was as a \"direct result of the injuries\" he sustained in the bomb.\n\nDissident republicans were dealt \"a significant blow\" by a weapons and explosives find in the Republic of Ireland, the garda\u00ed (Irish police) said.\n\nThe weapons, including AK-47 assault rifles, mortars, detonators and other bomb parts, were discovered in County Monaghan, close to the border with Rosslea in County Fermanagh, on 1 December.\n\nOn 15 December, a further arms find, described as a \"significant cache\" by Irish broadcaster RT\u00c9, was made in County Louth.\n\nA number of shots hit the passenger window of a police car in an attack in west Belfast\n\nA gun attack on police officers in west Belfast on 26 November, in which up to eight shots were fired, was treated as attempted murder.\n\nA number of shots struck the passenger side of a police car parked at Rossnareen Avenue.\n\nTwo officers who were in the car were not injured but were said to have been badly shaken.\n\nSupt Mark McEwan said that from September 2014 there had been 15 bomb incidents in the Derry City and Strabane District council area.\n\nThey included seven attacks on the police.\n\nOn 10 October, a bomb was found in the grounds of a Derry hotel ahead of a police recruitment event.\n\nThe police recruitment event was cancelled. Two other police recruitment events in Belfast and Omagh went ahead despite bomb alerts at the planned venues.\n\nOn 16 October police said a \"military-style hand grenade\" was thrown at a patrol in Belfast as officers responded to reports of anti-social behaviour.\n\nPolice say the device, which failed to explode, was thrown at officers near Pottingers Quay.\n\nDissident republicans were suspected of being responsible for the attack.\n\nPolice found a mortar bomb during an alert in Strabane\n\nPolice said a mortar bomb found in a graveyard in Strabane, County Tyrone, on 1 August was an attempt to kill officers.\n\nThe device was positioned where it could be used to attack passing PSNI patrols, police said.\n\nA bomb was found under a police officer's car in Eglinton, near Derry, on 18 June.\n\nPolice said the attack was a \"clear attempt to murder police officers\".\n\nPSNI district commander Mark McEwan said the wife of the officer was also a member of the PSNI.\n\nTwo bombs found close to an Army Reserve centre in Derry were left about 20m from nearby homes.\n\nThe devices were left at the perimeter fence of the Caw Camp Army base and were discovered at 11:00 BST on 4 May.\n\nAbout 15 homes in Caw Park and Rockport Park were evacuated during the security operation.\n\nPolice said a bomb left at Brompton Park in north Belfast was designed to kill officers\n\nA device found in north Belfast on 1 May was a substantial bomb targeting police officers, the PSNI said.\n\nA controlled explosion was carried out on the device at the Crumlin Road junction with Brompton Park.\n\nThe PSNI blamed dissident republicans for the bomb and said it could have caused \"carnage\".\n\nOn 28 April, a bomb exploded outside a probation office in Crawford Square, Derry.\n\nPolice said they were given an \"inadequate\" warning before the device went off.\n\nA bomb was found during a search of the Curryneiran estate in Derry\n\nA bomb is found was found during a security alert in the Curryneiran estate in Derry on 17 February.\n\nPolice said they believe the bomb was intended to kill officers and that those who had left it showed a \"callous disregard for the safety of the community and police officers\".\n\nMeanwhile at least 40 dissident republican prisoners were involved in an incident at Maghaberry Prison on 2 February.\n\nPrison management withdrew staff from the landings in Roe House housing dissidents.\n\nA protest, involving about 200 people, took place outside the prison in support of the republican prisoners.\n\nOn 8 January, the head of MI5 says most dissident republican attacks in Northern Ireland in 2014 were foiled.\n\nAndrew Parker said of more than 20 such attacks, most were unsuccessful and that up to four times that amount had been prevented.\n\nHe made the remarks during a speech in which he gave a stark warning of the dangers UK was facing from terrorism.\n\nHe said it was \"unrealistic to expect every attack plan to be stopped\".\n\nDissident republicans are believed to have used a home-made rocket launcher in an attack on a police Land Rover at Twaddell Avenue in north Belfast on 16 November .\n\nIt struck the Land Rover and caused some damage, but no-one was injured.\n\nPolice described the attack as a \"cold, calculated attempt to kill police officers\".\n\nMeanwhile garda\u00ed described the seizure of guns and bomb-making material during searches in Dublin on 15 November as a \"major setback\" for dissident republicans.\n\nAn AK-47 rifle, a sawn-off shotgun and a number of semi-automatic pistols were found in searches in the Ballymun, East Wall and Cloughran areas of Dublin.\n\nThe Irish Army carried out a controlled explosion at one search location where bomb components were discovered.\n\nA device that hit a police vehicle in Derry on 2 November was understood to have been a mortar, fired by command wire.\n\nDissident republicans were responsible for the attack, police said.\n\nPolice foiled an attempted bomb attack in Strabane's Ballycolman estate on 23 October.\n\nOfficers were lured to Ballycolman estate on 23 October to investigate reports of a bomb thrown at a police patrol vehicle the previous night.\n\nThe alert was a hoax but then a real bomb, packed with nails, was discovered in the garden of a nearby house.\n\nDissident republicans claimed responsibility for a device that partially exploded outside an Orange hall in County Armagh on 29 September.\n\nIn a phone call to the Irish News, a group calling itself The Irish Volunteers admitted it placed the device at Carnagh Orange hall in Keady.\n\nOn 16 June, police investigating dissident republican activity said they recovered two suspected pipe bombs in County Tyrone.\n\nOn the night of 29 May, a masked man threw what police have described as a \"firebomb\" into the reception area of the Everglades Hotel, in the Prehen area of Derry.\n\nThe hotel was evacuated and the device exploded a short time later when Army bomb experts were working to make it safe.\n\nNo-one was injured in the explosion but the reception was extensively damaged.\n\nThe man who took the bomb into the hotel said he was from the IRA.\n\nA prominent dissident republican was shot dead in west Belfast on 18 April.\n\nTommy Crossan was shot a number of times at a fuel depot off the Springfield Road.\n\nMr Crossan, 43, was once a senior figure in the Continuity IRA.\n\nIt was believed he had been expelled from the group some years ago after falling out with other dissidents.\n\nPolice said a bomb found at a County Tyrone golf course had the capability to kill or cause serious injury.\n\nBomb disposal experts made the device safe after it was discovered at Strabane Golf Club on 31 March.\n\nA Belfast man with known dissident republican links died on 28 March a week after he was shot in a Dublin gun attack.\n\nDeclan Smith, 32, was shot in the face by a lone gunman as he dropped his child at a cr\u00e8che on Holywell Avenue, Donaghmede.\n\nHe was wanted by police in Northern Ireland for questioning about the murder of two men in Belfast in 2007.\n\nOn the night of 14 March, dissidents use a command wire to fire a mortar at a police Land Rover on the Falls Road in west Belfast.\n\nThe device hit the Land Rover, but police said it caused minimal damage.\n\nNo-one was injured in the attack.\n\nThe dissident group calling itself the New IRA said it carried out the attack and claimed the mortar used contained the military explosive Semtex and a commercial detonator.\n\nSeven letter bombs delivered to army careers offices in England bore \"the hallmarks of Northern Ireland-related terrorism\", Downing Street said.\n\nThe packages were sent to offices in Oxford, Slough, Kent, Brighton, Hampshire and Berkshire.\n\nOn 13 December, a bomb in a sports bag exploded in Belfast's busy Cathedral Quarter.\n\nAbout 1,000 people were affected by the alert, including people out for Christmas dinners, pub-goers and children out to watch Christmas pantos.\n\nA telephone warning was made to a newspaper, but police said the bomb exploded about 150 metres away as the area was being cleared.\n\nDissident republican group, \u00d3glaigh na h\u00c9ireann, said it was were responsible.\n\nOn 5 December, two police vehicles were struck 10 times by gunfire from assault rifles while travelling along the Crumlin Road in north Belfast.\n\nA bomb, containing 60kgs (132lbs) of home-made explosives, partially exploded inside a car in Belfast city centre on 24 November.\n\nA masked gang hijacked the car, placed a bomb on board and ordered the driver to take it to a shopping centre.\n\nIt exploded as Army bomb experts prepared to examine the car left at the entrance to Victoria Square car park.\n\nOn 21 November, a bus driver was ordered to drive to a police station in Derry with a bomb on board.\n\nThe bus driver drove a short distance to Northland Road, got her passengers off the bus and called the police.\n\nA former police officer is the target of an under-car booby-trap bomb off the King's Road in east Belfast.\n\nThe man spotted the device when he checked under his vehicle at Kingsway Park, near Tullycarnet estate on 8 November.\n\nThe man was about to take his 12-year-old daughter to school.\n\nDissidents are blamed for a number of letter bomb attacks at the end of the month.\n\nA package addressed to the Northern Ireland secretary was made safe at Stormont Castle, two letter bombs addressed to senior police officers were intercepted at postal sorting offices, and a similar device was sent to the offices of the Public Prosecution Service in Derry.\n\nTwo police officers escaped injury after two pipe bombs are thrown at them in north Belfast.\n\nThe officers were responding to an emergency 999 call in Ballysillan in the early hours of 28 May.\n\nPolice were fired on in the Foxes Glen area of west Belfast\n\nThey had just got out of their vehicle on the Upper Crumlin Road when the devices were thrown. They took cover as the bombs exploded.\n\nPolice escaped injury after a bomb in a bin exploded on the Levin Road in Lurgan in County Armagh on 30 March.\n\nOfficers were investigating reports of an illegal parade when the device went off near a primary school.\n\nPetrol bombs were thrown at police during follow-up searches in the Kilwilkie area.\n\nPolice say a bomb meant to kill or injure officers on the outskirts of Belfast on 9 March may have been detonated by mobile telephone.\n\nOfficers were responding to a call on Duncrue pathway near the M5 motorway when the bomb partially exploded.\n\nOn 4 March, four live mortar bombs which police said were \"primed and ready to go\" were intercepted in a van in Derry.\n\nThe van had its roof cut back to allow the mortars to be fired. Police say they believed the target was a police station.\n\nIt is the first time dissidents had attempted this type of mortar attack.\n\nAn off-duty policeman found a bomb attached to the underside of his car on the Upper Newtownards Road in east Belfast.\n\nA bomb was found under a police officer's car in east Belfast\n\nThe officer found the device during a routine check of his family car on 30 December, as he prepared to take his wife and two children out to lunch.\n\nAn Irish newspaper reported that a paramilitary plot to murder a British soldier as he returned to the Republic of Ireland on home leave had been foiled by Irish police.\n\nThe Irish Independent said the Continuity IRA planned to shoot the soldier when he returned to County Limerick for his Christmas holidays.\n\nOn the first day of the month, a prison officer was shot and killed on the M1 in County Armagh as he drove to work at Maghaberry Prison, Northern Ireland's high security jail.\n\nMr Black was shot as he drove to work at Maghaberry Prison\n\nDavid Black, 52-year-old father of two, was the first prison officer to be murdered in Northern Ireland in almost 20 years.\n\nOn 12 November, a paramilitary group calling itself \"the IRA\" claimed responsibility for the murder.\n\nThe following day, a bomb was found close to a primary school in west Belfast.\n\nPolice said the device \"could have been an under-car booby trap designed to kill and maim\".\n\nSecurity forces were the target of two bombs left in Derry on 20 September.\n\nA pipe bomb and booby trap bomb on a timer were both made safe by the Army.\n\nThe pipe bomb was left in a holdall at Derry City Council's office grounds and the booby trap attached to a bicycle chained to railings on a walkway at the back of the offices.\n\nDissident republicans were blamed for leaving the bombs.\n\nOn 26 July, some dissident republican paramilitary groups issued a statement saying they were to come together under the banner of \"the IRA\".\n\nThe Guardian newspaper said the Real IRA had been joined by Republican Action Against Drugs (RAAD) and a coalition of independent armed republican groups and individuals.\n\nA gunman fired towards police lines from within a crowd gathered at Brompton Park in Ardoyne on 12 July.\n\nRepublican Action Against Drugs said it was behind a bomb attack on a police vehicle in Derry on 2 June.\n\nThe front of the jeep was badly damaged in what is understood to have been a pipe bomb attack in Creggan. The police described the attack as attempted murder.\n\nA pipe bomb was left under a car belonging to the elderly parents of a police officer in Derry on 15 April.\n\nA number of homes were evacuated while Army bomb experts dealt with the device at Drumleck Drive in Shantallow.\n\nA 600lb bomb was found in a van on the Fathom Line in Newry\n\nA fully primed 600lb bomb was found in a van on the Fathom Line near Newry on 26 April and made safe the following day.\n\nA senior police officer said those who left it had a \"destructive, murderous intent\".\n\nAssistant Chief Constable Alastair Finlay said it was as \"big a device as we have seen for a long time\".\n\nOn 30 March two men were convicted of murdering police officer Constable Stephen Carroll in Craigavon in March 2009.\n\nTwo men were convicted of murdering Constable Stephen Carroll in Craigavon\n\nThe 48-year-old officer was shot dead after he and colleagues responded to a 999 call.\n\nConvicted of the murder were Brendan McConville, 40, of Glenholme Avenue, Craigavon, and John Paul Wootton, 20, of Collindale, Lurgan.\n\nDerry man Andrew Allen was shot dead in Buncrana, County Donegal, on 9 February.\n\nThe 24-year-old father of two was shot at a house in Links View Park, Lisfannon.\n\nRepublican Action Against Drugs (RAAD) later admitted it murdered Mr Allen who had been forced to leave his home city the previous year.\n\nStrabane man Martin Kelly was jailed for life by the Special Criminal Court in Dublin on 24 January for the murder of a man in County Donegal.\n\nAndrew Burns, 27, from Strabane, was shot twice in the back in February 2008 in a church car park.\n\nThe murder was linked to the dissident republican group, Oglaigh na hEireann. Kelly, from Barrack Steet, was also sentenced to eight years in prison for possession of a firearm.\n\nOn 20 January, Brian Shivers was convicted of the murders of Sappers Patrick Azimkar and Mark Quinsey at Massereene Barracks in March 2009.\n\nPolice in Derry believed dissident republicans were responsible for two bomb attacks on 19 January.\n\nThe bombs exploded at the tourist centre on Foyle Street and on Strand Road, close to the DHSS office, within 10 minutes of each other.\n\nHomes and businesses in the city were evacuated and no-one was injured.\n\nA bomb was left in the soldier's car in north Belfast\n\nA Scottish soldier found a bomb inside his car outside his girlfriend's house in the Ligoniel area of north Belfast.\n\nIt is understood the device contained a trip wire attached to the seat belt.\n\nPolice say if the bomb had gone off the soldier, and others in the vicinity, could have been killed. Dissidents admitted they carried out the attack.\n\nA bomb outside the City of Culture offices was blamed on dissidents\n\nA bomb exploded outside the City of Culture offices in Derry on 12 October.\n\nSecurity sources said the attack had all the hallmarks of dissident republicans, who damaged a door of the same building with a pipe bomb in January.\n\nThe Real IRA was blamed for two bomb attacks near Claudy, County Londonderry on 14 September.\n\nOne of the bombs exploded outside the family home of a Catholic police officer. No-one was in the house at the time.\n\nThe other device was made safe at the home of a retired doctor who works for the police.\n\nTwo masked men threw a holdall containing a bomb into a Santander bank branch in Derry's Diamond just after midday on Saturday 21 May.\n\nPolice cleared the area and the bomb exploded an hour later. No-one was injured.\n\nHowever, significant damage was caused inside the building.\n\nThe grenade was thrown at officers during a security alert\n\nA grenade was thrown at police officers during a security alert at Southway in Derry on 9 May.\n\nThe device, which was described as \"viable\", failed to explode.\n\nTwo children were talking to the officers when the grenade was thrown.\n\nThe mother of one of them said he could have been killed and whoever threw the grenade must have seen the children.\n\nThe Real IRA, threatened to kill more police officers and declared its opposition to Queen Elizabeth II's first visit to the Republic of Ireland.\n\nA statement was read out by a masked man at a rally organised by the 32 County Sovereignty Movement in Derry on Easter Monday, 25 April.\n\nA 500lb bomb was left in a van at an underpass on the main Belfast to Dublin road in Newry.\n\nConstable Ronan Kerr was killed after a bomb exploded under his car outside his home in Omagh on 2 April.\n\nNo group claimed responsibility for the attack but dissident republicans were blamed.\n\nThe 25-year-old had joined the police in May 2010 and had been working in the community for five months.\n\nForensic experts at the scene of Derry courthouse bomb\n\nThe PSNI described a bomb left near Bishop Street Courthouse as a \"substantial viable device\".\n\nDistrict commander Stephen Martin said a beer keg, left in a stolen car, contained around 50kg of home-made explosives.\n\nA number of shots were fired at police officers at Glen Road in Derry on the night of 2 March.\n\nPolice said it was an attempt to kill.\n\nA policeman found an unexploded grenade outside his home in County Fermanagh.\n\nThe device was discovered at the property in Drumreer Road, Maguiresbridge, on 23 December.\n\nA grenade was found outside a police officer's home in County Fermanagh\n\nIn the Republic, three men from Northern Ireland were jailed for IRA membership on 15 December.\n\nGerard McGarrigle, 46, from Mount Carmel Heights in Strabane was sentenced to five years in prison.\n\nDesmond Donnelly, 58, from Drumall, Lisnarick, Fermanagh and Jim Murphy, 63, from Floraville in Enniskillen, were given three years and nine months.\n\nThey were arrested in Letterkenny in February after Irish police received a tip-off that dissident republicans were about to carry out a 'tiger' kidnapping\n\nA military hand grenade was used to attack police officers called to a robbery at Shaw's Road in west Belfast on 5 November.\n\nThree police officers were hurt and one of them suffered serious arm injuries when the grenade was thrown by a cyclist.\n\nThe dissident paramilitary group Oglaigh na hEireann (ONH) said it was responsible for the attack.\n\nThe Ulster Bank on Culmore Road was damaged in a car bomb attack in Derry\n\nA car bomb exploded close to the Ulster Bank, shops and a hotel on Derry's Culmore Road on 4 October.\n\nThe area had been cleared when the bomb exploded, but the blast was so strong that a police officer who was standing close to the cordon was knocked off his feet.\n\nLurgan man Paul McCaugherty was jailed for 20 years for a dissident republican gun smuggling plot that was uncovered after an MI5 sting operation.\n\nMcCaugherty was found guilty of attempting to import weapons and explosives.\n\nDermot Declan Gregory from Crossmaglen, was found guilty of making a Portuguese property available for the purpose of terrorism. He was sentenced to four years.\n\nThree children suffered minor injuries when a bomb exploded in a bin in Lurgan's North Street on 14 August.\n\nThe bomb went off at a junction where police would have been expected to put up a cordon around the school. The explosion injured the children after it blew a hole in a metal fence.\n\nThree children were hurt after a bomb exploded in a bin in Lurgan\n\nA booby trap partially exploded under the car of a former policeman in Cookstown, County Tyrone, on 10 August.\n\nThe man was unhurt in the attak.\n\nA bomb was found under the car of a Catholic policewoman in Kilkeel in County Down on 8 August.\n\nIt is believed the device fell off the car before being spotted by the officer.\n\nA booby-trap bomb was found in the driveway of a soldier's house in Bangor\n\nOn 4 August, booby trap bomb was found under a soldier's car in Bangor.\n\nIt then fell off and he discovered it as he was about to leave his home.\n\nA car that exploded outside a police station in Derry contained 200lb of homemade explosives.\n\nNo-one was injured in the attack, which happened on 3 August, but several businesses were badly damaged in the blast.\n\nA bomb exploded between Belleeks and Cullyhanna in south Armagh, blowing a crater in the road and damaging a stone bridge on 10 July.\n\nPolice viewed it as an attempt to lure them into the area in order to carry out a follow-up ambush.\n\nDissident republicans were blamed for organising two nights of sustained rioting in the Broadway and Bog Meadows areas of west Belfast on Friday 2 and Saturday 3 July.\n\nLater rioting on 11, 12, 13 and 14 July in south and north Belfast, Lurgan and Derry is also believed to have involved dissidents.\n\nDissidents were believed to have organised riots in Belfast\n\nScores of police officers were injured during the violence, which featured gun attacks, petrol bombs and other missiles being thrown.\n\nShots were fired at Crossmaglen PSNI station on 2 July.\n\nDissident republicans said they were behind two similar attacks in December and January.\n\nA car bomb exploded outside Newtownhamilton Police Station in County Armagh, injuring two people.\n\nPeople also reported hearing gunshots before the blast.\n\nThere were five pipe bomb attacks on houses in the west of Northern Ireland in a week - two of them claimed by a group calling itself Republican Action Against Drugs.\n\nA car bomb was defused outside Newtownhamilton police station in south Armagh on Tuesday 13 April.\n\nA bomb in a hijacked taxi exploded outside Palace Barracks in Holywood, on Monday 12 April - the day policing and justice powers were transferred to Northern Ireland.\n\nThe barracks is home to MI5's headquarters in Northern Ireland.\n\nPolice said a car bomb left outside Crossmaglen on Easter Saturday night could have killed or seriously injured anyone in the area.\n\nThe bomb - made up of a number of flammable containers - was made safe by Army experts.\n\nKieran Doherty was murdered by the Real IRA\n\nThe naked and bound body of 31-year-old Kieran Doherty was found close to the Irish border near Derry on 24 February.\n\nThe Real IRA said it killed Mr Doherty who, it claimed, was one of its members.\n\nTwo days earlier a bomb damaged the gates of Newry courthouse in County Down.\n\nOfficers were evacuating the area when the bomb went off. Police said it was a miracle no-one was killed.\n\nA 33-year-old Catholic police officer was seriously injured in a dissident republican car bomb about a mile from his home in Randalstown in County Antrim.\n\nOn the last day of the month the Real IRA opened fire on a police station in County Armagh.\n\nNo-one was injured in the attack in Bessbrook.\n\nDissident republicans were blamed for leaving a car containing a 400lb (181kg) bomb outside the Policing Board's headquarters in Belfast.\n\nThe car, which had been driven through a barrier by two men who then ran off, burst into flames when the device partially exploded.\n\nOn the same night, shots were fired during an undercover police operation in the County Fermanagh village of Garrison, in what police described as an attempt to kill a trainee PSNI officer.\n\nOne of Northern Ireland's top judges moved out of his Belfast home over fears of a dissident republican threat against him.\n\nDemocratic Unionist Party politician Ian Paisley junior said police had warned him that dissident republicans were planning to murder him.\n\nMr Paisley, who was then a member of the Policing Board, said officers contacted him to inform him of the foiled attack.\n\nA police officer's partner was injured when a bomb exploded under her car in east Belfast.\n\nThe 38-year-old was reversing the vehicle out of the driveway of a house when the device exploded.\n\nIn the same month a bomb exploded inside a Territorial Army base in north Belfast.\n\nThe police confirmed that \"some blast damage\" had occurred inside the base off the Antrim Road and shrapnel from the overnight explosion was found in neighbouring streets.\n\nThe PSNI said a 600lb (272kg) bomb left near the Irish border in south Armagh was intended to kill its officers.\n\nThe bomb was defused by the Army near the village of Forkhill.\n\nDays later the Real IRA claimed responsibility for placing two explosive devices near the homes of a policeman's relatives in Derry.\n\nThe first device exploded outside his parents' home while a second device, which was found outside his sister's home, was taken away for examination by the Army.\n\nConor Murphy, then a Sinn F\u00e9in MP and minister in Northern Ireland's devolved administration, blamed dissident republicans for an arson attack on his home in south Armagh.\n\nDissident republicans were suspected of involvement in a petrol bomb attack on the Derry home of senior Sinn F\u00e9in member Mitchel McLaughlin.\n\nNorthern Ireland's then Deputy First Minister Martin McGuinness said dissident republicans had threatened to kill him.\n\nSappers Patrick Azimkar and Mark Quinsey died in the attack\n\nTwo young soldiers were shot dead as they collected pizzas outside Massereene Barracks in County Antrim.\n\nSappers Patrick Azimkar and Mark Quinsey were killed just hours before they were due to be deployed to Afghanistan.\n\nThe Real IRA was blamed for the attack.\n\nWithin 48 hours policeman Stephen Carroll was shot dead in Craigavon, County Armagh, becoming the first police officer to be murdered in Northern Ireland since 1998.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/uk-northern-ireland-10866072"}
{"title":"Humza Yousaf confirmed as Scotland's new first minister - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-28","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"The SNP leader wins a majority of votes from MSPs to become the country's sixth first minister.","section":"Scotland politics","content":"This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser.\n\nHumza Yousaf has been confirmed as Scotland's new first minister after a vote in the Scottish Parliament.\n\nThe SNP leader was backed by his own MSPs and the Scottish Greens - guaranteeing him a majority.\n\nAll three opposition leaders stood against him but knew they had no prospect of being successful.\n\nMr Yousaf, who succeeds Nicola Sturgeon, is the country's sixth first minister and first from an ethnic minority background.\n\nHe is also the youngest first minister at 37, and the first Muslim to lead a major UK party.\n\nFollowing the vote, Prime Minister Rishi Sunak phoned Mr Yousaf to congratulate him.\n\nHe said he wanted to continue \"working constructively with the Scottish government\" to deliver on what he argued were the \"people's priorities across Scotland, including the need to half inflation, delivering growth, and cut waiting times.\"\n\nMr Yousaf raised the question of a second independence referendum, but Mr Sunak suggested this would \"distract\" from \"delivering on the things that are top of the priority list for people across Scotland\".\n\nThe new first minister started to shape his team on Tuesday afternoon with the announcement that Shona Robison - who has been serving as the social justice secretary and was a close ally of Ms Sturgeon - would be become his deputy first minister.\n\nHe also confirmed he would have a \"minister for independence\" in his government, a role he pledged to create during the leadership campaign\n\nMs Sturgeon formally tendered her resignation to the King earlier on Tuesday after more than eight years as first minister. She announced last month that she would be standing down once a replacement was appointed.\n\nMr Yousaf was backed by all 64 SNP MSPs and the seven Greens, with the two parties having a power-sharing agreement in the 129-seat parliament.\n\nMr Yousaf was congratulated by Shona Robison, who will become his deputy first minister\n\nAll 31 Conservative MSPs voted for Douglas Ross, the 22 Labour members for Anas Sarwar and the four Liberal Democrats backed Alex Cole-Hamilton.\n\nMr Yousaf said it was a signal of the progress that Scotland has made that two of the nominees for first minister - himself and Mr Sarwar, who were at school together at the private Hutchesons' Grammar in Glasgow - were from minority ethnic communities.\n\nHe described the moment as \"a privilege of my life\", and said Ms Sturgeon - who watched the vote from the backbenches - leaves \"some very big shoes to fill indeed\".\n\nMr Yousaf added: \"I pledge that Scotland will continue to be a positive, progressive voice on the world stage\".\n\nAnd he said his government would \"listen carefully and pay respect\" to the views of all MSPs while standing up to any attempts to \"undermine devolution\".\n\nNicola Sturgeon now sits on the back benches at Holyrood\n\nThe new first minister said: \"I will never shy away from tackling the big issues our country faces.\n\n\"My starting point will be that we all want the best for Scotland and the people that we are so privileged to represent. I will stand up unequivocally for this parliament and against any attempts to undermine devolution.\n\n\"I will work every hour of every day to harness the potential of Scotland and every single person. I will place no limits on the ambitions that we have collectively for ourselves, for our country or indeed for the world that we live in.\"\n\nMr Yousaf will be officially sworn in as first minister during a brief ceremony at the Court of Session in Edinburgh on Wednesday, and is expected to then start the process of appointing the rest of his cabinet team.\n\nHe will also face opposition leaders for the first time at the weekly First Minister's Questions session on Thursday.\n\nThere will be considerable interest in the future of Kate Forbes, who finished a close second to Mr Yousaf in the SNP leadership contest after attacking his competency and Ms Sturgeon's record in government in a live STV debate during the campaign.\n\nMs Forbes had herself been attacked by senior SNP figures including outgoing Deputy First Minister John Swinney, who has also now left the government, over her socially conservative views on issues like gay marriage and abortion.\n\nShe has been on maternity leave as the country's finance secretary and Mr Yousaf has said he has spoken to her and \"absolutely\" wants her to be part of the government - but it not yet known what role he would offer or whether she would accept.\n\nHumza Yousaf's speech was really an introduction to himself as first minister. Unlike the other party leaders, there was relatively little in the way of politics.\n\nHe leaned heavily on his family, who were packed into the VIP gallery. His children were warned that Bute House's stairways offer plenty of space for a \"naughty step\".\n\nAnd he talked about the impact of being a Muslim in the UK in the aftermath of the September 11 attacks.\n\nMr Yousaf hopes it sends a message to many in minority groups that he could go from fearing he did not have a place in Scotland to leading its government.\n\nThere was some broad-brush policy towards the end - a commitment to ease cost of living pressures and boost the NHS. He pledged to continue many of Nicola Sturgeon's plans, and sounded the obvious note in favour of independence.\n\nBut this was very much Day One of the Yousaf government. There will be plenty of time to come for detail and debate - today was all about beginnings.\n\nPrime Minister Rishi Sunak said he was looking forward to meeting and working together with Mr Yousaf, but the UK government has already made clear it will continue to refuse to grant formal consent for another independence referendum.\n\nMr Yousaf was also congratulated on his appointment by opposition leaders at Holyrood, with Mr Ross saying: \"With both the first minister and the prime minister representing the UK's diverse communities, this sends a strong, positive message to everyone that there are no barriers to what you can achieve in this country.\"\n\nBut he went on to claim that Mr Yousaf \"seems to be doing his best to offer a poor imitation of his predecessor\" having decided on his first day to \"renew Nicola Sturgeon's constitutional conflict with the UK government\" by calling on it to grant formal consent for an independence referendum.\n\nMr Sarwar told Mr Yousaf that their respective grandparents \"could never have imagined\" that their grandchildren would reach the positions of first minister and Scottish Labour leader when they arrived in the country and made Scotland their home.\n\nHe added: \"I know that he (Mr Yousaf) has faced personal abuse and racism, as have so many others who don't have the platform that he and I are fortunate to have.\n\n\"I am proud of the work we have done alongside others to stand against hatred and bigotry, and my promise is that I will continue to stand alongside you in that fight for all of us.\"","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/uk-scotland-scotland-politics-65098609"}
{"title":"Italian art experts astonished by David statue uproar in Florida - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-28","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"A Florida school head was forced out after the famous Michaelangelo statue was shown to art students.","section":"Europe","content":"The Florence museum that houses Michelangelo's statue of David has invited teachers and students from a Florida school to visit, after an uproar over an art lesson.\n\nThe school's principal quit after a complaint about a sixth-grade art class that included an image of the statue.\n\nA parent had complained the image was pornographic.\n\nCecilie Hollberg, director of Galleria dell'Accademia, has now issued the invitation to the class.\n\nShe said the principal should be \"rewarded, not punished\".\n\n\"Talking about the Renaissance without showing the David, an undisputed icon of art and culture and of that historical period, would make no sense,\" Ms Hollberg said.\n\nThe controversy began when the board of Tallahassee Classical School - a charter school in Florida's state capital - pressured principal Hope Carrasquilla to resign after three parents complained about a lesson that included a photo of the 17ft nude marble statue.\n\nThe statue, one of the most famous in Western history, depicts the biblical David going to fight Goliath armed only with a sling and his faith in God.\n\nThe board reportedly targeted Ms Carrasquilla because the parents claimed they weren't notified in advance that a nude would be shown, with one parent calling the statue \"pornographic\".\n\nThe incident has left Florentines and experts on Renaissance art bewildered.\n\nThe David is considered a masterpiece of the Italian Renaissance and a symbol of humanist values. It has been displayed in the Galleria dell'Accademia since 1873.\n\nMs Hollberg said she was \"astonished\", stating that to think that the David statue could be considered pornographic means not only failing to understand the Bible, but Western culture itself.\n\n\"I cannot believe that actually happened, at first I thought it was fake news, so improbable and absurd was it,\" she said.\n\n\"A distinction must be made between nudity and pornography. There is nothing pornographic or aggressive about the David, he is a young boy, a shepherd, who even according to the Bible did not have ostentatious clothes but wanted to defend his people with what he had.\"\n\nThe mayor of Florence, Dario Nardella, also invited the teacher who showed the students the image of Michelangelo's David to visit the city and its works of art.\n\n\"Mistaking art for pornography is simply ridiculous,\" he tweeted. \"Art is civilisation and those who teach it deserve respect.\"\n\nIn an interview with Slate online magazine, Barney Bishop, chairman of the school board, said that last year the principal sent a notice to parents warning them that students were going to see Michelangelo's David, but this wasn't done this year.\n\nHe called it an \"egregious mistake\" and said that \"parents are entitled to know anytime their child is being taught a controversial topic and picture\".\n\nAccording to Florentine art historian and dean of the University for Foreigners in Siena, Tomaso Montanari, such an attitude is \"disconcerting\".\n\n\"First comes the dismay at the absence of educational freedom, as it should not be restricted or manipulated by families,\" Mr Montanari said.\n\n\"On the other hand, from a cultural perspective, the Western world has a tendency to associate fundamentalism and censorship with other societies, believing it possesses the capability to spread democratic ideals worldwide.\n\n\"But this cultural backsliding clearly highlights the presence of fundamentalist views within the West as well.\"\n\nWhile several parents and teachers plan to protest Ms Carrasquilla's resignation at the school board meeting, she isn't sure she would take the job back even if it were offered.\n\n\"There's been such controversy and such upheaval,\" she said in an interview with the Associated Press. \"I would really have to consider, 'Is this truly what is best?'\"\n\nBack in Florence, Ms Hollberg remarked: \"From majestic statues to charming fountains and paintings, Italy is overflowing with works of art, not just in its museums, but in all its cities, squares and streets, with some featuring naked figures.\n\n\"Does that make it pornography? Should entire cities be shut down because of the artistic depictions of the human form?\"","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/world-europe-65087218"}
{"title":"School buses escorted by police after Tennessee shooting - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-28","authors":null,"description":"Police cars line the street after a Tennessee school shooting.","section":null,"content":"After a school shooting in Tennessee, police cars and yellow buses wait outside the crime scene.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/world-us-canada-65093519"}
{"title":"Creed III actor Jonathan Majors charged with assault and harassment - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-28","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"A 30-year-old woman says she was injured in an altercation with the Creed III star on Saturday.","section":"Entertainment & Arts","content":"Lawyers for Jonathan Majors claim he is actually the victim of an altercation with a woman known to him\n\nCreed III actor Jonathan Majors has been charged with assault and harassment following an incident involving a woman in a New York apartment.\n\nThe 30-year-old woman was allegedly assaulted by Majors on Saturday in what police said was a domestic dispute.\n\nLawyers for the actor have denied any wrongdoing.\n\nThey have suggested that the 33-year-old is actually the victim of the \"altercation\".\n\nThe NYPD said they were called around 11:14 local time on Saturday after receiving a 911 call from an apartment in Manhattan's Chelsea district.\n\nThey added the woman, who has not been named, suffered minor head and neck injuries and was taken to hospital.\n\nIn her complaint, she claimed that Majors slapped her and put his hand on her neck, injuring her and causing her \"substantial pain\", according to Variety magazine.\n\nMajor's criminal defence lawyer, Priya Chaudhry, has said there is video footage and witness testimony to support their claim that he was the victim and that the woman in question, who was known to him, has recanted her allegations.\n\nMs Chaudhry added that she expected all charges against her client to be dropped soon.\n\nMajors is no longer in police custody.\n\nFollowing his arrest on Saturday, the US army announced it would temporarily pull advertisements featuring the actor that are part of a campaign to help with recruitment efforts.\n\nIn a statement, the Army's Enterprise Marketing Office said that while Majors \"is innocent until proven guilty\", it would be \"prudent\" of them to remove the ads until the investigation into the allegations is finished.\n\nMajors' arrest comes just weeks after the actor presented an award at the Oscars.\n\nHis career took off after breaking through in 2019's The Last Black Man in San Francisco, before he went on to star in Netflix western The Harder They Fall and the Marvel Comics film Ant-Man and The Wasp: Quantumania.\n\nMajors plays fellow actor Michael B Jordan's adversary in Creed III, a boxing film that was released earlier this month.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/entertainment-arts-65097861"}
{"title":"Prince Harry accuses Associated Newspapers of 'criminality' - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-28","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"The Duke of Sussex is bringing a legal case alongside six other claimants, including Sir Elton John.","section":"UK","content":"Prince Harry has criticised attempts by Associated Newspapers to have the High Court case thrown out\n\nPrince Harry says he is determined to hold the publisher of the Mail newspapers to account as he says he is \"deeply concerned\" by their \"unchecked power, influence and criminality\".\n\nHis witness statement was disclosed as part of his privacy case against Associated Newspapers.\n\nIn it, he also claimed he was kept out of Royal Family discussions about taking legal action on phone hacking.\n\nHe attended the High Court for a second day of legal arguments on Tuesday.\n\nThe Duke of Sussex and six other claimants, including Sir Elton John and Baroness Doreen Lawrence - the mother of murdered teenager Stephen Lawrence - claim their personal information was obtained illegally and used as material for Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday stories.\n\nAssociated Newspapers has dismissed the claims as \"preposterous smears\" based on a \"fishing expedition\".\n\nIn the duke's statement, he criticises attempts by the publisher in court this week to have the case thrown out for legal reasons.\n\n\"Unfair is not a big enough word to describe the fact that Associated is trying at this early stage to prevent me from bringing my claim,\" the statement reads.\n\n\"If the most influential and popular newspaper in the UK can evade justice without there being a trial of my claims, then what does that say about the industry as a whole and the consequences for our great country.\n\n\"I am bringing this claim because I love my country and I remain deeply concerned by the unchecked power, influence and criminality of Associated.\"\n\nThe statement details stories the duke claims were based on private information which had been obtained illegally.\n\nThey include reports about his relationships with two girlfriends.\n\nHe also criticises a story about his reaction, along with that of his brother William, to the publication of pictures of his dying mother in the Italian media.\n\n\"It is really disgusting\", he says, with a \"crude headline\" and \"explicit reference to a phone call\".\n\n\"My brother and I were relatively young at the time (I was just 21) and we were having private conversations about photographs of our dead mother which had been put into the public domain.\"\n\nIn his witness statement, Prince Harry said the Royal Family - which he referred to as the Institution - had been withholding information from him about the possibility of taking legal action in response to media intrusions.\n\nHe said he only started talking to a senior lawyer for the Royal Family when he began dating his now wife and \"defamatory stories\" were published.\n\nThe prince eventually became aware he could take legal action over phone hacking in 2018, he says.\n\n\"The Institution made it clear that we did not need to know anything about phone hacking and it was made clear to me that the Royal Family did not sit in the witness box because that could open up a can of worms,\" he said.\n\nSir Elton John and his husband David Furnish have made claims in the High Court case\n\nFellow claimant Sir Elton John has meanwhile accused a private investigator of tapping his home phone and that of his gardener.\n\nHe said it was a \"violation of our home and the safety of our children and loved ones.\"\n\nSir Elton is claiming damages in relation to 10 articles for which he says the Mail titles \"misused information which they stole from our family and friends\".\n\nIn his witness statement, he said the Mail exploited \"love, connection, trust and bonds to find out information shared in confidence\".\n\nSir Elton's case against Associated Newspapers includes the claim that a private investigator obtained details of his medical conditions, including that he had \"collapsed on a plane\".\n\nHis husband, David Furnish, is also making claims in the High Court legal action.\n\nHis statement reveals the couple were informed by the actor Liz Hurley of the allegation that their live phone calls had been intercepted by an investigator working for the Mail on Sunday.\n\nShe said the investigator appeared to know that Sir Elton did not have his own mobile phone and used several landlines.\n\nMs Hurley alleged that her calls had also been tapped.\n\nBaroness Lawrence claims private investigators working for the Daily Mail tapped her home phone and hacked her voicemails.\n\nIn her own statement to the High Court, she also accused the newspaper of commissioning investigators to monitor her bank accounts and phone bills.\n\nShe says she trusted the Daily Mail, which had strongly campaigned for justice for her family, but concluded: \"I was played for a fool.\"\n\nAssociated Newspapers rejected her allegations as \"appalling and utterly groundless smears\".\n\nThe publisher said the claims were based on the word of private investigator Jonathan Rees, who has served a prison sentence for perverting the course of justice.\n\nIn a statement last year, Associated said: \"It is deeply saddening that whoever is cynically and unscrupulously orchestrating these claims appears to have persuaded Baroness Lawrence - for whom the Mail has the greatest respect and admiration - to endorse the word of someone who is such a manifestly discredited and untrustworthy liar.\"\n\nBut Baroness Lawrence said in her witness statement, disclosed by the court, that she feared the actions of private investigators may have disrupted investigations into Stephen's murder.\n\nIn her statement, she said: \"We developed good relationships with the press and by February 1997 we aligned ourselves with the Daily Mail and who always held themselves out to be the guardians of truth and justice, the people who fight corruption and who hold the bad people accountable and who really cared about the fact my son's killers had walked free.\"\n\nBut upon discovering the alleged use of private investigators, she said there had been a \"level of trust\" and \"the betrayal I felt when that was taken away and I realised it had all been false was intense\".\n\nShe added: \"I cannot think of any act or conduct lower than stealing and exploiting information from a murder and from a mother who buried her son, and by people who pretended to be my friends.\n\n\"It has been a new trauma and injustice for me.\"\n\nAllegations in the case against Associated Newspapers include phone tapping, \"hacking\" of voicemail messages and the use of private investigators to obtain personal data.\n\nMore than 70 journalists have been implicated by the allegations made by seven claimants - Prince Harry, Sir Elton John and his husband David Furnish, Sadie Frost, Liz Hurley, Baroness Doreen Lawrence and Sir Simon Hughes.\n\nTheir names cannot be reported for legal reasons.\n\nLegal arguments on Tuesday centred on ledgers setting out payments made by Associated Newspapers (ANL) to 19 private investigators in the past, alleged to have been working for the journalists.\n\nThe seven claimants say these were for large sums of money and are proof that illegal methods were being used to gather information about them.\n\nThe ledgers were disclosed to the Leveson Inquiry into press standards in 2011.\n\nANL is trying to get part of the case struck out because, it says, the Leveson files cannot be used in other cases, due to confidentiality rules.\n\nThe company also says that two barristers in this case, and Sir Simon Hughes, were closely involved in the Leveson Inquiry and gave \"undertakings\" not to disclose documents they received.\n\nBarristers for ANL told the court these restrictions would have to be removed by the government if the evidence was to be used in the current case. This has not happened and they said sections of the case relying on the ledgers should therefore be struck out.\n\nBut David Sherborne, representing the seven who are suing Associated, told the judge, Mr Justice Nicklin, that the ledgers had in fact been obtained by an investigative journalist, not from the Leveson Inquiry.\n\nAs a leading barrister at the Leveson Inquiry, representing victims of press intrusion, he had personally agreed not to disclose confidential information.\n\nBut he said that undertaking ended when the inquiry report was published in 2012.\n\nThe court also released the witness statement of private investigator Gavin Burrows, who denied all allegations that he hacked phones, tapped landlines, or bugged cars on behalf of the Daily Mail or Mail on Sunday.\n\nAddressing the specific allegations made by Prince Harry, Baroness Lawrence, Elton John, David Furnish, Sadie Frost and Liz Hurley, he said: \"I was not instructed or commissioned by the Mail on Sunday or the Daily Mail to conduct unlawful information gathering.\"\n\nTwo other private investigators have also made statements to the court admitting their role in supplying illegally-obtained information to journalists at the Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/uk-65105315"}
{"title":"Scotland's new FM wants less confrontational politics - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-28","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"The 37-year-old succeeds Nicola Sturgeon, despite competition from three opposition party leaders.","section":"Scotland","content":"Mr Yousaf had the support of far more SNP MPs and MSPs than his two leadership rivals Image caption: Mr Yousaf had the support of far more SNP MPs and MSPs than his two leadership rivals\n\nThe new first minister will be formally sworn in a short ceremony at the Court of Session in Edinburgh.\n\nHumza Yousaf will then take the \"official declaration\", or oath of office, with the court's Lord President also asking them to take a vow as Keeper of the Scottish Seal .\n\nFinally, he will also make an oath of allegiance to the King.\n\nThe first minister is likely to start the process of appointing government ministers after he has been sworn in.\n\nMr Yousaf - a republican - will also become a member of the King's Privy Council group of advisers, and is likely to be invited for a private audience with the monarch.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/live\/uk-scotland-65098065"}
{"title":"Amsterdam launches stay away ad campaign targeting young British men - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-28","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"The Dutch city targets UK men aged 18-35 in an ad campaign aimed at changing its reputation.","section":"Europe","content":"Amsterdam has warned rowdy British sex and drug tourists to \"stay away\".\n\nA digital discouragement campaign targeting men aged 18 to 35 in the UK is being pushed out by the Dutch city's council.\n\nThe initiative forms part of efforts to clean up Amsterdam's raunchy reputation as Europe's most liberal party capital.\n\nTypically blunt, the videos show young men staggering in the street, handcuffed by police, finger-printed and having their mugshots taken.\n\nThe online ads, highlighting the risks associated with the excessive use of drugs and booze, will be triggered when people in Britain tap in terms like - stag party, cheap hotel or pub crawl Amsterdam.\n\nThe message is uncompromising - a long weekend in Amsterdam may create the wrong kind of memories, the escapism you crave in the renowned party capital could result in inescapable convictions.\n\nBrits can find return flights to Amsterdam for \u00a350 (\u20ac57; $62).\n\nUK-based travel agencies also offer stag weekends in Amsterdam, including canal boat cruises with unlimited booze, \"steak and strip\" nights and red light district pub crawls.\n\nFor years people have complained of drunken Brits urinating in public, throwing up in canals, stripping off and engaging in drunken brawls.\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser.\n\nThis is not a new phenomenon. Almost a decade ago, Amsterdam's then mayor invited his London counterpart Boris Johnson, who had described the city as \"sleazy\", to see for himself what Brits got up to.\n\n\"They don't wear a coat as they slalom through the red light district\u2026 they sing 'You'll never walk alone'. They are dressed as rabbits or priests and sometimes they are not dressed at all. I'd love to invite him to witness it,\" Eberhard van der Laan said at the time.\n\nCritics argue the targeted ad campaigns are discriminatory and are based on unfair stereotypes.\n\nIn the Netherlands, coffee shops are allowed to sell cannabis as long as they follow certain strict conditions, like not serving alcoholic drinks or selling to minors.\n\n\"Tourists come for the museums and also for the coffeeshops,\" Joachim Helms, owner of the Greenhouse coffee shop, told me.\n\nHe nodded towards a woman in her 60s and pointed out his clientele came from all social and economic walks of life, arguing that attempts to exclude some based on their age and gender violated the principles of freedom, tolerance and equality that Amsterdam prided itself on.\n\nJoachim Helm's coffee shop has been visited by many stars, including Miley Cyrus, Snoop Dogg, Rihanna and Justin Bieber\n\nBut the narrow, cobbled, bike-laden streets and canals are under pressure.\n\nAmsterdam is one of the world's most visited cities. Around 20 million visitors - including a million Brits - visit the city, which has a population of approximately 883,000, every year.\n\nBut over-tourism is testing the locals' tolerance and has compelled the council to act.\n\nLarger-than-life billboards displayed in the red light district show photos of residents, with words reminding visitors: \"We Live Here\".\n\nThe council is in the process of moving the famous neon-lit windows, where sex workers parade for trade, out of the residential heart of the capital to a new \"erotic zone\".\n\nWhispers about banning the sex trade entirely have faded for now. Instead, more stringent operating rules are being introduced.\n\nStarting this weekend, brothels and bars will have earlier closing times and a ban on smoking cannabis on the streets in and around the Red Light District comes into force in May.\n\nThere is still debate about whether tourists should be banned from the Dutch capital's cannabis cafes.\n\nAmsterdam's mission is to make the industry less seedy, more sustainable, and the city, more liveable.\n\nBut many locals living in the tall narrow townhouses that line the 17th-Century canal rings tell me it is not the young men who are the problem but the sheer numbers.\n\n\"It feels like we're living in Disneyland or a zoo,\" the Visser family told me.\n\nDeputy Mayor Sofyan Mbarki said Amsterdam was already taking more management measures than other large cities in Europe.\n\n\"Visitors will remain welcome but not if they misbehave and cause nuisance,\" he added.\n\nPeople have been responding to the anti-tourism campaign on social media, with one man joking it \"looks more like a commercial to me\" and another remarking it was a \"mystery why 18-35 [year olds] would be attracted to a city with legalised drug cafes and brothels\".\n\nOthers seem sceptical of the campaign, with one woman writing: \"They want to make money with families and museums but they know it's weed and red light that keep the city running.\"","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/world-europe-65107405"}
{"title":"Scottish cancer cases rise by 15% after pandemic drop - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-28","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"More than 35,000 new cancer cases were detected in 2021, after many went undiagnosed due to Covid.","section":"Scotland","content":"Breast cancer screening was paused in 2020 due to the Covid-19 pandemic\n\nCases of cancer in Scotland increased by almost 15% in a year after dropping in the first 12 months of the pandemic.\n\nNew figures show more than 35,379 new cases were detected in 2021.\n\nPublic Health Scotland said the 2020 fall in numbers was \"largely due to under-diagnosis caused by Covid restrictions\", including the temporary pause of screening programmes.\n\nHowever the 2021 figures were 5.5% higher than pre-pandemic levels in 2019.\n\nThe annual update of cancer incidence statistics have also highlighted continuing inequalities in cancer occurrence.\n\nThe data showed the overall risk of developing cancer was 30% higher in the most deprived parts of the country than the least deprived.\n\nThe most common cancers in 2021 were lung, breast, bowel and prostate, with these together accounting for more than half (54%) of all cases.\n\nLung cancer remained the most common cancer overall, with 5,476 cases diagnosed in 2021, accounting for 15.5% of all cancers.The report said that from mid-March 2020, Covid-19 had a huge impact on all aspects of cancer control.\n\nAfter the initial disruptions in 2020, the following year saw higher numbers of cancer diagnoses, driven by a period of catching up along with long-term increases in the size of the older population, who are more at risk of the disease.\n\nThe figures showed slightly more cases amongst females than males, with 17,779 women diagnosed with the disease compared to 17,600 men.\n\nmore than 35,379 new cancer cases were detected in Scotland in 2021\n\nThe report said: \"While welcome reductions in smoking prevalence have occurred in Scotland, there remains considerable potential to prevent cancers through further reductions in smoking, reducing overweight and obesity, improving diet and reducing alcohol consumption.\"\n\nThe data also showed 5,180 cases of breast cancer in 2021 - 14.6% of all cancers, with all but 37 cases occurring in females.\n\nMeanwhile, there were 4,279 cases of bowel cancer and 4,265 cases of prostate cancer - with both these forms of the disease each making up 12.1% of all cancers diagnosed that year.\n\nMore than three quarters (77%) of those diagnosed with cancer in 2021 were over 60.\n\nIt is estimated that two in five (40%) people in Scotland will be diagnosed with some form of cancer in their life - though this includes some cancers that may have no detrimental impact on life expectancy, such as slow-growing prostate tumours.\n\nA Scottish government spokesman said: \"The earlier cancer is diagnosed, the easier it is to treat. This is why we continue to invest in our Detect Cancer Earlier (DCE) Programme, which adopts a whole systems approach to diagnosing and treating cancer as early as possible.\n\n\"Public awareness campaigns and messaging have run throughout the pandemic to encourage those with possible cancer symptoms to seek help.\n\nHe added a new public awareness campaign, Be the Early Bird, was launched earlier this month.\n\nThe spokesman said: \"This campaign has targeted areas of deprivation to reduce the inequalities gap.\n\n\"We are also committed to ensuring equitable access to early diagnosis which is why we continue to invest in our Rapid Cancer Diagnostic Services across Scotland, with three live and a further two coming on stream in the next few weeks.\"","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/uk-scotland-65088331"}
{"title":"Labour could require solar panels for new builds, hints Ed Miliband - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-28","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"Shadow climate secretary Ed Miliband said a \"rooftop revolution\" could help meet climate targets.","section":"UK Politics","content":"Shadow climate secretary Ed Miliband has hinted that Labour could require newly-built homes to have solar panels on their roofs if it wins power.\n\nSpeaking after a speech on green investment, he said his party was \"very interested\" in the idea, adding: \"Watch this space, we'll say more about this.\"\n\nThe government has cut taxes on domestic solar panels and says it is looking at other ways to reduce costs.\n\nReductions in the cost of installation in recent years has made them a more attractive option for homeowners trying to reduce rising energy bills.\n\nNew carbon-reducing requirements for new builds in England, however, do not make any particular technology compulsory. A consultation on future rules is due to begin this spring.\n\nMr Miliband made his comments after a speech setting out Labour's plans to introduce a \"British version\" of US President Biden's multi-billion dollar blueprint to subsidise new green industries.\n\nThe plan, signed into law last year, has sparked warnings from British ministers about a slide into protectionism.\n\nHowever, Mr Miliband said these worries were \"overblown,\" and the UK needed to invest more to avoid falling behind in a \"global race\" to attract jobs in sectors such as electric car manufacturing.\n\nAsked whether his party would to pass new legislation requiring solar panels on new builds, he replied: \"On the solar rooftop revolution, that's something we're very interested in.\"\n\nHe did not give details of what the party might be considering, but said: \"Watch this space, we'll say more about this.\n\n\"I think it's a huge opportunity on commercial premises, and huge opportunity in the home as well,\" he added.\n\nThe government says it has promoted solar technology through a VAT cut on installation costs, streamlined planning rules for domestic properties, and grant schemes.\n\nMinisters have also said they are working with lenders to develop low-cost finance options for homes and small businesses willing to borrow to invest in the technology.\n\nBut speaking to MPs earlier this month, Climate Secretary Grant Shapps argued making them mandatory could harm innovation in other technologies, and push up the cost of new housing.\n\nHe also argued that introducing new rules now could lead to an \"additional housing crisis\" due to global demand for the minerals required to make them.\n\nBrian Berry, chief executive of the Federation of Master Builders, said Mr Miliband's comments were \"laudable,\" but added any new requirement would have to bear in mind the impact on the \"cost and viability\" of new homes.\n\nHe added that at a time of rising living costs, the \"bigger challenge\" was to make homes more energy efficient.\n\nAnother industry body, the Home Builders Federation, said solar panels were already being widely used and would soon be included on the vast majority of all new houses.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/uk-politics-65097319"}
{"title":"Nashville school shooting: Police release CCTV of shooter - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-28","authors":null,"description":"Six people, including three children, were killed in the attack on a school in Nashville, Tennessee.","section":null,"content":"Six people, including three children, have been killed in an attack on a school in Nashville, Tennessee.\n\nPolice released CCTV images which showed the shooter firing through doors to gain entry to the building.\n\nRead more on this story.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/65100000"}
{"title":"Civil servants to strike in April - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-28","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"The PCS union said 130,000 members voted to strike on 28 April in a continued row over pay, pensions and job security.","section":"Business","content":"Members of the PCS union walked out on Budget Day\n\nMore than 130,000 civil servants have voted to go on strike next month over pay, pensions and job security.\n\nThe PCS union said its members voted to take action on 28 April to increase the pressure on the government and were \"not backing down\".\n\nPCS general secretary Mark Serwotka said: \"Ministers need to resolve the dispute by putting money on the table.\"\n\nThe government said their demands would cost an \"unaffordable \u00a32.4bn\".\n\nUrging the PCS union to call off the strikes, a spokesperson said the government's focus was to \"ease the pressure on households across the country\" as the cost of living soars.\n\n\"That is why public sector pay awards strike a careful balance between recognising the vital importance of public sector workers, while delivering value for taxpayers and avoiding higher prices in the future,\" the government spokesperson added.\n\nMembers of the PCS union, who have been offered a 2% to 3% increase, last walked out on Budget day earlier this month.\n\nThe PCS union represents hundreds of thousands who work in government departments as well as those at organisations such as Ofsted, the Maritime and Coastguard Agency and Border Force.\n\nIt has been calling for a 10% pay rise, better pensions, job security and no cuts to redundancy terms.\n\nMr Serwotka said: \"We know our strikes have already caused serious disruption. The new strikes and another national day of action will pile the pressure on a government that refuses to listen.\"\n\nThe union said the all-out strike on 15 March was \"brilliantly\" supported by members, with big picket lines and demonstrations.\n\nTeachers, junior doctors, rail workers and London Underground tube drivers are some of the industries whose workers have walked out in disputes - mainly over pay - over the last year as wages do not align with the rising cost of living.\n\nOne of the biggest days of strikes was whilst Chancellor Jeremy Hunt deliver his Budget, with workers congregating around Westminster.\n\nMembers from 186 different employers were balloted over the latest strike action last week, the PCS union said.\n\u2022 None More civil servants to strike on Budget day","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/business-65091905"}
{"title":"Who is Kate Forbes, defeated SNP leadership candidate? - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-28","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"Ms Forbes was at the centre of a political storm over her religious beliefs at the start of the contest.","section":"Scotland politics","content":"Kate Forbes, who finished second to Humza Yousaf in the SNP leadership race, has announced that she is leaving the Scottish government.\n\nScotland's finance secretary was on maternity leave after the birth of her daughter when Nicola Sturgeon suddenly announced that she was quitting as SNP leader and Scotland's first minister.\n\nWithin a couple of days of confirming she would be standing in the contest to succeed her, Ms Forbes found herself at the centre of a political storm.\n\nHer views on issues such as gay marriage, abortion, trans rights and having children outside of marriage were savaged by Deputy First Minister John Swinney, who had been standing in for the deeply religious Ms Forbes since last July.\n\nMs Sturgeon herself also made thinly-veiled barbs at the woman she had appointed finance secretary at the age of 29, just hours before she had to deliver a budget speech.\n\nScotland is a progressive country, Ms Sturgeon stated, and the views of the next first minister therefore matter.\n\nMs Forbes saw several supporters desert her campaign in response to the furore, which was ignited when she told journalists that she would not have voted for gay marriage had she been an MSP at the time.\n\nShe subsequently told Sky News that she believed that having children outside of marriage is \"wrong\" according to her faith as a member of the evangelical Free Church of Scotland, while stressing that: \"In a free society you can do what you want.\"\n\nMs Forbes has never hidden her religious beliefs, leaving pundits wondering why they had appeared to come as a shock to some of her supporters.\n\nThe Free Church, of which she is a devout follower, has strongly opposed gay marriage since it was legalised in Scotland in 2014.\n\nMs Forbes and her husband Ali celebrated the birth of daughter Naomi last year\n\nIn 2018, Ms Forbes spoke at the National Prayer Breakfast for Scotland a day after a Westminster debate on abortion, when she called on politicians to \"recognise that the way we treat the most vulnerable - whether the unborn or the terminally ill - is a measure of true progress\".\n\nShe was among the 15 SNP politicians who wrote an open letter to Ms Sturgeon the following year asking for a delay to gender recognition reforms that would allow people in Scotland to self-identify their sex.\n\nThe final vote on the proposals was held when Ms Forbes was on maternity leave, but when she launched her leadership campaign she made clear that she still had significant concerns about self-identification and would not have been able to vote for the legislation in its current form.\n\nSeveral senior figures within the Scottish government reacted with fury to her comments, with Mr Swinney saying he profoundly disagreed with her views despite also having deep Christian faith.\n\nHumza Yousaf warned that independence could only be won if the SNP sticks to \"progressive values\" and avoids a \"lurch to the right\".\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser.\n\nThe bubbling tensions boiled over in a televised STV debate, when Ms Forbes launched an attack on Mr Yousaf in which she slated his performance as a government minister.\n\nMs Forbes told Mr Yousaf: \"You were transport minister and the trains were never on time, when you were justice secretary the police were stretched to breaking point, and now as health minister we've got record high waiting times.\n\n\"What makes you think you can do a better job as first minister?\"\n\nMs Forbes presumably did little to endear herself to the SNP hierarchy watching at home - although Ms Sturgeon says she didn't tune in for the debate - when she declared that it was time for a new generation to lead the party and that \"more of the same is not a manifesto - it is an acceptance of mediocrity\".\n\nThe remark could be read as a dig at Mr Yousaf, who to some extent pitched himself as the \"continuity candidate\", and the record of Ms Sturgeon herself.\n\nShe later doubled down by saying she would potentially have space for Mr Yousaf in her cabinet if she won the contest - but not as health secretary.\n\nMs Forbes was born in Dingwall in the Highlands, but was partly raised in India as her parents travelled there twice as missionaries, the first time when she was four years old.\n\nHer parents are reported to have been members of the more liberal Church of Scotland, with Ms Forbes claiming that she had chosen to join the Free Church after returning from India as it was \"just down the road\".\n\nMs Forbes (centre) had two spells in India during her childhood\n\nShe went to a Gaelic school while in Scotland and became a fluent speaker of the language as a child.\n\nWhen she returned to India at the age of 10, she studied at Woodstock School - an international residential school in the foothills of the Himalayas.\n\nShe went on to complete degrees at Cambridge University and Edinburgh University and became a chartered accountant for Barclays in London.\n\nShe worked as an assistant to the SNP MSP for Skye, Lochaber and Badenoch, Dave Thompson, for two years before being selected to replace him when he stood down.\n\nOn the backbenches, the then 26-year-old campaigned to ban plastic straws and delivered a speech in the Holyrood chamber entirely in Gaelic.\n\nIn 2018 she entered government as public finance minister working alongside Derek Mackay, who she would go on to succeed as finance secretary when he was forced to stand down just hours before delivering his budget speech after it emerged he had sent inappropriate text messages to a 16-year-old schoolboy.\n\nMs Forbes became Scotland's first female finance secretary and was widely praised for delivering the budget speech with just a few hours' notice, having only received the call from Ms Sturgeon at 7am that morning.\n\nShe has said the SNP needs to win over No voters by using the Scottish Parliament's existing powers to show that Scotland can flourish if it is to secure independence.\n\nMs Forbes had only a few hours to prepare for a budget speech after being appointed to the finance brief\n\nMs Forbes told the Guardian: \"We keep holding ourselves as hostages to fortune by setting a timetable rather than by focusing on what is really going to shift the dial.\n\n\"So day one, I would start the campaign for independence. But I would do that through gentle persuasion, making the economic case and earning people's trust back. The more successful and effective we are at that, the shorter the timetable becomes.\"\n\nShe has said she would not raise income tax for higher earners and would instead focus on growing the economy and expanding the tax base by cutting red tape for businesses, improving transport infrastructure and having a \"cautious\" transition away from North Sea oil and gas.\n\nMs Forbes has also described the government's bottle return scheme as well-intentioned but \"badly executed\".\n\nDuring a Channel 4 debate, presenter Krishnan Guru-Murthy told Ms Forbes that her views on taxation and economic growth sounded \"a bit like Liz Truss\".\n\nThe three candidates were Ash Regan, Humza Yousaf and Kate Forbes\n\nLittle of this would be popular with the Scottish Greens, whose power-sharing deal with the SNP would have been very unlikely to survive under Ms Forbes - particularly because of her views on social issues.\n\nThe SNP's social justice secretary, Shona Robison, said she would have to think long and hard about whether she would serve in government under Ms Forbes, while the party's deputy leader at Westminster, Mhairi Black, warned of a possible split if the finance secretary had won the leadership.\n\nSeveral of her colleagues were said to have been furious over her attack on Mr Yousaf's record, which they believe will be quoted repeatedly by opposition parties as they seek to attack the SNP's record in government.\n\nThe Scottish Conservatives have already said they want to use Ms Forbes' remarks in their next party political broadcast.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/uk-scotland-scotland-politics-64886840"}
{"title":"Teachers' strikes: Keegan says pay deal is final offer - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-28","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"Some unions are urging members to reject the deal, as the NEU announces another two potential strike days.","section":"Family & Education","content":"The National Education Union is urging members in England to reject the new pay offer\n\nAn increased pay deal for teachers is the government's final offer, Education Secretary Gillian Keegan has said.\n\nMost staff would get a \u00a31,000 payment this year and a 4.3% rise next year.\n\nThe NEU has announced another two potential strike days in England and is urging members to reject the deal.\n\nIf they do, the decision will be passed back to the pay-review body, which recommended a 3% rise from September 2023, Ms Keegan says - and the \u00a31,000 payment for this year would be lost.\n\nThe education secretary said she was disappointed unions were advising the rejection of \"a fair and reasonable offer\".\n\nShe said the government had gone \"as far as we can\" with negotiations and added that inflation is expected to be much lower next year, when the pay rise would take effect.\n\nIf the pay offer was accepted, \"it will be funded, as we know that is important to schools\", Ms Keegan added.\n\nThe government says it is giving schools \u00a32.3bn over the next two years and starting salaries for new teachers will reach \u00a330,000 next year.\n\nBut the National Education Union (NEU) is urging its members to vote to reject the latest pay offer because it is \"not good enough\" and \"is not fully funded\" - - meaning it would have to be funded partly by money already promised to schools.\n\nA letter from Ms Keegan to the unions said that funding for the new pay offer would come from additional money awarded to schools in the Autumn budget and that schools will receive extra funding for the \u00a31,000 one off payment and 0.5% of the pay increase for next year.\n\nThe result of their ballot will be announced on Monday, 3 April. And if they turn the deal down, the next two days of strike action in England will be:\n\nThe NEU says it is speaking to head teachers to ensure exam preparation for GCSE and A-level students is not interrupted.\n\nThree other unions, the NASUWT, Association of School and College Leaders and National Association of Head Teachers are also balloting members on the offer, with the NAHT also asking if they would take industrial action if it is rejected.\n\nNAHT members first voted to strike in January - but turnout was 42%, below the legal requirement of 50%.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/education-65098959"}
{"title":"EV: Wales' electric vehicle charging strategy embarrassing - report - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-28","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"Out of 37,000 public charging devices across the UK, only 2,400 are in Wales, committee hears.","section":"Wales","content":"Out of the 37,000 public charging devices across the UK, only 2,400 (6.4%) were in Wales, Senedd committee hears\n\nProgress towards getting more electric vehicles on the road in Wales has been described as \"embarrassing\".\n\nA cross-party Senedd committee looked at the Welsh government's plan to develop a network of charging points.\n\nThe chairman of the committee, Plaid Cymru MS Llyr Gruffydd, said its strategy had been beset by \"broken promises and inadequate progress\".\n\nThe Welsh government said Wales had seen the biggest growth in charger and rapid charger provision across the UK.\n\nFewer than half of the Welsh government's main commitments had been delivered on time, while work on some of the others had only just begun, many months after the deadline, a report by the Senedd's Climate Change, Environment and Infrastructure Committee found.\n\nIt said the lack of progress calls into question the Welsh government's ability to deliver, especially in rural areas where the lack of electricity grid capacity is a significant issue.\n\nIts action plan includes setting up a \"connections group\" to co-ordinate the development of infrastructure, yet the group has never been established.\n\nAnother proposed group, which would have brought together community organisations to determine the best locations for charging points across the country, was also never created.\n\nGwenllian Owen says she needs to plan ahead more now she has an electric car\n\nGwenllian Owen from Llangefni, on Anglesey, took delivery of a new all electric vehicle two weeks ago and got rid of her petrol car.\n\n\"I think may main worry was: where will I get it charged? How much is it going to cost me to charge it? Especially now the cost of electricity and everything is so high,\" she said.\n\n\"It's working out quite well. I'm probably spending around \u00a350 a month to charge it, while my previous car, to fill it up every week-and-a-half to two weeks, that would cost me about \u00a375 to \u00a380 to do that.\"\n\nAsked about the availability of charging points, she said: \"There's no doubt about that - there's a need.\n\n\"It is happening, but it's happening at a slower rate, so there needs to be a lot more investment from the government to ensure that the facilities are there for people when they are travelling.\n\n\"From north to south Wales, that's a journey I do in a motorhome, but I would really need to plan ahead if I drove down in my electric car because there would be a few stops on the way where I'd need to recharge.\n\n\"So yes, it's a lot of preparation, but it's part of the excitement, isn't it?\n\n\"I'm pleased with it. It's quiet, it's clean and I feel I'm doing my bit for the environment.\"\n\nOut of the 37,000 public charging devices across the UK, only 2,400 (6.4%) were in Wales, the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT) told the committee in January.\n\nContacted by the BBC to verify these figures, SMMT said they were approximate figures for the whole of 2022 based on Zap Map data at the time of the hearing.\n\nMembers of the committee also heard that despite a large growth in the number of chargers over the past few years, in Wales there is just one rapid charger per 15,000 people compared to one per 11,000 across the UK.\n\nElectric Vehicle Association (EVA) Cymru said that the lack of charging points represents the most significant barrier to the uptake of electric vehicles.\n\nIn terms of provision at home and work, EVA Cymru told the committee the Welsh government had also failed to review building regulations to ensure adequate parking spaces and charging points.\n\nThe report called on the Welsh government to complete a review as soon as possible and consider how hotels and visitor attractions could be encouraged to have charging points installed.\n\nCommittee chairman Mr Gruffydd said people would only switch to electric cars if they felt confident about being able to charge their cars when they needed to.\n\n\"Frustratingly, this is far from the case today,\" he said.\n\n\"There has been some progress over the last few years but nowhere near where it needs to be.\n\n\"The Welsh government's Action Plan isn't even 18 months old yet and some of the targets have already been missed. This is unacceptable - and embarrassing.\"\n\nSpeaking on BBC Radio Wales, Deputy Minister for Climate Change Lee Waters said: \"We've got a plan and we are working through it. We've got limited resources and rather than just spraying charging points everywhere we are working out where are the best places to put our resource to best effect.\"\n\nMr Waters said he was \"not embarrassed\" by progress made so far and said he did not think people should be nervous about the lack of electric charging points.\n\n\"I have an electric car and as long as you plan it's fine,\" he said.\n\n\"You will not regret buying one and once you have bought one you won't go back.\"\n\nA Welsh government spokesman said: \"We welcome today's report which contains some key learnings for us as we work to deliver the charging infrastructure Wales needs.\n\n\"We were pleased to see that Wales is now showing the greatest percentage increase of any UK region in charging and rapid charging provision.\n\n\"This is thanks to an ambitious delivery programme we have developed with key partners and we now look forward to building on these foundations.\"","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/uk-wales-65069542"}
{"title":"Where next for Scotland as the Nicola Sturgeon era ends? - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-28","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"The first minister's resignation triggered a divisive leadership campaign - but what could happen now?","section":"Scotland politics","content":"Nicola Sturgeon is standing down after eight years as first minister\n\nIf Nicola Sturgeon had prevailed, Scotland would be going to the polls again this autumn to consider dissolving the 316-year-old union with England.\n\nLast summer, the outgoing first minister proposed 19 October 2023 as the date when, for the second time in nine years, voters would be asked \"Should Scotland be an independent country?\"\n\nThe plan she set out in Edinburgh was thwarted by politicians and judges in London.\n\nThe Conservative prime minister Boris Johnson refused to recognise a pro-independence majority in the Scottish Parliament - the accepted trigger for the first referendum in 2014 - as a mandate for a second vote.\n\nThen, in November, the UK Supreme Court ruled that the Scottish Parliament did not have the power to organise its own referendum without Westminster's approval.\n\nThe Supreme Court issued its ruling on the indyref2 case in November 2022\n\nThe judgment laid bare the true nature of the 1707 union which created the state of Great Britain. While theoretically a marriage of equals, one partner, it seemed, could not leave without the other's consent.\n\nMs Sturgeon had run out of road and she knew it.\n\nAfter briefly flirting with the idea of treating the next general election as a referendum in all but name, she announced her resignation less than three months after the court ruling.\n\nHer departure marks the end of a remarkable career as a political campaigner.\n\n\"Eight election victories in eight years as first minister, that's the verdict that matters to me,\" said Ms Sturgeon in her 286th and final session of First Minister's Question Time on Thursday.\n\nTriumphs in three general elections, two Holyrood elections, two local government elections, and a European parliamentary election are impressive for sure - but, unusually for a political party, winning elections to enact policies in government is not actually the central mission of the SNP.\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Nicola Sturgeon addresses the Holyrood chamber for the last time as first minister\n\nOn the binary measure of independence, Ms Sturgeon, like Alex Salmond before her, leaves office as a failure. Scotland remains in the United Kingdom.\n\nShe began campaigning for independence as a teenager in 1980s Ayrshire and was just 21 when she first stood for election, unsuccessfully challenging Labour in the working class Glasgow Shettleston constituency under the SNP slogan \"Free by '93\".\n\nThirty years on, the SNP has made great strides towards its goal but Ms Sturgeon's resignation implicitly acknowledges that Scotland will not be \"free\" by '23, or any time soon after.\n\nThe abrupt announcement of her departure set in train a damaging and divisive leadership contest, with splits emerging on economic and social issues as well as on electoral and constitutional strategy.\n\nDiscipline, for which the SNP had been famed, began to crumble.\n\nEven contenders for Ms Sturgeon's crown publicly criticised the lack of progress on independence during her eight years in office.\n\nHumza Yousaf, Kate Forbes and Ash Regan are competing to become the next SNP leader\n\n\"For too many years, we've become the party of referendums rather than the party of independence,\" said Finance Secretary Kate Forbes, who promises to \"turn a divided nation into a settled majority\" for leaving the UK.\n\nAccording to former minister Ash Regan: \"The SNP has lost its way. There's been no progress on independence in the last few years, despite the worst UK governments of all time.\"\n\n\"I think what we are now hearing publicly is what many people have been saying privately for a long time,\" says James Mitchell, professor of public policy at Edinburgh University.\n\nThe SNP's looming crisis deepened when the party admitted that it had covered up a dramatic fall in its membership, prompting the resignations of director of communications, Murray Foote, and chief executive Peter Murrell, who is married to Ms Sturgeon.\n\nAlso following his wife out of government are two of her most trusted lieutenants, senior adviser Liz Lloyd and Deputy First Minister John Swinney.\n\nIt has been a chaotic and painful few weeks for the SNP and yet the final days of the first minister's tenure have been characterised by boosterism and denial.\n\n\"The SNP's not in a mess,\" Ms Sturgeon insisted on ITV's Loose Women. \"It's going through, how can I put this, some growing pains right now.\"\n\nThen there was her denial that SNP president Mike Russell had said the party was in a mess.\n\nMr Russell had answered the question \"Is your party in turmoil?\" with the words: \"Well, I think it's fair to say that there's a tremendous mess and we have to clear it up.\"\n\nMs Sturgeon also insisted that her party had not lied to journalists about its plummeting membership figures despite evidence to the contrary, not least the resignations of Mr Foote and Mr Murrell.\n\nThe whole membership affair was, leadership contender and Health Secretary Humza Yousaf told Tuesday's Times Radio debate, a \"total own goal\".\n\nSo, is Nicola Sturgeon's dream of a sovereign Scottish state, standing tall on the world stage, dead and buried?\n\nHistory says don't be so sure.\n\nOn the day the Hollywood epic Braveheart had its American premiere in Seattle, a more peaceful political drama was playing out on the streets of the old country.\n\nThe death of the Conservative MP for Perth and Kinross had triggered a by-election, and the SNP candidate Roseanna Cunningham was on the march - and under attack.\n\nA senior Tory accused Ms Cunningham - caricatured as Republican Rose because she opposed the monarchy - of fighting a campaign \"against Queen and country\".\n\nAt 18 years old, I was easily the least experienced journalist on the by-election trail - but even I could see that the Tories were in trouble in territory which they had dominated for decades.\n\nTheir candidate, a gaffe-prone merchant banker, was keen to talk about one topic above all others, campaigning (literally) under the banner: \"A Strong Union\".\n\nYou could understand why. The spoils of Empire; the unifying experience of defying Hitler's Germany; and the creation of the welfare state had all bound Scotland tightly into the union.\n\nRoseanna Cunningham (centre) put independence at the heart of her by-election campaign in 1995\n\nMargaret Thatcher's response, as Conservative prime minister during the 1980s, was to fight and win a war abroad while hastening a profound economic shift at home.\n\nHer vision of a modern British economy meant moving away from state subsidy of heavy industry; weakening the trade unions; and encouraging the creation of wealth through private enterprise.\n\nFor many in Scotland, where culture, tradition and pride were intertwined with coal, steel and textiles, the pace of change was bewildering.\n\nA lack of direct and obvious benefit from the vast quantities of oil being sucked out of the North Sea also contributed to a rise in nationalist sentiment.\n\nBy the time of the Perth and Kinross by-election, Scotland was rediscovering an old identity.\n\nWhen it premiered in Stirling that autumn, Braveheart's romanticisation of the wars of independence from England in the 13th and 14th Centuries seemed in tune with the mood of the moment.\n\nHaving placed independence front and centre in her campaign, Ms Cunningham won handsomely, further reducing Tory Prime Minister John Major's slender majority in the House of Commons.\n\n\"Scotland is waking from its slumber,\" proclaimed the victorious new MP during a feisty and raucous declaration in the city hall.\n\nWas it though? The SNP had scored spectacular by-election successes before \u2014 Motherwell in 1945; Hamilton in 1967; and Glasgow Govan in 1973 and 1988 \u2014 only to lose each seat at the subsequent general election.\n\nThis time was different. Perth remains SNP territory to this day.\n\nThe party may be in trouble now but, with large majorities of younger voters telling pollsters that they support independence, the constitutional question which hangs over Scottish politics is not going away.\n\nIt is a question which Labour, a party forged in the din of Scotland's industrial revolution, has tussled with since its creation.\n\nThe Scottish Labour Party was founded in 1888 by two extraordinary but very different men, the miner and trade unionist Keir Hardie, and the aristocratic adventurer RB Cunninghame Graham.\n\nHardie went on to become the first leader of the UK Labour Party in 1906; Cunninghame Grahame the first president of the Scottish National Party in 1934.\n\nThe most fundamental change to Scottish governance in the democratic era was delivered by Labour when the Scottish Parliament took charge of domestic affairs such as health and education in 1999.\n\nBut it was the SNP which benefited most, gradually capturing almost all of the post-industrial seats which Labour had held for decades and, from 2007, taking charge of the Scottish government.\n\nLabour's Donald Dewar was the first first minister of Scotland when the Scottish Parliament opened in 1999\n\nNearly a quarter of a century later, Labour is led by Keir Hardie's namesake, Sir Keir Starmer, who spies an opportunity in the SNP's travails.\n\nOn Friday I accompanied Sir Keir, Scottish Labour leader, Anas Sarwar and shadow climate change and net zero secretary, Ed Miliband on a trip to SSE's Beatrice wind farm off the east coast of Caithness.\n\nThe leader of the opposition at Westminster was in buoyant form, and no wonder.\n\nHis party sees the departure of multiple election winner Nicola Sturgeon \u2014 whom he calls a \"giant in Scottish politics\" \u2014 as great news.\n\n\"The SNP is imploding,\" he told me on the harbour side at Wick. \"I think everybody can see that.\"\n\nThe party, he added, \"has run out of road when it comes to the case for independence and that's shone a light on their record\".\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser.\n\nWith a large and sustained polling lead across the UK, and signs of improvement in Scotland, Labour may be in a positive place but the path to Downing Street is not straight and clear, running through mixed terrain.\n\nFirst, there is the cosmopolitan and multicultural domain of London and other big English cities.\n\nThen there are the more socially conservative, Brexit-inclined \"red wall\" seats, in the Midlands and the north of England, which switched from Labour to Boris Johnson's Conservatives at the last general election.\n\nFinally there is the party's old Scots fiefdom, stretching from Ayrshire in the west through the central belt to Fife in the east, where the SNP have dominated with a pro-independence, pro-European message since 2015.\n\nThe SNP hold 45 of the Scottish 59 seats at Westminster (two more have defected to Alex Salmond's Alba Party since the last general election) but Labour strategists now reckon at least 15 of those would be competitive based on current polling, particularly in Glasgow, Fife, Midlothian and East Lothian.\n\nWith that in mind, on this trip Sir Keir appears to have adopted the doctor's maxim: first, do no harm. In our interview he uses the word \"humility\" a lot.\n\n\"I think Labour lost its way and got too far from voters here in Scotland and that's why I've spent a lot of time in Scotland listening, engaging, talking about the future,\" he says.\n\nPrecisely what he means by getting too far from the voters is not terribly clear.\n\nSir Keir Starmer, Ed Miliband and Anas Sarwar travelled to the Beatrice wind farm off Caithness on Friday\n\nHow would he respect the democratic will of the Scottish people to remain in the European Union, and the pro-independence majority in the Scottish Parliament?\n\nThe real answer to both questions is, he won't. But that would sound harsh so he adopts softer language.\n\nOn Brexit he says: \"If you want a closer relationship with the EU, I hear you, I agree with you and we will set about ensuring that we do have that close relationship.\"\n\nOn independence he rejects \"breaking up the United Kingdom,\" while recognising that there is a \"desire for change\".\n\nLabour's attempt to defuse independence as an issue is to acknowledge an asymmetry in political and economic power between the prosperous south east of England and other parts of the UK, which it proposes to tackle by embracing some of the recommendations in Gordon Brown's recent commission on the UK's future, while considering whether to adopt others.\n\nAlready on Labour's agenda are House of Lords reform; decentralisation of economic power to the nations and regions of the UK; and improved intergovernmental working between the various administrations of these islands.\n\n\"Decisions should be made by people most closely affected by those decisions,\" says Sir Keir.\n\nIsn't that an argument for independence?\n\nNo, he insists, it's an argument for local decision-making within the UK framework.\n\n\"The people in the Highlands can make decisions in partnership with the Labour government about the future living standards here, the future jobs, the skills we're talking about this morning,\" he explains.\n\nAware of this looming Labour threat, the SNP is keen to conflate Sir Keir's party with Rishi Sunak's, reminding voters that Labour and Tories joined together in the Better Together campaign against independence in 2014.\n\nLabour politicians joined Conservative and Liberal Democrat counterparts to campaign for the union ahead of the 2014 referendum\n\nSir Keir's decision to approvingly quote Margaret Thatcher in a speech on crime while in Stoke this week makes the SNP's job easier while underlining the Labour leader's difficulty in assembling such a diverse electoral coalition.\n\nStill, he can take comfort that his opponents here also face immense challenges.\n\nThe new SNP leader will have to tackle deep-rooted problems in Scotland's public services which are costing and blighting lives.\n\nHe or she will also be under pressure to set out a credible route map towards \u2014 and a credible plan for \u2014 independence.\n\nAnd the winner must also reunite a divided party in time for a general election expected to be held next year in which, it is now clearer than ever, Scotland will be a key battleground.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/uk-scotland-scotland-politics-65063944"}
{"title":"DR Congo man uses bare hands to rescue trapped gold miners - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-28","authors":null,"description":"Authorities say nine men survived the incident in the Democratic Republic of Congo.","section":null,"content":"Following heavy rain, a tragedy was narrowly averted at a collapsed gold mine in the Democratic Republic of Congo after nine miners emerged from the rubble.\n\nFootage shows the men crawling out of the narrow entrance after a man used his bare hands to clear away debris.\n\nA lack of safety procedures and proper equipment are factors often blamed for issues at local mines. Incidents like this are considered quite common in South Kivu province, which is peppered with informal, often-hazardous mining sites.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/world-africa-65095295"}
{"title":"Scotland 2-0 Spain: Steve Clarke's side earn consecutive Euro 2024 qualification wins - BBC Sport","published_date":"2023-03-28","authors":null,"description":"Sensational Scotland take a seismic leap in their bid for consecutive European Championships by stunning Spain in a heroic triumph.","section":null,"content":"Last updated on .From the section Football\n\nSensational Scotland took a seismic leap in their bid to reach consecutive European Championships by stunning Spain in a heroic triumph.\n\nScott McTominay crashed in a deflected opener after just seven minutes, triggering an explosion of noise inside a charged Hampden Park.\n\nSteve Clarke's team rode their luck to stay ahead at the break, only for McTominay to repeat his earlier feat just after the restart to cause chaos in the stands as well as in the bamboozled Spanish defence.\n\nScotland, in their first competitive victory over Spain for 39 years, now top Group A - three points above the humbled Spaniards and five in front of a stuttering Norway.\n\u2022 None Podcast: 'There's no reason this team can't get to the Euros'\n\nThis one was for the lovers. It was also for the the long suffering.\n\nScotland's support are among the most passionate. Even in defeat in Kazakhstan; in incessant matches with Israel; in a 1-0 humbling by Costa Rica; in a last-gasp Harry Kane equaliser; and also in getting to a major championships for the first time in a generation only to have your goalie lobbed from the half-way line.\n\nA top-10 side in Croatia were undone here 10 years ago, but surely not since World Cup finalists France were heroically beaten in 2006 and 2007 has that loyalty been vindicated as it was at a national stadium dripping with drama as much as the damp Glaswegian weather.\n\nClarke steered Scotland to Euro 2020, but in terms of landmark nights, this one is up there with dumping Denmark and shootouts in Serbia. And then some.\n\nFrom the seventh minute, Scotland were on the march. Pedro Porro, Spurs' beleaguered full-back, slipped, leaving the door open for Andy Robertson to pounce. His cut back was perfect for McTominay, whose low rifled shot whizzed off the sprawling Inigo Martinez and into the net.\n\nIf that was met with hysteria, you could have heard a pin drop when Scotland's new hero struck again on the 51st minute.\n\nThis time it was Kieran Tierney's cross after a marauding run that the Spaniards didn't deal with. Fifty thousand held their collective breath as the leather of McTominay's boot struck on the half volley.\n\nBedlam ensued in the stands, while Clarke allowed himself a modest fist pump in a fleeting glimpse of emotion.\n\nIn truth, it was a killer blow that caused Spain - who made eight changes from the side which overcame Norway 3-0 on Saturday - to capitulate. Passes all over the place, 50\/50s lost.\n\nThey were a shadow of the team that had the Scots clinging to a half-time lead. Their second defeat in 39 European Championship qualifiers was in the post.\n\nWhile Ryan Christie's meandering run and toe poke whistled past for what would have been a quick second, Espanyol's Joseulu soon caused chaos. He had a free header straight at Angus Gunn saved, before then thundering another off a rattled crossbar.\n\nThere was then a moment of madness from Robertson, who was lucky to escape a shoulder to Porro's jaw. It was a bombardment at that point.\n\nBut Scotland should have added to their lot, too. Lyndon Dykes steered over when one-on-one just before the break, while John McGinn whacked the bar straight from a free-kick.\n\nIn the end it did not matter. The game came to a close with a chorus of \"no Scotland, no party\". It may be going for some time.\n\nAre sweet dreams made of these? - analysis\n\nThis isn't how it's meant to be, is it?\n\nAfter two games, Scotland are sitting pretty in Group A. Their performance here was markedly up from the one which was enough in a perfunctory 3-0 win over Cyprus on Saturday. In truth, it is potentially a new watermark for this team.\n\nWith a new contract just signed, there is a feeling now Clarke and this squad have a real future. An anti-climactic Euro 2020 and a dismal World Cup play-off defeat will act as markers along the road for this team, painful memories in the rear-view mirror to offer a sign of what can happen when this wee nation gets carried away.\n\nBut the Tartan Army, just perhaps, can allow themselves to dream big again. Norway will be a different proposition with Erling Haaland back in their ranks, and undoubtedly Scotland got a Spain in transition at exactly the right time. But what a chance they now have.\n\u2022 None Scotland earned their first win over Spain since November 1984 (3-1 in a World Cup qualifier), while this was just their third ever competitive victory against them (1957, 1984 and 2023).\n\u2022 None Spain suffered their first defeat in a Euro qualifying match since October 2014 (1-2 v Slovakia), having won 17 of their last 19 such fixtures (D2) and never conceding more than once in a game in this run.\n\u2022 None Scotland have won five consecutive home matches for the first time since September 2006-October 2007, when they won six in a row between tenures of Walter Smith and Alex McLeish.\n\u2022 None McTominay became the first Scotland player to score a brace against Spain since Maurice Johnston in a World Cup qualifier in November 1984, which also came in a win at Hampden Park.\n\u2022 None McTominay has scored twice in each of his last two caps, becoming just the second Scotland player this century to score a brace in consecutive international outings, after James Forrest in November 2018.\n\u2022 None Robertson has assisted three goals in his last three games for Scotland, while he's the first player to assist in three consecutive appearances since Ryan Fraser in March 2019.\n\nScotland go to Norway on 16 June (19:45 BST) for an encounter which could have huge ramifications in Group A, before hosting Georgia three days later.\n\u2022 None Scott McTominay (Scotland) is shown the yellow card for a bad foul.\n\u2022 None Attempt saved. Lawrence Shankland (Scotland) left footed shot from the left side of the box is saved in the bottom left corner. Assisted by Callum McGregor.\n\u2022 None Attempt missed. Yeremy Pino (Spain) right footed shot from outside the box misses to the right following a corner.\n\u2022 None Offside, Spain. Gavi tries a through ball, but Nico Williams is caught offside. Navigate to the next page Navigate to the last page","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/sport\/football\/65022207"}
{"title":"Clearview AI used nearly 1m times by US police, it tells the BBC - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-28","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"Clearview AI has been used by the police nearly a million times in the US, it tells the BBC.","section":"Technology","content":"Facial recognition firm Clearview has run nearly a million searches for US police, its founder has told the BBC.\n\nCEO Hoan Ton-That also revealed Clearview now has 30bn images scraped from platforms such as Facebook, taken without users' permissions.\n\nThe company has been repeatedly fined millions of dollars in Europe and Australia for breaches of privacy.\n\nCritics argue that the police's use of Clearview puts everyone into a \"perpetual police line-up\".\n\n\"Whenever they have a photo of a suspect, they will compare it to your face,\" says Matthew Guariglia from the Electronic Frontier Foundation says. \"It's far too invasive.\"\n\nThe figure of a million searches comes from Clearview and has not been confirmed by police. But in a rare admission, Miami Police has confirmed to the BBC it uses this software for every type of crime.\n\nClearview's system allows a law enforcement customer to upload a photo of a face and find matches in a database of billions of images it has collected.\n\nIt then provides links to where matching images appear online. It is considered one of the most powerful and accurate facial recognition companies in the world.\n\nHoan Ton-That, founder and CEO of Clearview AI, speaking with the BBC\n\nThe company is banned from selling its services to most US companies, after the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) took Clearview AI to court in Illinois for breaking privacy law.\n\nBut there is an exemption for police, and Mr Ton-That says his software is used by hundreds of police forces across the US.\n\nPolice in the US do not routinely reveal whether they use the software, and it is banned in several US cities including Portland, San Francisco and Seattle.\n\nThe use of facial recognition by the police is often sold to the public as only being used for serious or violent crimes.\n\nIn a rare interview with law enforcement about the effectiveness of Clearview, Miami Police said they used the software for every type of crime, from murders to shoplifting.\n\nAssistant Chief of Police Armando Aguilar said his team used the system about 450 times a year, and that it had helped solve several murders.\n\nHowever, critics say there are almost no laws around the use of facial recognition by police.\n\nMr Aguilar says Miami police treats facial recognition like a tip. \"We don't make an arrest because an algorithm tells us to,\" he says. \"We either put that name in a photographic line-up or we go about solving the case through traditional means.\"\n\nThere are a handful of documented cases of mistaken identity using facial recognition by the police. However, the lack of data and transparency around police use means the true figure is likely far higher.\n\nMr Ton-That says he is not aware of any cases of mistaken identity using Clearview. He accepts police have made wrongful arrests using facial recognition technology, but attributes those to \"poor policing\".\n\nClearview often points to research that shows it has a near 100% accuracy rate. But these figures are often based on mugshots.\n\nIn reality, the accuracy of Clearview depends on the quality of the image that is fed into it - something Mr Ton-That accepts.\n\nCivil rights campaigners want police forces that use Clearview to openly say when it is used - and for its accuracy to be openly tested in court. They want the algorithm scrutinised by independent experts, and are sceptical of the company's claims.\n\nKaitlin Jackson is a criminal defence lawyer based in New York who campaigns against the police's use of facial recognition.\n\n\"I think the truth is that the idea that this is incredibly accurate is wishful thinking,\" she says. \"There is no way to know that when you're using images in the wild like screengrabs from CCTV.\"\n\nHowever, Mr Ton-That told the BBC he does not want to testify in court to its accuracy.\n\n\"We don't really want to be in court testifying about the accuracy of the algorithm\u2026 because the investigators, they're using other methods to also verify it,\" he says.\n\nMr Ton-That says he has recently given Clearview's system to defence lawyers in specific cases. He believes that both prosecutors and defenders should have the same access to the technology.\n\nLast year, Andrew Conlyn from Fort Myers, Florida, had charges against him dropped after Clearview was used to find a crucial witness.\n\nMr Conlyn was the passenger in a friend's car in March 2017 when it crashed into palm trees at high speed.\n\nThe driver was ejected from the car and killed. A passer-by pulled Mr Conlyn from the wreckage, but left without making a statement.\n\nAlthough Mr Conlyn said he was the passenger, police suspected he had been driving and he he was charged with vehicular homicide.\n\nHis lawyers had an image of the passer-by from police body cam footage. Just before his trial, Mr Ton-That allowed Clearview to be used in the case.\n\n\"This AI popped him up in like, three to five seconds,\" Mr Conlyn's defence lawyer, Christopher O'Brien, told the BBC. \"It was phenomenal.\"\n\nThe witness, Vince Ramirez, made a statement that he had taken Mr Conlyn out of the passenger's seat. Shortly after, the charges were dropped.\n\nBut even though there have been cases where Clearview is proven to have worked, some believe it comes at too high a price.\n\n\"Clearview is a private company that is making face prints of people based on their photos online without their consent,\" says Mr Guariglia.\n\n\"It's a huge problem for civil liberties and civil rights, and it absolutely needs to be banned.\"\n\nViewers in the UK can watch the Our World documentary into Clearview AI on BBC iPlayer","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/technology-65057011"}
{"title":"Israel protests: PM Netanyahu delays legal reforms after day of strikes - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-28","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"His proposed changes provoked an outpouring of anger from nearly all parts of Israeli society.","section":"Middle East","content":"An uneasy calm is returning to Israel after Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced he would delay a key part of controversial plans to overhaul the justice system.\n\nOn Monday night he said he would pause the legislation to prevent a \"rupture among our people\".\n\nHowever it is unclear what a delay will achieve beyond buying time.\n\nIt followed intensified protests after he fired his defence minister, who had spoken against the plans.\n\nIn unprecedented events, the country's biggest trade union called a strike, and Israelis watched society close down around them.\n\nFrom the main airport to shops and banks - even in hospitals - services were stopped. The co-ordinated action was designed to push Mr Netanyahu back from the brink of pushing through the reforms by the end of this week.\n\nOpposition Leader Yair Lapid called it the \"biggest crisis in the history of the country\".\n\nThe government, Israel's most right-wing ever, is seeking to take decisive control over the committee which appoints judges. The reforms would give the parliament authority to override Supreme Court decisions with a basic majority and would make it difficult to declare a prime minister unfit for office and remove them from power.\n\nMr Netanyahu said the changes would stop courts over-reaching their powers, but critics said they would help him as he faces an ongoing trial for corruption. He has been on trial facing charges of bribery, fraud and breach of trust in three cases. The prime minister denies any wrongdoing and claims he is the victim of a \"witch hunt\".\n\nThe proposed changes have provoked an outpouring of anger from nearly all parts of Israeli society, including parts of its powerful military, since they were announced on 4 January.\n\nMany Israelis also rallied in support of the judicial reforms in Jerusalem on Monday\n\nWhen he finally addressed the nation on Monday night, he was quick to cast blame. He accused an \"extremist minority\" of trying to divide the nation, and criticised military reservists who had opposed the bill by saying they wouldn't report for duty. His own part in the country's upheaval was not acknowledged.\n\nThe solution Mr Netanyahu has proposed will buy him time, but it won't solve the problem - demonstrators were fighting for this bill to be scrapped, not delayed.\n\nIsrael's opposition have said they'll enter into fresh dialogue.\n\nMr Netanyahu's far-right coalition partner, the Jewish Power party, said they had withdrawn a veto on any delay to passing the reforms in return for a guarantee that Mr Netanyahu would pass them during the next session of parliament.\n\nThat could happen any time from the end of April, when parliament returns following a recess which begins on Sunday.\n\nItamar Ben-Gvir, Jewish Power's leader, also said he accepted the delay because, in exchange, Mr Netanyahu had agreed to put his national security ministry in charge of a new \"national guard\".\n\nIn the heart of Jerusalem, around the Knesset, supporters and critics held counter-protests. One thing united them - the blue and white flag waved by both groups. This is one nation, for weeks bitterly divided and Israelis know it is not over yet.\n\nPolice had to separate rival groups of protesters in Jerusalem\n\nProtests erupted on Sunday after Netanyahu fired his defence minister Yoav Gallant, who had spoken out against controversial plans to overhaul the justice system.\n\nHowever a nationwide strike put forward by the Histadrut labour union was called off after Mr Netanyahu said he would delay the reforms.\n\nIsrael's president, Isaac Herzog, said the delay was \"the right thing to do\". He had previously called for an immediate halt to the plans.\n\nMr Lapid cautiously welcomed the delay to the reform package.\n\n\"If the government engages in a real and fair dialogue we can come out of this moment of crisis - stronger and more united - and we can turn this into a defining moment in our ability to live together,\" he said.\n\nElsewhere, the White House said US President Joe Biden would address the Israeli prime minister's decision later on Monday.\n\nSpokesperson John Kirby said the United States remained concerned about the situation in Israel but declined to comment specifically on the delay.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/world-middle-east-65093509"}
{"title":"Essex cliff collapse captured on camera on Mersea Island - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-28","authors":null,"description":"Rocks, earth and a whole tree crash down to the beach on an erosion-threatened island.","section":null,"content":"A dog walker had a lucky escape as a cliff collapsed on to a beach where she had been just minutes earlier.\n\nBeth Holmes filmed the moment a large section, which included boulders and a tree, fell away and crashed to the ground.\n\nIt happened at about 08:00 BST on Sunday at Cudmore Grove Country Park on Mersea Island in Essex.\n\nMs Holmes said: \"I don't know many people that have seen it first hand like that, so it was pretty fascinating. Slightly scary.\"","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/uk-england-essex-65101112"}
{"title":"Kate Forbes: SNP leadership candidate leaves government - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-28","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"Her departure came hours after SNP leader Humza Yousaf was confirmed as Scotland's new first minister.","section":"Scotland politics","content":"Ms Forbes and Mr Yousaf embraced after he was confirmed as Scotland's new first minister on Tuesday afternoon\n\nKate Forbes, who finished second in the SNP leadership race, is to leave the Scottish government.\n\nThe BBC understands the finance secretary was offered a move to rural affairs by the new first minister, Humza Yousaf, but turned down the job.\n\nHer departure came hours after the new SNP leader was confirmed as Scotland's first minister after a vote in the Scottish Parliament.\n\nThe post she was offered by Mr Yousaf would be seen as a major demotion.\n\nMs Forbes later tweeted that Mr Yousaf had her \"full support\" and said: \"I have full confidence he will appoint a talented cabinet and ministerial team, able to meet the challenges facing the country.\"\n\nShe had been on maternity leave from her role when Nicola Sturgeon resigned as first minister and SNP leader last month.\n\nMr Yousaf was elected as first minister after being backed by his own MSPs and the Scottish Greens, which guaranteed him a majority over the opposition party leaders.\n\nHe becomes Scotland's youngest first minister, at the age of 37, and the first Muslim to lead a major UK party.\n\nPrime Minister Rishi Sunak spoke to Mr Yousaf to congratulate him on Tuesday.\n\nMs Forbes had launched a highly-personal attack on Mr Yousaf during the SNP leadership contest when she questioned whether he was capable of being first minister during a live STV debate.\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser.\n\nShe told Mr Yousaf: \"You were transport minister and the trains were never on time, when you were justice secretary the police were stretched to breaking point, and now as health minister we've got record high waiting times\".\n\nMs Forbes came under fire from senior SNP colleagues during the campaign over her socially conservative views on issues like abortion and gay marriage, with Mr Yousaf warning the party against a \"lurch to the right\".\n\nHer beliefs as a member of the evangelical Free Church of Scotland also clash with those of the Scottish Greens, who had threatened to walk away from their power-sharing agreement with the SNP if she had won the contest.\n\nSpeaking shortly after being confirmed as the new first minister on Tuesday afternoon, Mr Yousaf said he had spoken to Ms Forbes and \"absolutely\" wanted her to remain in government - but it was not known at that stage what role she had been offered or whether she would accept.\n\nMr Yousaf narrowly defeated Ms Forbes by 26,032 votes to 23,890 to become SNP leader on Monday after a contest that exposed deep divisions within the party.\n\nThe result was closer than many people expected, and showed that Ms Forbes has considerable support among grassroots SNP members despite Mr Yousaf being backed by the party hierarchy.\n\nPolling expert Prof Sir John Curtice has said Ms Forbes appeared to be more popular than Mr Yousaf with Scottish voters as a whole.\n\nMs Forbes congratulated Mr Yousaf after he was confirmed as the new SNP leader on Monday, saying: \"Whatever the robust disagreements or frank exchanges of the last few weeks, I am confident we will unite behind Humza as our new party leader in the shared and common objective of independence\".\n\nThe pair also embraced in the Scottish Parliament chamber after the vote that saw him also appointed as the country's sixth first minister.\n\nFollowing the vote, Mr Yousaf announced that Shona Robison - who has been serving as the social justice secretary and was a close ally of Ms Sturgeon - would be appointed as his deputy first minister.\n\nScottish Conservative chairman Craig Hoy said Mr Yousaf had \"poured petrol on the SNP civil war\".\n\nNicola Sturgeon tendered her resignation as first minister in a letter to the King\n\n\"Kate Forbes' furious snub to his offer of a cabinet demotion shows his mission to reunite their feuding party is doomed to failure,\" he said.\n\n\"It makes a mockery of his claim only yesterday that: 'We are no longer team Humza, or team Ash, or team Kate, we are one team.' The reality is the SNP are divided from top to bottom.\"\n\nIn his conversation with the new first minister on Tuesday, the prime minister is said to have reiterated his desire to \"continue working constructively with the Scottish government\".\n\nAfter his victory, Mr Yousaf promised he would \"argue tirelessly for independence\"\n\nHe raised the question of an independence referendum during their call, but Mr Sunak suggested this would \"distract\" from \"delivering on the things that are top of the priority list for people across Scotland\".\n\nEarlier in the day, Nicola Sturgeon officially tendered her resignation as Scotland's first minister in a letter to the King.\n\nThis is a big setback for Humza Yousaf's efforts to reunite the SNP after a bruising leadership contest in which Kate Forbes ran him close.\n\nOn Monday, he appealed for the party to come together as \"one team\" and to quickly heal the divisions that opened up in the campaign.\n\nToday he told me he \"absolutely\" wanted Kate Forbes in government but within a couple of hours she had turned down his offer to move to rural affairs.\n\nThat would have been a demotion from finance but those close to Humza Yousaf say it was a genuine offer informed by earlier indications from Kate Forbes.\n\nAllies of Kate Forbes say she has had to consider whether or not she could effect real change in Mr Yousaf's government.\n\nShe will also have weighed up whether serving in his team would help or hinder her prospects should there be another leadership contest in the coming years.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/uk-scotland-scotland-politics-65105951"}
{"title":"New cars sold in EU must be zero-emission from 2035 - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-28","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"The deal was delayed for weeks after Germany called for an exemption for cars running on e-fuels.","section":"Europe","content":"An exhaust pipe of a car in Berlin, Germany\n\nCountries in the European Union have approved a landmark law that will ensure all new cars sold from 2035 must have zero emissions.\n\nPoland voted against the law, while Italy, Bulgaria and Romania abstained.\n\nThe agreement was delayed for weeks after Germany called for an exemption for cars running on e-fuels.\n\nE-fuels are argued to be carbon neutral because they use captured CO2 emissions to balance out the CO2 released when the fuel is combusted in an engine.\n\nThe new law had been expected to make it impossible to sell internal combustion engine cars in the EU from 2035.\n\nHowever, the exemption won by Germany will now help those with traditional vehicles - even though e-fuels are not yet produced at scale.\n\nThe EU will say how sales of e-fuel-only cars can continue later this year.\n\nPassenger cars and vans are responsible for about 12% and 2.5% respectively of total EU emissions of CO2, the main greenhouse gas, according to the European Commission.\n\nEarlier this month the UN warned that the world was likely to miss a target for limiting the rise in global temperatures to 1.5C.\n\nThe new EU law will require all new cars sold to have zero CO2 emissions from 2035, and 55% lower CO2 emissions from 2030, compared to 2021 levels.\n\nGermany's late opposition came after EU countries and politicians had already agreed the 2035 phaseout and caused anger among some EU diplomats.\n\n\"As a matter of principle, we don't like this approach. We think it is not fair,\" Spanish energy minister Teresa Ribera said, adding that current assessments suggested e-fuels were too expensive to become widely used.\n\nPorsche and Ferrari are among the supporters of e-fuels, which they see as a way to avoid their vehicles being weighed down by heavy batteries.\n\nBut other carmakers including Volkswagen, Mercedes-Benz and Ford will use electric vehicles to decarbonise.\n\nGerman transport minister Volker Wissing said Tuesday's agreement would \"open up important options for the population towards climate-neutral and affordable mobility\".\n\nEU climate policy chief Frans Timmermans added: \"The direction of travel is clear: in 2035, new cars and vans must have zero emissions,\"","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/world-europe-65105129"}
{"title":"Lisbon stabbing: Two women killed at Ismaili Muslim centre - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-28","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"The attacker was arrested after the incident at the city's Ismaili Centre, Portuguese police say.","section":"Europe","content":"Two people were killed in the attack on Tuesday\n\nTwo women have been stabbed to death at a Muslim religious centre in the Portuguese capital Lisbon.\n\nThe attack took place at the Ismaili Centre on Avenida Lus\u00edada. The suspect, who was in possession of a large knife, was shot in the leg by police.\n\nHe was then detained and taken to hospital. The motive for the attack on Tuesday is not clear.\n\nPolice said they received a call at about 11:00 local time after the suspect entered the centre.\n\nOfficers asked the suspect to stop the attack, but he disobeyed and was shot.\n\nThe attacker is believed to be Afghan and the two victims were Portuguese women - one was the attacker's English teacher at the centre and the other a fellow classmate, according to Portuguese media.\n\nPrime Minister Antonio Costa said it appeared to be \"an isolated act\" and discussing a possible motive was \"premature\".\n\nThis was echoed by home affairs minister Jose Luis Carneiro, who said \"the circumstances and motivations\" of the attack were being investigated.\n\nHe said the alleged attacker was a \"relatively young man\" with three young children and his wife had died in a refugee camp in Greece.\n\nThe president of the Afghan community Association, Omed Taeri, said the attacker arrived in Portugal \"a year or so ago\" and was being aided by the Ismaili centre.\n\nPolice said a motive for the attack had not yet been determined\n\nMr Carneiro said the man often visited the centre to to study Portuguese, collect food donations and for childcare. He added that the victims worked at the centre's refugee support programme.\n\nPolice urged the public to avoid the area near to the Ismaili Centre on Tuesday.\n\nIsmailism is a minority branch of Shia Islam. Its members recognise Prince Karim Aga Khan as their spiritual leader.\n\nThe Ismaili community in Portugal is one of the largest in continental Europe, numbering thousands, including many who fled Mozambique during its civil war.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/world-europe-65097098"}
{"title":"France pension protests: Tear gas used in Paris as unrest grows in French protests - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-28","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"Paris police say 27 people have been arrested in the French capital during demonstrations over pension reforms.","section":"Europe","content":"We're bringing our live coverage of the 10th day of strike action across France to a close.\n\nWhile many demonstrated peacefully, clashes between protesters and police took place in large cities such as Paris and Nantes.\n\nThe protests are unlikely to go away, with a new strike date now scheduled for April.\n\nTo read more of our French coverage, head over here.\n\nToday's coverage was brought to you by our editors Alexandra Fouch\u00e9, Jeremy Gahagan, Sarah Fowler and Jamie Whitehead. Our writers were Malu Cursino, Ece Goksedef, Jack Burgess, Kathryn Armstrong and Alys Davies. And our video content was produced by James Harness.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/live\/world-europe-65099736"}
{"title":"Teachers' strikes: NEU urges teachers to reject new pay deal - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-28","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"Schools in England could face further strikes, as the NEU is unhappy with the government's offer.","section":"Family & Education","content":"Teachers from the National Education Union held three national strike days in February and March\n\nSchools in England could face further strike action as the National Education Union has asked teachers to reject a new pay offer, after intensive talks.\n\nThe government has offered teachers a \u00a31,000 extra cash payment this year and a 4.3% rise for most staff next year.\n\nMany teachers in England received a pay rise of 5% in September 2022 but unions say this was a cut due to inflation.\n\nThousands of schools were disrupted by the latest walkout by teachers who are members of the NEU.\n\nFour unions have been involved in six days of intensive talks with the education secretary since 17 March about teachers' pay, conditions and workload.\n\nThe NAHT, NEU, ASCL and NASUWT unions have been calling for above-inflation pay rises, funded by extra money from the government rather than coming from schools' existing budgets.\n\nThe government says it is giving schools \u00a32.3bn over the next two years and starting salaries for new teachers will reach \u00a330,000 next year.\n\nIt says this is \"a fair and reasonable offer\" and commits to reducing workload by five hours each week.\n\nIn an interview with the BBC, Kevin Courtney, the NEU's general secretary, said his union was unhappy with the offer and believed it was \"not fully funded in schools, and that the majority of schools would have to make cuts in order to afford it\".\n\nMembers will be able to vote on the offer through an electronic ballot, which will run until Sunday. The result of that will be announced at the NEU conference on 3 April.\n\nMore walkouts could be called if members reject the offer.\n\nMr Courtney said the \"lack of teacher pay rises\" was one reason schools were struggling to recruit and retain staff.\n\n\"That's impacting on children's education every day,\" he said.\n\nSpeaking to BBC Breakfast, Mr Courtney said the government \"isn't funding schools well enough\".\n\nIf accepted \"60% of schools would have to make cuts to fund even this inadequate offer\", he said.\n\nHe stressed that if further strikes were planned \"local arrangements\" would be made to ensure Year 11 and Year 13 students would be in school ahead of exams.\n\nThe NASUWT union is also recommending its members reject the government's offer. It says the government has chosen to respond only to a small number of the working-condition issues raised by unions.\n\nThe school leaders' union, the NAHT, is asking members whether they want to accept or reject the offer.\n\nIt will also ask if they would be prepared to vote for industrial action if the offer is rejected.\n\nResults of their first ballot in January showed that the majority of members were in favour of strike action but turnout was 42%, under the legal requirement of 50%.\n\nThe ASCL is also consulting its members.\n\nMore than 50% of schools in England were fully closed or restricted attendance during strike days on 15 and 16 March, according to government data\n\nTeacher salaries fell by an average of 11% between 2010 and 2022, after taking inflation into account, the Institute for Fiscal Studies says.\n\nThe government had offered most teachers a 3% rise for the next school year, 2023-24.\n\nThe NEU says the new pay offer will give teachers an average increase of 4.5%, but experienced teachers will get 4.3%. The union says this is a real-terms pay cut which will leave many teachers still struggling to make ends meet.\n\nThe BBC has been told if the unions reject the offer, the decision on how much teachers will be offered will be passed to the pay review body, an independent body which gathers evidence on what some public sector workers are paid. But if this happens, the \u00a31,000 cash payment for this year would not happen.\n\nOutside a primary school in Manchester, Fahad, who has two primary school-aged children, says he is still supportive of the teachers' demands even if more strikes go ahead.\n\n\"These professions should be looked after and given more support and more increase in pay,\" he says.\n\nFarnaz said teachers were well within their rights to strike if they wanted to, but that \"it's hard when they're off because then I have to take time off work\".\n\n\"I hope they come to some sort of agreement and that (teachers) do get what they want,\" she adds.\n\nA Department for Education spokesperson said the government had put forward a \"fair and reasonable offer, backed with funding for schools\".\n\n\"The offer provides an average 4.5% pay rise for next year, puts \u00a31,000 into the pockets of teachers as a one-off payment for this year, and commits to reducing workload by five hours each week.\n\n\"This is a good deal for teachers that acknowledges their hard work and dedication.\"\n\nFahad, who has two children in primary school, says if more strikes go ahead he is still supportive of teachers' demands\n\nThe dispute over teachers' pay has been resolved in Scotland.\n\nTeachers in Scotland have accepted a 7% rise for 2022\/23, which will be backdated to April. They have also accepted a 5% rise in April 2023, and a 2% rise in January 2024.\n\nTeachers from the largest teaching union in Wales, the NEU, have agreed on an increased pay offer of 8% for 2022\/23, which consists of a 6.5% annual pay rise and a one-off lump sum payment, as well as a 5% pay rise for 2023\/24.\n\nBut Wales' school leaders' union, NAHT Cymru, has rejected the offer and says funding arrangements remain a major concern for school leaders. Members are continuing to take action short of strikes - which includes refusing to attend evening meetings and only responding to calls and emails between 09:00 and 15:00 BST.\n\nIn Northern Ireland, five unions are also continuing to take action short of a strike.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/education-65037422"}
{"title":"How Nashville police stopped school shooting in four minutes - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-28","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"Police fatally shot the suspect just minutes after arriving at Nashville's Covenant School.","section":"US & Canada","content":"This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser.\n\nAmerica's latest mass shooting was put to a stop by police officers minutes after they arrived at Nashville's Covenant School.\n\nThe shooting began at 10:10 AM (16:10 BST) on Monday when 28-year-old Audrey Hale arrived at the school and approached a side entrance.\n\nCCTV footage from inside the school depicts what happens next: glass doors shatter in a flurry of gunshots, allowing the heavily armed attacker to enter.\n\nOver the next 11 minutes or so, three children and three staff members would be fatally shot. The attack would end with police officers shooting Hale dead, four minutes after arriving at the school.\n\nHere's what we know about how the tragedy unfolded.\n\nAccording to Hale's parents, the attacker left home on Monday morning carrying a red bag, which authorities now believe contained the weapons used in the shooting. Hale dismissed her mother when she asked about the contents of the bag.\n\nIt is unclear what time this took place or how much time passed until Hale arrived at Covenant School. CCTV footage shows her arriving to the school's parking lot in her car at about 09:54 AM.\n\nCCTV footage shows the shooter arriving at the school in her car before the shooting.\n\nCustodian Michael Hill, 61, was shot through the glass during the opening salvo of gunfire at 10:10 AM. Police received the first 911 call about the shooting three minutes later at 10:13 AM.\n\nAt a news conference on Tuesday, Nashville Police Chief John Drake said the head of the school, Katherine Koonce, was found in a hallway where a \"confrontation\" had taken place with the suspect.\n\nIt is not clear where the other victims were found, although police believe none of the victims were targeted individually.\n\nWhen the officers arrived, the suspect fired at them from an upstairs window, damaging at least one police car.\n\nNashville Police Chief John Drake said investigators believed that the suspect had some training to be able to fire from an elevated position, positioned slightly back from the window in order to not be \"an easy target\".\n\nAn unidentified woman can be heard telling officers that two children are missing,\n\nThe rest of what we know about the shootings comes from six minutes of bodycam footage from officers Rex Engelbert and Michael Collazo.\n\nThe footage shows Mr Engelbert at the school and quickly arming himself with a rifle from the boot of his vehicle. It is unclear what exact time this took place, as the bodycam has no time stamp.\n\nAs he exits his vehicle, an unidentified woman tells him that \"the kids are all locked down\" but that two children are unaccounted for. Soon after, the woman, who appears to be in communication with staff members inside, notes that \"a bunch of kids\" are upstairs.\n\nJust over a minute after arriving, Mr Engelbert and the other officers enter the school and begin a methodical sweep of the first floor before moving up towards the second, where gunfire can be clearly heard.\n\nIn a clip taken from Mr Collazo's bodycam, an officer can be heard saying \"we've got one down\", to which Mr Collazo replies: \"Keep pushing.\" The officers then begin jogging down a hall, past a victim on the floor.\n\nThe video shows that Mr Engelbert first encountered the shooter after rounding a corner into an atrium from where Hale appeared to be shooting.\n\nHe fires four shots at Hale, who falls to the ground. Other officers fire four more shots and shout at the shooter to stop moving. The suspect's weapons are then removed as the shooter lies motionless in front of the atrium window.\n\nThe shooting of the suspect took place less than four minutes after officers first pulled up to the school in their vehicles.\n\nThe actions of the officers at the scene - particularly Mr Engelbert and Mr Collazo - have been credited with saving the lives of other potential victims.\n\nIn an interview with the BBC's US media partner CBS News, Mr Drake said that \"we could have [had] far more casualties than we had\".\n\n\"They immediately responded when inside, addressed and mitigated the suspect,\" he added.\n\nThe response in Nashville appears to stand in stark contrast to police actions in the May 2022 shooting at Robb Elementary in Uvalde, Texas.\n\nIn that incident, police hesitated for 74 minutes, giving the suspect more time to kill. A total of 21 people, including 19 children, died.\n\n\"I would say that under extreme circumstances, they [Mr Engelbert and Mr Collazo] went above and beyond,\" police trainer Todd McGhee told the local Tennessean newspaper. \"Those first responding officers were the model response in how active shooter response should be.\"","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/world-us-canada-65104487"}
{"title":"Royal Mail talks over pay on brink of collapse - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-28","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"A source says continuing strike action could mean Royal Mail is put into administration.","section":"Business","content":"Talks to resolve a long-running row with Royal Mail staff over pay and conditions are close to collapse.\n\nDiscussions are \"precarious\" and in their \"last throes\", with the next 24-48 hours key to settling the dispute, a source close to the talks said.\n\nThe Royal Mail board is reported as threatening to put the firm into administration if a deal is not done.\n\nThe BBC understands that there may be movement on the current pay offer to unions to try and resolve the issues.\n\n\"Administration is a real possibility for Royal Mail if the industrial action continues. It is not a negotiating ploy,\" the source told the BBC.\n\nA separate source said that Royal Mail is in \"uncharted territory\" in terms of what would happen if it went into administration, but the unprofitable letter delivery part of the business would likely have to be split from the parcel delivery part.\n\nA Royal Mail spokesman said the firm is \"doing all we can\" to resolve the dispute, and that the firm is \"committed to getting the right deal\".\n\nBut he said the firm has been \"very clear about the damaging impact of strike action\".\n\nA CWU spokesman said it was \"clear\" that Royal Mail Group are in a \"serious financial situation\", but that this was due to \"mismanagement and recklessness at the most senior level of the company\".\n\n\"There is no positive future for Royal Mail without the support of the workforce,\" he added.\n\nThe government would have to approve a move into administration.\n\nThis could mean Royal Mail, including Parcelforce, is declared insolvent.\n\nThe dispute is not just over pay. Royal Mail is also trying to make changes to the way postal staff do their jobs including changes to start times and sick pay.\n\nThe long-running dispute has seen workers and management at loggerheads, leading to industrial action including a strike over Christmas, with further possible strikes.\n\nThe company has been beset by recent problems, including the prospect of further strikes, and a cyber attack which disrupted overseas mail.\n\nRoyal Mail has said it is losing \u00a31m a day and that it is projected to lose more than \u00a3350m for the financial year ending in April.\n\nIt has said the strikes have cost the company \u00a3200m in lost business and in covering striking staff.\n\nTalks between the company and the Communications Workers Union (CWU) have been ongoing since the end of last year.\n\nIn the past few days, Sir Brendan Barber, the former head of the TUC and ex-chair of conciliation service Acas, has been brought in to help facilitate the talks.\n\nThere is currently a pay offer of 9% over two years starting in April, including a 2% offer for 2022\/23.\n\nThe business says modernisation is essential if the company is to improve its parcel delivery service.\n\nThe firm has been trying to move away from letter delivery, which it has said is unprofitable, but it is obliged to deliver letters to all parts of the UK.\n\nThe CWU has previously said that Royal Mail's management was trying to \"casualise\" the postal service and that they \"want to turn it into an Uber-style employer\".","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/business-65099143"}
{"title":"Bank of England on heightened alert for further banking turmoil - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-28","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"Bank of England says it remains vigilant after US bank collapses spark fears over financial stability.","section":"Business","content":"The Bank of England is on \"heightened\" alert for further turmoil in the banking sector, its governor has said.\n\nHowever, Andrew Bailey told MPs the recent problems facing lenders had not caused stress in the UK banking system.\n\nOfficials have tried to calm investors since Silicon Valley Bank and Signature Bank failed, sparking concerns about the stability of other lenders.\n\nIn Europe, worries over the strength of Swiss banking giant Credit Suisse led to a rushed takeover by rival UBS.\n\nNerves among investors have sparked sharp falls in banking shares around the world.\n\nMr Bailey told MPs on the Treasury Committee that the Bank of England would \"go on being vigilant\".\n\nHe said we were in a period of \"very heightened, frankly, tension and alertness\".\n\nThe collapse of Silicon Valley Bank (SVB) was the biggest US banking failure since the 2008 financial crisis, and left depositors struggling to get their money out.\n\nThe collapse was linked to recent rises in interest rates which had hit the value of SVB's assets.\n\nUS regulators had to step in to protect customers, while the lender's UK arm was rescued by HSBC.\n\nThe episode has generated heated debate in the US about whether SVB was subject to appropriate supervision and if officials responded properly to its collapse.\n\nAt a hearing in Washington on Tuesday, financial regulators called the failure \"a textbook case of mismanagement,\" casting blame on SVB leaders for failing to adjust strategies as interest rates rose last year, despite warnings from officials.\n\nBut they faced questions from senators who said the episode had also revealed failures in oversight.\n\n\"It looks like regulators knew the problem but nobody dropped the hammer,\" said Senator Jon Tester, a Democrat from Montana.\n\nUK banking officials admitted to MPs that the speed of the SVB's collapse had taken them by surprise and may mean that banking rules may need updating.\n\nMr Bailey said it was \"the fastest collapse from health to death\" since the UK's Barings Bank failed in 1995 after suffering heavy losses resulting from fraudulent investments.\n\nSam Woods, the chief executive of the Prudential Regulation Authority, noted that SVB UK saw about a third of its deposits - \u00a33bn - withdrawn on one day.\n\nHe twice suggested to the MPs that the stress tests applied to UK banks to make sure they can withstand a crisis would need to be looked at, given how new technology meant deposits could be withdrawn electronically in seconds.\n\nHowever, Mr Bailey told MPs he did not think the UK was in a position similar to the 2008 global financial crisis, when banks stopped lending to each other, plunging the world into a deep recession.\n\nHe added that while rising interest rates were \"an issue\" for US banks, they were less likely to affect UK lenders because they were regulated differently.\n\nIn the US the head of the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp, Michael Gruenberg, said the SVB saga had shown the increased risk of bank runs at at a time when \"money can flow out of institutions with incredible speed in response to news amplified through social media channels\".\n\nHe and other regulators in the US expressed support for strengthening banking rules, changes which some politicians such as Elizabeth Warren have championed.\n\nBut stricter regulation is opposed by Republicans - reducing the chance of it happening.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/business-65099136"}
{"title":"Rotherham grooming survivor awarded \u00a3425k after suing rapist - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-28","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"Liz says she is \"proud\" to have brought the action against the man who raped her as a teenager.","section":"Sheffield & South Yorkshire","content":"It is hoped the case will encourage other survivors to take action\n\nA rapist convicted as part of the Rotherham grooming scandal has been ordered to pay \u00a3425,000 in damages to his victim by the High Court.\n\nThe grooming survivor, who is known as Liz, started civil proceedings against Asghar Bostan in 2020.\n\nBostan was jailed for nine years in 2018 following a trial at Sheffield Crown Court.\n\nLiz said she was \"proud\" to have brought the case and hoped it would show survivors could get justice.\n\nShe said she was approached to take the action as a test case.\n\n\"I decided to go with it, not having my hopes up, but we managed to get a result,\" she said.\n\nHer solicitor Robin Tilbrook described it as an \"ice-breaker\" of a case, which would allow \"others to follow\".\n\nAsghar Bostan was jailed for raping Liz in 2018\n\nDuring Bostan's trial in 2018, Liz recounted being raped twice by him at a flat in Rotherham after being given alcohol and drugs.\n\nHis prosecution followed the National Crime Agency's Operation Stovewood inquiry into historical sexual abuse in Rotherham.\n\nLiz said despite his conviction she did not believe the judicial process worked for abuse survivors.\n\n\"We've been walking around for years and years full of trauma and psychological damage,\" she said.\n\nShe said they had faced a constant battle, but hoped her legal action would show that survivors could come forward and get justice.\n\n\"I wanted to give something back not only to myself, but to other survivors and do something not only for Rotherham but for all the UK,\" she said.\n\nReferring to the damages of \u00a3425,934.09 she was awarded, she said it had not \"sunk in\" yet.\n\n\"I am really, really pleased for the outcome and really, really pleased this might open the floodgates for other survivors.\n\n\"It will never heal the past, we will always walk in these shoes, but it is about closing a chapter.\"\n\nMr Tilbrook said the key question for bringing action was that the defendant had been convicted, in this case of two counts of rape.\n\n\"The damage is endured for the life of the victim therefore the amount of damages are always likely to be very large.\"\n\nHe said his client had been \"very brave\" and was a \"great example to all the other victims\".\n\nLiz said: \"I am proud this is what I have done and this could help so many people.\"\n\nBostan was released from prison in 2022, and the Probation Service said sex offenders faced some of the \"strictest licence conditions\", adding: \"If an offender breaches their conditions we will not hesitate to return them to prison to protect the public.\"\n\nFollow BBC Yorkshire on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. Send your story ideas to yorkslincs.news@bbc.co.uk.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/uk-england-south-yorkshire-65090793"}
{"title":"Retailer Next buys Cath Kidston in \u00a38.5m deal - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-28","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"The deal does not include its four shops, and administrators warn there will be redundancies.","section":"Business","content":"Retailer Next has bought floral fashion brand Cath Kidston from administrators in a deal worth \u00a38.5m.\n\nNext has taken on the name and intellectual property but not Cath Kidston's four shops.\n\nAdministrators PwC said the shops would stay open while \"operations are wound down\", but added there would be redundancies.\n\nNext has been snapping up struggling retailers, buying Made.com and fashion chain Joules late last year.\n\nCath Kidston collapsed in 2020 with the loss of nearly 1,000 jobs and the closure of all its UK shops.\n\nIt was bought and relaunched by private investment firm, Baring Private Equity Asia, which then sold the business last July to restructuring firm Hilco Capital.\n\nHilco had reportedly been looking at a sale of the business last month.\n\nPwC said the retail sector \"continues to be exposed to testing market conditions\".\n\nCath Kidston had been hit by the \"decline in consumer spending driven by cost-of-living pressures and rising costs,\" administrator Zelf Hussain said.\n\nThe company currently employs 125 people, with stores in London, Ashford, Cheshire Oaks, and York.\n\nThese will remain open to trade down stock before closing permanently.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/business-65103576"}
{"title":"Osprey chick migrates 4,000 miles from Scotland to Barbados - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-28","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"The female was tagged last summer in Renfrewshire but was this month spotted in the Caribbean.","section":"Scotland","content":"Experts identified the osprey by its unique tag\n\nA female osprey has completed a \"remarkable\" transatlantic journey from Scotland to Barbados.\n\nThe bird of prey, which was tagged last summer in Clyde Muirshiel Regional Park in Renfrewshire, was spotted on the Caribbean island earlier this month.\n\nThe Roy Dennis Wildlife Foundation said it covered 4,124 miles during its epic journey from Lochwinnoch.\n\nAnd one expert said it was the first time a UK osprey had been observed in the Americas.\n\nNature conservationist and writer Tim Mackrill said ospreys had been colour-ringed in the UK since the late 1960s.\n\nThis has provided a wealth of valuable data on everything from longevity to migratory movements.\n\nWriting on the foundation website, Mr Mackrill said: \"We have received some very interesting re-sightings over the years, from a bird that returns to winter on the Canary Islands each year, to others which have migrated as far south as the Ivory Coast and Ghana.\n\n\"However, earlier this month we received what is undoubtedly the most remarkable record of all.\"\n\nMr Mackrill said the foundation was contacted by conservationist Michael St John, who photographed a female with a blue ring on its left leg.\n\nHe added: \"Nothing unusual there until I noticed where he had seen it - Bawdens Irrigation Pond in the north of Barbados in the Caribbean.\n\n\"The ring number was clearly visible - KW0, which indicated it was a bird from Scotland.\"\n\nThe osprey was first observed six miles away at Fosters private wetland on 25 October but on that occasion Mr St John had not been able to read the ring.\n\nKW0 was one of two chicks ringed on 23 June last year at a nest in Clyde Muirshiel Regional Park by the Clyde Ringing Group.\n\nThe osprey was photographed in Barbados by conservationist Michael St John\n\nIt is estimated they left Scotland on migration in late August or early September.\n\nMr Mackrill said some Finnish Ospreys were known to migrate to South Africa for winter, which is a greater distance.\n\nBut he added that most of the Scottish osprey's journey was across the Atlantic.\n\nIts route is thought to have been from south-west Ireland to Barbados, which is about 3,800 miles.\n\nMr Mackrill said: \"It is highly unlikely that even an osprey could have completed this in a single flight, even with strong tailwinds, and so it is probable that she took the opportunity to rest on boats, which may themselves have been travelling to the Caribbean from the UK.\n\n\"It could be that KW0 stopped-off on the Azores en route to Barbados.\n\n\"One thing we can be certain of is that KW0 must have departed on migration in exceptional condition in order to have survived this remarkable transatlantic crossing.\"\n\nMr Mackrill said the bird appeared \"very settled\" and may well remain on the island for the foreseeable future.\n\nDuncan Orr-Ewing, RSPB Scotland's head of species and land management, said: \"Ospreys never cease to amaze us with their incredible exploits but this latest sighting of a ringed Scottish osprey in Barbados is certainly one of the best yet.\n\n\"The RSPB is pleased to have played a pioneering role in Scotland, encouraging the osprey's return as a breeding bird from the 1950s at Loch Garten in the Highlands, and we can now see this species gradually re-occupying all of its former range across the UK.\"\n\nThe BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/uk-scotland-65089646"}
{"title":"Can Humza Yousaf unite the SNP? - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-28","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"Humza Yousaf faces several challenges as he takes over as SNP leader and Scotland's first minister.","section":"Scotland politics","content":"Humza Yousaf will face several challenges in his new job\n\nHumza Yousaf faces some enormous challenges as he takes over from Nicola Sturgeon as SNP leader and Scotland's first minister.\n\nBeing the leader of a divided nation and a divided party is difficult.\n\nThe narrow nature of his victory does not make it any easier.\n\nIn his acceptance speech, he acknowledged the \"bruising\" nature of the leadership campaign and called for divisions to be healed quickly.\n\nTo some extent that will depend on what he decides to do next.\n\nHe will need to consider carefully whether he wants to give his defeated rivals jobs in government and if so which posts to offer.\n\nOne of his supporters told me to expect a \"generosity of spirit\".\n\nHaving defeated Kate Forbes by 52% to 48% she enjoys a substantial following in the party.\n\nHumza Yousaf defeated Ash Regan and Kate Forbes in the leadership contest\n\nMight he want to recognise that with a very big job? If so, the most obvious upgrade from her current role as finance and economy secretary would be to deputy first minister.\n\nThat's not a prediction. Just an observation. I expect that whatever she might be offered, Kate Forbes would want a fair amount of autonomy if she is to continue in government.\n\nIf he can reach an agreement with her, that could go some way to easing tensions.\n\nThen of course there are significant policy issues to be addressed. Not least the Scottish government's response to the UK blocking the gender recognition reform bill.\n\nAt the start of the leadership contest Humza Yousaf seemed committed to challenging that position in court. More recently, he has left a little more room for manoeuvre by saying he would be guided by the legal advice he receives.\n\nWhile his power-sharing partners in the Greens will be looking for a robust approach, that could risk prolonging divisions in his own party. Careful handling is required.\n\nHumza Yousaf noted in his acceptance speech that delivering independence is the shared goal that unites the SNP.\n\nWhile that is substantially true, it may not be the only factor. It seems to me electoral success and the strong leadership of Alex Salmond and then Nicola Sturgeon have also had a binding effect.\n\nIt is not yet clear whether Humza Yousaf can maintain their grip.\n\nHis approach to the independence question will also be important.\n\nWhile he has distanced himself from the idea of using the next election as a substitute referendum, he has promised to renew calls for the UK government to give Holyrood the power to hold a vote.\n\nThat may help to underline his commitment to the cause but it is not likely to alter Rishi Sunak's response, which has been to reject indyref2.\n\nHe also risks sending out a mixed message to the wider Scottish public.\n\nHumza Yousaf has promised to be a first minister for everyone in Scotland and to earn the trust and respect of those who are not persuaded on independence by governing well and focusing on shared priorities.\n\nIf the first thing he does is to formally demand another independence referendum, he may struggle to convince some that he is serious about those commitments.\n\nHe has said dealing with cost of living pressures and NHS recovery will be his first concerns.\n\nThese are another two massive challenges that suggest the new first minister's honeymoon period in office, if he gets one, may be particularly short.\n\nAfter being voted leader of the Scottish National Party, we ask - who is Humza Yousaf?\n\nAvailable now on BBC iPlayer (UK only).","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/uk-scotland-scotland-politics-65095168"}
{"title":"Martine Vik Magnussen: Billionaire\u2019s son admits role in death to BBC - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-28","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"Farouk Abdulhak, who fled to Yemen after the death of a student in London, admits his involvement.","section":"UK","content":"Martine Vik Magnussen's body was found buried under rubble in 2008\n\nA billionaire's son, who fled to Yemen within hours of the death of a student in London 15 years ago, has admitted his involvement to the BBC.\n\nThe body of Martine Vik Magnussen, 23, was discovered under rubble in a Great Portland Street basement in 2008.\n\nFarouk Abdulhak, who is on the Met Police's most wanted list and is the subject of an international arrest warrant, has never spoken about the case before.\n\nHe told the BBC Vik Magnussen died as a result of a \"sex accident gone wrong\".\n\nI was a student myself when Martine's body was discovered, and I found the reports about it deeply shocking, especially as the main suspect in her murder was Yemeni - I am also from Yemen.\n\nSo when I joined the BBC as a journalist in 2011, it was one of the first stories I pursued. My main goal was to find answers for Martine's family, who regard her death as a test of international law. The UK has no extradition treaty with Yemen.\n\nBut it wasn't until last year that I finally managed to make contact with Farouk Abdulhak. My communication with him began over social media. Hundreds of journalists have reached out to him over the years and he has ignored them all. But our shared Yemeni background helped me gain his trust. Ten days after we first started texting, he sent me the first of what would turn out to be a series of revelatory messages.\n\n\"I did something when I was younger, it was a mistake,\" he wrote.\n\nDuring the thousands of texts and hundreds of voice notes he sent me over five months, not once did he use Martine's name or refer to her death, preferring the terms \"incident\" or \"accident\".\n\nBut the coroner's report made clear how violently the Norwegian student had died - the result of \"compression to the neck\" which \"could mean she was strangled, held down or smothered\". Her body showed 43 cuts and grazes, \"many of them typical of assault type injuries or those received in a struggle\".\n\nNawal Al-Maghafi on the phone to Farouk Abdulhak\n\nFarouk and Martine both studied at Regent's Business School in London, and Martine was hoping to become a financier in the capital. The last time her friends saw her alive was during the early hours of 14 March 2008, at the exclusive Maddox nightclub in Mayfair, where she and Farouk were celebrating the end of exams.\n\nThose friends say Farouk then offered to host an after-party at his apartment in Great Portland Street, central London. They were too tired to go, but say Martine wanted to continue partying. CCTV shows her leaving the club with Farouk at 02:59. There are no witnesses as to what happened next. By sunrise, she would be dead - though her body would not be discovered for at least another 48 hours. By this time, Farouk had fled the UK on a flight to Cairo. He then got on his father's private jet to Yemen. Farouk's lawyer insisted he was innocent of murder.\n\nFarouk isn't just any Yemeni. Brought up between the US and Egypt, he is the son of Shaher Abdulhak, one of the richest and most powerful men in Yemen. He forged an empire of sugar, soft drinks, oil and arms, and was a close friend of the president at the time, Ali Abdullah Saleh.\n\nWhen I first tried to speak to Farouk in 2011, I spent months in Yemen looking for him. But I had to leave when the authorities warned me to drop the story.\n\nIn February 2022 I decided to look into the case again - from London. By this time, Farouk's father had died and president Saleh had stepped down. I wondered if it would now be possible to get Farouk to talk.\n\nBut I also knew it wouldn't be easy. When a friend got hold of his number, I messaged him over several different apps but received no response. And then the friend noticed he was using Snapchat.\n\nNawal had been trying to make contact with Farouk Abdulhak for years\n\nI sent him a message and he responded within seconds. His first question was to ask where I was from. I gave him the name of the affluent Yemeni neighbourhood I grew up in, sensing that he was probably based there too. I was right. Immediately his interest was piqued.\n\nNow I had opened a dialogue with him, it was a matter of gaining his trust, especially as I never hid my profession - in our first few exchanges I told him I was a journalist.\n\nOur initial chats were simply about our similar experiences. Despite his incredible wealth, in some ways we had a lot in common. We exchanged stories of skiing in the same Swiss resorts, studying in international schools and the places we both liked going to in London.\n\nAnd then he started to open up.\n\n\"I did something when I was younger it was a mistake\u2026,\" he texted. \"I told you my real name, I can't specifically go to the UK for something that happened there.\n\n\"The only reason I am scared is you told me you're a writer and journalist.\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Watch: BBC reporter Nawal Al-Maghafi plays recordings of her phone conversations with Farouk Abdulhak for Martine\u2019s father\n\n\"You're the last person I should talk to.\"\n\nThe speed at which he began to take me into his trust might seem surprising, but bear in mind that Farouk is incredibly isolated. His entire family lives outside Yemen - including his now ex-wife and daughter - having fled the country's devastating civil war. But he dare not visit any of them for fear of arrest.\n\nNone of his friends who I spoke to during my investigation have heard from him since he fled - though all said they were shocked when they read about Martine's death at the time, saying his suspected involvement seemed completely out of character.\n\nMartine, Cecilie and Nina in Maddox night club on the night she died (far left to right)\n\nNow that Farouk seemed ready to share more, I made it explicit that I worked for the BBC and wanted to report on his story.\n\nAmazingly, this did not stop him talking.\n\nSo I asked him to elaborate on an earlier text exchange in which he'd talked about having \"major regrets\". He replied:\n\n\"1: I deeply regret the unfortunate accident that happened. 2 regret coming here [to Yemen] should have stayed and paid the piper.\"\n\nAt the same time, I was also interviewing other people connected with the case, including Martine's father and closest friends. This made the investigation one of the most difficult I've ever worked on. While I was speaking to those whose lives had been devastated by Martine's death and were desperate for answers, my phone was continually pinging with messages from Farouk.\n\nMartine's friends Nina Brantzeg and Cecilie Dahl were with her in Maddox nightclub the night she died. Cecilie had met Farouk with Martine before, and says they were friends. But that evening, he seemed different, she says - becoming upset when one of them took a photo of him and Martine, though Martine seemed unaware of anything unusual.\n\nAnother of Martine's friends, Thale Lassen, says she thinks Farouk had once tried to kiss Martine, and she had told him she wasn't interested. In fact, she says, Martine would often crash at his flat as it was so central. CCTV shows her linking arms with Farouk as they leave the club.\n\nWhen Martine didn't come home the next day, her friends reported her missing, but say it wasn't until someone noticed Farouk had deleted his Facebook account that police took matters seriously. They searched Farouk's apartment and quickly found her semi-naked body in the basement of his block.\n\nBy this time he had fled the UK. The police knew that Farouk had taken a commercial flight from London to Cairo, but didn't have detailed knowledge of his escape.\n\nMartine (right) and Farouk on the night she died\n\nI have managed to track down one of Farouk's father's closest friends in London - a man I am calling Samir. He told me he had received a call from Farouk in the early hours of 14 March asking for cash, saying he was urgently needed at home in Cairo and his credit cards weren't working. Samir says that while he was out getting the cash, Farouk passed out on his sofa, and it took pouring ice cold water on his face to revive him.\n\n\"It was as if he was on something,\" Samir tells me.\n\nHe says Farouk bought a ticket for the next flight to Cairo, and we know that from there his father transported him to Yemen - somewhere Farouk had never lived before, but from where it would be impossible to extradite him.\n\nI spoke about this further with another friend of Farouk's father - Jordanian businessman Abdulhay Al Mejali.\n\n\"His son wanted to go to England and sit in court and defend himself,\" he told me. \"But his father advised him not to get involved [and] stay in Yemen.\"\n\nJessica Wadsworth, the Met police's lead investigator on the case at the time, admits her heart sank when they established where Farouk had gone.\n\n\"Because you've missed the chance, of course. I've never had a murder investigation\u2026 where\u2026 by three or four days in, you realise your suspect is\u2026 unattainable,\" she says.\n\nThe police met Martine's family as their flight landed from Norway to tell them the news.\n\nHer father, Odd Petter Magnussen, told me of the devastation he felt.\n\n\"As a parent, that is the hardest moment of my life. Very close, nearly physically, to be ripped apart.\"\n\nDesperate for justice, Odd Petter wrote to Queen Elizabeth in 2010, who referred the killing to then London mayor Boris Johnson. Mr Petter has received several UK government commitments to help resolve the case. I have kept in touch with him regularly over the past 12 years, and have always promised to try to get answers about what happened to his daughter.\n\nAnd now I finally had the opportunity to hear Farouk's account of that night. About a month into our correspondence, I really started to try to directly dig for the truth.\n\nN: \"Do you want to tell me what happened?\"\n\nF: \"I don't know what happened it's all a blur.\"\n\nF: \"I have flashbacks every once in a while.\"\n\nI finally spoke to him on the phone. I asked him whether he would come back to the UK to face the consequences of Martine's death.\n\n\"I don't think justice will be served,\" he told me. \"I find that the criminal justice system there [in the UK] is heavily biased. I find that they will want to make an example of me being a son of an Arab, being\u2026 a son of someone rich\u2026 it's way too late,\" he said.\n\nBBC News Arabic's Nawal Al-Maghafi seeks answers to what happened to Martine and uncovers how money, political power and Yemeni law protected Farouk once he had absconded to Yemen, which has no extradition treaty with the UK.\n\nI flew to Yemen to try to meet him in person, but when I got there he told me that he would only meet me in his house - a risk I was not prepared to take.\n\nI told him how Martine's father is desperate to know what happened.\n\n\"As a man, as a human, as someone who's moral, I think someone should do that,\" he said in a phone call. But he then continued: \"Some things are better left unsaid. The real fact is if I don't remember what happened, there's nothing really to say.\"\n\nBack in London, I tried again to get to the truth, texting that I would always want to know what happened.\n\nAnd then he replied: \"It was just an accident. Nothing nefarious.\n\nHe continued: \"No-one knows because I could barely piece together what happened.\"\n\nWhen I asked him why, he replied with just one word: \"Cocaine.\"\n\nI asked him if he'd ever spoken to a lawyer here. He said he had.\n\n[Because of] \"Leaving the country and the body was moved.\"\n\nI asked him why he moved the body.\n\nI asked him if he had thought about handing himself in, and he said lawyers had advised him not to as he would now \"serve the harshest sentence\".\n\nI asked him multiple times throughout our conversations to do an on the record interview, but he refused.\n\nIt was time to tell Martine's father about my correspondence with Farouk.\n\nOdd Petter found listening to the phone calls very difficult. This was the first time he had ever heard the voice of the man suspected of killing his daughter.\n\n\"He has no empathy, obviously, with our family, and he doesn't show any sort of remorse or anything,\" he said.\n\nBut he said the new channel of communication with Farouk made him hopeful there could now be progress.\n\n\"I'm optimistic we might have a solution in the longer term\u2026 because we can talk to him. I'm more than ever convinced that there will be a solution to this case. I just hope it will be on\u2026 my ethical terms.\"\n\nI asked him what he would want to say to Farouk.\n\n\"Go back to the UK. Tell what happened to Martine. Because not only Martine deserves that, but also our family.\n\n\"The only right thing to do here would be, of course, to give us some sort of closure to the case, but also yourself.\"\n\nMetropolitan Police responded that Farouk Abdulhak was \"quickly identified as the only suspect in her rape and murder\".\n\n\"We continue to do everything in our power to have him returned to the UK to stand trial.\"\n\nThe documentary of the investigation by BBC News Arabic and BBC Current Affairs, Murder in Mayfair will be broadcast on BBC Two on Tuesday 28 March, 21:00 BST, and is also available on iPlayer. Also available on BBC Arabic TV, 20:05 BST Tuesday 28 March. The BBC World Service podcast, The Documentary, will be telling the story in a four-part mini-series called Murder in Mayfair. The Documentary: Murder in Mayfair will air on BBC World Service from Wednesday 19 April. All episodes will be available on 24 April on BBC Sounds and other podcast platforms.","link":"https:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/uk-65033048"}
{"title":"NI charity funding package being finalised, government says - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-28","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"The announcement comes four days before money from the European Social Fund comes to an end.","section":"Northern Ireland","content":"Many of the organisations which stand to lose EU funding help people with learning difficulties to gain workplace skills\n\nThe UK government has said a financial package is being finalised to help Northern Ireland charities facing a funding crisis at the end of March.\n\nThe announcement comes four days before money from the European Social Fund (ESF) comes to an end due to Brexit.\n\nLevelling Up Secretary Michael Gove said he was \"well aware of the need to deliver quickly\".\n\nSome charities have warned they would have to cut staff and support programmes if funding is not replaced.\n\nIt is still not clear if the UK government package will fully replace all the ESF funds.\n\nThe problem relates to the switchover from EU to UK funding and mainly applies to organisations which help people find employment.\n\nAbout \u00a340m a year of money from the ESF will come to an end on Friday.\n\nThis money was 35% match-funded from Stormont, giving \u00a354m in total.\n\nThe UK government's Shared Prosperity Fund is due to replace the ESF funding.\n\nSpeaking to MPs, Mr Gove said his ministerial colleague Dehenna Davison had \"been working to ensure we deal with the cliff edge\".\n\nHe said the total amount of spending being talked about was \u00a326.9m.\n\nOrganisations who help people with disabilities to work warned as far back as 2019 there was a \"lack of detail\" about what would replace EU funding.\n\nA leader in the sector said their warnings had been \"ignored and disabled people have been abandoned\".\n\nBut despite that warning four years ago, many groups do not yet know if their work will be funded on 1 April.\n\nBut although an application process for \u00a342m available over two years took place in December 2022 and January 2023, organisations who applied have still not been told if they will receive funding.\n\nBefore Mr Gove's announcement, BBC News NI obtained a briefing paper from the Northern Ireland Union of Supported Employment (NIUSE) which was published in May 2019.\n\nIt warned then of \"an absence of specific detail\" about how the Shared Prosperity Fund would operate.\n\nNow we are at crisis point with less than five days to go - Edyth Dunlop from NIUSE\n\n\"ESF is the primary and consistent source of funding for employment projects for disabled people in Northern Ireland,\" it said.\n\nThe briefing paper also warned there was a \"lack of clarity\" about long-term funding and that replacing ESF was \"a critical issue\".\n\nThe NIUSE represents a range of groups including Mencap, Disability Action, Action Mental Health and the Now Group who train and support people with disabilities to find employment.\n\nSome groups have warned the most vulnerable people in society will suffer if services lose funding.\n\nThey have also said that hundreds of jobs in the community sector are at risk.\n\nThe 2019 policy paper highlighted concerns over loss of EU funds\n\nEdyth Dunlop from NIUSE said the 2019 briefing paper showed the organisation had been \"forewarning\" both the UK government and Northern Ireland administration for years about the end of ESF funding.\n\n\"Now we are at crisis point with less than five days to go and it could have been diverted,\" she said.\n\n\"We have been ignored and disabled people have been abandoned.\n\n\"Often those most vulnerable are the easiest to ignore.\"\n\nNorthern Ireland has the lowest rate of employment for people with disabilities in the UK.\n\nJust over a third of disabled people in Northern Ireland are in work, compared with more than half in the rest of the UK.\n\nMs Dunlop told BBC News NI that \"it doesn't make sense to not continue vital services which address this\".\n\n\"From 1 April there will be no pre-employment training for disabled people or those most vulnerable unless actions and decisions are made now,\" she said.\n\n\"We want to work with the local departments and develop solutions together and address the high rate of economic inactivity and disability employment gap.\"\n\nOther organisations which work with groups like vulnerable young people or the long-term unemployed are also threatened by the uncertainty about funding.\n\nThe Department for the Economy (DfE) was the managing authority for ESF in Northern Ireland.\n\nIn a statement issued before Mr Gove's announcement, DfE said it \"empathises with the concerns of the sector currently supported under the NI European Social Fund (ESF) Programme\".\n\n\"The UK government has committed to fully replace EU structural funds through their Shared Prosperity Fund (SPF),\" they continued.\n\n\"We have been clear with all providers for some time now that we have no ability to finance this activity beyond March this year when the SPF is due to start.\"","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/uk-northern-ireland-65081565"}
{"title":"Nashville school shooting: Beloved school head among victims - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-28","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"A school head described as a saint and two other members of staff are among the fatalities.","section":"US & Canada","content":"This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser.\n\nA school head, a custodian and a substitute teacher are among the victims of a shooting that has left six dead at a school in Nashville, Tennessee.\n\nThree pupils were also killed in the attack by a 28-year-old former student on Monday. The children, all aged nine, have been named as Evelyn Dieckhaus, Hallie Scruggs and William Kinney.\n\nThe three employees killed were Cynthia Peak, 61, Katherine Koonce, 60, and Michael Hill, 61.\n\nPolice said they did not believe any of the victims had been specifically targeted.\n\nKoonce was the head of school at Covenant, and one parent told BBC News she was a \"saint\".\n\n\"She did so much for those kids,\" said the mother, who has two children enrolled at the school.\n\n\"She knew every single student by name,\" she said. \"She did everything to help them when families couldn't afford things, it didn't matter. She found ways for them to stay.\"\n\nRobert Gay said he met Ms Koonce when he was a student at Christ Presbyterian Academy, a small private Christian school in Nashville where he said Koonce once worked as a special education teacher.\n\nHe told BBC News she was always willing to encourage and empower her students.\n\n\"She could speak really carefully in a way that would encourage students to see the best in them and to grow,\" he said.\n\n\"She always made her students feel that they were loved by a God who cared about them personally, and that it was our job to show that love to each other as fellow people.\"\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Watch: 'No parent should have to receive that call'\n\nKoonce later became the head of the Covenant School, which was founded in 2001 as a ministry of Covenant Presbyterian Church, according to the school's website.\n\nMr Hill was a custodian at the school and his daughter, Brittany Hill said he died doing a job \"he absolutely loved\".\n\n\"Today my Dad lost his life at the Covenant School,\" she shared in a post on Facebook.\n\n\"I have watched school shootings happen over the years and never thought I would lose a loved one over a person trying to solve a temporary problem with a permanent solution.\"\n\nMike Hill was killed doing a job that he loved, according to his family\n\nMr Hill worked at the Covenant School for more than 14 years, according to a statement from his family. \"As we grieve and try to grasp any sense of understanding of why this happened, we continue to ask for support,\" the statement said.\n\nHe was a father of eight children, according to a GoFundMe made in his honour, and had 14 grandchildren, US media reported. He enjoyed cooking and spending time with family, his relatives told ABC News.\n\nTim Dunavant, a pastor at Hartsville First United Methodist Church, said he had previously worked at Covenant and had hired Mr Hill.\n\nHe said he would miss \"those encouraging texts out of the blue\" from Mr Hill, and would not be surprised if it turned out Mr Hill had sacrificed his life to save others because \"he's the kind of guy that would do that\".\n\nMs Peak was a substitute teacher working at the school on the day of the attack, police said.\n\nShe grew up in Louisiana. Chuck Owen, who said he was a lifelong friends of hers, wrote a tribute to her on Facebook saying he couldn't wrap his mind around her death. \"I grieve through tears as I write these words,\" he wrote.\n\nMs Peak is survived by her husband, daughter and two sons.\n\nShe had an \"unwavering faith in Christ\", her brother, Bill Broyles, told the Tennessean. \"She was a strong believer. She would want a positive approach on this to help God's kingdom on Earth.\"\n\nKoonce, 60, was a Baton Rouge native and graduated from Louisiana State University and University High Lab School.\n\nGovernor Bill Lee said his wife, Maria, had planned to meet Ms Peak on Monday night but was killed hours before.\n\nHallie was the daughter of Chad Scruggs, senior pastor at Covenant Presbyterian Church. He described his daughter as \"such a gift\" in a statement to ABC News.\n\nHe also spoke of his faith that they would one day be reunited.\n\n\"We are heartbroken,\" he told the outlet. \"Through tears we trust that she is in the arms of Jesus who will raise her to life once again.\"\n\nAt a church service held hours after the shooting, a senior minister at Woodmont Christian Church said Evelyn Dieckhaus was in the third grade. Her sister, who is two years older, cried during the service according to the Tennessean newspaper.\n\n\"I don't want to be an only child,\" the report quotes her as saying.\n\nIn a statement shared with US media, her family said their hearts were \"completely broken\".\n\n\"We cannot believe this has happened,\" they said. \"Evelyn was a shining light in this world.\"\n\nRachael Freitas, a friend of the family, described the 3rd grader as a child with an \"unflappable spirit\".\n\n\"He was unfailingly kind, gentle when the situation called for it, quick to laugh, and always inclusive of others,\" she wrote in a GoFundMe fundraiser she created in his honour. \"Sweet Will knew no strangers, and our hearts our broken for his family as they try to find their way forward.\"","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/world-us-canada-65095355"}
{"title":"Nashville school shooting: Nashville shooter bought seven guns legally - police - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-28","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"Police are giving an update on the school shooting that left six dead, including three children.","section":"US & Canada","content":"Robert Gay is calm and thoughtful as he speaks to me by phone about the Katherine Koonce he knew while in grade school.\n\nKoonce, one of the victims of Monday\u2019s shooting, was the Head of the Covenant School.\n\nShe was also a teacher at Christ Presbyterian Academy, which Gay attended from 2000-2006. He and his brother were good friends with Koonce\u2019s son, David.\n\n\u201cShe always made her students feel that they were loved by a God who cared about them personally and that it was our job to show that love to each other as fellow people,\u201d Gay said.\n\n\u201cShe was so engaged with all the students.\u201d\n\nThe school community was tight-knit, with less than 150 students enrolled there at the time. Gay says everyone knew everyone.\n\n\u201cShe helped identify the best ways for students to learn,\u201d he said. \u201cShe could speak really carefully in a way that would encourage students to see the best in them and to grow.\u201d\n\n\u201cThat encouragement is one of the biggest things I remember about her along with an incredible intelligence. Students walked away feeling empowered and maybe smarter than before she came into the room.\u201d","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/live\/world-us-canada-65087221"}
{"title":"Sam Bankman-Fried accused of Chinese bribe - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-28","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"New charges in the US accuse the former FTX founder of paying at least $40m to access frozen accounts.","section":"Business","content":"Sam Bankman-Fried, founder of failed crypto firm FTX, has been accused of bribing at least one Chinese official.\n\nIn new charges unveiled in the US, officials accuse the entrepreneur of authorising a bribe of \"at least $40m\" (\u00a332.5m) to try to gain access to trading accounts frozen by Chinese authorities.\n\nThe allegations add to the fraud case filed last year after FTX's collapse.\n\nMr Bankman-Fried pleaded not guilty to those claims earlier this year.\n\nHe is currently under house arrest at his parents' home in California while awaiting trial.\n\nThe updated indictment says Mr Bankman-Fried authorised the bribe after Chinese authorities froze accounts holding roughly $1bn (\u00a3811m) worth of cryptocurrency that belonged to his trading firm, Alameda Research.\n\nThe accounts were released after the transfer, which went to a private cryptocurrency wallet, according to the filing.\n\nThe alleged bribe followed months of other efforts to access the funds, which Mr Bankman-Fried believed were frozen as part of an investigation into another trading firm, it said.\n\nThe incident happened before FTX's dramatic collapse last year, when reports about the company's finances led to a rush of withdrawals, pushing the firm into bankruptcy.\n\nIn the wake of the collapse, which left many people unable to access their funds, the US filed criminal charges against Mr Bankman-Fried, accusing him of improperly using customer deposits at FTX to fund his other firm, Alameda Research, buy property and make millions in political donations.\n\nThe episode cast a dark cloud over the crypto industry, which was already suffering from big falls in the values of Bitcoin and other assets.\n\nIt was also a sharp fall from grace for Mr Bankman-Fried, who had been one of the most high-profile figures in the sector, leading an exchange which had more than 1 million users and ranked as the world's third largest trading platform by some measures.\n\nMr Bankman-Fried has acknowledged lapses in management, but denied fraud.\n\nThree of his closest colleagues have pleaded guilty and are cooperating with investigators.\n\nHe faces more than 100 years in prison if convicted.\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Sam Bankman-Fried denies claims he knew FTX customer money was used for risky financial bets\n\u2022 None FTX founder hit with four new criminal charges","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/business-65104103"}
{"title":"Newtownards and Bangor: Two men charged after attacks - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-28","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"Three other men who were arrested in connection with the attacks have been released by police.","section":"Northern Ireland","content":"A forensic officer in Moyne Gardens in Newtownards after two petrol bombs were thrown at a house on Sunday\n\nTwo men have been charged following a series of attacks in north Down.\n\nA 30-year-old has been charged with a range of offences, including arson with intent to endanger life and possessing petrol bombs.\n\nThe second man, also aged 30, has been charged with a number of offences including arson with intent to endanger life and making a petrol bomb.\n\nPolice said on Monday that in recent days eight houses in north Down had been attacked.\n\nSome of the attacks, including one on a house in Moyne Gardens in Newtownards on Sunday, involved petrol bombs.\n\nBoth of the men are due to appear before Newtownards Magistrates' Court on Wednesday morning.\n\nThree other men - aged 29, 50 and 53 - who were arrested under the Terrorism Act in relation to the incidents in north Down have all been released following questioning.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/uk-northern-ireland-65094671"}
{"title":"Amateur Australian gold digger finds massive nugget - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-28","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"The specimen was found with a budget metal detector and weighed in at 4.6kg.","section":"Australia","content":"The rock was found in a Victorian region famous for gold\n\nAn Australian man armed with a budget metal detector has hit the jackpot, finding a 4.6kg rock containing gold worth A$240,000 (\u00a3130,000; $160,000).\n\nThe man, who doesn't want to be named, made the discovery in Victoria's goldfields - which were the heart of Australia's gold rush in the 1800s.\n\nDarren Kamp, who valued and bought the specimen, said it is the biggest he's seen in his 43-year career.\n\n\"I was just gobsmacked... It's a once in a lifetime find,\" he told the BBC.\n\nMr Kamp hadn't thought too much of it when a man wearing a large backpack walked into his prospecting store in Geelong, about an hour south-west of Melbourne. Normally people come in with fools gold or other rocks that look like gold, Mr Kamp says.\n\n\"But he pulled this rock out and as he dropped it into my hand he said, 'Do you think there's A$10,000 worth in it?'\"\n\n\"I looked at him and said, 'Try A$100,000'.\"\n\nThe man then proceeded to tell him the rock in Mr Kamp's hand was only half the find.\n\nAll up, the 4.6kg rock contained 83 ounces - or about 2.6kg - of gold.\n\nAfter having it valued, Mr Kamp bought it from him.\n\nHe says the lucky man is looking forward to spending the windfall on his family: \"He said to me, 'Oh the wife will be happy'.\"\n\nWhile discoveries like this are rare, Australia is estimated to have the world's largest gold reserves and many of the world's biggest nuggets were found in Australia.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/world-australia-65095925"}
{"title":"X-Ray: Locals fix nurse's kitchen after extension issues - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-28","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"Nurse Catharine Lewis thanks locals and tradespeople who stepped in after her builders walked out.","section":"Wales","content":"Work has resumed on the property after support from her community\n\nA nurse has been overwhelmed by people's generosity after her kitchen extension plan turned into a nightmare.\n\nCatharine Lewis from Tonyrefail, Rhondda Cynon Taf, hired a company to construct her extension, but the builders stopped before its completion.\n\nIt meant she had to wash dishes in a downstairs basin, mop up regular leaks in the bathroom and set up a makeshift kitchen in her lounge.\n\nOthers agreed to help after her story was shown on BBC Wales' X-Ray TV show.\n\nMrs Lewis had agreed a price of \u00a357,000 with her builders to create a ground floor extension in January last year.\n\nThe work was originally expected to take 12 weeks, but it ran months over schedule, by which time she had paid out \u00a361,000 and, by December, the builders abandoned the project, citing several issues.\n\n\"We have a completely open, exposed house and every time it rains it pours in,\" said Mrs Lewis in an interview for the programme last month.\n\nCatharine Lewis hired builders to construct her extension but they stopped before its completion\n\nSupports have been installed to prevent Mrs Lewis's back wall from collapse\n\nAfter it aired, she said she had been inundated with \"amazing\" offers of help.\n\n\"Plumbers, electricians, carpenters, roofers, general labourers, tilers, everything possible to potentially get this finished,\" said Mrs Lewis, who had worked full time throughout pandemic at an NHS intensive care unit.\n\nOne building team has already strengthened the support under a bedroom, and a kitchen firm has offered to supply a kitchen at cost, and fit it for free.\n\nNeighbour Nicola Wellman also set up a GoFundMe page that has raised more than \u00a35,000.\n\nAnd the community has rallied around offering to do everything from drying clothes to even doing her dishes.\n\nBuilding work has resumed on the extension thanks to people's goodwill\n\n\"It feels like it's gone from a light at the end of the tunnel to floodlight showing me that I can make my house a home again for my family,\" said Mrs Lewis.\n\nNicky Middleton, from N&K Kitchens, told X-Ray it had dozens of happy customers who were satisfied with their work.\n\nHe said bad weather delayed work on Mrs Lewis' extension, with unforeseen building issues then leading to significant extra costs.\n\nHe claimed they walked off the job because Mrs Lewis owed them money for outstanding invoices, and that while he regretted the state her home was left in, he blamed structural issues at the back of the property on work done by a previous builder.\n\nThe last episode of X-Ray is aired on BBC One Wales on Monday at 20:00 BST, repeated on Wednesday at 22:30 and will be available on iPlayer, with the series coming to an end after 22 years","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/uk-wales-65079928"}
{"title":"Elon Musk: Twitter boss announces blue tick shake-up - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-28","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"Only paying users will have their content recommended and be allowed to vote in polls from 15 April.","section":"Business","content":"Twitter boss Elon Musk has announced a shake-up of the social media platform's paid Twitter Blue feature.\n\nFrom 15 April only verified subscribers will have posts recommended to other users and be allowed to vote in polls.\n\nUnder the policy, posts from non-paying accounts will not be included in the \"For you\" stream of recommended tweets.\n\nLast week, the firm said it would remove the verified status of some \"legacy\" accounts, which date from before Mr Musk bought the firm.\n\nUsers currently pay $7 (\u00a35.70) a month for blue-tick verification, which also allows access to additional features.\n\nMr Musk said the changes were \"the only realistic way to address advanced AI bot swarms taking over. It is otherwise a hopeless losing battle.\"\n\n\"Voting in polls will require verification for same reason,\" he added.\n\nIn an earlier post, Mr Musk said paid verification significantly increases the cost of using bots and makes it easier to identify them.\n\nThis Twitter post cannot be displayed in your browser. Please enable Javascript or try a different browser. View original tweet on Twitter The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Skip twitter post by Elon Musk 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\u2019s cookie policy, external and privacy policy, external before accepting. To view this content choose \u2018accept and continue\u2019. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.\n\nHowever, the move has been criticised by some social media users.\n\nA former worker on Twitter's verification team who asked to remain anonymous told the BBC: \"Our number one goal for my team was to protect users from real world harm and this screams the complete opposite to me.\"\n\n\"Verified users will use their power and their presence on the platform to influence anything from misinformation to actual harm for users all around the world. It's a silent threat that no one is seeing,\" they added.\n\nWhen Elon Musk took over Twitter, he was full of lofty ambitions about bringing back \"free speech\" .\n\nHe wanted the platform to be \"maximally trusted\" and said this \"isn't a way to make money\".\n\nYet Twitter policy now feels very different to those ideals.\n\nRealising that it was difficult to increase advertising revenue, Musk turned to a subscription based model.\n\nThe sell initially was to give users a \"blue tick\" verification, if they paid a monthly fee.\n\nBut the paying users didn't come in their droves. Stuck with flagging advertising revenue, and a stuttering subscription model - Musk has decided to take the nuclear option.\n\nThere are two algorithms on Twitter - the \"For you\" stream of recommended tweets and stream of tweets from people you follow.\n\nElon Musk's new policy will now essentially preclude non-paying users from taking part in one of those streams.\n\nIt means unverified Twitter users will be far less likely to have their tweets liked or retweeted.\n\nCombined with Elon Musk's winding down of misinformation checks - this could be an extremely dangerous moment for Twitter.\n\nI've spoken to former employees who think this could be manna from heaven for trolls and people pushing misinformation.\n\nIt also raises an existential question for Twitter. It was supposed to be fairly meritocratic place - with tweets rising by the quality of their content.\n\nIt was a big part of Twitter's success. But now, that appears to have been swept away.\n\nTwitter Blue had a chaotic initial launch in November, as people started impersonating big brands and celebrities and paying for the blue tick badge in order to make them look authentic. Many pretended to be Mr Musk himself.\n\nThis forced Twitter to pause the feature after less than a week, before it was relaunched the following month.\n\nTwitter Blue has since been used by controversial groups, including Taliban officials and their prominent supporters in Afghanistan.\n\nVerified users have their tweets amplified above other accounts. Subscribers also have access to additional features including an edit button, among other perks.\n\nPreviously, the blue tick was used to indicate that high-profile accounts were authentic. It was given out by Twitter without a subscription fee - but only the firm itself decided who got one.\n\nLast week, Twitter said it would also start phasing out its \"legacy verified programme\" and remove some \"legacy verified checkmarks\" from 1 April.\n\nThe firm added that users needed to pay to \"keep your blue checkmark on Twitter\".\n\nBots on social media platforms can hurt their ability to grow advertising revenue or paid-for subscriptions.\n\nMr Musk has often expressed concerns about how many fake or spam accounts are on Twitter. At one point he put his $44bn plan to buy the social media platform on hold as he queried the number of bots disclosed by the firm's previous management team.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/business-65095684"}
{"title":"Nashville shooting: Survivor of Illinois tragedy makes angry plea - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-28","authors":null,"description":"After surviving a mass shooting in Illinois, a woman visiting Nashville confronts media.","section":null,"content":"This video can not be played\n\nTo play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/world-us-canada-65095161"}
{"title":"AI could replace equivalent of 300 million jobs - report - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-28","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"ChatGPT-style AI will have a large impact but new jobs could emerge, a Goldman Sachs report says.","section":"Technology","content":"Artificial intelligence (AI) could replace the equivalent of 300 million full-time jobs, a report by investment bank Goldman Sachs says.\n\nIt could replace a quarter of work tasks in the US and Europe but may also mean new jobs and a productivity boom.\n\nAnd it could eventually increase the total annual value of goods and services produced globally by 7%.\n\nGenerative AI, able to create content indistinguishable from human work, is \"a major advancement\", the report says.\n\nThe government is keen to promote investment in AI in the UK, which it says will \"ultimately drive productivity across the economy\", and has tried to reassure the public about its impact.\n\n\"We want to make sure that AI is complementing the way we work in the UK, not disrupting it - making our jobs better, rather than taking them away,\" Technology Secretary Michelle Donelan told the Sun.\n\nThe report notes AI's impact will vary across different sectors - 46% of tasks in administrative and 44% in legal professions could be automated but only 6% in construction 4% in maintenance, it says.\n\nBBC News has previously reported some artists' concerns AI image generators could harm their employment prospects.\n\n\"The only thing I am sure of is that there is no way of knowing how many jobs will be replaced by generative AI,\" Carl Benedikt Frey, future of-work director at the Oxford Martin School, Oxford University, told BBC News.\n\n\"What ChatGPT does, for example, is allow more people with average writing skills to produce essays and articles.\n\n\"Journalists will therefore face more competition, which would drive down wages, unless we see a very significant increase in the demand for such work.\n\n\"Consider the introduction of GPS technology and platforms like Uber. Suddenly, knowing all the streets in London had much less value - and so incumbent drivers experienced large wage cuts in response, of around 10% according to our research.\n\n\"The result was lower wages, not fewer drivers.\n\n\"Over the next few years, generative AI is likely to have similar effects on a broader set of creative tasks\".\n\nAccording to research cited by the report, 60% of workers are in occupations that did not exist in 1940.\n\nBut other research suggests technological change since the 1980s has displaced workers faster than it has created jobs.\n\nAnd if generative AI is like previous information-technology advances, the report concludes, it could reduce employment in the near term.\n\nThe long-term impact of AI, however, was highly uncertain, chief executive of the Resolution Foundation think tank Torsten Bell told BBC News, \"so all firm predictions should be taken with a very large pinch of salt\".\n\n\"We do not know how the technology will evolve or how firms will integrate it into how they work,\" he said.\n\n\"That's not to say that AI won't disrupt the way we work - but we should focus too on the potential living-standards gains from higher-productivity work and cheaper-to-run services, as well as the risk of falling behind if other firms and economies better adapt to technological change.\"","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/technology-65102150"}
{"title":"NFT: Plans for Royal Mint produced token dropped - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-28","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"Plans for a government-backed digital token, ordered to be created by Rishi Sunak, have been axed.","section":"UK Politics","content":"Plans for the NFT for Britain were launched when Rishi Sunak was chancellor\n\nPlans for a government backed non-fungible token (NFT) produced by the Royal Mint have been dropped, the Treasury has announced.\n\nRishi Sunak ordered the creation of a \"NFT for Britain\" that could be traded online, while chancellor in April 2022.\n\nNFTs are assets in the digital world that can be bought and sold, but which have no physical form of their own.\n\nThe Royal Mint announced it was \"not proceeding with the launch\" following a consultation with the Treasury.\n\nEconomic Secretary Andrew Griffiths said the department would keep the proposal \"under review\".\n\nNFTs have been touted as the digital answer to collectables, but some sceptics fear they could be a bubble waiting to burst. They have been used as speculative assets and some have sold for millions of dollars.\n\nResponding to the announcement, Harriet Baldwin, chair of the Treasury Select Committee, said: \"We have not yet seen a lot of evidence that our constituents should be putting their money in these speculative tokens unless they are prepared to lose all their money.\n\n\"So perhaps that is why the Royal Mint has made this decision in conjunction with the Treasury.\"\n\nNFTs are unique units of digital data that use the same \"blockchain\" technology behind cryptocurrencies - such as Bitcoin. The records cannot be forged because the blockchain ledger is maintained by thousands of computers around the world.\n\nThe digital tokens, which emerged in 2014, can be thought of as certificates of ownership for virtual or physical assets, and can be bought using traditional currency or cryptocurrency.\n\nThe Treasury is working to regulate some cryptocurrencies and had planned to enter the NFT market as part of a wider bid to make the UK a hub for digital payment companies.\n\nIn April 2022, the then-chancellor Mr Sunak said: \"We want to see the [cryptocurrency] businesses of tomorrow - and the jobs they create - here in the UK, and by regulating effectively we can give them the confidence they need to think and invest long-term.\"\n\nAmong the best-known NFTs are a series known as the \"Bored Ape Yacht Club\", which give the bearer ownership over a unique picture of a cartoon ape. Prices of the NFTs plummeted last year after crypto exchange FTX went bankrupt.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/uk-politics-65094297"}
{"title":"Shona Robison to be Scottish deputy first minister - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-28","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"The Dundee East MSP is the first appointment to Humza Yousaf's new Scottish government.","section":"Scotland politics","content":"Scotland's new First Minister Humza Yousaf has announced that Shona Robison will serve as his deputy.\n\nMs Robison has been an MSP since 1999, and has served as health secretary and social justice secretary.\n\nMr Yousaf made the announcement moments after MSPs voted to make him Scotland's sixth first minister.\n\nHe will be sworn in at the Court of Session on Wednesday morning, and is expected to start appointing his cabinet in the afternoon.\n\nMs Robison, who is MSP for Dundee City East, is a close friend of Mr Yousaf's predecessor Nicola Sturgeon - who posted congratulations on Twitter.\n\nThe former health secretary nominated Mr Yousaf for the post of first minister in advance of the formal vote which made him parliament's nominee for the post.\n\nAnd after it concluded, he told reporters she would be his deputy first minister.\n\nMr Yousaf was also nominated by MSP Neil Gray, who played a key role in his campaign and is also expected to land a key role in government.\n\nFurther appointments are expected to be announced on Wednesday, before being confirmed in more votes at Holyrood on Thursday.\n\nMs Robison has held a series of roles in government, dating back to before Mr Yousaf was elected to Holyrood.\n\nShe was the minister who oversaw the 2014 Commonwealth Games in Glasgow, was health secretary under Ms Sturgeon and was later in charge of social justice, housing and local government.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/uk-scotland-scotland-politics-65104651"}
{"title":"Ukraine war: Germany sends much-awaited Leopard tanks - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-28","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"The first 18 of the cutting-edge tanks are sent, amid reports UK Challenger 2s have also arrived.","section":"Europe","content":"The first shipment of Leopard 2 tanks from Germany has been sent to Ukraine, the German defence ministry says.\n\nEighteen cutting-edge main battle tanks were delivered after Ukrainian crews were trained to use them.\n\nDefence Minister Boris Pistorius said he was sure the tanks could \"make a decisive contribution\" on the frontlines of the war.\n\nChallenger 2 tanks from the UK have also arrived, according to reports from Ukraine.\n\nUkraine has been calling for more modern vehicles and weapon systems for months to help fight Russia's invasion.\n\nThe Ukrainian government is yet to comment on the arrival of the Leopard 2s, but they have confirmed the arrival of the first UK-made Challenger 2 tanks.\n\nAround 2,000 Leopard 2s, widely regarded as being among the best main battle tanks produced by Nato countries, are in use by European countries.\n\nGermany agreed to supply the tanks to Ukraine in January, after being initially reluctant to do so - or even to permit other countries from sending their own.\n\nUnder German law, Berlin must approve Leopard 2s being re-exported by any country.\n\nGerman Defence Minister Boris Pistorius said the tanks \"have made it into the hands of our Ukrainian friends as promised and on time\".\n\nThe German army has trained Ukrainian tank crews to use the advanced A6 variant of the Leopard 2 over the past several weeks.\n\nThey have been specifically designed to compete with the Russian T-90 main battle tank and is considered to be easier to maintain and more fuel-efficient than most other Western tanks.\n\nOn top of the Leopard 2s, Germany has also sent Ukraine two specialist tank-recovery vehicles and 40 Marder infantry fighting vehicles.\n\nMeanwhile, Challenger 2 tanks from the UK \"are in Ukraine already\", defence ministry spokeswoman Iryna Zolotar told AFP news agency.\n\nPosting a picture of a Challenger 2 alongside other Western-made military vehicles on his Facebook page, Defence Minister Oleksii Reznikov described the British vehicle as a work of military art.\n\nThe UK Ministry of Defence declined to comment but earlier confirmed Ukrainian tank crews training in Britain had returned home after completing their training with the tanks.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/world-europe-65095126"}
{"title":"Richard Sharp unsuitable to be BBC chairman, ex-director general John Birt says - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-28","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"Richard Sharp was an \"unsuitable candidate\", former BBC director general John Birt tells MPs.","section":"Entertainment & Arts","content":"Richard Sharp is currently awaiting the outcome of a KC-led review into his appointment\n\nAn ex-BBC director general has said he does not think chairman Richard Sharp's \"appointment should stand\" because he was an \"unsuitable candidate\" and the process was \"fatally flawed\".\n\nMr Sharp is facing pressure over his role in facilitating an \u00a3800,000 loan for then-prime minister Boris Johnson.\n\nJohn Birt, who was director general from 1992 to 2000, said the \"cosiness\" of the arrangement made him unsuitable.\n\nMr Sharp's appointment is being investigated. He denies any wrongdoing.\n\n\"I don't think his appointment should stand,\" Lord Birt told MPs on the House of Commons' Culture, Media and Sport committee.\n\n\"He's a person of obvious weight and consequence, but in one vital respect he was an unsuitable candidate, and the appointment process itself was fatally flawed.\"\n\nA former Conservative donor, Mr Sharp acted as a \"go-between\" for his friend Sam Blyth, a distant cousin of Mr Johnson, who said he would be willing to act as guarantor on the loan after learning the then-PM was in financial difficulty.\n\nLord Birt said: \"The unsuitability came from the very process of navigating a loan for the prime minister at exactly the same time as applying for the job at the BBC.\n\n\"It's the cosiness of that arrangement that made it unsuitable, and I wish the cabinet secretary had called it out.\"\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. BBC chairman: I regret the distraction this has caused\n\nMr Sharp has said he met the cabinet secretary, Simon Case, in December 2020 to tell him Mr Blyth wanted to get in contact to offer financial help to the PM.\n\nAt that meeting, Mr Sharp also said he would have no more to do with the matter because he was applying to be BBC chairman.\n\nLord Birt told the committee he thought the cabinet secretary made \"a grave error\" by letting Mr Sharp proceed with his application.\n\n\"When Richard Sharp approached him about the financial arrangement, he [Mr Case] should have advised both Richard Sharp and the prime minister that the cosiness of these arrangements, already at that point discussed with the prime minister, disqualified Richard Sharp as a candidate for the BBC chairmanship.\n\n\"The cabinet secretary, in my view, should have advised both him and the prime minister of this at that point, and suggested that Richard Sharp should withdraw from the process.\"\n\nThe BBC chairman is appointed by the government and must be approved by the cross-party committee.\n\nThe committee recently criticised Mr Sharp for failing to mention his involvement in events surrounding the loan when he appeared before them when they were considering his suitability for the job.\n\nLord Birt said it would be premature to call for Mr Sharp to resign before the outcome of a KC-led review (led by a senior lawyer) into his appointment.\n\n\"I think we have to wait for the report,\" Lord Birt said. \"Everything I've said is based on the evidence as we have it up to date, in large part because of the evidence he gave to this committee.\n\n\"But this investigation has taken quite a long time... and we've got to be just a bit careful that more may come out, which could cast a different light on on what happened.\"\n\nThe BBC is also conducting its own internal review over any potential conflicts of interest Mr Sharp may have in his role.\n\nChris Patten, a former Conservative Party chairman and former chair of the BBC Trust, said Mr Sharp was in a \"difficult\" position.\n\n\"I think I would find it very difficult to go out and do a news conference defending the BBCs due impartiality just at the moment if I was in his boots, and I think that's unfortunate because I think that's what he should be doing.\"\n\nAsked whether Mr Sharp should resign, Lord Patten replied: \"I've tended in life not to go around telling other people to resign, but I don't think that were he to do so I would write a letter of condolence.\"\n\nThe issue \"risks the reputation of the BBC as being a public service broadcaster of spectacular integrity and independence\", he added.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/entertainment-arts-65097402"}
{"title":"Gwyneth Paltrow ski crash trial: Accuser heard 'blood-curdling scream' - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-28","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"A man suing Gwyneth Paltrow over a ski crash says it sounded \"like someone was out of control\".","section":"US & Canada","content":"This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser.\n\nA man suing Gwyneth Paltrow over a ski accident heard a \"blood-curdling scream\" shortly before the collision, a court in Utah has heard.\n\nTerry Sanderson, 76, said it sounded \"like someone was out of control\" and he had never been hit so hard skiing.\n\nHe accuses the actress of being responsible for the 2016 crash and is seeking damages of $300,000 (\u00a3245,000)\n\nMs Paltrow, 50, has denied being responsible and countersued for $1 and her legal costs.\n\nA ski instructor told the jury on Monday that the actress was not a reckless skier.\n\nTestifying on Friday, Ms Paltrow had said the incident in Park City, Utah, left her with a sore knee and she got a massage afterwards.\n\nOn Monday, Mr Sanderson described hearing the scream in the moments before the collision, saying: \"It was like somebody was out of control and going to hit a tree and was going to die.\"\n\nHe said he had never been struck so hard while skiing, describing the crash as a \"serious, serious smack\".\n\nMr Sanderson also told the court he had suffered physical, mental and emotional injuries from the accident, describing himself being a \"self-imposed recluse\" since.\n\nHe said these medical issues had changed his relationships with his children, as well as contributing to his split from his partner and losing friends.\n\nA lawyer for Terry Sanderson told the jury last week that the Hollywood actress's \"reckless\" actions had caused the collision on the slopes of Deer Valley ski resort.\n\nDescribing the aftermath, Mr Sanderson told the court he remembered hearing a \"very angry\" male voice accusing him of being at fault for the collision, which was later said to be that of Deer Valley ski instructor Eric Christiansen.\n\nMr Sanderson said the man had been \"insistent\" he was the \"bad guy\" in the situation and had been trying to bully him.\n\nIn his own testimony, Mr Christiansen said it was \"ridiculous\" to claim he had been hostile towards Mr Sanderson, given instructors who get into confrontations with guests \"don't last\" at the ski resort.\n\nHe told the jury Ms Paltrow was not a \"reckless\" or \"dangerous\" skier and was skilled at \"making short radius turns\".\n\nMr Christiansen, who was teaching Ms Paltrow's son Moses on the day, said that neither she nor Mr Sanderson had asked for assistance from a ski patrol after the incident.\n\nHe said if anyone had asked for help \"that would have changed everything\", as when people are hurt ski patrol must be called to take statements and assess the extent of the injuries.\n\nMr Christiansen also denied there had been a \"cover-up\" to protect the actress.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/world-us-canada-65095127"}
{"title":"Ministers can veto prisoners' parole in Victims and Prisoners Bill - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-28","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"The government has promised to make it easier for victims of crime in England and Wales to get justice.","section":"UK Politics","content":"Ministers will be able to block the release of some prisoners and stop others getting married under new plans to overhaul the parole system.\n\nThe idea is among measures in its Victims and Prisoners Bill, which is aimed at giving greater rights to victims of crime in England and Wales.\n\nMinisters promise to make it easier for crime victims to get justice.\n\nBut critics fear efforts to improve life for victims will be lost in a bill which also combines parole reform.\n\nSome victims of crime, especially of rape and sexual assault, feel that the criminal justice system has let them down as investigations are slow, and information scarce. Many do not make it to court. Those that do face further delays.\n\nNow the government is promising new legislation to allow victims to be kept informed, and also to challenge decisions.\n\nJustice Secretary Dominic Raab said the plans will \"make sure that victims are front and centre of the criminal justice system\".\n\nHe told BBC Radio 4's Today programme: \"I want to make sure that the drift away from public protection [in the parole system] is curtailed.\"\n\nThe plan for a ministers' veto on some parole decisions follows the cases of double child-killer Colin Pitchfork, who was recalled to prison within months of being released, and black cab rapist John Worboys, which the government says have shaken public confidence in the system.\n\nIt will mean ministers can veto recommendations to release criminals including murderers, rapists and terrorists, the government said. Bids for freedom could be blocked on multiple occasions up until the end of a sentence.\n\nMr Raab previously told MPs that public protection would be the \"exclusive focus\" of the Parole Board decision-making process under the reforms.\n\nThe changes are in an effort to \"stop a balancing exercise taking into account prisoners' rights\", the Ministry of Justice said.\n\nMr Raab said: \"Our reforms will improve the experience for victims from the first meeting with a police officer to the support they get in court, and we will refocus the parole system on its overriding duty to protect the public from violent and sexual criminals.\"\n\nHe acknowledged that the Parole Board did not like the changes, but he said he wanted to take the parole process in \"a different direction\" with the emphasis on public safety.\n\nThose serving whole-life orders will be banned from marrying behind bars. These plans also follow an attempt by serial killer Levi Bellfield to marry in prison, and reportedly making a bid for legal aid to challenge the decision to block his marriage.\n\nThe 54-year-old is serving two whole-life orders for killing 13-year-old Milly Dowler, Marsha McDonnell and Amelie Delagrange, as well as the attempted murder of Kate Sheedy.\n\nLabour said it had been eight years since the Conservatives first promised this bill, \"and now they've had to combine it with parole reform\".\n\n\"Yet again, the Tories overpromise and underdeliver,\" said Labour's shadow victims minister Anna McMorrin.\n\n\"Victims are now waiting years for a trial because of record court backlogs, with criminals getting off scot-free at a record rate. Rape victims are suffering on average for three years as they wait to hear their case in court.\"\n\nDiana Fawcett, chief executive at Victim Support, said the charity welcomed many of the measures in the bill \"which will make a real and meaningful difference to the experience of victims\".\n\n\"But we are seriously worried that expanding its scope to include prisoners will be a distraction and delay it even further.\"\n\nThe End Violence Against Women Coalition said women and girls' confidence in justice agencies was at an all-time low because of their \"persistent failures towards victims and survivors of rape, sexual violence and domestic abuse\", and said it was concerned the bill \"will not transform victims' experiences without significant changes\".\n\nIt said there was a \"glaring absence of funding\" in the bill and said it was concerned it was \"creeping away from its intended aim of improving victims' experiences\".\n\nDirector Andrea Simon said: \"Recovery is an essential part of justice, and we need to ensure every survivor who needs help can access specialist support that is tailored to their needs\" - but added matters were a \"long way from that being a reality\".\n\nA Parole Board spokesman said: \"Public protection has always been, and will always be, at the heart of Parole Board decision-making, which is based on the evidence and the law.\n\n\"We are committed to working with the ministry and Parliament to ensure this important legislation receives the consideration that it richly deserves.\"","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/uk-politics-65105135"}
{"title":"Russian whose daughter drew anti-war picture flees jail term - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-28","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"Alexei Moskalev was investigated after his daughter drew an anti-war picture at school.","section":"Europe","content":"Masha's school contacted the police after the 12-year-old drew this picture\n\nA Russian single father whose daughter was reported for drawing an anti-war picture has been given a two-year jail term for discrediting the army.\n\nBut Alexei Moskalev, 53, was not in court in Yefremov for the verdict. The court press secretary said he had escaped house arrest.\n\n\"I don't know where he is,\" his lawyer Vladimir Biliyenko told the BBC.\n\nHis daughter Masha, 13, was sent to a children's home in early March when the criminal case began.\n\nMoskalev was accused of repeatedly criticising the Russian army on social media and had appeared in court the day before.\n\nHe is only the latest Russian to be given a jail term for discrediting the military, but his case 320km (200 miles) south of Moscow has attracted international attention because of the authorities' decision to remove his daughter from their home early in March.\n\n\"I'm in shock,\" Yefremov town councillor Olga Podolskaya said. \"A prison sentence for expressing your opinion is a terrible thing. A two-year jail term is a nightmare.\"\n\n\"When I heard that Alexei had gone on the run, that was the second shock. We hope that Alexei is OK and that nothing has happened to him.\"\n\nThe family's problems began last April, she told the BBC, when Masha Moskaleva's school told the police that the girl had drawn a Ukrainian flag with the words \"Glory to Ukraine\", rockets and a Russian flag bearing the phrase \"No to war!\"\n\nAlexei Moskalev had contacted Ms Podolskaya last year to tell her about the pressure he and his daughter were coming under. Masha's mother does not live in the area and is estranged from the family.\n\nMoskalev was initially fined for a comment about the war made on a social media network last year. But after his flat was searched in December he was charged under the criminal code because he had already been convicted of a similar offence.\n\nHe has been recognised as a political prisoner by human rights group Memorial, which has itself been banned by Russia's authorities.\n\nMoskalev was not allowed to communicate with the BBC during a visit to his building earlier this month. However, his lawyer said Moskalev was very worried that his daughter was not with him.\n\nAlexei Moskalev was being held under house arrest ahead of the verdict in Yefremov\n\nSocial services in Yefremov have officially been tasked with looking after the girl. The local Juvenile Affairs Commission had already taken legal action to restrict her father's parental rights. Last week he wasn't allowed to leave his house arrest to attend a preliminary hearing.\n\nAhead of the verdict on Tuesday Vladimir Biliyenko visited the children's home where Masha has spent most of the month.\n\nThe director told him that the girl had gone to a children's cooking festival and passed on two drawings she said Masha had done for her father, as well as a letter she had written him. Mr Biliyenko told Sotavision that Masha had written the words: \"Papa you're my hero.\"\n\nHe later spread the drawings on a table in court.\n\nAlthough Moskalev had turned up the day before, court press secretary Olga Dyachuk said he had escaped house arrest overnight and should have been taken into custody after the verdict.\n\n\"To say I'm surprised would be an understatement,\" Mr Biliyenko told the BBC. \"I've never seen anything like it. No client of mine has ever gone missing like this. I don't know when he fled, or if he has.\"","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/world-europe-65102392"}
{"title":"Afghan refugees to be moved out of hotels under new government plans - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-28","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"But campaigners say ministers' plans could risk leave Afghans at risk of homelessness.","section":"UK","content":"A new plan to move Afghan refugees out of hotels and into permanent homes in the UK has been announced.\n\nAfghans in \"bridging hotels\" will be written to and given at least three months' notice to move, Veterans Minister Johnny Mercer said.\n\nLabour said the government was \"serving eviction notices\" with no guarantee of suitable housing for families.\n\nMr Mercer said new people arriving from Afghanistan under government schemes would not be housed in hotels.\n\nSpeaking in the Commons, he said the new plan meant Afghan refugees living in hotels who turn down an offer of housing would not receive a second offer.\n\nThe new plan applies to Afghans who have arrived in the UK under two resettlement schemes: the Afghan Citizens Resettlement Scheme (ACRS), which focuses on women, children and religious minorities, and the Afghan Relocations and Assistance Policy (ARAP), for Afghans who worked for the British military and UK government.\n\nIn August 2021, thousands of people fled Afghanistan after the Taliban took back control of the country. Many refugees have since been living in hotels across the UK.\n\nMr Mercer said the thousands of people who left Afghanistan were housed in \"bridging hotels\" which were never meant to be permanent.\n\nHe added that of the 24,500 people now living in the UK under the two resettlement schemes, about 8,000 remained in hotels, with about half of those being children - costing \u00a31m a day.\n\nThe government says that Afghans make up a fifth of all people living in bridging hotels.\n\nMr Mercer said the long-term residency in hotels has \"prevented some Afghans\" from putting down roots, committing to employment and integrating into communities, as well as creating uncertainty.\n\nBut campaigners said the new policy would cause anxiety and upheaval for refugees who had already experienced trauma, and could leave Afghans at risk of becoming homeless.\n\nAfter its withdrawal from Afghanistan, the UK pledged to resettle up to 20,000 more vulnerable Afghans under the ACRS.\n\nThe government will begin writing to families and individuals housed in hotels at the end of April, giving them \"at least three months' notice\" before they are forced out, Mr Mercer told the Commons.\n\nHe promised \"generous\" support, with trained staff based at hotels to provide advice - including Home Office staff and charity workers.\n\nThe veterans minister said \u00a335m of funding would help councils provide increased support and the local authority housing fund would be expanded by \u00a3250m.\n\nThe increased fund for local authorities will help councils to source homes for Afghan refugees currently in hotels, the government says.\n\nMr Mercer noted there was a \"national duty\" owed to Afghan refugees who helped British forces during the war.\n\nHe added that \"in return, we do expect families to help themselves\" and where an offer of accommodation was turned down, \"another will now not be forthcoming\".\n\nHe said: \"At a time when there are many pressures on the taxpayer and the housing market, it is not right that people can choose to stay in hotels when other perfectly suitable accommodation is available.\"\n\nVeterans Minister Johnny Mercer announced the plan in the Commons\n\nEnver Solomon from the Refugee Council said the government's plan risked people being left \"homeless and destitute on the streets of Britain\".\n\nHe said: \"This is not how those who were promised a warm welcome in the UK should be treated.\"\n\nGovernment plans to resettle Afghans who had worked with the UK during the war were initially named Operation Warm Welcome.\n\nMr Solomon added: \"To expect councils to suddenly move them out of hotels by putting pressure on Afghan families risks causing great misery and anxiety for those who have already experienced trauma and upheaval.\"\n\nLabour called on the government to ensure no Afghans would be left homeless.\n\nShadow defence secretary John Healey accused the government of \"serving eviction notices on 8,000 Afghans - half of whom are children - with no guarantee they will be offered a suitable, settled place to live\".\n\nHe said: \"Never mind 'Operation Warm Welcome', never mind the warm words from the minister today. He has confirmed the government is giving them the cold shoulder.\"\n\nLiberal Democrat Home Affairs spokesperson Alistair Carmichael the public would \"have no faith in this initiative\".\n\n\"They have proven time and time again they cannot treat refugees, including women and young children, with the respect they deserve.\"\n\nLib Dem MP Munira Wilson said the government's promise of help for those who remained in danger in Afghanistan was \"utterly hollow\".\n\nShe said she had repeatedly raised the case of five British children who were still \"living in hiding\" in Kabul and had been \"abandoned\" by the government.\n\nThe Local Government Association (LGA) said councils would need extra resources to help find and fund the accommodation or there would be a risk of a further increase in homelessness.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/uk-65098829"}
{"title":"North Korea asserts first evidence of tactical nuclear weapons - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-28","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"The weapons are shown beside Kim Jong Un in photos and cannot be verified, but have raised concern.","section":"Asia","content":"Kim Jong Un with what North Korean state media says are tactical nuclear weapons\n\nNorth Korea has revealed small nuclear warheads, which it says can be fitted on to short-range missiles.\n\nThe North has long claimed it has tactical nuclear weapons, capable of hitting targets in South Korea.\n\nBut the photos published in its state newspaper on Tuesday are the first time it has provided evidence.\n\nHowever, it is impossible to verify whether they are the real deal. Until North Korea tests one of these devices, we are left guessing.\n\nPyongyang has spent the past fortnight firing a barrage of what it says are nuclear-capable weapons, while simulating nuclear attacks on Seoul.\n\nAdmittedly it is hard to keep track of North Korea's missile launches these days. The tests in isolation no longer generate the headlines they used to, but if we look at them all together there is much we can learn.\n\nNorth Korea says it is punishing the US and South Korea for holding their largest military drills in years. The allies have been practising how to defeat the North in the event of an attack. This is not a scenario its leader Kim Jong Un relishes.\n\nOnly this is not a typical North Korean protest. In the past it has responded to such drills by firing off a mix of short, medium, and long-range missiles, and perhaps some artillery shells.\n\nThis time, over the course of two weeks, Pyongyang has launched its most powerful intercontinental ballistic missile, which can reach anywhere on the US mainland, in theory.\n\nIt has fired missiles from a submarine, and from what appears to be an underground silo. Its military has simulated a nuclear attack on a South Korean airfield.\n\nAnd Kim Jong Un has unveiled a new underwater drone, which he claims can fire nuclear weapons under the sea to unleash a \"super-scale radioactive tsunami\" and destroy enemy warships.\n\nOn top of this, it has now unveiled nuclear warheads it claims can be fitted to these weapons.\n\nThis is an eclectic and troubling line-up.\n\nAnalyst Ellen Kim, from the Centre for Strategic and International Studies, described it to me as \"the North Korean equivalent of a fashion show\" - a nod to the Dior-style jacket Mr Kim's daughter was spotted wearing to one of the launches.\n\nAnalysts, including Ms Kim, are concerned by the diversity of the collection that has been paraded this season. Pyongyang has unveiled new and more sophisticated, weapons, which can be fired from sea and land to target the US, South Korea, and Japan.\n\n\"Before, we did not know they were able to fire cruise missiles from submarines, or missiles from under the ground. Its weapons are becoming much more difficult to track and intercept,\" Ms Kim said.\n\nTake the cruise missiles fired from a submarine as an example. These missiles are the most concerning to Yang Uk, a weapons expert from the Asan Institute in Seoul. As he explains, firing a missile from under the water makes it harder to detect ahead of launch. After launch, cruise missiles fly low, and can be manoeuvred mid-flight, to outsmart missile defences.\n\nKim Jong Un has always feared the US will attack his country first, and wipe out its weapons before he has the chance to use them. The message he appears to be sending with this array of tests, is that the North now has the ability to strike back, or even strike first. It is difficult to destroy weapons concealed underground or underwater.\n\nIn other words he is saying \"don't think about attacking us\".\n\nHowever, we should exercise caution. Mr Kim has a tendency to exaggerate his military's abilities.\n\nThe lingering question has always been whether North Korea actually has the nuclear warheads to attach to these missiles. Most of the weapons displayed recently would only be able to carry a very small, lightweight warhead. Until now, we have seen no proof Pyongyang has managed to develop them.\n\nOn Tuesday, it provided the first piece of evidence. Photos published in the main state newspaper show Kim Jong Un inspecting a row of what it said were small nuclear warheads.\n\nThere is no way to verify the warheads are what they say. This is why the intelligence community has been holding its breath for so long, waiting for said nuclear test.\n\nThe moment North Korea is able to build miniaturised warheads on a mass scale, it the moment its simulated threats become real, and it can strike South Korea and Japan with nuclear weapons.\n\nThere are some who argue the US and the international community should be doing more to get the North back to the negotiating table, to prevent this nuclear test. Talks between the two sides have but stalled for more than four years. But Pyongyang has shown no sign it wants to talk. It tends to pick the moment when it thinks it has the most to gain.\n\nKim Jong Un is often accused of exaggerating North Korea's military capacity\n\nWith China and Russia refusing to punish North Korea at the UN Security Council, it can continue developing its weapons without consequence. Why stop now? The better its weapons, the stronger its hand, and it still has more to prove.\n\nIn addition to miniaturised warheads, it is yet to demonstrate that its regular warheads can survive a full intercontinental flight. Currently, the North tests long-range missiles by firing them high into space. It also wants to develop a more sophisticated ICBM, that does not need to be fuelled before launch, and so can be fired with less warning.\n\nYang Uk believes Kim Jong Un is also being driven by a desperate situation at home. With a flailing economy, and his people going hungry, his advancing nuclear weapons programme is \"the only card he has left to play\", Yang says.\n\nNorth Korea therefore looks set to forge ahead, developing an ever more diverse and deadlier range of weapons.\n\nFor Ellen Kim, only one thing is certain: \"More tests will come.\"","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/world-asia-65085542"}
{"title":"Mexico migrants: Deadly fire at Ju\u00e1rez migrant centre kills at least 38 - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-28","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"Mexico's president says the blaze started during a protest by migrants fearing deportation.","section":"Latin America & Caribbean","content":"Firefighters were at the scene trying to rescue people from the burning building\n\nAt least 38 people people have died at a migrant processing centre in Mexico in a fire that officials say started during a protest against deportations.\n\nMany of the victims had travelled from Central and South America trying to get to the US.\n\nThe blaze at the facility in Ciudad Ju\u00e1rez broke out shortly before 22:00 local time (04:00 GMT) on Monday.\n\nThe city, located across the Rio Grande river from El Paso, Texas, has seen an influx of people in recent weeks.\n\nMany have been heading to the US border in expectation of an end to Title 42, a pandemic-era policy which gives the US government the power to quickly expel migrants trying to cross its border.\n\n\"It was related to a protest they started, we think, when they learned that they'd be deported,\" the president said.\n\n\"They didn't think that would cause this terrible tragedy,\" he added.\n\nPhotos from the scene show body bags lined up on the pavement outside.\n\nMexico's National Migration Institute (INM) lowered the death toll to 38 from 40, saying a visit to hospitals where victims were being treated had confirmed the lower number.\n\nLocal media say the migrants inside the building where the blaze happened had been picked up by the authorities on Monday and taken to the centre. The facility is located near the Stanton-Lerdo Bridge, which links Mexico and the US.\n\nTwenty-nine people were also injured in the blaze. Some 68 men from Central and South America were inside the centre - which is run by the INM - when the fire happened.\n\nA statement from US Customs and Border Protection said they were \"prepared to receive and process those who were injured in the fire and are being transported via ambulance from Mexican to US medical facilities for treatment\".\n\nMexican authorities said the dead and injured included people from Guatemala, Honduras, Venezuela, El Salvador, Colombia and Ecuador.\n\nTwenty-eight Guatemalan citizens were killed in the fire, the country's foreign minister Mario Bucaro told reporters.\n\nA spokesman said Mr Guterres would \"continue working with the authorities of countries where mixed movements of people occur to establish safer, more regulated, and organised migration pathways\".\n\nThe US ambassador to Mexico, Ken Salazar, said the tragedy was \"a reminder to the governments of the region of the importance of fixing a broken migration system and the risks of irregular migration\".\n\nTitle 42, which allows US border officials to deny individuals entry to the US \"to prevent the spread of communicable disease\", was first implemented at the start of the Covid pandemic.\n\nThe Biden administration has announced its intention to end the use of the Trump-era policy, but for now it remains in place.\n\nSince the announcement, the number of migrants in Ciudad Ju\u00e1rez awaiting the possible lifting of the restrictions has swelled.\n\nRecently hundreds of frustrated migrants, mostly Venezuelan, tried to force their way over an international bridge into El Paso from the Mexican city.\n\nUS officials imposed physical barricades saying the group had posed \"a potential threat to make a mass entry\".\n\u2022 None US and Mexico make deal to ease Venezuela migration","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/world-latin-america-65088389"}
{"title":"Inside Britain's biggest sewer under London's River Thames - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-28","authors":null,"description":"The new tunnel under the River Thames in London is 25km long was built at a cost of almost \u00a35bn.","section":null,"content":"For decades London\u2019s Victorian-era sewers have discharged raw sewage into the River Thames after heavy rain.\n\nBut that could be about to change, thanks to a vast tunnel that\u2019s been built underneath the river.\n\nSeven metres wide, 25km long and costing nearly \u00a35bn it\u2019s designed to divert sewage to a treatment plant in east London.\n\nOur environment correspondent Jonah Fisher was given a rare opportunity to ride a bike along the tunnel before it fills up with sewage.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/science-environment-65091803"}
{"title":"Space scientists reveal brightest gamma explosion ever - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-28","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"Nasa satellites detected an explosion two billion light years away that lit up the galaxy.","section":"Leicester","content":"Satellites captured images of how the gamma blast lit up dust rings in space\n\nScientists have revealed how Nasa satellites detected the brightest gamma ray explosion in space.\n\nThe gamma-ray burst (GRB) occurred two billion light-years from Earth and illuminated much of the galaxy.\n\nImages of the rare and powerful cosmic phenomenon show a halo and \"bullseye\" like shapes.\n\nExperts, including academics from the University of Leicester, say the GRB was 10 times brighter than any other previously detected.\n\nThey have released detailed analysis of the powerful explosion that was spotted on 9 October, 2022.\n\nThe blast was officially named GRB 221009A but has been nicknamed the BOAT - Brightest Of All Time - by those working on a mission Nasa calls Swift.\n\nThe images captured have shown unprecedented details of GRBs\n\nX-ray astronomer Dr Phil Evans, who leads the University of Leicester's involvement in Swift, said: \"We were really lucky to see something like this. We estimate that events this bright occur roughly once every thousand years.\n\n\"By studying the evolution of this astonishingly bright GRB in great detail, we can learn a lot about the physics of a blast wave.\n\n\"Just like slow-mo cameras reveal details about movement, breaking our data into small time pieces allows us to see how the GRB changes and learn more.\"\n\nThe Swift team said its Neil Gehrels Swift Observatory, a satellite telescope designed to study GRBs from space, was initially unable to observe the burst because the Earth was obstructing its view.\n\nHowever, 55 minutes later, when the satellite's orbit allowed it to have a clear view of the GRB, its systems successfully detected it and created images of it.\n\nDr Andy Beadmore, who is also part of the Swift team at the University of Leicester, said: \"These patterns are not just beautiful but are also useful scientifically.\n\n\"We're seeing a significant amount of dust in our galaxy being lit up by the intense burst of light from the GRB - two billion light years away - like a torch shining through a cloud.\n\n\"This lets us study its nature and composition, which was found to extend to large distances from the Sun.\n\n\"The brightness of this GRB means that we can collect much better data than normal, and so move beyond simple models of the GRB physics that we normally use - they just can't explain these data.\"\n\nDr Evans adds: \"Even after 18 years of operation, Swift can still surprise us with something unexpected, awesome, and scientifically powerful, and it can still challenge us.\n\n\"Those dust rings may look pretty but they gave us some headaches, they really complicated the data analysis.\n\n\"Even with those complications, though, this event gives us an opportunity to study a GRB in unprecedented detail.\n\n\"Then there's the beautiful dust halo that Andy discovered.\n\n\"This is caused by massive clouds of dust in our galaxy - but it's the light from the GRB, around two billion light years away - that's actually revealed those clouds to us.\n\n\"Now, we can measure their distance and their composition using this GRB 'backlight'.\n\n\"This discovery is a testament to the power of careful observation and the potential of serendipitous discoveries.\n\n\"I'm thrilled that our team was able to contribute to our understanding of the Universe in such a meaningful way.\"\n\nFollow BBC East Midlands on Facebook, on Twitter, or on Instagram. Send your story ideas to eastmidsnews@bbc.co.uk.\n\nThe BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/uk-england-leicestershire-65104115"}
{"title":"Police probe after Rangers coach reportedly headbutts Celtic boss - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-28","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"Rangers coach Craig McPherson approached Fran Alonso after the Celtic women's team scored a late equaliser.","section":"Glasgow & West Scotland","content":"This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Emotions ran high after Celtic scored a late equaliser against Rangers in the Scottish Women's Premier League\n\nA Rangers coach is being investigated by police over an alleged headbutt on Celtic Women manager Fran Alonso.\n\nCraig McPherson approached Alonso at the end of a dramatic Scottish Women's Premier League clash, which was televised on Sky Sports.\n\nThe incident happened at the full-time whistle after Celtic equalised in the 99th minute.\n\nPolice Scotland confirmed it had received a report about the match at Broadwood Stadium on Monday.\n\nA force spokesperson said: \"Inquiries to establish any criminality are at an early stage.\"\n\nThe Scottish Football Association's compliance officer will also look at the incident after reading the match delegate's report.\n\nSpeaking after the game, Alonso told Sky Sports: \"Someone pushed me from behind. I never talked to him the whole game.\n\n\"I was called a little rat, but I don't know why.\"\n\nWhen asked about the incident, Rangers manager Malky Thomson said: \"Without me seeing it I wouldn't comment.\n\n\"If that is the case there will be an investigation and we will look at it.\"\n\nAway side Celtic earned a point in the match thanks to a late equaliser by Caitlin Hayes.\n\nFran Alonso said he was verbally abused during an altercation at the Old Firm game\n\nAfter a video of the apparent headbutt circulated on social media, a spokesperson for the club said: \"Clearly this is a hugely concerning incident, falling well below any acceptable standard.\n\n\"We understand the matter is now being investigated and it will be up to all relevant authorities to take any appropriate action.\"\n\nThe SWPL said: \"This incident is currently being investigated by Police Scotland and the Scottish FA. The SWPL will not make any further comment at this time, whilst these investigations are ongoing.\"\n\nRangers have been approached for comment.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/uk-scotland-glasgow-west-65099526"}
{"title":"Dramatic scenes from school shooting in Tennessee - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-28","authors":null,"description":"Six people, three of them children, have been killed in a primary school shooting in Nashville.","section":null,"content":"Six people, three of them children, have been killed in a primary school shooting in Nashville. The shooter was a 28-year-old female who was killed by police, officers said.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/world-us-canada-65094530"}
{"title":"Bullying and toxic culture at one of England's largest NHS trusts - report - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-28","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"The review comes after a BBC investigation into claims of a climate of fear at Birmingham hospitals.","section":"Birmingham & Black Country","content":"Repeated cases of bullying and a toxic environment at one of England's largest NHS trusts have been found in a review.\n\nThe Bewick report was ordered after a BBC Newsnight investigation heard from staff at University Hospitals Birmingham (UHB) saying a climate of fear had put patients at risk.\n\nIt cites anger that senior staff did not attend the funeral of Vaish Kumar, a junior doctor who killed herself.\n\nThe West Midlands trust said it fully accepted the report's recommendations.\n\nThe trust is responsible for Queen Elizabeth (QE), Heartlands, Good Hope and Solihull hospitals.\n\nA first phase of the rapid review, headed by independent consultants IQ4U and led by Prof Mike Bewick, was published at 11:30 BST.\n\nIt is one of three major reviews into the trust, commissioned following a series of reports by Newsnight and BBC West Midlands in which current and former staff raised concerns.\n\nSome clinical safety concerns at the trust, which runs the Queen Elizabeth Hospital, were found by the review\n\nSummarising the findings, Prof Bewick, a former NHS England deputy medical director, said: \"Our overall view is that the trust is a safe place to receive care.\n\n\"But any continuance of a culture that is corrosively affecting morale and in particular threatens long-term staff recruitment and retention will put at risk the care of patients across the organisation - particularly in the current nationwide NHS staffing crisis.\n\n\"Because these concerns cover such a wide range of issues, from management organisation through to leadership and confidence, we believe there is much more work to be done in the next phases of review to assist the trust on its journey to recovery.\"\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Dr Ravi Kumar says the Bewick review is inadequate as he was not contacted to offer evidence\n\nProf Bewick's report examines how leadership reacted to the death of Dr Kumar, 35, a junior doctor at the QE Hospital who left a suicide note blaming her death entirely on the place where she worked.\n\nDr Ravi Kumar, her father, said he strongly believed the QE had \"destroyed\" his daughter.\n\nThe report says while the funeral service was live-streamed for staff, there was \"disappointment and anger\" it was not attended by senior colleagues.\n\nIt said \"many felt that the trust had kept itself at arm's length from the Kumar family\".\n\nThe report also says a senior member of staff was not aware of Dr Kumar's death and emailed her personally 26 days later to ask why she was removed from her post and if she was still being paid.\n\nWhile steps have been taken to reach out to her family and \"develop learning going forward\", the report adds: \"The response to an event like this can only partly be met by updated guidelines and policies... but more significantly [the trust] needs a fundamental shift in the way an organisation demonstrably cares about its staff as people.\"\n\nThe junior doctor's father said: \"[The trust] should come out openly and accept this has happened, they should find out who the people are who are responsible for this and take appropriate action.\n\n\"Otherwise people will not have confidence in any of these inquiry panels and committees if there is no visible action.\"\n\nUniversity Hospitals Birmingham's chief executive said concerns had already started to be addressed\n\nIt makes four overall recommendations to improve clinical safety, governance and leadership, staff welfare and culture.\n\nJonathan Brotherton, the trust's current chief executive, said he was pleased Prof Bewick's overall view was \"that the trust is a safe place to receive care\".\n\nJonathan Brotherton has been in his post at the trust for three months\n\n\"We fully accept his recommendations and welcome the additional assurance that has been asked for through further independent oversight,\" he said.\n\n\"There are a number of significant concerns that we need to, and have started to, address; we will continue to learn from the past, as we move forward.\n\n\"We want to develop a positive, inclusive work environment where people want to come to work, in a place that they are proud to work in, to do their very best for our patients.\n\n\"While we will not be able to fix things as quickly as I would like, we do need to do it as quickly as possible, for the benefit of patients and staff. I am committed to ensuring this happens.\"\n\nOn the day of the report's publication, it was announced Mr Brotherton's predecessor, Prof David Rosser, would be retiring.\n\nFormer chief executive, Prof David Rosser, left his position in December\n\nHe ran UHB from September 2018 until December 2022, when he left to become the region's strategic director for digital health and care.\n\nThe report says following his appointment, the culture of the trust seemed to \"evolve further\" to one that lacked \"kindness and empathy\".\n\n\"We received substantial evidence of how these behaviours affected significant numbers of staff included in the review and how certain specialties deteriorated as a result,\" it said.\n\nA spokesperson for the NHS Birmingham and Solihull Integrated Care Board (ICB) said: \"Dave Rosser has taken the decision to retire and will therefore no longer be continuing in his role as director for digital health and care.\"\n\nEver since the inquiry into the deaths of hundreds of patients at Mid Staffordshire NHS Foundation Trust, in conditions of the most shameful neglect, the NHS is supposed to embrace openness and candour.\n\nBut instead of that openness, Prof Bewick suggests a corrosive culture of bullying at UHB prevented staff coming forward to raise concerns.\n\nAlthough the trust says it will change, some doubt how far that change will go.\n\nIn his report, Prof Bewick suggests it hasn't happened yet, and that in fact he \"found an organisation that is culturally very reluctant to accept criticism or to acknowledge the adverse views expressed by us\".\n\nDavid Melbourne, chief executive at the ICB, said the review made for \"difficult reading\" and confirmed a cross-party reference group which supported the review, led by Edgbaston Labour MP Preet Gill, would be involved in the second and third reports.\n\nMs Gill said: \"What isn't clear at this stage is who is going to commission [the report's] recommendations, when they will take place and who will hold accountability and responsibility for those, because I don't believe some of those can wait.\"\n\nDr Tristan Reuser was referred to the GMC after raising concerns about a lack of nurses to support operations at the Heart of England NHS Trust, which merged with UHB in 2018\n\nRichard Burden, who chairs Healthwatch Birmingham and Solihull, said the report \"paints a disturbing picture of serious failings\" adding patients needed greater reassurance UHB was safe.\n\n\"This interim report and the upcoming reviews into culture and governance must not be the end but the beginning of an urgent process of learning and transformative change at UHB,\" he said.\n\n\"Everyone with a degree of influence in the local health sector owes it to patients, the dedicated staff who care for them and the memory of Dr Kumar to work together to ensure the deep-seated problems at UHB are tackled quickly and effectively.\"\n\nDr Tristan Reuser, an eye specialist who won an employment tribunal for wrongful dismissal after whistleblowing at the trust, added: \"All the people who have been participating in this culture of fear... they need to go because these people have been a part of this and the perception of how this trust is governed will not change unless these people go, in my view.\"\n\nThe second and third reviews, covering governance and culture at the trust, are expected to be published by June.\n\nFollow BBC West Midlands on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. Send your story ideas to: newsonline.westmidlands@bbc.co.uk\n\nThe BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/uk-england-birmingham-65098307"}
{"title":"Nicola Sturgeon formally resigns as first minister - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-28","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"Ms Sturgeon leaves her Bute House residence for the final time after 3,051 days as Scotland's first minister.","section":"Scotland politics","content":"This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Ms Sturgeon formally tendered her resignation in a letter to the King\n\nNicola Sturgeon has officially tendered her resignation as Scotland's first minister in a letter to the King.\n\nMs Sturgeon announced last month that she would stand down once a successor was appointed.\n\nHumza Yousaf was elected to replace her as SNP leader on Monday - and will be confirmed as the new first minister in a Holyrood vote on Tuesday afternoon.\n\nAfter writing her resignation letter, Ms Sturgeon left her Bute House residence for the final time.\n\nShe was Scotland's longest-serving first minister, having spent 3,051 days - more than eight years - in the role.\n\nMs Sturgeon was seen embracing the household staff who work at Bute House and posed for photographs with her team as she prepared to leave the Edinburgh residence.\n\nAs she walked down the stairs of the building, which are adorned with pictures of the first ministers, a nail could be seen protruding from the wall ready for the picture of her successor.\n\nA spokesman for the Scottish government said: \"She formally tendered her resignation in writing this morning to His Majesty King Charles III. This has been accepted and the Scottish Parliament has been notified.\"\n\nThis Twitter post cannot be displayed in your browser. Please enable Javascript or try a different browser. View original tweet on Twitter The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Skip twitter post by Nicola Sturgeon 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\u2019s cookie policy, external and privacy policy, external before accepting. To view this content choose \u2018accept and continue\u2019. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.\n\nMr Yousaf will be formally elected as Ms Sturgeon's successor and Scotland's sixth first minister in a vote of MSPs.\n\nThe new SNP leader is virtually certain to become the first ethnic minority leader of a devolved government by winning a majority of the votes.\n\nThe leaders of the three opposition parties - the Conservatives, Labour and Lib Dems - are expected to stand against him, but have no prospect of winning the contest.\n\nThe Scottish Greens - who have a power-sharing agreement with the SNP - have already said they will back Mr Yousaf, which should ensure he wins a majority in the first round of voting.\n\nAll of the candidates will make a brief speech before the vote, with Mr Yousaf expected to be formally sworn in as first minister in a brief ceremony at the Court of Session in Edinburgh on Wednesday.\n\nHe will start forming his new cabinet team later this week, and will face opposition leaders for the first time at the weekly First Minister's Questions on Thursday.\n\nMr Yousaf won the SNP leadership on Monday after narrowly defeating Kate Forbes by 26,032 votes to 23,890 once the second preference votes of Ash Regan - who finished a distant third - were reallocated.\n\nMr Yousaf had been serving as health secretary and was seen as being Ms Sturgeon's preferred successor - with some pundits surprised at how close the final result was.\n\nDespite the turmoil of the campaign, which saw Ms Forbes launch a highly personal attack on Mr Yousaf's competence in a live TV debate, both of the defeated candidates congratulated the new leader on his success and urged the party to unite behind him.\n\nMs Sturgeon thanked staff as she left her Bute House residence for the final time after 3,051 days as first minister\n\nMs Sturgeon paid tribute to all three candidates for \"rising to the challenge\" during the leadership contest, adding: \"Most of all I congratulate Humza Yousaf and wish him every success.\n\n\"He will be an outstanding leader and first minister and I could not be prouder to have him succeed me.\"\n\nNeil Gray, the culture minister who managed Mr Yousaf's leadership campaign, has said that the new first minister would have conversations with both Ms Forbes and Ms Regan about bringing them into government.\n\nSpeaking to the BBC's Good Morning Scotland programme, Mr Gray also rejected calls by Scottish Labour for an election to be held.\n\nHe said: \"Humza has a very clear mandate, I think that will be earned by his election today and he absolutely has the power to govern going forward.\"\n\nThe SNP repeatedly called for a general election during last year's Conservative leadership campaign, arguing that whoever took over from Boris Johnson would have no mandate because they had been picked by Tory party members rather than the country as a whole.\n\nIt is not yet known what Ms Sturgeon will do after leaving office - although she will remain as a backbench MSP for now\n\nBut Mr Gray said: \"The democratically elected MSPs who choose the first minister through a ballot in the Scottish Parliament have that opportunity to do so today.\n\n\"This is a different situation than what we faced when Gordon Brown took over from Tony Blair, for instance, where there wasn't an election or, indeed, the various Conservative leaders who have been elected by the party over the last few years.\"\n\nMr Yousaf described himself as the \"luckiest man in the world\" after being confirmed as the new SNP leader and pledged to be a \"first minister for all of Scotland.\"\n\nHe told voters he would \"work every minute of every day to earn and re-earn your respect and your trust\" and said he would \"kickstart\" a grassroots campaign that would \"ensure our drive for independence is in fifth gear\".\n\nHe added: \"The people of Scotland need independence now more than ever before, and we will be the generation that delivers independence for Scotland.\"\n\nMr Yousaf will be confirmed as Scotland's new first minister on Tuesday afternoon\n\nSpeaking to ITV News after his victory, Mr Yousaf said he would ask the UK government to grant formal consent to hold another referendum \"right away\" despite saying during the campaign that the party must \"make sure that we're not obsessing about Section 30s and de facto referendums because people just don't get inspired by that\".\n\nDowning Street has already said it will not change its stance in opposing a referendum, with the prime minister's spokesman saying he would instead be focused on the \"issues that matter\" to people like reducing inflation and tackling the cost of living crisis.\n\nScottish Conservative leader Douglas Ross said it was \"obvious that Humza Yousaf has the wrong priorities for Scotland\" as he confirmed he would stand against him in the first minister vote.\n\nMr Ross added: \"During the leadership election he focused on independence above everything else and therefore I think it's right that the people of Scotland hear voices within parliament\".\n\nLabour's health spokeswoman Jackie Baillie claimed that Mr Yousaf had a \"woeful record\" in government.\n\nShe added: \"As transport minister the trains never ran on time, as justice secretary he trashed the justice system, he has been the worst health secretary in the history of devolution and I am worried he has simply failed upwards, is out of his depth and is incompetent and I worry for the country.\"\n\nRight now, Scotland doesn't have a first minister.\n\nKing Charles has accepted Nicola Sturgeon's resignation, and it will be tomorrow morning before Humza Yousaf is sworn in as her replacement at the Court of Session, having been nominated by a majority of MSPs.\n\nMs Sturgeon is clearly happy to be moving on - she posted an Instagram clip of her morning walk featuring the song \"Feeling Good\".\n\nMr Yousaf too may be on a high after his narrow victory in the leadership race.\n\nBut the burdens of office will weigh on him very quickly. He will face first minister's questions on Thursday in the shadow of a towering in-tray of issues.\n\nHis government must wrestle with economic turbulence, the cost of living crisis and a creaking health service, all while he strives to reunite his party.\n\nMr Yousaf won't need long to discover why Ms Sturgeon is \"feeling good\" about leaving it all behind.\n\nAfter being voted leader of the Scottish National Party, we ask - who is Humza Yousaf?\n\nAvailable now on BBC iPlayer (UK only).","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/uk-scotland-scotland-politics-65093281"}
{"title":"Two mothers react to Nashville school shooting - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-28","authors":null,"description":"Two mothers react after a woman opened fire inside a Nashville school and killing six people.","section":null,"content":"Six people, three of them children, have been killed in a primary school shooting in Nashville. The shooter was killed by police, officers said.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/world-us-canada-65093794"}
{"title":"Jeremy Corbyn banned from standing as candidate for Labour party - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-28","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"The former leader was ejected from the parliamentary Labour party due to a row over antisemitism.","section":"UK Politics","content":"Labour's governing body has voted to block Jeremy Corbyn from standing as a Labour candidate at the next election.\n\nThe National Executive Committee (NEC) voted 22 to 12 to approve a motion from Sir Keir Starmer to prevent Labour endorsing Mr Corbyn. There is no right of appeal.\n\nMr Corbyn is suspended from being a Labour MP and sits as an independent following a row over antisemitism.\n\nThe former Labour leader called it a \"shameful attack on party democracy\".\n\nIn a statement, he said the decision to block him showed \"contempt\" for the voters who had supported the party at the 2017 and 2019 elections.\n\nAnd in a hint he could run as an independent candidate in the constituency he has represented since 1983, he said he had \"no intention\" to stop \"fighting for a fairer society on behalf of the people of Islington North\".\n\nMr Corbyn criticised the Labour leader, claiming Sir Keir \"has instead launched an assault on the rights of his own Labour members, breaking his pledge to build a united and democratic party\".\n\nLast month, Sir Keir announced that Mr Corbyn would not be a Labour candidate, confirming months of speculation.\n\nThe motion approved by the NEC states that allowing Mr Corbyn to stand would \"significantly diminish\" Labour's chances of \"winning the next general election\".\n\n\"It is is not in the best interests of the Labour Party for it to endorse Mr Corbyn as a Labour Party candidate at the next general election,\" the text of the motion says.\n\nThe NEC has the power to endorse, or not endorse, a candidate selected for election.\n\nFrom 2016, Sir Keir was a key member of Mr Corbyn's shadow cabinet, speaking for the party on Brexit.\n\nMr Corbyn led Labour to defeat in the 2017 and 2019 general elections but remains a popular figure with many on the left of the party.\n\nBut Sir Keir suspended him as a Labour MP in 2020 after he said the scale of antisemitism within Labour had been \"dramatically overstated\" by his opponents, in response to a highly critical report by the Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC) into the party's handling of complaints under his leadership.\n\nThe NEC readmitted Mr Corbyn to the Labour Party as a member in November 2020 - but he is blocked from representing the party in Parliament.\n\nThe Islington North Constituency Labour Party said it \"rejects the NEC's undue interference\" in who it chooses as an MP.\n\nThe NEC vote \"undermines our goal of defeating the Conservatives and working with our communities for social justice,\" the group said in a statement.\n\n\"We believe in the democratic right of all constituency parties to choose their prospective parliamentary candidate.\"\n\nWhile running for leader of the Labour party, Sir Keir had said Labour \"should end NEC impositions of candidates\" on local associations, tweeting that local party members should select their candidates for every election.\n\nJon Lansman, the co-founder of the Corbyn-backing Momentum campaign group, accused Sir Keir of acting like an \"authoritarian\".\n\n\"Keir Starmer unfortunately is behaving as if he was some kind of Putin of the Labour Party. That is not the way we do politics,\" he told Times Radio.\n\nHowever Labour's national campaign coordinator Shabana Mahmood defended the decision, saying it had \"always been the case\" that the NEC endorses candidates.\n\nShe said Mr Corbyn had failed to take \"responsibility\" for the EHRC report in 2020, and Sir Keir had made the \"changes that are needed\".\n\nThe EHRC launched its inquiry in May 2019, after receiving complaints about antisemitism within the party.\n\nIt found Labour had breached the Equality Act by failing to provide adequate training for staff dealing with allegations, and because of \"political interference\" from Mr Corbyn's office in the handling of those complaints.\n\nLabour was ordered to draw up a plan to improve its complaints process, which it did in December 2020.\n\nThis committed the party to setting up an independent process to handle complaints, putting together a handbook for staff handling complaints, and improving training.\n\nIn February, EHRC chief executive Marcial Boo said the watchdog was now \"content with the actions taken\" by the party after winding up a two-year monitoring process at the end of January.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/uk-politics-65102128"}
{"title":"Thomas Cashman: Olivia murder-accused hated but not guilty - trial - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-28","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"Thomas Cashman, who is accused of shooting Olivia Pratt-Korbel at her home, denies being the gunman.","section":"Liverpool","content":"Olivia was shot when a gunman burst into her house and opened fire\n\nThe man accused of killing Olivia Pratt-Korbel is \"probably one of the most hated people in the country\" but he is not guilty, his barrister said.\n\nThomas Cashman is accused of murdering Olivia, 9, and injuring her mother Cheryl after chasing a man into their home in Liverpool on 22 August.\n\nJohn Cooper KC, defending, accused prosecutors of having \"temerity\" to suggest Mr Cashman, 34, was trying to pull the wool over the jury's eyes.\n\nManchester Crown Court has heard the defendant shot convicted drug dealer Joseph Nee, 36, in the street, before his victim fled into Ms Korbel's home as she tried to block his entry.\n\nThe jury has heard Mr Cashman fired again, with the bullet travelling through Ms Korbel's hand before hitting and killing her daughter behind her.\n\nIn his closing speech, Mr Cooper said: \"The suggestions are easy to make because the defendant is sitting in the dock, the only person there, probably one of the most hated people in the country.\"\n\nDuring his evidence, Mr Cashman told the jury he was a \"high-level\" cannabis dealer in the Dovecot area.\n\nMr Cooper said: \"I'm not putting Cashman to you as an angel, far from it.\n\n\"I don't necessarily even have to like the guy, neither do you. We'll never talk again after this trial, we're not mates.\n\n\"It's a matter of doing my job and you doing your job.\"\n\nThomas Cashman says he was not the gunman who fatally shot Olivia Pratt-Korbel\n\nMr Cooper said the family of Mr Nee, the intended target of the shooting, \"had their enemies\" and there were other people who wanted him dead.\n\nHe said: \"When Tommy Cashman says to you, 'It wasn't me', it therefore must have been someone else - that's not pie in the sky, we submit, it's based on fact.\"\n\nHe said a woman who claimed that after the shooting Mr Cashman came to her house, where she heard him say he had \"done Joey\" was telling \"downright lies\".\n\nMr Cooper said the defendant had had a \"sordid relationship\" with the woman, who cannot be named for legal reasons, but was \"never ever\" going to leave his fianc\u00e9e for her.\n\nHe said: \"He was never going to play any meaningful part in her life - that obviously was not what she wanted to hear.\"\n\nIn his closing remarks, Mr Cooper said: \"The defence have done their best now to show you the evidence for what it is.\n\n\"We ask you to carefully look at it and to conclude that on all counts this defendant is not guilty.\"\n\nMr Cashman, of Grenadier Drive, West Derby, Liverpool, denies murdering Olivia, the attempted murder of Mr Nee, wounding with intent to do grievous bodily harm to Ms Korbel, and two counts of possession of a firearm with intent to endanger life.\n\nWhy not follow BBC North West on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram? You can also send story ideas to northwest.newsonline@bbc.co.uk\n\nThe BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/uk-england-merseyside-65097488"}
{"title":"UK tourism: Visitor attractions still suffering from pandemic effects - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-17","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"Visitor figures are 23% down on pre-pandemic levels, despite millions returning in 2022.","section":"UK","content":"Indoor attractions like the Natural History Museum saw a strong recovery in 2022\n\nUK visitor attractions are suffering from the effects of the pandemic due to fewer tourists travelling from abroad, an industry body has warned.\n\nMillions returned to museums and galleries in 2022 as Covid restrictions ended, the Association of Leading Visitor Attractions (ALVA) said.\n\nBut fewer international tourists meant visitor levels were still almost a quarter lower than before the pandemic.\n\nThe Crown Estate, Windsor Great Park, remained the most popular attraction.\n\nIndoor sites saw a 176% increase in the number of people visiting compared to the previous year, ALVA said.\n\nFor much of 2021 facemasks and social distancing had been required at inside venues to prevent the spread of coronavirus.\n\nBig London attractions with no entry fee like the Natural History Museum, British Museum and Tate Modern saw their numbers recover by around 200%.\n\nOverall visits to British attractions increased 69% compared to 2021, but they saw 37.8 million fewer people walk through their doors than in 2019.\n\nALVA, which represents more than 2,200 sites, puts the 23% shortfall down to lower levels of tourism, especially from China and east Asia.\n\nThe Crown Estate, Windsor Great Park, was the most visited UK attraction in 2022 - the year of Queen Elizabeth's Platinum Jubilee and death\n\nThe top 10 list was dominated by London attractions, including the National Gallery in Trafalgar Square\n\nThe Tower of London was the most visited major attraction with an entry fee in 2022\n\nDespite a very busy Christmas period, Bernard Donoghue, director of ALVA, warned the industry was \"still experiencing the tourism equivalent of 'long Covid'\" because of fewer holidaymakers coming to the UK.\n\nHe later apologised for making the 'inappropriate' comparison after receiving complaints from long Covid advocacy campaigners.\n\nAlthough there are ongoing challenges, he said he was \"confident that [tourists] will return this year and we will see a continuing healthy recovery\".\n\nThe figures also reveal people are opting for attractions which are free amid the cost-of-living crisis: places which charged an entry fee saw a recovery of 101% - but free sites had a 183% increase.\n\nMr Donoghue also said rail strikes had impacted people visiting theatres - particularly over Christmas.\n\nHe added he was confident the Chinese market would come back in 2023, driving \"really strong growth\".\n\nLondon dominated the top ten list but popular spots around the UK saw growth.\n\nIn Scotland, the most popular attraction was the National Museum in Edinburgh. In Northern Ireland, it was Titanic Belfast and in Wales it was Bodnant Garden in Conwy.\n\nThe BBC changed the headline of this article after Mr Donoghue retracted his comparison between the state of the industry and long Covid.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/uk-64976013"}
{"title":"Your pictures of Scotland: 10-17 March - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-17","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"A selection of your pictures of Scotland sent in between 10 and 17 March.","section":"Scotland","content":"A selection of your pictures of Scotland sent in between 10 and 17 March.\n\nSend your photos to scotlandpictures@bbc.co.uk. Please ensure you adhere to the BBC's rules regarding photographs that can be found here.\n\nPlease also ensure you take your pictures safely and responsibly.\n\nConditions of use: If you submit an image, you do so in accordance with the BBC's terms and conditions.\n\nHazel Thomson took this picture of oystercatchers avoiding the crashing waves at Burghead, Moray.\n\nIan Burnside said he felt lucky to catch this scene of a black-headed gull waiting patiently to be fed at Linlithgow Loch in West Lothian.\n\nAndrew Whettam took this photo of the Ledmore river, near Elphin in the Scottish Highlands. In the background are Cam Loch and the mountains, Suilven and Canisp.\n\nSally Neill set up this scene of four small bears in a baguette boat with a cheese sail and three swimming ducks in an East Kilbride puddle.\n\nPaul Millen said he had amazing weather climbing Beinn Alligin in Torridon, the Highlands.\n\nMark Reynolds took this picture of a busy but very chilly day on the Corpach Basin in the Highlands, with Carn Mor Dearg and Aonach Mor in the background.\n\nAdrian Goodall took this picture at the beach on Reef, Isle of Lewis.\n\nMrinmoy Sonowal captured a different angle of the Pentland Hills from Appleton Tower at Edinburgh University.\n\nSylvia Beaumont said she took this picture of \"The Class of '23\" - a flock of Scottish Blackface sheep who posed very nicely for her at North Berwick Law, East Lothian.\n\nCaitlin Douglas took this stunning picture of Loch Morlich in the Cairngorms.\n\nTom Kelly took this fantastic picture of a Great Spotted Woodpecker on the Water of Leith, in Edinburgh.\n\nAlasdair Roderick Ross Leonard captured the beauty at Finsbay on the Isle of Harris.\n\nAlan James Doyle took this photograph of the Union Canal at Fountainbridge, Edinburgh\n\nRonnie Dukes took this dramatic photo of Ben Lomond.\n\nDavid Brookens took this shot in Brodick on the Isle of Arran.\n\nMorag Cordiner took this picture of waves hitting the breakwater at high tide at the Golden Horn in Fraserburgh, Aberdeenshire.\n\nArthur Allan saw these swans becoming involved in a territorial disagreement at Dunfermline loch, Fife.\n\nFrancesca Wheeler took this picture of The Guide Me and Guide Us in the snow at Largs pier in North Ayrshire.\n\nDougie Law took this picture of the Cuillin Hills in snow from the summit of Bealach na Ba in Wester Ross.\n\nOn a recent trip to the fishing cottages at Fittie in Aberdeen, Janina Dolny came across this gate adorned with horseshoes.\n\nBryan Wark had a nice sunny but cold walk around the farm roads above Kilbirnie, North Ayrshire\n\nVictor Tregubov took this stunning shot on the beautiful Isle of Barra.\n\nRichard Marsh took this picture during a walk beside the River Tay at Dunkeld in Perthshire.\n\nPaul Chambers captured this pine marten in the snow at Blairgowrie, Perth and Kinross.\n\nAlex Orr had this great view of Edinburgh Castle and St Cuthbert's Church.\n\nRebecca McLennan captured this incredible mid-air shot of the red kites that live in Doune, Perthshire.\n\nGraeme Skinner captured this evening storm at the Kessock Bridge, which crosses the Beauly Firth at Inverness.\n\nDavid Kenny photographed this hedgehog while walking in Stirling.\n\nSteven Murray took this shot in Glencoe from Beinn A'Chrulaiste.\n\nWilliam Warnock took this shot while snowboarding at Cairngorm.\n\nDoreen Wilson took this shot of a Red Grouse on moorland approaching the munro, Meall Chuaich, while walking in the Drumochter hills with Linlithgow Ramblers.\n\nLana Wiles took this photo in the grounds of Castle Fraser in Aberdeenshire in the snow.\n\nFran Lockhart took this picture of her croft track in Rogart in Sutherland.\n\nRaymond Carstairs took this picture in Gifford in East Lothian.\n\nJohn Welsh took this picture of Glasgow's Spitfire in Kelvingrove Art Gallery and Museum\n\nJayne McKie captured dawn at Lochan na h-Achlaise and Black Mount in Rannoch Moor.\n\nMary Ann Macleod took this picture of Gress, Isle of Lewis.\n\nGary Doyle took this picture of cormorants on sugar boat in the Firth of Clyde.\n\nPlease ensure that the photograph you send is your own and if you are submitting photographs of children, we must have written permission from a parent or guardian of every child featured (a grandparent, auntie or friend will not suffice).\n\nIn contributing to BBC News you agree to grant us a royalty-free, non-exclusive licence to publish and otherwise use the material in any way, including in any media worldwide.\n\nHowever, you will still own the copyright to everything you contribute to BBC News.\n\nAt no time should you endanger yourself or others, take any unnecessary risks or infringe the law.\n\nYou can find more information here.\n\nAll photos are subject to copyright.","link":"https:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/uk-scotland-64977891"}
{"title":"Video shows moment Russian fighter jet hits US drone over Black Sea - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-17","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"US footage shows the jet apparently dumping fuel as it makes two close passes with the drone.","section":"Europe","content":"This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Watch: US releases footage from its drone of the encounter with a Russian jet\n\nThe US military has released footage of a Russian jet crashing into one of its drones over the Black Sea.\n\nThe US said the damage to the large drone meant it had to be brought down into the water near Crimea on Tuesday.\n\nRussia denied its Su-27 fighter jet clipped the propeller of the drone, but the video appears to back up the American version of events.\n\nIt was in the Pentagon's interest to release this video - not least to verify its version of events.\n\nThe BBC has not seen the events before or after the collision. The US initially said the confrontation lasted around 30-40 minutes, but the released footage lasts for less than a minute.\n\nOn Wednesday night, US Defence Secretary Lloyd Austin said: \"We remain confident in the facts we've conveyed so far.\"\n\nHe said then the Pentagon was looking at what video could be released. It is not unusual for militaries to take some time to declassify video footage before making it public.\n\nMr Austin previously described Russia's actions as dangerous and reckless - and the edited video released appears to back that up.\n\nA feed from a camera fitted under the fuselage of the surveillance drone shows a Russian Su-27 making two extremely close passes while releasing what appears to be fuel as it approaches.\n\nIn the first pass it seems to mire the lens of the camera. The second pass is even closer - disrupting the video feed from the remotely piloted aircraft.\n\nWhen the picture returns, a blade of the drone's propeller at the back of the aircraft can be seen bent out of shape.\n\nNational Security Council spokesman John Kirby told the BBC's US broadcast partner CBS that it was not clear whether the Russian action was deliberate or accidental.\n\nBut he said this did not matter because the moves were \"completely inappropriate, unsafe and unprofessional\".\n\nSurveillance flights would continue over the Black Sea, he said, but there was no need for military escorts, which he said were unnecessary and would put pilots at risk.\n\nRussia has claimed the drone was approaching its territory, but all we can see from the video is sea, sky and cloud.\n\nMoscow appeared to suggest on Tuesday that it had imposed a unilateral no-fly zone over the region as part of its invasion of Ukraine.\n\nRussian Ambassador to the US Anatoly Antonov said the drone had \"violated boundaries of the temporary airspace regime established for the special military operation\".\n\nBut Mr Kirby said the airspace was international and not restricted.\n\nIn a statement released hours after the crash, the US said Russian jets dumped fuel on the drone several times before the collision.\n\nPentagon spokesman Brig Gen Pat Ryder told reporters the drone was \"unflyable and uncontrollable\", adding the collision also likely damaged the Russian aircraft.\n\nRussia's defence ministry said the drone crashed after a \"sharp manoeuvre\", and that it was flying with its transponders (communication devices) turned off.\n\nThe Kremlin has not yet responded to the release of the US video. On Wednesday Russia's security council secretary Nikolai Patrushev said attempts were being made to find and retrieve the remnants of the drone.\n\nOn Thursday, Russian ships were seen at the site of the downed drone on the Black Sea, US media reported.\n\nMr Kirby said the US was also searching for the aircraft, but stressed that if Russia beat them to it, \"their ability to exploit useful intelligence will be highly minimised\".\n\nThat message was reiterated by General Mark Milley, America's top military general, who said the US has taken \"mitigating measures\" to ensure there was nothing of value on the downed drone.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/world-europe-64975766"}
{"title":"Putin arrest warrant: ICC accuses Russian leader of war crimes - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-17","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"He is accused of forcibly deporting Ukrainian children to Russia - but Moscow says the warrant is meaningless.","section":"Europe","content":"ICC uses very specific offence to directly accuse Putin\n\nThe ICC has the power to charge political leaders with \"waging aggressive war\" - meaning an unjustified invasion not undertaken in self-defence. But Russia is not a signatory to the court so that's not a route open to its prosecutors. Russia would also use its veto, as it has already done in relation to Ukraine , to stop any attempts at the UN Security Council to grant the ICC new powers in relation to that offence. So some war crime experts had been calling for world leaders to launch an Ukraine war crimes tribunal as another means of charging Russia's leaders. They argued that no other crime but waging aggressive war could be pinned on Putin - meaning the only people who could ever theoretically face court would be his generals and foot soldiers. But the ICC appears to have found a way around this justice gap by dusting off the very specific offence of deporting children. The fact that Russia is not a party to the ICC still means Putin won't be extradited anytime soon but the arrest warrant could leave the president marooned in his own country - unless he wants to voluntarily surrender to The Hague.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/live\/world-europe-64994087"}
{"title":"SNP says its membership has fallen to 72,000 - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-17","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"The party reveals its membership numbers amid a row over the conduct of its leadership race.","section":"Scotland","content":"Leadership candidates Kate Forbes, Ash Regan and Humza Yousaf had pushed for the membership figures to be published\n\nThe SNP's membership has fallen to just over 72,000, the party has confirmed amid a row over the integrity of its leadership race.\n\nCandidates Ash Regan and Kate Forbes had demanded to know how many members were eligible to vote in the contest to succeed Nicola Sturgeon.\n\nThe party initially refused to do so - but has now told the candidates that it has 72,186 members.\n\nIt means it has lost 32,000 members from the 104,000 it had two years ago.\n\nThe SNP's membership hit a peak of 125,000 in 2019 as support for the party surged in the wake of the independence referendum but had dropped to 85,000 by the end of last year.\n\nIts Westminster leader, Stephen Flynn, told BBC Scotland earlier this week he had \"no idea\" how many members the party had, but that \"I think the last time I heard it was about 100,000\".\n\nMs Forbes' campaign manager, Michelle Thomson MSP, said she was pleased that \"common sense has prevailed\" and the membership numbers had been published - but that the \"alarming drop in members shows that the party needs a change in direction\".\n\nMs Regan issued a statement that said only: \"I get things done\", with her campaign questioning on Twitter whether the big drop in membership - which it linked to the government's controversial gender reforms - was a reason for Ms Sturgeon's resignation.\n\nShe later told BBC Scotland's Drivetime programme that it had been several weeks since she first asked for the membership figures to be released, but that she was pleased it had been as \"we want to show that the SNP is fair, transparent and accountable\".\n\nMs Regan also repeated her call for an independent observer to be appointed to oversee the leadership election.\n\nThe SNP's national secretary, Lorna Finn, wrote to the candidates earlier on Thursday in an attempt to address their concerns about transparency.\n\nA spokesperson for the party said: \"All three candidates were successful in parliamentary selection contests using exactly the same voting system and independent ballot services firm.\n\n\"The national secretary has again confirmed all necessary safeguards are in place to protect the integrity of the ballot.\"\n\nThe third candidate in the contest, Health Secretary Humza Yousaf, said his two rivals had produced no tangible evidence that would throw the integrity of the election process into question.\n\nBut he added that it had been \"a bit of an own goal\" for the party not to have published the figure at the start of the process, adding: \"I don't know why they didn't - they should have done and certainly if I'm the leader of the party I'll make sure they are published annually.\"\n\nThis is a massive drop in the SNP's membership in a relatively short period of time and it seems to have been particularly acute over the last few months.\n\nThe party has lost more than 10,000 members since the end of last year when the row over reform of the process for legally changing gender was raging.\n\nIt is not possible to measure the extent to which that controversy may be responsible for members leaving.\n\nThe party's president Mike Russell has suggested cost of living pressures could offer an alternative explanation.\n\nFalling membership also places Nicola Sturgeon's decision to stand down in a new context, albeit that she insisted it was not a response to short term pressures.\n\nThe SNP remains the largest political party in Scotland but it is considerably smaller now compared to its post referendum peak of around 125,000.\n\nMr Yousaf is widely seen as being the favoured candidate of Ms Sturgeon and the SNP hierarchy as a whole, with Ms Regan previously claiming that the party HQ was \"bussing in\" his supporters to hustings events.\n\nMs Regan has also questioned the role of SNP chief executive Peter Murrell - Ms Sturgeon's husband - in the leadership contest, saying it was a \"clear conflict of interest\".\n\nHer campaign had also said it had concerns about votes from deceased party members or those who have allowed their membership to expire.\n\nAn open letter sent on behalf of Ms Regan and Ms Forbes to Mr Murrell had called on him to clarify how many \"paid-up\" members the party has, and the number of digital and postal voting papers that have been released.\n\nMs Regan and Ms Forbes had urged Peter Murrell to clarify how many members the party currently has\n\nMs Sturgeon denied her party was in crisis and said she had \"100% confidence\" in the process as she left her penultimate First Minister's Questions on Thursday.\n\nShe added: \"My party is having a democratic leadership election - growing pains for any organisation can be painful, but they are important.\n\n\"I think it's incumbent for the three candidates standing to succeed me that they remember the task is to retain the trust of the Scottish people that we have won consistently over, not just the eight years of my leadership, but consistently since 2007.\"\n\nSNP president Mike Russell told BBC Scotland the highest standards were being observed but accepted that the membership figures should have been published earlier.\n\n\"The party has to unite after this,\" he said. \"We have an important job to do for Scotland and I'm quite sure the three candidates are capable of that.\"\n\nScottish Conservatives chairman Craig Hoy said the SNP \"had to be dragged kicking and screaming into even releasing these numbers\".\n\nHe added: \"The SNP government are out-of-touch with the real priorities of Scotland and it seems tens of thousands of now former members have also come to that conclusion and decided enough is enough.\"\n\nThe leadership ballot is being managed by Southampton-based polling firm Mi-Voice, which the SNP has used for internal contests since 2013. The result is due to be announced on 27 March.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/uk-scotland-64976104"}
{"title":"NHS and ambulance staff in Scotland accept latest pay offer - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-17","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"GMB Scotland said its members accepted the improved pay offer by a majority of 59.7%.","section":"Scotland","content":"A new pay offer was made to staff including ambulance workers\n\nThe union representing NHS and ambulance staff in Scotland have accepted the latest pay offer from the Scottish government.\n\nGMB Scotland said 59.7% of balloted members had accepted the new offer.\n\nHealth Secretary Humza Yousaf has been locked in negotiations with health unions in recent months amid the threat of industrial action.\n\nStrikes were suspended earlier this year while members of three unions considered the improved deal.\n\nBoth the Royal College of Nursing (RCN) and the Royal College of Midwives (RCM) are also balloting their members, with the recommendation to accept the deal.\n\nThe result of the RCN vote is expected next week.\n\nThe pay offer made to 160,000 NHS staff, including nurses, midwives and paramedics, equates to an average 6.5% increase in 2023\/24.\n\nIt also includes the commitment to modernising Agenda for Change, which is nearly 20 years old, to support workforce recruitment, sustainability and retention.\n\nThe offer is on top of the imposed pay rise already allocated for 2022\/23, meaning many staff could receive a consolidated 13 to 14% pay increase over a two-year period.\n\nKeir Greenaway, GMB Scotland senior organiser for public services, welcomed the acceptance but urged ministers to heed the warnings of the proportion of the union membership that voted to reject the pay offer.\n\nHe said: \"We would warn that no-one in government circles should be na\u00efve enough to think this puts the issue of worker value back in the box.\n\n\"The sizeable minority of members who voted to reject the offer illustrate the point and this sends a loud and clear message on future pay offers.\n\n\"If ministers want to seriously tackle the understaffing crisis in our health service and recruit and retain the people needed to build a recovery of our broken NHS, then the bar must continue to rise for the pay and conditions of staff in the years to come.\"\n\nHealth Secretary Humza Yousaf said he was \"delighted\" that GMB members had accepted the pay offer.\n\nHe said: \"This will ensure that Scotland's NHS Agenda for Change staff are, by far and away, the best paid anywhere in the UK. We are also committed to delivering the most progressive package of terms and conditions reform in decades.\n\n\"We await the outcome of the remaining union ballots.\"","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/uk-scotland-64980613"}
{"title":"Comic Relief raises over \u00a334m with The Traitors and Eurovision sketches - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-17","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"This year's event will support people struggling with the cost of living crisis and food poverty.","section":"Entertainment & Arts","content":"Dawn French brought a twist to The Traitors during the fundraiser\n\nThe annual Comic Relief fundraiser, which featured sketches based on the show The Traitors and Eurovision, has raised over \u00a334m.\n\nDame Mary Berry, Danny Dyer and Jamie Dornan made appearances on the show.\n\nThe money raised during the event was announced live by hosts Paddy McGuiness, David Tennant and Zoe Ball.\n\nThis year's fundraising effort will support people struggling with the cost of living crisis, food poverty, mental health problems and homelessness.\n\nComic Relief was founded by Sir Lenny Henry and Richard Curtis in 1985 with the aim to put an end to child poverty in the UK and around the world.\n\nFor the first time since the programme was first launched, Sir Lenny was not there but he appeared in a pre-recorded appeal to help starving communities in the African continent.\n\nFollowing a montage of clips from his past visits to the continent with the charity, Sir Lenny said: \"But I think what I said then, still rings true to me now. Forget geography. These are your neighbours\".\n\nDuring the opening credits, the co-founder regenerated into Doctor Who star Tennant who said: \"For the first time in Comic Relief's history, we are flying without our captain, Sir Lenny Henry.\"\n\nSinger Zara Larsson performing during the Red Nose Day night of TV for Comic Relief\n\nThe 2023 show, hosted at Salford's Media City, also included AJ Odudu, Joel Dommett and Paddy McGuinness as presenters.\n\nPerformances from Zara Larsson and Tom Grennan came live from Salford.\n\nCelebrities began fundraising ahead of Friday night's live show, with Radio 1's Arielle Free taking part in a cycling challenge and BBC Morning Live's Gethin Jones dancing for 24 hours.\n\nArielle Free joined by Jordan North and Vick Hope at the finish line\n\nThe live TV event also included a video appeal from the Prince of Wales, in which he met homeless people helped by Comic Relief.\n\nPrince William said his mother would be \"disappointed\" to see that the UK is still no further along the line in terms of tackling homelessness, and preventing it from happening.\n\nThere was also a parody sketch of The Traitors, featuring real contestants Maddy and Wilf, alongside Dame Mary Berry and Danny Dyer.\n\nComedians Jennifer Saunders, Stephen Merchant and Rosie Jones featured in the sketch, with a twist as Dawn French took on Claudia Winkleman's host role.\n\nElsewhere on the show there was an appearance from Kylie Minogue, whilst Blackadder star Sir Tony Robinson read a bedtime story as the character Baldrick.\n\nSir Tony Robinson returned as the character of Baldrick to read a bedtime story\n\nGraham Norton, Lulu and last year's UK Eurovision entrant Sam Ryder paid homage to the European music contest, by playing a mock judging panel looking for the next UK star to enter the competition.\n\nAuditions came from Jamie Dornan who had \"lost his voice\" and held up big cards with the words to Adele's Someone Like You and comedian Miranda Hart who sang and danced to Hero by Mariah Carey.\n\nDavid Walliams also auditioned by singing Eye of the Tiger by Survivor and hit his own \"golden buzzer\", while TV chef Gordan Ramsey tried to impress the judging panel by playing the recorder.\n\nEurovision fans got another treat though as during the fundraiser, two tickets for the Liverpool final were given away on the show by Eurovision presenters Scott Mills and Rylan Clark.\n\nThe cast of Mrs Doubtfire The Musical also delivered their first UK performance of Make Me A Woman from the new stage show.\n\nA sketch which saw the UK's 'most serious people' telling jokes also saw appearances from news broadcasters Clive Myrie, Kay Burley, Huw Edwards and Naga Munchetty as well as Susanna Reid, Piers Morgan and Richard Madeley.\n\nThis year's Red Nose was designed by Sir Jony Ive, who is best known for being a designer for Apple.\n\nThis Twitter post cannot be displayed in your browser. Please enable Javascript or try a different browser. View original tweet on Twitter The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Skip twitter post by Comic Relief 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\u2019s cookie policy, external and privacy policy, external before accepting. To view this content choose \u2018accept and continue\u2019. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.\n\nSir Jony said: 'We've grown up with Comic Relief and are proud to support their remarkable work.\n\n'This new and seemingly simple Red Nose has been a fabulously complex little object to design and make and has involved our entire team. We hope it brings a little moment of joy to everyone who wears one.'\n\nIt is made from plant-based materials and is available to buy from the Comic Relief website or Amazon.\n\nAt the end of the broadcast on Friday night, the hosts announced the show had raised \u00a331,952,141 and that total was updated overnight to \u00a334.1m.\n\nThis Twitter post cannot be displayed in your browser. Please enable Javascript or try a different browser. View original tweet on Twitter The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Skip twitter post 2 by BBC Radio 1 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\u2019s cookie policy, external and privacy policy, external before accepting. To view this content choose \u2018accept and continue\u2019. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/entertainment-arts-64989732"}
{"title":"Hunter Biden sues repairman over release of personal data from laptop - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-17","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"The US president's embattled son is under renewed scrutiny from Republicans in Congress.","section":"US & Canada","content":"The US president's embattled son is under renewed scrutiny from Republicans in Congress.\n\nHunter Biden, the US president's embattled son, is suing a Delaware computer repair shop owner over the handling of his private laptop.\n\nMr Biden and his attorneys allege John Paul Mac Isaac illegally copied and distributed private information from the laptop's hard drive.\n\nThat personal data was used by Republicans to attack Joe Biden during the 2020 presidential election.\n\nMr Isaac argues the laptop became his property when it was abandoned.\n\nIn a suit he filed last year, Mr Isaac accused Hunter Biden, the Biden 2020 campaign, a Democratic congressman and two US media outlets of defaming him by claiming he illegally accessed the data.\n\nHunter Biden's counterclaim, filed on Friday in a Delaware district court, claims Mr Isaac gave away his data to \"political enemies\" because he opposed his father's candidacy.\n\nThe document alleges that the repairman sent copies of the hard drive to his father in New Mexico and to a lawyer who worked with Mr Trump's then-personal attorney, Rudy Giuliani.\n\nMr Giuliani and other allies of Mr Trump, including Steve Bannon, would later gain access to some of the data.\n\n\"Mac Isaac intended and knew, or clearly should have known, that people to whom he provided the data that he believed to belong to Mr Biden would use it against then-candidate Joseph Biden and to assist then-President Trump,\" the filing reads.\n\nIt adds that disseminating private data in this manner \"is offensive and objectionable to Mr Biden, and would be highly offensive and objectionable to any reasonable person\".\n\nThe laptop's existence was first brought to the public's attention by the conservative-leaning New York Post less than one month before the 2020 election.\n\nThe Post alleged that emails found on its hard drive suggested Mr Biden's business dealings abroad were influencing US foreign policy while his father was vice-president.\n\nThe president and his family have denied any wrongdoing in overseas business dealings.\n\nDonald Trump and Republican Party operatives seized on it as a campaign issue, saying it was evidence of alleged nepotism and corruption in the Biden family.\n\nThe Biden campaign said at the time that the leaked data might have been linked to a Russian disinformation campaign to influence the election, but it provided no evidence for the claim.\n\nMore material from the laptop has since been released, painting a sordid picture of the younger Biden. They include texts and financial records related to his overseas business dealings in China and Ukraine, as well as provocative photos and videos of him having sex and doing drugs.\n\nOften referenced in conservative US media as the \"laptop from hell\", the computer itself is now in the FBI's possession.\n\nThe agency has been investigating the president's son since 2018 over his tax payments related to foreign business dealings. Federal officials are also probing whether he lied about his prior drug use on a gun application form in 2018.\n\nHunter Biden, 53, and his attorneys have shifted their strategy in recent weeks as a new Republican majority in the US House of Representatives vows to step up scrutiny of the Biden family.\n\nOn Thursday, House Oversight Committee chairman James Comer alleged that Hunter Biden and at least two relatives received more than $1m in funds from a Chinese energy company.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/world-us-canada-64991918"}
{"title":"Dominic Raab plans new law to stop whole life term prisoners marrying - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-17","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"The justice secretary says he will block murderers like Levi Bellfield getting married in prison.","section":"UK Politics","content":"Levi Bellfield is reported to be seeking permission to get married\n\nJustice Secretary Dominic Raab has said he will change the law to stop prisoners serving whole life sentences getting married in jail.\n\nThere was \"no question\" of taxpayers footing the bill for murderer Levi Bellfield's bid to marry, he told LBC.\n\nBellfield, whose victims include 13-year-old Milly Dowler, is reported to be seeking legal aid to challenge a ruling blocking him from marrying his girlfriend behind bars.\n\nThe justice secretary wants the measure included in a new Victims Bill.\n\nDowning Street said details of the planned legislation would be announced \"in due course\", calling it \"deeply inappropriate\" for those serving whole life terms to get married.\n\n\"Let me be crystal clear... I don't think it is appropriate and I'm going to change the law. We are committed to that,\" Mr Raab said.\n\nHe said passing a law was never about an individual case, but this was \"wrong\" and many people would find it \"an affront to the basic system of criminal justice\".\n\nThere was also a question around the risk of a \"vulnerable\" person marrying an offender as \"egregious\" as Bellfield, Mr Raab added.\n\n\"So on both factors, I'm committed to doing what we can to prevent that taking place.\"\n\nAny such legislation could face a legal challenge, with the European Convention on Human Rights containing an explicit right to marriage under Article 12.\n\nMr Raab, who is also deputy prime minister, has previously criticised the Human Rights Act for putting \"all sorts of obstacles\" in the way of blocking Bellfield's marriage.\n\nThe Sun has reported that Bellfield has told fellow inmates his legal battle is costing him nothing.\n\nBellfield, 54, is serving a whole life term for the murder of Milly Dowler who was abducted while walking home from school in Walton-on-Thames, Surrey, in 2002.\n\nHe had previously been sentenced to a whole life term for the murders of students Marsha McDonnell in 2003 and Amelie Delagrange in 2004, and the attempted murder of another woman.\n\nHe is an inmate at HMP Frankland in County Durham.\n\nWhen it emerged last year that Bellfield had applied to marry an unnamed woman, Downing Street said then-Prime Minister Boris Johnson was \"sickened and appalled\" by the request, and his thoughts were with the victims' families.\n\nAnyone convicted of murder will be given a life sentence. But the judge will specify the minimum term an offender must spend in jail before becoming eligible to apply for parole.\n\nA whole life order means an offender will never be released from prison, except in exceptional compassionate circumstances.\n\nMore than 60 prisoners are thought to be currently subject to such orders.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/uk-politics-64987928"}
{"title":"Metropolitan Police expected to be heavily criticised for being racist, sexist and homophobic in report - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-17","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"The BBC understands the report will criticise the Met's tolerance of wrongdoing within its ranks.","section":"UK","content":"The Metropolitan Police is expected to be heavily criticised for being racist, sexist and homophobic in a report.\n\nBaroness Casey's review will be published on Tuesday.\n\nShe was appointed to review the force's culture and standards after the murder of Sarah Everard by serving officer Wayne Couzens.\n\nThe BBC has not seen a draft of Baroness Casey's report but understands that it will heavily criticise the Met's tolerance of wrongdoing.\n\nThe report is also expected to criticise how the Met protects its own people ahead of the public.\n\nA government source told the BBC the findings of the draft report were \"very serious\" and would make for \"bad reading\".\n\nHome Secretary Suella Braverman has been in talks with the Met Commissioner, Sir Mark Rowley, this week about the findings after it is understood the final draft of the report was sent to them.\n\nSir Mark was appointed commissioner in September and even after the critical report is published next week, the Home Office will back his leadership to reform the Met and bring about change, and wants to give him the time to do so.\n\nThe force is already facing a separate independent inquiry into how Couzens and the serial rapist officer David Carrick were able to become policemen and were not identified as threats to women.\n\nThe interim Casey review which was published in October found hundreds of Met officers had been getting away with breaking the law and misconduct.\n\nIt found many claims of sexual misconduct, misogyny, racism and homophobia had been badly mishandled.\n\nSir Mark apologised and admitted there were officers still serving who should have been sacked.\n\nWhile the interim report focused on the failures of the force's internal misconduct system, this final report is expected to be much wider.\n\nIt has examined, and will criticise the culture, recruitment, training and leadership of the force.\n\nOne source told the BBC the final report contained a lot of findings that were extremely bad for the Met.\n\nThe BBC has spoken to two women whose ex-partners are serving Met officers. Both women raised concerns that the force is unable to deal with abusive officers within its ranks.\n\nSally, not her real name, was living with a Met officer who she met when he investigated a crime she had been a victim of. Last year, she told the Met that he had domestically abused her and had misused police powers. He is now going through the Met's misconduct system and is on restricted duties.\n\nShe told the BBC she felt as though the force had not dealt with her complaints.\n\n\"I think it's easier to let these police officers stay than to get rid of them,\" she said. \"He's still working, he's still getting paid, he's still going to get his full pension.\n\n\"I don't trust the police at all and I do not understand why we report allegations against the police to other police officers. There is no place in the police service for an officer like him, absolutely not.\"\n\nA woman the BBC has called Natalie to protect her identity claims her ex-husband, a Met officer, coercively controlled her. She said she struggled to find the right avenues to complain to the force to get them to take action.\n\n\"You're brought up to believe the police are there to protect. The police should be there to protect, that's what we pay taxes for but they just seem to protect themselves.\"\n\n\"I've been in police stations, I've spoken to policewomen who squeezed my arm and looked compassionate, and told me this time it would be sorted. (That) it was unacceptable\" she said. \"You hear nothing and it then makes him worse. He's bolstered by this isn't he? He's enabled and protected.\"\n\nCdr James Harman from the Met's directorate of professional standards acknowledged that the force needs to do more, saying: \"I recognise that we are in a bad place but we are committed and absolutely determined to turn that around and we are going to do so.\n\n\"I completely understand that people will often feel nervous or hesitant to report a crime committed by the police.\"\n\nThe Met Police said in a statement \"the report will play an important role in informing and shaping our work to deliver 'More Trust, Less Crime and High Standards'.\n\n\"It will be published next week which will be the appropriate point for us to respond in further detail.\"\n\nA Home Office spokesperson said: \"The Home Secretary has been clear that culture and standards in policing must be raised in order to regain the trust and confidence of the public. We await the publication of Baroness Casey's full report.\"\n\nA statement from a spokesperson for the Casey Review has said the review will \"not be commenting on its contents ahead of publication\". They have also asked other parties not to comment either.\n\n\"The review into the culture and standards of the Metropolitan Police was commissioned in light of the appalling facts relating to the murderer of Sarah Everard\" the statement read.\n\n\"This must be remembered if at all possible as we move towards its publication\".\n\nHave you been affected by the issues raised in this story? Please email us: haveyoursay@bbc.co.uk.\n\nPlease include a contact number if you are willing to speak to a BBC journalist. You can also get in touch in the following ways:\n\nIf 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 HaveYourSay@bbc.co.uk. Please include your name, age and location with any submission.\n\nThe BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/uk-64984878"}
{"title":"Plymouth trees: Call for independent inquiry into felling - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-17","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"The felling of 110 city centre trees is a \"shameful and shocking act\", Plymouth Green Party says.","section":"Devon","content":"Contractors felled 110 trees to make way for a \u00a312.7m regeneration of the city centre\n\nPlymouth City Council is facing calls for an independent inquiry into the decisions behind the night-time felling of 110 trees in the city centre.\n\nPlymouth Green Party said the felling was \"a shameful and shocking act\".\n\nThe council had paused the project in February for a public consultation but an executive order to fell the trees was signed by council leader Richard Bingley on Tuesday.\n\nPlymouth City Council has been approached for comment.\n\nContractors fenced off public areas and felled the trees on Tuesday night as part of a \u00a312.7m regeneration project before an injunction stopped work.\n\nPlymouth City Council said the felling was carried out at night for the safety of people\n\nThe Green Party said councillors were given no time to scrutinise the executive decision ordered by Mr Bingley, the Conservative leader.\n\nThe Greens called for \"an independent inquiry into the decision-making behind the felling of the trees\".\n\nGreen Party group leader Ian Poyser, councillor for Plympton Chaddlewood, said: \"This kind of ecological vandalism must not be repeated.\"\n\nHow Armada Way looked in June 2022\n\nCampaign group Save the Trees of Armada Way (Straw) said it had applied for a judicial review into the decision to fell the trees.\n\nAli White, from Straw, said: \"We need to understand what's gone wrong, it should not be so easy for councils to do this.\"\n\nThe felling on Tuesday night is part of a regeneration plan for the city centre which will mean the planting of 169 new trees, according to the local authority.\n\nAssistant chief executive at the council, Giles Perritt, previously said although the council knew \"some people will not be happy\", it needed to \"get on with this scheme\".\n\nThe council said the felling, which started at about 20:30 GMT on Tuesday, took place at night \"for reasons of public safety and impact on the city centre\".\n\nPlymouth City Council said 169 new trees would be planted in the new scheme\n\nAdam Cormack, head of campaigning at the Woodland Trust, told BBC Radio 4's Today programme, it was \"not always easy\" to retain trees in a redevelopment.\n\n\"But there are some really good examples around the country of where mature trees are retained and they can have a very transformative impact on the look and experience,\" he said.\n\n\"What we are seeing here in Plymouth is what happens when the value of urban trees is under-estimated.\"\n\nHe said research by the University of Washington in the US had connected people's shopping habits and spending with the presence of trees.\n\n\"That shows that people like spending time in places where there are big mature trees and as a result they spend more money,\" he said.\n\n\"So the two things are totally connected and in Plymouth what we want to see is preservation of as many mature trees as possible because once a tree gets to that mature point in its life it's a very valuable asset to a city.\"\n\nPhone repair shop owner Ali Arshad said overall, the felling of trees could benefit the views in the town.\n\nHe said: \"It is a sad feeling you know when you see all the trees are cut down, and the city was looking so beautiful and now it's not looking good.\n\n\"It's hard for the people to see the trees being cut down, but maybe in future it's going to be a beautiful view.\"\n\nShop owner Caroline Sardu said although it was \"quite sad all the trees coming down\", it was \"the right thing to do to move Plymouth city centre forward\".\n\nFollow BBC News South West on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram. Send your story ideas to spotlight@bbc.co.uk.\n\nThe BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/uk-england-devon-64974072"}
{"title":"Welsh football: FAW members suspended for inappropriate behaviour - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-17","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"The allegations include misogyny and sexism, breaching confidence and mocking political correctness.","section":"Wales","content":"Former FAW President Phil Pritchard is one of the members currently serving a suspension\n\nThree male members of the Football Association of Wales (FAW) have been suspended in the past 10 months after allegations of inappropriate behaviour.\n\nThey were suspended from the FAW council, which is made up of 36 members representing local clubs, leagues and area associations across Wales.\n\nThe allegations include misogyny and sexism, breaching confidence and mocking political correctness publicly.\n\nThe FAW said it took a \"robust approach\" to sanctions.\n\nThe findings by the Newyddion S4C programme come at a time when sport in Wales is under scrutiny after allegations of sexism and misogyny within the Welsh Rugby Union (WRU) were revealed by the BBC Wales investigates programme.\n\nThe FAW referred two of the disciplinary cases to independent arbitrators Sport Resolutions, with the other matter dealt with internally by the FAW as it was considered less serious in nature.\n\nFormer FAW President Phil Pritchard is one of the men currently serving a suspension for comments made at a pre-match dinner deemed misogynistic and sexist.\n\nMr Pritchard says he admitted fault due to the cost of legal fees\n\nWhen asked for a response to the allegation, he lashed out at his suspension.\n\nHe denied making any sexist remarks, but claimed he pleaded guilty because paying for representation at the independent tribunal \"would have cost \u00a312,000 in legal costs\".\n\nMr Pritchard added: \"There is always a happy atmosphere at pre-match events, with plenty of banter.\"\n\nHe explained \"the last thing he wanted to do\" was upset anybody, adding he was \"having a laugh and a joke when this young lady walked in and must have mistaken something\".\n\n\"There were witnesses within 1ft [of me] on my table who said it didn't happen,\" he said.\n\n\"The only reason I said I did it was because it would have cost me a lot otherwise.\"\n\nLife councillor Ron Bridges is also currently serving a long suspension for a breach of confidence. His case was also referred to Sport Resolutions.\n\nWhen contacted, Mr Bridges admitted his transgression and said he had passed on embargoed team information to his son, who posted it on a popular Facebook group.\n\n\"I can't complain about the suspension or the way it was handled,\" said Mr Bridges.\n\n\"I broke the rules and pleaded guilty and so I'm suspended as an FAW council member, but still active in the game.\"\n\nSouth Wales representative Huw Jones has served his suspension and now resumed his role.\n\nNewyddion S4C has learned that his suspension, which was deemed less serious and therefore dealt with internally by the association, related to a social media post referencing a chant about former Wales international Nathan Blake.\n\nMr Jones was found to have used pronouns inappropriately in an attempted joke about political correctness, which was deemed unacceptable.\n\nMr Jones has also been asked to respond.\n\nAn FAW statement added: \"Whilst we cannot comment on individual cases, the Football Association of Wales takes all disciplinary matters extremely seriously in relation to council members.\n\n\"We have processes and procedures set out within our rules and regulations, which govern how such matters must be dealt with.\n\n\"Depending on the nature of the alleged offence, it is either dealt with by an internal disciplinary procedure, or for more serious matters by an independent arbitration panel.\"\n\nLast year, FAW chief executive Noel Mooney had said: \"Ensuring that football in Wales is equal, diverse and inclusive for everyone is a priority for us at the Football Association of Wales.\"\n\nElections to the FAW council are due to take place this summer.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/uk-wales-64970096"}
{"title":"China's Xi to meet Putin in Moscow next week - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-17","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"Beijing said China would uphold \"an objective and fair position\" on the war in Ukraine.","section":"Europe","content":"China's President Xi Jinping will travel to Moscow next week to hold talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin, officials say.\n\nThe Kremlin said they would discuss a \"comprehensive partnership and strategic co-operation\".\n\nThe visit comes as Beijing, an ally of Russia, has offered proposals to end the war in Ukraine, to which the West has given a lukewarm reception.\n\nWestern countries have warned Beijing against supplying Moscow with weapons.\n\nThis will be President Xi's first visit to Russia since Russian troops invaded Ukraine. He is due to have lunch with Mr Putin on Monday followed by talks on Tuesday.\n\nA foreign ministry spokeswoman said China would uphold \"an objective and fair position\" on the war in Ukraine and \"play a constructive role in promoting talks for peace\".\n\nUK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak's spokesperson said that China playing a genuine role in restoring sovereignty to Ukraine would be welcomed.\n\nThe fact the Chinese leader is going to Russia signals Beijing's strong support for Moscow. There's no surprise about that: Mr Putin and Mr Xi share a similar world view, both embrace the idea of a multi-polar world.\n\nLast year the two men declared their partnership has no limits. That's not strictly true.\n\nUp until now China has not supplied Russia with lethal aid to help it win the war in Ukraine, though the US claims China is considering doing so.\n\nAs for the declared partnership between Moscow and Beijing, Russia - with an economy a 10th the size of China's - finds itself increasingly in the role of junior partner.\n\nSo the Chinese government definitely has some sway over Russia. Other elements driving interest in this visit are Beijing's claim to be neutral and that it has not opposed speculation that it could act as an honest broker between Moscow and Kyiv.\n\nIt may not be a coincidence that Monday's meeting takes place on the 20th anniversary of the US invasion of Iraq, which was opposed by both Russia and China.\n\nCrucially, China is coming off the back of a major diplomatic coup, having facilitated a deal for Middle East rivals Iran and Saudi Arabia to resume diplomatic relations.\n\nHowever some argue that its stated neutrality is a sham and it is in Beijing's geopolitical interests for the war to continue because Russia is doing its dirty work - taking on the West and eating up Western resources and money.\n\nChina's proposals called for peace negotiations and respect for national sovereignty. But the 12-point document did not specifically say that Russia must withdraw its troops from Ukraine.\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Watch: One year of war in Ukraine in 87 seconds\n\nIn February, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said he wanted to meet Mr Xi - \"I really want to believe that China will not supply weapons to Russia,\" he said.\n\nSome US media have reported that Mr Xi and Mr Zelensky will speak by phone after the Chinese leader's visit to Moscow, but this is yet to be confirmed.\n\nKyiv has been pushing hard for some kind of engagement. Ukraine believes President Xi is making the visit to send a signal to the world that Russia has at least some allies.\n\nIn an interview with the BBC before President Xi's visit was announced, Ukrainian foreign minister Dmytro Kuleba said: \"I don't think China has reached the moment now when it wants to, when it's ready to arm Russia. Nor do I think that this visit will result in peace\u2026 The visit to Moscow in itself is a message but I don't think it will have any immediate consequences.\"\n\nThe message, Mr Kuleba said, was \"that China and Russia are very close, close enough for the Chinese leader to visit his Russian counterpart, who is not doing very well.\n\n\"And I think this is the message to the entire world, to the West but also most importantly, to the non-West, that Russia is not alone, that China is talking to them.\"\n\nThe US is keen for Mr Xi and Mr Zelensky to be in contact. The US National Security Council's spokesman said it would be \"a very good thing if the two of them talk\".\n\nOn Thursday, China's foreign minister urged Kyiv and Moscow to restart peace talks as soon as possible during a phone call with Mr Kuleba, who in turn said the two had discussed the \"significance of the principle of territorial integrity\".","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/world-europe-64986486"}
{"title":"Lance Reddick, star of The Wire and John Wick, dies aged 60 - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-17","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"Reddick, who played Charon in the John Wick action-thriller movies, died of natural causes.","section":"US & Canada","content":"Actor and musician Lance Reddick was known for starring in the John Wick movie franchise and the HBO series The Wire\n\nLance Reddick, an actor in the popular HBO series The Wire, has died aged 60, according to US media outlets.\n\nReddick was also known for starring as Charon in the John Wick action-thriller movie franchise.\n\nThe musician and actor died suddenly of natural causes on Friday in his Los Angeles home, his publicist said.\n\nPolice were called to the actor's house around 09:30 local time (16:30 GMT), the publicist told US media.\n\n\"Lance will be greatly missed,\" his publicist, Mia Hansen, said in a statement. \"Please respect his family's privacy at this time.\"\n\nReddick had been in the middle of a press tour for the fourth instalment of the John Wick movies, which is slated to be released on 24 March.\n\nHe is also set to appear in the upcoming John Wick spinoff, Ballerina, starring Ana de Armas.\n\nReddick, a native of Baltimore, appeared in more than a dozen films and shows during his 25-year acting career.\n\nHe was Charon, the hotel concierge at a New York criminal underground hub called The Continental Hotel in the John Wick movies. He appeared in the original movie, its two sequels and is set to appear in the fourth instalment.\n\nThe actor was also known for his breakout role as Baltimore police lieutenant Cedric Daniels in The Wire, a series that ran from 2002 to 2008 and examined the narcotics scene in Baltimore from the perspective of law enforcement as well as drug dealers and users.\n\nReddick told the Guardian in 2010 that he thought the show would be a \"hit\" but did not anticipate it \"would become this phenomenon\".\n\nThe actor was in the Resident Evil Netflix series and the science fiction-action movie Godzilla vs. Kong.\n\nHe was known for his voice acting work as well, including for the TV series Rick and Morty.\n\nReddick studied classical music at the Eastman School of Music at the University of Rochester in New York, where he received a bachelor's degree before attending the Yale School of Drama.\n\nHe earned a SAG Award nomination in 2021 along with fellow cast members for his role in the film One Night in Miami.\n\nThe actor is survived by his wife, Stephanie, as well as a daughter, Yvonne Nicole Reddick, and a son, Christopher Reddick.\n\nReddick told the Los Angeles Times in 2009 that he felt like an \"artist at heart\".\n\n\"When I went to drama school, I knew I was at least as talented as other students, but because I was a black man and I wasn't pretty, I knew I would have to work my butt off to be the best that I would be,\" he said at the time.\n\nHis death comes two years after Reddick's co-star Michael K Williams, who played Omar in The Wire, died of an overdose. Last year, four people were charged for allegedly selling the drugs that Williams took before his death.\n\u2022 None Four charged in drug death of The Wire actor","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/world-us-canada-64959805"}
{"title":"Kyle Walker indecent exposure allegation dealt with, police say - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-17","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"The England and Man City star will not face charges over indecent exposure allegations, police say.","section":"Manchester","content":"England and Manchester City footballer Kyle Walker will not face criminal charges over newspaper allegations that he indecently exposed himself in a bar.\n\nCheshire Police began investigating after The Sun reported an alleged incident in Wilmslow on 5 March.\n\nIt said a 32-year-old man attended a police station voluntarily for questioning on Thursday and was \"dealt with by an out of court disposal\".\n\nThe force said the matter was \"now closed\".\n\nThe Cheshire Police and Crime Commissioner's website states that out of court disposals are used by the police to deal with low-level crime and anti-social behaviour instead of taking an offender to court\n\nManchester City and Mr Walker's agent declined to comment at the time of the report, while City manager Pep Guardiola later said the allegations were a \"private issue\".\n\nOn Thursday, the right-back was included in England's squad for the upcoming Euro 2024 qualifiers against Italy and Ukraine.\n\nEngland manager Gareth Southgate said he had \"spoken at length\" with Walker before selecting him.\n\n\"He is back playing with his club, there is no conclusive evidence to leave him out at this stage,\" he said.\n\n\"I have to be careful on being the moral judge on things.\"\n\nWalker has played for Manchester City since July 2017, when he joined from Tottenham in a \u00a345m transfer, and holds 70 England caps.\n\nWhy not follow BBC North West on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram? You can also send story ideas to northwest.newsonline@bbc.co.uk\n\nThe BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/uk-england-manchester-64993973"}
{"title":"Justin Bieber: Boy with Ramsay Hunt syndrome thanks star - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-17","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"Ethan, 8, and Justin Bieber both have Ramsay Hunt syndrome (RHS), which can cause facial paralysis.","section":"Wales","content":"This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Ethan has had the condition since he was six years old\n\nAn eight-year-old boy with the same rare condition as Justin Bieber has said the star's diagnosis would help raise awareness.\n\nEthan, from Newport, and Bieber both have Ramsay Hunt syndrome (RHS), which, among other things, can cause facial paralysis.\n\nEthan said he wished Bieber well, and that him going public had made it \"easier to talk about\" the condition.\n\nA big Bieber fan, Ethan has had the condition since he was six years old.\n\nRHS is when a shingles outbreak affects the facial nerve near someone's ears, resulting in paralysis of parts of the face as well as blisters in the ears and on the roof of the mouth.\n\nJustin Bieber had to cancel his world tour this month due to ongoing issues with the condition.\n\nJustin revealed his health issues on social media last year\n\nEthan said he was \"really shocked\" to find out the musician was suffering with the same illness when he announced it last year.\n\nHe said: \"I knew what he was going to have to go through and some of what he had to go through was going to be scary.\"\n\nEthan has offered Bieber some words of advice: \"have a lot of rest\" and \"do exercises on your face\".\n\nAlthough a full recovery is possible, Ethan said Bieber should be aware of the long lasting impact.\n\n\"You'll still see a little bit of it, even if nobody else can ever see it,\" he said.\n\nEthan's mum Kirsty say she worries other people may be misdiagnosed due to a lack of awareness\n\nEthan's mother Kirsty said she understood how \"heartbreaking\" it must be for Justin and his fans to have to cancel the tour, but that she and her son \"probably understood that more than a lot of people\".\n\n\"Ramsay Hunt syndrome can affect people in many different ways,\" she said.\n\n\"It causes a lot of tiredness and a lot of pain. So I can completely understand him cancelling his tour.\"\n\nKirsty added she had \"felt really sorry for him\" when he had to cancel his tour but it had \"helped with making other people aware of the condition\".\n\n\"I'd just like there to be more support out there - the hospitals don't have much information and it's really hard to get any information or any treatment plan. So the more awareness that's brought to the condition the better,\" she added.\n\nFacial paralysis is one of the symptoms of Ramsay Hunt syndrome\n\nIn a survey of 206 RHS patients in the UK, Facial Palsy UK found that over 50% of those with RHS had been initially misdiagnosed as having Bell's palsy.\n\nThis was the case for Ethan when Kirsty took him to the Grange Hospital in Cwmbran in January 2021.\n\nInitially she thought the symptoms were due to a cold, but she noticed his face had started to drop on one side, a symptom common to both Bell's palsy and RHS.\n\nEthan was diagnosed with Bell's palsy, given steroids and sent home.\n\nIt was only after Kirsty did her own research that she started to believe it was in fact RHS. She approached doctors, who agreed.\n\nEthan has given Justin Bieber some tips on to how to cope with the condition\n\n\"Its really hard - because it is so rare you've got nowhere to turn,\" said Kirsty.\n\n\"I didn't know of anybody who had the same condition - I couldn't talk to anybody who could just give me life experience and things that I should do and things that I shouldn't do. I didn't have any of that.\"\n\nKirsty went on to pay for facial therapy for Ethan in 2021 and 2022, which helped him make a strong recovery, but she still worries.\n\n\"I think the future's slightly uncertain,\" she said.\n\n\"There's underlying aspects to the condition that are still very apparent to him.\"\n\nA spokesman for Aneurin Bevan University Health Board apologised that Kirsty was unhappy with her care and encouraged her to contact them directly.\n\nCharity Facial Palsy UK said Wales needed more funding for the condition.\n\nA Welsh government spokesperson said: \"We recognise the distress that Ramsay Hunt syndrome and other facial paralysis can cause.\n\n\"Our Quality Statement for Neurological Conditions sets the outcomes and standards we expect health boards to achieve in delivering support and treatment for people living with any kind of neurological condition.\n\n\"We want all those living with a neurological condition to live their best lives and will continue to work with health boards and the Neurological Conditions Implementation Group to raise awareness of all neurological conditions and to develop and deliver effective services.\"","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/uk-wales-64978860"}
{"title":"St Patrick's Day: Thousands gather for events in NI - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-17","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"People have attended in festivities across NI, including parades, concerts and family events.","section":"Northern Ireland","content":"This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. St Patrick's Day events took place in towns and cities across Northern Ireland\n\nThousands of people have taken part in St Patrick's Day festivities in Northern Ireland.\n\nAmong the big events taking place was the parade in Belfast city centre, staged by arts organisation Beat Carnival.\n\nIt used the spectacle to mark the 25th anniversary of the 1998 Good Friday Agreement.\n\nCelebrations kicked off in County Fermanagh on Thursday night with the inaugural St Patrick's Eve flotilla.\n\nColourful characters made their way up Slemish Mountain on Friday\n\nPeople of all backgrounds joined the parade in Newry, County Down\n\nHundreds lined the streets of Belfast for this year's parade\n\nFriday's music-themed parade in Belfast started at 13:30 with hundreds gathered around City Hall to enjoy musicians and Irish dancers.\n\nDavid Boyd, director of Beat Carnival - who produced the Belfast parade - said 800 people from across the community were participating this year.\n\n\"We decided to have a music theme, Belfast being a Unesco city of music,\" he said.\n\nThe procession included ancient horns of Ireland, traditional folk, disco, punk and a dance rave.\n\nPipers joined the Belfast parade, which had a music theme this year\n\nThe inaugural St Patrick's Eve flotilla on the River Erne, with Enniskillen Castle lit up in green in the background\n\nThe Lord Mayor of Belfast, Sinn F\u00e9in's Tina Black, was among those enjoying the festvities\n\nCelebrations started early in County Fermanagh with several dozen vessels lit up for the occasion on Thursday evening.\n\nThe boats sailed through Enniskillen, past the illuminated castle, and people gathered along the banks of the River Erne to watch them.\n\nLondonderry's streets were packed on Friday, with thousands having come to the city centre to witness a lively parade and colourful performances.\n\nThe theme around this year's festivities in Derry was Recycle and Renewal, with some of the participants costumes created from leftover T-shirts from last year's Waterside half marathon.\n\nIrish dancers, drummers and mummers marched through the streets of a rainy Armagh to entertain the thousands who turned out in Ireland's ecclesiastical capital.\n\nThe water spectacle continued in Enniskillen, with leprechauns and superheroes among those braving the cold of River Erne with a hydrofoil display.\n\nAnd on land, parade attendees were brought Back to the Future when St Patrick arrived in a DeLorean.\n\nThe Prince and Princess of Wales visit the 1st Battalion Irish Guards at Mons Barracks in Aldershot, England\n\nActor Patrick Duffy, who played Bobby Ewing in the hit 1980s TV series Dallas, attended the parade in Dublin\n\nSeamus O'Hara returned from a week in Los Angeles for the Oscars to take part in the parade in Newry\n\nSeamus O'Hara, star of Oscar-winning Northern Ireland film An Irish Goodbye, took part in the Newry parade with his GAA club.\n\nOriginally from Glens of Antrim, he now lives in Killeavy in County Armagh.\n\nAfter last week's Oscar success he was hoping to sing happy birthday to his son who turned seven on Friday.\n\nThroughout Friday morning people visited what is believed to be St Patrick's grave in Downpatrick, County Down.\n\nAmong them were Sophie and Lucy, who said: \"We're going to the parade later, our friend's mum is painting our faces and daddy is going to buy us treats.\"\n\nSophie and Lucy were among the first visitors to what is believed to be St Patrick's grave this morning\n\nAn early-morning service was held at St Patrick's first church in Saul, County Down, and some of those who attended went on to climb nearby Slieve Patrick.\n\nStephen Moore and his son Phillip Moore travelled to the church in Saul from Banbridge in County Down.\n\n\"We've come a few times because we enjoy the fellowship and to celebrate St Patrick,\" said Stephen.\n\nEvents were also held in Armagh, Broughshane and Derry by the Orange Order and the Apprentice Boys of Derry to celebrate St Patrick's Day.\n\nOrange Order Grand Secretary, Rev Mervyn Gibson, said it was becoming an increasingly special day for the organisation.\n\n\"St Patrick is there for everybody on the island of Ireland to celebrate and we celebrate it from an Ulster-British perspective and that's what we'll seek to do in the institution,\" he told BBC Radio's Evening Extra programme.\n\nHe said people might be surprised by the Orange Order's involvement in St Patrick's Day events but he hoped attitudes would shift.\n\n\"People tended to think that the 12 July was just for the orange and St Patrick's Day was just for the green, but certainly I don't feel that way,\" he said.\n\nThe leaders of Ireland's main Churches, Church of Ireland Archbishop of Armagh John McDowell (centre), and Catholic Archbishop Eamon Martin (right), were among those celebrating in Armagh\n\nIn the Republic of Ireland, up to half a million people descended on Dublin for a parade led by the women's national football team, Irish state broadcaster RT\u00c9 reported.\n\nThe parade, the biggest on the island of Ireland, began at Parnell Square at 12:00 local time, with marchers making their way through the city.\n\nCrowds gathered early in Dublin for the Parade through the city centre\n\nAbout half a million people celebrating in Dublin city centre this year","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/uk-northern-ireland-64983006"}
{"title":"Boris Johnson reselected as candidate for Uxbridge and South Ruislip - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-17","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"There had been speculation the former PM might try to find a safer seat before the next election.","section":"London","content":"Boris Johnson is still thought to harbour hopes of one day returning to No 10\n\nBoris Johnson has been reselected as the Conservative candidate for the Uxbridge and South Ruislip constituency.\n\nIt follows speculation the former prime minister might seek a safer seat ahead of the next general election in 2025.\n\nAllies of Mr Johnson have always rejected this idea.\n\nWhile Mr Johnson holds a 7,000-vote majority, his west London seat is seen as a realistic target for Labour at the next election.\n\nSince leaving office in September, he has declared more than \u00a31m in speaking fees.\n\nEarlier this month, he criticised the deal with the EU that Prime Minister Rishi Sunak agreed to replace elements of the Northern Ireland Protocol.\n\nIn a statement on Thursday, the Uxbridge and South Ruislip Conservative Association said: \"Tonight the Uxbridge and South Ruislip selection committee adopted Boris Johnson as our parliamentary candidate.\n\n\"We look forward to continuing to work alongside him to deliver for the residents and communities within the constituency, where he has strong connections and involvement.\n\n\"His commitment to deliver a new Hillingdon Hospital for Uxbridge and South Ruislip residents remains at the forefront of his work as our local MP.\"\n\nFollow BBC London on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. Send your story ideas to hellobbclondon@bbc.co.uk","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/uk-england-london-64986948"}
{"title":"PC who hit ex-footballer Dalian Atkinson guilty of gross misconduct - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-17","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"A panel finds Mary Ellen Bettley-Smith used excessive force, but rules she can keep her job.","section":"Shropshire","content":"PC Mary Ellen Bettley-Smith used excessive force against the former Aston Villa striker\n\nA PC who repeatedly struck ex-footballer Dalian Atkinson on the night he was killed by her colleague has been found guilty of gross misconduct.\n\nMary Ellen Bettley-Smith hit the former Aston Villa striker six times with her baton as he lay on the ground in 2016.\n\nA disciplinary panel decided the West Mercia Police officer used excessive force, but ruled she could keep her job and gave her a final written warning.\n\nMr Atkinson's sister said she was \"very disappointed\" with the outcome.\n\nThe Atkinson family's lawyer said the fact PC Bettley-Smith remained in her job was \"an insult to them\".\n\nPC Benjamin Monk was jailed for manslaughter in 2021, having tasered the 48-year-old and kicked him in the head outside his father's house in Telford, Shropshire.\n\nHis colleague and partner, PC Bettley-Smith was acquitted of actual bodily harm at a retrial last year, however, the police watchdog called for a gross misconduct hearing.\n\nThe panel could have sacked the 33-year-old, but was instructed to also consider a final written warning by the force's deputy chief constable.\n\nDalian Atkinson had a successful career at clubs including Aston Villa, Sheffield Wednesday and Ipswich Town\n\nIt previously heard how the officers, who were in a relationship at the time, had responded to a 999 call and arrived to find Mr Atkinson appearing \"in the grip of a psychotic episode\".\n\nPC Bettley-Smith initially struck him three times, which the panel agreed were lawful.\n\nBut it found a further three strikes were \"unnecessary, disproportionate and unreasonable in all the circumstances and therefore unlawful\".\n\nMr Atkinson died after being tasered and kicked at least twice in the head by Monk, who was a more experienced officer.\n\nThe panel was told PC Bettley-Smith used her baton on the former player, claiming she \"perceived\" he was trying to get up.\n\nHowever, several civilian witnesses recalled Mr Atkinson \"was not moving\" and \"was not resistant\".\n\nPC Benjamin Monk's trial heard the two officers were in a relationship at the time of the 999 call\n\nThe independent tribunal decided she had acted wrongly when she struck him again after police back-up arrived.\n\nEarlier in the week the panel had been told Mr Atkinson had been \"beset by health problems\" before his death, including end-stage kidney failure needing dialysis and significant heart problems.\n\nThe ex-footballer, who started his career at Ipswich Town before moving to Sheffield Wednesday, Real Sociedad, Aston Villa and Fenerbah\u00e7e in the 1990s, died about an hour after the assault.\n\nMonk's criminal trial heard police had been called to Meadow Close at about 01:30 BST on 15 August 2016, where Mr Atkinson was in the midst of a mental breakdown and had been claiming to be the Messiah.\n\nJudge Inman said he had \"suddenly lost touch with reality\" and was \"unrecognisable\" to those who knew him.\n\nWhen the officers arrived they claimed to be \"terrified\" of the sportsman.\n\nMeadow Close in Trench was sealed off after the incident\n\nProsecutor Dijen Basu KC earlier told the disciplinary panel PC Bettley-Smith's second set of strikes were \"wholly unreasonable, wholly unjustified and above all, to use normal language, it was outrageous to do that in the circumstances\".\n\nThe officer, who denied using excessive force, said in evidence: \"I just remember what I perceived to be a really aggressive, hostile, growling and just thought we had antagonised him even more by tasering him.\"\n\nBut three different residents watching from their windows described how Mr Atkinson lay still on the ground after being tasered, with one adding, \"when he fell - he never moved\".\n\nDelivering the panel's findings, chairman Karimulla Khan said: \"In those circumstances, the panel finds the first three baton strikes were lawful.\n\n\"There was then the intervening kick, by PC Monk, at which point, PC Bettley-Smith then applied a second set of three baton strikes.\n\n\"And the panel finds that the second set of three baton strikes were unnecessary, disproportionate and unreasonable in all the circumstances and were therefore unlawful.\"\n\nFollowing the decision, Mr Basu said PC Bettley-Smith's conduct had been serious but the circumstances had also been complex and fast-moving, and the panel had looked at her actions in context.\n\n\"She was plainly on the periphery of the actions taken by PC Monk, which were entirely different, several stages of magnitude different.\"\n\nPatrick Gibbs KC, acting for PC Bettley-Smith, said the past six and a half years had been \"significant punishment in itself\".\n\nHe said her conduct until that moment had \"been admirable, certainly unimpeachable\" and that her unlawful baton strikes had occurred in the space of a 27-second period, following which she had again presented \"admirable conduct\".\n\n\"This involves a miscalculation in the heat of moment in the degree of force which still now needed to be used,\" he added.\n\nMr Atkinson's older sister, Elaine, said the family had been \"shattered\" by his death and she thought PC Bettley-Smith's action were serious enough that she should be sacked.\n\n\"I am disappointed really with the outcome. At the end of the day, Dalian's gone and it's down to those officers... it shouldn't have happened.\"\n\nAsked if she felt PC Bettley-Smith was an officer who should still be in the job protecting the public, she replied: \"I, personally, don't think so.\"\n\nElaine Atkinson said the family had been shattered by her brother Dalian's death\n\nThe family's solicitor, Kate Maynard, said they welcomed the gross misconduct ruling but \"the fact that she remains in her job is an insult to [them]\".\n\n\"It's been seven years and they've found themselves involved in various complex legal proceedings, and it's taken a massive toll on them,\" she explained.\n\n\"It is disappointing that the last word on this matter is that PC Bettley-Smith keeps her job. You have to ask what it takes to remove an officer from their duties.\"\n\nIn a statement, West Mercia Police's deputy chief constable Alex Murray said the force extended its \"sincerest condolences\" to the family.\n\n\"We know there is no end to the grief they have to live with, and our thoughts are with them,\" he said.\n\nMr Murray added the panel had been overseen by an independent chairman and was made up of people from outside the force.\n\n\"At the hearing... PC Bettley-Smith was given the opportunity to explain her actions. This follows the national procedure.\n\n\"On the night Dalian died, police were called to protect him, his family and the public but that did not happen. As a result, PC Ben Monk is in prison.\n\n\"PC Bettley-Smith, who was a student officer at the time, was acquitted at court of criminal wrongdoing.\"\n\nThe Independent Office for Police Conduct, which found the officer had a case to answer after its investigation in 2018, said it was satisfied with the outcome.\n\nIts regional director Derrick Campbell added: \"The vast majority of police officers do a very difficult job, in often very difficult circumstances, and are given huge powers to protect us and we expect them, when they use those powers, to use them in a reasonable and proportionate way.\"\n\nFollow BBC West Midlands on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. Send your story ideas to: newsonline.westmidlands@bbc.co.uk\n\nThe BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/uk-england-shropshire-64989418"}
{"title":"Teachers' strikes in England paused for talks - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-17","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"Talks between the government and unions will focus on teacher pay, conditions and workload reduction.","section":"Family & Education","content":"Teachers' unions and the government are holding \"intensive\" talks to try to end a dispute over pay in England.\n\nThe National Education Union said it would not announce any further strike dates for the next two weeks, while the talks are ongoing.\n\nThe most recent strike was on Thursday, which disrupted more than half of England's schools.\n\nThe Department for Education said the talks would focus on teacher pay, conditions and workload reduction.\n\n\"In order for talks to begin and, we hope, reach a successful conclusion, the NEU has confirmed it will create a period of calm for two weeks during which time they have said no further strike dates will be announced,\" a statement said.\n\nFour teachers' unions - the Association of School and College Leaders, National Association of Head Teachers, NASUWT and the NEU - are all involved in the talks with the Education Secretary, Gillian Keegan.\n\nThe negotiations will continue over the weekend.\n\nMore than half of schools in England closed or restricted attendance on 15 and 16 March.\n\nData released by the Department for Education showed 47% of all schools in England were open but restricting attendance, and 6% were fully closed on both strike days this week.\n\nThe National Education Union, which represents 300,000 teachers are asking for an above inflation pay increase - that does not come from existing budgets in schools.\n\nIt says it is about investing in this generation of children who have been hit so hard by Covid.\n\nMost state school teachers in England had a 5% rise in 2022. The government offered most teachers a 3% rise in 2023-24 - which the NEU says is not enough. Inflation is currently running at about 10% in the UK.\n\nStrike action in Wales has already been paused and in Scotland the dispute has been settled.\n\nIn Wales, the NEU is consulting members on a increased pay offer of 8% for 2022-23 (6.5% plus a one off payment of 1.5%) and a 5% increase for 2023\/24.\n\nAnd in Scotland, unions have accepted an increased pay offer of 7% for 2022-23, which would be backdated to April. They have also been offered a 5% rise in April 2023, and a 2% one in January 2024. It was formally agreed on Tuesday.\n\nIn England, no new strike dates have been scheduled, but the NEU ballot lasts until mid-July which means they can announce new strikes dates until then.\n\nEducation Secretary Ms Keegan previously said she has been extremely disappointed by the strike action.\n\nThe news that talks between teachers and the government will resume comes after a breakthrough in the NHS strike action on Thursday, with a new pay offer.\n\nUnion leaders representing nurses and ambulance workers have suspended strike action while members vote on the deal, which includes a 5% pay rise from April as well as a one-off payment of at least \u00a31,655 to top up the past year's pay award.\n\nAre you a teacher or parent impacted by the industrial action? Do you think the talks will bring a resolution? Please email us: haveyoursay@bbc.co.uk.\n\nPlease include a contact number if you are willing to speak to a BBC journalist. You can also get in touch in the following ways:\n\nIf 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 HaveYourSay@bbc.co.uk. Please include your name, age and location with any submission.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/education-64987854"}
{"title":"Widower's plea for answers over wife's grave mix-up - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-17","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"Thomas Duncan accuses a council of treating his wife as if she does not matter after the grave mix-up.","section":"Liverpool","content":"Thomas Duncan says he feels he has let down his late wife Janet\n\nThe grieving husband of a woman who was buried in the wrong grave has accused a council of treating his late wife as if she does not matter.\n\nThomas Duncan said he was still waiting for answers from Cheshire West and Chester Council over the mix-up.\n\nHis wife Janet Duncan, 73, was buried in the wrong plot at Neston Cemetery on 26 January.\n\nA council spokesman said it was a \"delicate issue\" and investigations into what happened were continuing.\n\nMrs Duncan, who worked as a foster carer for 35 years and cared for 85 boys during this time, was due to be buried in a pre-paid plot following her death on 30 December.\n\nBut Mr Duncan, 65 said he realised there was a problem when the stonemason, who was creating his wife's headstone, had applied to the council for permission to install a memorial.\n\nThomas Duncan says he feels \"angry\" by the lack of answers over the mix-up\n\nHe told BBC North West Tonight: \"They phoned me back a few days later and said the council refused permission for a stone to be put on the grave because your name is not on the deeds.\n\n\"I phoned the local authority up. I just couldn't take it in.\n\n\"They just said my name wasn't on the deeds and they would investigate it.\"\n\nMr Duncan said since reporting the issue he had received little contact from the council and was still waiting for a call back two weeks later.\n\n\"The council won't talk to me,\" he said.\n\n\"They treat me without any courtesy, any respect, and, more importantly, they treat my good wife as if she doesn't matter and she does.\"\n\nMr Duncan said he had been left feeling \"angry\".\n\n\"I think you go through every emotion. All I want to know is what's going on?,\" he said.\n\n\"When can it be sorted? They're not interested.\"\n\nMr Duncan said: \"I just need an answer. People say to me you've done nothing, you shouldn't feel guilty, you haven't done anything wrong, but I do. I feel as if I've let her down.\"\n\nA council spokesman said: \"This is a very delicate issue and investigations are ongoing.\n\n\"The council is in contact with those involved and understands the emotional impact it has had on all concerned.\"\n\nWhy not follow BBC North West on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram? You can also send story ideas to northwest.newsonline@bbc.co.uk\n\nThe BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/uk-england-merseyside-64990899"}
{"title":"Morton's Rolls restart production after rescue - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-17","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"More than 100 jobs are saved after the company is bought by a consortium of investors.","section":"Scotland business","content":"Production has restarted at Scottish bakery Morton's Rolls on Sunday after the firm was bought out of administration by a consortium.\n\nAbout 110 workers - nearly half of the previous workforce - were recalled to work immediately after being made redundant earlier this week.\n\nMorton's was bought by investors PVL after talks with HMRC, administrators and the Scottish government.\n\nPVL said it was confident it could turn the company's fortunes around.\n\nIt added that it planned to take on further jobs \"in the short, medium to long term if the right support is available\".\n\nIt is understood that the new owners will initially focus on core products, including its traditional crispy rolls.\n\nThey plan to crank up production to its previous level of one million rolls a week.\n\nDrumchapel-based Morton's ceased production on 3 March after suffering financial difficulties.\n\nRedundancy notices were later sent out by a provisional liquidator from FRP Advisory, who was appointed following Morton's Rolls' collapse.\n\nThe company attributed its problems to the Covid pandemic and the rise in energy prices \"exacerbated by contractual obligations to large supermarkets\".\n\nPVL representative John McIlvogue said: \"This is a bittersweet moment for me, for the people who work here and for the wider community that relies on the jobs this factory provides.\n\n\"None of us wanted the past couple of weeks to unfold in the way that they have, but it has been entirely outwith our control.\n\n\"The important thing now is that Morton's is back in action, we've got the workforce back on the production line, and we're ready to start producing our famous rolls that the good people of Glasgow have been crying out for.\"\n\nMr McIlvogue said that while the business was \"undoubtedly viable\", its factory was \"antiquated and in need of a serious overhaul\".\n\nHe added: \"That's where we need the help of the Scottish government and its agencies, something we are hopeful we can iron out in the coming weeks.\"\n\nGlasgow Labour MSP Paul Sweeney, who helped to support the takeover negotiations, welcomed the latest developments.\n\nHe said: \"It is with a sense of relief that after almost two weeks of intense, detailed discussions, production will now restart at Morton's Rolls and over 100 jobs have been saved.\n\nHe added: \"These circumstances are by no means perfect, and there is still work to be done to make sure Morton's is a sustainable business that can thrive for generations to come.\n\n\"There is a commitment from the government to make sure they do everything in their power to make sure that is the case, and I will do everything in my power to hold them to that commitment.\"\n\nThe Scottish government welcomed the re-employment of some of the staff made redundant after the company ceased to trade, and said it would support those still affected.\n\nA spokesman added: \"Business Minister Ivan McKee and Scottish Enterprise have both spoken with the investor and have asked for detailed information on proposals for the future of the Morton's Rolls site. We await those details.\n\n\"Those employees who are still affected by the closure of Morton's Rolls remain our immediate priority.\n\n\"The Scottish government's initiative for responding to redundancy situations, Partnership Action for Continuing Employment (Pace), will continue to offer support to affected employees.\"\n\nMorton's Rolls was originally founded by Bob Morton and Jim Clarke in 1965 at their bakery near Drumchapel, in the west of Glasgow.\n\nOver the years, Morton's expanded its product range to include savoury products such as pies and bridies, and sweet offerings including apple turnovers and doughnuts.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/uk-scotland-scotland-business-64976398"}
{"title":"Calls for talks to end junior doctors' strikes - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-17","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"Unions and ministers are being urged to start talks after a pay breakthrough with other NHS workers.","section":"Health","content":"Doctors' leaders and ministers are being urged to start formal pay talks after a breakthrough on a deal with other NHS staff in England.\n\nUnions for NHS staff, including nurses and ambulance workers, recommended on Thursday their members back a fresh offer of a 5% pay rise from April.\n\nBut the British Medical Association (BMA) and government are not yet in talks to resolve the doctors' dispute.\n\nJunior doctors in England took part in a three-day walkout earlier this week.\n\nThe strike, which affected planned and emergency care, caused major disruption, NHS bosses said.\n\nThursday's fresh pay offer to NHS staff, including nurses, ambulance workers and physiotherapists, has the backing of most unions, and has brought hope the strikes that have blighted the NHS over the winter are a thing of the past.\n\nThis offer, which is not yet a done deal, includes a one-off payment of at least \u00a31,655 to recognise working through the pandemic.\n\nThe 14 unions involved will now put it to their members to vote on, with the biggest three - the Royal College of Nursing, Unison and the GMB - all backing the deal.\n\nBut the Unite union has said it cannot recommend the offer but will put it to a vote and support the decision they make.\n\nThe junior doctors' pay dispute is far from resolved with the BMA calling for a 35% pay rise, which it argues will reverse 15 years of cuts.\n\nBut the breakthrough in the separate NHS staff dispute has raised hopes that the stand-off between the government and junior doctors could be resolved.\n\nDr Vivek Trivedi, co-chair of the junior doctors committee at the BMA, said the organisation was in touch with the health secretary and negotiators could meet \"in the near future\".\n\nHe told BBC Radio 4's Today programme: \"It's disappointing that it's taken strike action to have meaningful discussion but it's promising that they're able to move forward and I only hope we're able to do that in our own dispute.\"\n\nThe government made a last-minute offer of formal pay talks last Friday - three days before the walkout.\n\nHowever, the BMA rejected it, saying the pre-conditions were not acceptable.\n\nThe government was only prepared to discuss pay for junior doctors for the next financial year along with the option of a one-off payment for the past year in return for calling off the strike action.\n\nThis was the same offer made to the unions acting on behalf of other NHS staff, according to sources.\n\nFollowing Thursday's breakthrough, Health Secretary Steve Barclay called for the junior doctors to call off industrial action and enter into talks, saying the request for a 35% pay rise was \"not affordable\".\n\n\"We have offered the same terms to the junior doctors that were accepted by the other trade unions and that is what I hope the junior doctors will respond to,\" he said.\n\nThursday's pay offer now puts the onus on both sides in the doctors' dispute to show willingness to get round the table.\n\nLetters have been exchanged in the past 24 hours between Mr Barclay and the BMA but as yet no agreement has been reached on starting talks.\n\nPrivately many observers are saying the biggest pressure is on the doctors. If other frontline NHS staff who are overall lower paid than junior doctors are willing to accept a 5% rise and a one-off payment of between \u00a31,600 to \u00a32,500 why should doctors hold out for 35% more, they are asking.\n\nMatthew Taylor, of the NHS Confederation, said: \"Health leaders will be urging junior doctors and the government to use this deal as a way of entering talks to address that dispute.\"\n\nAnd Sir Julian Hartley, the head of NHS Providers, added there must be \"urgent movement on talks\" and said both sides needed to \"redouble\" the efforts.\n\nLouise Ansari, head of the patient watchdog Healthwatch England, said: \"We now urge a swift resolution of pay disputes between doctors and government to avoid any further delays to patient care.\"\n\nThe question over how any pay deal will be paid for remains. Ministers said they could guarantee there would be no impact on frontline services as the result of Thursday's pay offer to NHS staff.\n\nMr Barclay said there would be discussions with the Treasury over how it would be funded and the Department of Health would look at areas of underspend and administrative savings to help fund the pay deal.\n\nPrime Minister Rishi Sunak called the pay deal \"affordable for the taxpayer\", saying it continued to deliver on his promise to halve inflation.\n\nStrike action has also been paused in Wales and Scotland by most unions while new offers are considered. The GMB in Scotland has accepted the Scottish offer, worth 14% over two years.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/health-64983764"}
{"title":"Junior doctor strike led to 175,000 cancellations - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-17","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"The walkout was the most disruptive NHS strike yet this winter - but pay talks have now been agreed.","section":"Health","content":"More than 175,000 patient appointments and procedures had to be cancelled in England when junior doctors went on strike this week, figures reveal.\n\nThat makes it the most disruptive NHS strike yet this winter.\n\nTens of thousands of medics took part in the 72-hour strike, with more senior hospital colleagues asked to cover.\n\nJunior doctors' representatives at the British Medical Association (BMA) have now accepted an offer to enter pay talks with the government.\n\nThe BMA said it would not announce new strike action while the negotiations were taking place.\n\nWhile emergency care was provided by consultants during the strike, many planned, non-urgent treatments were rescheduled.\n\nNHS England medical director Prof Sir Stephen Powis said: \"Despite the huge efforts that NHS staff made to keep patients safe and minimise disruption, this strike was on an unprecedented scale and had a greater impact than all the other industrial action we have seen so far this winter combined.\n\n\"Over 175,000 appointments and procedures were rescheduled to protect emergency, critical and urgent care for patients, which will inevitably impact on efforts to tackle the Covid backlog.\"\n\nSome of the delayed appointments and procedures will include hip and knee operations, as well routine checks for patients with conditions such as diabetes and even cancer.\n\nThe NHS has been trying to tackle a backlog made worse by Covid - there are still 7.2 million people on waiting lists for treatment in England.\n\nNurses, ambulance workers and physios have also staged strikes this winter, but have now paused action while they consider a pay offer from government.\n\nThe Department of Health and Social Care said it deeply regretted the cancellation of appointments but was \"pleased\" the BMA had agreed to enter talks, on the same terms as unions representing the other NHS workers.\n\nIt added the government was seeking a \"fair settlement which recognises the crucial role of junior doctors and the wider economic pressures facing the UK\".\n\nThe BMA said it sent a letter to Health Secretary Steve Barclay on Friday after the government's new pay offer to other NHS workers, proposing to meet next week.\n\nIn a Twitter post, the BMA said its aim was to achieve full pay restoration, adding it would enter the negotiations in \"good faith\".\n\nThe BMA is calling for a 35% pay rise for junior doctors, arguing this would reverse 15 years of cuts.\n\nJunior doctors represent nearly half of the medical workforce in England and include those who have just graduated from university, through to some with 10 years of experience.\n\nTwo-thirds of junior doctors are members of the BMA.\n\nThe latest figures suggest at least 86,000 were involved in the industrial action this week.\n\nDr Vivek Trivedi and Dr Rob Laurenson, the co-chairs of the BMA junior doctors committee, said: \"Every day junior doctors despair as they see operations cancelled and treatment postponed for the millions on the waiting lists because our health services are in crisis.\n\n\"But rescheduling appointments as a result of the strike action could have been avoided if the health secretary had come to the table and negotiated an agreed settlement with us before any strike action was taken.\n\n\"The NHS had more than two months' notice that we would strike for 72 hours if the ballot was successful; the government has been in no doubt about our campaign for full pay restoration for over six months and this has been borne out by the number of junior doctors in England who have taken part in the industrial action.\"\n\nThe BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/health-64995025"}
{"title":"Sam Neill diagnosed with non-Hodgkin lymphoma - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-17","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"The Jurassic Park star opens up about living with non-Hodgkin lymphoma in his new memoir.","section":"Entertainment & Arts","content":"Sam Neill played palaeontologist Dr Alan Grant in the 1993 film Jurassic Park, and later reprised the role\n\nThe actor Sam Neill has revealed he has had \"a ferocious type of aggressive\" non-Hodgkin lymphoma.\n\nThe Jurassic Park star, 75, was diagnosed with Stage three cancer in March 2022 and thought: \"I'm crook, I'm dying.\"\n\nUnable to work, he started writing as a distraction and to \"give me a reason to get through the day,\" he tells the BBC.\n\nIn his new memoir, Did I Ever Tell you This?, he discusses his illness and his near 50-year career on screen.\n\nNeill first noticed he had lumpy glands in his neck on a publicity tour for Jurassic World Dominion last year.\n\nWhen doctors told him what was wrong, he said his reaction was \"pretty phlegmatic\", but it made him \"take stock of things.\"\n\n\"I thought I need to do something, and I thought, 'Shall I start writing?'\" he says.\n\n\"I didn't think I had a book in me, I just thought I'd write some stories. And I found it increasingly engrossing.\n\n\"A year later, not only have I written the book - I didn't have a ghost writer - but it's come out in record time.\n\n\"I suspect my publishers, they're delightful people, but I think they wanted to get it out in a hurry just in case I kicked the bucket before it was time to release the thing.\"\n\nIndeed at one point he thinks the subtitle for the book might have been Notes from a Dying Man.\n\nThere are, he says, \"dark days.\" He lost his hair after the first round of chemotherapy and writes in the memoir that when he looks in the mirror, \"there's a bald, wizened old man there.\"\n\n\"More than anything I want my beard back. I don't like the look of my face one bit.\"\n\nNon-Hodgkin's lymphoma is a less common cancer that develops in the lymphatic system - the vast network of vessels and glands in the body.\n\nBut the star of films including The Piano, and TV's Peaky Blinders, is now in remission and remains positive.\n\n\"I'm not afraid of dying,\" he says. \"What I don't want to do is to stop living, because I really enjoy living.\"\n\nHe continues: \"I've regarded it as an adventure, quite a dark adventure, but an adventure nevertheless. And the good days are just fantastic and when you get some good news it's absolutely exhilarating.\"\n\nThe book, he is at pains to stress, is not about cancer. \"I can't stand cancer books.\"\n\nInstead it is mostly about what he calls his \"fun\" and \"unlikely\" life and long career. He's appeared in more than 70 films, working alongside actors including Meryl Streep, Cate Blanchett and Jeff Goldblum.\n\nHe doesn't think screen acting has changed much over the decades but he does have a grumble about \"mumbling\" - actors who fail to enunciate their lines.\n\n\"I think it's a thing that a lot of young actors have that it's kind of sexy to have a whispering kind of thing that no one else can hear.\"\n\nHe blames neck microphones, which he says enable actors to \"get away with whispering and mumbling because the neck microphone is going to record everything.\"\n\n\"It's ridiculous. We speak so we can be understood. We don't go around mumbling because someone has hung a microphone around our necks.\"\n\nIn the book Neill travels \"through the past and the alleyways of my life.\" It was \"a pleasure\", he says, before mischievously adding: \"Mostly.\" And at times he is refreshingly uncensored.\n\nHe describes his co-star in The Piano, the American actor Harvey Keitel, as \"truculent and difficult and a bit graceless\".\n\nThere is also clearly no love lost between Neill and the Australian actress Judy Davis. They appeared together in three films including My Brilliant Career and he says she's the only actress who \"made it clear I wasn't in her league.\"\n\n\"Look,\" he adds, \"I should've probably called this book, Spilling the Beans, because some beans I probably shouldn't have spilled and one of them was meeting Barbra Streisand.\"\n\nHe was flown to meet her in a hotel suite in New York in the early 1980s, to discuss a role in her film Yentl.\n\nWhile he says he has always admired her, he admits: \"I've never enjoyed her singing.\"\n\nSo when she sang not one, but two, songs from the film, at full volume from a distance of about five feet away from him, he was, he says, \"in a state of shock and dismay.\"\n\nNeill's new memoir is full of family photos and also sees him \"spill the beans\" on other famous faces\n\nHe is currently starring in the TV series The Twelve\n\nNeill is also the man who didn't want to be James Bond. He auditioned for the part in the 1980s, on the say-so of his \"assertive\" agent and against his better judgment.\n\n\"I really didn't want to be the Bond that everyone didn't like.\n\n\"I didn't really want that gig at all because you're stuck with it for the rest of your life... I have never wanted to be a celebrity.\"\n\nThe book ends with good news. While Neill still has to undergo chemotherapy treatments, the tumours have gone.\n\nIndeed he is about to start work on a new film in Australia with the star of American Beauty, Annette Bening. He is currently starring in the ITVX legal drama series The Twelve.\n\n\"The last thing I want is for people to obsess about the cancer thing,\" says Neill, \"because I'm not really interested in cancer.\n\n\"I'm not really interested in anything other than living.\"\n\nDid I Ever Tell You This? by Sam Neill is out on 23 March.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/entertainment-arts-64969344"}
{"title":"St Patrick's Day: Biden meeting Irish and NI political leaders in Washington - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-17","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"US president has been meeting taoiseach and Stormont leaders in Washington on St Patrick's Day.","section":"Northern Ireland","content":"Taoiseach (Irish PM) Leo Varadkar presents US President Joe Biden with the traditional bowl of shamrock to mark St Patrick's Day at the White House\n\nPresident Biden has said he will make a visit to the island of Ireland \"soon\".\n\nHe was hosting Taoiseach (Irish PM) Leo Varadkar at the White House as part of events to mark St Patrick's Day.\n\nThe president is also meeting the leaders of the five main Stormont parties on Friday.\n\nHowever, he has yet to confirm if he will visit Northern Ireland to mark the 25th anniversary of the Good Friday Agreement next month.\n\nHe ignored most questions from reporters during a press conference in the Oval Office but when asked about a visit to Ireland he said it would happen \"soon\".\n\nHe said that he reaffirmed his administration's support for the Good Friday Agreement.\n\nThe president has also used Friday's engagements to voice strong support for the new Windsor Framework.\n\n\"It's a vital, vital step and it's going to help to ensure that all the people in Northern Ireland have an opportunity to realise their full potential,\" he told Northern Ireland's political leaders during a lunch event on Capitol Hill.\n\nOn Sunday PM Rishi Sunak said he had extended an invite to the president to visit Northern Ireland to take part in events relating to the peace deal.\n\nPolitical leaders from the island of Ireland are in Washington for St Patrick's Day\n\nMr Varadkar said he appreciated the \"support and understanding\" from the US over Brexit and the Northern Ireland Protocol in recent years.\n\nBoth leaders also thanked each other for co-operation in relation to the war in Ukraine.\n\nTraditionally US presidents make a visit to Ireland halfway through a presidential term.\n\nMr Biden has made much of his Irish roots and it is expected he will make a trip covering Northern Ireland, Dublin and County Mayo, where his ancestors are from.\n\nIt all followed a familiar script.\n\nWarm words about a warm friendship complete with log fire and shamrock bowl.\n\nThen a barrage of questions from 50-plus reporters but not one answer.\n\nAs we were being rushed out the Oval Office door I tried again.\n\nWhen are you coming to Ireland Mr President? He smiled and said \"soon\".\n\nBoth leaders were well warned to give nothing away.\n\nDetails of the presidential trip may emerge later or maybe not.\n\nThe president told leaders the Windsor Framework was a \"vital step\" for the people of Northern Ireland\n\nNorthern Ireland political leaders, business figures and PSNI Chief Constable Simon Byrne were among those to join President Biden at the House Speaker's lunch on Capitol Hill.\n\nMr Biden praised the leaders for presenting a united front following the shooting of a senior detective in Omagh, County Tyrone, last month.\n\n\"Let me say how important it was to see you standing shoulder to shoulder with Chief Constable Byrne confirming your commitment to the future following the attempted murder of Detective Chief Inspector Caldwell,\" said Mr Biden.\n\n\"We all have to continue to work to protect peace and stability,\" he added.\n\nSir Jeffrey Donaldson says he isn't feeling pressure from President Biden\n\nThe Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) has been boycotting power-sharing at Stormont over its opposition to the trade arrangements that resulted from the original Brexit deal.\n\nDUP leader Sir Jeffrey Donaldson has yet to voice an opinion on the newly proposed Windsor Framework.\n\nSpeaking after Friday's lunch, Sir Jeffrey said he was \"not at all\" pressured by President Biden to support the deal.\n\n\"We will see the president a little later at the White House and I expect there might be some further discussion there around the politics of all of this but we'll take our time to get the right decision - I think that's fundamentally important,\" he told BBC News NI in Washington.\n\nNI Secretary Chris Heaton-Harris, seated beside the new US Special Envoy to Northern Ireland, Joe Kennedy III, at the Capitol Hill lunch on Friday\n\nMr Varadkar performed the traditional handing over of a bowl of shamrock to the US president earlier in the Oval Office.\n\nOn Thursday night the taoiseach apologised for an \"ill-judged\" remark that was seen as a reference to the Clinton-Lewinsky scandal, which he had made during a speech in the city.\n\nMonica Lewinsky was a young White House intern when she and the then-US President Bill Clinton embarked on an affair in the 1990s.\n\nLeo Varadkar regrets the \"intern\" remark he made during his speech, says his spokesman\n\nThe taoiseach was making an address to the Washington Ireland Programme, which helps young people develop career skills.\n\nHe took part in the programme in 2000 and in his speech on Thursday he made reference to possible concern about being an intern at the time in the White House.\n\nAfter the event a spokesperson for Mr Varadkar said \"the taoiseach was reminiscing about his time in Washington DC as an intern 23 years ago.\n\n\"He made an ill-judged off the cuff remark which he regrets,\" said the spokesman.\n\n\"He apologises for any offence caused to anyone concerned.\"\n\nThere has been speculation for some time that Mr Biden will make a visit to Northern Ireland next month to mark the 25th anniversary of the Good Friday peace agreement.\n\nFormer Speaker of the US House of Representatives Nancy Pelosi has she hoped that devolved government at Stormont would be up and running again by then.\n\nShe was speaking after receiving an honorary doctorate from Ulster University at a ceremony in Washington.\n\nLast year Ms Pelosi warned the UK government against undermining the Good Friday Agreement through its actions against the post-Brexit trade rules for Northern Ireland.\n\nShe had warned that if that happened there would be no US-UK trade deal.\n\nThere is music and celebration during the traditional St Patrick's Day in the White House\n\nBut last month a deal was struck between the UK and the EU on trading arrangements for Northern Ireland.\n\nMs Pelosi said she \"fully supports\" that agreement - known as the Windsor Framework - and that it opened up the possibility of a trade deal between the US and the UK.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/uk-northern-ireland-64986566"}
{"title":"Christian Atsu: Ghana funeral for footballer killed by Turkey earthquake - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-17","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"Mourners pay their last respects to Christian Atsu, seen by many in Ghana as a national hero.","section":"Europe","content":"The 31-year-old footballer will be buried later on Friday in his home village\n\nHundreds of people including Ghana's president have paid their last respects to Christian Atsu, who died in last month's earthquake in Turkey.\n\nHe was honoured with a state funeral in the capital, Accra.\n\n\"In life I love you darling, in death I'll do the same,\" read the tearful tribute from the footballer's widow, Marie-Claire Rupio.\n\nShe was overcome with emotion and handed her speech to Atsu's sister to finish reading.\n\n\"You did not go alone, for part of me went with you,\" it continued. \"Your smile, your love I see in our children's smiles.\"\n\nRepresentatives of Ghana's national team and Atsu's Turkish club Hatayspor were also at the ceremony for a man seen by many as a national hero.\n\n\"Even at the peak of his career, Astu remained himself and was never overtaken by pride, arrogance or indiscipline,\" Sport Minister Mustapha Ussif told mourners. \"His legacy will remain as an inspiration.\"\n\nAtsu's body was recovered a fortnight after the quake from the rubble of his apartment building.\n\nIt was returned to Ghana almost a month ago. He will be buried later in his home village in south-eastern Ghana.\n\nAtsu, 31, spent most of his career playing in the English Premier League for clubs including Chelsea, Newcastle and Everton.\n\nHe also made 65 appearances for Ghana, and helped the national side reach the finals of the 2015 Africa Cup of Nations in Equatorial Guinea - where he was awarded goal and player of the tournament.\n\nMany Ghanaians have told the BBC that Atsu will be remembered for his love for humanity, and for supporting the underprivileged in the country.\n\nHundreds of mourners and well-wishers filed past Atsu's body on Tuesday to say their farewells.\n\nDrumming and brass bands have been part of the colourful cultural display at an otherwise solemn event.\n\nWell-wishers turned out in their hundreds\n\nRespects were paid in many different ways","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/world-europe-64953495"}
{"title":"Barrister hits out at government response to report into domestic killers - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-17","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"The government should take on more of my suggestions, says the head of a review into domestic abuse murders.","section":"UK","content":"Poppy Devey Waterhouse and Ellie Gould were murdered by their ex-boyfriends\n\nA barrister who led a review into how domestic killers are sentenced said she is \"disappointed\" her report has not been adopted in full.\n\nClare Wade recommended 17 reforms she said were needed to ensure justice for victims of abuse in serious cases.\n\nThe government is proceeding with some of them initially, including longer sentences for killers with a history of coercive control or extreme violence.\n\nJustice Secretary Dominic Raab said other proposals are being considered.\n\nMs Wade's report - published on Friday - recognised that the majority of people killed in domestic cases where there is a background of abuse are women attacked by men.\n\nIt was commissioned following the deaths of Ellie Gould 17, and Poppy Devey Waterhouse, 24, who were both stabbed to death in their homes by male partners.\n\nUnder the government's plans, judges will be required by law to consider a history of coercive or controlling behaviour as an aggravating factor when deciding on a jail term, meaning those offenders will serve longer behind bars.\n\nChanges will also ensure judges hand down longer sentences where \"overkill\" - or excessive violence - has been used.\n\nMr Raab told the BBC he is committed to cracking down on violence against women - but the head of the review warned the proposals \"won't achieve the justice they are intended to achieve if they are all only implemented in part\".\n\nMs Wade was asked by the government in September 2021 to review sentencing guidelines after ministers were warned about \"systemic misogyny within the criminal justice system\" by the victims' commissioner and domestic abuse commissioner.\n\nShe said she was concerned the government is pressing ahead with making a history of controlling or coercive behaviour an aggravating factor - but without enshrining it in law as a mitigating factor for when victims who kill their abusers.\n\nMs Wade, who was the defence barrister for Sally Challen when she became the first woman to have her murder conviction quashed under coercive control laws, told BBC Radio 4's Today programme that the government's approach \"will make matters much worse for women who kill their abusive partners\".\n\nMr Raab told the BBC he was \"very sympathetic\" to the mitigation argument but insisted he would take time between now and the summer to look at the remaining measures \"carefully and not in a knee-jerk way\".\n\nMs Wade found that under the current rules women who kill a dangerous and abusive partner with a weapon can be jailed for longer than men who use their physical strength to murder.\n\nThat is because of guidelines mandating a higher starting sentence for crimes where a weapon is used - a rule which was introduced to tackle street knife violence - which Ms Wade wants to be discounted in domestic cases.\n\nCampaigners have previously said that the law inadvertently leads to higher sentences for women who use a weapon to defend themselves from a violent partner or ex, but the government has not adopted this recommendation.\n\nThe barrister said \"two or three\" of her recommendations had been adopted - but she had been told by the government that today's announcement is \"interim\".\n\nMr Raab told BBC Breakfast he was \"looking at the wider recommendations\" and had announced measures that can be introduced swiftly.\n\nOther recommendations in the report which have not yet been adopted include:\n\nMr Raab said he wasn't able to provide a timetable for when the changes would be implemented.\n\nThe government is expected to set out a full response to the review in the summer and legislation \"will be introduced as soon as Parliamentary time allows\", a Ministry of Justice spokesperson said.\n\nJustice Secretary Dominic Raab said he was committed to making sentences tougher for domestic killers\n\nAs well as ensuring that judges take coercive control and extreme violence into account, the government will also:\n\nCarole Gould and Julie Devey, whose daughters' murders by ex-partners led to the review, welcomed the changes but told the BBC they would wait to see what weight the aggravating factors were actually given in court.\n\nMs Gould told the BBC she would like to see a 25-year starting point for jail sentences where extreme violence was a factor, which she said would have doubled her daughter's killer's sentence.\n\nEllie Gould, from Wiltshire, was stabbed to death by Thomas Griffiths, then 17, in 2019. He was jailed for 12-and-a-half years, with his age a factor in his sentence.\n\n\"In Ellie's case she was strangled and then she was stabbed 13 times. So these murders are particularly violent and brutal and I think we need to push to make sure that's recognised in the sentencing,\" she said.\n\nMs Devey, whose daughter Poppy Devey Waterhouse was stabbed 49 times in 2018, said the problem would be how much extra time was added on for the new aggravating factors.\n\nMs Wade said she did not advocate introducing a 25-year starting point, adding the \"system is not designed to be applied mechanistically\", and called for emphasis to be put on the history of abuse rather than relying on an automatic sentence requirement.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/uk-64986345"}
{"title":"Attack heroes on Queen's final bravery awards list - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-17","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"Five of the civilian commendations go to men who confronted the London Bridge attacker in 2019.","section":"UK","content":"Darryn Frost had fought the attacker with a narwhal tusk on display at Fishmongers' Hall\n\nMembers of the public who tackled the man behind the London Bridge attack in 2019 are among the recipients of the final civilian gallantry awards approved by the late Queen.\n\nThe list includes a Queen's Gallantry Medal for Darryn Frost who used a narwhal tusk to fend off Usman Khan outside the Fishmongers' Hall event.\n\nThe same award goes to two ex-offenders - John Crilly, who used a fire extinguisher on the attacker, and Steven Gallant, who helped confront him until police arrived.\n\nMr Gallant, who had been convicted of murder but has since been freed, has since spoken of wanting to inspire prisoners wanting to turn their lives around.\n\nHe was commended for standing his ground against Khan, who was carrying two knives and wearing what turned out to be an imitation belt of explosives.\n\nThe bravery award winners are among 15 people praised for their heroic actions in the last list approved by the Queen, who died last September.\n\nSuch awards in future will be known as the King's Gallantry Medal or the King's Commendation for Bravery.\n\nIn November 2019 Khan fatally stabbed Cambridge University graduates Jack Merritt, 25, and Saskia Jones, 23, and injured three other people at the conference held by an organisation involved in the rehabilitation of offenders in the City of London. He then ran on to London Bridge, and was later shot dead by armed officers.\n\nA porter at the hall, Lukasz Koczocik, also received a Queen's Gallantry Medal for forcing Khan out of the venue, using an ornamental spear, despite him having sustained serious injuries from three stab wounds.\n\nAnd prison officer Adam Roberts was commended for providing emergency first aid, while the attack was going on around him.\n\nThe bravery awards include those caught up in the terror attack beside London Bridge that claimed two lives\n\nThe five men brought together by the event were commended for the courage of their response - using improvised weapons and facing great danger themselves, as they chased the attacker on to the bridge.\n\nMr Frost used a narwhal tusk that had been on display at Fishmongers' Hall and pinned Khan down, despite the risk from what had seemed to be the suicide belt.\n\nThe final Queen's awards also include a posthumous Queen's Gallantry Medal for John Rees, who at the age of 88, died when he intervened in a knife attack at a shop in Penygraig, Rhondda in south Wales in May 2020.\n\nThere are also awards for Lisa Way and Ayette Bounouri who came to his assistance. Mrs Bounouri used a shopping basket to try to deflect the attacker.\n\nThe recipients, announced by the Cabinet Office, are nominated by the public in recognition of \"exemplary bravery in saving the lives of others\".\n\nThey are approved by the monarch, on the advice of the George Cross Committee which considers such awards, with these latest civilian honours the first for two years.\n\nOliver Dowden, Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster, said the latest recipients were \"extremely worthy winners\" of the Queen's last such awards.\n\n\"We all hope we'd react with courage in the face of danger. These people have lived through that test, and responded in the most admirable way,\" said Mr Dowden.\n\u2022 None Honour for man, 88, who died trying to stop killer","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/uk-64991962"}
{"title":"Passport delay warning as five-week strike called - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-17","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"The five-week walkout will have a \"significant impact\" in the run-up to the summer travel season, unions say","section":"UK","content":"More than 1,000 Passport Office workers will go on strike for five weeks over a dispute about jobs, pay and conditions, unions say.\n\nMembers of the Public and Commercial Services union working across England, Scotland and Wales will take part in the action from 3 April to 5 May.\n\nThose working in Belfast will strike from 7 April to 5 May.\n\nThe union warned of delays to applications and the delivery of passports in the run-up to summer.\n\nThe Home Office said it was \"disappointed\" with the PCS's decision.\n\nA spokesperson added: \"We are working to manage the impact of strike action whilst ensuring we can continue to deliver vital services to the public, with comprehensive contingency plans in place.\"\n\nMore than 4,000 people are employed by the Passport Office across the UK, meaning that according to the union figures around one in four workers will be walking out.\n\nThe union says strike action is being targeted to cause mass disruption and involves members working in departments which examine passports - more than 1,300 people.\n\nThe offices affected in England, Scotland and Wales will include Durham, Glasgow, Liverpool, London, Newport, Peterborough and Southport.\n\nAt peak times - including the month of April when the strike will take place - the Passport Office can receive 250,000 applications per week, according to travel expert Simon Calder.\n\nIt means that more than one million applications could be sent during the strike period, he said.\n\nThe Home Office says the strike does not affect its guidance which is still to allow up to 10 weeks to get a passport, with preparations under way to meet demand.\n\nCurrent waiting times for first adult passports are just over 18 days while renewals are just over 14 days, according to an independent crowd sourcing website which relies on people inputting their own application wait times.\n\nBut news of the strike has given rise to fears passports will not be processed in time for some people's holidays this summer.\n\nMark Smith, from Buckinghamshire, has terminal cancer and says his trip to Australia later this year is his last opportunity to visit his daughter and be there for the birth of his granddaughter. He believes whether he is able to go is now a \"total lottery\" because his wife's passport will need to be renewed.\n\n\"My wife told me her passport expires in November and I thought 'Well we still have time'. Now it's a total lottery.\n\n\"We will do the application and send the photos but it may disappear for months.\"\n\nAnother worried holidaymaker is Simon Fulton, from Newcastle, who sent off four passports for renewal on Thursday ahead of a family holiday to Croatia this June.\n\n\"If they're on strike for a month there's likely to be a massive backlog to get through,\" he said.\n\n\"I don't want to be waiting until the last week to find out if we can go - it's a \u00a35,000 holiday.\n\n\"I sympathise with them [the workers] in the cost of living crisis [and] I know it's designed to make the government sit up and do something, but it feels like it's been constructed to cause a big delay which doesn't help a lot of people.\"\n\nA UK adult passport is valid for 10 years, but if it is due to expire you may be refused entry into some countries.\n\nMost countries require the passport you are travelling with to be valid for the duration of your planned stay, but other countries - mainly ones where you need visas for entry - require a passport with a certain period of time left until the expiry date. Guidance for each country can be found on the government's foreign travel advice website.\n\nPCS general secretary Mark Serwotka said the dispute was over a proposed 2% pay rise which he said was not being increased any further by the government.\n\nHe added the strike action had come about because \"ministers have failed to hold any meaningful talks\".\n\nHe added: \"They've had six months to resolve this dispute but for six months have refused to improve their 2% imposed pay rise, and failed to address our members' other issues of concern.\"\n\nA strike fund worth millions, funded by a levy from PCS members, has been built up to pay staff in full during the course of the five-week walkout, the union says.\n\nThe fund is growing by nearly \u00a31m every month, Mr Serwotka told BBC News.\n\n\"All our members in the passport office will get financial support from the colleagues in the union and that means we can sustain not just this strike but many more like it for months to come\", he said.\n\nLast year, hundreds of thousands of people were affected by passport processing delays as coronavirus travel restrictions were lifted.\n\nAre you worried about the potential delays to passport processing? Share your experiences by emailing haveyoursay@bbc.co.uk.\n\nPlease include a contact number if you are willing to speak to a BBC journalist. You can also get in touch in the following ways:\n\nIf 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 HaveYourSay@bbc.co.uk. Please include your name, age and location with any submission.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/uk-64981979"}
{"title":"Fire at security building in Russia's Rostov-on-Don - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-17","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"One person dies in the blaze in a federal security service building in the southern Russian city.","section":"Europe","content":"This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser.\n\nAt least one person has been killed and two injured in a fire at a building used by Russia's Federal Security Service (FSB) in the southern city of Rostov-on-Don, Russian media say.\n\nDramatic footage on social media shows a large blaze, with smoke visible all over the city.\n\nRostov's regional governor said a short circuit appeared to have caused the fire, which ignited fuel tanks.\n\nThe street where the building is located has been cordoned off.\n\nThe blaze occurred at a building belonging to the FSB's regional border patrol section in a built-up area of the city.\n\nThe FSB is Russia's internal security service and is responsible for counter-intelligence, border security and counter-terrorism.\n\nRostov Governor Vassily Golubev said the fire had spread over 800 sq m, causing two walls to collapse.\n\nIn a statement, the FSB's public relations office said the blaze started at around 12:30 local time (09:30 GMT). It also confirmed there had been fatalities, but offered no further details.\n\nAuthorities managed put out the blaze by 16:00 local time (13:00 GMT), Russian media reported.\n\nThe city is the capital of the southern Rostov region bordering on the Donetsk and Luhansk regions of Ukraine, currently the scene of intense fighting in the war.\n\nThere have been a spate of arson attacks on government buildings in Russia, such as enlistment and conscription offices, since the February 2022 invasion of Ukraine.\n\nPresidential aide Mykhaylo Podolyak said on Twitter that the incident was a \"manifestation of panic\" in Russia. \"Ukraine doesn't interfere, but watches with pleasure,\" he said.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/world-europe-64975202"}
{"title":"Strictly judge Motsi Mabuse says she can't understand northern accents - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-17","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"Motsi Mabuse says she needs fellow Strictly judge Craig Revel Horwood's help with northern accents.","section":"Entertainment & Arts","content":"Motsi Mabuse admitted she asks fellow Strictly judge Craig Revel Horwood for help understanding some northern people\n\nStrictly Come Dancing judge Motsi Mabuse has said she struggles to understand the accents of people from the north of England.\n\nMabuse, who speaks five languages, admitted she has to \"really concentrate\" when making conversation in the UK.\n\nShe added that fellow Strictly judge Craig Revel Horwood helps translate when an accent is \"too strong\".\n\nMabuse grew up in South Africa but now lives in Germany.\n\nSpeaking to comedians Ed Gamble and James Acaster on their Off Menu podcast, the 41-year-old said: \"The thing is, you [Britons] all speak differently.\n\n\"Every time I'm in the country I really have to concentrate.\n\n\"Some people I just don't know \u2026 I'm just like, 'Are we speaking the same language?'\n\n\"There's a lot of accents here.\"\n\nMabuse was then asked if she struggled with contestant AJ Odudu's Blackburn dialect during series 19 of the dance reality show back in 2021.\n\n\"Yes! Yes, yes, yes. But there have been quite a few people from the north, so I'm always asking Craig. I'm just trying to understand \u2026 but it's not easy.\"\n\nShe added fellow judge Craig Revel Horwood sometimes acts as a translator for her when they interact with some people from the north of England.\n\n\"I really struggle with people that come from the north.\n\n\"I'm like, can you please translate at this point? It's so strong, I just don't understand, really. I'm being honest.\"\n\nMabuse can speak five languages: English, German and three South African languages including Afrikaans and Setswana.\n\nShe said that she often accidentally slips into German during broadcasts: \"It's happened quite a few times.\n\n\"Plus I have that South African accent, so it's a mess. It's a complete mess.\"\n\nMabuse lives in Germany and has appeared on their version of Strictly called Let's Dance.\n\nWhen the dance competition airs on BBC One every autumn and winter, she commutes to the UK every week for the live shows.\n\nShe joined Strictly in 2019 as a judge alongside Head Judge Shirley Ballas, Revel Horwood and Anton Du Beke.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/entertainment-arts-64980687"}
{"title":"Mounted police ride after driver holding his phone - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-17","authors":null,"description":"Two mounted police officers ride after a man holding his phone while driving through a town centre.","section":null,"content":"Two mounted police officers rode after a man spotted holding his mobile phone while driving.\n\nThey saw him driving through East Reach in Taunton, Somerset last Tuesday and quickly turned their horses around and caught up with him.\n\nIt is illegal to hold and use a phone, tablet, or any device that can send or receive data, while driving or riding a motorcycle.\n\nAvon and Somerset Police said the man had been issued with a traffic offence report and would be issued with a \u00a3200 fine plus six points on his licence, or he could choose to take the matter to court.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/uk-england-bristol-64982398"}
{"title":"Heathrow security to strike for 10 days including Easter - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-17","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"The airport says contingency plans will be in place when 1,400 guards walk out in a pay dispute.","section":"UK","content":"Security guards at Heathrow Airport's Terminal Five are to strike for 10 days from 31 March in a dispute over pay.\n\nThe Unite union says more than 1,400 of its members employed by Heathrow will walk out in a period which covers the school Easter holidays.\n\nWorkers at T5, used by British Airways and those who check cargo entering the airport, will take part in the action, ending on Easter Sunday.\n\nHeathrow says contingency plans will be put in place to keep the airport open.\n\nIn a statement, Heathrow said passengers can be assured the airport will be \"open and operational despite unnecessary threats of strike action by Unite\".\n\nThe company said it had proposed \"an inflation-beating 10% increase in pay\".\n\nBut Unite says the offer does not make up for years of pay freezes and cuts.\n\nUnite union secretary general Sharon Graham says workers at Heathrow Airport are on \"poverty wages\" while \"the chief executive and senior managers enjoy huge salaries\".\n\nShe said Unite members are \"simply unable to make ends meet due to the low wages\" and they are striking \"due to need not greed\".\n\n\"It is the airport's workers who are fundamental to its success and they deserve a fair pay increase,\" the Unite boss said.\n\nIt comes as more than 1,000 Passport Office workers announced they would go on strike for five weeks over a dispute about jobs, pay and conditions.\n\nMembers of the Public and Commercial Services union working across England, Scotland and Wales will walk out from 3 April to 5 May.\n\nMeanwhile, those working in Belfast will strike from 7 April to 5 May.\n\nThe union warned of delays to applications and the delivery of passports in the run-up to summer, adding that the strike action was being targeted to cause mass disruption.\n\nAccording to travel expert Simon Calder, at peak times - which includes April - the Passport Office can receive 250,000 applications per week. It means that more than one million applications could be sent during the strike period.\n\nNews of the strike has given rise to fears passports will not be processed in time for some people's holidays this summer.\n\nThe Home Office said it was disappointed with PCS's decision to walk out, adding that the strike does not affect its guidance which is still to allow up to 10 weeks to get a passport, with preparations under way to meet demand.\n\nWhen the strike takes place at Heathrow T5 from 31 March, the airport will likely need to move resources from other areas.\n\nThe airport says the wage proposal on offer is fair, and \"threatening to ruin people's hard-earned holidays with strike action will not improve the deal\".\n\nIt said staff at Heathrow are paid at least the London Living Wage, while the starting salary for a security officer would be \u00a327,754, plus shift pay and allowances, if its 10% offer is accepted.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/uk-64994967"}
{"title":"More than half of England's schools disrupted by strikes - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-17","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"Teachers walked out for two days this week in their long-running dispute over a fully-funded pay rise.","section":"Family & Education","content":"Families joined teachers on a protest march in London on Wednesday\n\nMore than 50% of schools in England closed or restricted attendance because of this week's teachers' strikes, according to government data.\n\nTeachers belonging to the National Education Union (NEU) walked out on 15 and 16 March.\n\nOn 15 March, junior doctors, civil servants, London Underground train drivers and some BBC staff also took strike action.\n\nIt was one of the biggest days of action since the wave of unrest began.\n\nData released by the Department for Education showed 47% of all schools in England were open but restricting attendance, and 6% were fully closed on both strike days this week.\n\nSecondary schools were worst affected, with 79% restricting attendance and 5% fully closed on 15 March. On 16 March, 80% restricted attendance and 6% were shut.\n\nLondon had the highest proportion of affected schools, with only 18% able to fully open on both strike days.\n\nIn Manchester, mum Alison Dickinson had to juggle work and childcare again this week, with daughter Liv's school closed because of the strikes.\n\nIt was Liv's fourth day of school missed since the first national teachers' strike on 1 February.\n\nSingle mum Alison was working from home on the strike days while looking after daughter Liv\n\nAlison's dad Pete travelled down from Preston to their home in Sale and stayed overnight to help with childcare.\n\nBut Alison said eight-year-old Liv has been struggling with the disruption.\n\n\"I think I understand the bigger picture - but it's just super-frustrating,\" said Alison, who runs after-school singing and drama classes for children.\n\n\"Liv's year especially, they've only had one normal year of school with no disruption, which was last year, but now every couple of weeks there's a random day off and it's so disruptive.\"\n\nSpeaking on Wednesday, Alison added: \"She'll be all over the place tomorrow - day two - and although they think it's a novelty and fun being off school, I think she'll be bored stiff tomorrow, missing her friends, missing school, because that's her world.\n\n\"They spend so much time there, so to have that routine broken - it's a lot.\"\n\nTeachers' salaries fell by an average of 11% in real terms between 2010 and 2022, according to the Institute for Fiscal Studies. Unions claim teacher pay has fallen by as much as 23% in that time.\n\nIn England, most teachers had a 5% rise last year.\n\nUnions argue these are pay cuts because of inflation, but the government says it has already agreed to an extra \u00a32bn in school funding in England.\n\nThe NEU is calling for a fully-funded pay rise, so that any rise does not have to be paid out of schools' existing budgets.\n\nIn Wales, strike action was called off this week while the NEU consults with members on a recent offer.\n\nIn Scotland, strikes have also been suspended after the Educational Institute of Scotland and the Scottish Secondary Teachers' Association accepted a new pay deal. The NASUWT is still consulting its members.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/education-64983812"}
{"title":"Eyedrops recalled in US following blindness and injuries - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-17","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"Patients lose vision and have eyes surgically removed after using eyedrops now recalled in the US.","section":"US & Canada","content":"US health officials say that eyedrops may have killed one person and severely injured several others due to drug-resistant bacterial contamination.\n\nThe Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) have identified 68 patients across 16 states with a rare strain of Pseudomonas aeruginosa.\n\nThe strain had never been found in the US before this latest outbreak.\n\nIn addition to the one death, eight patients have suffered vision loss, and four have had eyes surgically removed.\n\nMost of the patients diagnosed with the infection reported using eyedrops and artificial tears, according to the CDC.\n\nTen different brands were initially identified as possibly linked to the outbreak, the CDC said. Eyedrops that are made in India and imported to the US under two brands were subsequently pulled from shelves in January and February.\n\nIn January, the CDC warned people to stop using EzriCare Artificial Tears and Delsam Pharma's Artificial Tears. The next month, the company that owns the brands - Global Pharma - issued a voluntary recall following a formal recommendation from the Food and Drug Administration (FDA).\n\nOpened bottles taken from patients were found through testing to contain the bacteria, the CDC said. Unopened bottles are currently being tested to determine whether contamination occurred during the manufacturing process.\n\nLast week, a woman in Florida sued the drug company, claiming that an infection she suffered after using their product forced doctors to remove one of her eyes.\n\nA lawyer for the woman blamed the contamination on a lack of preservatives in the eyedrops.\n\n\"There's likely many more people who have suffered infections who are unaware,\" lawyer Natasha Cortes told NBC News.\n\nA representative for EzriCare has said that testing so far has not definitively linked the outbreak to their products.\n\n\"To the greatest extent possible, we have been contacting customers to advise them against continued use of the product,\" a spokesperson said.\n\n\"We also immediately reached out to both CDC and FDA and indicated our willingness to cooperate with any requests they have of us.\"\n\nThe CDC said that anyone who has used the recalled products and are now experiencing symptoms should contact a doctor.\n\nSymptoms include yellow, green, or clear discharge from the eye, discomfort or pain, redness, blurry vision and increase sensitivity to light.\n\nLast week, the FDA published separate recall notices for some eyedrop products distributed by Pharmedica and Apotex after the companies said they voluntarily pulled them from shelves.\n\nEyedrops and eyewash products were used by approximately 117 million Americans in 2020, according to Statista, a market research firm.\n\u2022 None Global Pharma Healthcare Issues Voluntary Nationwide Recall of Artificial Tears Lubricant Eye Drops Due to Possible Contamina The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/world-us-canada-64985191"}
{"title":"Jacqueline Gold: the woman who brought sex to the High Street - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-17","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"Jacqueline Gold, whose death was announced on Friday, changed the lives of women at home and at work.","section":"Business","content":"Jacqueline Gold famously brought the vibrator into the front rooms of middle England, helping to spark a social revolution for the prudish British.\n\nBut as the tributes that poured in after her death, at the age of 62, have highlighted, she also launched an overhaul in attitudes more broadly, inspiring a generation of women entrepreneurs and bringing sex onto the High Street.\n\nHer insight was one shared by half of the population already - that women had sexual appetites too - and that that represented a huge untapped market. She arrived at Ann Summers, the family business, crashing through social taboos, and refashioned it after her own purpose.\n\n\"She absolutely paved the way for women to feel empowered in the bedroom and the boardroom and really brought female sexuality into the mainstream,\" says Lucy Litwack, chief executive of Coco de Mer, another British sex toy and lingerie retailer, that followed in Ann Summers' wake.\n\n\"[But] it was her vision and championing of women, that I found so inspiring, that I think will be her legacy,\" she says.\n\nJacqueline Gold often spoke about the initial scepticism she faced at Ann Summers, then a small chain oriented towards male customers. She suggested they reach out to women, inviting them to host Tupperware-style parties to sell lingerie and sex toys in their homes. The board took some convincing.\n\nBut she had other stories to tell too, that illustrated the hurdles she faced, as she took charge at the family firm.\n\nCharlotte Hardie, Editor of Retail Week, where Jacqueline Gold was a guest contributor, recalls the controversial launch of an Ann Summers store in Dublin in 1999.\n\n\"It came up against a lot of criticism from religious groups,\" says Ms Hardie. \"They did not want her to open this store and there was lots of bad PR.\"\n\nThere were petitions and protests. Jacqueline was even sent a bullet through the post.\n\nBut says Ms Hardie: \"She hated the idea that she was going to be bullied into not opening a store, so she ploughed on regardless.\n\n\"She was hugely resilient, hugely determined, and she always did what she set out to do.\"\n\nAnother example: when the government said Ann Summers couldn't advertise for staff in Jobcentres, she took them to court and won.\n\nBut although she was determined, friends say she never tried to prove she was more ruthless than the men around her, or change her behaviour in an effort to fit their mould.\n\n\"She was always kind, welcoming, empathetic, she displayed all those leadership qualities that are so admired today,\" says Ms Hardie.\n\nShe even accepted in good humour the time at a Retail Week conference when she was waiting backstage to join a panel and a well-known chief executive from another firm assumed she was a member of staff.\n\n\"He said: 'Dear, would you mind just just getting me a glass of water?',\" says Ms Hardie.\n\nWhile Jacqueline was incensed at the time, she did fetch him a drink, and was able to laugh about it afterwards.\n\nJacqueline Gold also had huge hurdles to overcome in her private life, which she shared in her autobiography. She was sexually abused by her step-father and suffered from depression.\n\nAs an adult, she struggled to conceive, went through IVF treatment but lost her infant son Alfie at the age of eight months. Later the nanny to her daughter attempted to poison Jacqueline with screenwash.\n\nYet, despite these challenges, she always seemed to have a twinkle in her eye, according to her friend Jacqueline Hurst, a life coach.\n\n\"She just had this lust for life,\" says Ms Hurst.\n\nShe loved breaking taboos, especially the idea of the little woman at home, cooking, without much more to their lives, she recalls.\n\nShe was a \"powerhouse of determination\" when it came to supporting other women, says Ms Hurst, organising breakfasts and other get togethers so women could talk, taking part in groups that supported women in business. She launched her own scheme on social media to provide mentoring for women entrepreneurs.\n\nAnd she was always perfectly turned out, dressed elegantly, in heels, says Ms Hurst, because underneath it all her philosophy was as much about enjoying life as making money.\n\n\"I think that's the biggest thing I'd take away from her, is to always remember to have fun,\" she says. That, and: \"Don't let anyone tell you you can't\".","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/business-64994801"}
{"title":"The NHS pay dispute could soon be over but we are not there yet - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-17","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"Union members are yet to back the deal, and the government still needs to pay for it, says Chris Mason.","section":"UK Politics","content":"The reality of any negotiation is that the potential sweet spot for agreement lies in the place where both sides can claim a victory and argue that their course of action all along was pragmatic, sensible and justifiable.\n\nAfter months of argument and weeks of serious talks, that is where many of the health unions and the government each find themselves in many of the disputes in the NHS in England.\n\nFor ages, the government said it wouldn't reopen pay discussions for this financial year, which runs until the end of the month.\n\nAnd now, to all intents and purposes, it has, offering a one-off lump sum payment.\n\nFor ages, trades unions made various pay demands, often well in excess of 5%, which the leaderships of many unions are now saying is acceptable for the next financial year.\n\nBoth sides have budged, both sides have compromised.\n\nThis has been in the offing for a while: both the potential for compromise, and even the figure arrived at.\n\nJust before Christmas I reported that one-off payments were being discussed within government and within trades unions.\n\nIn early January there was a marked change in tone in the talks between the government and many of the health unions in England.\n\nThe mood did then appear to sour before Downing Street decided it was time to attempt to bring disputes to a close, if unions were willing to suspend strikes during talks.\n\nJust over a month ago, a path to potential settlement became clear, as did the likelihood that an offer around 5% might be where agreement could be found.\n\nSo how will this be paid for?\n\nThe Treasury have said for some time that 3.5% in the next financial year was affordable and accounted for. Which leaves a 1.5 percentage point gap and the cost of that lump sum.\n\nAcross government, there is an ongoing review looking for efficiencies and savings. It is expected that part of the gap will be filled by finding areas of underspend or savings from administration costs.\n\nGovernment sources insist there won't be any impact on \"front line services\".\n\nBut precisely what is a \"front line service\" and how much can be saved from other functions without having an impact on the sort of thing we might notice as patients?\n\nAnd the other part of the gap will be additional money from the Treasury.\n\nThe weight each of these factors bears will depend on the outcome of the review and a discussion prior to the Autumn Statement - the mini-Budget before Christmas - between the Department of Health and the Treasury.\n\nCrucially, the money will be found: the government has committed to that.\n\nThis isn't the end of the matter, though, for two reasons.\n\nThere is the ongoing dispute involving junior doctors in England, who are demanding a 35% pay rise.\n\nThe government is exasperated by this, with some senior figures initially assuming the demand was a typo, that there was a decimal point missing and it should read 3.5%.\n\nBut no, their demand is much, much higher, because they argue they have been underpaid for years and years and years.\n\nAnd, remember, while most union leaderships have recommended their members back this agreement, it is up to those members to decide whether they will.\n\nSo while the prevailing wind points towards the potential for sorting these disputes out, we are not there yet.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/uk-politics-64984833"}
{"title":"New delay to CalMac ferry for Arran a 'catastrophe', says island group - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-17","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"Campaigners say islanders are anxious about the impact on business and visitor numbers.","section":"Scotland politics","content":"Glen Sannox, returning to Ferguson shipyard after work in dry dock earlier this month.\n\nFurther construction delays to two CalMac ferries have been branded a \"catastrophe\" by islanders on Arran.\n\nThe Glen Sannox, which will serve the island, will now not be finished at Ferguson Marine shipyard until the autumn, rather than May of this year.\n\nA second ferry, known as Hull 802, had been due for hand over in March 2024 but will be delayed to later that year.\n\nSally Campbell, of the Arran Ferry Action Group, said anxiety over lost business and visitor numbers was high.\n\nMost islanders were \"dumbfounded\" at the latest setback, she told the BBC's Good Morning Scotland programme.\n\n\"It's an absolute disgrace,\" she said.\n\n\"We're really no nearer knowing when Glen Sannox, the new ferry for Arran, will be delivered or the final cost to the taxpayer.\n\n\"In the words of the [Scottish government's] RECC (Rural Economy and Connectivity Committee) some time ago, this is undeniably a catastrophe.\"\n\nOn Thursday, Deputy First Minister John Swinney said \"persistent design gaps and build errors\" meant progress had been \"slower than planned\" for the Glen Sannox.\n\nHe also announced an additional \u00a36m would be allocated to help complete the two ferries.\n\nThat was on top of the \u00a315m of extra funding for the Ferguson Marine shipyard already provided by the Scottish government this financial year.\n\nThe ferries are already five years behind schedule, with the cost of the project three times more than the original \u00a397m budget.\n\nMs Campbell also expressed her anger that \u00a387,000 in bonuses had been paid to six senior managers at the nationalised shipyard between 2019 and 2022, despite a failure to hand over the vessels.\n\nCalMac's existing ferry fleet is ageing and the need for regular maintenance and repairs has caused disruption for travel to and from the mainland.\n\n\"We have a near 40-year-old boat, half the size of our usual vessel operating on the route, placing extreme limits on what comes and goes to Arran,\" Ms Campbell added.\n\n\"There is a lot of anxiety, a lot of lost business, visitors are uncertain [about coming].\"\n\nThe Glen Sannox is scheduled to service the main route from Arran to the mainland\n\nMs Campbell said she was \"very sceptical\" whether the latest timetable outlined by Mr Swinney for delivering the Glen Sannox would be met.\n\n\"I personally feel the chance of it arriving in the autumn is slim,\" she added.\n\n\"Will it be here? We could place bets on 2024 for Glen Sannox rather than late '23.\n\n\"We're facing a real crisis on the island. Uncertainty, fear, anxiety.\"\n\nIn his statement to MSPs, Mr Swinney said he had expressed the government's \"great disappointment\" to the shipyard's chief executive, David Tydeman, about the latest delay.\n\nHe said the \"challenges and legacy issues\" faced by Fergusons could not be underestimated but that \"substantial progress\" had been made since Mr Tydeman's appointment last February.\n\nMr Tydeman had insisted that the Glen Sannox was \"coming to life\" following a successful spell in dry dock, with its main engines, propellers, generators and radar working, Mr Swinney said.\n\nIt was due to have a \"sustained testing and sea trials period to help ensure a smooth entry into service later this year,\" he added, with the yard aiming to deliver both vessels sooner than the dates outlined.\n\nThe Ferguson shipyard in Inverclyde has been in public hands since 2019.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/uk-scotland-scotland-politics-64988304"}
{"title":"Royal Mail referred to Ofcom over late letter deliveries - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-17","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"The firm is systematically falling down on its obligation to deliver letters, MPs say.","section":"Business","content":"Royal Mail is falling down on its letter delivery obligations, a group of MPs has said.\n\nThe firm has been prioritising parcel deliveries over letters, they said, and called on Ofcom to investigate.\n\nThe regulator said Royal Mail's recent performance was \"clearly well short of where it should be\" and said it would consider the MPs' report.\n\nRoyal Mail said it had clear policies that parcels and letters \"should be treated with equal importance\".\n\nRoyal Mail must, by law, deliver letters to all parts of the UK, six days per week, as part of its \"universal service obligation\".\n\nIf it fails to do this, it can be fined by communications regulator Ofcom.\n\nThere was widespread evidence that Royal Mail \"systemically failed to deliver\" on this obligation, telling postal workers to make sure they delivered parcels before letters, MPs on the Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy committee said.\n\nThey referred the matter to Ofcom, calling on it to open an enforcement investigation, talk to postal workers, and report back to the committee.\n\nThe MPs also said Royal Mail's chief executive Simon Thompson had not been \"wholly accurate\" in answers he gave to MPs on the use of technology by managers to track and discipline workers.\n\nRoyal Mail said it rejected the suggestion that Royal Mail \"may have misled\" the committee in answering its questions.\n\nIt said evidence that technology had been used to monitor workers in the way suggested, was due to some managers contravening Royal Mail policy.\n\nBut the MPs said they did not believe that could have happened \"without direct or indirect approval of management\". The committee said if senior management had not known, then they should be investigated by the board for negligence.\n\nThe MPs also called on the Information Commissioner to check whether this data collection was legal.\n\nThe Information Commissioner's Office said it would respond to the report.\n\nOfcom said it was carefully considering the MPs' report into late letter deliveries.\n\n\"We're very concerned about this and have asked the company to explain what it's doing to bring service levels back up as a matter of urgency,\" the regulator said.\n\nIt said it would look at Royal Mail's performance from April to March and wouldn't hesitate to take enforcement action if required.\n\nRoyal Mail said it would review how its delivery policies were being used and feed that back to MPs and Ofcom.\n\n\"The commercial reality of providing the universal service has changed\" Royal Mail said.\n\nThe company has faced a series of challenges in recent months, including an ongoing industrial dispute over working conditions.\n\nRoyal Mail was then hit by a cyber attack that disrupted overseas mail services in January and February.\n\nIn 2020 Ofcom fined the firm \u00a31.5m for missing delivery targets.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/business-64972913"}
{"title":"Leila Borrington: Woman jailed for killing three-year-old stepson - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-17","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"Harvey Borrington was non-verbally autistic and therefore could not tell of Leila Borrington's abuse.","section":"Nottingham","content":"Harvey Borrington died from head injuries, including a fractured skull and a bleed on the brain\n\nA woman who killed her disabled three-year-old stepson and filmed him as he lay dying has been given a 15-year prison sentence.\n\nHarvey Borrington died from head injuries including a fractured skull and a bleed on the brain.\n\nNottingham Crown Court heard Harvey was non-verbally autistic and could not tell his mother he was being abused.\n\nHis stepmother Leila Borrington was convicted of his manslaughter following a trial but acquitted of murder.\n\nThe prosecution said the 23-year-old struck Harvey several times to the head at her home in Nottinghamshire in August 2021.\n\nShe then filmed him lying unconscious on the floor and sent the video to Harvey's father, with a text saying: \"Why does this happen to me?\"\n\nShe did so before she called 999 for an ambulance, and then lied to paramedics when they arrived, claiming Harvey had fallen and hit his head.\n\nHarvey's biological mother, Katie Holroyd, cried as she told the court: \"To this day I can't bear to think of him lying on that floor with him dying and her filming him, delaying getting medical help for him.\"\n\nThe video, shot on Borrington's phone, showed her taking Harvey's left arm, lifting it up and letting it drop loosely to the floor.\n\nShe then continued to film as he lay not moving on the living room floor.\n\nLeila Borrington was convicted of manslaughter by a jury\n\nBorrington assaulted Harvey at her home in Main Road, Jacksdale, which she shared with Harvey's father.\n\nShe inflicted the fatal injuries on 7 August 2021 and he died in hospital two days later.\n\nThe court heard Harvey was killed following a history of abuse by Borrington.\n\nJonas Hankin KC, prosecuting, said Harvey's age and disability made him vulnerable, which were aggravating features.\n\n\"He was severely non-verbally autistic,\" Mr Hankin said.\n\n\"His challenging behaviour demanded greater empathy and kindness from his carers. It cannot justify the defendant's offending in any way.\"\n\nBorrington told the trial she had never harmed Harvey, maintaining he had fallen off a sofa and banged his head.\n\nHowever, an expert witness called by the prosecution said she believed Harvey had died as a result of \"direct blunt force trauma\", sustained after Borrington assaulted the youngster.\n\nSentencing Borrington, Mr Justice Nicklin told her: \"Precisely what happened to Harvey only you know, but by their verdict the jury were sure that your account of Harvey having fallen, hitting his head on the floor, was not the truth or at least not the full truth.\n\n\"The jury's verdict shows they were sure you had assaulted Harvey, causing the very serious head injuries that led to his death.\"\n\nBorrington was also convicted of inflicting grievous bodily harm for previously breaking Harvey's arm, and assault occasioning actual bodily harm for an incident in which she squeezed his cheeks.\n\nShe was given a two-year prison sentence and a six-month term for these offences, to be served concurrently with her manslaughter sentence.\n\nThe judge also said she would serve two-thirds of the 15-year sentence in prison before being released on licence.\n\nHarvey's mother described him as \"my world\" and a \"treasured grandson\" to her parents.\n\n\"To have it confirmed that Harvey before his death had been assaulted by Leila Borrington will be a life-long trauma for me, a recurring nightmare which I will never be able to wake from,\" she told the court.\n\nShe cried as she explained that her son's disability meant he could not tell her about the abuse being inflicted by his stepmother.\n\n\"He couldn't tell me he didn't want to go [to stay with Borrington],\" she said.\n\nAn NSPCC spokesperson said the case \"highlighted the vulnerability of young children and those with disabilities, who are entirely dependent on those who care for them and are at increased risk of abuse\".\n\nDona Parry-Jones, a senior crown prosecutor at CPS East Midlands, said Harvey had \"died at the hands of someone who should have been there to care for him and nurture him\".\n\nDet Insp Simon Harrison, of Nottinghamshire Police, said the case had been \"disturbing and upsetting\" to work on.\n\n\"The death of any child is a tragedy, but there is something especially awful about cases of this nature,\" he said.\n\n\"As a police officer I am pleased that justice has now been done, but I am aware that no custodial sentence can adequately reflect the pain and anguish felt by Harvey's family.\n\n\"My thoughts, and the thoughts of my colleagues, remain with them today.\"\n\nFollow BBC East Midlands on Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram. Send your story ideas to eastmidsnews@bbc.co.uk.\n\nThe BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/uk-england-nottinghamshire-64975538"}
{"title":"Covid tests for China travellers to England ending - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-17","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"The pre-departure and voluntary arrival checks began in January after a spike in cases in China.","section":"Business","content":"Travellers flying into England from mainland China will no longer have to provide proof of a negative pre-departure test from next month.\n\nThe change will come into effect on 5 April - exactly three months after the measures started.\n\nMinisters brought in controls after a spike in cases following Beijing's relaxation of its zero-Covid policy.\n\nTheir removal comes after greater transparency from China, the government said.\n\nIn a statement, the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) said that there has been increased information on \"testing, vaccination and genomic sequencing results\" on China's domestic disease levels.\n\nThe data indicates that Covid variants seen in China \"continue to be the same as those already circulating in the UK\", it added.\n\nThe Chinese Centre for Disease Control and Prevention also reported that all regions had passed their infection peak, the statement reported.\n\nThe DHSC also announced that the UK Health Security Agency's (UKHSA) voluntary on-arrival testing programme of travellers from China to Heathrow airport has come to an end.\n\nThe temporary testing programme was implemented in January. The government said its aim was to improve Covid surveillance of travellers arriving at London's main airport from China by helping to detect potential new variants.\n\nThe government said an average of 99 people per flight had been tested, totalling 3,374 passengers.\n\nDuring that period, 14 positive cases were identified, but none was deemed to be a variant of concern.\n\nThe DHSC said from Friday, 17 March \"passengers aged 18 or over travelling from mainland China and arriving at Heathrow Airport will no longer be invited to take a voluntary test on arrival\".\n\n\"The ending of this enhanced surveillance is in line with international partners such as the EU who are reducing border measures to monitor new variants from China\" .\n\nOfficials said the government would maintain a range of contingency measures to \"enable detection, and swift and proportionate action, for potential new harmful variants\" should the need arise.\n\nLast December, ministers confirmed that passengers arriving to England from China would have to provide a negative Covid test before they boarded their flights.\n\nThe Chinese government was reporting about 5,000 cases a day at the time, but analysts said the numbers were vastly undercounted - and that the daily caseload could have been closer to one million.\n\nOther countries around the world such as the US, France India also implemented testing.\n\nWhile the decision only affected English airports, the government said that despite their being no direct flights from China to Scotland, Wales or Northern Ireland, that it was working with the devolved administrations to ensure the policy was applied UK-wide.\n\nIn January, China reopened its borders to international visitors for the first time since it imposed travel restrictions in March 2020 while officials declared later that month that the country's current wave of Covid-19 infections was \"coming to an end\".\n\nChina's National Health Commission stopped publishing data on Covid cases and deaths on 25 December after the relaxation of its zero-Covid policy and in February declared a \"decisive victory\" over the pandemic.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/business-64993197"}
{"title":"Killers with history of coercive behaviour face tougher sentences - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-17","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"The government says the changes will mean more jail time for \"those who kill women in the home\".","section":"UK","content":"Campaigners Julie Devey and Carole Gould welcomed the new laws but want the government to go further\n\nMurderers with a history of coercive behaviour towards their victims or who use extreme violence could face tougher sentences under new government plans.\n\nAs part of the proposals, judges would have to consider these as aggravating factors when jailing killers.\n\nJustice Secretary Dominic Raab said this would mean \"longer jail sentences for those who kill women in the home\".\n\nCampaigners called for the government to go further by introducing a 25-year sentencing starting point.\n\nCarole Gould and Julie Devey, whose daughters were both murdered by ex-partners, welcomed the changes but told the BBC they would wait to see what weight the aggravating factors were actually given in court.\n\nThe proposals come after recommendations made in a review into domestic homicide sentencing by barrister Clare Wade.\n\nFull details of the new laws are yet to be revealed but Mr Raab said tougher sentences would be given by taking into account specific factors involved including \"controlling and coercive behaviour or cases involving particular savagery known as 'overkill'\".\n\nIt is unclear when the changes will come into force. The government is due to set out a full response to the review \"in the summer\" and legislation \"will be introduced as soon as Parliamentary time allows\".\n\nMs Wade, who was the defence barrister for Sally Challen - the first woman to have her murder conviction quashed under coercive control laws - found the current sentencing framework did not reflect that many domestic killings are preceded by years of abuse.\n\nAs well as ensuring that judges take coercive control and extreme violence into account, the government will also:\n\nControlling or coercive behaviour became an offence under the Serious Crime Act 2015 and includes economic, emotional or psychological abuse and threats alongside physical or sexual violence.\n\nMore than half of the murder cases looked at in the Wade Review involved controlling or coercive behaviour.\n\nMs Gould told the BBC she would like to see a 25-year starting point for jail sentences where overkill - cases where massive injuries are inflicted on the victim, more than would be needed to kill them - was a factor, which she said would have doubled her daughter's killer's sentence.\n\nEllie Gould, from Wiltshire, was stabbed to death by Thomas Griffiths, then 17, in 2019. He was jailed for 12-and-a-half years, with his age a factor in his sentence.\n\n\"In Ellie's case she was strangled and then she was stabbed 13 times. So these murders are particularly violent and brutal and I think we need to push to make sure that's recognised in the sentencing,\" she said.\n\nPoppy Devey Waterhouse and Ellie Gould were murdered by their ex-boyfriends\n\nMs Devey, whose daughter Poppy Devey Waterhouse was stabbed 49 times in 2018, said the problem would be how much extra time was added on for the new aggravating factors.\n\n\"It's our view that these are very dangerous people and they are as dangerous as people who take a weapon to the scene of the crime and are given 25 years,\" she said.\n\nThe government will launch a public consultation to determine if a 25-year minimum sentence should be applied to murder cases with a history of coercive or controlling behaviour.\n\nPatrick Ryan, chief executive of domestic abuse support service Hestia, said he welcomed the recognition of other forms of violence including coercive control.\n\n\"Survivors often tell us that they have endured years of abuse before physical violence escalates and it's right that we take this into account when sentencing,\" he said.\n\nThe Sentencing Council has also been asked to review the manslaughter guidelines to explain to judges that there should be longer jail terms in cases where deaths occur during rough sex.\n\nConservative MP Laura Farris, who had called for ministers to introduce a minimum 12-year sentence for sexually motivated manslaughter, said she was \"delighted\" by the news.\n\n\"The last few years have seen some appalling cases where men have received derisory sentences for brutal killings including strangulation. The announcement recognises the gendered nature of these crimes, and the fact they are often part of wider patterns of domestic abuse,\" she said.\n\nThe announcement comes two days after the High Court ruled Mr Raab unlawfully issued a policy banning prison and probation staff from recommending whether prisoners were suitable for release to the Parole Board, which may have led to people being wrongly freed.\n\nOn Wednesday, senior judges upheld a legal challenge brought by two serving prisoners who were awaiting parole hearings over whether they could be released on licence.\n\nA Ministry of Justice spokesperson said the result was \"disappointing\" and the department was considering its legal options.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/uk-64983762"}
{"title":"Ann Summers boss Jacqueline Gold dies aged 62 - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-17","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"Ms Gold transformed the company into a multi-million pound business and championed women in business.","section":"Business","content":"Jacqueline Gold, who transformed the lingerie and sex toy chain Ann Summers and was a champion of women in business, has died aged 62.\n\nHer family said she died on Thursday evening after seven years of treatment for breast cancer.\n\nMs Gold expanded Ann Summers from a firm with four backstreet shops into a multi-million pound business.\n\nShe was made a CBE in 2016 for services to entrepreneurship, women in business and social enterprise.\n\nMs Gold's family said: \"It is with unspeakable sadness that Ann Summers confirm our amazing executive chair Jacqueline Gold CBE passed away yesterday evening with her husband Dan, daughter Scarlett, sister Vanessa, and brother-in-law Nick, by her side.\n\n\"She was... an activist for women in business, and championed female entrepreneurs with the ambition to better the working environment for women,\" the statement added.\n\nHer death comes just two months after her father, David Gold, who was joint-chairman of West Ham United, died at the age of 86.\n\nHer sister Vanessa, who is chief executive at Ann Summers, said: \"She was a trailblazer, a visionary, and the most incredible woman, all of which makes this news that much harder to bear.\"\n\nThe first Ann Summers shop opened in 1971, and the business was bought by Ms Gold's father and his brother Ralph the following year.\n\nMs Gold first joined her family's firm as an intern, but transformed the Ann Summers brand by making it more female-friendly.\n\nBut she told the BBC in 2015 that when she first proposed this approach to the company's all-male directors it wasn't well received.\n\n\"One board member threw down his pen and said 'this isn't going to work, women aren't interested in sex',\" she said.\n\nShe set up a new Tupperware-style party service solely for women, which proved an immediate hit.\n\nThe increase in sales that her approach generated led to expansion of Ann Summers' High Street stores. It currently has 88 across the UK and Ireland.\n\nThe revamped stores were brightly lit and again targeted at women, with the aim of distinguishing them from the traditional image of backstreet sex shops.\n\nShe told the BBC: \"When I joined Ann Summers its customer profile was only 10% women, today it remains 100% women going to our parties, and 80% women to our stores.\n\n\"I always say that I have taken the company from the raincoat brigade to a female institution.\"\n\nAs well as running the business, Ms Gold mentored other female entrepreneurs and lobbied the government to help improve gender equality in business.\n\nSpeaking to the Sunday Times in 2018, she said there were very few female role models, adding that she found it \"disappointing\" that the situation had not changed.\n\n\"I am frustrated that we are still having the same conversation around female empowerment and equality,\" she told the paper. \"We live in a fast-paced society and yet progress is painfully slow.\"","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/business-64986528"}
{"title":"Russia threatens to destroy Ukraine jets after Poland and Slovakia pledges - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-17","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"Slovakia becomes the second Nato country after Poland to offer fighter jets to Ukraine.","section":"Europe","content":"Russia has threatened to destroy any fighter jets given to Ukraine by its allies, after two countries promised planes.\n\nSlovakia became the second Nato country to pledge Kyiv some MiG-29 aircraft on Friday, a day after Poland.\n\nSlovakia's fleet was grounded last year and it no longer uses the jets.\n\nUkraine has asked Western countries for modern jets, but because of long training times, these are seen only as long-term options.\n\nIt sees extra aircraft as important for its defences and possible counter-attacks, a year into Russia's invasion.\n\nOther Nato countries are considering sending planes such as the MiG-29 - a model which dates from the time of the Soviet Union - which Ukrainian pilots are trained to fly.\n\nKremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov condemned the plans, saying that the aircraft would not affect the outcome of Moscow's \"special military operation\", as it calls the war.\n\nHe said they would only \"bring additional woes for Ukraine and the Ukrainian people\".\n\n\"Of course, during the special military operation, all this equipment will be subject to destruction,\" the spokesman added.\n\nThe Polish and Slovak pledges are a positive move for Ukraine - which has more pilots than planes - but will not make a decisive difference.\n\nThe Ukrainians say what they really need is US-made F-16 fighters.\n\nYuri Sak, a senior Ukrainian defence adviser, says the fourth-generation fighters have better capabilities.\n\nIt still seems unlikely that Ukraine would get them - at least for now, as it would take time to train Ukrainian pilots on Western jets.\n\nWestern military officers remain sceptical about modern fighters. Their focus is on helping Ukraine win the battle on the ground.\n\nThe front lines are swamped with air defence systems on both sides. The Russian air force is much bigger than Ukraine's and it hasn't been able to gain control of the skies.\n\nAt the start of Russia's full-scale invasion, Ukraine was believed to have about 120 combat capable aircraft - mainly ageing MiG-29s and Su-27s.\n\nOn Friday, Slovakian Prime Minister Eduard Heger tweeted that his government had approved sending the country's 13 MiG-29s to Ukraine.\n\nHe said \"promises must be kept\" and that he was glad others were answering Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky's call for more weapons.\n\nIt is not clear how many of the Slovakian planes are operational.\n\nMr Heger said Slovakia would also send Ukraine part of its Kub air defence system.\n\nOn Thursday, Poland pledged four MiG-29s, to be sent in the coming days, but more are expected to follow.\n\nAs with its pledge of Leopard tanks, Poland has broken a barrier. This was a step no-one was prepared to take a year ago.\n\nNews of the pledges came amid Russian media reports that Russian Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu had decorated pilots involved in an incident earlier this week .\n\nWashington has condemned the Russian actions, in which it says one of the Su-27 jets clipped the drone, as reckless, but Moscow says the drone failed on its own.\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Watch: US releases footage from its drone of the encounter with a Russian jet","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/world-europe-64988504"}
{"title":"Emily Lewis: Speedboat skipper sentenced after teenager's death in crash - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-17","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"Emily Lewis, 15, suffered fatal injuries when she was crushed against a metal handrail in the crash.","section":"Hampshire & Isle of Wight","content":"Emily Lewis was on a day out with her family when the crash happened\n\nA speedboat skipper who was going too fast before a crash that fatally injured a teenage passenger has been given a suspended prison sentence.\n\nMichael Lawrence, 55, was convicted of failing to maintain a proper lookout and a safe speed before the crash that killed 15-year-old Emily Lewis in Southampton Water on 22 August 2020.\n\nAfter a trial at Winchester Crown Court, he was cleared of manslaughter.\n\nHe and boat owner Michael Howley were both given 18-week suspended sentences.\n\nMichael Lawrence was convicted of failing to maintain a proper lookout and a safe speed before the crash\n\nHowley was previously found guilty by majority verdict of failing to operate the vessel safely.\n\nEmily Lewis, from Park Gate, Hampshire, was on a \"high thrills\" ride with her parents and sister when the RIB, carrying 12 people, hit the buoy at nearly 37 knots (43mph), the court heard.\n\nShe suffered \"unsurvivable\" crush injuries while a number of other passengers were seriously injured, the jury was told.\n\nHer sister Amy tearfully described how she did not think she could carry on living after losing Emily.\n\nIn a victim statement, she said: \"My poor parents had to hear their only daughter tell them that I wanted to die.\"\n\nEmily's father Simon said he was a \"truly broken man\" as he recalled making the decision to switch his daughter's life support machine off.\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. The trial heard the boat was driven straight at the buoy for 14 seconds before the crash\n\nReading her victim impact statement to the court, Emily's mother Nicola said looking at Lawrence: \"I couldn't help her and this haunts me daily. I cannot get the image out of my head.\n\n\"That is why I survive and not live because of what you did to me and my family on that day.\"\n\nIn a further victim statement, boat passenger Helen Mann, who suffered five fractured ribs and a punctured lung when she was thrown into the water, said she had suffered lasting trauma, leaving her unable to look at the sea.\n\nHer friend Carolyn Edwards, who suffered a broken rib, broken leg and fractured back, described having sleepless nights and flashbacks.\n\nAlison McKenzie, who was in the boat with her family, told the court her sons' lives had been devastated by the crash, with one missing nearly two years of school due to mental health issues.\n\nLawrence (left) and Michael Howley were both also ordered to complete 125 hours of community service and pay \u00a31,000 of court costs\n\nMark Ashley, defending Lawrence, of Blackfield, New Forest, said his client was \"a good man who has made a mistake\" and was \"deeply affected\" by what had happened.\n\n\"There isn't a day that goes by when he doesn't wish it was he who died.\"\n\nKeely Harvey, who represented Howley, of Hordle, Hampshire, said the boat owner \"cared\" about the safety of his passengers and would be \"forever affected\" by the incident.\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. The jury was shown a police re-enactment of the speedboat's course\n\nThe defendants sat with their heads bowed, avoiding the victims' gaze as the statements were read.\n\nThey were both also ordered to complete 125 hours of community service and pay \u00a31,000 of court costs.\n\nSuspending the jail sentences for two years, Mr Justice Butcher told Lawrence he took into account his remorse and years of service with the RNLI.\n\n\"It is still unknown why you drove the RIB as you did. It must have been the result of inattention or distraction,\" the judge said.\n\nHe said Howley had immediately shut down his thrill ride firm Seadogz, and the owner's failure to put proper safety procedures in place had not caused the accident.\n\nEmily Lewis's mother Nikki, father Simon and sister Amy said justice had only partly been served\n\nOutside the court, Simon Lewis said he was disappointed that the sentences had been suspended.\n\nReading a family statement, he said: \"After two-and-a-half long years we have managed to get some of the justice that Emily so deserved.\n\n\"Neither Mr Lawrence nor Mr Howley have apologised for what happened on that fateful day.\n\n\"I do hope that the safety concerns raised by this case can help other people to continue to have fun on the water but with a reduced risk of injury or indeed death.\"\n\nFollow BBC South on Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram. Send your story ideas to south.newsonline@bbc.co.uk.\n\nThe BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/uk-england-hampshire-64987949"}
{"title":"NHS 5% pay offer may end bitter dispute in England - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-17","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"Unions urge nurses, ambulance staff and other members to back deal including a one-off payment.","section":"Health","content":"A 5% pay rise from April has been offered to NHS staff in England, including nurses and ambulance workers.\n\nIn addition, staff have been offered a one-off payment of at least \u00a31,655 to top up the past year's pay award.\n\nUnions are recommending members back the deal, after nearly two weeks of talks with ministers, raising hopes the bitter dispute may be coming to an end.\n\nThe offer covers all NHS staff except doctors, who are on a different contract.\n\nHealth Secretary Steve Barclay said it was a \"fair pay rise\" that would also protect the government's commitment to halve inflation.\n\n\"I hugely admire the incredible work of NHS staff,\" he said. \"I look forward to continuing our work together to make the NHS a better place to work.\"\n\nMr Barclay said there had been movement on both sides and praised the \"constructive engagement\" of the unions.\n\nFourteen unions were represented at the talks, covering:\n\nThe biggest three - the Royal College of Nursing, Unison and the GMB - are all backing the deal, while Unite the Union has said it cannot recommend it to members but will put it to a vote.\n\nUnison head of health Sara Gorton said: \"It's a shame it took so long to get here.\n\n\"Health workers had to take many days of strike action and thousands more had to threaten to join them to get their unions into the room and proper talks under way.\"\n\nIf her members accepted the deal, it would mean a \"significant\" boost in pay, Ms Gorton added.\n\nRCN general secretary Pat Cullen said: \"Members took the hardest of decisions to go on strike and I believe they have been vindicated today.\"\n\nBut Unite told BBC News that it is not advising its members on how to vote on the pay offer because \"it falls short of what we were asking for\".\n\nSpeaking to BBC News, Unite official Onay Kasab said members \"wanted a consolidated payment... they did not want one-off non-consolidated sums\".\n\nThe offer, he claims, is \"not really going to help recruitment in the NHS\" because \"only current staff members will get it\".\n\nIt comes after a winter of industrial action, with nurses, ambulance staff and physios all striking.\n\nThe unions put further action on hold, after the two sides agreed to discussions last month.\n\nPrime Minister Rishi Sunak said he was \"delighted\" with the agreement over pay during a visit to a hospital in London on Thursday afternoon.\n\nDespite weeks of criticism from opposition parties and unions about the government's \"dither and delay\" leading to more strikes, Mr Sunak said: \"We have taken a reasonable approach throughout.\"\n\nHe also called the pay \"affordable for the taxpayer and continues to deliver on my promise to halve inflation\".\n\nMr Sunak and Mr Barclay visited a hospital in London on Thursday.\n\nA Downing Street spokesperson later added the government does not believe the pay offer will be inflationary.\n\nWhen asked about the fact it had said, earlier in the dispute, that giving more than a 3.5% pay award could stoke inflation, Mr Sunak's deputy spokesperson said he did not believe that would happen with this deal, adding: \"We don't believe so. The two one-off payments for 22\/23 we don't believe will create future inflationary pressures.\"\n\nThe spokesperson added the rise for the coming year would also not stoke inflation, since \"5% is broadly in line with pay growth in the wider economy so we don't see it having an impact on private sector pay which ultimately leads to inflation\".\n\nAnd when asked whether the money to fund the rise would have to come from the existing NHS\/Department for Health and Social Care (DHSC) budget the spokesperson insisted frontline service would not suffer and discussions were taking place between the DHSC and the Treasury.\n\nWhen asked about further money for the NHS to fund the deal, the spokesperson again said discussions would take place with the Treasury.\n\nHowever, shadow health secretary Wes Streeting criticised the \"last minute\" nature of the offer, calling the government \"incompetent\" and saying Mr Barclay \"doesn't know how he's going to pay for it\".\n\n\"Even when they arrive at a solution it's so late that it causes a new wave of problems.\"\n\nNHS staff have seen pay rise by an average of 4.75% during 2022-23 - with the lowest paid receiving the biggest rises - but unions had been asking for above-inflation rises, which at one point, would have equated to an increase of more than 14%.\n\nThe one-off payment to top up that pay award starts at \u00a31,655 for the lowest-paid staff such as cleaners and porters and rises to just over \u00a32,400 for the most senior front-line roles such as nurse consultants.\n\nFor staff in management positions, such as directors of nursing and chief finance officers, the one-off payment is worth up to \u00a33,789.\n\nThe government had originally offered 3.5% from April, for the 2023-24 financial year - but during the talks, ministers agreed to 5%. The lowest paid will receive more.\n\nMatthew Taylor, of the NHS Confederation, which represents managers, said health leaders would \"breathe a sigh of relief\". \"We now await the decision of union members,\" he said.\n\nHe also urged the British Medical Association to enter talks - junior doctors staged a three-day walkout this week, in their fight for a 35% pay rise.\n\nThey say this is needed to make up for below-inflation wages rises over the past 15 years - but ministers say it is unaffordable.\n\nMinisters have offered the BMA talks on the same basis as with the other unions - but it has declined.\n\nStrike action has also been paused in Wales and Scotland by most unions while new offers are considered. The GMB in Scotland has accepted the Scottish offer, worth 14% over two years.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/health-64977269"}
{"title":"Ticketmaster offers partial refunds to The Cure fans - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-17","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"The company came under fire after added fees doubled the cost of some tickets to see The Cure.","section":"Entertainment & Arts","content":"The Cure's hits include Friday I'm In Love, Boys Don't Cry and Close To Me\n\nTicketmaster has offered a partial refund to fans who bought tickets to see The Cure's upcoming US tour.\n\nThe company came under fire earlier this week, when it emerged that, in some cases, the fees added up to more than the face value of the ticket.\n\nThe Cure's frontman Robert Smith said he was \"sickened\" by the \"debacle\" and promised fans answers.\n\nOn Thursday night, he said Ticketmaster agreed the fees had been \"unduly high\" and would return some of the money.\n\nAs a \"gesture of goodwill\", the company will refund $10 (\u00a38) to anyone who bought the lowest-price tickets, which were priced at $20 (\u00a316), he said.\n\nAll other fans will received a $5 refund.\n\n\"If you already bought a ticket, you will get an automatic refund,\" Smith tweeted. \"All tickets on sale tomorrow will incur lower fees.\"\n\nThe band are due to embark on their Shows of a Lost World North American tour in May, with the 30-date trek kicking off in New Orleans.\n\nProblems with the ticket sale emerged on Wednesday, when fans shared screenshots of Ticketmaster's pricing structure.\n\nOne customer who bought four $20 (\u00a316.54) tickets ended up paying $172,10 (\u00a3142), after service fees, a facility charge and an order processing fee were added.\n\nAnother, who wanted to see the band in Phoenix, Arizona, paid $72.25 (\u00a359.75) for a ticket with the face value of $20 (\u00a316.54).\n\nThe fees varied by venue - one fan reported a $16.75 (\u00a313.87) service fee in Massachusetts, while another fan reported $15 (\u00a312.42) in Toronto - and they didn't always exceed the base ticket price. Some of the more expensive seats cost $90 (\u00a374.50) each, for example.\n\nSmith reacted furiously to the news, writing a series of tweets criticising the additional fees.\n\n\"To be very clear, the artist has no way to limit them,\" he wrote.\n\n\"I have been asking how they are justified. If I get anything coherent by way of an answer, I will let you know,\" he promised.\n\nTicketmaster has not independently confirmed the refund offer. The BBC has contacted the company for comment.\n\nYou can read Smith's tweets about the refunds below.\n\nThis Twitter post cannot be displayed in your browser. Please enable Javascript or try a different browser. View original tweet on Twitter The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Skip twitter post by ROBERT SMITH 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\u2019s cookie policy, external and privacy policy, external before accepting. To view this content choose \u2018accept and continue\u2019. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.\n\nThis Twitter post cannot be displayed in your browser. Please enable Javascript or try a different browser. View original tweet on Twitter The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Skip twitter post 2 by ROBERT SMITH 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\u2019s cookie policy, external and privacy policy, external before accepting. To view this content choose \u2018accept and continue\u2019. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.\n\nFollow us on Facebook or on Twitter @BBCNewsEnts. If you have a story suggestion email entertainment.news@bbc.co.uk.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/entertainment-arts-64987126"}
{"title":"Ukraine war: Russia has committed crimes against humanity, US says - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-17","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"Kamala Harris was speaking at a security conference, where leaders called for long-term support of Ukraine.","section":"Europe","content":"This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Watch: US Vice-President Kamala Harris says those involved in atrocities \"will be held to account\"\n\nThe US has \"formally determined\" that Russia had committed crimes against humanity in Ukraine, US Vice-President Kamala Harris has said.\n\nSpeaking at the Munich Security Conference, Ms Harris accused Russia of \"gruesome acts of murder, torture, rape and deportation\" since its invasion.\n\nMoscow's ambassador to the US rejected the claims and accused Ms Harris of trying to \"demonise Russia\".\n\nWorld leaders at the conference called for long-term support of Ukraine.\n\nUK PM Rishi Sunak said now was the time to \"double down\" on military support.\n\nThe prime minister argued that Western allies must start planning for the future security of Ukraine, as well as sending the weapons it needs to defend itself now.\n\nThe conference in Germany comes as the one-year anniversary of Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine approaches on 24 February.\n\nMs Harris told delegates that the perpetrators of alleged Russian crimes in Ukraine must be held to account.\n\n\"Their actions are an assault on our common values and our common humanity,\" she said.\n\nThe UN defines crimes against humanity as a \"widespread or systemic attack\" on a particular civilian population.\n\nMoscow has repeatedly denied targeting civilians during its invasion.\n\nAnatoly Antonov, Russia's ambassador to the US, said the vice-president's claims were a cynical attempt to \"demonise Russia in the course of a hybrid war\".\n\nThey were a way of \"justifying Washington's own actions to fuel the Ukrainian crisis\", he added, referring to the US supply of arms to Kyiv.\n\nBut Ms Harris, a former prosecutor, was adamant that \"in the case of Russia's actions in Ukraine we have examined the evidence, we know the legal standards, and there is no doubt: these are crimes against humanity\".\n\nShe cited \"barbaric and inhumane\" atrocities committed during the war in Ukraine, including the scores of bodies found in Bucha shortly after the invasion and the bombing of a theatre in Mariupol.\n\n\"Let us all agree: on behalf of all the victims, both known and unknown, justice must be served,\" Ms Harris said.\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser.\n\nCrimes against humanity are tried at the International Criminal Court (ICC).\n\nBut the ICC has no powers to arrest suspects and can only exercise jurisdiction within countries which signed up to the agreement that set up the court.\n\nRussia is not a signatory to that agreement, so it is unlikely to extradite any suspects.\n\nThe three-day gathering in Munich will provide a key test of Western support for Kyiv as both sides in the war prepare for spring offensives.\n\nUkraine's Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba said Moscow had \"waged a genocidal war\" because it did not think Ukrainians \"deserve to exist as a sovereign nation\".\n\nTens of thousands have lost their lives and millions have been forced from their homes as part of Vladimir Putin's invasion.\n\nThis conference has largely been a gathering of American and European leaders. It's a chance for them to reaffirm their support for Ukraine and demonstrate their resolve.\n\nRishi Sunak called for a new Nato charter to guarantee Ukraine's long-term security. Kamala Harris formally accused Russia of committing crimes against humanity.\n\nBut in the margins, there have been voices of doubt.\n\nTake the prime minister of Namibia, Saara Kuugongelwa-Amadhila. She opposed sending more arms to Ukraine and called for a peaceful resolution to the war. Her country, she said, had suffered recession, rising prices and disrupted supply chains.\n\nIt's opinions like that, widely held cross Africa, Asia and South America, that are concentrating transatlantic minds.\n\nThere is realisation among Western policymakers that almost one year after Russia's invasion, they need to remake the case for defending Ukraine.\n\nRussia was also on the agenda during a meeting on Saturday between the Antony Blinken and Wang Yi, the US and China's top foreign policy officials.\n\nDuring talks at the conference in Munich, Mr Blinken warned of consequences if China were to provide material support to Russia's invasion.\n\nMr Blinken is expected to suggest China is \"at least contemplating providing\" lethal assistance to Russia in an interview to be aired on Sunday morning on NBC News.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/world-europe-64691001"}
{"title":"Give babies peanut butter to cut allergy by 77%, study says - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-17","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"Research suggests there is a crucial window during weaning to lower the allergy risk.","section":"Health","content":"Giving young babies - between four and six months old - tiny tastes of smooth peanut butter could dramatically cut peanut allergies, say scientists.\n\nResearch shows there is a crucial opportunity during weaning to cut allergy cases by 77%.\n\nThey say the government's advice on weaning - which says no solids until around six months - needs to change.\n\nExperts warn whole or chopped nuts and peanuts are a choking risk and should not be given to children under five.\n\nThe current NHS guidance does say peanut (crushed, ground or butter) can be introduced from around six months old.\n\nA baby is ready for their first solid food if:\n\nPeanut allergy has been rising in the UK with an estimated one-in-50 children now affected.\n\nFood allergies are the result of our immune system mistaking something harmless for a severe threat.\n\nFor some, even a small amount of peanut can lead to such an overwhelming immune reaction that it becomes life-threatening.\n\nPeanut allergy has become so common that some schools ban the ingredient.\n\nThere had been long-standing advice to avoid foods that can trigger allergies during early childhood. At one point, families were once told to avoid peanut until their child was three years old.\n\nHowever, evidence over the last 15 years has turned that on its head.\n\nInstead, eating peanut while the immune system is still developing - and learning to recognise friend from foe - can reduce allergic reactions, experts say.\n\nIt also means the body's first experience of peanut is in the tummy where it is more likely to be recognised as food rather than on the skin, where it may be more likely to be treated as a threat.\n\nIsrael, where peanut snacks are common in early life, has much lower rates of allergy.\n\nOther studies have suggested introducing other foods linked to allergies - such as egg, milk and wheat - early also reduced allergy.\n\nThe latest research, published in the Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology, calculated when is the best time to start introducing foods containing peanut.\n\nThe analysis was conducted by the University of Southampton, King's College London and the research arm of the NHS - the National Institute for Health and Care Research.\n\nThey found the critical period to start was between four and six months, during which the allergy could be cut by 77%.\n\nThat is the equivalent of preventing 10,000 out of the roughly 13,000 cases of peanut allergy each year.\n\nDelaying the introduction of peanut-based foods until the child was one-year-old would only cut allergy cases by 33%, according to the research.\n\nFor babies with eczema, which is a risk factor for allergy, the investigators recommend starting at four months - as long as the baby is ready.\n\nThey say parents should start by offering small amounts of fruit or vegetables.\n\nThen when the baby is comfortable, around three heaped teaspoons of peanut butter a week should be introduced and maintained for years. Peanut butter, which can be quite dry, can be given with breastmilk.\n\nProf Graham Roberts, from the University of Southampton, said decades of advice to avoid peanut had \"understandably led to parental fear\" of giving children peanut and shifting rules led to large amounts of confusion from both within medicine and from parents.\n\nHowever, he said this was a \"simple, low-cost, safe intervention\" that would \"deliver vast benefits for future generations\".\n\nOfficial advice is to start offering solid foods alongside milk at around six months old, and the government has launched a campaign on the correct time to wean due to parents starting earlier.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/health-64987074"}
{"title":"Australian shreds record for longest surf session - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-17","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"Blake Johnston rode more than 700 waves at a Sydney beach over a total of about 40 hours.","section":"Australia","content":"An Australian man has broken the world record for the longest surfing session - clocking more than 40 hours in the process.\n\nAt the end, Blake Johnston was carried on the shoulders of friends up Cronulla beach in south Sydney, describing himself as \"pretty cooked\".\n\nJohnston began surfing early on Thursday morning in aid of mental health awareness.\n\nHis effort has raised some A$335,000 (\u00a3185,000; $225,000) for charity.\n\nWith spotlights to illuminate a section of Cronulla's surf known as \"The Alley\", Johnston kept going overnight and had ridden over 700 waves by the end.\n\nThe previous record of 30 hours and 11 minutes was held by South African Josh Enslin.\n\nThe 40-year-old Johnston, a former pro surfer and distance runner, faced the risk of blindness, infected ears and dehydration, as well as sleep deprivation, hypothermia, shark attack and jellyfish stings.\n\nHe emerged briefly from the sea at lunchtime on Friday for a medical check-up, and to receive eye-drops.\n\nJohnston left the beach wearing a black cowboy hat while draped in a thermal blanket.\n\nThis Twitter post cannot be displayed in your browser. Please enable Javascript or try a different browser. View original tweet on Twitter The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Skip twitter post by James Wilson 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\u2019s cookie policy, external and privacy policy, external before accepting. To view this content choose \u2018accept and continue\u2019. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.\n\n\"I surfed at two in the morning with him, and the lights actually went out so it was pitch black,\" his brother Ben told the Australian Broadcasting Corporation.\n\n\"There were a whole bunch of jellyfish out there, so it was interesting to say the least.\"\n\nSpeaking ahead of his challenge, Johnston said: \"I thought, I could just do it. I can run for 40 hours,\"\n\n\"But, this way, I can surf with people, bring in the community and make a difference for the future.\"\n\nJohnston is fundraising for the Chumpy Pullin Foundation, set up in the memory of Australian Olympic snowboarder Alex 'Chumpy' Pullin who drowned off the Gold Coast while spearfishing in 2020.\n\nHe is also supporting mental health charities, partly in tribute to his father who took his own life a decade ago.\n\nThree of his friends have also died from mental health conditions, according to media reports.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/world-australia-64984949"}
{"title":"Miley Cyrus achieves UK chart double - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-17","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"She tops both the album and singles chart, while UK Eurovision entrant Mae Muller makes the top 40.","section":"Entertainment & Arts","content":"Endless Summer Vacation is the star's second number one album in the UK\n\nMiley Cyrus has achieved a relatively rare chart feat in the UK - topping both the singles and album chart in the same week.\n\nHer eighth studio album Endless Summer Vacation enters the chart in pole position, while her single Flowers spends a ninth week at number one.\n\nIt's the star's first number one album since 2013's Bangerz.\n\nThat record also scored the chart double, alongside the multi-platinum-selling single, Wrecking Ball.\n\nFlowers, which is said to be about the end of her marriage to actor Liam Hemsworth, is now tied with Olivia Rodrigo's Drivers License as the longest-running number one single by a female solo artist this decade.\n\nLast Friday's release of Endless Summer Vacation (which includes two versions of Flowers) ensured that the song reclaims its title as the most-streamed song of the last seven days, overtaking the viral smash Boy's A Liar Pt. 2 by PinkPantheress and Ice Spice.\n\nThis YouTube post cannot be displayed in your browser. Please enable Javascript or try a different browser. View original video on YouTube The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. YouTube content may contain adverts. Skip youtube video by MileyCyrusVEVO 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\u2019s cookie policy, external and privacy policy, external before accepting. To view this content choose \u2018accept and continue\u2019. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. YouTube content may contain adverts.\n\nReviews for the album have been broadly positive, praising Cyrus's vulnerability and songcraft, while lamenting that some of her rougher edges have been sanded off.\n\n\"The current of honesty that runs through Endless Summer Vacation encourages the listener to press play on the record again, and the stories here get even better on a second or third listen,\" wrote Consequence Of Sound. \"It's cohesive without feeling repetitive.\"\n\nThe album \"holds your full attention even if it isn't Cyrus's boldest or most visionary,\" said the NME, calling the songs a \"remarkably intriguing\" insight into her post-divorce state of mind.\n\nPitchfork noted that the record is divided into \"AM\" and \"PM\" sections, with the former, written alongside Harry Styles' collaborator Kid Harpoon, outshining the \"maddening\" and \"grating\" second half.\n\nTwo of the album's stand-out tracks, River and Jaded, also make this week's Top 40.\n\nElsewhere, Calvin Harris and Ellie Goulding claimed this week's highest new entry, with their trancey new collaboration Miracle.\n\nThis YouTube post cannot be displayed in your browser. Please enable Javascript or try a different browser. View original video on YouTube The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. YouTube content may contain adverts. Skip youtube video 2 by CalvinHarrisVEVO 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\u2019s cookie policy, external and privacy policy, external before accepting. To view this content choose \u2018accept and continue\u2019. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. YouTube content may contain adverts.\n\nThe song enters the chart at number three, marking becoming Calvin's 29th and Ellie's 12th top 10 hit. It's also their third as a duo, following 2012's I Need Your Love and 2014's Outside.\n\nMiracle is a strong contender for next week's number one... but it only gets one shot at the top. Ed Sheeran's comeback single, Eye's Closed, is out the following week.\n\nMeanwhile, UK Eurovision entrant Mae Muller gets her campaign off to a strong start, as her single I Wrote A Song enters the chart at number 30.\n\nThat's already an improvement on last year's contestant, Sam Ryder, who only cracked the top 40 after taking second place in Turin.\n\nIn fact, Muller is the first UK act to enter the chart in advance of Eurovision since Blue in 2011.\n\nI Wrote A Song is her first Top 40 single as a solo artist. She previously reached number 32 in 2021, as the vocalist on Better Days, a collaboration with producer Neiked and US rapper Polo G.\n\nThis YouTube post cannot be displayed in your browser. Please enable Javascript or try a different browser. View original video on YouTube The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. YouTube content may contain adverts. Skip youtube video 3 by MaeMullerVEVO 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\u2019s cookie policy, external and privacy policy, external before accepting. To view this content choose \u2018accept and continue\u2019. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. YouTube content may contain adverts.\n\nMuller was revealed as the UK's hopeful last week but, speaking to the BBC's Eurovisioncast podcast, she said she'd been sitting on the secret for a couple of months.\n\n\"It was hard because I'm a bit of a chatterbox and I'm quite open,\" she said.\n\n\"But I did tell my parents because I thought I can't give them that much of a shock.\"","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/entertainment-arts-64993564"}
{"title":"George Floyd killer Derek Chauvin convicted of tax fraud - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-17","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"The disgraced former policeman and his now-ex-wife lied about their taxable income between 2014 and 2019.","section":"US & Canada","content":"Former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin and his now-ex-wife underreported their taxable income from 2014 to 2019\n\nEx-Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin, who is serving a 22-year sentence for killing George Floyd, has pleaded guilty to tax fraud.\n\nHe admitted to two counts of aiding and abetting tax fraud, after he and his now ex-wife underreported their taxable income between 2014-19.\n\nChauvin was sentenced to 13 months in prison and ordered to pay restitution.\n\nThe May 2020 killing of Floyd, an unarmed black man, led to mass protests around the United States.\n\nChauvin and his ex-wife, Kellie May Chauvin, were charged with tax crimes shortly after Floyd's killing.\n\nShe pleaded guilty to the same charges last month, and is expected to be sentenced to community service at a hearing in May.\n\nThe disgraced ex-officer entered his plea on Friday in a virtual hearing from a federal prison in Tucson, Arizona.\n\nChauvin worked part-time security jobs that were separate from his work as a police officer, and failed to report to tax officials over $95,000 (\u00a378,000) in cash payments that he received for the work.\n\nKellie Chauvin, who filed for divorce after murder charges were announced, worked as a real estate agent and ran a photo business.\n\nThe charges cover a time period when they were married and filing taxes jointly.\n\nAccording to the Minneapolis Star Tribune newspaper, officials began to suspect tax fraud after interviews with Chauvin's father, an accountant who prepared his 2014-15 taxes.\n\nOne day after tax documents were taken from Chauvin's home by detectives, Kellie Chauvin called her husband in jail to say that investigators were looking into their tax returns.\n\nChauvin suggested they get help from the person \"who we have used to handle for many years\", the newspaper reports.\n\nShe responded: \"Yeah, well we don't want to get your dad involved because he will just be mad at me, I mean us for not doing them for years.\"\n\nThe probe uncovered that the Chauvins did not report their entire income in 2014 and 2015, and did not file tax returns at all in 2016, 2017, or 2018.\n\nThe couple ultimately failed to pay more than $20,000 and have been ordered to pay state tax officials nearly $38,000 in restitution.\n\nFriday's sentence will run concurrently with the murder conviction, as well as Chauvin's later 20-year sentence for violating Floyd's civil rights during the murder.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/world-us-canada-64996161"}
{"title":"PC's blows against Dalian Atkinson 'outrageous' - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-17","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"PC Mary Ellen Bettley-Smith hit the ex-footballer in two sets of three baton strikes, a hearing is told.","section":"Shropshire","content":"PC Bettley-Smith's lawyer said of the events: \"There's a huge difference between reading about it, and being there\"\n\nA PC's second set of blows to ex-footballer Dalian Atkinson on the night he was killed by her colleague was \"wholly unjustified\" and \"outrageous\", a disciplinary panel has heard.\n\nMary Ellen Bettley-Smith beat Mr Atkinson multiple times with her baton as he lay on the ground in 2016.\n\nA criminal retrial last year acquitted her of actual bodily harm.\n\nIn a separate police hearing, she denies excessive force amounting to gross misconduct.\n\nMr Atkinson died after being tasered and kicked in the head by PC Bettley-Smith's West Mercia Police colleague, and romantic partner, PC Benjamin Monk, who was jailed for Mr Atkinson's manslaughter in 2021.\n\nThe panel, sitting in Telford on Thursday, heard how the PCs had responded to a 999 call, arriving to find Mr Atkinson outside his father's Telford home, appearing \"in the grip of a psychotic episode\".\n\nThe hearing was told how PC Bettley-Smith, 33, had initially hit Mr Atkinson three times with her baton.\n\nWith Mr Atkinson tasered and kicked by Monk, she struck the former Aston Villa, Ipswich Town and Sheffield Wednesday striker a further three times, telling the panel she was \"looking over her right shoulder\" to see back-up arriving.\n\nOutlining the case against her, Dijen Basu KC said: \"The second set [of blows] were wholly unnecessary, wholly unreasonable, wholly unjustified and above all, to use normal language, it was outrageous to do that in the circumstances.\n\n\"The man had just been kicked in the head, having been tasered, and dropped to the floor, and with other officers arriving.\"\n\nPC Benjamin Monk was found guilty of the manslaughter of Dalian Atkinson but cleared of his murder\n\nPC Bettley-Smith told the panel during her evidence on Wednesday: \"I just remember what I perceived to be a really aggressive, hostile, growling [person] and just thought we had antagonised him even more by tasering him.\n\n\"I perceived him to be trying to propel himself to get up and proceeded to strike Mr Atkinson to the fleshy areas of his body to try and get him down and under control.\"\n\nBut the hearing previously heard that at least three different residents, watching from their windows, described how Mr Atkinson did not move once felled by the taser.\n\nA joint medical report summary recorded Mr Atkinson probably hit his head on the road as he was grounded by a 33-second-long taser burst, and this was \"likely to have caused concussion, exacerbated by any kick or kicks to the head\" which would possibly have \"deepened any loss of consciousness\".\n\nThe report concluded it was \"possible... he was too exhausted to move once the taser was turned off\".\n\nDalian Atkinson died after being tasered by PC Bettley-Smith's partner, Benjamin Monk\n\nIn his closing arguments, Patrick Gibbs, Bettley-Smith's barrister, said: \"To state the very obvious, this is a short incident, takes place in the dark, it was unexpected, violent.\n\n\"Although we examine it in calm and peaceful circumstances, unless you have ever been threatened with violence and had to face it, it may be it is hard to appreciate fully what it's like.\n\n\"There's a huge difference between reading about it, and being there.\"\n\nThe panel is set to deliver its finding on Friday, with PC Bettley-Smith facing the sack if the hearing finds against her.\n\nMr Atkinson started his football career at Ipswich Town, before moving to Sheffield Wednesday, Real Sociedad, Aston Villa and Fenerbah\u00e7e in the 1990s.\n\nFollow BBC West Midlands on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. Send your story ideas to: newsonline.westmidlands@bbc.co.uk","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/uk-england-shropshire-64980220"}
{"title":"Ukraine war: Putin should face trial this year, says top lawyer - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-17","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"Russia's leader is a \"guilty man\", says the barrister who led the case against Serbia's ex-leader Milosevic.","section":"Europe","content":"Russian President Vladimir Putin should go on trial in Ukraine this year for war crimes committed there, says the man who led the prosecution of former Serbian leader Slobodan Milosevic.\n\nSir Geoffrey Nice told the BBC Mr Putin was a \"guilty man\" for attacks on civilian targets during the war.\n\nThe British barrister expressed his surprise that prosecutors and politicians were not \"spelling this out much more freely and openly\".\n\nBut, speaking to Radio 4's Broadcasting House programme, Sir Geoffrey described Moscow's actions during the invasion as \"crimes against humanity\" - as civilian targets were being attacked.\n\nCrimes against humanity are considered to be among the most serious offences under the so-called \"rules\" of war.\n\nThese laws ban attacks on civilians - or infrastructure vital to their survival - and are set out in international treaties such as the Geneva Conventions.\n\nFor example, Russia's repeat attacks on the Ukrainian energy grid over the winter have been described as war crimes because of the harm done to civilians. Russia insists it is hitting military targets only.\n\nMoscow's troops have been accused by the international community of thousands of abuses since their full-scale invasion of the neighbouring country last February.\n\nThe prosecutor-general in Kyiv says more than 62,000 war crimes have so far been recorded, including the deaths of more than 450 children. The BBC has not been able to verify these figures.\n\nSir Geoffrey worked with International Criminal Tribunal for the Former Yugoslavia (ICTY) between 1998 and 2006.\n\nHe led the case against former Serbian leader Slobodan Milosevic, who went on trial in The Hague in 2002 for war crimes committed in Croatia, Bosnia and Kosovo.\n\nMr Milosevic - once known as the \"butcher of the Balkans\" - died in prison before the trial concluded.\n\nCommenting on the war in Ukraine, Sir Geoffrey said the case \"couldn't be clearer\" against Mr Putin, and there was \"no doubt\" of a chain of command leading to the man in the Kremlin.\n\nThis meant the \"most important thing\" was to try the Russian leader himself, rather than low-ranking soldiers, he told Broadcasting House.\n\nHe added that any trial \"could be tomorrow morning, as far as I'm concerned\" and should be held by Ukrainians in the Ukrainian language. Mr Putin himself would not need to be present, he said.\n\nSir Geoffrey speculated over a possible reason why the Russian leader had not faced tougher action so far - suggesting there could be a move to exempt him from prosecution as part of a peace deal.\n\nHe said the International Criminal Court (ICC) - which has jurisdiction over Ukraine - \"has still not made a pronouncement about Putin's responsibility for this crime\".\n\nSir Geoffrey said this \"reluctance\" raised the question of whether there was some sort of \"political advantage\" to not indicting the president.\n\nBut he said the idea of any peace settlement that prevented a trial of Mr Putin was an \"appalling prospect\" which would be \"a complete denial of justice to the people of Ukraine\".\n\nIn response, the ICC rejected any assertion of \"pressure or influence\" on the prosecutor, Karim Khan, to delay any investigations.\n\nMr Khan had \"gone on record repeatedly... to demonstrate that accountability is an imperative that must be achieved\", an ICC statement said.\n\nIt added that the prosecutor had been working on the ground in Ukraine to collect evidence of war crimes - and arrest warrants would be issued when enough proof had been gathered.\n\nSlobodan Milosevic - the \"butcher of the Balkans\" - died in 2006 before his trial concluded","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/world-europe-64138851"}
{"title":"Government signs \u00a32.9m Moon base nuclear power deal with Rolls-Royce - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-17","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"Research will look at how to provide energy allowing humans live and work on the Moon.","section":"Derby","content":"Rolls-Royce wants to send a nuclear reactor to the Moon by 2029\n\nRolls-Royce scientists and engineers are to research how nuclear power could be used to support a future Moon base.\n\nThe UK Space Agency has given the Derby-based firm \u00a32.9m to look at ways of powering future lunar settlements.\n\nThe company has been asked to demonstrate how nuclear micro-reactors could extend the duration of future missions to the Moon.\n\nThe government said the deal would boost the UK's space industry and create skilled jobs.\n\nThe UK Space Agency said it wanted to establish a new power source to support systems for communications, life-support and scientific experiments on the Moon.\n\nThe agency's chief executive Dr Paul Bate said: \"We are backing technology and capabilities to support ambitious space exploration missions and boost sector growth across the UK.\n\n\"Developing space nuclear power offers a unique chance to support innovative technologies and grow our nuclear, science and space engineering skills base.\n\n\"This innovative research by Rolls-Royce could lay the groundwork for powering continuous human presence on the Moon, while enhancing the wider UK space sector, creating jobs and generating further investment.\"\n\nA visualisation of one of the firm's proposed mini-reactors\n\nRolls-Royce said it wanted to have a reactor ready to send to the Moon by 2029.\n\nThe company will work with the University of Oxford, University of Bangor, University of Brighton, University of Sheffield's Advanced Manufacturing Research Centre (AMRC) and Nuclear AMRC on the project.\n\nThe Minister of State at the Department of Science, Innovation and Technology, George Freeman, said: \"Space exploration is the ultimate laboratory for so many of the transformational technologies we need on Earth, from materials to robotics, nutrition, cleantech and much more.\n\n\"As we prepare to see humans return to the Moon for the first time in more than 50 years, we are backing exciting research like this lunar modular reactor with Rolls-Royce to pioneer new power sources for a lunar base.\"\n\nDirector of future programmes for Rolls-Royce Abi Clayton said: \"The new tranche of funding from the UK Space Agency means so much for the Rolls-Royce Micro-Reactor Programme.\n\n\"It will bring us further down the road in making the micro-reactor a reality, with the technology bringing immense benefits for both space and Earth.\"\n\nFollow BBC East Midlands on Facebook, on Twitter, or on Instagram. Send your story ideas to eastmidsnews@bbc.co.uk.\n\nThe BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/uk-england-derbyshire-64982477"}
{"title":"Credit Suisse shares hit as investor fears reignite - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-17","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"Investors are selling shares despite an overnight rescue deal for America's First Republic.","section":"Business","content":"Share markets are continuing to buckle under concerns about a crisis in the banking sector, despite efforts by authorities to restore confidence.\n\nIndexes across Europe and the US fell on Friday as a sell-off in troubled Swiss lending giant Credit Suisse gathered pace.\n\nIn the US, shares in First Republic dropped 33%, a day after it received an injection of funds from the country's biggest banks.\n\nThe FTSE 100 ended down more than 1%.\n\nExchanges in France and Germany also closed lower, while the Dow Jones Industrial Average index fell 1.2%. The Nasdaq and the S&P 500 indexes were also down.\n\nCredit Suisse had rattled investors earlier this week when it admitted that it had found \"material weakness\" in its financial reporting, while its biggest shareholder - the Saudi National Bank - said it could not inject further funds into the Swiss lender.\n\nThe firm, which has been troubled for a long time and continues to be loss-making, received an emergency \u00a345bn lifeline from the Swiss National Bank, but fears about the bank's health remain.\n\nRoughly $466m has left Credit Suisse's European and US managed funds in recent days, according to data from financial services firm Morningstar.\n\nMorningstar analysts Niklas Kammer and Johann Scholtz said they believed the problems at Credit Suisse were \"idiosyncratic in nature and we believe containable for now even in a worst-case scenario\".\n\nHowever, they added that \"developments are currently happening at a rapid pace and views we form today may be stale tomorrow\".\n\nThe issues at Credit Suisse - which employs about 50,000 people worldwide, with around 5,000 in London - have coincided with the failure of two lenders in the US - Silicon Valley Bank (SVB) and Signature Bank - raising fears over the health of the banking system.\n\nUS regulators stepped in at the weekend to ensure that customers at SVB and Signature Bank had full access to their money - in an effort to head off further panic.\n\nBut concerns remain that other banks, including San Francisco-based First Republic, could be vulnerable to a rush of customers withdrawing their deposits.\n\nIt shares had sunk by nearly 70% over the last week.\n\nThe 11 US banks who announced support for First Republic on Thursday said the action reflected their \"confidence in the country's banking system\".\n\nUS financial officials said the move was \"most welcome, and demonstrates the resilience of the banking system\".\n\nCentral banks around the world have sharply raised borrowing costs over the past year to try to curb the pace of overall price rises, or inflation.\n\nThe moves have hurt the values of the large portfolios of bonds bought by banks when rates were lower, a change that contributed to the collapse of Silicon Valley Bank, and has raised questions about whether other firms are facing similar situation.\n\nOn Friday, SVB Financial Group - the parent group for Silicon Valley Bank - filed for bankruptcy protection to enable it to sell off its remaining assets.\n\nJeffrey Cleveland, chief economist at US asset manager Payden and Regal, said other banks could be caught up in the problem.\n\n\"There could be other vulnerabilities... if central banks are intent on continuing to raise interest rates,\" he told the BBC's Today programme.\n\n\"Historically when that happens we do see fragility, we do see problems in the financial system.\"\n\nBefore the turbulence in the banking sector erupted, both the US Federal Reserve and the Bank of England had been expected to raise interest rates further at meetings next week. However, due to recent events, some have speculated these rate rises might be scaled back or even scrapped.\n\nOn Thursday, the ECB announced a further increase to interest rates from 2.5% to 3%.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/business-64986520"}
{"title":"Chris Kaba family concerned about watchdog resignations - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-17","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"Chris Kaba was shot dead by a Met Police officer and the police watchdog is investigating.","section":"London","content":"Chris Kaba, who was due to become a father, was shot through a car windscreen by a Met Police officer\n\nThe family of an unarmed black man who was killed by police have voiced concerns over the resignations of two watchdog staff members overseeing an investigation into what happened.\n\nChris Kaba, 24, was shot by a Met Police officer in Streatham Hill.\n\nThe Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) is investigating the shooting as a potential homicide and considering whether race was a factor.\n\nAn IOPC spokesman said: \"We can confirm our investigation has concluded.\"\n\nHe added: \"We are now deciding whether to refer the matter to the Crown Prosecution Service for a charging decision.\n\n\"We will also make our decision on whether the officer involved should face disciplinary action. We will confirm our decisions once all the parties involved have been informed.\"\n\nMr Kaba's family has accused the Met of racism and said it took too long for the force to suspend the police marksman. They have called for criminal charges to be brought.\n\nAn inquest has been opened and adjourned into the construction worker's death.\n\nThe family released a statement reading: \"We have concerns that two of the senior people at the IOPC who have been overseeing the homicide investigation in this case \u2014 Michael Lockwood and Sal Naseem \u2014 have resigned during the investigation.\"\n\nThe family said they found it \"unsettling\" and they were \"concerned\" about any potential impact on the inquiry and its timeframe.\n\n\"We have already waited too long to know if the IOPC is seeking advice on criminal charges from the CPS,\" they said.\n\nMr Lockwood resigned in December after becoming the subject of a police investigation, Home Secretary Suella Braverman previously revealed.\n\nThe reason for Mr Naseem's resignation has not been disclosed.\n\nThe IOPC said that the recent departure of Mr Naseem \"will have no impact on the progress of this investigation\".\n\nIt said a \"decision-maker\" role had been reallocated to the director of operations, Amanda Rowe.\n\nThe inquiry was due to last between six and nine months.\n\nMr Kaba's family speaking outside his inquest hearing in October\n\nAt the opening of Mr Kaba's inquest, Inner South London Coroner's Court heard he had been driving an Audi that had been linked by police to a firearms incident the previous day, although his name was not included in a briefing given to officers.\n\nAt 21:52 BST on 5 September, about 15 minutes before the shooting, a pursuit began by officers in an unmarked police car with no lights or sirens.\n\nAfter driving the Audi down Kirkstall Gardens, Mr Kaba was blocked by a marked police car and there was contact between the Audi and police vehicles, the hearing was told.\n\nAn officer standing to the front of the Audi then fired a single shot through the windscreen, which hit Mr Kaba in the head.\n\nHe was taken to hospital but died soon after midnight.\n\nThe IOPC previously said it was waiting on an external report it required in order to conclude its investigation and finalise its report.\n\nIt could then decide whether to refer a file of evidence to the Crown Prosecution Service for a charging decision.\n\nFollow BBC London on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. Send your story ideas to hellobbclondon@bbc.co.uk","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/uk-england-london-64982978"}
{"title":"Aldi raises pay as supermarkets battle for staff - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-17","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"The supermarket group has raised its national hourly wage to \u00a311.40 and \u00a312.85 for Greater London.","section":"Business","content":"Aldi has given its store employees the third pay rise in 12 months, joining other companies who have boosted wages because of a labour shortage.\n\nThe supermarket group will lift starting pay to \u00a311.40 an hour nationally and to \u00a312.85 in Greater London.\n\nDepending on length of service, some staff could secure rates of up to \u00a313.15 an hour. Retailers including Tesco have made similar moves recently as firms try to retain staff struggling with high living costs.\n\nEarlier this month, Pret a Manger gave staff their third pay rise in a year.\n\nThe pay rise comes after recent data revealed there are more than one million job vacancies in the UK. This is below the peak of 1.2 million but still far higher than the number recorded before the start of the pandemic.\n\nA spokesman for Aldi said the latest pay increase was in recognition of cost of living pressures as well as labour shortages.\n\nIt said the new starting rates, which were increasing by 40p, were higher than the Real Living Wage of \u00a310.90 per hour nationally and \u00a311.95 in Greater London.\n\nThe German discounter said 28,000 store employees will benefit from the pay rise while its 7,000 warehouse workers received pay increases earlier this year.\n\nThe supermarket is set to create more than 6,000 new jobs this year as it expands its network of stores.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/business-64987428"}
{"title":"TikTok: MSPs urged to remove Chinese-owned app from phones - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-17","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"Holyrood officials say the recommendation is \"proportionate and necessary\" on security grounds.","section":"Scotland politics","content":"MSPs and staff working at the Scottish parliament have been \"strongly advised\" to remove Chinese-owned social media app TikTok from their phones.\n\nIt follows a similar decision taken by the UK government earlier on Friday, banning ministers from using the app.\n\nHolyrood officials said it was a precautionary approach after talks with the national cyber security centre.\n\nIn a statement they said the recommendation was \"proportionate and necessary\" on security grounds.\n\nBut they added that the advice would be \"kept under review\".\n\nThe UK government fears sensitive data held on official phones could be accessed by the Chinese government.\n\nBut TikTok has strongly denied allegations that it hands over users' data to Beijing.\n\nTheo Bertram, the app's vice-president of government relations and public policy in Europe, told the BBC it believed fears were based \"more on geopolitics than anything else\".\n\n\"We asked to be judged not on the fears that people have, but on the facts,\" he added.\n\nRoss Greer of the Scottish Greens is one MSP who uses the social media platform\n\nAll MSPs, their staff, parliament staff and contractors' staff have been advised to remove the app from any device currently used to access Holyrood's IT systems.\n\nThis includes personal devices and devices issued by the parliament.\n\n\"We are giving this advice based on a precautionary approach and the best information available to us at this moment given the concerns around the information the Tik Tok application can collect from devices,\" said a statement from the parliament's security team.\n\n\"We consider this advice to be proportionate and necessary given the situation as we currently understand it.\n\n\"We will continue to liaise with cyber security partners including the National Cyber Security Centre and this advice will be kept under review.\"\n\nThe Welsh government has also banned TikTok from the work phones of ministers and civil servants.\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser.\n\nThe United States barred TikTok from official devices in December, and the European Commission followed suit last month.\n\nThe US government has also threatened to ban the app in the country amid reports it has requested a change in ownership.\n\nBut the company said a forced sale would not change its data flows or access.\n\nUse of TikTok has exploded in recent years, with 3.5 billion downloads worldwide.\n\nIts algorithm serves up videos which appeal to individual users.\n\nThe app gathers a lot of information on users - including their age, location, device and even their typing rhythms - while its cookies track their activity elsewhere on the internet.\n\nTikTok's Chinese parent company ByteDance has faced claims of being influenced by Beijing.\n\nA handful of Western journalists were found to have been tracked by ByteDance employees. ByteDance says they were sacked.\n\nThe Chinese state demands loyalty from all businesses based in the country, with intelligence laws requiring firms to help the Communist Party when requested.\n\nTikTok insists it does not share data with Chinese officials.\n\nChina has accused the US of spreading disinformation and suppressing TikTok.\n\nWestern social media apps such as Facebook, Instagram and Twitter are blocked in China.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/uk-scotland-scotland-politics-64996003"}
{"title":"Passport delays: Watchdog warns against repeat of 2022's problems - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-17","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"Passport services dealt with an \"unprecedented demand\" as coronavirus travel rules were lifted.","section":"UK Politics","content":"Hundreds of thousands of people were affected by passport processing delays and many experienced travel disruptions this year, a watchdog has found.\n\nAs coronavirus pandemic travel restrictions were lifted, the Passport Office struggled to keep up with an \"unprecedented demand\", said the National Audit Office (NAO).\n\nSome 360,000 customers waited more than 10 weeks to receive their passports in the first nine months of 2022.\n\nWhitehall's spending watchdog has urged the Home Office agency to prepare, with up to 10 million applications potentially submitted next year.\n\nDespite preparations, the NAO said there were problems with recruitment, system limitations and unsuccessful efforts to deal with the levels of demand this year.\n\nThis contributed to \"longer than expected waits\", according to findings published on Friday.\n\nIn July, mounting delays forced would-be holidaymakers to queue for hours in London during a heatwave.\n\nQueues outside the Passport Office in London last July\n\nGareth Davies, the head of NAO, said the Passport Office processed a \"record number of applications\" but dealing with a higher-than-average demand led to \"delays for hundreds of thousands of people\".\n\nThis created \"anxiety\" for people with travel plans and hampered people using passports as forms of identity, he said.\n\n\"HMPO [His Majesty's Passport Office] must now learn the lessons from this year and prepare for similar levels of demand that are expected in 2023.\"\n\nThis year, between January and September, more than seven million people applied and 6.9m passports were processed by the Passport Office. This was a 21% increase compared to the same period in 2019.\n\nIn May, more than 1.2m applications were received - with the busiest week seeing 340,000 requests submitted.\n\nHowever, the NAO acknowledged that in the first nine months of 2022, 95% of customers received their passports within 10 weeks.\n\nThe report said about three million passport applications are still anticipated from people who did not renew or apply during the pandemic - meaning a further 9.8m applications could be made in 2023.\n\nDuring the coronavirus pandemic, significantly fewer people renewed or applied for passports, leading officials to plan for an \"expected surge\" in applications when travel rules were lifted this year.\n\nHMPO prepared for 9.5m applications - 36% more than an average year. This was based on the number of applications missing from the previous two years.\n\nThe Home Office said the impact to passport services is \"not unique to the UK\" and said it has worked to rectify this.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/uk-politics-63912743"}
{"title":"Ban on imports of animal hunting trophies set to become law - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-17","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"Plans to stop hunters bringing body parts of endangered species to Great Britain are approved by MPs.","section":"UK Politics","content":"Lions are among the species which would be covered by the ban\n\nPlans to ban imports of animal hunting trophies to Great Britain are set to become law.\n\nThe government has backed legislation which would stop hunters bringing back body parts of thousands of species, including lions, rhinos, elephants and polar bears, killed abroad.\n\nTory MP Henry Smith, who proposed the bill, said it would help conserve the world's most endangered species.\n\nIt was approved by MPs and will now face further scrutiny in the Lords.\n\nAs it has the support of the government, the Hunting Trophies (Import Prohibition) Bill is likely to become law.\n\nEvery year, hunters from the UK travel abroad, often to southern Africa, and pay thousands of pounds to legally shoot animals, such as lions and elephants.\n\nUnder current rules, with the right paperwork, they can then bring trophies, such as stuffed heads or horns, back to the UK.\n\nCampaigners backing the bill had feared it could be blocked after more than 30 amendments were tabled by two Conservative MPs, Sir Christopher Chope and Sir Bill Wiggin.\n\nHowever, after the government accepted two of their proposals - to establish an advisory board on hunting trophies and to limit the power of the secretary of state to add new species to the list the ban would apply to - the pair dropped their other demands for further changes to the bill.\n\nCritics of the plans have argued that profits from hunting are used to pay for conservation projects in African countries and can ultimately help to protect endangered species.\n\nSir Bill, the Tory MP for North Herefordshire, told the Commons there were concerns that removing the revenue supplied by trophy hunters could \"open the floodgate to poachers, who will cause far more cruelty and pain to the animals and will pose a far greater threat to endangered species\".\n\nHowever, animal welfare charities have rejected this, arguing that hardly any of the revenues from trophy hunting ever reach local communities.\n\nEnvironment Minister Trudy Harrison told MPs: \"I do recognise that some of the income from trophy hunting has contributed towards the protection of habitat and the prevention of poaching.\n\n\"But to bring [back] the body parts of endangered species\u2026 is not the way forward.\"\n\nSinger Ed Sheeran is among the celebrities who have backed the bill\n\nSir Bill also suggested the legislation was a \"a neo-colonial attempt to control conservation management programmes of African democratic countries\".\n\nThis was denied by Mr Smith, who insisted: \"This is about the values that we in Britain have, that we do not want to be part of a trade in endangered species' body parts.\n\n\"We are not telling other countries how to run their trade, or their conservation or hunting policies.\"\n\nSome MPs, including the Democratic Unionist Party's Sammy Wilson, also raised concerns Northern Ireland could become a \"back door\" for hunting imports as the law would not apply there.\n\nMs Harrison said the government would do \"everything we possibly can\" to ensure Northern Ireland was not a \"stepping stone for imports to Great Britain\".\n\nExplorer Sir Ranulph Fiennes, singer Ed Sheeran and actress Dame Judi Dench are among the celebrities who have backed the proposed legislation.\n\nAnimal charities welcomed the progress of the bill, with Born Free saying it sent \"a clear signal that, with wildlife in crisis, allowing rich people to kill wild animals for kicks has no place in the modern world\".\n\nHumane Society International said it was \"relieved\" only two amendments to the bill were accepted, although the charity added that it was disappointed one removed the power of the environment secretary to add other species in need of protection to the legislation.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/uk-politics-64988108"}
{"title":"YouTube reinstates Donald Trump's channel - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-17","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"It is the latest social media channel to restore his account following Twitter, Facebook and Instagram.","section":"Technology","content":"YouTube has reinstated Donald Trump's account following a two-year suspension from the video-sharing platform.\n\nThe move follows similar decisions taken by Meta, which owns Facebook and Instagram, and Elon Musk-owned Twitter.\n\nThe former US president was banned from posting YouTube videos in January 2021, with YouTube saying at the time that his channel had broken its rules over the incitement of violence.\n\nBut his account is now back online, according to YouTube's press account.\n\n\"Starting today, the Donald J. Trump channel is no longer restricted and can upload new content,\" Google-owned YouTube wrote on Twitter.\n\n\"We carefully evaluated the continued risk of real-world violence, while balancing the chance for voters to hear equally from major national candidates in the run-up to an election.\n\n\"This channel will continue to be subject to our policies, just like any other channel on YouTube.\"\n\nYouTube previously banned Mr Trump from posting videos on its platform days after his supporters stormed the US Capitol in Washington DC, on 6 January 2021.\n\nHundreds of rioters entered the complex as the US Congress attempted to certify Joe Biden's victory in the presidential election.\n\nAfter the riots, Mr Trump's Facebook, Instagram and Twitter accounts were also suspended.\n\nSeveral months later, he launched his own social media platform, Truth Social.\n\nBut in 2022, Mr Trump announced he would run for the US presidency in 2024, and since then his accounts on all of these platforms have returned.\n\nHe has more than 2.6 million subscribers on YouTube, to go along with his 87 million followers on Twitter, 34 million on Facebook and 23 million on Instagram.\n\nBut despite his following, there is no guarantee that Mr Trump will return to posting videos on YouTube.\n\nOn Friday, however, he posted on Facebook for the first time in more than two years, with a short video clip of his 2016 victory speech and a message simply saying: \"I'M BACK!\"","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/technology-64993603"}
{"title":"PC's baton blows on Dalian Atkinson were 'excessive force' - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-17","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"Eyewitnesses tell Mary Ellen Bettley-Smith's disciplinary hearing about the day the ex-footballer died.","section":"Shropshire","content":"PC Mary Ellen Bettley-Smith is accused of gross misconduct over her baton use against ex-footballer Dalian Atkinson on the day he died\n\nA PC who repeatedly struck an ex-footballer with a baton on the night he was killed by her colleague used \"excessive and unnecessary\" force, a disciplinary panel has heard.\n\nMary Ellen Bettley-Smith denies gross misconduct over the manner in which she detained Dalian Atkinson in 2016.\n\nThe hearing was convened following her acquitted of a related charge at trial.\n\nOn day two of the separate disciplinary process, an eyewitness said the PC \"seemed reluctant\" in her actions.\n\nBut others said they could not understand why PC Bettley-Smith, of the West Mercia force, had brought down blows upon an already fallen Mr Atkinson, and suggested the actions were \"violent and aggressive\".\n\nThe officer was last year acquitted of actual bodily harm at retrial, during which it emerged she had struck Mr Atkinson - an Aston Villa striker in the early 1990s - three times by baton while he lay on the ground, having been tasered.\n\nMr Atkinson was said, following health issues, to have been in distress outside his father's house in Telford in August 2016 when police attended the scene.\n\nThere he was kicked to the head and tasered by PC Bettley-Smith's colleague and partner Benjamin Monk.\n\nMr Atkinson died about an hour later, with Monk jailed in 2021 for manslaughter.\n\nThe disciplinary panel heard from an eyewitness that Monk was \"stomping on Dalian's head\".\n\nNeighbour Jean Jeffrey-Shaw explained: \"The female officer then took out her baton and began striking the fleshy part of his body, his thigh and buttock.\n\n\"I could not understand why because Dalian did not move after he went to the ground.\"\n\nMrs Jeffrey-Shaw added the female PC appeared to be \"panicky and frightened, while the male officer looked calm, like he'd done this kind of thing before\".\n\nShe also described how later Ms Bettley-Smith had tried to put handcuffs on Mr Atkinson, but his \"hands were limp, floppy and lifeless\".\n\nDalian Atkinson died after being tasered by PC Bettley-Smith's partner, Benjamin Monk\n\nAnother neighbour, Julia Shilton, told the hearing she had seen the officer \"whacking the top of Dalian's legs\".\n\nShe described the strikes as \"like a jerking motion - she seemed reluctant to do it\".\n\nBut a third eyewitness, Janet Lewis, said she saw PC Bettley-Smith strike Mr Atkinson \"with substantial force\".\n\n\"She appeared to be angry and this was clear from the strikes,\" she told the hearing.\n\n\"Even with my window closed I could hear the impact of the strikes on the clothing of Dalian's body.\n\n\"The officers still went on to strike him multiple times in a violent and aggressive manner, which made me feel sick.\n\n\"It was in my opinion excessive and unnecessary.\"\n\nShe added: \"He was not resisting the officers and did not appear to have done so physically at any point.\"\n\nPC Bettley-Smith could face immediate dismissal from the police if the panel rules against her in the hearing, brought at the recommendation of the Independent Office for Police Conduct.\n\nMr Atkinson started his career at Ipswich Town, before moving to Sheffield Wednesday, Real Sociedad, Aston Villa and Fenerbah\u00e7e in the 1990s.\n\nFollow BBC West Midlands on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. Send your story ideas to: newsonline.westmidlands@bbc.co.uk","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/uk-england-shropshire-64949729"}
{"title":"Deportation of Ukrainian children to Russia is war crime - UN - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-17","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"A report by the UN says over 16,000 children have been transferred to areas under Russian control.","section":"Europe","content":"Over 16,000 children are thought to have been transferred to Russia or Russia-controlled areas.\n\nRussia's forced deportation of Ukrainian children to areas under its control amounts to a war crime, UN investigators have said.\n\nThe UN Commission of Inquiry on Ukraine said there was evidence of the illegal transfer of hundreds of Ukrainian children to Russia.\n\nThe Commission's report is categorical that Russia also committed other war crimes in Ukraine.\n\nThey include attacks on hospitals, torture, rape and wilful killings.\n\nUkraine government figures put the number of children forcibly taken to Russia at 16,221.\n\nRussia has introduced policies such as the granting of Russian citizenship and the placement of children in foster families to \"create a framework in which some of the children may end up remaining permanently\" in Russia, the report notes.\n\nWhile the transfers were supposed to be temporary \"most became prolonged\", with both parents and children facing \"an array of obstacles in establishing contact\", UN investigators wrote.\n\nIn some cases, parents or children told the Commission that once in Russia-controlled areas, transferred children were made to wear \"dirty clothes, were screamed at, and called names.\" They also said that \"some children with disabilities did not receive adequate care and medication.\"\n\nThe burden of contacting their parents fell primarily to the transferred children as the adults faced \"considerable logistical, financial, and security challenges\" in finding or retrieving their children, the report says.\n\nIt also quotes witnesses as saying that the smaller children transferred may have not been able to establish contact with their families and might, as a consequence, \"lose contact with them indefinitely\".\n\nThe forced deportations of Ukrainian children \"violate international humanitarian law, and amount to a war crime\", concludes the report.\n\nThe UN said that in addition to the rapes, killings and \"widespread\" torture, Moscow could be responsible for the even more serious \"crimes against humanity\" - notably the wave of Russian attacks on Ukraine's energy infrastructure that began last October.\n\nThe commission is also trying to determine whether the bombing and siege of the city of Mariupol last May might constitute a crime against humanity.\n\nThe investigators said they had also documented \"a small number\" of violations committed by Ukrainian armed forces.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/world-europe-64985009"}
{"title":"France pension protests: Clashes after Macron orders rise in pension age without vote - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-17","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"France's president has sidelined MPs and forced through plans to raise the pension age from 62 to 64.","section":"Europe","content":"This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Watch: Uproar on the streets of Paris and jeers in parliament over retirement age increase\n\nPolice in Paris have clashed with protesters after the French government decided to force through pension reforms without a vote in parliament.\n\nCrowds converged on Place de la Concorde in response to raising the retirement age from 62 to 64.\n\nThe plans had sparked two months of heated political debate and strikes.\n\nFinally, Prime Minister \u00c9lisabeth Borne invoked article 49:3 of the constitution - allowing the government to avoid a vote in the Assembly.\n\nThe decision was taken minutes before MPs were scheduled to vote on the controversial bill, because there was no guarantee of winning a majority.\n\nThe move caused fury among opposition politicians. Many jeered the prime minister, sang La Marseillaise and held up signs of protest in parliament.\n\nA no-confidence motion was filed against President Emmanuel Macron's government on Friday by a group of opposition parties.\n\nLeader of left-wing party La France Insoumise (LFI), Mathilde Panot, tweeted that Mr Macron had plunged the country into a government crisis, without parliamentary or popular legitimacy.\n\nThousands of people came out on the streets of Paris and other French cities to reject the move, singing the national anthem and waving trade union flags.\n\nSome protesters clashed with police as evening fell. A fire was lit in the middle of the Place de la Concorde and police with shields and batons fired tear gas and moved to clear the square.\n\nBy nightfall, 120 people had been arrested, Paris police told AFP news agency.\n\nBut unions vowed to maintain their opposition to the pension changes, with the Conf\u00e9d\u00e9ration G\u00e9n\u00e9rale du Travail (CGT) saying another day of strikes and demonstrations was being planned for Thursday 23 March.\n\nThe constitutional procedure that has prompted all this anger may sound obscure, but it is very much part of the political vocabulary in France.\n\nEven though Mr Macron was re-elected last year on a platform of retirement reforms, his ruling coalition has no majority in the Assembly and would have needed support from the Republicans party to pass the pension changes.\n\nOfficials from Mr Macron's Renaissance party spent the morning desperately whipping members into line in a bid to pass their bill.\n\nThey knew some of their MPs could vote against or abstain, faced with the evident unpopularity of the bill, so they resorted to special constitutional powers.\n\nBut whenever a government invokes the 49:3, it can be sure it will be accused straight away of riding roughshod over the will of the people.\n\nIn fact, it has been used precisely 100 times in the more than 60 years of the Fifth Republic, and by governments of all shades.\n\nObviously, it tends to be used more frequently by governments that do not have an in-built majority in parliament, such as the socialist Michel Rocard's in the 1980s and \u00c9lisabeth Borne's today.\n\nShe has in fact already used it several times, but those occasions were for public finance bills which were less controversial.\n\nUse of the procedure is a way to bypass a vote which might be lost, but the down side for the government is that the opposition parties can immediately table a vote of no-confidence.\n\nIf these are voted through, the government falls. That is a theoretical possibility now, but unlikely, because it would mean the far-right, the left and much of the conservative opposition all coming together.\n\nThe dispute once again makes France look unreformable. By comparison with other countries in Europe, the change to the pension age is far from dramatic.\n\nBut the bill is regularly described by opponents as \"brutal\", \"inhuman\" and \"degrading\".\n\nMorale in France is low and getting lower, and people see retirement as a bright spot in the future. But many feel that this is a rich man's government taking even that away.\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/world-europe-64984374"}
{"title":"Putin arrest warrant issued over war crime allegations - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-17","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"The Russian president is wanted by the ICC for alleged war crimes during his Ukraine invasion.","section":"Europe","content":"Vladimir Putin and Maria Lvova-Belova, Russia's commissioner for children's rights, during a meeting last month\n\nThe International Criminal Court (ICC) has issued an arrest warrant for Russian President Vladimir Putin.\n\nThe court alleges he is responsible for war crimes, and has focused its claims on the unlawful deportation of children from Ukraine to Russia.\n\nIt says the crimes were committed in Ukraine from 24 February 2022 - when Russia launched its full-scale invasion.\n\nMoscow has denied the allegations and labelled the warrants as \"outrageous\".\n\nIt is highly unlikely that much will come of the move - the ICC has no powers to arrest suspects, and can only exercise jurisdiction within its member countries - and Russia is not one of them.\n\nHowever it could affect the president in other ways, such as being unable to travel internationally.\n\nIn a statement, the ICC said it had reasonable grounds to believe Mr Putin committed the criminal acts directly, as well as working with others. It also accused him of failing to use his presidential powers to stop children being deported.\n\nWhen asked about the ICC's move, US President Joe Biden said \"well, I think it's justified\". He noted that the US is not signed up to the ICC, \"but I think it makes a very strong point\". Mr Putin \"clearly committed war crimes\", he said.\n\nRussia's commissioner for children's rights, Maria Lvova-Belova, is also wanted by the ICC for the same crimes.\n\nIn the past, she has spoken openly of efforts to indoctrinate Ukrainian children taken to Russia.\n\nLast September, Ms Lvova-Belova complained that some children removed from the city of Mariupol \"spoke badly about the [Russian President], said awful things and sang the Ukrainian anthem.\"\n\nShe has also claimed to have adopted a 15-year-old boy from Mariupol.\n\nThe ICC said it initially considered keeping the arrest warrants a secret, but decided to make them public in the event that it stopped further crimes from being committed.\n\nICC prosecutor Karim Khan told the BBC: \"children can't be treated as the spoils of war, they can't be deported\".\n\n\"This type of crime doesn't need one to be a lawyer, one needs to be human being to know how egregious it is,\" he said.\n\nReactions to the warrants came within minutes of the announcement, with Kremlin officials instantly dismissing them.\n\nSpokesperson Dmitry Peskov said any of the court's decisions were \"null and void\" and former Russian President Dmitry Medvedev compared the warrant to toilet paper.\n\n\"No need to explain WHERE this paper should be used,\" he wrote on Twitter, with a toilet paper emoji.\n\nHowever Russian opposition leaders welcomed the announcement. Ivan Zhdanov, a close ally of jailed opposition leader Alexei Navalny, tweeted that it was \"a symbolic step\" but an important one.\n\nUkrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said he was grateful to Mr Khan and the criminal court for their decision to press charges against \"state evil\".\n\nUkraine's Prosecutor General Andriy Kostin said the decision was \"historic for Ukraine\", while the country's presidential chief of staff, Andriy Yermak, lauded the decision as \"only the beginning\".\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. WATCH: Can Vladimir Putin actually be arrested?\n\nBut because Russia is not a signed member of the ICC, there is very little chance that Vladimir Putin or Maria Lvova-Belova will appear in the dock at The Hague.\n\nThe ICC relies on the cooperation of governments to arrest people, and Russia is \"obviously not going to cooperate in this respect\", Jonathan Leader Maynard, a lecturer in international politics at King's College London, told the BBC.\n\nHowever Mr Khan pointed out that no-one thought Slobodan Milosevic, the Serbian leader who went on trial for war crimes in Croatia, Bosnia and Kosovo, would end up in The Hague.\n\n\"Those that feel that you can commit a crime in the daytime, and sleep well at night, should perhaps look at history,\" he said.\n\nLegally, however, this does present Mr Putin with a problem.\n\nWhile he is the head of a G20 state, and about to shake hands with China's Xi Jinping in an historic meeting, Mr Putin is now also a wanted man, and this will inevitably place restrictions on which countries he can visit.\n\nThere is also a level of embarrassment for the Kremlin, which has always denied allegations of Russian war crimes, that such an influential, pan-national body as the ICC simply does not believe its denials.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/world-europe-64992727"}
{"title":"Driving licence delays caused 'lost jobs and money' - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-17","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"People with medical conditions waited months for driving licences during the pandemic, MPs say.","section":"Business","content":"Three million people who applied for a driving licence during the worst of the pandemic experienced major delays, a report has found.\n\nSome applicants lost jobs or income, and suffered social isolation and mental health problems, parliament's Public Accounts Committee said.\n\nThe delays affected people who applied by post or had medical conditions.\n\nThe Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) said it had prioritised its online services during the pandemic.\n\nThat was because most applications were made online, it told the committee.\n\nIt had also focused on services where it believed processing delays would cause greater problems, it told MPs.\n\nComplaints to the DVLA rose sharply in the two years after April 2020, the Public Accounts Committee report said.\n\nAround 17 million applications submitted online, that did not involve notifiable medical conditions, were processed within three days, the report said.\n\nBut three million applications on paper, or which required a decision from the DVLA over fitness to drive, had long delays.\n\nThe committee heard from applicants who became isolated and depressed, and people who had lost income as a result, sometimes lasting months.\n\nThe committee said it was aware of a bus driver who was threatened with losing his job, and a shift worker in a rural community who could not work.\n\nOthers had difficulty arranging motor insurance, driving abroad or hiring vehicles, it said.\n\nThe committee said despite changes to the law allowing licence renewals to be postponed, and the DVLA taking on additional staff, the problems at the DVLA had persisted for two years.\n\nCustomers' poor experiences were exacerbated by \"huge difficulty\" contacting the DVLA during the pandemic, it said.\n\nIt found between April 2020 and March 2022 around 60 million calls went unanswered, 94% of the total the DVLA received.\n\nThe committee was also critical of the Department for Transport (DfT) saying it had taken a \"hands-off\" approach to problems at the DVLA, and failed to ensure the organisation was adopting modern working practices. Committee chair Dame Meg Hillier MP described the DVLA's operations as \"antiquated\".\n\n\"The pandemic inevitably made operations more difficult, but the DVLA and DfT were not prepared for the challenge of keeping essential driving licence services running and especially not for those who needed it most,\" she said. In a raft of recommendations the committee said the DVLA needed better systems to identify and fast-track driving licence applications where the customer would be badly affected by a delay.\n\nThe DVLA said it had recently modernised its telephony systems, so it should be able to cope better with any future surges in demand.\n\n\"We are back to normal processing times across our services,\" it said. \"All standard paper applications were back to normal turnaround times by May 2022.\"\n\nIt added that \"online services worked well throughout the pandemic and for the vast majority of our customers, their dealings with DVLA would have been trouble free\".\n\nDuring the pandemic the DVLA issued more than 24 million driving licences, \"the vast majority of which were issued within 3 working days\", it added.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/business-64977864"}
{"title":"SNP media chief Murray Foote resigns over membership dispute - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-17","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"Murray Foote denied SNP membership had dropped, before the party confirmed a decline of 32,000.","section":"Scotland","content":"Murray Foote said he had issued agreed party responses to the media\n\nAn SNP media chief has resigned in a row over the party's membership numbers - after it denied the figure had dropped by 30,000.\n\nMurray Foote had described press reports about the numbers last month as \"inaccurate\" and \"drivel\".\n\nThe SNP confirmed yesterday that membership had fallen to 72,186 from the 104,000 it had two years ago.\n\nMr Foote said he issued agreed party responses to the media which \"created a serious impediment\" to his role.\n\nSNP leadership candidates Ash Regan and Kate Forbes this week demanded to know how many members were eligible to vote in a row over the integrity of the contest.\n\nThey issued a joint letter to Peter Murrell - the SNP's chief executive and husband of Nicola Sturgeon.\n\nThe party initially refused to reveal the numbers, then confirmed there was a drop of 32,000 since December 2021.\n\nLast month the Sunday Mail - where Mr Foote was formerly editor in chief - reported the SNP had lost 30,000 members, which the party said was \"not just wrong, it's wrong by about 30,000\".\n\nMr Foote tweeted: \"Acting in good faith and as a courtesy to colleagues at party HQ, I issued agreed party responses to media inquiries regarding membership.\n\n\"It has subsequently become apparent there are serious issues with these responses.\n\n\"Consequently, I concluded this created a serous impediment to my role and I resigned my position with the SNP group at Holyrood.\"\n\nThe SNP said Mr Foote had been an outstanding head of press for the Holyrood group, adding: \"He has acted entirely in good faith throughout.\"\n\nIn a statement it said: \"The party was asked a specific question about loss of members as a direct result of the GRR [gender recognition reform] Bill and Indyref2. The answer given was intended to make clear that these two reasons had not been the cause of significant numbers of members leaving.\n\n\"The membership figure is normally produced annually and is not produced in response to individual media queries, including in this instance.\n\n\"In retrospect, however, we should not have relied on an understanding of people's reasons for leaving as the basis of the information given to Murray and, thereafter, the media.\n\n\"A new, modernised membership system is currently being developed for the party.\"\n\nMr Foote became editor of the Daily Record and Sunday Mail newspapers in 2014.\n\nHe was responsible for \"The Vow\" front page which was seen as being highly influential in the outcome of the 2014 Scottish independence referendum.\n\nIt was written by the Better Together campaign in which they promised more powers for Holyrood.\n\nIn an article written for the first anniversary of the vote, Mr Foote wrote that he and colleagues did not believe Alex Salmond was \"offering true independence\" at the time.\n\nHe was appointed the SNP's media chief in 2019.\n\nScottish Conservative MSP Russell Findlay, a former journalist, defended Mr Foote - saying he had been given false information.\n\n\"He didn't lie. The SNP lied,\" Mr Findlay said. \"The problem is not a press officer. The problem is the rotten SNP leadership who deliberately lied to the press and public.\n\n\"We wish our best to Mr Foote, who was clearly told false information and is the fall guy for the SNP hierarchy.\"\n\nAlex Salmond, former first minister and leader of the Alba party, also accused the SNP of \"blatant lies\".\n\nSpeaking to BBC Scotland's Drivetime programme - prior to Mr Foote stepping down - Mr Salmond said the SNP's loss of members was \"catastrophic\", but \"more important is the reduction in credibility\".\n\nNicola Sturgeon's chief adviser Liz Lloyd also announced on Friday that she would be stepping down from the role when the first minister leaves office.\n\nShe said it had been the \"biggest honour of my life\" to have worked with Ms Sturgeon but that she planned to pursue new opportunities outside politics.\n\nEarlier in the week the Scottish Sun had reported Ms Lloyd was advising Mr Yousaf's campaign.\n\nMurray Foote's former colleagues have been highlighting his integrity as they react to his departure from the SNP.\n\nIt was a surprise for many when the man who helped created the unionist \"Vow\" during the 2014 independence campaign joined the party.\n\nBut he's relished his task - although now it ends in tears.\n\nIn the resignation statement, he emphasises how \"in good faith\" he gave the inaccurate membership numbers provided by the party.\n\nHis former journalistic colleagues were furious at how they'd been treated and, it seems, so is he.\n\nMr Foote says this created a \"serious impediment\" to his role.\n\nSo who gave the figures to him? There are now big questions for SNP HQ and its chief executive, Peter Murrell.\n\nAs the leadership race continues, it's tearing through the SNP, wreaking havoc.\n\nThe SNP's membership hit a peak of 125,000 in 2019 as support for the party surged in the wake of the independence referendum but had dropped to 85,000 by the end of last year.\n\nThat suggests a drop of 12,000 inside a matter of months.\n\nAfter the most recent membership figures were released, Kate Forbes' campaign manager, Michelle Thomson MSP, said she was pleased that \"common sense has prevailed\" - but that the \"alarming drop in members shows that the party needs a change in direction\".\n\nAsh Regan's campaign linked the decline to the Scottish government's controversial gender recognition reforms while the party's president Mike Russell suggested cost of living pressures could offer an alternative explanation.\n\nThe third candidate in the contest, Health Secretary Humza Yousaf, said it was \"really important\" the SNP did not lose any more members but said the best way to do this was to continue with the party's \"progressive agenda\".\n\nFollowing Mr Foote's departure on Friday, Mr Yousaf tweeted that he would be sorely missed, and added: \"Reform of our HQ operations has been a key part of my campaign. With fresh party leadership should come a fresh approach to our HQ operation.\"","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/uk-scotland-64993032"}
{"title":"Lord Ahmed: Peer's prison sentence cut by appeal court - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-17","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"The Appeal Court says it took into account Nazir Ahmed was a child himself when he abused two children.","section":"Sheffield & South Yorkshire","content":"Ahmed, pictured at his sentencing in 2022, had challenged his original jail term\n\nThe Court of Appeal has cut the jail term given to former Labour peer Lord Ahmed of Rotherham for sexually abusing two children in the 1970s.\n\nAhmed was convicted, under his birth name Nazir Ahmed, of trying to rape a young girl and sexually assaulting a boy under 11.\n\nHe was jailed for five years and six months at Sheffield Crown Court in February 2022.\n\nThree Appeal Court judges have reduced the term to two years and six months.\n\nLord Burnett, the Lord Chief Justice; Lord Justice Holroyde and Lord Justice William Davis concluded the original trial judge Mr Justice Lavender \"fell into error\" when passing sentence.\n\nThey said the fact that Ahmed was a child when he committed the offences had to be taken into account.\n\nTheir decision followed a hearing in London in January.\n\nAhmed had challenged Mr Justice Lavender's sentencing decision and the appeal judges made a ruling in his favour.\n\nDuring his original trial, the court heard the abuse happened in Rotherham.\n\nHe had attempted to rape the girl on two occasions when he was aged about 16 or 17 and she was much younger.\n\nThe attack on the boy also happened during the same period.\n\nAhmed was found guilty of two counts of attempted rape against the girl and a serious sexual assault against the boy.\n\nHe had originally been given two years for each of the attempted rapes, to run concurrently, with a further three years and six months for assaulting the boy.\n\nThe judges said had he been sentenced shortly after the assault on the boy he would have been 14 and a child with no previous convictions.\n\nThey concluded \"a custodial sentence of six months would probably have been regarded as a suitable penalty\".\n\nHowever, they made no criticism of the sentence imposed in relation to the attempted rapes which were offences by a teenager \"against a very young victim\".\n\nThe three judges said they had considered the legal issues relating to the \"correct approach\" when sentencing an adult for an offence committed when they were a child.\n\nFollow BBC Yorkshire on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. Send your story ideas to yorkslincs.news@bbc.co.uk.\n\nThe BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/uk-england-south-yorkshire-64989574"}
{"title":"Jodey Whiting: Court of Appeal grants new benefit death inquest - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-17","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"Jodey Whiting died in February 2017 just days after her disability benefits were wrongfully stopped.","section":"Tees","content":"Joy Dove has campaigned for a fresh inquest into her daughter Jodey's death\n\nThe mother of a disabled woman who killed herself after her benefits were cut has won a legal battle for a new inquest into her daughter's death.\n\nJody Whiting, 42, from Stockton, died in February 2017 - days after her disability benefits were stopped by the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP).\n\nA coroner ruled her death was suicide, but her mother, Joy Dove, wants a new inquest to look at the DWP's impact.\n\nShe said she was \"over the moon\" with the Court of Appeal decision.\n\nThree judges have ruled that a new inquest should take place.\n\nJoy Dove said she was pleased with the court's decision\n\nIn a statement Mr Dove said she was \"so pleased and grateful\" to the court.\n\n\"We buried Jodey just over six years ago and finally my family and I have the chance of getting justice for Jodey,\" she said.\n\nMs Dove had challenged a ruling by two High Court judges in June, who had refused her request for a new inquest.\n\nShe took her fight to the Court of Appeal, where judges heard her case in January and concluded one was \"desirable in the interests of justice\".\n\nLady Justice Whipple, sitting with Lord Justice Lewis and Lord Justice William Davis, said the public had a \"legitimate interest\" in knowing whether Ms Whiting's death was connected with the abrupt stopping of her benefits.\n\nJodey Whiting had a history of chronic pain and mental health issues which left her unfit to work\n\nThe coroner at the original inquest, which lasted 37 minutes, recorded a verdict of suicide.\n\nDuring the Appeal Court hearing, Ms Dove's lawyers argued the original inquest had not investigated \"whether any acts or omissions of the DWP caused or contributed to Ms Whiting's death\".\n\nThey said there was fresh evidence of \"multiple, significant failings\" by the DWP which had not been considered.\n\nMs Dove said she had always believed \"the DWP wrongly stopping Jodey's benefits\" caused her death.\n\n\"This is a victory not just for us but for all those families and others still on the receiving end of awful treatment by the DWP,\" she said.\n\n\"I hope the DWP learn from their tragic failings.\"\n\nA government spokesperson said the DWP was \"ready to assist the new coroner with their investigation\" and could not comment on active legal proceedings.\n\nIn the ruling, Lady Justice Whipple said the public had a \"legitimate interest\" in knowing \"if Jodey's death was connected with the abrupt cessation of benefits\" by the DWP.\n\n\"The department deals with very many people who are vulnerable and dependent on benefits to survive,\" she said.\n\n\"The consequences of terminating benefit payments to such people should be examined in public.\"\n\nThe judge said it was also in the public interest that the coroner be given the opportunity to consider whether a prevention of future deaths report was warranted.\n\nThey may wish to hear from the DWP at the second inquest about what remedial steps have already been taken, she added.\n\nMs Whiting had received benefits for more than a decade due to serious, long-term physical and mental health issues.\n\nIn late 2016, when the DWP started a reassessment, she said she needed a home visit because she was housebound, had severe anxiety and was unable to walk more than a few steps.\n\nMs Dove's lawyers argued at the High Court in 2021 that this request was not properly considered before the DWP terminated her disability benefit when she did not attend a work capability assessment.\n\nThis led to Ms Whiting's housing benefit and council tax benefit also being stopped.\n\nThe decision to terminate Ms Whiting's benefits was overturned on 31 March 2017, weeks after her death.\n\nThe independent case examiner, which investigates complaints about the DWP, later found multiple breaches of department policy, significant errors by staff and several \"missed opportunities\" for the DWP to reconsider the claim.\n\nFollow BBC North East & Cumbria on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram. Send your story ideas to northeastandcumbria@bbc.co.uk.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/uk-england-tees-64988475"}
{"title":"Menindee: Millions of dead fish wash up near Australian town - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-17","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"\"Just imagine leaving a fish in your kitchen to rot\" said one resident, describing the smell.","section":"Australia","content":"This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser.\n\nResidents in a regional Australian town have woken to find millions of dead fish in their river.\n\nThe large-scale fish deaths were first reported on Friday morning in the New South Wales' (NSW) town of Menindee.\n\nThe state's river authority said it was a result of an ongoing heatwave affecting the Darling-Baaka river.\n\nLocals say it is the largest fish death event to hit the town, which experienced another significant mass death of fish just three years ago.\n\nIn a Facebook post, the NSW Department of Primary Industries (DPI) said the heatwave put \"further stress on a system that has experienced extreme conditions from wide-scale flooding\".\n\nHeatwaves have become more frequent, more intense, and last longer because of human-induced climate change. The world has already warmed by about 1.1C since the industrial era began and temperatures will keep rising unless governments around the world make steep cuts to emissions.\n\n\"There's about 30 kilometres of dead fish,\" local resident Graeme McCrabb told the BBC\n\nSpeaking to the BBC, Menindee resident Graeme McCrabb described the deaths as \"surreal\".\n\n\"It'll probably be a bit more confronting today,\" he said, as he warned that locals were anticipating that even more fish would die as the already decomposing fish sucked more oxygen from the water.\n\nAround 500 people live in the town in far-west New South Wales. The Darling-Baaka river is a part of the Murray Darling Basin, Australia's largest river system.\n\nThe NSW DPI also said that the fish deaths were \"distressing to the local community\", a sentiment echoed by Mr McCrabb.\n\n\"You can just imagine leaving a fish in your kitchen to rot with all the doors shut and no air conditioner, and we've got millions of them.\"\n\nThe temperature in Menindee was expected to reach 41C on Saturday.\n\nHe added that locals in the regional town rely on the Darling-Baaka for water supplies, \"we use the river water for washing and showering in so people won't be able to use that water for those basic needs again,\" he said.\n\n\"Over time those people won't be able to access that water for domestic use which is just shameful\".\n\nThis week's fish deaths throws a light on the troubles facing the Murray Darling Basin. Drought and increased human use has impacted the health of the Murray Darling ecosystem.\n\nThe Murray Darling Basin authority said agriculture, industries and communities have used water from the river system which has resulted in less water flowing through the river.\n\nIt also said the Basin is prone to extreme weather events and has a highly variable climate that makes it vulnerable to both fires and droughts.\n\nIn 2012, a plan worth A$13bn (\u00a38.45bn at the time) was implemented to try and stop the river from drying up and returning it to a healthier level.\n\nThe NSW DPI said it will work with federal agencies to respond to the latest incident, and to find the underlying causes of the deaths.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/world-australia-64992726"}
{"title":"Why are doctors demanding the biggest pay rise? - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-17","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"How junior medics have reached the brink of their biggest walkout, in a fight for a 35% hike.","section":"Health","content":"On Monday, thousands of junior doctors in England will start a 72-hour strike. They want a 35% pay rise. Yet doctors are among the highest paid in the public sector. So why do they have the biggest pay claim?\n\nThe origins of the walkout by British Medical Association members - the biggest by doctors in the history of the NHS - can be found in a series of discussions on social media platform Reddit in late 2021.\n\nA collection of junior doctors were expressing their dissatisfaction about pay.\n\nThe numbers chatting online grew quickly and by January 2022 it had led to the formation of the campaign group Doctors Vote, with the aim of restoring pay to the pre-austerity days of 2008.\n\nThe group began spreading its message via social media - and, within months, its supporters had won 26 of the 69 voting seats on the BMA ruling council, and 38 of the 68 on its junior doctor committee.\n\nDr Vivek Trivedi and Dr Rob Laurenson stood for BMA election on a Doctors Vote platform\n\nTwo of those who stood on the Doctors Vote platform - Dr Rob Laurenson and Dr Vivek Trivedi - became co-chairs of the committee.\n\n\"It was simply a group of doctors connecting up the dots,\" Dr Laurenson says. \"We reflect the vast majority of doctors,\" he adds, pointing to the mandate from the wider BMA junior doctor membership - 77% voted and of those, 98% backed strike action.\n\nAmong some of the older BMA heads, though, there is a sense of disquiet at the new guard. One senior doctor who has now stood down from a leadership role says: \"They're undoubtedly much more radical than we have seen before. But they haven't read the room - the pay claim makes them look silly.\"\n\nPublicly, the BMA prefers not to talk about wanting a pay rise. Instead, it uses the term \"pay restoration\" - to reverse cuts of 26% since 2008. This is the amount pay has fallen once inflation is taken into account.\n\nTo rectify a cut of 26% requires a bigger percentage increase because the amount is lower. This is why the BMA is actually after a 35% increase - and it is a rise it is calling for to be paid immediately.\n\nThe argument is more complicated than the ones put forward by most other unions - and because of that it has raised eyebrows.\n\nFirstly, no junior doctor has seen pay cut by 26% in that period. There are five core pay points in the junior doctor contract with each a springboard to the next. It means they move up the pay scale over time until they finish their training.\n\nA junior doctor in 2008 may well be a consultant now, perhaps earning four times in cash terms what they were then.\n\nSecondly, the 26% figure uses the retail price index (RPI) measure of inflation, which the Office for National Statistics says is a poor way to look at rising prices. Using the more favoured consumer price index measure, the cut is 16% - although the BMA defends its use of RPI as it takes into account housing costs.\n\n\"The drop in pay is also affected by the start-year chosen,\" Lucina Rolewicz, of the Nuffield Trust think tank, says. A more recent start date will show a smaller decline, as would going further back in the 2000s.\n\nAnother way of looking at pay is comparing it with wages across the economy by looking at where a job sits in terms of the lowest to highest earners.\n\nThe past decade has not been a boom time for wage growth in many fields, as austerity and the lack of economic growth has held back incomes.\n\nLast year, the independent Doctors' and Dentists' Remuneration Body looked at this. It found junior doctors had seen their pay, relative to others, fall slightly during the 2010s, but were still among the highest earners, with doctors fresh out of university immediately finding themselves in the top half of earners, while those at the end of training were just outside the top 10%.\n\nThen, of course, career prospects have to be considered. Consultants earn well more than \u00a3100,000 on average, putting them in the top 2%. GP partners earn even more.\n\nA pension of more than \u00a360,000 a year in today's prices also awaits those reaching such positions.\n\nBut while the scale of the pay claim is new, dissatisfaction with working conditions and pay pre-date the rise of the Doctors Vote movement.\n\nStudying medicine at university takes five years, meaning big debts for most. Dr Trivedi says \u00a380,000 of student loans are often topped up by private debt.\n\nOn top of that, doctors have to pay for ongoing exams and professional membership fees. Their junior doctor training can see them having to make several moves across the country and with little control over the hours they work.\n\nThis lasts many years - junior doctors can commonly spend close to a decade in training.\n\nIt is clearly hard work. And with services getting increasingly stretched, it is a job that doctors say is leaving them \"demoralised, angry and exhausted\", Dr Trivedi says, adding: \"Patient care is being compromised.\"\n\nBut while medicine is undoubtedly tough, it remains hugely attractive.\n\nJunior doctor posts in the early years are nearly always filled - it is not until doctors begin to specialise later in their training that significant gaps emerge in some specialities such as end-of-life care and sexual health.\n\nLooking at all doctor vacancy rates across the NHS around 6% of posts are unfilled - for nurses it is nearly twice that level.\n\nMany argue there is still a shortage - with not enough training places or funded doctor posts in the NHS in the first place.\n\nBut the fact the problems appear more severe in other NHS roles is a key reason why the government does not seem to be in a hurry to prioritise doctors - formal pay talks to avert strikes have begun with unions representing the rest of the workforce\n\n\"If we have some money to give a pay rise to NHS staff,\" a source close to the negotiations says, \"doctors are not at the front of the queue.\"\n\nAre you taking part in the strike action? Has your appointment been cancelled or delayed? Share your experiences by emailing haveyoursay@bbc.co.uk.\n\nPlease include a contact number if you are willing to speak to a BBC journalist. You can also get in touch in the following ways:\n\nIf 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 HaveYourSay@bbc.co.uk. Please include your name, age and location with any submission.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/health-64907379"}
{"title":"How the Scottish morning roll became a national treasure - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-17","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"The collapse of a major Scottish producer highlights the breakfast staple's enduring popularity.","section":"Scotland business","content":"This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. \"There's nothing more satisfying\" - Baker Andrew Chisholm on making the 'perfect' Scottish morning roll\n\nThe sudden collapse earlier this month of Glasgow baking giant Morton's Rolls sent shockwaves across communities in the west of Scotland.\n\nConsumers were faced with the loss of Morton's traditional crispy roll, a breakfast staple which had been sold in its millions every week for decades.\n\nAn online petition calling for Morton's Rolls to be saved attracted hundreds of signatures within days.\n\nOne petitioner described the rolls as \"part of the identity of Scotland\", while another called them \"a national treasure\".\n\nThe fate of Morton's was even raised in the Scottish Parliament, with First Minister Nicola Sturgeon describing it as an \"iconic Scottish brand\" as she vowed to do everything possible to help reduce the impact of hundreds of job losses.\n\nHowever the firm is due to restart production on Sunday, after the firm was bought out of administration by a consortium of investors.\n\nSo how did the humble morning roll draw such a reaction?\n\nScottish food researcher Peter Gilchrist argues that they are as vital to working-class food culture in the west of Scotland as a roast chicken dinner is to the English middle classes.\n\nHe puts their popularity in part down to a sense of nostalgia.\n\n\"Growing up in the 90s in a council flat in Paisley, Saturday morning was all about breakfast,\" he explains.\n\n\"My dad would head out early to queue for a dozen crispy rolls from the baker and pop next door to the butcher for bacon and square sausage. We would eat them with tomato sauce, butter and tea.\"\n\nPeter, who is a food tourism ambassador for Scotland Food and Drink, adds: \"There's a good chance that if your grandparents ate a floury bap with bacon and black pudding, that food tradition has been passed down to your parents and then to you.\n\n\"It is in variety we find a sort of identity as a family; our morning roll order is part of our working-class story.\"\n\nThe loss of Morton's Rolls forced Glasgow corner shops, newsagents, chippies and restaurants to scramble for alternatives from rival producers such as McGhees, which already sells more than three million rolls a week.\n\nScott Marwaha, who owns the Mayfield convenience store in Ruchill, says many of his regulars won't go for anything other than \"a Morton's\" because they've grown up with the taste.\n\nScott Marwaha says some customers went to great lengths to get hold of a Morton's roll\n\nSome, he explains, went to extraordinary lengths to get hold of the roll.\n\n\"One customer regularly bought five or six dozen at a time to take over to his family in Ireland,\" he said.\n\n\"There's also a lady from Dumfries who would call me to ask if I could put some rolls aside when she came to visit her mother.\"\n\nBut Morton's is only part of the story.\n\nThe reality is that for many Scots across the nation, breakfast or lunch just wouldn't be the same without a morning roll, whether it is soft, well-fired (black crust) or crispy.\n\nSome prefer well-fired rolls, which have a black crust\n\nThird-generation baker Andrew Chisholm thinks one reason for its popularity is its versatility.\n\nAndrew, who owns Lanarkshire-based chain Christie the Baker, explains: \"The great thing about a morning roll is that you can put anything in it, sweet or savoury.\n\n\"A lot of people will stack it and will have black pudding, beans, bacon or whatever they want in it.\n\n\"We even sell rolls filled with a Scotch pie. It's popular.\n\n\"My own favourite is a nice bit of Scottish cheddar and strawberry jam. Epic.\"\n\nAndrew also points out that Scots have quite different tastes, according to where they live.\n\n\"The roll we make in North Lanarkshire is typical of what you find in the west of Scotland but if you go east to Edinburgh, you'll probably find it's a bit sweeter and a bit softer - there's a wee bit more fat in it.\n\n\"As you go north into Dundee, you'll probably find a lot more flour on it. Again it will be a bit sweeter, with more fat.\n\n\"If you go all the way up to Aberdeen and the surrounding area, it splits into two products.\n\n\"There's the softie, which they just call a morning roll - and the rowie or buttery, as it would be known locally. It is akin more to somewhere between a Danish pastry and a croissant, but made in a Scottish style.\"\n\nButteries (left) and \"softies\" are popular in the north east of Scotland\n\nDespite recent events at Morton's, there is no sign of the Scots losing their appetite for the morning roll.\n\nScottish Scran, a website that celebrates Scottish food, claims it receives more requests for morning roll recipes than any other type of food.\n\nSonja Bolger, who runs the site with husband Phil, says: \"A lot of people in our Facebook group have either moved away or don't live near a bakery that sells morning rolls, so they want to be able to make them.\"\n\nBaker Andrew perhaps epitomises the passion that many north of the border feel for the Scottish roll.\n\n\"To be doing this job every day and seeing the morning rolls coming out of the oven perfectly shaped, how you want them - thin crust on top, a nice aroma coming from them, and the flour to be perfectly distributed on top every day - there is nothing more satisfying,\" he says.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/uk-scotland-scotland-business-64906163"}
{"title":"Ukraine will remember who backed us - foreign minister - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-17","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"Ukraine's foreign minister tells the BBC nations that don't back Ukraine will be held to account.","section":"Europe","content":"Ukraine's foreign minister spoke of his disappointment that the Pope is yet to visit Ukraine\n\nCountries that \"mistreated Ukraine\" will be held to account after the war ends, Ukraine's Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba has warned.\n\nIn a BBC interview he said the choice every nation made following Russia's full-scale invasion will be \"taken into account in building future relations\".\n\nHe also warned delays of Western weapon deliveries would cost Ukrainian lives.\n\n\"If one delivery is postponed for one day, it means that someone is going to die on the frontline,\" he said.\n\nIn a wide-ranging interview, Mr Kuleba also discussed how he believes the war will end, the role of China in the war, and his disappointment that Pope Francis has yet to visit his country in war time.\n\nMr Kuleba spoke to the BBC in Ukraine's imposing, Soviet-era foreign ministry at the heart of Kyiv, now protected by sandbags and armed guards.\n\nWestern nations have shown strong unity in backing Ukraine so far\n\nAlthough Ukraine has received military and economic support from Western powers since Russia's invasion, many countries in Africa, Asia and South America have stayed on the sidelines.\n\nSome are historically sympathetic to Russia, some are concerned about the economic costs of the war, and others believe the West is prolonging the fighting unnecessarily.\n\nBut Mr Kuleba made clear that countries which failed to support Ukraine now - those, he said, which had \"misbehaved in the course of this war and mistreated Ukraine\", would pay a price in the future.\n\nUkraine may well be dependent on Western aid and military support in the medium to long term and so its diplomatic disapproval may not worry some countries. But in peacetime Ukraine's huge grain exports give it substantial economic leverage, particularly in parts of the developing world.\n\n\"If anyone in the world thinks that the way this or that country behaved - or treated Ukraine at the darkest moment of its history - will not be taken into account in building future relations, these people just don't know how diplomacy works,\" he said.\n\n\"War is a time when you have to make a choice. And every choice has been recorded.\"\n\nUkraine is using vast amounts of shells and ammunition to defend itself - and needs even more\n\nMr Kuleba said Western allies were not giving Ukraine military support fast enough because they had not been ready for a conflict on the same scale as World War One. And what he needed was artillery shells.\n\n\"We want partners to act faster,\" he said. \"And if one delivery is postponed for one day, it means that someone is going to die on the front line.\n\n\"It means that someone who could have been still alive is going to die.\"\n\nNowhere has the demand for ammunition been greater than in the eastern city of Bakhmut where Ukrainian forces have been holding out for more than seven months against repeated Russian attempts to seize the city.\n\nThis, Mr Kuleba said, was \"emotionally very challenging\" because of the losses suffered.\n\nBut if Bakhmut fell, then other cities would be next: \"So in order to save lives there\u2026 we have to fight in Bakhmut as long as we physically can.\"\n\nRussia has lost many troops battling for Bakhmut, but Ukraine has also suffered high casualties defending it\n\nThere was no sign, he said, of Russia being willing to negotiate an end to the fighting but he added: \"Every war ends at the negotiating table... But my goal as a foreign minister is to make sure that Ukraine reaches the table after a defining success on the battlefield.\"\n\nAnd that involves building the strongest possible coalition of support, an alliance that he feels does not include the Pope. Mr Kuleba said it was not for him but for God to judge the Holy Father but, he said: \"We deeply regret that the Pope has not found an opportunity to visit Ukraine since the beginning of the war.\"\n\nChina, too, has thus far resisted Ukraine's lobbying for a meeting between China's President Xi Jinping and Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky, even though Beijing confirmed on Friday that China's leader is to visit Moscow next week.\n\nMr Kuleba said his president was ready for a telephone conversation with Mr Xi and added: \"I don't think China has reached the moment now\u2026 when it's ready to arm Russia.\"\n\nThe West worries China may start sending weaponry to Russia\n\nAs for the United States, some analysts have speculated support for Ukraine might reduce after next year's presidential elections. But Mr Kuleba said: \"I think we can survive any Republican voice\", and insisted \"the biggest luxury that Ukraine enjoys in the United States is the bipartisan support in both Democratic and Republican camps\".\n\nAs his country's top diplomat, Dmytro Kuleba remains quietly confident Ukraine can maintain the backing of the allies that count: the ones which provide tangible support.\n\nAnd, he says, Ukraine has one crucial factor on its side: \"Historically, Ukraine was unfairly under-appreciated, and I regret it took a bloodshed and a devastating war for the world to realise how cool we are.\n\n\"And we will always be cool. But it just took you too much time to realise that.\"","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/world-europe-64976079"}
{"title":"Harrogate Turkish Baths bans nude bathing amid police investigation - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-17","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"Swimwear is made compulsory at the baths in Harrogate after a \"serious\" incident, a spokesman said.","section":"York & North Yorkshire","content":"Swimwear must now be worn at all times, amid a police investigation\n\nNaked bathing has been banned at Harrogate's famous Turkish Baths after an incident of inappropriate behaviour was reported to police.\n\nThe historic baths on Parliament Street holds single-sex sessions for men and women where swimwear is optional.\n\nHarrogate Borough Council, which runs the baths, said swimwear must now be worn at all times until further notice.\n\nNorth Yorkshire Police confirmed it was investigating an incident which took place earlier this month.\n\nIt said in a statement: \"Police received a report of an incident of inappropriate behaviour at the Turkish Baths earlier this month.\n\n\"Enquiries are at an early stage and are ongoing.\"\n\nTurkish baths were common in Victorian times, now only seven date back to the 19th Century\n\nA council spokesman added: \"Following a complaint at Turkish Baths Harrogate, an operational decision has been made that swimwear is now compulsory at all bathing sessions.\n\n\"The complaint related to an incident which, due to its serious nature, has been reported to the police and is currently being investigated.\n\n\"We have a duty of care to our customers and staff members, and in order for all single-sex sessions to operate in a safe environment, it has been decided that swimwear must be worn until further notice.\"\n\nThe Turkish Baths is housed in a Grade II-listed building, which has been described as \"the most fully-restored\" Turkish bath in Britain.\n\nIt opened in 1897 and has been managed by the council since the late 1990s.\n\nFollow BBC Yorkshire on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. Send your story ideas to yorkslincs.news@bbc.co.uk or send video here.\n\nThe BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/uk-england-york-north-yorkshire-64989826"}
{"title":"First minister's residence Bute House to close for 'essential works' - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-17","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"Nicola Sturgeon's successor will use temporary accommodation as Bute House shuts for 20 weeks.","section":"Edinburgh, Fife & East Scotland","content":"Bute House is an A-listed building owned by the National Trust for Scotland\n\nThe first minister's official residence is to be closed for nearly five months so essential repairs can take place.\n\nWork on Bute House, at Charlotte Square in Edinburgh, will begin on 17 April and last for 20 weeks, with a scheduled completion date of 1 September.\n\nMeetings of the Scottish cabinet will take place at St Andrew's House while the work is being carried out.\n\nIt means Nicola Sturgeon's successor as first minister will have temporary alternative accommodation in Edinburgh.\n\nThe SNP leader, who announced her resignation on 15 February, has one more week in office before her successor is announced on 27 March.\n\nKate Forbes, Ash Regan and Humza Yousaf are the three candidates competing to be the party's next leader and first minister.\n\nAs well as the first minister's official residence in the capital, Bute House is frequently used to hold press conferences, media briefings and cabinet meetings.\n\nExternal and internal work will be carried out on the Georgian A-listed building, which is owned by the National Trust for Scotland.\n\nNicola Sturgeon's successor as first minister will have alternative accommodation in Edinburgh\n\nIn addition to stonework and roof repairs, windows will be refurbished and essential fire safety works carried out.\n\nThe repairs follow a survey carried out in August and September 2021, which identified work required to maintain the fabric of the building.\n\nThe Scottish government said the cost of the works, and any alternative accommodation for the first minister, would be published \"proactively\" once they are confirmed after the work is completed.\n\nThe main drawing room, with its grand chandelier, hosts VIP visits and media conferences","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/uk-scotland-edinburgh-east-fife-64988312"}
{"title":"St Patrick's Day: The Paddys and Pats tackling Irish stereotypes - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-17","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"Portraits of people named Paddy, Pat, Patrick and Padraig go on display at New York Grand Central.","section":"Northern Ireland","content":"Award-winning architect Paddy Bradley is among those who feature in the portrait project\n\nA photography exhibition capturing the stories of people named Paddy, Pat, Patrick and Padraig is being showcased in New York.\n\nThe portraits of 50 Irish men are being displayed outside Grand Central Station as part of the city's St Patrick's Day celebrations.\n\nDublin-based film-maker Ross O'Callaghan is behind the project that has been years in the making.\n\nOne of his main aims is to counter common Irish stereotypes.\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. A photography project by a Dublin based filmmaker is capturing the stories of people named Paddy, Pat, Patrick or Padraig\n\nLast week the longstanding US Comedy show Saturday Night Live attracted some criticism ahead of the Oscars for a sketch featuring impressions of Colin Farrell and Brendan Gleeson.\n\nIt included jokes about Irish people's consumption of alcohol and portrayed the Irish accent as incomprehensible.\n\nSpeaking about his exhibition, Mr O'Callaghan said: \"I wanted to tell the true story of the Irish male experience in contemporary Ireland.\n\n\"Through personal stories and lived history across several generations of Paddies, looking at how much has changed and the values have stayed the same.\"\n\nThe search for participants began in March 2021 but the ambition had always been to bring the exhibition to New York when it was completed.\n\nA large-scale immersive experience of the portraits was launched on Broadway this week ahead of the exhibit opening.\n\nNorthern Ireland comedian Patrick Kielty described himself as \"peak Paddy\"\n\nExamples of the audio-visual installation are also displayed on a giant digital billboard in Times Square.\n\nThe 50 portraits are now open to the public outside Grand Central Station, at Pershing Square.\n\nSlaughtneil-based architect Paddy Bradley is among those who feature and he was the inspiration for the project.\n\nHe said when the artist first told him about the idea \"he talked about the idea of different Paddies who have all done interesting things\".\n\n\"I'm humbled that the idea came from my story,\" he continued.\n\nBelfast boxer Paddy Barnes is proud of his name and his origin\n\n\"For me to say, 'I'm a Paddy from Ireland', I think it's one of the greatest things you can say,\" he added.\n\n\"We are a friendly people but we all strive to better ourselves.\"\n\nThe completed series of portraits feature several people from Northern Ireland, including Olympic boxer Paddy Barnes.\n\nComedian and TV presenter Patrick Kielty, from County Down, said it was a natural fit for him.\n\nPaddy Smyth says he took part in the project to show that modern Ireland is diverse\n\n\"When I think about it I probably could say I'm peak Paddy,\" he said.\n\n\"I was called Patrick, went to school in St Patrick's Grammar in Downpatrick and it was another Paddy - Pat O'Hare, my teacher - who got me into performing.\"\n\nPaddy Smyth is an Irish activist with cerebral palsy.\n\nPaddy Bradley travelled to New York to see his portrait on display at Pershing Square Plaza\n\nCommenting on his involvement, he said: \"When you hear the word Paddy abroad you don't think of an Irish disability activist who's gay so I love Ross's vision for this project.\n\n\"I'm Paddy many things, and modern Ireland is diverse.\"\n\nThe exhibition will also be showcased in the New York Irish Centre in Queens from 12 to 19 April to coincide with the centre's events commemorating the 25th anniversary of the Good Friday Agreement.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/uk-northern-ireland-64913882"}
{"title":"Testing offered over Orkney breast cancer gene - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-17","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"People on the island of Westray are to be offered testing for a gene variant which can lead to a higher cancer risk","section":"NE Scotland, Orkney & Shetland","content":"Alena, from Westray, says she would be keen to have the test for the gene\n\nPeople on the Orkney island of Westray are to be offered testing to find out if they have a gene variant which can lead to a higher risk of breast cancer.\n\nA landmark study found a specific mutation of the BRCA1 gene which could have begun with a single individual in Westray hundreds of years ago.\n\nResearchers found that about one in 100 people with Orkney grandparents had the specific gene variant.\n\nMost can trace their ancestry back to Westray, which has a population of 600.\n\nResidents of the outer Orkney island met on Thursday night as the study was published to try to better understand the implication of its findings.\n\nAll adults with Westray grandparents, living in Westray, will be offered a genetic test for Orkney variant - BRCA1 V1736A.\n\nThere are many other BRCA gene variants which can leave women at a higher risk of ovarian and breast cancer but this is believed to be the first time a geographic ancestral link has been made within the UK.\n\nAcross the UK about 1 in 1,000 people have a BRCA1 mutation and women can get genetic testing if they know of a direct family connection to the gene or have a history of ovarian or breast cancer in their family.\n\nOn Westray, women welcomed the identification of the gene and were keen to get tested.\n\nMarian Groat, who runs the runs the shop and caf\u00e9 in Pierowall on Westray, said: \"I think you would be silly not to take up the chance to find out.\"\n\nThe 51-year-old, whose grandmother died from breast cancer, said: \"I have a daughter and I would be happy to have it explored as fully as I could.\n\n\"I think that when you are faced with a fact like that it can't be ignored. I don't think hiding away or head in the sand will help the matter.\"\n\nMichelle says the sooner you find out something like that the better\n\nThe genetic screening is usually undertaken by swabbing the mouth for saliva. It can be self-administered.\n\nMichelle, 52, from Westray, told the BBC: \"I don't think the test is very difficult, it is completely painless, it does not cost anything, so I think why not?\n\n\"The sooner you find out something like that the better.\"\n\nHer friend Alena said: \"If you were to be carrying it then you can do things about it.\n\n\"I have one daughter so it would give the opportunity to have her tested if it were the case.\"\n\nOptions for those with the gene include risk-reducing surgery such as a mastectomy.\n\nBut the NHS advises awareness of changes to breasts, annual breast screenings and MRI scans to help detect breast cancer, while lifestyle changes like healthy eating and exercise can \"sometimes reduce risk\".\n\nThere is currently no reliable screening test for ovarian cancer.\n\nWhile people on the island whose grandparents were from Westray will be tested, there will be people around the UK and the world who also carry the gene.\n\nAt a playgroup in the Orkney mainland town of Kirkwall, women said they would like to get tested for the gene.\n\nUrsula Thomson said the higher risk was a bit scary\n\nUrsula Thomson said: \"If you hear your risks would be a bit higher it scares you a little bit, especially since its cancer.\n\n\"If there was a test I would take it.\"\n\nRachel Tait said her grandmother and her mother had both had breast cancer.\n\n\"With my own family history there obviously has been a scare,\" she said.\n\nRachel said her mother was tested years ago and told the cancer was not hereditary but she would like to be tested herself, especially as she has a young daughter of her own.\n\nShe said she thinks the test should be offered more widely.\n\n\"I can't understand why it would not be,\" she said.\n\nScottish Health Secretary Humza Yousaf said the study was hugely important and he would encourage women to come forward for breast cancer screening.\n\nHe said there was a good screening programme in place but he also wanted to get the message out for women to make sure they understoodthe signs and symptoms to look out for.\n\nMr Yousaf said extending the screening for the Orkney BRCA1 variant was something the Scottish government would consider.\n\nNHS Grampian genetics clinic is running a helpline for queries about the gene variant linked to breast and ovarian cancer for those who have grandparents from Orkney. The number to call is 01224 553940. Email inquiries can be directed to gram.orkBRCAgene@nhs.scot\n\nGPs will not be able to assist with gene testing and any questions about this research and next steps should be directed to the helpline.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/uk-scotland-north-east-orkney-shetland-64987498"}
{"title":"Budget back to work plan 'to cost \u00a370,000 per job' - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-17","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"The chancellor's schemes will only recruit small numbers at a high cost per job, a think tank forecasts.","section":"Business","content":"Budget plans to encourage people back to work will have limited impact and cost \u00a370,000 a job, a think tank says.\n\nThe changes are expected to bring 110,000 back to work, which the Institute for Fiscal Studies said was \"just a fraction\" of the those who'd left work over the past two years.\n\nThe government will spend billions to boost labour supply via tax breaks on pensions and expanded free childcare.\n\nIt said the plans would help to grow the economy and raise living standards.\n\nPaul Johnson, director of the IFS, said the government's forecaster had calculated the overall plan to boost workforce numbers will cost around \u00a37bn a year and increase employment by around 110,000.\n\n\"That's a cost of nearly \u00a370,000 per job,\" he says.\n\nWhile the chancellor \"might have some success\" it was likely to be modest given the large number of people \"lost from the workforce in the last couple of years\", he added.\n\nUK economic growth has flatlined in recent months and the economy is expected to shrink his year. About a quarter of people of working-age - around 10 million people - do not have jobs.\n\nPersuading workers to work for longer is part of UK plans to boost growth, with Chancellor Jeremy Hunt's Wednesday announcement on tax and spending being dubbed the \"Back to work Budget\".\n\nMr Johnson said the impact of annual net immigration numbers - assumed at 245,000 - would be far more significant for boosting employment.\n\nThe government said its independent finances watchdog, the Office for Budget Responsibility (OBR) had revised its outlook for economic growth upwards \"by the largest amount ever in their forecasts\" as a result of the Budget's measures.\n\nA spokesman added: \"[The OBR] also says extending 30 hours of free childcare to parents of nine months to two year olds... will lead to many more increasing their hours - helping to grow the economy and raise living standards for everyone.\"\n\nThe Budget also included measures to support disabled people who want to work, programmes to encourage retirees to take on jobs or apprenticeships, and changes to the rules around health-related benefits and universal credit.\n\nOn Wednesday, the OBR, noted that the impact of the back to work policies was uncertain, saying the final figure for the number of extra people in work could be half (or double) the main estimate of 110,000 workers.\n\nThat could, in turn, double or halve the cost-per-worker of the policy.\n\nThe OBR further estimate that extra workers will boost the size of the economy by 0.2% - equivalent to about \u00a34.5bn, some of which the government will get back in extra taxes and a smaller benefits bill.\n\nThe pension tax changes, removing any limit to the amount that workers can accumulate in their pension savings over a lifetime before paying extra tax, have come in for particular criticism.\n\nThey are designed to encourage pension savers not to retire early - in particular senior doctors.\n\nBut the Resolution Foundation think tank, which focuses on low and middle income earners, described them as \"poor value for money\" and said they may not work as hoped.\n\nUnder the plans announced in Wednesday's Budget, the tax-free limit for pension savings during a lifetime will be abolished in April.\n\nAt present, people can save just over \u00a31m before an extra tax charge is levied.\n\nThe annual allowance will remain in place, but will go up from \u00a340,000 to \u00a360,000, after being frozen for nine years. Those who are already drawing a pension, but want to save more will be able to put in \u00a310,000 a year, up from \u00a34,000.\n\nChancellor Jeremy Hunt insisted the abolition of the lifetime allowance was the quickest and simplest way to solve issues with NHS doctors and consultants, who have been retiring early, reducing hours or turning down overtime for tax reasons.\n\nBut the Resolution Foundation said giving pension savers \"very large wealth boosts will actually encourage some people to retire earlier than they otherwise would have done\".\n\n\"It's a big victory for NHS consultants but poor value for money for Britain,\" said Torsten Bell, chief executive of the think tank.\n\nLabour's shadow chancellor Rachel Reeves said the party would reverse the policy if it wins the next general election and replace it with one targeted at doctors rather than a \"free-for-all for the wealthy few\".\n\nThe move comes as the government is freezing general tax thresholds, which will drive up many people's tax bills.\n\nThe move is expected to raise more than \u00a330bn by 2028, the bulk of this coming from taxes on employees' income.\n\nIt will also create 3.2 million new income taxpayers and 169,000 more will have to pay VAT.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/business-your-money-64975682"}
{"title":"Court bid to protect against \u2018ghost landlords\u2019 fails - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-01","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"Property owners welcome ruling that defines who a landlord is, but campaigners say it lets down tenants.","section":"Business","content":"A legal bid to protect tenants from so called \"ghost landlords\" has failed, in a move that could have significant implications for people looking to claim their rent back if they live in bad conditions.\n\nIn a landmark ruling the Supreme Court stated that a landlord is the person a tenant signs their contract with, and not the property's owner.\n\nHousing campaigners say the ruling will be a \"blueprint\" for landlords to avoid taking responsibility for properties.\n\nBut the National Residential Landlord's Association (NRLA) said it gives much needed clarity for those worried they could be responsible if secondary companies let out their home in poor conditions.\n\nThose representing tenants and landlords say there has been an increase in a practice known as rent-to-rent which allows a company to rent a whole home from a landlord, and then let rooms individually for profit.\n\nCritics say having a \"ghost landlord\" in this way often leaves properties in poor condition and tenants with nowhere to turn, and that some owners are using such companies to avoid legal repercussions.\n\nBut some property owners say they too are being deceived by the same rogue operators and need the protection this ruling has given them.\n\nThe court considered whether rent repayment orders for housing offences should be made against immediate landlords, or the \"supreme landlord\" when there is a chain of tenancies involved.\n\nIt ruled that rent repayment orders can only be made against the immediate landlord.\n\nThe court said that rogue landlords can face other sanctions such as fines and banning orders and it is up to parliament to decide whether these are sufficient.\n\nBen Beadle, chief executive of the NRLA, which intervened in the case in support of responsible landlords, said the case was never about whether legal obligations should be met, but about who should be held responsible in rent-to-rent cases.\n\nHe said the ruling makes clear that rent-to-rent companies acting as a landlord need to make sure that relevant legal requirements are met.\n\n\"It is simply not right that such companies can take money from people without any responsibility for the property they are running,\" he said.\n\nBut rental campaigners are worried this ruling puts tenants at risk.\n\n\"This decision creates a blueprint for property owners who want to maximise their profit,\" said Alasdair Mcclenahan from the not-for-profit organisation Justice For Tenants.\n\n\"Cram as many tenants as can fit into inhuman conditions and extract extra rent from desperate humans who need a place to call home.\n\n\"With this Supreme Court ruling, rogue landlords can sidestep the law and tar the reputation of all landlords.\"\n\nRent-to-rent is not illegal, and those who promote it say it brings down rents by giving tenants the option of renting single rooms rather than whole homes.\n\nA tribunal ruled that Jess should get her rent back, but she is yet to receive any money\n\nHowever, some renters have been caught out when rent-to-rent is done badly because it's not clear who is responsible for repairs.\n\nJess rented a room in a flat in London and found it in a \"general state of disrepair\".\n\n\"There were mice in the kitchen and animal footprints on the beds when we first moved in,\" Jess told the BBC in January.\n\nShe says it was not just unclean, it was dangerous too.\n\n\"The shared bathroom was giving off electric shocks around the shower and we didn't have a fire door either.\"\n\nJess also discovered the flat, because it was shared by five or more individual tenants, should have had a House of Multiple Occupancy (HMO) licence in place. But it didn't.\n\nAfter moving out of the property two years ago, she and her housemates came together to try to get their rent back at a tribunal.\n\n\"We had no idea who to pin it down to, it was like chasing a ghost,\" she says of her landlord. \"They are not physically there.\"\n\nJess and four of her old flatmates applied for a Rent Repayment Order and the tribunal ruled in their favour. But it was complicated - with several parties named as being liable.\n\nThe owner of the property told us she doesn't manage the flat where Jess lived and is appealing against the basis for the tribunal's finding. The person who Jess dealt with as her landlord didn't respond to a request for a comment.\n\nHousing campaigners and landlords will now be looking to the government and the upcoming Renters Reform Bill which is going through parliament to see whether this issue will be part of the new legislation.\n\n\"We hope that this can be a moment for policy makers to recognise the current loophole, and close it down by making property owners liable for criminality,\" said John-Luke Bolton from the charity Safer Renting, one of the parties that made a case at the Supreme Court.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/business-64811243"}
{"title":"Covid: What happened to care homes early in the pandemic? - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-01","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"The publication of Matt Hancock's messages focuses attention on what happened in care homes during the pandemic.","section":"Reality Check","content":"The publication of leaked WhatsApp messages sent and received by former health secretary Matt Hancock has highlighted the issue of government policy on care homes during the first wave of coronavirus.\n\nThe Telegraph claims Mr Hancock ignored advice - in April 2020 - to test everybody going into care homes.\n\nHis spokesperson disputes this and says he had also been advised that there was not enough capacity to do so.\n\nSo, what action did the government take in the care sector in England, where there were more than 40,000 deaths involving Covid-19.\n\nOn 14 March 2020, the government began prioritising the most vulnerable individuals for testing, including those in hospitals and care homes.\n\nIf an outbreak was suspected, a handful of residents at a home could be tested.\n\nReality Check understands that some care providers found access to testing to be very limited at this time.\n\nFigures for March to May 2020\n\nOn 14 April, according to messages seen by The Telegraph, which we cannot independently verify, there was discussion of advice from Chief Medical Officer Sir Chris Whitty to Mr Hancock that there should be testing for everyone going into care homes.\n\nIt is reported that Mr Hancock initially accepted that advice but later that day changed his mind and said the government should just commit to testing people being moved to care homes from hospitals.\n\nMr Hancock's spokesperson said this followed an operational meeting at which he had been advised that it was not possible to test everyone going into care homes.\n\nOn 15 April, the social care action plan was launched as care home deaths in England were peaking at around 400 a day.\n\nThis included a pledge to test all care staff who needed one, for example if they were in a household that was self-isolating.\n\nAt that point, just 1,000 care staff had been tested out of an estimated half a million who work in care homes.\n\nThe government said it would \"move... to a policy of testing all residents prior to admission to care homes\", starting with people being moved there from hospitals.\n\nAll care home residents with coronavirus symptoms would also be tested.\n\nOn 28 April, this was extended to all care staff and residents, regardless of whether they had symptoms.\n\nIt's important to remember that early in the pandemic it wasn't widely understood that people who didn't have symptoms could pass on coronavirus.\n\nOn 19 March 2020, NHS guidance said that \"unless required to be in hospital, patients must not remain in an NHS bed\".\n\nThis policy was implemented to free up beds in advance of an expected surge in coronavirus patients.\n\nOn 2 April, the rules on discharging patients to care homes were clarified, saying \"negative [coronavirus] tests are not required prior to transfers\/admissions into the care home\".\n\nEven elderly patients who tested positive could be admitted to care homes, if measures - such as wearing personal protective equipment (PPE) and isolation - were used.\n\nFrom 15 April, the government said that all patients discharged from hospitals would be tested for coronavirus.\n\nBy this time, an estimated 25,000 patients had been discharged to care homes. In July, Panorama gathered data from 39 hospital trusts, which showed three-quarters of people discharged were untested.\n\nUp to this point more than 5,700 care home residents had died in England and Wales (either in homes or in hospital).\n\nPublic Health England has published research into the impact of hospital transfers. It found that 1.6% of the lab-confirmed outbreaks in care homes that they knew about by mid-October 2020, had come from people discharged from hospitals.\n\nBut it is not clear what percentage of outbreaks up to 15 April (when the testing policy changed) were the result of patients being moved to homes.\n\nAnd it is important to note that, at this time, there was a lack of testing so not every outbreak may have been recorded. Also, the figures do not count people who were not previously care home residents who were transferred into them from hospitals.\n\nThe government has repeatedly said that decisions to discharge patients from hospitals during this time were made by medical professionals on a case-by-case basis.\n\nIn March 2020, specific guidance related to coronavirus said that the PPE in care homes should be similar to that used in hospital settings.\n\nThe government launched the National Supply Disruption Response on 13 March, a centralised line for care and health providers to raise concerns.\n\nThis was followed on 19 March by a promise to deliver 300 masks to each care provider.\n\nConcerns over PPE peaked at the end of March and early April, as bodies such as Unison, the Royal College of Nursing and care homes themselves highlighted shortages.\n\nBecause care homes are generally privately-run, they are responsible for purchasing their own PPE. Many found their local suppliers were running low and that they were competing with better-funded hospitals.\n\nA letter from the government on 2 April recognised \"the challenges providers may have experienced in obtaining PPE supplies over recent weeks,\" and promised that the supply chain would be bolstered, with support from the armed forces.\n\nOn 10 April the government announced a PPE action plan, which included freeing up 34 million pieces of equipment to \"local resilience forums\" who would then distribute it to care homes through local authorities.\n\nBy this point, 3,100 care home residents had died in England and Wales.\n\nGeneral guidance produced on 25 February 2020 included advice for carers on what to do if they came into contact with someone with Covid-19 - but there was nothing advising against visits to care homes.\n\nIn one section it said: \"It remains very unlikely that people receiving care in a care home or the community will become infected.\"\n\nAnother section said: \"Currently there is no evidence of transmission of Covid-19 in the United Kingdom. There is no need to do anything differently in any care setting at present.\"\n\nHowever, the government's own Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies (SAGE) had advised on 10 February that \"it is a realistic probability that there is already sustained transmission in the UK, or that it will become established in the coming weeks.\"\n\nOn 3 March, the government released its coronavirus action plan - the document did not mention restricting visits to care homes.\n\nBy 5 March, England had had 273 cases of people with the virus.\n\nThat day Prof Chris Whitty told a committee of MPs that as there were cases that could not be traced back to people who had come from abroad, it was \"highly likely therefore that there is some level of community transmission in this virus in the UK now\".\n\nItaly suspended visits to care homes at this point, five weeks after recording its first case. A day later, Nursing Homes Ireland, which represents hundreds of care homes in Ireland, banned non-essential visits, just six days after the first confirmed case in the country.\n\nOn 10 March, Prof Martin Green, head of Care England, which represents independent care providers, directed criticism in an Independent article at the government for its response.\n\n\"There is no evidence of a plan. I'm not even certain they have these plans and aren't just making them up as they go along,\" he said.\n\nSome homes were already deciding to close their doors to visitors, with care groups Barchester and HC-One stopping non-essential visits on 10 March and 12 March.\n\nScottish Care - a representative body for social care in Scotland - advised care homes to close to visits on 11 March.\n\nOn 13 March, the government's guidance from 25 February was updated to say that \"care home providers are advised to review their visiting policy, by asking no-one to visit who has suspected Covid-19 or is generally unwell, and by emphasising good hand hygiene for visitors\".\n\nOn the same day, Bupa and Four Seasons care homes stopped non-essential visits.\n\nIt wasn't until 16 March that it was announced that social distancing should be carried out by everyone, in particular those aged over 70 and vulnerable people.\n\nThat day, the prime minister was asked about care homes and said: \"We don't want to see people unnecessarily visiting care homes.\"\n\nIn the period between 25 February and 16 March, 14 deaths of care home residents were reported along with 30 outbreaks in England's 15,000 care homes.\n\nOn 21 March, guidance was introduced to encourage medically vulnerable people to remain indoors as much as possible until the end of June - a process known as shielding.\n\nFinally, on 2 April a document from the Department of Health and Social Care said that \"family and friends should be advised not to visit care homes, except next of kin in exceptional situations such as end of life\".\n\nThis piece was originally published in July 2020.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/52674073"}
{"title":"How search for Constance Marten and Mark Gordon unfolded - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-01","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"Police are urgently looking for a baby after the pair were arrested in Brighton.","section":"UK","content":"Mark Gordon and Constance Marten have now been found and arrested in Brighton - this CCTV image shows them in London in January\n\nThe police search for Constance Marten and Mark Gordon - and their newborn baby - began in early January, after the couple's car was found burning on the side of the motorway.\n\nPolice said Ms Marten, 35, had given birth one or two days before the fire, and had not been seen by medical professionals. Gordon, her partner, is a convicted sex offender.\n\nThe couple had left their home in Eltham, south-east London, in September, after Ms Marten first showed signs of pregnancy.\n\nAfter the car fire in January, the couple were on the move for a total of 53 days before being found - apparently evading police. They were arrested on 27 February.\n\nPolice said the pair would look away or cover their faces whenever they were near CCTV cameras. In the images of them that have been captured, they can often be seen wearing face masks.\n\nDetectives also said Ms Marten was from a wealthy family, from whom she was estranged after meeting 48-year-old Gordon, and that her inherited wealth could allow the couple to live off-grid for some time.\n\nThis is what we know about the couple's movements, based on CCTV images.\n\nCCTV still released by police of the couple's car on fire on the hard-shoulder of the M61 in Bolton on the evening of 5 January\n\nThe investigation began after a car was found on fire at around 18.30 on Thursday 5 January on the hard shoulder of the M61 near Bolton. The owners were not there, and police believe the fire had destroyed their belongings.\n\nIt was established that the car belonged to Constance Marten and Mark Gordon and that they had safely left the scene.\n\nIn the first few days after their disappearance, the pair travelled from the Bolton area to Liverpool, Essex, London and East Sussex, all in quick succession.\n\nThe couple were initially seen with carrier bags and a pushchair.\n\nPolice believe the couple first travelled to Liverpool and from there took a taxi to Harwich in Essex, arriving at about 03:30 on Friday 6 January.\n\nA member of the public saw Marten, Gordon and a baby in Harwich at about 09:00 on Saturday 7 January. There were also several confirmed sightings of them in Colchester on 6 and 7 January.\n\nThe pair were later seen on CCTV near East Ham Station in east London between 10:30 and 12:30 on Saturday 7 January.\n\nThe couple in East Ham on CCTV\n\nThe same day, they took a taxi from East Ham to Whitechapel - another part of east London - and can be seen arriving on Whitechapel Road at around 18:15 with a pushchair and large carrier bag.\n\nCCTV captured the couple arriving in Whitechapel by taxi on 7 January\n\nGordon is initially seen wearing plastic bags on his shoes, which he later removes.\n\nCCTV of the couple walking along Whitechapel Road shortly after 6pm on 7 January\n\nMinutes later, Gordon visits the Whitechapel Argos, where he buys camping equipment, including a blue two-person tent, two sleeping bags and two pillows. Police say this sparked fears the couple may have been camping in freezing temperatures.\n\nCCTV image of Mark Gordon in Whitechapel with Argos bags after he bought camping gear\n\nCCTV shows Gordon walking with the two bulky Argos bags.\n\nThe couple then walked in the Whitechapel Road area for the next few hours, and tried unsuccessfully to flag down three separate taxis before walking to nearby Brick Lane.\n\nMark Gordon and Constance Marten on Brick Lane in east London\n\nThe couple walked to Flower and Dean Walk near Brick Lane at about 23:45, and appeared to dump various items, including the pushchair, before getting a taxi to Harringey, north London.\n\nMark Gordon and Constance Marten walking through Flower and Dean Walk near Brick Lane, east London, after dumping items including a pushchair\n\nAt 01:24 on Sunday 8 January, they got in another taxi in Allison Road, Haringey, and travelled for over three hours to Newhaven in East Sussex, where they got out just outside the port at 04:56.\n\nCCTV of Mark Gordon and Constance Marten in Newhaven (in red ring)\n\nCCTV sighting of the couple near a petrol station on Avis Road in Newhaven, East Sussex\n\nJust over an hour later, they were seen walking along Cantercrow Hill in Newhaven into some fields, where they were believed to have set up camp.\n\nCCTV of Constance Marten and Mark Gordon on Cantercrow Hill in Newhaven\n\nFollowing this final sighting, there were no new confirmed sightings of the couple and baby for many weeks.\n\nThey were next seen at around 21:30 on 27 February in Stanmer Villas, Brighton, around half an hour's drive from Newhaven.\n\nThe couple were found and arrested on suspicion of child neglect in Stanmer Villas on the same night, but their baby remains missing.\n\nOn 28 February they were further arrested on suspicion of manslaughter, as police said they now had to consider the possibility that the baby had \"come to harm\".\n\nPolice are now focusing their efforts on finding the child in an \"urgent search\" using helicopters, drones and police dogs.\n\nThey have been looking through an allotment and golf course on the Sussex Downs - and local people have been asked to check sheds and outhouses.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/uk-64797168"}
{"title":"Gwynedd Council workers lose day off for St David's Day - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-01","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"Its leader labels Westminster \"insulting and pretentious\" over its bank holiday request response.","section":"Wales","content":"Wales is the only devolved UK nation that does not to have the power to decide its own national holidays\n\nCouncil workers who had a day off last St David's Day are back in work this year due to the authority's \"difficult financial situation\".\n\nLast year Gwynedd Council declared 1 March a holiday for staff to mark the celebration of Wales' patron saint.\n\nHowever, it has decided to \"pause\" the custom this year and has hit out at the UK government's \"insulting\" response to a bank holiday request.\n\nThe UK government said it had \"no plans\" to change public holidays.\n\nWales is the only devolved UK nation that does not to have the power to decide its own national holidays.\n\nCouncil leader Dyfrig Siencyn criticised the fact that Wales has to go \"cap in hand\" to ask permission from \"our masters in London\" for the day to be designed a formal bank holiday.\n\nThe council said its decision to give staff the day off was \"successful and popular\", but that it \"comes at a cost\" that could not be justified this year.\n\nAlthough it said it is working on plans to make sure staff will be able to take the day off next year and \"every year from 2024 onwards\", according to the Local Democracy Reporting Service.\n\nPlayd Cymru's Gwynedd Council leader Dyfrig Siencyn said Westminster has showed a \"complete lack of respect\" for Wales\n\nMr Siencyn, of Plaid Cymru, said: \"Wales does not have the right to designate bank holidays and it seems that we are not responsible enough to do so.\n\n\"The response received from Westminster last year was insulting, claiming that it would be too complicated for people working across the border to cope with a Welsh bank holiday and that it would have huge cost implications.\"\n\nHe highlighted the extra bank holiday granted by the UK government for King Charles' coronation, \"without any consideration of cost\".\n\n\"This is yet another example of the insulting and pretentious attitude of our Tory masters in London and the way in which they deal with the people of Wales - with complete lack of respect for our nation,\" he added.\n\nA UK government spokesman said: \"The current pattern of public and bank holidays is well established and there are no plans to change this\".","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/uk-wales-64808910"}
{"title":"Justin Bieber cancels all remaining Justice tour dates - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-01","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"The 29-year-old Canadian singer has previously postponed the tour several times due to ill health.","section":"Entertainment & Arts","content":"Justin Bieber has had seven UK number one singles including Sorry and What Do You Mean?\n\nJustin Bieber has cancelled all of the remaining dates of his Justice world tour, following health issues.\n\nThe 29-year-old singer had postponed the tour several times, telling fans last summer that he was suffering from facial paralysis, after a diagnosis of Ramsay Hunt syndrome (RHS).\n\nHe said in September 2022 that he wanted to make his \"health a priority\".\n\nThe tour's official Twitter page posted on Tuesday that ticket holders would automatically receive a refund.\n\nThis Twitter post cannot be displayed in your browser. Please enable Javascript or try a different browser. View original tweet on Twitter The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Skip twitter post by Justice Tour Updates 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\u2019s cookie policy, external and privacy policy, external before accepting. To view this content choose \u2018accept and continue\u2019. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.\n\nThe Canadian had been due to play shows in the US, Australia and Europe\/UK, including a Manchester date originally planned in for this Saturday (4 March).\n\nHowever some of his fans have previously expressed their dismay about not receiving refunds for postponed dates on the now-scrapped tour, which has reportedly grossed $55m (\u00a346m).\n\nNo official reason has been given, as yet, for the cancellations.\n\nCade Harper, 23 from Aberdeen, who got tickets in November 2021 as a Christmas gift from a family member, told BBC News: \"I'm sad he has cancelled but his health comes first and I totally understand.\n\n\"I just wish he didn't say it was only postponed. This would have been my second time seeing him as I have already seen him in Glasgow for the Purpose tour so I was looking forward to seeing him in my home town in Aberdeen.\"\n\nChrystabel Mangwendeza, 24, in Birmingham, told us she was \"upset\" and \"angry\", but also \"sad\" that she now won't get to see Bieber, despite forking out around \u00a3140 on tickets.\n\nShe added on Wednesday evening that she had not yet received an email from Ticketmaster and had found out about the gig cancellations by reading about it online.\n\n\"I've waited so long for a tour in the first place,\" she noted. \"And it wasn't even him who made the announcement.\n\n\"I feel like he didn't even have the decency to tell fans himself.\"\n\nThe Grammy-winning performer, who attended last month's London Fashion Week, took a total break from music in 2019 to focus on his mental health.\n\nHis latest latest album, featuring the likes of Burna Boy, Chance the Rapper and Khalid, reached number one in the US and number two in the UK chart in early 2021.\n\nBut he said that subsequent shows in Europe had \"taken a real toll on me\" and that he needed more time to \"rest and get better\".\n\nBieber revealed the effects of his facial paralysis in June 2022, and has performed live only half a dozen times or so since\n\nRHS is when a shingles outbreak affects the facial nerve near someone's ears, resulting in paralysis of parts of the face.\n\nIt cannot be passed from one person to another, but it is a complication from shingles, which is linked to the chickenpox virus that many people can get when they're children.\n\nAccording to the charity Facial Palsy UK, if the immune system becomes depressed and is less able to fight off infection, the body can become vulnerable to a reactivation of the chickenpox virus.\n\nIt says stress is often a trigger as it can weaken the immune system, and people who are stressed are more likely to suffer from infections.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/entertainment-arts-64808389"}
{"title":"School face masks worn in England to avoid Covid row with Scotland - claims - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-01","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"Ministers in England came under pressure after Scotland introduced face coverings in schools.","section":"Family & Education","content":"Secondary school children in England were required to wear face coverings to avoid a row with Scotland over Covid, the Daily Telegraph has claimed.\n\nLeaked WhatsApp messages suggest that England's chief medical officer had been ambivalent about the scientific evidence behind the measure.\n\nMinisters in England came under pressure after Scotland introduced it.\n\nA government spokesperson said: \"We have always said there are lessons to be learnt from the pandemic.\"\n\nThey added: \"We are committed to learning from the Covid inquiry's findings, which will play a key role in informing the government's planning and preparations for the future.\"\n\nGuidance was changed to require face coverings in secondary schools in England in areas which were under local lockdown from September 2020.\n\nThe announcement made them mandatory in corridors and communal areas. This later applied to classrooms where distancing was not possible.\n\nThe Telegraph reports that former Prime Minister Boris Johnson had asked for advice about face coverings in schools.\n\nIn a WhatsApp group chat on the morning of 25 August 2020, he asked whether the government needed to make a \"U-turn\" on its stance, the paper says.\n\nLee Cain, then Downing Street's director of communications, is reported to have sent a link to a BBC article announcing face coverings would be mandatory in corridors and communal areas in high schools in Scotland, where the school year starts earlier.\n\nHe asked whether it was worth fighting as Scotland had taken the step, the paper says.\n\nAccording to the leaked messages, Simon Case, who was leading civil service Covid efforts, is said to have warned that \"nervous parents would freak out\" if Scotland's example was not followed.\n\nSir Chris Whitty, England's chief medical officer, is reported to have said there was \"no strong reason against in corridors etc., and no very strong reasons for\", adding that it was \"not worth an argument\".\n\nThe change in guidance in England was announced that night.\n\nIn January 2022, the government admitted the evidence for using masks in schools to reduce spread of Covid was \"not conclusive\".\n\nThe uncertainty was acknowledged in a review used by ministers in England to make their decision to introduce face coverings in classrooms.\n\nThe Telegraph story comes after other WhatsApp messages leaked to the newspaper suggested that the former health secretary, Matt Hancock, rejected expert advice on Covid tests for people going into care homes in England at the start of the pandemic - a claim he has disputed.\n\nThe BBC has not seen or independently verified the WhatsApp messages nor the context in which they were sent.\n\nThe Telegraph has obtained more than 100,000 messages sent between Mr Hancock and other ministers and officials at the height of the pandemic.\n\nThe texts were passed to the newspaper by journalist Isabel Oakeshott, who has been critical of lockdowns. Ms Oakeshott was given copies of the texts while helping Mr Hancock write his book, Pandemic Diaries.\n\nA spokesperson for Mr Johnson said it was \"not appropriate to comment\" on the leaks and that the UK's independent public inquiry into the pandemic \"provides the right process for this\".","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/education-64811382"}
{"title":"Bola Tinubu wins Nigeria's presidential election against Atiku Abubakar and Peter Obi - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-01","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"Bola Tinubu, 70, is declared the winner of Nigeria's election despite opposition calls for a rerun.","section":"Africa","content":"Bola Tinubu arrives at a polling station before casting his ballot in Lagos last week\n\nRuling party candidate Bola Tinubu has been declared the winner of Nigeria's disputed presidential election.\n\nThe 70-year-old veteran politician got 37% of the vote, official results show.\n\nTheir parties had earlier dismissed the poll as a sham, and demanded a rerun.\n\nMr Tinubu urged them to accept the result, but Labour said it was taking legal action to annul his victory.\n\nMr Tinubu is one of Nigeria's richest politicians, and based his campaign on his record of rebuilding the biggest city, Lagos, when he was governor.\n\nHe was nevertheless defeated in the city by Mr Obi, a relative newcomer who mobilised the support of many young people, especially in urban areas, shaking up the country's two-party system.\n\nMr Tinubu won most other states in his home region of the south-west, where he is known as a \"political godfather\" - for helping to put others into office.\n\nHe campaigned for the presidency under the slogan: \"Emi lo kan\", which means \"It's my turn\" in Yoruba.\n\nScenes of celebration have been reported in Mr Tinubu's strongholds in the south-western states.\n\nTraditional drummers lined the streets, beating their drums for excited dancers in Osun, while supporters marched to a live band in Ekiti.\n\nSome partied into the early hours in Lagos, even though he was defeated by Mr Obi in the city.\n\nThe normally bustling streets of Lagos are relatively quiet on Wednesday, the usual rush-hour traffic has not been seen and some shops, businesses and banks have not opened.\n\nLife has returned to normal in places that did not support Mr Tinubu, like the capital, Abuja, and Kano in the north.\n\nIn north-eastern Adamawa state, home to Mr Abubakar, there is an air of disappointment in the main city Yola, but grudging acceptance that after several attempts for the presidency, it is time for the former vice-president to move on.\n\nMr Obi's stronghold in south-eastern Anambra state, where he once served as governor, is quiet but there is an underlying sense of bitter anger. Many feel frustrated at what they see as a fraudulent electoral process.\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser.\n\nIn his acceptance speech, Mr Tinubu called for reconciliation.\n\n\"I take this opportunity to appeal to my fellow contestants to let us team up together. It is the only nation we have. It is one country and we must build it together,\" he said in a televised speech.\n\nHe added that they had the right to challenge the results in court but said that the lapses in the election \"were relatively few in number and were immaterial to affect the outcome of this election\".\n\nAt a news conference later, Mr Obi's running-mate Yusuf Datti Baba-Ahmed urged his supporters to stay calm.\n\nLabour's lawyers were \"putting the papers together\" to challenge Mr Tinubu's victory in court, he added.\n\nAccording to official results, voter turnout was 27%, one of the lowest since the end of military rule in 1999.\n\nWith about 8.8 million votes cast for Mr Tinubu, he was the choice of less than 10% of the record 93 million Nigerians who registered to vote, helped by a divided opposition.\n\nA newly introduced electronic voting system seems to have eliminated the ballot-stuffing that happened in the past and helped present a more accurate picture of the voting population.\n\nVoter apathy is not thought to have been as much of a factor as problems on voting day.\n\nMany potential voters left polling stations without casting their ballots after voting did not start on time in many places.\n\nIn some opposition strongholds, voting did not take place at all and there were also cases of ballot-box snatching and voter intimidation in southern states such as Rivers, Lagos and Delta.\n\nBola Tinubu's supporters have been celebrating his victory\n\nPresident Muhammadu Buhari is stepping down after two terms in office, marked by economic stagnation and growing insecurity around the country - from an Islamist insurgency in the north-east to a nationwide crisis of kidnapping for ransom and separatist attacks in the south-east.\n\nMr Tinubu now has the task of solving these problems, among others, in Africa's most populous nation and biggest oil exporter.\n\nAfter fighting military rule in Nigeria, escaping into exile and being one of the founding members of the country's democracy in 1999, Mr Tinubu will feel that he was destined to become president.\n\nHe was always the favourite to replace Mr Buhari - whom he helped become president - and the hurdles he has surmounted to get here will make this an even sweeter win for him.\n\nHe was not expected to win the party primary, yet he won.\n\nMany said his decision to go with another Muslim as a running mate would prove an obstacle, but it was not.\n\nPreviously all major parties have split their presidential tickets with a Christian from the south and a northern Muslim in order to achieve broad support across this vast nation of 210 million people.\n\nHe will now have to prove that he can hit the ground running and that he is still the same formidable force who built modern Lagos, Nigeria's commercial hub.\n\nMr Tinubu, known as \"Jagaban\" by supporters, will now be looking at unifying a country that is retreating into regional lines and religious blocs, as the election results show.\n\nWhile he met the 25% requirement in two-thirds of Nigeria's 36 states to show he was nationally accepted, the nature of the win indicates the absence of a truly national party.\n\nMr Obi won in Christian-dominated states and former strongholds of the main opposition Peoples Democratic Party in the south, while the PDP support shrank back into its northern heartlands.\n\nAdditional reporting by BBC teams around the country\n\nNigerians cast their votes in Saturday\u2019s general election. They had 18 candidates to choose from for president and people also voted for senators and members of the house of representatives. The BBC is using data provided by Nigeria\u2019s Independent National Electoral Commission (Inec) to tally the results. To win in the first round, a candidate must have the largest number of votes nationwide and at least 25% of the votes in two-thirds of the 36 states and Federal Capital Territory (Abuja) To win in the first round, a candidate must have the largest number of votes nationwide and at least 25% of the votes in two-thirds of the 36 states and Federal Capital Territory (Abuja) \n\n \n\n \n\n Click on map to see results in detail","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/world-africa-64760226"}
{"title":"Extremely fragile coronation chair being restored - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-01","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"Conservation experts are preparing the medieval coronation chair for the crowning of King Charles.","section":"UK","content":"The medieval chair used in the coronation of monarchs is undergoing conservation work, in order to be ready for the crowning of King Charles III.\n\nThe 700-year-old oak chair is described as \"extremely fragile\" by conservation experts at Westminster Abbey.\n\nThe painstaking preservation work is intended to clean the chair and stabilise layers of flaking gilding.\n\nIt's part of the preparations for the coronation ceremony to be held at the Abbey in London on 6 May.\n\nThe historic coronation chair, a centrepiece of the ceremony for centuries, is a \"unique work of art\", says conservator Krista Blessley.\n\n\"It's the oldest surviving piece of furniture still used for its original purpose,\" she says.\n\nLike his royal predecessors, King Charles will sit in the coronation chair at Westminster Abbey\n\nIt was made on the orders of Edward I, who reigned from 1272 to 1307, and it has been used in almost every coronation ceremony since then.\n\nBut Ms Blessley says \"it's not a museum piece\" and has faced some hard knocks.\n\nTourists and schoolchildren scarred it with graffiti in the 18th and 19th Century.\n\n\"P. Abbott slept in this chair 5-6 July 1800\" is among the letters carved into the chair, which will be used by King Charles at the ceremony in May.\n\nSubsequently, the chair was damaged in a bomb attack in 1914, attributed to suffragettes campaigning for votes for women.\n\n\"It's extremely fragile. It has a complex layer structure, which means the gilding layers often flake off, so a lot of my work is sticking those layers of gilding back down, making sure it's completely sound before the coronation,\" says Ms Blessley.\n\nGraffiti is carved into the back of the historic chair\n\nThe conservator has already been working on the chair for four months.\n\n\"If there are little changes in humidity the wood moves, and that complex layer structure moves - new areas will lift. I might consolidate something this month, then in two months I might need to consolidate it again,\" says Ms Blessley.\n\nBut she's very proud to be working on such an \"exquisite example\" of medieval craftsmanship, including finding a previously unrecognised design of toes on the back of the chair.\n\nIn its original medieval form, the chair was covered with gold leaf gilding and coloured glass, with patterns of birds, foliage, animals, saints and a king.\n\nThe chair was designed to enclose the Stone of Scone, which had been seized from Scotland by Edward I - and the stone, which is currently in Edinburgh, is expected to be brought back to Westminster Abbey for the coronation.\n\nQueen Elizabeth II in the coronation chair in 1953\n\nDr George Gross from King's College London is part of a research project into the history of coronations.\n\nIn recent coronations the high-backed gothic chair has been left uncovered, but he says in the Tudor and Stuart eras it would have been covered by a lavish cloth of gold.\n\nThe coronation has a strong religious element, and Dr Gross highlights the sense of the ancient chair having acquired its own sacred status - as a \"deeply mystical relic\" - which was seen as \"emitting a form of spiritual radioactivity\".\n\nDetails have begun to emerge about the coronation ceremony for King Charles III, including 12 new pieces of specially-composed music, with an anthem by Andrew Lloyd Webber.\n\nThe ceremony is expected to be a shorter and more inclusive service than in 1953, with about 2,000 guests, rather than the 8,000 who attended the late Queen's coronation.\n\nCamilla, the Queen Consort, will be crowned alongside the King, but it's been revealed that her crown will not include the controversial Koh-i-Noor diamond.\n\nIt's not yet known who will be invited to the ceremony, with particular interest in whether Prince Harry and Meghan, the Duchess of Sussex will be part of the congregation.\n\nWhat we know about the Coronation long weekend so far:\n\nSaturday 6 May: Coronation service in Westminster Abbey; coronation carriage procession; Buckingham Palace balcony appearance for the Royal Family\n\nSunday 7 May: Concert and lightshow at Windsor Castle; Coronation Big Lunch street parties\n\nMonday 8 May: Extra bank holiday; Big Help Out encouraging people to get involved in local volunteering projects","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/uk-64798077"}
{"title":"Constance Marten and Mark Gordon arrested on suspicion of manslaughter - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-01","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"Police say Constance Marten and Mark Gordon's missing baby may have \"come to harm\".","section":"UK","content":"This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser.\n\nConstance Marten and Mark Gordon have been further arrested on suspicion of gross negligence manslaughter as police search for their missing baby.\n\nA vast outdoor area in Brighton was searched through the night, and police say the infant could still be alive.\n\nBut with no trace yet, investigators fear the baby may have \"come to harm\".\n\nThe baby's parents were arrested on Monday - initially on suspicion of child neglect - after being missing for 53 days.\n\nThey were held after a member of the public saw them in a shop and called the police.\n\nThey remain in custody, but police said they had not provided any further information about the condition or whereabouts of the child.\n\nThe search for Ms Marten and Gordon - a convicted rapist and registered sex offender - began when their car was found ablaze by the side of a motorway on 5 January.\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser.\n\nPolice established Ms Marten had recently given birth, possibly in the back of the vehicle, without a midwife or any medical attention.\n\nSpeaking at a press conference on Tuesday, Detective Superintendent Lewis Basford, from the Metropolitan Police, said the risk to the baby - now thought to be about two months old - increased as time went on, especially amid cold weather.\n\nHe added that police must now \"be open to the fact this may not end in the way we would like\".\n\nMore than 200 officers are searching a 91-square-mile site in Sussex.\n\nSniffer dogs, drones, a police helicopter and thermal imaging cameras are being used in the search.\n\nPolice have asked members of the public between Brighton and Newhaven, in East Sussex - where the previous last known sighting of the couple was made on 8 January - to report any potential sightings, or information about where they may have been sleeping.\n\nResidents near Stanmer Villas, where the couple were arrested, have also been asked to check sheds and outbuildings.\n\nInvestigators believe Ms Marten and Gordon have been living \"in open land and open areas\".\n\nAllotments and a golf course next to a nature reserve, near to where they were arrested, were intensively searched throughout Tuesday.\n\nPolice said every available officer and member of staff had been drafted in to assist with the massive search.\n\nDet Supt Basford told journalists that little information had been gathered during police interviews with the couple and that police did not yet know the sex of their baby.\n\nConstance Marten and Mark Gordon disappeared with a newborn baby more than seven weeks ago\n\nPolice have not ruled out that someone could be harbouring the baby, though they said this was unlikely.\n\nAfter the car fire in January, police said the family safely left the scene and travelled to Liverpool, Essex, London and East Sussex in quick succession.\n\nThey appear to have taken steps to avoid detection, including covering their faces when in public, travelling at night and using cash to purchase supplies.\n\nPolice previously said Ms Marten's inherited wealth may have allowed the couple to remain at large for an extended period.\n\nPolice believe the baby was alive at the time of the last previous sighting of the family in Newhaven, but little more is known about the family's movements in the weeks since.\n\nAt the end of January, police offered a \u00a310,000 reward for information, appealing especially to anyone who might have helped the couple.\n\nAerial view of Crichel House, believed to be Ms Marten's childhood home\n\nTheir home is in Eltham, in south-east London, but they have been living nomadically since September last year, when Ms Marten first started to show signs of pregnancy.\n\nAfter the pair were found on Monday, Ms Marten's estranged father Napier Marten told the Independent he felt \"immense relief\", though this was \"tempered by the very alarming news [her] baby has yet to be found\".\n\nMs Marten, 35, is from a privileged background, having lived in a stately home growing up and attended private school.\n\nShe became estranged from her family after meeting 48-year-old Gordon at drama school in 2016.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/uk-64804320"}
{"title":"How Wales-England gaffe sparked trip for Canadian TikToker - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-01","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"Canadian Pavlina has had a re-education in Wales after mistakenly thinking it was in England.","section":"Wales","content":"This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Pavlina Livingstone-Sudrich mistakenly said that Wales was in England\n\nNot everyone can say they were invited to a country by its political leader - but then not everyone makes a viral mistake that gets their attention.\n\nTikToker Pavlina Livingstone-Sudrich told her followers back in November that Wales was in England, and received a backlash online that led to First Minister Mark Drakeford inviting her to visit.\n\nThe error, as it turns out, ended up taking her on an adventure of a lifetime.\n\n\"There are so many beautiful parallels,\" said Pavlina, who is passionate about showing the world how Yukon has shaped her identity.\n\nYukon is the smallest and westernmost of Canada's three territories and is often mistaken as being part of the Northwest Territories.\n\nThe TikToker documents the highs and lows of her outdoor adventures in her \"small corner of the world\" with some of her videos reaching over 10 million views.\n\nAfter Pavlina's blunder the first minister encouraged her visit to Wales to show \"just how different it is\".\n\nThe Welsh government paid \u00a31,022 towards her travel costs for the eight-day trip in February.\n\nPavlina's first stop was in Cardiff where she lapped up the sights, including Cardiff Castle and a visit to the Senedd\n\nPavlina and her partner Patrick visited Cardiff, Brecon, Anglesey, Wrexham and Ceredigion on their Welsh tour.\n\nShe hit some of the best spots Wales has to offer, Pen Y Fan, Devils Bridge and - of course - Wrexham FC.\n\nThe best part however, she said, was being in the homes of all the people who welcomed her.\n\nPavlina and her partner Patrick visited Ynys Llanddwyn, just off the coast of Anglesey\n\n\"As much as Wales is populated it also has beautiful access to forests and walking trails so whether you are almost being blown of the top of Pen Y Fan or staring out on what inspired Tolkien's lonely mountain, it is incredibly beautiful,\" she said.\n\nShe said she was inundated with invitations to visit people as \"everyone understands that their particular corner of Wales is special and unique in a way that no other place is\".\n\n\"My only regret is that I can't keep up with the invitations but it is a reason to come back,\" she said.\n\nPavlina went to Wrexham where she saw Wrexham FC play\n\nIn Ceredigion she finally met her friend Belinda Knott, the creator of the \"cosymajig\" hot water bottle carrier that Pavlina was showcasing during her blunder - stating it was from \"Wales, England\".\n\nPavlina said: \"We were invited to have dinner with one family and then we were fortunate enough to spend the day with Belinda and her extended family, her children and her parents.\n\n\"Absolutely the best part of Wales is at the dining table with people who are from there - so keen and warm and inviting - sharing what they love about Wales.\"\n\nBelinda, who has been just as swept up in the whirlwind as Pavlina, said: \"I don't think either of us in our wildest dreams ever imagined that this would have happened. It has just been nice to spend some time with her after all this happening.\"\n\nPavlina says the Welsh \"co-exist\" with magic\n\nPavlina added Wales' landscape also sparked her imagination as a \"huge fan\" of fantasy fiction.\n\n\"I grew up on all the old stories of Merlin and without realizing how intertwined that is with Welsh history,\" she said.\n\n\"I was just enchanted by the landscape, being very different from the Yukon but also just extremely beautiful.\n\n\"The Welsh live alongside the history. We went to Bryn Myrddin where Merlin supposedly lived and it's a working dairy farm.\n\n\"People all over Wales kind of co-exist with this magic I only grew up reading about, so that was really cool to see.\"\n\nThe Sercombe family were one of many offering to host Pavlina and her partner for dinner on her trip which she says was the highlight\n\nOn her visit, it struck Pavlina just how similar Wales and her community in Yukon are.\n\nBoth nations are bilingual as many in Yukon also speak French or one of the eight indigenous languages.\n\nAnd like the Welsh, people in Yukon are \"fiercely proud\" of their homeland, she said.\n\n\"I could tell right away there was something profound and similar in the Welsh characteristic to the Yukon with the response to that initial error I made in that social media video.\n\n\"I sensed this exhaustion like 'Why do we always have to tell our story every time?' and it is like that in the Yukon where we have this incredible landscape and an incredible system of indigenous self-governance yet people mistake us with the Northwest Territories.\n\n\"So right away I could tell like, OK, there's a fierce resilience here and a characteristic of being overlooked that I can understand.\"\n\nShe said there were \"beautiful parallels\" with the language protecting culture and navigating devolved powers.\n\nPavlina and her partner Patrick explored some of the Brecon Beacons\n\nThe love of the land is another aspect that captured Pavlina's heart.\n\n\"Welsh people were like 'It [Wales] is small, it's gentle' but I would not characterise Wales as neither small or gentle,\" she said.\n\n\"It's a harsh landscape that over centuries has informed the Welsh character to be tough, to be hardy, to be on the land.\n\n\"When we were out on Pen Y Fan on a howling, windy day, and people were just like 'this is how it is' and I was so impressed with that.\n\n\"We're not waiting for gentleness when we interact with the landscape we love being on the land.\"\n\nShe added there was \"little bit of a craziness there that I really liked,\" and said everywhere she went to met some quirky characters.\n\nPavlina's next adventure is a bit closer to home as it reaches as far as her back garden.\n\n\"I try not to leave The Yukon in the summer as they are very short and as it is 32 times the size of Wales, I could spend my whole life exploring areas,\" she said, adding Wales had given her more motivation to show off her home.\n\n\"The entire experience has been pretty surreal. I started my digital creator platforms two years ago, just out of an interest of sharing my very small remote part of the world with people during the pandemic and it quickly connected me with people all over the world.\n\n\"A real objective was for me to show that everyone's corner of the world is magical. It doesn't matter where you live, what you have access to it or what relationships you have.\n\n\"But this relationship with the people in Wales that's kind of organically surfaced was really unexpected, and an incredibly beautiful, charming and rewarding element of this whole experience.\n\n\"I found that with every Welsh person I interacted with they understood that their corner of the world that their particular life was very special.\n\n\"I had the most wonderful and meaningful time and I know it's a relationship that I think will stay with me forever.\"\n\nPavlina says her next adventure is exploring Yukon, which is 32 times the size of Wales\n\nA Welsh government spokeswoman said: \"We were excited to welcome Pavlina to Wales and show her and her hundreds of thousands of social media followers, all of the wonderful things we have to offer.\n\n\"As part of our warm Welsh welcome she saw many of the beautiful locations and excellent experiences visitors to our country can enjoy.\n\n\"Pavlina also got to share with her followers what she learned about our history, culture, language and our values.\"","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/uk-wales-64680104"}
{"title":"Isla Bryson: Transgender rapist jailed for eight years - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-01","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"The case sparked a heated debate over whether Bryson should be held in a male or a female prison.","section":"Scotland","content":"Bryson made the decision to transition from a man to a woman while awaiting trial\n\nA double rapist who changed gender while waiting to stand trial has been jailed for eight years.\n\nIsla Bryson attacked two women in Clydebank and Glasgow in 2016 and 2019 while known as Adam Graham.\n\nThe judge said Bryson posed a high risk of reoffending and would be supervised for three years after release.\n\nThe case sparked a heated debate over whether Bryson should be housed in a male or a female prison after transitioning from a man to a woman.\n\nBryson, 31, was initially remanded to a women's jail after being found guilty, but was then moved to a men's facility.\n\nThis followed concerns about the safety of any women held alongside a transgender sex offender in a female jail.\n\nThe case ultimately led to an urgent review and a change in policy which will see all newly-convicted or remanded transgender prisoners initially placed in jails according to their birth sex.\n\nThe trial heard that Bryson, from Clydebank, had preyed on vulnerable women online.\n\nBryson committed the crimes in 2016 and 2019 while known as Adam Graham\n\nPassing sentence, Lord Scott told Bryson: \"You see yourself as the victim in this case. But you are not.\"\n\nThe judge said reports suggested Bryson had a set of neuro-developmental disorders.\n\n\"Your vulnerability is no excuse at all for what you did to these two women in 2016 and 2019,\" he said.\n\n\"Regardless of your own vulnerability, in a period of just under three years, you raped two women who can both be regarded as vulnerable.\"\n\nLord Scott said Bryson had preyed on victims because of their vulnerability and raped them in their own homes.\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Bryson's estranged wife Shonna Graham said the focus should be on the victims\n\nHe added that the rapist - who continues to deny committing the offences - would be placed on the sex offenders register for life.\n\nBryson's estranged wife, Shonna Graham, said the focus should be on the victims.\n\n\"The way I see it is he is a man, he done the crime as a man\u2026 he should do the time in a man's jail,\" she said.\n\nMs Graham said she had met Adam Bryson in 2015 and they married the following year.\n\nThe 31-year-old said there had never been any suggestion during their relationship that her husband wanted to become a woman.\n\nShe said she believed Bryson had hoped to serve the sentence in a woman's jail and have an easier time - but that this had not worked.\n\n\"You can't do a crime as a man then want to transition once you've been charged with it. That's how you know it's all a big joke to him.\"\n\nMs Graham alleged that Bryson had attempted to rape her and stabbed her while they were together.\n\nShe was also angry that the person she knew as Adam Bryson had then used the name Adam Graham.\n\n\"He took my last name so he could get away with his crimes, the way I see it,\" she added.\n\n\"I hope he rots in jail. I hope the victims can put this evil person behind them.\"\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser.\n\nIn court, defence advocate Edward Targowski KC said Bryson had been subjected to \"ill-judged, ill-informed and ignorant\" comments about the decision to undergo gender reassignment.\n\nMr Targowski said his client had decided to change gender many years ago, had received \"maximum\" amounts of medication, and was on a NHS waiting list for a gender reassignment operation.\n\nA review into the case was ordered by Justice Secretary Keith Brown and its key findings were made public earlier this month, although the full report was not published on grounds it contained personal information.\n\nIt showed that the Scottish Prison Service had made the decision to divert Bryson to Cornton Vale women's prison in Stirling, rather than the planned destination of HMP Barlinnie in Glasgow, while the offender was in transit.\n\nTwo days later, senior management decided \"due to the level of risk and remaining uncertainties\" to move the inmate to a male prison, HMP Edinburgh.\n\nThe Isla Bryson case came to the press and public's attention at arguably the worst time for the Scottish government.\n\nIts Gender Recognition Reform Bill, aimed at making it easier for trans people to change their legally recognised sex, had just been blocked by UK ministers following a difficult journey through Holyrood.\n\nThose opposed to the legislation raised concerns about the potential for the new system of self-ID to be abused by violent men.\n\nWhen Isla Bryson was initially sent to Cornton Vale women's prison following conviction, ministers insisted the new legislation had had no impact on that decision.\n\nBut opponents said the case crystalised the issues with self-identification.\n\nIsla Bryson's trans status was being taken at face value, yet many, including the first minister, doubted it was genuine.\n\nFirst Minister Nicola Sturgeon told the Scottish Parliament that Bryson would not be incarcerated in Cornton Vale \"either short-term or long-term\".\n\nAsked about the case on Tuesday, SNP leadership candidate Humza Yousaf said: \"Isla Bryson is deceptive, manipulative, trying to get advantage of the system.\n\n\"I hope they're incarcerated and will be incarcerated in a male prison.\"\n\nScottish Conservative MSP Russell Findlay said Bryson could be back on the streets in as little as four years, which would be \"little comfort to victims\".\n\nBryson made the decision to transition from a man to a woman while awaiting trial.\n\nIt is thought to be the first time a trans woman has been convicted of raping women in Scotland.\n\nThere are relatively few trans prisoners in Scotland.\n\nThe latest Scottish Prison Service statistics said there were 12 trans women and three trans men between October and December 2022. There were 7,019 male prisoners and 265 female inmates.\n\nThe Scottish government has stressed that the case is not connected to the Gender Recognition Reform Bill, which has not yet been enacted and was blocked from becoming law by the UK government.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/uk-scotland-64796926"}
{"title":"Watch Kate beat William in spin class endurance race - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-01","authors":null,"description":"The Princess of Wales is awarded a golden trophy after winning the race at a leisure centre.","section":null,"content":"Catherine, Princess of Wales beat the Prince of Wales after they went head-to-head in a virtual endurance spin class challenge at a leisure centre in Port Talbot.\n\n\"Not sure I am dressed for this,\" said Catherine, who was wearing a cream top, checked skirt and heeled black boots before getting on the stationary bike.\n\nShe adjusted the gears during the race and laughed: \"Can I make it harder?\"\n\nAfter finishing, Prince William, who was breathing deeply, joked: \"Talk to you in a minute.\"\n\nRead more about the visit to south Wales on Tuesday, where the royal couple also launched a series of therapy gardens and allotments.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/uk-64803331"}
{"title":"More civil servants to strike on Budget day - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-01","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"Some 33,000 civil servants will join 100,000 of their colleagues taking strike action on 15 March.","section":"Business","content":"Members of the PCS union walked out on February 1\n\nStrike action by civil servants on the day of the Budget has been escalated, with 33,000 more workers planning to walk out, a union has said.\n\nAround 133,000 members of the Public and Commercial Services (PCS) union will now strike on 15 March.\n\nThe additional civil servants who voted to join colleagues include staff at HMRC, the Care and Quality Commission and the Welsh government.\n\nThe latest action is part of an ongoing row over pay and conditions.\n\nThe PCS union represents thousands of people who work in government departments as well as those at organisations such as Ofsted, the Maritime and Coastguard Agency and Border Force.\n\nIt has been calling for a 10% pay rise, better pensions, job security and no cuts to redundancy terms.\n\nBut the government has said the union's demands would cost an \"unaffordable \u00a32.4bn\". Civil servants have been offered a 2% to 3% increase.\n\nThe latest workers to vote for action join members in 123 government departments and agencies, which include staff at the Department for Education and the Home Office. On 1 February, about 100,000 civil servants walked out.\n\nA government spokesperson said plans were in place to keep \"essential services running and to minimise disruption on 15 March.\n\n\"We are working constructively with unions and urge them to recognise what is reasonable and affordable, as the whole country faces these cost of living challenges,\" the spokesperson added.\n\nChancellor Jeremy Hunt, who is charge of the government's finances, will outline his plans for taxation and spending next month when he sets out the Budget.\n\nIt will be announced at a time when price rises have been squeezing household budgets and workers across different sectors ranging from healthcare to railways have taken industrial action over pay.\n\nInflation, which measures price rises over time, hit 10.1% in the year to January.\n\nMark Serwotka, general secretary of the PCS, said ministers had \"consistently refused\" to increase their pay offer.\n\n\"They might have hoped we'd go away if they buried their heads in the sand, but they've under-estimated the determination of our members, who were praised for keeping the country running during the pandemic but now taken for granted,\" he said.\n\nThe union has set up a strike fund, which its members are required to pay in \u00a33 to \u00a35 each month. It said this means it can afford to keep strike action going for several more months.\n\nSome teachers, junior doctors, as well as London Underground tube drivers and staff also have strikes planned on 15 March.\n\nThe government has previously said public sector pay needs to strike balance between \"recognising the vital importance of public sector workers, while delivering value for taxpayers\" and avoiding fuelling more inflation.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/business-64802271"}
{"title":"Energy support scheme: Final push by suppliers to deliver \u00a3600 payment - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-01","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"All energy suppliers have made a first attempt to deliver payments to customers, the UK government says.","section":"Northern Ireland","content":"All Northern Ireland's energy suppliers have now made a first attempt to deliver \u00a3600 energy support payments to customers, the UK government has said.\n\nHouseholds have until end of March to redeem vouchers issued under the scheme.\n\nThe roll-out of payments started in mid-January with vouchers due to have been received by 28 February.\n\nThe government advises anyone who has not now received the \u00a3600 to contact their electricity supplier.\n\nA spokesperson for the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero said: \"First attempts for all payments for Energy Bills Support Scheme and Alternative Fuel Payment Northern Ireland (EBSS AFP NI) have now been made.\"\n\nAccording to data from the Post Office, the department said, the vast majority of vouchers have been redeemed.\n\nSuppliers will follow up where this first attempt has not been successful, it said.\n\nThe department added that suppliers will provide monitoring data to the department and that will be published in March.\n\nHalf a million households across Northern Ireland will receive the government support to help with the cost of living and rising energy bills.\n\nHow you receive your money will depend on how you pay your electricity bill.\n\nIf you pay by direct debit, the money will go straight into your bank account.\n\nAll other households will receive a voucher in the post which can be redeemed at a post office.\n\nBBC News NI has asked all five electricity suppliers in Northern Ireland how many vouchers are still outstanding:","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/uk-northern-ireland-64791703"}
{"title":"Bus services in Wales face cliff edge cuts, industry warns - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-01","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"Bus industry warns of reduced services and routes being scrapped altogether when Covid funding ends.","section":"Wales politics","content":"Passengers could see reduced services or routes scrapped altogether once pandemic-era funding ends in the summer, the bus industry has said.\n\nThe Bus Emergency Scheme (BES) is set to end in June.\n\nWith fewer people now using buses than in 2019, one industry boss warned of a \"cliff edge\" with some smaller firms having to leave the market altogether.\n\nA government minister said he was working with the industry to see which services are important.\n\nBus firms in Wales, Scotland and England were provided with subsidies to keep routes on the road after passenger numbers collapsed at the start of the pandemic.\n\nBut despite Covid restrictions having long since eased, bus companies say passenger numbers have not recovered - with older customers in particular not fully returning to services.\n\nThe Welsh government recently extended the scheme into the new financial year, but only for three months.\n\nWelsh Deputy Climate Change Minister Lee Waters recently told the Senedd that the extension would give the industry a reprieve to work out which routes to keep.\n\nBut he argued the Welsh government could not afford to continue the scheme, and said that he hoped there could be a \"skeleton service\" after the scheme ends.\n\nBus firms also get grants from councils and receive money when holders of concessionary bus passes use their routes.\n\nThe most recent official figures show that passenger journeys were down 43% in Wales in 2021-22 compared to 2019-20.\n\nMel Evans is managing director of Mid Wales Travel in Aberystwyth, which runs six bus routes on a commercial basis and three others subsidised by Ceredigion council.\n\nMr Evans said the commercial services are \"in danger\" - and some of them could be scrapped.\n\n\"We've already had to cut some of them back to every two hours instead of every hour, just so that we know that we can save them and keep them going,\" he said.\n\nMel Evans said many of his routes would be in 'danger'\n\nMr Evans said the BES has been a \"lifeline\". He said the company's passenger numbers remain 50% down on what they were before the pandemic. Older people, he said, have not returned to buses.\n\n\"Mrs Jones would, for example, go into town on a Monday and get a bit of shopping. On Wednesday she would go and have her hair done, Friday again do a bit of shopping.\n\n\"Through Covid she found out she could have her food and shopping delivered on a Monday and Friday. The hairdresser now comes to her house and when she meets her friends they meet in somebody's house. That's four journeys lost.\"\n\nRichard Thomas is head of operations with Edwards Coaches, which operates three public service routes in the Rhondda Cynon Taf area.\n\nOne of the three - the 90 from Gwaunmiskin to Pontypridd - would likely be scrapped in its current form once the BES ends.\n\n\"We're working closely to try to keep some of those services going beyond June, if we can merge them with the 100 service, which is similar that operates via the main road.\n\n\"But on its own the 90 service just doesn't stand up,\" he said.\n\nOther services the company runs could see a reduced frequency, he explained. He is hoping that a scheme by Rhondda Cynon Taf council for free travel in March may encourage people back, making cuts unnecessary.\n\nBut he said if passenger numbers remain the same as they are now \"then we would definitely need some form of support to carry on running\".\n\nMarge Jones said the 90 service was a \"lifesaver\".\n\nPassengers on the number 90 say it's a \"vital\" service for them to get into Pontypridd.\n\nMany use their bus passes and say it's their main way of getting about. Susan Rice-Bevan, 62, from Llantwit Fardre, hops on two or three times a week.\n\n\"It is quite a trek up to the main road to use another service which a lot of elderly people in the community find quite difficult,\" she said.\n\nIf it were lost \"it would isolate a lot of people who can't get out to do their shopping, who perhaps haven't got the facilities to do online shopping\".\n\nJohn Wornham, 92, from Church Village said: \"It's essential to me to get to the village because the only way I can get up the hill is on the bus.\n\n\"Once a week I go to Ponty on a Wednesday to do my shopping in the market.\"\n\nMarge Jones, 70, from Tonteg was taking her husband Derryck, 72, to a medical appointment.\n\n\"It's a lifesaver,\" she said. \"We rely on this.\"\n\nThe chief executive of a bus industry body that represents 50 members said 15-20% of the bus network might be lost once the funding ends.\n\nGraham Vidler, of the Confederation of Passenger Transport, said while larger firms might be able to downsize and adjust, there would be more severe consequences in rural areas and \"in areas which are particularly dependent on people travelling on their free bus passes\".\n\nSmall and medium firms could face leaving the market altogether, he said.\n\nMr Vidler estimated that while fare paying passenger figures are down 10% on the start of the pandemic, bus pass passenger figures are down 35%.\n\n\"We will see some communities, particularly in rural West Wales, cut off from the bus network altogether\", he warned.\n\nHe said larger firms would also need to reduce services which could mean reduced frequencies, fewer services at weekends, later starting times and earlier finishing times.\n\n\"If you suddenly take that scheme away you get that cliff edge effect where all of a sudden a large proportion of the network suddenly becomes unviable\".\n\nHe argued that more of the \u00a360m cash earmarked for concessionary fare subsidy in the budget should reach bus firms.\n\nLee Waters, speaking at the Senedd climate change committee on Wednesday morning, said the government was hoping that \"in exchange for a certain amount of money... we are able to reach agreement on which services are more important than others\".\n\nHe said the Welsh government faces a \"very difficult dilemma that the privatised bus industry has only been able to survive through public subsidy during Covid\".\n\n\"Passenger numbers have not recovered, the farebox has not recovered.\"\n\n\"The reality is, we're going to have to face changes,\" he said.\n\n\"Energy spent on trying to say we should keep things as they are is not well spent energy, because we can't keep things as they are.\"\n\nBut he said he did not know what a core service meant, saying it was hard for bus firms to forecast.\n\nCoach and Bus Operators Cymru (CaBAC), which represents smaller firms, also warned that a reduction in fleet sizes could lead to fewer drivers and vehicles available for home to school transport.\n\n\"The knock-on effect would be widely felt - not only would local bus services be decimated with people unable to travel for employment, shopping, hospital and other important appointments,\" it said.\n\nThe Welsh government said it has provided \"\u00a348m in emergency funding to the bus industry this financial year and approximately \u00a3150m since the beginning of the pandemic\".\n\n\"When we confirmed an initial three month extension of funding earlier this month, we made clear that we need to start to transition away from this emergency style of funding,\" a spokesman said.\n\nHe said plans for franchising, where private firms would have to bid to run services, \"is a key step towards introducing legal powers to deliver a new model for running buses in Wales\".\n\n\"This is a chance for us to deliver better connected services and we will continue to work closely with local authorities, operators and other partners - including Transport for Wales - to build a strong and sustainable bus network for Wales,\" the spokesman added.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/uk-wales-politics-64798117"}
{"title":"M&S: Store sorry for displaying daffodils alongside veg - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-01","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"The flowers, which can be poisonous if eaten, were spotted on display alongside spring onions.","section":"UK","content":"The daffodils were in a display marked \"seasonal favourites\" alongside spring onions\n\nMarks & Spencer has apologised after displaying daffodils alongside spring onions in one of its stores.\n\nThe flowers, which can be poisonous if eaten, were displayed in the fruit and veg aisle under a \"seasonal favourites\" banner.\n\nBotanist and presenter James Wong drew attention to the display on Twitter, warning that eating daffodils \"is like swallowing a box of tiny needles\".\n\nAn M&S spokesperson said it was a \"genuine error in one of our stores\".\n\nDaffodil stems, which are widely sold in supermarkets at this time of year, can bear a resemblance to some vegetables at first glance.\n\nPublic Health England wrote to retailers in 2015 warning about the potentially nasty consequences if there was a mix-up with how they are labelled.\n\nIt said they contain toxic alkaloids which can cause severe vomiting, noting 27 poisoning cases in the previous year.\n\nHealth officials believe daffodil poisoning led to 10 hospitalisations in Bristol in 2012 because of their similarity to a chive used in Chinese cooking.\n\nMr Wong said the error was originally spotted by his mum, who took a picture of the display.\n\nHe said the poisoning caused by accidentally eating them can be \"excruciating\" and urged M&S to improve training for staff.\n\nResponding to him on Twitter, an M&S spokesperson said: \"We have contacted the store and the signage has been updated and onions moved.\n\n\"As a precaution we're reminding all stores to make sure the flowers are displayed properly\", they added.\n\n\"Customer safety is our priority and all daffodils have an on-pack warning that they are not safe to consume.\"","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/uk-64813653"}
{"title":"Constance Marten and Mark Gordon: Baby's body found in search for missing infant - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-01","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"The remains were found near where Constance Marten and Mark Gordon were arrested after they disappeared for weeks.","section":"UK","content":"Thank you for following the latest in this developing story with us today.\n\nTo recap, police announced this evening that officers had discovered a baby's remains in a wooded area this afternoon.\n\nThe body was found close to where Constance Marten and Mark Gordon were arrested on Monday night - but police have not confirmed that the baby is theirs.\n\nThe pair remain in custody after Sussex Police were granted a 36-hour extension to continue their questioning.\n\nDet Supt Lewis Bashford, one of the officers overseeing the case, said the outcome of the search was one police \"had hoped would not happen\".\n\nA post-mortem will also be conducted in due course.\n\nPolice also extended their condolences to the baby's extended family, and thanked members of the public for their help throughout the search.\n\nThe page was brought to you by Jasmine Andersson, Laura Gozzi, Gem O'Reilly, Lauren Turner and Nathan Williams.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/live\/uk-64817611"}
{"title":"Harry and Meghan residence Frogmore Cottage offered to Andrew - reports - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-01","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"Harry and Meghan issued with an eviction notice by Buckingham Palace, the Sun newspaper reports.","section":"UK","content":"Frogmore Cottage, the UK home of the Duke and Duchess of Sussex, has been offered to Prince Andrew, according to reports.\n\nHarry and Meghan have been issued with an eviction notice by Buckingham Palace, the Sun newspaper reported.\n\nBuckingham Palace has not commented and the BBC understands any discussions would be a private family matter.\n\nThe duke and duchess - who are based in the US - have been approached by the BBC via their foundation, Archewell.\n\nFrogmore Cottage, a Grade-II listed property in the grounds of Windsor Castle in Berkshire, was a gift to the royal couple from the late Queen.\n\nThey refurbished the property, owned by the Crown Estate, at an estimated cost of \u00a32.4m in 2018-19. The cost was initially covered by taxpayers through the Sovereign Grant before being repaid in full by Prince Harry.\n\nThe duke and duchess now live in California with their two children, Archie and Lilibet, after quitting life as working royals in 2020.\n\nThey retained the cottage as their UK residence, and last year celebrated their daughter's first birthday there.\n\nThe couple were reportedly told to leave the property by Buckingham Palace in January, days after Harry published his explosive memoir, Spare.\n\nThe Duke of York, the late Queen's second son, lives in the nearby Royal Lodge, in Windsor Great Park, Berkshire.\n\nAndrew stepped down as a working royal in 2019 after a controversial Newsnight interview about allegations that he had sexually assaulted Virginia Giuffre.\n\nIn February 2022, he paid an undisclosed sum to settle the civil sexual assault case Ms Giuffre brought against him in the US.\n\nHe has repeatedly denied the allegations.\n\nReports in recent weeks, not confirmed by the BBC, suggested the King is to cut Andrew's annual grant which could leave him unable to afford his home's running costs.\n\nHe is said to be resisting the offer of the smaller property, according to a source quoted by the Sun.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/uk-64812549"}
{"title":"Omagh police shooting: Police revisit scene of John Caldwell attack - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-01","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"Two more men have been arrested in connection with the attack on Det Ch Insp John Caldwell.","section":"Northern Ireland","content":"Police have revisited the scene of the attempted murder of a senior detective, one week after he was attacked.\n\nDet Ch Insp John Caldwell was shot several times in front of his young son in the car park of a sports complex in Omagh on 22 February.\n\nOfficers revisited the scene to stop cars and ask drivers if they had any information about the attack.\n\nMeanwhile, detectives have arrested two more men in connection with the shooting.\n\nA 33-year-old man was arrested in Omagh, County Tyrone, and a 57-year-old man was detained in Belfast, both under the Terrorism Act.\n\nThey have been taken to Musgrave Serious Crime Suite for questioning.\n\nMr Caldwell remains in a critical but stable condition following the shooting.\n\nPolice stopped cars near the car park where Det Ch Insp John Caldwell was shot\n\nA 71-year-old man arrested in connection with the attempted murder has been released following questioning.\n\nFour other men were released on Tuesday evening.\n\nOfficers have until 22:00 GMT on Thursday to question a 47-year-old man who is currently in custody.\n\nIt's exactly one week since DCI Caldwell was shot in the car park of a sports complex on the Killyclogher Road.\n\nIt was busy then, with footballers and runners, and was busy again tonight.\n\nPolice stopped drivers on the road outside the sports centre, trying to jog memories, to find any morsels of information which may be useful in their investigation.\n\nThe dissident republican group the New IRA has said it shot the senior detective.\n\nThe Police Service of Northern Ireland said two gunmen fired 10 shots at the officer as he was putting footballs into the boot of his car.\n\nAt least two other vehicles were hit by bullets, police said, while children ran away in terror.\n\nDet Ch Insp John Caldwell has been involved in high-profile investigations into dissident republican attacks\n\nOn Monday, police released CCTV footage of the car believed to be used by the gunmen.\n\nA blue Ford Fiesta had been bought in Ballyclare in County Antrim two weeks before the attack and stored in Belfast, where its plates were changed.\n\nIt was then spotted on the M1 driving towards the direction of Coalisland and Omagh the day before the shooting.\n\nPolice have said a blue Ford Fiesta was bought two weeks before the shooting and stored in Belfast\n\nThe car was later found burnt out on the Racolpa Road outside Omagh.\n\nA reward of up to \u00a320,000 is being offered by the Crimestoppers charity.\n\nThe New IRA used a typed statement taped to a wall beside shops in the Creggan estate in Londonderry to claim it was responsible for shooting Mr Caldwell.\n\nA forensic team was at the scene on Monday morning and removed the statement for further examination.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/uk-northern-ireland-64816090"}
{"title":"Amazon jungle: Man survives 31 days by eating worms - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-01","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"The 30-year-old man got lost while hunting with friends in the Amazon in northern Bolivia.","section":"Latin America & Caribbean","content":"This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Watch: Jhonattan Acosta was tearful when he recounted his time lost in the jungle\n\nA Bolivian man has described how he managed to survive for 31 days in the Amazon jungle after he got lost.\n\nJhonattan Acosta, 30, got separated from his four friends while out hunting in northern Bolivia.\n\nHe says he drank rainwater collected in his shoes and ate worms and insects while hiding from jaguars and peccaries, a type of pig-like mammal.\n\nMr Acosta was finally found by a search party made up of locals and friends a month after he had gone missing.\n\n\"It's incredible, I can't believe people kept up the search for so long,\" he said amid tears.\n\n\"I ate worms, I ate insects, you wouldn't believe all I had to do to survive all this time,\" he told Unitel TV. He also ate wild fruits similar to papayas, known locally as gargateas.\n\n\"I thank God profusely, because he has given me a new life.\"\n\nHis family said that they would still have to piece together all the details of how Mr Acosta got lost and how he managed to stay alive but that they would ask him gradually as he was still psychologically bruised after the experience.\n\nMr Acosta lost 17kg (37lb) in weight, had a dislocated ankle and was dehydrated when he was found but according to those who found him, was still able to walk with a limp.\n\n\"My brother told us that when he dislocated his ankle on the fourth day, he started fearing for his life,\" Horacio Acosta told Bolivia's P\u00e1gina Siete newspaper.\n\nJhonattan Acosta, his face puffed up after his ordeal, was welcomed by his sister\n\n\"He only had one cartridge in his shotgun and couldn't walk, and he thought no one would be looking for him anymore,\" Horacio Acosta, the survivor's younger brother, added.\n\nJhonattan Acosta did not have a machete or a flashlight on him when he got lost and had to use his boots to collect rainwater to drink.\n\nHe also told his relatives that he had encounters with wild animals including a jaguar.\n\nHis younger brother says that Jhonattan used his last cartridge to scare off a squadron of peccaries, pig-like herd animals found in the rainforests of South America.\n\nAfter 31 days, he spotted a search party some 300m (980ft) away and limped towards them through thorny bushes, shouting to draw attention to him.\n\nHoracio Acosta says that his brother was found by four local people. \"A man came running to tell us they'd found my brother. It's a miracle.\"\n\nAccording to the younger Acosta, Jhonattan has decided to give up hunting for good after his ordeal.\n\n\"He is going to play music to praise God. He promised God that, and I think he will keep his promise,\" he said of his guitar-playing brother.\n\nMeanwhile police said they would question the four friends of the survivor to understand how he became separated from them.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/world-latin-america-64811309"}
{"title":"Kaylea Titford: Parents jailed for letting neglected teen die - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-01","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"The parents of a 16-year-old girl who died after \"shocking and prolonged\" neglect have been jailed.","section":"Wales","content":"Alun Titford and Sarah Lloyd-Jones have been jailed\n\nThe parents of a 16-year-old girl who died following \"shocking\" neglect have been jailed.\n\nKaylea Titford's father Alun Titford, from Newtown, Powys, was found guilty of manslaughter by gross negligence and has been jailed for seven years and six months.\n\nKaylea's mother Sarah Lloyd-Jones admitted the same charge and was sentenced to six years.\n\nThe teenager's body was found on soiled sheets at their home in October 2020.\n\nSentencing the pair at Swansea Crown Court on Wednesday, Mr Justice Martin Griffiths said Kaylea's parents were \"both equally responsible and were both equally culpable.\"\n\nThe judge added: \"This was a horrifying case. A case of sustained neglect, leading to the death of a vulnerable, bedridden child at the hands of her own parents.\"\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser.\n\nThe hearing was the first time broadcasters were allowed to film a crown court hearing in Wales, following a major change in the law last year which permitted TV cameras in some courtrooms.\n\nKaylea had spina bifida, which left her with little feeling from the waist down and limited her mobility, and had used a wheelchair from a young age.\n\nThe trial heard that when she was found dead at her home on 10 October 2020 she was morbidly obese, weighing nearly 23 stone (146 kg).\n\nHer hair was dirty and matted and she was unwashed with ulcerated skin.\n\nProsecutor Caroline Rees KC said her parents' \"serious failures were hidden from the world\" because of the coronavirus lockdown, which kept Kaylea at home from March 2020 onwards.\n\nThis left her \"trapped\" in an \"inhumane\" environment where she lay on \"filthy puppy pads\", with maggots and flies on and around her body.\n\nKaylea had been restricted to her bed for more than six months since the start of the UK's Covid lockdown when she died\n\n\"Kaylea lived and died in squalor and degradation\", she added.\n\nBefore the lockdown, Kaylea was described as being \"fiercely independent and a lovely, chatty girl\", but she became less able to move using a wheelchair.\n\nKaylea had not been seen by any medical professional in the nine months prior to her death, the court was told, and the evidence of a doctor was that the \"consequences of neglect\" were the worst he had seen in 30 years of practice.\n\nIn the three months before her death, the household had spent a total of \u00a31,035.76 on takeaway food.\n\n\"As her condition deteriorated, the expenditure on takeaways and fast food increased,\" Ms Rees said.\n\nThe court heard that Kaylea was \"eating, sleeping and defecating\" from her bed.\n\n\"The last months of Kaylea Titford's life must have been horrendous,\" Ms Rees said.\n\nThe court also heard a series of text messages between Kaylea and her mother in August and September 2020, in which she asked for help with \"incontinence needs\".\n\n\"It shows that Sarah Lloyd-Jones was fully aware, and did not do anything about it,\" Ms Rees said.\n\nMs Rees said it was not a \"lapse\" in care, but \"repeated negligent conduct in the face of obvious suffering\".\n\nShe added: \"Both parents had a duty of care, both were equally responsible. The fact that Alun Titford chose to absent himself from the care of Kaylea, does not give him an excuse.\"\n\nKaylea was subjected to \"shocking and prolonged\" neglect at the hands of her parents\n\nIn mitigation for Lloyd-Jones, Lewis Power KC said his client had an \"epiphany of insight into her actions\", leading to her guilty plea.\n\n\"She accepts that she owed her daughter a duty of care, and that she did breach that duty by failing to take reasonable care for her daughter's health and welfare needs.\"\n\nMr Power said that, prior to the pandemic, Lloyd-Jones was \"a lady who tried her best\", and added that she suffered from depression and became \"gradually overwhelmed\", particularly due to the \"pressures of lockdown\".\n\nDavid Elias KC, representing Titford, said his client showed \"genuine remorse\" and that the pair had been \"good parents\" up until the lockdown period.\n\nHe said that Titford suffered from depression and a historic drug addiction, \"lacked confidence\" and was \"overly reliant\" on others.\n\nHowever, the judge said he \"did not accept\" that outside agencies should have been more proactive.\n\n\"They never asked for help they didn't get. They never asked for help at all,\" he said.\n\nIn a statement after the sentencing, Dean Quick of the Crown Prosecution Service said: \"No child should have to endure these types of living conditions or the extensive level of suffering faced by Kaylea.\n\n\"The level of neglect in this case was some of the most extreme that CPS Cymru-Wales has had to deal with.\"\n\nDet Ch Insp Jon Rees, of Dyfed-Powys Police, said the conditions Kaylea lived in were \"incomprehensible\".\n\n\"While we did all we could to ensure we got justice for Kaylea, nothing will take away from the loss of a teenage girl who was so badly let down by the very people who should have been caring for her,\" he added.\n\nNSPCC Cymru said the case was \"incredibly distressing\", adding that the forthcoming safeguarding review \"must leave no stone unturned\" in establishing whether more could have been done to protect Kaylea.\n\nPowys council said a review would be carried out by the mid and west Wales regional safeguarding children board.\n\nA spokesman added: \"The council does not feel able to comment until this process has been completed.\"\n\nIf you have been affected by any of the issues in this story, the BBC Action Line has links to organisations which can offer support and advice","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/uk-wales-64803863"}
{"title":"Greece train crash: Survivors describe 'nightmarish seconds' - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-01","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"Passengers smashed windows to escape burning carriages after two trains collided in central Greece.","section":"Europe","content":"This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser.\n\nSurvivors have told of a \"nightmarish 10 seconds\" as their train carriage overturned and was engulfed in flames in a crash in central Greece.\n\nAt least 38 people died and dozens more were injured in the head-on collision between two trains near the city of Larissa on Tuesday night.\n\nThe front carriages of a passenger train involved were mostly destroyed.\n\n\"We heard a big bang,\" said 28-year-old passenger Stergios Minenis, who jumped to safety from the wreckage.\n\n\"We were turning over in the carriage until we fell on our sides and until the commotion stopped. Then there was panic. Cables, fire. The fire was immediate. As we were turning over we were being burned. Fire was right and left,\" Mr Minenis was quoted as saying by Reuters news agency.\n\n\"For 10, 15 seconds it was chaos. Tumbling over, fires, cables hanging, broken windows, people screaming, people trapped.\"\n\nThe passenger train had been travelling from Athens to the northern city of Thessaloniki when it crashed head-on with the other freight train, causing the front carriages to burst into flames, shortly before midnight local time.\n\nIt is being described as the worst train crash Greece has ever seen.\n\nAn investigation has been launched and police say they have arrested a local station master in Larissa.\n\nSurvivors have described the chaotic scenes after the crash, with one shaken passenger telling the BBC: \"People were panicking and screaming - some people were afraid they were going to die.\"\n\nGiannis Antonoglou, who escaped from the fifth compartment of the passenger train, said the windows suddenly smashed and \"we ended up being tilted 45 degrees as if about to tip\".\n\nAnother told Skai television he was lucky to escape his carriage \"fairly quickly\", but \"in other wagons, they did not manage to get out, and one wagon even caught fire\".\n\nSome passengers said they were forced to break carriage windows with their bodies or luggage to escape the burning wreckage.\n\nAngelos Tsiamouras told Greek broadcaster ERT the crash had felt like an earthquake, and he smashed the train window using his suitcase. \"We broke the windows with our backs,\" another unnamed passenger said.\n\nOne survivor, Lazos, told the newspaper Protothema: \"I wasn't hurt, but I was stained with blood from other people who were injured near me.\"\n\nMany of the 350 passengers on board the passenger train were students in their 20s returning to Thessaloniki after a long weekend celebrating Greek Orthodox Lent.\n\nTransport Minister Kostas Karamanlis said the exact number of dead is still unclear, amid reports there are 20-25 people still missing. However, officials say some may have left the scene without being accounted for.\n\nMr Karamanlis later resigned over the disaster, saying he would take responsibility for the authorities' \"long-standing failures\" to fix a railway system he said was not fit for the 21st Century.\n\nFire brigade spokesperson Vassilis Varthakogiannis said temperatures inside the first carriage reached 1,300C (2,370F), which \"makes it hard to identify the people who were inside\".\n\nOne woman told Greek channel ANT1 her 23-year-old cousin, who was speaking to his mother on the phone from the passenger train shortly before the line cut, is still missing.\n\n\"His mother has been looking for him since dawn,\" she added.\n\nSixty-six people were being treated in hospital for their injuries, including six admitted to intensive care.\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. It smells like burning metal and plastic - BBC reporter at scene of fatal crash\n\n\"It was a very powerful collision,\" the regional governor of the Thessaly region, Kostas Agorastos, told state-run television.\n\nHe said the first four carriages of the passenger train were derailed, and the first two carriages caught fire and were \"almost completely destroyed\".\n\n\"They were travelling at great speed and one (driver) didn't know the other was coming,\" the governor added.\n\nAs daylight broke, dozens of rescue workers aided with cranes were lifting the charred remains of the derailed carriages to search for more victims.\n\n\"I've never seen anything like this in my entire life. It's tragic. Five hours later, we are finding bodies,\" an exhausted rescuer emerging from the wreckage told AFP news agency.\n\nGreek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis, who visited the disaster scene on Wednesday, has vowed to find out what happened and ensure it never happens again.\n\nPolice say they have charged the 59-year-old station master for the city of Larissa with causing deaths by negligence and grievous bodily harm by negligence. The station master, who is in charge of signalling, has denied both charges and blamed the accident on a technical fault.\n\nThree days of national mourning have been declared.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/world-europe-64806678"}
{"title":"Covid hearings begin in court of public opinion - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-01","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"The Telegraph's report provides a fascinating insight into how pandemic decisions were made.","section":"UK Politics","content":"The battle to learn lessons and defend reputations over Covid was always going to be intense, angry and passionate.\n\nThe focus for that, primarily, was expected to be the public inquiry, which is currently at its very early stages.\n\nThe simple political truth is the court of public opinion is opening and hearing evidence now, and will continue to in the coming days, via revelations in The Daily Telegraph.\n\nAnd an argument now rages over fairness.\n\nIs it fair that the journalist Isabel Oakeshott, who was given this huge tranche of WhatsApp exchanges by Matt Hancock to help him write a book about the pandemic, has now decided to reveal them, breaching his trust, and, Mr Hancock claims, a non-disclosure agreement?\n\nOr, is it fair that these messages - which I'm told had already been given to the public inquiry - should remain private potentially for years prior to the inquiry's report, or maybe forever?\n\nThe Telegraph's report provides a fascinating insight, partial though it clearly is, into how people under the professional pressure of their lives dealt with these colossal issues confronting them.\n\nWe see, in a raw, unfiltered way, the nature and tone of their interactions, the rapidly changing evidence and arguments about what was deliverable.\n\nIsabel Oakeshott argues she is performing an important public service by publishing these exchanges now.\n\nMatt Hancock says what she has done is outrageous, partial and driven by an anti-lockdown agenda from her and the newspaper.\n\nI am told the Telegraph has been working on this for around two months.\n\nIt reminds me of the same paper's rolling revelations on MPs' expenses in 2009: a steady flow, day after day, of stories that dominated Westminster's agenda, forever moulding the reputation of many, many figures in politics.\n\nHere - perhaps - we go again.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/uk-politics-64811416"}
{"title":"Iran: Dozens of schoolgirls taken to hospital after new gas poisonings - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-01","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"At least 26 schools in five cities are affected by another wave of apparent toxic gas attacks.","section":"Middle East","content":"Parents rushed to a school in Tehran to pick up their children, as ambulances waited outside\n\nDozens of girls from 26 schools in Iran are reportedly being treated for poisoning at hospitals after another wave of apparent toxic gas attacks.\n\nMore than 1,000 students have been affected since November. They have suffered respiratory problems, nausea, dizziness and fatigue.\n\nMany Iranians suspect the poisonings are a deliberate attempt to force girls' schools to close.\n\nBut the government has not said whether it believes they are premeditated.\n\nInterior Minister Ahmad Vahidi, who has been tasked by the president with finding the \"root cause\" of the poisonings, on Wednesday dismissed as \"false\" a report by Fars news agency that three people had been arrested.\n\nHe also accused foreign-based media and \"mercenary groups\" of taking advantage of the situation to wage psychological war and worry people.\n\nSome pupils and parents suggested that schoolgirls may have been targeted for taking part in recent anti-government protests.\n\nAt least 26 schools in five cities across Iran were affected by the latest gas poisonings, local media and activists said.\n\nBBC Persian verified videos showing ambulances arriving at schools and students being treated in hospitals in the capital Tehran, the north-western city of Ardabil and the western city of Kermanshah.\n\nIn one from Tehransar, in western Tehran, several girls purportedly from 13 Aban School are seen lying on beds in a hospital ward and receiving oxygen.\n\nAnother video from the city's east shows girls sitting on the pavement outside a primary school. A mother is then seen rushing up to the gate and screaming: \"Where is my child?\" A man replies: \"They've poisoned the students with gas.\"\n\nPrimary schools have been among those targeted in the apparent attacks\n\nAuthorities are under increasing pressure from the public to stop the poisonings, which were initially concentrated in the Shia Muslim holy city of Qom, south of Tehran.\n\nResearch by BBC Persian established that at least 830 students, mostly schoolgirls, had been poisoned as of Sunday, while a member of parliament put the figure at 1,200 in Qom and the western city of Borujerd alone as of Tuesday.\n\nThose affected have reported the smell of tangerine or rotten fish before falling ill.\n\nThe chairman of the parliamentary education committee, Alireza Monadi-Sefidan, was quoted by Fars as saying on Tuesday that an investigation had found that the toxic gas contained nitrogen.\n\nHowever, the interior minister told reporters on Wednesday that reports saying a specific chemical substance had been detected were incorrect.\n\nOne parent told the BBC that girls at their daughter's school in the Tehran suburb of Pardis were poisoned on Tuesday.\n\n\"My daughter and two of her friends say they heard something like an explosion and immediately afterwards an unpleasant smell - something like burned plastic filled the air,\" said the parent, who the BBC is not identifying for safety reasons.\n\n\"They were asked to leave the class and go into the yard. Many of the students started collapsing in the yard. There are kids with asthma and heart problems in my daughter's class.\"\n\n\"Ambulances and the police arrived. Kids were given milk by the ambulance staff.\"\n\nOn Sunday, Deputy Health Minister Younes Panahi said it was \"evident that some people wanted all schools, especially girls' schools, to be closed down\", although he later said that his remarks had been misunderstood.\n\nSome people have speculated that the schoolgirls are being targeted as \"payback\" for their role in the mass protests that erupted in September after the death in custody of, Mahsa Amini, a young woman who was detained by morality police for allegedly failing to wear her headscarf \"properly\".\n\nAuthorities have portrayed the protests as \"riots\" and responded with lethal force. Human rights groups have reported that hundreds of protesters have been killed, among them dozens of children.\n\nPoisonings have been reported across the country, including in the north-western city of Ardabil\n\nIn another video posted online on Wednesday, a woman is heard saying that girls at a primary school in Kermanshah had told her that they heard an explosion, and that their headteacher then announced that some students were unwell and ambulances were being called.\n\nThe woman then talks to a young girl, who wonders whether they were \"chosen\" because they had taken part in the protests.\n\nPublic anger at the poisonings and the authorities' response have prompted fresh unrest.\n\nA second video from Tehransar on Wednesday showed a group of girls outside 13 Aban School shouting \"Woman, life, freedom\" - the main slogan of the protest movement - as well as \"Death to the child-killing government.\"\n\nThe parent from Pardis said: \"We arrived at the school, angry and worried. Parents started shouting slogans against [Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali] Khamenei.\"\n\n\"Nobody believes they will investigate these attacks,\" they added. \"I have no hope in the system. But I hope the world will hear our voice and stop supporting these child killers.\"\n\nOfficials reported that 35 students from their daughter's school were taken to hospital after the poisoning. But the parent said the actual number was much higher.\n\n\"From my conversations with parents and the school principal, half of the students were taken to hospitals. That is at least 200 students.\"\n\nOne of those children was in a coma, they said, adding: \"Some parents have also refused to take their children to hospital because they are afraid and don't trust the officials.\"","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/world-middle-east-64816750"}
{"title":"Daily walk prevents one in 10 early deaths - study - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-01","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"Doing some exercise - as little as 11 minutes a day - is better than doing nothing, researchers say.","section":"Health","content":"You don't have to be a runner or play sport to feel the benefits of exercise - fitting a brisk walk into your day is good enough, UK analysis suggests.\n\nIt found if everyone did as little as 11 minutes of daily activity, one in 10 premature deaths could be prevented.\n\nMost people don't manage to do the minimum recommended 150 minutes of exercise a week, however.\n\nBut doing some exercise is better than doing nothing, the researchers from the University of Cambridge say.\n\nThe NHS recommends everyone does 150-300 minutes of physical activity that raises the heart rate every week or 75-150 minutes of vigorous activity per week, which makes you breathe hard.\n\nThe research team looked at hundreds of previous studies on the benefits of physical activity and concluded that even doing half the recommended amount could prevent one in 20 cases of cardiovascular disease and nearly one in 30 cases of cancer.\n\nThat equates to 75 minutes per week - or 11 minutes per day - riding a bike, walking fast, hiking, dancing or playing tennis.\n\n\"You should feel yourself moving, your heart will beat faster but you won't necessarily feel out of breath,\" says Dr Soren Brage, who led the research.\n\nDoing that amount is enough to reduce the risk of developing heart disease and stroke by 17% and cancer by 7%, the findings suggest.\n\nRegular exercise reduces body fat and blood pressure while also improving fitness, sleep and heart health in the long run.\n\nThe benefits of exercise were even greater for some specific cancers, such as head and neck, gastric, leukaemia and blood cancers, but lower for lung, liver, endometrial, colon and breast cancers.\n\nNot everyone finds it easy to do the exercise recommended by the NHS - two out of three people say they do less than 150 mins (2.5 hours) of moderate exercise and fewer than one in 10 manage more than 300 mins (five hours) per week.\n\n\"If you are someone who finds the idea of 150 minutes of moderate-intensity physical activity a week a bit daunting, then our findings should be good news,\" says Dr Brage.\n\n\"If you find that 75 minutes a week is manageable, then you could try stepping it up gradually to the full recommended amount.\"\n\nOne suggestion is to ride a bike to work or to the shops instead of using a car\n\nThe analysis, in the British Journal of Sports Medicine, looked at previous published research on the benefits of exercise in nearly 100 large studies and nearly 200 peer-reviewed articles to get an overview of the evidence.\n\nThey calculated that if everyone in the studies had done at least 150 minutes of exercise a week - the full amount - then around one in six early deaths would be prevented.\n\nThe researchers say replacing some habits is all that is needed.\n\nFor example, they advise trying to walk or cycle to work or to the shops instead of using a car, or being active when playing with your children or grandchildren.\n\nGetting enjoyable activities into your weekly routine is the best way to increase the amount of physical activity you do, they say.\n\nThe NHS recommends adults also do activities that strengthen muscles twice a week.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/health-64790527"}
{"title":"Just Fontaine: Former France striker and World Cup record holder dies aged 89 - BBC Sport","published_date":"2023-03-01","authors":null,"description":"Just Fontaine, who holds the record for the most goals scored at a single World Cup, dies at the age of 89.","section":null,"content":"Last updated on .From the section Football\n\nJust Fontaine, who holds the record for the most goals scored at a single World Cup, has died at the age of 89.\n\nFontaine scored 13 goals in just six matches for France at the 1958 World Cup in Sweden as they finished third.\n\nHe is joint-fourth on the all-time World Cup goalscorers list alongside Argentina's Lionel Messi.\n\n\"A star of French football, an outstanding striker, a legendary Reims player,\" said his former club Stade de Reims.\n\nAnother of his former clubs, Paris St-Germain, said: \"A thought for Just Fontaine. An icon of French football who has left us.\"\n\nThe French Football Federation (FFF) described Fontaine as \"the eternal goalscorer\" and \"a legend of world football\".\n\n\"The death of Just Fontaine plunges French football into deep emotion and immense sadness,\" said FFF interim president Philippe Diallo.\n\n\"He wrote one of the most beautiful pages in the history of the French team.\"\n\nFrance manager Didier Deschamps said Fontaine's death will \"sadden everyone who loves football\", adding that he \"is and will remain a legend of the France team.\"\n\nA minute's applause in tribute to Fontaine will be held at all French football grounds, starting with Wednesday's matches in the French Cup.\n\nOnly three players have scored more goals at World Cups than Fontaine, a statistic made more remarkable by the fact he only played in the 1958 tournament.\n\nHe would not have even played there had it not been for injuries to fellow forwards Thadee Cisowski and Reims team-mate Rene Bliard.\n\nThe striker went on to score in every game in Sweden, including four goals in a 6-3 win over West Germany in the third-place play-off.\n\nIn total, Fontaine scored 30 goals in just 21 appearances for France between 1953 and 1960.\n\nHe spent much of his club career at Stade de Reims, where he scored 145 goals in 152 appearances, winning three Ligue 1 titles and reaching the 1959 European Cup final, where they lost to a Real Madrid side containing Alfredo di Stefano and Ferenc Puskas.\n\nHe also played for Nice and Moroccan side USM Casablanca but was forced to retire in 1962 at the age of just 28 after suffering a double leg fracture.\n\nAs a manager, Fontaine had two games in charge of France in 1967 before leading Paris St-Germain to promotion to the top division in 1974, where they have remained ever since.\n\nA short spell at Toulouse followed before he took charge of Morocco, the country of his birth, leading them to third place at the 1980 Africa Cup of Nations.\n\nFontaine is also remembered for helping to form French player's union the UNFP, becoming its first president in 1961.\n\nIn 2004 he was named on Brazil legend Pele's list of the 125 greatest living footballers.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/sport\/football\/64808839"}
{"title":"Poor families more resourceful in past, says top Tory Lee Anderson - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-01","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"Deputy party chair Lee Anderson says \"our garden was our foodbank\" when he grew up in a mining town.","section":"UK Politics","content":"This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Lee Anderson on the 1970s: \"Our garden was our food bank.\"\n\nPeople struggling with living costs were \"more resourceful\" in previous decades, the Tory deputy chairman has said.\n\nLee Anderson told the BBC there was a \"different culture\" in his youth, and people were more likely to take on extra work.\n\nThe MP - who grew up in a mining town - has faced criticism for previously questioning the need for food banks.\n\nRecalling his childhood, he said \"our garden was our foodbank\".\n\nHe said his parents had \"made do\" in the 1970s, despite growing up in an environment that people today would see as \"very, very, poor\".\n\nBut speaking to the BBC's Political Thinking with Nick Robinson podcast, he said: \"We didn't think we were in poverty.\n\n\"Things were more expensive I think back in the Seventies. Food was definitely more expensive, relatively speaking,\" he told the podcast.\n\n\"We had one holiday a year, which was a caravan in Skegness. We had a garden full of vegetables, [with] chickens at the bottom for the eggs.\n\n\"Perhaps if some people today could go back in a time machine and see how we lived, they'd think we were very, very, poor. But I didn't see that at the time.\"\n\nWhen challenged that people some parts of the country today would not have a garden to grow vegetables in, he replied: \"The point I was making was people were more resourceful when I was growing up as a child.\n\n\"They were more resourceful. My parents were the children of men that had fought in the war, they'd gone through very, very difficult times.\n\n\"So it was a different culture, there was a different outlook on life. And they made do.\n\n\"My dad always said to me - if you need more money, go and work a weekend shift, do a bit of overtime. It wasn't 'complain on Facebook or Twitter or go and do a TikTok video or just complain to government'.\"\n\nPolitical opponents of the Tory deputy chairman have tried to use his ability to hit headlines against him\n\nMr Anderson, who grew up in Ashfield, Nottinghamshire, a former mining area which he now represents as MP, was appointed deputy Tory chairman by Rishi Sunak last month.\n\nSince then he has found himself at the centre of media storms for his outspoken views on issues such as migrant Channel crossings, his support for the death penalty, and the use of food banks.\n\nBefore his appointment, he was branded \"out of touch\" last year for suggesting people needed to learn how to cook and budget \"properly\", rather than use food banks.\n\nHe later defended his comments, saying he was glad to have started a \"debate\" on the issue.\n\nIn his interview with Nick Robinson, he said anyone earning an annual salary of \u00a335,000 \"should not be using a food bank\" when asked about a row over whether nurses had used the resource.\n\nHe said that whenever he talked about the issue, his inbox was flooded with people making supportive comments \"saying 'you know what Lee, thank goodness somebody is speaking out, we actually agree with you'\".\n\nPressed on whether higher housing costs in places like Barking, a London borough, could lead people on this income to use a food bank, he replied: \"Where are they?\"\n\n\"I get pensioners contacting me from southern constituencies who are on peanuts, there's on less than twenty grand a year, they're not using foodbanks.\"\n\nAt a parliamentary debate following his interview, Mr Anderson went on to say food banks were \"being abused,\" with some families treating them \"like a weekly shop\".\n\nHe said there was a need for more education, to help families struggling with food costs to cook cheaper meals.\n\nHis comments earned him a rebuke from Labour MP Fleur Anderson, who accused him of making \"provocative statements completely detached from the facts\".\n\n\"There's a reason for [the] huge increase in needing to go to foodbanks, and that is because the system is entirely broken, and that is after 13 years of the Conservatives breaking that system,\" she added.\n\nThere was also criticism from the SNP's Patricia Gibson, who said food bank use was increasing because of rising prices, and compared Mr Anderson to \"Mr Scrooge without the compassion\".\n\nShe accused him of trying to \"lecture\" people who were struggling with living costs, branding it \"staggeringly insensitive\".","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/uk-politics-64814421"}
{"title":"Constance Marten and Mark Gordon: 'Painstaking' search for missing baby continues - police - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-01","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"Police say the baby of Constance Marten and Mark Gordon may have come to serious harm.","section":"UK","content":"How the search for Constance Marten and Mark Gordon unfolded\n\nConstance Marten, 35, comes from an affluent family and has inherited wealth, but she is estranged from her relatives. Mark Gordon is a 47-year-old registered sex offender who spent 20 years in prison in the US after having been convicted in Florida of a rape he committed aged 14. The couple met in 2016. They are thought to have been leading a nomadic lifestyle after the police say the couple left their home in south-east London in September 2022, when Marten began showing signs of pregnancy. The couple's car was found burning on the side of the motorway near Bolton in early January. Police discovered that Marten had given birth a day or two earlier without any medical assistance. They started searching for the couple right away \u2013 but despite numerous CCTV sightings placing them in various locations around the country, Marten and Gordon weren\u2019t found until 27 February, when they were arrested on the outskirts of Brighton. The search for the baby continues.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/live\/uk-64813521"}
{"title":"Yorkshire cricket racism hearing begins: Michael Vaughan, Azeem Rafiq & all you need to know - BBC Sport","published_date":"2023-03-01","authors":null,"description":"Michael Vaughan and Azeem Rafiq are due to appear at a hearing into the Yorkshire racism scandal, which starts on Wednesday.","section":null,"content":"Last updated on .From the section Cricket\n\nThe racism scandal that has engulfed Yorkshire County Cricket Club and the English game since 2020 will come to a head over the coming days.\n\nMore than two and a half years have passed since former Yorkshire spinner Azeem Rafiq first made claims of racism at Yorkshire, later calling English cricket \"institutionally racist\".\n\nOn Wednesday, a long-awaited Cricket Discipline Commission (CDC) hearing will begin in London and run until 9 March.\n\nHere is everything you need to know.\n\nWhat is due to happen?\n\nA panel will hear disciplinary proceedings brought against Yorkshire and seven individuals who were all charged by the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) with bringing the game into disrepute.\n\nFormer England captain Michael Vaughan is set to be the only charged individual to appear in person following a number of withdrawals from the disciplinary process.\n\nMatthew Hoggard, Tim Bresnan, John Blain, Andrew Gale and Richard Pyrah have all withdrawn, while Gary Ballance has admitted liability in response to his charge and will not participate.\n\nYorkshire will also not attend after the club pleaded guilty to four ECB amended charges.\n\nThe hearing is to take place in public - a first for the CDC - at the request of Rafiq, who will also appear in person.\n\nHowever, this does not mean the general public will be able to watch; instead, accredited journalists will be permitted to watch a live stream of the hearing at its London location.\n\nThe panel will consist of former Derbyshire batsman Tim O'Gorman (chair), Mark Milliken-Smith KC and Dr Seema Patel.\n\nWhat are the allegations against Vaughan?\n\nRafiq alleges Vaughan said \"too many of you lot, we need to do something about it\" to him and three other Asian players in 2009 while they were all at Yorkshire.\n\nEngland bowler Adil Rashid and former Pakistan bowler Rana Naved-ul-Hasan have corroborated the allegation, which Vaughan \"completely and categorically denies\".\n\nThe fourth player in the group, bowler Ajmal Shahzad, has said he has no recollection of the event .\n\nVaughan was not involved in the BBC's coverage of the Ashes in Australia over the following winter, but returned to commentary in March 2022.\n\nHe stepped back from his work at the BBC in June last year after he was charged by the ECB and two groups of BBC staff raised concerns about his continued involvement in the broadcaster's cricket coverage.\n\nVaughan captained England in 51 Tests between 2003 and 2008. He played his entire domestic career at Yorkshire - between 1993 and 2009 - before becoming a summariser on BBC Test Match Special.\n\nThis is the latest chapter in what has become one of the most damaging and prolonged episodes in the history of English cricket, one that has forced its most successful county - and also the wider game - to confront uncomfortable questions over dressing-room culture and language, as well as its record on representation, inclusivity and diversity.\n\nTo many it may seem farcical that all but one of the defendants will not be present when proceedings get under way at the International Arbitration Centre on Fleet Street in London, but there will still be much at stake:\n\nFor cash-strapped Yorkshire, who will be braced for a possible points deduction or heavy fine, exacerbating the financial challenges the club is already facing after spending millions of pounds on compensation to former staff and legal fees;\n\nFor Vaughan, whose BBC broadcasting work has been put on hold since he was charged, and which could now depend on him clearing his name;\n\nFor Rafiq, who has admitted making mistakes in the past, and who as the key witness is expected to be cross-examined by Vaughan's legal team, but who says this will finally offer him \"closure\";\n\nFor current England player Adil Rashid, who is expected to give evidence from Bangladesh via video link;\n\nAnd for the ECB, which has come under serious pressure to properly investigate what became a national scandal, but whose disciplinary process has also been heavily criticised by some of those involved for lacking independence and fairness.\n\nAnd with the publication of a landmark report into inequality in English cricket expected to follow soon after this hearing ends, the game is now braced for another period of intense scrutiny.\n\nHow did we get here?\n\u2022 None Azeem Rafiq: What England's cricket racism scandal is all about\n\u2022 None Azeem Rafiq: What we learned from DCMS hearing into racism at Yorkshire\n\nFormer Yorkshire spinner Rafiq first made claims of historical racism at Headingley in an interview with the Cricket Badger podcast in August 2020.\n\nThe county commissioned law firm Squire Patton Boggs to investigate and, more than a year after Rafiq's initial allegations, a summarised version of a report was published in September 2021. Seven of Rafiq's 43 claims were upheld and Yorkshire apologised for \"racial harassment and bullying\".\n\nHowever, the panel's report was not published and no player, employee or executive faced disciplinary action as a result of its findings. The outcome sparked widespread criticism and in November 2021 Yorkshire was temporarily stripped of the right to host international matches at Headingley by the ECB.\n\nFormer chairman Roger Hutton and chief executive Mark Arthur resigned in November 2021, the same month in which Rafiq appeared in front of a Digital, Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) select committee to give evidence which included branding English cricket \"institutionally racist\".\n\nIn December 2021, Hutton's replacement as Yorkshire chairman Lord Kamlesh Patel sacked 16 members of the club's coaching and backroom staff, including head coach Gale and bowling coach Pyrah. Both would eventually agree compensation over a claim for unfair dismissal.\n\nPatel's reforms at Yorkshire saw the club reinstated as an international venue in time for summer 2022.\n\nShortly before Headingley hosted England's Test against New Zealand in June 2022, the ECB announced it had charged the county and seven individuals.\n\nGale, who denies the allegations made by Rafiq, withdrew from the disciplinary process two weeks later, calling it \"tainted\".\n\nIn August 2022, Ballance, who has admitted to using racist language towards Rafiq, issued an apology which Rafiq accepted. Ballance has since been released from his Yorkshire contract and returned to play for his native Zimbabwe.\n\nRafiq and Gale were reprimanded by the ECB in October 2022 for historical social media posts of a racist nature. Both admitted making the posts, which were not related and for which Rafiq apologised.\n\nIn November 2022, the CDC took the unprecedented step of opting to hold its hearing in public and scheduled it to take place at the end of that month.\n\nAn appeal against that decision from the respondents delayed the hearing and was ultimately struck down.\n\nIn February 2023, former players Matthew Hoggard, Tim Bresnan and John Blain withdrew from the disciplinary process, with former Yorkshire bowling coach Pyrah also pulling out days later.\n\nLast week, Yorkshire admitted documents about racism allegations against the club were deleted under a previous regime.\n\nWhat were the claims against the others?\n\nIn his witness statement, Rafiq accused former England bowler Hoggard of using racist slurs against him and other Asian players \"on a daily basis\".\n\nHe said that after disclosing his experiences in the media, Hoggard called him to apologise and he thanked his former team-mate for his apology.\n\nHoggard, who took 248 wickets in 67 Tests for England, played for Yorkshire between 1996 and 2009, before joining Leicestershire until his retirement in 2013.\n\nHe withdrew his co-operation from the disciplinary process in February saying it \"was not an admission of guilt\" but he didn't think the process was \"fair\", adding the investigation had \"failed everybody\".\n\nRafiq accuses Bresnan of \"frequently\" making racist comments towards him during their time together at Headingley and said Bresnan's behaviour led him to have \"suicidal thoughts\".\n\nBresnan, who played 23 Tests and 85 one-day internationals for England, apologised to Rafiq for the bullying claims but denied allegations of racism.\n\nBresnan left Yorkshire for Warwickshire in June 2020 and his new club said he would face no disciplinary action but would take cultural awareness training. He subsequently retired from cricket in January 2022.\n\nLike Hoggard, Bresnan withdrew from the disciplinary process because he does not believe he will get a fair hearing.\n\nIn December 2021, Gale was among 16 members of staff sacked by Yorkshire in a widespread overhaul of its senior leadership under the new regime.\n\nGale won a claim for unfair dismissal against Yorkshire in June last year. The county said the sackings were \"necessary and justified\" and chairman Patel has maintained it was \"absolutely the right thing to do\".\n\nFormer batter Gale, who spent his entire career at Yorkshire, was suspended as part of an investigation into a tweet he sent in 2010, before he was sacked.\n\nHe and Rafiq were among five current and former players reprimanded by the ECB for historical social media posts of a racist nature in October. Rafiq had previously apologised for a Facebook exchange from 2011 containing anti-Semitic messages.\n\nGale said the disciplinary process was \"tainted\" when he withdrew in June 2022.\n\nFormer bowling coach Pyrah was also one of the sacked 16 members of staff and also won a claim for unfair dismissal last year.\n\nRafiq claims Pyrah, who also had a 12-year playing career at Yorkshire until 2015, dismissed his complaints of bullying and racism by other players.\n\nRafiq said he told Pyrah he was being bullied by Bresnan but he was instructed to ignore it.\n\nPyrah withdrew from the process earlier this month, saying it has not been \"open, fair or transparent\".\n\nIn his testimony to a DCMS select committee, Rafiq said the atmosphere at Yorkshire became \"toxic\" after Gale retired from playing to replace Jason Gillespie as head coach and Ballance took over as captain in 2016.\n\nBallance previously admitted using racist language about Rafiq's Pakistani heritage towards him. Rafiq said he accepted an apology in person from Ballance in August, and called for his former team-mate to be \"allowed to get on with his life\".\n\nYorkshire have since released Ballance from his contract at his request and he has started representing his country of birth Zimbabwe, making his debut for them against Ireland in January.\n\nRafiq alleges that in 2011 then Yorkshire second-team coach Blain \"humiliated\" him by shouting at him and telling an umpire \"get him off the ground now\" when Rafiq attended a training session. Yorkshire had suspended Rafiq for a month over a tweet he had sent but he said his ban did not prohibit him from attending training or watching matches at the ground.\n\nFormer fast bowler Blain, who was capped 118 times by Scotland, has been \"temporarily suspended\" from Cricket Scotland's Hall of Fame.\n\nLike Hoggard and Bresnan, Blain withdrew from the disciplinary process because he does not believe he will get a fair hearing.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/sport\/cricket\/64784843"}
{"title":"Invest in Northern Ireland to get single market access, says Andrea Leadsom - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-01","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"Andrea Leadsom defends Rishi Sunak's Brexit deal as the SNP accuse him of \"moonlighting as a Remainer\".","section":"UK Politics","content":"Andrea Leadsom says the PM's Brexit deal is \"fantastic\" for NI\n\nCompanies in Great Britain that want access to the EU single market should invest in Northern Ireland, senior Tory MP Andrea Leadsom has said.\n\nNorthern Ireland firms will continue to be part of the single market under Rishi Sunak's Brexit deal with the EU.\n\nThe PM says it will create \"the world's most exciting economic zone\".\n\nBut the SNP accused him of \"moonlighting as a Remainer\" and putting Scotland at a \"competitive disadvantage\".\n\nMs Leadsom, a leading Brexiteer, said the deal gives Northern Ireland a \"unique opportunity for inward investment\".\n\nBut she acknowledged in an interview with BBC News that it would also lead to questions about why all UK companies should not be able to access the single market, as they were able to do before Brexit.\n\n\"Obviously the sort of rejoinder from someone who didn't want to leave the EU is 'well, we all used to have that',\" she told the BBC's Damian Grammaticas.\n\n\"But the reality is Northern Ireland will be an integral and precious part of the UK, which is a free and sovereign independent nation, but it will also have access to the EU single market.\"\n\nIf businesses on the mainland wanted access to the single market they should \"invest in Northern Ireland\", she said, adding that it would be \"fantastic\" for the region.\n\n\"It'll be a win win for Northern Ireland and for GB businesses,\" added the former business secretary.\n\nOn a visit to a Coca Cola factory in County Antrim, Mr Sunak said that if his deal, known as the Windsor framework, on new post-Brexit trading rules is implemented \"Northern Ireland is in the unbelievably special position - unique position in the entire world, European continent - in having privileged access, not just to the UK home market, which is enormous, but also the European Union single market.\n\n\"Nobody else has that. No-one. Only you guys: only here, and that is the prize.\"\n\nBut SNP Europe and EU accession spokesman Alyn Smith accused Mr Sunak - an ardent and early supporter of Brexit - of hypocrisy.\n\n\"Rishi Sunak is moonlighting as a Remainer as he perfectly outlines how Scotland will be at a competitive disadvantage under Westminster control and outside the European Union,\" he said.\n\n\"Northern Ireland voted to stay within the European Union and it is getting its wishes, however Scotland voted overwhelmingly to reject Brexit but we are living with the economic consequences every single day.\"\n\nPressed on the issue, the prime minister's official spokesman told reporters: \"The British people made a decision in 2016 and we are seeing the benefits of that decision, whether that's in the ability to change our environment laws, some of the tax elements the prime minister talked about just today, in fact.\n\n\"With regards to Northern Ireland, it is simply a fact that because of our respect for the Good Friday Agreement and the central importance: Northern Ireland's unique position means it needs to have access to both markets, not least to avoid a border on the island of Ireland, which nobody wants to see.\n\n\"That puts it in a unique position and what the framework does is finally cement those capabilities.\"","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/uk-politics-64802929"}
{"title":"Human error to blame for train crash - Greek PM - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-01","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"At least 43 people died in the head-on collision between a passenger service and freight train.","section":"Europe","content":"This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. It smells like burning metal and plastic - BBC reporter sends video from scene of fatal crash\n\nOne of Greece's worst-ever rail disasters, which claimed at least 43 lives, was due to \"tragic human error\", the country's prime minister has said.\n\nPM Kyriakos Mitsotakis spoke after visiting the site of Tuesday night's head-on collision between a passenger service and a freight train.\n\nThe local stationmaster has been charged with manslaughter. The Greek transport minister has resigned.\n\nRescue teams are continuing to search for survivors.\n\nThe accident happened just before midnight on Tuesday. The passenger train carrying some 350 people collided with a freight train as it emerged from a tunnel after leaving the town of Larissa.\n\nIt is still unclear why the two services were running on the same track.\n\nThe stationmaster, who is in charge of signalling, denies wrongdoing and has blamed the accident on a possible technical failure.\n\nAfter visiting the site, Mr Mitsotakis said everything pointed to \"a tragic human error\".\n\n\"Justice will do its job,\" he said in a televised address. \"People will be held accountable, while the state will be on the side of the people.\"\n\nAnnouncing his resignation, Transport Minister Kostas Karamanlis stated: \"When something so tragic happens, it is impossible to continue and pretend it didn't happen.\"\n\nTrade unions said collisions have multiple factors and the crash had highlighted chronic deficiencies, including lack of staff, broken signals and outdated facilities.\n\nThe passenger service carrying some 350 people crashed with a freight train\n\nThe first four carriages of the passenger train were derailed and the first two caught fire and were \"almost completely destroyed\", Thessaly regional governor Kostas Agorastos said.\n\nThe train was travelling from Athens to Thessaloniki, which has a sizeable student population, and it is believed many on board were students returning there after a holiday for Greek Orthodox lent.\n\nSurvivors have described the chaotic scenes after the crash, with one shaken passenger telling the BBC: \"People were panicking and screaming.\"\n\nGiannis Antonoglou, who escaped from the fifth compartment of the passenger train, said the windows suddenly smashed and \"we ended up being tilted 45 degrees as if about to tip\".\n\nStergios Minenis, a 28-year-old passenger who jumped to safety from the wreckage, told Reuters news agency: \"The fire was immediate. As we were turning over we were being burned.\"\n\nSome passengers said they were forced to break carriage windows with their bodies or luggage to escape the burning wreckage.\n\nLarissa's mayor said some of those who died would only be identifiable through genetic testing.\n\nRelatives of missing passengers have provided DNA samples to help the identify bodies, a hospital in Larissa said.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/world-europe-64817894"}
{"title":"Sainsbury's to axe Argos depots with 1,400 jobs hit - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-01","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"The supermarket giant plans to shut two of the Argos sites over the next three years.","section":"Business","content":"Sainsbury's is planning to close two Argos depots over the next three years in a move that will impact more than 1,400 jobs.\n\nThe supermarket giant aims to shut its Argos warehouse in Basildon, Essex, and a depot in Heywood, Greater Manchester by 2026.\n\nBoth Sainsbury's staff and those who work for an outsourced contractor will be affected, it said.\n\nThe firm is integrating its Sainsbury's and Argos operations to cut costs.\n\nThe grocer also said it would close its Milton Keynes office in response to flexible working across the group, but stressed no jobs would be impacted by the decision.\n\nHowever, it also announced that its three remaining Habitat showrooms will close later this year as it plans to launch a replacement digital showroom, which will see a small number of workers affected.\n\nSainsbury's chief executive Simon Roberts said it was a \"difficult\" decision but the business needed to become \"simpler, more efficient and more effective for customers\".\n\n\"We understand that this will be an unsettling time for affected colleagues, and we will support them however we can throughout this process.\"\n\nThe retailer said affected staff would get the chance to \"explore alternative roles\" within Sainsbury's and Argos.\n\nSainsbury's has been trying to integrate Argos, which it bought along with Habitat for \u00a31.4bn in 2016, with its wider business for several years.\n\nIn 2020 it shut most Argos shops on the High Street and moved 150 of them into its Sainsbury's stores, cutting thousands of jobs in the process.\n\nAs part of the latest plans, Sainsbury's also said that it will close its office in Milton Keynes due to the growth of flexible working since Covid.\n\nIt said \"on average only 11% of available desk space is regularly used by colleagues\".\n\nThe retailer said its decision to launch a digital showroom for Habitat products reflected the fact customers were increasingly shopping online.\n\nThe three remaining Habitat showrooms - in Brighton, Leeds and the Westfield shopping centre in London - will close later this year.\n\nSainsbury's said it was in talks with the \"small number\" of Habitat staff about their options.\n\nLast month, Tesco said more than 2,000 roles were at risk across its business as it announced more changes to the way it runs its supermarkets.\n\nThe grocer plans to cut 1,750 team manager posts across hundreds of its larger stores, while closing roles elsewhere.\n\nBy contrast, discounter Aldi is creating 6,000 new jobs across the UK this year.\n\nThe staff will be recruited for its distribution centres, as well as a number of new stores including in Norwich and Newcastle.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/business-64802615"}
{"title":"Jacob Rees-Mogg admits Covid test was couriered to his home during shortage - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-01","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"He accepted it might be seen as special treatment but said it allowed him to get back to work sooner.","section":"UK Politics","content":"The Telegraph says it has published texts that mention former cabinet minister Jacob Rees-Mogg\n\nJacob Rees-Mogg has admitted a Covid-19 test for his son was couriered to his home during a national shortage.\n\nHe accepted it might be deemed \"special treatment\" but defended the arrangement due to his workload as a cabinet minister at the time.\n\nWhatsApp messages leaked to the Telegraph appear to show former Health Secretary Matt Hancock's adviser helped send the test in September 2020.\n\nThe Telegraph has obtained more than 100,000 of Mr Hancock's messages.\n\nThe paper has published messages it says were sent on 10 September, 2020 by Allan Nixon, Mr Hancock's political special adviser at the time.\n\nOne suggests an initial test for one of Mr Rees-Mogg's children had been lost by the laboratory.\n\nIt goes on to say \"we've got a courier going to their family home tonight, child will take the test, and courier will take it straight to the lab. Should have result tomorrow am\".\n\nResponding on his GB News chat show on Wednesday, Mr Rees-Mogg said \"one of my children needed a test and that put everybody into quarantine\".\n\nWhen he was informed his child's initial test had been lost, \"it was raised with the department of health and they decided to send me a test to a member of my family\", he said.\n\n\"So if I received special treatment, it wasn't because I had requested it, but actually it allowed a government minister to get back to work with a child who didn't have Covid in the first place,\" the former business secretary said.\n\nHe said the Covid testing system had not been working but \"I accept it wasn't working for other people too\".\n\nLabour has urged the government to determine whether Mr Rees-Mogg received special treatment and not to \"hide\" behind the Covid inquiry.\n\nA spokesman for Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer said: \"The government is more than capable of answering those questions now and ensuring that we can have clarity and transparency on those issues.\"\n\nThe Liberal Democrats have written to Prime Minister Rishi Sunak to ask him what he knew and when regarding claims that ministers had access to \"priority testing\".\n\nThe party's deputy leader Daisy Cooper said: \"These reports are just more evidence that it's one rule for Conservative ministers and another for everyone else.\n\n\"The government must urgently publish exactly how many Conservative ministers, MPs and their families had access to priority testing when the public faced a national test shortage. The public deserves to know the truth.\"\n\nDuring Prime Minister's Questions on Wednesday, Mr Sunak said the inquiry was \"the right way for these things to be looked at\" and that he would not comment on \"piecemeal bits of information\".\n\nAround the time of the Rees-Mogg messages, Sarah Marsh, director of testing at NHS Test and Trace, tweeted \"heartfelt apologies to anyone who cannot get a Covid test at present\".\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. PMQs: Rishi Sunak quizzed on claims of leaked Hancock messages by Sir Keir Starmer\n\nIn the same month, media reports said government testing laboratories across the UK were facing a backlog of 185,000 Covid tests. At the time, people were asked to self-isolate if they or someone in their household were awaiting a test result.\n\nMr Hancock said it could take weeks to resolve issues around Covid testing and admitted there were \"operational challenges\" related to a surge in demand.\n\nThe Telegraph has been handed more than 100,000 WhatsApp messages linked to Mr Hancock's time as health secretary at the height of the pandemic.\n\nThe text messages were passed to the newspaper by journalist Isabel Oakeshott, who has been critical of lockdowns. Ms Oakeshott was given copies of the texts while helping Mr Hancock write his book, Pandemic Diaries.\n\nThe BBC has not seen or independently verified the WhatsApp messages nor the context in which they were sent.\n\nMr Hancock's spokesperson said the Telegraph had published \"partial leaks\" that presented a \"distorted account of the pandemic\" designed to \"fit an anti-lockdown agenda\".\n\nThe spokesperson said the messages had been made available to the public inquiry into the government's response to the pandemic.\n\n\"Instead of spinning and leaks we need the full, comprehensive inquiry, to ensure we are as well prepared as we can be for the next pandemic, whenever it comes,\" the spokesperson said.\n\nCorrection 30 March 2023: A reference was amended to clarify that people were not required to test negative to leave self-isolation in September 2020.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/uk-politics-64816834"}
{"title":"Omagh police shooting: Four men released over John Caldwell attack - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-01","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"Police have been granted more time to question two men over the attack in Omagh on 22 February.","section":"Northern Ireland","content":"John Caldwell remains in a critical but stable condition after the shooting\n\nFour men who had been arrested by police investigating the attempted murder of a senior officer in Northern Ireland last week have been released.\n\nDet Ch Insp John Caldwell remains in a critical but stable condition following the shooting in the car park of a sports complex in Omagh on 22 February.\n\nOn Tuesday, police said an extension had been granted to allow more time to question a 47-year-old man.\n\nThis will last until 22:00 GMT on Thursday.\n\nPreviously a court had also granted more time for officers to detain a 71-year-old man until 22:00 on Wednesday.\n\nThe dissident republican group the New IRA has admitted the shooting in the County Tyrone town as Mr Caldwell attended a youth sports event.\n\nThe Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) have said two gunmen fired 10 shots at the officer as he was putting footballs into the boot of his car.\n\nHis son was among children present at the time and at least two other vehicles were hit by bullets, police said.\n\nThe men released on Tuesday are aged 22, 38, 43 and 45.\n\nIn a statement on Tuesday evening, the PSNI said its investigation continued and it called for witnesses to come forward.\n\nOn Monday, police released CCTV footage of the car believed to be used by the gunmen.\n\nA blue Ford Fiesta had been bought in Ballyclare two weeks prior to the attack and stored in Belfast, where its plates were changed.\n\nIt was then spotted on the M1 driving towards the Coalisland and Omagh direction, the day before the shooting.\n\nPolice have said a blue Ford Fiesta was bought two weeks before the shooting and stored in Belfast\n\nThe car was later found burnt out on the Racolpa Road outside Omagh.\n\nA reward of up to \u00a320,000 is also being offered by the Crimestoppers charity.\n\nThe New IRA claimed responsibility in a typed statement that was taped to a wall beside shops in the Creggan estate on Sunday night.\n\nA forensic team was at the scene on Monday morning and removed it for further examination.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/uk-northern-ireland-64797677"}
{"title":"Cut parents' benefits over school truancy, suggests Michael Gove - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-01","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"The cabinet minister says the measure could help restore an \"ethic of responsibility\".","section":"UK Politics","content":"Parents should face child benefit cuts if they fail to ensure their children turn up at school, cabinet minster Michael Gove has suggested.\n\nSpeaking at a think tank, the levelling up secretary said the idea could help restore an \"ethic of responsibility\".\n\nMr Gove - who first proposed the idea in 2014 - said it would help tackle anti-social behaviour.\n\nDowning Street said parents could already be fined for children missing school.\n\nThe idea of cutting benefits for parents of truants was first suggested by Labour Prime Minister Tony Blair in 2002, but it was dropped in favour of the current fines system.\n\nMichael Gove resurrected the idea when he was education secretary under Prime Minister David Cameron but it was never implemented.\n\nSpeaking at an event held by Onward, a centre-right think tank, Mr Gove said: \"Particularly after Covid, we need to get back to an absolute rigorous focus on school attendance.\n\n\"One idea that we considered in the coalition years - but which the Liberal Democrats blocked - I think needs to be reconsidered again, is linking parental responsibility for attendance and good behaviour to the state.\n\n\"One of the ideas that we floated in the coalition years - which as I say, the Liberal Democrats rejected - was the idea that if children were persistently absent, that child benefit should be stopped.\n\n\"I think what we do need to do is think radically about restoring an ethic of responsibility,\" he added.\n\nCurrently, parents whose children miss school in England can be issued with \u00a360 fines, which rise to \u00a3120 if they are not paid within 21 days. They are normally issued by local councils.\n\nThey can also be ordered to attend parenting classes, or have a supervisor appointed to help them get their child into the classroom.\n\nThe use of fines dropped off during the pandemic due to an increase in home learning, but BBC research last year suggested they had started to pick up again.\n\nLast year, the government set out plans to introduce new national guidelines in England on the issuing of fines, and make schools draw up their own attendance policies.\n\nThe measures were later incorporated into the Schools Bill - however this legislation was dropped in December after it hit hurdles in Parliament.\n\nThe NAHT, a union representing school leaders, condemned Mr Gove's suggestion, adding that it was \"likely to be counter-productive\".\n\n\"It is very hard to see how consigning children to poverty and starvation will improve their school attendance,\" general secretary Paul Whiteman added.\n\n\"Persistent absence can only be successfully tackled by offering help, not punishment.\"\n\nLiberal Democrat education spokesperson Munira Wilson said: \"If Michael Gove thinks that the solution to encourage children back to school is to impoverish them, then he is living in a different century\".\n\nThe prime minister's official spokesperson said there were no plans to change the existing system.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/uk-politics-64803947"}
{"title":"Nigeria election results 2023: Bola Tinubu takes strong lead over Atiku Abubakar and Peter Obi - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-01","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"Opposition parties condemn the election as a sham as Bola Tinubu wins 36% of the vote.","section":"Africa","content":"Bola Tinubu based his campaign on his record of rebuilding Lagos\n\nBola Tinubu from Nigeria's ruling party has taken a strong lead as results are declared from Saturday's presidential election, amid opposition protests.\n\nMr Tinubu, 70, a wealthy businessman and former governor of Lagos state, has won 36% of the vote.\n\nFormer Vice-President Atiku Abubakar has 29%, while third-party candidate Peter Obi has 25%.\n\nThe parties of both Mr Abubakar and Mr Obi have called for the election to be cancelled and rerun.\n\nThey alleged that the inability of the electoral commission to upload results to its website showed that the results had been manipulated.\n\nMany voters reported problems with uploading results through the new electronic voting system, which was intended to speed up the process.\n\nThere were also widespread delays, with many polling stations opening several hours late, and some attacked by armed men. Voting was held overnight, and on Sunday in some areas.\n\nThe electoral commission says the opposition parties should take their complaints to court and is pressing ahead with the release of results.\n\nA candidate needs to have the most votes nationwide and at least a quarter of ballots cast in 25 of the 36 states, plus Abuja, to be declared the winner.\n\nIf those thresholds are not reached then there will be a run-off round between the top two candidates.\n\nPresident Muhammadu Buhari is stepping down after serving two terms, marked by economic stagnation and growing insecurity around the country - from an Islamist insurgency in the north-east, a nationwide crisis of kidnapping for ransom and separatist attacks in the south-east.\n\nThe election had been seen as a referendum on his time in office but Mr Tinubu seems to have managed to mobilise his supporters to vote.\n\nEarlier on Tuesday, a group of angry protesters denounced the electoral commission, known as Inec, outside the national collation centre in the capital, Abuja.\n\n\"Everything happening there is all lies, all lies, lies... they are cooking up results,\" one man told the BBC.\n\nAnother group held a counter-protest, urging the electoral commission to \"complete your job\" and calling on \"Nigerians to stand up for democracy\".\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Bina was hit with a sharp object while she was waiting to vote in Lagos\n\nEuropean Union observers said the electoral body's poor planning and communication had undermined trust in the process.\n\nThe ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) and Mr Atiku's Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) have dominated Nigeria since the end of military rule in 1999.\n\nMr Obi ran for president for the first time, promising to challenge the two-party system.\n\nHe has the support of many young people, who make up a third of registered voters. There are 15 other candidates.\n\nNigerians cast their votes in Saturday\u2019s general election. They had 18 candidates to choose from for president and people also voted for senators and members of the house of representatives. The BBC is using data provided by Nigeria\u2019s Independent National Electoral Commission (Inec) to tally the results. To win in the first round, a candidate must have the largest number of votes nationwide and at least 25% of the votes in two-thirds of the 36 states and Federal Capital Territory (Abuja) To win in the first round, a candidate must have the largest number of votes nationwide and at least 25% of the votes in two-thirds of the 36 states and Federal Capital Territory (Abuja) \n\n \n\n \n\n Click on map to see results in detail","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/world-africa-64805024"}
{"title":"Britain's guide dog shortage: Volunteers increase after BBC story - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-01","authors":null,"description":"Since Sean Dilley shared the story of his retiring guide dog, some 4,500 volunteers have come forward.","section":null,"content":"BBC Correspondent Sean Dilley told the story of his last walk with his guide dog Sammy in September 2022. Sammy retired after more than eight years of service.\n\nFollowing the coverage, the charity Guide Dogs has had a record number of applications to volunteer, with more than 4,500 people coming forward.\n\nBefore the pandemic there were around 5,000 guide dog partnerships - now there are 3,695. More than one in five people who had a guide dog before then now do not.\n\nSince then, the BBC has followed the stories of puppy raisers, fosterers and guide dog users to understand what needs to be done to fix Britain's guide dog shortage.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/uk-64806166"}
{"title":"House prices see biggest annual fall in over 10 years - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-01","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"House prices fell 1.1% in the year to February, the worst performance since 2012 outside the pandemic.","section":"Business","content":"UK house prices fell by 1.1% in the year to February, as higher mortgage rates and living costs made homes less affordable.\n\nAside from a small drop at the start of the pandemic, this was the first annual fall in property values since November 2012, according to Nationwide.\n\nPrices slipped on a monthly basis too, falling by 0.5% from January.\n\nThe building society said it would be \"hard for the market to regain much momentum in the near term\".\n\n\"Economic headwinds look set to remain relatively strong, with the labour market widely expected to weaken as the economy shrinks in the quarters ahead,\" said its chief economist Robert Gardner.\n\nHe added that mortgage rates remained \"well above\" the lows seen in 2021.\n\nThe price of an average property is now \u00a3257,406, down from \u00a3258,297 in January and 3.7% lower than its peak in August 2022.\n\nHouse prices have fallen on a monthly basis for six months in a row, according to Nationwide, as higher borrowing costs have squeezed buyers.\n\nMortgage rates were already rising last year as the Bank of England put up interest rates to tackle the soaring cost of living.\n\nBut mortgage rates after Liz Truss's mini-Budget in September threw financial markets into turmoil. They have fallen back since then but remain far above levels closer to 1% seen in late 2021.\n\nUK banks approved the lowest number of mortgages in January since 2009, excluding a slump at the start of the pandemic, according to Bank of England figures published on Wednesday.\n\nA total of 39,637 mortgages for house purchase were approved during the month, down from 40,540 in December.\n\nLooking to the future, Mr Gardner predicted property prices would fall by 5-6% from their peak in August 2022 to the trough which \"feels like a relatively soft landing given the pressure on household finances\".\n\nHowever, he added that forecast was dependent on the labour market not weakening more than people expect.\n\nPantheon Macroeconomics said people were holding off buying new homes because they expected house prices to drop further. The forecaster reckons house prices will fall over the coming months to about 8% below their peak.\n\nIt said mortgage rates appeared to have \"hit a floor for now\", and households' real disposable incomes would be \"squeezed again\" in April by the withdrawal of energy bill subsidies by the government.\n\nIt added it had \"tentatively pencilled in a 5% rise in house prices for 2024\", as it believes the Bank of England will start to reduce interest rates next year.\n\nCapital Economics said the further fall in house prices in February would \"keep optimism based on reports that demand has recovered in check\".\n\n\"Indeed, even if buyer volumes have recovered, the amount they can spend on a new home has been reduced by higher mortgage rates.\"","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/business-64807971"}
{"title":"Yorkshire cricket racism hearing told Tim Bresnan used racial slur towards Azeem Rafiq sister - BBC Sport","published_date":"2023-03-01","authors":null,"description":"Former England bowler Tim Bresnan used a racial slur towards Azeem Rafiq's sister, a hearing into allegations of racism at Yorkshire is told.","section":null,"content":"Former England bowler Tim Bresnan used a racial slur towards Azeem Rafiq's sister, a hearing into allegations of racism at Yorkshire has been told.\n\nRafiq claimed Bresnan used the term towards his sister Amna during a media day at Headingley in 2014.\n\nBresnan, who is not taking part in the process, denies the allegation.\n\nThe claim was part of the evidence heard on the first day of the Cricket Discipline Commission hearing into allegations of racism at Yorkshire.\n\nThe England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) also set out its cases against former England bowler Matthew Hoggard and ex-Yorkshire coach John Blain, who have both withdrawn from proceedings.\n\nThe ECB will state its cases against former Yorkshire head coach Andrew Gale and ex-bowling coach Richard Pyrah, who will both not attend, on Thursday before moving on to former England captain Michael Vaughan, who is set to appear.\n\nRafiq briefly spoke to confirm witness statements regarding Hoggard, Bresnan and Blain but the panel said they had no need to ask him further questions. He is set to be called upon on Thursday.\n\u2022 None Yorkshire cricket racism hearing begins - all you need to know\n\nRafiq said former Yorkshire team-mates Bresnan and Gary Ballance used the phrase in reference to his sister's Pakistani heritage when they saw her at the media day while she was on work experience with the county.\n\nBallance has previously admitted using the word during his time at Yorkshire. He has admitted liability in response to his charge and will not participate.\n\nThe allegation formed part of the ECB's case against Bresnan, who has been charged with bringing the game into disrepute.\n\nThe ECB's lawyer Jane Mulcahy, speaking at the International Arbitration Centre in London, said Rafiq also alleged Bresnan used the racial slur towards or about Asian women he found attractive from about 2014 onwards.\n\nRafiq also claimed Bresnan, now 38, used the phrase to refer to an Asian woman who walked past them in a bar at a team hotel in Birmingham in July 2018.\n\nBresnan, who played 23 Tests and 85 one-day internationals for England and won two Ashes series, said he had never and would never use these terms.\n\nIn his initial response to the ECB and an interview with the governing body, Bresnan denied he had ever met Amna Rafiq. Later, he admitted he had seen her from afar when she was working at Leicester.\n\nBresnan, who withdrew from proceedings in February, also denied ever being alone in a bar with Rafiq.\n\nWhat are the other claims against Bresnan?\n\nThe two other parts of the charge against Bresnan concern allegations he used the terms \"the brothers\" and \"you lot\" in reference to Asian players at Yorkshire.\n\nRafiq alleged Bresnan would regularly refer to him and other Asian players including England spinner Adil Rashid as \"the brothers\".\n\nIt is also claimed Bresnan used the term towards Rafiq, Rashid, Ajmal Shahzad and Rana Naved-ul-Hasan before a Twenty20 match against Nottinghamshire at Trent Bridge in June 2009.\n\nVaughan is accused of saying \"too many of you lot, we need to do something about it\" to those four Asian players before the same match, which he \"completely and categorically denies\".\n\nBresnan said he had no recollection of asking \"what are the brothers doing for dinner?\" and said he was unlikely to use that phrase. He said he did use the term \"brothers\" or \"brother\" but not in a racial context.\n\nShahzad said in his interview with the ECB that he did not hear Bresnan use racist terminology but he declined to provide a witness statement to the hearing.\n\nRafiq accused Bresnan of using the phrase \"you lot\" regularly, and specifically towards him and Rashid before a County Championship match against Derbyshire on 15 August 2012.\n\nBresnan admitted using the term regularly but denied it was in a racial context. He also said he had no recollection of the specific game against Derbyshire.\n\nBresnan is also accused of asking former Yorkshire player Moin Ashraf \"why do you lot pray before you bowl?\" during T20 Finals Day in August 2012. Bresnan said he asked because he was genuinely interested and denied using the phrase \"you lot\" as part of the question.\n\nThe ECB's case is that it is \"more likely than not\" Bresnan used these phrases in a racist or discriminatory manner, given Yorkshire have admitted a \"systemic\" use of such language during the relevant period, that Bresnan has admitted using the terms - albeit denying any racial connotation in their use - and that others involved in the case have admitted using such terms.\n\nThe ECB have to prove their cases to the civil standard - that on the \"balance of probabilities\" the alleged conduct did occur.\n\nIn the ECB's opening submissions, Mulcahy took the opportunity to \"correct a number of misrepresentations\" about the disciplinary process she claimed had been made by Bresnan, Blain, Pyrah and Hoggard to the media.\n\nPyrah and Bresnan both claimed they had never been interviewed during the ECB's investigation, but the ECB said it has evidence to the contrary in the form of interview transcripts.\n\nHoggard made a similar claim, but the ECB has evidence showing that after it initially wrote to him with the opportunity to provide written responses to the allegations made against him, he did so before informing the ECB he would not respond further, therefore denying himself the opportunity of an interview.\n\nMulcahy also questioned Hoggard's claim he was not invited to participate in the investigation into Rafiq's claims by law firm Squire Patton Bogg (SPB), which upheld seven of the 43 allegations.\n\nShe said emails from former acting chief executive Paul Hudson to Hoggard included attached emails from the investigation team to Hoggard, who denies receiving those messages. Hudson also reported the investigation team left a voicemail for Hoggard in March 2021.\n\nFormer England bowler Hoggard was charged by the ECB following allegations he used racial slurs as well as referring to Rafiq and other Asian players in the Yorkshire squad as \"you lot\".\n\nHe admitted to using the first racist term alleged and while he does not remember specifically using the second, he denied any racist or discriminatory intent. He also denied referring to Asian players or any other ethnic group as \"you lot\".\n\nIt is also alleged Ashes winner Hoggard used the term \"token black man\" or \"TBM\" towards Ismail Dawood in 2004 and\/or 2005 in the dressing room and in public.\n\nHoggard claims ex-wicketkeeper and umpire Dawood gave himself the nickname on Hoggard's stag do in Dublin.\n\nDawood told BBC Sport in February this was \"another feeble attempt to malign and ridicule\" and was \"simply not true\", and in his witness statement said Hoggard had used the phrase throughout the 2004 season.\n\nWhat is Blain charged with?\n\nThe ECB charged Blain with using a racist phrase to describe Asian individuals during pre-season training at Headingley in 2010, as well as on other occasions at Yorkshire during that year and 2011. Blain denies the allegation.\n\nRafiq alleges that on one occasion Blain used the term, he was pulled up for it by a team-mate and responded that it was \"like calling a British person 'a Brit'\".\n\nIn his witness statement, former Scotland bowler Majid Haq said then team-mate Blain used the term in Nairobi in January 2007. Blain said in response that it was like calling Australians 'Aussies' and New Zealanders 'Kiwis'. Haq is set to give evidence on Friday.\n\nBlain denies both incidents took place and, in the case of the latter, alleged witnesses deny any recollection of the conversation.\n\nIn laying out its case, the ECB noted the \"striking\" similarities of Blain's defence during the alleged incidents. It also said it was \"notable\" that Blain and Ballance overlapped in their time at Yorkshire.\n\nIn the cases against Blain, Hoggard and Bresnan, Mulcahy said the panel could draw an \"adverse inference\" from their non-participation in the disciplinary proceedings.\n\nWhat is happening in the hearing?\n\nIt has been more than two-and-a-half years since former Yorkshire spinner Rafiq first made claims of racism at the county, later calling English cricket \"institutionally racist\".\n\nThe hearing concludes on 9 March and the opening four days of proceedings are being held in public. The rest will be conducted in private.\n\nA three-person panel will hear disciplinary proceedings brought against Yorkshire and seven individuals who were all charged by the ECB with bringing the game into disrepute.\n\nThe panel comprises Cricket Discipline Commission chair, lawyer and former Derbyshire batsman Tim O'Gorman, Mark Milliken-Smith KC - a lawyer with specialist knowledge of sports law - and Dr Seema Patel, a senior law lecturer at Nottingham Trent University.\n\nYorkshire will also not attend after the club pleaded guilty to four ECB amended charges, which were detailed on Wednesday.\n\nThe county were accused of having \"mishandled\" the SPB investigation into Rafiq's initial claims of racism and charged with deleting relevant emails and\/or documents held electronically, which the club last week confirmed had happened.\n\nThe ECB stated Yorkshire \"failed to take adequate action\" on complaints of racist abuse against crowd members from fellow spectators during a match at Headingley in 2017 and at Scarborough in 2018.\n\nYorkshire were also accused of failing to address the \"systemic use of racist or discriminatory language over a long period\" by employees or players at the club.\n\u2022 None Was it a mistake to sell off British Gas? Find out if the privatisation of the company could have had an impact on today's energy price crisis\n\u2022 None Can she help struggling learners pass their test?","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/sport\/cricket\/64814128"}
{"title":"Rishi Sunak seeking support for Brexit deal in Westminster - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-01","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"The PM is seeking support from the influential 1922 Committee as well as Eurosceptic MPs about his post-Brexit trade agreement.","section":"UK","content":"Sophie from Holywood hopes Stormont will be restored after Monday's deal Image caption: Sophie from Holywood hopes Stormont will be restored after Monday's deal\n\nIn Belfast, a common hope among young people is that a deal will lead to a restored Stormont.\n\nSpeaking outside Queen's University in the south of the city, Sophie Durston admits she is clued up on the Brexit process, but hasn't read Monday's deal just yet.\n\n\"I have mixed opinions about any sort of Brexit deal in Northern Ireland.\n\n\"There's so much unrest - being of Europe, being part of Ireland, being part of Britain - it's a very contentious issue for here.\n\n\"I hope Stormont will get back - there are MLAs who want to be up there doing the work - but it's getting that final party in,\" she says.\n\nJodie hopes the deal leads to restored devolution, adding that it \"seems like the best way forward\".\n\n\"I think it can depend on what community you live in as to whether you like it or not.\"\n\nRory McCandless from Ballymena says there is too much division at Stormont Image caption: Rory McCandless from Ballymena says there is too much division at Stormont\n\nBut some, like Rory, aren't as hopeful.\n\n\"I can't see the assembly back up and running any time soon - there's just too much division here,\" he says.\n\n\"In terms of a future I would like to stay here but a lot of my friends are heading on.\n\n\"Brexit does matter to people my age - it's our future.\"\n\nEoin from County Fermanagh agrees, saying the deal will not make a dent in the current political impasse.\n\u2022 Read more: What do people in NI think of new protocol deal?","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/live\/uk-64794293"}
{"title":"Constance Marten arrest: Police fear baby has come to serious harm - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-01","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"Constance Marten and Mark Gordon were arrested on suspicion of gross negligence manslaughter.","section":"UK","content":"This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Det Supt Lewis Basford: \"We must consider that the baby has come to serious harm\"\n\nA fingertip search of a vast area of around 90 square miles is being carried out for a missing baby.\n\nHundreds of officers are scouring land near Brighton and said they fear the infant has come to \"serious harm\".\n\nSniffer dogs, drones and thermal cameras are being used in a desperate effort to find the baby alive.\n\nPolice want more time to question parents Constance Marten and Mark Gordon on suspicion of gross negligence manslaughter.\n\nThey were detained on Monday after a 53-day search which began when their car was found on fire by the side of a motorway near Bolton in Lancashire.\n\nPolice believe Ms Marten had recently given birth and say the baby may have been born in the back of the vehicle, without a midwife or medical attention.\n\nMs Marten and Gordon - a convicted rapist and registered sex offender - are in custody but have not revealed anything to investigators about the baby's whereabouts, condition or its sex.\n\nThe search area stretches from Brighton to Newhaven and up to the South Down, and it is being combed inch by inch.\n\nPeople living close to the search area are helping. Two told the BBC they alerted police to a pair of pink children's earmuffs discarded on the ground yesterday.\n\nSearch teams have been seen looking through thick bramble, allotments and inside bins for the missing two-month-old or any clues that could offer hope.\n\nOfficers from London Search and Rescue (LONSAR) search the area in Wild Park Local Nature Reserve in Brighton on Wednesday\n\nOne dog-walker said it was like looking for a needle in a haystack, but police have urged members of the public to remain vigilant.\n\nWith night closing in, temperatures are expected to fall to little over freezing tonight.\n\nMs Marten, 35, and Gordon were arrested on Monday after a member of the public spotted them in a shop and alerted police.\n\nThey were initially arrested on suspicion of child neglect but were re-arrested on Tuesday on suspicion of gross negligence manslaughter.\n\nSpeaking at a press conference on Wednesday afternoon, Det Supt Lewis Basford from the Metropolitan Police said a huge search had continued throughout the night.\n\nMembers of the public have been asked to report any unusual activity or \"suspicious items\" they may have seen in recent weeks.\n\nInquiries are also being carried out in the South Downs and in Newhaven, where the couple were spotted with their baby on January 8, the last confirmed sighting prior to the arrest.\n\nIt is believed they were sleeping rough outdoors and were previously spotted carrying a blue tent.\n\nTeams were seen working in Moulsecoomb Wild Park, around a mile from Stanmer Villas in Brighton where the couple were arrested, earlier on Wednesday.\n\nThe officers searched under sticks and logs close to where the area meets Hollingbury Golf Course.\n\nVolunteers from London Search and Rescue have been drafted in to bolster efforts.\n\nAllotments and the golf course were searched on Tuesday. A Facebook Group for the Roedale Valley allotments were told police had broken into every shed on the site in their search for the baby.\n\nA car belonging to Ms Marten and Gordon, 48, was found on fire on the side of the M61 motorway in Bolton on 5 January.\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser.\n\nPolice said the family left the scene and travelled to Liverpool, Essex, London and East Sussex.\n\nThey appeared to cover their faces when in public, travelling at night and using cash to purchase supplies, apparently attempting to avoid detection.\n\nTheir home is in Eltham, in south-east London, but they have been living nomadically since September last year when Ms Marten first started to show signs of pregnancy.\n\nPolice have not ruled out that someone could be looking after the baby - though they added this was unlikely.\n\nDet Supt Lewis Basford said the risk to the baby increased as time went on.\n\nHe said on Tuesday that police must now \"be open to the fact this may not end in the way we would like\".\n\nConstance Marten and Mark Gordon disappeared with a newborn baby more than seven weeks ago\n\nHundreds of officers and search specialists have been deployed in the area\n\nPolice previously said Ms Marten's inherited wealth may have allowed the couple to remain at large for an extended period.\n\nShe is from a privileged background, having lived in a stately home growing up.\n\nShe became estranged from her family after meeting 48-year-old Gordon at drama school in 2016.\n\nThey believe the baby was alive at the time of the last previous sighting of the family in Newhaven, but little more is known about the family's movements in the weeks since.\n\nAfter the pair were found on Monday, Ms Marten's estranged father Napier Marten told the Independent he felt \"immense relief\", though this was \"tempered by the very alarming news [her] baby has yet to be found\"\n\nPeople charged with gross negligence manslaughter could face up to 18 years in prison if found guilty over a death caused by negligent behaviour.\n\nThis is different to unlawful act manslaughter, where a prison term can be up to 24 years if someone is proven to have intentionally done something unlawful or dangerous that inadvertently caused death.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/uk-64808412"}
{"title":"Ed Sheeran says wife developed tumour in pregnancy, as he announces new album - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-01","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"The health scare and the death of his friend Jamal Edwards sent Sheeran \"spiralling\" into depression.","section":"Entertainment & Arts","content":"Sheeran says his new album - (Subtract) was written against \"a backdrop of grief and hope\"\n\nEd Sheeran says he \"spiralled\" into depression last year, after his wife was diagnosed with a tumour and his friend Jamal Edwards died unexpectedly at the age of 31.\n\nThe star's childhood sweetheart, Cherry Seaborn, who he married in 2019, was told she had a tumour while pregnant with their second child.\n\nThere was \"no route to treatment until after the birth\", he explained.\n\nAt the time, the star was in court every day facing a copyright trial.\n\nThe devastating impact of those events \"changed my life, my mental health, and ultimately the way I viewed music\", said the star in a handwritten note posted to social media.\n\nAs a result, he scrapped \"hundreds\" of songs he'd written for his upcoming sixth album.\n\nSheeran and Seaborn welcomed their second daughter last May. The singer did not provide an update on his wife's health.\n\nSheeran was writing to fans to announce the release of - (Subtract), an Aaron Dessner-produced acoustic album that was written against \"a backdrop of grief and hope\".\n\nThe album was long-planned as the conclusion to his \"mathematical era\", which began with + (Plus) in 2011, and continued with x (Multiply), \u00f7 (Divide) and = (Equals).\n\nBut the entire project was rewritten in a week-long outpouring of emotions, as the star was \"spiralling through fear, depression and anxiety\" last February.\n\nIt came after Edwards - who gave Sheeran his first big break - suddenly died from a heart attack after taking cocaine and drinking alcohol, a coroner concluded.\n\nShortly afterwards, Sheeran faced a three-week copyright trial, over claims he had plagiarised his hit song Shape Of You.\n\nAlthough he eventually won, the singer and his co-writer, Snow Patrol's Johnny McDaid, said the case had put an \"extraordinary strain\" on them.\n\nTo get through those experiences, Sheeran used songwriting to \"make sense\" of his feelings.\n\n\"I felt like I was drowning, head below the surface, looking up but not being able to break through for air,\" he recalled.\n\nArtwork for the album was shot by famed US photographer Annie Leibovitz\n\n\"I wrote without thought of what the songs would be, I just wrote whatever tumbled out. And in just over a week, I replaced a decade's worth of work with my deepest, darkest thoughts.\n\n\"For the first time I'm not trying to craft an album people will like, I'm merely putting something out that's honest and true to where I am in my adult life.\n\n\"It's opening the trapdoor into my soul.\"\n\nThe album is due for release on 5 May, with Sheeran playing a handful of shows in London, Dublin, Glasgow, Manchester and Paris to debut the first single at the end of March.\n\nThe release comes shortly after January's one-off single F64, which was a visceral response to Jamal Edwards' death.\n\nThat song will not feature on the final tracklist, which was revealed on Wednesday morning.\n\nSheeran's mathematical quintology has made him one of Britain's biggest music stars, with songs like Shape Of You and Thinking Out Loud among the most-streamed songs of all time.\n\nSubtract, which was originally planned as an acoustic album, will now range from \"paired back, folk-leaning textures to bolder, full-band\/orchestral arrangements,\" according to a press release from Sheeran's record label, Atlantic.\n\nUnlike his previous albums, the artwork for Subtract does not focus on the title's mathematical symbol, instead featuring a picture of a corroding heart.\n\nThe star also posted a cryptic video on Instagram, featuring his song titles scored into the shore of a windswept beach, intercut with footage of what appears to be a child's birthday party.\n\nThis Instagram post cannot be displayed in your browser. Please enable Javascript or try a different browser. View original post on Instagram The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Skip instagram post by teddysphotos This article contains content provided by Instagram. We ask for your permission before anything is loaded, as they may be using cookies and other technologies. You may want to read Meta\u2019s Instagram cookie policy, external and privacy policy, external before accepting. To view this content choose \u2018accept and continue\u2019. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.\n\nSheeran's record was produced by Dessner, best known as the frontman of alternative rock band The National, after the two were introduced by mutual friend Taylor Swift.\n\nDessner previously collaborated with Swift on her Grammy Award-winning lockdown album Folklore.\n\n\"This is last February's diary entry and my way of making sense of it,\" Sheeran concluded. \"This is Subtract.\"\n\nFollow us on Facebook or on Twitter @BBCNewsEnts. If you have a story suggestion email entertainment.news@bbc.co.uk.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/entertainment-arts-64809475"}
{"title":"Greece train crash: Rescuers search wreckage of deadly collision - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-01","authors":null,"description":"A passenger train hit a freight train travelling in the opposite direction in northern Greece.","section":null,"content":"Rescuers have been working through the night to search for survivors after a train crash near the city of Larissa, in northern Greece.\n\nDozens of people are known to have died, with many more injured after two trains collided.\n\nMore on this story: Survivors describe 'nightmarish seconds' as trains crashed","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/world-europe-64808068"}
{"title":"Frogmore Cottage: Harry and Meghan 'requested to vacate' property - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-01","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"It was earlier reported that the home, in Windsor, had been offered to Prince Andrew.","section":"UK","content":"The Duke and Duchess of Sussex have been asked to vacate their British base of Frogmore Cottage, the couple's spokesperson has confirmed.\n\nIt was earlier reported that the home, in the grounds of Windsor Castle, had been offered to the Duke of York.\n\nA spokesperson for Prince Harry and Meghan confirmed the news. Buckingham Palace has not commented.\n\nThe duke and duchess now live in California with their two children, Archie and Lilibet.\n\nThey quit life as working royals in 2020 and left the UK shortly afterwards.\n\nFrogmore Cottage, a Grade-II listed property in the grounds of Windsor Castle in Berkshire, was a gift to the royal couple from the late Queen.\n\nPrince Harry and Meghan refurbished the property, owned by the Crown Estate, at an estimated cost of \u00a32.4m in 2018-19. The cost was initially covered by taxpayers through the Sovereign Grant before being repaid in full by the duke.\n\nThey were reportedly told to leave the property by Buckingham Palace in January, days after Harry published his explosive memoir, Spare.\n\nThe book - which was released in January and became the fastest-selling non-fiction book in the UK since records began in 1998 - included claims Prince Harry was physically attacked by his brother, the Prince of Wales. He also wrote that he and his brother, the Prince of Wales, had begged their father not to marry Camilla, now Queen Consort.\n\nPrince Andrew, the late Queen's second son, lives in the nearby Royal Lodge, in Windsor Great Park, Berkshire.\n\nHe stepped down as a working royal in 2019 after a controversial Newsnight interview about allegations that he had sexually assaulted Virginia Giuffre. He has repeatedly denied the allegations.\n\nIn February 2022, he paid an undisclosed sum to settle the civil sexual assault case Ms Giuffre brought against him in the US.\n\nReports in recent weeks, not confirmed by the BBC, suggested the King is to cut Andrew's annual grant which could leave him unable to afford his home's running costs.\n\nThe Duke and Duchess of Sussex now live in the US with their children\n\nThe cottage has a rich and varied history. Queen Charlotte, wife of King George III, had it built in 1792 as a place for her and her daughters to escape the court.\n\nAt the time it was fashionable for the wealthy to build large homes disguised as idyllic rural cottages.\n\nSurviving relatives of Tsar Nicholas II also lived there after fleeing to the UK, following the murder of other family members by Bolsheviks in 1918.\n\nSince World War Two, the cottage is believed to have been used as a home for members of royal household staff, before Prince Harry and Meghan moved in.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/uk-64815383"}
{"title":"Russian patient offers to house Ukrainian doctor in Fairford - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-01","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"Olga Pantas and her family are living in the second home of a man whose life he claims she saved.","section":"Wiltshire","content":"Konstantin Tarasov (pictured far right) has offered Olga Pantas (third from left) and her family the use of his second home in Gloucestershire\n\nA Ukrainian doctor has been offered a house for herself and her family to stay in as thanks for helping to save the life of a Russian man with Covid.\n\nOlga Pantas, 42, was working as a cardiologist in Kyiv in Ukraine, when she treated Konstantin Tarasov in 2021.\n\nWhen Russia invaded Ukraine a few months later he offered her the use of his second home in Fairford, Gloucestershire.\n\nHe said it was his turn to save her and urged her to come to the UK, she said.\n\n\"He is a very good person,\" Dr Pantas added.\n\nDr Pantas is currently working as a medical support worker at the Great Western Hospital in Swindon\n\nDr Pantas stayed in contact with Russian-born Mr Tarasov following his treatment and now lives with her children in his second home in Fairford near the Wiltshire border.\n\nMr Tarasov, who trains pilots for a Ukrainian airline, lives in his primary residence in London.\n\nDr Pantas had been visiting her dying grandmother in the village of Semenivka when the Russian forces invaded in 2022.\n\nDr Pantas and her children hid in a basement for three weeks to escape from the fighting\n\nDuring the heavy fighting that ensued she was forced to take shelter with her children, aged 15 and seven, in a basement.\n\n\"I didn't believe what was happening, it was like a horror film,\" she told BBC Radio Wiltshire.\n\n\"I waited and waited hoping the fighting would stop. We couldn't believe it was continuing,\" she added.\n\nDr Pantas said people had been very welcoming to her family since they arrived in England\n\nAfter three weeks under fire, Dr Pantas left the village with her children and extended family and set off for Western Ukraine.\n\nTwo months later she applied for emergency visas to travel to England.\n\nDr Pantas is now working as a medical support worker at the Great Western Hospital in Swindon and said all the children had settled into their new home and schools.\n\nShe said everyone she and the children had met had been extremely kind and understanding and she was especially grateful to her friend Mr Tarasov.\n\nFollow BBC West on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. Send your story ideas to: bristol@bbc.co.uk\n\nThe BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/uk-england-wiltshire-64758099"}
{"title":"Greece train crash latest: Human error to blame for tragedy, says PM - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-01","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"At least 43 people are killed after a passenger train and freight train collide in one of the country's worst rail accidents.","section":"Europe","content":"Panagiotis Stafylos was supposed to be in the passenger train's second carriage Image caption: Panagiotis Stafylos was supposed to be in the passenger train's second carriage\n\nWe reported earlier on what happened to Giannis Antonoglou, who was in the fifth carriage of the train when it crashed and managed to get out of the train unaided and unhurt.\n\nAlso in that carriage was Panagiotis Stafylos, who had a ticket for the second compartment but had made a \"simple mistake\" - confusing the numbers.\n\nThe first and second carriages of the train were \u201calmost completely destroyed\u201d in the collision with a freight train, according to the regional governor.\n\nThe fifth, however, managed to stay on the rails.\n\nHe told the BBC that \u201cout of pure luck maybe, or call it God\" he wasn't among those who were injured or killed in the crash.\n\nStafylos says people in his carriage were anxious following the incident and he tried to help and calm them down before trying to escape, which took about half an hour.\n\n\u201cAt first we broke the windows, but we didn\u2019t have the right tool for it... so we tried to break one of the doors open.\u201d\n\nEventually, the emergency services arrived to help them get to safety.\n\nStafylos says that before the train crashed, it had stopped for about 15 minutes at Larissa station, but he didn\u2019t think anything of this at the time because delays are normal in Greece.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/live\/world-europe-64807384"}
{"title":"Disabled children denied transport to school by Education Authority - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-01","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"One could not go to school for two years when the Education Authority failed to provide transport.","section":"Northern Ireland","content":"An EA spokesperson said it would take on board learning from these cases\n\nThe Education Authority (EA) breached the human rights of two disabled pupils, according to court declarations agreed during judicial review proceedings.\n\nOne of the pupils was prevented from attending school for long periods and access was hindered for the other.\n\nIt was found both pupils were \"treated differently to other children in the state\" because of their disability.\n\nThe EA said it would \"take on board all learnings from these cases\".\n\nThe legal action was brought by the Children's Law Centre (CLC), acting on behalf of the pupils.\n\nBoth cases were subject to anonymity orders so the children cannot be identified.\n\nHowever, some details of the cases, which both involved clinically vulnerable and profoundly disabled children, can be reported.\n\nBoth were denied transport to school during the Covid-19 pandemic as they had serious respiratory conditions which required ventilation and this was said to pose a risk to drivers.\n\nIn the first case, the child was unable to go to school for two years as their parent had no means of transport to get her there.\n\nAs a result she was unable to enter either primary one or primary two, though she did receive some education at home from the EA from February 2022.\n\nAfter a two-year delay, she was eventually able to start school in September 2022 following the provision of appropriate transport by the EA.\n\nThe parent of the child told BBC News NI that being able to attend school had changed their daughter's life.\n\n\"She would have been up 90% of the night when she couldn't go to school as she wasn't getting physically tired,\" they said.\n\n\"We put her to bed but then she would get up between midnight and 02:00 GMT and that was her awake.\n\n\"As soon as she started school she was like a different child.\n\n\"She loves school and all of the activity she does.\"\n\nIn the second case, the parent had to drive her child to school every day due to the failure of the EA to provide transport\n\nIn the second case, the parent had to drive their child to school each day, with a healthcare assistant and equipment, due to the failure of the EA to provide appropriate transport from 24 February 2021 until June 2022.\n\nThe parent of that pupil said their child was \"made to feel different\".\n\n\"I brought my child's case to the attention of the Children's Law Centre as I felt no person or child should be treated differently due to their disability and medical requirements and excluded from transport and vital education and learning with their peers,\" they said.\n\n\"This declaration will hopefully promote learning from public bodies and understanding that all children should be treated inclusively.\"\n\nThe EA agreed to declarations that in both cases it had breached the human right not to be denied education under Article Two of Protocol One of the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR) for reasons related to the child's disability.\n\nBoth children now have appropriate transport from the EA and are attending school.\n\nIn a statement, a spokesperson for the EA told BBC News NI that: \"Whilst we cannot comment on individual pupils, we will take on board all learnings from these cases and are firmly committed to the principle of equality of opportunity for all pupils.\"\n\n\"Supporting our children and young people to not only access but thrive in education remains our priority,\" they continued.\n\nRachel Hogan said the human rights declarations in both cases were \"landmark decisions\"\n\nRachel Hogan, from the Children's Law Centre, said that the human rights declarations in both cases were \"landmark declarations\".\n\n\"Whilst this case is an education case arising from unmitigated harm to disabled children arising from Covid restrictions, there is a much wider point,\" she said.\n\n\"These barriers to equality represent a system-wide failure of equality for disabled people and their families which is not confined to the education sphere.\n\n\"Disabled children deserve and are entitled to equal treatment and equality of opportunity in all aspects of life.\n\n\"The EA's acknowledgement of human rights breaches in these cases is welcome.\n\n\"It is the mark of a public authority which is willing to be held accountable by acknowledging fundamental failings in order to enable changes to take place to put these right.\"","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/uk-northern-ireland-64803937"}
{"title":"Twitch streamer Kai Cenat breaks subscriber record - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-01","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"The 21-year-old has amassed 300,000 subscribers, after a month-long 'subathon' to increase viewers.","section":"Technology","content":"Kai Cenat has broken the record for attracting the most Twitch subscribers.\n\nThe 21-year-old US streamer amassed 300,000 subscribers on the Amazon-owned streaming service, following a month-long drive to increase subscriptions.\n\nHis 'subathon' - launched on 1 February - saw Cenat streaming 24 hours a day: chatting, gaming and interviewing guests, as well as sleeping, on camera.\n\nThe popular YouTuber officially overtook former Twitch record holder Ludwig Ahgren on Tuesday.\n\nTwitch is a livestreaming platform, where people typically play video games while chatting to viewers.\n\nLudwig previously held the record for the most Twitch subscribers, hitting a peak of 283,000 viewers during a non-stop stream in April 2021.\n\nTwo years later, Cenat broke Ludwig's record with his own subscription marathon - or 'subathon' - a stream with a countdown timer which is extended every time someone subscribes to the channel.\n\nTwitch offers subscriptions to users as a means of supporting their favourite streamers and creators on the platform.\n\nIn the UK, the basic subscription package costs \u00a33.99 - or $4.99 in the US - with additional tiers costing more.\n\nUsers can also gift subscriptions, so subscriber numbers can increase, in part, thanks to wealthier fans who pay for monthly subscriptions for other viewers.\n\nThis Twitter post cannot be displayed in your browser. Please enable Javascript or try a different browser. View original tweet on Twitter The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Skip twitter post by Ninja 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\u2019s cookie policy, external and privacy policy, external before accepting. To view this content choose \u2018accept and continue\u2019. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.\n\nCenat began his streaming marathon at the start of February to mark the beginning of Black History Month in the US.\n\nOver the month he has entertained viewers with guests including comedian Reggie Brown and a Barack Obama impersonator.\n\nOn 22 February, he became the first African-American streamer to reach 200,000 Twitch subscribers.\n\nAfter it was confirmed he had breached the benchmark of 300,000 subscribers on Tuesday, Cenat told viewers his streaming marathon was the hardest thing he has ever done.\n\n\"Stop saying 'I did it' - we did it,\" he said, as the total subscriber count ticked over 300,000. \"On the last day of Black History Month, we broke 300,000!\n\n\"And I'm so happy I did it with the people around me. I couldn't have chosen anybody else to do this with,\" he added.\n\nCenat's ongoing stream may still gain a few additional subscribers, but his subathon will come to an end imminently, after he vowed it would last no longer than 30 days.\n\nIt is currently unclear whether he plans to take a short break from the platform before returning to regular Twitch streams.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/technology-64811710"}
{"title":"Drone crash near Moscow was failed attack, governor says - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-01","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"A drone that crashed in the Moscow region was targeting infrastructure, the regional governor said.","section":"Europe","content":"A drone has crashed in the Moscow region in what was likely an attempt to target civilian infrastructure, the regional governor said.\n\nAndrei Vorobyov was speaking after the defence ministry reported downing two Ukrainian drones in southern Russia.\n\nUkraine does not claim responsibility for attacks inside Russia.\n\nRussian energy giant Gazprom operates a facility near the village of Gubastovo, about 100 km (62 miles) from Moscow, where the drone crashed.\n\nGazprom told Russian state-run news agency RIA Novosti that its operations in the Kolomna district had not been interrupted.\n\nThe target of the drone in Kolomna \"was probably a civilian infrastructure facility, which was not damaged\", Mr Vorobyov posted on Telegram.\n\n\"There are no casualties or damage on the ground. The FSB (Russian security service) and other competent authorities are investigating,\" he added.\n\nImages shared by Russian media and officials show a damaged drone in a snow-covered field in front of a forest of birch trees. The area around the Gazprom facility is heavily forested.\n\nThe appearance of the drone matches that of the UJ-22 Airborne, a product of Ukrainian manufacturer Ukrjet.\n\nUkrjet says the vehicle has a range of 800km - enough for it to reach the Kolomna area from Ukraine.\n\nA reverse image reveals no previous matches for the image, suggesting it is recent.\n\nAnton Gerashchenko, advisor to Ukraine's minister of internal affairs, tweeted a photo of the drone.\n\n\"It is more than 500km away from Russian border with Ukraine. Soon Putin might get very afraid to show himself in public as drones can reach far distances,\" he wrote alongside the photo.\n\nIf Ukraine was behind the Kolomna drone, it would be the closest attempted drone attack to the capital since Russia invaded Ukraine more than a year ago.\n\nIt came as the Russian defence ministry said its forces had downed two Ukrainian drones in southern Russia.\n\nThe ministry accused Kyiv of attempting to use drones \"to attack civilian infrastructure in the Krasnodar region and the Adygea Republic\", adding that they were \"neutralised by electronic warfare units\".\n\nMoscow has accused Ukraine of being behind attacks on Russian military infrastructure during the war, but Kyiv has not confirmed this.\n\nA Ukrainian drone attack on an airbase for bombers in southern Russia in December left three people dead, Moscow said. The Ukrainian military did not officially admit to the attack, but air force spokesman Yuriy Ihnat said the explosions were the result of what Russia was doing on Ukrainian soil.\n\nJust weeks before, Russia accused Ukraine of a similar attack on the same airfield, which is home to bombers that have carried out missile attacks on Ukraine.\n\nIn August, a series of blasts rocked a military base in Crimea, in what was seen as a significant expansion of the conflict by Ukraine into Crimea, which was annexed by Russia in 2014. Ukraine later claimed responsibility for that attack.\n\nPresident Vladimir Putin told the FSB on Tuesday to intensify its activity against what he said was increasing espionage and sabotage by Ukraine and the West.\n\nHe instructed the FSB to strengthen security in territories occupied by Russia in eastern Ukraine. He said units deployed at the border must stop sabotage groups and prevent the passage of illegal weapons and ammunition.\n\n\"We need to beef up our counterintelligence in general, because Western special services have traditionally been very active in relation to Russia,\" he said.\n\n\"And now they have put in additional personnel, technical and other resources against us. We need to respond accordingly.\"\n\nRussia's defence ministry said its fighter jets were involved in a training exercise in the country's western airspace on Tuesday, hours after airspace over St Petersburg was closed due to reports of an unidentified object.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/world-europe-64802453"}
{"title":"Pilot circles plane to show passengers northern lights - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-01","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"The captain dimmed the lights and made a 360-degree turn so passengers could see the display.","section":"Manchester","content":"The captain dimmed the lights in the cabin to enhance the view\n\nAn EasyJet pilot made a 360-degree turn to treat passengers to a stunning view of the northern lights.\n\nThe plane was travelling from Iceland to Manchester as the aurora borealis lit up skies across the UK in a rare display.\n\nPassenger Adam Groves, of Lymm, Cheshire, said the \"incredible\" sight \"topped off\" his four-night trip, which also saw him get engaged.\n\nIt came as the country enjoyed a second night of spectacular views.\n\nMr Groves said he and his fiancee Jasmine Mapp were on the right-hand side of the plane, which took off from Reykjavik, and would not have been able to see the lights if it was not for the \"very kind\" pilot.\n\nThe pair had actually spent their entire trip in Iceland hunting the aurora without success.\n\nThe UK enjoyed a second night of spectacular views of the lights on Monday evening\n\nMr Groves said: \"We were hoping to see them while we were out there but we didn't get the chance.\n\n\"We took off and halfway into the flight the pilot turned all the lights off and the view could be seen out the left window.\n\n\"But we were sitting on the right-hand side and after a few minutes the pilot switched back and did a 360 loop around for everyone to see.\"\n\nAdam Groves proposed to girlfriend Jasmine Mapp during their trip to Iceland\n\nThe experience topped off a whirlwind trip for the couple, Mr Groves said, as his girlfriend accepted his marriage proposal at a beauty spot on the island's south coast.\n\nMs Mapp said: \"After days of jumping in the car at any opportunity to try and find the northern lights without spotting them, finally getting to see them in the sky was the perfect ending to a very special trip.\"\n\nAn EasyJet spokeswoman said: \"We are pleased that the captain was able to perform a controlled manoeuvre in order to allow passengers to witness an amazing display from the air of one of nature's greatest sights.\n\n\"Our crew will always go above and beyond for our customers and we're delighted to have been able to share this special view with them.\"\n\nWhy not follow BBC North West on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram? You can also send story ideas to northwest.newsonline@bbc.co.uk\n\nThe BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/uk-england-manchester-64795572"}
{"title":"Iran nuclear: IAEA inspectors find uranium particles enriched to 83.7% - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-01","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"A watchdog is discussing with Iran the purity of the particles, which is very close to weapons grade.","section":"Middle East","content":"Iran - whose president is pictured here inspecting centrifuges - insists its nuclear programme is entirely peaceful\n\nThe global nuclear watchdog has found uranium particles enriched to 83.7% purity - very close to weapons grade - at Iran's underground Fordo site.\n\nIn a report seen by the BBC, the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) said it was having discussions with Iran \"to clarify the matter\".\n\nIran has said \"unintended fluctuations\" in enrichment levels may have occurred.\n\nIt has been openly enriching uranium to 60% purity for two years in breach of a 2015 nuclear deal with world powers.\n\nThe agreement, which was aimed at preventing Iran from developing nuclear weapons, saw the country limit its nuclear activities and allow monitoring by the IAEA's inspectors in return for relief from crippling economic sanctions.\n\nHowever, it has been close to collapse since then US-President Donald Trump pulled out unilaterally and reinstated sanctions in 2018 and Iran retaliated by increasingly breaching the restrictions.\n\nJoe Biden's administration wants to rejoin the deal if Iran returns to compliance, but indirect negotiations in Vienna, where the IAEA is based, have been stalled for a year.\n\nUranium is a naturally-occurring element that can have nuclear-related uses once it has been refined, or enriched. This is achieved by using centrifuges - machines which spin at supersonic speeds - to separate out the most suitable isotope for nuclear fission, called U-235.\n\nLow-enriched uranium, which typically has a 3-5% concentration of U-235, can be used to produce fuel for commercial nuclear power plants.\n\nHighly enriched uranium has a purity of 20% or more and is used in research reactors. Weapons-grade uranium is 90% enriched or more.\n\nUnder the nuclear deal, Iran agreed not to enrich uranium beyond the 3.67% purity and to halt enrichment altogether at Fordo Fuel Enrichment Plant.\n\nAfter the US reinstated sanctions, it first resumed enrichment to 20% and then started producing smaller quantities of 60%-enriched material too - a significantly higher level than it had reached before.\n\nThe IAEA's latest quarterly report to member states said inspectors found the 83.7%-enriched uranium particles in samples taken at Fordo in late January.\n\nThe head of the Atomic Energy Organisation of Iran played down the significance of the discovery and said he expected it to be \"put to rest\" soon.\n\nMohammad Eslami told reporters on Wednesday that the sample was \"just a particle that cannot even be seen with a microscope\" and insisted that \"the important thing is the volume of product stored\" after enrichment, according to the official Irna news agency.\n\nIran insists that its nuclear activities are entirely peaceful, but experts have warned that the breaches have theoretically reduced the time it would take the country to acquire enough weapons-grade uranium for one bomb if it decided to do so.\n\nTop US defence department official Colin Kahl told a Congressional committee hearing on Tuesday that this so-called \"breakout time\" had been shortened from 12 months to \"about 12 days\".\n\nExperts estimate that \"weaponization\" - manufacturing a nuclear warhead for a missile - would still take another one to two years.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/world-middle-east-64810145"}
{"title":"Inflation still a worry for NI consumer confidence - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-01","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"Despite a slight improvement at the end of 2022, consumer confidence is still lower than in 2021.","section":"Northern Ireland","content":"Consumer confidence still lower than it was in 2021\n\nInflation is still a worry for consumer confidence in Northern Ireland, despite a slight improvement at the end of 2022 according to a Danske Bank report.\n\nThe report found that confidence was slightly higher than the third quarter of last year.\n\nBut it is well below 2021 levels due to higher prices continuing to put pressure on household budgets.\n\nThe survey was carried out in December 2022 with 1,018 people. At that time inflation was 10.5%.\n\nPeople who took part in the survey reported feeling more confident about future finances and spending than they did in the third quarter of 2022.\n\nBut they felt less confident about current finances and job security.\n\nMore than half (58%) thought their finances had deteriorated over the past 12 months, compared to 14% who felt their financial position improved.\n\nAbout half (51%) expect their finances to worsen over the next year.\n\nDanske Bank chief economist Conor Lambe said: \"Despite starting to fall towards the end of last year, inflation in the UK remains at elevated levels and is continuing to exert a squeeze on household spending power as well as weigh down on peoples' confidence levels.\n\n\"While it was encouraging to see a small rise in consumer confidence in the final quarter of 2022, it should be noted that overall confidence levels remain relatively low.\n\n\"As we move through 2023, inflation is expected to continue declining but it will likely take some time for it to return to the 2 percent target. As such, and when combined with relatively low confidence levels, consumer spending is projected to remain under pressure,\" he added.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/uk-northern-ireland-64802731"}
{"title":"Hong Kong ends mask mandate after 945 days - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-01","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"The city's leader hails a \"return to normalcy\" after one of the world's longest-running Covid rules.","section":"China","content":"Many people have stopped wearing masks but others are still opting to keep theirs on.\n\nHong Kong has lifted its mask mandate, marking an end to one of the world's longest-running Covid restrictions.\n\nThe virus is under control in Hong Kong with no major signs of a rebound, the city's leader John Lee said.\n\nUnder the mandate, which began in July 2020 and lasted for 945 days, people could be fined up to HK$5,000 (\u00a3530; $640).\n\n\"With the removal of the mandate, Hong Kong will return to normalcy,\" Mr Lee said on Tuesday.\n\n\"In this year and the coming year, we will go all out for the economy and development at full speed.\"\n\nBefore Wednesday, people living in Hong Kong had to wear a mask in any public area.\n\nOn social media, many residents expressed elation and relief that the day of unmasking had \"finally\" come.\n\nSome criticised the rule's duration and its sudden scrapping - amid wider criticism of the city's pandemic policies for the past three years.\n\nHowever many locals could be seen still wearing masks on Wednesday, local media reported.\n\nHong Kong has largely followed mainland China's lead in efforts to tackle the virus, including attempts to eliminate it with a \"zero-Covid\" strategy.\n\nOther Covid curbs in Hong Kong included strict quarantine rules, limitations on the number of people gathering in public places, as well as restricting visitors in nursing homes.\n\nMost of these curbs were rolled back at the end of last year. But some remain - primary and secondary school students still need to test daily for Covid, although some reports say this measure could be lifted later this month.\n\nMany residents and business owners have said such tough rules damaged Hong Kong's economy and international standing. The city's gross domestic product fell by 3.5% last year.\n\nIn a bid to woo foreign visitors, the Hong Kong government has announced plans to give away half a million air tickets - beginning on Wednesday.\n\nMasks are still worn in several countries in Asia. In South Korea, for instance, they are still required on public transportation, as well as in hospitals and pharmacies.\n\nThe Japanese government has said it will ease mask-wearing guidelines on 13 March, recommending masks only on trains and buses during rush hour, or where public transportation is particularly congested. Masks have never been mandatory in Japan, but most people have been wearing them.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/world-asia-china-64806987"}
{"title":"Mel B: I wouldn't call police over domestic abuse - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-01","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"The campaigner and pop star says she does not know if she could trust police to take her seriously.","section":"UK","content":"This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Spice Girl Melanie Brown says she doesn't know if she could trust police to take domestic abuse allegations seriously\n\nPop Star Melanie Brown has said she would not call the police to report domestic abuse because it might not be taken \"seriously\".\n\nMel B, one of the Spice Girls, told BBC Newsnight she would only report it if \"the whole entire system\" of justice was reformed by the government.\n\nShe became a campaigner for domestic abuse victims after leaving what she described as an abusive relationship.\n\nShe said police needed better education about spotting \"tell-tale signs\".\n\n\"I wouldn't [call the police], because I wouldn't know if they would take it seriously,\" said Ms Brown, who became a patron for domestic violence charity Women's Aid in 2018.\n\nShe called for a \"redo\" of the justice system, and said police officers needed better education about spotting the \"tell-tale signs\" that someone is a victim of abuse.\n\n\"Like if I'm living here and I want to report it to the police, I don't know if I can trust the police. I don't know if they're going to take my allegations seriously,\" she said.\n\nThe singer made her name as Scary Spice in the 1990s.\n\nShe received an MBE for services to charitable causes and vulnerable women last year, and dedicated her award to \"all the other women\" dealing with domestic violence.\n\nIn October, she spoke at a Conservative party conference to appeal for more support for domestic abuse victims, and said she was in an abusive relationship for a decade but kept it a secret.\n\nThe latest crime survey for England and Wales shows nearly 2.5 million people - 1.7 million women and almost 700,000 men - experienced domestic abuse in the year to March 2022.\n\nData from 2015 shows teenage girls in the UK report a high level of sexual violence in school. The figures suggested 41% of girls aged 14 to 17 who were in an intimate relationship experienced some form of sexual violence from their partner.\n\nSpeaking to Victoria Derbyshire, Ms Brown described domestic abuse as an \"epidemic\" and praised those who collected statistics on it which allows victims to \"openly talk\".\n\n\"When I brought my book out, nobody wanted to talk about it. It was like a taboo topic. It was something that everybody knows about but nobody talks about it.\"\n\nShe said it was impacting \"younger and younger\" people\" including \"kids as soon as they start some kind of intimate relationship\".\n\n\"It's just your average person who just wants to be loved and cared for,\" she added.\n\nIf you've been affected by domestic abuse or controlling behaviour, help and support is available via the BBC Action Line.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/uk-64803529"}
{"title":"Turkey-Syria earthquake: Dog rescued after 23 days under rubble - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-01","authors":null,"description":"More than 50,000 people died when earthquakes shook southern Turkey and northern Syria last month.","section":null,"content":"A dog has been found by a rescue team in Hatay, Turkey, 23 days after devastating earthquakes shook the region.\n\nMore than 50,000 people were killed in southern Turkey and northern Syria and thousands more remain missing.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/world-europe-64817526"}
{"title":"New CCTV footage shows missing baby couple minutes before arrest - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-01","authors":null,"description":"Police confirm CCTV footage a Brighton resident gave the BBC shows the couple at around 21:25 GMT.","section":null,"content":"Police have confirmed CCTV footage captured by a Brighton resident and then given to the BBC shows Constance Marten and Mark Gordon minutes before they were arrested.\n\nThe clock on the footage shows a time of around 21:25 GMT.\n\nThe couple were arrested on Monday on their way back from the shops - initially on suspicion of child neglect - after being missing for 53 days. They were then further arrested on suspicion of gross negligence manslaughter as police search for their missing baby.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/uk-64806501"}
{"title":"Northern Ireland Brexit deal: At-a-glance - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-01","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"What does the new Windsor Framework agreement between the UK and the EU include?","section":"UK Politics","content":"UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak and President of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen have announced a new deal, aimed at fixing post-Brexit problems in Northern Ireland.\n\nThe full details of their agreement have been published.\n\nHere is what we know about the agreement, named the Windsor Framework:","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/uk-politics-64790193"}
{"title":"Don't create drama over Brexit deal, Rishi Sunak tells Tory MPs - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-01","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"Rishi Sunak addresses his MPs in an attempt to win support for his new deal on Northern Ireland.","section":"UK Politics","content":"Prime Minister Rishi Sunak has urged his MPs not to create \"another Westminster drama\" as he sought to win their support for his new Brexit deal.\n\nHe told backbench Tories to give the Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) the \"time and space\" to consider the deal.\n\nThe agreement with the EU aims to address issues with post-Brexit trading arrangements for Northern Ireland.\n\nThe DUP's support will be key to restoring Northern Ireland's power-sharing government.\n\nThe party has been boycotting Stormont and preventing the devolved government from functioning because of its concerns over the current arrangements for Northern Ireland.\n\nDUP leader Sir Jeffrey Donaldson said the new deal goes \"some way\" to addressing his party's concerns but some issues remain.\n\nHe said the party would take time to study the details and come to a collective decision.\n\nOn Tuesday, Mr Sunak addressed the influential 1922 committee of Tory backbenchers to sell his deal after unveiling the breakthrough in Northern Ireland a day earlier.\n\nFollowing the meeting, Northern Ireland minister Steve Baker told reporters the deal was \"as good as we're going to get\", indicating the government would not be reopening negotiations with the EU.\n\nMeanwhile, the European Research Group (ERG) of pro-Brexit Tory MPs, which heard from Sir Jeffrey at a meeting on Tuesday, have commissioned what they have called a \"star chamber\" of lawyers to scrutinise the deal.\n\nERG chairman Mark Francois said it could take about a fortnight or even longer for the group's \"legal eagles\" to go through it \"with an extremely fine tooth comb\".\n\nHe added that it was sensible for the prime minister to give the DUP time.\n\nIn contrast, the former Brexit minister, David Frost, has already drawn some of his own conclusions about Mr Sunak's deal.\n\nIn a column for the Telegraph, Mr Frost said while Mr Sunak's deal would help, \"it remains a bitter pill to swallow\".\n\nMr Frost said the new arrangements were \"oversold\" and do not change the fundamentals of the Northern Ireland Protocol, which was signed by former Prime Minister Boris Johnson and came into force in 2021.\n\nAt his meeting with the 1922 committee, Mr Sunak is understood to have told Tory MPs he had \"spent a lot of time\" with Sir Jeffrey.\n\n\"And I would just say one thing to you all: we should give him and the DUP time and space,\" he said, adding that there was a \"spectrum of views\" within the party.\n\n\"So let's not pressure them for an instant answer,\" Mr Sunak added.\n\n\"Let's also remember that the last thing the public want is another Westminster drama.\"\n\nThe response from Tory MPs to the Windsor Framework since it was announced on Monday has been broadly positive.\n\nFollowing Mr Sunak's speech to the 1922 committee, one ally of former Prime Minister Boris Johnson said \"he did a good job\", while another Brexiteer said the PM's words had gone down very well.\n\nAnother Tory MP, who last week had been deeply sceptical that Mr Sunak could reach an acceptable deal, told the BBC they should probably \"eat humble pie\" as it looked like the prime minister had done it.\n\nThe MP said negotiators had \"squared the circle\" and the \"Stormont brake\" mechanism, which aims to give the Northern Ireland Assembly a greater say on how EU laws apply, was a creative solution that should be welcomed.\n\nSinn F\u00e9in, the largest party in the Northern Ireland Assembly, has urged the DUP to return to the devolved government.\n\nThe nationalist party has welcomed the Windsor Framework, although it said it still needed to examine the details.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/uk-politics-64804971"}
{"title":"Greece train crash: Drone footage shows wreckage after deadly collision - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-01","authors":null,"description":"Dozens of people have died after two trains collided in northern Greece, emergency services say.","section":null,"content":"Drone footage shows the aftermath of a deadly train crash near the city of Larissa, in northern Greece.\n\nDozens of people were killed, with many more injured according to emergency services.\n\nMore on this story: Survivors describe 'nightmarish seconds' as trains crashed","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/world-europe-64808067"}
{"title":"Greece train crash: Pictures of devastation as dozens killed - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-01","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"The cause of the crash, that happened shortly before midnight on Tuesday, is currently unknown.","section":"Europe","content":"Authorities worked through the night to rescue survivors from the wreckage\n\nTwo trains have collided in northern Greece, killing at least 38 people and injuring more than 60 others.\n\nThe crash happened late Tuesday night near the city of Larissa, when a passenger train carrying hundreds of passengers hit a freight train travelling in the opposite direction.\n\nPictures have been coming in which show the extent of the devastation.\n\nCranes are being used to lift the wreckage during the search operation\n\nFire crews and rescuers search as the train wreckage is lifted\n\nAbout 40 ambulances and 150 firefighters attended the scene\n\nThe fire brigade said it received news of a crash shortly before midnight\n\nWhen they arrived, they found the two front carriages of the passenger train were completely destroyed\n\nFirefighters and rescue workers searched through the night for anyone who may still be trapped in the trains\n\nThey described tragic scenes as they raced to find survivors.\n\n\"We are pulling out people alive, injured... there are dead,\" one volunteer rescue worker told state TV. \"We are living through a tragedy.\"\n\nOne exhausted rescue worker told AFP he had never seen anything like this crash\n\nOne of the train's carriages was set on fire after it rolled off the tracks\n\nIt is not yet clear what caused the crash.\n\nAfter treating them for injuries, paramedics transported people to hospital\n\nDozens of rescued passengers were then transported to the Thessaloniki Railway Station\n\nSurvivors have told of panic in the carriages as the trains collided\n\nOther survivors spoke of their shock, saying the windows in the carriage \"suddenly exploded\"\n\nStay up to date with the latest on this story at our live page.\n\nPlease include a contact number if you are willing to speak to a BBC journalist. You can also get in touch in the following ways:\n\nIf 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 HaveYourSay@bbc.co.uk. Please include your name, age and location with any submission.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/world-europe-64808123"}
{"title":"Barn owl numbers on the rise in Northern Ireland - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-01","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"There were six times the number of barn owls born in 2022 than in 2021, according to Ulster Wildlife.","section":"Northern Ireland","content":"It's estimated there are fewer than 30 breeding pairs of barn owls left in Northern Ireland\n\nOne of Northern Ireland's most vulnerable farmland birds saw a huge increase in the number of chicks and breeding pairs last year.\n\nTwenty-four barn owl chicks were born in 2022 from eight breeding pairs - six times the number of chicks born in 2021, according to Ulster Wildlife.\n\nTwo new nest sites were also discovered in County Down last year.\n\nThe conservation charity estimates that there are fewer than 30 breeding pairs left in Northern Ireland.\n\nThe barn owl is one of Northern Ireland's rarest birds and is red-listed on the Irish Birds of Conservation Concern and protected under the Wildlife (NI) Order 1985.\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser.\n\nUlster Wildlife said the barn owl was \"under serious threat\" in Northern Ireland - with the population declining drastically since the 1930s.\n\nBut, according to the charity, there are reasons to be hopeful after a wet spring and hot summer in 2021 resulted in a poor breeding season.\n\nIn 2021, there were only two known broods recorded but that increased to eight in 2022. The same year, four chicks were born.\n\nTwenty-four barn owl chicks were born in Northern Ireland in 2022, compared to four in 2021\n\nThe charity published its 2022 barn owl report on Wednesday.\n\nKaty Bell, a senior conservation officer at Ulster Wildlife, said they were delighted \"to see the fortunes of barn owls changing\" after a troubled 2021.\n\n\"Every time we think the population is increasing we lose some of our breeding pairs so this year's news is very positive,\" Ms Bell said.\n\n\"Barn owls need a number of things to survive. Plenty of wildlife-friendly habitat on farms with enough small mammals to eat, places to nest and roost, as well as climatic stability.\n\n\"All of these factors play a part in their success and a big part of our work to help this species recover is advising landowners and farmers on habitat improvements and putting up artificial nest boxes.\n\n\"It is great to see this paying dividends in 2022, providing a welcome boost for our small and struggling barn owl population.\"\n\nBarn owls struggled to breed in 2021 due to a wet spring and hot summer\n\nBarn owls face a number of pressures including loss of habitat for hunting and nesting, extreme weather, poisoning from rodenticides and road traffic collisions, according to Ulster Wildlife.\n\nThey also struggle to hunt in extreme weather conditions.\n\nTheir soft feathers are not waterproof, so excessive rainy, cold or windy conditions can be disastrous for a breeding pair.\n\nLikewise, a prolonged dry summer can have a major impact on both their prey and the chicks themselves.\n\nUlster wildlife erected 20 man-made nest boxes last year to help boost the bird's fragile population\n\nDuring its survey last year, Ulster Wildlife carried out 34 visits to landowners to advise on ideal barn owl habitat.\n\nThey also erected 20 man-made nest boxes in suitable locations to replace the loss of natural nesting sites in barns, old buildings and tree cavities.\n\nSeventy-six nest-boxes were also checked across the countryside last summer for signs of barn owl activity, as well as surveying 11 potential new breeding sites.\n\nMs Bell said there was the potential in 2023 to build on the success of the barn owl conservation work.\n\n\"We want to find more nest sites, support more landowners and nest-minders, create a network of habitats and nest boxes and ultimately help protect and expand our population of barn owls,\" she said.\n\n\"Sightings of these elusive birds are really important to help target our efforts so we would encourage anyone to get in touch.\"","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/uk-northern-ireland-64797680"}
{"title":"Doctors pressured not to make a fuss over Lucy Letby, trial told - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-01","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"A doctor tells jurors he wished he had bypassed hospital management and gone to the police.","section":"Liverpool","content":"Lucy Letby is accused of murdering seven babies and trying to kill 10 others\n\nA consultant has said that doctors were put under pressure by hospital management not to make a fuss when they raised concerns about nurse Lucy Letby.\n\nDr Ravi Jayaram said his team first raised concerns about unusual episodes involving babies in October 2015.\n\nMs Letby, 33, is accused of murdering seven babies and attempting to murder 10 others at the Countess of Chester Hospital between 2015 and 2016.\n\nDr Jayaram told Manchester Crown Court his team notified the senior director of nursing in autumn 2015 but nothing was done.\n\nHe told the court the matter was raised again in February 2016 and the hospital's medical director was told at this point.\n\nThe consultants asked for a meeting but did not hear back for another three months, the court heard.\n\nMs Letby was not removed from front-line nursing until summer 2016.\n\nDr Jayaram told jurors that he wished he had bypassed hospital management and gone to the police.\n\nHe said: \"We were getting a reasonable amount of pressure from senior management at the hospital not to make a fuss.\"\n\nThe babies were being cared for on the neonatal ward at Countess of Chester Hospital\n\nOn Tuesday, the court also heard how Ms Letby is said to have attacked a baby girl, referred to as Child K, in February 2016.\n\nThe Crown alleges Ms Letby struck at 03:50 GMT, less than two hours after the extremely premature youngster was born.\n\nChild K's designated nurse Joanne Williams said she left the \"stable\" baby to update her parents on the labour ward.\n\nDr Jayaram said: \"Jo had told me she was going to the labour ward and she told me that Lucy Letby was babysitting, keeping an eye on things.\n\n\"At this point, in mid-February, we were aware as a team of a number of unexpected and unusual events and we were aware of an association with Lucy Letby.\n\n\"That's all we were aware of. No cause and effect had been ascribed.\"\n\nHe said he felt \"extremely uncomfortable\" at being told Ms Letby would be there.\n\n\"You can call me hysterical, you can call me irrational, but that's how I felt because of this association,\" he told the court.\n\n\"Then the rational part of myself told me to stop being so ridiculous and I kept doing what I was doing but the thought kept coming back into my head.\"\n\nHe said he got up to check on Child K to \"prove\" to himself that he \"needed to stop being ridiculous and irrational\".\n\n\"I went up to nursery one and walked in.\"\n\nPhil Astbury, prosecuting, asked: \"What, if anything, did you see?\"\n\nDr Jayaram replied: \"As I walked up, I saw Lucy Letby standing by the incubator and the ventilator. She didn't have her hands in the incubator.\n\n\"I saw her and then I looked up at the monitor and [Child K's] sats [blood oxygen levels] were in the 80s and they continued to drop.\n\n\"The ventilator was not alarming and the incubator was not alarming and the monitor is set to alarm when the sats drop below 90%.\n\n\"I recall saying 'what's happening?' and Lucy looked and said something along the lines of 'she is having a desaturation'.\"\n\nMr Astbury asked: \"What, if anything, was she doing?\"\n\n\"I wasn't aware she was looking at the monitor... She didn't say anything to me until I asked what was happening.\"\n\nThe consultant said he noticed there was no chest movement with the infant.\n\nThe prosecution allege Ms Letby deliberately dislodged the infant's breathing tube shortly before consultant Dr Jayaram walked in the nursery room.\n\nMr Astbury asked: \"Any more conversation between the two of you?\"\n\nDr Jayaram said: \"We switched into professional mode.\n\n\"It didn't really make sense to me why the tube became dislodged. It had been secured and [Child K] was not a vigorous baby.\n\nLucy Letby denies all the charges against her\n\n\"It's very difficult to dislodge an ET [endotracheal tube] without it being spotted.\n\n\"So I then removed the tube, which was not blocked.\"\n\nDr Jayaram said he went on to give rescue breaths to Child K and her chest began to move again and her oxygen levels went up.\n\nChild K was transferred later that day to Wirral's Arrowe Park Hospital, where she died three days later.\n\nJurors were told the Crown does not allege Ms Letby caused her death.\n\nWhy not follow BBC North West on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram? You can also send story ideas to northwest.newsonline@bbc.co.uk\n\nThe BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/uk-england-merseyside-64802048"}
{"title":"Constance Marten arrest: Police continue questioning after baby found - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-01","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"Constance Marten and Mark Gordon are being held on suspicion of gross negligence manslaughter.","section":"UK","content":"This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser.\n\nA post-mortem examination is to be held after the remains of a baby were found as police continue to question Constance Marten and Mark Gordon.\n\nThe baby's body was discovered after a huge 48-hour search by hundreds of officers and volunteers near Brighton.\n\nThe couple, who had been missing for 53 days, were arrested on suspicion of gross negligence manslaughter.\n\nPolice say they are doing all they can to establish what happened to the baby, whose gender and age are not known.\n\nDetectives began a search for the couple after a car was found on fire by the side of a motorway near Bolton in Greater Manchester in early January.\n\nThey were arrested on Monday after being spotted by a member of the public who alerted police. They were first held on suspicion of child neglect, but were re-arrested on Tuesday on suspicion of gross negligence manslaughter.\n\nPolice officers at a set of allotments in Brighton on Thursday, near to where the remains of a baby were found\n\nDet Supt Lewis Basford from the Metropolitan Police, the force which is leading the investigation, said a baby's body had been discovered close to where the couple were arrested.\n\n\"This is an outcome that myself and that many officers who have been part of this search had hoped would not happen,\" he said.\n\n\"I recognise the impact this news will have on many people who have been following this story closely and can assure them that we will do everything we possibly can to establish what has happened.\"\n\nThe baby was found on Wednesday after an extensive search covering around 90-square miles involving sniffer dogs, drones and thermal cameras.\n\nA heavy police presence has remained close to where Ms Marten and Mr Gordon were arrested, with allotments at the centre of the search cordoned off.\n\nA blue forensic tent was positioned in Golf Drive, Brighton, which leads to the allotments, and uniformed officers have been seen entering the cordoned off areas.\n\nOn Wednesday, police were granted an extra 36 hours to question the couple.\n\nPeople have been laying flowers in memory of the baby\n\nA missing persons investigation surrounding 35-year-old Ms Marten and Gordon - a convicted rapist and registered sex offender - began when their car was found alight near Bolton on 5 January.\n\nIt triggered a national search and there were reported sightings in Liverpool, Essex and London, mostly limited to brief snatches of CCTV footage.\n\nPolice believe they were sleeping outdoors in a tent and living off-grid, prompting fears for the health of the child in winter temperatures.\n\nThe last confirmed sighting of the couple prior to their arrest was in Newhaven on 8 January. Their baby was with them and alive at that time, police said previously.\n\nMs Marten is from a privileged background and lived in a stately home growing up.\n\nShe became estranged from her family in 2016 after meeting 48-year-old Gordon at drama school.\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser.\n\nThey were detained at a convenience store on Monday night after a member of the public recognised them from media appeals and called the police.\n\nOfficers were on the scene within six minutes and every member of police staff available in the region was drafted in to begin the massive search operation.\n\nHundreds of officers and rescue volunteers were seen probing the wide area inch by inch for signs of life or clues about the baby's whereabouts.\n\nIt continued through the night and into Wednesday, with sniffer dogs, helicopters, drones and thermal cameras all in use.\n\nThe fingertip search conducted in near-freezing temperatures extended east of Brighton to Newhaven, north of the town centre into a nature reserve and beyond to the South Downs.\n\nWitnesses told the BBC they had seen teams searching through thick bramble, allotments and bins, while people living in the area were told to look out for anything unusual.\n\nAfter confirming the discovery of a body, Det Supt Basford urged the public not to speculate about the case.\n\nConstance Marten and Mark Gordon disappeared with a newborn baby more than seven weeks ago","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/uk-64815323"}
{"title":"Grimsby teenager sentenced over 100mph police chase ending in crash - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-01","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"Oliver Clark, 19, from Grimsby, admits dangerous driving and is given a suspended jail sentence.","section":"Humberside","content":"This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser.\n\nFootage showing the moment a car driven by a teenager crashed into a lorry at high speed while being pursued by police has been released.\n\nOliver Clark, 19, had sped along the A180 at up to 100mph after failing to stop for police in Cleethorpes in July.\n\nThe 19-year-old, of Weelsby Street, Grimsby, was in a coma for four days following the crash with the lorry.\n\nAt Grimsby Crown Court, he admitted dangerous driving and was jailed for 12 months, suspended for two years.\n\nHumberside Police said Clark had failed to stop for officers in Cleethorpes on 4 July 2022 and had moved off at speed in the white Ford Fiesta.\n\nPC Sean Hutchinson said: \"Due to the dangerous manner of Clark's driving, it was not possible to immediately bring the pursuit to a safe resolution, as to do so could have risked endangering the lives of the officers engaged in the pursuit.\n\n\"Clark then drove at speeds in excess of 100mph up the Barnetby Top slip road and collided with the rear of a 32-tonne lorry which was also heading up the slip road.\"\n\nPolice officers rescued Clark from his vehicle following the smash, fearing the car would catch fire\n\nThe impact of the crash pushed the lorry off the road and it came to rest at the bottom of an embankment, PC Hutchinson said.\n\nPC Hutchinson added that fearing Clark's car would catch fire, officers had \"risked their own lives\" to get him out of his car and provide first aid.\n\n\"Fortunately, the driver of the lorry escaped with minor injuries, as did the roads policing officer whose car was hit as Clark's car rebounded off the rear of the lorry,\" he said.\n\nClark is still recovering from his own injuries.\n\nPassing sentence on Clark on Friday, Judge John Thackray KC told him he should consider himself \"extremely fortunate\", adding it was \"pure chance\" that neither he nor anyone else was killed in the crash.\n\nIn addition to the suspended prison sentence, Clark was banned from driving for two years and ordered to take an extended retest before he could get his licence back.\n\nFollow BBC East Yorkshire and Lincolnshire on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. Send your story ideas to yorkslincs.news@bbc.co.uk.\n\nThe BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/uk-england-humber-64809523"}
{"title":"YouTube accused of collecting UK children's data - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-01","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"The video platform faces a challenge over claims it is gathering and using the data of under-13s.","section":"Technology","content":"Duncan McCann says he has tried to explain to his own children how platforms like YouTube use their data\n\nYouTube has been accused of collecting the viewing data of children aged under 13, in breach of a UK data privacy code designed to protect children.\n\nCampaigner Duncan McCann has lodged an official complaint with the Information Commissioner's Office (ICO).\n\nHe says the site is gathering data about the videos children watch, where they are watching and what device they are watching it on.\n\nYouTube said it had invested in protecting families.\n\nThis included treating all children's content as though children were viewing it, even on an adult's account, it said.\n\n\"We remain committed to continuing our engagement with the ICO on this priority work, and with other key stakeholders including children, parents and child-protection experts,\" a spokesperson said.\n\nThe platform is owned by the US tech giant Alphabet, which is also the parent company of Google.\n\nThe firm has always said its service was not intended for use by children below the age of 13, and it offers a separate children's app called YouTube Kids as well as a \"supervised experience\" which requires parental consent.\n\nMr McCann says plenty of children watch YouTube content on family devices, where this data can be gathered by default because it is not registered as a children's account.\n\nHis complaint is believed to be the first test of the ICO children's code, which was introduced in 2020, when tech firms were given one year to comply with it.\n\nIts terms include providing a high level of privacy for children by default and not using design features that encourage them to provide more data.\n\nYouTube said at the time it would turn off default auto-play on videos and block ad targeting and personalisation for all children.\n\nAccording to the regulator Ofcom, 89% of children in the UK between three and 17 used the video platform in 2021.\n\nFirms found to be in breach of the children's internet code can face large fines, similar to the penalties for breaching data protection laws.\n\nThe ICO said it would consider the complaint carefully.\n\nMr McCann is acting in a personal capacity, but works for the campaign group 5Rights Foundation, which has championed the code.\n\n\"My preferred reform that YouTube should make is that actually when you enter YouTube, they don't collect any unnecessary and process any unnecessary information,\" he said.\n\n\"The best way to ensure that they are only collecting the data of adults who are properly consenting would be to have a process where adults can sign in to the tracking, recommendation systems, profiling, targeted ads.\"\n\nHe added that he believed it would be \"a minority\" of users who would choose to do so.\n\nIn 2019, YouTube was fined $170m (\u00a3139m) by a US regulator for violating children's privacy laws.\n\nThis followed a similar accusation that it was collecting data on children under 13 without parental consent.\n\nYouTube did not admit responsibility but it did pay the fine and also changed its business practices as a result, said Stephanie Hare, author of Technology is Not Neutral.\n\n\"It assumed that anyone watching children's content would be potentially under the age of 13. And so it now collects far less data on that type of content, and also doesn't send personalised ads to people watching that content,\" she said.\n\n\"The solution exists, they just need to pull it out of the toolbox.\"\n\u2022 None Children's internet code: What is it and how will it work?","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/technology-64786968"}
{"title":"BA-owner and EasyJet hold millions of unclaimed travel vouchers - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-01","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"BA owner IAG and EasyJet issued the vouchers instead of cash when flights were cancelled in the pandemic.","section":"Business","content":"Passengers of BA-owner IAG and rival EasyJet have yet to reclaim some \u20ac724m (\u00a3643m) in travel vouchers going back to the beginning of the pandemic.\n\nIAG, which owns five airlines including Aer Lingus, said it had about \u20ac600m (\u00a3533m) in unclaimed vouchers.\n\nEasyJet's most recent results suggested it had \u00a3110m in unclaimed vouchers.\n\nThe practice of issuing vouchers attracted criticism because many people wanted a cash refund instead, with some claiming it was difficult to get one.\n\nAviation consultant and former IAG employee Robert Boyle, who flagged the IAG figures, said that when airlines were forced to cancel a huge number of flights during the pandemic they encouraged customers to accept vouchers for future travel rather than issue refunds.\n\nGiven so many vouchers have yet to be redeemed Mr Boyle questioned how many of the vouchers will ever be used.\n\nThe rate of voucher use might increase as the expiry date approaches he said: \"But if even 20% of the original \u20ac1.4bn [\u00a31.24bn] of vouchers expire unused, that would be a \u20ac280m [\u00a3248m] release to profit\".\n\n\"However, if the vouchers are never used, IAG will have extra seats available to sell. Given what has happened to ticket prices since the pandemic, the cash value of those seats will be even bigger than the reported voucher values.\"\n\nBoth BA and EasyJet have extended the expiry date of their vouchers several times.\n\nIn its most recent set of results EasyJet said no vouchers had expired yet as expiry dates had been extended \"to ensure customers have the maximum opportunity to utilise their vouchers\".\n\nThe airline said the number of unused vouchers at the end of its last financial year on 30 September equated to \u00a3110m, or 2% of its ticket revenue in 2019, so there was a \"very small proportion of customers who have not yet used their vouchers\".\n\n\"And it is also worth noting that the number will have reduced since then as five months have passed - including a busy booking period at the turn of year.\n\nBA's will now run out in September 2023, though the airline said it was \"always reviewing that\".\n\nIt said last year 700,000 vouchers were used and it was sending reminders to customers holding outstanding ones.\n\nAirlines, including BA, faced accusations during the pandemic of making it difficult for people to claim a refund.\n\nBA said when a flight was cancelled it always offered the option to get a full refund, rebook or reroute. It never automatically issued vouchers, which had to be requested by a passenger.\n\nBut it said it recognised that during the height of the pandemic it could not offer \"all the usual channels for customers to request a refund\".\n\nAs a result, it added, if a customer had been due to travel on a flight cancelled by the airline between 9 March 2020 and 19 November 2020 and they opted for a voucher, BA had already contacted them to offer a full refund.\n\n\"We have issued 4.8 million refunds since the start of the pandemic and offered highly flexible booking policies enabling millions of our customers to change their travel dates or destinations,\" BA said.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/business-64810681"}
{"title":"Footage shows moped's near miss at Littlehampton level crossing - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-01","authors":null,"description":"Police describe riders of a moped which crosses moments before a 70mph train as \"stupidly reckless\".","section":null,"content":"A video has captured the moment two people on a moped narrowly escaped being hit by a train travelling at speeds of up to 70mph (112 km\/h).\n\nThe pair dodged the barriers and ran red lights at a level crossing at Toddington, near Littlehampton, West Sussex, shortly after 15:00 GMT on 21 February.\n\nThe driver of the Brighton to Southampton rail service made an emergency stop shortly after the near miss, \"and took time to compose himself before carrying on with the journey,\" Network Rail said.\n\nInsp Emma Boulton said: \"Put simply - this is some of the most stupidly reckless behaviour on a level crossing I have seen in my entire career.\"\n\nThe barriers at Toddington extend halfway across the road to prevent anybody getting trapped behind them, Network Rail said.\n\nFollow BBC South East on Facebook, on Twitter, and on Instagram. Send your story ideas to southeasttoday@bbc.co.uk","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/uk-england-sussex-64815662"}
{"title":"Southampton 1-2 Grimsby Town: Mariners reach FA Cup quarter-finals for first time in 84 years - BBC Sport","published_date":"2023-03-01","authors":null,"description":"League Two Grimsby Town reach the FA Cup quarter-finals for the first time in 84 years as two penalties either side of half-time stun Premier League strugglers Southampton.","section":null,"content":"Last updated on .From the section FA Cup\n\nLeague Two Grimsby Town reached the FA Cup quarter-finals for the first time in 84 years as penalties either side of half-time stunned Premier League strugglers Southampton.\n\nGavan Holohan put the visitors ahead shortly before the interval after referee Thomas Bramall ruled Lyanco had blocked Josh Emmanuel's cross with his arm.\n\nSouthampton defender Duje Caleta-Car then caught Danilo Orsi with a flailing hand not long after the restart, allowing Holohan to convert his second spot-kick of the game.\n\nCaleta-Car's close-range finish gave Saints hope and Theo Walcott had a late equaliser ruled out for offside as Grimsby held on to spark scenes of mass celebration among the 4,000 travelling Mariners fans, who can now look forward to a trip to Brighton in the last eight.\n\nGrimsby are just the sixth team from the fourth tier or below to reach the last eight of the FA Cup since the introduction of the division in 1958-59 - and the first since National League Lincoln City shocked Premier League Burnley in 2017.\n\nThey are the 13th side from the fourth division or below to have beaten top-flight opponents in the competition since the Football League was rebranded at the start of the 2004-05 campaign.\n\nHaving beaten Plymouth Argyle, Cambridge United, Burton Albion and Luton Town in their previous rounds, Grimsby can now look forward to a first quarter-final since the 1938-39 season after a remarkable victory over the Premier League's bottom club.\n\nThe final whistle was met by a mix of jubilant cheers from the away end and loud boos from the home supporters, whose wretched season took another downturn against a side sitting 64 places below them in the league pyramid.\n\nSaints manager Ruben Selles made nine changes to the team beaten by Leeds United in the Premier League on Saturday, and those alterations appeared to contribute to a lack of fluency in the hosts' play in the first half as they struggled to break down their plucky opponents.\n\nSekou Mara should have done better when he shot straight at former Southport goalkeeper Max Crocombe from Romeo Lavia's pass, although the Southampton striker might have been penalised for offside had he managed to find the net.\n\nMara was denied a goal by the linesman's flag after steering Moussa Djenepo's cut-back past Crocombe, the Saints winger ruled offside in the build-up to the relief of the travelling supporters behind the goal.\n\nThe 4,000-strong Grimsby contingent who made the 460-mile round trip to the south coast had little to shout about until five minutes before the interval, when Emmanuel's delivery struck Lyanco on the arm.\n\nAn agonising wait followed as VAR reviewed the incident, but Bramall was eventually called over to his pitchside monitor by VAR and after watching the moment of contact from several angles, he pointed to the spot.\n\nHolohan made no mistake, sending Southampton goalkeeper Alex McCarthy the wrong way to send the Grimsby fans wild at the other end of the ground.\n\nThings went from bad to worse for Saints in the opening stages of the second half as Caleta-Car inexplicably swung an arm at Orsi inside the penalty area, giving Bramall little choice but to award another penalty.\n\nFor the second time in the game Holohan sent a magnificent spot-kick past McCarthy to put the Mariners on the brink of an astonishing upset.\n\nAfter Caleta-Car's finish set up a nail-biting final 25 minutes, Southampton thought they had restored parity when Walcott slotted home in the closing stages, but the former Arsenal man was ruled narrowly offside following another VAR review.\n\u2022 None Delay over. They are ready to continue.\n\u2022 None Delay in match because of an injury Max Crocombe (Grimsby Town).\n\u2022 None Attempt missed. Kyle Walker-Peters (Southampton) left footed shot from the right side of the box misses to the left. Assisted by Carlos Alcaraz.\n\u2022 None Delay over. They are ready to continue.\n\u2022 None Delay in match because of an injury Max Crocombe (Grimsby Town).\n\u2022 None Attempt missed. Duje Caleta-Car (Southampton) right footed shot from outside the box is too high. Assisted by Kyle Walker-Peters.\n\u2022 None Delay over. They are ready to continue.\n\u2022 None Delay in match because of an injury Michee Efete (Grimsby Town).\n\u2022 None Delay over. They are ready to continue. Navigate to the next page Navigate to the last page","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/sport\/football\/64799742"}
{"title":"Aberhosan farmer died in animal feed spillage, inquest hears - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-01","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"A farmer died from \"traumatic injuries\" after animal feed spilled on him, an inquest hears.","section":"Wales","content":"Farmer Iwan Evans, 78, died on Cleiriau Isaf farm in Aberhosan, Powys, on 17 Febuary\n\nA farmer died after animal feed spilled on him \"with force\", an inquest opening has heard.\n\nA post-mortem examination concluded 78-year-old Iwan Evans died of \"traumatic injuries\" at his farm in Aberhosan, Powys, on 17 February.\n\nThe inquest heard that a company was delivering animal feed to a \"freestanding\" bin when \"its contents spilled\".\n\nMr Evans was \"underneath the bin and its contents appear to have hit him\".\n\nThe inquest has been opened and adjourned to \"allow a full investigation of the circumstances\" of the death\n\nThe coroner at Pontypridd, Rhondda Cynon Taf, heard the haulage driver and Mr Evans' son tried to remove the feed bin using \"farm vehicles and chains\".\n\nThe haulage driver \"ran the short distance to the farm house to alert the deceased's wife who contacted emergency services\".\n\nCPR was carried out, but Mr Evans was confirmed to have died at 18:24 GMT.\n\nCoroner Patricia Morgan opened and adjourned the inquest to \"allow a full investigation of the circumstances\" of Mr Evans' death.\n\nA review of the evidence will be held in six months.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/uk-wales-64810612"}
{"title":"Twitter back after two-hour outage affected tweets - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-01","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"The problems arose two days after the social media company reportedly laid off 200 employees.","section":"Technology","content":"Thousands of people around the world were unable to use Twitter for two hours on Wednesday after the social network suffered another outage.\n\nThe Following and For you feeds - which display tweets on the platform's homepage - instead carried a notice reading \"Welcome to Twitter\".\n\nThe outage-tracking site DownDetector reported the issues at 10:00 GMT, but they appeared to be resolved by 12:00.\n\nIt came after Twitter reportedly laid off 200 staff members on Monday.\n\nMore than 5,000 people in the UK alone reported problems to DownDetector within half an hour of the fault appearing, with many more affected worldwide.\n\nThe For you feed, a collection of tweets from people similar to those they follow, seemed to be reinstated just an hour after the initial issue emerged, but the Following feed, which collects tweets from people who users are following on Twitter, took longer to be fixed.\n\nThe site's search tool is also working again, after it briefly stopped displaying any tweets in the Latest tab.\n\nWould-be Twitter users were met with this message\n\nDespite the feeds not working, users were still able to tweet as normal - even if their tweets were falling on deaf ears - leading to the phrases \"#TwitterDown\" and \"Welcome To Twitter\" registering among the top trends on the platform.\n\nThere have been several intermittent outages in recent months. During a temporary outage in early February some users were told they were over the daily limit for sending tweets.\n\nIt is unclear whether the latest outage was linked to the recent staff cuts, with the New York Times reporting the tech giant had cut 10% of its current 2000-strong workforce this week alone.\n\nThe cuts are the latest round of job losses at Twitter since chief executive Elon Musk sacked nearly half of the company's 7,500 employees when he took over the company in October 2022.\n\nAlp Toker, director of internet outage tracker NetBlocks, said Twitter's reliability issues have increased under Mr Musk's tenure as CEO.\n\n\"It started shortly before the Musk takeover itself,\" he said, but added: \"The main spike has happened after the takeover, with four to five incidents in a month - which was comparable to what used to happen in a year.\"\n\nMr Toker said he believed recent outages were \"avoidable\" and the \"vast majority\" could be traced back to problems with Twitter's data centre.\n\nHe described the Twitter data centre as a \"complex network\" whose ongoing maintenance was essential to keeping the site running.\n\n\"It has a testing stage for new features,\" explained Mr Toker. \"But following the Musk takeover it appears these data centre testing timelines are no longer being followed.\"\n\n\"Today's outage was quite an extended one, but not a total one which was interesting - and we traced that back to the data centre too.\"\n\nThe BBC has approached Twitter for comment.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/technology-64811286"}
{"title":"Boy in tent Max Woosey ends three-year charity challenge - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-01","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"Max Woosey, 13, announces his final fundraising effort for North Devon Hospice.\u00a0","section":"Devon","content":"Max began camping in his garden in March 2020 after being inspired by a family friend who died of cancer\n\nA boy who has camped out in a tent for three years is ending his charity challenge and coming back inside.\n\nMax Woosey, known as The Boy in the Tent, has raised more than \u00a3700,000 for North Devon Hospice.\n\nStephen Roberts, hospice chief executive, said: \"Max has directly funded 15 nurses for a whole year.\"\n\nMax, 13, announced he would hold a final celebratory camp-out festival on 1 April at Broomhill Estate in North Devon.\n\n\"Legendary movie memorabilia\", including the bar of soap from Fight Club, will be on display along with axe-throwing and a party bus.\n\nMax started sleeping in his garden on 29 March 2020, aged 10, after being inspired by a family friend who died of cancer.\n\nRick Abbott gave Max a tent, and told him to \"go have an adventure\".\n\nMax camped out at 10 Downing Street and met former prime minister Boris Johnson\n\nOver the past three years, he has received a British Empire Medal as well as awards from Pride of Britain, Spirit of Adventure and the Bear Grylls Chief Scout Unsung Hero.\n\nA spokesperson for Broomhill Estate said it would be an \"epic day to remember to celebrate Max's achievement\".\n\nMax's final fundraiser will host three music stages along with a \"never-before-seen authentic movie memorabilia exhibition\" featuring Brad Pitt's sword and shield from the film Troy and the original board from the Jumanji film.\n\nThere will also be a guest appearance from Welsh actor and stunt man Ian Whyte, of Game of Thrones and Star Wars fame.\n\nMax was presented with a British Empire Medal (BEM) in May 2022\n\nMax said: \"It was amazing that so many people got in touch from all over the UK wanting to mark my three-year anniversary of camping out, but I wanted to stay close to home and celebrate with friends and family nearby.\"\n\nMr Roberts added: \"This is a perfect way for Max to finish his fundraising challenge, which has been such an adventure and something he can look back on with so much pride.\n\n\"The funds he raised for North Devon Hospice in this time have made a real difference to the patients and families we support.\"\n\nFollow BBC News South West on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram. Send your story ideas to spotlight@bbc.co.uk.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/uk-england-devon-64799530"}
{"title":"Massive walrus spotted in the Inner Hebrides - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-01","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"The sighting of the Arctic animal was made off Mull by a creel fisherman.","section":"Glasgow & West Scotland","content":"The walrus was seen on Monday\n\nA walrus has been spotted off Mull in the Inner Hebrides.\n\nCreel fisherman Lorn MacRae came across the Arctic animal hauled out on rocks at the Treshnish Isles on Monday.\n\nThe Hebridean Whale and Dolphin Trust (HWDT), which has been alerted to the sighting, described the walrus as \"massive\".\n\nIn December and early January a walrus nicknamed Thor was seen on the south and east coasts of England, before turning up in Iceland last week.\n\nHWDT, a marine charity that has been monitoring wildlife off Scotland's west coast for more than 25 years, said Monday's sighting was the first record of a walrus on its database.\n\nSadie Gorvett. of HWDT, said: \"It was quite of a shock for Lorn and a surprise for us. It is very unusual.\"\n\nThe education officer said it would be gathering any further reported sightings, but appealed to people to keep their distance and avoid disturbing the animal.\n\nAn image of a walrus taken in 2018 by Kinlochbervie High School's science department\n\nWalruses have been spotted around Scotland before.\n\nA young female dubbed Freya was spotted in Shetland in 2021.\n\nIn 2018 a walrus was seen around Orkney, Western Isles and the Highland coast.\n\nIts appearance in the Highlands was understood to be the first time since 1954 a walrus had been seen on the Scottish mainland.\n\nMs Gorvett said it was not yet known the reason why walruses had been seen more frequently around Scotland in recent years.\n\nShe added: \"Only with long-term monitoring will we know if it is an anomaly or a trend.\"","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/uk-scotland-glasgow-west-64793768"}
{"title":"Covid testing advice was followed, minister insists - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-01","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"The government is questioned over claims that expert input on care home testing was rejected early in the pandemic.","section":"UK Politics","content":"Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer said: \u201cAfter 13 years of Tory failure the average family in Britain will be poorer than the average family in Poland by 2030.\u201d\n\nHe is basing that on taking the average rate of growth per person calculated by the World Bank for both countries between 2010 and 2021 and applying that for every year until 2030.\n\nOn the World Bank\u2019s measure, the economy measured by GDP per person in 2021 was about 29% higher in the UK than it was in Poland, but if you apply 2010 to 2021 rates of growth from now until 2030 it does indeed put Poland ahead.\n\nSo Starmer would be correct in his projection if the average growth in each country seen between 2010 and 2021 continues at the same pace until 2030.\n\nBut GDP per person being lower in one country would not necessarily mean that the average family was worse off in that country.\n\nThat would be affected by other things such as distribution of income.\n\nAnd it\u2019s a big \u201cif\u201d to say that growth rates will continue unchanged for the next eight years.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/live\/uk-politics-64806066"}
{"title":"Covid messages leak a massive betrayal, says Matt Hancock - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-01","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"Journalist Isabel Oakeshott says it was in the \"national interest\" to publish ex-health secretary's texts.","section":"UK Politics","content":"Matt Hancock collaborated with journalist Isabel Oakeshott on his book Pandemic Diaries\n\nEx-Health Secretary Matt Hancock has accused a journalist of a \"massive betrayal and breach of trust\" after she leaked texts he sent during Covid.\n\nIsabel Oakeshott defended releasing WhatsApps she obtained when working on Mr Hancock's book, arguing it was in the \"overwhelming national interest\".\n\nHowever, Mr Hancock said the messages were released in a \"biased account to suit an anti-lockdown agenda\".\n\nHe also denied her claim he had sent her a \"menacing\" message over the leak.\n\nThe Telegraph has been handed more than 100,000 WhatsApp messages linked to Mr Hancock's time as health secretary at the height of the pandemic. It began publishing the texts earlier this week.\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Watch: Isabel Oakeshott reveals why she leaked the messages\n\nIn a statement released on Thursday morning Mr Hancock said: \"When I heard confused rumours of a publication late on Tuesday night, I called and messaged Isabel to ask her if she had 'any clues' about it, and got no response.\n\n\"When I then saw what she'd done, I messaged to say it was 'a big mistake'. Nothing more.\"\n\nMr Hancock argued the public inquiry into the pandemic was the right place for analysis of what went on - saying he would reply to the \"substance\" of allegations at the inquiry.\n\nHe apologised to those whose messages had been published by the Daily Telegraph, saying: \"I am also sorry for the impact on the very many people - political colleagues, civil servants and friends - who worked hard with me to get through the pandemic and save lives.\"\n\n\"Isabel and I had worked closely together for more than a year on my book, based on legal confidentiality and a process approved by the Cabinet Office. Isabel repeatedly reiterated the importance of trust throughout, and then broke that trust.\"\n\nA collection of more than 100,000 messages sent between former Health Secretary Matt Hancock and other ministers and officials at the height of the Covid-19 pandemic have been obtained by the Telegraph. Here are our stories on the leaks:\n\nThe text messages were passed to the newspaper by Ms Oakeshott, TalkTV's international editor, who has been critical of lockdowns. She was given copies of the texts while helping Mr Hancock write his book, Pandemic Diaries.\n\nThe BBC has not seen or independently verified the WhatsApp messages nor the context in which they were sent.\n\nMs Oakeshott has strongly defended her decision to release the messages saying she was someone \"acting in the overwhelming national interest\". She has not revealed how much she has been paid by the Telegraph.\n\n\"Anyone who thinks I did this for money must be utterly insane,\" she told BBC Radio 4's Today Programme.\n\n\"This is about the millions of people, every one of us in this country, that were adversely affected by the catastrophic decision to lockdown the country repeatedly on the flimsiest of evidence, often for the political reasons.\n\n\"I wanted to get to the truth of it,\" she said.\n\nAsked when she told Mr Hancock she would share the messages, she replied: \"I didn't tell him.\"\n\n\"Not one journalist worth their salt would sit on a cache of information in such an important matter, such a historic matter and cover that up,\" she said.\n\nPressed on the claim that Mr Hancock sent her a menacing message following the leaks, Ms Oakeshott said: \"I'm saying that he sent me a message at 01.20 in the morning. It wasn't a pleasant message.\"\n\nMs Oakeshott had initially told broadcasters she had signed a non-disclosure agreement (NDA) with Mr Hancock during the writing of her book.\n\nHowever, she later told the BBC's political editor Chris Mason that there was not an NDA but rather a \"really standard terms of agreement between us\".\n\nResponding to Mr Hancock's strong criticism, Ms Oakeshott said: \"This isn't about embarrassing individuals or making individual politicians look bad.\n\n\"It's so much bigger than that, it is about the entire country. And if we're going to talk about betrayal, then the way I see it is the betrayal of every one of us, who were let down by the response to the pandemic.\"\n\nAsked if she was worried other politicians would stop trusting her with information, she said \"No, because I'm really good at what I do. I do stories in the public interest, and I make judgments.\"\n\nAn NDA is a legal contract between at least two parties that outlines confidential material that they need or want to share with each other, but also want to restrict access to - similar to doctor-patient confidentiality or lawyer-client privilege.\n\nSometimes known as \"gagging orders\", \"hush agreements\" or \"confidentiality clauses\", NDAs typically prevent people making trade secrets or other specified information public.\n\nThey can also apply to allegations of misbehaviour in the workplace after a settlement has been agreed, or anything likely to damage an organisation's reputation.\n\nBut like any other contract, they can not be enforced if the specified activities are illegal.\n\nIf someone breaches an NDA, they break a contract, leaving them open to being sued.\n\nBut there is a public interest defence - the 1998 Public Interest Disclosure Act protects whistleblowers.\n\nThe publication of the messages has sent shockwaves through the political establishment as the public inquiry into the pandemic picks up pace.\n\nAt Prime Minister's Questions, Rishi Sunak defended the public inquiry as the \"right way\" to scrutinise the handling of the pandemic and urged people not to focus on \"piecemeal bits of information\".\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. PMQs: Rishi Sunak quizzed on claims of leaked Hancock messages by Sir Keir Starmer\n\nSir Keir Starmer called for Mr Sunak to ensure the inquiry had all the support it needed \"to report by the end of this year\".\n\nMr Hancock has already given a partial account of his time as health secretary, with the help of Ms Oakeshott, in his book, Pandemic Diaries.\n\nThe book was widely viewed as an attempt by Mr Hancock to rehabilitate his reputation after he resigned as health secretary over breaching social distancing guidance by kissing a colleague.\n\nLast year, Mr Hancock said he would not be standing as an MP at the next general election, after receiving criticism for joining the reality TV show I'm a Celebrity... Get Me Out of Here!","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/uk-politics-64818969"}
{"title":"Customers to be warned of energy bill rises from April - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-01","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"The government says all help is under review as energy firms write to customers to warn of bill rises.","section":"Business","content":"Energy firms will begin writing to customers within days to warn them of bill increases from the start of April.\n\nFirms have to give customers reasonable notice of price rises or changes that will leave them worse off, according to Citizens Advice.\n\nTypical household energy bills are set to rise to \u00a33,000 per year next month.\n\nThe BBC understands the government is reviewing the level of energy support it gives households amid warnings many more could face difficulties.\n\nIt comes after Energy Secretary Grant Shapps said he was \"very sympathetic\" to the idea that the government should stop the rise in annual energy bills.\n\nAt the moment, the government is limiting the typical household bill to \u00a32,500 a year, plus a \u00a3400 winter discount, which will also end from April.\n\nBut from 1 April the help will be scaled back pushing bills up.\n\nEnergy UK, which represents suppliers, said firms would be writing to customers to let them know how much their bills were going up within the next few days.\n\nIt said suppliers could offer support to customers struggling to pay their bills, but there was a \"limit\" to what they could do.\n\nFuel poverty campaigners say the number of households struggling to afford their bills could rise from 6.7 million to 8.4 million as a result of the April rise.\n\nSo far Chancellor Jeremy Hunt has declined to extend the support, but experts increasingly think he will change course, probably at this month's Spring Budget on 15 March.\n\nThe Institute for Fiscal Studies (IFS) think tank said the Treasury could afford to keep support at current levels until the summer as wholesale energy prices had fallen sharply, cutting the cost of the scheme.\n\nMost analysts also believe energy bills will fall below \u00a32,500 a year by July, meaning the government would only have to provide support at current levels until then.\n\nOthers including the Resolution Foundation think tank and the consumer rights campaigner Martin Lewis think Mr Hunt is highly likely to cancel the rise in bills.\n\nEnergy UK urged the government to hold the level of support at \u00a32,500 for an average household, \"and to announce that quickly so it can be incorporated in customer bills in time for April\".\n\nJeremy Hunt told me a fortnight ago that the help on energy bills was \"under review\". The Treasury is privately pointing to that interview now.\n\nIt is looking a lot like some extra support, but as the chancellor also pointed out to me, he doubts he has the room for a major new initiative. However, postponing that reduction in energy support by a few months to a point when it is no longer relevant, would not be a new initiative.\n\nSome energy suppliers have already begun a wave of emails warning of the rise, and, crucially, pinning the rise on decisions of the government. For example British Gas wrote to customers saying \"because of the changes the government is making to the energy price guarantee, the amount you pay for your energy is due to change this April\".\n\nCampaigners are also calling it the \"government's energy price rise\", and asking for postponement of the increase to the energy price guarantee from April to the summer.\n\nBecause of falls in the wholesale energy price this will wipe out the rise, result in inflation falling more rapidly, and help limit the UK's economic downturn. But it will definitely cost a few billion and could leave the Treasury exposed to tens of billions more if there is any unexpected renewed hike in global gas prices.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/business-64801155"}
{"title":"Sharon Stone says Basic Instinct role cost her custody of her son - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-10","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"Her famous flash in the 1992 erotic thriller made the judge rule for the father, she says.","section":"US & Canada","content":"Sharon Stone's famous flash in the 1992 hit movie Basic Instinct made the judge award custody of her son to the father, the actress says.\n\nActress Sharon Stone says one of her most famous roles caused her to lose custody of her son in 2004.\n\nHer famous flash in the 1992 Basic Instinct warped perceptions of her, Stone said on a podcast.\n\n\"Do you know your mother makes sex movies?\" Stone recalled the judge asking her four-year-old son.\n\nBacklash from the scene, where she briefly exposes herself while crossing her legs, has made her avoid similar roles, she says.\n\nStone and her then-husband Ron Bronstein adopted their son, Roan, in 2000. But when the couple divorced in 2004, the judge awarded custody to Mr Bronstein.\n\nThe loss caused Stone severe heartache, she told host Bruce Bozzi on the Table for Two podcast.\n\n\"I ended up in the Mayo Clinic with extra heartbeats in my upper and lower chamber of my heart,\" Stone said. \"It literally broke my heart.\"\n\nConsidering how much sex and nudity appears on TV today, Stone said, her treatment after the hit movie was brutal.\n\n\"You saw maybe like a 16th of a second of possible nudity of me,\" Stone said. \"And I lost custody of my child.\"\n\nStone said others in Hollywood judged her for her role in the erotic thriller as Catherine Tramell, a novelist who seduces a police detective, played by Michael Douglas.\n\n\"I got nominated for a Golden Globe for that part, and when I went to the Golden Globes and they called my name, a bunch of people in the room laughed,\" Stone said.\n\n\"I was so humiliated,\" she said. \"I was like, does anybody have any idea how hard it was to play that part? How gut-wrenching and frightening\"?\n\nStone said she now avoids roles that cast women in a sexualised light or with dark personalities. But she added that fans should not confuse actors with their characters.\n\n\"The guy who played Jeffery Dahmer \u2014 no one thinks he's a [person] who eats people,\" Stone said. \"It makes him a very complex person who took an incredibly difficult part.\"","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/world-us-canada-64892225"}
{"title":"Boots cuts Advantage Card points earned per pound - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-10","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"Customers will receive 3 pence worth of loyalty points for every \u00a31 spent, down from 4 pence.","section":"Business","content":"Boots is changing the way its loyalty card works by offering discounts on more of its own-brand products but cutting the points earned per pound.\n\nThe health and beauty retailer said that from May, holders of the Advantage Card would collect 3p worth of points for every \u00a31 spent, instead of 4p.\n\nThe move comes when many retailers' costs are increasing amidst record rises in energy bills and overheads.\n\nOne retail analyst said shoppers \"want their jam today rather than waiting\".\n\n\"Loyalty schemes where shoppers collect points to use later are losing appeal as shoppers want the best price and discount right now, and the cost of running these schemes is also significant,\" said Catherine Shuttleworth.\n\nAfter the changes, every point people earn will continue to be worth 1p to spend in Boots.\n\nBoots added that customers would be able to save 10% in store on 6,000 of its own-brand products.\n\nIt said customers would also save on hundreds of products with its Price Advantage scheme in a move which was to \"make things stretch that little bit further\". Price Advantage allows Boots card holders exclusive access to lower prices on certain products.\n\nIt said the move was in response to customer feedback.\n\nOn its website, Boots said: \"We understand that more customers are looking to access instant savings, so offering 10% off our Boots own brand range will give even more opportunities to save.\n\n\"We understand that many customers still love saving up their points for big purchases in the future, so will continue to offer 3p worth of points for every \u00a31 spent at Boots.\"\n\nThe retailer said students would continue to receive a 10% discount storewide, alongside the extra 10% for Boots branded products.\n\nRecent research suggests that shoppers have been switching away from branded products at certain retailers and opting for own-brand equivalents to save money at the till, as inflation - the rate at which prices rise - reaches record highs.\n\nMs Shuttleworth said Boots is competing with other High Street firms to hold on to shoppers amid rising cost pressures, and that points \"really aren't enough\" anymore.\n\n\"Boots is faced with shoppers that are looking for better prices and great value and are shopping far and wide to find it from discount retailers like B&M and Home Bargains to supermarkets and online,\" she told the BBC.\n\n\"Younger shoppers in particular are well versed in unlocking immediate discounts offered to them.\"\n\nShe said that with the cost-of-living crisis, shoppers are increasingly savvy about making their money stretch as far as possible.\n\n\"Changes to schemes and devaluation of points can mean that shoppers choose to give up collecting their points and simply shop elsewhere,\" she said.\n\nAnnich McIntosh, managing editor of Loyalty Magazine, said Boots had been the \"last bastion of high-value loyalty points\".\n\n\"It always had been one of the more generous schemes since the start of the loyalty push,\" she said.\n\nThe shift to instant discounts was common across retailers, she said, allowing companies to continue to collect extremely valuable data about spending habits, while keeping their own costs down.\n\nThey could also use the power of differential pricing to push their own-brand products, and have branded products supplied cheaper, to enhance profits.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/business-64899536"}
{"title":"Rishi Sunak: UK to fund migrant detention centre in France - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-10","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"The UK will contribute almost \u00a3500m over three years to help France curb migrants crossings the Channel in small boats.","section":"UK","content":"Agreement will make even bigger difference going forward - Sunak\n\nThe Times asks two questions next. The first is aimed at Sunak: The UK has already spent \u00a3300m on supporting French efforts to stop small boats. What makes you think that this new money will be any more effective now? Sunak responds by saying: \"Let's just be clear, there are joint efforts\" rather than just French efforts, and speaks of the \"shared challenge\" the two countries face. He acknowledges, however, that global migration is a challenge. \"There are global forces at play,\" he says. He adds that both nations are working \"incredibly hard\" to try to break the cycle. He says there is no one solution for the problem, and nor will it be solved overnight, but that cooperation with allies, including France is very important. The second question, directed at Macron, is about the relationship between France and the UK. Can this relationship ever be as close as it once was, the Times asks. \"This is my wish\", Macron says, but says it \"will depend on our commitment, our willingness\".","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/live\/uk-64914564"}
{"title":"Snow and ice disrupt schools, roads and trains in Wales - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-10","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"Areas of north and west Wales can expect up to a foot of snow on Friday, the Met Office warns.","section":"Wales","content":"This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser.\n\nHeavy snow has caused widespread disruption to schools, roads and rail services in mid and north Wales for a second day.\n\nA Met Office yellow warning for snow was in place until about midday as the Arctic blast continued to hit the UK.\n\nA further yellow warning for ice until 10:00 GMT on Saturday warns of temperatures as low as -11C (12F).\n\nMore than 350 schools were closed on Friday and people were urged to avoid travelling.\n\nSixty-two homes in Merthyr Tydfil lost power on Friday morning but this has since been restored.\n\nMeanwhile, SP Energy Networks also reported power cuts in the Mold area, at Carmel, Greenfield, near Holywell, in the Whitford area, Flintshire, and at Bwlchgwyn, near Wrexham.\n\nTransport for Wales has suspended its trains between Blaenau Ffestiniog and Llandudno, and Shrewsbury and Llanelli via the Heart of Wales on Friday due to the weather.\n\nThe provider added that passengers were advised not to attempt travel.\n\nThis Twitter post cannot be displayed in your browser. Please enable Javascript or try a different browser. View original tweet on Twitter The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Skip twitter post by Trafnidiaeth Cymru Trenau Transport for Wales Rail 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\u2019s cookie policy, external and privacy policy, external before accepting. To view this content choose \u2018accept and continue\u2019. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. End of twitter post by Trafnidiaeth Cymru Trenau Transport for Wales Rail\n\nHeavy snowfall led to the closure of several major roads on Friday, but traffic conditions improved throughout the day.\n\nThe A458 remains closed in both directions at Buttington, Powys, from the Buttingdon roundabout to Halfway House.\n\nA section of the A55 was closed earlier but has since re-opened, Traffic Wales said.\n\nTraffic cameras show snowy conditions on the A55 in Flintshire\n\nNorth Wales Police said it was \"advising motorists to only travel if necessary\" on Friday morning.\n\n\"We are experiencing a high number of calls, please be patient and only use the 999 line in an emergency,\" the force added.\n\nThis Twitter post cannot be displayed in your browser. Please enable Javascript or try a different browser. View original tweet on Twitter The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Skip twitter post 2 by Derek Brockway - weatherman 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\u2019s cookie policy, external and privacy policy, external before accepting. To view this content choose \u2018accept and continue\u2019. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.\n\nIt is estimated some areas could see up to 30cm (12in) of snow, with a snow depth of 27cm (10.6in) at Capel Curig, Conwy county, the greatest depth so far recorded in the UK.\n\nAt 09:00, Met Office weather stations recorded 16cm (6in) of snowfall in Lake Vyrnwy, Powys, 5cm (1.9in) in Hawarden, Flintshire and Bala, Gwynedd, and 4cm (1.5in) in Sennybridge, Powys.\n\nAt Llanrwst, Conwy county, paramedic Tom McLay skied to his job in the town's ambulance station from his home in Capel Curig about 9 miles (14kms) away.\n\nThis Twitter post cannot be displayed in your browser. Please enable Javascript or try a different browser. View original tweet on Twitter The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Skip twitter post 3 by Welsh Ambulance 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\u2019s cookie policy, external and privacy policy, external before accepting. To view this content choose \u2018accept and continue\u2019. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.\n\nLynda Jones, who owns Fronheulog Caravan Park in Lake Vyrnwy, said she was \"so glad\" the caravan site is shut until 1 April.\n\nThe site homes sheep and two horses, which she admitted were lapping up the snow.\n\n\"They love it because they're so young - they're out in the snow playing, they're like little kids,\" she said.\n\nKatie Wilby, of Flintshire council, told Radio Wales Breakfast: \"It's pretty challenging conditions. We've had gritting crews out ploughing and gritting all night. We've had extra vehicles out.\n\n\"There has been significant snowfall overnight. We've seen 20 to 40 centimetres in places, particularly on high ground, but I think most parts of Flintshire have seen snow this morning and will wake up to snow.\n\n\"It's coming down as fast as we're clearing it at the moment so it's really tricky.\"\n\nMs Wilby added that the authority has spread about 360 tonnes of gritting salt and covered 1,466 miles (2,360km) of road in 36 hours.\n\nShe said some disruption must be expected, adding: \"We are working really hard to keep the roads open but I would advise that people don't travel unless absolutely necessary.\"\n\nThis Twitter post cannot be displayed in your browser. Please enable Javascript or try a different browser. View original tweet on Twitter The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Skip twitter post 4 by Arriva Buses Wales 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\u2019s cookie policy, external and privacy policy, external before accepting. To view this content choose \u2018accept and continue\u2019. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.\n\nCouncillor Hugh Jones, lead member for environment at Wrexham council, added: \"All our resources have been out overnight. The work has been hampered by a number of fallen trees as well, but we have managed to get the main routes open.\n\n\"The advice is if you don't have to travel, don't travel, because there will be enough people who have to travel to spread the salt.\n\n\"People have to understand that our teams have been working for over 24 hours, so it's really a tough time.\"\n\nArriva bus said that Wrexham services suspended on Friday morning have since returned to operation but buses would only be using the main roads until further notice.\n\nBoth Wrexham and Flintshire councils have also confirmed that all refuse and recycling collections will be suspended on Friday, with updates posted to their respective websites.\n\nTucker and Molly enjoying the snow in Pandy, Wrexham on Thursday\n\nHelen Kynaston, of the Newtown Community Cafe in Powys: \"This morning it was snowing really heavily early on.\n\n\"Yesterday was a major challenge and we only had a handful of customers, but our chef managed to get in. It took my neighbours and I about three-quarters of an hour to dig [us] out.\n\n\"We made the bowling club really nice and warm and we had requests from our regular customers who really struggled, so we delivered to them which we don't normally do on a Thursday.\"\n\nThis Twitter post cannot be displayed in your browser. Please enable Javascript or try a different browser. View original tweet on Twitter The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Skip twitter post 5 by BBC Weather 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\u2019s cookie policy, external and privacy policy, external before accepting. To view this content choose \u2018accept and continue\u2019. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.\n\nMeanwhile, Brian Dulson from Tanat Valley Coaches said the company has had to cancel its Powys services for a second day.\n\nHe said: \"Still pretty heavy in the last couple of hours. Our local schools are closed.\n\n\"Everywhere the snow is really bad, so it's getting the buses out because if you get stuck in the snow it's a nuisance. We've got little lanes and side roads, our routes are not just on the main roads.\"","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/uk-wales-64912164"}
{"title":"Met Police given \u00a33m to overhaul treatment of crime victims - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-10","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"It comes as a report reveals a third of crime victims are unsatisfied with the Met's service.","section":"London","content":"The mayor is set to confirm the funding in a speech on Friday\n\nMayor of London Sadiq Khan has announced a \u00a33m annual fund to overhaul how the Met treats victims of crime.\n\nIt will be used to fund a free phoneline for victims and make it easier for them to access key information about their case.\n\nMet commissioner Sir Mark Rowley said it would help put victims' voices at the \"heart of everything we do\".\n\nIt will also boost the number of staff responsible for caring for victims and direct them to support services.\n\nThe announcement came as it emerged that one in three victims of crime in London was unsatisfied with the Met's level of service, according to a report by the mayor's office.\n\nSir Mark said his officers and staff did \"a great job in the vast majority of cases\" but that sometimes their follow-up and co-ordination with specialist victim support was not good enough.\n\n\"That is why we are harnessing new technology and creating a dedicated team to boost our service,\" he added.\n\n\"I know my entire service wants to put the victim voice at the heart of everything we do.\n\n\"We are committed to listening to victims' experiences and using this feedback to implement the practical measures that will make a real difference for victims.\"\n\nMr Khan said that crime \"blights lives\" and it was \"imperative\" that victims were \"treated with the utmost compassion, sensitivity and respect\".\n\n\"That's why I've provided an additional \u00a33m per year to significantly improve the support victims receive in their journey through the criminal justice system,\" he added.\n\n\"Successful prosecution of cases often rely on victim's testimonies, so we need to do much more to inspire victims' confidence.\"\n\nSir Mark Rowley will use the funding to try to rebuild the Met's reputation\n\nThe investment came after Mr Khan set out a \u00a314.2m proposal to \"raise standards, improve performance and rebuild trust\" in the force in January.\n\nUnder the proposals another \u00a32.5m would go to improve the Command and Control Centre, handling emergency calls and emails.\n\nThe cash will help Sir Mark to raise standards and rebuild public confidence and trust in the force as part of its two-year \"Turnaround Plan\".\n\nIt is currently in a form of special measures, following a series of damning reviews and scandals.\n\nMr Khan is due to unveil the plans during a speech at the Victims' Summit in London on Friday which bring together victims of crime, community advocates and senior figures in criminal justice.\n\nHe is also expected to call on the government to ensure victims rights are enforceable through the delivery of a Victims Bill.\n\nLondon's Victims' Commissioner, Claire Waxman, welcomed the investment because it would \"greatly help\" improve the force's service to victims.\n\nFollow BBC London on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. Send your story ideas to hellobbclondon@bbc.co.uk\n\nThe BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/uk-england-london-64909640"}
{"title":"Manchester United 4-1 Real Betis: Bruno Fernandes 'brilliant' in Europa League last-16 first-leg win - BBC Sport","published_date":"2023-03-10","authors":null,"description":"Manchester United manager Erik ten Hag praises the brilliance of Bruno Fernandes in his side's dominant Europa League last-16 first-leg victory against Real Betis.","section":null,"content":"Last updated on .From the section European Football\n\nManchester United manager Erik ten Hag hailed goalscoring skipper Bruno Fernandes as the star man in his side's Europa League last-16 first-leg victory against Real Betis.\n\nFernandes had taken the brunt of huge criticism heaped on United following Sunday's record 7-0 Premier League humiliation at Liverpool.\n\nBut Ten Hag confirmed in the build-up the Portuguese would remain captain if Harry Maguire was not on the field - and Fernandes repaid that faith with an outstanding contribution to a much-needed win.\n\nIt included his eighth goal of the season as he headed home Luke Shaw's 58th-minute corner.\n\n\"He was the best player on the pitch,\" said Ten Hag. \"He played a little deeper role and he was brilliant, making the game from the back position, with a lot of good passes in between the lines. From there we created a lot of chances.\"\n\u2022 None Reaction from Old Trafford and Thursday's European action\n\nTen Hag accepted Fernandes was not perfect. A late tackle on Betis' former Manchester City goalkeeper Claudio Bravo brought the midfielder a yellow card and did not look good.\n\nBut the United boss admitted it is a fine line Fernandes has to tread.\n\n\"His passion is his strength,\" added Ten Hag. \"But sometimes he has to control that because when it's too much, it becomes a weakness. He knows that, but there are always small margins.\"\n\nFernandes ran away to celebrate his goal with his hands to his ears as the home fans chanted 'Bruno, Bruno' in his honour, showing they are behind him as well.\n\nMarcus Rashford, Antony and Wout Weghorst were also on the scoresheet as United put themselves in a strong position to reach the last eight when the tie is concluded in Seville next week.\n\nBut Ten Hag knows one win alone will not banish the memory of Sunday's annihilation at Anfield, especially as he had been irritated by some of his side's performances preceding it, including the Carabao Cup final victory against Newcastle.\n\n\"We don't ignore it,\" he said. \"We made mistakes and we got hammered. We showed complacency and you can never do that in top football.\n\n\"In the weeks before, I was not happy against Newcastle and the performance against Leicester in the first half, but sometimes you have to get the bad result where everyone opens their eyes.\"\n\nIn his programme notes, Ten Hag described the Anfield debacle as 'unacceptable' and said he had left his players in no doubt such performances would not be tolerated.\n\nAnd, in a move that smacked of the Dutchman applying collective responsibility for the loss rather than singling out individuals for blame, he named an unchanged line-up.\n\nFor half an hour, all went well.\n\nThe hosts dominated as Rashford drove home his 26th goal of a magnificent season in the sixth minute after Fernandes' cross had been diverted into his path.\n\nFurther chances were created - the issue was none of them went in.\n\nBravo twice denied Rashford, Fernandes had a shot blocked and Weghorst's near-post effort was deflected wide even though he didn't get a corner.\n\nBetis' form in La Liga, where they are fifth, suggested they were not as poor as it appeared and Ayoze Perez proved it when he drilled home a low shot from the angle of the penalty area.\n\nHad the on-loan Leicester City forward got a second after he was set up by Juanmi - gifted possession by David de Gea, who rolled a pass straight to him from inside his six-yard box - anxiety might have spread through home ranks.\n\nAs it was, Perez's deflected shot bounced back off a post and United survived - although question marks remain over keeper De Gea, whose contract expires in the summer.\n\nEven Betis coach Manuel Pellegrini, who barely said anything noteworthy to the media during his three years as Manchester City boss, couldn't resist a pre-match dig at United after their seven-goal defeat at Liverpool.\n\nAs the weeks pass, it will be interesting to see if any individual does pay a price for what unfolded in what many view as the Premier League's greatest rivalry.\n\nFor now though, it can be claimed normal service has resumed.\n\nAntony's superb curling shot restored the home side's advantage seven minutes after the restart and Weghorst found the net with a first-time strike eight minutes from time.\n\nThe key element of that late effort though was the contribution of Facundo Pellistri.\n\nGood enough to play all three games for Uruguay in Qatar at the World Cup, the 21-year-old was only making his fifth United appearance, all off the bench.\n\nBut Pellistri's role in Weghorst's second United goal suggests he will be called upon more often as the campaign reaches its crucial phase.\n\nIgnoring the safety-first option of a pass back to halfway, he took off on a run past the Betis defence to the byeline where he sent a cross back to Scott McTominay, whose effort was blocked and bounced kindly for Weghorst to finish.\n\u2022 None Offside, Manchester United. Casemiro tries a through ball, but Jadon Sancho is caught offside.\n\u2022 None Attempt saved. Facundo Pellistri (Manchester United) right footed shot from the right side of the box is saved in the bottom right corner. Assisted by Bruno Fernandes.\n\u2022 None Attempt missed. Lisandro Mart\u00ednez (Manchester United) left footed shot from the right side of the six yard box is too high. Assisted by Bruno Fernandes with a cross following a corner.\n\u2022 None Attempt missed. Casemiro (Manchester United) right footed shot from outside the box misses to the left. Assisted by Bruno Fernandes.\n\u2022 None Attempt blocked. Jadon Sancho (Manchester United) right footed shot from the centre of the box is blocked.\n\u2022 None Attempt saved. Aitor Ruibal (Real Betis) header from the centre of the box is saved in the bottom right corner. Assisted by Abner with a cross.\n\u2022 None Offside, Manchester United. Rapha\u00ebl Varane tries a through ball, but Facundo Pellistri is caught offside.\n\u2022 None Goal! Manchester United 4, Real Betis 1. Wout Weghorst (Manchester United) right footed shot from very close range to the bottom left corner following a corner.\n\u2022 None Attempt saved. Scott McTominay (Manchester United) right footed shot from the centre of the box is saved in the centre of the goal. Assisted by Facundo Pellistri. Navigate to the next page Navigate to the last page\n\u2022 None Our coverage of Manchester United is bigger and better than ever before - here's everything you need to know to make sure you never miss a moment\n\u2022 None Everything United - go straight to all the best content","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/sport\/football\/64893700"}
{"title":"In pictures: Northern Ireland's snow day - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-10","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"The heaviest falls were in the east but most areas saw at least some overnight snow.","section":"Northern Ireland","content":"A puppy enjoys its first experience of snow\n\nWhile blizzard conditions and heavy snow led to school closures and travel disruption, it also provided a picturesque scene for many people to wake up to.\n\nSome areas were more severely affected than others with the east of Northern Ireland bearing the brunt of the snowfall.\n\nPeople flocked to Stormont to take advantage of the snowy slopes\n\nThe view in Carryduff on the outskirts of Belfast\n\nHowever, most places saw at least a light dusting.\n\nRoads in Antrim were passable but motorists were warned to be extra careful\n\nAt its worst, some roads were described as \"treacherous\" especially over high ground.\n\nIndustrial action has had an impact on some gritting operations\n\nA tape measure shows how deep some of the snowfalls were overnight - this was in Armagh\n\nMore than 200 schools across Northern Ireland closed, leaving thousands of pupils at home for the day.\n\nClosed schools allowed children an opportunity to show their creativity in other areas\n\nAn amber warning was issued for counties Antrim, Down and Armagh while other areas were given a less severe yellow warning.\n\nThe early morning view over the river Foyle\n\nEnjoying the snow on the Stormont estate while Parliament Buildings remains in cold storage\n\nAnd it's not over yet as a weather warning remains in place for Friday night and Saturday morning when low temperatures will see icy conditions persist.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/uk-northern-ireland-64916450"}
{"title":"Ukraine war: Latvia sends cars seized from drunk drivers to help Kyiv - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-10","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"The confiscated vehicles are being delivered under a Latvian scheme to help the Ukrainian military.","section":"Europe","content":"The impounded cars have been transferred to a charity delivering donated vehicles to Ukraine\n\nCars confiscated from drunk drivers in Latvia are being sent to Ukraine, under a new scheme designed to help the war effort there.\n\nEight seized vehicles left a car pound in the capital, Riga, on Wednesday and are due to cross the border soon.\n\nIt is the first convoy to be sent under the plan, approved by the Latvian parliament last month.\n\nMPs agreed to allow the transfer of state-owned cars to the Ukrainian military and hospitals.\n\nLate last year, Latvia changed the law so that drivers found with three times the legal limit could have their vehicles seized and sold by the government.\n\nLatvia has among the worst rates of drinking and driving in Europe, according to public broadcaster LSM, with an estimated 3,500 cases a year.\n\nThe change in the law led to a surge in confiscations that filled state pounds in Latvia in a matter of weeks.\n\nAs a result, authorities pledged to hand over two dozen cars a week to Twitter Convoy, a Latvian charity that sends donated vehicles to Ukraine.\n\n\"No-one expected that people are drunk-driving so many vehicles,\" the NGO's founder, Reinis Poznaks, told Reuters news agency. \"They can't sell them as fast as people are drinking. So that's why I came with the idea - send them to Ukraine.\"\n\nThe first eight cars had a combined value of about \u20ac18,500 (\u00a316,500), according to Latvian website Delfi. One owner had left a Russian flag pinned on his seized vehicle, Reuters reported.\n\nAbout a quarter of Latvia's population are ethnic Russians and Latvia moved fast after the Russian invasion of Ukraine to ban dozens of websites assessed as disseminating Kremlin propaganda.\n\nVladimir Putin has repeatedly sought to justify the war in Ukraine as providing protection for Russian-speakers with the Kremlin's protection.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/world-europe-64903201"}
{"title":"Meta exploring plans for Twitter rival - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-10","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"Meta is looking at plans to launch a new social media app in its bid to displace Twitter.","section":"Technology","content":"Meta, the parent firm of Facebook and Instagram, is working on a standalone, text-based social network app.\n\nIt could rival both Twitter and its decentralised competitor, Mastodon.\n\nA spokesperson told the BBC: \"We're exploring a standalone decentralized social network for sharing text updates.\n\n\"We believe there's an opportunity for a separate space where creators and public figures can share timely updates about their interests.\"\n\nA Twitter-like app would allow Meta to take advantage of the current chaos at the Elon Musk-led company, where cost-cutting has been rampant.\n\nTwitter has been struggling to hold on to its advertising base since Mr Musk's takeover of the platform late last year.\n\nCompanies have pulled back spending following Twitter's move to restore suspended accounts and release a paid account verification which resulted in scammers impersonating firms.\n\nAccording to MoneyControl, the new app is codenamed P92, and will allow users to log in through their existing Instagram credentials.\n\nMeta's app will be based on a similar framework to the one that powers Mastodon, a Twitter-like service which was launched in 2016.\n\nThe new app would be decentralised - it cannot be run at the whim of a single entity, bought or sold.\n\nMeta's plans come at a time when its biggest platform, Facebook, is struggling to attract the attention of a younger audience.\n\nIt has also heavily invested in the metaverse, a virtual world where users interact and work - which has yet to come to fruition.\n\nIts video-sharing app, Instagram, is also facing stiff competition as content makers or hit influencers abandon the platform for TikTok.\n\nIt was not immediately clear when Meta would roll out the new app.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/technology-64917397"}
{"title":"Gary Lineker: Why his comments present a problem for the BBC - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-10","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"How the presenter's remarks, comparing UK asylum policy to 1930s Germany, place the BBC in a pickle.","section":"Entertainment & Arts","content":"The BBC is speaking to Lineker over comparing UK asylum policy to 1930s Germany\n\nAs the UK's most scrutinised media organisation in increasingly polarised times, to say Gary Lineker's recent tweets cause difficulty for the BBC is an understatement.\n\nThe director general, Tim Davie, has made impartiality a key platform of his leadership.\n\nTrust in the corporation is at the heart of this. It matters if the public believes its public service broadcaster doesn't represent their views, or that the BBC is shaped by a particular perspective.\n\nDavie has previously said: \"If you want to be an opinionated columnist or a partisan campaigner on social media then that is a valid choice, but you should not be working at the BBC.\"\n\nAll staff and on-air talent are bound by \"due\" impartiality which the BBC is committed to achieving across its output.\n\nDirector general Tim Davie has said people who want to be opinionated columnists should not be working at the BBC\n\nOfcom defines due impartiality, an important distinction from simply impartiality, as \"means adequate or appropriate to the subject and nature of the programme\".\n\nTo use the classic example: If someone says the earth is round, the BBC does not have to give equal weight to someone else who claims the earth is flat.\n\nLineker is a sports presenter. He tweets on his personal Twitter account.\n\nIf a news presenter commented, as he has done, about the government's asylum policies, or about Brexit for example, they would at the very least receive a very serious warning.\n\nLineker, as somebody associated with sport for the BBC, and who argues he is a freelancer, is in a different position.\n\n\"I try to be sensible,\" he told Radio 4's Media Show in 2021, saying that as a freelancer he's \"considerate\" to his employers when it comes to what he tweets.\n\nHe added that the BBC rules \"only apply to people in news and current affairs\".\n\nFrom the outside, it can appear more complicated.\n\nThe BBC's editorial guidelines state: \"Where individuals identify themselves as being linked with the BBC, or are programme makers, editorial staff, reporters or presenters primarily associated with the BBC, their activities on social media have the potential to compromise the BBC's impartiality and to damage its reputation.\"\n\nLineker presents Match of the Day, the BBC's flagship football programme\n\nLineker's Twitter account has 8.7m followers. So he has a huge platform.\n\nAnd, whatever the set up of the BBC as a broadcaster, with sport and news being distinct from one another, for audiences that distinction can be less clear. In many people's minds, if you are on the BBC, you work for it, and Lineker happens to be one of corporation's most high profile presenters.\n\nThat's why the BBC's editorial guidelines also say that people with platforms have a greater responsibility to uphold impartiality.\n\nLast year, a different tweet by Lineker was found to have broken BBC rules. That concerned a post about the then-Foreign Secretary Liz Truss urging a boycott of the Champions League final in Russia.\n\nThe Match of the Day host added: \"And her party will hand back their donations from Russian donors?\"\n\nThe BBC's Executive Complaints Unit ruled that, although the star is not required to uphold the same impartiality standards as BBC journalists, he has an \"additional responsibility\" because of his profile.\n\n\"We expect these individuals to avoid taking sides on party political issues or political controversies and to take care when addressing public policy matters,\" the ruling said.\n\nTo his detractors, Lineker has form. He has made comments before that some have found controversial, including, in 2016, that the government's treatment of asylum seekers was \"hideously racist and utterly heartless\".\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Watch: Suella Braverman says she is \"disappointed\" by Gary Lineker's tweet\n\nBut he is also a much loved and well respected sports broadcaster. Match of the Day is a very popular programme.\n\nHe may be the BBC's highest paid star, but he could probably earn even more if he switched to another broadcaster.\n\nLineker clearly cares deeply about the issue of migrant crossings, and he has taken refugees into his own home in the past.\n\nHe has not removed his original Twitter comments criticising the government's asylum announcements, which he posted on Tuesday.\n\nAfter those tweets caused controversy, he tweeted on Wednesday: \"Great to see the freedom of speech champions out in force this morning demanding silence from those with whom they disagree.\"\n\nThis Twitter post cannot be displayed in your browser. Please enable Javascript or try a different browser. View original tweet on Twitter The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Skip twitter post by Gary Lineker \ud83d\udc99\ud83d\udc9b 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\u2019s cookie policy, external and privacy policy, external before accepting. To view this content choose \u2018accept and continue\u2019. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.\n\nHe also thanked his followers for their \"love and support\", pledging to \"continue to try and speak up for those poor souls that have no voice\".\n\nLineker appears bullish. And he isn't the only sports presenter straying into politics this morning, with BT Sport anchor Jake Humphrey describing the government's \"stop the boats\" pledge as being \"a cruel slogan\".\n\nThis Twitter post cannot be displayed in your browser. Please enable Javascript or try a different browser. View original tweet on Twitter The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Skip twitter post 2 by Jake Humphrey 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\u2019s cookie policy, external and privacy policy, external before accepting. To view this content choose \u2018accept and continue\u2019. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.\n\nThe News Agents presenter and former BBC journalist Emily Maitlis said it was \"curious that Gary Lineker [was] free to raise questions about Qatar's human rights record - with the blessing of the BBC - over the World Cup, but cannot raise questions of human rights in this country if it involves criticism of government policy\".\n\nHowever, this is arguably a false equivalence. Voicing an opinion on a government policy about migrant crossings, a divisive subject, is not the same thing as highlighting well-documented human rights breaches in Qatar, something which is a matter of fact.\n\nThe BBC is in a difficult position. They say a \"frank\" conversation is being had with Lineker. But in the end, what are the options?\n\nWith some Conservative MPs calling for him to be sacked, not for the first time, the pressure is mounting.\n\nPerceptions on impartiality matter, but it's also clear that impartiality can be politicised by people who have an agenda against the BBC.\n\nAs it navigates the demands of its editorial standards, its talent and its audiences, the BBC is walking a tightrope.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/entertainment-arts-64889868"}
{"title":"Ukraine war: Russia fires hypersonic missiles in new barrage - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-10","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"At least nine people die as Russia fires powerful weapons, including hypersonic missiles.","section":"Europe","content":"This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser.\n\nAt least nine people have died in a new wave of strikes across Ukraine in which Russia used powerful weapons, including rare hypersonic missiles.\n\nRussia had reportedly not fired Kinzhal hypersonic missiles - which can evade air defences - since the early months of the conflict.\n\nThe latest barrage was the most severe to hit Ukraine for weeks.\n\nIt cut power to the Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant - Europe's biggest - although it was later restored.\n\nOn Thursday Russian defence ministry spokesman Igor Konashenkov said: \"High-precision long-range air, sea and land-based weapons, including the Kinzhal hypersonic missile system, hit key elements of Ukraine's military infrastructure.\"\n\nIt was the biggest day of Russian strikes on Ukraine since the end of January,\n\nThe Ukrainian military claimed it had successfully shot down 34 cruise missiles and four Iranian-made Shahed drones.\n\nBut it also said it had been unable to intercept the six Kinzhal ballistic missiles - nor was it able to destroy older weapons, such as Kh-22 anti-ship missiles and S-300 anti-aircraft missiles.\n\n\"This was a major attack and for the first time with so many different types of missiles,\" the Reuters news agency quoted a Ukrainian air force spokesperson as saying. \"It was like never before.\"\n\nPresident Vladimir Putin has highlighted Russia's investment in ballistic hypersonic missiles, which can travel at more than five times the speed of sound.\n\nNuclear energy operator Energoatom said the strike at the Zaporizhzhia plant had cut off the link between the facility and the Ukrainian power system.\n\nFor the sixth time since it was taken over by Russia a year ago, the facility operated on diesel generators until the link was restored later on Thursday.\n\nElectricity is needed for cooling radioactive material present at the plant.\n\n\"Today's loss of all external power once again demonstrated how fragile and dangerous the situation is for the Zaporizhzhya Nuclear Power Plant,\" said Rafael Grossi, the head of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA).\n\nEarlier on Thursday he had called for an international commitment to protect the plant, following a series of strikes since the invasion began.\n\n\"Each time we are rolling a dice. And if we allow this to continue time after time then one day our luck will run out,\" Mr Grossi said.\n\nIn the capital Kyiv, emergency services attended the scenes of blasts in western and southern districts.\n\nA missile also hit an energy facility in the port city of Odesa, triggering power cuts, its governor Maksym Marchenko said. Residential areas were also hit but no casualties were reported.\n\nElsewhere, Ukraine's military says it has pushed back intense Russian attacks on the embattled eastern city of Bakhmut despite Russian forces claiming to have taken control of its eastern half.\n\nMoscow has been trying to take Bakhmut for months, as both sides suffer heavy losses in a grinding war of attrition.\n\n\"The enemy continued its attacks and has shown no sign of a let-up in storming the city of Bakhmut,\" the general staff of the Ukrainian armed forces said. \"Our defenders repelled attacks on Bakhmut and on surrounding communities.\"\n\nBetween 20,000 and 30,000 Russian troops have been killed or wounded in the battle for the Ukrainian city of Bakhmut since it began last summer, Western officials say. The figures cannot be verified independently.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/world-europe-64903202"}
{"title":"Belvedere deaths: Nadja De Jager and her sons found at house - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-10","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"Nadja De Jager and her sons Alexander, nine, and Maximus, seven, were found on Thursday morning.","section":"London","content":"Alexander, nine, and Maximus, seven, were found dead at the scene\n\nA woman and her two sons have been found dead in a house in south-east London.\n\nThe Met says Nadja De Jager, 47, Alexander, nine, and Maximus, seven, were found in Mayfield Road, Belvedere, on Thursday morning.\n\nThe force says it is not seeking anyone in connection with its investigation.\n\nDet Insp Ollie Stride said: \"This is a deeply sad case and we are continuing to establish the circumstances that led to this tragic incident.\"\n\nThe children's school paid tribute to the two brothers, saying they were \"loving and caring\".\n\nBelvedere Infant and Junior School said the boys were \"model pupils\", adding that it was \"clear that they were each other's best friend\".\n\nThe police said officers forced entry into the property after being called about concerns for the welfare of the occupants at the address at around 11:50 GMT.\n\nThe victims' family has been informed and are being supported by specialist officers. A post-mortem examination will be held in due course.\n\nA heavy media presence has descended on this leafy street, which is a stone's throw from Franks Park.\n\nOfficers in this part of Bexley are knocking on doors and speaking to neighbours to try to piece together exactly what might have happened - although most people here are not speaking to journalists.\n\nForensic teams have been searching a vehicle outside this semi-detached house, which is now a crime scene.\n\nA wheelie bin has also been taken inside for analysis.\n\nForensic officers have been in attendance\n\nDet Insp Stride said: \"I would like to thank the local community for their co-operation while our officers go about their inquiries.\n\n\"Our thoughts today are very much with the family as they struggle to come to terms with their loss and we ask that their privacy be respected at this extremely difficult time.\"\n\nEmergency services went to the house after a report raising concerns for the occupants' welfare was made\n\nLondon Ambulance Service said a medic was sent out in a fast-response car, along with two incident response officers, but the woman and two boys were pronounced dead at the scene.\n\nFollow BBC London on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. Send your story ideas to hellobbclondon@bbc.co.uk","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/uk-england-london-64916557"}
{"title":"UN buys huge ship to avert catastrophic oil spill off Yemen - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-10","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"The vessel will head to Yemen and remove 1.1 million barrels of oil from a stricken tanker.","section":"Middle East","content":"The FSO Safer has been abandoned since 2015 and is carrying 1.1m barrels of oil\n\nThe UN has purchased a huge ship that it hopes will prevent an environmental catastrophe off the coast of Yemen.\n\nFor years, more than a million barrels of crude oil have been sitting on a decaying supertanker in the Red Sea.\n\nThere are fears the vessel could soon break apart or explode, risking one of the worst oil spills in recent memory.\n\nBut on Thursday, the UN said it had purchased a crude carrier that would head to Yemen and remove the oil from the stricken ship.\n\n\"The purchase of this suitable vessel... marks the beginning of the operational phase of the plan to safely remove the oil and avoid the risk of an environmental and humanitarian disaster,\" Achim Steiner from the UN Development Programme (UNDP) said, adding that it was a \"major breakthrough\".\n\nA UNDP statement said the ship - which it purchased from major tanker company Euronav - was undergoing routine maintenance in China and would arrive for the operation in early May.\n\n\"A major spill would devastate fishing communities on Yemen's Red Sea coast, likely wiping out 200,000 livelihoods instantly. Whole communities would be exposed to life-threatening toxins. Highly polluted air would affect millions,\" it said.\n\nThe organisation added that a potential oil spill could cost up to $20bn (\u00a316.7bn) to clean up.\n\nThe UN had been searching for years for a solution and appealed for donations. The planned operation is estimated to cost $129m of which $75m has been received and another $20m has been pledged, it said.\n\nThe stranded ship - the FSO Safer - was left abandoned off the port of Hodeida after Yemen's civil war broke out in 2015. It has not been serviced since.\n\nIt was constructed as a supertanker in 1976 and converted later into a floating storage for oil. It is anchored near the Ras Isa oil terminal, which is controlled by Yemen's rebel Houthi movement.\n\nThe 376m (1,233ft) vessel holds an estimated 1.14m barrels of crude oil.\n\nThe Safer's structural integrity has deteriorated significantly since maintenance operations were suspended in 2015, when the Houthis seized large parts of Yemen and a Saudi-led coalition intervened in support of the government. The ensuing conflict has reportedly killed more than 150,000 people and left more than 23 million in need of aid.\n\nMr Steiner told reporters on Thursday: \"Let me be very clear - this is a risky operation and things could go wrong.\" He added that it could still be suspended if they fail to raise enough funds.\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. BBC Middle East Editor Jeremy Bowen meets terrified children running from civil war and 'ghosts' in Yemen","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/world-middle-east-64904985"}
{"title":"Gary Lineker: Football star who became a Saturday TV fixture - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-10","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"The ex-England player is one of the most recognisable figures associated with the BBC.","section":"UK","content":"For many years, Gary Lineker has been one of sport's most famous faces - both on the football pitch and on television screens.\n\nThe last week has seen the Match of the Day host again move from the back pages to the front, after his criticism over the government's asylum plans sparked an impartiality row.\n\nThe 62-year-old is one of the most recognisable figures associated with the broadcaster, and is part of the footballing landscape in the UK.\n\nHe took over as host of the BBC's football highlights programme in 1999 after a stellar career as a striker for England, Leicester City, Everton, Spurs and Barcelona that finished in Japan.\n\nOne of the broadcaster's highest-paid presenters, Lineker is viewed by many as one of the faces of the BBC - and he has not shied from using his high profile to express his political views.\n\nHis outspoken positions on divisive issues have earned him criticism and plaudits in equal measures - and, on occasion, caused BBC bosses a headache.\n\nThe corporation is committed to impartiality, meaning staff and stars are expected to follow guidance on expressing political opinions in the BBC's output and on social media.\n\nBut Lineker, who is technically a freelancer rather than a BBC employee, has not always bitten his tongue.\n\nIn 2022, he posted a story on Twitter about the then-Foreign Secretary Liz Truss urging a boycott of the Champions League final in Russia. He asked: \"And her party will hand back their donations from Russian donors?\"\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. WATCH: How the Match of the Day row played out on Saturday... in 60 seconds\n\nThe incident led to the BBC's Executive Complaints Unit (ECU) upholding a complaint and concluding that, as \"one of the BBC's highest-profile stars\", he did not meet the corporation's editorial standards on impartiality.\n\nIn 2018, Lineker posted a thread of tweets as Conservatives held a no-confidence vote in Theresa May, who was then prime minister, and indirectly criticised Labour's leader at the time, Jeremy Corbyn.\n\nTwo years earlier he blasted some in the media for being \"hideously racist and utterly heartless\" to refugees.\n\nHe has taken refugees into his home and spoken passionately about the need to protect people who come to the country in need.\n\nDespite criticism from politicians, some in the media and colleagues, Lineker has steadfastly defended his right to speak out on issues that matter to him, often to his 8.7 million Twitter followers.\n\nLineker scored more than 300 career goals for club and country\n\nThe presenter is the face of Match of the Day and the FA Cup\n\nA tweet aimed at Jonathan Agnew, a BBC cricket host who had criticised his 2018 political posts, summed up his approach. \"I'll continue to tweet what I like and if folk disagree with me then so be it,\" he wrote.\n\nLineker has now caused a row with a tweet commenting that the government's new Illegal Migration Bill was an \"immeasurably cruel policy directed at the most vulnerable people in language that is not dissimilar to that used by Germany in the 30s\".\n\nResponding to critics of his comments, he said he would \"continue to try and speak up for those poor souls that have no voice\".\n\nFor its part, the BBC said that when it came to leading its football and sports coverage, Lineker was \"second to none\".\n\nBut it said: \"We consider his recent social media activity to be a breach of our guidelines\" - and \"he should keep well away from taking sides on party political issues or political controversies\".\n\nLineker has previously argued he can impart his opinion because he is a freelancer. On top of that, he works on BBC's Sport output, away from the inevitably more sensitive news operation.\n\nBut critics point to the \u00a31.35m he was paid by the BBC in 2021\/22, a sum which makes him the highest paid presenter whose salary must be disclosed (although this does not include famous faces who are employed via private production firms).\n\nThey also argue his platform comes via his BBC work, and so he should follow its rules.\n\nLineker is contracted until 2025, and on top of hosting Match of the Day also fronts the BBC's coverage of major football tournaments and co-presents BBC Sports Personality Of The Year.\n\nHe also works as a presenter on LaLigaTV, which covers football in Spain for viewers in the UK and Ireland.\n\nThe media company he co-founded - Goalhanger Podcasts - produces The Rest Is Politics, a regular political discussion show featuring former Labour aide Alastair Campbell and ex-Tory minister Rory Stewart.\n\nHe has worked for other broadcasters, including a stint presenting the Champions League for BT Sport, and is also widely known as the face of Walker's Crisps, a business founded in his home town of Leicester.\n\nBefore taking to the airwaves, Lineker first made his name with his local team, Leicester City FC, in 1978.\n\nHis goalscoring habit continued after moves to Everton and Tottenham Hotspur, and he topped the scoring charts for both teams in the First Division - the top flight of English football before the Premier League was created.\n\nHe made his England debut in 1984 and played 80 times for his country - the last time in 1992.\n\nHis tally of 48 international goals has been bettered by only three Englishmen.\n\nHe retired from the game in 1994 - having notably never been shown a yellow card - and was inducted into the English Football Hall of Fame.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/uk-64895590"}
{"title":"The chef, the model and Rishi's missing millions - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-10","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"The inside story of Britain\u2019s biggest Bounce Back Loan fraud - \u00a310m stolen by one criminal gang.","section":"UK","content":"Ten people have now been convicted for their roles in laundering millions of pounds\n\nThe final three members of a money laundering gang which also stole \u00a310m of UK taxpayers' money after taking advantage of a covid loan scheme, have been sentenced.\n\nIt means the BBC can now tell the full story of a case that illustrates just how easy it was to exploit a scheme aimed at supporting small businesses struggling during the pandemic.\n\nIn 2020, the gang used scores of bogus companies to take advantage of the then-Chancellor Rishi Sunak's Bounce Back Loan scheme.\n\nAny small company could apply for up to \u00a350,000 of taxpayers' money but, in the rush to save the economy, checks on borrowers were limited.\n\nIn fact, the gang's \u00a310m is only a drop in the ocean. The National Audit Office estimates the taxpayer could lose billions of pounds in Bounce Back Loan fraud.\n\nThe latest convictions - bringing the total number to 10 - are a good result for the Organised Crime Partnership, a joint unit made up of the National Crime Agency and Met Police.\n\nIt's thought the gang laundered as much as \u00a370m. But only \u00a3181,600 of the money has been recovered and it's believed other offenders involved in the fraud are still at large.\n\nThe gang were able to steal so much money because long before covid, its ringleaders had already established a network of bogus companies to launder cash from VAT fraud and other criminal activities, including drug dealing and construction scams.\n\nBut when the pandemic struck, Artem Terzyan, a Russian, and Deivis Grochiatskij from Lithuania, who had been on the NCA's radar since 2017, suddenly found themselves with a reduced income.\n\nArtem Terzyan and Deivis Grochiatskij spent the money on watches, holidays and cars\n\nAs the world locked down, criminals were hit just like legitimate businesses. The pair realised they had to diversify, targeting the UK Government Bounce Back Loans emergency scheme which saw more than 1.5 million loans worth nearly \u00a347bn approved.\n\nThe men bagged \u00a310m - they applied for the cash claiming their bogus companies were in danger of going bust.\n\nBut they got careless. As well as the loan cash, they continued to launder other money, all under the noses of the NCA.\n\nSo when officers arrested them again in November 2020, they found overwhelming evidence of wrongdoing.\n\nThe men deposited thousands of pounds each day in banks across London\n\nAt their trial in December 2021, the court heard how both men had used the money to buy high-end watches, foreign holidays and cars. The rest of the cash had been transferred immediately abroad.\n\nThe NCA's John Coles says usually only lottery winners could suddenly spend money so freely.\n\n\"These people won the lottery in a totally different way.\"\n\nIn December 2021, Terzyan and Grochiatskij were jailed for laundering as much as \u00a370m and stealing \u00a310m in Bounce Back Loans. Terzyan is serving 17 years - and Grochiatskij, 16.\n\nThe last of three trials concluded on Friday at Kingston Crown Court, with the final three defendants receiving suspended sentences. It means reporting restrictions can now be lifted.\n\nWe found details of two of the companies' directors by scouring social media accounts\n\nEach of Terzyan and Grochiatskij's bogus companies that received Bounce Back Loan money in 2020 had a real person appointed as a director.\n\nWe decided to trace two of these directors and find out if they had any idea where the money had gone.\n\nScouring court documents and the files of Companies House, the names of two of these bogus firms stood out - Bart Solution Ltd and JK Consult Ltd. The prosecution said they had been used to launder large amounts of money.\n\nJust over \u00a310m was paid into and out of the accounts of Bart Solution Ltd during 2020. The prosecution told the court most of this money came from Bounce Back Loans.\n\nIn court, JK Consult LTD was described as a \"shell company\" with no assets. Despite that, millions of pounds was deposited into its accounts and then sent on to other companies both in the UK and around the world.\n\nThe Companies House database also provided us with two names - each one a director of the two bogus firms. Povilas Bartkevicius was the name listed for Bart Solution Ltd - and Yekaterina Kobrina, the director of JK Consult Ltd.\n\nBy examining social media accounts we learned that Mr Barkevicius is a chef, while Ms Kobrina is a model with thousands of followers on Instagram. Both have links to the capital of Lithuania, Vilnius, so we went to try to track them down.\n\nWe enlisted the help of BBC colleagues based in Vilnius, but a scan of local telephone and government online directories came up blank, with neither director listed.\n\nPovilas Bartkevicius told the BBC he was working two jobs to make ends meet\n\nMr Barkevicius stopped posting on social media in 2021, but his final posts show he worked at an expensive restaurant just outside the capital.\n\nWe rang the restaurant but were told that he was not working there, and they refused to give us his home address. They then became suspicious and wanted to know why we were searching for him. It felt like a dead end.\n\nSo we decided to get creative. Taking the user name of his Facebook and Instagram accounts, we searched for him elsewhere online - Telegram and Tiktok. But with no luck.\n\nThen we tried the activity app Strava, which cyclists, runners and walkers use to track their progress. Remarkably, we found he had an account and that he had not set it to private.\n\nIt showed that in the summer of 2022, he cycled from the same location every morning and returned each evening. We followed this trail back through the city to a Soviet-era block of hundreds of apartments - but which one was his?\n\nThe inside story of a crime gang that stole millions of pounds in government loans.\n\nWe then did more digging on Facebook and discovered he likes BMWs. In fact, he posted a picture of his car, asking members of a BMW owners' group for help with a broken rear light. We hunted around the car parks near the blocks and matched the photo online to his silver BMW. Bingo.\n\nThe following day we were up in the dark at 05:30 - it was below zero and there was snow on the ground. We drove to the block and parked near his car, waiting by the communal door.\n\nToo cold to cycle, we assumed he must now be driving to work. Within minutes, Mr Bartkevicius walked out of the block of flats and we were there to greet him.\n\nWe introduced ourselves and asked if he knew where the money in the bogus company he was linked to had gone. He seemed genuinely shocked to see us and confused by our question. He insisted he had no idea he had been a named director for Bart Solution Ltd.\n\nHe said he had read accounts of the court case in the papers but knew nothing about what the gang were up to before then.\n\n\"I heard that they were laundering money, but I didn't know that they laundered \u00a310m [in] my name,\" Mr Bartkevicius told us.\n\nHe insisted he was in the dark about the loan money.\n\n\"If I had some money, even 10,000, I wouldn't work two job,\" he said. \"I just married two months ago. I was working all weekends, just to be able to buy everything for my wedding.\"\n\nHe maintained he had no idea what happened to the money. He has not been interviewed by the police in Lithuania or the NCA in the UK.\n\nYekaterina Kobrina says she has 'huge loans'\n\nBut what of the model Yekaterina Kobrina?\n\nWe rang a clothes shop in Vilnius which she used to model for, to see if we could book her for an assignment. But the owner was suspicious and wouldn't help.\n\nMs Kobrina had posted a lot of photos on her social media of holidays in exotic places, but very little about her life in Vilnius.\n\nBizarrely though, after searching a whole range of local Facebook groups, one of her posts popped up in a group full of people angry about the poor quality of produce available in their local supermarket.\n\nWe could see Ms Kobrina regularly complained about the state of the vegetables, especially the potatoes.\n\nWe traced the shop to an area of grimy tower blocks in the north of the city. We spent the next couple of days in the area trying to trace her. But it was only after a tip-off from a local BBC producer, that we spotted her walking down a street.\n\nShe seemed surprised when we approached her, but she shook my hand, laughed and told me how nice it was to see me.\n\nWe asked her about the company she was a named director of - JK Consult Ltd - and if she knew where all the money from the Bounce Back Loans had gone.\n\nMs Kobrina told us: \"I don't have any answers, you can check that all my property is leased, I have huge loans. I don't know anything. You should ask other people. Because I live in Vilnius, in Lithuania.\n\n\"No comments, only with my lawyer.\" Then she drove away.\n\nWe learned later that she had been interviewed by police in Lithuania, but had not been charged.\n\nSo, despite our efforts, we were no closer to knowing whether Mr Bartkevicius or Ms Kobrina knew anything about the fraud or what their names were being used for.\n\nThe most recent government report estimated 8% of all Bounce Back Loans could be lost to fraud or error\n\nOne man who is not surprised by this story is Mike Craig, who has waged a one-man campaign to highlight problems with the loans.\n\nHis Twitter profile has tens of thousands of followers and his \"Mr Bounceback\" website tries to help legitimate firms.\n\nThe most recent government report estimated 8% of all Bounce Back Loans could be lost to fraud or error.\n\nTo date, 273 investigations have been launched - involving \u00a3160m of bogus loans. Forty-nine people have been arrested.\n\nThe Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy said the government was \"bearing down\" on this fraud. A spokesman said: \"We are working with lenders, law enforcement, and partners across government to recover fraudulently-obtained loans. We wholly support the Insolvency Service in penalising those who sought to defraud the scheme for their own financial gain.\"\n\nMr Craig says the loan scheme was obviously vulnerable from the start - requiring no affordability or credit checks, which was \"like a jackpot for a lot of people\".\n\n\"At the start I thought all you need for a Bounce Back Loan is an eligible company and a pulse. But it turns out you didn't need either,\" he says.\n\nI ask him where that leaves the taxpayer? He replies, \"Stuffed for billions of pounds\".","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/uk-64879444"}
{"title":"Hamburg shooting: Police spoke to gunman weeks before attack - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-10","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"He co-operated with officers and there were not enough grounds to take away his gun, police say.","section":"Europe","content":"This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser.\n\nA man who shot dead seven people in Germany was visited by police last month after a tip-off raised concerns about his mental health.\n\nHe co-operated with officers and there were not enough grounds to take away his gun at the time, police said.\n\nThe 35-year-old suspect, named only as Philipp F, had a licence to own the weapon for sporting purposes.\n\nThe country is preparing a new law involving tighter curbs on gun ownership, the interior minister said.\n\nSeven people, including an unborn baby, were killed in Thursday's attack which unfolded at a Jehovah's Witness meeting hall in the city.\n\nThe first emergency call came at 21:04 local time (20:04 GMT) to report that shots had been fired, and officers were on site four minutes later.\n\nVideo appeared to show the gunman firing through a window. He then stormed the building where dozens of people had gathered, firing nine magazines of ammunition before apparently turning the gun on himself after police arrived.\n\nEight people were injured, including a woman who was seven months pregnant. She survived but her unborn baby was killed.\n\nChancellor Olaf Scholz said the death toll could rise.\n\nFloral tributes have been placed outside the Jehovah's Witness meeting hall in Hamburg\n\nGerman Senator Andy Grote said \"fast and decisive actions\" by police officers saved many lives. He described the attack as the \"worst crime\" in Hamburg's recent history.\n\nOfficials said the suspect had \"ill feelings\" towards the religious community, of which he had previously been a member before leaving \"on bad terms\".\n\nJehovah's Witnesses are members of a Christian-based religious movement, founded in the US at the end of the 19th Century.\n\nIn its latest report from 2022, the movement says there are about 8.7 million Jehovah's Witnesses worldwide, including about 170,000 in Germany. In the city of Hamburg, there are believed to be nearly 4,000 members.\n\nOn Friday, Hamburg Police Chief Ralf Martin Meyer said officers visited the man in February after they received an anonymous letter claiming he \"bore particular anger toward religious believers, in particular toward Jehovah's Witnesses\".\n\nThe letter also said he \"might be suffering from a mental illness, although it had not been medically diagnosed\".\n\nPolice said he was co-operative and had an open conversation with the officers. \"The bottom line is that an anonymous tip in which someone says they're worried a person might have a psychological illness, isn't in itself a basis for [such] measures,\" Chief Meyer said.\n\nForensic experts worked at the scene of the shooting on Deelb\u00f6ge street through the night but have since left the area.\n\nMourners have left floral tributes near to the front door. One man, holding his little boy and girl by the hand, told the BBC he tried to come home last night but his way was blocked by police wielding assault rifles.\n\nGermany already has some of the strictest gun laws in Europe, including a clause that anyone aged under 25 must pass a psychological evaluation before getting a licence.\n\nIn 2021, there were about one million private gun owners in Germany, according to the National Firearms Registry. They account for 5.7 million legal firearms and firearm parts, most of them owned by hunters.\n\nAfter mass arrests were made last December in relation to a suspected plot to overthrow the government, the German authorities have been under pressure to tighten the country's gun laws even further.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/world-europe-64918160"}
{"title":"Gary Lineker: BBC boss Tim Davie 'sorry' after sport disruption in Lineker row - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-10","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"Football coverage was severely impacted by a staff walk-out in support of the Match of the Day host.","section":"UK","content":"This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Watch Nomia Iqbal's interview in full: Tim Davie is asked whether he has lost control of the BBC\n\nBBC director general Tim Davie has apologised to licence fee payers after a day of sports programme disruption.\n\nFootball shows were pulled at the last minute on Saturday after presenters and commentators walked out in support of Match of the Day host Gary Lineker.\n\nMatch of the Day was reduced to a 20-minute edition.\n\nLineker was suspended after criticising the government's controversial asylum policy. But Mr Davie denied the government pressured him into the move.\n\nAs well as having no presenter, Match of the Day on BBC One on Saturday night was broadcast without commentary, and pundits Alan Shearer and Ian Wright did not appear.\n\nThe programme was also without its famous theme tune and opening credits. The show started with a graphic reading \"Premier League Highlights\" before launching straight into clips from the Bournemouth v Liverpool game - the usual commentary replaced by the sound of the crowd.\n\nMr Davie admitted it had been a \"difficult day\" for the corporation but said \"we are working very hard to resolve the situation\".\n\nInterviewed by BBC News, Mr Davie said \"success for me is getting Gary back on air and together we are giving to the audiences that world-class sports coverage which, as I say, I'm sorry we haven't been able to deliver today\".\n\nThe director general said he would \"absolutely not\" be resigning but admitted \"this has been a tough time for the BBC\".\n\nHe said there had been no \"pandering\" to any political party amid accusations from opposition parties that BBC executives had bowed to pressure from Downing Street and ministers over the anti-government tweet.\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. How the row played out on Saturday... in 60 seconds\n\nMr Davie said Lineker had been asked to \"step back\" after getting \"involved in party political matters\". He added he was prepared to review impartiality rules for freelance staff like Lineker.\n\nIn the Sunday Mirror, Lineker's son, George, is quoted as saying he thought his father would return to presenting Match of the Day. However, George said \"he [Lineker] won't ever back down on his word\".\n\nCommenting on the Illegal Migration Bill on Tuesday, Lineker called it an \"immeasurably cruel policy directed at the most vulnerable people in language that is not dissimilar to that used by Germany in the 30s\".\n\nHis suspension on Friday triggered a wider debate about BBC impartiality, the government's asylum policy and the position of the broadcaster's chairman Richard Sharp.\n\nIt also led to an unprecedented day of turmoil for the BBC's sport operation, with staff including some of the most recognisable faces and voices associated with its football coverage downing tools.\n\nOn a day which should have featured morning to evening football programming on TV and radio, the BBC was forced to air re-runs of programmes or play podcasts on Radio 5 Live to plug gaps in the schedule.\n\nFootball Focus was due to air at noon but was pulled when host Alex Scott tweeted it \"doesn't feel right going ahead with the show today\" an hour-and-a-half before it was due to start.\n\nFinal Score was axed from the 16:00 slot when host Jason Mohammad told the BBC he was refusing to present.\n\nRadio 5 Live's regular Saturday morning show Fighting Talk was cancelled when staff boycotted, a decision host Colin Murray said was \"taken by the entire... team and myself\".\n\nFans tuning in to follow the afternoon's action on TV were met with re-runs of Bargain Hunt and The Repair Shop. At one point, 5 Live resorted to replaying old pre-recorded material.\n\nBefore Match of the Day aired on BBC One at 22:20, a continuity presenter told viewers: \"We're sorry we're unable to show our normal Match of the Day, including commentary tonight, but here now is the best action from today's Premier League matches.\"\n\nThere are major questions surrounding Sunday's planned coverage and whether the BBC can get Match of the Day 2 with Mark Chapman onto TV screens. The host was absent from the airwaves on Saturday.\n\nPrime minister Rishi Sunak called Lineker a \"talented presenter\" in a statement on Saturday evening, but added the row was not a matter for the government.\n\nHe said: \"As prime minister, I have to do what I believe is right, respecting that not everyone will always agree. That is why I have been unequivocal in my approach to stopping the boats.\n\n\"Gary Lineker was a great footballer and is a talented presenter. I hope that the current situation between Gary Lineker and the BBC can be resolved in a timely manner, but it is rightly a matter for them, not the government.\"\n\nA Department for Culture, Media and Sport spokesperson said \"individual cases are a matter for the BBC,\" but Downing Street and several senior ministers have been vocally critical in recent days.\n\nHome Secretary Suella Braverman and Culture Secretary Lucy Frazer have both attacked the presenter for implying a comparison between the government's language and Nazi Germany.\n\nMs Braverman said the Nazi comparison used by Lineker was \"lazy and unhelpful\".\n\nSenior Labour politicians have expressed support for Lineker, including leader Sir Keir Starmer. He said the government should focus on fixing the asylum system rather than \"whingeing on\" about Lineker and accused BBC bosses of bowing to pressure from ministers.\n\nLiberal Democrat leader Sir Ed Davey called for BBC chairman Richard Sharp to stand down, saying the row exposed \"failings at the top\" of the corporation.\n\n\"We need leadership at the BBC that upholds our proud British values and can withstand today's consistently turbulent politics and Conservative bullying tactics,\" he added.\n\nEarlier on Saturday, Greg Dyke, who acted as director general between 2000 and 2004, said the BBC had \"undermined its own credibility\" over its handling of the row.\n\nHe pointed to the ongoing controversy surrounding Mr Sharp, adding the Lineker move could create the impression the \"BBC has bowed to government pressure\".\n\nAn ongoing KC-led review into Mr Sharp's appointment as BBC chairman is investigating whether he failed to properly disclose details of his involvement in the facilitation of an \u00a3800,000 loan guarantee for the then PM Boris Johnson. He has denied any involvement in the arrangement of a loan for Mr Johnson.\n\nThe BBC is also conducting its own internal review over any potential conflicts of interest Mr Sharp may have in his current role as BBC chairman.\n\nFormer head of BBC TV News and director of sport, Roger Mosey, also called for Mr Sharp to go and said the chairman had \"damaged the BBC's credibility\".\n\nHowever, others have been more supportive of the BBC's actions. Richard Ayre, former controller of editorial policy at the corporation, said on Friday the BBC had \"no choice\" but to take action against Lineker.\n\nHe said the BBC's director general Tim Davie had \"clearly tried\" to reach an agreement with Lineker but failed, adding: \"It's inevitable now that having in effect not sacked him but removed him temporarily at least, the BBC will now come under a torrent of criticism saying it's acting under the government's behest.\"\n\nLineker has hosted Match of the Day since 1999 and is the BBC's highest paid star, having earned about \u00a31.35m in 2020-21. He is employed by the BBC on a freelance basis.\n\nBBC employees are expected to remain impartial on political matters and must follow strict social media guidelines, but there is significant debate about how they should apply to staff outside of news.\n\nBBC News has been told that the Match of the Day production team were not told in advance about its decision on Lineker.\n\nLineker has not yet publicly commented on the latest developments and was seen attending a Leicester City home game on Saturday.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/uk-64918162"}
{"title":"Lyra McKee: Two men appear in court charged with murder - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-10","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"Peter Gear\u00f3id Cavanagh and Jordan Devine both deny murdering the journalist in Derry in April 2019.","section":"Northern Ireland","content":"Lyra McKee was named Sky News young journalist of the year in 2006\n\nTwo men have appeared in court where they denied murdering journalist Lyra McKee in Londonderry in April 2019.\n\nMs McKee died after she was struck by a bullet fired at police during a riot.\n\nPeter Gear\u00f3id Cavanagh, 35, of Elmwood Terrace, and Jordan Devine, 21, of Synge Court - both in Londonderry - appeared remotely at Belfast Crown Court from their solicitors' offices.\n\nBoth are also charged with offences relating to rioting on the night Ms McKee was shot dead.\n\nMs McKee, 29, was shot dead while observing rioting in Londonderry's Creggan estate in April 2019.\n\nThe New IRA later said its members were responsible for the killing.\n\nWhen the charge of murder was put to Mr Cavanagh and Mr Devine, they both replied, \"not guilty\".\n\nThe pair were also charged with, and denied, possessing a handgun and ammunition with intent, as well as damaging by fire a Ford Transit truck, on the same date.\n\nMr Cavanagh denied an additional charge of stealing the truck.\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Lyra McKee was one of Northern Ireland's most promising journalists, says the NUJ\n\nA 22-year-old male, Joseph Anthony Farren - who is also known as Campbell - from Gosheden Cottages in Derry, also appeared in court via video-link to face charges linked to the riot.\n\nMr Cavanagh, Mr Devine and Mr Farren all denied possessing a petrol bomb in suspicious circumstances, rioting and throwing a petrol bomb on 18 April 2019.\n\nMr Devine entered a not-guilty plea to making a petrol bomb on 16 April 2019, while both Mr Devine and Mr Farren denied charges of possessing a petrol bomb in suspicious circumstances and throwing a petrol bomb on the same date.\n\nMr Justice O'Hara was told several other co-accused were launching legal applications which he said he would hear at the end of May.\n\nFollowing his ruling on these, the judge expressed hope that a date for a trial could be set this autumn.\n\nThe New IRA later claimed responsibility for Lyra McKee's killing\n\nFive more men from Derry are charged with rioting and throwing petrol bombs on the same date. They are:\n\nAll eight men had recently appeared at a preliminary inquiry.\n\nIn January, at Londonderry Magistrates' Court, the judge ruled that any matters that had arisen in preliminary inquiry were \"clearly matters for the trial\".\n\nAll eight men had refused to answer, asked if they wished to call witnesses or make statements at that stage of the legal proceedings.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/uk-northern-ireland-64914289"}
{"title":"Asteroid headed toward Earth may arrive on Valentine's Day 2046 - Nasa - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-10","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"The space rock has about a 1 in 560 chance of hitting this planet, the agency says.","section":"US & Canada","content":"Asteroid 2023 DW has a better chance of hitting a date of 14 February than our planet, NASA says.\n\nA newly detected asteroid has a very small chance of impacting the Earth in 2046, Nasa tweeted on Tuesday.\n\nIf it does hit, the asteroid, roughly the size of an Olympic swimming pool, may arrive on Valentine's Day 2046 according to Nasa calculations.\n\nThe closest the asteroid is expected to get to Earth is about 1.1 million miles (1.8m km), Nasa says.\n\nBut researchers are still collecting data, which they say may change predictions.\n\nThe asteroid, dubbed 2023 DW, has about a 1 in 560 chance of hitting Earth, according to Nasa. It's the only space rock on Nasa's risk list that ranks a 1 on the Torino Impact Hazard Scale.\n\nThe scale, which goes from 0-10, measures the risk of space objects colliding with Earth. All other objects on the scale rank 0, indicating no risk for impact.\n\nA ranking of 1 means that an actual collision is extremely unlikely and no cause for public concern, Nasa's Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) says.\n\n\"This object is not particularly concerning,\" JPL navigation engineer Davide Farnocchia told CNN.\n\nIf it does collide with us, 2023 DW would not have the same doomsday effect as the asteroid that decimated the Earth's dinosaurs 66 million years ago. That asteroid was far bigger at 7.5 miles (12km) wide, Scientific American says.\n\nBut an impact from 2023 DW could still cause significant damage if it were to land atop a major city or densely populated area. A meteor less than half the size of 2023 DW exploded over Chelyabinsk, Russia, 10 years ago, causing a shock wave that blew out windows across 200 square miles and injured roughly 1,500 people.\n\nWhile contact with an asteroid seems unlikely, scientists have been preparing for such an encounter for years. Last October, Nasa confirmed the agency's Double Asteroid Redirection Test (Dart) mission had successfully changed the travel path of a small asteroid by slamming a spacecraft into it.\n\n\"That's the very reason why we flew that mission,\" Mr Farnocchia said, \"and that mission was a spectacular success.\"","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/world-us-canada-64919125"}
{"title":"Mexico cartel turns in own men over US kidnappings - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-10","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"A splinter group of the Gulf Cartel also reportedly apologised for the kidnapping of four Americans.","section":"US & Canada","content":"Troops stand guard at the morgue where the Americans' bodies were taken\n\nReports from the Mexican border city of Matamoros say a splinter group of the Gulf Cartel, called the Scorpions Group, has apologised for kidnapping four US citizens last week, killing two of them, and has turned over the men it says are responsible.\n\nOn their front pages, many of Mexico's newspapers published a photograph that appears to show five men lying face down on the ground, their hands tied, and their T-shirts pulled up above their heads. It was apparently taken as police arrived on the scene.\n\nA letter from the Scorpions Group was allegedly left with the men which apologised to the people of Matamoros, to the US victims and their families, and to a Mexican woman killed last week when the gang fired on a white minivan the Americans were travelling in.\n\nThe Associated Press says it has obtained a copy of the letter from a law enforcement official in the state of Tamaulipas.\n\n\"We have decided to turn over those who were directly involved and responsible for the events\", the letter reads, saying the five had \"acted under their own decision-making and lack of discipline\". The letter also accuses the men of breaking the cartel's rules over \"protecting the lives of the innocent\".\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Video shows the moment four Americans were kidnapped in Mexico\n\nMeanwhile, a health clinic in Matamoros where the cartel members allegedly took the injured US citizens for treatment has been cordoned off by police. Reports suggest the four Americans were taken there by the gang but the two with the worst injuries - Shaeed Woodard and Zindell Brown - died soon after.\n\nReuters news agency reported that Mexican officials had given the bodies of the two dead men to US officials in Matamoros on Thursday afternoon, and their remains were repatriated.\n\nThe latest developments come as some doubts have been cast in Mexico on the initial version of events. The group were said to have travelled to Matamoros for one of them, Latavia McGee, to undergo a cosmetic medical procedure at a clinic in the city. Her three friends were said to have accompanied her to the appointment.\n\nThe international border crossing between Texas and Matamoros\n\nHowever, the Reuters news agency has reported that three of the four Americans had convictions for mainly minor drug-related offences - but one was charged with manufacturing banned narcotics with the intent to distribute.\n\nReuters says it's seen an internal law enforcement document which shows the Mexican authorities are investigating the possibility the four Americans were kidnapped having been mistaken for rival cartel members encroaching on their turf.\n\nThe wooden shack where the Americans were discovered\n\nThe question over the Americans' backstory comes as the political temperature over the incident in Matamoros continues to rise. In the United States, several Republican politicians, among them the Senator for South Carolina, Lindsey Graham, have called for the use of US military force against Mexico's drug cartels.\n\nSpecifically, he's proposing a plan to designate Mexican drug cartels as \"Foreign Terrorist Organisations\" in order to, as he put it, \"unleash the fury and might of the United States against (them)\".\n\nOne suspected kidnapper was arrested earlier this week\n\nThat rhetoric prompted a furious response in Mexico from President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador who said \"Mexico was not a protectorate or a colony of the United States\". His sentiments were echoed by the Foreign Minister, Marcelo Ebrard, who called Senator Graham's proposal for military intervention \"unacceptable\".\n\nAmid the tense relations, the US Homeland Security Advisor, Liz Sherwood-Randall, is in Mexico for a meeting with President Lopez Obrador to discuss the worsening crisis over fentanyl and synthetic opioids in the US.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/world-us-canada-64910394"}
{"title":"Silicon Valley Bank share slump rocks financial stocks - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-10","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"Global bank shares slide after problems at one US bank trigger fears of wider issues.","section":"Business","content":"Shares in banks around the world have slid after troubles at one US bank triggered fears of a wider problem for the financial sector.\n\nOn Thursday, shares in Silicon Valley Bank (SVB), a key lender to technology start-ups, plunged after it announced plans to shore up its finances.\n\nThis had a knock-on effect, with the four largest US banks losing more than $50bn in market value.\n\nBank shares in Asia and Europe fell sharply on Friday.\n\nAmong the UK banks, HSBC shares fell 4.8% and Barclays dropped 3.8%.\n\nSVB's shares saw their biggest one-day drop on record on Thursday as they plunged by more than 60% and lost another 20% in after-hours trade.\n\nThe slide came a day after the bank announced a $2.25bn (\u00a31.9bn) share sale to boost its finances.\n\nSVB launched the share sale after losing around $1.8bn when it offloaded a portfolio of assets, mainly US government bonds.\n\nBut more concerningly for the bank, some start-ups who have money deposited have been advised to withdraw funds.\n\nHannah Chelkowski, founder of Blank Ventures, a fund that invests in financial technology, told the BBC the situation was \"wild\". She is advising companies in her portfolio to withdraw funds.\n\n\"It's crazy how it's just unravelled like this. The interesting thing is that it's the most start-up friendly bank and supported start-ups so much through Covid. Now VCs are telling their portfolio companies to pull their funds,\" she said.\n\nA crucial lender for early-stage businesses, SVB is the banking partner for nearly half of US venture-backed technology and healthcare companies that listed on stock markets last year.\n\nSVB did not immediately respond to a BBC request for further comment.\n\nIn the wider market, there were concerns about the value of bonds held by banks as rising interest rates made those bonds less valuable.\n\nCentral banks around the world - including the US Federal Reserve and the Bank of England - have sharply increased interest rates as they try to curb inflation.\n\nBanks tend to hold large portfolios of bonds and as a result are sitting on significant potential losses. The falls in the value of bonds held by banks is not necessarily a problem unless they are forced to sell them.\n\nBut, if like Silicon Valley Bank, lenders have to sell the bonds they hold at a loss it could have an impact on their profits.\n\n\"The banks are casualties of the hike in interest rates,\" Ray Wang, founder and chief executive of Silicon Valley-based consultancy Constellation Research told the BBC.\n\n\"Nobody at Silicon Valley Bank and in a lot of places thought that these interest rate hikes would have lasted this long. And I think that's really what happened. They bet wrong,\" he added.\n\nRuss Mould, investment director at AJ Bell, said the ripple effect of the problems at SVB showed these sorts of events \"often hint at vulnerabilities in the wider system\".\n\n\"The fact SVB's share placing has been accompanied by a fire sale of its bond portfolio raises concerns.\n\n\"Lots of banks hold large portfolios of bonds and rising interest rates make these less valuable - the SVB situation is a reminder that many institutions are sitting on large unrealised losses on their fixed-income [bond] holdings.\"","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/business-64911066"}
{"title":"Can Sunak-Macron bromance help stop the boats? - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-10","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"The PM is staking his reputation on resolving the issue of migrants crossing the Channel.","section":"UK Politics","content":"Wandering onto the crunch of the courtyard gravel of the Elysee Palace in Paris, the president and the prime minister shared smiles and a brolly.\n\nIt was the image that said more than many more words had sought to convey.\n\nThese leaders of similar age and similar background clearly get on; that word \"bromance\" is going to get a good workout in the write ups of the Franco-British summit.\n\nTo focus on the chemistry between political leaders may feel superficial.\n\nBut relationships in diplomacy really matter, particularly when the contrast is so striking.\n\nLast summer, the then Foreign Secretary Liz Truss, who would become prime minister weeks later, said the \"jury is still out\" when asked if President Macron was a friend or foe.\n\nHowever throwaway or in jest that remark may have been, it is impossible not to notice the contrast now.\n\nMr Sunak has put great store in what he sees as restoring the UK as an honest broker and reliable ally on the world stage after the chaos of Ms Truss's brief premiership and what might be gently described as the idiosyncrasies of Boris Johnson.\n\nMr Johnson and President Macron were a million miles apart on Brexit.\n\nBut, remember, so are the president and Mr Sunak.\n\nMr Macron pointedly claimed the implications of the UK's departure from the European Union had been \"underestimated\" by some of its advocates.\n\nMr Sunak was an early backer of Brexit.\n\nBut diplomats often reflect privately that many European leaders struggled to trust Mr Johnson as prime minister.\n\nMr Sunak is working hard to attempt to ensure that is no longer the case now he is in the job.\n\nHis calculation is that it is a necessary but not necessarily sufficient approach to achieve his political objectives, as well as protective, or perhaps restorative, of the UK's reputation worldwide.\n\nSo, beyond the personality stuff, let's take a look at precisely what has come of this summit.\n\nThere were important discussions between two allies about Ukraine and China.\n\nBut the most politically potent theme for Mr Sunak was small boat crossings.\n\nFor a man who has five political priorities, one of which is stopping the boats, doing something to stop at least some of them really matters.\n\nThis involves giving France almost \u00a3500m over the next few years.\n\nAnd at least some of it will not deliver anything quickly - the new detention centre will be years in the making.\n\nDowning Street think the funding they had already allocated was good value for money with tangible benefits.\n\nAnd so their logic is more could deliver more.\n\nThe problem for them is whatever benefits they can point to - crossings that would have otherwise happened - the numbers have continued to spiral.\n\nAnd that promise is clear cut.\n\nWhy on earth would a political leader shackle themselves to such a stark promise when this is a complex, international, diplomatically fraught, politically risky issue?\n\nWhen I put this to one well placed minister, they said the calculation was any caveating or diluting would have sounded pathetic, and they would rather their ambition be clear cut, even if the delivery falls short.\n\nBut there is still a difference between a considerable reduction and no reduction at all.\n\nOr the numbers continuing to climb.\n\nMr Sunak repeatedly pointed out to us at this summit that there is \"no one silver bullet\" as he puts it to resolve the issue of migrants crossing the Channel in small boats.\n\nBut resolve it is what he has promised to do.\n\nAnd so the political jeopardy for the prime minister is simple: anything short of that will be seen by critics as a transparent failure.\n\nHis political reputation, at least in part, rests on how well he does.\n\u2022 None UK to give \u00a3500m to help France stop small boats","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/uk-politics-64922634"}
{"title":"Indian Wells 2023: Emma Raducanu beats Danka Kovinic to reach second round - BBC Sport","published_date":"2023-03-10","authors":null,"description":"Britain's Emma Raducanu overcomes a disrupted build-up to earn a gutsy first-round win at Indian Wells, despite deciding only 20 minutes before the start to play.","section":null,"content":"Last updated on .From the section Tennis\n\nBritain's Emma Raducanu overcame a disrupted build-up to earn a gutsy first-round win at Indian Wells, despite deciding only 20 minutes before the start to play.\n\nThe 2021 US Open champion, ranked 77th, faces Poland's Magda Linette next at the prestigious tournament.\n\n\"I didn't feel too good this morning,\" she told BBC Radio 5 Sports Extra.\n\n\"I'm just so happy with the way I fought and dealt with the circumstances.\n\n\"I just woke up feeling not great to be honest. I felt quite ill so I'm just happy to have played the match and then to win it despite how I felt today.\n\n\"Today before the match, I did not warm up. Two minutes before I was called I was sleeping in the treatment room so I'm just proud to have got out there and then won.\"\n\nIn the men's draw, Andy Murray defeated Tomas Etcheverry 6-7 (5-7) 6-1 6-4 to reach the second round while fellow Briton Jack Draper needed just 55 minutes to win his opener, beating Switzerland's Leandro Riedi 6-1 6-1 to set up a meeting with compatriot Dan Evans.\n\nIndian Wells is one of the biggest events outside of the four Grand Slam tournaments.\n\nSince sensationally winning the US Open as a virtually unknown teenage qualifier, Raducanu has been unable to build on that success as her progress continues to be stalled by fitness problems.\n\nVarious injuries over the course of 2022 wrecked her chances of finding momentum in her first full year on the WTA Tour and the wrist problem that ended her season returned to threaten her participation in Indian Wells.\n\nWith tonsillitis also forcing her out of a tournament in Austin last week, the British number one summed up her fortunes by telling BBC Sport: \"When it rains, it pours.\"\n\nBut an efficient victory over 62nd-ranked Kovinic - in Raducanu's first match since losing to Coco Gauff at the Australian Open - should help lift any lingering gloom.\n\nRaducanu trailed 2-0 in each of the two sets, but grew in confidence as 28-year-old Kovinic produced a stream of errors.\n\nKovinic played some loose shots and struggled with her first-serve percentage in both sets, with Raducanu staying patient and playing smart to grind out a solid win.\n\u2022 None Listen to all-new versions of their biggest hits and a surprising cover\n\u2022 None Searching for new converts in Manchester: The Mormons Are Coming follows young missionaries during their make-or-break training","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/sport\/tennis\/64909690"}
{"title":"Gary Lineker told to step back from presenting Match of the Day - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-10","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"The BBC took the decision after an impartiality row over his criticism of the government's asylum plans.","section":"UK","content":"This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser.\n\nGary Lineker has been told to step back from presenting Match of the Day until an agreement is reached on his social media use, the BBC has said.\n\nIt follows an impartiality row over comments he made criticising the government's new asylum policy.\n\nThe BBC said it considered Lineker's \"recent social media activity to be a breach of our guidelines\".\n\nIt added he should \"keep well away from taking sides on party political issues or political controversies\".\n\nThe BBC asked Lineker to step back after \"extensive discussions with Gary and his team in recent days\".\n\nIt \"decided that he will step back from presenting Match of the Day until we've got an agreed and clear position on his use of social media\", the statement said.\n\nIt continued: \"When it comes to leading our football and sports coverage, Gary is second to none.\n\n\"We have never said that Gary should be an opinion free zone, or that he can't have a view on issues that matter to him, but we have said that he should keep well away from taking sides on party political issues or political controversies.\"\n\nThe move has led to Saturday's Match of the Day going ahead without presenters or pundits - as one by one contributors ruled themselves out.\n\nFirst, Ian Wright said he would not appear in \"solidarity\", tweeting: \"Everybody knows what Match of the Day means to me, but I've told the BBC I won't be doing it tomorrow. Solidarity.\"\n\nAlan Shearer, who also presents on the show, said he had \"informed the BBC that I won't be appearing on MOTD tomorrow night\".\n\nThey were followed shortly after by contributors Jermaine Jenas and Micah Richards who both said that while they were not due to work on Saturday's programme, they would not have appeared. Ex-England player Alex Scott also indicated she would not go on the show.\n\nThe BBC said the programme would instead \"focus on match action without studio presentation or punditry\".\n\nLineker has not yet publicly commented but while presenting 5News earlier, former BBC presenter Dan Walker read out a text live on air from the 62-year-old.\n\nWalker said he had messaged Lineker asking: \"What is happening. Are you stepping back?\"\n\nHe said he had received a reply saying: \"No, they've [the BBC] told me I have to step back.\"\n\nOn Tuesday, Home Secretary Suella Braverman outlined the government's plans to ban people arriving in the UK illegally from ever claiming asylum, in a bid to address a rise in the number of people crossing the Channel in small boats.\n\nLineker reacted to it on Twitter calling it an \"immeasurably cruel policy directed at the most vulnerable people in language that is not dissimilar to that used by Germany in the 30s\".\n\nMs Braverman hit out at Lineker's tweet, saying it \"diminishes the unspeakable tragedy\" of the Holocaust.\n\nSpeaking on the BBC's Political Thinking podcast, the home secretary said the Nazi comparison was \"lazy and unhelpful\" and said her family \"feel very keenly the impact of the Holocaust\" as her husband is Jewish.\n\nMany opposition MPs and charities also strongly objected to the government's plans.\n\nPrime Minister Rishi Sunak defended the proposals saying stopping the arrival of small boats is a \"priority\" for the British people.\n\nRichard Ayre, former controller of editorial policy at the BBC, who also served as a member of the regulator Ofcom's content board, said the corporation had \"no choice\" but to take action against Lineker after his tweets criticising the government's asylum policy.\n\nSpeaking to BBC Radio 4's PM programme, he said: \"I think it was inevitable. He [Lineker] has the letters BBC written across his forehead and yet he's plunged right into the most controversial story of the day.\"\n\nHe said BBC Director General Tim Davie had \"clearly tried\" to reach an agreement with Lineker but failed, adding: \"It's inevitable now that having in effect not sacked him but removed him temporarily at least, the BBC will now come under a torrent of criticism saying it's acting under the government's behest.\"\n\nA Labour source told the BBC that the corporation should \"rethink their decision\".\n\nIt said: \"The BBC's cowardly decision to take Gary Lineker off air is an assault on free speech in the face of political pressure.\n\n\"Tory politicians lobbying to get people sacked for disagreeing with government policies should be laughed at, not pandered to. The BBC should rethink their decision.\"\n\nScotland's First Minister Nicola Sturgeon called the BBC's decision \"indefensible\". Writing on Twitter, she said the corporation was \"undermining free speech in the face of political pressure - and it does always seem to be right-wing pressure it caves to\".\n\nThe Department for Culture, Media and Sport said in a statement: \"Individual cases are a matter for the BBC.\"\n\nLineker has hosted Match of the Day since 1999 and is the BBC's highest paid star, having earned about \u00a31.35m in 2020-21.\n\nHe is employed by the BBC on a freelance basis.\n\nThe ex-footballer has previously housed asylum seekers and publicly called for better rights and protections for refugees. He has also been critical of successive Conservative governments over issues including Brexit.\n\nHis comments have attracted widespread support on social media, with one tweet getting 235,000 likes.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/uk-64920557"}
{"title":"Olivia Pratt-Korbel: Brother recalls fight to save sister - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-10","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"Ryan Korbel tells how his mother put nine-year-old Olivia in his arms but he \"knew it was over\".","section":"Liverpool","content":"Olivia Pratt-Korbel was standing behind her mother on the stairs when she was shot\n\nThe brother of nine-year-old Olivia Pratt-Korbel has told of the desperate fight to save his sister after she was shot in their home.\n\nRyan Korbel recalled how his mother put \"Liv in my arms\" but he \"knew it was over\" in a video interview played to the jury at Manchester Crown Court.\n\nThomas Cashman, 34, is accused of fatally shooting Olivia and injuring her mother, Cheryl Korbel, 46, at their house in Liverpool on 22 August.\n\nThe court heard shots were fired by a man who had chased Joseph Nee, who is said to be the intended target of the attack, into the house.\n\nMr Korbel said he had been in his room when he heard three loud bangs and Olivia running downstairs screaming 'Mum, I'm scared'.\n\nMr Korbel said he went to the landing and saw Olivia four or five steps up from the bottom of the staircase, a man lying on the floor and his mother \"wrestling\" with the door.\n\nHe said his mother and Mr Nee then managed to shut the door but it \"burst back open\".\n\n\"An arm's come round the door with a black handgun and another shot's gone off, it could be two, I can't remember,\" he said.\n\n\"Olivia was in hysterics, my mum was in hysterics, my 18-year-old sister was in hysterics, we all were.\"\n\nThomas Cashman is accused of murdering the schoolgirl\n\nHe told officers that Mr Nee was sitting on the doorstep and then went outside, where he followed and was \"screaming abuse\".\n\n\"I didn't know my sister had been hit at this point,\" he said.\n\nMr Korbel told police: \"My mum put Liv in my arms and told me to keep pressure on her chest.\n\n\"I didn't know why until I lifted her pyjama top up and seen a hole.\"\n\nHe said a neighbour came in and gave CPR to Olivia, adding \"I knew it was over.\"\n\nThe testimony of Olivia's mum Cheryl Korbel, pictured centre, was previously played to the jury\n\nTwo of Ms Korbel's neighbours had been in her lounge for tea before the attack.\n\nHayley Freeman said she heard loud bangs outside and said Ms Korbel went to the front door to find out what was going on, when Mr Nee, pursued by the gunman, tried to get into the house.\n\nShe said Ms Korbel tried to slam the door and block his way.\n\nIn a statement, Ms Freeman said: \"I remember Cheryl screaming and the sound of a struggle.\n\n\"We both got up and ran into the back kitchen. We shut the door and called 999.\n\n\"I heard another bang and saw a flash. I then heard Cheryl screaming, I remember her saying Liv's name and that Liv had been shot.\"\n\nMs Freeman's partner, Rob Lamb, who was next door, ran over and took a phone from her as she was calling the emergency services.\n\nHe said: \"Then I was told the baby, Olivia, had been shot then saw Cheryl over her saying, 'Stay with me baby'.\n\n\"I believe she was still breathing at this point. I think she then stopped breathing and the operator took me through starting CPR.\"\n\nPC Daniel Cooper, part of the armed response unit from Merseyside Police, was the first officer on the scene.\n\nOlivia was shot when a man burst into her house and opened fire\n\nIn his statement, he said: \"As I looked at the stairs, I could see a female with an obvious injury to her hand sat crying and shouting hysterically.\"\n\nHe said he then noticed Olivia.\n\n\"An adult male was carrying out CPR with his phone beside him on speaker phone.\n\n\"I could see a small bullet entry wound to her chest area, just above her stomach.\"\n\n\"I decided Olivia needed urgent medical attention. I picked her up in my arms and carried her down the stairs.\n\nPC Cooper said he remembered her body being \"limp\".\n\nHe told a colleague that \"we needed to go straight to hospital as Olivia had a gunshot wound to the chest\".\n\nIn a recorded interview played in court, a woman, who cannot be named for legal reasons, said Mr Cashman turned up at her home and woke her up after the shooting.\n\nShe said she had been unaware of the attack at the time.\n\nThe witness recalled Mr Cashman had told her that he \"went to drop the bits off before he came to my house\".\n\nFloral tributes were left in memory of Olivia near where the shooting happened\n\nAsked what she thought he meant by \"bits\", she said: \"I honestly believe it was the guns... I know he wouldn't have come to my house with them.\"\n\nShe described him as \"very nervous\", adding: \"I've never seen him like that.\n\n\"That's why I felt like there was something wrong.\"\n\nShe said: \"He was stuttering. Something like someone's come for him and he had, like, a source that had told him they were sitting him off.\n\n\"He wanted to do whatever he wanted to do before they got to him.\"\n\nShe told police she heard him say the name \"Joey Nee\" and later heard him say \"I've done Joey\".\n\nHe also asked for a change of clothes and told her \"I don't know where else to go but I trust you.\"\n\nShe also recalled him saying \"it's all gone wrong\" and added: \"It was like gibberish coming out of his mouth.\"\n\nShe went on to explain how the next day the shooting was all over Instagram and that she \"put two and two together\" and was \"screaming in a bad way\".\n\nAsked why she came forward to the police, she said it was because she wanted Olivia's mother to have answers.\n\n\"It's her little girl at the end of the day. It could have been anyone that night, it could have been anyone's house.\"\n\nMr Cashman, of Grenadier Drive, West Derby, Liverpool, denies the murder of Olivia, the attempted murder of Mr Nee, wounding with intent to do grievous bodily harm to Olivia's mother, and two counts of possession of a firearm with intent to endanger life.\n\nWhy not follow BBC North West on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram? You can also send story ideas to northwest.newsonline@bbc.co.uk\n\nThe BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/uk-england-merseyside-64914759"}
{"title":"UK economy rebounds as Rishi Sunak says confidence is returning - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-10","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"The economy grew by more than expected in January, helped by higher school attendance.","section":"Business","content":"The prime minister has said \"confidence is returning\" after official figures showed the economy grew by more than expected in January.\n\nRishi Sunak said the data confirmed the government's plan is \"the right one and we need to stick to it\".\n\nThe economy expanded by 0.3% in January, rebounding from a sharp fall in December.\n\nHigher school attendance and the return of Premier League football after the World Cup helped boost the figure.\n\nThe data comes ahead of the Budget next Wednesday when Chancellor Jeremy Hunt will set out the government's growth plans.\n\nJanuary's growth followed a 0.5% contraction in the economy during December. However, the ONS figures also showed that the economy stagnated in the November to January period compared with the previous three months.\n\nMr Sunak added that the data showed the economy is \"better than people had feared\".\n\nBut Rachel Reeves, Labour's shadow chancellor, said: \"Today's results show our economy is still inching along this Tory path of managed decline.\"\n\nDarren Morgan from the Office for National Statistics (ONS), which collects and publishes the data, said the main factors behind January's growth were \"the return of children to classrooms, following unusually high absences in the run-up to Christmas, the Premier League clubs returned to a full schedule after the end of the World Cup and private health providers also had a strong month\".\n\n\"Postal services also partially recovered from the effects of December's strikes.\"\n\nIn education, school absences rose in December due to a spike in winter flu, Covid-19 as well as rising rates of Strep A, which can lead to scarlet fever.\n\nThe return of more children to school helps to boost the economy as it is deemed to increase the output of the education sector. The ONS said the education sector grew by 2.5% in January following a fall of 2.6% the month before.\n\nActivity in arts, entertainment and recreation also grew, mainly due to the return of Premier League football.\n\nThese numbers are better than expected but the economy still has not grown over three months - and that is what is expected again between January and March.\n\nConsumers have proven more resilient so far to the rise in energy prices and interest rates.\n\nThe Budget forecasts next week will be from a better baseline than feared last time, thanks to energy prices starting to fall.\n\nWhile avoiding a formal recession entirely is now possible, for now the overall trend in the economy is flat, with tax rises and the full effect of higher interest rates to come.\n\nHowever, the figures for January showed a fall in output in both the manufacturing and construction sectors.\n\n\"Looking beneath the surface, the figures suggest the economy is on weaker ground than it appears,\" said Ruth Gregory, deputy chief UK economist at Capital Economics.\n\nShe added that strike action in February may have hit growth and the impact of successive interest rate rises is yet to be felt by parts of the economy.\n\nLast month, ambulance workers, teachers, nurses and some in the rail industry walked out.\n\n\"So we doubt January's strength will last and our hunch is that there will still be a recession,\" said Ms Gregory.\n\nHowever, other economists were more upbeat including Goldman Sachs, the investment bank, which predicted that the UK will avoid a downturn.\n\nA recession is usually defined as two three-month periods in a row when the economy shrinks.\n\nThe UK reported flat growth between October and December and Goldman now expects flat growth to continue in the first three months of this year.\n\nThe UK continues to grapple with a high rate of price rises, or inflation, leading to a squeeze on the cost of living.\n\nWhile it has fallen back slightly in recent months as wholesale gas prices have ticked lower, inflation remains at its highest level for nearly four decades.\n\nThe Bank of England has raised interest rates to 4% - the highest since 2008 - in an attempt to quell inflation. While that benefits some savers, it has also raised pressures on many mortgage holders.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/business-64904333"}
{"title":"CCTV image released after elderly man set on fire outside mosque - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-10","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"An 82-year-old man was doused in a liquid and set alight in west London.","section":"London","content":"The Met Police has released an image of a man detectives want to speak to following the attack\n\nPolice have released an image of a man detectives want to speak to after an 82-year-old man was set alight outside a mosque in west London.\n\nThe elderly man was attacked in West Ealing on the evening of 27 February, as he and the suspect left the West London Islamic Centre.\n\nThe attacker doused the victim in a liquid, believed to be petrol, before setting him alight using a lighter.\n\nThe victim received hospital treatment for severe burns to his face and arms.\n\nMetropolitan Police Det Sgt Steven Constable said the force was carrying out a full investigation into the \"incredibly shocking incident\".\n\n\"A key part of that is identifying the man in the image we have released,\" he said. \"If you recognise this man I would urge you to get in touch.\"\n\nHe added: \"Understandably, there is a great deal of local concern in the wake of this incident and local officers have been carrying out reassurance patrols daily at the mosque.\"\n\nHe said that the West London Islamic Centre is assisting the Met with its enquiries.\n\nFollow BBC London on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. Send your story ideas to hellobbclondon@bbc.co.uk\n\nThe BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/uk-england-london-64913582"}
{"title":"School closures in Northern Ireland - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-10","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"DIGIONLY","section":"Northern Ireland","content":"When there is severe weather in Northern Ireland the BBC will share information here about schools that have been affected.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/uk-northern-ireland-60498515"}
{"title":"Sunak and Macron summit: UK to give \u00a3500m to help France curb small boat crossings - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-10","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"The cash will fund a French detention centre and is a big increase on what the UK already pays France.","section":"UK Politics","content":"This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. The UK PM looks to reset UK-France relations as he meets Emmanuel Macron in Paris.\n\nThe UK will give France almost \u00a3500m over three years to help stop migrants crossing the Channel in small boats.\n\nThe cash was announced at a summit in Paris between UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak and President Emmanuel Macron, who said France would also contribute.\n\nThe money will go towards an extra 500 officers and a new detention centre in France, but this will not be fully operational until the end of 2026.\n\nThe UK had planned to pay France around \u00a363m this year to tackle the problem.\n\nThis new package appears to at least double that amount, with the UK pledging \u00a3120m in 2023-24.\n\nFrance will also step up its funding of enforcement but has not said by how much.\n\nLabour's shadow attorney general Emily Thornberry accused the Conservatives of \"lurching from one crisis to another with nothing more than their typical sticking plaster politics\".\n\n\"Before Rishi Sunak sends even more money to the French authorities to tackle this crisis, he needs to explain what was achieved by the hundreds of millions we've given them before, and why small boat crossings continued to go up regardless.\"\n\nMr Macron praised the joint efforts of UK and French teams working to reduce small boat crossings.\n\nSpeaking at a press conference with Mr Sunak at the Elysee Palace, he said the team had prevented 30,000 small boat crossings and made 500 arrests in the past year.\n\nMr Sunak said the money would help \"put an end to this disgusting trade in human life\".\n\nHe added: \"Working together, the UK and France will ensure that nobody can exploit our systems with impunity.\"\n\nMr Sunak said the new deal agreed by the two leaders will see 500 extra French law enforcement officers using \"enhanced technology\" such as drones to prevent Channel crossings.\n\nThe money will also go towards a new detention centre in France, adding to the 26 already in existence.\n\nDowning Street said the detention centre would allow more migrants \"to be removed from the French coast\".\n\nMr Sunak has made stopping the boats one of his key pledges for his government.\n\nHowever, if the centre is completed on that timetable it would not fully functioning before an election is due in the UK, which can be held no later than January 2025.\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. 'We have to work together to dismantle traffickers' - Macron\n\nBoth men said the summit in Paris marked a new beginning in Anglo-French relations.\n\nMr Macron said it was a \"moment of reconnection\" while Mr Sunak described the meeting as an \"entente renewed\".\n\nThe French leader had no qualms about putting his finger on what he thought had led the relationship into difficulties in recent years - Brexit.\n\nBetween the lines of his statement, that was a criticism of Mr Sunak's three predecessors as UK prime minister and the tensions all have had with the EU.\n\nDuring their press conference, the two leaders presented a strong sense of comradery - Mr Macron addressed \"dear\" Rishi, who in turned thanked \"mon ami\", and the briefing concluded with an embrace.\n\nHowever, it is clear this meeting was just the start of something more cooperative - a small step, no more.\n\nA group of migrants brought to Dungeness in Kent, after being rescued by the RNLI\n\nLast year saw a huge increase in the number of people trying to get the UK by crossing the English Channel in small, often flimsy boats.\n\nFor Mr Sunak, this is a domestic political issue.\n\nAt the start of 2023, he said tackling small boats was one of his priorities. He needs to see a reduction in boats reaching the UK in order to fulfil his pledge.\n\nMr Macron also wants to see the movements reduced - but for him the issue is one that has broader implications.\n\nHe wants European countries to look at the routes people take to reach western Europe.\n\nUnder the plans, anyone found to have entered the UK illegally would not only be removed within 28 days, but also be blocked from returning or claiming British citizenship in future.\n\nMr Sunak argues his new plan was \"designed to break the business model of the criminal gangs and remove the pull factors, bringing them to the Channel coasts\".\n\nHowever, the bill has been fiercely criticised by some charities and the UN's refugee agency. It is also likely to face legal challenges.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/uk-politics-64916446"}
{"title":"Snow disruption: M62 drivers stranded due to blizzard conditions - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-10","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"Several drivers reported being stuck for up to six hours on the busy route across the Pennines.","section":"England","content":"Several motorists reported being stuck on the M62 motorway overnight, with the weather forcing lane closures\n\nDrivers were stuck on the M62 motorway across the Pennines overnight due to blizzard conditions.\n\nSeveral motorists reported getting into difficulties on the key route for about six hours, with congestion stretching to 17 miles at its height.\n\nNational Highways said people had got stuck despite gritting having been carried out since Thursday afternoon.\n\nEmma Hamilton, 28, who was caught on the M62 through the night, said drivers were \"left to it to direct ourselves\".\n\nDescribing the scene, Ms Hamilton said there were \"lorries broken down all over the road across all lanes\" and drivers were \"having to work out themselves how to go round them\".\n\n\"I'm just tired and upset at the lack of any direction from authorities,\" she added.\n\nThis Twitter post cannot be displayed in your browser. Please enable Javascript or try a different browser. View original tweet on Twitter The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Skip twitter post by Rich McCarthy 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\u2019s cookie policy, external and privacy policy, external before accepting. To view this content choose \u2018accept and continue\u2019. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.\n\nMeanwhile, Simon Peach, chief football writer for the PA news agency, got stuck on the motorway after covering Manchester United's Europa League match at Old Trafford on Thursday night.\n\nHe said he had \"moved about 25 miles over the course of the night and the first 15 miles or so were clear, so I've been at a standstill for a really long time.\n\n\"I've never had to drive through anything like this before.\"\n\nDave Wilson, from National Highways, said: \"Despite our best efforts throughout [Thursday] afternoon to prepare the M62 for the snow, gritting itself does not stop snow lying on the carriageway.\n\n\"It needs traffic to drive over it to grind the grit into the carriageway, unfortunately that traffic then lost traction and became stuck.\n\n\"That in turn then creates the queue of traffic behind which our gritters can't get through to clear any specific areas.\"\n\nAround 33,000 customers lost power across the Yorkshire and Humber region due to the weather, according to National Powergrid, with the major impact felt across West and South Yorkshire.\n\nThe electricity distributor said on Friday afternoon it was \"pushing to restore power to 3,000 customers still affected by the snow and ice\".\n\nMeanwhile, the weather forced the closure of more than 1,000 schools across Yorkshire.\n\nSome car owners in Sheffield woke up to find their vehicles buried in snow\n\nOn the trains, Network Rail said fallen trees had blocked lines between Manchester and Sheffield, meaning no services could run.\n\nTrain operators TransPennine Express and Northern were also among those affected by the severe weather, with many services cancelled.\n\nThe A57 Snake Pass between Manchester and Sheffield remains closed, though the A628 Woodhead Pass to the north has reopened.\n\nFirst Bus was also forced to suspend all its services across South Yorkshire early on Friday.\n\n\"Unfortunately due to the significant snowfall our region has experienced we are unable to operate any services safely,\" a spokesperson said.\n\nSnow in Holme, West Yorkshire, was up to waist level for these children by 07:30 GMT on Friday\n\nA widespread \"yellow\" weather warning for ice runs until 10:00 GMT on Saturday.\n\nIt warned of injuries from slips and falls and icy patches on untreated roads and pavements.\n\nA traffic camera on Sutton Bank in the North York Moors National Park appeared to show a crashed vehicle\n\nThe Met Office recorded an official snow depth of 14cm in Bingley, West Yorkshire, but higher unofficial measurements have been recorded in Leeds and Sheffield.\n\nSpeaking late on Thursday, North Yorkshire Police told drivers to \"avoid travelling if possible\" and said it had received reports of stranded vehicles in Harrogate and Scarborough.\n\nAt the A170 Sutton Bank hill in the North York Moors National Park, a traffic camera appeared to show a crashed car in treacherous conditions late on Thursday.\n\nThe heavy snowfall also hit the filming of ITV soap Emmerdale, which had to be cancelled on Friday.\n\nThe drama, which is based in West Yorkshire, is currently filmed on a purpose-built set on the Harewood Estate, near Leeds.\n\nActor Nick Miles, who plays Jimmy King in Emmerdale, wrote on Twitter: \"Look out Leeds. We're all going sledging!\"\n\nFollow BBC Yorkshire on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. Send your story ideas to yorkslincs.news@bbc.co.uk.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/uk-england-64912136"}
{"title":"Knighthood for Boris Johnson's father not wise, says minister - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-10","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"Ex-PM Boris Johnson reportedly plans to include his father Stanley on his resignation honours list.","section":"UK Politics","content":"Former Prime Minister Boris Johnson would not be \"wise\" to nominate his own father for a knighthood, a government minister has said.\n\nSpeaking on BBC Question Time, Immigration minister Robert Jenrick said prime ministers should \"absolutely not\" hand honours to family members.\n\nIt follows reports Mr Johnson planned to name his father, former MEP Stanley, in his resignation honours.\n\nLabour called on Prime Minister Rishi Sunak to block any such nomination.\n\nThe BBC understands Mr Johnson's list will also now feature only around 50 names, lower than the figure of 100 previously reported by a number of newspapers.\n\nUnder the UK system, outgoing prime ministers can ask the monarch to bestow peerages, knighthoods, and other honours on any number of people of their choosing.\n\nReports this week suggested Mr Johnson, who stood down in September after a series of scandals triggered mass resignations from his government, planned to include his father on his list.\n\nStanley Johnson served as a Conservative member of the European Parliament for the Wight and Hampshire East constituency from 1979 to 1984. He also worked at the World Bank and European Commission as well as writing a number of books on environmental issues.\n\nAsked about the reports, Mr Jenrick - who served for two years in Mr Johnson's cabinet as housing secretary - said: \"Is it, as a principle, wise for a prime minister to nominate a member of their own family for an honour? No, absolutely not.\"\n\nHe added that \"we'll have to see what ultimately is on this list and what the government chooses to do\".\n\nThere have been calls for Mr Sunak to block Stanley Johnson from being given a knighthood if his name is put forward.\n\nAs prime minister, Mr Johnson nominated his brother Jo - a former Conservative minister - to join the House of Lords.\n\nAlso speaking on Question Time, shadow Home Office minister Sarah Jones said Mr Sunak \"needs to make it crystal clear\" that Mr Johnson could not nominate his own father for an honour.\n\nReports this week have suggested that Mr Johnson was told by officials to cut the number of people on his list after initially proposing almost 100.\n\nOne ally of Mr Johnson's told the BBC his list was \"shorter than David Cameron's or Theresa May's so everyone can relax\".\n\nMr Cameron nominated 59 people for honours when he resigned, while Ms May nominated 51.\n\nA spokesman for Mr Johnson refused to comment on whether or not he planned to put his father forward for a knighthood.\n\nA Cabinet Office spokesperson said: \"We do not comment on speculation around honours\".","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/uk-politics-64911178"}
{"title":"Hamburg shooting: Video appears to show person firing weapon - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-10","authors":null,"description":"The moment a suspected gunman attacked a Jehovah's Witness hall was caught on camera.","section":null,"content":"Video shot by an eyewitness appears to show a person firing a weapon through a window at a Jehovah's Witness centre in Hamburg, Germany.\n\nSeven people, including an unborn baby, were killed in the attack in the German city of Hamburg, police say.\n\nThey say the gunman acted alone on Thursday evening, and later took his own life. His motives are unknown.\n\nThe suspect, named only as Philipp F, 35, is a former member of the religious community, who had \"ill-feelings\".\n\nRead more on this story.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/world-europe-64910862"}
{"title":"Gary Lineker says he will 'keep speaking for those with no voice' after asylum row - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-10","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"The Match of the Day host was criticised for tweets he posted about the government's new asylum plan.","section":"UK","content":"Gary Lineker has said he will try to keep speaking up for people with \"no voice\", after criticism of his tweets on the government's asylum policy.\n\nThe Match of the Day host had said the language setting out the plan was \"not dissimilar to that used by Germany in the 30s\".\n\nHome Secretary Suella Braverman said she was disappointed by the remarks.\n\nThe BBC said it was having a \"frank conversation\" with Lineker about the BBC's need to remain impartial.\n\nOn Tuesday, the government outlined its plans to ban people arriving in the UK illegally from ever claiming asylum, in a bid to address a rise in the number of people crossing the Channel in small boats.\n\nOpposition MPs and humanitarian organisations have strongly criticised the proposals to detain and swiftly remove adults regardless of their asylum claim - but the PM and home secretary have defended the plan, saying stopping the crossings is a priority for the British people.\n\nThe presenter described it on Twitter as an \"immeasurably cruel policy directed at the most vulnerable people in language not dissimilar to that used by Germany in the 30s\".\n\nHis remarks were criticised widely by Conservative MPs and ministers, including Ms Braverman and Downing Street.\n\nThe furore surrounding Lineker's latest remarks puts pressure on the BBC, with director general Tim Davie having made impartiality a cornerstone of his leadership.\n\nResponding to some of the criticism on Wednesday, Lineker tweeted: \"Great to see the freedom of speech champions out in force this morning demanding silence from those with whom they disagree.\"\n\nHe followed up shortly after with: \"I have never known such love and support in my life than I'm getting this morning (England World Cup goals aside, possibly). I want to thank each and every one of you. It means a lot.\n\n\"I'll continue to try and speak up for those poor souls that have no voice.\"\n\nEarlier, Ms Braverman told BBC One's Breakfast she was \"disappointed, obviously\" in his comments.\n\n\"I think it's unhelpful to compare our measures, which are lawful, proportionate and - indeed - compassionate, to 1930s Germany.\n\n\"I also think that we are on the side of the British people here.\"\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Watch: Suella Braverman says she is \"disappointed\" by Gary Lineker's tweet\n\nDowning Street later said Lineker's criticism of the new asylum policy was \"not acceptable\".\n\nThe prime minister's press secretary told reporters: \"It's obviously disappointing to see someone whose salary is funded by hard-working British (licence fee) payers using that kind of rhetoric and seemingly dismissing their legitimate concerns that they have about small boats crossings and illegal migration.\"\n\nBut beyond that, they added, \"it's up to the BBC\" and they would not comment further.\n\nA spokesman for Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer said comparisons with Germany in the 1930s \"aren't always the best way to make\" an argument.\n\nLineker, who has presented Match of the Day since 1999, is the BBC's highest paid star, having earned about \u00a31.35m in 2020-21.\n\nHe has in the past been vocal about migrants' rights and has taken refugees into his home. He has also been critical of successive Conservative governments over issues including Brexit.\n\nIn October, the BBC's complaints unit found Lineker had broken impartiality rules in a tweet asking whether the Conservative Party planned to \"hand back their donations from Russian donors\".\n\nThe comment came after the then Foreign Secretary Liz Truss urged Premier League teams to boycott the Champions League final in Russia over the invasion of Ukraine.\n\nMr Davie said in 2020 he was prepared to sack people to protect the BBC's reputation for impartiality.\n\nHe issued new social media guidelines and said he was willing to \"take people off Twitter\" - a comment which Lineker responded to at the time by saying \"I think only Twitter can take people off Twitter\".\n\nThe presenter's frequent outspoken online posts have been viewed by some as a test of the BBC's ability to balance its impartiality duty with its ability to attract top talent in the era of social media.\n\nEarlier on Wednesday, when asked about how many \"strikes\" the presenter has had over social media posts, Mr Davie said he wasn't going to speak specifically about individuals.\n\nHe added: \"I think the BBC absolutely puts the highest value on impartiality and that's clearly important to us.\"\n\nIn a series of tweets on Wednesday, Lineker indicated he had no intention of retracting his comment or steering clear of politics outside of his work for the BBC.\n\nRichard Sambrook, the BBC's former director of global news, said the controversy highlighted the need for the broadcaster to clarify how impartiality rules apply to its sport staff and freelancers.\n\nHe told Radio 4's PM programme similar cases would \"corrode trust\" in the BBC unless the position was made clearer.\n\nThe Lineker row also comes amid scrutiny of the circumstances surrounding the appointment of BBC chairman Richard Sharp and his relationship with Boris Johnson.\n\nA committee of MPs said last month Mr Sharp had committed \"significant errors of judgement\" by not disclosing his involvement in the then-prime minister's financial affairs while seeking the senior BBC post. Mr Sharp insists he got the job on merit.\n\nThe broadcaster's editorial guidelines state the organisation is \"committed to achieving due impartiality in all its output\" and that \"public comments, for example on social media, of staff [or] presenters... can affect perceptions of the BBC's impartiality\".\n\nA spokesperson for the corporation said: \"The BBC has social media guidance, which is published.\n\n\"Individuals who work for us are aware of their responsibilities relating to social media.\n\n\"We have appropriate internal processes in place if required.\n\n\"We would expect Gary to be spoken to and reminded of his responsibilities.\"\n\nThe corporation has also responded to previous criticism of Lineker by highlighting that he is not involved in its news or political output and is a freelance broadcaster, not a member of staff.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/uk-64891734"}
{"title":"Campaigners slam government river bathing decision - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-10","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"Just one river included in government's proposal for new designated swimming sites","section":"Science & Environment","content":"The River Wharfe was the first UK river to have an officially designated bathing site.\n\nThe government's rejection of all but one application for bathing water status for English rivers is \"very disappointing\", environmentalists say.\n\nPart of the River Deben in Suffolk is still in the running but campaigners for clean water say proposals for eight other river sites were declined.\n\nDesignation as an official bathing site obliges the Environment Agency to regularly test water quality.\n\nCampaigners say they have not been told why the decisions have been made.\n\nYou can still swim in non-designated sites but it's unlikely the water quality will be monitored or tested.\n\nWater companies currently have to provide data on how many hours raw sewage flows into waterways, but there is limited testing of what it means for water quality.\n\nThere will now be a period of public consultation on four new sites becoming officially designated as bathing water. Two are at a reservoir in Rutland with the others on the coast in Plymouth, as well as the River Deben in Suffolk.\n\n\"The actions we have taken mean that people across the country will be able to swim at more sites and in better quality water, but we know there is more to do,\" says Water Minister Rebecca Pow.\n\nThere are already 421 designated bathing water sites in England. The vast majority of them are coastal with just two, in Yorkshire on the River Wharfe and Oxfordshire, on the Thames on rivers.\n\nApplicants for official bathing status are asked to provide evidence of local support, data on how many people swim at the site and whether there are facilities nearby, such as toilets.\n\nKirsty Davies, community water quality officer for campaign group Surfers Against Sewage called the rejections \"a slap in the face for communities who are trying to tackle the sewage pollution crisis.\"\n\n\"It's a Catch 22,\" Ms Davies said. \"They won't care for waters that aren't designated, but we apply for designation, and they decline.\"\n\nOne of those turned down is at Wallingford on the River Thames. In a statement South Oxfordshire District council said they were \"extremely disappointed\" by the decision and were seeking clarification on the reasons behind it.\n\nIn 2020 part of the Wharfe in Ilkley became the first UK river to be designated as a bathing site, in what was then seen as a major victory for water quality campaigners. But efforts to get three more stretches of the Wharfe officially designated have been rejected.\n\nCouncillor Linda Richards, who had been working on the designation told the BBC that they had been sent emails which said they'd failed to meet the criteria but didn't explain why.\n\n\"This is a disappointing setback but not the end of the road,\" she said, explaining that they would bid for designated status again.\n\nA spokesperson for DEFRA said they would not comment on individual applications but that sites that did not meet criteria would not progress to national consultation.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/science-environment-64919789"}
{"title":"Heavy snowfall causes disruption across Northern Ireland - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-10","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"More than 200 schools are closed and many homes are without power after heavy snowfall overnight.","section":"Northern Ireland","content":"That's it for our coverage of the disruption caused by heavy snow in Northern Ireland.\n\nThanks for following along.\n\nWhile the cold weather is set to continue - with a yellow warning for ice continuing into Saturday morning - hopefully we've seen off the worst of it.\n\nStay warm, stay safe and enjoy your weekend - we will leave you with this beautiful picture sent in by Deborah Anderson from Newcastle framed by the Mournes.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/live\/uk-northern-ireland-64903813"}
{"title":"Gary Lineker says he does not fear BBC suspension over asylum policy tweet - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-10","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"The Match of the Day host said he stands by his tweet that criticised the government's asylum policy.","section":"UK","content":"This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Watch: Gary Lineker says he stands by tweets criticising government's asylum policy\n\nGary Lineker has said he does not fear BBC suspension in an impartiality row over a tweet criticising the government's asylum policy.\n\nThe Match of the Day host has tweeted that he is \"looking forward to presenting\" the show on Saturday.\n\nLineker had compared the language the government used to set out asylum plans to \"that used by Germany in the 30s\".\n\nSpeaking to the BBC, the home secretary said the comment \"diminishes the unspeakable tragedy\" of the Holocaust.\n\nDespite the intense criticism, Lineker expects to be retained as a presenter. The BBC has not commented.\n\nHe wrote on social media: \"Happy that this ridiculously out of proportion story seems to be abating and very much looking forward to presenting [Match of the Day] on Saturday. Thanks again for all your incredible support. It's been overwhelming.\"\n\nSuella Braverman told the BBC's Political Thinking podcast the Nazi comparison used by Lineker was \"lazy and unhelpful\".\n\nThe home secretary said her family \"feel very keenly the impact of the Holocaust\" as her husband is Jewish and said it was \"offensive\" to draw the comparison.\n\nWhen it was put to her by host Nick Robinson that Lineker was passionate about the rights of asylum seekers, she said the Germany comment was an \"unhelpful way to frame the debate\".\n\nThe BBC said on Wednesday it was having a \"frank conversation\" with Lineker about the BBC's guidelines on remaining impartial following his Twitter remark.\n\nAsked by a reporter if he regretted the post, the host answered: \"No\".\n\nPressed on whether he had spoken to the BBC director general, he said he had and that they \"chat often\". Asked if he stood by the tweet, he said: \"Course\".\n\nSpeaking in the Commons earlier on Thursday, Culture Secretary Lucy Frazer said Lineker's remark was \"disappointing and inappropriate\" and referenced her grandmother who escaped Nazi Germany.\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Suella Braverman says Gary Lineker's tweet about immigration policy is \"a lazy and unhelpful comparison to make\".\n\nMs Frazer said it was \"important for the BBC to retain impartiality if it is to retain the trust of the public who pay the licence fee\" but that the broadcaster is \"operationally independent\" of the government.\n\nFormer culture secretary Sir John Whittingdale urged the government to ensure \"all those who are presenters on the BBC\" - including freelancers like Lineker - were covered by impartiality rules when the charter was reviewed.\n\nBut Richard Sambrook, the BBC's former director of global news, said on Twitter it had \"become unsustainable for the BBC to force freelance presenters to fall in line with BBC policies in their non-BBC activities\".\n\nHe added that the policy was \"full of fudge\" and the BBC needed to clarify \"to what extent impartiality rules extend beyond news\".\n\nOn Tuesday, Suella Braverman outlined the government's plans to ban people arriving in the UK illegally from ever claiming asylum, in a bid to address a rise in the number of people crossing the Channel in small boats.\n\nOpposition MPs and charities have strongly objected to the proposals, but the PM and home secretary have defended the plan, saying stopping the crossings is a priority for the British people.\n\nLineker's remarks have been widely criticised by Conservative MPs but he has received support by many on social media who oppose the government's proposals.\n\nIn response to some of the criticism, Lineker tweeted on Wednesday: \"I'll continue to try and speak up for those poor souls that have no choice.\"\n\nLineker, 62, who has presented Match of the Day since 1999 also works for LaLiga TV.\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser.\n\nThe corporation's former editorial policy controller Richard Ayre said the presenter had a choice to make over his role at the BBC.\n\nHe said Lineker must consider whether to stay or to leave and \"become a social media influencer\".\n\nMr Ayre, a former member of the broadcasting regulator Ofcom's content board, said it was \"unacceptable\" to have someone who works for the BBC \"comparing Suella Braverman to the third Reich\".\n\nAsked whether BBC director general Tim Davie may have to let the sports presenter go, Mr Ayre told BBC Radio 4's Today programme: \"I don't think he is going to have any choice but to let him go unless he can be certain that this is the end of it.\"\n\nThe former BBC trustee was also asked about BBC chairman Richard Sharp, who is facing criticism over his role in facilitating a \u00a3800,000 loan for then-prime minister Boris Johnson.\n\nMr Ayre said the BBC's chairman was \"hanging by an absolute thread\", adding: \"It is quite likely that, within the next few days or weeks, we'll perhaps see two heads roll - one from the left and one from the right, the chairman and Gary Lineker.\n\n\"And then, maybe, once each side has scored a goal, we can get back to normal business.\"","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/uk-64899472"}
{"title":"Iran and Saudi Arabia to renew ties after seven-year rift - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-10","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"The unexpected move ends a seven-year rift between the two sides, but differences remain.","section":"Middle East","content":"Saudi Arabia cut ties in 2016 after its embassy in Tehran was stormed\n\nMiddle East regional rivals Iran and Saudi Arabia have agreed to restore diplomatic relations, seven years after severing them in a bitter row.\n\nThe unexpected announcement came after four days of talks between officials from both sides in China.\n\nSaudi Arabia cut ties in January 2016 after demonstrators stormed its embassy in Tehran following Riyadh's execution of a prominent Shia Muslim cleric.\n\nTensions between the Sunni and Shia-led neighbours have since often been high.\n\nThey regard each other as a threatening power that seeks regional dominance. They also support rival sides across the Middle East, including in Lebanon, Syria, Iraq - and most overtly in Yemen.\n\nIran has supported Shia Houthi rebels who forced out the Saudi-backed government in 2014, while Saudi Arabia has led a devastating air campaign against the Houthis since the following year.\n\nSaudi Arabia has also accused Iran of helping the Houthis attack it.\n\nIn the most serious incident of its kind, drones and missiles struck major Saudi oil facilities in 2019, causing damage and disruption to production. Saudi Arabia and its US ally blamed Iran for the attack - something Iran denied.\n\nPrevious attempts at reconciliation have been unsuccessful, but on Friday the two countries said they would reopen embassies within two months. They will also re-establish trade and security relations.\n\nThe US cautiously welcomed the announcement. White House National Security Council spokesman John Kirby said the administration supported \"any effort to de-escalate tensions in the region\". But he added: \"It really does remain to be seen if Iran is going to meet their obligations.\"\n\nThe secretary-general is ready to help efforts \"to ensure durable peace and security in the Gulf region\", his spokesman said.\n\nIsrael, which has called for maximum pressure on Iran over its nuclear programme, has not commented.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/world-middle-east-64906996"}
{"title":"Small boats: Sensible to give France cash to stop crossings, says PM - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-10","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"Rishi Sunak says \u00a363m a year is delivering benefits, as he meets French President Emmanuel Macron.","section":"UK Politics","content":"Spending more money with France to stop small boat crossings is a \"sensible investment\", Rishi Sunak has said during an Anglo-French summit in Paris.\n\nThe PM has met French President Emmanuel Macron and the two men are holding a news conference later.\n\nSpeaking ahead of their meeting, Mr Sunak said giving France \u00a363m a year to boost policing on its beaches was yielding benefits for the UK.\n\nHe argued it was better than paying to house migrants in the UK.\n\n\"I think everyone knows that we are spending \u00a35.5m a day plus on hotels - we would rather not do that, and the best way to stop that is to stop people coming in the first place,\" he said.\n\nThe UK government hopes to use the summit to boost UK-French efforts to stop migrants crossing the English Channel.\n\nBut the two countries are not expected to reach a deal on returning migrants arriving in the UK to France.\n\nThe French government is thought to prefer a deal between the UK and the European Union, something of a frustration to British diplomats who would like to see quicker action.\n\n\"We want a EU-UK returns agreement and will push that forward,\" the prime minister's spokesman said.\n\n\"But it is equally important that there is work on the ground right now to stop the crossings we are seeing even in these winter months.\"\n\nA French government source said: \"At this stage, and due to Brexit, there is no readmission agreement between France and the United Kingdom.\"\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. The UK government has \u201clost control\u201d of its borders, says the Labour leader.\n\nLabour leader Sir Keir Starmer argued that without a returns agreement for failed asylum seekers, the talks between the UK and France would \"make a bad situation worse\".\n\n\"We'll have people who can't go through the system, can't be returned, and they will therefore end up in hotels and other accommodation at the taxpayers' expense,\" he added.\n\nThe conflict in Ukraine, nuclear power and renewable energy are also on the agenda at the Paris summit.\n\nMr Sunak also said he was planning to talk to the French president about relations with China, ahead of Mr Macron's visit to the country.\n\nThe prime minister met Mr Macron at the Elysee Palace on Friday morning and the two men are now taking part in a roundtable discussion with French and British companies.\n\nMr Sunak is being accompanied on his trip by Foreign Secretary James Cleverly, Home Secretary Suella Braverman and Environment Secretary Therese Coffey.\n\nThe summit comes in the week Mr Sunak unveiled his plans to deter people from making the channel crossing in small boats.\n\nUnder the plans, anyone found to have entered the UK illegally would not only be removed within 28 days, but also be blocked from returning or claiming British citizenship in future.\n\nThose arriving on the UK's beaches would either be returned to their home country, or another \"safe third country\" like Rwanda.\n\nA group of migrants brought to Dungeness in Kent, after being rescued by the RNLI\n\nThe British government feels the relationship with their opposite numbers in Paris on this issue has improved significantly in the last couple of years.\n\nBut Downing Street's desire \"to make the small boat route across the Channel unviable\" is a bold ambition - especially given that the numbers proving it to be the opposite have continued to rocket.\n\nMore than 45,000 people entered the UK via Channel crossings last year, up from about 300 in 2018.\n\nSo far this year, around 3,000 people have arrived on small boats, but the two governments claim their joint work has stopped a similar number from embarking on the journey.\n\nAn announcement on deepening co-operation on the issue is expected, rather than a big breakthrough.\n\nThe joint work the two countries do on this issue remains politically sensitive, as our Europe editor Katya Adler writes here.\n\nOfficials point out that both the UK and France are nuclear powers, members of the G7, G20 and the Nato defence alliance and permanent members of the United Nations Security Council.\n\nBrexit has been something of a stone in the shoe of the relationship between the UK and France in recent years.\n\nBut diplomats believe the deal between the UK and the European Union on Brexit arrangements in Northern Ireland creates a much better atmosphere between the two countries.\n\nIt is a month of particularly intense activity between the two countries - as King Charles and the Queen Consort will be in France in a few weeks.\n\nNext year marks the 120th anniversary of the Entente Cordiale, which put an end to centuries of rivalry between the two countries.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/uk-politics-64909510"}
{"title":"Heavy snow and high winds bring treacherous travelling conditions - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-10","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"Motorists described being stuck for hours after heavy snow caused lane closures on the M62 motorway.","section":"UK","content":"Traffic on the M62 trans-Pennine motorway ground to a halt after snow swept in\n\nHeavy snow overnight has brought treacherous conditions to parts of the UK, with motorists in affected areas warned to travel only if essential.\n\nYellow warnings of snow and ice are in force across much of the UK, with freezing conditions and strong winds also disrupting rail and air travel.\n\nSome areas may see 50mph winds and 40cm (1ft 3in) of snow as blizzards cause \"significant disruption\".\n\nHeavy snow has caused long delays on the M62 trans-Pennine motorway.\n\nDrivers reported stationary traffic on the eastbound carriageway between Rochdale in Greater Manchester and Huddersfield in West Yorkshire.\n\nNational Highways said two lanes had been closed between junctions 20 and 22, causing around 17 miles of congestion by midday.\n\nDozens of Twitter users described spending hours stuck in standstill traffic early on Friday morning.\n\nOne woman who got stranded on a nearby road told the BBC she had \"never seen anything like it\" and had to be helped by mountain rescue.\n\nKim Ward was on her way home from to Halifax from a concert in Manchester overnight with her sister-in-law, niece and a friend.\n\nThe M62 is in the area subject to the Met Office's severe weather warning for snow\n\nShe told the BBC: \"The M62 was shut, so we thought we would take the A road.\n\n\"We thought we would be alright, but as we got higher and higher, it just got worse and worse.\n\n\"We spent a couple of hours completely stuck, freezing - we actually started nodding off in the car.\n\n\"Next thing we knew mountain rescue were knocking on the window with their torches.\"\n\nMs Ward continued: \"I have been on numerous ski holidays, but I have never seen anything like it, up on the top there.\n\n\"It's scary, thinking you are going to actually spend the night here in the car.\"\n\nA severe weather warning for snow from National Highways remains in place across the North East, Midlands, and North West on Friday.\n\nTemperatures overnight were expected to match Wednesday's, the coldest of the year so far, before falling further on Friday night.\n\nBBC weather forecaster Billy Payne said blizzard-like conditions could occur later on Friday as east to north-easterly winds strengthen, particularly over high ground.\n\n\"This could of course make travel more difficult with snow piling up more in some areas,\" he added.\n\nThe winter weather has been named Storm Larisa by the French weather service.\n\nA postal delivery worker wearing shorts in heavy snow fall during his delivery rounds in Oldham, Greater Manchester\n\nHundreds of schools across the UK had to close because of the conditions.\n\nForecasters say there could be further sleet and snow at the weekend, and yellow warnings are in place for northern England and Scotland until Sunday morning.\n\nSimilar warnings covering north and central England, Wales and northern Ireland are due to lift at 09:00 GMT on Saturday.\n\nMilder air is forecast for Sunday into Monday when a thaw will begin and conditions will start to improve.\n\nYellow weather warnings are issued when severe weather that could cause disruption to everyday life is possible, according to the Met Office's website.\n\nHeavy snow in the North West on Thursday is expected to continue overnight\n\nMerseyrail said the first trains on Friday would be cancelled due to the weather conditions.\n\nMeanwhile, National Highways said it had closed the A66 between Bowes in County Durham and Brough in Cumbria in both directions, while the A628 Woodhead Pass in Derbyshire was closed in both directions for about 14 miles between Flouch, South Yorkshire, and Hollingworth, Greater Manchester.\n\nDerbyshire County Council added it had closed six roads, with many minor roads also impassable.\n\nThe wintry conditions have caused at least 350 schools to shut in Wales.\n\nAir passengers are being advised to check with their airlines for the most up-to-date flight information.\n\nThe RAC said there had been 50% more breakdowns than usual in the worst affected areas - with some drivers stuck in the snow in parts of South Yorkshire and Wales.\n\n\"Given the weather, we recommend thinking carefully before setting out,\" RAC spokesman Rod Dennis said.\n\n\"With more snow forecast, things are likely to get worse on the roads before they get better.\"","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/uk-64904704"}
{"title":"Xi Jinping begins historic third term as China's president - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-10","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"It caps a consolidation of power that has made Xi Jinping China's most dominant leader in generations.","section":"China","content":"China's leader Xi Jinping has secured a historic third term as president from the country's rubber-stamp parliament.\n\nIt follows a consolidation of power that has made Mr Xi, 69, China's most dominant leader in generations.\n\nIn the Chinese system of governance, the functions of the president are largely ceremonial.\n\nMr Xi's power comes from him being General Secretary of the Communist Party and Chairman of the Central Military Commission (CMC).\n\nHe was handed both posts at a party congress last October.\n\nConfirmation of his third term as president had been widely expected. The naming of a new premier and various ministers in the coming days is considered more important.\n\nThe new appointees are mostly expected to be Xi Jinping loyalists. This includes Li Qiang, who is tipped to serve as Mr Xi's number two.\n\nOn Friday, Mr Xi has also gained another term as the chairman of the CMC of the People's Republic of China. There are two CMCs in the country - one is a party organisation while another is a state institution - but their make-up is usually the same.\n\nMr Xi has solidified his rule as China reopens from his bruising zero-Covid policy that has fuelled anti-government protests. The country is also facing a falling birth rate that threatens its economic growth engine.\n\nTies between Beijing and Washington remain testy, recently highlighted by allegations China had been spying on the US with balloons.\n\n\"Whether a strengthened Xi and increasing centralisation is sufficient to overcome these problems - or perhaps make them worse - is unknown and perhaps not knowable at present,\" Ian Chong, a political scientist at the National University Singapore, told the BBC.\n\n\"In a sense, Xi is betting that centralisation under the party with him at the helm is a solution to these disparate issues,\" he said.\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. WATCH: Why China's president gets two teacups...in 59 seconds\n\nThe so-called Two Sessions of the National People's Congress and the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC) this week is closely watched as it provides a glimpse into China's direction in the coming years.\n\nSince Mao Zedong, leaders in China had been limited to two terms in office. When Mr Xi had this restriction changed in 2018, it transformed him into a figure with a reach not seen since Chairman Mao.\n\nAlso on Friday, the national legislature appointed Han Zheng, a 68-year-old former Politburo Standing Committee member, as vice president.\n\nThe importance of the position varies since its functions are not fully defined. However, the last vice president, Wang Qishan, fronted Mr Xi's anti-corruption campaign, Chong said.\n\nChances are that Mr Han will follow Mr Xi's direction closely and enforce the president's policies as necessary, he added.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/world-asia-china-64911512"}
{"title":"Protesters rally against a non-existent drag event - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-10","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"People stood outside an empty pub in East Dulwich, south London, on Friday morning.","section":"London","content":"The counter protest in East Dulwich was organised by Stand up to Racism South London\n\nProtesters stood outside an empty pub on Friday morning to rally against a non-existent drag event.\n\nTurning Point UK had organised a demonstration at The Great Exhibition pub in East Dulwich for 11:00 GMT.\n\nA counter protest was organised by Stand up to Racism South London, with local people and pro LGBT+ activists meeting at 10:00 GMT.\n\nTurning Point UK said it was \"very pleased with the result of our protests\".\n\nThe protest was organised in response to an out of date event listing on the pub's website.\n\nA spokesperson for CLIP, which hosted a Drag Storytime event at the venue in July 2022, told BBC London that the venue's website was still showing the event as running monthly because the listings had not been updated.\n\nAround 200 people were seen outside the pub and Met Police officers were in attendance.\n\nCLIP hosted a Drag Storytime event at the pub in July 2022\n\nThey added that CLIP had stopped running all Drag Storytime events \"due to concerns over opposing protesters breaching their safeguarding policy\".\n\nTurning Point UK organised four speakers for its protest, including Lawrence Fox and Calvin Robertson, who attended another protest last month about a drag storytelling event at The Honor Oak pub in Forest Hill.\n\nA spokesperson for The Great Exhibition pub confirmed that there had never been a Drag Storytime event booked for today.\n\nThey said that the pub is \"committed to offering events that are magical, fun, inclusive and appropriate\".\n\nThey added: \"[Turning Point UK] appear to be opposing our Drag Storytime event for the under 5s, an event that took place in July 2022.\n\nAround 200 people were seen outside the pub and Met Police officers were in attendance.\n\n\"Whilst the event was a huge success last year and brought great joy to parents and children alike, there is no event booked at the Great Exhibition next Friday, nor has there ever been.\"\n\nThe pub has an outdated advert on its website for Drag Storytime for Under 5s on 14 April describing it as a monthly event. The booking link redirects to the website for CLIP, which states that there are no events.\n\nA spokesperson for CLIP said: \"Drag as an artform is a time honoured cultural phenomenon in the British theatre lexicon, from early passion plays and Shakespeare, to Dame Edna Everage, drag performance has been part of our heritage since the 1500s, and just like all performance, there are, within the genre, different types of content that's created for different age groups, this is true of every artform.\"\n\nIn a statement, Turning Point said it is \"very pleased with the result of our protests\".\n\n\"Our protests are focused on awareness, not actually physically preventing adult performers from reading to children, as that is for the government to legislate, or for the police to act when necessary,\" the group said.\n\n\"While the session today had been cancelled, we were happy to still protest the venue as they have not committed to age-restricting future drag events they plan to host there, with other events still listed on their website.\"\n\nThe organisation added it was planning further protests.\n\nA similar protest was held outside the Tate Britain last month.\n\nFollow BBC London on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. Send your story ideas to hellobbclondon@bbc.co.uk\n\nThe BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/uk-england-london-64913587"}
{"title":"Italy migrants: Hundreds in trouble off Calabria coast - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-10","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"Rescue efforts are under way near the scene of a shipwreck in which dozens of migrants died last month.","section":"Europe","content":"Italy's coast guards are being supported by the country's navy\n\nA large operation is under way off Italy's coast to rescue 1,300 migrants in overcrowded boats.\n\nThe country's navy and coastguard say they are racing to help three vessels near the southern region of Calabria.\n\nItaly's coastguard described the operation as \"particularly complex\", because of the number of boats and people at risk.\n\nThe rescue effort comes almost two weeks after at least 73 migrants died in a shipwreck in the same region.\n\nThe victims included a six-year-old boy whose body was discovered on Friday.\n\nAfter last month's disaster, Italy's far-right government was accused of not doing enough to prevent the loss of lives.\n\nPrime Minister Giorgia Meloni responded by taking her cabinet to the site of the wreck in the town of Cutro.\n\nShe has proposed prison terms of up to 30 years for people smugglers responsible for deaths and serious injuries.\n\nItaly has seen an increase of migrants arriving by sea this year. It has recorded three times as many arrivals as during the same period last year, according to its interior ministry.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/world-europe-64920955"}
{"title":"David Attenborough's Wild Isles: What it's like to work with BBC star - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-10","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"Cameraperson Katie Mayhew has spent the last three years filming for David Attenborough's new series.","section":"Newsbeat","content":"Katie Mayhew started her career working as a runner, making tea and toast for colleagues\n\nA hot flask, some protein bars and waterproof trousers are just some of the items in Katie Mayhew's work bag.\n\nIt might seem like an odd list, but the 29-year-old is a wildlife cameraperson.\n\nIn the past the job has taken her to Saudi Arabia, China and Borneo, but for her upcoming series she was much closer to home.\n\nKatie has been working on David Attenborough's new BBC natural history series called Wild Isles.\n\n\"I've been filming across the British Isles over the last three years and it's been incredible to give airtime to our wildlife,\" she tells Newsbeat.\n\nAnd yes, Katie says the legendary 96-year-old presenter is as nice as you'd imagine.\n\n\"He's so patient and not a diva by any means,\" she says.\n\n\"He'll happily wait for us to faff around with equipment and have a cup of tea with us too.\n\n\"David is incredible, so knowledgeable, but also very kind. If I could adopt him as my grandpa I would.\"\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser.\n\nKatie's job involves spending her days \"out in the field, filming a manner of things across the world\".\n\nShe's worked in the industry for a few years and, when she first started, she noticed crews were mostly made up of men.\n\nBut she says that's changing and last year she worked on an all-female shoot as part of Wild Isles.\n\n\"We had a lot of fun and jokes. It definitely felt less serious, but we got the job done,\" she says.\n\n\"I think we're moving into the era of cameraperson instead of cameraman,\" she says.\n\n\"You can call yourself whatever you want as long as you're doing camera work.\"\n\nForget adopting an animal, Katie wishes she could have David Attenborough as her grandad\n\nFor the latest series, Katie says filming a certain toad scene required a lot of patience.\n\n\"We tried [for] two years to film them,\" says Katie.\n\n\"The first year it was too cold so the toad migration didn't happen.\n\n\"The second year we went back it was a success. But we realised toads like to migrate in darkness, so we were filming till three in the morning.\n\n\"It absolutely chucked it down most nights and the kit was soaked, but the toads loved it.\"\n\nIn hindsight though, the toads are something Katie can laugh about.\n\n\"It's frustrating and fun, when you get to the end of the shoot and you've achieved the sequence that you want to, it's such a good feeling,\" she says.\n\nKatie loved working on an all-female crew for the toad shoot\n\nAs well as toads, Wild Isles includes dramatic footage of eagles, orca whales and seals.\n\nBut Katie says her favourite animal to film was the adders, which involved 14 long days on shoot.\n\n\"It never happens first time and animals will always do what they want.\n\n\"They never do what you're hoping them to do. So you've got to have a lot of perseverance.\"\n\nListen to Newsbeat live at 12:45 and 17:45 weekdays - or listen back here.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/newsbeat-64825830"}
{"title":"The Crooked House: Britain's 'wonkiest pub' to be sold - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-10","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"The Crooked House in Himley is among 61 properties being sold off by pub giant Marston's.","section":"Birmingham & Black Country","content":"The building gradually began to sink in the early 19th Century due to mining in the area\n\nA pub thought to be Britain's wonkiest has been put up for sale by its owners.\n\nThe Crooked House on Himley Road, near Dudley is one of 61 freehold pubs being sold by Marston's PLC.\n\nIt comes as part of a nationwide review by the Wolverhampton-based company, which owns about 1,500 pubs across the UK.\n\nThe 18th Century Crooked House has been a popular attraction in the region, with visitors flocking to see the distinctive leaning building.\n\nIt was first built in 1765 as a farmhouse, but due to mining in the area during the early 19th Century, one side of the building began to gradually sink.\n\nThis week, Marston's announced it had instructed a business property adviser to sell the Crooked House along with seven other of its freehold pubs across the West Midlands.\n\nNik Antona, chairman of the Campaign for Real Ale, told BBC Radio WM he hoped they do not disappear completely.\n\n\"What we're concerned about, is for the properties to remain as pubs,\" he said.\n\n\"The tenants that are in them now have the opportunity to buy them and continue to run them as pubs.\"\n\nNoel Moffitt, senior director of corporate pubs and restaurants at Christie & Co, which is managing the sale said: \"The pub sector has been very resilient over the last few years and has adapted well to the challenges and despite interest in the sector there is a lack of properties on the market.\"\n\nFollow BBC West Midlands on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. Send your story ideas to: newsonline.westmidlands@bbc.co.uk\n\nThe BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/uk-england-birmingham-64912966"}
{"title":"EIS teaching union backs pay deal to end school strikes - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-10","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"Scotland's largest teaching union the EIS confirms 90% of members voted to accept the new pay deal.","section":"Scotland","content":"Members of the EIS union have been voting on the latest pay offer\n\nMembers of Scotland's largest teaching union the EIS have accepted a pay deal to end long-running school strikes.\n\nTeachers will receive a 7% pay rise backdated to last April, a further 5% next month and 2% in January.\n\nThe union suspended strikes last week when the pay offer was made. The EIS said 90% voted for the deal, from a ballot turnout of 82%.\n\nEducation Secretary Shirley-Anne Somerville said it was a \"fair, affordable and sustainable\" offer.\n\nThe EIS said that pay for most teachers would increase by 12.3% by next month, then 14.6% by January 2024.\n\nGeneral Secretary Andrea Bradley said: \"While it does not meet our aspirations in respect of a restorative pay settlement, it is the best deal that can realistically be achieved in the current political and financial climate without further prolonged industrial action.\n\n\"It compares favourably with recent pay settlements across the public sector, and does provide pay certainty for Scotland's teachers until the next pay settlement is scheduled in August 2024.\"\n\nMembers of the SSTA have also voted to end industrial action\n\nThe EIS, SSTA and NASUWT teaching unions have been in a year-long industrial dispute with councils.\n\nThe deadlock was broken last week when councils, using extra money from the Scottish government, made a fresh offer that would see most teachers' salaries rise by \u00a35,200 in April.\n\nThe EIS paused targeted strikes that were being held in constituencies of senior politicians including First Minister Nicola Sturgeon and Deputy First Minister John Swinney.\n\nOn Thursday, members of the SSTA also voted overwhelmingly to accept the deal.\n\nThe NASUWT union said it would ballot its members on the offer, but described it as \"paltry\" and said it fell short of what teachers wanted.\n\nThe teachers' strike is now effectively over. Two of the three unions which represent classroom teachers - the EIS and the SSTA - have now said they will accept the pay offer.\n\nThe third - the NASUWT - is urging rejection and is still consulting its members. The AHDS, representing heads and deputes, also intends to accept it. This means that the pay offer will almost certainly be put into effect.\n\nAs is often the case in industrial disputes, the resolution is a compromise. Both sides gave ground.\n\nThe 7% rise for 2022-23 is below the 10% pay claim. The 5% this April followed by a further 2% in January is still below inflation. But it is still better than the offer made just before the strikes started - worth around 5% for the majority of teachers.\n\nHowever few teachers will feel like celebrating a victory. Many were saddened that industrial action on this scale was necessary and were all too aware of the potential impact of strikes on children, teenagers and families.\n\nThe unions had hoped the mere threat of a strike would have proved sufficient.\n\nWith the pay dispute over, the question is whether the relationship between teachers' unions, employers and the Scottish government has been damaged.\n\nTeachers had initially demanded a 10% increase this year, with the dispute seeing almost all schools in Scotland closed by a series of strikes.\n\nThe pay deal follows talks between the EIS, Shirley-Anne Somerville and John Swinney last week.\n\nMs Somerville welcomed the EIS ballot result and said it was an \"historic\" deal.\n\nShe added: \"Teachers in Scotland are already the best paid in the UK and this deal will mean a salary rise of \u00a35,200 in April for most teachers, and a cumulative rise of 33% since January 2018.\n\n\"A resolution to this dispute and an end to the threat of further strike disruption in our schools will be a huge relief for children, young people, parents, carers, and teachers, too.\"\n\nEducation Secretary Shirley-Anne Somerville said the offer was the most generous in more than 20 years\n\nThe Scottish Conservatives accused Ms Somerville of being \"asleep at the wheel\" over the strike action.\n\nParty education spokesman Stephen Kerr MSP said: \"It would never have lasted this long - and caused so much disruption to our children's education - had Shirley-Anne Somerville been on top of her brief and shown the required urgency to resolve it.\"\n\nScottish Labour also criticised Ms Somerville for taking too long to reach the settlement.\n\nEducation spokesperson Michael Marra MSP said: \"The SNP government needs to take a long, hard look at its approach to industrial relations.\n\n\"The delay tactics have hurt Scotland's pupils, who have now missed a full week of learning in this academic year.\"\n\nScottish Lib Dem education spokesperson, Willie Rennie MSP, said it was a \"travesty\" that it took so long for an agreement to be reached.\n\nHe added: \"The prolonged and bitter dispute has caused unquantifiable harm to the relationship between the teaching profession and an SNP government that told them they were paid more than enough.\"","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/uk-scotland-64906111"}
{"title":"Hamburg shooting: Seven killed in attack on Jehovah's Witness hall - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-10","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"An unborn baby was among those killed by the gunman, who was a former member of the religious group.","section":"Europe","content":"This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser.\n\nSeven people, including an unborn baby, have been killed in a shooting at a Jehovah's Witness meeting hall in the German city of Hamburg, police say.\n\nThey say the gunman acted alone in Thursday's attack, and later took his own life. His motives are unknown.\n\nThe suspect, named only as Philipp F, is said to have had \"ill feelings\" towards the religious community, of which he had previously been a member.\n\nVideo has emerged appearing to show him firing through a window of the hall.\n\nAt a briefing on Friday, the police said four men and two women were shot dead. All the dead were German nationals.\n\nEight people were injured, four seriously. A Ugandan and a Ukrainian were among those hurt.\n\nA woman who was seven months pregnant was shot - killing her unborn baby. The mother survived.\n\nThe first emergency call came at 21:04 local time (20:04 GMT) on Thursday, to report that shots had been fired in the building on Deelb\u00f6ge street, Gross Borstel district, the police said.\n\nOfficers were on site four minutes later, and they were almost immediately joined by special forces. The officers had to break windows to enter the building where about 50 people had gathered.\n\nThe suspect - described as 35-year-old \"sports shooter\" who had a gun licence - had fled to the first floor. His \"lifeless body\" was found shortly afterwards.\n\nHe had managed to shoot nine magazines of ammunition, and 20 more were found in his backpack.\n\nGerman Senator Andy Grote said \"fast and decisive actions\" by police officers had saved many lives. He also described the attack as the \"worst crime\" in Hamburg's recent history.\n\nPolice confirmed that they had previously received an anonymous tip-off that raised concerns about the perpetrator's mental health. Officers had visited him after the tip-off - but did not have enough grounds to take away his gun at the time.\n\nGregor Miesbach, who filmed the gunman shooting through a first-floor window, told the Bild newspaper: \"I didn't realise what was happening. I was filming with my phone, and only realised through the zoom that someone was shooting at Jehovah's Witnesses.\n\n\"I heard loud gunshots... I saw a man with a firearm shooting through a window and filmed it,\" he said.\n\nLara Bauch, a 23-year-old student who lives nearby, told the DPA news agency that \"there were about four bursts of gunfire - several shots were fired in each burst - with gaps lasting roughly 20 seconds to a minute\".\n\nShe said that from her window she could see a person frantically running from the ground floor to the first floor. \"The man was wearing dark clothing and moving fast,\" she added.\n\nAn alert was sent on the federal warning app, NINAwarn, on Thursday evening telling locals that \"one or more unknown perpetrators shot at people in a church\".\n\nLocal residents were told not to leave their homes amid the ongoing police operation.\n\nFootage showed police escorting people out of the meeting hall, some to ambulances.\n\nForensic experts worked at the scene through the night\n\nThe reasons behind the shooting were \"still completely unclear\".\n\nGerman Chancellor Olaf Scholz described it as a \"brutal act of violence\", saying his thoughts were with the victims and their relatives.\n\nIn a statement, the Jehovah's Witness community in Germany said it was \"deeply saddened by the horrific attack on its members at the Kingdom Hall in Hamburg after a religious service\".\n\nForensic experts in white suits worked through the night inside the brightly lit interior of the meeting house.\n\nJehovah's Witnesses are members of a Christian-based religious movement, founded in the US at the end of the 19th Century.\n\nIn its latest report from 2022, the movement says there are about 8.7 million Jehovah's Witnesses worldwide, including about 170,000 in Germany.\n\nIn the city of Hamburg, there are believed to be nearly 4,000 members of the organisation.\n\nJehovah's Witnesses are probably best known for their door-to-door evangelism; witnessing from house to house and offering Bible literature.\n\nAlthough Christian-based, the group believes that the traditional Christian Churches have deviated from the true teachings of the Bible, and do not work in full harmony with God.\n\nGermany has some of the strictest gun laws in Europe, including a clause that anyone aged under 25 must pass a psychological evaluation before getting a gun licence.\n\nIn 2021, there were around one million private gun owners in Germany, according to the National Firearms Registry. They account for 5.7 million legal firearms and firearm parts, most of them owned by hunters.\n\nAfter mass arrests were made last December in relation to a suspected plot to overthrow the government, the German authorities are planning to tighten the country's gun laws even further.\n\u2022 None Video appears to show suspect firing through window. Video, 00:01:18Video appears to show suspect firing through window","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/world-europe-64910415"}
{"title":"Barcelona face corruption charges over payments to former referees' official - BBC Sport","published_date":"2023-03-10","authors":null,"description":"Barcelona face charges of corruption over payments to Jose Maria Enriquez Negreira, a former vice-president of Spain's referees' committee.","section":null,"content":"Last updated on .From the section European Football\n\nBarcelona face charges of corruption over payments the club made to Jose Maria Enriquez Negreira - a former vice-president of Spain's referees' committee.\n\nIt emerged last month that Barca paid Negreira and a company he owns a reported total of 8.4m euros (\u00a37.4m) between 2001 and 2018.\n\nA Barcelona court heard on Friday that Barca, former club officials and Negreira had been indicted for \"corruption\", \"breach of trust\" and \"false business records\".\n\nThese lawsuits, brought by the Barcelona public prosecutor's office, target the club, as well as former presidents Josep Maria Bartomeu and Sandro Rosell.\n\n\"FC Barcelona obtained and maintained a strictly confidential verbal agreement with Jose Maria Enriquez Negreira so that, in his capacity as vice-president of the technical arbitral committee (CTA) and in exchange for money, the latter carries out actions tending to benefit FC Barcelona in decisions by the referees,\" said the public prosecutor's office.\n\nLa Liga chief executive Javier Tebas said last month that current president Joan Laporta should resign if he was unable to explain the payments.\n\nLaporta responded by saying he will not give Tebas \"what he'd like by stepping down\" and the charges come three days after Laporta insisted his club had \"never bought referees\".\n\n\"Let it be clear Barca have never bought referees and Barca have never had the intention of buying referees, absolutely never,\" he said on Tuesday.\n\nHow did we get here?\n\nThe payments, revealed last month by radio station Ser Catalunya, came to light following an investigation by tax authorities into Negreira's company Dasnil 95.\n\nBarcelona made payments to the company totalling a reported 1.4m euros (\u00a31.2m) between 2016 and 2018, and paid Negreira, 77, about 7m euros (\u00a36.2m) between 2001 and 2018, the year he left his role with the referees' committee.\n\nBarca acknowledged the club had paid Dasnil 95, which it described as \"an external technical consultant\" to compile video reports related to professional referees \"with the aim of complementing the information required by the coaching staff\".\n\nIt added that contracting the reports was \"a habitual practice among professional clubs\".\n\nThe affair escalated when 18 of the 20 La Liga clubs issued a statement to express \"deep concern\" over the situation, and Laporta said the club would launch an internal investigation into the payments.\n\nBarcelona coach Xavi, who won eight La Liga titles with them as a player between 1998 and 2015, said he had no knowledge of the payments and never had the feeling his team had any advantage.\n\n\"I always wanted to win, but fairly. If I thought we were cheating I'd have gone home,\" he said after Barca's 2-2 draw with Manchester United in the Europa League last month.\n\u2022 None Listen to all-new versions of their biggest hits and a surprising cover\n\u2022 None Searching for new converts in Manchester: The Mormons Are Coming follows young missionaries during their make-or-break training","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/sport\/football\/64918604"}
{"title":"HS2 line between Birmingham and Crewe delayed by two years - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-10","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"Government blames soaring construction prices but says it is \"committed\" to the high speed rail link.","section":"Business","content":"The Birmingham to Crewe leg of high speed railway HS2 will be delayed by two years to cut costs.\n\nThe government suggested Euston station's opening could also be delayed as an \"affordable\" design is worked on.\n\nTransport secretary Mark Harper blamed soaring prices and said he was \"committed\" to the line linking London, the Midlands and North of England.\n\nHS2 has been beset by delays and cost rises. In 2010, it was expected to cost \u00a333bn but is now expected to be \u00a371bn.\n\nMr Harper said \"significant inflationary pressure\" and increased project costs meant the government was to \"rephase construction by two years\".\n\nHe said the decision had been \"difficult\" but that it was part of \"controlling inflation and reducing government debt\".\n\nMark Thurston, chief executive of HS2 Ltd, recently told the BBC that he and the government were examining the phasing of the build and the timing.\n\nJohn Foster from business group CBI said the delay would harm investor confidence in the rail sector.\n\n\"Delays to projects may create short-term savings, but they can ultimately lead to higher overall costs and slow down the UK's transition to a better, faster and greener transport network,\" Mr Foster added.\n\nLabour said the decision to pause the HS2 at Birmingham was \"astonishing\".\n\nShadow Transport Secretary Louise Haigh said the party had committed to delivering HS2 in full if it gets into government, and to partly funding the work by its green prosperity plan.\n\nThe head of the Northern Powerhouse Partnership, Henri Murison, said the delay was \"disappointing\" and \"holds back economic benefits\".\n\nThe project is grappling with the rising cost of materials due to the high rate of inflation.\n\nThe government hopes that the delays will allow it to spread the cost over a longer period of time, making it more affordable by reducing annual expenditure.\n\nChancellor Jeremy Hunt, who will outline his Budget next week, wants debt to fall as a percentage of GDP within five years - a target explicitly set by the Prime Minister.\n\nMichael Fabricant, Conservative MP for Lichfield in Staffordshire, which contains part of the HS2 line, said he would ask the government whether the delay \"marks the end of HS2 north of Birmingham for good and whether HS2 will make good the damage already done in southern Staffordshire\".\n\nHe added: \"Simply saying the project is delayed is not good enough. The area has been blighted by whole fields turned into construction sites.\"\n\nLast week, Mr Thurston said the impact of inflation had been \"significant\" in the past year, affecting the costs of raw material, labour, energy and fuel.\n\n\"We're looking at the timing of the project, the phasing of the project, we're looking at where we can use our supply chain to secure a lot of those things that are costing us more through inflation,\" he said.\n\nHS2 trains are scheduled to carry the first passengers between Old Oak Common station in West London and Birmingham, between 2029 and 2033.\n\nEuston station in London is currently scheduled to open later, by 2035. Further stretches to Crewe and then to Manchester are due by 2034 and 2041.\n\nMost of the HS2 leg to Leeds was scrapped in 2021.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/business-64901985"}
{"title":"Third person dies after crush at US GloRilla show - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-10","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"A 35-year-old dies in hospital, days after a crowd surged for the exits at a concert in New York.","section":"Entertainment & Arts","content":"GloRilla is the stage name of Memphis rapper Gloria Hallelujah Woods\n\nA third person has died from the crush that broke out at a New York concert by rap star GloRilla on Sunday, police have confirmed.\n\nAisha Stephens, 35, of Syracuse had been in hospital since the show, where the crowd panicked and surged for the exits shortly after the music ended.\n\nPolice say the incident, at Rochester's Main Street Armory, may have been started by unfounded fears of gunfire.\n\nThe venue has since had its licence revoked.\n\nThe decision was made after the owner failed to show up for a scheduled meeting with the police chief and Rochester's city attorney on Wednesday.\n\n\"It is one step we can immediately take to ensure that the events of Sunday night are not repeated,\" said police chief David Smith.\n\n\"The bottom line is, lives were lost, and we need to take steps to make sure that no lives are lost in the future if this was indeed something that was preventable.\"\n\nThe crush claimed the lives of two other women - nursing assistant Brandy Miller, 35, and city employee Rhondesia Belton, 33. Seven others were taken to hospital with injuries.\n\nAn investigation into several possible causes, including \"possibly crowd size, shots fired, pepper spray and other contributing factors,\" is currently under way.\n\nPolice are also trying to determine whether the crowd size exceeded the capacity of the Armory and whether the proper safety measures were taken.\n\nGloRilla, whose breakout song F.N.F. (Let's Go) was nominated for best rap performance at last month's Grammy Awards, only learned about the tragedy after leaving the venue.\n\nShe later tweeted: \"I am devastated and heartbroken over the tragic deaths that happened after Sunday's show.\n\n\"My fans mean the world to me \ud83d\ude22. Praying for their families & for a speedy recovery of everyone affected.\"\n\nGloRilla was one of the breakout rap stars of 2022 in the US\n\nFans who attended the gig recalled scenes of hysteria as fear gripped the audience.\n\n\"I didn't see anything but the whole crowd pushing everyone towards the bathroom like a wave pool,\" 28-year-old Tamira De Jesus told Rolling Stone magazine.\n\n\"I was literally being suffocated while trying to help people on the ground stand up. I heard a man literally say, '[Expletive] them, step on them.'\n\n\"It was the most inhumane thing I have seen in my whole life and I am still having anxiety.\"\n\nAnother attendee recalled: \"Me and the girl next to me were climbing on each other trying to get each other up.\"\n\nIkea Hayes, 28, told local reporters that she remembered praying and telling herself: \"You got to get up. You got to move. If you stay here they're going to keep running you over.\"\n\nShe went back to the venue on Monday morning to retrieve earrings, a phone and a set of keys she had lost in the chaos.\n\nBuffalo Mayor Byron Brown paid tribute to the first victim, Rhondesia Belton, 33, who had worked at the city's Traffic Violations Agency, on Monday.\n\n\"This is another difficult day for our City's workforce and our entire community,\" Brown wrote on Twitter. \"I join all of our City employees in mourning the loss of one of our own.\"\n\nMiller's family said her life was \"one full of love and joy\".\n\n\"If you knew her, you knew that her spirit could lift anyone out of a bad mood. She cherished her life and celebrated her loved ones.\"\n\nDoctors and nurses lined the hallway at Rochester's Strong Hospital to honour the 35-year-old, who had decided to donate her organs if she died.\n\nHer sister said her heart, kidneys, and liver were used to save four other lives.\n\nTributes were also paid to Aisha Stephens by the Pop Warner foundation, where she had been a cheerleading coach.\n\n\"She made an incredible impact on so many,\" said the organisation in a statement. \"She will be greatly missed.\"\n\nFollow us on Facebook or on Twitter @BBCNewsEnts. If you have a story suggestion email entertainment.news@bbc.co.uk.\n\u2022 None Two fans die in crush after US rap concert","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/entertainment-arts-64913324"}
{"title":"More snow and ice forecast for parts of the UK after travel chaos - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-10","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"Temperatures are set to drop \"like a stone\" overnight, bringing the risk of freezing ice.","section":"UK","content":"This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Watch: Travel chaos on the M62, but others enjoy a March snow day\n\nMore snow and ice is predicted in parts of the UK, after blizzard conditions caused chaos on Friday, with some drivers stranded for hours.\n\nYellow warnings for snow and ice remain in place until Saturday for much of the UK, apart from southern England.\n\n\"With clearing skies and snow on the ground, temperatures tonight will drop like a stone,\" said BBC weather forecaster Matt Taylor.\n\nHe said icy conditions would be an issue in many areas.\n\nSome rural areas in Scotland, England and Wales could see temperatures of -10C to -13C overnight into Saturday.\n\nNational Highways operational control director Andrew Page-Dove said there was a risk of potentially freezing rain and more snow.\n\n\"The conditions are actually going to get worse rather than better,\" he said.\n\nHeavy snow overnight into Friday in parts of Wales and north-west England caused disruption including long delays on the M62 trans-Pennine motorway.\n\nDrivers reported stationary traffic on the eastbound carriageway between Rochdale in Greater Manchester and Huddersfield in West Yorkshire.\n\nBy midday, congestion stretched for around 17 miles after two lanes were closed between junctions 20 and 22.\n\nBlizzard conditions saw drivers stranded for hours on the M62\n\nMr Page-Dove said the traffic chaos was down to a \"combination of volume of traffic and [drivers] maybe not being as well prepared for the conditions\".\n\nNational Highways gritters were delayed on the M62 by stranded lorries unable to cope with the conditions, he added.\n\nConfirming that the M62 would remain open, he said: \"We have well-rehearsed plans which we execute every time we have these types of events.\"\n\nDozens of people took to social media early on Friday, describing spending hours stuck in standstill traffic on the motorway.\n\nOne woman who got stranded on a nearby road told the BBC she had \"never seen anything like it\" and had to be helped by mountain rescue.\n\nKim Ward was on her way home from to Halifax from a concert in Manchester overnight with her sister-in-law, niece and a friend.\n\nShe told the BBC: \"The M62 was shut, so we thought we would take the A-road.\n\n\"We thought we would be alright, but as we got higher and higher, it just got worse and worse.\n\n\"We spent a couple of hours completely stuck, freezing - we actually started nodding off in the car.\n\n\"Next thing we knew mountain rescue were knocking on the window with their torches.\"\n\nMs Ward continued: \"I have been on numerous ski holidays, but I have never seen anything like it, up on the top there.\n\n\"It's scary, thinking you are going to actually spend the night here in the car.\"\n\nA postal delivery worker wearing shorts in heavy snow fall during his delivery rounds in Oldham, Greater Manchester\n\nThe winter weather has been named Storm Larisa by the French weather service.\n\nOn Friday, more than 200 schools shut their doors in Wales, while in Northern Ireland, more than 100 were closed as a result of the snow.\n\nIn England, hundreds of schools across North, South and West Yorkshire, as well as the West and East Midlands, Lancashire and Greater Manchester, were also forced to close.\n\nSome schools were closed on Thursday in Aberdeenshire, in Scotland, but Aberdeenshire Council said there were no planned closures for Friday.\n\nMilder air is forecast for Sunday into Monday when a thaw will begin and conditions will start to improve.\n\nYellow weather warnings are issued when severe weather that could cause disruption to everyday life is possible, according to the Met Office's website.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/uk-64916816"}
{"title":"Gary Lineker row: BBC director general apologises over sports disruption but will not resign - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-10","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"Tim Davie says disruption to programmes hit by presenter boycott is \"a real blow\" and apologises to audiences.","section":"Entertainment & Arts","content":"Amid all the noise in this affair Rishi Sunak hadn\u2019t before now uttered the words \"Gary Lineker\" as far as I can tell. So why now?\n\nThrough the week a host of his top team had been all too happy to weigh in.\n\nSunak\u2019s Press Secretary (speaking on his behalf), Culture Secretary Lucy Frazer, immigration minister Robert Jenrick and Home Office minister Chris Philp all criticised Lineker\u2019s comments.\n\nAnd Home Secretary Suella Braverman said: \"I don\u2019t think anything that is happening in the UK today can come close to what happened in the Holocaust.\"\n\nThat\u2019s a lot of ministers caring about an issue enough to address it. They didn\u2019t explicitly call for action against Lineker, but criticised him roundly.\n\nThe minute Lineker was suspended that dynamic changed. No ministers commenting, just an official line: \"individual cases are a matter for the BBC.\"\n\nThe government, it seems, was happy enough to weigh in while the issue gained momentum. It kept the story in the headlines.\n\nNumber 10 wants people to see it\u2019s pushing ahead with its new legislation on small boats. If the plan causes some outrage, from Downing Street\u2019s viewpoint, that\u2019s not necessarily a bad thing.\n\nIt helps create the impression this is a tough approach, pushing boundaries. Which might translate into support among its target voters.\n\nBut the minute Gary Lineker was suspended it became a bit more tricky. Now, if you are in Number 10, you don\u2019t want to be dragged into the row any further.\n\nHe\u2019s popular, there\u2019s a backlash growing as his colleagues rally behind him. And there\u2019s already lots of criticism about the Conservatives putting pressure on the BBC.\n\nIf this ends with Lineker leaving the BBC you want as much distance from that decision as possible.\n\nTime to soften the tone, praise Lineker - he\u2019s \"a great footballer and is a talented presenter\". Time to say the PM \"hopes\" this can be \"resolved\" but it\u2019s for the BBC \"not the government\".\n\nAn effort to extricate the PM in case there\u2019s fall out.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/live\/entertainment-arts-64895316"}
{"title":"UK weather: Travel chaos and schools closed after heavy snow - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-10","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"Seven-hour road delays have been reported in some areas, though conditions are expected to improve during the day.","section":"UK","content":"Earlier, we brought you the story of Kim Ward, who was travelling home to Halifax from Manchester overnight when the car she and four others were travelling in became stranded. She's been sharing more details of the ordeal.\n\nShe says the A road on which they were travelling became impassable and they were stuck in their vehicle for two hours before rescue services picked them up and took them to a hotel in Huddersfield.\n\nKim says the weather was like nothing she experienced before, and the \"complete blizzard\" left it difficult to catch her breath.\n\nThe group have been \"really looked after\", she adds, and they will have to wait to retrieve their car from the road when the weather subsides.\n\nQuote Message: We can't actually get home right now, we don't know how long we're going to be here for.\" from Kim Ward We can't actually get home right now, we don't know how long we're going to be here for.\"\n\nCharlotte Leszczyszyn was also travelling in the car and says the breathlessness she experienced from the blizzard while moving to the rescue vehicle was \"awful\".\n\nThey are tired, she says, adding: \"We just want to go home...it's ten minutes down the road and we can't even get there.\"","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/live\/uk-64905906"}
{"title":"King Charles grants Prince Edward Duke of Edinburgh title - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-10","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"The King gives his youngest brother the title on the prince's 59th birthday.","section":"UK","content":"Prince Edward paid a visit to Edinburgh after his new title was announced\n\nPrince Edward has been named as the new Duke of Edinburgh, Buckingham Palace has announced.\n\nThe King has given the title to his youngest brother on Prince Edward's 59th birthday.\n\nIt is a title strongly associated with their father, Prince Philip, who was Duke of Edinburgh for more than 70 years, up until his death in 2021.\n\nThe new Duke and his wife Sophie, who becomes Duchess of Edinburgh, visited the Scottish capital on Friday.\n\nThe couple went to a reception in Edinburgh which recognised the efforts of volunteers in supporting Ukrainian refugees over the past year.\n\nAnti-monarchy campaign group Republic criticised the award of the title to Prince Edward, saying the \"views of the people of Edinburgh\" should have been considered before the title was given as a \"birthday present\".\n\nPrince Edward becomes Duke of Edinburgh almost two years after the death of his father, Philip, who was given the title in 1947 when he married the then Princess Elizabeth, who later became Queen Elizabeth II.\n\nIt was understood that Philip had wanted Edward, his youngest son, to take on the title, but the decision was left in the hands of King Charles.\n\nIt means that Edward, 13th in line of succession to the throne, will attend the coronation in May as a duke, with a title that was synonymous with his late father.\n\nThe new and former Dukes of Edinburgh: Prince Edward with his father, Prince Philip, in 2012\n\nWith Prince Andrew, the Duke of York, no longer a \"working royal\", there could be a more high-profile role for Edward, the King's youngest brother.\n\nAt the end of last year, Parliament fast-tracked a change in law to add Prince Edward and his sister Princess Anne to the \"counsellors of state\" who can act on behalf of the King.\n\nIn his earlier career, Prince Edward had worked in theatre and television production, but had increasingly focused on public duties, including taking on a number of roles from Prince Philip as he grew older.\n\nThis included supporting the Duke of Edinburgh's Award scheme, created by Prince Philip in 1956, which provides activities and training programmes for young people in the UK and overseas.\n\nSophie in Edinburgh after she was announced as Duchess of Edinburgh\n\nWhen Prince Edward married Sophie Rhys-Jones in 1999, Buckingham Palace had announced that \"in due course\" it was expected by the Queen and Prince Philip that Edward would eventually become Duke of Edinburgh.\n\nAlthough it is a prestigious title, it does not come with any land or income.\n\nBut the announcement was challenged by Graham Smith of the anti-monarchy group Republic.\n\n\"If we're going to have such daft titles they should be decided by Parliament or government - and it should not be possible for the head of state to award his own family,\" said Mr Smith.\n\nThe title of Duke of Edinburgh will not be hereditary, so when Edward dies it will not go to his children, but could be given to another senior member of the Royal Family.\n\nPrince Edward's former title of Earl of Wessex will now go to his son, the 15-year-old Viscount Severn. But there will be no change in title for Edward's daughter, Lady Louise Windsor.\n\nBuckingham Palace said in a statement: \"The new Duke and Duchess of Edinburgh are proud to continue Prince Philip's legacy of promoting opportunities for young people of all backgrounds to reach their full potential.\"\n\nThe first Duke of Edinburgh was created in 1726, when the Hanoverian monarch George I gave the title to his grandson, Prince Frederick. Queen Victoria recreated the title in 1866 for her second son, Prince Alfred, and it was created again in 1947 for Prince Philip.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/uk-64913224"}
{"title":"Northern Ireland snow: Cancellations, disruptions and closures - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-10","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"Drivers urged to take care on roads that may not have been gritted, as temperatures fall below zero.","section":"Northern Ireland","content":"A snowy road in Drumbo in Lisburn at 07:00 on Friday morning\n\nA yellow warning for ice has been issued across Northern Ireland lasting until 10:00 GMT on Saturday.\n\nEarlier on Friday police asked NI road users to take extra care following heavy snowfall overnight.\n\nAmid treacherous conditions in some areas, a number of roads were closed due to fallen trees and power lines and some homes remain without power.\n\nIt came as heavy snow brought disruption to other parts of the UK.\n\nMore than 200 schools across Northern Ireland closed on Friday due to the weather.\n\nThe Met Office has said 13cm of snow fell at Glenanne in County Armagh, while Lough Fea in County Londonderry saw 11cm of snow.\n\nTranslink has made changes to a number of its bus services.\n\nNewcastle, County Down framed by some snow-capped Mourne Mountains\n\nSome flights at Belfast International and City Airports were delayed and cancelled on Thursday night.\n\nLying snow and ice will continue to be a hazard through the Friday, although mainly in higher areas.\n\nHowever, snow melt will become icy this evening and overnight as temperatures widely fall below zero.\n\nSome parts, particularly the countryside of County Down, could see thermometers drop close to -10C during the early hours of Saturday.\n\nThe Met Office is warning of injuries from slips and falls as well as travel disruption on roads, pavements, and cycle paths.\n\nIt said: \"With snow and slush affecting many areas and likely to refreeze quickly after dusk, footpaths and walk ways are likely to remain treacherous for much of the next 24 hours, increasing the risk of slips and falls.\"\n\nThis Twitter post cannot be displayed in your browser. Please enable Javascript or try a different browser. View original tweet on Twitter The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Skip twitter post by Met Office - Northern Ireland 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\u2019s cookie policy, external and privacy policy, external before accepting. To view this content choose \u2018accept and continue\u2019. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.\n\nAn amber weather warning issued on Thursday ended at 04:00 GMT on Friday. It is the second-highest level of warning that can be issued by the Met Office and means there is a risk of travel delays and road closures.\n\nUpper Cavehill Road on Friday morning in a blanket of snow\n\nLate on Thursday night, the police urged people to avoid unnecessary journeys.\n\nThis Twitter post cannot be displayed in your browser. Please enable Javascript or try a different browser. View original tweet on Twitter The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Skip twitter post 2 by NI Road Policing and Safety 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\u2019s cookie policy, external and privacy policy, external before accepting. To view this content choose \u2018accept and continue\u2019. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. End of twitter post 2 by NI Road Policing and Safety\n\nThe Strangford ferry was suspended due to the weather conditions but normal service resumed on Friday morning.\n\nArmagh, Banbridge and Craigavon Borough Council said all council facilities would remain closed due to the snowfall. They include Gosford Forest Park, Loughgall Country Park and Lough Neagh Discovery Centre.\n\nIn Newry, Mourne and Down District Council all forest parks are closed with further closures possible. The council also said no refuse collections would take place on Friday.\n\nSome community health services in the north west have also been disrupted due to the recent period of cold weather.\n\nThe Western Health Trust said some staff have had difficulty getting to clients but added that carers were making every effort to reach people in their homes.\n\nThe Education Authority warned that its school transport service could be disrupted, particularly in rural areas.\n\nAt Belfast City Airport a number of inbound flights have been cancelled, with passengers warned to check the status of their flight on the airport's website.\n\nTwo outbound flights have also been cancelled at Belfast International Airport.\n\nFirefighters were out this morning clearing snow from Crumlin Fire Station\n\nIn the Republic of Ireland, a status yellow warning is in place until 12:00 on Friday, with a further yellow warning issued for 15 counties from 19:00 on Friday until 10:00 on Saturday.\n\nThe Irish weather service Met \u00c9ireann has said widespread frost and ice could lead to hazardous driving conditions.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/uk-northern-ireland-64907787"}
{"title":"Food fraud probe into beef falsely labelled as British - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-10","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"A supplier is under investigation after pre-packed meat was found to be from South America and Europe.","section":"Business","content":"The National Food Crime Unit (NFCU) is investigating potential food fraud involving pre-packed sliced beef which was labelled as British but came from South America and Europe.\n\nA supermarket in the UK has been forced to remove products from its shelves.\n\nThe unit has declined to name the retailer or the supplier of the meat.\n\nAndrew Quinn, deputy chief of the NFCU, said it was not a food safety issue but a matter of food fraud, which it takes very seriously.\n\nMr Quinn said: \"The retailer was notified on the same day that we took action against the food business suspected of the fraud and immediately removed all affected products from their shelves.\n\n\"The retailer continues to work closely and cooperatively with the NFCU investigation to progress the case against the supplier. This is not a food safety issue but a matter of food fraud.\"\n\nThe BBC has contacted UK supermarkets for comment. Tesco, Sainsbury's, Asda, Aldi, Lidl, the Co-op, Waitrose, Morrisons, Iceland and Marks & Spencer said they are not the retailer that had been supplied with the beef.\n\nCharlotte Di Cello, Waitrose commercial director, said: \"We know each and every farmer that produces our Waitrose beef. At Waitrose, higher welfare means higher welfare and British means British. These standards are fundamental to our makeup and this will never change.\"\n\nThe investigation - codenamed \"Operation Hawk\" - was made public in December by the Food Standards Agency, which is the parent body of the NFCU.\n\nAt the time it said it was looking into the directors of a company which sold large volumes of pre-packed meat to UK supermarket retailer \"who pride themselves on only selling British products\".\n\nHowever, it did not disclose details of the probe, including what type of meat was in question.\n\nSome trade associations told Farmers Weekly magazine, which revealed that beef was at the centre of the investigation, they were disappointed that it had taken until now for some facts to be released.\n\nA spokesman for the Association of Independent Meat Suppliers, said: \"It is only today that we have found the product concerned is beef, and it is our belief, given the popularity of sliced cooked beef across all trade channels, that its sale by food fraudsters will not have been limited to a single supermarket.\n\n\"The NFCU's current play book has the potential to damage UK overseas trade simply by their policy of a lack of transparency and industry engagement.\"\n\nThe NFCU's Mr Quinn said: \"Any fraud investigations of this nature take time to go through evidence and bring to any outcome, including any potential prosecution.\n\n\"We take food fraud very seriously and are acting urgently to protect the consumer.\"","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/business-64904334"}
{"title":"Cardiff crash: Police say victims were not found for 46 hours - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-10","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"Eve Smith, 21, Rafel Jeanne, 24, and Darcy Ross, 21, died after the car crash in Cardiff.","section":"Wales","content":"Eve Smith, 21, Rafel Jeanne, 24, and Darcy Ross, 21, died in the collision\n\nDetectives have confirmed the victims of a crash that killed three were trapped for almost two days.\n\nPolice said CCTV was studied and number plate recognition cameras used to establish the crash happened at 02:03 GMT on Saturday, 4 March.\n\nIt was not until 46 hours later the victims were found, just after midnight on Monday morning.\n\nEve Smith, 21, Rafel Jeanne, 24, and Darcy Ross, 21, died after the crash near the A48 in St Mellons, Cardiff.\n\nSophie Russon, 20, and Shane Loughlin, 32, are seriously injured in hospital\n\nA sixth person, who had been with the five who were in the crash, had been dropped at home earlier.\n\nThe three women, from Newport, had gone to The Muffler club in the city's Maesglas area late on Friday.\n\nThey then travelled 36 miles (58km) to Trecco Bay Caravan Park, in Porthcawl, Bridgend county, with the two men, both from Cardiff.\n\nA first missing person report was made to Gwent Police at 19:34 on Saturday, with further missing person reports made to the same force at 19:43 and 21:32 on Saturday.\n\nA further missing person report was made to South Wales Police at 17:37 on Sunday.\n\nThe IOPC said on Tuesday it was investigating the actions of South Wales Police and Gwent Police.\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Everton Smith says daughter Eve was \u201ceverything a father could wish for\u201d\n\nMs Russon's mother Anna Certowicz has said police \"didn't seem to think it was worth investigating\" when the five people were reported missing.\n\nEve Smith's dad, Everton Smith, said his life had been changed forever by his daughter's death.\n\nThe accident happened after the white Volkswagen Tiguan the five were in left the carriageway and entered a wooded area.\n\nAssistant Chief Constable Jason Davies said: \"The investigation is making good progress in piecing together the events leading up to the collision.\n\n\"Specialist officers will continue to carry out a detailed investigation which will enable us to provide the facts of what happened during the early hours of Saturday morning.\"\n\nPolice are appealing for witnesses and dashcam footage.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/uk-wales-64918697"}
{"title":"Northern Ireland weather: Heavy snowfall in some counties - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-10","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"The Met Office warns of \"atrocious\" conditions as a weather warning is in place until 04:00 on Friday.","section":"Northern Ireland","content":"Roads and fields near Enniskillen turned white as snow fell on Thursday afternoon\n\nFlights have been disrupted and some roads closed as heavy snow falls in parts of Northern Ireland.\n\nA number of homes are without power due to severe weather conditions causing damage to the network, Northern Ireland Electricity (NIE) said.\n\nA severe weather warning has been issued for three counties.\n\nThe Met Office has said parts of counties Antrim, Down and Armagh could expect snow and ice between 15:00 GMT on Thursday and 04:00 on Friday.\n\nThe amber warning is the second highest level that can be issued by the Met Office and means there is a risk of travel delays and road closures.\n\nOther counties are under a lesser, yellow-level warning.\n\nSnow has been falling across many areas overnight and it is expected to become more heavy and persistent towards the east coast.\n\nThe Met Office is warning of \"atrocious\" travel conditions, especially over higher ground.\n\nBetween 4cm and 8cm of snow is expected away from coastal areas, with between 10cm and 20cm over higher ground.\n\nThis lamb in a field near Carryduff felt the chill of a snowy day for the first time\n\nThe yellow warning for the rest of Northern Ireland lasts from 07:00 GMT on Thursday until 14:00 on Friday.\n\nA number of roads have been closed due to treacherous conditions, including Church Road in Holywood, County Down.\n\nThe Strangford ferry has been suspended and some bus services disrupted.\n\nBelfast International and Belfast City Airports have tweeted that there may be flight disruption due to the weather conditions.\n\nThe Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) is advising drivers to take extra care, especially on roads that may not have been gritted.\n\nThis Twitter post cannot be displayed in your browser. Please enable Javascript or try a different browser. View original tweet on Twitter The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Skip twitter post by NI Road Policing and Safety 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\u2019s cookie policy, external and privacy policy, external before accepting. To view this content choose \u2018accept and continue\u2019. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. End of twitter post by NI Road Policing and Safety\n\nRoad gritting services have been disrupted by industrial action in a dispute about pay.\n\nStormont's Department for Infrastructure said some gritting would be done but the service would be reduced.\n\nIt has said it will \"prioritise the areas at greatest risk, such as high ground\".\n\nIt added that it had \"external snow clearance contractors available to treat areas such as the Glenshane Pass if we need to do so\".\n\nRostrevor in County Down saw steady snowfall on Thursday afternoon\n\nRoad maintenance workers in the Unite and GMB unions have protested over a pay bonus, which they argue should be given to all staff.\n\nThe department said it was \"committed to resolving this dispute\" but called for a \"derogation for winter service for the next few days\".\n\nThe government information service NI Direct has posted a listed useful emergency contact numbers for those affected by the snow and ice.\n\nThis Twitter post cannot be displayed in your browser. Please enable Javascript or try a different browser. View original tweet on Twitter The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Skip twitter post 2 by nidirect 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\u2019s cookie policy, external and privacy policy, external before accepting. To view this content choose \u2018accept and continue\u2019. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.\n\nArmagh, Banbridge and Craigavon Borough Council has announced that all council facilities will close until midday on Friday due to the snowfall.\n\nIn the Newry, Mourne and Down District Council area all forest parks have been closed with further closures possible on Friday.\n\nThe Education Authority warned that its school transport service may be disrupted on Friday morning, particularly in rural areas.\n\nIn the Republic of Ireland, snow and ice warnings have been issued through Thursday and Friday.\n\nThe second highest level of warning has been issued for for snow across 13 counties in Ulster, Connacht and parts of Munster and Leinster.\n\nThe Irish weather service Met \u00c9ireann has warned of significant snow and ice in some areas.\n\nIn the Republic, National Emergency Coordination Group chair Keith Leonard said there will be major disruption across the road network on Friday.\n\nMr Leonard added that schools may close on Friday, but it will be decided by principals based on the local weather conditions.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/uk-northern-ireland-64889662"}
{"title":"Robert Blake, actor who was once tried for murder, dies at 89 - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-10","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"The Hollywood actor's long career was overshadowed by accusations that he murdered his wife.","section":"US & Canada","content":"Actor Robert Blake, whose long career was overshadowed by accusations that he murdered his wife, has died. He was 89.\n\nHe was known as the titular hero of 1970s TV detective series Baretta and starred in the 1997 film Lost Highway, but his career struggled following his wife's 2001 fatal shooting.\n\nHe was charged with her murder and acquitted, but later found liable for her death in civil court.\n\nBlake died \"peacefully with family and friends\", his family said.\n\nA statement released by his niece, Noreen Austin, on Thursday said he had died from heart disease.\n\nAs a child, the New Jersey native got his start by appearing in the Our Gang comedy series after his family moved to California.\n\nWith a career beginning in the late 1930s, he acted in classic film The Treasure of the Sierra Madre and as the murderer Perry Smith in a 1967 adaptation of Truman Capote's novel In Cold Blood.\n\nHe also had a role on the NBC series Hell Town and was nominated for an Emmy for CBS made-for-TV movie Judgement Day: The John List Story.\n\nOnce considered among the greatest actors of his generation, his career never recovered after his arrest.\n\nMr Blake's wife, Bonny Lee Bakley, was alone in the actor's car in the Studio City neighbourhood of Los Angeles when she was shot.\n\nThe actor told police he had left her alone to return to the Italian restaurant where they had just dined to retrieve a gun he had left behind, and found her dead.\n\nFour years after her death, including a year of Mr Blake awaiting trial in jail, a jury in LA found him not guilty of her murder.\n\nMany comparisons were made at the time to the trial of celebrity OJ Simpson, who had been acquitted for murdering his ex-wife in Los Angeles 10 years earlier.\n\nHe was later ordered by a judge in a civil case to pay $30m (\u00a325m) to the children of his ex-wife - leading him to declare bankruptcy.\n\nHe unsuccessfully appealed, but managed to get the penalty sum halved to $15m.\n\nHe had four children during his life and was married to actress Sondra Kerr for 22 years before their 1983 divorce.\n\nIn 2017 he married longtime friend Pamela Hudak, but they divorced two years later.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/world-us-canada-64911189"}
{"title":"NHS Wales: Falls project avoids 50 needless ambulance callouts - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-10","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"This pilot project uses St John Ambulance Cymru in a bid to prevent people having to go to hospital.","section":"Wales","content":"Sandra Davies' husband Teifion was helped by the falls team, meaning he did not have to go to hospital\n\nA new scheme to help people who have suffered falls has prevented 50 ambulances being unnecessarily sent this year.\n\nSt John Ambulance Cymru works with Hywel Dda health board, Pembrokeshire to send its people for 999 calls.\n\nSandra Davies, whose husband Teifion fell at home, said it was \"marvellous\" as he did not want to go to hospital.\n\nThe pilot has been used 96 times since January but it needs more health board funding to continue after March.\n\nAgeing Well in Wales estimates that between 230,000 and 460,000 over 60s fall each year.\n\nWhen people dial 999, it can be directed to the St John Ambulance Cymru falls response team, who are sent to perform an assessment and identify whether the person can stay home or needs an ambulance to take them to hospital.\n\nSt John Ambulance Cymru operational team leader Robert James said in 60% of cases, the person was well enough to stay at home.\n\n\"You can imagine if you were sending an ambulance crew out and it has wasted 60% of the crew's time, well it's a big saving towards the NHS and the ambulance service in itself,\" he added.\n\n\"Provided there are no injuries, or reason for them to go to hospital, they can be discharged on the scene.\"\n\nJanice John is part of the team that is sent to assess people who have suffered a fall\n\nThe \"falls\" car has covered 2,200 miles (about 3,540km) since January and includes equipment to lift people safely.Janice John, a St John Ambulance Cymru falls assistant, used the specialist gear to help lift Mr Davies, who has dementia, after he fell while walking to the bathroom at his home in Haverfordwest. \"We checked him over and there were no obvious injuries,\" she said.\n\n\"We used a slide sheet to get him into position from where he was, as he was in an awkward position and we then used a lifting device called a Mangar Camel was used to get him of the floor.\"Following these checks, he did not need to go to hospital.\n\nMrs Davies said: \"I think it's marvellous because I couldn't lift him myself. I used to but I can't do it anymore.\n\n\"He's got Alzheimer's and dementia so he doesn't understand half the time, what you are telling him, so I've found it very handy having people like the St John Ambulance coming out. He doesn't want to go into hospital.\"\n\nSt John Ambulance Cymru workers use a device called a Mangar Camel to help people off the floor\n\nIn 2022, the Welsh Ambulance Service received approximately 55,000 calls nationally relating to falls, 38,000 of which required a physical attendance on scene.\n\nJessica Svetz, who works for the health board, said anyone waiting more than an hour - an increasing issue as ambulance waiting times get worse - \"have to be conveyed to hospital which might mean they have to be admitted\".\n\n\"Having St John Ambulance [Cymru] arrive early improves their outcome tremendously,\" she said.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/uk-wales-64902736"}
{"title":"European court at odds with British values, says Suella Braverman - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-10","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"The home secretary's plans to stop small boat crossings could be challenged by the Strasbourg court.","section":"UK Politics","content":"The European Court of Human Rights in Strasbourg is politicised and sometimes at odds with British values, Suella Braverman has said.\n\nThe home secretary was speaking to the BBC one day after acknowledging her plan to stop small boat crossings could be challenged in the Strasbourg court.\n\nAsked if she could ignore the court, she said a balance should be \"struck\".\n\nMs Braverman's Illegal Migration Bill - which aims to stop small boat Channel crossings - was published on Wednesday.\n\nThe proposed law would put a duty on the government to detain and remove people arriving in the UK illegally, either to Rwanda or another \"safe\" third country.\n\nMigrants would not be granted bail or able to seek judicial review for the first 28 days of detention.\n\nPrime Minister Rishi Sunak has made passing the law one of his key five priorities, however it is likely to face obstacles - both political and legal.\n\nFor example individuals could challenge their detention and removal from the UK by taking their case to the European Court of Human Rights.\n\nSpeaking to the BBC's Political Thinking with Nick Robinson podcast, Ms Braverman was asked if she was tempted to follow the example of previous governments which tried to ignore the court's rulings on giving prisoners the vote.\n\n\"There are important questions to be asked about whether the balance has been properly struck,\" she replied.\n\n\"I would say it's a court which is politicised, it is interventionist and it doesn't always follow a process that we would recognise as being due process.\n\n\"In a whole range of policy areas, I think sometimes the jurisprudence from the Strasbourg court is at odds with the will of Parliament or British values more generally.\"\n\nShe emphasised that the new Illegal Migrants Bill would not be taking the UK out of the European Convention on Human Rights - the set of rules interpreted by the court.\n\nWriting to Conservative MPs after the bill was published, she said there was \"more than a 50% chance\" the legislation was not compatible with the European Court of Human Rights.\n\nShe said ministers wanted to test the boundaries of legal obligations - but believed their plans were within those limits.\n\nSpeaking to BBC Radio 4's Today programme, French MEP Nathalie Loiseau cautioned that cooperation between the UK and EU depended on the UK sticking to the European Convention on Human Rights.\n\n\"If you read the trade and cooperation agreement between the UK and the EU, which was signed and ratified on both sides, every single piece of judicial cooperation relies on a full commitment to the ECHR,\" she said.\n\nLabour's Yvette Cooper has said the government's plans would make \"the problems even worse, and make it more chaotic\", putting more lives \"at risk\".\n\nThe United Nations refugee agency has described the moves as \"very concerning\".\n\nMr Sunak has said the measures are \"tough, but necessary and fair\" and added that he is \"up for the fight\" over the legislation.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/uk-politics-64907772"}
{"title":"Ukraine war: Putin pays visit to occupied Mariupol, state media reports - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-19","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"The Russian president toured the Ukrainian city devastated by Russian shelling, the Kremlin says.","section":"Europe","content":"This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser.\n\nRussian President Vladimir Putin has paid a surprise visit to Mariupol, a Ukrainian port captured by Russia after its forces pounded much of it to ruins.\n\nAn official video shows Mr Putin driving a car through streets at night and speaking to people. The Kremlin says it happened late on Saturday.\n\nIt is believed to be his first trip to a newly-occupied Ukrainian territory.\n\nMariupol's exiled mayor told BBC News that Mr Putin was a \"criminal\" who had \"returned to the scene of the crime\".\n\n\"He has come in person to see what he has done,\" Vadym Boychenko said. \"He's come to see what he will be punished for.\"\n\nOther exiled Ukrainian city officials said Mr Putin had visited at night so he would not see the destroyed city in daylight.\n\nTass news agency says he travelled to Mariupol by helicopter. In the video he is in the car with Russia's Deputy Prime Minister Marat Khusnullin, who explains how the city is being rebuilt.\n\nThe Kremlin has said the decision to drive round the city was made spontaneously by the Russian leader.\n\nPutin also visits the city's Philharmonic Hall, which had been due to be used for trials of captured Ukrainian forces before they were released in a prisoner swap instead.\n\nThe Russian leader is also reported to have met top military commanders in Rostov-on-Don, a Russian city just east of Mariupol.\n\nMariupol has been under Russian occupation for more than 10 months after being devastated in one of the longest and bloodiest battles of the conflict. Ukraine says more than 20,000 people were killed there.\n\nUN analysis estimates that 90% of the buildings were damaged and around 350,000 people were forced to leave, out of a pre-war population of about 500,000.\n\nMr Putin was filmed looking at maps near residential buildings\n\nA group of locals have told the BBC that Russia is conducting an expensive campaign to rebuild the city and win over the hearts and minds of its people. The purpose is to assimilate Mariupol and make it Russia's own. Russian authorities say 300,000 people are now living there.\n\nThe fighting saw Russia strike a Mariupol theatre where hundreds of civilians were sheltering. The building collapsed, and at least 300 are believed to have died there.\n\nUkraine and human rights groups say the attack amounted to a war crime.\n\nIt is among incidents for which Mr Putin and his regime could be held legally responsible, the United Nations has said.\n\nThe International Criminal Court said on Friday it had issued a warrant for the arrest of Mr Putin over involving the illegal deportation of Ukrainian children to Russia. It means he could now be arrested if he sets foot in any of the court's 123 member states.\n\nOn Saturday Mr Putin made an unannounced visit to Crimea, to mark the ninth anniversary of Russia's annexation of the territory from Ukraine.\n\nHe visited a new Russian arts school, a children's summer camp and future cultural projects, such as the New Russia museum and museum of Christianity, Russian state media reported.\n\nThe Kyiv authorities have vowed to liberate all Russian-occupied territories, including Crimea, which was annexed by Russia in 2014.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/world-europe-65004610"}
{"title":"Gary Lineker is not presenting FA Cup coverage after losing his voice - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-19","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"He has just returned to BBC sports coverage after being taken off air in an impartiality row.","section":"UK","content":"This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Watch: Gary Lineker struggled with his voice on Saturday's show\n\nGary Lineker is not presenting FA Cup quarter-final coverage as planned on Sunday after losing his voice.\n\nHe had returned to football shows on Saturday, having been taken off air earlier this month following an impartiality row with the BBC.\n\nBut on Sunday he said he had been \"silenced... literally, by a nasty cold\" and \"annoyingly\" would not be in Brighton for the match.\n\nLineker could be heard struggling with his voice on Saturday's live coverage of Manchester City v Burnley.\n\nIn a tweet on Sunday morning, BBC Sport said the presenter's voice deteriorated overnight and therefore there would be \"a line-up change\" of its presenters on Sunday.\n\nThe impartiality row followed a critical tweet Linker sent on the government's asylum policy, describing it as an \"immeasurably cruel policy directed at the most vulnerable people in language that is not dissimilar to that used by Germany in the 30s\".\n\nAs a result, the BBC took him off air saying that he had broken social media guidelines.\n\nLast weekend's Match of the Day was then broadcast without presenters or commentary and was only 20 minutes long after many of Lineker's BBC Sport colleagues walked out in solidarity with him.\n\nOn Monday the BBC said it would hold an independent review of its social media guidelines, particularly for freelancers like Lineker. But they said the 62-year-old could return in the meantime.\n\nWhen he returned to TV screens for Saturday's quarter-final, he said it was \"great to be here\".\n\nAt the start of the programme, his BBC Sport colleague Alan Shearer acknowledged it had been a \"difficult situation for everyone concerned\" and it was \"good to be talking about football again\".\n\nLineker stressed on Twitter that he was never going to present Match of the Day this weekend, with Mark Chapman taking on that role instead. Instead, he was focusing on the FA Cup games.\n\nBBC director general Tim Davie has said he is committed to looking at how the corporation's impartiality guidelines apply to freelance staff, accepting there are \"grey areas\".","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/uk-65005620"}
{"title":"Immigration: Welsh secretary says he's pragmatic on numbers - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-19","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"Welsh Secretary David Davies says he does not mind \"highly-skilled people\" coming to Britain.","section":"Wales","content":"UK net migration hit 504,000 in the year to June - the highest figure ever recorded, the ONS estimates\n\nWelsh Secretary David Davies said he was \"pragmatic\" about the number of immigrants allowed into the country.\n\nHe said he did not mind \"highly-skilled people who've got something to contribute coming to Britain\".\n\nNet migration - the difference between people arriving and leaving - is expected to settle at 245,000 a year from 2026 onwards.\n\nBut the Home Secretary Suella Braverman wants to reduce net migration to below 100,000.\n\nA post-Brexit points-based immigration system - which covers EU and non-EU migrants - was launched by the UK government at the end of 2020.\n\nThe Office for National Statistics (ONS) reported that net migration stood at just over 500,000 in the year ending June 2022 - the highest figure ever recorded.\n\nSpeaking on BBC Politics Wales, Monmouth MP Mr Davies said: \"I'm comfortable about the fact that we're saying if you've got skills for which there is a shortage, doctors for example, certain types of construction workers, of course we welcome you into Britain.\n\n\"What I'm not comfortable with is 50,000 a year deciding that they can come into this country without any restrictions, paying money to people smugglers, putting themselves at risk.\"\n\nAsked if he supported the previous Conservative manifesto commitment of reducing net migration to the tens of thousands, he replied: \"Personally, I'm quite pragmatic about it - I don't mind highly-skilled people who've got something to contribute coming to Britain.\"\n\nMeanwhile, the UK government has faced calls to provide greater rail funding to Wales as a result of the HS2 high-speed rail line since not an inch of track is set to be laid in Wales.\n\nIt is classified as an England and Wales project by Westminster, meaning the Welsh government does not receive a proportionate amount of money, something which is known as a top-up Barnett consequential.\n\nAnalysis by the UK government estimates HS2 will have an overall negative impact on Wales.\n\nOfficials in Westminster have made the case that the proposed Birmingham to Crewe leg of HS2 would benefit passengers in north Wales.\n\nAsked if a two-year delay to the Crewe leg made it harder to justify this argument, Mr Davies said: \"The reality is that Wales and England will benefit from rail projects that are going across the border.\n\n\"The work that's going on in the Forest of Dean will mainly benefit passengers travelling from south Wales, traveling up to the Midlands or even up to north Wales.\"\n\nHS2 trains are expected to be 400m-long (1,300ft) with as many as 1,100 seats\n\nThe Welsh government and opposition parties in the Senedd, including the Welsh Conservatives, have called for extra HS2 rail funding for Wales.\n\nBut in an interview with WalesOnline, UK Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer refused to commit to making the change if in power in Westminster.\n\nWelsh government Finance Minister Rebecca Evans told Politics Wales she would continue \"to press our colleagues in the UK Labour party on HS2\".\n\nMr Starmer also refused to make spending promises on the Welsh NHS ahead of the next general election, but Ms Evans said she was \"absolutely confident they will be providing excellent ideas in terms of tax and spending\".\n\nOn the issue of TikTok, Mr Davies said he was \"stumped\" over whether he should continue using it.\n\nHe said he recognised its usefulness in communicating with younger voters while acknowledging UK government's security fears.\n\nMinisters in Westminster and their counterparts in the Senedd have been banned from using it on work phones amid fears data could be accessed by the Chinese government.\n\nHe said: \"I'm going to take a bit of advice because on the one hand, I want to make sure that if young people are getting their news from TikTok then I'm there, but on the other hand, I totally recognise the issues that the government raise.\"\n\nTikTok has denied it hands user data to the Chinese government.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/uk-wales-65007855"}
{"title":"Ed Davey: Repair our broken relationship with Europe to prosper - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-19","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"The UK must \"tear down\" trade barriers to prosper, Sir Ed Davey says at his party's conference.","section":"UK Politics","content":"Liberal Democrat leader Sir Ed Davey said the UK must \"tear down\" trade barriers with Europe to prosper\n\nThe UK must \"repair our broken relationship with Europe\" to boost its economic prospects, Liberal Democrat leader Sir Ed Davey has said.\n\nSir Ed set out his pitch to voters on key policies at his party's spring conference ahead of local elections in May.\n\nHe spoke of his plan to \"tear down\" trade barriers and fix the Conservatives' \"botched\" Brexit deal.\n\nHe also talked about the party's vision for the NHS and electoral reform.\n\nIn an address in York that did not outline any new policies, Sir Ed talked about his own values and where he wants to take the party.\n\n\"We are the party of hope over fear,\" Sir Ed told the conference.\n\n\"And - as Liberal Democrats have always been - we are the big thinkers with the vision to see past current crises and paint the future we want to build.\"\n\nThe Lib Dems are planning to target Tory-held seats across the south of England in upcoming local elections and at the general election, expected next year.\n\nThey want to attract votes from liberally minded Conservative and Labour supporters in these often rural areas which they have dubbed the \"Blue Wall\".\n\nAlthough they won three by-elections in Tory areas last year, their national poll ratings are only around 9%. They currently have 14 MPs.\n\nSunday's event was Sir Ed's first speech to a full conference since taking over as party leader in 2020.\n\nHe had been planning to deliver a speech at the party's autumn conference last year, but it was cancelled after the death of Queen Elizabeth II.\n\nIt came after leaders' speeches to other conferences during the Covid-19 pandemic were scaled back or delivered mainly online.\n\nSir Ed said the party would seek a closer economic relationship with Europe to \"fix Britain's trade\" if it was in government.\n\n\"If you want to boost our economy, you have to repair our broken relationship with Europe,\" he said. \"You don't need me to tell you what a disaster the Conservatives' botched deal with Europe has been for our country.\"\n\nAction against sewage spills, which the party has put at the centre of its campaigning over the past year or so, was cited as an example of the party's commitment to \"community politics\".\n\nThe Lib Dem leader, who served as a cabinet minister with the Conservatives in the coalition government, also sought to burnish his internationalist credentials to draw a dividing line with the Tories.\n\nHe attacked Prime Minister Rishi Sunak as \"unpatriotic\" for cutting UK foreign aid spending as chancellor in 2021, and described the government's latest asylum bill as \"appalling\".\n\nHis party argues aid spending should be returned to the 0.7% of GDP benchmark immediately.\n\nIt sees this as a point of difference with Labour, which says it wants to return to 0.7% but has not yet set out a target date for doing so.\n\nSir Ed also talked up his party's support for ditching the UK's first-past-the-post system for parliamentary elections, underlining that his party has supported electoral reform \"for a hundred years\".\n\n\"Our zeal for proportional representation remains undimmed today,\" Sir Ed said. \"Conference, we will make it happen. We will make fair votes a reality.\"\n\nLabour members backed calls to change the voting system at its party conference in September - but the policy is not expected to be in the party's election manifesto.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/uk-politics-64993275"}
{"title":"SNP chief executive Peter Murrell resigns over membership row - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-19","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"Peter Murrell, the husband of Nicola Sturgeon, confirms he has resigned from the role with immediate effect.","section":"Scotland politics","content":"Peter Murrell said he was very proud of the part he played in securing the electoral success the party had achieved and praised his dedicated team\n\nThe SNP chief executive Peter Murrell has resigned after taking responsibility for misleading the media about party membership numbers.\n\nMr Murrell, who is married to outgoing party leader Nicola Sturgeon, said he had become a distraction to the leadership race.\n\nHe had been set to face a vote of no confidence had he not stepped down, the BBC has been told.\n\nThe party this week confirmed there had been a big drop in membership numbers.\n\nThis contradicted an earlier denial that that was the case.\n\nParty president and former chief executive Michael Russell will take on Mr Murrell's role on a voluntary basis until a new party leader is in place and a permanent replacement is appointed.\n\nMr Murrell, 58, has been a hugely influential figure in the party - where he has been chief executive since 1999 and is responsible for the day-to-day running of the SNP.\n\nTwo leadership candidates, Kate Forbes and Ash Regan, have questioned the independence of the election process.\n\nAnd on Friday, the SNP's head of media at Holyrood, Murray Foote, resigned, saying there were \"serious issues\" with statements he had issued in \"good faith\" on behalf of party headquarters.\n\nA National Executive Committee source told the BBC Mr Foote had been \"thrown under the bus\" by Peter Murrell.\n\nMr Murrell has been married to Ms Sturgeon since 2010.\n\nThe SNP leader said her husband was right to resign.\n\nShe told Sky News Mr Murrell had \"obviously taken responsibility for the recent issue with membership\".\n\nMs Sturgeon added: \"He had intended to step down when there was a new leader but I think he was right to make that announcement today [Saturday].\n\n\"Peter has been a key part of the electoral success we have achieved in recent years and I know there will be a recognition of that across the party.\"\n\nIn his resignation statement Mr Murrell said: \"Responsibility for the SNP's responses to media queries about our membership number lies with me as chief executive.\n\n\"While there was no intent to mislead, I accept that this has been the outcome.\n\n\"I have therefore decided to confirm my intention to step down as chief executive with immediate effect.\"\n\nHe said he had not planned to step down until after the leadership contest but recognised that he had become \"a distraction from the campaign\".\n\n\"I have concluded that I should stand down now, so the party can focus fully on issues about Scotland's future,\" he said.\n\nMr Murrell has been married to Nicola Sturgeon since 2010\n\nMr Murrell added that he had no role in the running of the election contest.\n\n\"I have worked for independence all my life and will continue to do so, albeit in a different capacity, until it is achieved - and I do firmly believe that independence is now closer than ever,\" he said.\n\nSNP leadership candidate Kate Forbes said: \"I think that the party owes Peter Murrell a great debt of gratitude because he oversaw the party's expansion in membership and he's been the reason we won so many elections with his leadership at the top.\n\n\"I've said repeatedly from the beginning of this contest that I think there's an appetite for fresh faces and that will hopefully pave the way for new people in headquarters to be able to run the SNP in a way that maintains the trust of SNP members and supports the SNP in government.\"\n\nMs Forbes added that despite having called for an independent auditor to oversee the leadership vote, she had \"no concerns\" about Peter Murrell.\n\nThis is a miserable end to Peter Murrell's long career in charge of SNP headquarters where he helped turn the party into a successful election-winning machine.\n\nHe is taking responsibility for the party misleading the media about a big fall in the SNP's membership but concerns about his stewardship go wider than that.\n\nTwo leadership candidates called for an independent auditor to be appointed to oversee the election although Mr Murrell insists he had \"no role in it at any point\".\n\nThere is an ongoing police investigation into how \u00a3600,000 raised by the party for independence campaigning has been spent - with the SNP denying any wrongdoing.\n\nSome members of the party's ruling body were threatening a vote of no confidence in the chief executive, with one telling the BBC he had become a \"hindrance\".\n\nOthers in the SNP have long questioned the wisdom of the party being run by Nicola Sturgeon's husband - arguing that too much power has been concentrated in one household.\n\nHumza Yousaf, another SNP leadership hopeful said: \"Peter Murrell has been an outstanding servant of the independence movement and the SNP.\n\n\"As I have said repeatedly throughout this campaign, he is the most electorally successful chief executive of any party in the UK and the SNP has been lucky to have him. Our election wins from 2007 to 2021 owe much to his political abilities.\n\nMr Yousaf added that he agreed it was time for Mr Murrell to stand down.\n\n\"With less than 10 days to go in this leadership contest, it is vital we all focus on the policies and vision we have for the party, movement and country,\" he said.\n\nParty leadership candidate Ash Regan posted on Twitter: \"Eight years ago was the point where it was unacceptable to have the husband of the party leader as the CEO.\n\n\"I am encouraged to see the democratic foundations of the party now asserting their rightful function.\"\n\nShe added that the SNP's foundations were based on accountability, transparency, modernity and accessibility.\n\nSNP business convener Kirsten Oswald said she had called an National Executive Committee meeting on Saturday which had reaffirmed the body's faith in the leadership election process.\n\nQuestions have mounted over a loan of more than \u00a3100,000 that Mr Murrell gave to the party in June 2021 to help it out with a \"cash flow\" issue after the last election.\n\nScottish Conservative chairman Craig Hoy MSP said: \"A fish rots from the head down - and the same applies to the SNP.\n\n\"Peter Murrell's resignation is long overdue - but there remain serious questions for him to answer, not least over the 'missing' \u00a3600,000 from party accounts.\"\n\nHe added: \"The brutal, shambolic SNP leadership election appears to have been the tipping point that's forced the first minister's husband to quit before he was pushed.\"\n\nMr Hoy said Mr Murrell must fully co-operate with any probes into the way the leadership election had been run and the police inquiry into the SNP's finances.\n\nIn recent months, Ms Sturgeon was repeatedly asked about the origin of finances used by her husband but said the funds were entirely his own and she could not recall when she first learned of it.\n\nThe SNP has also been under investigation over the past 18 months after questions were raised about the fate of \u00a3600,000 that was raised from supporters in 2017 for the purposes of a future referendum campaign.\n\nAn SNP spokesman said the loan was a \"personal contribution made by the chief executive to assist with cash flow after the Holyrood election\".\n\nScottish Labour deputy leader Jackie Baillie said: \"This latest resignation of a top SNP figure goes to show that the wheels have fallen off the SNP wagon. When Scotland most needs responsible governance, the SNP has turned inward and begun to tear itself apart. \"If this is what is happening in the party, just imagine the chaos in government.\"\n\nThe ballot to find a replacement for Ms Sturgeon, which uses the single transferable vote system, opened on Monday with the winner to be announced on 27 March.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/uk-scotland-65000606"}
{"title":"SNP media chief Murray Foote resigns over membership dispute - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-19","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"Murray Foote denied SNP membership had dropped, before the party confirmed a decline of 32,000.","section":"Scotland","content":"Murray Foote said he had issued agreed party responses to the media\n\nAn SNP media chief has resigned in a row over the party's membership numbers - after it denied the figure had dropped by 30,000.\n\nMurray Foote had described press reports about the numbers last month as \"inaccurate\" and \"drivel\".\n\nThe SNP confirmed yesterday that membership had fallen to 72,186 from the 104,000 it had two years ago.\n\nMr Foote said he issued agreed party responses to the media which \"created a serious impediment\" to his role.\n\nSNP leadership candidates Ash Regan and Kate Forbes this week demanded to know how many members were eligible to vote in a row over the integrity of the contest.\n\nThey issued a joint letter to Peter Murrell - the SNP's chief executive and husband of Nicola Sturgeon.\n\nThe party initially refused to reveal the numbers, then confirmed there was a drop of 32,000 since December 2021.\n\nLast month the Sunday Mail - where Mr Foote was formerly editor in chief - reported the SNP had lost 30,000 members, which the party said was \"not just wrong, it's wrong by about 30,000\".\n\nMr Foote tweeted: \"Acting in good faith and as a courtesy to colleagues at party HQ, I issued agreed party responses to media inquiries regarding membership.\n\n\"It has subsequently become apparent there are serious issues with these responses.\n\n\"Consequently, I concluded this created a serous impediment to my role and I resigned my position with the SNP group at Holyrood.\"\n\nThe SNP said Mr Foote had been an outstanding head of press for the Holyrood group, adding: \"He has acted entirely in good faith throughout.\"\n\nIn a statement it said: \"The party was asked a specific question about loss of members as a direct result of the GRR [gender recognition reform] Bill and Indyref2. The answer given was intended to make clear that these two reasons had not been the cause of significant numbers of members leaving.\n\n\"The membership figure is normally produced annually and is not produced in response to individual media queries, including in this instance.\n\n\"In retrospect, however, we should not have relied on an understanding of people's reasons for leaving as the basis of the information given to Murray and, thereafter, the media.\n\n\"A new, modernised membership system is currently being developed for the party.\"\n\nMr Foote became editor of the Daily Record and Sunday Mail newspapers in 2014.\n\nHe was responsible for \"The Vow\" front page which was seen as being highly influential in the outcome of the 2014 Scottish independence referendum.\n\nIt was written by the Better Together campaign in which they promised more powers for Holyrood.\n\nIn an article written for the first anniversary of the vote, Mr Foote wrote that he and colleagues did not believe Alex Salmond was \"offering true independence\" at the time.\n\nHe was appointed the SNP's media chief in 2019.\n\nScottish Conservative MSP Russell Findlay, a former journalist, defended Mr Foote - saying he had been given false information.\n\n\"He didn't lie. The SNP lied,\" Mr Findlay said. \"The problem is not a press officer. The problem is the rotten SNP leadership who deliberately lied to the press and public.\n\n\"We wish our best to Mr Foote, who was clearly told false information and is the fall guy for the SNP hierarchy.\"\n\nAlex Salmond, former first minister and leader of the Alba party, also accused the SNP of \"blatant lies\".\n\nSpeaking to BBC Scotland's Drivetime programme - prior to Mr Foote stepping down - Mr Salmond said the SNP's loss of members was \"catastrophic\", but \"more important is the reduction in credibility\".\n\nNicola Sturgeon's chief adviser Liz Lloyd also announced on Friday that she would be stepping down from the role when the first minister leaves office.\n\nShe said it had been the \"biggest honour of my life\" to have worked with Ms Sturgeon but that she planned to pursue new opportunities outside politics.\n\nEarlier in the week the Scottish Sun had reported Ms Lloyd was advising Mr Yousaf's campaign.\n\nMurray Foote's former colleagues have been highlighting his integrity as they react to his departure from the SNP.\n\nIt was a surprise for many when the man who helped created the unionist \"Vow\" during the 2014 independence campaign joined the party.\n\nBut he's relished his task - although now it ends in tears.\n\nIn the resignation statement, he emphasises how \"in good faith\" he gave the inaccurate membership numbers provided by the party.\n\nHis former journalistic colleagues were furious at how they'd been treated and, it seems, so is he.\n\nMr Foote says this created a \"serious impediment\" to his role.\n\nSo who gave the figures to him? There are now big questions for SNP HQ and its chief executive, Peter Murrell.\n\nAs the leadership race continues, it's tearing through the SNP, wreaking havoc.\n\nThe SNP's membership hit a peak of 125,000 in 2019 as support for the party surged in the wake of the independence referendum but had dropped to 85,000 by the end of last year.\n\nThat suggests a drop of 12,000 inside a matter of months.\n\nAfter the most recent membership figures were released, Kate Forbes' campaign manager, Michelle Thomson MSP, said she was pleased that \"common sense has prevailed\" - but that the \"alarming drop in members shows that the party needs a change in direction\".\n\nAsh Regan's campaign linked the decline to the Scottish government's controversial gender recognition reforms while the party's president Mike Russell suggested cost of living pressures could offer an alternative explanation.\n\nThe third candidate in the contest, Health Secretary Humza Yousaf, said it was \"really important\" the SNP did not lose any more members but said the best way to do this was to continue with the party's \"progressive agenda\".\n\nFollowing Mr Foote's departure on Friday, Mr Yousaf tweeted that he would be sorely missed, and added: \"Reform of our HQ operations has been a key part of my campaign. With fresh party leadership should come a fresh approach to our HQ operation.\"","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/uk-scotland-64993032"}
{"title":"Laura Kuenssberg show: NHS deal is fair to nurses and public finances - Dowden - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-19","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"Cabinet minister Oliver Dowden joined SNP leadership candidate Kate Forbes and reality star Georgia Harrison on Sunday with Laura Kuenssberg.","section":"UK Politics","content":"\"We were always willing to engage with the unions,\" said cabinet minister Oliver Dowden.\n\nThat's not quite how union leaders saw it, when the government was adamant that they could not talk about this year\u2019s pay, and no more money could be found for public sector wages.\n\nDowden tried to focus instead on what he said was a \"decent deal\u2019\" that the two sides had now managed to broker, in the hope that union members would accept what\u2019s been put on the table.\n\nWere months wasted, with needless disruption for the public, before the inevitable negotiation could take place, you might wonder? That was not something the government minister was willing to admit.\n\nNor was Dowden able to say how many public sector employees would benefit from the government\u2019s changes to pensions, which make it easier for the highly paid to save. There\u2019s bound to be political argument on this point in the coming days.\n\nAnd there\u2019ll certainly be headlines when Boris Johnson appears in front of MPs to face questions on Wednesday over what really happened under his roof during lockdown.\n\nDowden, a close ally of Rishi Sunak\u2019s, said he was sure the former prime minister would put forward a \"robust defence\" of his conduct.\n\nThe newspapers are full of his allies trying to claim the process he\u2019s currently facing is somehow unfair - remember the committee who\u2019ll be grilling him is made up of Conservative as well as Labour MPs.\n\nRemember too, Boris Johnson has already been fined by the police, and ousted by his party. Whatever he says on Wednesday, there is no changing that.\n\nWhat really stood out on today's show this morning, however, was how awful people\u2019s experience of what happens online can be.\n\nThere are plenty of wonderful things about the online world, but the testimony of Georgia Harrison shows its darker side.\n\nParliament is trying to bring in new laws to crack down on some of those harms, but our guests were not under any illusion over how hard that might actually be.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/live\/uk-politics-64993157"}
{"title":"Girl, 15, dies after being hit by bus in Birmingham - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-19","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"Officers appeal for witnesses to the Birmingham crash and say they are supporting the girl's family.","section":"Birmingham & Black Country","content":"The collision happened just before 15:00 GMT on Saturday\n\nA 15-year-old girl has died after being hit by a bus in Birmingham.\n\nPolice were called to Sheaf Lane, Sheldon, just before 15:00 GMT on Saturday. The teenager was confirmed dead shortly after arriving at hospital.\n\nWest Midlands Police said the driver was helping with its inquiries.\n\n\"A young girl has tragically died and we'll be doing all we can to support her family during this deeply distressing time,\" PC Gail Arnold said.\n\nFlowers have been left at a bus stop on Sheaf Lane\n\nPolice appealed for anyone with information which may help officers to contact the force.\n\nPC Arnold added: \"We're working to establish the circumstances behind the collision and we're keen to hear from anyone who was in the area at the time, and especially anyone with dashcam footage.\"\n\nOfficers are investigating the circumstances of the collision\n\nFollow BBC West Midlands on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. Send your story ideas to: newsonline.westmidlands@bbc.co.uk\n\nThe BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/uk-england-birmingham-65006354"}
{"title":"SNP leadership: Party in 'tremendous mess', interim chief says - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-19","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"Interim chief executive Mike Russell says the leadership vote must go ahead regardless of party problems.","section":"Scotland politics","content":"This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Mr Russell told BBC Scotland's The Sunday Show that there is \"tremendous mess\" in the SNP over the party's leadership race.,\n\nThere is \"tremendous mess\" in the SNP over the party's leadership race, the new interim chief executive has said.\n\nSNP President Mike Russell, who stepped in to replace outgoing Peter Murrell, said the voting process must go ahead regardless.\n\nMr Murrell resigned on Saturday after taking responsibility for misleading the media on party membership numbers.\n\nAll three candidates vying for the leadership of the SNP have pledged to reform its operations.\n\nMr Murrell, who is married to outgoing party leader Nicola Sturgeon, resigned with immediate effect on Saturday, saying he had become a distraction to the leadership race.\n\nHe had been set to face a vote of no confidence by the National Executive Committee (NEC) had he not stepped down, the BBC has been told.\n\nHis resignation came a day after that of Murray Foote, the SNP's head of media at Holyrood. He had previously described press reports about the membership numbers as \"inaccurate\" and \"drivel\".\n\nHowever, an NEC source told the BBC Mr Foote had been \"thrown under the bus\" by Mr Murrell.\n\nThe party this week confirmed there had been a big drop in membership numbers.\n\nSpeaking on BBC Scotland's The Sunday Show, Mr Russell said the SNP was \"basically a good party\" but things had gone \"spectacularly wrong in recent weeks\".\n\nHe said: \"I think it is fair to say there is a tremendous mess and we have to clear it up, and that's the task I'm trying to take on in the short term.\"\n\nPeter Murrell said he had become a distraction to the leadership race\n\nMr Russell said the most important thing now was that \"they have a fair electoral process that produces a clear accepted outcome\".\n\n\"We have got to have this concluded in the next eight days and then... the new leader has to look at the party and say let's rebuild this and let's rebuild the trust of Scotland.\"\n\nHe added: \"This has not been an edifying process. There hasn't been a contested leadership in the SNP for 19 years, and it shows.\"\n\nMr Russell said he did not know that the SNP membership numbers had dropped by about a third over about two years, and said he did not know if it was related to the controversial Gender Recognition Reform bill.\n\n\"We were losing members and we were losing members that we should have known about, absolutely,\" he said.\n\n\"We were clearly not told about that. That is something I want to know why that took place, but I don't want to know it this week.\n\n\"What I want to know this week is we have got a process we can complete and can get a new leader of the party.\"\n\nTwo of the leadership candidates, Kate Forbes and Ash Regan, last week questioned the independence of the election process.\n\nOn Sunday, Ms Forbes said future decisions had to be made by \"a big team\" rather than a few people.\n\nSpeaking on Sunday with Laura Kuenssberg, she said SNP members wanted to know that the institution was democratic.\n\n\"There have been questions around, for example, the membership numbers that we've been looking for answers to,\" she said.\n\n\"I think at the heart of this is that the decisions within the SNP have been taken by too few people and I think that's well recognised across the political domain.\"\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Kate Forbes told the Sunday with Laura Kuenssberg programme: \"Decisions within the SNP have been taken by too few people\".\n\nShe added that members felt disempowered from the process.\n\n\"I think within government we need to make sure that it's a wide tent with a big team, rather than a very few people making decisions,\" Ms Forbes said.\n\nShe said she favoured a different approach to leading the party.\n\n\"We have a self-professed continuity candidate who says that he's going to keep doing the same things, and my response to that would be, you do the same things and get the same results,\" Ms Forbes said\n\n\"Let's put integrity, honesty at the heart, let's make the case for change and it's not just a change in terms of our policies, it's a change in terms of delivery and the culture of transparency,\" she said.\n\nLeadership candidate Humza Yousaf has promised an internal shake-up from day one, telling the BBC: \"There needs to be internal reform within our headquarters, of that there is simply no doubt.\n\n\"I've said from day one, since I launched my campaign, that internal reform is very much needed and certainly I will be looking to see what I can do to shake up that operation at headquarters from day one.\"\n\nBut during a visit to Glasgow Gurdwara, Mr Yousaf said the party's row over membership numbers was an \"own goal\".\n\nDiscussing the party's finances, he added: \"I've not delved into this - I don't know the finances of the party because I don't hold an office-bearer position. But clearly If I'm elected leader of the SNP it's one of the first things I'd want to get up to speed on.\"\n\nAsh Regan said she was \"encouraged to see the democratic foundations of the party now asserting their rightful function\".\n\nShe added that the SNP's foundations were based on accountability, transparency, modernity and accessibility.\n\nMs Forbes also told Laura Kuenssberg that on approaching the contest, she had weighed up having a young family with future potential responsibilities.\n\nShe gave birth to her daughter in August last year and was on maternity leave when First Minister Nicola Sturgeon announced her resignation.\n\n\"I've had to juggle a very young family with the contest but many mothers do that,\" she said.\n\nWho are the SNP candidates?\n\nMs Forbes added that the role of first minister should be open to anyone, irrespective of their personal circumstances.\n\nWithin a couple of days of confirming she would stand in the contest, Ms Forbes found herself at the centre of a political storm.\n\nShe lost several supporters after telling journalists she would not have voted for gay marriage had she been an MSP at the time.\n\nSubsequently Ms Forbes told Sky News that she believed having children outside marriage was \"wrong\" according to her faith as a member of the evangelical Free Church of Scotland, while stressing that: \"In a free society you can do what you want.\"\n\nBut on Sunday with Laura Kuenssberg, she addressed the gay community, saying: \"I give you an honest pledge today to govern in a way that delivers for you, that does not in any way undermine your rights and actually seeks to enhance your opportunities in Scotland to ensure that Scotland is truly that tolerant and pluralistic nation that we all want to see.\"\n\nMs Forbes said that people were \"rightly scrutinising\" who she was and what she believed.\n\nShe added: \"I also think that in a pluralistic society, in a tolerant society, we can find a way to live together and to defend one another's rights.\n\n\"It's incumbent on me as a person of a minority community, somebody of faith to defend other minorities' rights and I hope that they might defend my rights too, that is truly the definition of a tolerant society.\"\n\nMs Forbes also confirmed that despite her faith, she would work on Sundays if she was appointed first minister.\n\nShe said: \"The nature of the job is, of course, that it's 24\/7. I recognise that. I hope nobody would begrudge me some hours off every week to be with family because I think that certainly makes for a more balanced life and hopefully better decision-making.\"\n\nOpposition parties have criticised the SNP's handling of the leadership race and suggested Mr Russell was not being honest about party membership numbers.\n\nThe Scottish Conservatives said Mr Russell must have been the most \"hands-off party president ever\" if he did not know about falling numbers.\n\nParty chairman Craig Hoy said: \"He's asking us to believe that he had no idea what the SNP membership figures were until they were published a few days ago, nor who was responsible for ordering the party's former chief spin doctor to rubbish a perfectly accurate newspaper report on that figure.\n\n\"This is symptomatic of the secrecy and lack of accountability which infects the top of the SNP.\"\n\nScottish Labour deputy leader Jackie Baillie said the \"election is in chaos\" with allegations and resignations appearing on a daily basis.\n\n\"There is no way the president of the SNP did not know about the exodus of members from the party,\" she said. \"Mr Russell should 'grasp the thistle' by facing up to the chaos in his party.\n\n\"If this is how the SNP run their own party, just imagine the chaos in government - Scotland deserves better.\"","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/uk-scotland-scotland-politics-65001543"}
{"title":"Ukraine war: Life in Mariupol under Russian occupation - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-19","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"Russia captured Mariupol in May after a brutal siege. Now, it's trying to win hearts and minds.","section":"Europe","content":"The invading Russian forces damaged some 90% of residential buildings in Mariupol\n\nFinding people willing to speak to me from Mariupol was never going to be easy.\n\nAfter 10 months of Russian occupation, fear and distrust are the two most frequent responses I encountered when looking for someone who could tell me how things really are in Mariupol, in Ukraine's south-east.\n\n\"I think you are a Russian journalist. You won't like what I've got to say. People like you kill if you tell them the truth,\" said one social media user who claimed to be from the port city.\n\nRussian forces put the people of Mariupol through a horrific months-long siege, before finally capturing it last May.\n\nI eventually found three residents willing to speak to me at length: a local city councillor, a retired pensioner and an engineer. All spoke on condition of anonymity, fearing reprisals from the local authorities installed by Russia (who block access to occupied Ukraine by Western journalists).\n\nThey paint a picture of a massively expensive campaign conducted by Russia to win over the hearts and minds of the people of Mariupol, and rebuild a city damaged beyond recognition by Russia's own troops.\n\nThe purpose of this campaign is to assimilate Mariupol and make it Russia's own.\n\nTheir accounts corroborate each other, and are confirmed by social media posts about recent developments in Mariupol.\n\nBefore this war began about half a million people lived in the city.\n\nAccording to UN estimates, 90% of residential buildings were damaged or destroyed, and 350,000 people were forced to leave after Russia attacked in February 2022.\n\nYour device may not support this visualisation\n\nIt is difficult to estimate the exact number of people killed as a result of the relentless shelling of Mariupol, but Ukrainian authorities say more than 20,000 died there.\n\nRussian-installed authorities in Mariupol say some 300,000 people are now living there.\n\nThe people who spoke to me from Mariupol said their city had been inundated with labourers from across Russia, as well as from Central Asia.\n\nOleg Morgun, the Russia-installed \"mayor\" of Mariupol, says some 70,000 of those currently in the city are construction workers and members of the Russian military.\n\nNew buildings have appeared and many buildings damaged during the bombardment have gone.\n\nFor example, the Russian military has built a whole new district comprised of a dozen apartment blocks in the western part of Mariupol. It is called Nevsky, after the River Neva, on which President Vladimir Putin's home city of St Petersburg stands. According to Russian state media, St Petersburg is the main sponsor of the reconstruction of Mariupol.\n\nRussia is building new housing to replace what it destroyed\n\n\"It says on the bus: St Petersburg and Mariupol are twinned cities. There are slogans everywhere telling us that we're part of Russia now,\" pensioner Maria (not her real name) told me.\n\n\"I liked things the way they used to be. Now we live in fear. We have no idea what to expect.\"\n\nIn the houses that escaped relatively unscathed after months of fierce fighting, the Russians are replacing windows, radiators and sometimes heating and sewage pipes.\n\nHeating, running water and electricity supplies have largely been restored. Buses are running and full of passengers again, although the electric trolley bus and tram networks are still out of action.\n\nMany schools, hospitals and shops have reopened as well, although numerous traders are selling their wares straight from the pavement.\n\nMaria was particularly impressed with one school rebuilt under Russian rule: \"It's so beautiful, covered in multi-coloured squares.\" According to her, the number of children in Mariupol now is greater than schools can currently accommodate, so they have classes in two shifts: one in the morning, and another in the afternoon.\n\nRussia has imposed its own Russian-language curriculum in occupied areas - complicating efforts to get children back to school.\n\nShops have reopened and power is back, but many traders are selling their wares on the pavement\n\nThe fast-paced rebuilding of Mariupol has provoked envy in Donetsk, the regional capital occupied by pro-Russian forces since 2014, which has been neglected by comparison.\n\nThe Russia-installed head of the so-called Donetsk People's Republic, Denis Pushilin, has even had to deny rumours that the capital will be moved to Mariupol.\n\nThere are other important ways in which Russia is putting its stamp on Mariupol.\n\nFor example, local residents are under pressure to obtain Russian passports.\n\nIvan, the Mariupol city councillor I spoke to (not his real name), said locals often formed \"huge queues\" trying to get Russian passports.\n\nThey were required if you want to find formal employment, especially with government agencies or in the public sector, he explained.\n\nAlso, they made it possible to travel to Russia without additional stringent checks known as \"filtration\", he added.\n\nUkraine believes 20,000 people died during the siege of Mariupol\n\n\"So they have deliberately created a situation where you get problems if you have Ukrainian papers, you have to deal with red tape, you have to wait. On the other hand, if you get a Russian passport, that's where your problems end: 'You're one of us now'. Things get simpler if you receive a Russian passport,\" Ivan said.\n\nMariupol is also becoming part of Russia's financial system. The Ukrainian currency, the hryvnya, has been phased out, and now the Russian rouble is the only currency accepted in shops.\n\nRussia is channelling huge amounts of money into pension payments for residents of Mariupol, raising them in many cases compared with what they received from the Ukrainian authorities before the war. So residents of Mariupol are able to draw two pensions - one from Russia, another from Ukraine. Naturally, it is a situation many local pensioners are happy with.\n\nRussian pensions are another reason why elderly residents are queuing up to get Russian passports - many pensioners believe the documents will be required in the future to continue receiving payments from Russia.\n\nThe media currently operating in Mariupol are also hard at work promoting a uniformly pro-Russian agenda.\n\nMany current residents of Mariupol are there because they were unable to leave the city when the Russians attacked, due to illness or old age, or because they welcome Russia's presence.\n\n\"We've suffered enough under Ukraine. Now we can breathe again,\" one social media user told me, before breaking off all contact.\n\nNew signs for the city are decked out in the colours of the Russian flag\n\nThe fast-paced campaign of reconstruction and the resulting sense of restored normality, the generous pension payments and the intensive media campaign targeting the people of Mariupol, all stimulate the spread of pro-Russian sentiment in the city.\n\n\"I'm sick of all the propaganda in the papers. They started publishing it from day one, telling us how well things are going,\" said Yuri, the engineer (not his real name). \"I feel out of place in my own city now. People are different, my city feels different now.\"\n\nCity councillor Ivan said: \"It's become difficult for me to say pro-Ukrainian things to my voters. It's tough being pro-Ukrainian in a pro-Russian environment. Unfortunately, Ukraine is losing the hearts and minds of people in Mariupol.\"\n\nThose who are still in Mariupol may be happy to see a degree of normality return to their city, but there are those who suspect Russia of pursuing ulterior motives.\n\nPopular Ukrainian journalist Denys Kazansky argues that Russia uses the new houses it has been building in Mariupol to distract attention from all the destruction it caused in the city and elsewhere in his native Donetsk region.\n\n\"If they destroyed 10 hospitals and then rebuilt one - this isn't reconstruction. It's not something they can be thanked for,\" he said.\n\n\"You can be happy as much as you like about a school being rebuilt, but what do you do with the thousands of people Russia has killed?\" he said.\n\n\"You can't rebuild them. You can't bring them back.\"","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/world-europe-64887890"}
{"title":"The man extradited to the UK for a 41-year-old pub brawl - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-19","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"A man who fled the UK after a fight in 1980 is acquitted after extradition proceedings 41 years later.","section":"UK","content":"Rory McGrath with his wife and sons in the US\n\nDecades after moving to the US, retired construction worker Rory McGrath was extradited to the UK to face trial for a 41-year-old crime. Eventually he was found not guilty.\n\nRory McGrath had just stepped through his front door carrying the morning newspaper when a dozen or so officers from the US Marshals Service arrived at his New York home with their guns drawn.\n\nThey ordered his wife and twin 18-year-old sons out of bed at gunpoint. It was May 2021 and New York was starting to emerge from Covid restrictions, but for McGrath and his family it was just the start of a \"nightmare that has never ended\".\n\nThe officers were acting at the request of prosecutors in England. McGrath, a retired construction worker, faced extradition and trial in the UK over his involvement in a drunken street fight four decades earlier.\n\nThe story began in March 1980 when McGrath, an Irish-British national born in Leeds, was out drinking with friends. The 21-year-old, by his own admission, became involved in a drunken fight between two groups of young men. In his telling, he fled to a nearby pub when police arrived. \"I'm not getting involved with the police,\" he remembers thinking.\n\nBut British prosecutors alleged he was part of a group that assaulted an officer, who suffered a broken nose, cuts and bruising while attempting to restrain a suspect.\n\nFive men were charged, including McGrath. Instead of facing justice, he fled to Ireland.\n\nHe says he absconded because he believed he was being \"set up\". The case against him was based in part on the evidence of an off-duty officer, who has since died, who said he recognised McGrath running from the scene.\n\n\"I believe I was forced to abscond because [of] the simple reason they fabricated identification,\" he says.\n\nMcGrath says that as an Irish national living in England in the 1970s and 80s, he faced \"constant harassment\".\n\n\"All my life, since I can remember, [I was] constantly harassed by the English police, so I knew it wasn't going to be a good outcome.\"\n\nHis life in England was set against the backdrop of the IRA bombings of the 1970s. A series of high-profile convictions linked to some of the attacks - including the Guildford Four, Birmingham Six and the Maguire Seven - were later found to be miscarriages of justice, involving false confessions and police misconduct.\n\n\"Tensions were high, always,\" says McGrath.\n\nIn 1986, after several years living in Dublin working as a carpenter, he went to the US on holiday.\n\n\"I was hearing a lot about it, so I went for a couple of weeks and I ended up staying for 12 years.\"\n\nHe met his wife Alice in New York in 1990. They married in 1992, and 10 years later he returned to Ireland to successfully apply for US citizenship.\n\nAs a dual Irish-British citizen, he assumed that US authorities would have contacted the UK Home Office.\n\n\"I know that they knew where I was as early as 2002, for the simple reason all the paperwork from the citizenship went back to England.\" he says.\n\nThe Home Office has declined to answer questions about the case.\n\nMcGrath says he did not view himself as a fugitive. He travelled to the UK on several occasions, using his own name and passport, including for his brother's wedding in 1996.\n\nWhile accepting he had absconded in 1980, McGrath says he had come to believe the matter was closed. He was never contacted by authorities and experienced no difficulties while travelling in the UK.\n\nThe first he knew of any extradition request was the US Marshals' raid in 2021. But events had been set in motion six years earlier.\n\nIn 2015, a local neighbourhood police officer in West Yorkshire \"became aware and revisited\" an outstanding warrant for McGrath. The officer referred the case to the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS), which began extradition proceedings in 2016.\n\nMcGrath's lawyer, Daniel Martin, says it is difficult to understand what motivated \"this sudden need\" to get McGrath back to face trial.\n\n\"The victim was a police officer and obviously a request was made by his police force,\" he says. \"It seems this has been sat on some cabinet somewhere gathering dust until one day someone picked it up and decided it was imperative [McGrath] be extradited.\"\n\nUnder US law, people facing extradition are typically held in prison, except when there are \"special circumstances\" permitting their release. After McGrath's arrest in May 2021, a judge granted bail, and said he presented no real flight risk or danger to the public.\n\nThe judge also acknowledged that McGrath was at greater risk from Covid-19 due to respiratory complications, some of which related to time spent volunteering at the site of the World Trade Center after the 9\/11 terror attacks. He was among the first to comb through the scene of destruction and it left a lasting impact.\n\n\"You'd walk into an office, there would be a coffee cup half-drunk, a doughnut with a bite taken out of it,\" he says. \"It was eerie.\"\n\n2001: McGrath volunteered at the 9\/11 wreckage site in New York\n\nAfter 15 months of house arrest - largely confined to his home on a quiet residential street in Pearl River, New York - McGrath was flown to the UK in July 2022. He spent seven months in HMP Leeds awaiting trial.\n\nIn February this year, a jury rejected the prosecution case and found McGrath not guilty. He had always maintained his innocence.\n\nAccording to local media, after McGrath was acquitted, the judge told jurors that he did not know why the case had been brought after so many years: \"We have worse things to deal with, if I can put it that way,\" he said.\n\nMartin, a partner at law firm JMW Solicitors, says he has \"never seen such a flagrant waste of taxpayer resources as in this case\".\n\nWhen McGrath was arrested in the US, courts in England and Wales were experiencing unprecedented delays and a backlog of cases that had grown during the pandemic.\n\nMartin questions why prosecutors chose to \"spend so much money and time and effort bringing back Mr McGrath for an allegation, which by any standards was low on the Richter scale of assaults\".\n\nHe claims the prosecution case was flawed. It relied in part on the assault victim identifying McGrath after a description had been circulated and he was in custody - a process which is no longer permitted. Several other witnesses had died or could not be found by police.\n\nCPS guidance states that extraditions should only be used where it is \"clearly appropriate and proportionate\".\n\nIt maintains that assaults on police officers are a serious matter regardless of when they happened, and that it was right to put all the evidence before a jury: \"Two judges, including the trial judge, ruled that there was no abuse of process by the prosecution in this case.\"\n\nWest Yorkshire Police said its pursuit of McGrath was \"appropriate\" and a consequence of him \"deliberately avoiding the criminal justice process by failing to attend court at the time he was charged\".\n\nMcGrath is now back with his family in the US. He says the case has had a \"devastating\" impact on his wife and sons.\n\n\"There are multiple victims here,\" he says. \"It's been very stressful for everybody.\"\n\nHe is slowly adjusting to life back home and attempting to put the \"pure hell\" of the past two years behind him.\n\n\"It's like Ground Zero - I don't care to think about it, but it's always going to be there.\"","link":"https:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/uk-64678781"}
{"title":"Credit Suisse: Lessons learned from the last banking crisis? - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-19","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"Speed is of the essence when dealing with the banking industry - as know from the 2008 crash.","section":"Business","content":"Shares in Swiss banking giant Credit Suisse have been on a rollercoaster ride in recent days, hitting an all-time low on Wednesday, and leaving financial markets all over the world feeling distinctly queasy.\n\nBut the Swiss National Bank threw Credit Suisse a \u00a345bn lifeline and on Thursday its shares climbed back up, allowing everyone to catch their breath.\n\nThe move from the Swiss central bank comes just days after regulators in Washington had to take control of two US banks, and HSBC swooped in to pick up the UK arm of one of them for \u00a31.\n\nIt does feel eerily like the days leading up to the great financial crisis: cracks appearing in the financial pipes, prompting questions about whether they will burst, as they did nearly 15 years ago.\n\nThe economist Nouriel Roubini, nicknamed \"Dr Doom\" for his usually pessimistic and sometimes correct predictions, argues Credit Suisse could be a Lehmans moment - too big to fail, too big to save, he told Bloomberg.\n\nLarry Fink, the founder of the world's biggest asset manager, Blackrock, said we may be in for \"slow rolling crisis\" which could see hundreds of small banks go bust, like the savings and loans crisis of the 1980s, when more than 1,000 smaller US lenders went under.\n\nNouriel Roubini has been nicknamed \"Dr Doom\" but his warnings carry weight\n\nBut Noel Quinn, chief executive of HSBC, which is the new owner of Silicon Valley Bank UK, disagreed. He said the authorities - in this case the UK Treasury and the Bank of England - had acted swiftly to find a solution as did their US counterparts in taking over the US parent bank.\n\nIt's clear that international regulators have learned from the last crisis that speed is of the essence, which is just as well.\n\nTechnology bosses in the US admitted they had debated in online chats whether to take deposits out of Silicon Valley Bank. When some did, they all did within a matter of minutes, thanks to the social media grapevine, effectively breaking the bank.\n\nIf nothing else, these outbreaks of instability make it clear that when you reverse nearly 15 years of close-to-zero interest rates suddenly things can and do break. The weakest organisations are the most at risk, and both depositors and investors are perfectly rational in being extremely jittery.\n\nMore questions remain around the other big teaching points from the last crisis: whether it's ok to assume the central bank ambulance will always arrive in time, and whether that assumption has made people too relaxed in the face of lurking financial danger.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/business-64976316"}
{"title":"UK banking system 'safe' after Credit Suisse rescue - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-19","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"Despite the swift action by regulators, stock markets in the UK and Asia fell.","section":"Business","content":"The UK's central bank has said banks are \"safe\" after regulators agreed a rescue deal for Credit Suisse aimed at preventing fears over banks spreading.\n\nThe bank was bought by rival UBS in a Swiss government-backed deal on Sunday after regulators worked frantically round the clock to secure a deal.\n\nIt comes amid fears over the global financial system after two smaller US banks failed in recent weeks.\n\nDespite the action by regulators on Sunday, shares in European banks fell.\n\nDeutsche Bank and UBS were trading 1.8% and 3.7% lower respectively, having regained some ground.\n\nBritish banks, which last week saw their steepest falls in more than a year, also remained in the red.\n\nHowever, experts are not forecasting a repeat of the 2008 financial crisis when the failure of a number of big banks sparked a global recession.\n\nThe Swiss National Bank said the rescue deal for Credit Suisse was the best way to restore the confidence of financial markets and to manage risks to the economy.\n\nThe last-minute deal valued Credit Suisse at just over $3.15bn (\u00a32.6bn), a fraction of its $8bn price tag on Friday.\n\nBut the sale has achieved what regulators set out to do - secure a result before the financial markets opened on Monday.\n\nMark Yallop, the former UK chief executive of UBS, said the his former employer's purchase of Credit Suisse \"should\" do the job of reassuring investors.\n\n\"This is a takeover of a challenged institution with particular idiosyncratic problems that relate to it specifically [and are] not reflective of broader issues in the banking markets,\" he told the BBC's Today programme.\n\n\"I think this transaction will definitely stabilise [the bank] and should bring a good degree of confidence back to the banking market more generally.\"\n\nMr Yallop suggested the sale of Credit Suisse should be viewed as a separate event to failure of two smaller banks in the US, which he said had been hit by the impact of rising interest rates.\n\nIn a bid to keep cash available through the global financial system, six central banks, including the Bank of England, also announced they would boost the flow of US dollars through the global financial system.\n\nThe Bank of England, along with the Bank of Japan, Bank of Canada, the European Central Bank, US Federal Reserve and Swiss National Bank, said the move served as an \"important backstop to ease strains in global funding markets\" and take the pressure off banks.\n\nThe chairmen of both banks spoke at a news conference in Bern on Sunday\n\nIn a statement following UBS's takeover of Credit Suisse, Switzerland's central bank said the deal protected the Swiss economy \"in this exceptional situation\".\n\nThe 167-year-old bank is loss-making and has faced a string of problems in recent years, including money laundering charges.\n\nIt was given an emergency $54bn lifeline from the Swiss National Bank on Wednesday in a bid to reassure markets, but Credit Suisse shares tumbled 24%, meaning a rescue deal was needed.\n\nSpeaking in the Swiss capital Bern after Sunday night's announcement, UBS chairman Colm Kelleher said the takeover had been \"attractive\" for UBS shareholders, but described it as \"an emergency rescue\".\n\nMr Kelleher said UBS would be winding down the investment banking part of Credit Suisse.\n\nThe UBS chairman said it was \"too early\" to say what would happen about jobs. Credit Suisse has around 74,000 staff, around 5,000 of them in the UK.\n\n\"We need to do this in a rational way thoughtfully, when we've sat down and analysed what we need to do,\" he said.\n\nOther global financial institutions praised the deal.\n\nThe Bank of England said it welcomed the \"comprehensive set of actions\" set out by the Swiss authorities.\n\n\"We have been engaging closely with international counterparts throughout the preparations for today's announcements and will continue to support their implementation.\"\n\nIt added the UK banking system was \"well capitalised and funded, and remains safe and sound\".\n\nChristine Lagarde, president of the European Central Bank, said she welcomed the \"swift action\" of the Swiss authorities.\n\n\"The euro area banking sector is resilient, with strong capital and liquidity positions,\" Ms Lagarde added.\n\nUS Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen and Federal Reserve chairman Jerome Powell both said the US banking system remained \"resilient\".\n\nCredit Suisse has become the latest and most important casualty of a crisis of confidence that has already seen the failure of two mid-sized US banks and an emergency industry whip-round for another. But this is different. Switzerland's second biggest lender was considered one of the top 30 most important banks in the world - which is why this takeover was rushed through by the Swiss authorities.\n\nAlthough the reasons for each failure differ slightly, the main factor has been a sharp rise in global interest rates which has hit the value of even safe investments that banks keep some of their money in. That has spooked investors and seen the share prices of all banks fall with those considered weakest hit hardest.\n\nThe financial authorities in the EU, US and UK are saying they support this deal, stressing that banks are strong and people's savings and deposits are safe.\n\nThe acid test as to whether this Swiss rescue has calmed nerves in the financial world will be when financial markets open on Monday - which is why it was so important to get this done on Sunday night.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/business-65007871"}
{"title":"'I did not send my child to university to die' - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-19","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"The mother of Edinburgh student Romy Ulvestad calls for universities to have a legal duty of care.","section":"Edinburgh, Fife & East Scotland","content":"University of Edinburgh student Romy Ulvestad died at her parents' London home four days after her 21st birthday.\n\nShe had killed herself after staff failed to provide additional support, despite repeated warnings that she was struggling with her mental health.\n\nNow her mother is adding her support to a campaign for the UK government to create legal duty of care for students.\n\nThe university, which apologised for failing Romy, said it had improved the support it offers since her death.\n\nLibby Kitson, Romy's mother, has joined calls for Westminster to change the law to better protect students, and hopes the Scottish government will follow suit.\n\nThe petition to the UK government is being supported by 25 bereaved families, who have come together and set up The LEARN Network.\n\nIt reached more than 127,000 signatures before the deadline at midnight on Mothers' Day, meaning Parliament will consider the subject for debate.\n\nSpeaking to BBC Scotland, Ms Kitson said she did not know that her daughter was struggling with her mental health when she returned to London during the Covid lockdown in 2020.\n\n\"Her father and I had no idea about her mental health struggles but they had been well-flagged to people at the University of Edinburgh who could have done something about it,\" she said.\n\n\"I sent Romy to off to university to study classics, which would be a pivotal point for the rest of her life. What I didn't expect to do was send her off to university to die.\"\n\nRomy, a classics student and part-time model, died in April 2020, more than a year after she communicated with the university about her struggles by requesting a \"special circumstances\" application to resit her exams without penalty.\n\nMs Kitson said: \"We want there to be a legal duty of care within all higher education institutions, and I think some people, including our government, seem to think there is some legal requirement in place but there really isn't.\n\n\"You want to know that if your child is suffering with any kind of mental health issues, or is overwhelmed by university life, there are people there who are trained and skilled to help deal with it.\n\n\"And if they really, really are in a state of crisis you would want to be informed.\"\n\nLibby Kitson hopes the Scottish government will legislate after the UK government\n\nCampaigners from ForThe100 want a change in law to ensure higher education institutions have a legal duty of care towards their students, as schools already do.\n\nThe Department of Education has said creating a legally enforced duty of care \"would be a disproportionate response\".\n\nMs Kitson said the campaign was not looking to provide a means for families to sue universities, but to prevent similar deaths.\n\nShe said she did not want any other parent to have to go through the same situation.\n\n\"We would hope that the Scottish Parliament would look at England and Wales and think 'they've led by example, we should follow suit',\" she said.\n\n\"A Scottish student's life is no less important.\"\n\nA University of Edinburgh spokeswoman said it had been \"shocked and deeply saddened by what happened\" to Romy and \"deeply sorry\" for the gaps in support given to her.\n\n\"Supporting our students' mental health and ensuring their wellbeing is our absolute priority,\" she said. \"Our support policies and practices are under regular review as we continue to focus and improve upon our mental health support provision and provide the best possible environment for our students.\"\n\nStudents at the university now have access to a \"named-contact relationship\" with staff trained in wellbeing and mental health, alongside other support services.\n\nThe spokeswoman added: \"We continue to engage with students through both the Students' Association and the Sports Union to identify how best we can shape and develop our services to support students most effectively.\n\n\"We work closely with the three other universities in Edinburgh and NHS mental health colleagues to improve pathways into specialist mental health services for students.\"\n\nThe Department for Education previously responded to the petition by saying that higher education providers already had a \"general duty of care not to cause harm to their students through their own actions\".\n\nA spokesperson said: \"We acknowledge the profound and lasting impact a young person's suicide has upon their family and friends, and know among the petitioners there are those who have personal experience of these devastating, tragic events.\n\n\"[However] we... feel further legislation to create a statutory duty of care, where such a duty already exists, would be a disproportionate response.\"\n\nIn a response to the petition, the Scottish government said: ''We are determined to support the mental health of all students. Over the last three years we have invested \u00a311.5m to introduce additional counsellors in colleges and universities''.\n\nThe BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/uk-scotland-edinburgh-east-fife-65007151"}
{"title":"Prosecuting Donald Trump would be politically motivated, say Republicans - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-19","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"Members of the ex-president's party claim prosecutors investigating him are part of the \"radical left\".","section":"US & Canada","content":"Prosecuting Donald Trump would be a politically motivated move by his opponents, senior Republicans say.\n\nOn Saturday, the former US president said his arrest could happen next week, based on media reports.\n\nBut Democrats have said no-one is above the law and accused Mr Trump of recklessly stoking political divisions.\n\nThe case focuses on alleged hush money paid on Mr Trump's behalf by his lawyer to porn star Stormy Daniels ahead of the 2016 presidential election.\n\nThe 76-year-old is also the subject of several other separate inquiries, although he has not yet been charged in any and denies wrongdoing.\n\nMr Trump has pledged to continue his campaign to become the Republican nominee in the 2024 presidential election, even if he is indicted.\n\nIt is not yet known if he is going to be criminally charged or even, beyond the most basic details, what any indictment might contain.\n\nFormer US vice-president Mike Pence and the most senior Republican in the US Congress, Kevin McCarthy, have both spoken out against any criminal prosecution.\n\nSpeaking to US network ABC News, Mr Pence said Manhattan district attorney Alvin Bragg, who is a Democrat, was carrying out a \"politically charged prosecution\" against Mr Trump.\n\n\"I'm taken aback at the idea of indicting a former president of the United States, at a time when there's a crime wave in New York City,\" Mr Pence said.\n\n\"The fact that the Manhattan DA [district attorney] thinks that indicting President Trump is his top priority, I think is, just tells you everything you need to know about the radical left in this country,\" he told the broadcaster.\n\nIn his statement on Saturday Mr Trump called for mass protests from supporters and accused Mr Bragg's office of \"illegal leaks\" to journalists.\n\nAsked about the call for protests, Mr Pence said that US citizens have a \"constitutional right to peaceably assemble\" - but also said any action must take place \"peacefully and in a lawful manner\".\n\nSpeaker of the US House of Representatives Kevin McCarthy called the investigation \"an outrageous abuse of power by a radical DA\".\n\nIn a tweet, he also promised to investigate whether federal money was being used to interfere in elections \"with politically motivated prosecutions\".\n\nDemocrats accused Mr Trump of stirring up political divisions with his claims.\n\nSpeaking to ABC News, Democratic Senator Elizbeth Warren said \"no-one is above the law\" even if they happen to have been president and any investigation must be \"allowed to go forward appropriately\".\n\n\"There's no reason to protest this. This is the law operating as it should without fear or favour for anyone,\" she said.\n\nMr McCarthy's predecessor as House Speaker, Nancy Pelosi, echoed Ms Warren's sentiments - adding that Mr Trump's remarks were \"reckless\" and designed to \"keep himself in the news and to foment unrest among his supporters\".\n\n\"He cannot hide from his violations of the law, disrespect for our elections and incitements to violence. Rightfully, our legal system will decide how to hold him accountable,\" she wrote on Twitter.\n\nThe Stormy Daniels case centres on how Mr Trump reimbursed his lawyer Michael Cohen after he paid Ms Daniels $130,000 before the 2016 US election.\n\nThe record for the payment reimbursing Mr Cohen says it was for \"legal fees\". Prosecutors could conclude this amounts to Mr Trump falsifying business records, which is a misdemeanour offence in New York.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/world-us-canada-65007991"}
{"title":"Calls for SNP chief executive Peter Murrell to resign - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-19","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"The majority of the SNP's national executive committee are prepared to support a motion of no confidence, the BBC understands.","section":"Scotland politics","content":"The SNP's ruling body has called for Peter Murrell to stand down from his role as the party's chief executive\n\nA group of members of the SNP's ruling body is trying to oust the party's chief executive, Peter Murrell.\n\nA source on the national executive committee told the BBC Nicola Sturgeon's husband was a \"hindrance\".\n\nA majority of members are prepared to support a motion of no confidence in Mr Murrell if he does not stand down.\n\nIt comes after a week of chaos in the SNP, which saw two leadership candidates question the independence of the election process.\n\nOne source on the committee told the BBC: \"Peter's time has come. There's a really strong feeling among a number of NEC members that he is now a hindrance and damaging the party and it would be wise for him to announce a date for his departure\".\n\nThe party was also forced to confirm a massive drop in its membership numbers, a situation the party had previously denied.\n\nThat prompted the resignation of the SNP's head of media at Holyrood, Murray Foote, who said there were \"serious issues\" with statements he had issued in \"good faith\" on behalf of party headquarters.\n\nThe NEC source said Mr Foote had been \"thrown under the bus\" by Peter Murrell who is the husband of First Minister Nicola Sturgeon.\n\nA second member of the committee said there were no circumstances in which Mr Murrell could continue as party chief executive.\n\nA third member of the committee indicated that the situation was moving fast and that there could be developments later in the day.\n\nPeter Murrell has been approached for comment.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/uk-scotland-65000274"}
{"title":"Credit Suisse: Bank rescue damages Switzerland's reputation for stability - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-19","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"Beset by scandals and crisis, many people are questioning how a totemic bank ended up beyond repair.","section":"Business","content":"So farewell to Credit Suisse. Founded in 1856, the bank has been a pillar of the Swiss financial sector ever since. Although buffeted by the financial crisis of 2008, Credit Suisse did manage to weather that storm without a government bailout, unlike its rival-turned-rescuer UBS.\n\nMore recently, the marketing face of Credit Suisse has been Switzerland's tennis god Roger Federer. He smiles down from posters at Swiss airports, a symbol of strength, excellence, staying power and reliability.\n\nBut behind the glossy promotion were some big problems. Divisive management, costly exposure to finance company Greensill Capital, which collapsed in 2021, a seedy money laundering case, and waning customer confidence in the last few months, which saw billions being withdrawn from the bank.\n\nAll it took to turn those doubts into a stampede was an apparently off the cuff remark from the Saudi National Bank, which owns almost 10% of Credit Suisse, suggesting it would not be increasing its investment.\n\nCredit Suisse's shares went into free fall, and even a statement of confidence from the Swiss National Bank, and an offer of $50bn (\u00a341bn) in financial support, couldn't stabilise the situation.\n\nHow could this have happened?\n\nAfter the financial crisis 15 years ago Switzerland introduced strict so-called \"too big to fail\" laws for its biggest banks. Never again, went the thinking, should the Swiss taxpayer have to bail out a Swiss bank, as happened with UBS.\n\nBut Credit Suisse is a \"too big to fail\" bank. In theory, it had the capital to prevent this week's catastrophe.\n\nAlso in theory Swiss financial regulators and the Swiss National Bank keep an eye on those systemically important banks and can intervene before disaster strikes.\n\nIt was odd, last week, to see the rest of the world reacting with real concern as Credit Suisse shares tumbled, and to hear, at first, nothing from Switzerland.\n\nRoger Federer went from winning prize money sponsored by Credit Suisse, to being its marketing figurehead\n\nEven the Swiss media seemed not to notice the headlines over at the Financial Times, and seemed more interested in the continued debate over how much support neutral Switzerland should be offering to Ukraine.\n\nBy the time people did notice, such damage had been done that Credit Suisse was beyond saving. The fallout had begun to threaten not just Switzerland's entire financial sector, but Europe's.\n\nAs the government met in emergency session to try to find a solution, you could almost smell the panic in Bern.\n\nAnnouncing the bank takeover, Swiss President Alain Berset said \"an uncontrolled collapse of Credit Suisse would lead to incalculable consequences for the country and the international financial system\".\n\nIt's hard to avoid the conclusion, some Swiss are now saying, that the very people who should have acted to prevent Credit Suisse's meltdown were asleep at the wheel.\n\nThat lack of attention is going to be very costly. UBS's takeover, for the paltry sum of $3bn (\u00a32.5bn), besides being an utter humiliation for Credit Suisse, is likely to leave its shareholders a good bit poorer.\n\nThere will also be job losses, perhaps in the thousands. There are Credit Suisse and UBS branches in just about every Swiss town. Once the takeover is complete, there will be little point in UBS keeping them all open.\n\nBut perhaps the most costly damage of all could be to Switzerland's reputation as a safe place to invest.\n\nDespite the scandals over the years related to the secret bank accounts of dictators (including Ferdinand Marcos from the Philippines, Congolese dictator Mobutu Sese Seko and many more), or the money laundering for drug lords and tax evaders, Swiss banks hung on to that reputation symbolised by Roger Federer: strong, and reliable.\n\nBut now? A system that allows a 167-year-old bank to go belly up, in the space of a few days, at the cost of many jobs and massive losses in share value?\n\nThat could cause huge reputational damage. The Swiss banking sector, Switzerland's financial regulators, and its government, all say the takeover is the best solution.\n\nIn the end, at the very last minute, it was the only solution. In the coming days, there will be some tough questions to answer.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/business-65009996"}
{"title":"John Lewis considers plan to change staff-owned structure - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-19","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"The chain's famous staff-ownership structure could be watered down to raise new funds.","section":"Business","content":"John Lewis is considering a potential change to its employee-owned business structure, upending more than 70 years of tradition.\n\nThe group, which also owns Waitrose, is currently fully owned by its staff, who receive a share in the profits.\n\nBut in the face of tougher trading, the firm is said to be exploring the idea of selling a minority stake.\n\nThe Sunday Times, which first reported the move, said the firm hoped to raise up to \u00a32bn.\n\nIt said the firm's chairwoman Dame Sharon White was considering a potential plan to dilute the famous partnership structure in order to invest in better technology, data analysis and Waitrose's supply chain.\n\nThe BBC has been told the idea is at the \"very, very early stages\" of discussion and may not eventually happen. However, if it did it would not amount to removing the mutual ownership structure altogether and that staff would retain majority control.\n\nIt could still prove controversial among staff, however, who jointly own the whole of the business, benefiting from any profits.\n\nThe profit-sharing model has occasionally resulted in big windfalls. In 2008 staff received a sum equivalent to about 10 weeks' pay as a bonus.\n\nHowever in the past three years the firm has had to steer through the choppy waters of the pandemic and a cost of living crisis. It made a loss of \u00a3234m in 2022-3 and paid no bonus to staff, for only the second time since 1953. It has also closed stores and cut staff numbers.\n\nJohn Lewis has worked with outside companies in the past: Ocado launched grocery deliveries for Waitrose and more recently it set up a joint venture to build residential properties with investment firm Abrdn. If the move were to go ahead, it would be the first sale of a stake in the core business.\n\nAt times the mutualised structure has been held up as model for how businesses could be run differently, taking a broader range of stakeholders into account and focusing less on shareholder profit.\n\nWhen Sir Nick Clegg was deputy prime minister he heralded the group as a model for the whole economy.\n\nJohn Lewis has not commented on the reports, but said: \"We've always said we would seek partnerships to help fund our transformation and exciting growth plans.\n\n\"We've done this with Ocado in the past and now with Abrdn. Our partners, who own the business, will be the first to hear about any developments.\"","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/business-65006218"}
{"title":"Taliban officials must sack sons given government jobs - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-19","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"Afghanistan's Islamist leader says officials should replace appointed sons or nephews and hire other workers.","section":"Asia","content":"The leader of the Taliban has ordered Afghan officials to sack relatives they have hired to government positions.\n\nHibatullah Akhundzada's decree says officials should replace appointed sons or other family members - and refrain from hiring relatives in future.\n\nThe Taliban dismissed some senior staff when they took power in 2021, while others fled.\n\nThere have been allegations that inexperienced staff have been hired based on their personal connections.\n\nThe Afghan Islamic Press, based in Peshawar, Pakistan, reported that the decree followed allegations that several senior Taliban officials had appointed their sons to roles within the government.\n\nA photo of the decree was posted on the Office of Administrative Affairs' Twitter page on Saturday.\n\nAfghanistan has faced a deepening economic and humanitarian crisis since the Taliban swept into Kabul and regained control of the country. Foreign military forces had been in the country for two decades, fighting a war that killed tens of thousands and displaced millions more.\n\nSince then, sanctions have been placed on members of the Taliban government, the central bank's overseas assets have been frozen, and most foreign funding has been suspended - cutting off an economic lifeline.\n\nAfghanistan is estimated to be sitting on natural resources - including natural gas, copper and rare earths - worth more than $1tn (\u00a3831.5bn), but those reserves remain untapped due to decades of turmoil in the country.\n\nThe Taliban government's treatment of women has outraged the international community and increased its isolation while its economy collapses.\n\nEducation of women and girls has been particularly contentious. Currently girls and women are barred from secondary schools and universities in most of Afghanistan.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/world-asia-65005792"}
{"title":"Credit Suisse bank: UBS is in talks to take over its troubled rival - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-19","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"Emergency talks are underway in Zurich as regulators seek a deal for Credit Suisse before Monday.","section":"Business","content":"Credit Suisse has faced a string of scandals in recent years, including money laundering charges\n\nSwitzerland's biggest bank, UBS, is in advanced talks to buy all or part of its troubled rival Credit Suisse.\n\nCredit Suisse, the second largest Swiss bank, is facing a crisis of confidence and its shares have fallen sharply in recent days, sending ripples of concern through the markets.\n\nAccording to the Financial Times UBS is offering to pay up to $1bn (\u00a3820m) for Credit Suisse.\n\nRegulators are trying to facilitate a deal before markets reopen on Monday.\n\nThe trouble at Credit Suisse, combined with the failure of two smaller US banks during the last two weeks, have thrown the health of the global financial system into doubt.\n\nCredit Suisse is one of around 30 banks worldwide deemed too big to fail because they are of such importance to the banking system.\n\nBut the 167-year-old institution is loss-making and has faced a string of problems in recent years, including money laundering charges.\n\nAn emergency $54bn (\u00a344.5bn) lifeline from the Swiss National Bank on Wednesday failed to reassure markets and Credit Suisse shares tumbled 24%, prompting a wider sell-off on European markets.\n\nA deal could be signed as soon as Sunday evening, according to the FT, which first reported that regulators and the Swiss National Bank were facilitating talks between the two Swiss banking giants.\n\nThe deal currently believed to be on the table would value Credit Suisse shares at less than a seventh of the price they were on Friday. However the FT said terms could change and a deal had not yet been reached.\n\nSenior figures from UBS were seen heading to the Swiss government's finance department on Sunday\n\nUBS shareholders would normally have six weeks to consider a deal on this scale, but the FT says the Swiss authorities are planning to change the country's laws to bypass a shareholder vote on the transaction.\n\nBank of England officials have confirmed they are in close contact with their counterparts at the Swiss National Bank while regulators and management discuss Credit Suisse's future. The UK Treasury is also monitoring the situation.\n\nThe deal would amount to a significant intervention from the Swiss authorities, said Mohamed El-Erian, chief economic advisor to German financial services firm Allianz.\n\n\"This is not a voluntary action, this is a shotgun wedding and it's being done in order to restore financial stability,\" Mr El-Erian told the BBC. \"Without it Credit Suisse may end up in a death spiral, in which it finds it much harder to undertake its banking activities.\n\n\"That could raise questions about other banks at a time when there are also banking concerns in the United States.\"\n\nMr El-Erian said the current turmoil could lead to banks becoming more \"risk averse\", leading to a fall in credit availability.\n\nBut that amounted to a \"headwind\" for the global economy, rather than something like the sudden stop experienced during the 2008 financial crisis, which was \"in a completely different league\" to today's problems, he said.\n\nUBS is said to have asked the Swiss government to cover about $6bn (\u00a34.9bn) in costs if it were to buy Credit Suisse, according to sources quoted by Reuters.\n\nCredit Suisse reported a loss of 7.3bn Swiss francs ($7.9bn; \u00a36.5bn) in 2022 - its worst year since the financial crisis of 2008 - and has warned it does not expect to be profitable until 2024.\n\nUBS, however, made a profit of $7.6bn in 2022.\n\nAny deal may also result in significant job losses.\n\nAs well as being a domestic bank with 95 branches, Credit Suisse has a global investment banking operation and manages the assets of rich clients.\n\nAt the end of last year Credit Suisse had a global staff of 50,480, including 16,700 in Switzerland, though 9,000 jobs were to be axed, the Swiss broadcaster SRF reports.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/business-65004605"}
{"title":"Public emergency alerts to be sent to all UK smartphones - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-19","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"The government will send people loud, siren-like warnings to alert them when there is a risk to life.","section":"UK","content":"The alerts will initially focus on the most serious weather-related events, such as this flooding in York\n\nA siren-like alert will be sent to smartphone users across the UK next month to test a new government public warning system.\n\nIt allows the government and emergency services to send urgent messages warning the public of life-threatening situations like flooding or wildfires.\n\nThe test is expected to take place in the early evening of 23 April.\n\nPhone users will have to acknowledge the alert before they can use other features on their devices.\n\nA message will appear on the home screens of people's devices during the test, with vibration and a loud warning sound that will ring for about 10 seconds, even if the phone is set to silent.\n\nThe system - which became operational on Sunday - is being modelled on similar schemes used in the US, Canada, Japan and The Netherlands. Emergency alerts work on all 4G and 5G phone networks and will not include older \"non-smart\" phones, the government said.\n\nMessages would only ever come from the government or emergency services and will initially focus on the most serious weather-related events, with the ability to get a message to 90% of mobile users within the relevant area.\n\nTerror alerts could be added to the list of potential events that would trigger a notification.\n\nThe messages will include details of the area impacted and instructions about how to respond. They will only be sent where there is an immediate risk to life and many people may not receive an alert for months or years.\n\nCabinet minister Oliver Dowden told the BBC the warnings are sent in a \"very targeted way\" and other than the test, he hopes many people will never hear the alert again.\n\nPeople can opt out by searching their device settings for emergency alerts and then turning off severe and extreme ones. Officials say the alerts could be life-saving, though, advising against switching them off.\n\nThe Cabinet Office says the service will be secure, free to receive and will not collect personal information such as someone's telephone number, identity or location.\n\nThe new system uses cell broadcasting technology and messages will be based on someone's current location - but location services do not need to be switched on to receive the alerts.\n\nThat is because when an alert is triggered, all cell towers in a defined area will broadcast it, allowing the message to reach an area the size of an electoral ward.\n\nThe government has released a video of what the alerts will sound like.\n\nThis YouTube post cannot be displayed in your browser. Please enable Javascript or try a different browser. View original video on YouTube The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. YouTube content may contain adverts. Skip youtube video by Cabinet Office 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\u2019s cookie policy, external and privacy policy, external before accepting. To view this content choose \u2018accept and continue\u2019. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. YouTube content may contain adverts.\n\nTrials have already been held in Reading and East Suffolk. People will also be alerted if they are in one of 19 other countries which currently use them.\n\nMr Dowden, whose role as Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster gives him oversight of the preparation and planning for emergencies, said the technology would \"revolutionise our ability to warn and inform people who are in immediate danger\".\n\nAnd he told the BBC's Sunday with Laura Kuenssberg programme the alert is \"a sound that can save your life\".\n\nHe said people are likely to hear the alert in instances where there has been a major flood and \"your house was at risk of being inundated and your life is at risk\".\n\nNational Fire Chiefs Council chairman Mark Hardingham said the new system would help fire and rescue services to do their jobs \"and to help communities in the event of emergencies\".\n\nHe said: \"We've seen this type of system in action elsewhere across the world and we look forward to having the facility here in the UK - by working together with fire services and partners, we want this system to help us to help you be as safe as you can if a crisis does hit.\"\n\nThe Environment Agency's Caroline Douglas, executive director for flood and coastal erosion risk management, said the system would allow officials to communicate warnings in a \"timely and accurate manner\".","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/uk-64999417"}
{"title":"French pension reforms: Is Macron's government doomed by crisis? - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-19","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"No-confidence motions face the Macron government as it tries to force its unpopular changes into law.","section":"Europe","content":"President Macron was re-elected on a platform of raising the retirement age and yet his reforms are deeply unpopular\n\n\"What this crisis goes to show,\" veteran political commentator Alain Duhamel said recently, \"is that there are two Frances out there. They live in completely separate mental worlds, and find it impossible even to communicate.\"\n\nAs the country teeters on the edge of civil unrest, his verdict echoes like a gloomy premonition. France's demons are back, and stalking the land.\n\nThe anger and mutual incomprehension over President Emmanuel Macron's proposed reform of the pension age show how dangerously polarised the two factions have become.\n\nThe government says pushing back the pension age from 62 to 64 is vital in order to preserve France's much-prized \"share-out\" system - based on a single fund that workers pay into and pensioners draw out of.\n\nWith people living longer, the only alternatives would be to cut the value of pensions, or increase contributions from those in work.\n\nAnd both those options would be even more unpopular.\n\nWhat's more, says the president, France is merely aligning itself with every other European democracy - most of which have pension ages even higher than the proposed 64.\n\nBut none of this seems to have gained traction with the public, who continue to reject the reform by a margin of about 70% to 30%.\n\nPrime Minister \u00c9lisabeth Borne addressed the National Assembly last week to a chorus of boos and chants of \"Resign\"\n\nInstead, people seem more inclined to believe the arguments of the left and far-right: first that there is no urgency because pension finances are not as bad as they're portrayed - but also that it's unjust.\n\nOn one side, many protesters are calling not just for an end to the reform, but actually for a lowering of the retirement age, back to where it was before 2010, when it was just 60.\n\nOn the other, voices from the right say that the Macron plan is already so riddled with concessions and exemptions, wrung under pressure during the long parliamentary process, that the savings it will make are now virtually meaningless.\n\nIn a functioning democracy the opposing arguments would surely find some form of compromise. After all, a majority of the population, while rejecting the Macron plan, also agrees that some reform of pensions is needed.\n\nFaith in conventional politics and the parliamentary system is in fact at rock-bottom. How else to explain the collapse of Gaullists and Socialists, who ran France for half a century, and the rise of the far-right and far-left?\n\nPresident Macron encouraged the death of the ancien r\u00e9gime, that old order which he exploited to pose as the lone moderate, picking sensible bits from programmes of left and right.\n\nPresident Macron's failure to secure a parliamentary majority in last year's election means he will struggle to enact major reforms\n\nHyper-intelligent and hyper-keen he may have been, but France never liked him and he was elected, twice, by default. Because the alternative, Marine Le Pen, was unacceptable to most.\n\nBy eliminating the moderate opposition, he made the opposition extreme.\n\nAt last year's parliamentary election, he failed to secure a majority - making inevitable the use last Thursday of constitutional force majeure known as 49:3 to push the law through.\n\nMeanwhile, the tenor of public debate was steadily debased.\n\nThe left tabled literally thousands of amendments to the pensions bill, making its conventional passage impossible. Opponents described as \"brutal\" and \"inhuman\" a reform which in other countries would have seemed perfectly anodyne.\n\nOne left-wing MP posed outside the Assembly with his foot on a ball painted with the head of the labour minister; fearing mob violence, a leading pro-Macron MP called on Friday for police protection for her colleagues.\n\nThousands of tonnes of rubbish lie uncollected in Paris as refuse collectors strike for a second week\n\nWith scenes of looting and urban violence, hills of rotting rubbish on the streets of Paris and other French cities, and the promise of more crippling strikes to come, this is the unedifying atmosphere as the country enters the next crucial phase in the crisis.\n\nFollowing the president's invocation of the 49:3 procedure, opposition parties have tabled two censure motions against the government which will be debated this week. In theory, if one of them passes that would lead to the fall of the government, and possible early elections.\n\nIn practice, even the so-called \"transpartisan\" motion tabled by a centrist group in parliament - supposedly more liable to create a consensus between the mutually hostile far-left and far-right - would be unlikely to get the numbers.\n\nIf the motions fail, then the opposition can continue to battle the reform by other means: for example by appealing to the Constitutional Council, which rules on the constitutionality of new laws, or by trying to organise a referendum.\n\nThe government hopes that reality will at some point set in, and that most people will dejectedly accept the inevitable.\n\nQuite possibly a sacrificial victim will eventually have to made - no doubt in the form of Prime Minister \u00c9lisabeth Borne.\n\nBut for now, the mood is too ugly for that.\n\nIn the immediate term, to every petrol depot blockaded, to every bin uncollected, and to every window smashed will be joined the accompanying refrain: \"Blame 49:3. Blame Macron.\"","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/world-europe-64986741"}
{"title":"Norfolk council sorry for wrongly telling man he is dead - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-19","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"Stuart Dobson says he was both surprised and distressed when his local council told him he had died.","section":"Norfolk","content":"Stuart Dobson was surprised when his local council told him he was dead\n\nA council has apologised to a recent widower after mistakenly sending him a letter about his death.\n\nSouth Norfolk Council told Stuart Dobson, 77, it was \"sorry to hear\" he had died and informed him he could get a council tax exemption.\n\nIt came just one month after his wife of 54 years, Ann, had died.\n\nReplying to the letter to convince them he was alive had caused him \"distress\", Mr Dobson said. The council apologised and said it was a case of human error.\n\nMr Dobson said the letter had added to his stress at a time when he was already suffering, the Local Democracy Reporting Service said.\n\nPart of the letter sent to Mr Dobson earlier this month\n\n\"I have been up there to give them a letter, I've hand-delivered it to the council, telling them, 'Do I look dead to you?'\n\n\"It's an utter shambles, they're asking me to fill in forms when they think I'm dead, it doesn't make sense. I don't need this at all,\" he said.\n\nMr Dobson captioned his letter to the council Mr SL Dobson (deceased)\n\nIn his letter to the council, Mr Dobson, wrote: \"I have today received an ill-informed letter from you telling me that I have passed away.\n\n\"It occurs to me that only the [council] would write to a deceased person and ask them to fill in a council tax form. One doubts their sanity and rational thinking when taking such an action.\"\n\nA council spokesman said: \"The council has apologised to Mr Dobson for the mistake made when updating our records following the death of Mrs Dobson, and we regret that our mistake has caused Mr Dobson upset at this difficult time.\n\n\"We have reviewed what happened and unfortunately this was a case of human error for which we are deeply sorry.\"\n\nFind BBC News: East of England on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter. If you have a story suggestion email eastofenglandnews@bbc.co.uk","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/uk-england-norfolk-65002430"}
{"title":"Ullapool: The Highland community facing a 100-mile trip to see a dentist - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-19","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"A shortage of NHS dentists means people in Ullapool are also likely to have to pay for dental care.","section":"Highlands & Islands","content":"People in Ullapool are facing a 100-mile round trip for dental care after the village's only dentist retired.\n\nNHS Highland has been unable to recruit a replacement and has suggested patients register with private practices in Gairloch or Inverness.\n\nThose unable to afford private dental care have been unable to find NHS dentists taking on new patients.\n\nEarlier this week the British Dental Association (BDA) warned of a crisis facing dentistry in Scotland.\n\nNHS Highland blamed a national shortage of dentists for the situation in Ullapool.\n\nSue Pomeroy, from Little Loch Broom, is among local people \"desperately\" trying to find an NHS dentist.\n\nSue Pomeroy says her children need to be able to access NHS dentists\n\n\"I've phoned everywhere, practices as far as Easter Ross, but no-one is taking on NHS patients.\n\n\"One dentist told me I could be added to their waiting list but it's a year-and-a-half long. My friend has contacted 20 different dentists.\n\n\"I've got children who need regular check-ups, and I need follow-up treatment after dental surgery.\"\n\nHer former dentist served the town, which has a population of 1,500, and its outlying areas.\n\nSome have signed up for private care but Ms Pomeroy said this may not be affordable for people with families, or accessible for older people.\n\nInverness and Gairloch are both more than an hour's drive away from Ullapool.\n\nJonathan Miller, 66 has lived just outside Ullapool for the last 30 years. He told BBC Scotland that the cost of private dental care as well as fuel costs could put him off attending the dentist.\n\nHe said: \"It's a round trip of around 110 miles, which is a couple of hours there and back, you can't just nip out to the dentist.\n\n\"If it's going to cost me upwards of \u00a378 to go to Inverness just for a check-up, I'm not going to bother.\"\n\nHe has concerns that the lack of preventative care may lead to bigger dental issues in the future, which will end up costing him even more money.\n\nMr Miller said he felt people were being \"forced to go private\", adding: \"It starts with teeth, but where does it end?\"\n\nHe said it was the latest in a line of cuts that was making it \"increasingly difficult and expensive to live in rural areas.\"\n\nJonathan Miller is concerned about the costs of private dental care\n\nA spokesperson for NHS Highland said patients affected by the Ullapool surgery's closure had been given the option to access private dental care.\n\nChildren have been offered access to NHS dentistry.\n\nEarlier this week the professional body for dentists warned that NHS dental staffing problems could get worse.\n\nSpeaking to the BBC Radio's Good Morning Scotland, BDA Scotland director Charlotte Waite warned that 80% of dentists planned to reduce their NHS commitment this year, with 30% saying they would leave the profession or seek early retirement.\n\nShe said dentists were struggling with patient backlogs and soaring running costs, meaning the fees they were paid to offer NHS services were no longer covering the cost of carrying out the services. This means many dentists are operating at a loss.\n\nThe BDA has asked the Scottish government to bring payment reform forward.\n\nMs Waite said: \"If they don't sort out and reform the funding of this system there is a real risk that they will lose even more dentists from the NHS service.\"\n\nA Scottish government spokesperson said NHS Highland had now received expressions of interest for opening new dental practices, and the government would work with the health board to provide funding support if the applications were successful.\n\nThe government is also continuing to work \"apace\" on payment reform.\n\nThe BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/uk-scotland-highlands-islands-64976569"}
{"title":"Match of the Day: 'Great to be here', says Lineker as he makes TV return - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-19","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"Lineker hosts BBC sports coverage for first time after being taken off air in an impartiality row.","section":"UK","content":"This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Watch: Gary Lineker says \"it's great to be here\" as he returns to present BBC football following suspension\n\nGary Lineker has returned to presenting BBC football coverage for the first time since last week's impartiality row, saying it is \"great to be here\".\n\nPundit Alan Shearer said it had been a \"really difficult situation for everyone concerned\" as he welcomed Lineker back.\n\n\"It's good to get back to some sort of normality,\" he added.\n\nLineker was taken off air following a critical tweet on the government's asylum policy.\n\nLast Saturday's Match of the Day was broadcast without presenters or commentary and was only 20 minutes long after many of Lineker's BBC Sport colleagues, including Shearer, walked out in \"solidarity\".\n\nOn Monday the BBC said it would launch an independent review of its social media guidelines, particularly for freelancers like Lineker, 62 - but he could return in the meantime.\n\nAt the start of the BBC's live coverage of Manchester City v Burnley in the FA Cup on Saturday, Shearer said: \"I just need to clear up and wanted to say how upset we were [to] all the audiences who missed out on last weekend.\n\n\"It was a really difficult situation for everyone concerned, and through no fault of their own some really great people in TV and in radio were put in an impossible situation.\n\n\"That wasn't fair. So it's good to get back to some sort of normality and be talking about football again.\"\n\nOn Twitter, Lineker quashed any rumours and said Match of the Day on Saturday \"was always\" going to be presented by broadcaster Mark Chapman.\n\n\"For those who missed it and are asking, I presented the Match of the Day's live FA Cup game earlier this evening\", he said.\n\nEarlier, he tweeted a picture of himself on set at the Etihad Stadium and wrote: \"Ah the joys of being allowed to stick to football.\"\n\nThis Twitter post cannot be displayed in your browser. Please enable Javascript or try a different browser. View original tweet on Twitter The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Skip twitter post by Gary Lineker \ud83d\udc99\ud83d\udc9b 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\u2019s cookie policy, external and privacy policy, external before accepting. To view this content choose \u2018accept and continue\u2019. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.\n\nIn another tweet, he posted a picture of pundits and ex-England footballers Shearer and Micah Richards calling them \"teammates\".\n\nThe BBC confirmed it had asked Lineker to step back from his TV duties in a statement last week, after Lineker described the asylum policy as an \"immeasurably cruel policy directed at the most vulnerable people in language that is not dissimilar to that used by Germany in the 30s\".\n\nHis agent Jon Holmes wrote that the former England striker thought he had permission to voice an opinion on such matters.\n\n\"Gary takes a passionate interest in refugees and immigration and, as he saw it, had a special agreement with Tim Davie, the BBC's director general, to tweet about these issues,\" Jon Holmes wrote in the New Statesman.\n\nMr Davie has said he is committed to looking at how the corporation's impartiality guidelines apply to freelance staff, acknowledging there are \"grey areas\".\n\nHe apologised for what he acknowledged had been \"a difficult period\" for staff, presenters and audiences - and described the BBC's commitment to freedom of expression and impartiality as a \"difficult balancing act\".\n\nHe also denied his deal to get the presenter back on air was a \"climbdown\", telling BBC News: \"I've always said we needed to take proportionate action.\"\n\nAfter the official BBC statement statement was published, Lineker tweeted: \"I have been presenting sport on the BBC for almost three decades and am immeasurably proud to work with the best and fairest broadcaster in the world. I cannot wait to get back in the MOTD chair on Saturday.\"","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/uk-65003113"}
{"title":"Kuenssberg: Sunak is now hostage to his promises on childcare and small boats - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-19","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"Failure to deliver on childcare and small boats pledges could set back the progress of his first months.","section":"UK Politics","content":"\"You can get a lot done in a week\" - a snap from Rishi Sunak's oh-so-casually put-together social media feed shows him sitting on a bench, reading through his notes on the tarmac near a couple of parked-up fighter jets.\n\nThe stream of images is designed to show the world a few days of frenetic activity. Here I am with Joe Biden! Here I am at the Budget! Here I am working as hard as I can on your behalf!\n\nDuring his first couple of months in charge Rishi Sunak's workaholic tendencies were applied to a set of acute and immediate problems - could he stop the turmoil in the Tory Party and the financial markets? Then, did he have a clear idea of what he wanted to get done?\n\nHe tried to answer that with his five pledges at the turn of the year. Allies say there's a \"chipper mood\" and a sense now he can start to focus on priorities he chooses, rather than mop up the mess of what happened before.\n\nBut here's the next challenge - can Rishi Sunak make what he has promised to voters a reality?\n\nThe Budget was, one government insider said, \"all right, given we had no money\". Budgets sometimes unravel in a mess in the days that follow them - remember George Osborne's \"omnishambles\", or Philip Hammond's breach of the Conservative manifesto on National Insurance rises that he had to ditch?\n\nThat hasn't happened this time. In fact, one former minister branded it a \"snoozefest\". But that doesn't mean it's trouble-free. The idea designed to catch the eye of most voters is also a massive logistical task.\n\nGiving hard-pressed parents a lot more support sounds appealing and could make a practical difference to many voters' lives. From a purely political point of view it also has an allure for Tory HQ, because childcare was an issue where Labour was trying to make the running.\n\nBut what ministers have branded the \"biggest-ever expansion on childcare\" in England could be extremely hard to make happen. Nurseries have been closing in recent years, as they find it harder and harder to make childcare viable as a business.\n\nMinisters are aware that it could be a stretch: that is why the changes are being phased in gradually. But if the promise of more gleaming nurseries, happy toddlers and less-stressed parents is not matched by reality, the government may be punished.\n\nThere's a strand of Conservative opinion uneasy with what amounts to another expensive expansion of the state.\n\nAnd don't forget the big picture - the Budget pointed to the pressure on people's wallets, with living standards dropping and fears of a \"lost decade\". A big, expensive promise on childcare that's hard to keep doesn't erase that reality overnight.\n\nChancellor Jeremy Hunt pledged a big increase in childcare, but nurseries have been closing\n\nThe prime minister has also piled huge amounts of political effort into ending the passage of migrants across the Channel.\n\nThe slogan, \"Stop the Boats\", even appears on his government lectern. This simple three-word phrase, lifted from Australia, has already become part of the political lexicon.\n\nThe home secretary has just touched down in Rwanda where she hopes to push on with efforts to have migrants who arrive in the UK sent there. Almost every time a government minister opens their mouth they mention the steps they are taking, more new laws that have just started to make their way through Parliament this week, notwithstanding the doubts expressed by some senior Conservatives, even Theresa May.\n\nBut keeping that vow to end the crossings will be extremely difficult. The courts soon have another say over the legality of sending new arrivals to Rwanda. The practicalities of where anyone detained will be housed are unclear.\n\nRelations with France are on a much better footing with \"le bromance\" between Rishi Sunak and President Emmanuel Macron. But France has not signed up to a returns agreement. It is impossible to know if Rishi Sunak's promise will make very much difference.\n\nA sceptic might suggest that ministers are aware of that, and being seen to make an effort also matters. The party's strong language on immigration also is a point of contrast with the Labour Party. Yet - just as with the big offer on free childcare - a promise made, but not kept, could be intensely damaging.\n\nFor a leader who favours under-promising and over-delivering, Rishi Sunak has set the government two very significant tasks, neither of which he can be sure of achieving. In the coming weeks, there'll be more - new measures to tackle anti-social behaviour, a push on green business, and possibly plans for local healthcare too.\n\nThe French president hailed a \"moment of reconnection\", but there was no deal on returning migrants across the Channel\n\nHis supporters reckon the prime minister now has his own momentum, an elusive element in politics that is hard to create. But there are banana skins that could cause the calm to slip in the coming days.\n\nHis old boss will be in front of MPs answering questions on the toxic mess of Partygate. Like it or not, Boris Johnson is a walking, talking headline-generator, who sucks up nearly all available political oxygen.\n\nOne minister told me the \"'bring back Boris' brigade are more muted now\", but his presence is always unpredictable and disruptive, a headache the current No 10 could do without.\n\nMore seriously, this week there is a vote on what the prime minister hailed as a genuine breakthrough, the Windsor Framework, to unpick the long-standing knot of the Northern Irish Protocol.\n\nThe Northern Irish unionists, the DUP, who have long objected to the effects the arrangements have, are yet to reveal exactly what they will do. They are not big in number, but their support - or lack of it - is fundamental to whether government can get up and running in Northern Ireland again.\n\nFor all that Rishi Sunak's allies and many Conservative MPs reckon his approach is starting to work, there's not much evidence of it in the polls, which remain stubbornly appalling for the Conservatives. But polls aren't real votes.\n\nIt's not long now until the prime minister faces the most important verdict of all and his first in the job - local elections at the ballot box in May. Then his promises, and the public's belief that he can keep them, will be put to the test for real.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/uk-politics-65001267"}
{"title":"Inside the secret talks to end nurse and ambulance strikes - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-19","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"The BBC can reveal how unprecedented discussions led to a deal over one of the most bitter NHS disputes.","section":"Health","content":"With nurses staging their most extensive strike and other unions walking out, the NHS faced one its most bitter disputes\n\nIt was one of the most bitter disputes in the history of the NHS, with the Royal College of Nursing staging its most extensive strike action ever. But as a deal with ministers was reached in England this week, the BBC can now reveal details of the secret and unprecedented talks.\n\nOn cold, frosty mornings on nurses' picket lines the rhetoric was fiery and noisy. Striking nurses condemned the government for failing to open pay talks. Ministers criticised walkouts affecting patients.\n\nBut behind the scenes it was a very different story. Secret contacts were being made between the two sides.\n\nFrom early January there were confidential approaches from an unofficial source to the Royal College of Nurses (RCN), the nurses' union, about the possibility of talks beginning in England. This involved putting out feelers to see what might bring the nurses' union to the table.\n\nStrikes by nurses and other health unions - representing paramedics, midwives and other NHS staff - had been triggered when ministers insisted on sticking to the recommendations of the independent pay review body (PRB). It had proposed average increases of 4%.\n\nThe RCN's original demand for a wage rise of 5% above inflation - equivalent at one point to 19% - was unaffordable, ministers said.\n\nThe government is ultimately responsible for setting NHS pay in England, funded by the Department of Health and Social Care. NHS Employers are involved in detailed negotiations.\n\nBut now these secret contacts had been made, it was not obvious to the RCN how closely they were linked to Downing Street or other parts of Whitehall.\n\nThe approaches seemed highly unorthodox. Usually it would be obvious whether ministers or officials were making a proposal.\n\nBut all became clear on 21 February with a call from Downing Street to the Royal College of Nursing. There was an invitation to talks which would include the idea of a one-off payment for the current financial year, a key demand of the nurses. The public announcement came as a big surprise even to some civil servants.\n\nThe prime minister was signalling a change of tack. Previously there had been denials that any more money was available. In return for the invitation to talk the RCN had to agree to call off an escalated two-day strike in England affecting all care, including emergencies.\n\nThe Royal College of Nursing's Pat Cullen had a high profile in the media and seemingly high public support\n\nAnd so began the chain of events which led to last Thursday's pay offer to nurses, paramedics, midwives and other health staff in England.\n\nThere were shades of international diplomacy and intrigue in the negotiations. Back-channels and deniable contacts had steered a damaging dispute into calmer waters.\n\nThe stakes could not have been higher, as on the face of it the NHS strikes and widespread disruption had seemed destined to rumble on for months. But so far, these tentative talks were only with the RCN. The other health unions, representing paramedics and a range of health staff, were irritated. They were not invited to the table.\n\nIt seemed that the government was deliberately focusing on the nurses' union because of what seemed to be rising public support. RCN's general secretary Pat Cullen had a high profile in the media.\n\nThe RCN discussions with ministers remained shrouded in secrecy. Early encounters took place at an undisclosed location to avoid the media.\n\nBut that changed on 2 March when the other unions were invited to join the talks. Assurances were given that more money was available but the unions had to agree to keep the process confidential.\n\nThe result was an intensive series of meetings at the Department of Health and Social Care in Victoria Street, close to Westminster Abbey.\n\nThey took place on the ninth floor in offices which have traditionally been occupied by ministers. Health Secretary Steve Barclay had chosen to move down one floor to an open plan office with civil servants.\n\nUnion officials were intrigued to note they were meeting in an office once occupied by Matt Hancock. It was the scene of his kiss with his then-aide Gina Coladangelo, caught on CCTV and the images leaked to a newspaper. They joked about the possible presence of cameras.\n\nThe six members of the NHS staff council, representing the main health unions, along with one other official, were used to talks with employers. Sara Gorton of Unison, who chairs the council, says of the unprecedented situation they were in: \"The process was unique in that the secretary of state was personally involved and negotiated directly with unions.\"\n\nWhat was also highly unusual was the presence of Treasury officials as well as negotiators from NHS Employers and health staff. It seemed they wanted to keep a close watch on money being offered.\n\nUnison's Sara Gorton said it was a unique situation for the health secretary to negotiate directly with unions\n\nOne union source said it became clear we were \"negotiating with people who weren't used to it\". Another added that they had \"never worked in this way before\".\n\nThere was a determination on the part of ministers to avoid leaks. Data sheets given to the negotiators had to be handed back at the end of each day. When the union team took the paperwork for their own private discussions they had to hand over their phones to prevent photos being taken. No paper was allowed to leave the building.\n\nPerhaps in a bid to demonstrate Whitehall austerity there was no regular supply of refreshments. One participant remembers \"coffee and an occasional biscuit\". Another said they decided to bring in their own glasses for water.\n\nFor lunch they were taken down to the department's canteen, escorted at all times around the building. Occasionally they nipped out for fresh air and a quick visit to a local sushi bar.\n\nThe days were long with formal talks in full sessions interspersed with negotiating teams retreating to smaller offices. Sometimes they ran on beyond midnight. They knew the outcome of their work would be vitally important for the whole NHS in England.\n\nSteve Barclay was present for much of the process, as was health minister Will Quince - though he had to take his leave one day because the King was visiting his constituency.\n\nAccording to one union source: \"Steve Barclay was constructive and there was not the heated atmosphere seen before Christmas.\"\n\nOne government source describes the secretary of state's style: \"What gets him going is seeing a problem through - like a maths problem - he doesn't make a big noise and gets his head down.\"\n\nHealth Secretary Steve Barclay was \"constructive\" in talks, a union source said\n\nThere were tensions at times, but no serious fallings out. Late on Wednesday evening a deal was done. Exhausted participants retired, relieved but knowing it had to be sold to members.\n\nRachel Harrison of the GMB reflects on the outcome: \"They were very long days locked on the ninth floor but it was what we asked for - we wanted to be invited in and they did.\"\n\nUnions had insisted before entering the talks that it had to be \"new money\" which funded any pay offer. Ministers, after the deal, said the funding would not come from NHS frontline budgets.\n\nBut there is still ambiguity about the source of the money, with government sources saying some would come from existing planned Department of Health and Social Care spending and the rest after negotiation with the Treasury.\n\nThe pay dispute started with ministers insisting that they would follow recommendations of the pay review body and not negotiate directly with unions. But it was face-to-face talks which broke the deadlock.\n\nThe deal - a one off payment and a 5% pay rise for the year starting in April - included an agreement to review the composition and remit of the PRB.\n\nYet this is not the end of the process. The dispute will only end once health union members give their approval - and that is far from certain.\n\nThere is a separate and ongoing doctors' pay row. There are different pay discussions in Scotland and Wales.\n\nBut strikes which have caused frustrating delays for patients and damaged staff morale have for now come to an end in England. As one union source reflects: \"What a shame it took so long.\"","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/health-65001789"}
{"title":"Imran Khan's chaotic court summons in 60 seconds - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-19","authors":null,"description":"The BBC travelled in the former prime minister's convoy as he faces charges of corruption at a court in Islamabad.","section":null,"content":"The former Prime Minister of Pakistan, Imran Khan, is answering charges of corruption, which he dismisses as politically motivated, at a court in Islamabad\n\nA warrant for his arrest was suspended on Friday on the condition that he appear at court.\n\nHe was accompanied by armed security as he left his home in Lahore, which was raided by police after he left.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/world-asia-64999864"}
{"title":"Royals share photos to mark first Mother's Day without late Queen - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-19","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"New photos are released including of King Charles, the Princess of Wales and Camilla, the Queen Consort.","section":"UK","content":"The picture of Queen Elizabeth II and King Charles was posted alongside a message\n\nKing Charles has remembered the late Queen on his first Mother's Day since her death.\n\nA photo showing the King as a baby on the Queen's lap was released by the Royal Family on social media on Sunday.\n\nThey also shared a photo of Camilla, the Queen Consort, with her mother.\n\nBoth images were accompanied with a message wishing a special Mother's Day \"to all mothers everywhere, and to those who may be missing their mums today\".\n\n\"We are thinking of you,\" the message read.\n\nThis was the first Mother's Day since the death of the late Queen, who died on 8 September 2022 aged 96.\n\nThe Prince and Princess of Wales also posted pictures of Catherine with her three children on Sunday.\n\nCatherine also shared memories to mark the day\n\nIn one photograph, she is pictured sitting in a tree with Prince George, 9, Princess Charlotte, 7, and Prince Louis, 4.\n\nAnother picture shows Catherine holding Prince Louis in her arms.\n\nThe photos were accompanied with a message reading: \"Happy Mother's Day from our family to yours\".\n\nCamilla's mother, Rosalind Shand, died in 1994 from the bone disease osteoporosis aged 72. Following her mother's death, Camilla tried to help raise awareness of the condition with several visits to bone units in hospitals across the UK.\n\nA ceremony taking place at Westminster Abbey in London on 6 May 2023 will see King Charles III crowned alongside Camilla.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/uk-65007719"}
{"title":"Russia and Ukraine extend grain deal despite disagreement - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-19","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"The renewed accord means exports can continue via Ukraine's Black Sea ports, but it is unclear how long for.","section":"Europe","content":"The UN says nearly 25 million tonnes of grain have left Ukraine under the deal\n\nA deal allowing Ukraine to export millions of tonnes of grain through the Black Sea despite the ongoing conflict with Russia has been extended.\n\nBut it is unclear how long it will last, with Ukraine pushing for 120 days, and Russia calling for 60 days.\n\nRussia has warned it will not allow the deal to go on longer unless sanctions against Moscow are softened.\n\nThe UN and Turkey helped broker the export agreement last July following fears of a global food crisis.\n\nUkraine is one of the world's top producers of grain, but its access to ports in the Black Sea was blocked by Russian warships following the invasion in February last year.\n\nCountries that suffer with food insecurity, such as Yemen, rely heavily on these supplies.\n\nTurkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan announced an agreement on extending the deal on Saturday, with hours to go before it was due to expire.\n\n\"This deal is of vital importance for the global food supply. I thank Russia and Ukraine, who didn't spare their efforts for a new extension, as well as the United Nations secretary general,\" he said.\n\nBut neither Mr Erdogan nor the UN clarified how long it would last. Ukraine wanted it to be extended for 120 days, but Russia said it was only willing to renew the pact for another 60 days.\n\nVassily Nebenzia, Russia's ambassador to the UN, said on Friday that the EU, UK and US had two months to remove any sanctions targeting Russia's agricultural sector if they wanted the deal to continue.\n\nMoscow wants Russian producers to be able to export more food and fertiliser to the rest of the world, but says Western sanctions are preventing them.\n\nWhile food and fertiliser exports have not been targeted, Russia says restrictions on payments, insurers and shippers makes exports difficult.\n\nRussia briefly withdrew from the deal in November last year, accusing Ukraine of attacking its fleet in the Crimea - but it re-joined a few days later.\n\nAccording to the UN, the deal has already allowed nearly 25 million tonnes of foodstuffs from Ukraine's Black Sea ports reach global markets.\n\u2022 None What is the Ukraine grain deal and is it working?","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/world-europe-65000324"}
{"title":"RAF Scampton: Historians pen letter against WW2 airfield migrant plan - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-19","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"The group is opposed to plans for RAF Scampton, former home of the Dambusters and the Red Arrows.","section":"Lincolnshire","content":"Historian James Holland said RAF Scampton was one of the richest places for aviation history in the country\n\nA group of world-renowned historians have written to the government opposing plans to house asylum seekers at a historic air base.\n\nEarlier this month, West Lindsey District Council confirmed RAF Scampton in Lincolnshire was being considered as an asylum centre by the Home Office.\n\nThe airfield was the HQ of the famous World War Two Dambusters 617 squadron.\n\nBut historian James Holland said there were other less historically important sites to house migrants.\n\nThe World War Two expert said Home Secretary Suella Braverman would have the letter, signed by \"a raft of historians and broadcasters\", by Monday.\n\nA letter signed by 40 historians has urged the Home Secretary to rethink any plans to house asylum seekers at the former RAF Scampton\n\nThe station was home to the Royal Air Force Aerobatic Team - the Red Arrows - and was where 617 Squadron, the Dambusters squadron, was officially formed on 23 March 1943.\n\nThe Dambusters squadron took part in raids over Germany in World War Two and breached Germany's Mohne and Eder dams.\n\nMr Holland said the open letter's 40 signatories included Sir Antony Beevor, Dan Snow, Sir Max Hastings and Professor David Edgerton.\n\nHe said there were \"so many places around the country where asylum seekers could be housed with the kind of sensitivity and care that they absolutely need\".\n\n\"But it just doesn't have to be on one of the richest places in terms of history and heritage in the country for aviation,\" he added.\n\nThe Red Arrows were a familiar sight in the skies around RAF Scampton for more than 20 years\n\nThe letter describes RAF Scampton as \"a hub of innovation from Barnes Wallis' bouncing bombs to the low-level precision by the Dambusters\".\n\nIt said the \"dramatic change of use to an asylum centre\" could threaten the \"rich heritage\" of the site.\n\nIt added the base could once again become an innovation centre for future generations of engineers if \"action was taken to quickly\" implement a proposed regeneration scheme for the site.\n\nNews the site could be used to house migrants emerged on 8 March when Conservative MP Sir Edward Leigh said he had been told civil servants were working on plans.\n\nA Home Office spokesperson said: \"We have always been upfront about the unprecedented pressure being put on our asylum system, brought about by a significant increase in dangerous and illegal journeys into the country.\n\n\"We continue to work across government and with local authorities to look at a range of accommodation options and sites but the best way to relieve these pressures is to stop the boats in the first place.\"\n\nFollow BBC East Yorkshire and Lincolnshire on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. Send your story ideas to yorkslincs.news@bbc.co.uk\n\nThe BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/uk-england-lincolnshire-65000047"}
{"title":"Six Nations 2023: Ireland 29-16 England - Irish seal Grand Slam in Dublin - BBC Sport","published_date":"2023-03-19","authors":null,"description":"Ireland win their fourth Grand Slam as they wear down 14-man England in a tense Six Nations finale in Dublin.","section":null,"content":"Last updated on .From the section Rugby Union\n\nIreland won their fourth Grand Slam as they wore down 14-man England in a tense Six Nations finale in Dublin.\n\nTwo early Owen Farrell penalties put England ahead before Ireland hit back with a well-worked Dan Sheehan try.\n\nEngland's hopes of an upset were dashed when Freddie Steward was sent off just before half-time.\n\nRobbie Henshaw and Rob Herring tries either side of Sheehan's second of the game ensured Ireland's first Grand Slam in five years, and first won in Dublin.\n\nEngland, much improved from their humiliating defeat by France at Twickenham last week, scored a deserved second-half try through Jamie George, but were unable to pull off a major upset and ruin Ireland's big day.\n\nDespite being tested by a resilient English side, Ireland - as they have so often done under Andy Farrell - found a way to win as they gave talismanic captain Johnny Sexton the perfect send-off in his final Six Nations match, even though his day ended early because of injury.\n\nThe full-time whistle was greeted with Irish celebrations at a jubilant Aviva Stadium as the home side delivered on their immense promise, having entered the competition as the world's number one side.\n\nWith the prospect of being confirmed as champions before kick-off ended by France's 41-28 win over Wales, the tension inside the Aviva Stadium was palpable from the start as Ireland plotted the dream finale to a memorable campaign.\n\nBut while few gave England much chance of spoiling the Irish party following their record-breaking hammering by France last week, it was the visitors who settled quicker.\n\nTheir reward was two penalties, both scored by Farrell, the second coming after Alex Dombrandt stopped Johnny Sexton from scoring with a crucial tackle at the other end.\n\nClearly nervous, Ireland were made to wait until the 18th minute for their first score. But it was a big one as Sexton thumped a penalty between the sticks to surpass Ronan O'Gara as the competition's record scorer.\n\nWhile Sexton's record-breaking penalty settled a few nerves, Sheehan's score produced a massive roar from the Aviva crowd, the hooker crossing after a well-worked set-piece that saw Josh van der Flier breaking from a line-out maul.\n\nWith Sheehan having given Ireland a much-needed shot in the arm, things went from bad to worse for England on the cusp of half-time when Steward was sent off after colliding with Hugo Keenan.\n\nAfter an Irish pass went forwards, Keenan stooped to pick up the loose ball. The on-rushing Steward turned sideways at the last moment and Keenan's head collided with the England full-back's arm, with referee Jaco Peyper ruling that the contact merited a red card.\n\nDespite their numerical disadvantage, England refused to lie down in the second half, and moved to within a point when Farrell booted his third penalty between the posts.\n\nBut Ireland managed to regain control and exerted enough pressure to prise open holes in the English defence, with Henshaw able to slip through before Sheehan's second score seemingly put the hosts out of England's reach.\n\nTo their credit, England continued to plug away and scored their only try when George crashed over, but after the visitors' Jack Willis was sin-binned, replacement Irish hooker Herring stretched to score his first Six Nations try and complete a famous triumph for Ireland.\n\nWhile England head coach Steve Borthwick can take heart that his side delivered on their promise to show more fight than they did against France, a fourth-place finish is a stark reminder of the task facing Eddie Jones' successor.\n\nIn contrast, Ireland will now approach the World Cup later this year with relish as they look to progress past the quarter-finals of rugby's quadrennial showpiece for the first time.\n\nThat is all to come. For now, Ireland can celebrate retaking their place at the top of the Six Nations.\n\u2022 None Ireland have now won four Grand Slams with triumphs coming in 1948, 2009, 2018 and 2023\n\u2022 None They have won five Six Nations titles with their other wins in 2009, 2014, 2015 and 2018\n\u2022 None Andy Farrell's side set a new national record of eight straight Six Nations wins, surpassing the seven-game streak they set between 2004 and 2005\n\u2022 None Ireland are on a national record run of 14 wins at home\n\nAnalysis - what they said\n\nFormer England captain Matt Dawson on BBC Radio 5 Live: \"I'm proud of the way England fronted up but they gave away far too many penalties.\n\n\"Their ill-discipline kept giving easy ball to Ireland. A good performance by England but the focus should be on this tremendous Irish side.\n\n\"I just cannot see anyone beating the Irish. They are head and shoulders ahead.\n\n\"This Ireland team have what it takes, not just to win the Six Nations, but the World Cup as well.\"\n\nFormer Ireland number eight Jamie Heaslip on Radio 5 Live: \"It's a great day for the Irish. They are a special group with a different mindset to the past. They are comfortable with being the number one side in the world.\"","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/sport\/rugby-union\/64992479"}
{"title":"Terry Hall: Coventry scooter ride-out pays tribute to singer - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-19","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"Hundreds of people ride through Coventry on what would have been the singer's 64th birthday.","section":"Coventry & Warwickshire","content":"Some scooters were decorated in honour of The Specials singer\n\nHundreds of people have taken part in a scooter ride-out in Terry Hall's home city of Coventry to mark what would have been his 64th birthday.\n\nHall, singer with The Specials, died in December of pancreatic cancer.\n\nScooters were a symbol of the Two Tone scene of which Hall was an icon, at its peak in the late 1970s and early 1980s.\n\n\"The whole mods and rude boys, it all just amalgamated into one scene. They all rode scooters; they all looked sharp,\" said organiser Richard Willie.\n\nHannah Tobin, from the city, said the sheer number of scooters who turned out from all over the West Midlands had been \"absolutely amazing\".\n\n\"It was quite moving and brilliant seeing them all in convoy to remember him,\" she said.\n\nPeople from scooter clubs wanted to pay their respects to Terry Hall\n\nSuki Singh, who helped to organise the event, said many people had been in touch, asking to take part,\n\n\"We've had other clubs - CV Collective, All or Nothing, groups from Solihull, Kettering and Northampton - that all wanted to get involved and as soon as people found out about it - it just got sort of bigger and bigger,\" he said.\n\n\"Some things pass you by at the time but suddenly, years later, we realise how big Two Tone was, and a massive part was played, obviously, by The Specials.\n\nThe city's 2-Tone Village has music and stalls to raise funds for Tonic, a charity supported by Hall, that aims to help people's mental health and recovery through music.\n\nPeople were moved by the number of scooter riders taking part\n\nParking in the village was affected\n\nThe top end of Marlborough Road became a scooter park for the day, affecting parking in some roads, the village said.\n\nThe Specials spearheaded the Two Tone and ska scenes, their music reflecting an era of upheaval, unemployment and racial tension.\n\nThis Twitter post cannot be displayed in your browser. Please enable Javascript or try a different browser. View original tweet on Twitter The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Skip twitter post by Hannah 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\u2019s cookie policy, external and privacy policy, external before accepting. To view this content choose \u2018accept and continue\u2019. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.\n\nThey split in 1981 but hits such as Ghost Town and Too Much Too Young ensured their legacy.\n\nHall went on to found Fun Boy Three, The Colourfield and Vegas, and also performed as a solo artist.\n\nTerry Hall died in December aged 63 after being diagnosed with pancreatic cancer\n\nThe Specials reformed in 2008, featuring Hall, but without co-founder Jerry Dammers.\n\nMr Willie, who runs the Lounge Lizards Scooter Club, said Hall had \"touched all of our souls\".\n\n\"We all loved Terry Hall,\" said Mr Willie.\n\n\"When he died, we just wanted to do something to honour his legacy and all the music he made, which was a massive part of our lives.\"\n\nRichard Willie organised the event, with The 2 Tone Caf\u00e9 owners Angela and Alf Knight set to cater for the riders\n\nFollow BBC West Midlands on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. Send your story ideas to: newsonline.westmidlands@bbc.co.uk","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/uk-england-coventry-warwickshire-65006801"}
{"title":"William Hill: Gambling addict says bookmaker didn't help him stop - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-19","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"A teacher says William Hill should have done more to stop him betting when he was staking thousands.","section":"Wales","content":"Matthew phoned William Hill to close his account, but the firm allowed him to carry on betting\n\nA gambling addict has said bookmaker William Hill should have done more to help him stop betting when he was staking thousands on single bets.\n\nMatthew, not his real name, from south Wales, racked up more than \u00a370,000 of debt with William Hill between 2012 and 2019.\n\nCalls showed he was angry and upset, with gambling rules saying bookmakers should intervene at signs of distress.\n\nWilliam Hill said it found no shortcomings in its procedures.\n\nMatthew, a teacher and father of three, had a salary of about \u00a335,000 a year when he started staking small amounts on big events such as the Grand National.\n\nBefore long, he was opening online accounts and taking advantage of free bets.\n\nHe said this escalated as he \"chased\" small losses, with his stakes increasing from a couple of pounds to as much as \u00a310,000 at once.\n\nWilliam Hill made him a gold customer - its VIP scheme - and Matthew was soon staking his \u00a32,300 a month take-home salary on payday.\n\nIn a Radio 4 documentary named Desperate Calls, Matthew has listened back to 89 phone conversations he had with William Hill.\n\nMost of these were to use a service called \"Quick Cash\", allowing him to withdraw money directly to the bookmaker without having to wait for money to clear in his bank account.\n\nThis service at William Hill is now called CashDirect.\n\nSometimes he would leave the shop with \u00a35,000 in cash.\n\nMatthew made calls from a phone box as he could no longer afford a mobile phone\n\nDozens of these calls were made from a dilapidated phone box just outside the shop.\n\nHe was spending so much on gambling he could not afford his mobile phone bill.\n\nWilliam Hill said Matthew won many times and withdrew thousands from his account, but Matthew said he would re-stake those winnings almost immediately.\n\nHe said: \"The dynamics changed rapidly, life revolved around gambling.\n\n\"On reflection life was a blur, I struggle to recall much of the last decade, other than some extremely dark thoughts, severe lows and the odd high. Not being focused on family and the people closest to me.\"\n\nHe still owes \u00a370,000 to family and friends.\n\nMany of the calls he made to William Hill showed him to be angry and upset.\n\nThe Gambling Commission has rules, saying operators should spot problem gamblers and intervene if they are showing signs of distress.\n\nMatthew said William Hill did not check with him on these points and allowed him to carry on betting.\n\nA member of staff from William Hill's due diligence team phoned Matthew after he said in an email he wanted to \"self-exclude\" because he was angry over a lack of free bets.\n\nThis meant closing his account permanently and banning him from other online betting sites too.\n\nBut during the conversation, the staff member discussed self-exclusion and other processes to curb Matthew's gambling, but ultimately allowed him to continue because he thought the complaint was due to the service he was getting and a lack of free bets, rather than a social responsibility issue.\n\nMatthew said he did not say he had a problem because stopping \"is not a desirable outcome at that point\".\n\n\"Underlying all that is you just want to win [the money] back\".\n\nIt reached a point when Matthew knew he had to stop gambling. His family took him to the GP and he has since had counselling to treat his gambling disorder.\n\nBut Matthew wanted to know what had happened: \"Once the cycle of gambling was broken I analysed a mountain of data obtained under a subject access request. I wrote a letter of complaint to William Hill.\"\n\nWilliam Hill said it took customer complaints seriously\n\nWilliam Hill said: \"We conducted a thorough investigation into our management of Matthew's account and identified no shortcomings in our safer gambling procedures in relation to Matthew's account requirements during the period in question.\n\n\"Ensuring high standards of safer gambling and preventing gambling-related harm is central to the way William Hill operates and we take any customer complaint in this area incredibly seriously, and are committed to driving continuous improvement in this area.\"\n\nThe bookmaker was fined \u00a36.2m in 2018 for failing to protect consumers.\n\nMany of the cases highlighted by the regulator were similar to Matthew's and occurred at about the same time.\n\nA UK government white paper is due to be published soon, with recommendations for strict affordability checks and a new ombudsman for consumer complaints expected.\n\nCurrently, people with social responsibility complaints can only write to the Gambling Commission, which cannot comment on what action it is taking, leaving many people in limbo.\n\nMatthew said: \"Without significant change there will be many more who fall foul of the pitfalls as I did. More lives destroyed, more families and friendships ruined and more lives lost.\"\n\nSupport for addiction issues is available via the BBC Action Line","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/uk-wales-64975068"}
{"title":"Antonio Conte criticises Tottenham Hotspur ownership and 'selfish' players - BBC Sport","published_date":"2023-03-19","authors":null,"description":"A furious Antonio Conte says his Tottenham players are \"selfish\" and the club \"can change the manager but the situation cannot change\".","section":null,"content":"A furious Antonio Conte says his players are \"selfish\" and Tottenham \"can change the manager but the situation cannot change\" in a stinging criticism of the club's culture.\n\nThe Spurs boss said his team \"don't want to help each other\" after a 3-3 draw at Southampton on Saturday.\n\n\"Tottenham's story is this - 20 years there is this owner and they never won something. Why?\" Conte said.\n\nSpurs had led by two goals at St Mary's but conceded twice in 15 minutes.\n\n\"The fault is only for the club, or for every manager that stay here?\" said Conte. \"I have seen the managers that Tottenham had on the bench. You risk to disrupt the figure of the manager and to protect the other situation in every moment.\n\n\"Until now I try to hide the situation but not now because, I repeat, I don't want to see what I have seen today because this is unacceptable and also unacceptable for the fans.\"\n\u2022 None 'Conte blames Spurs players but is part of problem'\n\nTottenham have won one trophy since the ownership group, chaired by Daniel Levy, took over the club in 2001 - the League Cup in 2008.\n\nThey have had 11 different managers in that time, including three since the 2019 departure of Mauricio Pochettino, who took them to the Champions League final before being sacked six months later.\n\nSpurs are out of all cup competitions this season with Sheffield United knocking them out of the FA Cup before AC Milan ended their Champions League hopes - and Conte said it is time for the club and players to start taking responsibility.\n\n\"Not only the club, the manager and the staff. The players have to be involved in this situation because it is time to change this situation if Tottenham want to change,\" he said.\n\n\"If they want to continue in this way, they can change the manager, a lot of managers, but the situation cannot change. Believe me.\n\n\"Maybe previously in the other games something can change. But here we're used to it for a long time. The club has the responsibility for the transfer market, every coach that stayed here has the responsibility. And the players? The players? Where are the players?\n\n\"In my experience, I can tell you that if you want to be competitive, if you want to fight, you have to improve this aspect. And this aspect, I can tell you, in this moment is really, really low. And I see only 11 players that play for themselves.\"\n\u2022 None Listen to the latest The Far Post podcast\n\nWhen asked why this is the case at Tottenham, Conte said: \"Because they are used to it here, they are used to it. They don't play for something important here. They don't want to play under pressure, they don't want to play under stress.\"\n\nSpurs remain fourth in the Premier League and had the chance to go above Manchester United into third with victory over Southampton, but during his damning media conference after the match, Conte said if their current form continues they will be lucky to secure a Champions League spot at all.\n\nHe said: \"There are 10 games to go and some people think we can fight. Fight for what with this spirit, this attitude, this commitment? What? For seventh, eighth, 10th place?\n\n\"We are 11 players that go into the pitch. I see selfish players, I see players that don't want to help each other and don't put their heart.\n\n\"I am not used to this position. I'm really upset and everyone has to take their responsibility.\"\n\nConte had said on Thursday he does not expect to get sacked by the club, after comments he made following Spurs' European exit that they may decide to dismiss him before his contract ends in the summer.\n\nHe said those comments were \"a joke\", but indicated in his criticism that the club are \"worse\" than last season when they pipped London rivals Arsenal to a top-four spot.\n\n\"It's much better to go into the problem, because the problem is that for another time we showed that we are not a team,\" Conte said.\n\n\"Before today I prefer to hide this situation and to try to speak, to try to improve the spirit, the situation, with the words, With a lot of situations.\n\n\"If I have to compare last season and this season, we have to improve, but now we are worse in this aspect. When you are not a team, anything can happen, in any moment. Today is the last situation.\n\n\"Being a team, it is the most important thing. To understand that we play for the badge.\"\n\nMidfielder Dejan Kulusevski said Tottenham's performance at Southampton was \"not good enough\" as the draw made it five away matches without a win in all competitions.\n\n\"Being up 1-0, 2-1, 3-1, the game should be finished so very bad from us,\" the Sweden international told Tottenham's website.\n\n\"The penalty is not even a pen but we shouldn't be in that situation so it is completely our fault. We are very disappointed with ourselves and it is not good enough.\n\n\"It feels like a loss. We needed this win. We know this three points was very important and we prepare for this game a lot this week. We are very disappointed.\"\n\u2022 None Our coverage of Tottenham Hotspur is bigger and better than ever before - here's everything you need to know to make sure you never miss a moment\n\u2022 None Everything Spurs - go straight to all the best content","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/sport\/football\/65002960"}
{"title":"Car gets wedged outside historic Bath hotel - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-19","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"The car became stuck by the basement windows of the Francis Hotel in the early hours of Sunday.","section":"Somerset","content":"The car crashed into the Francis Hotel in the early hours of the morning\n\nDiners at one of Bath's historic hotels were met with an unusual sight on Mother's Day when a car became wedged against its basement windows.\n\nAvon Fire and Rescue Service said they were called to the Francis Hotel in Queen Square at about 04:45 GMT on Sunday.\n\nA rescue crew freed one of the occupants from the vehicle, while another was able to get out by himself.\n\nThe car remains stuck but the hotel is open as normal.\n\nEmily, 47, was visiting family from London for Mother's Day lunch when she saw the accident.\n\nShe told BBC West: \"We thought it might have been a small fire but we looked over the railings and there was a whole car fitted in there and people making jokes about parking - you can't really see how it got down there.\n\n\"There was quite a large section of the railings that were broken and some stonework had also been damaged, so you could see it must have been quite high impact.\n\n\"There was a fire engine and a few crew, but there didn't seem to be anything happening - I don't know if the fire crew were just guarding the site.\n\n\"The hotel was open - it was a bit strange because you could see through the window and there were people having their lunch and their afternoon tea above where the car was.\"\n\nA member of staff at the hotel said the basement was used for storage and guest rooms had been unaffected.\n\nA fire crew helped one male exit the car, while another got out by himself\n\nA spokesman for Avon Fire and Rescue said: \"We were called at 04:45 due to a car having left the road and colliding with a hotel and ended up in a precarious position over a basement area.\n\n\"An ambulance was in attendance and requested we help them rescue a young adult male from within that area.\"\n\nFirefighters used specialist equipment to free the male, the spokesman said, before handing him into the care of paramedics.\n\n\"We worked closely with the Francis Hotel to make sure their business was not affected,\" the spokesman added.\n\nFollow BBC West on Facebook,TwitterandInstagram. Send your story ideas to: bristol@bbc.co.uk\n\nThe BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/uk-england-somerset-65008705"}
{"title":"Georgia Harrison: I was living in fear of more sex footage - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-19","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"Reality TV star Stephen Bear was jailed for sharing explicit footage online without Ms Harrison's consent.","section":"UK","content":"This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser.\n\nReality TV star Georgia Harrison says she was \"living in fear\" that more footage from an explicit video shared without her consent would be released.\n\nHer ex-partner, Stephen Bear, was jailed for 21 months after being found guilty of voyeurism and sharing private sexual videos online.\n\nThe 28-year-old said seeing the footage on subscription site OnlyFans was \"the final straw\" for her.\n\nMs Harrison said she feared Bear would sell even more footage.\n\nHe had used CCTV cameras in his garden to capture them having sex and then sent it to a friend and sold the video online - none of which she consented to.\n\nA six-minute clip was posted online but the original video was 20 minutes long.\n\nMs Harrison told the BBC's Sunday with Laura Kuenssberg programme she was aware some people \"were viewing the whole thing\" which was \"a lot harder\" for her to cope with.\n\n\"I was living in fear that he was going to sell more,\" she added.\n\nMs Harrison - who has waived her right to anonymity - started criminal proceedings against Bear, who she met on a reality show, in December 2020.\n\nShe said the process of going to court was tough but \"empowering\".\n\n\"I just felt it was the only option. I'd been pushed so far, and before I actually saw the video had gone viral on the internet, I'd had multiple men telling me they had it shown to them,\" she said.\n\nBear was given a restraining order to not contact Ms Harrison, who has appeared on Love Island and The Only Way Is Essex, for five years.\n\nHe was also ordered to sign the sex offenders' register and will be subject to notification requirements for 10 years.\n\nStephen Bear was jailed after he was found guilty of voyeurism and disclosing private, sexual photographs and films\n\nThe incident \"took away an innocent sort of spark\" Ms Harrison had and made it difficult for her to trust others, she said.\n\nWhile her case has \"shocked the British public\", she said incidents like this are actually \"such a common thing\" and she receives messages from at least five women going through a similar situation every day.\n\n\"Ever since this happened to me I became someone that victims reach out to, and I get at least five women a day - usually victims but sometimes mothers of victims or family members who want advice,\" she said.\n\n\"You just wouldn't believe how big this is and how many people are affected by it.\"\n\nAbout one in 14 adults in England and Wales have experienced a threat to share intimate images, according to the Ministry of Justice.\n\nMs Harrison said she has been \"enjoying making a difference\" through her work as a campaigner on this issue and would be interested in getting involved in politics.\n\nAsked whether she would like to become the next prime minister, she joked: \"We won't push it.\"\n\nSharing explicit footage without consent - also known as non-consensual pornography or image-based sexual abuse - was made illegal in 2015.\n\nAn amendment to the law was created in 2021, which also made threatening to release private sexual images and films an offence.\n\nHowever it can be difficult to convict suspected perpetrators, due to the law requiring intent behind the release of pictures and videos - either to cause distress or embarrassment.\n\nMs Harrison is calling on the government to remove the requirement to prove intent from the law.\n\nAn amendment to this effect was proposed as part of the Online Safety Bill in November. It is currently not known when this bill would become law.\n\n\"I think if you are sharing explicit images or videos without consent - it's very obvious that it will cause distress.\n\n\"If they were to change it and take that out I think a lot more victims would have a chance of getting some justice, like I did,\" she said.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/uk-64998904"}
{"title":"Mariupol: The 80 days that left a flourishing city in ruins - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-19","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"The Ukrainian port which has seen some of the most intense fighting is now under Russian control.","section":"Europe","content":"The theatre has often been described as the heart of the city\n\nAfter almost three months of relentless assault, Mariupol has fallen. Ukraine's military says its combat mission in the besieged port is over. More than any other Ukrainian city, Mariupol has come to symbolise the ferocious brutality of Russia's assault and the stubbornness of Ukraine's resistance.\n\nOn Wednesday 23 February, Ivan Stanislavsky left his camera bag at the office. He was on his way to see the layout of his new book on Mariupol's Soviet-era murals at a colleague's house, and didn't want to lug the gear around. He could always pick it up the next day.\n\nBut on Thursday, as he stood in the street outside his locked and deserted office, he could hear thunderous sounds rolling in from the east. The city was under fire.\n\nAs the conflict intensified, and gunfire became audible to the west too, Ivan moved his mattress into the hall. He piled up his large collection of art books - including the Encyclopaedia of Ukrainian Rock Music - against the windows of his flat in the district of Primorsky.\n\n\"Let's say it was not a waste of a library,\" says the 36-year-old photographer, who is also a press officer at Ukrainian premier league football club FC Mariupol.\n\nIvan Stanislavsky loved to photograph his city of Mariupol\n\nAcross town in the neighbourhood of Kalmiusky, businessman Yevhen was also taking precautions. The 47-year-old had told his family to pack so they could escape the city. But when he returned from the office, he found no packing had been done. His family refused to leave.\n\nIn an apartment in the same block, metallurgists from the nearby steelworks, Nataliia, 43, and Andrii, 41, were already slicing the last two loaves they had been able to buy, leaving them to dry out so they could eat them piece by piece over the weeks ahead.\n\nThe Illich steel plant dominates this view of Mariupol\n\nVolodymyr, a 52-year-old paramedic in Kalmiusky, was also in his kitchen, trying to absorb the news. When reports came in of Russians marching through the village of Chonhar - on a strategic road out of Crimea to the west - he choked. This was a coordinated attack, he realised.\n\nThe ambulance dispatcher was on the phone. She instructed Volodymyr to ignore routine calls. \"Find the wounded\", he was told.\n\nTwenty-two-year-old engineering graduate Mariia thought the first explosion she heard was simply a storm. Then she heard a second.\n\n\"We didn't know what to do,\" says Mariia, who like Ivan, lived in Primorsky. \"I didn't have time to think about my future, my plans. I had to think about what I'd eat and drink... [And] what to do with the cats.\"\n\nIt suddenly dawned on her why, in the past few days, soldiers had appeared in the paint shop where she worked, asking to buy blue and yellow tape. They needed it to mark their uniforms.\n\nFour days into the war, with the fighting closing in, Ivan and his wife sought shelter in a basement underneath his local supermarket. It offered good protection, and Ivan found that the muffling of sound dulled his sense of mounting anxiety.\n\nDaily life was being stripped down to bare essentials.\n\n\"We lived like primitive people,\" he told the BBC from Lviv, where he has now fled. \"We broke trees, made fires, cooked food on fires. I even heard of people eating pigeons.\"\n\nHe watched as order gradually broke down all around him. He kept a vivid diary, later published online.\n\n\"The Stone Age has arrived,\" he says in his 6 March entry.\n\nHe writes of watching his fellow Ukrainian citizens raiding abandoned shops, making off with everything from computers and freezers to swimsuits and underwear.\n\nOne evening a drunk woman interrupts a session of evening gossip in the basement. \"Treat yourself,\" she says, as a flashlight revealed a bottle of Californian Merlot, taken from Wines of the World on nearby Italiiska Street.\n\nBut aware that even medical supplies and cash tills were being taken, Ivan says he felt disgust.\n\n\"We are our own worst enemies,\" he writes.\n\nBut is this, he wonders, how the fittest survive? After a while, each day became a \"combat mission\".\n\nOver a few short weeks, Mariupol fell apart. The Russian military laid siege to the city, attacking power and water supplies. A Russian airstrike hit the maternity hospital on 9 March, and a plane bombed its theatre - clearly marked as a civilian shelter - a week later.\n\nIvan was stunned at how quickly it all happened.\n\nThe theatre after it was bombed\n\n\"The whole city, all its infrastructure, supply system, logistics, energy supply were destroyed in a matter of days,\" he says.\n\nSitting underground at night, he sensed people becoming passive.\n\n\"You can only wait in the shelter,\" he writes in his diary. \"Some are waiting for spring, some - for the morning to come, some - for the end of the war. And someone is waiting for the bomb to come and kill everyone.\"\n\nAnd all this just as Mariupol had seemed destined to turn a corner. Money began to pour in, adding lustre to a city previously associated mainly with heavy industry - and war.\n\n\"It was a city aspiring to something,\" Ivan says. It hadn't always been this way.\n\nLong before this year's invasion, Mariupol had a ringside seat to Ukraine's simmering conflict with Russian-backed separatists in Donetsk and Luhansk, the two regions that make up the neighbouring area known as Donbas.\n\nAn activist guards a barricade outside the Mariupol government building seized by pro-Russia activists on 17 April 2014\n\nWhen fighting first broke out there in 2014, the government briefly lost control of Mariupol after clashes with pro-Russian protesters. In January 2015, a devastating rocket attack by the rebels on the eastern edge of the city killed almost 30 civilians.\n\nEven though the war gradually receded, the sound of artillery booming in the distance was part of Mariupol's daily soundscape.\n\nBut the city moved on. The Ukrainian government briefly made Mariupol the administrative capital of the Donetsk Oblast. People migrated from rebel-held areas and the city started attracting investment.\n\n\"It started receiving all of the resources and all of the attention,\" Ivan says.\n\nA view of Mariupol along its coast\n\nPublic buildings were renovated, caf\u00e9s opened, and new parks created. In a podcast last October, the city's mayor Vadym Boychenko boasted of creating the best municipal services in the country, opening an IT school, and promoting contemporary art and sports.\n\nPlans were afoot, he said, for the largest water park in Ukraine and a version of Disneyland \"which will probably be called Mariland\". In fact, Mariupol was declared Ukraine's \"Big Capital of Culture\" in 2021.\n\nBut while Mariupol flourished, rebel-held Donetsk mouldered. When the rebels returned to Mariupol, Volodymyr, the paramedic, believed they were driven by revenge to destroy the city.\n\n\"'If we live in shit, then you will live in shit as well,'\" Volodymyr says they told him at a checkpoint as he finally escaped the city. \"They just looked at us and envied how we lived.\"\n\nVolodymyr thinks the Russian-backed separatists were motivated by revenge\n\nYevhen, the businessman, describes life in Mariupol in the past five years as \"a fairytale\". \"The city was being reconstructed,\" he says, \"all roads were renovated, public transport was improved.\"\n\nHis buildings restoration firm was responsible, among other projects, for the reconstruction of Mariupol's iconic water tower in time for the city's 240th birthday.\n\n\"This is a city of hard workers\u2026 It was hard for me to explain that my workers should finish at 6pm - they wanted to work longer.\"\n\nLike many others, weekends would be spent with family in the city's revived parks or on the seafront.\n\n\"For me, this is a [key] question - if you want to capture the city, why destroy it? [The Russians] don't need thinking people, they need territory,\" he says.\n\nAnd, he adds, he is now getting calls from the Russians to return to Mariupol to help rebuild it.\n\n\"But if Mariupol is occupied by Russia, there will be no future there\u2026 there will be nothing to live for. To live in unrecognised territory is to bury your children's future.\"\n\nAbout 150,000 people remain in the city, from a population of almost half a million. Most of those left there, he says, are also trying to escape.\n\n\"I left Mariupol but my soul is there,\" he says, tears in his eyes.\n\nBusinessman Yevhen is already getting calls from Russians to rebuild Mariupol\n\nNataliia and her husband Andrii worked at the Illich plant, one of two iron and steel works which tower over the city's skyline and loom large in Ivan Stanilavsky's photographs.\n\nThey spent long days at work, and leisure time was precious.\n\n\"The city authorities laid out marble tiles, made piers [so that] it was possible to sit on a bench right in the sea,\" Andrii says.\n\n\"It was a wonderful warm city with parks, concerts, fountains,\" his wife says. \"A European city.\"\n\nThis recent blossoming was captured by Ivan, but as a photographer with a passion for his city's past, his pet project was documenting Mariupol's remarkable collection of Soviet murals, one of the most extensive in Ukraine.\n\nThe cultural importance of preserving such remarkable works seems undeniable, but in Mariupol nostalgia for the Soviet Union jostled uneasily with Ukraine's modern, increasingly European identity, Ivan says.\n\n\"Politics was already preventing this cultural heritage from being integrated into Ukraine's artistic context,\" he says.\n\nSo inevitably, when the war came, culture found itself fought over too.\n\nOn 28 April, Mariupol's city council denounced the alleged theft by Russia of more than 2,000 exhibits from the city's museums, including ancient icons, a handwritten Torah scroll and more than 200 medals.\n\nThe director of Mariupol's Local History Museum, Natalia Kapustnikova, later told Russian newspaper Izvestia that she had personally handed over paintings to the Russians by Ivan Aivazovsky and Arkhip Kuindzhi, and claimed that Ukrainian \"nationalists\" had burned 95% of the museum's exhibits.\n\nShe wasn't the only local official harbouring pro-Russian sentiments. On 9 April, Ukraine's prosecutor general charged a member of Mariupol's city council, Kostyantyn Ivashchenko, with treason after he was declared mayor by pro-Russian separatists in Donetsk.\n\nIvashchenko's pro-Russian party had been well supported in the city's last elections, coming second, while President Volodymyr Zelensky's party came a distant fifth place.\n\nIn a poll conducted just before the elections by the Kyiv-based Centre for Social Indicators, almost half the city's population identified themselves as \"Russian\", though 80% also described themselves as \"Ukrainian\".\n\nMore tellingly, perhaps, fewer than 20% self-identified as \"European\", while more than 50% said they were \"Soviet\".\n\nMariia says that after the invasion she began to hate all things Russian\n\nNataliia, whose father is Russian, says she asked her husband for forgiveness when the bombing started. \"I was ashamed that I was Russian.\"\n\nMariia, the engineer, says that before the war her first language was Russian, but when the bombing began \"I started to hate all things Russian - language, movies, objects\".\n\nMariupol's complex identity is hardly unique in today's Ukraine, a country which formed an integral part of the Soviet Union until the collapse of communism at the end of the 1980s. And it's doubtful that any of those who described themselves as \"Russian\" or \"Soviet\" wanted to see their city destroyed in a violent effort to pull it back into Moscow's orbit.\n\nIronically, when the moment arrived to defend the city from Russian invaders, it was another part of Mariupol's Soviet-era legacy that came to play an almost iconic role.\n\nThis legacy, buried deep underground, is the maze of bunkers beneath Mariupol's other steel works, Azovstal, built by the Soviet authorities during the Cold War.\n\nThe 36 bomb shelters provided room for more than 12,000 people. After independence in 1991, no-one thought that much about them. But then the fighting in 2014 began.\n\n\"We started thinking about what we would do if fighting spread further into the city,\" Enver Tskitishvili, Azovstal's director general, says.\n\nTraining on the use of the bunkers and their connecting tunnels went on every day for years.\n\nIn early February, as the fear of renewed conflict loomed larger, preparations swung into high gear. Food and water were brought in the week before Russia's invasion.\n\nOfficials at the plant knew the bomb shelters would soon be occupied, but had little idea that Azovstal, surrounded by water on three sides, would become the scene of Mariupol's last stand.\n\nAn injured Ukrainian serviceman inside the Azovstal iron and steel works factory\n\nAs the days went by, the war got closer and closer to Ivan Stanislavsky's apartment. Excursions in search of food, even to the nearby Dzerkalnyy store, just 400m up the road, were increasingly perilous. Sometimes, a Ukrainian mortar team would arrive by truck, fire off a few rounds, and leave before the inevitable Russian reply.\n\nThere was little communication between civilians and soldiers.\n\nOne day, a tank from the Azov Regiment arrived near Dzerkalnyy, sending locals running, fearful of an impending battle. The regiment emerged in 2014 as a highly effective volunteer militia with far right and, in some cases, neo-Nazi affiliations, before being folded into Ukraine's National Guard.\n\nVladimir Putin has made extensive use of the Azov's controversial origins, in an effort to bolster his argument that he is trying to \"de-Nazify\" Ukraine. Ukrainian authorities say the regiment's origins are a thing of the past and points out that far-right parties have had very little electoral success.\n\nIn his diary Ivan describes the members he knows as a motley assortment of Mariupol natives - bikers, lawyers, football hooligans, and an amateur actor - driven not by ideology, but by a fierce hatred of those who were trying to ruin their lives.\n\n\"Together they formed a 'Nazi' battalion and intimidated the entire Russian army,\" he writes.\n\nIntimidating and effective, but not enough, eventually, to stem the Russian tide.\n\nWhile the city's defenders fought their losing battle, Ivan heard voices in his basement starting to curse President Zelensky for leaving Mariupol to its own devices.\n\nPresident Volodymyr Zelensky (L) and children play in a fountain during his first official visit to Mariupol on 15 June 2019\n\nFor all the praise heaped on the city's defenders, it was clear from the start that Mariupol was not the government's main priority. Faced with Russian threats on a number of fronts, the Zelensky government chose to secure the capital, thwarting what was arguably Vladimir Putin's top priority.\n\nUltimately, that meant letting Russian forces achieve another of their pre-war goals: the establishment of a land corridor between Crimea - annexed by Moscow in 2014 - and the separatists in the Donbas.\n\nBut for those trapped in the city, fighting or just trying to survive, it was a bitter pill.\n\n\"Some say Mariupol was given the status of a hero city,\" Ivan wrote in his diary on 13 March.\n\n\"It looks like the award will be posthumous.\"\n\nIvan's photo of the inside of the water tower\n\nBy now, Ivan couldn't stand any more. Outside Dzerkalnyy supermarket, he saw corpses neatly stacked under a wall. People who once queued for food were now in \"the queue of the dead\", waiting to be buried.\n\nSo on 15 March Ivan bundled four family members and his cat into his miraculously unscathed Skoda Fabia and joined a convoy for the tortuous journey north-west to government-held Zaporizhzhia.\n\nAt an observation point on Markelova St looking towards the port and the beach, Ivan allowed himself a brief moment of reflection.\n\n\"In my head I'm saying goodbye to this place,\" he writes in his diary. \"I have a feeling we will never return here.\"\n\nA day later, Mariia and five relatives also left by car, carrying just personal belongings and the family's dog. As they made their way out of Mariupol, their convoy came under attack and the cars had to accelerate out of danger, headed first to Zaporizhzhia, then to Dnipro.\n\nThe following day, Nataliia and Andreii left, after a neighbour offered them a space in his car. The couple eventually reached the city of Khmelnytskyi where they have been selling the family's coin collection in order to survive.\n\nIn that same convoy, Yevhen travelled with his wife and two other relatives. He's now in Dnipro, helping other residents who escaped Mariupol, and trying to reach those who remain.\n\nThe apartment block where Ivan lived has been destroyed\n\nVolodymyr, the paramedic, stayed in Mariupol as long as he could, to look after his elderly mother. But deprived of food and special medicine, she died. He then left the city on 21 April, and is volunteering at a hospital in Dnipro.\n\n\"There are thousands and thousands of families like mine,\" he says. \"How many people have died? How many families have been lost?\"\n\nTwo months after escaping, Ivan is still watching the death throes of Mariupol from the relative safety of Lviv.\n\nIn his diary's poignant epilogue, he writes of flashbacks, text messages about deaths or lucky escapes, and phone calls that go unanswered.\n\n\"The subscriber is out of range.\"\n\nWith additional reporting by Kateryna Khinkulova and Illia Tolstov","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/world-europe-61480988"}
{"title":"Manchester United 3-1 Fulham: Bruno Fernandes double seals comeback against nine-man Cottagers - BBC Sport","published_date":"2023-03-19","authors":null,"description":"Goals from Bruno Fernandes and Marcel Sabitzer help Manchester United come from behind against Fulham, who have Aleksandar Mitrovic, Willian and manager Marco Silva sent off.","section":null,"content":"Last updated on .From the section FA Cup\n\nBy Simon Stone at Old Trafford\n\nBy Simon Stone at Old Trafford BBC Sport at Old Trafford\n\nManchester United came from a goal down to beat nine-man Fulham and reach the FA Cup semi-finals with a controversial victory at Old Trafford.\n\nMarco Silva's side looked on course for only their second last-four appearance since they lost to West Ham in the 1975 final when their world collapsed around a handball incident 15 minutes from time.\n\nJadon Sancho seemed to be shooting an equaliser into an empty net, only for Willian to charge across and clear.\n\nReferee Chris Kavanagh initially gave a corner, but VAR advised the official to check the pitchside monitor, with Willian protesting and manager Silva furious.\n\nSilva was red carded before Kavanagh could even reach a decision. Once he did, Willian was dismissed as well. Then Aleksandar Mitrovic, who had put Fulham in front, pushed the referee's arm as he angrily remonstrated and became the third visitor to be sent off.\n\nOnce order was restored, Bruno Fernandes tucked home the penalty.\n\nIn the space of two minutes, Fulham had lost two men, their manager and the lead.\n\nTwo minutes later, Marcel Sabitzer turned home Luke Shaw's cross to make it 2-1 to United before Fernandes added an injury-time third to knock Fulham out of the FA Cup.\n\nUnited will now play Brighton in the semi-final at Wembley.\n\nThe sight of Silva pacing up and down the tunnel in a state of fury did not suggest it is a defeat he will take well.\n\u2022 None Go straight to all the best Man Utd content\n\nThe carnage of the handball incident completely changed the direction of a game that Fulham had dominated.\n\nNot since the days of Alan Mullery and Bobby Moore have they enjoyed the experience of an FA Cup final, and they appeared so close.\n\nHad it not been for David de Gea, they would have been out of sight.\n\nAfter Mitrovic had pounced at the far post to convert Issa Diop's flick on, the United keeper performed heroics to keep the score down.\n\nAt full stretch, De Gea turned away a curling Willian shot that was heading for the far corner, then denied Mitrovic with another superb stop before the Serbian headed a half-decent opportunity over.\n\nWith former United midfielder Andreas Pereira excelling on his Old Trafford return and Tim Ream leading a robust defence, the hosts appeared to be running out of ideas.\n\nThat was until Antony led a counter-attack and squared to Sancho, who skipped past Bernd Leno, turned inside Harrison Read and steadied himself before shooting - with Willian getting in the way on the goalline.\n\nAfter that, it was mayhem.\n\nUnited making it hard for themselves\n\nWe can never know what would have happened if Fulham had not suffered such a disastrous couple of minutes.\n\nIt is beyond question, however, that up to that point, United were poor.\n\nMaybe their increasing number of below-par performances is a duel consequence of an arduous post-World Cup fixture schedule in which they have played 13 successive midweek matches (with a minimum of four more to come after the international break) plus a growing number of injuries and suspensions.\n\nThe continued injury-enforced absences of Christian Eriksen and Anthony Martial has put increased pressure on others to perform.\n\nOne who has risen to the challenge is Casemiro, but on Sunday the Brazilian was serving the first game of a four-match ban for his second dismissal in a matter of weeks.\n\nIt is to their credit, therefore, that they keep managing to find a way to win quite so often.\n\nFernandes, in particular, drives United on from central positions and Shaw has returned to form after a difficult few games.\n\nHowever, without De Gea, they may have been out.\n\u2022 None Goal! Manchester United 3, Fulham 1. Bruno Fernandes (Manchester United) right footed shot from the centre of the box to the bottom left corner. Assisted by Fred.\n\u2022 None Attempt missed. Wout Weghorst (Manchester United) right footed shot from the centre of the box is close, but misses to the right following a corner.\n\u2022 None Attempt blocked. Marcel Sabitzer (Manchester United) right footed shot from the right side of the six yard box is blocked. Assisted by Bruno Fernandes with a cross.\n\u2022 None Attempt blocked. Aaron Wan-Bissaka (Manchester United) right footed shot from the right side of the box is blocked. Assisted by Fred.\n\u2022 None Attempt saved. Antony (Manchester United) left footed shot from outside the box is saved in the top right corner. Assisted by Jadon Sancho.\n\u2022 None Attempt saved. Marcel Sabitzer (Manchester United) right footed shot from the right side of the box is saved in the bottom right corner. Assisted by Antony.\n\u2022 None Attempt saved. Wout Weghorst (Manchester United) left footed shot from a difficult angle on the left is saved in the bottom left corner. Assisted by Jadon Sancho.\n\u2022 None Bobby De Cordova-Reid (Fulham) wins a free kick on the right wing.\n\u2022 None Goal! Manchester United 2, Fulham 1. Marcel Sabitzer (Manchester United) right footed shot from very close range to the centre of the goal. Assisted by Luke Shaw.Goal confirmed following VAR Review. Navigate to the next page Navigate to the last page\n\u2022 None Our coverage of your Premier League club is bigger and better than ever before - here's everything you need to know to make sure you never miss a moment","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/sport\/football\/64984201"}
{"title":"Ecuador earthquake kills at least 15 people - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-19","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"A 6.7-magnitude quake off Ecuador's southern coast left people trapped in collapsed houses.","section":"Latin America & Caribbean","content":"Emergency services survey the damage in Cuenca, following the powerful 6.7 magnitude earthquake in southern Ecuador\n\nAt least 15 people have died and more than 400 are injured after a 6.7-magnitude earthquake struck Ecuador's southern coast.\n\nBuildings were damaged in several cities when the earthquake hit at around midday local time (17:00 GMT).\n\nThe southern province of El Oro was the worst affected and 12 people died there, authorities said.\n\nNorthern Peru felt the quake and a 14-year-old girl died in Tumbes, a border province, when her home collapsed.\n\nIn Ecuador, Machala and Cuenca were among the cities that suffered damage to buildings and vehicles, as emergency services rushed to help people.\n\nThe epicentre was near Balao, about 80km (50 miles) from Ecuador's second-largest city, Guayaquil, where about three million people live.\n\n\"We ran from the house,\" Machala resident Exon Tobar told the BBC. \"The ground - it was a very powerful explosion - it made it shake and it made the electric cables, the windows, and everything move. People were in the streets praying because it didn't stop.\"\n\nChunks of buildings fell into the road in Guayaquil\n\nPresident Guillermo Lasso asked Ecuadoreans to remain calm as officials assess the damage.\n\nHe also visited a hospital in the city of Machala to meet with some of the injured people.\n\nThe government said more than 250 injured people were treated in the town of Pasaje, in El Oro, and nearly all of them were eventually discharged.\n\nSeveral roads have been blocked by landslides, while several homes, educational buildings and health centres have been damaged, authorities said.\n\nOne person was reported killed in the city of Cuenca, in Azuay province, after a wall collapsed onto their car, while three people died when a security camera tower came down on Jambel\u00ed Island, in El Oro province.\n\nThere have also been reports of the earthquake being felt in several other cities, including Manabi, Manta and the capital Quito.\n\nThis is the strongest quake to hit Ecuador since 2016, when nearly 700 people died and thousands were injured.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/world-latin-america-65004163"}
{"title":"Unison members accept Scottish government pay offer - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-19","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"The pay deal - which was made to 160,000 NHS staff, equates to an average 6.5% increase in 2023\/24.","section":"Scotland","content":"The pay offer was made to NHS staff, including nurses, midwives and paramedics\n\nMembers of Scotland's largest NHS union, Unison, have voted to accept the Scottish government's pay offer.\n\nIn a digital ballot where 54% of eligible members voted, 78.5% accepted the offer.\n\nAnother union, GMB Scotland, accepted it earlier in the week after 59.7% of balloted members agreed to the deal.\n\nThe pay deal - which was made to 160,000 NHS staff, including nurses, midwives and paramedics - equates to an average 6.5% increase in 2023\/24.\n\nIt also includes the commitment to modernising Agenda for Change (AfC), which is nearly 20 years old, to support workforce recruitment, sustainability and retention.\n\nAfC is the main pay system for staff in the NHS, excluding doctors, dentists and senior managers.\n\nUnison Scotland's health committee chairwoman Wilma Brown said: \"While acceptance of this pay offer removes the spectre of industrial action, there is no room for complacency.\n\n\"This deal does nothing to solve the NHS Scotland staffing crisis.\n\n\"Government commitments to review the working week, deliver fair wage rises on promotion and tackle the workforce crisis must make rapid progress.\"\n\nShe added that it must also be backed up with new money to ensure patients and staff got the NHS they deserved.\n\nThe union's head of health Matt Mclaughlin said: \"This deal was agreed after intensive talks between the government, unions and employers.\n\n\"There's now a need to get back around the table to sort out the staffing crisis in Scotland's NHS.\"\n\nHe added that patients were waiting too long for routine operations and staff were working under unacceptably stressful conditions.\n\n\"Unison has agreed to go straight back into talks with the government to review nursing, reduce staff vacancies and look again at NHS pay structures,\" Mr Mclaughlin said.\n\n\"The NHS needs to be made fit for purpose so staff can provide a world-class service.\"","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/uk-scotland-65001544"}
{"title":"Cloete Murray: South African corruption investigator shot dead - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-19","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"Cloete Murray was the liquidator for Bosasa, a company implicated in government contract scandals.","section":"Africa","content":"A South African accountant who was investigating high-level corruption cases has been shot dead along with his son.\n\nCloete Murray, 50, was the liquidator for Bosasa, a company implicated in numerous government contract scandals.\n\nHe also worked as a liquidator for firms linked to the wealthy Gupta brothers, who deny bribery accusations.\n\nPolice will see if there is a link between Mr Murray's murder and these corruption investigations.\n\nMr Murray was shot by unknown gunmen while driving in Johannesburg with his 28-year-old son Thomas, a legal adviser, on Saturday.\n\nHis son died at the scene while Mr Murray was taken to hospital and later died of his injuries, local media reported, citing a police spokesperson.\n\nThe pair were driving their white Toyota Prado towards their home in Pretoria, South African media reported.\n\nMr Murray's job as a court-appointed company liquidator was to look into the accounts of firms that had folded, recover assets, and report any criminality.\n\nOne of those companies was Bosasa, a government contractor specialising in prison services.\n\nThe landmark Zondo commission into corruption concluded the company extensively bribed politicians and government officials to get government contracts during the nine-year presidency of Jacob Zuma, from 2009 to 2018.\n\nMr Zuma refused to co-operate with the inquiry but has denied accusations of corruption.\n\nIn 2018, current South African President Cyril Ramaphosa said he would repay a $35,000 (\u00a327,300) donation from Bosasa.\n\nAn anti-corruption investigator found he had misled parliament over the donation, but that finding was dismissed by the country's High Court.\n\nMr Ramaphosa has also faced other corruption allegations, which he denies.\n\nBosasa went into voluntary liquidation after banks closed its accounts.\n\nMr Murray was also working as a liquidator for firms linked to the Gupta brothers. The Zondo commission found that the brothers - Ajay, Rajesh and Atul - tried to influence political and economic decisions during Mr Zuma's presidency in a process known as \"state capture\".\n\nThe Guptas moved from India to South Africa in 1993 and owned a wide-ranging portfolio of companies that enjoyed lucrative contracts with South African government departments and state-owned companies.\n\nThe South African authorities are currently working on having the Gupta brothers extradited from the UAE, where they have been arrested, to stand trial.\n\nThey have denied accusations of paying financial bribes to win contracts.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/world-africa-65007942"}
{"title":"My dad wouldn't want Stone of Destiny at Coronation - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-19","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"Ian Hamilton, who died last year, was a student when he broke into Westminster Abbey and took the stone in 1950.","section":"Scotland","content":"The Stone of Destiny was originally used during the coronation of Scottish kings\n\nThe son of the man who removed the Stone of Destiny from Westminster Abbey and smuggled it back to Scotland says his father would be against it returning for the King's Coronation.\n\nIan Hamilton, who died last year, was a student when he broke into the abbey and took the stone in 1950.\n\nHis son Jamie said his father would not want the stone to go to London for the crowning of King Charles in May.\n\n\"I think his view would be it's ridiculous,\" he said.\n\nThe Stone of Destiny is seen as a historic symbol of Scotland's monarchy.\n\nIt was used in the inauguration of Scottish kings for centuries but was seized by England's King Edward I in 1296 and built into a coronation throne at Westminster Abbey.\n\nIn 1950, Mr Hamilton and three other students from Glasgow carried out an audacious heist in order to make a bold statement about Scottish nationalism.\n\nThey broke into the abbey and whisked away the 150kg (336lb) red sandstone block, accidentally splitting it in two in the process.\n\nIt was found months later, 500 miles away, at the high altar of Arbroath Abbey.\n\nThis picture shows the Coronation Chair and the Stone of Destiny in 1937\n\nThe stone was taken back to Westminster Abbey and was used in the coronation of Queen Elizabeth in 1953.\n\nIt remained in London until it was agreed that it would be legally moved to Edinburgh Castle in 1996.\n\nIt now lies alongside the crown jewels of Scotland in the castle's Crown Room but will be temporarily taken to London to be used in the coronation ceremony for King Charles III in May.\n\nMr Hamilton's son Jamie, 62, said his father would have said the stone should rest in Scotland.\n\nHe said: \"If people want to be crowned on it they should come to Scotland and be crowned on it. I think that would be his standpoint.\"\n\nIan Hamilton died last year at the age of 97\n\nThe ancient stone was damaged when the students dragged it from the abbey in 1950.\n\nMr Hamilton's son Jamie told the BBC he had a fragment of the red sandstone in a piece of jewellery his father gave to his mother.\n\nHe said his father did not really sit down and explain to his children what he had done.\n\n\"I think it was something that we just gathered over time and made up our own story,\" he said.\n\nJamie Hamilton said his dad would think the idea was ridiculous\n\nKathy Richmond, the head of collections at Historic Environment Scotland, said that when the stone was legally returned to Scotland in 1996 it was agreed it would still be used to crown the monarch.\n\n\"We have a royal warrant which says that the stone is to be kept in Scotland and it's to be transported back to Westminster abbey for any future coronation,\" she said.\n\nDr Lucy Dean, from the University of the Highlands and Islands, said it was important the stone was used in the new ceremony because it had such a rich heritage.\n\n\"It's a symbol of royal power but it's also a symbol of nationhood and identity for both Scotland and the British Isles,\" she said.\n\n\"In Scotland it was used in inaugurations up to the 13th Century when it was taken from Scotland to England by Edward I and it was taken as a prize essentially.\n\n\"But during that time in England, it gained new meaning.\"\n\nPlans are now being made for the return - with the guarantee it comes back to Scotland after the coronation.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/uk-scotland-64978455"}
{"title":"Who is Peter Murrell? SNP chief and Scotland's 'First Husband' - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-19","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"The chief executive of the SNP for the past 24 years has resigned, What do we know about him?","section":"Scotland politics","content":"The power couple - Nicola Sturgeon is the outgoing FM of Scotland and Peter Murrell was chief executive of the SNP\n\nPeter Murrell was a constant in the hierarchy of the Scottish National Party for more than two decades.\n\nHe became chief executive as the sun was setting on the last century and as the dawn was rising on the new chapter of devolution.\n\nDuring the 58-year-old's tenure the party grew in confidence and became an indomitable election winning machine.\n\nBut in the public's eye he would be remembered for something else - being married to Scotland's first minister.\n\nIt was on a summer's day in 2010 when Nicola Sturgeon married her long-term partner Peter at a ceremony in Glasgow.\n\nHe had already been SNP chief for 11 years and she was deputy first minister in charge of the health brief for the Scottish government, led by Alex Salmond.\n\nPolitics played its part in bringing these two together. According to a biography of Ms Sturgeon by David Torrance they first met in 1988 at an SNP youth weekend and became a couple in 2003.\n\nThey never had children but Ms Sturgeon later revealed the painful experience of suffering a miscarriage when she was 40, shortly before the 2011 Scottish parliamentary election campaign.\n\n\"Sometimes... having a baby just doesn't happen - no matter how much we might want it to,\" she said.\n\nPeter Murrell and Nicola Sturgeon were married in 2010 in Glasgow\n\nThe powerful couple would be seen together at party conferences, outside polling stations and at official events such as the Queen's Jubilee concert. But while relaxed in each other's company, they were not gushy hand-holders who lingered before a gathered media.\n\nOn occasions when asked about her husband - notably during her appearance on ITV's Loose Women - Ms Sturgeon was quick to credit Mr Murrell for his cooking skills.\n\nShe has also given insight into how he has supported her political leadership. Ms Sturgeon told the Sunday Times: \"One of the things I value is that he's happy with me having the public role... He's not one of those guys who would feel threatened by it. He doesn't have that sort of ego, he's very self-assured.\"\n\nMr Murrell has similarly spoken of his respect for his wife's intellect, saying: \"She's very, very sharp and on top of whatever the issue of the day is. That spark is always there. We are constantly having conversations that I'm amazed by.\"\n\nIt clearly suited the FM's husband to be in the background but he, and his role as chief executive, came under scrutiny during the inquiry into the Scottish government's handling of complaints against former first minister Alex Salmond.\n\nAt the Holyrood Inquiry in 2020, Mr Murrell denied plotting against Mr Salmond. But opposition MSPs believed that Mr Murrell contradicted himself, and Ms Sturgeon, over some of the details he gave in evidence.\n\nHe was pressed repeatedly about whether the meetings between Ms Sturgeon and Mr Salmond were SNP business, as the first minister had insisted, or government business - which would need to be officially recorded.\n\nUnder Nicola Sturgeon and Peter Murrell the SNP was an election winning machine\n\nMr Murrell was back in the media spotlight in December last year when it was confirmed he had given a loan of \u00a3107,620 to the SNP to help it out with a \"cash flow\" issues.\n\nThe SNP had repaid about half of the money by October of that year and the party's official line was that the loan was a \"personal contribution made by the chief executive to assist with cash flow after the Holyrood election\".\n\nThese questions were difficult ones for Ms Sturgeon and she had to awkwardly bat away media probes about what she knew of her husband's financial situation - \"that is for him,\" she said at an FM's update at the beginning of the year.\n\nDespite this discomfort she continued to lead the country and he continued to be in charge of the party machine.\n\nBut then Ms Sturgeon announced her decision to resign. Some commentators said it would be inevitable that Mr Murrell would also have to go but his departure has happened before his wife's.\n\nPressure mounted on him when two of the three candidates vying to be new party leader and first minister publicly questioned the contest they were taking part in.\n\nFrom the outset, contender Ash Regan said Mr Murrell's position as SNP chief executive was a \"clear conflict of interest\".\n\nAnd this theme would not go away with another candidate, Kate Forbes, questioning the integrity of the electoral process.\n\nWhat led the chief executive to go was linked to a row about party membership and who would be voting in this election.\n\nOne point of pride for Mr Murrell had been his campaign to increase followers after the failed Scottish independence referendum of 2014 and the coronation of his wife as leader and first minister.\n\nThe SNP went from a membership of less than 25,000 in 2013 to more than 125,000 by December 2019.\n\nBut that figure has fallen back to 72,000 and the party only reluctantly confirmed this when media and opposition pressure, plus questions from all three candidates, became too much.\n\nThe power couple who helped shaped Scottish politics in the first two decades of this century are no more - Mr Murrell is now gone and his wife will soon follow.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/uk-scotland-scotland-politics-64972863"}
{"title":"Boris Johnson: Ex-PM to reveal evidence in his defence over Partygate - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-19","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"Boris Johnson faces a marathon televised hearing this week to convince MPs he did not mislead Parliament.","section":"UK Politics","content":"Boris Johnson will publish evidence in his defence ahead of a grilling by MPs over whether he misled Parliament about Covid rule-breaking parties.\n\nThe former prime minister faces a crucial televised evidence session in front of the Commons Privileges Committee on Wednesday.\n\nThe committee is yet to publish its final verdict - but its initial update earlier this month said Mr Johnson may have misled Parliament multiple times.\n\nWednesday's session, which could last up to five hours, will be a key chance for Mr Johnson to persuade the seven cross-party MPs who make up the committee that he did not mislead MPs in December 2021.\n\nThat would include when he told the Commons that he had \"been repeatedly assured since these allegations emerged that there was no party and that no Covid rules were broken\".\n\nSources close to Mr Johnson say he will publish a \"compelling dossier\" that will provide evidence and arguments that he did not knowingly mislead parliament.\n\nIf he fails to convince the committee and is found guilty, he could be suspended from the Commons, and even faces a recall petition, which would trigger a by-election, if that suspension is for more than 10 days.\n\nCrucially, though, MPs would have to approve any sanction on Mr Johnson.\n\nIn May last year, an inquiry by senior civil servant Sue Gray found widespread rule-breaking had taken place, and Mr Johnson was among 83 people fined by police for attending law-breaking events.\n\nThe Sunday Times, Observer and Sunday Telegraph report that Mr Johnson's \"dossier\" will include advice he claims he was given at the time by No 10 aides, advising him that Covid rules were not broken.\n\nThe Sunday Times quotes one source saying the messages show \"in black and white\" that what Mr Johnson told Parliament was what he had been advised to say by officials and his No 10 team, claiming he was forced to rely on advice because he was not at some of the events.\n\nCabinet minister Oliver Dowden - who served in Mr Johnson's government - told the BBC's Laura Kuenssberg on Sunday programme he expected the former prime minister to \"put forward a robust defence of his conduct\".\n\nThe newspapers also report that Mr Johnson's defence may repeat allegations of bias levelled at the former top civil servant Sue Gray, whose inquiry found widespread rule-breaking had taken place in Whitehall during Covid.\n\nSue Gray produced a highly critical report into lockdown parties under Boris Johnson that contributed to his downfall as PM\n\nSue Gray has since resigned and has been offered a job as Sir Keir Starmer's chief of staff, which caused anger among allies of Boris Johnson including his former cabinet colleagues Jacob Rees-Mogg MP and Nadine Dorries MP.\n\nThe Labour Party has said it will give all the information related to its approach to her to the Advisory Committee on Business Appointments (ACOBA) - the government's appointments watchdog.\n\nBut minister Jeremy Quin has said her proposed move may have breached Whitehall's rules, as approval must be obtained prior to a job offer being announced.\n\nDowning Street sources say any sanctions against Mr Johnson would be a matter for the House of Commons and MPs will therefore be given a free vote - meaning they will not be \"whipped\" to vote a certain way.\n\nThat means Tory MPs would not be asked to vote one way or another, as they were over the proposed suspension of Owen Paterson in November 2021, when Mr Johnson was still prime minister.\n\nThe government tried to block Mr Paterson's suspension from the Commons but, after a backlash, was later forced to U-turn. He then resigned as an MP.\n\nAt the time, Mr Johnson came in for criticism from many of his own MPs about being told to back Mr Paterson, amid Labour accusations of \"sleaze\". The first Partygate stories broke only a few weeks later.\n\nThe Paterson row was the beginning of the end for Mr Johnson's time as prime minister, and Mr Johnson later admitted he \"crashed the car\" in his handling of the case.\n\nA spokesman for Mr Johnson said: \"The Privileges Committee will vindicate Boris Johnson's position.\n\n\"The evidence will show that Boris Johnson did not knowingly mislead parliament.\"","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/uk-politics-65001385"}
{"title":"Israel protests: Thousands march against Netanyahu court reform - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-19","authors":null,"description":"Huge protests continue against the government plan to curb Supreme Court powers.","section":null,"content":"Tens of thousands of Israelis have marched again in nationwide protests against the government's plan to curb Supreme Court powers.\n\nThis is the 11th week of mass demonstrations, as opponents of the reforms accuse right-wing Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of undermining judicial independence.\n\nMr Netanyahu, who is on trial on corruption charges, says his aim is to restore a balance of power between the government and Israel's top court.\n\nThe escalating protests have impacted on the economy and prompted a threat by some military reservists to defy call-up orders.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/world-middle-east-65004993"}
{"title":"Putin in Mariupol: Russian leader visits occupied Ukrainian city - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-19","authors":null,"description":"The Russian president makes a surprise visit to the ruined Ukrainian city destroyed by Russian forces.","section":null,"content":"Russian state media have reported that President Vladimir Putin paid a surprise visit to Mariupol, a Ukrainian port city captured by Russian forces after they pounded much of it to ruins.\n\nIn an official video the Russian president can be seen driving a car through streets at night and visiting various locations.\n\nIt is understood that Putin visited the city's Philharmonic Hall - the same building the UN warned was to be used to stage trials of Ukrainian troops who held out against Russian forces for months in Mariupol's massive Azovstal iron and steel plant.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/world-65006169"}
{"title":"Has Putin\u2019s assault on Ukraine\u2019s power grid failed? - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-19","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"For 22 days Ukraine went without power cuts, and there are hopes Russia's strikes are losing momentum.","section":"Europe","content":"This week's barrage of strikes on Ukrainian cities was the worst in weeks\n\nUkrainians are enjoying the onset of spring. The nights are still cold, but they are emerging from a winter of Russian missile strikes that have cut their power, heating and their water too.\n\nThe winter was very hard but it was now over, declared President Volodymyr Zelensky. Ukraine still had heat and the country was unbreakable, was the message.\n\nUntil Thursday, Ukraine had just gone for more than three weeks in a row with no blackouts and even had surplus in the system.\n\nThere had been no Russian attacks for three weeks either, and it looked as if Vladimir Putin's battle to bring down Ukraine's supply was over.\n\n\"Yes, we're doing it, but who started it?\" he said in December, pinning the blame on Kyiv.\n\nIt was a far more desperate story at that point. As much as half the energy infrastructure was damaged and a Ukrainian nuclear security expert warned the situation was close to critical.\n\nBut during those weeks of quiet, Russia was stocking up weaponry. In the early hours of Thursday it fired 81 missiles and left four regions grappling with emergency power cuts. By Friday, half a million people still had no power in Kharkiv, Ukraine's second-biggest city.\n\n\"It's totally cold now. We have food, but only part of it has been cooked,\" said Oleksii as he watched the battery life on his mobile phone slip to 14%.\n\n\"Invincibility centres\" like this in Kharkiv have become a lifeline during winter power cuts\n\nFive hundred people live in his block of flats, and when he went to his local \"invincibility centre\" to power up his phone, there were too many people with the same idea.\n\nKyiv was also hit and one hospital treating 700 people went without heating and hot water for several hours.\n\nAnother 150,000 people were left with no power in Zhytomyr, two hours' drive south of the Belarus border. The mayor said the next few weeks would be critical and rolling blackouts are looming for this city west of Kyiv.\n\nBut, as resident Eugene Herasymchuk wrapped up his day at work on a sunny spring day, he was confident for the future.\n\n\"We had three weeks without attacks and we had power. And the power in the system allowed local authorities to start up the trolleybuses and trams. That was a big step because before that public transport was on a pause.\"\n\nAnd for many Ukrainians, it was not long before they were back on the grid.\n\n\"It's safe to say that Ukraine won on the energy front,\" said Tetyana Boyko from civic network Opora, praising the fleet of energy workers and international help. \"Let's pray, but I think the worst-case scenario is over.\"\n\nUkrainians have found various ways of getting through power cuts and generators are highly prized\n\nThe winter may be over, but Oleksii in Kharkiv believes the battle to save Ukraine's power supply from Vladimir Putin's missiles will continue as long as Russia has the ability to strike it.\n\nEvery one of Ukraine's thermal and hydroelectric power plants has been damaged since Russia launched its assault on the energy infrastructure last October. Kyiv had already lost the use of Europe's biggest nuclear power plant at Zaporizhzhia, which is in Russia hands.\n\nSub-stations have been reduced to hunks of twisted metal, no longer capable of transforming the electricity to power for homes and businesses.\n\nFor two weeks in the depth of winter, the BBC followed teams of engineers and technicians rushing to repair the damage that the missiles had done.\n\nOne substation was hit six times with missiles or drones and replacing these damaged transformers will take time.\n\nMore from Paul Adams: On the front line with engineers in Ukraine\n\nTransformers have quickly become Ukraine's number one requirement. It needs more than the world can produce in a year and so far only one high-voltage transformer has been sent, although dozens of lower-power machines have arrived.\n\nRussian missiles have also targeted turbine halls in a bid to cripple the power supply\n\nAs the winter wore on, Ukraine's armed forces grew more adept at shooting down Russia's missiles and drones.\n\nBut this week, only 34 of the missiles were destroyed, because Russia used different, high-speed weapons. They included hypersonic Kh-47 Kinzhal missiles as well as anti-ship and anti-aircraft missiles.\n\n\"They can cause huge, huge destruction,\" said one industry official.\n\nUntil Russia's full-scale war on Ukraine began in February 2022, there were 15 nuclear reactors on stream at four power stations. Six of those reactors were at Zaporizhzhia, seized by the occupying military in the early days of the invasion.\n\nFor months, the plant has been at the centre of a high-stakes nuclear row, amid accusations that Moscow wants to connect it to Russia's electricity grid.\n\nThe other three power stations are South Ukraine and Rivne and Khmelnytskyi in the west. Between them, they now produce half of Ukraine's power.\n\nThat may sound bleak, but a combination of an unusually mild winter and sheer hard work means Ukraine has moved back from the brink and the sense of optimism is palpable.\n\nPower plants have been restored and repaired. One source in the industry told the BBC that as the days became sunnier and warmer, it would become harder and harder for Russia's military might to terrorise his country.\n\nThe east-central city of Dnipro has endured several deadly missile strikes over the winter, and this week was no different.\n\nBut there have been no problems for weeks with energy supplies.\n\n\"The city has transformed. Finally, street lights are back, and it's no longer scary to walk the city streets,\" said Inna Shtanko, a young mother with a son under the age of two.\n\nTrams are running in Dnipro and the street lights are back as life appears more normal\n\nCooking and having a hot shower have become part of the daily routine once more for her family. \"Our psychological state has improved considerably, because our family and other mothers too can easily plan our day.\"\n\nThere's a similar story in Kherson, occupied by Russian forces until they retreated across the Dnipro river last November.\n\nLife was hard for several weeks after the Russians left the southern city with no basic utilities.\n\n\"We didn't have any electricity for about month and a week, then we had it for two hours a day, then gradually it stopped breaking,\" said local entrepreneur Alexei Sandakov.\n\nNow he boasts a regular power supply, although the pressure on the system is far lower than before the war because the population of 55,000 is a fraction of what it was before the Russians invaded.\n\nPopulation numbers have fallen across Ukraine, with more than eight million refugees beyond its borders, and that too has put less strain on the energy infrastructure. Consumption is down and the refugees have not yet come back, as one official remarked.\n\nThe overall sense is that the damage caused by this latest wave of missiles will be repaired quickly.\n\nThe damage was considerable, but engineers have become highly skilled at restoring power within days, even after a major attack.\n\n\"It's like a competition: how quickly can they cause us damage and how quickly can we repair. And we are winning that competition,\" said Oleksandr Kharchenko, director of Kyiv's Energy Industry Research Centre.\n\nIn Zhytomyr, Eugene Herasymchuk believes things are looking up. \"A lot of Ukrainians say it's better to have one cold and one dark winter than 100 years with Russia - so I think we can handle this.\"\n\nUkrainians now have everything on their side, according to Mr Kharchenko, from the improving weather to the support of international donors and the professional staff in the energy industry. But he is more guarded about the future.\n\n\"I don't say we've won the energy war, but I can say we won the energy battle this winter.\"","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/world-europe-64899045"}
{"title":"Man sent bailiffs to Luton Airport for Wizz Air refund - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-19","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"An out-of-pocket dad sends in reinforcements to claim money from an airline over a cancelled flight.","section":"Beds, Herts & Bucks","content":"Russell Quirk and two of his three daughters, who were due to go on a family holiday to Portugal\n\nA passenger sent bailiffs to Luton Airport to confront Wizz Air over money owed to him after his family's flights were cancelled at the last minute.\n\nRussell Quirk said he was left with little choice but to find another route to Portugal which cost him \u00a34,500.\n\nAfter months of waiting for Wizz Air reimbursement, he went to court and ended up sending in the bailiffs.\n\nWizz Air paid up, apologised and said it \"fell short of our own aspirations and our customers' expectations\".\n\nThe company is one of a number of budget airlines facing county court claims against them, as consumer magazine Which? reported.\n\nThe way customers have been treated by Wizz Air has been \"shocking, shambolic and shoddy\", Mr Quirk, a property expert from Brentwood, in Essex, told the BBC.\n\nHe had booked flights from Luton Airport to Faro in January last year for a family holiday with his wife and three daughters in the May half-term.\n\nHe awoke early on the morning of their flight to find a message from Wizz Air saying it was cancelled.\n\nThe Quirk family had booked to fly to Portugal from Luton with airline Wizz Air\n\n\"There was no explanation, no alternative offered and no apology,\" he said.\n\n\"I had to wake my three daughters and tell them we weren't going on holiday - they were very upset.\"\n\nWith hotels, transfers and an airport lounge already paid for, he said the only viable option was to find another carrier, which the family took the following day.\n\nThose flights, together with money lost on a night in hotel rooms and other expenses, cost him \u00a34,500, he said.\n\nOn his return he tried to get recompense from Wizz Air, but he said it took almost two months for the cost of his original flights to be returned along with other legal compensation.\n\nBut, he said Wizz Air repeatedly ignored his claim for \"consequential losses\" - the \u00a34,500 extra he had spent.\n\nHe took his case to the county court but said Wizz Air \"ignored\" the judgement made against the company, so bailiffs were sent in to the Wizz Air desk at Luton Airport.\n\n\"Their option was to hand over the money or the bailiffs would take it in goods - it might have been chairs, tables, computers or an aircraft,\" said Mr Quirk.\n\nHe joked that he might have liked a plane at home, but the company did pay him his money.\n\nHe said taking his case to court cost him about \u00a3180 in court fees, plus \u00a360 to send in the bailiffs - although additional costs associated with the bailiff visit would have had to be paid by Wizz Air.\n\nMr Quirk said: \"Increasingly businesses are thinking they can treat customers like dirt and I'm determined to eradicate that.\n\n\"My message is, where big companies stonewall you, if you persevere you can get what is owed to you.\"\n\nA spokesperson for Wizz Air said: \"In the summer of 2022, due to unprecedented levels of disruption across Europe and the UK which affected the entire industry, we fell short of our own aspirations and our customers' expectations.\n\n\"When things went wrong, we did not react quickly enough to manage the high volume of customer claims that resulted from this disruption. We are sorry about this and we are working to ensure that our customers' experience with Wizz is better this year.\n\n\"Since December, Wizz has paid all CCJs [county court judgements] where it received the judgment, and is continuing to work to settle all other outstanding claims as quickly as possible.\"\n\nFind BBC News: East of England on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter. If you have a story suggestion email eastofenglandnews@bbc.co.uk\n\nThe BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/uk-england-beds-bucks-herts-64999557"}
{"title":"Putin in Mariupol: What the Russian president saw on his visit - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-19","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"The Russian leader tours parts of the Ukrainian port city that saw some of his army's fiercest attacks.","section":"Europe","content":"This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser.\n\nDriving through the ruined city at night, Vladimir Putin has made his first visit to Mariupol - devastated when Russian forces besieged the city earlier on in the war.\n\nThe BBC has traced part of the route he took, which passed near the locations of several notorious attacks during his army's months-long assault. Russia finally overran the city in May.\n\nVideo released by Russian media show Mr Putin chatting to a companion as they head towards the city's concert hall. The Kremlin says the visit took place late on Saturday and Mr Putin decided \"spontaneously\" to tour the city.\n\nMariupol's Ukrainian mayor in exile Vadym Boychenko told the BBC that Mariupol was \"personal\" to Mr Putin because of what had happened there.\n\n\"We have to understand that Mariupol is a symbolic place for Putin, because of the fury he inflicted on the city of Mariupol. No other city was destroyed like that. No other city was under siege for so long. No other city was subjected to carpet bombing,\" he said.\n\n\"He has come in person to see what he has done,\" he added.\n\nThe BBC identified some of the key landmarks along the Russian leader's route. Mr Putin appears to be driving down Kuprina St, turning into Myru Avenue and then into Metalurhiv Avenue, where the Philharmonic Concert Hall is and which he visits later on in the footage.\n\nHe is sitting next to a man in a black cap, who Russian media identify as Russian Deputy Prime Minister Marat Khusnullin.\n\nOn his left as they drive down Myru Avenue are sculptures of birds in what was Mariupol's Freedom Square.\n\nFurther on, on the right and not shown in the footage, is Mariupol's Maternity Hospital Number Three, which was bombed in a notorious incident last March.\n\nPictures of heavily-pregnant Marianna Vyshemirskaya, her face bloodied, descending rubble-strewn steps were widely shared amid outrage at the attack. She survived and gave birth the following day. Another pregnant woman was among the victims.\n\nUkrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky called it a war crime but Russia's embassy in London claimed the hospital had no longer been in use, and was instead being used by members of the Azov regiment, which was set up as a volunteer militia with links to the far right in 2014 but had since been incorporated into Ukraine's National Guard.\n\nMr Putin turned off Myru Avenue just before the road arrives at Theatre Square - the scene of a deadly bombing that is thought to have killed at least 300 and possibly as many as 600 civilians.\n\nCivilians had been using the building as a refuge from the siege and a large sign spelling \"children\" had been daubed in Russian in front of the theatre. The building collapsed when it was hit. Russia denied bombing it and blamed the Azov battalion. In December the Ukrainian city authorities in exile said Russia was demolishing the ruins of the theatre.\n\nRussia \"understood where there was a concentration of people, and deliberately destroyed these places, killing people. They systematically worked on this\", said Mr Boychenko.\n\nFootage then shows Mr Putin on a walking tour of a new residential compound, said to be in Mariupol's Nevsky district. He is guided by Mr Khusnullin, who shows him some plans of the reconstruction work. He is also seen talking to people said by Russian media to be local residents and he also visits an apartment that he is told is made up of three rooms.\n\nNevsky is a new district comprising a dozen apartment blocks in the west of the city. It is named after the River Neva, on which President Vladimir Putin's home city of St Petersburg stands.\n\nMayor Boychenko said many of the Russian-built buildings were on the city outskirts. \"They built this just to prove that their version of what's happening there is true. But they lie! They lie that they came to liberate the city. But they destroyed it. This city does not exist any longer. And it takes 20 years to restore it!\" he said.\n\nMariupol residents have been telling the BBC that new buildings are going up and some of those damaged by the Russian military are being removed. The UN estimates that 90% of residential buildings were damaged or destroyed in the Russian onslaught.\n\nNorwegian journalist Morten Risberg, who visited Mariupol in December, said he saw \"large-scale rebuilding and restoration\" amid \"destruction everywhere you looked\".\n\n\"They're changing street names and they're painting over Ukrainian colours with Russian colours, and they're putting Russian flags everywhere,\" he told the BBC. Most of the remaining civilians in the city were \"just focusing on surviving\", he said.\n\nIn another part of the footage, President Putin is seen walking through the interior of a concert hall in Mariupol. Russian state media said it was the Philharmonic Concert Hall - and the BBC has verified that the footage matches the interior of the venue.\n\nThis is the same building that the UN warned was to be used to stage trials of Ukrainian troops who held out against Russian forces for months in Mariupol's massive Azovstal iron and steel plant. Russia finally gained complete control of Mariupol in May after the defenders surrendered.\n\nThe concert hall was to be the venue for show trials of Ukrainian POWs but they were traded in a prisoner swap instead\n\nImages posted on social media in August - including by Ukrainian authorities - appeared to show metal cages being built on the stage. According to the UN, prosecuting prisoners of war (POWs) for taking part in hostilities is a war crime.\n\nBut the trials never took place, as the POWs were later part of a prisoner swap for 55 prisoners from Ukraine, including a pro-Kremlin former MP, Viktor Medvedchuk.\n\nThe latest footage from inside the concert hall shows the interior of the building has since been redecorated and the cages are no longer visible.\n\nDuring the siege the concert hall, like the drama theatre, was used by civilians for shelter. The cultural institutions were \"where people hid in basements and waited for the Russian terror to end,\" Mr Boychenko said.\n\nBefore the invasion it had been the venue for the Mariupol Classic festival for classical music. Mr Boychenko said the festival was a \"great celebration of classical music for the people of Mariupol\" that drew artists from abroad and other parts of Ukraine.\n\n\"Many people always gathered at this festival to feel the mood that always prevailed in Mariupol,\" he said.\n\nIn a later shot, President Putin is seen visiting a World War Two memorial built to commemorate Soviet troops who recaptured the city from Nazi Germany.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/world-europe-65007289"}
{"title":"Nitrous oxide to be banned, Gove tells Laura Kuenssberg - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-26","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"The sale and use of the drug widely known as laughing gas will be banned under plans to tackle anti-social behaviour, the Levelling Up Secretary says.","section":"UK Politics","content":"We asked a big question this morning, when will the country start to feel a bit better off. The verdict from the Office for Budget Responsibility boss that it might be another five or six years before real incomes feel a bit better is pretty bleak. But former Bank of England top brass, Andy Haldane, and the former John Lewis boss, Andy Street who is now a Conservative mayor, reckoned things might feel cheerier than that a bit sooner.\n\nCabinet minister Michael Gove wanted to emphasise that the government has, like other governments around the world, had to grapple with two big shocks - the war and the pandemic, which have had massive effects on the country\u2019s income. Less keen to highlight the other calculation from the OBR that leaving the EU has cost the economy too, the equivalent of another shock, a 4% hit.\n\nThere\u2019ll be more from him and the prime minister tomorrow about their plans to tackle anti-social behaviour. They\u2019re going to ban nitrous oxide, and are promising quicker community punishments for offenders who make others\u2019 lives a misery.\n\nThe trouble is if it feels rather familiar to you, that\u2019s because it is. For years, successive governments have made big promises to \"crack down\" on problems in the community, while, by Mr Gove\u2019s own admission, other parts of the justice system haven\u2019t been working well enough.\n\nAnti-social behaviour certainly can blight the lives of families it affects, that\u2019s why the Conservatives and the Labour Party are talking about it now. But with \u00a3160m going into this new, renewed push, there may be questions about whether it is the right priority for now.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/live\/uk-politics-65067330"}
{"title":"Nato condemns 'dangerous' Russian nuclear rhetoric - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-26","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"President Putin says Russia will station tactical nuclear weapons in Belarus.","section":"Europe","content":"President Putin announced he would station nuclear weapons in neighbouring Belarus on Saturday\n\nNato has condemned Russia's \"dangerous\" and \"irresponsible\" rhetoric after Vladimir Putin's decision to station tactical nuclear weapons in Belarus.\n\nThe organisation is \"closely monitoring\" the situation and said the move would not lead it to change its own nuclear strategy.\n\nThe US said it did not believe Russia was preparing to use nuclear weapons.\n\nBelarus shares a long border with Ukraine, as well as with Nato members Poland, Lithuania and Latvia.\n\nUkraine has called for an emergency meeting of the UN Security Council to address the potential threat of President Putin's announcement on Saturday.\n\nPresident Putin said Moscow would not be transferring control of its arms to Minsk and that Belarusian leader Alexander Lukashenko - a firm ally of the Kremlin and supporter of its invasion of Ukraine - had long raised the issue with him.\n\nUkraine says the move violates nuclear non-proliferation agreements - an accusation President Putin has denied, instead comparing it to the US stationing its weapons in Europe.\n\nBut Nato on Sunday described Russia's reference to nuclear sharing as \"misleading\".\n\n\"Nato allies act with full respect of their international commitments,\" Nato spokesperson Oana Lungescu said.\n\nThe military alliance also accused Russia of consistently breaking its own arms control commitments, including the country's decision to suspend the new START treaty - a deal signed in 2010 which limits the number of US and Russian nuclear warheads and gives each the power to inspect the other's weapons.\n\nEU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell urged Belarus to opt out of the deal with Putin, warning the country could face further sanctions if it went through with it.\n\n\"Belarus can still stop it, it is their choice,\" he wrote on Twitter.\n\nOn Sunday, a top security adviser to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky accused Russia of making Belarus a \"nuclear hostage\".\n\nOleksiy Danilov wrote on Twitter that Russia's plans were a \"step towards internal destabilisation\" in Belarus and predicted anti-Russian sentiment in the country would grow.\n\nExiled Belarusian opposition leader Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya said Russia's deployment of nuclear weapons in her country \"grossly contradicts the will of the Belarusian people\" and would make it a potential target for retaliatory strikes.\n\nBut Yuriy Sak, an adviser to Ukraine's ministry of defence, told the BBC that Ukraine was used to nuclear threats from Russia, adding that the deployment in Belarus would not change the outcome of the war.\n\n\"They cannot win this war because it is for them unsustainable, it is unwinnable, [and] they cannot defeat Ukraine because we have been living with the hypothetical threat of a possible nuclear strike from day one of the large-scale invasion,\" he said.\n\nMr Sak said there was nothing new in Russia's behaviour, as it had been stationing military equipment in Belarus since the start of the war in 2022.\n\nMykhailo Podolyak, another senior adviser to President Zelensky, characterised the move as \"scare tactics\" and said the Russian leader was \"too predictable\".\n\nAnalysts at the US think tank Institute for War said the risk of escalation to nuclear war following the announcement remained \"extremely low\".\n\nA small number of Iskander tactical missile systems, which can be used to launch nuclear weapons, have already been transferred to Belarus, President Putin said in his address on Saturday.\n\nThis will be the first time since the mid-1990s that Moscow will have based nuclear arms outside the country.\n\nThe Soviet Union's collapse in 1991 meant weapons became based in four newly-independent states - Russia, Ukraine, Belarus and Kazakhstan - with the transfer of all warheads to Russia completed in 1996.\n\nRussia will start training crews to operate the weapons from next week. The construction of a storage facility for tactical nuclear weapons in Belarus will be completed by 1 July, President Putin said.\n\nThe announcement comes only days after Chinese President Xi Jinping's visit to Moscow, during which Russia and China issued a joint statement saying \"all nuclear powers must not deploy their nuclear weapons beyond their national territories, and they must withdraw all nuclear weapons deployed abroad\".","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/world-europe-65081575"}
{"title":"Massive asteroid passes between Earth and Moon - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-26","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"The unusually large space object harmlessly bypasses the planet, as predicted by scientists.","section":"Science & Environment","content":"The asteroid will be visible from Earth through binoculars\n\nAn asteroid large enough to destroy a city has passed between the orbits of the Earth and the Moon - luckily for us, missing both.\n\nAs predicted by scientists, it passed within 175,000km of the Earth on Saturday after flying past the Moon.\n\nIt is rare for such a huge asteroid - estimated to be between 40 and 90m in diameter - to come so close to the planet.\n\nAstronomers described it as a once-in-a decade event.\n\nAccording to Nasa, it was an important opportunity for astronomers to increase their knowledge of asteroids, in the event that a dangerous object were discovered with the potential to hit Earth.\n\n\"There is no chance of this 'city killer' striking Earth, but its close approach offers a great opportunity for observations,\" said the European Space Agency's planetary defence chief, Richard Moissl.\n\nBut he added that more data was needed to determine the asteroid's composition.\n\nWith such a close pass of the Earth, the asteroid was visible through binoculars and small telescopes across the globe.\n\nA live web broadcast of its approach was provided by The Virtual Telescope Project.\n\nThe object looks set to return towards Earth's orbit in 2026, but scientists have ruled it out as a threat to the planet on that occasion, too.\n\nEarlier this month, a similarly sized asteroid, 2023 DW, was briefly given a one-in-432 chance of hitting Earth on Valentine's Day 2046.\n\nMoissl said 2023 DW was now expected to miss Earth by some 4.3 million km.\n\nEven if such an asteroid was determined to be heading our way, Earth is no longer defenceless.\n\nLast year, NASA's Dart (Double Asteroid Redirection Test) spacecraft deliberately slammed into the pyramid-sized asteroid Dimorphos.\n\nBefore Dart's impact, it took Dimorphos 11 hours and 55 minutes to orbit its larger parent asteroid, Didymos.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/science-environment-65061818"}
{"title":"Trucks piled on buildings as tornado hits Mississippi - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-26","authors":null,"description":"Drone footage captures the devastation after a tornado hits Rolling Fork, Mississippi.","section":null,"content":"Drone footage has captured the devastation after a tornado hit Rolling Fork, Mississippi.\n\nThere is widespread destruction in the southern US state, with dozens of people killed, injured or missing.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/world-us-canada-65077137"}
{"title":"Northern Ireland March weather has made for month of contrasts - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-26","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"The saying \"mad as a March hare\" has certainly rung true about our weather, writes Cee Daly.","section":"Northern Ireland","content":"You have probably heard the saying \"mad as a March hare\".\n\nThis month the saying has rung especially true as the weather has been all over the place - to put it mildly.\n\nIt has always been a month of contrasts and by halfway into March we had warnings of ice, snow and heavy rain.\n\nThere has been significant snowfall in some areas - enough to build a whole snow family - and temperatures fell to -9C in Castlederg, County Tyrone.\n\nThat was on 8 March, making it the coldest March night since 2010.\n\nThen the rains came, with a warning of heavy downpours from the Met Office in the middle of the month.\n\nOver a 24-hour period, Derrylin in County Fermanagh recorded 35.4mm of rainfall, Killowen in County Down measured 29mm and Killylane, in the Glens of Antrim, recorded 26mm.\n\nThis was followed by a dramatic leap in temperature just ahead of St Patrick's Day.\n\nHelen's Bay recorded 16.1C on 16 March, making it the warmest day of the year so far and the highest temp in Northern Ireland since 13 November.\n\nJust more than seven days earlier was that icy -9C night in Castlederg - what a difference a week makes.\n\nIt is not unusual for the fair-skinned to get sunburn on St Patrick's Day as the mid-March sun is of a similar strength to September.\n\nThis year the spring equinox was the following day, 20 March, when the sun sits directly over the Earth's equator as it heads northward.\n\nBoth hemispheres share the sun's rays equally at the equinox, and night and day are roughly the same length.\n\nSpring is said to be a transitional season and wide variations in weather can occur, from wintry conditions in the first half of the season to warm, almost summer like conditions any time from late April onwards.\n\nThe sun is strengthening significantly, the oceans are slowly warming and the jet stream is usually further north, which influences where our air is coming from.\n\nAir coming in from a southerly direction will always be warmer.\n\nWith the fierce changes in weather, there is often some truth in a saying often used in reference to March: \"In like a lion, out like a lamb.\"\n\nIt is likely our recent snow, towards the beginning of the month, is down to SSW - or sudden stratospheric warming - which five years ago helped bring about the infamous Beast from the East.\n\nJohn Wylie, a former colleague who works with the Met Office in Northern Ireland, said that cold and wintery conditions, including significant snowfall, are not uncommon in March.\n\nIn 2010, 2013 and 2018, each March had highly disruptive snowfall events.\n\nNature has a habit of redressing the balance and the exceptional mildness of February (2.5C above average) has been countered by much colder conditions during the first half of March, with average temperatures around 2.5C below average.\n\nAt present, it is possible March could end up colder than February which, although unusual, is certainly not without precedent.\n\nThe latter part of this month has been quite mild, windy at times and wet - a wetter than average month right across Northern Ireland.\n\nUp to 23 March, Aldergrove will have had its fourth wettest March on record - with still a week of weather to go.\n\nThis weekend the clocks spring forward just as a northerly Arctic wind sets in to bring Sunday temperatures back down to single digits.\n\nSo after a roaring start to spring lets hope we skip through April like a newborn lamb with plenty of sunshine and not as many showers.\n\nThere were a couple of well-worn weather phrases in the article above, but what about some of the other sayings and pieces of traditional wisdom that we use to predict, describe or decry the weather?\n\nHere's a look at a few more.\n\nHow about \"too cold to snow\"? This is a saying backed up by science.\n\nThe colder it gets, the less water vapour it can hold, which reduces the likelihood of snow.\n\nBut there are many other factors to consider when it comes to whether or not it will snow and it's unlikely that across the island of Ireland we would experience temperatures low enough.\n\nSo true, but unlikely to happen here.\n\nAs pet owners and friends of four-legged creatures everywhere can attest, animals can often be predictors of thunderously stormy weather.\n\nCats and dogs are more sensitive than humans to sounds, smells and changes in atmospheric pressure.\n\nTheir heightened senses can allow them to pick up hints that a storm is coming well before their owners catch wind of it.\n\nJust before a storm, your cat's inner ears may detect the sudden fall in atmospheric pressure and it may have learned to associate this with an impending storm.\n\nIf a storm is already raging in the distance, it may be able to perceive the faint rumble of thunder.\n\nLikewise, your dog may be able to smell the incoming rain or the characteristic whiff of ozone gas, often created by lightning which has a sharp, metallic odour.\n\nAnd finally what about this old (sort of) chestnut.\n\n\"Pinecones open up when good weather is coming\" is another with a kernel of truth.\n\nIn dry weather, pinecones dry out, causing their scales to open out.\n\nIn damp conditions, they become more flexible and return to a more closed shape.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/uk-northern-ireland-64974874"}
{"title":"Lebanon time zones: Partial clock change causes confusion - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-26","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"The time of day is a matter of dispute because of a row between political and religious authorities.","section":"Middle East","content":"Over the next few weeks Christians and Muslims in Lebanon may differ over what the time is\n\nPeople in Lebanon have woken up in two rival time zones, amid a row between political and religious authorities over when clocks should go forward.\n\nCaretaker Prime Minister Najib Mikati announced that daylight saving would begin at the end of Ramadan next month, allowing Muslims to break their daily fast earlier.\n\nBut Christian authorities said they would change the clocks on the last Sunday in March, as happens most years.\n\nMany businesses have followed suit.\n\nThe dispute illustrates deep divisions in a country where Christian and Muslim factions waged a civil war in the late 1970s and 1980s, and where political positions are shared between religious groups.\n\nOn Thursday Mr Mikati, a Sunni Muslim, announced his decision to delay the start of daylight saving until midnight on 20 April.\n\nHe did not give a reason for the move, but many commentators regard it as a way to boost his popularity during Ramadan. The Muslim holy month began on 22 March and ends on 21 April.\n\nIf the time remains unchanged, Muslims will be able to break their fast an hour earlier, at around 18:00 instead of 19:00, the time the sun sets.\n\nBut Lebanon's influential Christian Maronite Church said it would disregard the decision, calling it \"surprising\".\n\nSeveral major Lebanese organisations have also decided to ignore it. Two news channels, LBCI and MTV, moved their clocks forward early on Sunday.\n\nMiddle East Airlines, the national carrier, decided on a compromise. It said its clocks and other devices would stay in winter time but its flight times would be adjusted to avoid disrupting international schedules.\n\nThere was also confusion for users of mobile phones and other electronic devices that automatically switch to daylight saving time, as many operators were not notified of the delay in time.\n\nBeirut-based author and regional expert Kim Ghattas tweeted that the government's abrupt move \"throws travel plans, zoom calls and automatic phone times updates into utter disarray\".","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/world-middle-east-65079574"}
{"title":"New first minister will have no mandate - Sarwar - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-26","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"The leader of the Scottish Labour party has repeated his call for a snap Holyrood election.","section":"Scotland politics","content":"This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Anas Sarwar says the winner of the SNP leadership race will have no mandate to govern as first minister\n\nThe winner of the SNP leadership race will have no mandate to govern as first minister, Scottish Labour leader Anas Sarwar has insisted.\n\nSpeaking to BBC Scotland's The Sunday Show, he repeated his call for a snap Holyrood election.\n\nNicola Sturgeon has dismissed the suggestion, saying she won a mandate for the SNP.\n\nHer successor as SNP leader will be announced on Monday, before being confirmed as first minister on Tuesday.\n\nThe contenders are former minister Ash Regan, Health Secretary Humza Yousaf and Finance Secretary Kate Forbes.\n\nScottish Parliament elections normally take place every five years and the next vote is expected in May 2026.\n\nBut at Ms Sturgeon's final First Minister's Questions last week, Mr Sarwar said an early election was needed as her successor would not have a mandate from the public.\n\nPressed on the issue on The Sunday Show, the MSP said it was a matter of principle.\n\nAnd he pointed to SNP reaction to Jack McConnell - now Lord McConnell - becoming first minister in 2001, having being elected leader of Scottish Labour unopposed.\n\nHe said: \"If you look at what John Swinney said when Jack McConnell became first minister having not having won an election, he said it was a stitched up deal behind closed doors and a party arrogant in power.\n\n\"I think that's a perfect description now of the SNP.\"\n\nScottish Labour leader Jack McConnell was first minister from 2001 to 2007\n\nHe added: \"If you look at what Nicola Sturgeon said when Rishi Sunak came to power without an election, she said it was a democratic imperative for him to have a mandate.\n\n\"This is an SNP that screams about mandates - let's be honest, the next SNP first minister will not have the mandate.\n\n\"They'll have Nicola Sturgeon's record, they won't have Nicola Sturgeon's mandate - a mandate given to her in a pandemic election when she asked people to support her for five years to get her through the pandemic and lead us to a national recovery.\n\n\"National recovery hasn't even started yet and we've got this clown show happening right across our country.\"\n\nAt Holyrood last week, Ms Sturgeon rebuffed her opponent's claims about a mandate.\n\nShe said: \"I fought three general elections as SNP leader and the SNP has won all of them. At every one we've heard the same messages from Labour and at every single one the people of Scotland has cast their verdict.\"\n\nOn Sunday a SNP spokesperson said: \"The SNP won the Scottish Parliament election with a record share of the vote, less than two years ago, in May 2021.\n\n\"The next first minister of Scotland will be chosen by a vote of MSPs, as it was when Nicola Sturgeon and former Labour party first ministers Jack McConnell and Henry McLeish succeeded their predecessors\".\n\nMr Sarwar told the BBC that his call for a snap election shows how much Scottish Labour has changed.\n\n\"We used to fear elections, now we relish elections. I relish the next general election and I relish the next Scottish Parliament election,\" he said.\n\nAt a time of \"crisis\" in the NHS and a cost of living crisis, he said he was confident that the party could make the case for change.\n\n\"We have two governments that are out of touch, out of control, arrogant and we need change in this country, and I am confident about making that case.\"\n\nLive coverage of the leadership result will be on BBC One Scotland from 13:45 on Monday and live on the BBC Scotland news website.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/uk-scotland-scotland-politics-65080560"}
{"title":"Welsh Rugby Union: Clubs vote for major changes to board of governing body - BBC Sport","published_date":"2023-03-26","authors":null,"description":"Welsh rugby clubs have voted in favour of major governance change to the Welsh Rugby Union (WRU) board.","section":null,"content":"Last updated on .From the section Welsh Rugby\n\nWelsh rugby clubs have voted in favour of major governance change to the Welsh Rugby Union (WRU) board.\n\nAt an extraordinary general meeting (EGM) called by the WRU in Port Talbot, 282 clubs were eligible to vote on proposals to reform the way the game is run.\n\nThe special resolution followed allegations of sexism and misogyny within the WRU.\n\nThe resolution required 75% to be passed and received 97.2%.\n\nThere were 173 delegates who attended the meeting while 79 proxy votes were received.\n\nOf the 252 votes, 245 were in favour of the resolution and seven votes against.\n\nWhen the result was announced there was a spontaneous round of applause from the clubs.\n\nThirty clubs or organisations either chose not to vote or any proxy forms were sent in too late.\n\nThe changes were the only matter up for discussion at the meeting inside the Princess Royal Theatre, as the WRU brought the special resolution before its member clubs.\n\nWRU president Gerald Davies opened the meeting in what was described as a \"crucial meeting\" and \"important day\" for the organisation.\n\nThere were key speakers, including chair Ieuan Evans, with the day described as \"going down in Welsh rugby history\" and that a positive vote would be \"momentous\".\n\nClubs had their chance to ask questions and voice opinions before the vote.\n\nActing chief executive Nigel Walker had warned the clubs before the meeting the future of the game in Wales was on the line this weekend and major sponsors could walk away from Welsh rugby if the proposals were not voted for.\n\nWhat the changes mean\n\nThe WRU needed the EGM to change the articles of association because the organisation is, in effect, a co-operative of its member clubs.\n\nThe existing governing body wanted to \"modernise\" the WRU's board to include more expertise knowledge and diversity to help run a business with a turnover of almost \u00a3100m.\n\nThe current board is made up of 12 directors with eight voted into position by the clubs, including the chair, three appointed independent members, including the Professional Rugby Board (PRB) chair with the final place taken up by the chief executive.\n\nThe changes will now allow to double the number of independent members (INEDs) on the board from three to six.\n\nThis includes the introduction of an independent WRU chair for the first time, alongside the PRB chair in addition to four separate independent members.\n\nThe rise of independent members means the number of elected national or district members will be halved from eight to four.\n\nThe fear was the community clubs might have been reluctant to relinquish the perceived power they currently hold.\n\nThe WRU can now redress the gender imbalance, with an ambition that at least five of the 12 board members are women, including one of the top two jobs - the chief executive or chair.\n\nCatherine Read, one of the three independent non-exec directors alongside PRB chair Malcolm Wall and Henry Engelhardt, is currently the only female member of the 12-strong board.\n\nThe WRU proposals also include a board representative with a specific remit to represent the women's and girls' rugby.\n\nSo the new-look WRU board will include:\n\u2022 None Chair of the Professional Rugby Board (also an INED on appointment) and an elected or appointed or selected representative for the women's game\n\u2022 None Four elected national and district council members including chair of the Community Game Board\n\nWhat happens now?\n\nThis is just the first step to reform and redemption of the WRU. Clubs will still have the right to call another EGM with 20% support to review the plans.\n\nThe WRU has set itself a deadline of 31 December to have the new members in place but expects the process to be much quicker.\n\nIeuan Evans will stand down as chairman once a replacement is found, while the search for a permanent chief executive will continue.\n\nThe WRU has instigated these changes themselves with Walker and Evans having spent the last month travelling across Wales to explain their proposals to clubs in a bid to drum up support.\n\nThere had been an attempt in the WRU annual general meeting in October 2022 to modernise the board by trying to introduce a new independent chair but only 64.5% of clubs voted in favour the motion.\n\nThe latest board proposals came in the wake of a catalogue of damaging allegations that saw chief executive Steve Phillips resign.\n\nHis interim replacement, Walker, was forced to appear before a Senedd hearing following a BBC Wales Investigates programme that provided allegations of sexism and misogyny within the governing body.\n\nThe WRU are still being investigated by an independent taskforce led by former judge Dame Anne Rafferty concerning the culture within the organisation.\n\nWRU chair Ieuan Evans: \"I'm delighted with the support members have shown for the Board's recommendation today.\n\n\"We now have a line in the sand from which we intend to move forward purposefully, swiftly and better prepared to serve Welsh rugby's needs.\n\n\"This is another historic day in the 142-year history of the WRU.\n\n\"From this moment on we will be much better equipped to overcome any challenges we may face and I thank all members for giving us the tools to do a better job on their behalf.\n\n\"The repercussions of a positive vote today are nothing short of momentous and I am genuinely excited about the latent potential of our national game at all levels.\n\n\"Members have taken the opportunity to pay something forward of huge significance to our great rugby playing country's children\u2026 and its children's children.\n\n\"We will draft in the very best talent to help our elected Board members. Each with a genuine and heartfelt, interest and love for our game.\n\n\"But also with the business expertise, varied skills and acumen to see Welsh rugby soar.\"\n\nWRU acting chief executive Nigel Walker: \"We hope to complete the process for change by December this year, but the first steps will be taken immediately.\n\n\"We need a new chair in place first and the recruitment process for INEDs, and of course any potential new CEO, will follow from there, with a natural stage at our AGM in November where the composition of our elected members will evolve due to a number reaching the end of their terms of office.\n\n\"This is just the beginning of a journey which will see the trust and faith of a nation in Welsh rugby restored and revitalised.\n\n\"There is a lot of hard work ahead of us but this is a genuinely uplifting moment in the history of our game.\"\n\nWhat the sponsors say\n\nAn Admiral spokesperson said: \"We're pleased with the outcome of today's vote.\n\n\"We see it as a key indicator of the WRU's willingness and ability to change to becoming a modern-day organisation more aligned to our values and culture, and we look forward to seeing the changes implemented.\n\n\"We will always stand by our cultural principles, which celebrate diversity and inclusion for all, and we expect our partners to share our ethos.\"\n\nWhat the politicians say\n\nDelyth Jewell MS is Chair of the Senedd's Culture and Sport Committee: \"This is a positive first step. It is a first step. Dame Anne Rafferty's independent review is obviously going to be carrying on now, and that is an important process.\n\n\"But this shows that there is momentum behind that review. It shows that the clubs recognise that there is a need for change, and I think for those brave women who waived their anonymity, this is a signal to them that they are believed, that there is a need for change.\n\n\"It's going to be a long process but this was a important day.\n\n\"If this change hadn't been voted through, then it would have been catastrophic for the game in so many ways. So thank goodness the clubs have actually voted for the necessary change.\"","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/sport\/rugby-union\/65071796"}
{"title":"'God, guns and Trump': Thousands turn out for Texas rally - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-26","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"As Donald Trump stares down a potential arrest, it is business as usual at his campaign rally.","section":"US & Canada","content":"A Donald Trump fan dresses up as the former president at the rally\n\nIn his first public appearance since speculating a week ago that he would soon be arrested, Donald Trump lashed out against the multiple criminal inquiries that have bedevilled him since he left office in January 2021.\n\nAt an airfield rally in Waco, Texas, in front of thousands of supporters, the former president called the New York City investigation into hush-money payments to adult film star Stormy Daniels an expletive.\n\n\"The district attorney of New York under the auspices and direction of the 'department of injustice' in Washington, DC, is investigating me for something that is not a crime, not a misdemeanour, not an affair,\" he said, before belittling Ms Daniels' personal appearance.\n\nEvery piece of his personal, financial and business life, he said, has been \"turned upside down and dissected\" - but professed that he was \"the most innocent man in the history of our country\".\n\nFor the past week, Mr Trump has been posting increasingly menacing statements about \"death and destruction\" if he were to be indicted on his social media website, but he avoided any such dire warnings during his speech. And earlier on a sunny afternoon in Waco, Texas, the gathering felt more like the carnival-atmosphere campaign rallies of Mr Trump's 2016 presidential bid.\n\nThousands of the former president's supporters wandered through Trump merchandise tents, where they bought t-shirts emblazoned with \"God, guns and Trump\" and \"Trump won\". Then they packed onto the asphalt tarmac of the local airport hours before Mr Trump's private jet was scheduled to land.\n\nThousands of supporters wore the shirts emblazoned with 'God, Guns, Trump'\n\nThey waited in the heat as songs by Abba, Frank Sinatra and Bon Jovi blared on the loudspeakers and cheered as a litany of familiar Trump supporters took turns warming-up the crowd.\n\nRock star Ted Nugent played what was billed as a \"fire-breathing\" rendition of the US national anthem on his electric guitar, interrupted by an obscenity-laced diatribe that included attacks on the \"jack-booted thugs\" in the federal government who he said have been wrongfully imprisoning Trump supporters who stormed the US Capitol on 6 January, 2021.\n\nCongressman Matt Gaetz of Florida and Congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene of Georgia also had their moment on the stage, lobbing pointed attacks on New York City District Attorney Alvin Bragg, who will decide in the days ahead whether to indict Mr Trump.\n\n\"This attack is an egregious weaponisation of our justice system designed to influence the 2024 presidential race,\" Greene said. \"This is nothing but a witch hunt against President Trump, and he is completely innocent.\"\n\nCongresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene had a moment on stage, using it to attack New York City District Attorney Alvin Bragg\n\nThe crowd - which the Trump campaign estimated will reach 15,000 - offered some boos when Mr Bragg's name was mentioned, but few seemed all that concerned by the New York investigation.\n\n\"I don't listen to the negative stuff,\" said Debbie Harvey of Midlothian, Texas, a town near Dallas. \"I'm praying that he doesn't get indicted. God still answers prayers.\"\n\n\"There doesn't seem to be much to it,\" said Brian Novie, who lives in nearby Copperas Cove. \"And now they seem to be struggling with whether prosecute at all.\"\n\nNovie and his friend Richard Tarner, who like Harvey were attending their first Trump rally, bought commemorative t-shirts that read \"Trump in Texas: I was there - where were you?\" They said that, even with what is likely to be a range of choices in the 2024 Republican primaries, they were sticking with Mr Trump.\n\n\"He's proven he can get things done,\" Tarner said, noting that Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, Mr Trump's most formidable rival, had yet to demonstrate that he could perform on the national stage.\n\nIn the run-up to the Waco rally, a number of media outlets and Trump critics had questioned why the former president was holding his first mega-rally of the 2024 campaign in Waco, where 30 years earlier federal and state authorities engaged in an armed standoff with the Branch Davidian religious cult that ended with the death of 86 people.\n\nIt was an incident that helped fuel an anti-government movement in the US, as terms like Nugent's \"jack-booted thugs\" were frequently used to describe federal law officers.\n\nTexas Lieutenant Governor Dan Patrick told the crowd that such connections were an expletive and \"fake news\".\n\n\"I picked Waco,\" he said. \"The president called me several weeks ago and said: 'I'm coming to Texas. I want you to pick a great town.'\n\nThe former president's plane arrived early evening in the kind of dramatic airfield landing he made a signature of his campaigns in 2016 and 2020. The new \"Trump Force One\" circled the airfield as the song Danger Zone, made popular by the film Top Gun, blared on the loudspeakers. Meanwhile, a speed-artist painted a scowling portrait of the former president on the stage.\n\nThe work turned out to be an accurately foreshadowing of the mood the embattled former president brought to his appearance. While he would eventually tout his record and make promises about a bright future for America if he is elected, it was clear that his legal troubles - and possible impending arrest - were foremost in his mind.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/world-us-canada-65078418"}
{"title":"Greens: New FM must have 'progressive values' - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-26","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"Scottish Greens says they will quit government if the new first minister does not back climate justice and trans rights.","section":"Scotland politics","content":"This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Patrick Harvie and Lorna Slater spoke at the Scottish Greens' party conference\n\nThe Scottish Greens say they will quit the government if the new first minister does not share their \"progressive values\".\n\nCo-leader Patrick Harvie said they were a \"necessity\" if the power-sharing agreement with the SNP was to continue.\n\nLorna Slater said a commitment to climate justice and trans rights were \"non-negotiable\".\n\nHumza Yousaf is the only one of the three SNP leadership candidates who has committed to continue the agreement.\n\nThe Green politicians' comments are seen as the clearest signal yet that they would not work with Kate Forbes or Ash Regan, who are also standing to replace Nicola Sturgeon.\n\nThey spoke at their party conference in Clydebank, West Dunabrtonshire, as voting continues in the contest to succeed Ms Sturgeon. The result of that ballot will be announced on Monday.\n\nMs Slater, who is also co-leader of the party, said she wanted the Greens to stay in government and continue their work.\n\n\"But not at any cost,\" she added.\n\n\"We will only vote for the SNP's new leader to become first minister if they are committed to the politics of cooperation,\" she said.\n\n\"If they respect and share our values of equality and environmentalism. If they will prioritise climate justice. And if they agree that trans rights are human rights and that our trans siblings cannot be used as political fodder by Westminster.\n\n\"These are fundamental issues for us. They are non-negotiable. If the next first minister shares these values then we would not just remain in government. We should redouble our efforts to build a fairer, greener, and independent Scotland.\"\n\nShe said the party would put itself in the best position it could to \"deliver change\".\n\n\"If that is in opposition to an SNP government that has lost its way and abandoned its commitments to cooperation, equality and environmental progress then so be it,\" she added.\n\n\"With regret, that is where we would go. Because Scottish Greens will always work for people and for planet, and you can't do that in partnership with a first minister who has already set themselves in opposition to both.\"\n\nAt the Greens' conference hotel in Clydebank, there's a lot of coming and going - walkers, ice hockey players and GPs here for a conference.\n\nThat sense of movement and checking-in and checking-out chimes in with the mood.\n\nThey're at a crossroads, indeed the co-leader Patrick Harvie said the party was standing at a \"major junction\".\n\nThey know they could suddenly be \"checking-out\" out of the Scottish government; the Bute House agreement ripped up if Humza Yousaf is not first minister.\n\nThey're being very polite and not naming names on the record until voting in the SNP leadership race closes - but they've set out what they call their \"progressive values\" and have made it clear that Kate Forbes and Ash Regan don't share them.\n\nOn Monday, the new SNP leader will call the Green co-leaders to set out his or her plans for government shortly after being elected.\n\nThe Greens' National Council will then decide whether to continue in partnership.\n\nUltimately, the Greens' future in the Scottish government rests with a decision by SNP members.\n\nMr Yousaf is the only candidate committed to challenging Westminster's veto of gender recognition reforms passed by Holyrood.\n\nSpeaking on Saturday, he said any move away from the Bute House agreement would \"destabilise\" the Scottish government and maintaining the deal would be one of his first priorities as first minister.\n\nMs Forbes has said she is willing to work with the party, but her drive to put economic prosperity \"front and centre\" was \"non-negotiable\".\n\nShe has also said she would not have voted for the Gender Recognition Reform Bill, and has suggested she may not go to court to defend it.\n\nMeanwhile Ash Regan has claimed the SNP is being \"held hostage\" by the Greens, warning about the \"tail wagging the dog\" on social policy - in particular the gender reforms which saw her quit government.\n\nMr Harvie said he wanted to be able to co-operate with the new leader.\n\n\"We need to be clear that a sincere commitment to progressive values cannot be an optional extra in a choice of a first minister; it is a necessity,\" he told the conference.\n\n\"And it's not just the policies and the values. It's also about the constructive way of working that's written into the Bute House Agreement - genuinely both sides seeking common ground.\n\n\"Yesterday I'm told that Kate Forbes said that she wanted to keep working with us\u2026 even though she has made it clear in a televised debate that working together simply meant us accepting her agenda\u2026 that's hardly the spirit of cooperation.\n\n\"But conference, there is so much more to what we can deliver if, and only if, we see a first minister who shares our commitment to the progressive values, the genuine spirit of cooperation, and the bold policy programme that runs through the agreement you approved.\"\n\u2022 None Will the Greens stay in government with the SNP?","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/uk-scotland-scotland-politics-65075733"}
{"title":"Plans to house migrants on ferries to be announced - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-26","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"The government has previously signalled it wants to end the practice of housing people in hotels.","section":"UK","content":"Over 45,000 people reached the UK via the dangerous route last year - up from around 300 in 2018\n\nThe government is preparing to announce alternatives to hotel accommodation for migrants as early as next week.\n\nThe use of ferries will be confirmed, but their exact location may not be announced for another few weeks.\n\nTwo military sites in England will also be confirmed, and the first migrants are expected to move in within weeks.\n\nSources say each site will house 1,500-2,000 migrants and will initially be used for new arrivals, rather than to rehouse people currently in hotels.\n\nThe BBC understands more than 51,000 people are being housed in 395 hotels.\n\nHome Secretary Suella Braverman has signalled the government wants to end the practice of housing migrants in hotels, which she says costs around \u00a36m a day.\n\nFormer airbases in Lincolnshire and Essex are among sites being looked at.\n\nPrivate hotels are currently used to house asylum seekers as part of the government's legal obligation to provide people seeking help with a basic level of accommodation.\n\nThe government says private accommodation options are at maximum capacity and argue they do not represent good value for money for the taxpayer.\n\nIt has made reducing illegal migration a key priority and has unveiled measures it says will deter people crossing the English Channel in small boats.\n\nMore than 45,000 reached the UK via the dangerous route last year, up from around 300 in 2018.\n\nThe government's Illegal Migration Bill would ban anyone who enters the country illegally from claiming asylum on arrival - or in the future.\n\nIt would also create an annual cap on the number of refugees the UK will settle through \"safe and legal routes\", and impose a legal duty on the Home Secretary to swiftly detain and remove anyone who arrives illegally.\n\nThe government's policy to deport migrants to Rwanda has been ruled to be legal by the High Court, but is facing further challenges in the courts.\n\nThe home secretary has said there is no limit to how many migrants Rwanda would be able to take - however no flights have taken off.\n\nA Home Office spokesperson said: \"We have always been upfront about the unprecedented pressure being placed on our asylum system, brought about by a significant increase in dangerous and illegal journeys into the country. We continue to work across government and with local authorities to identify a range of accommodation options.\n\n\"The government remains committed to engaging with local authorities and key stakeholders as part of this process.\"","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/uk-65074419"}
{"title":"Coca-Cola and AG Barr in recycling scheme plea to new FM - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-26","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"They are among drinks firms asking the new first minister to make the deposit return scheme a priority.","section":"Scotland","content":"Scotland is aiming to be the first part of the UK to introduce a deposit return scheme for single-use drinks containers.\n\nSoft drinks firms including Coca-Cola, PepsiCo and the makers of Irn Bru have urged the next first minister to deliver a recycling scheme on time.\n\nThe British Soft Drinks Association asked the new leader to make the deposit return scheme a \"top priority\".\n\nAll three candidates hoping to succeed Nicola Sturgeon have raised concerns.\n\nA BSDA spokesman said: \"Please focus on ironing out the kinks, maintaining a level playing field and delivering the scheme on time.\"\n\nScotland is aiming to be the first part of the UK to introduce a deposit return scheme for single-use drinks containers.\n\nA 20p deposit would be added to all single-use drinks containers made of PET plastic, metal or glass.\n\nThe money would be returned to the customer when the empty containers are returned. It applies to both alcoholic and soft drinks.\n\nSome businesses have said previously that the scheme will place extra costs and other burdens on them at a time when they are already struggling.\n\nAll three SNP leadership contenders now say the initiative will not go ahead in its present form - Kate Forbes and Ash Regan want it paused, while Humza Yousaf would exempt smaller firms for a year.\n\nLorna Slater, the Scottish Greens minister leading the scheme, says she is \"actively considering\" such a grace period for small businesses.\n\nAt her party's conference on Saturday, she repeated her commitment to the scheme, saying it would \"dramatically increase recycling, reduce littering and cut emissions\".\n\nShe added that it was a tried-and-tested policy based on successful schemes around the world, where the polluter pays instead of the picking up a bill for rubbish.\n\nThe scheme is due to go live on 16 August.\n\nSoft drinks served in tin cans would be part of the deposit return scheme, which will launch on 16 August\n\nGavin Partington, director general of the BSDA, said DRS had to be a top priority for the new first minister.\n\nHe added that he wants the next leader to commit to the current timeframe and focus on a smooth delivery.\n\nRoger White, the chief executive of AG Barr - the maker of Irn Bru and also a member of the BSDA - warned against delaying the introduction of the scheme.\n\nHe added: \"Scotland's DRS delivers for the environment, society and industry and to delay it now would be to the detriment of all those things.\"\n\nDrinks producers and importers are responsible for delivering the scheme but a private non-profit company called Circularity Scotland has been created to administer it on their behalf.\n\nRetailers also have a key role to play by operating the container return points.\n\nStephen Moorhouse, VP and general manager at Coca-Cola Europacific Partners GB, said the company and other \"responsible producers\" had spent the past three years preparing for the launch of DRS.\n\nHe said: \"We remain committed to the current timescale, but the Scottish government's clear and full support for DRS is critical if the scheme is to launch successfully in August.\"\n\nThe aim of the DRS is to incentivise recycling, to reduce litter and help tackle climate change by reducing the amount of material going to landfill.\n\nDr Kat Jones, director of the Association for the Protection of Rural Scotland (APRS) said it was \"extremely encouraging\" to see so many producers committed to working in a more sustainable way.\n\nShe said delaying the scheme again would be \"irresponsible and counterproductive\" and would leave those businesses which had prepared for it out of pocket.\n\nShe added: \"As things stand, more than 900 million cans and bottles are wasted in Scotland every year, ending up in landfill, incineration, or littered in our towns and our countryside.\n\n\"This is expensive as well as environmentally damaging. And it is also not good for the reputation of drinks producers, whose customers want them to take part in deposit return, just as those same companies already do across so many other European countries.\"\n\nA Scottish government spokesperson said that ministers remain committed to the August start date for the DRS.\n\nThey said: \"It will make producers responsible for recycling the bottles and cans they put on the market. Similar schemes are common in other European countries and have been shown to be very effective at reducing litter and increasing recycling rates.\"","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/uk-scotland-65079902"}
{"title":"Mississippi tornado kills 26 and brings devastation to US state - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-26","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"The storms have killed 26 and devastated rural towns, with Rolling Fork almost completely wiped out.","section":"US & Canada","content":"This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser.\n\nSearch and rescue efforts are continuing in Mississippi after a deadly tornado hit the US state.\n\nAt least 25 people have died in the state, and one in Alabama, with dozens more left injured by Friday's tornado.\n\nThe storms devastated several rural towns, with Rolling Fork in western Sharkey County almost completely wiped out.\n\nMississippi state governor Tate Reeves has declared a state of emergency to help respond to the damage.\n\nUS President Joe Biden also described the images coming out of Mississippi as \"heartbreaking\", and said the federal government would \"do everything we can to help\".\n\n\"We will be there as long as it takes. We will work together to deliver the support you need to recover,\" he said in a statement.\n\nMore storms are predicted to hit parts of Alabama and Georgia early on Sunday and potentially bring large hail.\n\nThe storm system which ripped through Mississippi produced a tornado that has caused catastrophic damage to communities across the state. The biggest twister obliterated dozens of buildings in several small towns, flipping cars on their sides and toppling power lines.\n\nThe small town of Rolling Fork, located in Sharkey County in western Mississippi, has essentially been wiped out, according to its mayor.\n\n\"My city is gone,\" Mayor Eldridge Walker told CNN. \"But we're resilient and we're going to come back.\"\n\nHe added that lots of families in his community were \"affected and hurting\", and all he could see was \"devastation\".\n\nRolling Fork residents said windows were blown out of the back of their homes.\n\nLocal resident Brandy Showah told CNN: \"I've never seen anything like this... This was a very great small town, and now it's gone.\"\n\nDrone footage of Rolling Fork, shared with the BBC, shows the devastation inflicted on the town. Trucks and trees are shown piled on top of buildings, with detritus scattered over large areas.\n\nCornel Knight told the Associated Press that he, his wife and their three-year-old daughter were at a relative's home in Rolling Fork and that it was \"eerily quiet\" just before the tornado struck. He said the sky was dark but \"you could see the direction from every transformer that blew\".\n\nHe said the tornado struck another relative's house, where a wall collapsed and trapped several people inside.\n\nMississippi state governor Tate Reeves has visited Silver City and Winona to meet with affected residents who had been hit by the tornado's fury.\n\nSharing an update on Twitter, Mr Reeves described the situation as a \"tragedy\", writing: \"We are blessed with brave, capable responders and loving neighbours. Please continue to pray.\"\n\nIt is not yet clear whether one or several tornadoes hit the area on Friday night. Although yesterday the National Weather Service warned that several tornadoes were forecast, it is possible the devastation was caused by a \"skipping tornado\" - a single twister that lifts from the surface only to touch down again.\n\nSam Emmerson from the School of Meteorology at the University of Oklahoma said that the \"extremely high-calibre\" tornado lofted debris above 30,000ft (9144m).\n\nOne local weather forecaster, concerned at the strength of a tornado about to hit the town of Amory, momentarily paused his TV forecast to offer a prayer for the residents of the town.\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Watch: Devastation after Tornadoes roll across Mississippi and Alabama\n\nHave you been affected by the tornado or the storms? Only if it is safe to do so, share your experiences by emailing haveyoursay@bbc.co.uk.\n\nPlease include a contact number if you are willing to speak to a BBC journalist. You can also get in touch in the following ways:\n\nIf 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 HaveYourSay@bbc.co.uk. Please include your name, age and location with any submission.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/world-us-canada-65075276"}
{"title":"MI5 spy reveals secret 'unauthorised' IRA talks - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-26","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"The officer who helped bring peace to Northern Ireland tells the BBC he defied orders from the government.","section":"UK","content":"The BBC's Peter Taylor, pictured here, tracked down the MI5 agent\n\nAn MI5 spy who helped bring peace to Northern Ireland by defying orders, has broken his silence to the BBC.\n\nHe has revealed he met IRA leaders in March 1993, despite talks being called off by the British government after IRA bombs killed two young boys in England.\n\nWhat he said in that meeting encouraged them to declare the ceasefire and move towards the process that eventually led to the 1998 Good Friday Agreement.\n\nThe BBC's Peter Taylor has been trying to find the spy for almost 30 years.\n\nHe has discovered that what the spy said during the talks was not authorised by the British government.\n\nThe minutes of the meeting had been published by Sinn Fein - the IRA's political wing - in 1994. They allege that the spy said: \"The final solution is union\u2026 this island will be as one.\"\n\n\"Those words are so controversial and so important,\" says Taylor in a BBC documentary The MI5 Spy and the IRA: Operation Chiffon.\n\n\"To Unionists such words would be seen as the ultimate betrayal.\"\n\nThe journalist says he wanted to hear what was actually said from the spy's own lips, but to do that he would have to track him down.\n\nIt is extremely rare to hear an MI5 officer talk about a top-secret operation like this. Its codename was \"Chiffon\" and it was designed to get the IRA to call a ceasefire and embrace the political process.\n\n\"It was a seminal meeting that I believe in the long term culminated in the Good Friday Agreement 25 years ago,\" the veteran reporter says in the documentary.\n\nSet up in 1991, Operation Chiffon worked as a secret back channel of communication between the leaders of the IRA and the British government. By then the conflict had caused more than 3,000 deaths.\n\nTaylor discovers that the spy was known to the IRA as \"Fred\" but his real name is Robert.\n\nIn the documentary, Robert reveals to Taylor that his face-to-face talks with the IRA on 23 March 1993 had not been authorised by the British government.\n\n\"I was... on my own, dealing at one remove with the IRA's leadership in the most crucial matter affecting Irish and probably British politics. I knew I had to succeed, and only consistency and patience would achieve this.\" He said that for years, he felt guilty for doing what he did.\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Watch: \"Robert\" talks to Peter Taylor about his 1993 meeting with IRA leaders\n\n\"Yes, I misled the prime minister so I misled the Queen as well. It was a hard and really very unpleasant thing to have on your conscience. I felt very alone.\"\n\nThe IRA had just carried out a bomb attack in Warrington, injuring 50 people and killing two children aged three and 12. It put an end to the British government's willingness to engage with the IRA, and the secret meeting was called off at the last minute by then-prime minister John Major.\n\nTalks were called off after the Warrington bombs\n\nBut Robert had received a previous message from the IRA indicating they were shifting towards a political rather than military way forward and was worried that by not turning up for the meeting, the embryonic peace process would be put in jeopardy.\n\n\"I had all sorts of thoughts going through [my mind]. A concern that I was going against my own government and the Queen,\" Robert tells Taylor in the documentary.\n\nAfter hours spent soul-searching in the countryside south of Stormont, the spy resolved to go ahead, defying his boss John Deverell, the head of MI5 in Northern Ireland who had ordered him not to go.\n\nSenior republicans Martin McGuinness and Gerry Kelly were at the meeting, representing the leadership of the IRA and Sinn Fein. It lasted around three hours and took place in Londonderry at the home of Brendan Duddy, a nationalist businessman passionate about peace. The republicans had expected Robert to be accompanied by his boss, and were suspicious that he had turned up alone.\n\n\"McGuinness did most of the talking. It was not a friendly interrogation,\" says Robert.\n\nDuring the meeting, Martin McGuinness asked what the intentions of the 'Brits' were, believing that Robert was speaking as he had presented himself - \"the British Government Representative\".\n\nRobert said that the goal was ultimately to unify Ireland.\n\nHis exact words were noted down in minutes written by Gerry Kelly:\n\n\"The final solution is union. It is going to happen anyway. The historical train - Europe - determines that. Unionists will have to change. This island will be as one.\"\n\nRobert admits to Taylor that he had no authority to make such a claim and that it flew directly in the face of British government policy.\n\n\"Those words are so incendiary and so important because they appeared to indicate that, behind the scenes, the British government had a policy - that it wasn't divulging at this stage - to work towards Irish unity,\" explains Taylor.\n\nHis words appeared to have resonated with the Republicans.\n\nSpeaking to Taylor in February, Gerry Kelly described the meeting as a \"seminal moment\".\n\n\"We were told he was a British government representative. We just took him at his word - that's what he was there for, he would represent the British government and therefore we were talking to the British government,\" says Mr Kelly.\n\n\"It gave hope there was a possibility of a peace process through meaningful talks. I think he [Robert] did the right thing and he can claim to have been part of history,\" he said.\n\nDuring a break in the meeting, the host Brendan Duddy said to Robert, \"I think you've got them, I think they're going to call a ceasefire.\"\n\nRobert did not come clean with the British government about the meeting but the secret came out later in the year [28 Nov 1993], when The Observer ran a front page scoop revealing that a British official had secretly met the IRA three days after the Warrington bomb.\n\n\"This is hugely embarrassing because the government had repeatedly denied that there had been any face to face meetings with the IRA,\" Taylor explains in the documentary.\n\nTaylor tracked him down more than 20 years ago. The trail to Robert was triggered by a signed inscription in a book the spy presented to Brendan Duddy. The inscription - a quote in Latin from Virgil's Aeneid - translated, read: \"Perhaps one day it will be good to remember these things,\" and was signed \"Robert\".\n\nThe letter Robert sent to Peter Taylor\n\nBut, following MI5's rules, he lied to Taylor, and said he wasn't the man he was looking for. But in 2021, the journalist received a letter.\n\n\"Dear Mr Taylor: You will no doubt be surprised to hear from me after so many years. For a variety of reasons I could now give you some background which might fill in some gaps - were you so interested. Two of the leading figures from my involvement have died [Martin McGuinness and Brendan Duddy] the third, crucially for me, is my wife. It is her death, which puts me in a position to contact you. Yours sincerely Robert [surname withheld]\"\n\n\"I'd like what I did to be remembered,\" he tells Taylor in the documentary.\n\nThe MI5 Spy and the IRA: Operation Chiffon is broadcast on BBC Two at 19:00 (21:50 in Northern Ireland) and on BBC iPlayer at 19:00.\n\u2022 None What is the Good Friday Agreement?","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/uk-65038587"}
{"title":"More storms feared after Mississippi tornado - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-26","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"Friday night's tornado in the southern US killed 26 people and has displaced hundreds more.","section":"US & Canada","content":"This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser.\n\nMore severe weather could be on its way to the US state of Mississippi following the tornadoes which killed 26 people, the governor has warned.\n\nGovernor Tate Reeves said significant risks remained in parts of the state.\n\nHundreds of people have been displaced in the wake of the tornadoes which tore through Mississippi and Alabama on Friday night.\n\nThe mayor of one of the worst affected towns said he had lost personal friends in the disaster.\n\nFriday's tornado was the deadliest in the state of Mississippi in more than a decade. At least 25 people have died in the state, with one person confirmed dead in neighbouring Alabama.\n\nTrees have been uprooted, trucks have overturned into houses and power lines have been brought down by the tornado - classified as \"violent\" and given the second-highest rating possible.\n\nMore than 36,000 people remained without power as of Monday morning in what is one of the poorest regions in the country.\n\nOn Saturday, survivors of the disaster could be seen walking around, dazed and in shock. Sunday, on the other hand, has been a hive of activity.\n\nVolunteers, some coming from neighbouring Arkansas, Louisiana and Tennessee, have been helping with the clean-up operation.\n\nPresident Joe Biden has declared a state of emergency and deployed federal resources to help with the rescue and response in some of the worst-hit towns.\n\nThe devastation is so great, it must be difficult to know where to begin. Crews are working to remove broken trees that are pinning down power lines, with thousands of people losing power during Friday's storm.\n\nStations have been set up outside some of the few buildings still partially standing where people can collect water and sandwiches.\n\nBut while local communities are grappling with the response, there are warnings of further severe storms to come.\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Watch: Governor Tate Reeves told reporters he was \"damn proud to be a Mississippian\"\n\nSpeaking at a news conference convened in the western town of Rolling Fork, Governor Reeves said: \"What we've seen, much like the storm that occurred Friday night, is in the 24-36 hours that are leading up to this afternoon, it appears that the risks seem to be getting worse and worse, not better.\n\n\"And when you stand here and see this, what feels like a beautiful weather day in Mississippi, please be aware and please know: if you are south of I-55 in Mississippi today there are significant risks. We are prepared.\"\n\nThe governor said it had been \"heart-breaking\" to see the loss and devastation caused by the twister, but said he was \"damn proud to be a Mississippian\" after seeing how locals had responded.\n\n\"Because Mississippians have done what Mississippians do,\" he said. \"In times of tragedy, in times of crisis, they stand up and they show up, and they're here to help themselves, help their neighbours.\"\n\nIn the town of Rolling Fork, where about one-fifth of the population lives below the poverty line, the extent of the devastation is still difficult to comprehend.\n\nAs you approach the town from the south, you can clearly see the tornado's path. A straight line of trees have been stripped of their branches and uprooted, while others to either side are untouched.\n\nDebris is strewn across the acres of farmland that surround the town, where parts of buildings and vehicles were deposited.\n\nMayor Eldridge Walker, also speaking at Sunday's news conference, said the town would come back \"bigger and better than ever before\" to rounds of applause from those who gathered.\n\n\"I'm not only just the mayor of this community, but I've lost personal friends,\" he said.\n\n\"I'm also the local funeral director - now I'm having to meet those who have lost loved ones and help them make it through.\"\n\nUS Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas visited Rolling Fork, where he pledged to help rebuild stronger buildings.\n\nMr Mayorkas said the stronger buildings would prevent the same tragedy happening again as severe weather events increase in frequency and gravity.\n\nHe earlier pledged to help the people of Mississippi, \"not just today but for the long haul\".\n\n\"It is inspiring to see the people of Mississippi come together... and the people of this country come together to assist those in dire need,\" he said.\n\nSoon after he spoke a lightning storm put a pause on the recovery operation.\n\nMore than 20 million Americans are under threat of severe storms on Monday.\n\nThe impact of climate change on the frequency of storms is still unclear, but we know that increased sea surface temperatures warm the air above and make more energy available to drive hurricanes, cyclones and typhoons.\n\nAs a result, they are likely to be more intense with more extreme rainfall.\n\nAre you or your family in the affected areas? If you are safe to do so, please share your experiences by emailing haveyoursay@bbc.co.uk.\n\nPlease include a contact number if you are willing to speak to a BBC journalist. You can also get in touch in the following ways:\n\nIf 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 HaveYourSay@bbc.co.uk. Please include your name, age and location with any submission.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/world-us-canada-65082746"}
{"title":"Tunisia migrants: At least 29 die off coast - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-26","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"The sub-Saharan African migrants were trying to cross the Mediterranean to reach Italy.","section":"Africa","content":"In February this boat of migrants was rescued some 31 miles (50km) from Tunisia's coast\n\nAt least 29 migrants have died after at least two boats sank off Tunisia's coast within hours of each other, officials say.\n\nThe sub-Saharan migrants were trying to cross the Mediterranean to reach Italy.\n\nIt is the latest in a string of migrant boat capsizes off Tunisia's coast in the last few days, with five others sinking in the past four days.\n\nThis comes after Tunisia launched a campaign against undocumented African migrants.\n\nMeanwhile, Italian officials on the island of Lampedusa say they are overwhelmed, after a record 2,500 migrants arrived in the last 24 hours.\n\nThe Italian far-right Prime Minister, Giorgia Meloni, has warned Europe risks seeing a huge wave of refugees arriving on its shores.\n\nTunisia has become a hub for migrants who wish to make it to Europe, with UN figures showing at least 12,000 migrants who landed on Italy's shores this year left from Tunisia. That figure was just 1,300 in the same time period last year.\n\nHowever, the Tunisia coast guard say they are taking steps to stop the migrant crossings, having halted around 80 vessels headed for Europe in the past four days, according to the Reuters news agency. It also says it has detained more than 3,000 migrants, the same agency reports.\n\nIn a controversial speech last month, Tunisia's president accused sub-Saharan African migrants living in the country of causing a crime wave and described them as a demographic threat.\n\nKais Saied's comments were widely criticised by the African Union and denounced as \"racist hate speech\" by human rights groups.\n\nThese comments have left some sub-Saharan Africans in Tunisia living in fear, with some saying they have seen an increase in racist incidents.\n\nThis has led some countries, like Ivory Coast and Guinea, to repatriate their citizens due to an increased climate of intolerance in Tunisia.\n\nTunisia's economy is in a poor state, and is facing crisis after negotiations with the the International Monetary Fund (IMF) stalled.\n\nThe US Secretary of State Antony Blinken has also warned that Tunisia urgently needs to reach a bailout deal with the IMF.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/world-africa-65081585"}
{"title":"John Lewis: Ex-boss says changing ownership model would be a tragedy - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-26","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"Andy Street says the department store chain should not change its staff ownership structure.","section":"Business","content":"A former John Lewis boss has said it would be a \"tragedy\" if the retailer changed its ownership model, which has been in staff hands for 70 years.\n\nAndy Street, managing director from 2007 to 2016, told the BBC's Sunday with Laura Kuenssberg that John Lewis went beyond being a shop.\n\nThe firm is considering selling a stake in its business, meaning it would no longer be fully owned by its employees.\n\nIt comes after the retailer reported a \u00a3234m loss last year.\n\nHis comments echo those from brand expert Mary Portas, who wrote an open letter to the partnership this week, urging the leadership to reconsider moves to dilute its current ownership model.\n\nMs Portas said John Lewis was one of the most \"valued, loved, and trusted retail brands\" in the country but that it had \"let go\" of its soul.\n\nSpeaking on Sunday about the possible change, Mr Street said: \"It would be a tragedy if that occurred because I think John Lewis goes a bit beyond a shop.\n\n\"You can buy the same television in other places in truth, but John Lewis was about a way of doing business, showing the market there was a better way almost and that's potentially under threat.\"\n\nMr Street urged the retailer's leadership to think about what was at the heart of the business, \"what makes it special and hold onto that\".\n\nHe acknowledged the company's financial difficulties, after staff were told they would not receive their annual bonus this year due to the losses. John Lewis said it had been a \"very tough year\".\n\nBut Mr Street said: \"You have to address the underlying point. This was ever the case in the John Lewis model over 150 years, if you can't go to the equity markets you have to trade your way through it.\n\n\"Some of the best retailers at the moment - Next, Primark, Selfridges - are proving physical retail can still do that, and that's really the challenge to John Lewis and Waitrose,\" he added.\n\nMr Street began working for John Lewis in 1985 after joining as a graduate trainee from university.\n\nHe rose through the ranks to lead the partnership before leaving to pursue a career in politics in 2016 and become the Mayor of the West Midlands, a position he currently holds.\n\nIn a statement John Lewis said its partnership model is what makes it special and \"will always be the heart of our business\".\n\n\"It has helped us build the strong and well-capitalised business that we have today.\n\n\"We keep under review our future funding needs so we have options to fuel the next stage of our growth plan, but nothing is happening in the short term.\n\n\"Right now we are focused on continuing to deliver the best possible experience for our customers while improving the performance of our business.\"","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/business-65080020"}
{"title":"Alison Hammond: Man arrested over blackmail claims - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-26","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"Police say they arrested a 36-year-old man at an address in Warwickshire on Saturday evening.","section":"Birmingham & Black Country","content":"A man has been arrested on suspicion of blackmailing TV presenter Alison Hammond.\n\nWest Midlands police said the 36-year-old was arrested at an address in Warwickshire on Saturday evening.\n\nAccording to a report in The Sun, the This Morning presenter, 48, has paid out large sums after falling victim.\n\nIt is alleged the Birmingham-born celebrity had been threatened that lies would be spread about her if she did not co-operate with demands.\n\nOn Sunday evening, police said the man had been released on conditional bail.\n\nThe presenter has been announced as the new co-host of The Great British Bake Off\n\nThe presenter came to prominence as a contestant on the third series of Big Brother in 2002.\n\nShe was promoted to co-presenter of This Morning in 2020, appearing alongside Dermot O'Leary on Fridays.\n\nThere have also been appearances on I'm a Celebrity... Get Me Out of Here! in 2010 and Strictly Come Dancing in 2014.\n\nLast week she was announced as the new co-host of The Great British Bake Off, replacing Matt Lucas.\n\nShe also appeared alongside actor Richard E Grant to host the 2023 Baftas.\n\nFollow BBC West Midlands on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. Send your story ideas to: newsonline.westmidlands@bbc.co.uk\n\u2022 None Alison Hammond to be new Bake Off co-host\n\nThe BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/uk-england-birmingham-65077545"}
{"title":"In pictures: Mississippi tornado devastates town - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-26","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"Upside down houses and huge piles of debris are left in the wake of Friday's deadly storm.","section":"In Pictures","content":"Images of devastation have emerged from Mississippi, where a tornado has killed at least 25 people.\n\nThe town of Rolling Fork, where 20% of residents live below the poverty line, was virtually flattened on Friday.\n\nRolling Fork Mayor Eldridge Walker told CNN: \"My city is gone. Devastation - as I look from left to right, that's all I see.\"\n\nThe tornado overturned not just cars, but also homes.\n\nUS President Joe Biden called the images from Mississippi \"heart-breaking\" and ordered federal aid.\n\nSearch and rescue efforts are continuing in a community in shock.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/in-pictures-65079578"}
{"title":"Liz Truss resignation honours list criticised by ex-aides - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-26","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"The former PM, who spent 49 days in office, has reportedly nominated four people for peerages.","section":"UK","content":"Former Prime Minister Liz Truss has been criticised by two former aides for choosing to submit a list of resignation honours.\n\nMs Truss, who spent only 49 days in office, has put forward four people, the Sun and i reported.\n\nTory party donor Jon Moynihan, aide Ruth Porter, ex-Vote Leave's Matthew Elliott and think tank boss Mark Littlewood are said to be on the list.\n\nA spokesman for Ms Truss said it would not be \"appropriate\" to comment.\n\nBoth Labour and the Liberal Democrats have called on Prime Minister Rishi Sunak to block the move.\n\nAny outgoing prime minister is able to recommend people for honours after they've resigned, although not all have chosen to.\n\nAllies say Ms Truss's list is \"modest\" but former aides are among those expressing anger that she is making any nominations at all.\n\nTwo former advisers told the BBC they did not think she should be putting anybody forward, given her short time in office.\n\nOne said they were \"relieved to no longer be working for her and having to defend the indefensible\".\n\nLabour's deputy leader Angela Rayner called it a \"list of shame\", saying the former PM and her supporters \"took a wrecking ball to the economy in a disastrous six-week premiership that has left millions facing mortgage misery\".\n\nWendy Chamberlain MP, the Lib Dems' chief whip, described the move as \"truly remarkable\", adding: \"Rishi Sunak must block these honours immediately as allowing Truss to dish out positions of influence shows a stunning lack of humility.\"\n\nThe BBC has not confirmed the names of those reported to be on the list.\n\nMr Littlewood is director of the Institute of Economic Affairs, a free-market supporting think tank that was associated with Ms Truss and her former chancellor Kwasi Kwarteng.\n\nMr Elliott, who helped found the Taxpayers Alliance group, which campaigns for lower taxes, was chief executive of the main pro-Brexit campaign during the 2016 referendum.\n\nMs Porter ran Ms Truss' Tory election leadership campaign and briefly served as her deputy chief of staff in No 10.\n\nThe register of MPs' financial interests shows that Mr Moynihan donated \u00a350,000 in two separate transactions to her Tory leadership campaign.\n\nIt's unclear when Ms Truss' nominations would be assessed by the Cabinet Office, which is already considering nominations from Boris Johnson.\n\nKing Charles is also expected to hand out honours to mark his coronation.\n\nOutgoing prime ministers can ask the monarch to bestow peerages, knighthoods, and other honours on any number of people of their choosing.\n\nMr Cameron nominated 59 people for honours when he resigned, while Ms May nominated 51.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/uk-65075328"}
{"title":"Police strip-searched children as young as eight - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-26","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"Some children were strip-searched in the back of police vans, schools and fast-food outlets.","section":"UK","content":"Children as young as eight are being strip-searched by the police, according to a report showing \"deeply concerning\" and \"widespread\" failures.\n\nIt also found some children were strip-searched in the back of police vans, schools and fast-food outlets.\n\nThe report by Children's Commissioner Dame Rachel de Souza showed 2,847 children were strip-searched in England and Wales from 2018 to mid-2022.\n\nThe National Police Chiefs' Council will \"carefully consider\" the findings.\n\nThe Runnymede Trust, a race equality charity, said: \"Our children are being failed by the state institutions there to protect them.\"\n\nThe report found black children were up to six times more likely to be searched than the overall child population.\n\nMore than half (52%) of the searches took place without an appropriate adult confirmed to be present - a legal requirement, except when there is serious risk to a child's life or welfare.\n\nAnd the data shows 51% of the searches led to no further action.\n\nDame Rachel requested data in the wake of the Child Q scandal, which came to light in March 2022.\n\nThe case of the 15-year-old - strip-searched at school by two female Metropolitan Police officers while on her period and without an appropriate adult present - drew national outrage.\n\nIt prompted Dame Rachel to request figures from Scotland Yard, which she found so concerning that she then asked all forces for comparable data.\n\nSome 39 of 43 forces responded. The figures cover searches under stop-and-search powers over four-and-a-half years.\n\nThey reveal evidence of \"deeply concerning practice\", Dame Rachel said.\n\nHer office identified searches at 27 forces which raise concerns about children's safeguarding, or indicate a breach of the statutory code of practice. It has asked for these to be referred to the police watchdog.\n\nOf the nearly 3,000 searches, almost a quarter (24%) took place on children aged 10-15. The youngest was eight years old.\n\nThe vast majority were boys (95%), and black boys accounted for more than a third (37%) of strip-searches.\n\nDame Rachel said it was \"utterly unacceptable\" that black children were six times more likely to be strip-searched compared with the national child population. White children were around half as likely.\n\n\"We cannot have black children treated like this,\" she said.\n\nChildren's Commissioner Dame Rachel de Souza says the findings of her report were \"utterly unacceptable\"\n\nGuidelines need to be strengthened urgently to ensure they are followed properly and \"to robustly challenge a culture that has allowed widespread failures to go unchallenged\", she said.\n\nShe continued: \"This data, combined with that which I received from the Metropolitan Police last year, is the clearest indication yet that what happened to Child Q was far from an isolated incident.\"\n\nSpeaking on BBC Breakfast, she warned that strip-searches can be traumatic for children, and the first thing officers should do is \"call mum and dad\".\n\nDame Rachel said she wanted to ensure that if strip-searches were done there was \"really good justification\".\n\nPolicing Minister Chris Philp said there needed to be clarity on why these searches were undertaken.\n\n\"Very often criminal gangs exploit young people to transport drugs concealed in intimate body cavities\", he said.\n\n\"It is important that these searches get done to safeguard young people who may be getting exploited\", he told BBC Breakfast.\n\nIn 45% of cases the location of the strip-searches was not recorded.\n\nBut Dame Rachel said the data also revealed \"some places that are really not acceptable for a strip-search\" including amusement parks and takeaway outlets. Fourteen strip-searches were in police vehicles or schools.\n\nPolice guidelines say that strip-searches under stop and search can occur at a nearby police station or other nearby locations out of public view - but not a police vehicle.\n\nOther recommendations in the report include that the Home Office should require forces to report annually on the strip-searching of children under stop and search, and that parents or guardians should be informed before a strip or intimate search of a child.\n\nSeparate Home Office figures, from November, show 3,133 children aged 10-17 were strip-searched in custody in the year to March 2022.\n\nChief Constable Craig Guildford, from the NPCC, said any search of a child should be carried out in line with the law and police policy.\n\nHe said the NPCC was working with other policing bodies to \"implement positive change wherever it is required\", adding: \"We will carefully consider the findings from the children's commissioner as part of this work\".\n\nThe Home Office said nobody should be strip-searched because of their race and ethnicity, and there were safeguards to prevent this.\n\nA spokesperson said: \"We take the concerns raised about children's safeguarding extremely seriously.\n\n\"The Independent Office for Police Conduct is currently investigating several high-profile incidents of strip-search of children and it is vital that we await their findings.\"\n\nThe figures follow last week's damning report into the Metropolitan Police by Baroness Casey, which said London's black communities have been \"over-policed and under-protected\".\n\nIt said previous data found \"significant racial disproportionality\" in the strip-searches of children by Met officers.\n\nThe report said this gave weight to the claim that \"adultification\" - where black children are treated as adults and as a threat, justifying greater use of force or intrusion - was present in the force.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/uk-65081765"}
{"title":"Putin: Russia to station nuclear weapons in Belarus - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-26","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"The US Defense Department says it does not believe Russia is preparing to use the nuclear weapons.","section":"Europe","content":"The Iskander - seen here in an archive photo - has a range of up to 500km (310 miles)\n\nRussia will station tactical nuclear weapons in Belarus, President Vladimir Putin has said.\n\nPresident Putin said the move would not violate nuclear non-proliferation agreements and compared it to the US stationing its weapons in Europe, according to Russian state media.\n\nMoscow would not be transferring control of its arms to Minsk, he added.\n\nThe US said it did not believe Russia was preparing to use the nuclear weapons after the announcement.\n\n\"We have not seen any reason to adjust our own strategic nuclear posture,\" the US Defense Department said in a statement.\n\n\"We remain committed to the collective defence of the Nato alliance.\"\n\nBelarus shares a long border with Ukraine, and with Nato members Poland, Lithuania and Latvia.\n\nThis will be the first time since the mid-1990s that Moscow will have based nuclear arms outside the country.\n\nThe Soviet Union's collapse in 1991 meant weapons became based in four newly-independent states - Russia, Ukraine, Belarus and Kazakhstan - with the transfer of all warheads to Russia completed in 1996.\n\nThe Belarusian regime is a firm Kremlin ally and supporter of the invasion of Ukraine.\n\nPresident Putin told Russian state television on Saturday that Belarusian leader Alexander Lukashenko had long raised the issue of stationing tactical nuclear weapons in Belarus.\n\n\"There is nothing unusual here either,\" he said. \"Firstly, the United States has been doing this for decades. They have long deployed their tactical nuclear weapons on the territory of their allied countries.\"\n\nRussia will start training crews to operate the weapons from next week. The construction of a storage facility for tactical nuclear weapons in Belarus will be completed by 1 July, President Putin added.\n\nA small number of Iskander tactical missile systems, which can be used to launch nuclear weapons, have already been transferred to Belarus, President Putin said.\n\nHe did not specify when the weapons themselves would be sent.\n\nThe announcement to station weapons in Belarus comes only days after Chinese President Xi Jinping's visit to Moscow, during which Russia and China issued a joint statement saying \"all nuclear powers must not deploy their nuclear weapons beyond their national territories, and they must withdraw all nuclear weapons deployed abroad.\"\n\nOn Sunday, a top security adviser to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said that Russia's plans are a \"step towards internal destabilisation\" of Belarus and predicted anti-Russian sentiment in the country would grow. \"The Kremlin took Belarus as a nuclear hostage,\" Oleksiy Danilov wrote on Twitter.\n\nAnd exiled Belarusian opposition leader Svetlana Tikhanovskaya said that Russia's deployment of tactical nuclear weapons \"grossly contradicts the will of the Belarusian people\".\n\nPresident Putin's comments come after President Zelensky renewed his plea for more military support from his Western allies.\n\nEarlier this week, some 18 countries signed an agreement to supply the war-torn country with at least one million artillery shells over the next year.\n\nBut in an interview with a Japanese newspaper, President Zelensky said Ukraine could not launch a potential counter-offensive in the east of the country until further ammunition arrived.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/world-europe-65077687"}
{"title":"Ovo launches energy deal below government price cap - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-26","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"The supplier launches 12-month tariff of \u00a32,275, as falling gas prices finally start feeding through to bills.","section":"Business","content":"Energy giant Ovo has launched its first deal for customers cheaper than the government's cap on household bills.\n\nThe firm will offer a fixed 12-month tariff of \u00a32,275 for existing customers, at a time when the government is limiting typical household bills to \u00a32,500.\n\nIt comes as falling wholesale gas prices start feeding through to bills.\n\nOne expert urged caution on Ovo's deal, predicting there would be cheaper deals in the months to come.\n\nOvo Energy, which provides power to more than four million homes, said it was launching the tariff because customers wanted \"the security of a long term fix to protect them against the continuing energy price uncertainty\".\n\nBut Martin Lewis, from MoneySavingExpert, said: \"People need to be very careful not to just jump on a fix because it costs less than they're paying right now... because wholesale rates - the rates energy firms pay - have dropped, it's likely the price cap will drop, and on current predictions that means you'll start paying 20% lower rates than now.\n\n\"That price is predicted to stay around that point until the end of the year, and into early 2024.\"\n\nExperts have been predicting household bills will fall this summer as suppliers strike new long-term deals to buy cheaper gas.\n\nAt that point the government's Energy Price Guarantee (EPG) - which is being held at current levels until the end of June - will no longer be needed, they add.\n\nLast month analysts at Cornwall Insight forecasted that Ofgem's energy price cap - which in normal times limits what suppliers can charge per unit of energy - will fall to \u00a32,153 a year from July.\n\nAnd earlier this week, analysts at financial firm Investec said the cap could go as low as \u00a31,981 a year from July - although this would still be significantly higher than it was before Russia's invasion of Ukraine.\n\nExperts believe at this point households might once again be able to shop around for more competitive energy deals.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/business-65080014"}
{"title":"Where next for Scotland as the Nicola Sturgeon era ends? - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-26","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"The first minister's resignation triggered a divisive leadership campaign - but what could happen now?","section":"Scotland politics","content":"Nicola Sturgeon is standing down after eight years as first minister\n\nIf Nicola Sturgeon had prevailed, Scotland would be going to the polls again this autumn to consider dissolving the 316-year-old union with England.\n\nLast summer, the outgoing first minister proposed 19 October 2023 as the date when, for the second time in nine years, voters would be asked \"Should Scotland be an independent country?\"\n\nThe plan she set out in Edinburgh was thwarted by politicians and judges in London.\n\nThe Conservative prime minister Boris Johnson refused to recognise a pro-independence majority in the Scottish Parliament - the accepted trigger for the first referendum in 2014 - as a mandate for a second vote.\n\nThen, in November, the UK Supreme Court ruled that the Scottish Parliament did not have the power to organise its own referendum without Westminster's approval.\n\nThe Supreme Court issued its ruling on the indyref2 case in November 2022\n\nThe judgment laid bare the true nature of the 1707 union which created the state of Great Britain. While theoretically a marriage of equals, one partner, it seemed, could not leave without the other's consent.\n\nMs Sturgeon had run out of road and she knew it.\n\nAfter briefly flirting with the idea of treating the next general election as a referendum in all but name, she announced her resignation less than three months after the court ruling.\n\nHer departure marks the end of a remarkable career as a political campaigner.\n\n\"Eight election victories in eight years as first minister, that's the verdict that matters to me,\" said Ms Sturgeon in her 286th and final session of First Minister's Question Time on Thursday.\n\nTriumphs in three general elections, two Holyrood elections, two local government elections, and a European parliamentary election are impressive for sure - but, unusually for a political party, winning elections to enact policies in government is not actually the central mission of the SNP.\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Nicola Sturgeon addresses the Holyrood chamber for the last time as first minister\n\nOn the binary measure of independence, Ms Sturgeon, like Alex Salmond before her, leaves office as a failure. Scotland remains in the United Kingdom.\n\nShe began campaigning for independence as a teenager in 1980s Ayrshire and was just 21 when she first stood for election, unsuccessfully challenging Labour in the working class Glasgow Shettleston constituency under the SNP slogan \"Free by '93\".\n\nThirty years on, the SNP has made great strides towards its goal but Ms Sturgeon's resignation implicitly acknowledges that Scotland will not be \"free\" by '23, or any time soon after.\n\nThe abrupt announcement of her departure set in train a damaging and divisive leadership contest, with splits emerging on economic and social issues as well as on electoral and constitutional strategy.\n\nDiscipline, for which the SNP had been famed, began to crumble.\n\nEven contenders for Ms Sturgeon's crown publicly criticised the lack of progress on independence during her eight years in office.\n\nHumza Yousaf, Kate Forbes and Ash Regan are competing to become the next SNP leader\n\n\"For too many years, we've become the party of referendums rather than the party of independence,\" said Finance Secretary Kate Forbes, who promises to \"turn a divided nation into a settled majority\" for leaving the UK.\n\nAccording to former minister Ash Regan: \"The SNP has lost its way. There's been no progress on independence in the last few years, despite the worst UK governments of all time.\"\n\n\"I think what we are now hearing publicly is what many people have been saying privately for a long time,\" says James Mitchell, professor of public policy at Edinburgh University.\n\nThe SNP's looming crisis deepened when the party admitted that it had covered up a dramatic fall in its membership, prompting the resignations of director of communications, Murray Foote, and chief executive Peter Murrell, who is married to Ms Sturgeon.\n\nAlso following his wife out of government are two of her most trusted lieutenants, senior adviser Liz Lloyd and Deputy First Minister John Swinney.\n\nIt has been a chaotic and painful few weeks for the SNP and yet the final days of the first minister's tenure have been characterised by boosterism and denial.\n\n\"The SNP's not in a mess,\" Ms Sturgeon insisted on ITV's Loose Women. \"It's going through, how can I put this, some growing pains right now.\"\n\nThen there was her denial that SNP president Mike Russell had said the party was in a mess.\n\nMr Russell had answered the question \"Is your party in turmoil?\" with the words: \"Well, I think it's fair to say that there's a tremendous mess and we have to clear it up.\"\n\nMs Sturgeon also insisted that her party had not lied to journalists about its plummeting membership figures despite evidence to the contrary, not least the resignations of Mr Foote and Mr Murrell.\n\nThe whole membership affair was, leadership contender and Health Secretary Humza Yousaf told Tuesday's Times Radio debate, a \"total own goal\".\n\nSo, is Nicola Sturgeon's dream of a sovereign Scottish state, standing tall on the world stage, dead and buried?\n\nHistory says don't be so sure.\n\nOn the day the Hollywood epic Braveheart had its American premiere in Seattle, a more peaceful political drama was playing out on the streets of the old country.\n\nThe death of the Conservative MP for Perth and Kinross had triggered a by-election, and the SNP candidate Roseanna Cunningham was on the march - and under attack.\n\nA senior Tory accused Ms Cunningham - caricatured as Republican Rose because she opposed the monarchy - of fighting a campaign \"against Queen and country\".\n\nAt 18 years old, I was easily the least experienced journalist on the by-election trail - but even I could see that the Tories were in trouble in territory which they had dominated for decades.\n\nTheir candidate, a gaffe-prone merchant banker, was keen to talk about one topic above all others, campaigning (literally) under the banner: \"A Strong Union\".\n\nYou could understand why. The spoils of Empire; the unifying experience of defying Hitler's Germany; and the creation of the welfare state had all bound Scotland tightly into the union.\n\nRoseanna Cunningham (centre) put independence at the heart of her by-election campaign in 1995\n\nMargaret Thatcher's response, as Conservative prime minister during the 1980s, was to fight and win a war abroad while hastening a profound economic shift at home.\n\nHer vision of a modern British economy meant moving away from state subsidy of heavy industry; weakening the trade unions; and encouraging the creation of wealth through private enterprise.\n\nFor many in Scotland, where culture, tradition and pride were intertwined with coal, steel and textiles, the pace of change was bewildering.\n\nA lack of direct and obvious benefit from the vast quantities of oil being sucked out of the North Sea also contributed to a rise in nationalist sentiment.\n\nBy the time of the Perth and Kinross by-election, Scotland was rediscovering an old identity.\n\nWhen it premiered in Stirling that autumn, Braveheart's romanticisation of the wars of independence from England in the 13th and 14th Centuries seemed in tune with the mood of the moment.\n\nHaving placed independence front and centre in her campaign, Ms Cunningham won handsomely, further reducing Tory Prime Minister John Major's slender majority in the House of Commons.\n\n\"Scotland is waking from its slumber,\" proclaimed the victorious new MP during a feisty and raucous declaration in the city hall.\n\nWas it though? The SNP had scored spectacular by-election successes before \u2014 Motherwell in 1945; Hamilton in 1967; and Glasgow Govan in 1973 and 1988 \u2014 only to lose each seat at the subsequent general election.\n\nThis time was different. Perth remains SNP territory to this day.\n\nThe party may be in trouble now but, with large majorities of younger voters telling pollsters that they support independence, the constitutional question which hangs over Scottish politics is not going away.\n\nIt is a question which Labour, a party forged in the din of Scotland's industrial revolution, has tussled with since its creation.\n\nThe Scottish Labour Party was founded in 1888 by two extraordinary but very different men, the miner and trade unionist Keir Hardie, and the aristocratic adventurer RB Cunninghame Graham.\n\nHardie went on to become the first leader of the UK Labour Party in 1906; Cunninghame Grahame the first president of the Scottish National Party in 1934.\n\nThe most fundamental change to Scottish governance in the democratic era was delivered by Labour when the Scottish Parliament took charge of domestic affairs such as health and education in 1999.\n\nBut it was the SNP which benefited most, gradually capturing almost all of the post-industrial seats which Labour had held for decades and, from 2007, taking charge of the Scottish government.\n\nLabour's Donald Dewar was the first first minister of Scotland when the Scottish Parliament opened in 1999\n\nNearly a quarter of a century later, Labour is led by Keir Hardie's namesake, Sir Keir Starmer, who spies an opportunity in the SNP's travails.\n\nOn Friday I accompanied Sir Keir, Scottish Labour leader, Anas Sarwar and shadow climate change and net zero secretary, Ed Miliband on a trip to SSE's Beatrice wind farm off the east coast of Caithness.\n\nThe leader of the opposition at Westminster was in buoyant form, and no wonder.\n\nHis party sees the departure of multiple election winner Nicola Sturgeon \u2014 whom he calls a \"giant in Scottish politics\" \u2014 as great news.\n\n\"The SNP is imploding,\" he told me on the harbour side at Wick. \"I think everybody can see that.\"\n\nThe party, he added, \"has run out of road when it comes to the case for independence and that's shone a light on their record\".\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser.\n\nWith a large and sustained polling lead across the UK, and signs of improvement in Scotland, Labour may be in a positive place but the path to Downing Street is not straight and clear, running through mixed terrain.\n\nFirst, there is the cosmopolitan and multicultural domain of London and other big English cities.\n\nThen there are the more socially conservative, Brexit-inclined \"red wall\" seats, in the Midlands and the north of England, which switched from Labour to Boris Johnson's Conservatives at the last general election.\n\nFinally there is the party's old Scots fiefdom, stretching from Ayrshire in the west through the central belt to Fife in the east, where the SNP have dominated with a pro-independence, pro-European message since 2015.\n\nThe SNP hold 45 of the Scottish 59 seats at Westminster (two more have defected to Alex Salmond's Alba Party since the last general election) but Labour strategists now reckon at least 15 of those would be competitive based on current polling, particularly in Glasgow, Fife, Midlothian and East Lothian.\n\nWith that in mind, on this trip Sir Keir appears to have adopted the doctor's maxim: first, do no harm. In our interview he uses the word \"humility\" a lot.\n\n\"I think Labour lost its way and got too far from voters here in Scotland and that's why I've spent a lot of time in Scotland listening, engaging, talking about the future,\" he says.\n\nPrecisely what he means by getting too far from the voters is not terribly clear.\n\nSir Keir Starmer, Ed Miliband and Anas Sarwar travelled to the Beatrice wind farm off Caithness on Friday\n\nHow would he respect the democratic will of the Scottish people to remain in the European Union, and the pro-independence majority in the Scottish Parliament?\n\nThe real answer to both questions is, he won't. But that would sound harsh so he adopts softer language.\n\nOn Brexit he says: \"If you want a closer relationship with the EU, I hear you, I agree with you and we will set about ensuring that we do have that close relationship.\"\n\nOn independence he rejects \"breaking up the United Kingdom,\" while recognising that there is a \"desire for change\".\n\nLabour's attempt to defuse independence as an issue is to acknowledge an asymmetry in political and economic power between the prosperous south east of England and other parts of the UK, which it proposes to tackle by embracing some of the recommendations in Gordon Brown's recent commission on the UK's future, while considering whether to adopt others.\n\nAlready on Labour's agenda are House of Lords reform; decentralisation of economic power to the nations and regions of the UK; and improved intergovernmental working between the various administrations of these islands.\n\n\"Decisions should be made by people most closely affected by those decisions,\" says Sir Keir.\n\nIsn't that an argument for independence?\n\nNo, he insists, it's an argument for local decision-making within the UK framework.\n\n\"The people in the Highlands can make decisions in partnership with the Labour government about the future living standards here, the future jobs, the skills we're talking about this morning,\" he explains.\n\nAware of this looming Labour threat, the SNP is keen to conflate Sir Keir's party with Rishi Sunak's, reminding voters that Labour and Tories joined together in the Better Together campaign against independence in 2014.\n\nLabour politicians joined Conservative and Liberal Democrat counterparts to campaign for the union ahead of the 2014 referendum\n\nSir Keir's decision to approvingly quote Margaret Thatcher in a speech on crime while in Stoke this week makes the SNP's job easier while underlining the Labour leader's difficulty in assembling such a diverse electoral coalition.\n\nStill, he can take comfort that his opponents here also face immense challenges.\n\nThe new SNP leader will have to tackle deep-rooted problems in Scotland's public services which are costing and blighting lives.\n\nHe or she will also be under pressure to set out a credible route map towards \u2014 and a credible plan for \u2014 independence.\n\nAnd the winner must also reunite a divided party in time for a general election expected to be held next year in which, it is now clearer than ever, Scotland will be a key battleground.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/uk-scotland-scotland-politics-65063944"}
{"title":"Matt Hancock and Kwasi Kwarteng discussed fees with fake firm - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-26","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"Matt Hancock and Kwasi Kwarteng met with a sham company in a stunt set up by campaign group Led by Donkeys.","section":"UK","content":"Matt Hancock appeared in a video released by the group\n\nMatt Hancock and Kwasi Kwarteng agreed to work for a fake South Korean company for \u00a310,000 a day, footage from a campaign group appears to show.\n\nIn a sting operation set up by Led By Donkeys, the ex-health secretary and ex-chancellor discussed rates to advise the sham firm, the Observer reported.\n\nMPs are allowed to have second jobs, and there is no suggestion of parliamentary rule-breaking.\n\nMr Hancock's spokesperson said he had acted properly and within the rules.\n\nMr Kwarteng has been contacted for comment.\n\nLed By Donkeys began as an anti-Brexit group and has regularly criticised government policy.\n\nThe seven-and-a-half minute video was produced with input from journalist Antony Barnett, who has worked for the Observer newspaper and Channel 4.\n\nThe group claims to have contacted 20 MPs, primarily Conservatives, and asked if they would consider sitting on the advisory board of a fictional consultancy firm from April, with duties to include attending six board meetings a year and providing political insight.\n\nFour of the five MPs who agreed to a meeting with the fake company are Tories.\n\nMr Hancock was suspended from the party in November 2022 after he was announced as a contestant in ITV reality programme I'm A Celebrity... Get Me Out Of Here!.\n\nFormer education secretary Sir Gavin Williamson, 1922 Committee chairman Sir Graham Brady, and former health minister Stephen Hammond also feature in the video released by the group.\n\nThe BBC has not seen the full footage of the meetings and the MPs appear to have been asked different questions.\n\nIn edited footage, Mr Kwarteng is seen saying he does not need to earn a \"king's ransom\", adding he \"wouldn't do anything less than for about 10,000 dollars a month\", later clarifying he meant pounds sterling.\n\nWhen told the company was considering a rate of \u00a38,000 to \u00a312,000, he replied: \"We're not a million miles off, yeah, I mean eight to ten thousand a day, that's fine\".\n\nKwasi Kwarteng was chancellor under former PM Liz Truss\n\nMr Hancock is shown suggesting a daily rate of \u00a310,000, and in a separate clip, an hourly rate of \"around fifteen hundred\".\n\nHis spokesman said: \"The accusation appears to be that Matt acted entirely properly and within the rules, which had just been unanimously adopted by Parliament. It's completely untrue to suggest any wrongdoing and therefore absurd to bring Mr Hancock into this story through the illegal publication of a private conversation.\n\nHe added: \"All the video shows is Matt acting completely properly. Matt acted within the letter and the spirit of the rules, making it crystal clear from the outset that his parliamentary and constituency duties are his primary responsibility for now.\"\n\nAlso appearing in the footage, Sir Graham, who is chair of the Tory backbench 1922 Committee, suggests an annual rate of \"something like \u00a360,000\", adding \"if you think that's far too cheap, let me know\".\n\nIn a statement to the group, he said he had an \"exploratory discussion\" with someone purporting to be from the firm, adding: \"I made it clear that any arrangement would have to be completely transparent and that whilst a Member of Parliament, I would only act within the terms of the Code of Conduct.\"\n\nMr Hammond is briefly seen in the video shared on Saturday, but no footage of that meeting has been published.\n\nLed By Donkeys said Sir Gavin Williamson agreed to a meeting but opted not to take discussions any further, the video claimed.\n\nBoth Sir Graham and Mr Hancock have previously announced they are planning to stand down at the next election.\n\nThe story comes against the backdrop of a wider discussion about MPs having second jobs in recent years, and calls for reform of the rules after high profile cases involving parliamentarians conducting private business outside of their Commons duties.\n\nLevelling Up Secretary Michael Gove defended MPs' right to consider taking on outside work, as long it did not interfere with representing their constituents. Speaking to the BBC's Sunday with Laura Kuenssberg programme, he said: \"The jury here is the constituency.\"\n\nBut Thangam Debbonaire, Labour's shadow Commons leader, said MPs caught up in the sting should have the whip removed, adding it is \"shameful at any time but particularly during the cost-of-living crisis\".\n\nShadow culture secretary Lucy Powell said she was \"appalled and sickened\" by the revelations.\n\nShe told Sky News' Sophy Ridge On Sunday programme: \"Being an MP is absolutely a full-time job, it's not just a full-time job, it's a whole lifetime commitment and our constituents need us to be fully focused on that.\"\n\nThere are no rules banning MPs from holding other sources of employment, and many do. Under the Code of Conduct, MPs cannot lobby for those companies in Parliament.\n\nThe Home Office has also previously warned MPs to be \"aware of the threat of foreign interference\".\n\nThe basic annual salary of an MP will rise to \u00a384,144 a year, from April.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/uk-65077273"}
{"title":"Euro 2024 qualifiers: Northern Ireland 0-1 Finland - Hosts rue disallowed goal in defeat - BBC Sport","published_date":"2023-03-26","authors":null,"description":"Northern Ireland are left to rue missed chances and a disallowed goal as Finland deliver an early blow to their Euro 2024 qualification hopes with a 1-0 win in Belfast.","section":null,"content":"Last updated on .From the section Northern Ireland\n\nNorthern Ireland were left to rue missed chances and a disallowed goal as Finland delivered an early blow to their Euro 2024 qualification hopes with victory in Belfast.\n\nA scrappy first-half goal from Benjamin Kallman gave the visitors their first Group H points.\n\nDion Charles' close-range finish early in the second half was disallowed for handball soon after substitute Josh Magennis had blazed over.\n\nThe win in San Marino had added to the positivity that had engulfed the camp since Michael O'Neill was appointed for a second spell in charge.\n\nThey went into his first game back at Windsor Park in an upbeat mood.\n\nA 17,900 home crowd gave the side and manager great vocal backing throughout the game despite the hosts producing a performance that looked disjointed at times and relied on the surging running power of teenager Conor Bradley to provide an attacking threat.\n\nAn inability to score goals has long been a problem for the side, even for parts of O'Neill's successful first reign, and proved costly against a team who lost 3-1 to top seeds Denmark in their group opener on Thursday.\n\nEarlier on Sunday, the Danes suffered a surprise defeat by Kazakhstan which meant Slovenia top the group after seeing off San Marino, the world's bottom-ranked side.\n\nFinland's opening goal came from an attack down the right that saw Robin Lod turn Jamal Lewis and Jordan Thompson superbly before delivering a low cross that fell to Norwich City striker Teemu Pukki.\n\nHis miscued shot fell to Kallman at the back post who prodded past Bailey Peacock-Farrell in front of The Kop to give the visitors a lead that came when the hosts were enjoying their best spell of the match.\n\nNorthern Ireland thought they had equalised on 63 minutes when Charles found the net with a close-range finish after a corner had fallen to him.\n\nBut referee Ivan Kruzliak ruled he had initially controlled the ball with his hand, not his chest, and a VAR check confirmed the decision.\n\nIt was the fourth huge chance of the game that Northern Ireland created, with their first as early as the seventh minute when a Thompson pull-back from the byeline fell just behind Conor Washington, who was ready to pounce yards from goal.\n\nThe Kop had immediately started getting behind their team after they conceded and the players almost gave them the response they wanted when Dion Charles got on the end of a fine move and came desperately close to equalising just before the break.\n\nMore composed play from Shea Charles saw him release Bradley on the right who surged forward purposely before finding Charles with a perfectly-weight pass, but the Bolton striker's shot on the turn was smothered well by keeper and captain Lukas Hradecky, who may have been more troubled if Charles had managed to get some elevation on his effort\n\nMagennis was introduced from the bench early in the second half in a bold substitution from O'Neill that saw the Wigan striker come for injured centre-half Daniel Ballard, with a change of shape meaning Northern Ireland switched from a 3-5-2 to a 4-3-3, with Washing and Dion Charles playing either side of Magennis in a front three.\n\nWithin minutes of coming on, Magennis blazed an excellent chance over the crossbar after Bradley headed back across goal from a left-wing cross.\n\nThe disallowed goal on 63 minutes was as close as Northern Ireland came to finding an equaliser as they began to look ragged as the match wore in, with substitutes George Saville and Gavin Whyte unable to have the impact O'Neill would have hoped for.\n\nDefeat leaves Northern Ireland fifth in Group H, one of four teams on three points after the first two rounds of fixtures, ahead of June's double-header away to Denmark and at home to Kazakhstan.\n\u2022 None Pyry Soiri (Finland) is shown the yellow card for a bad foul.\n\u2022 None Attempt missed. Patrick McNair (Northern Ireland) right footed shot from outside the box misses to the left.\n\u2022 None Attempt blocked. Dion Charles (Northern Ireland) right footed shot from the right side of the box is blocked. Assisted by Ciaron Brown.\n\u2022 None Attempt missed. Jamal Lewis (Northern Ireland) right footed shot from the centre of the box misses to the right following a corner. Navigate to the next page Navigate to the last page","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/sport\/football\/65004814"}
{"title":"Nitrous oxide: Southend mum's campaign over 'laughing gas' - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-26","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"Bereaved mum Emma Cain approaches people she sees inhaling \"laughing gas\" and issues stark warnings.","section":"Essex","content":"Emma Cain still has one of Jon's prized possessions, his acoustic guitar\n\nA bereaved mother has described how she stops other youngsters in the street who she sees inhaling volatile substances to warn of the dangers.\n\nEmma Cain's son, Jon, died aged 17 from cardiac arrest in 2011 immediately after inhaling butane.\n\nA government review is considering whether possessing nitrous oxide, the most commonly taken volatile substance, should be criminalised.\n\n\"Anyone who I see using it, I will stop them,\" said Miss Cain, from Southend.\n\nButane, which is contained in aerosols, is the gas primarily associated with substance abuse in the UK.\n\nIt carries a far greater risk of fatality than nitrous oxide, an anaesthetic which is also one of the most-used drugs by UK 16 to 24-year-olds.\n\nOn one occasion, the 45-year-old said she picked up the box containing her son's ashes to show it to four young people outside her house who were inhaling from balloons.\n\n\"They were all very polite and respectful. One of them was quite freaked out about it, and two or three of them let go of their balloons when I asked them to,\" she said.\n\n\"I tell them 'this is my son, he's in a box, stop doing it, you're hurting yourselves'.\n\n\"I'm just one person, trying to stop people from doing it, and if that means I have to stop them on the street, I will do that.\n\n\"I will tell them it's dangerous, and that they're playing with their lives.\"\n\nJon, far right, taught himself guitar\n\nJon auditioned for Britain's Got Talent three times, and went to watch an X Factor live show with his mum, Emma\n\nJon taught himself how to play guitar and auditioned three times for Britain's Got Talent.\n\n\"He was amazing,\" said Miss Cain.\n\n\"These substances should be put under, at the very least, class B, so a penalty can be given for wrongful use.\"\n\nEssex Police have seized nitrous oxide canisters in Southend, including these, during the summer\n\nSouthend West MP, Anna Firth (left) met with the Home Secretary, Suella Braverman, last week\n\nThe Advisory Council on the Misuse of Drugs (ACMD) is expected to provide a recommendation in 2023 on whether nitrous oxide should be criminalised.\n\nThe 2019-20 Crime Survey for England and Wales indicated it was the second most-used illegal drug among 16-24 year olds, with more than 500,000 taking it.\n\nThe Conservative MP for Southend West, Anna Firth, met with Conservative Home Secretary, Suella Braverman, earlier this month, to discuss the issue.\n\n\"Nitrous oxide is a toxic presence on our seafront,\" said Ms Firth.\n\nIn a statement, Essex Police said: \"We appreciate and understand concerns regarding the use of this substance and we will always arrest and seek to prosecute those caught supplying nitrous oxide.\n\n\"We work closely with our agency partners and others across the county to deal with any anti-social behaviour connected with this substance.\"\n\nA Home Office spokesperson said: \"Given concerns about the use of nitrous oxide by young people, the former home secretary sought advice from the independent ACMD last year.\n\n\"When the ACMD responds, the government will consider the advice carefully.\"\n\nFind BBC News: East of England on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter. If you have a story suggestion email eastofenglandnews@bbc.co.uk\n\u2022 None Advisory Council on the Misuse of Drugs The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/uk-england-essex-63076794"}
{"title":"Israel defence minister fired in legal reform row - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-26","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"Yoav Gallant is sacked by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu after opposing the controversial shake-up.","section":"Middle East","content":"Israeli's defence minister has been sacked after he spoke out against controversial plans to overhaul the justice system.\n\nPrime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu summoned Yoav Gallant to a meeting and told him he no longer had faith in him as defence minister.\n\nThe plan to limit the powers of the judiciary led to months of protests.\n\nTens of thousands of protestors returned to the streets on Sunday night following Mr Gallant's dismissal.\n\nIn Jerusalem, police and soldiers used water cannon against demonstrators near Mr Netanyahu's house.\n\nThe leaders of the protest accuse Mr Netanyahu of behaving like a dictator and destroying the security of Israel.\n\nThe new law makes it harder for courts to remove a leader deemed unfit for office, which has angered many who consider it in the interests of the incumbent, Benjamin Netanyahu, who is on trial for corruption.\n\nThe leader of the opposition, Yair Lapid, described Mr Gallant's sacking as a new low for the government, while Mr Gallant himself has described the planned legislation as an \"immediate and tangible danger\" to state security.\n\nIn a brief televised statement on Saturday night, Mr Gallant said members of the Israeli Defence Forces were angry and disappointed, with an intensity he had never seen before.\n\nShortly after his dismissal a day later, Mr Gallant wrote on Twitter: \"The state of Israel's security has always been and will always be my life's mission.\"\n\nThe defence minister had won the backing of some fellow members of Mr Netanyahu's Likud party, but others on the far right had called for him to go.\n\nThe law is part of the right-wing coalition government's contentious plan to limit the powers of the judiciary.\n\nThe reforms include plans that would give the government full control over the committee which appoints judges, which he has said will pass in the Knesset next week.\n\nFar-right national security minister Itamar Ben-Gvir supported Mr Netanyahu's move, saying,\"The prime minister decided on the necessary step and I congratulate him for that.\"\n\nIt includes enabling parliament to overrule decisions made by the Supreme Court - a move that critics say will undermine the independence of the judiciary and could be used for political ends.\n\nBut Mr Netanyahu says the reforms are designed to stop the courts overreaching their powers and that they were voted for by the public at the last election.\n\nIsrael's opposition leader Yair Lapid described Mr Gallant's sacking as \"a new low\" for the government.\n\n\"Netanyahu can fire Gallant, but he can't fire reality or fire the people of Israel who are fronting up to resist the coalition's madness,\" Mr Lapid added.\n\nFormer defence minister Benny Gantz praised Mr Gallant, who he said had put the security of the country above all interests.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/world-middle-east-65080919"}
{"title":"Alesia Nazarova: Man charged with murder of Portadown mother - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-26","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"There is a \"familial connection\" between the accused and Alesia Nazarova, the court hears.","section":"Northern Ireland","content":"Alesia Nazarova was 37 and a mother of one\n\nA 25-year-old man has been charged with the murder of Alesia Nazarova in Portadown.\n\nThe 37-year-old mother was found dead at her Church Street home on Tuesday.\n\nKornelijus Bracas, originally from Lithuania but with an address at Church Street in Portadown, is accused of murdering Ms Nazarova and attempting to murder her daughter.\n\nThe court was told there was a \"familial connection\" between the accused and the victims.\n\nMs Nazarova's body was discovered after a fire at the property.\n\nHer 12-year-old daughter was home at the time.\n\nShe was rescued from the fire and taken to hospital for treatment, but she has since been discharged.\n\nMr Bracas is also charged with arson and stealing a bank card belonging to Ms Nazarova.\n\nHe appeared via video link before Lisburn Magistrates' Court on Saturday morning.\n\nA detective told the court he could connect the accused to the charges.\n\nNo application for bail was made and no further details emerged during the hearing.\n\nMr Bracas was remanded into custody and will appear again on 21 April before Craigavon Magistrates' Court.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/uk-northern-ireland-65074202"}
{"title":"No Ukraine offensive without more weapons \u2013 Zelensky - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-26","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"There has been talk for some weeks of Ukraine launching a spring offensive against Russian forces.","section":"Europe","content":"President Zelensky said he would not send his troops to the front lines without more tanks, artillery and Himars rocket launchers\n\nPresident Volodymyr Zelensky has said Ukraine's counter-offensive against Russia cannot start until Western allies send more military support.\n\nHe told a Japanese newspaper he would not send his troops to the front lines without more tanks, artillery and Himars rocket launchers.\n\nIn an interview with Yomiuri Shimbun, he said the situation in eastern Ukraine was \"not good\".\n\n\"We are waiting for ammunition to arrive from our partners,\" he said.\n\nAnd when asked about the expected counter-offensive, he said: \"We can't start yet, we can't send our brave soldiers to the front line without tanks, artillery and long-range rockets.\"\n\nHe added: \"If you have the political will, you can find a way to help us. We are at war and can't wait.\"\n\nThere has been talk for some weeks of Ukraine launching a spring offensive against Russian forces. Ukrainian commanders have hinted it might be imminent. Oleksandr Syrskyi, commander of Ukraine's ground forces, said this week it might come \"very soon\".\n\nSome analysts say Ukraine's military is talking up the idea of a counter-offensive to discomfit their Russian counterparts. They want Russian commanders to spread their forces thinly along the front lines, ready for any attack, rather than concentrate them in particular places, such as the eastern city of Bakhmut.\n\nOther analysts believe a counter-offensive is possible soon. A US-based think tank, the Institute for the Study of War, last week suggested that Russia's own offensive was potentially losing momentum and concluded: \"Ukraine is therefore well positioned to regain the initiative and launch counter-offensives in critical sectors of the current front line.\"\n\nBut President Zelensky is more pessimistic. He has often warned that the war could drag on for years unless Western allies speeded up the delivery of weapons. But this is the first time he has actually said the counter-offensive itself might be delayed by the lack of Western equipment.\n\nHis remarks reflect not only his desire to encourage more speed, but also his frustration at what he sees as the lack of haste.\n\nUkraine's allies have promised more tanks, artillery and longer-range missile systems. But some countries are struggling to deliver what they pledged, while others are taking more time than expected to get the equipment to Ukraine.\n\nWestern officials say military support is arriving, but admit training and planning is taking time. They also point to other factors such as muddy terrain making it hard for any army to start manoeuvring easily and break through front lines.\n\nSuch is the speculation about Ukraine's counter-offensive - in particular, when and where it might come - that the defence ministry has urged people to stop discussing potential plans.\n\nUkraine's Deputy Defence Minister Hanna Malyar claimed on social media that only three people had the right to disclose military plans publicly - the president, the minister of defence, and the commander in chief.\n\n\"All others can only quote them,\" she wrote. \"Please stop asking experts questions about a counter-offensive on the air, please stop writing blogs and posts on this topic, please stop publicly discussing the military plans of our army.\"\n\u2022 None The front line where Russian eyes are always watching","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/world-europe-65075952"}
{"title":"Boat Race 2023: Cambridge's men and women complete boat race double - BBC Sport","published_date":"2023-03-26","authors":null,"description":"Cambridge's men win the Boat Race to complete a double for the university over rivals Oxford.","section":null,"content":"Last updated on .From the section Rowing\n\nCambridge's men won the Boat Race to complete a double for the university over rivals Oxford.\n\nThey held off a late charge from Oxford on choppy waters to win by just over a length for their fourth victory in the past five races.\n\nEarlier, Cambridge's women took victory by four-and-a-quarter lengths over Oxford despite a protest from their opponents over potential encroachment.\n\nIt was a sixth straight win for the women's team.\n\n\"The rush of emotions when we crossed the line, there's nothing like it,\" said Cambridge men's cox Jasper Parish, whose brother Ollie was also part of the team.\n\n\"That was the time of our lives, I'll remember this for a long time.\"\n\nThe Cambridge boat earned a warning from umpire Tony Reynolds as Oxford, with the weight advantage, pulled ahead early in the race.\n\nA bold move from Jasper Parish paid off when he steered his crew closer to the bank in Fulham hoping to find friendlier waters.\n\nThis gave Cambridge a half-length lead which they held on to until the finish, despite a spirited effort from Oxford.\n\nIn the women's race, Oxford made an aggressive start with the weather making for rough conditions, but Cambridge soon took control of the race and maintained a steady pace to coast to victory.\n\nThe umpire was forced to issue stern warnings to both as they came close to colliding before Cambridge stretched into the lead.\n\nOxford protested against the result after the race as they believed Cambridge had encroached, but the umpire dismissed the plea as there was no contact.\n\nCambridge president Caoimhe Dempsey, the only returnee for either team, said she was \"proud\" of her crew.\n\n\"That was a whirlwind of a race,\" she told BBC Sport. \"The conditions changed so much from start to finish. I'm so proud; it is still sinking in. The girls are so tenacious, strong and brave.\"\n\nOn the near collision, Dempsey added: \"That is the nature of the boat race. It makes it so exciting.\"\n\nCambridge lead the rivalry 47-30 in the women's event, while Cambridge men have won 86 times to Oxford's 81.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/sport\/rowing\/65082185"}
{"title":"Wales One World Film Festival: Cockle women remembered - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-26","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"Women with their rakes, baskets and donkeys were once a familiar sight along Wales' coastline.","section":"Wales","content":"Cockle women dressed in flannel gowns with their donkeys and wicker baskets were once a familiar sight along parts of the south Wales coast.\n\nAt its height in the19th Century, hundreds of women could be seen on the sandy flats at low tide gathering cockles.\n\nGenerations of women carried out the back-breaking and dangerous work but they are now long gone, replaced by mostly men using tractors or 4x4s.\n\nThese women from a bygone time, alongside women who still work in Wales' shellfish industry, have been celebrated in a short film being shown at the Wales One World Film Festival.\n\n\"These women were pretty incredible and so strong and resilient,\" said the film's director Lily Tiger Tonkin-Wells.\n\nWomen collecting cockles in Penclawdd on the Gower Peninsula in 1951\n\nShe said while sourcing archive footage for She Sells Shellfish \/ Molysgiaid a Menywod y M\u00f4r she was struck by the \"stunning imagery\" of the women.\n\n\"These women were holding cockle baskets on their heads, piling them onto the donkeys with their skirts up around their their ankles while wading through the water,\" she said.\n\n\"The main thing that I was really captivated by was that these very hardy, hard-working women really understood the tides and the way the water worked and when to go out and when to come back into shore.\"\n\nPenclawdd cockles have been present in the Burry estuary in south Wales since Roman times\n\nSince Roman times an organised commercial fishery has existed on both shores of the Burry inlet, which runs between the Gower peninsula in Swansea county and Llanelli in Carmarthenshire.\n\nThroughout the 19th Century women would gather to rake for cockles at Penclawdd on the Gower peninsula..\n\nThey would pack their cockles into sacks, load them onto their donkeys and wash and boil them in small sheds behind their homes.\n\nBefore the arrival of the train in 1867 the women would make the round trip of 16 miles (26km) to Swansea Market on foot. Others would sell their wares door-to-door.\n\nPenclawdd has been synonymous with the cockle industry since Roman times\n\nThe money they brought in would be a welcome addition to their husbands' income, usually from work in the steel or coal industries.\n\nThe traditional method of transporting cockles from the beds using donkeys was superseded in the 1920s with the introduction of horse-drawn carts.\n\nThen in 1965 a government decree was passed, permitting only licensed gatherers to hand-pick the cockles with limited quotas.\n\nImages of these cockle women evoke nostalgia of a less industrialised way of life with their distinctive clothing making them a popular subject for paintings, prints and photographs.\n\nLily was also struck by their aesthetic.\n\n\"They would put effort into how they looked, which I thought was really brilliant as it's this kind of third wave of feminism which is, 'yeah, like we're gonna look great',\" she said.\n\nThe film, shot in black and white on super 8mm, blends archive footage with new footage of women working in Wales' shellfish industry today.\n\nThe women would use donkeys to help them bring the cockles ashore\n\nCarol Watts has been selling Penclawdd cockles and laverbread at Swansea Market all her working life.\n\nShe has fond memories of riding with the cockles on a horse and cart as a child.\n\nHer great-grandmother Margaret Phillips was a cockle picker and was still harvesting when she was in her 80s.\n\nCockle seller Carol has worked in Swansea Market all her working life\n\nMargaret's cockling was her family's only source of income after her husband died in his 20s, leaving her to raise their young children alone.\n\nCarol, who appears in the film, said: \"It was very, very hard to gather the cockles.\n\n\"It was rough, very back-breaking, very wet, a hard job.\n\n\"The women did it to put bread on the tables, things were tough.\"\n\nCarol hopes her children and grandchildren will continue the family tradition of working with shellfish and seaweed.\n\nIn Carol, Lily sees a \"brilliant woman with a devout and unquestionable passion for what she was doing, and a contentment\".\n\n\"It was really lovely to see how much community [Carol] had in the market. She's been there since she was a little girl,\" said Lily.\n\nMegan Haines is the co-founder of regenerative ocean farm C\u00e2r-Y-M\u00f4r (For the Love of the Sea) in St Davids, Pembrokeshire, which grows oysters, mussels and seaweed in a sustainable way.\n\nTheir aim is to improve the coastal environment and improve the wellbeing of the local community through job creation, supply of fresh local seafood and environmental restoration.\n\nShe spends much of her time out on the water with her father and has a deep understanding of shellfish and their habitat.\n\n\"I love it here, it's the most visually stimulating place,\" she said.\n\nShe recalls immediately taking to harvesting seaweed: \"I like wild harvesting, there's something quite intuitive about it.\n\n\"There's something quite therapeutic about it all.\n\n\"You work with the water and over time you just gain this experience and confidence and you can enjoy that as your office.\"\n\nMegan spends much of her time out on the water with her father\n\nLily sees in Megan a \"modern representation of the energy of the cockle women, if that doesn't sound too kind of woo woo,\" she jokes.\n\nLily, who grew up in the Teifi estuary village of St Dogmaels, Pembrokeshire, had hoped to develop her film using seaweed for environmental reasons but also to tie into the theme of her film.\n\nWorking with seaweed image technician Ed Thomas, she and her cameraman Sion Marshall-Waters were able to develop stills photography in this way but moving images proved too challenging.\n\nUndeterred, she plans to try this technique on future projects.\n\nMegan co-founded a company that grows oysters, mussels and seaweed in a sustainable way\n\nBut for now she hopes her film demonstrates the \"continuation of understanding and respect for the sea\", from the cockle women of yesteryear to Carol and Megan today.\n\nShe said: \"I hope that their way of life comes through in some way and specifically their understanding of the sea.\"\n\nShe Sells Shellfish \/ Molysgiaid a Menywod y M\u00f4r premieres on 28 March at Aberystwyth Arts Centre","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/uk-wales-64976890"}
{"title":"UK is poorer as a country, says Michael Gove - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-26","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"The levelling up secretary blames war in Ukraine and pandemic, but denies government is at fault.","section":"Business","content":"This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Watch: Michael Gove says the Ukraine war and Covid pandemic made the UK poorer\n\nThe UK is poorer than it would have been, partly due to the war in Ukraine, but also the pandemic, Levelling Up Secretary Michael Gove has admitted.\n\nBut he said ministers were taking action on the soaring cost of living, including giving help on energy bills.\n\nThe head of the independent forecaster, the Office for Budget Responsibility (OBR), said living standards were seeing their biggest squeeze on record.\n\nRichard Hughes said Brexit had been similar to the pandemic in its impact.\n\n\"It's a shock to the UK economy of the order of magnitude to other shocks that we've seen from the pandemic, from the energy crisis,\" he told the BBC.\n\nPoor productivity had also hurt growth, he said.\n\nAnd he warned living standards would not return to pre-pandemic levels for another five to six years.\n\nAsked whether he agreed with the OBR's assessments, Mr Gove said economic forecasting was \"a very difficult exercise\". He added that the UK was dealing with \"the aftershocks of two significant events\".\n\n\"[There's] both the war in Ukraine, the first time we've had war on this scale on the continent in Europe since the Second World War, and the Covid pandemic, the biggest global health pandemic since the end of the First World War,\" he told the BBC's Sunday with Laura Kuenssberg programme.\n\n\"They have had a huge effect on our economy and on others' economies.\"\n\nMr Gove denied that the government was to blame after 13 years in power, but added: \"One can always do better, yes.\"\n\nHowever, he insisted ministers were taking action to address soaring inflation - the rate at which prices rise - by taxing oil and gas firms' profits and lowering household energy bills.\n\nHe also said the Budget had taken steps to help people back to work and to help families, including with childcare.\n\nThe OBR forecasts that inflation will fall below 3% this year - down from 10.4% currently - as food and energy prices rise less quickly.\n\nBut speaking on the same programme, OBR chairman Richard Hughes said the outlook was volatile given Britain was a net importer of food and energy - the prices of which were set in global markets.\n\nMr Hughes added that the longer term outlook for the economy was bleak, with people's real spending power - allowing for inflation - not forecast to recover to pre-pandemic levels until the end of the decade.\n\nMr Hughes blamed a range of issues for holding back the economy, saying: \"We've lost around 500,000 people from the labour force, we've seen stagnant investment since 2016 and also our productivity has slowed dramatically since the financial crisis and not really recovered.\"\n\nHe also said that overall output was forecast to be 4% lower than it would have been as a result of leaving the EU.\n\nLast week the Bank of England put up interest rates for the 11th time since December 2021 as it continued its battle to ease inflation.\n\nThe decision to lift rates to 4.25% from 4% came after the inflation rate rose unexpectedly last month to 10.4%.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/business-your-money-65079792"}
{"title":"Airbus A380 'superjumbo' touches down in Glasgow - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-26","authors":null,"description":"Plane enthusiasts turn out to see the world's largest commercial airliner make a return to Glasgow.","section":null,"content":"Plane enthusiasts have turned out to see the world's largest commercial airliner make a return to Glasgow.\n\nThe last time the Emirates Airbus A380 was in Scotland was in September 2019.\n\nThe Middle Eastern carrier has reintroduced the A380 for flights between Glasgow and Dubai.\n\nThe massive aircraft, which is 24m high (79ft) and has a wingspan of nearly 80m (262ft), arrived at Sunday lunchtime.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/uk-scotland-65082419"}
{"title":"Ukraine war: Drone downed over Russia, Moscow says - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-26","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"Kyiv has dismissed previous claims that it has attacked Russian civilian targets with explosive drones.","section":"Europe","content":"A Ukrainian drone has been shot down by Russian air defences, Moscow has said.\n\nThe drone came down in the town of Kireyevsk - some 400km (249 miles) from the Ukraine border - on Sunday, the defence ministry announced.\n\nRussian state media is reporting that at least three people were injured in an explosion after it was brought down.\n\nUkraine has dismissed previous claims that it has attacked Russian civilian targets with explosive drones and has not yet commented on this incident.\n\nMoscow has deployed hundreds of drones against Ukraine.\n\nRussian law enforcement authorities say the drone - said to be a Strizh-type (Tu-141) UAV packed with explosives - was brought down at 15:20 local time (13:20 BST), causing a large crater in the heart of Kireyevsk.\n\nSeveral apartments have reportedly been damaged in the town - which lies in the Tula region, 220km south of Moscow - but there have not been any serious injuries.\n\nIn a statement on its Telegram channel, the Russian Defence Ministry accused Ukraine of attempting to carry out a strike.\n\n\"The grouping of Russian air defence systems deployed in the Tula region - S-300 and Pantsir-S1 anti-aircraft missile systems, as well as Pole-21 electronic warfare systems - provide reliable cover from this direction,\" the defence ministry said.\n\n\"In particular, the Pole-21 electronic warfare complex handled the Ukrainian strike drone, which resulted in its navigation system being disabled.\"\n\nIn December, Moscow said three Russian air force personnel died after being wounded by falling debris from a drone that was shot down at the Engels airbase in the south of the country.\n\nThe Engels air base has been repeatedly used by Russia to carry out missile strikes on various targets in Ukraine since Moscow launched its full-scale invasion last February.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/world-europe-65082747"}
{"title":"Scotland 3-0 Cyprus: Scott McTominay's late double secures win in Euro 2024 Group A opener - BBC Sport","published_date":"2023-03-26","authors":null,"description":"Scott McTominay's late double secures a comfortable win for Scotland over Cyprus in their European Championship qualifying Group A opener.","section":null,"content":"Last updated on .From the section Football\n\nScott McTominay's late double secured Scotland a comfortable winning start to their Euro 2024 qualifying campaign at home to Cyprus.\n\nJohn McGinn's close-range finish - the Aston Villa midfielder's 16th goal for his country - was reward for a dominant first-half display.\n\nAnd the Manchester United midfielder added his second moments later.\n\nSteve Clarke had billed it as a must-win game against Group A's lowest seeds, who ended the game with 10 men after a late red card for Nicholas Ioannou, and it was job done in that sense.\n\nBut the Scotland head coach will know that, despite their first winning start to a Euro qualifying campaign since 2006, improvement will be needed as top seeds Spain visit on Tuesday.\n\u2022 None Lessons as Scots and Spain start with 3-0 wins\n\u2022 None Reaction and as it happened\n\nThe dawn of new qualifying campaign brought the Tartan Army to Hampden full of optimism.\n\nThey were rewarded with a dominant first-half performance during which they were rarely under threat and probed at the Cypriot defensive wall with consistency and determination.\n\nAll that was lacking was a little more cutting edge in the vital area - directly in front of goal. That was a theme until late on, with the result still uncertain until McTominay stepped up.\n\nScotland's intent was clear. Get at Cyprus down the flanks, particularly the left. That pattern was fairly consistent, but the first real threat came down the other side when Aaron Hickey danced into the box and, from the tightest of angles, forced goalkeeper Demetris Demetriou into a low save at his post.\n\nClarke's side were cruising, comfortable on the ball and showing an impressive level of composure.\n\nThe left flank proved the route to the crucial opening goal as Stuart Armstrong fed Andy Robertson, who timed his run perfectly to stay marginally onside and cross first time. The ball deflected perfectly into McGinn's path as he instinctively raced to meet it and finish from close range to take his Scotland tally to one more than the talismanic James McFadden.\n\nChe Adams came close after super interplay with McGinn, but his shot was tipped over and the unfortunate striker left the field early in the second half with a worrying looking injury.\n\nThe second half show dipped significantly and the creeping doubt began to emerge that Cyprus might just nick something.\n\nFinally, though, Scotland got there - thanks to three of their own substitutes. Ryan Christie did superbly to win possession and fire in a cross ,Lyndon Dykes nodded it on and McTominay raced onto it to half-volley home.\n\nAn enormous cheer and accompanying sigh of relief engulfed Hampden before McTominay capitalised again when Robertson laid the ball into his path and he calmly dispatched it home with ease.\n\nThe 3-0 scoreline adds significant and welcome gloss to the occasion. Clarke will be delighted with that but equally happy to get through this unscathed.\n\nIt became something of a struggle until very late on, but the players stayed calm and avoided a calamity.\n\nThe initial signs were very positive in the first period, with Scotland in complete control.\n\nThey were perhaps a touch cautious in getting into dangerous areas directly in front of goal, but the performance was strong and promised more as the game wore on.\n\nThat said, Cyprus were very well organised and proved sticky opposition.\n\nThe concern will be how standards seemed to slip. There was little composure in the final pass or deliveries from wide areas, but the substitutes made a significant impact to get Scotland over the line.\n\nWhat they said\n\nScotland head coach Steve Clarke: \"We spoke a lot about getting off to a good start and I thought we started the game really well. The movement, the rotation of the players, the creation of space was good. We deserved the lead at that time.\n\n\"I thought up until 30 minutes we were good and I don't know whether we went a bit casual, we switched off a little bit and Cyprus made it difficult for us. Second-half was a slightly difficult game and we slowed the game too much, but it is nice to look at the bench and bring on Scott McTominay and Ryan Christie.\"\n\nCyprus head coach Temuri Ketsbaia: \"I believe we lost to the better team. Scotland deserved to win the game, well done to them. Congratulations.\n\n\"I'm disappointed that we didn't give our best. We tried to change our formation, we tried to put more offensive players. It cost us because we conceded two easy goals.\"\n\nHampden will be rocking now as Spain visit Hampden on Tuesday (19:45 GMT), while Cyprus visit Armenia in a friendly.\n\u2022 None Offside, Cyprus. Kostakis Artymatas tries a through ball, but Andronikos Kakoullis is caught offside.\n\u2022 None Goal! Scotland 3, Cyprus 0. Scott McTominay (Scotland) right footed shot from the centre of the box to the bottom right corner. Assisted by Andrew Robertson.\n\u2022 None Attempt missed. Minas Antoniou (Cyprus) right footed shot from outside the box is high and wide to the right. Assisted by Charalampos Charalampous.\n\u2022 None Ryan Porteous (Scotland) wins a free kick on the right wing.\n\u2022 None Attempt missed. Andrew Robertson (Scotland) left footed shot from the left side of the box is too high. Assisted by Lyndon Dykes.\n\u2022 None Goal! Scotland 2, Cyprus 0. Scott McTominay (Scotland) left footed shot from the left side of the six yard box to the top left corner. Assisted by Lyndon Dykes with a headed pass.\n\u2022 None Attempt saved. Andronikos Kakoullis (Cyprus) right footed shot from outside the box is saved in the centre of the goal. Assisted by Charalampos Charalampous. Navigate to the next page Navigate to the last page","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/sport\/football\/64997970"}
{"title":"Jonathan Majors: Creed III actor arrested on assault charges - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-26","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"The Hollywood star's lawyer says his client is innocent and expects charges to be dropped imminently.","section":"World","content":"Creed III actor Jonathan Majors has been arrested on strangulation, assault and harassment charges.\n\nThe New York Police Department said Mr Majors, who stars alongside Michael B Jordan in the recently released film, was involved in a domestic dispute with a 30-year-old woman on Saturday.\n\n\"The victim informed police she was assaulted,\" a police spokesperson said.\n\nMr Majors was briefly taken into custody. A lawyer for the 33-year-old actor denied any wrongdoing.\n\nThe NYPD said they were called around 11:14 local time after receiving a 911 call from an apartment in Manhattan's Chelsea district.\n\nThey added the woman suffered minor head and neck injuries and was taken to hospital.\n\nHe was released from custody by Saturday night, an NYPD spokesperson told the Associated Press news agency.\n\nIn a statement obtained by the BBC, Mr Majors' lawyer said the actor was \"completely innocent\" and alleged the star was the victim of the altercation involving a woman known to him.\n\nPriya Chaudhry said: \"We are quickly gathering and presenting evidence to the District Attorney with the expectation that all charges will be dropped imminently.\n\n\"This evidence includes video footage from the vehicle where this episode took place, witness testimony from the driver and others who both saw and heard the episode, and most importantly, two written statements from the woman recanting these allegations.\n\n\"All the evidence proves that Mr Majors is entirely innocent and did not assault her whatsoever.\"\n\nMr Majors' arrest comes just weeks after the actor presented an award at the Oscars.\n\nHis career took off after breaking through in 2019's The Last Black Man in San Francisco, before going onto to star in Netflix western The Harder They Fall and Marvel Comics film Ant-Man and The Wasp: Quantumania.\n\nJonathan Majors, right, and Creed III co-star Michael B Jordan recently presented an award at the Oscars","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/world-65081847"}
{"title":"WRU EGM: Battle for Welsh rugby's heart and soul - BBC Sport","published_date":"2023-03-26","authors":null,"description":"Member clubs will vote on proposals to change the way rugby is run in Wales - and by who.","section":null,"content":"Last updated on .From the section Welsh Rugby\n\nJudgement day looms for Welsh rugby and not just on the pitch as clubs prepare to vote on the future of the game.\n\nThe annual double-header between the four regions at the Principality Stadium may boast that grandiose title.\n\nBut domestic rivalries could be just as intense at an extraordinary general meeting in Port Talbot on Sunday.\n\nMore than 280 Welsh Rugby Union (WRU) clubs will vote on proposals to reform the way the game is run following a series of damaging scandals.\n\nThe result of that vote is likely to be even more important than any on the pitch.\n\nActing chief executive Nigel Walker has said Welsh rugby faces an \"existential crisis\", but this will be a vote for control.\n\nModern rugby is a different animal to when the WRU was founded by 11 clubs 142 years ago.\n\nThere is a clear divide between the professional game and the community game, though one simply cannot exist without the other.\n\nHowever, the debate is now over who runs - or should run - the game in Wales\n\u2022 None Who sits on the WRU board?\n\u2022 None Welsh rugby's future on the line in vote - Walker\n\nWhat are they voting on?\n\nThe existing WRU board aims to \"modernise\" the face of the governing body.\n\nFirstly they would double the number of independent members (INEDs) - people from outside Welsh rugby circles - on the board from three to six. This would include the chair.\n\nThe WRU proposals also include a board representative with a specific remit to represent the women's and girls' rugby.\n\nTo do this they must change the articles of association because the WRU is, in effect, a co-operative of its member clubs.\n\nHowever the elite end of the game feels it is hamstrung by relying on initiatives signed off by a board dominated by members elected into roles by the amateur section of the game.\n\nCurrent board members have described how Welsh rugby would be a \"laughing stock\" without \"modernisation\".\n\nIt also wants to redress the gender imbalance following recent scandals with an ambition that at least five of the 12 board members are women, including one of the top two jobs - the chief executive or chair.\n\nCatherine Read is currently the only female on the board.\n\nThese plans are nothing new - as explained below - but recent controversy has fuelled the calls for reform.\n\nThe vote comes in the wake of a catalogue of damaging allegations that saw chief executive Steve Phillips resign.\n\nHis interim replacement, Nigel Walker, was forced to appear before a Senedd hearing following a BBC Wales Investigates programme that provided allegations of sexism and misogyny within the governing body.\n\nThose allegations are being investigated by an independent taskforce led by former judge Dame Anne Rafferty.\n\nIs there any opposition?\n\nOf course there is, this is Welsh rugby.\n\nTo bring in more independent members, it means fewer representatives from the clubs themselves. And that could be the sticking point.\n\nThe board wants to halve the number of elected national or district members, elected from the WRU council, from eight to four.\n\nThis is effectively asking the clubs to agree to have less of a say in what happens at the top and is therefore unlikely to get universal backing.\n\nAberavon Harlequins have led the opposition against cutting the \"democratic voice\" of the union clubs to hold the board to account.\n\nIt's secretary, Stuart Broad, insisted they are not against change or modernisation, but said: \"Many clubs harbour grave concerns that this is being pressurised on us as a 'Do or Die' scenario.\"\n\nEven if the vote passes, clubs will still have the right to call an EGM with 20% support to review the plans.\n\nBut the WRU believes better governance will mean a better business, so more money filtering down to all levels.\n\nThe 19-member WRU Council that runs the community game would remain unchanged - with its annual \u00a310.4million funding still ring-fenced.\n\nWhat are the chances?\n\nWalker was in bullish mood in the immediate aftermath of Phillips' resignation saying: \"I'd like to see the club that votes against this\".\n\nHe has since, sensibly, apologised for those comments and calmed his rhetoric, sensing the potential backlash.\n\nWalker and chair Ieuan Evans have spent the last month travelling across Wales to explain their proposals to clubs in a bid to drum up support.\n\nHowever we have been here before and predecessors in their positions have quit after failing.\n\nSo what happened in the past?\n\nIn 2018, then-WRU Chairman Gareth Davies and chief executive Martyn Phillips recognised reform was overdue, but were outmanoeuvred by the clubs.\n\nTheir radical plans were seen as too much, too soon and were convinced to spread the changes over two annual general meetings (AGMs)\n\nIn 2018 some changes were brought in, including reducing the board from 20 to its current 12, but, crucially, having an independent chair or cutting the districts from nine to five did not happen.\n\nAnd before he could push them through at the second chance, Davies was ousted by the clubs. Seeing the situation for what it was, Phillips quit four months later.\n\nDavies' successor Rob Butcher then similarly failed last October and resigned the following month.\n\nWhat is the process?\n\nThis is the only matter up for discussion at the meeting inside the Princess Royal Theatre in Port Talbot.\n\nThe doors are closed at 11:00 BST and WRU president Gerald Davies opens the meeting.\n\nThere will be key speakers, including Evans, and clubs will have their chance to ask questions and voice their opinion before the vote.\n\nOf the 320 member and affiliated clubs, 282 get to vote.\n\nThe resolution requires 75% (212 votes) to be passed.\n\nWhat happens next?\n\nYes vote - the WRU has set itself a deadline of 31 December, 2023 to have the new members in place, but expects the process to be much quicker.\n\nEvans will stand down as chairman once a replacement is found.\n\nNo vote - one can only imagine the recriminations and repercussions. The WRU will go back to the drawing board to find another way while the likes of Walker, Evans and others may consider their positions.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/sport\/rugby-union\/65040223"}
{"title":"UK economy: When are you going to feel better off? - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-26","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"How politicians answer that will set the terms for the next election, writes Laura Kuenssberg.","section":"UK Politics","content":"When are you going to feel better off?\n\nHow politicians answer that big question sets the terms for the next election. The response is certainly not this week.\n\nPrime Minister Rishi Sunak might have told MPs \"we are halving inflation\" but repeating that political slogan in the Commons doesn't make it true. In fact he was wrong - just as economic sages were mistaken.\n\nPrices went up faster in February than in January - which came as a surprise to the experts. Interest rates edged up too and will make rent, mortgages and credit more expensive.\n\nThe message to workers, firms and families this week is bleak - your costs are going up but don't ask for a pay rise and don't put your prices up if you're a business.\n\nThere is no shortage of evidence of how hard it is for millions of families to pay the bills. By the Treasury's admission inflation \"strangles growth and erodes family budgets\".\n\nAnd its effects can be long-lasting. As one German economist said: \"Inflation is like toothpaste. Once it's out, you can hardly get it back in again.\"\n\nAs an aside, even that essential item has gone up significantly, with one famous brand hiking prices of a tube from \u00a33 to \u00a34.\n\nWhat the government hopes is that next month, and the month after that, and the month after that, the number crunchers are correct and inflation will drop pretty sharply by the end of the year and the toothpaste does, after all, go back in the tube.\n\nBut inflation slowing down doesn't mean prices will drop. What politicians and the public have to confront is that there could be many years where voters feel hard up.\n\nFor this week's show we asked Richard Hughes - the country's number cruncher in chief who runs the independent Office for Budget Responsibility - how he would answer that big question. If you're squeamish about your finances you might want to look away now.\n\nHe told me we're in the middle of \"the biggest squeeze on living standards we've faced in this country on record\" - but also it might be five or even six years before people start feeling more prosperous again.\n\nAs he put it: \"People's real spending power doesn't get back to the level it was before the pandemic even after five years, even by the time we get to the late 2020s.\" Gulp.\n\nThere is also a separate and tricky conversation to be had about the influence of his organisation, the OBR.\n\nTheir work, famously ignored by Liz Truss and Kwasi Kwarteng when they were in charge, tells governments how much they can spend and borrow if they want to stick to their own rules about when they will balance the country's books.\n\nThe idea is that with an independent body publicly checking ministers' arithmetic the public can have confidence in what's being done.\n\nBut their forecasts, as Mr Hughes happily admits, often turn out to be wrong, and change every six months. Yet they can have enormous influence over what politicians decide.\n\nFor example, several sources told me the government only decided to expand childcare in the recent Budget because the OBR told them more than half of the cost would be covered by the benefit of getting some parents back to work.\n\nYou can, as many politicians do, believe in the merits of having an independent expert cast their eye over the figures, but also have quiet concerns about how the OBR can draw the limits of political conversations when its forecasts - through no fault of its own - change dramatically.\n\nWhether you are asking an economist, a politician, or just looking at your own bank balance, the broad assessment is not likely to shift - times are tough for the foreseeable future.\n\nInflation - the politicians' nightmare - is likely to drop by the end of the year, but Rishi Sunak and Keir Starmer are going to have to tempt you to the ballot box in 2024 when the country still feels hard up.\n\nWe can already see the outlines of the Conservatives' script. With inflation (they fervently hope) down and the economy (fingers crossed) avoiding recession there will, ministers believe, be signs the country's fortunes have turned and they can persuade hard-up voters to stick with them.\n\nAs one minister says: \"The argument we want to make is 'I'm just starting to feel better off, don't risk it'.\"\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Watch: So we just have to accept life will be even harder, chancellor?\n\nWe've lived through unprecedented hard times, they'll argue, and things are getting better so don't take a chance on something new.\n\nThe aspiration is also that ministers will be able to start cutting taxes again - perhaps in the autumn of this year or more likely next spring.\n\nOne former cabinet minister says voters will start to feel better off once a Conservative government is re-elected because they hope they'll be able to say during the campaign that \"inflation is lower, wages outstripping inflation\" and they have a \"clear plan for the economy\".\n\nEven if Rishi Sunak becomes an expert in political gymnastics it's unlikely the Conservatives will avoid taking any flak for the hammering incomes have taken while they've been in charge.\n\nBut you can expect in the next few months for ministers to emphasise more regularly the help that's already on offer - whether that's cheaper bus fares or the hugely expensive energy price guarantee.\n\nIf you ask Labour politicians when the country will feel better off the answer is also far in the future.\n\nOne shadow minister says the decline in living standards has been \"brutal\" while another says \"people are not going to feel better off for a very long time\".\n\nEven if inflation does start to slow, if you believe the polls that show Labour way ahead the tough economic reality for many families gives them a political advantage.\n\nHowever strongly the Conservatives argue they've had to deal with unprecedented pressures, hard-up voters do not tend to reward those in charge. But wise Labour heads are all too aware that successful oppositions don't just say \"we're not the other guys\".\n\nThat's why we're seeing the leadership put so much time and effort into trying to create a sense they would spend taxpayers' money wisely and talk repeatedly about how they would get the economy to grow.\n\nThe shadow minister believes Labour tends to win when it offers \"hope after years when the Tories look a bit clapped out\".\n\nSo when we ask \"when are you going to start feeling better off?\" the answer is \"not much, if at all, before the next election\".\n\nIt's likely that vote will happen when there is not much cash in our own pockets or the public purse.\n\nAnd we face a conversation where the Conservatives seize on any signs of progress to claim a change is not worth the risk while Labour highlights the hard times we have been living through and says it's time for something else.\n\nJust like economic forecasts, political predictions can turn out to be miles off. And of course, how we make a living and how the country pays its way is not the only factor determining how people vote.\n\nBut after years of hardship you'll be asked in the general election who you believe will help you be better off.\n\nThe answer millions of voters give will likely determine who takes No 10.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/uk-politics-65075966"}
{"title":"SDLP: Eastwood says his party is 'here to stay' - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-26","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"Colum Eastwood tells the SDLP's annual conference in Derry his party had a \"bruising\" election in May.","section":"Northern Ireland","content":"This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Colum Eastwood says the SDLP is \"here to stay\" despite last year's \"bruising\" election\n\nThe Social Democratic and Labour Party (SDLP) leader has dismissed political \"naysayers\" and insisted his party is \"here to stay\".\n\nAddressing his party's annual conference, Colum Eastwood acknowledged the party had been through a \"bruising electoral contest\" last May.\n\nHe told SDLP members in Londonderry that \"the adversity we face now is nothing compared to the adversity this party has shouldered in the past\".\n\n\"We are a party that is ready to get back to work and we will win again,\" he said.\n\nThe SDLP leader and MP for Foyle said last year's assembly election had \"exacted a high price\".\n\nHe told members that those who had written off the party before should be ignored.\n\n\"The people in this hall today, and the many friends and colleagues outside, the values they represent and the vision we set for this island can never be written off,\" he added.\n\n\"We're going to embark on a long-term political strategy with the goal of reimagining our country,\" Mr Eastwood said, acknowledging his party's commission for a new Ireland, which he said was \"shifting gear\".\n\n\"This is when we are at our best - when we bring together an unstoppable coalition.\"\n\nHe also called for an end to the \"poisonous politics of veto\" at Stormont and accused the Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) of being \"wreckers\" of the institutions.\n\n\"The DUP need to get back to work or get out of the way,\" Mr Eastwood said.\n\nHe added sharing power was the \"engine\" of Stormont and not an \"optional extra\".\n\nThe DUP has boycotted devolved government at Stormont over Northern Ireland Protocol concerns\n\nThe party's conference came days after MPs including those in the SDLP voted to back the Windsor Framework agreed by the UK and EU.\n\nThe framework is designed to make trade between Northern Ireland and the rest of the UK easier.\n\nIt gives the Stormont assembly more say over EU rules and has been welcomed by most Northern Ireland parties.\n\nMr Eastwood said the DUP, which voted against the deal, was \"digging its heels in\".\n\nAnd he added that if the party held out on returning to power sharing at Stormont, the \"only alternative\" would be a new settlement between London and Dublin.\n\n\"If we are unable to secure lasting reform of the institutions then the only alternative is a new settlement that retains power with the Irish and British traditions that share this island.\n\n\"And if political parties will not work together, then there must be a new model of shared stewardship between the British and Irish governments.\"\n\nHe told SDLP members that the choice facing the DUP is not about the Northern Ireland Protocol or framework, but whether they \"can share power with their neighbours\".\n\nIt makes sense that the SDLP would choose its heartland of Foyle to bring its members together.\n\nThere is no shying away from how hard a time the party has had recently.\n\nIt lost four seats last year in May's assembly election and recent polls haven't proved any more positive.\n\nThat said, the party's south Belfast MP Claire Hanna has said that since then, the SDLP has been doing some serious thinking and reflection.\n\nIn other words: they may be down but they're not out, if Colum Eastwood can help it.\n\nHe believes in the message he's selling but it's not the audience in Derry he needs to persuade.\n\nThe next electoral test for the SDLP is just eight weeks away.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/uk-northern-ireland-65070878"}
{"title":"More bad weather could follow Mississippi tornado - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-26","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"After storms kill 26 people, Mississippi's governor says weather risks are getting \"worse, not better\".","section":"US & Canada","content":"Anthony Staples manages 14 apartment buildings - all of which were destroyed.\n\nHe says: \"No money to rebuild. The insurance will pay some of the money but will not be enough to cover the replacement costs to restore and rebuild it as it was - you would never get that kind of money.\"\n\nHe fears it will be \"years and years\" before Rolling Fork recovers.\n\n\"The town will recover eventually but that will be years and years down the road,\" he tells the BBC.\n\n\"I don\u2019t know if they\u2019ve declared it as a disaster area.\n\n\"I don\u2019t know, but if the Federal Government comes in with funding it would help with the rebuilding process, but regardless it will take years and years and some of the people who have been dislocated - they\u2019re not going to return.\"","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/live\/world-us-canada-65080593"}
{"title":"England 2-0 Ukraine: Harry Kane and Bukayo Saka score in comfortable win - BBC Sport","published_date":"2023-03-26","authors":null,"description":"England maintain their winning start to their Euro 2024 qualifying campaign with a comfortable victory over Ukraine at Wembley.","section":null,"content":"Last updated on .From the section England\n\nEngland maintained their winning start to Euro 2024 qualifying with a comfortable victory over Ukraine at Wembley.\n\nGareth Southgate's side built on the foundation of their first away win against Italy since 1961 with an efficient performance that was more than enough to see off the visitors.\n\nEngland struggled to build any momentum until record scorer Harry Kane made it 55 international goals when he bundled in Bukayo Saka's cross at the far post eight minutes before half-time.\n\nThe second arrived three minutes later and was all Saka's own work, the Arsenal winger turning away from his man on the edge of the area and curling a superb effort beyond the reach of Anatoliy Trubin and into the top corner.\n\nLeicester City's James Maddison made a good impression on his first England start while Brentford's Ivan Toney won his first cap as a late substitute, captain Kane making way once there was never any serious danger of a Ukrainian comeback.\n\nSaka is part of England's young generation that Southgate hopes will form a key component of their Euro 2024 campaign and the quest to finally claim a major trophy - and what a talent he is.\n\nSaka has been outstanding as Arsenal lead the Premier League table and after a fine World Cup in Qatar he has simply carried on the form he has been showing all season.\n\nHe was a constant danger down England's right flank and the 21-year-old merely confirmed what he is showing on an almost weekly basis, namely that he has a golden future ahead of him.\n\nSaka's cross unlocked a well-organised Ukraine defence for Kane to pounce and set England on their way before producing a superb piece of individual skill to effectively end the contest.\n\nEngland manager Southgate could not have hoped for a better start to these qualifiers as two of arguably their more testing fixtures have resulted in maximum points.\n\nAnd he will be happy with portions of England's performances in both games, particularly the first half against Italy in Naples and the manner in which they closed this game out with the minimum of fuss.\n\nEngland are the favourites to qualify at the top of their group and secure a place at the Euros in Germany, where they will be among those touted as potential winners, and these opening two games have certainly justified that status.\n\nThey survived a poor second half in Italy and a drab first half-hour here but the end results certainly count as a job well done.\n\u2022 None Attempt saved. Jack Grealish (England) right footed shot from the left side of the box is saved in the bottom right corner. Assisted by Conor Gallagher.\n\u2022 None Attempt missed. Harry Maguire (England) header from the left side of the box is just a bit too high. Assisted by Jordan Henderson with a cross following a corner.\n\u2022 None Attempt saved. Harry Maguire (England) header from the centre of the box is saved in the centre of the goal. Assisted by Ben Chilwell with a cross.\n\u2022 None Attempt saved. Conor Gallagher (England) right footed shot from the centre of the box is saved in the bottom left corner. Assisted by Ben Chilwell.\n\u2022 None Delay over. They are ready to continue.\n\u2022 None Delay in match because of an injury Taras Stepanenko (Ukraine). Navigate to the next page Navigate to the last page\n\u2022 None Our coverage of your Premier League club is bigger and better than ever before - follow your team and sign up for notifications in the BBC Sport app to make sure you never miss a moment","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/sport\/football\/65004815"}
{"title":"Andrew Lloyd Webber's son Nicholas dies aged 43 - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-26","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"The composer says his family is \"totally bereft\" by the loss of his Grammy-nominated son.","section":"Entertainment & Arts","content":"Andrew Lloyd Webber pictured with his son Nicholas in 2010\n\nThe Grammy-nominated eldest son of Andrew Lloyd Webber has died aged 43, the composer has announced.\n\nNicholas Lloyd Webber, a composer and record producer, had been having treatment for gastric cancer and died at Basingstoke Hospital, Hampshire.\n\n\"His whole family is gathered together and we are all totally bereft,\" Lord Webber, 75, wrote on Twitter.\n\nLord Lloyd Webber, whose hit musicals include Cats, said on Thursday that Nick had been moved to a hospice.\n\nIn a post on Twitter on Saturday evening he wrote: \"I am shattered to have to announce that my beloved elder son Nick died a few hours ago\".\n\nHis son was nominated for a Grammy for musical theatre alongside his father as well as David Wells and David Zippel for Lord Lloyd Webber's Cinderella.\n\nHe also scored the music for an adaptation of The Little Prince.\n\nThe news followed a video posted by Lord Lloyd Webber on Instagram on Thursday, where he said his son was recovering from \"this first bout of pneumonia\" caught as a result of his \"ghastly\" cancer.\n\nIn the video the composer, who also wrote the music for The Phantom of the Opera and Jesus Christ Superstar, thanked the people of Ukraine who sent him a Cats t-shirt following the announcement that his son was critically ill.\n\nHe said: \"It's incredibly moving... everything they're going through they have been so incredibly thoughtful about dearest Nick.\n\n\"I'm going to go and see Nick in a minute, and I'm going to pass on all of the fantastic wishes that I've had for him all the way from everywhere all around the world.\"","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/entertainment-arts-65078024"}
{"title":"MoT: Northern Ireland delays remain despite record number of tests - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-26","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"The Department for Infrastructure says more than 500,000 tests were conducted in the last six months.","section":"Northern Ireland","content":"Some motorists are facing waits of more than three months at their closest test centre\n\nSome drivers in Northern Ireland are still struggling to book an MoT despite a record number of tests being carried out in the last six months.\n\nThere has been a backlog since testing was suspended several times in 2020.\n\nThe Department for Infrastructure (DfI) said more than 500,000 tests were conducted in the last six months as part of efforts to cut delays.\n\nBut some drivers trying to book online still face long waits for an appointment.\n\nBetween September last year and the end of February 2023, a total of 506,967 full vehicle tests had been carried out by the Driver and Vehicle Agency (DVA), she added.\n\nThat is a 22% increase on the same period in 2021\/2022.\n\n\"This increase in capacity has been achieved by adopting a range of measures including the recruitment of additional vehicle examiners, the use of overtime to provide cover for leave and by offering vehicle test appointments on a Sunday and bank holidays, when testing is not normally available,\" the DfI said.\n\n\"The DVA currently issues reminder notifications six weeks in advance of your MoT expiry date.\n\n\"The DVA will keep this notification period under review as it continues to manage the demand for vehicle testing.\"\n\nThey added that it did not currently hold information to enable it to accurately report the average waiting times for vehicle tests \"given that this position changes on a regular basis\".\n\nBBC News NI logged on to the booking system on Friday to check the current availability.\n\nThe soonest date some MoT centres are offering in Northern Ireland are in June and July\n\nIt appears many motorists are facing two or three-month delays for an MoT, unless a cancellation appears, when using the DVA online system.\n\nAn MoT certificate ensures a vehicle meets legal standards and is required for tax and insurance purposes.\n\nThe Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) previously said it would not penalise drivers whose MoT has expired as long as they met a number of criteria.\n\nThe PSNI told BBC News NI that exemption remains in place.\n\n\"In the event police encounter a vehicle with no current MoT, so long as we can ascertain that a vehicle is roadworthy, has a forthcoming MoT test date and is not sorned (statutory off road notification), then police will not take any further action,\" a spokesperson said.\n\nAs for insurers, the Association of British Insurers (ABI) said \"where motorists in Northern Ireland have a confirmed MoT appointment booking for their test, they should not be prejudiced by a lack of a valid MoT certificate if it has run out before the test takes place\".\n\nABI said its members had agreed to maintain cover for customers who, \"through no fault of their own\", could not get a test.\n\n\"However, motorists whose MoTs are due must keep trying to book a test with the DVA, even if the date falls after when their MoT certificate expires.\"\n\nThe spokesperson added that insurers must keep their vehicle in a roadworthy condition.\n\nDrivers requiring an MoT to tax their vehicle, who cannot get an appointment before their current certificate expires, are asked to \"book the earliest available appointment and keep checking the booking system for an earlier appointment\", according to the DfI.\n\n\"If they get to within five days of the expiry date of their vehicle tax and they have been unable to secure an appointment or their vehicle tax has expired, they should contact the DVA customer services team at dva.customerservices@infrastructure-ni.gov.uk and they will do their best to get an urgent appointment for the vehicle,\" a spokesperson added.\n\nMoT tests in Northern Ireland were first suspended in January 2020 due to safety concerns about equipment being used during the tests.\n\nThen Covid-19 hit, bringing another halt to MoT tests in March 2020.\n\nTesting resumed in stages from June 2020, at a reduced capacity due to social distancing measures, before returning fully in July 2021.\n\nA new online booking system was set up in September 2021 to deal with the backlog that built up from January 2020, but it initially faced technical problems and created further delays.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/uk-northern-ireland-65061824"}
{"title":"Guns and bullets found in Ballinamallard hedge during litter pick - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-26","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"A member of the public found them inside a plastic bag as they picked litter in County Fermanagh.","section":"Northern Ireland","content":"The litter pick was taking place at Baragh Gardens in Ballinamallard\n\nTwo guns and bullets were found by a member of the public during a community litter pick in County Fermanagh.\n\nThey were discovered inside a plastic bag in a hedge at Baragh Gardens in Ballinamallard on Saturday afternoon.\n\nThe police cordoned off the area and Army ammunition experts were called in to determine whether the weapons were real or fake.\n\nIt is understood they confirmed the guns were real and the items were taken away for forensic examination.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/uk-northern-ireland-65080300"}
{"title":"Mississippi tornado: Howling gale and flying debris as storm hits school - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-26","authors":null,"description":"CCTV footage shows the intensity of the tornado as it battered Amory High School in Mississippi.","section":null,"content":"At least 26 people have died in Mississippi and Alabama after a tornado tore through the southern US states.\n\nSurveillance video footage from Amory High School in Mississippi shows the intensity of the storm.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/world-us-canada-65080552"}
{"title":"Cardiff: Howells, the store known for its window displays, food halls and ghosts - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-26","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"As it shuts its doors for the last time, staff share memories of \"the poshest store in Wales\".","section":"Wales","content":"\"I hope they'll keep the heritage going,\" says Susan Trepleton, who worked at the store\n\nA landmark Cardiff city centre department store has closed its doors for the final time after more than 150 years. House of Fraser, which opened on St Mary Street as Howells in 1867, shut on Sunday. From incredible window displays to ghost sightings, we take a nostalgic look back.\n\nMartin Hunt, 70, is retiring from the shop assistant job he got aged 16 at the department store.\n\n\"I started work in Howells two weeks before the first man landed on the moon and I've never left.\"\n\n\"When I started I was paid weekly and I'd get six pounds and 10 shillings.\n\n\"It's very sad it's closing. Department stores just aren't what they used to be.\"\n\n\"Although I did gain a lot of retail qualifications I was always happiest on the shop floor.\n\n\"I enjoy speaking to customers and seeing those customers coming back, that's what you want.\"\n\nOver the past 53 years he worked across various departments from hardware to white goods and has fond memories of the store in its heyday.\n\n\"This was a very high class store so we had very well to do customers but we got to know them really well\" says Martin Hunt\n\n\"People would travel from all over to come here, just to get a specific cheese from the amazing food hall for example.\n\n\"I've served generations of the same families over the years. They expected good service and at Howells that is what they got.\"\n\n\"Our window displays were out of this world. Some of the London stores would send their display teams to Cardiff just to see our windows.\"\n\nMr Hunt said the displays were \"so magnificent you felt you wanted to step into them\"\n\nThackeray Group has acquired the Grade II-listed building and is set to spend \u00a3100m redeveloping it.\n\nThe plans include the creation of a rooftop terrace, which the company said \"will suit a variety of different uses from F&B (food and beverage), office, retail or community use\".\n\nSusan Trepleton worked at House of Fraser in Cardiff for 17 years and is writing a book on the history of the store and its people, including its founder James Howell.\n\nShe said she hoped renovation work would be sympathetic to the architecture, which includes Bethany Baptist Chapel, dating from 1807, which sits inside the department store.\n\nThe shop was built around the chapel as it grew and extended\n\nShe has collected people's experiences of ghosts over the years.\n\n\"They're mainly on the second floor.\n\n\"We've had experiences there when we used to use the stockrooms. The man with the top hat seems to be unhappy,\" she said.\n\n\"There's also the grey lady, she's believed to have been evicted from one of the houses from the front that James Howell took over... it'll be interesting to see if there are any disturbances when the builders arrive.\"\n\nChristmas hampers on sale at Howells in 1982\n\nMs Trepleton said she will return to see how the revamp turns out, as will most of the other staff.\n\n\"It's the end of an era and what an era it's been. This was the store to go to.\n\n\"The poshest store. The biggest store in Wales.\"","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/uk-wales-65061922"}
{"title":"Gatwick Airport passengers complain of new check-in delays - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-26","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"Passengers report long queues again due to a problem with the airport's self-check-in machines.","section":"Sussex","content":"One passenger said that when she arrived the queue was \"out of the door\"\n\nPassengers flying from Gatwick Airport have reported long queues again due to a problem with the airport's self-check-in machines.\n\nEarlier, Gatwick said it was \"running well\" and had made significant progress rectifying a technical issue which caused delays on Saturday.\n\nBut Elaine MacDonald, travelling on Sunday, described \"absolute chaos\" after queuing for about 90 minutes.\n\nGatwick said it had seen \"some queuing\" but overall it was \"running as usual\".\n\nThis Twitter post cannot be displayed in your browser. Please enable Javascript or try a different browser. View original tweet on Twitter The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Skip twitter post by Elaine 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\u2019s cookie policy, external and privacy policy, external before accepting. To view this content choose \u2018accept and continue\u2019. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.\n\nAnother traveller, Sarah Mo from London, said she had been stuck at check-in for an hour and none of the bag drop machines were working.\n\nMs Mo, was was catching a British Airways (BA) flight to Malta, said there were \"hundreds of people getting really stressed about missing their flights\".\n\nMeanwhile, Patricia Gonz\u00e1lez Mu\u00f1iz, from Bedfordshire, said when she arrived for her BA flight from Gatwick to New York, the queue was \"out of the door\".\n\nShe said despite waiting for about an hour and a half, she estimated there were \"about 50\" people still in front of her.\n\nA problem with the self check-in kiosks at Gatwick led to long queues at the regular desks on Saturday\n\nIn a statement issued on Sunday morning, the airport said it had been working with the supplier to rectify the technical issue and significant progress had been made to fix it.\n\nA Gatwick spokeswoman said: \"The airport operation is running well this morning and passengers should plan their journey as usual.\n\n\"For any queries please contact your airline. There may be some delays due to air traffic control strikes in France.\"\n\nEarlier on Sunday, the airport had indicated in a tweet that the technical issue was ongoing and had warned that passengers could still experience delays.\n\nThe BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/uk-england-sussex-65075418"}
{"title":"Nitrous oxide: Possession of laughing gas to be criminal offence - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-26","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"Targeting the use of nitrous oxide is part of a crackdown on anti-social behaviour.","section":"UK Politics","content":"Nitrous oxide, sold in metal canisters, can lead to a vitamin deficiency that damages nerves in the spinal column\n\nPossessing laughing gas is to be made a criminal offence for the first time, the government has announced.\n\nThere will also be tighter controls on retailers to prevent the supply of nitrous oxide for misuse.\n\nIt goes against recommendations from the Advisory Council on the Misuse of Drugs (ACMD) which recently advised against new laws to ban nitrous oxide.\n\nNitrous oxide, sold in metal canisters, is known as NOS and is one of the most-used drugs by UK 16 to 24-year-olds.\n\nThe details are expected to be released on Monday. The BBC understands the ban would be issued under the Misuse of Drugs Act 1971, which regulates drugs based on their perceived harm and potential for misuse.\n\nIt is already illegal to produce or supply the gas for its psychoactive effects under the Psychoactive Substances Act 2016. The law makes production, supply and importation of nitrous oxide for human consumption illegal, but not possession.\n\nThe change is part of a crackdown on anti-social behaviour, which Prime Minister Rishi Sunak will announce on Monday for England and Wales.\n\nThe plans will also give police and councils additional powers to deal with people who are \"causing nuisance\" by blocking shop doorways, asking for money at cash machines or leaving their belongings on pavements.\n\nThese people will then be \"directed towards the support they need\", such as accommodation, mental health or substance misuse services.\n\n\"The debris and paraphernalia which causes blight will then be cleared,\" the government added.\n\nOutlining the reasons behind the nitrous oxide ban, the government said it was \"concerned about the rise in health and social harms\" of laughing gas, \"particularly to young people\".\n\n\"We are for the first time making possession of nitrous oxide an offence; preventing supply for misuse by putting tighter controls on retailers; and giving greater powers to law enforcement to take action against those who are in breach,\" it added.\n\nSpeaking on the BBC's Sunday with Laura Kuenssberg programme, Michael Gove said: \"We are doing this because if you walk through any urban park you will see these little silver cannister which are the evidence of people regarding public spaces as arenas for drug taking.\n\n\"It is unacceptable. People should feel those spaces are being looked after in a way which means they are safe for children.\"\n\nThe levelling up secretary said the drug has an \"intoxicating and potentially damaging effect on young brains and young nervous systems\".\n\nHeavy use can lead to a vitamin deficiency that damages nerves in the spinal column.\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser.\n\nSeveral drugs charities have criticised the announcement, claiming criminalising possession could lead to the drug becoming more dangerous.\n\nSteve Rolles, senior policy analyst at the Transform Drug Policy Foundation, said: \"The idea that this is a deterrent effect is ridiculous it just criminalises users and will hand control of the product to criminal gangs.\n\n\"This is just political theatre - if you need any proof you just need to see that they have ignored their own advisers. This is a particularly ugly example of performative politics.\"\n\nTransform Drug Policy Foundation is a charity which campaigns for drugs to be legalised and regulated.\n\nProf Adam Winstock, an addiction medicine specialist and founder of the Global Drug Survey, told the BBC that getting a criminal record \"is going to be a far greater harm than the risks for the vast majority of people using nitrous oxide\".\n\nReducing the risks of nitrous oxide is \"better achieved with smart education, not blunt regulation that may compound existing harms and create new ones\", he added.\n\nEarlier this year the Home Office asked the ACMD to provide advice on whether to make possession of nitrous oxide a crime.\n\nThe report recommended the substance should not be controlled under the Misuse of Drugs Act - which allows the use of life sentences for those supplying or producing some drugs.\n\nThe ACMD stated the Psychoactive Substances Act - which limits prison sentences to a maximum of seven years - \"remains appropriate legislation\".\n\nIt said sanctions for the offences would be disproportionate with the level of harm associated with nitrous oxide, as well as creating \"significant burdens\" for legitimate uses of the substance.\n\nThe review also found \"no substantive evidence of links between nitrous oxide and anti-social behaviour\" aside from littering.\n\nAlexandre Piot, director of research at the Conservative Drug Policy Reform Group, said it was \"shocking that the government feels it knows better than its own independent body of experts set up by law\".\n\n\"The more they don't listen to them, the more drug policy will continue to fail,\" he said.\n\nNitrous oxide is regularly used as an anaesthetic in medicine and dentistry, and as a gas for making whipped cream in cooking.\n\nLabour backed the plans to ban the sale of nitrous oxide. Shadow culture secretary Lucy Powell said its use \"causes a huge amount of littering disruption and anti-social behaviour\".\n\nShe added: \"We do need to tackle at source these kind of behaviours that are blights on our community.\"\n\nIt comes as the government unveils a new strategy to crack down on anti-social behaviour.\n\nPublic drug use, fly-tipping and low-level crimes such as graffiti are to be targeted with a strategy of \"hotspot\" policing and \"short and sharp\" punishments.\n\nPeople who vandalise public spaces will have to repair the damage they cause within 48 hours of being given an order.\n\nA pilot, covering 10 areas, aims to show the public such acts are \"quickly and visibly\" punished.\n\nMs Powell said the plans \"amount to nothing\".\n\nLabour have also accused the government of cutting neighbourhood policing, leading to fewer offenders being punished.\n\n\"We've heard it all before from this government and I think we have to judge them by their record,\" Ms Powell added.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/uk-politics-65079772"}
{"title":"Mississippi: Rescue efforts begin after tornado destruction - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-26","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"President Biden has ordered federal assistance to be sent to the affected areas.","section":"US & Canada","content":"This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser.\n\nRescue efforts are under way in Mississippi and Alabama after a tornado tore through the two states on Friday night killing 26 people, including a baby and her father.\n\nEmergency services will have to dig through the debris left behind by the tornado, which flattened one town and obliterated homes and businesses.\n\nA state of emergency was declared in Mississippi on Sunday.\n\nAs Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) staff arrived in Mississippi to tour the damage, senator Roger Wicker tweeted: \"Today recovery efforts across our state began in earnest\".\n\nFriday's tornado has been classified as \"violent\" and given a preliminary EF-4 rating - the second-highest rating possible.\n\nMeanwhile, the National Weather Service issued a tornado watch for large sections of both Alabama and Georgia for Sunday, ending at 13:00 ET (18:00 BST).\n\nIn Rolling Fork, crushed cars, bricks and glass litter the streets - the town has been almost entirely wiped out.\n\nOne resident told the BBC he was lucky to survive after seeking shelter in his bath tub.\n\nApproaching the neighbourhood in western Sharkey County, there is little indication of anything unusual.\n\nThe lush farmland that surrounds it is completely untouched, the trees aren't even bent out of shape by wind.\n\nThen, suddenly, you see the houses that were in the tornado's path.\n\nThey have been totally obliterated.\n\nThe tornado seen near the town of Rolling Fork\n\nIn this rural town of only 2,000 people, where one fifth of residents live below the poverty line, dozens of buildings have been flattened by the fury of the tornado.\n\nHomes where family and friends had gathered less than 24 hours before, ready for the weekend, have been reduced to rubble.\n\nTimber frames have been snapped into pieces. There are upturned washing machines, but it is impossible to identify anything that might have been a kitchen.\n\nAmongst the rubble, there are vehicles that have been tossed around. There is the occasional children's toy and other signs of the lives that were lived here just hours earlier.\n\nOne Rolling Fork local tries to salvage items from a car\n\nThe tornado hit in the middle of the night - people had been sleeping and had not heard the alerts. For many the first indication that something terrible was happening was the noise.\n\nFrancisco McKnight told the BBC it was a miracle that he is alive. The only warning he had was the sound, he said - he had never heard anything like the noise of the wind on Friday night and never wants to again.\n\nHe took one look outside and then ran into his bathroom and got into the bath tub. He said that was what saved him.\n\nThe only part of his home that is still standing are parts of two of the bathroom walls.\n\nThe tornado lasted just five to 10 minutes he said, and he sat in the tub as the rest of his home was ripped away. For now, he is staying in one of the shelters that have been set up in the area.\n\nHe does not know what he will do next, but he says somehow he will rebuild his life.\n\nMississippi state governor Tate Reeves visited Silver City and Winona on Saturday to meet affected residents who had been hit by the tornado's fury.\n\nSharing an update on Twitter, Mr Reeves described the situation as a \"tragedy\", writing: \"We are blessed with brave, capable responders and loving neighbours. Please continue to pray.\"\n\nMr Reeves requested an expedited disaster declaration for the region and said: \"We're going to fight like hell to make sure that we get as many resources to this area as possible.\"\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Watch: Trucks piled on buildings as tornado flattens town of Rolling Fork\n\nAre you in any of the areas affected by the tornado? If it is safe to do so, share your experiences by emailing haveyoursay@bbc.co.uk.\n\nPlease include a contact number if you are willing to speak to a BBC journalist. You can also get in touch in the following ways:\n\nIf 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 HaveYourSay@bbc.co.uk. Please include your name, age and location with any submission.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/world-us-canada-65078588"}
{"title":"Rishi Sunak promises anti-social behaviour crackdown - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-26","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"Offenders could be made to pick up litter or wash police cars within 48 hours of being given an order.","section":"UK","content":"Those caught engaging in anti-social behaviour could have to carry out their punishment in hi-vis clothing\n\nPeople who vandalise public spaces will have to repair the damage they cause within 48 hours of being given an order, under new government plans.\n\nCommunities will also have a say on how offenders are punished, No 10 said.\n\nThe pilot, covering 10 areas, aims to show the public such acts are \"quickly and visibly\" punished.\n\nBut Labour accused the government of \"slashing\" neighbourhood policing and trying to copy their plan on \"tough community payback\".\n\nThe pilot forms part of a crackdown on anti-social behaviour, which Prime Minister Rishi Sunak will announce on Monday.\n\nMr Sunak hopes the measures will stamp out the scourge of anti-social behaviour \"once and for all\".\n\nThe new plans will see police and crime commissioners (PCCs) given funding to ensure people responsible for offences such as graffiti and vandalism start repair work as soon as possible.\n\nOffenders will be made to wear jumpsuits or hi-vis jackets and work under supervision so that they are visible to members of the public, to assure them \"justice is being done\".\n\nIn cases where damage has already been cleaned up, they will be assigned other tasks which benefit their local area, such as litter picking or volunteering in shops.\n\nThere are also plans to tackle homelessness and begging within the new measures.\n\nPolice and local authorities will be granted new powers to address people who are judged to be causing a \"nuisance on the street\" - including obstructing shop doorways or begging at cash machines.\n\nCouncil workers and law enforcement officers will also be given the \"tools\" to direct people who are deemed to be causing a \"nuisance on the street\" to health and social services.\n\nFurther detail on where the pilots will take place and how much it will cost is expected to be set out in the coming days.\n\nIt will be rolled out across England and Wales in 2024.\n\nCommunities Secretary Michael Gove separately confirmed the government will ban the sale of nitrous oxide, telling the BBC's Laura Kuenssberg its recreational use is having an \"unacceptable\" effect on people's perception of safety in public spaces.\n\nHe added: \"We are doing this because if you walk through any urban park you will see these little silver cannister which are the evidence of people regarding public spaces as arenas for drug taking.\"\n\nThe plans to crack down on anti-social behaviour comes after a highly critical report into the Metropolitan Police by Baroness Casey, which cited austerity as a factor behind the erosion of the London force's frontline policing.\n\nThe report, published earlier this week, said London no longer has a functioning neighbourhood policing service as teams have been \"decimated\" and the force has become \"less connected and less accountable\".\n\nAhead of the plan being published, Mr Sunak said: \"For too long, people have put up with the scourge of anti-social behaviour in their neighbourhoods.\n\n\"These are not minor crimes. They disrupt people's daily lives, hold businesses back and erode the sense of safety and community that brings people together.\n\n\"That's why I'm bringing forward a new plan to crack down on this behaviour once and for all - so that everyone can feel proud of where they live.\"\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser.\n\nThe plan sets out how the government's \"community payback\" scheme - where offenders are sentenced by courts to do unpaid work, such as cleaning up public places - will be expanded.\n\nThe government has already said it will increase the number of hours of unpaid work offenders are given from five million to up to eight million a year.\n\nUnder a new pilot, delivered by the Probation Service working with some local authorities, teams of offenders will be rapidly deployed to clean up more urgent incidents of anti-social behaviour.\n\nIt said it will also extend offenders' involvement in campaigns such as Keep Britain Tidy's annual Great British Spring Clean.\n\nLast year 1,500 offenders spent almost 10,000 hours on 300 community clean-up projects across the campaign.\n\nThe government aims to double this in 2023.\n\nLast month, Labour said its plans to tackle anti-social behaviour included fly-tippers being forced to remove litter as part of \"clean-up squads\", and councils being able to make offenders remove graffiti or rubbish they had dumped.\n\nResponding to the government's latest plans, shadow justice secretary Steve Reed said: \"The Conservatives have let anti-social behaviour make people's lives a misery by slashing neighbourhood police and letting offenders get away without punishment.\n\n\"They have been content to oversee crumbling frontline services meaning these crimes are now plaguing communities, blighting town centres and leaving people feeling unsafe.\"\n\nMr Reed said the government was \"once again following where Labour has led by trying to copy our plan on tough community payback\", and that it was \"embarrassing\" that all the Conservatives could come up with was a pilot covering only 10 areas.\n\nThe remarks follow a speech earlier this week by Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer accusing the Tories of being \"soft\" on anti-social behaviour - \"the crime that most affects working class communities\".","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/uk-65077271"}
{"title":"Daniel Radcliffe and Erin Darke expecting first child - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-26","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"The 33-year-old Harry Potter actor and his partner Erin Darke are due to become parents later this year.","section":"Entertainment & Arts","content":"Daniel Radcliffe and partner Erin Darke have confirmed they are expecting their first child\n\nActor Daniel Radcliffe has confirmed he is expecting his first child with long-term partner Erin Darke.\n\nThe 33-year-old Harry Potter star and Darke, 38, are due to become parents later this year, the Mirror said.\n\nThe actors have been together for a decade after reportedly meeting on the set of film Kill Your Darlings in 2013.\n\nRadcliffe played poet Allen Ginsberg in the film, and Darke featured as Gwendolyn, a romantic interest.\n\nRadcliffe rose to fame aged 12 when he starred as the bespectacled boy wizard in Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone in 2001.\n\nMore recently, he starred in the lead role in Weird: The Al Yankovic Story, which was released last year.\n\nThe biopic follows the life and career of comedian Weird Al Yankovic, who found fame with comical spoof versions of classic songs.\n\nRadcliffe told Newsweek last year: \"I want my kids - if and when they exist - I would love them to be around film sets.\"\n\nMichigan-born Darke is best known for her role in 2015 series Good Girl Revolt, and more recently appeared in Prime Video series The Marvelous Mrs Maisel.\n\nRadcliffe's Harry Potter co-star, Rupert Grint, who played Ronald Weasley in the films, has a three-year-old daughter, Wednesday, with actor Georgia Groome.\n\u2022 None Harry Potter films at 20: What the cast did next","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/entertainment-arts-65078563"}
{"title":"Energy firms call for windfall tax to fall with prices - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-26","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"It comes ahead of a package of measures on energy security, which the BBC understands will be announced on Thursday.","section":"Business","content":"Energy firms have called on ministers to reduce the windfall tax as oil and gas prices fall, ahead of a package of measures on energy security expected to be announced on Thursday.\n\nTrade body Offshore Energies UK said that \"when prices drop, it is fair that the windfall tax should fall away\".\n\nIt came as the Financial Times reported that ministers are set to offer energy firms relief on windfall taxes.\n\nThe Treasury insists it keeps all taxes under review.\n\nLast year, the government introduced a windfall tax on oil and gas firms, to help fund its scheme to lower energy bills for households and businesses.\n\nA windfall tax is used to target firms which benefit from something they were not responsible for. Energy firm profits have soared recently, initially due to rising demand after Covid restrictions were lifted, and then because Russia's invasion of Ukraine raised energy prices.\n\nOil and gas prices have now come down from their highs.\n\nDavid Whitehouse, chief executive of Offshore Energies UK, said the windfall tax has \"damaged the confidence\" of companies to invest in the long-term energy security of the UK.\n\n\"If this tax is changed, as conditions and prices have changed, that would be a positive move that would go some way to start rebuilding confidence,\" he said.\n\nHe added it would also spur companies to invest in the UK energy industry and in new technologies such as offshore wind, hydrogen and carbon capture, as well as in jobs.\n\nIt comes as the government is expected to set out measures to boost the UK's energy security on Thursday.\n\nA Whitehall source confirmed the plans, which will be set out by the Energy Security Secretary Grant Shapps, will focus on bringing down wholesale electricity prices in the UK and reducing energy bills for consumers and businesses.\n\nThe Financial Times reported that ahead of this, ministers have been holding talks with energy firms about adjusting the windfall tax if oil and gas prices dropped below a certain level.\n\nShadow climate secretary, Ed Miliband said the report was more evidence that next week's announcements would be \"Fossil Fuel Thursday\".\n\nHe said it would see \"giveaways to companies already making record profits, for a policy that will make no difference to energy bills or security, fleecing the public whilst trashing the climate.\"\n\nThe Treasury insists it does not comment on speculation.\n\nBut said the windfall tax \"strikes a balance between funding cost of living support from excess profits while encouraging investment\".\n\nIt added that \"the more investment a firm makes into the UK, the less tax they will pay\".","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/business-65077495"}
{"title":"Antonio Conte: Tottenham manager leaves after 16 months in charge - BBC Sport","published_date":"2023-03-26","authors":null,"description":"Manager Antonio Conte leaves Tottenham after 16 months in charge and his dismissal comes after he called the Spurs players \"selfish\".","section":null,"content":"Last updated on .From the section Tottenham\n\nAntonio Conte had been Spurs manager since November 2021 Manager Antonio Conte has left Tottenham Hotspur by mutual consent after 16 months in charge. Conte called the Spurs players \"selfish\" and criticised the club's culture in a remarkable news conference after their recent draw at Southampton. Tottenham are fourth in the top flight but are out of all cup competitions. Conte's assistant Cristian Stellini will step up as head coach for the rest of the season, with former midfielder Ryan Mason his deputy. \"We have 10 Premier League games remaining and we have a fight on our hands for a Champions League place,\" chairman Daniel Levy said. \"We all need to pull together. Everyone has to step up to ensure the highest possible finish for our club and amazing, loyal supporters.\"\n\u2022 None Who should be Conte's long-term Spurs successor? 'I see selfish players' - Conte furious after what proves to be his final game with Spurs His departure means Spurs are searching for their fourth permanent manager in four years since Mauricio Pochettino left in 2019. They suffered a tame exit to AC Milan in the Champions League earlier in March, after Championship side Sheffield United knocked them out of the FA Cup at the start of the month. Italian Conte, who had won league titles with former clubs Chelsea, Juventus and Inter Milan, was appointed in November 2021 after Spurs sacked Nuno Espirito Santo. They struggled for consistency for much of his early tenure before a six-game unbeaten run, including a 3-0 win over rivals Arsenal, secured a top-four finish. But Tottenham's troubles have continued this season with nine defeats and four draws in 28 league games and questions about the playing style.\n\u2022 None Listen to the latest The Far Post podcast Conte's Spurs were loudly booed after the 0-0 draw against Milan which resulted in a 1-0 loss on aggregate and condemned the club to another campaign without a trophy. His last match in charge saw Tottenham throw away a 3-1 lead to draw at struggling Southampton on 18 March, with Conte launching a furious criticism of his players and the club after the match. \"Tottenham's story is this: 20 years there is this owner and they never won something. Why?\" Conte said. \"Until now I try to hide the situation but not now because, I repeat, I don't want to see what I have seen today because this is unacceptable and also unacceptable for the fans.\" Tottenham have won one trophy since the ownership group chaired by Levy took over the club in 2001 - the League Cup in 2008 - and have had 11 different managers. Conte's exit, by mutual consent, takes the number of managerial departures this season to 11 - a new Premier League record. There have been nine sackings and two departures - Conte and Graham Potter leaving Brighton for Chelsea - during this campaign, while the previous record was the 10 sackings in 2021-22. Only six top-flight managers have been in charge for more than three years, with the league average now standing at about two years. This season saw Conte requiring gallbladder surgery in February. He was absent for a victory over Manchester City on 5 February and, after briefly returning for two matches, missed another four games to focus on his recovery in Italy, with Stellini taking charge in his place. Three close friends of Conte's, Spurs fitness coach Gian Piero Ventrone, Sinisa Mihajlovic and Gianluca Vialli, have all died in recent months.\n\u2022 None Our coverage of Tottenham Hotspur is bigger and better than ever before - here's everything you need to know to make sure you never miss a moment\n\u2022 None Everything Spurs - go straight to all the best content","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/sport\/football\/64168691"}
{"title":"Poole Harbour: Clean-up under way at after 200-barrel fluid leak - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-26","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"People are being urged not to swim at the harbour or in the surrounding areas until further notice.","section":"Dorset","content":"Poole Harbour Commissioners said an oil spill plan had been activated\n\nA clean-up operation is under way after about 200 barrels of reservoir fluid including oil leaked into the water at Poole Harbour in Dorset.\n\nA major incident was declared when a leak occurred at a pipeline operated by gas company Perenco, under Owers Bay on Sunday.\n\nMembers of the public have been urged not to swim at the harbour or nearby until further notice, Poole Harbour Commissioners said.\n\nPerenco said it was \"under control\".\n\nThe company said a small amount of reservoir fluid - made up of 85% water and 15% oil - escaped from the pipeline.\n\nThe leak came from Wytch Farm, an oil field and processing facility that produces about 14,000 barrels of oil equivalent per day.\n\nPoole Harbour commissioners, who regulate activities on the harbour, said Perenco reported \"no risk\" of further leakage, and the surface slick is \"already dispersing\".\n\nPoole is the largest natural harbour in Europe and a site of special scientific interest, which is home to a range of wading birds.\n\nIn a statement PHC said: \"It is estimated that approximately 200 barrels of reservoir fluid has been released into the water column in Poole Harbour.\n\n\"Anyone who has come into contact with the spill should wash immediately with soap and water. If eyes have come into contact with the spill, they should be rinsed with water.\"\n\nOil was pictured on the surface of the water at Poole Harbour earlier\n\nIt added it had activated its oil spill plan and the pipeline had been shut down, with booms placed on either side of the leak.\n\nCompanies specialising in oil spill response have also been mobilised, according to PHC.\n\nPoole Harbour commissioners said a further assessment of the clean-up operation would be made on Monday morning.\n\nFranck Dy, Perenco UK's Wytch Farm general manager, said: \"Any spill is an extremely serious matter and a full investigation will be launched to ascertain what happened in Poole Harbour.\n\n\"It is important to stress that the situation is under control, with the discharge of fluids having been stopped and the spill is being contained.\"\n\nThe MP for Poole, Sir Robert Syms, said he and neighbouring South Dorset MP Richard Drax have requested the government take an urgent question on the incident on Monday.\n\nBournemouth Christchurch and Poole Council said it was \"working as part of a multi-agency response to the major incident declared this afternoon\".\n\nIn a statement on Twitter, council leader Philip Broadhead added the leak had been declared as a major incident so that \"all relevant partner agencies [were] working together\".\n\nOn Sunday afternoon, the Environment Agency said it had received reports of a \"large amount of oil\" in Poole Harbour.\n\nIn a statement, the agency said: \"We are supporting the port authority and other partners in responding to this incident.\"\n\nDorset Police said it was informed by PHC at 13:43 BST on Sunday of an oil leak in Poole Harbour.\n\nIn a statement, the force said the incident was being led by PHC and there was no requirement for police attendance.\n\n\"We will continue to liaise with our partner agencies and offer support if required,\" the force added.\n\nFollow BBC South on Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram. Send your story ideas to south.newsonline@bbc.co.uk.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/uk-england-dorset-65081094"}
{"title":"Yvette Cooper on Illegal Migration Bill to cut small boat crossings - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-08","authors":null,"description":"The government's plan to cut the number of migrants crossing the English Channel in small boats is \u201cjust more chaos\u201d says the shadow home secretary.","section":null,"content":"The government's plan to cut the number of migrants in small boats crossing the English Channel was \"just more chaos\" the shadow home secretary has said.\n\nYvette Cooper claimed Suella Braverman's Illegal Migration Bill was not a solution but a \"con\".","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/uk-politics-64876668"}
{"title":"Harry and Meghan's daughter Princess Lilibet Diana christened in US - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-08","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"Princess Lilibet Diana, who turns two in June, was christened at the couple's LA home last week.","section":"UK","content":"The Duke and Duchess of Sussex's daughter has been christened at the couple's California home.\n\nPrincess Lilibet Diana, who was born to Prince Harry and Meghan in June 2021, was christened on Friday.\n\nThe announcement is the first time she has been publicly called a princess and confirms that Harry and Meghan will use the royal titles for their children.\n\nThe couple's spokesperson said members of the Royal Family were invited to the christening.\n\nAlthough Lilibet was not a princess at birth, because she was not a granddaughter of the monarch, she gained the right to that title when King Charles acceded to the throne.\n\nBuckingham Palace has said the royal website - which currently lists her and brother Archie with the titles Miss and Master - will \"be updated in due course\" to reflect the title.\n\nLilibet is the second child of Harry and Meghan, who relocated to the US after stepping down as working royals in 2020. Their son Archie was born in May 2019.\n\nThe BBC understands members of the Royal Family were invited to the christening but it appears none were in attendance.\n\nHarry and Meghan are understood to want their children to decide for themselves whether or not to use their titles when they are older.\n\nThe couple will not use the titles conversationally, the BBC understands, but Archie and Lilibet will be referred to as prince and princess in formal contexts.\n\nThe children will not be able to style themselves as HRH given the right to do so comes from their father and he stopped using it when he stepped back from being a working royal.\n\nThe rules governing the titles of royal children were set out by King George V in 1917.\n\nAs the children of the son of a sovereign, Archie and Lilibet are automatically entitled to be called prince and princess.\n\nRight Reverend John Harvey Taylor, the Bishop of Los Angeles, presided over the christening.\n\nThe ex-newspaper journalist worked in the office of former US President Richard Nixon between 1984 and 1990 prior to being ordained.\n\nEarlier this week, it emerged that Harry and Meghan were weighing up whether or not to travel to the UK for the King and Queen Consort's coronation.\n\nA statement issued on behalf of the couple said Harry had been contacted about the event on 6 May by the King's private office via email.\n\nThe BBC understands some prospective guests are being asked to save the date ahead of official invitations to be sent later.\n\nBuckingham Palace has declined to comment on the guest list.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/uk-64890702"}
{"title":"PMQs: Sunak and Starmer clash over migrant law at PMQs - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-08","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"The PM says the public wants urgent action to stop boats crossing the English Channel but the Labour leader argues his new plans simply won't work.","section":"UK Politics","content":"It was a Westminster match-up that saw the Tories and Labour again collide on the migration issue, as we anticipated.\n\nRishi Sunak insisted that legislation aimed at stopping small boat crossings was a \"priority\" for the British electorate. Sir Keir Starmer said his political rival was \"deluded\" over his policies - but Sunak said the Labour leader was \"just another lefty lawyer\".\n\nThanks for being with us this lunchtime. I've been helped by Heather Sharp, Marita Moloney, Andre Rhoden-Paul, Chas Geiger, Paul Seddon, Arryn Moy, Jasmine Taylor-Coleman, Kevin Ponniah and James FitzGerald.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/live\/uk-politics-64882920"}
{"title":"Sarm Heslop: Mum believes missing daughter is dead - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-08","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"Brenda Street says her daughter Sarm Heslop would have returned home by now if she was still alive.","section":"Hampshire & Isle of Wight","content":"Sarm Heslop was 41 when she was reported missing by her boyfriend from his boat off St John on 8 March 2021\n\nThe mother of a woman who vanished from her boyfriend's catamaran in the Caribbean two years ago says she believes her daughter is dead.\n\nSarm Heslop was last seen as she left a bar on St John in the US Virgin Islands with Ryan Bane on 7 March 2021.\n\nHe reported her missing from Siren Song, moored off the island, at 02:30 local time the following morning.\n\nHer mother, Brenda Street, said: \"I feel I should grieve. I don't know how to. My heart's broken.\"\n\nThe former flight attendant's possessions, including her bank cards and mobile phone, were on the boat where she had been staying and working with Mr Bane, a US citizen.\n\nMs Street told the BBC: \"Now after two years it's not possible she is missing. I don't believe she is still alive - I wish to be able to find her and bring her home.\n\n\"Sarm would never put her family and friends through this torment, this gut wrenching heartache for this long.\n\n\"I imagine her as a mermaid\u2026. If she is in the ocean because she loved the ocean.\"\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Brenda Street said her heart was 'broken' following her daughter's disappearance\n\nMr Bane reported Ms Heslop missing to police at 02:30 local time on 8 March 2021 - the coastguard was only informed around noon the same day.\n\nHis lawyer denied officers' requests to search the boat and he has not given an interview to police.\n\nThe Virgin Islands Police Department (VIPD) have not been able to confirm if Ms Heslop was on board as reported.\n\nMs Street said: \"They just seem to try and push it under the carpet. I had an email from the VIPD a couple of weeks ago. That's the first time in 18 months. It said, 'Hope you're doing well, have you any further information?'\n\n\"My relationship with the authorities is non-existent, they just ignore us. We sent a long list of questions - lawful and legal ones - but they just didn't reply to us.\"\n\nCurrently her disappearance is being treated as a missing persons investigation by VIPD.\n\nMs Heslop had been staying and working with Mr Bane, a US citizen, on the catamaran\n\nMs Heslop's family also want the VIPD to admit mistakes were made in their investigation and for UK police to be brought in.\n\nMs Street said: \"They didn't go to the boat to check she was there. They didn't tell the coastguard. If she had fallen overboard, the coastguard would have been there immediately, not nine hours later.\n\n\"The FBI and Hampshire police have offered help but they have been turned down.\"\n\nThe BBC has contacted Mr Bane's lawyer for comment.\n\nIn a statement VIPD said: \"The Virgin Islands Police Department continues to send thoughts and prayers to the family, friends and colleagues of Sarm Helsop.\n\n\"The VIPD Criminal Investigations Bureau continues to work this ongoing.\"\n\nMs Heslop, who was 41 when she vanished, is known to have left Mr Bane's boat moored off St John - which was under a 22:00 local time Covid curfew - to visit a bar and have dinner the night before.\n\nKate Owen, one of her closest friends, travelled to the Caribbean with Ms Heslop after they left their jobs as Flybe cabin crew. She spent time with the couple who started dating after meeting on dating app, Tinder.\n\nKate Owen and Sarm Heslop travelled to the Caribbean together after they left their jobs as cabin crew\n\nThe 43-year-old from Southsea said the last time she heard from her friend was a text while she was at the bar with Mr Bane the night before she vanished.\n\nShe said: \"They had just returned from a charter - it sounded like they were having a drink and just relaxing - there was nothing in that message that made me think she wasn't happy or in any danger.\n\n\"You can't grieve this because we know she's not coming back but there are still so many questions about what happened and why is she not here.\"\n\nHer friends and family say continued requests to the island's police also remain unanswered and her belongings, including her phone and iPad, are also still being held by the force despite requests to return them.\n\nMs Heslop's friends set up a Facebook Page to share information about her disappearance and continue to offer a reward of up to $10,000 (\u00a38,328) for information.\n\nDet Ch Insp Matt Gillooly of Hampshire Constabulary said the force had \"previously provided operational support in the UK to assist the US Virgin Islands Police Department investigation\".\n\nHe said: \"Hampshire Constabulary cannot comment further on another force's investigation, but will always be available to assist the US Virgin Islands Police Department as and when requested.\"\n\nFollow BBC South on Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram. Send your story ideas to south.newsonline@bbc.co.uk.\n\nThe BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/uk-england-hampshire-64872250"}
{"title":"John Caldwell: \u00a3150k reward for evidence on detective shooting - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-08","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"Senior PSNI officer John Caldwell was shot in front of his young son in Omagh last month.","section":"Northern Ireland","content":"John Caldwell has led inquiries into murders, organised crime and dissident republicans\n\nAn increased reward of \u00a3150,000 is on offer for information leading to the conviction of those who tried to murder one of Northern Ireland's top detectives.\n\nJohn Caldwell was shot in front of his young son in a sports complex car park in Omagh, County Tyrone, last month.\n\nHe suffered life-changing injuries and is still critically ill in hospital.\n\nPolice believe the shooting on 22 February was carried out by the dissident republican group the New IRA.\n\nEight people who had been arrested and questioned by police over the shooting have all since been released.\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. New CCTV footage shows of one of the cars used by gunmen as it passes through Coalisland the night before the shooting\n\nOn Wednesday the independent charity Crimestoppers announced the new reward for information about the attack.\n\nIt had previously offered \u00a320,000 but said anonymous donors had helped to increase that to \u00a3150,000.\n\nDet Ch Supt Eamonn Corrigan said the Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) was \"working relentlessly to bring those responsible to justice\".\n\nHe said the background of those behind the shooting was of \"a terrorist nature, organised crime nature or both\".\n\n\"These people are quite clearly very dangerous and we need information to put them behind bars where they should be,\" he said.\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Those who shot John Caldwell have links to terrorism, organised crime or both, says Eamonn Corrigan\n\n\"That one little piece of information may close a gap that we have.\"\n\nMr Corrigan said he was disappointed that no-one had been brought before the courts in relation to the shooting.\n\nBut he added that investigations of this type were \"particularly challenging\" and \"take time\".\n\nOne of Northern Ireland's best-known detectives, John Caldwell has led high-profile inquiries into murders, organised crime and dissident republicans.\n\nTwelve years after he investigated the 2011 murder of his PSNI colleague Ronan Kerr by dissident republicans, he became a target.\n\nMr Caldwell was shot several times after he had coached a youth football team on 22 February.\n\nHe was putting footballs into his car when he was shot.\n\nRead more: Who is the detective shot in Omagh attack?\n\nPolice had previously released CCTV footage of a blue Ford Fiesta car believed to have been used by the gunmen.\n\nNew footage has been released by the police, showing the car in Coalisland, County Tyrone, on 21 February.\n\nIts registration was MGZ 6242 but it had been fitted with false plates - FRZ 8414 - prior to the attack.\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Anonymous donors have helped to increase the reward to \u00a3150,000, says Mick Duthie from Crimestoppers\n\nDetectives also believe a second blue Ford Fiesta - registration RLZ 9805 - was used in the attempted murder.\n\nIt was bought in Glengormley, County Antrim, at the end of January and was taken to Belfast.\n\nAt about 13:00 GMT on Wednesday 22 February - the day of the attack on Mr Caldwell - it was driven along the M1 in the direction of Coalisland and Omagh.\n\nIt was found burnt out in the Ardboe Industrial Estate in County Tyrone the next day.\n\n\"My appeal is for anyone who knows where either of these two cars were kept prior to the shooting or has knowledge of their movements on the day of the shooting to come forward,\" said Mr Corrigan.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/uk-northern-ireland-64888560"}
{"title":"Abi Burton: 'I nearly died' - the Olympian sectioned and fighting back from an induced coma - BBC Sport","published_date":"2023-03-08","authors":null,"description":"British Olympian Abi Burton was sectioned for 26 days and spent 25 days in an induced coma - this is her story.","section":null,"content":"Last updated on .From the section Rugby Union\n\nWhen Abi Burton returned to England after missing out on a medal at the Tokyo Olympics, she felt \"really, really lost\".\n\n\"It was a really tough time,\" she recalls of the months that followed Team GB's defeat in their rugby sevens bronze-medal match in July 2021.\n\nBut Burton, 22, had no idea just how tough life was about to get.\n\nOne year on from losing to Fiji, she was sectioned for 26 days, spent 25 days in an induced coma, and contracted pneumonia twice.\n\nThis is her story.\n\nAs Burton looked back on her first Olympic experience, she knew she and her team-mates would have inspired a new generation of sevens players. It was not enough.\n\n\"You feel empty because you work towards an Olympics for so long and then you don't come away with what you want to achieve,\" she tells BBC Sport's Jo Currie.\n\nRugby had defined Burton's life, but she was soon given a \"new perspective\".\n\nBurton, who made her England debut aged 18, says she first noticed a change in her behaviour when she started to feel \"really down\" and had no energy.\n\nShe remembers being put on anti-depressants because \"the first thing people go to is mental health\".\n\n\"I was in training camp and I hadn't been selected for the European tournament, which was to help us qualify for the World Cup,\" she says. \"It was the first tournament I hadn't gone to in my four years of playing.\n\n\"They said to have a bit of time at home, to try and figure out what's wrong.\"\n\nThen - on 15 June 2022 - she suffered her first fitting seizure, while sitting at the dinner table with her mum.\n\nAfter being assessed in hospital she was discharged as it was her first seizure and \"could also be the last\".\n\nBut her behaviour would change significantly.\n\n\"I went from being a timid, unresponsive person, to really quite manic behaviour,\" she says. \"I was really aggressive towards my parents, siblings and even the dog.\"\n\nBurton does not remember that period of her life - including two tournaments she played in. She even told her parents she did not want them at the London Sevens - the first time they would have been able to watch her in England in the national shirt.\n\n\"As my behaviour got a lot worse, I couldn't function properly in daily life,\" she says.\n\nAfter more seizures, Burton was sectioned, and says doctors thought she had stress-induced psychosis.\n\n\"My mum and dad had to basically just let them take me and hope they could fix me,\" she says. \"I can't imagine how scary that was for them.\"\n\n'I rugby tackled a few of the security guards'\n\nBurton spent 26 days in Fieldhead - a psychiatric hospital in Wakefield - and her behaviour continued to deteriorate.\n\n\"I was being treated for psychosis, basically,\" she says. \"They didn't rule out an autoimmune illness, but they didn't test me for it either.\"\n\nBurton's behaviour and seizures did not improve until her father was approached by a member of the autoimmune diseases research staff who had reviewed her notes.\n\n\"He came up to my dad and said: 'I think your daughter has something physical, I don't think it's mental.\"\n\nAfter tests, Burton was diagnosed with autoimmune encephalitis, which occurs when the body's immune system mistakenly attacks the brain.\n\nRichard Robinson - chief medical officer at the Mid Yorkshire Hospitals NHS Trust - describes it as a \"very rare\" disease that presents a \"major challenge for clinicians worldwide to diagnose and investigate\".\n\nAfter Burton's diagnosis she was moved to a different hospital but was initially treated in the acute assessment ward as there were no beds available in the stroke and neurology unit.\n\n\"It was a battle for my dad every day because he was trying to stop me from being aggressive towards people, but he's no doctor so he didn't know how to treat me,\" she says.\n\n\"I was so poorly. I knocked a few people out of the way trying to escape the ward. I rugby tackled a few of the security guards apparently, trying to bust my way through the doors, which are magnetic and don't open normally.\"\n\nOnce a bed became free on the stroke and neurology unit, Burton's family made the difficult decision to have her put in a coma so she could receive plasma exchanges.\n\n\"They knew they couldn't treat me,\" she says. \"I was too agitated, it had gone too far.\"\n\nBurton spent more than three weeks in a coma - at the same time her team-mates were competing in the Commonwealth Games in Birmingham.\n\nBurton contracted pneumonia twice while she was in the coma and when she came out of it she was unable to walk and talk, and had lost more than three stone.\n\n\"I don't think I realised how poorly I was when I first woke up, and I had no desire to ask,\" she says.\n\n\"I had no muscle. I thought: 'This is awful. This isn't me. I don't look like me.' It was really tough.\"\n\nThe physical challenges were obvious, but Burton also had to contend with the fact she had missed out on a home Commonwealth Games.\n\n\"I grieve for that part because it was taken away from me,\" she says. \"For so many years, rugby was my identity and then I couldn't play.\"\n\nBut Burton was not going to give up. After completing an intensive programme set by Team GB's doctor, she returned to training with her team-mates last month.\n\n\"I'm very stubborn and I like to do things a certain way,\" she adds. \"When I was told I couldn't, I said: 'I am!'\"\n\nAfter a whirlwind 2022, Burton has set herself targets both on and off the rugby field.\n\nOn it, she wants to return to the World Sevens Series this year, then make amends for the disappointment of Tokyo, at the 2024 Paris Olympics.\n\n\"Next season, a medal at the Olympics is the goal and I want it to be a gold,\" she says.\n\nShe also wants to raise awareness of autoimmune encephalitis in the hope no-one else has to go through what she has.\n\n\"If I could never play rugby again then I would be gutted, but if I can raise awareness to help change the protocols in the NHS, then I'd be content with that,\" she says.\n\n\"I could never have been diagnosed, and I could have died if I hadn't. It's hard to imagine what the outcome could have been. It could have been a lot different.\"\n\u2022 None A raw documentary goes inside the high stakes world of parole hearings\n\u2022 None Go Hard or Go Home:","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/sport\/rugby-union\/64876477"}
{"title":"Linda Davis: E-scooter rider, 14, sentenced over woman's death - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-08","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"Linda Davis, 71, died after being hit by the teenager, who was riding a privately-owned scooter.","section":"Nottingham","content":"Linda Davis, known as Lou, died from head injuries six days after she was hit\n\nA 14-year-old has been sentenced for causing the death of a woman while on a privately-owned electric scooter.\n\nThe boy, who cannot be named, hit Linda Davis on a pavement in Rainworth, Nottinghamshire, on 2 June.\n\nThe 71-year-old grandmother died six days later in hospital.\n\nAt Nottingham Youth Court on Wednesday, he was handed a 12-month referral order. Police say Mrs Davis is thought to be the first pedestrian to die in an e-scooter collision in the UK.\n\nThe teenager had admitted causing death by driving a vehicle otherwise than in accordance with a licence, and causing death by driving a vehicle while uninsured at a hearing in February.\n\nThe boy was also disqualified from driving for five years.\n\nBoth of his parents have been given a six-month parenting order and ordered to pay the prosecution costs of \u00a385 and a victim surcharge of \u00a326.\n\nDistrict Judge Leo Pyle said: \"Pavements are for pedestrians and people in wheelchairs or infants in prams. They are supposed to be free of vehicles of any type.\n\n\"This mode of transport should not be there. This tragic incident was avoidable.\"\n\nMrs Davis, 71, was struck outside shops in Southwell Road East, Rainworth\n\nThe judge told the court the teenager's father had bought the e-scooter for him six days earlier and \"in that short time\", the defendant had already fractured his thumb while riding it on a separate occasion.\n\nThe court heard Mrs Davis was about to go into a charity shop in Southwell Road East when she was struck, hitting her head as she fell.\n\nHer husband of 52 years, Gary, came out of another shop to find her on the floor, with the defendant on the phone to emergency services.\n\nThe court heard the defendant said at the scene he was travelling at 20mph (32km\/h), but investigations had not been able to calculate the speed of the e-scooter at the time of the crash.\n\nKelly Shooter, prosecuting, said it was believed Mrs Davis could not have been seen by the boy before being hit as he travelled along the pavement past several cars parked along the kerb.\n\nShe said: \"According to a witness, Mrs Davis stepped out from behind a Ford Transit van into [the boy's] path.\n\n\"It is likely that Mrs Davis, as she walked behind it, would not have been able to be seen, so it seems very likely that Mrs Davis did step out from behind the van into [the boy's] path.\"\n\nIn a victim impact statement, Mr Davis described his wife as \"my spark and the centre of my world\".\n\nMrs Davis's daughter, Rebecca Williams, said her mother was \"a very youthful, lively and amazing nan\".\n\nShe said: \"To watch your children watch someone they love die is a pain I would not wish on anyone.\n\n\"My heart was broken and I never expected to lose my mum in such a devastating way.\n\n\"But I also understand that every time anyone gets on an e-scooter, whether it be a legal or illegal one, you are taking your actions in your own hands, so expect consequences if something happens.\"\n\nMost e-scooters cannot be used without insurance and tax but Nottingham is running a trial of hiring them out\n\nIt is illegal to use privately-owned e-scooters on pavements, footpaths, cycle tracks and cycle lanes on roads.\n\nTo be used on public roads they must conform to requirements, including being insured, taxed, and used with relevant safety equipment.\n\nHowever, the Department for Transport's website states \"it is likely that they [riders] will find it very difficult to comply with all of these requirements\", meaning their use on public roads would effectively be a criminal offence.\n\nThey can be used on private land, with the landowner's permission.\n\nAbout 1,300 e-scooters have been made available for hire in Nottingham where a government-approved trial is taking place.\n\nThese are legal on public roads in some areas of the city.\n\nFollow BBC East Midlands on Facebook, on Twitter, or on Instagram. Send your story ideas to eastmidsnews@bbc.co.uk.\n\nThe BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/uk-england-nottinghamshire-64892358"}
{"title":"Only drive if necessary, motorists told as heavy snow falls - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-08","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"The Met Office warns of \"treacherous conditions\", forecasting up to 40cm (16in) of snow overnight in parts of England and Wales.","section":"UK","content":"You've been capturing the snow around the UK today.\n\nHere's some of our favourite shots.\n\nWhile some have been experiencing travel woes, others have been making the most of the snowy weather Image caption: While some have been experiencing travel woes, others have been making the most of the snowy weather\n\nA Weather Watcher in North Wales sent in this striking image of the ice on plants at Keepers Pond, Blaenavon Image caption: A Weather Watcher in North Wales sent in this striking image of the ice on plants at Keepers Pond, Blaenavon\n\nAs you can tell, we're partial to your pictures of our canine friends - this one is in Derbyshire Image caption: As you can tell, we're partial to your pictures of our canine friends - this one is in Derbyshire\n\nWe're also partial to a sun set scene, especially when it features a dusting of snow - such as this view over Loch Broom, near Ullapool in the Highlands Image caption: We're also partial to a sun set scene, especially when it features a dusting of snow - such as this view over Loch Broom, near Ullapool in the Highlands","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/live\/uk-64883505"}
{"title":"Kyle Walker indecent exposure allegation investigated by police - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-08","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"Cheshire Police are \"aware of a video circulating on social media\" of the England star.","section":"Manchester","content":"The alleged incident happened a day after Manchester City beat Newcastle in the Premier League\n\nPolice have launched an investigation after a newspaper alleged England and Manchester City footballer Kyle Walker indecently exposed himself in a bar.\n\nFollowing a report in the Sun, Cheshire Police said it was \"aware of a video circulating on social media\" of an alleged incident in Wilmslow on Sunday.\n\nCheshire Police said \"enquiries are in the early stages and no arrests have been made at this time\".\n\nManchester City and Mr Walker's agent have both declined to comment.\n\nThe PA news agency said it understood Walker was contesting the allegations and that he reported for training as normal.\n\nThe Sun released security camera footage from the bar.\n\nMr Walker, 32, has played for Manchester City since July 2017, when he joined from Tottenham in a \u00a345m transfer.\n\nHe has appeared for England 70 times, including at two World Cup finals.\n\nWhy not follow BBC North West on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram? You can also send story ideas to northwest.newsonline@bbc.co.uk\n\nThe BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/uk-england-manchester-64890985"}
{"title":"Ukraine war: Top Ukraine athletes' defiant tribute to shot soldier - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-08","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"The sports stars use a popular battle cry to denounce the apparent shooting of an unarmed prisoner.","section":"Europe","content":"From left to right: Footballer Mykhailo Mudryk, tennis player Elina Svitolina and boxer Oleksandr Usyk\n\nUkraine's top athletes have paid defiant tributes to a Ukrainian prisoner of war (POW) shown apparently being killed by Russian troops in a video that has shocked the nation.\n\nThe unarmed prisoner is seen smoking in a trench. \"Glory to Ukraine!\" he says, before being shot.\n\nTennis star Elina Svitolina, Chelsea footballer Mykhailo Mudryk and others responded with \"Glory to the Heroes!\" in their video tribute.\n\nIt is a battle cry in Ukraine's army.\n\nThe saying became popular among ordinary Ukrainians after Russia annexed Ukraine's southern Crimea peninsula in 2014. It has seen a resurgence after Moscow's full-scale invasion launched last year.\n\nIn the tribute video posted online, Ukrainian athletes representing several sports appear one-by-one saying \"Glory to the Heroes!\"\n\nIt comes after a passionate call by President Volodymyr Zelensky.\n\n\"I want us all to respond to his words together, in unity: 'Glory to the Hero! Glory to the Heroes! Glory to Ukraine!'\" he said earlier this week.\n\nArsenal's Oleksandr Zinchenko and Taras Stepanenko, who plays for Ukrainian team Shakhtar Donetsk feature in the video. Legendary former player and now coach Serhiy Rebrov is also shown.\n\nSeparately, Ukraine's boxing heavyweight world champion, Oleksandr Usyk, recorded a video of himself reciting a poem dedicated to the shot soldier, whose identity remains unclear.\n\n\"Glory to Ukraine! - for these words you got a bullet,\" he reads. \"You're no more - but memory is eternal of you, fighter\".\n\nThe graphic video first emerged on social media on Monday.\n\nIn the footage, one of the shooters - believed to be a Russian soldier - is heard saying \"die\" and using an expletive after the POW is shot dead with automatic weapons.\n\nA screenshot from the video purportedly showing the Ukrainian prisoner of war before he was shot dead\n\nOn Tuesday, Ukraine's military named the soldier as Tymofiy Shadura, citing preliminary information.\n\nHowever, there is some doubt over his identity, with one well-known Ukrainian journalist naming him as somebody else.\n\nThe alleged killer or killers - who are not seen in the clip - have not been identified.\n\nThe BBC has not verified where and when the footage was made, or how the soldier was captured.\n\nUkraine's authorities have said the killing is \"another proof this war is genocidal\" and launched a criminal investigation, vowing to hunt down the perpetrators.\n\nRussia has not publicly commented on the video.\n\nKyiv and its Western allies have accused Russian troops of committing mass war crimes - including torture, rape and murder - since President Vladimir Putin ordered the invasion. Russia denies the allegations.\n\nLast July, a video emerged that showed another captured Ukrainian soldier being castrated in the Russian-occupied Donbas region in eastern Ukraine.\n\nThere have also been accusations against Ukrainian forces, with Moscow accusing soldiers of executing a group of Russian prisoners in November.\n\nA Ukrainian official said the surrender was \"staged\" by Russian troops in an attempt to attack their captors.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/world-europe-64887614"}
{"title":"Eurovision 2023: Hotel phishing scam targets song contest fans - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-08","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"Booking.com confirmed \"some accommodation partners were targeted\" but denied a security breach.","section":"Entertainment & Arts","content":"Eurovision fans who have booked rooms for May's song contest in Liverpool are having their data put at risk by scammers targeting hotel chains.\n\nBooking.com confirmed to BBC News that \"some accommodation partners had been targeted by phishing emails\" but denied it had suffered a data security breach.\n\nCustomers are advised to speak directly to their hotels if they have concerns.\n\nThe travel company said \"a number of accounts\" had been affected by cyber-attacks which were \"quickly locked\".\n\nIt claimed some businesses had \"accidentally compromised their own internal systems by clicking on links contained in these messages\".\n\nBBC News has been unable to verify how scammers got customers data. However, a number of fans of the song contest contacted the BBC's Eurovisioncast podcast, outlining their experiences of almost falling for scams relating to accommodation booked for Eurovision in May.\n\nBooking.com said it had \"actively been supporting our partners, as well as any potentially impacted customers\" and continued \"to make security and data protection a top priority\".\n\nMarc has been a Eurovision fan since 1993 and was hoping to go to the song contest for the first time this year\n\nMarc Deruelle booked an apartment through the travel site, for himself and three friends to stay in Liverpool \"for a pretty decent price\" during the competition.\n\nIn early February he was contacted on WhatsApp by someone claiming to be a receptionist asking initially if he needed parking, and then claiming there was an issue with his payment, with a similar issue appearing on his Booking.com account.\n\n\"I thought this must be OK,\" he tells BBC News. \"I got a text message from my bank and I had a phone call from them and they said someone was trying to scam me out of my money.\"\n\nAbout \u00a3800 was being transferred to Uganda, but the transaction was cancelled.\n\n\"I felt really stupid because I've never been close to being scammed,\" he says. \"It just took the enjoyment out of it and I don't want to go any more because they'll know all my details and know I'm away from home, so I cancelled it.\"\n\nMarc phoned his accommodation supplier, which told him it had heard similar stories, which the BBC has been able to confirm.\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. The rundown on the 2023 contest in 50 seconds\n\nUKHospitality, which represents more than 700 companies, says it is always best to deal directly with hotels, rather than third-party booking platforms, if customers have concerns.\n\n\"Hotels will very rarely contact you on WhatsApp,\" chief executive Kate Nicholls says. \"For the first time you've got lots of young people in particular who won't be usually booking and travelling to these events and [scammers] are exploiting those people who are vulnerable.\"\n\nPhishing scams like this are believed to stretch wider than Eurovision and the city of Liverpool.\n\nBooking.com confirmed that no legitimate transaction would ever require a customer to provide credit card details by phone, text message or email.\n\nAll the build-up, insights and analysis is explored each week on a new BBC podcast called Eurovisioncast.\n\nEurovisioncast is available on BBC Sounds, or search wherever you get your podcasts from.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/entertainment-arts-64822893"}
{"title":"Government's \u00a3600m package for school sport part of Lionesses 'legacy' - BBC Sport","published_date":"2023-03-08","authors":null,"description":"England captain Leah Williamson welcomes a government package worth more than \u00a3600m which aims to create equal school sport opportunities for girls.","section":null,"content":"Last updated on .From the section England\n\nEngland created history by winning their first major women's tournament at Wembley last July England captain Leah Williamson has welcomed a substantial government package which will seek to create equal school sport opportunities for girls. Schools in England will be required to offer equal access to sports, including football, and deliver a minimum of two hours of physical education per week. More than \u00a3600m of funding is to be delivered over two academic years. It comes after the 23 members of England's Euro 2022-winning squad wrote an open letter to the government. Williamson said the Lionesses wanted \"to open the doors\" for young girls as part of their legacy following last summer's success, beginning with changes in school sport. \"The success of the summer has inspired so many young girls to pursue their passion for football,\" said Williamson, who identified team-mate Lotte Wubben-Moy as a key driving force. \"We see it as our responsibility to open the doors for them to do so and this announcement makes that possible. This is the legacy that we want to live much longer than us as a team.\" Wubben-Moy said: \"By making football more accessible to millions of girls across the nation, we have opened a crucial door for the growth of women's football and women's sport as a whole. I am proud to be part of something that will live on for generations to come.\" According to Football Association figures, only 67% of all schools and 41% of secondary schools offer football equally to girls in PE lessons, and only 46% of schools provide the same extracurricular opportunities as boys. The funding package will encompass both school sport and after-school activities, while an additional \u00a357m will be made available to open sport facilities outside of school hours and the School Games Organisers network will receive \u00a322m. Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said: \"Last year the Lionesses' victory changed the game. Young girls know when they take to the pitch that football is for them and, thanks to the Lionesses, they too could be a part of the next generation to bring it home for their country. \"We want schools to build on this legacy.\" The announcement coincides with International Women's Day, when more than 200,000 girls will participate in the FA's Let Girls Play events in schools across the country. Schools which successfully deliver equal opportunities for girls and boys will be rewarded through the School Games Mark. FA director of women's football Baroness Sue Campbell said \"a conversation on the bus from the Trafalgar Square celebrations\" was the catalyst for the Lionesses' desire to create a Euros legacy and she told BBC Radio 4's Today programme \"it is just the beginning of the journey\". A former PE teacher, Campbell said: \"It's a massive step forward. This is a landmark moment because our players drove it and we're really proud of them, but this is a real statement of intent that physical education and sport really matters.\" England women's manager Sarina Wiegman said the move \"is going to change society\" and that she was \"so proud\" of her players. \"It says so much about them as human beings,\" said the Dutchwoman. \"They're fantastic football players but they are so much more than that. Their social conscience and trying to have a positive impact on society has brought us where we are today.\" Former England player Jill Scott told BBC Radio 5 Live: \"It makes us so happy to know that young girls won't have barriers that perhaps we did face when we were younger. \"To think that a young girl now will have equal access. An awful lot of the Lionesses have fallen in love with football at school.\" FA chief executive Mark Bullingham said: \"The magic of last summer's Euros victory can now live on with a legacy that has the ability to change the future of women's football and positively impact society.\"\n\u2022 None A raw documentary goes inside the high stakes world of parole hearings","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/sport\/football\/64879490"}
{"title":"Bumblebees learn to solve puzzles by watching peers, study finds - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-08","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"Scientists who trained bees to open a puzzle find that they pass the knowledge on to their colonies.","section":"UK","content":"Bumblebees learn to solve puzzles by watching their more experienced peers, scientists in Britain have found.\n\nExperts from Queen Mary University of London trained a set of bees to open a puzzle box containing a sugar reward.\n\nThese bees then passed on the knowledge to others in their colonies, the study found.\n\nThe researchers discovered that \"social learning\" may have had a greater influence on the behaviour of bumblebees than previously imagined.\n\nTo carry out the study, the scientists created a puzzle box that could be opened by rotating a lid to access a sugar solution.\n\nThe lid could be rotated clockwise by pushing a red tab, while pushing a blue tab could rotate it anti-clockwise.\n\nThe scientists trained \"demonstrator\" bees to use one of these methods to open the lid while the \"observer\" bees watched.\n\nWhen the observer bees tackled the puzzle, researchers found they chose the same method they had seen 98% of the time, even after discovering the alternative approach.\n\nThe study also found that bees with a demonstrator opened more puzzle boxes than control bees.\n\nThis suggests the bees learned the behaviour socially rather than discovering the solution themselves, the researchers said.\n\nDr Alice Bridges, who led the study, said bumblebees were not known to show \"culture-like phenomena\" in the wild.\n\n\"However, in our experiments, we saw the spread and maintenance of a behavioural 'trend' in groups of bumblebees - similar to what has been seen in primates and birds,\" she said.\n\nShe said the behaviour of social insects like these bumblebees were \"some of the most intricate on the planet\".\n\nIn other experiments where both \"blue\" and \"red\" demonstrator bees were released into the same groups of bees, the observer bees initially learned to use both methods, but eventually they developed a preference for one solution, which then dominated in that colony.\n\nThis shows how a behavioural trend might emerge within the bee population, according to the study.\n\nIn this case, researchers said that any changes in foraging behaviour might be due to experienced bees retiring from foraging and new learners arising, rather than the bees changing their preferences.\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/uk-64884107"}
{"title":"Whorlton Hall: BBC film exposed staff cruelty, court told - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-08","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"Staff at a hospital for vulnerable patients were filmed mocking and abusing patients, a court hears.","section":"Tees","content":"Whorlton Hall, which has since closed, was privately run but funded by the NHS\n\nA BBC documentary exposed the \"cruel and abusive\" attitudes of staff at a hospital for vulnerable patients, a court has heard.\n\nNine workers were charged with a total of 27 offences after an undercover reporter filmed at Whorlton Hall, near Barnard Castle, County Durham, in 2019.\n\nPatients with learning disabilities were verbally abused and mocked by staff, Teesside Crown Court was told.\n\nThe defendants, six men and three women, deny mistreating patients.\n\nThe specialist hospital for people with complex needs, which has since closed, was privately run but funded by the NHS.\n\nThe BBC sent reporter Olivia Davies to work at the unit for a Panorama documentary.\n\nSome patients who were ill-treated had been detained at the 17-bed facility under the Mental Health Act, the court heard.\n\nAnne Richardson, prosecuting, said: \"There was something of a culture of inappropriate behaviour within Whorlton Hall.\"\n\nOne defendant said on camera he had invented an imaginary device to summon male staff for a female patient who said she did not want men to look after her.\n\nThe court heard Peter Bennett, 53, used the threat of the \"man button\" to make the patient comply.\n\nHe is also alleged to have said he would issue staff with balloons, as he knew the patient did not like them.\n\nAnother defendant, Niall Mellor, 26, was heard to call the same patient \"a retard\" and said residents did not need good treatment, jurors were told.\n\nMiss Richardson said Ryan Fuller, 26, called a different resident a \"bitch\" and when he learned of more patients coming to the unit spoke of \"how much fun he would have with them\".\n\nJohn Sanderson, 25, claimed to have repeatedly unplugged a patient's phone while the man was speaking to his sister, resulting in the patient becoming agitated, the court heard.\n\nSabah Mahmood, 27, was said to have told a resident that her family were \"poison\", despite knowing the patient blamed herself for the death of a relative.\n\nStaff nurse Karen McGhee, 54, allegedly did not protect a patient from ill-treatment during a period of restraint by other staff.\n\nMiss Richardson said: \"The Crown does not suggest that the defendants were ill treating all of the residents all of the time - caring for those within Whorlton Hall was not an easy job.\n\n\"Nonetheless, you will hear from witnesses, in conjunction with the BBC footage, that at times the defendants' attitude and care to certain residents was cruel and abusive.\"\n\nShe said the counts of ill treatment or wilful neglect of a person in care related to victims who were unable to protect themselves.\n\nMiss Richardson said the defendants claimed they had received minimal training, that the hall was understaffed and that those they cared for were extremely challenging.\n\nThe accused face the following number of charges of ill-treatment of a person in care:\n\nThe trial will continue on Thursday when footage from the documentary will be shown in court.\n\nFollow BBC North East & Cumbria on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram. Send your story ideas to northeastandcumbria@bbc.co.uk.\n\nThe BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/uk-england-tees-64891545"}
{"title":"Rishi Sunak backs Simon Case over Hancock WhatsApp row - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-08","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"The PM says civil service chief is doing a \"great job\" amid claims he has become too political.","section":"UK Politics","content":"Simon Case was appointed cabinet secretary by Boris Johnson in 2020\n\nRishi Sunak has backed the UK's top civil servant Simon Case over comments he made about the government's Covid policies in WhatsApp messages.\n\nIn exchanges with Matt Hancock, published by The Telegraph, Mr Case calls then PM Boris Johnson a \"distrusted\" figure.\n\nHe also mocks people forced to stay in quarantine hotels and appears to criticise other ministers.\n\nMr Sunak rejected calls to sack Mr Case over the comments.\n\nHe said the cabinet secretary had \"done a great job\" and \"works hard to support the government's agenda\".\n\nAsked if Mr Case would still be in his job at the time of the next general election, Mr Sunak said he looked forward to working with him for a \"long time to come\".\n\nSeparately, a cabinet office insider told the BBC Mr Case was uncomfortable with being in the spotlight, especially as he is unable to respond to the criticism in public because of civil service rules.\n\nAnother source said Mr Case's departure from his job was \"extremely unlikely\".\n\nAs a senior civil servant, Mr Case is required to give impartial policy advice to government ministers.\n\nBut he has faced criticism over the tone of the exchanges with Mr Hancock.\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser.\n\nConservative MP Marcus Fysh told BBC News the messages \"just make it untenable for him [Mr Case] to be credible as a leader of the civil service\".\n\nThe Yeovil MP, a former member of the Commons Public Administration Committee, said Mr Case should be replaced by someone who can offer a \"balanced\" view.\n\n\"He needs to fall on his sword and the government needs to encourage that,\" said the MP, who was highly critical of Covid lockdown extensions during the pandemic.\n\nOne WhatsApp exchange with Mr Hancock, from June 2020, appears to suggest opposition to tougher Covid rules was \"pure Conservative ideology\".\n\nIn a separate exchange, Mr Case reportedly said then-Chancellor Rishi Sunak had been \"going bonkers\" over a row about contact tracing.\n\nIn another exchange with Mr Hancock, from October 2020, Mr Case said the government was \"losing the war\" on getting people to isolate after testing because messages were coming from Mr Johnson who was \"nationally distrusted\".\n\nHe added that keeping Mr Johnson focussed on \"numbers\" of new Covid cases would \"keep him honest\".\n\nThe messages also included exchanges between Mr Hancock and Mr Case, from February 2021, in which the cabinet secretary said it was \"hilarious\" that international travellers had to isolate on their return to the UK.\n\n\"I just want to see some of the faces of people coming out of first class and into a Premier Inn shoe box,\" he told Mr Hancock.\n\nA collection of more than 100,000 messages sent between former Health Secretary Matt Hancock and other ministers and officials at the height of the Covid-19 pandemic have been obtained by the Telegraph. Here are some of our stories on the leaks:\n\nA former senior civil servant, speaking on condition of anonymity, said the exchanges published by the Telegraph did not necessarily tell the whole story.\n\nBut discussing government business on WhatsApp in this way suggested \"a lack of professionalism\", not least because the messages can be made public.\n\n\"It does seem to display a laxity in the decision-making process. with decisions being made for, frankly, emotional, personal, or 'small p' political reasons\", he said of Mr Case's exchanges with Mr Hancock.\n\nSome of this may be down to Mr Case's \"inexperience\" as a senior civil servant, he suggested, and his apparent desire to act as \"courtier\" to ministers, rather than an impartial adviser.\n\n\"As a cabinet secretary, you don't need to curry favour, to be seen to be 'on side' with ministers, in this case Matt Hancock,\" said the former civil servant.\n\nIt was, he suggested, \"illustrative, perhaps, of a lack of grip on the job\" and he would not be surprised if Mr Case was considering quitting.\n\n\"There is wisdom in choosing the time of your own departure and maybe that is something he will be thinking about.\"\n\nThe messages are part of trove of more than 100,000 WhatsApp messages leaked to the Telegraph by journalist Isabel Oakeshott.\n\nThe BBC has not been able to independently verify the messages, which were supplied to Ms Oakeshott in confidence by then-Health Secretary Matt Hancock.\n\nMr Hancock has said they offer an \"entirely partial account\" of the government's handling of the pandemic.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/uk-politics-64875607"}
{"title":"Georgia protests: Thousands on street for second day over 'foreign agent' bill - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-08","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"Thousands are protesting a controversial draft law which critics say limits press freedom and civil liberties.","section":"Europe","content":"This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Watch: Police car flipped over as Georgians stay defiant on streets\n\nThousands of protesters have taken to the streets of Georgia's capital for the second day after parliament backed a draft law which critics say limits press freedom and civil liberties.\n\nOn Tuesday, demonstrators clashed with police who used water cannon and pepper spray to disperse them.\n\nThe government said 50 police officers were hurt and equipment was damaged.\n\nSome 66 people were arrested, including an opposition leader who was reportedly beaten.\n\nSome protesters in Tbilisi were seen falling on the ground and coughing, while others waved EU and Georgian flags.\n\nThere has been widespread international condemnation of the bill. It would require non-governmental and media organisations that receive more than 20% of their funding from abroad to declare themselves as \"foreign agents\", or face hefty fines and possible imprisonment.\n\nThe opposition says the Russian-style law marks a shift towards authoritarianism and would damage Georgia's chances of joining the EU.\n\nOn Tuesday, police warned protesters to disperse with a repeated message blaring through loudspeakers. Eventually, officers in riot gear cleared the Rustaveli Avenue, the main thoroughfare outside parliament.\n\nUS state department spokesman Ned Price said the draft legislation would be a tremendous setback and \"would strike at some of the very rights that are central to the aspirations of the people of Georgia\".\n\nThe EU is currently considering Georgia's application for candidate status and EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell warned that the bill was \"incompatible with EU values and standards\". Many of those protesting waved EU flags.\n\nRussia passed its own version of a \"foreign agents\" law in 2012, expanding it over the years to target and suppress Western-funded NGOs and media.\n\n\"The law is Russian as we all know... We don't want to be a part of the ex-Soviet Union, we want to be a part of the European Union, we want to be pro-West,\" one protester told Reuters news agency.\n\nSpeaking via video during a visit to New York on Tuesday, Georgian President Salome Zourabichvili voiced her support for the protesters: \"I am by your side. Today you represent free Georgia. Georgia, which sees its future in Europe, will not allow anyone to take away this future.\"\n\nBut inside the parliament building, 76 lawmakers from the governing Georgian Dream party gave their initial support to the new \"transparency of foreign influence\" draft law.\n\nOn Monday, scuffles broke out at a committee hearing into the proposed legislation, with one pro-government MP slapping the leader of the largest opposition party.\n\nPassing the law would see Georgia join a list of undemocratic and authoritarian post-Soviet states such as Belarus, Tajikistan and Azerbaijan which have copied the Russian law on restricting the activities of NGOs.\n\nHistorically, the term \"agent\" in Russia and Georgia has the meaning of \"spy\" and \"traitor\", giving a negative connotation to the work done by civil society. It suggests they are acting in the interest of foreign forces rather than doing good for the country and society.\n\nThe US embassy issued a statement describing Tuesday's vote as a \"dark day for Georgia's democracy\".\n\nIt added that parliament's advancing \"of these Kremlin-inspired laws was incompatible with the people of Georgia's clear desire for European integration and its democratic development\".\n\nThe two bills, on the \"transparency of foreign agents\" and the \"registration of foreign agents\", were submitted to parliament by the openly anti-Western People's Power movement, a close ally of the governing Georgian Dream party.\n\nThe group has argued that the second bill was an exact analogue of the US Foreign Agents Registration Act (FARA).\n\nGeorgian Dream supported the drafts, saying that such laws were needed to improve transparency.\n\nAt a briefing on Tuesday evening, the chairman of the governing party, Irakli Kobakhidze, hit back at the US embassy's statement, saying it was \"a dark day for the radical opposition and its supporters\".\n\nWhat most protesters and the country's opposition fear is that the adoption of the law would mark an end to Georgia's long-standing ambition to join the EU. More than 80% of Georgia's population supports Georgia's European perspective, which is also enshrined in the country's constitution.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/world-europe-64882475"}
{"title":"Elon Musk apologises to sacked Twitter worker over online row - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-08","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"The firm's boss says sorry to fired employee Halli Thorleifsson and appears to offer him his job back.","section":"Technology","content":"Twitter chief executive Elon Musk has apologised over an exchange he had on the platform with an employee.\n\nIt came after worker Halli Thorleifsson tweeted to Mr Musk saying: \"Your head of HR is not able to confirm if I am employed or not\".\n\nMr Musk responded by asking: \"What work have you been doing?\"\n\nAfter a series of follow up questions and answers Mr Thorleifsson said he received an email confirming that he had been fired.\n\nMr Musk followed that Twitter conversation with a tweet on Tuesday describing Mr Thorleifsson as \"the worst\" before deleting it.\n\nBut in an apparent change of heart, Mr Musk took to the platform a few hours later to apologise - and appeared to offer Mr Thorleifsson his job back.\n\n\"I would like to apologise to Halli for my misunderstanding of his situation. It was based on things I was told that were untrue or, in some cases, true, but not meaningful.\"\n\n\"He is considering remaining at Twitter,\" he added.\n\nOn Monday, Mr Thorleifsson told the BBC exclusively that he could not get an answer from Twitter's human resources department on whether or not he had been sacked.\n\n\"My theory is they made a mistake and are now looking for anything they can find to make this a \"for cause\" firing to avoid having to fulfil their contractual obligations,\" he said.\n\nMr Thorleifsson, who sold his creative agency Ueno to Twitter in 2021, did not want to say how much he was paid for the company. However, there is speculation that Twitter would have to pay him a considerable amount upon his departure from the firm.\n\nMr Thorleifsson has muscular dystrophy and has campaigned in Iceland for better wheelchair access.\n\nAccording to local reports, when he sold his company to Twitter he structured the deal deliberately to pay a high rate of tax to the Icelandic government.\n\nLast year, he was voted person of the year in Iceland by four media outlets.\n\nThis Twitter post cannot be displayed in your browser. Please enable Javascript or try a different browser. View original tweet on Twitter The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Skip twitter post by Halli 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\u2019s cookie policy, external and privacy policy, external before accepting. To view this content choose \u2018accept and continue\u2019. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.\n\nSome of Mr Thorleifsson's former colleagues could not understand why he had been singled out for such public criticism.\n\nPhotographer Daniel Houghton tweeted \"As someone who has worked directly with Halli Thorleifsson during a turnaround, this is super disappointing to see. Not only is his work ethic next level, his talent and humility are world class.\"\n\nMr Musk replied: \"Based on your comment, I just did a video call with Halli to figure out what's real vs what I was told. It's a long story. Better to talk to people than communicate via tweet.\"\n\nAfter apologising, Mr Musk said that Mr Thorleifsson was considering coming back to Twitter. The BBC has not spoken to Mr Thorleifsson since Mr Musk's apology.\n\nMr Thorleifsson had previously told the BBC the situation was \"strange\" and \"extremely stressful\".\n\nThe BBC has asked Twitter for further comment but the company did not immediately respond.\n\nJames Clayton is the BBC's North America technology reporter based in San Francisco. Follow him on Twitter @jamesclayton5.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/technology-64884287"}
{"title":"Boris Johnson gives evidence in Dominic Raab bullying probe - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-08","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"Dominic Raab served as deputy prime minister and foreign secretary under Boris Johnson.","section":"UK Politics","content":"Former prime minister Boris Johnson has given evidence to the inquiry into allegations of bullying against Dominic Raab, the BBC has been told.\n\nSenior lawyer Adam Tolley KC is investigating eight formal complaints about the deputy PM's behaviour.\n\nA spokesman for Mr Johnson said: \"It would be inappropriate to comment on an ongoing inquiry.\" It is not clear what evidence Mr Johnson gave.\n\nMr Raab, who is also the justice secretary, denies claims of bullying.\n\nHe is facing multiple complaints from civil servants, who have worked with him in a range of government departments.\n\nThe MP for Esher and Walton held several cabinet positions throughout Mr Johnson's three-year premiership - including foreign secretary and justice secretary.\n\nMr Raab was sacked when Liz Truss became prime minister in September but was returned to the cabinet by his close ally Rishi Sunak when he then became PM.\n\nMr Tolley was asked to launch an investigation in November and his interviews have been taking place in recent weeks.\n\nThe eight complaints involve at least 24 people.\n\nThey include six from his time at the Ministry of Justice, one from his period at the Foreign Office, and one from his time at the former Department for Exiting the European Union.\n\nSome of the witnesses have given positive and some have submitted negative evidence about Mr Raab, the BBC understands.\n\nSome individuals have proactively offered to give evidence to the inquiry, and others have been contacted by Mr Tolley's team.\n\nThe investigation is now in its final stages.\n\nLabour, the Liberal Democrats and the FDA union, which represents civil servant, had called on Mr Sunak to suspend Mr Raab while he is under investigation.\n\nBut Mr Sunak said he would wait for the outcome of Mr Tolley's inquiry before taking any action.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/uk-politics-64896582"}
{"title":"Oceans littered with 171 trillion plastic pieces - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-08","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"New estimates suggest that plastic pollution in the oceans has risen dramatically since 2005.","section":"Science & Environment","content":"More than 171 trillion pieces of plastic are now estimated to be floating in the world's oceans, according to scientists.\n\nPlastic kills fish and sea animals and takes hundreds of years to break down into less harmful materials.\n\nThe concentration of plastics in the oceans has increased from 16 trillion pieces in 2005, data suggests.\n\nIt could nearly triple by 2040 if no action is taken, scientists warn.\n\nLast week, nations signed the historic UN High Seas treaty aiming to protect 30% of the oceans.\n\nTo produce this new estimate, a group of scientists analysed records starting in 1979 and added recent data collected on expeditions that trawl the seas with nets to collect plastics.\n\nThe plastic counted in nets is then added to a mathematical model to produce a global estimate.\n\nThe 171 trillion pieces are made up of both recently discarded plastics and older pieces that have broken down, lead author Dr Marcus Eriksen from the 5 Gyres Institute told BBC News.\n\nSingle-use plastics like bottles, packaging, fishing equipment or other items break down over time into smaller pieces due to sunlight or mechanical degradation.\n\nWildlife like whales, seabirds, turtles and fish mistake plastic for their prey and can die of starvation as plastic fills their stomachs.\n\nThey also make their way into our drinking water, and microplastics have been found in human lungs, veins and the placenta.\n\nScientists say we do not yet know enough about whether microplastics negatively affect human health.\n\nThe concentration of plastics in the oceans has significantly increased from around 16 trillion pieces in 2005 to 171 trillion in 2019.\n\nBefore 2005 the concentrations fluctuated. Dr Eriksen says scientists are not sure why this is, but it could be explained by stronger legislation being replaced by voluntary agreements, the breakdown of plastics, or the fact that less data was collected.\n\nProf Richard Thompson at Plymouth university, who was not involved in the study, said the estimate adds to what scientists know about marine pollution.\n\n\"We are all agreed there is too much plastic in the ocean. We urgently need to move to solutions-focused research,\" he told BBC News.\n\nThe highest concentration of ocean plastic is currently in the Mediterranean Sea, with some large floating masses found elsewhere including the Great Pacific Garbage Patch.\n\nThe authors also suggest that the changing levels of pollution before 2000 may be due to the effectiveness of treaties or policies that govern pollution.\n\nIn the 1980s several legally-binding international agreements mandated countries to stop discarding fishing and naval plastics in the oceans, as well as to clean up certain amounts.\n\nThese were later followed by voluntary agreements which the authors say may have been less effective, and could explain the rise in plastics from around 2000 onwards.\n\nThe authors argue that solutions must focus on reducing the amount of plastic produced and used, rather than cleaning up oceans and recycling plastics because this is less likely to stop the flow of pollution.\n\nThe research was published in the scientific journal PLOS ONE.\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Watch: How old fishing nets are being recycled - and helping save the oceans","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/science-environment-64889284"}
{"title":"Five women sue Texas over abortion access - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-08","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"The plaintiffs say they were denied pregnancy terminations despite facing grave risks to themselves.","section":"US & Canada","content":"This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser.\n\nFive women who say they were denied abortions in Texas despite facing life-threatening health risks have sued the state over its abortion ban.\n\nTexas bars abortions except for medical emergencies, with doctors facing punishment of up to 99 years in jail.\n\nAccording to the lawsuit, doctors are refusing the procedure even in extreme cases out of fear of prosecution.\n\nIn a statement, the office of Attorney General Ken Paxton said he would \"enforce the laws\" of the state.\n\nMr Paxton \"is committed to doing everything in his power to protect mothers, families, and unborn children\", the statement said.\n\nThe Center for Reproductive Justice has filed the legal action on behalf of the five women - Ashley Brandt, Lauren Hall, Lauren Miller, Anna Zargarian and Amanda Zurawski - and two healthcare providers that are also plaintiffs.\n\nThe pro-choice group said it is the first time pregnant women themselves have taken action against anti-abortion laws passed across the US since the Supreme Court last year removed constitutional protection for abortion rights.\n\n\"It is now dangerous to be pregnant in Texas,\" said Nancy Northup, the centre's president on Tuesday.\n\nAbortion rights protesters in Texas, where the procedure is banned except for medical emergencies.\n\nWith Ms Northup outside the Texas Capitol in Austin on Tuesday, the plaintiffs - two pregnant - shared harrowing stories of their previous, lost pregnancies.\n\nAccording to the legal action, all were told that their foetuses would not survive, but were not given the option of an abortion, which they described as \"standard medical procedure\" throughout the country and in the state before Texas' ban came into effect.\n\nMs Zurawski, 35, said she had become pregnant after 18 months of fertility treatments. She had just entered her second trimester when she was told she had dilated prematurely and that the loss of her foetus, whom she and her husband had named Willow, was \"inevitable\".\n\n\"But even though we would, with complete certainty, lose Willow, my doctor could not intervene while her heart was still beating or until I was sick enough for the ethics board at the hospital to consider my life at risk,\" Ms Zurawski said.\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Texas abortion law: 'I waited for my daughter to die so I wouldn't die'\n\nFor three days, trapped in a \"bizarre and avoidable hell\", Ms Zurawski was forced to wait until her body entered sepsis - also known as blood poisoning - and doctors were allowed to perform an abortion, according to the lawsuit.\n\nMs Zurawski spent three days in intensive care, leaving the hospital after a week, the legal action says. The ordeal has made it harder for her to conceive in future, she said.\n\nThe four other women had to travel outside Texas for an abortion.\n\nOne of the plaintiffs, Ms Miller, said: \"Healthcare should not be determined by some politician with no understanding of medicine or the critical role that abortion care plays in pregnancy. How is it that I can get an abortion for a dog but not for me?\"\n\nTwo of the women's foetuses had conditions that meant they did not develop a skull, according to the lawsuit.\n\nThese cases \"are just tip of the iceberg\", the Center for Reproductive Justice's Ms Northup said.\n\nTheir 91-page complaint asks for a ruling that clarifies Texas' law and its stance on \"medical emergencies\" for pregnant women facing grave health risks.\n\n\"With the threat of losing their medical licences, fines of hundreds of thousands of dollars, and up to 99 years in prison lingering over their heads, it is no wonder that doctors and hospitals are turning patients away - even patients in medical emergencies,\" the lawsuit reads.\n\nAccording to a survey by the Pew Research Center conducted last year, 61% of Americans say abortion should be legal in all or most circumstances, though the opinion poll found public support for the procedure fell as a pregnancy progressed.\n\nTexas' legislature, which is under Republican control, has been at the forefront of anti-abortion legislation, becoming the first state to enact a near-total ban.\n\nAnd the state will be home to another abortion battle soon: a Texas judge is expected to rule on a case about abortion pills this week.\n\nThe Trump-appointed US District Court Judge Matthew Kacsmaryk will decide whether Mifepristone - one of the two drugs used in an abortion pill regime - can continue to be sold in the US.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/world-us-canada-64882712"}
{"title":"Mother died after treatment delays at Gloucestershire Royal Hospital - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-08","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"An inquest hears Rana Abdelkarim, a mother-of-two, died after a major bleed soon after giving birth.","section":"Gloucestershire","content":"A woman bled to death after it took the medical team looking after her 38 minutes to call for specialist help, an inquest has heard.\n\nRana Abdelkarim died at Gloucestershire Royal Hospital in March 2021 following a bleed after giving birth.\n\nThe inquest found there were \"delays\" in how her bleed was managed.\n\nGloucestershire Royal Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust apologised and said changes had been made to prevent further tragedies.\n\nThe inquest at Gloucestershire Coroners Court heard how Ms Abdelkarim, 38, was admitted to hospital two years ago to be induced at 39 weeks pregnant.\n\nHer husband Modar Mohammednour, 44, did not go to hospital with her as he was at home looking after their other daughter.\n\nHe explained previously that the family did not understand Ms Abdelkarim was being induced but merely thought it was a check-up.\n\nWitness statements submitted to the court said there were language barriers with Ms Abdelkarim, who left Sudan with her husband and made her home in Gloucestershire.\n\nModar Mohammednour said his eldest daughter Reem asked about her mum all the time\n\nStaff said her English was \"poor\" but some felt they could \"communicate effectively using simple words and hand gesticulations\".\n\nA Healthcare Safety Investigation Branch (HSIB) report into the death said: \"There was no effective communication with Rana and the events that occurred traumatised staff.\"\n\nSoon after giving birth to her daughter, Ms Abdelkarim started to experience a major bleed.\n\nSenior coroner Kay Skerrett noted in her conclusion that, after the bleeding started, care \"was not at this time escalated to the obstetric team\" despite there being \"immediate, heavy vaginal bleeding\".\n\n\"The emergency call bell system was not used to call for help from the obstetric emergency team,\" the coroner said.\n\nThe coroner also noted there were \"differences of understanding amongst staff of the code red process\".\n\nIt was some 38 minutes later that the code red emergency call for a major bleed was made at 05:06 GMT.\n\nSoon after, consultants started battling to save Ms Abdelkarim's life by inserting a uterine tamponade balloon - a balloon inflated inside the uterus to stop bleeding - and they performed a hysterectomy.\n\nThe court heard how the HSIB report found staff underestimated how much relative blood volume she was losing because she was small and thin, which contributed to the delay in calling for emergency help.\n\nDespite extensive resuscitation efforts, her condition continued to worsen and she was pronounced dead two hours later.\n\nProfessor Mark Pietroni, medical director and deputy chief executive at Gloucestershire Royal Hospital NHS Foundation Trust said in a statement addressing the inquest: \"We want to take this opportunity to apologise once again for the immeasurable distress that this loss has caused.\"\n\nHe added the death was \"thoroughly investigated\" through the HSIB report and the trust did a further investigation.\n\n\"The findings of these investigations have been shared with Rana's family and HM Coroner and we have implemented all 10 recommendations made in the HSIB report,\" he said.\n\nModar Mohammednour and the family's solicitor, Hannah Carr, outside court\n\nDr Christine Edwards, consultant obstetrician and gynaecologist, gave evidence about what steps the hospital had taken.\n\nThey included the trust updating their interpreter policy and installing a hands-free phone in each antenatal unit, so patients, doctors and a interpreter can be on the same call.\n\nA video has also been made explaining what a code red is and what happens when it is called, which is being shown to staff on mandatory training days.\n\nDr Edwards also said that, during training days, staff are reminded to evaluate the relative blood loss to a patient's weight, and a specialist drugs trolley for major bleeds after childbirth is on the delivery ward.\n\nRana Abdelkarim had moved from Sudan to Gloucestershire\n\nDr Edwards said a survey with staff was done in April 2022 on how comfortable they felt calling a code red, and one commented there was a \"fear\" and \"shame\" in pulling the bell, in case it was not needed.\n\nThe consultant said the \"culture of leadership on the delivery suite has been looked at quite intensely\" since then, and changes had been put in place.\n\nMs Skerrett said: \"I've been taken through all the steps taken by the Trust since this tragic death and, with Dr Edwards' evidence in court, I'm incredibly reassured by a lot of the steps taken.\"\n\nShe added that a report to prevent future deaths will be looked at once the hospital has completed a new survey, to see if the changes are working.\n\nThe family's solicitor Hannah Carr, from Novum Law, gave a statement after the inquest.\n\nShe said: \"I cannot begin to imagine how terrified Rana would have felt, without access to interpretation services and without access to her husband by her side.\n\n\"For Modar, while the trust has taken steps to learn from Rana's tragic death, this does not change things for him and his family.\n\n\"That said there is a sense of justice for him, as he has always said he wanted to prevent this from happening to other families.\"\n\nFollow BBC West on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. Send your story ideas to: bristol@bbc.co.uk\n\nThe BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/uk-england-gloucestershire-64874345"}
{"title":"Fox News host Tucker Carlson not credible, says White House - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-08","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"It comes after Tucker Carlson made a series of claims about unseen footage from the Capitol riots.","section":"US & Canada","content":"The White House has called Fox News presenter Tucker Carlson \"not credible\" after he made a number of claims based on previously unseen footage from the 2021 Capitol riots.\n\nThe criticism echoes similar statements this week from leading Democrat and Republican lawmakers.\n\nMr Carlson showed unseen clips from the riots on his show this week.\n\nHe argued the footage \"does not show an insurrection or a riot in progress\" but rather \"mostly peaceful chaos\".\n\nA top congressional Republican recently gave Mr Carlson and his team exclusive access to more than 40,000 hours of surveillance video from the Capitol.\n\nThe White House rarely criticises journalists by name but weighed in with a statement on Wednesday about the prime-time TV host's broadcast related to the footage.\n\nSpokesperson Andrew Bates said the White House agreed with critics, including the \"chief of the Capitol Police and the wide range of bipartisan lawmakers\" that \"condemned this false depiction of the unprecedented, violent attack\".\n\n\"We also agree with what Fox News's own attorneys and executives have now repeatedly stressed in multiple courts of law: that Tucker Carlson is not credible.\"\n\nOn his Wednesday broadcast, Mr Carlson showed no new footage but repeated his previous claims and criticised government officials who stated that five police officers died as a result of the riot.\n\nOne Capitol Police officer died of a stroke the day after the riot, while four others subsequently took their own lives.\n\nMr Carlson, the top-rated host on conservative Fox News, has long insisted that other media outlets exaggerated violence at the Capitol on 6 January 2021, when Trump supporters stormed the complex as lawmakers met to certify Joe Biden's victory in the presidential election.\n\nHe has also suggested, without evidence, that government agents could have instigated the riot.\n\nIn the roughly 45-minute segment, Mr Carlson said the video showed that while a minority of protesters did commit violence, most were \"sightseers\".\n\nHis show on Tuesday night included an interview with Tarik Johnson, a former Capitol Police officer who said he donned a pro-Trump red hat during the riot in order to help fellow officers escape the melee.\n\nMr Carlson questioned why intelligence about possible violence that day wasn't relayed to rank-and-file officers, but he did not broadcast much new video from the riot.\n\nCriticism of Fox News reporting came from Democrats as well as top Republicans in Washington, the head of the Capitol police, and the family of a police officer whose death was mentioned by Mr Carlson in the show.\n\nSenate Republican leader Mitch McConnell said on Tuesday it had been a \"mistake for Fox News to depict this in a way that's completely at variance with what our chief law enforcement official here at the Capitol thinks\" about the riot.\n\nMr McConnell pointed to an internal memo by Capitol Police Chief Tom Manger, whose agency is responsible for protecting the buildings where the lawmakers meet.\n\nIn that memo, Mr Manger says the primetime Monday broadcast was \"filled with offensive and misleading conclusions about the January 6 attack\".\n\n\"The programme conveniently cherry-picked from the calmer moments of our 41,000 hours of video,\" he wrote.\n\n\"The commentary fails to provide context about the chaos and violence that happened before or during these less tense moments.\"\n\nDuring Monday's programme, the Fox host showed footage of the \"QAnon Shaman\" - a man named Jacob Chansley and also known as Jake Angeli - wandering around the Capitol building trailed by police officers who show no signs, at least in the clips broadcast, of attempting to stop or arrest him.\n\nChansley, who was bare-chested and wearing a headdress made of fur and horns that day, became one of the most recognisable figures from the Capitol riot.\n\nHe pleaded guilty in September 2021 to obstructing an official proceeding and is currently serving a 41-month prison sentence.\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Jacob Chansley spoke from jail about his role in the Capitol riots.\n\nMr Carlson said the videos - which have not been viewed by the BBC or any other media organisation in full - showed that police had acted as Chansley's \"tour guide\".\n\nThis version of events was rejected by Mr Manger, who called the allegation \"outrageous and false\".\n\n\"Those officers did their best to use de-escalation tactics to try to talk rioters into getting each other to leave the building,\" he wrote.\n\nThe justice department says about 140 police officers were assaulted that day.\n\nAround 1,000 people have been arrested so far in connection with the riot, most of them charged with entering or remaining in a restricted federal building, according to justice department figures.\n\nMore than 300 have been charged with assaulting, resisting, or impeding officers or employees, including more than 100 who have been charged with using a deadly or dangerous weapon or causing serious bodily injury to a police officer.\n\nMr Carlson also focused on Capitol Police officer Brian Sicknick, who collapsed after returning to his office during the siege and died the next day.\n\nFox News showed footage of Mr Sicknick continuing to perform his duties inside the Capitol after being pepper-sprayed.\n\n\"Whatever happened to Brian Sicknick was very obviously not to do with the violence he suffered outside the Capitol,\" Mr Carlson said.\n\nIn April 2021, a medical examiner found that Mr Sicknick had died of natural causes from a medical condition not brought on by an injury.\n\nOn Tuesday, Mr Sicknick's family issued a statement saying they were \"outraged\" at the coverage and lambasted the network as \"propaganda\".","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/world-us-canada-64883668"}
{"title":"Nicola Bulley: Man, 34, arrested over police scene footage - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-08","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"Man is held on suspicion of malicious communications offences and perverting the course of justice.","section":"Lancashire","content":"Nicola Bulley was last seen during a riverside walk on 27 January\n\nA man has been arrested over footage shot from inside a police cordon on the day the body of Nicola Bulley was found in a river in Lancashire.\n\nMs Bulley, 45, disappeared while walking her dog and her body was found 23 days later in the River Wyre.\n\nLancashire Police said the 34-year-old man from Kidderminster, Worcestershire, was arrested on Wednesday morning.\n\nHe was detained on suspicion of malicious communications offences and perverting the course of justice.\n\nThe arrest relates to footage taken from inside a police cordon on 19 February.\n\nMs Bulley, who worked as a mortgage adviser, was last seen walking her springer spaniel Willow after dropping off her two daughters, aged six and nine, at school on 27 January.\n\nHer disappearance sparked a major search operation in St Michael's on Wyre. Her body was recovered more than three weeks later in the river a mile away from where she was last seen.\n\nThe man was arrested with assistance from West Mercia Police, and has since been released on bail with conditions, police said.\n\nA spokesman for the force said: \"Our priority is, and has always been, to support Nicola's family and the wider community in St Michael's.\n\n\"We hope this arrest provides reassurance that we take concerns seriously and will act on them.\"\n\nIt comes following reports of a number of apparent content creators descending on the village where Ms Bulley went missing.\n\nExperts have claimed social media algorithms that reward and encourage controversial content fuelled the waves of online interest in Ms Bulley's disappearance.\n\nDuring the investigation, Det Supt Rebecca Smith said social media users had been \"playing their own private detectives\".\n\nWhy not follow BBC North West on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram? You can also send story ideas to northwest.newsonline@bbc.co.uk\n\u2022 None Police looking for Nicola Bulley find body in river\n\nThe BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/uk-england-lancashire-64896952"}
{"title":"Small boats bill aimed at galvanising political support at home - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-08","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"Rishi Sunak and Suella Braverman hope the Illegal Migration Bill will reverse Tories' flagging poll ratings.","section":"UK Politics","content":"It was delivered by Suella Braverman, but this was unmistakeably Rishi Sunak's own policy.\n\nThe prime minister has made \"passing new laws to stop the small boats\" one of his five priorities.\n\nHe was conspicuously seated behind his home secretary, visible in the TV coverage, nodding, smiling and voicing his assent at key points as she outlined the new legislation.\n\nDelivering the new law is part of his plan to try to turn around the Conservatives' flagging poll ratings before the next election.\n\nMs Braverman spoke of her approach being \"supported by the British people\" and she made a point of warning of 100 million people \"who could qualify for protection under our current laws... they are coming here\" aiming to tap into fears about growing numbers of arrivals.\n\nSo the legislation may be, on the face of it, about stopping boats, it's also squarely aimed at galvanising political support at home.\n\nThe debate was a divisive one, short on any details about the how this new policy is actually going to work.\n\nOne after another, opposition MPs stood up to criticise the plan as a policy \"that depends on dehumanising some of the most vulnerable people on earth\", one based on \"xenophobia and racism\" and one that may breach the UK's international legal obligations.\n\nSuella Braverman appeared content to portray herself as someone prepared to take robust action. It was, she said, \"irresponsible to suggest someone who wants to take a firm line on our borders is racist\".\n\nOne after another Conservative MPs rose to praise her approach as \"excellent\".\n\nBut she couldn't say whether the legislation in fact complies with human rights law, where holding centres will be built, what 'safe' countries refugees could be deported to, or what routes will be opened for people to come legally to the UK.\n\nIn a letter to MPs about the bill, Ms Braverman said there was a \"more than 50% chance\" that the legislation was not compatible with international law, and specifically the UK's obligations under the European Convention on Human Rights.\n\nIt's pretty rare for the government to publish legislation that it knows may breach international law. So why is it pressing ahead? Well, the answer is down to how this will all play with audiences in the UK.\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Government must act with determination and compassion - Suella Braverman\n\nThe debate clearly illustrates how Rishi Sunak and Suella Braverman hope to try to corner Labour.\n\nTheir aim is to paint Labour as weak when it comes to stopping boats. Labour's Yvette Cooper launched into her attack on the new legislation saying it does little different to that passed by Priti Patel a year ago and that hasn't solved the problem, rather made it worse.\n\nLabour wants to portray the government as ineffective. Its plan is to call for more serious cross-border police action and says the government is stirring up this issue to \"have someone else to blame.\"\n\nThe prepared retort from Ms Braverman was that Labour's leader Sir Keir Starmer \"doesn't want to stop the boats\".\n\nThe issue didn't figure in his \"missions\" for his leadership, she said, seeking to draw a contrast with Mr Sunak.\n\nThe new policy is already being put to work to try to frame people's views of the government and its opponents.\n\nSo already in this first debate you could see how the government hopes to exploit the issue politically, using it to try to frame people's views of Mr Sunak and his opponents.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/uk-politics-64879314"}
{"title":"Endometriosis: Bindi Irwin reveals decade-long struggle with severe pain - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-08","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"The TV conservationist tells Instagram followers she's suffered \"insurmountable pain\" for 10 years.","section":"Australia","content":"Bindi Irwin posted an image of her recovery from treatment\n\nAustralian conservationist and TV personality Bindi Irwin has revealed she has suffered \"insurmountable pain\" from endometriosis for a decade.\n\nIn an Instagram post, Ms Irwin, 24, said she had undergone surgery to alleviate the condition.\n\nEndometriosis is caused when tissue similar to the womb's lining grows in other parts of the body, such as the ovaries and fallopian tubes.\n\nMs Irwin said she was sharing her story now \"for other women who need help\".\n\nPosting a photo of herself lying in a hospital bed, Ms Irwin said trying to remain positive and hide the pain had \"been a very long road.\"\n\nShe had endured \"insurmountable fatigue, pain and nausea\" over the years.\n\n\"A doctor told me it was simply something you deal with as a woman and I gave up entirely, trying to function,\" she wrote.\n\nShe said a friend then helped her decide to undergo surgery - a \"scary\" decision.\n\n\"I knew I couldn't live like I was. Every part of my life was getting torn apart because of the pain,\" she said.\n\nIn the operation, doctors found a cyst filled with menstrual blood and 37 lesions - \"some very deep and difficult to remove\", she wrote.\n\n\"Validation for years of pain is indescribable,\" she said.\n\nShe told her 5.1 million followers she was now recovering from the treatment, and thanked friends, family and medical staff for their support.\n\nShe added that stigma around endometriosis meant many women were suffering in silence.\n\n\"Let this be your validation that your pain is real & you deserve help,\" she wrote.\n\nEndometriosis affects roughly one-in-ten women and girls of reproductive age globally, the World Health Organization (WHO) says.\n\nIt can cause severe pain during periods, sexual intercourse and bowel movements, as well as pelvic pain, abdominal bloating, nausea and fatigue.\n\nBindi Irwin rose to fame following in the footsteps of her father, the 'Crocodile Hunter' Steve Irwin, an Australian conservationist and TV documentary host. She made her first TV appearance with him as an infant.\n\nShe married professional wakeboarder Chandler Powell on 25 March 2020 and gave birth to a daughter, Grace Warrior, exactly one year later in 2021.\n\nSteve Irwin died aged 44 in 2006 after being stung by a stingray while filming on the Great Barrier Reef off the coast of Queensland.\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/world-australia-64884116"}
{"title":"Ukraine denies involvement in Nord Stream pipeline blasts - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-08","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"A New York Times report says US officials believe a pro-Ukrainian group was behind last year's blasts.","section":"Europe","content":"Ukraine has denied any involvement in September's attack on the Nord Stream pipelines, which were built to carry Russian natural gas to Germany.\n\nThe denial follows a report from the New York Times, which cites anonymous US intelligence officials who suggest a pro-Ukrainian group was to blame.\n\nMykhailo Podolyak, an adviser to the Ukrainian president, said Ukraine \"was absolutely not involved\".\n\nMoscow questioned how the US could make assumptions without an investigation.\n\nKremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov called the report a \"co-ordinated fake news media campaign\" and told the state news agency Ria-Novosti those who attacked the pipeline \"clearly... want to divert attention.\"\n\nRussia has blamed the West for the explosions and called on the UN Security Council to independently investigate them.\n\nGerman investigators said on Wednesday they had searched a ship in January which was suspected of transporting the explosives used to sabotage the two gas pipelines. There was at this stage no evidence to suggest a foreign state was involved, they said.\n\nRussian gas deliveries had been suspended before the blasts. Russia shut down the Nord Stream 1 pipeline in August last year, saying it needed maintenance. Nord Stream 2 had never been put into service.\n\nThe exact cause of the 26 September blasts that hit the natural gas pipelines is unknown, but it is widely believed they were attacked.\n\nNato and Western leaders have stopped short of directly accusing Russia of attacking its own pipelines, although the EU has previously said Russia uses its gas pipelines as a weapon against the West.\n\nOn Tuesday, the New York Times reported that new intelligence reviewed by US officials suggested that a pro-Ukrainian group had carried out the attack on the Nord Stream pipelines.\n\nCiting anonymous US officials, the report said there was no evidence that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky or his top lieutenants were involved in the operation.\n\nThe US newspaper reported that the officials declined to disclose the nature of the intelligence, how it was obtained or \"any details of the strength of the evidence it contains\".\n\nIt added: \"Officials who have reviewed the intelligence said they believed the saboteurs were most likely Ukrainian or Russian nationals, or some combination of the two.\"\n\nResponding to the New York Times report, Mr Podolyak added that Kyiv had no information about what had happened.\n\nMeanwhile, German website Die Zeit reported that German authorities had made a breakthrough in their investigation into the cause of the attacks.\n\nAccording to joint research by several German media organisations, the boat used to plant the explosives was a yacht hired from a firm based in Poland, which reportedly belonged to two Ukrainians. The nationalities of those who carried out the attack were unclear.\n\nGerman investigators later refused to confirm details of the report but said that a ship had been searched seven weeks ago.\n\nDefence Minister Boris Pistorius warned against jumping to conclusions. It could be a false-flag operation aimed at pinning the blame on pro-Ukrainian groups, he told German radio: \"The likelihood of one [theory] or the other is just as high.\"\n\nAt least 50m (164ft) of the underwater Nord Stream 1 pipeline bringing Russian gas to Germany is thought to have been destroyed by September's blast.\n\nDanish police believe \"powerful explosions\" blew four holes in the pipe and its newer twin, Nord Stream 2.\n\nGerman, Danish and Swedish authorities have all been investigating the incident.\n\nMr Peskov said Nord Stream shareholder countries should insist on an urgent, transparent investigation.\n\n\"We are still not allowed in the investigation,\" he said. \"Only a few days ago we received notes to that effect from the Danes and Swedes. This whole thing is not just weird. It reeks of a heinous crime.\"\n\nFor decades, Russia supplied huge amounts of natural gas to Western Europe. But after the war in Ukraine began in February of last year, most EU countries drastically reduced their reliance on Russian energy.\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/world-europe-64877979"}
{"title":"Pupils missing school on Fridays as parents are at home, MPs told - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-08","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"\"Huge\" school absences when \"mum and dad are at home\", England's children's commissioner says.","section":"Family & Education","content":"More children are thought to be absent from school on Fridays\n\nSome pupils have missed school on Fridays since the pandemic because their parents are at home, England's children's commissioner has said.\n\nThe number of pupils regularly missing school in England remains higher than pre-Covid levels.\n\nDame Rachel de Souza told MPs there was \"a huge amount\" of absence on Fridays - when \"mum and dad are at home\" - that \"wasn't there before\".\n\nThe government said it is providing help for regularly absent children.\n\nPupils count as persistently absent if they miss 10% or more of school sessions, which would amount to seven days in the autumn term.\n\nDame Rachel told the Commons Education Select Committee on Tuesday that 818,000 of the 1.6 million children who were persistently absent across the autumn and spring terms in 2021\/22 were off school for reasons other than illness.\n\nAnd some pupils are missing school on Fridays more than on other days of the week, she said - a trend that did not exist before the pandemic - citing analysis of attendance data from autumn 2021, covering 32,000 children from three multi-academy trusts.\n\nDame Rachel said conversations with families suggested one reason for lower school attendance was that remote learning during lockdown had led to an attitude of \"Well, why can't we just have online learning?\"\n\nShe added: \"Parents are at home on Fridays. We've had evidence from kids: 'Well, you know, mum and dad are at home - stay at home'.\"\n\nOne survey published last year suggested only 13% of UK workers go into the office on a Friday. However, the Office for National Statistics says most people do not work from home.\n\nThe Education Select Committee has launched an inquiry into why persistent absence has grown since the pandemic.\n\nA quarter (25.1%) of pupils were persistently absent last term, compared with 13.1% in the autumn term of 2019. The increase was partly driven by high levels of flu and other viruses, the government said at the time.\n\nResponding to Dame Rachel's comments on Tuesday, a Department for Education spokesperson said: \"The vast majority of children are in school and learning but we are offering targeted help for children who are regularly absent.\n\n\"This includes working with schools, trusts, governing bodies, and local authorities to identify pupils who are at risk of becoming, or who are persistently absent and working together to support that child to return to regular and consistent education.\"","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/education-64875643"}
{"title":"Olivia Pratt-Korbel cried 'Mum I'm scared' before shooting - court - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-08","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"Thomas Cashman is accused of shooting dead nine-year-old Olivia Pratt-Korbel in her Liverpool home.","section":"Liverpool","content":"Olivia was shot when a man burst into her house and opened fire\n\nNine-year-old Olivia Pratt-Korbel screamed \"Mum, I'm scared\" seconds before she was shot dead in her own home, a jury has heard.\n\nShe was on the stairs behind her mother when she was hit in the chest by a bullet fired by alleged gunman Thomas Cashman, Manchester Crown Court heard.\n\nOlivia had been frightened out of bed after hearing a commotion outside their home in Dovecot, Liverpool.\n\nMr Cashman, 34, was allegedly in pursuit of intended target Joseph Nee.\n\nHe claims he was not the gunman.\n\nOpening the trial, David McLachlan KC said the man chasing Mr Nee \"meant business, and it wasn't good business\".\n\n\"This is what this case is all about,\" he said. \"The ruthless pursuit of Thomas Cashman to shoot Joseph Nee without any consideration for the community.\"\n\nOn the night of the 22 August shooting, Mr Cashman, of West Derby, had a loaded pistol and revolver in his possession and was \"lying in wait\" for Mr Nee, who was \"without doubt the intended target\", Mr McLachlan said.\n\nWarning: This article contains details which some readers may find distressing.\n\nThomas Cashman is accused of murdering the schoolgirl\n\nThe court heard Olivia's mother, Cheryl Korbel, who was at home with her three children, opened her door after hearing noise outside and, as she did, Mr Nee \"made a dash\" towards her house, with Mr Cashman in pursuit.\n\nMr McLachlan said: \"[She] then realised, pretty quickly, the gravity of the situation that she now faced and she turned in a panic, and ran back towards her house.\"\n\nMr Cashman began firing at Mr Nee from the revolver, but the bullet missed him and hit the front door of the family home, the court heard.\n\nMr McLachlan said one shot likely \"passed through the door, then passed through Cheryl Korbel's right hand as she was no doubt trying to shut the door\".\n\n\"The bullet then went into the chest of Cheryl Korbel's daughter Olivia Pratt-Korbel.\"\n\nThe court heard Mr Nee had been banging on the door and shouting \"help me\" and Ms Korbel said she was screaming at him to \"go away\".\n\nOlivia's mother Cheryl Korbel was also injured in the shooting\n\nShe said: \"I heard the gunshot and realised. I felt it, it hit my hand.\"\n\nMr McLachlan said she then turned round and saw Olivia, who had come down the stairs screaming \"Mum, I'm scared\".\n\n\"She went all floppy and her eyes went to the back of her head,\" she said.\n\n\"I realised that she must've been hit - because I didn't know until then - and I lifted her top up and the bullet had got her right in the middle of the chest.\"\n\nOlivia's sister Chloe Korbel heard their mother screaming that \"Livia had been hit\", the court heard.\n\nMs Korbel was saying to her wounded daughter \"stay with me, baby\" as Mr Nee slumped on the hallway floor, the jury was told.\n\nA neighbour told police she was in bed when she heard two bangs outside, then two \"muffled bangs\" followed by \"the worst screaming I've ever heard in my life\".\n\nOlivia suffered a gunshot wound to her chest and later died in hospital\n\nShe then heard Chloe on the phone saying: \"Where are they, where are they? She is dying.\"\n\nArmed police arrived at about 22:10 BST, with one officer, PC Cooper, going inside the house while a second, PC Metcalf, got a first aid kit out of the boot of the patrol car, the court heard.\n\nBut they decided to take her straight to hospital.\n\nPC Metcalf could feel a faint heartbeat and Olivia's eyes were open but her lips were blue and she was unresponsive, the jury was told.\n\nOlivia was pronounced dead at Alder Hey Children's Hospital later that night.\n\nA post-mortem examination showed Olivia suffered three gunshot wounds caused by a single bullet, which went into her chest, exited the chest and became embedded in her upper arm.\n\nMr McLachlan said Mr Cashman ran away from the scene of the shooting through back gardens.\n\nThe court heard he went to the house of a woman, who cannot be named for legal reasons, who said she heard Mr Cashman say the name \"Joey Nee\".\n\nShe also said she heard him say something along the lines of: \"I've done Joey.\"\n\nThe jury was told Mr Cashman was later driven back to where he had parked his Citroen Berlingo van earlier in the day.\n\nNeighbours said they saw Mr Nee stumble out of the house and collapse in the road, where he made a phone call before a black car with five males in it arrived and took him away, the court heard.\n\nThe jury of 10 men and two women were told the main issue in the case would be whether they were sure Mr Cashman was the gunman.\n\nPolice escorted a van into Manchester Crown Court before the opening of the trial\n\nThe court earlier heard Mr Nee had been watching a football match at the home of another man, Timothy Naylor, shortly before the chase began.\n\nMr McLachlan said when Mr Nee left the house, with his friend Paul Abraham, Mr Cashman ran behind him and fired three shots from a self-loading pistol, one of which struck Nee in the midriff.\n\nThe jury was told witnesses heard Mr Nee shouting \"please don't\", \"don't lad\" and \"what are you doing lad?\"\n\nMr McLachlan said Mr Nee stumbled and Mr Cashman stood over him and tried to fire again but, possibly because the pistol malfunctioned, he was unable to complete his \"task\" and kill Mr Nee.\n\nThe jury heard that was when Mr Nee ran away from Mr Cashman and made for Ms Korbel's house.\n\nMr Cashman had intended to shoot Mr Nee earlier in the day after seeing his van outside Mr Naylor's house, but had been \"thwarted\" when he returned and Mr Nee had left, the court was told.\n\nThe court heard Mr Cashman was arrested almost two weeks later on 4 September in Runcorn.\n\nHe swore at officers and told them \"youse are stitching me up for whatever it is\", the jury was told.\n\nWhen he was told the circumstances and that he was being arrested on suspicion of murder, he said: \"Youse are mad\" and \"I've done nothing. It's nothing to do with me.\"\n\nDuring an interview he gave a prepared statement saying he had no involvement and then answered \"no comment\" to questions, the court heard.\n\nThe jury was told he was re-arrested at an address in Liverpool on 29 September and told police: \"You've got an innocent man.\"\n\nMr McLachlan said a forensic scientist found gunshot residue on a pair of tracksuit bottoms found in Mr Cashman's sister's house, as well as his DNA.\n\nHe told the jury it was a \"pre-planned and ruthless attempt to kill Joseph Nee\" but, instead of the planned \"execution\", he had instead shot a nine-year-old girl.\n\nMr Cashman, of Grenadier Drive, is also charged with the attempted murder of Mr Nee and the wounding with intent of Olivia's mother, as well as two counts of possessing a firearm with intent to endanger life.\n\nThe trial is expected to last about four weeks.\n\nWhy not follow BBC North West on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram? You can also send story ideas to northwest.newsonline@bbc.co.uk\n\nThe BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/uk-england-merseyside-64873789"}
{"title":"Moscow police officers who abused women sanctioned - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-08","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"Identified as abusing protesters by a BBC investigation, the two officers are sanctioned by the EU.","section":"Europe","content":"Ivan Ryabov, who subjected female anti-war protestors to brutal interrogations, was among those sanctioned\n\nTwo Moscow police officers identified by the BBC as perpetrators of abuses against female anti-war protesters have been sanctioned by the EU.\n\nThe EU accused Ivan Ryabov and Alexander Fedorinov of arbitrary arrest and torture.\n\nThey were among nine people and three institutions sanctioned over sexual and gender-based violence, to coincide with International Women's Day on Wednesday.\n\nOthers included Taliban ministers and officials from South Sudan and Myanmar.\n\nA BBC Eye investigation detailed how Ivan Ryabov was identified by protesters who had been physically abused by him when they were detained in March 2022.\n\nAlexander Fedorinov was identified by the BBC using facial recognition software.\n\nAnnouncing the sanctions in a statement, EU's High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Police Josep Borrell said the EU was moving \"from words to action\" in its commitment to \"eliminate all forms of violence of violence against women\".\n\nHe said the sanctions were \"enhancing efforts to counter sexual and gender-based violence, to ensure that those responsible are fully accountable for their actions, and to combat impunity\".\n\nThe two Moscow police officers were sanctioned for their role in \"arbitrary arrests and detentions as well as torture and other cruel, inhuman and degrading treatment in the context of the censorship and oppression led by the Russian authorities\".\n\nOn 6 March last year, a group of anti-war protesters were arrested and taken to Moscow's Brateyevo police station. There, at least 11 detainees - mostly young women - were subjected to physical abuse at the hands of a plainclothes police officer.\n\nAnastasia identified the police officer who abused her using a data leak from a food delivery app\n\nThe officer didn't give his name, and there was no record of him on any police websites. The protesters felt they had little chance in identifying their abuser, who they called the \"man in black\".\n\nThat was until a huge data leak from the popular Russian food delivery app, Yandex Food, provided the breakthrough they needed.\n\nAnastasia - who says she had been suffocated with a plastic bag by the \"man in black\" - trawled through the data and found only nine users who had ordered food to Brateyevo police station. Working with the other victims, she searched the names and phone numbers included in the leak, looking for pictures she recognised.\n\nFinally she came across a face that was imprinted in her memory - it was the \"man in black\" and his name was Ivan Ryabov.\n\nAnastasia also wanted to identify another officer who was present that evening and refused to give his name. The detainees had called him the \"man in beige\".\n\nAlthough he wasn't involved in the abuse of protesters, Anastasia felt he was somehow in charge. \"All communication took place through him,\" she said.\n\nUsing facial recognition on a short video captured inside the police station, the BBC was able to name the man as Alexander Fedorinov. At that time, he was the acting head of the Brateyevo police department.\n\nThe BBC identified Alexander Fedorinov, acting head of the Brateyevo police department, from this video\n\nDespite appeals mentioning Ryabov and Fedorinov, sent to Russian authorities from victims and a Moscow politician, there was no evidence that either of the men had faced any repercussions inside Russia. The BBC did not receive a response after contacting the two men for comment in August 2022.\n\nBut as of 7 March 2023, both men are now subject to an asset freeze and travel ban within the EU.\n\nAnastasia told the BBC that the year since her arrest has not been easy. \"But Ryabov's inclusion on the sanctions list only strengthens my belief that I did and said the right thing,\" she said.\n\nAnastasia has left Russia and says she is happy to be in a country where she isn't afraid to share her anti-war views on social media.\n\nIvan Ryabov and Alexander Fedorinov were sanctioned alongside two acting Taliban ministers - Neda Mohammad Nadeem and Muhammad Khalid Hanafi - responsible for the decrees which banned women from higher education in Afghanistan.\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Listen to the \u201cman in black\u201d shouting insults at Marina and Alexandra\n\nThe list also included high-ranking members of the Russian armed forces whose units systematically participated in acts of sexual and gender-based violence in Ukraine in March and April last year.\n\nIt also named two South Sudanese officials, who according to the EU had commanded government militias which used sexual violence as a tactic of war and a reward for the men under their command.\n\nAnd the EU also sanctioned Major-General Toe Ui, Myanmar's deputy minister of home affairs, along with the country's Office of the Chief of Military Security Affairs (OCMSA), where he was formerly second-in-command. OCMSA is accused of using sexual violence and torture against men, women and members of the LGBT community.\n\nThe other institutions sanctioned were Qarchak Prison in Iran, where pro-democracy protestors have been detained, and the Syrian Republican Guard, which is accused of using widespread sexual and gender-based violence to repress and intimidate the Syrian people.\n\nBBC Eye Investigations tells the story of how these young Russian women came together to expose the identity of their torturer and his commanding officer.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/world-europe-64838937"}
{"title":"Cardiff car crash: Hundreds attend St Mellons vigil - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-08","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"Three of the group died following the crash, while two remain in a critical condition.","section":"Wales","content":"This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Eve Smith, 21, Darcy Ross, 21 and Rafel Jeanne, 24, died after the crash\n\nHundreds of people have attended a vigil for five people involved in a crash at the weekend.\n\nEve Smith, 21, Darcy Ross, 21 and Rafel Jeanne, 24, died in the collision in Cardiff and Shane Loughlin, 32, and Sophie Russon, 20, remain in hospital in a critical condition.\n\nAll five had been on a night out in Newport when the car is believed to have veered off the A48 into trees.\n\nFriends and family gathered at the scene in St Mellons on Tuesday.\n\nPart of the road was closed to allow the crowds to congregate.\n\nLuke Thole, a close friend of Mr Jeanne, was one of the organisers of the vigil.\n\nHe said he was \"lost for words\" over the loss of a his friend who was \"like a brother\".\n\nCandles were lit at the scene\n\nHe added: \"I'm glad of the turnout, a lot of people here which obviously Rafel would love.\n\n\"It's very big for Cardiff and Newport to be honest with you, they're well known people. And like I said, Rafel loves all this type of stuff so he'd be happy up there seeing all what's gone on for him.\"\n\nOrganiser Luke Thole says Rafel Jeanne was \"like a brother\" to him\n\nHe said that he wished friends and family had known the location of the car much sooner. The crash is believed to have taken place in the early hours of Saturday, with the car found just after midnight on Monday morning.\n\n\"[We] could've potentially saved him maybe, because they were there for 48 hours. To be honest, I am lost for words and it's hit a lot of people,\" he said.\n\nThe five were last seen on Friday night, but Gwent Police did not put out a public appeal until 23:00 GMT on Sunday, about one hour before the car was located.\n\nPink balloons as well as flowers were taken to the scene\n\nThe Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) will investigate police actions following missing person reports after the crash, it has confirmed.\n\nTamzin Samuels, 20, a friend of the women who helped in the search effort, said: \"I do think the police could have done a lot more in putting the helicopters out earlier.\n\n\"They only posted the appeal an hour before the girls were found.\"\n\nAt the vigil, a minute's silence was held, while people stood holding hands in tears and hugging each other.\n\nCheers and calls of \"fly high\" could be heard as people released balloons, set off fireworks as well as pink and blue flares.\n\nA relative of Mr Jeanne who did not want to be named told BBC Wales the family were \"still in shock\" by his death, but were heartened by the turnout of people.\n\n\"It goes to show how much he was loved by so many different people,\" they said.\n\nPeople at the vigil let off flares\n\nThe women, from Newport, had gone to The Muffler club in the Maesglas area of the city late on Friday.\n\nThey then travelled 36 miles (58km) to Trecco Bay, a caravan park in the seaside resort of Porthcawl, Bridgend county, with the two men, both from Cardiff.\n\nEve Smith, 21, Rafel Jeanne, 24, and Darcy Ross, 21, died in the crash\n\nA Snapchat photo shared by Ms Ross' sister showed her and Mr Jeanne together on the night they went missing.\n\nThe group was last seen in Llanedeyrn, Cardiff, in the early hours of Saturday, but it is not yet clear when the crash happened.\n\nFriends and family tried to comfort each other at the vigil\n\nSouth Wales Police and Gwent Police believe only one car was involved in the crash and confirmed the collision occurred during the early hours of Saturday.\n\nThe exact time will be confirmed by an investigation.\n\nHowever, Ms Russon's mum Anna Certowicz said police \"didn't seem to think it was worth investigating\" at the start.\n\nShe criticised the police response, saying they could have been found sooner if officers had started investigating straight away.\n\nWinston Roddick, former police and crime commissioner for north Wales, said the police's response to worried parents' calls about their missing children was \"not quite right\".\n\nHe said the victims' silence should have set off alarm bells sooner as young people today use their mobile phones continually.\n\n\"Maybe there should be questions asked and some effective inquiry made to see whether any one or more of them could be traced. If not, then the question mark becomes bigger,\" he said.\n\nMr Roddick said although this was an \"unusual case\", it was not unusual for the two forces to be referred to the IOPC and added it was far too early to jump to conclusions.\n\nThe forces said they could not comment while an investigation was pending.\n\nThey confirmed a first missing person report was made to Gwent Police at 19:34 GMT on Saturday, with further missing person reports made at 19:43 and 21:32.\n\nA further missing person report was made to South Wales Police at 17:37 on Sunday.\n\nPeople gathered to grieve for the victims of the crash\n\nThe police helicopter was requested at 23:50 on Sunday to search an area of Cardiff, after which the Volkswagen was found, they said.\n\nMatthew Pace, 45, and his son Lewis, 26, told Sky News that they found the car in a wooded area along the A48 just after midnight on Monday morning.\n\nMatthew Pace said a police officer arrived soon after and another officer subsequently got the helicopter to search the area. The force then confirmed the vehicle had been found, he said.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/uk-wales-64880383"}
{"title":"Snow and travel delays expected as Arctic blast hits UK - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-08","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"People across the Peak District and Pennines are being warned of potential disruption on Thursday.","section":"UK","content":"A row of snow-covered houses in Aberbeeg, Wales on Wednesday\n\nForecasters have warned of heavy snow and travel disruption as a wave of Arctic air brings icy conditions to central and northern England.\n\nAn amber warning affecting an area between Stoke-on-Trent and Durham is set to come into force at 15:00 GMT on Thursday.\n\nThe warning indicates a likelihood of travel delays, power cuts, and that some rural communities will be cut off.\n\nIt comes after the UK recorded its coldest March temperature since 2010.\n\nThe area affected by the amber warning includes the Peak District, Leeds, the Yorkshire Dales, and the North Pennines.\n\nThe Met Office said around 10-20cm (4-8in) of snow is likely to fall across much of the area, with 30-40cm (12-16in) in some parts, and to be accompanied by \"strong winds bringing blizzard conditions\".\n\nThe amber warning is not set to be lifted until midday on Friday.\n\nLess severe yellow weather warnings for snow and ice remain in place for much of the rest of the UK. These mean journey times are likely to be longer and icy patches on untreated roads and pavements are expected.\n\nNational Highways in England has issued a severe weather alert for snow in the North West, North East and Midlands between 09:00 GMT on Thursday and 08:00 GMT on Friday.\n\nRoad users are being warned to plan ahead for possible disruption and that challenging conditions could include poor visibility.\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Watch latest UK weather forecast: Will I get snow in my area tomorrow and into the weekend?\n\nMotoring organisation the RAC has urged drivers to take the weather warnings seriously and to work from home if possible.\n\nThose with no choice should make sure tyres are properly inflated, and oil, coolant and screenwash are topped up, it said.\n\nNational Rail has also warned snowy and icy conditions could affect trains in south-eastern England over the next few days.\n\nOther warnings in place are:\n\nThis Twitter post cannot be displayed in your browser. Please enable Javascript or try a different browser. View original tweet on Twitter The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Skip twitter post by BBC Weather 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\u2019s cookie policy, external and privacy policy, external before accepting. To view this content choose \u2018accept and continue\u2019. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.\n\nBBC Weather's Jennifer Bartram says the cold spell is due to a change in wind direction \"with northerly winds bringing cold air down from the Arctic\".\n\nShe said although it was not unusual to have snow and cold weather at the start of March, \"this feels like a bit of a shock to the system after what was a mild and relatively dry February for most\".\n\nEarly morning swimmers braved the cold at King Edward's Bay, near Tynemouth on the north east coast of England on Wednesday morning\n\nA picturesque snow-covered mountain reflects off the water at Lochcarron in the Highlands\n\nPeople across the UK have been enjoying the snow\n\nTo prepare for the cold spell, two coal-fired power stations have begun generating power again.\n\nThe plants in West Burton in Lincolnshire were due to close last September, but the government requested they stay open for an extra six months because of fears of possible power shortages.\n\nSome ski resorts in Scotland have opened runs after the heavy snowfall, with Snowsport Scotland saying it hoped the recent weather would be \"the start to another boost for the mountains\".\n\n\"Looking at the forecast, this could be our biggest week of the year,\" said Alison Grove from Snowsport Scotland.\n\nA man runs on during freezing conditions in a park in Blackwood, Wales\n\nA group of women swimmers brave the freezing conditions as they gather to celebrate International Women's Day at King Edward's Bay, near Tynemouth\n\nA level-three cold alert has been issued by the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) for the whole of England and will remain in place until midnight on Thursday.\n\nDr Agostinho Sousa, the agency's head of extreme events and health protection, advised people to check on vulnerable relatives, adding that pensioners or anyone with an underlying health condition should heat their home to at least 18C (64F).\n\nVeterinary charity PDSA advises giving dogs and cats extra blankets for their beds over the winter months. Raised beds can keep older dogs away from draughts, while cats may like high-up dens.\n\nMotorists drove through heavy snowfall on the M5 near Taunton, Somerset\n\nA Scottish terrier plays in the snow on the Dunstable Downs in Bedforshire\n\nA wild horse leaves footprints in the snow in Colpy, Aberdeenshire","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/uk-64875441"}
{"title":"Gary Lineker says he will 'keep speaking for those with no voice' after asylum row - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-08","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"The Match of the Day host was criticised for tweets he posted about the government's new asylum plan.","section":"UK","content":"Gary Lineker has said he will try to keep speaking up for people with \"no voice\", after criticism of his tweets on the government's asylum policy.\n\nThe Match of the Day host had said the language setting out the plan was \"not dissimilar to that used by Germany in the 30s\".\n\nHome Secretary Suella Braverman said she was disappointed by the remarks.\n\nThe BBC said it was having a \"frank conversation\" with Lineker about the BBC's need to remain impartial.\n\nOn Tuesday, the government outlined its plans to ban people arriving in the UK illegally from ever claiming asylum, in a bid to address a rise in the number of people crossing the Channel in small boats.\n\nOpposition MPs and humanitarian organisations have strongly criticised the proposals to detain and swiftly remove adults regardless of their asylum claim - but the PM and home secretary have defended the plan, saying stopping the crossings is a priority for the British people.\n\nThe presenter described it on Twitter as an \"immeasurably cruel policy directed at the most vulnerable people in language not dissimilar to that used by Germany in the 30s\".\n\nHis remarks were criticised widely by Conservative MPs and ministers, including Ms Braverman and Downing Street.\n\nThe furore surrounding Lineker's latest remarks puts pressure on the BBC, with director general Tim Davie having made impartiality a cornerstone of his leadership.\n\nResponding to some of the criticism on Wednesday, Lineker tweeted: \"Great to see the freedom of speech champions out in force this morning demanding silence from those with whom they disagree.\"\n\nHe followed up shortly after with: \"I have never known such love and support in my life than I'm getting this morning (England World Cup goals aside, possibly). I want to thank each and every one of you. It means a lot.\n\n\"I'll continue to try and speak up for those poor souls that have no voice.\"\n\nEarlier, Ms Braverman told BBC One's Breakfast she was \"disappointed, obviously\" in his comments.\n\n\"I think it's unhelpful to compare our measures, which are lawful, proportionate and - indeed - compassionate, to 1930s Germany.\n\n\"I also think that we are on the side of the British people here.\"\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Watch: Suella Braverman says she is \"disappointed\" by Gary Lineker's tweet\n\nDowning Street later said Lineker's criticism of the new asylum policy was \"not acceptable\".\n\nThe prime minister's press secretary told reporters: \"It's obviously disappointing to see someone whose salary is funded by hard-working British (licence fee) payers using that kind of rhetoric and seemingly dismissing their legitimate concerns that they have about small boats crossings and illegal migration.\"\n\nBut beyond that, they added, \"it's up to the BBC\" and they would not comment further.\n\nA spokesman for Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer said comparisons with Germany in the 1930s \"aren't always the best way to make\" an argument.\n\nLineker, who has presented Match of the Day since 1999, is the BBC's highest paid star, having earned about \u00a31.35m in 2020-21.\n\nHe has in the past been vocal about migrants' rights and has taken refugees into his home. He has also been critical of successive Conservative governments over issues including Brexit.\n\nIn October, the BBC's complaints unit found Lineker had broken impartiality rules in a tweet asking whether the Conservative Party planned to \"hand back their donations from Russian donors\".\n\nThe comment came after the then Foreign Secretary Liz Truss urged Premier League teams to boycott the Champions League final in Russia over the invasion of Ukraine.\n\nMr Davie said in 2020 he was prepared to sack people to protect the BBC's reputation for impartiality.\n\nHe issued new social media guidelines and said he was willing to \"take people off Twitter\" - a comment which Lineker responded to at the time by saying \"I think only Twitter can take people off Twitter\".\n\nThe presenter's frequent outspoken online posts have been viewed by some as a test of the BBC's ability to balance its impartiality duty with its ability to attract top talent in the era of social media.\n\nEarlier on Wednesday, when asked about how many \"strikes\" the presenter has had over social media posts, Mr Davie said he wasn't going to speak specifically about individuals.\n\nHe added: \"I think the BBC absolutely puts the highest value on impartiality and that's clearly important to us.\"\n\nIn a series of tweets on Wednesday, Lineker indicated he had no intention of retracting his comment or steering clear of politics outside of his work for the BBC.\n\nRichard Sambrook, the BBC's former director of global news, said the controversy highlighted the need for the broadcaster to clarify how impartiality rules apply to its sport staff and freelancers.\n\nHe told Radio 4's PM programme similar cases would \"corrode trust\" in the BBC unless the position was made clearer.\n\nThe Lineker row also comes amid scrutiny of the circumstances surrounding the appointment of BBC chairman Richard Sharp and his relationship with Boris Johnson.\n\nA committee of MPs said last month Mr Sharp had committed \"significant errors of judgement\" by not disclosing his involvement in the then-prime minister's financial affairs while seeking the senior BBC post. Mr Sharp insists he got the job on merit.\n\nThe broadcaster's editorial guidelines state the organisation is \"committed to achieving due impartiality in all its output\" and that \"public comments, for example on social media, of staff [or] presenters... can affect perceptions of the BBC's impartiality\".\n\nA spokesperson for the corporation said: \"The BBC has social media guidance, which is published.\n\n\"Individuals who work for us are aware of their responsibilities relating to social media.\n\n\"We have appropriate internal processes in place if required.\n\n\"We would expect Gary to be spoken to and reminded of his responsibilities.\"\n\nThe corporation has also responded to previous criticism of Lineker by highlighting that he is not involved in its news or political output and is a freelance broadcaster, not a member of staff.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/uk-64891734"}
{"title":"SNP leadership: Forbes says she displayed honesty in Yousaf attack - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-08","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"SNP members condemn infighting after the leadership candidates clashed during their first TV debate.","section":"Scotland politics","content":"This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Kate Forbes says she has got the guts to recognise what needs to change in the party\n\nKate Forbes has said her criticism of cabinet colleague Humza Yousaf in the SNP leadership contest displayed her \"candour and honesty\".\n\nMs Forbes, the finance secretary, attacked Mr Yousaf's record in government during a heated TV debate.\n\nThe health secretary hit back by suggesting support for independence would drop if Ms Forbes became leader due to her views on same-sex marriage.\n\nHe said candidates' criticism of the government was damaging for the party.\n\nThe pair also clashed with rival contender Ash Regan, who said the SNP had \"lost its way\" and pledged to unite the broader Yes movement.\n\nOn Wednesday First Minister Nicola Sturgeon said she did not watch the debate and did not want to provide a \"running commentary\" on the contest to succeed her.\n\nBut angry SNP members expressed their disappointment at the public infighting and described the personal attacks as \"disgraceful and dishonest\".\n\nMs Forbes, however, defended her comments at a campaign event in Edinburgh on Wednesday.\n\nShe told reporters: \"This is a contest to be the next first minister and I think the public and SNP members want to see somebody who has got the guts to recognise what needs to change and also recognises the fact that we need to have a plan to deliver.\n\n\"Last night was all about having the candour and honesty to say more of the same isn't what Scotland needs - we actually do need change.\n\n\"But secondly it's about competence. And if any SNP leader and future first minister is going to be taking on the Tories in Westminster, for example, then they need to have the mettle and then you have the courage to do that and I think that is what was on display last night.\"\n\nSNP leadership candidates Kate Forbes, Humza Yousaf and Ash Regan took part in a SNP leadership debate at STV's studios in Glasgow on Tuesday\n\nThe finance secretary said the last 15 years had been \"very successful\" under \"exceptional\" SNP leaders.\n\nBut she added: \"I think you can celebrate the track record of a government and also create the space for questioning what comes next.\"\n\nMs Forbes also insisted she can unite the \"broad church\" of the SNP under her leadership.\n\nThe leadership candidate said the tone of the party's leadership hustings had been good natured, but the cross-examination section of STV's televised debate put them under more pressure.\n\nMs Forbes said: \"That's the bread and butter of a first minister's job.\n\n\"If a first minister is going to be successful, they're going to have to face down worse than what we were dealing with last night - not least the UK government and the opposition.\"\n\nKate Forbes spoke during a campaign event at the Scotch Whisky Experience in Edinburgh\n\nIt was during the cross-examination section that Ms Forbes attacked Mr Yousaf's record as a Scottish government minister.\n\n\"You were a transport minister and the trains were never on time, when you were justice secretary the police were stretched to breaking point, and now as health minister we've got record high waiting times,\" she said.\n\nAsked if he was the \"continuity candidate\" and if that means he is the \"no change candidate\", Mr Yousaf hit back at Ms Forbes, saying: \"If change means lurching to the right, Kate, if it means rolling back on progressive values, that's not the right change.\"\n\nMr Yousaf then cited Ms Forbes stating previously that she would not have voted for same-sex marriage if she had been an MSP when the legislation passed.\n\nThe health secretary claimed \"many people, particularly from our LGBTQ community, say they wouldn't vote for independence\" as a result of this, adding, \"forget persuading No voters, you can't even keep Yes voters\".\n\nBut Ms Forbes stressed she had made a \"solemn and honest pledge when it comes to upholding and defending the right of every Scot\".\n\nEach candidate was asked if they would invite their rivals into the newly formed cabinet. Ms Forbes said there was \"room for Humza Yousaf\" if she won the leadership race but quipped, \"maybe not in health\".\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Scottish health secretary Humza Yousaf was \"surprised\" by criticism he received from fellow SNP leader candidate Kate Forbes.\n\nSpeaking on BBC Politics Live on Wednesday, Mr Yousaf defended the SNP's record in power.\n\n\"I've said from day one I'll run a positive campaign,\" he said.\n\n\"It does nobody any good, neither the party, nor the movement nor the country to talk down a progressive track record of the SNP that has won us election after election.\n\n\"Other candidates may not be happy to stand on that record, even though they've been in government for that time.\n\n\"I'm very proud to stand on that record.\"\n\nAsh Regan is among the three contenders aiming to succeed Nicola Sturgeon\n\nMs Regan told the BBC she did not make personal attacks against fellow candidates because she \"didn't think it was appropriate\".\n\nHowever, she said she believed she was the only candidate who could \"draw a line\" under the divisive issue of gender recognition reforms.\n\nShe said: \"I think it's entirely legitimate to set out if you want to go in a different direction, if you have a different vision and where you think the party may have made some strategic errors.\n\n\"That's the point of this, we're looking for a new leader who wants to possibly take us in a new direction.\"\n\nMeanwhile, Ms Sturgeon told reporters at Holyrood that she did not watch the STV debate.\n\nShe added: \"I was following all of your tweets and it seemed to be a feisty encounter.\"\n\nThe SNP leader added: \"We have a record in government to be proud of.\n\n\"I think what all candidates need to do and I think, all candidates are doing, is setting out how they will build on that and take that forward but I don't think they need help and advice from me.\"\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Nicola Sturgeon tells reporters she did not watch a TV debate featuring the three candidates vying for her job.\n\nSNP colleagues criticised the public confrontations between candidates following the first televised debate.\n\nMSP Emma Roddick, who is backing Mr Yousaf, tweeted: \"Was utterly bizarre to watch an SNP MSP defend SNP policy on national TV against a fellow member of cabinet. Wouldn't have believed it a month ago.\"\n\nMP Pete Wishart described the debate as \"thoroughly dispiriting\", adding: \"The whole party deserves so much better than this.\"\n\nToni Giugliano, the SNP's policy development convener, posted: \"Disagree on policy or strategy by all means - but to undermine your own government, almost pretending you had nothing to do with it, is disgraceful and dishonest.\"\n\nSNP members can vote for Ms Sturgeon's successor from 13 March.\n\nThe winner will be announced on 27 March.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/uk-scotland-64885893"}
{"title":"Suella Braverman: Civil servants demand apology over small boats email - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-08","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"Home Office officials are \"livid\" about email from the Tory party accusing them of blocking legislation, union chief says.","section":"UK Politics","content":"Suella Braverman must apologise to civil servants for an email in her name accusing them of blocking efforts to stop small boat crossings, a union leader has said.\n\nAn email to Tory supporters, signed by the home secretary, accused civil servants of being part of a left-wing \"activist blob\" with the Labour Party.\n\nBut Ms Braverman said she \"did not write\" the email and \"didn't see it\" before it was sent - claiming \"it was an error\".\n\nThe FDA union chief Dave Penman said she should still withdraw the \"insulting\" message and apologise to her staff.\n\nHe said officials at the Home Office were \"livid\" at being accused of political bias - and worried that this kind of \"incendiary\" rhetoric could make them a target for protesters.\n\nThe government has blamed Conservative campaign headquarters (CCHQ) for sending the email without getting it signed off by the home secretary. CCHQ said it was now reviewing its internal procedures.\n\nA government source said civil service leaders \"acted quickly to raise and address this issue\" and Ms Braverman thanked Home Office staff on Tuesday for their work on the illegal migration bill.\n\nThe email was sent out by CCHQ on Tuesday to promote Ms Braverman's plans to stop migrants arriving in the UK on small boats.\n\nIt said: \"We tried to stop the small boat crossings without changing our laws.\n\n\"But an activist blob of left-wing lawyers, civil servants and the Labour Party blocked us.\"\n\nIn a letter to Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, Mr Penman said the statement was \"factually incorrect\" and a \"direct attack on the integrity and impartiality of thousands of civil servants who loyally serve the Home Office\".\n\n\"This cowardly attack on civil servants, whom the home secretary knows are unable to publicly defend themselves, also risks further stoking tensions over a matter which has previously resulted in violent clashes with protesters,\" said Mr Penman.\n\nHe accused Ms Braverman of breaking the ministerial code, which states that \"ministers must uphold the the political impartiality of the civil service\".\n\nThe prime minister's official spokeswoman said: \"The home secretary did not see that email before it went out.\"\n\nShe said Rishi Sunak had been \"very clear....that he is grateful to work of both the cabinet secretary and civil servants in the Home Office and more widely in the government\".\n\nThe prime minister had \"personally gone over to the Home Office\" before Christmas to thank them for their work on the small boats measures announced at the end of last year, added the spokeswoman.\n\nShe said Tuesday's email was a \"product\" of Conservative campaign headquarters and that they would \"have to review what happened operationally\".\n\n\"There would have to be ministerial sign-off usually on things where their name is included on it or it goes out in their name, but I think on this occasion there was obviously operationally the process was not followed.\"\n\nBut Mr Penman told BBC News said it was \"not good enough\" for the government to blame Conservative central office and Ms Braverman must personally apologise to civil servants and withdraw the message.\n\nThe PCS union, which last year published a pamphlet proposing a \"humane alternative\" to the government's policy of deporting migrants to Rwanda, also criticised the Tory email.\n\nPCS General Secretary Mark Serwotka said: \"The home secretary's disgraceful and disrespectful comments come as no surprise to us.\n\n\"Her government has, for years, treated hard-working civil servants with disdain and contempt, taking them for granted.\"\n\nA Conservative Party spokesperson said: \"This was a CCHQ email and the wording wasn't seen by the home secretary. We are now reviewing our internal clearance processes.\"","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/uk-politics-64890882"}
{"title":"Weight loss drug semaglutide approved for NHS use - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-08","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"The appetite suppressing drug, favoured by Hollywood celebrities, makes people feel fuller.","section":"Health","content":"A weight loss jab that has gained popularity in the US has been approved for use by the NHS in England.\n\nThe National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) concluded semaglutide, marketed as Wegovy, is safe, effective and affordable.\n\nDelivered via an injection into the skin, the drug makes people feel fuller and more satisfied, so they eat less.\n\nFamous personalities such as Elon Musk claim to have used it - with a \"craze\" allegedly developing in Hollywood.\n\nBased on evidence from clinical trials, NICE says semaglutide could help people reduce their weight by over 10%, if implemented alongside nutrition and lifestyle changes.\n\nIt will be recommended for use by people with at least one weight-related health condition, as well as those who have a body mass index (BMI) which puts them near the top of the obese range.\n\nBMI is calculated by dividing an adult's weight in kilograms by the square of their height in metres.\n\nThose who are lower on the obese BMI range - a BMI between 30 and 34.9kg\/m2 - could also be offered the drug if they have a weight-related health condition. NICE lists these as someone who is pre-diabetic, has type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure, heart disease or obstructive sleep apnoea.\n\nOnce-weekly injections of Wegovy will have to be prescribed by a specialist, and an individual will only be able to take the drug for a maximum of two years.\n\nSemaglutide is also found in the diabetes medicine Ozempic, but, unlike Ozempic - which is intended for those with type 2 diabetes - Wegovy is recommended specifically for weight loss.\n\nThe drug works as an appetite suppressant by mimicking a hormone called Glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1). This intestinal hormone is released after eating and typically makes people feel fuller, so should help reduce overall calorie intake.\n\nAn article published last year in Variety suggested the diabetes medicine Ozempic, which contains semaglutide, is being used by some professionals in the film and entertainment industry to lose weight quickly.\n\nIt has become so popular that there are currently widespread shortages in the US and concerns for those people who rely on the drug for medical reasons.\n\nInsurance companies in the US are refusing to cover its use among people who are not diabetic and not taking it as a prescribed medicine.\n\nPharmaceutical company Novo Nordisk, which makes both Ozempic and Wegovy, says the products should only be used as recommended by a doctor.\n\nLike all medication, semaglutide comes with side-effects and risks - including nausea, stomach pain, vomiting and diarrhoea.\n\nIn addition, rapid weight loss can also lead to the skin losing collagen and elastin, causing what Vogue Magazine has dubbed the gaunt \"Ozempic face\".\n\nKailey Wood, 36, has been taking Ozempic for seven months, after being prescribed the drug by her doctor in New York.\n\nShe tells the BBC that she has lost just under 30kg - going from obese to healthy in the BMI range.\n\nSemaglutide injections will be approved under NICE guidance\n\n\"I have Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome (PCOS) and insulin resistance, but honestly I didn't really struggle with my weight until I hit my 30s - after I had my kids,\" she says.\n\n\"I was rapidly gaining weight. I had a personal trainer and was on every diet known to man - keto, low carbohydrate, intermittent fasting and nothing seemed to work,\".\n\nWhen Kailey went for tests with her doctor, she was told she had high blood pressure and high cholesterol and, due to the risks associated with PCOS, she was at risk of developing type 2 diabetes too.\n\n\"The long-term effects [of being obese] freaked me out having two daughters,\" she says.\n\n\"I just wanted to get to my best self - to show them what a healthy mum looks like; to get outside and play with them.\"\n\nKailey, who works for a tech start-up and runs her own TikTok page, says that people who want to use semaglutide need to know the drug does have side-effects.\n\n\"When you start taking this medication, your body almost goes into shock - you get headaches, nausea, tiredness,\" she explains.\n\n\"But your body starts to get used to it. You have to be mindful and listen to your body.\"\n\nKailey says those elements of the US media who promoting the drug as a \"get skinny quick product\" leave \"a bad taste\". She believes it sends the wrong message.\n\n\"What it's really doing is changing people's lives - treating the patient before they have the disease,\" she says.\n\n\"Diet and exercise\" has been the weight loss medical mantra for decades.\n\nAnd on the whole it's failed - more than half the planet is projected to be overweight or obese by 2035, driving up cases of type 2 diabetes, heart disease and some cancers.\n\nIt's against that backdrop that semaglutide - and other drugs on the horizon - promise to do something different.\n\nThe impact on weight while taking semaglutide is undeniable, at least for the short term.\n\nHowever, the drug is being offered only for two years and only in specialist services - raising issues of fairness.\n\nNot everyone who may be eligible will be able to access it. And the evidence shows the weight goes back on when people come off the drug, with people regaining around two-thirds of their lost weight within two years.\n\nThere are also questions about the collision between these drugs (which are also available privately) with ideas of beauty and celebrity culture - particularly on those with eating disorders.\n\nAnd more deeply, whether we're still ignoring the societal reasons that lead to obesity.\n\nJust over a quarter of adults in England are obese and around a third are overweight, according to official figures.\n\nIn the UK, obesity is thought to cost the NHS \u00a36.1bn per year, government estimates show.\n\nThe drug semaglutide is currently under consultation in Scotland, with Wales expected to follow the NICE guidelines issued in England.\n\nHelen Knight, director of medicines evaluation at NICE, said: \"For some people losing weight is a real challenge, which is why a medicine like semaglutide is a welcome option.\n\n\"It won't be available to everyone. Our committee has made specific recommendations to ensure it remains value for money for the taxpayer.\"\n\nDr Duane Mellor, registered dietitian and senior lecturer at Aston Medical School, Aston University, said: \"It is important to remember that living with a higher body weight or obesity is not a lifestyle choice, and people wanting to improve their health should be supported to do that.\n\n\"It is also clear that semaglutide is not intended to be a lifestyle weight-loss product in the UK. It is to be used for the purpose of improving health.\"\n\nAnyone who is offered semaglutide on the NHS will be supported by specialist weight management services, including support from a dietitian.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/health-64874243"}
{"title":"Charles Bronson shows signs of PTSD, parole panel told - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-08","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"A psychologist says she believes his symptoms are caused by some \"brutal\" treatment while in prison.","section":"Beds, Herts & Bucks","content":"Charles Bronson, who uses the name Charles Salvador, has had parole refused at previous hearings\n\nCharles Bronson, one of the UK's longest-serving prisoners, has signs of post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), a Parole Board panel has heard.\n\nThe 70-year-old, one of the UK's most violent offenders, has been in prison for much of the last 50 years.\n\nA psychologist said his symptoms were partly due to \"brutal and unacceptable treatment\" while in prison.\n\n\"He feels like the whole system is about humiliating and degrading him,\" she added.\n\nThe independent psychologist, hired by Bronson's legal team, told the panel that his symptoms were \"mild\".\n\nThe Parole Board panel is deciding whether he is still a risk to the public, or whether he can be released from prison. Evidence started on Monday and continued on Wednesday.\n\nBronson said the parole process was \"like being on The Apprentice with Lord Sugar\" as it broke for lunch.\n\nHe also invited the panel to view his art, which he said was \"a piece of me\".\n\nThe psychologist told the hearing that Bronson had been previously diagnosed with anti-social personality disorder and was \"naturally somewhat suspicious of other people's motives\".\n\nBronson regarded himself as a \"retired prison activist\", she said, at which point he interrupted the hearing, saying: \"It's the best thing I ever heard.\"\n\nHe has never used a cash machine and would need practical support if released, the psychologist added.\n\nShe said his violence towards prison staff would not extend to the public, as it was fuelled by a dislike of authority figures.\n\nThe prisoner is widely known as Charles Bronson, but the psychologist said he changed his last name to Salvador in 2014 not because of his respect for the surrealist artist Salvador Dali, but because of the meaning of the name Salvador in Spanish, which meant \"man of peace\" - though a more usual translation was \"saviour\".\n\n\"Mr Salvador is always going to value violence and he found violence cathartic in the past,\" she told the hearing.\n\nBronson had some psychopathic traits, she added, but she did not think he would be diagnosed with Paranoid Personality Disorder.\n\nIn reference to a hostage situation at Hull Prison in 1999, the psychologist said Bronson needed to have \"a cathartic experience\".\n\nHe was about to be moved and \"was concerned about where he might go and what prison officers he might meet\", she said.\n\nThe psychologist said Bronson now found his art cathartic in the same way that violence once was.\n\nCharles Bronson told the parole hearing on Monday: \"I want to go home\"\n\nThe prisoner is being held at a specialist close supervision centre at Woodhill Prison in Milton Keynes.\n\nThe psychologist, who was not named, said she believed he would improve rapidly if moved out of close supervision.\n\nHe might be safer in a less restrictive environment, she said, suggesting a prison with \"open\" conditions might be the perfect environment for him.\n\n\"If I was to make recommendations, I would like to see him moved down through security,\" she said.\n\nAs Bronson listened to evidence during the day, he could be seen gently rocking in his chair and sighing. He was wearing a black T-shirt with white writing on it, dark, round glasses, and he was sipping from a drink carton using a straw.\n\nThe psychologist said Bronson had coped \"pretty well\" sitting through the parole hearing, saying \"we're expecting too much\" if the panel wanted him to \"not become frustrated and not become loud, belligerent and swear\" during proceedings.\n\nIn the past he would \"not have been able to tolerate this at all without some sort of outburst\", she said.\n\nOn Monday, Bronson could be heard muttering under his breath at times and sighing loudly, but he largely remained silent as the psychologist gave evidence.\n\nThe Parole Board panel also heard from the probation officer allocated to Bronson's case - his community offender manager.\n\nShe said no-one on the Multi-Agency Public Protection Arrangements (MAPPA) panel, which regularly discussed his case, thought he was ready for release.\n\n\"It's that slow, progressive transition that people want to see,\" she told the board.\n\nThe probation officer confirmed that Bronson had not been involved in any violence in prison in the last four years and his risk to staff was now assessed as \"medium\". At one point it was \"very high\".\n\nBut she said if Bronson was released then she was \"concerned about how his longer term relationship with probation would work\".\n\nA prison officer, described as Bronson's personal officer, told the panel that he no longer needed to be in the close supervision centre.\n\n\"I think everyone knows he's ready to progress and it's just not happening for whatever reason,\" he said.\n\nAsked about his risk of reoffending if released, he said: \"He knows that if he does something wrong he'll be back inside and that will be the final nail in the coffin.\"\n\nAuthor Richard Booth, a friend of Bronson's, said if released the pair planned to set up a charitable foundation with money raised from the sale of the inmate's art.\n\nIt heard Bronson's prison artwork had raised \u00a3100,000 so far, of which a third would go to the foundation. The remaining two-thirds was held in a separate not-for-profit account, Mr Booth said.\n\nDuring the first day of evidence on Monday, the panel was told Bronson would not have the skills to cope outside of prison.\n\nThis is only the second Parole Board hearing ever to be held in public, but this one has a far higher profile than the first.\n\nMembers of the press and public filled Court 76 at the Royal Courts of Justice to watch it on a live video link.\n\nIf the Parole Board panel decide against releasing Bronson, they are also being asked to consider allowing him to be moved to \"open\" prison conditions where he would have much more freedom.\n\nA third day of evidence will be held in private to discuss confidential matters on Friday, with a decision to be announced at a later date.\n\nFind BBC News: East of England on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter. If you have a story suggestion email eastofenglandnews@bbc.co.uk\n\nThe BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/uk-england-beds-bucks-herts-64888459"}
{"title":"Sunak says he is up for the fight on illegal Channel crossings - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-08","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"The prime minister says he is confident the government would win any legal battles over its new law.","section":"UK","content":"This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Sunak: We've tried every other way and it hasn't worked\n\nRishi Sunak has said he is \"up for the fight\" to bring in new legislation to prevent migrants crossing the Channel on small boats to reach the UK.\n\nThe prime minister said he was confident the government would win any legal battles over the \"tough, but necessary and fair\" measures.\n\nEarlier his home secretary, Suella Braverman, announced the bill during a divisive debate in Parliament.\n\nLabour said the Tories' latest plans were like \"groundhog day\" and a \"con\".\n\nIt is not just opposition MPs who have criticised the plans. The UN's refugee agency, the UNHCR, said the proposed legislation amounted to an \"asylum ban\".\n\nStanding behind a lectern emblazoned with the slogan \"stop the boats\", Mr Sunak confirmed the planned new law, which will see illegal migrants deported \"within weeks\", would apply retrospectively to everyone arriving in the UK illegally from Tuesday.\n\nHe said he knew there would be a debate about the toughness of the Illegal Migration Bill but the government had tried \"every other way\" of preventing the crossings and they had not worked.\n\nWhile he admitted it was a \"complicated problem\" with no single \"silver bullet\" to fix it, he said he would not be standing there if he did not think he could deliver.\n\nMore than 45,000 people entered the UK via Channel crossings last year, up from about 300 in 2018.\n\nThe government believes stopping small boats is a key issue for voters and Mr Sunak has made it one of his top five priorities.\n\nThis is politically risky - as the outcome may not be entirely in his hands.\n\nSpeaking in the Commons, shadow home secretary Yvette Cooper said serious action was needed to stop small boat crossings, but said the government's plans risked \"making the chaos worse\".\n\nOpposition MPs attacked the legislation one after another, with some saying it was unlawful, while others suggested it would not work in practice.\n\nBut Tory MPs backed their home secretary as they took turns to welcome the move, and Ms Braverman retorted that Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer \"doesn't want to stop the boats\".\n\nTrying to set out the scale of the problem the home secretary said 100 million people around the world could qualify for protection under current UK laws - and \"they are coming here\".\n\nThis refers to a UNHCR figure that there are more than 100 million people forcibly displaced around the world, although there is nothing to suggest they would all want to come to the UK.\n\nAcknowledging the likelihood of a legal battle, Ms Braverman wrote to Conservative MPs saying there was \"more than a 50% chance\" the legislation was incompatible with the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR).\n\nThis potentially makes legal challenges - and a rough ride for the bill in the Lords - more likely.\n\nBut the political calculation could well be that the new legislation puts clear blue water between government and opposition.\n\nAnd if the bill is stymied, the prime minister may be hoping he gets some political credit from voters for trying to find a solution.\n\nMr Sunak told a Downing Street conference he believed it would not be necessary for the UK to leave the ECHR and said the government believed it was acting in compliance with it and \"meeting our international obligations\".\n\nHe said part of the problem was people making one claim \"then down the line they can make another claim, and then another claim\" and said the UK cannot have a system which could be taken advantage of.\n\nThe deterrent effect of the new legislation could be \"quite powerful quite quickly\", he added.\n\nThe UN's refugee agency, the UNHCR, said it was \"profoundly concerned\" by the bill, calling it a \"clear breach\" of the refugee convention.\n\n\"Most people fleeing war and persecution are simply unable to access the required passports and visas,\" it said.\n\n\"There are no safe and 'legal' routes available to them. Denying them access to asylum on this basis undermines the very purpose for which the Refugee Convention was established.\"\n\nThe Refugee Council said it was \"not the British way of doing things\", with its chief executive Enver Solomon saying the plans were \"more akin to authoritarian nations\", while Amnesty International called it a \"cynical attempt to dodge basic moral and legal responsibilities\".","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/uk-64881908"}
{"title":"Chelsea 2-0 Borussia Dortmund (agg 2-1): Blues fight back to reach last eight - BBC Sport","published_date":"2023-03-08","authors":null,"description":"Graham Potter enjoys his finest night as Chelsea manager as they overcome a first-leg deficit against Borussia Dortmund to reach the Champions League quarter-finals.","section":null,"content":"Last updated on .From the section European Football\n\nGraham Potter enjoyed his finest night as Chelsea manager as they overcame a first-leg deficit against Borussia Dortmund to reach the Champions League quarter-finals.\n\nPotter was under huge pressure after a dismal run of results following Chelsea's huge outlay in the transfer market, but he will hope the manner of this performance and the advance into the latter stages of Europe's elite competition will deliver a measure of calm and stability to Stamford Bridge.\n\nChelsea fully deserved their win, although they squandered several big opportunities before Raheem Sterling made the breakthrough after 43 minutes, firing past Dortmund keeper Alexander Meyer after initially fluffing his shot.\n\nThe goal which settled the tie and overturned Dortmund's 1-0 advantage from the first leg came in contentious fashion from the penalty spot eight minutes after the break.\n\nDortmund were furious when a VAR review penalised Marius Wolf for handball from Ben Chilwell's cross and their sense of injustice heightened after Kai Havertz struck the post with his spot-kick only for a re-take to be ordered.\n\nThis time Havertz made no mistake and Chelsea were on their way into the last eight.\n\nSpeaking after the game, Potter said: \"The players were tremendous and the supporters were tremendous.\n\n\"We had to be against a team that were doing so well. Over the two games I felt that we deserved to go through. It was a special night.\"\n\nIs this lift-off for Potter?\n\nPotter was been waiting for a show of strength such as this from the moment he left Brighton to take over at Chelsea, succeeding Champions League winner Thomas Tuchel.\n\nPotter has struggled to convince Chelsea's fans he has the personality required to take on this occasionally dysfunctional football beast and his cause has not been helped by poor Premier League form and a battle to establish any sort of shape and stability from the influx of players assembled at vast expense by new owner Todd Boehly.\n\nThe pressure was released somewhat with Saturday's narrow win over Leeds United at Stamford Bridge but a big Champions League win against opponents of such European pedigree as Borussia Dortmund will go some way to convincing the doubters that Potter is cut out for the task.\n\nThere is still much work to do as Chelsea lie in a wholly unacceptable 10th place in the Premier League and two victories will not change the landscape instantly but there is no doubt Stamford Bridge felt like a much happier place when Dutch referee Danny Makkelie sounded his final whistle.\n\nPotter will have been satisfied to see big performances from fit-again Reece James with Ben Chilwell also outstanding. And his former Brighton player Marc Cucurella also looked much more at home than he has before.\n\nThe scenes at the final whistle were a sharp contrast to many witnessed at Stamford Bridge this season with Potter punching the air in front of joyous Chelsea supporters as their Champions League journey continues.\n\nPotter added: \"To win a game and go into the last eight of the Champions League, it's up there with one of the games or evenings of my career.\n\n\"I watched the first penalty and it didn't work so well. I can't do anything. It's down to Kai and his talent and testament and that's at the top level.\"\n\nAll eyes were England teenager Jude Bellingham from the moment he arrived at Stamford Bridge, with waiting Chelsea fans making an instant sales pitch for the young star, who is expected to be pursued by every big club in Europe this summer.\n\nThis was not Bellingham's best night as Dortmund's Champions League campaign came to an end with the added disappointment of squandering a first-leg lead, but the 19-year-old still showed why he will be in such demand.\n\nBellingham's night had low points, such as when he poked a great chance wide from eight yards in the second half and a very poor challenge in the closing seconds that left Reece James prostrate and brought a yellow card.\n\nHe did, however, show class and arrogance on the ball, vision, and a marauding style as Dortmund chased an equaliser in vain after Chelsea grabbed control.\n\nBellingham trooped off at the final whistle and is likely to be playing his Champions League football elsewhere next season, but in little flashes he still showed what all the fuss is about.\n\u2022 None Jude Bellingham (Borussia Dortmund) is shown the yellow card for a bad foul.\n\u2022 None Attempt saved. Marius Wolf (Borussia Dortmund) right footed shot from the centre of the box is saved in the top centre of the goal. Assisted by Donyell Malen.\n\u2022 None Attempt missed. Marius Wolf (Borussia Dortmund) header from the centre of the box misses to the right. Assisted by Giovanni Reyna with a cross following a corner.\n\u2022 None Attempt blocked. Rapha\u00ebl Guerreiro (Borussia Dortmund) left footed shot from outside the box is blocked.\n\u2022 None Attempt missed. Nico Schlotterbeck (Borussia Dortmund) header from the centre of the box misses to the left. Assisted by Giovanni Reyna.\n\u2022 None Offside, Chelsea. Kalidou Koulibaly tries a through ball, but Christian Pulisic is caught offside.\n\u2022 None Attempt missed. Jude Bellingham (Borussia Dortmund) header from the centre of the box is too high. Assisted by Marius Wolf with a cross. Navigate to the next page Navigate to the last page\n\u2022 None Our coverage of Chelsea is bigger and better than ever before - here's everything you need to know to make sure you never miss a moment\n\u2022 None Everything Chelsea - go straight to all the best content","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/sport\/football\/64866476"}
{"title":"Heathrow told to cut passenger charges again - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-08","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"The regulator has told the airport it needs to lower charges due to passenger numbers recovering.","section":"Business","content":"Heathrow Airport has been told to cut passenger charges for airlines next year, in a move that should feed through to ticket prices.\n\nThe Civil Aviation Authority decided lower charges were required due to passenger numbers recovering quicker after the height of the pandemic.\n\nPassenger charges are paid by airlines and go towards costs for terminals runways, baggage systems and security.\n\nThe average charge per passenger at Heathrow for 2023 is \u00a331.57.\n\nBut the regulator said this will fall to \u00a325.43 in 2024 and \"remain broadly flat\" until the end of 2026.\n\nAlthough, the charges are paid by airlines, they can impact flight prices if companies decide to pass on some costs onto passengers via airfares.\n\nIt is understood bosses at Heathrow wanted charges to actually increase to more than \u00a340, while airlines proposed they should be no more than around \u00a318.50.\n\nIn response to the decision, the airport said the CAA's decision made \"no sense\" and warned it would \"do nothing for consumers\".\n\n\"The CAA has chosen to cut airport charges to their lowest real terms level in a decade at a time when airlines are making massive profits and Heathrow remains loss-making because of fewer passengers and higher financing costs,\" Heathrow said.\n\nThe airport said the regulator should be \"incentivising investment\" to rebuild aviation services following the heavy blows dealt to the industry during Covid.\n\nBut the CAA said its decision to introduce lower charges from 2024 recognised that passenger numbers were expected to return to pre-pandemic levels.\n\nIt said as well as benefitting travellers in terms of lower costs, the charges would also allow the airport to continue investing in its operations, including planned upgrades to its security scanners and a new baggage system in Terminal 2.\n\n\"Our priority in making this decision today is to ensure the travelling public can expect great value for money from using Heathrow in terms of having a consistently good quality of service, whilst paying no more than is needed for it,\" said Richard Moriarty, chief executive of the CAA.\n\nIn 2021, Heathrow was given permission to raise the passenger charge for airlines from \u00a319.60 to \u00a330.19 for the summer of 2022. The aim was to help it get through the pandemic.\n\nBut British Airways and Virgin Atlantic, two of Heathrow's largest airlines, have long complained that fees at the airport, the busiest airport in western Europe, are the highest in the world.\n\nShai Weiss, chief executive of Virgin Atlantic, said the the regulator had \"not gone far enough\" in lowering passenger charges or ensuring that a \"monopolistic Heathrow\" was fulfilling its statutory duty to protect consumers.\n\n\"Heathrow has abused its power throughout this process, peddling false narratives and flawed passenger forecasts in an attempt to win an economic argument,\" he added.\n\nLuis Gallego, chief executive of IAG, the parent company of British Airways, said \"high charges\" were \"designed to reward shareholders at the expense of customers\" and risked undermining the competitiveness of Heathrow.\n\nWillie Walsh, director-general of the International Air Transport Association, which represents airlines, said the regulator was \"hostage to Heathrow's pessimistic passenger outlook\", and added the decision still meant airlines and passengers would \"continue to pay one of the highest airport charges in the world\".\n\n\"Given that Heathrow have succeeded in securing this generous settlement, we'll be watching their performance this summer and beyond very closely. Any repeat of the failures we have seen over the past few years would be totally unacceptable,\" he added.\n\nLuggage piled up on some days last summer at Heathrow\n\nLast summer, many airports across the UK struggled to cope with demand for international travel returning, with flights delayed and cancelled due to staff shortages. Many workers in the travel industry lost their jobs at the start the of the pandemic.\n\nMr Moriarty said the CAA had \"considered the sharply differing views\" from Heathrow and the airlines about the level of fees.\n\n\"Understandably, their respective shareholder interests led the airport to argue for higher charges and the airlines to argue for lower charges,\" he added.\n\nBoth airlines and the airport have six weeks to appeal the decision.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/business-64885252"}
{"title":"SNP rivals set out indyref2 plans in fiery TV debate - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-08","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"Kate Forbes, Humza Yousaf and Ash Regan clash in the first SNP leadership TV debate.","section":"Scotland politics","content":"SNP leadership candidates Kate Forbes, Humza Yousaf and Ash Regan took part in a SNP leadership debate at STV's studios in Glasgow on Tuesday\n\nThe three candidates vying to replace Nicola Sturgeon as SNP leader have set out their plans for independence during the contest's first live TV debate.\n\nHumza Yousaf said he wanted to build a \"consistent majority\" by continuing the party's radical agenda.\n\nKate Forbes said a new approach was needed to win over undecided voters, adding \"continuity won't cut it\".\n\nRival candidate Ash Regan said the SNP had \"lost its way\" and pledged to unite the broader Yes movement.\n\nThe debate, hosted by STV, was marked at points by the candidates' personal attacks on each other's political records.\n\nFollowing Nicola Sturgeon's decision to step down, all three contenders are running to become both the next SNP leader and Scotland's first minister.\n\nMr Yousaf, currently health secretary, pledged to grow support for independence \"to new heights\" and said he would challenge Westminster's blocking of gender recognition reforms passed at Holyrood.\n\nFinance Secretary Ms Forbes said it was time for a new generation to lead and that she was ready for the job, stating \"more of the same is not a manifesto - it's an acceptance of mediocrity\".\n\nMs Regan said the SNP had to use the ballot box via elections as the \"gold standard\" to gaining independence and said she would \"build the foundations for independence\" through a dedicated commission and convention, describing the approach of the other candidates as \"wishy washy\".\n\nDuring an often feisty cross-examination section, Ms Forbes attacked Mr Yousaf's record as a Scottish government minister.\n\n\"You were a transport minister and the trains were never on time, when you were justice secretary the police were stretched to breaking point, and now as health minister we've got record high waiting times,\" she said.\n\nThe three candidates had some feisty exchanges during the first live TV debate of the contest\n\nAsked if he was the \"continuity candidate\" and if that means he is the \"no change candidate\", Mr Yousaf hit back at Ms Forbes, saying: \"If change means lurching to the right, Kate, if it means rolling back on progressive values, that's not the right change\".\n\nMr Yousaf then raised comments made by Ms Forbes, his cabinet colleague, earlier in the campaign when she said she would not have voted for same-sex marriage if she had been an MSP when the legislation passed.\n\nThe health secretary claimed \"many people, particularly from our LGBTQ community, say they wouldn't vote for independence\" as a result of this, adding, \"forget persuading No voters, you can't even keep Yes voters.\"\n\nBut Ms Forbes stressed she had made a \"solemn and honest pledge when it comes to upholding and defending the right of every Scot\".\n\nEach candidate was asked if they would invite their rivals into the newly formed cabinet. Ms Forbes said there was \"room for Humza Yousaf\" if she won the leadership race but quipped, \"maybe not in health\".\n\nThis debate was the first opportunity to see the candidates directly challenge each other.\n\nThe SNP hustings so far have been respectful - even convivial - in tone but the contrasting approaches to achieving the goal of independence are very different, and that was laid bare even before they were given the opportunity to question each other.\n\nFirst, Ash Regan described Humza Yousaf's and Kate Forbes' more gradualist approaches to independence as \"wishy washy\".\n\nThen during the cross-examinations, the challenges got personal too.\n\nMs Forbes hit out at Mr Yousaf's ministerial record. What makes him think, she asked, that he could do a better job as first minister?\n\nIt's clear the three contenders are in this contest to win it, but they'll have to tread a fine line between battling each other and handing the opposition a full round of ammunition.\n\nAreas where all three candidates found common ground included increasing welfare payments for children and hitting out at UK immigration plans.\n\nBut they were divided on the Scottish Greens remaining part of the Scottish government.\n\nMs Regan said she would \"review\" the power sharing agreement to ensure it was \"working for the people of Scotland\".\n\nDuring the debate, Scottish Greens co-leader Patrick Harvie said on Twitter that Ms Regan's claim she had spoken to the leaders of all major pro-independence parties earlier on Tuesday was not true.\n\nMs Regan later clarified that she left a message and had not had her call returned by the party.\n\nMr Yousaf described the government deal with Mr Harvie's' party as \"vital\", while Ms Forbes refused to say categorically the arrangement would remain, adding it would be for the Greens to decide if they were happy with her approach if she won the leadership contest.\n\nAsked if they would keep the monarchy in an independent Scotland, Ms Forbes said there were \"bigger issues facing Scotland\".\n\nShe added: \"I am pretty relaxed, I would see us as part of the Commonwealth.\"\n\nBut both Mr Yousaf and Ms Regan declared themselves to be republicans.\n\nMr Yousaf said he would \"keep the monarchy for a period of time\" but added \"I would hope an independent Scotland would be a republic in the future\".\n\nMs Regan said her preference would be to have an elected head of state for an independent Scotland.\n\nAnd she said in the \"new circumstances\" after the death of the Queen last year it might be time for the SNP conference to debate if retaining the monarchy was still the right policy for the party \"or whether we should move to a policy of having an elected head of state\".\n\nThe SNP leadership candidates will take part in an hour-long debate on BBC Scotland next week.\n\nA special edition of the Debate Night programme from Edinburgh will air at 20:00 on Tuesday 14 March on BBC One Scotland.\n\nSNP members can vote for Ms Sturgeon's successor from 13 March.\n\nThe winner will be announced on 27 March.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/uk-scotland-scotland-politics-64880055"}
{"title":"A mum's 'remarkable turnaround' to win her baby back - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-08","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"The BBC reports from the family courts as part of a pilot to improve transparency in the justice system.","section":"UK","content":"In a draughty corridor of Leeds Family Court, a father cuddles his young son. The baby is chewing the string of his dad's hoodie, smiling broadly.\n\nThat grin is magnetic. Lawyers dressed in severe black outfits hurry over to say hello, and Freddie coos and giggles in response.\n\nMuch of these courts' daily business is to separate children from their parents. It's exceptional to see a child here, let alone one happily reunited with his parents.\n\nWe spent three weeks in the court and were able to report proceedings which are usually heard in private, as part of a pilot.\n\nAcross the 15 different cases we saw, there were gruelling histories of abuse, of appalling neglect, sometimes children living in homes without food, or heating. Their parents often misuse drugs and alcohol, and suffer mental illness.\n\nThose parents will usually be in court, listening to those descriptions - and often they will be understandably upset and angry. In these cases, which mostly hear applications by local authorities to take children into care, the atmosphere can be extremely tense. Children can be removed as soon as the hearing is over.\n\nIf a child is taken into care, they will enter an overloaded system where there are record numbers of children - 82,000 in England. There's an acute shortage of places for the most vulnerable or troubled teenagers.\n\nFreddie's mother Jessie has been here many times before. She has given birth to five children, but baby Freddie is the first one she may be able to keep.\n\nThat depends on the decision of Nancy Hillier, the senior judge in this court.\n\nIn the past Jessie had misused drugs and alcohol. Sexually abused as a young girl, she suffered mental health problems. Court papers described her lifestyle as \"chaotic\". She had her first baby when she was a teenager, and he was taken into care.\n\nJessie soon became pregnant again, and that child was also removed. That happened again, and again. She would place her child \"at physical and emotional risk\", said an expert report.\n\nJessie was advised to have specialist therapy, but none was available on the NHS. She told us she tried to borrow money to fund it privately, without success. She even considered going to a loan shark.\n\n\"It was a vicious, vicious circle,\" she said. \"I don't really understand why they say, 'Right you need to do X Y Z,' and that's not available.\"\n\nResearchers tell us that it is commonplace for mothers in these cases to be recommended specialist therapy, which can't be accessed before the court proceedings end.\n\nThat was borne out by another case in Leeds, where Sarah was trying to stop her toddler Ellie from being adopted.\n\nThis would separate her from her birth family and break the very close link she has with her older half-siblings, children from Sarah's earlier relationship who currently live with their father.\n\n\"They play together, they cuddle each other. They love each other,\" one barrister said, noting that sibling relationships are the most important in life.\n\nIn her late 20s, neatly dressed, hair in a tidy ponytail, Sarah sat poised throughout. She listened intently. She wanted Ellie to come home, or to stay in foster care while she had therapy. Several times, when a barrister shared a photograph of the siblings together, or mentioned Ellie's father, Sarah covered her face or broke into loud sobs.\n\nShe had been recommended therapy by the expert psychologist who had assessed her for the court. Her case had lasted 18 months, and she was still on the NHS waiting list. The local authority had not offered to fund the treatment.\n\nIt was \"cruel\" that she couldn't get the therapy, said barrister Christopher Styles as he cross-examined the mother's social worker. \"I don't entirely disagree with you,\" she responded.\n\nSarah had overcome alcohol and drug abuse. She claimed to have separated from her abusive ex, but social workers doubted that. He was the man most likely responsible for injuries to one of the children, that led to these court proceedings.\n\nThe judge granted the adoption placement order, and said Sarah should have therapy as she will continue to see her other children.\n\nJessie's situation was different. She had managed to overcome her past problems on her own. She told us the isolation of Covid lockdown had given her time to reflect. When she began seeing Freddie's father, she investigated his past, and he \"came back squeaky clean\" - unlike some of her other partners. She said, \"I thought, this is my shot at being happy.\"\n\nJessie trained for a new job, which she loves, and which obliges her to stay sober, out of trouble, and well. \"I can't afford to have a mental breakdown,\" she said.\n\nWhen a child is first taken into care - as Freddie was removed at birth - it is via an interim care order issued by the court. The court will then order assessments of the parents to see whether the child can be returned safely to them or to another family member, whether they will stay in the care of the state, or be adopted.\n\nFamily barrister Lucy Reed said the courts do try to keep children within their natural families, as the law requires. Sometimes that can result in decisions that look strange to those who don't know the system.\n\nWe also heard the case of baby Jamie, who was born withdrawing from opiates, because his mother was a heroin addict. He struggled to breathe and feed, according to court papers. Nurses described him as \"jittery\", \"sneezing\" and \"really stiff\".\n\nOne nurse said it was the worst case of withdrawal she had seen.\n\nJamie was placed to live with a relative.\n\nHis father Joe wanted the baby to live with him. Joe had abused cannabis and heroin but had recently given up. The court heard that after a lot of work he had persuaded the West Yorkshire local authority that the baby would be safe with him.\n\nBeverley Barnett Jones worked on the frontline of child protection for nearly 30 years. She's now at the Nuffield Family Justice Observatory. She said such decisions are not that exceptional.\n\nShe said most people would question why you would do that. But she says people can change. \"They surprise you. And they show, actually, that change is real, it's authentic.\"\n\nJoe worked closely with the social workers and had a lot of support from his family. He told us that the baby was doing well, and that he enjoyed being a first-time father. \"It makes life worth living,\" he said. \"It's amazing.\"\n\nSince the court had granted a care order for Jamie, his dad will get extra support from social workers. But it also means parental responsibility is shared between Joe and the local authority. If anything goes wrong, the council can take the baby back into care.\n\nIn Freddie's case too the reports on the family were positive. The Cafcass Guardian, who represents the child's interest, supported his return home.\n\nThe same psychologist who had advised that Jessie couldn't safely care for her fourth child, wrote this time around that she had \"much improved psychological and emotional stability\" and there were \"no significant issues at present\".\n\nFreddie was reunited with his parents\n\nFreddie had been placed with his parents a few weeks before the hearing, and that had gone well. Jessie told us it was as though he was her first child.\n\n\"The first night we had him at home, it was really, really strange to wake up to a crying baby,\" she said.\n\nBut then when she peeked over the cot and saw his \"little smiley face\", she thought \"the fight was worth it\" and was glad she hadn't given up.\"\n\nIn court, Judge Hillier praised Jessie's \"remarkable turnaround\" saying \"these parents have done incredibly well with Freddie\" and that he is described as \"thriving in their care\".\n\nShe also challenged the local authority, saying they needed to rewrite a document explaining why they had acted in this case. It refers to Jessie's psychological problems as being current when they are now in the past.\n\nJessie told me outside court that she felt vindicated, especially when the judge told the council's lawyer to rework the document. \"It was like having someone turning around to the local authority and saying to them on my behalf: 'I told you so.'\"\n\nA West Yorkshire local authority will support the family under what is known as a supervision order. It means the local authority has to \"advise, assist and befriend\" the child.\n\nMany mothers can't get out of the \"vicious circle\" as Jessie described it. Once one baby is taken into care, they quickly get pregnant again, and it is extremely likely that the second child will be taken away, too. Professor Karen Broadhurst has been researching babies \"born into care\" for nearly a decade.\n\n\"We know statistics remain stubbornly high,\" she said. \"We estimate that one in every four women at least will return to court. And for the very youngest women this will be one in three, which is an incredibly high proportion\".\n\nWe were able to follow these cases, to talk to Jessie and Joe, thanks to an experiment in \"open justice\", currently running in three court centres - Leeds, Cardiff and Carlisle. For decades there have been calls for greater openness in family courts, which this pilot hopes to address. Currently, most hearings are held in private.\n\nLucy Reed is the founder of the Transparency Project, a supporter of the trial.\n\n\"I think it has potential to be really important,\" she told us, acknowledging there would be \"teething problems\". The courts are trying to address them.\n\nIn court, we saw lawyers and barristers advocating on behalf of local councils, the children and their parents. The process is adversarial, something that can feel confrontational, especially when people are being cross-examined. Some of the cases have been convened urgently as emergency hearings - one mother spoke to a judge from the hospital maternity ward.\n\nSeveral of the cases had lasted for many months, extending beyond the court's 26-week time frame for concluding a case.\n\nJessie said she was pleased we'd seen her case. \"It's about time,\" she said. \"Family courts need to stop being so private. People need to see what's going on.\"","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/uk-64874989"}
{"title":"Army urged to stop giving out ceremonial daggers as gifts after murders - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-08","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"A coroner writes to the defence secretary after a veteran used his retirement gift to kill a couple.","section":"Somerset","content":"Collin Reeves used a ceremonial dagger, given to him when he left the Army, to kill his neighbours\n\nThe Army has been urged to stop giving out weapons as retirement gifts after a veteran used a ceremonial dagger to murder his neighbours.\n\nCollin Reeves killed Stephen Chapple, 36, and wife Jennifer, 33, in 2021 after a long-running parking dispute.\n\nThe dagger had been handed to Reeves when he retired from the British Army.\n\nSenior Somerset Coroner Samantha Marsh has written to Defence Secretary Ben Wallace urging him to consider the \"appropriateness\" of such gifts.\n\nStephen and Jennifer Chapple were stabbed to death while their children slept upstairs\n\n\"The dagger was not a blunt replica, it was a fully functional weapon capable of causing significant harm, injury and, sadly, in the Chapples' case, death,\" she wrote in a prevention of future deaths report.\n\n\"Please reconsider the appropriateness of providing anyone leaving the British Army, regardless of rank or status, with what is to all intents and purposes a deadly weapon.\n\n\"Such presentation\/gifting has essentially put a deadly weapon in the community where I understand it sadly remains, having never been recovered as it was removed from the scene prior to police attendance, and I am not persuaded that this is appropriate.\"\n\nReeves, an ex-Royal Engineer who served in Afghanistan, was jailed for life in June last year and ordered to serve at least 38 years after being convicted of the double murder in Norton Fitzwarren, Somerset.\n\nReeves called police just a few minutes after the killings to confess, but later denied murder, claiming he was guilty of manslaughter due to diminished responsibility.\n\nBut two forensic psychiatrists found he was not suffering from psychosis or acute post-traumatic stress disorder, and diagnosed him with only mild to moderate depression.\n\nOn the night of the murders, Reeves was caught on a security camera climbing the fence separating his garden from the victims' garden, and entering through the back door.\n\nThe court heard that the Chapples and Reeves previously had a good relationship but it had deteriorated when Mrs Chapple learned to drive and bought a second car.\n\nRows over parking spaces escalated to the point that Reeves' wife Kayley and Mrs Chapple had told their friends they were anxious about bumping into each other on the school run.\n\nThe Defence Secretary has until April 25 to respond to the coroner's report.\n\nFollow BBC West on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. Send your story ideas to: bristol@bbc.co.uk\n\nThe BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/uk-england-somerset-64896245"}
{"title":"A cartel's mistake may explain kidnappings in Mexico - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-08","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"A theory that the kidnapping of four Americans was a case of mistaken identity gains strength.","section":"Latin America & Caribbean","content":"This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Video shows the moment four Americans were kidnapped in Mexico\n\nFour Americans were kidnapped by armed men last week soon after crossing into the Mexican border city of Matamoros. Two of them were killed and two survived the ordeal.\n\nFor now, the Mexican government remains tight-lipped about the motive for the attack. However, the attorney general's office in the state of Tamaulipas said the theory that this was a case of mistaken identity was \"strengthening\".\n\nOfficials wouldn't comment on two specific suggestions - that a drug gang had confused them either for US-based rivals, Haitian drug gang members or people smugglers. But they said there were multiple and \"diverse\" lines of investigation, and that none was being ruled out at this stage.\n\nMatamoros is caught between warring factions of the Gulf Cartel, as they battle for control of the so-called plazas - the drug smuggling routes north into the US.\n\nApparently unwitting, the group of friends from North Carolina drove their minivan straight into that maelstrom. Their ordeal lasted for four days.\n\nAs the US citizens were being moved between safehouses to prevent detection, the US Embassy issued a statement demanding their immediate release. For any Mexican cartel - or even a common criminal gang operating along the border - that will have spelt trouble.\n\nThe armed gang will have understood immediately that the full force of a joint operation by US and Mexican federal law enforcement was going to be turned in their direction. Had the motive been ransom, as is so often the case in Mexico, they will have realised it was now very unlikely to be paid.\n\nFar easier, then, to simply turn the Americans over and deflect some of the intense heat bearing down on their gang.\n\n\"My guess is that's the most reasonable explanation for what happened,\" says Mexican drug war analyst, Alejandro Hope. \"They might have had connections or contacts with local police and they just told their contacts where their safehouse was.\"\n\nKidnappings in Mexico are disturbingly common. Last year, Mexico reached the horrific figure of 100,000 people disappeared or missing in the country. Most kidnappings are carried out with complete impunity, particularly in the case of undocumented immigrants travelling north to the US.\n\nIn comparison, this case was resolved incredibly quickly. Some Mexicans voiced frustration on social media at the speed with which such crimes are resolved when foreigners are involved.\n\n\"In under a week. And the thousands and thousands of kidnapped Mexicans?\" wrote one Twitter user.\n\n\"That's not untrue,\" says Mr Hope. \"Mexican institutions have a limited set of capabilities. But if they focus those capabilities on specific cases, yes, they can solve them.\"\n\n\"It's about visibility and political impact,\" he says.\n\nClearly, in this instance, the political will in Mexico to find a solution couldn't have been higher.\n\nUS Ambassador Ken Salazar met Mexican President Andr\u00e9s Manuel L\u00f3pez Obrador to discuss the matter, and said the US State Department had \"no greater priority\" than the well-being of its citizens abroad.\n\nThe case was brought to an end within 24 hours.\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Mexico missing: 'If I find a body, I recover a piece of my son'","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/world-latin-america-64825204"}
{"title":"Matthew Selby given life sentence for killing sister - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-08","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"Matthew Selby choked his sister Amanda to death after they had an argument at a holiday park.","section":"Wales","content":"Amanda Selby was killed by her brother at a holiday park\n\nA man who killed his 15-year-old sister in a caravan has had his sentence increased to life in prison.\n\nMatthew Selby, 20, choked his sister Amanda to death at Ty Mawr Holiday Park in Towyn, Conwy county, in July 2021.\n\nThe Court of Appeal ruled Selby, of Windermere Crescent, Ashton-under-Lyne, should serve life with a minimum term of three years and four months.\n\nThis new sentence will have the amount of time he has already spent in prison deducted from the total and Selby must have his case considered by the Parole Board before he can be released.\n\nLord Justice Stuart-Smith said the case was a \"tragedy from every perspective and for everyone involved\".\n\nThe siblings had been on holiday with their father when they returned to their caravan after a trip and began arguing.\n\nSelby lunged at Amanda after she hit him with a plug, causing a minor injury to his bottom lip.\n\nAmanda, from Greater Manchester, then fell to the floor between two beds in the room before Selby began choking her.\n\nMatthew Selby was initially charged with murder, but admitted manslaughter on the grounds of diminished responsibility\n\nThe court heard Selby has autism spectrum disorder with intermittent explosive disorder, which causes aggressive outbursts.\n\nHe previously received a caution for battery against a teacher in 2014 when he was 11 and a conviction for two offences of battery, against his sister and mother, in 2015.\n\nThe court was told that the Attorney General's office did not dispute parts of the original judge's sentencing, but having found Selby was dangerous, they \"should have imposed a discretionary life sentence to protect the public\".\n\nLord Justice Stuart-Smith, sitting with Mr Justice Lavender and Mrs Justice Heather Williams, said there was no evidence to say how long Selby may pose a risk to the public.\n\n\"What the court is concerned with at this point is risk to others,\" he added.\n\n\"We are satisfied that the criteria for the imposition of a life sentence was and has been met.\"\n\nHe said that the risk posed by Selby and the lack of evidence about how long he may pose a danger \"lead to the conclusion that the sentence imposed by the judge below should be quashed\".\n\nAmanda Selby was killed by her brother while they were at Ty Mawr Holiday Park with their father\n\nIn a tribute, Amanda's family said: \"Amanda was a loving daughter and granddaughter - she was caring, thoughtful, liked to help others and very much loved.\"\n\nThe teenager's school, Droylsden Academy in Manchester, added that she was a \"lovely student\" who will be \"sorely missed\".\n\nMeanwhile her jiu-jitsu club said: \"The Kamiza Dojo family is truly devastated by this awful news. We are truly heartbroken.\"","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/uk-wales-64893568"}
{"title":"Swim England 'truly sorry' over abuse and bullying claims - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-08","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"Olympic medallist Cassie Patten is among those calling for a bullying culture in the sport to end.","section":"England","content":"Olympic medallist Cassie Patten says she suffered \"disordered eating\" for years due to negative comments\n\nThe head of Swim England said she was \"truly sorry\" swimmers had suffered abuse and vowed to \"do everything\" to erase a culture of bullying.\n\nJane Nickerson's comments come after the BBC revealed swimmers developed eating disorders and serious mental health problems due to abusive coaches.\n\nOlympic medallist Cassie Patten said change was vital, having felt \"broken\" after years of negative comments.\n\nSwim England said an independent review would engage with swimmers and coaches.\n\nMore than 100 swimmers have joined an online support group after Commonwealth youth gold medallist Phoebe Lenderyou said she had battled bulimia for five years due to coaches' obsession with her weight.\n\nMultiple swimmers have told the BBC they had been damaged by relentless bullying, humiliating public weigh-ins, fat-shaming and training on injuries.\n\nMany said they had been scared to speak out for fear of being treated worse or kicked off their team.\n\nMs Nickerson said recent experiences \"across society and within our sports have shown in painful detail exactly why\" change was needed.\n\nMore than 100 swimmers have reached out to Phoebe Lenderyou after she spoke out about her eating disorder\n\n\"We have a zero-tolerance approach to poor behaviour, but we have to be open and recognise that sadly not everyone has had the positive experience we would expect from participation in our sports,\" she said.\n\n\"For that I am truly sorry.\n\n\"If we are to be successful in this cultural change journey then we need everyone in aquatics, in any role at any level, to commit to collectively doing everything we possibly can to deliver the positive, safe, welcoming environment and culture that we all want to see.\"\n\nDetails of the independent review were revealed as the Loughborough-based governing body launched its safeguarding and welfare plan, the Heart of Aquatics.\n\nIt will appoint an independent expert to listen to the views of everyone in aquatics - from swimmers and their parents to coaches, volunteers, clubs and swim schools - and publish and learn from the findings.\n\nCassie Patten, who won bronze at Beijing 2008, says she felt like a \"commodity\" rather than a person to her coaches\n\nFormer Team GB swimmer Patten sacrificed many things in her childhood to focus on swimming and was rewarded with a bronze medal at the 2008 Beijing Olympics in the 10km open water event.\n\nBut her adoration of the sport was quickly replaced with loathing when she began suffering serious \"disordered eating\" after becoming \"fixated\" with losing weight on her coach's instructions.\n\nShe said a \"massive disproportionate amount of focus\" had been put on her physique after she had put on some weight following her Olympic success.\n\n\"I'd make myself sick, not drink anything the night before, I'd be going to the toilet several times before my weigh-ins; anything to get the lowest possible number on the scales,\" she said.\n\nThe cracks had started to show when she was younger and, as her Olympic dream edged closer, she told a coach she had decided to switch clubs.\n\n\"He ignored me for months until I left. It showed me I was a commodity to him and not a person,\" she said.\n\nPatten was the first to congratulate Rebecca Adlington after her 800m freestyle success\n\nThe athlete, who raced alongside gold medallist Rebecca Adlington in Beijing, ended up quitting aged 24 in 2011 due to a shoulder injury, her hopes of competing at the 2012 London Olympics in tatters.\n\n\"I was broken, mentally a shell of who I was and a very unhappy person. I hated swimming, I couldn't put on a swimming costume for years,\" she said.\n\n\"I've spent years getting over it and working on my relationship with food,\" she said.\n\nPatten said she had been inundated with swimmers coming forward to share their own stories of abuse since the BBC's article.\n\nShe said she had also reached out to one of her former coaches to talk about what had happened and he had apologised.\n\n\"I think that's so important to recognise. It does show that there are coaches who are willing to be reflective.\"\n\nJane Nickerson, who hails from Coventry, is to retire from Swim England later this year\n\nSwim England is already undergoing a separate review into how it handled complaints following the closure of Ellesmere College Titans in the wake of a damning report and a separate investigation into City of Oxford Swimming Club.\n\nRichard Hookway, who chairs the organisation's board, said it was determined to get an \"honest, thorough reflection of the culture within aquatics now and previously\" by listening to members.\n\n\"Aquatics is a powerful force for good... supporting people's physical and mental health and there are fantastic examples of this across the country,\" he said.\n\n\"However, we know that, on occasions, behaviours have fallen short of the culture we desire.\n\n\"We recognise we must continuously strive to improve in order to foster a positive culture and deliver for the people who are the lifeblood of our aquatic sports.\"\n\nPatten, who lives in Oxfordshire and runs her own coaching company, is pushing for regular mandatory training for coaches. Currently, coaches are not obligated to upskill once they have qualified.\n\nShe wants the culture change to include keeping the conversation going, a willingness to question and review practices and for coaches to be reflective.\n\n\"We must also have respectful challenge. It should be OK for swimmers to speak up if they aren't happy and also move past coaching norms. What was acceptable 10-20 years ago may not be acceptable now,\" she said.\n\nShe also had a message for those who perceived people speaking out about emotional abuse as weak.\n\n\"I don't buy this snowflake stuff. Giving someone the respect they deserve is not being a snowflake,\" she said.\n\n\"Just because this might be a general culture within sport doesn't mean we have to accept it in swimming.\"\n\nFollow BBC West Midlands on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. Send your story ideas to: newsonline.westmidlands@bbc.co.uk\n\nThe BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/uk-england-64826839"}
{"title":"Natalie McGarry: Ex-MP cannot repay proceeds of crime, court told - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-08","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"Prosecutors are seeking to recover \u00a3130,000 from Natalie McGarry, who was jailed for embezzlement.","section":"Scotland","content":"Natalie McGarry, who was the MP for Glasgow East between 2015 and 2017, was not in court for the hearing\n\nFormer SNP MP Natalie McGarry will be able to pay back \"essentially nil\" of the \u00a3130,000 prosecutors are seeking from her, a court has heard.\n\nMcGarry, 41, was sentenced to two years in jail for embezzling \u00a325,000 from the SNP and a pro-independence group.\n\nThe ex-politician lost an appeal over her conviction last month, but had her prison term cut to 20 months.\n\nProsecutors are now aiming to recover embezzled funds at a proceeds of crime hearing at Glasgow Sheriff Court.\n\nMcGarry, who was the MP for Glasgow East between 2015 and 2017, was not in attendance on Tuesday.\n\nAdvocate Allan MacLeod, defending, told the hearing that the Crown were about to serve a fourth statement of information.\n\nHe said: \"The proposal is to continue for four to six weeks but I will ask for four weeks as the defence is very anxious to draw a line under this case as soon as possible.\n\n\"I do not know what the next version will say but there is a low available amount.\n\n\"The available amount is essentially nil.\"\n\nProsecutor Mark Allan told the court he was informed the latest version of the statement of information was to be sent from the Crown on Monday night, but that he was not aware of its content.\n\nA new date has now been set for early April.\n\nSheriff Barry Divers, who told the court he had also not received the report, said: \"Hopefully that will be for settlement to be achieved.\"\n\nMcGarry has been ordained to appear in the meantime.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/uk-scotland-64876280"}
{"title":"Georgia: Police break up protests as crowds stay defiant - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-08","authors":null,"description":"Protesters continue to be struck by water canon and tear gas as unrest continues over a controversial draft law.","section":null,"content":"Georgians have taken to the streets to voice their anger at a controversial draft law that critics see as an attack on civil society and independent media.\n\nThe government says the \"foreign agents\" bill will improve transparency.\n\nRiot police have used water cannon and pepper spray to disperse the crowds - and MPs have brawled over the bill in parliament.\n\nPolice break up second night of Georgia protests","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/world-europe-64888796"}
{"title":"Breakthrough as eggs made from male mice cells - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-08","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"Researchers have created eggs from the cells of male mice, raising the prospect of male couples having their own children.","section":"Science & Environment","content":"A Japanese researcher has told a major genetics conference that he has created eggs from the cells of male mice.\n\nThe research, still in its early stages, involved turning male XY sex chromosomes into female XX ones.\n\nProf Katsuhiko Hayashi from Osaka University is working on developing fertility treatments.\n\nThe development, which he has submitted for publication in the scientific journal Nature, raises the prospect of male couples having their own children.\n\nProf George Daley of Harvard Medical School, who is not involved in the research, said that there was still a long way to go before society was faced with such a decision.\n\n''Hayashi's work is unpublished but fascinating. [Doing this on Humans] is harder than the mouse,\" he said. We still don't understand enough of the unique biology of human gametogenesis (the formation of reproductive cells) to reproduce Hayashi's provocative work in mice''.\n\nDetails were presented at the human gene-editing summit at the Crick Institute in London.\n\nProf Hayashi, a globally respected expert in the field, told delegates at the meeting that the work was at a very early stage. The eggs, he said were of low quality and the technique could not be used safely on humans at this stage.\n\nBut he told BBC News that he could see current problems overcome in ten years and he would like to see it available as a fertility treatment for both male and female and same sex couples if it is proven to be safe to use.\n\n\"If people want it and if society accepts such a technology then yes, I'm for it\".\n\nProf Katsuhiko Hayashi announces that he has created eggs from male mice cells\n\nThe technique involves first taking a skin cell from a male mouse and then turning it into a stem cell - a cell that can turn into other types of cell.\n\nThe cells are male and therefore have XY chromosomes. Prof Katsuhiko's team then delete the Y chromosome, duplicate the X chromosome and then stick the two X's together. This adjustment allows the stem cell to be programmed to become an egg.\n\nThe technique could be used to help infertile couples where women are not able to produce their own eggs. He stressed though that it was a long way off from being available as a fertility treatment.\n\n\"Even in mice there are many problems in the quality of the egg. So before we can think of it as a fertility treatment we have to overcome these problems, which could take a long long time,\" he said.\n\nProf Hayashi said he would not be in favour of it being used by a man to create a baby using his own sperm and artificially created eggs.\n\n\"Technically this is possible. I'm not so sure whether at this stage it is safe or acceptable for society\".\n\nProf Amander Clark, a stem cell scientist from the University of Californa, Los Angeles said that the LBGTQ+ community should have a say in the use of the technology for reproduction.\n\n\"The LGBTQ+ community have unique needs when it comes to having a family. It may be possible in the future for same-sex reproduction based upon current research using laboratory models to develop the technology.\n\n\"However, today this technology is not available for human use, safety and efficacy has not been proven, and it is unclear how long the technology will take to get to the clinic. There is still much to learn about the human germ line and fundamental knowledge gaps serve as a barrier to translating this research to humans.\"\n\nAlta Charo, professor of law at the University of Wisconsin Maddison, said different cultures would have \"profoundly different views\" on whether to use the technology, if it became available.\n\n\"In some societies a genetic contribution to one's children is considered absolutely essential, and for them it's a question of 'is this a step to take?' for those who are not in a heterosexual arrangement.\n\n\"For other societies that's not as nearly as important, and child adoption is perfectly acceptable, because for them families are more about the personal relationship and less about the biological connection.\"\n\nProf Haoyi Wang, of the Chinese Academy of Science believes there is a very a long way to go before the technology could be considered for use in the clinic.\n\n\"Scientists never say never, in principle it has been done in mice so, of course, it may be possible in humans, but I can foresee a lot of challenges and I couldn't predict how many years that would be.\"","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/science-environment-64893170"}
{"title":"Elle Edwards: Three arrests in connection with fatal shooting at pub - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-08","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"Elle Edwards, 26, was shot in the head while celebrating with friends at a pub on Christmas Eve.","section":"Liverpool","content":"Three people have been arrested by detectives investigating the murder of a woman outside a Merseyside pub on Christmas Eve.\n\nElle Edwards, 26, was shot in the head while celebrating with friends at The Lighthouse pub in Wallasey Village.\n\nA man and a woman, both 23, were arrested on suspicion of conspiracy to commit murder, Merseyside Police said.\n\nThomas Waring, 20, was charged with possession of a prohibited weapon and assisting an offender.\n\nMr Waring, of Private Drive, Barnston, Wirral, is due to appear at Wirral Adult Remand Court on Thursday.\n\nThe man, from Heswall, and woman, from Tranmere, have been released on bail.\n\nConnor Chapman, 22, has already been charged with murdering Ms Edwards and is due to go on trial on 7 June.\n\nWhy not follow BBC North West on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram? You can also send story ideas to northwest.newsonline@bbc.co.uk","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/uk-england-merseyside-64897319"}
{"title":"Lucy Letby: Parents begged for baby to be moved, jury told - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-08","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"Nurse Lucy Letby is accused of murdering the baby boy's two brothers days after they were born.","section":"Liverpool","content":"Lucy Letby is accused of murdering Child O and P on the neonatal unit in June 2016\n\nThe parents of baby triplets begged for their surviving son to be transferred to a different hospital after his two brothers both died within 24 hours, the trial of nurse Lucy Letby has heard.\n\nThe 33-year-old is accused of murdering the two baby boys by injecting them with air in the days after they were born in June 2016.\n\nMs Letby, originally from Hereford, is charged with murdering seven babies and attempting to murder 10 others.\n\nManchester Crown Court heard the triplets, who cannot be named for legal reasons, were born one minute apart at the Countess of Chester Hospital and each weighed about 4lb (1.8kg).\n\nThey were in good condition at birth and were cared for on the hospital's neonatal unit, the jury was told.\n\nIn a statement read to the court, their mother recalled the moment she first learned there was something wrong when they were two days old.\n\nShe said the neonatal unit \"was a scene of chaos\" and in the intensive care room \"lots of medical staff were rushing around... the staff seemed to be in a state of panic and it didn't seem to be controlled\".\n\nTheir mother said the baby - known as Child O - had a swollen body while their father said his stomach \"looked like [the film character] ET\".\n\nIn a video interview, which was played to the jury, he cried and pointed to his hand as he explained: \"You could see his veins were all bright, bright blue.\n\n\"All of them were different colours. It looked like he had really bad prickly heat.. you could see something through his veins.\"\n\nThe court heard that Child O died that evening.\n\nHis mother said: \"The whole episode came like a bolt out of the blue.\n\n\"On the face of it everything had been going so well, it was never explained to us how it happened. As a family we were naturally devastated.\"\n\nShe added that they had been told that there would be one nurse looking after each baby, but a student nurse from Chester University had been closely involved with their care.\n\nMs Letby is accused of murdering seven babies and trying to kill 10 others\n\nThe jury heard that 24 hours later the same kind of emergency happened with the second triplet - known as Child P - and their mother said it was \"like deja vu\".\n\nThe babies' father said that as medical staff tried to save his son \"it was pandemonium and absolutely mental - it was worse than the day before\".\n\nChild P is said to have looked similar to his brother, with discolouration and prominent veins, although his stomach wasn't swollen, the court heard.\n\nHe died that evening, just under 24 hours after his brother.\n\nThe court heard their parents begged a hospital transfer team to take their third triplet to another hospital.\n\nTheir father said: \"We said there's no way he's staying at this hospital.\n\n\"If you don't take him, we'll take him ourselves.\"\n\nThe jury was told the baby was moved to another hospital following their request.\n\nThe babies' parents said Ms Letby had brought the bodies of the two deceased babies to them, and had dressed them and made memory boxes.\n\nTheir mother said: \"Lucy was extremely upset and emotional and in pieces and almost as upset as we were.\n\n\"She brought [the babies] to see us in a cooling basket. She was in floods of tears.\"\n\nWhy not follow BBC North West on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram? You can also send story ideas to northwest.newsonline@bbc.co.uk\n\nThe BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/uk-england-merseyside-64891018"}
{"title":"Hopes of end to rail strike row as workers vote on pay offer - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-08","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"The new offer equates to a pay rise of up to 14.4% for the lowest paid workers.","section":"Business","content":"The UK's biggest rail union RMT has suspended strikes at Network Rail and will hold a vote on a new pay offer.\n\nThe surprise development will raise hopes of a breakthrough in the dispute between workers and the rail industry, which had appeared deadlocked.\n\nUnion bosses said it was up to workers how to vote on the new pay deal.\n\nThe new offer equates to a pay rise of up to 14.4% for the lowest paid workers and 9.2% for the highest paid, the union said on Wednesday.\n\nWhile the government has not put more money on the table, under these proposals Network Rail rail employees would get this year's pay increase backdated by three months, ending up with a bigger lump sum.\n\nThe referendum will start on Thursday and close on 20 March.\n\nNetwork Rail's chief executive Andrew Haines said the vote on the revised deal would give train staff the chance to end \"many months of disruption to the railway network\", and that he hoped RMT members would vote to accept the package.\n\nRMT members who work for train companies - including train guards - are currently set to continue action, with strikes set for 16, 18 and 30 March and 1 April as well as next Thursday.\n\nOn Wednesday evening, the Rail Delivery Group, which represents train operating companies, urged the RMT to return to talks on Thursday, but asked for strikes to be called off before talks resume.\n\nThe RMT said it would join talks seeking a new offer, but before then will not call off the strikes, leaving it unclear whether or not talks with the RDG would resume.\n\nHowever with workers at Network Rail - which manages the UK's rail infrastructure - no longer joining them, disruption will not be on the same scale and is likely to vary by operator.\n\nLast month the RMT rejected what the industry and government described as \"best and final\" offers.\n\nOne was from Network Rail and the other from the RDG, representing 14 train companies employing guards and station staff.\n\nThe RDG, which is also still to agree a deal with the RMT, has now invited the union to hold urgent talks on the back of Network Rail's offer.\n\n\"The RMT leadership's decision to put Network Rail's deal to its membership is a welcome development, but train operating staff will rightly be asking why their union continues to deny them the opportunity to have their say on our equivalent offer,\" the RDG said in a statement.\n\nThe RMT has previously said it is \"focused on coming to a negotiated settlement\" and it had carried out an \"in-depth consultation\" before the decision to reject the pay offer was made.\n\nThe industry and government have said all along that any pay increase must come with changes to working practices.\n\nNow, the RMT has said it is seeking an unconditional pay offer, among other requests.\n\nThere have been a number of false dawns in this long-running dispute.\n\nBut the RMT views Network Rail's tweaked offer as an improvement, and its communication suggests a shift in approach.\n\nSignificantly, this time it will not tell members how they should vote in the referendum.\n\nThe government hasn't put any more money on the table.\n\nBut this revised deal would see backpay increased.\n\nThere is now a wait to see what members make of it.\n\nWithout Network Rail's signallers joining in, RMT strikes lose some of their bite, and their national scale.\n\nThe question now is whether the Network Rail development will lead to any shift in the dispute with the train companies.\n\nStrikes have been taking place across the country's railways since June last year.\n\nUnions have argued any pay offer should reflect the rising cost of living - currently above 10%.\n\nBut the rail industry is under pressure to save money, after the pandemic left a hole in its finances. Bosses say reforms need to be agreed, to afford pay increases and modernise the railway.\n\nDuring industrial action skeleton services have run on some lines with passengers often warned to avoid travelling where possible in case of disruption.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/business-64883158"}
{"title":"Olivia Pratt-Korbel murder-accused was 'high-level' drug dealer - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-21","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"Thomas Cashman tells a jury he was making between \u00a33,000 and \u00a35,000 a week selling cannabis.","section":"Liverpool","content":"The man accused of murdering Olivia Pratt-Korbel was a \"high-level cannabis dealer\", he has told a court.\n\nThomas Cashman is accused of killing the nine-year-old and injuring her mother after chasing Joseph Nee into their house in Liverpool on 22 August.\n\nHe has started giving evidence at the trial at Manchester Crown Court.\n\nThe 34-year-old told the jury he was making between \u00a33,000 and \u00a35,000 a week selling 5kg - 10kg (11 - 22lb) of cannabis.\n\nHe said: \"I would buy cars, bikes, save some, go on holidays and just spend it on stuff that I enjoyed basically.\"\n\nHe said he left school at the age of 13 or 14 and by the time he was about 16 and working at a fair in Wales he was smoking cannabis every day.\n\nMr Cashman, who has two children with \"childhood sweetheart\" Kaylee Sweeney, said he started selling cannabis when he was about 18 on a \"small scale\".\n\nHe said: \"I was basically smoking my profit.\"\n\nBut by 2021, when he and the family moved to a home in Grenadier Drive, Liverpool, he was selling at a \"high level\", he told the court.\n\nHe said: \"I only ever sold it in my area where I've been brought up, so everyone I sold it to was everyone I knew.\"\n\nOlivia was shot when a man burst into her house and opened fire\n\nJohn Cooper KC, defending, said: \"You became a cannabis dealer, didn't you?\"\n\nMr Cooper then asked: \"Were you a high-level cannabis dealer?\"\n\nTo which the defendant answered: \"Yes.\"\n\nHe said his \"catchment area\" was around the Finch Lane area of Dovecot in Liverpool and he would often get the drugs dropped at his sister's house in Mab Lane.\n\nFrom there he said he would take them to whoever had asked for them, or to his friend's house, which he said was used as a \"stash house\".\n\nBut there were issues with him using his sister's house, he told the court.\n\nHe said: \"My sister's boyfriend is an ex-police officer.\n\n\"He didn't like it and he got on [at] my sister over it and they were having arguments between each other about me always being there.\"\n\nHe said on the day of the shooting his sister had told him to stop having people round to the house because of the arguments.\n\nThe defendant told the jury he knew Mr Nee, who he is alleged to have targeted in the shooting, and never had any problems with him or his brothers.\n\nHe claimed the day before Olivia was shot he was at the Nee family home to look at his brother's new Audi A6 car.\n\nAsked about the suggestion he was \"scoping things out\" the day before the shooting, he said: \"That is untrue, I wasn't.\"\n\nThomas Cashman told the jury he was making between \u00a33,000 and \u00a35,000 a week selling cannabis\n\nHe denied making any \"confession\" after the shooting to a key prosecution witness, a woman Mr Cashman was said to be having a \"fling\" with.\n\nThe woman, who cannot be named for legal reasons, claims Mr Cashman came to her house after the shooting where he changed his clothing and she overheard him say he had \"done Joey\".\n\nMr Cashman said he dealt drugs to the woman's boyfriend, who owed him \u00a325,000, and said she threatened to tell his partner they were having a relationship because he refused to go to Marbella to start a new life with her.\n\nEarlier the court heard the intended target of the shooting that killed Olivia was a convicted drug dealer with \"enemies\".\n\nThe jury was told the shooting was not the first Mr Nee had been involved in with David McLachlan KC, prosecuting, saying he and members of his immediate family \"had their enemies\".\n\nHe said Mr Nee was shot at by someone in March 2018, though the prosecution did not suggest Mr Cashman was responsible for or involved in the incident.\n\nThe jury was also told Mr Nee had convictions for conspiracy to supply controlled drugs, possession with intent to supply controlled drugs, possession of controlled drugs, burglary and theft, aggravated vehicle taking, theft of or from vehicles, associated motoring offences and a public order offence.\n\nMr Cashman denies the murder of Olivia, the attempted murder of Mr Nee, wounding with intent to do grievous bodily harm to Olivia's mother Cheryl Korbel, and two counts of possession of a firearm with intent to endanger life.\n\nWhy not follow BBC North West on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram? You can also send story ideas to northwest.newsonline@bbc.co.uk\n\nThe BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/uk-england-merseyside-65025221"}
{"title":"Rishi Sunak: Pension tax breaks will cut NHS waiting lists, says PM - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-21","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"The prime minister says pensions changes will keep doctors in work, amid criticism they are unfair.","section":"UK Politics","content":"Rishi Sunak has defended his pension tax cuts for high earners, saying they will help the NHS by keeping doctors in work.\n\nIn an interview with BBC Breakfast, the prime minister said the changes, introduced at last week's Budget, would help lower waiting lists.\n\nHe added that current pensions rules were preventing doctors from taking extra hours.\n\nBut Labour has branded the cuts an unfair tax break for \"the richest 1%\".\n\nIt has vowed to reverse the changes if it wins power at the next election, and instead put in place new rules targeted specifically at doctors.\n\nThe party will vote against them later when Budget measures are put to a Commons vote - although they are still expected to pass.\n\nUnder the Budget plans, the \u00a31.07m limit on how much individuals can put into their pension pot before having to pay extra tax will be scrapped.\n\nThe annual tax-free allowance on pensions will also increase from \u00a340,000 to \u00a360,000.\n\nMr Sunak told the BBC that the changes were required because the current allowances were pushing doctors into declining overtime shifts or into early retirement.\n\n\"This is about cutting waiting lists,\" he said. \"We need our best doctors, our experienced doctors, we need them working\".\n\n\"Because of the pension regime, they were stopped from doing that. It was preventing them from doing that.\n\n\"I want to get the waiting lists down, and that's why we've made the change that we've made, and it's going to benefit everyone to get healthcare quicker.\"\n\nHowever, he could not put a specific estimate on how many would choose not to retire as a result of the changes.\n\nGovernment financial watchdog the Office for Budget Responsibility says the changes will cost \u00a31.1bn a year by 2027\/8 and boost overall employment by 15,000 workers.\n\nHowever, Labour has argued the changes are the \"wrong priority\" amid pressure on lower earners from rising living costs, calling them a \"billion pound pensions bung\" for the wealthy.\n\nIt says a tailor-made solution for doctors would be fairer, although it is yet to offer details of its alternative approach.\n\nThe party has suggested it could be modelled on an existing pension scheme for judges, under which the tax-free allowances are disapplied.\n\nChancellor Jeremy Hunt has also pitched the pensions tax cuts as part of a wider drive to reverse a post-pandemic rise in the number of wealthy workers opting for early retirement.\n\nMr Hunt has also said changing the overall allowances would help the NHS quicker than designing a bespoke scheme for doctors.\n\nJohn Glen, his deputy at the Treasury, has also previously suggested other highly-paid public sector workers, such as senior civil servants, could take legal action if tax breaks were only offered to doctors.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/uk-politics-65021747"}
{"title":"Johnson's questionable comments on Partygate scandal - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-21","authors":null,"description":"The former PM is to face questions from parliament's Privileges Committee on Wednesday.","section":null,"content":"The Commons Privileges Committee will quiz former prime minister Boris Johnson on Wednesday. They'll ask if when he made these comments, he inadvertently, recklessly or intentionally misled Parliament.\n\nMr Johnson accepts that some of his statements about lockdown parties at Downing Street turned out to be incorrect, but insists that he did not mislead MPs on purpose.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/uk-politics-65030319"}
{"title":"Ukraine war: UK defends sending depleted uranium shells after Putin warning - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-21","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"The UK says the depleted uranium shells, which it is sending to Ukraine, are \"standard\".","section":"Europe","content":"The UK is sending 14 Challenger 2 tanks to Kyiv to aid Ukrainians in the fight against Russia\n\nPresident Vladimir Putin has said Russia would be \"forced to react\" if the UK sent shells made with depleted uranium to Ukraine.\n\nHe accused the West of deploying weapons with a \"nuclear component\".\n\nThe UK Ministry of Defence confirmed it would provide Kyiv the armour-piercing rounds alongside Challenger 2 tanks but insisted they had a low radiation risk.\n\nDepleted uranium \"is a standard component and has nothing to do with nuclear weapons\", the MoD said.\n\n\"The British Army has used depleted uranium in its armour piercing shells for decades,\" the statement added.\n\n\"Russia knows this, but is deliberately trying to disinform. Independent research by scientists from groups such as the Royal Society has assessed that any impact to personal health and the environment from the use of depleted uranium munitions is likely to be low.\"\n\nFormer British Army tank commander - and chemical weapons expert - Col Hamish de Breton-Gordon, said Mr Putin's comments were \"classic disinformation\".\n\nHe said depleted uranium rounds used by Challenger 2 tanks contained only trace elements of depleted uranium.\n\nHe added it was \"laughable\" to suggest depleted uranium rounds were in any way linked to nuclear weapons, which uses enriched uranium.\n\nDepleted uranium is what is left over after natural uranium has been enriched, either for weapons-making or for reactor fuel.\n\nIt is mildly radioactive in its solid form. But it is a very heavy substance, 1.7 times denser than lead, and it is used to harden rounds so that they can penetrate armour and steel.\n\nWhen a weapon made with a depleted uranium tip or core strikes a solid object, like the side of a tank, it goes straight through it and then erupts in a burning cloud of vapour.\n\nThe vapour settles as dust, which is poisonous and also weakly radioactive.\n\nRussian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said sending depleted uranium ammunition to Ukraine would mean the UK was \"ready to violate international humanitarian law as in 1999 in Yugoslavia\".\n\n\"There is no doubt this will end badly for London,\" Mr Lavrov added.\n\nOn Tuesday evening, a spokesman for the Pentagon said the US would not be sending any munitions with depleted uranium to Ukraine.\n\nShells with depleted uranium were used in Iraq and the Balkans, where some claim it was linked to birth defects.\n\nA 2022 UN Environment Programme (UNEP) report said depleted uranium was an environmental concern in Ukraine.\n\n\"Depleted uranium and toxic substances in common explosives can cause skin irritation, kidney failure and increase the risks of cancer,\" it said.\n\n\"The chemical toxicity of depleted uranium is considered a more significant issue than the possible impacts of its radioactivity,\" it added.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/world-europe-65032671"}
{"title":"Bard: Google's rival to ChatGPT launches for over-18s - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-21","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"The tech giant is rolling out its new AI chatbot, called Bard, to users in the US and UK first.","section":"Technology","content":"Google has started rolling out its AI chatbot Bard, but it is only available to certain users and they have to be over the age of 18.\n\nUnlike its viral rival ChatGPT, it can access up-to-date information from the internet and has a \"Google it\" button which accesses search.\n\nIt also namechecks its sources for facts, such as Wikipedia.\n\nBut Google warned Bard would have \"limitations\" and said it might share misinformation and display bias.\n\nThis is because it \"learns\" from real-world information, in which those biases currently exist - meaning it is possible for stereotypes and false information to show up in its responses.\n\nAI chatbots are programmed to answer questions online using natural, human-like language.\n\nThey can write anything from speeches and marketing copy to computer code and student essays.\n\nWhen ChatGPT launched in November 2022, it had more than one million users within a week, said OpenAI, the firm behind it.\n\nMicrosoft has invested billions of dollars in it, incorporating the product into its search engine Bing last month.\n\nIt has also unveiled plans to bring a version of the tech to its office apps including Word, Excel and Powerpoint.\n\nGoogle has been a slower and more cautious runner in the generative AI race with its version, Bard, which launches in the US and UK to begin with. Users will have to register to try it out.\n\nBard is a descendant of an earlier language model of Google's called Lamda, which was never fully released to the public. It did, however, attract a lot of attention when one of the engineers who worked on it claimed its answers were so compelling that he believed it was sentient. Google denied the claims and he was fired.\n\nBard can be interacted with much like a Google search\n\nGoogle senior product director Jack Krawczyk has told the BBC that Bard is \"an experiment\" and he hopes people will use it as a \"launchpad for creativity\".\n\nHe showed me an example of how he had used Bard to help him plan his young child's birthday party.\n\nIt came up with a theme which incorporated his child's love of bunny rabbits and gymnastics, found the address of a venue he mentioned and suggested party games and food.\n\n\"So much of the [media] coverage is that AI is the hero,\" said Mr Krawczyk. \"I think the human is the hero and large language models are here to help unlock creativity.\"\n\nWhile ChatGPT's knowledge database only extends as far as the year 2021 - it cannot, for example, answer questions about the recent earthquake in Turkey and Syria - Bard can access current information. It explained to me a news story about TikTok being banned on UK government phones, published on the BBC website a few days ago.\n\nIt is programmed not to respond to offensive prompts and has filters to prevent it from sharing harmful, illegal, sexually explicit or personally identifiable information but \"like any method these guardrails will occasionally fail\", said Zoubin Ghahramani, vice president of Google Research.\n\nMake no mistake, this is an extremely cautious product launch, about as far away from the former \"move fast and break things\" bravado of the early days of big tech as it is possible to get.\n\nWhen I asked if the firm was nervous, Mr Krawczyk paused before answering that its approach to the launch of Bard was \"deliberate\".\n\nIf Google is nervous, it has good reason to be.\n\nFor all the excitement that exists around this kind of tech, there are horror stories about some of the more disturbing things ChatGPT has been manipulated into doing, and there are also fears that ultimately these powerful tools, still currently in their infancy, could be a huge threat to lots of different types of jobs.\n\nThere is also - and this is particularly relevant to Google - a theory that chatbots could one day replace the lucrative business of internet search altogether. Why wade through pages of search result links when you could just get one neatly written answer? Google cannot afford to be out of the race.\n\nMr Krawczyk and Mr Ghahramani talked a lot about the responsibility and principles that comes with the tech. They even told me about the huge data centres powering Bard, and how they aim to run them using renewable energy.\n\nGoogle is advising its users not to trust everything Bard says\n\nThey revealed Google was restricting access to over-18s when I asked whether students would start using Bard to do their homework instead of ChatGPT. Teachers have warned pupils not to use chatbots to do their work for them although some educators have embraced it.\n\nGoogle says it will be closely monitoring Bard to make sure it adheres to its own \"AI principles\" which include avoiding the creation or reinforcement of bias.\n\nIt will not be able to express opinions or take on a persona, although like ChatGPT it will be able to mimic the writing styles of others.\n\nIt helped Google write its own announcement, said the firm's Sissie Hsiao and Eli Collins, who were also co-authors of the launch blog post.\n\n\"It didn't always get things right. But even then, it made us laugh,\" they said.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/technology-65018107"}
{"title":"Ofsted and Ruth Perry: The dam has burst on strength of feeling - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-21","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"Head teacher Ruth Perry's death has led to a seismic shift in perception of the schools' regulator.","section":"Family & Education","content":"A small, red-brick primary school in Reading is an unlikely starting place for a seismic shift. But the death of Caversham Primary School's head teacher, Ruth Perry, feels like one of those rare moments when something fundamental has altered in public perception.\n\nMs Perry took her own life in January, weeks after an Ofsted inspection. The Ofsted report, published after her death, downgraded her school's rating from Outstanding to Inadequate - going from the top to the bottom of the scale.\n\nIt's as though a dam has burst, with her family blaming her death on the pressure of the inspection and head teachers and teachers coming forward to talk about their own experiences of the Ofsted process.\n\nFor some, the prospect of another inspection leads them to leave teaching altogether. Others describe the mental and physical toll of knowing your career is on the line.\n\nThere has always been background grumbling in schools about inspection, which has been a feature of our school system for more than 100 years.\n\nIn recent years though, there has been a more negative edge to conversations I have had in schools. Even a passing mention of Ofsted has led to spontaneous booing at a couple of professional gatherings of head teachers and teachers.\n\nIt's fair to describe the system as having high accountability and high stakes. A damning Ofsted report can have a domino effect in which the head teacher loses their job and teaching posts remain vacant, as few want to work in a school that has been labelled as failing. That, in turn, makes improvement harder.\n\nThis is at the heart of the question of whether Ofsted inspections improves schools or simply points out where they are struggling. Some argue the external scrutiny is vital to hold schools to account and maintain standards.\n\nEngland's schools have improved their ranking in some international league tables in recent years, but there is no way of being sure how Ofsted has contributed to that. Other things that might have boosted performance include the introduction of phonics to help primary school children learn to read, and making GCSEs more academically demanding.\n\nHead teachers of schools in deprived and challenged communities complain vociferously about Ofsted, which some feel is weighted against them. A report published in 2022 found schools that were stuck in a cycle of repeatedly weak Ofsted performances tended to have higher numbers of disadvantaged pupils.\n\nThe former chief inspector of schools, Sir Michael Wilshaw, is among Ofsted supporters who say the one-word rating system helps to give clear guidance to parents as they try to choose the best school for their child. But the events around Ms Perry's death have intensified the debate about whether one rating can fully describe a school.\n\nFor more than a decade, schools graded Outstanding became exempt from inspection. But since 2020, re-inspections have led to hundreds of previously Outstanding schools being downgraded.\n\nMs Perry's school in Reading, which hadn't been inspected for 13 years, is one of only five out of 359 schools to be moved to the bottom grade since September.\n\nConservative backbenchers have questioned in Parliament whether all these judgements are fair.\n\nMs Perry's school was rated as inadequate overall, despite providing a good education and a welcoming and vibrant community for children. The inadequate rating was driven by failings in training, record-keeping and checks on staff.\n\nPerhaps it's no surprise that in some of these inspections of previously Outstanding schools, one focus has been what measures are in place to keep children safe: Ofsted has been facing pressure to do more about preventing sexual assault in schools, and in October, the Independent Inquiry into Child Sex Abuse found the regulator \"did not do enough\" to identify serious child weaknesses in some educational settings.\n\nRuth Perry was the head teacher at Caversham Primary School in Reading\n\nSo where does this debate leave parents who simply want to know what to take from an Ofsted grade, as one part of deciding where to send their children to school?\n\nOne recent piece of research shows how difficult it is to be sure. The academics looked at 10 years of Ofsted inspections of secondary schools and how that related to GCSE results five years later.\n\nOnce they had taken account of children's backgrounds, and how well they had done already at school, there was \"no detectable difference\" between Good, Requires Improvement and Inadequate.\n\nWhether or not the huge reaction to Ruth Perry's death influences how Ofsted operates, change is certainly on the way for the regulator - chief inspector Amanda Spielman, is standing down at the end of the year.\n\nAnd while the government strongly supports the current system, the Labour Party has recently said it wants to move from a single-grade system to a report card system for each school, which would replace grades with more detailed information about school performance.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/education-65028962"}
{"title":"'I thought I was dead': Virginia teacher shot by 6-year-old speaks out - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-21","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"Abigail Zwerner tells NBC she will never forget the look on the boy's face as he pointed the gun.","section":"US & Canada","content":"A US teacher shot by a six-year-old student has said she will never forget the look on the boy's face when he pointed the gun at her.\n\nAbigail Zwerner is speaking publicly for the first time after being shot by a primary school student on 6 January.\n\nThe 25-year-old teacher detailed the horrific day at Richneck Elementary School in the city of Newport News, Virginia.\n\n\"I thought I had died,\" she told NBC's Today show this week.\n\nIn the interview that aired on Tuesday, journalist Savannah Guthrie asked Ms Zwerner what she remembers about the day.\n\n\"The morning it felt like just a regular school day, but I started hearing things and things started happening that made my fear grow,\" Ms Zwerner said.\n\nPolice have said the child brought the gun in his backpack to the school.\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Watch: Police updates on school shooting with six year old\n\nMs Zwerner plans to sue the school district after she was shot through her hand and upper chest following what police described as an \"altercation\" with the first-grader.\n\nAn intent-to-sue notice sent by the teacher's lawyer alleges that school leaders had been warned multiple times that the student had a firearm, and that the school failed to adequately respond.\n\nMs Zwerner said she clearly recalls seeing the gun being pointed at her.\n\n\"I remember the look on his face. I remember feeling something. It was a pretty scary day.\"\n\nMs Guthrie asked Ms Zwerner about her left hand, which appeared on camera wrapped in medical gauze.\n\n\"The initial gunshot went through my left hand and ruptured the middle bone as well as the index finger and the thumb. The gunshot then went into my chest up here where it actually still remains,\" she said, while pointing just above her heart. \"So, I have a scar up here, and I still have some bullet fragments up here.\"\n\nMs Zwerner said doctors at the hospital told her the gunshot wound \"could've been fatal\" but since the bullet went through her hand it \"most likely saved my life\".\n\nIn the initial moments after she was shot, Ms Zwerner said her first thoughts were about the safety of her students. She ushered them out of the classroom despite her wounds before she was sent to the hospital in an ambulance.\n\nEarlier this month Newport News Commonwealth's Attorney Howard Gwynn said that his office would not seek charges against the boy. He said the \"prospect that a six-year-old can stand trial is problematic\" because the child is too young to understand the legal system, he told NBC News.\n\nThe family of the young boy, who have also not been charged, has said he suffered from an \"acute disability\" and rarely attended school without one of his parents being present. However, the day of the shooting he had attended school alone.\n\nThe firearm was legally purchased and belonged to the child's mother, police have said.\n\nIn the wake of the incident, the school's superintendent was fired and the assistant principal resigned. Richneck Elementary School has since installed full-time security and metal detectors.\n\nIn the NBC interview, Ms Zwerner said she sometimes has nightmares about the shooting, and can struggle to get out of bed some days due to the difficult recovery.\n\n\"I'm not sure when the shock will ever go away\u2026 I think about it daily.\"","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/world-us-canada-64981972"}
{"title":"Danish far-right leader banned from UK over threat to burn Quran in Wakefield - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-21","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"Rasmus Paludan had said he planned to burn the Islamic text in Wakefield.","section":"Leeds & West Yorkshire","content":"Rasmus Paludan had threatened to burn a copy of the Quran in Wakefield\n\nA Danish far-right politician has been barred from the UK after threatening to burn a copy of the Quran in Wakefield.\n\nSecurity minister Tom Tugendhat said Rasmus Paludan, founder of the anti-Islam party Stram Kurs, had been added to the UK's immigration watchlist.\n\nMr Paludan had said he planned to burn the religious text in a public square in the West Yorkshire city this week.\n\nIt comes after four pupils at a Wakefield school were suspended over damage to a copy of the Quran.\n\nIn a video posted to Twitter on Sunday, Mr Paludan said he would travel to the city to \"fight back\" against \"undemocratic forces\".\n\nHe claimed he intended to burn the Quran on Wednesday to coincide with the start of Ramadan.\n\nMr Paludan has held several previous protests in which the Islamic text was burned, with some leading to violent counter-demonstrations.\n\nIn January he burned a copy of the Quran outside the Turkish embassy in Stockholm.\n\nThat protest became part of a diplomatic row between Turkey and Sweden - with Turkey now holding up Sweden's application to join Nato.\n\nThe security minister told the House of Commons about his intervention after Simon Lightwood, the Labour MP for Wakefield, raised concerns on Monday about Mr Paludan's potential visit.\n\nMr Lightwood said: \"Far-right Islamophic Danish politician Rasmus Paludan said he is going to travel from Denmark to Wakefield for the sole purpose of burning a Quran in a public place.\n\n\"Mr Paludan was previously jailed in Denmark for his hateful and racist statements. He is a dangerous man that should not be allowed into this country.\n\n\"Can the home secretary assure me and my community that the government is taking action to prevent this?\"\n\nMr Tugendhat said Mr Paludan had been added to to the UK's warnings index.\n\nHe added: \"His travel to the United Kingdom would not be conducive with the public good and he will not be allowed access.\"\n\nFour pupils were suspended from Wakefield's Kettlethorpe High School in February after a Year 10 student brought in a Quran, reportedly as part of a dare.\n\nThe cover of the Islamic text had been torn and some pages scuffed, but police concluded no offences were committed and the school's headteacher said she was satisfied there was \"no malicious intent by those involved\".\n\nFollow BBC Yorkshire on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. Send your story ideas to yorkslincs.news@bbc.co.uk.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/uk-england-leeds-65020528"}
{"title":"Swansea: Specialist paramedics at 'surreal' explosion scene - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-21","authors":null,"description":"Exclusive footage shows specialist paramedics at work at the scene of a deadly gas explosion.","section":null,"content":"Footage shows the scene faced by members of the Hazardous Area Response Team (Hart), of the Welsh Ambulance Service, were called to the scene of a house explosion in Swansea.\n\n\"It can be quite surreal, it's almost like a movie set,\" said Hart paramedic Gareth Denman.\n\nWithin half an hour of the 999 call following the explosion that killed one person and left three others in hospital, the team were at the scene.\n\nExclusive footage shows the human chain formed by firefighters to remove debris, personal items and clothing strewn across the street, as well as the moment a cat was rescued.\n\nTo read more on this story, click here.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/uk-wales-65018519"}
{"title":"Partygate: I misled MPs but not intentionally, says Boris Johnson - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-21","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"The ex-PM says his Partygate denials were made in good faith, ahead of a grilling from MPs on Wednesday.","section":"UK Politics","content":"This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Watch: Johnson's comments in the Commons on Partygate scandal\n\nBoris Johnson has accepted he misled Parliament over Covid rule-breaking parties in Downing Street, but denied he did it on purpose.\n\nThe former prime minister has published a 52-page defence of his actions ahead of a grilling by MPs on Wednesday.\n\nIn it, he says his assurances to MPs that lockdown rules had been followed were made in \"good faith\".\n\nMr Johnson faces being suspended or even expelled from Parliament, if MPs decide he deliberately misled them.\n\nA group representing families of Covid victims said his claim to have acted in good faith was \"sickening\", and it was \"obvious\" he deliberately misled MPs.\n\nSince April last year, the Commons Privileges Committee has been investigating whether Mr Johnson initially misled Parliament over what he knew about parties in No 10 during lockdown.\n\nAfter media stories about what would become known as the Partygate scandal emerged in late 2021, Mr Johnson denied to MPs that Covid rules banning socialising indoors had been broken.\n\nBut an inquiry by senior official Sue Gray later found rule-breaking had taken place across multiple events, and police issued fines to 83 people, including Mr Johnson himself, for breaching Covid laws.\n\nThe committee, chaired by veteran Labour MP Harriet Harman, but with a Tory majority, has previously said Mr Johnson may have misled Parliament on multiple occasions, and evidence suggests rule breaches would have been \"obvious\" to him at the time.\n\nIn his defence document, prepared by his taxpayer-funded legal team, headed by top barrister Lord Pannick KC, Mr Johnson says he had not \"intentionally or recklessly\" misled MPs, and would \"never have dreamed of doing so\".\n\nHe said he believed at the time that events he attended in No 10, including to bid farewell to departing staff, abided by restrictions because they were \"essential for work purposes\".\n\nHe added that it \"remains unclear to me\" why he was fined for attending a gathering in No 10 for his birthday in June 2020.\n\nMr Johnson said he relied on officials to advise him about other events in the building he did not attend, and they did not tell him rules were broken.\n\nHe said that he had \"corrected the record\" in May 2022, on the day Ms Gray's report was published. On that day, he told MPs it was \"not the case\" that rules had always been followed.\n\n\"I believed - and I still believe - that this was the earliest opportunity at which I could make the necessary correction,\" he added.\n\n\"It was not fair or appropriate to give a half-baked account, before the facts had been fully and properly established.\"\n\nBoris Johnson was fined for attending a birthday gathering in the Cabinet Room in 2020\n\nThe committee is expected to publish its verdict on Mr Johnson by the summer.\n\nIt has assembled evidence including written statements from 23 witnesses, official diaries, emails between officials, and WhatsApp messages handed over by the former prime minister's legal team.\n\nIt will publish a \"core bundle\" of documents on Wednesday morning, ahead of Mr Johnson's hearing later in the day.\n\nIn his defence document, Mr Johnson claimed the committee had not found evidence he intentionally misled MPs.\n\nHe said the \"only exception\" were assertions made by his former top aide Dominic Cummings, whom he said was \"discredited\" and was motivated by personal animosity.\n\nMr Cummings hit back on Twitter, saying a drinks party in the No 10 garden attended by Mr Johnson had been deemed to have broken the rules by police, with officials fined for attending.\n\nThe committee has published photos of Boris Johnson attending events - including this one in January 2021\n\nIn an interim report published earlier this month, the committee said Mr Johnson's statements to MPs, as well as his performance at Covid press conferences, show that he understood what the rules were.\n\nIn a statement on Tuesday, the committee said Mr Johnson's written submission contained \"no new documentary evidence\".\n\nIn his document, Mr Johnson attacked the conduct of the inquiry, accusing the committee of being \"highly partisan\" and going against precedents set by previous similar inquiries.\n\nThe committee has decided that whether he intended to mislead MPs is not relevant to what it has been charged with investigating: whether it was stopped from doing its job by his statements to MPs.\n\nBut if they find that it was, then his intentions will be considered when deciding any punishment they recommend.\n\nA finding that he deliberately misled MPs is likely to attract the strongest sanction. Another option is they conclude he misled Parliament \"recklessly\".\n\nIn his submission, the former prime minister hit out at this reasoning, saying the idea of misleading MPs recklessly was an \"entirely novel concept\".\n\nThe full House of Commons will have to approve the committee's final recommendations, as well as any sanctions. Conservative MPs will be given a free vote, meaning they will not be told how to vote by party managers.\n\nThe possible punishments range from ordering him to apologise to suspending him from the Commons.\n\nIf he is suspended for more than 10 days, this could trigger a by-election in his constituency - although suspensions of this length have been rare in the past.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/uk-politics-65012965"}
{"title":"Aleksandar Mitrovic: FA says standard ban 'clearly insufficient' as Fulham striker charged - BBC Sport","published_date":"2023-03-21","authors":null,"description":"Fulham\u2019s Aleksandar Mitrovic is charged with violent and improper conduct after his red card at Manchester United, but the Football Association says the standard punishment is \u201cclearly insufficient\u201d.","section":null,"content":"Aleksandar Mitrovic: FA says standard ban 'clearly insufficient' as Fulham striker charged Last updated on .From the section Fulham\n\nAleksandar Mitrovic had put Fulham in front with his 12th goal of the season before being sent off at Manchester United Fulham striker Aleksandar Mitrovic is facing a lengthy ban after the Football Association said its standard punishment for his sending off at Manchester United was \"clearly insufficient\". The Serbian has been charged with violent and improper conduct after a straight red card for pushing referee Chris Kavanagh during Sunday's 3-1 FA Cup quarter-final defeat. Manager Marco Silva has also been charged with abusive behaviour towards match officials. Fulham boss Silva will also face an improper conduct charge for allegedly throwing a water bottle in the direction of the assistant referee. And the club has landed an additional charge of failing to control its players in the Old Trafford encounter. Former Premier League striker Chris Sutton has called for Mitrovic, 28, to be given a 10-match ban, but manager Silva appealed for \"fairness\" for his frontman from the FA. A player is typically suspended for three matches after being shown a straight red card for violent conduct, but that ban can be extended, depending on the circumstances. Paolo di Canio was banned for 11 games in 1998 for shoving referee Paul Alcock when playing in a Premier League game for Sheffield Wednesday against Arsenal. \"The standard punishment which would otherwise apply to Aleksandar Mitrovic for the sending-off offence of violent conduct that he committed towards the match referee is clearly insufficient,\" the FA said in a statement. \"In addition, Aleksandar Mitrovic's behaviour and\/or language was allegedly improper and\/or abusive and\/or insulting and\/or threatening following his dismissal.\" Fulham's 12-goal leading scorer had put his side in front against United early in the second half. But he was dismissed in the 72nd minute after the hosts were awarded a penalty following a Video Assistant Referee (VAR) check that resulted in Brazil winger Willian also being sent off for a deliberate handball on the line. Kavanagh also sent boss Silva to the stands for his actions on the touchline as the referee walked past him to view the pitchside monitor. An FA statement read: \"It's alleged that Marco Silva used abusive and\/or insulting words and\/or gestures and\/or behaviour towards the match referee; that he used abusive and\/or insulting words towards the fourth official prior to his dismissal; and that he also used abusive and\/or insulting words and\/or gestures and\/or behaviour towards the fourth official after being sent off. \"It's further alleged that in throwing a water bottle in the direction of the assistant referee that his behaviour was improper.\" 'More than 10-game ban needed', say refs Former referees' chief Keith Hackett echoed Sutton's demand for a 10-game ban, while head of the Referees' Association Paul Field said Mitrovic should serve longer for pushing a referee - and even face carrying out community work. \"I hope it's more than 10 games,\" said Field, who hoped the FA would consider a punishment similar to the nine-month ban Manchester United's Eric Cantona received in 1995 for an attack on a fan at Crystal Palace. He told BBC Radio 5 live: \"Why couldn't he go down to some of the pitches down in London? \"Turn up - there's no car parking space, there's no changing room, there's a cold cup of tea, it's pouring down with rain, the pitches are in poor condition, every player is looking to pull one over on you. And, with all of that, you get abused by the parents. So why not do that for six months? \"At an amateur level, a player is looking at about a year's ban - why doesn't that carry through to the professional game? \"Think about what Eric Cantona did nearly 30 years ago and he got nine months. I think they should put a really decent time on this.\" Sutton expressed fears that children and players at grassroots level may repeat Mitrovic's behaviour - a point Field agreed with. Grassroots referee Simon King also told BBC Radio 5 live there is \"100%\" a link between the behaviour fans see on the pitch and how players at grassroots level behave. \"I was stunned,\" he added. \"The stalking and intimidation, having to be forcibly dragged away. \"My first thought was, what would have happened had he not been dragged away by his own team-mates? And I think some of the Manchester United players helped get him away from the referee. \"When he initially put his hands on him you cannot do that. It's quite frightening that happens at the top level.\" King said he would \"100%\" support a lengthy ban for Mitrovic and added: \"A statement needs to be made to everybody. If that was to happen at any level of football, the ban should be set. People should be aware beforehand.\"\n\u2022 None Listen to the latest The Far Post podcast\n\u2022 None Our coverage of Fulham is bigger and better than ever before - here's everything you need to know to make sure you never miss a moment\n\u2022 None Everything Fulham - go straight to all the best content","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/sport\/football\/65018262"}
{"title":"Winnie the Pooh horror film will not be shown in Hong Kong or Macau - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-21","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"The distributor apologised for the 'disappointment' the withdrawal of the film may have caused viewers.","section":"Asia","content":"A scene from \"Winnie the Pooh: Blood and Honey\"\n\nA new Winnie the Pooh horror movie will not be released in Hong Kong and Macau, its distributor has said.\n\nVII Pillars Entertainment apologised for the \"disappointment and inconvenience\" to viewers in the Chinese special administrative regions.\n\nThe film was released in the US in February and across the UK in March.\n\nReferences to the original, family-friendly version of Winnie the Pooh have been used to protest against President Xi Jinping in recent years.\n\nThe meme began after an image showing China's President Xi Jinping and former US President Barack Obama began circulating in 2013.\n\nCensors in China have since clamped down on references to AA Milne's character, and the 2018 Christopher Robin film was banned in the country.\n\nThis meme showing Xi Jinping and former US President Barack Obama began circulating in 2013\n\nHong Kong's Office for Film, Newspaper and Article Administration denied the film had been censored, saying it had issued a certificate of approval for the horror movie.\n\nThe office told Reuters it would not comment on commercial decisions made about the movie.\n\nThe film's director Rhys Frake-Waterfield told Reuters: \"The cinemas agreed to show it, then all independently come to the same decision overnight. It won't be a coincidence.\n\n\"They claim technical reasons but there is no technical reason. The film has showed in over 4,000 cinema screens worldwide. These 30-plus screens in Hong Kong are the only ones with such issues.\"\n\nThe horror movie has received a score of just 4% on film rating site Rotten Tomatoes. It depicts the bear, known for being kind and honest, as a vengeful axe wielding half-man, half-bear.\n\nIt went viral online when the trailer was released.\n\nFrake-Waterfield was able to make the film when the 95-year copyright on Milne's first Winnie the Pooh story elapsed in the US in January last year.\n\nBut Disney - which bought some licences in the 1960s - still owns certain rights. Trademark laws mean the bear cannot wear a red T-shirt in the horror film, for example.\n\n\"We weren't allowed to have him say things like 'oh bother' either,\" Frake-Waterfield told BBC Culture last month.\n\n\"There are these elements where we need to be careful not to encroach on their brand and their territory because that's not the intention.\n\n\"The intention isn't just to steal their copyright and use it for our own purposes. It's to go from something which is possible to use because it's now publicly available, and just go off on an extreme tangent from that point and make this horrific alternative version to him.\"","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/world-asia-65030531"}
{"title":"Investor fears appear to ease as UK and US share prices rise - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-21","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"Investors appear largely reassured after Credit Suisse rescue, but First Republic shares plunge.","section":"Business","content":"Fears in financial markets appeared to ease, a day after regulators agreed a rescue deal for troubled lending giant Credit Suisse.\n\nThe bank was bought by rival UBS on Sunday after regulators worked around the clock to secure the takeover.\n\nAlong with the collapse of two smaller US banks, its struggles had sparked fears over the global financial system.\n\nHope that the deal would help contain the crisis helped lift shares in Europe and the US.\n\nLondon's FTSE 100 closed up roughly 0.9%, recovering ground after early losses. Major indexes in Europe also ended higher, with UBS climbing roughly 1.5% by the end of the day.\n\nIn the US, the three major exchanges also gained, despite worries about another regional bank, First Republic.\n\nShares in the San Francisco-based firm sank more than 40%, as the injection of funds by 11 of America's biggest banks last week failed to restore confidence in the bank's future.\n\nThere were reports of another effort to stabilise the bank - which has seen shares plunge as customers transfer their money - as authorities sought to keep the crisis contained.\n\nShares of some other banks in the US and Europe also remained under pressure.\n\nIn the UK, a spokesperson for Prime Minister Rishi Sunak aimed to reassure investors saying UK banks were \"safe and well capitalised\" after the emergency rescue of Credit Suisse.\n\nIt came after central banks around the globe made similar comments.\n\nSix central banks, including the US Federal Reserve, also announced they would boost the flow of dollars in the global financial system to make sure banks had easy access to cash.\n\nDespite the panic, experts do not expect a repeat of 2008 when banks stopped lending to each other. The situation was so dire then it sparked a global recession.\n\nBanks have been struggling with the recent rise in interest rates which has left some sitting on substantial losses.\n\nIt led to the collapse of Silicon Valley Bank and Signature Bank - two medium sized lenders - in the US last week and sparked concerns other banks could get into trouble.\n\nCredit Suisse - which had been loss-making for some time but which was otherwise well capitalised - has been hit by this crisis of confidence.\n\nThe 167-year-old institution is one of around 30 banks worldwide deemed too big to fail because they are of such importance to the banking system.\n\nSwitzerland's second largest lender, which has struggled with a string of scandals over the last few years, was sold to UBS at just over $3.15bn (\u00a32.6bn), a fraction of its $8bn price tag on Friday.\n\nMark Yallop, the former UK chief executive of UBS, said the deal \"should\" do the job of reassuring investors.\n\n\"This is a takeover of a challenged institution with particular idiosyncratic problems that relate to it specifically [and are] not reflective of broader issues in the banking markets,\" he told the BBC's Today programme.\n\nThe chairmen of both banks spoke at a news conference in Bern on Sunday\n\nUBS chairman Colm Kelleher said it would wind down Credit Suisse's investment banking operations but that it was \"too early\" to say what would happen about jobs.\n\nCredit Suisse has around 74,000 staff, around 5,000 of them in the UK.\n\n\"We need to do this in a rational way thoughtfully, when we've sat down and analysed what we need to do,\" he said.\n\nOrdinary people have little reason to fear for their funds.\n\nIn the highly unlikely scenario that a bank or building society actually collapses, then deposit protection is in place.\n\nIn the UK, that means \u00a385,000 per person, per institution is protected (or \u00a3170,000 in a joint account).\n\nSo, if you have \u00a385,000 in one bank, and another \u00a385,000 in a separately licensed bank, then it is all safe if both went bust, under the Financial Services Compensation Scheme.\n\nThere is also a higher temporary limit of \u00a31m for six months, if you get a sudden influx of funds, such as an inheritance.\n\nProtection is similar in the EU, and the US government has safeguarded deposits of up to $250,000 for a long time.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/business-65012275"}
{"title":"Warnings against 'reckless' weight loss surgery abroad - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-21","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"Others have returned home with serious health issues following operations, BBC finds.","section":"UK","content":"Weight loss surgery - before and after\n\nSeven British patients who travelled to Turkey for weight loss surgery died after operations there, a BBC investigation into the trend has found.\n\nOthers have returned home with serious health issues after having had gastric sleeve operations, during which more than 70% of the stomach is removed.\n\nThe operations, used to treat morbid obesity, are carried out in the UK.\n\nBut, because it can take years to get one through the NHS, some people are looking abroad for treatment.\n\nSocial media advertising has helped fuel interest in travelling overseas for weight loss surgery in recent years.\n\nKatie (not her real name) from Belfast first considered travelling to Turkey after seeing an advert online.\n\nLike many others, she had watched \"before and after\" weight loss videos on social media - the TikTok hashtag #gastric sleeve has had 292 million views in the UK in the past three years.\n\nKatie flew out for surgery in October 2021. Soon after the procedure, she says she was in agony, but the Turkish clinic told her it was just trapped gas.\n\nAfter flying home and \"squealing\" in pain, she was rushed to hospital with sepsis and pneumonia days later.\n\nKatie spent almost a year in and out of hospital, contracting sepsis on six separate occasions. NHS doctors were forced to remove her entire stomach.\n\nShe says the procedure has left her constantly tired and unable to continue in her job as a support worker for the elderly.\n\n\"It's the worst mistake I've ever made,\" she says. \"It's ruined my life.\"\n\nKatie says her treatment and care were \"nothing like\" the promotional material she saw online.\n\nPresenter Alex Hollywell-Rolfe investigates if it's safe to travel abroad for life-changing weight loss surgery.\n\nWatch the programme on BBC iPlayer (UK only) or on BBC Three at 21:00 on Tuesday 21 March.\n\nThe BBC has spent months investigating the trend.\n\nBritish doctors say that they're treating an increasing number of patients who have travelled to Turkey and returned with serious complications.\n\nAbout once a week, a \"very unwell\" patient arrives at Newcastle Airport from Turkey and is taken straight to hospital, according to Dr Sean Woodcock, a consultant at Northumbria Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust.\n\nDr Ahmed Ahmed, a leading surgeon and member of council at the British Obesity and Metabolic Surgery Society, says he's treated patients returning from Turkey who have had an entirely different operation to the one they understood they had paid for.\n\nThere are no records of the number of people who have travelled to Turkey for this kind of treatment.\n\nBut the BBC has learned that seven Britons have died after having weight loss surgery there since 2019.\n\nOne of those was 25-year-old Joe Thornley. The first his parents knew of his death was when the police visited their home.\n\nOfficers passed on a phone number for the Turkish clinic - which Mick, Joe's father, rang.\n\n\"The doctor just turned around and says: 'Oh he had low blood pressure, he had a heart attack.'\"\n\nAfter Joe's body was returned to the UK, a post-mortem examination revealed that he had actually died of internal bleeding at the site of his surgery.\n\n\"We tried to ring the doctor back and he just wouldn't answer the phone, refused emails, everything,\" says Mick.\n\nJoe's friends say he told them he had been feeling unhappy after trying everything he could to lose weight. His mother says his death was \"a nightmare\".\n\nJoe Thornley (right) died during weight loss surgery in Turkey\n\nTreatment can be booked at some clinics in just a matter of minutes by messaging over WhatsApp. The cost can be as little as around \u00a32,000 ($2455) - a fraction of the \u00a310,000 ($12,274) charged by some private providers in the UK.\n\nThe BBC has also been told that some people are being accepted for surgery who do not have a medical need for it.\n\nIn the UK, weight loss surgery is usually only offered to someone with a Body Mass Index (BMI) of 40 or over. A person's BMI is calculated using a formula which involves dividing their weight by their height - a healthy BMI is considered to be between 20 and 25.\n\nWe contacted 27 Turkish clinics to see if they would accept someone for treatment who was considered to have a normal Body Mass Index (BMI) - this is considered to be between 20 and 25.\n\nSix of the clinics we approached were happy to accept someone with a BMI of 24.5 for extreme weight loss surgery.\n\nSeparately, the BBC also found that some clinics who refused the treatment actually then encouraged patients to put on weight, to enable them to be accepted for surgery.\n\nOne said: \"You need to gain 6.7kg to have sleeve surgery. I think you can easily eat some food and then lose weight easily.\" Another asked: \"How soon can you gain weight?\"\n\nDr Ahmed says the practices are \"reckless\" and \"unethical\".\n\n\"It's appalling - I've never come across a situation where somebody's being told to eat more to put their weight up. They should not be offering any kind of surgery at a normal BMI.\"\n\nThe government says it is trialling new treatments for obesity and recommends that those travelling to Turkey consider risks and after-care needs.\n\nDr Ahmed says the failure to provide this surgery has left the NHS with the twin costs of handling health complications caused by obesity and expensive after-care following botched surgery.\n\nThe BBC has learned that the number of weight loss surgeries performed in England has fallen by a third from 6,818 procedures three years ago, to just 4,409 in 2022.\n\nBut Dr Ahmed suspects that weight-loss tourism will continue while the long NHS waiting lists remain:\n\n\"If you have to wait so long for a treatment to make you healthy, who's going to do that? If you can afford it, you're going to find other ways.\"\n\nFor details of organisations in the UK, which offer advice and support with body image and mental health, go online to bbc.co.uk\/actionline\n\nHave you travelled abroad for surgery? Share your experiences by emailing haveyoursay@bbc.co.uk.\n\nPlease include a contact number if you are willing to speak to a BBC journalist. You can also get in touch in the following ways:\n\nIf 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 HaveYourSay@bbc.co.uk. Please include your name, age and location with any submission.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/uk-64515557"}
{"title":"US urges Xi to press Putin over 'war crimes' in Ukraine - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-21","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"The Chinese and Russian leaders meet again on Tuesday during Xi Jinping's visit to Moscow.","section":"Europe","content":"This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser.\n\nChinese President Xi Jinping should press Vladimir Putin to \"halt the war crimes\" in Ukraine, the US has urged.\n\nThe two will meet again on Tuesday for official talks during Mr Xi's first visit to Moscow since the invasion.\n\nThe White House's National Security Council spokesman called on Mr Xi to urge his Russian counterpart to withdraw troops from Ukraine.\n\nJohn Kirby said seeking a ceasefire would not be enough.\n\n\"We hope that President Xi will press President Putin to cease bombing Ukrainian cities, hospitals and schools, to halt the war crimes and atrocities and to withdraw his troops,\" he said.\n\n\"But we are concerned that instead China will reiterate calls for a ceasefire that leaves Russian forces inside Ukraine's sovereign territory and any ceasefire that does not address the removal of Russian forces from Ukraine would effectively ratify Russia's illegal conquests.\"\n\nIn another development, Japan's Prime Minister, Fumio Kishida, is making a surprise visit to Ukraine for talks with President Volodymyr Zelensky. He is expected to voice solidarity and support for Ukraine following Russia's invasion.\n\nJapan and China see each other as regional rivals. Since Russia's war in Ukraine began, Tokyo has provided Kyiv with a mixture of humanitarian, financial and non-lethal military aid.\n\nOn Monday, Mr Xi and Mr Putin held more than four hours of what were described as informal talks, with more formal discussions scheduled for Tuesday.\n\nThere are concerns that China's support for Russia - currently based on technology and trade - might become military, potentially including artillery shells.\n\nMr Putin has said he will discuss a 12-point plan proposed by Mr Xi to \"settle the acute crisis in Ukraine\".\n\n\"We're always open for a negotiation process,\" Mr Putin said, as the leaders called each other \"dear friend\".\n\nChina released its plan to end the war last month - it includes \"ceasing hostilities\" and resuming peace talks.\n\nChina's plan did not specifically say that Russia must withdraw from Ukraine - which Ukraine has insisted as a precondition for any talks.\n\nInstead, it talked of \"respecting the sovereignty of all countries\", adding that \"all parties must stay rational and exercise restraint\" and \"gradually de-escalate the situation\".\n\nThe plan also condemned the usage of \"unilateral sanctions\" - seen as a veiled criticism of Ukraine's allies in the West.\n\nOn Monday, a military band gave Mr Xi a warm welcome to Moscow at the start of the three-day visit. Mr Putin hailed China for \"observing the principles of justice\" and pushing for \"undivided security for every country\".\n\nHe added that China had made\" a tremendous leap forward in its development\" in recent years, remarking: \"We even feel a bit envious.\"\n\nIn return, Mr Xi told Mr Putin: \"Under your strong leadership, Russia has made great strides in its prosperous development. I am confident that the Russian people will continue to give you their firm support.\"\n\nBefore Mr Xi's arrival, Mr Putin wrote in China's People's Daily newspaper that the two nations would not be weakened by \"aggressive\" US policy.\n\nUkrainian leaders have been publicly emphasising the common ground they have with China - respecting sovereignty and territorial integrity - but privately, they have been lobbying for a meeting or telephone call between President Volodymyr Zelensky and Mr Xi.\n\nThis was echoed by Mr Kirby, the US security spokesman, who urged Mr Xi \"to play a constructive role\" in the effort to end the conflict by speaking with Mr Zelensky.\n\nRussia is a source of oil for Beijing's huge economy, and is seen as a partner in standing up to the US.\n\nRussian matryoshka dolls with portraits of the Chinese and Russian presidents have been on sale in Moscow\n\nMr Xi's visit to Moscow comes days after the International Criminal Court (ICC) issued an arrest warrant for the Russian president over war crime allegations. This means Mr Putin could technically be arrested in 123 countries - though neither China nor Russia are on that list.\n\nWestern leaders have been attempting since last February to isolate Russia, following its full-scale invasion of Ukraine.\n\nBut they have been unable to establish a global consensus, with China, India and several African nations reluctant to condemn Mr Putin.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/world-europe-65022366"}
{"title":"'Reckless' Gwyneth Paltrow caused Utah ski crash, lawyer says - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-21","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"The Oscar winner denies claims she caused serious injuries to a man on the slopes in Utah.","section":"Entertainment & Arts","content":"This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser.\n\nGwyneth Paltrow was \"distracted\" when she crashed into a retired eye doctor on a ski slope, inflicting brain damage and breaking his ribs, a court heard.\n\nA lawyer for Terry Sanderson told the jury in Utah that the Hollywood actress's \"reckless\" actions had caused the collision on a slope in 2016.\n\nMs Paltrow has countersued. Her lawyer said the crash was Mr Sanderson's fault and his claims are \"utter BS\".\n\nThe 50-year-old Oscar winner's counterclaim seeks $1 in damages, plus legal fees.\n\nThe actress-turned-lifestyle-influencer sat impassively in court during opening statements on the first day of the trial in a Park City court on Tuesday.\n\nThe incident occurred in February 2016 on the beginners' slope at the Deer Valley resort where Ms Paltrow was skiing with her family.\n\nShe and her children are expected to testify.\n\n\"She knew that skiing that way, blindly skiing down a mountain while looking up and to the side, was reckless; she knew that continuing to ski that way... she would crash into somebody below her.\"\n\nMr Buhler said Ms Paltrow crashed into his client and then quickly skied away, leaving him prone and unconscious without calling for help or checking to make sure he was OK.\n\n\"Before this crash Terry was a charming, outgoing, gregarious person,\" Mr Sanderson's lawyer said.\n\n\"He was living a full life, travelling the world - doing everything possible to enjoy his life and guard his health. But after the crash, he's no longer charming.\"\n\nHe told the jury his client had just begun descending the slope when a pair of skis suddenly appeared between her legs and a man collided into her back.\n\nTerry Sanderson accuses Ms Paltrow of being distracted while skiing\n\nMs Paltrow's lawyer argued that Mr Sanderson, who suffers from vision and hearing loss as a result of a previous stroke, may not have seen the actress before he collided with her.\n\nMr Owens said his client initially suspected she was being assaulted and was so shaken by the incident she chose not to ski for the rest of the day.\n\n\"She may have sworn at him. It rattled her and it physically hurt her,\" he said.\n\nThe case appears to hinge on which skier - Ms Paltrow or Mr Sanderson - was uphill at the time of the accident. According to Deer Valley safety policies, skiers \"ahead or downhill of you have the right of way. You must avoid them.\"\n\nCraig Ramon, who is a friend of Mr Sanderson, was the first witness to take the stand in the case.\n\nAt times Ms Paltrow attempted to hide from the cameras in court\n\nHe testified that he heard a scream and turned his head to see Ms Paltrow crash into Mr Sanderson.\n\nBut on cross-examination, Ms Paltrow's lawyers noted that Mr Ramon is colour-blind, arguing he could not have distinguished which skier caused the crash from his or her clothing alone.\n\nMs Paltrow's lawyers allege that GoPro footage and a social media post that corroborate her version of events have \"disappeared\".\n\nThe original claim, filed in 2019, said: \"This case involves a hit-and-run ski crash at Deer Valley, Utah, where defendant Gwyneth Paltrow skied out of control and hit the back of Terry Sanderson, another skier, who was downhill, knocking him down hard, knocking him out, and causing a brain injury, four broken ribs and other serious injuries.\"\n\nThe proceedings are scheduled to last for eight days.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/entertainment-arts-65027945"}
{"title":"Bill Gates: AI is most important tech advance in decades - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-21","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"The former Microsoft boss says AI is the second revolutionary technology he's seen in his lifetime.","section":"Technology","content":"Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates says the development of artificial intelligence (AI) is the most important technological advance in decades.\n\nIn a blog post on Tuesday, he called it as fundamental as the creation of the microprocessor, the personal computer, the Internet, and the mobile phone.\n\n\"It will change the way people work, learn, travel, get health care, and communicate with each other,\" he said.\n\nHe was writing about the technology used by tools such as chatbot ChatGPT.\n\nDeveloped by OpenAI, ChatGPT is an AI chatbot which is programmed to answer questions online using natural, human-like language.\n\nThe team behind it in January 2023 received a multibillion dollar investment from Microsoft - where Mr Gates still serves as an advisor.\n\nBut it is not the only AI-powered chatbot available, with Google recently introducing rival Bard.\n\nI was one of the first people to get access to Bard and my colleagues and I are trying to put it through its paces.\n\nSo far it's given me a philosophical answer to the meaning of life.\n\nIt gave a competent potted history of Russia-China relations to a colleague covering the meeting between President Putin and Xi Jinping - unlike ChatGPT, Bard can access current affairs.\n\nA programme editor asked it for a good running order for her news show. Start with the biggest story of the day, Bard suggested, and end with a musician or comedian. It also did a decent if generic job of a poem about trees and blossom.\n\nI haven't yet started trying to get it to be rude to me, or about others. I'll report back on that\u2026\n\nYou can read more about it here.\n\nMr Gates said he had been meeting with OpenAI - the team behind the artificial intelligence that powers chatbot ChatGPT - since 2016.\n\nIn his blog, Mr Gates said he challenged the OpenAI team in 2022 to train an AI that can pass an Advanced Placement (AP) Biology exam - roughly equivalent to an A-level exam - with the strict rule that the AI could not be specifically trained to answer Biology questions.\n\nA few months later they revealed the results - a near perfect score, he said, missing only one mark out of 50.\n\nAfter the exam, Mr Gates said he asked the AI to write a response to a father with a sick child.\n\n\"It wrote a thoughtful answer that was probably better than most of us in the room would have given,\" he said.\n\n\"I knew I had just seen the most important advance in technology since the graphical user interface (GUI).\"\n\nA GUI is a visual display - allowing a person to interact with images and icons, rather than a display that shows only text and requires typed commands.\n\nIts development led to the Windows and Mac OS operating systems in the 1980s, and remains a key part of computing.\n\nAnd Mr Gates says he believes AI tech will lead to similar advancements.\n\nMr Gates, who co-chairs the charitable Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, called on governments to work with industry to \"limit the risks\" of AI, but said the technology could be used to save lives.\n\n\"AI-driven improvements will be especially important for poor countries, where the vast majority of under-5 deaths happen,\" he wrote.\n\n\"Many people in those countries never get to see a doctor, and AIs will help the health workers they do see be more productive.\"\n\nSome examples of this he gave include completing repetitive tasks such as insurance claims, paperwork, and note-taking.\n\nBut in order for this to happen, Mr Gates called on a targeted approach to AI technology in the future.\n\n\"Market forces won't naturally produce AI products and service that help the poorest,\" he said. \"The opposite is more likely.\n\n\"With reliable funding and the right policies, governments and philanthropy can ensure that AIs are used to reduce inequity.\n\n\"Just as the world needs its brightest people focused on its biggest problems, we will need to focus the world's best AIs on its biggest problems.\"","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/technology-65032848"}
{"title":"Ex-spy says MI5 did not want Real IRA leader arrested - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-21","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"US trucker David Rupert infiltrated the innermost circles of the group behind the 1998 Omagh bomb attack.","section":"Northern Ireland","content":"This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. David Rupert said the Real IRA's leader Michael McKevitt wanted an American on its army council.\n\nA US trucker who spied on a dissident Irish republican group says the security service MI5 did not want its leader arrested.\n\nDavid Rupert infiltrated the Real IRA, the group behind the 1998 Omagh bomb atrocity, for the FBI and MI5.\n\nHis undercover evidence was used in 2003 to prosecute Michael McKevitt, the leader of the Real IRA, for directing terrorism.\n\nMr Rupert told BBC Spotlight that MI5 wanted to keep gathering intelligence.\n\nThe programme put this to MI5 but they did not respond.\n\nThe recent shooting of a top police officer in Northern Ireland shows the threat from dissident republicans has not gone away.\n\nDissident republicans have not signed up to the peace process and remain committed to using violence to try to bring about a united Ireland.\n\nMr Rupert, who ran a trucking company in Chicago, first visited Ireland in 1992.\n\nHis ongoing trips and friendship with Joe O'Neill, a hard-line Irish republican who ran a pub in Bundoran, County Donegal, coincided with a critical point in Northern Ireland's peace process.\n\nWhen an FBI agent arrived at his Chicago office in the summer of 1994, Rupert at first thought he had come to talk about the trucking business, but the agent raised the subject of Ireland and O'Neill.\n\n\"I wouldn't have done anything really illegal but the grey area was my specialty. So we went back and forth.\n\n\"'Would you come to work for us?' he asked. I said, 'No man, I don't need to get on the bad side of a foreign terrorist organisation'.\"\n\nThe first IRA ceasefire of 1994 meant someone like Rupert would be a valuable asset to the FBI.\n\nWith US President Bill Clinton heavily invested in the peace process, the White House needed to know from their own spies on the ground if breakaway republicans, like Joe O'Neill who was aligned to a group known as the Continuity IRA, would fill the vacuum.\n\nThe FBI agent returned to Rupert's office with a new proposition - the FBI would pay for his trips to Ireland in return for information.\n\nThe flights-for-information agreement worked out and eventually led to the US trucker and his wife Maureen moving to Ireland to run a pub in County Leitrim, financed by the FBI.\n\n\"The value was it allowed me to become ingrained in the IRA population and to become accepted,\" said Rupert.\n\nWatch Spotlight - I Spy on iPlayer or on BBC One Northern Ireland on Tuesday 21 March at 22.40 GMT.\n\nBy early 1997, the couple was no longer running the pub but the FBI's investment in the trucker turned spy had paid off.\n\nHe had become trusted by O'Neill's Continuity IRA group, and he had also positioned himself as the bagman for their US fundraising effort, regularly delivering thousands of dollars from Chicago to O'Neill's group in Ireland.\n\nIn the wake of a second IRA ceasefire in 1997, the danger posed by dissident republicans was even higher.\n\nThe FBI already had a US spy embedded within the Continuity IRA.\n\nMI5 then made their move and by the summer of 1997, Rupert was working for the FBI and MI5.\n\n\"We used an encryption system when I sent an email it went to both handlers,\" he said.\n\nThat year, a dangerous split within the republican movement would radically change Rupert's spy operations against dissident republicans opposed to the peace process.\n\nThe Real IRA was formed in 1997 by Michael McKevitt, who left the Provisional IRA in fury over the direction of the peace process.\n\nDavid Rupert gave his first television interview to BBC NI Spotlight reporter Jennifer O'Leary\n\nMcKevitt, the man who had been in charge of the Provisional IRA's arsenal for decades, saw peace talks as a sell-out and was determined to continue the war against the British.\n\nIn 1999, McKevitt not only brought Rupert into his secret army to help him fund his terror, he spoke in detail during what was only their second meeting about his plans to bomb Britain.\n\n\"Their first hit is going to be directed specifically at something like troops or London centre financial district,\" Rupert wrote as part of an email to his MI5 handler.\n\n\"To make a big enough splash to overshadow anything that could have happened at Omagh.\"\n\nThe 1998 Omagh bomb atrocity killed 29 people including a woman pregnant with twins, which the Real IRA claimed responsibility for.\n\nRupert's infiltration of the Real IRA put him in a different league of danger - McKevitt lived by a militant Irish republican code that demanded spies be executed.\n\nYet, despite the risks Rupert maintained his facade and was appointed to the top table of the Real IRA, its army council.\n\nThe development prompted elation from his MI5 handler, said Rupert.\n\n\"MI5 were wonderful to work with,\" he said.\n\n\"I would call them on my way to a meeting with McKevitt and they would tell me that he's probably going to ask you this or that and when he does, here's what we want you to tell him, and they were pretty accurate.\"\n\nHowever, Rupert's spy masters seemingly had different priorities.\n\nThe FBI is primarily an evidence-gathering organisation, versus MI5 whose focus is on intelligence gathering.\n\n\"MI5 wanted to keep it going forever,\" said Rupert.\n\n\"The FBI won. I mean they won the argument. It was more important to MI5 to have a thumb on the pulse than it is to go arrest a couple of people and prosecute them.\"\n\nIn early 2001, in a top-secret meeting in Dublin, Rupert made a detailed statement to Irish police who were building a case to prosecute McKevitt, who lived in the Irish Republic.\n\nHis day of reckoning came on 29 March 2001, when police knocked on his door.\n\nRupert went on to face the Real IRA leader in a Dublin court and in August 2003, McKevitt was sentenced to 20 years in prison for directing the activities of the Real IRA.\n\n\"I was just doing a job,\" said Rupert.\n\n\"And doing a job that I viewed as doing for good to stop them from killing people.\"","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/uk-northern-ireland-65013703"}
{"title":"Putin arrest warrant: Biden welcomes ICC's war crimes charges - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-21","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"The International Criminal Court accuses the Russian leader of unlawfully deporting Ukrainian children.","section":"Europe","content":"Vladimir Putin could now be arrested if he sets foot in one of the ICC's more than 120 member states\n\nUS President Joe Biden has welcomed the International Criminal Court's issuing of an arrest warrant against his Russian counterpart, Vladimir Putin.\n\nThe ICC accused President Putin of committing war crimes in Ukraine - something President Biden said the Russian leader had \"clearly\" done.\n\nThe claims focus on the unlawful deportation of children from Ukraine to Russia since Moscow's invasion in 2022.\n\nMoscow has denied the allegations and denounced the warrants as \"outrageous\".\n\nIt is highly unlikely that much will come of the move, as the ICC has no powers to arrest suspects without the co-operation of a country's government.\n\nRussia is not an ICC member country, meaning the court, located in The Hague, has no authority there.\n\nHowever, it could affect Mr Putin in other ways, such as being unable to travel internationally. He could now be arrested if he sets foot in any of the court's 123 member states.\n\nMr Putin is only the third president to be issued with an ICC arrest warrant.\n\nPresident Biden said that, while the court also held no sway in the US, the issuing of the warrant \"makes a very strong point\".\n\nHis administration had earlier \"formally determined\" that Russia had committed war crimes during the conflict in Ukraine, with Vice-President Kamala Harris saying in February that those involved would \"be held to account\".\n\nThe United Nations also released a report earlier this week that found Moscow's forced removal of Ukrainian children to areas under its control amounted to a war crime.\n\nIn a statement on Friday, the ICC said it had reasonable grounds to believe Mr Putin committed the criminal acts directly, as well as working with others. It also accused him of failing to use his presidential powers to stop children being deported.\n\nRussia's commissioner for children's rights, Maria Lvova-Belova, is also wanted by the ICC for the same crimes.\n\nICC prosecutor Karim Khan has said the warrants were \"based upon forensic evidence, scrutiny and what's been said by those two individuals\".\n\nThe court had initially considered keeping the arrest warrants a secret, but decided to make them public to try and stop further crimes being committed.\n\n\"Children can't be treated as the spoils of war, they can't be deported,\" Mr Khan told the BBC.\n\n\"This type of crime doesn't need one to be a lawyer, one needs to be a human being to know how egregious it is.\"\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. WATCH: Can Vladimir Putin actually be arrested?\n\nMr Khan also pointed out that nobody thought that Slobodan Milosevic, the Serbian leader who went on trial for war crimes in Croatia, Bosnia and Kosovo in the 1990s, would end up in The Hague to face justice.\n\n\"Those that feel that you can commit a crime in the daytime, and sleep well at night, should perhaps look at history,\" Mr Khan said.\n\nSir Geoffrey Nice KC, who led the prosecution in the trial of former Serbian President Slobodan Milosevic, said the warrant would change how foreign leaders view Mr Putin.\n\n\"He will remain an alleged criminal until and unless he submits himself for trial, or is handed over for trial and acquitted. That seems extremely unlikely, so he will remain an alleged criminal until the end of his life,\" he told BBC Radio 4's Today programme.\n\nKremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said any of the court's decisions were \"null and void\" and former Russian President Dmitry Medvedev compared the warrant to toilet paper.\n\nRussian opposition activists have welcomed the announcement. Ivan Zhdanov, a close ally of jailed opposition leader Alexei Navalny, has tweeted that it was \"a symbolic step\" but an important one.\n\nUkrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has expressed his thanks to Mr Khan and the ICC for their decision to press charges against \"state evil\".","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/world-europe-64998165"}
{"title":"Bala: Fears sewage problem putting developments on hold - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-21","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"New developments in Bala are at risk due to phosphate levels in the River Dee, councillors say.","section":"Wales","content":"There are concerns phosphates are leaching into the river Dee near Bala, Gwynedd\n\nSewage works near a town need an urgent upgrade due to fears the discharge is polluting a river and stalling further development, according to councillors.\n\nThere are fears new developments in Bala, Gwynedd, will not get planning permission due to phosphate levels in the River Dee.\n\nPlans are in place to extend the Bala Lake Railway into Bala itself and there are also plans for more housing.\n\nWelsh Water said it would start work on the Bala plant in the autumn.\n\nThe Welsh government says it wants all sectors to work together to find solutions to reduce pollution levels in waterways across the country.\n\nPhosphates are naturally occurring minerals found in human and animal waste.\n\nNatural Resources Wales has set new targets for phosphate pollution in Special Areas of Conservation (SACs) across the country in 2021.\n\nThe river Dee and Llyn Tegid have been designated as a Special Area of Conservation\n\nSince then, some planning applications have stalled over fears additional sewage generated would lead to more phosphates reaching rivers.\n\nThe River Dee runs from Llyn Tegid to the sea near Chester. The lake and river have been designated a SAC.\n\nThe sewage works were \"leaching a lot of phosphates into the Dee catchment\", according to councillor Alan Jones Evans, who represents Llanuwchllyn on Gwynedd council.\n\nAlan Jones Evans says the situation is an emergency\n\nHe said councillors are \"calling on Welsh Water to bring forward their expenditure review so they can tackle this problem forthwith.\n\n\"Really it's an emergency situation, the river Dee is one of the main rivers in Wales and it needs to be treated with utter respect.\"\n\nMr Jones Evans said until the issue was regulated, the planning process was at a \"complete halt\" and Welsh Water needed to look at the issue before the spending review in 2030.\n\nDilwyn Morgan says the authorities need to work with developers\n\nCouncillor Dilwyn Morgan, who represents Bala on Gwynedd council, said the authorities needed to work together to find solutions rather than having \"a moratorium on all planning applications and development\".\n\n\"We have a major problem here in town with the sewage system, which as far as I know, no work has been done for over the last decade to upgrade that, so we all need to work together and sort this problem out and keep moving on with projects in the area,\" he said.\n\n\"As things stand at the moment the lack of proper sewage services in town are putting a stop to all major developments and that's not sustainable.\"\n\nHe urged Welsh Water to look into the matter and said the authorities needed to work with developers.\n\nIn a statement, Welsh Water said it was investing more than \u00a36m in Bala wastewater treatment works this autumn, which will take around 20 months to complete and help improve river water quality and accommodate future growth in the area.\n\n\"The work at the treatment works will follow the \u00a3500,000 we have already invested in the town's wastewater network to improve its performance by reducing the amount of surface water which enters the network,\" it said.\n\n\"The investment at the site will increase capacity and treatment capability at the works which will benefit the local community and environment for decades to come. We will be sharing more information about the work with local stakeholders and the community closer to the time.\"\n\nThe Welsh government said: \"The recent phosphate summit, chaired by the first minister, emphasised the need to work constructively with all sectors to find solutions to reduce and address excess nutrients in the soil and SAC rivers of Wales.\"","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/uk-wales-65025518"}
{"title":"Ofsted: Head teacher's family blames death on school inspection pressure - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-21","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"Ruth Perry took her own life while under \"intolerable pressure\" after an inspection, her family says.","section":"Berkshire","content":"Ruth Perry was the head at Caversham Primary School in Reading\n\nA head teacher who took her own life ahead of a school inspection report was under \"intolerable pressure\", her family has said.\n\nRuth Perry was waiting for an Ofsted report that would rate her primary school in Reading as inadequate.\n\nThe National Education Union, school leaders' union NAHT and the Association of School and College Leaders have called for inspections to be halted.\n\nThe Department for Education said inspections were \"hugely important\".\n\nMs Perry's family said teaching had been her \"passion and vocation\" for 32 years and they had been left \"devastated\" by her death on 8 January.\n\nIn the Ofsted report, the watchdog rated Caversham Primary School as inadequate.\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Ms Perry's colleague, Ellen, has called for \"more supportive\" inspections\n\nThe family statement said: \"We are in no doubt that Ruth's death was a direct result of the pressure put on her by the process and outcome of an Ofsted inspection at her school.\n\n\"We do not for an instant recognise Ofsted's 'inadequate' judgement as a true reflection of Ruth's exemplary leadership or of the wonderful school she led.\"\n\nThey accused inspectors of reaching conclusions that were \"sensationalist and drawn from scant evidence\".\n\nPaul Whiteman, general secretary of school leaders' union NAHT, said: \"It cannot be right that we treat dedicated professions in this way. Something has to change.\n\n\"Whilst it should never take a tragedy like this to prompt action, this has to be a watershed moment.\"\n\nMs Perry's family echoed calls for a \"massive reform\" of the inspection system.\n\n\"School inspections should be a welcome and positive contribution to improve standards in education,\" they said.\n\n\"They need to be genuinely supportive and so to safeguard the health and wellbeing of hard-working, talented, altruistic headteachers and staff.\n\n\"This is a vital part of ensuring the best educational environment for children, who are of course everyone's priority, as they were for Ruth.\"\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Julia Waters said her sister was anxious about the \"countdown\" to the inspection report\n\nAn inquest this summer will fully investigate Ms Perry's death but the publication of the Ofsted report has unleashed an outpouring of angst about the system - as well as a bigger debate about whether single grades for schools make sense.\n\nOut of 359 schools previously rated outstanding, 140 have held on to their top mark since September.\n\nThe rest have dropped their gradings, with five having fallen to the bottom category of inadequate.\n\nSir Michael Wilshaw, a former chief inspector of schools in England and head of Ofsted from 2012 to 2016, said Ofsted existed to improve the education system and provide parents with \"some sort of indication of the sort of school they want to send their children to\".\n\n\"At the end of the day, what parents want to know is this a school that is good enough for my child to go to?.... and if it isn't good they want to know what action is going to be taken,\" he said.\n\nHer added the \"great majority of schools\" welcomed Ofsted.\n\nTwo former teachers stood in protest outside John Rankin Infant School in Newbury, Berkshire, on Tuesday morning\n\nOn Monday, the head teacher of John Rankin Infant School in Newbury, Berkshire, said she planned to refuse inspectors entry in light of the death of Ms Perry.\n\nHowever, West Berkshire Council later said that following discussions the inspection would go ahead as planned.\n\nEarlier, two former teachers stood in protest outside the school.\n\nLiz, who was mentored by Ms Perry, said: \"There is not a day where I don't think about Ruth and the loss not only obviously to her family but the entire teaching community.\n\n\"She didn't just care and dedicate herself to her school and her pupils, she was also a huge support for schools in the Reading area and beyond.\n\n\"She was absolutely brilliant and the pressure and the stress that she was under was immense.\"\n\nA petition calling for education secretary Gillian Keegan and Ofsted chief inspector Amanda Spielman to review the inspection at Caversham Primary, and to make changes to the system, has so far gathered more than 150,000 signatures.\n\nRona Metters, who started the petition and works as a freelance school business officer, said: \"I see the pressures of Ofsted almost daily and it has become worse and worse, and I just felt that it shouldn't make people feel like this.\n\n\"It should be supportive - there is a need for regulatory checks to keep people safe but it shouldn't seek to ruin people, it should be there to support them.\"\n\nSpeaking to Nicky Campbell on BBC Radio 5 Live, one caller said her mother, who was the head of a school in Plymouth, took her own life eight years ago after an Ofsted inspection, during a week when building work was being carried out and the school was not running \"normal lessons\".\n\nShe said: \"About two weeks later my mother took her life because the school went from outstanding to inadequate due to this inspection.\n\n\"She felt like she had let everyone down. It's ruined my life I'd just turned 18 when it happened - she's not there and she should be here - I just blame Ofsted.\"\n\nShe described inspections as \"brutal\".\n\nIn an open letter, Suffolk Primary Headteachers' Association (SPHA) described Ofsted as a \"Damoclean sword hanging over dedicated professionals for months and years on end\".\n\nCalling for for a \"complete overhaul\" of school inspections it said the current model for school inspections was \"faulty\" and called for an end to \"one-word judgements\".\n\nThe Department for Education said inspections were a \"legal requirement\".\n\nA spokesman said: \"Inspections are hugely important as they hold schools to account for their educational standards and parents greatly rely on the ratings to give them confidence in choosing the right school for their child.\n\n\"We offer our deep condolences to the family and friends of Ruth Perry following her tragic death and are continuing to provide support to Caversham Primary School at this difficult time.\"\n\nFollow BBC South on Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram. Send your story ideas to south.newsonline@bbc.co.uk.\n\nAre you affected by issues covered in this story? Email: haveyoursay@bbc.co.uk.\n\nPlease include a contact number if you are willing to speak to a BBC journalist. You can also get in touch in the following ways:\n\nIf you are reading this page and can't see the form you can email us at HaveYourSay@bbc.co.uk. Please include your name, age and location with any submission.\n\nThe BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/uk-england-berkshire-65021154"}
{"title":"Ban lifted on Israelis' return to evacuated West Bank settlements - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-21","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"Lawmakers vote to allow Israelis back into four West Bank settlements evacuated in 2005.","section":"Middle East","content":"Israelis were banned from entering Homesh and the other evacuated settlements without permission\n\nIsrael's parliament has voted to allow Israeli citizens back into the sites of four settlements in the occupied West Bank which were evacuated at the time of the disengagement from Gaza in 2005.\n\nThere has been international criticism of the bill, as the settlements were built on what the High Court of Justice ruled was private Palestinian land.\n\nIt still has to be signed by an Israeli military commander to be enforced.\n\nBut it risks further inflaming tensions with Palestinians ahead of Ramadan.\n\nSome 600,000 Jews live in 140 settlements built since Israel's occupation of the West Bank and East Jerusalem in the 1967 Middle East war.\n\nMost of the international community considers the settlements illegal under international law, though Israel disputes this.\n\nAlmost 18 years ago, Israel's parliament passed a law mandating the unilateral withdrawal from the Gaza Strip as well as the evacuation of four isolated settlements in the northern West Bank - Sa-Nur, Ganim, Kadim and Homesh.\n\nThen-Prime Minister Ariel Sharon's government said the latter move would help \"provide Palestinian territorial contiguity\" in the West Bank and make it easier for Palestinians to live a normal life.\n\nIsraelis were banned from entering the evacuated area without the permission from the Israeli military.\n\nHowever, a group of settlers were able to establish a Jewish religious school and an unauthorised outpost at Homesh which the new coalition government - the most right-wing and nationalist in Israel's history - has been pushing to legalise.\n\nOn Monday night, lawmakers voted to repeal parts of the 2005 law so that Israelis could return to the sites of the evacuated settlements.\n\n\"The State of Israel tonight began its recovery process from the deportation disaster,\" tweeted Yuli Edelstein, a member of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's Likud party who sponsored the bill.\n\n\"This is the first and significant step towards real healing and settlement in Israel's homeland territories, which belong to it.\"\n\nBut the Israeli anti-settlement watchdog Peace Now said the return of settlers to the area would be \"a huge security burden and a focus of settler violence\".\n\n\"This decision will also pave the way for establishing many more outposts in an area that is now almost entirely Palestinian,\" it added.\n\nPalestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas's spokesman denounced the decision, saying the Israeli government was defying international law and working to sabotage international efforts to de-escalate the situation.\n\nThe US said it was deeply troubled by the vote in Israel's parliament.\n\n\"Coming at a time of heightened tensions, the legislative changes announced today are particularly provocative and counterproductive to efforts to restore some measures of calm as we head into Ramadan, Passover and the Easter holidays,\" state department spokesman Vedant Patel said.\n\nA spokesperson for the European Union said the Israeli move \"hampers the possibility to pursue confidence-building measures\" and that it represented \"a clear step back\" away from a solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.\n\nLast month, the Israeli government announced the legalisation of nine unauthorised outposts and approved the planning and building of more than 7,000 new housing units in existing settlements.\n\nBut at a meeting with Palestinian Authority officials in Egypt on Sunday, it reaffirmed a commitment to stop discussion of any new West Bank settlement homes for four months, and to stop authorisation of any outposts for six months.\n\nIt was part of a series of measures designed to calm tensions ahead of the Islamic holy month of Ramadan, which is scheduled to start later this week and coincides with the Jewish festival of Passover and the Christian festival of Easter.\n\nThis move by Israeli lawmakers will be viewed as being at odds with that pledge.\n\nThere has been a surge of violence between Israel and the Palestinians in the West Bank and occupied East Jerusalem this year.\n\nAt least 88 Palestinians - militants and civilians - have been killed by Israeli forces, and on the Israeli side, 16 people have been killed in Palestinian attacks, all civilians, except for a paramilitary police officer.\n\nOn Monday, there was widespread condemnation of a claim made by Israel's Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich that \"there is no such thing as Palestinians\".\n\nMr Smotrich, the leader of the far-right ultranationalist Religious Zionism party and a key figure in the governing coalition, told a conference in Paris that Arabs \"invented fictitious people in order to fight the Zionist movement\", and that the remarks \"needed to be heard in the White House\".\n\nPalestinian Authority Prime Minister Mohammed Shtayyeh strongly criticised the speech, saying it provided \"conclusive evidence of the extremist, racist Zionist ideology that governs the parties of the current Israeli government\".\n\nJordan, meanwhile, complained that a map used on the conference stage, which appeared to depict the country and the Palestinian territories as part of Israel, violated a 1994 peace treaty.\n\nThe Israeli foreign ministry later stressed in a tweet that there had \"been no change in the position of the State of Israel, which recognizes the territorial integrity of the Hashemite Kingdom\".\n\nEarlier this month, Mr Smotrich called for the Palestinian town of Hawara in the northern West Bank to be \"wiped out\" after two settlers were shot dead there by a Palestinian gunman and settlers attacked the town and nearby villages in response.\n\nHe later said he regretted the comment, and called it \"a slip of the tongue\".","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/world-middle-east-65024114"}
{"title":"Counter-terror police help investigation as man set alight near Birmingham mosque - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-21","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"The attack in Birmingham which left a man seriously injured could be linked to one in west London.","section":"Birmingham & Black Country","content":"Ch Supt Richard North said they are \"using all resources available to us\" to investigate the attack\n\nCounter-terror police are involved in an investigation into a man being set alight as he walked home from a mosque.\n\nA man has been held on suspicion of attempted murder after the attack in Edgbaston, Birmingham, on Monday.\n\nThe West Midlands and Metropolitan forces are looking into whether there is a link to a similar attack in Ealing, west London last month.\n\nThe Birmingham victim, in his 70s, was approached, sprayed with a substance and had his jacket set on fire.\n\nNeighbours told the BBC they helped to put the flames out and carry the victim to his home where he was treated by paramedics.\n\nHis son said his father was \"very badly burned\" and they were praying for his recovery.\n\nHe was taken to hospital with burns to his face which are serious but not thought to be life-threatening. Police said he remained in a stable condition.\n\nTayyab Riaz, the victim's nephew, said everyone was \"very upset\" at the \"shocking news\".\n\n\"For 35 years he's been going to that mosque to pray and there's never been a problem,\" he said.\n\n\"Suddenly this happens. His hair, beard and eyebrows are badly burnt. We're praying he's OK.\"\n\nA video of an attack shared on social media which shows a man being set alight is under investigation by police.\n\nDowning Street described the incident as a \"concerning case\".\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Residents filmed the moment police arrived in the street\n\nThe suspect was arrested in Dudley Road, the street where the Birmingham mosque is, on Tuesday after being identified by officers carrying out inquiries. The attack happened just after 19:00 GMT in nearby Shenstone Road.\n\nMembers of the mosque told Channel 4 news they had spotted a man in the congregation on Monday who stood out because \"he wasn't praying and was sitting in the wrong direction\".\n\nSahir Aziz Adam said he approached him and said the traditional Arabic greeting to him - \"as-salamu alaykum\", which means peace be upon you, but the man didn't respond, which set alarm bells ringing.\n\nHe left the building and Mr Adam said he called the police.\n\nIn Ealing, an 82-year-old man was set on fire as he left the West London Islamic Centre on Singapore Road, at about 20:00 on 27 February.\n\nCh Supt Richard North, commander at Birmingham police, said: \"We are aware of the incident that happened in London.\n\n\"We are actively working with the Metropolitan Police to see if those two incidents are connected. That's a major part of our inquiry.\n\n\"I have had meetings today with colleagues from the Metropolitan Police and they are engaged in the inquiry. We are working very much closely together.\"\n\nHe said officers had been \"working through the night to establish what happened and who is responsible\".\n\n\"We are taking this matter extremely seriously and are using all resources available to us,\" he said.\n\n\"We are keeping an open mind to the motive of the attacker and we won't speculate further at this stage.\"\n\nHe added: \"Our investigation continues with support from Counter Terrorism Policing West Midlands who have access to specialist capabilities to help establish the full circumstances surrounding the incident.\"\n\nMonsur Alam said the attack was \"very scary\"\n\nOfficers are aware of a video posted on social media \"showing a man being set alight, and we're examining it as part of our investigations\", the force said.\n\nFather of four Monsur Alam, aged 60, has lived in the road where the attack happened for the past five years.\n\n\"I heard screaming and my daughter was screaming as well,\" he said. \"My wife ran outside with a bucket of water and a man poured over him (the victim).\"\n\n\"It was very scary,\" he added.\n\nMohammed Abbasim, from Dudley Road Mosque, said: \"It's shocking to see that someone that you know has been targeted in this way.\"\n\n\"When things like this happen, it's an opportunity for the local people to come together rather than divide further,\" he said.\n\nScorch marks are on the pavement in Edgbaston where the attack happened\n\nResidents said a lot of doorbell footage in the area had been handed in to police.\n\nExtra officers will be in the area to speak to the community and provide reassurance.\n\nIn a joint statement, the city council's leader Ian Ward, cabinet member for community safety John Cotton and ward councillors Sharon Thompson and Marcus Bernasconi called it a \"horrific attack\".\n\nThey also said they would be talking with community groups and local mosques \"to offer support to the wider community\".\n\n\"We would urge the community to work with the police and to avoid any speculation at this stage,\" they added.\n\nFollow BBC West Midlands on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. Send your story ideas to: newsonline.westmidlands@bbc.co.uk\n\u2022 None Image issued after man set on fire outside mosque\n\nThe BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/uk-england-birmingham-65030005"}
{"title":"Man walking home from Birmingham mosque set on fire - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-21","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"West Midlands Police says the man suffered serious facial injuries in the attack in Birmingham.","section":"Birmingham & Black Country","content":"The man was set on fire on Brixham Road, in the Edgbaston area of Birmingham\n\nA man has been set alight while walking home from a mosque in Birmingham.\n\nPolice said the attack had taken place in Brixham Road, Edgbaston, just after 19:00 GMT on Monday.\n\nHe was walking home from a mosque in Dudley Road when, West Midlands Police believes, another man approached him and spoke to him briefly.\n\nThe individual then sprayed the victim with an unknown substance and set alight his jacket. The motive for the attack is so far unclear, say officers.\n\nThe injured man was taken to hospital with burns to his face which are not thought to be life threatening.\n\nA video of an attack shared on social media which shows a man being set alight is also being investigated by police as part of the investigation.\n\nExtra officers have been sent into the area to speak to the community and provide reassurance.\n\nSupt James Spencer said: \"Our officers have been working through the night to establish what happened and who is responsible.\n\n\"We are determined to find the person responsible and get those answers as soon as possible, and I'd urge the community to work with us and to avoid any speculation at this stage.\"\n\nIn a joint statement, the city council's leader Ian Ward, cabinet member for community safety John Cotton and ward councillors Sharon Thompson and Marcus Bernasconi called it a \"horrific attack\".\n\nThey also said they would be talking with community groups and local mosques \"to offer support to the wider community\".\n\n\"We would urge the community to work with the police and to avoid any speculation at this stage,\" they added.\n\nFollow BBC West Midlands on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. Send your story ideas to: newsonline.westmidlands@bbc.co.uk\n\nThe BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/uk-england-birmingham-65025384"}
{"title":"Julian Lloyd Webber takes aim at 'lamentable' BBC music cuts - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-21","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"The musician says plans to axe its chamber choir and reduce orchestra numbers have \"rebounded badly\".","section":"Entertainment & Arts","content":"Lloyd Webber said trust at the BBC had been \"eroded\"\n\nCellist Julian Lloyd Webber has questioned \"what the BBC still stands for\" after it announced plans to make cuts to its classical music groups.\n\nThe cuts will see the end of the BBC Singers and a 20% reduction of roles in three BBC orchestras.\n\nWriting in the Radio Times, the eminent musician described the BBC's \"treatment of its own musicians\" as \"lamentable\".\n\nA BBC spokesperson said: \"We know this is a hugely tough time for everyone impacted.\n\n\"Since 1922 the BBC has been an integral part of the classical music ecology in this country and abroad.\n\n\"For us to continue to be a leading force in the industry, we need to modernise, making some necessary and difficult changes to the way we operate, and many models have been considered over the past few months.\"\n\nHowever, Lloyd Webber, who is also a conductor and broadcaster, questioned the decision in his Radio Times opinion piece, writing: \"How did we get to this point? What has happened to our nation's beloved BBC - the organisation that has been responsible for some of the greatest classical music broadcasts in history?\n\n\"That BBC no longer exists. The dereliction of its core principles has happened stealthily, over many years and with a lack of transparency that has eroded trust both inside and outside the organisation.\"\n\nHe also claimed \"the manner of the way these decisions are being reached and announced has rebounded badly on the BBC\", adding that the \"BBC's long-term downgrading of classical music has finally come under public scrutiny.\"\n\nThe BBC Singers, based at the BBC's Maida Vale Studios in London, will be axed. It is Britain's only full-time professional chamber choir. The choir performs across the UK and around the world, making annual appearances at the BBC Proms. Most of its performances air on BBC Radio 3.\n\nThe BBC's three English orchestras - Symphony, Concert and Philharmonic - will see a 20% reduction in roles.\n\nThe BBC Concert Orchestra can be heard on BBC Radio 2's Sunday Night Is Music Night and on BBC Radio 3. It explores a wide selection of music, ranging from classical to contemporary.\n\nThe BBC Philharmonic is based at Media City UK in Salford, and performs an annual season of concerts at Manchester's Bridgewater Hall, as well as giving regular concerts at other venues across the north of England.\n\nThe BBC Symphony Orchestra plays a major role at The Proms, and also has an annual season at London's Barbican. Its commitment to contemporary music is demonstrated by a range of premieres each season.\n\nLloyd Webber, the brother of composer and music mogul Andrew Lloyd Webber, is not the only voice to have sounded alarm at the changes.\n\nConductor Sir John Elliot Gardener told Radio 4's Today programme on Saturday that the BBC's decision to axe the BBC Singers was \"a scandal\".\n\nWhen the plans were announced earlier this month, the corporation said the new strategy would create \"agile ensembles\" which can work with \"more musicians and broadcasting from more venues\" around the UK.\n\nThe BBC Singers would be replaced by investment \"more widely in the future of choral singing across the UK\" and a choral development programme for new talent, it said.\n\nThe BBC Symphony Orchestra conducted by Gemma New performed in February\n\nBut Sir John said: \"I think that's baloney. All the elements suggest that the people who have made these decisions don't give a flying fig and probably none of them have ever attended a choral concert in their lives.\"\n\nAnd in a letter published in The Times on Friday, senior music figures warned against the damage to Britain's \"internationally revered choral sector\".\n\nThe signatories wrote: \"We stand united in our utter dismay at the BBC's planned disbandment of the UK's only full-time professional chamber choir, the BBC Singers. This decision is indicative of the persistent devaluation of choral music and the nation's rich and excellent choral heritage.\"\n\nThe Musician's Union (MU) has described the changes as \"utterly devastating\".\n\nBut in its statement on Monday, the BBC said the new plans had been carefully considered.\n\n\"Whilst some may disagree with the tough decisions we've had to make in what are financially challenging times, we have developed the classical strategy carefully and diligently.\n\n\"We know this is a hugely tough time for everyone impacted. We will continue to do all we can to support those affected by these changes and to engage with the industry, and we are in consultation with the Musicians' Union.\"","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/65012753"}
{"title":"Ruth Perry: Ofsted urged to pause inspections after teacher death - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-21","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"Head teacher Ruth Perry took her own life while waiting for the publication of an Ofsted report.","section":"Berkshire","content":"Ruth Perry was the head at Caversham Primary School in Caversham, Reading\n\nEducation unions have called for Ofsted inspections to be paused in the wake of the death of a head teacher.\n\nRuth Perry, head at Caversham Primary School in Reading, took her own life while waiting for the publication of a report that downgraded her school from outstanding to inadequate.\n\nThe National Education Union, school leaders' union NAHT and the Association of School and College Leaders have called for inspections to be halted.\n\nOfsted has been asked for a comment.\n\nMs Perry's family said the 53-year-old had described the inspection in November as the worst day of her life.\n\nPaul Whiteman, general secretary of school leaders' union NAHT, said: \"It is clear that school leaders up and down the country are placed under intolerable pressure by the current approach.\n\n\"It cannot be right that we treat dedicated professions in this way. Something has to change. Whilst it should never take a tragedy like this to prompt action, this has to be a watershed moment.\n\n\"The anger and hurt being expressed currently by school staff is palpable. It is essential that all policy makers, including Ofsted, listen and respond.\n\n\"Given the strength of feeling and the need for a period of calm reflection, Ofsted should pause inspections this week.\"\n\nDr Mary Bousted, Joint General Secretary of the National Education Union, said: \"Given recent events and widespread concerns about leaders' wellbeing, it's the height of insensitivity for Ofsted to be going into schools or colleges this week.\n\n\"Ofsted should pause all its inspections and reflect upon the unmanageable and counterproductive stress they cause for school leaders, and the impact on leaders.\"\n\nGeoff Barton, general secretary of the Association of School and College Leaders, called for \"an immediate review\" and urged the inspectorate to consider replacing the current system of \"graded judgements which reduce everything that a school or college does to a single blunt descriptor\".\n\nHe said: \"These judgements do not do justice to schools and colleges, and negative outcomes are devastating to leaders, staff and communities.\"\n\nMs Perry's sister, Julia Waters, has called for schools to \"boycott Ofsted\".\n\nIn a Facebook post she said: \"In Ruth's memory and to protect others, I call on headteachers (with the support of teaching unions) to boycott Ofsted until a thorough, independent review has been conducted and changes implemented; refuse Ofsted inspectors entry to their school (or, at least, refuse to comply with inspectors' requests).\"\n\nShe previously said her sister told her in feedback to the senior leadership team inspectors said a boy doing a dance move akin to flossing was evidence of the sexualisation of children at the school.\n\nThere were also said to be claims of child-on-child abuse, which turned out to be a playground fight.\n\nIn the report, seen by the BBC but not published on the Ofsted website, leaders were described as having a \"weak understanding of safeguarding requirements and procedures\".\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser.\n\nThe report stated there was not \"appropriate supervision during breaktimes\", which meant pupils were \"potentially at risk of harm\".\n\nBut it also described a \"welcoming and vibrant school\", where relationships between staff and pupils were \"warm and supportive\", and bullying was rare.\n\nFlora Cooper, executive head of John Rankin Schools in Newbury, Berkshire, had earlier tweeted Ms Waters' plea and said she had refused access to inspectors who were due to visit on Tuesday.\n\nShe tweeted: \"I've just had the call. I've refused entry. This is an interesting phone call. Doing this for everyone for our school staff everywhere!\"\n\nIn a statement West Berkshire Council later said that following discussions the inspection would go ahead as planned.\n\n\"We understand that the inspection process can be a busy and stressful time for teachers, governors and school staff. As a council, we work closely with all of our schools to support them through the inspection process and address any individual concerns,\" it added.\n\nThe Department for Education said inspections were a \"legal requirement\".\n\nA spokesman said: \"Inspections are hugely important as they hold schools to account for their educational standards and parents greatly rely on the ratings to give them confidence in choosing the right school for their child.\n\n\"We offer our deep condolences to the family and friends of Ruth Perry following her tragic death and are continuing to provide support to Caversham Primary School at this difficult time.\"\n\nThe school inspectors who work for Ofsted have the legal right to enter schools and ask for any documents they wish.\n\nIn theory, under the law, anyone who obstructs them could be fined up to \u00a32,500. But the reality is it would never come to that.\n\nThese are unusual circumstances - a head teacher, grieving for a colleague, who wants to take a stand.\n\nHead teachers describe Ofsted inspections as a process many find almost unbearably stressful, which takes a toll on their mental and physical health.\n\nOfsted has a legal duty to check on the standard of education and welfare of children in school. The shocking death of a head teacher in her prime has ignited strong feelings and debate about how they do that.\n\nA petition calling for education secretary Gillian Keegan and Ofsted chief inspector Amanda Spielman to review the inspection and to make changes to the inspection system has so far gathered more than 40,000 signatures.\n\nIn the report seen by the BBC, but yet to be published on the Ofsted website, the watchdog rated the school as inadequate, the lowest rating.\n\nMatthew Purves, Ofsted regional director for the south east, said: \"We were deeply saddened by Ruth Perry's tragic death.\n\n\"Our thoughts remain with Mrs Perry's family, friends and everyone in the Caversham Primary School community.\"\n\nFollow BBC South on Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram. Send your story ideas to south.newsonline@bbc.co.uk.\n\nThe BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/uk-england-berkshire-65019341"}
{"title":"Putin: China plan could end war, but Ukraine and West not ready for peace - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-21","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"Mr Putin says China's plan could end the war - but he claims Ukraine and the West are not ready for peace.","section":"Europe","content":"This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser.\n\nChina's peace plan for Ukraine could be used as a basis to end the war, Vladimir Putin has said.\n\nBut Mr Putin said the plan could be put forward only when they are ready \"in the West and Kyiv\".\n\nThe Russian leader met Chinese President Xi Jinping on Tuesday in Moscow to discuss the conflict, and relations between the two countries.\n\nChina's plan, published last month, does not explicitly call for Russia to leave Ukraine.\n\nListing 12 points, it calls for peace talks and respect for national sovereignty, without specific proposals.\n\nBut Ukraine has insisted on Russia withdrawing from its territory as a condition for any talks - and there is no sign that Russia is ready to do that.\n\nOn Wednesday the Moscow-backed authorities in annexed Crimea said an attack by three waterborne drones on the Black Sea Fleet in the Bay of Sevastopol had been repelled with no damage to the fleet. The report could not be independently confirmed.\n\nOn Monday, explosions in another part of Crimea were said by Ukraine to have destroyed Russian missiles being transported by rail.\n\nThe US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said on Monday that calling for a ceasefire before Russia withdrew \"would effectively be supporting the ratification of Russian conquest\".\n\nIn a joint news conference after talks with Mr Xi ended, Mr Putin said: \"Many provisions of the Chinese peace plan can be taken as the basis for settling of the conflict in Ukraine, whenever the West and Kyiv are ready for it.\"\n\nBut Russia had yet to see such \"readiness\" from the other side, he added.\n\nStanding alongside the Russian leader, Mr Xi said his government was in favour of peace and dialogue and that China was on the \"right side of history\".\n\nHe again claimed that China had an \"impartial position\" on the conflict in Ukraine, seeking to cast Beijing as the potential peace-maker.\n\nThe pair also discussed growing trade, energy and political ties between the two nations.\n\n\"China is the leading foreign trade partner of Russia,\" President Putin said, pledging to keep up and surpass the \"high level\" of trade achieved last year.\n\nMr Xi left Russia on Wednesday, his plane departing from a Moscow airport.\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. China 'not impartial in any way', White House says\n\nAccording to Russian state media, the two leaders also:\n\nThere are growing concerns in the West that China might provide military support for Russia.\n\nSpeaking in Brussels, Nato chief Jens Stoltenberg said his alliance had not \"seen any proof that China is delivering lethal weapons to Russia\".\n\nBut he added there were \"signs\" that Russia had requested weapons, and that the request was being considered in Beijing.\n\nA joint statement released by China and Russia after the meeting between the two leaders said the close partnership between the two countries did not constitute a \"military-political alliance\".\n\nRelations \"do not constitute a bloc, do not have a confrontational nature and are not directed against third countries\", they added.\n\nMr Putin also used the press conference to accuse the West of deploying weapons with a \"nuclear component\" and said Russia would be \"forced to react\" if the UK sent shells made with depleted uranium to Ukraine. .\n\nThe UK's Ministry of Defence said depleted uranium was a \"standard component\" which had \"nothing to do with nuclear weapons\".\n\nMr Xi was given a fanfare welcome when he arrived at the Kremlin for a second day of talks on Tuesday.\n\nHe said he was \"very happy\" to be in Moscow and described talks with President Putin as \"frank, open and friendly\".\n\nHis visit to Russia came days after the International Criminal Court issued an arrest warrant for President Putin on war crimes allegations.\n\nThe state visit was mirrored by Japan Prime Minister Fumio Kishida's surprise visit to Kyiv - making him the first leader of Japan to visit a country in conflict since World War Two.\n\nPresident Zelensky said he will join the G7 summit in Japan in May via video link at the invitation of Mr Kishida.\n\nHe told a press conference on Tuesday afternoon that he had also asked China to get involved in talks but was waiting for an answer.\n\n\"We offered China to become a partner in the implementation of the peace formula,\" he said. \"We invite you to the dialogue; we are waiting for your answer.\"","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/world-asia-65030929"}
{"title":"Energy bill help drives UK borrowing to February record - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-21","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"The government borrowed its highest amount of any February to fund support for energy bills.","section":"Business","content":"Energy support schemes for households pushed government borrowing in February to its highest level for the month since records began in 1993.\n\nBorrowing, the difference between spending and tax income, was \u00a316.7bn, last month, the Office for National Statistics (ONS) said.\n\nThe ONS said this was largely due to spending on energy schemes this year.\n\nHowever, the interest paid on government debt was \u00a36.9bn in February - \u00a31.3bn less than a year earlier.\n\nInterest payments fell because of changes in the inflation rate that sets how much interest the government has to pay on its debts.\n\nBut the amount borrowed exceeded economists' expectations and followed a surprise surplus in the public finances in January.\n\nChancellor Jeremy Hunt said borrowing was \"still high\" because the government was supporting households with the rising cost of living.\n\nThe government announced last week that it would extend support for energy bills at current levels until the end of June.\n\nThe move came as typical household energy bills in Britain had been due to rise to \u00a33,000 a year from April.\n\nNow average bills will be kept at \u00a32,500 until the end of June, when they are expected to drop to around \u00a32,200 a year due to falling wholesale gas prices.\n\nHowever, the government's \u00a3400 winter fuel payment will not be renewed, meaning households' costs will still rise in the short term.\n\nMr Hunt said the government was \"spending about \u00a31,500 per household to pay just under half of people's energy bills this winter\".\n\nThe ONS said the extra spending on energy subsidies in February 2023 compared with a year earlier was estimated to be about \u00a39.3bn.\n\nHowever, despite the record borrowing in February, the ONS said \u00a31bn was raised through the new windfall tax on UK energy company profits. Tax income overall was also \u00a35bn higher than a year ago at \u00a377.8bn.\n\nWith self-assessed tax receipts in January and February at their highest level for those months since 1999, Capital Economics said the UK economy was perhaps becoming \"a bit more tax-rich\".\n\nRuth Gregory, its deputy chief UK economist, added the chancellor might have \"a bit of money to play with\" come the autumn, but warned there was a \"big risk\" that the recent turmoil in the banking sector deepens and \"the recent improvement in the public finances is blown away\".\n\nGlobal financial markets were spooked on Monday but appeared to recover losses after news of a rescue deal for Swiss banking giant Credit Suisse over the weekend.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/business-65013583"}
{"title":"Boris Johnson says he did not intentionally or recklessly mislead MP over Partygate - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-21","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"The former PM's defence over claims he misled Parliament over lockdown parties at No 10 is published.","section":"UK Politics","content":"As well as Dominic Cummings several other names feature in Boris Johnson\u2019s evidence to the Privileges Committee.\n\nMartin Reynolds served as Johnson's principal private secretary and featured heavily in reporting of Partygate. In May 2020, during lockdown, he emailed about 100 Downing Street staff inviting them along to socially distanced drinks outdoors.\n\nIn Johnson's evidence, the former PM says No 10 went to \"great lengths to follow\" Covid guidance under the direction of Reynolds. Johnson cites his former principal private secretary as someone who believed the events happening were work events.\n\nLee Cain served as Downing Street director of communications, and his leaving do on 13 November 2020 is one of the events Johnson addresses.\n\nJohnson says on that occasion he \"made a short speech, and left after approximately 15 minutes\".\n\nCain is also referred to in Johnson's evidence in relation to the event on 20 May 2020, when Johnson says \"Lee Cain has also raised the possibility that he raised a concern with me, although he has said that he does not recall if he did so\".\n\nSomeone who gets extensive mention in the report is Jack Doyle, the former Downing Street director of communications.\n\nIt has previously been reported that Doyle made a speech to 20 or 30 people and handed out prizes at a Downing Street party just prior to Christmas 2020.\n\nIn his evidence, Johnson says it was Doyle who first made him aware of the Partygate stories ahead of their publication in the Daily Mirror in November 2021. He says when he was told there had been a party at No 10 in December 2020, he thought it was \"some kind of try-on\".\n\n\"It seemed implausible to me that there could have been an illegal event at No 10 almost a year earlier that I had not heard about before,\" he says.\n\n\"Nonetheless, I asked Jack Doyle about the event, which he confirmed he had attended.\"\n\nJack Doyle reportedly attended a party at No 10 in December 2020 Image caption: Jack Doyle reportedly attended a party at No 10 in December 2020\n\nThey are yet to comment on Johnson's evidence.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/live\/uk-politics-65025438"}
{"title":"Brexit-backing Tory MPs undecided on Rishi Sunak's Northern Ireland deal vote - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-21","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"Brexiteer Tories say the Stormont brake - a key part of the deal - is \"practically useless\".","section":"UK Politics","content":"Mark Francois said the European Research Group (ERG) has not decided whether the vote against the Brexit deal\n\nA group of Eurosceptic Tory MPs has branded a significant part of the prime minister's new Brexit deal for Northern Ireland \"practically useless\".\n\nBut the MPs have not decided whether to reject the deal in a key vote on Wednesday.\n\nThe European Research Group (ERG) has published a critical legal assessment on what the PM has agreed.\n\nDowning Street has said there are no plans for substantial changes to the deal.\n\nThe deal - known as the Windsor Framework - was agreed by Prime Minister Rishi Sunak and the European Union (EU) last month to revise the Brexit deal for Northern Ireland.\n\nIt replaces the Northern Ireland Protocol, which led to disagreements between the UK and EU over trade rules.\n\nThe Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) has been refusing to take part in the devolved government in Northern Ireland until its concerns over post-Brexit trading arrangements are resolved.\n\nMr Sunak hailed his deal as a \"decisive breakthrough\" and many Conservative MPs, including those who supported Brexit, gave their backing to the agreement.\n\nBut his solution has now been heavily criticised by the two groups he wanted to win over the most, the ERG and the DUP, which is the biggest unionist party in Northern Ireland.\n\nMr Sunak has been under pressure to secure their backing and restore power-sharing in Northern Ireland in time for the 25th anniversary of the Good Friday Agreement in April.\n\nUS President Joe Biden is expected to visit Northern Ireland next month to mark the agreement, which ended decades of conflict on the island.\n\nThe ERG's legal analysis may embolden Brexit-backing Conservative MPs to rebel against the government in Wednesday's vote on the Stormont brake aspect of the deal.\n\nThe Stormont brake mechanism aims to give the Northern Ireland Assembly a greater say on how EU laws apply to Northern Ireland.\n\nThe DUP has already said it will vote against the government's Brexit plans this week. But the government is still expected to win the vote with the support of Labour, who have backed the deal.\n\nLegal experts have advised the ERG that EU law will \"still be supreme\" in Northern Ireland under the deal.\n\nThe analysis is based on the verdict of a so-called \"star chamber\" of lawyers hired by the ERG to pore over the details of the deal.\n\nEven though the lawyers advised the ERG that the Stormont brake was \"practically useless\", the group has declined to say whether they will vote against Mr Sunak's deal or not.\n\nERG chairman Mark Francois told journalists that the \"group hasn't taken the decision yet\" and it would be \"down to individuals\".\n\nThe prime minister's official spokesman rejected the ERG's criticism of the Stormont brake mechanism, saying it \"addresses the democratic deficit and provides a clear democratic safeguard for the people of Northern Ireland\".\n\n\"It covers all the rules that could cause issues for Northern Ireland and is a matter for the UK alone, with no role for the European Union in deciding when the brake is used or agreeing whether the rule is disapplied,\" he added.\n\nMeanwhile, in Brussels, EU member states have approved key parts of the Windsor Framework.\n\nThey handed the European Commission - the EU's executive - a mandate to bring forward the relevant changes on customs, VAT and the Stormont brake.\n\nThe EU-UK body which oversees the Northern Ireland Brexit deal is due to meet on Friday to formally ratify the legal changes.\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Watch: How would the Stormont brake work?\n\nThe EU will have been anticipating the intervention of the ERG, which had a major influence on UK government policy during Brexit negotiations.\n\nThe group's influence has waned since former PM Boris Johnson won a landslide election victory in 2019, promising to \"get Brexit done\".\n\nSince Mr Sunak took office last year, he has been seeking to end years of Conservative Party in-fighting over Brexit and its impact on Northern Ireland.\n\nA major sticking point has been the trading arrangements agreed by the EU and Mr Johnson under his Brexit deal.\n\nHe negotiated the Northern Ireland Protocol to prevent a hard border between the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland.\n\nThe DUP has blocked the functioning of the power-sharing government at Stormont for more than a year in protest at the protocol.\n\nThe Windsor Framework was signed to alter the protocol - and aims to significantly reduce the number of checks on any goods arriving in Northern Ireland from Great Britain.\n\nBut DUP leader Sir Jeffrey Donaldson said his party had \"unanimously agreed\" to vote against it because of \"ongoing concerns\".\n\nHe said the party would continue to assess the deal, but that \"we don't believe that this represents the significant progress that we need to see in order to have the institutions restored at this point\".","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/uk-politics-65024165"}
{"title":"Jeffrey Epstein banks to face sex-trafficking case - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-21","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"A US court says the banks must face claims they enabled the deceased financier's sex trafficking.","section":"Business","content":"Financier Epstein was awaiting trial on sex-trafficking charges in 2019 when he was found dead in his cell\n\nTwo banks connected with the late Jeffrey Epstein will face lawsuits over claims they enabled his sex trafficking, a US court has ruled.\n\nTwo women who say the financier sexually abused them brought the case against JP Morgan Chase and Deutsche Bank.\n\nJudge Jed Rakoff also gave the go-ahead to a case against JP Morgan from the US Virgin Islands.\n\nThe banks deny being aware of Epstein's abuses.\n\nIn a four-page order Judge Rakoff wrote that the women and Virgin Islands government could try to make the case the banks had \"knowingly benefitted from participating in a sex trafficking venture\".\n\nHe also allowed the women to pursue claims the banks were negligent and obstructed enforcement of a federal anti-trafficking law.\n\nHe dismissed some of the other claims.\n\nThe decision means the banks could be financially liable for their relationships with the American financier if the claims are proven in court.\n\nEpstein, who died in prison in 2019 while awaiting trial on charges of sex trafficking, was a client of JP Morgan from 2000 to 2013, and of Deutsche Bank from 2013 to 2018.\n\nJP Morgan and Deutsche Bank, which had both sought to have the lawsuits dismissed, declined to comment on the recent ruling to Reuters.\n\nThe move comes after JP Morgan filed a lawsuit against Jess Staley, who handled Epstein's business as a senior executive at the bank, accusing him of failing to disclose potentially damaging information about his client.\n\nMr Staley went on to serve as chief executive of Barclays after leaving JP Morgan. He stepped down in 2021 after an investigation into his ties to Epstein.\n\nAt the time he said he would contest the findings.\n\nEpstein, who was convicted in 2008 for soliciting prostitution from a minor, moved in social circles that included Prince Andrew and former presidents Donald Trump and Bill Clinton, as well as many key figures of the business world.\n\nProsecutors in 2019 accused him of running a \"vast network\" of underage girls for sex.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/business-65017982"}
{"title":"Somerset woman sells house after 102 years living there - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-21","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"Nancy 'Joan' Gifford moved into the three-bedroom house in 1921 when she was two.","section":"Somerset","content":"Mrs Gifford moved into the property when she was two and later raised her children in it\n\nA woman marked her 104th birthday on Tuesday by putting the house she has lived in for more than a century on the market.\n\nIn the 102 years Nancy 'Joan' Gifford has lived in the three-bedroom terraced house in Somerset, the world has witnessed World War Two, the invention of TV and the moon landings.\n\nIts \u00a3169,950 asking price dwarfs the \u00a3200 her parents paid for it.\n\nDespite the passage of time, much of the property remains the same.\n\nMrs Gifford's son John, 79, said growing up in the property - which was built in 1882 in Street - was \"fantastic\".\n\nBert and Nancy Gifford raised their two children in the house after they got married in 1939\n\nMrs Gifford has lived in the Victorian property since 1921\n\n\"Back in the day most children our age knew everybody, and we all had an open house, and it was fine to leave your door on the latch,\" he added.\n\n\"We were all poor, but everyone was happy.\"\n\nWhen Mrs Gifford moved in as a two-year-old, the property's kitchen, toilet and wash area were open to the elements, while a tin bath hung on the wall outside.\n\nThe area has since been covered over and a new kitchen installed, alongside an extension for the family bathroom, but much of the property remains the same, except for a lick of paint in the early 2000s.\n\nGrowing up in Street, Mrs Gifford went to the Convent School in Glastonbury, where she met her future husband, Bert, in the mid-1930s while walking with her friends.\n\nBert and Nancy Gifford and their daughter Mary in the garden of their The Mead home in the 1950s\n\nThe pair married at the start of World War Two in 1939 and went on to have two children, Mary and John - who still lives in Street with his wife Sue.\n\nAfter the war, Mr Gifford spent 42 years working at the Clarks factory in Street as a heel pairer, while his wife was a stitcher for the shoe-maker.\n\nDeclining health has forced Mrs Gifford to move out to the nearby St Benedict's Nursing Home in Glastonbury, estate agent Holland and Odam, who is selling the property, said.\n\nJack Bartram, the manager of its Street branch, said: \"That house must hold so many lovely memories for Mrs Gifford and her family, but now, after more than a century, it's time for another family to make some memories.\"\n\nFollow BBC West on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. Send your story ideas to: bristol@bbc.co.uk","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/uk-england-somerset-65017575"}
{"title":"Met Police: Women and children failed by 'boys' club', review finds - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-21","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"The Met is institutionally racist, misogynistic and homophobic, Baroness Casey's damning report finds.","section":"UK","content":"This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Watch: Baroness Casey: \"It's time for the organisation (Met Police) not to be in denial\"\n\nWomen and children have been failed by the Metropolitan Police, with racism, misogyny, and homophobia at the heart of the force, a blistering review says.\n\nBaroness Casey says a \"boys' club\" culture is rife and the force could be dismantled if it does not improve.\n\nHer year-long review condemns systemic failures, painting a picture of a force where rape cases were dropped because a freezer containing key evidence broke.\n\nThe Met's Commissioner Sir Mark Rowley admitted \"we have let Londoners down\".\n\nThe report has prompted a strong reaction, with the mother of murdered black teenager Stephen Lawrence saying the force was \"rotten to the core\".\n\nHome Secretary Suella Braverman warned it could take years to address some challenges, but was confident Sir Mark and his team would deliver the change the public expects.\n\nBaroness Casey was appointed to review the force's culture and standards after the abduction, rape and murder of Sarah Everard by serving police officer Wayne Couzens, in 2021.\n\nDuring the course of her review, another Met officer, David Carrick, was convicted of a series of rapes, sexual offences and torture of women.\n\nThe 363-page report condemns the force as institutionally racist, misogynist and homophobic, referencing racist officers and staff, routine sexism, and \"deep-seated\" homophobia.\n\nBut Sir Mark told Radio 4's Today programme that while he accepted the \"diagnosis\" of the report he would not use the expression \"institutional racism\", describing it as ambiguous and politicised.\n\nHe said \"hundreds\" of \"problematic\" officers have been identified since he took over the force, and said the report has to be \"a new beginning\".\n\nBaroness Casey said the capital \"no longer has a functioning neighbourhood policing service\" and policing by consent was broken, especially for \"communities of colour\", who are \"over-policed and under-protected\".\n\nThe report says leadership teams at the top of the Met have been in denial for decades, and there has been a systemic failure to root out discriminatory and bullying behaviour.\n\nIt says the force, the biggest in the UK, has failed to protect the public from officers who abuse women and Baroness Casey said she could not rule out more officers like Couzens and Carrick being in the Met.\n\nTeams tasked with tackling domestic abuse are understaffed, overworked and inexperienced, despite cases doubling in 10 years, it said.\n\nThe Met has not made its publicly-stated policy to crack down on abusers an \"operational reality\", the report found.\n\nBaroness Casey told the BBC that rape detectives are working with insufficient resources while \"the guys that hold the firearms get any toy they want\".\n\nOne officer told the review the Met's rape detection rates were now so low \"you may as well say it is legal in London\".\n\nFloral tributes and messages were left at a memorial site at Clapham Common Bandstand, following the murder of Sarah Everard, in 2021\n\nThe report says that discrimination \"is often ignored\" and complaints \"are likely to be turned against\" ethnic minority officers, to the point where black officers are 81% more likely to be in the misconduct system than white colleagues.\n\nIt concludes: \"Deep in its culture it is uncomfortable talking about racism, misogyny, homophobia and other forms of discrimination.\"\n\nBaroness Casey said austerity had \"disfigured\" the Met, and pressures like court backlogs and London's expanding population have put the force under further strain.\n\nBut she says not enough had changed since the 1999 Macpherson report, published after Stephen Lawrence's murder, which labelled the Met \"institutionally racist\".\n\nBaroness Doreen Lawrence said the force has had almost 30 years since her son's death and the recognition of institutional racism by Sir William Macpherson to put its house in order.\n\n\"It has not done so, either because it does not want to or it does not know how to,\" she added.\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Met Commissioner Sir Mark Rowley: \"We have let Londoners down... the findings are brutal\"\n\nIn a Commons statement, Ms Braverman said there have been \"serious failures of culture, leadership and standards\".\n\nShe said it is vital that the law-abiding public \"do not face a threat from the police themselves\", and that officers not fit to wear a uniform are \"driven out\".\n\nShadow home secretary Yvette Cooper said she was concerned her counterpart had delivered a \"dangerously complacent\" statement by \"astonishingly\" setting out no action.\n\nShe called a lack of mandatory requirements for vetting and training underpinned by law a \"disgrace\", and urged Ms Braverman to ensure any officer under investigation for domestic abuse or sexual assault is automatically suspended.\n\nIf sufficient progress is not made, dividing the Met into national, specialist and London responsibilities should be considered, Baroness Casey concluded.\n\nAsked if he would tell his daughters they could trust the police, Prime Minister Rishi Sunak told BBC Breakfast: \"I need the answer to that question to be 'yes' and at the moment trust in the police has been hugely damaged.\"\n\nResponding to the report, Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer said Sir Mark should \"go further and faster\" to uncover the Met's systemic problems.\n\nHe said: \"The biggest danger today is that this just becomes another report.\"\n\nLondon Mayor Sadiq Khan said today was \"one of the darkest days in the 200-year history\" of the Met, but he was not surprised as it chimed with his own personal and professional experiences.\n\nHe insisted the force did not need to be broken up, but said systemic issues needed addressing.\n\nFour groups - the Runnymede Trust, Inquest, Liberty and Stonewall - said they \"stand united in our call for the roll back of the policing powers\" of the Met, and it was increasingly clear communities \"do not consent to the violent, predatory and discriminatory policing that we are currently offered\".\n\nHave you been affected by the issues in this story? Share your experiences by emailing haveyoursay@bbc.co.uk.\n\nPlease include a contact number if you are willing to speak to a BBC journalist. You can also get in touch in the following ways:\n\nIf 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 HaveYourSay@bbc.co.uk. Please include your name, age and location with any submission.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/uk-65015479"}
{"title":"Swansea: Morriston explosion like a film set, say paramedics - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-21","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"Exclusive footage shows the huge effort by emergency crews at a house explosion in Swansea.","section":"Wales","content":"This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Specialist paramedics at the scene of Swansea blast\n\nSpecialist paramedics were among dozens of emergency workers called to the scene of a house explosion in Swansea last week.\n\nThe Hazardous Area Response Team (Hart), which is part of the Welsh Ambulance Service, are trained to enter the scene of major incidents and immediately start life-saving treatment.\n\nArriving there within 30 minutes of the initial 999 call, one of the crew members was wearing a camera supplied by BBC Wales as part of a film project.\n\n\"It was like a movie set with debris everywhere and bits of house in the trees around you,\" said specialist paramedic Gareth Denman.\n\nHe was faced with the \"surreal\" scene in a terraced street in Morriston following the incident that killed one person and left three others in hospital.\n\n\"There was lots of destruction around - lots of bricks, damaged cars, buildings,\" he said. \"But it's about focusing on the task in hand.\"\n\nFire crews and urban search and rescue officers remove rubble from the scene of a house explosion in Swansea\n\nThe footage shows the human chain formed by firefighters to remove debris from the scene, personal items and clothing strewn across the street and even the moment a cat was rescued.\n\n\"The initial response team had dealt with the walking wounded,\" said Gareth.\n\n\"I believe a bus driver had pulled over and that became almost a makeshift mini hospital.\"\n\nAs well as bricks and rubble, children's belongings and kitchen items were strewn around them.\n\nOperational manager Craig Merrick said: \"You are task focused when you're there - you're aware of debris and things that shouldn't really be there.\n\nEmergency workers at the scene of the blast last week\n\n\"You are aware of it, but you push it to the back of your mind because you've got other more important tasks to do.\"\n\nCraig Merrick has been with Hart since it was established in 2012\n\nAs team leader, Craig said individual jobs stayed with them - especially those involving children, adding that \"we are lucky that we have a trauma practitioner we can speak to, because on a day-to-day basis you don't usually see some of the stuff that we see\".\n\nGareth added: \"The role of paramedic is an amazing role.\"\n\nThe explosion happened in the Morriston area of Swansea\n\n\"It's a privilege to be able to go into people's homes or different environments and provide care and treatment to people in some of their worst times.\n\n\"Add that to the hazardous area where there might be fires going on or risk of explosion, or there's chemicals involved or running water and stuff like that - it adds an additional dynamic.\"\n\nGareth Denman has been a paramedic for 10 years\n\nThe 42-person department can respond to calls across Wales, night and day.\n\nEach shift has two \"pods\" that can be deployed.\n\nThe pod is made up of two vehicles: one containing the medical kit; the other, larger truck is stocked with everything from stretchers designed for working at height to protective suits designed for chemical incidents or water rescues.\n\nPreparing them for any eventuality is one of the training managers, Giles Hodges.\n\n\"We ask a lot of our Hart paramedics,\" he said. \"We can only do that if we give them the PPE to operate and the training.\"\n\nHazardous area response team members are trained to help with rescues as well as treat patients at the scene\n\nEvery seven weeks staff have four days of intensive training to keep on top of the skills needed for the extreme locations they work in and the medical skills required when they get there.\n\n\"If we don't expose them to the real thing, when they come to do it they're not going to have the confidence to achieve what we need them to do,\" said Giles.\n\nOne man died and three others were injured in the blast\n\n\"Prior to Hart we didn't have the capability to treat the patient where they fell. Within that 'hot zone' - that risk zone - we weren't allowed to go forward through that cordon.\n\nTraining manager Giles Hodges ensures the crew is up to date with the multiple skills needed for the role\n\n\"What Hart gives us is that capability to move forward into that hazardous area to treat the patient where it's needed most.\n\n\"Undoubtedly, if we can't get to the patient, the patient's going to deteriorate and become really unwell.\"","link":"https:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/uk-wales-64994373"}
{"title":"Met Police face long road to recovery after Casey Review - Braverman - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-21","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"The home secretary's comments come after a damning review found racism, misogyny and homophobia in London's police.","section":"UK","content":"Mina Smallman, whose daughters Bibaa Henry and Nicole Smallman were murdered and then pictures of their bodies shared by police officers, says she feels \u201cvindicated but also angered\u201d by Baroness Casey\u2019s report.\n\nShe tells the BBC she's \u201cdisappointed\u201d by the Met Commissioner Sir Mark Rowley\u2019s refusal to use the term \u201cinstitutional\u201d when referring to the force\u2019s racism, sexism, misogyny and homophobia.\n\nQuote Message: It's not a time for being clever. It's not a time for wordplay or semantics. It's a time for action.\u201d from Mina Smallman Mother of Bibaa Henry and Nicole Smallman It's not a time for being clever. It's not a time for wordplay or semantics. It's a time for action.\u201d\n\nMina added that black people will read the report and feel \u201cwe\u2019ve been saying this for years\u201d.\n\nAsked whether she has confidence in Rowley to bring changes, she says: \u201cI think everybody wants to see the results.\n\n\"Until we name and shame those senior officers who met with Couzens and didn't do their job, and some of these people who were doing the misconduct and allowed people to go free, then I think we won't see the most decisive move that needs to happen.\u201d","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/live\/uk-65011583"}
{"title":"Ukraine says Russian missiles destroyed in Crimea - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-21","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"If confirmed, the strike suggests Ukraine's capacity to deploy drones has increased.","section":"Europe","content":"Footage shared on social media showed an explosion lighting up the night sky\n\nAn explosion in the north of annexed Crimea has destroyed Russian missiles being transported by rail, Ukraine's defence ministry has said.\n\nThe Russian-installed head of the city of Dzhankoi said the area had been attacked by drones.\n\nUkraine announced the explosions but, as is normal, did not explicitly say it was behind the attack.\n\nIf confirmed, it would be a rare foray by Ukraine's military into Crimea, which has been annexed since 2014.\n\nRussia has suffered attacks in Crimea before, but in most cases, responsibility has either been unacknowledged by Ukraine or blamed on some kind of partisan sabotage.\n\nThis strike, if confirmed, suggests that the capacity of the Ukrainian air force to deploy drones has increased.\n\nUntil now, Crimea has largely seemed out of the range of Ukrainian missiles. But this attack indicates that a drone at least can reach deeper behind Russian lines than previously thought.\n\nThe \"mysterious\" explosions destroyed Russian Kalibr-NK cruise missiles, intended for use by Russia's Black Sea Fleet, Ukrainian defence intelligence said. Kailbr missiles have been widely used in attacks on Ukrainian cities and infrastructure in recent months.\n\nOne unconfirmed report from a resident cited on Ukrainian TV spoke of \"booms\" that went on for 30 minutes, leaving part of Dzhankoi with no electricity. The blasts \"continue the process of Russia's demilitarisation and prepares the Ukrainian peninsula of Crimea for de-occupation\", the defence ministry said.\n\nDzhankoi has been used by Russian forces as a rail hub between Crimea and other areas of occupied Ukraine. Russian TV reports said that Tuesday's strike had not caused any damage to rail infrastructure.\n\nRussia's investigative authority said a residential building and a shop were damaged, according to initial findings. All the targets were civilian, it claimed.\n\nIhor Ivin, the Russian-installed administrator, said a 33-year-old man was taken to hospital for treatment for a shrapnel injury from a downed drone. He made no mention of any military targets being damaged.\n\nSeveral buildings caught fire and the power grid was damaged, Mr Ivin was quoted as saying by local media. Another Russian-appointed official said a drone had been hit over a technical school, between an instruction area and a student residence.\n\nRussia's top official in occupied Crimea, Sergei Aksyonov, said air defences near Dzhankoi had been activated and the situation was under control. He urged residents not to pay attention to \"fakes disseminated by Ukrainian propaganda\".\n\nLast August, an ammunition depot was targeted near Dzhankoi. Weeks later, Russia blamed Ukraine for carrying out a drone attack on the Black Sea Fleet in the Crimean port city of Sevastopol in which a warship was damaged.\n\nThis latest attack suggests Kyiv is determined to continue harrying the supply chains of Russian forces, targeting in particular its stock of missiles, as well as the routes along which they may be transported into southern occupied Ukraine via Crimea.\n\nSpeaking on Ukrainian TV, military spokeswoman Natalia Humeniuk reminded viewers that Dzhankoi was a hub station for the occupying force and that, from the start of the Russians' full-scale invasion, it had been made clear that defeating their logistics would play a big part in the future status of Crimea.\n\nKyiv has a political incentive to keep Crimea in the news, too: a reminder that its current objective is not just to force Russian forces out of those areas captured since February last year, but also from the Black Sea peninsula annexed illegally in 2014.\n\nIn a separate development, authorities in southern Russia accused Ukrainian forces of using a drone to target a pumping station on an oil pipeline north of the Ukrainian border. The governor of Bryansk region said there were no casualties.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/world-europe-65021987"}
{"title":"Casey Review: Met rotten to core, says Stephen Lawrence's mother - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-21","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"Baroness Lawrence said the force is still failing 24 years after being dubbed \"institutionally racist\".","section":"UK","content":"Baroness Lawrence has said the Met Police is still \"rotten to the core\" 30 years after her son, Stephen, was murdered and the force was found to be institutionally racist.\n\nThe Casey Review found evidence of continuing systemic racism in the Met, against both staff and the public.\n\nOfficers told the BBC they had experienced racist abuse on the job.\n\nThe Met's Commissioner Mark Rowley said he accepts the report's \"diagnosis\" but not the term \"institutional\".\n\nThe following report contains language which some people may find offensive\n\nThe report by Baroness Louise Casey comes 24 years after the Macpherson Report, which looked at the investigation into Stephen Lawrence's racially-motivated killing and exposed institutional racism in the Met, the UK's biggest police force.\n\nThe Casey Review was commissioned after the murder of Sarah Everard by a serving Met officer and other incidents involving its staff raised questions about the Met's internal culture.\n\nPrejudice is \"alive and well\" in the Met, the Casey Review says, with the consequences felt by those working in the organisation and the millions of people served by it.\n\nBaroness Lawrence said it was \"no surprise\" to her that discrimination \"in every form is clearly rampant in its ranks\", after the report also unearthed widespread evidence of homophobia and misogyny.\n\nShe said the Met had had \"30 years to put its house in order\" since her son's murder but has failed to do, \"either because it does not want to or it does not know how to\".\n\nThe Casey Review found black Londoners remained \"over-policed and under-protected\", and said those from an ethnic minority background were more likely to be stopped and searched, handcuffed, batoned and Tasered, creating a situation where trust and consent have been eroded.\n\nDespite policing the most diverse city in the country, more than four-fifths of Met officers were white and the report said this would take nearly 40 years to correct on current recruitment trajectories.\n\nBullying is rife within the Met's ranks, the report says, and leaders do not take claims of discrimination seriously, with the complaint often being \"turned against\" an officer from an ethnic minority. This meant black officers were 81% more likely to be involved in misconduct hearings than their white counterparts, it found.\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Met Commissioner Sir Mark Rowley: \"We have let Londoners down... the findings are brutal\"\n\nSpeaking anonymously to the BBC's Newsnight programme, a black serving Met officer said: \"I've been called a monkey; a banana has been left on my chair. It's just unbelievable. They're sick.\"\n\n\"You think this might have happened decades ago but to still happen now, it just shows nothing has changed. I have no faith in the people here because it just goes on and on. I wish those people could feel what we feel. They deserve to suffer the pain racism makes us feel.\"\n\nAn anonymous Asian officer said they had been told on duty they \"smell of curry\", that they look \"dirty\" and \"filthy\" and \"need to have a wash\".\n\nThe same officer said the force's \"canteen culture, as it's called, is so deep and strong that it's impossible to get rid of\".\n\nBaroness Casey spoke to serving officers as part of her investigation. One black female officer said she felt she \"had to try to be invisible\", or risk getting \"a reputation as a troublemaker\".\n\nA former senior officer recounted the \"humiliating\" experience of being stopped and searched, and another black officer said colleagues had on occasion mistaken him for a prisoner or potential intruder in police stations.\n\nAnother black female officer said they witnessed a white officer using highly offensive racist language to verbally abuse a white woman who had been caught buying drugs from a black man.\n\nThe report found a persistent view among some in the Met that people from ethnic minorities who progress only do so because of positive action initiatives.\n\nOne senior officer said they were openly asked in a large meeting in 2022 \"did you get where you got to because you are black?\".\n\nA Sikh officer told Baroness Casey they \"don't feel comfortable\" telling others from their community to join the force.\n\nAnother told Baroness Casey: \"The ugly truth is that the organisation is riddled with racism - how much have people like me acquiesced?\"\n\nShabnam Chaudhri, a former detective superintendent for the Met, said the report made for \"very hard reading\".\n\n\"I was shocked, I didn't think I could be,\" she told the BBC's Asian Network. \"I feel for all of the officers that are having to endure behaviour like this.\"\n\nBut the former detective said that, while Baroness Casey \"did a brilliant review,\" she would suspect \"there were areas\" of policing affecting South Asian and minority officers that \"hadn't been covered\" by the report as \"they might have been scared they were identified and subjected to further victimisation\".\n\nAbdul, who lives in London, told Asian Network that he was first searched by police at the age of 13.\n\nHe said: \"I went to a funfair in Mile End (in east London), and I had some tissues in my pocket. The police started searching me because they thought they were drugs.\n\n\"The way the police operate with younger people is aggressive, defensive\u2026 if they approach them in an aggressive manner, of course they're going to get the same back.\"\n\nSir Mark Rowley has accepted there are systemic biases within the Met and says he is committed to rooting out racist, homophobic and misogynistic staff.\n\nBut his decision not to endorse the word \"institutional\" was criticised by Mina Smallman, whose daughters Nicole Smallman and Bibaa Henry were murdered in London in June 2020. Two Met officers were subsequently jailed for sharing images of their bodies in a WhatsApp group.\n\nSir Mark said the word institutional is ambiguous and has been politicised.\n\nNicole Smallman and Bibaa Henry had been celebrating Ms Henry's birthday before they were reported missing\n\nMs Smallman said that black people will read the report and feel \"we've been saying this for years\".\n\nShe told the BBC \"I kind of understand what he's trying to say,\" but added: \"You have to accept this. This [institutional] is a term that the Met and big institutions fear and run away from.\"\n\nShe continued: \"I think it's weak. That weakened him,\" adding: \"It's not a time for wordplay or semantics. It's a time for action.\"\n\nResponding to the report, Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer said Sir Mark should \"go further and faster\" to uncover the systemic problems within the Met.\n\nSetting out his view on how Labour would raise confidence in police forces across the UK, he said the party will be \"relentless in demanding progress and change\".\n\nHe added: \"The biggest danger today is that this just becomes another report.\"\n\nHome Secretary Suella Braverman said the report makes \"very concerning reading\" and shows the force \"faces a long road to recovery\".\n\nAddressing the Commons, Ms Braverman said she would ensure the force has \"all the support\" it needs from the government to deliver on Sir Mark's pledge of \"more trust, less crime and high standards\".\n\nShe added: \"Every officer in the force needs to be part of making these changes happen.\"\n\nBaroness Casey uncovered evidence of widespread failings, including chronic under-resourcing for tackling crimes against women and children, the collapse of neighbourhood policing and oversight failures which have allowed predatory behaviour to \"flourish\".","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/uk-65025563"}
{"title":"Just Eat: Takeaway firm to cut 1,900 jobs in UK - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-21","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"The delivery giant is restructuring its business after a slowdown in takeaway sales.","section":"Business","content":"Takeaway delivery firm Just Eat is to cut 1,870 jobs in the UK after a slowdown in sales.\n\nThe firm said it would stop employing its own couriers and use contractors instead, resulting in 1,700 job losses. 170 operational roles will also go.\n\nThe drivers and riders affected have been given six weeks' notice.\n\nIt comes after the company saw a 9% slump in customer numbers last year as Covid rules eased and diners returned to pubs and restaurants.\n\nThe couriers affected work for Just Eat's \"Scoober\" service and are classed as workers for the company, getting paid a fixed hourly rate, an uncapped bonus and other benefits such as sick pay.\n\nMost of the firm's delivery drivers are contractors who do not enjoy such perks.\n\n\"We have proposed to transition away from the worker model for couriers, which is a small part of our overall delivery operations - running in certain parts of six UK cities,\" a spokeswoman said.\n\nShe added that the move would not affect Just Eat's services.\n\nSix tips for finding work - read more here.\n\nJust Eat, which is the largest takeaway delivery company in Europe, has been a prominent supporter of plans to hire its couriers in Europe as workers, arguing this gave them benefits and more workplace protection.\n\nBoss Jitse Groen had previously said the so called gig economy model came \"at the expense of society and workers themselves\".\n\nBut while most of Just Eat's riders in the EU are classed as workers, more than 90% of its meals in Britain are delivered by contractors.\n\nThe firm has said using workers rather than self-employed people in the UK put it at a competitive disadvantage against rivals such as Deliveroo and Uber.\n\nAside from the UK, Just Eat also uses a contractor model in Ireland, Slovakia and most of France excluding Paris where its riders are full employees.\n\nThe move comes a month after Deliveroo said it would cut about 350 roles, mostly in the UK, due to \"unforeseen economic headwinds\".\n\nLast week Deliveroo reported a \u00a3294m annual loss after consumers cut back due to the rising cost of living.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/business-64985351"}
{"title":"Chris Mason: Boris Johnson's political future and reputation on trial - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-21","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"Boris Johnson will face MPs questions this week about whether he misled Parliament over Partygate.","section":"UK Politics","content":"Boris Johnson's reputation is on trial. His political future is on trial too.\n\nNot in a court of law. But, rather like a court of law, in front of his peers.\n\nThe chances are you already have a view about him. Good, or bad. Probably not indifferent.\n\nIn this instance, the judge and jury are his fellow MPs, exploring a narrow question in relation to all those Partygate revelations.\n\nDid he knowingly mislead Parliament about them? Parliament's Privileges Committee will ask him about it on Wednesday afternoon, in front of the cameras.\n\nIt's likely to last perhaps two to three hours. At the heart of their scrutiny are three words:\n\nAttach the word \"misleading\" to these three words and we get to the crux of all this. The extent to which he was misleading and the intent.\n\nThe committee acknowledges that around 100 times a year ministers end up saying stuff in Parliament that turns out to be inadvertently misleading and they come back and correct things.\n\nSo the real crunch point in all this is whether the committee establishes and concludes that he was reckless, or the more serious, but rather difficult to prove case that he intentionally misled MPs.\n\nSome of Mr Johnson's allies think the case of recklessness has been introduced because the committee won't be able to prove intent.\n\nSince the autumn the former prime minister has had a legal team of around five people working on his case. Among them Lord Pannick KC, Jason Pobjoy and solicitors.\n\nThey have compiled a document of around 50 pages, in Mr Johnson's name but assembled with the advice of his lawyers, that was submitted to the committee on Monday afternoon. It will be published by the committee on Tuesday.\n\nI understand it will contain what his team will argue amounts to evidence that he did not knowingly mislead Parliament.\n\nInstead, they will claim he shared at the time with MPs what he was told by his advisers was an accurate picture of what was known about what had gone on.\n\nCritics will \u2014 and already have - argued that this couldn't possibly be the case given he had actually attended some of the gatherings we later learnt about.\n\nSo the stage is set for Wednesday afternoon. Seven MPs. Four Conservatives. Two Labour, including the chair, Harriet Harman. And one from the SNP.\n\nLike any select committee, the questioning will begin from the chair, and then each MP will take it in turns to ask their set of questions. The committee has been meeting this week to divide up who will ask what and in what order.\n\nSo could this end Mr Johnson's political career? Well, it might not. But it could.\n\nIt's worth saying plenty of Conservative MPs think, hope, it is as good as over already. Others dream of political reincarnation.\n\nIf the committee were to recommend a suspension from the Commons of 10 or more days, and MPs endorsed this, he would face what is known as a \"recall petition\" in his constituency, which could lead to a by-election.\n\nThere are a lot of coulds and caveats before that point.\n\nOnce Mr Johnson is done on Wednesday, the committee will have to decide if it wants to talk to anyone else (I'm told that's unlikely) or hear, via written testimony, from anyone else. That's possible.\n\nAnd then they'll write up and publish their findings. That, I'm told, will definitely be before the summer, but probably after Easter. And any suggested sanction will then be voted on by MPs.\n\nThe story of Boris Johnson is far from over.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/uk-politics-65022251"}
{"title":"Ed Sheeran 'didn't want to live' after his friends Jamal Edwards and Shane Warne died - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-21","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"The star says he reached a low point after the deaths of his friends Jamal Edwards and Shane Warne.","section":"Entertainment & Arts","content":"Sheeran says the trauma he experienced at the start of 2022 left him at his lowest ebb\n\nEd Sheeran says he \"didn't want to live any more\" after the deaths of his friends SBTV founder Jamal Edwards and cricketer Shane Warne in 2022.\n\nSpeaking to Rolling Stone magazine, the star said he had dealt with depression \"throughout my life\" and felt the feelings resurface last year.\n\n\"You're under the waves drowning. You're just sort of in this thing. And you can't get out of it.\"\n\nHe worried his thoughts were \"selfish\", given that he is a parent to two girls.\n\n\"Especially as a father, I feel really embarrassed about it,\" the 32-year-old said.\n\nSheeran credited his wife, Cherry Seaborn, with encouraging him to seek help.\n\n\"No one really talks about their feelings where I come from,\" he said. \"People think it's weird getting a therapist in England.\u2026 I think it's very helpful to be able to speak with someone and just vent and not feel guilty about venting.\n\n\"Obviously, like, I've lived a very privileged life. So my friends would always look at me like, 'Oh, it's not that bad.'\n\n\"The help isn't a button that is pressed, where you're automatically OK,\" he continued. \"It is something that will always be there and just has to be managed.\"\n\nJamal Edwards gave Ed Sheeran his first big break in 2010\n\nEdwards, who gave Sheeran his first big break, died suddenly from a heart attack in February 2022 after taking cocaine and drinking alcohol, a coroner concluded.\n\nSheeran said the tragedy convinced him to kick a drug habit he had developed in his 20s.\n\n\"I remember just being at a festival and being like, 'Well, if all of my friends do it, it can't be that bad,'\" he said. \"And then it just turns into a habit that you do once a week and then once a day and then, like, twice a day and then, like, without booze. It just became bad vibes.\n\n\"I would never, ever, ever touch anything again, because that's how Jamal died,\" he added. \"And that's just disrespectful to his memory to even, like, go near.\"\n\nShortly after Edwards' death, Sheeran's wife was diagnosed with a tumour which could not be operated on until after she had given birth to their second daughter, Jupiter.\n\n\"You feel so powerless,\" Sheeran recalled. \"There's nothing you can do about it.\"\n\nSeaborn ultimately carried the baby to term and had successful surgery in June 2022, the morning that Sheeran headlined Wembley Stadium, Rolling Stone said.\n\nThe emotional toll of those events can be seen in a trailer for Sheeran's forthcoming Disney+ documentary, The Sum Of It All.\n\nIn one scene, the star is pictured crying on stage, as he grapples with Edwards' death and Seaborn's health condition, while simultaneously facing a lengthy copyright trial.\n\n\"I've never seen him cry on stage,\" Seaborn observes in the clip. \"He hasn't had the time to process and be at peace with his thoughts.\"\n\nThis YouTube post cannot be displayed in your browser. Please enable Javascript or try a different browser. View original video on YouTube The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. YouTube content may contain adverts. Skip youtube video by Disney Plus 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\u2019s cookie policy, external and privacy policy, external before accepting. To view this content choose \u2018accept and continue\u2019. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. YouTube content may contain adverts. End of youtube video by Disney Plus\n\nSheeran has previously revealed that his new album, Subtract, was completely re-written against the \"backdrop of grief and hope\" he experienced last year.\n\nOriginally intended to be a collection of acoustic songs recorded over a 10-year period, he scrapped the project and started again, using songwriting to \"make sense\" of his feelings.\n\nHe made the record with The National's Aaron Dessner, who previously co-produced Taylor Swift's lockdown albums Folklore and Evermore.\n\nDessner told Rolling Stone he'd encouraged the star to show \"a more vulnerable\" and \"elemental\" side to his music.\n\nAs he had done with Swift, the musician started sending Sheeran instrumental tracks to craft into finished songs.\n\n\"I had these instrumentals, and I would write to them in the backs of cars or planes or whatever,\" Sheeran said.\n\n\"And then it got done. And that was the record. It was all very, very, very fast.\"\n\nThe star added that he recorded a second, entirely separate, album with Dessner which has no firm release date at present.\n\nHe also revealed the existence of a collaborative album with reggaeton star J Balvin, as well as forthcoming music with Pharrell, Shakira, David Guetta and Justin Bieber.\n\nIn fact, he told Rolling Stone he has five more albums in mind using another category of symbols.\n\nHe plans to work on the last one in that series on and off for the rest of his life, \"adding songs here and there. And just have it in my will that after I die, it comes out\".","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/entertainment-arts-65031622"}
{"title":"Bad Bunny sued for $40m by ex-girlfriend over 'Bad Bunny baby' recording - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-21","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"The woman says the Puerto Rican pop superstar used a recording of her in songs without permission.","section":"Entertainment & Arts","content":"Pop superstar Bad Bunny is being sued for $40m (\u00a333m) by his ex-girlfriend, who says he used a recording of her in two songs without permission.\n\nCarliz De La Cruz Hern\u00e1ndez says she recorded the catchphrase \"Bad Bunny baby\" on her phone in 2015, before he became famous and before they split up.\n\nThe line has appeared on the Puerto Rican singer and rapper's 2017 single Pa Ti and the 2022 song Dos Mil 16.\n\nBad Bunny was the most-streamed artist on Spotify for the past three years.\n\nHe has not publicly responded to Ms De La Cruz's legal action, which was filed in Puerto Rico earlier this month.\n\nIt said the pair got together in 2011 and both worked in a supermarket as Bad Bunny - real name Benito Mart\u00ednez Ocasio - also made music.\n\nShe recorded several versions of herself saying the \"Bad Bunny baby\" line using the voice notes app at a friend's home in the bathroom - because it was the quietest room - and sent them to Mart\u00ednez.\n\nHe used them in a string of early tracks on Soundcloud, then released it on Pa Ti, which has had more than 355 million views YouTube platform and 235 million plays on Spotify.\n\nMs De La Cruz's lawyers claim that, days before Bad Bunny's latest album Un Verano Sin Ti came out last year, his representatives offered to buy the rights to the line from her for $2,000 (\u00a31,600).\n\nShe refused, and the album was released with her line on it. Un Verano Sin Ti went on to be nominated for album of the year at the Grammy Awards, and the track Dos Mil 16 has had 60 million YouTube views and 280 million Spotify plays.\n\nMs De La Cruz says her recording has also been used in concerts, and argues that its use amounts to \"gross negligence, bad faith and, worse still, an attack on her privacy, morals and dignity\".\n\nSince the latest album came out, thousands of Bad Bunny fans have commented on Ms De La Cruz's social media accounts as well as talking to her about it when they see her in person, she said.\n\n\"This has caused, and currently causes, De La Cruz to feel worried, anguished, intimidated, overwhelmed and anxious,\" the legal document said.\n\n\"The situation for De La Cruz became unmanageable, to the point that she needed to contact multiple psychologists for help as soon as possible.\"\n\nThe couple split up in 2016 before briefly getting back together the following year.\n\nMs De La Cruz is also suing Bad Bunny's record label Rimas Entertainment and manager Noah Assad.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/entertainment-arts-65024779"}
{"title":"Police surround NY Courthouse and DC Capitol in case of Trump arrest - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-21","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"Police in New York, Washington DC and Los Angeles are prepared to mobilise if Trump is arrested.","section":"US & Canada","content":"This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser.\n\nPolice in major US cities are preparing for potential unrest in case ex-President Donald Trump is arrested this week as part of a hush-money inquiry.\n\nAuthorities in New York, Washington DC and Los Angeles have ramped up their law enforcement presence.\n\nA Manhattan prosecutor may charge Mr Trump over how he declared a payment to a porn star to keep quiet about an alleged affair.\n\nIt would be the first criminal case brought against a former US president.\n\nSteel barricades were erected on Monday outside the prosecutor's office and the Manhattan Criminal Court, where Mr Trump could be charged, fingerprinted and photographed if charges are filed this week, as US media widely anticipate.\n\nIncreased police presence and barricades have also been seen outside Manhattan's Trump Tower.\n\nEvery member of the New York Police Department (NYPD), including plainclothes detectives, has been ordered to wear their full uniform on Tuesday and is being placed on standby to mobilise.\n\nAs of Tuesday morning, however, dozens of camera crews and reporters had taken over city sidewalks in the vicinity of the courthouse, outnumbering by far the handful of demonstrators who had shown up to voice their opinions on the potential indictment.\n\nThe NYPD and the FBI's Joint Terrorism Task Force have been in touch with the US Secret Service, whose job it is to protect presidents and former presidents, about how a potential arrest might take place.\n\nThe Secret Service agents assigned to protect Mr Trump are expected to stay with him in the event of an arrest.\n\nUS media reports there will be no \"perp walk\" - when an arrested suspect is walked through a public place by officers, typically an opportunity for media to take photos and videos.\n\nMore police units were visible at Washington DC's Capitol Hill on Monday\n\nThe US Capitol Police, who protect lawmakers on Capitol Hill in Washington DC, has deployed bike rack fencing around the perimeter of the Capitol complex and will beef up staffing.\n\nThe Capitol Police plan to issue an emergency declaration on Tuesday, a congressional source told CBS. The order aims to increase co-ordination with other law enforcement agencies.\n\nMore civil disturbance officers will also be on standby, though the congressional source said there was no specific threat and that the order was proactive.\n\nIn Los Angeles, the LAPD and federal officials were preparing for a pro-Trump protest on Tuesday outside a federal building, the LA Times newspaper reports.\n\nPolice erect barricades outside the Manhattan court on Monday\n\nUS intelligence officials have detected an uptick in online threats against legal and government officials since Mr Trump wrote online on Saturday that he expected to be arrested on Tuesday.\n\nMost of the threats were against Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg, the man widely expected to file charges against Mr Trump.\n\nOn Saturday, the same day Mr Trump posted that his supporters should protest, Mr Bragg sent an email to staff.\n\n\"We do not tolerate attempts to intimidate our office or threaten the rule of law in New York,\" the prosecutor wrote.\n\nMr Bragg's case centres on a $130,000 payment from Mr Trump's former lawyer, Michael Cohen, to porn star Stormy Daniels weeks before the 2016 presidential election to keep her quiet about an alleged affair with Mr Trump years earlier.\n\nHis office is evaluating how the former president reimbursed Cohen. The record for the payment describes it as \"legal fees\" and prosecutors could argue this amounts to Mr Trump falsifying business records.\n\nThat is a misdemeanour in New York, typically resolved with a fine. But legal analysts say it could be upgraded to a more serious felony charge, which carries prison time, if prosecutors argue the lie was used in order to violate campaign laws.\n\nThe former president denies any wrongdoing and says he never had an affair with Ms Daniels.\n\nA grand jury was convened in January to determine whether there is enough evidence to indict Mr Trump.\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser.\n\nOn Monday, the grand jury heard from a Trump ally named Robert Costello who was called by the Trump team to undermine the prosecution's star witness, Cohen.\n\nMr Costello told reporters after emerging from two hours of testimony: \"I told the grand jury that this guy [Cohen] couldn't tell the truth if you put a gun to his head.\"\n\nHe claimed Cohen, whom he used to work with, had once told him that Mr Trump was not aware of the payment to Ms Daniels.\n\nAfter Mr Costello's testimony on Monday, Cohen hit back, saying that Mr Costello \"lacks any sense of veracity\".\n\nCohen was jailed in 2018 for multiple offences including violating campaign finance laws by not declaring the payment to Ms Daniels. Mr Trump has said he only learned of the payment much later.\n\nIn a post on his Truth Social platform on Tuesday, Mr Trump said: \"In the history of our Country there cannot have been a more damaged or less credible witness at trial than fully disbarred lawyer and felon, Michael Cohen.\"\n\nThe jury is expected to hear from at least one more witness on Wednesday before any charges are filed.\n\nMr Trump has vowed to continue his campaign for the 2024 presidential nomination even if he is indicted.\n\nBut 44% of Republicans said he should drop out of the presidential race if charged, a Reuters\/Ipsos poll found on Monday.\n\nTrump supporters have held protests outside his New York and Florida homes","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/world-us-canada-65022155"}
{"title":"Polluting M4 and A470 drivers in Wales could face payments - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-21","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"Motorists in the heaviest polluting vehicles could have to pay on some of Wales' busiest roads.","section":"Wales politics","content":"The M4 through Newport could be one of the roads where charges are imposed\n\nDrivers of heavily polluting vehicles could have to pay on some of Wales' busiest roads under a new law.\n\nThe Welsh government said it would only happen if 50mph zones fail to reduce emissions.\n\nSections of the M4 near Newport and the A470 at Pontypridd have been considered as potential clean air zones if lower speed limits do not work.\n\nThe Welsh Conservatives said it was the last thing people struggling with the rising cost of living needed to hear.\n\nThe charging powers are contained in a long-awaited law on air pollution.\n\nEntitled the Environment (Air Quality and Soundscapes) Bill, it paves the way towards new national targets on cutting pollution.\n\nThe legislation was welcomed overall by Plaid Cymru, who said it was long overdue.\n\nOther plans include steeper fines for drivers who leave their car engines idling, especially when parked outside schools.\n\nCouncils will get new powers to enforce smoke control areas, where there are restrictions on what fuels can be burned.\n\nTo tackle noise pollution, ministers will have to produce a strategy that would also protect natural sounds, such as birdsong.\n\nBut the government is not proposing to ban wood-burning stoves in the legislation,\n\nAt present, the Welsh government can only introduce clean air charges on roads in limited circumstances, for example where there are bridges or tunnels of at least 600m.\n\nThat would change under the new law, with ministers able to create low emission zones anywhere on the trunk road network, which includes the M4.\n\nSpeed limits of 50mph have been introduced on five sections of motorway and A-roads to reduce the amount of nitrogen dioxide released from vehicle exhausts.\n\nThey include the M4 between junctions 25 and 26 and the Upper Boat to Pontypridd stretch of the A470 in Rhondda Cynon Taf.\n\nGovernment documents say clean air zones will only be considered in those two locations \"should the reduced speed limits fail to ensure sustained, long-term compliance\".\n\nThe law, which will need to be passed by the Senedd, would not apply in towns and cities, where local authorities are in charge of the roads.\n\nBut the government said it would also let councils introduce their own emissions charges, as has happened in some English cities.\n\nParents at the school gates of Maesglas Primary School in Newport had mixed feelings about the possibility of a charge.\n\nDeb Loganathan, who walks her daughter to and from school, said it could be a good idea.\n\n\"We've got to prioritise the environment, I don't drive myself, so that makes me slightly biased. But anything that will increase the reason for people to get electric vehicles or lower polluting vehicles then yes, definitely,\" she said.\n\nKatrina Rafferty, who was also picking up her daughter, felt that because of the increasing cost of living there should not be a charge.\n\n\"People can't afford to live as it is,\" she said. \"If you want to be able to go to town you shouldn't have to pay really.\n\n\"It's just putting more money on top of money that people haven't got.\"\n\nThe A470 is one of the two roads that could see charging under the law.\n\nClimate Change Minister Julie James said she expects the 50mph speed limit on the M4 and A470 will work to reduce air pollution.\n\n\"I do expect that it will work,\" she said at a news conference. \"But if it doesn't work then we will look to see if we [need to] put control zones in place.\"\n\nThe bill has been welcomed by environmental campaigners.\n\nJoseph Carter, of Asthma and Lung UK, said: \"Air pollution is one of the most pressing public health issues we face, and it is especially damaging to our children's developing lungs.\"\n\nAnd Friends of the Earth Cymru director Haf Elgar said: \"Air pollution is not only a public health issue, but also a social justice issue and an environmental issue.\"\n\nBut she added: \"This bill is painfully overdue and there are still questions about its scope and how exactly it'll be enforced.\"\n\nThe Welsh Conservatives are opposed to the road charging elements of the legislation but welcomed other parts of it.\n\nWelsh Conservative Shadow Minister for Transport, Natasha Asghar, said: \"The Labour government is all stick and no carrot when it comes to their transport policy.\"\n\nShe added: \"People are already struggling with the cost of living and this is the last thing they need right now.\"","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/uk-wales-politics-65015300"}
{"title":"Met Commissioner's response to force's damning Baroness Casey report - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-21","authors":null,"description":"The report concludes there is discrimination across the Metropolitan Police Service.","section":null,"content":"Sir Mark Rowley, commissioner of the Metropolitan Police Service, has responded to a report by Baroness Louise Casey, which has concluded that there is racism, misogyny and homophobia across the force.\n\nBaroness Casey was appointed to review the Met's culture, following the murder of Sarah Everard by serving police officer, Wayne Couzens.\n\nSpeaking to the BBC's Lucy Manning, Sir Mark said he accepted Baroness Casey's \"diagnosis\".","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/uk-65022126"}
{"title":"Nicola Sturgeon hosts final cabinet meeting as FM - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-21","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"She tells her team \"lots of really important things\" had been achieved around the cabinet table.","section":"Scotland politics","content":"Ms Sturgeon was flanked by John Swinney, who will also quit the government next week, in her final cabinet meeting\n\nNicola Sturgeon has chaired a meeting of the Scottish government's cabinet for the final time as first minister.\n\nMs Sturgeon told her team that \"lots of really important things\" had been achieved around the cabinet table.\n\nAfter being given a round of applause, she joked she had spent the night working out it was the 637th cabinet meeting since the SNP came to power.\n\nThe winner of the contest to succeed Ms Sturgeon as SNP leader will be revealed on Monday afternoon.\n\nThey will then face a vote in the Scottish Parliament the next day before being confirmed as first minister.\n\nMs Sturgeon has served in the role since November 2014 and as a cabinet minister and deputy first minister under her predecessor Alex Salmond since 2007.\n\nSpeaking as she opened the meeting, she highlighted minimum unit pricing for alcohol as one of the policies she was most proud of - pointing to new research which estimated that it had saved 156 lives a year.\n\nA spokesman for the first minister said the meeting had \"allowed colleagues to thank the first minister and deputy first minister for their tireless commitment to public service and to making Scotland a better country for all of those who call this nation home.\n\n\"The FM and DFM in turn thanked colleagues for their unstinting backing - and also made clear they will continue to offer their support from the backbenches as a new generation takes up the baton to take Scotland forward and complete the country's journey to independence.\"\n\nHealth Secretary Humza Yousaf was the only one of the three leadership candidates to attend the meeting at the first minister's Bute House residence in Edinburgh.\n\nKate Forbes is still officially on maternity leave from her finance secretary role with Deputy First Minister John Swinney, who will also quit the government next week, standing in for her.\n\nHowever she visited the Scottish Parliament on Tuesday morning for the first time since the birth of her daughter in August.\n\nHumza Yousaf was the only leadership candidate to attend the cabinet meeting\n\nThe third candidate in the contest, Ash Regan, has never held a cabinet post and quit as the government's community safety minister - a junior ministerial role - last year in protest over its gender recognition reforms.\n\nMs Sturgeon is due to make a formal apology in the Scottish Parliament on Wednesday over forced adoption, which saw tens of thousands of unmarried mothers in Scotland being shamed and coerced into handing over their babies in the 1950s, 60s and 70s.\n\nShe will then face opposition leaders at First Minister's Questions for the last time on Thursday, before making a final statement to MSPs. Her last official engagement as first minister will be on Friday.\n\nMs Sturgeon has not officially backed any of the candidates to replace her, but Mr Yousaf is widely assumed to be her preferred choice.\n\nThe outgoing first minister made a thinly-veiled attack on Ms Forbes over her stance on social issues such as gay marriage, abortion and gender recognition reforms at the start of the contest, with Ms Sturgeon saying that Scotland is a \"progressive country\" and the views of the next first minister therefore matter.\n\nMs Forbes subsequently hit back at the first minister's record during a TV debate, when she claimed that \"more of the same\" would be an \"acceptance of mediocrity\".\n\nThe leadership contest has exposed deep divisions within the SNP, with both Ms Forbes and Ms Regan casting doubt over the fairness and transparency of the election process.\n\nA framed photograph of Ms Sturgeon sits next to her predecessors as first minister in Bute House\n\nMs Sturgeon's husband, Peter Murrell, was forced to quit as the party's chief executive on Saturday over his role in the media being given misleading information about the number of members who are eligible to elect its next leader.\n\nThe party had consistently claimed to have more than 100,000 members but was eventually forced to admit that the true figure was 72,000 - meaning more than 50,000 have left since its membership peaked at 125,000 in 2019.\n\nSpeaking on the Loose Women programme on Monday, Ms Sturgeon denied the party was in a mess and insisted it was merely going through \"growing pains\" which she said were \"necessary but difficult\".\n\nShe also said it was important for the party not to \"throw the baby out with the bath water\" and lose things that have made them successful in the past.\n\nMeanwhile, opposition parties said they had \"thwarted\" an attempt by the SNP to have first minister's questions cancelled next Thursday - which would have meant the new leader would not have to take questions in the Scottish Parliament until 20 April because of the Easter recess.\n\nMinister for parliamentary business George Adam made the proposal to the presiding officer, but it was dropped in the face of criticism from rival parties.\n\nScottish Conservative chief whip Alexander Burnett claimed that the move was a \"shameful attempt to hide the first minister from scrutiny\" and pointed out that Ms Sturgeon took part in FMQs for the first time on 20 November 2014 - the day after becoming first minister.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/uk-scotland-scotland-politics-65025824"}
{"title":"Putin to Xi: We will discuss your plan to end the war in Ukraine - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-21","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"China's leader, whose Ukraine plan has been criticised in the West, gets a warm welcome in Moscow.","section":"Asia","content":"This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser.\n\nVladimir Putin has said he will discuss Xi Jinping's 12-point plan to \"settle the acute crisis in Ukraine\", during a highly anticipated visit to Moscow by the Chinese president.\n\n\"We're always open for a negotiation process,\" Mr Putin said, as the leaders called each other \"dear friend\".\n\nChina released a plan to end the war last month - it includes \"ceasing hostilities\" and resuming peace talks.\n\nBut on Friday the US warned the peace plan could be a \"stalling tactic\".\n\nUS Secretary of State Antony Blinken said: \"The world should not be fooled by any tactical move by Russia, supported by China or any other country, to freeze the war on its own terms.\"\n\nHe added: \"Calling for a ceasefire that does not include the removal of Russian forces from Ukrainian territory would effectively be supporting the ratification of Russian conquest.\"\n\nChina's plan did not specifically say that Russia must withdraw from Ukraine - which Ukraine has insisted as a precondition for any talks.\n\nInstead, it talked of \"respecting the sovereignty of all countries\", adding that \"all parties must stay rational and exercise restraint\" and \"gradually de-escalate the situation\".\n\nThe plan also condemned the usage of \"unilateral sanctions\" - seen as a veiled criticism of Ukraine's allies in the West.\n\nOn Monday, a military band gave Mr Xi a warm welcome to Moscow. Mr Putin hailed China for \"observing the principles of justice\" and pushing for \"undivided security for every country\".\n\nIn return, Mr Xi told Mr Putin: \"Under your strong leadership, Russia has made great strides in its prosperous development. I am confident that the Russian people will continue to give you their firm support.\"\n\nBefore Mr Xi's arrival, Mr Putin wrote in China's People's Daily newspaper that the two nations would not be weakened by \"aggressive\" US policy.\n\nPublicly, Ukrainian leaders have been emphasising the common ground they have with China - respecting sovereignty and territorial integrity.\n\nBut privately, they have been lobbying for a meeting - or telephone call - between President Volodymyr Zelensky and Mr Xi.\n\nThe fear in Kyiv is that China's support for Russia - currently based around technology and trade - might become military, potentially including artillery shells.\n\n\"If China does move to openly supply weapons to Russia, it will in effect be taking part in the conflict on the side of the aggressor,\" said Oleksiy Danilov, the secretary of Ukraine's National Security and Defence Council.\n\nIt was in Beijing's interests to stabilise the relationship with Russia, with which it shares a 4,300km (2,700 mile) border, said Yu Jie, a research fellow on China at Chatham House.\n\nRussia is a source of oil for Beijing's huge economy, and is seen as a partner in standing up to the US.\n\nMs Yu added that Mr Xi had just scored a diplomatic victory in mediating between Iran and Saudi Arabia, which have now resumed diplomatic ties.\n\nThis could be a chance for him to explore the opportunity to mediate between Russia and Ukraine.\n\nOn Monday evening, Mr Xi was treated to a seven-course meal including nelma fish from the Pechora River in northern Russia, a traditional Russian seafood soup and pancakes with quail - alongside Russian wine.\n\nPresidential spokesperson Dmitry Peskov indicated there would be a \"detailed explanation\" of Moscow's actions in Ukraine over dinner. Russian and Chinese delegations will hold talks on Tuesday - the main day of the visit.\n\nThe meeting comes days after the International Criminal Court (ICC) issued an arrest warrant for the Russian president over war crime allegations.\n\nThis means Mr Putin could technically be arrested in 123 countries - though neither China nor Russia are on that list.\n\nMaking a trip to Moscow so soon after the ICC's announcement suggests China feels \"no responsibility to hold the Kremlin accountable\" for atrocities in Ukraine, Mr Blinken said.\n\nWestern leaders have been attempting since last February to isolate Russia, following its full-scale invasion of Ukraine.\n\nBut they have been unable to establish a global consensus, with China, India and several African nations reluctant to condemn Mr Putin.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/world-asia-65018657"}
{"title":"France pension reform: Macron's government survives no-confidence vote - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-21","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"More than 100 people are arrested after protests across Paris following Monday's vote.","section":"Europe","content":"Rubbish and bins were set alight across Paris during protests following Monday's vote\n\nThe French government has narrowly survived a vote of no-confidence, which was triggered when it forced through an increase in the pension age to 64.\n\nIt sparked new anti-government protests in Paris, where 101 people were arrested after stand-offs with police.\n\nThe vote, tabled by centrist MPs, had 278 votes in favour, falling short of the 287 votes needed.\n\nHad it been successful, President Emmanuel Macron would have had to name a new government or call new elections.\n\nA second no-confidence motion, tabled by Marine Le Pen's far-right National Rally party, also did not pass.\n\nNow both votes have failed, the controversial bill to raise the retirement age from 62 to 64 will become law.\n\nThe votes were held after Prime Minister \u00c9lisabeth Borne used a special constitutional power, called Article 49:3, to push the bill through without a vote last week.\n\nIt sparked angry protests at the weekend, with some demonstrators clashing with police and blocking streets with debris fires in central Paris, as well as cities around the country.\n\nMonday's failed votes saw fresh protests in the capital, with a tense standoff between protesters and anti-riot police.\n\nThe first motion, which had the backing of several left-wing parties including the Green Party and the Socialist Party, was the only one likely to succeed.\n\nWhen that vote failed, members of the left-wing contingent that voted for it held placards reading \"continue\" and \"we'll meet in the streets\", and shouted that the prime minister should resign.\n\nOpposition MPs held up signs protesting against the government's pension age increase after the no-confidence vote\n\n\"Nothing is solved, we'll continue to do all we can so this reform is pulled back,\" hard-left La France Insoumise parliamentary group chief Mathilde Panot said.\n\nOne university student called Shola who turned out to protest in Paris told AFP news agency: \"People think this subject does not concern us but in fact it does. If our grandparents will now have to work longer, we know that things will get worse.\"\n\nFellow student Marie said they were protesting \"because we have been abandoned, because we have been ignored, because it is a government that doesn't care about us, it mocks us\".\n\nBefore the votes, members of the opposition booed and jeered Ms Borne when she took to the podium for a debate, which grew increasingly tense.\n\nThe prime minister said that the government had \"never gone so far\" to find a compromise to pass the law.\n\nBoris Vallaud from the Socialist Party, who backed the centrist the no-confidence vote, called on the government to \"withdraw\" the pension reform or \"submit it to the vote of the French people\".\n\nMr Macron has argued that France's ageing population makes the current pension scheme unaffordable. But that is not a sentiment shared by all in parliament.\n\nThe author of the first no-confidence votes, Charles de Courson, said removing the government was \"the only way of stopping the social and political crisis in this country\".\n\nHowever the leader of France's conservative Republican party, \u00c9ric Ciotti, said last week they would not support the no-confidence motions.\n\nMr Ciotti said the decision to invoke the clause was \"a result of many years of political failures\" that demonstrated \"a profound crisis in our constitution\", but he did not believe the vote of no-confidence was the solution.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/world-europe-65014336"}
{"title":"Met Police: Where next for the force after Casey review? - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-21","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"This is a merciless report, writes the BBC's home editor Mark Easton. But what does the Met do now?","section":"UK","content":"Policing in this country is in a state of emergency. The warning lights are flashing. The alarms are wailing.\n\nBaroness Casey says the Metropolitan Police was expecting a report highlighting the things it needed to look at - but that, overall, the force thought she would say it's doing a good job.\n\n\"It's the exact opposite,\" she says.\n\nBaroness Casey has a reputation for no-nonsense reports. When Dame Cressida Dick, the former Scotland Yard Commissioner, asked her to review the Met, she must have known what she would get.\n\nNot the measured, dispassionate and legalistic volumes most institutional inquiries deliver.\n\nHer language is often emotional and uncompromising, a style that appeals to journalists and politicians looking for a headline.\n\nThis report is so ferocious in its criticism that, in the short term, it is almost certain that trust and confidence levels in the police in London - already down - will plummet further.\n\nWith forces across England and Wales, like the Met, re-vetting all their officers, more scandals will emerge.\n\nEvery misconduct hearing, every court case, is going to damage public confidence.\n\nAccused of institutional prejudice, it seems unlikely that, in the short term at least, this report is going to make it easier to recruit women, or those from the LGBTQ+ community and ethnic minorities.\n\nMorale is not going to be improved by a report that is so merciless in its criticism of the Met and its culture.\n\nA generation after the Macpherson report found the Metropolitan Police to be institutionally racist, here we are again. Only worse. Sexism and homophobia are added to the list.\n\nThe report notes that in 1972, on his appointment as commissioner of the force, Sir Robert Mark said he had \"never experienced\u2026blindness, arrogance and prejudice on anything like the scale accepted as routine in the Met\".\n\nThe report immediately adds that the Met is a very different organisation today. But five decades on, Louise Casey says: \"We have found those cultures alive and well\".\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Watch: Baroness Casey on her blistering report of the Met police\n\nThe question is really about whether police forces turn things around quickly enough.\n\nThe report talks about reviewing progress against various measures after two and five years. Politicians are suggesting they will want to see results within two years.\n\nBut with a general election likely next year, and manifestos being written even sooner, will politicians show the patience Sir Mark Rowley, the current incumbent in Scotland Yard, says he requires? Especially if more bad headlines see public anxiety increase still further.\n\nBaroness Casey hints at breaking up the Met, if things don't improve. But that kind of major reform of policing feels some way off.\n\nAs things stand, there is no blueprint for a reorganised system in England and Wales - and politicians of all stripes seem content to give Sir Mark the benefit of the doubt for the moment.\n\nHome Secretary Suella Braverman has said she will be \"holding the Metropolitan Police and the Mayor of London to account by measuring progress\", but adds that she currently has \"every confidence that Sir Mark Rowley and his team will deliver\".\n\nSuella Braverman delivering a statement on the Casey report to the Commons on Tuesday\n\nThe Labour leader, Sir Keir Starmer, has pointed out that a collapse in trust in the Royal Ulster Constabulary among some communities in Northern Ireland resulted in the successful creation of a new police service, the PSNI.\n\nIs that a hint that a Labour government might institute more radical reform?\n\nParty insiders suggest they will be more hands-on than the current government has been in demanding progress, but there are no plans for systemic change - for now.\n\nWhat does progress look like? Public confidence figures must improve. Recruitment from minorities must increase. Corrupt officers must be identified and booted out. Vetting must be more effective. Whistleblowers must be supported. Morale must rise.\n\nSir Mark has already instituted measures he believes will move the dials. But that will take time. Changing culture and rebuilding trust cannot be done overnight.\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser.\n\nIt is hard to overstate the perilous state of British policing right now.\n\nThe tradition of policing by consent - the idea that officers serve as members of the public in uniform, exercising powers with the approval of the people they serve - relies on trust.\n\nBut as Baroness Casey baldly states: \"The Met has become disconnected from Londoners - their consent can no longer be assumed.\"\n\nTrust is formed at the point where the police meet the public. But the report finds bobbies who should be on the beat are behind desks, backfilling for civilian support staff who have been stripped out.\n\n\"The closer the Met get to Londoners, the more beleaguered the service\", is her damning conclusion.\n\nPerhaps the only way to sort out the Met was a nuclear option, a report so damning it takes the force back to ground zero.\n\nBut a huge question remains: Can a new police service emerge from the ashes with the clock ticking?","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/uk-65032325"}
{"title":"Brexit: DUP will vote against Windsor Framework plans - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-21","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"Downing Street says there are no plans for substantial changes to the Windsor Framework.","section":"Northern Ireland","content":"This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Sir Jeffrey Donaldson says the Windsor Framework \"doesn't work for Northern Ireland\"\n\nThe Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) will vote against the government's Windsor Framework Brexit plans in Parliament this week.\n\nIts leader Sir Jeffrey Donaldson said he would continue to work with the government on \"outstanding issues\".\n\nBut Downing Street has said there are no plans for substantial change to the deal.\n\nMPs will be given a chance to vote on the so-called \"Stormont Brake\" aspect of the Windsor Framework on Wednesday.\n\nSir Jeffrey said the party had made the decision to vote against it during a meeting on Monday.\n\nThe framework builds on the Northern Ireland Protocol, which led to disagreements between the UK and European Union (EU) over trade rules.\n\nThe Stormont Brake mechanism aims to give the Northern Ireland assembly a greater say on how EU laws apply to NI.\n\nPrime Minister Rishi Sunak said it was proof that the UK has \"taken back control\" in the agreement he struck with the EU last month.\n\nHis spokesperson said it was \"the best deal for the people and businesses of Northern Ireland\" and that the PM remained \"confident it will be backed by the house\" .\n\nBut Sir Jeffrey said the DUP had \"unanimously agreed\" to vote against it because of \"ongoing concerns\".\n\nHe told BBC News NI the party would continue to assess the deal, but that \"we don't believe that this represents the significant progress that we need to see in order to have the institutions restored at this point\".\n\n\"There remain for us concerns, for example, and the Stormont Brake deals with the application of EU law in Northern Ireland, but it doesn't address how are we dealing with change to UK law, which could impact on NI's ability to trade within the United Kingdom itself.\"\n\nHe said he wanted to ensure \"what the prime minister is claiming is translated into law\".\n\n\"Our seven tests have not yet been met. Sufficient progress has not yet been made. I am determined to continue engaging with the government and to get this right,\" he added.\n\nBut Sinn F\u00e9in's Deirdre Hargey said the deal had already been done and called on the DUP to return to Stormont.\n\n\"If the DUP have concerns they have a right to raise them, but that shouldn't get in the way of the formation of an executive,\" she said.\n\nThe Windsor Framework was announced by Rishi Sunak and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen last month\n\nSir Jeffrey said the party was committed to the restoration of the political institutions \"under the right circumstances\".\n\n\"We're looking to the government to ensure that there is further legislation that will protect Northern Ireland's place within the United Kingdom and its internal market,\" he added.\n\nThe DUP has blocked the functioning of the power-sharing government at Stormont for more than a year in protest at the Northern Ireland Protocol.\n\nThe protocol led to new checks being carried out on goods at Northern Ireland ports in order to maintain an open land border between Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland, which is in the EU.\n\nA majority of members of the Northern Ireland Assembly elected in May 2022 were in favour of the protocol, in some form, remaining.\n\nSinn F\u00e9in, Alliance and the SDLP have said improvements are needed to ease its implementation.\n\nUnionist politicians want it replaced with new arrangements.\n\nThe Windsor Framework was signed to alter the Northern Ireland Protocol - and aims to significantly reduce the number of checks on any goods arriving in Northern Ireland from Great Britain.\n\nThe Stormont Brake mechanism would also allow the Northern Ireland Assembly to object to new EU rules.\n\nThirty assembly members, from two or more parties, can pause new EU legislation applying in NI.\n\nThis could happen in instances were a new EU law would have a \"significant impact specific to everyday life\".\n\nOnce triggered by the 30 assembly members the new rule would be suspended from applying.\n\nThis begins a process of negotiation with London and, ultimately, with Brussels.\n\nAt that point the government can veto the rule at the UK-EU Withdrawal Agreement Joint Committee and have it permanently disapplied.\n\nThat veto power must be used unless there is cross-community support for the rule, if it would apply to a new regulatory border between Great Britain and the Northern Ireland, or in \"other exceptional circumstances\", although it is not known what constitutes an exceptional circumstance.\n\nThe government said the brake can only be used by a fully-functioning devolved government at Stormont.\n\nJames Cleverly and Maros Sefcovic, pictured here in Brussels in February, will meet later this week\n\nMeanwhile, the EU-UK body which oversees the NI Brexit deal is due to meet on Friday to formally ratify the legal changes brought about by the Windsor Framework.\n\nThe Joint Committee is co-chaired by UK Foreign Secretary James Cleverly and European Commission Vice President Maros Sefcovic.\n\nThe committee is important because it is empowered to amend the Withdrawal Agreement, which contains the NI Protocol in its original form.\n\nThe body last met in February last year.\n\nMinisters from EU member states are also due to discuss the Windsor Framework in Brussels on Tuesday.\n\nIt is on the agenda of the General Affairs Council, the monthly meeting of foreign ministers or ministers responsible for European affairs.\n\nThey will approve the changes to the NI protocol brought about by the framework, ahead of the Joint Committee meeting.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/uk-northern-ireland-65008991"}
{"title":"UN climate report: Scientists release 'survival guide' to avert climate disaster - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-21","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"Technology is providing solutions but the climate forecast is worsening, scientists say in major report.","section":"Science & Environment","content":"Scientists from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change met in Switzerland where glaciers are melting\n\nUN chief Antonio Guterres says a major new report on climate change is a \"survival guide for humanity\".\n\nClean energy and technology can be exploited to avoid the growing climate disaster, the report says.\n\nBut at a meeting in Switzerland to agree their findings, climate scientists warned a key global temperature goal will likely be missed.\n\nTheir report lays out how rapid cuts to fossil fuels can avert the worst effects of climate change.\n\nIn response to the findings, UN secretary general Antonio Guterres says that all countries should bring forward their net zero plans by a decade. These targets are supposed to rapidly cut the greenhouse gas emissions that warm our planet's atmosphere.\n\n\"There is a rapidly closing window of opportunity to secure a liveable and sustainable future for all,\" the report states.\n\nGovernments had previously agreed to act to avoid global temperature rise going above 1.5C. But the world has already warmed by 1.1C and now experts say that it is likely to breach 1.5C in the 2030s.\n\nThe UK government responded that the report makes it clear that countries must \"work towards far more ambitious climate commitments\" ahead of the UN climate summit COP28 in November.\n\n\"The UK is a world leader in working towards net zero, but we need to go further and faster,\" a spokesperson said.\n\nSmall islands in the Pacific are some of the countries expected to be worst hit by climate change.\n\nResponding to the report, the chair of the Alliance of Small Island States Fatumanava-o-Upolu III Dr. Pa'olelei Luteru said: \"While our people are being displaced from their homes and climate commitments go unmet, the fossil fuel industry is enjoying billions in profits. There can be no excuses for this continued lack of action.\"\n\nThe report from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change - the scientific body that advises the UN on rising temperatures - is agreed on by all governments involved.\n\nTheir new study aims to boil down to one slim volume several landmark findings on the causes, impacts and solutions to climate change that have been released since 2018.\n\nIt outlines the significant impacts that climate change is having on the world already, and explains that these will get much worse.\n\nBy 2100 extreme coastal flooding that used to happen once-a-century is expected to occur at least annually in half of the world's tidal gauge locations - places where sea level recordings are made.\n\nConcentrations of the warming gas CO2 in the atmosphere are at their highest in 2 million years. The world is now warmer than at any time in the past 125,000 years - and will likely get warmer still over the next decade.\n\n\"Even in the near term, global warming is more likely than not to reach 1.5C even under the very low greenhouse gas scenario,\" the report states.\n\n\"If we aim for 1.5C and achieve 1.6C, that is still much much better than saying, it's too late, and we are doomed and I'm not even trying,\" Dr Friederike Otto, from Imperial College, a member of the core writing team for this report, told BBC News.\n\n\"And I think what this report shows very, very clearly is there is so much to win by trying.\"\n\nThe synthesis shows that projected emissions of CO2 from existing fossil fuel infrastructure, such as oil wells and gas pipelines, would bust the remaining carbon budget - the amount of CO2 that can still be emitted - for staying under this key temperature threshold.\n\nAnd while not explicitly mentioning new projects like Willow oil in the US or the Cumbria coal mine in the UK, the scientists involved have few doubts about their impact.\n\n\"There's not a cut-off day (for fossil fuels), but it's clear that the fossil fuel infrastructure we already have will blow through that carbon budget,\" Dr Oliver Geden, from the German Institute for International and Security Affairs and a member of the report's core writing team, told BBC News.\n\nWorld-leading scientists wrote the UN report which must also be agreed on by governments\n\n\"The remaining carbon budget in opening new fossil fuel infrastructure is certainly not compatible with the 1.5C target.\"\n\nThe document argues strongly that going past 1.5C will not be the end of the world as this may only be a \"temporary overshoot\".\n\nThe authors say that they are optimistic that dramatic changes can be achieved rapidly, pointing to the massive falls in the price of energy made from solar and wind.\n\nThey also argue that changes driven by consumers in terms of diet, food waste and switching to low carbon transport can achieve significant cuts in emissions from many sectors.\n\nBut the report also acknowledges that in addition to getting to net zero emissions as soon as possible, large scale use of carbon dioxide removal technology will be needed.\n\nSome observers have their doubts. \"We know what needs to happen, but the carbon removal part and carbon capture and storage ideas are a massive distraction,\" said Lili Fuhr, from the Centre for International Environmental Law, who attended the approval session.\n\nResponding to the report's call for more urgent action, the UN secretary general is calling for countries to bring forward their plans for net zero by a decade.\n\n\"Leaders of developed countries must commit to reaching net zero as close as possible to 2040, the limit they should all aim to respect,\" he said in a statement. He also calls on the likes of India and China who have announced net zero plans for beyond 2050 to try and bring them forward by a decade as well.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/science-environment-65000182"}
{"title":"Prince William 'deeply concerned' by Bradford junior football racism - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-21","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"The prince replies to a letter from the coach of a Bradford team highlighting abuse of his players.","section":"Leeds & West Yorkshire","content":"Prince William is president of the FA\n\nThe Prince of Wales has told a junior football club in Bradford he is \"deeply concerned\" about racist abuse its players have endured on the pitch.\n\nMohammed Waheed, who coaches Alpha United Juniors, said players as young as seven had been subjected to racial slurs and threats of violence.\n\nHe wrote to Kensington Palace claiming he had raised the issue with the Football Association (FA) to no avail.\n\nPrince William said all those responsible must be held to account.\n\nThe prince, who is president of the FA, said he was \"particularly saddened\" to hear about \"the effects this intolerable action can have on those who are simply wanting to play a game of football\".\n\nMr Waheed said he decided to publicise Prince William's letter because he felt the FA had not acted quickly enough\n\nA letter to Mr Waheed from Prince William's private secretary said the royal had raised Mr Waheed's concerns with the FA and asked them to \"take the necessary action\".\n\nThe prince also expressed his \"sincere sorrow to anyone affected\" and \"profound support for all that you and the club are doing to stop racism\".\n\nMr Waheed wrote to him in January and decided to share his response, which was sent last month, as he was unhappy with West Riding FA's investigation process.\n\nMr Waheed, who founded the club, said the same abuse happens \"over and over again\"\n\nHe said Alpha United Juniors had reported \"between 50 and 60 cases\" of racism.\n\nPlayer and coach Ateeb Hussain, 17, told the BBC he had been racially abused \"a lot\" by opposition footballers, coaches and spectators.\n\nHe said he felt \"very uncomfortable with the words that are coming out of their mouths\".\n\nAteeb Hussain said he had suffered a lot of racial abuse by opposition clubs\n\nMr Waheed, who also founded the club, said: \"The same transgressions happen over and over again with no accountability taken from the county FA.\n\n\"We've had many clubs reach out saying the exact same thing, so clearly there's a failure somewhere along the line.\"\n\nThe West Riding County FA said it condemned \"any form of discrimination, whether in football or out of it, and where it sits within our jurisdiction, we will do all we can to bring perpetrators to account\".\n\nA spokesperson added: \"We have received two referrals from Alpha this year, both of which are being investigated.\"\n\nFollow BBC Yorkshire on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. Send your story ideas to yorkslincs.news@bbc.co.uk.\n\nThe BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/uk-england-leeds-65026771"}
{"title":"\u00a3100m boost for biggest UK hydro scheme in decades - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-21","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"The SSE project in the Highlands would double the UK's ability to store energy for long periods.","section":"Highlands & Islands","content":"When filled, the upper reservoir at Coire Glas would contain 26 billion litres of water\n\nA giant hydro scheme which would double the UK's ability to store energy for long periods is taking a leap forward with a \u00a3100m investment by SSE.\n\nThe proposed 92m-high dam and two reservoirs at Coire Glas in the Highlands would be Britain's biggest hydroelectric project for 40 years.\n\nBut power giant SSE wants assurances from the UK government before finally signing it off.\n\nA spokesperson for the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero said it was \"committed to supporting the low carbon hydro sector, including hydro storage\".\n\nPerth-based SSE says the \u00a31.5bn scheme would help tackle climate change and improve UK energy security.\n\nThe concept of Coire Glas is simple. It involves two reservoirs at different heights in the Great Glen, the geological fault which slices through Scotland between Inverness and Fort William.\n\nWhen power is plentiful and cheap, water would be pumped 500 metres uphill for storage in an upper reservoir with the capacity of 11,000 Olympic-sized swimming pools.\n\nWhen supply is tight and prices high, it would be released, using gravity to generate electricity by spinning four turbines way below on the banks of Loch Lochy, before flowing into the lower reservoir.\n\nBy storing electricity generated in windy or sunny weather for use on cold, still or dark days, Coire Glas could help smooth the transition from oil, gas and coal to more sustainable but intermittent sources of energy such as wind and solar.\n\n\"We believe strongly it could play a huge role in enabling a decarbonised energy system,\" said Finlay McCutcheon, SSE's director of onshore renewables.\n\nKeith Bell, professor of future power systems at Strathclyde University, said the proposed scheme would also help with another policy objective: reducing the UK's reliance on imported gas, a challenge given added urgency by the invasion of Ukraine last year by the world's largest gas exporter, Russia.\n\nHowever, Prof Bell injected a note of caution, saying: \"We need a lot more energy storage capacity to get rid of fossil fuels completely... probably 10 to 50 times greater even than the capacity of Coire Glas.\"\n\nSSE's Finlay McCutcheon wants the UK government to clarify its energy policy\n\nNonetheless it would still be the UK's largest hydro scheme since the \"Electric Mountain\" project was completed at Dinorwig in Snowdonia in 1984, and one of the biggest-ever engineering projects in the Highlands, creating up to 500 construction jobs at its peak.\n\nDebate about the pace of the energy transition has featured in the current campaign for the SNP leadership after outgoing First Minister Nicola Sturgeon expressed concern about new North Sea drilling in the context of meeting Scotland's target of net zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2045.\n\nMr McCutcheon, of SSE, insisted there was a clear case for the UK government to support a strategic expansion in hydro capacity.\n\nThe firm's existing assets had been \"absolutely critical\" in keeping the lights on during a \"full-blown energy crisis\" in the UK and Europe this winter, he said.\n\nDespite mild weather, \"our existing pumped storage - Foyers on the shores of Loch Ness - has never been used so intensely,\" Mr McCutcheon added.\n\nThe 'Hollow Mountain' scheme inside Ben Cruachan is one of only four pumped storage facilities in Great Britain\n\nScotland's only other pumped storage scheme, operated by Drax Group, is housed within a giant artificial cavern inside Ben Cruachan on the shores of Loch Awe in Argyll.\n\nThe North Yorkshire-based company plans to more than double the generating capacity of its facility, nicknamed Hollow Mountain, to more than 1GW, with the construction of a new underground power station.\n\nBut both Drax and SSE have been reluctant to press ahead without assurances from Whitehall.\n\n\"SSE needs clarity around how the UK government is going to support projects like Coire Glas,\" Mr McCutcheon explained.\n\n\"It was a key element of their energy security strategy last year, but we need to see how that's going to work in practice.\"\n\nFrom the 1930s, the advent of hydro power brought light, heat and hope to the Highlands\n\nHe added: \"It doesn't require subsidy but they are enormous investments.\"\n\nSpecifically, SSE would like a commitment to a revenue stabilisation mechanism and more assurances about how the regulated energy market would reward low carbon power generation.\n\nProf Bell of Strathclyde University said answers were urgently needed by industry, pointing out that the Climate Change Committee, which advises the UK and devolved governments, had published a report this month asking ministers for greater clarity.\n\nThe Department for Energy Security and Net Zero spokesperson accepted that hydro would be \"critical to delivering greater energy security and independence, economic growth, and our net zero ambitions\".\n\n\"Already we are supporting up to 480,000 well-paid green jobs, and leveraging up to \u00a3100bn of private investment in low-carbon technologies including storage by 2030. This will bolster our energy security and help ensure we bring down wholesale electricity prices to among the lowest in Europe,\" they added.\n\nThe Clunie Tunnel was built in the 1940s as part of the Tummel Garry Project\n\nSSE says it hopes to make a final investment decision next year. If it goes ahead, completion is expected in 2031.\n\nWhen running, Coire Glas could reach full generating capacity in under 60 seconds, providing rapid flexibility in the case of a loss of power elsewhere on the national grid.\n\nAlternatively, operating at a more sustainable level, it could power three million homes for up to 24 hours.\n\nThe \u00a3100m outlay announced by the FTSE 100 company will be used for exploratory work, which includes boring a tunnel four metres wide for about 1km into the hillside to assess the geology of the site.\n\nThe investment in Coire Glas comes on the 80th anniversary of the Hydro Electric Development (Scotland) Act 1943, which nationalised the industry and kick-started the creation of more than 50 dams.\n\nThe visionary Labour politician Tom Johnston was the driving force behind the expansion, which brought power and jobs to the glens, dramatically improving life in rural Scotland in the years after the war.\n\nIt's amazing how this old technology is suddenly becoming necessary again - but for very different reasons.\n\nPumped hydro schemes were once vital when we all demanded electricity at the same time.\n\nThe moment when Dirty Den served divorce papers on his wife Angie during the 1986 Christmas Day episode of Eastenders was watched by 30 million people.\n\nMost of them needed a calming cup of tea when the credits rolled.\n\nAll those kettles created a phenomenal demand for electricity, and that's when the sluice gates opened on our pumped hydro plants.\n\nChanging TV habits mean that doesn't happen as often now, and it's the peaks and troughs of supply - rather than demand - which this sort of technology will resolve.\n\nIn 15 years, when we're tucked up in bed on a windy night, it'll provide somewhere for all that excess power to go so that it can be used when we wake up.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/uk-scotland-highlands-islands-65015217"}
{"title":"Velindre Cancer Centre campaigner bursts into song at council meeting - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-21","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"Tamsin Graves sang The Lord is My Shepherd at meeting discussing Velindre Cancer Centre in Cardiff.","section":"Wales","content":"This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Tamsin Graves sang The Lord is My Shepherd at the meeting\n\nA campaigner opposed to controversial plans for a new cancer centre broke into song during a council meeting.\n\nCardiff council was discussing plans, already approved, to build a new Velindre Cancer Centre on land near its current site in Whitchurch.\n\nOpponents say the centre should not be built on an area of green space they refer to as \"the northern meadow\".\n\nTamsin Graves sang The Lord is My Shepherd, claiming the developer had shown \"no regard\" for the environment.\n\nAt a Cardiff council planning committee meeting, Ms Graves spoke for a group that protested against the construction of the centre in Whitchurch.\n\nOpponents previously raised concerns about a loss of natural habitat and biodiversity.\n\nShe told councillors the opponents concerns had been left out of a council report, according the Local Democracy Reporting Service.\n\n\"These are the lack of a road safety audit and to the wholly inadequate surface, water and drainage strategy,\" she said.\n\n\"These two issues should be of paramount concern to every single one of us here.\n\n\"The developer has sadly shown little or no regard for the safety, health and well-being of the community or of the environment to date.\n\n\"The constant re-invention of words to gloss over the intended decimation of this site of importance for nature conservation is an insult to planet and people. On your heads be it.\"\n\nProtestors occupied the meadow in 2021 with one woman chaining herself to a gate\n\nBefore breaking into song, Ms Graves added: \"Here are the pasture meadows of Ty Clyd Farm in 1840, still here in 2023.\n\n\"Natural, unique, irreplaceable green pastures, providing health to our lungs, protection from cancer and refreshment for our souls.\"\n\nThe company selected to design and build the new cancer centre is Acorn.\n\nProject director Richard Coe responded, saying a plan had been put in place \"to make sure things like traffic, surface water and environmental concerns are well managed\".\n\n\"The Acorn team has engaged extensively with council officers, CADW and NRW and we have worked with that feedback to develop the final [construction environmental and management plan],\" he said.\n\n\"We are confident that it presents a very robust document to ensure that the project will be delivered with minimal impact and disruption to the local area for the shortest period possible.\"","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/uk-wales-65023722"}
{"title":"Lung disease: 'For asthma to take her life was just unbelievable' - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-21","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"New research shows stark North-South divide in hospital admissions for lung disease across the UK.","section":"Health","content":"The number of people needing emergency hospital treatment for asthma, emphysema and other lung conditions is three times higher in some parts of the UK than in the richest areas of the country, new research has shown.\n\nA detailed picture of lung health found much higher illness and death rates in the north-west of England, the central belt of Scotland and parts of Northern Ireland, according to a lung disease charity.\n\nAmy Greenwood was meant to get married in June.\n\nThe 22-year-old from Skelmersdale in Lancashire had been living with severe asthma since she was a toddler.\n\nShe was very careful throughout the pandemic - shielding and waving to her mum from the doorstep like so many others.\n\nOne day last October, she started feeling wheezy with a tight chest, but by the evening her breathing was much better, and she went to bed after a long shower.\n\nThat night her fiance Keagan went upstairs after hearing a thump to find her unconscious on the floor. He called an ambulance and then phoned Amy's parents who lived around the corner.\n\n\"I just hung up, got dressed and raced round,\" said her mum Joanne.\n\n\"I went in, and she was lying in the doorway of the bedroom, upstairs on the landing. Keagan was doing CPR and she wasn't breathing.\"\n\nAmy Greenwood with her fiance Keagan and children\n\nParamedics arrived and managed to get Amy's heart started again before rushing her to hospital.\n\nBut her brain had been starved of oxygen for too long. Two days later her life support was switched off.\n\nShe left behind two young children - aged four and 18 months old.\n\n\"For asthma to take her life was unbelievable,\" said Joanne. \"I just didn't think it was possible in this day and age, but I was wrong.\"\n\nLung conditions such as asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), a category which includes emphysema and chronic bronchitis, affect one in five people in their lifetime.\n\nLung disease is the third biggest killer in the UK after cancer and heart disease over the last decade. In Lancashire - where Amy lived - rates are above the national average.\n\nDuring the pandemic, the number of hospital admissions fell sharply as those most at-risk shielded from Covid, while lockdown also suppressed other viruses which can set off a serious asthma attack.\n\nAt the same time, it is thought another trigger - air pollution - improved, as industry shut down and roads cleared of traffic.\n\nBut the latest figures show admissions now creeping back to pre-pandemic levels, a trend doctors describe as \"deeply worrying\".\n\nResearch from the charity Asthma and Lung UK (ALUK) found parts of north-west England, central Scotland and Northern Ireland had double the rate of admissions and almost triple the rate of deaths as parts of London and the South East.\n\nThe evidence shows there is a strong link to deprivation, according to ALUK's chief executive Sarah Woolnough.\n\n\"There will often be higher exposure to air pollution, poor quality housing with mould and damp that can lead to flare-ups, and historically higher smoking rates,\" she said.\n\n\"We also know that people have different access to GPs and primary care. And for lung health, getting a quick diagnosis and then access to care to manage your condition is so important.\"\n\nThe government angered some doctors in January when it said it would shelve a long-awaited white paper which was meant to spell out how it would tackle these kinds of health inequalities in England.\n\nIn its place, a new \"major conditions\" strategy is due to be published this summer, looking at improving treatment for those people already experiencing ill health, and taking into account regional differences.\n\nMinisters say they have already set \"ambitious\" targets to reduce air pollution and smoking, while the NHS is also expanding its programme of free lung health checks in England.\n\nAcross the whole UK, the cost to the health service of lung disease is put at \u00a311bn a year, with COPD alone now the second most common reason for an emergency hospital admission.\n\nIf just a fraction of those patients could be kept out of A&E, then it could save the NHS many millions of pounds.\n\nOlaf Schneider from Paisley has COPD and is being monitored remotely\n\nIn Greater Glasgow and Clyde, about 500 people with COPD are being monitored at home, in a pioneering scheme designed to pick up health problems early.\n\nUsers are asked to install a smartphone app which lets them message doctors with any concerns, and are texted every day with a reminder to answer questions about their symptoms.\n\nThe system then combines that information with patient records and real-time data from fitness trackers, internet-connected home ventilators and other breathing equipment.\n\nDr Chris Carlin, a consultant respiratory physician at Queen Elizabeth University Hospital in Glasgow and one of the team behind the idea, said it meant highly vulnerable patients felt better protected.\n\n\"They know that when they have a flare-up in their symptoms, they don't need to press the crisis button, they don't need to present themselves to the emergency department,\" he said.\n\nUsers can message medics directly through the app, created by NHS Scotland's West of Scotland Innovation Hub\n\nThe technology, developed by the Scottish digital health start-up Lenus, has also been rolled out in Lothian and the Highlands and just started to be used in Hull.\n\nEarly results suggest hospital admissions have been cut by 54% in the group of patients enrolled in Glasgow, which has some of the highest rates of lung disease in the country.\n\nA new trial this year will start to use artificial intelligence algorithms to analyse all this data in real-time, automatically flagging up patients who might be starting to struggle with their breathing.\n\n\"If we can manage these patients more safely and effectively with digital tools, it's ultimately beneficial to them and it's beneficial to the whole NHS,\" said Dr Carlin.\n\n\"If we do nothing, the costs of COPD are going to increase dramatically over the next 20 or 30 years, and we just can't afford that.\"\n\nYou can follow Jim on twitter.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/health-64988494"}
{"title":"Man charged over abusive email to Angela Rayner - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-21","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"David Perry is accused of sending a grossly offensive message and an indecent message to the MP.","section":"Manchester","content":"The suspect allegedly sent the email to Angela Rayner in May 2022\n\nA man has been charged with sending an offensive email to Labour Party deputy leader Angela Rayner.\n\nDavid Perry, 66, is accused of sending a grossly offensive message and an indecent message under Section 127 of the Communications Act 2003.\n\nMr Perry, of Eyston Drive, Weybridge, Surrey, is due to appear at Westminster Magistrates' Court on 11 April.\n\nGreater Manchester Police said the charges relate to an email sent to the MP for Ashton-under-Lyne on 2 May 2022.\n\nWhy not follow BBC North West on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram? You can also send story ideas to northwest.newsonline@bbc.co.uk\n\nThe BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/uk-england-manchester-65030308"}
{"title":"Strike averted as nurses and midwives accept pay offer - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-21","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"Members of nursing and midwifery unions vote to accept the Scottish government's 6.5% pay deal.","section":"Scotland","content":"Members of the Royal College of Nursing and the Royal College of Midwives have voted to accept a new pay offer from the Scottish government.\n\nThe unions had recommended its members back the deal which would see a 6.5% increase from April.\n\nOn top of a 7.5% pay rise imposed for 2022\/23, it means many staff will see their pay increase by 13-14% over two years.\n\nThe votes to accept the offer ends the immediate threat of strike action.\n\nIt comes after members of GMB Scotland, the union representing NHS and ambulance staff, accepted the offer last week.\n\nAll three unions had mandates to strike after rejecting the 2022\/23 pay offer but they were suspended in January ahead of intensive negotiations over the 2023\/24 pay deal.\n\nThe new deal also includes the commitment to modernising the Agenda for Change pay system, and to support workforce recruitment, sustainability and retention.\n\nThe Scottish government has previously said the offer would make Scotland's NHS staff by far the best paid in the UK.\n\nThe RCN confirmed just over 50% of eligible members took part in the consultative ballot with 53.4% voting to accept the offer.\n\nAmong RCM members, 44% took part in the ballot, with 69% voting to accept the deal\n\nAnnouncing the result of the ballot, RCN director Colin Poolman praised the union's members for bringing the Scottish government back to the table. He added: \"Members have narrowly voted to accept this offer but the Scottish government must be under no illusion, much more is required for nursing staff to feel valued and to ensure Scotland has the nursing workforce it needs.\"\n\nA new pay offer was made to staff including ambulance workers\n\nJulie Lamberth, chair of the union's Scotland board said it took \"the real threat\" of nursing strikes to secure the offer.\n\nShe added: \"While members voted by a narrow margin to accept the offer, the chronic staff shortages and low morale that led to the strike mandate are still very real.\"\n\nJaki Lambert, RCM director for Scotland, added: \"While pay is crucial this was also about midwives feeling seen and valued. Improving retention through better working conditions, professional midwifery issues and the wellbeing of staff are also a key component of this.\n\n\"Most importantly, it was also about our members standing tall and being prepared to take action to ensure better care for women, babies, and their families.\"\n\nThe Scottish government said it had committed an extra \u00a3568m to the 2023\/24 offer to 160,000 NHS Scotland workers on Agenda for Change contracts - who includes nurses, paramedics, midwives and porters.\n\nStaff up to Band 8a would see an uplift of at least 6.5%.\n\nIn addition, all staff would receive a one-off payment between \u00a3387 and \u00a3939 depending on banding.\n\nNurses protest during a strike by NHS medical workers outside University College London Hospital in London\n\nMeanwhile, in England a 5% pay rise from April has been offered to NHS staff including nurses and ambulance workers.\n\nIn addition, staff have been offered a one-off payment of at least \u00a31,655 to top up the past year's pay award.\n\nUnions are recommending members back the deal, after nearly two weeks of talks with ministers, raising hopes the bitter dispute may be coming to an end.\n\nThe offer covers all NHS staff except doctors, who are on a different contract.\n\nIt comes after a winter of industrial action, with nurses, ambulance staff and physios all striking.\n\nThe unions put further action on hold, after the two sides agreed to discussions last month.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/uk-scotland-65019788"}
{"title":"West Lane Hospital: Mental health care 'chaotic and unsafe' - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-21","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"Patients said they were mocked by staff and self-harm was allowed to continue, the report found.","section":"Tees","content":"Nadia Sharif, Christie Harnett and Emily Moore died within months of each other under the care of Tees, Esk and Wear Valleys NHS Foundation Trust\n\nA mental health unit criticised over the deaths of three teenagers was \"chaotic and unsafe\", a report found.\n\nAn independent inquiry found \"excessive and inappropriate\" restraint was used at Middlesbrough's West Lane Hospital.\n\nThe report also found self-harm was \"facilitated\" with staff told not to intervene unless it could be fatal, while \"insufficiently curious\" leaders tolerated safety failures.\n\nIt said significant changes had been made.\n\nThe report followed the deaths of Christie Harnett, Nadia Sharif, both 17, and Emily Moore, 18, who took their own lives in an eight-month period up to February 2020 under the trust's care.\n\nWest Lane, which closed following the deaths, provided specialist child and adolescent mental health services, including treatment for eating disorders.\n\nTuesday's report, commissioned by NHS England and undertaken by Niche Health and Social Care Consulting, found \"clear synergies\" between care failings delivered to all three.\n\nIt is the latest in a series of reports which identified failings.\n\nThe hospital has since been renamed and is now run by a different health trust\n\nThe report's authors spoke to former patients, their parents and staff as well as the families of the three teenagers who died.\n\nIt found a \"consistent failure to put the young people at the heart of care\".\n\nYoung people interviewed said the care environment \"facilitated self-harm\" and they did not feel confident that they were safe.\n\nA key theme of powerlessness was identified from patient interviews, the report said.\n\nPatients spoke of being treated with a lack of dignity, with one saying staff made them feel \"that I'm just a waste of a bed\".\n\nAnother spoke of being restrained by male staff \"when I was completely naked\".\n\nSome verbal interactions were described as judgemental, and at times abusive.\n\n\"I was called a maniac, a stupid little girl - lots of comments like that,\" said one patient.\n\n\"I was told, if you really wanted to kill yourself, you would be dead by now.\"\n\nEvery parent spoken to as part of the investigation was unhappy with the care of their young person, the report's authors said.\n\nMany felt \"undermined\" with reports of failures to inform them of incidents involving their children and one described feeling \"manipulated into not making more fuss about things\".\n\nThe use of restraint at the hospital was excessive, inappropriate, and ultimately damaging to patients, as well as staff.\n\nStaff were struggling to cope with the complexity and demands of the patient cohort, the report found, and little support was given to staff to assist in de-escalating situations, which is likely to have contributed to an over-reliance on restraint.\n\nThe hospital was run by the Tees, Esk and Wear Valley NHS Foundation Trust\n\nWest Lane was often described as a \"closed culture\" and there was insufficient curiosity within corporate governance regarding the culture there, the report said.\n\nAnd there was no evidence there was a collaborative effort by the trust or its partners to ensure there was a robust safeguarding framework in place to protect children and young people.\n\nThe report made 12 recommendations which included dealing with complaints, staff training, communication between various care agencies and liaising with families after the death of a patient.\n\nIt recommended NHS England reviewed progress within six months to a year.\n\nFrom NHS England and the Care Quality Commission, right down to the hospital itself, the report finds weaknesses in mental health provision at every level - and patients at West Lane weren't protected.\n\nOne parent told me it made her feel like a terrible mother. A patient said he still can't trust people because of the trauma he suffered.\n\nWhen you hear this, you understand why this report means so much to them. It says they weren't listened to and their concerns and complaints were justified.\n\nTheir next question is: \"How was this allowed to happen in the first place?\"\n\nThey're reading a report which says incident reporting at the hospital gave a false impression of what was going on and the board was overly accepting of verbal reassurances on quality and safety.\n\nThat's why - after years of letter writing to prime ministers, the Parliamentary Ombudsman or Freedom of Information requests - some families are still calling for a judge-led inquiry.\n\nTEWV chairman David Jennings said it was \"deeply sorry\" and they had met the families of the three young women and apologised.\n\n\"This report covers a period of time where it was abundantly clear there were shortfalls in both care and leadership,\" he said.\n\n\"Over the last three years, how we care for people, how we involve patients, families and carers, and our leadership and governance structure have changed significantly.\n\n\"We will continue to work hard to make sure we deliver safe and kind care to the people we support, as they have every right to expect.\"\n\nMargaret Kitching, the chief nurse for NHS England, North East and Yorkshire, said: \"We continue to closely monitor the trust's progress to ensure all of the recommendations are fully addressed.\"\n\nMiss Harnett, from Newton Aycliffe, County Durham, took her own life at West Lane Hospital in June 2019 and Miss Sharif, from Middlesbrough, died there two months later.\n\nMiss Moore, also from County Durham, took her own life in February 2020 at Lanchester Road Hospital. She had previously been treated at West Lane in 2018 and 2019.\n\nThe Care Quality Commission (CQC) has brought charges against TEWV. It is thought they relate to the deaths of Ms Harnett, Ms Moore, and a third person.\n\nA CQC spokesperson said it welcomed the reports and expressed \"sincere condolences\" to the families of the three teenagers.\n\nIt added it will look at the report's recommendations and \"make any necessary improvements\".\n\nFollow BBC North East & Cumbria on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram. Send your story ideas to northeastandcumbria@bbc.co.uk.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/uk-england-tees-65013550"}
{"title":"Ukraine war latest: China's peace proposal can be basis for settling Ukraine war - Putin - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-21","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"Russia's president says he and China's President Xi had paid great attention to Beijing's peace proposals during their meetings.","section":"Europe","content":"Precisely how far China will go in supporting Russia has been one of the most important questions of the war in Ukraine - and Xi Jinping will have to answer it following his three-day visit.\n\nJudging by yesterday's informal meeting between Xi and Vladimir Putin, the two sides exchanged all kinds of diplomatic niceties. While Xi re-emphasised China\u2019s ties with Russia as \u201cno-alliance, no-confrontation and not targeting any third party\u201d, there appears to have been very little military discussions.\n\nChina\u2019s foreign policy has always been shaped by interests rather than values. Even when it comes to Russia, the two countries\u2019 bond is based mainly on shared resentment of US hegemony. By deepening their bilateral cooperation in recent years, they have been able to achieve a level of great-power status with which to counterbalance America.\n\nXi's goal for this trip is to preserve the status quo with Russia, not to move an inch closer or pave the way for new cooperation.\n\nRussia\u2019s war has left the West more firmly united than it has been in years. And as China\u2019s relations with the US have reached new lows, Chinese leaders want to avoid alienating the EU, which is one of the country\u2019s biggest trading partners.\n\nChina also made strenuous efforts to avoid taking explicit sides. By all means, the war in Ukraine is not China\u2019s conflict. As a result, an unconfirmed phone call between Xi and President Zelensky might prove necessary to seek that precarious balance.\n\nThe war in Ukraine continues to test China\u2019s ability to navigate a thorny patch of conflicting interests and rapidly changing sentiments.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/live\/world-europe-64993665"}
{"title":"Gwyneth Paltrow awarded $1 and cleared of fault over ski crash - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-31","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"The Oscar winner wins her high-profile case over a 2016 accident in Utah after a dramatic civil trial.","section":"US & Canada","content":"This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Watch: The highlights of an unusual trial - in 2 minutes\n\nHollywood actress Gwyneth Paltrow has thanked jurors who found her not liable for a 2016 ski crash at a resort in the US state of Utah.\n\nRetired optometrist Terry Sanderson, 76, had said Ms Paltrow crashed into him, inflicting life-changing injuries.\n\nMr Sanderson, who was seeking $300,000 (\u00a3245,000) in damages, said Thursday's verdict was \"very disappointing\".\n\nJurors sided with Ms Paltrow, 50, who blamed Mr Sanderson for the accident and countersued for $1 plus legal fees.\n\nListening to the verdict in court, Ms Paltrow was expressionless, staring straight ahead and appearing to nod slightly. She then walked out.\n\nAs she left, she briefly stopped to speak to Mr Sanderson. He later said she told him: \"I wish you well.\" He replied: \"Thank you dear.\"\n\nIn a statement posted as an Instagram story to her 8.3 million followers, the Oscar winner said: \"I felt that acquiescing to a false claim compromised my integrity.\"\n\nShe said she was pleased with the outcome and thanked the judge and eight-member jury for \"their thoughtfulness in handling this case\".\n\nIt took the jury three hours of deliberation to unanimously find Mr Sanderson entirely at fault for the incident, and award Ms Paltrow the symbolic sum she had sought.\n\nSpeaking to media outside, her lawyer Steve Owens said Ms Paltrow \"has a history of advocating for what she believes in\".\n\n\"This situation was no different and she will continue to stand up for what is right,\" he said.\n\nAfterwards Mr Sanderson maintained he was the one hit on the slope and suggested that Ms Paltrow's star power had helped her in court.\n\n\"You get some assumed credibility from being a famous person,\" he said. \"Really, who wants to take on a celebrity?\"\n\nThe two-week trial heard from dozens of witnesses with contradictory stories about who crashed into whom.\n\nIn Mr Sanderson's telling, the actress slammed into him on a beginners' slope at Deer Valley Resort in Park City. Ms Paltrow then skied away while he remained unconscious in the snow with broken ribs, Mr Sanderson said.\n\nThe accident left him with life-altering brain trauma, he testified.\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser.\n\nOn the stand, the Shakespeare in Love and Iron Man star offered an entirely different account.\n\nShe said Mr Sanderson had skied directly into her back as she went down the slope with her two children.\n\n\"I thought, 'Is this a practical joke? Is someone doing something perverted? This is really, really strange,'\" she said in her testimony.\n\nMr Sanderson was conscious when she skied away, Paltrow said, and even apologised to her.\n\nPaltrow's lawyers worked to undermine Mr Sanderson's claim that his health was ruined by the crash, pointing out a long list of trips he took after the accident to South America, Europe and Morocco.\n\nAnd they accused Mr Sanderson of trying to exploit their client's fame, asking about an email he sent to his daughters shortly after the collision, in which he wrote: \"I'm famous\".\n\nThe case hinged on skiing etiquette, with both parties claiming that they were the downhill skier and therefore had right of way.\n\nBut the testimony also contained several inadvertently funny moments, with lawyers asking Ms Paltrow about her height, her fashion, and how close she was with singer Taylor Swift.\n\nThere was also a mini-courtroom battle over the provision of a \"gift\" from Ms Paltrow to court security staff, which was ultimately denied by the judge. One of Ms Paltrow's security guards later told BBC News that she had wanted to buy them lunch.\n\nAnd in another exchange, Kristan VanOrman, one of Mr Sanderson's lawyers, told Ms Paltrow during cross-examination that she was jealous of her height.\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Watch: Paltrow has the last word with the man who sued her\n\nSpeaking to reporters after the verdict, the lawyer said she was \"not starstruck\" during the trial. \"I have a newfound appreciation for Ms Paltrow if she has to deal with all this [media attention] on a daily basis,\" she said.\n\nMr Sanderson initially tried to sue Ms Paltrow for $3.1m, but that case was dismissed.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/world-us-canada-65132827"}
{"title":"Police wrestle growling alligator in Florida - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-31","authors":null,"description":"Bodycam footage shows the moment an officer pounces on the reptile in the streets of Tampa.","section":null,"content":"Tampa police encountered a cranky alligator in the street and used rope, duct tape and a bit of wrestling to wrangle the reptile. The alligator was loaded into the bed of a truck and relocated to a more suitable area.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/world-us-canada-65118221"}
{"title":"Liverpool's Eurovision arena had 'unacceptable' crowd congestion at gig - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-31","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"Some fans complained that an area of a sold-out gig at the Liverpool arena in November felt unsafe.","section":"Entertainment & Arts","content":"The M&S Bank Arena will host the Eurovision semi-finals and grand final in May\n\nThe Liverpool venue for this year's Eurovision Song Contest experienced \"unacceptable\" crowd congestion at a concert in November, its operators say.\n\nSome fans at the sold-out Jamie Webster gig complained one area felt unsafe.\n\nThe M&S Bank Arena's investigation said crowds built up when a new bar payment system crashed, and long queues for two bars met toilet queues and people coming in through the main entrance.\n\nThe venue, which will host Eurovision in May, called it an isolated incident.\n\nThe arena will have a reduced capacity for the song contest because of the size of the set, with about 6,000 fans expected compared with the arena's usual capacity of 11,000.\n\nIts operators ACC Liverpool said they \"immediately revisited and revised our layouts and processes in relation to crowd flow\" after the Jamie Webster show on 19 November and were \"accelerating\" plans for new bar and toilet facilities.\n\nBBC News has obtained a draft internal report into the incident from ACC Liverpool following a Freedom of Information request.\n\nAfter the concert, fans told the BBC the venue's entrance was so crowded that some ticket-holders were too scared to go in.\n\nPaul Lang, from Birkenhead, told BBC Radio Merseyside: \"At least 15-20 people walked away and were just not dealing with it, and more people were coming out, getting a bit worked up, panicked about it, and just said, 'It's just not worth it for our own safety.'\"\n\nAnother fan, Liam Kelly, said a steward initially stopped letting people in because it was \"overcrowded\" - before \"she kind of left and then there was this chaos at the door where everyone just started to walk in\".\n\nThe experience of getting in was \"really horrible\", Mr Kelly told the station. \"It was the entrance way and the bar area that were absolute chaos. You couldn't move. It took ages to get through.\"\n\nNo injuries were reported and the show went ahead, although indie singer-songwriter Webster, who was playing his biggest home town gig, had to cut his encore because of the problems.\n\nIn December, he told the Have A Word podcast: \"There was congestion at one of the bars. People had phoned up from inside the arena - phoned the police and said, 'It's not safe by this bar.'\"\n\nPolice were called just before 21:30 and said they attended \"briefly\".\n\nACC Liverpool's draft report said there was \"a period of congestion in one area of the Arena\".\n\nThere was \"a single point of intersection of three crowds\" when \"the crowds moving to the toilets crossed the queue for two floor bars and this crowd then built up with the ingress from the main Riverside entry door\", it said.\n\n\"In addition, there was a problem with a new e-bar facility which, during the peak service period, had a technical fault and became inoperable. This resulted in a proportion of the queue for drinks being further delayed in being served which led to a further build-up of customers in the area and added to the congestion in the area.\n\n\"Whilst staff on duty managed to dissipate the congestion in this particular area of the venue, at the peak of the crowd build-up the congestion was an unacceptable.\"\n\nRemedial actions were \"instantaneous\" in an attempt \"to eliminate the likelihood of crowd build up around the bar and ingress intersections\", it said.\n\nThere was also \"a recurring issue\" with tickets not scanning, it added.\n\nThe arena will have a reduced capacity for Eurovision\n\nIn a statement, Faye Dyer, managing director of The ACC Liverpool Group, said: \"This was an isolated incident with reports of overcrowding in one area by two of the floor bars. The crowd congestion was resolved, people were dispersed and the event was deemed safe to continue.\n\n\"We immediately launched an internal investigation which has been completed.\"\n\nShe added that customer safety was \"our number one priority and we take any incident seriously\".\n\n\"We immediately revisited and revised our layouts and processes in relation to crowd flow. We are also accelerating plans to create additional bar and toilet facilities on the arena floor to further enhance the customer experience.\"\n\nThe report comes as there is heightened awareness of safety at venues following the deaths of two people in a crush outside the entrance of Brixton Academy in south London in December.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/entertainment-arts-65097401"}
{"title":"Andrew Tate and Tristan Tate moved to house arrest - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-31","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"The Tates and two associates are moved to house arrest following a ruling by a Romanian judge.","section":"Europe","content":"This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Watch: The moment Andrew Tate and his brother released from custody\n\nControversial social media influencer Andrew Tate and his brother Tristan have been moved from custody to house arrest following a ruling by a Romanian judge.\n\nThe ruling by the Court of Appeal in Bucharest replaces the latest period of custody, which was to end on 29 April.\n\nTwo associates, Georgiana Naghel and Luana Radu, are also being released.\n\nAll four have been ordered to stay in the buildings where they live, unless they have judicial permission to leave.\n\nA spokeswoman for the Tate brothers told the BBC the brothers were \"ecstatic\".\n\nAfter being released, Andrew posted a video of himself pacing in a room while smoking a cigar, saying: \"Since last year I've been in 24-hour lockdown. No yard time.\n\n\"Pacing a 3-metre cell with zero electronics or outside contact. Absolute clarity of mind. Real thoughts. Real plans. Vivid pain. One hour home and I can't stand my phone.\n\n\"Some habits die hard. We must defeat Shaytan.\"\n\nTristan, meanwhile, tweeted: \"4 months without putting on a pair of alligator shoes. The struggle was real.\"\n\nThe brothers have been detained since December. They are being investigated on allegations of rape, people trafficking and forming an organised crime group. Both have denied wrongdoing.\n\nLawyers for the Tates argued that keeping them in preventative custody was unnecessarily harsh, when other judicial options such as house arrest were available.\n\nLeaked court documents, seen by the BBC, outlined testimony from alleged victims claiming to be forced to earn \u20ac10,000 (\u00a38,800) a month on social media platforms, under the alleged threat of physical violence.\n\nCourt papers also described debts being used as \"a form of psychological coercion\". Since investigations began last April, six women have been identified by prosecutors as victims.\n\nHowever, no charges have been brought against the brothers or the two Romanian associates who were arrested alongside them.\n\nIn 2016, Andrew Tate, a British-American former kickboxer, was removed from British TV show Big Brother over a video which appeared to show him attacking a woman.\n\nHe went on to gain notoriety online, with Twitter banning him for saying women should \"bear some responsibility\" for being sexually assaulted. He has since been reinstated.\n\nDespite social media bans, he gained popularity, particularly among young men, by promoting what he presented as a hyper-masculine, ultra-luxurious lifestyle.\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Watch: The BBC's Lucy Williamson takes a look at where the brothers are now being held","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/world-europe-65144651"}
{"title":"Donald Trump indictment: Ex-US president to be charged over hush money - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-31","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"Mr Trump, the first serving or former US president to face a criminal case, denies wrongdoing.","section":"US & Canada","content":"This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser.\n\nFormer US President Donald Trump will be charged over hush money payments made to a porn star just before the 2016 presidential election.\n\nThe details of the case against him have not yet been released.\n\nA grand jury has voted to indict him after investigating a $130,000 pay-out to Stormy Daniels in an attempt to buy her silence over an alleged affair.\n\nMr Trump, 76, denies wrongdoing. He is the first serving or former US president to face a criminal charge.\n\nThe office of Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg, who has been pursuing the investigation, confirmed that it had contacted Mr Trump's attorney to \"co-ordinate his surrender\" on unspecified charges.\n\nThe ex-president, who lives in Florida, is expected to fly to New York on Monday and be arraigned in court on Tuesday, two sources familiar with the matter told CBS News, the BBC's US partner.\n\nThe charges in the indictment will be read to him at the hearing, which is set to last about 10-15 minutes.\n\nThe United States Secret Service - which is tasked with protecting serving and former US presidents - will be in charge of security for the court appearance.\n\nIn 2016, adult film star Stormy Daniels contacted media outlets offering to sell her account of what she said was an adulterous affair she had with Donald Trump in 2006 - the year after he married his current wife, Melania.\n\nMr Trump's team got wind of this, and his lawyer Michael Cohen paid $130,000 to Ms Daniels to keep quiet. This is not illegal.\n\nHowever, when Mr Trump reimbursed his lawyer, the record for the payment says it was for legal fees. Prosecutors say this amounts to Mr Trump falsifying business records, which is a misdemeanour - a criminal offence - in New York.\n\nProsecutors could also potentially allege that this breaks election law, because his attempt to hide his payments to Ms Daniels were motivated by not wanting voters to know he had an affair with her.\n\nCovering up a crime by falsifying records would be a felony, which is a more serious charge. Even advocates for prosecution acknowledge that either way, this is by no means a clear-cut case.\n\nThere is little precedent for such a prosecution, and past attempts to charge politicians with crossing the line between campaign finance and personal spending have ended in failure.\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser.\n\nMr Trump now faces the prospect of having his fingerprints recorded and his mugshot taken, like all defendants in criminal cases.\n\nIn a statement, Mr Trump lashed out at the Manhattan district attorney. He called the prosecutor a \"disgrace\", and accused him of \"doing Joe Biden's dirty work\".\n\n\"The Democrats have lied, cheated and stolen in their obsession with trying to 'Get Trump,' but now they've done the unthinkable - indicting a completely innocent person in an act of blatant Election Interference,\" he said.\n\nMr Trump has repeatedly slammed the investigation in his hometown of New York as a political \"witch hunt\" led by his opponents.\n\nMr Bragg, who is a registered Democrat, has denied pursuing a political vendetta against Mr Trump. \"We evaluate cases in our jurisdiction based on the facts, the law, and the evidence,\" he tweeted earlier this month.\n\nMr Trump's lawyer, Susan Necheles, said in a statement: \"He did not commit any crime. We will vigorously fight this political prosecution in court.\"\n\nFollowing the indictment, Ms Daniels thanked her supporters. \"I have so many messages coming in that I can't respond... also don't want to spill my champagne,\" she tweeted.\n\nMr Trump denies having an affair with Stormy Daniels (pictured)\n\nThe criminal case could shape the 2024 presidential race. Mr Trump is currently the front-runner among all declared and potential contenders for the Republican White House nomination.\n\nBut there is nothing in US law that prevents a candidate who is found guilty of a crime from campaigning for, and serving as, president - even from prison.\n\nHis campaign sent out fundraising emails on Thursday evening, citing the indictment.\n\nHouse of Representatives Speaker Kevin McCarthy said: \"Alvin Bragg has irreparably damaged our country in an attempt to interfere in our Presidential election.\n\n\"As he routinely frees violent criminals to terrorize the public, he weaponized our sacred system of justice against President Donald Trump.\"\n\nBut Democrats welcomed the indictment, arguing it showed no-one was above the law.\n\nCongressman Adam Schiff said: \"The indictment and arrest of a former president is unique throughout all of American history.\n\n\"But so too is the unlawful conduct for which Trump has been charged.\"\n\nMr Trump is also being investigated in several other cases.\n\nThey include probes into his role in the US Capitol riot of January 2021, his efforts to overturn his loss in the state of Georgia in the 2020 election, and his handling of classified documents after leaving office.\n\nMr Trump - who served as president from 2017-21 - was twice impeached by the House of Representatives. He was acquitted by the Senate both times.\n\u2022 None The Trump arrest saga in 70 seconds. Video, 00:01:09The Trump arrest saga in 70 seconds","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/world-us-canada-65132553"}
{"title":"Duchess of Sussex: Meghan wins bid to throw out Samantha Markle legal case - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-31","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"Samantha Markle was suing the duchess, including over Meghan saying she was an \"only child\".","section":"US & Canada","content":"Prince Harry and Meghan at an awards gala in New York City last December\n\nThe Duchess of Sussex has won her bid to throw out a US defamation case brought by her half-sister.\n\nSamantha Markle was suing Meghan for alleged defamation and \"injurious falsehood\" - including Meghan saying she was an \"only child\" in her interview with Oprah Winfrey.\n\nShe was seeking $75,000 (\u00a362,000) in damages.\n\nBut a Florida judge dismissed the case, saying Meghan was expressing an opinion - and opinions cannot be proved false.\n\nIn court papers, US District Judge Charlene Edwards Honeywell wrote: \"As a reasonable listener would understand it, defendant merely expresses an opinion about her childhood and her relationship with her half-siblings.\n\n\"Thus, the court finds that defendant's statement is not objectively verifiable or subject to empirical proof.... plaintiff cannot plausibly disprove defendant's opinion of her own childhood.\"\n\nSamantha Markle - who is Meghan's half-sister from father Thomas Markle's first marriage - brought the civil case in March last year.\n\nIn it, she alleged Meghan:\n\nIn the Oprah interview - which was watched by more than 50 million people worldwide - Meghan said she did not really know Samantha, adding: \"I grew up as an only child, which everyone who grew up around me knows, and I wished I had siblings.\"\n\nAs well as the Oprah TV interview, Samantha Markle - who lives in Florida - alleged the duchess had defamed her by giving information to a 2020 unauthorised biography called Finding Freedom.\n\nBut Judge Honeywell also found the duchess could not be liable for the contents of the book because she did not publish it.\n\u2022 None Harry and Meghan could be questioned in civil claim","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/world-us-canada-65136708"}
{"title":"House prices see biggest annual fall since 2009 - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-31","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"Property prices dropped by 3.1% in the year to March, the Nationwide says.","section":"Business","content":"House prices fell in March at their fastest annual pace for 14 years, according to the latest figures from the Nationwide.\n\nThe lender said prices were down 3.1% compared with a year earlier, the largest annual decline since July 2009.\n\nThe Nationwide said the housing market reached a \"turning point\" last year, after the financial market turbulence which followed the mini-budget.\n\nSince then, \"activity has remained subdued\", it added.\n\n\"It will be hard for the market to regain much momentum in the near term, since consumer confidence remains weak and household budgets remain under pressure from high inflation,\" said Robert Gardner, Nationwide's chief economist.\n\nA drop in house prices would generally be welcomed by potential first-time buyers, who have watched property values surge, even during the pandemic.\n\nHowever, the reality is that renting has become more expensive for many people, and mortgage rates are higher than they might have planned for. The continuing rise in many regular bills and food prices are also adding to the financial strain.\n\nThe Nationwide's findings, based on its own lending data, suggest prices have now fallen for seven months in a row. This echoes the general conclusion of other house price surveys and commentary, which show a slowdown in the sector and falling prices.\n\nIn March, the Office of Budget Responsibility - which advises the government on the health of the economy - predicted that house prices will drop by 10% between their peak last year and the middle of next year.\n\nThe Nationwide said that prices were already 4.6% below their peak, after taking seasonal factors into account.\n\nAlice Haine, analyst at investment platform Bestinvest, said: \"What is clear is that the red-hot property market of pandemic days - when buyers snapped up bigger homes in the race for space, aided by temporary stamp duty incentives - is now behind us, with buyers and lenders taking a far more conservative approach towards home ownership.\"\n\nConcern over mortgage rates is a major factor in the slowdown in the sector. Rates surged after last year's mini-budget during the short-lived Liz Truss government.\n\nAlthough the rates have dropped back partially since, a succession of base rate rises by the Bank of England have fed through - so interest rates on home loans are higher now than people became accustomed to in the past decade.\n\nAlthough the UK's housing market is made up of a series of local property sectors, the Nationwide's regional breakdown for the first three months of the year suggested a slowdown across all areas of the country.\n\nHow does the fall in house prices affect you? Are you trying to buy or sell property? Tell us by emailing: haveyoursay@bbc.co.uk\n\nPlease include a contact number if you are willing to speak to a BBC journalist. You can also get in touch in the following ways:\n\nIf 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 HaveYourSay@bbc.co.uk. Please include your name, age and location with any submission.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/business-65135405"}
{"title":"Little Rock, Arkansas, tornado live updates: Damage and injuries reported - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-31","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"A tornado sweeps through Little Rock and nearby towns, destroying buildings and overturning cars.","section":"US & Canada","content":"Elsewhere in Illinois, several flights in and out of Chicago O'Hare International Airport have been cancelled due to the weather.\n\nPeople on social media say they have been urged to take cover in the tunnels of the airport.\n\nAn hour ago, the airport tweeted: \"Severe weather is imminent at O'Hare International Airport.\n\n\"If you're in the airport, please exercise caution, and follow the instructions of all airport personnel.\n\n\"Service on the Airport Transit System is suspended until the threat of severe weather has passed.\"","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/live\/world-us-canada-65145170"}
{"title":"Dover delays as ferry passengers wait for hours - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-31","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"Some coach passengers had faced 14-hour waits, but on Saturday evening the queues were reported to be easing.","section":"UK","content":"People arriving at Dover for the Easter getaway have expressed shock and frustration at long delays - with some coach passengers having had to wait for more than 14 hours.\n\nSome coaches, including many carrying schoolchildren, had to wait overnight at the port.\n\nBy Saturday evening, queues began to clear and traffic flowed more easily.\n\nThe management for the port apologised for the \"prolonged delays\" and said services would soon be back to normal.\n\nThe port also said long border processing times were to blame for delays, while some ferry companies said bad weather had disrupted travel.\n\nCars can be boarded much quicker than a coachload of separate passengers and the port said that ferry companies had received 15% more coach bookings for the Easter period than the port had initially anticipated when it began planning four months ago.\n\nDafydd Francis, a PE teacher from Neath in South Wales, was part of a group of 33 children and adults who arrived at the port at 23:00 BST Friday - and were still waiting to board 14 hours later.\n\nHe said he was \"shell-shocked\" by the delay. \"We will arrive at the resort 14 hours late if we are lucky,\" he said.\n\n\"I have organised various trips since 1998 for school and family and friends, approximately 50 trips. We will fly next time.\"\n\nP&O Ferries and DFDS Seaways initially reported disruption to their ferry services on Friday night - with DFDS saying strong winds were adding to the problem.\n\nOn Saturday afternoon, P&O said delays for cars trying to reach the port were now estimated at between one and two hours.\n\nPhotos showed long queues at the port on Friday evening\n\nSara Miles from Tonbridge, who was travelling by car with her family to Normandy, said she was stuck for two hours in traffic outside the port, and that she was not sure when she would catch a ferry.\n\nMs Miles, who is going with her husband and two young daughters to visit her parents, told the BBC: \"It's all a bit chaotic. People are turning off their cars and getting out, police are directing traffic.\n\n\"The girls are very excited about the holiday and it'd be too difficult to turn back now.\"\n\nAnother car passenger told the BBC that \"the whole of Dover is practically gridlocked\".\n\nThey said passengers were calm but that frustrations were building. \"More and more people are getting out of their cars to try and find toilets - there are five portaloos from what I can see near the border control facilities.\"\n\nResponding to the claims of lengthy delays in checks at the border control point, the regional prefecture in northern France said that there were \"no difficulties that we know of\", but that lots of coaches had arrived to travel at around the same time.\n\nAll border checkpoints were operational and border police had changed some car checkpoints into slots for coaches, it added.\n\nA UK government spokesperson said it remained in close contact with ferry operators and authorities. Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer said the government needed to \"get a grip\" of the situation at Dover.\n\nSimon Calder, travel correspondent at the Independent, said processing times since leaving the EU had increased sharply \"and that would seem to explain the delays\".\n\nSpeaking to BBC Breakfast, he said that having an EU border at Dover meant things were \"gumming up\", and that each individual passport must now be inspected and stamped.\n\nThis means that coach loads of passengers must disembark to have their passports checked, adding to delays.\n\nLast year a critical incident in Dover was blamed on bad weather and a shortage of ferries at Easter.\n\nTraffic on the A20 to get to the Port of Dover on Saturday\n\nThe port said it was working to get \"all passengers on their way as quickly as possible\" and food and drink had been provided to coach passengers caught up in the queues.\n\nFerry operators have been sending coach traffic to alternative waiting areas in order to clear the backlog of vehicles within the port.\n\nA spokesperson for DFDS earlier apologised for the wait times, which were blamed on bad weather delaying sailings as well as \"high volumes of traffic... particularly coach groups\".\n\nAs well as the situation at Dover, there are fears of disrupted Easter getaways due to strikes affecting London's Heathrow Airport.\n\nHundreds of security officers in the Unite union have begun 10 days of industrial action over pay - though the airport said it was operating \"as normal\" on Friday.\n\nHave your journey plans been affected by travel delays? Share your experiences by emailing haveyoursay@bbc.co.uk.\n\nPlease include a contact number if you are willing to speak to a BBC journalist. You can also get in touch in the following ways:\n\nIf 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 HaveYourSay@bbc.co.uk. Please include your name, age and location with any submission.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/uk-65143093"}
{"title":"ChatGPT banned in Italy over privacy concerns - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-31","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"The country's data-protection regulator has serious privacy concerns over the technology.","section":"Technology","content":"Italy has become the first Western country to block advanced chatbot ChatGPT.\n\nThe Italian data-protection authority said there were privacy concerns relating to the model, which was created by US start-up OpenAI and is backed by Microsoft.\n\nThe regulator said it would ban and investigate OpenAI \"with immediate effect\".\n\nOpenAI told the BBC it complied with privacy laws.\n\nMillions of people have used ChatGPT since it launched in November 2022.\n\nIt can answer questions using natural, human-like language and it can also mimic other writing styles, using the internet as it was in 2021 as its database.\n\nMicrosoft has spent billions of dollars on it and it was added to Bing last month.\n\nIt has also said that it will embed a version of the technology in its Office apps, including Word, Excel, PowerPoint and Outlook.\n\nThere have been concerns over the potential risks of artificial intelligence (AI), including its threat to jobs and the spreading of misinformation and bias.\n\nEarlier this week key figures in tech, including Elon Musk, called for these types of AI systems to be suspended amid fears the race to develop them was out of control.\n\nThe Italian watchdog said that not only would it block OpenAI's chatbot but it would also investigate whether it complied with General Data Protection Regulation.\n\nGDPR governs the way in which we can use, process and store personal data.\n\nThe watchdog said on 20 March that the app had experienced a data breach involving user conversations and payment information.\n\nIt said there was no legal basis to justify \"the mass collection and storage of personal data for the purpose of 'training' the algorithms underlying the operation of the platform\".\n\nIt also said that since there was no way to verify the age of users, the app \"exposes minors to absolutely unsuitable answers compared to their degree of development and awareness\".\n\nBard, Google's rival artificial-intelligence chatbot, is now available, but only to specific users over the age of 18 - because of those same concerns.\n\nThe Italian data-protection authority said OpenAI had 20 days to say how it would address the watchdog's concerns, under penalty of a fine of \u20ac20 million ($21.7m) or up to 4% of annual revenues.\n\nElsewhere, the Irish data protection commission told the BBC it is following up with the Italian regulator to understand the basis for their action and \"will coordinate with all EU data protection authorities\" in connection to the ban.\n\nThe Information Commissioner's Office, the UK's independent data regulator, told the BBC it would \"support\" developments in AI but that it was also ready to \"challenge non-compliance\" with data protection laws.\n\nDan Morgan, from cybersecurity ratings provider SecurityScorecard said the ban shows the importance of regulatory compliance for companies operating in Europe.\n\n\"Businesses must prioritise the protection of personal data and comply with the stringent data protection regulations set by the EU - compliance with regulations is not an optional extra.\"\n\nConsumer advocacy group BEUC also called on EU and national authorities - including data-protection watchdogs - to investigate ChatGPT and similar chatbots, following the filing of a complaint in the US.\n\nAlthough the EU is currently working on the world's first legislation on AI, BEUC's concern is that it would take years before the AI Act could take effect, leaving consumers at risk of harm from a technology that is not sufficiently regulated.\n\nUrsula Pachl, deputy director general of BEUC, warned that society was \"currently not protected enough from the harm\" that AI can cause.\n\n\"There are serious concerns growing about how ChatGPT and similar chatbots might deceive and manipulate people. These AI systems need greater public scrutiny, and public authorities must reassert control over them,\" she said.\n\nChatGPT is already blocked in a number of countries, including China, Iran, North Korea and Russia.\n\nOpenAI told the BBC that it had disabled ChatGPT for users in Italy at the request of the Italian data protection regulator, called the Garante:\n\n\"We are committed to protecting people's privacy and we believe we comply with GDPR and other privacy laws\", it wrote.\n\nThe organisation said it worked to reduce personal data in training AI systems like ChatGPT because it wanted its AI systems to \"learn about the world, not about private individuals\".\n\n\"We also believe that AI regulation is necessary \u2014 so we look forward to working closely with the Garante and educating them on how our systems are built and used\", it added\n\nOpenAI said it looked forward to making ChatGPT available in Italy again \"soon\".","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/technology-65139406"}
{"title":"What did Gwyneth Paltrow say to the man who sued her? - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-31","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"As she left court after being cleared, Gwyneth Paltrow paused to speak to the man who sued her.","section":"Entertainment & Arts","content":"This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Watch: Paltrow has the last word with the man who sued her\n\nWhat did Gwyneth Paltrow say to the man who sued her?\n\nAfter Ms Paltrow was found not at fault for a 2016 ski crash at a resort in Utah, the judge in Park City allowed her to leave the courtroom ahead of the media.\n\nAs she made her way to the exit, she briefly paused to whisper something to the man who embroiled her in a nearly eight-year legal saga, and a two-week trial.\n\nTerry Sanderson, a 76-year-old retired eye doctor, was found \"100% responsible\" for the crash.\n\nWhen asked about the brief exchange outside the courtroom, Mr Sanderson readily supplied the transcript: \"Her exact words were 'I wish you well,' that's all she said,\" he told reporters.\n\n\"I said 'thank you, dear.'\"\n\nGiven that the conversation was not picked up on courtroom microphones, we may never know for certain what was said.\n\nBut left to their own devices, many on social media began to write their own dialogue to a courtroom drama that's fascinated the nation.\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Watch: The highlights of an unusual trial - in 2 minutes\n\nSome embellished the moment with more of a mobster-like flair, suggesting the actress had whispered menacingly, \"You can keep the dollar.\"\n\nOthers joked she would name the next candle in her wellness brand \"Total Vindication.\"\n\nElsewhere on the internet, the actress was declared #Gwynnocent.\n\nAnd after seven years in court, some on social media speculated that Ms Paltrow and Mr Sanderson would be entering a period of \"conscious uncoupling\", a reference to a phrase coined during the actress' divorce from Coldplay lead singer Chris Martin.\n\nBut at the end of the day, one user said it was all about the friends we made along the way.\n\n\"I wish them both well. Thank you for a highly entertaining week.\"","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/entertainment-arts-65133932"}
{"title":"BBC to cut 1,000 hours of new TV programming in 2023 to save money - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-31","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"Sport and BBC Four are among the areas to have fewer hours of original coverage to save money.","section":"Entertainment & Arts","content":"The BBC is to broadcast 1,000 fewer hours of new TV programmes this year as part of a drive to save money.\n\nThe broadcaster made about 12,500 \"originated hours\" in 2022.\n\nHalf of the 1,000-hour cut will come from sport, with fewer major events in 2023. Elsewhere, BBC Four is showing more material from the archives.\n\nThe BBC must find \u00a3400m in annual savings by 2027\/28, according to the corporation's latest annual plan, which was published on Thursday.\n\nIt said the current freeze of the price of a TV licence \"continues to place significant financial challenges on the BBC at a time of high inflation and media super-inflation\".\n\nInitiatives to save money include \"an annual reduction of 1,000 hours in content commissions across our portfolio\".\n\nThis year, 50% of that reduction will come from \"fluctuations\" in the sporting calendar, with no Commonwealth Games or men's football World Cup, as there was in 2022. There is a women's World Cup this summer, but UK broadcast details have not been confirmed.\n\nThe other 500 hours will come from different areas including BBC Four, which the corporation announced a year ago would become \"the home of both the BBC's rich archive and arts & music performances\".\n\nIn this year's plan, the BBC said its strategy would include focusing on \"more unique, high-impact content\". The 1,000-hour figure does not include news.\n\nThe BBC's TV budget will decline by \u00a396m to \u00a31.75bn over the coming year, Deadline reported.\n\nThe corporation said it was currently \"spending more on, and commissioning more hours of, UK-originated TV content than any other organisation\".\n\nOther cost-cutting measures include moving a number of World Service TV and radio broadcast services online, and merging the domestic and global news channels.\n\nThe corporation has recently come under fire for plans to close the BBC Singers choir and cut staff from its orchestras, as well as for local radio stations in England to merge more shows.\n\nThe annual plan said the broadcaster's first priority would be impartiality, with a pledge to \"launch an independent review of our social media guidance\".\n\nThe BBC has also recently been caught up in rows about chairman Richard Sharp's links to former prime minister Boris Johnson, and Match of the Day host Gary Lineker's Twitter criticism of the government's asylum policy.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/entertainment-arts-65129480"}
{"title":"Local Elections 2023: New powers will help prevent potholes, says Rishi Sunak - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-31","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"The PM highlights new measures to help improve roads, as campaigning for local elections gets under way.","section":"UK Politics","content":"This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Rishi Sunak says more fines and inspections will help tackle potholes\n\nPrime Minister Rishi Sunak has promised a clampdown on potholes, as campaigning for the local elections gets under way.\n\nOn a visit to Darlington, in north-east England, he said new powers would help ensure firms repair roads properly after carrying out works, through more fines and inspections.\n\nSome 230 councils across England are holding elections on 4 May.\n\nThe PM was in Darlington for a campaign visit, alongside Tees Valley mayor Ben Houchen and local MP Peter Gibson.\n\nThe Conservatives are currently the largest party on Darlington Council, after Labour lost control of the council in the 2019 local elections.\n\nThe area is part of the so-called Red Wall of former Labour strongholds in the north of England and the Midlands, which the Conservatives are keen to retain at the next general election.\n\nEarlier this week, The Tories also set out plans to tackle anti-social behaviour , including banning the sale of nitrous oxide and making people who vandalise public spaces repair the damage they cause.\n\nThe prime minister said the Tories were \"delivering locally for the North East\", with the government putting more money into fixing potholes and clamping down on utility companies which left behind damage after digging up roads.\n\n\"There'll be more fines, more inspections, that's also going to help. We want to make sure it's easy for people to get around,\" he added.\n\nNew regulations, which were announced last year and come into force on Saturday, will bring in a performance-based inspection regime, with companies assessed on the quality of their road repairs and the worst-performing companies inspected more.\n\nThe Department for Transport said highway authorities now charged \u00a350 per inspection, and a further \u00a3120 for follow-up inspections, so there would be a financial incentive for firms to improve.\n\nThe government said it was investing more than \u00a35.5bn between 2020 and 2025 in highways maintenance, with an extra \u00a3200m to help fix potholes announced in March's budget.\n\nLabour's shadow transport secretary Louise Haigh accused the government of \"playing catch up after its own failures have left UK roads crumbling\".\n\n\"In 2021 the prime minister vowed to make potholes a thing of the past, but his decisions have left millions of them on our roads,\" she said.\n\nThe Liberal Democrats said the announcement was \"nothing new and just a complete re-hash\".\n\nMotoring groups have previously called for more investment to help improve the state of the country's roads.\n\nEarlier this month, a survey commissioned by the Asphalt Industry Alliance suggested councils in England and Wales only received two-thirds of what they needed this year to stop local roads further deteriorating.\n\nThe organisation said budgets had not kept pace with cost increases and government funding was not enough to prevent further decline of road conditions.\n\nIt found that 18% of the local roads network had been assessed as being in poor condition and having less than five years of life remaining.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/uk-politics-65137351"}
{"title":"Sewage entered rivers and seas on average 825 times a day last year - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-31","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"Environment Agency data shows sewage spilled into England's waterways for over 1.75 million hours last year.","section":"Science & Environment","content":"Water companies released raw sewage into rivers and seas in England for more than 1.75 million hours last year.\n\nThere were an average of 825 sewage spills into waterways per day, the data shows - down 19% on the previous year.\n\nBut the Environment Agency put the fall largely down to drier weather, not water company action.\n\nAlthough not illegal, academics and environmental groups say releasing sewage poses a danger to human health.\n\nCompanies release sewage when there is too much demand on their treatment works during rainy periods.\n\nContained within the untreated effluent is human waste, wet wipes and sanitary products, which pose a serious risk to the local wildlife, swimmers and others who use UK waterways.\n\n\"This degrades precious ecosystems and poses a danger to public health,\" said Prof Jamie Woodward, geography professor at the University of Manchester.\n\n\"Each discharge is a toxic cocktail of many pollutants, including microplastics and pathogens.\"\n\nYour device may not support this visualisation\n\nThe latest data, revealed by the Environment Agency on Friday, was taken from monitoring stations installed at combined sewer overflows or CSOs. CSOs were developed as overflow valves to reduce the risk of sewage backing up during heavy rainfall when sewer pipes become overloaded, leading to flooding.\n\nThe valves release a mixture of raw sewage from homes and businesses, and rainwater run-off.\n\nWhilst the data shows a 34% reduction in the duration of spills since 2021, John Leyland, environment agency executive director said last year's decrease was \"largely down to dry weather, not water company action\".\n\n\"We want to see quicker progress from water companies on reducing spills and acting on monitoring data,\" he added.\n\nAccording to the data, the company that released sewage most often in 2022 was United Utilities, which covers the North West of England. It spilled sewage for nearly half a million hours.\n\nYour device may not support this visualisation\n\nWater UK, which represents the water industry, told the BBC that this is the fourth year spill figures have come down and \"companies are committed to building on this positive news\".\n\nWater Minister Rebecca Pow agreed that the level of discharges is \"unacceptable\" and said she wanted water companies to be held accountable.\n\nThe government has vowed to crack down on sewage spills by requiring water firms to invest \u00a356bn over 25 years on improving their infrastructure, and to fit all storm overflows in the network with event duration monitoring (EDM) monitors by the end of this year.\n\nBut the Liberal Democrats have called on Secretary of State for the Environment Th\u00e9r\u00e8se Coffey to resign over the figures.\n\nAnd the Green Party agreed that water companies should be held to task more on the issue.\n\nGreen Party co-leader Adrian Ramsay said: \"The situation we currently have across the country where water companies can, almost with impunity, dump sewage into our rivers, waterways and coastal waters cannot go on.\"\n\nThe Environment Agency and water regulator Ofwat is currently investigating six water companies for potential breach of the law over their discharges.\n\nJim McMahon, Labour shadow secretary for environment, called for an end to systematic discharges by 2030 and said the figures show a lack of respect from the government for the places people live.\n\nThe River Wharfe is the first river in the UK to be given bathing water status\n\nIn the town of Ilkley, in West Yorkshire, local campaigners lobbied to have a stretch of their river designated as bathing water, meaning the Environment Agency has to test and monitor the quality of the water.\n\nBut those tests have shown the bathing water quality to be poor, meaning that the Environment Agency deems it \"worse than sufficient\" in terms of levels of pollution.\n\nIlkley Clean River campaigner Di Loury told BBC News that when members of the public visit Ilkley, \"because it's designated as bathing water, they think the water is clean\".\n\n\"But testing is one thing, cleaning up the river is another. We really should be putting the quality of the river before the profits of water companies.\"\n\nMany campaigners want to know how water companies can justify profits, while they continue to pollute UK waterways.\n\nNicola Shaw, who took on the role of chief executive of Yorkshire Water 10 months ago, told BBC News that her company had not paid dividends to shareholders for five years: \"And I actually think that's a worry,\" she said.\n\n\"We need shareholders to want to put money in to support the investment that needs to happen,\" she added.\n\nAdditional reporting by Becky Dale, Erwan Rivault and Will Dahlgreen\n\nThe BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/science-environment-65099906"}
{"title":"Liverpool gun murders: 'Sadly, it's probably going to happen again' - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-31","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"Years before Olivia Pratt-Korbel was killed, shock at 11-year-old Rhys Jones's death seemed a turning point.","section":"Liverpool","content":"The murder of Rhys Jones sparked a national outcry in 2007\n\nWhen 11-year-old Rhys Jones was shot dead in the crossfire between two warring gangs in Liverpool, the community was shocked to the core.\n\nThe Everton-mad schoolboy was hit by a stray bullet as he made his way home from football practice in the Croxteth area of the city on 22 August 2007.\n\nIt led to much soul-searching and a real desire to ensure no other family had to endure the unbearable pain suffered by Rhys's family and friends.\n\nAnd yet, 15 years to the day later, another child - nine-year-old Olivia Pratt-Korbel - was also shot dead by a member of the city's criminal fraternity - \"high level\" drug dealer Thomas Cashman.\n\nFootball coach Stephen Geoghegan was just yards away when Rhys was shot.\n\nHe told BBC North West Tonight: \"I wasn't surprised that it's happened again. Obviously I was shocked and saddened.\n\n\"But there's that many guns on the streets - it's a free-for all. These people have no respect for anyone or anything.\n\n\"And sadly it's probably going to happen again.\"\n\nMr Geoghegan said Olivia's murder had triggered intensely painful memories of the day Rhys died in his mother's arms.\n\n\"I was there when it happened,\" he said. \"So it will never leave me, ever... and to think that poor Olivia's family have got to go through what Rhys' family went through.\"\n\nLike other parents in Croxteth, the football coach said that he became very worried about his own son's safety after Rhys's death.\n\n\"I was frightened to let him out on his own - I used to start panicking if he was out for more than half an hour,\" he said.\n\nThere is a decidedly mixed picture when you examine the statistics.\n\nThe number of firearms offences in Merseyside fell from 29 per 100,000 people in 2007\/08 to 15 in 2021\/22.\n\nDuring the same period, London's rate dropped much more steeply, from 44 per 100,000 down to 12.\n\nThis meant Merseyside had a higher rate of firearms offences than the capital.\n\nFurthermore, the number of fatalities has not decreased - Rhys Jones was one of four gun crime victims in Merseyside in 2007.\n\nLast year there were five - Sam Rimmer, Ashley Dale, Jacqueline Rutter, Elle Edwards, and Olivia Pratt-Korbel.\n\nIn the intervening years an average of three people have been killed by guns in Merseyside, with 2014 being the only year without a single fatality.\n\nFor many years Mr Geoghegan also worked with young offenders who were in secure accommodation.\n\nDrawing upon that insight, he warned of a \"lost generation\" of children who are deeply involved in criminal activity.\n\nHe said: \"The lure of money through drugs, the lifestyle these kids see, the lifestyle these high-profile criminals have.\n\n\"I am sure he's going to choose a new BMW to drive round the streets before he takes up my job in a warehouse.\"\n\nOlivia died when Thomas Cashman opened fire after chasing another criminal into her house\n\nMerseyside Police said it was working \"relentlessly\" to reduce gun crime.\n\nAssistant Chief Constable Chris Green said: \"We've got individuals who've got no regard for the rest of society, no regard for the consequences of their actions.\n\n\"They have got no moral compass.\"\n\nHe said his officers would be \"relentless, as we have been over the past 20 years, to make sure that we identify all those who are responsible, bring them to justice, and place them behind bars.\"\n\nSenior investigating officer Det Supt Mark Baker said along with Rhys's murder 15 years previously, the fatal shooting of Olivia would undoubtedly be seen as a \"watershed moment\".\n\nHe said Olivia had been \"cowering behind her mum. She was extremely frightened because she's heard gunshots and she was hiding behind her mum in her own house.\n\n\"And the gunman has gone into the house. He will have seen and - when he fired that fourth shot into the house with the bullet going through the door, through Cheryl Korbel's hand and into Olivia - he will have heard the screams and he's continued to carry on shooting inside the house.\n\n\"We were extremely shocked at that level of relentless, careless pursuit and total disregard for any other life.\"\n\nHis colleague Det Ch Supt Mark Kameen said extremely powerful weapons were still reaching Merseyside's criminals.\n\n\"Handguns are the weapon of choice,\" he said, \"but we are now seeing Skorpions coming into the force area.\n\n\"These sub-machine guns have a huge rate of fire, they're absolutely deadly.\"\n\nThe force has been piloting a new strategy - Clear, Hold, Build - which it believes is already yielding positive results.\n\nMr Green said: \"We have seen that work really, really successfully in places like Speke, Croxteth, Norris Green, and parts of Liverpool 8.\"\n\nMerseyside Police also supports 60 projects - covering education, training and employment - which try to steer young people away from crime by offering better alternatives.\n\nStephen Geoghegan was only yards away from Rhys Jones when he was shot\n\nBut Mr Geoghegan said there was not enough being done at an earlier age, starting at 10 or 11 years old, to both teach children about the negative effects of crime and violence, and the positive benefits of work and family.\n\nCurrent schemes designed to help young people in danger of being sucked into a life of crime are just not working, he said.\n\n\"There's a lot of programmes, but it's got to be the right people delivering the programmes and the right content,\" he said, warning of the consequences of inaction.\n\n\"Until that happens this is going to continue unfortunately.\n\n\"I don't think there's anyone who can put their hand on their heart and say this isn't going to happen again - you just know it is.\"\n\nPanorama reporter Bronagh Munro investigates how Liverpool came to dominate the UK drug market.\n\nWhy not follow BBC North West on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram? You can also send story ideas to northwest.newsonline@bbc.co.uk","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/uk-england-merseyside-65036979"}
{"title":"Teachers working 12-hour days, leaked report says - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-31","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"The research, commissioned by the Department for Education, has not yet been made public.","section":"Family & Education","content":"Almost a quarter of teachers in England are working 12-hour days, according to a leaked government report.\n\nSome 22% of teachers said they were working 60 hours a week or more.\n\nThe research, commissioned by the Department for Education (DfE), was carried out in Spring 2022 and has not yet been made public.\n\nEducation Secretary Gillian Keegan has said a new taskforce will be created to help reduce teachers' workload by an average five hours a week.\n\nTeaching unions are currently consulting members in England on a new pay offer, which includes the promise to reduce their workload.\n\nThe leaked document - marked confidential and titled Working Lives of Teachers and Leaders - was produced for the DfE to examine issues around teacher supply, recruitment and retention.\n\nMore than 11,000 teachers and leaders across primary and secondary schools were questioned.\n\nShadow Education Secretary Bridget Philipson said the report was a snapshot of an \"overworked, overstretched and under-appreciated school workforce\" and criticised the government for failing to act on the findings sooner.\n\nMary Bousted, joint general secretary of the National Education Union, accused ministers of withholding important information from the school teachers' review body, which makes recommendations on teachers' pay and takes into account the advantages and disadvantages of the profession as a whole.\n\nShe told the BBC: \"The government have sat on this report for months and they didn't provide this evidence to the teachers' review body.\"\n\n\"It's clear the government wanted to bury bad news about the extent and intensity of teacher workload.\"\n\nThe government says its submissions to review bodies include relevant data which is in the public domain at the time.\n\nThe DfE has put forward what it has described as the government's final pay deal to education unions, whose members have undertaken a number of days of industrial action in recent months.\n\nMost staff would get a \u00a31,000 payment this year and a 4.3% rise next year.\n\nThe starting salary for teachers in England is due to rise to \u00a330,000 a year by September 2023.\n\nA spokesperson for the government said ministers had made teachers a \"fair and reasonable\" pay offer, which included a commitment on bringing down working hours.\n\n\"We are listening to teachers about the issues that affect them, which is why our offer also committed to reducing workload by five hours per week.\"\n\nThe NEU has announced another two potential strike days in England and is urging members to reject the deal.\n\nA University College London study in 2019 found teachers in England have worked an average of 46-49 hours a week over the last 25 years. The researchers said the data showed that reducing teachers' hours would be difficult and may require \"radical action\".","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/education-65138300"}
{"title":"Cambridgeshire shootings: Tributes paid to father and son - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-31","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"Gary Dunmore, 57, and his son Josh Dunmore, 32, were found dead in separate villages on Wednesday.","section":"Cambridgeshire","content":"Gary and Josh Dunmore who were shot dead at properties in Cambridgeshire on Wednesday\n\nThe family of a father and son shot dead in Cambridgeshire have described them as \"devoted\" and \"loving\".\n\nJosh Dumore, 32, was found in Bluntisham at about 21:00 BST on Wednesday and Gary Dunmore, 57, was found in Sutton about 40 minutes later.\n\nTheir family paid tribute and said: \"We ask for privacy to mourn this loss at this incredibly difficult time.\"\n\nA man, 27, and woman, 33, arrested on suspicion of conspiracy to murder, were released on Friday.\n\nA statement from the family of the two dead men said Josh was a \"devoted father and a loving uncle.\"\n\n\"He was a wonderful son and brother and leaves behind an extensive group of family and friends,\" it added.\n\n\"He will be deeply missed and the devastation this has caused will never heal.\n\n\"Gary was the most devoted son, brother, dad, and grandad, who gave everything for those he loved.\n\n\"He was a gentle and generous person who always put others before himself and he'll be massively missed by his family and all those who knew and loved him. \"\n\nA 66-year-old man, of no fixed abode, arrested on suspicion of conspiracy to murder remains in custody. He was was arrested in the Worcester area in the early hours of Thursday.\n\nThe pair who have been released were arrested in Cambridge on Thursday and face no further action.\n\nCh Supt John Hutchinson confirmed on Thursday that a \"custody battle\" was \"an active line of inquiry\".\n\nPolice said post-mortem examinations were due to be carried out on Monday.\n\nAbout 40 minutes after the first shooting was reported, the body of Gary Dunmore, 57, was found in The Row, Sutton\n\nCh Supt Hutchinson previously said the incident appeared to be related to a \"familial issue\".\n\n\"We do not believe there is any ongoing risk to the public in Cambridgeshire,\" he added.\n\nA white Peugeot 208 was recovered in connection with the investigation as well as a shotgun from a car.\n\nPolice asked for anyone who saw the Peugeot on Wednesday night, or anyone acting suspiciously, to come forward, especially if they had CCTV footage.\n\n\"We believe that the vehicle was circulating in the Bluntisham and Sutton areas and we need to identify what time it came into the area,\" Ch Supt Hutchinson said.\n\nPeople leaving floral tributes have said there are \"no words\" to describe the attacks\n\nAmee Mortlock, 26, knew Josh Dunmore from their love of motocross and said he was \"the loveliest bloke I ever met\".\n\n\"He always had time for everyone, always had a big smile , just looked out for absolutely everyone.\n\n\"I'm massively shocked, we don't have things like this happen around here. I can't put it into words, it just doesn't feel real,\" Ms Mortlock said.\n\nResidents of the two villages have left flowers near the two properties.\n\nA floral tribute left to Josh Dunmore in Bluntisham said: \"So sad a young life to be taken like this and a little boy now with no daddy.\n\nA tribute outside Gary Dunmore's home in Sutton said: \"To my dear neighbour Gary.\n\n\"A man who loved his family dearly, a dear friend to all, so helpful and kind and was always around as a friend and my little odd job man.\n\nOne note said Josh's death was \"so sad\"\n\nUniformed officers remained on duty outside both addresses on Friday morning.\n\nA number of neighbours of Josh Dunmore said they were too upset to speak about what had happened.\n\nFloral tributes have been left in the two Cambridgeshire villages\n\nFind BBC News: East of England on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter. If you have a story suggestion email eastofenglandnews@bbc.co.uk\n\nThe BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/uk-england-cambridgeshire-65135534"}
{"title":"Inverurie GP practice with 25,000 patients ends NHS contract - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-31","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"Inverurie Medical Practice says it has not been able to recruit enough permanent GPs.","section":"NE Scotland, Orkney & Shetland","content":"Inverurie Medical Practice is based in the town's health centre\n\nOne of Scotland's largest GP practices says it is ending its NHS contract because of recruitment struggles.\n\nInverurie Medical Practice, which has more than 25,000 patients, will end its NHS Grampian contract on 7 September.\n\nAberdeenshire Health and Social Care Partnership said it would take on the NHS practice itself, if new operators cannot be found to run the service.\n\nNo job losses are expected and patients have been told they do not need to find a new GP.\n\nThe current operator, Inverurie Medical Group, said it cannot offer the level of care it wants as there are not enough GPs available to recruit.\n\nThe practice, based at Inverurie Health and Care Hub, has also struggled to fill other roles in patient care.\n\nThe group will continue to run the service in the meantime.\n\nAberdeenshire Health and Social Care Partnership - which runs services for Aberdeenshire Council and NHS Grampian - said the current operator had taken the \"very difficult decision\" to hand back its contract to them.\n\nAlex Pirrie, partnership manager for Central Aberdeenshire, said: \"Inverurie Medical Practice has unfortunately, like many others across the country, found itself in the position of being unable to recruit new, permanent GPs.\n\n\"We will be working closely with the practice to secure a robust, sustainable, future.\n\n\"It will continue as normal over the next six months and there is no need for patients to change their practice, or take any other action, at this time.\"","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/uk-scotland-north-east-orkney-shetland-65128119"}
{"title":"NI Water to increase bills for businesses - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-31","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"Businesses will see an average increase of 13.4% in their water bills from next month.","section":"Northern Ireland","content":"Businesses will face the increase from 1 April\n\nBusinesses in Northern Ireland are facing an above inflation increase in water charges.\n\nThe average increase of 13.4% will also apply to other non-domestic customers like schools and churches.\n\nNI Water said it had \"absorbed as much cost as possible\" but was facing \"significant financial pressures\" from rising energy prices.\n\nUnlike other parts of the UK, households in Northern Ireland are not billed for water.\n\nThe water system in Northern Ireland is mostly funded by government resources rather than consumer charges.\n\nNI Water is government-owned and mostly funded by the block grant provided to Stormont by the Treasury.\n\nSpecific bill changes for non-domestic customers operate according to a formula agreed with the Northern Ireland Utility Regulator.\n\nNI Water director of finance Ronan Larkin said measured customer bills will rise by 12.7%, while unmeasured and trade effluent bills will rise by 13.7% and 15.5% respectively.\n\nHe added that this \"compares favourably with other utilities across Gas and Electricity sectors\".\n\nThe increases will mean a shop or small office unit, connected to sewer, using 285M\u00b3 of water, will pay \u00a3478, a rise of \u00a354 per year.\n\nA farmer using 400M\u00b3 of water, with septic tank, will pay \u00a3345, a rise of \u00a337.\n\nThe increases will take effect from 1 April.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/uk-northern-ireland-65109990"}
{"title":"Trump will not appear in court in handcuffs - lawyer - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-31","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"The former US president is to fly from Florida and turn himself in while surrounded by federal agents.","section":"US & Canada","content":"Donald Trump's court hearing has been set for Tuesday afternoon, according to the BBC's US partner CBS News.\n\nThe former president is expected to fly from Florida on his private plane and hand himself in, with federal agents there to protect him.\n\nA grand jury has indicted Mr Trump in connection with a $130,000 (\u00a3105,000) pay-out to porn star Stormy Daniels.\n\nThe charges are not yet public, and a lawyer for Mr Trump said on Friday that he too has yet to read the indictment.\n\nA law enforcement official told CBS that Mr Trump is expected to arrive in New York on Monday before surrendering to officials on Tuesday.\n\nThe process is likely to involve dozens, or possibly hundreds, of Secret Service agents, the official added, speaking on condition of anonymity.\n\nMr Trump will not be handcuffed, the official added, saying that shackles are typically only used on suspects who are thought to be a flight or safety risk.\n\nThe hearing is due to take place at 14:15 local time (19:15 BST).\n\nMr Trump's lawyer, Joe Tacopina, told ABC News that Mr Trump will \"probably\" appear in court on Tuesday, \"but nothing is certain\".\n\nProsecutors \"will try and get every ounce of publicity they can from this thing\", he said, adding \"the president will not be put in handcuffs\".\n\n\"I understand they're going to be closing off blocks around the courthouse, shutting down the courthouse,\" he continued.\n\nSecurity is being co-ordinated by the FBI, NYPD, Secret Service and New York City court officers.\n\nSources tell CBS that they are bracing for possible scenarios that include attacks against Mr Trump, prosecutors, jurors or members of the public. The district attorney's office has received \"many threats\", the sources said.\n\nMembers of law enforcement were seen discussing security near the courthouse on Friday\n\nOn Friday morning, the streets around the courthouse were calm but the barricades were going up in anticipation of what may come next week.\n\nPolice officers were on patrol and security plans were being put into place. Many expect the area to go into lockdown when the former president attends court.\n\nThe district attorney's office had initially asked Mr Trump to surrender on Friday, according to Politico, but the request was rejected because more time was needed for security preparations.\n\nMr Trump, 76, denies wrongdoing. He is the first serving or former US president to face a criminal charge.\n\nIt is unclear how many charges are contained in the indictment, which is still sealed.\n\nMedia reports have said the ex-president faces more than 30 counts related to business fraud, and Mr Tacopina said on Thursday he thought there would be 34. But on Friday, he said he did not know how many there were.\n\n\"We know what the subject matter is, we know the basis of the charges. We don't know the exact counts or how they're formulated,\" he said.\n\nOn Friday, Mr Trump began attacking the judge assigned to his case in an effort to undermine the credibility of the investigation and rally his base to his defence.\n\nRepublicans - including House Speaker Kevin McCarthy - have accused the Manhattan district attorney of weaponising the criminal justice system to influence next year's presidential election. Georgia Congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Green, who Mr Trump recently suggested should run for Senate, called on followers to protest and said she plans to be present in New York next week.\n\nIn response, Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg said the charges had been brought by citizens of New York doing their civic duty - and neither the former president nor Congress could interfere with proceedings.\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser.\n\nIn Washington, the US Capitol Police, who are tasked with safeguarding lawmakers in Congress, said the force believes protests will take place across the country and have plans in place to increase security at the US Capitol.\n\nIn 2016, adult film star Stormy Daniels contacted media outlets offering to sell her account of what she said was an adulterous affair she had with Mr Trump in 2006 - the year after he married his current wife, Melania.\n\nMr Trump's team got wind of this and his lawyer, Michael Cohen, paid $130,000 to Ms Daniels to keep quiet. This is not illegal.\n\nHowever, when Mr Trump reimbursed Mr Cohen, the record for the payment says it was for legal fees. Prosecutors say this amounts to Mr Trump falsifying business records, which is a misdemeanour - a criminal offence - in New York.\n\nPresident Joe Biden declined to comment on the indictment, despite being pressed on the issue by journalists as he left the White House on a trip to Mississippi.\n\nMr Tacopina said Mr Trump was being \"pursued by a prosecutor who has obviously very diverse political views from the [former] president. So it's a very troubling case\".\n\nHe said Mr Trump was \"not worried at all\" about the charges.\n\n\"He's upset, angry. He's being persecuted politically. That is clear to many people, not only on the Right but on the Left.\"","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/world-us-canada-65141157"}
{"title":"Oscar Pistorius parole: Victim Reeva Steenkamp's mother against release - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-31","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"A board considers parole for the former Paralympics star who has served half of his murder sentence.","section":"Africa","content":"June Steenkamp, arriving at the prison, said she did not believe Oscar Pistorius had been rehabilitated\n\nThe mother of Reeva Steenkamp, the woman who was murdered by Oscar Pistorius, says she does not feel the former Paralympics star is remorseful.\n\nJune Steenkamp spoke as she arrived for a parole board hearing that is considering whether he be freed early.\n\nHe has so far served half of his 13-year sentence for murdering his girlfriend a decade ago.\n\nIf he is granted parole, Pistorius, now aged 36, could be released from jail within a matter of days.\n\nThe six-time Paralympic gold medallist has expressed his deep remorse for killing his girlfriend on Valentine's Day in 2013, but continues to maintain he shot her by mistake, believing she was a robber.\n\n\"I don't believe his story. I don't believe Oscar is remorseful\u2026 or rehabilitated,\" Mrs Steenkamp said on Friday morning.\n\nShe had said that it would be hard to see her daughter's killer again, but in the end he was not in the room when she appeared before the board. Pistorius will appear separately.\n\nThe hearing is taking place at Atteridgeville prison, a low-security facility in rolling fields just outside the city of Pretoria.\n\nThe former amputee sprinter recently met Barry Steenkamp, Reeva's father, as part of a mandatory process known as \"victim-offender dialogue\".\n\nBut the Steenkamps' lawyer, Tania Koen, said the couple still felt Pistorius had intended to kill their daughter - and her death was a life sentence for them.\n\n\"For them, it's 10 missed birthdays, it's 10 Mother's Days, Father's Days, Christmases - so time hasn't healed for them,\" she told reporters at the prison.\n\n\"They don't feel that he should be released,\" she said, adding that they expected a decision to be taken later on Friday.\n\nOscar Pistorius shot his girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp at their home in Pretoria on Valentine's Day 10 years ago\n\nPistorius was initially found guilty of culpable homicide, but on appeal by the prosecutor he was convicted of murder, on the grounds that he must have known his actions - shooting three times through a locked bathroom door in his Pretoria home - would lead to the death of whoever was on the other side.\n\n\"I think he's probably got an arguable case [for parole],\" said Mannie Witz, a defence attorney, who also noted that the Steenkamps could challenge a decision to grant Pistorius parole in court, potentially delaying his release for many months.\n\nThe televised trial of the man once dubbed \"the Blade Runner\", because of the ground-breaking prosthetic legs he wore in both Paralympic and Olympic track races, attracted huge global attention.\n\nSouth Africa's prosecution team sought to prove Pistorius was an angry, violent man, with an unhealthy obsession with guns, who killed his 30-year-old girlfriend in a late-night rage.\n\n\"I still think he just went berserk and shot her. I don't personally believe the story of him thinking there was an intruder,\" said Mark West, a photographer who worked with Ms Steenkamp during her early modelling career.\n\nThe parole board - a minimum of three people - will consider statements from Pistorius, the Steenkamps, and from a range of social workers and prison officials. They will look at his behaviour, his state of mind and the extent to which he has been rehabilitated.\n\nIf Pistorius fails to get parole at his first attempt or his release is challenged by the Steenkamps, he could still go to court to argue that having served more than half the sentence, South African law stipulates that he should be released under supervision.\n\nThis would be most likely at his uncle's home in Pretoria, pending the result of any review or appeal.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/world-africa-65123142"}
{"title":"Cricket Scotland chief Anjan Luthra quits after row over tackling racism - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-31","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"Anjan Luthra was criticised by an anti-racism body after he said significant progress had been made.","section":"Scotland","content":"This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Anjan Luthra says tackling racism in cricket is about making wide-ranging reforms\n\nThe chairman of Cricket Scotland has stepped down after less than six months in the job as a row continues over efforts to tackle racism in the sport.\n\nAnjan Luthra had promised to clean up the problem when he took up the role, after a report said governance in the sport was institutionally racist.\n\nMr Luthra said earlier this month that \"significant progress\" had been made.\n\nBut anti-racism organisation Running out Racism said this was tone deaf and \"unsubstantiated nonsense\".\n\nFour members of an anti-racism working group then resigned, saying there had been a lack of progress.\n\nAnnouncing his own resignation, Mr Luthra said he \"fundamentally disagreed\" with the way SportScotland was operating Scottish cricket.\n\nHe said he believed that the priority of the national agency for sport in Scotland was \"to meet the demands of a lobby group and a handful of individuals associated with them - even if that means the wider sport and community will be negatively impacted\".\n\nMr Luthra said his mission had been to \"rebuild the sport for all stakeholders\" when it became clear the findings from the Changing the Boundaries report \"were not the only issues\" at Cricket Scotland.\n\nHe said it would have been \"negligent\" to ignore these other issues.\n\nThis Twitter post cannot be displayed in your browser. Please enable Javascript or try a different browser. View original tweet on Twitter The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Skip twitter post by Anjan Luthra 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\u2019s cookie policy, external and privacy policy, external before accepting. To view this content choose \u2018accept and continue\u2019. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.\n\nMr Luthra said that in the last six months Cricket Scotland had been saved from potential insolvency.\n\nHe claimed that SportScotland and \"the lobby group\" had little desire to rebuild and improve Cricket Scotland - and that he was \"not prepared to stand by this\".\n\nHe said the organisation would \"likely cease to exist\" if all its resources were dedicated to tackling the findings of the Changing the Boundaries report.\n\nSpeaking to BBC Scotland, he added: \"I actually felt I was in prison for the last couple of months.\n\n\"I feel like there is a huge weight off my shoulders now.\"\n\nMr Luthra took over as chairman of Cricket Scotland in October 2022\n\nRunning out Racism said it was \"disappointed\" Mr Luthra had felt the need to resign, but that attempts to convince him to change his approach had \"fallen on deaf ears\".\n\n\"People make mistakes, but to blame others rather than owning them in any way is disappointing,\" said the group.\n\nIt said his failure to acknowledge the \"significant lack of progress made\" or this week's resignations showed that he \"probably isn't the right person to lead our sport going forward\".\n\nAsked by BBC Scotland's Lunchtime Live programme if the lobby group Mr Luthra was referring to was Running out Racism, Paul Reddish from the organisation said: \"I think in part he is, yes.\"\n\nMr Reddish said the chairman's resignation was \"another setback for the sport\".\n\nBut he said it was clear since Mr Luthra's statement last week that views had become more \"entrenched\" and relationships \"had broken down somewhat\" after several months of constructive discussions.\n\nThe resignation of Anjan Luthra leaves Cricket Scotland and funding body SportScotland in a very difficult place.\n\nWhen he was announced as the new chair last year, he was hailed as the bright young businessman, with an understanding of the game and the desire to clean up the problems highlighted by the report into racism.\n\nBut his business-like approach to a membership organisation could be the key to what ultimately led to his downfall. The new chairman saw an organisation in desperate need of change, in terms of the racism issue and beyond.\n\nBut some of those who highlighted the racism issues wanted more focus on the recommendations that came from the report that painted such a damning picture of the problems.\n\nThey disagreed with the chairman's assessment that significant progress was being made and what followed was a situation where neither side would give way. He wanted to do things his way but others wanted a different approach.\n\nSportScotland appointed Anjan Luthra and can't escape criticism for what has transpired. They are now fighting desperately to shore up an organisation that's been thrashing around from one crisis to the next for the past year. The government will want answers as to why.\n\nThey will also want assurances that this latest episode won't damage the fight against racism in Scottish cricket. In the continuing hail of claim, counter-claim, finger-pointing and accusation, it's difficult to see how they'll manage to give any comfort on that.\n\nSportScotland said it was \"fully committed to helping rebuild Scottish cricket\".\n\nA spokesperson acknowledged that it had been \"an exceptionally challenging time\" and thanked Mr Luthra for his contribution. It said it would take \"immediate steps to provide additional leadership and governance support to Cricket Scotland\".\n\nCricket Scotland thanked Mr Luthra for his \"hard work and input\" and said it would not respond to the \"personal opinions\" which had been expressed.\n\nIt said SportScotland was helping put in place short-term measures such as the appointment of an interim chief executive.\n\n\"The cricket season is less than four weeks away and there is much to be done, and the team remain fully focused on delivery in all areas,\" it said.\n\nNational cricket has been in crisis in Scotland since the independent report on racism, published in July 2022, was highly critical of the governance of the organisation.\n\nFormer player Majid Haq, who was among those to raise concerns, has also been critical over progress\n\nAn anti-racism working group was formed at the end of last year following the publication of the report, which found 448 instances of racism in the sport.\n\nIn a six-month update, Mr Luthra said progress was being made and that he expected special measures imposed by funding body SportScotland would be lifted.\n\nHe said Cricket Scotland would deliver the recommendations \"to a high standard and beyond\".\n\nHowever, Running Out Racism contested his claims that the organisation had significantly improved its approach to equality, diversion and inclusion.\n\nFour members resigned from the working group on 27 March - Scotland women's international Abtaha Maqsood; businessman Imran Khan; academic Khadija Mohammed, and Raza Sadiq, from Running Out Racism.\n\nFormer players Majid Haq and Qasim Sheikh, who were among those to raise concerns about racism in the sport, have also been critical of what they see as a lack of progress.\n\nThey welcomed Mr Luthra's resignation and said Cricket Scotland should remain in special measures until it delivered on eradicating racism from the sport.\n\nBBC Scotland understands that Cricket Scotland's anti-racism working group only met once.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/uk-scotland-65136207"}
{"title":"Norway avalanches: Tourists among four killed in north of country - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-31","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"In the deadliest incident, a house and barn were swept into the sea on the island of Rein\u00f8ya.","section":"Europe","content":"Snowstorm warnings had been issued for the area\n\nA series of avalanches in Norway's far north has claimed the lives of four people, police say.\n\nIn the most deadly incident, a house and barn were swept into the sea on the island of Rein\u00f8ya.\n\nTwo people were confirmed killed and 140 goats were in the barn at the time, according to the authorities.\n\nTwo tourists were killed in two other avalanches. Both are believed to be foreigners, although their nationalities are not yet known.\n\nIn the first avalanche, in Lyngen, one person died and two others were hurt.\n\n\"There were five people of foreign origin that were on an outing in the area. We can confirm that one person is deceased,\" police spokesman Morten Pettersen told journalists.\n\nTwo others were hurt, one critically and one with \"moderate injuries\", the spokesman added.\n\nLater in the evening, police said a fourth person had been killed in another avalanche at Storslett in the Nordreisa area.\n\n\"The person was part of a larger foreign travelling party. Another member of the travelling party who was at the scene located the person and alerted the emergency services,\" a police statement said.\n\nPrime Minister Jonas Gahr St\u00f8re described the deaths as \"a tragic start to Easter\".\n\nAt this time of year, avalanches occur almost every day in Norway, with as much as 7% of the country's territory at risk, experts say.\n\nEarlier on Friday, several small towns in the Troms region were evacuated because of the high risk of avalanches, as authorities warned of snowstorms and strong winds.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/world-europe-65141160"}
{"title":"Pope could leave hospital in days after bronchitis - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-31","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"The Vatican says there has been \"a marked improvement\" in the 86-year-old pontiff's health.","section":"World","content":"Pope Francis arrives for the weekly general audience in St Peter's Square on Wednesday\n\nPope Francis could be discharged from a Rome hospital \"in the coming days\" after he was admitted with a respiratory condition.\n\nThe pontiff has seen a \"marked improvement in his health\" after he received antibiotics for a bronchitis infection, the Vatican said.\n\nThe Pope spent the afternoon \"devoting himself to rest, prayer and some work\".\n\nHe was admitted to Gemelli Hospital on Wednesday, for what was initially said to be a scheduled check-up.\n\nThere he was then diagnosed with bronchitis, and given an antibiotic infusion, a statement from the Vatican said.\n\n\"Based on the expected progress [of his health], the Holy Father could be discharged in the coming days,\" the Vatican statement said, quoting his medical team.\n\nEarlier on Thursday, Vatican spokesman Matteo Bruni said the 86-year-old \"rested well during the night\".\n\n\"This morning after breakfast, he read some newspapers and resumed work,\" he said.\n\nHe added that he then went to the chapel of the hospital, where he prayed and received the Eucharist.\n\nThis is the busiest time of the year for Pope Francis, with many events and services scheduled ahead of Easter weekend.\n\nPalm Sunday Mass takes place this weekend, with Holy Week and Easter celebrations following next week.\n\nItalian news agency Ansa reported nurses were optimistic he would be out of hospital in time for Palm Sunday.\n\nThe Argentine pontiff marked 10 years as head of the Catholic Church earlier this month. He has suffered a number of health issues throughout his life, including having part of one of his lungs removed at age 21.\n\nWhile keeping a busy schedule and travelling widely, he has for the past year used a wheelchair because of knee pain and admitted last summer he had to slow down.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/world-65131783"}
{"title":"Gary Lineker row: Ex-ITN boss John Hardie to lead BBC social media review - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-31","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"John Hardie's review of the BBC's guidelines comes in the wake of a row over Gary Lineker's tweets.","section":"Entertainment & Arts","content":"Gary Lineker's agent has said the star thought he had a \"special agreement\" to tweet about refugees and immigration\n\nFormer ITN chief executive John Hardie is to lead an independent review of BBC social media guidelines in the wake of the furore over Gary Lineker's tweets.\n\nThe row erupted when the Match of the Day host said the government's language about migrants was \"not dissimilar to that used by Germany in the 30s\".\n\nThe BBC took him off air, saying he had broken its guidelines on impartiality.\n\nBut he returned a week later, with the the corporation announcing the review to address \"grey areas\" in its rules.\n\nLineker is one of the BBC's best-known and best-paid stars, but is employed on a freelance basis.\n\nThe review will examine what freelance presenters working outside news, current affairs and factual journalism should be allowed to say on their personal social media accounts.\n\nMr Hardie ran ITV, Channel 4 and Channel 5's news while chief executive and editor-in-chief of ITN from 2009 to 2018.\n\nHe said: \"I approach the task with no preconceptions and an open mind. I look forward to hearing from a wide range of voices, from both inside and outside the BBC, as the work progresses.\"\n\nThe BBC said the review is expected to be completed by the summer, after which any changes to the guidance will be published.\n\nLineker was told to \"step back\" from hosting Match of the Day earlier this month because his tweets about the government's new migration policy were deemed to be \"a breach of our guidelines\" by the BBC.\n\nMany other sports presenters and pundits refused to go on air in a show of support, leaving that weekend's TV and radio programming in tatters.\n\n\"We have never said that Gary should be an opinion-free zone, or that he can't have a view on issues that matter to him,\" the corporation said at the time. \"But we have said that he should keep well away from taking sides on party political issues or political controversies.\"\n\nJournalists working in news programmes have strict rules about what they can say on social media.\n\nSome others \"have an additional responsibility to the BBC because of their profile on the BBC\", the current guidelines say. \"We expect these individuals to avoid taking sides on party political issues or political controversies and to take care when addressing public policy matters.\"\n\nLineker's agent has said the star thought he had a \"special agreement\" with BBC director general Tim Davie to tweet about refugees and immigration.\n\nLineker agreed his return with Mr Davie several days after the original suspension, with the director general announcing the review and \"accepting there was potential confusion caused by the grey areas of the BBC's social media guidance\".\n\nHe said: \"The BBC has a commitment to impartiality in its Charter and a commitment to freedom of expression. That is a difficult balancing act to get right where people are subject to different contracts and on-air positions, and with different audience and social media profiles.\"\n\nSome people have also pointed to tweets containing political opinions by stars of other BBC shows, such as The Apprentice's Lord Sugar.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/entertainment-arts-65135618"}
{"title":"Heathrow security guards begin 10-day strike during Easter break - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-31","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"More than 1,400 security officers at the UK's largest airport have begun industrial action in pay row.","section":"Business","content":"Heathrow Airport has said that some passengers may face security delays over the Easter holidays due to strike action over pay.\n\nHundreds of security officers in the Unite union, who work for Heathrow Airport, have begun 10 days of industrial action.\n\nIt threatens disruption at the UK's largest airport at the start of the Easter school holidays.\n\nHowever, Heathrow said the airport was operating \"as normal\" on Friday.\n\nThe strike involves security guards at Terminal 5, which is only used by British Airways, and those who check cargo. Unite has accused the airport of a real-terms wage cut.\n\nHeathrow said it had offered a 10% pay increase back-dated to 1 January, plus a lump sum payment of more than \u00a31,000.\n\nThe airport said contingency plans were keeping the airport operating as usual.\n\nHowever, British Airways cancelled about 70 flights on Friday. This included flights already removed from the schedule due to the strikes, and cancellations for other reasons, such as bad weather and an air traffic control strike in France.\n\nPicket lines were mounted outside the airport and Unite said the strike was being \"well supported\".\n\nHeathrow chief executive John Holland-Kaye told the BBC \"many\" security staff had chosen to work on Friday, but \"a lot\" of agency security staff had been brought in, alongside \"hundreds\" of managers who were \"here to help\".\n\n\"The airport is operating as normal,\" he said.\n\nAre you a security officer striking at Heathrow, or a passenger concerned about your travel plans being disrupted? Share your experiences.\n\nThe next few days are expected to be busy as people get away on Easter holidays.\n\nAhead of the strike, Heathrow asked airlines to stop selling tickets and allow customers to change travel dates.\n\nBritish Airways pre-emptively cancelled 300 flights and Virgin Atlantic confirmed it had limited new ticket sales and introduced a flexible policy.\n\nThe strike reduces the number of security staff available to the airport on what is normally a very busy weekend.\n\nHeathrow said it was deploying 1,000 extra colleagues and its management team to assist passengers.\n\nTravellers should check their flight before travelling to the airport, arriving at Heathrow no earlier than two hours before short-haul flights and three hours before long-haul flights, and be ready for security, the airport said.\n\nPassengers will only be permitted to go through security with two items of hand luggage to help the flow.\n\nThe aviation industry more broadly is under pressure from the government and the industry regulator to avoid a repeat of last year's Easter's queues, delays and cancellations, which were largely caused by staff shortages.\n\nA leaked letter to businesses from the Civil Aviation Authority and the Department for Transport, seen by the BBC, says it would be unacceptable for consumers to face the same level of disruption this year.\n\nAirlines and airports have told the BBC they are confident of having enough staff in place this time round, although external factors such as strikes in France affecting air traffic control could cause issues.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/business-65131922"}
{"title":"Virgin Orbit: Sir Richard Branson's rocket company cuts 85% of workforce - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-31","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"Virgin Orbit will cease operations for the foreseeable future, according to media reports.","section":"Business","content":"British billionaire Sir Richard Branson's rocket company Virgin Orbit says it will cut 85% of its workforce after failing to secure new investment.\n\nThe firm will also cease operations for the foreseeable future, according to media reports.\n\nIt comes weeks after the company paused operations in an apparent attempt to shore up its finances.\n\nEarlier this year, a Virgin Orbit rocket failed to complete the first ever satellite launch from UK soil.\n\nThe company's shares plunged by more than 44% in after-hours trading in New York on Thursday.\n\nIn a US regulatory filing, Virgin Orbit said it made the decision \"in order to reduce expenses in light of the company's inability to secure meaningful funding.\"\n\nThe job cuts will impact approximately 675 employees who \"are located in all areas of the company.\"\n\nIt said that Sir Richard's investment firm Virgin Investments has injected $10.9m (\u00a38.8m) into Virgin Orbit \"to fund severance and other costs related to the workforce reduction\".\n\nVirgin Orbit said it expects the severance payments and other costs to total around $15m.\n\nIt comes amid media reports that the company's boss has told staff the firm will suspend its activities until further notice.\n\n\"We have no choice but to implement immediate, dramatic and extremely painful changes,\" Virgin Orbit chief executive Dan Hart said at a meeting with employees, according to CNBC, which first reported the news.\n\nVirgin Orbit did not immediately respond to a BBC request for comment.\n\nThe firm, which was founded in 2017, has not turned a profit as a public company.\n\nIt develops rockets to carry small satellites and is part of Sir Richard's business empire, which includes airline Virgin Atlantic and space tourism company Virgin Galactic.\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser.\n\nIn January, Virgin Orbit attempted the first ever satellite mission launched from UK soil, which ended in failure.\n\nThe company's LauncherOne rocket - which was launched from the Boeing 747 aircraft Cosmic Girl - reached space but fell short of reaching its target orbit.\n\nThe mission was billed as a milestone for UK space exploration. It was hoped it would mark a major step forward in fulfilling an ambition to turn the country into a global player - from manufacturing satellites to building rockets and creating new spaceports.\n\nEarlier this month, Virgin Orbit said it was \"initiating a company-wide operational pause\" and \"anticipates providing an update on go-forward operations in the coming weeks.\"","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/business-65133099"}
{"title":"Swimmer 'body shamed' in surf club nudity row - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-31","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"An Australian woman was told she had broken rules by being naked in a changing room.","section":"Australia","content":"Ocean swimming is a popular pastime for many Australians\n\nAn Australian woman has spoken out after she received a warning letter that she had broken surf club rules by being naked in a changing room.\n\nOcean swimmer Nada Pantle was told she had breached a \"no nudity\" clause in the club's child-safe policy.\n\n\"I almost feel like I've been body-shamed,\" she told the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC).\n\nBut the club says its policy is designed to protect children, and they had received complaints about nudity.\n\nThe Terrigal Surf Lifesaving Club, located about an hour's drive north of Sydney, put up signs in its changing rooms advising \"no nudity\", and directing members to shower in their swimming costumes and change under towels.\n\nMs Pantle's friend and fellow ocean swimmer Wendy Farley said they first became aware of the new rule earlier this year.\n\n\"Probably three months ago, a sign went up\u2026 and we all just went 'what?' and kind of ignored it because it seemed crazy,\" she told the BBC.\n\n\"We're not strutting around naked, we're just having a shower and putting on our clothes or having a chat.\n\n\"I've been swimming for seven years and I'm 59, I feel more comfortable in my skin than I've ever felt. [When] you're in the change room, you see all sorts of bodies, all ages\u2026 no one cares. This feels really prudish and horrible.\"\n\nMs Farley said Ms Pantle raised the issue at a club meeting, but shortly afterwards she received a letter stating she had breached the no nudity rule, and would be disciplined and asked to leave if she did it again.\n\nMs Pantle instead chose to resign and walk away, Ms Farley said.\n\n\"Nada and I care a lot about child protection but we don't believe this is a constructive solution. I would happily pay higher yearly fees if this is a funding issue,\" she added.\n\nSpeaking to the ABC, Ms Pantle said: \"They didn't say what I did or who had made a complaint, but it sort of implied I'd done something almost sexual.\n\n\"At some point, you've got to take your clothes off to get your other clothes on. That's why we have change rooms.\"\n\nSurf Life Saving New South Wales CEO Steve Pearce said the signage \"probably could have been done better\", but was only done as an interim measure until the changing rooms are renovated.\n\n\"We're aware the facilities are inadequate,\" he told the BBC. \"But [the club] received complaints from some junior members about being intimidated and uncomfortable.\n\nMr Pearce said over a third of the Terrigal club's registered members were aged under 14.\n\n\"Instead of just putting a blanket 'no nudity', if the signs explained why people should refrain from being nude while children were in the change room, it would have been better received, and we wouldn't be having this conversation.\n\n\"We will be suggesting a better form of signage, but the whole thing was done with the best intent to ensure the psychological well being of the members. It was never intended to be fracturing or divisive.\"","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/world-australia-65133860"}
{"title":"European Social Fund: Groups face cuts to services despite \u00a357m UK cash - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-31","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"There are still concerns for the future of many organisations as a \u00a357m government package is announced.","section":"Northern Ireland","content":"Money from the European Social Fund (ESF) stops on Friday as a result of Brexit\n\nCharities and community groups across Northern Ireland have said they could be forced to close or cut services after EU funding stopped on Friday.\n\nThe European Social Fund (ESF), which provided about \u00a340m a year for hundreds of community organisations, was halted as a result of Brexit.\n\nThe UK government announced a \u00a357m package to support groups facing a funding crisis on Friday morning.\n\nBut many that applied for a share of the money have been rejected.\n\nUnder the UK government's Shared Prosperity Fund (UKSPF) around 100 organisations covering 18 large projects will receive financial backing.\n\nHowever the \u00a357m funding is understood to be spread over two years, meaning some will lose out.\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Ms Blayney says services have been \"switched off overnight\"\n\nThe Kilcooley Womens Centre in Ards and north Down, which offers women in vulnerable situations childcare, health and mental-health services, has been told \u00a3900,000 funding it received from the EU will not be replaced.\n\nAlison Blayney, who runs the centre, said the news was \"absolutely devastating\".\n\nShe said services for vulnerable women in the area had been \"switched off overnight\".\n\n\"They talk about levelling up - we've been levelled down today,\" she told BBC News NI's Evening Extra programme.\n\n\"This is not the picture that was painted for us back in 2016 - the promises of Brexit ring very hollow today.\n\n\"We'll continue to do our best but it's a very bleak outlook.\"\n\nPatricia Lewsley-Mooney, chair of the Training for Women Network (TWN) in east Belfast, said the share of funding for women's services in Northern Ireland has effectively been cut from 8% to 3.7%.\n\nTWN stands to lose a quarter of its funding after Friday's announcement, she said.\n\n\"This funding shows Westminster doesn't care about women in Northern Ireland.\n\n\"The saddest thing is the loss of this money to the women who need it the most.\"\n\nBBC News NI contacted Northern Ireland Secretary Chris Heaton-Harris but he was not available for comment.\n\nIn a statement released earlier on Friday he said the UKSPF money will support the \"vital work of community and voluntary organisations\".\n\nThis Twitter post cannot be displayed in your browser. Please enable Javascript or try a different browser. View original tweet on Twitter The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Skip twitter post by thewomenscentre 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\u2019s cookie policy, external and privacy policy, external before accepting. To view this content choose \u2018accept and continue\u2019. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.\n\nThe Women's Centre in Derry is another of the organisations affected.\n\nIn a tweet on Friday the centre, which promotes women's equality and access to education and employment, said: \"We have had devastating news today that our ESF funding is not being replaced!\"\n\n\"This impacts the services in Derry for women and we also lose six skilled amazing staff members today! Disgrace!\"\n\nSophie Cocault says she has no idea if she will be going to work next week\n\nA protest by staff and service users affected by the funding crisis took place in Belfast on Friday.\n\nProject worker Sophie Cocault, who was at the protest, said she has \"no idea\" if she will be going to work next week.\n\nMs Cocault works for Full Service Community Network, which provide services to 25 schools in west Belfast.\n\n\"Our service is not a luxury,\" she told BBC News NI.\n\n\"Our funding is integral to the community - we support children that really need our help.\"\n\n\"We are being shoved away - it's a disgrace for the children\"\n\nKathleen Lavery, a teacher at Holy Child Primary School in Belfast, said services were at \"crisis point\".\n\n\"There are so many services affected by this cut - many people don't understand how many school services are funded this way,\" she said.\n\n\"We are being shoved away. It's a disgrace for the children.\"\n\nDeclan Doherty, chief executive of Derry Youth and Community Workshop, says 25 of his staff members could face redundancy\n\nBBC NI spoke to several organisations ahead of the funding announcement.\n\nDeclan Doherty, chief executive of Derry Youth and Community Workshop, said he had \"no hope whatsoever\" the replacement funding would be enough to keep staff in work.\n\nHe said 25 of his staff members would lose their jobs on Friday.\n\nSome of the organisations which stand to lose EU funding help people with learning difficulties to gain workplace skills\n\nThe organisation works with young people with complex needs who are not in education, providing them with training, support and a pathway to employment.\n\n\"If you came and looked at the young people we worked with, the prospect of losing this service is shameful.\n\n\"It's not just training, it's a safe space and a lifeline for these young people.\"\n\nCeline McStravick, chief executive of the Northern Ireland Council for Voluntary Action (Nicva), said the funding was \"absolutely essential\" to making Northern Ireland society work.\n\nShe said that ESF was used by 67 members represented by the council and amounted to around 1,700 employees.\n\n\"I have been inundated with emails, telephone calls and meetings with our members, who are angry,\" Ms McStravick added. \"They are frustrated. They're feeling disrespected.\"\n\nLevelling Up Minister Dehenna Davison said the \u00a357m announcement was an \"important milestone \".\n\n\"We are making the most of opportunities outside the European Union to deliver for people in Northern Ireland,\" she said.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/uk-northern-ireland-65123873"}
{"title":"Bafta Game Awards: God of War wins six but Vampire Survivors takes top prize - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-31","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"God of War: Ragnarok takes the most prizes, but Vampire Survivors is the surprise best game winner.","section":"Entertainment & Arts","content":"God of War: Ragnarok has dominated this year's Bafta Game Awards, winning six out of its 14 nominations, but Vampire Survivors won two including best game.\n\nDark fantasy epic Elden Ring won two, while cat simulator Stray went home empty-handed, despite its eight nominations.\n\nRagnarok, which sees players battle with Norse gods, also won for both of its voice performers, Christopher Judge and Laya Deleon Hayes.\n\nLast year gaming sales accounted for \u00a34.7bn in the UK, which is higher than that of the film, television or music industries, according to the digital entertainment and retail association (ERA).\n\nChristopher Judge, top left, is pictured with some of his God of War: Ragnarok colleagues\n\nJudge, who plays Ragnarok protagonist Kratos, said: \"It Is not lost on me that I'm a black man standing on a British stage accepting an award for playing a Spartan God killer, who in his heart always wants to be a father.\n\n\"It is the role of a lifetime. I'm gonna live and breathe every moment of this great gift that I was given. And I will do it humbly.\"\n\nHe asked gaming fans to \"give each other a break\", adding: \"You have more in common than what separates you. No matter what platform you love.\"\n\nPresenter Frankie Ward hosted the awards, which were livestreamed on Twitch\n\nEE game of the year, which was voted for by the public, was also won by Ragnarok.\n\nIts animator Bruno Velazquez said: \"This award is really special to us, because without all of you out there playing our games, we wouldn't be able to do this.\"\n\nRollerdrome won best British Game, and its lead designer Andreas Yannikaris expressed his surprise as he collected his Bafta - he'd thought survival game Vampire Survivors would win.\n\n\"I'll level with you. I don't really have anything prepared,\" he said. \"That 10-year-old kid playing Mega Drive games never thought they'd have a seat at the table, and here we are today.\"\n\nVampire Survivors' development team also looked surprised at their win, and laughed as they said: \"We did not expect this,\" calling it an \"insane, wild ride\".\n\nTechnical director Sam McGarry thanked \"the community, our fans and the players all around the world, on every format that they play on\".\n\nVampire Survivors winning best game is a real surprise - there was an audible gasp in the press room when it took the award, and the team themselves were clearly surprised as well.\n\nObviously a jury's loved the fact it's a new take on what has become a very popular genre. It's a procedurally generated survival game, where you try and stay alive as long as you can with swarms of enemies coming at you.\n\nThis fresh take on it, married with its old-school visual style, has clearly gone down well.\n\nBut Ragnarok won six awards, and it seemed inevitable that it would win best game. The fact that Elden Ring, which won big at the Game Awards before Christmas, came away with two gold masks, but not the main prize, was also a surprise.\n\nBut Bafta does do this. I can remember when Zelda Breath of the Wild didn't win in 2018, and was beaten by What Remains of Edith Finch.\n\nSo it has got form in throwing up a surprise like this.\n\nAction adventure Tunic won best debut game, and its creators said: \"This is nuts, thank you so much.\"\n\nPresenters of the awards included actor Troy Baker, who voiced Joel in the game The Last of Us, and went on to play James in the HBO TV show. One of the TV show's stars, Game of Thrones actress Bella Ramsey, who plays Ellie, also appeared via video link.\n\nInbetweeners star and YouTuber James Buckley said as he presented the multiplayer award to Elden Ring's creators: \"One of the amazing things about gaming is the ability to share your experience with others.\"\n\nThe Bafta Fellowship award went to Shuhei Yoshieida, who called his win \"humbling\", saying: \"Every advancement of technology turns it into a tool for developers to create amazing things.\n\n\"So developers dream, because their next game could change the face of the industry forever. And I cannot wait.\"\n\nHere are the Bafta Games Awards winners in full:\n\nPerformer in a leading role - Christopher Judge as Kratos in God of War: Ragnarok\n\nPerformer in a supporting role - Laya Deleon Hayes as Angrbo\u00f0a in God of War: Ragnarok\n\nEE game of the year - God of War: Ragnarok\n\nFor more gaming content, go to Press X to Continue ,the BBC Sounds gaming Podcast.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/entertainment-arts-65128679"}
{"title":"Probe into meat 'falsely labelled' as British at supermarkets - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-31","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"The Food Standards Agency has launched an investigation into claims a supplier mislabelled meat.","section":"Business","content":"A criminal investigation is under way into allegations that a rogue meat supplier falsely labelled huge quantities of foreign pork as British.\n\nThe Food Standards Agency is also looking into claims that the firm also mixed rotten pork with fresh meat.\n\nIt is understood the meat may have ended up in many UK supermarkets.\n\nFarmers Weekly, which first reported the story said that the company was passing off industrial scale quantities of foreign pork as British.\n\nIt said this may have been in products up until at least 2020 and could have been included in many items such as ready meals, quiches and sandwiches sold in a number of UK supermarkets, with schools, hospitals, care homes and prisons also indirectly supplied.\n\nThe Food Standards Agency is not naming the business involved whilst it continues to gather evidence and so as not to prejudice any possible future action by the courts.\n\nBased on the investigation so far, the FSA said: \"There is no indication that food is unsafe or there is an increased risk\" to consumers.\n\n\"Criminal investigations take time and need to be done with due process and fairness. The FSA will work tirelessly on behalf of consumers to ensure that this criminal investigation is done to the highest possible standards,\" Emily Miles, the chief executive of the Food Standards Agency added.\n\nRetail industry lobby group, the British Retail Consortium said it could not comment on an ongoing investigation.\n\n\"Whilst we cannot comment on an ongoing investigation, retailers will support the FSA with its investigation into the individual supplier in question,\" it added.\n\nIt is understood that the Food Standards Agency's National Food Crime Unit (NFCU) started its initial investigation into the firm in September 2021.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/business-65125811"}
{"title":"Alexei Moskalev: Father of girl who drew anti-war picture arrested on run in Minsk - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-31","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"After his 12-year-old daughter drew a picture, Alexei Moskalev was arrested and sentenced in Russia.","section":"Europe","content":"Masha's school contacted the police, her father said, after the 12-year-old drew this picture\n\nA man sentenced to jail in Russia after his daughter drew an \"anti-war\" picture has been caught in Belarus, after seemingly fleeing the country.\n\nAlexei Moskalev was given a two-year jail sentence in absentia on Tuesday for discrediting the army.\n\nHe came to the attention of authorities last year - after, he said, a school reported the drawing to police.\n\nA lawyer said he was probably caught in Minsk after switching on his mobile phone, which revealed his location.\n\nSpeaking to Reuters, lawyer Dmitry Zakhvatov said \"someone had made a mistake\" to give away his location.\n\n\"Most likely it was due to him using a mobile phone improperly,\" he said.\n\nThat version of events was supported by journalist Marina Ovsyannikova, known for her anti-war protests.\n\n\"He was warned in advance to turn off his mobile phone and pull out the SIM card before escaping. But in Minsk, Alexei decided to turn it on for some reason,\" she wrote, but then deleted the post.\n\nIn 2022, Ms Ovsyannikova also escaped from house arrest, but she managed to leave Russia safely.\n\nThe Belarusian authorities confirmed Mr Moskalev had been detained at Russia's request.\n\nIt is unclear how he made it to Belarus, but people who seek to leave Russia unnoticed by the authorities often leave via Belarusian territory.\n\nMr Moskalev lived about 320 kilometres (200 miles) south of Moscow in a town called Yefremov.\n\nHis problems began after Masha Moskalev, then 12, drew a Ukrainian flag in April last year with the words \"Glory to Ukraine\", rockets and a Russian flag with the phrase \"No to war!\"\n\nHe said the school reported his daughter's drawing to police. After that, Mr Moskalev was fined for an anti-war social media post.\n\nBut after his flat was searched in December he was charged under the criminal code because he had already been convicted of a similar offence.\n\nAuthorities separated Masha from her father and placed her into a children's home, after the case began. She has not been seen in public since 1 March.\n\nOn Tuesday, when Mr Moskalev was sentenced to two years in jail, the court press secretary said he had escaped his house arrest.\n\nHe had pleaded not guilty to the charges, but apparently fled Russia in anticipation of a guilty verdict.\n\nSpeaking to the BBC after the sentencing, the town councillor Olga Podolskaya said she was in \"shock\".\n\n\"A prison sentence for expressing your opinion is a terrible thing. A two-year jail term is a nightmare.\"\n\nAnother lawyer representing the family said he did not know if the teenager had been told her father was on the run.\n\nMs Moskalev has not been seen in public since 1 March","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/world-europe-65129231"}
{"title":"MI5 tapes case: Alex McCrory acquitted of terror charges - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-31","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"A judge has ruled that Alex McCrory should be acquitted in one of NI's longest running terrorism trials.","section":"Northern Ireland","content":"The judge said the case against Alex McCrory should be dismissed\n\nOne of Northern Ireland's longest running terrorism trials is set to continue - although a judge has ruled one of the accused should be acquitted.\n\nColin Duffy, Henry Fitzsimons and Alex McCrory were allegedly recorded by MI5 in Lurgan Park after a gun attack on a police patrol in north Belfast in 2013.\n\nIn a ruling related to transcripts of the tapes, Mr Justice O'Hara said the case against Mr McCrory should be dismissed.\n\nThe case against the other men goes on.\n\nA prosecution lawyer told Belfast Crown Court it will now consider appealing the ruling in favour of Mr McCrory.\n\nThe three men have all denied charges of preparing and directing terrorism and IRA membership.\n\nColin Duffy is accused of directing and belonging to an IRA grouping, and attempting to murder members of the PSNI\n\nMr Fitzsimons, 55, from Dunmore Mews in Belfast and Mr McCrory, 61, from Sliabh Dubh View in the city, also denied attempting to murder police officers.\n\nThe court had previously heard that 14 audio and video devices were used to secretly record alleged meetings involving the men following the dissident republican attack in Ardoyne.\n\nThe recordings allegedly capture them discussing the attack.\n\nFriday's hearing followed a previous ruling made in September 2022 when Mr Justice O'Hara excluded a portion of the Crown's evidence related to transcripts of the recordings.\n\nLawyers for all three men subsequently sought to have the case thrown out over the transcripts, which the police had provided to voice analysts who gave evidence for the prosecution.\n\nThe transcripts had indicated who was allegedly speaking.\n\nMr Justice O'Hara said Mr Fitzsimons and Mr Duffy, whose address in court papers is HMP Maghaberry, still had cases to answer based on other evidence.\n\nHowever, he went on to state that the exclusion of the attribution aspect of the transcripts has had \"a fatal effect\" on the prosecution case against Mr McCrory and he therefore found him not guilty of all charges.\n\nA prosecution lawyer said he wanted time to consider whether to appeal and that \"the ruling is to have no effect\" until then.\n\nThe judge agreed to adjourn the case until 28 April.\n\nThe non-jury trial began four years ago and has been adjourned on multiple previous occasions.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/uk-northern-ireland-65137757"}
{"title":"Anger grows at latest CalMac ferry disruption - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-31","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"Islanders tell of threats to tourism and a disrupted wedding as the ageing fleet is hit by more problems.","section":"Highlands & Islands","content":"Island communities have reacted with anger and dismay at fresh disruption to Scotland's west coast ferry network.\n\nThe state-owned CalMac has been forced into making alterations due to delays in routine overhauls of some ferries and technical issues affecting others.\n\nIslanders fear tourism and other businesses are being damaged, while one couple have seen their wedding plans thrown into disarray.\n\nNew Transport Minister Kevin Stewart said disruption was regrettable.\n\nBut he stressed islands remained open for business and CalMac was doing everything possible to ease the situation.\n\nCalMac, which earlier this month warned of a challenging two years due to its ageing fleet, has apologised to its customers.\n\nIt is having to redeploy ferries from their usual routes to cover other services.\n\nBut problems have affected CalMac services for a number of years due to breakdowns, a lack of spare vessels and delays to constructing new ferries.\n\nJane Ham and Graham Griffiths, who live and work on Coll, have seen their wedding plans affected\n\nServices to Islay, Arran, Coll and Tiree and the Small Isles are among those affected by changes announced by CalMac on Wednesday.\n\nThe service between Mallaig\/Oban and Lochboisdale, in South Uist, is one of the worst hit. It is due to be cancelled for five weeks from 5 April.\n\nDarren Taylor, chief executive of South Uist community company St\u00f2ras Uibhist, said the island's community was in a state of shock at the plan.\n\nHe said: \"We have had ongoing problems for a very long time with CalMac but this is absolutely beyond the pale. It's outrageous.\"\n\nMr Taylor said the cancellation of the Lochboisdale service would come at the start of the tourist season, with the island's tourism industry still trying to recover from the Covid pandemic.\n\nSt\u00f2ras Uibhist chairwoman Mary Schmoller said the situation amounted to \"staggering incompetence\".\n\nShe said islanders had been warning of the impacts of ferry disruption on island life for years.\n\n\"Food doesn't arrive on time so you are not sure that you are going to find anything in the shops, and you cannot make short time decisions to just go off and visit your nephew or your son,\" she said.\n\nShe added: \"The impact on tourism has been horrific.\"\n\nMs Schmoller said hotels and B&Bs were already getting calls from guests cancelling because they had experienced similar ferry problems on previous visits.\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser.\n\nAnother Uist resident, Donna Young, said it felt like there were issues with ferries almost every week.\n\nShe said: \"Travel has become so difficult in Uist it has got to a point where we just cannot rely on our service any more.\n\n\"It's having a huge impact on our community, impact on businesses, on our food and medication.\n\n\"I don't think people quite understand until they have experienced it.\"\n\nGraham Griffiths and Jane Ham have been planning their wedding for more than two years\n\nFor the islands of Coll and Tiree in the Inner Hebrides, the switch from the winter timetable to the summer one and its more frequent sailings has been delayed by a month.\n\nThis has hit islanders Jane Ham and Graham Griffiths' wedding plans.\n\nThey have been preparing their big day in Glasgow on Saturday 8 April for more than two years, and specifically picked a date to avoid the winter timetable.\n\nMs Ham said: \"It now means guests who were due to come off Coll on the Friday have had to either rebook on an earlier ferry, which hasn't been possible in all cases, or it means an extra night or two nights' accommodation.\n\n\"There are some guests who cannot leave their jobs early to get off for the wedding so, at the moment, it looks like they cannot come.\"\n\nRuth MacEwen, a community councillor on Muck in the Small Isles, said her island faced losing a Saturday service because a ferry was to be redeployed to another route.\n\nShe said: \"Our community is completely dismayed and frustrated.\n\n\"Saturday is the most important day of the week for the Small Isles islands, with it being changeover day for visitor accommodation for many businesses.\n\n\"We are highly concerned for our visitors whom have booked their holiday cottage, booked their ferry, and now have no means of getting here.\"\n\nIn Holyrood on Thursday, Transport Minister Kevin Stewart said Transport Scotland was confident CalMac was doing everything possible to bring ferries back into service from overhauls, and was also highlighting to customers where there was capacity on other routes.\n\nHe said: \"We recognise the real challenges being faced and regret the disruption this is causing to island communities.\n\n\"It is very important to note islands remain open for business.\"\n\nTransport Scotland said the Scottish government had invested more than \u00a32bn it ferry services since 2007, and had outlined plans to invest about \u00a3700m in a five-year plan to improve ferry infrastructure.\n\nA spokesman said some communities had been more greatly impacted by disruption than others.\n\nHe added: \"We share the desires of island communities for sustainable and effective ferry services and look forward to continuing our constructive engagement with them on future services and vessel replacements.\"","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/uk-scotland-highlands-islands-65122952"}
{"title":"European Social Fund: 'Vulnerable people in deep water' over cuts - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-31","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"The European Social Fund is to cease funding in Northern Ireland on 31 March as a result of Brexit.","section":"Northern Ireland","content":"This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Blair Anderson says getting help meant she could \"find my voice to continue to ask for support\"\n\n\"If this service gets taken away there's going to be loads of vulnerable people in deep water.\"\n\nThat is Belfast man Marc Young's stark assessment of the potential loss of funding to hundreds of groups who helped people like him.\n\nAbout \u00a340m in annual funding from the European Social Fund (ESF) is due to stop on 31 March as a result of Brexit.\n\nWhile the UK government has promised to replace the money, it is not clear exactly when and how that will happen.\n\nThat means the jobs of an estimated 1,700 staff in charity and community groups are at risk.\n\nFor Marc and Ballymena woman Blair Anderson, that means the support that they got to turn their lives around may not be available to others.\n\nBlair Anderson faced many problems in her teens.\n\n\"I was a young mum, I'd my daughter at 14 so back then my life looked bleak and I was involved with social services,\" she told BBC News NI.\n\n\"When I say I had no hope for the future, I remember going into a meeting with my social worker and saying like: 'I'm happy to be on the dole, I don't want or need to work because I have the option of being on benefits.'\n\nMarc Young said the opportunity provided by the European Social Fund turned his life around\n\n\"I was involved in anti-social behaviour, I had been arrested and my life was really going down a bad path.\n\n\"I was involved with alcohol and other substances that was impacting my life, impacting my mental health.\"\n\nLike her, Marc also ran into problems at school and on the Shankill Road where he grew up.\n\n\"I had a lot of mental health issues and there was a lot of pressure on me in school to actually do well,\" he said.\n\n\"I just couldn't deal with the pressure growing up being a Protestant young man and I had to keep my emotions to myself.\"\n\nWhile he got to university, he said he lasted \"about two days\" before dropping out.\n\n\"I had no drive, no passion, the only thing I wanted to do was sit in bed,\" he continued.\n\nBut eventually he began a 12-week employability programme run by the Include Youth organisation through the Alternatives group on the Shankill Road.\n\nBlair, meanwhile, started a programme run by Include Youth called Give & Take.\n\nBoth said that had turned their lives around. Both, now in their 20s, are youth workers and back in education.\n\nBoth Blair and Marc spoke at an event held by East Belfast Mission to highlight the risks to groups if the funding is not replaced soon.\n\n\"It was the support that I actually got that motivated me and drove me to do well within my own life, for my family for my friends and for my future,\" Marc said.\n\nFor Blair, getting help meant she could \"find my voice to continue to ask for support\".\n\n\"Many times I failed, many times I had personal circumstances but that didn't impact,\" she said.\n\n\"They supported me with that along with my education, training and employment - something school didn't offer me.\n\n\"There was support provided around my child and being a parent, again something that wasn't accommodated in a school environment.\n\n\"That enabled me to flourish and enabled me to find myself.\"\n\nBoth Blair and Marc spoke at an event held by East Belfast Mission to highlight the risks to groups which help disadvantaged, vulnerable and disabled people if European Social Funding is not replaced soon.\n\nOthers at the meeting described the situation as \"a scandal\".\n\nAbout 30 staff at Include Youth, the organisation which helped Blair and Marc, are among those whose jobs may be lost.\n\nStormont used to top up the ESF money with about \u00a314m a year in matched funding.\n\nBut with no executive it is not clear if that money will be available in 2023-24 either.\n\nThe UK government recently told BBC News NI that its Shared Prosperity Fund would match previous EU funding and increase in the coming years.\n\n\"As EU projects come to an end, funding from UK Shared Prosperity Fund will increase, reaching over \u00a350m for Northern Ireland in 2023-24 and \u00a374m in 2024-25, to spread opportunity, help local businesses and improve pride in place,\" a spokesperson said.\n\nBut with the deadline of 31 March for ESF funding running out less than three weeks away, Blair and Marc fear for the future.\n\n\"If the government doesn't step in or someone doesn't step in to save this service we're ultimately putting the most vulnerable back in an even more vulnerable position, to me that doesn't make sense,\" Blair said.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/uk-northern-ireland-64957586"}
{"title":"King Charles at Hamburg memorial for Allied wartime air raids - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-31","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"King Charles laid a wreath remembering those who died in Allied wartime bombing raids on Hamburg.","section":"UK","content":"King Charles visited a memorial to the 34,000 who died in a series of wartime air raids on Hamburg\n\nKing Charles stood shoulder to shoulder with Germany's president as he remembered those who died in Allied bombings in Hamburg in World War Two.\n\nOn the third day of his state visit, the King laid a wreath at the ruins of St Nikolai church as a symbol of reconciliation.\n\nThe church was preserved as a memorial to the heavy air raids carried out by US and British air forces 80 years ago.\n\nOn Thursday, the King also made a speech about healing wartime divisions.\n\nDuring the service on Friday, a choir sang and there were readings in the remains of the 19th Century church.\n\nThat included a reference to \"remembering those who perished in the Allied bombing of Hamburg in 1943\".\n\nA display at the site recalls that 34,000 people died in a series of air raids in the intense bombing and firestorms that followed in the city in July 1943.\n\nThere was also a description of prisoners from a Nazi concentration camp who were forced to carry out the salvage and clearing operation after the raids.\n\nKing Charles laid a black and red wreath with the inscription \"In everlasting remembrance\" and the Queen Consort Camilla laid a white rose on the steps beside it.\n\nThey were accompanied by German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier, on a state visit that has sought to acknowledge the past but commit to a stronger future partnership.\n\nThe roofless church is now only a skeleton of its former self, but it had been designed by the English architect, George Gilbert Scott.\n\nThe same architect had designed the Albert Memorial in London, built in honour of the King's German ancestor Prince Albert.\n\nRain was falling on the roofless church in Hamburg\n\nBut the high Gothic steeple of the church had been used as a navigation aid for bomber pilots and much of the church was destroyed.\n\nReadings at St Nikolai spoke of setting grievances aside and avoiding the \"hatred that divides nations from nations\".\n\nAs with other parts of the state visit, there was tight security, with a police helicopter flying overhead as the choir sang.\n\nThe royal couple had travelled by train from Berlin to Hamburg, Germany's second-largest city - and on their arrival visited a memorial to the Kindertransport, in which thousands of Jewish children were rescued from the Nazis and brought as refugees to Britain.\n\nThe Queen Consort left her own tribute a single white rose and wore a Queen Victoria brooch - a wedding gift from Prince Albert\n\nThere was also a visit to Hamburg's city hall and an event at which the King heard about efforts to develop green technologies.\n\nThis was the final day of a three-day state visit to Germany, the first of the reign of King Charles.\n\nIn speeches and events he delivered a message of needing to strengthen relations between Britain and Germany, against shared challenges such as the war in Ukraine and tackling climate change.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/uk-65135608"}
{"title":"Gwyneth Paltrow cleared in Utah ski-crash trial - live updates - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-31","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"The US star reportedly tells the man who sued her \"I wish you well\" after the trial over the 2016 incident.","section":"US & Canada","content":"After losing in a very public way to one of the most famous women in the world, Terry Sanderson has lamented that this trial means he's \"going to be on the internet forever\".\n\nSo who was he before he decided to take on Gwyneth Paltrow?\n\nThe former US army captain and retired optometrist filed suit against Paltrow in 2019, three years after their skiing collision in Utah.\n\nSanderson, 76, says he has never been injured in more than 30 years of skiing.\n\nIn trial, a doctor testified that he led an active retirement.\n\n\u201cTerry had been a high-functioning, active person,\u201d neuroradiology specialist Dr Wendell Gibby told the court. \u201cEvery day he was doing lots of things. Meeting groups, wine tasting, skiing, volunteering.\"\n\nBut after the accident, Sanderson said he was unable to enjoy life.\n\nOn the stand, one of his adult daughters said her father has become \"obsessed\" with getting an apology from Paltrow, and that his mood changed after the accident.\n\nAnother daughter said before the accident he was \"outgoing\" but is now \"easily frustrated\".\n\nPaltrow's team said in court that a third daughter, who gave a deposition, said she had not spoken to her father in years because he could be verbally abusive.\n\nLawyer Steve Owens claimed she said he would be \"dishonest for money and notoriety\".","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/live\/world-us-canada-65127388"}
{"title":"Prince Harry privacy case: Lawyer refers to 'compelling new evidence' - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-31","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"Lawyers for the prince and others reject Associated Newspapers' argument they left it too long to sue.","section":"UK","content":"Private investigators have provided new and \"compelling\" evidence of illegal work for the Mail newspapers, the Duke of Sussex's barrister told a court.\n\nThe privacy case centres on allegations of widespread illegality commissioned by journalists in the 1990s and 2000s.\n\nAssociated Newspapers denies the allegations and says the seven claimants - including Prince Harry, Sir Elton John and Baroness Doreen Lawrence - have left it too long to sue.\n\nPrivacy claims are supposed to be brought within six years but David Sherborne said his clients had been unable to prove their allegations until the private investigators revealed their activities, triggering the current legal action.\n\nGiving one example, he said the actor Liz Hurley had not known her phone was being tapped until a private investigator made a witness statement detailing what had happened in 2021.\n\n\"That's the trigger. That's when the scales fall from her eyes,\" he told London's High Court.\n\nAssociated Newspapers is trying to get the case thrown out, claiming the claimants had run out of time.\n\nPrince Harry was again in court on Thursday for the final submissions in the legal battle over whether allegations of phone tapping, hacking and blagging of personal information should go to trial.\n\nHis fellow claimants also include Sir Elton's husband David Furnish, actor Sadie Frost and former Liberal Democrat MP Sir Simon Hughes.\n\nThe Duke of Sussex waves as he arrives at the Royal Courts Of Justice\n\nIn her witness statement, Hurley says she found out she had been targeted by an investigator called Gavin Burrows who was looking for information about her and her friends Sir Elton and Mr Furnish.\n\nMr Burrows, she was told, employed a British Telecom engineer to put a phone tap on her landline and hide a cassette recorder in the junction box in the street.\n\nMr Burrows gave a statement in 2021 revealing a wide range of unlawful techniques he used for gathering information on behalf of newspapers.\n\nBaroness Lawrence, who has campaigned for justice following the murder of her son Stephen in 1993, also attended court. She has claimed she only found out in recent years that she was targeted in the late 1990s.\n\nThe court heard she first discovered she was a target for the newspapers after Mr Burrows and another private investigator Jonathan Rees had begun discussing their work for journalists, including some working on the Mail titles.\n\nBaroness Doreen Lawrence was also at court earlier this week\n\nThe Daily Mail had been running a supportive campaign for Stephen's killers to be prosecuted, but Baroness Lawrence says in her witness statement: \"I believe now that the Mail were just playing a game with me.\"\n\nIt has been suggested the newspaper was trying to protect its \"exclusive\" relationship with the Lawrence family by tapping Baroness Lawrence's phones and putting her under surveillance.\n\nShe blamed the police for leaking details about the case she now believes were obtained using illegal methods by private investigators.\n\nThe claimants' barrister Mr Sherborne told the court: \"We say that's nothing short of gaslighting Baroness Lawrence.\"\n\nBut he said this was new information which supported his argument that the judge should allow the case to go ahead, despite the six-year limit for claims.\n\n\"How could she have known she had a worthwhile claim in relation to that unlawful act before then?\" he said.\n\nDespite that, the 2021 witness statement made by private investigator Mr Burrows has been discredited by lawyers for Associated Newspapers because this year Mr Burrows made a second statement denying being involved in illegal work for the Mail titles.\n\nWhen making the first statement, Mr Burrows appears to have had a friendly relationship with journalists and campaigners who have been investigating press intrusion, but more recently has fallen out with them, according to reports.\n\nOn Wednesday the change in stance by Mr Burrows led the judge, Mr Justice Nicklin, to say that Prince Harry and the other claimants \"may have adjust their expectation\" of the value of the alleged confession.\n\nAssociated Newspapers has strongly denied being involved in any illegal information gathering. It described the original claims made by Mr Burrows as \"untrue, inflammatory and deeply offensive\".\n\nAs the four-day hearing finished, Mr Justice Nicklin promised to produce his judgement \"as soon as possible\".","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/uk-65130479"}
{"title":"Covid booster vaccine available for most vulnerable - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-31","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"Some five million people in England are eligible for a spring booster, including those aged 75 and over.","section":"Health","content":"The NHS in England is launching a spring booster vaccine campaign against Covid-19 for people most at risk of serious illness from the disease.\n\nAround five million are eligible, including people aged 75 and over, some people with weakened immune systems, and older residents in care homes.\n\nFrom Monday, older adults in care homes are expected to begin receiving their vaccines, given by visiting NHS teams.\n\nOther eligible people will be able to receive jabs from mid-April.\n\nBookings for those appointments will open on Wednesday 5 April.\n\nThe rollout follows advice from the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI), published in March.\n\nThe committee said, over the course of the pandemic, data available from the UK and internationally showed older people were more likely to experience severe disease. As a result, they would gain the most from protection from an additional vaccine dose this spring.\n\nNHS director of vaccinations and screening, Steve Russell, said: \"As a society we are learning to live with Covid, but for many it is still a virus that can cause serious illness and hospitalisation, and so it is still really important that those at greatest risk come forward and boost their protection in the coming weeks.\n\n\"There are still around 8,000 people in hospital with Covid according to the latest data, and the NHS has now treated more than one million Covid in-patients since the pandemic began.\n\nHe added: \"So if you are over 75 or you have a weakened immune system, please come forward as soon as possible to book a Covid vaccine this spring, so you can enjoy summer with peace of mind.\"\n\nSome people aged five and over who are defined as immunosuppressed will be among those offered a booster jab.\n\nThey include people who have had organ transplants or who have blood cancer, and those undergoing chemotherapy treatment for cancer.\n\nMillions of invitations will be sent through the NHS App, alongside texts messages and letters for those without the app or not actively using it.\n\nPeople who are eligible for jabs should make sure appointments take place at least three months after their last dose.\n\nVaccines will be available in around 3,000 sites across England, with the majority of jabs given in pharmacies and GP surgeries.\n\nThe last spring booster appointments will be available on 30 June.\n\nThose eligible in Wales will be offered booster appointments between 1 April and 30 June.\n\nIn Scotland, the spring vaccine rollout will begin with people living in care homes. The jab will be offered to over-75s from 11 April, and anyone aged five and over with a weakened immune system from 24 April.\n\nIn Northern Ireland spring boosters will be available from 12 April. Most people will receive invites through their GP.\n\u2022 None Who can get another Covid jab this spring?","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/health-65138237"}
{"title":"Little Rock: Emergency declared after 'devastating' tornado - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-31","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"At least 24 injured people have been taken to hospital after \"significant damage\" in Little Rock.","section":"US & Canada","content":"This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser.\n\nAt least 24 injured people have been taken to hospital after a \"devastating\" tornado hit Little Rock, Arkansas, according to the city's mayor.\n\nThe twister churned through the state's capital city on Friday, flipping cars, smashing roofs and toppling trees.\n\nSeveral blocks have been heavily damaged, according to aerial footage posted by the Weather Channel.\n\nNearly 90 million people in 15 US states are under threat from an \"explosive\" storm system.\n\nA state of emergency has also been declared in Missouri and two tornados were reported in Iowa.\n\nArkansas Governor Sarah Huckabee Sanders declared a state of emergency and deployed the National Guard after what she described as \"significant damage\" in central Arkansas.\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser.\n\nLittle Rock Mayor Frank Scott Jr tweeted that the tornado in that city was \"devastating\".\n\nIn a tweet on Friday evening he said that no deaths had yet been reported, but \"property damage is extensive\".\n\nThe University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences Medical Center in Little Rock said it was expecting at least 15-20 patients.\n\nBaptist Health Medical Center, the state's biggest hospital, said it had five patients in a critical condition.\n\nIt comes just one week after a rare, long-track twister killed 26 people in Mississippi. President Joe Biden visited the state on Friday to pay condolences and promise federal aid.\n\nHigh risk severe thunderstorm warnings were in place on Friday for parts of Arkansas, Illinois, Iowa, Missouri and Tennessee, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's Storm Prediction Center.\n\nThe agency warned in a bulletin that some of the projected tornados could track across the ground for long distances.\n\nBill Bunting, the operations chief for the Storm Prediction Center, told the BBC the last time there were two separate such high risk warnings simultaneously was in April 2012.\n\nLast week's tornado in Mississippi damaged more than 2,000 homes in the town of Rolling Fork\n\nThe Mississippi tornado last week travelled 59 miles (94km) and lasted about an hour and 10 minutes - an unusually long period of time for a storm to sustain itself. It damaged about 2,000 homes, officials said.\n\nOver 79,000 customers in Arkansas were without electricity, according to Poweroutages.us. Over 28,000 lost power in Oklahoma, where high winds were said to have downed power lines, sparking grass fires. Outages were also reported in Missouri, Kansas and Texas.\n\nPolice say the two tornados in Iowa touched down in a field, causing no major damage or injuries, according to the Associated Press.\n\nIt is unclear if the severity of the storm was fuelled by climate change, and the link between tornadoes and warming weather is complex.\n\nThe world has already warmed by about 1.2C since the industrial era began and temperatures will keep rising unless governments around the world make steep cuts to emissions, says the United Nations' climate panel.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/world-us-canada-65131914"}
{"title":"Michael Obafemi: Man sentenced for sending racist tweet - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-31","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"Josh Phillips is sentenced to 12 weeks in prison, suspended for 18 months.","section":"Wales","content":"Josh Phillips (in the grey coat) racially abused Michael Obafemi after the Swansea player moved to Burnley\n\nA man has been sentenced for sending a racist tweet to Swansea footballer Michael Obafemi.\n\nJosh Phillips, 26, from Cwmbwrla in Swansea, was sentenced to 12 weeks in prison, suspended for 18 months.\n\nPhillips sent the abusive tweet in response to Swansea's announcement of his loan move to Burnley.\n\nPhillips previously admitted sending a message that was grossly offensive, indecent, obscene or menacing, at Swansea Magistrates' Court.\n\nIn his victim impact statement, Michael Obafemi said: \"The racial abuse I've received is totally unacceptable.\n\n\"It doesn't matter what I do as a job, I'm a human being and I don't deserve this sort of behaviour.\n\n\"This has shocked me, and it made me feel sick. This person abused me, the colour of my skin and my race.\"\n\nJudge Christopher James also imposed an alcohol ban of 120 days, 25 days of rehabilitation, and 160 hours of unpaid work.\n\nPhillips is banned from going to any Swansea City match for three years, home or away, or from going to a licensed premises within 2,500m (8,200ft) of Swansea.Com stadium when Swansea City are playing.\n\nSwansea Magistrates' Court previously heard Phillips was out with friends and got drunk before he sent the tweet on 28 January after learning of Mr Obafemi's transfer.\n\nMichael Obafemi told the court the abuse was \"totally unacceptable\"\n\nHe later deleted the tweet, and two days later he had sought information on how to deactivate his account.\n\nPolice traced the message back to Phillips' phone, and when interviewed by officers, Phillips said he stupidly made the comment after drinking and removed it shortly afterwards.\n\nHe described the word as disgusting, telling the police he was disappointed by his own actions.\n\nPhillips was sentenced for an offence of sending a message on a public communications network that was grossly offensive, indecent, obscene or menacing.\n\nSentencing Phillips, the judge told him: \"You posted an offensive message which was grossly offensive, abusive and racially aggravated.\n\n\"You caused significant distress to Michael Obafemi, his family and his friends. No-one deserves to be treated in this way. There is no explanation on why you used such a vile word.\"\n\nThe court heard Phillips, who has no previous convictions, \"deeply regrets\" his actions.\n\nHis solicitor Mark Davies told the court: \"My client has pleaded guilty to an offence which is appalling and wholly unacceptable.\"\n\nMr Davies added Phillips has faced \"significant consequences for his actions\".\n\n\"Football is his only hobby. He has held a season ticket for Swansea City since the age of four. He has attended every home game,\" he said.\n\n\"The incident has caused a number of friends to no longer want to connect with him. He's been sacked from his job for gross misconduct.\"\n\nThe Crown Prosecution Service's sports lead prosecutor Douglas Mackay said: \"We will continue to work closely with the police, football authorities and fan groups to stamp this out, to make sure that football is a game for everyone and not one that discriminates against anyone.\"\n\nSwansea City said the club was \"sickened\" by the language used, adding that Phillips did not \"represent Swansea City or the values of our club and community\".","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/uk-wales-65136836"}
{"title":"Your pictures of Scotland: 24-31 March - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-31","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"A selection of your pictures of Scotland sent in between 24 and 31 March.","section":"Scotland","content":"A selection of your pictures of Scotland sent in between 24 and 31 March.\n\nSend your photos to scotlandpictures@bbc.co.uk. Please ensure you adhere to the BBC's rules regarding photographs that can be found here.\n\nPlease also ensure you take your pictures safely and responsibly.\n\nConditions of use: If you submit an image, you do so in accordance with the BBC's terms and conditions.\n\nA little on edge: \"A hiker walking close to a snow cornice in the Nevis range,\" says Jim Yorkston.\n\nHigh rise: The sun coming up over Motherwell, courtesy of John Dyer.\n\nPod cast: \"I snapped this as I was sitting outside my holiday accommodation on Islay,\" Karyn McGhee says. \"These dolphins came right into the bay - I have never seen dolphins in Scotland before so was very excited. I feel very privileged to have witnessed this. A special memory. It was just amazing.\"\n\nShot of gold: Two rainbows and offshore vessels off Aberdeen beach, by Alison Carroll.\n\nFox snooze: \"I spotted this lovely visitor having a lazy Sunday afternoon in my back garden in Glasgow,\" says Iona MacDonald of her fantastic sly photo in Knightswood.\n\nSeen but not herd: \"Belted Galloway cows enjoying the quiet beach to themselves at Port nam Murrach near Arisaig,\" says Megan Kirkaldy. \"The sun was shining and it almost felt like summer.\"\n\nSome very pheasant company: \"First the squirrel arrived, then we had a tense face-off,\" says Joyce Grieves at Findo Gask, near Perth. \"In the end, the squirrel took a flying kick at the pheasant as it left the arena.\"\n\nCub scout: Lesley Nicolson spotted these snow leopards having a cat nap session at Highland Wildlife Park.\n\nBeaky blinder: This stunning image of a black swan was captured by Russell MacSorley at Gartmorn Dam in Sauchie, Clackmannanshire.\n\nMore than a light wind: \"High tides at Fraserburgh.\" says Steven Pirie. \"The waves were quite choppy but made for a great view, with the harbour lighthouse visible behind the waves.\"\n\nTwo heads are better than one: Ann Mcgregor captured this majestic shot of two eagles side by side in the skies above the island of Kerrera, off Oban.\n\nIn plane sight: The world's largest commercial airliner made a return to Glasgow and Allen McLaughlin thought his shot of the Emirates Airbus A380 gave a taste of its size in comparison to the onlooking spectators.\n\nAnd another streamlined operation: Malcolm Gillies managed to get this picture of a \"beautiful\" heron flying along the Forth and Clyde Canal. \"I thought it was quite unusual,\" he says. \"Most pictures are of a standing \/ hunting bird or they show the wings in flight.\"\n\nChoose your own path: \"My son Will, two, walking through Pressmennan Wood in East Lothian,\" says Robin Davidson.\n\nNeeding some hair moos: This rather bedraggled Highland cow was spotted by Gillian Thomson and Coco the dog whilst strolling around woodland at Crathes Castle in Aberdeenshire.\n\nA swell time: \"A bracing walk on a beautiful spring afternoon on St Andrews beach to blow away the winter blues,\" says Brain Colston.\n\nSix pack: Half-a-dozen curlews spotted by Shona Alexander at Ardmillan Bay, Girvan.\n\nTime for reflection: Loch Tulla taken from the A82 just north of Bridge of Orchy and south of Rannoch Moor, from Graham Christie.\n\nNest and be thankful: \"On a beautiful day I was lucky enough to see these shags near Dunbar harbour,\" says Caroline Smith of her shot of birds building their home.\n\nWispful thinking: \"Beautiful sunshine with blossom on the trees and an amazing cloud that unfurled like a fern in the sky over Crichton Gardens,\" says Gwyneth Jones in Dumfries.\n\nA long and windy road: \"Monty having to grin and bear it on his way up a very very windy Ben Chonzie, his first munro,\" says Tony Gartshore.\n\nHigh standards: \"This shot was taken from Easthaven near Carnoustie,\" says Joyce Grieves. \"It was such a gloriously sunny day and the visibility was excellent. Taken with my drone before a picnic lunch on the beach. Just bliss.\"\n\nNuts about you: \"It was nice to see this very small red squirrel at Morton Lochs when I was cycling past,\" says Eric Niven.\n\nIsland living: \"This is 'The Wee Hoose' that I came across as I travelled through Lairg in Sutherland,\" says Brian Taggart.\n\nPuffin out its chest: \"A lovely silhouette stood on top of a washing line pole at the little village of Pennan,\" says Hazel Thomson.\n\nLittle head turner: \"This was taken by my son Jack, ten, of a Tawny owl when we were out for a walk along the Bridge of Don in Aberdeen, says Christopher Smillie.\n\nRemember your trunks: \"Kirsty walking Tala the springador between impressive log piles beside Ben Ledi,\" says Stephen Glen. \"There was a lovely pine smell in the sunshine.\"\n\nSmall wonder: \"I was cycling and at Loch Long, on the hillside, I was amused to see Snow White and the dwarves,\" says Ronnie Dukes. \"It looked as if they had stopped working and were getting ready for a picnic.\"\n\nMountain face: \"I travelled up from Bournemouth, wild camped near Linn of Dee, and was rewarded with a magical day,\" says Colin Davidson. \" Myself and Dougie, a two-year-old labradoodle, did a 14-mile round trip to Corrour Bothy, then up the Devil's Point.\"\n\nPeak viewing: A perfect shot location in Arran \"as advised from some locals on the ferry over\", says Faye McSpurren.\n\nTrainbows: \"This double rainbow at the Forth Rail Bridge photo made it worth getting caught in the rain after a walk with my wife and my son's dog Hank in South Queensferry,\" says Stuart McMillan.\n\nWhy the long face? \"Here\u2019s looking at you,\" says Martyn Rayner. \"An different viewpoint of the Kelpies.\"\n\nFringe benefits: \"A lovely Highland cow,\" says Jane Sayliss. \"I came across it whilst out for a walk in Achgarve, Wester Ross. The most splendid horns.\"\n\nCygnet ring? \"My wife and I spent part of Mothers Day at Loch of the Lowes,\" says Douglas Currie of this beak shot. \"The loch was very calm and I saw this swan with its head under the water and when it came up I took this picture.\"\n\nGreen screen: \"The Mirrie Dancers above Lerwick,\" says Graham Nicolson of the Northern Lights. \"Very unusual to be able to see them from the town - folk said that you could actually hear them crackling.\"\n\nBright idea: Reflections from the fair in Dumfries, by Callum Malone\n\nSome down time: \"Sunset on the West Highland Way,\" says Jamie Ballantine. \"You can't beat the feeling of being catapulted into spring. A lone Scots pine and Dumgoyne in the distance.\"\n\nWatch dog: \"Night-time whizz up to Blackford Hill in Edinburgh with my hubbie and dog Tilly for some aurora hunting,\" says Julie Odell. \"Sadly it was too cloudy and too much light pollution as well to see anything, but was still fun to be up there.\"\n\nFeeling chipper: \"Watching the sunset on the beach,\" says Kate Buchanan while tucking into a takeaway as the day drew to a beautiful conclusion.\n\nPlease ensure that the photograph you send is your own and if you are submitting photographs of children, we must have written permission from a parent or guardian of every child featured (a grandparent, auntie or friend will not suffice).\n\nIn contributing to BBC News you agree to grant us a royalty-free, non-exclusive licence to publish and otherwise use the material in any way, including in any media worldwide.\n\nHowever, you will still own the copyright to everything you contribute to BBC News.\n\nAt no time should you endanger yourself or others, take any unnecessary risks or infringe the law.\n\nYou can find more information here.\n\nAll photos are subject to copyright.","link":"https:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/uk-scotland-65086525"}
{"title":"Barmouth: David Redfern jailed for murdering woman, 71 - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-31","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"David Redfern dragged 71-year-old Margaret Barnes from his bed and kicked and stamped her to death.","section":"Wales","content":"This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Footage shows the moment Margaret Barnes made the \"mistake that ultimately cost her her life\"\n\nA man who murdered a 71-year-old woman after she mistook his home for a B&B and got into his bed, has been jailed for at least 14 years.\n\nMargaret Barnes, from Birmingham, died after being attacked in July 2022 while she was visiting Barmouth, Gwynedd.\n\nDavid Redfern, 46, was given a life sentence at Caernarfon Crown Court and will serve a minimum of 14 years.\n\nMargaret Barnes' daughter, Natalie Barnes, told the court her murder had \"completely destroyed our family life\".\n\nRedfern found Mrs Barnes asleep in his bed and dragged her downstairs before kicking and stamping her to death.\n\nMrs Barnes had been out drinking with friends and had been planning to stay at a B&B on Marine Parade, where Redfern lived.\n\nShe mistakenly went into Redfern's house, which was unlocked, and went straight to his bedroom and fell asleep.\n\nProsecutor Michael Jones said this was a \"mistake that ultimately cost her her life\".\n\nMrs Barnes died in the street following the attack in Barmouth, Gwynedd, last July\n\nBefore Redfern was sentenced, Natalie Barnes told the court: \"Every morning, we wake up struggling to cope with the fact that we will never see her again.\n\n\"My dad and my brother can't come to terms with the fact that Mum called out for them as she was dying, but they were unable to help her.\n\n\"It has literally destroyed our family. We no longer talk about anything other than mum's death.\n\n\"It is no longer enjoyable to see each other. Dad has completely withdrawn from family life.\n\n\"Mum didn't need to die. We don't understand why she had to.\"\n\nDavid Redfern found Mrs Barnes in his bedroom, dragged her downstairs and kicked and stamped on her\n\nMrs Barnes' granddaughter, Robyn Barnes, fought back tears as she read a victim impact statement to the court.\n\n\"My grandmother was taken from us in a way we never imagined,\" she said.\n\n\"We struggle to think how she suffered in the last few moments of her life.\n\n\"There's an empty seat at our table at Christmas and for birthdays.\n\n\"She will never be there for the milestones in my life. She will never see me get married. She will never be able to meet my children.\n\n\"We miss her every day. We will miss her forever. We are completely heartbroken.\"\n\nRedfern denied murdering Mrs Barnes, but was found guilty after a trial\n\nHe said Redfern had watched Mrs Barnes with a \"threatening attitude\" as she crouched on the ground trying to gather together her possessions.\n\nThe judge said although Redfern had brought Mrs Barnes water, cushions and took her pulse, he refused to call an ambulance when asked by a neighbour.\n\n\"The jury has found that she was killed by the kick or stamp which you delivered with the intention of doing her really serious physical harm,\" Judge Bourne said.\n\n\"Now, I accept you must have been very shocked to find a stranger in your house, in your bedroom.\n\n\"I also work on the assumption that she behaved aggressively towards your partner, accusing her of stealing and lunging towards her.\n\n\"But your reaction surpassed anything that a reasonable person could imagine.\n\n\"You're a large and strong man, aged 45 at the time. She was small and slight, at least 25 years older than you, and clearly affected by alcohol and unsteady on her feet.\"\n\nRedfern had told the jury he \"just wanted to get this strange woman out of the house\"\n\nJudge Bourne said the weight of the aggravating and mitigating factors almost made them cancel each other out.\n\n\"I attach particular weight to the lack of intention to kill and to the sudden and bizarre circumstances in which your un-premeditated offence was committed,\" he said.\n\n\"Those things do not begin to excuse what you did. They do however differentiate this case to many others.\"\n\nSpeaking after sentencing, Det Supt Mark Pierce, of North Wales Police, said Redfern had shown no remorse during his two-week trial.\n\nThe officer said he had tried to blame Mrs Barnes and subjected her family to \"the trauma\" of a court case.\n\n\"How a 21st (133kg), 6ft 1in (185cm) man could have inflicted such catastrophic injuries on a frail, 71-year-old lady, 25 years his senior, is beyond the comprehension of any reasonable person,\" he said.\n\n\"David Redfern is a cowardly, vicious bully and will now spend at least 14 years behind bars.\"\n\nHe praised Mrs Barnes' family for their \"courage and dignity\".\n\n\"They can now start to re-build their lives,\" he added.\n\nRhian Jones, speaking for the CPS after sentencing, said: \"David Redfern's reaction to the mistake was unjustified and completely out of proportion to the situation.\n\n\"The strong evidence presented by the CPS has resulted in this conviction, and justice for Margaret Barnes.\n\n\"Her loss will continue to be felt by her family and friends, who have our deepest sympathy, but we hope the conclusion of the case will help them in their grief.\"","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/uk-wales-65129157"}
{"title":"Aberfan teacher who rescued children dies aged 82 - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-31","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"Howell Williams smashed the glass above the classroom door and helped children escape.","section":"Wales","content":"Howell Williams smashed the glass above the classroom door which allowed pupils to escape\n\nA teacher who smashed a window to help his students to safety during the 1966 Aberfan disaster has died aged 82.\n\nHowell Williams, from Treharris, was just 25 when the colliery spoil tip collapsed, engulfing Pantglas Primary School on 21 October.\n\nMr Williams' son, Jonathan Williams, 53, said \"he was a lovely man\" but had \"struggled\" after the disaster.\n\nHowell Williams died at the Royal Glamorgan Hospital, Llantrisant, Rhondda Cynon Taf, on 29 March.\n\nJonathan Williams, who now lives in Radyr, Cardiff, said: \"I think it changed him, I think he was a different man after 25 to how he was before.\n\n\"If it happened in the modern era, it would have been very different. There was no counselling then.\"\n\nThe newly qualified PE teacher helped many children escape by smashing a classroom window.\n\nMr Williams was one of four teachers who survived the disaster, along with Mair Morgan, Hettie Williams and Rennie Williams\n\nIn the BBC programme Surviving Aberfan, survivor Bernard Thomas recounted how his life was saved by Mr Williams.\n\n\"My memory is of the other kids screaming,\" he had said.\n\n\"I looked around and I saw my teacher and I thought 'I'll get across to Mr Williams now' and he helped me out through the small panes of glass at the top of the classroom door.\"\n\nAnother Aberfan survivor, Gareth Jones, added: \"The other teachers who survived - Hettie, Rennie and Mair - would sometimes see us upset and they would get sad too and give us a cwtch.\n\n\"Howell was different. He'd make you smile, say something funny, and that really helped too.\n\n\"He'd been through trauma like us kids, probably worse because he saw stuff he didn't tell us about. But his help and support was invaluable.\"\n\nAberfan survivor Gareth Jones says teacher Howell Williams was 'a gent' who made pupils smile\n\nPupil Dilys Pope, who was 10 at the time of the disaster, previously told the South Wales Argus: \"My leg got caught in a desk and I could not move and my arm was hurting.\n\n\"The children were lying all over the place. The teacher, Mr Williams, was also on the floor. He managed to free himself and he smashed the window in the door with a stone.\"I climbed out and went round through the hall and then out through the window. I opened the classroom window and some of the children came out that way. The teacher got some of the children out and he told us to go home.\"\n\nIn 1997, Queen Elizabeth visited the village to help plant a flowering cherry tree in the garden of remembrance 30 years after the disaster.\n\nAt the time, Mr Williams spoke to BBC Wales Today's Melanie Doel.\n\nHe said: \"I wasn't looking forward to today one little bit, I don't think anybody was, but now we've all met, I don't think there's been a tear, it's been quite a pleasant occasion. \"","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/uk-wales-65100262"}
{"title":"Oscar Pistorius parole bid collapses in South Africa - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-31","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"The hearing was held by mistake as the Paralympian has not served enough time in jail yet.","section":"Africa","content":"Oscar Pistorius, who was sentenced to 13 years in jail, will not be freed until August next year at the earliest\n\nOscar Pistorius's bid for parole collapsed in South Africa after it was revealed he had not yet served enough time to qualify for early release.\n\nThe former Paralympian is serving 13 years for murder, after killing his girlfriend, Reeva Steenkamp, in 2013.\n\nThe parole board met to hear evidence, including from Pistorius, 36, and Ms Steenkamp's mother.\n\nBut instead of giving a decision afterwards, embarrassed officials admitted their timings had been wrong.\n\nEarlier this week, they had received, but ignored, a letter from South Africa's top appeals court, which explained that Pistorius needed to spend another year and a half in prison before he could be considered for parole.\n\nThe hearing at Atteridgeville prison, a low-security facility in rolling fields just outside the city of Pretoria, should never have happened.\n\nFor weeks, officials had insisted the amputee former sprinter was eligible to apply for parole, having served half his sentence.\n\nThe confusion stems from the fact that Pistorius's time in prison has been broken up by appeals and by a period of house arrest.\n\nThere is disagreement about where to draw the halfway line.\n\nPistorius's family have expressed dismay and are seeking legal clarification.\n\nIt has been an emotional day for the Steenkamp family, who have welcomed the fact that Pistorius will not be yet be freed.\n\nOscar Pistorius shot his girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp at their home in Pretoria on Valentine's Day 10 years ago\n\n\"Today is not a cause for celebration. We miss Reeva terribly and will do so for the rest of our lives. We believe in justice and hope that it continues to prevail,\" their statement said.\n\nWhen June Steenkamp, Reeva's mother, spoke to reporters before the hearing she said she opposed the release of her daughter's killer: \"I don't believe Oscar is remorseful\u2026 or rehabilitated.\"\n\nThe six-time Paralympic gold medallist has expressed his deep remorse for killing his girlfriend on Valentine's Day in 2013, but continues to maintain he shot her by mistake, believing she was a robber.\n\nPistorius was initially found guilty of culpable homicide and given a six-year term. But prosecutors launched an appeal, arguing this was too lenient.\n\nThe sentence was increased to 13 years as he was then convicted of murder.\n\nThis verdict was based on the grounds that he must have known his actions - shooting three times through a locked bathroom door in his Pretoria home - would lead to the death of whoever was on the other side.\n\nThe televised trial of the man once dubbed \"the Blade Runner\", because of the ground-breaking prosthetic legs he wore in both Paralympic and Olympic track races, attracted huge global attention.\n\nIt now seems likely that he will not have an opportunity to leave prison before August 2024.\n\nJune Steenkamp, arriving at the prison, said she did not believe Oscar Pistorius had been rehabilitated","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/world-africa-65141013"}
{"title":"Thomas Cashman guilty: Olivia mum 'ecstatic' at murder conviction - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-31","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"Thomas Cashman, 34, is convicted of shooting nine-year-old Olivia Pratt-Korbel dead in her home.","section":"Liverpool","content":"The bullet that killed Olivia was fired through the front door\n\nA man has been found guilty of murdering nine-year-old Olivia Pratt-Korbel, who was fatally shot in her home in Liverpool.\n\nThomas Cashman, 34, killed Olivia and injured her mother Cheryl Korbel as he chased a fellow drug dealer into their home on the evening of 22 August.\n\nThere were gasps and tears in court as he was convicted, with Ms Korbel later saying she felt \"ecstatic\".\n\nMerseyside Police said Cashman was \"not worthy of walking the streets\".\n\nCashman, who was also found guilty of wounding Ms Korbel, the attempted murder of Joseph Nee and possession of firearms with intent to endanger life, will be sentenced on Monday.\n\nThe jury of 10 men and two women at Manchester Crown Court took nine hours and three minutes to reach their unanimous verdicts.\n\nBBC Panorama investigates how Liverpool came to dominate the UK drug market and how organised crime brought death to Olivia Pratt-Korbel's door.\n\nMs Korbel, 46, wearing a pink cardigan and holding a teddy bear, sat with her children Chloe and Ryan in the court as the verdicts were read out.\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser.\n\nCashman wiped away tears in the dock and turned to his family in the public gallery behind, shaking his head.\n\nOne of his relatives could be heard saying \"appeal it\" and they left the courtroom shouting and swearing.\n\nDuring the trial, the jury heard 36-year-old Nee, who has a number of previous convictions, was the intended target of the attack.\n\nCashman, who made up to \u00a35,000 per week dealing cannabis in Liverpool, had been lying in wait for his fellow drug dealer at about 22:00 BST, the jury was told.\n\nHe shot at Nee in the street and wounded him but his gun jammed as he tried to finish the job.\n\nThomas Cashman was convicted following a trial, which lasted more than three weeks\n\nNee fled for his life - heading towards the light of an open door - the home of Ms Korbel, who had heard the commotion.\n\nBut, as she tried to close the door to keep the strangers out, Cashman shot again.\n\nThe bullet went through the door, through her hand, and fatally hit Olivia in the chest.\n\nCashman then fled the scene, running across back gardens.\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Police release footage of the arrest of Thomas Cashman\n\nThe court heard Nee and his family \"had their enemies\" and it was not the first time he had been targeted in a shooting.\n\nNee had been shot at on 8 August, two weeks before the shooting in which Olivia was killed.\n\nDuring a previous hearing, which could not be reported until the conclusion of this trial, the court was told the shootings came after a feud between two families.\n\nThere had been a \"background of hostility\" between Nee's family and another, the court heard.\n\nThe same self-loading pistol used by Cashman to kill Olivia had been fired at Nee in the earlier incident, police said.\n\nThe defence sought to elicit further material supporting a feud between the two families, including a fight in prison involving two of them and an alleged \"straightener\" in a pub.\n\nThere was insufficient evidence Cashman was involved in the shooting on 8 August but he had not been eliminated by police, the court heard.\n\nOlivia's murder made national headlines. A child gunned down inside her own home, where she should have been safest.\n\nThe case is considered a real low. But it's not a new low for Liverpool.\n\nEerily, exactly 15 years to the very day, 11-year-old Rhys Jones was fatally shot by a stray bullet.\n\nOlivia's murder carried the sense of history repeating itself.\n\nMaybe that's why it provoked such a strong reaction within the local community.\n\nDetectives say that information flowed into their incident room in a volume they haven't experienced before.\n\nAnd even some of those who might have been expected to put up a wall of silence spoke out.\n\nCriminals talked about \"a line having been crossed\".\n\nDuring the trial, Cashman, a father-of-two, had told the court he had been at a friend's house where he counted \u00a310,000 in cash and smoked a spliff at around the time of the shooting.\n\nBut a woman, who had had a fling with Cashman, told the jury he came to her house after the shooting, where he changed his clothes and she heard him say he had \"done Joey\".\n\nIt can now also be reported that Paul Russell, 41, admitted driving Cashman away from a house where he fled to following Olivia's murder and disposing of his clothing.\n\nRussell, of Snowberry Road, Liverpool, pleaded guilty to assisting an offender at a hearing at Liverpool Crown Court in October and will also be sentenced on Monday.\n\nJournalists were prevented from reporting his plea until the conclusion of Cashman's trial.\n\nDet Supt Mark Baker, the senior investigating officer in the case, said Cashman's actions were \"abhorrent\".\n\nHe said officers were still \"hunting down\" those who had enabled Olivia's murder and finding the weapons, which had not yet been recovered, was key.\n\n\"When he found out that he had shot an innocent young girl, he should have had the courage to stand up and come forward,\" he said.\n\n\"Instead, he chose to lie low despite the fact that he was a dad himself.\n\n\"He is not worthy of walking the streets of Merseyside, and neither are those who think they can bring fear or intimidation to our communities through the use of firearms.\"\n\nWhy not follow BBC North West on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram? You can also send story ideas to northwest.newsonline@bbc.co.uk\n\nThe BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/uk-england-merseyside-65088182"}
{"title":"Cambridgeshire shootings: Man in court over murders - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-31","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"The bodies of Gary and Josh Dunmore were found in Cambridgeshire on Wednesday.","section":"Cambridgeshire","content":"Gary and Josh Dunmore were shot dead at properties in Cambridgeshire on Wednesday\n\nA man has appeared in court charged with the murders of a father and son who were shot dead in Cambridgeshire.\n\nJosh Dunmore, 32, was found in Bluntisham at about 21:00 BST on Wednesday and Gary Dunmore, 57, was found in Sutton about 40 minutes later.\n\nStephen Alderton, 66, of no fixed address, is charged with two counts of murder and possession of a firearm.\n\nWearing a grey prison tracksuit, he confirmed his name, age and address at Huntingdon Magistrates' Court.\n\nNo pleas were entered and he was remanded in custody.\n\nThe case was sent to Cambridge Crown Court, where a hearing will take place on Monday.\n\nFloral tributes have been left in the two Cambridgeshire villages\n\nThe victims' family have paid tribute to the \"devoted\" father and son in a statement released via Cambridgeshire Constabulary on Friday.\n\nThey said: \"Josh was a devoted father and a loving uncle.\n\n\"He was a wonderful son and brother and leaves behind an extensive group of family and friends.\n\n\"He will be deeply missed and the devastation this has caused will never heal.\n\n\"Gary was the most devoted son, brother, dad and grandad, who gave everything for those he loved.\n\n\"He was a gentle and generous person who always put others before himself and he'll be massively missed by his family and all those who knew and loved him.\"\n\nA floral tribute to Gary Dunmore, left outside his home in The Row, Sutton, said: \"To my dear neighbour Gary.\n\n\"A man who loved his family dearly, a dear friend to all, so helpful and kind and was always around as a friend and my little odd job man.\n\nPolice said post-mortem examinations will take place at Peterborough City Hospital on Monday.\n\nA 27-year-old man and 33-year-old woman, who were arrested in connection with the deaths, have been released with no further action taken.\n\nFind BBC News: East of England on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter. If you have a story suggestion email eastofenglandnews@bbc.co.uk\n\nThe BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/uk-england-cambridgeshire-65142515"}
{"title":"Council tax, water and mobile bills rise for millions - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-31","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"A range of bills - from council tax to water - are going up, but the lowest earners also get a pay rise.","section":"Business","content":"Rises in a host of essential bills are now taking effect, adding pressure to strained budgets - but the lowest earners are also receiving better pay.\n\nThe start of April marks the point at which council tax, water bills, and some mobile costs rise, coming just as food prices are soaring.\n\nBut the biggest cash increase in the 24-year history of the minimum wage also comes into force.\n\nNearly two million people will receive \u00a310.42 an hour from now, a 92p rise.\n\nThose on the lowest incomes have been hardest hit by the soaring cost of living, because a greater proportion of their money is eaten up by vital household costs, such as energy and groceries.\n\nThe government has allowed local authorities in England to increase council tax by up to 5%, and most have opted for the biggest possible rise. That means an increase of about \u00a3100 a year for the average band D property. Last year, residents in bands A to D homes received \u00a3150 off their bill to help with the cost of living, but that was a one-off.\n\nThere are discounts for those living on their own, or in a home that has been adapted to take account of disabilities. Support grants are also available, but all need to be claimed.\n\nDifferent systems operate in Wales - where the typical rise is about 5.5%, and in Scotland - where many areas see a 3% increase. The alternative domestic rating system in Northern Ireland will see households pay at least 6% more.\n\nThe winter discount for nearly all billpayers has now come to an end, with no sign of the government repeating the support. This saw a total of \u00a3400 taken off energy bills by suppliers, in six instalments of about \u00a367 a month.\n\nIn some areas, standing charges - the fixed costs of being connected to the network - are going up.\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Four changes to energy bills discounts and payments in one minute\n\nThis will increase some bills, even though the warmer, longer days should reduce gas and electricity usage. Bills had been scheduled for a sharper rise in April, but ministers offered a three-month extension to the Energy Price Guarantee, which caps the unit price of energy and means the typical household will pay \u00a32,500 a year.\n\nThe next round of cost-of-living payments, worth hundreds of pounds for eight million people on low incomes and receiving benefits will be paid automatically towards the end of the month.\n\nThe cost of most mobile and broadband contracts can go up by the Consumer Prices Index (CPI) or Retail Prices Index (RPI) measures of inflation plus nearly 4%, adding 17.3% to the price of some services.\n\nThose increases are being imposed by a host of suppliers for customers still in contract. Not all will do so exactly on 1 April, but it will be at around this time.\n\nThe rules are controversial, and under investigation by regulators. The consumer association Which? has described the mid-contract price hikes as \"completely unfair\".\n\n\"Millions of broadband and mobile customers are trapped in a Catch-22 situation where they either have to accept exorbitant - and difficult to justify - mid-contract price hikes or pay costly exit fees to leave their contract early and find a better deal,\" said Rocio Concha, Which? director of policy and advocacy.\n\nAnyone out of contract is free to shop around to cut the cost. Most providers allow you to check whether you are still in contract by sending a text with the word INFO to 85075. Suppliers also have cheaper, social tariffs available for the most vulnerable.\n\nYour bill for water depends on the area where you live but, on average in England and Wales, it has now gone up by 7.5% - or \u00a331 - a year. The increase, the biggest for 20 years, could be as high as \u00a347 for some.\n\nThe average household in England and Wales will pay \u00a3448 a year, industry body Water UK has said. As with broadband, social tariffs are available, but inconsistent.\n\nIn Scotland, bills rise by an average of \u00a319, or 5%.\n\nVehicle Excise Duty - a legal requirement for all vehicles - is rising by 10.1% for car, van and motorcycle drivers, in line with inflation. The amount due depends on when the vehicle was registered and its emissions.\n\nAn NHS prescription now costs \u00a39.65, up by 3.2%, and the cost of prescription prepayment certificates have also now gone up.\n\nPostage stamps become more expensive on Monday.\n\nSarah Coles, head of personal finance at investment platform Hargreaves Lansdown, said their research suggested people had already eaten into the majority of what they had managed to set aside during the pandemic.\n\n\"It's going to be another awful April, as rising bills leave us nursing a serious blow to the wallet. Millions of people have already had their financial resilience laid low after a year of runaway prices,\" she said.\n\n\"The extra cost of April's changes is going to come as another miserable blow when we can least manage it.\"\n\nOne thing that will assist with the bills for around two million people on the lowest incomes is a pay rise. The increase, of up to 9.7%, in minimum wages varies by the age of the employee.\n\nA 10.1% increase in most benefits and the state pension will take effect from 10 April.\n\nHow are you coping with the rising cost of living? Share your experiences by emailing haveyoursay@bbc.co.uk.\n\nPlease include a contact number if you are willing to speak to a BBC journalist. You can also get in touch in the following ways:\n\nIf 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 HaveYourSay@bbc.co.uk. Please include your name, age and location with any submission.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/business-65123881"}
{"title":"UK growth confirms recession avoided in 2022 - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-31","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"The economy performed better than previously estimated in the final three months of 2022, new figures show.","section":"Business","content":"The UK economy performed better than previously estimated at the end of last year, revised official figures show.\n\nIt was previously thought the economy had not grown in the last three months of 2022, but new Office for National Statistics data shows it grew by 0.1%.\n\nThe latest figures confirm that the UK economy avoided falling into recession at the end of 2022.\n\nThe ONS said telecommunications, construction and manufacturing had all fared better than initially thought.\n\nIt also said household finances had been helped by the government's energy bill support scheme.\n\nThe main driver of the economy in the UK - the services sector - was boosted by a sizeable jump for travel agents.\n\nManufacturing growth was driven by the drugs industry, and construction growth was up much more than previously thought.\n\nThe ONS also revised up its estimate for the economy's performance in the July-to-September quarter. It now says GDP - the value of the goods and services the country produces - fell by 0.1%, compared with its previous estimate of a 0.2% fall.\n\nChancellor Jeremy Hunt said the figures \"show there's underlying resilience in the UK economy\".\n\nHowever, he added that \"families up and down the country are facing real pressure\".\n\nA recession is usually defined as when the economy contracts for two three-month periods in a row, so the growth at the end of 2022 means the UK avoided one.\n\nLast week, the Bank of England said that the economy was expected to grow only slightly in the coming months.\n\nHowever, Bank governor Andrew Bailey said he was \"much more hopeful\" for the economy, and it was no longer heading into an immediate recession.\n\nMr Bailey's comments came after the Bank increased interest rates to 4.25% from 4%.\n\nInterest rates have been repeatedly hiked as the Bank attempts to get the soaring pace of price rises under control.\n\nInflation, which is the rate at which prices rise, remains close to its highest level for 40 years, and hit 10.4% in the year to February.\n\nRuth Gregory of Capital Economics said the revised ONS figures showed that high inflation took a slightly smaller toll on the economy than thought.\n\nHowever, she said most of the impact of higher rates was yet to be felt.\n\n\"We still think the economy will slip into a recession this year,\" she said.\n\nSeparately, house prices slid in March at the fastest annual rate since 2009, mortgage lender Nationwide said.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/business-65128313"}
{"title":"School leaders' union could take Ofsted to court after Ruth Perry's death - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-31","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"The NAHT is challenging a decision not to pause inspections after head teacher Ruth Perry's death.","section":"Family & Education","content":"Ruth Perry was the head at Caversham Primary School in Reading\n\nOfsted could face a legal challenge over its decision not to pause its school inspections after the death of head teacher Ruth Perry.\n\nMs Perry took her own life while waiting for a report that downgraded her school to \"inadequate\".\n\nThe NAHT school leaders' union wants England's schools watchdog to pause inspections so a review to cut the risk of harm to school staff can take place.\n\nOfsted has said pausing inspections would not be good for children.\n\nThe school leaders' union has written to Ofsted's chief inspector, Amanda Spielman, saying \"the human rights of school staff are not being protected\".\n\nThe letter says steps need to be taken now to address the risk to the mental health of school staff and enable suicide risk prevention to be put in place.\n\nMs Perry's family has said her death was a \"direct result of the pressure\" caused by the school inspection.\n\nPaul Whiteman, NAHT general secretary, said her death \"has shone a light on the intolerable pressure placed on school leaders and their staff during Ofsted inspections\".\n\nHe added: \"School leaders are determined that this should be a watershed moment, and that such a tragedy can never be allowed to happen again.\"\n\nMr Whiteman has asked Ms Spielman to identify and agree \"immediate actions that can be taken\" that are \"discussed and agreed with NAHT - it needs to be done with us, not to us\".\n\n\"Up until now those requests have been ignored. As such, we have no alternative but to go down this route,\" he added.\n\nThe Ofsted report for Ms Perry's school, Caversham Primary School, described a \"welcoming and vibrant school\", where staff-pupil relationships were \"warm and supportive\", and bullying was rare.\n\nBut it also highlighted a lack of \"appropriate supervision during break times\", which meant pupils were \"potentially at risk of harm\".\n\nAn Ofsted spokesperson said: \"We are surprised by claims that Ofsted has ignored requests to engage in discussions with the NAHT.\n\n\"Amanda Spielman has met senior NAHT representatives twice in the last week, and she has clearly indicated Ofsted's willingness to continue having constructive discussions about these issues.\"\n\nFollowing calls for inspections to be paused, Ms Spielman previously said it was \"unquestionably a difficult time to be a head teacher\".\n\nShe acknowledged that the debate about removing grades, where a school is given an overall mark of outstanding, good, requires improvement or inadequate, is a \"legitimate one\".\n\nBut she added that the grades do give parents \"a simple and accessible summary of a school's strengths and weaknesses\" and are used by the government to identify struggling schools.\n\n\"I don't believe that stopping or preventing inspections would be in children's best interests. Our aim is to raise standards, so that all children get a great education\" she added.\n\nIf you have been affected by issues raised in this article you can visit the BBC Action Line pages, or contact Samaritans.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/education-65140375"}
{"title":"Constance Marten and Mark Gordon: Couple to stand trial over baby's death - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-31","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"Constance Marten and Mark Gordon are accused of manslaughter over the death of baby Victoria","section":"UK","content":"Constance Marten and Mark Gordon will stand trial in January 2024 over the alleged manslaughter of a baby girl.\n\nThe infant's remains were found in a plastic bag under nappies in a Brighton shed following a 53-day missing persons search for the couple and their child.\n\nThe couple appeared at the Old Bailey on Friday. They did not enter pleas and were remanded in custody.\n\nThey have also been charged with concealing a child's birth and perverting the course of justice.\n\nAppearing in court on Friday, Ms Marten, 35, wore a white and black patterned blouse, and Gordon, 48, was dressed in a grey sweatshirt.\n\nThe pair, who have no fixed address, spoke only to confirm their names and dates of birth.\n\nJudge Richard Marks set a plea and case management hearing for 18 August, with the defendants to appear by video link.\n\nHe scheduled 2 January as a provisional trial date. The case is expected to last between four and six weeks.\n\nNeither defendant made an application for bail during Friday's hearing.\n\nAs the baby died during a missing persons investigation, the Met referred the case to the Independent Office for Police Conduct but the watchdog has decided a review is not required.\n\nCourt documents published earlier this month revealed the baby was called Victoria.\n\nInvestigators have not publicly established how she died, but believe it may have happened \"some time\" before the remains were discovered on 1 March.\n\nHundreds of officers using sniffer dogs, drones and thermal imaging cameras were involved in the search of woodlands in East Sussex.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/uk-65135336"}
{"title":"Austria's far right walks out of Zelensky speech - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-31","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"The politicians left behind placards on their desks that read \"space for neutrality\".","section":"Europe","content":"This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser.\n\nMore than 20 far-right Austrian MPs walked out of parliament during a speech by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.\n\nThe politicians from the Freedom Party (FP\u00d6) argued Mr Zelensky's speech violated Austria's neutrality.\n\nThey warned ahead of the speech they would hold some form of protest against the address.\n\nAustria has previously said it cannot help Ukraine's defence militarily, but does support Kyiv politically.\n\nIn a video address, Mr Zelensky thanked Austria for its humanitarian assistance and help clearing land mines. He was speaking on the 400th day of Russian invasion.\n\nHe also invited MPs to travel to Ukraine for themselves and see the destruction caused.\n\nThe president of Austria's lower house of parliament, Wolfgang Sobotka, pledged more financial and humanitarian assistance to Ukraine and said the country deserved Austria's solidarity.\n\nBut as Mr Zelensky spoke, a group of politicians walked out and left placards on their desk with the party logo that read \"space for neutrality\" and \"space for peace\".\n\nThere are 30 FP\u00d6 politicians in Austria's lower chamber and they were the only party to oppose Mr Zelensky's address. However, a number of MPs from the centre-left Social Democrats were also missing from the chamber.\n\nThe Freedom Party has prompted anger in the past for its pro-Russian stance. In 2018, when the FP\u00d6's Karin Kneissl was foreign minister, she was criticised for dancing with President Vladimir Putin at her wedding.\n\nOf the five parties in Austria's parliament, they hold the third largest number of seats in the lower house. They have previously been part of Austria's government.\n\nAustria's \"permanent neutrality\" has been part of its constitution since 1955.\n\nThe law states \"Austria will never in the future accede to any military alliances nor permit the establishment of military bases of foreign states on her territory\".","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/world-europe-65131744"}
{"title":"King Charles gets hands-on making cheese in Germany - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-31","authors":null,"description":"The monarch was visiting an organic farm in the village of Brodowin.","section":null,"content":"King Charles III has visited an organic farm in Germany, where he helped to make a special cheese that will be dedicated to him.\n\nThe monarch, who has been interested in ecology and green agriculture for many years, was joined by German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier and Brandenburg State Prime Minister Dietmar Woidke.\n\nDuring his visit, he was also offered a cake in the shape of a crown.\n\nThe King travelled to Germany for a three-day tour with his wife Camilla, the Queen Consort, for the first overseas trip of his reign.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/uk-65129428"}
{"title":"As Donald Trump is indicted, here are three other criminal investigations he faces - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-31","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"It can be difficult to keep track of the ex-president's legal battles - here's what you need to know.","section":"US & Canada","content":"Donald Trump has become the first former US president to face criminal charges, for alleged hush money payments made to a porn star just before the 2016 presidential election.\n\nBut he is facing numerous lawsuits as well and it can be difficult to keep track of the investigations. Here are four that could have the biggest impact on him both personally and politically.\n\nA grand jury has voted to indict the former president after New York prosecutors investigated a $130,000 pay-out to former adult star Stormy Daniels.\n\nThe charges have not yet been made public. Ms Daniels claims she and Mr Trump had sex, and that she accepted the money from his former lawyer before the 2016 election in exchange for her silence on the encounter.\n\nMr Trump has always denied they had sexual relations.\n\nMeanwhile, the business practices of his family company, the Trump Organization, are being examined by prosecutors.\n\nLetitia James, the New York attorney general, is leading a civil investigation (which cannot result in criminal charges) and has spent years looking at whether the company committed various acts of fraud over several decades.\n\nA criminal investigation is being led by the Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg, and is looking at similar issues.\n\nMr Trump has described the indictment in the Stormy Daniels case as \"political persecution\" and said he doesn't expect a fair trial.\n\nHe is expected to appear in court on Tuesday, where he will be presented with the charges and enter a plea.\n\nSeparately, the former president and his lawyers have insisted the allegations against the Trump Organization are politically motivated.\n\nMr Trump has repeatedly criticised both Ms James and Mr Bragg.\n\nAlthough details of the charges in the Stormy Daniels case are yet to be disclosed, it will be the first criminal case ever brought against a former US president.\n\nThe criminal investigation into the Trump Organization has already yielded convictions. The company was found guilty in December of fraud and falsifying business records and fined $1.6m (\u00a31.31m). Allen Weisselberg, the organisation's chief financial officer, was sentenced to five months in jail in January.\n\nIn the civil case, Ms James has filed a lawsuit against Mr Trump and three of his children accusing them of \"astounding\" fraud and deception.\n\nThe lawsuit alleges that the family inflated their net worth by billions, and is seeking $250m (\u00a3226m) that was allegedly obtained through fraudulent means. It's also seeking bans on Mr Trump and his children from serving in a leadership role in any New York business.\n\nA Manhattan judge has denied Mr Trump's bid to delay the trial, saying the scheduled date of 2 October is \"written in stone\".\n\nThe Department of Justice is looking into the removal of government documents from the White House, which were then taken to Mr Trump's Florida estate, Mar-a-Lago, after he left office. Investigators are assessing how these documents were stored and who may have had access to them.\n\nThe former president's sprawling beachside property was searched in August and 11,000 documents were seized, including around 100 marked as classified. Some of these were labelled top secret.\n\nUnsurprisingly, we know very little about what's in the documents at this stage. But classified material usually contains information that officials feel could damage national security if made public.\n\nHe's denied wrongdoing and criticised the justice department's investigation, branding it \"politically motivated\" and a \"witch-hunt\".\n\nHe has offered shifting defences which have mostly hinged on the argument that he declassified the material. No evidence has yet been provided that this is true.\n\nThe former president has also argued that some of the documents are protected by \"privilege\" - a legal concept that would prevent them from being used in future proceedings. An independent lawyer is reviewing the seized material to determine if this is the case and that process continues.\n\nBut Mr Trump has not directly addressed the key question of why the documents were at Mar-a-Lago in the first place.\n\nThis is an active criminal investigation and could result in charges being filed.\n\nAmong other statutes, the justice department believes Mr Trump may have violated the Espionage Act by keeping national security information that \"could be used to the injury of the United States\".\n\nIn addition to charges relating to the classified documents themselves, prosecutors are also looking at obstruction of justice as another potential crime.\n\nMr Trump's team are now locked in a legal battle with the justice department over the investigation.\n\nThe department has appointed an independent lawyer, or special counsel, to oversee all of its criminal investigations into Mr Trump. Jack Smith will lead its various inquiries and will ultimately decide whether to bring charges.\n\nMr Trump's alleged role in the attack on the US Capitol on 6 January 2021, when a mob of his supporters stormed the building in an effort to stop the confirmation of President Joe Biden's election victory, is under scrutiny from several federal government bodies.\n\nThe most visible has been a congressional committee that spent 18 months looking into Mr Trump's actions. They held a series of televised hearings laying out their case that his election fraud claims led directly to the riot.\n\nFollowing these hearings, the committee accused Mr Trump of inciting insurrection and other crimes.\n\nThe justice department is running a separate criminal probe into 6 January and broader efforts to overturn the election - but this has largely been shrouded in secrecy. It's the largest police investigation in US history, but the extent to which Mr Trump is a target is unclear.\n\nHe's denied responsibility for the riot and criticised the congressional committee, which he described as a \"kangaroo court\" and \"unselect pseudo-committee\".\n\nHe has continued to repeat his unsubstantiated allegations of widespread voter fraud.\n\nThe congressional committee - made up of seven Democrats and two Republicans - concluded its hearings by recommending four criminal charges against Mr Trump which it then referred to the justice department.\n\nThe move was largely symbolic as it is up to the department to decide whether to file criminal charges. There is no indication this is imminent.\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Watch the moment Trump supporters stormed the US Capitol building\n\nThe justice department's criminal probe, however, has already led to hundreds of people who stormed the Capitol being charged.\n\nThe former president has not been called for questioning in that inquiry, but it remains a possibility. He could also - in theory - be charged if investigators believe there is sufficient evidence of wrongdoing.\n\nProsecutors spent eight months looking into alleged attempts to overturn Mr Trump's narrow loss in the state in the 2020 presidential election.\n\nThe criminal investigation was opened after the disclosure of an hour-long phone call between the former president and the state's top election official on 2 January 2021.\n\n\"I just want to find 11,780 votes,\" Mr Trump said during the call to Republican Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger - a reference to the number of ballots needed to give him victory in the swing state.\n\nA grand jury investigating the case was dissolved earlier this year after filing a final report, which remains sealed.\n\nHe's described the investigation - as he has many others - as a \"witch hunt\".\n\nMr Trump has also attacked the legal official leading the inquiry - the chief prosecutor of Fulton County, Fani Willis - as a \"young, ambitious, Radical Left Democrat... who is presiding over one of the most Crime Ridden and Corrupt places\".\n\n\"The allegations are very serious. If indicted and convicted, people are facing prison sentences,\" Ms Willis told the Washington Post last month.\n\nThe 26-member grand jury did not have indictment powers but may have recommended charges. Among the potential crimes it looked into were the solicitation of election fraud, making false statements to government officials, and racketeering.\n\nIt is not known whether the former president is being directly investigated, but some of his allies are known to be part of the inquiry.\n\nFor a criminal conviction, however, prosecutors would ultimately need to prove beyond reasonable doubt that those involved knew their actions were fraudulent.\n\nIn January, a prosecutor working on behalf of Fulton County said the district attorney's office believes the report should only be released after prosecutors determine whether or not to bring charges.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/world-us-canada-61084161"}
{"title":"Gwyneth Paltrow's unusual trial - in 2 minutes - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-31","authors":null,"description":"Fumbling lawyers, struggling experts and a Hollywood actress being sued over a ski crash.","section":null,"content":"An eight-person jury has cleared US star Gwyneth Paltrow in the civil trial over a skiing accident in Utah in 2016. The pair were suing each other over the incident - Sanderson was looking for $300,000 in damages whilst Paltrow's counter case was for $1 plus her legal fees.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/world-us-canada-65130714"}
{"title":"Gamekeeper filmed by RSPB shooting bird of prey - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-31","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"An RSPB investigations team observed Rory Parker as he shot the sparrowhawk, a protected species.","section":"Highlands & Islands","content":"Rory Parker was filmed by an RSPB investigations team\n\nA gamekeeper has been fined \u00a31,575 after he admitted shooting a bird of prey on a Highland estate.\n\nRory Parker, of Tomatin, was filmed killing the sparrowhawk by an RSPB Scotland investigations team.\n\nHe was seen firing two shots into the air as the bird, a protected species, flew overhead at Tom Na Slaite, Ruthven, on 16 September 2021.\n\nInverness Sheriff Court heard Parker was 22 at the time and working on the Moy Estate, near Inverness.\n\nHe admitted the offence under the Wildlife and Countryside Act.\n\nRSPB Scotland has welcomed the conviction, which comes just days after a red kite was shot on another Highland estate.\n\nThe court heard police recovered two shotgun cartridges and feathers from the site of the sparrowhawk shooting.\n\nMark Moir KC, defending, told Sheriff Sara Matheson that his client had been in his job since he left school.\n\nMr Moir said: \"He is deeply shameful of what he has done. He has brought the estate into disrepute and has now resigned.\n\n\"His firearms certificate is likely to be revoked as a result of this conviction. He should have been shooting pigeons and crows that day. Feral pigeons are a problem on the estate.\n\n\"However, the sparrowhawk flew over and there was a rush of blood. He says it was a stupid thing to do.\"\n\nParker used a plastic owl to lure the sparrowhawk\n\nSheriff Matheson told Parker Scotland's birds of prey were precious and deserved protection.\n\nFollowing sentencing, RSPB Scotland said he was the 56th gamekeeper to be convicted of raptor persecution offences in Scotland since 1990.\n\nThe conservation charity said it was likely Parker had used a plastic decoy owl to lure the bird to his position.\n\nIan Thomson, head of investigations, said: \"This conviction was the end result of exemplary partnership working between Police Scotland, RSPB Scotland, the Wildlife DNA Forensics team at Science and Advice for Scottish Agriculture and the Wildlife and Environmental Crime Unit of Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service.\"\n\nHe said the persecution of birds of prey was continuing in Scotland \"unabated\".\n\nThe land where the sparrowhawk was killed is used for pheasant and partridge shoots and managed by a tenant on the Moy Estate.\n\nA spokesman for the tenant said Parker was suspended after it was made aware of the incident.\n\nThe spokesman added: \"This incident was totally unacceptable to us and we remain committed to the highest standards of game management.\"\n\nScottish Land and Estates, which represents landowners and rural business, said it condemned raptor persecution in the strongest possible terms.\n\nThe organisation's Dee Ward said: \"It is right and proper that anyone who commits such an act is prosecuted and convicted.\n\n\"In this case, the illegal persecution of a sparrowhawk near pheasant and partridge release pens is particularly disappointing given the progress made by the sector in driving down raptor crime in recent years and industry-wide condemnation of this unacceptable behaviour.\n\n\"We will continue to do all that we can to prevent, detect and condemn anyone who thinks this kind of abhorrent behaviour is acceptable.\"","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/uk-scotland-highlands-islands-65137738"}
{"title":"The Trump arrest saga in 70 seconds - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-31","authors":null,"description":"How will it play out now that the former president has been indicted? Our correspondent explains.","section":null,"content":"Donald Trump will be charged with a crime over an alleged hush money payment to former porn star Stormy Daniels. The former US President posted about his arrest and kicked off a political and legal firestorm.\n\nThe BBC's New York Correspondent Nada Tawfik explains what may happen now that the unprecedented has happened - a former president being arrested in a criminal case.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/world-us-canada-65018198"}
{"title":"Pakefield: Two boys arrested as woman, 82, dies after burglary - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-31","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"The boys are arrested on suspicion of murder after Joy Middleditch was robbed and attacked at home.","section":"Suffolk","content":"Joy Middleditch died on Monday from injuries she sustained when her home on Grayson Avenue was broken into\n\nTwo boys, aged 14 and 15, have been arrested on suspicion of murder after an 82-year-old died after being injured during a burglary at her home.\n\nJoy Middleditch was found by her family, injured but conscious, in her bungalow in Pakefield, Suffolk, on Saturday afternoon. She died on Monday.\n\nThe break-in is thought to have happened overnight from Friday to Saturday.\n\nHer cause of death is yet to be confirmed.\n\nSuffolk Police said the two boys, both from the Lowestoft area, had been taken to Martlesham Police Investigation Centre for questioning.\n\nThe break-in is thought to have happened overnight from Friday to Saturday\n\nOfficers were called to Ms Middleditch's home in Grayson Avenue at about 14:00 GMT on Saturday after relatives found her lying on the floor.\n\nShe was said to have been found conscious and breathing but in a serious condition, and was taken to the James Paget University Hospital in Gorleston, Norfolk.\n\nMs Middleditch died in the early hours of Monday.\n\nA handbag that was stolen was recovered a short distance away on Nelson Road, but her purse was missing, police said.\n\nFloral tributes have been left outside Ms Middleditch's home\n\nMs Middleditch's family described her as a \"strong, determined character who loved life and her dog\".\n\nFloral tributes have been left outside her home and people living in the south Lowestoft area have expressed shock at the incident.\n\nPrayers were said and candles were lit for Ms Middleditch during a service at nearby All Saints' and St Margaret's Church on Wednesday morning.\n\nFind BBC News: East of England on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter. If you have a story suggestion email eastofenglandnews@bbc.co.uk\n\nThe BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/uk-england-suffolk-65138165"}
{"title":"Michael Vaughan cleared 'on balance of probabilities' of using racist language towards Azeem Rafiq - BBC Sport","published_date":"2023-03-31","authors":null,"description":"Michael Vaughan is cleared \"on balance of probabilities\" of using racist language towards former Yorkshire team-mate Azeem Rafiq.","section":null,"content":"Former England cricket captain Michael Vaughan has been cleared \"on the balance of probabilities\" of using racist language towards ex-Yorkshire team-mate Azeem Rafiq.\n\nVaughan was accused of saying \"there's too many of you lot, we need to have a word about that\" to Rafiq and three other Asian players representing Yorkshire in 2009.\n\nThe Cricket Discipline Commission (CDC) panel found the England and Wales Cricket Board's case against Vaughan, 48, was not proved.\n\nThe panel said it was \"not satisfied on the balance of probabilities\" that the words were said by Vaughan \"at the time and in the specific circumstances alleged\".\n\nIt said there were \"significant inconsistencies\" in the evidence provided by Rafiq and fellow key witness Adil Rashid regarding the exact wording of Vaughan's alleged comment.\n\nIt added its findings \"do not in any way undermine\" Rafiq's wider evidence - in which he said English cricket is \"institutionally racist\".\n\nThe panel said the case did not need a conclusion that \"anyone had lied or acted out of malice\".\n\nIt said it \"had to consider whether the case as presented to it by the ECB... was sufficiently accurate and reliable, on the balance of probabilities, to rule out mistake. It was not.\"\n\nThe CDC panel, chaired by Tim O'Gorman, upheld some of the charges against former Yorkshire players Tim Bresnan, Matthew Hoggard, Andrew Gale, Richard Pyrah and John Blain - all of whom withdrew from the process.\n\nRafiq alleged Vaughan made the comment to him, Rashid, Rana Naved-ul-Hasan and Ajmal Shahzad before a match against Nottinghamshire at Trent Bridge on 22 June 2009.\n\nVaughan was charged, along with Yorkshire County Cricket Club and six other former players, with bringing the game into disrepute following a nine-month investigation by the ECB - English cricket's governing body.\n\nYorkshire previously accepted four amended charges. In a statement, interim chair Baroness Tanni Grey-Thompson and chief executive Stephen Vaughan said: \"As a club, we needed to accept and take accountability for the cultural issues which allowed racist and discriminatory behaviour to go unchallenged.\"\n\nFormer England batter Gary Ballance also previously admitted the charge against him.\n\nAshes-winning captain Vaughan, who led England in 51 Test matches between 2003 and 2008, was the only respondent to appear at the CDC hearing at the International Arbitration Centre in London from 1-9 March.\n\nAll parties have 14 days to appeal against the CDC's decisions. The panel will disclose the sanctions against the individuals and the club at a later date.\n\nWhat have Vaughan and Rafiq said?\n\nBBC pundit Vaughan - in a statement posted on social media before the ruling was officially released - said: \"It has been both difficult and upsetting to hear about the painful experiences which Azeem has described over the past three years.\n\n\"The outcome of these CDC proceedings must not be allowed to detract from the core message that there can be no place for racism in the game of cricket, or in society generally.\"\n\nHe added: \"I have never wanted to do anything that runs contrary to genuine efforts to clean up the game of cricket. I truly hope people can understand why, on a personal level, I could not just accept, or apologise for, something which I know I did not do.\n\n\"At times, this process has brought me to the brink of falling out of love with cricket. I won't address here the toll that it has taken on me and my family, but I have no doubt that it has also been incredibly stressful for all of the others concerned. I hope that for them and for cricket, an inclusive healing process can now begin.\"\n\nRafiq said: \"The issue has never been about individuals but the game as a whole. Cricket needs to understand the extent of its problems and address them.\n\n\"Hopefully, the structures of the game can now be rebuilt and institutionalised racism ended for good. It's time to reflect, learn and implement change.\"\n\nRichard Thompson, ECB chair, said: \"This has been an incredibly challenging period for our sport, but one we must all learn from in order to make cricket better and more inclusive.\n\n\"Given the nature of these cases, they have taken a clear toll on everyone involved. There now needs to be a time of reconciliation where, as a game, we can collectively learn and heal the wounds and ensure that nothing like this can ever happen again.\"\n\nThe Independent Commission for Equity in Cricket is expected to deliver its findings soon.\n\nIt was set up by the ECB in 2021 to consider matters of race, class and gender within cricket and make recommendations on improving inclusivity in the sport.\n\nVaughan retired from playing in 2009 and went on to work as a summariser on BBC radio programme Test Match Special. He stepped back from the role in June 2022.\n\nA BBC spokesperson said: \"We note the findings by the Cricket Discipline Commission in relation to Michael Vaughan. Michael is not currently under contract with the BBC, although we have remained in touch with him throughout the process. At this stage, we won't be commenting further.\"\n\nSport anti-racism campaign group Kick It Out said the CDC process had been \"a difficult but necessary step in the process of helping cricket heal and reform\".\n\nIt praised Rafiq's \"great courage\" during what had been \"a bruising episode for the game\" but said it had already been in contact with the ECB to offer suggestions \"about addressing cricket's culture, how it can begin its process of reconciliation and what practises can be in place to better support players\".\n\nWhat is the background to Vaughan's case?\n\nFormer Yorkshire bowler Rafiq first made claims of historical racism at Headingley in August 2020 and in a Wisden article that month claimed a team-mate had made the alleged comment, but did not name Vaughan.\n\nAn independent investigation commissioned by Yorkshire upheld seven of Rafiq's 43 claims in September 2021, but the full report has never been published and the club said no player, employee or executive would face disciplinary action as a result of its findings, sparking widespread criticism.\n\nThe ECB began its own investigation in October 2021 and the following month Yorkshire were temporarily stripped of the right to host international matches, chairman Roger Hutton and chief executive Mark Arthur resigned, and several sponsors ended their partnerships with the club.\n\nVaughan revealed he was named in the report in November 2021 and denied the allegation.\n\nLater that month - in an emotional testimony before a Digital, Culture, Media and Sport select committee in which he called English cricket \"institutionally racist\" - Rafiq said of Vaughan: \"It's important on Michael that we don't make it all about Michael.\"\n\nGiving evidence at the CDC hearing, Vaughan was critical of the ECB investigation, calling it \"a terrible look for cricket\" and said he \"knows\" he did not make the alleged comment because he was \"proud\" of it being the first time four Asian players had been in the same Yorkshire side.\n\nHe also denied having heard racial slurs while at Yorkshire.\n\nVaughan did apologise for sending \"disgusting\" historical tweets which were first brought to his attention in a 2021 BBC interview. ECB lawyer Jane Mulcahy KC argued the tweets showed it was \"inherently probable\" Vaughan made the alleged comment.\n\nVaughan's lawyer Christopher Stoner KC drew attention to discrepancies in Rafiq's evidence, including Rafiq telling the initial investigation that Vaughan said \"there's too many of you lot, we need to do something about it\".\n\nRafiq took \"full responsibility\" for the mistake but said he \"clearly\" recalled Vaughan making the comment insisting the former batter did say the phrase \"there's too many of you lot\".\n\nEngland spinner Rashid and former Pakistan bowler Naved-ul-Hasan corroborated Rafiq's claim. Former England bowler Shahzad said he had no recollection of it happening.\n\nGiving evidence via video link from Bangladesh on an England tour, Rashid said he had a \"very clear recollection\" of Vaughan making the comment and denied he had been \"pressured\" by Rafiq into corroborating the allegation.\n\nStoner called the ECB investigation \"woefully inadequate\" and criticised the governing body for not speaking to all the other Yorkshire players taking part in the match, the Sky cameraman and the umpires.\n\nThe ECB strongly denied an accusation of bias against Vaughan by Stoner, adding it was \"inappropriate\" to make that allegation.\n\nStoner said the case was \"so critical\" to Vaughan because \"the shape of his life and his livelihood is at stake\".\n\nWhat about the other cases?\n\nPart of the hearing took place in public - a first for the CDC - following a request from Rafiq. The proceedings were delayed until this year after \"a number of the respondents\" appealed against the decision to hold them in public, but those appeals were all dismissed.\n\nHoggard, Bresnan and Blain all withdrew from the disciplinary process on 3 February 2023, believing they would not get a fair hearing.\n\nPyrah withdrew on 7 February 2023, while Gale withdrew on 29 June 2022, calling it \"tainted\".\n\nOn the charges that were upheld, the panel said it was \"satisfied on the balance of probabilities that the conduct as alleged occurred\".\n\nFormer England bowler Hoggard was charged with using two racial slurs as well as referring to Rafiq and other Asian players in the Yorkshire squad as \"you lot\", which he denied.\n\nHe had previously admitted using a term that is racially offensive in South Africa, but denied any racist intent.\n\nThe panel found the allegation the 2005 Ashes winner used the term \"you lot\" not proved.\n\nHowever, regarding the use of the other two racial slurs, the panel found the charges proved.\n\nFormer England bowler Bresnan was charged with using a racial slur relating to Pakistani heritage towards Rafiq's sister Amna during a media day at Headingley in 2014, and subsequently towards other Asian women.\n\nHe was also accused of using the terms \"the brothers\" and \"you lot\" to specifically refer to groups of Asian players.\n\nTwo-time Ashes winner Bresnan denied all the allegations and said had never met Amna Rafiq, stating he had only seen her from afar when she was working at Leicester.\n\nThe panel said the allegations Bresnan used the terms \"brothers\" and \"you lot\" were not proved.\n\nHowever, it found the allegation he used a racial slur towards Amna Rafiq and other women proved.\n\nFormer Yorkshire coach Blain was charged with using a racist phrase to describe Asian individuals during pre-season training at Headingley in 2010, as well as on other occasions at Yorkshire during that year and 2011.\n\nFormer Yorkshire bowling coach Pyrah, who withdrew from the process on 7 February 2023, was accused of using the same racial slur as Bresnan towards Rafiq's sister, as well as the term \"you lot\" towards groups of Asian players, both of which he denied.\n\nAs with Bresnan, the allegation Pyrah used the term \"you lot\" was not proved.\n\nHowever, it found the allegation he used a racial slur towards Amna Rafiq and other women proved.\n\nFormer Yorkshire captain and head coach Gale was charged with using two racist slurs towards Rafiq throughout his time at the club, as well as using one of these racist terms towards Mosun Hussain, a Yorkshire academy player, in 2013. He denied the allegations.\n\nThe BBC has contacted all five respondents for comment.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/sport\/cricket\/65135694"}
{"title":"UK-Asia trade deal to boost UK economy by 0.08% - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-31","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"The bloc includes nations such as Japan and Australia, but the UK's economy will only get a small boost.","section":"Business","content":"The UK has signed a deal to join a trade pact with 11 Asia and Pacific nations, three years after it officially left the European Union.\n\nJoining the group will boost UK exports by cutting tariffs on goods such as cheese, cars, chocolate, machinery, gin and whisky, the government said.\n\nHowever, the government's own estimates show being in the bloc will only add 0.08% to the size of the UK's economy.\n\nThe trade area covers a market of around 500 million people.\n\nThe Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership - or CPTPP - was established in 2018, and includes Australia, Brunei, Canada, Chile, Japan, Malaysia, Mexico, New Zealand, Peru, Singapore and Vietnam.\n\nMembership of the CPTPP loosens restrictions on trade between members and reduce tariffs - a form of border tax - on goods.\n\nTogether, the 11 members account for about 13% of the world's income and after 21 months of negotiations, the UK has become the first European country to join.\n\nThe government said the agreement was the UK's \"biggest trade deal since Brexit\".\n\nHowever, the gains for the UK from joining are expected to be modest. The UK already has free trade deals with all of the members except Brunei and Malaysia, some of which were rolled over from its previous membership of the EU.\n\nAnd even with some gains in trading the government only estimates it will add 0.08% to the size of the economy in 10 years. The Office for Budget Responsibility (OBR), which provides forecasts for the government, has previously said Brexit would reduce the UK's potential economic growth by about 4% in the long term.\n\nBut Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said the deal demonstrated the \"real economic benefits of our post-Brexit freedoms\".\n\n\"As part of CPTPP, the UK is now in a prime position in the global economy to seize opportunities for new jobs, growth and innovation,\" he said.\n\n\"British businesses will now enjoy unparalleled access to markets from Europe to the south Pacific.\"\n\nBusiness and Trade Secretary Kemi Badenoch said the agreement was like \"buying a start-up\".\n\n\"This is not to replace EU trade, this is in addition. We are still in a free trade agreement with the EU,\" she told Radio 4's Today programme.\n\n\"You wouldn't buy a small company like that and expect it to be delivering on the day - we are thinking about the potential,\" she said, adding that in seven years \"40% of the world's middle class is going to come from that region\".\n\nMs Badenoch denied there would be any hit to UK agriculture, saying the deal would \"create new markets\" for farmers.\n\nLabour's shadow international trade secretary Nick Thomas-Symonds said the UK joining the CPTPP was \"encouraging\", but added that questions remain on \"consumer safety, food safety, data protection and environmental protections\".\n\nThe government said other \"benefits\" of being in the bloc included, a boost to the services sector, by UK firms not being required to establish a local office or be resident to supply a service, meaning they will be on a par with local firms.\n\nThe government said it and CPTPP members would make the final legal and administrative steps required for the UK to formally sign in 2023.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/business-65124741"}
{"title":"Thomas Cashman: 'Brave' ex-partner helped convict Olivia's killer - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-31","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"A woman who had a brief relationship with Thomas Cashman says she was \"petrified\" but wanted justice.","section":"Liverpool","content":"Thomas Cashman had denied being the gunman who shot Olivia\n\n\"Ruthless killer\" Thomas Cashman was convicted of murdering nine-year-old Olivia Pratt-Korbel in large part because of his \"petrified\" former partner's \"incredible bravery\" in coming forward, police said.\n\nThe 34-year-old fatally shot Olivia and injured her mother Cheryl Korbel at their Liverpool home during a botched \"execution\" of a convicted drug dealer following a chase on 22 August.\n\nCashman was widely feared in the Dovecot area of the city, where he made up to \u00a35,000 per week as a \"high level\" cannabis dealer, using intimidation and violence to ensure payment.\n\nBBC Panorama investigates how Liverpool came to dominate the UK drug market and how organised crime brought death to Olivia Pratt-Korbel's door.\n\nFear of reprisals meant police and prosecutors were concerned they would struggle to ever bring Olivia's masked killer to justice.\n\nBut the crucial breakthrough came when a woman, who Cashman went to on the night of the murder, approached police two days later.\n\nOlivia was fatally shot in her own home\n\nThe woman, who cannot be named for legal reasons, had previously had a brief relationship with the killer.\n\nShe told detectives she was \"petrified\" of Cashman, but \"this is a nine-year-old child - I want her family to get justice\".\n\nThe key witness said she was still \"terrified\" of him as she was giving evidence at his Manchester Crown Court trial.\n\n\"When there's a little girl involved, there's no form of grassing in my world,\" she told the jury.\n\nThe man who led the murder hunt, Det Supt Mark Baker of Merseyside Police, said her decision to come forward \"was a really important moment in the investigation\".\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. The witness had been incredibly courageous, says Det Supt Mark Baker\n\nSenior prosecutor Maria Corr said Cashman had used two guns while shooting at his intended target Joseph Nee.\n\n\"In the community, people [were] afraid of coming forward - because would their child be next?,\" she said.\n\n\"The privacy and safety of your own home - this ruthless killer didn't care. He shot a little nine-year-old child.\"\n\nIn an interview with BBC News, Ms Corr said Cashman's actions begged the question: \"If someone is like that, would you come forward?\n\n\"Thankfully, we had a witness who had the courage of her convictions and wanted justice and she was very, very, brave.\"\n\nMs Corr said that when she assessed the woman's interview with detectives, she found her words to be \"powerful, strong and the bottom line was she was telling the truth\".\n\nShe explained: \"We had all the independent evidence that corroborated her account - the tracksuit bottoms, the [gunshot residue] on those tracksuit bottoms, the T-shirt, the telephone call to her partner who then came, then we saw him [dropping] Thomas Cashman off.\n\n\"Then we had that little clip of CCTV of [a man] then taking what she said was the bag with murder clothes in it to somebody else.\"\n\nMs Corr added: \"She was telling the truth - and it was at that moment I thought, 'Yes, the officers had done enough for me to make my charging decision'.\"\n\nThe witness was strong, powerful and told the truth, senior prosecutor Maria Corr said\n\nDet Supt Baker agreed the witness had been incredibly courageous, especially given \"the levels of fear in the community\".\n\nEven though he said officers had obtained 320 pieces of CCTV footage - sometimes only seized following court orders - the senior investigating officer said: \"Without witnesses there is no justice.\"\n\nIt was \"probably the bravest thing that I've seen in my career in terms of coming forward and providing evidence in court\", he added.\n\nDet Supt Baker also said that while there had been a \u00a3200,000 reward offered to anybody providing evidence leading to the conviction of Olivia's killer, the witness had not made a claim.\n\n\"During the course of the trial... there was an allegation that she was financially driven,\" he said.\n\n\"She came to us on 24 August - two days after the murder - before any reward was even offered. She wasn't financially driven.\n\n\"She explained herself in open court what her motive was, and she's done it for all the right reasons.\n\n\"Because a line had been drawn in the sand in respect of the shooting of a nine-year-old girl in her own house.\"\n\nWhy not follow BBC North West on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram? You can also send story ideas to northwest.newsonline@bbc.co.uk\n\nThe BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/uk-england-merseyside-65097495"}
{"title":"South Yorkshire PC jailed for taking photo of teenager's breasts - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-31","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"Paul Hinchcliffe's victims tells a court the officer's actions destroyed her trust in the police.","section":"Sheffield & South Yorkshire","content":"Paul Hinchcliffe, 46, was found guilty after a trial at Leeds Crown Court\n\nA South Yorkshire Police officer who pulled down a teenager's top and photographed her breasts has been jailed for eight months.\n\nPaul Hinchcliffe, 46, sexually assaulted the 18-year-old in a pub in Wath upon Dearne in October 2020.\n\nThe victim told Leeds Crown Court the officer's behaviour had destroyed her trust in the police.\n\nThe married father-of-four resigned from the force after being convicted by a jury in January.\n\nHinchcliffe was off-duty and drinking with a group including other officers when he committed the offence in The Church House, a Wetherspoons pub, on 3 October.\n\nHe first took a photo of the woman and showed it to friends and made a comment about performing a sex act, the court heard.\n\nHinchliffe then flicked beer foam at the teenager's chest before pulling open her top, photographing her breasts in her bra, and making sex noises before sending the image to a colleague.\n\nLater that night the woman, who lived with her parents, received WhatsApp messages from Hinchcliffe, one of which included a photo of her accompanied by several sexually explicit emojis.\n\nHinchcliffe was drinking with other police officers in The Church House pub at the time of the offence\n\nIn a victim impact statement, the 18-year-old said: \"All my trust for the police just went.\n\n\"I used to feel safe when I saw police officers. I never think that now.\"\n\nSentencing Hinchcliffe, of Songthrush Way, Wath upon Dearne, Judge Robin Mairs told him his conduct \"betrays your fellow officers who do a decent, committed job and makes women mistrustful of the police force\".\n\nKatherine Pierpoint, defending, had urged the judge to suspend the prison sentence and pointed to a raft of references from colleagues about his 20-year career.\n\nThe barrister said her client's drunkenness at the time of the offence was no excuse but might explain his \"completely out-of-character\" behaviour.\n\nShe said that, unlike other recent high-profile cases, Hinchcliffe had not used his position as a police officer to commit the offence.\n\nBut Mr Mairs rejected her plea and noted Hinchcliffe's role at the time of the offence involved training student police officers, saying he had breached the standards he was tasked with instilling into recruits.\n\nHe said the behaviour of Hinchcliffe and other officers in the pub \"went far beyond jokes and banter\" and had dented the victim's trust in both men and the police.\n\nSouth Yorkshire Police said an accelerated misconduct hearing on 9 February concluded Hinchcliffe's conviction amounted to gross misconduct and the officer would have been dismissed without notice if he had still been serving.\n\nHinchcliffe, whose name will be on the sex offenders register for 10 years, has been placed on the police barred list, meaning he will never work in policing again, the force added.\n\nChief Constable Lauren Poultney said: \"Whether our officers and staff are on duty or not, the public rightly expect us to portray the true values of policing at all times and this former officer fell woefully below these expectations.\"\n\nFollow BBC Yorkshire on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. Send your story ideas to yorkslincs.news@bbc.co.uk.\n\nThe BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/uk-england-south-yorkshire-65139112"}
{"title":"EU funds: 'Bleak time until money is fully replaced' - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-31","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"Community groups express their concern over an uncertain future post-Brexit.","section":"Northern Ireland","content":"Lorraine Black said her organisation was looking at a \u00a3200,000 deficit without the funding in place\n\nThe UK may have officially left the European Union in 2020 but Brexit is still making headlines.\n\nAnd for some community organisations in Northern Ireland, it has left them in funding limbo.\n\nThe European Social Fund, which is aimed at helping people who have difficulties finding work, will no longer be available to the UK from March 2023.\n\nWhile the UK government has promised to fill the void left by the removal of EU structural funds through the UK Shared Prosperity Fund (UKSPF) by 2024, there is still a great deal of uncertainty.\n\nSome groups are concerned they will no longer qualify for the funding, while others are not sure the money will be enough.\n\nOne of the groups reliant on ESF money is Larne-based Access Employment Limited (AEL), which provides opportunities for people with disabilities to gain work experience and training.\n\nIt runs a number of social enterprises - businesses whose primary purpose is to address need rather than create profit.\n\nOne of them involves repackaging goods from around the world and selling them online. There's also a cafe and a garden centre for trainees to learn new skills.\n\nLorraine Black, who is head of services at AEL, said it was a \"bleak time\".\n\nShe said they were looking at a \u00a3200,000 deficit without the funding in place and this would mean they could help fewer people and staff would lose their jobs.\n\nThey have been able to take on 175 trainees in the last seven years, since the ESF funding has been in place.\n\nMs Black says they offer five hours a day, five days a week and the service is a lifeline for families.\n\n\"It impacts their families, who rely on AEL as a form of respite,\" she said.\n\n\"There is not enough capacity within existing statutory services to replace the loss of current ESF programmes, and this means individuals are being denied access to support services that enable them to make informed choices about their day-to-day lives and help them reach their full potential within their communities.\"\n\nDaniel Johnston, who is on one of AEL's programmes, said he had gained new skills and new friends.\n\n\"If I wasn't coming here, I would remain unemployed,\" he said. \"I wouldn't be able to get work without the support AEL.\"\n\nJulie Steele is operations director of the Advantage Foundation, which runs a project called Quest.\n\nIt provides training to young offenders, who complete a qualification in employability and gain work experience in the foundation's social enterprise Mugshots, a print shop which puts designs on T-shirts and other merchandise.\n\nShe said Quest, which aims to reduce reoffending rates, was 65% ESF-funded and 35% Department of Justice-funded.\n\n\"The loss of ESF funding and the need to replace it with, as a minimum, the same level of resourcing, is a critical issue,\" she said.\n\n\"ESF-funded projects work hard to ensure they have positive outcomes not only for the service users but also for the wider community.\"\n\nStormont used to match fund the EU money\n\nNorthern Ireland's politicians and a consortium of community groups have been urging the government to fully replace the lost funding.\n\nThe ESF had previously provided about \u00a340m a year, which was 35% match-funded from Stormont, giving \u00a354m in total.\n\nNext year experts are anticipating about \u00a330m from the UK Shared Prosperity Fund, but no match funding has been confirmed from Stormont yet.\n\nStormont's Finance Minister Conor Murphy said it had been a straightforward arrangement when the departments were operating the ESF themselves, directing support to groups who need it and match funding it.\n\n\"That arrangement doesn't exist any more, so it has left us in a huge degree of limbo,\" he told the BBC.\n\nEconomy Minister Gordon Lyons told the BBC the funding issue was not an inevitable consequence of Brexit but a case of the UK government not keeping its word.\n\n\"It's OK to admit when you have got it wrong,\" he said. \"The government needs to recognise they have not fulfilled their promises and they need to change course.\"\n\nThe ESF Peer Group, an umbrella body for a number of groups, said it had been working for more than a year with officials from Westminster and Stormont departments to find an adequate funding package to replace the ESF.\n\n\"Unless we find a solution, the 22 community groups we represent will be unable to continue supporting some 18,000 of the most vulnerable in our society or provide security of employment for their 1,700 staff,\" it said.\n\nThe group added it had a positive meeting with officials from the Department for Levelling Up and the Northern Ireland Civil Service on 14 October.\n\n\"The issues which remain to be addressed are around compliance with equality legislation and how the limited Shared Prosperity Funding might be added to from Northern Ireland budgets,\" it continued.\n\nA government spokesperson said: \"Northern Ireland is benefiting from \u00a349m through the first round of our Levelling Up Fund, and the fund's second round will provide further investment to help empower communities to drive change.\n\n\"This is on top of \u00a3127m allocation from the UK Shared Prosperity Fund, that will help those most vulnerable and furthest away from the labour market to secure sustainable employment, alongside other priorities.\n\n\"Over the summer, officials have engaged widely with partners to seek views on priorities for UKSPF in Northern Ireland and develop an investment plan.\n\n\"This work will conclude shortly and will then move to the implementation phase, including funding opportunities for delivery in 2023-24.\"","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/uk-northern-ireland-63240806"}
{"title":"Joe Biden defiant on NI visit after terrorism threat level raised - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-31","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"The US president says \"they can't keep me out\" after the terrorism threat level was raised in NI.","section":"Northern Ireland","content":"President Biden told reporters \"they can't keep me out\"\n\nUS President Joe Biden has said he still plans to visit Northern Ireland despite MI5's decision to increase the terrorism threat level to \"severe\".\n\nThe move follows a rise in dissident republican activity, including a recent gun attack on a top police officer.\n\nMr Biden was asked by reporters on Tuesday if it would affect his upcoming visit to mark the 25th anniversary of the Good Friday Agreement.\n\n\"No. They can't keep me out,\" he said.\n\nPresident Biden has been a vocal supporter of the peace deal signed on 10 April 1998, which was designed to bring an end to three decades of conflict in Northern Ireland.\n\nFollowing a meeting with UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak in March, Mr Biden said he intended to visit both Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland as part of the anniversary celebrations.\n\nFull details of Mr Biden's visit are yet to be confirmed, but the White House has said the increased threat level \"does not have any potential implications for future travel\".\n\nFormer US President Bill Clinton, ex-British Prime Minister Tony Blair and former Taoiseach (Irish PM) Bertie Ahern are among those expected to visit Northern Ireland for commemorative events.\n\nFormer PM, Tony Blair, and then taoiseach (Irish Prime Minister) Bertie Ahern are also due to visit\n\nMI5, rather than the PSNI or the government, is responsible for setting the Northern Ireland terrorism threat level, which it has been publishing since 2010.\n\nThe move reverses a downgrade in Northern Ireland's terror threat level last March - its first change for 12 years.\n\nOn Wednesday, Deputy Prime Minister Dominic Raab said the rise in the threat level was \"disappointing\".\n\nHowever, Mr Raab said it is worth nothing that the number of dissident republican attacks has been in significant decline since its peak in 2009 and 2010.\n\nHe was responding to a question from DUP leader Sir Jeffrey Donaldson who asked for assurance the government would provide the PSNI and the security services with the resources they need to counter the threat.\n\nMI5, the UK's Security Service, is believed to review the threat level every six months.\n\nThe terrorism threat level remains substantial in the rest of the UK, meaning an attack is a strong possibility.\n\nIn a written statement to MPs, Mr Heaton-Harris said: \"The public should remain vigilant, but not be alarmed, and continue to report any concerns they have to the Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI).\"\n\nPrime Minister Rishi Sunak met with Joe Biden in California earlier this month and invited him to Northern Ireland for Good Friday Agreement anniversary events\n\nDeputy Chief Constable Mark Hamilton said dissident republicans were focused on attacking police officers, not the public.\n\n\"You should be worried for your police service,\" he said.\n\n\"I wouldn't encourage people to be hugely concerned about their own safety broader than that.\"\n\nIn February Det Ch Insp John Caldwell was shot several times by two gunmen as he was putting footballs into his car boot having been coaching a youth training session in Omagh.\n\nOn Tuesday, police said the 48-year-old father-of-one had been moved out of intensive care for the first time but remained in a serious condition.\n\nDet Ch Insp John Caldwell was moved out of intensive care for the first time on Tuesday but remains in a serious condition\n\nThe attack on him was admitted by the New IRA, the biggest and most active group dissident group, whose main areas of operations are in Londonderry and County Tyrone.\n\nThe group was formed in 2012 and previous security assessments estimated it had about 500 supporters, some 100 of whom are prepared to commit acts of terrorism.\n\nAlthough tensions within loyalist groups have led to attacks in parts of County Down in the past few days, the change to the threat level is not related to this flare up.\n\nSeveral loyalist paramilitary groups - the largest being the Ulster Volunteer Force and the Ulster Defence Association - are active in Northern Ireland but are not considered a threat to national security and therefore are not a factor in MI5's assessment.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/uk-northern-ireland-65110382"}
{"title":"Consumers were possibly at risk from contaminated meat, says FSA - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-31","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"The Food Standards Agency says it is possible buyers were at risk as it investigates mislabelling of products.","section":"Business","content":"Consumers may in the past have been at risk from contaminated meat, the UK's food watchdog has admitted.\n\nThe Food Standards Agency (FSA) is investigating allegations a rogue meat supplier falsely labelled foreign pork as British, and mixed rotting pork with fresh products for processing.\n\nFarmers Weekly, which first reported the story, also claimed e-coli and listeria paperwork was falsified.\n\nThe FSA said there were no \"current concerns\" about meat on the market.\n\nBut its chief executive Emily Miles told the BBC's Today programme it was \"possible\" people had been at risk from contaminated meat in the past.\n\nThe FSA started its initial investigation about mislabelling of products in August 2021 and seized more than six million documents, which it said are now being gone through.\n\n\"The food safety allegations have been much more recent and we're following those up. We went to the premises last week and made three arrests and seized millions more documents,\" Ms Miles said.\n\nShe said it fell to local authorities to regulate meat processors and that the FSA was the \"last line of defence for particularly serious allegations\".\n\n\"What's meant to happen is that retailers and manufacturers, who are responsible for ensuring food is safe, have to be vigilant and do their own audits and sampling.\n\n\"The FSA is not on the ground the whole time at all, in fact we act on intelligence. As soon as we got intelligence, we acted,\" Ms Miles said.\n\nHowever, the FSA chief said her department only had 27 staff running \"about eight live investigations\".\n\n\"We can only go as fast as we can with that resource. For this particular investigation, we were reviewing six million documents, we've now added a lot more.\"\n\nFarmers Weekly, which said multiple sources had said it was common to mix rotting pork with fresh goods for further processing, also reported claims that meat was \"sometimes thawed out on the factory floor\".\n\nDeputy editor Abi Kay told Today: \"Most concerningly, two employees said the paperwork which would pick up bacteria like listeria and e-coli, was falsified.\n\n\"That is no joke, listeria and e-coli can kill people.\"\n\nMs Kay also explained how the alleged fraud worked by buying a \"relatively small volume of British meat\" from an approved supplier.\n\n\"Then they would use the traceability information from this delivery for all the products it made in that week with the majority coming in from elsewhere in the world.\n\n\"One source even said they were 100% confident that all the retailers the company it supplied had been victims of country-of-origin fraud.\"\n\nFarmers Weekly believed this was not a one-off and claimed to have evidence this went much further than the one business currently under investigation and raised questions about the audit process.\n\n\"In this factory when the auditors visited, they would show up unannounced, but they had a certain amount of time between signing in to the premises and being allowed onto the factory floor.\n\n\"In that short space of time a text message would go out and all the staff would move any suspect products onto lorries, the loading bay or a trolley and push it round one side of the factory while auditors and management were on the other.\n\n\"That is how ridiculous this is,\" she added.\n\nMs Miles admitted the FSA needed to look at the audit process and whether it could be \"tightened up\".\n\nPresident of the National Farmers' Union Minette Batters said the allegations were \"absolutely deplorable\".\n\n\"Consumers and farmers need to know the whole system is honest and that when something says it is British, it genuinely is.\"\n\nMs Batters said the FSA needed more resources: \"We are going to have a lot more imports coming into this country, we're a very big marketplace with nearly 70 million people.\n\n\"Nothing matters more than making sure the food on our plates is safe.\"\n\nThe BBC has approached the government for comment.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/business-65136241"}
{"title":"2 Sisters: 700 jobs go as Anglesey chicken plant shuts - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-31","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"It is the last shifts at 2 Sisters chicken factory after 50 years of production on Anglesey.","section":"Wales","content":"Workers at the 2 Sisters chicken processing plant in Llangefni, on Anglesey, left for the last time\n\nA chicken processing plant has closed its gates for the last time after more than 50 years, causing 700 job losses.\n\nThe 2 Sisters poultry giant announced plans to shut down operations at Llangefni, Anglesey, in January.\n\nDespite a taskforce setup in a bid to save the factory, its owners confirmed it would shut at the end of March.\n\nSome workers said the closure was a \"crying shame\" but others remain optimistic the local economy will grow in other sectors creating new jobs.\n\nWhen the decision was first made in January, Anglesey council's leader, Llinos Medi described the move as a \"devastating blow\".\n\nLocal Conservative MP Virginia Crosbietold BBC Radio Wales: \"The Island needs hope and I am determined to do everything I can to help. It is a really sad day for the workers of 2Sisters.\n\n\"It isn't just the employees that are impacted, it is the families, the communities and the supply chains.\n\n\"So many companies really stepping up and trying to employ the staff that have lost their jobs.\"\n\nDes Edwards has worked at 2 Sisters for a decade and will be out of work\n\nIt is a view shared by Des Edwards, who has worked night shifts as a hygiene operative for the past 10 years.\n\nHe said: \"It's a crying shame - it really is.\"\n\nNow 58, he said he was trying for other work, but it was all off Anglesey.\n\n\"There's nothing whatsoever on the island. It's really getting worse, as time goes by,\" he said.\n\n\"Who's going to employ someone who is 58 years of age that's going to retire at 67. They'd rather employ someone young.\"\n\nMr Edwards fears there will be \"nothing on the island whatsoever\" for his two young grandchildren once they reach working age.\n\nVince Williams said he now needs to open a new chapter in his life at the closure\n\nFriend and colleague Vince Williams has been a mechanical fitter at the factory for two years.\n\n\"In the beginning I was a bit gutted, but at least we know what is happening. You've just got to go on with life,\" said the 55-year-old from the town.\n\n\"Life doesn't stop because 2 Sisters has finished. You've just got to get on with it, and go to the next chapter in your life.\"\n\nLike others, he has concerns for what the future holds for the island.\n\n\"So many big companies have closed over the last 20 years,\" he said, pointing to Anglesey Aluminium at Holyhead and the Eastman Chemical Company at Peboc among others.\n\nHe said the island needs new investment if the economy is to survive.\n\nDuring the official consultation period, the union Unite accused 2 Sisters of failing to engage with the Welsh government, UK officials and the union to actively save the plant from closure.\n\nBut the company insisted the Llangefni site remained unviable.\n\nThe site was opened in 1970 by JP Wood & Sons - known for their Chuckie Chicken brand\n\nChuckie was the biggest poultry brand in the UK at the time\n\n\"The facts of the matter are the site is old - it's over 50 years old. It's small, it's inefficient, the transport costs are too high,\" said 2 Sisters chief executive Ronald Kers, when the decision was first taken back in January.\n\n\"If there was an easy solution, we would have definitely explored it in more detail.\"\n\nThe company has offered to relocate some of the workforce to its other sites, including its largest poultry factory at Sandycroft on Deeside in Flintshire.\n\nIt says 54 people have been redeployed, with the hope more will be taken on in the coming weeks.\n\n2 Sisters said a further 113 of those losing their jobs have found other work on Anglesey and other parts of north Wales.\n\nThe firm added: \"Whilst we acknowledge this can be no substitution for the closing of the site, we remain committed to doing all we can and are offering additional support for a further month after this week's closure.\"\n\nColeg Menai principal Aled Jones-Griffith says the college can help with finding new roles and skills for those without work\n\nAn employment and advice hub has been running at the nearby Bryn Cefni Business Centre since the consultation started.\n\nColeg Menai specialises in vocational training, especially in engineering, technology and health and social care. It is part of the taskforce set up to help workers.\n\n\"Our hearts go out to the families that have been affected by the sad closure,\" said the college principal, Aled Jones-Griffith.\n\n\"We will work with them to see if we can identify new opportunities for them, or if we can identify re-skilling opportunities for them.\"\n\nHe is convinced there are opportunities on Anglesey, saying it is not \"all doom and gloom\".\n\nIt is a view shared by some of the younger students on the campus.\n\nCai Pritchard wants to work in the creative industries - and thinks career opportunities are out there\n\nCai Pritchard is 18, and studying TV and film production at Coleg Menai.\n\n\"Young people tend to choose jobs and careers that are more relevant to their interests - rather than skills that have been pointed out by other people,\" he said.\n\n\"Recently, there's a studio opened, Aria (in Llangefni), and that means there will be a bunch of film productions coming up which doesn't normally happen in north Wales.\n\nHealth and social care student Carly Hughes says work out there whatever your age\n\nCarly Hughes, 20, wants a career in health and social care. She said it was a profession that is in great demand.\n\n\"The 2 Sisters food group is devastating, especially for Llangefni, because there are a lot of jobs that have gone.\n\n\"But I do think there are various job opportunities on the island for people. I do think the future is brighter.\"\n\nHolyhead has been named as one of Wales' two new Freeports.\n\nIn just the past week, the decision was taken to name Holyhead as one of Wales' two new Freeports, projects that are setting out to create 20,000 jobs and investment worth \u00a35bn.\n\nLast year, Stena Line UK acquired the former site of Anglesey Aluminium for plans to boost its operations at the Port of Holyhead.\n\nWork is also continuing on developing a hydrogen energy hub on the island.\n\nOff-shore, the Morlais tidal energy project is continuing to progress - it received one of the last EU grants worth \u00a331m last year.\n\nThese are all projects with the potential to provide a new generation of high-skill, well-paid jobs in years to come.\n\nBut that may come as little comfort to many of those walking out of the gates of 2 Sisters on Friday, without work and wondering what the next few weeks will bring.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/uk-wales-65127304"}
{"title":"Pope expected to leave hospital on Saturday - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-31","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"The Vatican says doctors will decide on the 86-year-old pontiff's discharge from hospital.","section":"Europe","content":"Pope Francis was last seen in public at his weekly general audience in St Peter's Square on Wednesday\n\nPope Francis is expected to be discharged from hospital on Saturday, the Vatican has said.\n\nHis return to his Vatican residence at Santa Marta depended on the results of final tests carried out on Friday morning, it added.\n\nThe Pope was admitted to Gemelli Hospital in Rome on Wednesday with breathing difficulties.\n\nHe was later diagnosed as having bronchitis, although the Vatican said he had responded well to antibiotics.\n\nAccording to a statement, the 86-year-old Pope dined on pizza alongside medical staff on Thursday evening and after breakfast on Friday morning read some newspapers and resumed work.\n\nHis admission to hospital came ahead of the busiest time in his annual schedule, with events and services scheduled throughout Easter week.\n\nThe Vatican has revealed the presence of the Pope is now expected in St Peter's Square for Palm Sunday Mass this weekend.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/world-europe-65138543"}
{"title":"Donald Trump will not be handcuffed for court appearance, his lawyer says - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-31","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"The ex-president's attorney says Mr Trump will plead not guilty and challenge the case's \"legal viability\".","section":"US & Canada","content":"Away from the spectacle of the courthouse in Manhattan, this quiet part of Virginia really loves Donald Trump. At a Donald Trump merch store, people have travelled from outside of the state to visit.\n\nJay rode up on his motorbike from North Carolina.\n\n\u201cI saw the store and wanted to stop,\" he says. \"I\u2019m an even bigger supporter of Trump today than I was yesterday... because of this stupid indictment, it\u2019s just politically motivated.\"\n\nWhen I put to him this was voted on by American citizens doing their civic duty, he dismisses it as stitch up by \"liberals\".\n\nThe indictment has clearly fired up Donald Trump\u2019s core supporters - who he has always relied on.\n\nSome are sharing memes showing a sleeping giant waking up. But the big question is: will it get him the votes he needs to win back the White House?\n\nBill, another biker, thinks people could be put off. \u201cI don\u2019t think the American people will vote for an indicted person.\u201d\n\nHis friend Kevin disagrees: \u201cI voted for Trump twice and will again. Honestly I wish the election was this November.\u201d\n\nIt\u2019s often asked is there a red line for Donald Trump\u2019s most ardent supporters. It would seem even becoming the first president ever to be indicted in this way, has made them more entrenched not less.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/live\/world-us-canada-64993429"}
{"title":"Western Trust: Blind man paid \u00a33,000 in discrimination settlement - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-31","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"Stephen Campbell says taking the case against two health organisations was \"frankly embarrassing\".","section":"Northern Ireland","content":"Stephen Campbell said it was embarrassing he had to take the case against the Western Trust\n\nA blind man will be paid \u00a33,000 after he alleged a health trust failed to accommodate his needs when he tried to apply for a promotion.\n\nStephen Campbell took a disability discrimination case against two organisations, including his employer the Western Health Trust.\n\nHe claimed the job application process did not meet his needs as a blind man.\n\nThe Western Health Trust and the HSC Business Services Organisation (BSO) did not accept liability.\n\nA spokesperson for the Western Trust said the organisation was committed to ensuring everyone has \"equality of access\" to its services.\n\nMr Campbell, who worked in the trust's ICT department, uses a screen reader to interact with laptops.\n\nWhen an opportunity for promotion arose within the trust, Mr Campbell wanted to apply.\n\nHowever, he found that the online process, on the Health and Social Care Northern Ireland (HSCNI) website, could not be activated by his screen reader.\n\nHe also could not find any information on where reasonable adjustments could be made so he could apply.\n\nAs part of the settlement terms, both organisations confirmed their commitment to ensuring they comply with their obligations under relevant equality laws.\n\nThe BSO also said it would keep the Royal National Institute for the Blind (RNIB) updated on development of the HSCNI website.\n\nMr Campbell said: \"For two job applications, the Western Trust did accommodate me by stalling the recruitment exercise and reasonable adjustments were made to facilitate me.\"\n\nHe said he brought the case \"to raise awareness of the issue and hopefully remove this barrier to accessing employment for disabled people in the health service here\".\n\nMr Campbell further told BBC News NI that it was \"frankly embarrassing\" he had to take the case.\n\nEoin O'Neill said the case will benefit all people with disabilities seeking employment\n\n\"In this day and age, in public bodies and in the private sector, we shouldn't have to encounter these issues. We should be able to apply for posts like our sighted counterparts,\" he said.\n\nThe Western Trust said it would work with the Equality Commission on policies around the recruitment process for blind people.\n\nThe spokesperson added: \"The trust's HR department will always strive to support individuals who need assistance through a recruitment process, as we did on a number of occasions for Mr Campbell.\"\n\nEoin O'Neill, director of legal services at the Equality Commission, said the employment rate for disabled people in Northern Ireland at 36%, is the lowest in the UK.\n\nHe said Mr Campbell's case will benefit other disabled people in reminding organisations to ensure they are as accessible to disabled people as possible.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/uk-northern-ireland-65100390"}
{"title":"Wimbledon lifts ban on Russian & Belarusian players for 2023 Championships - BBC Sport","published_date":"2023-03-31","authors":null,"description":"Russian and Belarusian players will be able to compete at Wimbledon this year as the All England Club lifts the ban it imposed in 2022.","section":null,"content":"Last updated on .From the section Tennis\n\nRussian and Belarusian players will be able to compete at Wimbledon this summer after the All England Club lifted the ban it imposed last year.\n\nThe players will be able to feature this year \"subject to competing as neutral athletes\" and complying with certain conditions.\n\nThey were banned in response to Russia's invasion of Ukraine and the support provided by Belarus.\n\nWimbledon starts this year on 3 July at the All England Club (AELTC).\n\n\"We continue to condemn totally Russia's illegal invasion and our wholehearted support remains with the people of Ukraine,\" said AELTC chairman Ian Hewitt.\n\n\"This was an incredibly difficult decision, not taken lightly or without a great deal of consideration for those who will be impacted.\"\n\nThe decision also covers other British events held in the run up to Wimbledon, most notably the tournaments at Queen's and Eastbourne.\n\u2022 None Agreeing not to support the Russian and\/or Belarusian states or their regimes and leaders\n\u2022 None Not receiving funding from Russian and\/or Belarusian states, including sponsorship from companies operated or controlled by them\n\nOutside Wimbledon and other British events, players have been able to compete on the game's professional tours as neutrals - including in the other Grand Slams - whereas Wimbledon and the Lawn Tennis Association (LTA) were fined for the bans imposed last year.\n\nThe AELTC said its decision for the 2023 championship was made after discussion with the UK government, the LTA and international stakeholders.\n\nThe AELTC and LTA said they stand by last year's position but that without changing their stance this year, tennis' two main professional tours, the men's ATP and women's WTA would have cancelled the LTA's membership.\n\nAs a result, Queen's, Eastbourne and other British grass-court events would not have been staged, damaging British tennis organisations financially.\n\nRussian trio Daniil Medvedev, Andrey Rublev and Daria Kasatkina - who are all in the top 10 of the men's and women's rankings - are among the high-profile names able to play this summer.\n\nBelarusian women's world number two Aryna Sabalenka, who won the Australian Open earlier this year, will also now likely feature.\n\nPlayers and their support staff will have to sign neutrality declarations in order to compete.\n\nPunishments for breaking the declarations will range from fines to expulsion from the tournament.\n\u2022 None Alerts: Get tennis news sent to your phone\n\nWhat has changed since last year?\n\nMany sports banned Russian and Belarusian teams and athletes in response to the invasion but the ATP and WTA decided players could compete under a neutral flag.\n\nLast month, Ukraine's highest-profile player Elina Svitolina told BBC Sport that Russian and Belarusian athletes must remain excluded from Wimbledon while \"innocent Ukrainians are still being killed\".\n\nWimbledon's decision last year was guided by the UK government and supported by 69% of the British public, according to a You Gov poll .\n\nAs well as being fined, the WTA and ATP said they would cancel the LTA's membership if it exercised further \"discrimination based on nationality\".\n\nThat led to the LTA fearing the tournaments traditionally staged in the lead-up to Wimbledon may be lost forever.\n\nThe LTA was fined $750,000 (\u00a3608,355) by the WTA and $1m (\u00a3811,140) by the ATP for excluding players from the tour events they operate in 2022.\n\u2022 None BBC's Russell Fuller on the dilemma over Russians & Belarusians\n\n\"There is no doubt the affect of the LTA losing membership to the tours would have been very damaging and far reaching,\" LTA chief Scott Lloyd said.\n\nA LTA statement added: \"The impact would be felt by the millions of fans that follow the sport, the grassroots of the game, including coaches and venues which rely on the events for visibility and to bring new players into the game, and of course professional British players.\n\n\"Given this, and our responsibility as the national governing body of tennis in Britain, we have worked closely with the UK government, ATP, WTA and ITF, alongside the All England Club, to find a solution for 2023.\"\n\nThe AELTC added: \"Tennis events outside of the UK have experienced a year of competition with players from Russia and Belarus competing as 'neutral' athletes.\n\n\"We also consider alignment between the Grand Slams to be increasingly important in the current tennis environment.\"\n\nUkraine foreign minister Dmytro Kuleba described the U-turn by Wimbledon as \"immoral\" and called on the UK government to deny visas for Russian and Belarusian players.\n\n\"Has Russia ceased its aggression or atrocities? No, it's just that Wimbledon decided to accommodate two accomplices in crime,\" he wrote on Twitter.\n\nUK culture secretary Lucy Frazer agreed with the AELTC's lifting of the ban for 2023 - as long as the athletes met their neutrality conditions set out by the government.\n\n\"Throughout Putin's ongoing war in Ukraine, we have been clear that Russian and Belarusian athletes representing their country should not be permitted in domestic and international sporting competitions. That position still stands,\" she said.\n\n\"Individual, self-funded Russian and Belarusian athletes can compete in the UK, subject to following our guidance on neutrality. We therefore support the approach of the All England Lawn Tennis Club and Lawn Tennis Association on the basis of following that guidance.\n\n\"The AELTC and LTA should never have been fined by the international tennis tours for taking a principled stand against Russian aggression.\"\n\nIn a joint statement the ATP and WTA did not respond to the criticism but said they were \"pleased all players will have an opportunity to compete\".\n\n\"It has taken a collaborative effort across the sport to arrive at a workable solution which protects the fairness of the game,\" the tours said.\n\n\"This remains an extremely difficult situation and we would like to thank Wimbledon and the LTA for their efforts in reaching this outcome, while reiterating our unequivocal condemnation of Russia's war on Ukraine.\"\n\nThe ATP and WTA stripped Wimbledon of its ranking points last year - which saw Kazakhstan's women's champion Elena Rybakina severely impacted, along with other players who performed well - but they will now return because of the decision.\n\u2022 None Enter the world of the social media personality's multi-level marketing scheme and webcam business\n\u2022 None Stealing it was only the beginning...:","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/sport\/tennis\/64933565"}
{"title":"Trump's indictment is sending shockwaves across the political landscape - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-31","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"The shock waves from this legal and political detonation are spreading across the political landscape.","section":"US & Canada","content":"This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Watch: What will happen when Trump is arrested\n\nAs the first former US president to face criminal charges, Donald Trump will also be the first to be fingerprinted, taken for a mugshot and brought before a judge.\n\nIf the case proceeds as expected, he will be the first US president to sit before a jury.\n\nAlready the shockwaves are spreading across the political landscape.\n\nSome aspects are predictable - the former president, his lawyers and his children are denouncing the yet-to-be-detailed charges as political persecution.\n\nThey see it as an attempt to disrupt the campaign of a frontrunner for the presidency in 2024.\n\nAt Mr Trump's political rally in Texas last Saturday, the former president was already fixated on an arrest that seemed to be looming.\n\n\"This is really prosecutorial misconduct,\" Mr Trump said of the New York City district attorney's inquiry. \"The innocence of people makes no difference to these radical left maniacs.\"\n\nAs the news broke, other members of the Republican Party closed ranks around their former president.\n\nSeveral senior members of the House of Representatives called the indictment \"outrageous\" and pledged a thorough congressional investigation.\n\nSpeaker of the House Kevin McCarthy said the New York district attorney had \"irreparably damaged\" the nation in an attempt to interfere with the 2024 presidential election.\n\nSeveral of Mr Trump's potential rivals for the Republic nomination condemned the charges.\n\n\"Prosecuting serious crimes keeps Americans safe, but political prosecutions put the American legal system at risk of being viewed as a tool for abuse,\" former Trump Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said in a statement.\n\nMike Pompeo (C) made reference to 'political persecutions' in a statement after the indictment\n\nFlorida Governor Ron DeSantis, viewed as Mr Trump's most formidable potential opponent, was equally strident in a Twitter post, calling the indictment \"un-American\".\n\n\"The weaponisation of the legal system to advance a political agenda turns the rule of law on its head,\" he wrote.\n\nHe added that Florida would not assist in an extradition of Mr Trump to New York to face the charges.\n\nMr Trump's lawyers have previously said he would go to the courthouse willingly - something expected to happen early next week.\n\nAt some point, however, Mr Trump's rivals will have to turn on him - and a lower-profile potential candidate may have given a hint of the strategy in his Thursday evening press release.\n\n\"It is a dark day for America when a former president is indicted on criminal charges,\" former Arkansas Governor Asa Hutchinson said, noticeably not calling the indictment unjust.\n\nDonald Trump has surged in Republican approval polls recently, but there is still sentiment that his drama - the political storm clouds that always seem to follow him - is a liability that will make him a less appealing presidential candidate.\n\nFor that line of attack, this indictment could become Exhibit A, noted by his Republican opponents more with sadness than with glee.\n\nDonald Trump has been considered the man to beat for the Republican presidential nomination in 2024\n\nFor its part, the Trump campaign is leaning into the controversy, using the front-page headlines and breaking news bulletins to drum up new donations from supporters.\n\n\"Please make a contribution - of truly any amount - to defend our movement from the never-ending witch hunts and WIN the WHITE HOUSE in 2024,\" read a campaign email that included Mr Trump's press release on the indictment. It promised that the indictment would \"backfire\" on President Joe Biden and the Democrats.\n\nAt least so far, the White House has been keeping a studious silence on the matter - similar to the strategy it employed during Mr Trump's 2021 Senate impeachment trial after the 6 January attack on the US Capitol.\n\nTheir view, perhaps, aligns with the old Napoleon quote about not interrupting an enemy when they're making a mistake.\n\nOther Democrats, however, have been less reticent.\n\n\"The bedrock of our legal system is the principle that justice applies to everyone equally,\" Democratic Senator Cory Booker said in a statement. \"No-one is above the law.\"\n\nSenator Cory Booker is among the Democrats arguing that nobody - even presidents - is above the law\n\nThe Democratic National Committee's press secretary tried to link Mr Trump and his legal troubles to the former president's \"Make America Great Again\" movement and the Republican Party as a whole.\n\nDemocrats, and many political analysts, attribute the party's better-than-expected performance in last year's mid-term elections to Republican candidates being too closely associated with a former president who, while still loved by many Republicans, is disliked by a majority of Americans.\n\nExpect Democrats to once again employ a similar line of attack.\n\nMr Trump's current legal drama may reach a crescendo and conclude well before a vote is cast in 2024. The political fallout could ultimately depend on the course it tracks - and whether this case is joined by others.\n\nFor the moment, however, the partisan lines on Mr Trump's indictment are clearly drawn - as they have been on almost every major issue of national importance in America today.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/world-us-canada-65106767"}
{"title":"New UK plan to reach net zero goal faces criticism - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-30","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"The strategy was drawn up after judges ruled existing plans weren't sufficient to meet climate targets.","section":"Science & Environment","content":"Carbon capture sites will take CO2 produce by industries such as steel\n\nThe government has unveiled a new net zero plan which has been met with intense criticism from experts and environmental groups.\n\nThe document was drawn up after the High Court ruled the government's existing plans were not sufficient to meet its climate targets.\n\nA central plank of the strategy is to store CO2 under the North Sea.\n\nBut scientists say even this plan will not move the UK closer towards meeting its legally-binding carbon commitments.\n\nMinisters say it also aims to lower people's energy bills, although this will not be achieved in the short term.\n\nThe government was forced to publish this \"Powering up Britain\" strategy after the High Court judged last July that its current plan was not detailed enough to show how the UK would meet its goal to reduce its greenhouse gas emissions to net zero by 2050.\n\nAcademics and green groups are unconvinced it will make enough difference.\n\nDr Chris Jones, an expert in climate change at the University of Manchester, said: \"This latest government energy strategy is a weak response to the UK's zero carbon energy needs.\n\n\"The regressive measures on fossil fuels won't make any real impact on our bills and energy security, but they are enough to downgrade the UK's role as a leader in tackling climate change.\"\n\nFriends of the Earth - who were part of the team who brought the legal case against the last plan - said they may have to go back to the High Court.\n\n\"With these policies looking dangerously lacklustre and lacking on climate action, we are poised to act if ministers have fallen short once again,\" said Mike Childs, head of policy at campaign group Friends of the Earth.\n\nPrime Minister Rishi Sunak said people should be \"really proud of the UK's track record\" on decarbonisation amid criticism of his government's net zero plan.\n\nSpeaking to broadcasters on a visit to the UK Atomic Energy Authority in Oxfordshire, Mr Sunak said the UK had \"decarbonised faster than any other major economy, our carbon emissions have been reduced by over 40%\".\n\nOne of the key parts of the new strategy is announcing the UK's first carbon capture sites in Teesside. These sites take carbon dioxide (CO2) produced during the burning of fossil fuels like gas, and store them in deep caverns under the North Sea.\n\nIt is hoped this could remove up to 50% of the emissions from the country's industry.\n\nAlthough carbon capture has been recommended by the UK's independent climate advisers the UKCCC as a way to remove CO2 already in the atmosphere, academics are concerned it could allow the UK to keep using oil and gas rather than focusing on renewable energy.\n\n\"What does not make sense is to carry on with further development of new fossil fuel reserves on the assumption CCS will be available to mop up all the additional emissions,\" said Bob Ward, policy director at the Grantham Research Institute on Climate Change at LSE.\n\nSome campaigners are also frustrated that it appears there is no significant increase in funding for home insulation. It is one of the most effective ways to bring down energy consumption for heating and therefore emissions - heating in homes currently accounts for 14% of UK emissions.\n\nLast year the UKCCC - the government's independent advisers on climate change - said there was a \"shocking gap\" in policy for better insulated homes, and were expecting the government to respond to those concerns in this report.\n\nDr Paul Balcombe, senior lecturer in chemical engineering and renewable energy at Queen Mary University of London, said: \"The most sustainable way to be low carbon and increase security is to reduce our energy demand: the stated intention of insulating 300,000 out of [more than] 20 million homes is clearly insufficient when we have such a poorly insulated housing stock.\"\n\nMeanwhile, Labour's shadow climate secretary Ed Miliband said: \"The government's 'green day' turns out to be a weak and feeble groundhog day of re-announcements, reheated policy, and no new investment.\"\n\nAnd Green Party MP Caroline Lucas said: \"The greenest thing about this is the recycling of already announced ideas.\"\n\nThere are dozens of measures in the plan, which runs to 1,000 pages, covering energy efficiency in domestic properties to large infrastructure projects.\n\nMinisters have promised to extend a scheme offering households \u00a35,000 to replace their gas boilers with heat pumps by three years.\n\nA Lords inquiry recently described the heat pump scheme as \"seriously failing\", after initial figures showed low take-up of the grant by households. But it is hoped that a new marketing campaign will help dispel some of the worries around their installation.\n\nKeeping energy bills low for consumers is also a key ambition of this strategy.\n\nEnergy Security Secretary Grant Shapps said the proposals, published on Thursday, would change the way people are billed which would cut electricity prices in the long term.\n\nThe government has said it recognises one of the main ways to bring down bills is by increasing renewable energy but also by \"decoupling\" electricity from gas prices.\n\nAt the moment the UK still needs natural gas to meet its demand, so its generators, which charge the highest prices, set the electricity cost.\n\nHow the government achieves this is not yet clear - it said it would make no announcements at this time but were looking at different measures. It has proposed to move the existing \"green levies\" on electricity prices over to gas prices so as not to penalise households for using electricity, which is greener.\n\nWithout proper insulation homes lose heat, increasing bills and emissions, as protesters argue\n\nThere were further announcements made to MPs on Thursday including plans to expand investment opportunities in home heating and offshore wind energy, but there was no change to the restriction on planning for onshore wind.\n\nLiberal Democrat environment spokesperson Wera Hobhouse told the BBC: \"We are lagging behind in actually investing properly in renewables and decarbonising our whole energy system. Again, there's no law change of the de facto ban on onshore wind, which is the cheapest form of energy.\"\n\nEnergy companies welcomed the new investment but said it was a missed opportunity to address some of the issues with connecting new renewables to the power grid.\n\nLucy Yu, CEO of the Centre for Net Zero, a think tank owned by Octopus Energy, told the BBC: \"Speeding up the planning process for new renewable energy developments is welcome, but it has to be accompanied by reforms that make it easier, faster and cheaper to get a grid connection.\"","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/science-environment-65107072"}
{"title":"Thomas Cashman: CCTV shows shooting of Olivia gunman's target - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-30","authors":null,"description":"CCTV footage shows the moments leading up to the fatal shooting of nine-year-old Olivia Pratt-Korbel.","section":null,"content":"CCTV footage shows the moments leading up to the fatal shooting of nine-year-old Olivia Pratt-Korbel in her own home.\n\nThomas Cashman can be seen chasing and firing shots at his intended target Joseph Nee.\n\nCashman then fired through the front door of Olivia's family home in Dovecot, Liverpool, fatally hitting her.\n\nWhy not follow BBC North West on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram? You can also send story ideas to northwest.newsonline@bbc.co.uk","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/uk-england-merseyside-65114352"}
{"title":"Police wrestle growling alligator in Florida - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-30","authors":null,"description":"Bodycam footage shows the moment an officer pounces on the reptile in the streets of Tampa.","section":null,"content":"Tampa police encountered a cranky alligator in the street and used rope, duct tape and a bit of wrestling to wrangle the reptile. The alligator was loaded into the bed of a truck and relocated to a more suitable area.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/world-us-canada-65118221"}
{"title":"Paul O'Grady: Camilla says she is 'deeply saddened' by TV star's death - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-30","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"The Queen Consort says the late broadcaster's \"infectious humour lit up the lives of so many\".","section":"Entertainment & Arts","content":"Paul O'Grady was pictured with Camilla, the Queen Consort, in February 2022\n\nCamilla, the Queen Consort, has said she is \"deeply saddened\" by the death of TV and radio host Paul O'Grady.\n\nThe broadcaster died \"unexpectedly but peacefully\" on Tuesday evening at the age of 67, his husband has announced.\n\nIn a statement, Camilla said O'Grady's \"warm heart and infectious humour lit up the lives of so many\".\n\nCelebrities paying tribute included Sir Elton John, Amanda Holden, Zoe Ball and Paddy McGuinness, who described O'Grady as an \"icon of British TV\".\n\nStrictly Come Dancing judge Craig Revel Horwood, with whom O'Grady had been sharing the role of Miss Hannigan in a theatre production of Annie, remembered the performer as a \"gorgeous colleague and friend\".\n\n\"He was such a wonderful human being, funny and to the point,\" Horwood said. \"Paul, legend, RIP darling.\"\n\nComic Peter Kay said he had \"happy memories of the lovely Paul O'Grady\", who he said was \"kind, genuine and naturally funny\".\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser.\n\nMark Downie, former editor of daytime programmes at Channel 4, recalled the star's generosity. \"When we worked together at Channel 4, Paul O'Grady insisted that new roles on his show were advertised in the local Job Centre,\" he said.\n\n\"He wanted anyone and everyone to be able to apply so they could get a break like he had. And it made the show better. A kind and generous man.\"\n\nSir Elton remembered the broadcaster as a \"brilliant entertainer\", a \"supporter of LGBTQ+ rights\" and someone who was at the forefront of the \"fight against Aids and HIV\".\n\nIn an emotional Instagram post, the singer thanked O'Grady for, among other things, hosting his and husband David Furnish's \"stag party before our civil partnership in 2005\" - the first year ceremonies could be performed in England.\n\n\"Thank you for all the joy you brought into the world, Paul,\" Sir Elton said. \"You went places nobody had gone before and we will miss you very much.\"\n\nThis Instagram post cannot be displayed in your browser. Please enable Javascript or try a different browser. View original post on Instagram The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Skip instagram post by eltonjohn This article contains content provided by Instagram. We ask for your permission before anything is loaded, as they may be using cookies and other technologies. You may want to read Meta\u2019s Instagram cookie policy, external and privacy policy, external before accepting. To view this content choose \u2018accept and continue\u2019. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.\n\nO'Grady's impact on and contribution to the LGBTQ community was highlighted by several of those paying tribute to the entertainer on social media\n\n\"When it felt like no one I ever knew in my life was gay, turning on the telly at tea time seeing someone so charismatic, camp and beloved was beyond comforting for so many of us,\" said journalist Harrison Brocklehurst.\n\nComedian and campaigner Joe Lycett added: \"I'm sad about Paul O'Grady. I hoped I might meet him one day to tell him what an inspiration he was to me: I loved [how] gloriously loose and effortless his shows were, how he proved you could be political in a light entertainment space and that you could do all this and be really, really funny.\"\n\nO'Grady's husband Andre Portasio, pictured at the National Television Awards in 2019, said the entertainer had died \"unexpectedly but peacefully\" on Tuesday evening\n\nOne of O'Grady's most recent TV appearances came last year with Camilla, the Queen Consort, for a one-off episode of ITV's For The Love of Dogs - a series the star helped launch in 2012 that followed the work of the Battersea Dogs and Cats Home, an organisation for which he was an ambassador.\n\nA statement released on behalf of Camilla on Wednesday said she was \"deeply saddened to have learned of the death of Paul O'Grady, with whom she worked closely to support the work of Battersea Dogs and Cats Home and whose warm heart and infectious humour lit up the lives of so many\".\n\nFollowing his death, the animal home remembered O'Grady as a \"devoted animal lover\" and a \"champion for the underdog\".\n\nQI host Sandi Toksvig said: \"Working with Paul O'Grady was one of the greatest pleasures of my life. Funny, fearless and full of rage. The best. The world seems a little less bright.\"\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Watch: Paul O'Grady speaks to Michael Parkinson about his alter ego Lily Savage (2002)\n\nGaby Roslin, who occasionally sat in for O'Grady on his BBC Radio 2 show, said his death was \"unbelievably sad news\", describing him as a \"one-off\".\n\n\"Goodness me, we laughed together so much,\" she said. \"Our chats lasted for hours and he'll be up there now nattering away and keeping everyone laughing.\"\n\nO'Grady broadcast his final BBC radio show in August 2022, having hosted the Sunday afternoon programme for nearly 14 years.\n\nSpeaking on her BBC Radio 2 breakfast show on Wednesday, Zoe Ball said: \"We're all heavy of heart here this morning at the news of our dear friend Paul O'Grady. I know he was so loved by the Radio 2 listeners and all of us here.\"\n\nO'Grady received an honorary fellowship from Liverpool John Moores University for services to entertainment in 2005\n\nTop Gear host McGuiness said that O'Grady, for whom he stood in on his chat show more than 15 years ago, \"was always supportive, kind and just great to be around\".\n\n\"Paul started in the pubs and working men's clubs but finished as an icon of British TV. I'll miss him very much.\"\n\nFormer BBC Radio 2 presenter Ken Bruce described O'Grady as a \"unique and brilliant broadcaster who brightened the nation\".\n\nDrag queen Danny Beard told BBC Breakfast that the star was \"the most important person in British culture for drag\".\n\n\"I don't think there's anyone who does the job that I do that doesn't class Paul as an icon,\" added Beard, who won series four of Ru Paul's Drag Race UK.\n\nPaul O'Grady was also well known as his drag queen alter-ego Lily Savage\n\nWhenever we talk about on-screen representation, there's a saying; \"If you can't see it, you can't be it.\"\n\nAnd as tributes to Paul O'Grady pour in, it's clear the saying has never been more appropriate.\n\nHe played pubs and clubs as rough-around-the-edges drag queen Lily savage in the 80s, and brought the character to the mainstream in the 90s.\n\nBut it was what Paul did next - and how he did it - that made him a trailblazer for gay representation on screen and inspired a whole generation of entertainers that might not ever have thought it possible.\n\nAs Britain emerged from the AIDs crisis, with homophobia and stigma still rife, Paul managed to become a staple of prime-time light entertainment; not just as Lily, but as himself. A working class gay man from Birkenhead.\n\nHe never assimilated. He never attempted to \"straighten up\" or change his persona.\n\nAnd for so many in the LGBT community - who are used to making ourselves smaller or hiding parts of our personality in certain company - that was a game changer.\n\nFrom documentaries, to his own chat shows, the Blind Date reboot and of course his ITV show Love of Dogs, he never dimmed himself down or tried to make himself more palatable for certain audiences.\n\nHe was unapologetically camp, and bitchy. He was Paul - perhaps, though, always with a hint of Lily\u2026\n\nO'Grady was also mentioned by several MPs during Wednesday's Prime Minister's Questions.\n\nLabour's deputy leader Angela Rayner and MP Chris Bryant both paid tribute to the entertainer, while deputy prime minister Dominic Raab said Lily Savage \"broke glass ceilings and broke boundaries\".\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Labour MP Chris Bryant pays tribute to Paul O'Grady's role in British gay life and makes an unusual offer to Dominic Raab\n\nComic Omid Djalili said he was \"just coming to terms with the unexpected passing of Paul O'Grady\".\n\n\"I don't think I've ever been so immediately enamoured with a personality on a first meeting. He truly elevated the very atmosphere in which he moved. God rest his mighty soul.\"\n\nPresenter and actor Les Dennis described O'Grady as \"a true comedy great\", adding: \"His twinkly, mischievous presence will be missed by so many.\"\n\nActor and TV host Rob Brydon said: \"Paul O'Grady was a lovely warm and caring man with a lightning fast and devastating wit. What terrible news.\"\n\nThis Twitter post cannot be displayed in your browser. Please enable Javascript or try a different browser. View original tweet on Twitter The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Skip twitter post by Erron Gordon 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\u2019s cookie policy, external and privacy policy, external before accepting. To view this content choose \u2018accept and continue\u2019. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.\n\nSpeaking on BBC Radio 4's Today programme, TV presenter Carol Vorderman said: \"He just fizzed, he was one of those people that just made you feel every part of you was alive.\n\n\"He exploded through the daft, made-up rules of society. He was a massive talent, but you can't forget he was a social worker when he was younger, he saved babies and young children from abuse, he lived in Soho before it was gentrified, he never judged the vulnerable, the weak, the misunderstood.\"\n\nO'Grady had recently been on tour playing Miss Hannigan in the musical Annie and had been due to present on Boom Radio in less than two weeks time for Easter Sunday.\n\nO'Grady won trophies at the TV Baftas and National Television Awards during his career\n\nThe presenter was born in Birkenhead, on the Wirral, Merseyside, in 1955, to a mother whose maiden name was Savage - which is believed to have inspired his famous drag act.\n\nHe began performing as Lily Savage in the 1970s. His drag persona later helmed in a solo show that ran for eight years at London's Royal Vauxhall Tavern, and made a name by speaking out about LGBT issues.\n\nLater, he hosted chat show The Lily Savage Show for BBC for a short run in 1997, before turning his hand to hosting a revived version of game show Blankety Blank, which remained on air until 2002.\n\nO'Grady later hosted teatime programme The Paul O'Grady Show on ITV from 2004 to 2005, before moving with it to Channel 4 from 2006 until 2009. It was later revived in 2013 on ITV and remained on air for two years.\n\nDuring 2013, the chat show was fronted by guest hosts after he suffered a health scare. He had previously had heart attacks in 2002 and 2006, the latter requiring a stay in intensive care.\n\nDuring his career O'Grady won a TV Bafta, British Comedy Award and a National Television Award for The Paul O'Grady Show.\n\nIn 2008, he was made an MBE in the Queen's Birthday Honours for services to entertainment.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/entertainment-arts-65062542"}
{"title":"Donald Trump indictment: Ex-US president to be charged over hush money - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-30","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"Mr Trump, the first serving or former US president to face a criminal case, denies wrongdoing.","section":"US & Canada","content":"This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser.\n\nFormer US President Donald Trump will be charged over hush money payments made to a porn star just before the 2016 presidential election.\n\nThe details of the case against him have not yet been released.\n\nA grand jury has voted to indict him after investigating a $130,000 pay-out to Stormy Daniels in an attempt to buy her silence over an alleged affair.\n\nMr Trump, 76, denies wrongdoing. He is the first serving or former US president to face a criminal charge.\n\nThe office of Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg, who has been pursuing the investigation, confirmed that it had contacted Mr Trump's attorney to \"co-ordinate his surrender\" on unspecified charges.\n\nThe ex-president, who lives in Florida, is expected to fly to New York on Monday and be arraigned in court on Tuesday, two sources familiar with the matter told CBS News, the BBC's US partner.\n\nThe charges in the indictment will be read to him at the hearing, which is set to last about 10-15 minutes.\n\nThe United States Secret Service - which is tasked with protecting serving and former US presidents - will be in charge of security for the court appearance.\n\nIn 2016, adult film star Stormy Daniels contacted media outlets offering to sell her account of what she said was an adulterous affair she had with Donald Trump in 2006 - the year after he married his current wife, Melania.\n\nMr Trump's team got wind of this, and his lawyer Michael Cohen paid $130,000 to Ms Daniels to keep quiet. This is not illegal.\n\nHowever, when Mr Trump reimbursed his lawyer, the record for the payment says it was for legal fees. Prosecutors say this amounts to Mr Trump falsifying business records, which is a misdemeanour - a criminal offence - in New York.\n\nProsecutors could also potentially allege that this breaks election law, because his attempt to hide his payments to Ms Daniels were motivated by not wanting voters to know he had an affair with her.\n\nCovering up a crime by falsifying records would be a felony, which is a more serious charge. Even advocates for prosecution acknowledge that either way, this is by no means a clear-cut case.\n\nThere is little precedent for such a prosecution, and past attempts to charge politicians with crossing the line between campaign finance and personal spending have ended in failure.\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser.\n\nMr Trump now faces the prospect of having his fingerprints recorded and his mugshot taken, like all defendants in criminal cases.\n\nIn a statement, Mr Trump lashed out at the Manhattan district attorney. He called the prosecutor a \"disgrace\", and accused him of \"doing Joe Biden's dirty work\".\n\n\"The Democrats have lied, cheated and stolen in their obsession with trying to 'Get Trump,' but now they've done the unthinkable - indicting a completely innocent person in an act of blatant Election Interference,\" he said.\n\nMr Trump has repeatedly slammed the investigation in his hometown of New York as a political \"witch hunt\" led by his opponents.\n\nMr Bragg, who is a registered Democrat, has denied pursuing a political vendetta against Mr Trump. \"We evaluate cases in our jurisdiction based on the facts, the law, and the evidence,\" he tweeted earlier this month.\n\nMr Trump's lawyer, Susan Necheles, said in a statement: \"He did not commit any crime. We will vigorously fight this political prosecution in court.\"\n\nFollowing the indictment, Ms Daniels thanked her supporters. \"I have so many messages coming in that I can't respond... also don't want to spill my champagne,\" she tweeted.\n\nMr Trump denies having an affair with Stormy Daniels (pictured)\n\nThe criminal case could shape the 2024 presidential race. Mr Trump is currently the front-runner among all declared and potential contenders for the Republican White House nomination.\n\nBut there is nothing in US law that prevents a candidate who is found guilty of a crime from campaigning for, and serving as, president - even from prison.\n\nHis campaign sent out fundraising emails on Thursday evening, citing the indictment.\n\nHouse of Representatives Speaker Kevin McCarthy said: \"Alvin Bragg has irreparably damaged our country in an attempt to interfere in our Presidential election.\n\n\"As he routinely frees violent criminals to terrorize the public, he weaponized our sacred system of justice against President Donald Trump.\"\n\nBut Democrats welcomed the indictment, arguing it showed no-one was above the law.\n\nCongressman Adam Schiff said: \"The indictment and arrest of a former president is unique throughout all of American history.\n\n\"But so too is the unlawful conduct for which Trump has been charged.\"\n\nMr Trump is also being investigated in several other cases.\n\nThey include probes into his role in the US Capitol riot of January 2021, his efforts to overturn his loss in the state of Georgia in the 2020 election, and his handling of classified documents after leaving office.\n\nMr Trump - who served as president from 2017-21 - was twice impeached by the House of Representatives. He was acquitted by the Senate both times.\n\u2022 None The Trump arrest saga in 70 seconds. Video, 00:01:09The Trump arrest saga in 70 seconds","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/world-us-canada-65132553"}
{"title":"Spanish anger over TV star Ana Obreg\u00f3n's surrogate baby in US - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-30","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"Ana Obreg\u00f3n comes in for criticism after news emerges she has had a baby girl via surrogacy aged 68.","section":"Europe","content":"Ana Obreg\u00f3n says she is \"alive again\" after revealing news of her newborn baby\n\nSpanish TV actress Ana Obreg\u00f3n has come under fire after revealing that she has had a baby girl via surrogacy in the US at the age of 68.\n\nObreg\u00f3n is best known for starring in a number of Spanish sitcoms.\n\nHer son and only child died of cancer in 2020 at the age of 27, and she had since spoken of her struggles to move on with her life.\n\nSpain has banned all forms of surrogacy, but parents can adopt the child when they return to the country.\n\nSurrogacy is when a woman agrees to carry and give birth to a baby on behalf of someone else. It is often, but not always, done in exchange for money.\n\nObreg\u00f3n - who also lost both her parents after the death of her son - was pictured on the cover of \u00a1Hola! magazine earlier this week outside a Miami hospital, cradling a newborn baby.\n\nIn an Instagram post, she later commented on the magazine cover, saying:\n\n\"A light full of love came into my darkness. I will never be alone again. I AM ALIVE AGAIN.\"\n\nHer remarks ignited debate on Spanish social media, and some ministers in Spain's left-wing government were incensed at the move.\n\nEducation Minister Pilar Alegr\u00eda called the image of Obreg\u00f3n leaving the hospital \"Dantesque\", referring to the Italian writer's journey through hell.\n\nEquality Minister Irene Montero said the move was \"a form of violence against women\" and added there was a \"clear poverty bias\" against women who become surrogate mothers because they needed the money.\n\nMs Alegr\u00eda also noted: \"This is not surrogacy, this is renting a womb which, as we know, is an illegal practice in Spain.\"\n\n\"Women's bodies should neither be bought nor rented to satisfy anyone's desires,\" declared Presidency Minister Felix Bola\u00f1os.\n\nBut Cuca Gamarra - number two in the conservative People's Party - was more cautious, saying the subject had to be approached via \"deep and serene debates because it touches on many moral, ethical and religious questions\".\n\nSpain's Socialist-led coalition government came to power almost five years ago and has made women's rights one of its key areas of policy.\n\nEarlier this year, it imposed tighter restrictions on surrogacy, banning advertisement for surrogacy agencies.\n\nIt identifies surrogacy as a form of violence against women, categorises any \"reproductive exploitation\", forced pregnancy and forced abortion, forced sterilisation or forced contraception in the same way.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/world-europe-65122973"}
{"title":"King Charles celebrates UK-Germany ties in historic address - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-30","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"In a warmly-received speech to the German parliament, Charles also mentions Monty Python and Kraftwerk.","section":"UK","content":"This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. WATCH: King Charles praises the cultural connections between the UK and Germany\n\nThe UK and Germany should fill the next chapters of their relationship \"with the restless pursuit of a better tomorrow\", King Charles has said.\n\nHis speech, in both English and German, was the first by a British monarch to the German parliament - and was met with a standing ovation.\n\nThere was also laughter in the Bundestag when the King touched upon the Lionesses' victory at the Euros.\n\nThe King is on the second day of his first overseas trip as monarch.\n\nHe used the occasion to thank the people of Germany for their \"extraordinary kindness\" when his mother, Queen Elizabeth II, died last September and said his family was \"deeply touched\".\n\nHe also praised the \"vital leadership\" shown by Germany and the UK in helping Ukraine.\n\nHis three-day tour of Germany with Camilla, the Queen Consort, began on Wednesday.\n\nIt was meant to be the second stop on the trip, but a planned visit to France was cancelled after unrest in several cities over pension reforms.\n\nThe King received loud applause at the German Bundestag on Thursday morning for his historic speech, which was mostly delivered in German and referred warmly to his own family ties with the country.\n\nHe celebrated the \"special bond\" between the UK and Germany, and said he hoped to \"renew the pledge of friendship between our nations\".\n\nKing Charles and Camilla in the main chamber of the Bundestag\n\nTalking of Russia's invasion of Ukraine, the King said: \"Since I last spoke in this building, the scourge of war is back in Europe\".\n\nIt has left freedom and human dignity \"trampled in the most brutal way\", he told the chamber.\n\nHe said Europe's security had been threatened, but praised how the UK and Germany had \"responded decisively\" and shown \"vital leadership\".\n\nThe King was pitching his speech to the home crowd, but he seemed relaxed and appeared to be enjoying making his own mark in this first overseas trip as head of state.\n\nHe also made some cultural references about electronic pop band Kraftwerk, Monty Python and the Beatles during his speech, which were met with laughter. Whether the King really did have Kraftwerk albums or it was a speechwriter hitting Google - it will never be known.\n\nThe King noted that the first Shakespeare association was established not in England, but in Weimar, and the music of George Frideric Handel would be playing at his coronation in May.\n\n\"The web of cultural connections is as strong as ever,\" he said, adding that over the last 50 years \"we have laughed together - both at each other and with each other\".\n\nThe King also talked humorously about the clashes between both countries on the football pitch, specifically highlighting the Lionesses' recent win against Germany in the Euros last summer.\n\nGerman leader Olaf Scholz greets King Charles at the Chancellery in Berlin on Thursday morning\n\nThe speech ended with a nod to the future of German-British relations. He said: \"Heeding the lessons of the past is our sacred responsibility.\n\n\"In the long and remarkable story of our countries, there are many chapters not yet written. Let us fill these with the restless pursuit of a better tomorrow.\"\n\nIt was also well received that the King touched on the sensitive issue of remembering those Germans killed in allied air raids during the Second World War. He really did mention the war, but in a way that reflected a more grown-up relationship between the countries.\n\nThe visit was an Anglo-German bonding session, offering reconciliation for past divisions and now recasting their roles as European democratic allies responding to the war in Ukraine.\n\nThe question of Brexit was lurking in the background, and was directly raised by the German president who described it as a \"sad day\", but this visit seemed to say that such obvious tensions would not stand in the way of long-term shared interest - and that ultimately has been the diplomatic purpose of this visit.\n\nThe King met with the German leader for talks prior to addressing the Bundestag\n\nThe King earlier held talks with German Chancellor Olaf Scholz and visited a food market with Berlin's mayor Franziska Giffey.\n\nIt is the first time a British monarch has visited Germany since the late Queen Elizabeth II's state visit in 2015.\n\nOn Wednesday, the King paid tribute to Germany's \"extraordinary hospitality\" towards Ukraine refugees.\n\nDuring a state banquet held in his honour, he pledged to strengthen the ties between both countries.\n\nKing Charles has also met with Ukrainian refugees who fled their home country.\n\nAlthough the King has travelled around Berlin in his own Bentley, the palace said that Bentley had covered the cost of transporting it.\n\nThe Queen Consort visited the opera with the wife of the German president where they watched a performance and met some of the singers.\n\nLater on Thursday he will speak with representatives of a joint UK and German military unit in Brandenburg, before joining his wife at an organic farm.\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Watch: King Charles had a go at cheese making at an organic farm in Brandenburg\n\nThe King was presented with a cake shaped like a crown during his visit to Brodowin ecovillage\n\nCamilla, the Queen Consort, met members of the public during a visit to a farmer's market on Wittenbergplatz square in Berlin\n\nKing Charles inspects the spuds during a visit to a food market with Berlin's mayor Franziska Giffey\n\nThe King visited an accommodation centre for Ukrainian refugees\n\nThe Queen Consort attends the Komische Opera Berlin with First Lady Elke Budenbender","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/uk-65121371"}
{"title":"Russia to offer food for North Korean weapons - US - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-30","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"Washington says any arms deal would violate UN Security Council resolutions.","section":"Europe","content":"North Korean leader Kim Jong-Un stands in front of a long-range artillery sub-unit this month. It is not known if this is a weapon sought by Russia\n\nRussia is sending a delegation to North Korea to offer food in exchange for weapons, US national security spokesperson John Kirby has said.\n\nMr Kirby said any arms deal between North Korea and Russia would violate UN Security Council resolutions.\n\nThe US has previously accused North Korea of supplying arms to the Russian military in Ukraine and the Wagner group of Russia mercenaries.\n\nMr Kirby told a news conference the US had new information about a deal.\n\n\"We also understand that Russia is seeking to send a delegation in North Korea and that Russia is offering North Korea food in exchange for munitions,\" he said.\n\nThe security spokesperson said the US was monitoring the situation, and the alleged deal, closely.\n\nNorth Korea is one of the poorest countries in the world and has experienced chronic food shortages for decades, including a devastating famine in the mid-to-late 1990s.\n\nIn February, experts warned the country, which has one of the most authoritarian governments in the world, was facing a critical food crisis due to a significant drop in production - worsened by poor weather, strict border controls and the effect of international sanctions.\n\nSatellite imagery from South Korean authorities shows that the North produced 180,000 tonnes less food in 2022 than in 2021.\n\nEarlier on Thursday, the US Treasury blacklisted a Slovak man in a separate case - for acting as a broker between Russia and North Korea.\n\nThe treasury said Ashot Mkrtychev, 56, had arranged sales and organise deals that would enable North Korea to ship weapons to Russia in late 2022 and early 2023.\n\nIn return Pyongyang received cash, commercial aircraft, commodities and raw materials, they said.\n\nFeaturing on the sanctions blacklist means American businesses cannot have dealings with Mr Mkrtychev, and it freezes his US assets.\n\nWestern sanctions have significantly affected Russia's ability to replace used up or destroyed weapons in its war on Ukraine.\n\nThe sanctions have prompted Russia to turn to other countries to source weapons.\n\nIn December last year the US said Iran had become Russia's top military supporter.\n\u2022 None North Korea supplying arms to Russia, says US","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/world-europe-65131117"}
{"title":"BBC to cut 1,000 hours of new TV programming in 2023 to save money - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-30","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"Sport and BBC Four are among the areas to have fewer hours of original coverage to save money.","section":"Entertainment & Arts","content":"The BBC is to broadcast 1,000 fewer hours of new TV programmes this year as part of a drive to save money.\n\nThe broadcaster made about 12,500 \"originated hours\" in 2022.\n\nHalf of the 1,000-hour cut will come from sport, with fewer major events in 2023. Elsewhere, BBC Four is showing more material from the archives.\n\nThe BBC must find \u00a3400m in annual savings by 2027\/28, according to the corporation's latest annual plan, which was published on Thursday.\n\nIt said the current freeze of the price of a TV licence \"continues to place significant financial challenges on the BBC at a time of high inflation and media super-inflation\".\n\nInitiatives to save money include \"an annual reduction of 1,000 hours in content commissions across our portfolio\".\n\nThis year, 50% of that reduction will come from \"fluctuations\" in the sporting calendar, with no Commonwealth Games or men's football World Cup, as there was in 2022. There is a women's World Cup this summer, but UK broadcast details have not been confirmed.\n\nThe other 500 hours will come from different areas including BBC Four, which the corporation announced a year ago would become \"the home of both the BBC's rich archive and arts & music performances\".\n\nIn this year's plan, the BBC said its strategy would include focusing on \"more unique, high-impact content\". The 1,000-hour figure does not include news.\n\nThe BBC's TV budget will decline by \u00a396m to \u00a31.75bn over the coming year, Deadline reported.\n\nThe corporation said it was currently \"spending more on, and commissioning more hours of, UK-originated TV content than any other organisation\".\n\nOther cost-cutting measures include moving a number of World Service TV and radio broadcast services online, and merging the domestic and global news channels.\n\nThe corporation has recently come under fire for plans to close the BBC Singers choir and cut staff from its orchestras, as well as for local radio stations in England to merge more shows.\n\nThe annual plan said the broadcaster's first priority would be impartiality, with a pledge to \"launch an independent review of our social media guidance\".\n\nThe BBC has also recently been caught up in rows about chairman Richard Sharp's links to former prime minister Boris Johnson, and Match of the Day host Gary Lineker's Twitter criticism of the government's asylum policy.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/entertainment-arts-65129480"}
{"title":"King Charles praises Ukraine support on state visit to Germany - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-30","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"The King promises to \"strengthen\" relations with the country and says they stand together on Ukraine.","section":"UK","content":"This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser.\n\nKing Charles III has paid tribute to Germany's \"extraordinary hospitality\" towards Ukrainian refugees during his first state visit as monarch.\n\nThe King said both the UK and Germany \"stand together\" with Ukraine in \"defence of freedom and sovereignty\".\n\nIn his toast at a lavish state banquet, which he delivered partly in German, the King promised to strengthen ties.\n\nThe speech to dignitaries from both countries, including ex-leader Angela Merkel, drew many laughs and applause.\n\nThe King's three-day tour with Camilla, the Queen Consort, comes after a planned visit to France was cancelled following unrest in several cities over pension reforms.\n\nGermany, due to be the second stop on the trip, is instead the location of King Charles' first foreign visit of his reign - and the first of a British monarch since the late Queen Elizabeth II's own state visit there in 2015.\n\nThe British government hopes the King's visit will reinforce relations between the two nations following the UK's decision to leave the EU - described as a \"sad day\" by German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier in his own toast.\n\nAt the President's Bellevue Palace on Wednesday evening, the King said he would do everything he could to \"strengthen the connections between us\".\n\nHe also heaped praise on the \"generosity of spirit of the German people\" for taking in more than one million Ukrainian refugees displaced as a result of the ongoing conflict with Russia.\n\n\"We stand side-by-side in protecting and advancing our shared democratic values,\" he said.\n\n\"This is epitomised so clearly today as we stand together with Ukraine in defence of freedom and sovereignty in the face of unprovoked aggression.\"\n\nThe King also spoke about the fight against climate change, adding: \"I am utterly convinced that the connections between us will grow ever stronger as, together, we pursue a more sustainable, prosperous and secure future.\"\n\nHe also mentioned his late mother, thanking the German people for the messages of \"support and affection\" they sent when she died last year.\n\n\"Over all these years, and in so many ways, I have been struck by the warmth of the friendship between our nations and by the vitality of our partnership in countless areas,\" the King said.\n\n\"It was, Mr President, a friendship which mattered greatly to my mother, the late Queen, who cared deeply about the bond between our two countries.\n\n\"The relationship between Germany and the United Kingdom matters greatly to me... I will do all I can to strengthen the connections between us.\"\n\nIn his speech the King drew laughs from guests when he referenced a British comedy sketch called \"dinner for one\".\n\nIn it an elderly aristocrat dines alone while her waiter gets progressively more drunk as he consumes the alcohol poured for her missing dinner guests.\n\nBoth the King and president raised a toast at the end of their remarks, with President Steinmeier also unveiling a photograph of Charles as a child with his late father, the Duke of Edinburgh.\n\nThis is King Charles's first state visit as monarch\n\nKing Charles praised the \"generosity of spirit\" of the German people\n\nFormer German chancellor Angela Merkel sat next to King Charles at the banquet\n\nStrictly Come Dancing judge Motsi Mabuse and her husband, Ukrainian dancer Evgenij Voznyuk, met the royals before the banquet - Camilla is reported to be a Strictly fan\n\nWednesday's state visit began with a 21-gun salute and fighter jet fly-past as the King and Camilla emerged from the ministerial plane Voyager after touching down at Berlin-Brandenburg Airport.\n\nAs a mark of respect, the couple's plane was escorted by two Typhoon jets as it approached the airport.\n\nFrom there, it was on to the ceremonial arrival at the Brandenburg Gate, the symbolic heart of Berlin. The sky was cold and grey, but the display in King Charles' honour was intended to show the warmth of the greeting from President Steinmeier.\n\nThis was the first time in history the Brandenburg Gate had served as the backdrop to the welcome reception of any visiting head of state.\n\nThe monument is a symbol of the country's division during the Cold War and subsequent reunification. For more than three decades, it stood just behind the wall which divided West and East Germany.\n\nThere were also splashes of colour from flags which hung around Pariser Platz - and not just German and British flags, but also conspicuously many EU flags.\n\nAnd that reflected the underlying purpose of this state visit - to strengthen relations with an important European partner that might have been frayed by Brexit.\n\nIt was a formal meeting between heads of state, with military bands and tight security, but it was also a carefully choreographed piece of diplomatic theatre, delivering an image of unity in Germany's most iconic setting.\n\nAfter the flags were hoisted and national anthems were played, King Charles and President Steinmeier made their way to greet crowds of people who had lined the streets to catch a glimpse of the British monarch.\n\nThe King and Queen Consort were formally welcomed by President Steinmeier and First Lady Elke B\u00fcdenbender\n\nThe King and German president shook hands and spoke with some of those in the crowd\n\nPresident Steinmeier described the decision to pick Germany to host the state visit as an \"important gesture for German-British relations\".\n\nIn his banquet speech, he acknowledged how that relationship had changed but said \"we are opening a new chapter\" between the two countries.\n\n\"Our situation is different as we look to the future, yet we are doing so together,\" he said.\n\n\"No matter what lies ahead, I know that our German-British friendship will remain significant and will remain firm. Our friendship is important and it is strong.\"\n\nKing Charles and Camilla, the Queen Consort, sign the Golden Book as they visit Schloss Bellevue\n\nAs head of state, the King's official visits are decided on government advice. The choice of Germany - and originally, France - as the first overseas destinations visited by the monarch will be seen as prioritising stronger relations with European neighbours.\n\nAnnouncing the state visit earlier this month, Buckingham Palace said it would \"celebrate Britain's relationship\" with Germany, \"marking our shared histories, culture and values\".\n\nAs well as addressing what a palace spokesperson called the \"sacrifices and challenges of our shared past\", the trip is intended to focus on modern challenges, including climate change and the war in Ukraine.\n\nThe King will become the first British sovereign to address the Bundestag, the German Federal Parliament, on Thursday.\n\nKing Charles and Camilla were originally due to be welcomed at a red carpet reception in the Elys\u00e9e Palace in Paris on Sunday.\n\nBut the French leg of their European tour was cancelled last week after protesters planned further demonstrations over President Emmanuel Macron's pension reforms to coincide with the visit.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/uk-65115192"}
{"title":"Melissa Joan Hart: I helped kids flee shooting - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-30","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"The Sabrina The Teenage Witch actress says she was near Monday's deadly Nashville school shooting.","section":"US & Canada","content":"Melissa Joan Hart said this is the second time a mass shooting had occurred in her community\n\nUS actress Melissa Joan Hart has said she helped children flee after the Nashville school shooting.\n\nIn an emotional video on Instagram, Hart said her children go to school near The Covenant School, where an attacker opened fire on Monday.\n\nThe Sabrina The Teenage Witch actress said she and her husband helped a class of kindergartners escape and reunite with their families.\n\nThree children and three adults were killed in the shooting.\n\nThe children were nine-year-old pupils at the Christian private school. The adults were all staff members.\n\nHart said that she and her husband were in the area on their way to attend conferences at their children's school when the shooting unfolded on Monday morning.\n\nThey then assisted with family reunification efforts as pupils from The Covenant School began to flee.\n\n\"We helped a class of kindergartners across a busy highway. They were climbing out of the woods. They were trying to escape the shooter situation at their school,\" Hart said, appearing visibly upset.\n\n\"So we helped all these tiny little kids cross the road and get their teachers over there, and we helped a mom reunite with her children.\"\n\nThis Instagram post cannot be displayed in your browser. Please enable Javascript or try a different browser. View original post on Instagram The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Skip instagram post by melissajoanhart This article contains content provided by Instagram. We ask for your permission before anything is loaded, as they may be using cookies and other technologies. You may want to read Meta\u2019s Instagram cookie policy, external and privacy policy, external before accepting. To view this content choose \u2018accept and continue\u2019. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.\n\nHart noted that this is the second time a mass shooting had occurred in her community.\n\nShe previously lived in Connecticut and her children attended a school near Sandy Hook, where a gunman opened fire and killed 20 children in 2012.\n\n\"This is our second experience with a school shooting with our kids being in close proximity,\" she said.\n\n\"I just don't know what to say anymore,\" she added later in the video. \"It is just, enough is enough. Just pray. Pray for the families.\"\n\nThe Nashville shooter has been identified by police as 28-year-old Audrey Hale, a former student of the school.\n\nOfficers said Hale was armed with at least two assault-style weapons and a handgun, all of which were purchased legally. The suspect was killed by police shortly after the shooting began.\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Watch: 'No parent should have to receive that call'","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/world-us-canada-65114339"}
{"title":"Man guilty of murdering train passenger with horseshoe in Reading - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-30","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"Kirkpatrick Virgo attacked Thomas Parker after an argument over music being played on their train.","section":"Berkshire","content":"Thomas Parker and his brother became involved in an argument about music being played on the train\n\nA man who killed a fellow passenger with a horseshoe after a row about music being played on their train has been found guilty of murder.\n\nKirkpatrick Virgo attacked Thomas Parker, 24, on a platform at Reading station after the journey on 30 July.\n\nIt followed an argument between the pair after one of Virgo's friends was told to turn the music down.\n\nVirgo, 42, from Slough, had previously admitted manslaughter and carrying an offensive weapon but denied murder.\n\nKirkpatrick Virgo told Reading Crown Court he bought the horseshoe as a \"lucky charm\"\n\nDuring a trial at Reading Crown Court, the jury heard the row started at about 23:00 BST when Mr Parker's brother Craig, 27, asked for the volume of the music to be lowered.\n\nThe two groups shouted at each other before the altercation was ended by off-duty police officers.\n\nVirgo then followed the Parker brothers after the train arrived at Reading station, the jury was told.\n\nCraig Parker told the court he went to be sick behind a pillar after feeling ill from a McDonald's milkshake he had consumed during the journey.\n\n\"Once I vomited I felt Tom looking over me, making sure I was all right,\" he said, adding: \"Then it happened, so quickly, Tom was on the floor in front of me.\"\n\nVirgo followed the group before removing the horseshoe from his rucksack\n\nThe court heard Virgo had followed the group, removing a heavy horseshoe from his rucksack, which he then used to hit Thomas Parker in the head.\n\nVirgo told jurors he bought the horseshoe as a \"lucky charm\" from an antiques shop and was carrying it because he had not got round to hanging it on a door.\n\nHe claimed he was spat at and racially abused by Thomas Parker who he feared was going to attack him.\n\nBritish Transport Police (BTP) said the victim had been on his way home from a match between Arsenal and Sevilla at the Emirates Stadium in London.\n\nCCTV footage showed Virgo and two friends boarding the same train at Slough carrying a boom box and accounts taken from witnesses stated they were playing loud music, the force said in a statement.\n\nDuring the argument, passengers heard Virgo remark: \"Do you want to die tonight?\"\n\nFollowing the attack, Craig Parker chased Virgo through the station, catching him on the concourse and tackling him to the floor in a \"bear hug\" before rail staff intervened and alerted emergency services.\n\nAfter Virgo was detained, Mr Parker said he heard someone tell him: \"You best come down now.\"\n\nHe returned to find his brother surrounded by paramedics. He was pronounced dead at the scene at 00:40 BST.\n\nThomas Parker, a golf greenkeeper, was described by his family as \"loving and funny\",\n\nSpeaking after the verdict, Det Ch Insp Paul Langley, from BTP, said Mr Parker was a young man with his whole life ahead of him.\n\n\"But that life was taken away by an extremely violent individual who fatally struck him following a disagreement,\" he said.\n\n\"Thanks to a single shocking act of violence by Kirkpatrick Virgo, Tom's family now face the rest of their lives without their brother, son and friend.\"\n\nVirgo will be sentenced at the same court on Friday.\n\nFollow BBC South on Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram. Send your story ideas to south.newsonline@bbc.co.uk.\n\nThe BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/uk-england-berkshire-65104602"}
{"title":"Elon Musk among experts urging a halt to AI training - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-30","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"Elon Musk among those calling for training in powerful artificial intelligence to be suspended.","section":"Technology","content":"Elon Musk is among those warning of the risks from advanced AI\n\nKey figures in artificial intelligence want training of powerful AI systems to be suspended amid fears of a threat to humanity.\n\nThey have signed an open letter warning of potential risks, and say the race to develop AI systems is out of control.\n\nTwitter chief Elon Musk is among those who want training of AIs above a certain capacity to be halted for at least six months.\n\nApple co-founder Steve Wozniak and some researchers at DeepMind also signed.\n\nOpenAI, the company behind ChatGPT, recently released GPT-4 - a state-of-the-art technology, which has impressed observers with its ability to do tasks such as answering questions about objects in images.\n\nThe letter, from Future of Life Institute and signed by the luminaries, wants development to be halted temporarily at that level, warning in their letter of the risks future, more advanced systems might pose.\n\n\"AI systems with human-competitive intelligence can pose profound risks to society and humanity,\" it says.\n\nThe Future of Life Institute is a not-for-profit organisation which says its mission is to \"steer transformative technologies away from extreme, large-scale risks and towards benefiting life\".\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser.\n\nMr Musk, owner of Twitter and chief executive of car company Tesla, is listed as an external adviser to the organisation.\n\nAdvanced AIs need to be developed with care, the letter says, but instead, \"recent months have seen AI labs locked in an out-of-control race to develop and deploy ever more powerful digital minds that no-one - not even their creators - can understand, predict, or reliably control\".\n\nThe letter warns that AIs could flood information channels with misinformation, and replace jobs with automation.\n\nThe letter follows a recent report from investment bank Goldman Sachs which said that while AI was likely to increase productivity, millions of jobs could become automated.\n\nHowever, other experts told the BBC the effect of AI on the labour market was very hard to predict.\n\nMore speculatively, the letter asks: \"Should we develop non-human minds that might eventually outnumber, outsmart, obsolete [sic] and replace us?\"\n\nStuart Russell, computer-science professor at the University of California, Berkeley, and a signatory to the letter, told BBC News: \"AI systems pose significant risks to democracy through weaponised disinformation, to employment through displacement of human skills and to education through plagiarism and demotivation.\"\n\nAnd in the future, advanced AI's may pose a \"more general threat to human control over our civilization\".\n\n\"In the long run, taking sensible precautions is a small price to pay to mitigate these risks,\" Prof Russell added.\n\nBut Princeton computer-science professor Arvind Narayanan accused the letter of focusing on \"speculative, futuristic risk, ignoring the version of the problem that is already harming people\".\n\nIn a recent blog post quoted in the letter, OpenAI warned of the risks if an artificial general intelligence (AGI) were developed recklessly: \"A misaligned superintelligent AGI could cause grievous harm to the world; an autocratic regime with a decisive superintelligence lead could do that, too.\n\n\"Co-ordination among AGI efforts to slow down at critical junctures will likely be important,\" the firm wrote.\n\nOpenAI has not publicly commented on the letter. The BBC has asked the firm whether it backs the call.\n\nMr Musk was a co-founder of OpenAI - though he resigned from the board of the organisation some years ago and has tweeted critically about its current direction.\n\nAutonomous driving functions made by his car company Tesla, like most similar systems, use AI technology.\n\nThe letter asks AI labs \"to immediately pause for at least six months the training of AI systems more powerful than GPT-4\".\n\nIf such a delay cannot be enacted quickly, governments should step in and institute a moratorium, it says.\n\n\"New and capable regulatory authorities dedicated to AI\" would also be needed.\n\nRecently, a number of proposals for the regulation of technology have been put forward in the US, UK and EU. However, the UK has ruled out a dedicated regulator for AI.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/technology-65110030"}
{"title":"Julian Knight: Met Police drop sexual assault investigation into Tory MP - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-30","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"Julian Knight, who was suspended as a Tory MP over the case, had always denied the allegations.","section":"UK Politics","content":"The Metropolitan Police has said it is no longer investigating allegations of sexual assault against a Tory MP.\n\nJulian Knight, who was suspended from the parliamentary Conservative Party over the case, had always denied the allegations.\n\nThe Tory whips office said it would not restore Mr Knight as a Tory MP following \"further complaints\".\n\nMr Knight has claimed he is the victim of a \"continuing a witch hunt against me\" by the whips.\n\nA spokesperson for the Chief Whip Simon Hart said: \"Following further complaints made to the Whips' Office, we will not be restoring the whip to Julian Knight.\n\n\"These complaints, if appropriate, will be referred to the relevant police force, or appropriate bodies.\"\n\nMr Knight said the statement from the whips \"smacks of a desperate attempt to cover up the identities and motives of those in Parliament who colluded for many months to bring the false allegation against me to the police\".\n\n\"The whips office now seems intent on continuing a witch hunt against me in an attempt to prevent my naming names,\" he added.\n\nAn investigation was launched after police received allegations of serious sexual assault.\n\nScotland Yard received an allegation on 28 October last year, before a further referral relating to the incident was made on 7 December.\n\nIn a statement, the police said they are no longer proceeding with an investigation and there have been no arrests.\n\nMr Knight said he was not interviewed by the police, in a statement released before the whips office announced that he would not return to sit as a Conservative MP.\n\nHe said: \"The fact is that there was never anything for the police to investigate. This was a single, false and malicious allegation initially brought to them by third parties, each of whom had their own clear motives for doing so.\"\n\nHe said the Conservative whips office \"acted disgracefully and in breach of natural justice\" in \"publicly naming me in connection with the allegation\".\n\n\"Their actions meant my name was dragged through the mud and my good reputation immeasurably damaged,\" Mr Knight said.\n\nHe added: \"Had the police taken the simple step at outset of interviewing me under caution, they would have seen that the allegation was false and scandalous. Instead, they waited four months, without ever talking to me, before deciding there was nothing for them to investigate.\n\n\"I have been left effectively to prove my innocence through my public statements and letters to the Commissioner of the Metropolitan Police and the Chief Whip. That cannot be right.\n\n\"It is now my intention to use every legal route available to pursue those inside and outside Parliament involved in having this allegation brought against me.\"\n\nThe Solihull MP is the chairman of the Commons Digital, Culture, Media and Sport Committee and has represented the constituency since 2015.\n\nHe currently sits as an independent after being suspended as a Conservative MP in December last year.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/uk-politics-65115208"}
{"title":"Gwyneth Paltrow ski-crash jury deliberates over who crashed into whom - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-30","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"The highly-watched trial draws to a close as the jury decides who crashed into whom","section":"US & Canada","content":"Closing arguments have ended and the jury is deliberating in a civil trial over a 2016 ski collision involving US actress Gwyneth Paltrow.\n\nRetired optometrist Terry Sanderson, 76, alleges Paltrow crashed into him, leaving him with life-changing injuries.\n\nHe is seeking $300,000 (\u00a3245,000) in damages.\n\nMs Paltrow, 50, blames him for the accident. Her lawyers argue he is exploiting her celebrity status.\n\nThe Oscar winner is countersuing for $1 plus legal fees.\n\nMs Paltrow has been present in court every day of her civil trial in Park City, in western Utah.\n\nThe room - courtroom B at Park City's Third District Court - was full on Thursday with people waiting to hear closing statements.\n\nMr Sanderson claims the accident at the upmarket resort left him with brain damage and broken ribs and damaged his relationships with his family.\n\nMs Paltrow denied being responsible for the accident during her testimony last week.\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Watch: Jaw-dropping moments from the courtroom as Gwyneth Paltrow testifies\n\nThursday's proceedings kicked off half an hour later than usual and were beset with technical difficulties. Dr Richard Boehme, the prosecution's final rebuttal witness, testified virtually via Zoom while on holiday - but was forced to move to a less effective method of testifying via speakerphone.\n\nDr Boehme argued the defence's biomechanics expert on ski collision had \"mischaracterised\" the nature of the accident, but also conceded he had not skied in decades and had no expertise in ski accidents.\n\nIn their closing argument, Mr Sanderson's lawyer said that Ms Paltrow was \"a good person\" and \"not a liar\" but that her version of events did not hold up to scrutiny.\n\n\"Terry went out for a fun day of skiing,\" Robert Sykes said. \"He never came back that night as the same person.\"\n\nHis colleague, Lawrence Buhler, added that the defence had skewered his client over his pre-existing health issues but that \"he was healthy enough to ski and now he doesn't\".\n\nMr Sanderson's lawyer argued the retired optometrist's life changed and that, in many ways, he was \"still on the mountain\".\n\nIn their own turn, defence lawyers said Ms Paltrow had been \"pounded like a punching bag\" by a man who \"likes to be in the spotlight\".\n\n\"He hit her, he hurt her and he's not entitled to sue her,\" said Steve Owens.\n\nHis colleague James Egan added that it was hard for Mr Sanderson \"to accept the decline he is experiencing\" and had \"grabbed on to the collision to explain it\".\n\n\"Ms Paltrow wants him off the mountain too,\" he said, \"but she should not be responsible for the cost\".","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/world-us-canada-65129009"}
{"title":"Old coal mine at Glenmuckloch to host Extreme E off-road rally - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-30","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"The Scottish leg of the Extreme E series will be held at Glenmuckloch in Dumfries and Galloway.","section":"South Scotland","content":"The off-road electric rally event will come to southern Scotland in May\n\nAn old coal mine in southern Scotland is to host an electric off-road rally.\n\nThe Extreme E series will hold its Hydro X Prix at Glenmuckloch in Dumfries and Galloway on 13 and 14 May.\n\nIt will provide the \"perfect natural amphitheatre\" for the event which has teams backed by Lewis Hamilton, Nico Rosberg and Jenson Button.\n\nPrevious sites to have hosted the series have included Greenland, the Atacama Desert, Saudi Arabia and Senegal.\n\nPrevious races have been held around the world including Saudi Arabia\n\nNow in its third season, the off-road rally series focuses on the promotion of electric vehicles and clean energy innovations.\n\nThe old opencast mine is seen as an ideal location, with its plans for a pumped storage hydropower plant and wind farm.\n\nAli Russell from Extreme E said: \"It's probably the craziest location we have ever gone for, it has got such a wonderful story.\n\n\"What's special about this coal mine is that it has a second life - and that second life is all about hydro.\"\n\nHe said the drivers had looked at the course and thought it would be \"really challenging\".\n\n\"It's a lot of fun, there's a lot of jeopardy, it is wheel-to-wheel racing and it is cars driving at the same time which makes it very, very unique,\" he said.\n\n\"It is like an off-road version of Formula One but electric, zero emission racing.\"\n\nThe former opencast coal mine site is said to be ideal for the event\n\nExtreme E also prides itself on being a gender-equal motorsport platform, which sees men and women drivers race equally for success.\n\nBritish driver Catie Munnings, of the Andretti Altawkilat team, explained why they were coming to the south of Scotland.\n\n\"Extreme E is an all electric, off-road SUV championship where we are racing in the most remote locations on Earth with the aim of raising awareness about some of the issues that those locations are facing with climate change,\" she said.\n\n\"It is a really cool place for us to be racing.\n\n\"Racing in what was a coal mine that is going to be repurposed into a hydro plant has got such a powerful message.\"\n\nCatie Munnings said she was looking forward to the event in Scotland\n\nJenson Button, JBXE team owner, said it would be great to try out the new venue.\n\n\"There is such a passion for motorsport in the UK, and it is great that the series is returning to its roots once again,\" he said.\n\n\"Racing in Scotland will provide a totally new challenge for our team, but I am confident we will be able to kick-start our season there.\"\n\nAnna Fergusson, estate director of Buccleuch's Queensberry Estate which is home of Glenmuckloch, said hosting the race was a \"wonderful opportunity\" for the area.\n\nAnna Ferguson said the rally was a great opportunity for the area\n\n\"We were approached by Extreme E who were looking for a base in Scotland to tie in with their values on environment and community,\" she said.\n\n\"We are literally only an hour south of Glasgow and Edinburgh - but it is great to get us on the map in such a positive way.\"\n\nAs part of the legacy programme of the event Extreme E is backing a community project in the area to help protect salmon stocks.\n\nIt also takes steps to keep its carbon footprint to a minimum including capping the number of team personnel and staff at the event and not having spectators on site.\n\nHowever, all the action will be shown live on television over the weekend.\n\nThe BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/uk-scotland-south-scotland-65112236"}
{"title":"Bankers convicted of helping Putin's friend - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-30","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"A cellist who is godfather to the Russian leader's daughter deposited huge sums in Swiss accounts.","section":"Europe","content":"The four bankers are charged with helping cellist Sergei Roldugin move funds suspected of belonging to Russia's leader\n\nFour bankers who allowed a friend of Vladimir Putin to deposit huge sums in Swiss banks have been found guilty of lacking due diligence.\n\nThe former executives at the Zurich branch of Russia's Gazprombank were given hefty fines for helping musician Sergei Roldugin, nicknamed \"Putin's wallet\".\n\nMr Roldugin reportedly paid in around $30m (\u00a324m) between 2014 and 2016.\n\nHe gave no credible explanation of where the money had come from.\n\nUnder Swiss law, banks are required to reject or close accounts if they have doubts about the account holder or the source of the money. Mr Roldugin, a cellist, is godfather to President Putin's eldest daughter, Maria.\n\nThe Russian leader has also awarded him the Order of Alexander Nevsky, an order of merit given out by the Russian Federation.\n\nThree of the convicted bankers are Russian and one is Swiss. They were given fines totalling 741,000 Swiss francs (\u00a3655,600), suspended for two years.\n\nThe men, who cannot be identified under Swiss reporting restrictions, said they would appeal against the Swiss court's decision.\n\nThe Zurich court could not prove the four had doubts when the Russian musician turned up with millions of dollars. But the verdict says they should have, and failed to act.\n\nIt puts bankers across the country on notice that the due diligence laws will be enforced.\n\nFinancial links between the Russian president and Mr Roldugin were uncovered in 2016 as part of the Panama Papers, which involved the leak of millions of confidential documents from the Panama-based law firm Mossack Fonseca.\n\nThe information was uncovered by the International Consortium of Investigative Journalists, including BBC Panorama.\n\nIn 2014, the musician told the New York Times he was not a millionaire.\n\nThe judge in the Zurich court said it was beyond doubt that Mr Roldugin was not the true owner of the money that he deposited.\n\nHe said the four bankers who opened the accounts should have asked questions: Mr Roldugin had no apparent income, so where did the money come from?\n\nTheir sentences are mild, but this case has big implications. If the money wasn't Mr Roldugin's, whose was it?\n\nThe Russian president, now under Western sanctions, is rumoured to have vast wealth, some of it invested abroad.\n\nThere used to be a saying in Switzerland, when it was home to the funds of dictators, mafia bosses and drug barons, that money itself is always neutral. This verdict suggests those days are gone.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/world-europe-65123083"}
{"title":"Council tax would be frozen for a year, Labour propose as campaign launches - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-30","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"Sir Keir Starmer says the tax could be kept at its current rate with an expanded windfall tax on energy firms.","section":"UK Politics","content":"This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Sir Keir Starmer on his plan to freeze council tax as he launches Labour's English local election campaign.\n\nLabour would freeze council tax this year if it was in government, the party has announced as it launches its local elections campaign.\n\nCouncil tax for millions of households in England will rise on 1 April, with many councils due to raise rates by 5%.\n\nLabour leader Sir Keir Starmer said freezing the current rate could be paid for with funds from an increased windfall tax on energy firms.\n\nOn 4 May, 230 councils across England will hold elections.\n\nIn a speech in Swindon, Wiltshire, Sir Keir said freezing council tax was \"a tax cut for the 99% of working people, compared with the tax cut for the richest 1% that we get under the Tories\".\n\nPressed on whether the party would freeze council tax if it won the next general election, which has to be held before January 2025, shadow chancellor Rachel Reeves said she \"won't announce any spending increases or tax cuts that aren't fully costed and fully funded\".\n\n\"We'll have to see what the public finances look like going into a general election,\" she told BBC Radio 4's Today programme.\n\nCouncil tax is used to fund local services such as bin collections\n\nIn his speech in Swindon, Sir Keir urged people to vote Labour to \"send a message\" to the government that \"Britain deserves better\".\n\n\"Decline is not inevitable, the cost-of-living crisis is not inevitable, sticking plaster politics is not inevitable,\" he said.\n\nHe added that there were \"choices to be made\", highlighting Labour's pledges to boost the number of neighbourhood police, doctors and nurses, as well as to cut business rates to help revive High Streets.\n\nLabour is currently the second largest party on Swindon council, with 23 seats compared to the Conservatives' 32.\n\nThe party have already announced they will insulate 19 million homes as part of a \"national mission\" to reduce energy bills and make the UK more energy independent.\n\nThey have also pledged to reverse government plans to scrap the \u00a31.07m lifetime limit on tax-free pensions savings and abolish non-dom tax status.\n\nCouncil tax is a compulsory charge on properties in England, Scotland and Wales set by local authorities to raise money to spend on providing services in their area.\n\nThe government has increased the amount that councils in England are allowed to put up council tax without having to hold a local referendum.\n\nThose with social care duties can raise council tax by 5%, while others can put it up by 3%.\n\nMost councils are expected to impose the biggest increase they are allowed to without consulting residents.\n\nIn England, if you pay the of \u00a31,966 a year, a 5%, rise would mean an extra \u00a398.30 across the year - pushing Band D council taxes to more than \u00a32,000 a year for the first time.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/uk-politics-65116568"}
{"title":"Cambridgeshire: Father and son shot dead in 'targeted' attacks - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-30","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"Police arrest three people after two men are killed in separate Cambridgeshire villages.","section":"Cambridgeshire","content":"Police found the body of a 32-year-old man at a home in Meridian Close, Bluntisham\n\nThree people have been arrested after a father and son were shot dead in what police say were \"targeted\" attacks in villages in Cambridgeshire.\n\nPolice found the body of a 32-year-old man after gunshots were heard in Meridian Close, Bluntisham, just after 21:00 BST on Wednesday.\n\nAbout 40 minutes later officers were called to reports of shots in nearby Sutton and found the body of a man, 57.\n\nThree people are being held on suspicion of conspiracy to murder.\n\nCh Supt John Hutchinson told the BBC that the victims were father and son.\n\nThe incident appeared to be related to a \"familial issue\", he said, and he confirmed a \"custody battle\" was \"an active line of inquiry\".\n\n\"We do not believe there is any ongoing risk to the public in Cambridgeshire,\" he added.\n\nAbout 40 minutes after the first shooting was reported, the body of a 57-year-old man was found in The Row, Sutton\n\nA 27-year-old man and a 33-year-old woman were detained at a hotel just outside Cambridge in the early hours of Thursday, while a 66-year-old man was arrested in the Worcester area.\n\nA white Peugeot 208 has been recovered as well as a shotgun from a car.\n\nCambridgeshire Police asked for anyone who saw the Peugeot in the area on Wednesday night, or anyone acting suspiciously around it, to come forward, especially if they have CCTV footage.\n\n\"We believe that the vehicle was circulating in the Bluntisham and Sutton areas yesterday and we need to identify what time it came into the area,\" Mr Hutchinson said.\n\nThe homes in Meridian Close and The Row, in Sutton - about six-and-a-half miles away from each other - have been cordoned off and there will be an increased police presence in the area.\n\nBBC reporter Claudia Allen said Meridian Close was an \"incredibly quiet close\" of new-builds dating from 2021\n\nResidents told the BBC Meridian Close was a \"very quiet\" street and not the sort of area they would expect something like this to happen.\n\nOne said it was a major operation, with a police helicopter hovering overhead and they were told on social media to stay indoors.\n\nMark Foreman in Bluntisham said he heard \"two loud bangs\"\n\nMark Foreman said he heard \"two loud bangs\" and thought it was car doors closing outside his house.\n\n\"I went outside and there was nobody there which I thought was strange,\" he said.\n\n\"Subsequently I heard helicopters in the sky and obviously it's transpired that this has happened.\n\n\"It's very surprising it happened in two very sleepy villages I know very, very well.\n\n\"I've lived in the area 20-odd years and nothing like that has ever happened so it was a very strange thing to wake up to.\"\n\nMartin Crowhurst said it was \"astounding\" for a shooting to happen in such a quiet village\n\nMartin Crowhurst, 75, who has lived in Bluntisham for 17 years, said: \"For a village like this and in a community like this I find it astounding because it's so quiet.\n\n\"It just makes you feel a bit uneasy.\"\n\nDog walker, Olivia Winter, added that it was \"quite worrying because we never have anything happen down here\".\n\n\"It's quite a shock that something would happen in such a small place,\" she said.\n\nIn Sutton, just off the A142 between Ely and Chatteris, two semi-detached properties at the end of a row, which look out on to hedges and fields, have been cordoned off.\n\nFloral tributes have been left at the scene and residents living near the houses said there was a feeling of shock.\n\nEyewitness Gordon Murray, 62, who lives near the sealed-off house in Sutton, said he saw police cars \"racing down\" the road and heard shouts from armed officers.\n\n\"I thought it was an altercation or something. Then I saw the armed police,\" he said.\n\n\"They were shouting something to the homeowners. That was it.\"\n\nForensic officers have been carrying out work at the scene in Sutton\n\nMr Murray said officers later asked him if he had CCTV footage.\n\nForensic officers have been patrolling both areas while police have appealed for anyone who saw anything to contact them.\n\nThere has been a heavy police presence in both Meridian Close, Bluntisham (above) and The Row in Sutton\n\nFloral tributes have been left at the scene in Sutton\n\nWest Mercia Police said officers from the West Midlands force spotted a vehicle with a possible suspect in heading south into its area of the M5 at about 01:00 BST.\n\nIt was stopped close to junction five for Droitwich using a stinger and a 66-year-old man was arrested.\n\nPolice have cordoned off a street in Bluntisham where the shooting took place\n\nCambridgeshire's police and crime commissioner, Darryl Preston, said he understood how shocked local people would be but insisted the incidents were \"thought to be targeted, therefore there is no risk to the wider community\".\n\nShailesh Vara, the Conservative MP for North West Cambridgeshire, said he hoped locals would \"carry on as normal\" and urged witnesses to come forward.\n\n\"This is tragic news from what are normally quiet areas of Cambridgeshire and it has really shocked the local community,\" he said.\n\nDo you live in the area? Are you an eyewitness? Please share your experiences by emailing haveyoursay@bbc.co.uk.\n\nPlease include a contact number if you are willing to speak to a BBC journalist. You can also get in touch in the following ways:\n\nIf 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 HaveYourSay@bbc.co.uk. Please include your name, age and location with any submission.\n\nFind BBC News: East of England on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter. If you have a story suggestion email eastofenglandnews@bbc.co.uk\n\nThe BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/uk-england-cambridgeshire-65121039"}
{"title":"NI Water to increase bills for businesses - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-30","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"Businesses will see an average increase of 13.4% in their water bills from next month.","section":"Northern Ireland","content":"Businesses will face the increase from 1 April\n\nBusinesses in Northern Ireland are facing an above inflation increase in water charges.\n\nThe average increase of 13.4% will also apply to other non-domestic customers like schools and churches.\n\nNI Water said it had \"absorbed as much cost as possible\" but was facing \"significant financial pressures\" from rising energy prices.\n\nUnlike other parts of the UK, households in Northern Ireland are not billed for water.\n\nThe water system in Northern Ireland is mostly funded by government resources rather than consumer charges.\n\nNI Water is government-owned and mostly funded by the block grant provided to Stormont by the Treasury.\n\nSpecific bill changes for non-domestic customers operate according to a formula agreed with the Northern Ireland Utility Regulator.\n\nNI Water director of finance Ronan Larkin said measured customer bills will rise by 12.7%, while unmeasured and trade effluent bills will rise by 13.7% and 15.5% respectively.\n\nHe added that this \"compares favourably with other utilities across Gas and Electricity sectors\".\n\nThe increases will mean a shop or small office unit, connected to sewer, using 285M\u00b3 of water, will pay \u00a3478, a rise of \u00a354 per year.\n\nA farmer using 400M\u00b3 of water, with septic tank, will pay \u00a3345, a rise of \u00a337.\n\nThe increases will take effect from 1 April.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/uk-northern-ireland-65109990"}
{"title":"Premier League tightens ownership rules to stop human rights abusers running a club - BBC Sport","published_date":"2023-03-30","authors":null,"description":"The Premier League tightens its ownership rules to ensure anyone found to have committed human rights abuses cannot run a club.","section":null,"content":"Last updated on .From the section Premier League\n\nThe Premier League's new owners' and directors' test rules were unanimously approved at a shareholders' meeting on Thursday The Premier League has tightened its ownership rules to block anyone found to have committed human rights abuses from running a club. Human rights abuses, as determined by the UK's Global Human Rights Sanctions Regulations, is a new \"disqualifying event\" in the English top-flight's owners' and directors' test. Individuals subject to UK government sanctions will also be banned. The changes to the test will be applied immediately. The Premier League has also amended the list of criminal offences which would result in disqualification, including those which involve violence, corruption, fraud, tax evasion and hate crimes. It also has new power to stop those wishing to become a director of a club if they are under investigation for conduct that would result in a disqualifying event if it is proven. Human rights group Amnesty International said the move was \"a step in the right direction\", but warned the Premier League still risked becoming a \"sportswashing toy\" if the rules were not properly implemented. Conservative MP Tracey Crouch, who was the UK's Sport Minister between 2017 and 2018, said the changes were \"smoke and mirrors\".\n\u2022 None English football's new regulator 'can't be a sledgehammer'\n\u2022 None The Sport Desk podcast: The battle for football's future The new rules, which were unanimously approved at a shareholders' meeting on Thursday, come into force at a time when the ownership of a number of Premier League clubs is under scrutiny. Qatari banker Sheikh Jassim is among the bidders for Manchester United and the prospect of Qatari investment in a Premier League club has raised concerns among human rights and LGBTQ+ groups. The nation's treatment of migrant workers has been criticised, while homosexual acts are illegal in Qatar. Punishments include fines, prison sentences of up to seven years and even death by stoning. However, BBC Sport understands Jassim does not believe the strengthened owners' and directors' test will have any impact on his offer to buy the 20-time English champions because he has made the bid as a private individual. Earlier this month, Amnesty said the Premier League \"needs to re-examine the assurances\" it was given about potential Saudi state control of Newcastle United. Newcastle's takeover by Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund (PIF) was approved after the Premier League received \"legally binding assurances\" the Saudi government would not have any control over the club. Premier League chief executive Richard Masters told a committee of MPs on Tuesday he could not comment on whether his organisation was investigating who has control of Newcastle and whether it was re-examining its approval of the club's Saudi takeover. Last year, Russian businessman Roman Abramovich sold Chelsea after being sanctioned by the UK for his alleged ties to Russian President Vladimir Putin, which he denied. Introducing a more stringent owners' and directors' test will be among the powers held by English football's new independent regulator, which was confirmed by a government white paper last month. \"[The] Global Human Rights Sanctions Regulations are already the law of the land so this is nothing new,\" said Crouch in response to the Premier League's announcement. \"Improvement always welcome but still don't go as far as white paper.\" Amnesty UK's economic affairs director Peter Frankental added: \"It'll make little difference unless powerful individuals linked to serious human rights violations overseas are definitively barred from taking control of Premier League clubs and using them for state sportswashing. \"Would, for instance, a future bid involving Saudi or Qatari sovereign wealth funds be blocked by this rule change? It's far from clear that they would.\"\n\u2022 None Our coverage of your Premier League club is bigger and better than ever before - follow your team and sign up for notifications in the BBC Sport app to make sure you never miss a moment","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/sport\/football\/65128593"}
{"title":"Pope could leave hospital in days after bronchitis - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-30","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"The Vatican says there has been \"a marked improvement\" in the 86-year-old pontiff's health.","section":"World","content":"Pope Francis arrives for the weekly general audience in St Peter's Square on Wednesday\n\nPope Francis could be discharged from a Rome hospital \"in the coming days\" after he was admitted with a respiratory condition.\n\nThe pontiff has seen a \"marked improvement in his health\" after he received antibiotics for a bronchitis infection, the Vatican said.\n\nThe Pope spent the afternoon \"devoting himself to rest, prayer and some work\".\n\nHe was admitted to Gemelli Hospital on Wednesday, for what was initially said to be a scheduled check-up.\n\nThere he was then diagnosed with bronchitis, and given an antibiotic infusion, a statement from the Vatican said.\n\n\"Based on the expected progress [of his health], the Holy Father could be discharged in the coming days,\" the Vatican statement said, quoting his medical team.\n\nEarlier on Thursday, Vatican spokesman Matteo Bruni said the 86-year-old \"rested well during the night\".\n\n\"This morning after breakfast, he read some newspapers and resumed work,\" he said.\n\nHe added that he then went to the chapel of the hospital, where he prayed and received the Eucharist.\n\nThis is the busiest time of the year for Pope Francis, with many events and services scheduled ahead of Easter weekend.\n\nPalm Sunday Mass takes place this weekend, with Holy Week and Easter celebrations following next week.\n\nItalian news agency Ansa reported nurses were optimistic he would be out of hospital in time for Palm Sunday.\n\nThe Argentine pontiff marked 10 years as head of the Catholic Church earlier this month. He has suffered a number of health issues throughout his life, including having part of one of his lungs removed at age 21.\n\nWhile keeping a busy schedule and travelling widely, he has for the past year used a wheelchair because of knee pain and admitted last summer he had to slow down.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/world-65131783"}
{"title":"Warning UK car industry under threat without help - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-30","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"An industry veteran says the UK needs to follow the US and EU in helping with the shift to electric cars.","section":"Business","content":"The UK's car sector could disappear unless the government follows the US and EU in helping with the switch to electric, an industry veteran says.\n\nIt was \"probable\" car firms would leave the UK without a huge subsidy package similar to the billions in support the US is providing, Andy Palmer said.\n\nThe sector is facing the \"last throw of the dice\", Mr Palmer added, who has had senior jobs at Nissan and Aston Martin.\n\nThe chancellor has said the UK will not go \"toe-to-toe\" with the US and EU.\n\nJeremy Hunt told the Times newspaper that the UK's approach to attract investment would be \"better\".\n\nMr Palmer is now chairman of electric battery firm InoBat, but has previously worked as chief operating officer at Nissan and is a former chief executive of Aston Martin.\n\nHe told the BBC's Today programme that the UK was \"managing decline\" in its car-making industry, but had a \"last opportunity\" to boost the sector and jobs in the move to electric vehicles.\n\nHowever, he warned huge subsidy packages were needed for UK-based companies, similar to such schemes announced in the US and being consulted on currently by the EU.\n\nIf such schemes are not created, Mr Palmer said, it was \"not only possible, it's probable\" that car manufacturers currently based in the UK would leave and go elsewhere.\n\n\"You are into a period of either you compete... or you manage the decline of the British industry down to fundamentally next to zero,\" he said.\n\n\"We have the last throw of the dice in order to bring back some part of that industry, if we don't then we have to look for alternative employments for the 820,000 people.\"\n\nThe warning comes after the US announced the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA), which offers billions of dollars in subsidies and tax credits to US businesses producing greener technologies, including electric vehicles, renewable electricity and sustainable aviation fuel.\n\nThe EU has responded with plans for a Net Zero Industry Act to increase its subsidies for green industry.\n\nThe UK government told the BBC officials were engaging with the US administration \"to address serious concerns\" about the IRA, as well as talking to other countries across the world \"who are similarly affected\".\n\nThe government said it would \"continue to robustly defend the interests of UK industry\".\n\nThe latest comments come after Mr Hunt said the UK would not go toe-to-toe with its allies and get involved what he called \"some distortive global subsidy race\".\n\n\"Our approach will be different - and better,\" Mr Hunt said. \"With the threat of protectionism creeping its way back into the world economy, the long-term solution is not subsidy but security.\"\n\nWe are going to be hearing a lot about the US Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) in the coming months.\n\nToday, the chancellor wrote sceptically about it, saying that the UK would not engage in a trade war on green subsidies.\n\nSome in the industries involved are deeply concerned that the US is cornering markets for once-in-a-generation investments which will transform the geography of manufacturing across the world.\n\nA similar strategy is also being tried in both the US and EU for restoring the production of critical microchips from East Asia.\n\nThe UK's role in this changing world is unclear. The chancellor told MPs on Wednesday that the UK's full response to IRA would be made in full after the EU responded. Andy Palmer's response about the entire industry under threat without \"a British Inflation Reduction Act\" shows how significant the stakes are.\n\nThe car industry is undergoing a massive transformation as governments across the world look to move away from using fossil fuels, meaning traditional petrol and diesel vehicle combustion engines are to become a thing of the past.\n\nA part of plans to cut carbon emissions, the government has said sales of new petrol and diesel cars will be banned in the UK by 2030.\n\nBut there are concerns that firms are not getting enough state support in the journey to electric cars becoming mainstream.\n\nIn recent years, Honda has closed its Swindon car plant, with the loss of about 3,500 jobs. However, BMW is understood to preparing to invest up to \u00a3600m in its Mini plant in Cowley, Oxford, for building electric models, though no final decision has been announced.\n\nIn December last year, the number of new cars made in the UK sank to its lowest level since 1956, but in February car production rose 13.1% on the same month in 2022.\n\nThe SMMT said Britain had a \"firm foundation\" for expanding the production of electric vehicles, but warned \"we must not squander these advantages\".\n\nThe government said it was providing support through existing schemes.\n\nIt said Nissan and Envision investing \u00a31bn to create an electric vehicle factory in Sunderland was an example of car manufacturers \"choosing the UK thanks to our competitive investment environment\".\n\nBut Mr Palmer, who played a role in the launch of the Nissan Leaf car, said firms were \"bound to look at where the biggest subsidies are coming from\" while making investment decisions.\n\n\"If you're not prepared to compete, then you'll have to start managing decline,\" he said.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/business-65123902"}
{"title":"Drug lord Escobar's hippos in $3.5m move plan - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-30","authors":null,"description":"Pablo Escobar imported hippos to Colombia in the 1980s, but they now pose a growing problem.","section":null,"content":"Colombia has said a plan to move 70 hippos to overseas sanctuaries will cost $3.5 million (\u00a32.8m).\n\nDrug lord Pablo Escobar, who was shot dead by police in 1993, illegally imported exotic animals into the country, including a number of hippos, in the 1980s.\n\nFollowing his death the hippos roamed free and a growing population, believed to be the biggest herd outside Africa, has been taking over the countryside near his former ranch.\n\nAuthorities hope to transfer some of the hippos in the coming months, with 10 bound for Mexico and 60 going to India.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/world-latin-america-65124063"}
{"title":"Pope Francis spends 'calm' night in hospital - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-30","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"The pontiff, 86, will stay in hospital for a few days, but does not have Covid, the Vatican says.","section":"Europe","content":"Pope Francis was helped into the popemobile after his weekly general audience on Wednesday\n\nPope Francis spent a calm night in hospital after being admitted for a respiratory infection and is expected to remain there for a few days for treatment, a Vatican source has said.\n\nItalian news agency Ansa reported nurses were optimistic he would be out of hospital in time for Palm Sunday this weekend.\n\nIt added tests had ruled out heart problems and pneumonia.\n\nIn a statement, the Vatican said said Pope Francis had a respiratory infection and would need to remain there for a few days.\n\nThe 86-year-old has had breathing difficulties in recent days, but does not have Covid, its statement said.\n\n\"Pope Francis is touched by the many messages received and expresses his gratitude for the closeness and prayer,\" the statement added.\n\nHis closest staff, including security, spent the night at the Gemelli Hospital, a person with direct knowledge told the BBC.\n\nThis is the busiest time of the year for Pope Francis, with many events and services scheduled ahead of Easter weekend.\n\nA Palm Sunday Mass is scheduled this weekend, with Holy Week and Easter celebrations next week.\n\nHe is also scheduled to visit Hungary at the end of April.\n\nOn Wednesday morning, he presided over his weekly general audience in St Peter's Square. He appeared in good spirits, but was seen grimacing as he was helped into his vehicle.\n\nThe Vatican initially said the Pope had gone to hospital for a previously scheduled check-up, but Italian media questioned this account after a television interview was cancelled at short notice.\n\nReacting to the news, President Joe Biden asked people to make an \"extra prayer\" for the Pope's recovery.\n\nMr Biden, who is only the second Roman Catholic to be elected leader of the US, also described the pontiff as one of the \"most Christ-like figures I've ever met\".\n\nPeople in the Pope's home city of Buenos Aires, Argentina, shared their feelings with Reuters news agency. One man, Daniel Saco, said the pontiff \"must ask himself whether he can continue\".\n\n\"It is very sad because, as a Latin American, I feel represented by this Pope, who is very open-minded and human,\" said Victoria Veira, who is originally from Brazil.\n\nAnibal Pizelle, who met the Pope when he was bishop of Buenos Aires, said she was optimistic for a recovery as Francis was \"physically and mentally strong\" and a \"person with enormous faith\".\n\nThe Pope has used a wheelchair in recent months because of mobility problems related to his knee.\n\nHe also underwent surgery to treat a colon problem in 2021. In January, he said the condition had returned.\n\nDespite his ailments, the Pope has remained active and has undertaken trips abroad. He visited the Democratic Republic of Congo and South Sudan in February.\n\nIn January, the Pope led the funeral of his predecessor Pope Benedict XVI - who was the first pope to step down voluntarily for centuries. He said this was due to ill health.\n\nPope Francis has previously indicated that he may also wish to follow in Benedict's footsteps in the event that his health deteriorates.\n\nA statue of late Pope John Paul II in front of the Gemelli hospital in Rome, where Pope Francis is being treated\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. From February: BBC religion editor Aleem Maqbool witnesses the Pope's visit to Kinshasa","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/world-europe-65117270"}
{"title":"Pope Francis: Health improving after night in hospital - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-30","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"The Vatican says he ate breakfast, carried out work and read the newspapers on Thursday morning.","section":"World","content":"Pope Francis was admitted to hospital with what was initially said to be a check up on Wednesday\n\nPope Francis' health is improving after he was taken to hospital with a respiratory condition, the Vatican has confirmed.\n\nHe was admitted to Gemelli Hospital on Wednesday, for what was initially said to be a scheduled check-up.\n\nIn a statement on Thursday, Vatican spokesman Matteo Bruni said treatment for the 86-year-old pontiff was continuing.\n\n\"His Holiness Pope Francis rested well during the night,\" he said.\n\n\"This morning after breakfast, he read some newspapers and resumed work.\"\n\nHe added that he then went to the chapel of the hospital, where he prayed and received the Eucharist.\n\nMr Bruni did not say when the Pope might leave Rome's Gemelli hospital. The Vatican said on Wednesday he was expected to spend a \"few days\" there.\n\nHis closest staff, including security, spent the night with him, a person with direct knowledge told the BBC.\n\nThis is the busiest time of the year for Pope Francis, with many events and services scheduled ahead of Easter weekend.\n\nPalm Sunday Mass takes place this weekend, with Holy Week and Easter celebrations following next week.\n\nItalian news agency Ansa reported nurses were optimistic he would be out of hospital in time for Palm Sunday.\n\nIt added tests had ruled out heart problems and pneumonia.\n\nIn an earlier statement, the Vatican confirmed he was not suffering from Covid-19.\n\nThe Argentine pontiff marked 10 years as head of the Catholic Church earlier this month. He has suffered a number of health issues throughout his life, including having part of one of his lungs removed at age 21.\n\nWhile keeping a busy schedule and travelling widely, he has for the past year used a wheelchair because of knee pain and admitted last summer he had to slow down.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/world-65125655"}
{"title":"Paul O'Grady: How Lily Savage defied police who raided a pub with rubber gloves - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-30","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"O'Grady was preparing to go on stage in 1987 when a police officer burst into his dressing room.","section":"Entertainment & Arts","content":"Paul O'Grady as Lily Savage on stage at the Royal Vauxhall Tavern in 1990\n\nPaul O'Grady, who has died at the age of 67, became a star for his comedy and presenting - not to mention his love of dogs. But one pre-fame story shows his role in fighting for LGBT rights.\n\nO'Grady was preparing to go on stage as his drag alter ego Lily Savage at the Royal Vauxhall Tavern in south London one Saturday night in January 1987, when a police officer burst into his dressing room.\n\nAt first, he thought it was a male stripper. But it was the real thing.\n\n\"He was so rude and so aggressive,\" O'Grady later recalled. \"When I came out on the stage, the place was heaving [with police] and they were all wearing rubber gloves.\n\n\"And of course I said, 'oh good, have you come to do the washing up?'\"\n\nWhat might have seemed like a throwaway line has gone down in history as an example of deadpan defiance in the face of suspicion and often hostility towards gay people.\n\nLily Savage performing for a packed crowd at Manhattans' first birthday in 1990\n\n\"This is a time when HIV was rampant, and the police had the bigoted view that if you touched a gay man, you'd get HIV,\" campaigner Peter Tatchell told BBC Radio 4 on Wednesday.\n\nAround that time, newspapers were warning about the use of amyl nitrite, also known as poppers. It was described in the Sunday Telegraph as \"the new danger drug in the pub, as easy to buy as crisps\", which could make \"users more vulnerable to the killer Aids virus\".\n\nIt wasn't illegal, and the suggestion it made people more vulnerable to Aids had already been debunked. But in December 1986, the Metropolitan Police raided the Royal Vauxhall Tavern, a long-standing gay pub, and confiscated 22 bottles as a \"noxious substance\".\n\nThe following month, 35 officers returned - with their rubber gloves.\n\n\"It was pandemonium,\" said O'Grady, who was a fixture at the venue for eight years. \"People were scared. Tables and chairs were going over. The police were extremely aggressive.\n\n\"I went upstairs to Breda, the landlady, to tell her - and the next thing, there's a load of coppers in the front room dragging her out, leaving the children behind. God knows to this day why they raided it.\"\n\nThis Twitter post cannot be displayed in your browser. Please enable Javascript or try a different browser. View original tweet on Twitter The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Skip twitter post by Royal Vauxhall Tavern 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\u2019s cookie policy, external and privacy policy, external before accepting. To view this content choose \u2018accept and continue\u2019. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.\n\nHe said he could only put it down to police homophobia, with the Aids pandemic giving them \"the perfect excuse for them all to come in and cause trouble\".\n\n\"Funnily enough that week, I went up to Manchester and worked another club, and there was another raid the same week. So it seemed to be the fashion at the time,\" he said.\n\nO'Grady told the Observer he was carried out of the Vauxhall Tavern \"saloon girl-style, kicking and screaming\". Eleven people were arrested and two customers were injured.\n\nO'Grady was reportedly among those arrested. According to one version of events, when the desk sergeant asked for a name, he gave it as \"Lily Savage\". When the officer asked for a \"real\" name, he replied: \"Lily Veronica Mae Savage.\"\n\nThis Twitter post cannot be displayed in your browser. Please enable Javascript or try a different browser. View original tweet on Twitter The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Skip twitter post 2 by Myra DuBois 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\u2019s cookie policy, external and privacy policy, external before accepting. To view this content choose \u2018accept and continue\u2019. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.\n\nAccording to the National Archives, police wanted to strip the venue of its late-night licence by gathering evidence of drunkenness, \"lewd conduct\" or going over the capacity of its licence.\n\nBut no complaints of drunkenness had been made by local residents, and indeed the licence was renewed the following month.\n\nThe raid sparked a backlash from the LGBT community and landlords of other gay pubs, while the Campaign for Homosexual Equality wrote to the home secretary to say they were worried \"that some officers of the Metropolitan Police are embarking on a deliberate policy of harassment of gay pubs\".\n\nThe local MP even got involved, asking the home secretary about the number of officers involved, the cost, and \"the grounds on which protective clothing was worn by officers\".\n\nThe reply from a junior minister came that the raid was a \"routine operation\".\n\nDisposable gloves were used \"to protect officers from the risk of infection by Hepatitis B or Aids as a result of accidental injury from any drugs paraphernalia which might have been found on individuals searched during the operation\", he said.\n\nO'Grady's small act of resistance was one reason why he was held up as a hero by many in the LGBT community.\n\nTatchell said: \"He began in gay clubs and bars at a time when social homophobia was at its height... this was an ugly, dangerous and very unpleasant time for LGBT+ people.\"\n\nO'Grady retired the Lily Savage character in the mid-2000s\n\nO'Grady was \"fierce in his beliefs and principles\", he added.\n\n\"He was a fierce opponent of the Thatcher government over its attacks upon the LGBT+ community, particularly Section 28, and he was appalled by the levels of police harassment that were still going on right through the 1990s.\"\n\nO'Grady was a patron of Tatchell's foundation and was planning to lead its forthcoming campaign for the police to apologise for their historic persecution of the LGBT+ community, the campaigner said.\n\nStephen Richards, a drag queen from that era who performs as Lola Lasagne, told BBC London: \"Lily was one of those people who just went, 'No, I'm not having it', and and stood there and fought for us.\n\n\"As we all know, we eventually moved through those times... but it's down to people like Lily and Paul who made that possible, certainly in our scene.\n\n\"The entire nation today is mourning because of For the Love of Dogs, the chat show, the radio show, everything.\n\n\"But for our community, we've lost one of our own, and one of our originals, and we owe him a lot.\"\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/entertainment-arts-65115059"}
{"title":"Thomas Cashman: The moment Olivia Pratt-Korbel's murderer is arrested - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-30","authors":null,"description":"Police bodycam footage shows the moment Thomas Cashman is arrested on suspicion of murder.","section":null,"content":"Police bodycam footage has been released showing the moment Thomas Cashman is arrested on suspicion of murdering nine-year-old Olivia Pratt-Korbel in her own home.\n\nCashman asks Merseyside Police officers: \"What have I done?\"\n\nThe 34-year-old later tells armed officers: \"I ain't committed no offence youse are talking about.\"\n\nWhy not follow BBC North West on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram? You can also send story ideas to northwest.newsonline@bbc.co.uk","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/uk-england-merseyside-65114347"}
{"title":"US Army helicopter crash: Nine service members killed in training mission - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-30","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"Two Black Hawk helicopters crashed near a base in Kentucky, but the cause is unclear","section":"US & Canada","content":"Nine US troops died after two US Army helicopters crashed during a training mission in Kentucky, officials say.\n\nThe Wednesday night crash involved the 101st Airborne Division and happened near the Fort Campbell military base.\n\nIt took place at 22:00 (02:00GMT) while all nine troops were wearing night-vision goggles, said a top US general.\n\nIt is unclear what caused the crash and an investigation into what happened is under way. No injuries were reported of anyone on the ground.\n\nTwo HH60 Blackhawk helicopters crashed during \"a routine training mission,\" an Army spokesman told BBC News on Thursday.\n\nArmy Brigadier General John Lubas told reporters that one chopper was carrying five people while the other carried four in what he described as a \"fairly typical\" arrangement.\n\nThe group had been practicing a \"multi-ship formation\" and medical evacuation drills, he said.\n\nBut he added that the crash appears to have occurred while they were flying, and not while in formation.\n\nThe force is \"doing everything we can\" to notify next-of-kin, Gen Lubas said, adding that some of them are outside of the US.\n\nSpeaking at a Senate hearing in Washington DC, Army Secretary Christine Wormuth thanked lawmakers for their condolences.\n\n\"It's a heavy day for the Army,\" she said.\n\nWeather on Wednesday night in the area - approximately 60 miles (100km) northwest of Nashville - was calm and clear.\n\nAn air investigations team from Fort Rucker in Alabama has been deployed, the general said, and will examine the possibility that the helicopters collided.\n\nBlack Hawks have been seen in American conflict zones around the world\n\n\"At this point, we don't know. We're hopeful that when we get the team from Fort Rucker here and they're able to pull some of the data out of the onboard computers we will have a better understanding of exactly what happened,\" he said.\n\nWitness Nick Tomaszewski, who lives near the crash site, told the Associated Press news agency that he and his wife saw two helicopters flying \"low\" and kind of close to one another\".\n\nMoments later \"we saw what looked like a firework went off in the sky,\" he said.\n\n\"All of the lights in their helicopter went out. It was like they just poofed ... and then we saw a huge glow like a fireball,\" he continued.\n\nAccording to the US Army's website, the 101st Airborne Division is the Army's only air assault division and has been sent to conflict zones internationally.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/world-65121331"}
{"title":"Bafta Game Awards: God of War wins six but Vampire Survivors takes top prize - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-30","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"God of War: Ragnarok takes the most prizes, but Vampire Survivors is the surprise best game winner.","section":"Entertainment & Arts","content":"God of War: Ragnarok has dominated this year's Bafta Game Awards, winning six out of its 14 nominations, but Vampire Survivors won two including best game.\n\nDark fantasy epic Elden Ring won two, while cat simulator Stray went home empty-handed, despite its eight nominations.\n\nRagnarok, which sees players battle with Norse gods, also won for both of its voice performers, Christopher Judge and Laya Deleon Hayes.\n\nLast year gaming sales accounted for \u00a34.7bn in the UK, which is higher than that of the film, television or music industries, according to the digital entertainment and retail association (ERA).\n\nChristopher Judge, top left, is pictured with some of his God of War: Ragnarok colleagues\n\nJudge, who plays Ragnarok protagonist Kratos, said: \"It Is not lost on me that I'm a black man standing on a British stage accepting an award for playing a Spartan God killer, who in his heart always wants to be a father.\n\n\"It is the role of a lifetime. I'm gonna live and breathe every moment of this great gift that I was given. And I will do it humbly.\"\n\nHe asked gaming fans to \"give each other a break\", adding: \"You have more in common than what separates you. No matter what platform you love.\"\n\nPresenter Frankie Ward hosted the awards, which were livestreamed on Twitch\n\nEE game of the year, which was voted for by the public, was also won by Ragnarok.\n\nIts animator Bruno Velazquez said: \"This award is really special to us, because without all of you out there playing our games, we wouldn't be able to do this.\"\n\nRollerdrome won best British Game, and its lead designer Andreas Yannikaris expressed his surprise as he collected his Bafta - he'd thought survival game Vampire Survivors would win.\n\n\"I'll level with you. I don't really have anything prepared,\" he said. \"That 10-year-old kid playing Mega Drive games never thought they'd have a seat at the table, and here we are today.\"\n\nVampire Survivors' development team also looked surprised at their win, and laughed as they said: \"We did not expect this,\" calling it an \"insane, wild ride\".\n\nTechnical director Sam McGarry thanked \"the community, our fans and the players all around the world, on every format that they play on\".\n\nVampire Survivors winning best game is a real surprise - there was an audible gasp in the press room when it took the award, and the team themselves were clearly surprised as well.\n\nObviously a jury's loved the fact it's a new take on what has become a very popular genre. It's a procedurally generated survival game, where you try and stay alive as long as you can with swarms of enemies coming at you.\n\nThis fresh take on it, married with its old-school visual style, has clearly gone down well.\n\nBut Ragnarok won six awards, and it seemed inevitable that it would win best game. The fact that Elden Ring, which won big at the Game Awards before Christmas, came away with two gold masks, but not the main prize, was also a surprise.\n\nBut Bafta does do this. I can remember when Zelda Breath of the Wild didn't win in 2018, and was beaten by What Remains of Edith Finch.\n\nSo it has got form in throwing up a surprise like this.\n\nAction adventure Tunic won best debut game, and its creators said: \"This is nuts, thank you so much.\"\n\nPresenters of the awards included actor Troy Baker, who voiced Joel in the game The Last of Us, and went on to play James in the HBO TV show. One of the TV show's stars, Game of Thrones actress Bella Ramsey, who plays Ellie, also appeared via video link.\n\nInbetweeners star and YouTuber James Buckley said as he presented the multiplayer award to Elden Ring's creators: \"One of the amazing things about gaming is the ability to share your experience with others.\"\n\nThe Bafta Fellowship award went to Shuhei Yoshieida, who called his win \"humbling\", saying: \"Every advancement of technology turns it into a tool for developers to create amazing things.\n\n\"So developers dream, because their next game could change the face of the industry forever. And I cannot wait.\"\n\nHere are the Bafta Games Awards winners in full:\n\nPerformer in a leading role - Christopher Judge as Kratos in God of War: Ragnarok\n\nPerformer in a supporting role - Laya Deleon Hayes as Angrbo\u00f0a in God of War: Ragnarok\n\nEE game of the year - God of War: Ragnarok\n\nFor more gaming content, go to Press X to Continue ,the BBC Sounds gaming Podcast.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/entertainment-arts-65128679"}
{"title":"Probe into meat 'falsely labelled' as British at supermarkets - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-30","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"The Food Standards Agency has launched an investigation into claims a supplier mislabelled meat.","section":"Business","content":"A criminal investigation is under way into allegations that a rogue meat supplier falsely labelled huge quantities of foreign pork as British.\n\nThe Food Standards Agency is also looking into claims that the firm also mixed rotten pork with fresh meat.\n\nIt is understood the meat may have ended up in many UK supermarkets.\n\nFarmers Weekly, which first reported the story said that the company was passing off industrial scale quantities of foreign pork as British.\n\nIt said this may have been in products up until at least 2020 and could have been included in many items such as ready meals, quiches and sandwiches sold in a number of UK supermarkets, with schools, hospitals, care homes and prisons also indirectly supplied.\n\nThe Food Standards Agency is not naming the business involved whilst it continues to gather evidence and so as not to prejudice any possible future action by the courts.\n\nBased on the investigation so far, the FSA said: \"There is no indication that food is unsafe or there is an increased risk\" to consumers.\n\n\"Criminal investigations take time and need to be done with due process and fairness. The FSA will work tirelessly on behalf of consumers to ensure that this criminal investigation is done to the highest possible standards,\" Emily Miles, the chief executive of the Food Standards Agency added.\n\nRetail industry lobby group, the British Retail Consortium said it could not comment on an ongoing investigation.\n\n\"Whilst we cannot comment on an ongoing investigation, retailers will support the FSA with its investigation into the individual supplier in question,\" it added.\n\nIt is understood that the Food Standards Agency's National Food Crime Unit (NFCU) started its initial investigation into the firm in September 2021.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/business-65125811"}
{"title":"Alexei Moskalev: Father of girl who drew anti-war picture arrested on run in Minsk - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-30","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"After his 12-year-old daughter drew a picture, Alexei Moskalev was arrested and sentenced in Russia.","section":"Europe","content":"Masha's school contacted the police, her father said, after the 12-year-old drew this picture\n\nA man sentenced to jail in Russia after his daughter drew an \"anti-war\" picture has been caught in Belarus, after seemingly fleeing the country.\n\nAlexei Moskalev was given a two-year jail sentence in absentia on Tuesday for discrediting the army.\n\nHe came to the attention of authorities last year - after, he said, a school reported the drawing to police.\n\nA lawyer said he was probably caught in Minsk after switching on his mobile phone, which revealed his location.\n\nSpeaking to Reuters, lawyer Dmitry Zakhvatov said \"someone had made a mistake\" to give away his location.\n\n\"Most likely it was due to him using a mobile phone improperly,\" he said.\n\nThat version of events was supported by journalist Marina Ovsyannikova, known for her anti-war protests.\n\n\"He was warned in advance to turn off his mobile phone and pull out the SIM card before escaping. But in Minsk, Alexei decided to turn it on for some reason,\" she wrote, but then deleted the post.\n\nIn 2022, Ms Ovsyannikova also escaped from house arrest, but she managed to leave Russia safely.\n\nThe Belarusian authorities confirmed Mr Moskalev had been detained at Russia's request.\n\nIt is unclear how he made it to Belarus, but people who seek to leave Russia unnoticed by the authorities often leave via Belarusian territory.\n\nMr Moskalev lived about 320 kilometres (200 miles) south of Moscow in a town called Yefremov.\n\nHis problems began after Masha Moskalev, then 12, drew a Ukrainian flag in April last year with the words \"Glory to Ukraine\", rockets and a Russian flag with the phrase \"No to war!\"\n\nHe said the school reported his daughter's drawing to police. After that, Mr Moskalev was fined for an anti-war social media post.\n\nBut after his flat was searched in December he was charged under the criminal code because he had already been convicted of a similar offence.\n\nAuthorities separated Masha from her father and placed her into a children's home, after the case began. She has not been seen in public since 1 March.\n\nOn Tuesday, when Mr Moskalev was sentenced to two years in jail, the court press secretary said he had escaped his house arrest.\n\nHe had pleaded not guilty to the charges, but apparently fled Russia in anticipation of a guilty verdict.\n\nSpeaking to the BBC after the sentencing, the town councillor Olga Podolskaya said she was in \"shock\".\n\n\"A prison sentence for expressing your opinion is a terrible thing. A two-year jail term is a nightmare.\"\n\nAnother lawyer representing the family said he did not know if the teenager had been told her father was on the run.\n\nMs Moskalev has not been seen in public since 1 March","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/world-europe-65129231"}
{"title":"PM pledges trans guidance for schools for summer term - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-30","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"Rishi Sunak promises clarity as union claims teachers are navigating a 'public minefield'.","section":"UK","content":"Rishi Sunak has promised schools will receive guidance on policies for transgender pupils for the summer term.\n\nThe Prime Minister intervened after a teaching union said its members were navigating a 'minefield' around gender.\n\nHe was asked about a report from a centre-right think tank Policy Exchange which looked at 154 English secondary schools.\n\nIt found only 39 of them reliably informed parents when pupils identified as trans or questioned their gender,\n\nEighty-seven schools found parents were not reliably informed, 14 did not provide enough detail and a further 14 chose not to respond.\n\nThe authors of the report, written as part of the think tank's Biology Matters Project, submitted a Freedom of Information (FOI) request to 304 of England's 24,000 secondary schools.\n\nThe schools were chosen at random. Any special schools which were selected were discounted from the report as Policy Exchange said \"many of the issues raised are not applicable or relevant\" to them.\n\nSchools were asked a series of questions about their policies on issues ranging from whether schools would disclose to parents as soon as a pupil 'comes out' as transgender or questions their gender, to whether children should play in sports teams that don't match their sex registered at birth. Only 154 of 304 schools responded. Not all of the schools responded to all of the questions asked.\n\nThe report claimed some schools felt disclosing information to parents about whether a questioned their gender identity, or expressed a wish to change gender, would breach the child's confidentiality.\n\nWhen asked about the report during a visit to the UK Atomic Energy Authority in Oxfordshire on Thursday, Mr Sunak said he was \"very concerned.\"\n\nHe added: \"For me, the safety and wellbeing of our children is of paramount importance. I've also been clear that parents must be able to know what is being taught to their kids in school, especially on these sensitive areas.\n\n\"I'm also going to say today that for the summer term we will make sure we publish guidance for schools so that they know how to respond when children are asking about their gender.\n\n\"These are really sensitive areas, it's important that we treat them sensitively, and that parents know what's going on, and we'll make sure that that happens.\"\n\nThe Teaching Union Association of School and College Leaders said schools had been waiting for guidance for \"several years.\"\n\nASCL General Secretary Geoff Barton said: \"Schools work very hard to be sensitive to the needs of pupils questioning their gender identity, and all their pupils, by providing a supportive and caring environment, and teaching children sensitively about respectful relationships in a diverse society through RSE lessons.\n\n\"Unfortunately, they are endeavouring to do this in the context of a public minefield of strongly held and opposing views, of which this report from a think-tank is yet another example.\n\n\"Meanwhile, the government has still not produced guidance for schools on supporting pupils who identify as trans or who are questioning their gender identity, despite this having been under discussion for several years.\n\n\"This is clearly needed so that schools are able to draw on an established set of guidelines rather than constantly being caught in the crossfire between opposing views and beliefs.\"\n\nA Department for Education spokesperson said its priority was the safety and wellbeing of children and young people.\n\n\"The education secretary is working closely with the minister for women and equalities to produce guidance for schools, which we will be consulting on shortly.\n\n\"In the meantime, we are clear that schools should make sure they work with parents, pupils and public services to decide what is best for individual children.\"","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/uk-65127170"}
{"title":"King Charles says Germany and UK have shared future in speech to Bundestag - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-30","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"Speaking in German at the Bundestag, he covered the war in Ukraine, climate change, and the Lionesses' victory at the Euros.","section":"UK","content":"It's been a busy day in Germany for King Charles and Camilla, the Queen Consort.\n\nNot only did he make history by becoming the first British monarch to address the Bundestag, Germany's federal parliament, he also met with Chancellor Olaf Scholz and paid a visit to a local market\n\nThe red carpet was rolled out for the King's meeting with Scholz Image caption: The red carpet was rolled out for the King's meeting with Scholz\n\nThe King and the Queen Consort then visited a street market, where they greeted members of the public and chatted with stall holders Image caption: The King and the Queen Consort then visited a street market, where they greeted members of the public and chatted with stall holders\n\nThen it was off to the Bundestag, where the King received a warm reception to his speech - which was mainly delivered in German Image caption: Then it was off to the Bundestag, where the King received a warm reception to his speech - which was mainly delivered in German\n\nLater, he tried his hand at table football while visiting Ukrainian refugees at an arrival centre Image caption: Later, he tried his hand at table football while visiting Ukrainian refugees at an arrival centre","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/live\/uk-65063333"}
{"title":"Gigantic dinosaur skeleton on show in London - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-30","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"The Natural History Museum displays the bones of one of the biggest animals ever to walk the Earth.","section":"Science & Environment","content":"This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Watch: A timelapse movie of Patagotitan's assembly at the Natural History Museum\n\nA colossus has landed in London: A cast of what was one of the biggest animals ever to walk the Earth is now on show at the Natural History Museum.\n\nPatagotitan was a dinosaur that lived 100 million years ago in South America.\n\nMeasuring some 37m (121ft) from nose to tail, the beast could have weighed up to 60 or 70 tonnes in life.\n\nThe museum has brought over not just a representative skeleton but some of the real fossil bones first discovered in Argentina in 2014.\n\nThe largest is a 2.4m-long femur, or thigh bone. It's been erected upright to give visitors an extraordinary selfie opportunity.\n\nThere are interactive games and videos - and a few selfie opportunities\n\n\"Patagotitan was what we call a sauropod dinosaur,\" explained palaeontologist Prof Paul Barrett.\n\n\"It's a relative of things like Diplodocus that you might be a bit more familiar with. It's one of these large barrel-bodied animals with forced-out legs. It almost looks like a giant elephant that's had an anaconda snake threaded through it, with a very long neck and a long tail,\" he told BBC News.\n\nThe replica skeleton is on loan from Argentina's Museo Paleontol\u00f3gico Egidio Feruglio (MEF), whose staff unearthed the original fossils.\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Prof Paul Barrett: \"They turned their bodies into huge fermentation tanks\"\n\nThe London institution had to put its thinking cap on to work out how best to display the creature.\n\nIt only just fits in its Waterhouse Gallery, its largest exhibition space. Even then, the end of the tail has had to be bent around a column.\n\nThe floor also needed to be strengthened, but, cleverly, engineers have been able to hide some of the supporting armature, or support frame, so that it looks as though the dinosaur is walking along the carpet.\n\n\"It's been quite the challenge, second only to hanging our blue whale from the ceiling in the museum's Hintze Hall,\" said head of technical production, Jez Burn.\n\nThe cast is accompanied by lots of interactive videos and games that explain the life stories of the exceptionally large sauropods that lived in the Cretaceous Period of Earth history.\n\nWho exactly was the biggest of these titanosaurs is difficult to say, but animals like Patagotitan and another creature called Argentinosaurus were right up there.\n\n\"What's incredible about Patagotitan is the amount of the dinosaur that was found,\" said exhibition developer Sin\u00e9ad Marron.\n\n\"The other giant dinosaurs are known from just a few fragments of bones, whereas the skeleton of Patagotitan is known from a couple of hundred bones from at least six different individuals. We simply know more about Patagotitan than all the other giants.\"\n\nGet in there and touch. Patagotitan strides directly across the carpet. It's not on a plinth\n\nScientists are unsure why the titanosaurs were so big, but they have a good idea as to how they developed their immense bulk.\n\nThis probably had something to do with the relatively poor quality plant food available to them, which required a large digestive system to get the most out of it.\n\nEssentially, they were giant fermentation tanks on sturdy legs.\n\nVisitors will get to squeeze some tubes intended to simulate a titanosaur's intestines. Prepare to be shocked by the beast's tummy rumbles.\n\nAn animal as big as Patagotitan would have had to eat all day and most of the night to sustain itself.\n\nBy one calculation, the animal could have consumed over 130kg of plants every day. This is equivalent to approximately 515 round lettuces.\n\nFrom Pangea to the present day A series of images animated to show how Pangea evolved over time to create the world land masses that we know today\n\nNo wonder scientists describe titanosaurs as \"ecosystem engineers\". As they moved across the landscape, they would have cleared all vegetation in front of them.\n\nImagine the slurry production... from a whole herd.\n\nIt's a yucky thought but with it would have come the mass processing and shifting of nutrients, along with the dispersal of countless seeds.\n\nThe influence on the environment and the lives of all animals around at the time would have been profound.\n\nThe exhibition - Titanosaur: Life as the Biggest Dinosaur - opens on Friday and runs until 7 January next year. It is a ticketed event.\n\nThe dinosaur bones were unearthed in 2014 in Patagonia, Argentina","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/science-environment-65094602"}
{"title":"Humza Yousaf's first FMQs hit by series of disruptions - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-30","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"Tougher action is promised after Humza Yousaf's debut First Minister's Questions is repeatedly disrupted.","section":"Scotland politics","content":"This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Climate change protests disrupt Humza Yousaf's first session of first minister's questions\n\nEleven protesters who disrupted Humza Yousaf's First Minister's Questions (FMQs) debut face a six-month ban from parliament's public gallery.\n\nMr Yousaf's first FMQs session was hit by a series of disruptions from climate activists.\n\nThe public gallery in the Holyrood chamber was eventually cleared after the session had to be suspended five times in the first 15 minutes.\n\nThe presiding officer later announced tougher action against the protesters.\n\nPolice later confirmed that 11 people had been removed from the public gallery but no-one was arrested.\n\nSuch interruptions have been an almost weekly occurrence during recent FMQs.\n\nPresiding Officer Alison Johnstone has pledged to take action to stop them, with mobile phones already having been banned in the gallery.\n\nShe later said there would be \"more stringent measures\" to identify those responsible, and a change to the parliament's visitor policy which would ban those individuals from the public gallery for six months.\n\nThe first suspension of proceedings came before Scottish Conservative leader Douglas Ross had even managed to ask his first question to Mr Yousaf, who was sworn in as Nicola Sturgeon's successor as first minister on Wednesday.\n\nThere were then a series of further interruptions during Mr Ross's exchanges with Mr Yousaf, with the presiding officer eventually calling on police and court officials to remove the public from the gallery.\n\nMs Johnstone said: \"I don't think I can adequately express my deep regret that such action is required in our national parliament.\n\n\"I'm extremely sorry for the overwhelming majority of those who have travelled to the parliament today to watch their elected representatives at work.\"\n\nPolice officers cleared the public gallery after a series of interruptions\n\nAfter one group of schoolchildren was allowed to remain in the gallery, SNP MSP Stuart McMillan asked that another school group from his constituency also be allowed to return - prompting a further suspension.\n\nMr Yousaf told the presiding officer he agreed with her decision to clear the gallery, and praised the school pupils for \"behaving much better than some of the adults that were in the public gallery\".\n\nMr Ross blasted the protesters, saying: \"This shower have been doing this week after week, and the image of genuine constituents being forced out of our parliament is one we will all regret and one none of us want to see repeated.\"\n\nHe said he was grateful that schoolchildren had been permitted to remain, but added: \"We must do something to stop this going forward.\"\n\nProtests have become a regular feature of FMQs in recent months, but today might have been a new record with FIVE inside the first set of questions.\n\nPresiding Officer Alison Johnstone told MSPs that there are plans to try to crack down on this.\n\nBut they chiefly consist of banning the use of mobile phones in the chamber and it is not clear if they will have a decisive effect.\n\nIndeed given the protests consist entirely of people shouting, it's difficult to think of a foolproof method to actually prevent them.\n\nThe public gallery has been cleared for today.\n\nThe absolute last resort would be to bar people from sitting there at all - something which the parliamentary authorities will be loathe to consider, given that transparent scrutiny is the whole point of Holyrood.\n\nThe session followed three days of ceremony and procedure since Mr Yousaf's election as SNP leader on Monday.\n\nHe won the backing of the majority of MSPs to become first minister on Tuesday before being sworn in at the Court of Session on Wednesday.\n\nHe has named a nine-strong cabinet team, with his new deputy Shona Robison taking over the finance brief from Kate Forbes. Six of the nine cabinet members are women and there are five members under 40.\n\nMs Forbes, who was narrowly defeated by Mr Yousaf in the leadership contest, turned down a move from finance secretary to rural affairs - which would generally be seen as a demotion - and is now sitting as a backbench MSP.\n\nMr Yousaf's appointments came under fire from Mr Ross, who described his team as a \"cabinet of lackeys\".\n\nMr Ross pointed out that key ministerial posts relating to tourism and social security were abolished while Mr Yousaf had appointed a new minister for independence.\n\n\"It's the same old from the SNP, another nationalist leader, when Scotland needs a national leader,\" he told the chamber.\n\nAnd he questioned whether having a minister for independence was a priority for the people of Scotland.\n\nMr Yousaf has been criticised by some within his own party over his choice of cabinet members\n\nMr Yousaf said he made no apology for having a minister focused on independence, saying it was now more important than ever for Scotland to leave the UK.\n\nIn his question to Mr Yousaf, Scottish Labour leader Anas Sarwar focused on Scotland's mental health crisis, saying that more than 11,000 children and young people waited more than the 18-week standard and over 14,000 had referrals rejected entirely.\n\nMr Yousaf said Mr Sarwar did not acknowledge the global impact of the Covid pandemic, but offered an apology and \"deep regret\" for anyone who had to wait longer than they should.\n\nHe added that the Scottish government was taking action on recovery and the number of children starting treatment in the most recent quarter was the highest figure on record.\n\nThe first minister said the overall mental health treatment waiting lists for young people had decreased by about 777, while the number of children waiting more than 18 weeks had dropped by 1,110.\n\nHe added that there had been a 41.9% drop in the number waiting more than 52 weeks.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/uk-scotland-scotland-politics-65123723"}
{"title":"Dmitry Muratov: Nuclear warning from Russia's Nobel-winning journalist - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-30","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"Dmitry Muratov says Russian propaganda is preparing people to think nuclear war isn't a bad thing.","section":"Europe","content":"\"People in Russia have been irradiated by propaganda,\" Dmitry Muratov says\n\nThe Russian authorities may have shut down his newspaper, but journalist Dmitry Muratov refuses to be silenced.\n\nWhen we meet in Moscow, the editor-in-chief of Novaya Gazeta and Russia's Nobel Peace Prize laureate is worried how far the Kremlin will go in its confrontation with the West.\n\n\"Two generations have lived without the threat of nuclear war,\" Mr Muratov tells me. \"But this period is over. Will Putin press the nuclear button, or won't he? Who knows? No one knows this. There isn't a single person who can say for sure.\"\n\nSince Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, Moscow's nuclear sabre-rattling has been loud and frequent.\n\nSenior officials have dropped unsubtle hints that Western nations arming Ukraine should not push Russia too far. A few days ago, Russian President Vladimir Putin announced plans to station tactical nuclear weapons in Belarus.\n\nThen one of his closest aides, Nikolai Patrushev, warned that Russia had a \"modern unique weapon capable of destroying any enemy, including the United States\".\n\nBluff and bluster? Or a threat that needs to be taken seriously? Mr Muratov has picked up worrying signs inside Russia.\n\n\"We see how state propaganda is preparing people to think that nuclear war isn't a bad thing,\" he says. \"On TV channels here, nuclear war and nuclear weapons are promoted as if they're advertising pet food.\"\n\n\"They announce: 'We've got this missile, that missile, another kind of missile.' They talk about targeting Britain and France; about sparking a nuclear tsunami that washes away America. Why do they say this? So that people here are ready.\"\n\nOn Russian state TV recently, a prominent talk-show host suggested that Russia \"should declare any military target on the territory of France, Poland and the United Kingdom a legitimate target for [Russia]\".\n\nThe same presenter has also suggested \"flattening an island with strategic nuclear weapons and carrying out a test launch or firing of tactical nuclear weapons, so that no one has any illusions\".\n\nYet state propaganda here portrays Russia as a country of peace, and Ukraine and the West as the aggressors. Many Russians believe it.\n\n\"People in Russia have been irradiated by propaganda,\" Mr Muratov says. \"Propaganda is a type of radiation. Everyone is susceptible to it, not just Russians. In Russia, propaganda is twelve TV channels, tens of thousands of newspapers, social media like VK [the Russian version of Facebook] that serves completely the state ideology.\"\n\n\"But what if tomorrow the propaganda suddenly stops?\" I ask. \"If it all goes quiet? What would Russians think then?\"\n\n\"Our younger generation is wonderful,\" replies Mr Muratov. \"It's well-educated. Nearly a million Russians have left the country. Many of those who've stayed are categorically against what is happening in Ukraine. They are against the hell that Russia has created there.\n\n\"I am convinced that as soon as the propaganda stops, this generation - and everyone else with common sense - will speak out.\"\n\n\"They're already doing so,\" he continues. \"Twenty-one thousand administrative and criminal cases have been opened against Russians who've protested. The opposition is in jail. Media outlets have been shut down. Many activists, civilians and journalists have been labelled foreign agents.\n\n\"Does Putin have a support base? Yes, an enormous one. But these are elderly people who see Putin as their own grandson, as someone who will protect them and who brings them their pension every month and wishes them Happy New Year each year. These people believe their actual grandchildren should go and fight and die.\"\n\nLast year Mr Muratov auctioned off his Nobel Peace prize to raise money for Ukrainian child refugees. He has little optimism about the future.\n\n\"Never again will there be normal relations between the people of Russia and Ukraine. Never. Ukraine will not be able to come to terms with this tragedy.\"\n\n\"In Russia political repression will continue against all opponents of the regime,\" he adds.\n\n\"The only hope I have lies with the young generation; those people who sees the world as a friend, not as an enemy and who want Russia to be loved and for Russia to love the world.\n\n\"I hope that this generation will outlive me and Putin.\"\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/world-europe-65119595"}
{"title":"Chris Kaba: Met Police shooting case referred to CPS - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-30","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"The Independent Office for Police Conduct has been investigating the shooting as a potential murder.","section":"London","content":"Chris Kaba, who was due to become a father, was shot through a car windscreen by a Met Police officer\n\nThe police watchdog has referred the case of an unarmed black man shot dead by an officer to the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS).\n\nFather-to-be Chris Kaba, 24, was shot by a Met Police officer through the windscreen of a car in Streatham Hill, south London, on 5 September last year.\n\nThe family told the BBC that it welcomed the decision but wanted the officer to face criminal charges.\n\nThe Met Police marksman who fired the fatal shot was suspended.\n\nIn a joint statement, the family said: \"Our family, alongside the community who have supported us over the past seven months, have been consistent in our call for accountability.\n\n\"This step forward is necessary and welcome. We urge the CPS to do their bit and provide their advice to the The Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) urgently.\"\n\nIOPC director Amanda Rowe said the referral does not necessarily mean that criminal charges would follow.\n\nShe added: \"During the investigation, the officer was advised they were under criminal investigation for murder and following the conclusion of our investigation we have referred a file of evidence to the CPS to determine whether to charge the officer.\n\n\"It is now for the CPS to decide, applying the tests in the Code for Crown Prosecutors, whether or not to prosecute the officer.\"\n\nThe Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, said: \"Chris had his whole life ahead of him and his death has had a huge impact on Londoners, and in particular black Londoners, with anger, pain and fear felt across communities, along with a desire for change and justice.\"It was vital that the IOPC fully investigated all the evidence before making a decision, and now that they have referred this case to the CPS, I hope it will be considered as swiftly as possible.\"\n\nFollow BBC London on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. Send your story ideas to hellobbclondon@bbc.co.uk\n\nThe BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/uk-england-london-65123767"}
{"title":"Gwyneth Paltrow cleared in Utah ski-crash trial - live updates - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-30","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"The US star reportedly tells the man who sued her \"I wish you well\" after the trial over the 2016 incident.","section":"US & Canada","content":"After losing in a very public way to one of the most famous women in the world, Terry Sanderson has lamented that this trial means he's \"going to be on the internet forever\".\n\nSo who was he before he decided to take on Gwyneth Paltrow?\n\nThe former US army captain and retired optometrist filed suit against Paltrow in 2019, three years after their skiing collision in Utah.\n\nSanderson, 76, says he has never been injured in more than 30 years of skiing.\n\nIn trial, a doctor testified that he led an active retirement.\n\n\u201cTerry had been a high-functioning, active person,\u201d neuroradiology specialist Dr Wendell Gibby told the court. \u201cEvery day he was doing lots of things. Meeting groups, wine tasting, skiing, volunteering.\"\n\nBut after the accident, Sanderson said he was unable to enjoy life.\n\nOn the stand, one of his adult daughters said her father has become \"obsessed\" with getting an apology from Paltrow, and that his mood changed after the accident.\n\nAnother daughter said before the accident he was \"outgoing\" but is now \"easily frustrated\".\n\nPaltrow's team said in court that a third daughter, who gave a deposition, said she had not spoken to her father in years because he could be verbally abusive.\n\nLawyer Steve Owens claimed she said he would be \"dishonest for money and notoriety\".","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/live\/world-us-canada-65127388"}
{"title":"Covid testing scaled back further in England - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-30","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"It is part of the \"living with Covid\" approach that relies on vaccines to keep people safe.","section":"Health","content":"Covid testing is being scaled back even further in England from April.\n\nIt is part of the \"living with Covid\" approach that relies on vaccines to keep people safe.\n\nMost staff and patients in hospitals and care homes will no longer be given swab tests, even if they have symptoms.\n\nSome will though, such as staff working with severely immunocompromised patients or if there is an outbreak on a ward or in a hospice or prison, for example.\n\nThe long-running Office for National Statistics Covid infection survey that estimated how many people in the community had the virus each week - based on nose and throat swabs from volunteers - has already come to an end.\n\nThe final one suggested 1.7 million people - about one out of every 35 (2.7%) - had Covid in the week ending 13 March, a14% rise on the previous week.\n\nBut the UK Health Security Agency says thanks to the continuing success of the vaccination programme, testing in England can now become more like the approach used for other common respiratory infections such as flu.\n\nAlthough, it can quickly be scaled up again if another big wave of Covid, or a new variant, starts putting pressure on the NHS.\n\nAnd scientists will keep checking some of the swabs tests that are given, to see how the virus is mutating and whether there are fresh concerns.\n\nThe testing that is ending includes:\n\nUKHSA chief executive Dr Dame Jenny Harries said: \"Fewer people now experience severe illness due to Covid - due to vaccinations, infection-related immunity and treatments for those who need them - and the risk of hospitalisation has decreased overall.\n\n\"This means we are now able to further bring our testing programmes in line with management of other viral infections whilst still maintaining focus on those at highest risk, to protect them from the virus.\n\n\"Covid and other respiratory illnesses haven't gone away - and simple actions like washing your hands and staying at home and avoiding vulnerable people when unwell can make a big difference.\n\n\"For those at highest risk of severe illness, the spring booster programme also provides an opportunity to keep immunity topped up.\"\n\nHealth and Social Care Secretary Steve Barclay said: \"Testing was crucial to our response during the height of the pandemic - and our successful vaccination programme has protected the most vulnerable, saved thousands of lives and has helped us all to live with Covid.\n\n\"Thankfully, we are now able to scale back our testing programme while remaining committed to ensuring those at highest risk and more prone to severe illness get the protection they need.\"\n\nThe BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/health-65127635"}
{"title":"Prince Harry privacy case: Lawyer refers to 'compelling new evidence' - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-30","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"Lawyers for the prince and others reject Associated Newspapers' argument they left it too long to sue.","section":"UK","content":"Private investigators have provided new and \"compelling\" evidence of illegal work for the Mail newspapers, the Duke of Sussex's barrister told a court.\n\nThe privacy case centres on allegations of widespread illegality commissioned by journalists in the 1990s and 2000s.\n\nAssociated Newspapers denies the allegations and says the seven claimants - including Prince Harry, Sir Elton John and Baroness Doreen Lawrence - have left it too long to sue.\n\nPrivacy claims are supposed to be brought within six years but David Sherborne said his clients had been unable to prove their allegations until the private investigators revealed their activities, triggering the current legal action.\n\nGiving one example, he said the actor Liz Hurley had not known her phone was being tapped until a private investigator made a witness statement detailing what had happened in 2021.\n\n\"That's the trigger. That's when the scales fall from her eyes,\" he told London's High Court.\n\nAssociated Newspapers is trying to get the case thrown out, claiming the claimants had run out of time.\n\nPrince Harry was again in court on Thursday for the final submissions in the legal battle over whether allegations of phone tapping, hacking and blagging of personal information should go to trial.\n\nHis fellow claimants also include Sir Elton's husband David Furnish, actor Sadie Frost and former Liberal Democrat MP Sir Simon Hughes.\n\nThe Duke of Sussex waves as he arrives at the Royal Courts Of Justice\n\nIn her witness statement, Hurley says she found out she had been targeted by an investigator called Gavin Burrows who was looking for information about her and her friends Sir Elton and Mr Furnish.\n\nMr Burrows, she was told, employed a British Telecom engineer to put a phone tap on her landline and hide a cassette recorder in the junction box in the street.\n\nMr Burrows gave a statement in 2021 revealing a wide range of unlawful techniques he used for gathering information on behalf of newspapers.\n\nBaroness Lawrence, who has campaigned for justice following the murder of her son Stephen in 1993, also attended court. She has claimed she only found out in recent years that she was targeted in the late 1990s.\n\nThe court heard she first discovered she was a target for the newspapers after Mr Burrows and another private investigator Jonathan Rees had begun discussing their work for journalists, including some working on the Mail titles.\n\nBaroness Doreen Lawrence was also at court earlier this week\n\nThe Daily Mail had been running a supportive campaign for Stephen's killers to be prosecuted, but Baroness Lawrence says in her witness statement: \"I believe now that the Mail were just playing a game with me.\"\n\nIt has been suggested the newspaper was trying to protect its \"exclusive\" relationship with the Lawrence family by tapping Baroness Lawrence's phones and putting her under surveillance.\n\nShe blamed the police for leaking details about the case she now believes were obtained using illegal methods by private investigators.\n\nThe claimants' barrister Mr Sherborne told the court: \"We say that's nothing short of gaslighting Baroness Lawrence.\"\n\nBut he said this was new information which supported his argument that the judge should allow the case to go ahead, despite the six-year limit for claims.\n\n\"How could she have known she had a worthwhile claim in relation to that unlawful act before then?\" he said.\n\nDespite that, the 2021 witness statement made by private investigator Mr Burrows has been discredited by lawyers for Associated Newspapers because this year Mr Burrows made a second statement denying being involved in illegal work for the Mail titles.\n\nWhen making the first statement, Mr Burrows appears to have had a friendly relationship with journalists and campaigners who have been investigating press intrusion, but more recently has fallen out with them, according to reports.\n\nOn Wednesday the change in stance by Mr Burrows led the judge, Mr Justice Nicklin, to say that Prince Harry and the other claimants \"may have adjust their expectation\" of the value of the alleged confession.\n\nAssociated Newspapers has strongly denied being involved in any illegal information gathering. It described the original claims made by Mr Burrows as \"untrue, inflammatory and deeply offensive\".\n\nAs the four-day hearing finished, Mr Justice Nicklin promised to produce his judgement \"as soon as possible\".","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/uk-65130479"}
{"title":"Margaret Ferrier: MP faces Commons suspension for Covid train trip - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-30","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"If Margaret Ferrier's suspension is imposed, it would likely lead to a by-election in Rutherglen.","section":"Scotland politics","content":"The MP spoke in the House of Commons while awaiting the results of a Covid test\n\nMP Margaret Ferrier should be suspended from the Commons for 30 days for breaching Covid rules, the standards committee has recommended.\n\nThe suspension would likely lead to a by-election in her Rutherglen and Hamilton West constituency if imposed.\n\nFerrier spoke in Parliament in September 2020 while awaiting the results of a Covid test.\n\nShe then took the train home to Glasgow after being told she had tested positive.\n\nShe lost the SNP whip and has since pleaded guilty to breaching Covid rules. She was sentenced to carry out 270 hours of community service.\n\nThe charge stated that she had failed to self-isolate and had \"exposed people to risk of infection, illness and death\".\n\nMPs will vote on whether or not to follow the recommendations of the committee - and would generally back its suggested punishment.\n\nAny MP suspended from the Commons for at least 10 days can be recalled and a by-election held if at least 10% of the registered voters in their constituency sign a petition calling for it to happen.\n\nLabour would have high hopes of winning any by-election in the Rutherglen and Hamilton West constituency.\n\nFerrier had a majority of 5,230 at the last general election when she won it for the SNP, with Labour finishing second.\n\nShe has been sitting in the Commons as an independent MP since losing the SNP whip.\n\nThe parliamentary commissioner for standards, Daniel Greenberg, began an investigation into her conduct on 12 October following Ferrier's self-referral.\n\nHe concluded that she had put her own personal interest ahead of the public interest by not immediately self-isolating in London, and had therefore caused \"possible risk of harm to health and life for people she came into contact with\".\n\nThe commissioner also said her actions had \"caused significant damage to the reputation and integrity of the House of Commons as a whole, and of its members generally\" and noted that people in many other walks of life would have been sacked for a similar breach of the lockdown rules.\n\nFerrier told the commissioner her self-referral was \"an open acceptance\" and an \"indication of remorse\" that she had brought Parliament into disrepute.\n\nBut she maintains that she did not put her personal interest above that of the public.\n\nGlasgow Sheriff Court was told last August that she had taken a Covid test on Saturday 26 September 2020 because she had a \"tickly throat\".\n\nWhile awaiting her results, she went to church on the Sunday and gave a reading to the congregation, and later spent more than two hours in a bar in Prestwick, Ayrshire.\n\nShe then travelled to London by train - which had 183 passengers on board - on the Monday and spoke in the Commons later that day before finding out a short time later that she had tested positive for the virus.\n\nMargaret Ferrier campaigning with SNP leader Nicola Sturgeon ahead of the 2019 General Election\n\nFerrier wore a face mask in the Commons, and after speaking in the chamber at about 19:30 had sat at a table with DUP MP Jim Shannon, where they conversed for 20 minutes.\n\nThe positive result from the test was delivered to her shortly after 20:00, by both text and email.\n\nThe MP decided to get a train back to Glasgow the following day, fearing she would have to self-isolate in a London hotel room for two weeks.\n\nNew SNP leader Humza Yousaf called on Ferrier to quit as an MP and said he would look forward to fighting a by-election in her constituency.\n\nHe added: \"We've said from day one that Margaret Ferrier should have stepped down because of her reckless action.\n\n\"We'll take nothing for granted, we won't be complacent. We've got strong support in Rutherglen and right across that region but it will take hard work\".\n\nShadow Scottish Secretary Ian Murray said said it was right that Parliament had \"thrown the book\" at Ferrier, and said the SNP still had questions to answer on what they knew and what they did at the time.\n\n\"Ferrier should do the right thing and stand down as an MP. Her constituents deserve better and that means a by-election\", he said.\n\nThe recall process has only been used three times in the past.\n\nIn the first instance - a petition against DUP MP Ian Paisley in 2018 - the 10% threshold was not met.\n\nHowever, it was met in the other two cases, against Labour MP Fiona Onasanya and Tory Chris Davies in 2019. Ms Onasanya did not contest the by-election in her seat, while Mr Davies stood in the by-election and lost.\n\nThe rules of the House of Commons mean that if an MP is suspended for 10 sitting days, a recall petition can be opened in their constituency.\n\nThe petition is open for six weeks, and if 10% of voters in the area sign it, it will trigger a by-election.\n\nSo there are a few hoops to jump through - the suspension is still to be approved by MPs, and given the ongoing parliamentary proceedings against Boris Johnson there is fierce debate about what sanctions should be applied for Covid rule breaches.\n\nMs Ferrier also has the right to appeal the committee's decision.\n\nBut it still seems likely there will be a by-election in Rutherglen and Hamilton West - a seat which has changed hands at the last three general elections.\n\nMs Ferrier won it for the SNP with a majority of 9.7% in 2019, but it was already a key target for Labour.\n\nAn early contest would be an immediate test for the SNP leader Humza Yousaf - and also for Labour counterparts Sir Keir Starmer and Anas Sarwar, in their quest to spark a revival in former Scottish heartlands.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/uk-scotland-scotland-politics-65123054"}
{"title":"River pollution: Sewage spill prevention will hit water bills - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-30","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"Welsh Water tells MPs tackling the pollution problem will cost \u00a314-\u00a320bn.","section":"Wales","content":"Higher bills are expected for Welsh Water's customers, who are already paying the second highest average bill in Wales and England\n\nWelsh Water customers face \"significant bill increases\" to pay for measures to stop sewage being released into rivers and seas, MPs have heard.\n\nThe not-for-profit company told the Welsh Affairs Committee it had a \"part to play\" in improving water quality.\n\nMore than 105,000 sewage spills were recorded in 2020, according to Natural Resources Wales (NRW).\n\nSewage discharges are allowed during heavy rainfall to protect people's homes.\n\nMPs heard five of nine Welsh rivers designated as Special Areas of Conservation (SACs) were failing on phosphorus levels and excessive nutrients.\n\nOnly 40% of Welsh rivers meet the criteria for good ecological status. For bathing water, 80% were ranked as excellent.\n\n\"We are going to have to go through a phase of significant bill increases to try and tackle these very important problems,\" said Steve Wilson, managing director of wastewater services for Welsh Water.\n\n\"To have five of the most iconic rivers in Wales, if not the UK, not meeting the right standards is really important.\n\n\"Welsh Water's discharges are accounting for around 20% to 30% of the problem in some of those rivers.\n\n\"We have got to get on top of that and invest in those assets to improve the quality.\"\n\nSewage spills can happen when pumping stations, like this one, overflow - often during heavy rain\n\nWelsh Water said it will spend nearly \u00a31bn over the next five years.\n\nProtecting beaches and tackling storm overflows that cause environmental harm will be the priority, it added.\n\n\"We think it will cost between \u00a314bn and \u00a320bn to get storm overflows in Wales down to spilling 10 or 20 times a year,\" added Mr Wilson.\n\nThat will mean higher bills for Welsh Water's customers, who are already paying \u00a3499 a year - the second highest average bill in Wales and England.\n\nAlun Moseley says he has experienced itching and rashes after being in the sea\n\nAlun Moseley from Port Talbot is a lifeguard and a campaigner for Surfers Against Sewage, and said being in the water played an important part in his mental health.\n\n\"It's the kind of place I come to when I feel sad, happy, when I need to make major decisions, to relax, switch off. It's my go-to place,\" he said.\n\nMr Moseley said he surfed at spots all over Wales and claimed that over the past few years he has fallen ill \"two or three times\" after being in the water, most recently in September.\n\nHe said he believes sewage was the cause.\n\n\"The water was discoloured, bubbling, residue on the beach. You could see stuff floating around that looks like it came from the toilet.\"\n\nMr Moseley, who also works as a surf instructor, said lessons have occasionally had to be cancelled due to sewage discharges.\n\nHe wants to see tougher regulations to tackle the problem.\n\nThe charity Surfers Against Sewage publishes recent spills on an alert map\n\nAlice Hortop, an occupational therapist and a wild swimmer from Barry, Vale of Glamorgan, said: \"One of my friends' husbands who's a surfer got really ill when he had something he caught, went in his intestines and lingered.\n\n\"We have to keep an eye on the alerts - there's an app you get on your phone - and only three days ago there was an alert that stopped our Llantwit Major swim.\n\n\"You could see all the way along the coast there were different pockets being affected, and they only monitor the water between May and September, but actually people swim and surf all year round.\"\n\nMs Hortop said the alerts are \"usually quite good\", but there was a time recently where the app went down for nearly a week.\n\n\"This is a historical situation that's been left literally to fester for a very long time,\" she told BBC Radio Wales Breakfast.\n\nWelsh Water said many different factors contribute to water quality and wastewater can also come from private systems outside of their control.\n\n\"We do notify Surfers Against Sewage when our assets at bathing waters operate so that they can make people aware through their app,\" a spokesman added.\n\nThe MPs' inquiry also heard from Surfers Against Sewage, which publishes a live map of spills in Wales.\n\nMP Stephen Crabb says he is \"depressed\" about water customers facing higher bills\n\nCommittee chairman and Conservative MP Stephen Crabb said he felt \"pretty depressed\" for his constituents.\n\n\"They have the prospect of higher bills, but not necessarily a clear plan for reducing sewage discharges,\" he said.\n\nWater regulator NRW said it was proud of the good result for bathing water.\n\nIt said: \"Nevertheless, we are concerned about the impact of storm discharges on our water quality and are taking action to address the issue.\"\n\nThe Welsh government said: \"Ensuring our water is of the highest quality is a vital part of making Wales a prosperous, happy and healthy place to live.\"","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/uk-wales-65107512"}
{"title":"Watch: King Charles speaking German in Berlin - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-30","authors":null,"description":"The King joked with his hosts as he impressed with his language skills at a lavish banquet.","section":null,"content":"King Charles has delivered a speech partly in German at Bellevue Palace in Berlin during a state visit to the country, his first since becoming monarch.\n\nThe monarch made several jokes and praised the ties between the UK and Germany.\n\nThe King and his wife Camilla, the Queen Consort, attended a state banquet hosted by German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier.\n\nAmong those in attendance were the first lady Elke B\u00fcdenbender, as well as dignitaries from both Germany and the UK, including former Chancellor Angela Merkel and British Foreign Secretary James Cleverly.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/uk-65118773"}
{"title":"Thomas Cashman guilty: Olivia mum 'ecstatic' at murder conviction - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-30","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"Thomas Cashman, 34, is convicted of shooting nine-year-old Olivia Pratt-Korbel dead in her home.","section":"Liverpool","content":"The bullet that killed Olivia was fired through the front door\n\nA man has been found guilty of murdering nine-year-old Olivia Pratt-Korbel, who was fatally shot in her home in Liverpool.\n\nThomas Cashman, 34, killed Olivia and injured her mother Cheryl Korbel as he chased a fellow drug dealer into their home on the evening of 22 August.\n\nThere were gasps and tears in court as he was convicted, with Ms Korbel later saying she felt \"ecstatic\".\n\nMerseyside Police said Cashman was \"not worthy of walking the streets\".\n\nCashman, who was also found guilty of wounding Ms Korbel, the attempted murder of Joseph Nee and possession of firearms with intent to endanger life, will be sentenced on Monday.\n\nThe jury of 10 men and two women at Manchester Crown Court took nine hours and three minutes to reach their unanimous verdicts.\n\nBBC Panorama investigates how Liverpool came to dominate the UK drug market and how organised crime brought death to Olivia Pratt-Korbel's door.\n\nMs Korbel, 46, wearing a pink cardigan and holding a teddy bear, sat with her children Chloe and Ryan in the court as the verdicts were read out.\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser.\n\nCashman wiped away tears in the dock and turned to his family in the public gallery behind, shaking his head.\n\nOne of his relatives could be heard saying \"appeal it\" and they left the courtroom shouting and swearing.\n\nDuring the trial, the jury heard 36-year-old Nee, who has a number of previous convictions, was the intended target of the attack.\n\nCashman, who made up to \u00a35,000 per week dealing cannabis in Liverpool, had been lying in wait for his fellow drug dealer at about 22:00 BST, the jury was told.\n\nHe shot at Nee in the street and wounded him but his gun jammed as he tried to finish the job.\n\nThomas Cashman was convicted following a trial, which lasted more than three weeks\n\nNee fled for his life - heading towards the light of an open door - the home of Ms Korbel, who had heard the commotion.\n\nBut, as she tried to close the door to keep the strangers out, Cashman shot again.\n\nThe bullet went through the door, through her hand, and fatally hit Olivia in the chest.\n\nCashman then fled the scene, running across back gardens.\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Police release footage of the arrest of Thomas Cashman\n\nThe court heard Nee and his family \"had their enemies\" and it was not the first time he had been targeted in a shooting.\n\nNee had been shot at on 8 August, two weeks before the shooting in which Olivia was killed.\n\nDuring a previous hearing, which could not be reported until the conclusion of this trial, the court was told the shootings came after a feud between two families.\n\nThere had been a \"background of hostility\" between Nee's family and another, the court heard.\n\nThe same self-loading pistol used by Cashman to kill Olivia had been fired at Nee in the earlier incident, police said.\n\nThe defence sought to elicit further material supporting a feud between the two families, including a fight in prison involving two of them and an alleged \"straightener\" in a pub.\n\nThere was insufficient evidence Cashman was involved in the shooting on 8 August but he had not been eliminated by police, the court heard.\n\nOlivia's murder made national headlines. A child gunned down inside her own home, where she should have been safest.\n\nThe case is considered a real low. But it's not a new low for Liverpool.\n\nEerily, exactly 15 years to the very day, 11-year-old Rhys Jones was fatally shot by a stray bullet.\n\nOlivia's murder carried the sense of history repeating itself.\n\nMaybe that's why it provoked such a strong reaction within the local community.\n\nDetectives say that information flowed into their incident room in a volume they haven't experienced before.\n\nAnd even some of those who might have been expected to put up a wall of silence spoke out.\n\nCriminals talked about \"a line having been crossed\".\n\nDuring the trial, Cashman, a father-of-two, had told the court he had been at a friend's house where he counted \u00a310,000 in cash and smoked a spliff at around the time of the shooting.\n\nBut a woman, who had had a fling with Cashman, told the jury he came to her house after the shooting, where he changed his clothes and she heard him say he had \"done Joey\".\n\nIt can now also be reported that Paul Russell, 41, admitted driving Cashman away from a house where he fled to following Olivia's murder and disposing of his clothing.\n\nRussell, of Snowberry Road, Liverpool, pleaded guilty to assisting an offender at a hearing at Liverpool Crown Court in October and will also be sentenced on Monday.\n\nJournalists were prevented from reporting his plea until the conclusion of Cashman's trial.\n\nDet Supt Mark Baker, the senior investigating officer in the case, said Cashman's actions were \"abhorrent\".\n\nHe said officers were still \"hunting down\" those who had enabled Olivia's murder and finding the weapons, which had not yet been recovered, was key.\n\n\"When he found out that he had shot an innocent young girl, he should have had the courage to stand up and come forward,\" he said.\n\n\"Instead, he chose to lie low despite the fact that he was a dad himself.\n\n\"He is not worthy of walking the streets of Merseyside, and neither are those who think they can bring fear or intimidation to our communities through the use of firearms.\"\n\nWhy not follow BBC North West on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram? You can also send story ideas to northwest.newsonline@bbc.co.uk\n\nThe BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/uk-england-merseyside-65088182"}
{"title":"Climate change: Is the UK on track to meet its targets? - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-30","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"The government has announced its revised net zero strategy.","section":"Reality Check","content":"The UK has pledged to reduce its greenhouse-gas emissions to net zero by 2050. Net zero means a country takes as much of these climate-changing gases - such as carbon dioxide - out of the atmosphere as it puts in.\n\nThe UK's target is important to meet its commitments under the 2015 Paris climate agreement in which governments agreed to try to limit global temperature rises to 1.5C above pre-industrial levels.\n\nHowever, in July 2022, the High Court ruled that the government's net zero strategy failed to outline policies that would enable it to meet the target. As a result the government published a new plan.\n\nCurrently, less than 40% of the UK's required emissions reductions are supported by proven policies and sufficient funding, according to the Climate Action Tracker website.\n\nSo, what progress is the government making?\n\nThe government says all of the UK's electricity will come from clean sources by 2035.\n\nThe government is expecting a 40-60% rise in demand for electricity by 2035, for example due to the electrification of transport. This means taking the carbon emissions out of electricity generation is important.\n\nUK governments have been relatively successful in cutting emissions from electricity generation. These fell by 73.4% between 1990 and 2021.\n\nThis is largely due to a substantial reduction in electricity generated from coal - the dirtiest fossil fuel - from 40% in 2012 to less than 2% last year.\n\nThe proportion of electricity generated by renewables has grown to around 40% in the last few years, up from just over 10% a decade ago. Fossil fuels - mainly natural gas - still generate about 40% of UK electricity. The remainder comes from nuclear power and imports.\n\nThe government has set ambitious targets to accelerate the expansion of low carbon energy to reduce reliance on natural gas. These include increasing offshore wind capacity five-fold by 2030 and approving up to eight new nuclear reactors.\n\nA report by the National Audit Office warned that the lack of a clear delivery plan risked the UK not meeting its 2035 carbon-free electricity target. But the UK Climate Change Committee (CCC) recently emphasised that it is still possible if delivery is significantly ramped up.\n\nHowever, the government has opened a new licensing round for companies to explore for oil and gas in the North Sea for wider energy production, not limited to electricity. The International Energy Agency warns this would go against climate agreements.\n\nDirect emissions from buildings account for about 17% of the UK's greenhouse gas emissions, mainly due to burning fossil fuels for heating.\n\nThe government committed to installing 600,000 heat pumps a year by 2028 to replace gas boilers. Heat pumps use electricity rather than gas, and are three times more efficient than a boiler. The government is offering grants of \u00a35,000 to help homeowners install a heat pump.\n\nHowever, in February 2023, the Lords Climate Change Committee described this scheme as \"seriously failing\". Currently, only 50,000 heat pumps are installed annually, meaning the government's 600,000 target is \"very unlikely to be met\".\n\nInsulation is one of the most effective ways to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from housing. It prevents the loss of heat, meaning less energy is wasted trying to maintain the house's temperature.\n\nHowever, the UK has some of the least energy-efficient homes in Europe. In June, the CCC said there was a \"shocking gap in policy for better insulated homes\".\n\nIn response, in November 2022 the government announced a new \u00a31bn scheme, called ECO+, to improve insulation in UK homes. This is due to come into effect in April 2023. But critics say it doesn't go far enough.\n\nIn March 2023 the government rebranded it as the Great British Insulation Scheme, to help insulate 300,000 of the poorest performing homes.\n\nTransport accounted for just over a quarter of UK emissions in 2021, making it the largest emitting sector.\n\nThe government says no new petrol and diesel cars will be sold from 2030.\n\nBy 2028, it wants 52% of car sales to be electric. In 2021, 11.6% of car sales were electric. The CCC says that this is ahead of schedule and that the market is \"currently growing well\".\n\nTo meet higher demand, the government wants 300,000 publicly-accessible charging points by 2030. This represents more than a ten-fold increase from present levels. It has pledged over \u00a3350m to fund charging infrastructure.\n\nIn June 2022, the government announced it was ending grants for electric cars, saying the payment was having \"little effect on rapidly accelerating sales\".\n\nIn March 2022, it pledged \u00a3200m for nearly 1000 new electric and hydrogen buses, and is consulting on an earlier phase-out date of non-zero-emissions buses between 2025 and 2032.\n\nAnd it aims to remove all diesel-only trains by 2040, but the CCC says it needs a clearer plan to achieve this.\n\nIt has promised to double cycling rates from 2013 levels by 2025, and build a \"world-class\" cycling network by 2040. It has spent \u00a3338m on walking and cycling infrastructure in England\n\nFlying makes up about 7% of overall UK emissions, and shipping about 3%.\n\nThe UK published its strategy for delivering net zero aviation by 2050 in July 2022.\n\nIt was criticised for relying too much on technologies such as sustainable fuels and zero emissions aircraft that do not yet exist. It also relies on the development of ways to remove CO2 from the atmosphere to make up for remaining emissions in 2050.\n\nAs a result, the CCC said that the government should be looking at how to manage demand and not allow it to grow.\n\nThe government has announced \u00a377m of funding to help decarbonise shipping.\n\nAgriculture is the source of 11% of the UK's greenhouse gas emissions.\n\nThe CCC said emissions from agriculture needed to be cut by 30% between 2019 and 2035.\n\nThis would require eating 20% less meat and dairy by 2030 and shifting land from agriculture to supporting trees and restoring peatlands.\n\nThe CCC criticised the government's food strategy for failing to deliver action to drive down emissions from agriculture at the required scale or pace.\n\nThe National Food Strategy independent review shows daily meat consumption in the UK has fallen by 17% in the last decade. The government has been criticised for not pushing for further behavioural change in meat consumption.\n\nIn February 2023, the government released details of its long-awaited environmental land management schemes, replacing the EU common agricultural policy.\n\nTrees and peatlands play important roles in removing carbon dioxide from the atmosphere.\n\nUK forest cover is 13%, among the lowest in Europe.\n\nThe government has pledged to end deforestation in the UK by 2030. It has an ambitious target to plant 30,000 hectares of trees a year by 2025.\n\nHowever, annual tree planting has not risen above 15,000 hectares UK-wide since 2001. In June 2022, the UK forestry body warned that there was \"zero chance\" of the UK meeting its target.\n\nIt is estimated that only around 20% of UK peatlands are in a near-natural state, including only 1.3% in England. These damaged peatlands are responsible for 5% of the UK's greenhouse gas emissions, whereas healthy peatlands would take up carbon dioxide.\n\nThe government aims to restore 35,000 hectares of peatland by 2025, and will completely ban the sale of horticultural peat by 2030. However, the CCC warns this does not go far enough.\n\nHydrogen is a low-carbon fuel that could be used for transport, heating, power generation or energy storage.\n\nThe government says it is committed to developing the UK's low carbon hydrogen capabilities and considers it a critical part of energy security and decarbonisation. It wants to have a 10GW hydrogen production capacity by 2030.\n\nThe industry is in its infancy, and the government admits it will need \"rapid and significant scale-up\" in the coming years.\n\nA recent study warned that hydrogen was less efficient and more expensive for heating homes than alternatives such as heat pumps.\n\nThe government has promised a decision on the role of hydrogen in heating by 2026. In March 2023 it announced the first winning projects from the \u00a3240m Net Zero Hydrogen Fund.\n\nIn December 2022, it launched a consultation on the potential for hydrogen transport.\n\nThe ability to capture carbon before it is released - or take it out of the atmosphere and store it - will be important if the UK is to reach net zero, to balance emissions from the continued limited use of natural gas.\n\nThe government is aiming to capture and store between 20 and 30 million tonnes of CO2 a year by 2030.\n\nIn March 2023 it announced the first sites for storing captured carbon, which will be on Teesside.\n\nThe Chancellor recently announced \u00a320bn in investment in carbon capture over the next 20 years. But the technology is still emerging and is expensive.\n\nEmissions from manufacturing and construction represent about 12% of total UK emissions.\n\nThe government aims to cut emissions from manufacturing by about two-thirds by 2035.\n\nIt has awarded \u00a334.8m of funding through the Industrial Energy Transformation Fund to help energy-intensive industries decarbonise, but critics say this is insufficient.\n\nThe government also plans to cap the amount of emissions allowed by individual sectors each year, reducing that amount over time.\n\nBut the scheme risks companies shifting production to other countries and therefore not reducing their emissions.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/58160547"}
{"title":"UK asylum: Ex-military bases to be used in migrant housing plan - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-30","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"The move will cut down on the use of private hotels, immigration minister Robert Jenrick says.","section":"UK","content":"This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Robert Jenrick's plans to use military bases \"being disposed of\" face criticism from both sides of the Commons.\n\nThree sites including two ex-military bases will be used as migrant housing in a bid to cut down on hotel use.\n\nSites in Lincolnshire and Essex, plus another in East Sussex, could house \"several thousand\", Immigration Minister Robert Jenrick said.\n\nThe government is \"exploring the possibility\" of using ferries but no firm decision has been taken, he said.\n\nLabour shadow home secretary Yvette Cooper said the announcement was \"an admission of failure\" on asylum policy.\n\nThe plans are likely to meet local opposition and have been criticised by MPs whose constituencies are impacted, with one Conservative warning the government a legal challenge would be launched.\n\nMr Jenrick told the Commons \"the sheer number of small boats have overwhelmed the asylum system\" and said the government would \"not elevate the wellbeing of illegal migrants above the British people\".\n\n\"Accommodation for migrants should meet essential living needs and nothing more, because we cannot risk becoming a magnet for the millions of people who are displaced and seeking better economic prospects,\" he added.\n\nMr Jenrick said the three new sites will help reduce the need to rely on private hotels but conceded that \"these sites on their own will not end the use of hotels overnight\".\n\nHe also revealed barracks at Catterick Garrison in Prime Minister Rishi Sunak's constituency was being assessed for suitability as potential accommodation.\n\nLater, bosses of a commercial port on the Dorset coast in southern England said the Home Office had asked it to provide space for an \"accommodation facility\".\n\nBill Reeves, chief executive of Portland Port, said: \"We are currently liaising with the Home Office about the next steps.\"\n\nConservative-led Dorset Council has said it has \"serious concerns\" about the location.\n\nThere had been media speculation the government could announce plans to use vessels to house migrants, but it wasn't included in what the minister called the \"first tranche\" of housing options.\n\nThe government says \u00a36.2m a day is being spent on hotels for migrants and areas with high concentrations of people face a strain on local services.\n\nThe BBC understands more than 51,000 people are currently being housed in 395 hotels.\n\nMr Jenrick said new funding would be made available for local authorities to help deal with costs.\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser.\n\nThe BBC understands necessary planning changes has been secured to repurpose military sites in Lincolnshire and Essex, and both could be used to house people who enter the country illegally within weeks.\n\nMr Jenrick did not name the individual sites during his Commons statement but their locations have previously been reported.\n\nUse of RAF Scampton - home of the Dambusters squadron during World War Two - near Scampton, Lincolnshire, could trigger a legal challenge.\n\nIts local Tory MP, Sir Edward Leigh, criticised the choice as a \"thoroughly bad idea\" and said the local authority would launch an immediate judicial review.\n\nA deal was agreed in March to allow West Lindsey District Council buy the base from the Ministry of Defence as part of a \u00a3300m regeneration project of the site for commercial activity, heritage, tourism and research.\n\nForeign Secretary James Cleverly has previously criticised plans to house people at the base near the village of Wethersfield in his Essex constituency of Braintree.\n\nHe said the site was \"inappropriate\" because it was remote and had limited transport infrastructure. The local authority has confirmed it is considering legal action.\n\nFormer home secretary Priti Patel, who represents a neighbouring constituency, has also questioned the site's suitability.\n\nBexhill and Battle MP Huw Merriman identified the East Sussex site as Northeye near Bexhill, which formerly housed an RAF property, a prison and a training centre.\n\nGovernment sources say each site will be able to house between 1,500 and 2,000 migrants, and initially are more likely to be used for new arrivals rather than to rehouse people currently in hotels.\n\nMr Jenrick said the sites would be used to house single adult males and stressed it was not his \"intention\" that minors will be taken there.\n\nThe current system of housing asylum seekers in hotels is deeply unpopular with many Conservative MPs. But the alternatives are also unpopular with a few.\n\nThe lack of detail on exactly what the government is \"exploring\" by way of options for using ferries and barges certainly looks like it's caused some jitters.\n\nIt was noted that several Tory MPs with ports or docks in their areas spoke out against the plans.\n\nIt's also allowed the opposition to question if the much-trailed idea is really a runner at all.\n\nAs for the two military sites, the opposition from local councils is fierce and seems it may be headed for the courts.\n\nThe dilemma isn't going away though: people going through the asylum system need somewhere to live.\n\nThe government has pinned its reputation on dealing with this issue so the prospect of some local fights, however fierce, is unlikely to put it off.\n\nShadow home secretary Yvette Cooper said the government's announcement was an \"admission of failure\" and not a proposal to cut or provide an alternative to \"costly hotel use\".\n\n\"They've got this huge backlog of asylum decisions, so much so that 98% of last year's small boats arrivals simply haven't even been decided or processed.\"\n\nLiberal Democrat leader Sir Ed Davey has accused the government of \"going after headlines\" while failing to solve the problem of people arriving in small boats.\n\nThe Refugee Council believes the accommodation being suggested is \"entirely unsuitable\" to the needs of asylum seekers.\n\nAlex Fraser, from the British Red Cross, said: \"Military sites, by their very nature, can re-traumatise people who have fled war and persecution\".\n\nMr Sunak told his cabinet on Tuesday the cost of the current approach and pressure it put on local areas was not sustainable, according to No 10.\n\nAt a Commons liaison committee, the prime minister said children cannot be exempted from plans to detain people who cross the Channel in small boats to prevent the creation of a \"pull factor\".\n\nIt comes as the government's asylum proposals laid out in the Illegal Migration Bill are being debated in Parliament.\n\nThe legislation aims to stop migrants claiming asylum in the UK if they arrive through unauthorised means, by crossing the English Channel in small boats.\n\nPeople could be detained without bail or judicial review for 28 days before being removed to their home country or a safe third country like Rwanda.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/uk-65107827"}
{"title":"Ministers given new guidance on WhatsApp use - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-30","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"It follows concerns over use of the messaging app for government business during the pandemic.","section":"UK Politics","content":"Ministers have been given new guidance on using WhatsApp and other private messaging apps for government business.\n\nIt replaces previous guidelines from 2013, before WhatsApp was widely used, on the use of private email.\n\nThe new guidance states that ministers and officials should use private messaging apps \"with care\" and never for information classified as \"secret\".\n\nIt follows concerns over the use of WhatsApp to discuss key decisions during the Covid pandemic.\n\nLast year, a report by the Information Commissioner's Office (ICO) found a lack of clear controls and a rapid increase in the use of messaging apps like WhatsApp could lead to important information about the government's response to the pandemic being lost or insecurely handled.\n\nThe watchdog highlighted risks to transparency and accountability and called for a review into the use of private correspondence channels in government.\n\nThe issue was thrown into the spotlight again earlier this month when the Daily Telegraph newspaper revealed it had obtained more than 100,000 messages sent between then-Health Secretary Matt Hancock and other ministers and officials at the height of the pandemic.\n\nThe new guidance, issued by the Cabinet Office, applies to ministers, special advisers, officials, contractors and independent experts advising ministers.\n\nIt advises that departments should reduce the need for non-corporate communication channels, including WhatsApp, Signal, private email, text messages and private messaging on social media platforms like Facebook, \"as far as reasonably practicable\".\n\nIn general, it says government systems should be used for government business and care should be taken over recordkeeping responsibilities.\n\nUnder the guidance, information classified as \"secret\" or \"top secret\" - the highest level of security classification - must not be shared on private messaging channels.\n\nIt also outlines how significant government information should be captured into government systems to help accountability.\n\nIn particular, it highlights how any use of \"disappearing message\" functions must not impact on recordkeeping or transparency, although it says such tools \"have a role in limiting the build up of messages on devices\".\n\nIt comes after reports suggested some cabinet ministers were using the function on Whatsapp, which allows users to set messages to automatically disappear after a certain timeframe.\n\nThere have also been concerns that ministers could have deleted messages with key information about the government's Covid response, ahead of the independent public inquiry.\n\nLord Bethell, who was a health minister during the pandemic, admitted he had \"clumsily deleted\" some WhatsApp messages because \"there simply wasn't enough space on my phone\".\n\nThe ICO said there was \"a clear improvement\" in the new guidance and that it addressed some of the concerns raised in its 2022 report.\n\nThe watchdog's director of freedom of information and transparency, Warren Seddon, added: \"However, we remain disappointed that the more strategic review we recommended, which asked government to review the risks and opportunities in more detail, has not yet been conducted.\"","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/uk-politics-65122288"}
{"title":"Gloucestershire fire service says tackling culture will take years - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-30","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"The fire service has made an improvement plan after it was placed in special measures.","section":"Gloucestershire","content":"The service was placed in special measures in July\n\nA fire service says it will take more than three years to tackle a workplace culture of harassment, bullying and racism.\n\nGloucestershire Fire and Rescue Service (GFRS) has created a plan to improve after it was placed into special measures in July.\n\nChief fire officer Mark Preece said inspectors were happy with the timescale in the service's plan.\n\nHe said managers were being trained and he would make GFRS safe for all staff.\n\nBack in July, His Majesty's Inspectorate of Constabulary and Fire and Rescue Services said it was concerned not enough progress had been made to \"promote a positive workplace culture\".\n\nThe watchdog also called on the service to \"improve levels of understanding and awareness of the importance of equality, diversity and inclusion\".\n\nMr Preece told councillors on Friday that the culture of the service was one of his immediate priorities.\n\nGloucestershire's Fire and Rescue Scrutiny Committee was told that all middle, senior and strategic managers were undergoing cultural intelligence training.\n\nMr Preece said the Inspectorate had received the service's improvement plan and there had been \"no adverse comments\".\n\nHe told committee members he wanted to use \"the right pace to make sure change embeds and is sustainable in the future\".\n\nMr Preece said the process was not a \"one off activity\" and was about \"continually working on making sure our culture is right\".\n\nFollow BBC West on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. Send your story ideas to: bristol@bbc.co.uk\n\nThe BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/uk-england-gloucestershire-63641810"}
{"title":"In pictures: SNP cabinets down the years - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-30","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"The new cabinet announced by Humza Yousaf is the seventh since the SNP came to power in 2007.","section":"Scotland politics","content":"New First Minister Humza Yousaf with his cabinet on the steps of Bute House in Edinburgh\n\nThe new cabinet announced by Humza Yousaf is the seventh since the SNP came to power in 2007.\n\nHere are the different line-ups from the last 15 years.\n\nThe SNP came to power in 2007, with Alex Salmond as first minister and Nicola Sturgeon as his deputy. Permanet Secretary Sir John Elvidge is also pictured (centre)\n\nAlex Salmond announced a new, larger Scottish cabinet in the wake of the SNP's landslide election victory in 2011\n\nNicola Sturgeon unveiled her first cabinet after taking over as first minister in 2014\n\nNicola Sturgeon led a minority SNP government after the party won 63 of the 129 seats in the Scottish Parliament in May 2016\n\nNicola Sturgeon reshuffled her cabinet in June 2018, expanding it to 12 members\n\nSocial distancing was in place when the new cabinet was unveiled in 2021\n\nHumza Yousaf's cabinet is the first since the SNP came to power which does not include Nicola Sturgeon and John Swinney","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/uk-scotland-scotland-politics-65110836"}
{"title":"Antarctic ocean currents heading for collapse - report - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-30","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"Melting ice could trigger a disastrous chain reaction, a new Australian study warns","section":"Australia","content":"Rapidly melting Antarctic ice is causing a dramatic slowdown in deep ocean currents and could have a disastrous effect on the climate, a new report warns.\n\nThe deep-water flows which drive ocean currents could decline by 40% by 2050, a team of Australian scientists says.\n\nThe currents carry vital heat, oxygen, carbon and nutrients around the globe.\n\nPrevious research suggests a slowdown in the North Atlantic current could cause Europe to become colder.\n\nThe study, published in the journal Nature, also warns the slowdown could reduce ocean's ability to absorb carbon dioxide from the atmosphere.\n\nThe report outlines how the Earth's network of ocean currents are part driven by the downwards movement of cold, dense saltwater towards the sea bed near Antarctica.\n\nBut as fresh water from the ice cap melts, sea water becomes less salty and dense, and the downwards movement slows.\n\nThese deep ocean currents, or \"overturnings\", in the northern and southern hemispheres have been relatively stable for thousands of years, scientists say, but they are now being disrupted by the warming climate.\n\n\"Our modelling shows that if global carbon emissions continue at the current rate, then the Antarctic overturning will slow by more than 40 per cent in the next 30 years - and on a trajectory that looks headed towards collapse,\" study lead Professor Matthew England said.\n\nThe 2018 Atlas Study found the Atlantic Ocean circulation system was weaker than it had been for more than 1,000 years, and had changed significantly in the past 150.\n\nIt suggested changes to the conveyor-belt-like Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation (Amoc) could cool the ocean and north-west Europe, and affect deep-sea ecosystems.\n\nA sensationalised depiction of the Amoc shutting down was shown in the 2004 climate disaster film The Day After Tomorrow.\n\nThe report also highlighted how the slowdown would affect the ocean's ability to absorb carbon dioxide from the atmosphere.\n\nDr Adele Morrison, who contributed to the report, explained that as ocean circulation slows down, water on the surface quickly reaches its carbon-absorbing capacity and is not then replaced by non carbon-saturated water drawn to the surface from greater depths.\n\n\"If the oceans had lungs, this would be one of them,\" Prof England, an oceanographer at Sydney's University of New South Wales, told a news briefing.\n\nDr Morrison also warned that said a slowdown of the southern overturning could have an impact on marine ecosystems and Antarctica itself.\n\n\"Overturning brings up nutrients that have sunk down to the bottom when organisms die\u2026 to resupply nutrients for the global ecosystem and fisheries,\" she told the BBC.\n\n\"The other larger implication that it could have is a feedback on how much of Antarctica melts in the future. It opens a pathway for warmer waters which could cause increased melt, which would be a further feedback, putting more meltwater into the ocean and slowing down circulation even more,\" she added.\n\nScientists spent 35 million computing hours over two years to produce their models, which assumed that emissions of greenhouse gases continue their current path. If they fall, this could lessen the amount of ice melting, and slow the decline in the ocean current.\n\nHowever, results suggest deep water circulation in the Antarctic could slow at twice the rate of decline in the North Atlantic.\n\n\"[It's] stunning to see that happen so quickly,\" said climatologist Alan Mix from Oregon State University, a co-author of the latest Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) assessment.\n\n\"It appears to be kicking into gear right now. That's headline news,\" he told Reuters.\n\nThe effect of Antarctic meltwater on ocean currents has not yet been factored in to IPCC models on climate change, but it is going to be \"considerable\", Prof England said.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/world-australia-65120327"}
{"title":"Austria's far right walks out of Zelensky speech - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-30","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"The politicians left behind placards on their desks that read \"space for neutrality\".","section":"Europe","content":"This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser.\n\nMore than 20 far-right Austrian MPs walked out of parliament during a speech by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.\n\nThe politicians from the Freedom Party (FP\u00d6) argued Mr Zelensky's speech violated Austria's neutrality.\n\nThey warned ahead of the speech they would hold some form of protest against the address.\n\nAustria has previously said it cannot help Ukraine's defence militarily, but does support Kyiv politically.\n\nIn a video address, Mr Zelensky thanked Austria for its humanitarian assistance and help clearing land mines. He was speaking on the 400th day of Russian invasion.\n\nHe also invited MPs to travel to Ukraine for themselves and see the destruction caused.\n\nThe president of Austria's lower house of parliament, Wolfgang Sobotka, pledged more financial and humanitarian assistance to Ukraine and said the country deserved Austria's solidarity.\n\nBut as Mr Zelensky spoke, a group of politicians walked out and left placards on their desk with the party logo that read \"space for neutrality\" and \"space for peace\".\n\nThere are 30 FP\u00d6 politicians in Austria's lower chamber and they were the only party to oppose Mr Zelensky's address. However, a number of MPs from the centre-left Social Democrats were also missing from the chamber.\n\nThe Freedom Party has prompted anger in the past for its pro-Russian stance. In 2018, when the FP\u00d6's Karin Kneissl was foreign minister, she was criticised for dancing with President Vladimir Putin at her wedding.\n\nOf the five parties in Austria's parliament, they hold the third largest number of seats in the lower house. They have previously been part of Austria's government.\n\nAustria's \"permanent neutrality\" has been part of its constitution since 1955.\n\nThe law states \"Austria will never in the future accede to any military alliances nor permit the establishment of military bases of foreign states on her territory\".","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/world-europe-65131744"}
{"title":"Blood tests may spare cancer patients chemo - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-30","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"A blood test which can detect cancer cells could spare patients unnecessary chemotherapy.","section":"Health","content":"Ben Cooke avoided chemo thanks to the blood tests\n\nA blood test which can detect traces of cancer cells could spare thousands of patients unnecessary chemotherapy every year.\n\nA major bowel cancer trial is examining whether the test can show if surgery has removed all of the tumour.\n\nDoctors say half of patients with stage 3 bowel cancer are cured by surgery alone so by using chemotherapy they are over-treating many people.\n\nAbout 1,600 bowel cancer patients are being recruited to the UK study.\n\nBen Cooke runs a hair salon on the King's Road in Chelsea, London, and also works as a stylist for fashion shoots.\n\nIn early March last year, he noticed some dark blood in his poo. He rang NHS 111 and was sent to A&E. He was diagnosed with stage 3 bowel cancer, which was successfully treated with surgery.\n\nThe gold standard treatment is to then have intravenous chemotherapy to mop up any remaining tumour cells and reduce the risk of the cancer returning.\n\nBut the chemotherapy used in bowel cancer, oxaliplatin, can cause painful tingling and numbness in the hands and feet, called peripheral neuropathy.\n\nThis nerve damage can be long-term, and Ben was worried it might affect his ability to do the job he loves.\n\n\"I would not be able to cope with that,\" he says. \"I need to work - it's my therapy.\"\n\nThe 52-year-old enrolled in a study at London's Royal Marsden Hospital, which is evaluating whether a blood test can show if chemo is really needed.\n\nHis test showed he was clear of cancer, so he avoided intravenous chemotherapy.\n\nInstead, like everyone taking part in the trial, he took an oral chemo tablet twice a day. This had minimal side effects and allowed him to carry on working.\n\n\"The fact that I didn't have any tingling in my hands has just been an absolute blessing,\" he says.\n\nBen's blood is extracted for the liquid biopsy\n\nThe blood tests work by looking for microscopic traces of cancer in the bloodstream called circulating tumour DNA. The presence of these markers indicates whether the patient has been cured by their surgery or not. Such tiny fragments would be invisible on a scan.\n\nBen's consultant at the Marsden, Dr Naureen Starling, is the principal investigator on the trial. She says the outcome could affect the way thousands of bowel cancer patients are treated every year.\n\n\"Half of patients with stage 3 bowel cancer are cured by surgery alone, so we are over-treating a large proportion of patients,\" she says.\n\nThe hope is that this specialised technology could spare many cancer patients unnecessary chemotherapy.\n\n\"That's good for the patient, it's good for the health service, it's good for cost savings within the NHS. That would be a win-win,\" says Dr Starling.\n\nThe liquid biopsies being packaged to send to California\n\nThe trial, called TRACC, is using a test created by US company Guardant Health. The samples are sent to their labs in California for analysis with the results coming back within around two weeks.\n\nThe trial, funded by the National Institute for Health & Care Research (NIHR), will examine any difference in survival rates after three years between those patients whose treatment was guided by the blood test compared with the standard-of-care chemotherapy group.\n\nTrials are also under way in the UK to monitor patients with lung and breast cancer in the same way.\n\nDr Starling says the potential for this new technology across cancer care is \"immense\", not just when it comes to detecting residual disease after surgery, but also for early diagnosis.\n\nWhat is clear already, from multiple studies, is that so-called \"liquid biopsy\" blood tests can reveal the lingering presence of cancer long before it would be found using traditional methods.\n\nA trial in Greece published in Nature in January, found that liquid biopsies could show cancer recurrence at least four years before it would be detectable via a scan. That study followed a small group of breast cancer patients after surgery.\n\nAt the American Society of Clinical Oncology conference in Chicago last June, a study in 455 bowel cancer patients found that by using the blood tests to guide treatment, the number of patients needing post-surgery chemotherapy was nearly halved without the risk of relapse.\n\nBut Dr Starling says the far bigger randomised trial in the UK is essential to calibrate exactly how much reliance can be placed on liquid biopsies, especially when it means considering the withdrawal of chemotherapy.\n\nThe tests have already been available to private patients.\n\nSusanne Winter, an artist from Surrey, was diagnosed with stage 3 bowel cancer in March 2022 and had successful surgery to remove the tumour and some cancerous lymph nodes.\n\nShe initially thought she would need chemotherapy to ensure the cancer was entirely gone, but she had the ctDNA test done privately which showed she was clear of cancer.\n\nSusanne, 58, had cancelled all her commitments to prepare for several months of chemotherapy, but the negative test result meant she was free to concentrate on her art. She even had two works accepted for the Royal Academy summer exhibition.\n\nShe feels incredibly lucky to have avoided chemotherapy. \"I knew how toxic it can be. You're psyching yourself up for it, so to hear that you aren't going to need it is just unbelievable,\" she says.\n\nSusanne Winter was able to carry on painting\n\nWhat is considered the holy grail of cancer detection is to be able to spot the disease at the very earliest stage, when it is most easy to cure.\n\nBlood tests are also being trialled to see if they can diagnose a whole range of cancers.\n\nMore than 140,000 volunteers aged 50-77 have been recruited across England to see if the test could pick up more than 50 types of tumours, most of which have no screening programmes.\n\nThe NHS-Galleri trial is made by Californian company Grail, and some interim results are due early next year.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/health-65042224"}
{"title":"King Charles gets hands-on making cheese in Germany - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-30","authors":null,"description":"The monarch was visiting an organic farm in the village of Brodowin.","section":null,"content":"King Charles III has visited an organic farm in Germany, where he helped to make a special cheese that will be dedicated to him.\n\nThe monarch, who has been interested in ecology and green agriculture for many years, was joined by German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier and Brandenburg State Prime Minister Dietmar Woidke.\n\nDuring his visit, he was also offered a cake in the shape of a crown.\n\nThe King travelled to Germany for a three-day tour with his wife Camilla, the Queen Consort, for the first overseas trip of his reign.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/uk-65129428"}
{"title":"As Donald Trump is indicted, here are three other criminal investigations he faces - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-30","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"It can be difficult to keep track of the ex-president's legal battles - here's what you need to know.","section":"US & Canada","content":"Donald Trump has become the first former US president to face criminal charges, for alleged hush money payments made to a porn star just before the 2016 presidential election.\n\nBut he is facing numerous lawsuits as well and it can be difficult to keep track of the investigations. Here are four that could have the biggest impact on him both personally and politically.\n\nA grand jury has voted to indict the former president after New York prosecutors investigated a $130,000 pay-out to former adult star Stormy Daniels.\n\nThe charges have not yet been made public. Ms Daniels claims she and Mr Trump had sex, and that she accepted the money from his former lawyer before the 2016 election in exchange for her silence on the encounter.\n\nMr Trump has always denied they had sexual relations.\n\nMeanwhile, the business practices of his family company, the Trump Organization, are being examined by prosecutors.\n\nLetitia James, the New York attorney general, is leading a civil investigation (which cannot result in criminal charges) and has spent years looking at whether the company committed various acts of fraud over several decades.\n\nA criminal investigation is being led by the Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg, and is looking at similar issues.\n\nMr Trump has described the indictment in the Stormy Daniels case as \"political persecution\" and said he doesn't expect a fair trial.\n\nHe is expected to appear in court on Tuesday, where he will be presented with the charges and enter a plea.\n\nSeparately, the former president and his lawyers have insisted the allegations against the Trump Organization are politically motivated.\n\nMr Trump has repeatedly criticised both Ms James and Mr Bragg.\n\nAlthough details of the charges in the Stormy Daniels case are yet to be disclosed, it will be the first criminal case ever brought against a former US president.\n\nThe criminal investigation into the Trump Organization has already yielded convictions. The company was found guilty in December of fraud and falsifying business records and fined $1.6m (\u00a31.31m). Allen Weisselberg, the organisation's chief financial officer, was sentenced to five months in jail in January.\n\nIn the civil case, Ms James has filed a lawsuit against Mr Trump and three of his children accusing them of \"astounding\" fraud and deception.\n\nThe lawsuit alleges that the family inflated their net worth by billions, and is seeking $250m (\u00a3226m) that was allegedly obtained through fraudulent means. It's also seeking bans on Mr Trump and his children from serving in a leadership role in any New York business.\n\nA Manhattan judge has denied Mr Trump's bid to delay the trial, saying the scheduled date of 2 October is \"written in stone\".\n\nThe Department of Justice is looking into the removal of government documents from the White House, which were then taken to Mr Trump's Florida estate, Mar-a-Lago, after he left office. Investigators are assessing how these documents were stored and who may have had access to them.\n\nThe former president's sprawling beachside property was searched in August and 11,000 documents were seized, including around 100 marked as classified. Some of these were labelled top secret.\n\nUnsurprisingly, we know very little about what's in the documents at this stage. But classified material usually contains information that officials feel could damage national security if made public.\n\nHe's denied wrongdoing and criticised the justice department's investigation, branding it \"politically motivated\" and a \"witch-hunt\".\n\nHe has offered shifting defences which have mostly hinged on the argument that he declassified the material. No evidence has yet been provided that this is true.\n\nThe former president has also argued that some of the documents are protected by \"privilege\" - a legal concept that would prevent them from being used in future proceedings. An independent lawyer is reviewing the seized material to determine if this is the case and that process continues.\n\nBut Mr Trump has not directly addressed the key question of why the documents were at Mar-a-Lago in the first place.\n\nThis is an active criminal investigation and could result in charges being filed.\n\nAmong other statutes, the justice department believes Mr Trump may have violated the Espionage Act by keeping national security information that \"could be used to the injury of the United States\".\n\nIn addition to charges relating to the classified documents themselves, prosecutors are also looking at obstruction of justice as another potential crime.\n\nMr Trump's team are now locked in a legal battle with the justice department over the investigation.\n\nThe department has appointed an independent lawyer, or special counsel, to oversee all of its criminal investigations into Mr Trump. Jack Smith will lead its various inquiries and will ultimately decide whether to bring charges.\n\nMr Trump's alleged role in the attack on the US Capitol on 6 January 2021, when a mob of his supporters stormed the building in an effort to stop the confirmation of President Joe Biden's election victory, is under scrutiny from several federal government bodies.\n\nThe most visible has been a congressional committee that spent 18 months looking into Mr Trump's actions. They held a series of televised hearings laying out their case that his election fraud claims led directly to the riot.\n\nFollowing these hearings, the committee accused Mr Trump of inciting insurrection and other crimes.\n\nThe justice department is running a separate criminal probe into 6 January and broader efforts to overturn the election - but this has largely been shrouded in secrecy. It's the largest police investigation in US history, but the extent to which Mr Trump is a target is unclear.\n\nHe's denied responsibility for the riot and criticised the congressional committee, which he described as a \"kangaroo court\" and \"unselect pseudo-committee\".\n\nHe has continued to repeat his unsubstantiated allegations of widespread voter fraud.\n\nThe congressional committee - made up of seven Democrats and two Republicans - concluded its hearings by recommending four criminal charges against Mr Trump which it then referred to the justice department.\n\nThe move was largely symbolic as it is up to the department to decide whether to file criminal charges. There is no indication this is imminent.\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Watch the moment Trump supporters stormed the US Capitol building\n\nThe justice department's criminal probe, however, has already led to hundreds of people who stormed the Capitol being charged.\n\nThe former president has not been called for questioning in that inquiry, but it remains a possibility. He could also - in theory - be charged if investigators believe there is sufficient evidence of wrongdoing.\n\nProsecutors spent eight months looking into alleged attempts to overturn Mr Trump's narrow loss in the state in the 2020 presidential election.\n\nThe criminal investigation was opened after the disclosure of an hour-long phone call between the former president and the state's top election official on 2 January 2021.\n\n\"I just want to find 11,780 votes,\" Mr Trump said during the call to Republican Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger - a reference to the number of ballots needed to give him victory in the swing state.\n\nA grand jury investigating the case was dissolved earlier this year after filing a final report, which remains sealed.\n\nHe's described the investigation - as he has many others - as a \"witch hunt\".\n\nMr Trump has also attacked the legal official leading the inquiry - the chief prosecutor of Fulton County, Fani Willis - as a \"young, ambitious, Radical Left Democrat... who is presiding over one of the most Crime Ridden and Corrupt places\".\n\n\"The allegations are very serious. If indicted and convicted, people are facing prison sentences,\" Ms Willis told the Washington Post last month.\n\nThe 26-member grand jury did not have indictment powers but may have recommended charges. Among the potential crimes it looked into were the solicitation of election fraud, making false statements to government officials, and racketeering.\n\nIt is not known whether the former president is being directly investigated, but some of his allies are known to be part of the inquiry.\n\nFor a criminal conviction, however, prosecutors would ultimately need to prove beyond reasonable doubt that those involved knew their actions were fraudulent.\n\nIn January, a prosecutor working on behalf of Fulton County said the district attorney's office believes the report should only be released after prosecutors determine whether or not to bring charges.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/world-us-canada-61084161"}
{"title":"The Trump arrest saga in 70 seconds - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-30","authors":null,"description":"How will it play out now that the former president has been indicted? Our correspondent explains.","section":null,"content":"Donald Trump will be charged with a crime over an alleged hush money payment to former porn star Stormy Daniels. The former US President posted about his arrest and kicked off a political and legal firestorm.\n\nThe BBC's New York Correspondent Nada Tawfik explains what may happen now that the unprecedented has happened - a former president being arrested in a criminal case.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/world-us-canada-65018198"}
{"title":"Watch: Wildfire engulfs a Thai mountain - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-30","authors":null,"description":"Authorities have deployed workers to Nakhon Nayok to extinguish the fire.","section":null,"content":"An eyewitness captured footage of a steep mountain in Nakhon Nayok, two hours away from Bangkok, ablaze on Wednesday night.\n\nAuthorities have deployed workers to Khao Laem to extinguish the fire - believed to have been sparked by thunder strikes.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/world-asia-65120565"}
{"title":"Renting: 'We were kicked out because we complained' - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-30","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"Renters tell the BBC how they have been evicted for complaining about the state of their homes.","section":"Business","content":"Mould and a broken toilet were just some of the problems Chiara said she and her family faced in their rented home over the past two years.\n\nBut when the teacher complained to her landlord, she said they responded with a no-fault eviction notice.\n\nIt comes as a survey found tenants in England who complain to landlords were more than twice as likely to get an eviction notice than those who do not.\n\nIt has renewed calls to scrap no-fault evictions, known as Section 21 notices.\n\nThe government pledged to ban the use of Section 21 orders in England last June, but since then the number of households threatened with homelessness because of such notices has increased by 34%.\n\nShelter, a major housing charity, said that scrapping no-fault evictions was more urgent than ever, especially with the number of homes available to rent in the UK dropping by a third over the past 18 months.\n\nChiara told the BBC that she, her husband Ben and their three-year-old daughter Maggie had \"lived with disrepair for two years\" in a flat in Leyton, London.\n\n\"We had moths in the carpet, the cellar was flooded, we had no bath, the toilet broke so we had no toilet,\" she said.\n\nWith mould and damp also causing problems, Chiara complained about the state of the flat to her landlord.\n\n\"They responded with a Section 21, giving us two months' notice to vacate the property,\" she said.\n\n\"We were kicked out because we complained.\"\n\nChiara, who is a teacher in Walthamstow, said that after they got the notice in January, the family experienced a frantic search to find a new home, finally moving into a new place two weeks ago.\n\nShe said while searching they discovered that rents had surged.\n\nChiara said it made it \"pretty much impossible\" for them to find another two-bed flat with a garden, so now the family has moved into a one-bed.\n\nAccording to a YouGov survey of just over 2000 private renting adults in England commissioned by charity Shelter, tenants facing issues with properties who then complained about disrepair to their landlord were more than twice as likely to be handed an eviction notice than those who had not.\n\nThe research found that 76% of private renters in England have experienced disrepair in the last year, and a quarter of renters have not asked for repairs to be carried out due to fear of eviction.\n\n\"We just need to get rid of Section 21,\" said Polly Neate, Shelter's chief executive.\n\nShe added there needed to be a \"situation where landlords can evict people for legitimate reasons, and can't evict them just because they complain about the poor condition of their home\".\n\nDavid and Samira from Richmond in North Yorkshire have had a similar experience to Chiara and her family.\n\nThe couple were issued with a no-fault eviction just before Christmas after complaining about damp.\n\nSamira was six months' pregnant at the time.\n\nDavid said the eviction was \"really unfair\" and caused a lot of stress for the parents-to-be.\n\n\"Looking at the options we had as tenants there was very little we could do. It was just really baffling, really confusing, it doesn't seem like a fair process,\" David added, after being outbid or rejected for more than 30 properties they had viewed.\n\n\"Soul destroying is the term I'd use for it, it was just rejection after rejection after rejection.\"\n\nDavid and Samira managed to find a new home just in time for the arrival of their daughter Aila last week.\n\nThe government is due to introduce a Renters' Reform Bill before the summer, which it has said will redress the balance in the market and provide more security for tenants.\n\nHousing rules are different in each of the devolved nations, and Scotland and Wales have already banned no fault evictions.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/business-65114284"}
{"title":"Protests repeatedly halt first minister's questions - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-30","authors":null,"description":"Climate change protests disrupt Humza Yousaf's first session of first minister's questions.","section":null,"content":"Climate change protests have disrupted Humza Yousaf's first session of first minister's questions in the Scottish Parliament.\n\nScottish Conservative leader Douglas Ross was interrupted repeatedly, forcing FMQs into several suspensions.\n\nEventually Presiding Officer Alison Johnstone took the decision to clear a large part of the public gallery.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/uk-scotland-65128937"}
{"title":"Thomas Cashman: 'Brave' ex-partner helped convict Olivia's killer - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-30","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"A woman who had a brief relationship with Thomas Cashman says she was \"petrified\" but wanted justice.","section":"Liverpool","content":"Thomas Cashman had denied being the gunman who shot Olivia\n\n\"Ruthless killer\" Thomas Cashman was convicted of murdering nine-year-old Olivia Pratt-Korbel in large part because of his \"petrified\" former partner's \"incredible bravery\" in coming forward, police said.\n\nThe 34-year-old fatally shot Olivia and injured her mother Cheryl Korbel at their Liverpool home during a botched \"execution\" of a convicted drug dealer following a chase on 22 August.\n\nCashman was widely feared in the Dovecot area of the city, where he made up to \u00a35,000 per week as a \"high level\" cannabis dealer, using intimidation and violence to ensure payment.\n\nBBC Panorama investigates how Liverpool came to dominate the UK drug market and how organised crime brought death to Olivia Pratt-Korbel's door.\n\nFear of reprisals meant police and prosecutors were concerned they would struggle to ever bring Olivia's masked killer to justice.\n\nBut the crucial breakthrough came when a woman, who Cashman went to on the night of the murder, approached police two days later.\n\nOlivia was fatally shot in her own home\n\nThe woman, who cannot be named for legal reasons, had previously had a brief relationship with the killer.\n\nShe told detectives she was \"petrified\" of Cashman, but \"this is a nine-year-old child - I want her family to get justice\".\n\nThe key witness said she was still \"terrified\" of him as she was giving evidence at his Manchester Crown Court trial.\n\n\"When there's a little girl involved, there's no form of grassing in my world,\" she told the jury.\n\nThe man who led the murder hunt, Det Supt Mark Baker of Merseyside Police, said her decision to come forward \"was a really important moment in the investigation\".\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. The witness had been incredibly courageous, says Det Supt Mark Baker\n\nSenior prosecutor Maria Corr said Cashman had used two guns while shooting at his intended target Joseph Nee.\n\n\"In the community, people [were] afraid of coming forward - because would their child be next?,\" she said.\n\n\"The privacy and safety of your own home - this ruthless killer didn't care. He shot a little nine-year-old child.\"\n\nIn an interview with BBC News, Ms Corr said Cashman's actions begged the question: \"If someone is like that, would you come forward?\n\n\"Thankfully, we had a witness who had the courage of her convictions and wanted justice and she was very, very, brave.\"\n\nMs Corr said that when she assessed the woman's interview with detectives, she found her words to be \"powerful, strong and the bottom line was she was telling the truth\".\n\nShe explained: \"We had all the independent evidence that corroborated her account - the tracksuit bottoms, the [gunshot residue] on those tracksuit bottoms, the T-shirt, the telephone call to her partner who then came, then we saw him [dropping] Thomas Cashman off.\n\n\"Then we had that little clip of CCTV of [a man] then taking what she said was the bag with murder clothes in it to somebody else.\"\n\nMs Corr added: \"She was telling the truth - and it was at that moment I thought, 'Yes, the officers had done enough for me to make my charging decision'.\"\n\nThe witness was strong, powerful and told the truth, senior prosecutor Maria Corr said\n\nDet Supt Baker agreed the witness had been incredibly courageous, especially given \"the levels of fear in the community\".\n\nEven though he said officers had obtained 320 pieces of CCTV footage - sometimes only seized following court orders - the senior investigating officer said: \"Without witnesses there is no justice.\"\n\nIt was \"probably the bravest thing that I've seen in my career in terms of coming forward and providing evidence in court\", he added.\n\nDet Supt Baker also said that while there had been a \u00a3200,000 reward offered to anybody providing evidence leading to the conviction of Olivia's killer, the witness had not made a claim.\n\n\"During the course of the trial... there was an allegation that she was financially driven,\" he said.\n\n\"She came to us on 24 August - two days after the murder - before any reward was even offered. She wasn't financially driven.\n\n\"She explained herself in open court what her motive was, and she's done it for all the right reasons.\n\n\"Because a line had been drawn in the sand in respect of the shooting of a nine-year-old girl in her own house.\"\n\nWhy not follow BBC North West on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram? You can also send story ideas to northwest.newsonline@bbc.co.uk\n\nThe BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/uk-england-merseyside-65097495"}
{"title":"Jeremy Renner emotional in first interview since snowplough accident - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-30","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"Marvel star Jeremy Renner says he \"chose to survive\" after being seriously injured by a snowplough.","section":"Entertainment & Arts","content":"The full interview with the Hawkeye actor will air in the US next week\n\nActor Jeremy Renner says he \"chose to survive\" after being seriously injured in a snowplough accident.\n\nThe Marvel star broke more than 30 bones when he attempted to stop the vehicle from running over his nephew on New Year's Day.\n\nIn his first TV interview since the accident, he said: \"I chose to survive, it's not going to kill me, no way.\"\n\nDespite his injuries, Renner said he \"would do it again, because it was going right at my nephew\".\n\nThe actor was seen making the comments in a trailer for the interview, which is set to air in full on 6 April on US network ABC.\n\nThis YouTube post cannot be displayed in your browser. Please enable Javascript or try a different browser. View original video on YouTube The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. YouTube content may contain adverts. Skip youtube video by ABC News 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\u2019s cookie policy, external and privacy policy, external before accepting. To view this content choose \u2018accept and continue\u2019. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. YouTube content may contain adverts.\n\nRenner was admitted to hospital in a critical condition with blunt chest trauma and orthopaedic injuries when his Sno-Cat machine ran him over.\n\nThe actor had been trying to stop the plough from crashing into his nephew after it began to roll downhill, with nobody driving it.\n\nAsked if he could remember the pain, Renner confirmed he was \"awake through every moment\" when the seven-tonne machine crushed him.\n\n\"I lost a lot of flesh and bone in this experience, but I've been refuelled and refilled with love and titanium,\" he joked.\n\nHe is seen becoming emotional when host Diane Sawyer reminds him how he apologised to his family from his hospital bed using sign language in the days following the accident.\n\nRenner is best known for films such as Arrival, The Hurt Locker, The Bourne Legacy and for playing Marvel's Hawkeye.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/entertainment-arts-65121855"}
{"title":"Gwyneth Paltrow accuser\u00a0apologises for 'King Kong' ski trial jibe - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-30","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"There were tense moments - and an apology for a 2019 remark - at the trial over a ski crash in Utah.","section":"US & Canada","content":"Many celebrities descend on Park City once a year for the Sundance Film Festival - but the past week in the city has been about one star and one courtroom drama in particular.\n\nGwyneth Paltrow's legal team has now rested in a civil trial over a 2016 ski collision with a retired eye doctor at the upscale Deer Valley Resort in Utah.\n\nTerry Sanderson, 76, is seeking $300,000 (\u00a3244,000) in damages over physical and emotional wounds he attributes to the crash, an incident he says Ms Paltrow caused. He says it left him with brain damage and broken ribs.\n\nHowever, he did apologise directly to Ms Paltrow for describing her in a 2019 press conference as screaming like \"King Kong in the jungle\" - he had meant to say she screamed like a woman being chased by King Kong, he clarified.\n\nTurning to face her, he said suing a celebrity had been painful, but \"somebody has to be [held] accountable\" for the incident. Ms Paltrow could be seen vigorously shaking her head.\n\nThe Hollywood actress has denied being responsible and has counter-sued.\n\nMs Paltrow is seeking $1, plus compensation for attorneys' fees. She has been present at each day's proceedings.\n\nOn Wednesday, the Oscar winner wore black from head-to-toe as she alighted from a dark SUV and breezed into the Third District Court.\n\nMr Sanderson was already inside the courtroom and the two did their utmost to avoid eye contact as she walked by.\n\nMore than seven years have passed since the accident on a beginner's slope known as the Bandana Run - a collision the former US army captain and optometrist says left him with a concussion that \"completely changed\" his life.\n\nOn Wednesday, medical experts called to the stand by Ms Paltrow's defence team disputed that characterisation.\n\n\"Mr Sanderson does not currently need ongoing neurological treatment,\" said Dr Robert Hoesch, a neurologist, adding: \"I would evaluate [him] for dementia.\"\n\nNeuro-psychologist Dr Angela Eastvold argued the plaintiff had suffered \"at most, a mild concussion\" and that he showed no evidence of a brain injury.\n\n\"Anxiety can drive perception of a lot of these difficulties,\" she said.\n\nDr Eastvold suggested that, while evidence indicates \"he is genuinely in distress\", a concussion from the collision with Ms Paltrow could not be the cause of his struggles.\n\nMr Sanderson's attorney Robert Sykes grew increasingly testy with witnesses over the course of the day.\n\nThe Salt Lake City attorney repeatedly described himself as \"a simple country lawyer\" who wanted simple answers.\n\nHe accused witnesses of diagnosing Mr Sanderson from the stand and being as evasive as the \"Queen of Denmark\" - a reference to Hamlet's mother in the William Shakespeare play.\n\nGwyneth Paltrow and her two children were skiing with her now-husband, Brad Falchuk, and his two children when the crash occurred.\n\nClosing arguments in the trial are scheduled to begin on Thursday.\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/world-us-canada-65120347"}
{"title":"Easter holiday travel: No repeat of airport chaos, industry says - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-30","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"Airports and airlines say they have enough staff to cope, with travel set to return to pre-Covid levels.","section":"Business","content":"Airports and airlines have told the BBC they are confident they have enough staff to avoid a repeat of last year's disruption in the Easter holidays.\n\nSome struggled with staff shortages last year as passengers returned, leading to delays and cancellations.\n\nWages have risen, as businesses try to attract and keep new recruits.\n\nAirline bosses have warned strikes in France are likely to cause issues, but still expect passenger numbers to return to pre-Covid levels of 2019.\n\nEasyJet's chief operating officer, David Morgan, said: \"When they close an airport because of strikes you are going to see disruption. But the vast majority of flights, even during a disrupted period, will run smoothly\".\n\nEasyJet started recruitment six months early, while Manchester Airport said it already had enough security staff for the summer peak.\n\nPassenger numbers swiftly returned after Covid restrictions were lifted in March 2022. But many holidaymakers encountered huge disruption, as some aviation businesses could not scale up or reverse pandemic job cuts quickly enough to cope.\n\nFor people to get away on flights smoothly, various businesses need to work together with the right resources in place.\n\nLast spring, Manchester Airport faced particular criticism for long queues caused by shortages of security staff. By the summer, its managing director Chris Woodroofe could only promise a \"reasonable\" experience.\n\nThis time he promises a \"great\" experience, adding: \"I can absolutely reassure passengers they won't see the [security] queues they saw in summer 2022. We're aiming to deliver at least 95% of our passengers in fifteen minutes\".\n\nHe said the airport had 350 more security officers than the same time last year, and there would be enough staff in place this April to cope with the busiest day in August.\n\nA new 100 person-strong 'resilience team' has been set up, trained to help in any area where pressure builds up.\n\nStaff shortages led to long queues at airports last Easter\n\nLast year, shortages of ground handlers also proved a particular challenge. These teams do tasks like unloading baggage and helping to prepare the plane for departure.\n\nIt is the responsibility of airlines, many of whom contract out the services to specialist providers. Swissport is the world's biggest, operating at 292 airports including Manchester.\n\nKaren Cox, Swissport UK & Ireland managing director, said returning to peak levels of operations in 2022 had been a \"massive challenge\".\n\nTo prepare better this time, she said Swissport had kept on 5,000 workers over the winter and recruited 1,500 more.\n\nMs Cox described an \"absolute war for labour\", caused by Covid and Brexit reducing the pool of available workers. But she said: \"I sit here now at end of March ready for summer.\"\n\nAs well as recruiting early, she said Swissport had done a number of things to recruit and retain workers.\n\n\"We did the single biggest pay deal in our history, and we've given all of our people advance roster notification so they can actually plan their lives,\" she said.\n\nBacklogs in security clearance for new workers were also an issue last year, but Swissport says this is not a problem now.\n\nAirlines too are optimistic. EasyJet was just one carrier to make large numbers of cancellations last year. The carrier and British Airways offered bonuses as airlines battled to recruit and retain staff.\n\nEasyJet's David Morgan said the airline started hiring for this summer as early as July last year.\n\n\"We would not normally start recruiting until January, something like that,\" he said. \"So we wanted to get ahead of the game to make sure that if there were challenges getting people through, we had plenty of time to do that.\"\n\nHe added: \"I can say confidently that we are fully staffed for this summer. We have a good resilient number of crew in the system even to cope with the bumps if stuff that's thrown at us.\"\n\nMr Morgan acknowledged wages have gone up across the industry, and these costs and higher fuel prices are being reflected in fares.\n\nBut he insisted this was not hitting bookings. \"We are seeing people prioritise travel. Easter is booking really well and we're seeing good signs for the summer as well.\"\n\nThe communication director of travel firm TUI, Aage Duenhaupt, said: \"You can never come to the point where you can give a guarantee for everything. But what we can prepare, that's what we're doing.\"\n\nMr Duenhaupt said ground handling partners had given assurances they now had the right resources in place, and the airline had made extra planes available.\n\nElsewhere, security staff at London Heathrow's Terminal 5 are due to begin a 10-day strike on 31 March, which has already caused British Airways to remove flights from its schedules and could mean queues for security.\n\nIn a cost of living crisis, are people still keen to travel? Richard Slater of Henbury Travel in Macclesfield thinks so.\n\nHe said many customers - who include those looking for package holidays and cruises - are booking late. But his agency had \"seen incredible demand, back to 2019 in fact probably higher\".\n\n\"We're certainly seeing some people having to cut their cloth a little bit and potentially shorten their holiday, whereas others have been saving up through the pandemic,\" he added.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/business-65113682"}
{"title":"State pension age rise to 68 will not be brought forward yet - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-30","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"The government is set to announce it will not yet bring forward the date for the pension age rise to 68.","section":"UK Politics","content":"A rise in the state pension age to 68 will not be brought forward yet, the government has announced.\n\nThose born on or after 5 April 1977 will be the first cohort to work to 68, under current plans. A 2017 government review suggested expanding this to include those born in the late 1960s.\n\nThe work and pensions secretary said the pension age would not be changed until a further review was carried.\n\nA decision is now expected in 2026, after the next general election.\n\nBy law the government is required to examine planned changes to the system every six years.\n\nA recent report found life expectancy for retiring Britons is now two years lower than when the government last reviewed the state pension age in 2017.\n\nLabour said increases in life expectancy were being \"dragged down\" by a \"rising tide of poverty\".\n\nA separate review by Baroness Neville-Rolfe looking at what factors the government should take into account when setting the pension age was published on Thursday.\n\nAnd on Thursday, a further review was commissioned by Work and Pensions Secretary Mel Stride to look into raising the state pension age.\n\nA further study was needed as the previous reviews were \"not able to take into account significant external challenges including impact of the Covid pandemic and global inflation caused by Putin's illegal wat in Ukraine\", Mr Stride said.\n\nThe new review will report within two years of the new parliament, he added.\n\nLabour supported the government's position, but shadow work and pensions secretary John Ashworth said the government had last year said bringing forward an increase in state pension age \"was absolutely necessary for the long term sustainability of the public finances\".\n\n\"Now it turns out with general election only a year away the and the government trailing so badly in the polls, not raising the state pension age is not so reckless after all,\" he added.\n\nThe state pension is a monthly payment currently made to 12.5 million people who have reached qualifying age and have paid enough in national insurance contributions.\n\nNext week, the amount paid will increase by 10.1% in line with the rising cost of living.\n\nThat means it will be worth:\n\nWork and Pensions Secretary Mel Stride will make a statement in the House of Commons later to confirm the conclusions of the latest statutory review on the pension age.\n\nThe Daily Express newspaper, where the story first appeared, said Mr Stride would announce a new review to be carried out after the next election.\n\nThe qualifying age to receive the pension has been a matter of intense speculation, with two reviews having been considering the appropriate age and how that should be calculated.\n\nThe main argument for accelerating a rise in the state pension age has always been that people are living for longer.\n\nThe state pension bill is estimated to grow by 35% to around \u00a3148bn by 2027-28 according to the Office for Budget Responsibility.\n\nThe Institute for Fiscal Studies, a leading economic research group, said that it was a \"reasonable estimate\" that increasing the state pension age by one year in the late 2030s would save the Government \u00a38bn to \u00a39bn a year in today's terms.\n\nBut experts point out that, although the cost of the state pension has been rising, life expectation has stalled recently.\n\nThere is also a wide difference in life expectancy across different parts of the country, with people generally likely to live longer in more affluent areas. That creates an added complication when setting a state pension age which is uniform across the UK.\n\nAt the moment, the age limit is based on ensuring no-one spends more than one third of their adult life in retirement.\n\nState pension increases currently set out in legislation are:\n\nProposals to raise the state pension age are often controversial. Riots broke out on the streets of France after the French government decided to force through pension reforms without a vote in parliament.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/business-65120317"}
{"title":"Associated Newspapers says Prince Harry and other accusers are 'out of time' - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-30","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"The Duke of Sussex and six others are bringing a legal case against Associated Newspapers.","section":"UK","content":"The Duke of Sussex attended court in person this week\n\nBarristers for Associated Newspapers have argued to a High Court judge that Prince Harry and six other well-known people have run out of time to bring privacy claims against the Mail titles.\n\nThe law requires that claims are brought within six years.\n\nBut some of the allegations against Associated date back decades.\n\nLawyers for the claimants - also including Sir Elton John and Baroness Doreen Lawrence - argue that new evidence has recently come to light.\n\nThe newspaper publisher said \"they haven't come close\" to proving that only now could they sue the Mail and Mail on Sunday.\n\nLast year, the seven claimants said they had only recently become aware of \"compelling and highly distressing evidence that they had been the victims of abhorrent criminal activity and gross breaches of privacy by Associated Newspapers\".\n\nThis included, they said, evidence that the publisher's journalists paid private investigators for bugging cars and homes, listening to private telephone calls, paying police officials and obtaining medical and financial records.\n\nIn the case of the Duke of Sussex, his witness statement published on Tuesday stresses that he was not told by lawyers acting for the Royal Family of the possibility of suing newspapers.\n\nHe said he only realised this when press interest grew around his relationship with his now wife, which was when he started talking to a senior Royal Family lawyer.\n\nAt the Leveson Inquiry in 2011, the Mail's editor Paul Dacre swore on oath that his journalists had not used illegal methods of gathering information.\n\nThe lawyers for the claimants say legal action was prevented because of these denials.\n\nThey are now arguing that the clock for bringing a legal action only started when the new evidence came to light.\n\nBut Adrian Beltrami KC for Associated Newspapers argued that the claimants should have complained about articles in the Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday at the time they were published.\n\nHe told the judge, Mr Justice Nicklin, that there was no new evidence which justified lifting the time restriction on bringing a case.\n\nSir Elton John, another claimant in the case, was also seen outside the court\n\nLedgers kept by the newspapers of payments to private investigators could not be used to prove the case because they had been leaked from a public inquiry, he said, referring to a legal disagreement the judge will have to resolve.\n\nEven if they were valid as evidence, the claimants could have obtained them years ago, he said.\n\nIn the same way, admissions by private investigators that they worked for Mail titles in the 1990s and 2000s were not new.\n\nTurning to a \"handful\" of documents he said were being used to suggest Mail journalists had commissioned illegal activities, Mr Beltrami asked: \"Are they the tipping point?\"\n\n\"If this is supposed to be the tipping point they can not bear the weight which is attributed to them,\" he said.\n\nIf the judge decides in favour of the newspapers, the case could be brought to an end long before it comes to a trial.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/uk-65117106"}
{"title":"Russia arrests US journalist Evan Gershkovich on spying charge - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-30","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"The US condemns Evan Gershkovich's detention and his employer has vehemently denied the accusation.","section":"Europe","content":"Evan Gershkovich was detained by the FSB while working for the Wall Street Journal\n\nUS journalist Evan Gershkovich has been arrested in Russia and accused of spying while working for the Wall Street Journal.\n\nAn experienced Russia reporter, he was working in the city of Yekaterinburg at the time of his detention.\n\nThe White House has condemned his detention \"in the strongest terms\".\n\nThe Kremlin claimed he had been caught \"red-handed\" but the Wall Street Journal vehemently denied the allegations against him.\n\nMr Gershkovich, 31, is well known among foreign correspondents in Moscow and BBC Russia Editor Steve Rosenberg describes him as an excellent reporter and a highly principled journalist.\n\nUS Secretary of State Antony Blinken echoed the Wall Street Journal in saying he was \"deeply concerned\" by the arrest. US officials said they had immediately sought access to Mr Gershkovich but had not had any response.\n\nThe WSJ said its reporter had dropped out of contact with his editors while working in Yekaterinburg, about 1,600km (1,000 miles) east of Moscow, on Wednesday afternoon.\n\nUS officials said Mr Gershkovich's driver had dropped him off at a restaurant and two hours later his phone had been turned off. The newspaper said it had hired a lawyer to try to find him at the FSB headquarters in the city, but they told the lawyer they had no information.\n\nRussia's FSB security service claimed that it had halted \"illegal activities\". The journalist had been detained \"acting on US instructions\", it added, alleging that he had \"collected information classified as a state secret about the activities of a Russian defence enterprise\".\n\nIt said its investigation department had launched a criminal espionage case and one source told Russian media it was classed as \"top secret\".\n\nFSB agents took him to Lefortovo district court in Moscow on Friday, where he was formally arrested and ordered to remain in detention until 29 May.\n\nRussian media said the court had already been cleared of staff and visitors and Mr Gershkovich's lawyer said he had not been allowed into the courtroom.\n\nEspionage in Russia carries a maximum jail term of 20 years. Tass news agency reported that the journalist had denied the charge. He was then seen being escorted from the building before being driven away.\n\nIn his most recent WSJ piece, published this week, Evan Gershkovich reported on Russia's declining economy and how the Kremlin was having to deal with \"ballooning military expenditures\" while maintaining social spending.\n\nPress freedom watchdog Reporters Without Borders said he had gone to Yekaterinburg to cover Russian mercenary group Wagner, which has taken part in some of the heaviest fighting in eastern Ukraine.\n\nHe has covered Russia for the Wall Street Journal for more than a year, having worked there previously for the AFP news agency and the Moscow Times. He began his career in the US.\n\nIn a statement, the Wall Street Journal said it stood in solidarity with the reporter and his family: \"The Wall Street Journal vehemently denies the allegations from the FSB and seeks the immediate release of our trusted and dedicated reporter, Evan Gershkovich.\"\n\nEvan Gershkovich has also worked for the Moscow Times and Agence France Presse\n\n\"This is the responsibility of the FSB, they have already issued a statement,\" said Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov. \"The only thing I can add is, as far as we know, he was caught red-handed.\"\n\nEven before the full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, reporting from Russia had become increasingly difficult.\n\nIndependent journalists were labelled \"foreign agents\" and BBC Russia correspondent Sarah Rainsford was expelled from the country.\n\nWhen the war began, Russia introduced a criminal offence for reporting \"fake news\" or \"discrediting the army\", under which dozens of Russians have been convicted for criticising the invasion on social media.\n\nAlmost all independent media were silenced, shut down or blocked, including major outlets TV Rain, Echo of Moscow radio and newspaper Novaya Gazeta. Many Western media chose to leave Russia.\n\nRussian political expert Tatyana Stanovaya said Mr Gershkovich's detention had come as a shock. In the FSB's view of espionage, \"collecting information\" could simply mean gathering comments from experts, she said, while acting on US instructions could simply refer to his editors at the Wall Street Journal.\n\nRussian foreign ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said what a Wall Street Journal employee was doing in Yekaterinburg had \"nothing to do with journalism\".\n\nIt was not the first time the status of \"foreign correspondent\" had been used to \"cover up activities that are not journalism\", she said.\n\nTensions between the Kremlin and the West have become increasingly tense in the 13 months of Russia's war in Ukraine. Reporters Without Borders said it was \"alarmed by what looks like retaliation\".\n\nSeveral US citizens are being held in Russia. Days before the invasion, American basketball star Brittney Griner was detained at a Moscow airport and jailed for carrying cannabis oil. It was 10 months before she was freed in exchange for notorious Russian arms dealer Viktor Bout.\n\nRussian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov told local news agencies that it was too early to discuss prisoner swaps.\n\n\"I would not even put the question in this plane now, because you understand that some exchanges that happened in the past took place for people who were already serving sentences,\" he said.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/world-europe-65121885"}
{"title":"Joe Biden defiant on NI visit after terrorism threat level raised - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-30","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"The US president says \"they can't keep me out\" after the terrorism threat level was raised in NI.","section":"Northern Ireland","content":"President Biden told reporters \"they can't keep me out\"\n\nUS President Joe Biden has said he still plans to visit Northern Ireland despite MI5's decision to increase the terrorism threat level to \"severe\".\n\nThe move follows a rise in dissident republican activity, including a recent gun attack on a top police officer.\n\nMr Biden was asked by reporters on Tuesday if it would affect his upcoming visit to mark the 25th anniversary of the Good Friday Agreement.\n\n\"No. They can't keep me out,\" he said.\n\nPresident Biden has been a vocal supporter of the peace deal signed on 10 April 1998, which was designed to bring an end to three decades of conflict in Northern Ireland.\n\nFollowing a meeting with UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak in March, Mr Biden said he intended to visit both Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland as part of the anniversary celebrations.\n\nFull details of Mr Biden's visit are yet to be confirmed, but the White House has said the increased threat level \"does not have any potential implications for future travel\".\n\nFormer US President Bill Clinton, ex-British Prime Minister Tony Blair and former Taoiseach (Irish PM) Bertie Ahern are among those expected to visit Northern Ireland for commemorative events.\n\nFormer PM, Tony Blair, and then taoiseach (Irish Prime Minister) Bertie Ahern are also due to visit\n\nMI5, rather than the PSNI or the government, is responsible for setting the Northern Ireland terrorism threat level, which it has been publishing since 2010.\n\nThe move reverses a downgrade in Northern Ireland's terror threat level last March - its first change for 12 years.\n\nOn Wednesday, Deputy Prime Minister Dominic Raab said the rise in the threat level was \"disappointing\".\n\nHowever, Mr Raab said it is worth nothing that the number of dissident republican attacks has been in significant decline since its peak in 2009 and 2010.\n\nHe was responding to a question from DUP leader Sir Jeffrey Donaldson who asked for assurance the government would provide the PSNI and the security services with the resources they need to counter the threat.\n\nMI5, the UK's Security Service, is believed to review the threat level every six months.\n\nThe terrorism threat level remains substantial in the rest of the UK, meaning an attack is a strong possibility.\n\nIn a written statement to MPs, Mr Heaton-Harris said: \"The public should remain vigilant, but not be alarmed, and continue to report any concerns they have to the Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI).\"\n\nPrime Minister Rishi Sunak met with Joe Biden in California earlier this month and invited him to Northern Ireland for Good Friday Agreement anniversary events\n\nDeputy Chief Constable Mark Hamilton said dissident republicans were focused on attacking police officers, not the public.\n\n\"You should be worried for your police service,\" he said.\n\n\"I wouldn't encourage people to be hugely concerned about their own safety broader than that.\"\n\nIn February Det Ch Insp John Caldwell was shot several times by two gunmen as he was putting footballs into his car boot having been coaching a youth training session in Omagh.\n\nOn Tuesday, police said the 48-year-old father-of-one had been moved out of intensive care for the first time but remained in a serious condition.\n\nDet Ch Insp John Caldwell was moved out of intensive care for the first time on Tuesday but remains in a serious condition\n\nThe attack on him was admitted by the New IRA, the biggest and most active group dissident group, whose main areas of operations are in Londonderry and County Tyrone.\n\nThe group was formed in 2012 and previous security assessments estimated it had about 500 supporters, some 100 of whom are prepared to commit acts of terrorism.\n\nAlthough tensions within loyalist groups have led to attacks in parts of County Down in the past few days, the change to the threat level is not related to this flare up.\n\nSeveral loyalist paramilitary groups - the largest being the Ulster Volunteer Force and the Ulster Defence Association - are active in Northern Ireland but are not considered a threat to national security and therefore are not a factor in MI5's assessment.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/uk-northern-ireland-65110382"}
{"title":"Yoghurt maker Muller pays \u00a3100K to charity after river discharge - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-30","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"High levels of ammonia were discharged into Shropshire's River Tern by the yoghurt manufacturer.","section":"Shropshire","content":"Yoghurt manufacturer M\u00fcller has donated \u00a3100,000 to a wildlife charity after high levels of ammonia were discharged into a river near its dairy facility.\n\nThe Environment Agency (EA) said large pieces of fruit had passed into the factory's effluent treatment plant in Market Drayton, Shropshire, in 2018.\n\nAs a result, high levels of ammonia went into the River Tern and stayed above permitted amounts for 15 days.\n\nThe EA said M\u00fcller had since complied with regulations.\n\nIt added that as well as its payment to Shropshire Wildlife Trust, the manufacturer had also spent \u00a32m improving its environmental practices.\n\nM\u00fcller is the country's largest yoghurt producer and uses Market Drayton as its headquarters.\n\nContamination in the River Tern remained above permitted levels for 15 days\n\nThe EA said the discharge in January 2018 had marked a failure to comply with its permit conditions.\n\nIt happened during maintenance works, when pieces of fruit were inadvertently allowed to enter the effluent treatment plant.\n\nA spokesperson for M\u00fcller said there was \"no evidence of environmental harm\". However, the company acknowledged the incident \"fell short of the expectations we set ourselves to be a responsible and sustainable business\".\n\nThe spokesperson said Muller took the discharge \"extremely seriously\" and was \"committed to making a number of significant changes at our Market Drayton site to ensure nothing like this could happen again\".\n\nIt has made changes to staff training and control systems, the spokesperson said, adding there had been no similar incidents since.\n\n\"The Environment Agency is increasingly using this method of enforcement for suitable cases to restore the environment, improve practices of the offending company and avoid longer criminal court cases,\" said Sarah Dennis, from the agency.\n\n\"However, we will prosecute in appropriate cases.\n\n\"Enforcement undertakings allow polluters to positively address and restore the harm caused to the environment and prevent repeat incidents.\"\n\nShropshire Wildlife Trust works to restore natural habitats in the county and said the money would go towards watercourse protection projects along the Tern.\n\n\"M\u00fcller's donation will support the land and water team who manage and improve the health of our county's water by surveying aquatic species, running events and working with different partners to address flooding issues across the county,\" said Pete Lambert, from the charity.\n\n\"The funds will support the delivery of vital watercourse-protection and water quality enhancement projects using nature-based solutions including fencing and tertiary water-treatment along a small tributary of the River Tern in north Shropshire.\"\n\nFollow BBC West Midlands on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. Send your story ideas to: newsonline.westmidlands@bbc.co.uk\n\nThe BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/uk-england-shropshire-65121623"}
{"title":"Premier League clubs avoided \u00a3250m in tax, expert estimate - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-30","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"It follows analysis of football agents being paid to represent both players and clubs in transfers.","section":"UK","content":"Premier League football clubs may have avoided paying \u00a3250m in tax over a three-year period, financial experts have estimated.\n\nIt follows analysis looking at how football agents are often paid to represent both players and clubs in negotiations, including transfers.\n\nTax Policy Associates, which led the analysis, says the practice reduces the amount of tax paid on agent payments.\n\nHM Revenue and Customs said it was investigating \"a number of clubs\".\n\nWe do not know which clubs are being investigated, but the teams thought to have benefitted most from dual representation in the past few years include Manchester City, Manchester United, Arsenal and Chelsea. The clubs all declined to comment.\n\nWhen footballers move clubs or negotiate a new contract, an agent represents the player involved and seeks the best terms for his or her client.\n\nThe agent will then receive a fee, or commission, and the whole transaction will incur tax, including income tax, National Insurance and VAT.\n\nHowever, tax officials are investigating the use of so-called \"dual representation contracts\", which sees an agent paid for acting for both the player and the club involved in the deal.\n\nThe process is complicated - but when half of the agent's fee is paid by the club, it means that half of the payment avoids tax.\n\nThe Tax Policy Associates think tank has estimated the practice is potentially worth tens of millions of pounds a year.\n\nIf the agent's fee is picked up solely by the player, it says HMRC can expect to receive around 60% of the total payment in tax.\n\nHowever, the amount of tax due falls to about 30% of the payment, if the fee is split between the player and the club using dual representation.\n\nUse of the practice has become standard in the sport, with some top flight clubs using it in all of their deals. In 2021, FA data revealed around 68% of Premier League player deals were done through dual representation.\n\nTax Policy Associates estimates the practice may have saved top players, their agents and their acquiring clubs \u00a381m in 2019, \u00a391m in 2020 and \u00a381m in 2021 - more than \u00a3250m over the three years.\n\nIn 2021, Tax Policy Associates estimates Manchester City saved \u00a310.9m in tax, followed by Manchester United with \u00a310m and Liverpool with \u00a38.1m. In 2020, the largest beneficiary was Chelsea, saving \u00a312.8m.\n\nAll its estimates are based on the assumption that player and club split the agent fee 50:50.\n\nIn theory, the FA has rules against an agent acting for both the player and the club. But if all parties provide written consent to use dual representation, the practice is technically allowed.\n\nHowever, Labour MP Meg Hillier, chair of Parliament's Public Accounts Committee, said she will urge HMRC to look into the Premier League's use of dual representation.\n\n\"Guidance that's a bit weak isn't really good enough,\" she said. \"You need to have a real clarity about exactly what the position is so that every club does the same thing. You can't have one club doing it and getting away with it and another not.\"\n\nIn April 2021, HMRC issued fresh guidance on the use of dual representation which said it would need clubs to keep evidence that agents are legitimately working for both sides of the contract.\n\nIt said fees should not automatically be split 50:50, and should instead reflect the extent the agent represented the club and the player.\n\nHMRC could issue penalties and demands for repayments if it finds that an agent has not legitimately been working for both the player and the club when brokering transfer deals.\n\nBut the Association of Football Agents (AFA) said it disputed the think tank's findings, saying there was a \"fundamental misunderstanding of how the football transfer market works\".\n\nIt said: \"The AFA's members will continue to work closely with HMRC to ensure that the law and current guidance is followed in the structuring of arrangements with tax consequences, as they always have.\"\n\nAn HMRC spokesperson added: \"Dual representation cannot be assumed to be a tax avoidance scheme; its use can be tax compliant.\n\n\"However, we carefully scrutinise arrangements between clubs and employees, and we work closely with the football industry to educate and deal with tax risk head on.\n\n\"Our actions and the money bought in from this industry speak for themselves. Since 2015, from across all tax areas in the football industry, we've recovered \u00a3573m that would otherwise have gone unpaid.\"\n\nBBC Newsnight approached individual clubs, but each declined to comment.\n\nA Premier League spokesperson said: \"We believe that the overall figure suggested here is based on assumptions that do not recognise the individual circumstances of each transaction.\n\n\"During the 2019\/2020 season Premier League football contributed \u00a37.6bn to the UK economy. In the same season the Premier League and its clubs generated a total tax contribution of \u00a33.6bn to the UK Exchequer, \u00a31.4bn of which was accounted for by Premier League players.\"","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/uk-65097761"}
{"title":"Donald Trump will not be handcuffed for court appearance, his lawyer says - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-30","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"The ex-president's attorney says Mr Trump will plead not guilty and challenge the case's \"legal viability\".","section":"US & Canada","content":"Away from the spectacle of the courthouse in Manhattan, this quiet part of Virginia really loves Donald Trump. At a Donald Trump merch store, people have travelled from outside of the state to visit.\n\nJay rode up on his motorbike from North Carolina.\n\n\u201cI saw the store and wanted to stop,\" he says. \"I\u2019m an even bigger supporter of Trump today than I was yesterday... because of this stupid indictment, it\u2019s just politically motivated.\"\n\nWhen I put to him this was voted on by American citizens doing their civic duty, he dismisses it as stitch up by \"liberals\".\n\nThe indictment has clearly fired up Donald Trump\u2019s core supporters - who he has always relied on.\n\nSome are sharing memes showing a sleeping giant waking up. But the big question is: will it get him the votes he needs to win back the White House?\n\nBill, another biker, thinks people could be put off. \u201cI don\u2019t think the American people will vote for an indicted person.\u201d\n\nHis friend Kevin disagrees: \u201cI voted for Trump twice and will again. Honestly I wish the election was this November.\u201d\n\nIt\u2019s often asked is there a red line for Donald Trump\u2019s most ardent supporters. It would seem even becoming the first president ever to be indicted in this way, has made them more entrenched not less.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/live\/world-us-canada-64993429"}
{"title":"Olivia Pratt-Korbel: Mother 'ecstatic' as gunman Thomas Cashman found guilty of murder - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-30","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"Cheryl Korbel held up a teddy as she left court following Thomas Cashman's conviction for murder.","section":"UK","content":"The \"shock and emotion\" felt in Merseyside after the murder of Olivia led to Thomas Cashman's trial being moved out of Liverpool.\n\nIt was moved to Manchester following representations from his lawyers, who claimed reporting of her death meant he may not receive a fair trial in Liverpool.\n\nNigel Power KC, who represented Cashman at a hearing at Liverpool Crown Court in December, argued the case should move venue.\n\nThomas Cashman was tried in Manchester Crown Court Image caption: Thomas Cashman was tried in Manchester Crown Court\n\nHe referred to comments from former Liverpool captain Steven Gerrard, the football club's manager Jurgen Klopp, Liverpool City Region's metro-mayor Steve Rotheram and a local priest in the wake of Olivia's killing, as police urged people to come forward with information.\n\nHe said: \"Of course it's good to have a sense of community and pride in your city, we're not saying otherwise, but we say the effect of all this reporting personalises Liverpool, as much as Olivia herself, as the victim.\"\n\nIn her ruling, Mrs Justice Yip said she was not criticising anyone for what was said and done in the aftermath of Olivia's murder, but she said it was likely \"shock and emotion\" had been felt more keenly on Merseyside and the circumstances could lead a fair-minded, informed observer to conclude there was a real risk of one or more of the jury being predisposed to finding guilt in the case.\n\nHe was eventually tried at Manchester Crown Court, and found guilty on all charges this afternoon.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/live\/uk-65098210"}
{"title":"Charles Bronson: Notorious inmate loses latest bid for freedom - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-30","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"The 70-year-old, jailed for armed robbery in 1974, has earned a violent and dangerous reputation.","section":"Beds, Herts & Bucks","content":"Charles Bronson, who now uses the name Charles Salvador, was first jailed in 1974\n\nNotorious prisoner Charles Bronson has lost his latest bid to be freed from jail, the Parole Board has said.\n\nThe panel said he had a \"history of persistent rule-breaking\", \"lives his life rigidly by his own rules\" and was not suitable for release.\n\nBronson, 70, from Luton, was jailed aged 22 for armed robbery in 1974.\n\nNow one of the UK's longest-serving prisoners, he took part in one of the country's first public parole hearings earlier this month.\n\nBronson, who changed his surname to Salvador in 2014, is currently held at HMP Woodhill in Milton Keynes and has earned a reputation as a violent and dangerous inmate.\n\nIn a document detailing the decision, the Parole Board said: \"After considering the circumstances of his offending, the progress that Mr Salvador has made while in custody and the evidence presented at the hearings, the panel was not satisfied that Mr Salvador was suitable for release.\n\n\"Nor did the panel recommend to the Secretary of State that he should be transferred to an open prison.\"\n\nResponding to the decision, Bronson's son George Bamby said: \"I would have loved Charlie to have been released but completely respect the decision of the Parole Board.\"\n\nBronson has had a film made about him and several books have been published during his time in prison\n\nThe panel said psychologists instructed by Bronson's legal representative were \"unequivocal in their view\" that he no longer required secure placement at HMP Woodhill.\n\n\"It is unclear whether the strong external controls of custody are mainly responsible or whether his attitudes have genuinely changed,\" the board said.\n\n\"The panel could not be satisfied that Mr Salvador has the skills to manage his risk of future violence until he has been extensively tested outside of his current highly restricted environment.\n\n\"In the particular circumstances of this case the panel observed that there is an identified pathway for Salvador in custody and the evidence supported such a move within a closed prison.\n\n\"This is a pivotal point in Mr Salvador's sentence when his motivation to desist from violence is at its highest.\"\n\nBronson has spent most of the past 48 years behind bars - apart from two brief periods of freedom during which he reoffended - for a string of thefts, firearms and violent offences, including 11 hostage-taking incidents in nine different sieges.\n\nVictims included governors, doctors, staff and, on one occasion, his own solicitor.\n\nBronson was handed a discretionary life sentence with a minimum term of four years in 2000 for taking a prison teacher at HMP Hull hostage for 44 hours.\n\nSince then, the Parole Board has repeatedly refused to direct his release.\n\nThree parole judges considered his case during a hearing at HMP Woodhill, while members of the press and public watched part of the proceedings on a live stream from the Royal Courts of Justice in central London.\n\nBronson is currently held in HMP Woodhill, a Category A prison in Milton Keynes\n\nBronson told the panel he loved a \"rumble\" and enjoyed mass brawls in prison, but insisted he was now a reformed prisoner, had found solace in art and was a man of \"peace\".\n\nHe likened his experience in front of the Parole Board to being on BBC programme, The Apprentice.\n\nThe panel was told Bronson spent 23 hours a day in his cell with limited contact with other inmates.\n\nBut it heard he would not cope with being released - even highlighting that he had never used a cash machine.\n\nBronson told the Parole Board hearing: \"Of the 50 years I have been in prison I have probably deserved a good 35 of it.\n\n\"Because I have been very naughty. Not naughty-naughty but just naughty.\n\n\"Give me a chance, a break, to prove to you people that I am just a normal geezer wanting to get on with his life.\"\n\nFind BBC News: East of England on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter. If you have a story suggestion email eastofenglandnews@bbc.co.uk\n\nThe BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/uk-england-beds-bucks-herts-65112410"}
{"title":"King Charles's first state visit: What to expect from Germany trip - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-30","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"Improving relations with Europe is the priority, as the King's first state visit heads for Germany.","section":"UK","content":"King Charles and Camilla, the Queen Consort (pictured in 2019) will be building relations with Europe on the trip to Germany\n\nIt's second time lucky for King Charles's first overseas state visit, when he touches down in Germany on Wednesday.\n\nIt should have begun at the weekend in France, but when it looked like the King was flying into a riot zone the initial stage of the visit had to be postponed.\n\nThe French protests were a reminder that even fairy-tale palaces have real-world political consequences, and it became impossible for President Macron to host King Charles at Versailles, with the prospect of angry protesters outside the gates.\n\nA bouquet of tear gas and unemptied bins wasn't exactly the right atmosphere for the diplomatic courtship of a state visit.\n\nStreet protests over pension reforms stopped the King's planned visit to France\n\nSo, several days later than planned, a curtailed trip is getting under way again, with King Charles and Camilla, the Queen Consort, arriving in Berlin for a three-day visit.\n\nBut the underlying purpose remains the same. There is a symbolic importance attached to the first state visit of a new reign - and this is about showing that Europe is the UK's diplomatic priority.\n\n\"There is an obvious rationale for the visit - to improve relations after Brexit,\" says Sir Vernon Bogdanor, leading constitutional expert and historian.\n\nSuch trips are made on the advice of the government and all the background briefings have been that this will be an important statement about rebuilding relationships with European neighbours.\n\nThis is the first state visit by a British monarch for eight years and it will reinforce what Buckingham Palace called \"shared histories, culture and values\".\n\nIt follows a meeting between the King and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen when a Northern Ireland Brexit deal was announced.\n\nKing Charles on a visit to Germany in 2019\n\nAfter Queen Elizabeth II's coronation in 1953, her first trip was a tour of Commonwealth countries.\n\nFor King Charles. 70 years later, the priority is to build bridges with European allies, particularly at a time of pressure over Ukraine.\n\nAuthor and historian Sir Anthony Seldon said it was a message to Germany that \"Britain might have left the European Union, it is not leaving the most powerful country in Europe\".\n\nThat this was originally planned as a dual trip to France and Germany was a signal that neither country's importance to the UK could be questioned, they were both being given equal billing, says royal expert Prof Pauline Maclaran.\n\nPerhaps some of the more dramatic moments would have been in France - \"what could be more cinematic than travelling down the Champs-Elysees?\", says Prof Maclaran.\n\nBut this is about realpolitik as well as rapprochement, and King Charles will become the first British monarch to give an address to Germany's parliament, the Bundestag.\n\nThe royal couple will lay wreaths at St Nikolai in Hamburg, damaged by wartime Allied bombing\n\nAlso, on the state visit:\n\nExpect to hear some German spoken by the King, after all he has strong family ties to the country, and there will be plenty of references to environmental causes and supporting refugees from Ukraine.\n\nBut what impact will King Charles's trip make? Do state visits particularly cut through in the 21st Century?\n\n\"It's a really big deal\", and will make a much bigger impression than a PM's visit, says Sir Anthony Seldon, who argues \"we consistently underestimate the significance\".\n\nFor better or for worse, King Charles is an instantly recognisable, global figure; wherever he goes there will be cameras, commentary and crowds.\n\n\"The monarch is a central part of how the UK projects soft power,\" says former diplomat and ambassador Tom Fletcher.\n\nMr Fletcher, now principal of Hertford College Oxford, says for such trips \"the theatre matters as much as the substance\".\n\nDuring the late Queen Elizabeth II's long reign there were state visits that became historic in their own right, recognising a changed relationship - like the first visit to India after independence in 1961, the post-apartheid visit to South Africa in 1995 and the bridge-building visit to Ireland in 2011.\n\nState visits can be historic landmarks, such as the late Queen's trip to post-apartheid South Africa in 1995\n\nSir Vernon believes the UK has a diplomatic advantage in being able to deploy a monarch on such visits. King Charles is more famous than many heads of state, but he can also stay above the party politics that can embroil a president like Emmanuel Macron.\n\nBut there are some sceptical voices in the UK about the value of the King's state visit.\n\nGraham Smith, of the anti-monarchy group Republic, says sending a monarch gives a \"misleading picture of the UK\", where \"we promote the idea that we're stuck in the past, always looking backwards and unable to fully embrace democratic values\".\n\nIn Berlin the King will be given a formal welcome at the Brandenburg Gate\n\nAt the centre of all this is the King himself, and he must have been disappointed at how the French section of the trip was called off.\n\nParticularly when Prof Maclaran believes that this is the type of serious role that the King would enjoy: \"There's an obvious sense of purpose to it.\"\n\nSuch visits, with their set-piece speeches, are a chance to put down a marker for his reign.\n\nAlso in the background this week is another headline-grabbing royal visit - the Duke of Sussex arriving in London for a court case against Associated Newspapers.\n\nPrince Harry is a magnet for press attention - so the timing risks an awkward clash which could overshadow the King's visit.\n\nWith the inaugural state visit already delayed, Buckingham Palace won't want any more distractions or disruptions and will want the carefully choreographed events in Germany to get the trip back on track.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/uk-64954731"}
{"title":"Fossils: Boy finds 200-million-year-old ammonite on beach - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-30","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"Nine-year-old Eli stumbled on the prehistoric ammonite while at the beach with his dad.","section":"Wales","content":"This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser.\n\nA nine-year-old fossil hunter had the find of his life when he stumbled on a 200-million-year-old ammonite.\n\nEli was out on Sunday with his family at Llantwit Major beach in Vale of Glamorgan when he spotted the preserved mollusc in a cliff face.\n\nExperts said its size - about 1ft (0.3m) across - and quality made it unusual for the area.\n\nThe Swansea schoolboy said: \"I was just sitting here and looked up and thought 'Oh my God, that's big!'\"\n\nEli has a collection of smaller fossils he keeps at home. They are dotted around the lounge, kitchen, stairs and his bedroom.\n\nHe said: \"They're just interesting and I like their shape and the texture. It's just cool.\"\n\nEli's dad, Glenn Morris, said he and his son often went fossil hunting, but usually do it closer to their home in Birchgrove, Swansea.\n\n\"We're always on the coast somewhere, usually down Gower way, but this was our first time here, so it was beginner's luck really,\" he said.\n\n\"I was a bit of a nerd growing up and liked dinosaurs and rocks and the same things he's into to be honest and I think I've passed it onto him.\"\n\nEli spotted the ancient ammonite when he was out with his dad at Llantwit Major beach\n\nThe rocks that form Llantwit Major's beach and cliffs are from the Jurassic period and are about 200 million years old.\n\nThe rock is made up of a mix of limestone and mudstone, called a blue lias formation.\n\nSwansea University's physical geography lecturer Dr Nick Felstead said: \"The fossil Eli found is an ammonite, which was a type of mollusc closely related to octopuses, squid and cuttlefish, which is a rare find at Llantwit Major.\n\n\"We can see that the inner chambers that would have been used for buoyancy of the ammonite have been infilled with quartz during fossilisation, which is even rarer, and makes this one especially pretty.\"\n\nEli has a collection of fossils at his home in Swansea\n\nEli's fossil is thought to be 134 million years older than the 66 million he and his dad initially estimated.\n\nDespite his gift for finding prehistoric preservations Eli does not want to be a palaeontologist when he gets older.\n\n\"I want to be a footballer,\" he said.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/uk-wales-65116503"}
{"title":"France pension protests: Bordeaux's historic town hall in flames - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-24","authors":null,"description":"Video shows the front of the Palais Rohan on fire during protests over raising the pension age.","section":null,"content":"Footage has emerged of the large front door of Bordeaux's historic town hall - the Palais Rohan - on fire.\n\nIt wasn't clear who was responsible for the blaze, which was quickly put out by firefighters.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/world-europe-65058331"}
{"title":"Cladding: More firms sign post-Grenfell fire safety contract - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-24","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"The agreement commits firms to spending \u00a32bn on repairs to buildings with unsafe cladding or other issues.","section":"UK Politics","content":"Firms exposed by Michael Gove for failing to sign a contract to repair post-Grenfell safety risks have joined the scheme.\n\nThe housing secretary gave companies until 13 March to sign the agreement aimed at addressing cladding issues exposed by the Grenfell Tower fire.\n\nMr Gove named the 11 firms that failed to sign the contract, which would see them spending \u00a32bn to pay for repairs.\n\nOn Friday, the government revealed five of these had now joined the scheme.\n\nThe Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities confirmed Ballymore, Lendlease, London Square, Telford Homes and Inland Homes signed up to the contract. So far 44 companies have joined the scheme.\n\nInland Homes had requested an extension due to recent changes to its board of directors, a spokeswoman said.\n\nMr Gove had threatened to ban firms from building new homes in England if they did not join.\n\nCompanies that have not yet signed \"claim that they will sign the contract in coming days\", Mr Gove said.\n\nThe remaining firms \"have told us that they remain committed to protecting leaseholders and taxpayers from having to pay\", he added.\n\nHe said this scheme was a way of \"ensuring that only those committed to building safety will be allowed to build in the future\".\n\nThe government has published a list of the companies that have signed the contract and those who have not so far agreed.\n\nAt the time, Mr Gove said this was a \"significant intervention in the market\" but added: \"The magnitude of the crisis that we face and the depth of the suffering for all those affected has clearly justified a radical approach.\"\n\nMr Gove said firms which had not yet signed the contract claim they will do so in the coming days\n\nThe scheme is aimed at helping leaseholders who live in buildings between 11m (36ft) and 18.5m high, who are facing large bills for the removal of dangerous cladding. It means those leaseholders will not have to pay for the cladding's removal.\n\nLabour have backed the government's action but argue the scheme does not go far enough.\n\nWhen the scheme was announced shadow levelling up secretary Lisa Nandy said: \"We want to see every developer sign the remediation contract.\"\n\nBut she said the government's contract only covered 1,100 buildings, when Mr Gove's own department had said there are \"between 6,000 and 9,000 unsafe 11-18m buildings alone\".\n\nOnce signed, the contract makes commitments signed by developers in a public pledge last year legally binding.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/uk-politics-65070636"}
{"title":"Ukraine war: How a Russian child's drawing sparked a police investigation - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-24","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"Masha, now 13, is in a children\u2019s home after Russian authorities placed her father under house arrest.","section":"Europe","content":"Masha Moskaleva has not been seen in public since 1 March\n\nIn the centre of the Russian town of Yefremov is a wall covered in pictures of war. Giant photographs of masked Russian soldiers with guns and supersized letters Z and V - symbols of the country's so-called special military operation in Ukraine.\n\nTo tear the skin from those\n\nThis is the official, patriotic picture of Russia's invasion of Ukraine.\n\nBut in this town, 320km (200 miles) south of Moscow, you'll find another image of the Ukraine war. A very different one.\n\nTown councillor Olga Podolskaya shows me a photo on her mobile phone. It's of a child's drawing. To the left is a Ukrainian flag with the words \"Glory to Ukraine\", on the right, the Russian tricolour and the inscription \"No to war!\". As missiles fly in from the direction of Russia, a mother and her child stand defiantly in their path.\n\nMasha's school contacted the police after the 12-year-old drew this picture\n\nThe picture was drawn in April 2022 by then 12-year-old Masha Moskaleva. Her father Alexei, a single parent, had contacted the town councillor for advice. He told her that after seeing Masha's drawing, her school had called the police.\n\n\"The police started investigating Alexei's social media,\" Olga tells me. \"And they told him that he was bringing up his daughter in a bad way.\"\n\nCharges followed. For an anti-war post on social media, Alexei was fined 32,000 roubles (around $415 or \u00a3338 at the time) for discrediting the Russian armed forces. A few weeks ago, a criminal case was opened against him. Again, anti-war posts formed the basis for discreditation charges.\n\nAlexei is currently under house arrest in Yefremov. His daughter Masha has - for now - been sent to a children's home. Alexei has not even been allowed to speak to her on the phone.\n\n\"No-one has seen Masha since 1 March,\" Olga Podolskaya tells me, \"despite our attempts to get access to the children's home and to find out how she is.\n\n\"The Russian authorities want everyone to toe the line. No-one is allowed to have their own opinion. If you disagree with what someone thinks, then don't read their social media posts. But don't put that person under house arrest and their child in a children's home.\"\n\nWe are standing outside an apartment block in Yefremov. A window opens and a man looks out. It's Alexei. We're not allowed to communicate with him. Under the rules of his house arrest Alexei is only permitted contact with his lawyer, the investigator and the penitentiary service.\n\nAlexei Moskalev is being held under house arrest and faces a possible prison sentence over his social media posts\n\nThe lawyer, Vladimir Biliyenko, has just arrived. He's come to deliver food and drink which local activists have bought for Alexei.\n\n\"He is very worried because his daughter is not with him,\" Vladimir tells me after visiting Alexei Moskalev. \"Everything in the flat reminds him of her. He's worried about what may be happening to her.\"\n\nI ask the lawyer why he thinks the authorities have taken Masha away.\n\n\"If they had real questions for the father, they should have invited him to give a statement. They should have invited Masha, too, and spoken to her,\" Vladimir says.\n\n\"None of this was done. They just decided to send her off [to the children's home]. In my opinion, if it wasn't for the kind of administrative and criminal charges Alexei has received, this wouldn't be happening. The social services seem obsessed with this family. I think it's purely for political reasons. The family's problems only began after the girl drew that picture.\"\n\nThe Russian authorities want everyone to toe the line. No one is allowed to have their own opinion\n\nOn the street, I ask Alexei's neighbours what they think of the situation.\n\n\"She's a good girl, and I've never had a problem with the dad,\" says pensioner Angelina Ivanovna. \"But I'm scared to say anything. I'm frightened to.\"\n\n\"Perhaps we could collect signatures in [Alexei's] support,\" a younger woman suggests. But when asked for her opinion on what is happening, she replies: \"Sorry, I can't tell you.\"\n\nI ask if she is frightened about possible consequences.\n\nIt's a short walk from Alexei Moskalev's apartment block to School No 9, where Masha had studied and that her father says called the police over Masha's anti-war drawing. The school has yet to respond to our written request for comment. When we tried to visit, we were told we couldn't come in. Our telephone calls went unanswered.\n\nBut I have visited School No 9's website. The images there remind me of the patriotic wall I saw in the centre of town.\n\nThe home page features Heroes of the Special Military Operation - two dozen portraits of Russian soldiers who fought in Ukraine.\n\nThere are patriotic slogans, too: \"Everything for Victory. Let's support our lads on the front line!\"\n\nSoldiers back from Ukraine visited School No 9 last October. In \u0430 speech that day school director Larisa Trofimova declared: \"We believe in ourselves and in our Motherland, which can never make a mistake.\"\n\nAcross town, supporters of the Moskalev family and journalists are gathering at the local courthouse. The Yefremov Juvenile Affairs Commission is taking legal action to officially restrict Alexei's parental rights.\n\nA supporter of Alexei Moskalev raises a sign at the local court that reads: \"Return Masha to her father!\"\n\nIt's an initial hearing known as \"a conversation\" with the judge. Lawyer Vladimir Biliyenko says Alexei had wanted to be here in person. However he hasn't been allowed to interrupt his house arrest to come to court, even though what's at stake is access to his child.\n\nIn the courthouse corridor an activist unfurls a poster.\n\n\"Return Masha to her father!\" it declares. A police officer tells her to take it down.\n\nThe Juvenile Affairs Commission has yet to respond to our request to comment on the case of Alexei Moskalev and his daughter Masha.\n\nOne of Alexei's supporters, Natalya Filatova, believes the story of the Moskalev family reflects the crackdown on dissent in Russia.\n\n\"Our constitution proclaims freedom of speech, freedom of conscience, total freedom for citizens to express their opinions,\" Natalya tells me. \"But now we're forbidden from doing that.\"","link":"https:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/world-europe-65015289"}
{"title":"UK retail sales boosted by second-hand and discount stores - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-24","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"Retail sales rose strongly last month as cash-strapped shoppers looked for cheaper options.","section":"Business","content":"Shoppers facing cost-of-living pressures turned to discount and second-hand stores last month, giving retail sales a surprise boost.\n\nSales volumes rose by 1.2% in February, official figures showed, the biggest monthly gain since October last year.\n\nFood sales also rose, but the Office for National Statistics said there were signs price pressures had cut spending in restaurants and on takeaway meals.\n\nFigures out earlier this week showed prices rising faster than expected.\n\nInflation - the rate at which prices rise - jumped to 10.4% in the year to February, remaining close to its highest level for 40 years.\n\nThe Bank of England has been rising interest rates in an attempt to cool price rises, and on Thursday it lifted rates to 4.25% from 4%.\n\nFebruary's rise in retail sales was stronger than forecast, and followed an upwardly revised 0.9% increase in January.\n\nSales volumes are now back to pre-pandemic levels, the Office for National Statistics (ONS) said, although are still 3.5% lower than a year ago.\n\n\"The broader picture remains more subdued, with retail sales showing little real growth, particularly over the last 18 months with price rises hitting consumer spending power,\" said ONS director of economic statistics Darren Morgan.\n\nThe ONS said non-food sales rose by 2.4% last month, boosted by discount department and clothing stores. There was also \"strong growth\" in second-hand goods stores, such as auction houses and charity shops.\n\n\"Looking at the latest retail sales figures you might be forgiven for wondering if Britain really is in the middle of a cost-of-living crisis,\" said Danni Hewson, head of financial analysis at AJ Bell.\n\n\"But pop the hood and the reality is laid bare... people are hunting out bargains whether they're found in the sales aisles being well-stocked by department stores, or in charity shops or other second-hand emporiums.\"\n\nBusinesses are also feeling the squeeze from rising costs. Pub chain Wetherspoon said inflationary pressures - from the cost of energy, food and labour - had been \"ferocious\", as it reported its latest results.\n\n\"The Bank of England, and other authorities, believe that inflation is on the wane, which will certainly be of great benefit, if correct,\" said chairman Tim Martin.\n\nWetherspoon reported a pre-tax profit of \u00a34.6m ($5.6m) for the six months to 29 January, compared with a \u00a321.3m loss a year ago. However, that is still well down on \u00a350m Wetherspoon made in the first half of 2019 before the Covid pandemic hit.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/business-65061870"}
{"title":"Person dies in listeria outbreak linked to cheese - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-24","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"Three people are affected by the outbreak linked to a Wiltshire firm's Baronet cheese.","section":"Wiltshire","content":"Listeria has been linked to batches of the soft cheese Baronet\n\nOne person has died in a listeria outbreak and people have been warned to avoid Baronet semi-soft cheeses which were recalled as they were contaminated with a related strain of the bacteria.\n\nThe Food Standards Agency (FSA) warned people not to eat the cheeses as they contained high levels of the bacteria.\n\nThe FSA has not confirmed The Old Cheese Room, in Wiltshire, which makes the cheeses, was the source.\n\nThe firm said it was working \"closely\" with the FSA.\n\nThere have been three cases of listeria linked to the outbreak, resulting in the death of one person, the FSA confirmed.\n\nSeveral batches of Baronet, Baby Baronet and Mini Baronet soft cheeses made by the Old Cheese Room have been recalled.\n\nThe agency is continuing to investigate whether the person who died had eaten Baronet cheese.\n\nCases were identified in the south of England and London, but the product is distributed nationally.\n\nListeria bacteria can cause mild symptoms like stomach ache but can cause more serious complications\n\nTina Potter, the FSA's head of incidents, said: \"A closely genetically related strain of listeria monocytogenes found in samples of Baronet cheese, was found in all three cases in this outbreak.\n\n\"However, that does not necessarily mean that all those involved in the outbreak contracted listeriosis as a result of eating Baronet cheese.\n\n\"Although a source of listeria has been found in cheese products, work to ascertain the cause of the outbreak is continuing.\"\n\nThe agency said the outbreak strain has also been found in some food products and samples taken from other places where the cheese has been sold, supplied and served from.\n\nThe bacteria can cause listeriosis, a rare infection that usually goes away on its own, but can have serious complications including causing meningitis.\n\nSymptoms can be similar to flu and include a high temperature, muscle ache or pain, chills, feeling or being sick and diarrhoea.\n\nThe Old Cheese Room said that none of its other cheeses have been affected by the outbreak.\n\n\"As a responsible cheesemaker we carry out regular cleaning, disinfecting and swab testing of our making and ripening rooms,\" they said in a statement.\n\n\"Since the test that showed a trace of listeria monocytogenes in a single batch of Baronet, we have changed our monthly testing regime to positive release - this means that we test every batch of cheese before it leaves us.\n\n\"None of our other cheeses have been affected by this.\"\n\nMs Potter said vulnerable people should be particularly concerned with following the product recall advice, including pregnant women and the elderly.\n\nGuidance issued by the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) said Baronet cheese is sold in both small individual rounds and as 1kg wheels.\n\n\"The cheeses are sometimes served sliced from a deli counter, so it may not always be clear whether you have purchased an affected product.\n\n\"If in doubt, consumers are advised to contact the retailer they bought their cheese from to find out if the Baronet cheese they have purchased is from the batches affected and in the meantime to not eat the product,\" the guidance states.\n\nRichard Elson, UKHSA head of incidents and response, said: \"Listeriosis is a rare infection and most people will only experience mild symptoms such as abdominal pain or diarrhoea, which usually pass within a few days without the need for treatment.\n\n\"But people with weakened immune systems, who are pregnant, or are infants or elderly are at greater risk of developing severe symptoms.\"\n\nFollow BBC West on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. Send your story ideas to: bristol@bbc.co.uk\n\nThe BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/uk-england-wiltshire-65069415"}
{"title":"Everton: Premier League refers club to independent commission over alleged breach of financial rules - BBC Sport","published_date":"2023-03-24","authors":null,"description":"Everton have been referred to an independent commission by the Premier League over an alleged breach of its profitability and sustainability rules.","section":null,"content":"Last updated on .From the section Everton\n\nEverton have been referred to an independent commission by the Premier League over an alleged breach of financial fair play rules.\n\nThe Premier League did not reveal the specifics of the club's alleged breach, other than saying it occurred in the period ending with the 2021-22 season.\n\nHowever, Everton have posted financial losses in several recent seasons.\n\nThe Toffees denied wrongdoing and said they were \"prepared to robustly defend\" their position.\n\nIn their statement, Everton added: \"The club strongly contests the allegation of non-compliance and together with its independent team of experts is entirely confident that it remains compliant with all financial rules and regulations.\n\n\"The club has, over several years, provided information to the Premier League in an open and transparent manner and has consciously chosen to act with the utmost good faith at all times.\"\n\nIn March 2022, Everton announced losses of \u00a3120.9m for the 2020-21 season.\n\nThat meant losses over a period of three years totalled \u00a3372m - more than three times the \u00a3105m permitted under Premier League rules.\n\nThe club said they remained \"in a secure financial position\" thanks to owner Farhad Moshiri - and blamed the Covid-19 pandemic for part of the losses.\n\nEverton are also in the process of building their new Bramley-Moore Dock stadium.\n\nThey remain in a perilous position in the top flight, sitting 15th in the table - two points above the relegation zone.\n\nLast year, rivals Leeds and Burnley wrote to the Premier League asking for Everton's accounts to be independently investigated, although they later dropped their threat of legal action.\n\nThe two clubs had been advised Everton complied with profit and sustainability rules after meeting with the Premier League.\n\nIn its statement on Friday, the Premier League said the commission would be independent of the league and its clubs, adding proceedings would be \"confidential and heard in private\".\n\nThere have been widespread protests against Moshiri and the Everton board by fans this season.\n\nLast month, Manchester City were charged by the Premier League with more than 100 breaches of its financial rules following a four-year investigation.\n\nCity said they were \"surprised\" by the charges and were supported by a \"body of irrefutable evidence\".\n\u2022 None Our coverage of Everton is bigger and better than ever before - here's everything you need to know to make sure you never miss a moment\n\u2022 None Everything Everton - go straight to all the best content","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/sport\/football\/65068357"}
{"title":"France protests: Macron takes off watch during TV interview - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-24","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"The French president removed his watch during an interview, drawing criticism from left-wing politicians.","section":"Europe","content":"This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser.\n\nFrench President Emmanuel Macron has been criticised after he removed his watch during an interview about pension changes.\n\nFrance is gripped by protests and strikes over Mr Macron's decision to raise the retirement age from 62 to 64.\n\nMr Macron's representatives said the president took off the watch because it was \"clinking on the table\".\n\nBut his critics have claimed the watch shows he is out of touch with the public.\n\nSome wrongly claimed it was worth up to \u20ac80,000 ($86,000; \u00a370,000), but the \u00c9lys\u00e9e Palace said this was not correct.\n\nThe incident happened part way through an interview on Wednesday, when Mr Macron was justifying his reasons for lifting the pension age.\n\nAs he rested his forearms on the table, a thud could be heard.\n\nThe president then placed his hands under the table as he continued talking. When he brought them back up, the watch had been removed.\n\nHis team insisted the removal was entirely innocent. But the missing timepiece quickly drew his critics' attention.\n\nNow you see it... French President Emmanuel Macron removed his watch during an interview about his controversial pension changes\n\nCl\u00e9mence Guett\u00e9, an MP for the opposition left-wing La France Insoumise party, has been taking part in the protests against the pension reform.\n\nShe tweeted that as the president was claiming minimum wage earners had unprecedented purchasing power, \"the final image\" was him \"removing his pretty luxury watch\".\n\n\"The president of the rich has never worn his name so well,\" said her colleague, Farida Amrani.\n\nThe exact cost of the watch was debated online, with some of Mr Macron's critics suggesting it was worth \u20ac80,000.\n\nBut the \u00c9lys\u00e9e Palace told French media the president was wearing a Bell & Ross BR V1-92 model, which is personalised with a coat of arms.\n\nPrices online for this watch, without the personalisation, are between \u20ac1,660 and \u20ac3,300 (\u00a31,460 and \u00a32,900).\n\n\"He has been wearing it very regularly for more than a year and a half,\" the palace added in a statement.\n\nMr Macron has long been criticised by his political rivals for supporting the wealthy.\n\nIn February, he came under attack for giving Jeff Bezos, one of the richest men in the world, France's highest honour, while people were on the streets protesting about their financial futures.\n\nHe has argued the changes to the retirement age are a \"necessity\" to keep the pension budget from running into deficit.\n\nHis government decided last week to use a special constitutional power to force through the reform without a vote, after realising they would struggle to pass in the National Assembly. The move triggered two no-confidence votes, which the government survived.\n\nThe controversy has renewed unrest across the country, which began in January when the plans were unveiled.\n\nA visit by King Charles III this weekend has had to be postponed as a result.\n\nAlongside the protests, there have been widespread strikes that have involved transport workers, teachers, rubbish collectors and oil refinery workers.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/world-europe-65069823"}
{"title":"US bombs Syria targets after deadly drone attack - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-24","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"The US says it hit Iran-linked militia after a drone attack killed a US contractor.","section":"Middle East","content":"The US has about 900 troops operating in southern and eastern Syria\n\nThe US has carried out air strikes against Iran-linked groups in eastern Syria after a drone attack killed a US contractor, the US defence chief said.\n\nFourteen pro-Iran fighters were killed, according to a monitoring group.\n\nUS officials said the air strikes happened on Thursday night, hours after the drone attack, which US intelligence said was \"of Iranian origin\".\n\nUS bases in north-east Syria have come under attack before, with the US responding with air strikes.\n\nLast August, the US bombed sites in eastern Syria which it said were linked to Iran's Islamic Revolution Guard Corps (IRGC) - its most powerful armed force - after rocket attacks on US troops there.\n\nThursday night's air strikes were carried out on President Biden's orders \"in response to... [the drone] attack as well as a series of recent attacks against coalition forces in Syria by groups affiliated with the IRGC\", US Secretary of Defence Lloyd Austin said.\n\nHe said they had targeted \"facilities used by groups affiliated with... [the] IRGC\".\n\nMr Biden, who is in Canada for a working visit, said he was briefed on the death of the US contractor while he was travelling to Ottawa early evening on Thursday.\n\nSpeaking to reporters on Friday, Mr Biden offered condolences to the family of the US contractor that was killed, and emphasised that the US does not seek conflict in Iran. But he added: \"Be prepared for us to act forcefully to protect our people.\"\n\nThe conflict continued to escalate on Friday morning when rockets targeted another US base, Green Village, in north-eastern Syria, US officials said. They said the rocket fire did not result in any injuries.\n\nSpeaking to CNN on Friday, US National Security Council spokesman John Kirby said the government would \"work to protect our people and our facilities as best we can. It's a dangerous environment,\" he said.\n\nSpeaking to BBC Newshour, Joel Rayburn, US special envoy to Syria under President Trump, said Iranian-sponsored attacks on US troops in eastern Syria began in 2017.\n\n\"It's usually drone strikes or rockets or mortars, against our bases. Most of the time they don't do any damage and they don't cause casualties,\" he said.\n\n\"The defence secretary's point is that that's unacceptable and President Biden authorised a military response against the same kind of guys that carried that out on behalf of the Iranian regime.\"\n\nThe US defence department said the contractor had been killed, and five US service personnel and a second contractor wounded, when the drone struck a maintenance facility on a coalition base near Hasakah.\n\nThe Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR) - a UK-based monitoring group - said the US strikes killed six pro-Iran fighters in Deir al-Zour city, six in al-Bukamal, and two in the desert of al-Mayadeen.\n\nAbout 900 US troops are operating out of bases in southern and eastern Syria, without the permission of the Syrian government, as part of the US-led global coalition against the jihadist group Islamic State (IS).\n\nThey are tasked with preventing a resurgence of IS, whose militants once controlled large swathes of Syria before being defeated in 2019 following separate campaigns waged by US-backed Kurdish and Arab militia fighters and Iran- and Russia-backed pro-government forces.\n\nThe IRGC has built a substantial presence in Syria since the civil war began in 2011, sending hundreds of troops to advise President Bashar al-Assad's forces and to train and arm thousands of militiamen.\n\nElsewhere in Syria, SOHR reported that 15 truffle hunters had been killed by IS in the eastern desert.\n\nOn Thursday, seven civilians and eight tribesmen working for the Al-Qaterji militia were reportedly killed in Hama, an area where many locals depend on finding truffles for their income.\n\nThe fate of 40 other people remains unknown, the observatory said.\n\u2022 None US strikes Iran-backed groups twice in 24 hours","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/world-middle-east-65061880"}
{"title":"Pallbearers of late Queen's coffin recognised in special honours list - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-24","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"King Charles formally recognises the roles played by scores of royal aides and military personnel.","section":"UK","content":"Eight Grenadier Guards carried the coffin of the late Queen during her state funeral\n\nEight pallbearers who carried Queen Elizabeth II's coffin at her funeral are among those to be recognised in a special honours list.\n\nKing Charles has honoured scores of royal aides and military personnel for the roles they played during the period of national mourning.\n\nAngela Kelly, the Queen's dresser, has also received recognition.\n\nQueen Elizabeth II, Britain's longest-serving monarch, died at Balmoral in September last year, aged 96.\n\nIn some of the most poignant moments of the late Queen's funeral, eight Grenadier Guards in uniform carried her coffin, draped in the Royal Standard, into London's Westminster Abbey and her final resting place at St George's Chapel in Windsor.\n\nMillions of people around the world watched as Lance Sergeant Alex Turner, Lance Corporal Tony Flynn, Lance Sergeant Elias Orlowski, Guardsman Fletcher Cox, Guardsman James Patterson, Lance Sergeant Ryan Griffiths, Guardsman Luke Simpson, and Guardsman David Sanderson carried out their duty.\n\nNotably they carried the lead-lined coffin with the Imperial State Crown, sceptre and orb on top up the steep steps of the chapel in Windsor Castle's grounds.\n\nConservative MP Tom Hunt said at the time: \"I can't imagine how hard and emotionally challenging it must have been to have carried her late Majesty's coffin just once.\n\n\"With billions watching, they've done her late Majesty and the country proud.\"\n\nThe soldiers, from the 1st Battalion Grenadier Guards, have been recognised with the Royal Victorian Medal (Silver).\n\nRoyal Regiment of Scotland pallbearers who brought the Queen from Balmoral to her lying-in-state at St Giles' Cathedral in Edinburgh received the same honour.\n\nThe Royal Air Force flight crew who transported the Queen's coffin from Scotland to London, other coffin bearers, and senior government officials are also included in the Demise Honours list.\n\nThe late Queen with Vogue editor-in-chief Anna Wintour and the monarch's dresser Angela Kelly (on right in black)\n\nMs Kelly, who worked for the Queen for more than 25 years, has been made a Commander of the Royal Victorian Order (RVO).\n\nThe pair are understood to have had a close relationship, and the Queen gave Ms Kelly permission to write a behind-the-scenes account of her years as her official dressmaker and friend.\n\nMs Kelly helped to keep the Queen's style modern and relevant - the late monarch once wore a pair of glasses personalised with Swarovski crystals in the shape of the letter Q at a 2010 film screening in Canada.\n\nDuring the height of the Covid pandemic, Ms Kelly is thought to have isolated with the Queen at Windsor Castle as part of a small group of royal household staff.\n\nThe late monarch's stud groom, Terence Pendry, with her pony Emma\n\nThe late Queen's page, Paul Whybrew, who appeared in the monarch's 2012 London Olympics skit with James Bond actor Daniel Craig, was awarded Commander of the RVO.\n\nTerence Pendry, who worked as the Queen's stud groom and held the reins of her pony, Emma, as the funeral cortege travelled through Windsor, received the same honour.\n\nFormer ladies-in-waiting Philippa de Pass and Jennifer Gordon Lennox were made Dame Commanders of the RVO.\n\nThe RVO is bestowed by the King - and not on the advice of the prime minister - to people who have served the monarch and the Royal Family.\n\nThe honour was founded by Queen Victoria in 1896.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/uk-65069857"}
{"title":"Biden visits Canada: US president addresses Canadian parliament - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-24","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"Welcoming him, PM Justin Trudeau says the US and Canada must face down \"authoritarian threats\".","section":"US & Canada","content":"We are now at the Sir John A MacDonald building across the street from Parliament Hill, where US President Joe Biden and Prime Minister Justin Trudeau are scheduled to speak to members of the media.\n\nThe two were supposed to address media at 15:45 local time, but are currently running a bit behind schedule.\n\nIn the room are dozens of journalists from global news outlets, eager to ask the two leaders questions about a number of pressing issues that were mentioned during Biden's address to parliament.\n\nAmong them is the agreement the two reached on securing the US-Canada border at Roxham Road, which has been criticised by refugee advocates as ineffective to ending the irregular crossing of migrants into Canada.\n\nBiden also spoke on working more closely with Canada on clean energy manufacturing, as well as modernising military assets in the Arctic for defense purposes.\n\nWhile the president did mention the instability in Haiti, it is not clear yet whether a solution has been reached on the issue - the US has asked Canada to lead a military intervention in the Caribbean country, but Canada has resisted, raising questions on how the two countries plan to move forward.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/live\/world-us-canada-65047054"}
{"title":"Is this the last interest rate rise for now? - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-24","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"The are increasing signs that the Bank of England may not need to increase rates any further.","section":"Business","content":"The signs are that the Bank of England is coming in to land on rate rises, and today's could be the last.\n\nThe pace of rises is slowing and inflation is now predicted to fall faster this year than expected, in part as a result of the government's help for energy bills.\n\nThe Bank repeated language that further rises would be required only \"if there were evidence\" of more inflationary pressures. Its discussions suggested that some of that pressure, for example from wage growth, was declining even after yesterday's shock inflation number.\n\nThe Bank's governor, Andrew Bailey, confirmed that he had seen private wage growth begin to \"even off\", which was \"obviously a good sign in terms of inflationary pressure\".\n\nThe next Bank meeting in May is now a key point, where new quarterly forecasts for the economy and inflation could underpin a pause in rate rises.\n\nWhile the British economy is better than feared, with a predicted recession now anticipated to be swerved, there are concerns about the impact of global financial fragility. The UK remains resilient. Mr Bailey told broadcasters that \"this is not a repeat of 2008\". But that is another cloud weighing over the Bank's decisions, with some memories of the quickly-reversed rises made by the Bank, even after the credit crunch started in 2007.\n\nThere's a three-way balancing act going on right now between surprisingly strong double-digit UK inflation, stagnant growth and the fragility in the global banking system which, while not centred in the UK, could have knock-on impacts on the funding of banks.\n\nAbsent that new cloud however, there is some good news about the UK economy here.\n\nThe consumer seems more resilient to what was an extraordinary energy shock. Unemployment is not now expected to rise, further underpinning consumers. The economy may still be flat, but given the size of the energy shock, it could have been much worse.\n\nMay looks set to be the time for a pause, if some of these uncertainties don't intrude.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/business-65057167"}
{"title":"Northern lights dazzle in parts of UK overnight - BBC Weather","published_date":"2023-03-24","authors":null,"description":"Normally rare in southern parts of the UK, the aurora made an appearance for the second time in a month.","section":"Features","content":"Sky gazers were treated to \"one of the best displays of aurora\" on Thursday night.\n\nAfter a strong geomagnetic storm, the northern lights were seen in southern England and Wales in a rare display.\n\nThe aurora can be particularly strong around the equinox which happened earlier in the week.\n\nAurora activity is also increasing as the sun reaches the most active part of its 11-year cycle in 2025.\n\nLate on Thursday evening satellites which monitor solar activity picked up a strong solar wind directed towards Earth.\n\nAurora watchers were then alerted, poised with their cameras pointing to the northern sky.\n\nCharged particles entered our atmosphere and interacted with oxygen and nitrogen. The result was a display of green, magenta, red and purple colours dancing in the night sky.\n\nSHIRLEY YOU CANT BE CIRRUS \/ WEATHER WATCHERS 'Best aurora seen this far south' according to a Weather Watcher in Norfolk\n\nSeeing the aurora in Scotland is fairly normal but this geomagnetic storm was so strong that it was spotted by BBC Weather Watchers in parts of Wales and southern England.\n\nOne Weather Watcher in Norfolk described it as the \"best display of aurora I've seen this far south - greens and magentas clearly visible by eye\".\n\n- Best display of northern lights seen - meteorologist\n\nAnother reason why the display may have been so good is that around the time of an equinox, more charged particles are able to enter our atmosphere.\n\nWith the tilt of the Earth in relation to the Sun positioned at right angles during the equinox, the magnetic field is stronger resulting in a more vibrant aurora.\n\nThis latest display comes less than a month since we saw the aurora come unusually south around the UK.\n\nLucky sky gazers treated to the aurora in Hampshire\n\nFollow BBC Weather on Twitter and Instagram for more weather pictures, forecasts and explainers from the weather team.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/weather\/features\/65061790"}
{"title":"Massive asteroid passes between Earth and Moon - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-24","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"The unusually large space object harmlessly bypasses the planet, as predicted by scientists.","section":"Science & Environment","content":"The asteroid will be visible from Earth through binoculars\n\nAn asteroid large enough to destroy a city has passed between the orbits of the Earth and the Moon - luckily for us, missing both.\n\nAs predicted by scientists, it passed within 175,000km of the Earth on Saturday after flying past the Moon.\n\nIt is rare for such a huge asteroid - estimated to be between 40 and 90m in diameter - to come so close to the planet.\n\nAstronomers described it as a once-in-a decade event.\n\nAccording to Nasa, it was an important opportunity for astronomers to increase their knowledge of asteroids, in the event that a dangerous object were discovered with the potential to hit Earth.\n\n\"There is no chance of this 'city killer' striking Earth, but its close approach offers a great opportunity for observations,\" said the European Space Agency's planetary defence chief, Richard Moissl.\n\nBut he added that more data was needed to determine the asteroid's composition.\n\nWith such a close pass of the Earth, the asteroid was visible through binoculars and small telescopes across the globe.\n\nA live web broadcast of its approach was provided by The Virtual Telescope Project.\n\nThe object looks set to return towards Earth's orbit in 2026, but scientists have ruled it out as a threat to the planet on that occasion, too.\n\nEarlier this month, a similarly sized asteroid, 2023 DW, was briefly given a one-in-432 chance of hitting Earth on Valentine's Day 2046.\n\nMoissl said 2023 DW was now expected to miss Earth by some 4.3 million km.\n\nEven if such an asteroid was determined to be heading our way, Earth is no longer defenceless.\n\nLast year, NASA's Dart (Double Asteroid Redirection Test) spacecraft deliberately slammed into the pyramid-sized asteroid Dimorphos.\n\nBefore Dart's impact, it took Dimorphos 11 hours and 55 minutes to orbit its larger parent asteroid, Didymos.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/science-environment-65061818"}
{"title":"Ukraine war: Battle for Bakhmut 'stabilising', says commander - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-24","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"Despite Russia spending months trying to take the city, Ukrainian officials say they are holding on.","section":"Europe","content":"The eastern Ukrainian city of Bakhmut has been devastated after months of fighting\n\nThe battle for Bakhmut, the Ukrainian city which Russia has spent months trying to capture, is \"stabilising\", says Ukraine's commander-in-chief.\n\nEarlier this month, Western officials estimated between 20,000 and 30,000 Russian troops had been killed or injured in Bakhmut since last summer.\n\nMoscow is eager for a victory after failing to make major recent gains.\n\nDespite this, military analysts believe Bakhmut has little strategic value, with the city's importance now symbolic.\n\nThe high number of Russian casualties may be the main reason Ukraine has not withdrawn from the city, analysts say.\n\nOn Facebook, Lt Gen Zaluzhnyi said that while the situation on Ukraine's frontlines \"is the toughest in the Bakhmut direction... due to the tremendous efforts of the defence forces, we are managing to stabilise the situation\".\n\nLt Gen Zaluzhnyi posted after speaking to the UK's Chief of Defence Staff, Admiral Sir Tony Radakin, about the situation in Ukraine.\n\nHis comments are the latest positive signal from Ukrainian officials about the long battle for Bakhmut.\n\nThe UK's Ministry of Defence said on Saturday that Russia's assault on Bakhmut had \"largely stalled\", citing \"extreme attrition\" of the Russian force as a cause, and added that Russia had probably shifted its operational focus to the south and north of Bakhmut.\n\nSuch moves might suggest an \"overall return to a more defensive operational design\" after Russia failed to achieve significant results from its attempts to conduct a general offensive since January, the UK said.\n\nEarlier this week, Oleksandr Syrsky, commander of the country's ground forces, said that Russian troops near Bakhmut were \"exhausted\".\n\nMr Syrsky added that while Russia had \"not given up hope of taking Bakhmut at all costs despite losses in manpower and equipment... they are losing significant strength\".\n\nAnd Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky recently visited the frontline near Bakhmut, where he last visited in December.\n\nFootage showed him in an old warehouse giving medals to soldiers, whom he called \"heroes\".\n\nThe Institute for the Study of War, a think tank, said on Thursday that although Ukraine was still outnumbered by the Wagner group, Ukrainian forces \"continue to exhaust the mercenaries, which will enable Ukrainian forces to pursue unspecified future offensive operations\".\n\nWagner, a private, mercenary organisation, is at the heart of the Russian assault on Bakhmut. Its leader, Yevgeny Prigozhin, has staked his reputation on seizing the city.\n\nThe MoD said Russia's difficulties in Bakhmut were likely to have been exacerbated by tensions between Wagner and the Russian Ministry of Defence.\n\nAbout 70,000 people lived in Bakhmut before the invasion, but only a few thousand remain.\n\nFor those left behind, including elderly and disabled people, conditions are difficult. Civilians spend almost the whole day in underground shelters because of intense shelling, said the ICRC's Umar Khan, who has been providing them with aid.\n\nMr Khan said people were being pushed to the very \"limits of their existence and survival\".\n\nThe capture of Bakhmut would bring Russia slightly closer to controlling the whole of Donetsk region, one of four regions in eastern and southern Ukraine illegally annexed by Russia last September.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/world-europe-65072173"}
{"title":"Ofsted and Ruth Perry: The dam has burst on strength of feeling - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-24","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"Head teacher Ruth Perry's death has led to a seismic shift in perception of the schools' regulator.","section":"Family & Education","content":"A small, red-brick primary school in Reading is an unlikely starting place for a seismic shift. But the death of Caversham Primary School's head teacher, Ruth Perry, feels like one of those rare moments when something fundamental has altered in public perception.\n\nMs Perry took her own life in January, weeks after an Ofsted inspection. The Ofsted report, published after her death, downgraded her school's rating from Outstanding to Inadequate - going from the top to the bottom of the scale.\n\nIt's as though a dam has burst, with her family blaming her death on the pressure of the inspection and head teachers and teachers coming forward to talk about their own experiences of the Ofsted process.\n\nFor some, the prospect of another inspection leads them to leave teaching altogether. Others describe the mental and physical toll of knowing your career is on the line.\n\nThere has always been background grumbling in schools about inspection, which has been a feature of our school system for more than 100 years.\n\nIn recent years though, there has been a more negative edge to conversations I have had in schools. Even a passing mention of Ofsted has led to spontaneous booing at a couple of professional gatherings of head teachers and teachers.\n\nIt's fair to describe the system as having high accountability and high stakes. A damning Ofsted report can have a domino effect in which the head teacher loses their job and teaching posts remain vacant, as few want to work in a school that has been labelled as failing. That, in turn, makes improvement harder.\n\nThis is at the heart of the question of whether Ofsted inspections improves schools or simply points out where they are struggling. Some argue the external scrutiny is vital to hold schools to account and maintain standards.\n\nEngland's schools have improved their ranking in some international league tables in recent years, but there is no way of being sure how Ofsted has contributed to that. Other things that might have boosted performance include the introduction of phonics to help primary school children learn to read, and making GCSEs more academically demanding.\n\nHead teachers of schools in deprived and challenged communities complain vociferously about Ofsted, which some feel is weighted against them. A report published in 2022 found schools that were stuck in a cycle of repeatedly weak Ofsted performances tended to have higher numbers of disadvantaged pupils.\n\nThe former chief inspector of schools, Sir Michael Wilshaw, is among Ofsted supporters who say the one-word rating system helps to give clear guidance to parents as they try to choose the best school for their child. But the events around Ms Perry's death have intensified the debate about whether one rating can fully describe a school.\n\nFor more than a decade, schools graded Outstanding became exempt from inspection. But since 2020, re-inspections have led to hundreds of previously Outstanding schools being downgraded.\n\nMs Perry's school in Reading, which hadn't been inspected for 13 years, is one of only five out of 359 schools to be moved to the bottom grade since September.\n\nConservative backbenchers have questioned in Parliament whether all these judgements are fair.\n\nMs Perry's school was rated as inadequate overall, despite providing a good education and a welcoming and vibrant community for children. The inadequate rating was driven by failings in training, record-keeping and checks on staff.\n\nPerhaps it's no surprise that in some of these inspections of previously Outstanding schools, one focus has been what measures are in place to keep children safe: Ofsted has been facing pressure to do more about preventing sexual assault in schools, and in October, the Independent Inquiry into Child Sex Abuse found the regulator \"did not do enough\" to identify serious child weaknesses in some educational settings.\n\nRuth Perry was the head teacher at Caversham Primary School in Reading\n\nSo where does this debate leave parents who simply want to know what to take from an Ofsted grade, as one part of deciding where to send their children to school?\n\nOne recent piece of research shows how difficult it is to be sure. The academics looked at 10 years of Ofsted inspections of secondary schools and how that related to GCSE results five years later.\n\nOnce they had taken account of children's backgrounds, and how well they had done already at school, there was \"no detectable difference\" between Good, Requires Improvement and Inadequate.\n\nWhether or not the huge reaction to Ruth Perry's death influences how Ofsted operates, change is certainly on the way for the regulator - chief inspector Amanda Spielman, is standing down at the end of the year.\n\nAnd while the government strongly supports the current system, the Labour Party has recently said it wants to move from a single-grade system to a report card system for each school, which would replace grades with more detailed information about school performance.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/education-65028962"}
{"title":"Israel turmoil dogs Netanyahu's UK trip - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-24","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"Protests that are rocking his country cast a shadow over the Israeli PM's flying visit.","section":"UK","content":"Mr Netanyahu was faced with protesters as he arrived at Downing Street\n\nAs Benjamin Netanyahu walked the length of Downing Street towards a warm welcome from Rishi Sunak, the sounds of anguished protest will have been ringing in his ears.\n\nIt's nothing he hasn't seen and heard, on a vastly bigger scale, on the streets of his own country in recent weeks.\n\nBut it will have served as a reminder that Israel's domestic woes are now following the embattled prime minister wherever he goes.\n\nThere is no obvious sign that it's causing difficulties in relations with the UK, though.\n\nIn a joint document signed by the British and Israeli foreign ministers on Tuesday, the two sides said their bilateral relationship \"has never been stronger\".\n\n\"As freedom-loving, innovative and thriving democracies,\" the document known as the 2030 Roadmap went on, \"Israel and the UK are proud of our deep and historic partnership. We are firm friends and natural allies.\"\n\nA Downing Street readout of Friday morning's meeting hints at some mild criticism from Rishi Sunak of Mr Netanyahu's proposed legal reforms.\n\n\"The prime minister stressed the importance of upholding the democratic values that underpin our relationship,\" a spokesperson said, \"including in the proposed judicial reforms in Israel.\"\n\nThe fact that cameras were not allowed into Number 10, and the absence of customary statements or a news conference, hinted at an air of embarrassment surrounding Mr Netanyahu's visit.\n\nBut outside, in Whitehall, Mr Netanyahu's British critics were rather more direct.\n\n\"For the first time in a really long time, British Jews are really taking a stand,\" Sharon Shochat, one of the organisers of today's protest, told the BBC.\n\n\"We don't want anything to do with what we're seeing in Israel. The racism, the extremism, the deterioration from democracy and liberal values.\"\n\nNeither Ms Shochat nor the tens of thousands of Israelis demonstrating on the streets of Israel for the past two months can necessarily claim to represent a majority opinion, but this is a moment of doubt and anxiety for the Jewish state's supporters abroad, as they watch Israelis coming to blows.\n\nBritain's Chief Rabbi, Sir Ephraim Mirvis, was sufficiently alarmed to issue a plea for Jewish unity, while urging Israel to \"hold fast to the principles upon which it was founded\".\n\nOf more concern, for Israel, are signs that the US administration is losing patience with its traditional ally.\n\nLast week the Biden administration took the highly unusual step of calling the Israeli ambassador to the state department to explain why his government was planning to undo part of a 2005 law on settlements withdrawal, which could see Jewish settlers returning to highly contentious sites in the occupied West Bank.\n\nAnd it's notable that Joe Biden, long regarded as a firm friend of Israel, has yet to invite Mr Netanyahu to the White House.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/uk-65061889"}
{"title":"Gwyneth Paltrow team offers court security 'treats' at ski crash trial - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-24","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"The unusual request prompts a courtroom objection from lawyers for the plaintiff in the 2016 ski crash.","section":"Entertainment & Arts","content":"This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Watch: Lawyers in Gwyneth Paltrow trial off to bumpy start\n\nA judge has rejected an offer from actress Gwyneth Paltrow's legal team to \"bring in treats\" for courtroom security at her trial in Utah.\n\nThe unusual request prompted a courtroom objection, leading the judge to say \"thank you, but no thank you\".\n\nMs Paltrow is accused of causing a collision that left retired eye doctor Terry Sanderson, 76, concussed.\n\nHe is seeking $300,000 (\u00a3244,000) in damages. She denies blame for the crash in February 2016 and has countersued.\n\nAhead of testimony on the third day of the 50-year-old Oscar winner's civil trial in Park City, her attorney Steve Owens said: \"Private security for my client wanted to bring in treats for the bailiffs for how helpful they've been.\"\n\n\"So, I wanted to do that transparently and see if there are any objections,\" he added.\n\nLawyers for Mr Sanderson swiftly objected, prompting Judge Kent Holmberg to say: \"OK, there's an objection so thank you, but no thank you.\"\n\nBut he said either party could \"decide to do that later\" if they wished.\n\nIt's unclear what treats her team was prepared to offer.\n\nDuring Thursday's proceedings, the plaintiff's daughter, Polly Sanderson-Grasham, said her father had been \"outgoing and engaged\" before his ski accident, but now gets \"agitated\" and is \"easily frustrated\".\n\nMs Sanderson-Grasham, 49, detailed an occasion after the accident when she said she really noticed the changes in her father.\n\nPolly Sanderson-Grasham described how she knew something was \"terribly wrong\" with her father\n\n\"He was sitting in a chair by the window and I almost expected drool to be coming out of his mouth,\" she said.\n\n\"First of all, he wasn't engaged with anybody. He had kind of taken himself to a remote corner and that was my first real kind of slap in the face of, like, something's terribly wrong.\"\n\nHowever, under cross-examination she accepted that her dad was on occasion \"frequently frustrated\" and \"overstepping the boundaries\" before the collision.\n\nShe added that her father had become \"obsessed\" with the trial and badly wanted an apology.\n\nMr Sanderson lost consciousness for several minutes after the crash, and suffered a concussion and four fractured ribs, according to his legal action.\n\nA doctor who gave evidence on Thursday morning said the plaintiff had sustained a traumatic brain injury that \"completely changed his life\".\n\nDr Alina Fong, a neuropsychologist, said Mr Sanderson had been \"struggling with concussion symptoms for a year and a half\" when she first saw him in May 2017.\n\nShe said Mr Sanderson reported symptoms, including \"mood and personality changes, pain as well as headaches\".\n\nAsked whether there was any indication he was faking his symptoms, Dr Fong said there was \"none whatsoever\".\n\nTerry Sanderson accuses Ms Paltrow of being distracted while skiing\n\nThe incident on a beginners' slope at the upmarket Utah ski resort took place while Ms Paltrow was skiing with her family.\n\nMr Sanderson's lawyers say the movie-star-turned-lifestyle-influencer was uphill on the slope and crashed into him from behind, with his injuries providing evidence of this.\n\nBut her defence team say she had begun descending the slope when a man collided into her back.\n\nThey have focused on Mr Sanderson's medical conditions from before the collision, including vision and hearing loss from a stroke.\n\nMs Paltrow is seeking $1 in damages plus attorneys' fees. She is expected to give evidence on Friday.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/entertainment-arts-65050951"}
{"title":"Your pictures of Scotland: 17-24 March - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-24","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"A selection of your pictures of Scotland sent in between 17 and 24 March.","section":"Scotland","content":"A selection of your pictures of Scotland sent in between 17 and 24 March.\n\nSend your photos to scotlandpictures@bbc.co.uk. Please ensure you adhere to the BBC's rules regarding photographs that can be found here.\n\nPlease also ensure you take your pictures safely and responsibly.\n\nConditions of use: If you submit an image, you do so in accordance with the BBC's terms and conditions.\n\nGraham Halliday stopped off at Cove in the Scottish Borders on Mother's Day to explore this \"hidden gem\".\n\nA starfish on Isle of Eriska beach captured by Elaine Douglas.\n\nDavid Crawford took this picture of his wife and two boys at the cycle track tunnel in Kilbarchan and reckons it looks like an album cover.\n\nEmma Legge was \"spellbound\" watching the bears at Camperdown Wildlife Centre in Dundee.\n\nGerry McGuire was on his way to the National Museum of Scotland when he spotted the well-rubbed nose of Greyfriars Bobby.\n\nA walk along the coast at St Abb's Head produced this photo by James Anderson.\n\n\"We counted 10 frogs in our little wildlife pond located in south west Edinburgh,\" says Heather Hartley.\n\n\"An abandoned boot adorns the top of the unusual cairn at the summit of Fell Hill, near Loch Urr in Dumfries and Galloway,\" says Michael Muir.\n\nThe Ocean Youth Trust Scotland yacht Alba Venturer sailing off Gourock and captured by Richard McGavigan.\n\nJennifer Laing took this image of HMS Montrose arriving at Montrose for a final visit before being decommissioned in April.\n\n\"Mallaig harbour entrance light covered in waves during 60mph winds this week,\" says Arthur Campbell.\n\nThe waves crashing into the harbour at Gardenstown from Derek McEwan.\n\nJane Sayliss says the view was \"stunning all round\" from the hill above Poolewe in Wester Ross.\n\n\"Getting your ducks in a row in Queens Park, Glasgow,\" says Bettina Miller.\n\n\"Looking back on the grey clouds in Peebles over a footbridge over the River Tweed,\" says Emily Wilson.\n\nGraham Christie submitted this image of the view from Kings House Hotel of River Etive and Buachaille Etive Mor.\n\nA driftwood palm tree sculpture on Portobello Beach at sunrise from Kath Thomson.\n\nAnd walking on water at Portobello Beach from Jon Davey.\n\n\"Great to see ladybirds starting to appear. Hopefully, spring isn't far behind,\" says Paul Fraser from Callander.\n\n\"Quaint cottages on the walk down to Crail Harbour,\" says Debi Bell.\n\n\"We stopped for a quick lunch break at Portpatrick on Thursday,\" says Elaine Scott. \"Looked lovely in the sunshine but was also rather blustery.\"\n\nHazel Thomson from Elgin says this female Stonechat was \"blending in nicely with the rusty old seat\".\n\nGoat Fell from Ayr sent in by Don Grant.\n\n\"While on the tour at Dalwhinnie Distillery in the Cairngorms, I was struck by the contrast of the light through the window into the gloom of the warehouse,\" says Alison Stewart.\n\nPlease ensure that the photograph you send is your own and if you are submitting photographs of children, we must have written permission from a parent or guardian of every child featured (a grandparent, auntie or friend will not suffice).\n\nIn contributing to BBC News you agree to grant us a royalty-free, non-exclusive licence to publish and otherwise use the material in any way, including in any media worldwide.\n\nHowever, you will still own the copyright to everything you contribute to BBC News.\n\nAt no time should you endanger yourself or others, take any unnecessary risks or infringe the law.\n\nYou can find more information here.\n\nAll photos are subject to copyright.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/uk-scotland-65014144"}
{"title":"Harry Kane breaks Wayne Rooney's all-time England goalscoring record - BBC Sport","published_date":"2023-03-24","authors":null,"description":"Harry Kane describes becoming England's all-time top scorer with his 54th international goal against Italy as \"a magical moment\".","section":null,"content":"Last updated on .From the section England\n\nHarry Kane described becoming England's all-time top scorer with 54 goals as \"a magical moment\" that \"means everything\". The Tottenham striker scored a first-half penalty as Gareth Southgate's side won in Italy for the first time since 1961. Kane's strike meant he moved ahead of Wayne Rooney in England's all-time top scorer charts. \"It means everything,\" the 29-year-old said. \"I was so excited to put the England shirt on and get back out here and get the campaign started for next year's Euros. \"It had to be a penalty and once it hit the back of the net, huge emotion. A magical moment.\" The Football News Show: Is Kane's future at Tottenham or elsewhere? Former Manchester United striker Rooney, who had held the record since 2015, was one of the first people to congratulate Kane. He tweeted: \"Congratulations to Harry Kane on becoming England's all-time leading goalscorer. \"I knew it wouldn't take long but that was quick. Great man, unbelievable goalscorer and an England legend.\" In response, Kane told Channel 4: \"I was on the pitch when Wayne broke the record. I know what it meant to him and I was so proud of him. \"I remember when I gave him the boot for breaking the record he said he would be giving it back to me one day. A special man.\" Harry Kane celebrated his record with his England team-mates after the game Kane had equalled Rooney's record with a goal in their 2022 World Cup quarter-final defeat by France - and missed a penalty in that game that would have given him the record outright. But he managed it in his next game for Gareth Southgate's side in Naples, scoring from the spot before England held on for a 2-1 win. Southgate paid tribute to Kane's strength of character to break the record with a penalty after his miss against France. \"To break the record in the manner he did given the recent history is an indication of his strength of character and mentality,\" he said. \"I couldn't be happier for him and his family, he is a brilliant professional.\" Kane added: \"Just a great night, we haven't won in Italy for so long and to score and win, so special. \"The World Cup was a difficult way to end but we spoke this week about getting back to it. We are one of the best teams in Europe. Getting this win shows we are ready for the challenge.\" Kane is now the record goalscorer for both England and club side Tottenham. He has achieved the record for the Three Lions at a sensational rate, his 54 goals coming in just 81 appearances. Kane now leads a group of six Englishmen to have scored more than 40 international goals. Of those, only Jimmy Greaves scored his at a faster rate - one every 1.3 games, compared with Kane's 1.5. Sir Bobby Charlton, with 49 goals, held the record for 45 years until he was surpassed by Rooney eight years ago. Kane's record haul includes six at the World Cup in Russia in 2018, making him only the third Englishman to win a Golden Boot at a major tournament, along with Gary Lineker at the 1986 World Cup and Alan Shearer at the European Championship in 1996. He has also broken a number of other England records, including scoring 16 goals for his country in a calendar year in 2021. Kane still has some way to go if he is to challenge the global record for men's international goals held by Cristiano Ronaldo, who has scored 120 goals in 197 Portugal appearances. His 204 league goals for Spurs means he is third in the list of Premier League all-time scorers, 56 behind record-holder Shearer. 'A leader on and off the pitch' - Kane praised for record Several of Kane's fellow strikers who also represented England took to social media to praise him for his achievement. Former England and Tottenham striker Gary Lineker: \"Many congratulations to Harry Kane on becoming England's highest ever goal-scorer. A wonderful achievement.\" The Prince and Princess of Wales also paid tribute, tweeting: \"A leader on and off the pitch, and now England's record goalscorer, a testament to your brilliant career Harry Kane! Congratulations and here's to many more.\"\n\u2022 None Our beautiful land as you've never seen it before:","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/sport\/football\/64945178"}
{"title":"Freddie Flintoff: Top Gear filming halted by BBC after accident - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-24","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"The BBC said it would be \"inappropriate\" to resume making the popular TV show's new series for now.","section":"Entertainment & Arts","content":"Andrew \"Freddie\" Flintoff was injured in December at Top Gear's test track in Surrey\n\nThe BBC says it has halted the latest series of Top Gear after presenter Andrew \"Freddie\" Flintoff was hurt in an accident while filming.\n\nThe presenter was injured in December at Top Gear's test track at Dunsfold Park Aerodrome in Surrey.\n\nThe BBC said: \"Under the circumstances, we feel it would be inappropriate to resume making series 34.\"\n\nThe broadcaster said a decision on how best to continue would be made later this year.\n\nFollowing the accident on 13 December, the former England cricketer received medical care at the scene before being taken to hospital for further treatment.\n\nIn a statement, the BBC said: \"We have sincerely apologised to Freddie and will continue to support him with his recovery.\n\n\"We understand this [halting the show] will be disappointing for fans, but it is the right thing to do, and we'll make a judgement about how best to continue later this year.\"\n\nThe decision has also impacted the production team, said the BBC, adding that there would be a health and safety review of the show, undertaken by an independent third party.\n\nBBC Studios, which produces the show, also conducted its own investigation of the accident.\n\nA spokesperson for the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) - the national regulator for workplace safety in England, Wales and Scotland - said: \"We've completed our enquires into this incident and will not be investigating further.\"\n\nIt is understood the circumstances of the incident did not meet the threshold for further investigation. The regulator can launch criminal prosecutions against employers where staff have suffered serious injury or died at work.\n\nPhilippa Childs, head of Bectu, the union for workers in the creative industries, told the BBC: \"Crew wellbeing on set is paramount, and it's critical productions have stringent policies and procedures in place to protect freelancers' physical and mental health.\n\n\"Productions must ensure they are meeting the highest safety standards and, where incidents occur, must ensure lessons are learnt and appropriate support is provided for the workforce.\"\n\nFormer presenter Matt LeBlanc drove past a bride and groom at St Paul's Cathedral in 2016\n\nTop Gear, one of the broadcaster's most successful and exported programmes, has had a series of different presenters since 2002.\n\nDecember's accident was not the first Flintoff has suffered since he first began presenting the show.\n\nThe father-of-four crashed into a market stall in Mansfield, Nottinghamshire in February 2019.\n\nIn September of the same year, he also crashed during a drag race while he was filming at Elvington Airfield in Yorkshire, but walked away unharmed.\n\nIn June 2022, Flintoff was racing in a bobsleigh at a course in Norway when it flipped over, but he again came out of the crash unscathed.\n\nPaddy McGuinness, Chris Harris and Freddie Flintoff were announced as Top Gear's latest hosts in 2018\n\nFlintoff's impact on Top Gear should not be underestimated - he played a key role in rescuing the show after the tricky era that followed the departure of Clarkson, Hammond and May.\n\nThe show faltered under Chris Evans and Matt LeBlanc, who took over presenting duties in 2016. They struggled to recapture the chemistry of the hugely popular previous hosts.\n\nBut when Flintoff, McGuinness and Harris took the reins, there was palpable relief among BBC bosses when it became clear the unlikely trio of a cricketer, car expert and comic and gameshow host had great on-screen chemistry.\n\nThat relationship between the lead presenters is crucial to the show's appeal. The slightly juvenile pranks and jokes are what elevates Top Gear from being a car review show for petrol-heads to a winning entertainment format which appeals to a mainstream audience.\n\nIts success over the years has made the programme a cash cow for the BBC. The corporation profits significantly from the series being sold to other countries. It is a strong brand, with its own magazine and merchandise.\n\nThe show's immediate future may be in doubt for now, but Flintoff's health and wellbeing must remain the top priority for the corporation. As a source close to Flintoff told the Times: \"Freddie has been seriously emotionally and physically affected by the crash.\"\n\nFlintoff retired from cricket in 2009 having played 79 Tests, 141 one-day internationals and seven T20s for England.\n\nHe played a key role in England's Ashes successes of 2005 and 2009.\n\nAfter retiring from cricket in 2010 - he had one professional bout as a boxer, won the Australian version of I'm a Celebrity... Get Me Out Of Here! and also took to acting.\n\nHe joined Top Gear as a host in 2019 and has co-starred in the show with Paddy McGuinness and Chris Harris. Their most recent series attracted an average consolidated audience of 4.5 million viewers.\n\nRacing driver Perry McCarthy, who previously portrayed the Stig on Top Gear, told The World At One on BBC Radio 4: \"One thing about life in a car, whether it be on the road or on a track, is that when something goes wrong, it goes wrong really quickly.\n\nHe added: \"You've got this enthusiasm from presenters which is wonderful, that's great, that's what the show's about. But you've got to be careful. So you need people around that show who really understand what can go wrong.\"\n\nRichard Hammond (left, with Jeremy Clarkson and James May) was injured in 2006\n\nOne of Top Gear's previous presenters, Richard Hammond, was also injured while filming for the series in 2006.\n\nHammond crashed a car while travelling at nearly 300mph at the former RAF Elvington airbase near York, leaving him in a coma with a frontal lobe brain injury.\n\nHe survived and ultimately returned to the series alongside fellow hosts Jeremy Clarkson and James May.\n\nThe trio left Top Gear in 2015 after an altercation between Clarkson and a producer.\n\nLast month, Hammond said he worried the crash could be responsible for his worsening memory.\n\nThe BBC said Top Gear is:","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/entertainment-arts-65056723"}
{"title":"Scottish wildcats to be released in Cairngorms - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-24","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"Captive-bred cats are set to be released in the UK's largest national park this summer.","section":"Highlands & Islands","content":"A licence has been approved for the release of captive-bred Scottish wildcats in the UK's largest national park.\n\nThe first in a series of trial releases at undisclosed locations in the Cairngorms National Park is planned for June.\n\nThe Saving Wildcats project said it would be the first conservation translocation of wildcats in Britain.\n\nEventually, as many as 20 wildcats could be released annually.\n\nThere are wildcats in the wild in the Cairngorms, but the population is under threat.\n\nAccording to research, the wild cat is on the brink of extinction. Breeding with feral domestic cats, disease and habitat loss have been blamed for reducing numbers.\n\nScotland's nature agency, NatureScot, approved the licence for this summer's release.\n\nIt assessed Saving Wildcats' application in line with the Scottish Code for Conservation Translocations.\n\nThe process considers a range of issues including animal welfare, site suitability and potential impacts on neighbouring and community interests.\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Wildcats bred in captivity are to be released into the park\n\nSaving Wildcats, which involves a number of organisations, has been breeding the animals at Royal Zoological Society of Scotland's Highland Wildlife Park at Kincraig, near Aviemore.\n\nThe wildcats are to be released in a 232 sq mile (600 sq km) area involved in a landscape conservation project called Cairngorms Connect.\n\nIt is a partnership of neighbouring land managers - Wildland Limited, Forestry and Land Scotland, RSPB Scotland and NatureScot - working towards a 200-year vision to enhance habitat, species and ecological processes.\n\nAs many as 20 wildcats a year could be released into the wild\n\nNatureScot's head of biodiversity, Dr Katherine Leys, said Saving Wildcats offered a lifeline for the species.\n\nShe said: \"This journey is not without difficulty, and we know that there are more hurdles to overcome before we reach the point where we are ready to release the wildcats into carefully selected areas of the Cairngorms National Park.\n\n\"Once there, the wildcats will face further challenges, so it's crucial the project continues to work with local communities, farmers, land-owners and cat owners to ensure wildcats are given the best chance to survive and thrive.\"\n\nSaving Wildcats project lead and Royal Zoological Society of Scotland's head of conservation, Dr Helen Senn, said: \"When the time comes, we will be able to move wildcats under licence from pre-release enclosures at Highland Wildlife Park to carefully selected areas in the Cairngorms Connect landscape which provide a suitable mix of habitats and potential prey for the species.\n\n\"After release, the wildcats will be monitored using GPS collars as they face the many challenges of life in the wild.\"\n\nShe added: \"The fight to restore Scotland's wildcat populations is just beginning and we are grateful to everyone providing expertise and support along the way.\"\n\nA breeding centre is to be created at the Highland Wildlife Park near Aviemore in the Cairngorms\n\nWildland Limited is a company owned by Danish billionaire Anders Holch Povlsen and his wife Anne.\n\nDirector of conservation Thomas MacDonell said the company was delighted to be part of the effort to restore wildcats.\n\nFarming union, NFU Scotland, said NatureScot's approval of a licence was \"fantastic news\".\n\nPolicy manager Penny Middleton said: \"As a supporter of the official body, the Scottish Wildcat Action forum, we have previously helped disseminate information on how to protect this iconic native species to our members in the priority areas identified for wildcats, including the Cairngorms National Park area.\n\n\"We recognise that the species remains critically endangered and that the plans through the Saving Wildcats project to preserve the species are starting to come to fruition.\"\n\nShe added: \"The farming community in release areas will be keen to support these plans and identify how they can assist.\"","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/uk-scotland-highlands-islands-65065167"}
{"title":"Your pictures of Scotland: 17-24 March - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-24","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"A selection of your pictures of Scotland sent in between 17 and 24 March.","section":"Scotland","content":"A selection of your pictures of Scotland sent in between 17 and 24 March.\n\nSend your photos to scotlandpictures@bbc.co.uk. Please ensure you adhere to the BBC's rules regarding photographs that can be found here.\n\nPlease also ensure you take your pictures safely and responsibly.\n\nConditions of use: If you submit an image, you do so in accordance with the BBC's terms and conditions.\n\nGraham Halliday stopped off at Cove in the Scottish Borders on Mother's Day to explore this \"hidden gem\".\n\nA starfish on Isle of Eriska beach captured by Elaine Douglas.\n\nDavid Crawford took this picture of his wife and two boys at the cycle track tunnel in Kilbarchan and reckons it looks like an album cover.\n\nEmma Legge was \"spellbound\" watching the bears at Camperdown Wildlife Centre in Dundee.\n\nGerry McGuire was on his way to the National Museum of Scotland when he spotted the well-rubbed nose of Greyfriars Bobby.\n\nA walk along the coast at St Abb's Head produced this photo by James Anderson.\n\n\"We counted 10 frogs in our little wildlife pond located in south west Edinburgh,\" says Heather Hartley.\n\n\"An abandoned boot adorns the top of the unusual cairn at the summit of Fell Hill, near Loch Urr in Dumfries and Galloway,\" says Michael Muir.\n\nThe Ocean Youth Trust Scotland yacht Alba Venturer sailing off Gourock and captured by Richard McGavigan.\n\nJennifer Laing took this image of HMS Montrose arriving at Montrose for a final visit before being decommissioned in April.\n\n\"Mallaig harbour entrance light covered in waves during 60mph winds this week,\" says Arthur Campbell.\n\nThe waves crashing into the harbour at Gardenstown from Derek McEwan.\n\nJane Sayliss says the view was \"stunning all round\" from the hill above Poolewe in Wester Ross.\n\n\"Getting your ducks in a row in Queens Park, Glasgow,\" says Bettina Miller.\n\n\"Looking back on the grey clouds in Peebles over a footbridge over the River Tweed,\" says Emily Wilson.\n\nGraham Christie submitted this image of the view from Kings House Hotel of River Etive and Buachaille Etive Mor.\n\nA driftwood palm tree sculpture on Portobello Beach at sunrise from Kath Thomson.\n\nAnd walking on water at Portobello Beach from Jon Davey.\n\n\"Great to see ladybirds starting to appear. Hopefully, spring isn't far behind,\" says Paul Fraser from Callander.\n\n\"Quaint cottages on the walk down to Crail Harbour,\" says Debi Bell.\n\n\"We stopped for a quick lunch break at Portpatrick on Thursday,\" says Elaine Scott. \"Looked lovely in the sunshine but was also rather blustery.\"\n\nHazel Thomson from Elgin says this female Stonechat was \"blending in nicely with the rusty old seat\".\n\nGoat Fell from Ayr sent in by Don Grant.\n\n\"While on the tour at Dalwhinnie Distillery in the Cairngorms, I was struck by the contrast of the light through the window into the gloom of the warehouse,\" says Alison Stewart.\n\nPlease ensure that the photograph you send is your own and if you are submitting photographs of children, we must have written permission from a parent or guardian of every child featured (a grandparent, auntie or friend will not suffice).\n\nIn contributing to BBC News you agree to grant us a royalty-free, non-exclusive licence to publish and otherwise use the material in any way, including in any media worldwide.\n\nHowever, you will still own the copyright to everything you contribute to BBC News.\n\nAt no time should you endanger yourself or others, take any unnecessary risks or infringe the law.\n\nYou can find more information here.\n\nAll photos are subject to copyright.","link":"https:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/uk-scotland-65014144"}
{"title":"Visitors can walk on rare coronation floor in socks - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-24","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"Westminster Abbey will allow access to the spot on a 750-year-old floor where the King will be crowned.","section":"UK","content":"The coronation will take place on this 750-year-old decorated floor\n\nHistoric medieval flooring, at the exact spot where King Charles will be crowned inside Westminster Abbey, is going to be opened to visitors - as long as they take off their shoes.\n\nAbbey authorities say this will be the first time in living memory that the public will have been able to walk across the \"Cosmati pavement\".\n\nThe mosaic is claimed as one of Britain's greatest medieval treasures.\n\nBut visitors will have to wear socks to protect the 13th Century surface.\n\nAt the centre of the medieval mosaic is a polished stone circle with a swirling pattern, surrounded by rings of designs in glass, marble and coloured stone, and this is where the coronation chair will be placed when King Charles is crowned on 6 May.\n\nSince the 19th Century, the richly-decorated but rather battered floor had been covered up with carpets - including for Queen Elizabeth II's coronation in 1953 - or roped off from public access.\n\nThe medieval floor had been covered by carpets at the previous coronation in 1953\n\nBut the intricate mosaic, claimed as the most important example of this style outside Italy, will be revealed for the coronation of King Charles, with the 700-year-old coronation chair being placed in the centre of the floor.\n\nFor 10 weeks after the coronation, from 15 May to 29 July, visitors will be able to walk across the Cosmati pavement and stand on the spot where centuries of royal coronations have taken place.\n\nStanding in their socks - bare feet will not be allowed to avoid the floor getting \"sticky\" - visitors would be able to get the view that King Charles had, looking towards the high altar with the congregation and choir behind him.\n\nThe Abbey, expecting a high demand for this one-off experience, said the visits must be pre-booked, with people allowed on to the flooring in small groups, as part of a \u00a315 guided tour.\n\nVisitors to the Abbey can see the flooring designed by medieval Italian craftsmen\n\nBut this week the site was also briefly occupied by anti-monarchy protesters, who walked on to the Cosmati pavement, wearing shoes, and held up a banner.\n\nA spokesman for campaign group Republic, which has called for the abolition of the monarchy, criticised the coronation as a \"pointless parade\" that would shore up an \"unelected head of state\".\n\nThe medieval floor has had painstaking restoration work, taking off centuries of grime, but the Abbey's head conservator Vanessa Simeoni says much of the stone is original.\n\nShe said that working on the historic floor gives her a real sense of continuity with the original craft workers who laid the mosaic 750 years ago.\n\nVanessa Simeoni, head conservator, says she feels a connection with the original makers of the flooring\n\n\"It's absolutely amazing. I always feel a connection with the people who made these objects. They knew their materials, they knew their designs,\" says the conservator.\n\nWorking on the stones she says the conservators can see different techniques that were being tried by their medieval forebears, such as a way of waterproofing and keeping out the damp that the Italians working in London had developed.\n\nAnti-monarchy protesters walked on to the Cosmati pavement and held up a banner\n\nThe floor, named after the Italian craftsmen who created it, was commissioned by Henry III and completed in 1268. It's a square of about 7.5 metres, with a design of interlocking patterns, using inlaid stones, such as purple-coloured porphyry and yellow limestone.\n\nWhen it was first laid, the marble, glass and coloured stones would have been highly polished, so that the floor would have shimmered in the candlelight.\n\nMs Simeoni said that as well as Italian and local English materials, the floor includes stones from Egypt, Greece and Turkey.\n\nMany of the pieces of stone and marble used in the floor were taken from Roman ruins and recycled by Italian craftsmen who brought them to Britain, she added.\n\nIt means that the coronations of monarchs in Westminster Abbey have taken place for centuries on a surface built from the fragments of an even older Roman Empire.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/uk-65027039"}
{"title":"Bordeaux town hall set on fire in France pension protests - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-24","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"Fire engulfs the building's front as violence flares in several cities during pension reform protests.","section":"Europe","content":"This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser.\n\nBordeaux town hall has been set on fire as French protests continued over plans to raise the pension age.\n\nMore than a million people took to the streets across France on Thursday, with 119,000 in Paris, according to figures from the interior ministry.\n\nPolice fired tear gas at protesters in the capital and 80 people were arrested across the country.\n\nThe demonstrations were sparked by legislation raising the retirement age by two years to 64.\n\nUnions have called for further protests next Tuesday, which would coincide with King Charles III's state visit to the country.\n\nHe is scheduled to be in the southwest city of Bordeaux on that day, where fire engulfed the front door of the town hall on Thursday evening after a day of protests and clashes.\n\nIt was not clear who was responsible for the blaze, which was quickly put out by firefighters.\n\nInterior Minister G\u00e9rald Darmanin sought to quell any concerns ahead of the King's trip, saying on Thursday night that security \"poses no problem\" and the monarch will be \"welcomed and welcomed well\", according to AP.\n\nIn Paris, generally peaceful demonstrations saw occasional clashes between police and masked rioters who smashed shop windows, demolished street furniture and attacked a McDonald's restaurant, according to Reuters news agency.\n\nOne police officer who lost consciousness was dragged to safety.\n\nAP news agency reported that police forces used tear gas and were pelted by objects and fireworks, with 33 people arrested in the capital.\n\nFrance's Prime Minister, \u00c9lisabeth Borne, tweeted: \"Demonstrating and voicing disagreements is a right. The violence and degradation we have witnessed today is unacceptable. All my gratitude to the police and rescue forces mobilized.\"\n\nFirefighters on strike could be seen on the roof of one building in Paris during Thursday's protests\n\n\"I oppose this reform and I really oppose the fact that democracy no longer means anything,\" a demonstrator told Reuters. \"We're not being represented, and so we're fed up.\"\n\n\"It is by protesting that we will be able to make ourselves heard because all the other ways... have not allowed us to withdraw this reform,\" another told AFP news agency.\n\nThe unrest also disrupted train travel, oil refineries and saw teachers and workers at Paris's Charles de Gaulle Airport walk out of work.\n\nPopular tourist attractions such as the Eiffel Tower and the Palace of Versailles, where a dinner is planned for King Charles and the French president next week, were also closed on Thursday.\n\nIn the northern city of Rouen a young woman was seen lying on the ground after sustaining a serious injury to her hand. Witnesses said she lost her thumb after she was hit by a so-called \"flash-ball\" grenade fired by police to disperse demonstrators.\n\nThere were other clashes in the western cities of Nantes, Rennes and Lorient.\n\n\"The street has a legitimacy in France,\" said a protester in Nantes. \"If Mr Macron can't remember this historic reality, I don't know what he is doing here\".\n\nUnions and the political left have deemed the day a success, but where the situation goes from here is an open question.\n\nThe government is hoping that the protests will lose momentum, and that the violence on the streets will turn people away.\n\nThe opposition says that the protests will not dwindle, but unions will need to devise a strategy going forward, rather than promising more days like Thursday.\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Watch: Rubbish and e-scooters set on fire in France pension protests\n\nSince January, there have been nine days of protest and French unions have called for a tenth next Tuesday.\n\nParisian rubbish collectors, who started their strike against the pension reform on 6 March, have renewed it until next Monday.\n\nThe unrest followed the government's decision to force the legislation to raise the pension age through the lower house of parliament - where it lacks an absolute majority - without a vote.\n\nFrench President Emmanuel Macron defended the move, saying the reform is a necessity.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/world-europe-65057249"}
{"title":"Israel's Netanyahu meets Sunak at Downing Street amid protests - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-24","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"The visit comes as the Israeli leader faces domestic turmoil over judicial reforms.","section":"UK","content":"The two greeted each other warmly before heading inside Number 10\n\nPrime Minister Rishi Sunak has met Benjamin Netanyahu at Downing Street as the Israeli leader faces domestic turmoil over judicial reforms.\n\nMr Sunak greeted Mr Netanyahu outside No 10 before talks over security and the threat from Iran.\n\nMr Netanyahu will also meet Home Secretary Suella Braverman on his one-day visit.\n\nHundreds of protesters gathered at the gates of Downing Street to demonstrate against the Israeli PM's policies.\n\nThere was a cacophony, including shouts of \"shame\" and \"traitor\", as Mr Netanyahu made the short walk from his convoy to the steps of Number 10.\n\nA planned photo opportunity for media at the start of the talks was cancelled, and there was no joint statement.\n\nThe visit comes at a time of political turmoil in Israel, with the country gripped by months of some of the biggest demonstrations in its history.\n\nMr Netanyahu has defied calls to scrap a shake-up of the legal system, amid warnings the crisis is not only causing social upheaval but could harm Israel's security.\n\nGrowing numbers of military reservists are refusing to serve in protest.\n\nThursday saw tens of thousands of Israelis take to the streets across the country, in scenes which have been repeated weekly and escalated since the start of the year.\n\nThis Twitter post cannot be displayed in your browser. Please enable Javascript or try a different browser. View original tweet on Twitter The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Skip twitter post by Itamar Eichner 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\u2019s cookie policy, external and privacy policy, external before accepting. To view this content choose \u2018accept and continue\u2019. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.\n\nDowning Street said that in his meeting with Mr Netanyahu, Mr Sunak \"stressed the importance of upholding the democratic values that underpin our relationship, including in the proposed judicial reforms in Israel\".\n\nIt said the two men also discussed the war in Ukraine and Iran's \"destabilising activity\", as well as its nuclear programme. It said the leaders welcomed an agreement signed this week aimed at deepening technical, trade and security ties between the UK and Israel.\n\nAlthough previous visits to the UK by Mr Netanyahu have been met with demonstrations by pro-Palestinian groups, Friday's protests - led by British and Israeli Jews, with many waving Israeli flags - were an unusual sight.\n\nOn the opposite side of the road, hundreds of protesters from the Palestine Solidarity Campaign held a demonstration against Mr Netanyahu's visit and the State of Israel, while a third, small rally was also held nearby by supporters of Mr Netanyahu.\n\nOpponents of the Israeli prime minster say he is using the judicial reforms, which will weaken the power of the Supreme Court among other things, to bolster himself and shield policies of his government - the most right-wing in Israel's history.\n\nMr Netanyahu has accused critics of disrespecting voters who gave his coalition and its reform platform a commanding win in November's elections.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/uk-65061887"}
{"title":"Climate change: Opposing wind farms morally unacceptable - expert - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-24","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"The burden of tackling climate change must be shouldered by everyone, says Lord Deben.","section":"Wales","content":"Across Wales, communities are mobilising to object to windfarm developments in their areas\n\nCommunities opposed to wind turbines in their local area do not have an \"acceptable moral position\" according to a climate change expert.\n\nDozens of large-scale wind farm applications are being considered as Wales tries to reach net zero.\n\nCampaigners say the ambition is putting the Welsh countryside at risk and south Wales already has several wind farms.\n\nLord Deben, the UK Climate Change Committee chairman, said the onus was on everyone to help reach the target.\n\n\"We can't all the time say we're in favour of things but somewhere else,\" he said.\n\nAcross Wales communities are mobilising to object to wind farm and pylon developments in their areas.\n\nFrom Conwy to Carmarthenshire, across mid Wales and the south Wales valleys, hundreds of campaigners are sharing information and ideas about how to fight what they call \"colossal\" turbines.\n\nIn Cwmafan, Neath Port Talbot, Rhodri Williams and Andrew Thomas said in lockdown the hills above their town were a sanctuary, but that peace is at risk from a proposed plan to build 21 turbines which will be visible from their homes.\n\n\"At over 200m (656ft) we're talking around the size of the Eiffel Tower,\" said Mr Thomas.\n\nRhodri Williams and Andrew Thomas say the \"Eiffel Tower-sized\" turbines will have a huge impact on the area\n\n\"That's absolutely colossal. If you stand at the foot of the Eiffel Tower and look up and then you imagine that on top of a mountain range that is already 350m (1,148ft) above sea level. \"\n\nMr Williams is concerned about the impact on people's health and the environment and says he would rather they were offshore.\n\n\"We don't need these, there are plenty of alternatives. It causes a lot of grief and stress for those who live near them and we should be looking at alternatives like hydro, we should be looking at floating offshore wind, and the tidal lagoon in Swansea,\" he said.\n\n\"There are over 200 wind turbines in south Wales already, we're doing our fair share.\"\n\nBut according to the chairman of the UK's independent Climate Change Committee, Lord Deben, it is not \"proper\" to say other places should shoulder the burden for tackling climate change.\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Residents fear the 250m high turbines would pose risks to wildlife, property values and wellbeing\n\n\"I think every community has to say to itself, 'if we don't have this what are we going to have?'\n\n\"We can't all the time say we're in favour of things but somewhere else. That isn't an acceptable moral position,\" said Lord Deben.\n\nHe added that people could not expect others to carry the cost of net zero without doing something themselves.\n\nThe Welsh government's Future Wales plan has identified 10 areas as suitable for onshore wind developments - two in north Wales, two in south Wales and six in mid and west Wales.\n\nApplications for wind farms will not be automatically approved for these areas, according to the policy, but there is a presumption large-scale wind energy developments will secure planning consent.\n\nDeveloper Bute Energy has submitted plans for four wind farms - one in Conwy county, two in Powys and one on the border between Caerphilly and Rhondda Cynon Taf council areas.\n\nAled Rowlands from Bute Energy says the firm is listening to the concerns of local people\n\nIt hopes to connect the projects in Powys to the grid using a network of pylons stretching to Carmarthen as current grid capacity in mid Wales is insufficient to meet future demand, according to a report by a group of Welsh MPs.\n\nThe projects have proved controversial with concerns being raised about their size and proximity to people's homes.\n\nAled Rowlands, the company's director of external affairs, said the firm was listening to the concerns of local people.\n\nThe majority of people support and understand the need for a transition to renewable energy, he said, but that transition will inevitably mean more infrastructure like pylons to improve the current grid capacity.\n\n\"It's very important that society now says what it wants and what is acceptable in order for us to be able to get to net zero, to be able to use clean, green energy,\" said Mr Rowlands.\n\nAccording to the Campaign for the Protection of Rural Wales (CPRW), there is a \"gold rush\" for net zero, and the number of \"unsuitable applications\" for turbines over 200m (656ft) high and pylons across rural Wales is causing concern in many communities.\n\nDr Jonathan Dean from CPRW's Anglesey branch said the number of recent applications and the alarm they were causing in those areas is unprecedented.\n\n\"I've lost count of the number of projects, it's like a gold rush. I've got big concerns [over whether] that it is a good policy, that it is a fair policy.\n\n\"I'm concerned for communities who are battling against them [like] David and Goliath,\" he said.\n\nThe charity favours using offshore wind to reach, and exceed our net zero goals, but one expert in renewable energy warns against putting our eggs in one basket.\n\nProfessor of renewable energy in the school of engineering at Cardiff University, Nicholas Jenkins, said that to decarbonise the whole of the UK economy by 2050 and the electricity supply by 2035, all of the options need to be available.\n\nWales wants to reach net zero by 2050 and wants to meet 100% of its electricity needs from renewables in 12 years' time.\n\nProf Jenkins warned that focusing on offshore wind and small modular nuclear reactors, at the expense of onshore wind, is a \"risky strategy\".\n\n\"I think it's really questionable whether the required amount of generating capacity can be delivered in time,\" he said.\n\nA Welsh government spokesperson said: \"We need a range of technologies, at different scales, to meet our future electricity needs as we move towards a net zero energy system. Wind and solar are cost-effective options to generate electricity and have a clear role to play.\n\n\"We want to ensure local communities and people in Wales directly benefit from energy generated in Wales. We are taking action to support local and shared ownership and developing strong, local supply chains.\"","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/uk-wales-65026300"}
{"title":"TV presenter Sophie Morgan in 'rage at the injustice' of Blue Badge theft - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-24","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"The TV star says she was \"in a rage\" at the \"injustice\" of her Blue Badge being stolen from her car.","section":"Disability","content":"TV presenter Sophie Morgan was left \"in a rage\" at the \"injustice\" of her Blue Badge being stolen from her car.\n\nThe Loose Women star, who uses a wheelchair, said she would have to wait weeks for her car to be fixed and a replacement Blue Badge issued.\n\n\"I literally can't describe how disabling this is,\" she said, adding the inconvenience was \"beyond measure\".\n\nBlue Badges are issued by your local council and are displayed on the car's dashboard.\n\nThey are proof you are disabled and enable you to get free or longer term parking as well as entitling you to use disabled parking bays which tend to be closer to destinations.\n\nSophie was away working in America when her car back in London was broken into, earlier this month. The perpetrators \"smashed the window on the passenger side,\" she told the BBC's disability podcast, Access All.\n\n\"I had this rage in me at the injustice, all the frustration, the inconvenience, all of those feelings,\" she said.\n\nThe only item taken was her Blue Badge, but the loss of it hugely impacts her life.\n\n\"I can't drive my car without my badge as I can't get in or out [of the vehicle] without space to get my wheelchair beside my car,\" she said.\n\n\"And without the guarantee of a disabled space, it's not worth the risk.\"\n\nThe incident was reported to her local council but now Sophie must wait for a replacement to be issued.\n\nLISTEN: You can hear more from Sophie on the BBC Access All podcast.\n\nAnd adaptive clothes designer Victoria Jenkins, who was recently on Dragon's Den, and model Caprice-Kwai chat about the world of fashion.\n\nAccording to the Department for Transport, in the year ending March 2022, 1,497 badges were reported as stolen across the UK.\n\nThey can be vulnerable to opportunists with some suggestion they can be re-sold for hundreds or even thousands of pounds.\n\nSome people even buy lockable Blue Badge holders which are attached to the vehicle's steering wheel to protect them.\n\nIt is why some London councils have started moving towards \"Companion Passes\" which work alongside Blue Badges, but are digital and negate the threat of theft.\n\nHaringey Council, in north London, launched its Companion Pass in August 2021 to enable people to park in locations across the borough.\n\nBetween January and June 2021, 528 incidents relating to Blue Badges had been reported. A year later, after the scheme had been introduced, that dropped to 185 for the same time period, a reduction of 65%.\n\nAs well as working in resident parking zones, it also enables holders to travel through low traffic neighbourhoods (LTN). Automatic Number Plate Recognition (ANPR) cameras are able to pick-up and verify the vehicles.\n\n\"It's been really transformational,\" Councillor Mete Coban says, the cabinet member for energy, waste and transport, who has offered to speak with other councils to get the scheme up and running.\n\nBut he acknowledges it's not a complete solution.\n\n\"It has to be the vehicle registered to your home address. So that's one of the limitations,\" he said, acknowledging they can only be linked to one vehicle, unlike the physical Blue Badge which can be used by the holder in any vehicle they are traveling in\n\nThese Companion Passes also only work within the borough they are issued.\n\nSophie's own council, Southwark, does operate a Companion Pass which enables holders to park in any disabled bay, Pay-by-Phone bay and exempts them from \"Streetspace measures\" - Southwark's version of LTNs.\n\nFor Sophie, who wasn't aware of the scheme, it's a positive move towards reducing the anxiety around Blue Badge thefts and waiting for replacements.\n\n\"It saves people work. It saves people the hassle. It's just a no-brainer.\"\n\nYou can find more information on the BBC Access All podcast.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/disability-65055283"}
{"title":"Record revenue for staff agencies supplying NHS - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-24","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"Companies thrive as the health service struggles with staffing gaps and increased patient demand.","section":"Health","content":"The NHS relies on agency staff to fill gaps\n\nCompanies providing freelance staff to the NHS to cover for big shortages of doctors and nurses have seen their income rise by tens of millions of pounds since 2019.\n\nTwo companies, amongst the largest providing workers to the NHS, saw their turnover rise by 80% and 77.5%.\n\nBBC News looked at the financial records of about 20 agency businesses providing services in the UK.\n\nHealth leaders say staff shortages mean they have to spend on freelance cover.\n\nIn November, BBC News revealed total spending on agency staff in England had been \u00a33bn in 2021, up 20%.\n\nAnd the following month, a Freedom of Information request by Labour revealed one hospital had paid \u00a35,200 for a single shift by a freelance doctor.\n\nIn the latest financial records seen by BBC News, Medacs Healthcare, \"the largest supplier of locum doctors to the NHS\", reported an 80% increase in sales, to \u00a3160.9m, between 2019 and 2021.\n\n\"We're proud to partner with the NHS to provide them with a round-the-clock supply of flexible healthcare workers,\" the company said.\n\n\"Our fees are fixed and capped by the NHS and government-approved frameworks we work through.\"\n\nID Medical, which says it is the largest UK provider of healthcare professionals to the NHS, reported a turnover of \u00a3145.4m in 2022, up 15% on 2019. It paid one director more than \u00a3800,000 last year.\n\nThe company said it worked within NHS agreements, adding: \"We continue our commitment to driving costs down further In partnership with the NHS, through our broad range of long-term sustainable solutions.\"\n\nBoth Medacs Healthcare and ID Medical refused to reveal what proportion of their business was with the NHS.\n\nIndependent Clinical Services, which trades as Thornbury Nursing Group and Scottish Nursing Guild, reported a turnover of nearly \u00a3273m in the 2021 financial year, up 77.5% on 2019, of which, it says, the NHS accounts for less than half.\n\n\"We recognise the strain the NHS and other care providers are under and proactively work with customers to support strategic, longer-term workforce provision,\" ICS said.\n\nAnd it had \"played a crucial role in supporting care providers during the pandemic\".\n\nICS is controlled by Acacium Group, registered in Jersey, which, in turn, is controlled, through an investment-fund structure, by a Canadian-headquartered investment company, the group's ultimate parent.\n\nHospitals need freelance doctors and nurses to fill gaps in rotas - but demand for patient care is now outstripping the supply of staff, health leaders say, which is why agency bills have increased.\n\nSir Julian said trusts were desperate to reduce spend on agency staff\n\nSir Julian Hartley, chief executive of NHS Providers, representing trusts, and a former hospital boss himself, said: \"These figures underline the current challenge in terms of the cost of agency staff for trusts.\n\n\"All trusts are desperate to reduce those costs and indeed reduce the reliance on agency staff.\"\n\nSir Julian said the NHS was facing major challenges:\n\nThe cost of agency staff was a \"major factor for NHS organisations who want to see a much more sustainable approach\". Less should be spent on agency provision and more converted into permanent staff.\n\nIn England, trust leaders are allowed to pay a maximum of 155% of normal staff rates for any agency replacements - unless paying more is the only way to maintain safe staffing levels\n\nThere are also official NHS flexible staff banks which place health workers with employers who need to fill temporary gaps.\n\nA Department of Health and Social Care spokesperson said: \"While temporary staffing allows the NHS to meet fluctuations in demand, we are controlling spending by capping hourly pay, prioritising NHS staff when shifts need filling and hiring agency staff through approved NHS frameworks to ensure value for money.\n\n\"We will soon publish a long-term workforce plan to ensure we have the right numbers of staff, with the right skills to deliver high quality services fit for the future.\"","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/health-65042658"}
{"title":"Kim Jong Un oversees launch of nuclear-capable underwater drone - state media - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-24","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"Analysts say North Korea's claim it can cause a \"radioactive tsunami\" should be viewed with scepticism.","section":"Asia","content":"North Korea says it has tested an underwater drone that can unleash a \"radioactive tsunami\"\n\nNorth Korea says it has tested an underwater drone that can unleash a \"radioactive tsunami\".\n\nThe \"secret weapon\" was put in the waters off South Hamgyong province on Tuesday, state news agency KCNA says.\n\nIt cruised for over 59 hours at a depth of 80 to 150 metres and was detonated off its east coast, the report says.\n\nBut analysts urge caution on North Korea's claim about the capabilities of the new weapon.\n\nTensions on the Korean peninsula have been running high, as the US and South Korea concluded the largest joint field exercises in five years on Thursday.\n\nSouth Korea President Yoon Suk-yeol said on Friday he would \"make sure North Korea pays the price for its reckless provocations\".\n\nDubbed \"Haeil\", Korean for tsunami, the North's weapon is designed to attack enemy vessels and ports by setting off a \"super-scale\" radioactive wave, KCNA says.\n\n\"This nuclear underwater attack drone can be deployed at any coast and port or towed by a surface ship for operation,\" it adds.\n\nNorth Korean leader Kim Jong Un supervised this exercise, and said it should serve as a warning for the US and South Korea to \"realise the DPRK's unlimited nuclear war deterrence capability being bolstered up at a greater speed\", AFP reported.\n\nNorth Korea's latest weapon appears to be emulating Russian Poseidon torpedoes, said to be capable of spawning radioactive ocean swells and nuclear tsunamis that could destroy coastal cities in the US.\n\nThis weapon is the first of its kind, says Hong Min, a research fellow at the Korea Institute for National Unification. \"It is very difficult to be detected in advance by any reconnaissance or interceptor assets that South Korea and the United States have so far.\"\n\n\"North Korea is showing a behavioural pattern of responding with 'nuclear weapons' to all military responses against the past, ongoing and future [US-South Korea] joint exercises,\" he said.\n\nBut Leif-Eric Easley, a professor at Ewha University in Seoul, said Pyongyang's latest claim \"should be met with scepticism\".\n\n\"It is clearly intended to show that the Kim regime has so many different means of nuclear attack that any pre-emptive or decapitation strike against it would fail disastrously,\" he said.\n\nAnkit Panda, a nuclear weapons specialist at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, said: \"I tend to take North Korea seriously, but can't rule out the possibility that this is an attempt at deception\/psyop (psychological operations).\"\n\nMr Yoon said North Korea was \"advancing its nuclear weapons by the day, and carrying out missile provocations with an unprecedented intensity\". He made the comments at a ceremony marking West Sea Defence Day, an annual holiday to commemorate the soldiers who died while defending the Northern Limit Line, a disputed maritime border between the Koreas.\n\nSeparately, the North fired strategic cruise missiles on Wednesday \"tipped with a test warhead simulating a nuclear warhead\", KCNA says.\n\nThis Twitter post cannot be displayed in your browser. Please enable Javascript or try a different browser. View original tweet on Twitter The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Skip twitter post by Ankit Panda 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\u2019s cookie policy, external and privacy policy, external before accepting. To view this content choose \u2018accept and continue\u2019. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.\n\nLast Thursday, Pyongyang test-fired an intercontinental ballistic missile just hours before the leaders of South Korea and Japan met for landmark talks.\n\nIn 2022, North Korea launched more than 90 missiles - the most it has ever fired in a single year to date - despite being subject to a raft of sanctions from the UN, the US, the EU and its neighbouring countries.\n\nNorth Korea has become more assertive in its nuclear strategy under Kim Jong Un, who has overseen much of its recent development of its weapons programme, and four of the six nuclear tests so far.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/world-asia-65060884"}
{"title":"Food firms raising prices unnecessarily, Tesco's John Allan says - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-24","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"Chairman John Allan says it is \"entirely possible\" food producers are taking advantage of the poorest.","section":"Business","content":"Some food firms may be using inflation as an excuse to hike prices further than necessary, the chairman of Tesco has said.\n\nAsked by the BBC's Laura Kuenssberg if food producers were taking advantage of the poorest in society, John Allan said it was \"entirely possible\".\n\nHe said Tesco was trying \"very hard\" to challenge price hikes it thinks are illegitimate.\n\nFood costs including milk and cheese are rising at their fastest since 1977.\n\nMr Allan said all supermarkets were challenging cost increases from suppliers where they could - and Tesco was confronting companies it believed were increasing prices beyond what was necessary.\n\n\"We do try very hard to challenge [price hikes], I think,\" Mr Allan said.\n\n\"We have a team who can look at the composition of food, costs of commodities, and work out whether or not these cost increases are legitimate.\"\n\nHe said it was something Tesco's buying teams were dealing with \"every day of the week\".\n\nTesco, which has a 27.5% share of the Great Britain grocery market, had \"fallen out\" with \"a number of suppliers\" after \"robust\" discussions over price hikes that the supermarket had challenged, he said.\n\n\"There have been some dramatic increases in commodity costs, energy costs and labour costs. On the other hand, if you don't want to pay \u00a31.70p for... soup in Tesco or any other supermarket, there are own-label alternatives,\" he said.\n\nHeinz beans and tomato ketchup were among the products Tesco temporarily removed from shelves last year in a row over pricing. Kraft Heinz said at the time it was becoming more expensive to make its products.\n\nMillions of people continue to struggle with the cost of living which rose steadily as Covid restrictions eased and after Russia launched its assault on Ukraine.\n\nInflation, which measures the rate of price rises, fell to 10.5% in the year to December from 10.7% in November - but remains at levels not seen for 40 years.\n\nFood prices rose 16.8% in the year to December, said the Office for National Statistics (ONS).\n\nBasics such as milk, cheese and eggs saw the biggest increases. Prices for jam, honey and chocolate also jumped. However, price growth slowed for bread and cereals.\n\nConsumer group Which? has also been tracking how much major retailers have put up their prices compared with their competitors.\n\nTesco was sixth in the list of supermarkets with the highest price rises, the group said.\n\nWhich?'s supermarket food and drink inflation tracker records the annual price rises of tens of thousands of food and drink products across three months at eight major supermarkets - Tesco, Sainsbury's, Asda, Morrisons, Aldi, Lidl, Waitrose and Ocado.\n\nIt found that despite being the cheapest supermarkets overall, Lidl's prices went up the most in December at 21.1% since this time last year, followed closely by Aldi at 20.8%.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/business-64364744"}
{"title":"Deutsche Bank share slide reignites worries among investors - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-24","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"Worries over the financial strength of the sector persist, with Deutsche Bank down 14% at one point.","section":"Business","content":"Sharp declines in banking shares in Europe have renewed concerns the panic triggered by the collapse of two US banks and rushed takeover of Swiss giant Credit Suisse may not be easily contained.\n\nShares in Germany's Deutsche Bank fell by 14% at one point on Friday, with other lenders also seeing big losses.\n\nLondon's FTSE 100 ended the day down 1.3%, while stock markets in Germany and France dropped even more sharply.\n\nBut US fears did not materialise.\n\nAfter falling early in the day, the Dow Jones Industrial Average gained 0.4% and the S&P 500 rose almost 0.6%, while the Nasdaq ended 0.3% higher.\n\nThe rise came despite declines in shares of big banks such as JPMorgan Chase and Morgan Stanley.\n\nIn Europe, the banks hit by a sell-off from worried investors included Germany's Commerzbank, which saw shares fall about 5%. France's Societe Generale ended down about 6% while in the UK, Standard Chartered was the biggest faller, down more than 6%.\n\nDeutsche recovered from its steepest losses but still closed more than 8% lower.\n\nRuss Mould, investment director at AJ Bell, told the BBC the drop in Deutsche Bank's share price, and a sharp jump in the cost of insuring against a possible default by the bank, was \"indicative of a wider loss of confidence in the banking sector\".\n\n\"There's a gathering fear that central banks may have overdone it with interest rate increases, having left them too low for too long,\" he said.\n\nCentral banks slashed interest rates during the 2008 global financial crisis and again when the pandemic hit in 2020 as part of efforts to encourage economic growth.\n\nBut over the past year or so authorities have been raising rates sharply to try to tame soaring price increases.\n\nThese rate rises have hit the value of investments that banks keep some of their money in, and contributed to the bank failures in the US.\n\nShare prices have fallen across the sector, as high-profile investors warn the collapses are symptoms of deeper problems in the system, with other pockets of distress yet to emerge.\n\nHigher interest rates have also raised the possibility of recession, Mr Mould said, and if that happens, \"banks will generally find it pretty hard going\".\n\nThe collapse of Silicon Valley Bank helped to trigger the recent loss of confidence\n\nCentral banks and governments have been trying to calm market worries.\n\nGerman Chancellor Olaf Scholz defended Deutsche Bank at a news conference on Friday, noting that it had \"thoroughly reorganised and modernised its business model\" and was \"very profitable\".\n\nBank of England governor Andrew Bailey also told the BBC that the UK banking system was \"safe and sound\".\n\nBut mixed messages from US authorities as to whether they were prepared to guarantee all bank deposits have led to confusion and hopes that calm had been restored to the sector appear to be have been premature.\n\nUS Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen convened an unexpected Friday meeting with regulators on financial stability, while use of an emergency lending programme for banks that the US central bank created this month has increased over the past week, the Federal Reserve reported.\n\nBloomberg News also reported that UBS and Credit Suisse were being investigated by the US Department of Justice into whether they had helped Russian oligarchs avoid sanctions.\n\nMeanwhile, the financial turmoil sparked by the failures has raised uncertainty about how much higher interest rates might go.\n\nFederal Reserve chairman Jerome Powell said this week the bank may not lift borrowing costs much more, if the banking panic continues to weigh on lending and slows economic growth.\n\nBut on Friday St. Louis Fed president James Bullard, who is not currently on the rate-setting committee, said he thought the panic would subside, leading to higher rates than the roughly 5% currently expected.\n\nJoachim Nagel, president of Germany's Bundesbank, said still rampant inflation meant central banks should continue to raise rates.\n\nHe declined to comment on Deutsche Bank, but said market turmoil was to be expected after the failures of Silicon Valley Bank and Signature Bank in the US and the UBS takeover of Credit Suisse.\n\n\"In the weeks after such interesting events, it is often a bumpy road,\" he said.\n\u2022 None Is this a banking crisis - how worried should I be?","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/business-65064378"}
{"title":"Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer paid \u00a3118,580 in tax since 2020 - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-24","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"Sir Keir's release comes a day after Prime Minister Rishi Sunak published details of his finances.","section":"UK Politics","content":"Sir Keir Starmer said he would publish details about his taxes and income in January this year\n\nSir Keir Starmer paid \u00a3118,580 in UK tax over the last two years, according to financial records released by the Labour leader.\n\nThe records show he paid the tax on total earnings of \u00a3359,720 from income and capital gains since 2020.\n\nSir Keir's release comes a day after Prime Minister Rishi Sunak published details of his finances.\n\nMr Sunak became the first prime minister since David Cameron to disclose his tax affairs.\n\nSir Keir's income and capital gains last year were dwarfed by those of Mr Sunak, who earned more than \u00a31.9m - nine times more than the Labour leader.\n\nMr Sunak's records show he paid more than \u00a31m in UK tax on earnings of more than \u00a34.7m between 2019 and 2022.\n\nThe Labour leader's records show the total UK tax he paid was:\n\nHis earnings last year included more than \u00a385,000 in capital gains from the sale of a home he had bought with his sister, which she and her children had lived in.\n\nIn 2020\/21, the Labour leader, who is a barrister, received more than \u00a321,000 for legal services. He stopped taking on legal work when he became Labour leader in April 2020.\n\nHe has also earned small amounts in book royalties in both the tax years reported in the document.\n\nLast year his salary for being an MP was \u00a376,961 and he received as extra \u00a349,193 for being leader of the opposition.\n\nSir Keir has previously called for senior politicians - including the prime minister and the chancellor - to publish their tax returns \"as a matter of course\" to ensure there is \"trust in politics\".\n\nAt a press conference earlier, he said he was \"glad\" the prime minster had published his tax details but said \"there's a wider point about choices here\".\n\nHe said the record of tax policy under Conservative governments over the past decade showed \"they always go after working people\" rather than the wealthiest people in society.\n\nWhen asked about his tax affairs earlier, Mr Sunak has he was pleased to be able to release information about his taxes \"in the interest of transparency\".\n\nBut \"the most important thing\", he said, \"is what am I doing to help people in this country with the cost of living\".\n\nThe release of tax details by senior politicians is a recent development in British politics, though neither of the previous two prime ministers, Boris Johnson and Liz Truss, released theirs.\n\nThe last prime minister to do so was Mr Cameron, who published a summary of the tax he had paid following revelations about his late father's offshore fund.\n\nBut like Mr Cameron and Mr Sunak, Sir Keir only released a summary of his income and gains, rather than an official tax return filed with HM Revenue & Customs.\n\nIn contrast, earlier this year, Nicola Sturgeon published her HMRC tax returns for the years since she became Scotland's first minister, and has urged other politicians, including Mr Sunak, to follow.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/uk-politics-65052473"}
{"title":"Some lawyers vow to not prosecute climate activists - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-24","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"More than 120 lawyers vow to not act against activists from Extinction Rebellion and Just Stop Oil.","section":"UK","content":"Leading lawyers say they will refuse to prosecute climate protesters or represent new fossil fuel projects.\n\nMore than 120 lawyers have vowed to not act against activists from groups such as Extinction Rebellion and Just Stop Oil who are \"exercising their democratic right of peaceful protest\".\n\nThey have published a \"Declaration of Conscience\", and face the prospect of disciplinary action.\n\nThe chair of the Bar Council Nick Vineall KC said it was \"disappointing\".\n\nBarrister Paul Powlesland, who signed the declaration, said: \"We're refusing to advise fossil fuel companies on how to dig for new oil and gas, the same way we wouldn't advise a killer how to commit serial murders.\"\n\nThe group, who call themselves 'Lawyers Are Responsible', say they will withhold their services supporting new fossil fuel projects and any action against climate protesters who are \"exercising their democratic right of peaceful protest\".\n\nThey have called upon the government and their colleagues to \"act urgently to do whatever they can to address the causes and consequences of the climate and ecological crises and to advance a just transition to sustainability\".\n\nClimate groups like Just Stop Oil, Extinction Rebellion and Insulate Britain have made headlines in recent years through their tactics which include blocking motorways and gluing campaigners to buildings.\n\nThey now face the prospect of disciplinary action for breaching professional regulations such as the so-called 'cab rank rule', which requires lawyers to take on any case within their competence.\n\nThe declaration has been organised by climate group Plan B, which said some of the lawyers had self-reported to the Bar Standards Board.\n\nIn a statement, the charity said: \"This is understood to be the first time in legal history that barristers have engaged in a collective act of civil disobedience.\"\n\nJust Stop Oil activists blocking traffic in London in 2022\n\nThis comes a few days after the scientific body that advises the UN on rising temperatures released a new report saying clean energy and technology could be exploited to avoid the growing climate disaster.\n\nThe group of legal professionals includes some prominent members such as the chair of the British Institute of Human Rights Sir Geoffrey Bindman KC.\n\nFellow signatory Michael Mansfield KC said: \"I live on planet earth but I do not own it.\n\n\"I see myself as a custodian whose good fortune and responsibility is to represent its interests and those of fellow guardians.\"\n\nTim Crosland, the director of Plan B, called for an end to new fossil fuel developments.\n\nHe said \"behind every new oil and gas deal sits a lawyer getting rich\" while \"ordinary people of this country\" take a stand.\n\n\"The rule of law has been turned on its head. Lawyers are responsible. It's time to take a stand.\"\n\nIn a statement, Mr Vineall said: \"The cab rank rule prevents barristers from refusing work because they disagree with the actions or views of those seeking their services.\"\n\nThe rule \"promotes access to justice and promotes the rule of law\", he said, adding: \"It is disappointing that some lawyers apparently wish to remove these rights from people of whom they disapprove.\"\n\n\"I would be profoundly unhappy if a climate change activist accused of a public order offence were ever to be precluded from obtaining the services of the barrister of their choice because their chosen barrister happened to disapprove of the particular way in which they had been protesting,\" he said.\n\nPlan B said the declaration would be launched on 29 March outside the Royal Courts of Justice.\n\nMP and former solicitor general Robert Buckland said it was a \"very odd approach\" and \"not really consistent with the role of a lawyer.\"\n\n\"When lawyers start picking and choosing, in a way it undermines the independence of the legal profession\", he told the Daily Mail.\n\nHe added: \"There are plenty of people lawyers represent who are deeply unpleasant and deeply unpopular, such as rapists and paedophiles.\n\n\"But they are entitled to a fair trial.\"","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/uk-65067321"}
{"title":"'Psychological warfare': US politicians grill TikTok boss - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-24","authors":null,"description":"The TikTok CEO faced US lawmakers during a Congressional hearing on the app's practices.","section":null,"content":"TikTok's chief executive has defended the Chinese-owned app in the face of hostile questioning at a US congressional hearing.\n\nShou Zi Chew denied the hugely popular video-sharing platform was a national security risk and played down its connection to Beijing.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/world-us-canada-65058744"}
{"title":"French protests: King's visit safe despite protests, says Paris - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-24","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"There will be \"excellent conditions\" for King Charles's upcoming state visit, French officials say.","section":"Europe","content":"This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser.\n\nFrench officials say they are extremely focused on King Charles III's first state visit on Sunday, despite violence at protests in several cities.\n\nInterior Minister G\u00e9rald Darmanin said there were \"no known threats\".\n\nThe King is due to visit Paris and Bordeaux, where the entrance to the town hall was set alight on Thursday.\n\nMayor Pierre Hurmic said the trip had been adapted so it \"can go ahead under the best security, so as not to expose the King to the slightest difficulty\".\n\nThe trip, which begins on Sunday, is due to include a ride along the Champs-Elys\u00e9es in the heart of Paris and a banquet at Versailles with President Emmanuel Macron.\n\nIt will culminate in a visit to Bordeaux on Tuesday - coinciding with the 10th nationwide protest planned by unions against the Macron government's move to increase the pension age from 62 to 64 and to prolong the number of years of contributions.\n\nThe mayor told France Info radio the city was \"very motivated\" to welcome King Charles and French authorities had been working with the UK embassy. He did not say which measures had been adapted, but the King is not expected to travel by tram in Bordeaux as originally planned.\n\n\"The final decision is not up to the mayor of Bordeaux and I imagine we'll be in touch with the British authorities and the prefecture on the subject of the visit,\" Mr Hurmic said.\n\nThe ninth day of protests on Thursday attracted more than a million people, according to the French interior ministry, although the unions put the number at 3.5 million.\n\nSome 300 marches went ahead peacefully, but some protests were marred by some of the worst scenes of violence since demonstrations began in January.\n\nMr Darmanin said 457 arrests were made across France and 441 members of the security forces were injured. There were also dozens of injuries among protesters hit by stun grenades fired by riot police in several cities. In Rouen, a woman was hit in the hand and lost her thumb.\n\nMuch of the violence took place on the sidelines of some of the marches, in Paris and other cities including Bordeaux, and the interior minister said 903 fires were lit on the streets of the capital alone.\n\nOne police officer who lost consciousness had to be dragged to safety after appearing to be struck on the head.\n\nIt was not clear who set the historic 18th-Century door of Bordeaux town hall on fire, although it was put out by firefighters after several minutes.\n\n\"I'm extremely saddened, shocked and angry that anyone could attack the town hall, the home of all of Bordeaux,\" said the mayor, who had left the building only minutes earlier. He vowed public services would resume there on Friday morning as normal.\n\nIn Paris, generally peaceful demonstrations were disrupted by occasional clashes between police and masked rioters who smashed shop windows, attacked a McDonald's restaurant and set a kiosk alight.\n\nPrime Minister \u00c9lisabeth Borne tweeted: \"Demonstrating and voicing disagreements is a right. The violence and degradation we have witnessed today is unacceptable. All my gratitude to the police and rescue forces mobilised.\"\n\nFirefighters on strike could be seen on the roof of one building in Paris during Thursday's protests\n\nProtesters appeared galvanised by a TV interview given the day before by the president, after his government had used a constitutional power called 49:3 to force through the pension reform without a final vote in the National Assembly. Mr Macron said the reforms were an economic necessity, and he was prepared to accept the resulting unpopularity.\n\n\"I listened to Macron yesterday and it was as if someone was spitting in our face,\" said Ad\u00e8le, a 19-year-old law student in Nanterre. \"For this pension reform, there is another way and if he doesn't do that, it's because he's not listening to the people. There's a clear lack of democracy,\" she told the BBC.\n\n\"We will come out until he removes the pension reform,\" warned firefighter Christophe Marin. \"We were getting a little demotivated, but the announcement of the 49.3 mobilised the French people - and us too.\"\n\nThe unrest also disrupted train travel and saw teachers and workers at Paris's Charles de Gaulle Airport walk out of work. Blockades of oil refineries and depots have begun to affect fuel supplies, and Le Figaro website said that by Thursday almost 15% of petrol stations had run out of either petrol or diesel.\n\nUnions and the political left believe the latest day of strikes was a success, but where the situation goes from here is an open question.\n\nPresident Macron was in Brussels for an EU summit as the protests unfolded. The government is hoping they will lose momentum, and that Thursday's violence will put people off.\n\nBut the opposition says the protests will not dwindle, and Parisian refuse collectors, who started their strike against the pension reform on 6 March, have renewed it until next Monday.\n\nFor more than two weeks bins have been left overflowing in many districts in Paris, and the capital does not look its best ahead of King Charles' trip.\n\nLeft-wing politicians have objected to the timing of the state visit, with Jean-Luc M\u00e9lenchon assessing it is \"not the right moment\".\n\nGreen MP Sandrine Rousseau called for it to be cancelled, questioning the location of the royal banquet. \"Is it really the priority to receive Charles III at Versailles? Surely not,\" she said on Wednesday.\n\nBritish royalty has often been feted by French leaders at the palace of Versailles since the Revolution in 1789.\n\nQueen Victoria was welcomed there in 1855 and even waltzed with Napoleon III. George VI visited before World War Two and Elizabeth II paid her first visit as queen there in 1952.\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Watch: Rubbish and e-scooters set on fire in France pension protests","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/world-europe-65062038"}
{"title":"Gwyneth Paltrow trial: Ski instructor in witness box over US ski crash - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-24","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"Eric Christiansen testifies over the skiing accident that involved the US actress at an upmarket resort in Utah.","section":"US & Canada","content":"'The first thing I did was observe them on the ground'\n\nOwens asks Christiansen: \"Did you try to figure out what had happened?\" Christiansen says he did: \"The first thing I did was observe the way they were on the ground. Sanderson's head was uphill, his skis downhill.\" They were very close to the edge of the run; after the fall, both had their skis below them, still had their boots on and Paltrow was on top Sanderson, he adds. He's asked about what it means having their boots on. Christiansen says this means the following: \"They went down with no heavy impact that would knock them over.\" It would be very difficult to get in that position without someone hitting from behind, he says. The next thing he observed is what they were saying, he says; Paltrow was saying she'd just been hit, Sanderson said she'd just appeared in front of him and that he was sorry.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/live\/world-us-canada-65065144"}
{"title":"BBC suspends proposed closure of the BBC Singers - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-24","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"The group, which is the UK's only full-time professional chamber choir, will now perform at the Proms.","section":"Entertainment & Arts","content":"The BBC Singers, a choir of 20 musicians, had been due to close in July\n\nThe BBC has paused its decision to close the BBC Singers, after \"a number of organisations\" came forward to offer alternative funding.\n\nThe group, which is the UK's only full-time professional chamber choir, was targeted by budget cuts shortly before celebrating its 100th anniversary.\n\nThe proposal sparked a backlash, with 140,000 people signing a petition urging the BBC to reverse its decision.\n\nA temporary reprieve has been granted, as new funding models are explored.\n\n\"I am confident that this does secure their future,\" said Simon Webb, the BBC's head of orchestras and choirs.\n\n\"But this has all happened just in the last few days - and what we're looking for now is a little bit of time to quietly, confidentially have conversations with these external partners.\"\n\nHe declined to name the organisations involved but said the choir would still be called the BBC Singers - a name they adopted in 1972, having previously been known as the Wireless Singers, the BBC Chorus, the Variety Chorus and even the Kentucky Minstrels.\n\nThe BBC also confirmed that the ensemble would appear at this year's Proms concerts.\n\nPreviously, the 20-member choir had been due to close in July, meaning they would miss the summer music festival entirely.\n\nJonathan Manners, producer and acting co-director of the BBC Singers, said the group were \"delighted\" at the opportunity for the BBC to work with the Musicians' Union \"to try to secure the future of the BBC Singers, which can only be a positive thing\".\n\nHe added that the Proms would be \"incredibly emotional for everyone involved with the BBC Singers, but also in choral music, because I think the last few weeks have shown how people look up to the BBC Singers\".\n\nNaomi Pohl, general secretary of the Musicians' Union, said: \"The outpouring of love for the BBC Singers and orchestras over the past few weeks has been incredible and we know our members are hugely grateful for all the support they've received.\"\n\nThe corporation's U-turn was received with relief by many in the arts world.\n\n\"This is wonderful news,\" tweeted actor Samuel West, who performed with the BBC Singers at the 2002 Proms. \"Thank you @BBC for listening to reason, and music, and beauty.\"\n\n\"Rejoice! What a fabulous way to start a Friday,\" added former MP Ed Balls. Opera star Jennifer Johnston said she was \"cautiously optimistic\", while conductor John Rutter thanked \"all who raised their voice\" in protest.\n\nThat included thousands of amateur singers in choirs across the UK and abroad, who joined forces to produce a video pleading for the BBC Singers to be saved.\n\nThis Twitter post cannot be displayed in your browser. Please enable Javascript or try a different browser. View original tweet on Twitter The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Skip twitter post by Sam Evans Music 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\u2019s cookie policy, external and privacy policy, external before accepting. To view this content choose \u2018accept and continue\u2019. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.\n\nChoirmaster Sam Evans, who organised the video campaign, also welcomed the latest development.\n\n\"It goes to show that when you've got an important message, you can make your voices heard,\" he said.\n\n\"I don't want to fight the BBC,\" he added. \"I feel like the BBC is a family member, but sometimes people in your family take wrong turns and they need to be told that they're making a mistake.\"\n\nAudience members watching the choir perform at the BBC's Maida Vale studios on Friday were pleased about the reprieve.\n\n\"I sing in chamber choirs and I can tell you that all the chamber choirs and singers that we know in London are absolutely fed up about what was happening because the [BBC] Singers are a class apart,\" said one, called Wendy.\n\n\"[They are] really fantastic singers, and the country doesn't respect really how good they are. I think it might start to now.\"\n\nThis YouTube post cannot be displayed in your browser. Please enable Javascript or try a different browser. View original video on YouTube The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. YouTube content may contain adverts. Skip youtube video by BBC Music 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\u2019s cookie policy, external and privacy policy, external before accepting. To view this content choose \u2018accept and continue\u2019. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. YouTube content may contain adverts.\n\nThe decision to close the BBC Singers was part of a wider programme to downsize the BBC's classical music groups, announced at the start of the month.\n\nIt also involves a 20% reduction of roles in the BBC's English orchestras - the BBC Symphony Orchestra, the BBC Concert orchestra and the BBC Philharmonic.\n\nTenor Adrian Thompson performs the world premiere of Judith Weir's In The Land of Uz with the BBC Singers and conductor David Hill in 2017\n\nThe BBC said it was part of a plan that \"prioritises quality, agility and impact\". According to the latest BBC annual report, \u00a325m was spent on orchestras and performing groups in the last financial year.\n\nThe BBC says it needs to find \u00a3400m in savings by 2027 because of the two-year freeze in the licence fee imposed by the government.\n\nThe move caused consternation across the classical music world. Cellist Julian Lloyd Webber called the cuts \"lamentable\" and said they called the future of the licence fee into question.\n\n\"What has happened to our nation's beloved BBC - the organisation that has been responsible for some of the greatest classical music broadcasts in history?\" he said in the Radio Times.\n\nOn Thursday, the Telegraph reported that Britain's pre-eminent conductor, Sir Simon Rattle, \"may be willing to boycott the BBC Proms\" in protest at the cuts.\n\nThe Musicians' Union has said it would continue to fight to save roles in other BBC performing groups.\n\nThe BBC Singers, based at Maida Vale, perform across the UK and around the world, making annual appearances at the BBC Proms.\n\nThe BBC Concert Orchestra can be heard on BBC Radio 2's Sunday Night Is Music Night and on BBC Radio 3. It explores a wide selection of music, ranging from classical to contemporary.\n\nThe BBC Philharmonic is based at Media City UK in Salford, and performs an annual season of concerts at Manchester's Bridgewater Hall, as well as giving regular concerts at other venues across the north of England.\n\nThe BBC Symphony Orchestra plays a major role at The Proms, and also has an annual season at London's Barbican. Its commitment to contemporary music is demonstrated by a range of premieres each season.\n\nIn a statement, the BBC said it would \"continue to engage with the Musicians' Union and the other BBC Unions about our proposals on the BBC's English Orchestras\".\n\n\"The financial challenges are still there,\" said Mr Webb, \"but we've set out our plan\u2026 and now we're listening.\n\n\"If there are counter-proposals, we're very much listening to that, as we have done with the BBC Singers.\"","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/entertainment-arts-65063238"}
{"title":"French reforms: Macron refuses to give way as pension protests escalate - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-24","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"The French leader says he has no regrets about unpopular pension reforms but tries to calm tensions.","section":"Europe","content":"President Macron was interviewed by journalists from two of France's biggest networks TF1 and France 2\n\nFrench President Emmanuel Macron has given a defiant defence of his decision to force through a rise in the pension age, in the face of protests across France and two no-confidence votes.\n\n\"This reform isn't a luxury, it's not a pleasure, it's a necessity,\" he said.\n\nProtesters have been emboldened by the government's use of constitutional power to ram through reforms without a vote in the National Assembly.\n\nA ninth round of strikes and national protests will take place on Thursday.\n\nThere have been six nights of demonstrations involving hundreds of arrests in a number of cities.\n\nBins that have been left overflowing by refuse workers have been set alight and 13% of petrol stations are running short of fuel because of blockades at oil refineries; almost half the pumps in the Bouches-du-Rh\u00f4ne area of the south have run dry.\n\nThe protests have also cast a cloud over King Charles's imminent visit to France. Green MP Sandrine Rousseau called for the trip to be cancelled: \"Is the priority really to receive Charles III at Versailles? Something is taking place within French society... the priority is to go and talk to society which is rising up.\"\n\nUnder pressure to lower tensions, Mr Macron made his first public remarks on the escalating pensions row in an interview broadcast on two of the main French TV channels at Wednesday lunchtime.\n\nThe French president said protesters had a right to take to the streets and their anger had been taken into account, but it was not acceptable when they resorted to violence without any rules whatsoever.\n\n\"Do you think I enjoy passing this reform? No,\" he said. Looking to bring in the rise in the pension age by the end of 2023 he said he had a responsibility not to leave the issue alone despite its unpopularity.\n\nFrance has a pay-as-you-go pension system whereby workers pay for retirees. Mr Macron pointed out that when he began working there were 10 million French pensioners and now there were 17 million.\n\n\"The longer we wait, the more [the deficit] will deteriorate.\" He said it was time to move, reviving dialogue with the unions and all the political forces that were ready to do so. He outlined a list of priorities for the rest of his presidency: reforming immigration laws, building 200 new barracks for military police, schools, health and the environment.\n\nPresident Macron's decision to use the 49:3 clause to force through a rise in the pension age from 62 to 64 and prolong pension contributions is considered his biggest political risk since he took on the yellow-vest protesters in the first term of his presidency.\n\nBut at that point he had a healthy majority in parliament, and now he leads a minority government and the retirement reform is highly unpopular.\n\nPolitical commentator Bruno Cautr\u00e8s of Sciences Po university told RTL Radio that with six years of office behind him the president no longer had quite the same \"agility\" as he had at the start and that his latest remarks would go down badly with the unions.\n\nUnion leaders along with the far-right National Rally and far-left France Unbowed parties have united in anger at Prime Minister \u00c9lisabeth Borne's move to ram through the legislation.\n\nPhilippe Martinez, the head of the far-left CGT union, said the president's interview had taken millions of protesters for fools in claiming his reforms were the only alternative. Laurent Berger of the more moderate CFDT accused Mr Macron of rewriting history and lying to hide his failure to secure a majority in parliament.\n\nUnion leaders said up to half of primary school teachers would go on strike as part of Thursday's day of action but demonstrations were continuing on Wednesday, including outside the southern port of Marseille-Fos.\n\nStriking workers briefly blocked a high-speed train at Nice station on the eve of a national day of action\n\nMarine Le Pen of National Rally said she would not play \"any part in putting out the fire\" as the president was the only one who had the keys to a political crisis he had himself created.\n\nDuring his TV interview, Mr Macron emphasised his continued backing for his beleaguered prime minister: \"She has my confidence to lead this government team.\"\n\nAhead of his appearance, he reportedly told representatives of his party at the Elys\u00e9e Palace there would be no change of course. He ruled out a reshuffle of the government, a dissolution of parliament or any other dramatic move.\n\nMr Macron told colleagues he had no regrets about forcing through the reforms, as it was \"always a good thing if you want to be respectful of our institutions\".\n\nHe and the prime minister have argued that the reforms have gone through 175 hours of debate in parliament. Mr Macron pointed out that some parties had backed the reform as it went through parliament but then supported a motion of no confidence, which narrowly failed.\n\nThe government realised ahead of a vote in parliament on Monday that it had failed to secure enough votes, particularly among the right-wing Republicans.\n\nAsked during his TV interview if he had any regrets, President Macron said that if he had one it was in not succeeding in convincing people of the necessity of the reform: \"But I don't live with regret, I live with will, tenacity, engagement, because I love our country and people.\"","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/world-europe-65037507"}
{"title":"Derbyshire PC to keep job after using database to find woman on Instagram - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-24","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"The panel rules sacking the PC was \"not a proportional or appropriate outcome\" for his actions.","section":"Derby","content":"The misconduct panel heard evidence at the force's headquarters in Ripley\n\nAn officer will keep his job after it was found he used the Police National Computer (PNC) to find a woman on Instagram.\n\nDerbyshire PC Jack Harrison followed a woman's car at a Co-op supermarket before checking the database on the car's registration in September 2021.\n\nAfter getting the details of the vehicle's owner, he followed her on the app.\n\nThe panel chair said dismissal was \"not a proportional or appropriate outcome\".\n\nThe officer, who joined the force in January 2019 after being a special constable for three years, burst into tears at the outcome.\n\nThe officer is said to have followed the woman in his patrol car from a Co-op store in Wirksworth\n\nAt a misconduct hearing, PC Harrison was given a final written warning, which will be on record for five years, the Local Democracy Reporting Service said.\n\nThe officer denied the allegations and said he believed his actions \"were within policing standards\".\n\nHowever, the panel said it concluded that he did carry out the PNC check for a non-policing purpose and that he searched for the woman's name on Instagram minutes later after the check. This was based on evidence seen on a screenshot of the woman's phone.\n\nThe hearing heard evidence that after the officer followed the woman at the Co-op in Wirksworth, Derbyshire, he sent flame and heart eyes emojis to the same woman's Instagram.\n\nPanel chair Jayne Salt said PC Harrison had acted with \"naivety not cynicism\" and - partly because of that - a final written warning was appropriate for his actions.\n\nThe woman said PC Harrison had reacted to some of her Instagram posts\n\nMs Salt said the panel had considered the fact that PC Harrison had not followed up his Instagram \"follow\" by messaging her directly. However, it was heard that he had sent her another emoji to her in December 2021 before deciding to block her.\n\nThe misconduct hearing previously heard PC Harrison followed the car because he felt it was \"involved with criminality\" and claimed the speed was \"too fast\" when exiting the store.\n\nBut the woman, who cannot be named, told the hearing the \"weird\" events on that day had made her feel uncomfortable and \"worried\" about her security.\n\nFollow BBC East Midlands on Facebook, on Twitter, or on Instagram. Send your story ideas to eastmidsnews@bbc.co.uk.\n\nThe BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/uk-england-derbyshire-65071673"}
{"title":"Masked man with loaded gun stopped from entering Florida strip club - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-24","authors":null,"description":"Security guards fight off the man in Tampa, Florida, possibly preventing a mass shooting, police say.","section":null,"content":"An armed man wearing a devil mask was stopped from entering a strip club in Tampa, Florida, on Sunday.\n\nCCTV shows security guards fighting off and disarming the man, who was carrying a loaded gun in one hand and a flashlight in the other, according to police.\n\nTampa Police Department Interim Chief Lee Bercaw said there was \"no question in my mind\" the security guards had prevented a mass shooting.\n\nOfficers, who took the man into custody, said they found two additional full magazines in his pocket and more ammunition, knives and firearm holsters in his truck.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/world-us-canada-65058329"}
{"title":"Claude Lorius: Pioneering French climate change scientist dies aged 91 - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-24","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"His expeditions to Antarctica helped prove that humans were responsible for global warming.","section":"Europe","content":"Glaciologist Claude Lorius, seen here in Paris in 2011, once said: \"I did not choose science, I chose adventure\"\n\nClaude Lorius, a leading glaciologist whose expeditions helped prove that humans were responsible for global warming, has died at the age of 91.\n\nHe led 22 expeditions to Greenland and Antarctica during his lifetime.\n\nIt was during one trip to Antarctica in 1965 where an evening of whiskey with ice cubes led him to prove humankind's role in the heating of the Earth's surface.\n\nLorius died on Tuesday morning in the French region of Burgundy.\n\nIt was his love of adventure which set him on the path to identifying and predicting an impending catastrophe for the planet.\n\nIn 1956, just out of university, he joined an expedition to Antarctica. Temperatures there were as low as -40C (-40F).\n\nDespite this, Lorius and two other people lived there for two years, surviving with limited supplies and a faulty radio.\n\nThe more polar expeditions he led to the continent, the more he became fascinated with Antarctica's mysteries.\n\nIn 1965, Lorius had a revelation by gathering ice samples and dropping them in whiskey. He spoke about it half a century later.\n\n\"One evening, after deep drilling, in our caravan we drank a glass of whiskey in which we had put ice cubes of old ice,\" he said.\n\n\"Seeing the bubbles of air sparkling in our glasses, I came to the idea that they were samples of the atmosphere trapped in the ice.\"\n\nRealising the scientific potential of analysing trapped air, he then decided to study ice cores - samples drilled out of the ice which act as frozen time capsules.\n\nBy drilling into the ice, Lorius drilled into the past, penetrating, in his words, the \"ice of the first Ice Age\".\n\nHis research into air bubbles trapped in the ice was published in 1987.\n\nIt showed that for long periods levels of carbon dioxide varied slightly but after the Industrial Revolution concentrations of the greenhouse gas had rocketed as temperatures rose.\n\nLorius's research brought him international renown and allowed scientists to look back over 160,000 years' worth of glacial records.\n\nThe French National Centre for Scientific Research (CNRS) said it left \"no room for doubt\" that global warming was due to man made pollution.\n\nFrom then on he became a campaigner and in 1988 he was the inaugural expert of the United Nations Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change.\n\nIn 2002, he was awarded the CNRS gold medal along with his colleague Jean Jouzel.\n\nLorius was also the first Frenchmen to receive the prestigious Blue Planet Prize.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/world-europe-65060965"}
{"title":"MPs back Rishi Sunak's new Brexit Northern Ireland deal - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-24","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"But former PMs Boris Johnson and Liz Truss joined 20 other Tory MPs and the DUP to vote against the agreement.","section":"UK Politics","content":"Rishi Sunak's new Brexit deal for Northern Ireland has been passed by MPs, despite a rebellion from 22 of his backbenchers.\n\nEx-PMs Boris Johnson and Liz Truss were among Tories joining Northern Ireland's DUP in voting against the agreement.\n\nBut it passed by 515 to 29 overall, with the backing of other Tories, Labour and the SNP.\n\nThe deal, unveiled last month, rewrites the Brexit accord agreed by Mr Johnson in 2019.\n\nNorthern Ireland Minister Steve Baker denounced the two former PMs for opposing it, saying he thought \"they're both better than this\".\n\nMr Johnson risks \"looking like a pound shop Nigel Farage\" by voting against the deal, added Mr Baker, who supported the UK's EU exit in 2016.\n\nFormer Brexit leader Nigel Farage fired back on Twitter, saying Mr Baker had betrayed his Brexiteer credentials and was a \"weasel\" for supporting the deal.\n\nMark Francois, the chair of the ERG group of Eurosceptic Tories, confirmed earlier its \"strong recommendation\" was for Tory MPs to defy orders from party managers and reject the deal.\n\nAs well as Mr Johnson and Ms Truss, Tory MPs voting against the deal included former party leader Sir Iain Duncan Smith and former Business Secretary Jacob Rees-Mogg.\n\nPriti Patel, who was home secretary under Mr Johnson, also voted against, writing in the Telegraph before the vote that Mr Sunak should \"negotiate a better deal\".\n\nThe vote is on a key part of the deal, known as the Stormont brake, that would give a future Northern Ireland Assembly a way to challenge new EU goods legislation.\n\nThe vote is likely to be the only vote MPs get on Mr Sunak's renegotiated deal, known as the Windsor Framework.\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser.\n\nAround 100 MPs didn't take part in the vote. This number will include those who abstained, along with those who did not vote for another reason or were given permission not to.\n\nThe original Brexit withdrawal deal negotiated by Mr Johnson introduced a series of checks on goods sent from Great Britain to Northern Ireland, in order to avoid a border with the Irish Republic.\n\nDespite originally billing the agreement as a \"great deal for our country,\" Mr Johnson went on to join Tory Brexiters in bemoaning the economic impact of the checks it introduced.\n\nThe changes negotiated by Mr Sunak aim to streamline the checks process, which have also proved highly unpopular among unionists in Northern Ireland.\n\nSpeaking in the Commons, Northern Ireland Secretary Chris Heaton-Harris said the Stormont brake would give assembly members in Northern Ireland \"robust\" powers to challenge EU laws.\n\nBut in a statement issued before the vote, Mr Johnson said it was \"unacceptable\".\n\n\"The proposed arrangements would mean either that Northern Ireland remained captured by the EU legal order - and was increasingly divergent from the rest of the UK - or they would mean that the whole of the U.K. was unable properly to diverge and take advantage of Brexit,\" he added.\n\nHe said it would be better to proceed with controversial legislation giving British ministers the power to override the original deal, which Mr Sunak has shelved due to his new agreement.\n\nMs Truss is also said to believe the new framework \"fatally impinges\" on the UK's ability to diverge from EU rules.\n\nDemocratic Unionist Party (DUP) leader Sir Jeffrey Donaldson said he will continue to work with the government on \"outstanding issues\" - even though Downing Street said there are no plans for any substantial change to the deal.\n\nThe European Research Group (ERG) of Eurosceptic Tory MPs has criticised the Stormont brake, with legal experts advising them it was \"practically useless\".","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/uk-politics-65034260"}
{"title":"Liam Holden: Army torture forced murder confession, court rules - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-24","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"Parachute Regiment troops tortured Liam Holden into saying he killed a soldier in 1972, a judge rules.","section":"Northern Ireland","content":"Parachute Regiment troops tortured Liam Holden, pictured in 2012, into saying he killed a soldier, the judge ruled\n\nThe family of a Belfast man has been awarded \u00a3350,000 in damages after he was tortured into admitting killing a British soldier in 1972.\n\nLiam Holden was subjected to waterboarding techniques while in military custody and his treatment led to a confession, the High Court ruled.\n\nHis conviction for murdering Private Frank Bell was quashed a decade ago.\n\nThe last man in the UK sentenced to hang, Mr Holden died last September, aged 68.\n\nHis death penalty was commuted and he was released 17 years into a 40-year sentence, the rest of which he spent on licence.\n\nHe always maintained he was hooded, waterboarded and had a gun pointed at his head before wrongly admitting to shooting Private Bell.\n\nMr Holden's murder conviction was finally quashed in 2012, and he was then awarded \u00a31m for losses suffered due to the miscarriage of justice.\n\nDelivering Friday's ruling in the damages case against the Ministry of Defence (MoD), the judge said Mr Holden genuinely believed he was going to be killed.\n\nWith paratroopers having wrongly and unlawfully induced him to make the admission, the MoD was held liable for his malicious prosecution and misfeasance in public office.\n\n\"The plaintiff was subjected to waterboarding; he was hooded; he was driven in a car flanked by soldiers to a location where he thought he would be assassinated,\" said the judge.\n\n\"A gun was put to his head and he was threatened that he would be shot dead.\n\nLiam Holden, aged 18, was taken into police custody in 1972\n\n\"Hooding of the plaintiff, in the circumstances as alleged, constitutes inhuman and degrading treatment in breach of Article 3 of the [European Convention on Human Rights],\" he said.\n\nThe judge said that while the soldiers had an \"honest belief\" they were acting lawfully they knew their actions would injure Mr Holden and \"unquestionably acted in bad faith\".\n\nTheir actions left Mr Holden with significant psychological effects, said the judge.\n\nAccording to the Holden family and their solicitor, this was the first time a court had found waterboarding took place during The Troubles.\n\nAfter the ruling, the family expressed sadness and relief.\n\n\"My father is not here to see this finished,\" his son Samuel Bowden told BBC Radio Ulster's Talkback programme.\n\n\"What he went through should never have happened... today it's all clear that he was innocent.\"\n\nAt a previous court hearing, Mr Holden gave his account of his treatment by soldiers after his arrest.\n\nHe said he was pinned to the floor while a towel was placed over his face.\n\n\"They started pouring a bucket of water slowly through the towel,\" he said.\n\n\"The first thing I felt was the cold, then trying to breathe and then sucking water in through my mouth and up my nose.\n\n\"It was like you were just drowning.\"\n\nSamuel Bowden (right) said the ruling left the family with a sense of sadness and relief\n\nHe said that up to four sessions of questioning and waterboarding were carried out.\n\nMr Holden was then hooded, dragged out of a chair and taken to a loyalist area of Belfast.\n\n\"While we were driving one of the soldiers was tapping my knee with a gun, saying: 'This is for you',\" he told the court.\n\n\"They took me out of the car and brought me into a field, put a gun to my head and said if I didn't admit to shooting the soldier they would shoot me.\"\n\nAsked by his barrister how he had responded to the alleged threat, Mr Holden replied: \"I just said: 'I shot the soldier.'\n\n\"[I] made a cock-and-bull story about where I shot him from, where I got the weapon, where I dumped the weapon and how I got away.\"\n\nA forensic psychiatrist who examined Mr Holden in 2016 said he described being plagued by nightmares more frightening than any real-life experience.\n\nHis son Samuel said his criminal record made it difficult to get work, leave the country or just \"get a normal life going\".","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/uk-northern-ireland-65063511"}
{"title":"Scottish paedophile jailed for directing Philippines child abuse - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-24","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"Gary Campbell, 59, paid for abuse to be carried out as he watched from his home in Sutherland.","section":"Highlands & Islands","content":"Gary Campbell watched and recorded abuse from his home in the Highlands\n\nA paedophile who directed sex attacks on girls in the Philippines from his home in the Scottish Highlands has been jailed for 12 years.\n\nGary Campbell, 59, paid for abuse to be carried out by adults as he watched and recorded it on the internet from his home in Lochinver in Sutherland.\n\nCampbell's youngest victim was thought to have been four years old.\n\nHe admitted 13 charges including rape, assault, and inciting children to become providers of sexual services.\n\nA the High Court in Edinburgh, Lord Beckett said: \"Over a period of more than two years you were intermittently sexually corrupting young children.\n\n\"You will appreciate these are grave crimes indeed, for which there is no alternative to a prison sentence.\"\n\nCampbell's crimes were committed between June 2012 and August 2014.\n\nThe high court heard that police raided his home in May 2021 as part of a child sex abuse investigation.\n\nIt was triggered by the discovery that he had made a series of payments to a Filipino woman after she was arrested for livestreaming child sexual abuse online.\n\nOfficers found recorded videos which showed Campbell watching sexual assaults being committed on children in \"real time\" and giving instructions to the adults carrying out the abuse.\n\nAdvocate depute Margaret Barron told the court a number of devices were seized from Campbell's home and found to contain child sexual abuse material.\n\nCampbell, a former retained firefighter now living in Perth, was also put on the sex offenders register indefinitely.\n\nLord Beckett also ordered that he should be under supervision for a further three years - during which he can be returned to jail if he breaches licence conditions.\n\nLord Beckett told him he would have faced a 15-year prison term but for his guilty pleas.\n\nSpeaking after the sentencing, Det Ch Insp Michael Smith of Police Scotland's specialist crime division, said Gary Campbell was a \"dangerous predator\" who took advantage of some of the most vulnerable people in the Philippines.\n\nHe said: \"The extent and nature of his offending is utterly appalling. He will now face the consequences of his despicable actions in prison.\n\n\"Protecting children online and offline is an absolute priority for Police Scotland and we are committed to building safer virtual communities for everyone.\"\n\nFraser Gibson, Scotland's procurator fiscal for High Court sexual offences, said Campbell was complicit and instrumental in appalling crimes against children.\n\nHe added: \"Gary Campbell was actively involved in a paedophile network in which children were abused for money and on-request.\n\n\"The girls assaulted and raped in the Philippines were vulnerable young children suffering dreadful abuse and exploitation.\"","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/uk-scotland-highlands-islands-65065166"}
{"title":"Lord Sugar crowns winner of The Apprentice - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-24","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"The Apprentice featured an all-female final for the second year in a row.","section":"Entertainment & Arts","content":"Marnie Swindells and Rochelle Anthony were the two finalists of the latest series of The Apprentice\n\nBoxing gym owner Marnie Swindells has become Lord Alan Sugar's business partner after winning this year's series of The Apprentice.\n\nThe 28-year-old court advocate and gold medal-winning boxer beat fellow finalist Rochelle Anthony. It is the second year in a row the BBC One show has had an all-female final.\n\nMs Swindells won Lord Sugar's \u00a3250,000 investment along with the partnership.\n\nThe business mogul said he chose her as he wanted to \"try a new horizon\".\n\nWhen coming to a decision towards the end of the final episode of the 17th series of the reality show, he told Ms Swindells it had been a difficult decision to invest in her community-focused boxing gym.\n\nHe said it was \"something which is completely alien to me to be honest and you've never run a business before\".\n\nBut following her win Ms Swindells, from Oldham, said she was \"so happy\" she would be going into business with Lord Sugar on her gym, called BRONX.\n\nShe said: \"What an incredible opportunity and moment for a girl like me to get to a place like this and have become Lord Sugar's business partner.\n\n\"It feels strange to even say that, but I'm not going to stop saying it because I am so happy.\"\n\nMs Swindells went head-to-head with 35-year-old Bedfordshire hair salon owner Rochelle Anthony as they attempted to convince Lord Sugar and industry experts that they were worth the investment.\n\nThe pair were supported by candidates who had been fired earlier in the series who returned to help them bring their business plans to life.\n\nThe series had started with 18 hopeful candidates, with the first task seeing them fly to Antigua where they were tasked with creating and selling excursions to tourists.\n\nThe Apprentice winner Marnie Swindells will now go into business with Lord Sugar\n\nOver the course of 12 weeks, the candidates were whittled down to the two women.\n\nLord Sugar's aides, Baroness Karren Brady and Tim Campbell, shared their thoughts on the two finalists before the winner was announced.\n\nOf Ms Swindells, Baroness Brady said: \"Marnie, she has never run a business before, and she's chosen a business that's very competitive - can she stand out in this very competitive market?\"\n\nMeanwhile, Mr Campbell advocated for the boxing gym owner, as he said: \"That being said, for an ambassador for a boxing facility, there is no-one better I would think than Marnie and what she stands for.\"\n\nAll episodes of The Apprentice series 17 are available to watch on BBC iPlayer.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/entertainment-arts-65061329"}
{"title":"Murder inquiry after death of woman, 74, in Fishcross - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-24","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"Police were called to a house in Fishcross, Clackmannanshire, on Sunday morning.","section":"Tayside and Central Scotland","content":"Emergency services were called to Engine Green in Fishcross on Sunday morning\n\nPolice have launched a murder inquiry after the death of a 74-year-old woman in a Clackmannanshire village.\n\nThe body of Catherine Pryde was discovered in a house in the Engine Green area of Fishcross at about 07:35 GMT on Sunday.\n\nPolice Scotland said that following a post-mortem examination, detectives had launched the murder investigation.\n\nA spokeswoman for the force said officers were \"pursuing a positive line of inquiry.\"\n\nShe added that there was not thought to be any wider threat to the public.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/uk-scotland-tayside-central-65052449"}
{"title":"John Lewis: Mary Portas warns retailer it has 'let go' of its soul - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-24","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"In an open letter the retail consultant says the store is \"part of our collective cultural identity\".","section":"Business","content":"Mary Portas said John Lewis and its supermarket chain, Waitrose, were part of the \"fabric of everyday British life\"\n\nRetail consultant Mary Portas has written an open letter to John Lewis warning that the department store had \"let go\" of its soul.\n\nThe brand expert described the UK retail giant as part of \"our collective cultural identity\".\n\nHer comments come after John Lewis revealed it was considering a change to its employee-owned business structure, so altering decades of tradition.\n\nChair Sharon White said she wanted the brand to thrive for generations.\n\nMs Portas' intervention is via an open letter on the networking website Linkedin, addressed to Ms White and John Lewis' new chief executive Nish Kankiwala.\n\n\"You are custodians of one of the most valued, loved, and trusted retail brands this country has,\" the retail consultant wrote.\n\nShe said John Lewis and its supermarket chain, Waitrose, were part of the \"fabric of everyday British life\".\n\nEarlier this month the department store signalled job cuts were in the pipeline after it cancelled its staff bonus and reported pre-tax losses of \u00a3234m in what it said was a \"very tough year\".\n\nIf the group pursues the idea of selling a minority stake in the business, it will end it being exclusively owned by its employees.\n\nBut Ms Portas said: \"Your task isn't to turn around just another mediocre retailer under threat of going under. You're fighting to save part of our collective cultural identity.\n\n\"But what's worrying me is that you might think your fight is purely financial. It's not.\"\n\nDescribing the battle as more nuanced, Ms Portas said what laid ahead was about \"the soul of your brand.\"\n\n\"Somehow, in recent years, you've let go of the soul.\"\n\nMary Portas said British brand history was littered with firms who tampered with the crown jewels of their identity\n\nHer letter said: \"What we want is to come to you when we're expecting our first baby and panicking about buying a cot... when we've finally made it onto the property ladder and want curtains and a sofa bed that'll last\".\n\nBut she warned that was \"being slowly chipped away. From loud headlines to daily whispers\".\n\nMs Portas said she appreciated the partnership needed \"money men\" but added: \"Never forget to balance all that with the commercially instinctive, reactive, creative, retail-born folk in the business.\n\n\"It's an art. Not a science.\"\n\nShe urged the group to recommit to the principles it was founded on - common ownership.\n\n\"We know British brand history is littered with those who tampered with the crown jewels of their identity.\n\n\"But failure for John Lewis and Waitrose is not an option. We can't lose you too.\"\n\nJohn Lewis chair Sharon White said \"we've always been open to new partnerships\"\n\nIn response, John Lewis chair Sharon White said it was the \"biggest privilege of my life to be custodian of the Partnership\".\n\n\"I am here to ensure that it not only survives, but thrives for generations.\"\n\nMs White said 100 million customers visited its department stores last year, a third up on the previous year and half a billion customers visited the App and website.\n\n\"We want our brands to continue to grow,\" she said. \"We've always been open to new partnerships with investors or likeminded companies to share in our growth.\n\n\"I will not rest until the partnership is restored to full health,\" she added.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/business-65070604"}
{"title":"Last ever UK death sentence conviction quashed - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-24","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"Liam Holden, the last person to be sentenced to death in the United Kingdom, is cleared by the Court of Appeal of murdering a soldier in west Belfast in 1972.","section":"Northern Ireland","content":"A Belfast man, who was the last person to be sentenced to death in the United Kingdom, has been cleared of murdering a soldier in 1972.\n\nLiam Holden spent 17 years in jail after being convicted. His death sentence was commuted to a life term.\n\nAt the time, he told the court he was forced to sign a confession after soldiers threatened to kill him and used water torture on him.\n\nOn Thursday, the Court of Appeal in Belfast overturned his conviction.\n\nThe Crown had previously said it would not object to the holding of an appeal after assessing evidence contained in a confidential annexe of material.\n\nThis showed that by interrogating Mr Holden for more than three hours, the military was in breach of clear government guidelines that suspects arrested by soldiers should be handed over immediately to the RUC for questioning.\n\nThe Lord Chief Justice Sir Declan Morgan, sitting with two other appeal court judges, said on Thursday that as evidence of the Army guidelines had not been made known to either the defence or prosecution teams during his trial, the appeal was being allowed and the conviction quashed.\n\nSpeaking outside court, Mr Holden said: \"I'm delighted that after 40 years its over. But it's a pity my parents weren't alive to get this result.\"\n\nAlthough the death penalty was abolished in Britain in 1969, it remained in Northern Ireland until 1973.\n\nMr Holden was 19 and working as a chef when he was taken from his home and brought to an Army post at Blackmountain school, where he was held for almost five hours.\n\nBy the end of his time in military custody he had agreed to sign a statement admitting he had killed Private Frank Bell, who died three days after being shot in the head as he patrolled Springfield Avenue, west Belfast, in September 1972.\n\n\"By the time they were finished with me I would have admitted to killing JFK,\" he said in an interview earlier this week.\n\nMr Holden said he was subjected to sustained torture and then threatened that he would be shot if he did not confess to the killing.\n\n\"I was beaten and they told me to admit I had shot the soldier, but I said that wasn't true because I didn't,\" he said.\n\n\"Then six soldiers came into the cubicle where I was being held and grabbed me.\n\n\"They held me down on the floor and one of them placed a towel over my face, and they got water and they started pouring the water through the towel all round my face, very slowly.\n\n\"After a while you can't get your breath but you still try to get your breath, so when you were trying to breathe in through your mouth you are sucking the water in, and if you try to breathe in through your nose, you are sniffing the water in.\n\n\"It was continual, a slow process, and at the end of it you basically feel like you are suffocating.\"\n\nMr Holden said he eventually confessed after he was threatened with being shot.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/uk-northern-ireland-18525631"}
{"title":"Israel's Netanyahu to visit UK amid growing turmoil at home - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-24","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"The Israeli PM's trip comes as divisions deepen over a judicial plan and fears grow in the West Bank.","section":"Middle East","content":"Protester Shay Noter suffered a broken nose after being attacked while blocking a road outside the British embassy\n\nThe beachside highway beside the British embassy in Tel Aviv descended into a scene of bitter division between Israelis a week ago, and blood was spilled on the tarmac.\n\nThe crowd started to block traffic - by now a frequent tactic of protesters - when a driver attacked one of the demonstrators.\n\nThey respond by subduing the driver, beating him back with an Israeli flag pole.\n\nIt was week 11 of mass anti-government protests, ahead of a trip to the UK today by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.\n\n\"Look at what [the driver] did... he hit me with the [oil] can,\" protester Shay Noter, who suffered a broken nose and bloodied face, told the BBC.\n\n\"We have a dictator in Israel that is trying to make his people hate us. You tell your government, you tell your people. He is telling them all the time that we are the enemy.\"\n\nOpponents of the judicial overhaul describe it as an attempted \"regime coup\" by the prime minister and his coalition\n\nPart of the demonstrations have been focused on embassies and the main airport, as Mr Netanyahu has paid a series of visits to European capitals amid growing political turmoil at home.\n\nProtesters were on the streets again this Thursday, rallying against plans by his coalition of far-right and ultra-religious parties to limit the powers of Israel's courts.\n\nCritics believe this will muzzle legal protections and open the door to an authoritarian, demagogic state. Mr Netanyahu says the changes will \"rebalance\" the branches of government.\n\nThe proposals would give ministers near full control over the committee which appoints judges and would ultimately strip the Supreme Court of crucial powers to strike down legislation.\n\n\"Our democracy is literally under attack by the government,\" said demonstrator Avinoam Brog.\n\n\"My parents' generation was part of the foundation of the country. Our generation was to protect it... Unfortunately, it's changed from protecting it against external enemies to an internal threat by our own government,\" he told the BBC.\n\nHis daughter, Nitzan Weisberg, said they were protesting against a \"post-Zionist, messianic government\".\n\n\"What were [we] fighting for? What were all the sacrifices made for?\" she asked.\n\n\"My father and brothers didn't fight in wars for a theocracy, for Orthodox Jews, that would persecute LGBT [people], that would discriminate against women, that would persecute Arabs,\" she continued.\n\nPrime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu told a cabinet meeting on Sunday that he would not accept \"anarchy\"\n\nMr Netanyahu is travelling to London on Thursday evening for talks on trade and security.\n\nHe is due to meet British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak for discussions billed by the Israelis as focusing on Iran and \"strategic ties\" with the UK.\n\nThe Israeli leader is expected to repeat his message that the highly controversial judicial reforms are necessary and that the country will \"remain a liberal democracy\".\n\nAfter his election win, he argues, the changes are the will of the people that should not be thwarted by unelected judges.\n\nHe has previously denied that minority rights would be affected by his far right coalition partners, saying he has \"both hands on the steering wheel\".\n\nAnd speaking ahead of his cabinet meeting on Sunday he said his government would not accept \"anarchy\".\n\n\"There are those who are calling for the blocking of highways, for military refusal, for blood in the streets, and to attack public figures. We will not accept this. We will not accept violence by any side,\" he said.\n\nIn the occupied West Bank, the protests feel a world away amid a growing numbers of Israeli army patrols\n\nBut there is growing international pressure on his government, which includes parties that espouse racist, anti-Arab policies, over both its legislation and rhetoric at a time when violence continues to spiral in the region.\n\nIsrael's far-right Finance Minister, Bezalel Smotrich, sparked a diplomatic crisis this week when he said there was \"no such thing\" as a Palestinian people, speaking in front of a map which put the occupied West Bank and neighbouring Jordan within Israel's borders.\n\nEarlier this month, he called for the Palestinian town of Hawara to be \"wiped out\" after a Palestinian gun attack killed two Israelis, which in turn sparked a deadly rampage by Israeli settlers against Palestinian civilians and their homes.\n\nUnder pressure, Mr Smotrich later said he didn't mean it.\n\nNawal al-Dumaidi says she was trapped for three days in her home in Hawara after settlers burned its entrance\n\nIn the occupied West Bank, the protests feel a world away amid Israeli military outposts and growing numbers of army patrols.\n\nHomes in Hawara still bear the scars of violence, with burned out buildings and vandalised shopfronts yet to be repaired.\n\nNawal al-Dumaidi, 70, showed the BBC inside her apartment which overlooks the main highway.\n\nShe was trapped for three days after the settlers burned the building's entrance and still has several tear-gas and stun-grenade shells that she says the Israeli military fired at her terrace while the fire raged.\n\nNow, her family fears a deteriorating atmosphere, with the settlers emboldened by their far-right allies in government.\n\n\"We are suffering all the time. Settlers descend from the mountain, burn olive trees and attack homes,\" said Mrs Dumaidi.\n\n\"I am afraid that they will occupy Hawara because of its strategic location on the main road,\" she added.\n\nThere have been international efforts to de-escalate tensions in the region ahead of Ramadan and Passover\n\nHer nephew, Jehad Shurab, talked about the weakness of the official Palestinian leadership, adding that \"only God\" can help the residents.\n\n\"The prime minister of Palestine came here. While he was here, the IDF [Israeli army] is down there [on the road],\" he said.\n\nHe believes that Mr Smotrich and Israel's far-right National Security Minister, Itamar Ben-Gvir, are helping create an atmosphere of chaos.\n\n\"Ben-Gvir, Smotrich, they are crazy. And you see what's happening in Israel now... The international community must put an end to such behaviour of teenage Israeli politicians. The European Union, America, and the countries of the world must limit the dictatorial behaviour of these people,\" he says.\n\nIn the nearby cities of Jenin and Nablus, there are no signs of progress in US-backed attempts to restore the limited security grip of the Palestinian Authority (PA) - the official leadership rejected by a new generation of armed militants whose firepower has grown dramatically over the last 18 months.\n\nIn the most deadly start to a year in nearly two decades, Israeli military raids have become increasingly lethal, alongside a continuing wave of Palestinian armed attacks. At least 88 Palestinians and 15 Israelis have been killed since the beginning of January.\n\nA tense period is expected in the coming weeks as hundreds of thousands of worshippers flock to Jerusalem with the Jewish holiday of Passover due to overlap with the Muslim holy month of Ramadan, which starts here on Thursday.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/world-middle-east-65052927"}
{"title":"Death sentence man Liam Holden: 'I was tortured into a false confession' - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-24","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"Liam Holden says soldiers used waterboarding torture techniques and put a gun to his head to make him confess to a murder that he did not commit.","section":"Northern Ireland","content":"Liam Holden was 19 when he was arrested and convicted of a soldier's murder\n\nIt happened almost 40 years ago, but Liam Holden can still recall the sensation of gasping for breath as water was slowly poured on to a towel covering his face.\n\n\"That feeling will never leave me,\" he says.\n\n\"Even talking about it now, I get a gagging sensation in my throat.\"\n\nHe was 19 at the time and was being questioned by members of the Parachute Regiment about the murder of a soldier, Private Frank Bell.\n\nHe died three days after being shot in the head as he patrolled in the Springfield Avenue area of west Belfast in September 1972.\n\nThe teenage chef was taken from his home and brought to an army post at Blackmountain school, where he was held for almost five hours.\n\nBy the end of his time in military custody, he had agreed to sign a statement admitting he had shot the soldier.\n\n\"By the time they were finished with me I would have admitted to killing JFK,\" he says.\n\nSo what did the Army do during that time? Liam Holden says he was subjected to sustained torture and then threatened that he would be shot if he did not confess to the killing.\n\n\"I was beaten and they told me to admit I had shot the soldier, but I said that wasn't true because I didn't.\n\n\"Then six soldiers came into the cubicle where I was being held and grabbed me. They held me down on the floor and one of them placed a towel over my face, and they got water and they started pouring the water through the towel all round my face, very slowly,\" he says.\n\n\"After a while you can't get your breath but you still try to get your breath, so when you were trying to breathe in through your mouth you are sucking the water in, and if you try to breathe in through your nose, you are sniffing the water in.\n\nLiam Holden says those who forced him to sign the confession knew he was innocent\n\n\"It was continual, a slow process, and at the end of it you basically feel like you are suffocating. They did not stop until I passed out, or was close to passing out.\n\n\"They repeated that three or four times, but were still getting the same answer. I told them I had not shot the soldier.\"\n\nMr Holden, now a father of two, said the soldiers then changed tactics and put a hood over his head and told him he was going to be shot.\n\n\"They put me into a car and took me for a drive and said they were bringing me to a loyalist area,\" he said.\n\n\"I couldn't see where I was but I was in a field somewhere. One of the soldiers put a gun to my head and said that if I didn't admit to killing the soldier that they were going to shoot me and just leave me there.\n\n\"I had a hood over my head and a gun at my head in the middle of a field and was told I would be killed if I didn't admit it. There were no ifs or buts, I just said I did it.\n\n\"I didn't think about going to prison or anything like that, I just confessed to make them stop.\"\n\nThe term \"waterboarding\" was not in use at the time, but Mr Holden's description of what happened to him, which he outlined in court at the time, are remarkably similar to the accounts of others who claim to have been subjected to the same form of torture by the CIA in recent years.\n\nAlthough Mr Holden had an alibi for the time of the shooting, and the only evidence against him was the confession he said he had been forced to sign, he was convicted.\n\n\"They knew I did not shoot that soldier, they knew. There was no evidence whatsoever apart from that statement that I signed,\" he says.\n\nHe was released from prison in 1989 after serving 17 years. Since then, he has campaigned to clear his name and the Criminal Cases Review Commission, which was established to investigate possible miscarriages of justice, referred his case to the Court of Appeal.\n\nThe commission took the decision based on new evidence and doubts about \"the admissibility of reliability\" of his confession.\n\nSome of the new material included evidence discovered by a Guardian journalist, Ian Cobain, that water torture was used by the British military at the time, despite repeated denials. The journalist was an expert witness for Mr Holden's legal team.\n\nLast month, Mr Holden was granted permission to appeal after the Public Prosecution Service said it would not oppose the move. A spokesman for the PPS said its decision was based on confidential evidence compiled by the Criminal Cases Review Commission which had not been available to prosecutors at the time of the trial.\n\n\"The court of trial was therefore deprived of relevant material that might have led to a different outcome on the question of the admissibility of the incriminating statements, which were the sole basis of the conviction,\" the spokesman added.\n\n\"In those circumstances the director concluded that it would not be appropriate to oppose the appeal.\"\n\nLiam Holden said he lost his family as well as his liberty during those 17 years in jail.\n\n\"I have five brothers and five sisters, but I don't really know them. The older ones moved on, got married and had their own families while I was in jail. The ones who were younger than me when I was sent to prison didn't get the chance to get to know me.\"\n\nHis mother died a year after he was released, and his father a short time later.\n\n\"I'm just sorry they aren't around to see the outcome of this appeal, to see the stigma removed from my name. That is what this is about. I have never mentioned money at any stage. This is just about being found not guilty and that's all it is, that is more important than any compensation they could ever think of offering me.\"\n\nWhat about the soldiers who tortured him and forced him to sign the confession that led to his conviction?\n\n\"I would just like one of them to admit it, to acknowledge that they subjected me to what I have said they did. I think that would be almost as good, in my own mind, as the judge saying 'Sorry Mr Holden but you were not guilty,\" he said.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/uk-northern-ireland-18525630"}
{"title":"Brixton Academy crush: Family's anguish over body release - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-24","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"A funeral service for Rebecca Ikumelo goes ahead three months after the crush at the O2 Academy Brixton.","section":"London","content":"Rebecca Ikumelo died following the crush at the O2 Academy Brixton in December\n\nThe family of a woman killed in a crush at the O2 Academy Brixton have spoken of their anguish at not having her body returned for more than three months.\n\nMother-of-two Rebecca Ikumelo, 33, died from her injuries after a large number of people tried to enter a concert by Afro-pop singer Asake on 15 December.\n\nHer family said their grief had been compounded by the time it took before they could bury her on Friday.\n\nHundreds of mourners paid their respects to the nursing graduate.\n\nSilence fell on the street of Ms Ikumelo's family home in Stratford, east London, as her coffin arrived in a carriage led by white horses.\n\nThe cortege then made its way to East London Crematorium for the burial service.\n\nMs Ikumelo's coffin arrived at East London Crematorium in a carriage led by white horses\n\nOn the night of the crush, the concert was cut short when a crowd surged in the foyer in the Academy.\n\nTwo people, Ms Ikumelo, and security contractor Gaby Hutchinson, 23, from Gravesend in Kent, died as result of their injuries,\n\nMs Ikumelo's family have been unable to bury her until now because her body was held by the coroner.\n\nMary Ikumelo spoke of how difficult Rebecca's death has been to process\n\nHundreds of mourners paid respects to the mother-of-two\n\n\"She was such a special person,\" Ms Ikumelo's aunt, Mary, told the BBC.\n\n\"It has been so, so difficult to comprehend what we've been through as a family... we only just got Rebecca's body back.\n\n\"Why did it take so long? We are a patient family and we will fight as we wait for justice.\"\n\nA police investigation into the incident is due to conclude next month.\n\nFollow BBC London on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. Send your story ideas to hellobbclondon@bbc.co.uk\n\nThe BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/uk-england-london-65062392"}
{"title":"In pictures: Rubbish and fires in French protests - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-24","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"King Charles has postponed a state visit to France after protests over pension reform turned violent.","section":"In Pictures","content":"King Charles has postponed his first state visit to France after protests over pension reform turned violent.\n\nHuge numbers of people have taken part in demonstrations across France over legislation to raise the retirement age from 62 to 64.\n\nRefuse collectors have been on strike for over two weeks in several cities, with Paris seeing thousands of tonnes of uncollected rubbish on the streets.\n\nSome protesters set fire to the piles of rubbish on Thursday - the clean up began early Friday morning.\n\nDemonstrations in central Paris were peaceful, but some groups smashed shop windows, burnt rubbish and clashed with riot police.\n\nIn the city of Bordeaux, people gathered against the reform and chanted: \"Macron, resign!\"\n\nA fire engulfed the front door of the Bordeaux town hall on Thursday evening.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/in-pictures-65062962"}
{"title":"Gwyneth Paltrow trial: Actress denies hit-and-run in ski crash - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-24","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"The actress testifies she felt \"hurt and violated\" when she says a man crashed into her on the slope.","section":"US & Canada","content":"This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Watch: Jaw-dropping moments from the courtroom as Gwyneth Paltrow testifies\n\nGwyneth Paltrow has denied in court that she caused a 2016 ski collision in Utah that the man suing her says has left him with life-changing injuries.\n\nTerry Sanderson, 76, says the Hollywood actress caused the crash. He is seeking damages of $300,000 (\u00a3244,000).\n\nMs Paltrow, 50, has countersued. She testified that he collided with her and left her feeling \"hurt and violated\".\n\nLawyers for Mr Sanderson say Ms Paltrow was distracted by her children on the slope, and fled the crash.\n\nAccording to his civil lawsuit, Mr Sanderson suffered a lasting brain injury and four fractured ribs.\n\nMs Paltrow testified in court on Friday, day four of the trial, that the crash left her with a sore knee and she got a massage afterwards.\n\n\"There was a body pressing against me and a very strange grunting noise,\" she said, describing how Mr Sanderson, a retired eye doctor, allegedly crashed into her from behind on a beginners' slope at Deer Valley in February 2016.\n\n\"Is this a practical joke. Is someone doing something perverted?\" she told the court she recalled thinking in that moment.\n\n\"He was groaning and grunting in a very disturbing way,\" she added.\n\nThey fell on the ground together, and were almost \"spooning\", she said.\n\nShe later clarified that she was not accusing Mr Sanderson of sexual assault.\n\nTerry Sanderson was in court on Friday\n\nThe Oscar winner also apologised for screaming a profanity at him after the crash.\n\n\"After an incident like that when you feel hurt and violated, unfortunately adrenaline can take over, and emotion as well,\" she said, explaining her anger at the time.\n\nLawyers for Mr Sanderson asked if she remembered her nine-year-old son, Moses, shouting \"mommy, mommy, watch me.\" She said she did not recall that.\n\nThe Goop lifestyle brand founder also denied her children had been a distraction as she skied at the upmarket Park City resort.\n\n\"I was skiing and looking downhill as you do,\" she said. \"And I was skied directly into by Mr Sanderson.\"\n\nMr Sanderon's legal team sought to undermine her credibility, suggesting it was misleading to say she was suing for a symbolic $1 when she is also seeking reimbursement of legal fees, which could amount to hundreds of thousands of dollars.\n\nThroughout her testimony Ms Paltrow remained calm, sipping regularly on water, and even complimenting the shoes of the plaintiff's lawyer during cross-examination.\n\nOn Thursday, a doctor testified that Mr Sanderson had previously been a \"high-energy person\", but \"deteriorated abruptly\" after the crash.\n\nOn Friday, his daughter Shae Herath took the stand to tell the court: \"This is not my dad. This is an alternate version of my dad.\"\n\nLawyers for Mr Sanderson on Friday grilled Ms Paltrow on why she did not personally inquire if he was OK.\n\nShe said she was too angry about the crash to do so herself, but her ski instructor had checked on Mr Sanderson. Mr Sanderson, she said, had mumbled that he was OK.\n\n\"I did not cause the accident, so I cannot be at fault for anything that subsequently happened to him,\" Ms Paltrow said.\n\nThe day's skiing - including lessons for her, her now-husband, Brad Falchuk, and four children - cost over $9,000, lawyers for Mr Sanderson noted.\n\nMs Paltrow's lawyers argue Mr Sanderson is to blame for the accident and that he had several medical conditions before the collision, including vision and hearing loss from a stroke; a brain disorder that caused excessive fluid build-up; and occasional depression.\n\nThe trial, before a jury of eight people, will continue on Monday.\n\nThis case hinges on skiing etiquette with both parties claiming that they were the downhill skier and therefore had right of way.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/world-us-canada-65072367"}
{"title":"John Swinney 'had been trying to step down for years' - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-24","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"The outgoing deputy first minister says he had made repeated efforts to leave government since 2016.","section":"Scotland politics","content":"Deputy first minister John Swinney has revealed that he repeatedly tried to leave the Scottish government over the last seven years.\n\nMr Swinney told the BBC that Nicola Sturgeon \"wouldn't countenance\" his offers to make way in 2016 and 2021.\n\nHe also came \"incredibly close\" to resigning over the controversial system of exam moderation during the pandemic.\n\nMs Sturgeon said she had always done everything in her power to keep Mr Swinney in government.\n\nThe first minister described her long-serving deputy as \"the most important person in my adult life outside my husband and family\".\n\nThe pair will stand down together next week after 16 years in power, following the election of a new SNP leader.\n\nThey have been speaking to the Nicola Sturgeon podcast - a new series starting on BBC Sounds on Monday 27 March.\n\nThe first episode tells the inside story of the first minister's sudden resignation.\n\nMr Swinney said he became \"pretty certain\" Ms Sturgeon was set to leave about a week before her announcement.\n\nHowever, he had started to wonder about her thinking at Christmas, when he told the first minister he intended to leave government when his spell as acting finance secretary was over.\n\nMs Sturgeon apparently did not challenge his decision, as she had done on previous occasions.\n\nWhen Mr Swinney offered to stand down after the Scottish Parliament elections in 2016 and 2021 he said \"she basically wouldn't countenance me leaving government\".\n\nThat was confirmed by Ms Sturgeon, who said that whenever her deputy raised the possibility of leaving she had \"done everything in my power to talk him out of it\".\n\nAsked about what impact Mr Swinney's decision had on her, the first minister said she may already have been starting to wrestle with her own future.\n\n\"If you'd said to me then that come the middle of February you're going to be announcing your resignation, I would have said, don't be ridiculous,\" she said.\n\n\"But looking back on it, I think subconsciously I was already grappling with that, and maybe in my response to John there was a sense of what deep down inside maybe I knew was coming for me as well.\"\n\nMr Swinney felt he should resign during a row over exam grades during the Covid pandemic\n\nMs Sturgeon has relied heavily on Mr Swinney over her years in power and once again rejected his offer to resign during the 2020 exams debacle.\n\nAs education secretary, Mr Swinney approved a system of moderation that resulted in some pupils being downgraded based on the historic performance of their school.\n\nThe system was widely considered to be unfair to those from more deprived areas and was eventually scrapped with students receiving the grades their teachers recommended instead.\n\n\"I persuaded the first minister that was the right thing to do, and it turned out to be the wrong thing to do,\" he said.\n\n\"I came incredibly close to resigning. Very, very close because I felt I had made a mistake.\n\n\"l remember reading a comment which said surely the kids in Scotland could have been given a break, because everything else has been turned upside down. And I thought, that's your mistake mate, you should own it.\"\n\nMr Swinney said he \"took a bit of persuading\", but that Ms Sturgeon convinced him to stay in post to deliver changes to the system.\n\nHe later survived an opposition attempt to oust him in a vote of no confidence at Holyrood over the row.\n\nJohn Swinney and Nicola Sturgeon are both heading for the back benches\n\nMs Sturgeon defended him in that debate and has paid a warm tribute to him as they prepare to leave government. In a personal statement at Holyrood on Thursday, she described Swinney as \"the best deputy first minister and the best friend\" she could have had in office.\n\nSeparately, she told the BBC \"the most important person in my adult life outside my husband and family is actually John Swinney\".\n\nThe first minister said she realised that to be the case when they sat down together after she gave evidence to the Holyrood committee investigating the Scottish government's mishandling of complaints against the former first minister, Alex Salmond.\n\nIn the past, Ms Sturgeon had described Mr Salmond - her friend and mentor of 30 years - in similar terms.\n\nShe has revised that assessment after the spectacular breakdown in their relationship in 2018.\n\nYou can subscribe to the Nicola Sturgeon podcast on BBC Sounds now. Episode 1: The Resignation is available from Monday 27 March.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/uk-scotland-scotland-politics-65055457"}
{"title":"Prince William praises Ukrainian refugees' resilience on Poland trip - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-24","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"The Prince of Wales met Ukrainians who have fled the war on the second day of his visit to Poland.","section":"UK","content":"Prince William is on a two-day trip to Poland\n\nThe resilience of Ukrainian refugees \"shines out\", the Prince of Wales has said during a visit to Poland.\n\nPrince William met with some of those who had fled the war with Russia while in Warsaw on the second day of his surprise trip to the country.\n\nHe said: \"It's amazing how resilient you are. That shines out.\"\n\nThe heir to the throne also met the Polish President Andrzej Duda to lay a wreath commemorating the nation's war dead.\n\nDuring a visit to a food hall in Warsaw, the prince speaking to Ukrainians who have fled their home said: \"It must be very difficult to start an entire new life in a new country.\"\n\nThe prince also thanked people who have hosted refugees.\n\nPrince William's visit to Poland is at the request of the UK government, but the prince has previously been clear about his support for the people of Ukraine, tweeting his backing days after Russia's invasion.\n\nHis trip to Poland marks him renewing that support.\n\nThe prince visited a food hall in Warsaw where he spoke to Ukrainian refugees\n\nEarlier, the prince met President Duda at the Presidential Palace where they discussed the war in Ukraine and laid a wreath at a monument to soldiers.\n\nA spokesperson for the prince said he discussed the need for ongoing support to Ukraine and its people, as well as him looking forward to the Polish head of state's attendance at the King's coronation.\n\nOn Wednesday, Prince William made a surprise trip to visit British troops in Rzeszow in south-east Poland - roughly an hour from the Ukrainian border.\n\nHe thanked British troops based in the city helping to deliver aid to Ukraine for \"defending our freedoms\" by \"keeping an eye on\" the situation in the neighbouring country.\n\nThe prince met with Polish President Andrzej Duda at the Presidential Palace\n\nPrince William was greeted by a guard of honour before laying a wreath\n\nIt is the prince's second visit to the country\n\nThe trip is the prince's first to Poland since a visit in 2017 with his wife Catherine.\n\nLast May, before he was king, King Charles III travelled to Romania to meet Ukrainian refugees - the first visit from a senior royal to the region since the start of the Russian invasion of Ukraine in February last year.\n\nPoland is a strong ally of neighbouring Ukraine and one of its largest suppliers of military equipment.\n\nIt recently pledged to supply Ukraine with fighter jets.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/uk-65055847"}
{"title":"MPs approve plans to make street sexual harassment a crime - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-24","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"A government-backed bill criminalising catcalling or following people now goes to the House of Lords.","section":"UK Politics","content":"Females under 34 are most likely to be the target of sexual offences but the least likely to report them\n\nMPs have approved plans to make street sexual harassment a crime carrying a jail sentence of up to two years.\n\nCatcalling, following someone or blocking their path will become an offence in England and Wales under a bill backed by the government.\n\nSexual harassment is already illegal. The bill aims to improve enforcement and targets street harassment.\n\nConservative Greg Clark, who put it forward, said it was \"astonishing\" that this was not already a crime.\n\nThe move was unopposed, and now goes to the House of Lords for scrutiny.\n\nMr Clark, a former business secretary, told MPs the intention of his bill was \"to reinforce a change in the culture\".\n\n\"This closes a loophole in the law, as it has never has been a specific criminal offence to harass and intimidate intentionally a woman or a girl in public,\" he told the BBC.\n\n\"Because it is not a specific crime, too many woman and girls think there is no point in reporting it to the police.\n\n\"This is something we don't tolerate for racial harassment or harassment on the grounds of sexuality.\"\n\nWhile targeted at changing behaviour towards women and girls, the proposals will apply equally to men and women.\n\nThe government backed the plans in December, meaning the changes are almost guaranteed to become law.\n\nA survey by pollsters YouGov for the BBC, published last year, suggested two-thirds of women did not feel safe walking alone at night, at least some of the time.\n\nWomen and girls under 34 are most likely to be the target of sexual offences but the least likely to report them, according to the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS).\n\nThe CPS, which decides whether to take cases to court, recently updated its advice to staff about street harassment. The new guidelines also cover offences like exposure, stalking and sexual assault.\n\nThe murder of Sarah Everard, who was abducted and killed by serving policeman Wayne Couzens while walking home in south London in 2021, also increased concerns about women's safety and male attitudes towards women.\n\nSix months later, primary school teacher Sabina Nessa, 28, was murdered in south London by a man she had never met.\n\nHarsher sentences will also be introduced, increasing the maximum jail term from six months to two years.\n\nSpeaking in the Commons, Tory MP Christopher Chope said the bill could lead to a deterioration in mental health in young men.\n\n\"A reasonable worry about assault appears to have morphed into an institutional misandry,\" he told MPs.\n\n\"Sexual assault is bad and treating men as inherent sex pests is also bad.\"\n\nBut Mr Chope did not vote against the bill.\n\nCampaigners have also called for wolf-whistling and staring intently to be criminalised.\n\nLast July, then Home Secretary Priti Patel launched a consultation on making street harassment a specific crime. The Home Office has now concluded this should happen after \"the significant majority\" of respondents were in favour.\n\nLast year, Independent Government Adviser for Tackling Violence Against Women and Girls Nimco Ali claimed the government had blocked such legislation.\n\nThe government recently launched its Enough campaign about street harassment\n\nCrime and policing minister Chris Philp told MPs the government was pleased to back the bill.\n\n\"This is only part of a wider piece of work to protect women and girls in particular.\n\n\"There is of course a lot more work to do. I look forward to working with colleagues in government and across the House.\"\n\nLast year, the Home Office launched a campaign encouraging people to call out harassment.\n\nIt's called Enough, and you might have seen posters for it popping up on public transport over the past month or so.\n\nThe adverts suggest ways for people to intervene if they see someone being harassed.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/uk-politics-65065154"}
{"title":"King Charles's France visit postponed after pension protests - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-24","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"Emmanuel Macron says the trip could not go ahead because of pension protests during the trip.","section":"UK","content":"This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser.\n\nKing Charles III's state visit to France has been postponed after a request by President Emmanuel Macron, Downing Street says.\n\nThe president said \"we would not be sensible and would lack common sense\" to go ahead after unions called a day of pension protests during the visit.\n\nThe trip to Paris and Bordeaux had been due to begin on Sunday.\n\nBut both cities were caught up in violence on Thursday, some of the worst since demonstrations began in January.\n\nBuckingham Palace said the decision to postpone the three-day visit by Charles III and Camilla, the Queen Consort, was due to the \"situation in France\".\n\n\"Their Majesties greatly look forward to the opportunity to visit France as soon as dates can be found,\" the statement added.\n\nPresident Macron said that from the moment on Thursday night when unions announced a 10th national day of action for Tuesday, two days into the state visit, he felt it would be inappropriate for the King and Camilla to travel.\n\n\"As we have considerable friendship, respect and esteem for His Majesty and the Queen Consort and the British people, I took the initiative this morning to call [the King] and explain the situation... Common sense and friendship led us to suggest a postponement.\"\n\nThe UK government added the decision had been \"taken with the consent of all parties\". Mr Macron said France had proposed moving the trip to early summer, \"when things calm down again\".\n\nThe King and Queen Consort, pictured in Bolton in January\n\nThe decision is a significant loss of face for France and for President Macron. This was supposed to have been a showcase for France, introducing the new monarch to the best of French life and cementing a newly awakened friendship.\n\nThe president's opponents on the left and right reacted fast.\n\nEric Ciotti of the Republicans said the cancellation brought \"shame on our country\" while Jean-Luc M\u00e9lenchon on the far left was delighted the \"meeting of kings at Versailles\" had been broken up, adding that \"the English\" knew that France's interior minister was \"pathetic on security\".\n\nThe protests had made the trip impossible. Several French cities saw violence on the sidelines of Thursday's largely peaceful demonstrations that attracted more than a million people.\n\nThe entrance to the town hall in Bordeaux was set alight. In Paris, tear gas was fired and Interior Minister G\u00e9rald Darmanin said 903 fires were lit, in a city where refuse has been left uncollected since 6 March.\n\nHundreds of police officers were hurt across France, but protesters were injured by stun grenades and the Council of Europe said there was no justification for \"excessive force\" by authorities.\n\nFor much of Friday morning, French officials had sought to reassure the public that the state visit, from 26 to 29 March, would go ahead and that security was in place. Some UK journalists had already travelled to Paris to cover the event.\n\nThis was a hugely important trip for the King: a first state visit, and to one of the UK's closest and oldest allies. The King and Camilla were due to ride along the Champs-Elys\u00e9es in the heart of Paris and have a banquet at Versailles with President Macron.\n\nCamilla was expected to open an art exhibition at one of the main Paris attractions, the Mus\u00e9e d'Orsay. They were then expected to head to Bordeaux.\n\nBut every step of the visit was at risk of being targeted by protests and eventually it was cancelled. Even the people who roll out the red carpets were planning strike action.\n\nInterior Minister Mr Darmanin said earlier on Friday that there were \"no known threats\" to the King. Bordeaux Mayor Pierre Hurmic said the trip to his city had been adapted so it \"can go ahead under the best security, so as not to expose the King to the slightest difficulty\".\n\nHowever, facing the prospect of showing the King through rubbish and graffiti-strewn streets, with every public appearance smothered in security, and every movement threatened by strikes, the French president made the obvious choice.\n\nIt may have been a joint decision with the UK government, but he was the one under pressure.\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Watch: Rubbish and e-scooters set on fire in France pension protests\n\nThe trip to Bordeaux, originally intended to focus on organic vineyards, went up in flames. The town hall, its front door set alight on Thursday, was due to be part of the visit.\n\nDomestically, the image would have played badly for the president. Dining with a king in Versailles would have been jarringly inappropriate and could have played rather too directly into the hands of his detractors.\n\nA TV interview that President Macron gave on the eve of Thursday's national action appeared to galvanise protesters, when he described the government's reforms as an economic necessity, saying he was prepared to accept the resulting unpopularity.\n\nHis government decided on Monday to force through the reforms, which raise the pension age from 62 to 64 and extend contributions by workers to 43 years.\n\nAs the president and prime minister realised they would struggle to pass the law in the National Assembly, they resorted to a constitutional power to bypass a vote.\n\n\"I listened to Macron yesterday and it was as if someone was spitting in our face,\" said Ad\u00e8le, a 19-year-old law student in Nanterre. \"For this pension reform, there is another way and if he doesn't do that, it's because he's not listening to the people. There's a clear lack of democracy,\" she told the BBC.\n\nWhile the postponement will be highly embarrassing for President Macron, it will also be disappointing for King Charles.\n\nState visits are made on the advice of the government. All the background briefing had been that this was an important diplomatic statement about rebuilding relationships with European neighbours.\n\nThe King and Camilla were due to travel from France to Germany on Wednesday. Charles's first state visit will instead begin in Berlin.\n\u2022 None In pictures: Rubbish and fires in French protests","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/uk-65064510"}
{"title":"World Athletics bans transgender women from competing in female world ranking events - BBC Sport","published_date":"2023-03-24","authors":null,"description":"World Athletics has banned transgender women from competing in the female category at international events.","section":null,"content":"Last updated on .From the section Athletics\n\nWorld Athletics has banned transgender women from competing in the female category at international events.\n\nThe governing body's president, Lord Coe, said no transgender athlete who had gone through male puberty would be permitted to compete in female world ranking competitions from 31 March.\n\nA working group will be set up to conduct further research into the transgender eligibility guidelines.\n\n\"We're not saying no forever,\" he said.\n\nUnder previous rules, World Athletics required transgender women to reduce their amount of blood testosterone to a maximum of 5nmol\/L, and stay under this threshold continuously for a period of 12 months before competing in the female category.\n\nLord Coe added the decision was \"guided by the overarching principle which is to protect the female category\".\n\nHe noted that there are currently no transgender athletes competing internationally in the sport.\n\n\"Decisions are always difficult when they involve conflicting needs and rights between different groups, but we continue to take the view that we must maintain fairness for female athletes above all other considerations,\" said Lord Coe.\n\n\"We will be guided in this by the science around physical performance and male advantage which will inevitably develop over the coming years. As more evidence becomes available, we will review our position, but we believe the integrity of the female category in athletics is paramount.\"\n\nThe Council agreed to set up a working group for 12 months to \"further consider the issue of transgender inclusion\".\n\nAn independent chair will lead the group, while it will also include up to three council members, two athletes from the Athletes' Commission, a transgender athlete, three representatives of World Athletics' member federations and representatives of the World Athletics health and science department.\n\nIt will consult specifically with transgender athletes, as well as review and commission research and put forward recommendations to the Council.\n\nThe World Athletics Council also voted to reduce the amount of blood testosterone permitted for athletes with differences in sex development (DSD) such as South Africa's Caster Semenya.\n\nDSD is a group of rare conditions whereby a person's hormones, genes and\/or reproductive organs may be a mix of male and female characteristics. Some of those affected prefer the term \"intersex\".\n\nDSD athletes will be required to reduce their blood testosterone level to below 2.5 nanomoles per litre, down from five, and must remain under this threshold for two years in order to compete internationally in the female category in any track and field event.\n\nUnder previous regulations, DSD athletes were only restricted in events ranging from 400m to a mile.\n\nInterim provisions will be introduced for DSD athletes already competing in previously unrestricted events, requiring them to suppress their testosterone levels below 2.5nmol\/L for a minimum of six months before they are allowed to compete again.\n\nCoe said this will impact 13 DSD athletes, seven (55%) of whom compete in running events above a mile, with six (45%) in sprinting events below 400m.\n\nHe added none of the 13 will now be able to compete in the World Athletics Championships in Budapest in August, but will be eligible for future events, including the Paris 2024 Olympics, \"if they maintain their testosterone at the required level\".\n\nSemenya, who refuses to take testosterone-reducing drugs, won 800m Olympic gold in 2012 and 2016 but has not been able to compete in the event since 2019, when World Athletics introduced the previous restrictions.\n\nAs recently as January, World Athletics said its \"preferred option\" was to continue to allow transgender women to compete in the female category but to tighten the sport's eligibility rules, still using testosterone limits as the basis for inclusion.\n\nIt had proposed that transgender women would have to reduce their blood testosterone level to below 2.5nmol\/L for two years, bringing it in line with amendments made last year by the UCI, cycling's world governing body.\n\nHowever, World Athletics said there was \"little support\" for this option when it was presented to stakeholders, who included member federations, athletes, coaches, and the International Olympic Committee (IOC), as well as representative transgender and human rights groups.\n\nMany argue that transgender women should not compete in elite women's sport because of any advantages they may retain - but others argue that sport should be more inclusive.\n\nThe debate centres on the balance of inclusion, sporting fairness and safety in women's sport - essentially, whether transgender women can compete in female categories without an unfair advantage.\n\nThe IOC's framework on transgender athletes - released in November 2021 - states that there should be no assumption that a transgender athlete automatically has an unfair advantage in female sporting events, and places responsibility on individual federations to determine eligibility criteria in their sport.\n\nIn February, UK Athletics said it wanted a change in legislation to ensure the women's category is lawfully reserved for competitors who are recorded female at birth.\n\nThe governing body said all transgender athletes should be allowed to compete with men in an open category to \"ensure fairness\" in women's competition.\n\nWhat are the rules in other sports?\n\nIn June 2022, Lord Coe welcomed the move by Fina - swimming's world governing body - to stop transgender athletes from competing in women's elite races if they had gone through any part of the process of male puberty, insisting \"fairness is non-negotiable\".\n\nFina's decision followed a report by a taskforce of leading figures from the world of medicine, law and sport that said going through male puberty meant transgender women retained a \"relative performance advantage over biological females\", even after medication to reduce testosterone.\n\nFina, now known as World Aquatics, also aimed to establish an 'open' category at competitions, for swimmers whose gender identity is different than their sex observed at birth.\n\nIn 2022, British Triathlon become the first British sporting body to establish a new 'open' category in which transgender athletes can compete.\n\nThe Rugby Football League and Rugby Football Union also banned transgender women from competing in female-only forms of their games.\n\nIt followed World Rugby becoming the first international sports federation to say transgender women cannot compete at the elite and international level of the women's game in 2020.\n\nSome critics have said that these rules are discriminatory.\n\nOlympic diving champion Tom Daley said he was \"furious\" at Fina's decision to stop transgender athletes from competing in women's elite events, saying: \"Anyone that's told that they can't compete or can't do something they love just because of who they are, it's not on.\"","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/sport\/athletics\/65051900"}
{"title":"Ofsted boss rejects calls to pause school inspections - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-24","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"Schools had urged the move after Ruth Perry took her life following her school being rated \"inadequate\".","section":"Family & Education","content":"This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Watch: Lisa Telling said Ruth knew her school's Ofsted result for 54 days but couldn't tell her staff\n\nStopping school inspections in England would be \"against children's best interests\", Ofsted's chief has said.\n\nTeachers have called for them to be paused, after head teacher Ruth Perry took her own life while waiting for a report that downgraded her school from \"outstanding\" to \"inadequate\".\n\nAmanda Spielman said inspections are important for both schools and parents.\n\nIt comes as the BBC can reveal Ms Perry had been \"delighted\" with feedback from Ofsted in an informal visit in 2019.\n\nInspectors had visited Caversham Primary School as part of a programme of informal visits to pilot a new inspection framework.\n\nOfsted has confirmed to the BBC's education editor Branwen Jeffreys that Ms Spielman attended in person to observe the visit.\n\nIn a newsletter to parents at the time, Ms Perry said she was \"incredibly proud\" of how well pupils and staff responded to the experience, adding that the feedback had been \"overwhelmingly positive\".\n\nBut after a formal inspection in November 2022, Ms Perry's school was rated as inadequate as a result of failings in training, record-keeping and checks on staff. The Ofsted report added that Caversham Primary School provided a good education and a welcoming and vibrant community for children.\n\nFollowing Ms Perry's death, Ms Spielman has said a debate about reforming inspections to remove grades was a \"legitimate one\", but added that any changes to the system \"would have to meet the needs both of parents and of government\".\n\nOfsted inspectors give ratings of either outstanding, good, requires improvement or inadequate.\n\nMs Spielman said those ratings \"give parents a simple and accessible summary of a school's strengths and weaknesses\".\n\nBut Paul Gosling, president of the National Association of Head Teachers, told BBC Radio 4's Today programme the one-word assessments were too simplistic to sum up the complexity of school life.\n\nMs Perry's family has said her death was a \"direct result of the pressure\" caused by the school inspection.\n\nLisa Telling, a head teacher in Reading who knew Ms Perry well, said she had been under \"enormous stress\" and \"knew the outcome of her report but was unable to tell her staff\".\n\n\"As a head teacher, when you get your result and your final feedback, currently the system does not allow you to share that. That's a huge piece of information to hold on to,\" she said.\n\nOfsted's handbook says school leaders can share the provisional findings of inspections with those responsible for the governance of the school, as long as they are marked as confidential and subject to change.\n\nMrs Telling told BBC Breakfast that Ms Perry was restricted from sharing the \"world-destroying\" verdict for 54 days before she died.\n\nMr Gosling said school leaders should be allowed to speak to \"a range of people who might be able to support them\" if they were concerned by an Ofsted result.\n\nRuth Perry was the head at Caversham Primary School in Reading\n\nSince Ms Perry's death, some head teachers have removed references to Ofsted from websites, job adverts and letters.\n\nAnd on Thursday, the National Education Union handed a petition to the government calling for Ofsted to be replaced.\n\nIn Reading, headteachers' groups have written to the government asking for an urgent review of the system.\n\nMs Spielman said it would be wrong to say too much ahead of the coroner's inquest.\n\n\"Our school inspectors are all former or serving school leaders,\" she added. \"They understand the vital work head teachers do and the pressures they are under.\"\n\nSome head teachers, including Flora Cooper from Berkshire, are wearing black armbands during school inspections, following Ms Perry's suicide\n\nMs Spielman acknowledged inspections \"can be challenging\" but said inspectors always aimed to conduct them \"with sensitivity as well as professionalism\".\n\nBut school improvement adviser Julie Price-Grimshaw said that was \"definitely not the case\".\n\nSpeaking to BBC 5 Live Breakfast, she said many head teachers were getting \"very ill, stressed and having breakdowns\" as a result of inspections.\n\nMs Price-Grimshaw, who used to be an Ofsted inspector, said it was \"impossible for teachers and head teachers to raise standards if they're feeling broken, demoralised, stressed and anxious\".\n\nBut one vice-principal, at a secondary school in West Yorkshire, said Ofsted inspectors \"came across as human and had collaborative conversations with staff\", during a recent visit.\n\nHe said the inspection process was \"intense and extremely stressful\", but added that it resulted in an \"honest reflection of where our school is at\".\n\nMs Spielman said Ofsted aimed \"to make inspections as collaborative and constructive as we can\" and would remain focused on improving how it worked with schools, and \"how inspections feel for school staff\".\n\nShe admitted it was a difficult time to be a head teacher, particularly since the pandemic, as absence was high, mental health problems had increased and \"external support services are unable to meet increased demand\".\n\nIf you have been affected by issues raised in this article you can visit the BBC Action Line pages, or contact Samaritans.\n\nA Department for Education official said Ofsted had a crucial role to play in upholding education standards and ensuring children were safe in school: \"They provide independent, up-to-date evaluations on the quality of education, safeguarding and leadership, which parents greatly rely on to give them confidence in choosing the right school for their child.\"\n\nA spokesman for the prime minister added: \"We're confident the current rating system provides the right level of transparency for parents.\"","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/education-65055779"}
{"title":"Ukraine war: How a Russian child's drawing sparked a police investigation - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-24","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"Masha, now 13, is in a children\u2019s home after Russian authorities placed her father under house arrest.","section":"Europe","content":"Masha Moskaleva has not been seen in public since 1 March\n\nIn the centre of the Russian town of Yefremov is a wall covered in pictures of war. Giant photographs of masked Russian soldiers with guns and supersized letters Z and V - symbols of the country's so-called special military operation in Ukraine.\n\nTo tear the skin from those\n\nThis is the official, patriotic picture of Russia's invasion of Ukraine.\n\nBut in this town, 320km (200 miles) south of Moscow, you'll find another image of the Ukraine war. A very different one.\n\nTown councillor Olga Podolskaya shows me a photo on her mobile phone. It's of a child's drawing. To the left is a Ukrainian flag with the words \"Glory to Ukraine\", on the right, the Russian tricolour and the inscription \"No to war!\". As missiles fly in from the direction of Russia, a mother and her child stand defiantly in their path.\n\nMasha's school contacted the police after the 12-year-old drew this picture\n\nThe picture was drawn in April 2022 by then 12-year-old Masha Moskaleva. Her father Alexei, a single parent, had contacted the town councillor for advice. He told her that after seeing Masha's drawing, her school had called the police.\n\n\"The police started investigating Alexei's social media,\" Olga tells me. \"And they told him that he was bringing up his daughter in a bad way.\"\n\nCharges followed. For an anti-war post on social media, Alexei was fined 32,000 roubles (around $415 or \u00a3338 at the time) for discrediting the Russian armed forces. A few weeks ago, a criminal case was opened against him. Again, anti-war posts formed the basis for discreditation charges.\n\nAlexei is currently under house arrest in Yefremov. His daughter Masha has - for now - been sent to a children's home. Alexei has not even been allowed to speak to her on the phone.\n\n\"No-one has seen Masha since 1 March,\" Olga Podolskaya tells me, \"despite our attempts to get access to the children's home and to find out how she is.\n\n\"The Russian authorities want everyone to toe the line. No-one is allowed to have their own opinion. If you disagree with what someone thinks, then don't read their social media posts. But don't put that person under house arrest and their child in a children's home.\"\n\nWe are standing outside an apartment block in Yefremov. A window opens and a man looks out. It's Alexei. We're not allowed to communicate with him. Under the rules of his house arrest Alexei is only permitted contact with his lawyer, the investigator and the penitentiary service.\n\nAlexei Moskalev is being held under house arrest and faces a possible prison sentence over his social media posts\n\nThe lawyer, Vladimir Biliyenko, has just arrived. He's come to deliver food and drink which local activists have bought for Alexei.\n\n\"He is very worried because his daughter is not with him,\" Vladimir tells me after visiting Alexei Moskalev. \"Everything in the flat reminds him of her. He's worried about what may be happening to her.\"\n\nI ask the lawyer why he thinks the authorities have taken Masha away.\n\n\"If they had real questions for the father, they should have invited him to give a statement. They should have invited Masha, too, and spoken to her,\" Vladimir says.\n\n\"None of this was done. They just decided to send her off [to the children's home]. In my opinion, if it wasn't for the kind of administrative and criminal charges Alexei has received, this wouldn't be happening. The social services seem obsessed with this family. I think it's purely for political reasons. The family's problems only began after the girl drew that picture.\"\n\nThe Russian authorities want everyone to toe the line. No one is allowed to have their own opinion\n\nOn the street, I ask Alexei's neighbours what they think of the situation.\n\n\"She's a good girl, and I've never had a problem with the dad,\" says pensioner Angelina Ivanovna. \"But I'm scared to say anything. I'm frightened to.\"\n\n\"Perhaps we could collect signatures in [Alexei's] support,\" a younger woman suggests. But when asked for her opinion on what is happening, she replies: \"Sorry, I can't tell you.\"\n\nI ask if she is frightened about possible consequences.\n\nIt's a short walk from Alexei Moskalev's apartment block to School No 9, where Masha had studied and that her father says called the police over Masha's anti-war drawing. The school has yet to respond to our written request for comment. When we tried to visit, we were told we couldn't come in. Our telephone calls went unanswered.\n\nBut I have visited School No 9's website. The images there remind me of the patriotic wall I saw in the centre of town.\n\nThe home page features Heroes of the Special Military Operation - two dozen portraits of Russian soldiers who fought in Ukraine.\n\nThere are patriotic slogans, too: \"Everything for Victory. Let's support our lads on the front line!\"\n\nSoldiers back from Ukraine visited School No 9 last October. In \u0430 speech that day school director Larisa Trofimova declared: \"We believe in ourselves and in our Motherland, which can never make a mistake.\"\n\nAcross town, supporters of the Moskalev family and journalists are gathering at the local courthouse. The Yefremov Juvenile Affairs Commission is taking legal action to officially restrict Alexei's parental rights.\n\nA supporter of Alexei Moskalev raises a sign at the local court that reads: \"Return Masha to her father!\"\n\nIt's an initial hearing known as \"a conversation\" with the judge. Lawyer Vladimir Biliyenko says Alexei had wanted to be here in person. However he hasn't been allowed to interrupt his house arrest to come to court, even though what's at stake is access to his child.\n\nIn the courthouse corridor an activist unfurls a poster.\n\n\"Return Masha to her father!\" it declares. A police officer tells her to take it down.\n\nThe Juvenile Affairs Commission has yet to respond to our request to comment on the case of Alexei Moskalev and his daughter Masha.\n\nOne of Alexei's supporters, Natalya Filatova, believes the story of the Moskalev family reflects the crackdown on dissent in Russia.\n\n\"Our constitution proclaims freedom of speech, freedom of conscience, total freedom for citizens to express their opinions,\" Natalya tells me. \"But now we're forbidden from doing that.\"","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/world-europe-65015289"}
{"title":"Seoul zebra escape: Animal back at zoo after hours on the loose - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-24","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"The young animal was unharmed after exploring some residential streets before being tranquilized.","section":"Asia","content":"This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Watch: Zebra roams the streets of Seoul before being tranquilised and returned to the zoo\n\nA zebra has been returned to its home at a zoo in South Korea's capital, Seoul, after spending three hours on the loose.\n\nThe male zebra, named Sero, which means vertical in Korean, broke free from Seoul Children's Grand Park Zoo on Thursday afternoon.\n\nPolice, fire officials and zoo staff were all involved in trying to safely capture him.\n\nSero was also seen wandering down a street and poking his nose into garbage bins in a residential area close to where he escaped in the city's east.\n\nThis Twitter post cannot be displayed in your browser. Please enable Javascript or try a different browser. View original tweet on Twitter The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Skip twitter post by Hyunsu Yim 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\u2019s cookie policy, external and privacy policy, external before accepting. To view this content choose \u2018accept and continue\u2019. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.\n\nThe young zebra, who was born at the zoo in 2021, was able to escape after breaking the wooden fencing around his pen, according to the Seoul Gwangjin Fire Station.\n\nSero was eventually trapped by officials using a safety fence after he entered a narrow alleyway.\n\nHe was tranquilized before being taken back to the zoo in the back of a truck.\n\nAn official at the Children's Grand Park Zoo told the Associated Press that the zebra has been assessed by vets and is in a stable condition.\n\nAccording to its website, the zoo houses more than 400 animals from 38 species, including Korean dogs, monkeys and donkeys.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/world-asia-65056899"}
{"title":"BBC local radio hosts win broadcasting award for grilling Liz Truss - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-24","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"Eight presenters will share a broadcasting award for their interviews with former Prime Minister Liz Truss.","section":"Entertainment & Arts","content":"This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser.\n\nEight BBC local radio presenters are to share a broadcasting award for interviews with former Prime Minister Liz Truss last year.\n\nThe hosts grilled the then prime minister days after her mini-budget sparked turmoil in the economy.\n\nThe Broadcasting Press Guild said their interviews were \"were game-changing for Liz Truss and her doomed government\" and will award them its jury prize.\n\nIt comes as BBC local radio stations in England face cuts to their programmes.\n\nMs Truss faced tough questioning during the round of local radio interviews in September.\n\nThe eight interviewers are:\n\nGrant Tucker, who chairs the Broadcasting Press Guild, said: \"As an organisation of journalists, the BPG is always among the first to see the value of great interviewing - and these BBC radio interviews were game-changing for Liz Truss and her doomed government.\n\n\"There is no doubt that the PM's feet were held to the fire in these eight radio sessions in a way that stood out among so much drama that was happening in British politics last summer.\"\n\nThe BBC's controller local audio commissioning, Chris Burns, said: \"It really was an iconic moment in local radio and also for how we work digitally, as the interviews were then packaged up into the most popular Newscast episode of all time for BBC Sounds.\n\n\"Our presenters - as they always do - were speaking for the communities they serve, as well as the whole country when they asked those questions. That is the beauty of local audio.\n\n\"We are immensely proud of everything local BBC radio does and it's fantastic to see the work acknowledged with this award.\"\n\nThe BPG ceremony, in London later, comes a week after staff on the BBC's regional TV bulletins and local radio and online output in England staged a 24-hour strike over the corporation's plan for its 39 local radio stations in England to broadcast more merged shows in the afternoons, evenings and at weekends.\n\nThe National Union of Journalists (NUJ) has said it will \"undermine already hollowed out local-radio content across England\".\n\nBut the BBC has said its proposal will \"modernise local services across England - including more news journalists and a stronger local online service - which will see no overall reduction in staffing levels or local funding\".","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/entertainment-arts-65050364"}
{"title":"Daniel White strangled and slit wife's throat in their home - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-24","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"Daniel White kicked open his wife's locked door, strangled her and then cut her throat.","section":"Wales","content":"Angie White was strangled and her throat was slit\n\nAlexa recordings were used to piece together how a domestic abuser murdered his wife.\n\nDaniel White, 36, kicked open Angie White's locked bedroom door, strangled her and cut her throat.\n\nHe then fled the house in Swansea in his wife's car before phoning police to confess in October 2022.\n\nWhite, from Idris Terrace, Plasmarl, was given a life sentence of at least 20 years and 10 months at Swansea Crown Court after admitting murder.\n\nOfficers went to their home where they found the front door unlocked and the body of Mrs White, 45, in her bedroom.\n\nSwansea Crown Court heard labourer White had a long history of domestic violence, including against Mrs White.\n\nAt the time of the murder, he was on licence from prison after receiving a 10-year extended sentence for rape and assault.\n\nFearful of her husband, Mrs White had installed a mortice lock on her bedroom door, which White kicked in after an argument started on WhatsApp.\n\nNeighbours heard banging, shouting and screaming at about 03:00 GMT on 22 October last year before hearing a car drive away.\n\nShortly before 06:00, White called police, telling a call handler: \"I've strangled her and cut her throat. She's dead.\n\n\"We argued and she locked the door and said she wanted me out.\n\n\"All I wanted to do was take my stuff and leave. I just shut her up.\n\n\"I strangled her, I ran downstairs, and I cut her throat to make sure she was dead.\"\n\nThe court heard the couple had an Amazon Alexa, which can control household electrical items when activated by a voice prompt.\n\nDetectives discovered voice commands made by White and his wife at the time of the murder had been saved.\n\nProsecutor William Hughes said: \"Police have been able to discover that at 3.03am Angie in her bedroom said, 'Alexa, volume three'.\n\n\"At 3.16am Daniel White's voice can be heard saying, 'Alexa stop'.\n\n\"He then goes back downstairs into the living room and says, 'Turn on - Alexa' but what can also be heard is that he is out of breath and these appear to be the moments when, the Crown say, he has gone to get the knife.\n\n\"He then returns to the bedroom at 3.18am when he says 'Alexa, turn on the electric light', and at 3.19am he says, 'Alexa, turn off the TV'.\n\n\"So, the Crown's reasonable interpretation is after 3.03am and before 3.16am Daniel White had burst through the door and initially strangled Angie, then went downstairs to get the knife, and thereafter cut her throat.\"\n\nThe court heard the couple had begun arguing on WhatsApp. The last message they exchanged was at 03:11.\n\nA pathologist found Mrs White died from knife wounds to her neck. But there was also evidence she had been strangled.\n\nMrs White's family said nothing would be able to bring her back\n\nWhite previously admitted murder but refused to attend court for sentencing.\n\nDefence barrister Peter Rouch said the marriage was effectively over and what happened was \"a spontaneous act of violence\".\n\nHe said: \"I am not suggesting that is justification, but Your Honour has asked what led to it, and it would seem by putting the picture together as best one can, from the messages and the timings, that seems (to be) what has taken place.\"\n\n\"He does not have the courage to face the family and friends of the woman whose life he so brutally ended,\" he said.\n\n\"You have a disgraceful history of assaulting women who have had the great misfortune to be in a relationship with you.\"\n\nHe said: \"When you entered the bedroom you strangled her, probably rendering her unconscious.\n\n\"When she was face to face with you, with your hands around her throat, she must have been absolutely terrified.\n\n\"After she probably lost consciousness, you didn't seek help for her, you went downstairs and got a knife.\n\n\"You took it into her bedroom in order to kill her, to finish her off.\"\n\nThe judge said he had a \"cowardly desire to dominate her\".\n\nHe added: \"You did just that - you savagely slit her throat knowing that would kill her.\"\n\nSpeaking afterwards, Mrs White's family said: \"Angie was a much-loved daughter, sister, mother, grandmother, and auntie.\n\n\"Nothing can bring our beloved Angie back. We shall miss that silly giggle for evermore.\n\n\"Daniel White admitted his guilt but continued to use his manipulative behaviour to delay the outcome.\n\n\"He deliberately absences himself in what we see as his continuing attempts to control this situation and his cowardliness in avoiding facing us and justice for what he did to Angie.\"\n\nA Ministry of Justice spokesman said a review was underway.\n\n\"This was a horrific crime and our sympathies are with the family and friends of Angie White. As with all serious further offences a review is now underway and it would be inappropriate for us to comment further at this stage,\" he said.\n\n\"Serious further offences are rare but we are investing \u00a3155m more every year into the Probation Service to improve the supervision of offenders and recruit thousands more staff to keep the public safe.\"","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/uk-wales-65067194"}
{"title":"Commercial development of gene-edited food now legal in England - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-24","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"The law has changed to allow the commercial development and sale of gene-edited food in England.","section":"Science & Environment","content":"Researchers in Cambridge are developing gene-edited potatoes that don't bruise in order to reduce food waste\n\nGene-edited food can now be developed commercially in England following a change in the law.\n\nSupporters of the technology say it will speed up the development of hardier crops that will be needed because of climate change.\n\nCritics say that the change could bring ''disaster'' to our food production and the environment.\n\nGene editing involves making precise changes to an organism's DNA to enhance certain characteristics.\n\nThe new law also opens the door to the development of gene-edited farm animals, but a further vote by MPs will be required before it is allowed, again only in England.\n\nThe Scottish, Welsh and Northern Irish governments have not permitted the commercial use of gene editing.\n\nScientists say that gene editing can help to produce new climate-change resistant crops quickly\n\nGene editing in England had been covered under the same tight regulation that has restricted the commercial development of GM crops under EU law. Brexit has enabled the Westminster government to relax the rules for the newer technology.\n\nThe chief scientific advisor for the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra), Prof Gideon Henderson, says that the new rules will lead to better food production and bring jobs and investment to England.\n\n\"What's changed is that we can now use precision breeding technology developed in the lab and take it into the fields so that we can grow better crops and bring them to market more readily so that we can use the technology to enhance agricultural outcomes and food production in the UK and globally,\" he said.\n\nThe Precision Breeding Act allows only genetic changes that could also have been produced naturally or through traditional crossbreeding programmes already in use today. GM can involve the introduction of genes from other species and will not be permitted.\n\nGene editing enables researchers to make precise genetic changes to a plant's DNA, for example adding a gene to boost its growth or reduce dependence on fertiliser. The same change could be produced by crossbreeding different varieties, but it would take much longer.\n\nThe new law allows for the use of gene editing and other methods that may arise in the future, provided the end result is a crop that is no different to a variety that could have been naturally produced.\n\nGene-edited tomatoes rich in a chemical with calming effects are on sale in Japan\n\nCritics of genetically altered food, such as Pat Thomas of Beyond GM, are concerned that gene-edited crops will not have to go through the extensive testing required of GM foods in the EU, which may result in the introduction of toxins and allergens into the food chain.\n\n\"The entire process of this bill has been of the government consulting scientists with vested interests, usually in the biotech industry, who are reassuring the government that this change in the law will have no consequences,\" she said.\n\n\"History has shown that when you remove regulatory control, particularly for food and the environment, there is looming disaster on the horizon.''\n\nDefra's response is that the Food Standards Agency, the FSA will only authorise products for sale if they are judged to present no risk to health.\n\nThere is also concern that labelling of gene-edited food is not a requirement and it is unclear how GE food from England will be prevented from entering other parts of the UK, where it is still banned.\n\nA US firm is gene editing blackberries that don't have seeds\n\nA Welsh Government spokesperson said that this would create \"unavoidable consequences for Wales\".\n\n\"Gene-edited plants, animals and products from England will be marketable here without the authorisations our law requires,\" they said.\n\n\"This undermines the devolution settlement. The UK Government chose not to engage with us, despite our efforts, whilst developing the bill and this means the effects of it have not been properly considered.\"\n\nThe Scottish government has a long-standing opposition to GM and wishes to stay in step with the EU, though its stance is opposed by NFU Scotland who says it puts Scottish farmers at a competitive disadvantage.\n\nThe Northern Ireland government has to follow the protocol negotiated with the EU which requires that it remains in step with rules regarding the definition of GM crops in Europe, which also cover gene-edited crops.\n\nThere is however enthusiasm for the use of gene editing among some plant breeders in England.\n\nThe National Institute of Agricultural Botany, just outside Cambridge, has been breeding new varieties of crops for UK farmers for more than a hundred years.\n\nThey crossbreed different varieties to produce new ones that grow better and are more resistant to diseases. It can take ten to fifteen years of development. The head of the lab, Prof Mario Caccamo told BBC News that he wants to use the technology to develop new varieties that can grow well in the hotter, drier conditions that the UK is experiencing more regularly, because of climate change.\n\n\"When we look to how the population is growing and how much we are increasing our yields using traditional methods, we are lagging behind,\" he said. \"The projections show that we have to have an acceleration into how we can improve crops otherwise we are going to be struggling to feed the world.\"\n\nA new variety of barley being tested by KWS plant breeders in Hertfordshire will take twelve years to come to market using conventional breeding techniques. The firm claims that gene editing will significantly reduce that time.\n\nThe UK is among the world leaders in research into plant genetics. But that expertise has not been able to take off, because of the effective ban on the commercial development of the technology, according to its supporters. The hope is that the change in law will attract new investment leading to new companies, new jobs and new foods.\n\nBayer Crop Science has developed GM crops for use across the world, employing more than 30,000 people.\n\nBut in the UK, it has a staff of 90 who are involved in traditional plant breeding. The company isn't ready to announce any new investment plans in England yet - but the firm's head of marketing in the UK, Lindy Blanchard, welcomed the change in the law.\n\n\"We are really, really excited and we are committed to help farmers overcome the challenges of climate change and we want to provide safe sustainable food for society, so no doubt we will be looking at this but it is step by step.\"\n\nThe new act also has provision to allow gene-edited animals on English farms, like these disease resistant pigs, developed in Scotland. But that will require another vote by MPs in Westminster once the government is satisfied that animals won't suffer.\n\nThe BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/science-environment-64596453"}
{"title":"Question Time audience asked: Was Boris Johnson telling truth? - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-24","authors":null,"description":"Fiona Bruce asks the Question Time audience if they believe the former PM told a committee of MPs the truth.","section":null,"content":"Fiona Bruce asked the Question Time audience if they believed the former PM was truthful when he gave evidence to the Commons privileges committee about Partygate.\n\nThe presenter said the survey was not scientific, but more people at the Staffordshire venue had voted Conservative than for any other party.\n\nUK viewers can see the programme in full","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/uk-politics-65064708"}
{"title":"Eurovision 2023: Grand final to be shown in cinemas for first time - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-24","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"The grand final on 13 May will be broadcast in 500 cinemas around the UK, it has been announced.","section":"Entertainment & Arts","content":"Alesha Dixon (pictured in 2021) will host the contest alongside Graham Norton, Hannah Waddingham and Julia Sanina\n\nThe grand final of the Eurovision Song Contest will be broadcast live in cinemas across the UK for the first time, it has been announced.\n\nLiverpool will host the event on Saturday 13 May, following two semi-finals earlier in the week.\n\nOrganisers say the screenings will encourage fancy dress and singalongs.\n\nIn-person tickets for the grand final at the Liverpool Arena sold out in under 40 minutes after being released earlier this month.\n\nSeparately, it has also been confirmed that TikTok will be the contest's official entertainment partner for a second year.\n\nJohn Travers of CinemaLive, who will distribute the event to cinemas, said the company was \"delighted\" to be working with the BBC to bring the contest to the big screen.\n\n\"We want audiences to enjoy themselves, come along in groups, get your fancy dress on, and come together to enjoy this historic occasion on the big screen,\" he said.\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser.\n\nTickets for the cinema screenings, broadcast in more than 500 cinemas, will be available to buy from 10:00 BST Monday (27 March).\n\nAudiences will also be able to see a preview of the new BBC Three dating show I Kissed A Boy, presented by Dannii Minogue, before the grand final starts at 20:00 BST.\n\nRobert Lea, head of screen content at Vue Entertainment, said: \"Every song, every vote and every larger than life moment will be live streamed in amazing picture and sound quality for fans to enjoy with each other.\"\n\nThe colours of the Ukrainian flag have been seen around Liverpool, including on the Superlambanana sculpture\n\nThe contest is being held in Liverpool after last year's UK entrant Sam Ryder finished runner-up to Ukraine's Kalush Orchestra.\n\nAs Russia's invasion of Ukraine prevented the winning country from hosting the 2023 contest, organisers instead said the UK would stage the show on their behalf.\n\nThe contest will be hosted by Ted Lasso star Hannah Waddingham, Britain's Got Talent judge Alesha Dixon, Ukrainian singer Julia Sanina, and chat show host Graham Norton, who also commentates on Eurovision for British TV audiences.\n\nMae Muller has been chosen as this year's entry for the UK with her track I Wrote A Song.\n\nLulu, Norton and last year's UK entrant Sam Ryder recently joined a mock Eurovision panel for a Comic Relief sketch\n\nMeanwhile, the European Broadcasting Union (EBU) confirmed it had selected TikTok to livestream the competition, as well as release exclusive performances and behind-the-scenes content.\n\nIt came as the UK Parliament said on Thursday that it would block the Chinese-owned app from its devices and networks over security concerns.\n\nMartin Osterdahl, the EBU's executive supervisor for Eurovision, said: \"Millions of new Eurovision Song Contest fans discovered the event through TikTok last year and we know millions more will be excited by this year's extra special event in Liverpool.\"\n\nTikTok is also partnering with Visit Liverpool after the city was chosen to host the contest on behalf of last year's winners Ukraine due to the Russian invasion.\n\nThe social media app will promote busking sites in the city and host performances in the Eurovision Village - the official fanzone - on Friday 12 May, the evening before the grand final.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/entertainment-arts-65062541"}
{"title":"John Wick: Chapter 4 - Keanu Reeves film lands franchise's best reviews - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-24","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"Keanu Reeves' John Wick: Chapter Four \"outdoes its formidable predecessors\", one critic says.","section":"Entertainment & Arts","content":"Keanu Reeves paid tribute to co-star Lance Reddick, who died last week, at the film's premiere\n\nJohn Wick is back - and Keanu Reeves' ex-hitman seems to be improving with age, with his return for a fourth instalment earning the action thriller franchise its best reviews so far.\n\nRotten Tomatoes, which awards scores based on critics' views, awarded John Wick: Chapter 4 a very positive 95%.\n\nThe second and third films both scored 89%, while 2014's original got 86%.\n\nThe Hollywood Reporter said Chapter 4 \"outdoes its formidable predecessors in nearly every respect\".\n\nThe film, which comes out on Friday, sees Wick being pursued by global criminal organisation the High Table.\n\nIt was called \"an all-action blockbuster that really gives its all\" by NME's Jesse Hassenger, while the Evening Standard's Charlotte O'Sullivan called it \"preposterously enjoyable\".\n\n\"JW4 is going to be huge and, for me, it's easily the most satisfying entry of the lot,\" she added.\n\nThis YouTube post cannot be displayed in your browser. Please enable Javascript or try a different browser. View original video on YouTube The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. YouTube content may contain adverts. Skip youtube video by Lionsgate Movies 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\u2019s cookie policy, external and privacy policy, external before accepting. To view this content choose \u2018accept and continue\u2019. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. YouTube content may contain adverts.\n\nRolling Stone's David Fear said no-one could have predicted in 2014 that Wick would \"revolutionize American action movies\", calling the film series \"deliriously pleasurable\".\n\nIt has \"established itself as the most reliable film franchise this side of Mission: Impossible\", he added.\n\nThe Hollywood Reporter's Frank Scheck called the new chapter \"pure, over-the-top action spectacle\", adding: \"Bigger, badder, bolder, longer, and featuring nearly more spectacular set pieces than one movie can comfortably handle, this epic action film practically redefines the stakes.\n\n\"Reeves commits so thoroughly to the role's insane physical demands that he should get an award, if not for acting, then merely surviving.\"\n\nThe actor was also praised by the Los Angeles Times' Justin Chang, who said: \"Reeves somehow barrels through the picture with equal parts rampaging force and Zen-like cool.\n\n\"Never one to upstage his fellow actors, he succeeds, as few movie stars could, at both drawing and deflecting the camera's attention.\"\n\nReeves, who has previously starred in hits like the Matrix films, Point Break and Speed, recently told ABC News it was \"cool\" and \"kind\" for some people to be describing the latest film as one of the greatest action movies of all time.\n\nLance Reddick was known for starring in HBO series The Wire as well as the John Wick franchise\n\nHowever, the film's release comes just days after the death of co-star Lance Reddick, who played hotel manager Charon in the franchise.\n\nReeves told Deadline on the red carpet at the film's US premiere on Monday: \"Lance was a beautiful person, [a] special artist, a man of grace and dignity, and such a passion for his craft.\n\n\"And to have the chance to work with him over 10 years and four films is something that is very special to me and it sucks he's not here.\"\n\nIn his review, USA Today's Brian Truitt wrote: \"The late Lance Reddick, who made everything he was in better, provides wise words yet again as Winston's right-hand concierge Charon.\"\n\nDespite the film's excellent Rotten Tomatoes rating, not all critics liked it.\n\nThe Guardian's Charles Bramesco called it an \"overlong and overstuffed action sequel\".\n\n\"In the side-quest-clogged narrative as in the virtuosic fight sequences that far overstay their welcome, a viewer starts to feel the difference between maximalism and merely having a lot of stuff, somewhere around the third hour and mostly in our glutes.\"\n\nEmpire's Alex Godfrey said it was \"relentlessly violent\", adding: \"It's all a bit much. Yes, it's a love letter to action cinema, but so much so that action cinema might want to take out a restraining order.\"\n\nBut he did add: \"Reeves basically operates with one register (mythologically gruff). But then again, that's what this series is, and even with that narrow remit, Reeves is ceaselessly charismatic.\"","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/entertainment-arts-65049818"}
{"title":"France pension protests: Bordeaux's historic town hall in flames - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-23","authors":null,"description":"Video shows the front of the Palais Rohan on fire during protests over raising the pension age.","section":null,"content":"Footage has emerged of the large front door of Bordeaux's historic town hall - the Palais Rohan - on fire.\n\nIt wasn't clear who was responsible for the blaze, which was quickly put out by firefighters.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/world-europe-65058331"}
{"title":"Cost of living: Food banks used by 3% of UK families - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-23","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"Those in Scotland and the north of England were most likely to have used one in the last 12 months.","section":"UK","content":"About 3% of families in the UK - at least 2.1 million people - used a food bank in the year to March 2022, according to official figures.\n\nThat rose to about one in nine (11%) for families receiving state income-related benefits.\n\nThose in the north of England and Scotland were most likely to have used a food bank in the previous 12 months compared to the rest of the UK.\n\nThese are the first Department for Work and Pensions figures on food bank use.\n\nThe data was collected between April 2021 and March 2022, with people asked if they had been to a food bank in the last 12 months and last 30 days. So the figures cover some of the pandemic but miss most of the energy price crisis, which hit in April 2022.\n\nIt comes amid the continuing cost-of-living crisis, with prices rising more than expected, according to new inflation figures released this week.\n\nAsked if they had used a food bank within the last 30 days, about 1% of families (at least 600,000 people) said yes - rising to about 3% for families on benefits.\n\nSome 4% of families in Scotland and the north of England had used a food bank within the 12-month period, while 3% had in Wales, the West Midlands and south-east of England.\n\nThe figure fell to 2% for Northern Ireland, the East of England, East Midlands and south-west of England.\n\nWhile the official figures only show food bank use up to early last year, statistics from food poverty charity the Trussell Trust have shown an increase in usage between April 2022 and September 2022, up to just above the levels seen at the start of the pandemic.\n\nBetween 1 April 2022 and 30 September 2022, food banks in the charity's UK-wide network distributed almost 1.3 million food parcels - a rise of 52% compared to the same period to September 2019.\n\nHeather Buckingham, director of policy and research at the Trussell Trust, told BBC News the figures were \"deeply concerning\" but \"sadly not surprising\".\n\nShe called on politicians to guarantee that the basic rate of Universal Credit was calculated so it would always at least cover the cost of essentials.\n\nA single person receiving Universal Credit gets \u00a335 a week short of the amount the charity thinks is needed to afford the very basic essentials, she said.\n\nHouseholds where there were people with disabilities and single-parent families were overrepresented among those needing to use food banks, she added.\n\nFood banks receive donated non-perishable food and other essential items which volunteers then sort into parcels which can be given to those in need.\n\nCare professionals such as health visitors, school staff and social workers can identify people who need support and issue them with a food bank voucher so they can collect a food package.\n\nOther figures published by the DWP showed the number of people living in poverty in the UK has almost returned to pre-pandemic levels.\n\nIn total, 14.4 million people were estimated to be in relative low-income households - with below 60% of average household income - in the year to March 2022, up from the 13.4 million in March 2021 and close to the 14.5 million the year before, as the Covid pandemic hit.\n\nSome 4.2 million children were estimated to be living in poverty in the year to March 2022, a rise from 3.9 million the previous year and just below the 4.3 million in March 2020.\n\nBecca Lyon, head of child poverty at Save the Children UK, said the \"grim figures\" proved families were \"still very much in the depths of a crisis\".\n\n\"Families need a proper benefits system that protects them from hardship, and means children can grow up without having to know what the inside of a food bank looks like,\" she said.\n\nBarnado's chief executive Lynn Perry said the number of children in poverty was \"unacceptable\" for the sixth largest economy in the world and wants free school meals extended to all primary school children in England.\n\nAction for Children accused ministers of knowing how to help, due to the action taken during the pandemic, but \"choosing not to do it\".\n\nAndrew Forsey, national director of Feeding Britain, called for the government to reduce the rate of monthly deductions from Universal Credit - made to repay debts - describing them as a poverty tax.\n\nA government spokeswoman said it was committed to \"eradicating poverty and supporting those in need\", adding there were nearly two million fewer people in absolute poverty than there were in 2009\/10.\n\n\"These latest figures reflect the country coming out of the pandemic and accompanying rising prices, which we have since helped to address with record levels of support via cost of living payments to over eight million households, and plans to provide up to \u00a31,350 of direct payments for the most vulnerable over this year and next,\" she said.\n\nDoes your family use a food bank? How are you coping with the rising cost of living? Share your experiences by emailing haveyoursay@bbc.co.uk.\n\nPlease include a contact number if you are willing to speak to a BBC journalist. You can also get in touch in the following ways:\n\nIf 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 HaveYourSay@bbc.co.uk. Please include your name, age and location with any submission.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/uk-65050920"}
{"title":"Chris Mason: Boris Johnson's political future hangs in balance - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-23","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"The verdict of MPs investigating Boris Johnson has the potential to finish him, writes the BBC's political editor.","section":"UK Politics","content":"This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Watch: Boris Johnson says he thought it was \"right and proper\" to thank staff with events\n\nThere's an old adage in politics, coined by the former American President Ronald Reagan: \"If you're explaining, you're losing.\"\n\nBoris Johnson has had to do one heck of a lot of explaining.\n\nExplaining his record in government. Explaining why, in his view, he didn't lie to parliament about the parties in government during the pandemic. Explaining why drinking with colleagues while not socially distanced was within the Covid guidance and rules.\n\nAll of this, dredged up again for us all to ponder.\n\nThe spectacle of Conservative MPs scrutinising a fellow Conservative MP, while other Conservative MPs, allies of Mr Johnson, heckled their colleagues asking the questions.\n\nA flashback to the insurrection, the civil war within the Tory party Boris Johnson's downfall precipitated and the chaos that followed.\n\nThe Privileges Committee now needs to work out if the former prime minister was recklessly misleading or intentionally misleading. Proving intent, that he lied, is a high bar.\n\nRecklessness is more subjective and so, perhaps, an easier conclusion for the committee to reach and agree upon.\n\nBeing branded by parliament as either are labels Mr Johnson is desperate to avoid. And from either will come a recommended censure.\n\nHere is the timeframe: the committee will meet again formally next week:\n\nOnce it has received all the evidence it is ever going to, which it hasn't yet, work on writing up the conclusions will begin.\n\nBoris Johnson will then be given two weeks to read and reply to their completed report, and only then will it see the light of day so the rest of us can read it.\n\nIt looks like that will happen in late spring or early summer.\n\nA suspension from the Commons of 10 sitting days or more - endorsed by all MPs - brings the potential for a by-election, and with it the potential humiliation of defeat at the hands of the people in his west London constituency. But we are several steps short of that yet.\n\nIncidentally, I suspect there is a strange disjuncture between all this parliamentary theatre and most of you reading this. I suspect you may have made your mind up about Mr Johnson, good or bad, a long time ago.\n\nAnd the likelihood of his imminent return to the party leadership has seemed small ever since he resigned. But the verdict of this committee will be a badge he will never be able to take off.\n\nIt will shape his future; a permanent reference on his reputation. And it has the potential to finish him off.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/uk-politics-65047566"}
{"title":"Hole found in North Sea rig deck on day worker vanished - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-23","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"Jason Thomas, 50, from Wales was reported missing from the Valaris 121 in the North Sea.","section":"NE Scotland, Orkney & Shetland","content":"The Valaris 121 is now in Dundee\n\nA hole was discovered in the deck of a North Sea rig on the day a worker went missing, an investigation has found.\n\nJason Thomas, 50, from Wales, was reported missing from the Valaris 121, about 100 miles south east of Aberdeen, on Sunday 22 January.\n\nThe Health and Safety Executive (HSE) said a grating was dislodged, putting workers at risk of falling through.\n\nThe HSE, which is continuing to investigate the incident, issued an improvement notice on the rig operator.\n\nThe notice states: \"A section of polymer grating, under your control on the Valaris 121, dislodged, thereby exposing employees and those who may otherwise be affected to a risk to their safety by tripping on the displaced grating and\/or falling through the subsequent hole in the decking area.\"\n\nOn the day Mr Thomas was reported missing, the jackup rig had been under tow from its last operating location in the North Sea to Dundee.\n\nA major search was launched involving two oil supply vessels, a Coastguard helicopter and Coastguard aeroplane.\n\nAn HSE spokesperson said: \"We are continuing to investigate the circumstances around Jason Thomas' disappearance and are liaising with the relevant authorities.\n\n\"No further detail will be given during the investigation. We have been in contact with Jason's family, with whom our thoughts remain.\"\n\nValaris said it had \"undertaken a thorough review\" of the polymer grating systems and fasteners on the jackup rigs in its fleet, in response to the HSE improvement notice.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/uk-scotland-north-east-orkney-shetland-65040541"}
{"title":"Watch moment Australian police swoop on secret drugs flight - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-23","authors":null,"description":"The plane carried 52kg of meth from PNG to Australia with flight monitoring switched off in an effort to avoid detection.","section":null,"content":"Video shows the moment authorities pounced on a light plane attempting to smuggle 52kg of meth into Australia. The plane flew from Papua New Guinea at low altitude, with its flight monitoring systems off in a bid to avoid detection.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/world-australia-65047848"}
{"title":"Polio vaccine catch-up push to launch in London - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-23","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"London primary-school pupils not fully vaccinated against polio are to be offered catch-up jabs after Easter.","section":"Health","content":"Children are routinely vaccinated against polio in the UK - but uptake is lower in London\n\nLondon primary-school pupils not fully vaccinated against polio are to be offered catch-up jabs after Easter.\n\nThe disease, common in the UK in the 1950s, was eliminated by 2003. But poliovirus traces were found in north and east London sewage in early 2022.\n\nAn emergency vaccination-booster campaign in London last summer reached more than 370,000 children.\n\nAnd in early November, the latest tests found less of the virus - but officials say there is no room for complacency.\n\nDr Vanessa Saliba, from the UK Heath Security Agency, told BBC News: \"We have early signs that there's less spread of poliovirus in London - but we will need 12 months of no detections before the World Health Organization could declare that the UK is no longer an infected country.\"\n\nPolio causes paralysis in a very small number of cases where the virus attacks the nerves in the spine and base of the brain - but most are asymptomatic.\n\nLast month, an eight-year-old in northern Israel was paralysed in an outbreak that saw three other children infected. And an unvaccinated man was paralysed by the virus in New York.\n\nThe vaccination schedule is normally:\n\nBut only 88% of London children have had three doses by the age of one, compared with 92% in England as a whole.\n\n\"London is a very bustling, urban metropolis with lots of mobile populations, lots of diverse communities,\" Dr Saliba said.\n\n\"We need to engage with these communities [so] that we get the messages across to them and that we make vaccine as accessible as possible.\n\n\"This is why the NHS is offering vaccinations through schools to children who have missed out.\"\n\nThe BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/health-65043333"}
{"title":"Skier 'deteriorated' after Gwyneth Paltrow crash, court hears - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-23","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"Doctors testified that Terry Sanderson lost his \"high energy\" after the 2016 collision on the Utah slopes.","section":"US & Canada","content":"This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Watch: Lawyers in Gwyneth Paltrow trial off to bumpy start\n\nA retired eye doctor has lost \"the ability to function at a high level\" since a 2016 skiing collision with Gwyneth Paltrow, a court in Utah heard.\n\nTerry Sanderson was a \"high-energy person\", but \"deteriorated abruptly\" after the crash, Dr Wendell Gibby testified.\n\nMr Sanderson, 76, claims the Hollywood actress caused the collision. He is seeking damages of $300,000 (\u00a3244,000).\n\nMs Paltrow, 50, has countersued over what her lawyers say is \"utter BS\".\n\nThe Oscar-winner and lifestyle influencer is seeking $1 in damages plus attorney's fees.\n\nBoth she and her children are expected to take the stand in her defence.\n\nMr Sanderson - whose initial lawsuit seeking $3.1m was dismissed - lost consciousness after the February 2016 incident at Deer Valley resort in Utah, suffering a concussion and four fractured ribs, according to his legal action.\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Watch: On Monday the court heard accounts of the ski crash\n\nOn Wednesday, lawyers for the retired optometrist called Dr Gibby, a neuroradiologist who has extensively reviewed Mr Sanderson's medical records.\n\nThe witness claimed that Mr Sanderson was a bright man who had led an active life, but had become emotionally volatile and struggled to maintain relationships with those in his life - all of which happened after the crash.\n\n\"Terry had been a very high-functioning, high-energy person\", who skied, volunteered, danced and interacted frequently with his children and grandchildren, said Dr Gibby.\n\n\"After his accident, he deteriorated abruptly and many of the activities he used to do he stopped doing.\"\n\nHe pointed to Mr Sanderson's split from his girlfriend, struggles with problem-solving and incidents in which he shouted at his grandchildren.\n\nTerry Sanderson accuses Ms Paltrow of being distracted while skiing\n\n\"The ability to function at a high level was lost,\" he said.\n\nDr Gibby also noted that Mr Sanderson's rib injuries were on his side, suggesting that Ms Paltrow had been skiing downhill and slammed into him - rather than the other way around.\n\n\"Had he been the person running into her, I don't think he would have sustained these types of injuries.\"\n\nMs Paltrow's lawyers argue Mr Sanderson is to blame for the accident and that he had several medical conditions before the collision, including vision and hearing loss from a stroke; a brain disorder that caused excessive fluid build-up; and occasional depression.\n\nDeer Valley is ranked among the top ski resorts in North America\n\nBut Dr Gibby pushed back: \"The abrupt change in his functioning, his behaviour and his ability to interact with people was not something brought on by his pre-existing conditions.\"\n\nA second witness, neuropsychologist Dr Sam Goldstein, concurred: \"Mr Sanderson may have had pre-existing conditions. But there was an acute, adverse change in his behavioural and emotional function.\"\n\nDr Goldstein pointed out that Mr Sanderson's struggles were \"the kind of stuff you better understand if you follow someone around for two weeks\".\n\nMs Paltrow sat quietly with her attorneys throughout the trial on Wednesday.\n\nAs proceedings began, her lawyers protested that she was being photographed in violation of courthouse decorum.\n\n\"This has been a problem, reporters being in front of my client's car, cameras in her face,\" said Steve Owens. \"I'm mad. I want it to stop.\"\n\n\"I recognise it as a problem,\" Judge Kent Holmberg replied, offering to eject reporters from the room if the issue continued.\n\nThe trial is expected to last at least six more days.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/world-us-canada-65045457"}
{"title":"Karol Kelly: Brothers jailed for murdering father-of-five - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-23","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"Brothers Sean Anderson and Gary Anderson will spend a minimum combined total of 32 years in prison.","section":"Northern Ireland","content":"Karol Kelly died in March 2018 after being stabbed several times\n\nTwo brothers have been jailed for more than 30 years for murdering a father-of-five in an attack in Londonderry.\n\nKarol Kelly died in March 2018 after being stabbed several times.\n\nBrothers Sean Anderson (24) and Gary Anderson (25) were found guilty of his murder last year. Sean Anderson will serve a minimum of 17 years and Gary Anderson a minimum of 15 years.\n\nMr Kelly's brother Paul said \"five children were robbed of their childhood and memories with their daddy\".\n\nSpeaking outside Londonderry Crown Court on Thursday, Paul Kelly said: \"After five long emotionally draining years our family are ready to close down this horrible chapter in our lives - as a family, we have struggled with the public nature of [Karol's] death and now want to keep him in our hearts where he is safe, at peace and loved forever.\"\n\nMr Kelly died in Grafton Street in the early hours of 4 March 2018 after an altercation during which he was stabbed several times.\n\nJudge Philip Babington said the attack on Mr Kelly attack involved \"gratuitous violence\".\n\nHe told the court Gary Anderson had \"played a lesser role\" and had shown remorse.\n\nBut, the judge added, he had still \"played a part in this horrific crime\".\n\nPaul Kelly says Karol Kelly was the family's world\n\nDet Insp Michelle Griffin described Mr Kelly's murder as \"really brutal and savage\".\n\nShe said the Anderson brothers \"savagely stabbed him to the chest and the abdomen, and he very quickly died from his injuries\".\n\nThe police officer praised the community for their response in the aftermath of the killing, and said it was only following the sentencing that the Kelly family would be able to grieve properly.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/uk-northern-ireland-65049262"}
{"title":"Immigration fuels Canada's largest population growth of over 1 million - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-23","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"The unprecedented surge in numbers is largely due to immigration, the government says.","section":"US & Canada","content":"Canada is experiencing its highest annual population growth since 1957\n\nCanada's population grew by over a million people for the first time ever last year, the government has said.\n\nThe country's population increased from 38,516,138 to 39,566,248 people, Statistics Canada said.\n\nIt also marked Canada's highest annual population growth rate - 2.7% - since 1957.\n\nThe increase was in part fuelled by government efforts to recruit migrants to the country to ease labour shortages, Statistics Canada said.\n\nThe country also depends on migration to support an ageing population.\n\nBut Statistics Canada said the surge in the number of permanent and temporary immigrants could \"also represent additional challenges for some regions of the country related to housing, infrastructure and transportation, and service delivery to the population\".\n\nInternational migration accounted for nearly 96% of the population growth, according to the news release.\n\nPrime Minister Justin Trudeau has made efforts to attract more immigrants to the country since gaining power in 2015. Last year, the government announced a plan to welcome half a million immigrants a year by 2025.\n\nThe Canadian government has also been accepting people affected by conflicts like the Ukraine war, the humanitarian crisis in Afghanistan and the 2023 earthquakes in Turkey and Syria.\n\nOn Wednesday, it announced an extension - until July - of a programme that offers to temporarily resettle Ukrainians and their family members.\n\nSo far, more than 600,000 applications have been approved of the nearly-one-million that have been received - and more than 130,000 people have arrived in Canada under the initiative.\n\nDebate around immigration tends to be more positive in \"settler\" countries than in Western Europe - and most of all in Canada, said Prof Randall Hansen from the University of Toronto.\n\n\"Canadians would love to have the world believe they're more open, liberal and accommodating - but this is all nonsense,\" Prof Hansen, a Canada research chair in global migration, commented.\n\nHe told the BBC that Canada had shaped its \"national identity\" around the idea of multiculturalism in part to differentiate itself from attitudes in its southern neighbour, the US.\n\nIts positivity towards migration was also down to a firm control of borders, an ability to select the \"best and brightest\" migrants from around the world, and relatively few spatial constraints around major cities, he added.\n\nCanada's previous highest population increase, in 1957, came within the context of the post-World War Two baby boom and the movement of refugees following the Hungarian Revolution.\n\nThe country welcomed 437,000 immigrants in 2022, while the number of non-permanent residents in the country increased by 607,782, accounting for a \"record-breaking year for the processing of immigration applications\", according to the government's news release.\n\nThe population increase also means Canada would rank first among the 38 member countries of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development for 2022 population growth, while it was also the fastest-growing G7 country, according to Statistics Canada.\n\nIf Canada maintained the 2.7% increase each year, its population would double in 26 years, the government added.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/world-us-canada-65047436"}
{"title":"Four-day junior doctor strike set for April - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-23","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"The British Medical Association announces next walkout in fight to get 35% pay rise in England.","section":"Health","content":"Junior doctors are to stage a four-day walkout in April in their fight to get a 35% pay rise in England.\n\nMembers of the British Medical Association (BMA) will take strike action from 11 April to 15 April.\n\nIt comes after BMA leaders met Health Secretary Steve Barclay on Wednesday.\n\nMr Barclay has said the pay claim is \"unaffordable\". A deal offered to other NHS staff and backed by unions involves a 5% pay rise in April and a one-off payment of at least \u00a31,655.\n\nThis is on top of the 4.75% pay rise they received last year.\n\nNurses, ambulance staff, physios and other workers are being asked to vote on whether to accept that deal.\n\nThe three biggest health unions - the Royal College of Nursing, Unison and the GMB - have all recommended their members accept it.\n\nBut the BMA has insisted only a 35% increase will do to make up for 15 years of below-inflation rises.\n\nThe four-day strikes would follow the three-day walkout that took place last week.\n\nDr Robert Laurenson, who co-chairs the BMA's junior doctor committee, said: \"It is with disappointment and great frustration that we must announce this new industrial action.\n\n\"The government has dragged its feet at every opportunity.\n\n\"It has not presented any credible offer and is refusing to accept that there is any case for pay restoration, describing our central ask as 'unrealistic' and 'unreasonable'.\"\n\nGovernment sources said the BMA has been offered formal pay talks on the same basis as the other unions and that ministers were willing to discuss a pay rise from April and a one-off payment for the past year.\n\nLast week's walkout led to the cancellation of 175,000 treatments and appointments, with consultants brought in to provide cover in emergency care.\n\nHospitals bosses said the fallout from the strike would last weeks given the huge number of bookings that have to be rescheduled.\n\nThe new walkout of both planned and emergency care comes directly after the Easter weekend, which tends to be a busy period for the NHS.\n\nSaffron Cordery, of NHS Providers, the membership organisation for NHS trusts in England, said demand would have built up over the bank holiday weekend.\n\n\"This threatens the biggest disruption from NHS walkouts so far,\" she said, adding: \"There should be no doubt about the scale of the impact on patients, staff and the NHS.\"\n\nShe said it was hugely disappointing that talks had broken down, explaining: \"Trust leaders understand why junior doctors feel they've been pushed to this point, but it's incumbent on all involved to urgently re-enter talks in good faith.\"\n\nA spokesman for the Department of Health and Social Care said the strike risked patient safety.\n\n\"Our door remains open to constructive conversations, as we have had with other health unions, to find a realistic way forward.\"\n\nAre you a patient with a view on strike action? Are you a patient who will be affected by these strikes? Share your experiences by emailing haveyoursay@bbc.co.uk.\n\nPlease include a contact number if you are willing to speak to a BBC journalist. You can also get in touch in the following ways:\n\nIf 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 HaveYourSay@bbc.co.uk. Please include your name, age and location with any submission.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/health-65052816"}
{"title":"Is this the last interest rate rise for now? - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-23","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"The are increasing signs that the Bank of England may not need to increase rates any further.","section":"Business","content":"The signs are that the Bank of England is coming in to land on rate rises, and today's could be the last.\n\nThe pace of rises is slowing and inflation is now predicted to fall faster this year than expected, in part as a result of the government's help for energy bills.\n\nThe Bank repeated language that further rises would be required only \"if there were evidence\" of more inflationary pressures. Its discussions suggested that some of that pressure, for example from wage growth, was declining even after yesterday's shock inflation number.\n\nThe Bank's governor, Andrew Bailey, confirmed that he had seen private wage growth begin to \"even off\", which was \"obviously a good sign in terms of inflationary pressure\".\n\nThe next Bank meeting in May is now a key point, where new quarterly forecasts for the economy and inflation could underpin a pause in rate rises.\n\nWhile the British economy is better than feared, with a predicted recession now anticipated to be swerved, there are concerns about the impact of global financial fragility. The UK remains resilient. Mr Bailey told broadcasters that \"this is not a repeat of 2008\". But that is another cloud weighing over the Bank's decisions, with some memories of the quickly-reversed rises made by the Bank, even after the credit crunch started in 2007.\n\nThere's a three-way balancing act going on right now between surprisingly strong double-digit UK inflation, stagnant growth and the fragility in the global banking system which, while not centred in the UK, could have knock-on impacts on the funding of banks.\n\nAbsent that new cloud however, there is some good news about the UK economy here.\n\nThe consumer seems more resilient to what was an extraordinary energy shock. Unemployment is not now expected to rise, further underpinning consumers. The economy may still be flat, but given the size of the energy shock, it could have been much worse.\n\nMay looks set to be the time for a pause, if some of these uncertainties don't intrude.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/business-65057167"}
{"title":"Boris Johnson clashes with MPs over Partygate denials - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-23","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"The former PM repeatedly insists he did not deliberately lie to Parliament in a marathon grilling.","section":"UK Politics","content":"This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser.\n\nBoris Johnson has repeatedly insisted he did not intentionally mislead Parliament over Partygate in a heated grilling by MPs.\n\nThe former prime minister began the marathon three-hour session with a Bible in his hands, as he swore: \"Hand on heart, I did not lie to the House.\"\n\nHe admitted social distancing had not been \"perfect\" at gatherings in Downing Street during Covid lockdowns.\n\nBut he said they were \"essential\" work events, which he claimed were allowed.\n\nHe insisted the guidelines - as he understood them - were followed at all times.\n\nBut MPs challenged his assertions, with the committee head, Labour's Harriet Harman, at one point describing them as \"flimsy\", and saying they \"did not amount to much at all\".\n\nHe also clashed repeatedly with Conservative MP Sir Bernard Jenkin, angrily telling the senior Tory he was talking \"complete nonsense\" by suggesting he had relied too much on what political advisers were telling him.\n\nThe Privileges Committee is investigating statements Mr Johnson made to Parliament, after details of booze-fuelled parties and other gatherings in Downing Street emerged in the media from the end of 2021 onwards.\n\nIf he is found by MPs to have deliberately or recklessly misled Parliament, he faces suspension from the Commons - a move that might trigger a by-election in his Uxbridge and South Ruislip constituency.\n\nMr Johnson, with a legal adviser at his side, and supporters including former cabinet minister Jacob Rees-Mogg sat behind him, was in a combative mood as he took MPs' questions for the long-awaited session.\n\nThe main thrust of his argument was that boozy gatherings in Downing Street and staff leaving dos had been \"essential\" work events, which he believed had been in line with the Covid guidelines in place at the time.\n\nHe insisted statements he gave to the Commons - including when he told MPs in December 2021 that Covid rules and guidance were followed \"at all times\" - were made \"on the basis of what I honestly knew and believed at the time\".\n\nShown a picture of himself surrounded by colleagues and drinks during a leaving do, Mr Johnson argued No 10 staff cannot have an \"invisible electrified fence around them\".\n\n\"They will occasionally drift into each other's orbit,\" he said, accepting that \"perfect social distancing is not being observed\" in the image but denying it was in breach of the guidance.\n\n\"I believe it was absolutely essential for work purposes,\" he said of the event for outgoing communications director Lee Cain in November 2020.\n\n\"We were following the guidance to the best of our ability - which was what the guidance provided.\"\n\nHe said when he told MPs on 1 December 2021 that the guidance had been followed at all times, he was recalling the \"huge\" amount of effort to try and stop Covid spreading within No 10.\n\nHe gave examples of measures in place such as keeping windows open, working outdoors where possible, limiting the number of people in rooms and testing, which \"helped mitigate the difficulties we had in maintaining perfect social distancing\".\n\nSir Bernard replied: \"I'm bound to say that if you said all that at the time to the House of Commons, we probably wouldn't be sitting here. But you didn't.\"\n\nAsked later in the session by Conservative MP Andy Carter if he should have made these arguments at the time, he said: \"Perhaps if I had elucidated more clearly what I meant - and what I felt and believed about following the guidance - that would have helped.\"\n\nQuestioned on what he would have told other organisations, if asked at a government pandemic press conference, whether they could hold \"unsocially distanced farewell gatherings\", Mr Johnson said: \"I would have said it is up to organisations, as the guidance says, to decide how they are going to implement the guidance amongst them.\"\n\nBoris Johnson says gatherings at Downing Street - including this leaving do on 13 November 2020 for a special adviser - were work events\n\nHe also insisted his birthday gathering, in June 2020 at the height of the pandemic, for which he was fined by police, had been \"reasonably necessary for work purposes\".\n\nAnd he defended the presence of luxury interior designer Lulu Lytle - who was revamping the Johnsons' Downing Street flat - because she was a \"contractor\" working in No 10.\n\nHe said then Chancellor Rishi Sunak, who was also present, would have been \"just as surprised as I was\" about the fines they received.\n\n\"I thought it was a completely innocent event,\" Mr Johnson said. \"It did not strike me as anything other than an ordinary common or garden workplace event.\"\n\nIn another tetchy exchange with Sir Bernard, Mr Johnson was asked about his comments that it was \"no great vice\" to rely on political advisers for assurances before making statements to the House of Commons.\n\nSir Bernard expressed surprise that Mr Johnson, if there was even \"the thinnest scintilla of doubt\" about whether rules were followed, would not have sought advice from civil servants or government lawyers.\n\n\"If I was accused of law-breaking and I had to give undertakings to Parliament... I would want the advice of a lawyer,\" Sir Bernard told him.\n\nA clearly annoyed Mr Johnson told the senior Tory: \"This is complete nonsense, I mean, complete nonsense.\n\n\"I asked the relevant people. They were senior people. They had been working very hard.\"\n\nThe committee will deliver its verdict on Mr Johnson by the summer.\n\nThe full House of Commons would vote on any sanction it recommends. Mr Sunak has agreed to give Tory MPs a free vote on their conscience over Mr Johnson's fate.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/uk-politics-65039661"}
{"title":"Train strikes planned in March and April suspended - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-23","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"Rail workers across 14 train companies were due to walk out on 30 March and 1 April.","section":"Business","content":"Planned rail strikes in March and April have been called off.\n\nRMT union members, including train guards, who work at 14 train companies were set to walk out on 30 March and 1 April.\n\nThe Rail Delivery Group (RDG) - which represents train companies - said it was now focused on \"working constructively towards a settlement to this dispute.\"\n\nIt comes after RMT members at Network Rail voted to accept a pay deal.\n\nThe RDG said it was a \"welcome step\" by the RMT union leaders to call off the planned action.\n\n\"We are now jointly focused on working constructively towards a settlement to this dispute, which will mean we can do what we have always wanted to do - give our people a pay rise and help secure the long-term future of the railway\", a RDG spokesperson said.\n\nThe RMT, the country's largest rail union, said the proposal tabled by the RDG could lead to a resolution to the national rail dispute.\n\nThe RDG has not yet made a new or updated offer.\n\nBut the RMT said the two sides would now hold further talks \"with a view to securing a new offer on pay, job security and working conditions\".\n\nThe RMT made clear that the dispute between the train companies and union members had not ended.\n\nIt said it would continue to prepare to re-ballot members when the current mandates runs out in mid-May.\n\nA Department for Transport spokesperson said the \"positive step\" brought both sides closer to ending the dispute.\n\n\"After Network Rail employees overwhelmingly voted to accept a similar pay offer earlier this week, we're once again asking the RMT executive to do the right thing and put this fair and reasonable offer to its members, giving them the pay rise they deserve and helping us end this dispute,\" the spokesperson added.\n\nThe last rail strike on 18 March saw workers across 14 train operators walk out. It meant that only 40-50% of trains were running, with travellers taking to social media to complain about disruption to their journeys.\n\nThe ongoing dispute between workers and rail bosses has led to several walkouts since June last year.\n\nThe UK has seen strikes across several industries over the last twelve months, with workers largely concerned about pay - which has not increased in line with rising prices. Inflation - the rate at which prices rise - is at its highest in nearly four decades.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/business-64896128"}
{"title":"Fresh protests in France to clash with King's state visit - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-23","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"The day of mobilisation across France on 28 March would coincide with the last full day of King Charles III's state visit to the country.","section":"Europe","content":"In a way the battle has already been won, as Presdient Emmanuel Macron has got the pension reforms bill through.\n\nBut the protesters say they'll keep going, that there may be other means to get it overturned or they hope they'll bring the government down.\n\nHowever, the law is now going ahead and the government is banking on there being a certain loss of momentum as a result.\n\nIt may also be banking on the fact that if the movement radicalises, which it may well do now - as more hardline elements take over and there are outbursts of violence on the streets - then many people will turn away and say it's no longer their fight.\n\nThat's what happened with the yellow vests - the gilets jaune - around four years ago.\n\nBut we've no way really of knowing what's going to happen in the next few weeks.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/live\/world-europe-65052649"}
{"title":"Ukraine war: The front line where Russian eyes are always watching - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-23","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"The Ukrainian stronghold where, despite months of vicious attacks, the Russians have gained just 10 metres.","section":"Europe","content":"This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Watch: Quentin Sommerville and cameraman Darren Conway on the front lines during a Russian attack\n\nThe line of trees appears to fragment and disappear as it winds its way towards the Russian positions on the outskirts of the small town of Velyka Novosilka.\n\nDima, a Ukrainian army infantryman with the 1st Separate Tank Brigade, treads carefully along a path where army boots have worn through the spring clover. The zero line - the final trench - lies ahead. Russian troops are only 700m away.\n\nFurther north in Bakhmut, the Ukranians have been losing ground. But here in the south of Donetsk province, Ukrainian tanks and infantrymen are standing firm.\n\nDespite months of vicious Russian attacks, Dima says the brigade has lost less than 10m of territory. Russian forces, he says, have sustained heavy losses.\n\nIt is a stricken landscape, where trenches lie exposed to Russian observation posts and surveillance drones. On this front line, Russian eyes are always watching, waiting for an opportunity to attack.\n\nAs we pass the infantry trenches, the clover begins to vanish, replaced by mud and bomb craters. Landmines and unexploded shells litter the ground. The treetops, still bare from winter, are now split and shattered. \"There was a tank battle here recently,\" says Dima, \"we drove them back\".\n\nA soldier in a trench shovels soft, red soil, hardly making a sound. From a nearby village, the patter of automatic gunfire catches the breeze.\n\nDima is 22 years old and worked in a petro-chemical factory before the war\n\n\"There were often battles in the village. Sometimes the whole village was on fire. They threw phosphorus, or I don't even know what they threw,\" Dima explains. He is over 6'4'' tall with pale blue eyes made brighter by the dark circles under them. His AK-47 is slung over his shoulder; on his body armour hangs a spoon, a can opener, and a small pair of pliers.\n\nThe danger here lies outside the trenches. A moment's inattention while smoking a cigarette can end in death if a mortar or grenade lands nearby. \"Generally, they shell every day,\" says Dima, indicating Russian positions. These men took casualties recently, but they are a fraction of the Ukrainian losses from the close-quarter fighting in Bakhmut.\n\nSuddenly a shell whines overhead, landing to the left of our group. The six of us run for cover and hit the ground. I lose sight of Dima, but someone shouts that a Russian tank is firing. A second explosion hits, covering me in dirt. It was closer this time, perhaps 10ft away. I head for cover and see Dima standing tall in a trench. Inside is a timber-covered shelter, which four of us cram inside. As Dima lights a cigarette, there is another explosion nearby.\n\n\"They simply have an unlimited amount of shells,\" he says. \"They have entire warehouses full of [them]. They can shoot all day, and they won't run out of shells. But us? We'd run out of shells this year. So we're forming various assault brigades and we've been given tanks. I think with those we'll win. We're Cossacks. So, brave guys, we can handle it.\"\n\nWhen their positions are under attack, he explains, they take cover in trench dugouts, while one soldier stays on watch looking for enemy infantry and drones. He has learned to cope, he says. \"There was fear for the first few times. When I first came. Now it has all, somehow, faded away. It's become as solid as a rock. Well, there are some fears - everyone has them\".\n\nAnother shell lands close enough to knock him off his feet. \"That was a good one,\" he says, shaking his head and dusting himself off.\n\nThe Ukrainians have dug a network of trenches\n\nDima is only 22 years old and from the central industrial city of Kremenchuk. He worked in a petro-chemical factory before the war, and like many of the soldiers fighting here, his adult life has barely started. When I ask what he tells his family, he responds, \"I don't have a family yet. I have my mum - I don't have anyone else for now.\" He calls home twice a day, in the morning and evening. \"She doesn't know much - I don't tell her everything,\" he says, his voice trailing off.\n\nAmong the soldiers there is disagreement over what the Russians are firing. It could be tank fire, mortars or grenades working on the Ukrainian positions - or a combination of all three. A bearded soldier, grimy with days at the front, enters the dugout and makes a whirling motion with his finger. A Russian drone is overhead. Even here there is uncertainty, it could be armed, or it could be a reconnaissance drone. There is nothing to do but to wait until the barrage is over, or it gets dark.\n\nI leave the men just after sunset. The brigade's tanks are firing back at the Russians now, and as I return, a fresh shift of soldiers takes up positions along the trenches. I'm mindful in the fading light of where I step, remembering the anti-personnel mines on the route in.\n\nTanks and artillery dominate here, with the brigade's Ukrainian-made T64 Bulat tanks operating every day. \"Tankers are like the older brother of infantry,\" says tank commander Serhii. \"When the infantry is being hurt, the tankers are coming. But the problem is that we can't always come.\"\n\nThe 1st Separate Tank Brigade is one of the most decorated in the army. Its commander Col Leonid Khoda is awaiting the arrival of Western tanks, including the British Challenger II, and has already sent men for training on German Leopard tanks.\n\nThe enemy \"has a completely different goal,\" he says. \"We protect our state, our land, our relatives, we have a different motivation. They have no way out. Their leadership, their party said, no step back. Because to retreat means prison, means execution. So they are moving forward like a lamb to the slaughter.\"\n\nIn February, the Russians tried to break through the front line 30km away, a bold move that would have put the rest of unoccupied Donetsk at risk. The advance ended in catastrophe, with hundreds of Russians dead, dozens of their tanks lost, and an armoured brigade all but annihilated.\n\nRecalling one of February's attacks around the town of Vuhledar 13km away, Col Leonid Khoda, describes it as \"an act of desperation\". The enemy brigade was in effect, wiped out, he says. \"But lately they've started to change tactics.\"\n\nMuch of Donbas is rough with grit of the industrial age. Great abandoned factories and monumental slag heaps dominate the landscape, but not here. The land Col Khoda's men are protecting specifically is the market town of Velyka Novosilka.\n\nBefore the war, the town had a modern school, a tidy fire station and a three-storey kindergarten. All now stand forlorn and battered.\n\nThe army driver bringing us to the town swerves to avoid a rocket embedded in the road. Another Russian shell lands in a nearby neighbourhood, sending a long arc of dirt into the grey sky. The small homes and cottages of the town speed past the window, and even as broken as they are, it's plain to see this was a prosperous town before the war.\n\nSome 10,000 people used to live here - now there are fewer than 200. \"Only mice, cats and dogs thrive here now and they also hide from the shelling,\" one of the soldiers in the car says.\n\nAt one of the shelters I meet Iryna Babkina, the local piano teacher who is trying to hold together the remaining threads of her town. With blazing red hair, she is quietly determined to remain in the town. A few dozen residents live in the cold, damp shelter, and Iryana helps care for the older ones.\n\nPiano teacher Iryna Babkina is one of barely 200 people still in Velyka Novosilka - a town where 10,000 people used to live\n\nShe describes what has happened to the town as akin to a feeling of \"grief\". \"It used to be such a beautiful place,\" she says. \"It's [now] more of a sadness - the sadness of how it used to be, the sadness of what it is now.\"\n\nRussian bombs often add to the mountain of grief. In the dimly lit basement shelter warmed by a wood-burning stove, I hear a voice. Sitting alone on a bed is Maria Vasylivna, 74.\n\nBefore Iryna introduces us, she whispers, \"It's difficult for her to speak, her husband was killed by shrapnel recently.\"\n\nMaria takes my hands. \"Oh you are cold,\" she says, warming them between hers.\n\nHer husband, Sergiy, 74, was too ill to come to the shelter, and remained in their home even as Russian bombs fell across the neighbourhood.\n\nIn a soft voice she tells me, \"He bled to death overnight. I was here and he was at home. I came in the morning, and he was gone. We buried him and that's it.\" They had been married 54 years.\n\nMaria Vasylivna says her husband was too ill to go to a shelter and bled to death after a Russian bomb attack\n\nBefore I leave, Iryna takes me through the town's school. Its lilac-painted corridors are scattered with debris, and the windows have been blown in by Russian bombs. Children's jackets still hang on coat pegs and homemade Christmas decorations stand uncollected on a shelf.\n\nOn a wall above a pale blue radiator, a group picture shows the kids football team celebrating a win. Outside the window, the same pitch is cratered, and the nearby climbing frames mangled by shelling. The tail fin of an unexploded Russian rocket sticks out from the playground asphalt.\n\nA piano stands in the corridor and Iryna sits down to play. But no tune comes, the piano is too badly damaged. She has no music to play and no children to teach. The last of them were forcibly evacuated from the town by police last month and taken to somewhere safer. Her own daughter was among them.\n\n\"There's only the sounds of shells,\" she says. \"The school is smashed, instruments are ruined, but it is fine, we will rebuild it, and the music will sound again - along with the children's laughter.\"\n\nThese are the ties that bind people here, whether civilian or soldier. The determination to resist is the enduring weapon in Ukraine's arsenal, as vital to the country's survival as any armoured tank or infantry trench.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/world-europe-65028217"}
{"title":"Derbyshire officer 'used police database to find woman on Instagram' - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-23","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"The officer, who denies the allegations, is said to have followed the woman from a supermarket.","section":"Derby","content":"The officer is accused of breaching profeessional standards by using the database for a personal and non-policing reason\n\nA police officer sent a heart-eyes emoji to a woman on Instagram and used a confidential database to track her down, a misconduct panel has heard.\n\nPC Jack Harrison is alleged to have followed the woman in his patrol car from a Co-op store in Wirksworth, Derbyshire, after attending a call-out in 2021.\n\nThe officer is said to have started following the woman on the social media app later that day.\n\nThe Local Democracy Reporting Service said the allegations were laid out by David Ring, a legal representative for Derbyshire Police, at the start of a three-day misconduct hearing at the force's headquarters in Ripley.\n\nThe officer is alleged to have followed the woman in his patrol car from a Co-op store in Wirksworth\n\nThe incident is alleged to have happened in September 2021 when the Matlock-based officer was making policing inquiries at the Co-op store in Harrison Drive.\n\nIt is alleged PC Harrison followed a woman's car in his police vehicle after seeing her leave the store but did not force her to stop or make any contact with the driver.\n\nThe hearing was told the officer then carried out a Police National Computer (PNC) check on the woman's car.\n\nThe PNC is a national database of information for police officers, enforcement agencies and other UK bodies, and provides basic information about the owner of a vehicle.\n\nIt is claimed the officer used the information he found on the PNC check to then follow the woman on Instagram, as her name would have been listed on the database.\n\nBut this is denied by PC Harrison who claims he followed her on Instagram as she came up as a \"suggested follower\".\n\nAccording to Mr Ring, PC Harrison has claimed he had followed the car because he felt the driving was suspicious and believed it may have been stolen.\n\nWhen the woman found out she was being followed by PC Harrison, it is claimed she realised that the officer had, months before, made contact by sending her a flame emoji to one of her Instagram stories.\n\nIt is claimed the police officer had also sent her another emoji of a face with eyes as hearts as a reaction to another post she had made.\n\nThe woman complained to Derbyshire Police that PC Harrison's alleged actions on the day of the incident were \"weird and creepy\".\n\nThe misconduct hearing is being heard at the force's headquarters in Ripley\n\nAn independent panel must decide if the allegations, on the balance of probability, are a true record of events.\n\nIf they are true, then the panel will then decide an appropriate punishment for the officer - should the allegations be found to be a misconduct offence.\n\nFollow BBC East Midlands on Facebook, on Twitter, or on Instagram. Send your story ideas to eastmidsnews@bbc.co.uk.\n\nThe BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/uk-england-derbyshire-65031368"}
{"title":"Man Utd takeover: Sir Jim Ratcliffe & Sheikh Jassim to submit new bids as deadline extended amid confusion - BBC Sport","published_date":"2023-03-23","authors":null,"description":"Ineos owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe and Qatari banker Sheikh Jassim are set to submit new bids to buy Manchester United after the deadline was extended.","section":null,"content":"Man Utd takeover: Sir Jim Ratcliffe & Sheikh Jassim to submit new bids as deadline extended amid confusion Last updated on .From the section Man Utd\n\nIneos owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe and Qatari banker Sheikh Jassim are set to submit new bids to buy Manchester United after a deadline was extended at their request amid confusion on Wednesday night. Bidders were told they had until 21:00 GMT to submit second, revised bids. BBC Sport has been told several other proposed investors made their submissions by that time. It is unclear when the new deadline will be. Ratcliffe and Sheikh Jassim are the only publicly declared bidders. It is understood US investment company Elliott has made an offer to purchase a minority stake, irrespective of who ends up owning the club. Initially on Wednesday evening there had been strong indications from sources close to the pair that they had submitted fresh bids. But it then emerged over the past 48 hours first the Qatari team and then Ineos had submitted requests to Raine - the investment bank conducting the sale - for more time to make their second offers, which was granted. The situation is described as \"live and fast moving\" by someone close to the talks but sources insist that both Sheikh Jassim and Ineos are committed to making second bids. However, the twist in the sale process will only reinforce concerns among some fans that American owners the Glazer family may decide not to sell the club. Ineos wants to buy the combined Glazer shareholding of about 69%, but the Qataris are targeting 100% of the club. Both sides met with United officials earlier in March.\n\u2022 None Listen to the latest The Devils' Advocate podcast BBC Sport has learned that United officials met eight different potential investors over a 10-day period of high-level meetings recently, including Ratcliffe and representatives of Sheikh Jassim. The size of their initial bids has not been disclosed - with reports both are in the region of \u00a34.5bn - but they were clearly far below the \u00a35-6bn valuation that the Glazers have established. Whether they - or any other prospective bidders - are able to submit an offer that persuades the Glazers to sell is the next key question. If not, and with United's fortunes improving significantly in recent months under manager Erik ten Hag, the Americans may well yet decide to retain the club and perhaps instead look to sell a minority stake to the likes of US hedge fund Elliott Investment Management. The Glazer family said in November they were considering selling United. Announcing its initial bid Sheikh Jassim's Qatari consortium said the offer \"plans to return the club to its former glories\". Described as a life-long Manchester United fan, Sheikh Jassim is chairman of Qatari bank QIB and the son of a former prime minister of Qatar. The Ineos group, owned by 70-year-old British billionaire Ratcliffe, has a history of investment in sport and owns French Ligue 1 club Nice and Swiss club Lausanne. Its sporting portfolio also includes high-profile sailing team Ineos Britannia - led by Sir Ben Ainslie - and a five-year partnership with Formula 1 team Mercedes, while it took over the British-based Team Sky in cycling in 2019. At the time of the first bid it was understood its proposal would emphasise Manchester-born Ratcliffe would be \"a British custodian for the club\" and would aim to \"put the Manchester back into Manchester United\".\n\u2022 None Our coverage of Manchester United is bigger and better than ever before - here's everything you need to know to make sure you never miss a moment\n\u2022 None Everything United - go straight to all the best content","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/sport\/football\/65043304"}
{"title":"Gwyneth Paltrow team offers court security 'treats' at ski crash trial - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-23","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"The unusual request prompts a courtroom objection from lawyers for the plaintiff in the 2016 ski crash.","section":"Entertainment & Arts","content":"This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Watch: Lawyers in Gwyneth Paltrow trial off to bumpy start\n\nA judge has rejected an offer from actress Gwyneth Paltrow's legal team to \"bring in treats\" for courtroom security at her trial in Utah.\n\nThe unusual request prompted a courtroom objection, leading the judge to say \"thank you, but no thank you\".\n\nMs Paltrow is accused of causing a collision that left retired eye doctor Terry Sanderson, 76, concussed.\n\nHe is seeking $300,000 (\u00a3244,000) in damages. She denies blame for the crash in February 2016 and has countersued.\n\nAhead of testimony on the third day of the 50-year-old Oscar winner's civil trial in Park City, her attorney Steve Owens said: \"Private security for my client wanted to bring in treats for the bailiffs for how helpful they've been.\"\n\n\"So, I wanted to do that transparently and see if there are any objections,\" he added.\n\nLawyers for Mr Sanderson swiftly objected, prompting Judge Kent Holmberg to say: \"OK, there's an objection so thank you, but no thank you.\"\n\nBut he said either party could \"decide to do that later\" if they wished.\n\nIt's unclear what treats her team was prepared to offer.\n\nDuring Thursday's proceedings, the plaintiff's daughter, Polly Sanderson-Grasham, said her father had been \"outgoing and engaged\" before his ski accident, but now gets \"agitated\" and is \"easily frustrated\".\n\nMs Sanderson-Grasham, 49, detailed an occasion after the accident when she said she really noticed the changes in her father.\n\nPolly Sanderson-Grasham described how she knew something was \"terribly wrong\" with her father\n\n\"He was sitting in a chair by the window and I almost expected drool to be coming out of his mouth,\" she said.\n\n\"First of all, he wasn't engaged with anybody. He had kind of taken himself to a remote corner and that was my first real kind of slap in the face of, like, something's terribly wrong.\"\n\nHowever, under cross-examination she accepted that her dad was on occasion \"frequently frustrated\" and \"overstepping the boundaries\" before the collision.\n\nShe added that her father had become \"obsessed\" with the trial and badly wanted an apology.\n\nMr Sanderson lost consciousness for several minutes after the crash, and suffered a concussion and four fractured ribs, according to his legal action.\n\nA doctor who gave evidence on Thursday morning said the plaintiff had sustained a traumatic brain injury that \"completely changed his life\".\n\nDr Alina Fong, a neuropsychologist, said Mr Sanderson had been \"struggling with concussion symptoms for a year and a half\" when she first saw him in May 2017.\n\nShe said Mr Sanderson reported symptoms, including \"mood and personality changes, pain as well as headaches\".\n\nAsked whether there was any indication he was faking his symptoms, Dr Fong said there was \"none whatsoever\".\n\nTerry Sanderson accuses Ms Paltrow of being distracted while skiing\n\nThe incident on a beginners' slope at the upmarket Utah ski resort took place while Ms Paltrow was skiing with her family.\n\nMr Sanderson's lawyers say the movie-star-turned-lifestyle-influencer was uphill on the slope and crashed into him from behind, with his injuries providing evidence of this.\n\nBut her defence team say she had begun descending the slope when a man collided into her back.\n\nThey have focused on Mr Sanderson's medical conditions from before the collision, including vision and hearing loss from a stroke.\n\nMs Paltrow is seeking $1 in damages plus attorneys' fees. She is expected to give evidence on Friday.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/entertainment-arts-65050951"}
{"title":"Harry Kane breaks Wayne Rooney's all-time England goalscoring record - BBC Sport","published_date":"2023-03-23","authors":null,"description":"Harry Kane describes becoming England's all-time top scorer with his 54th international goal against Italy as \"a magical moment\".","section":null,"content":"Last updated on .From the section England\n\nHarry Kane described becoming England's all-time top scorer with 54 goals as \"a magical moment\" that \"means everything\". The Tottenham striker scored a first-half penalty as Gareth Southgate's side won in Italy for the first time since 1961. Kane's strike meant he moved ahead of Wayne Rooney in England's all-time top scorer charts. \"It means everything,\" the 29-year-old said. \"I was so excited to put the England shirt on and get back out here and get the campaign started for next year's Euros. \"It had to be a penalty and once it hit the back of the net, huge emotion. A magical moment.\" The Football News Show: Is Kane's future at Tottenham or elsewhere? Former Manchester United striker Rooney, who had held the record since 2015, was one of the first people to congratulate Kane. He tweeted: \"Congratulations to Harry Kane on becoming England's all-time leading goalscorer. \"I knew it wouldn't take long but that was quick. Great man, unbelievable goalscorer and an England legend.\" In response, Kane told Channel 4: \"I was on the pitch when Wayne broke the record. I know what it meant to him and I was so proud of him. \"I remember when I gave him the boot for breaking the record he said he would be giving it back to me one day. A special man.\" Harry Kane celebrated his record with his England team-mates after the game Kane had equalled Rooney's record with a goal in their 2022 World Cup quarter-final defeat by France - and missed a penalty in that game that would have given him the record outright. But he managed it in his next game for Gareth Southgate's side in Naples, scoring from the spot before England held on for a 2-1 win. Southgate paid tribute to Kane's strength of character to break the record with a penalty after his miss against France. \"To break the record in the manner he did given the recent history is an indication of his strength of character and mentality,\" he said. \"I couldn't be happier for him and his family, he is a brilliant professional.\" Kane added: \"Just a great night, we haven't won in Italy for so long and to score and win, so special. \"The World Cup was a difficult way to end but we spoke this week about getting back to it. We are one of the best teams in Europe. Getting this win shows we are ready for the challenge.\" Kane is now the record goalscorer for both England and club side Tottenham. He has achieved the record for the Three Lions at a sensational rate, his 54 goals coming in just 81 appearances. Kane now leads a group of six Englishmen to have scored more than 40 international goals. Of those, only Jimmy Greaves scored his at a faster rate - one every 1.3 games, compared with Kane's 1.5. Sir Bobby Charlton, with 49 goals, held the record for 45 years until he was surpassed by Rooney eight years ago. Kane's record haul includes six at the World Cup in Russia in 2018, making him only the third Englishman to win a Golden Boot at a major tournament, along with Gary Lineker at the 1986 World Cup and Alan Shearer at the European Championship in 1996. He has also broken a number of other England records, including scoring 16 goals for his country in a calendar year in 2021. Kane still has some way to go if he is to challenge the global record for men's international goals held by Cristiano Ronaldo, who has scored 120 goals in 197 Portugal appearances. His 204 league goals for Spurs means he is third in the list of Premier League all-time scorers, 56 behind record-holder Shearer. 'A leader on and off the pitch' - Kane praised for record Several of Kane's fellow strikers who also represented England took to social media to praise him for his achievement. Former England and Tottenham striker Gary Lineker: \"Many congratulations to Harry Kane on becoming England's highest ever goal-scorer. A wonderful achievement.\" The Prince and Princess of Wales also paid tribute, tweeting: \"A leader on and off the pitch, and now England's record goalscorer, a testament to your brilliant career Harry Kane! Congratulations and here's to many more.\"\n\u2022 None Our beautiful land as you've never seen it before:","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/sport\/football\/64945178"}
{"title":"Man in court charged with mosque fire attacks in Birmingham and London - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-23","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"Mohammed Abbkr is alleged to have set alight two men in separate attacks in Birmingham and London.","section":"Birmingham & Black Country","content":"Mohammed Abbkr is set to appear at Birmingham Crown Court in April\n\nA suspect has appeared in court charged with two counts of attempted murder after attacks on men set alight outside mosques in Birmingham and London.\n\nMohammed Abbkr, 28, from Edgbaston in Birmingham, is alleged to have sprayed a substance on to the two Muslim victims in the separate incidents.\n\nAt Birmingham Magistrates' Court, Mr Abbkr, who is originally from Sudan, spoke only to confirm his name, age and address and was remanded in custody.\n\nHe is due at a Crown court on 20 April.\n\nHashi Odowa, 82, was set alight by a mosque in Ealing, west London, on 27 February.\n\nMohammed Rayaz, 70, was also set on fire and seriously injured in Edgbaston, Birmingham, on Monday.\n\nMr Odowa received hospital treatment for severe burns to his face and arms after the attack near West London Islamic Centre.\n\nMembers of the mosque described the incidents as \"abhorrent and malicious attacks on two elders within our community\".\n\nMr Odowa was released from hospital the following day and is now recuperating from his injuries, they said.\n\n\"As we commence the blessed month of Ramadan, our thoughts and prayers are with the victims and their families,\" a spokesperson from the centre said.\n\nMohammed Rayaz was seriously injured and required a skin graft after his clothing was set on fire\n\nMr Rayaz's family said he remained in a serious but stable condition in hospital following a skin graft operation.\n\nThe retired factory worker was sprayed with a substance before his jacket was set on fire near his home in Shenstone Road, a short distance from the Dudley Road mosque he had left.\n\nFamily lawyer Shahbon Hussain said he had got a text message from Mr Rayaz's son moments afterwards.\n\n\"He heard his dad screaming, the family had gone out the house and seen him on fire,\" he said. \"I immediately went over and the police, ambulance and fire brigade were already there.\"\n\nNeighbours also helped to put flames out and carry Mr Rayaz to his home, the lawyer said.\n\nThe victim had been \"touched at the outpouring of love and support\" since the attack, said MP Shabana Mahmood, who spoke to him on a video call.\n\nWest Midlands Police said: \"We continue to ask anyone with CCTV, ring doorbell footage or video footage that could help our investigation to send this to us directly.\"\n\nIn a statement, the Metropolitan Police said officers had worked closely with detectives from the West Midlands force in the investigation.\n\nMr Abbkr, of Gillott Road, is set to appear at Birmingham Crown Court next month.\n\nFollow BBC West Midlands on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. Send your story ideas to: newsonline.westmidlands@bbc.co.uk\n\nThe BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/uk-england-birmingham-65049307"}
{"title":"Lindsay Lohan and Jake Paul hit with SEC charges over crypto scheme - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-23","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"Eight stars including Soulja Boy did not disclose payments for touting cryptocurrencies, the SEC says.","section":"US & Canada","content":"Actress Lindsay Lohan is among eight celebrities who US regulators say failed to disclose they were being paid to promote cryptocurrencies\n\nEight celebrities, including Lindsay Lohan and Jake Paul, have been charged by US regulators with participating in an illegal crypto scheme.\n\nThe stars allegedly used their social platforms to boost two crypto tokens without disclosing they were paid to promote them.\n\nThe charges were announced by the US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) in a news release on Wednesday.\n\nLohan and Paul have paid to settle the charges without admitting guilt.\n\nThe other celebs charged are:\n\nThe group is accused of illegally promoting TRX and BTT crypto assets \"without disclosing that they were compensated for doing so and the amount of their compensation\", the SEC said.\n\nJustin Sun, a crypto investor and diplomat for the Caribbean island nation of Grenada, is also accused of fraud by manipulating the trading activity of the two tokens to make it appear as if they were actively being traded in a crime known as \"wash trading\".\n\nMr Sun, a Chinese-born prot\u00e9g\u00e9 of Alibaba founder Jack Ma, is known for having once paid $4.6m (\u00a33.7m) to have dinner with investor Warren Buffett.\n\nHe is accused of \"orchestrating a promotional campaign in which he and his celebrity promoters hid the fact that the celebrities were paid for their tweet\", the SEC added in their news release.\n\nHis companies - Tron Foundation Limited, BitTorrent Foundation Ltd and Rainberry Inc (formerly BitTorrent) - are also charged as part of the scheme.\n\n\"This case demonstrates again the high risk investors face when crypto asset securities are offered and sold without proper disclosure,\" said SEC Chair Gary Gensler.\n\n\"Sun and his companies not only targeted US investors in their unregistered offers and sales, generating millions in illegal proceeds at the expense of investors, but they also coordinated wash trading on an unregistered trading platform to create the misleading appearance of active trading.\"\n\nAll of the celebrities, apart from Soulja Boy and Mahone, have paid a combined total of more than $400,000 to settle the charges.\n\nLohan, who is best known for her role in the 2004 film Mean Girls, had 8.4 million Twitter followers when she posted a message calling for her followers to invest.\n\nThe 36-year-old actress, who charging documents say is a resident of Dubai in the United Arab Emirates, paid $10,000 to the SEC and another $30,000 in penalties.\n\nPaul, a YouTuber, boxer and resident of Puerto Rico, was ordered to pay more than $100,000.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/world-us-canada-65046882"}
{"title":"Freddie Flintoff: Top Gear filming halted by BBC after accident - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-23","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"The BBC said it would be \"inappropriate\" to resume making the popular TV show's new series for now.","section":"Entertainment & Arts","content":"Andrew \"Freddie\" Flintoff was injured in December at Top Gear's test track in Surrey\n\nThe BBC says it has halted the latest series of Top Gear after presenter Andrew \"Freddie\" Flintoff was hurt in an accident while filming.\n\nThe presenter was injured in December at Top Gear's test track at Dunsfold Park Aerodrome in Surrey.\n\nThe BBC said: \"Under the circumstances, we feel it would be inappropriate to resume making series 34.\"\n\nThe broadcaster said a decision on how best to continue would be made later this year.\n\nFollowing the accident on 13 December, the former England cricketer received medical care at the scene before being taken to hospital for further treatment.\n\nIn a statement, the BBC said: \"We have sincerely apologised to Freddie and will continue to support him with his recovery.\n\n\"We understand this [halting the show] will be disappointing for fans, but it is the right thing to do, and we'll make a judgement about how best to continue later this year.\"\n\nThe decision has also impacted the production team, said the BBC, adding that there would be a health and safety review of the show, undertaken by an independent third party.\n\nBBC Studios, which produces the show, also conducted its own investigation of the accident.\n\nA spokesperson for the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) - the national regulator for workplace safety in England, Wales and Scotland - said: \"We've completed our enquires into this incident and will not be investigating further.\"\n\nIt is understood the circumstances of the incident did not meet the threshold for further investigation. The regulator can launch criminal prosecutions against employers where staff have suffered serious injury or died at work.\n\nPhilippa Childs, head of Bectu, the union for workers in the creative industries, told the BBC: \"Crew wellbeing on set is paramount, and it's critical productions have stringent policies and procedures in place to protect freelancers' physical and mental health.\n\n\"Productions must ensure they are meeting the highest safety standards and, where incidents occur, must ensure lessons are learnt and appropriate support is provided for the workforce.\"\n\nFormer presenter Matt LeBlanc drove past a bride and groom at St Paul's Cathedral in 2016\n\nTop Gear, one of the broadcaster's most successful and exported programmes, has had a series of different presenters since 2002.\n\nDecember's accident was not the first Flintoff has suffered since he first began presenting the show.\n\nThe father-of-four crashed into a market stall in Mansfield, Nottinghamshire in February 2019.\n\nIn September of the same year, he also crashed during a drag race while he was filming at Elvington Airfield in Yorkshire, but walked away unharmed.\n\nIn June 2022, Flintoff was racing in a bobsleigh at a course in Norway when it flipped over, but he again came out of the crash unscathed.\n\nPaddy McGuinness, Chris Harris and Freddie Flintoff were announced as Top Gear's latest hosts in 2018\n\nFlintoff's impact on Top Gear should not be underestimated - he played a key role in rescuing the show after the tricky era that followed the departure of Clarkson, Hammond and May.\n\nThe show faltered under Chris Evans and Matt LeBlanc, who took over presenting duties in 2016. They struggled to recapture the chemistry of the hugely popular previous hosts.\n\nBut when Flintoff, McGuinness and Harris took the reins, there was palpable relief among BBC bosses when it became clear the unlikely trio of a cricketer, car expert and comic and gameshow host had great on-screen chemistry.\n\nThat relationship between the lead presenters is crucial to the show's appeal. The slightly juvenile pranks and jokes are what elevates Top Gear from being a car review show for petrol-heads to a winning entertainment format which appeals to a mainstream audience.\n\nIts success over the years has made the programme a cash cow for the BBC. The corporation profits significantly from the series being sold to other countries. It is a strong brand, with its own magazine and merchandise.\n\nThe show's immediate future may be in doubt for now, but Flintoff's health and wellbeing must remain the top priority for the corporation. As a source close to Flintoff told the Times: \"Freddie has been seriously emotionally and physically affected by the crash.\"\n\nFlintoff retired from cricket in 2009 having played 79 Tests, 141 one-day internationals and seven T20s for England.\n\nHe played a key role in England's Ashes successes of 2005 and 2009.\n\nAfter retiring from cricket in 2010 - he had one professional bout as a boxer, won the Australian version of I'm a Celebrity... Get Me Out Of Here! and also took to acting.\n\nHe joined Top Gear as a host in 2019 and has co-starred in the show with Paddy McGuinness and Chris Harris. Their most recent series attracted an average consolidated audience of 4.5 million viewers.\n\nRacing driver Perry McCarthy, who previously portrayed the Stig on Top Gear, told The World At One on BBC Radio 4: \"One thing about life in a car, whether it be on the road or on a track, is that when something goes wrong, it goes wrong really quickly.\n\nHe added: \"You've got this enthusiasm from presenters which is wonderful, that's great, that's what the show's about. But you've got to be careful. So you need people around that show who really understand what can go wrong.\"\n\nRichard Hammond (left, with Jeremy Clarkson and James May) was injured in 2006\n\nOne of Top Gear's previous presenters, Richard Hammond, was also injured while filming for the series in 2006.\n\nHammond crashed a car while travelling at nearly 300mph at the former RAF Elvington airbase near York, leaving him in a coma with a frontal lobe brain injury.\n\nHe survived and ultimately returned to the series alongside fellow hosts Jeremy Clarkson and James May.\n\nThe trio left Top Gear in 2015 after an altercation between Clarkson and a producer.\n\nLast month, Hammond said he worried the crash could be responsible for his worsening memory.\n\nThe BBC said Top Gear is:","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/entertainment-arts-65056723"}
{"title":"Live updates: US Congress in hostile grilling of TikTok CEO Shou Zi Chew - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-23","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"Members of Congress tell Shou Zi Chew they think the app should be banned due to China privacy concerns.","section":"US & Canada","content":"There are often \u201cmoments\u201d in these hearings.\n\nMark Zuckerberg's famous US Senate hearing in 2018 is often remembered for one brilliant question from Senator Richard Durbin.\n\n\"Mr Zuckerberg, would you be comfortable sharing with us which hotel you stayed in last night?\" he said.\n\nThe Facebook boss looked visibly uncomfortable before saying \"no\".\n\n\"I think that might be what this is all about\u2026your right to privacy,\" the senator replied.\n\nShou Chew is playing it safe. He often reverts to phrases like \u201cindustry standards\u201d when answering questions on what data it scrapes.\n\n\u201cI don\u2019t agree with the characterisation of the question\u201d is another go-to line when asked something difficult.\n\nThat is a perfectly fine strategy for avoiding embarrassing answers.\n\nBut, as many of members of Congress have noted, it can also come across as evasive.\n\nIt has been a perfectly decent performance so far. But I doubt anyone watching this, who were worried about TikTok, would have had their minds changed by this testimony.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/live\/world-us-canada-65042782"}
{"title":"Teachers and head teachers call for Ofsted to be replaced - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-23","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"A petition has been handed to the government, calling for Ofsted to be replaced following Ruth Perry's death.","section":"Family & Education","content":"NEU deputy general secretary Niamh Sweeney leads the group handing in their petition to the Department for Education\n\nTeachers and head teachers handed a petition to the government on Thursday, calling for Ofsted to be replaced.\n\nThe petition was started before head teacher Ruth Perry took her own life while waiting for an Ofsted report.\n\nMs Perry's family have blamed her death on the \"intolerable pressure\" of the inspection, which downgraded her primary school to \"inadequate\".\n\nThe Department for Education says inspections are \"hugely important\" and \"a legal requirement\".\n\nThe National Education Union wants Ofsted, England's schools' watchdog, replaced with a \"supportive, effective and fair\" accountability system.\n\nThe petition, signed by 52,000 people, also calls on the government to work with teachers and leaders to look at how these work in other high-performing education nations.\n\nEstyn, which looks after inspections in Wales, has replaced a single overall grade with an overview of findings focusing on a school's strengths and areas for development and a separate report summary for parents.\n\nFollowing an inspection in England, schools are rated:\n\nIt was \"absurd that the whole school life is condensed into a single-word judgement\", NEU deputy general secretary Niamh Sweeney said.\n\nAccountability was important but \"the inspection and the surveillance culture\" was making high numbers of staff leave, she added.\n\nThe scrum of reporters, TV and stills cameras gathered outside the front door of the Department for Education was a mark of how headteacher Ruth Perry's death after a gruelling Ofsted inspection has caught the public's attention.\n\nPeople had been asked to sign, before Ruth's sister spoke out, laying the blame for the late head taking her own life at the door of the schools' inspectorate.\n\nNEU Deputy General Secretary Niamh Sweeney didn't want to talk about Mrs Perry specifically, despite Ruth being a union member, but she couldn't ignore the fact today was taking place under the shadow cast by the family's decision to speak out.\n\nA few minutes' walk away, a parent from Reading was leading a vigil outside the door of Ofsted's headquarters. The event was never going to be a major one, taking place in the middle of the school and working day - in fact, the press outnumbered those taking part - but for the organiser it was the location that counted.\n\nA week after the BBC broke the story, there was a feeling that, so far, Ofsted had failed to consider its role in events, putting its fingers in its ears to block out the growing clamour for changes to the inspections system.\n\nThree teachers' unions, including the NEU, have called for inspections to be paused and a review.\n\nSome head teachers are also removing references to Ofsted from websites, job adverts and letters, in tribute to Ms Perry.\n\nRuth Perry was the head at Caversham Primary School, in Reading\n\nAnd James Denny, a parent from Reading who works with schools to help children experience more arts and culture, is organising a vigil outside Ofsted's offices in London, on Thursday.\n\nHe remembers as a child in the 1990s the fear an Ofsted inspection brought schools but \"things have got so much worse since then\".\n\nHe was not campaigning against Ofsted inspectors, Mr Denny said, but the way the watchdog worked \"is no longer fit for purpose\".\n\nThe Department for Education said inspections held schools to account for their educational standards and \"parents greatly rely on the ratings to give them confidence in choosing the right school for their child\".","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/education-65050192"}
{"title":"Cuban doctors asked to help at Fermanagh hospital - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-23","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"The Cuban embassy is asking for further details on how it can assist the SWAH in Enniskillen.","section":"Northern Ireland","content":"A council has requested help from the Cuban government to fill healthcare roles at a hospital in County Fermanagh.\n\nThe Cuban embassy in London responded positively to the request from Fermanagh and Omagh District Council.\n\nEmergency general surgery was temporarily suspended at the South West Acute Hospital (SWAH) in Enniskillen last November due to staffing numbers.\n\nThe Western Trust is responsible for recruitment at the hospital.\n\nCuba has long been renowned for its medical diplomacy, sending thousands of its staff on healthcare missions around the world.\n\nThe country's medical staff are known for delivering medical assistance following natural disasters.\n\nCuban healthcare staff were recently sent to provide aid following the Turkey-Syria earthquakes\n\nA letter sent from the council in January asked \"if the Henry Reeve Brigade\" - a body of medical professionals set up by the Cuban government to provide international aid - \"could provide assistance to the hospital so that it can meet its required staffing standards\".\n\nAs first reported by the Fermanagh Herald, a representative of the Cuban embassy responded stating that the request for medical assistance has been conveyed to Cuba's ministry of health.\n\nThe letter went on to request details on how many medical personnel were needed and in which specialities.\n\nThe representative also suggested holding a video call with the council to discuss the issue further.\n\nOn 15 March, the council's policy and resources committee agreed to the call and to extend an invitation to the Western Trust.\n\nA campaign has been active to restore emergency general surgery to SWAH since it was withdrawn in late 2022.\n\nThe Western Health and Social Care Trust said the suspension was necessary to protect the public's safety after staff recruitment issues.\n\nEamon Keenan, the independent councillor who initially proposed requesting assistance from Cuba, welcomed the embassy's response.\n\n\"Cuba, a country living under heavy US economic sanctions, is able and willing to send medical support to us, the poor people of Fermanagh,\" Mr Keenan told the committee.\n\nHowever, Cuba's medical diplomacy has come under scrutiny, with reports that staff are forced to live in dangerous conditions.\n\nReports include staff being controlled by minders, being subjected to curfews and having a large portion of their wage taken by the Cuban state.\n\nThe Cuban embassy and the Western Trust have been contacted for comment.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/uk-northern-ireland-65048962"}
{"title":"Bordeaux town hall set on fire in France pension protests - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-23","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"Fire engulfs the building's front as violence flares in several cities during pension reform protests.","section":"Europe","content":"This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser.\n\nBordeaux town hall has been set on fire as French protests continued over plans to raise the pension age.\n\nMore than a million people took to the streets across France on Thursday, with 119,000 in Paris, according to figures from the interior ministry.\n\nPolice fired tear gas at protesters in the capital and 80 people were arrested across the country.\n\nThe demonstrations were sparked by legislation raising the retirement age by two years to 64.\n\nUnions have called for further protests next Tuesday, which would coincide with King Charles III's state visit to the country.\n\nHe is scheduled to be in the southwest city of Bordeaux on that day, where fire engulfed the front door of the town hall on Thursday evening after a day of protests and clashes.\n\nIt was not clear who was responsible for the blaze, which was quickly put out by firefighters.\n\nInterior Minister G\u00e9rald Darmanin sought to quell any concerns ahead of the King's trip, saying on Thursday night that security \"poses no problem\" and the monarch will be \"welcomed and welcomed well\", according to AP.\n\nIn Paris, generally peaceful demonstrations saw occasional clashes between police and masked rioters who smashed shop windows, demolished street furniture and attacked a McDonald's restaurant, according to Reuters news agency.\n\nOne police officer who lost consciousness was dragged to safety.\n\nAP news agency reported that police forces used tear gas and were pelted by objects and fireworks, with 33 people arrested in the capital.\n\nFrance's Prime Minister, \u00c9lisabeth Borne, tweeted: \"Demonstrating and voicing disagreements is a right. The violence and degradation we have witnessed today is unacceptable. All my gratitude to the police and rescue forces mobilized.\"\n\nFirefighters on strike could be seen on the roof of one building in Paris during Thursday's protests\n\n\"I oppose this reform and I really oppose the fact that democracy no longer means anything,\" a demonstrator told Reuters. \"We're not being represented, and so we're fed up.\"\n\n\"It is by protesting that we will be able to make ourselves heard because all the other ways... have not allowed us to withdraw this reform,\" another told AFP news agency.\n\nThe unrest also disrupted train travel, oil refineries and saw teachers and workers at Paris's Charles de Gaulle Airport walk out of work.\n\nPopular tourist attractions such as the Eiffel Tower and the Palace of Versailles, where a dinner is planned for King Charles and the French president next week, were also closed on Thursday.\n\nIn the northern city of Rouen a young woman was seen lying on the ground after sustaining a serious injury to her hand. Witnesses said she lost her thumb after she was hit by a so-called \"flash-ball\" grenade fired by police to disperse demonstrators.\n\nThere were other clashes in the western cities of Nantes, Rennes and Lorient.\n\n\"The street has a legitimacy in France,\" said a protester in Nantes. \"If Mr Macron can't remember this historic reality, I don't know what he is doing here\".\n\nUnions and the political left have deemed the day a success, but where the situation goes from here is an open question.\n\nThe government is hoping that the protests will lose momentum, and that the violence on the streets will turn people away.\n\nThe opposition says that the protests will not dwindle, but unions will need to devise a strategy going forward, rather than promising more days like Thursday.\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Watch: Rubbish and e-scooters set on fire in France pension protests\n\nSince January, there have been nine days of protest and French unions have called for a tenth next Tuesday.\n\nParisian rubbish collectors, who started their strike against the pension reform on 6 March, have renewed it until next Monday.\n\nThe unrest followed the government's decision to force the legislation to raise the pension age through the lower house of parliament - where it lacks an absolute majority - without a vote.\n\nFrench President Emmanuel Macron defended the move, saying the reform is a necessity.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/world-europe-65057249"}
{"title":"Wales freeports for Milford Haven-Port Talbot, Anglesey - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-23","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"The two new areas will have tax and duty relief and simplified customs, with hopes for 20,000 jobs.","section":"Wales","content":"Rishi Sunak and Mark Drakeford with harbour master John Goddard at Holyhead, where they announced the freeports\n\nTwo Welsh freeports are to be created which aim to bring 20,000 jobs and investment worth \u00a35bn.\n\nBids from Celtic Freeport, at Milford Haven and Port Talbot, and Anglesey Freeport have been given the green light by the UK and Welsh governments.\n\nFreeports are zones where companies benefit from tax and duty relief and simplified customs processes.\n\nEach was chosen to exploit renewable energy opportunities and are expected to contribute to UK net-zero ambitions.\n\nThe BBC has been told Celtic Freeport's bid scored highest during the competition run by the UK and Welsh governments.\n\nIt was based around maximising local benefits of a separate plan for a floating off-shore wind project in the Celtic Sea.\n\nAccording to official figures, Wales had an export trade worth \u00a3115bn between 2016 and December 2022.\n\nA third bid, based around Newport and Cardiff Airport, failed.\n\nCeltic Freeport will be based around Port Talbot and Milford Haven ports, in the counties of Neath Port Talbot and Pembrokeshire respectively.\n\n\"I think it's a really big opportunity for our local area,\" said Andrew Scott, 16, who is studying his A-levels at Pembrokeshire College.\n\nA-Levels pupil Andrew Scott says the Celtic freeport will encourage young people to stay in Pembrokeshire\n\nHe said he was interested in engineering and the renewables sector since plans to build wind farms off the Pembrokeshire coast were announced.\n\n\"It's giving young people like myself the opportunity to stay local,\" he explained.\n\n\"I plan to do a degree, and I hope to come back to Pembrokeshire and to work in this sector once I've achieved that higher education\"\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser.\n\nAnglesey Freeport will be based around Holyhead, Rhosgoch, Anglesey prosperity zone, and science park M-Sparc.\n\nCeltic Freeport Consortium chairman Roger Maggs said there was now potential to access \u00a35.5bn of private and public investment.\n\n\"The future is exciting,\" he said.\n\nTata Steel, which has a site in Port Talbot, said it was delighted the Celtic Freeport bid was successful.\n\nNeath Port Talbot council leader Steve Hunt said it was \"an absolute game changer\" for his county and Wales.\n\nAnglesey council leader Llinos Medi said freeport status would be an important to securing a brighter future for Ynys M\u00f4n and north Wales.\n\n\"Too many of our young people have had to leave their communities to find decent jobs and a secure future. We want that to change, and freeport can help.\"\n\nThe Celtic Freeport will be based around the ports of Port Talbot, pictured, and Milford Haven\n\nIan Hampton, executive director at Stena Line it was an \"excellent opportunity to drive forward sustainable economic growth, green energy, jobs, and skills\"\n\n\"We are delighted for the people of Anglesey and north Wales, and excited about the positive commercial prospects that can be turned into a reality.\"\n\nCBI Wales director Ian Price called it a \"double boost for the economies and communities in both north and south Wales\".\n\nRishi Sunak speaks to RAF air cadets during his visit to RAF Valley on Anglesey on Wednesday\n\nFreeports were introduced by the UK government to try to promote regeneration and jobs.\n\nEight have been created in England and two announced in Scotland.\n\nHowever the UK government's budget watchdog, the Office for Budgetary Responsibility has said historical evidence suggests freeports' \"main effect\" will be to move economic activity from one place to another.\n\nResponding to such concerns, Welsh Secretary David TC Davies said the two new freeports had specific roles and were set at certain distances to avoid the risk they suck up investment from other parts of Wales.\n\n\"They are not going to be taking jobs from elsewhere,\" he said. \"They're going to be building prosperity into areas that desperately need and frankly deserve it.\"\n\nHe said the 20,000 jobs figure had been rigorously assessed, but conceded it would take \"up to 2030 and beyond\" to create them.\n\n\"It will take time for these areas to ramp up and get used to changes,\" he said.\n\nThe UK government will provide up to \u00a326m funding for each of the Welsh freeports.\n\nUK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak was in Anglesey on Wednesday. On Thursday he and Wales' First Minister Mark Drakeford met in Holyhead to announce the freeports.\n\nMr Sunak told BBC Wales the news had been \"warmly welcomed by local communities, there's a real buzz as we've been walking around today\".\n\n\"Everyone's got a real lift from this announcement and they're already getting, I think they said to me, 40 different companies have been in touch thinking about trying to invest here [and] create jobs for the local community,\" he said.\n\n\"That's great for Wales, and that's what we want. We want to drive growth we want to create jobs and opportunity. These freeports in Wales will help us do that. \"\n\nHolyhead has expressed an interest in gaining freeport status\n\nMr Drakeford said the freeports were expected to be operational by the end of the year and would create a \"platform for those industries that will shape the future of Wales\".\n\n\"If we know anything, it is that the supplies of oil and gas on which the world has relied will run out,\" he said.\n\n\"We will all then need new supplies of energy and Wales is perfectly placed to be part of the renewable energy of the future and the freeports will provide us with an entry point into all of that.\n\n\"They're really important in themselves, but they are more important because of the way that they will allow those renewable industries to be created here in Wales.\"\n\nAt the moment, importers of goods or raw materials that enter the UK have to pay taxes or tariffs.\n\nThere is no single definition of a freeport but in general it means that companies importing products into the freeport do not have to pay any taxes when they bring them in.\n\nIf they use those products to make something else and then export it, they do not have to pay any taxes. They would only have to pay them if the product left the freeport and entered the UK.\n\nIn England, businesses in freeports also have cheaper business rates, but in Wales that would be up to the Welsh government.\n\nThey also pay a lower rate of national insurance for new staff.\n\nThe argument in favour of freeports is that they create new jobs and attract investment.\n\nBut critics argue they do not create new jobs but simply encourage businesses to move from one location to another.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/uk-wales-65044061"}
{"title":"Prince William makes surprise visit to troops near Ukraine border in Poland - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-23","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"The Prince of Wales meets troops in Poland an hour's drive from the border with Ukraine.","section":"UK","content":"The Prince of Wales has thanked British troops for \"defending our freedoms\" in a secret visit to a military base in Poland near to the Ukraine border.\n\nPrince William's visit to Rzeszow in south-eastern Poland was kept under wraps over security concerns until he left and arrived in the capital Warsaw.\n\nHe told British soldiers: \"Thank you for all you are doing out here.\"\n\nHe said he wanted to thank them in person for \"keeping everyone safe\" and \"keeping an eye on what's going on\".\n\n\"So, just a big thank you for what you do on a day-to-day basis.\"\n\nHe added: \"You're doing a really important job out here and defending our freedoms is really important, and everyone back home thoroughly supports you.\"\n\nRzeszow is just over an hour's drive from the Ukrainian border. The British Army have a base there to deliver support to Ukraine.\n\nPrince William's visit to Poland is at the request of the UK government, but the prince has been clear about his support for Ukraine from the start, tweeting his support to Ukraine just days after Russia's invasion.\n\nHis trip to Poland marks him renewing that support.\n\nThe prince is visiting Poland as part of a two-day visit to the country\n\nBritish troops are in Poland to help support Ukraine\n\nThe heir to the throne also visited a Polish territorial army base in Rzeszow, before flying back to Warsaw where he visited a Ukrainian refugee centre and met some of the 300 women and children housed there.\n\nOn landing in Warsaw, the prince said: \"It's fantastic to be back in Poland.\n\n\"Our nations have strong ties. Through our co-operation in support of the people of Ukraine and their freedom, which are also our freedoms and yours, these ties are further strengthened.\n\n\"I'm here because I want to personally thank the Polish and British troops working in close and crucial partnership.\n\n\"I also want to pay tribute to the inspiring humanity of the Polish people. You have opened your hearts as much as your homes.\"\n\nAs part of his two-day trip, on Thursday the prince will meet the Polish President Andrzej Duda at the Presidential Palace.\n\nHe will also lay a wreath at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, a monument dedicated to Polish soldiers who lost their lives in conflict.\n\nBack in Warsaw, the prince posed for photos with Ukrainian children\n\nHe played a table tennis match during his visit to a centre for refugees\n\nIt is William's first trip to Poland since he visited in 2017 with his wife the Princess of Wales.\n\nLast May, before he was king, King Charles III travelled to Romania to meet Ukrainian refugees - the first visit from a senior royal to the region since the start of the Russian invasion of Ukraine.\n\nPoland is a strong ally of Ukraine one of the largest suppliers of military equipment.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/uk-65043528"}
{"title":"Ike Ekweremadu: Organ-trafficking plot politician and wife guilty - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-23","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"Nigerian senator Ike Ekweremadu and his wife brought a young man to the UK to donate a kidney.","section":"London","content":"A senior wealthy Nigerian politician, his wife and a medical \"middleman\" have been found guilty of an organ-trafficking plot, after they brought a 21-year-old man to the UK from Lagos.\n\nSenator Ike Ekweremadu, 60, his wife Beatrice, 56, and Dr Obinna Obeta, 50, were convicted of conspiring to exploit the man for his kidney, in the first such case under modern slavery laws.\n\nThe Old Bailey heard the organ was for the couple's daughter, Sonia, aged 25.\n\nShe was cleared of the same charge.\n\nThe victim, a street trader from Lagos, was brought to the UK last year to provide a kidney in an \u00a380,000 private transplant at the Royal Free Hospital in London.\n\nThe prosecution said he was offered up to \u00a37,000 and promised opportunities in the UK for helping, and that he only realised what was going on when he met doctors at the hospital.\n\nIt was alleged the defendants had tried to convince medics at the Royal Free by pretending he was the cousin of Sonia, who has a debilitating illness and remains on weekly dialysis, when they were not related.\n\nWhile it is lawful to donate a kidney, it becomes criminal if there is a reward of money or other material advantage.\n\n\"Middleman\" Dr Obinna Obeta and the senator's wife, Beatrice, were also found guilty\n\nRoyal Free consultant, Dr Peter Dupont, concluded the donor was unsuitable after learning he had no counselling or advice about the risks of surgery and lacked funds for the lifelong care he would need.\n\nThe court heard the Ekweremadus then transferred their interest to Turkey and set about finding another donor.\n\nAn investigation was launched after the young man ran away from London and slept rough for days before walking into a police station in Staines, in Surrey, crying and in distress.\n\nRelaying his fears, he told police: \"The doctor said I was too young but the man said if you do not do it here he would carry me back to Nigeria and do it there.\"\n\nJurors heard that Sonia was studying for a masters degree at Newcastle University when she became ill in December 2019.\n\nIn 2021, her father enlisted the help of his medically-trained brother, Diwe Ekweremadu, to search for a donor, the court heard.\n\nDiwe Ekweremadu, who remains in Nigeria, turned to a former classmate, Dr Obeta, of Southwark, south London, who recently had a private kidney transplant at the Royal Free with a Nigerian donor.\n\nDr Obeta then engaged with Dr Chris Agbo, of Vintage Health Group, a medical tourism company, as well as an agent to arrange a visa for the donor, the court heard.\n\nThe victim, who knew the man who had donated his kidney to Dr Obeta, was recruited from a Lagos street market where he made a few pounds a day selling phone accessories from a wheelbarrow.\n\nBeatrice Ekweremadu worked in the Nigerian auditor general's office and has a PhD in accountancy\n\nSonia, who had declined to give evidence, wept in court as she was cleared by the jury and tearfully hugged her father as he was remanded into custody with the other guilty defendants ahead of sentencing on 5 May.\n\nThe prosecution has confirmed the maximum sentence in the organ harvesting case is one of life.\n\nFollowing the convictions, Chief Crown Prosecutor Joanne Jakymec described the conspiracy as a \"horrific plot\".\n\n\"The convicted defendants showed utter disregard for the victim's welfare, health and well-being and used their considerable influence to a high degree of control throughout, with the victim having limited understanding of what was really going on here,\" she added.\n\nThe jury deliberated for nearly 14 hours to convict Senator Ike Ekweremadu and the other two defendants\n\nDet Insp Esther Richardson, of the Metropolitan Police, commended the victim for his bravery in speaking against the offenders.\n\nShe added police, the Crown Prosecution Service and Human Tissue Authority teams had \"worked tirelessly\" on the case, which is the first time that defendants have been convicted under the Modern Slavery Act of an organ-trafficking conspiracy.\n\nThe Ekweremadus, who have an address in Willesden Green, north-west London, and Dr Obeta had denied the charges against them.\n\nFollow BBC London on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. Send your story ideas to hellobbclondon@bbc.co.uk\n\nThe BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/uk-england-london-65013545"}
{"title":"Rishi Sunak paid over \u00a31m in UK tax since 2019, records show - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-23","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"The UK tax was paid on earnings of more than \u00a34.7m from income and a US-based investment fund.","section":"UK Politics","content":"Prime Minister Rishi Sunak has faced calls to be more open about his financial affairs\n\nRishi Sunak paid more than \u00a31m in UK tax over the last three years, details of the prime minister's financial affairs show.\n\nThe UK tax was paid on earnings of more than \u00a34.7m from income and a US-based investment fund.\n\nMr Sunak first said he would publish a tax return during his unsuccessful campaign to be Tory leader last year.\n\nHe faced calls to be transparent about his finances after it emerged his wife, Akshata Murty, had non-dom status.\n\nThe tax details came as MPs questioned former Prime Minister Boris Johnson over whether he misled Parliament over Partygate.\n\nMr Sunak is thought to be one of the richest MPs in Parliament and his personal wealth is something opposition parties have often used as a political attack line.\n\nThe PM worked in finance before entering politics and he and his family are thought to own several properties, including a Grade II-listed manor house in his North Yorkshire constituency.\n\nIn the last financial year alone, 2021-2022, the prime minister earned more than \u00a31.9m in income and capital gains, according to the records.\n\nCapital gains are taxed at 20% in the UK, while the highest income tax band is 45% on earnings over \u00a3150,000.\n\nThe records show the total UK tax he paid was:\n\nNimesh Shah, chief executive of tax advisory firm Blick Rothenberg, pointed out that Mr Sunak only released a summary of his income and gains, rather than a traditional tax return filed with HM Revenue & Customs.\n\n\"Whilst the public knows more now than it did before the release, it doesn't show the full picture,\" he said.\n\nMr Shah said the supporting notes from Mr Sunak's accountants \"give an explanation of how his tax position is made, rather than it being left to interpretation of his tax returns\".\n\n\"The release is a fairly controlled way of publishing his tax information.\"\n\nEarlier this month, during a trip to Paris for talks with French President Emmanuel Macron, Mr Sunak said he had been too \"busy\" to publish sooner.\n\nLabour said it was right Mr Sunak had published his tax returns \"after much delay\".\n\nThe party's deputy leader Angela Rayner said: \"They reveal a tax system designed by successive Tory governments in which the prime minister pays a far lower tax rate than working people who face the highest tax burden in 70 years.\"\n\nLabour leader Sir Keir Starmer has said he hoped to be able to publish his tax returns on Thursday.\n\nThe Liberal Democrats said Mr Sunak \"snuck\" the records out \"whilst the world is distracted with Boris Johnson's Partygate grilling\".\n\n\"People will be much more concerned today about the staggering tax hikes Rishi Sunak has imposed on them,\" the party's Cabinet Office spokesperson Christine Jardine said.\n\nMr Sunak said he was glad to publish his tax return \"in the interests of transparency\".\n\nAsked on a visit to north Wales if, given his wealth, he could understand what it is like for people struggling to heat their homes, Mr Sunak said: \"Ultimately what people are interested in is what I'm going to do for them.\"\n\nPointing to government support with energy bills, he said tackling the cost of living was his \"number one priority\".\n\nWhile there is not a long tradition of prime ministers publishing their tax returns, some of Mr Sunak's predecessors have chosen to do so in recent years.\n\nFormer Conservative Prime Minister David Cameron published his tax return in 2016 after revelations about his late father's offshore fund were revealed in the Panama Papers.\n\nTheresa May released her tax return during her campaign to be Tory leader in 2016, but did not do so when she was prime minister.\n\nThe two previous prime ministers, Boris Johnson and Liz Truss, did not publish their tax returns.\n\nThe financial affairs of Mr Sunak and his family were thrust into the media spotlight when he was chancellor in 2022.\n\nMr Sunak's wife, Ms Murty, revealed she had non-dom status, which meant she did not pay UK tax on her overseas earnings.\n\nMs Murty is the daughter the billionaire founder of Indian IT giant Infosys and owns a share of the company, entitling her to dividend payments.\n\nAs Mr Sunak came under political pressure, Ms Murty released a statement saying she would pay UK tax on her overseas income but retain her non-dom status.\n\nAt about the same time, Mr Sunak admitted he had held a US green card - allowing permanent residence in that country - while he was chancellor.\n\nHe returned the green card in October 2021, ahead of his first trip to the US as a UK government minister.\n\nFollowing these revelations, Mr Sunak referred himself to the prime minister's ethics adviser, who cleared him of breaching ministerial rules over the declaration of his financial arrangements.\n\nThe document released by the government includes an explanation of the prime minister's tax affairs from 2019.\n\nThe document says all of Mr Sunak's investment income and capital gains \"relate to a single US-based investment fund\", which is listed as a \"blind management arrangement\" on the register of ministers' interests.\n\nPoliticians with share portfolios and investments routinely set up blind trusts when they get government jobs. This allows them to continue earning income from their investments without knowing where the money is invested to avoid any conflicts of interest.\n\nThe document says \"some of the income of the US-based investment fund is also subject to tax in other jurisdictions (including the USA)\".\n\nMr Sunak is thought to be one of the richest MPs in Parliament\n\nMr Sunak - who has previously worked as an analyst for the investment bank, Goldman Sachs - has acknowledged that his investments are kept in a financial arrangement known as a blind trust.\n\nIn February, in an interview with TalkTV presenter Piers Morgan, he was asked whether it was right for prime ministers to have blind trusts.\n\nMr Sunak said: \"I think that's better than them having control over them.\"\n\nMr Sunak's records also show that the prime minister paid tax in the US on dividends in the country. A dividend is a sum of money paid by a company to its shareholders out of its profits.\n\n\"These US dividends were also subject to tax in the UK,\" the document says.\n\nThe document says Mr Sunak's previously held green card status did not impact his tax liability in either the UK or the US during the three financial years reported.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/uk-politics-65040300"}
{"title":"Olivia Pratt-Korbel: Suspect denies being in 'murder frame of mind' - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-23","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"Thomas Cashman, 34, who is accused of shooting Olivia Pratt-Korbel, denies being the gunman.","section":"Liverpool","content":"Thomas Cashman is giving evidence for a third day at Manchester Crown Court\n\nThe man accused of killing nine-year-old Olivia Pratt-Korbel has denied being in a \"murder frame of mind\" on the night of her death.\n\nThomas Cashman is accused of shooting Olivia and injuring her mother Cheryl Korbel after chasing a convicted drug dealer into their home in August.\n\nMs Korbel walked out of court as Mr Cashman, 34, denied Olivia's murder.\n\nGiving evidence for a third day, he was cross-examined on his movements in the lead-up to the shooting in Liverpool.\n\nDavid McLachlan KC, prosecuting, asked Mr Cashman why he had left his home in West Derby, Liverpool, at about 20:30 BST that day.\n\nMr McLachlan said: \"Were you starting to get excited?\"\n\nMr Cashman replied: \"No, I was not starting to get excited.\"\n\nMr McLachlan said: \"Were you starting to get in the murder frame of mind?\"\n\nMr Cashman said: \"No, I was not getting in no murder frame of mind whatsoever.\"\n\nOlivia was shot when a gunman burst into her house and opened fire\n\nThe jury at Manchester Crown Court was also shown CCTV footage of a man, who the prosecution alleges is Mr Cashman, chasing Joseph Nee, 36, and firing three shots in the street.\n\nIn another clip a fourth shot can be heard.\n\nMr McLachlan said: \"That's you, isn't it?\"\n\nMr Cashman replied: \"No, it's not me.\"\n\nMr McLachlan said: \"You're not prepared to, in the words of somebody else, own this, Mr Cashman, because you killed a little girl?\"\n\nMr Cashman said: \"No, I did not kill a little girl.\"\n\nHe questioned whether his DNA had been found on the door of Olivia's family home and suggested Nee had given the name of another suspect.\n\nThomas Cashman has started giving evidence at Manchester Crown Court on Tuesday\n\nMr McLachlan asked again: \"You're not prepared to own this?\"\n\nMr Cashman replied: \"I did not do it, that's why.\"\n\nMs Korbel, who was injured in the shooting, walked out of court following the denial.\n\nMr Cashman has admitted selling cannabis but told the court he was \"not a bad drug dealer\".\n\nHe said: \"I was drug dealing, I admit. I hold my hands up, I'm a drug dealer.\n\n\"I'm not a bad drug dealer who sells Class A drugs, I don't do anything bad.\n\n\"I sell cannabis in my local area whereabouts I grew up. Some people might look at that as a bad thing because a drug dealer's a drug dealer.\n\n\"I don't look at it as I'm a bad person for doing that.\"\n\nHe said a woman he had a fling with, who claimed he had gone to her house after the shooting, was a \"woman scorned\".\n\n\"This is how low they'd go,\" he added.\n\nThe defendant, of Grenadier Drive, Liverpool, denies the murder of Olivia, the attempted murder of Nee, wounding with intent to do grievous bodily harm to Olivia's mother, and two counts of possession of a firearm with intent to endanger life.\n\nWhy not follow BBC North West on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram? You can also send story ideas to northwest.newsonline@bbc.co.uk\n\nThe BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/uk-england-merseyside-65052966"}
{"title":"Ukraine takes on UK in solidarity chess tournament - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-23","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"Parliament plays host to two grandmasters - and some keen MP amateurs - to show support for Ukraine.","section":"UK Politics","content":"Knights and bishops took over a corner of Parliament as two grandmasters faced off for the first UK-Ukraine Solidarity Chess Match.\n\nMichael Adams, the UK's number one chess player took on reigning Ukrainian champion, Andrei Volokitin, in an eight-minute \"blitz\" game.\n\nCommons Speaker Sir Lindsay Hoyle organised the game to champion Parliament's support for Ukraine as it fights an invasion by Russian forces.\n\nSir Lindsay made the ceremonial opening move - d2 to d4, the Queen's Pawn. Ukraine's Ambassador to the UK, Vadym Prystaiko, replied with Knight f6.\n\nAt the same time, a series of 12 matches pitting MPs against peers resulted in a House of Commons triumph by a score of 8.5 - 3.5.\n\nConservative transport minister Jesse Norman, Labour's shadow chancellor Rachel Reeves, the SNP's Chris Stephens, Conservatives John Baron and Tobias Ellwood played for the Commons.\n\nLabour's Lord Robert Winston, Plaid Cymru's Lord Dafydd Wigley and Crossbencher Lord Bernard Hogan-Howe were among those who took part for the Lords.\n\nSir Lindsay said he was \"honoured to host the first challenge match in Speaker's House between leading players of two close allies\".\n\n\"Parliament and the UK are giving support to Ukraine in every way we can, as it battles against this illegal invasion by Russia. Enabling important cultural and sporting activities is another way of championing that,' he said.\n\n\"Chess is also a wonderful game of strategy that crosses boundaries of language, age, sex, culture and disability - which makes it the perfect sport for Grandmasters of two friendly nations, or even parliamentarians, to play.\"\n\nMr Adams and Mr Volokitin will now compete in best of eight games as part of the UK-Ukraine Solidarity Chess Match, which carries a \u00a338,000 prize.\n\nThe remaining games will be split between Ukrainian Embassy and European Bank for Reconstruction and Development in Canary Wharf.\n\nThe event was organised by organised by the charity Chess in Schools and Ms Reeves, a junior chess champion. It was supported by the All-Party Parliamentary Group on Ukraine.\n\nChess has been played in Parliament for more than 150 years, with a special Chess Room located next to the MPs' dining room.\n\nIn 1919, future prime minister Andrew Bonar Law was criticised for organising a chess game in a committee room during a debate on \"Scottish business\".\n\nA Lords vs Commons match was last played in 2016 and won by the MPs.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/uk-politics-65054779"}
{"title":"Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer paid \u00a3118,580 in tax since 2020 - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-23","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"Sir Keir's release comes a day after Prime Minister Rishi Sunak published details of his finances.","section":"UK Politics","content":"Sir Keir Starmer said he would publish details about his taxes and income in January this year\n\nSir Keir Starmer paid \u00a3118,580 in UK tax over the last two years, according to financial records released by the Labour leader.\n\nThe records show he paid the tax on total earnings of \u00a3359,720 from income and capital gains since 2020.\n\nSir Keir's release comes a day after Prime Minister Rishi Sunak published details of his finances.\n\nMr Sunak became the first prime minister since David Cameron to disclose his tax affairs.\n\nSir Keir's income and capital gains last year were dwarfed by those of Mr Sunak, who earned more than \u00a31.9m - nine times more than the Labour leader.\n\nMr Sunak's records show he paid more than \u00a31m in UK tax on earnings of more than \u00a34.7m between 2019 and 2022.\n\nThe Labour leader's records show the total UK tax he paid was:\n\nHis earnings last year included more than \u00a385,000 in capital gains from the sale of a home he had bought with his sister, which she and her children had lived in.\n\nIn 2020\/21, the Labour leader, who is a barrister, received more than \u00a321,000 for legal services. He stopped taking on legal work when he became Labour leader in April 2020.\n\nHe has also earned small amounts in book royalties in both the tax years reported in the document.\n\nLast year his salary for being an MP was \u00a376,961 and he received as extra \u00a349,193 for being leader of the opposition.\n\nSir Keir has previously called for senior politicians - including the prime minister and the chancellor - to publish their tax returns \"as a matter of course\" to ensure there is \"trust in politics\".\n\nAt a press conference earlier, he said he was \"glad\" the prime minster had published his tax details but said \"there's a wider point about choices here\".\n\nHe said the record of tax policy under Conservative governments over the past decade showed \"they always go after working people\" rather than the wealthiest people in society.\n\nWhen asked about his tax affairs earlier, Mr Sunak has he was pleased to be able to release information about his taxes \"in the interest of transparency\".\n\nBut \"the most important thing\", he said, \"is what am I doing to help people in this country with the cost of living\".\n\nThe release of tax details by senior politicians is a recent development in British politics, though neither of the previous two prime ministers, Boris Johnson and Liz Truss, released theirs.\n\nThe last prime minister to do so was Mr Cameron, who published a summary of the tax he had paid following revelations about his late father's offshore fund.\n\nBut like Mr Cameron and Mr Sunak, Sir Keir only released a summary of his income and gains, rather than an official tax return filed with HM Revenue & Customs.\n\nIn contrast, earlier this year, Nicola Sturgeon published her HMRC tax returns for the years since she became Scotland's first minister, and has urged other politicians, including Mr Sunak, to follow.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/uk-politics-65052473"}
{"title":"'Psychological warfare': US politicians grill TikTok boss - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-23","authors":null,"description":"The TikTok CEO faced US lawmakers during a Congressional hearing on the app's practices.","section":null,"content":"TikTok's chief executive has defended the Chinese-owned app in the face of hostile questioning at a US congressional hearing.\n\nShou Zi Chew denied the hugely popular video-sharing platform was a national security risk and played down its connection to Beijing.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/world-us-canada-65058744"}
{"title":"High winds unlikely to have toppled ship in Edinburgh dock - expert - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-23","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"Seven people remain in hospital after a US Navy vessel became dislodged from an Edinburgh dry dock.","section":"Edinburgh, Fife & East Scotland","content":"Police said Petrel became dislodged from its holding in the dry dock\n\nAn incident where a US Navy vessel toppled over at an Edinburgh dry dock is \"unlikely\" to have been caused by high winds, a marine expert has said.\n\nDr Iraklis Lazakis, from Strathclyde University's department of marine architecture, said it was \"very unusual for such accidents to happen\".\n\nThirty-five people were hurt when the research vessel Petrel dislodged from its holding at Imperial Dock, Leith.\n\nSeven are still in hospital after Wednesday morning's incident.\n\nNHS Lothian said 23 people had been taken to hospital, some with serious injuries, and 12 others were treated at the dockyard, run by Dales Marine Services.\n\nThe Health and Safety Executive said inspectors would visit the site later to begin an investigation, working with Police Scotland.\n\nDr Lazakis told BBC Scotland he was surprised that the 3,000-tonne vessel was able to become dislodged.\n\n\"It's very, very unusual for such accidents to happen,\" he told The Nine programme.\n\n\"I've never come across myself any such accidents, being involved in a number of dry dockings throughout the world, as well as through my academic career. No such thing has happened before.\"\n\nImages on social media showed the vessel at a 45-degree angle\n\nGusts of up to 38mph (61km\/h) were recorded inland from the dockyard at Gogarbank at 08:00, according to Met Office data. But Mr Lazakis did not expect wind to be the cause of the incident.\n\n\"The dry dock is like a dug-up big ditch or shelf where the ship sits down with all its structure and weight,\" he added.\n\n\"So it might have been unlikely just to be tipped over by the wind.\n\n\"It's something that really needs to be investigated very, very thoroughly in order to make sure what was the original cause of the whole accident, but I have to say it is a very, very unusual thing to happen within a dry dock.\"\n\nA major incident was declared after emergency crews were called to the dockyard at about 08:30.\n\nA total of 15 patients were taken to Royal Infirmary of Edinburgh (RIE) by ambulance with another two attending themselves. Four were also taken to Western General Hospital (WGH) and two to Victoria Hospital in Kirkcaldy, Fife.\n\nNHS Lothian confirmed on Thursday afternoon that five people remained in the RIE.\n\nNHS Fife said earlier that two patients remained in its hospitals.\n\nAll other casualties have been discharged.\n\nThe US Consulate thanked emergency services for their \"prompt response\" and said it was offering support to US citizens who were involved.\n\nThe 76m (250ft) Petrel was purchased by the United States Naval Facilities Engineering and Expeditionary Warfare Center since October 2022, and operated by Oceaneering International.\n\nThe vessel was previously owned by the estate of Microsoft co-founder Paul Allen.\n\nIt was placed into long-term moorage in 2020 as a result of \"operation challenges\" during the Covid pandemic, and has not been used since.\n\nA US Navy spokeswoman said: \"We continue to communicate with our contacts at the scene in order to understand what occurred, the actions being taken, and the long-term impacts.\n\n\"Our thoughts and prayers are with those injured and their families, with hopes for a quick and full recovery.\"\n\nA Dales Marine Services spokesperson added: \"We can confirm that all those on board and at the facility have been accounted for and our priority is to ensure the wellbeing of all who have been affected.\"","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/uk-scotland-edinburgh-east-fife-65050308"}
{"title":"French reforms: Macron refuses to give way as pension protests escalate - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-23","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"The French leader says he has no regrets about unpopular pension reforms but tries to calm tensions.","section":"Europe","content":"President Macron was interviewed by journalists from two of France's biggest networks TF1 and France 2\n\nFrench President Emmanuel Macron has given a defiant defence of his decision to force through a rise in the pension age, in the face of protests across France and two no-confidence votes.\n\n\"This reform isn't a luxury, it's not a pleasure, it's a necessity,\" he said.\n\nProtesters have been emboldened by the government's use of constitutional power to ram through reforms without a vote in the National Assembly.\n\nA ninth round of strikes and national protests will take place on Thursday.\n\nThere have been six nights of demonstrations involving hundreds of arrests in a number of cities.\n\nBins that have been left overflowing by refuse workers have been set alight and 13% of petrol stations are running short of fuel because of blockades at oil refineries; almost half the pumps in the Bouches-du-Rh\u00f4ne area of the south have run dry.\n\nThe protests have also cast a cloud over King Charles's imminent visit to France. Green MP Sandrine Rousseau called for the trip to be cancelled: \"Is the priority really to receive Charles III at Versailles? Something is taking place within French society... the priority is to go and talk to society which is rising up.\"\n\nUnder pressure to lower tensions, Mr Macron made his first public remarks on the escalating pensions row in an interview broadcast on two of the main French TV channels at Wednesday lunchtime.\n\nThe French president said protesters had a right to take to the streets and their anger had been taken into account, but it was not acceptable when they resorted to violence without any rules whatsoever.\n\n\"Do you think I enjoy passing this reform? No,\" he said. Looking to bring in the rise in the pension age by the end of 2023 he said he had a responsibility not to leave the issue alone despite its unpopularity.\n\nFrance has a pay-as-you-go pension system whereby workers pay for retirees. Mr Macron pointed out that when he began working there were 10 million French pensioners and now there were 17 million.\n\n\"The longer we wait, the more [the deficit] will deteriorate.\" He said it was time to move, reviving dialogue with the unions and all the political forces that were ready to do so. He outlined a list of priorities for the rest of his presidency: reforming immigration laws, building 200 new barracks for military police, schools, health and the environment.\n\nPresident Macron's decision to use the 49:3 clause to force through a rise in the pension age from 62 to 64 and prolong pension contributions is considered his biggest political risk since he took on the yellow-vest protesters in the first term of his presidency.\n\nBut at that point he had a healthy majority in parliament, and now he leads a minority government and the retirement reform is highly unpopular.\n\nPolitical commentator Bruno Cautr\u00e8s of Sciences Po university told RTL Radio that with six years of office behind him the president no longer had quite the same \"agility\" as he had at the start and that his latest remarks would go down badly with the unions.\n\nUnion leaders along with the far-right National Rally and far-left France Unbowed parties have united in anger at Prime Minister \u00c9lisabeth Borne's move to ram through the legislation.\n\nPhilippe Martinez, the head of the far-left CGT union, said the president's interview had taken millions of protesters for fools in claiming his reforms were the only alternative. Laurent Berger of the more moderate CFDT accused Mr Macron of rewriting history and lying to hide his failure to secure a majority in parliament.\n\nUnion leaders said up to half of primary school teachers would go on strike as part of Thursday's day of action but demonstrations were continuing on Wednesday, including outside the southern port of Marseille-Fos.\n\nStriking workers briefly blocked a high-speed train at Nice station on the eve of a national day of action\n\nMarine Le Pen of National Rally said she would not play \"any part in putting out the fire\" as the president was the only one who had the keys to a political crisis he had himself created.\n\nDuring his TV interview, Mr Macron emphasised his continued backing for his beleaguered prime minister: \"She has my confidence to lead this government team.\"\n\nAhead of his appearance, he reportedly told representatives of his party at the Elys\u00e9e Palace there would be no change of course. He ruled out a reshuffle of the government, a dissolution of parliament or any other dramatic move.\n\nMr Macron told colleagues he had no regrets about forcing through the reforms, as it was \"always a good thing if you want to be respectful of our institutions\".\n\nHe and the prime minister have argued that the reforms have gone through 175 hours of debate in parliament. Mr Macron pointed out that some parties had backed the reform as it went through parliament but then supported a motion of no confidence, which narrowly failed.\n\nThe government realised ahead of a vote in parliament on Monday that it had failed to secure enough votes, particularly among the right-wing Republicans.\n\nAsked during his TV interview if he had any regrets, President Macron said that if he had one it was in not succeeding in convincing people of the necessity of the reform: \"But I don't live with regret, I live with will, tenacity, engagement, because I love our country and people.\"","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/world-europe-65037507"}
{"title":"Masked man with loaded gun stopped from entering Florida strip club - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-23","authors":null,"description":"Security guards fight off the man in Tampa, Florida, possibly preventing a mass shooting, police say.","section":null,"content":"An armed man wearing a devil mask was stopped from entering a strip club in Tampa, Florida, on Sunday.\n\nCCTV shows security guards fighting off and disarming the man, who was carrying a loaded gun in one hand and a flashlight in the other, according to police.\n\nTampa Police Department Interim Chief Lee Bercaw said there was \"no question in my mind\" the security guards had prevented a mass shooting.\n\nOfficers, who took the man into custody, said they found two additional full magazines in his pocket and more ammunition, knives and firearm holsters in his truck.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/world-us-canada-65058329"}
{"title":"Autism: Children in limbo waiting for assessments, says commissioner - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-23","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"Ralph, 3, lost all speech two years ago - but is one of thousands still waiting for an assessment.","section":"Wales","content":"Three-year-old Ralph lost all speech and stopped responding to his name two years ago\n\nTwo years since Ralph lost all speech, he is still waiting for a formal assessment for Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD).\n\nThe three-year-old boy, from the Rhondda, is one of more than 9,000 children waiting for an autism or ADHD assessment in Wales.\n\nThe Children's Commissioner for Wales said lives were \"on hold\" and described waiting times as \"eye-watering\".\n\nThe Welsh government said it was working to address gaps in support.\n\nRalph's mum, Sacha, said a specialist nursery had been a lifeline while they waited for the assessment.\n\nFour times a week, the family make a 70-minute round trip to ASD Rainbows in Mountain Ash, a charity which offers support to affected families.\n\nSacha said she first noticed a change in Ralph when he was eighteen months old.\n\n\"He stopped responding to his name,\" she said.\n\n\"No eye contact. Wouldn't enter new places. Just completely lost his speech.\"\n\nSacha said she hoped Ralph would reach the front of the waiting list for an assessment by August.\n\nShe also said she hoped a formal diagnosis would help them to access more help in the long term.\n\n\"If they're in the right setting from the start then they'll thrive going forward,\" she said.\n\nRalph in the sensory room at ASD Rainbows\n\nThe Children's Commissioner for Wales said families faced a \"confusing\" and \"draining\" process to get help, along with \"eye-watering\" waiting times.\n\n\"We have a system that responds to diagnoses as opposed to individual needs,\" said commissioner Rocio Cifuentes.\n\n\"A diagnosis can be very difficult to obtain, and for others might never happen\u2026. even though it's clear they have a wide range of needs which have a huge impact on them and their family.\n\n\"Those children and their families can live in limbo, without the help they need. It is hugely damaging.\"\n\nOf the 9,014 children on the waiting list in Wales, more than a third - 3,331 - have been waiting for over a year.\n\nMs Cifuentes said the government was making welcome reforms to the process but in her view there must be \"an acceleration of the change\"\n\nHelen, from Llantrisant in Rhondda Cynon Taf, said she was \"terrified\" when she realised both her young children could have ASD.\n\nLike Sacha, Helen turned to ASD Rainbows which her three-year-old daughter Lucie attends three times a week.\n\nHelen said Lucie is now \"really starting to thrive\".\n\n\"When you go through this as a parent you are traumatised, you are lost, you don't know where to turn and you don't know what to do,\" said Helen.\n\n\"It's ultimately a long, onerous fight to get the support that your children so desperately need - and the support that you as a family need, supporting that child\".\n\nHelen said her daughter Lucie is \"really starting to thrive\" since attending ASD Rainbows\n\nThe Welsh government said it had been listening to families and young people with neurodivergent conditions to help inform future changes.\n\n\"Our Neurodivergence Improvement Programme aims to address gaps in support for children and young people and improve pre and post diagnosis support,\" a spokesperson said.\n\nThere will also be increased support for children who do not meet the threshold for a formal diagnosis, the spokesperson said.\n\nA 24-hour listening line is also being piloted from April which families will be able to call to discuss concerns and receive advice on where to turn for more help.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/uk-wales-65040893"}
{"title":"Belfast baby murder case: Woman found guilty of killing son - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-23","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"The woman accepted she stabbed him and his sister on 27 July 2021 but had denied the charges.","section":"Northern Ireland","content":"Toys and flowers were left at the scene of the incident in 2021\n\nA woman has been found guilty of murdering her eight-week old son and attempting to murder his two-year-old sister.\n\nThe woman, who cannot be named for legal reasons, accepted she stabbed the children on 27 July 2021 but denied the charges.\n\nBut jurors rejected her argument and found her guilty after more than five hours of deliberations.\n\nThe woman was convicted at Belfast Crown Court on Thursday.\n\nShe will receive an automatic life sentence, with the amount of time she has to serve before being considered for parole to be set at a later date.\n\nThe woman placed her head in her hands and sobbed \"no, no, no\" as the guilty verdict was read out.\n\nThe juror who read the verdict also broke down as she read it and had to sit down to compose herself.\n\nWhen handing down the life sentence, Judge Donna McColgan said \"this has been a very difficult and stressful case\".\n\n\"I will be excusing the jury from jury service for the rest of their lives,\" she added.\n\n\"Counselling will also be made available to all jurors.\"\n\nOver the last six weeks, Belfast Crown Court has heard harrowing evidence.\n\nAfter the woman stabbed the children, she made five phone calls, including one to the children's father, telling him that their daughter was \"lying slowly bleeding\".\n\nIt was only after this call that she phoned 999, telling police: \"I killed my kid for him.\"\n\nThe trial was held at Belfast Crown Court\n\nDuring the trial, prosecuting counsel read a statement from the children's father to the court, as he was deemed too unwell to attend court as a witness.\n\nHe said on the evening of the stabbings, he was in England and had missed a call from his then partner as he was sleeping.\n\nHe returned her call and she told him she had killed the baby, that the baby's sister was slowly bleeding and that she was going to kill herself.\n\nHe then phoned the police.\n\nDuring the trial, the jury was shown harrowing footage from the body cameras of police officers who responded to a 999 call made by the defendant.\n\nThe videos showed the woman sitting on her living room floor in handcuffs and bleeding from a self-inflicted wound to her neck.\n\nThe footage also captured a police officer attempting to drive the injured girl to hospital in a PSNI car before handing her over to paramedics.\n\nBoth youngsters were taken to the emergency department at the Royal Belfast Hospital for Sick Children and were treated as they lay side-by-side.\n\nWhilst the young girl was successfully treated for a stab wound to her chest, her baby brother was later pronounced dead.\n\nFollowing her arrest, the defendant made the case that she stabbed her children and then turned the knife on herself as she wanted them all to die together.\n\nThe court heard that during subsequent police interviews, she made references to her partner's use of drink and drugs, and also claimed that he beat and sexually abused her.\n\nWhen asked by a detective what she was thinking at the time, she said: \"I wanted to kill all three, all of us so that [their father], could have a happy life together with his new woman.\n\n\"This was the only solution that came to my mind.\"\n\nThe woman also spent four days in the witness box at Belfast Crown Court where she was questioned about the events of 27 July 2021 - and where she denied stabbing her children out of spite and malice towards their father.\n\nSobbing as she gave evidence, the defendant claimed she tried to resuscitate her baby son after stabbing him in the chest and also told the jury that after attacking her daughter, she then tried to keep her alive by holding her to her chest.\n\nShe said she did not know what \"was going on in my mind at that time\" and told the court she could not forgive herself and wished she could \"turn back time\".\n\nThe defendant sobbed as she was taken from the dock and back into custody.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/uk-northern-ireland-65029181"}
{"title":"Gisele Bundchen says Tom Brady divorce was 'death of my dream' - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-23","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"The Brazilian supermodel and US football star split after 13 years of marriage last October.","section":"US & Canada","content":"Gisele Bundchen and Tom Brady at the Met Gala in New York City in 2017\n\nModel Gisele Bundchen has opened up on her divorce from NFL player Tom Brady, describing it as \"the death of my dream\".\n\nThe Brazilian supermodel and American football star split after 13 years of marriage last October.\n\n\"It's tough because you imagine your life was going to be a certain way, and you did everything you could, you know?\" she told Vanity Fair magazine.\n\nBundchen also dismissed speculation about why the marriage had ended.\n\nShe described rumours that the breakup had happened after Brady returned to the NFL, despite previously announcing his retirement, as \"very hurtful\" and \"the craziest thing\" she had ever heard.\n\n\"What's been said is one piece of a much bigger puzzle. It's not so black and white,\" she told Vanity Fair.\n\n\"I have always cheered for him, and I would continue forever. If there's one person I want to be the happiest in the world, it's him, believe me. I want all his dreams to come true.\"\n\nBrady, who won a record seven Super Bowl titles during his 23-season career, said last month he was retiring \"for good\".\n\nThe pair were married for 13 years before divorcing in October 2022\n\nBrady, 45, and Bundchen, 42, started dating in 2006 and got married in early 2009. They have two children together, along with Brady's son with his ex-partner, actress Bridget Moynahan.\n\nBundchen also outlined how they had grown apart as a couple over time, beginning before Brady's retirement reversal to play one final football season last year.\n\n\"Sometimes you grow together; sometimes you grow apart,\" she said.\n\n\"When I was 26 years old and he was 29 years old, we met, we wanted a family, we wanted things together.\n\n\"As time goes by, we realise that we just wanted different things, and now we have a choice to make. That doesn't mean you don't love the person.\"\n\nBundchen, one of the highest-paid models in the world since 2001, added that she had \"no regrets\" about her life with Brady.\n\nAnnouncing the separation in October 2022, Brady said the decision was \"painful and difficult\".\n\n\"However we only wish the best for each other as we pursue whatever new chapters in our lives that are yet to be written,\" he said.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/world-us-canada-65047375"}
{"title":"MPs back Rishi Sunak's new Brexit Northern Ireland deal - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-23","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"But former PMs Boris Johnson and Liz Truss joined 20 other Tory MPs and the DUP to vote against the agreement.","section":"UK Politics","content":"Rishi Sunak's new Brexit deal for Northern Ireland has been passed by MPs, despite a rebellion from 22 of his backbenchers.\n\nEx-PMs Boris Johnson and Liz Truss were among Tories joining Northern Ireland's DUP in voting against the agreement.\n\nBut it passed by 515 to 29 overall, with the backing of other Tories, Labour and the SNP.\n\nThe deal, unveiled last month, rewrites the Brexit accord agreed by Mr Johnson in 2019.\n\nNorthern Ireland Minister Steve Baker denounced the two former PMs for opposing it, saying he thought \"they're both better than this\".\n\nMr Johnson risks \"looking like a pound shop Nigel Farage\" by voting against the deal, added Mr Baker, who supported the UK's EU exit in 2016.\n\nFormer Brexit leader Nigel Farage fired back on Twitter, saying Mr Baker had betrayed his Brexiteer credentials and was a \"weasel\" for supporting the deal.\n\nMark Francois, the chair of the ERG group of Eurosceptic Tories, confirmed earlier its \"strong recommendation\" was for Tory MPs to defy orders from party managers and reject the deal.\n\nAs well as Mr Johnson and Ms Truss, Tory MPs voting against the deal included former party leader Sir Iain Duncan Smith and former Business Secretary Jacob Rees-Mogg.\n\nPriti Patel, who was home secretary under Mr Johnson, also voted against, writing in the Telegraph before the vote that Mr Sunak should \"negotiate a better deal\".\n\nThe vote is on a key part of the deal, known as the Stormont brake, that would give a future Northern Ireland Assembly a way to challenge new EU goods legislation.\n\nThe vote is likely to be the only vote MPs get on Mr Sunak's renegotiated deal, known as the Windsor Framework.\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser.\n\nAround 100 MPs didn't take part in the vote. This number will include those who abstained, along with those who did not vote for another reason or were given permission not to.\n\nThe original Brexit withdrawal deal negotiated by Mr Johnson introduced a series of checks on goods sent from Great Britain to Northern Ireland, in order to avoid a border with the Irish Republic.\n\nDespite originally billing the agreement as a \"great deal for our country,\" Mr Johnson went on to join Tory Brexiters in bemoaning the economic impact of the checks it introduced.\n\nThe changes negotiated by Mr Sunak aim to streamline the checks process, which have also proved highly unpopular among unionists in Northern Ireland.\n\nSpeaking in the Commons, Northern Ireland Secretary Chris Heaton-Harris said the Stormont brake would give assembly members in Northern Ireland \"robust\" powers to challenge EU laws.\n\nBut in a statement issued before the vote, Mr Johnson said it was \"unacceptable\".\n\n\"The proposed arrangements would mean either that Northern Ireland remained captured by the EU legal order - and was increasingly divergent from the rest of the UK - or they would mean that the whole of the U.K. was unable properly to diverge and take advantage of Brexit,\" he added.\n\nHe said it would be better to proceed with controversial legislation giving British ministers the power to override the original deal, which Mr Sunak has shelved due to his new agreement.\n\nMs Truss is also said to believe the new framework \"fatally impinges\" on the UK's ability to diverge from EU rules.\n\nDemocratic Unionist Party (DUP) leader Sir Jeffrey Donaldson said he will continue to work with the government on \"outstanding issues\" - even though Downing Street said there are no plans for any substantial change to the deal.\n\nThe European Research Group (ERG) of Eurosceptic Tory MPs has criticised the Stormont brake, with legal experts advising them it was \"practically useless\".","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/uk-politics-65034260"}
{"title":"Guide dog campaigner urges Rishi Sunak to sort out shortage - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-23","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"Activist Jill Allen-King says she gripped Rishi Sunak's hand as she told him about waiting lists.","section":"Essex","content":"Jill Allen-King with her guide dog and Southend MP Anna Firth meeting Prime Minister Rishi Sunak at an event for community champions\n\nA campaigner for blind people has urged the prime minister to help sort out the shortage of guide dogs across the UK.\n\nJill Allen-King, 82, from Westcliff, Essex, met Rishi Sunak at an event to celebrate community champions on Wednesday evening.\n\nShe is facing the possibility of her own dog, Jagger, being retired due to his age in June.\n\nThe Guide Dogs charity said there had been a shortage due to the restrictions of the pandemic.\n\n\"I held on to his hand and told him there were a thousand blind people waiting for a guide dog and he really did seem shocked by that,\" said Mrs Allen-King.\n\n\"He said to Anna, my MP, 'let me know how I can help', and I'm sure she will let him know.\"\n\nThe lockdown in 2020 meant a pause on breeding and puppy training was difficult due to the closure of restaurants and other public spaces.\n\nMrs Allen-King, who has had seven guide dogs in the past 51 years, said she was worried about losing her independence.\n\nJagger was still \"so fit and well\", she said. \"He wants to work, I can't see why he can't work until August when they can give me another dog.\"\n\nJill Allen-King with Jagger and MP Anna Firth outside No 10 Downing Street\n\nHer MP, Southend's Anna Firth, has asked the Guide Dogs charity to make an exception and allow Jagger to continue working rather than leave her without a dog.\n\nJagger has been assessed by the charity and she is waiting to hear the outcome.\n\nSource: Guide Dogs - a working name of The Guide Dogs for the Blind Association\n\nPeter Osborne, from the charity, said it was important to balance the owner's needs as well as the dog's health and its ability to work.\n\n\"As a dog gets older, although they may still be healthy, their reactions can slow and their willingness to guide may reduce which can bring associated risks to both the dog and guide dog owner,\" he said.\n\nThe activist had to have one of her eyes removed as a baby due to measles and lost her sight fully aged 24, on her wedding day, due to glaucoma. Since then she has campaigned for better access rights for blind and partially sighted people.\n\nShe came up with the idea for textured pavements at road crossings and was given an OBE for her services to disabled people.\n\nYou can hear more about Jill Allen-King's meeting with the PM on Justin Dealey's BBC Local Radio show on Saturday, 25 March between 22:00 and 01:00 GMT and on BBC Sounds.\n\nFind BBC News: East of England on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter. If you have a story suggestion email eastofenglandnews@bbc.co.uk","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/uk-england-essex-65045697"}
{"title":"Profound honour to lead country I love - Nicola Sturgeon - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-23","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"Her voice shakes as she delivers a long list of thank yous, including to outgoing deputy first minister John Swinney.","section":"Scotland","content":"Party leaders took rather contrasting approaches to waving farewell to Nicola Sturgeon.\n\nDouglas Ross did try, quite briefly, to be nice. But given the total lack of any personal warmth between the pair, even his jokes ended with rather sharp punchlines about her not answering his questions.\n\nAnas Sarwar clearly has a far better relationship with the outgoing first minister, and made a much better fist of being magnanimous.\n\nBut given how comprehensively the SNP has routed Labour under her leadership, he too will be glad to see her heading for the exit door.\n\nMs Sturgeon\u2019s own valedictory address was entirely different - heavy on thanks to friends and colleagues, with only a side-order of legacy-burnishing.\n\nThe other parties are looking to the future in the hope of opportunities in the post-Sturgeon era.\n\nBut she is looking ahead in a completely different fashion \u2013 to a life beyond the Holyrood chamber.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/live\/uk-scotland-65039369"}
{"title":"US raises interest rates despite banking turmoil - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-23","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"The Federal Reserve moves borrowing costs higher as it focuses on efforts to stabilise prices.","section":"Business","content":"The US central bank has raised interest rates again, despite fears that the move could add to financial turmoil after a string of bank failures.\n\nThe Federal Reserve increased its key rate by 0.25 percentage points, calling the banking system \"sound and resilient\".\n\nBut it also warned that fallout from the bank failures may hurt economic growth in the months ahead.\n\nThe Fed has been raising borrowing costs in a bid to stabilise prices.\n\nBut the sharp increase in interest rates since last year has led to strains in the banking system.\n\nTwo US banks - Silicon Valley Bank and Signature Bank - collapsed this month, buckling in part due to problems caused by higher interest rates.\n\nThere are concerns about the value of bonds held by banks as rising interest rates may make those bonds less valuable.\n\nBanks tend to hold large portfolios of bonds and as a result are sitting on significant potential losses. Falls in the value of bonds held by banks are not necessarily a problem unless they are forced to sell them.\n\nAuthorities around the world have said they do not think the failures threaten widespread financial stability and need to distract from efforts to bring inflation under control.\n\nLast week, the European Central Bank raised its key interest rate by 0.5 percentage points.\n\nThe Bank of England is due to make its own interest rate decision on Thursday, a day after official figures showed that inflation unexpectedly shot up in February to 10.4%.\n\nFederal Reserve chairman Jerome Powell said the Fed remained focused on its inflation fight. He described Silicon Valley bank as an \"outlier\" in an otherwise strong financial system.\n\nBut he acknowledged that the recent turmoil was likely to drag on growth, with the full impact still unclear.\n\nForecasts released by the bank show officials expect the economy to grow just 0.4% this year and 1.2% in 2024, a sharp slowdown from the norm - and less than officials projected in December.\n\nThe announcement from the Fed also toned down earlier statements which had said \"ongoing\" increases in interest rates would be needed in the months ahead.\n\nInstead, the Fed said: \"Some additional policy firming may be appropriate\".\n\nThe moves \"signal clearly that the Fed is nervous\", said Ian Shepherdson, chief economist at Pantheon Macroeconomics.\n\nWednesday's rate rise is the ninth in a row by the Fed. It lifts its key interest rate to 4.75%-5%, up from near zero a year ago - the highest level since 2007.\n\nHigher interest rates mean the cost to buy a home, borrow to expand a business or take on other debt goes up.\n\nBy making such activity more expensive, the Fed expects demand to fall, cooling prices.\n\nThat has started to happen in the US housing market, where purchases have slowed sharply over the last year and the median sales price in February was lower than it was a year ago - the first such decline in more than a decade.\n\nBut overall the economy has held up better than expected and prices continue to climb faster than the 2% rate considered healthy.\n\nInflation, the rate at which prices climb, jumped 6% in the 12 months to February. The cost of some items, including food and airfare, is surging even faster.\n\nBefore the bank failures, Mr Powell had warned that officials might need to push interest rates higher than expected to bring the situation under control.\n\nThe bank projections show policymakers expect inflation to fall this year - but less than expected a few months ago.\n\nStill, they forecast interest rates of roughly 5.1% at the end of 2023 - unchanged since December - implying the Fed is poised to stop raising rates soon.\n\nMr Powell described the effect of the recent turmoil as the \"equivalent of a rate hike\".\n\nHe said the Fed may be able raise its key rate less aggressively, if the turmoil in the financial system prompts banks to limit lending, and the economy to slow more quickly.\n\nBut he repeated that the Fed would not shy away from its inflation fight.\n\n\"We have to bring down inflation down to 2%,\" he said. \"There are real costs to bringing it down to 2% but the costs of failing are much higher.\"","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/business-65041649"}
{"title":"Cristiano Ronaldo: Portugal forward on brink of more international history - BBC Sport","published_date":"2023-03-23","authors":null,"description":"Cristiano Ronaldo will become the most-capped men's international footballer if he plays for Portugal on Thursday.","section":null,"content":"Last updated on .From the section European Championship\n\nCristiano Ronaldo will become the most-capped men's international footballer if he plays in Portugal's Euro 2024 qualifying opener against Liechtenstein on Thursday.\n\nRonaldo, 38, moved level with Kuwait forward Bader Al-Mutawa on 196 caps when he faced Morocco at the World Cup.\n\nAnd he is now part of new Portugal manager Roberto Martinez's first squad.\n\nRonaldo - now playing in Saudi Arabia for Al Nassr - has scored a men's record 118 international goals.\n\nThere were question marks about his international future after he left the pitch in tears following Portugal's elimination by Morocco at the quarter-final stage.\n\nHe has scored nine goals in 10 appearances for Saudi Arabia's Al Nassr after leaving Manchester United in November following a controversial interview in which he criticised the club.\n\nMartinez has said Ronaldo, who made his international debut in 2003, \"is very important for the team\" and \"I do not look at the age\".\n\n\"Records are my motivation,\" Ronaldo said on Wednesday. \"I want to become the most-capped player in history. That would make me proud.\n\n\"But it doesn't stop there. I still want to be called up very often.\"\n\nKristine Lilly is the most-capped female footballer of all time, having played 354 times for the United States.\n\nRonaldo's latest record will further cement his status as one of the greatest footballers of all time.\n\nThe Portuguese's glittering career has seen him win seven domestic top-flight titles, 11 other major domestic trophies, five Champions Leagues, four Club World Cups and one European Championship.\n\nThe former Sporting Lisbon, Manchester United, Real Madrid and Juventus forward has also won the Ballon d'Or five times and been named the Best Fifa Men's player twice.\n\nHe became the first player to score 800 top-level career goals in November and also holds a host of other men's individual records for both club and country including:\n\u2022 None Only player to score in three Champions League finals\n\u2022 None The first player to score 10 hat-tricks in men's international football\n\u2022 None Enter the world of the social media personality\u2019s multi-level marketing scheme and webcam business\n\u2022 None The rise and fall of the jeweller-turned-criminal: Listen to Gangster: The Story of John Palmer","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/sport\/football\/65037274"}
{"title":"Lola James: Mum told police she would not have hurt daughter - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-23","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"A mother accused of causing or allowing the death of her two-year-old daughter denied hurting her.","section":"Wales","content":"Lola James died at the Noah's Ark children's hospital in Cardiff on 21 July, 2020\n\nA mother accused of causing or allowing the death of her two-year-old daughter told police: \"I wouldn't hurt her, she's my baby, my shadow\".\n\nLola James died in hospital as a result of a \"catastrophic\" head injury in July 2020.\n\nSwansea Crown Court heard Sinead James told officers she was not responsible for her daughter's injuries.\n\nThe 30-year-old denies causing or allowing the death of Lola four months after her partner moved in.\n\nHer partner, Kyle Bevan, 31, of Aberystwyth, Ceredigion, denies murdering Lola at their home in Haverfordwest, Pembrokeshire.\n\nMs James told police the first she knew about what had happened was when Mr Bevan ran into her bedroom to tell her she needed to get up, saying: \"There's an ambulance coming for Lola, she's limp.\"\n\nMs James said Mr Bevan later told her the family dog had jumped on Lola and knocked her down the stairs.\n\nShe said she called her mother and an ambulance.\n\nShe then went downstairs to see Lola, who was on the living room sofa.\n\nMs James said she told Mr Bevan to put her down as he began to pick her up.\n\nThe court heard she told police: \"I haven't done anything to her, she's my baby.\"\n\nShe told officers Lola was accident prone with \"two left feet\" and that she \"doesn't sleep and falls over everything\".\n\nShe said: \"I wish I was there, I wish I could have stopped it.\"\n\nWhen asked about her relationship with Mr Bevan, Ms James said they had met online and were sleeping together.\n\nShe said: \"I don't believe for a second he would have hurt her.\"\n\nShe said he was \"amazing\" with Lola.\n\nMs James told police that if she had to choose between Lola and Mr Bevan: \"I'd walk away, his bags would be packed and he'd be gone.\"\n\nWhen she saw video during a police interview of Mr Bevan holding Lola up she wanted to \"punch him in the face\".\n\nPolice said the footage depicted Bevan picking her up and letting her \"flop back\" to \"show his mother she couldn't stand up\".\n\nThe court heard he had not yet called an ambulance when it was filmed.\n\nBefore seeing the footage, Ms James said: \"Why didn't he call an ambulance straight away?\"\n\nAs she watched, Ms James said: \"He's not even holding her properly, I feel sick.\n\n\"I want to punch him in the face. He's probably caused her more damage. Why would he do that to a baby?\"\n\nShe said he should be protecting her and called the video \"sickening\".\n\nThe court heard she told police: \"If he can do that what has actually happened to my baby?\"\n\nShe told them she did not know whether she thought Mr Bevan's behaviour was controlling.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/uk-wales-65052705"}
{"title":"Baby's remains brought to mum in supermarket bag - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-23","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"Lydia Reid's son Gary had his organs removed without her permission when he died while a week old in 1975.","section":"Edinburgh, Fife & East Scotland","content":"Lydia Reid was \"horrified\" when officials arrived with a plastic carrier bag\n\nA terminally ill mother says she was \"horrified\" after her baby's remains were brought her in a supermarket carrier bag by NHS officials.\n\nLydia Reid's son Gary was a week old when he died in 1975.\n\nShe later discovered his organs had been removed for tests without her permission and only received his remains last month after almost 50 years of campaigning.\n\nNHS Lothian said it had since apologised to Ms Reid.\n\nThe 74-year-old, who is in an Edinburgh hospital with bowel cancer, told BBC Scotland she was visited last month by two senior NHS officials.\n\n\"I thought they were coming to help me sign some papers. When they arrived I noticed one of them was carrying a Sainsbury's carrier bag,\" Ms Reid said.\n\nInside the carrier bag was a six-inch box containing samples taken from Gary which had been used in tests without her permission.\n\n\"It knocked me for six and was the most disgusting thing I've ever seen in my life,\" Ms Reid said.\n\n\"I was so shocked and said 'How dare you. That is the only parts of my son I have and you want to hand them to me in a carrier bag?'\n\n\"I was absolutely horrified. When I told my son, Steven, he was dumbfounded.\"\n\nThe officials then took the remains back and they were sent to the undertaker.\n\nThe exhumed coffin in 2017, which was not prepared by NHS Lothian, contained items including a shroud and a cross\n\nAn NHS Lothian spokeswoman denied Ms Reid's claim that she was asked to look inside the box by the officials.\n\nTracey Gillies, medical director for NHS Lothian said: \"I would like to repeat publicly the apology we made to Ms Reid in person for the upset and distress this has caused.\n\n\"The samples that formed part of the investigation were placed in a dignity wooden casket to be returned to Ms Reid while she was in hospital.\n\n\"This was then placed within a plastic bag to avoid drawing attention as they walked through the hospital.\n\n\"We are sincerely sorry for the additional distress this caused. Our teams met with Ms Reid to ensure all efforts were made to fulfil her wishes.\"\n\nMs Reid checked out of hospital for a day to bury her son's remains in Saughton Cemetery in Edinburgh on Saturday.\n\nThe coffin was exhumed from a plot at Saughton Cemetery in Edinburgh\n\nMs Reid has been a leading figure in the Scottish campaign to expose how hospitals unlawfully retained dead children's body parts for research.\n\nThe NHS in Scotland was forced to admit the widespread practice after an investigation into organ retention at Alder Hey hospital in Liverpool.\n\nAbout 6,000 organs and tissues were kept by Scottish hospitals between 1970 and 2000, many from children.\n\nMs Reid said that when she asked to see her son a few days after he died in 1975, she was shown a different child.\n\nOver the years, she discovered her son's organs had been removed. Pieces would be shaved off for microscope tests, without Ms Reid's permission, and the rest were stored in Edinburgh Royal Infirmary.\n\nMs Reid said she still does not know what happened to the rest of Gary's body.\n\nProf Sue Black said she had never seen anything like it\n\nIn September 2017, a court order was granted which allowed an exhumation to be carried out at Saughton Cemetery in Edinburgh.\n\nForensic anthropologist Prof Dame Sue Black concluded the coffin had been buried without containing any human remains.\n\nA shawl, a hat, a cross and a name tag were found in the burial plot, as well as the disintegrated coffin - but no skeletal remains and no sign of decomposition.\n\nProf Black told BBC Scotland at the time: \"Ultimately there is only one possible logical explanation - and that is that the body was not put in that coffin.\"\n\nHowever, the Crown Office said a new investigation by independent experts had concluded Gary had been buried at the time of his death.\n\nIt also found no evidence of criminality or unlawful organ retention.\n\nMs Reid has campaigned for years to find out what happened to her son, and camped outside the Crown Office in Edinburgh while on hunger strike in 2022.\n\nShe said finally she had her son's remains returned when Labour MSP Foysol Choudhury and his assistant, Liz Catterall, intervened.\n\nMr Choudhury said: \"When I asked NHS staff to meet Lydia to help her fill out the necessary forms, so that Gary's remains could be transferred back into her care, we did not expect Gary's remains to be brought to this meeting.\n\n\"Not only was this surprise action inappropriate and unsettling, but Gary's remains were shockingly brought to that meeting in a plastic supermarket carrier bag.\n\n\"Lydia has been fighting for justice for Gary for 48 years and then she found out that her baby son's remains were carried around in a plastic bag. This is absolutely shocking and was incredibly disrespectful.\n\n\"NHS Lothian have offered unreserved apologies but these events show that more training is needed to ensure sensitive and appropriate behaviour in the delivery of NHS services.\"","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/uk-scotland-edinburgh-east-fife-65043591"}
{"title":"Sir Keir Starmer says he would scrap his own pension tax perk - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-23","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"The Labour leader says he would include himself in plans to reverse high earner tax breaks.","section":"UK Politics","content":"Sir Keir Starmer has said he will include himself in plans to scrap a pensions tax break for high earners if he wins power.\n\nThe Labour leader has pledged to reverse government plans to end the \u00a31m cap on lifetime pensions savings.\n\nHe was accused of hypocrisy by the Conservatives when it emerged he was set to benefit from a similar scheme himself.\n\nHe said he had not taken advantage of the perk and did not want to.\n\nHe told a press conference: \"I'm absolutely committed to changing what the government did last week, which was to give a tax cut to the wealthiest 1%.\"\n\nHe added: \"I don't intend that to exclude me.\"\n\nAs first reported by The Telegraph, Sir Keir was granted a special \"tax unregistered\" pension scheme when he stood down as down as Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) in 2013.\n\nSir Keir said it was \"a government pension scheme put in place for DPPs\", which was why it needed an act of parliament to bring it into effect.\n\nThe Pensions Increase (Pension Scheme for Keir Starmer QC) Regulations 2013 means the lifetime allowance does not apply to Sir Keir's contributions from his time as DPP between 2008 and 2013.\n\nThe legislation means Sir Keir would be exempt from paying additional tax on pensions savings over \u00a31m.\n\nSir Keir said he had not taken advantage of the tax break, adding: \"Nor do I want to.\"\n\nUnder plans announced last week by Chancellor Jeremy Hunt, the \u00a31.07m limit on how much individuals can put into their pension pot before having to pay extra tax will be scrapped.\n\nThe annual tax-free allowance on pensions will also increase from \u00a340,000 to \u00a360,000.\n\nLabour voted against the changes, prompting accusations of hypocrisy from Conservative MPs, including former work and pensions secretary Sir Iain Duncan Smith.\n\nLabour says the tax break should only be available to NHS doctors, to encourage them to keep working and not take early retirement.\n\nHitting back at accusations of hypocrisy, Sir Keir said: \"When we reverse that change the government put in place last week I will be included within that.\n\n\"Whatever changes is needed within legislation or anything else, I am very happy want to be and will be in the same position as everybody else in this country.\"","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/uk-politics-65052706"}
{"title":"UK airstrikes on IS may have killed 26 civilians, charity says - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-23","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"Action on Armed Violence say they have evidence that RAF strikes may have caused civilian deaths.","section":"UK","content":"RAF Tornado jets were involved in the campaign against the Islamic State group\n\nUK airstrikes in Iraq and Syria may have killed at least 26 civilians, research by a charity suggests.\n\nAction on Armed Violence says it has found evidence that at least nine RAF strikes resulted in civilian deaths between March 2016 and March 2018.\n\nA Ministry of Defence admission that it caused one civilian death in its seven-year campaign against the Islamic State group was not now credible, it added.\n\nThe MoD said \"no evidence\" of civilian deaths had been found in the strikes.\n\nA spokesman said military personnel examine all available evidence, including mission data from every strike.\n\nThe analysis of UK strikes was carried out by AOAV, which researches the impact of global conflicts. The BBC has not independently verified AOAV's findings.\n\nBased on its own research, the charity says at least 26 civilians are likely to have been killed in UK strikes in the two-year period between March 2016 and March 2018, while up to 32 civilians may have actually been killed.\n\nMost of the strikes that resulted in civilian deaths were \"self-reported\", meaning military personnel within the US-led coalition highlighted concerns civilians might have been killed following strikes.\n\nReports of civilian deaths were deemed \"credible\" in all but one of the nine strikes examined - with civilian casualties believed \"likely\" or 'highly likely\".\n\nAOAV analysed MoD strike reports released after each incident, and cross-checked them with information provided by US Central Command and research by other charities, as well as reports from the ground and from media organisations, including the BBC.\n\nOne credible report of civilian deaths took place on 19 May 2017, in the Iraqi city of Mosul. The RAF said Tornado jets engaged seven IS targets there that day. The incident was self-reported.\n\nThe New York Times obtained a copy of the US coalition report, which stated that three civilians were near one target location. It said: \"The explosion from striking the mortar site was large enough to conclude that any person in the blast radius was seriously injured or killed in the strike.\"\n\nThe RAF has never accepted that civilian casualties were caused by its strike.\n\nAOAV's analysis also includes civilian casualties likely caused by RAF strikes that have already been identified by another charity, AirWars. One, in Raqqa, Syria, in August 2017 is reported to have resulted in 12 civilian deaths.\n\nA BBC investigation into a RAF strike in Mosul, on 9 January 2017, is also recorded. Two civilians were reported to have been killed when a truck bomb was targeted.\n\nThe MoD still does not accept that any civilians were killed, even though the coalition now says those reports of civilian deaths were \"credible\".\n\nIn May 2018, the MoD admitted to \"unintentionally\" causing one civilian death when a motorcyclist was killed while crossing the path of a missile fired by a Reaper drone targeting insurgents.\n\nDefinitive proof of civilian casualties is hard to establish. The US-led coalition did not have teams on the ground to verify reports of civilian deaths during the campaign. Most analysis was conducted by reviewing video from the cockpit of the aircraft involved.\n\nThe US military estimates that 1,437 civilians may have been killed in the bombing campaign against IS between August 2014 and May 2022.\n\nIn a statement, the MOD said it has \"identified nothing to indicate that such civilian casualties were caused in Syria\". \"The RAF always minimises the risk of civilian casualties through our rigorous targeting processes\u2026 but no evidence has been identified in these instances.\"","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/uk-65042704"}
{"title":"Israel's Netanyahu to visit UK amid growing turmoil at home - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-23","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"The Israeli PM's trip comes as divisions deepen over a judicial plan and fears grow in the West Bank.","section":"Middle East","content":"Protester Shay Noter suffered a broken nose after being attacked while blocking a road outside the British embassy\n\nThe beachside highway beside the British embassy in Tel Aviv descended into a scene of bitter division between Israelis a week ago, and blood was spilled on the tarmac.\n\nThe crowd started to block traffic - by now a frequent tactic of protesters - when a driver attacked one of the demonstrators.\n\nThey respond by subduing the driver, beating him back with an Israeli flag pole.\n\nIt was week 11 of mass anti-government protests, ahead of a trip to the UK today by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.\n\n\"Look at what [the driver] did... he hit me with the [oil] can,\" protester Shay Noter, who suffered a broken nose and bloodied face, told the BBC.\n\n\"We have a dictator in Israel that is trying to make his people hate us. You tell your government, you tell your people. He is telling them all the time that we are the enemy.\"\n\nOpponents of the judicial overhaul describe it as an attempted \"regime coup\" by the prime minister and his coalition\n\nPart of the demonstrations have been focused on embassies and the main airport, as Mr Netanyahu has paid a series of visits to European capitals amid growing political turmoil at home.\n\nProtesters were on the streets again this Thursday, rallying against plans by his coalition of far-right and ultra-religious parties to limit the powers of Israel's courts.\n\nCritics believe this will muzzle legal protections and open the door to an authoritarian, demagogic state. Mr Netanyahu says the changes will \"rebalance\" the branches of government.\n\nThe proposals would give ministers near full control over the committee which appoints judges and would ultimately strip the Supreme Court of crucial powers to strike down legislation.\n\n\"Our democracy is literally under attack by the government,\" said demonstrator Avinoam Brog.\n\n\"My parents' generation was part of the foundation of the country. Our generation was to protect it... Unfortunately, it's changed from protecting it against external enemies to an internal threat by our own government,\" he told the BBC.\n\nHis daughter, Nitzan Weisberg, said they were protesting against a \"post-Zionist, messianic government\".\n\n\"What were [we] fighting for? What were all the sacrifices made for?\" she asked.\n\n\"My father and brothers didn't fight in wars for a theocracy, for Orthodox Jews, that would persecute LGBT [people], that would discriminate against women, that would persecute Arabs,\" she continued.\n\nPrime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu told a cabinet meeting on Sunday that he would not accept \"anarchy\"\n\nMr Netanyahu is travelling to London on Thursday evening for talks on trade and security.\n\nHe is due to meet British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak for discussions billed by the Israelis as focusing on Iran and \"strategic ties\" with the UK.\n\nThe Israeli leader is expected to repeat his message that the highly controversial judicial reforms are necessary and that the country will \"remain a liberal democracy\".\n\nAfter his election win, he argues, the changes are the will of the people that should not be thwarted by unelected judges.\n\nHe has previously denied that minority rights would be affected by his far right coalition partners, saying he has \"both hands on the steering wheel\".\n\nAnd speaking ahead of his cabinet meeting on Sunday he said his government would not accept \"anarchy\".\n\n\"There are those who are calling for the blocking of highways, for military refusal, for blood in the streets, and to attack public figures. We will not accept this. We will not accept violence by any side,\" he said.\n\nIn the occupied West Bank, the protests feel a world away amid a growing numbers of Israeli army patrols\n\nBut there is growing international pressure on his government, which includes parties that espouse racist, anti-Arab policies, over both its legislation and rhetoric at a time when violence continues to spiral in the region.\n\nIsrael's far-right Finance Minister, Bezalel Smotrich, sparked a diplomatic crisis this week when he said there was \"no such thing\" as a Palestinian people, speaking in front of a map which put the occupied West Bank and neighbouring Jordan within Israel's borders.\n\nEarlier this month, he called for the Palestinian town of Hawara to be \"wiped out\" after a Palestinian gun attack killed two Israelis, which in turn sparked a deadly rampage by Israeli settlers against Palestinian civilians and their homes.\n\nUnder pressure, Mr Smotrich later said he didn't mean it.\n\nNawal al-Dumaidi says she was trapped for three days in her home in Hawara after settlers burned its entrance\n\nIn the occupied West Bank, the protests feel a world away amid Israeli military outposts and growing numbers of army patrols.\n\nHomes in Hawara still bear the scars of violence, with burned out buildings and vandalised shopfronts yet to be repaired.\n\nNawal al-Dumaidi, 70, showed the BBC inside her apartment which overlooks the main highway.\n\nShe was trapped for three days after the settlers burned the building's entrance and still has several tear-gas and stun-grenade shells that she says the Israeli military fired at her terrace while the fire raged.\n\nNow, her family fears a deteriorating atmosphere, with the settlers emboldened by their far-right allies in government.\n\n\"We are suffering all the time. Settlers descend from the mountain, burn olive trees and attack homes,\" said Mrs Dumaidi.\n\n\"I am afraid that they will occupy Hawara because of its strategic location on the main road,\" she added.\n\nThere have been international efforts to de-escalate tensions in the region ahead of Ramadan and Passover\n\nHer nephew, Jehad Shurab, talked about the weakness of the official Palestinian leadership, adding that \"only God\" can help the residents.\n\n\"The prime minister of Palestine came here. While he was here, the IDF [Israeli army] is down there [on the road],\" he said.\n\nHe believes that Mr Smotrich and Israel's far-right National Security Minister, Itamar Ben-Gvir, are helping create an atmosphere of chaos.\n\n\"Ben-Gvir, Smotrich, they are crazy. And you see what's happening in Israel now... The international community must put an end to such behaviour of teenage Israeli politicians. The European Union, America, and the countries of the world must limit the dictatorial behaviour of these people,\" he says.\n\nIn the nearby cities of Jenin and Nablus, there are no signs of progress in US-backed attempts to restore the limited security grip of the Palestinian Authority (PA) - the official leadership rejected by a new generation of armed militants whose firepower has grown dramatically over the last 18 months.\n\nIn the most deadly start to a year in nearly two decades, Israeli military raids have become increasingly lethal, alongside a continuing wave of Palestinian armed attacks. At least 88 Palestinians and 15 Israelis have been killed since the beginning of January.\n\nA tense period is expected in the coming weeks as hundreds of thousands of worshippers flock to Jerusalem with the Jewish holiday of Passover due to overlap with the Muslim holy month of Ramadan, which starts here on Thursday.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/world-middle-east-65052927"}
{"title":"UK interest rate raised to 4.25% after jump in inflation - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-23","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"The Bank of England puts up the base rate by 0.25% after UK prices rose by 10.4% last month.","section":"Business","content":"Bank of England governor Andrew Bailey, has said he is \"much more hopeful\" that the UK can avoid a recession.\n\nMr Bailey was speaking after the Bank decided to raise rates for an 11th consecutive meeting.\n\nThe governor said that back in February the Bank was \"a bit on a knife edge as to whether there would be a recession\" but now was a \"bit more optimistic\" about the outlook.\n\nHe warned however that the UK economy is \"not off to the races\".\n\nMr Bailey refused to say whether he thought UK interest rates has reached a peak.\n\n\"We don\u2019t know if it is going to be the peak, but what we can tell you is that we\u2019ve seen signs of inflation really peaking now, but of course it is far too high,\" he said.\n\nThe governor said he did not think the current turbulence in global banking was likely to be a re-run of the 2008 financial crisis.\n\n\"I think we've got a banking system that is safe and sound and of course, it's one that people can rely on.\n\n\"That's the thing - we must have this banking system that people can rely on. Now, I'm optimistic on that. I do think that banks are in a strong position in this country. People shouldn't worry.\"","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/live\/business-65046301"}
{"title":"Mosque fire suspect arrested over second attack - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-23","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"A man accused of setting a pensioner on fire as he left a Birmingham mosque is held over an attack in west London.","section":"Birmingham & Black Country","content":"Mr Rayaz has undergone a skin graft in hospital, his family said.\n\nA man held after a pensioner was set alight as he left a Birmingham mosque has been arrested over a similar attack in west London last month.\n\nAn 82-year-old man was set alight outside a mosque in Ealing on 27 February. Mohammed Rayaz was set on fire in Edgbaston on Monday.\n\nMr Rayaz, 70, suffered severe burns to his face and arms.\n\nDetectives, supported by counter-terror police, are questioning the suspect on suspicion of attempted murder.\n\nIn a statement, the Metropolitan Police said both incidents were now being linked and the man had been arrested over the Ealing attack on Wednesday.\n\nDetectives from the Met and West Midlands Police were working closely together to establish the full circumstances.\n\nWhile counter-terror police were involved, officers were keeping an open mind as to any potential motivation.\n\n\"At this stage we cannot speculate around the motive for the attacks, this is a live investigation and our main aim is to make sure communities are safe and that we bring justice for the victims,\" the West Midlands force said.\n\nMr Rayaz was set alight just after he left this mosque in Dudley Road, Edgbaston, Birmingham.\n\nThe victim in Ealing received hospital treatment for severe burns to his face and arms in the attack.\n\nWest Midlands Police said the suspect engaged the man in conversation as they both left the West London Islamic Centre.\n\nThey spoke for a few minutes before the victim was doused in a liquid, believed to be petrol, and then set on fire.\n\nIn a statement on Wednesday, members of the mosque described the incidents as \"abhorrent and malicious attacks on two elders within our community\" and thanked police for their efforts.\n\n\"As we commence the blessed month of Ramadan, our thoughts and prayers are with the victims and their families,\" a spokesperson said.\n\nThe victim, whom they named as Mr Hashi, had been recuperating from his injuries following his release from hospital the next day.\n\nHe was lucky to have had a friend waiting nearby in his car at the time of the attack who reacted quickly by putting out the flames and calling the emergency services, the centre added.\n\nMr Rayaz remains in a serious but stable condition in hospital following a skin graft operation.\n\nThe retired factory worker was sprayed with a substance before his jacket was set on fire near his home on Shenstone Road, a short distance from the Dudley Road mosque he had left.\n\nScorch marks are on the pavement in Edgbaston where the attack happened\n\nMP Shabana Mahmood, who has spoken to him on a video call, said he was \"touched at the outpouring of love and support\" since the attack.\n\nFamily lawyer Shahbon Hussain said he got a text message from Mr Rayaz's son moments afterwards.\n\n\"He heard his dad screaming, the family had gone out the house and seen him on fire,\" he said. \"I immediately went over and the police, ambulance and fire brigade were already there.\"\n\nNeighbours, who said they were concerned by the attack, also helped to put flames out and carry Mr Rayaz to his home.\n\nMs Mahmood, member for Birmingham Ladywood, organised a community walkabout on Wednesday with police to reassure Muslim communities on the eve of Ramadan.\n\nMr Hussain, who also chairs the local StreetWatch group, said he collated CCTV and doorbell footage for police via a WhatsApp group of 160 residents.\n\nHe added it would take a while for residents to feel safe as Ramadan got under way.\n\nMP Shabana Mahmood said Mr Rayaz was \"touched at the outpouring of love and support\" he had received since the attack\n\nRegarding the Ealing attack, Ch Supt Sean Wilson, of the Met's West Area Command, said: \"We completely understand the shock that resonated throughout the community following this incident.\n\n\"Despite a man having been arrested, we continue to be vigilant and urge local people to do the same.\n\n\"Highly visible patrols around Singapore Road will continue in the coming days to provide reassurance to local people and I urge anyone who is concerned to approach officers.\"\n\nFollow BBC West Midlands on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. Send your story ideas to: newsonline.westmidlands@bbc.co.uk","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/uk-england-65045660"}
{"title":"Nicola Sturgeon defends her record at final FMQs - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-23","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"The first minister was accused of failures on education, the NHS and ferries in her 286th and final session.","section":"Scotland politics","content":"This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Nicola Sturgeon addresses the Holyrood chamber for the last time as first minister\n\nNicola Sturgeon has defended her record in government during her final First Minister's Questions.\n\nThe first minister was accused of failures on education, drug deaths, NHS waiting lists and ferries in her 286th weekly session.\n\nMs Sturgeon said she was \"very proud\" of her party's eight election wins and policies including the Scottish Child Payment and progressive income tax.\n\nHowever she said her successor would have a tough job ahead.\n\nThe winner of the contest to succeed Ms Sturgeon as SNP leader will be revealed on Monday afternoon.\n\nThey will then face a vote in the Scottish Parliament the next day before being confirmed as first minister.\n\nScottish Conservative leader Douglas Ross opened the session by accusing the SNP of having \"lied\" to the press over its membership numbers.\n\nThe party had ridiculed a newspaper report that it had lost 30,000 members since December 2021 - but was later forced to admit its membership had fallen from 104,000 to 72,000 over that time. The party had seen its membership surge to a peak of about 125,000 by 2019 under Ms Sturgeon's leadership.\n\nThe row saw Peter Murrell - Ms Sturgeon's husband - quit as the party's chief executive, with SNP media chief Murray Foote also resigning.\n\nNicola Sturgeon took part in her 286th and final FMQs\n\nAmid rowdy scenes in the Holyrood chamber, Presiding Officer Alison Johnstone issued several pleas for members to be heard, adding: \"We do not use the word 'lie' in this chamber.\"\n\nMs Sturgeon said she would \"not take lectures\" from the Conservatives about honesty in the same week Boris Johnson was being questioned about Partygate - and urged the Scottish Tories to release their own membership figures.\n\nMr Ross also questioned Ms Sturgeon's record in government, saying Scottish schools have plummeted in league tables and the attainment gap has not been closed.\n\nHe pointed to the country having highest rate of drug deaths in Europe, lengthy NHS waiting lists and a \"damning report\" on ferries that are currently five years late and massively over-budget.\n\nThe first minister has \"ignored Scotland's priorities in favour of her obsession with independence. Isn't that the truth of her legacy?\" he added.\n\nNicola Sturgeon at her first FMQs in 2014 flanked by John Swinney, Shona Robison and Mike Russell\n\nScottish Labour leader Anas Sarwar also attacked the outgoing first minister's record, claiming that there was not a single Scottish institution that has been left stronger after Ms Sturgeon's eight years in office.\n\nBut Ms Sturgeon said she was proud of policies from the Scottish Child Payment and the baby box scheme to the abolishment of prescription charges and free period products - the campaign for which was led by Labour's Monica Lennon.\n\nThe first minister said the NHS had received record funding and that Scotland was leading the way on climate change.\n\n\"I could go on, and on, and on, but I'm not going to because this is my last session of First Minister's Questions,\" she said.\n\nShe added: \"I am proud of the record of government that I have led through some of the toughest times Scotland has faced in recent history. But ultimately the only people who will cast a verdict on the record of my or future government are the people of Scotland.\n\n\"In my time as first minister they have had eight opportunities to do that and on each of these eight opportunities they have voted for me, the SNP and my government. That is a record I'm very proud to stand on.\n\n\"Does my successor have a tough job? Of course, because we live in tough times but I've got confidence that whoever my successor turns out to be, they will continue to build on that record and they will continue to retain the trust of the Scottish people.\"\n\nNicola Sturgeon has faced more than a few lines of inquiry in her 286 sessions of FMQs.\n\nGiven she also asked them for the opposition for three years prior to 2007, she knows this format inside out.\n\nThere have been countless questions about the NHS for the former health secretary, from the Covid pandemic to waiting time issues.\n\nThe procurement of ferries at the Ferguson shipyard has also been a long-running sore, as has the stubborn attainment gap between schools in more affluent and more deprived areas.\n\nAs in most other sessions, she will likely rely on her big binder of statistics, as well as her own quick wit and political instincts.\n\nThere will be warm words afterwards from friends and opponents alike. Given her vast experience and record of electoral success, the other party leaders will doubtless be glad to see the back of her - and will already be looking ahead to going up against someone else.\n\nMs Sturgeon had served as a cabinet minister and deputy first minister under her predecessor Alex Salmond since 2007.\n\nWhen the Scottish electorate rejected independence by 55% to 45% in September 2014 Mr Salmond resigned, leading to Ms Sturgeon taking the role unopposed.\n\nShe was formally sworn in on 20 November that year, after which she held her first FMQs.\n\nHer last official engagement as first minister will be on Friday.\n\nMs Sturgeon has not officially backed any of the candidates to replace her, but Health Secretary Humza Yousaf is widely assumed to be her preferred choice.\n\nMr Yousaf was the only one of the three leadership candidates to attend Ms Sturgeon's final FMQs, with Ash Regan and Kate Forbes both being absent from the chamber.\n\nThe leadership contest has exposed deep divisions within the SNP, with both Ms Forbes and Ms Regan casting doubt over the fairness and transparency of the election process.\n\nInterim chief executive Mike Russell said there was \"tremendous mess\" in the SNP - which Ms Sturgeon denied when she appeared to the Loose Women programme on Monday.\n\nShe insisted that the party was merely going through \"growing pains\" which she said were \"necessary but difficult\".\n\nShe also said it was important for the party not to \"throw the baby out with the bath water\" and lose things that have made them successful in the past.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/uk-scotland-scotland-politics-65051038"}
{"title":"Prince William praises Ukrainian refugees' resilience on Poland trip - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-23","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"The Prince of Wales met Ukrainians who have fled the war on the second day of his visit to Poland.","section":"UK","content":"Prince William is on a two-day trip to Poland\n\nThe resilience of Ukrainian refugees \"shines out\", the Prince of Wales has said during a visit to Poland.\n\nPrince William met with some of those who had fled the war with Russia while in Warsaw on the second day of his surprise trip to the country.\n\nHe said: \"It's amazing how resilient you are. That shines out.\"\n\nThe heir to the throne also met the Polish President Andrzej Duda to lay a wreath commemorating the nation's war dead.\n\nDuring a visit to a food hall in Warsaw, the prince speaking to Ukrainians who have fled their home said: \"It must be very difficult to start an entire new life in a new country.\"\n\nThe prince also thanked people who have hosted refugees.\n\nPrince William's visit to Poland is at the request of the UK government, but the prince has previously been clear about his support for the people of Ukraine, tweeting his backing days after Russia's invasion.\n\nHis trip to Poland marks him renewing that support.\n\nThe prince visited a food hall in Warsaw where he spoke to Ukrainian refugees\n\nEarlier, the prince met President Duda at the Presidential Palace where they discussed the war in Ukraine and laid a wreath at a monument to soldiers.\n\nA spokesperson for the prince said he discussed the need for ongoing support to Ukraine and its people, as well as him looking forward to the Polish head of state's attendance at the King's coronation.\n\nOn Wednesday, Prince William made a surprise trip to visit British troops in Rzeszow in south-east Poland - roughly an hour from the Ukrainian border.\n\nHe thanked British troops based in the city helping to deliver aid to Ukraine for \"defending our freedoms\" by \"keeping an eye on\" the situation in the neighbouring country.\n\nThe prince met with Polish President Andrzej Duda at the Presidential Palace\n\nPrince William was greeted by a guard of honour before laying a wreath\n\nIt is the prince's second visit to the country\n\nThe trip is the prince's first to Poland since a visit in 2017 with his wife Catherine.\n\nLast May, before he was king, King Charles III travelled to Romania to meet Ukrainian refugees - the first visit from a senior royal to the region since the start of the Russian invasion of Ukraine in February last year.\n\nPoland is a strong ally of neighbouring Ukraine and one of its largest suppliers of military equipment.\n\nIt recently pledged to supply Ukraine with fighter jets.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/uk-65055847"}
{"title":"Splitting parents face fine for refusing mediation - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-23","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"Ministers say mandatory mediation will cut court backlogs, but fears for coercive control victims are raised.","section":"UK","content":"Separating parents in England and Wales could face fines for refusing to try mediation under new proposals.\n\nThe government is set to make sessions mandatory and offer funding support in an effort to divert cases away from under-pressure family courts.\n\nJustice Secretary Dominic Raab said \"lengthy and combative courtroom battles\" were harmful for children.\n\nBut the Law Society said the plan could put victims of undetected coercive control in a vulnerable position.\n\nThe government has launched a consultation on the policy, which it hopes will help to deal with backlogs in the family courts system.\n\nThe policy will apply to separations where children are involved but the government is also looking more broadly at compulsory mediation for those without children, and how that could be funded.\n\nMediation, where couples can agree the practicalities of a split in the presence of an independent specialist, is already available as an option, but there is no requirement to engage with it prior to going to court.\n\nUnder the plans, judges will be able to order separating couples to make a \"reasonable attempt\" to agree matters such as child custody and financial arrangements in mediation, and will face fines \"if they act unreasonably and harm a child's wellbeing by prolonging court proceedings\".\n\nThe new rules, which apply to couples with children who are married or in civil partnerships, will exclude relationships where there has been domestic abuse.\n\nBut the Law Society, which represents solicitors in England and Wales, has warned the policy \"risks sending people to mediation who should not be there\".\n\nRichard Miller, the organisation's head of justice, told the BBC mediation was \"absolutely vital\" in many cases, but in situations where there was an \"imbalance of power\", it could lead to \"unjust outcomes\".\n\nHe added: \"Relationships where there is manipulation or coercive control can be very difficult to spot initially, and those on the receiving end of that sort of abuse might not even understand the extent to which they are being controlled themselves.\"\n\nDominic Raab said the plans would save the courts time and protect children\n\nWomen's Aid has said clarity is \"urgently needed\" to understand how the Ministry of Justice will ensure all domestic abuse survivors will be kept safe and allegations will be properly investigated.\n\nThe charity's head of policy, Lucy Hadley, said survivors \"frequently fear they will be accused of parental alienation\" if they raise domestic abuse.\n\n\"This lack of disclosure means the proposed exclusion of domestic abuse cases from mediation will not always work, and we fear that women will be re-traumatised by mediation with their perpetrators.\n\n\"If mediators don't have a thorough understanding of domestic abuse - or even know abuse is a factor in a case - these processes will ignore unequal power dynamics, exacerbating the abuse women experience and putting them at further risk\", Ms Hadley added.\n\nMr Miller called on the government to reintroduce aid for early legal advice - which was cut from private family cases in 2012. That would make it easier for people to see a solicitor before any mediation in order to provide an extra safeguarding measure, he said.\n\nIt is common practice for an assessment to be held prior to mediation in order to determine suitability, and some couples may be referred to the court at that stage.\n\nThe consultation on the proposals is also expected to look at whether divorce should be funded under legal aid thresholds.\n\nThe Ministry of Justice believes mandatory mediation could help up to 19,000 families a year agree terms without going into the court system, which is dealing with huge backlogs made worse by the Covid-19 pandemic.\n\nAccording to the most recent data, almost 29,000 new divorce applications were made in the three months between July and September 2022, with demand increasing after the introduction of no-fault divorces last year.\n\nMr Raab, who recently backed higher sentences for domestic killers who have subjected their victims to coercive control, said it would free up judges to \"ensure the most urgent cases involving domestic abuse survivors are heard by a court as quickly as possible.\"\n\nThe announcement was welcomed by the Family Mediation Council (FMC), which said it would help families avoid \"the stress and delays of going to court\".\n\nUnder the plans, sessions with a qualified mediator would be part-funded by the government with a voucher worth up to \u00a3500.\n\nAccording to the FMC, its registered mediators charge an average of \u00a3140 per person per hour, but rates and the number of sessions needed vary.\n\nA mediation funding scheme has already supported 15,300 families, the MoJ said, and will be expanded with an extra \u00a315m of government money.\n\nMore than two thirds of the first 7,200 users to be supported by the scheme \"reached whole or partial agreements away from court\", according to the department.\n\nA 12-week consultation on the plans began on Thursday and will close on 15 June.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/uk-65049700"}
{"title":"World Athletics bans transgender women from competing in female world ranking events - BBC Sport","published_date":"2023-03-23","authors":null,"description":"World Athletics has banned transgender women from competing in the female category at international events.","section":null,"content":"Last updated on .From the section Athletics\n\nWorld Athletics has banned transgender women from competing in the female category at international events.\n\nThe governing body's president, Lord Coe, said no transgender athlete who had gone through male puberty would be permitted to compete in female world ranking competitions from 31 March.\n\nA working group will be set up to conduct further research into the transgender eligibility guidelines.\n\n\"We're not saying no forever,\" he said.\n\nUnder previous rules, World Athletics required transgender women to reduce their amount of blood testosterone to a maximum of 5nmol\/L, and stay under this threshold continuously for a period of 12 months before competing in the female category.\n\nLord Coe added the decision was \"guided by the overarching principle which is to protect the female category\".\n\nHe noted that there are currently no transgender athletes competing internationally in the sport.\n\n\"Decisions are always difficult when they involve conflicting needs and rights between different groups, but we continue to take the view that we must maintain fairness for female athletes above all other considerations,\" said Lord Coe.\n\n\"We will be guided in this by the science around physical performance and male advantage which will inevitably develop over the coming years. As more evidence becomes available, we will review our position, but we believe the integrity of the female category in athletics is paramount.\"\n\nThe Council agreed to set up a working group for 12 months to \"further consider the issue of transgender inclusion\".\n\nAn independent chair will lead the group, while it will also include up to three council members, two athletes from the Athletes' Commission, a transgender athlete, three representatives of World Athletics' member federations and representatives of the World Athletics health and science department.\n\nIt will consult specifically with transgender athletes, as well as review and commission research and put forward recommendations to the Council.\n\nThe World Athletics Council also voted to reduce the amount of blood testosterone permitted for athletes with differences in sex development (DSD) such as South Africa's Caster Semenya.\n\nDSD is a group of rare conditions whereby a person's hormones, genes and\/or reproductive organs may be a mix of male and female characteristics. Some of those affected prefer the term \"intersex\".\n\nDSD athletes will be required to reduce their blood testosterone level to below 2.5 nanomoles per litre, down from five, and must remain under this threshold for two years in order to compete internationally in the female category in any track and field event.\n\nUnder previous regulations, DSD athletes were only restricted in events ranging from 400m to a mile.\n\nInterim provisions will be introduced for DSD athletes already competing in previously unrestricted events, requiring them to suppress their testosterone levels below 2.5nmol\/L for a minimum of six months before they are allowed to compete again.\n\nCoe said this will impact 13 DSD athletes, seven (55%) of whom compete in running events above a mile, with six (45%) in sprinting events below 400m.\n\nHe added none of the 13 will now be able to compete in the World Athletics Championships in Budapest in August, but will be eligible for future events, including the Paris 2024 Olympics, \"if they maintain their testosterone at the required level\".\n\nSemenya, who refuses to take testosterone-reducing drugs, won 800m Olympic gold in 2012 and 2016 but has not been able to compete in the event since 2019, when World Athletics introduced the previous restrictions.\n\nAs recently as January, World Athletics said its \"preferred option\" was to continue to allow transgender women to compete in the female category but to tighten the sport's eligibility rules, still using testosterone limits as the basis for inclusion.\n\nIt had proposed that transgender women would have to reduce their blood testosterone level to below 2.5nmol\/L for two years, bringing it in line with amendments made last year by the UCI, cycling's world governing body.\n\nHowever, World Athletics said there was \"little support\" for this option when it was presented to stakeholders, who included member federations, athletes, coaches, and the International Olympic Committee (IOC), as well as representative transgender and human rights groups.\n\nMany argue that transgender women should not compete in elite women's sport because of any advantages they may retain - but others argue that sport should be more inclusive.\n\nThe debate centres on the balance of inclusion, sporting fairness and safety in women's sport - essentially, whether transgender women can compete in female categories without an unfair advantage.\n\nThe IOC's framework on transgender athletes - released in November 2021 - states that there should be no assumption that a transgender athlete automatically has an unfair advantage in female sporting events, and places responsibility on individual federations to determine eligibility criteria in their sport.\n\nIn February, UK Athletics said it wanted a change in legislation to ensure the women's category is lawfully reserved for competitors who are recorded female at birth.\n\nThe governing body said all transgender athletes should be allowed to compete with men in an open category to \"ensure fairness\" in women's competition.\n\nWhat are the rules in other sports?\n\nIn June 2022, Lord Coe welcomed the move by Fina - swimming's world governing body - to stop transgender athletes from competing in women's elite races if they had gone through any part of the process of male puberty, insisting \"fairness is non-negotiable\".\n\nFina's decision followed a report by a taskforce of leading figures from the world of medicine, law and sport that said going through male puberty meant transgender women retained a \"relative performance advantage over biological females\", even after medication to reduce testosterone.\n\nFina, now known as World Aquatics, also aimed to establish an 'open' category at competitions, for swimmers whose gender identity is different than their sex observed at birth.\n\nIn 2022, British Triathlon become the first British sporting body to establish a new 'open' category in which transgender athletes can compete.\n\nThe Rugby Football League and Rugby Football Union also banned transgender women from competing in female-only forms of their games.\n\nIt followed World Rugby becoming the first international sports federation to say transgender women cannot compete at the elite and international level of the women's game in 2020.\n\nSome critics have said that these rules are discriminatory.\n\nOlympic diving champion Tom Daley said he was \"furious\" at Fina's decision to stop transgender athletes from competing in women's elite events, saying: \"Anyone that's told that they can't compete or can't do something they love just because of who they are, it's not on.\"","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/sport\/athletics\/65051900"}
{"title":"Boris Johnson challenged in hearing: Key moments - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-23","authors":null,"description":"The former prime minister faces a committee of MPs on whether he intentionally misled parliament.","section":null,"content":"Former Prime Minister Boris Johnson has faced a committee of MPs looking at whether he intentionally misled parliament over lockdown-era parties.\n\nHere are the key moments from Johnson's Partygate grilling.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/uk-politics-65043513"}
{"title":"Seoul zebra escape: Animal back at zoo after hours on the loose - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-23","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"The young animal was unharmed after exploring some residential streets before being tranquilized.","section":"Asia","content":"This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Watch: Zebra roams the streets of Seoul before being tranquilised and returned to the zoo\n\nA zebra has been returned to its home at a zoo in South Korea's capital, Seoul, after spending three hours on the loose.\n\nThe male zebra, named Sero, which means vertical in Korean, broke free from Seoul Children's Grand Park Zoo on Thursday afternoon.\n\nPolice, fire officials and zoo staff were all involved in trying to safely capture him.\n\nSero was also seen wandering down a street and poking his nose into garbage bins in a residential area close to where he escaped in the city's east.\n\nThis Twitter post cannot be displayed in your browser. Please enable Javascript or try a different browser. View original tweet on Twitter The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Skip twitter post by Hyunsu Yim 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\u2019s cookie policy, external and privacy policy, external before accepting. To view this content choose \u2018accept and continue\u2019. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.\n\nThe young zebra, who was born at the zoo in 2021, was able to escape after breaking the wooden fencing around his pen, according to the Seoul Gwangjin Fire Station.\n\nSero was eventually trapped by officials using a safety fence after he entered a narrow alleyway.\n\nHe was tranquilized before being taken back to the zoo in the back of a truck.\n\nAn official at the Children's Grand Park Zoo told the Associated Press that the zebra has been assessed by vets and is in a stable condition.\n\nAccording to its website, the zoo houses more than 400 animals from 38 species, including Korean dogs, monkeys and donkeys.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/world-asia-65056899"}
{"title":"UK monkeypox vaccine rollout to wind down - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-23","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"Clinics are set to stop offering vaccinations to those at risk, as the number of cases falls.","section":"UK","content":"The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) has announced its vaccination programme against mpox will end this summer.\n\nCases of the disease have fallen from a peak of 350 per week in July to just six new cases so far in 2023, three of which were caught overseas.\n\nFirst doses of the vaccine will remain available to those at highest risk until 16 June, with second doses available until the end of July.\n\nThe UKHSA says it will monitor cases and restart the programme if needed.\n\nWhile the mpox, formerly known as monkeypox, virus can infect anyone, most UK cases were among men who have sex with men.\n\nAnyone eligible who has not yet received a vaccine is being encouraged to book an appointment to protect themselves before summer.\n\nGreg Owen, from sexual health and Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) charity the Terrence Higgins Trust, said: \"The fact that mpox cases are remaining so low that we can now wind down the vaccine programme in the UK is something to be proud of.\n\n\"We would urge anyone who is at risk of coming into contact with mpox and who has not yet received two doses of the vaccine to get in touch with their sexual-health clinic to book an appointment - especially if you are travelling outside the UK, where cases of mpox might be more prevalent.\"\n\nSince the vaccination programme launched, in July, 67,898 people have received their first dose of the vaccine and 26,619 their second.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/uk-65052626"}
{"title":"Multiple injuries after ship tips over at Edinburgh dockyard - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-23","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"Twenty three people were treated to hospital and another 12 at the scene of the incident in Leith.","section":"Edinburgh, Fife & East Scotland","content":"This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Petrel began to tip to one side at Imperial Dock\n\nThirty-five people have been injured after a ship tipped over at an Edinburgh dockyard.\n\nNHS Lothian said 23 people had been treated in hospital and 12 people at the scene of the incident at Imperial Dock, Leith.\n\nA major incident was declared after the research vessel Petrel became dislodged from its holding on a dry dock.\n\nPeople have been asked not to attend A&E at Edinburgh Royal Infirmary (ERI) unless it is an emergency.\n\nPictures posted on social media showed the 3,000-tonne vessel, which is owned by the US Navy, leaning at a 45-degree angle.\n\nThe US Consulate in Edinburgh said it was monitoring the situation and offering support to US citizens who were involved.\n\n\"We thank the emergency services for their prompt response. Our thoughts are with all those affected by this incident,\" it added.\n\nImages on social media showed the vessel at a 45-degree angle\n\nThe Scottish Ambulance Service said it was called at 08:30.\n\nFive ambulances, an air ambulance, three trauma teams, a special operations team, three paramedic response units and a patient transport vehicle were sent to the scene.\n\nNHS Lothian said 15 patients were taken to Edinburgh Royal Infirmary by ambulance with another two attending themselves, four to Western General Hospital and two to Victoria Hospital in Kirkcaldy.\n\nAnother 12 people were treated and discharged at the scene.\n\nA spokesperson for NHS Lothian said eight were still in the Royal Infirmary, some with \"serious injuries\", and outpatient appointments, endoscopies and planned surgeries had been cancelled to \"free-up our surgical staff\".\n\nJacquie Campbell, chief officer of acute services at NHS Lothian, said: \"There are no plans at this time to postpone appointments or elective procedures tomorrow, but assessments continue and patients will be contacted directly if the situation changes.\"\n\nNHS Lothian has advised other people who require urgent care to contact their GP or call NHS 24.\n\nPolice Scotland urged the public to avoid the area to allow access for emergency services.\n\nSupt Mark Rennie said all casualties had been accounted for by 13:20.\n\nHe explained: \"There is no risk to the wider public and inquiries are ongoing to establish the full circumstances of what has happened.\n\n\"I would also like to thank the public for their patience while the emergency services undertook a very difficult job aiding casualties.\"\n\nHM coastguard sent teams from Fisherrow, South Queensferry and Kinghorn to the scene as part of the multi-agency response.\n\nScottish Fire and Rescue Service said it had sent four fire engines and \"a number of specialist resources\".\n\nThe Health and Safety Executive said it was aware of the incident and was making inquiries.\n\nSailors' Society Chaplain Pauline Robertson told BBC Radio Scotland's Drivetime she had been listening to port staff who had witnessed the incident or were dealing with the aftermath.\n\nShe said: \"I think like everybody that has witnessed it or heard about it today, we're all just in shock and horror at the tragedy that just unfolded in front of us.\n\n\"There is shock, horror, pain - every emotion you can imagine is being shown by staff. \"\n\nThe Sailors' Society also said it was supporting people affected by the incident.\n\n\"Our thoughts and prayers are with everyone affected by this morning's accident in Leith. Sadly many are seriously injured. We are supporting those we can.\"\n\nJames Welsh hear a loud noise as the ship fell in the dry dock\n\nJames Welsh, 39, a scaffold foreman at Leith docks who was working near the Petrel as it fell, said he heard a loud noise but \"not as noisy as you would think\".\n\nHe said one worker he sees every morning had put down his bag to \"nip to the toilet\", and when he came back the ship was over and he didn't know where his work mates were.\n\n\"It's very scary - it just makes you evaluate everything,\" he said. \"No one goes to work to be involved in any kind of accident.\n\n\"We all want to go home for our mince and tatties to our wife and kids so I feel for anyone who is injured, and their family.\"\n\nCammy Day, the leader of City of Edinburgh Council, said he was \"deeply concerned\" to hear of the incident, adding that emergency services were being supported to carry out their work.\n\nLeith councillor Adam McVey described the incident as \"terrifying\" for those on board.\n\nHe said on Twitter: \"Emergency services are responding to a major incident at Leith docks - a ship has been dislodged from its holding in strong winds.\n\n\"My thoughts are with those who've been injured and hope everyone recovers quickly. Please avoid area.\"\n\nA spokesperson from Forth Ports said the incident happened at the facility of its tenant, Dales Marine Services.\n\nThey said: \"We are providing Dales with any support we can today. We cannot comment any further as the incident response is being led by the emergency services.\n\n\"Our thoughts are with everyone involved in this incident.\"\n\nDales Marine Services, which runs the dry dock, said the incident with the Petrel began at about 08:00 and the emergency services were called shortly after.\n\nA spokesperson said: \"We can confirm that all those on board and at the facility have been accounted for and our priority is to ensure the wellbeing of all who have been affected.\"\n\nA US Navy spokeswoman said: \"We continue to communicate with our contacts at the scene in order to understand what occurred, the actions being taken, and the long-term impacts.\n\n\"Our thoughts and prayers are with those injured and their families, with hopes for a quick and full recovery.\"\n\nThe weather was windy overnight with gusts of up to 38mph (61km\/h) recorded inland at Gogarbank at 08:00, according to Met Office data.\n\nIraklis Lazakis, from the department of marine architecture and engineering at the University of Strathclyde, said it was a \"very, very unusual\" incident.\n\nHe told BBC Scotland's The Nine he believed the strong winds were unlikely to be the root cause of the incident.\n\nThe Petrel was pictured in an neighbouring berth in January, before being moved into the dry dock\n\nLeith dock, in the north east of Edinburgh, has a maritime history going back many centuries and is now home to the decommissioned Royal Yacht Britannia.\n\nThe privatised Forth Ports has the largest enclosed deep water port in Scotland and has been selected to develop one of Scotland's first green freeports.\n\nThe 76m (250ft) ship has been owned by the United States Naval Facilities Engineering and Expeditionary Warfare Center since October 2022, and operated by Oceaneering International.\n\nThe vessel was previously owned by the estate of Microsoft co-founder Paul Allen.\n\nIt was placed into long-term moorage in 2020 as a result of \"operation challenges\" during the Covid pandemic, and has not been used since.\n\nBefore this, it had been used for deep water searches for shipwrecks and war graves at sea, including the lost World War Two heavy cruiser USS Indianapolis, which was discovered 18,000 feet (5.5km) beneath the surface.\n\nThe RV Petrel was fitted out for the specialist searches before billionaire Mr Allen died in 2018, having already pledged to commit most of his fortune to philanthropy and non-profit scientific research.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/technology-65038617"}
{"title":"Into the \u2018lion\u2019s den\u2019: Questions the TikTok CEO will face from Congress today over a possible ban - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-23","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"The video-sharing app's chief executive will testify to US lawmakers in a much-anticipated grilling.","section":"US & Canada","content":"This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Watch: The fight over TikTok explained in 60 seconds\n\nOn Thursday, TikTok's CEO, Shou Zi Chew, will be opening a lion's mouth and placing his own head into it.\n\nHe's giving testimony in the US Congress for the first time, a scary thing to do.\n\nAnd at stake is the future of the phenomenally popular video-sharing app in the US.\n\n\"I think that there is a real risk that if this hearing doesn't go well\u2026 that could have a massive impact on the future of TikTok,\" said Chris Stokel-Walker, author of TikTok Boom.\n\nMr Chew is likely to face a barrage of questions on TikTok's relationship with China, what data it collects, and what it does with it.\n\nHe'll also be quizzed on why several journalists were spied on by ByteDance employees - something TikTok has already admitted.\n\nMr Chew will say user data is safe - away from the reach of the Chinese government.\n\nHe knows politicians from all sides want to see the platform either sold - or outright banned in the US.\n\n\"He's going into the lion's den,\" said Mr Stokel-Walker.\n\nMr Chew is going to need to give the performance of a lifetime. And already, close observers have seen a change of tactic from the Singaporean.\n\nTikTok's boss, who has had a range of senior positions in the world of finance, generally sports a suit jacket and tie.\n\nBut on Tuesday, he posted a TikTok with a very different look.\n\nInstead of a suit, he was wearing a white T-shirt and hoodie - the uniform of the nonchalant tech founder.\n\nThe 40-year-old was suddenly speaking like a teenager too - talking of being \"super excited\".\n\n\"I think he's trying to give off a sort of the casual tech bro,\" said Caitlin Chin from the Center for Strategic and International Studies, a bipartisan think tank.\n\n\"He's actually been starting to gain a bit more of a public profile, especially leading up to this hearing.\"\n\nThe Singaporean has generally kept a low profile since taking over at TikTok in 2021.\n\nHowever, that approach appears to have changed. TikTok is fighting for its life, and Mr Chew knows it.\n\nThe big problem TikTok has in the US and Europe is that it is owned by a Chinese company, ByteDance.\n\nAnd in China, there are specific laws that require companies to hand over information to the Chinese Communist Party if requested.\n\nShou Zi Chew and his wife, Vivian Kao, attend the 2022 Met Gala in New York City\n\nTikTok holds reams of data about its users, including location information and biometric data.\n\nFor years TikTok has argued that it would never hand over user information.\n\nIt has spent tens of millions of dollars on lobbying efforts and strategies to appease governments.\n\nAt the heart of its attempt to convince US lawmakers is \"Project Texas\".\n\nThis is the company's commitment to store US data in the US - on servers run by a US company - Oracle.\n\nThe company says so far it has spent $1.5bn on this project - and describes it as a \"firewall\" that protects data from foreign governments.\n\nTikTok had hoped it would satisfy politicians on all sides.\n\nLast year Mr Chew wrote to politicians saying he believed the project would \"safeguard user data and US national security interests\".\n\nBut sadly for TikTok, Project Texas has been looked at sceptically by both Republicans and Democrats.\n\nFor many US politicians, for as long as TikTok has a Chinese owner, it will be considered suspicious.\n\nLast month FBI director Christopher Wray didn't mince his words about the platform.\n\n\"This is a tool that is ultimately within the control of the Chinese Government. And to me, it screams out with national security concerns,\" he said.\n\nFor most US lawmakers, TikTok would be a far more palatable platform if it were not owned by a Chinese company.\n\nLast week it was reported by the Wall Street Journal that the Biden administration had requested the company be sold for this reason.\n\nThis is not what ByteDance wants. TikTok has enormous potential. And besides, the Chinese company doesn't wish to sell its greatest asset simply because US politicians want them to.\n\nThis is the backdrop to Thursday's congressional hearing.\n\nWe already have a fair idea of what Mr Chew is going to say from TikTok briefings.\n\nHe'll argue that 150 million American users will lose out if the platform is banned - and that thousands of small businesses rely on the platform.\n\nHe'll push back on the idea that ByteDance is Chinese-owned - saying the company has many international investors.\n\nAnd he'll also argue that Chinese laws cannot compel ByteDance to share American data - because TikTok is a US-based company, with its data stored in the US.\n\nBut often these hearings make headlines for one or perhaps two specific exchanges.\n\nMark Zuckerberg's famous Senate hearing in 2018 is often remembered for one brilliant question from Senator Richard Durbin.\n\n\"Mr Zuckerberg, would you be comfortable sharing with us which hotel you stayed in last night?\" he said.\n\nThe Facebook boss looked visibly uncomfortable before saying \"no\".\n\n\"I think that might be what this is all about\u2026your right to privacy,\" the senator said.\n\nIt's these curveball questions that Shou Zi Chew should fear most.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/world-us-canada-65045804"}
{"title":"Commercial development of gene-edited food now legal in England - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-23","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"The law has changed to allow the commercial development and sale of gene-edited food in England.","section":"Science & Environment","content":"Researchers in Cambridge are developing gene-edited potatoes that don't bruise in order to reduce food waste\n\nGene-edited food can now be developed commercially in England following a change in the law.\n\nSupporters of the technology say it will speed up the development of hardier crops that will be needed because of climate change.\n\nCritics say that the change could bring ''disaster'' to our food production and the environment.\n\nGene editing involves making precise changes to an organism's DNA to enhance certain characteristics.\n\nThe new law also opens the door to the development of gene-edited farm animals, but a further vote by MPs will be required before it is allowed, again only in England.\n\nThe Scottish, Welsh and Northern Irish governments have not permitted the commercial use of gene editing.\n\nScientists say that gene editing can help to produce new climate-change resistant crops quickly\n\nGene editing in England had been covered under the same tight regulation that has restricted the commercial development of GM crops under EU law. Brexit has enabled the Westminster government to relax the rules for the newer technology.\n\nThe chief scientific advisor for the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra), Prof Gideon Henderson, says that the new rules will lead to better food production and bring jobs and investment to England.\n\n\"What's changed is that we can now use precision breeding technology developed in the lab and take it into the fields so that we can grow better crops and bring them to market more readily so that we can use the technology to enhance agricultural outcomes and food production in the UK and globally,\" he said.\n\nThe Precision Breeding Act allows only genetic changes that could also have been produced naturally or through traditional crossbreeding programmes already in use today. GM can involve the introduction of genes from other species and will not be permitted.\n\nGene editing enables researchers to make precise genetic changes to a plant's DNA, for example adding a gene to boost its growth or reduce dependence on fertiliser. The same change could be produced by crossbreeding different varieties, but it would take much longer.\n\nThe new law allows for the use of gene editing and other methods that may arise in the future, provided the end result is a crop that is no different to a variety that could have been naturally produced.\n\nGene-edited tomatoes rich in a chemical with calming effects are on sale in Japan\n\nCritics of genetically altered food, such as Pat Thomas of Beyond GM, are concerned that gene-edited crops will not have to go through the extensive testing required of GM foods in the EU, which may result in the introduction of toxins and allergens into the food chain.\n\n\"The entire process of this bill has been of the government consulting scientists with vested interests, usually in the biotech industry, who are reassuring the government that this change in the law will have no consequences,\" she said.\n\n\"History has shown that when you remove regulatory control, particularly for food and the environment, there is looming disaster on the horizon.''\n\nDefra's response is that the Food Standards Agency, the FSA will only authorise products for sale if they are judged to present no risk to health.\n\nThere is also concern that labelling of gene-edited food is not a requirement and it is unclear how GE food from England will be prevented from entering other parts of the UK, where it is still banned.\n\nA US firm is gene editing blackberries that don't have seeds\n\nA Welsh Government spokesperson said that this would create \"unavoidable consequences for Wales\".\n\n\"Gene-edited plants, animals and products from England will be marketable here without the authorisations our law requires,\" they said.\n\n\"This undermines the devolution settlement. The UK Government chose not to engage with us, despite our efforts, whilst developing the bill and this means the effects of it have not been properly considered.\"\n\nThe Scottish government has a long-standing opposition to GM and wishes to stay in step with the EU, though its stance is opposed by NFU Scotland who says it puts Scottish farmers at a competitive disadvantage.\n\nThe Northern Ireland government has to follow the protocol negotiated with the EU which requires that it remains in step with rules regarding the definition of GM crops in Europe, which also cover gene-edited crops.\n\nThere is however enthusiasm for the use of gene editing among some plant breeders in England.\n\nThe National Institute of Agricultural Botany, just outside Cambridge, has been breeding new varieties of crops for UK farmers for more than a hundred years.\n\nThey crossbreed different varieties to produce new ones that grow better and are more resistant to diseases. It can take ten to fifteen years of development. The head of the lab, Prof Mario Caccamo told BBC News that he wants to use the technology to develop new varieties that can grow well in the hotter, drier conditions that the UK is experiencing more regularly, because of climate change.\n\n\"When we look to how the population is growing and how much we are increasing our yields using traditional methods, we are lagging behind,\" he said. \"The projections show that we have to have an acceleration into how we can improve crops otherwise we are going to be struggling to feed the world.\"\n\nA new variety of barley being tested by KWS plant breeders in Hertfordshire will take twelve years to come to market using conventional breeding techniques. The firm claims that gene editing will significantly reduce that time.\n\nThe UK is among the world leaders in research into plant genetics. But that expertise has not been able to take off, because of the effective ban on the commercial development of the technology, according to its supporters. The hope is that the change in law will attract new investment leading to new companies, new jobs and new foods.\n\nBayer Crop Science has developed GM crops for use across the world, employing more than 30,000 people.\n\nBut in the UK, it has a staff of 90 who are involved in traditional plant breeding. The company isn't ready to announce any new investment plans in England yet - but the firm's head of marketing in the UK, Lindy Blanchard, welcomed the change in the law.\n\n\"We are really, really excited and we are committed to help farmers overcome the challenges of climate change and we want to provide safe sustainable food for society, so no doubt we will be looking at this but it is step by step.\"\n\nThe new act also has provision to allow gene-edited animals on English farms, like these disease resistant pigs, developed in Scotland. But that will require another vote by MPs in Westminster once the government is satisfied that animals won't suffer.\n\nThe BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/science-environment-64596453"}
{"title":"Premier League domestic flights: BBC Sport research shows 81 flights from 100 games - BBC Sport","published_date":"2023-03-23","authors":null,"description":"BBC Sport research shows the scale of short domestic flights to and from games involving Premier League teams from 100 fixtures in 2023.","section":null,"content":"BBC Sport research has found evidence of 81 individual short-haul domestic flights made by Premier League teams to and from 100 matches during a two-month sample period this year.\n\nWhether it's Trent Alexander-Arnold on a flight back from Newcastle to Liverpool, Chelsea's Ben Chilwell flying from London to Leicester or Nottingham Forest players on their way from East Midlands Airport to Blackpool, occasional social media posts have so far been the only insight to inform the debate around Premier League clubs flying small distances to matches instead of travelling by road or rail.\n\nNow, a study of 100 games played in the UK involving Premier League teams between 19 January and 19 March 2023 has given the first insight into the volume of the controversial journeys, some as short as 27 minutes.\n\nAnd for the first time the study also shows details of 'positioning' flights - where near-empty planes are flown to convenient airports, sometimes across the UK, in order to then transport players and staff to fixtures.\n\u2022 None The Sports Desk podcast: Should Premier League clubs stop flying to domestic games?\n\u2022 None Of those 81 flights, the breakdown was 59 flights for Premier League fixtures; 16 for FA Cup games and six for EFL Cup matches\n\u2022 None The shortest flight was just 27 77\n\u2022 None The average duration of these 81 flights was 42\n\nBBC Sport contacted all Premier League clubs with the flight information.\n\nIn addition to these 'player movement' flights, the research also suggested a significant number of connected 'positioning' flights. The study found:\n\u2022 37 of the 81 player flights had a flight marked as 'positioning' beforehand\n\u2022 None The average duration of the 37 'positioning' flights in the study was 42\n\nFlights produce greenhouse gases - mainly carbon dioxide (CO2) - from burning fuel. These contribute to global warming.\n\nEmissions per kilometre travelled are known to be significantly worse than any other form of transport, with short-haul flights the worst emitters, according to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy.\n\u2022 None Should clubs stop flying to domestic matches for environmental reasons?\n\u2022 None Find out more about sport and climate change\n\nWhat about these 'positioning' flights?\n\n'Positioning' flights are where the plane is getting into position to pick up its private charter passengers. They are normally what the aviation industry calls \"empty leg\" flights - so without passengers and therefore qualify as 'ghost' flights, a term increasingly being used to describe any flight with fewer than 10% passengers.\n\nBBC Sport contacted the airlines involved but received no confirmation as to the number of passengers on these flights.\n\nAs the Premier League's most southerly team, Bournemouth perhaps have more justification than others to fly to some games. They flew to Birmingham airport and back on the weekend of 17-18 March for their fixture with Aston Villa - a return journey totalling 73 minutes.\n\nBut the data pointed towards a further four 'positioning flights' connected to this trip - three of which were to or from Scotland - totalling an additional 201 minutes.\n\nIn addition to the 37 marked positioning flights, the BBC Sport research also observed instances of planes flying from one London airport to another in advance of a player flight - although not marked as 'positioning' flights. It is therefore possible the actual number could be higher.\n\u2022 None Green Football Weekend: What are clubs, players and fans doing?\n\nThe Premier League does not centrally mandate clubs' individual travel plans, but said in a statement to BBC Sport that it \"recognises the need to take action on climate change and is committed to reducing its overall climate impact\".\n\nThe statement added: \"Clubs have demonstrated their commitment to positive change in this area and continue to play an important role in raising awareness of the issue among fans, while also working on policies to improve environmental sustainability across their business operations.\"\n\nThose policies, the Premier League pointed out, include more sustainable fan travel initiatives, use of renewable energy and conservation projects.\n\nThe scale of the emissions\n\nThe Premier League pointed out that in the two-month period of the BBC Sport research, there were more than 74,000 domestic flights in the UK - putting the 81 Premier League club flights at less than 0.1% of that total.\n\nArsenal told BBC Sport that domestic flights of this type \"accounted for 0.25% of the club's total emissions for season 2021-22\".\n\nAn Arsenal spokesperson said: \"Domestic flights are sometimes a necessity based on player welfare and operational needs. The need to fly often depends on kick-off time, the time in between our matches and the reliability of alternative transport methods.\"\n\nThe biggest emissions are generated from stadiums on matchdays and fan travel - which is the sport's biggest climate footprint. The Premier League statement said its work will also include \"encouraging fans\" to \"consider how\" they can reduce their own carbon footprint.\n\nHowever, Dale Vince, chairman of League One side Forest Green, regarded as the world's most sustainable football team, called it \"shocking data in just two months\", adding: \"It's an illusion to think there is a gain for a flight of that duration, modern coaches are very comfortable and aren't going to impair the performance of the players over that short distance\"\n\nVince believes the Premier League and its clubs should lead the way.\n\nVince said: \"The carbon impact is one thing\u2026 I think the bigger impact is the emotional one, the intellectual one, you've got Premier League teams setting a very bad example for the rest of the country... when we are desperately in need of getting to net zero.\n\n\"This comes just days after the latest UN report that says we absolutely have just a few years left to act to avoid the worst of the climate crisis.\"\n\nThe Premier League has signed up to the UN Sport for Climate Action Framework and as a result is tasked with reaching net zero by 2040. That was in November 2021 but it is yet to confirm its plans.\n\nThe statement added: \"The Premier League is in the process of developing an environmental sustainability strategy, which will set out plans to deliver climate action. As part of this strategy, the league will continue to engage with and work alongside clubs and partners, to find practical ways of reducing football's environmental impact.\"\n\nWhat are the factors?\n\nPremier League clubs have been travelling this way for years - generally the quickest and most convenient option which clubs argue gives players and staff maximum time to prepare and recover between games, when the global fixture schedule is increasingly packed - something the clubs have no control over.\n\nIt is only recently, as players started to frequently post images on social media of these short domestic flights, that it attracted increased scrutiny in an era of climate impact awareness.\n\nAs this season shows, competition in the Premier League is as fierce as ever - just four points separates the bottom nine teams as they scramble to stay in the division and reap the multi-million pound rewards.\n\nWith such fine margins and enormous financial consequences, will clubs really risk a potential disadvantage by opting for slower but more environmentally friendly travel to high-stakes fixtures?\n\nMatt Konipinski is director of physio and performance at Rehab 4 Performance and has worked with Liverpool, Rangers and Barnsley football clubs. He disputes the performance argument, but does acknowledge that in a busy schedule time might be the overriding concern.\n\nHe said: \"I think physical condition is a consideration but I think the mode of travel doesn't necessarily have a huge amount of scientific support to justify one versus the other.\n\n\"We're talking about the options around whether a team might fly, whether a team may take the coach, whether a team may take the train and really the main emphasis around flying is speed and the top teams will prioritise speed over everything else.\"\n\nThere is no previous flight information to compare season with season. However, clubs have told BBC Sport that this season the cost of chartering planes has almost doubled as a result of both the rise in the price of fuel and decreased availability of planes after the pandemic and Brexit.\n\nWith pressure to spend money to attract better players, plus the increased focus on sustainability in the game, many clubs said the plane is the last resort - and that this 2022-23 season might actually see a reduction in flights from previous years. And that is despite running issues with England's rail network.\n\nChelsea manager Graham Potter gave an honest appraisal of the challenges facing football, saying: \"I think it's something we increasingly have to look at, because I think it's something we have to do better with. It's my personal opinion. That's not to say its straightforward because there are factors, but I think it's an area we can improve.\"\n\nNottingham Forest were one of the few clubs who shared their full flight data with BBC Sport and a spokesperson said they anticipated using flights in four of their 23 away fixtures this season and added: \"The club will always use rail or road travel unless there are overwhelming logistical and sporting reasons not to do so.\"\n\nMany clubs reference fixture scheduling across multiple domestic and European competitions and then changes made by broadcasters with expensive TV rights - factors outside their control.\n\nAn English Football Association statement added: \"Establishing a more environmentally sustainable approach across English football is very important, and we encourage everyone in the game to help play their part. It is the responsibility of each club to make their own operational travel choices across all competitions, including for Premier League, EFL and FA Cup matches.\"\n\nFormer QPR player Michael Doughty - now chief of sustainability at Swindon Town - told BBC Radio 5 Live: \"I think there needs to be some legislation or some feedback from the Premier League around what is a distance of travel viable for flying, and also some feedback from the clubs around performance.\n\n\"We're assuming plane travel is optimising for performance, but I haven't seen any clear studies that have shown that.\"\n\nAnalysis: Why has BBC Sport done this research?\n\nWhat football does in this area matters because it is the world's most popular sport and has the potential to influence so many millions of people all over the world. The Premier League is not only the most popular domestic league in the world, it is also one of Britain's biggest exports.\n\nThere is no doubt that the more football there is, the less chance it can be truly sustainable, until something significant changes. While it is obvious the football authorities clearly don't control the clubs' travel plans, it is equally obvious to state that the clubs do not control the schedules, so when does the circular argument break?\n\nTo that end this research is intended to better inform a debate that, up until now, has too often focused on one team at a time and been anecdotal, a cycle from which many think it is impossible to see progress.\n\nThat includes acknowledging the relatively small emissions we are talking about but at the same time giving credence to what Vince called an \"example\" and others call an \"opportunity\" for the power and influence of football to be put to immense positive effect.\n\nSport has a long track record of bringing wider societal issues to the fore, and football has a more powerful role in that than any sport. A conversation about this domestic flight issue in the world of sport brings in discussion about the state of public transport in the UK, and the present and future of air travel.\n\nWhy do we not hear the biggest names in football speaking up on environmental issues to big audiences like they do on other issues? Is it because we haven't been able to progress the conversation in football? Is it because the emissions are not as apparent as other sports?\n\nIt might make sense for Formula 1 drivers to be quiet on environmental issues and yet we have Sebastian Vettel, Lewis Hamilton and Nico Rosberg all speaking up. Where is football's 'world champion'?\n\n*BBC Sport has had a Sustainability Strategy in place since 2021 which includes a no domestic flight policy.\n\u2022 None Our beautiful land as you've never seen it before:\n\u2022 None Go Hard or Go Home:","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/sport\/football\/65017565"}
{"title":"John Wick: Chapter 4 - Keanu Reeves film lands franchise's best reviews - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-23","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"Keanu Reeves' John Wick: Chapter Four \"outdoes its formidable predecessors\", one critic says.","section":"Entertainment & Arts","content":"Keanu Reeves paid tribute to co-star Lance Reddick, who died last week, at the film's premiere\n\nJohn Wick is back - and Keanu Reeves' ex-hitman seems to be improving with age, with his return for a fourth instalment earning the action thriller franchise its best reviews so far.\n\nRotten Tomatoes, which awards scores based on critics' views, awarded John Wick: Chapter 4 a very positive 95%.\n\nThe second and third films both scored 89%, while 2014's original got 86%.\n\nThe Hollywood Reporter said Chapter 4 \"outdoes its formidable predecessors in nearly every respect\".\n\nThe film, which comes out on Friday, sees Wick being pursued by global criminal organisation the High Table.\n\nIt was called \"an all-action blockbuster that really gives its all\" by NME's Jesse Hassenger, while the Evening Standard's Charlotte O'Sullivan called it \"preposterously enjoyable\".\n\n\"JW4 is going to be huge and, for me, it's easily the most satisfying entry of the lot,\" she added.\n\nThis YouTube post cannot be displayed in your browser. Please enable Javascript or try a different browser. View original video on YouTube The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. YouTube content may contain adverts. Skip youtube video by Lionsgate Movies 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\u2019s cookie policy, external and privacy policy, external before accepting. To view this content choose \u2018accept and continue\u2019. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. YouTube content may contain adverts.\n\nRolling Stone's David Fear said no-one could have predicted in 2014 that Wick would \"revolutionize American action movies\", calling the film series \"deliriously pleasurable\".\n\nIt has \"established itself as the most reliable film franchise this side of Mission: Impossible\", he added.\n\nThe Hollywood Reporter's Frank Scheck called the new chapter \"pure, over-the-top action spectacle\", adding: \"Bigger, badder, bolder, longer, and featuring nearly more spectacular set pieces than one movie can comfortably handle, this epic action film practically redefines the stakes.\n\n\"Reeves commits so thoroughly to the role's insane physical demands that he should get an award, if not for acting, then merely surviving.\"\n\nThe actor was also praised by the Los Angeles Times' Justin Chang, who said: \"Reeves somehow barrels through the picture with equal parts rampaging force and Zen-like cool.\n\n\"Never one to upstage his fellow actors, he succeeds, as few movie stars could, at both drawing and deflecting the camera's attention.\"\n\nReeves, who has previously starred in hits like the Matrix films, Point Break and Speed, recently told ABC News it was \"cool\" and \"kind\" for some people to be describing the latest film as one of the greatest action movies of all time.\n\nLance Reddick was known for starring in HBO series The Wire as well as the John Wick franchise\n\nHowever, the film's release comes just days after the death of co-star Lance Reddick, who played hotel manager Charon in the franchise.\n\nReeves told Deadline on the red carpet at the film's US premiere on Monday: \"Lance was a beautiful person, [a] special artist, a man of grace and dignity, and such a passion for his craft.\n\n\"And to have the chance to work with him over 10 years and four films is something that is very special to me and it sucks he's not here.\"\n\nIn his review, USA Today's Brian Truitt wrote: \"The late Lance Reddick, who made everything he was in better, provides wise words yet again as Winston's right-hand concierge Charon.\"\n\nDespite the film's excellent Rotten Tomatoes rating, not all critics liked it.\n\nThe Guardian's Charles Bramesco called it an \"overlong and overstuffed action sequel\".\n\n\"In the side-quest-clogged narrative as in the virtuosic fight sequences that far overstay their welcome, a viewer starts to feel the difference between maximalism and merely having a lot of stuff, somewhere around the third hour and mostly in our glutes.\"\n\nEmpire's Alex Godfrey said it was \"relentlessly violent\", adding: \"It's all a bit much. Yes, it's a love letter to action cinema, but so much so that action cinema might want to take out a restraining order.\"\n\nBut he did add: \"Reeves basically operates with one register (mythologically gruff). But then again, that's what this series is, and even with that narrow remit, Reeves is ceaselessly charismatic.\"","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/entertainment-arts-65049818"}
{"title":"Bakhmut: Fighting in the street but Russia not in control - deputy mayor - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-04","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"The city has seen months of intense fighting - despite its strategic value being questioned.","section":"Europe","content":"Bakhmut has lost 95% of its pre-war population since the start of the Russian invasion\n\nRussian and Ukrainian forces are fighting in the streets of Bakhmut - but Russia does not control the eastern city, its deputy mayor has said.\n\nOleksandr Marchenko also told the BBC the remaining 4,000 civilians are living in shelters without access to gas, electricity or water.\n\nMr Marchenko said \"not a single building\" had remained untouched and that the city is \"almost destroyed\".\n\nBakhmut has seen months of fighting, as Russia tries to take charge.\n\n\"There is fighting near the city and there are also street fights,\" Mr Marchenko said.\n\nTaking the city would be a rare battlefield success in recent months for Russia. But despite that, the city's strategic value has been questioned.\n\nSome experts say any Russian victory could be pyrrhic - that is, not worth the cost.\n\nThousands of Russian troops have died trying to take Bakhmut, which had a pre-war population of around 75,000. Ukrainian commanders estimate that Russia has lost seven times as many soldiers as they have.\n\nOn Saturday, UK military intelligence said Russian advances in the northern suburbs had left the Ukraine-held sections vulnerable to Russian attacks on three sides.\n\nMr Marchenko accused the Russians of having \"no goal\" to save the city and that it wanted to commit \"genocide of the Ukrainian people\".\n\n\"Currently there is no communication in the city so the city is cut out, the bridges are destroyed and the tactics the Russians are using is the tactic of parched land,\" Mr Marchenko told the Today programme.\n\nThe fall of Bakhmut has long been predicted, but for more than six months it hasn't happened. So any reports of potential Ukrainian withdrawal should be treated with caution.\n\nIt is hard to know what is going on without independent sources. Both sides have a greater incentive to confuse their enemy than provide accurate information.\n\nBut it may be that Ukrainian commanders are beginning to calculate that the cost of defending Bakhmut - in terms of blood and treasure - is now too great, despite the grievous losses being inflicted on Russian troops.\n\nAnd if so, then they might want what Western analysts call \"a controlled fighting withdrawal\" to protect the remaining Ukrainian forces so they can be redeployed.\n\nBut any withdrawal may be hard fought and could take some time.\n\nEarlier this week, Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky said that the situation in the area was becoming \"more and more difficult\" - although the Ukrainian military said it had repelled numerous attacks since Friday.\n\n\"I believe we shouldn't give any inch of our land to the enemy,\" Mr Marchenko said. \"We should protect our land, we should protect our people and we should protect the businesses that are on this land.\"\n\nThe city was \"almost destroyed\", with bridges ruined and communication cut off, Mr Marchenko added.\n\n\"They want to destroy Bakhmut, they want to destroy the city like they did with Mariupol and Popasna,\" he said, referring to two cities in the east of Ukraine now under Russian control.\n\nThe Russian military laid siege to the south-eastern port city of Mariupol at the outset of the invasion and took control after three months of artillery bombardment that killed thousands.\n\nA maternity and children's hospital in Mariupol was hit by a Russian air strike in March 2022\n\nRussia claimed the Donbas town of Soledar, about 10km (6.2 miles) from Bakhmut, in January following a long battle with the Ukrainian forces.\n\nSoledar, too, was reportedly reduced to a wasteland of flattened buildings and rubble by the time the Ukrainian army retreated.\n\nOn Friday, President Zelensky stressed that artillery and shells were needed to \"stop Russia\".\n\nUS Secretary of State Antony Blinken said the country's latest package included high-precision Himars artillery rockets and howitzers \"which Ukraine is using so effectively\".\n\u2022 None Bakhmut attacks still being repelled, says Ukraine","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/world-europe-64846666"}
{"title":"Johnson may have misled Parliament over parties, say MPs - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-04","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"Boris Johnson insists he did nothing wrong and will be \"vindicated\" by an inquiry into his conduct.","section":"UK Politics","content":"This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser.\n\nMPs have said Boris Johnson may have misled Parliament multiple times over Partygate - but the former PM insists he will be vindicated by their report.\n\nThe privileges committee said it had seen evidence that \"strongly suggests\" Covid rule breaches would have been \"obvious\" to Mr Johnson.\n\nBut Mr Johnson said he never \"knowingly or recklessly\" misled MPs about lockdown gatherings in Downing Street.\n\nAnd he said he was confident he would be cleared by the committee.\n\nHe is due to give evidence to the committee later this month.\n\nIn an initial report published on Friday, the MPs highlighted ways in which he may have misled Parliament.\n\nThese include a statement on 8 December 2021 no rules or guidance had been broken in Number 10.\n\nMr Johnson told BBC News he did not \"know or suspect\" that events broke the rules when he spoke about them in the Commons.\n\nHe added that \"after 10 months of effort\" the committee had not produced evidence \"to suggest otherwise\".\n\n\"I didn't mislead the House, and I don't believe I'm guilty of a contempt. I think that this process happily will vindicate me,\" he said.\n\nThe committee has published extracts from a series of WhatsApp messages it has received as part of its inquiry.\n\nIn one from 28 April 2021, seven months before press reports about parties first appeared, an unnamed No 10 official noted that another official was \"worried about leaks of PM having a piss up and to be fair I don't think it's unwarranted\".\n\nIn another, from 25 January 2022, Mr Johnson's then director of communications, Jack Doyle, told a No 10 official he hadn't \"heard any explanation\" of how a birthday party for the former PM in the Cabinet Room in June 2020 was within the rules.\n\nIn a separate WhatsApp exchange the same day, an official messaged Mr Doyle, saying: \"I'm trying to do some Q&A [briefing for officials dealing with the media queries], it's not going well\".\n\nMr Doyle replied: \"I'm struggling to come up with a way this one is in the rules in my head\", adding: \"PM was eating his lunch of course\".\n\nThe official responded: \"I meant for the police bit but yeah as ridiculous as the cake thing is it is difficult\".\n\nThe official then suggested they could argue it was \"reasonably necessary for work purposes\".\n\nMr Doyle replied: \"Not sure that one works does it. Also blows another great gaping hole in the PM's account doesn't it?\"\n\nBoris Johnson celebrates his birthday - for which he received a fine - in a previously unseen image released by the committee\n\nIn May last year, an inquiry by senior civil servant Sue Gray found widespread rule-breaking had taken place, and Mr Johnson was among 83 people fined by police for attending law-breaking events.\n\nThe privileges committee said it would take Ms Gray's findings into account.\n\nIt emerged this week that Ms Gray has quit the civil service and is set to become chief of staff to Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer, prompting claims from Tory MPs that she was politically biased.\n\nMr Johnson said it raised questions over the conclusions over her inquiry.\n\n\"I think people may look at it in a different light,\" he told BBC News.\n\nHe added that he \"might have cross-examined her more closely about her independence\" if \"you'd told me all the stuff that I now know\".\n\nHe added it was \"surreal\" that MPs investigating whether he misled Parliament over Partygate were planning to take her inquiry into account.\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Sir Keir Starmer: The evidence of wrongdoing by Mr Johnson is \"already pretty damning\".\n\nIf Mr Johnson is found to have misled Parliament, he could be suspended as MP or expelled, creating a by-election.\n\nBut the committee's findings, and any sanction on Mr Johnson, would have to be approved by a vote in parliament.\n\nLabour leader Sir Keir Starmer said the \"evidence of wrongdoing by Boris Johnson is already pretty damming\".\n\n\"I think Boris Johnson needs to confront the evidence that's there in front of him,\" he said.\n\nSir Keir accused Rishi Sunak \"sitting on his hands\" through the investigation.\n\nLiberal Democrat deputy leader Daisy Cooper accused Mr Johnson of trying to \"wriggle out\" of the \"damning\" questions raised by the committee.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/uk-politics-64836425"}
{"title":"Rafael Vi\u00f1oly: Uruguayan architect of London's 'Walkie Talkie' dies aged 78 - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-04","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"The Uruguayan also worked on Tokyo's International Forum and Manchester City's training ground.","section":"Latin America & Caribbean","content":"Rafael Vi\u00f1oly died in New York City on Thursday\n\nRafael Vi\u00f1oly, the world-renowned Uruguayan architect who designed buildings including London's so-called Walkie Talkie, has died aged 78.\n\nVi\u00f1oly's death was announced by his son, Rom\u00e1n, who described him as a \"visionary\" who leaves \"a rich legacy of distinctive and timeless designs\".\n\nHe established Rafael Vi\u00f1oly Architects in 1983 and his work features in more than 600 structures around the world.\n\nHe died in hospital, reportedly from an aneurysm, in New York City on Thursday.\n\nRom\u00e1n Vi\u00f1oly said his father's designs \"manifested in some of the world's most recognisable\" structures and that he would be missed \"by all those whose lives he touched through his work\".\n\nBorn in Montevideo in 1944, Vi\u00f1oly moved to Buenos Aires at the age of five with his mother, a maths teacher, and theatre director father.\n\nHe studied architecture at the University of Buenos Aires and while he was still a student, was a founding member in the successful firm Estudio de Arquitectura.\n\nThe military junta in Argentina prompted him and his family to emigrate to the United States. He secured a teaching position at Harvard University before establishing his eponymous practice in New York.\n\nThe skyscraper at 20 Fenchurch Street is known as the Walkie Talkie due to its apparent likeness to the communication device\n\nHis designs spanned office and residential buildings, hotels, concert halls, stadiums and airports across the world.\n\nThe \"Walkie Talkie\" skyscraper attracted controversy in 2013 when sunlight reflected off its mirrored concave side and melted various parts on a luxury car parked nearby.\n\nVi\u00f1oly also faced complaints from residents in 432 Park Avenue, a residential building he designed in New York, who reported banging and creaking noises coming from the 85-floor tower.\n\nThe Tokyo International Forum, the Kimmel Center for Performing Arts in Philadelphia and the Cleveland Museum of Art are among the other landmark projects completed by his firm.\n\nAnd Manchester City Football Club - whose training ground Vi\u00f1oly designed - paid tribute to their \"cherished friend\".\n\nJay Bargmann, the vice president of Rafael Vi\u00f1oly Architects said: \"I'm incredibly proud of the integrity of the work our team has produced over many decades and on very complex projects, and I am honoured and humbled by our team's unwavering commitment during this profound time of loss.\"\n\nVi\u00f1oly is survived by his wife, Diana, an interior designer, his son, Rom\u00e1n, and stepsons Nicol\u00e1s and Lucas.\n\nPerhaps his firm's most renowned work is the Tokyo International Forum, the long building seen here","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/world-latin-america-64848302"}
{"title":"Michael Vaughan: Yorkshire cricket racism hearing is 'terrible look for game' - BBC Sport","published_date":"2023-03-04","authors":null,"description":"Former England captain Michael Vaughan says the disciplinary hearing into allegations of racism at Yorkshire is a \"terrible look\" for cricket.","section":null,"content":"Last updated on .From the section Cricket\n\nFormer England captain Michael Vaughan says the disciplinary hearing into allegations of racism at Yorkshire is a \"terrible look\" for cricket.\n\nVaughan is accused of saying \"there's too many of you lot, we need to have a word about that\" to Azeem Rafiq and three other Asian players at Yorkshire before a T20 match in 2009.\n\nVaughan has \"completely and categorically\" denied the allegation - and did so again when giving evidence for the first time in the hearing on Friday.\n\nHowever, the former Yorkshire captain, who retired in 2009, did apologise for \"disgusting\" historical tweets which were first brought to his attention in a 2021 BBC interview.\n\nJane Mulcahy KC, the lawyer for the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB), which brought the charges against Vaughan, suggested the \"tweets are remarkably similar in tone to the allegation\" - which Vaughan denied.\n\nVaughan, 48, was critical of the two-and-a-half year process and said he met Rafiq in November 2021 because \"the whole situation was escalating out of control\".\n\u2022 None Yorkshire cricket racism hearing: All you need to know\n\nIn that meeting Vaughan said he apologised to Rafiq for the hurt the former spinner had experienced at Yorkshire - but did not accept he made the alleged comment.\n\nVaughan repeated that denial on Friday, saying: \"I can't apologise for something I don't recollect saying.\"\n\nRafiq said on Thursday that Vaughan's actions after their meeting had left him feeling \"naive\".\n\n\"It's not been easy for anybody,\" said Vaughan, under cross-examination by Mulcahy.\n\n\"This is not the right process to deal with word-against-word comments from 14 years ago.\n\n\"Ex-team-mates fighting it out over hearsay is a terrible look for the game and a really bad look on how cricket has dealt with this situation.\"\n\nBefore this week's hearings took place, Yorkshire had pleaded guilty to four amended charges from the ECB, which also includes the county accepting they failed to address the \"systemic use of racist or discriminatory language\" at the club over a prolonged period, including Rafiq's career.\n\nVaughan's former team-mate, ex-Yorkshire and England bowler Matthew Hoggard has admitted using a racist slur relating to Pakistani heritage and another term that is racially offensive in South Africa while at the club.\n\nVaughan repeatedly denied having heard such racial slurs while at Yorkshire.\n\nWhen asked to confirm details about how many years he had played alongside Hoggard for both Yorkshire and England, Vaughan joked: \"It's like Question of Sport, this.\"\n\nThe former batter, who started work as a BBC pundit after retiring in 2009, said he had a \"very clear mind\" about the match in question against Nottinghamshire at Trent Bridge on 22 June 2009.\n\nHe said he \"knows\" he did not make the alleged comment to Rafiq, Adil Rashid, Ajmal Shahzad and Rana Naved-ul-Hasan because he was \"proud\" of it being the first time four Asian players had been in the same side for Yorkshire and it was a sign of how far the county had come.\n\nEngland spinner Rashid and former Yorkshire and Pakistan bowler Naved-ul-Hasan have corroborated Rafiq's allegation.\n\nThe fourth player in the group, former England bowler Shahzad has said he has no recollection of it happening.\n\nVaughan agreed that the alleged comment was unacceptable and racist, but insisted he did not say it, in part because it would have affected the morale of his team-mates and possibly their performance.\n\nVaughan also denied he had said the alleged comment in jest.\n\nWhen Mulcahy brought up some of the historical tweets sent by Vaughan - some of which include references to foreign call centre workers and the number of English people living in London - he did agree with that they would be offensive to Rafiq.\n\nHe said he took part in an online diversity course while working in Australia covering the 2021-22 Ashes because he \"wanted to be a leader in the game\".\n\nRafiq was accused of having said he was prepared to use the \"race card\" for personal gain by Matthew Wood, who was his personal development manager with the Professional Cricketers' Association (PCA).\n\nIn his witness statement, Wood claimed Rafiq said he would \"hit them with the race card\" if Yorkshire did not offer him a new contract during a meeting in August 2018.\n\nWood also alleged Rafiq \"used being Asian\" to get a place on an ECB coaching course despite missing the deadline.\n\nMulcahy said Wood did not include the 'race card' claim in his initial interview with the original Yorkshire investigation because \"Rafiq didn't play the race card\".\n\nRafiq's witness statement also said Wood's assertion of the coaching course discussion was an \"odd thing to claim\".\n\nWood said he did not mention it because \"it was such a volatile\" situation, but he did subsequently call the law firm to relay the 'race card' points and also told the PCA about the comments.\n\nMulcahy asked why Wood \"went behind\" Rafiq's back and suggested that he was \"at pains\" to support Vaughan in these proceedings \"no matter what\".\n\nWood said he disagreed and that he \"wasn't on anybody's side\".\n\nAmong the witnesses called on Friday was Meena Botros, the ECB's director of legal and integrity, who was in charge of the governing body's investigation into the allegations against Yorkshire.\n\nVaughan's lawyer, Christopher Stoner KC, criticised the ECB's handling of the investigation, questioning why it did not speak to everyone present in and around the Yorkshire team huddle, when Vaughan is alleged to have made the \"you lot\" comment in 2009.\n\nStoner asked why the ECB did not speak to the two umpires, the Sky cameraman recording the huddle and some of the other Yorkshire players in the team that day.\n\nBotros said \"no-one has suggested the umpires were close enough to hear it\" and Sky footage showed they \"weren't close to the huddle\".\n\nHe added there was also \"no suggestion\" the cameraman heard it, and it was \"assumed he would have had headphones on\".\n\nBotros said they \"weren't able\" to get contact details for some players and others either did not want to take part or had made their position \"very clear\".\n\nHe added he was \"not aware\" of Vaughan's legal team chasing up these lines of inquiry, saying: \"If you think it's such an important point then that may have been taken up.\"\n\nThe panel has yet to hear the ECB's cases against former Yorkshire captain Andrew Gale and ex-bowling coach Richard Pyrah, who have both withdrawn from the process.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/sport\/cricket\/64832070"}
{"title":"Saul Murray: Rare designer coat helped snare killer, say police - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-04","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"Saul Murray was killed after being given the sedative GHB in a robbery that went wrong.","section":"Beds, Herts & Bucks","content":"Saul Murray was described by his family as a \"beautiful soul, a loving father, son, brother, uncle and friend\"\n\nA rare designer coat helped police track down a murderer in the case of a man killed after he posed on Instagram with fake Rolex watches.\n\nSaul Murray, 33, was killed at his Luton flat in February last year having been drugged with the sedative GHB.\n\nPolice said one of his killers, Ikem Affia, 31, was wearing a Moncler coat - worth more than \u00a31,000 - that was one of only 69 sold in the UK.\n\nDet Insp Dale Mepstead said it was a \"key piece of evidence\".\n\nOn Friday, four people were jailed for their involvement in the killing.\n\nThe trial heard Dhillon contacted Mr Murray on Instagram on 9 February - shortly after he posted the pictures - before messaging him on WhatsApp.\n\nProsecutor Jane Bickerstaff KC told jurors Dhillon and Awe met the victim outside his flat, shared brandy with him inside and gave him GHB \"to knock him out\".\n\nShe said \"some degree of sexual activity\" took place and that the two women \"went to steal items from Mr Murray that they believed were of high value\".\n\nA photo of one of the fake Rolexes was released\n\nDet Insp Mepstead said one of the women directed two men - Affia and Brown - to the flat, where CCTV footage suggested they were \"trying very hard to conceal their identities\".\n\n\"At some point during that, there's been some sort of altercation and Saul has been stabbed in the leg,\" she said.\n\n\"The girls run out, followed by the two guys, one of whom you can see holding a knife. Shortly after this they're followed by Saul who falls to the ground and collapses.\"\n\nShe said police \"identified two robberies that had been reported\" in London which took place in similar circumstances.\n\nDet Insp Mepstead said: \"I wouldn't be surprised if there's more of this going on, but it doesn't get reported.\n\n\"If you target the right individuals - people that are married, people that have attained their lifestyle through criminality - then quite often the police don't get involved.\n\n\"So I'm sure that this was probably just the tip of the iceberg.\"\n\nPolice said that only 69 of the type of Moncler coat - worth more than \u00a31,000 - were sold in the UK\n\nIn the investigation into Mr Murray's killing, she said the women were picked out through CCTV and sexual swabs, while Brown was linked through a hired Mercedes.\n\nBut she said Affia was \"probably a bit more savvy\" as he had turned off his phone, was wearing a mask and was careful not to touch anything.\n\nHowever, police tracked Brown's Mercedes to a fast-food restaurant in London two days before the killing where he was with someone wearing a \"distinctive Moncler coat which the individual in the CCTV at the offence location also appeared to be wearing\".\n\n\"Only 69 of them had been sold in the UK, one of which we could attribute to Ikem Affia's partner,\" she said.\n\n\"And alongside that we, as the police, bought one of those jackets and did a reconstruction. We involved a CCTV expert and he managed to say that 'Yes that was the same coat'.\"\n\nDet Insp Dale Mepstead said Mr Murray was \"probably in the process of turning his life around\"\n\nThe detective said Mr Murray was \"probably in the process of turning his life around\" as he had a job as a plasterer and his father helped him get a bedsit.\n\nBut she said: \"Clearly the lifestyle that he was purporting to have on social media wasn't the reality of his situation.\n\n\"You often find that with people trying to make themselves appear different to how they are in real life, but unfortunately on this occasion that's probably what has led to him being targeted.\"\n\nFind BBC News: East of England on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter. If you have a story suggestion email eastofenglandnews@bbc.co.uk","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/uk-england-beds-bucks-herts-64827791"}
{"title":"Cancer: Farmer sells cattle for charity after wife's death - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-04","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"Emyr Wigley's herd has raised thousands of pounds for two charities.","section":"Wales","content":"Emyr Wigley has raised a herd of British Blue cattle in memory of his wife Evelyn\n\n\"When you watch someone you love slip away you've got two choices. You're staring into a black hole and it's very easy to fall into. So I decided I would do something useful.\"\n\nHe and wife Evelyn bought a caravan to go travelling after many long years running their farm. They had no children and looked forward to \"slowing down\".\n\nBut it was not long before she began to feel unwell. She was diagnosed with ovarian cancer and died in 2015, aged 69.\n\nEmyr and Evelyn had planned to go travelling in a caravan they bought\n\nEmyr, 78, from Deytheur, near Llansantffraid-ym-Mechain, Powys, said: \"All her time and years were taken off her. What hurts me the most is all the work, all the sacrifices she did to get us where we are.\"\n\nWith the caravan bought for retirement untouched for nine years and gathering dust in a shed, Emyr instead threw himself back into work, establishing a small, closed-breeding herd of British Blue cattle.\n\nThe money Emyr fetches from selling the herd, known as The Old Stackyard Blues, will be donated to the Ovarian Cancer Action and Royal Agricultural Benevolent Institution charities.\n\nThe last of the herd sold for \u00a381,000\n\nSo far, those sales have made more than \u00a3120,000 for charities, and the final 33 cattle were auctioned in Shrewsbury on Saturday.\n\nThe Old Stackyard Blues pedigree charity herd sold for \u00a381,000.\n\nEmyr said: \"There's more pleasure in helping other people than helping yourself.\"\n\nEmyr had always planned to sell the cattle, but that process was sped up after he was seriously injured by a bull while preparing it to be sold in Carlisle in January.\n\nLaura Pritchard said Emyr was close to death after being injured by a bull\n\nHis niece Laura Pritchard said: \"We are incredibly lucky because Em was a hair's breadth from death.\n\n\"I will always feel lucky that I was in that pen when the animal spooked and he was ultimately crushed and trampled on. I was able to get him out and I have some medical training so I was able to look after him.\"\n\nJames Evans, of Hall's Holdings, which runs livestock auctions in Shropshire, said: \"It is a bittersweet end of an era whenever anybody is selling up.\n\nThe cows were auctioned in Shrewsbury\n\n\"Due to his age, Emyr would probably still have been retiring in the next couple of years.\n\n\"But the fact that it's happening now when the beef trade is at probably the highest it's been for a long time is great for him, so hopefully he'll have a great sale and there'll be plenty of support for the sale.\"\n\nAs for Emyr, he now plans to write books about life in farming and judge cattle, so the caravan may be staying in the shed a little longer.\n\nAfter the auction, Cary Wakefield, chief executive of Ovarian Cancer Action, said: \"It has been an absolute privilege and honour to be here to see what Emyr has done.\n\n\"He has turned something so devastating into something inspirational.\"","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/uk-wales-64836559"}
{"title":"Bahrain Grand Prix: Fernando Alonso edges out Red Bulls in practice but plays down pole hopes - BBC Sport","published_date":"2023-03-04","authors":null,"description":"Fernando Alonso rejects the idea that he could start the Bahrain Grand Prix from pole position despite setting the pace in Friday practice.","section":null,"content":"Last updated on .From the section Formula 1\n\nFernando Alonso has rejected the idea that he could start the Bahrain Grand Prix from pole position despite setting the pace in Friday practice.\n\nThe Aston Martin driver was 0.169 seconds quicker than world champion Max Verstappen's Red Bull, whose team-mate Sergio Perez was third fastest.\n\nAlonso said: \"I am not thinking that high. I don't know exactly what position would be a good one for us.\"\n\nThe two-time champion also ruled out fighting for the world title in 2023.\n\nAlonso, who has moved to Aston Martin for this season after two years with the Alpine team, was quick on both short, low-fuel runs and longer stints with race-level fuel loads on the first practice day at the season-opening race.\n\nHe was fastest of all on overall one-off lap times, and just 0.048secs on average slower than Verstappen - and faster than everyone else - on the race-simulation runs.\n\u2022 None Mercedes 'a long way off' pace, says Hamilton\n\u2022 None What to look out for in the new Formula 1 season\n\u2022 None How to follow Bahrain Grand Prix on BBC radio and online\n\nAlonso's performance, if repeated in qualifying and race, marks a dramatic step forward for Aston Martin, who finished seventh in the championship last season.\n\nThe 41-year-old two-time world champion - who has not won a race since the 2013 Spanish Grand Prix, when he was driving for Ferrari - said: \"It is not the same fighting for 12th, 14th as for the top five, because the pressure and adrenaline is different. So there are a lot of things we as a team have to bring together in this process.\n\n\"I expect we will unfortunately make some mistakes. I may maybe make some mistakes. It is a completely new team, new procedures.\n\n\"We have to be with the feet on the ground. The target has to be fighting for the championship in the long term; I don't think this year.\"\n\nHe said that, after last week's pre-season testing session at Bahrain, Aston Martin knew they had made progress but that he was expecting to be fighting in the lower half of the top 10.\n\n\"After testing we were thinking to be in Q3 with both cars,\" he said, \"score as many points as possible in the first couple of races and try not to make mistakes.\"\n\nThe Aston Martin was expected to have made a step forward but Alonso's performance was a surprise - even to the team themselves.\n\n\"It felt good,\" Alonso said. \"Obviously it is good to see the times that we are competitive, after testing there is always mixed feelings as to where you are.\n\n\"At the moment, we are just concentrating on ourselves. There are still some things to improve on the car. The balance was not completely perfect and the team has to change quite a few things. We are trying to reinforce every area of the team and we try to regroup everything and be the strongest team possible.\"\n\nWhat about the rest of the field?\n\nFerrari's Charles Leclerc was fourth fastest and Lewis Hamilton the quickest Mercedes in eighth, 0.636secs off the pace.\n\nNico Hulkenberg's Haas, Lance Stroll's Aston Martin and Pierre Gasly's Alpine filled the gaps ahead of Hamilton.\n\nMcLaren's Lando Norris was ninth fastest ahead of the Alfa Romeo of Zhou Guanyu. Hamilton's team-mate George Russell was down in 13th and the second Ferrari of Carlos Sainz 14th after making an error on his fastest lap.\n\nLeclerc was the fastest Ferrari driver on race pace, but nearly a second a lap slower than Verstappen, and the Mercedes drivers slower again, and also behind Gasly and and Norris.\n\nThe session was relatively incident-free. McLaren's rookie driver Oscar Piastri had a big lock-up when he saw Stroll's Aston Martin in front of him late at the first corner, and Alonso abandoned a race run on the medium tyre when he locked up entering Turn 10.\n\nThe soft tyre was the preferred tyre for all drivers on the race runs, suggesting it will be used by most for the start of the race.\n\u2022 None Meet the teams and drivers for 2023\n\u2022 None Was it a mistake to sell off British Gas? Find out if the privatisation of the company could have had an impact on today's energy price crisis\n\u2022 None Can she help struggling learners pass their test?","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/sport\/formula1\/64838388"}
{"title":"Channel ferry blaze: Investigation launched after Isle of Innisfree towed to Calais - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-04","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"Irish Ferries is yet to say when the Isle of Innisfree will sail again after its engine room fire.","section":"Kent","content":"The Isle of Innisfree was towed to Calais overnight\n\nAn investigation has been launched into the cause of a fire which broke out on a ferry in the English Channel.\n\nIt started in the engine room of the Isle of Innisfree at 17:30 GMT on Friday and was contained, according to Irish Ferries.\n\nThe vessel was towed to Calais overnight by a French coastguard tug.\n\nA total of 94 passengers and 89 crew disembarked on Saturday morning after docking, marine authorities confirmed. There were no injuries.\n\nThe ferry was midway between Dover and Calais when the blaze started.\n\nThree lifeboats from Dover, Ramsgate and Dungeness were launched as well as a French salvage tug.\n\nA fire broke out in the engine room of the ferry overnight\n\nThose booked on imminent sailings are being transferred to alternative sailings, Irish Ferries confirmed.\n\nThe firm has apologised to all of its passengers for the disruption to their journeys.\n\nIt has not said when services on the Isle of Innisfree will resume.\n\nIn a statement, Irish Ferries said: \"Crews train regularly to deal with incidents at sea, and the company has put its training into action and the fire has been extinguished.\"\n\nHM Coastguard said: \"The vessel has confirmed that the fire has been extinguished but [it had experienced] technical issues.\"\n\nFollow BBC South East on Facebook, on Twitter, and on Instagram. Send your story ideas to southeasttoday@bbc.co.uk.\n\nWere you on board the ferry? Share your experiences by emailing haveyoursay@bbc.co.uk.\n\nPlease include a contact number if you are willing to speak to a BBC journalist. You can also get in touch in the following ways:\n\nIf 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 HaveYourSay@bbc.co.uk. Please include your name, age and location with any submission.\n\nThe BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/uk-england-kent-64847029"}
{"title":"Disgraced ex-lawyer Alex Murdaugh sentenced to life in prison - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-04","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"A judge calls the double murder case \"one of the most troubling\" as he hands down two life sentences.","section":"US & Canada","content":"This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser.\n\nDisgraced ex-lawyer Alex Murdaugh has been sentenced to life in prison for murdering his wife and son in a case that shocked the US.\n\nThe hearing in South Carolina came one day after a jury took less than three hours to convict the 54-year-old.\n\nMurdaugh's wife, Maggie, 52, and son Paul, 22, were shot at close range on their family estate on 7 June 2021.\n\nProsecutors argued he killed his wife and son to divert attention from his financial crimes and gain sympathy.\n\nJudge Clifton Newman called the case \"one of the most troubling\" he had seen and noted Murdaugh's past \"as a well-known member of the legal community\".\n\n\"You've practised law before me, and we've seen each other at various occasions throughout the years,\" he said, calling it \"especially heart-breaking for me\" to learn of Murdaugh's arrest and prosecution, more than a year after the murders were committed.\n\nAlex Murdaugh headed a legal dynasty that for decades had occupied a powerful place - the jurisdiction was described by some as \"Murdaugh Country\".\n\nJudge Newman said he understood the decision by the state not to seek the death penalty, but noted that Murdaugh's own family had had people executed for less.\n\n\"Your family, including you, have been prosecuting people here in this courtroom, and many have received the death penalty, probably for lesser conduct,\" he said.\n\nThe disbarred attorney was convicted of two counts of murder after a six-week trial.\n\nDuring the trial, investigators revealed how Murdaugh stole nearly $9m from clients, to fund an addiction to painkillers and a lavish lifestyle.\n\nAt Friday's sentencing, Murdaugh spoke briefly twice, to maintain his innocence. His lawyers said they would appeal against the life terms within 10 days.\n\nMurdaugh's surviving son, Buster Murdaugh, dressed in a simple navy-blue blazer, sat still and silent throughout the proceedings - even as the judge sentenced his father to two consecutive life sentences.\n\nThe judge also suggested the murders may have been carried out under the influence of the drugs.\n\n\"It might not have been you, but it may have been the monster you became when you took those pills.\"\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Watch: From police interrogations to trial testimony, who is Alex Murdaugh?\n\nLead prosecutor Creighton Waters said the evidence against the South Carolina lawyer was \"overwhelming\" and showed him to be a \"cunning, manipulative man who placed himself above all others, including his family\".\n\nMurdaugh, meanwhile, restated his claim that he was not guilty.\n\n\"I would never hurt my wife and I would never hurt my son,\" he said in brief remarks at the hearing. He stared ahead and did not react as his sentence was read.\n\nA video filmed by Paul Murdaugh just minutes before he was shot featured the voice of his father in the background, dramatically contradicting his claim he was not there at the time.\n\nA juror who convicted him told ABC News that was the moment he began to suspect the defendant was guilty.\n\nA new mugshot released by the South Carolina Department of Corrections (SCDC) shows that Murdaugh's head has now been shaved.\n\nAccording to local media, male prisoners normally undergo some sort of haircut upon arriving in prison.\n\nThe SCDC said in a statement that \"like all inmates\" he will spend the next 45 days in the intake process - during which time his medical and mental health will be assessed, as will his educational level.\n\nAfter the 45-day period, he will be sent to a maximum-security prison.\n\nDuring a news conference after the sentence was handed down, Murdaugh's lawyers said they did not believe it was a mistake for him to take the stand during the trial. They called Judge Newman's decision to allow evidence related to Murdaugh's financial crimes to be included in the murder trial \"erroneous\".\n\nThe state's case \"was about character, not about motive\", defence attorney Dick Harpootlian said. Murdaugh had been cast as a \"despicable human being\", he said.\n\nThe high-profile case has captured national attention and sparked true crime podcasts and documentaries.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/world-us-canada-64828608"}
{"title":"Scottish bakery Morton's Rolls 'ceases trading' - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-04","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"Companies House said it could strike off the bakery after it missed a deadline to file accounts.","section":"Scotland business","content":"Scottish bakery Morton's Rolls is understood to have ceased trading after missing a deadline to file accounts.\n\nIn a letter to staff on Friday, the firm wrote that employees would be \"laid off with immediate effect\".\n\nThe Glasgow-based bakery, which employs about 250 people, said that \"no final decision\" had been taken on redundancies but all jobs were at risk.\n\nCompanies House states on its website that there is an \"active proposal to strike off\" the firm.\n\nMorton's Rolls accounts for the year to 31 March 2022 were required to be filed by 31 December and are now overdue.\n\nLast month, compulsory strike-off action was suspended on 9 February, two days after it was announced by Companies House.\n\nBut in the letter to staff on Friday, the firm wrote: \"The company is ceasing to trade with immediate effect.\n\n\"The directors have taken steps to ensure that the business can continue in some form.\n\n\"But it is likely that this will be with a reduced workforce across the business.\"\n\nBill Kidd, SNP MSP for Glasgow Anniesland, told BBC Scotland he was \"taken aback\" by the letter and had arranged a meeting with the company's management.\n\nHe said: \"There has been issues in the past but we've got good relations with Morton's Rolls, they are terrific company and are a very important employer in Drumchapel.\n\n\"Morton's Rolls is a famous name and we want to ensure that is maintained and even developed into the future\n\n\"Everything that can be done to save this business will be done.\"\n\nMorton's Rolls was originally founded by Bob Morton and Jim Clarke in 1965 at their bakery near Drumchapel, in the west of Glasgow.\n\nOver the years, Morton's expanded its product range to include cakes and savouries.\n\nThe company's flagship product is its traditional crispy roll.\n\nFor the year to the end of March 2021, the company reported a loss of \u00a3262,00 on turnover of more than \u00a311.8m.\n\nMorton's Rolls has been approached for comment.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/uk-scotland-scotland-business-64834929"}
{"title":"Sonic boom heard as RAF jets escort aircraft to Stansted Airport - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-04","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"The flight from Iceland to Kenya was diverted to Stansted Airport after communications went down, police said.","section":"Leicester","content":"This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Watch: Loud bang heard in areas across the UK\n\nRAF jets scrambled to escort an aircraft which lost communications caused a sonic boom, police have said.\n\nThe Ministry of Defence (MoD) said Typhoon jets from RAF Coningsby in Lincolnshire were authorised to fly supersonic to assist a civilian plane.\n\nEssex Police said the aircraft - flying from Iceland to Kenya - was diverted to Stansted Airport, landing at 12:50 GMT.\n\nIt comes after people heard a \"loud bang\" in Leicestershire, Northamptonshire and Oxfordshire.\n\nTwo people - a pilot and co-pilot - were on board, Essex Police said.\n\nThe force said officers carried out enquiries and were satisfied there was a loss of contact due to \"equipment malfunction and nothing of any concern\".\n\nThe plane and those on board have now been released to continue their journey.\n\nA sonic boom is caused when planes fly faster than the speed of sound.\n\nEssex Police said two jets were scrambled to escort an aircraft that lost communications\n\nLee Shellard, from Syston, Leicester, said he was watching TV when he heard the bang.\n\n\"It shook ornaments and bits around the house,\" he told the BBC.\n\n\"But it wasn't like an earthquake, more like a big lorry had gone past. So we nipped outside to see what had happened and other people were looking out of their windows as well\n\n\"That's when I went back and checked the CCTV footage.\"\n\nDepartures from Gatwick airport were reportedly suspended for 15 minutes earlier.\n\nBBC journalist Phil Mercer tweeted he had been sitting on a plane at the airport after passengers were told \"all airspace over London is closed as an aircraft has stopped communicating with air traffic control\".\n\nBBC East Midlands reporter Will Jefford in Daventry, said he thought his boiler had exploded.\n\n\"The whole house shook and we jumped out of the sofa to check if everything was okay,\" he said.\n\n\"You could feel the noise through the floorboards. It almost hit you in the chest - I managed to drop half my cup of tea.\n\n\"We initially thought the boiler had blown up, but I could hear a jet overhead so realised it was probably a sonic boom.\"\n\nA sonic boom is caused when planes fly faster than the speed of sound, which at ground level is around 761mph.\n\nWhen travelling at this speed, also known as Mach 1, the aircraft displaces the air and creates pressure waves that become compressed and are then released in a shock wave.\n\nAs long as the aircraft is flying at Mach 1 it will generate continuous sound waves, known as a boom carpet and an aircraft flying at 20,000 feet would create a sonic boom cone 20 miles wide.\n\nLouise Gourlay in Bicester, Oxfordshire, said her military training kicked in and hit the floor when she heard the bang.\n\n\"I'm ex-military, so I immediately 'jumped on my belt buckle' that's a move where I jumped straight down stomach to the floor,\" she said.\n\n\"I didn't know if it was an explosion or something, the house shook violently.\"\n\nAnne Marie Oostveen near Chipping Norton in Oxfordshire, told the BBC her \"whole house shook\".\n\n\"I was watching TV with my cat Jones and I heard a loud boom sound.\n\n\"There is some building work going on nearby so at first I just thought there was a skip being delivered to the yard next door.\n\n\"But the videos online make it sound like an explosion, to me it sounded like a low boom.\n\n\"My cat just looked up and then went back to sleep.\"\n\nRebecca Cockroft added: \"Going to assume I didn't imagine the sonic boom over #Northampton a few moments ago judging by the car alarms going off and birds scattering?\"\n\nA spokesman for Leicestershire Police, said: \"We have received numerous calls in relation to a large explosion sound heard from various parts of the city and county.\n\n\"We like to reassure you that there is no concern however thank you for your immediate response to us.\"\n\nFollow BBC East Midlands on Facebook, on Twitter, or on Instagram. Send your story ideas to eastmidsnews@bbc.co.uk.\n\nThe BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/uk-england-leicestershire-64847214"}
{"title":"Australia's 'biggest drug bust' nets $700m of cocaine - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-04","authors":null,"description":"Police reveal details of an undercover operation that began off the coast of South America.","section":null,"content":"Police in Australia have revealed details of an undercover operation that stopped nearly $700m worth of cocaine (around 1bn AUD, \u00a3570m) linked to a Mexican drug cartel from reaching the country.\n\nIt is reported to be the biggest drug bust in Australia's history.\n\nOperation Beech began in November when narcotics officers seized 2.4 tonnes of the drug off the coast of South America.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/world-australia-64847242"}
{"title":"Two unions suspend ambulance strikes in England as talks reopen - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-04","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"Unison and GMB suspend strike in England but action from Unite members to go ahead as planned on Monday.","section":"Health","content":"The Unison and GMB unions have called off ambulance strikes in England after what was described as a \"huge shift\" in the government's position.\n\nTens of thousands of staff were expected to walk out on 6 March and 8 March across large parts of England.\n\nThat action has been suspended after ministers agreed to reopen pay talks for both this and next financial year.\n\nThe government welcomed the move, but said it was \"disappointing\" a third union still planned to strike.\n\nUnite, the smallest of the three ambulance unions representing approximately 3,000 workers, said its strike on 6 March would go ahead.\n\nIndustrial action has also been paused in Wales for further talks with the Welsh government.\n\nIn Scotland, all NHS worker strikes are on hold too.\n\nRachel Harrison, GMB National Secretary, said: \"This is a huge shift from the government, who for months have refused to consider negotiations on pay. Now, they are saying they are willing to sit down and talk.\n\n\"The Government has given assurances of additional cash for both years above existing budgets and that any deal will respect the existing Agenda for Change structure.\n\n\"GMB's ambulance workers have agreed to suspend industrial action so talks can begin - however the strike will return with a vengeance should talks break down.\"\n\nIt is understood the negotiations will proceed on the understanding the government will discuss a one-off cost-of-living payment for the current financial year, which ends in April, as well as a brand new pay deal for 2023-24.\n\nIt is thought the Royal College of Nursing will also be brought back into wider pay discussions, instead of holding separate talks with ministers.\n\nAmbulance workers on the picket line in Bournemouth, Dorset\n\nLast week thousands of nurses in England suspended a series of strikes after health secretary Steve Barclay said he would meet leaders of the Royal College of Nursing for \"intensive talks\" over pay.\n\nThat angered members of other health unions who accused ministers of \"playing a dangerous game\" by pursuing a \"divide and rule strategy\".\n\nTens of thousands ambulance workers had vowed to escalate strike action as a result, with members of the GMB union saying they would start to cut back cover for \"category two\" 999 calls, including heart attacks and strokes.\n\nThe government signalled a change in its approach this week when it said it was prepared to negotiate through the NHS staff council - a body made up of representatives from all 14 major health unions, NHS trusts, NHS England and the Department of Health and Social Care itself.\n\nMinisters said negotiations could only start if industrial action was suspended.\n\nThe decision by three unions - the GMB, Unison and the Chartered Society of Physiotherapy - to pause strikes planned for this month now means \"intensive talks\" are expected to start early next week.\n\n\"We're pleased that agenda for change unions representing the majority of ambulance workers, nurses, physiotherapists, porters, cleaners and other non-medical staff have agreed to pause strikes and enter a process of intensive talks,\"\n\nA Department of Health spokesperson said: \"We want to start these talks as soon as possible and are ready to meet over the weekend.\n\n\"We want to find a fair and reasonable settlement that recognises the vital role of NHS workers, the wider economic pressures facing the UK and the prime minister's priority to halve inflation.\n\n\"It is disappointing Unite is going ahead with strikes next week. We urge them to call off strikes and join other unions at the negotiating table.\"\n\nTens of thousands of junior doctors are also expected to strike in England for 72 hours between March 13 and 15.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/health-64839818"}
{"title":"Laura Kuenssberg: Rishi Sunak struggles to escape Tories' horror show past - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-04","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"Old problems have resurfaced, and none of them were in the prime minister's carefully designed script.","section":"UK Politics","content":"\"There are still shockwaves from seismic events,\" says a former cabinet minister - \"that's what we're living through now.\" Boris Johnson might not have stitched prawns into the hems of his expensive curtains in No 10, but as we've seen over the past couple of days, the leftovers from his time in office can still cause a nasty stink.\n\nWe've been reminded of the early scramble over Covid, illustrated by former Health Secretary Matt Hancock's trove of WhatsApp chats - distressing for those who lost relatives, no doubt, and deeply embarrassing for those who pressed send.\n\nThere has also been more evidence of how No 10 struggled to get its story straight as the public reeled from revelations that there was booze and get-togethers in Downing Street during lockdown.\n\nAnd there have been fresh conversations in the Conservative Party about the manner of Mr Johnson's exit. Labour's decision to hire the Whitehall sleaze-buster, Sue Gray, is catnip for his old allies who want to claim that he was stitched up.\n\nReminders of the pandemic, Partygate, and more howls of protest about how the former PM was treated. None of that was in Prime Minister Rishi Sunak's carefully designed script.\n\nFirst off, the spectacle - for that truly is what it is - of the former health secretary's WhatsApp messages being carefully dropped day by day in the Telegraph newspaper. His colleagues are less than impressed.\n\n\"It's an eyeroll,\" says one Tory MP. \"How much of a moron was he?\" asks another. \"Spectacularly bad judgement,\" remarks one of his former cabinet colleagues.\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Watch: Isabel Oakeshott reveals why she leaked the messages\n\nMuch of the media has done what it does best - talk feverishly to itself about the rights and wrongs of the way the story emerged after Isabel Oakeshott, the journalist who co-wrote Mr Hancock's book, passed thousands of his messages to a newspaper without his permission.\n\nThe chats have illustrated, in sometimes toe-curling levels of detail, the way in which government figures communicate - described as \"teenage with LOLS\" by one Tory MP. They include sweary messages about Dominic Cummings, who was Mr Johnson's chief adviser, and reveal a love-hate relationship between Mr Hancock and his then-Cabinet colleague Michael Gove.\n\nAnd it's given colour and context to the arguments that were raging at the top of government in 2020, during the first few scrambled months of the pandemic.\n\nThere is intriguing and seemingly perplexing detail in Saturday's information dump, where Mr Hancock seems to suggest the government was covering up rises in Covid cases as a result of then-Chancellor Mr Sunak's \"Eat Out To Help Out\" scheme. It was reported in October 2020 - after the scheme was up and running - that it could have contributed to the second wave.\n\nAs Health Secretary, Matt Hancock gave regular Downing St media briefings during the pandemic\n\nThe opposition is already asking pointedly what the government knew at the time.\n\nGiven that the scheme had Mr Sunak's signature on it, those questions could prove awkward for the current administration - even though broadly, so far, the Telegraph's set of stories has not sparked a huge reckoning over whether lockdown was the right thing to do.\n\nBut the effects of the pandemic are still being felt in so many profound ways - these stories, the lasting effect on the economy, and the Covid inquiry that is likely to run for many, many months and is only just getting off the ground.\n\nThe latest findings from officialdom on Partygate have \"revived the embers\" too, according to a former cabinet minister. A committee of MPs has pinpointed several occasions when they believe Mr Johnson might not have told the truth in Parliament.\n\nIn Westminster, that's the sin of all sins - one that's punishable with an MP potentially having to fight for their seat again.\n\nLet's spell this out. If this committee concludes the former prime minister knew he was not being straight, he might be suspended as an MP - and then possibly face a by-election.\n\nThe midway report from the Privileges Committee also contains gobbets of exasperation from Mr Johnson's staff as they struggled to contain the Partygate story that was crashing down all around them.\n\nMr Johnson used the publication of yesterday's report to claim it vindicated what he has said all along, that he never held Parliament in contempt, and that he never knowingly misled anyone.\n\nTo be crystal clear - that is not, not yet, what the committee of MPs says. This report does not provide that or any conclusions, as committee members have not yet finished their work. They will question Mr Johnson himself in a couple of weeks.\n\nEven some Conservatives reckon the committee is likely to take a very dim view of what the PM did. \"If he thinks he'll get a clean bill of health, he can think again,\" one says.\n\nReviving memories of Partygate, and the public upset and outrage that came alongside it, is hardly helpful for the Conservatives.\n\nMr Sunak was never painted as one of the dastardly villains of the saga - but having also received a fine for attending Mr Johnson's birthday in the Cabinet room, it's easy for the opposition to paint him as part of the mess too.\n\nOne Tory MP says that \"the danger is that Partygate and privileges and everything - it just all damages us\".\n\nAnd there's been an unexpected and fraught added dimension to all this too.\n\nThe government, and Whitehall, were shocked when news broke that civil service enforcer, Sue Gray, was leaving government to work for the Labour Party. There was genuine shock, even among some of her former colleagues, that she would take that step. That's because it is vital that civil servants are, and are seen to be, totally fair and neutral.\n\nLabour reckon it's a coup to have a \"grown up person preparing for a grown up government\", according to one source. There is no doubt Ms Gray is a hugely experienced operator.\n\nOver the years, I've spoken to many people who have worked with her and I've heard almost universal praise. Nor is it unheard of for officials to leave, then go on to work for politicians. Both Tony Blair and David Cameron's chiefs of staff were both employed in Whitehall before moving into politics.\n\nBut the manner of Ms Gray's departure, and her reputation for holding all SW1's secrets, has caused uproar. Not just because, as one Conservative MP says simply, \"it seems unfair\" to many of their colleagues - but also because you might know Ms Gray's name, because she is the person who investigated Partygate.\n\nConservative MPs have expressed anger that Sue Gray has been offered a job as Sir Keir Starmer's chief of staff\n\nThe fact that she carried out the Whitehall investigation into what happened in No 10, and now is leaving for opposition, gave immediate ammunition to Mr Johnson's supporters to cry foul, to claim that he was the victim of some kind of stitch up after all.\n\nIt is worth noting that Ms Gray's report did not, in fact, throw the book at the former PM personally. Mr Johnson's eventual resignation came some months later.\n\nBut - as another Tory MP, no fan of Mr Johnson, suggests - Ms Gray's decision fuels a sense of conspiracy heard among some constituents. \"It makes Boris a victim, and fuels some of the stuff about Westminster stitch ups we see online.\"\n\nThere is a risk here for Labour, that they are presented as part of some kind of establishment plot. And by preparing for government like this, are they, as one former minister snipes, \"measuring the bloody curtains\"?\n\nWhether it's the spat over the hiring of Ms Gray or the furore over his views on the new Northern Ireland deal, \"the shadow of Boris Johnson looms\", says the MP. It \"defies logic\", they claim, that a \"disgraced former PM\" still occupies so much of his party's bandwidth.\n\nBut the hangover from a once in a generation politician does not fade fast, even though there have been not just one, but two people who have moved into No 10 since he left. We've seen again this week - there are parts of the Conservative Party still preoccupied with his legacy, who still relish an argument about what went on.\n\nThe events of the past few years have been so intense, shaken things so fundamentally, that a clean break is extremely hard to achieve.\n\nMr Sunak wants to mark progress on Brexit, crack on with trying to solve the problem of small boats that cross the Channel (expect a tricky debate on that this week with the likely publication of more draft laws), pull off a smooth meeting with the French president, and look ahead to the Budget in 10 days' time.\n\nThe Brexit deal, which still hasn't been approved by the DUP, does show that his head-down, no-drama approach can bear fruit.\n\nOne Tory MP says that while \"we won't get electoral credit, it does show he's competent, you can't see the foundations of a house, but you have to build them\".\n\nBut the past few days have shown that the forces that have been at work in recent years still have the power to disrupt.\n\nOne Whitehall insider jokes, \"who had 'strong and stable' in the sweepstake under Rishi?\" - with the massive events of the recent past, that doesn't look like a safe bet.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/uk-politics-64835929"}
{"title":"Sergei Lavrov: Russian foreign minister laughed at for Ukraine war claims - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-04","authors":null,"description":"Sergei Lavrov is laughed at in Delhi after saying the Ukraine war was \"launched against us\".","section":null,"content":"Russian foreign minister, Sergei Lavrov, was laughed at in Delhi after saying the Ukraine war was \"launched against us\".\n\nLavrov claimed Russia was trying to stop the Ukraine war, which began after its own full-scale invasion in February 2022.\n\nHe was speaking to a conference audience in Delhi on Friday, after a G20 foreign ministers' meeting.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/world-europe-64848508"}
{"title":"Stephen Bear jailed for sharing sex video on OnlyFans - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-04","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"The reality TV contestant shared footage of himself and Georgia Harrison on OnlyFans.","section":"Essex","content":"This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Stephen Bear won Celebrity Big Brother in 2016 and also appeared on MTV's Ex on the Beach\n\nReality TV contestant Stephen Bear has been jailed for 21 months for sharing a private video of him having sex with his ex-partner.\n\nBear, 33, shared CCTV footage of himself and Love Island star Georgia Harrison, which was uploaded to OnlyFans.\n\nHe had caused her \"extensive humiliation and embarrassment\", the judge said.\n\nMs Harrison said she had been through \"absolute hell\" since 2020.\n\n\"Today's sentence is a vindication of what I've been put through and sends a clear message that the police and courts take this matter very seriously,\" she told reporters outside Chelmsford Crown Court.\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Georgia Harrison, who has appeared on The Only Way is Essex and Love Island, spoke outside court\n\n\"I want to let all other victims of this crime know that I stand in solidarity with them and I have absolutely no regrets on waiving my anonymity.\n\n\"I hope this puts anyone off committing this sort of crime and I hope for anyone who has been a victim of it, it gives them some sort of justice.\"\n\nBear was found guilty of voyeurism and disclosing private, sexual photographs and films in December.\n\nAhead of his sentencing, he posed for a selfie outside the court building and began to sing Lady In Red to a reporter wearing a red coat.\n\nAs he was led down to the cells, he raised a hand to wave from the secure dock, and said: \"Have a good evening. Enjoy the weekend everyone.\"\n\nThe Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) said he had shown a \"complete lack of remorse\".\n\nGeorgia Harrison hugs a woman outside court after the sentencing of Stephen Bear\n\nBear was given a restraining order to not contact Ms Harrison, who has appeared on The Only Way Is Essex and Olivia Meets Her Match, for five years.\n\nHe was also ordered to sign the sex offenders register and will be subject to notification requirements for 10 years.\n\nJacqueline Carey KC, prosecuting, told an earlier trial that Ms Harrison and Bear had consensual sex at his home in Loughton, Essex, but Ms Harrison did not know they were being recorded.\n\nMs Harrison said that when Bear showed her the footage she told him \"never to send\" it to anyone and \"made it plain how upset she would be if he did\", the prosecutor said.\n\nStephen Bear, pictured arriving at an earlier hearing, posed for selfies outside of court ahead of sentencing\n\nThe victim said she saw Bear send the footage to someone on WhatsApp later that day, and later that year she was made aware it was circulating online.\n\nMs Carey said Bear uploaded the footage \"either himself or had it uploaded to OnlyFans and profited financially\".\n\nJudge Christopher Morgan, sentencing, said the disgraced reality TV personality \"wished to exploit the economic value of the recording\", as Ms Harrison \"would have been known and recognised by many people\".\n\nThis Twitter post cannot be displayed in your browser. Please enable Javascript or try a different browser. View original tweet on Twitter The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Skip twitter post by Essex Police 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\u2019s cookie policy, external and privacy policy, external before accepting. To view this content choose \u2018accept and continue\u2019. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.\n\nFollowing the hearing, Hannah von Dadelszen, deputy chief crown prosecutor for CPS East of England, said: \"I want to commend Georgia Harrison for the bravery and determination she has shown throughout this case.\n\n\"By contrast, Stephen Bear showed a complete lack of remorse by never accepting responsibility for his abusive behaviour, even going so far as to place the blame on Ms Harrison.\n\n\"Although she lives a public life, Georgia Harrison has the right to privacy.\n\n\"But that was taken away by Bear to make money in the most egregious way.\"\n\nBear was arrested at Heathrow Airport in January 2021\n\nHer thoughts were echoed by Det Con Brian Sitch of Essex Police, who praised Ms Harrison for her \"immense bravery and patience\".\n\n\"This young woman stood in a court room, in front of strangers and went over the most personal details of her private life,\" he added.\n\n\"She had to sit her family down and explain to them that this video had been leaked.\n\n\"This was all because Stephen Bear thought he could secretly film his former partner and thought he could get away with appalling crimes.\"\n\nFind BBC News: East of England on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter. If you have a story suggestion email eastofenglandnews@bbc.co.uk\n\nThe BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/uk-england-essex-64836055"}
{"title":"Energy Price Guarantee expected to continue at same level in April - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-04","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"The BBC understands the Energy Price Guarantee is expected to continue at current levels for three months.","section":"Business","content":"The chancellor is expected to extend the Energy Price Guarantee at current levels for a further three months, the BBC understands.\n\nTypical household energy bills were scheduled to rise to \u00a33,000 a year from April, but calls have been made for the government to retain its current level of support with the cap at \u00a32,500.\n\nThe level of help is now expected to be maintained, but energy firms have been asked to prepare for both scenarios.\n\nAt the moment, the government is limiting the typical household bill to \u00a32,500 a year, plus a \u00a3400 winter discount.\n\nFrom 1 April the help is scheduled to be scaled back, and the \u00a3400 discount will come to an end, which could push people's bills up despite the weather getting warmer.\n\nFuel poverty campaigners have said the number of households struggling to afford bills could rise from 6.7 million to 8.4 million as a result of the April rise.\n\nHowever, industry sources told the BBC that some energy companies have already started amending future bills to reflect that energy help will continue at or very near to current levels beyond 1 April.\n\nChancellor Jeremy Hunt to date has declined to extend the support at the current rate, but experts have suggested it is increasingly likely he will change course, probably at the Budget on 15 March.\n\nMr Hunt told the BBC last month that the policy was \"under review\".\n\nThe Treasury was understood to be concerned that an open-ended commitment would leave British public finances significantly exposed to any further unexpected rise in global gas prices.\n\nInstead the decrease in support will kick in in the summer, when it will not be needed, because the separate energy price cap is already anticipated to be lower as a result of declining market gas prices.\n\nHowever, the \u00a3400 winter payment that has led to a \u00a366 per month reduction in monthly payments on many bills does look likely to end next month.\n\nThere have been no talks about extending this element of support.\n\nThe Resolution Foundation think tank, which aims to improve living standards for people on low to middle incomes, and consumer rights champion Martin Lewis have both called on Mr Hunt to cancel the bills rise, as have opposition parties.\n\nLabour's shadow chancellor Rachel Reeves said: \"Families are really worried about prices soaring in April and so it's urgent the government gives them reassurance now, and extends the windfall tax on oil and gas giants to give them support for their energy bills as Labour would.\"\n\nThe Institute for Fiscal Studies (IFS), an economics research institute, has forecast that the Treasury could afford to keep support at current levels until the summer due to wholesale energy prices falling sharply, meaning the cost of the scheme had been cut.\n\nEnergy UK, which represents suppliers, urged the government earlier this week to hold the level of support at \u00a32,500 for a typical household and to \"announce that quickly\" so firms could price it into bills from April.\n\nEnergy Secretary Grant Shapps previously said he is \"very sympathetic\" to suggestions that the planned \u00a3500 rise in bills should be stopped.\n\nHowever, there is an alternative view that money would be better spent by the government by targeting support for those on the lowest incomes - as is the case for cost-of-living payments - and in the winter.\n\n\"Vulnerable groups could benefit substantially from this extra funding if it was used in a more targeted way. And should those groups take precedence over universal payments to multiple homeowners and billionaires?\" said Joe Malinowski, founder of comparison site Energyscanner.\n\nThere has been a drop in wholesale gas and electricity prices in recent weeks that has raised hopes that the worst of the energy crisis could be easing.\n\nBills began rising as Covid lockdowns ended but the war in Ukraine saw them surge further.\n\nWithout the government's Energy Price Guarantee to limit prices, a typical household's gas and electricity bill would have hit \u00a34,279 a year from January under the energy price cap set by Ofgem, the industry regulator.\n\nHow is the rising cost of living changing how you live your life? Share your experiences by emailing haveyoursay@bbc.co.uk.\n\nPlease include a contact number if you are willing to speak to a BBC journalist. You can also get in touch in the following ways:\n\nIf 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 HaveYourSay@bbc.co.uk. Please include your name, age and location with any submission.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/business-64830701"}
{"title":"Prince Harry: I always felt different to rest of family - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-04","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"In a conversation about grief, the Duke of Sussex says he and his mother Diana felt a disconnect from other royals.","section":"UK","content":"This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Watch: Prince Harry says how he feels since publishing his book\n\nPrince Harry has said he \"always felt slightly different\" to his family, and that his late mother felt the same.\n\nIn an online conversation about grief, the Duke of Sussex said he feared losing memories of his mother Diana when he started therapy.\n\nHe also said he made sure to \"smother\" his children with affection to avoid passing on any \"traumas\" or \"negative experiences\" from his own upbringing.\n\nHis discussion was with Dr Gabor Mat\u00e9, an author on trauma and addiction.\n\nTheir fireside conversation in California followed up themes of \"living with loss\" from his bombshell memoir, Spare.\n\nReflecting on the public response to the work, the Duke of Sussex insisted that he was not a \"victim\" or seeking sympathy.\n\nHe revealed that his own reaction to the controversial book's publication was to feel \"incredibly free\".\n\nPrince Harry spoke about the racism experienced by his wife Meghan, the Duchess of Sussex\n\n\"I felt a huge weight off my shoulders,\" he told Dr Mat\u00e9, describing the book as an \"act of service\" to help others break the taboo about speaking about mental health problems.\n\nSaturday's discussion focused on the prince's emotions, therapy and thoughts on mental health.\n\nBut it did not go into recent royal revelations, such as request for Harry and his wife Meghan to vacate Frogmore Cottage - or whether or not he would attend his father's coronation.\n\nThere were also no mentions of how the Royal Family, including his brother, had felt about his tell-all memoir.\n\nPrince Harry described growing up \"feeling slightly different to the rest of my family\" - and had a sense of living in a disconnected \"bubble\", which therapy had helped him burst.\n\nIn front of an international online audience, he was asked about experiencing an emotionally distant childhood, with a lack of hugs and demonstrations of affection.\n\nHe said that with his own children, he was \"making sure that I smother them with love and affection\".\n\n\"As a father I feel a huge responsibility to ensure that I don't pass on any traumas or... negative experiences that I've had as a kid,\" he said.\n\nHe spoke repeatedly about the importance of therapy, even though it could drive a wedge between him and other relations.\n\nBut he said that he wrongly feared that it would erode his feelings about his mother, Diana, who died in a car crash in Paris in 1997 when Harry was aged 12.\n\n\"One of the things I was most scared about was losing the feeling that I had of my mum... whatever I had managed to hold onto of my mother,\" said Prince Harry.\n\nBut he hadn't lost those feelings and had come to realise \"that actually she just wanted me to be happy\", he told Dr Mat\u00e9.\n\nPrince Harry's memoir has been an international best seller\n\nThe prince spoke about being \"eternally grateful\" for his wife Meghan in changing his perspective, calling her an \"exceptional human being\".\n\nBut he said meeting Meghan had given him a \"crash course\" in the experience of racism, which he described as \"pretty shocking\".\n\nPrince Harry also defended the use of psychedelic medicine, saying it had helped him \"deal with the traumas and pains of the past\" and was like the \"cleaning of the windscreen\".\n\nHe said taking cocaine \"didn't do anything for me\" but that \"marijuana is different, that actually really did help me\".\n\nAnd he spoke about Afghanistan, where he served for two tours of duty, saying not all British soldiers agreed with the war.\n\n\"One of the reasons why so many people in the United Kingdom were not supportive of our troops was because they assumed that everybody who was serving was for the war. But no, once you sign up, you do what you're told to do.\n\n\"So there was a lot of us who didn't necessarily agree or disagree but you were doing what you were trained to. You were doing what you were sent to do.\"\n\nTo watch the online interview, the audience had to buy a copy of Prince Harry's best-selling memoir, which had made headlines with its unprecedented account of tensions between the royals and personal revelations.\n\nIt included claims of a physical altercation with his brother Prince William, and recorded his experiences of taking drugs and losing his virginity.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/uk-64850024"}
{"title":"Constance Marten and Mark Gordon in court over baby Victoria manslaughter charge - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-04","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"Constance Marten, 35, and Mark Gordon, 48, are charged with manslaughter of a baby called Victoria.","section":"UK","content":"Constance Marten and Mark Gordon are due to appear at the Old Bailey on 31 March.\n\nA couple have been remanded in custody charged with the manslaughter of a baby called Victoria.\n\nThe child's remains were found in a plastic bag under nappies in a shed in Brighton, a magistrates' court heard.\n\nConstance Marten and Mark Gordon were also charged with concealing a child's birth and perverting the course of justice.\n\nThe discovery of the baby, who was named in court documents, was made on Wednesday after a major search.\n\nA post-mortem examination held on Friday could not establish a cause of death and further tests will take place, the Metropolitan Police said in a statement.\n\nMs Marten, 35, and Gordon, 48, are due to appear at the Old Bailey on 31 March.\n\nGordon, 48, is led into Crawley Police Station before appearing in court\n\nDuring the short hearing, at Crawley Magistrates' Court on Friday, the couple spoke only to confirm their names, dates of birth and that they were of no fixed abode.\n\nThey were first arrested on Monday following a 53-day missing persons search which led to a wooded area in East Sussex.\n\nHundreds of officers using sniffer dogs, thermal cameras, helicopters and drones were drafted in to look for the child.\n\nPolice had previously said it was \"too early\" to say when the baby had died.\n\nThe Met Police has referred the case to the Independent Office for Police Conduct because the baby died during a missing persons investigation it was leading.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/uk-64833339"}
{"title":"Sacred coronation oil will be animal-cruelty free - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-04","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"A new version of sacred oil to be used at the King's coronation has been consecrated in Jerusalem.","section":"UK","content":"The sacred oil was consecrated in Jerusalem\n\nThe oil used to anoint the King in the coronation is one of the most sacred and mysterious parts of the ceremony - and a new quantity has been prepared.\n\nBut reflecting modern animal-friendly sensitivities, this oil will not include any ingredients from animals.\n\nThe \"chrism oil\" for the coronation was consecrated in a religious ceremony in Jerusalem on Friday.\n\nThis was carried out in one of the city's holiest Christian sites, the Church of the Holy Sepulchre.\n\nPrevious versions have included civet oil, from the glands of the small mammals, and ambergris from the intestines of whales.\n\nThere had been concerns about animal cruelty and the need to protect wildlife and the latest formula for the holy oil for King Charles's coronation will be animal free.\n\nAlthough the coronation is seen as a great moment of national pageantry and historic rituals, there is a strong religious element.\n\nThe anointing of the King has echoes of a christening or the ordination into religious orders, with the monarch being symbolically touched with holy oil on the head, chest and hands.\n\nThe silver urn containing the chrism oil for the coronation\n\nThis was considered such a sacred moment that the television cameras were not allowed to film it in 1953 - and there has been speculation about whether the anointing will be shown on TV during King Charles's coronation on 6 May.\n\nThe new oil includes olive oil scented with a mix of essential oils, sesame, rose, jasmine, cinnamon, neroli and benzoin, with orange blossom also added.\n\nIt also has a royal family significance, partly using olives grown on the Mount of Olives at the Monastery of Mary Magdalene, which is where the King's grandmother, Princess Alice, is buried.\n\nIn his Christmas message, the King had spoken of his own Christian faith and how much he had been moved when he visited biblical sites, such as Jesus' birthplace in Bethlehem.\n\nThe oil was consecrated by the Patriarch of Jerusalem and the Anglican Archbishop in Jerusalem, at the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, built on the site where it is believed Jesus died and was buried.\n\nJustin Welby, the Archbishop of Canterbury, welcomed the use of oil from the Mount of Olives, a site outside Jerusalem with many biblical connections.\n\n\"This demonstrates the deep historic link between the coronation, the Bible and the Holy Land,\" said the archbishop.\n\nHe added: \"From ancient kings through to the present day, monarchs have been anointed with oil from this sacred place.\"\n\nThe implements used for the anointing - including a spoon - are rare survivors of the original medieval coronation regalia, most of which were destroyed on the orders of Oliver Cromwell in 1649.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/uk-64836101"}
{"title":"Ukraine latest: Numerous Bakhmut attacks still being repelled, says Kyiv - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-04","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"Moscow's lengthy assault in eastern Donetsk continues to be met with force, Ukraine's military says.","section":"Europe","content":"Ukraine's military has not commented on US media reports that Kyiv may be now running dangerously low on its artillery stockpile\n\nNumerous attacks have been repelled in the area of eastern Donetsk over the last 24 hours, Ukraine's military says.\n\nRussian forces claim they are about to take the eastern city of Bakhmut - the focus of intense fighting for many months.\n\nThe head of Russia's Wagner private army claims it is \"practically encircled\" with limited routes out.\n\nThe deputy mayor of the city told the BBC there was street fighting between Russian and Ukrainian forces.\n\nBut Oleksandr Marchenko said Russia was not yet in control, despite constant shelling.\n\n\"They have no goal to save the city... their only goal is killing people and the genocide of the Ukrainian people,\" Mr Marchenko told the Today programme.\n\nThe UK Ministry of Defence said Bakhmut is under \"increasingly severe\" pressure.\n\nAccording to the UK intelligence, Russian forces and Wagner troops have made further advances into northern suburbs, making the Ukraine-held section of the city vulnerable to Russian attacks on three sides.\n\nThe commander of Ukraine's ground forces, Col Gen Oleksandr Syrskyi, visited Bakhmut on Friday for meetings with local commanders on how to bolster front-line forces.\n\nMeanwhile on Saturday, Russian defence minister Sergei Shoigu made a rare visit to Russian-held Ukrainian territory in southern Donetsk.\n\nRussian troops have been trying to take Bakhmut for over six months.\n\nUkraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky warned this week that the situation on the eastern front line was becoming \"more and more difficult\".\n\nA key concern for Ukraine is its ever-decreasing ammunition stocks as the high-intensity war with Russia shows no sign of slowing.\n\nThe US has announced a further $400m (\u00a3333m) in military aid to boost Kyiv's depleted ammunition stocks.\n\nUS Secretary of State Antony Blinken said the country's latest package included high-precision Himars artillery rockets and howitzers \"which Ukraine is using so effectively\".\n\nPresident Zelensky earlier stressed that artillery and shells were needed to \"stop Russia\". The US is also sending tactical bridges ahead of Ukraine's expected offensive.\n\nThe delivery of such equipment - allowing armoured vehicles to cross rivers and ditches - comes as Ukrainian military officials and experts have suggested the offensive could begin in the coming weeks.\n\nIn a statement on Friday, Mr Blinken said: \"This military assistance package includes more ammunition for US-provided Himars and howitzers, which Ukraine is using so effectively to defend itself\".\n\nHe added that Washington would also be sending \"ammunition for Bradley Infantry Fighting Vehicles, Armoured Vehicle Launched Bridges, demolitions munitions and equipment, and other maintenance, training and support\".\n\nHimars proved to be extremely effective during Ukraine's lightning counter-offensive late last year that saw almost the whole of the Kharkiv region brought back under Kyiv's control.\n\nThose advances - and the liberation of the southern city of Kherson - were the most significant front-line changes since Russia withdrew from areas around Kyiv in April.\n\nIn his statement, America's top diplomat stressed that \"the United States also continues to rally the world to support Ukraine\" in defending its sovereignty and territorial integrity.\n\nThe new US military aid package was announced amid reports in US media that Ukraine may now be running dangerously low on artillery stocks after more than a year since Russia launched its full-scale invasion.\n\nBoth Ukraine and Russia are believed to be firing tens of thousands of artillery shells every day in what is seen as a high-intensity war of attrition in recent months.\n\nUkraine's military have not publicly commented on the reported shortage of ammunition. However, President Zelensky on Thursday said that \"artillery is number one that we need\".\n\nHe added that Kyiv also needed \"a large quantity of shells\" and war planes to \"expel\" Russian troops from Ukraine's territory.\n\nMilitary assistance to Ukraine was expected to dominate the agenda as US President Joe Biden met German Chancellor Olaf Scholz in Washington on Friday.\n\nMr Biden thanked the German leader for his country's \"profound\" support of Ukraine.\n\nA number of Ukraine's Western allies have pledged to deliver tanks and artillery - but Kyiv says this must be done much faster to deter further Russian aggression.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/world-europe-64837699"}
{"title":"Tom Sizemore: Saving Private Ryan actor dies at 61 after brain aneurysm - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-04","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"The Black Hawk Down star's career was mired by drug problems and domestic violence convictions.","section":"Entertainment & Arts","content":"US actor Tom Sizemore, known for roles in Saving Private Ryan and Black Hawk Down, has died at 61, his manager says.\n\nSizemore found fame in the 1990s, often playing supporting roles as tough guys - usually military, police or criminal. His other credits included Natural Born Killers, Pearl Harbor and Heat.\n\nBut he also had drug problems and served jail time for domestic violence.\n\nSizemore had been in a coma since suffering a ruptured brain aneurysm on 18 February.\n\nHis manager, Charles Lago, said he died on Friday at a hospital in Burbank, California, with his brother Paul and twin boys Jayden and Jagger, 17, at his side.\n\n\"The Sizemore family has been comforted by the hundreds of messages of support,\" Lago said.\n\nHe said Sizemore's sons were devastated, and asked that their privacy be respected.\n\nHis brother, Paul Sizemore, said: \"I am deeply saddened by the loss of my big brother Tom. He was larger than life. He has influenced my life more than anyone I know.\n\n\"He was talented, loving, giving and could keep you entertained endlessly with his wit and storytelling ability.\"\n\nBorn in a working class area of Detroit, Sizemore obtained a masters degree in theatre before his Hollywood break arrived with a bit part in Oliver Stone's Born on the Fourth of July in 1989.\n\nThat work led to bigger roles in 1990s dramas such as Tony Scott's True Romance, Devil in a Blue Dress, opposite Denzel Washington, and the biopic Wyatt Earp, alongside Kevin Costner.\n\nStone cast him again in the controversial Natural Born Killers as the violent Detective Jack Scagnetti; and he played a henchman to Robert De Niro's criminal in Heat.\n\nIn the Oscar-winning film Saving Private Ryan in 1998, he was at Tom Hanks' side as the loyal Sergeant Horvath.\n\nDirector Steven Spielberg reportedly threatened to fire Sizemore from Saving Private Ryan if he used drugs\n\nSizemore was nominated for a Golden Globe for playing a mobster in the 1999 TV movie Witness Protection, and provided the voice of mafia boss Sonny Forelli in Grand Theft Auto: Vice City in 2002.\n\nWith fame and money came a heavy drug habit, and he wrote in his autobiography about addictions to heroin and crystal meth.\n\nHe recounted how De Niro pushed him into one of his stints in rehab in 1995, telling Sizemore he would have him \"arrested for heroin possession\" if he didn't go into a treatment centre. Sizemore chose rehab.\n\nWhen Saving Private Ryan came along, director Steven Spielberg reportedly threatened to fire the actor at the first sign of drug use and reshoot the film without him.\n\nSizemore, Benjamin Bratt and Julia Roberts at the premiere of Red Planet in 2000\n\nBut Sizemore struggled to stay clean. And there were other \"personal demons\".\n\nIn 1997, he was arrested on suspicion of assaulting his wife, actress and tennis player Maeve Quinlan. They divorced two years later.\n\nIn 2003, he was sentenced to six months in prison for beating up his girlfriend, the former Hollywood madam Heidi Fleiss, and was ordered to complete more rehab and anger management.\n\nMs Fleiss testified that he had also stubbed a cigarette out on her, knocked her to the ground outside his home, and made more than 70 obscenity-laced phone calls.\n\nHe said at the time that he had \"permitted my personal demons to take over my life\".\n\nSizemore with Brad Pitt at the premiere of the 2006 film Babel\n\nIn 2005, he went back to jail for violating his probation by failing a drug test, after being caught trying to use a prosthetic penis to fake the results. According to prosecutors, Sizemore had been caught once before trying to use a similar device.\n\nTwo years later, he was sentenced to 16 months for violating the terms of his probation, and was also arrested for driving under the influence.\n\n\"I was a guy who'd come from very little and risen to the top,\" Sizemore wrote in his 2013 autobiography.\n\n\"I'd had the multimillion-dollar house, the Porsche, the restaurant I partially owned with Robert De Niro. And now I had absolutely nothing.\"\n\n\"I've led an interesting life,\" he wrote. \"But I can't tell you what I'd give to be the guy you didn't know anything about.\"\n\nA 2007 documentary series, Shooting Sizemore, chronicled his efforts to reclaim his life and career.\n\nWhile he never regained the roles of the '90s, in recent years he made a guest appearance in the Netflix hit Cobra Kai and had a recurring role in the 2017 revival of David Lynch's cult TV show Twin Peaks.\n\u2022 None No hope for Tom Sizemore after aneurysm - manager","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/entertainment-arts-64721187"}
{"title":"Paris St-Germain 4-2 Nantes: Kylian Mbappe scores club record goal as Ligue 1 leaders win - BBC Sport","published_date":"2023-03-04","authors":null,"description":"Kylian Mbappe scores a club record 201st goal for Paris St-Germain in an entertaining win over Nantes in Ligue 1.","section":null,"content":"Last updated on .From the section European Football\n\nKylian Mbappe scored a club record 201st goal for Paris St-Germain in an entertaining 4-2 win over Nantes.\n\nHe had to wait until the 92nd minute but was clinical as he turned to finish left-footed and go clear of Edinson Cavani at the top of the PSG goal list.\n\nThe France forward, who turned 24 in December, has established himself as a footballing superstar.\n\n\"I play to make history,\" said Mbappe, who joined in 2017 initially on loan from Monaco before a 180m euros move.\n\n\"I have always said I wanted to make history in France, in the capital of my country, in my city, and I am doing that. It's magnificent, but there is still a lot to be done.\"\n\nMbappe finished the game as captain and told Canal Plus: \"For me, as a native Parisian, this is special. If someone had said to me I would score the goal to beat the record while wearing the captain's armband, I would not have believed it.\"\n\nThe Frenchman has played at two World Cup finals, winning the trophy in 2018 and earning the Golden Boot as top scorer in 2022.\n\nMbappe, who also won the 2021 Nations League with his country, scored a hat-trick in December's World Cup final against Argentina, which France lost on penalties after a 3-3 draw.\n\nSince joining PSG from Monaco in 2017 for a world-record fee for a teenager, Mbappe has won four Ligue 1 titles and topped the division's scoring charts for each of the past four seasons.\n\nThis season, the forward has now scored 30 goals and made eight assists - taking his total to 85 for the club in 247 games.\n\nPSG went 2-0 up at the Parc des Princes with Lionel Messi opening the scoring before Jaouen Hadjam's own goal.\n\nHowever, Nantes came back to level before half-time thanks to goals from Ludovic Blas and Ignatius Ganago, with PSG goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma caught out at his near post for the first and making a fumble that led to the second.\n\nMbappe crossed for Danilo Pereira to head the home side back in front on the hour mark before his crowning moment came late in the game.\n\u2022 None Attempt saved. Mostafa Mohamed (Nantes) right footed shot from outside the box is saved in the top centre of the goal. Assisted by Fabien Centonze.\n\u2022 None Goal! Paris Saint Germain 4, Nantes 2. Kylian Mbapp\u00e9 (Paris Saint Germain) left footed shot from the centre of the box to the bottom left corner. Assisted by Timoth\u00e9e Pemb\u00e9l\u00e9.\n\u2022 None Attempt blocked. Lionel Messi (Paris Saint Germain) left footed shot from outside the box is blocked.\n\u2022 None Attempt blocked. Kylian Mbapp\u00e9 (Paris Saint Germain) right footed shot from outside the box is blocked. Assisted by Carlos Soler.\n\u2022 None Attempt saved. Kylian Mbapp\u00e9 (Paris Saint Germain) right footed shot from the left side of the box is saved in the bottom right corner. Assisted by Vitinha.\n\u2022 None Attempt saved. Kylian Mbapp\u00e9 (Paris Saint Germain) right footed shot from outside the box is saved in the top right corner.\n\u2022 None Attempt missed. Ignatius Ganago (Nantes) left footed shot from the centre of the box is close, but misses to the left. Assisted by Fabien Centonze with a cross. Navigate to the next page Navigate to the last page","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/sport\/football\/64851286"}
{"title":"WATCH: Huge fire burns after Indonesia depot explosion - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-04","authors":null,"description":"Hundreds living nearby are evacuated after the fire and explosion at a fuel depot in Jakarta.","section":null,"content":"At least 15 people have died in a huge fire at a state-run fuel depot in the Indonesian capital, Jakarta.\n\nSixty people were injured in the blaze on Friday night, with many people severely burned. People living nearby were evacuated.\n\nIndonesian officials are calling for an audit of \"all fuel facilities and infrastructures\".","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/world-asia-64847062"}
{"title":"Bahrain Grand Prix: Lewis Hamilton given permission to wear nose stud in races - BBC Sport","published_date":"2023-03-04","authors":null,"description":"Lewis Hamilton is given permission to wear a nose stud while racing despite a ban on Formula 1 drivers wearing jewellery in their car.","section":null,"content":"Last updated on .From the section Formula 1\n\nLewis Hamilton has been given permission to wear a nose stud while racing despite a ban on Formula 1 drivers wearing jewellery in their car.\n\nStewards at the season-opening Bahrain Grand Prix gave Hamilton a medical exemption to leave his stud in place.\n\nThe ruling said: \"There are concerns about disfigurement with frequent attempts at removal of the device.\"\n\nIt will be seen as a climbdown from governing body the FIA after it took a hard line on jewellery last season.\n\nHamilton was forced to remove all his jewellery before driving for much of last season, after something of a stand-off with FIA president Mohammed Ben Sulayem in the first part of the season.\n\nAn FIA spokesperson insisted that the move was \"a continuation of the scenario last year\" and said it was \"standard procedure to issue a decision based on the scrutineering submission we received\".\n\nThe FIA added: \"The rule exists for safety reasons and applies to all competitors in all FIA competitions. Formula 1 drivers are the most visible competitors in world motor sport, and it is their responsibility to set the example for other drivers at every age, level and discipline.\"\n\u2022 None What to look out for in the new Formula 1 season\n\u2022 None How to follow Bahrain Grand Prix on BBC radio and online\n\u2022 None Meet the teams and drivers for 2023\n\u2022 None Was it a mistake to sell off British Gas? Find out if the privatisation of the company could have had an impact on today's energy price crisis\n\u2022 None Can she help struggling learners pass their test?","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/sport\/formula1\/64837408"}
{"title":"Liverpool v Manchester United: Jurgen Klopp & Erik ten Hag call for end to 'tragedy chanting' - BBC Sport","published_date":"2023-03-04","authors":null,"description":"Liverpool and Manchester United managers Jurgen Klopp and Erik ten Hag call for an end to '\"tragedy chanting\" in a joint statement.","section":null,"content":"Last updated on .From the section Premier League","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/sport\/football\/64846694"}
{"title":"Dover: Three lifeboats launched after fire breaks out on ferry - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-04","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"A tug tows the Isle of Innisfree with 183 people on board towards Calais after the engine room fire.","section":"Kent","content":"The ferry was sailing from Dover to Calais when the fire broke out\n\nThree lifeboats from Kent and a French salvage tug were launched after a fire broke out on a ferry in the Channel.\n\nThe lifeboats from Dover, Ramsgate and Dungeness were sent to the vessel - the Isle of Innisfree, owned by Irish Ferries - sailing from Dover to Calais.\n\nThe company said the fire, which was in the engine room, had been contained.\n\nThe ship, carrying 94 passengers and 89 crew, has been towed by a tug towards Calais with the priority now to get those on board to shore.\n\nPassengers booked on imminent Isle of Innisfree sailings will be transferred to alternative sailings, Irish Ferries said.\n\nIt sincerely apologised to all of its passengers for the disruption to their journeys.\n\nA statement from the firm said: \"Crews train regularly to deal with incidents at sea, and the company has put its training into action and the fire has been extinguished.\"\n\nIrish Ferries later added that once the boat arrives in Calais, it will launch a \"full investigation into the incident in conjunction with the relevant authorities\".\n\nHM Coastguard said: \"The vessel has confirmed that the fire has been extinguished but it is experiencing technical issues.\n\n\"All passengers and crew are accounted for and no injuries have been reported.\"\n\nFollow BBC South East on Facebook, on Twitter, and on Instagram. Send your story ideas to southeasttoday@bbc.co.uk.\n\nWere you on board the ferry? Share your experiences by emailing haveyoursay@bbc.co.uk.\n\nPlease include a contact number if you are willing to speak to a BBC journalist. You can also get in touch in the following ways:\n\nIf 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 HaveYourSay@bbc.co.uk. Please include your name, age and location with any submission.\n\nThe BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/uk-england-kent-64844048"}
{"title":"John Caldwell shooting: Police granted more time to question two men - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-04","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"Det Ch Insp John Caldwell was shot several times in Omagh and is still critically ill in hospital.","section":"Northern Ireland","content":"Det Ch Insp John Caldwell has been involved in a number of major investigations\n\nPolice have been granted more time to question two men arrested in connection with the attempted murder of Det Ch Insp John Caldwell.\n\nThe senior officer was shot several times in Omagh last week and is still critically ill in hospital.\n\nA 33-year-old man can now be detained until 18:00 GMT on Sunday, while a 57-year-old man can be held until 22:00 on Sunday.\n\nSix other men arrested over the attack have previously been released.\n\nA 71-year-old man was released on Wednesday evening and a 47-year-old man was released on Thursday evening.\n\nFour other men were released on Tuesday evening.\n\nFour of those held for questioning in recent days are believed to have been from a Protestant background.\n\nHowever, police have said they still believe the shooting was carried out and claimed by dissident republican group the New IRA.\n\nDet Ch Insp John Caldwell was shot several times in front of his young son in the car park of a sports complex in Omagh on 22 February.\n\nThe Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) said two gunmen fired 10 shots at the officer as he was putting footballs into the boot of his car.\n\nAt least two other vehicles were hit by bullets, police said.\n\nPolice have said a blue Ford Fiesta was bought two weeks before the shooting and stored in Belfast\n\nOn Monday, police released CCTV footage of the car believed to be used by the gunmen.\n\nA blue Ford Fiesta had been bought in Ballyclare in County Antrim two weeks before the attack and stored in Belfast, where its plates were changed.\n\nIt was then seen on the M1 driving towards the direction of Coalisland and Omagh the day before the shooting.\n\nThe car was later found burnt out on the Racolpa Road outside Omagh.\n\nA reward of up to \u00a320,000 is being offered by the Crimestoppers charity.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/uk-northern-ireland-64843969"}
{"title":"Joe Biden had cancerous skin lesion removed, White House says - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-04","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"The US president's doctor says all cancerous tissue was successfully removed in February.","section":"US & Canada","content":"US President Joe Biden had a cancerous skin lesion removed last month during a routine health screening, the White House has said.\n\nAll cancerous tissue was removed and no further treatment is required, Mr Biden's doctor said.\n\nMr Biden will continue dermatologic surveillance as part of his ongoing healthcare, the doctor added.\n\nThe president, 80, had a physical exam in February which the White House said found him healthy and \"fit for duty\".\n\nKevin O'Connor, Mr Biden's doctor, wrote in a note provided to media on Friday that the lesion was removed from Mr Biden's chest on 16 February at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center outside Washington DC.\n\n\"No further treatment is required,\" he said, adding that the area has \"healed nicely\" since the biopsy was taken.\n\nThe note said that the type of cancer found - basal cell carcinoma - does not normally spread, or metastasise.\n\nBasal and squamous cell carcinoma are the two most common forms of skin cancer in the US, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).\n\nDiagnosed in 3.6 million Americans every year, it is the the most frequently occurring form of all cancers, according to the Skin Cancer Foundation. It is slow-growing, curable and causes minimal damage if treated early.\n\nUnlike melanoma - another type of common skin cancer that can spread to other parts of the body - basal and squamous carcinoma \"both can usually be cured, but they can be disfiguring and expensive to treat,\" the CDC says.\n\nIn January, Mr Biden's wife, First Lady Jill Biden, had three lesions removed, with two of them later testing positive for basal cell carcinoma.\n\nMr Biden has had several non-melanoma skin cancers removed in the past, before he became president.\n\nIn a 2021 summary of his health, Dr O'Connor wrote that the president's lesions had been excised and \"there are no areas suspicious for skin cancer at this time\".\n\nDoctors advise that the best way to prevent skin cancer is to cover up and wear sunscreen lotion, even during winter.\n\nThe Bidens have long been strong advocates for fighting and curing cancer. Their adult son, Beau, died in 2015 from brain cancer.\n\nMr Biden is widely expected to announce that he will seek a second term in office.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/world-us-canada-64844276"}
{"title":"Consultants want up to \u00a3262 an hour to cover strike days for junior doctors - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-04","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"NHS bosses criticise pay demand for consultants to provide emergency care during junior doctors' walkout.","section":"Health","content":"Consultants in England want at least three times their basic pay to provide emergency cover for junior doctors during this month's three-day walkout.\n\nThe demands have been described as unreasonable by NHS bosses as they try to plug the gaps in emergency care.\n\nThe British Medical Association (BMA) is recommending its members ask for \u00a3158 an hour to work during the day, rising to \u00a3262 for night shifts.\n\nIt said it was right to be paid more for work outside the normal contract.\n\nConsultants earn between \u00a388,000 and \u00a3119,000 a year in basic pay - that works out at the equivalent of about \u00a342 to \u00a357 an hour in a 40-hour week.\n\nAlthough average pay is \u00a320,000 higher once extra payments for performance, night shifts and being on call is included.\n\nBut during the strike the BMA has advised doctors to ask for:\n\nThe BMA said the pay rates should be used by any consultant who is asked to move from their normal speciality or by emergency care consultants who are asked to do extra shifts or fulfil roles normally done by junior doctors.\n\nAbout 40% of the medical workforce is classed as a junior doctor and two-thirds are thought to be BMA members who will be asked to walk out between 06:00 GMT on 13 and 06:00 on 16 March across both planned and emergency care in their pay dispute.\n\nJunior doctors are calling for pay rises to make up for cuts of 26% since 2008.\n\nDanny Mortimer, the chief executive of NHS Employers, said health bosses had sympathy for the plight of doctors, but that was being \"eroded\" by the unilateral demands being made for premium pay.\n\nHe said NHS bosses had not been consulted on the rates, which are included in the BMA official rate card used for extra hours beyond contracted work.\n\n\"If their dispute is with the government with regards to both pay and pensions, it seems unreasonable to act without first seeking any kind of agreement with employers,\" he added.\n\nThe rate card was first introduced last year, the BMA said, after some NHS trusts tried to cap the amount they were willing to pay for overtime.\n\nBMA consultants leader Dr Vishal Sharma said it was right the rate card was used for the strikes.\n\n\"We wholeheartedly support and stand in solidarity with our junior doctor colleagues in their industrial action and pursuit of full pay restoration.\n\n\"Consultants, having themselves experienced real-terms pay cuts, know all too well the damaging impact pay erosion has on morale and staff retention.\n\n\"On strike days it is the responsibility of employers to ensure that services are staffed safely, and they have been given adequate notice of when the action is set to take place.\n\n\"The BMA rate card rates are recommended for all work undertaken outside of the normal contract, and they are therefore appropriate to use for covering absent junior doctors as this work is quite clearly extra-contractual.\n\n\"These rates therefore reflect the market value of doctors' work.\"","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/health-64827246"}
{"title":"Spencer Matthews looks for brother's body on Everest - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-04","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"The former Made in Chelsea star's older brother Michael disappeared hours after reaching the mountain's summit in 1999.","section":"UK","content":"Former Made in Chelsea star Spencer Matthews has been searching for his older brother's body on Mount Everest.\n\nIn 1999, Michael Matthews became the youngest Briton to reach the mountain's summit at the age of 22.\n\nHowever hours later he vanished, never to be seen again.\n\nMore than two decades on, Spencer is retracing Michael's final steps in an attempt to find his body, recording the experience in a new documentary titled \"Finding Michael\".\n\nMichael disappeared 8,000m (26,000 ft) above sea level in an area known as the \"Death Zone\" - an altitude where oxygen levels are insufficient to sustain human life.\n\nMichael was \"everything to me\" says Spencer, who was just 10 years old when his older sibling went missing.\n\nCreating the documentary allowed the former reality star to discover footage of his brother he didn't even know existed.\n\nSpencer reveals an \"incredible\" video of his brother's 1999 expedition was \"brought to the table\" by Dave Rodney, a Canadian climber who had been with Michael on the trip.\n\nMr Rodney has described Michael as the \"best mate I could ever have hoped for on the mountain\" and said that he was humbled and honoured to be in the film.\n\nThe Disney+ documentary sees adventurer Bear Grylls and mountaineer Nirmal Purja also take part in the recovery effort.\n\nTV presenter and executive producer Grylls met Michael a few months before he set off to climb Everest.\n\nGrylls himself climbed Everest in 1998 at the age of 23.\n\n\"There was definitely a meeting of minds and spirit with a fellow young guy who wanted to stand on top of the world,\" said Grylls.\n\n\"Obviously then when the disaster happened and Michael never came home it was a devastating blow for everyone.\"\n\nHe added: \"Twenty years on to watch Spencer now as a man, as a father, as a husband wanting to try and recover his body and tell Michael's story was a privilege to be a small part of.\"\n\nSpencer referred to the reaction he'd received so far as \"incredibly humbling\" and he hopes the documentary helps people and moves them.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/uk-64846007"}
{"title":"UK Weather: Snow and ice warnings extended to more parts of UK - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-04","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"Met Office yellow weather warnings are in force, with disruption to travel and other activities possible.","section":"UK","content":"This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser.\n\nWarnings of snow and ice have been extended to many parts of the UK over the coming days.\n\nYellow weather warnings remain in place for parts of north-east Scotland and England until Wednesday morning.\n\nThe Met Office issued a slew of further yellow warnings on Monday which cover much of the UK during the next five days.\n\nHeavy snow could bring \"significant disruption\" to northern and central parts on Thursday and Friday, it said.\n\nForecasters say a \"major change\" is under way as Arctic air sweeps in from the north, bringing snow, ice and plunging temperatures for many.\n\nA fresh warning of ice and some snow across areas of the Midlands, East, south of England and Wales comes into force between 21:00 GMT tonight and 10:00 on Tuesday.\n\nThis could lead to \"difficult travel conditions\" in some parts, the Met Office said.\n\nSome roads and railways were likely to be affected in these areas, it said, and people should expect longer journey times.\n\nA similar warning covering much of Northern Ireland is also in place overnight.\n\nSnow is likely to cause some travel disruption across parts of southern England and Wales throughout Wednesday, according to another warning.\n\nFurther warnings for heavy snow are in place for Thursday and Friday in much of Scotland, northern England, parts of the Midlands, north Wales and Northern Ireland.\n\nWeather conditions may disrupt travel and other day-to-day activities, with more alerts likely to be issued.\n\nThe first Met Office warning began on Sunday evening for parts of Scotland, covering places including Aberdeen and Dundee, the Highlands, Orkney and Shetland.\n\nThe warning in place on Monday encompasses more of Scotland and a corridor of north-east England that extends to Newcastle upon Tyne and Yorkshire.\n\nFor Tuesday, the area grows further to cover Strathclyde, more of Yorkshire and the Humber, and the East Midlands.\n\nFrequent snow is expected, with northern Scotland experiencing frequent and often heavy snow showers on Monday afternoon.\n\nThe Met Office said snow could cause delays on roads in these places, as well as rail and plane cancellations. It also warned of the risk of slips and falls on icy surfaces.\n\nThere was \"slight chance\" that rural communities could be cut off, it said, adding that cuts to power and phone services were possible.\n\nTuesday night may prove to be the coldest of the year so far, when the temperatures could fall as low as -15C in some sheltered Scottish glens.\n\nSome uncertainty surrounds Wednesday, when a \"battleground\" is expected to be set up as milder Atlantic air from the south meets colder Arctic air from the north.\n\nBBC forecaster John Hutchinson said it would be \"a very cold start to March\", with many areas likely to see snow at some point.\n\nIn some areas, this may only but a small amount, with the heaviest snowfall likely to be in northern Scotland over the next few days, he added.\n\nOn Thursday and Friday, he said snow may become \"a bit more widespread in central and northern Britain\" and flurries may be \"fairly persistent\".\n\nThere could be drifting and some disruption to travel and power, he added.\n\nThe UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) has extended its level three cold weather alert to all of England, with the warning in place from 01:00 on Monday to midnight on Thursday.\n\nThis means there is a 90% chance of severe cold weather, icy conditions or heavy snow.\n\nThe agency said this could have a \"serious impact\" on the health of those who are vulnerable to cold weather, and urged people to check on relatives.\n\nIt advised over-65s, or those with pre-existing medical conditions, to heat their homes to at least 18C.\n\nHow is the cold weather affecting you? Share your experiences by emailing haveyoursay@bbc.co.uk.\n\nPlease include a contact number if you are willing to speak to a BBC journalist. You can also get in touch in the following ways:\n\nIf 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 HaveYourSay@bbc.co.uk. Please include your name, age and location with any submission.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/uk-64848688"}
{"title":"James Cleverly says Falklands are British as Argentina ends deal - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-04","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"Argentina has broken a co-operation deal and is calling for talks over the sovereignty of the Falklands.","section":"UK","content":"The Falkland Islands are a British overseas territory in the south-west Atlantic Ocean\n\nThe UK has insisted the Falkland Islands are British after Argentina broke a co-operation deal and pushed for talks on the islands' sovereignty.\n\nIn 2016, both sides agreed to disagree on the sovereignty of the Falklands in favour of improved relations.\n\nArgentina pulled out of the pact this week and informed UK Foreign Secretary James Cleverly.\n\nThe Falkland Islands were subject to a bloody war in 1982 when Argentina tried to stake a territorial claim.\n\nIn response, Mr Cleverly tweeted: \"The Falkland Islands are British.\n\n\"Islanders have the right to decide their own future - they have chosen to remain a self-governing UK Overseas Territory.\"\n\nThe 2016 agreement between Argentina and the UK pledged to \"improve co-operation on South Atlantic issues of mutual interests\".\n\nMr Cleverly was informed about the decision by his Argentinean counterpart Santiago Cafiero when the pair met at the G20 summit in India earlier this week.\n\nMr Cafier called for talks on the sovereignty of the Falkland Islands, known in Argentina as the Malvinas.\n\nThe UK's minister for the Americas, David Rutley, said it was a \"disappointing decision\" after he had had a \"constructive visit\" to Buenos Aires.\n\n\"Argentina has chosen to step away from an agreement that has brought comfort to the families of those who died in the 1982 conflict,\" he said.\n\nThe Falkland Islands are a British overseas territory in the south-west Atlantic Ocean. Argentina has long claimed sovereignty over the islands.\n\nArgentina invaded in 1982 in a bid to reclaim sovereignty and said it had inherited the Falkland Islands from Spain in the 1800s.\n\nA brief but bitter war lasting 74 days followed - with 655 Argentinian, 255 British and three Falkland deaths - before British forces regained control on 14 June 1982.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/uk-64835605"}
{"title":"Echoes of Hillsborough for Manchester Arena families - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-04","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"The more I heard at the Arena inquiry, the more it reminded me of Hillsborough - writes Judith Moritz","section":"UK","content":"The 22 victims of the Manchester Arena bombing\n\nThe Manchester Arena Inquiry was a mammoth undertaking. Evidence was heard over 196 days, presented and pored over by 18 legal teams, and culminating in three reports running into hundreds of pages.\n\nI went to many of the hearings and, while much of what I heard did cast fresh light on the May 2017 bombing, I listened to a lot of the evidence with a sinking heart and a sense of familiarity and deja vu.\n\nAs the BBC's North of England Correspondent, I've also spent many years covering the aftermath of the Hillsborough disaster in Sheffield - sitting through two years of inquest hearings, and three criminal trials.\n\nThe more I heard at the Arena inquiry, the more it reminded me of Hillsborough.\n\nAnd I wasn't the only one. Several Hillsborough families told me that they had an uncomfortable sense of history repeating itself.\n\nMargaret Aspinall has been a prominent spokesperson for Hillsborough families - pictured in 2016\n\nMargaret Aspinall's son, James, died in the April 1989 disaster - one of 97 Liverpool supporters to have lost their lives. She says seeing what happened at Manchester Arena brought back painful memories. \"You saw people were left again without getting CPR. The main thing is\u2026 lessons have not been learnt.\"\n\nI started to keep a record of the ways the two tragedies seemed to overlap - and quickly realised the seeds of disaster had been sown well before each fateful day.\n\nAt both Hillsborough and Manchester Arena, joint working between the organisations responsible for crowd safety failed. The Hillsborough Inquests found that in the years before the disaster, Sheffield Wednesday FC had not agreed any meaningful contingency plan with South Yorkshire Police - and the club had not been part of a working party, whose other members included South Yorkshire Police, the fire service and local councils.\n\nAt Hillsborough, the club's safety certificate was 10 years old, and hadn't been updated despite changes to the ground which had impacted on capacity and stewarding. A document called The Green Guide was relied on by the club. It was a voluntary code with no legal force and open to interpretation.\n\nIn Manchester - British Transport Police (BTP), Greater Manchester Police, North West Ambulance Service and Greater Manchester Fire and Rescue Service were supposed to work together on a joint planned response to an emergency through a local \"resilience forum\", with meetings every six months.\n\nThe Arena inquiry heard that in the two years leading up to the attack, officers from BTP were only present at a third of those meetings, and those who had attended weren't senior enough.\n\nFor 5 Minutes On, Judith Moritz looks at the many parallels between the Hillsborough and Manchester Arena tragedies - and asks whether history is repeating itself.\n\nThe Manchester inquiry also found the venue's operator SMG UK, and its security contractor Showsec, both had inadequate risk assessments. It also ruled that a breach of the Arena's premises licence - a failure to agree a minimum number of stewards - may have contributed to the fact the attack wasn't prevented.\n\nCompanies working at the Arena were also meant to comply with a document called The Purple Guide, which provides important guidance about health and safety at music and other events. The Manchester inquiry found the Arena's private medical provider ETUK \"fell a long way short of the guidance provided by the Purple Guide\".\n\nBosses admitted \"policing got it badly wrong\" in the aftermath of the 1989 stadium disaster\n\nAt Hillsborough, ambulances lined up outside the ground, but only one South Yorkshire Metropolitan Ambulance Service (SYMAS) vehicle was allowed onto the pitch with only one paramedic at the Leppings Lane end.\n\nAt Manchester Arena, only one paramedic was inside the foyer for the first 40 minutes. Ambulances arrived outside, but a casualty clearing station was set up away from the area where the bomb went off, and the injured had to be lifted there, rather than being offered help inside the Arena.\n\nAt both Hillsborough and Manchester, important life-saving help was given by members of the public.\n\nOne of the most enduring images of the Hillsborough disaster is that of Liverpool fans carrying the dead and injured on advertising hoardings used as improvised stretchers, in the absence of the real thing.\n\nThe same thing happened at Manchester - with graphic testimony at the public inquiry about what happened to one of the fatalities, 28-year-old John Atkinson, who nearly slid off an advertising board and was then carried out on a section of metal railings.\n\nJohn Atkinson was carried from Manchester Arena on a makeshift stretcher\n\nPete Weatherby KC is a barrister who has represented both Hillsborough and Arena families. He told me some of the similarities were \"pretty shocking\".\n\n\"Something as basic as stretchers in both Hillsborough and the Arena. People who were very, very severely injured and in some cases died, were carried out on advertising hoardings in both cases, 30 years apart. There has to be a rethink here\".\n\nAt Hillsborough, the police radio systems failed and officers outside the ground could not hear instructions or communicate. There was a failure to get through to the police control room.\n\nThe Manchester inquiry heard evidence that not all stewards had radios, and there was confusion about the functionality of the radios issued to some Showsec staff. Their training in how to use the radios was not adequate.\n\nAndrew Roussos and his son outside Manchester Arena following the bomb attack\n\nAt Hillsborough, families desperate for information struggled to get through on jammed phone lines. Many drove to Sheffield to search for loved ones. But on arrival, it was equally impossible to locate relatives - and the way they were treated, added to their trauma.\n\nBarry Devonside was at the match, but not on the Leppings Lane terraces where his son, Christopher, was crushed. Mr Devonside went to the temporary mortuary to look for the 18 year old, but police sent him away. He spent seven hours checking at hospitals and a reception centre before being sent back to the mortuary where his son's body had been lying all along. He then had to look at Polaroid photos of all the deceased in order to identify Christopher.\n\nTwenty-eight years later, the story of Andrew Roussos at Manchester Arena bears a horrible resemblance to that of Barry Devonside. Andrew's wife Lisa - and their children Ashlee, 26, and Saffie-Rose, 8 - had been on a \"girls night\" at the arena to watch pop star Ariana Grande.\n\nWhen the bomb exploded at the end of the concert, the three of them were in the arena's foyer. Andrew and his son Xander had been waiting outside nearby to collect them - and were quickly at the scene. But although they found Ashlee straight away, they couldn't find Lisa or Saffie.\n\nThe pair walked round and round the perimeter of the arena, leaving their details with police officers and asking for help. They didn't know that they were yards from Lisa, who was lying inside on the foyer floor - or that Saffie had been carried out of a nearby exit and put into an ambulance.\n\nThey were sent from pillar to post, travelling between three hospitals, until they finally found Lisa in the early hours of the next morning. But Saffie remained missing for 14 hours, until they were finally told that she'd died in the explosion. At the public inquiry, they learned that she was alive when she was taken out of the arena, and had actually died at hospital.\n\nIn 2012, the Hillsborough Independent Panel published a report which found that 41 of the victims had the potential to have survived, if the emergency response had been different. Barry Devonside's son Christopher was amongst them. Inquests later found he may have lived for two hours after the match was stopped.\n\nThis year, the Manchester Arena Inquiry established that 20 of the 22 people killed in the bombing had died from unsurvivable injuries - but it ruled that it was likely that emergency services' inadequacies had prevented John Atkinson's survival. Inquiry Chairman Sir John Saunders also said he could not rule out the possibility that Saffie-Rose Roussos could have been saved with better treatment.\n\nIn his \"pen portrait\" of Saffie-Rose at the Manchester inquiry, Andrew Roussos said his daughter had \"melted people's hearts\"\n\nThe Hillsborough families have endured the double tragedy of the disaster itself, and also a three-decade-long legal aftermath which has included a public inquiry, two sets of inquests and four trials.\n\nThe Manchester Arena bombing has generated several reviews and reports, and a public inquiry which lasted two years. The Arena inquiry included learning which came directly from Hillsborough. After the first set of Hillsborough Inquests in 1990, which referred to the victims by number, there was a determined effort to put the victims at the heart of the process second time around.\n\nThat's why, in 2014, the new Hillsborough inquests in Warrington began with a \"pen portraits\" process - with every bereaved family invited to speak in court about their loved ones' lives and characters. The experience was seen as positive, and has since been used elsewhere, including at the Grenfell Tower Inquiry.\n\nThe Manchester Arena Inquiry also began with individual pen portrait family tributes to each of the 22 victims - an approach welcomed by the Mayor of Greater Manchester, Andy Burnham, who has also worked with Hillsborough families for many years.\n\n\"I think the experience of the Arena families at the inquiry was better than it would have been had it not been for what was revealed about what was so wrong with the original Hillsborough inquests - and how impersonal that was.\"\n\nHowever, not every step of the legal process has been positive for survivors and relatives.\n\nAt both the Hillsborough inquests, and the Manchester Arena Inquiry, survivors applied to be given \"core participant\" status, which would have afforded them legal representation. In both cases, they were denied.\n\nAnne Eyre survived the crush at Hillsborough and it changed her life forever. She went on to become a consultant in emergency planning and disaster management. She established a peer support programme for people affected by the Manchester bombing.\n\nShe says using her lived experiences to help others, who aren't legally core participants, is her way of \"paying it forward\".\n\n\"Regardless of your legal status, it's a constant thing of trying to make sense of an experience where some people around you have died, and you have lived. The randomness of it never leaves you\".\n\nThe Glade of Light memorial in Manchester bears the names of all those killed in the Arena attack\n\nThose affected by both tragedies also speak of their experience of enduring months of courtroom argument, as organisations involved at both Hillsborough and Manchester Arena sought to blame each other.\n\n\"We see a repeat of this tendency of public bodies not to feel able to tell the truth at the first time of asking,\" says Andy Burnham, \"and sadly, that has repeated, not to the same degree, but to some degree with the Manchester Arena Inquiry.\"\n\nThe Greater Manchester mayor is one of those leading the campaign for a \"Hillsborough Law\" - which would give families bereaved through public tragedies financial support for legal representation at inquiries.\n\n\"It's something we need very urgently. People know that mistakes get made - that's life. What people won't forgive is the covering up of those mistakes.\n\n\"And then the pushing of people, already traumatised by their loss, into a wilderness where they're left just trying to fight for change, truth, and answers for years and years to come.\"\n\nThis week, the Government announced the creation of a new role - that of Independent Public Advocate. It's part of an effort to improve care of survivors and families of people killed in major disasters, including by supporting them through the inquiries that follow.\n\nBut it stops short of the full package of measures which some would like to see.\n\n\"The obvious problem with inquiries and inquests is that very often you get a fantastic report and great recommendations - but then it sits on a shelf,\" says Pete Weatherby KC.\n\nBoth Hillsborough and Manchester Arena have resulted in multiple inquiry reports. One thing that everyone involved in both disasters has in common is the hope that they'll be used as the basis for real change - so no-one else has to go through similar suffering in future.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/uk-64798847"}
{"title":"Watch: Matt Hancock message row in 83 seconds - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-04","authors":null,"description":"The BBC's Jonathan Blake examines why the former health secretary's Covid communications are in the spotlight.","section":null,"content":"Ex-Health Secretary Matt Hancock has accused a journalist of a \"massive betrayal and breach of trust\" after she leaked texts he sent during Covid.\n\nIsabel Oakeshott defended releasing WhatsApps she obtained when working on Mr Hancock's book, arguing it was in the \"overwhelming national interest\".\n\nBBC political correspondent Jonathan Blake has been looking into the row.\n\nFilming and editing by Alex Smith, Serene Khalifeh and Thomas Mason","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/uk-politics-64831398"}
{"title":"US drone crash: A moment fraught with danger - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-15","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"The encounter between a Russian jet and a US drone raises some difficult questions for President Biden.","section":"Europe","content":"Reaper drones are full-size aircraft designed for reconnaissance and surveillance\n\nThe encounter between Russian jets and a US drone, which resulted in the drone crashing into the Black Sea, appears to be the most significant publicly acknowledged US-Russia confrontation since Russia's all-out invasion of Ukraine more than a year ago.\n\nAs such, it raises a lot of questions and represents a moment fraught with danger.\n\nThe United States' National Security Council's (NSC) John Kirby says there have been other intercepts \"even in recent weeks\", but that this one was different.\n\nCould it have been an accident?\n\n\"Based on the actions of the Russian pilots, it's clear that it was unsafe, unprofessional,\" was the verdict of the Pentagon's Press Secretary, Air Force Brigadier General Pat Ryder.\n\n\"I think the actions speak for themselves.\"\n\nDoes the behaviour of Russia's pilots - allegedly dumping fuel in the path of the drone and then colliding with it - represent a significant escalation?\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser.\n\nAccording to the Pentagon, the whole incident lasted about 30-40 minutes.\n\nDuring that time, Gen Ryder said there was no direct communication between the Russian and American militaries.\n\nUS officials say they believe the Russian Su-27 jets involved \"likely\" suffered some damage, indicating that a collision was not deliberate.\n\n\"I do know that the state department is raising our concerns about the incident directly with the Russian government,\" he added.\n\nWhat, if anything, does the episode mean for the future of American drone operations over the Black Sea, and for the vital surveillance such operations provide to Ukraine?\n\n\"If the message is that they want to deter or dissuade us from flying or operating in international airspace over the Black Sea,\" Mr Kirby told broadcaster VOA, \"then that message will fail because that is not going to happen\".\n\nNot surprisingly, Russia would like to make it as hard as possible for Ukraine's allies to carry out such work.\n\nWashington is being tight lipped about what has happened to the drone.\n\nAfter the collision, US remote pilots were forced to bring it down in the Black Sea.\n\nGen Ryder would not say where it landed or whether the Russian navy was trying to recover it.\n\nAudio recordings circulating on social media seem to indicate some kind of Russian recovery operation was under way. But this has not been confirmed.\n\nClearly, Washington would not be happy if such sensitive surveillance technology fell into Russian hands.\n\nFor Joe Biden, determined to support Ukraine for \"as long as it takes\", this is a delicate moment.\n\nIt's not just Western weaponry that's helping Ukraine to withstand Russia's invasion.\n\nIt's also a vast quantity of real-time intelligence on every aspect of Russia's military operations, including the movement of vessels in the Black Sea and the launch of missiles aimed at targets across Ukraine.\n\nFrom defending Ukraine's critical national infrastructure to planning its own offensive operations, Kyiv depends heavily on the steady flow of information.\n\nFor obvious reasons, US officials won't be drawn into what, if any, additional precautions its surveillance operations will now involve.\n\nWashington wants to keep them going, but is anxious to avoid using force, and risk getting drawn into a more direct confrontation with Moscow.\n\u2022 None US drone crashes after encounter with Russian jet","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/world-europe-64959498"}
{"title":"Cladding: Michael Gove names firms yet to sign post-Grenfell fire safety contract - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-15","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"The Levelling Up secretary urges developers to pay for repairs to homes with post-Grenfell fire risks.","section":"UK Politics","content":"Michael Gove has named 11 firms who have so far refused to sign a contract to repair homes with safety risks exposed by the Grenfell Tower fire.\n\nHe said 39 firms had signed the contract, which would see them spending \u00a32bn to pay for repairs to buildings with unsafe cladding and other issues.\n\nBut, the levelling up secretary told MPs: \"Some regrettably have not.\"\n\nHe said they had a week to do so or face being banned from building new homes in England.\n\n\"Those companies will be out of the housebuilding business in England entirely unless and until they change their course. Next week I will publish key features of our new 'responsible actors' scheme,\" he said in a Commons statement.\n\nHe said this scheme was a way of \"ensuring that only those committed to building safety will be allowed to build in the future\".\n\n\"Those developers that we've invited to sign the remediation contract who have not agreed to live up to their responsibilities will not be eligible to join the responsible actors' scheme.\n\n\"They will not be able to commence new developments in England or receive building control approval for work that is already under way.\n\n\"The companies invited to sign the remediation contract who have not yet lived up to their responsibilities are: Abbey Developments, Avant, Ballymore, Dandara, Emerson Group - Jones Homes, Galliard Homes, Inland Homes, Lendlease, London Square, Rydon Homes and Telford Homes.\"\n\nThe government has also published a list of the companies that have signed the contract and those who have not so far agreed.\n\nMr Gove claimed this was a \"significant intervention in the market\" but added: \"The magnitude of the crisis that we face and the depth of the suffering for all those affected has clearly justified a radical approach\".\n\nMr Gove had given developers until 13 March to sign up to the agreement - but he hoped more would come on board over the next week.\n\nHis officials were in talks with several of the companies \"who are making progress towards signing\", he told MPs.\n\nThe scheme is aimed at helping leaseholders who live in buildings between 11m (36ft) and 18.5m high, who are facing large bills for the removal of dangerous cladding. It means those leaseholders will not have to pay for the cladding's removal.\n\nMichael Gove says several firms are close to signing the contract\n\nLabour's shadow levelling up secretary Lisa Nandy backed the government action - but said it only covered a \"fraction of the problem\".\n\n\"We want to see every developer sign the remediation contract and urgently move to fix the unsafe buildings and free leaseholders who've been trapped for too long.\"\n\nBut she said the government's contract only covered 1,100 buildings, when Mr Gove's own department had said there are \"between 6,000 and 9,000 unsafe 11-18m buildings alone\".\n\nShe also asked Mr Gove how he planned to help leaseholders in buildings with defects outside of the scope of the contract.\n\nMr Gove replied: \"It is the case with buildings under 11m there are some fire safety issues but we have to look at these on a case-by-case basis.\"\n\nOnce signed, the contract makes commitments signed by developers in a public pledge last year legally binding.\n\nInland Homes, which previously signed the pledge, has requested an extension due to recent changes to its board of directors, a spokeswoman said.\n\nThe BBC understands that one of the companies, Avant, is hoping to be able to sign the contract soon.\n\nIt is understood that Ballymore is finalising remaining details and will sign soon.\n\nA spokesman for Telford Homes said it had completed its review of the contract \"and expects to sign soon\".\n\nMeanwhile, Lendlease said it was continuing to work through the detail of the contract and \"expect our governance processes will allow us to confirm our position by early April\".\n\n\"As a responsible global developer and investor, we firmly believe companies should only be held accountable when they've acted irresponsibly; and we've been in frequent conversations with the UK government on these issues both through the Home Builders Federation and directly,\" it added.\n\nLondon Square said it supported the government's response to building safety, saying that it signed the pledge letter last year.\n\nIt added: \"We remain committed to the pledge. We are disappointed to have been included in the list when we had not received a draft contract that was relevant to London Square to reflect the fact that we have no historic fire safety issues.\n\n\"Our lawyers are working to reach an agreement with the government lawyers and we understand they are close to achieving this. We are happy to sign when agreed.\"\n\nGalliard Homes said it had been remediating its buildings in line with government guidance for \"some time\".\n\nA spokesman said: \"We are working through the procedural matters with the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities (DLUHC) with the intention of signing this contract.\"\n\nA spokesman for Rydon Homes said it believed it fell into the category of a small and medium-sized enterprises (SME) house-builder, and has informed the government but received no response.\n\nHe added: \"When the DLUHC wishes to extend the contractual scheme to all SME developers, Rydon Homes Ltd will engage with that process, with a view to agreeing to enter into a fair and reasonable agreement with the government.\"\n\nDandara said it expected to sign the contract \"imminently\", and said it had not been invited to original consultations which had delayed the process.\n\nIt said it had signed the previous pledge, and proactively engaged with owners and management companies to undertake any enhancements needed in respect of fire safety matters.\n\nThe remaining companies have been approached for comment.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/uk-politics-64957057"}
{"title":"William says Diana would be disappointed at level of homelessness - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-15","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"The Prince of Wales says his mother would be disappointed at lack of progress on homelessness.","section":"UK","content":"Prince William is taking part in this year's appeal for Comic Relief\n\nPrince William says his mother, Princess Diana, would have been disappointed at the lack of progress in preventing homelessness.\n\nHe shared his thoughts during a video recorded for this year's Red Nose Day charity appeal.\n\nMaking the video, the Prince of Wales spent time with people who had been helped by a homelessness charity.\n\nHis comments will be shown on BBC One on Friday as part of the annual appeal to raise funds for Comic Relief.\n\nAs a child, Prince William was brought by his mother on visits to charities working with homeless people, such as the Passage in central London.\n\nPrincess Diana with Harry and William at the Passage charity in 1993\n\n\"My mother introduced me to the cause of homelessness from quite a young age, and I'm really glad she did,\" said the prince, in the video to be shown during the Red Nose Day appeal.\n\n\"I think she would be disappointed that we are still no further on, in terms of tackling homelessness and preventing it, than when she was interested and involved in it.\"\n\nComic Relief quotes official government figures which reveal that rough sleeping in England has risen by 26% in a year, which it linked to a \"spiralling cost-of-living crisis\".\n\nIt also warned that the numbers of those sleeping on the street remained the \"tip of the iceberg\" in terms of the wider problem of homelessness.\n\nPrince William spoke to people who had been supported by the Groundswell charity, funded by Comic Relief.\n\nThis included Miles, who told the prince: \"Homelessness is about not having a safe space - it's a very isolating life. You exist, you don't live.\"\n\nMiles told Prince William about the isolation of homelessness\n\nAnother person in the video, Nawshin, told him: \"I didn't have a choice but to leave home - I had a lot of childhood trauma and circumstances happened around me that were out of my control.\"\n\nPrince William is patron of the Passage homelessness charity. Last month he opened two residential buildings which will support 225 people per year.\n\nAt the opening ceremony in London, in February, he rejected the idea that homelessness was \"inevitable\", saying \"ending homelessness must be thought of as more than simply a wishful aspiration. Instead, it should be viewed as an achievable goal\".\n\n\"I am personally more determined than ever to play my part in working with others to do all we can to stop the human tragedy that is homelessness,\" said the prince.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/uk-64970278"}
{"title":"Strikes Update: How Thursday 16 March's strikes affect you - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-15","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"What you need to know about the teachers' walkout in England and widespread rail disruption.","section":"Business","content":"Disruption for pupils and parents continues on Thursday, on day two of a 48-hour walkout by some teachers in England. There will also be reduced rail services across 18 train companies.\n\nWednesday saw strikes by junior doctors in England, up to 150,000 civil servants across 100 government departments and agencies, and on the London Underground.\n\nMembers of the National Education Union (NEU) in England will continue their two-day strike on Thursday - part of an ongoing dispute over pay and funding.\n\nMany schools - more than half on previous strike dates - will be closed or have restricted attendance.\n\nSixth-form colleges will also be affected.\n\nParents are advised by the Department for Education (DfE) to send children to school unless school leaders have said otherwise.\n\nNo further industrial action is currently planned in Scotland, Wales or Northern Ireland.\n\nYou can read more here about why teachers are striking.\n\nMembers of the RMT union working at 18 train companies are striking over pay, job cuts and changes to terms and conditions.\n\nThey will also walkout this Saturday 18 March - and also on 30 March and 1 April, which is the start of the Easter school holidays for many.\n\nThere will be reduced services - and no trains at all in some places.\n\nNetwork Rail, which manages the tracks, advises passengers to check train-operating company websites before setting out.\n\nIt also warns of possible next-day disruption because of the knock-on impact on shift patterns.\n\nRoutes in England will be worst hit - but some services which run into Scotland and Wales are also likely to be hit.\n\nOn the London Underground - following Wednesday's walkout by RMT and Aslef union members - Thursday's services are expected to start later than normal.\n\nTransport for London (TfL) also says Thursday's national rail strike action will have an impact on the Overground, Elizabeth Line and some parts of the Bakerloo and District lines through Thursday and into Friday morning.\n\nTens of thousands of staff at 150 universities across the UK - including academics, librarians, technicians, security and catering workers - begin five days of strikes on Thursday.\n\nMembers of the University and College Union (UCU) are also walking out this Friday - and Monday to Wednesday next week.\n\nThe strikes have caused \"low and isolated\" levels of disruption to students, according to the Universities and College Employers Association (UCEA).\n\nSome universities - says Universities UK (UUK), which represents 140 institutions - have extended coursework deadlines and rescheduled teaching.\n\nThe UCU action is over pay and working conditions and also pension cuts - but staff are only striking over both issues at 62 universities.\n\nMembers of the National Union of Journalists at BBC sites across England are in the middle of a 24-hour walkout - finishing at 11:00 on Thursday.\n\nBBC local radio, regional television and digital services are being disrupted.\n\nThe strike is because of plans to merge some local radio programmes.\n\u2022 University staff who are members of the University and College Union and Unison are on strike\n\u2022 Union members at 150 universities have been taking part in industrial action Read more: Will my lecture be cancelled? There are currently no national strikes planned for this date There are currently no national strikes planned for this date There are currently no national strikes planned for this date There are currently no national strikes planned for this date There are currently no national strikes planned for this date There are currently no national strikes planned for this date There are currently no national strikes planned for this date There are currently no national strikes planned for this date There are currently no national strikes planned for this date There are currently no national strikes planned for this date There are currently no national strikes planned for this date\n\u2022 More than 1,000 Passport Office workers are on strike in a dispute about jobs, pay and conditions\n\u2022 Members of the Public and Commercial Services union have warned of delays to applications and the delivery of passports in the run-up to summer\n\u2022 More than 1,000 Passport Office workers are on strike in a dispute about jobs, pay and conditions\n\u2022 Members of the Public and Commercial Services union have warned of delays to applications and the delivery of passports in the run-up to summer\n\u2022 More than 1,000 Passport Office workers are on strike in a dispute about jobs, pay and conditions\n\u2022 Members of the Public and Commercial Services union have warned of delays to applications and the delivery of passports in the run-up to summer\n\u2022 More than 1,000 Passport Office workers are on strike in a dispute about jobs, pay and conditions\n\u2022 Members of the Public and Commercial Services union have warned of delays to applications and the delivery of passports in the run-up to summer\n\u2022 More than 1,000 Passport Office workers are on strike in a dispute about jobs, pay and conditions\n\u2022 Members of the Public and Commercial Services union have warned of delays to applications and the delivery of passports in the run-up to summer\n\u2022 More than 1,000 Passport Office workers are on strike in a dispute about jobs, pay and conditions\n\u2022 Members of the Public and Commercial Services union have warned of delays to applications and the delivery of passports in the run-up to summer There are currently no national strikes planned for this date\n\nHow are you affected by the strikes? Are you taking part in strike action? You can email: haveyoursay@bbc.co.uk.\n\nPlease include a contact number if you are willing to speak to a BBC journalist. You can also get in touch in the following ways:\n\nIf 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 HaveYourSay@bbc.co.uk. Please include your name, age and location with any submission.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/business-64966053"}
{"title":"US drone downing: Russia will try to retrieve remnants of drone - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-15","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"A US surveillance drone plunged into the Black Sea after an encounter with Russian jets on Tuesday.","section":"Europe","content":"This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser.\n\nRussia said on Wednesday that it would try to retrieve the remnants of a US drone that crashed into the Black Sea.\n\nThe large MQ-9 Reaper drone plunged into the water on Tuesday.\n\nThe US said it brought down the damaged drone after it became \"unflyable\" when a Russian jet clipped its propeller - but Moscow has denied these claims.\n\nSpeaking on state television, Russian security council secretary Nikolai Patrushev confirmed Moscow was attempting to find the aircraft.\n\n\"I don't know whether we'll be able to retrieve it or not but it has to be done,\" Mr Patrushev said.\n\nHe also said that the drone's presence in the Black Sea was \"confirmation\" that the US was directly involved in the war.\n\nSenior Washington official John Kirby said the US was also searching for the aircraft, but stressed that if Russia beat them to it, \"their ability to exploit useful intelligence will be highly minimised\".\n\nThat message was reiterated by General Mark Milley, America's top military general, who said the US has taken \"mitigating measures\" to ensure there was nothing of value on the downed drone.\n\nHe said it would be challenging to retrieve the drone, noting the water where it crashed was anywhere between 4,000ft to 5,000ft (1,200m to 1,500m) deep.\n\nUS military officials said the incident happened on Tuesday morning and the confrontation lasted around 30-40 minutes.\n\nIn a statement, the US said Russian jets dumped fuel on the drone several times before the collision.\n\nPentagon spokesman Brig Gen Pat Ryder told reporters the drone was \"unflyable and uncontrollable\", adding the collision also likely damaged the Russian aircraft.\n\nRussia has denied its two Su-27 fighter jets made any contact with the US drone.\n\nRussia's defence ministry said the drone crashed after a \"sharp manoeuvre\", and that it was flying with its transponders (communication devices) turned off.\n\nThe US Defence Secretary, Lloyd Austin, confirmed he had spoken with his Russian counterpart, Sergei Shoigu, the day after the drone was downed.\n\nIn a statement released after the phonecall, Russia's defence ministry said Mr Shoigu blamed the incident on \"increased reconnaissance activities against the interests of the Russian Federation\". It also called US drone flights off the coast of Crimea \"provocative\".\n\nThe US and UK have previously gone to extraordinary lengths to recover their technology after crashes.\n\nThey retrieved the wreckage of their stealth fighter jet, the F-35 from the bottom of the South China Sea after it sank.\n\nBut on the face of it, the Pentagon seems more relaxed about losing a Reaper drone. It's older technology and numerous have been lost before.\n\nAnd trying to recover a downed drone in deep waters, next to a war zone, with Russian ships and submarines patrolling, could present even greater risks of escalation.\n\nTensions have risen over the Black Sea ever since Russia's annexation of nearby Crimea in 2014.\n\nAnd since Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine, the US and the UK have stepped up surveillance flights, though always operating in international airspace.\n\nThe lost Reaper may have been carrying a surveillance pod able to suck up electronic data such as radar emissions.\n\nThe US Department of Defense said in a press release that the surveillance trips are used to gather information which helps improve security for Europe and supports \"allied partners\".\n\nThe US has reportedly shared intelligence with Ukraine previously, including to help it sink a Russian ship in the Black Sea.\n\nUkraine's foreign minister told BBC reporter James Landale that incidents such as the downing of a US drone over the Black Sea are inevitable until Russia leaves Crimea.\n\nDescribing it as a \"routine incident\", Dmytro Kuleba said: \"As long as Russia controls Crimea, these kinds of incidents will be inevitable and the Black Sea will not be a safe place.\"\n\nRussia annexed Crimea in 2014, but the vast majority of countries still recognise it as part of Ukraine.\n\nThe BBC asked Mr Kuleba if, following the drone incident, the US and other allies might become more cautious.\n\n\"If the West wants to demonstrate its weakness, it should certainly demonstrate its cautiousness after an incident like this, but I don't have a feeling that this is the mood in capitals,\" he replied.\n\n\"The mood is not to escalate but nor is the mood to lean under the pressure - the physical or rhetorical pressure - of Russia.\"\n\nUS Defence Secretary Lloyd Austin vowed the military would \"continue to fly and operate\" wherever international law allows.\n\nAfter being summoned to speak to officials in Washington, Russian ambassador Anatoly Antonov said Moscow saw the drone incident as \"a provocation\".\n\nFrom the Kremlin's point of view Mr Antonov added: \"The unacceptable activity of the US military in the close proximity to our borders is a cause for concern.\"\n\nOn Wednesday, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov reporters there has been no high-level contact between Moscow and Washington over the incident.\n\nBut he said Russia would never refuse to engage in constructive dialogue.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/world-europe-64961958"}
{"title":"Jeremy Hunt's Budget is focused on the next election - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-15","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"The chancellor's policies to boost growth are frontloaded to try to provide a boost before the election.","section":"Business","content":"The big claim from Chancellor Jeremy Hunt is a modest one - we are no longer going into recession, and inflation will fall faster.\n\nThat is better news, relatively speaking, given the size of the shock to the economy from higher energy prices. But the big picture on living standards is that we are still in the middle of an historic fall. It is little wonder that Mr Hunt felt compelled to extend the largest part of the energy bill support that was due to run out.\n\nBut the big broad strategic decision the chancellor has made is to spend the windfall from better upfront growth in the economy to try to get the UK out of a slow growth mire.\n\nThe government has spent nearly all the extra revenue from better economic news, which means it has borrowed about \u00a320bn a year to spend on trying to boost business investment, getting people back to work and extra defence.\n\nThe plans to boost growth look like microsurgery: several dozen measures, designed to unlock two key self-admitted problems - poor business investment, and getting the workforce back up to full strength. And that surgery has a notable timing - all frontloaded to provide as big a boost possible now, before the next general election.\n\nThere are some eye-catching thrusts into a high-tech future of a dozen Canary Wharfs situated near our biggest universities. Post-Brexit changes to trading rules are focused on five key sectors. Pharmaceuticals will get the fastest regulator in the world and automatically accept medicines approved in the US, EU and Japan, building on the Covid vaccine success.\n\nBut some of the biggest measures run out just after the election, and that's why the forecasts from the government's independent forecaster, the Office for Budget Responsibility (OBR), show growth declining afterwards.\n\nSo it's maximising the bang for the buck early, trying to get a deliverable, visible, noticeable impact for voters by the time of the election, which we're expecting by late 2024.\n\nIn fact in the small print of the OBR report it says that because the changes to corporation tax are a temporary measures \"we have assumed that the Budget measure has no long run impact on the capital stock\" and \"all the additional investment is ultimately displaced from future years\".\n\nSo you get a pre-election boom in business investment and then it falls below the level that it would have done without the policy, with \"no overall impact\" on total investment.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/business-64968942"}
{"title":"Khayri Mclean: Boy killed near school by 'youths lying in wait' - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-15","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"Khayri Mclean, 15, was stabbed outside his school in Huddersfield and died later in hospital.","section":"Leeds & West Yorkshire","content":"Khayri Mclean, 15, died after he was stabbed near the entrance to North Huddersfield Trust School\n\nA boy was killed outside his school by two youths who were lying in wait for him wearing balaclavas and carrying knives, a court heard.\n\nKhayri Mclean, 15, was stabbed near the entrance to North Huddersfield Trust School and later died in hospital.\n\nLeeds Crown Court heard that as he left for the day, Khayri was met by two boys, aged 15 and 16, who \"charged\" towards him aggressively.\n\nThe younger boy admits murder, the older denies it.\n\nProsecutor Jonathan Sandiford KC told the court the 15-year-old had shouted \"Oi Khayri\" or \"Yo Khayri\" before jumping in the air, swinging a knife with a 30cm blade and stabbing Khayri.\n\nThis proved to be the fatal blow as it went through his ribs and penetrated one of his lungs and heart, the court was told.\n\nMr Sandiford said Khayri fell to the floor and was \"defenceless on his back\" when the 16-year-old went after him, knife in hand, and stabbed him again.\n\n\"Fortunately, Khayri was able to lift his legs to block the blow and so the knife penetrated his lower leg rather than a more vital part of his body,\" the prosecutor said.\n\nKhayri Mclean was stabbed near the entrance to North Huddersfield Trust School on 21 September 2022\n\nThe jury was told that the 15-year-old had pleaded guilty to murder. The 16-year-old, who has since turned 17, denies murdering Khayri and is on trial.\n\nMr Sandiford told the court that although the older defendant did not inflict the fatal blow on 21 September 2022, he is guilty of murder because the pair acted together, \"encouraging and supporting each other to carry out that attack\".\n\n\"This was not an act of spontaneous violence but a planned attack in which [the defendants] armed themselves with knives, changed some of their clothing and wore balaclavas to hide their identities before going to lie in wait to attack Khayri as he walked home from school,\" he said.\n\nAfter attacking Khayri, the boys ran away together, before stopping to remove their balaclavas and the clothing worn for the attack, Mr Sandiford said.\n\n\"Those items, and most likely the knives used to murder Khayri, were left in bags, concealed in woodland, from where they were later retrieved and disposed of by others,\" he told the court.\n\nHaving changed their appearances, the boys calmly walked to within a short distance of where Khayri lay fatally injured in the street, he added.\n\nThe court was also told that the older defendant's mother had texted him in the aftermath of the incident saying: \"Your enemy has been stabbed and it doesn't look good.\"\n\nMr Sandiford said the 17-year-old has since claimed that he went to the school to confront another person who he believed had broken windows at his mother's house.\n\nHe was concerned this person and his friends might have knives, so he picked up \"a small kitchen knife to defend himself if necessary\", the court was told.\n\nHe did not name his co-defendant, but said \"another boy\" offered to come with him, and when a group of pupils approached them, the other boy rushed at them and he \"instinctively\" followed.\n\nThe boy claims he swung his knife at Khayri \"in panic\" as he \"feared he would be attacked\".\n\nMr Sandiford described the claim as \"a pack of lies\".\n\n\"The prosecution says this was a well-planned and targeted attack on Khayri Mclean with the intention of killing him or at least causing him really serious harm,\" he added.\n\nFollow BBC Yorkshire on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. Send your story ideas to yorkslincs.news@bbc.co.uk\n\nThe BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/uk-england-leeds-64969594"}
{"title":"Northern Ireland travel disruption fears as heavy rain sweeps in - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-15","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"After heavy snowfall, now it's the turn of the rain with some areas facing 40mm in under 24 hours.","section":"Northern Ireland","content":"The rain warning is in place until 10:00 GMT on Thursday\n\nDisruptive rain is forecast for Northern Ireland from this afternoon with a weather warning issued by the Met Office.\n\nTravel disruption is expected as the rain becomes more persistent later on Wednesday.\n\nIt is due to last until later on Thursday morning, with between 20mm to 30mm of rain expected quite widely.\n\nSome areas could see up to 40mm of rainfall accumulating during that period.\n\nThat is likely to lead to surface spray and flooding on roads before conditions improve from the west on Thursday.\n\nThe warning is in place from 14:00 GMT on Wednesday until 10:00 GMT on Thursday.\n\nIt comes after heavy snowfall last week caused major delays and disruptions across the country.\n\nThis Twitter post cannot be displayed in your browser. Please enable Javascript or try a different browser. View original tweet on Twitter The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Skip twitter post by Met Office - Northern Ireland 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\u2019s cookie policy, external and privacy policy, external before accepting. To view this content choose \u2018accept and continue\u2019. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/uk-northern-ireland-64962940"}
{"title":"Euston church shooting: Man charged over drive-by attack - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-15","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"Four women and two girls were injured in the incident in January.","section":"London","content":"The shooting occurred at a memorial for Fresia Calderon and her daughter Sara Sanchez\n\nA 19-year-old man has been charged, and two other men arrested, over a drive-by shooting during a funeral outside a church in central London.\n\nFour women and two girls were injured in the incident in Euston in January.\n\nAlrico Nelson Martin, from Kilburn, north-west London, has been charged with possession of a shotgun with intent to endanger life.\n\nA further two men, aged 22 and 23, have been arrested for conspiracy to murder and remain in custody.\n\nFour women and two girls, aged 11 and seven, were shot outside a funeral at St Aloysius Church in Phoenix Road.\n\nThe shooting happened close to a church while a funeral was taking place, police say\n\nMourners had been attending the funeral of Sara Sanchez, 20, who died from leukaemia in November and her mother, Fresia Calderon, who died the same month.\n\nMs Sanchez had suffered from leukaemia for three years, while her mother died from a rare blood clot on arrival at Heathrow from Colombia.\n\nMr Martin, who is also charged with six counts of conspiracy to wound with intent, will appear later at Willesden Magistrates' Court.\n\nThe Met said a 22-year-old man arrested in Barnet, north London, on 15 January has been released on bail pending further inquiries.\n\nThe BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/uk-england-london-64945764"}
{"title":"Five things we learned from the SNP leaders' debate - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-15","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"A live studio audience, a move away from personal attacks and a wide range of policies were on show.","section":"Scotland politics","content":"There were more smiles on show, with fewer direct attacks between the candidates compared to previous debates\n\nThe three candidates to replace Nicola Sturgeon as SNP leader and first minister of Scotland have taken part in the final TV debate of the campaign.\n\nHow did Kate Forbes, Ash Regan and Humza Yousaf approach the live TV event, and what does it tell us about how the contest will play out?\n\nThis was the only TV debate of the campaign to feature a live studio audience. Hustings have taken place in front of party members, but those have been altogether cosier in-house affairs.\n\nThis was where the candidates had to bump up against the general public for the first time, and thus a fascinating chance to see if the themes their campaigns have been based on chime with the priorities of the wider populace.\n\nHealth and the cost of living are obvious topics for all, but this debate featured perhaps the most discussion there has been about education in the contest to date - still all of about five minutes.\n\nAnd seeing how the audience reacted to the pitch from each candidate was almost as enlightening as the policies themselves.\n\nThere was applause for the candidates - but also some sharp interventions from punters less than impressed by their efforts.\n\nIt was a reminder that whoever wins this contest will need to be the first minister for the whole country.\n\nThey only need to win over SNP members to get the job - they will need to convince the nation at large to keep it.\n\nKate Forbes changed tack from the direct attacks she used in previous debates\n\nThis was, broadly, a debate focused on policy rather than personality - something summed up when Humza Yousaf said he was \"not going to sit here and slag off colleagues in government\".\n\nIn previous debates, the candidates rarely missed an opportunity to kick lumps out of each other, but the cross-examination here was notably less fiery.\n\nThat may be in part because yellow-on-yellow attacks are greeted with glee by opposition parties, but it is also a mark of how the candidates have evolved their approach.\n\nHumza Yousaf may have been braced for another broadside from Kate Forbes, but instead was greeted by policy-laden questions which promoted the finance secretary's own strengths.\n\nAsh Regan used her questions to Mr Yousaf to bring up gender reform - again, something she sees as a strength of her own campaign.\n\nMr Yousaf was actually ticked off by Stephen Jardine for talking about his own policies at length when he was meant to be questioning Ms Forbes.\n\nThis may be because of the fear that mud thrown now could still be stuck on when future elections roll around.\n\nBut it may also be because this race uses a single transferable vote system - and in a tight contest, second-preference votes could turn out to be crucial.\n\nThe candidates might have calculated that it is profitable to make friends than to try to knock out opponents entirely.\n\nAsh Regan is the candidate pushing for independence with the most urgency\n\nThings are going to change, regardless of who wins this contest.\n\nPerhaps that's obvious - none of the candidates are Nicola Sturgeon. But they have all worked for her, only to have developed some concerns about her policies since she decided to resign.\n\nKate Forbes has pitched herself as the change candidate, but even so it is striking to hear the sitting finance secretary talking about a need to \"reset the relationship with business\".\n\nAsh Regan said the government she had resigned from \"isn't in touch with the priorities of people and it seems like the government isn't listening\", and talked about ending the partnership deal with the Greens.\n\nEven Humza Yousaf, who has accepted the mantle of continuity candidate, wants to see changes to the deposit return scheme and said the delays to ferry projects were \"unacceptable\".\n\nOne audience member called out the \"lack of accountability\" on the part of government ministers who have been in post for years, now calling for a change of direction.\n\nAfter a long run of stability under Nicola Sturgeon and indeed Alex Salmond before her, it feels like the direction of the Scottish government is up in the air for the first time in 15 years.\n\nHumza Yousaf has accepted the mantle of continuity candidate, looking to continue Nicola Sturgeon's legacy\n\nAll three leadership candidates said they could see Scotland being independent within five years.\n\nFrankly in order to lead the SNP, they probably need to say that. There may not be much appetite among the membership for pumping the brakes on the campaign now.\n\nBut the three of them still have quite different ideas about how to get there.\n\nAsh Regan stands apart from Humza Yousaf and Kate Forbes in urgency, bringing up independence in response to quite a few other questions.\n\nHer idea of a \"voter empowerment mechanism\" essentially bakes the de-facto referendum into every election, for all that question marks hung over that approach.\n\nHumza Yousaf, meanwhile, said the party should not be \"obsessing\" about process, saying that a surge of grassroots support will answer any and all questions. It sounds a lot like Nicola Sturgeon's approach of a few years ago, when she talked about not having a \"magic wand\" to bring about a referendum overnight.\n\nAnd Kate Forbes was the most explicit in pitching herself as the candidate who can reach out to No voters - perhaps hoping that if she appears more electable with the broader electorate, that will be appealing to the SNP members who have a vote here.\n\nPerhaps because it was taking part in front of a mixed audience rather than one of SNP devotees, it was striking that this debate ultimately focused more on winning people round to the \"why\" of independence, rather than the knotty question of \"how\".\n\nWho are the SNP candidates?\n\nWhen Nicola Sturgeon announced she was stepping down, plenty of names were thrown around as potential successors.\n\nPerhaps not many would have predicted that the final three would be Humza Yousaf, Kate Forbes and Ash Regan.\n\nBut watching this debate, they certainly provide a broad choice for the SNP membership in both style and substance.\n\nThe field includes sitting cabinet ministers who have represented almost every top job in government, but also a minister who quit in protest over policy.\n\nOne represents the pro-business tribe within the party, another a group focused on social justice, and the other a group impatient for action on independence.\n\nThere are competing promises of change and of continuity - anything from tinkering around the edges of Nicola Sturgeon's legacy to tearing it up entirely.\n\nWhich of these campaigns wins out will be a fascinating test of where the SNP membership stands in 2023 - because the three candidates clearly have quite a different view of it.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/uk-scotland-scotland-politics-64959575"}
{"title":"Budget: Pensions to get boost as tax-free limit to rise - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-15","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"Persuading workers to work longer is part of plans to boost growth, but critics say very few will benefit.","section":"Business","content":"The total amount that workers can accumulate in their pension savings before paying extra tax is expected to be increased in Wednesday's Budget.\n\nThe final figure has not been confirmed, but people are expected to be able to save up to \u00a31.8m over a lifetime, up from \u00a31.07m currently.\n\nThe policy aims to stop people - particularly doctors - from reducing hours or retiring early owing to tax.\n\nCritics say the move will only benefit a small fraction of the workforce.\n\nUK economic growth has flatlined in recent months and the Bank of England expects the UK to enter a recession this year. About a quarter of people of working-age - around 10 million people - do not have jobs.\n\nPersuading workers to work for longer is part of UK plans to boost growth, with Chancellor Jeremy Hunt's Wednesday announcement on tax and spending being dubbed the \"Back to work Budget\".\n\nMr Hunt is also expected to detail other measures to increase the workforce on Wednesday including:\n\nConsultancy LCP told the BBC the government's plans to raise pension tax allowances would benefit relatively few workers.\n\nThe number of people who have already breached the lifetime limit on pensions before paying tax and those who risk breaching it is 1.3 million, less than 4% per cent of the UK's current workforce, it says.\n\nThe lifetime allowance is the total amount of money you can build up in a workplace defined benefit pension scheme and savings in a defined contribution pension before you face a further tax charge. The tax is levied on the excess over the allowance. The state pension is not included in the calculation.\n\nAnyone drawing their pension is still liable to income tax as normal.\n\nBeneficiaries from an increase in the allowance will include those who have worked in the public sector for many years. There has been a particular focus on doctors and consultants - some of whom have retired early or reduced hours for pension tax reasons as the NHS has become increasingly stretched.\n\nDean Butler, managing director for customers at insurance firm Standard Life, said middle earners had been increasingly affected by the cap.\n\nAny increase in the annual allowance, he said, would be of specific help to those with irregular earnings who were relying on making larger pension contributions later in their careers.\n\nIn the medical profession, some doctors and consultants have reduced their hours or retired early from the NHS because they were in danger of breaching the tax-free pensions lifetime allowance, and they calculated that continuing to work was counterproductive for their finances.\n\nThe annual tax-free pension allowance - which is also expected to increase from \u00a340,000 to \u00a360,000 each year - has been subject to much of the same debate.\n\nMany industries are struggling to recruit workers, though job vacancies are falling. Earlier this year, Mr Hunt pledged to consider changes to encourage the over-50s who had taken early retirement during or after Covid to return to work, saying he \"would look at the conditions necessary to make work worth your while\".\n\nNot everyone believes that boosting pension allowances is the best policy to meet this goal.\n\n\"High earners with big pension pots do benefit from inappropriately generous tax treatment of pensions, but there are much better ways of restricting this than these crude limits.\" said Carl Emmerson, from the Institute for Fiscal Studies, a leading independent think tank.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/business-64949083"}
{"title":"OpenAI announces ChatGPT successor GPT-4 - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-15","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"The fourth version of the AI chatbot can process both images and text.","section":"Technology","content":"OpenAI has released GPT-4, the latest version of its hugely popular artificial intelligence chatbot ChatGPT.\n\nThe new model can respond to images - providing recipe suggestions from photos of ingredients, for example, as well as writing captions and descriptions.\n\nIt can also process up to 25,000 words, about eight times as many as ChatGPT.\n\nMillions of people have used ChatGPT since it launched in November 2022.\n\nPopular requests for it include writing songs, poems, marketing copy, computer code, and helping with homework - although teachers say students shouldn't use it.\n\nChatGPT answers questions using natural human-like language, and it can also mimic other writing styles such as songwriters and authors, using the internet as it was in 2021 as its knowledge database.\n\nThere are concerns that it could one day take over many jobs currently done by humans.\n\nOpenAI said it had spent six months on safety features for GPT-4, and had trained it on human feedback. However it warned that it may still be prone to sharing disinformation.\n\nGPT-4 will initially be available to ChatGPT Plus subscribers, who pay $20 per month for premium access to the service.\n\nIt's already powering Microsoft's Bing search engine platform. The tech giant has invested $10b into OpenAI.\n\nIn a live demo it generated an answer to a complicated tax query - although there was no way to verify its answer.\n\nGPT-4, like ChatGPT, is a type of generative artificial intelligence. Generative AI uses algorithms and predictive text to create new content based on prompts.\n\nGPT-4 has \"more advanced reasoning skills\" than ChatGPT, OpenAI said. The model can, for example, find available meeting times for three schedules.\n\nOpenAI also announced new partnerships with language learning app Duolingo and Be My Eyes, an application for the visually impaired, to create AI Chatbots which can assist their users using natural language.\n\nHowever, like its predecessors, OpenAI has warned that GPT-4 is still not fully reliable and may \"hallucinate\" - a phenomenon where AI invents facts or makes reasoning errors.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/technology-64959346"}
{"title":"Ukraine war: Florida's Ron DeSantis invited to visit after 'territorial dispute' remarks - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-15","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"The man likely to run for president said the \"territorial dispute\" was not a \"vital national interest\".","section":"Europe","content":"This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Watch: Five things to know about Ron DeSantis\n\nUkraine has invited Florida Governor Ron DeSantis to visit, after the Republican dismissed the Russian invasion as a \"territorial dispute\".\n\nMr DeSantis is widely expected to run for president in 2024 and made his remarks in response to questions sent to possible Republican contenders.\n\nThe former congressman said continued US support of Ukraine was not among the country's \"vital national interests\".\n\nThe comment signalled he would probably scale back aid if he became president.\n\nIt also aligned Mr DeSantis with former President Donald Trump, the leading contender for the Republican nomination, who has opposed US support for Kyiv and criticised the Biden administration's handling of the war.\n\nTheir comments show the divide in the Republican Party between isolationists who are sceptical of providing military aid and the establishment party policy of supporting Kyiv.\n\nIn his response to a questionnaire by Fox News anchor Tucker Carlson, Mr DeSantis said: \"While the US has many vital national interests... becoming further entangled in a territorial dispute between Ukraine and Russia is not one of them.\"\n\nThe 44-year-old has not officially announced his intention to challenge Mr Trump for the Republican nomination, but has been taking all the necessary steps suggesting he will do so.\n\nWhen asked the same question on whether US backing for Kyiv was vital for Washington, Mr Trump said: \"No, it is for Europe. But not for the United States.\"\n\nUkraine's foreign ministry spokesman Oleg Nikolenko criticised Mr DeSantis's comments and tweeted his invitation to the Republican governor on Tuesday.\n\n\"We are sure that as a former military officer deployed to a combat zone, Governor Ron DeSantis knows the difference between a 'dispute' and war,\" Mr Nikolenko said.\n\n\"We invite him to visit Ukraine to get a deeper understanding of Russia's full-scale invasion and the threats it poses to US interests.\"\n\nWhile studying law at Harvard University, Mr DeSantis was commissioned as an officer in the US Navy and was assigned to its legal arm, the Judge Advocate General's (JAG) Corps.\n\nHis service as a JAG officer included working with detainees held in Guantanamo Bay, as well as an assignment as a legal adviser for elite US Navy Seals deployed to Iraq.\n\nMany Republicans, including the party's senior leadership in the Senate, have long said defending Ukraine is in the best interests of the US.\n\nSouth Carolina Senator Lindsey Graham said Mr DeSantis' comments displayed \"a misunderstanding of the situation\" on the part of the governor.\n\n\"This is not a territorial conflict, it's a war of aggression. To say it doesn't matter is to say war crimes don't matter,\" Mr Graham said.\n\nFormer Vice-President Mike Pence has also called for the US to increase its support.\n\nBut there is a vocal wing of the party - mostly in the House of Representatives - that is hesitant about the continuing aid.\n\nRepublican House Speaker Kevin McCarthy has supported Ukraine, but recently warned that there \"can't be a blank cheque\" for the country given the scale of US debt.\n\nPoliticians from both parties in Congress have voted in favour of Western support for Ukraine, approving more than $112bn (\u00a392.47bn) in 2022 alone.\n\nUS Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said on Wednesday that he expects bipartisan support for Ukraine will remain strong, as senior leaders of both parties agree on the importance of the US offering aid.\n\n\"Ukraine matters. It matters not to just Ukraine or to the United States, it matters to the world. This is about the rules-based international order,\" Mr Austin said.\n\nThe US is the largest contributor to Ukraine in terms of money spent. It pays for drones, tanks, missiles and other munitions systems, as well as training, logistics and intelligence support.\n\nHumanitarian aid has included food assistance, safe drinking water, medical supplies and other necessities for Ukrainians displaced by the conflict. Financial aid keeps Ukraine's government operating by paying civil servants, healthcare workers and teachers.\n\nLargest donors of aid to Ukraine as percent of donor country GDP.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/world-europe-64880145"}
{"title":"Wiltshire shoplifter made \u00a3500k with refund trick crime spree - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-15","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"Narinder Kaur is convicted after duping stores into giving her refunds for goods she had stolen.","section":"Gloucestershire","content":"Kaur's crimes were spread across much of the UK\n\nA woman who made half a million pounds by shoplifting on \"an industrial scale\" has been warned to expect a \"substantial\" jail sentence.\n\nNarinder Kaur, 53, tricked high street stores into giving her refunds for goods she had stolen.\n\nShe was found guilty at Gloucester Crown Court of 25 separate offences on Friday after a four-month trial.\n\nIt is believed Kaur, from Cleverton, Wiltshire, stole from more than 1,000 shops across the country.\n\nJudge Ian Lawrie KC remanded her in custody ahead of a sentencing date yet to be fixed.\n\nThe jury, praised by the judge after what is believed to have been the longest-ever trial at the court, found Kaur guilty of 14 offences of fraud, two of money laundering, four of possessing the proceeds of crime, one of conspiracy to defraud, and four of perverting the course of justice.\n\nThe court was told Kaur, originally from Worcester, had legally changed her name from Nina Tiara.\n\nAt the start of the trial on 8 November, prosecutor Gareth Weetman said she was \"an intelligent but also a highly dishonest and manipulative individual\" who had deceived shops, banks, solicitors and even the courts.\n\nThe jury was shown several images of Kaur stealing from shops\n\nHe said that when she was finally arrested and charged with wholesale offending, she was not deterred - and continued her life of crime by lying to courts to get her bail conditions amended so she could go out stealing again.\n\nMr Weetman said Kaur had discovered a way of \"beating the system\" by getting retailers to pay her the full value of things she had stolen.\n\n\"The defendant discovered that with many large retailers, if you take an item that they sell into a store, claim you've bought it but don't have the receipt, but say that you just want to exchange it, you're much more likely to succeed,\" he said.\n\nThe jury was told Kaur targeted branches of Boots, Debenhams, Homebase, John Lewis, House of Fraser, Monsoon, M&S and TK Maxx.\n\nThe prosecutor detailed how she spent \u00a35,000 at Boots stores including in Cheltenham, Malvern, Solihull, Kidderminster, and Dudley - but obtained refunds she was not entitled to totalling \u00a360,000.\n\nAt Debenhams stores, she got refunds of \u00a342,800 but spent only \u00a33,600. She defrauded John Lewis stores in Watford, Chester, Milton Keynes and Cardiff out of \u00a333,000 after spending only \u00a35,200.\n\nFor a \u00a31,181 spend in Homebase and TX Maxx stores in 15 different towns and cities she tricked the retailers into handing over \u00a319,540 in refunds.\n\nAt House of Fraser stores in Bristol, Cardiff, Cwmbran and Exeter she spent \u00a32,850 and claimed refunds of \u00a323,000.\n\nKaur's method was to shoplift, then trick shops into giving her refunds for the stolen goods\n\nHer crime spree came to an end when police took an in-depth look at her bank and credit cards and discovered \"an extraordinary history of refund payments\", Mr Weetman said.\n\nKaur also defrauded eight firms of solicitors, instructing them to sue her brother for money, and using male accomplices to pay the compensation using stolen credit cards. The firms then forwarded the money to her before the frauds were uncovered.\n\nThe prosecutor said Kaur \"failed to be deterred\" after being caught and charged, lying to the court to get changes in her bail conditions for medical appointments so she could steal again.\n\nBut she raised suspicions at Dunelm in Swindon while trying to get a refund and was arrested. Police searched her house and found 49 shopping bags full of goods and \u00a3108,000 in cash.\n\nHer home was searched again after she tried the trick at an Asda, and police found \u00a34,000 cash in a carrier bag, among a total of \u00a338,000 around her house.\n\nAnthony Montgomery, defending, said Kaur had already had a lengthy period in custody on remand and later had been on bail but had not offended again during that time.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/uk-england-gloucestershire-64965027"}
{"title":"Amir Khan: CCTV of gunpoint robbery shown to court - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-15","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"The former world boxing champion was forced to hand over his bespoke \u00a372,000 watch in the footage.","section":"London","content":"This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. The assailant pointed the gun at Mr Khan and ordered him to take off his watch\n\nCCTV capturing the moment former world boxing champion Amir Khan was robbed at gunpoint has been shown in court.\n\nMr Khan, 36, was targeted when he and his wife left the Sahara Grill restaurant in Leyton, east London, in April last year.\n\nSnaresbrook Crown Court has heard he was forced to hand over his bespoke \u00a372,000 Franck Muller watch by gunman Dante Campbell, 20.\n\nThe assailant pointed the gun in his face and said: \"Take off the watch.\"\n\nIsmail Mohamed, 24, from Edmonton; Ahmed Bana, 25, from Tottenham; and Nurul Amin, 25, from Harringay; all north London, all deny conspiracy to rob.\n\nCampbell, from Hornsey in north London, has pleaded guilty to the charges, the jury has been told.\n\nThe robbery, which lasted just seconds, was captured on CCTV played to the jury.\n\nIn the footage, Mr Khan is seen smiling as he leaves the restaurant with his wife Faryal Makhdoom, 31, before crossing the road towards a waiting car being driven by the sportsman's friend, Omar Khalid,\n\nTwo robbers get out of a silver Mercedes coupe parked in front and a hooded man jogs towards Mr Khan, raises his arm and points a gun at the boxer.\n\nMr Khan previously told the court that having a gun pointed at him was scarier than any of his fights\n\nMr Khan hands over his watch and the robbers run back to the Mercedes.\n\nThey drive away as members of the public rush towards Mr Khan.\n\nMr Bana is alleged to have been the driver of the car, which dropped Campbell and another unknown robber at the scene before serving as the getaway vehicle.\n\nMr Amin and Mr Mohamed, along with another man who is not on trial, are said to have acted as \"spotters\" - dining in the restaurant to keep track of Mr Khan's movements and relay them by phone to Mr Bana.\n\nFollow BBC London on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. Send your story ideas to hellobbclondon@bbc.co.uk","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/uk-england-london-64971147"}
{"title":"As it happened: Teachers, doctors and Tube staff walk out in biggest strike day - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-15","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"University lecturers and civil servants are also downing tools in long-running disputes over pay.","section":"UK","content":"As we've been reporting, some 400,000 workers are on strike today - so here's a reminder of why.\n\nTeachers in thousands of schools across England are striking again over pay. Unions want above-inflation increases, plus extra money to ensure pay rises do not come from existing budgets. The government has asked for formal talks on pay, conditions and reform, but only if the National Education Union (NEU) calls off its strikes. The NEU says it will only suspend action if good progress is made first. Most state school teachers in England had a 5% rise in 2022.\n\nJunior doctors who are members of the British Medical Association (BMA) union are on strike over pay too. The BMA says junior doctor roles have seen pay cut by 26% once inflation is taken into account since 2008. Junior doctors in England want a \"pay restoration\" of 35% to make up for that. They've been on strike since Monday. The government has suggested 3.5%, but unions have made it clear they want more. More on doctors' pay here.\n\nCivil servants working across more than 100 government departments are striking over pay, pensions, job security and redundancy terms. The Public and Commercial Services union is calling for a 10% pay rise. But the government has said the union's demands would cost an \"unaffordable \u00a32.4bn\". Civil servants have been offered a 2% to 3% increase.\n\nLondon Underground staff who are part of the Aslef and RMT unions are striking again over pensions, job losses and contractual agreements. Transport for London has to make about \u00a3900m savings. Some 600 posts are being closed - the unions say that will leave stations with fewer staff which they say isn't safe. TfL says passenger safety is always a priority and is carrying out a pension review, which is what has sparked the strikes.\n\nSome BBC staff have been striking from 11:00 today in response to plans to merge some local radio shows. The National Union of Journalists (NUJ) said the proposals would \"undermine already hollowed out local radio content across England\". The BBC said it had \"tried to minimise disruption as much as possible\".","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/live\/uk-64957203"}
{"title":"Meta lay-offs: Facebook owner to cut 10,000 staff - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-15","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"In addition to the culling of 10,000 jobs, 5,000 vacancies at the company will be left unfilled.","section":"Technology","content":"Meta chief executive Mark Zuckerberg announced the plans in a memo to staff\n\nMeta, which owns Facebook, Instagram and WhatsApp, has announced plans to cut 10,000 jobs.\n\nIt will be the second wave of mass redundancies from the tech giant, which laid off 11,000 employees last November.\n\nMeta chief executive Mark Zuckerberg said the cuts - part of a \"year of efficiency\" - would be \"tough\".\n\nIn addition to the 10,000 jobs cut, 5,000 vacancies at the firm will be left unfilled, he told staff.\n\nIn a memo, Mr Zuckerberg told employees he believed the company had suffered \"a humbling wake-up call\" in 2022 when it experienced a dramatic slowdown in revenue.\n\nMeta previously announced that in the three months to December 2022, earnings were down 4% year-on-year - though it still managed to make a profit of more than $23bn over the course of 2022.\n\nMr Zuckerberg cited higher interest rates in the US, global geopolitical instability and increased regulation as some of the factors affecting Meta, and contributing to the slowdown.\n\n\"I think we should prepare ourselves for the possibility that this new economic reality will continue for many years,\" he said.\n\nThe latest job cuts come as companies, including Google and Amazon, have been grappling with how to balance cost-cutting measures with the need to remain competitive.\n\nAt the start of this year, Amazon announced it planned to close more than 18,000 jobs because of \"the uncertain economy\" and rapid hiring during the pandemic, while Google's parent company Alphabet made 12,000 cuts.\n\nAccording to layoffs.fyi, which tracks job losses in the tech sector, there have been more than 128,000 job cuts in the tech industry so far in 2023.\n\nMr Zuckerberg said the recruitment team would be the first to be told whether they were affected by the cuts, and would find out on Wednesday.\n\nHe also outlined when other teams would be informed: \"We expect to announce restructurings and lay-offs in our tech groups in late April 2023, and then our business groups in late May 2023,\" he wrote in the memo to staff on Tuesday.\n\n\"In a small number of cases, it may take through to the end of the year to complete these changes.\n\n\"Our timelines for international teams will also look different, and local leaders will follow up with more details.\"\n\nSadly, we're getting used to hearing about big tech lay-offs, as the giants of the sector continue to tighten their belts.\n\nMany like Meta make most of their money from advertising. Now they're faced with a perfect storm: of falling ad revenues from companies with their own bills to pay, and a user base which has less money to spend, making existing ad space less valuable.\n\nIt's interesting to note that Meta is looking to its recruitment team in the latest round of cuts.\n\nI often hear that Silicon Valley firms have a tendency to over-recruit, for two reasons. Firstly, so they have staff ready to handle sudden growth, which can happen (just look at TikTok). And, secondly, to retain those people perceived to be \"top tech talent\", whom they don't want working for their rivals.\n\nBoth are luxuries, it seems, that are no longer affordable.\n\nMeta has the added risk of Mark Zuckerberg's enormous gamble on the metaverse being The Next Big Thing. If he's right, his firm will regain its crown, but if he's wrong, the $15bn+ dollars he has spent on it so far could disappear in a puff of mixed reality smoke.\n\nMr Zuckerberg said there would be no new hires until the restructuring was complete, adding that he aimed to make the company \"flatter\" by \"removing multiple layers of management\".\n\nHe also dedicated a section of his correspondence to hybrid work. His claims that software engineers who joined Meta in person performed better than those who joined remotely, suggest hybrid working will come under scrutiny during the current \"year of efficiency\".\n\n\"Engineers earlier in their career perform better on average when they work in person with teammates at least three days a week,\" wrote Mr Zuckerberg.\n\n\"We're focusing on understanding this further, and finding ways to make sure people build the necessary connections to work effectively.\n\n\"In the meantime, I encourage all of you to find more opportunities to work with your colleagues in person.\"","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/technology-64954124"}
{"title":"Jeremy Clarkson's farm branded 'a menace and a success' - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-15","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"Residents clash at a meeting over the future of the TV star's farm shop and restaurant plans.","section":"Oxford","content":"A planning application for a car park at the site was previously turned down\n\nJeremy Clarkson's farm shop has been described as both a \"menace\" and \"a success for local people\" during a planning meeting.\n\nVillagers clashed at the meeting about the impact of the business on the Oxfordshire countryside.\n\nThe hearing relates to Mr Clarkson's appeal against the refusal by the council to grant planning permission for an extension to the car park at his shop.\n\nMr Clarkson, 62, is also challenging West Oxfordshire District Council's (WODC) move to shut down his restaurant on the same plot of land because he allegedly did not have planning permission when he opened it in July last year.\n\nThe former Top Gear presenter's attempts at running his farm are the subject of a documentary series on Amazon Prime Video.\n\nFormer Top Gear presenter Jeremy Clarkson has fronted the programme since 2021\n\nAt the meeting on Tuesday, villager Hilary Moore said the tourists who visited the farm - which sits between Chadlington and Chipping Norton - came to \"show off their cars\" and block roads, while Joanna Cecil, a florist at the farm, came to its defence.\n\nChadlington resident Ms Moore said: \"I don't think the people who come are particularly respectful.\n\n\"They come in their cars with their souped-up engines - they are motorheads, they are not here to support our little farm shop.\n\n\"We have been disrupted by them in the two-and-a-half years since it's been open. It's ruining our area.\n\n\"There are farm shops all over the country that they could support instead of all converging here at the weekends.\n\nMs Cecil told the meeting she had been working as a florist at the farm \"since the very beginning\", and it attracted visitors who wanted to support local farming.\n\n\"People go to the shop because it sells local,\" she said.\n\n\"This is what Jeremy loves: he invests in the farm, he invests in local people.\n\n\"He is making a success of it for local people, for our children, and for our future.\"\n\nMr Clarkson has previously attended meetings to outline his plans for the farm site\n\nWODC took action against Clarkson in August saying in its enforcement notice that the \"nature, scale and siting\" of the restaurant on his farm was \"incompatible with its open countryside location\" in the Cotswolds Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty.\n\nIt then ordered closure of the restaurant or anything selling food that will be consumed on the farm, along with removal of the dining tables, chairs, parasols, picnic tables, and mobile toilets.\n\nIt also previously denied permission for an expanded car park at the site, despite the council's own tourism manager saying it would help improve safety and prevent problems.\n\nAgents working on behalf of Clarkson say they are not in breach of planning laws, claiming that the council's decision is \"excessive\".\n\nThe John Phillips Planning Consultancy (JPPC) wrote in its appeal against the enforcement notice that existing planning permission gives the right to use the farm as a restaurant, and there has been no \"material change\" to the land.\n\nWODC's lawyers argued that the \"level of use of the site\" has \"significantly increased\" due to the restaurant, and the land was \"now used for a mix of purposes which go well beyond that of a farm shop\".\n\nThe council has said that due to these reasons, the current planning permission \"could never apply\" to the new enterprises on the site.\n\nA final decision on the plans will be published in the coming weeks.\n\nDiscussions about Clarkson's farm have been heated, and WODC said it had put extra security measures in place for Tuesday's hearing as a result of death threats sent to a councillor and member of the public who had opposed the plans.\n\nFollow BBC South on Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram. Send your story ideas to south.newsonline@bbc.co.uk.\n\nThe BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/uk-england-oxfordshire-64964155"}
{"title":"Buck Ruxton: The Jigsaw Murders case where forensics were key - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-15","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"The remains of Buck Ruxton's victims were found dumped under a bridge near Moffat in the 1930s.","section":"South Scotland","content":"Dr Buck Ruxton was sentenced to death for his crimes\n\nIt was one of the highest profile murder cases of the 1930s and also a pioneering one in terms of how the killer was brought to justice.\n\nThe downfall of Lancashire doctor Buck Ruxton began after human remains were found under a bridge near Moffat.\n\nA painstaking investigation saw him sentenced to death for the murder of his common-law wife and housemaid.\n\nA new exhibition is set to open in Moffat museum highlighting the area's role in solving the notorious crime.\n\nJanet Tildesley is a volunteer and trustee who has helped to put it all together and explained why the case - dubbed the Jigsaw Murders - still fascinated people nearly 90 years later.\n\nAfter murdering the two women in September 1935 in Lancaster, Ruxton dissected the bodies and wrapped them in newspaper, old clothes and sheets and drove north.\n\nThat is where Moffat comes into the story as he found the spot north of the town he thought was remote enough for his crime to go undiscovered.\n\n\"He threw the body parts over a bridge into a ravine,\" Ms Tildesley said.\n\n\"The body parts were found a couple of weeks later by a visitor when she noticed them and got the police involved.\n\n\"That's when, I guess, the case really started.\"\n\nJanet Tildesley has been involved in putting together the exhibition on the Buck Ruxton case\n\nThe initial job was simply to try to identify who had been killed.\n\n\"They thought, originally, that it was a man and a woman and gradually began to piece it together,\" said Ms Tildesley.\n\n\"What was important about the case was its use of forensics - it was one of the earliest cases to use forensics - the evidence in this case was almost wholly circumstantial.\n\n\"First of all, they had to prove who these body parts belonged to and then to, if you like, assign a murderer to the murder.\"\n\nA team led by Prof John Glaister of the University of Glasgow - involving experts in a range of areas - worked on the investigation.\n\nThey used pioneering techniques to get fingerprints from one of the badly damaged bodies and also superimposed photographs onto one of the skulls they had found to help identify one victim.\n\nAnother significant piece of work was their use of entomology to establish the time of death \"really conclusively\" based on the life-cycle of maggots.\n\nThe exhibition in Moffat will also highlight the role of local police officer, Sgt Robert Sloan, which Ms Tildesley said had been \"really underestimated\".\n\nHe was first on the scene after the bodies were discovered.\n\nThe case provoked huge public interest when it went to court\n\n\"He did not seem to be overawed by what he saw and he secured and preserved the crime scene,\" said Ms Tildesley.\n\n\"Nowadays, of course, that's what people would do, police are trained and there's all kinds of tape that they have and body suits - but he had none of that.\"\n\nHis notes and map of the scene were vital as was the fact that he carefully handled the newspaper in which some of the remains were wrapped.\n\n\"They were really significant because later on in the process when these were dried out, they were able to identify which newspaper it was, which date it was, and the fact that this was a limited-circulation newspaper which was of great importance,\" she explained.\n\n\"This was a real first. The trial was all about forensic specialist evidence and the fact that it led to Buck Ruxton's conviction really engendered huge public and professional trust in the whole development of forensics.\"\n\nMaid Mary Jane Rogerson is thought to have witnessed the first murder and been killed\n\nRuxton's version of events also fell apart while the evidence against him was being gathered.\n\nHis maid Mary Jane Rogerson had been reported missing, then he reported his wife missing as police north and south of the border worked together to make their case.\n\nMs Tildesley said he was, in layman's terms, \"beginning to unravel.\"\n\n\"His story was changing and he was beginning to get quite distressed,\" she said.\n\nHuge crowds gathered on the day of Buck Ruxton's execution\n\nThe evidence gathered in Moffat helped to convict Ruxton of the murder of Isabella Kerr, his common-law wife, and Ms Rogerson and he was sentenced to death.\n\n\"The story seems to be that she [Ms Kerr] came back very late one night and he was just incandescent with jealousy and rage, and he strangled her,\" said Ms Tildesley.\n\n\"The maid was there and she came upon it and he murdered her as well.\n\n\"I think it was a crime of passion and he then panicked.\n\n\"It's a macabre story, you know, ghastly in parts, hugely interesting in parts, hugely significant in terms of forensics - and terribly, terribly sad.\"\n\nThe exhibition opens at Moffat Museum on 1 April and runs until the end of October.\n\nThe BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/uk-scotland-south-scotland-64939242"}
{"title":"RAF and German jets intercept Russian aircraft near Estonian airspace - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-15","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"Two Typhoon jets are scrambled to intercept a plane flying between St Petersburg and Kaliningrad.","section":"Europe","content":"The mission was carried out by two Typhoon fighter jets (file photo)\n\nRAF and German fighter jets have intercepted a Russian aircraft near Estonian airspace in the first joint operation of its kind.\n\nThe two Typhoons were scrambled on Tuesday to intercept an Il-78 Midas refuelling plane flying between St Petersburg and Kaliningrad.\n\nThe plane had failed to communicate with air traffic control in Estonia.\n\nThe British and German air forces are currently conducting planned joint Nato air policing in the region.\n\nThe interception itself was routine, but it is the first time such an operation has been carried out together by the two countries.\n\nThe incident comes amid heightened tensions between Nato and Russia over the Russian invasion of Ukraine, although there is no evidence of any link with Tuesday's reported collision between a Russian fighter jet and a US drone over the Black Sea.\n\nAfter escorting the Midas, the two jets were redirected to intercept an An-148 airliner that was also passing close to Estonian airspace.\n\nThe jets are part of the RAF's 140 Expeditionary Air Wing and the German 71 Tactical Air Wing Richthofen.\n\nAn IL-78 Midas jet (right) flying alongside two other Russian planes (file photo)\n\nThe RAF is preparing to take the lead on Nato's long-established Baltic air policing mission from the German air force in April.\n\nIt will then lead the mission for four months, with joint British and German operations set to continue until the end of April.\n\nFour RAF Typhoon jets are currently deployed as part of the mission and are based at the \u00c4mari air base in Estonia.\n\nMinister for the Armed Forces James Heappey said: \"Nato continues to form the bedrock of our collective security. This joint UK and German deployment in the Baltics clearly demonstrates our collective resolve to challenge any potential threat to Nato's borders, whilst demonstrating our combined strength.\"","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/world-europe-64960706"}
{"title":"Eleanor Williams: False rape claims have 'caused harm' to survivors - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-15","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"A campaigner fears the case of Eleanor Williams may deter genuine abuse victims from coming forward.","section":"Cumbria","content":"Eleanor Williams claimed she had been attacked by traffickers, but the jury heard she caused her own injuries\n\nA woman raped by grooming gangs fears the case of Eleanor Williams has \"caused a lot of harm\" for genuine survivors of abuse.\n\nSammy Woodhouse, who was abused in Rotherham from the age of 14, said it had set progress back \"a long way\".\n\nWilliams, of Barrow, Cumbria, was given an eight-and-a-half year sentence on Tuesday after lying about being raped and trafficked for sex.\n\nThe 22-year-old was convicted of perverting the course of justice.\n\nHer Facebook post in May 2020 showing injuries she said had been inflicted by groomers was shared more than 100,000 times and sparked protests in her home town.\n\nA trial at Preston Crown Court heard she inflicted the wounds herself using a hammer she had bought from Tesco.\n\nThree men Williams falsely accused of rape over a three-year period tried to take their own lives.\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Williams claimed traffickers attacked her with a hammer, but CCTV footage showed her buying the tool herself\n\nMs Woodhouse, who is a campaigner for survivors of abuse, told BBC Breakfast: \"I've spent every day for 10 years reliving my trauma to try to raise awareness and encourage people to come forward and then you get someone like Ellie come along with all these lies.\n\n\"It feels like it does take us back quite a long way. It's been really challenging. She's caused a lot of harm.\n\n\"There are so many of us that come forward to tell the truth. We just want to get justice and support in some way.\n\n\"When Ellie came forward everybody got behind her. To find out she wasn't being honest and all the harm it's caused - not just to the three people that she falsely accused but to us as a cause - it feels like it [has undone progress].\n\n\"There will be people who don't want to come forward after seeing everything that's happened.\n\n\"I would always encourage someone to come forward. I know it's difficult. I've been there and lived it. You've got to keep pushing forward whether that's to police or support services.\"\n\nSammy Woodhouse said she would always encourage victims to abuse to speak up\n\nNazir Afzal, who was chief crown prosecutor in the Rochdale grooming gang cases in 2012, described false abuse claims as \"really rare\" but warned they can have a significant impact.\n\n\"Perverting the course of justice is a very serious offence because it damages confidence in the justice system. The three men have self-harmed and tried to kill themselves, their lives have been absolutely devastated and the whole town of Barrow has suffered.\n\n\"There were demonstrations and an enormous amount of angst.\n\n\"Cumbria Police [conducted] a really good investigation and brought someone to justice for what they did. We need to move on from that and recognise this is just a one-off.\n\n\"Ninety-nine per cent of complainants are genuine. What we need to do is investigate properly and ensure [cases] are brought to court and people are prosecuted.\n\n\"I think the saddest thing is we don't know why [this happened]. From experience, when people lie it's because they are attention-seeking or there are mental health reasons, outside pressure or fear of consequences, but we don't know [in this case].\n\n\"I imagine it's a combination of all those. It wasn't just one lie. It was a combination that had such a devastating effect on people.\"\n\nFollow BBC North East & Cumbria on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram. Send your story ideas to northeastandcumbria@bbc.co.uk.\n\nThe BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/uk-england-cumbria-64963155"}
{"title":"Budget summary: Key points from Jeremy Hunt\u2019s 2023 Budget - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-15","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"Chancellor Jeremy Hunt is announcing new economic measures - here's what you need to know.","section":"UK Politics","content":"This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser.\n\nChancellor Jeremy Hunt has unveiled the contents of his first Budget in the House of Commons.\n\nIt had a focus on prompting those who have left their jobs to return to the workforce, and boosting business investment.\n\nHere is a summary of the main announcements.\n\u2022 None Free childcare plan: 'Why do we have to wait?'","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/business-64789405"}
{"title":"Gary Lineker row: BBC impartiality dominates Prime Minister's Questions - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-15","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"The Labour leader attacks Conservative MPs for \"waging war on free speech\" in the Gary Lineker row.","section":"Entertainment & Arts","content":"Gary Lineker will be back on air this weekend\n\nLabour leader Sir Keir Starmer has suggested BBC impartiality has been put at risk by Conservative MPs \"waging war on free speech\" in the Gary Lineker row and BBC bosses who \"cave\" in to them.\n\nSir Keir pressed Rishi Sunak about political interference in the BBC at Prime Minister's Questions.\n\nMr Sunak accused the opposition leader of jumping on a \"political bandwagon\".\n\nLineker was taken off air over a tweet criticising the government's new asylum policy, but will return this weekend.\n\nThe BBC's director general has ordered a review into stars' social media use, and denied being influenced by political pressure.\n\nIn the House of Commons on Wednesday, Sir Keir said the prime minister had previously said he \"wanted to protect free speech and put a stop to no platforming\".\n\nBut following Lineker's post, Conservative MPs had been \"howling with rage over a tweet, signing letters in their dozens, desperately trying to cancel a football highlights show\", he claimed.\n\nThe Labour leader asked: \"Why doesn't he take some responsibility [and] stand up to his snowflake MPs waging war on free speech?\"\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Watch: Was MOTD row worse with Sharp in charge? - Starmer\n\nIn response, the prime minister said: \"Just the usual political opportunism from the leader of the Labour Party.\"\n\nNoting that two members of the shadow cabinet had criticised the language Lineker used in his tweet, Mr Sunak added: \"But what a surprise he saw the chance to jump on a political bandwagon and changed his mind.\"\n\nThe Match of the Day host sparked controversy when he tweeted about the government's plan to ban people arriving in the UK illegally from ever claiming asylum. He described it as an \"immeasurably cruel policy directed at the most vulnerable people in language that is not dissimilar to that used by Germany in the 30s\".\n\nThe former England striker had thought he had permission to voice an opinion on such matters, his agent said on Wednesday. \"Gary takes a passionate interest in refugees and immigration and, as he saw it, had a special agreement with Tim Davie, the BBC's director general, to tweet about these issues,\" Jon Holmes wrote in the New Statesman.\n\nBut the BBC considered Lineker's social-media activity a breach of its guidelines. Fellow presenters and pundits withdrew from programmes to show their support - and the BBC's weekend sports coverage was left in tatters.\n\nSir Keir asked whether Mr Sunak had received assurances that no-one with links to the Conservative Party had been \"involved in the decision that saw Match of the Day effectively cancelled\".\n\nMr Sunak replied: \"These are matters for the BBC to resolve and it's right that the BBC, as an important institution, takes its obligations to impartiality seriously.\"\n\nIn a rowdy Commons, Sir Keir claimed Mr Sunak had \"kept quiet and hid behind the playground bullies while they tried to drive someone out simply for disagreeing with them\".\n\nHe continued: \"An impartial public broadcaster free of government interference is a crucial pillar in our country, but isn't that put at risk by the cancel culture addicts on his benches, a BBC leadership that caves into their demands, and a prime minister too weak to do anything about them?\"\n\nMr Sunak said that he would not \"take any lectures on cancel culture\" from Labour, and \"the substance of what's happened\" was that Sir Keir's party was \"siding with people smugglers over the British people\" by voting against the new asylum law.\n\nOn Monday, Mr Davie said his decisions about the Lineker affair were \"not affected by pressure from one party or the other\", adding: \"That is not how we work editorially in the BBC. It's a convenient narrative. It's not true.\"\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Watch: Gary Lineker will be back on BBC screens this weekend\n\nSir Keir also linked the issue of BBC impartiality with the position of its chairman Richard Sharp, a former Conservative donor and once Mr Sunak's boss at an investment bank, who has come under strong pressure over his involvement in the facilitation of an \u00a3800,000 loan guarantee for former PM Boris Johnson.\n\nA KC-led review into Mr Sharp's appointment is investigating whether he failed to properly disclose details of his involvement.\n\n\"Does the prime minister think that his friend's position is still tenable?\" Sir Keir asked.\n\nMr Sunak insisted the review process was \"independent\", adding: \"Instead of pre-judging, and pre-empting that review we should let it conclude and wait for the outcome.\"\n\nThe BBC is conducting its own internal review over any potential conflicts of interest.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/entertainment-arts-64964044"}
{"title":"Cheltenham stabbing: Man charged with attempted murder after woman attacked - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-15","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"A woman was attacked outside a leisure centre in Tommy Taylors Lane, Cheltenham, last week.","section":"Gloucestershire","content":"The woman was stabbed outside the leisure centre in Tommy Taylors Lane, Cheltenham, on Thursday night\n\nA man has been charged with attempted murder over the stabbing of a woman outside a leisure centre in Cheltenham, the Crown Prosecution Service has said.\n\nJoshua Bowles, 29, will also be charged with causing actual bodily harm over the incident which happened near a leisure centre in Tommy Taylors Lane at around 21:15 GMT last Thursday.\n\nHe is due to appear at Westminster Magistrates' Court on Thursday.\n\nThe woman who was attacked sustained serious injuries and was taken to hospital where she remains in a stable condition.\n\nThe investigation into the incident was led by detectives from Counter Terrorism Policing South East.\n\nDet Ch Supt Olly Wright said police believe it was an isolated incident, saying: \"We would encourage people not to speculate on the specific circumstances surrounding this incident.\"","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/uk-england-gloucestershire-64970866"}
{"title":"Strikes Update: How Wednesday 15 March's strikes affect you - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-15","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"What you need to know about the teachers' strike in England and other planned industrial action.","section":"Business","content":"When Chancellor Jeremy Hunt stands up in parliament to deliver his Budget at lunchtime on Wednesday, he might well hear a crowd of protesters heading in his direction.\n\nMaking their way down Whitehall are likely to be thousands of teachers and other public sector workers all calling for pay rises.\n\nJust over the river from the House of Commons, junior doctors will be standing on picket lines.\n\nTeachers are striking on Wednesday and Thursday in England - their action in Wales was called off following a revised offer from the Welsh government. University staff are walking out on those days too.\n\nWednesday also sees industrial action by London Underground drivers and the biggest strike by civil servants so far with as many as 150,000 taking part.\n\nIt is not likely to affect the delivery of the Budget though as it doesn't involve some of the higher paid mandarins at the Treasury.\n\nBut pick up the phone to an HMRC call centre and it might take them a while to answer. In all, over 400,000 public sector employees are taking action.\n\nQuite the backdrop for the chancellor's big day.\n\nWednesday sees the beginning of a two-day strike by teachers in England who are members of the National Education Union (NEU). Teachers have been on strike several times since February, in an ongoing dispute over pay and funding.\n\nIt is expected to affect all schools in England and includes NEU teachers in sixth-form colleges.\n\nNo disruption is expected in Wales, where industrial action has been called off following government talks.\n\nDuring previous strikes on 28 February and 2 March, more than half of schools closed or restricted attendance.\n\nThe Department for Education advises parents to send their children to school unless school leaders have informed you otherwise.\n\nYou can read more here about why teachers are striking.\n\nWednesday will be the final full day of strike action this week by junior doctors in England, who are walking out over pay and and conditions.\n\nDuring Monday and Tuesday, NHS managers reported that A&E units were busy as senior staff covered for striking doctors.\n\nJunior doctors make up about 45% of the medical workforce, and two-thirds of them are members of the British Medical Association and Hospital Consultants and Specialists Association unions which are organising the strike.\n\nThey are planning on continuing walking out of emergency as well as planned care.\n\nConsultants and other senior doctors are being drafted in to provide cover.\n\nPlanned appointments have been postponed, although how many is as yet unclear.\n\nIndustrial action by nurses over the winter caused some trusts to cancel 20% of routine treatments. It is likely the impact of the junior doctor strike will be greater, according to the BBC's health correspondent, Nick Triggle.\n\nYou can read more here about why junior doctors are taking strike action.\n\nUp to 150,000 civil servants, working across more than 100 government departments and agencies, will be on strike.\n\nMembers of the Public and Commercial Services and Prospect unions are taking action in a dispute with the government over pay, pensions, job security and redundancy terms.\n\nThe union said its members from 123 government departments would take part in the industrial action, which includes staff at the Department for Transport, the Department for Health and Social Care and the Home Office.\n\nThe PCS union represents thousands of people who work in government departments as well as those at organisations such as Ofsted, the Maritime and Coastguard Agency and Border Force.\n\nYou can read more here about why civil servants are striking.\n\nTransport for London (TfL) is warning Tube passengers there will be \"little or no service\" during Wednesday's strike action by RMT and Aslef members.\n\nMembers of both unions are due to walk out in a dispute over job cuts, pensions and conditions.\n\nTfL said the Elizabeth Line, Overground, DLR, trams and buses would be \"busier than normal\".\n\nIt has advised passengers travelling on Wednesday to allow more time for their journeys and to check the latest information before they travel.\n\nTfL also warned that the closure of Tube stations might mean some services would be unable to stop at all stations or run to their normal destinations.\n\nTube services on Thursday 16 March are expected to start later than normal.\n\nYou can read more here about why some TfL staff are striking.\n\nBBC local radio, regional television and digital services in England are being disrupted today because of strike action.\n\nThe 24-hour action from 11:00 this morning by members of the National Union of Journalists is over plans to merge some local radio programmes.\n\nThe 13.30, 18.30 and late regional programmes across England are not expected to be broadcast.\n\u2022 University staff who are members of the University and College Union and Unison are on strike\n\u2022 Union members at 150 universities have been taking part in industrial action Read more: Will my lecture be cancelled? There are currently no national strikes planned for this date There are currently no national strikes planned for this date There are currently no national strikes planned for this date There are currently no national strikes planned for this date There are currently no national strikes planned for this date There are currently no national strikes planned for this date There are currently no national strikes planned for this date There are currently no national strikes planned for this date There are currently no national strikes planned for this date There are currently no national strikes planned for this date There are currently no national strikes planned for this date\n\u2022 More than 1,000 Passport Office workers are on strike in a dispute about jobs, pay and conditions\n\u2022 Members of the Public and Commercial Services union have warned of delays to applications and the delivery of passports in the run-up to summer\n\u2022 More than 1,000 Passport Office workers are on strike in a dispute about jobs, pay and conditions\n\u2022 Members of the Public and Commercial Services union have warned of delays to applications and the delivery of passports in the run-up to summer\n\u2022 More than 1,000 Passport Office workers are on strike in a dispute about jobs, pay and conditions\n\u2022 Members of the Public and Commercial Services union have warned of delays to applications and the delivery of passports in the run-up to summer\n\u2022 More than 1,000 Passport Office workers are on strike in a dispute about jobs, pay and conditions\n\u2022 Members of the Public and Commercial Services union have warned of delays to applications and the delivery of passports in the run-up to summer\n\u2022 More than 1,000 Passport Office workers are on strike in a dispute about jobs, pay and conditions\n\u2022 Members of the Public and Commercial Services union have warned of delays to applications and the delivery of passports in the run-up to summer\n\u2022 More than 1,000 Passport Office workers are on strike in a dispute about jobs, pay and conditions\n\u2022 Members of the Public and Commercial Services union have warned of delays to applications and the delivery of passports in the run-up to summer There are currently no national strikes planned for this date\n\nHow are you affected by the strikes? Are you taking part in strike action? You can email: haveyoursay@bbc.co.uk.\n\nPlease include a contact number if you are willing to speak to a BBC journalist. You can also get in touch in the following ways:\n\nIf 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 HaveYourSay@bbc.co.uk. Please include your name, age and location with any submission.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/business-64951613"}
{"title":"SNP candidates predict independence in five years - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-15","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"Ash Regan, Humza Yousaf and Kate Forbes were speaking as they faced each other in a BBC Scotland TV debate.","section":"Scotland politics","content":"This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Humza Yousaf, Kate Forbes and Ash Regan believe it is possible to achieve independence for Scotland within five years\n\nAll three SNP leadership candidates have predicted that Scotland can be an independent country within five years if they win the contest.\n\nAsh Regan, Humza Yousaf and Kate Forbes were speaking as they faced each other in a BBC Scotland TV debate.\n\nMr Yousaf said he believed the country \"can and will be\" independent by 2028 in response to a question from an audience member.\n\nMs Regan and Ms Forbes both said they believed the same.\n\nThe leadership contest was sparked by Nicola Sturgeon's surprise announcement that she was quitting as both SNP leader and Scotland's first minister after eight years in the roles.\n\nRecent polls have put support for independence at broadly the same level as it was when Ms Sturgeon succeeded Alex Salmond after the referendum in 2014, which saw Scottish voters reject independence by 55% to 45%.\n\nThat is despite the turbulence in UK politics in recent years that saw the country leave the EU despite Scotland voting overwhelmingly in favour of remaining and Boris Johnson's often chaotic time as prime minister.\n\nThe Supreme Court has also ruled that the Scottish Parliament does not have the power to hold a referendum without the agreement of the UK government - which has repeatedly made clear that it has no intention of granting formal consent through a Section 30 order.\n\nMr Yousaf, the health secretary who is the bookies favourite to win the contest and is widely viewed as being Ms Sturgeon's preferred candidate, told the Debate Night Special that he believed he could build sustained majority support for independence that would see those political obstacles disappear.\n\nHe added: \"I would want to be the one who delivers independence, but to do that you've got to stop talking about process and talk about policy.\n\n\"We have got to inspire people with a vision for independence. We have to make sure that we're not obsessing about Section 30s and de facto referendums because people just don't get inspired by that.\"\n\nWho are the SNP candidates?\n\nMs Forbes, the finance secretary who is currently seen as being Mr Yousaf's closest challenger for the leadership, said she believed the dial could be shifted in favour of independence by building a case on the issues that people were concerned about.\n\nUsing the example of the cost of living crisis, she said: \"People can't afford next month's energy bill in a country that is rich in energy in terms of oil and gas and in terms of our renewables. It doesn't stack up because the decisions are being made far, far away from those that are most affected.\n\n\"I think we should be using all democratic opportunities to campaign for and make the case for independence but in a way that is respectful of the reasons why people may not be persuaded\".\n\nMeanwhile, Ms Regan outlined her plans for what she calls a Voter Empowerment Mechanism that \"just uses the ballot box to allow the people of Scotland to say when they are ready to be independent\".\n\nShe added: \"You can use each and every election. So you could start with the next election and then the Scottish election after that. And it's there in the background and then the people of Scotland decide when they're ready to become independent.\"\n\nMs Regan quit as the country's community safety minister over the government's controversial gender recognition plans, and is seen as being the outsider in the contest.\n\nShe clashed with Mr Yousaf - who is the only one of the three to say he would launch a legal challenge to the UK government's block on legislation - over the case of trans rapist Isla Bryson, who was initially sent to a women's prison.\n\nWhen asked by Ms Regan why he had not listened to concerns about cases such as Bryson's ahead of the reforms being passed, and whether he regarded Bryson as a man or as woman, Mr Yousaf said: \"Isla Bryson should not be in a woman's prison.\n\n\"Isla Bryson is a rapist who's completely at it, I don't think they're a genuine trans woman, I think they're trying to play the system.\"\n\nThe three candidates are seeking to succeed Nicola Sturgeon as SNP leader and Scotland's first minister\n\nThe candidates also faced questions on topics including NHS waiting lists - with one audience member saying her husband has chronic health problems and is facing a six-year waiting list - as well as the state of Scotland's education system and the government's controversial Deposit Return Scheme.\n\nMs Regan and Ms Forbes have both said they would pause the scheme, which has faced criticism over its implementation, while Mr Yousaf has pledged to create an exemption for small businesses such as craft brewers.\n\nMs Regan said: \"We can't be putting too many burdens on small businesses. We need to look again at this, we need to involve small business, to come and talk to us about where it needs changed, get it right and then implement it.\"\n\nMs Forbes also said small businesses needed a \"bit of breathing space\".\n\nMr Yousaf said he would not \"slag off\" Lorna Slater, the Scottish Green minister responsible for bringing in the initiative which is designed to boost the recycling of single-use drinks containers by adding 20p to the price which is then refunded when the consumer returns it.\n\nHe said small firms should be excluded from it for its first year but added: \"I can't see any point in pausing the scheme when the big boys, the Coca Colas, the Pepsis of this world, they are already taking part in about 40 DRS schemes across the world. We can't let them off the hook\".\n\nThere was less trashing of one another in this debate and some consensus between the candidates on what the SNP in government has got wrong.\n\nNone of them are happy with the current plans for a deposit return scheme and all three promised to change it in the face of strong criticism from some businesses.\n\nKate Forbes objected to the proposed ban on alcohol advertising and described long waits in the NHS as \"unacceptable\".\n\nHumza Yousaf - the current health secretary - found himself apologising for one patient's experience and offered a \"hands up\" over failures to deliver new ferries on time and on budget.\n\nAsh Regan, who resigned from the Scottish government over gender reform, also called for a review of the SNP's power sharing deal with the Greens.\n\nThe trouble with all this criticism is that all three candidates have served for years in the Scottish government and although Ash Regan has now quit and Kate Forbes has been on maternity leave, they all bear some collective responsibility for its performance.\n\nFor me, one of the stand out moments in this debate was when an audience member called them out on that, arguing that it was \"ridiculous\" that they had not done more before now to challenge mistakes.\n\nVoting in the SNP leadership election, which is using the single transferable vote system, opened on Monday with the winner to be announced on 27 March.\n\nThe SNP has refused to confirm exactly how many party members will be able to take part in the vote, with its Westminster leader Stephen Flynn telling BBC Scotland earlier on Tuesday that he had \"no idea\" and that \"I think the last time I heard it was about 100,000.\"\n\nThe SNP said its membership had reached 125,000 by 2019, but the Electoral Commission put the figure at 104,000 two years later.\n\nThe Mail on Sunday has reported that Southampton-based polling firm Mi-Voice, which is overseeing the leadership vote, has been given the names of just 78,000 members by the SNP.\n\nIf this is correct, it would suggest that the party may have lost nearly 50,000 members over the past four years. The newspaper also reported that Mi-Voice expected about 54,000 members to actually submit a vote.\n\nPolling expert Prof Sir John Curtice has said Mr Yousaf currently appears to be the most popular of the three candidates among the SNP members who will be picking the new leader, with Ms Forbes second and Ms Regan third.\n\nBut Ms Forbes seems to be more popular than her rivals with both SNP voters and the public as a whole, Sir John said.\n\nHe added that it \"looks as though there is plenty to play for\" and that \"maybe everything could turn on the unknown second preferences of Ms Regan's supporters\".\n\nWhoever wins the SNP leadership contest will face a Scottish Parliament vote on 28 March to confirm them as the new first minister, before being sworn into office the following day.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/uk-scotland-scotland-politics-64956321"}
{"title":"Jiang Yanyong: Whistleblower doctor who exposed China's Sars cover-up dies - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-15","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"Jiang Yanyong became a national hero after revealing Beijing was covering up the scale of the virus.","section":"China","content":"Jiang Yanyong blew the whistle about Sars early on in the 2003 crisis\n\nJiang Yanyong, a former military surgeon who blew the whistle on Chinese authorities' cover-up of the 2003 Sars epidemic, has died aged 91.\n\nHe died of pneumonia on Saturday in Beijing, family friends and Chinese-language media in Hong Kong reported.\n\nDr Jiang was praised for saving lives after writing a letter in the early stage of the Sars crisis which revealed officials were playing down the threat.\n\nBut he endured house arrest at one point for his unwavering outspokenness.\n\nSars infected more than 8,000 people worldwide in 2003. Of these, 774 died, according to World Health Organization (WHO) figures.\n\nDr Jiang had been working in a Beijing hospital in April 2003, when he was alarmed to hear the Chinese health minister telling the public there were only a handful of cases of a new deadly respiratory disease.\n\nThe senior doctor said he knew more than 100 people had Sars - severe acute respiratory syndrome - in military hospital wards alone.\n\nHe sent a letter exposing the lies in the official narrative to Chinese state broadcasters, who ignored it. But the letter was then leaked to foreign media which published his account in full.\n\nHis revelations forced the Chinese government to admit it had provided false information, and spurred the WHO into action.\n\nStrict containment measures were imposed overnight, which helped slow the spread of the virus.\n\nHis actions also led to the sacking of China's health minister and Beijing's mayor at the time.\n\n\"I felt I had to reveal what was happening, not just to save China, but to save the world,\" he said about his actions.\n\nThe following year, Dr Jiang again challenged Beijing. He called on Chinese Communist Party (CCP) to acknowledge its 1989 crackdown on Tiananmen Square protesters had been wrong - and that hundreds, possibly thousands, of civilians had been killed.\n\nHe wrote of his experience working as a surgeon in Beijing on that night. In a letter, he recounted how authorities \"acted in frenzied fashion, using tanks, machine guns and other weapons to suppress the totally unarmed students and citizens\".\n\nOrdinary Chinese would be \"increasingly disappointed and angry\" with the CCP's view of the protests as a counter-revolutionary riot, he said. \"Our party must address the mistake it has made,\" he wrote.\n\nHe and his wife, Hua Zhongwei, were later detained, but Dr Jiang remained for years undeterred on the topic. He wrote a letter to Chinese President Xi Jinping in 2019, denouncing the Tiananmen Square crackdown as a \"crime\".\n\nDr Jiang was born in 1931 in the eastern city of Hangzhou to a wealthy banking family and went into medicine after seeing his aunt die of tuberculosis. He is survived by his wife, a son and a daughter, according to South China Morning Post.\n\nOver his lifetime he received several civil honours recognising his public stands, including the Ramon Magsaysay Award for Public Service in 2004.\n\n\"He broke China's habit of silence and forced the truth of Sars into the open,\" the award citation read.\n\nDr Jiang's experience has drawn comparisons with China's initial approach to the Covid-19 outbreak.\n\nLi Wenliang, an eye doctor in Wuhan, was investigated by police for \"spreading rumours\" after trying to warn people of a \"Sars-like virus\" in December 2019.\n\nAfter falling sick from Covid himself, Dr Li said on Chinese social media that he wondered why authorities were saying no medical staff had been infected. Dr Li died of the virus in February 2020.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/world-asia-china-64960693"}
{"title":"Cigarette prices rise but draught beer duty is frozen - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-15","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"Duty for draught pints is frozen but the average price of a pack of 20 cigarettes rises to \u00a314.39.","section":"UK","content":"The price of a packet of cigarettes rose hours after the Budget while drinkers will see tax on alcohol go up by 10.1% in August, in line with inflation.\n\nThe only alcohol not to see a rise was draught beer where duty will be frozen.\n\nChancellor Jeremy Hunt said this was to help \"the great British pub\".\n\nThe change to tobacco products came into effect at 18:00 GMT on Wednesday and sees the cost of an average pack of 20 cigarettes increase to \u00a314.39.\n\nIn the Budget, the chancellor revealed the duty rates on all tobacco products would increase by the Retail Price Index (RPI) of 10.1%, plus 2%. This means an increase of about 12%.\n\nThe RPI is a measure of inflation which came down to 10.1% in January.\n\nAccording to the Office for National Statistics, the average price for a packet of 20 cigarettes in January 2023 was \u00a312.84.\n\nThe increase in duty rates announced in the Budget means an average packet of 20 cigarettes would increase to \u00a314.39 at 18:00 GMT on Wednesday.\n\nThe rate on all hand-rolling tobacco products will increase by RPI, plus 6% and the minimum excise tax will increase by RPI plus 3%.\n\nThis is the first rise in tobacco duty since October 2021.\n\nAs part of a bid to help people with the rising cost of living, Mr Hunt announced a freeze on the duty tax for draught pints to help \"the great British pub\".\n\nThe new rule, which will also apply to Northern Ireland, will see alcohol duty 11p lower on pulled pints compared to supermarket sales from 1 August.\n\nIn the Commons, Mr Hunt said: \"Madam Deputy Speaker, British ale may be warm, but the duty on a pint is frozen.\"\n\nHowever, drinkers will see tax on other alcohol soar by 10.1% in August in line with inflation when a new system is introduced.\n\nIn December, the government extended a freeze on alcohol duty for six months, but this will end in August.\n\nScotland's whisky industry has accused the chancellor of delivering an \"historic blow\".\n\nThe Scottish Whisky Association (SWA) said the 10.1% increase was the \"the wrong decision at the wrong time\".","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/uk-64969334"}
{"title":"Credit Suisse to borrow up to $54bn from Swiss central bank - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-15","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"A slump in the troubled lender's shares has intensified fears about a broader bank crisis.","section":"Business","content":"Troubled banking giant Credit Suisse says it will borrow up to 50bn francs ($54bn; \u00a344.5bn) from the Swiss central bank to shore up its finances.\n\nThe lender said it was taking decisive action to strengthen its liquidity as it looked to become a simpler bank.\n\nShares in Credit Suisse fell 24% on Wednesday after it said it had found \"weakness\" in its financial reporting.\n\nThis prompted a general sell off on European markets, and fears of a wider financial crisis.\n\nCredit Suisse said its borrowing measures demonstrated \"decisive action to strengthen [the bank]\".\n\n\"My team and I are resolved to move forward rapidly to deliver a simpler and more focused bank built around client needs,\" Credit Suisse's chief executive Ulrich Koerner said in a statement.\n\nProblems in the banking sector surfaced in the US last week with the collapse of Silicon Valley Bank, the country's 16th-largest bank, followed two days later by the collapse of Signature Bank.\n\nAfter Credit Suisse shares plunged on Wednesday, a major investor - the Saudi National Bank - said it would not inject further funds into the Swiss lender.\n\nThe worries spread across financial markets with all major indexes falling sharply.\n\n\"The problems in Credit Suisse once more raise the question whether this is the beginning of a global crisis or just another 'idiosyncratic' case,\" wrote Andrew Kenningham of Capital Economics.\n\nThe Swiss National Bank, which is Switzerland's central bank, and the Swiss Financial Market Supervisory Authority sought to calm investor fears, saying they were ready to help Credit Suisse if necessary.\n\nStrict rules apply to Swiss financial institutions to \"ensure their stability\" and Credit Suisse meets the requirements for banks considered systemically important, the regulators said.\n\n\"There are no indications of a direct risk of contagion for Swiss institutions due to the current turmoil in the US banking market,\" they said in a joint statement.\n\nThe BBC understands that the Bank of England has been in touch with Credit Suisse and the Swiss authorities to monitor the situation.\n\nCredit Suisse, founded in 1856, has faced a string of scandals in recent years, including money laundering charges and other issues.\n\nIt lost money in 2021 and again in 2022 - its worst year since the financial crisis of 2008 - and has warned it does not expect to be profitable until 2024.\n\nShares in the firm had already been severely hit before this week - their value falling by roughly two-thirds last year - as customers pulled funds.\n\nThe bank's disclosure on Tuesday of \"material weakness\" in its financial reporting controls renewed investor concerns.\n\nThese were intensified when the chairman of the Saudi National Bank, Credit Suisse's largest shareholder, said it would not buy more shares in the Swiss bank on regulatory grounds.\n\nAt that time, Credit Suisse insisted its financial position was not a concern. But shares in the lender ended Wednesday down 24%, as other banks rushed to reduce their exposure to the firm and prime ministers in Spain and France spoke out in an attempt to ease fears.\n\nA bank run on Silicon Valley Bank ended in its collapse last week\n\nThis comes after Silicon Valley Bank (SVB) - which specialised in lending to technology companies - was shut down on Friday by US regulators in what was the largest failure of a US bank since 2008. SVB's UK arm was snapped up for \u00a31 by HSBC.\n\nIn the wake of the SVB collapse, New York-based Signature Bank also went bust, with the US regulators guaranteeing all deposits at both.\n\nHowever, fears have persisted that other banks could face similar troubles, and trading in bank shares has been volatile this week.\n\nIn the US, shares in both small and large banks were hit, helping to push the Dow down almost 0.9%, while the S&P 500 fell 0.7%.\n\nThe UK's FTSE 100 fell by 3.8% or 293 points - the biggest one-day drop since the early days of the pandemic in 2020.\n\n\"This banking crisis came from America. And now people are watching how the whole thing could also cause problems in Europe,\" said Robert Halver, head of capital markets at Germany's Baader Bank.\n\n\"If a bank has had even the remotest problem in the past, if major investors say we don't want to invest any more and don't want to let new money flow into this bank, then of course a story is being told where many investors say we want to get out.\"","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/business-64964881"}
{"title":"Manchester City 7-0 RB Leipzig (8-1 agg): Erling Haaland scores five as City cruise into quarter-finals - BBC Sport","published_date":"2023-03-15","authors":null,"description":"Erling Haaland scores five as Manchester City thrash RB Leipzig to reach the quarter-finals of the Champions League.","section":null,"content":"Last updated on .From the section European Football\n\nErling Haaland rewrote the record books by scoring an incredible five times as Manchester City swept RB Leipzig aside to reach the Champions League quarter-finals.\n\nHaaland becomes the fastest and youngest player to reach 30 goals in Europe's elite club competition.\n\nHe is also the youngest player to score five times in a single Champions League game, joining Argentina great Lionel Messi and Brazil forward Luiz Adriano as the only players to do so.\n\nThe 22-year-old is now on 39 goals for the season in all competitions, the first City player to reach that figure in a single campaign. His five hat-tricks are three more than any other player in the big five leagues.\n\nOn any normal day, Ilkay Gundogan's precise low shot into the bottom corner would have merited praise. On this historic night, which matched City's 7-0 triumph over Schalke in 2019, it was nothing more than a footnote.\n\nOn this evidence, no-one, not even Real Madrid, will want to be paired with Pep Guardiola's side in Friday's last-eight draw.\n\nLegendary former club captain Vincent Kompany can only hope his old club have got this calibre of performance out of their system when he brings his Burnley side to Etihad Stadium in the FA Cup on Saturday.\n\u2022 None Man City news and fan views in one place\n\nLeipzig coach Marco Rose was Haaland's boss at Dortmund last season. Little wonder he reacted with incredulity on the eve of the game when it was pointed out to him that some feel City are a lesser team with the Norwegian in it.\n\n\"It could get really, really, really good for him with Pep and Man City,\" was Rose's response.\n\nHe would have preferred his words not to be proved quite so perceptive, quite so soon.\n\nLeipzig were given a very early warning about the difficulties that lay ahead when Nathan Ake dropped a long pass over their defence and in the space of half a dozen strides Haaland had sprinted clear of their defence and bore down on goal.\n\nGoalkeeper Janis Blaswich managed to deny Haaland the opener - but it was to be his last success of the night in that personal duel.\n\nRose may argue City should not have been awarded the penalty that gave Haaland the chance to open the scoring.\n\nTrue, Benjamin Henrichs was very close to Rodri - but once VAR intervened it was also obvious the defender had his arms out when the City man headed the ball against his hand.\n\nHaaland kept his cool, buried the penalty and, as the visiting bench were still grumbling at the unfairness of it all, made it 2-0 when he reacted quickest after De Bruyne's thunderous shot came back off the crossbar and headed into an empty net.\n\nAnd when Amadou Haidara's clearance off the line, after Blaswich had turned away Ruben Dias' header, bounced straight into the advancing Haaland to give him his hat-trick in first-half stoppage time, Leipzig might have been tempted to concede.\n\nBut there was more punishment to come for the hapless visitors.\n\nGundogan's well-taken strike was followed by Haaland's fourth, which came when Blaswich saved a Manuel Akanji effort and again it fell just right for the Norwegian.\n\nWhen he turned home a fifth for the first time in his career, Haaland had effectively scored five times in 35 minutes.\n\nHs dad Alfie, watching from an executive box high in the stadium, was on his feet leading the applause.\n\nProbably wisely, Guardiola decided there was not much point in Haaland staying on the pitch. He left to a standing ovation from a crowd both appreciative and incredulous at what they had just seen.\n\nCity eased off with the job emphatically done before De Bruyne scored with virtually the last kick as Leipzig were condemned to their heaviest European defeat.\n\u2022 None Goal! Manchester City 7, RB Leipzig 0. Kevin De Bruyne (Manchester City) right footed shot from outside the box to the top right corner. Assisted by Riyad Mahrez.\n\u2022 None Delay over. They are ready to continue.\n\u2022 None Delay in match because of an injury David Raum (RB Leipzig).\n\u2022 None Attempt saved. Manuel Akanji (Manchester City) header from the centre of the box is saved in the bottom left corner. Assisted by Bernardo Silva with a cross.\n\u2022 None Attempt blocked. Juli\u00e1n \u00c1lvarez (Manchester City) right footed shot from the right side of the box is blocked.\n\u2022 None Attempt missed. Andr\u00e9 Silva (RB Leipzig) left footed shot from outside the box is close, but misses to the left. Assisted by Willi Orb\u00e1n with a headed pass.\n\u2022 None Manuel Akanji (Manchester City) is shown the yellow card for a bad foul. Navigate to the next page Navigate to the last page\n\u2022 None Find out how the new owner is transforming the company\n\u2022 None Are eco laundry products better for the environment? Greg Foot investigates how such claims come out in the wash...","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/sport\/football\/64943666"}
{"title":"Immigration rules relaxed for builders and carpenters - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-15","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"Construction workers are added to list but hospitality sector not included in government review.","section":"Business","content":"Overseas bricklayers and carpenters could be able to get work visas more easily in the UK after the government updated its shortage occupation list.\n\nThe list, which now also includes roofers and plasterers, highlights occupations that employers are struggling to fill.\n\nHowever, hospitality, which has had problems recruiting, was not included.\n\nThe change on construction workers is not expected to make a major difference to overall migration figures.\n\nGovernment advisors in the Migration Advisory Committee (MAC) looked at 26 occupations in construction and hospitality, and recommended five for inclusion on the shortage occupations list.\n\nThe committee did not recommend any hospitality occupations be included, although it said Brexit and the pandemic had \"significant effects\" on both sectors.\n\nThe five occupations approved by the committee are:\n\nPeople on the shortage occupation list are able to apply for a skilled worker visa to come and work in the UK.\n\nThe construction and hospitality shortage review, published on the same day as the Budget, reveals vacancies have risen strongly in both hospitality and construction, relative to pre-pandemic levels\n\nFrom November 2022 to January 2023, compared with the period before the pandemic from January to March 2020, vacancies are 72% higher in hospitality and 65% higher in construction.\n\nThis compares to an increase of 42% in the overall economy.\n\nThe committee said its review was based on whether an occupation made up more than 0.5% of the sector workforce and earned below the current general threshold for migrants which stands at \u00a326,200.\n\nIt said it also considered the \"strategic importance of construction for the UK economy\" and how its workforce was likely to change in the next decade, with \"demand likely to increase markedly\".\n\nIt said overall employment in hospitality had recovered since a large fall during the pandemic and \"now comfortably\" exceeded pre-pandemic levels.\n\nThe committee said it did not recommend any of the hospitality occupations for the shortlist - including chefs, restaurant or bar managers - because \"the government was clear that such a recommendation should be exceptional and based on particularly strong evidence\".\n\n\"Perhaps inevitably, given the shortened time frame that stakeholders had to respond to us, we do not consider any of the evidence submitted sufficiently strong to justify a recommendation\", it said.\n\nLast October, Home Secretary Suella Braverman said she wanted to get net migration down into the tens of thousands.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/business-64969468"}
{"title":"Russia pilots reckless in drone collision - US - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-15","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"A US surveillance drone plunged into the Black Sea following an encounter with Russian jets.","section":"Europe","content":"Reaper drones are full-size aircraft designed for reconnaissance and surveillance\n\nThe US has accused Russia of reckless behaviour after an American drone crashed into the Black Sea following an encounter with Russian fighter jets.\n\nBefore the collision, Russian jets are said to have dumped fuel into the path of the drone, which the US says was in international airspace.\n\nThe damaged MQ-9 Reaper drone was brought down by the US after it became \"unflyable\", the Pentagon said.\n\nRussia has denied its two Su-27 fighter jets made any contact.\n\nThe key question is whether the encounter was merely an attempt by Russia to disrupt the US drone and its work - or whether it was a deliberate attempt to bring it down.\n\nUS military officials said the incident happened at about 07:03 Central European Time (06:03 GMT) on Tuesday and the confrontation lasted around 30-40 minutes.\n\nSeveral times before the collision, the fighter jets dumped fuel on the drone in a \"reckless, environmentally unsound and unprofessional manner\", it said in a statement.\n\nPentagon spokesman Brig Gen Pat Ryder told reporters the drone was \"unflyable and uncontrollable so we brought it down\", adding that the collision also likely damaged the Russian aircraft.\n\nHe said the jets were able to land following the incident.\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser.\n\nBrig Gen Ryder said to his knowledge the Russians had not recovered the drone.\n\nThe United States' National Security Council's John Kirby told CNN: \"Without getting into too much detail, what I can say is that we've taken steps to protect our equities with respect to that particular drone.\"\n\nRussia's defence ministry said the drone crashed after a \"sharp manoeuvre\" and that it was flying with its transponders turned off. Transponders are communications devices that allow the aircraft to be tracked.\n\nProf Michael Clarke, visiting professor in war studies at King's College, told the BBC the collision was \"almost certainly an accident\".\n\nThe ex-director general of the defence and security think tank Royal United Services Institute said: \"I don't believe any pilot could deliberately do that [only colliding with another aircraft's propeller] without seriously endangering their aircraft and own life.\"\n\nThe incident highlights the increasing risk of direct confrontation between Russia and the US over the Ukraine war.\n\nTo protest against the move, the US summoned Russian ambassador Anatoly Antonov in Washington.\n\nFollowing the meeting, Russian state media quoted Mr Antonov as saying that Moscow saw the drone incident as \"a provocation\" and that \"the unacceptable activity of the US military in the close proximity to our borders is a cause for concern\".\n\nOn Wednesday, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters there had been no high-level contact between Moscow and Washington over the incident.\n\nBut he said Russia would never refuse to engage in constructive dialogue.\n\nTensions have risen over the Black Sea ever since Russia's annexation of Crimea in 2014.\n\nAfter Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine last year the US and the UK stepped up reconnaissance and surveillance flights, though always operating in international airspace.\n\nAccording to the US, there has been a \"pattern of dangerous actions by Russian pilots\" interacting with allied aircraft in the region.\n\nThis means the downing of the drone could conceivably have been the result of a mistake by a Russian pilot who got too close as they \"buzzed\" the unmanned aircraft.\n\nBut if this was a deliberate attack on a US aircraft by a Russian warplane, then analysts say that would amount to a huge provocation and a substantial escalation.\n\nIn that case, the attack would be seen as an attempt by the Kremlin to test the response of the United States.\n\nWestern allies have worked hard to stop the war in Ukraine escalating into a direct confrontation with Russia. But this incident over the Black Sea is just that. The US will now have to evaluate its response.\n\nAs US military commanders warned in their statement, this was a dangerous act that \"could lead to miscalculation and unintended escalation\".","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/world-europe-64960384"}
{"title":"Banksy mural appears on derelict Herne Bay farmhouse - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-15","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"The mural, called Morning is Broken, shows a boy opening iron curtains alongside a cat.","section":"Kent","content":"The mural has appeared at Blacksole Farm\n\nA new Banksy mural has appeared on the wall of a derelict farmhouse in the seaside town of Herne Bay, Kent.\n\nThe mural, called Morning is Broken, shows a young boy opening curtains made of corrugated iron alongside a cat.\n\nThe anonymous artist confirmed they were the creator of the piece in a post shared to Instagram.\n\nIn the post, it appears the piece - and part of the building - had been demolished.\n\nThe artwork had appeared on the side of a derelict farmhouse on Blacksole Farm.\n\nOwners of the land, Kitewood, said demolition work is currently being undertaken at the site.\n\nIn February, another installation created by Banksy, called Valentine's Day Mascara, appeared in Margate. It was dismantled by the local council hours after the artist had claimed it.\n\nIt was later confirmed that piece would be taken to the town's Dreamland theme park.\n\nOwners of the land, Kitewood, said demolition work is currently being undertaken at the site\n\nFollow BBC South East on Facebook, on Twitter, and on Instagram. Send your story ideas to","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/uk-england-kent-64964973"}
{"title":"Australian boy, 13, spent six weeks in solitary confinement - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-15","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"The teenager's treatment is the latest youth justice case to raise human rights concerns in Queensland.","section":"Australia","content":"A 13-year-old Indigenous Australian boy spent 45 days in solitary confinement while being held for minor offences, in the latest youth justice case to raise human rights concerns in Queensland.\n\nThe boy - referred to as \"Jack\" - was released on probation last week after 60 days in custody at Cleveland Youth Detention Centre in Townsville.\n\nHe is understood to have spent 22 consecutive days in isolation.\n\nQueensland's human rights chief says the case may have broken state laws.\n\nJack was being held on remand on charges relating to a fight with another 13-year-old boy, at the detention centre some 1,300km north of Brisbane.\n\nHe flooded his cell with water from the toilet in desperation at his situation, and after being denied drinking water, his barrister Tim Grau told the BBC.\n\nDescribing his detention as \"extraordinary and cruel\", Mr Grau said Jack had \"no serious criminal history\".\n\n\"He was 13, he'd been in court once before. So even for this offending, he was never going to get a period of incarceration, in my view,\" he said.\n\nMr Grau said he didn't know why Jack spent so long in isolation, but suspected it was due to staff shortages at the prison.\n\n\"If he's being locked in because there's staff shortages, and Cleveland detention centre has 80 or more kids in at any one time, one can only assume that other kids are in the same circumstance.\n\n\"You would hope not, but maybe it's more common than we thought.\"\n\nJack's period of detention included six days being held in adult prisons. He was released last week with a verbal reprimand.\n\nA separate recent case also raised human rights concerns over the Queensland's youth justice system, which is currently undergoing reform.\n\nIn February, it emerged that another 13-year-old Queensland boy with developmental disabilities spent 78 days confined to a cell for 20 hours per day.\n\nQueensland is currently debating new laws which would criminalise bail breaches by minors - a change which will cause the youth prison population to increase dramatically, experts warn.\n\nState Human Rights Commissioner Scott McDougall said the recent cases may have breached Queensland's Human Rights Act, which states all prisoners should have access to fresh air and exercise for a minimum of two hours a day.\n\nHe warned that changes to the law would only make the situation worse, and that immediate steps were needed to stop children being placed in isolation.\n\n\"Unfortunately, I don't think they're isolated cases,\" he told the BBC.\n\n\"Given the laws that are [being] passed in Queensland, which are clearly intended to incarcerate more children, it becomes even more important that the government urgently develops a coherent plan for preventing children coming within the criminal justice system, \" he said.\n\n\"My concern is by increasing the pressure on the system, we risk normalising the mistreatment of children\".\n\nMr McDougall urged the state government to \"double down\" on measures to keep children in school and stop them going down \"the path of criminalisation\".\n\nAboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people were 12 times more likely to be in prison than non-Indigenous Australians in 2021, the Queensland Statisticians Office says.\n\nRates of juvenile incarceration are also high, with Indigenous children accounting for some 70% of detainees across most of Queensland, and over 90% in the state's north.\n\nOvercrowded facilities mean children and minors often have to be housed in adult prisons known as watch houses. Most juvenile detainees are being held on remand.\n\nIn a statement to the BBC, a spokesperson for Queensland's Department of Children, Youth Justice and Multicultural Affairs said solitary confinement or \"separations\" were only used as a last resort.\n\nYouth detention centres were \"complex and difficult environments, and practices used in the centres are designed to ensure the safety of staff and young people at all times,\" the spokesperson said.\n\n\"At all times during a separation, young people have access to visits and professional support services, phone calls, education material, meal routines and recreational activities.\"","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/world-australia-64960479"}
{"title":"BBC local services disrupted by 24-hour strike over radio cuts - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-15","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"Regional TV news in England is not expected to be aired, with local radio and online also affected.","section":"Entertainment & Arts","content":"There are plans for local radio stations in England to share some programmes with neighbouring areas\n\nThe BBC's regional TV bulletins and local radio and online output in England are being disrupted by a 24-hour strike on Wednesday and Thursday.\n\nNational Union of Journalists (NUJ) members working for BBC Local started the action at 11:00 GMT in response to plans to merge some local radio shows.\n\nThe NUJ said the proposals would \"undermine already hollowed out local radio content across England\".\n\nThe BBC said it had \"tried to minimise disruption as much as possible\".\n\nPlans for its 39 local stations to share more shows would \"see no overall reduction in staffing levels or local funding\" and deliver \"even greater value to communities\", a BBC spokesperson said.\n\nThe strike means most 13.30, 18.30 and 22:30 regional TV news programmes across England are not expected to be broadcast.\n\nShortly after 11:00 on Wednesday, some local radio stations broadcast a syndicated programme. Others kept their own shows, although many used stand-in hosts.\n\nThe NUJ said it expected more than 1,000 staff to take part. When the strike ends at 11:00 on Thursday, they will then start a continuous work to rule - sticking strictly to the requirements of their contract, for example not taking on extra duties or overtime.\n\nProgramming in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland is not affected.\n\nThe union said staff saw the strike as \"a last resort\".\n\nNUJ general secretary Michelle Stanistreet said: \"It's not simply a question about jobs and conditions for our members - they believe passionately in the value that quality local content brings to their audiences, journalism that is trusted and relied upon in the communities they serve.\n\n\"The BBC's raiding of local radio budgets to fund its Digital First strategy is wrongheaded and risks undermining a vital part of our public service broadcasting.\"\n\nWednesday's walk-out coincides with the chancellor's Budget day. Further strikes are being considered for May's local elections, the coronation and the Eurovision Song Contest.\n\nUnder the BBC's proposals, the 39 English stations would keep their own weekday morning programmes but then share 20 afternoon weekday shows, with some stations sharing schedules between 14:00-18:00 with neighbouring stations and others remaining local.\n\nThere would be 10 shared shows after 18:00 and a single all-England programme after 22:00. Weekend output will also be affected.\n\nThe 39 BBC Introducing shows, which help to discover up-and-coming musicians, will also be cut to 20 - but with extra timeslots to ensure a broad range of music can still be played.\n\nThe BBC has said local news bulletins and live sports programming will be maintained.\n\nA BBC spokesperson said on Wednesday: \"We are obviously disappointed that the strike has gone ahead. We have a plan to modernise local services across England - including more news journalists and a stronger local online service - which will see no overall reduction in staffing levels or local funding.\n\n\"Our goal is a local service across TV, radio and online that delivers even greater value to communities.\n\n\"We will continue to engage with the trade union and do everything possible to minimise the impact on staff.\"\n\nThe BBC plans also include creating 11 investigative reporting teams across the country, launching dedicated online services for Bradford, Wolverhampton, Sunderland and Peterborough, and creating a new fund to commission original local programmes and podcasts.\n\nSeparately, there have been recent protests about proposed cuts to BBC Radio Foyle in Northern Ireland.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/entertainment-arts-64964035"}
{"title":"Wild horses found shot dead, Canadian police say - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-15","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"The Royal Canadian Mounted Police said the horses are of significance to a local indigenous band.","section":"US & Canada","content":"Police called the deaths \"disheartening\" and that a motive has not yet been identified\n\nCanadian police said they are investigating the suspicious death of 17 wild horses in British Columbia.\n\nThe horses appear to have been shot and killed near the Kamloops area, the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RMCP) said.\n\nThe horses are of cultural significance to the local Skeetchestn indigenous band, the police said.\n\nThe RCMP has launched an investigation into the incident. A motive has not been identified.\n\nTk'emlups Rural RCMP said they received a report on Friday of several horses that were killed on Crown land that is owned by the province of British Columbia, near the small community of Walhachin, about 65 km (40 miles) west of Kamloops.\n\n\"Investigators were led to the specific location, where it was confirmed 17 horses had recently been shot,\" RCMP Cpl James Grandy said in a news release.\n\n\"They appeared to be from a herd of feral (wild) horses which frequent this area,\" he said.\n\nPolice deployed a forensics team, a veterinarian and an RCMP livestock investigator to examine the scene.\n\nIn an interview with the CBC, a livestock investigator with the RCMP said that carcasses were spread over a two-kilometre area.\n\n\"It's really difficult terrain,\" Cpl Lepine said. \"It's not travelled much.\"\n\nPolice have urged anyone with information to come forward, as a motive has not yet been identified.\n\n\"The motive behind this disheartening act cannot be confirmed at this point,\" Cpl Grandy said. \"However, investigators will continue to collect and examine everything available.\"","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/world-us-canada-64947618"}
{"title":"Corporation tax: Jeremy Hunt confirms rise to 25% from April - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-15","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"The chancellor confirms corporation tax will go up but opposition is expected from some Tory MPs.","section":"Business","content":"The rate of corporation tax, paid on company profits, will rise next month, the chancellor has confirmed.\n\nIt will go up from 19% to 25% for companies with over \u00a3250,000 in profits, Jeremy Hunt told the Commons.\n\nHe also announced a new scheme to allow every pound invested by businesses in IT equipment, plants or machinery to be deducted in full from taxable profits.\n\nThe tax hike, first announced in 2021 when Rishi Sunak was chancellor, has been a source of much political debate.\n\nEx-PM Liz Truss attempted to scrap the policy in her mini-budget last September and some Conservative MPs still oppose it.\n\nDelivering his Spring Budget, Mr Hunt said the UK would still have the lowest headline rate of corporation tax in the G7, a group of the world's seven richest nations, even after the rise in April.\n\nHe said only 10% of businesses would pay the full rate and anticipated that his new \"full capital expensing\" policy was equivalent of a corporation tax cut worth an average of \u00a39bn a year.\n\nHe told the Commons it would lead to a 3% increase in business investment a year and without it, the UK would have \"fallen down international league tables on tax competitiveness and damaged growth\".\n\nThe \"full capital expensing\" policy will mean companies can deduct spending on investment from profits, meaning they have to pay lower amounts of corporation tax.\n\nThe policy would be in place for three years initially but the government hoped to make it permanent \"as soon as we can responsibly do so\", the chancellor said.\n\nIndependent analysis by the Office for Budget Responsibility (OBR) said that as a temporary measure, it provided a strong incentive for businesses to bring forward any investment that had been planned for a later date.\n\nAt its peak, the scheme could see business investment up by about 3%, the OBR report said. However it also pointed out that this was lower than the 5% rise under the super-deduction scheme which this policy replaces.\n\nMr Hunt made the announcement after he confirmed the OBR forecasts the British economy is to avoid a technical recession in 2023 but contract by 0.2%, before returning to growth in 2024.\n\nPlans to hike corporation tax to 25% were first put forward by Rishi Sunak two years ago, when he was chancellor under Boris Johnson.\n\nThe rise was justified as a means to claw back some of the billions of pounds worth of public money that had been used to prop up businesses during the Covid-19 pandemic.\n\nMr Sunak deferred the rise by two years, and in the time since, the policy has been axed, reinstated and divided opinion in the Conservative Party.\n\nKeeping corporation tax at 19% was a key plank of Liz Truss' low-tax leadership platform when she beat Mr Sunak to become prime minister.\n\nOn 23 September, then-chancellor Kwasi Kwarteng confirmed the move in the Commons, telling the country it would boost growth - but his Budget quickly unravelled.\n\nThree weeks later, Mr Kwarteng was sacked and the 25% policy was readopted by Ms Truss as she sought to get investors and her own party back onside.\n\nSome Tory MPs publicly oppose the rise, including Mr Johnson, despite the fact he signed off on it when he was PM.\n\nDuring a speech earlier this month, Mr Johnson said the government should be \"cutting corporation tax to Irish levels or lower\". The rate is as low as 12.5% for some companies in Ireland.\n\nFormer business secretary Jacob Rees-Mogg echoed that view, saying the best approach to tax policy was low rates with few exclusions.\n\nHe told the Commons: \"We have a rise now in corporation tax but we then sort of salami slice it a bit with some capital allowances to pretend it's not much of a rise. This is not a good approach to tax policy.\"","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/business-64963631"}
{"title":"John Caldwell : Tenth arrest over Omagh police shooting - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-15","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"A 45-year-old man is arrested in connection with the attempted murder of John Caldwell.","section":"Northern Ireland","content":"Det Ch Insp John Caldwell has been involved in a number of major investigations\n\nA tenth man has been arrested in connection with the shooting of Det Ch Insp John Caldwell.\n\nThe man, aged 45, was detained in Belfast under the Terrorism Act on Tuesday evening.\n\nDet Ch Insp John Caldwell suffered life-changing injuries in the attack in Omagh last month.\n\nInvestigators said their main line of enquiry into the attempted murder was dissident republican group the New IRA.\n\nEight other men, aged 72, 57, 47, 45, 43, 33, 38 and 22, arrested in connection with the attempted murder have since been released.\n\nA 25-year-old man, detained over a claim of responsibility made for the shooting was also released following questioning.\n\nLast week, the independent charity Crimestoppers announced a new reward for information about the attack.\n\nIt had previously offered \u00a320,000 but said anonymous donors had helped to increase that to \u00a3150,000.\n\nDet Ch Supt Eamonn Corrigan said the Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) was \"working relentlessly to bring those responsible to justice\".\n\nDet Ch Insp Caldwell, 48, was left critically ill after he was shot while putting footballs into his car after coaching young people at football.\n\nThe shooting, which occurred in front of school children, has been widely condemned by political figures across Northern Ireland.\n\nHe is one of the best-known detectives in the PSNI, often fronting press conferences on major inquiries during his 26-year career.\n\nMr Caldwell had coached a Beragh Swifts training session at Youth Sport Omagh when the gunmen approached and shot him at about 20:00 GMT on 22 February.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/uk-northern-ireland-64959728"}
{"title":"Napoli v Eintracht Frankfurt: Football fans throw chairs at Naples riot police - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-15","authors":null,"description":"Eintracht Frankfurt fans clash with police in Italy ahead of a Champions League match - despite a ban on their attendance.","section":null,"content":"Eintracht Frankfurt fans have clashed with police in Italy ahead of their club's Champions League last-16 match against Napoli.\n\nFootage showed chairs being hurled at riot police, who had been responding with tear gas.\n\nNaples authorities had banned residents of the German city from buying tickets for the match, after violence during the first leg in Frankfurt.\n\nMore on this story: Eintracht fans clash with police before Napoli tie","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/world-europe-64970977"}
{"title":"Napoli v Eintracht Frankfurt: Visiting fans clash with police before Champions League tie - BBC Sport","published_date":"2023-03-15","authors":null,"description":"Eintracht Frankfurt fans clash with police after arriving in Naples despite being banned from their team's Champions League match with Napoli.","section":null,"content":"Last updated on .From the section European Football\n\nEintracht Frankfurt fans clashed with police after arriving in Naples despite being banned from Wednesday's Champions League last-16 match with Napoli.\n\nAway fans were barred from the second leg after incidents at their first meeting last month.\n\nBut a police car was set on fire by a group of hundreds of supporters and smoke bombs and flares thrown at officers, who responded with tear gas.\n\nLocal media said Eintracht fans were also attacked by Napoli ultras.\n\nIt said the incidents had caused \"terror among passers-by and shopkeepers\".\n\nFootage shared on social media showed chairs and flares being thrown at a small number of police dressed in riot gear.\n\nItaly's deputy prime minister Matteo Salvini wrote on Instagram: \"These are not fans, they are criminals, thugs. I wonder if they would make the same mess in Germany?\"\n\nEintracht board member Philipp Reschke said trouble began when a group of 150 locals attacked away supporters while they were being escorted by police.\n\n\"It seemed a bit like the groups have searched and have found each other,\" he told the German newspaper Bild. \"The most important thing is there are no injuries, not even with the police.\"\n\nGerman interior minister Nancy Faeser said: \"Tonight's violence must be condemned in the strongest possible terms. Perpetrators of violence and troublemakers destroy sport.\"\n\nThe match was played without incident inside the ground with Napoli winning 3-0 to seal progression to the quarter-finals.\n\nUefa charged Eintracht Frankfurt with racist behaviour, lighting of fireworks, throwing of objects and acts of damage following a Champions League tie in Marseille in September, and nine people were taken into custody after the first leg against Napoli.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/sport\/football\/64970500"}
{"title":"Swansea explosion: Man who rescued boy says he's not a hero - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-15","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"Donn Fern\u00e1ndez was the first on the scene and described hearing the boy's calls for help","section":"Wales","content":"This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Donn Fern\u00e1ndez says he followed his instincts when he rescued Ethan from the wreckage of a house explosion\n\nA man who helped rescue a 14-year-old boy from the wreckage of a house that was destroyed in an explosion said he was just following his instincts.\n\nOne home was destroyed in the suspected gas explosion at the junction of Field Close and Clydach Road in Morriston, Swansea, at about 11:20 GMT on Monday.\n\nBrian Davies, 68, died and three others, including the teen, were hurt.\n\nDonn Fern\u00e1ndez, 40, said he did not want to be called a \"hero\", adding: \"No, I'm just human.\"\n\nMr Fern\u00e1ndez, who only moved to Swansea from the Philippines one month ago, was one of those who helped rescue Ethan Bennett after the blast.\n\nHe was walking up the stairs when Mr Davies's house exploded.\n\nAt first, he had no idea where the noise had come from but saw his front door and windows were shattered and there was \"white smoke\" in the air.\n\nDonn Fern\u00e1ndez and Donna Fontanilla only moved to the area a month ago\n\nWhen he ran outside, he could see Ethan caught in the rubble of the remains of his roof so he and several others pulled him to safety.\n\nHis wife, Donna Fontanilla, 30, said: \"I keep on telling him that you are brave, but he doesn't want to accept.\"\n\nMr Fern\u00e1ndez said he did what anyone else would have done in his shoes and praised Ethan: \"It's not me who saved him - it's the boy who's really brave.\"\n\nMs Fontanilla is a nurse and was at work when the blast happened.\n\nBrian Davies has been named as the man who died following the explosion\n\nWhen Mr Fern\u00e1ndez called to tell her what had happened, her first thought was for her neighbour.\n\n\"I said, 'Oh my God, how's Brian?' because I knew he was living literally in that house. Looking at the house itself, I don't think there is a sign of life and I feel really devastated, you know - I feel bad for him, he doesn't deserve this.\"\n\nThe couple moved to Clydach Road in February and described Mr Davies as welcoming and friendly.\n\nOn Wednesday, they received the news that their house was too badly damaged by the blast for them to return.\n\nFr Jason Jones praised Donn Fern\u00e1ndez for his quick response to the explosion\n\nThe couple's children, two-year-old Zefia and Evan, three, are still in the Philippines living with family.\n\nThey had planned for their children to move and join them in April, but those plans are on hold while the couple searches for a new home.\n\nBut Ms Fontanilla said they had been \"overwhelmed\" by the help of the council, their Catholic church, and the Filipino community in Swansea.\n\n\"I'd like to take this opportunity to say thank you to everyone. We really appreciate it. They are always making sure that we are quite comfortable - they've given us spare clothes, water, basic necessities for us to get through.\"\n\nTheir priest, Father Jason Jones, who is storing some of the possessions they were able to retrieve, said: \"I think we're just very blessed that he's part of our community and so willing to risk his own life because there could have been further explosions.\"\n\nMeanwhile, the RSPCA has been working to support families and their pets who were affected by the blast.\n\nAn inspector rescued one cat, Fern, from the scene of the blast, which is now being cared for at the RSPCA's Llys Nini animal rescue centre in Penllergaer.\n\nHowever, they are still trying to find Fern's brother Teddy who remains missing - both pets belong to the Bennett family, whose home was wrecked in the explosion.\n\nEthan has been reunited with his pet cat Fern\n\nEthan was reunited with family pet Fern at Llys Nini after being rescued, but the cat will remain at the centre.\n\nSally Hyman, chairwoman of the trustees at the animal rescue centre, said: \"We've been pumping out the appeal for Teddy on our social media. We've had volunteers out looking for him and Cat Protection are also on board.\n\n\"Their specialists say the best chance may be to to try to trap him overnight and they are on hand to do that.\"\n\nSouth Wales Police said an investigation had been launched into the cause of the explosion, and the Health and Safety Executive has been informed.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/uk-wales-64968303"}
{"title":"Maghaberry Prison: Daniel McConville's death prompts call for changes - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-15","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"Daniel McConville died in 2018 shortly after he warned prison staff that he intended to self-harm.","section":"Northern Ireland","content":"Daniel McConville, a father of two, died in jail on 30 August 2018\n\nA report into the death of a 22-year-old prisoner has called for improvement in how people with complex needs are assessed and managed while in jail.\n\nDaniel McConville died in Maghaberry Prison in 2018, shortly after he warned staff that he intended to self-harm.\n\nThe prison ombudsman investigated after Mr McConville's family raised concerns about his treatment in custody.\n\nBut the ombudsman said she found no evidence to suggest Mr McConville was assaulted or bullied by prison staff.\n\n\"The care provided by the Prison Service was appropriate based on the information and knowledge available to prison officers,\" the report by Prisoner Ombudsman Lesley Carroll concluded.\n\nHowever, she added that prison staff managing Mr McConville on a day-to-day basis were \"unaware of much of his background\" and she has made recommendations to improve the supervision and care of inmates with neurodevelopmental disabilities.\n\nThe prisoner, who had 80 previous convictions, had a documented history of self-harm, drug abuse and depression.\n\nHe had been prescribed anti-depressants, but was without access to this medication on three occasions in jail and it was not present in his body at the time of his death.\n\nDuring his early childhood, Mr McConville was also diagnosed with a learning difficulty and Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD).\n\nThe ombudsman's report pointed out \"there is no specific service for those with ADHD\" within the prison system.\n\n\"I am concerned that the needs of those who face multiple challenges in their lives, including multiple low-level health diagnoses, could be better addressed while they are in custody,\" Ms Carroll said.\n\nUsing prison records, her report documents the events leading up to the night of 29\/30 August 2018, when Maghaberry staff found Mr McConville unresponsive in his cell.\n\nFollowing a number of short stays in custody throughout his youth, he was charged with burglary and theft in June 2018 and was remanded in custody.\n\nDuring a 70-day detention period, Mr McConville had several health assessments and moved cells seven times.\n\nHe also had altercations with other inmates, lost privileges after breaking prison rules and complained that he had been assaulted by prison staff.\n\n\"Based on materials examined as part of this investigation and the significant number of interviews conducted, I was not able to substantiate the allegations made of mistreatment and bullying,\" the ombudsman concluded.\n\n\"It seems more likely that, at least in part, Mr McConville's behaviour was challenging for prison staff who had very little understanding or knowledge of his underlying conditions.\"\n\nHowever, her report also noted at the time of his death, the prisoner was being managed under the Supporting People At Risk (SPAR) process and was therefore considered as being at \"increased risk\" of self-harm and suicide.\n\nShe added that the evidence suggested that Mr McConville had not taken his prescribed anti-depressant medication for at least a week prior to his death and that this \"also put him at an elevated risk of suicide\".\n\nMaghaberry Prison is a high-security men's jail which holds both sentenced and remand prisoners\n\nOn 28 August 2018 - the day before Mr McConville was found unresponsive in his cell - he alleged he was being bullied by staff on the landing of Erne House.\n\nHe threatened to cut himself if he was not moved from his cell and, as a result, a senior prison officer interviewed him and opened a SPAR.\n\nThis action required staff to observe Mr McConville every 30 minutes.\n\nThe following day, the prisoner appeared in court via video-link to apply for release on bail.\n\nThe court refused, because no bail address could be secured for him.\n\nHe returned to his cell and prison records state that checks were carried out exactly every 30 minutes from 21:05 until he was found unresponsive at 23:04.\n\nAn ambulance and fire fighters were called but Mr McConville was pronounced dead shortly after midnight on 30 August.\n\nAn inquest into the cause of his death is pending.\n\nThe ombudsman's report contains five recommendations, including a suggestion of better communication between the police and prison services about the progress of investigations into prison assaults.\n\nShe also recommended that prison staff and health workers should access training on neurodevelopmental disabilities including ADHD to \"inform practice in response to behaviour and presentation of individuals in custody\".\n\n\"While I have found that Mr McConville's care was within standards, I am also convinced that there is considerable work to be done to ensure that the notion of rehabilitation is a reality for young men such as Mr McConville\", she concluded.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/uk-northern-ireland-64957131"}
{"title":"Storm Freddy: Malawi declares state of disaster as more than 200 killed - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-15","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"Dozens of children are among the dead as rescue workers use shovels to find people buried in mud.","section":"Africa","content":"The destruction of roads and bridges has hampered relief efforts\n\nMore than 200 people are now confirmed dead in Malawi after Tropical Storm Freddy ripped through southern Africa for the second time in a month.\n\nHuge amounts of brown water have cascaded through neighbourhoods, sweeping away homes.\n\nMalawi's commercial hub, Blantyre, has recorded most of the deaths, including dozens of children.\n\nAid agencies are warning that the devastation will exacerbate a cholera outbreak in Malawi.\n\nThe government has declared a state of disaster in 10 southern districts that have been hardest-hit by the storm.\n\nRescue workers are overwhelmed, and are using shovels to try to find survivors buried in mud.\n\n\"We have rivers overflowing, we have people being carried away by running waters, we have buildings collapsing,\" police spokesman Peter Kalaya told the BBC.\n\nRecalling how he helped rescue a child, Blantyre resident Aaron Ntambo said: \"The child was stuck up to her head in the mud. She was crying for help. Even though the water was very strong, we managed to cross and rescue her. It was very difficult but we managed to pull her out.\"\n\nOfficials at the main referral hospital in the city said they could not cope with the sheer number of bodies that they were receiving.\n\nMedical charity Doctors Without Borders said that more than 40 children were pronounced dead on arrival at the hospital.\n\nOfficials appealed to bereaved families to collect the corpses for burial as the hospital's mortuary was running out of space.\n\nThe government's disaster relief agency said more than 20,000 people have been displaced.\n\nThe death toll is expected to rise as some areas remain cut off because of relentless rain and fierce winds.\n\nThe storm has also crippled Malawi's power supply, with most parts of the country experiencing prolonged blackouts.\n\nThe national electricity company said it was unable to get its hydro-power plant working as it had been filled with debris.\n\nDensely-populated poorer communities, living in brick and mud houses, have been hardest-hit.\n\nSome of these houses have crumbled into flood waters, while others have been entirely swept away.\n\nThe collapse of roads and bridges had hampered rescue operations, while helicopters could not be used either because of the heavy rains and strong winds.\n\nThe government has appealed for help for the tens of thousands of people who have been left without food and shelter.\n\nFreddy is one of only four storms in history to traverse the entire Indian Ocean from north-western Australia to mainland Africa. Freddy could also be the longest-lasting tropical cyclone on record, according to the World Meteorological Organization.\n\nOn Sunday the storm struck Mozambique as a cyclone - for the second time in a less than a month - after battering the island nation of Madagascar in the Indian Ocean, causing severe destruction.\n\nIt has been difficult to determine the extent of the damage caused in Mozambique and the number of deaths, as power supply and phone signals were cut off in some parts of the affected areas.\n\nAbout 20 deaths have so far been reported.\n\nExperts says climate change is making tropical storms around the world wetter, windier and more intense.\n\nFreddy had broken records for the strength it accumulated over the 8,000-km (5,000-mile) path it travelled across the Indian Ocean from north-western Australia.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/world-africa-64938811"}
{"title":"Will chancellor Jeremy Hunt's plan to fix the UK economy work? - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-15","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"The chancellor claims the downturn will be shallower than it otherwise would have been.","section":"Business","content":"What we've just seen was like two Budgets in one, or, with the World Cup approaching, what a football fan might call \"a Budget of two halves\".\n\nIn the first half, covering the next couple of years before the next general election, there is support for households, in the form of government spending and further support with energy bills. Extra cash has been found for schools, hospitals and social care, and the chief secretary to the Treasury John Glen hinted to me that some of this could be used for higher wage rises for public sector workers.\n\nThe second half, after 2025, is a different matter. That's where the eye-watering decisions the chancellor warned us about come in: the spending cuts and higher taxes for all. They're needed if the chancellor is to hit his target of getting debt to shrink as a proportion of economic output in five years.\n\nWhether or not this two-pronged plan works isn't just a question of the score after the final whistle in five years time though - and remember the Conservative Party might not even be on the pitch any more by then - it's also about the verdict over the next few days.\n\nImmediate tax rises, on energy companies and the wealthy, mean that tax as a proportion of economic output will rise to levels not seen since the end of World War Two, which some in his party will no doubt view as anti-growth, but the government defends as necessary in a situation where rising energy prices have pushed up our national energy bills by the equivalent of paying for a second NHS and household incomes are falling by the largest amount since records began in 1956.\n\nIn such circumstances Mr Hunt's first priority is to avoid worsening the recession the government's independent forecaster the Office for Budget Responsibility (OBR) says has already started. That's the reason he can't go in hard now with a plan to balance the Budget.\n\nThere are two distinct halves to Hunt's Autumn Statement\n\nThe grim consolidation planned for after 2025 - worth \u00a355bn or 2% of the size of the economy - is a downpayment to the markets. It's Mr Hunt aiming to prove he is serious about fixing the public finances.\n\nThat's just as vital as protecting growth if his plan is to work. The recent sharp increase in interest rates means the government is facing a bill for its own borrowing that's going to top \u00a3100bn a year over the next few years. But that bill could come down if investors are satisfied that the right plan is in place.\n\nUnusually, the position of the opposition, really matters here too. And Labour's shadow Treasury number two Pat McFadden, confirmed to me that his party's current baseline for its economic plans, should it win the next election, is the \u00a354bn fiscal consolidation revealed by the OBR numbers.\n\nPrivately the Labour team suggests if they win the next election, it will be left to them to clean up the Conservative party mess. Publicly they are stressing that they need to show they are serious about financial stability. This suggests we may be heading for a 1997-style situation, when Labour in opposition accepted the very tight spending plans that the outgoing government put in place but might themselves never have enacted at all.\n\nAll these big economic numbers may well evolve before the election; the OBR is certainly due to give several more forecasts before then. But the tramlines for the next half-decade of politics are in place.\n\nFor now the markets seem sufficiently assured that this new team will deal with the deficit. The prime minister and chancellor managed to tell lenders they would immediately be needing \u00a324bn less in funds than thought at the time of the mini-Budget. Labour's broad acceptance helps with the credibility. But the really tough stuff has been pushed out 'til after the election. The unspoken hope here might be that events prove to be far more positive in the coming months - perhaps an end to the war in Ukraine, and the post-pandemic supply bottlenecks. If that does not happen, risks remain here.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/business-63666574"}
{"title":"Imran Khan greets supporters after police withdraw from around ex-PM's home - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-15","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"Officers leave the home of Pakistan's main opposition leader after they tried to arrest him.","section":"Asia","content":"The former prime minister spoke to supporters gathered outside his residence in Lahore\n\nPakistan's main opposition leader Imran Khan has greeted supporters outside his home, hours after there were violent clashes as police tried to arrest him.\n\nHe addressed the crowd and took pictures with those gathered near his compound in the city of Lahore.\n\nIn one video, he can be seen wearing a gas mask. Police fired tear gas shells during clashes throughout the night.\n\nOne official told the BBC that the arrest operation had been paused.\n\nPunjab Interim Information Minister Amir Mir said the court-ordered operation to detain Mr Khan was suspended on Wednesday to allow a cricket tournament to take place nearby, as the stand-off was causing major traffic disruption.\n\nHe said the operation would likely continue after the final of the Pakistan Super League (PSL) on 19 March.\n\nNo international cricket was played in Pakistan for six years following an attack on the Sri Lanka team by gunmen in 2009. It also took years for international players to return, and the ongoing tournament involves a large security operation.\n\n\"We can't afford to risk the security and safety of the PSL,\" a senior police official told the Reuters news agency.\n\nLater on Wednesday, the Lahore High Court ordered police to postpone the arrest of Mr Khan until Thursday, pending the result of a hearing on the legitimacy of the arrest warrant.\n\nOfficers and paramilitary rangers were seen leaving the Zaman Park suburb where the house is located, with some reportedly abandoning roadblocks and checkpoints.\n\nMr Khan then appeared outside and spoke to his supporters. \"The police and rangers sent to harm Imran Khan were pushed back by the people,\" his PTI party Twitter account posted.\n\nThe 70-year-old, who was ousted as prime minister last April, is facing allegations he sold state gifts while in office. He says the case is politically motivated.\n\nDebris lined the roads outside Imran Khan's residence in Lahore on Wednesday\n\nOn Wednesday, the streets outside Mr Khan's home were littered with debris and smouldering barricades.\n\nHis supporters gathered at one of the roads - a major highway in Lahore - and chanted his name.\n\nHours earlier, officers in riot gear had fired tear gas and water cannon in an effort to disperse hundreds of supporters at the compound. Some in the crowd threw stones and bricks.\n\nPolice then tried to force their way into the compound to arrest Mr Khan for failing to appear in an Islamabad court.\n\n\"I have never witnessed such brutality, that's what shocks me,\" Waqar Khan, a PTI supporter told the BBC.\n\nRecalling Tuesday's clashes, one woman, Tazeen, said: \"Are we not humans? What kind of a country is this? People around me could not breathe,\" one woman, Tazeen, said.\n\nMr Khan has said he did not appear in court because of security concerns as two militant attacks had previously taken place there. The politician has offered to sign a guarantee that he will appear in court on Saturday.\n\nHe earlier told the BBC there was \"no reason\" for police to arrest him as he had taken protective bail until Saturday. He also said the government was determined to put him behind bars after previous failed attempts.\n\nHe said the authorities were trying to arrest him to stop his party from taking part in forthcoming elections. But he added: \"Whether I am in jail or not they will not be able to stop my party winning.\"\n\nGovernment minister Marriyum Aurangzeb said the move had nothing to do with elections and police were only complying with court orders.\n\nShe claimed that Mr Khan was using his party workers, women and children as human shields to evade arrest and stoke unrest.\n\nSince being ousted from office, Mr Khan has been a vocal critic of the government and the country's army. He has toured the country delivering fiery speeches calling for elections due later this year to be held early.\n\nHe has kept up pressure on his successor Shehbaz Sharif with demonstrations and blames him for an assassination attempt in November in which he was wounded in the leg.\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Watch: Imran Khan shows piles of tear gas cannisters he says were found inside his compound","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/world-asia-64963327"}
{"title":"Energy bill help to continue until end of June - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-15","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"Typical household bills in Britain will be held at \u00a32,500 - but a \u00a3400 winter rebate will not be renewed.","section":"Business","content":"The government will extend support for energy bills at current levels for a further three months in Wednesday's Budget, as it seeks to boost growth.\n\nTypical household energy bills in Britain had been due to rise to \u00a33,000 a year from April, but instead will be kept at \u00a32,500 until the end of June.\n\nBut a \u00a3400 winter fuel payment will not be renewed, meaning households' costs will still rise in the short term.\n\nThe chancellor is due to set out a broader plan later to grow the economy.\n\nAmong other things, he is expected to expand free childcare and ease pension tax thresholds.\n\nUnder the Energy Price Guarantee, the government has been limiting energy bills for a typical household to \u00a32,500 a year, plus a \u00a3400 winter discount.\n\nThat help was set to be scaled back from 1 April, and with the \u00a3400 discount also coming to an end many had warned this would heap hardship on families already struggling with the cost of living.\n\nCampaigners had urged the government to change course, pointing out that falling wholesale energy prices have sharply cut the cost of offering support.\n\nEnergy is regulated separately in Northern Ireland, where bills will be held at \u00a31,950 per year for an average household.\n\nChancellor Jeremy Hunt said: \"High energy bills are one of the biggest worries for families, which is why we're maintaining the Energy Price Guarantee at its current level.\n\n\"With energy bills set to fall from July onwards, this temporary change will bridge the gap and ease the pressure on families, while also helping to lower inflation too.\"\n\nExperts say the energy bill support scheme will not be needed this summer, due to falling market gas prices.\n\nAnalysis firm Cornwall Insight forecasts that the Energy Price Cap - which is set by the energy regulator Ofgem and limits what suppliers can charge consumers per unit of energy - will fall to \u00a32,100 a year for a typical household from July.\n\nMr Hunt has said he will cut costs for vulnerable people by \u00a345 a year by bringing prepayment energy charges in line with customers who pay by direct debit.\n\nThe Treasury said help for around eight million low income and vulnerable households will continue, with families getting at least \u00a3900 in cash payments over the next year.\n\nBut there are questions over the thinking behind the decision to extend the Energy Price Guarantee. It is universal help - in other words, everyone gets it, irrespective of how big an issue energy bills are in their home.\n\nCritics say the \u00a33bn extra it will cost would be better spent if targeted at those who really need it.\n\nAudit giant KPMG urged the government to come up with a long-term plan to protect consumers from volatile energy prices.\n\n\"It can't just be another three months where we wait and see what happens to wholesale prices,\" said Simon Virley, who leads its UK energy practice.\n\n\"The government needs to move beyond their short-term emergency measures and find a way to target support for energy bills on those who need it most.\"","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/business-64961667"}
{"title":"Budget 2023: Chancellor announces \u00a311bn more for UK defence - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-15","authors":null,"description":"Britain will spend more on defence and it will rise to 2.5% of UK GDP, says the chancellor.","section":null,"content":"Britain will spend more on defence and it will rise to 2.5% of the UK's GDP \"as soon as fiscal and economic circumstances allow\" the chancellor has said.\n\nJeremy Hunt told MPs there would \u00a330m extra support for ex-servicemen and women.\n\nUK will avoid recession and inflation to fall to 2.9%, says Hunt","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/uk-politics-64953193"}
{"title":"Bovine TB: Farmer's distress at slaughter of pregnant cows - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-15","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"A farmer has described watching a calf fight for life in the womb after the slaughter of its mother.","section":"Wales","content":"Geraint Evans recalls seeing six of his herd being shot in his farmyard\n\n\"I can cope with seeing a cow being shot,\" said farmer Geraint Evans. \"But what hurt me most was seeing the calf in the womb, being suffocated.\"\n\nHe was describing the result of regulations which means pregnant cows testing positive for tuberculosis (TB) have to be slaughtered on his farm.\n\nThere have been calls for a change in the rules.\n\nThe Welsh government said welfare was \"uppermost\" when taking cattle from farms hit by TB.\n\nIn Wales cattle cannot be removed from a farm after a positive TB test.\n\nUnder strict circumstances in England - but not in Wales - the slaughter process can be delayed if a cow or heifer is in the last 60 days of pregnancy. This is to allow the animal to give birth.\n\n\"The on-farm slaughter of heavily pregnant cows or heifers identified as TB reactors is a harrowing event for all concerned,\" said NFU Cymru TB Focus Group chairman Roger Lewis.\n\n\"Bovine TB continues to devastate farming families across Wales and this experience only adds to the emotional burden imposed by this disease.\n\n\"We understand Welsh government are working to refresh their approach to TB and we stand ready to work with them on designing an alternative approach to this practice.\"\n\nMr Evans, a fifth generation farmer from Pembrokeshire who has been in and out of TB restrictions for more than a decade, vividly remembered having to watch six of his herd being slaughtered on his yard.\n\nCurrent rules say cattle testing positive for TB must be slaughtered on their farms\n\n\"I had to line them up in a row for them to go into the crush, and see them being shot,\" he said.\n\n\"The cow, the mother, had died. And the calf fighting for its life.\n\n\"That is very, very trying.\"\n\nBeyond this specific policy, Mr Evans described farming in Wales as disheartening and depressing.\n\n\"There's this dark cloud over us, and I describe it to people that I am farming in a straightjacket.\"\n\n\"There's a tremendous amount of pressure on farmers,\" says Nigel Owens\n\nNigel Owens, who is retired from his career as one of the world's best known rugby referees, has been farming since 2019.\n\nHe said he had deep concerns about mental health issues in the industry.\n\n\"There's a tremendous amount of pressure on farmers, and then when you get that extra worry of TB on top of that,\" said Mr Owens.\n\n\"And there's no point in us avoiding the discussion, farmers have taken their own lives. And I don't say that TB is the only reason, but it's part of that big picture that leads to major worries for farmers.\n\n\"You talk to those who are involved with the [mental health farming charity] DPJ Foundation, and the number of farmers who contact them for help. I spoke to a friend recently who'd never had TB who was affected recently, and I've seen how it's knocked him.\n\n\"His spirits [were] really really down. So it is a concern, and it does impact farmers, and we have to do something about it.\"\n\n\"It's completely inhumane and unfair for the farmers to see that,\" says Conservative Samuel Kurtz\n\nSamuel Kurtz, the Welsh Conservatives' rural affairs spokesman, said farmers were turning to mental health charities as a result of Welsh government agricultural policies.\n\n\"I think it's completely inhumane,\" said Mr Kurtz.\n\n\"I think it's inhumane for the animal, and there's no animal welfare benefit to this situation we've got here in Wales. And it's completely inhumane and unfair for the farmers to see that themselves.\n\n\"To see in-calf cows and heifers slaughtered, with a calf still inside of them, drowning in the mother's womb.\n\n\"That's not an animal welfare situation that I want to be associated with and it's a real shame that the Welsh government still want to persevere with this policy.\"\n\n\"You can isolate the cow or the heifer on the farm away from the main herd,\" Mr Kurtz continued.\n\n\"You can have it give birth with a bit of dignity and respect, and the transmission rate of TB between its mother and its calf are very, very low, if any.\n\n\"What that can do is replenish the stock that the farmer is losing through TB with a live calf, giving that calf a chance to live because at the moment it's drowning in its mother's womb, and also allowing that cow to die with dignity which isn't happening at the moment.\"\n\nFigures show the number of animals slaughtered for TB control has fallen from 11,655 in 2009 to 9,516 in the year to December 2022 - an 18.4% drop.\n\nThe number of animals slaughtered for TB control is down by 18.4% since 2009 to 9,516\n\nA Welsh government spokesperson said: \"Welfare considerations are uppermost when removing cattle from TB affected farms.\n\n\"On-farm slaughter is undertaken whenever cattle are unfit to be transported live from farms.\n\n\"Our TB policy is neither inhumane nor heartless and the slaughter of cattle on farm is fully compliant with welfare legislation.\"\n\nThe Welsh government also said it was \"aware of the huge challenge of TB in cattle, and the distress it causes farmers having to manage it.\"\n\n\"We have seen good progress towards eradication since we established our programme, with long-term decreases in new incidents and prevalence.\"","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/uk-wales-64954491"}
{"title":"Budget 2023: Jeremy Hunt insists plans will get people back to work - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-15","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"Jeremy Hunt tells the BBC his plans will kick start growth, but Labour says the UK economy is stagnating under the Tories.","section":"UK Politics","content":"This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. The chancellor said his first Budget will give \"nearly five times more help\" for parents dealing with child care costs.\n\nJeremy Hunt insists his Budget will get young parents and over-50s back into work - and it will not just benefit the rich who are saving for retirement.\n\nThe chancellor told the BBC he wanted to fill a million vacancies across the UK so firms can \"grow faster\".\n\nHe plans to expand free childcare in England and scrap the \u00a31m cap for tax-free pension savings.\n\nLabour has said it will reverse the pension move if elected, calling it a \"tax cut for the top 1%\".\n\nIt was \"the wrong priority, at the wrong time\", said shadow chancellor Rachel Reeves. Labour has said it would target the pensions tax cut at NHS doctors if it wins power.\n\nIn his Budget speech, Mr Hunt claimed the UK economy would avoid a recession, with inflation predicted to more than halve by the end of this year.\n\nBut he said a shortage of workers was holding back growth, and he wanted more over-50s, people with disabilities and parents of young children to get back to work.\n\nOffering eligible working parents with children as young as nine months in England 30 hours of free childcare is a key part of the plan - but it will not be introduced fully until September 2025.\n\nMr Hunt said he would like to have extended childcare help sooner but it first needed a big increase in the number of childminders and nurseries.\n\nAs well as scrapping the \u00a31m cap on the amount people can save for their pensions before it is taxed extra, he increased the annual tax-free allowance on pensions from \u00a340,000 to \u00a360,000.\n\nThe changes aim to encourage senior teachers and doctors to keep working.\n\nAsked about criticism that it was a \"Budget for the rich\", allowing people who are already well off to save more for their pensions, he said: \"Well, of course we want to help older people who want to stay in work.\n\n\"By definition, they will generally be on higher salaries, but nearly five times more help is going to young parents to help them with childcare costs, a nearly 60% reduction in childcare costs of \u00a36,500 a child.\n\n\"That will make a huge difference to families. But also it will make a huge difference to businesses who worry - particularly smaller businesses - that they are losing valuable employees when they start a family.\"\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Tory Budget shows 'just how out of touch they are' - Starmer\n\nThe government's independent forecaster, the Office for Budget Responsibility (OBR), says the chancellor's policies are likely to add about 110,000 people to the UK workforce, depending on how they react to the various incentives.\n\nAsked why after 13 years of a Conservative government a whole generation is not doing as well as their parents had, Mr Hunt said his growth plan meant \"better jobs and better opportunities\".\n\n\"We had half a million people who left the labour force during the lockdowns,\" he added. \"That's an effect you haven't seen in other countries and that's why I've announced the measures I've announced today to encourage people back to work.\"\n\nOne senior government figure described it as \"a steady-as-she-goes Budget\", after the turbulence of Liz Truss's short-lived premiership.\n\nThe OBR said the UK economy would shrink by 0.2% this year, which is better than previously forecast and does not, technically, count as a recession.\n\nInflation is forecast to fall from 10.7% in the final quarter of last year to 2.9% by the end of 2023.\n\nLiving standards are still expected to fall by the largest amount since records began, according to the OBR, but the decline will not be as bad as it had forecast in November.\n\nThe economy is predicted to return to growth - but house prices are projected to fall by 10% by 2025.\n\nThe OBR also highlighted Rishi Sunak's April 2021 decision, when he was chancellor, to freeze tax thresholds, which it said amounted to the equivalent of a 4p increase in the basic rate of income tax.\n\nThat move, dubbed a \"stealth tax\" by critics, is due to come into effect next month and will increase government income by \u00a329.3bn a year.\n\nSpeaking to BBC Breakfast on Thursday morning, Mr Hunt admitted \"for a while the tax burden will be higher\" due to costs incurred during the pandemic and on subsidising energy costs.\n\n\"These things have to be paid for\", he said, adding \"it's the right thing to do to get through this difficult period\". He said the government wants to cut taxes \"when we can\".\n\nPressed on why childcare reforms will take years to roll out, he described the changes as \"the biggest in my lifetime\" and said the sector needs time to adjust to a new surge in demand.\n\nHe also defended the decision to remove the lifetime allowance on pension pots as a measure which will help the NHS retain doctors who otherwise might opt for early retirement or to cut their hours.\n\nLabour's Rachel Reeves said the policy is a tax giveaway for the \"top 1%\" and should have been targeted at the health sector, rather than applied more broadly.\n\nSome Tory MPs were disappointed by the decision to go ahead with a planned rise to corporation tax next month.\n\nHowever, Mr Hunt said that businesses would be able to deduct money they invest in IT equipment and machinery from their taxable profits for the next three years.\n\nThere was no announcement in this Budget of extra money for public sector pay, as a wave of strikes by workers including junior doctors, teachers and rail staff continues.\n\nIn his speech, Mr Hunt also pledged an expansion in wraparound care at the start and finish of the school day for parents with older children and changes to staff-to-child ratios in England to expand supply of childcare, although the target date for the measure was September 2026.\n\nAnd he announced plans to abolish Work Capability Assessments, which he said would \"separate benefit entitlement from an individual's ability to work\".\n\nFrom 2026, the government will use another test, currently used to assess eligibility for Personal Independence Payments, the main disability benefit, to decide if someone is eligible for additional payments.\n\nOther measures unveiled in the Budget include:\n\nLabour leader Sir Keir Starmer said: \"After 13 years of his government, our economy needed major surgery, but like millions across our country, this Budget leaves us stuck in the waiting room with only a sticking plaster to hand.\n\n\"A country set on a path of managed decline, falling behind our competitors, the sick man of Europe once again.\"\n\nSNP economy spokesman Stewart Hosie said: \"It's truly pathetic that the chancellor has failed to cut energy bills, despite having ample resources to do so.\"\n\nLiberal Democrat leader Sir Ed Davey said: \"Jeremy Hunt and Rishi Sunak had a chance to show they care about the cost-of-living crisis that's hitting millions of Britain's families and pensioners but they failed miserably.\"\n\nHow has the Budget affected you? You can get in touch by emailing haveyoursay@bbc.co.uk.\n\nPlease include a contact number if you are willing to speak to a BBC journalist. You can also get in touch in the following ways:\n\nIf 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 HaveYourSay@bbc.co.uk. Please include your name, age and location with any submission.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/uk-politics-64964911"}
{"title":"Eleanor Williams jailed over false rape claims - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-15","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"The judge said Eleanor Williams' claims she was trafficked by an Asian gang were \"complete fiction\".","section":"Cumbria","content":"This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Williams claimed traffickers attacked her with a hammer, but CCTV footage showed her buying the tool herself\n\nA woman who falsely claimed she was raped by multiple men and trafficked by an Asian grooming gang has been jailed for eight-and-a-half years.\n\nEleanor Williams sparked protests in her Cumbrian home town of Barrow after posting photos on social media of injuries she said were from beatings.\n\nBut Preston Crown Court heard she inflicted the wounds herself using a hammer.\n\nWilliams, 22, was found guilty of perverting the course of justice.\n\nA two-day sentencing hearing was told three men Williams falsely accused over a three-year period tried to take their own lives after being targeted and suffering \"hell on earth\".\n\nOne of them - Jordan Trengove - spent 73 days in prison, sharing a cell with a convicted sex offender after he was charged as a result of Williams' claims.\n\nThey had been on a night out in March 2019 when she was taken home after becoming intoxicated.\n\nWilliams later alleged Mr Trengove had raped her that night, and then on two more occasions, claiming he attacked her and threatened her with a knife.\n\nThe court heard he had the word \"rapist\" spray painted across his house.\n\nEleanor Williams' trial was told she inflicted injuries on herself with the hammer\n\nBarrow businessman Mohammed Ramzan, who Williams claimed to have worked for, was accused of grooming her from the age of 12 and putting her to work in brothels in Amsterdam. He said he had received \"countless death threats\" on social media.\n\nWilliams had given police an account of being taken to Blackpool by Mr Ramzan where she said she was taken to different addresses and forced to have sex with several men.\n\nWhen police made inquiries, they found she had travelled to the seaside town alone and stayed in a hotel, where she bought a Pot Noodle from a nearby shop and then stayed in her room watching YouTube.\n\nMeanwhile, Oliver Gardner said a chance encounter with Williams in Preston one night led to him being accused of being a rapist who had trafficked her and sold her to two Asian men.\n\nAs a result of the accusations he was sectioned under the Mental Health Act.\n\nHonorary Recorder of Preston Judge Robert Altham said Williams had experienced difficulties since childhood and had a history of self-harm.\n\nHowever, he said her allegations were of the utmost severity and it was troubling there had been \"no significant sign of remorse\" and \"no explanation why the defendant would commit these offences\".\n\nDescribing her claims as \"complete fiction\", he said: \"Unless and until the defendant chooses to say why she has told these lies we will not know.\"\n\nThe judge added: \"She's gone to extraordinary lengths to create false accusations including causing herself significant injury.\"\n\nThe claims had created a \"state of heightened tension\" in Barrow for about four months, he said, with police describing the turbulence as being like nothing seen in the town for decades.\n\nSocial media threats were made against the local force, the court heard, with a caravan of demonstrators travelling in vehicles from Barrow to Ulverston and back after Williams posted the pictures on Facebook in May 2020.\n\nProtests were held outside the police station and on a retail park. Videos of an appearance in the town by English Defence League founder Tommy Robinson were shown in court.\n\nJudge Altham said: \"Police were under pressure from those who believed they were complicit in a cover-up on one hand and those who felt unsafe at the hands of vigilantes on the other.\"\n\nBefore Judge Altham began his sentencing remarks, the defence read a letter from Williams in which she said she knew she had \"done wrong over some of this\" and was \"sorry\" but added she did not accept she was guilty.\n\nShe said she was \"devastated\" by the \"trouble caused\" by her Facebook post and added \"if I knew what consequences would come from the status I would never have wrote it\".\n\nShe said \"anything that happened in the community was not instigated by me and my family did not want Tommy Robinson in town\".\n\nMohammed Ramzan (second right) told the court his family had been targeted \"in the most horrendous way\"\n\nMr Trengove told reporters he did not think the sentence was long enough and that he planned to take action against the police.\n\nMeanwhile, Mr Ramzan said he felt \"no sense of triumph, only sadness\", adding: \"I'm not sure how the family and I are going to recover from this. Mud sticks and I fear it may take some time.\"\n\nWilliams was found guilty in January of eight counts of doing acts tending and intended to pervert the course of justice. She had earlier pleaded guilty to one further count.\n\nHowever, last month she announced she had launched an appeal against her conviction.\n\nSupt Matthew Pearman, of Cumbria Police, said Williams' allegations \"could not have been taken any more seriously when she initially came forward\" as a \"large-scale investigation\" was started.\n\n\"This has been a lengthy, complex and ultimately tragic case, as well as a dark period for Barrow,\" he said.\n\n\"I hope that the full story, now it is in the public domain, will demonstrate that the police take allegations of sexual and physical abuse extremely seriously and will investigate thoroughly.\n\n\"I urge anyone who has been the victim of sexual or physical abuse to report it today. You will be listened to and supported.\"\n\nFollow BBC North East & Cumbria on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram. Send your story ideas to northeastandcumbria@bbc.co.uk.\n\nThe BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/uk-england-cumbria-64950862"}
{"title":"Budget dresses up stagnation as stability, Keir Starmer says - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-15","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"The Labour leader says the UK is \"set on a path of managed decline\" and \"falling behind our competitors\".","section":"UK Politics","content":"This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Tory Budget shows 'just how out of touch they are' - Starmer\n\nSir Keir Starmer has accused the chancellor of \"dressing up stagnation as stability\" in his Budget.\n\nThe Labour leader also criticised plans to abolish the pensions allowance limit as \"a huge giveaway\" for the wealthy.\n\nBut Jeremy Hunt said the UK would avoid entering a recession and the economy was \"proving the doubters wrong\".\n\nThe government's independent forecaster said the economy was still likely to shrink this year, but by less than it previously thought.\n\nThe Office for Budget Responsibility (OBR) is also warning of a big drop in living standards, which it says will not recover to pre-pandemic levels until at least 2027.\n\nSir Keir told the Commons that after 13 years of the Conservatives \"our economy needed major surgery\" but the government was providing \"only a sticking plaster\".\n\n\"A country set on a path of managed decline, falling behind our competitors, the sick man of Europe once again,\" he said.\n\nHe added that the country was \"stuck in a doom loop of lower growth, higher taxes and broken public services\".\n\nThe Labour leader also attacked the decision to abolish the cap on how much workers can accumulate in their pensions savings over their lifetime before having to pay extra tax.\n\nMr Hunt said the move would incentivise doctors and other experienced professionals to stay in work for longer.\n\nBut Sir Keir said it would \"benefit those with the broadest shoulders when many people are struggling to save into their pension\".\n\n\"We needed a fix for doctors, but the announcement today is a huge giveaway to some of the very wealthiest,\" he said.\n\n\"The only permanent tax cut in the budget is for the richest 1%. How can that possibly be a priority for this government?\"\n\nOn the government's plans to expand free childcare for working parents in England, Sir Keir said \"more money in the system is obviously a good thing\".\n\n\"But we have seen the Tories expand so-called free hours before and as parents up and down the country know, it's no use having more free hours if you can't access them,\" he said. \"And it pushes up the costs for parents outside the offer.\"","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/uk-politics-64967889"}
{"title":"US drone crashes after encounter with Russian jet - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-15","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"The US says the two aircraft collided over the Black Sea, but Russia says there was no contact.","section":"Europe","content":"Reaper drones are full-size aircraft designed for reconnaissance and surveillance\n\nA Russian fighter jet has collided with a US drone, causing the unmanned US aircraft to crash into the Black Sea, the American military says.\n\nThe incident highlights the increasing risk of direct confrontation between Russia and the US over the Ukraine war.\n\nThe US says the drone was on a routine mission in international airspace when two Russian jets tried to intercept it.\n\nRussia said the drone crashed after a \"sharp manoeuvre\", and denied that the two aircraft made direct contact.\n\nThe Russian defence ministry also said the MQ-9 Reaper drone was flying with its transponders turned off. Transponders are communications devices that allow the aircraft to be tracked.\n\nThe incident happened at about 07:03 Central European Time (06:03 GMT) on Tuesday, according to the US military.\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser.\n\n\"Our MQ-9 aircraft was conducting routine operations in international airspace when it was intercepted and hit by a Russian aircraft, resulting in a crash and complete loss of the MQ-9,\" the statement said.\n\nSeveral times before the collision the Su-27 fighter jets dumped fuel on the drone in a \"reckless, environmentally unsound and unprofessional manner\", it said.\n\nThe US summoned the Russian ambassador in Washington, Anatoly Antonov, to protest against the move.\n\nFollowing the meeting, Russian state media quoted Antonov as saying that Moscow saw the drone incident as \"a provocation\".\n\nTensions have risen over the Black Sea ever since Russia's annexation of Crimea in 2014.\n\nSince Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine the US and the UK have stepped up reconnaissance and surveillance flights, though always operating in international airspace.\n\nThe key question is whether Tuesday's encounter was an attempt by Russia to disrupt the US drone and its work, or whether it was a deliberate attempt to bring it down.\n\nAccording to the US, there has been a \"pattern of dangerous actions by Russian pilots\" interacting with allied aircraft in the region.\n\nSo this could simply have been a mistake by a Russian pilot who got too close as they \"buzzed\" the drone. But if this was a deliberate attack on a US aircraft by a Russian warplane, then that would amount to a huge provocation and a substantial escalation.\n\nIn that case, the attack would be seen as an attempt by the Kremlin to test the response of the United States.\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser.\n\nWestern allies have worked hard to stop the war in Ukraine escalating into a direct confrontation with Russia. But this incident over the Black Sea is just that. The US will now have to evaluate its response.\n\nAs US military commanders warned in their statement, this was a dangerous act that \"could lead to miscalculation and unintended escalation\".","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/world-europe-64957792"}
{"title":"Brian May knighted by King at Buckingham Palace - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-15","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"The Queen guitarist is given the honour for services to music and charity.","section":"UK","content":"Less than a year after the late Queen appeared on screen tapping out the beat of We Will Rock You over tea with Paddington Bear, the man who wrote the song - and whose band shared her moniker - has attended Buckingham Palace to receive a knighthood.\n\nGuitarist Brian May was given the honour on Tuesday for services to music and charity, with pictures showing him chatting with King Charles and posing with his medallion after the ceremony.\n\nAs per tradition, King Charles tapped May on the shoulder with a sword during the investiture\n\nThe pair were pictured chatting and laughing during the ceremony\n\nMay has spent decades playing with Queen and is also known for his animal rights campaigning\n\nMay's wife, actress Anita Dobson, who is best known for her role as Angie Watts in BBC soap EastEnders, also attended the event\n\nMay posed with saxophonist YolanDa Brown, who was awarded an OBE\n\nMay and the other members of Queen wrote numerous hit songs in the 1970s and 80s\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. From June 2022: The Queen meets Paddington Bear for Party at the Palace","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/uk-64960536"}
{"title":"Autumn Statement: Jeremy Hunt seeks stability but voters will feel poorer - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-15","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"The chancellor's Autumn Statement sets the scene for the next general election, writes Nick Eardley.","section":"UK Politics","content":"The country has been on a rollercoaster when it comes to government economic policy.\n\nIt is a couple of short months since Kwasi Kwarteng announced the most significant tax cutting budget in decades. The biggest tax cuts were for those earning the most.\n\nToday, despite the same party being in power, the picture is very different.\n\nTax cuts have been replaced by tax rises. The priority is back on protecting those on the lowest incomes.\n\nThe highest income tax rate was supposed to be scrapped - now more people are going to be paying it.\n\nYou could be forgiven for feeling a bit dizzy at the end of this particular ride.\n\nBut are things going to be a bit calmer now? And what will it cost us?\n\nJeremy Hunt, who replaced Mr Kwarteng last month, wanted to do one thing above all else as chancellor: restore stability.\n\nThat's why we've heard so much about difficult decisions and balancing the books in recent days.\n\nThere will be spending squeezes in many areas. Budgets won't go up as much as thought.\n\nThat will mean hard decisions for some government departments (though maybe not as hard as they could have been and most will come after the next general election).\n\nFreezing thresholds means pay increases in the next few years won't go as far as they would have.\n\nThe biggest burden falls on those earning more than \u00a3125,000 - the government's calculation is that people will think that's fair in tough times.\n\nThe government will continue to subsidise energy bills.\n\nBut it is cutting back on the level of support to save cash - meaning for millions of households, bills will go up hundreds of pounds from April.\n\nThe government has made political decisions to prioritise certain things: increasing pensions and benefits, increasing NHS spending and more money for schools.\n\nIt has been decided that cost of living support should be more targeted on those on lower incomes.\n\nBut what might be the most striking thing from today is how it crystalises what the economic situation means for us all.\n\nThe independent Office for Budget Responsibility figures hammer this home: household disposable incomes will fall 7%.\n\nIt will take another five years before the pound in our household pocket is back to where it was last year.\n\nWe are going to feel poorer.\n\nSome groups in society will feel even more of a squeeze after today - with those higher energy bills and more tax eating into pay increases.\n\nRemember the squeezed middle? People who aren't poor enough to qualify for support but aren't rich enough not to worry? We might hear more about them soon.\n\nAnd that will be the backdrop to the political debate in the run up to the next general election.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/uk-politics-63662413"}
{"title":"Law Roach: Zendaya, Ariana Grande stylist announces shock retirement - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-15","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"The stylist is best known for working with the likes of Zendaya, Megan Thee Stallion and Dua Lipa.","section":"Newsbeat","content":"Law Roach has styled looks for many red carpets including the Oscars and Met Gala\n\nPioneering celebrity stylist Law Roach has announced his retirement, saying his cup was \"empty\".\n\nBest known for his work with the likes of Zendaya, Ariana Grande and Bella Hadid, he hinted that the decision was not related to \"the clothes\".\n\n\"The politics, the lies and false narratives finally got me! You win\u2026 I'm out,\" he wrote on Instagram.\n\nSeveral stars have expressed their shock at the news, with Law's looks being seen as recently as the Oscars.\n\n\"Every person that trusted me with their image, I'm so grateful for you all,\" Law added.\n\nOne of the most famous red carpet looks was at the 2019 Met Gala when he designed Zendaya in a Cinderella gown while he himself dressed as her fairy godmother.\n\nWith a few waves of his wand, the dress lit up - a look that got people talking.\n\n\"Not many stylists are that innovative and creative,\" Alexis Adjei, a stylist from Essex tells BBC Newsbeat.\n\nZendaya and Law at the 2019 Met Gala\n\nLaw is known for creating memorable styles for big stars\n\nShe's followed Law's career for years and calls him \"a legend in the game\".\n\nFor Alexis, Law's looks are \"moments\".\n\n\"He doesn't do the norm, he creates conversation and controversy, and makes the moment last.\"\n\n\"Some might say his looks are gimmicks and theatrics, but it's not. He is all about the transformation.\"\n\nFor Alexis, that's an important part of being a stylist.\n\nAs well as styling red carpet looks, Law is known for thinking outside the box when transforming the everyday looks of celebrities.\n\n\"He'll take any celebrity and turn them into a style icon and has everyone like 'give us more',\" explains Alexis.\n\n\"What he does is incredible and the fashion world will be at a loss without him.\"\n\nLaw's style for Ariana Grande at the 2020 Grammy awards\n\nAnd that's a sentiment shared by many.\n\nWithin hours of posting, celebrities including Addison Rae and Vogue boss Edward Enninful wrote of their sadness, with supermodel Naomi Campbell writing:\n\n\"Law I won't let you !!!! We don't quit \u2026 strived too hard.\"\n\nAlexis has worked on and off as a stylist for the last 10 years and says it can be a stressful industry\n\nFor Alexis, Law's work is a huge inspiration, both professionally and personally.\n\n\"I see his looks and I'm like, 'wow, hopefully one day, I can get to where he is'. As a black person he's really inspiring to me.\"\n\n\"I feel like Law does love fashion enough to reconsider eventually, but there needs to be a big change in the industry, especially for black people.\n\n\"And I advocate for us, because I've experienced it,\" she adds.\n\nListen to Newsbeat live at 12:45 and 17:45 weekdays - or listen back here.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/newsbeat-64964667"}
{"title":"Tube strike: Little or no service as walkout continues - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-15","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"Union members walk out in a dispute over job cuts, pensions and conditions.","section":"London","content":"No service is running on any of the Tube lines\n\nLondoners are facing widespread transport disruption as strike action halts the Underground.\n\nTransport for London's (TfL) website shows no services are running on any Tube lines.\n\nRMT and Aslef members are involved in a dispute over job cuts, pensions and conditions. The RMT said cuts were a \"political decision\".\n\nTfL's chief operating officer Glynn Barton urged the unions to call off the action.\n\nTfL says all Tube lines are affected but there is a good service on the Elizabeth Line, the Docklands Light Railway (DLR) and the London Overground.\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. There is no service on the tube today due to strike action\n\nHowever Tube station closures mean these services \"will not be able to stop at those stations\", and passengers intending to use some interchange stations may not be able to do so either.\n\nTram and bus services are also reported to be busier than normal.\n\nPassengers are advised to allow more time for their journeys and check the latest information. People are also being encouraged to walk or cycle if they are able to.\n\nAslef are warning that more strike action could go ahead if negotiations fail\n\nAslef district organiser Finn Brennan told the BBC outside Brixton station that he is \"genuinely sorry for the people affected.\"\n\n\"We are prepared to negotiate and talk about changes, but our members are rightly not prepared to accept change being imposed.\n\nHe added that further strikes are \"very likely\".\n\nThere have been seven London Underground strikes in the past 12 month, according to TfL.\n\nBuses and trams were busier than usual\n\nTube and Elizabeth line services are expected to start much later than normal on Thursday morning due to the previous day's strike.\n\nNational rail strike action is also expected to have an impact in the capital on Thursday and into Friday morning, with an amended Elizabeth line timetable and possible further disruption to DLR, Elizabeth line and London Overground services.\n\nSpeaking at Prime Minister's Questions, Conservative MP for Harrow East, Bob Blackman asked Rishi Sunak if he would join him in condemning the strikes which he said \"have brought misery to the travelling public\", and also condemning London Mayor Sadiq Khan \"for his failure to address this\".\n\nThe prime minister said: \"[Mr Blackman] is absolutely right about the misery being inflicted on Londoners by the incompetent running of TfL.\"\n\nHe said the mayor had received \u00a36bn in additional funding for transport services, adding: \"So for us to be in a situation that we find ourselves in today is simply unacceptable.\"\n\nA spokesperson for the mayor of London said: \"No one wants to see strikes and the disruption across the country this week is particularly bad news for many of the capital's businesses who are struggling with inflation and the cost of doing business.\n\n\"The mayor has repeatedly made clear that the government's insistence on including a review into pension reform as part of the emergency funding deal for TfL was unwarranted and had the potential to lead to this kind of industrial action.\"\n\nThe Elizabeth line is running with a good service but it is not stopping at every station\n\nTfL's chief operating officer Glynn Barton apologised to customers and urged trade unions \"to call off this action and continue to engage with us to avoid disruption to our customers\".\n\nBut Mick Lynch, the RMT's general secretary, said: \"Our members will never accept job losses, attacks on their pensions or changes to working conditions in order to pay for a funding cut which is the government's political decision.\"\n\nHe added staff \"deserve decent pensions, job security and good working conditions, and the RMT will fight tooth and nail to make sure that's what they get\".\n\nA Department for Transport spokesperson said: \"This government has committed over \u00a36bn since the start of the pandemic to support London's transport network - how that money is spent is a decision for the mayor\".\n\nThe Tube strike that has halted the network isn't about pay. The roots of it actually lie in the pandemic and the loss of passengers.\n\nThen the government bailed out Transport for London (TfL) financially but there were strings attached.\n\nBroadly TfL has to make \u00a3900m savings. Some 600 posts are being closed - the unions say that will leave stations with fewer staff which they say isn't safe.\n\nTfL says passenger safety is always a priority. And the crucial issue: TfL has had to carry out a pension review.\n\nEven carrying out the review has sparked the strikes, even though proposals for any change haven't been outlined. Changes will have to be agreed with the government.\n\nPensions are a red line for the unions and it is difficult to see how this will be resolved unless they stay as they are.\n\nFollow BBC London on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. Send your story ideas to hellobbclondon@bbc.co.uk\n\nThe BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/uk-england-london-64954471"}
{"title":"Free childcare expanded to try to help parents back to work - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-15","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"Once a child is nine-months-old parents in England will be able to access up to 30-hours of free childcare.","section":"UK Politics","content":"Free childcare for working parents in England will be expanded to cover all children under five by September 2025, as the chancellor looks to get more parents back to work.\n\nThe move could allow 60,000 more parents of young children to enter the workforce, according to the government's independent forecaster.\n\nSome 1.3 million people in the UK were unemployed in December 2022.\n\nThe new help for parents will be introduced in stages.\n\nThe plans are part of a government drive to boost economic growth.\n\nChildcare in the UK is among the most expensive in the world and the government has been under pressure, including from some of its own MPs, to provide more help for parents.\n\nThe rising cost of childcare has been widely seen as a deterrent for some parents to go back to work or work full time.\n\nThe extension of free childcare has been lobbied for by business group the CBI, which calculates that while it will cost several billion pounds, it could raise up to \u00a310bn in further revenue by increasing the number of parents able to work.\n\nHowever, Paul Johnson, director of the Institute of Fiscal Studies (IFS), doubted it would make \"a big difference\".\n\n\"The childcare package is expected to only get a few tens of thousands more mothers, mostly, back into work,\" he told the BBC.\n\n\"We know a lot of people don't even take up what they're entitled to among the three and four-year-olds.\"\n\nWhile the chancellor has increased the amount of free childcare available for pre-school children, nurseries have been calling for more money to pay for those children who already get government-funded provision.\n\nJeremy Hunt said he would increase that funding \"by \u00a3204m from this September rising to \u00a3288m next year. This is an average of a 30% increase in the two-year-old rate this year\".\n\nWe got in touch with the Treasury to ask for more details and they told us that the amount paid for two-year-olds is going up from \u00a36 to \u00a38 an hour, which is what the chancellor was referring to.\n\nBut funding for three and four-year-olds is going up from \u00a35.29 to \u00a35.50 an hour, which is only about 4%.\n\nThe IFS estimated this afternoon that the extra \u00a3288m is about a 7.5% increase in the current budget.\n\nThe government will also introduce changes to the staff-to-child ratios - moving from one carer for every four children to 1:5 to align with Scotland.\n\nSupporters of the idea say it could help cut costs for parents.\n\nHowever, the Early Years Alliance, which represents around 14,000 childcare providers in England, said relaxing ratios was a \"shameful decision\" which risked compromising safety and quality of care, as well as putting more pressure on the workforce during \"a severe staffing crisis\".\n\nThe organisation's chief executive, Neil Leitch, also raised concerns about whether there would be enough childcare places to meet increased demand.\n\n\"At a time when settings are closing at record levels and early educators are leaving the sector in their droves, unless the proper infrastructure is put in place by the time the extended offers are rolled out, many parents of younger children expecting funded places to be readily available to them are likely to be left sorely disappointed,\" he said.\n\nHow will you be affected by the issues in this story? Share your experiences by emailing haveyoursay@bbc.co.uk.\n\nPlease include a contact number if you are willing to speak to a BBC journalist. You can also get in touch in the following ways:\n\nIf 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 HaveYourSay@bbc.co.uk. Please include your name, age and location with any submission.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/uk-politics-64959611"}
{"title":"Budget 2023 live: Impact of Hunt's childcare plan is highly uncertain, IFS says - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-15","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"The chancellor hopes expanding free childcare to include younger children will make it easier for more parents to work.","section":"UK","content":"'From the most competitive to the middle of the pack'\n\nDelestre now moves on to talking about corporation tax. He says there has been a long-term pattern of rate cutting in the UK over the years, but with the planned rise from 19% to 25%, the country is now moving from being one of the most competitive in the world to the \"middle of the pack\" - though still lower than any other G7 country. He says the revenue corporation tax will create as a percentage of GDP will reach the \"highest ever level\" by the end of the forecast period. He notes that with planned rises to corporation tax there will be concerns that it could dampen investment in the UK. Delestre adds Hunt has countered this by introducing a temporary increase to tax allowance on investments for the largest companies.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/live\/uk-64831837"}
{"title":"Clinton, Bush and Obama: US president visits that brought NI to a standstill - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-15","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"Look back on the previous visits of US presidents as Joe Biden confirms his visit later this year.","section":"Northern Ireland","content":"US President Joe Biden has said he intends to visit Northern Ireland after being invited to mark the 25th anniversary of the Good Friday Agreement.\n\nMr Biden said he wants to visit both Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland.\n\nMore details of the visit are expected to be revealed in the coming days, but the arrival of a US president has traditionally been a massive occasion in Northern Ireland.\n\nFrom Bill Clinton to George Bush and Barack Obama, we take a look at the visits of presidents past.\n\nBill Clinton made history by becoming the first sitting US President to visit Northern Ireland when he and First Lady Hillary Clinton touched down at Belfast International Airport on 30 November 1995.\n\nMr Clinton visited Northern Ireland to voice his support for an end to the Troubles and to encourage a peace agreement.\n\nDuring the trip, the president visited a number of areas in Belfast and also visited Londonderry, Armagh and Omagh.\n\nAfter arriving in Belfast, the Clinton family toured Mackies factory on the Springfield Road, where they were introduced by two local primary schoolchildren, David Sterrit and Catherine Hamill.\n\nMr Clinton also visited the Shankill Road and the Falls Road, where he shook hands with Sinn F\u00e9in President Gerry Adams.\n\nAfter the handshake, Mr Clinton visited an Enterprise Park in east Belfast while Mrs Clinton met a group of women on the Ormeau Road.\n\nThe Clintons then made a trip by helicopter to Londonderry, where the president spoke in front of a packed crowd at Guildhall Square - a moment that years later featured prominently in the second season of hit comedy Derry Girls.\n\nThe evening was rounded off when Bill and Hillary Clinton switched on the Christmas lights outside Belfast City Hall.\n\nBill Clinton, Hillary Clinton, Tony Blair and his wife Cherie attended the site of the Omagh bombing in September 1998\n\nMr Clinton would return to Northern Ireland again on 3 September 1998, five months after the signing of the Good Friday Agreement and just a month after the Omagh bombing.\n\nA Real IRA bomb killed 29 people in the County Tyrone town on 15 August 1998, the biggest single atrocity of the Troubles.\n\nWhilst there, Mr Clinton gave an address he gave his sympathies to the bereaved families and called for a new peace to be built following the agreement.\n\nThe president also met with Prime Minister Tony Blair and addressed the Northern Ireland Assembly.\n\nHe also visited Armagh for a special Gathering for Peace on the Mall, where thousands turned out to hear them speak.\n\nHe shared the stage at that time with Mr Blair, former Northern Ireland Secretary, the late Mo Mowlam, and Northern Ireland's newly-appointed first and deputy first ministers, David Trimble and Seamus Mallon.\n\nMr Clinton addressed people in a key note speech at the Odyssey Arena on 13 December 2000 during his third visit\n\nNearing the end of his time as President, Bill Clinton once more returned to Northern Ireland as part of his farewell tour.\n\nThis was at a time when the peace process is struggling and sectarian murder had returned to the streets.\n\nDuring the visit, Mr Clinton held talks in which he urged all sides not to give up trying to overcome the deadlock on decommissioning and demilitarisation.\n\nHe also delivered a keynote speech at the Odyssey in Belfast, in which he encouraged the implementation and progression of the Good Friday Agreement.\n\nBill Clinton given a jersey by the Belfast Giants hockey team\n\nMr Clinton's visit to Belfast culminated with a celebration outside City Hall.\n\nThe president switched on the city's festive lights in front of a huge Christmas tree donated to Belfast by the city of Nashville, Tennessee.\n\nThousands of people crammed into the city streets and cheered as the president wished them a peaceful Christmas.\n\nGeorg Bush met with Taoiseach Bertie Ahern and then prime minister Tony Blair at Hillsborough Castle\n\nUS President George Bush visited Northern Ireland in April 2003 to hold talks over the political process in the country and the war in Iraq.\n\nThe visit began with a summit in Hillsborough Castle with then Prime Minster Tony Blair to discuss gains on the battlefield and plans for the leadership post-conflict in Iraq.\n\nAt the time the IRA leadership was under intense pressure to fully disarm and disband.\n\nNorthern Ireland's devolved institutions had been suspended since 14 October 2002 following a row over allegations of IRA activity, including alleged spying within the Northern Ireland Office.\n\nPresident Bush, Mr Blair and the Taoiseach (Irish Prime Minister) Bertie Ahern met with Ulster Unionist leader David Trimble, Sinn F\u00e9in President Gerry Adams and Mark Durkan of the SDLP - the leaders of the pro-Agreement parties who had remained in talks aimed at resurrecting the Northern Ireland Assembly.\n\nGeorge W Bush was welcomed at Stormont Castle by Peter Robinson and by Martin McGuinness\n\nOn 16 June 2008, Mr Bush made a one-day stop in Northern Ireland during his European farewell trip as his presidency came to an end.\n\nThe president was welcomed at Stormont Castle by then first and deputy first ministers Peter Robinson and Martin McGuinness.\n\nHe was later joined by Prime Minister Gordon Brown and Taoiseach Brian Cowen.\n\nSpeaking after meeting with Mr Robinson and Mr McGuinness, the president said the progress made in Northern Ireland over the past 10 years was unimaginable.\n\nHe discussed investment issues and the devolution of policing and justice.\n\nHe then made visits to Lough View Integrated Primary School in Castlereagh - taking some time to hit the basketball court - and a community project in the city centre.\n\nSeveral hundred people demonstrated in Belfast city centre against his visit, with some climbing onto the roof of the City Hall with an Iraqi flag erected.\n\nThe protest at Belfast City Hall was organised by the Belfast Anti-War Movement representing trade unions and student and women's groups.\n\nU.S. President Barack Obama delivers a keynote address at the Waterfront Hall ahead of the G8 Summit on June 17, 2013\n\nUS President Barack Obama arrived in Northern Ireland on 17 June 2013 to attended the G8 summit, which was being held County Fermanagh.\n\nFollowing his arrival, the president spoke to an audience at the Waterfront Hall in Belfast.\n\nDuring this he said the road to a lasting peace in Northern Ireland was \"as urgent now as it has ever been\".\n\nProtesters near the site of G8 summit in County Fermanagh\n\nThousands of police officers are involved in security during the G8 event and Mr Obama's visit in Belfast, with disruptions to transport, roads and schools.\n\nAnti-hunger activists wore giant heads of the G8 leaders, including Mr Obama, to call for them to eliminate the causes of hunger. They sailed near the G8 media centre in Enniskillen.\n\nThe president also visited Enniskillen Integrated Primary School, where he joined UK Prime Minister David Cameron","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/uk-northern-ireland-64949360"}
{"title":"Extreme travel: It just got harder to see every place in the world - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-15","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"Extreme travellers want to go everywhere - but one group just moved the goalposts...","section":"World","content":"Extreme travel isn't for the faint-hearted. Kari-Matti Valtari would know.\n\nHe has been arrested many times and held in detention in war-torn nations, but has seen everywhere from St Eustatius to the Savage Islands*.\n\nSo why does he keep doing it? \"It's to meet like-minded people,\" he tells the BBC.\n\nHe has a goal: to travel the whole world. And that goal has landed him, at the time of writing, in tenth place on the \"Most Traveled People\" (MTP) leader board.\n\nMTP is an online community that unites extreme travellers. It boasts nearly 30,000 members and exists for people to compare their adventures, in a bid to become \"the most travelled person\".\n\nBut seeing the whole world - as per Most Traveled People - just got harder for Mr Valtari and other extreme travellers.\n\nSt Eustatius is one of the locations on the 'Most Traveled Person' list\n\nThe MTP founder, Charles Veley, was inspired to create it after the Guinness Book of Records declined in 2000 to accept his own attempts to be the world's most travelled person - and required a third-party to adjudicate.\n\n\"It felt like I had completed the marathon in the Olympics... it felt like I had done all that. Come into the stadium and all the judges had gone home and there was no-one there,\" he said.\n\nIn 2005, when MTP was founded, Mr Veley started with a list of around 573 countries and territories to visit.\n\nThat number increased to around 1,000 in the following years, as existing places were divided into further parts. And, as of this year, the list has been updated again - to 1,500 different locations.\n\nThe expansion by MTP meant people who had been to everywhere - or almost everywhere - in the world, now have a whole new set of places to visit.\n\nFor instance, the man on top of the leader board, Germany's Michael Runkel, has visited a mere 1,306 of MTP's 1,500 locations.\n\nThe MTP expansion leans on work from another travel community, NomadMania, which divides the world into 1,301 regions, based on \"area, population, local perspective and other factors\".\n\nWithin the \"UK region\", for example, there are 30 different regions, including: England - Yorkshire and the Humber, Jersey, and Lundy - a tiny island off the south-west of England.\n\nOne of the new regions on the MTP list is the South Pole - now listed as separate from the various Antarctic regions.\n\nPreviously, travellers could claim they had visited most Antarctic regions by simply walking around the South Pole. Now, they have to navigate the entire continent.\n\nThe increase was based on consultation with extreme travellers, and Mr Veley said people had been receptive to the change - and looked forward to having more destinations to visit.\n\nBut travel between these areas is not simple.\n\nAbout 2.4% of global CO2 emissions come from aviation - and many regular travellers rely on planes to travel.\n\nWhile both Mr Valtari and Mr Veley said they try to reduce their emissions in other ways - like driving electric cars - they don't deny the impact their travel has on the environment.\n\n\"I do think about it, but I mean\u2026 what can you do?\" Mr Valtari said. \"If you have an urge to travel you cannot exactly walk everywhere so you do have to fly.\"\n\nBut when it comes to extreme travel, boats can be more useful than planes. The joint-least visited place in the world, according to MTP, is the Entrecasteaux Reefs - a barrier reef in New Caledonia in the South Pacific.\n\n*St Eustatius is a small Dutch island in the Caribbean; the Savage Islands a Portuguese archipelago without a permanent population.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/world-64730548"}
{"title":"Lucy Letby: Doctor asked for nurse to be taken off shift - court - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-15","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"A doctor raised concerns about nurse Lucy Letby's presence and the deaths of babies, her trial hears.","section":"Liverpool","content":"Dr Stephen Brearey says he escalated concerns to senior management about nurse Lucy Letby\n\nA doctor asked for nurse Lucy Letby to be taken off shift after raising repeated concerns about her presence and the deaths of babies - but was told \"no\", a court has heard.\n\nThe nurse denies murdering seven babies and the attempted murder of 10 others at Countess of Chester Hospital.\n\nDr Stephen Brearey told Manchester Crown Court he \"didn't want nurse Letby to come back to work\" until concerns had been \"investigated properly\".\n\nDr Brearey, who was head of the hospital's neonatal unit, asked for Ms Letby to be stood down after the deaths of two baby boys, who were part of a set of triplets, in June 2016.\n\nThe court has previously heard that the first boy, referred to as Child O, was in good condition and stable up until the afternoon of 23 June when he suffered a \"remarkable deterioration\" and died.\n\nHis brother, Child P, died just over 24 hours later after also being attacked by Ms Letby, it is alleged.\n\nThe prosecution claims Ms Letby murdered the boys by injecting air into their bloodstreams.\n\nDr Brearey told the court that the death of the brothers was \"distressing for those involved and deeply so with me\".\n\nHe said: \"All three triplets were born in such good condition, they were following a healthy path to growing and developing and hopefully going home.\"\n\nDr Brearey told jurors that Child O's collapse had come \"out of the blue\" and observed that in the hours before his death there had been an \"unusual\" rash on his chest. He said this was something he had not \"seen before or since\".\n\nLucy Letby is accused of carrying out the attacks at Countess of Chester Hospital\n\nFollowing Child P's death on 24 June, there was a debrief for the medical team on the neonatal unit.\n\n\"Ms Letby was present in that debrief. I asked her how she was feeling and I can remember suggesting to her she needed the weekend off to recover,\" the doctor said.\n\n\"She didn't seem overly upset to me in the debrief and told me at the time she was on shift next day, which was a Saturday.\"\n\nThe doctor said he had been \"concerned\" about Ms Letby going back on shift because he had \"already expressed concerns to senior management over the association between nurse Letby and the deaths we'd seen on the unit\".\n\nDr Brearey said he had called Karen Rees, the duty executive senior nurse, to report his concerns, explaining that he \"didn't want nurse Letby to come back to work the following day or until all this was investigated properly\".\n\nDr Brearey said Ms Rees had \"said no\", telling him \"there was no evidence\" for his claims.\n\nHe told the court he had asked Ms Rees if she was \"happy to take responsibility for the decision, in view of the fact myself and consultant colleagues wouldn't be happy with nurse Letby going to work the following day\".\n\nMs Rees responded \"yes\", the medic said.\n\nDr Brearey told the court that \"further conversations\" had taken place the following week and the decision had been taken to remove Ms Letby from frontline nursing duties - placing her in a clerical role instead.\n\nBen Myers KC, defending, noted that Dr Brearey had first \"identified\" Ms Letby as someone of interest as early as June 2015 after the death of the first three babies in the case.\n\nDr Brearey had noted, with colleagues, that Ms Letby was present when those three children died in 2015.\n\nMr Myers put it to the doctor that he was guilty of \"confirmation bias\" towards Ms Letby and had failed to look at \"suboptimal care\" given to the children in this case.\n\nMr Myers put it to Dr Brearey that if there had been a basis for his suspicions he would have gone to the police.\n\nDr Brearey said he and his colleagues had been trying to \"escalate appropriately\" and had needed \"executive support\" to decide the \"correct plan of action going forward\".\n\nThe doctor added: \"It's not something anyone wanted to consider, that a member of staff is harming babies.\n\n\"The senior nursing staff on the unit didn't believe this could be true.\"\n\nHe said with every \"unusual\" episode of baby collapse between June 2015 and June 2016 there had been \"increasing suspicion\" about Ms Letby, which led him to eventually escalate his concerns and request she be taken off shift.\n\nWhy not follow BBC North West on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram? You can also send story ideas to northwest.newsonline@bbc.co.uk\n\nThe BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/uk-england-merseyside-64953681"}
{"title":"Tropical Storm Freddy: Malawi hit by national tragedy - President Chakwera - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-15","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"Tropical Storm Freddy kills more than 200 people as government promises to intensify rescue efforts.","section":"Africa","content":"Poorer areas in Malawi's main city Blantyre have been hardest-hit by the storm\n\nThe devastation caused by a tropical storm that ripped through Malawi, killing 225 people is a \"national tragedy\", the president has said.\n\nLazarus Chakwera promised to intensify search and rescue operations, as he attended the funeral of some victims.\n\nTropical Storm Freddy led to people being swept away by raging waters, or being buried under landslides.\n\nThe government has set up 30 emergency camps for at least 20,000 people who have had to leave their homes.\n\nBlantyre, the hilly commercial capital of Malawi, has been worst-affected, with residents dying in landslides and homes crumbling into flood waters.\n\n\"Even our health workers need help,\" Health Minister Khumbize Kandodo Chiponda told the BBC's Focus on Africa programme.\n\nDescribed the situation as \"very fragile\", she said that more than five million people had been affected by the storm.\n\n\"We have a history of getting cyclones. Unfortunately for Freddy, it was totally different, totally unexpected,\" she said.\n\n\"We are still recovering dead bodies. One child was recovered, fortunately still alive,\" Ms Chiponda added.\n\nThe government's disaster management agency said that 41 people were still missing, and more than 700 had been injured as the storm tore through Blantyre, and other parts of southern Malawi.\n\n\"My best friend, her brother, sister and mother went with the mudslide and their bodies have not been found. It's devastating. You can't even mourn,\" 19-year-old Blantyre resident Fadila Njolomole was quoted by AFP news agency as saying.\n\nPresident Chakwera, wearing rubber boots and a raincoat, attended the funeral service of 21 victims at a primary school in the city.\n\n\"I appeal for more assistance from international partners and donors. This is a national tragedy that has affected every one of us,\" he said.\n\nPresident Chakwera has visited some of the victims of the storm in Blantyre\n\nThe collapse of roads and bridges has hampered rescue operations, while helicopters have had difficulty flying because of the heavy rains and strong winds, although these have now eased.\n\nThe defence minister earlier said that a military helicopter would be despatched to rescue two soldiers who spent Tuesday night on a tree-top to avoid being swept away by the powerful currents of a river below them.\n\nThe soldiers were on a mission to rescue flood survivors when their boat capsized, forcing them to swim until they reached a tree.\n\nTwo other soldiers and a civilian managed to swim to safety, but the other two were reported missing, raising fears that they had drowned.\n\nIn another village in the Mulanje area, a man sent a WhatsApp message on Tuesday, saying heavy rains and winds were surging towards them from two mountainous areas.\n\n\"We have no hope, nowhere to go,\" he said, adding that women, children and the elderly were among those who needed to be evacuated.\n\nIt is unclear whether a rescue team has reached them.\n\nFreddy has dumped the equivalent of six months of rainfall in six days on Malawi and neighbouring Mozambique.\n\nAbout 20 deaths have been reported in Mozambique.\n\nUN official Myrta Kaulard said the devastation in Mozambique was not as bad as feared because its government had invested in flood defence measures after being hit by tropical storms for the past three years.\n\n\"This is a huge demonstration of how much huge investments are required because of the intensity of climate change on a country like Mozambique,\" she told the BBC's Newsday programme.\n\nFreddy is one of only four storms in history to traverse the entire Indian Ocean from north-western Australia to mainland Africa. Freddy could also be the longest-lasting tropical cyclone on record, according to the World Meteorological Organization.\n\nOn Sunday the storm struck Mozambique as a cyclone - for the second time in a less than a month - after battering the island nation of Madagascar in the Indian Ocean, causing severe destruction.\n\nExperts say climate change is making tropical storms around the world wetter, windier and more intense.\n\nThe storm has also crippled power supplies in Malawi, with most parts of the country experiencing prolonged blackouts.\n\nThe national electricity company said it was unable to get its hydro-power plant working as it had been filled with debris.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/world-africa-64954430"}
{"title":"Watch: A fast forward look at Budget Day - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-15","authors":null,"description":"The Chancellor delivered his first budget and presented the government's plans for spending and taxation.","section":null,"content":"Unveiling his Budget, Chancellor Jeremy Hunt said parents of one and two-year-olds in England would get 30 hours a week of free childcare by September 2025 and scrapped the lifetime allowance on tax-free pension contributions.\n\nLabour Leader Sir Keir Starmer told the Commons that after 13 years of the Conservatives \"our economy needed major surgery\" but the government was providing \"only a sticking plaster\".","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/uk-politics-64971760"}
{"title":"HS2 delays being considered to cut rising costs - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-03","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"HS2's boss admits delays are among options being considered to combat the impact of inflation.","section":"Business","content":"Delays to HS2 are being considered among other options to curb rising costs, the project's boss has admitted.\n\nThe planned high speed railway which will link London, the Midlands and North of England has long been plagued by cost increases and delays.\n\nHS2 Ltd's boss, Mark Thurston, told the BBC he was looking at the project's timing and phasing with the government.\n\nThe government said work was well underway to bring \"transformational benefits...for generations to come.\"\n\nWork on the first stretch of HS2, between London and Birmingham, is 40% complete, with 30,000 people working on it.\n\nBut the price-tag of the project, which is the biggest of its kind in Europe, has swollen from the \u00a333bn outlined in 2010 to at least \u00a371bn.\n\nOne estimate has put its total cost above \u00a3100bn.\n\nThe soaring cost of materials has posed a fresh challenge, at a time when the Department for Transport's budget is not due to keep up with inflation.\n\nMr Thurston told the BBC the impact of inflation had been \"significant\" in the past year, \"whether that's in timber, steel, aggregates for all the concrete we need to use to build the job, labour, all our energy costs, fuel\".\n\nHe said the organisation was working with suppliers and the government to find ways of mitigating this.\n\n\"We're looking at the timing of the project, the phasing of the project, we're looking at where we can use our supply chain to secure a lot of those things that are costing us more through inflation,\" he added.\n\nUnder 'Project Silverlight', ways are being examined to deal with cost pressures on the London-Birmingham stretch.\n\nMr Thurston said the scope of this first phase was being protected, and also said he was confident it would open within the planned timescale.\n\nHe described a second line of work, 'Project Blue Diamond' as \"looking at the programme as a whole\".\n\nAsked if delaying some parts of the project would help save money, he argued delays did not \"typically\" save money in the long run.\n\nHowever, he added \"we're looking at a number of options with the Department for Transport\".\n\nIn a statement, a spokesperson for the government said it continued to carry out regular reviews of the scope, schedule and cost of the project to ensure it delivered value for money.\n\nHS2 trains are due to carry their first passengers between Old Oak Common station in West London and Birmingham, between 2029 and 2033.\n\nEuston station in the capital's centre is currently scheduled to open later, by 2035 - with a new design being worked up that has 10 platforms, not 11 which had been planned. Further stretches to Crewe and then to Manchester are due by 2034 and 2041.\n\nMost of the Eastern leg to Leeds was scrapped in the 2021 Integrated Rail Plan.\n\nThere has been speculation the government could decide to axe remaining plans for a high speed line between the West and East Midlands.\n\nScott Knowles from business group the East Midlands Chamber, said firms needed to know whether this section would definitely go ahead.\n\nHe said certainty created confidence and investment, and \"any air of a lack of commitment in terms of investing in the East Midlands\u2026 will make businesses think twice\".\n\nSome critics of the project, who believe the money could be better spent elsewhere, would like to see the railway scrapped or scaled back north of Birmingham.\n\nAnother rumoured option is not to build a new line between Crewe and Manchester.\n\nWilliam Barter, a rail consultant who's worked on the project argues that would be a mistake.\n\n\"If a big saving is needed, perhaps tens of billions, the only way of doing it unfortunately is by not doing part of the project\", he told the BBC.\n\n\"I think that's a temptation we have to resist\u2026 because if you don't do part of the project, you lose the benefits that go with that part of the project, and you leave the expensive Phase One that's now under construction under-used\".\n\nHS2 critic Lord Berkeley has suggested terminating the line at Old Oak Common, and repurposing what remains of the railway, with trains running at lower speeds than currently planned.\n\nIn January the Chancellor quashed a report that the railway may not reach Euston, insisting he didn't see any \"conceivable circumstances\" in which that would happen.\n\n\"The Government remains fully committed to the Integrated Rail Plan, including its commitment to deliver the high-speed line from Euston to Manchester.\"\n\nLabour's Shadow Transport Secretary Louise Haigh said: \"Tens of thousands of jobs, and billions in economic growth are dependent on this project. Ministers need to own up and explain why critical decisions....are being delayed\".","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/business-64792328"}
{"title":"Sue Gray: The Partygate investigator and civil servant - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-03","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"The senior civil servant has been offered a job as Keir Starmer's chief of staff.","section":"UK Politics","content":"Senior civil servant Sue Gray, who became a household name as the Partygate investigator, has been offered a job as Labour leader Keir Starmer's chief of staff.\n\nMs Gray's inquiry into lockdown gatherings in Downing Street contributed to Boris Johnson's downfall last year and prompted numerous Conservative MPs to call on him to resign.\n\nTory MPs have expressed anger at the job offer, with allies of the former prime minister saying it undermines her report and the impartiality of the civil service.\n\nA Labour spokesman said party leader Sir Keir was \"delighted\" that \"she hopes to accept the role subject to normal procedures\".\n\nThe government confirmed on Thursday that Ms Gray had left her position as a senior official at the levelling up and housing department.\n\nUnder the civil service code, officials of Ms Gray's seniority must wait a minimum of three months before taking up outside employment.\n\nHer report into Partygate, published in May last year, found that staff had partied in Downing Street while the rest of the UK was in lockdown, with the approval of their bosses.\n\nShe said many events \"should not have been allowed\" and the then prime minister, Mr Johnson, \"must bear responsibility\".\n\nMany people in government praised Ms Gray's professionalism. She also had to investigate her own boss, Simon Case - the head of the civil service - who stepped down from leading the Partygate investigation after reports a party had been held in his own office.\n\nJacob Rees-Mogg, a cabinet minister under Mr Johnson, has said Ms Gray's Partygate conclusions now looked \"like a left-wing stitch up\".\n\nHowever, Labour's shadow culture secretary Lucy Powell told BBC Radio 4's Today Programme it was \"ludicrous\" to suggest her appointment undermined her Partygate report.\n\nThe civil servant does have plenty of experience in government including investigating - and in some cases condemning - powerful ministers.\n\nIn his memoir, the former Liberal Democrat minister David Laws recalls being told by fellow minister Oliver Letwin: \"It took me precisely two years before I realised who it is that runs Britain.\n\n\"Our great United Kingdom is actually entirely run by a lady called Sue Gray, the head of ethics or something in the Cabinet Office - unless she agrees, things just don't happen.\"\n\nMs Gray joined the civil service straight from school and worked her way up to the Cabinet Office where, for six years, she led the government's Propriety and Ethics team, which provides advice to government departments on standards issues.\n\nPolly Mackenzie - who worked as a special adviser in the Cabinet Office - told the BBC's Profile programme in 2017: \"Sue has been there for so long, she knows everything that anybody has ever done wrong.\"\n\nA photo released with the Partygate report of Mr Johnson at a gathering in No 10 Downing Street\n\nGus O'Donnell, a former head of the civil service, said: \"If there is any one person in the civil service who could write their memoirs, hers would be the most valuable, the most priceless and the most sensational.\n\n\"I am extremely confident that such a memoir will never be written - her secrets will go to the grave.\"\n\nIn 2017, one of her investigations forced Damian Green - at the time one of Theresa May's most senior ministers - to step down after he was found to have made \"inaccurate\" statements over what he knew about claims pornography had been found on his office computer in 2008.\n\nShe also investigated claims of sexual misconduct by the minister towards journalist Kate Maltby, ruling that her claims had been \"plausible\".\n\nSpeaking to the BBC, Ms Maltby said: \"What impressed me most about Sue Gray was how seriously she took her duty of care to complainants... she was determined to listen to junior people, and not let senior staff off the hook.\n\n\"I found her profoundly moral in a way that isn't normally seen in Westminster. But she is someone who has spent her life operating in Whitehall, and her report will be limited by the norms of civil service language, the parameters of the task given to her, and by some compromises, especially on transparency, only if minor compromises are required for her to push through her key ethical findings\".\n\nMs Gray's knowledge of ministers' private interests is said to have been useful to prime ministers carrying out rejigs of their ministerial team.\n\nChris Cook - an ex BBC journalist who now works for news website Tortoise - said one sign of a forthcoming reshuffle would be when Sue Gray's office furniture had been re-arranged.\n\nAfter 20 years, she left the Cabinet Office on secondment to work at the finance department in Northern Ireland's government.\n\nWhen a job to lead the Northern Ireland civil service became available she applied, but didn't get it.\n\nMs Gray has spent much of her career in the government buildings of Whitehall\n\nUnusually for a normally private individual, she gave an interview to the BBC admitting she was \"disappointed\" she didn't get the top job and suggested she may have been seen as \"too much of a challenger, or a disrupter\".\n\nIn 2021, she returned to the Cabinet Office leading on matters related to the Union and the Constitution.\n\nShe may have spent the bulk of her career in the civil service, but in the late 1980s she did take a career break to run a Northern Ireland pub called the Cove Bar, along with her husband the country and western singer Bill Conlon.\n\nShe told the BBC: \"I loved it, loved it at the time, I'd never do it again.\"","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/uk-politics-59979023"}
{"title":"Constance Marten and Mark Gordon charged with gross negligence manslaughter - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-03","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"Constance Marten and Mark Gordon have been charged after a baby's remains were found in woodland.","section":"UK","content":"Constance Marten and Mark Gordon have been charged with gross negligence manslaughter after remains of a baby were found in an area of woodland.\n\nThe body of a newborn was found on Wednesday following a massive search operation around Brighton.\n\nProsecutors said they are also accused of concealing the birth of a child and perverting the course of justice.\n\nMs Marten, 35, and Gordon, 48, are due to appear at Crawley Magistrates' Court on Friday.\n\nThey were first arrested on Monday and held in custody for questioning, before being charged by the Crown Prosecution Service on Thursday evening.\n\nPolice said earlier on Thursday it was \"too early\" to say when the infant died or establish its sex.\n\nThe Metropolitan Police said a post-mortem examination would take place on Friday.\n\nBarry Hughes, chief crown prosecutor for CPS London North, said: \"These charges arise from their arrest on Monday as a result of a lengthy police investigation to establish their whereabouts and that of their baby.\n\n\"The Crown Prosecution Service reminds all concerned that criminal proceedings against Constance Marten and Mark Gordon are active and that they have the right to a fair trial.\"\n\nMs Marten and Gordon were detained following a 53-day missing persons search which led to a wooded area in East Sussex.\n\nHundreds of officers using sniffer dogs, thermal cameras, helicopters and drones were drafted in to look for the infant.\n\nThe Metropolitan Police has referred the case to the Independent Office for Police Conduct because the baby died during a missing persons investigation it was leading.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/uk-64830159"}
{"title":"Achraf Hakimi: Paris St-Germain & Morocco defender faces criminal investigation after rape allegation - BBC Sport","published_date":"2023-03-03","authors":null,"description":"Paris St-Germain and Morocco defender Achraf Hakimi faces a criminal investigation after an allegation of rape was made against him.","section":null,"content":"Last updated on .From the section European Football\n\nParis St-Germain and Morocco defender Achraf Hakimi is facing a criminal investigation after an allegation of rape was made against him.\n\nHakimi denies an allegation made by a 24-year-old woman that he raped her at his home in Paris on 25 February.\n\nThe player's lawyer said Hakimi was the victim of \"attempted racketeering\".\n\nThe Nanterre prosecution office said on Friday that Hakimi has been placed under police monitoring and was banned from contact with the alleged victim.\n\nAccording to his lawyer, Fanny Colin, Hakimi, 24, \"firmly denies all the accusations against him\" and welcomes the investigation because \"he finally has the possibility to defend himself\".\n\n\"The club supports the player, who has firmly denied the accusations and trusts the justice system,\" PSG said in a statement on Thursday.\n\n\"Paris St-Germain is an institution that promotes respect on and off the pitch.\"\n\nPSG manager Christophe Galtier declined to comment on the investigation in a news conference on Friday.\n\nThe Ligue 1 leaders face Bayern Munich in the Champions League last-16 second leg on Wednesday, with Hakimi expected to play after recovering from a a muscle injury.\n\nGaltier said: \"The aim with our medical staff is for him to be available for the match against Bayern.\"\n\nBorn in Spain, Hakimi was a key player as Morocco made history by reaching the semi-finals of the World Cup in Qatar, the first African side to do so.\n\nHis performances saw him honoured at the Best Fifa Football Awards ceremony held in Paris on Monday evening, where he was named in the FIFPro men's world team of the year.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/sport\/football\/64838597"}
{"title":"New pay offer tabled in bid to end teacher strikes - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-03","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"Teaching unions will discuss the new offer before deciding whether to recommend it to their members.","section":"Scotland","content":"Teachers had been calling for a 10% pay rise this year\n\nScotland's council leaders have agreed to make a new offer to teachers in an attempt to end a dispute over pay.\n\nThe full details have been sent to teaching unions, who will discuss the offer on Friday afternoon.\n\nThe proposal involves a 7% rise backdated to last April, a further 5% this April and another 2% in January.\n\nSchools across Scotland have been closed by a series of strikes during the dispute, with further action planned in the coming weeks.\n\nThe Scottish government has said most teachers would see their salaries rise by \u00a35,200 in April if the new pay offer is accepted.\n\nThe latest strikes targeting the constituencies of some Scottish government ministers, including Nicola Sturgeon, are due to be held next week.\n\nTeachers are also due to hold a 20-day wave of rolling strikes between 13 March and 21 April.\n\nThe new offer follows intensive talks earlier in the week between the EIS union, Education Secretary Shirley-Anne Somerville and Deputy First Minister John Swinney.\n\nThe EIS, the country's biggest teaching union, will now decide whether or not to consult its members on the offer, and whether to call off the scheduled strikes while a ballot is held.\n\nThe union's general secretary, Andrea Bradley, said she believed the recent talks had left the two sides \"within touching distance of a possible settlement\".\n\nThe EIS will hold meetings on Friday afternoon to discuss the new proposal, with Ms Bradley saying she was hopeful that \"we can move very quickly to a position where we can consult members on the offer\".\n\nThe union had been calling for a 10% pay rise this year, but has said a \"credible\" new offer could see strike action being suspended.\n\nAnother teaching union, the SSTA, has already said it will conduct a formal online ballot of its members on the improved offer.\n\nThe reaction of the EIS union to the new pay offer will be crucial as it is by far the largest union in Scottish education.\n\nIf it decides to consult its members and recommends that they accept it, the dispute would appear to be drawing towards its conclusion.\n\nBut if it rejects the offer, it would be a huge blow to hopes of a resolution.\n\nIf the EIS decides to consult its members, it would be wrong to presume how they will vote.\n\nSome may feel the offer is the best which is possible in the current financial climate.\n\nOthers would note that the new offer is still significantly lower than inflation.\n\nCouncil leaders are responsible for making pay offers to teachers as the employer.\n\nCouncillor Katie Hagmann, the resources spokeswoman for council umbrella body Cosla, said the improved offer had been made possible by funding assurances that had been given by the Scottish government.\n\nShe added: \"It is in all of our interests, not least those of children, young people and families, to conclude the teachers' pay negotiations as quickly as possible to bring back stability and certainty in our schools.\"\n\nDeputy First Minister John Swinney had earlier said he was \"very optimistic\" that the dispute would be resolved.\n\nBut he warned there will be \"programmes and projects that will not be going ahead\" because more money has been diverted into the new deal.\n\nSpeaking on BBC Good Morning Scotland earlier on Friday, Mr Swinney said all sides had come to a \"moment of compromise\".\n\nHe added: \"I'm very optimistic that we are in a position that we will be able to resolve the dispute in the course of today and to avoid any further disruption to education.\"\n\nThe EIS and the NASUWT unions recently rejected an offer worth 11.5% over two years. This included a 6% rise for 2022-23, backdated to last April, and a 5.5% increase for 2023-24.\n\nThe dispute has been running for more than a year.\n\nAlmost every state primary and secondary school in Scotland was closed on Tuesday and Wednesday as members of the EIS and NASUWT walked out in the latest national strike action.\n\nPupils in the constituencies of senior politicians have been worst affected, as targeted strike action by members of the EIS last week closed schools for three additional days.\n\nThe same areas, which include those represented by First Minister Nicola Sturgeon and Mr Swinney, face another three days of strikes next week.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/uk-scotland-64830670"}
{"title":"Scottish teachers call off strikes after pay offer - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-03","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"Unions suspend further strike action while members are consulted on an improved pay deal.","section":"Scotland","content":"Scottish teachers are to suspend their strike action after receiving an improved pay offer.\n\nUnions will now consult their members on the proposal, which would give them a 14.6% pay rise over 28 months.\n\nAndrea Bradley, the general secretary of the EIS - the largest union - said they would recommend that members accept the offer.\n\nTargeted strike action in specific Scottish parliament constituencies had been due to take place next week.\n\nEIS general secretary Andrea Bradley told BBC Scotland that those targeted strikes would be cancelled.\n\nBut she said future regional strikes - 20-day wave of rolling strikes beginning on 13 March - would depend on the outcome of the week-long ballot.\n\nThe proposal involves a 7% rise backdated to last April, a further 5% this April and another 2% in January.\n\nMs Bradley said: \"The salaries committee decided overwhelmingly to put the offer that came across late this afternoon to members with the recommendation to accept.\n\n\"The executive committee decided to suspend the strike campaign while members are being balloted.\"\n\nThe ballot was due to open on Friday evening and run until 10:00 on 10 March.\n\n\"It's absolutely right to point out that this offer doesn't represent the achievement of all of our aims, but we have been clear for some time that any negotiation was going to feature an element of compromise,\" Ms Bradley said.\n\n\"We do think that this offer marks an improvement.\"\n\nTeachers had originally been demanding a 10% increase this year, with the dispute seeing almost all schools in Scotland being closed by a series of strikes in recent weeks.\n\nThe new offer follows intensive talks earlier in the week between the EIS, Education Secretary Shirley-Anne Somerville and Deputy First Minister John Swinney.\n\nThe signs are that the teachers' strike is now drawing towards its close after three months.\n\nThe EIS is by far the biggest teachers' union. The response of its members to the new pay offer will be critical.\n\nThe union is urging them to accept it.\n\nBut it would be wrong to presume the result in advance.\n\nThe offer is still below inflation.\n\nThe question is whether the new pay offer is the best which can realistically be achieved.\n\nThe outcome of the EIS consultation should be known next Friday.\n\nBut few in the union will be celebrating. Instead some senior figures are saddened that it took industrial action on this scale to achieve this pay offer.\n\nSpeaking to the BBC before the ballot was agreed, Ms Somerville said she hoped members would take the offer very seriously.\n\nShe said: \"During all negotiations you need to find parts where we can compromise and the areas we've all compromised has came about now.\n\n\"No one wants to see disruption in their schools, we would have all liked to have seen this finishing earlier - but we hopefully are at the conclusion to this.\"\n\nShe later added: \"This is the best and final offer possible and recognises the invaluable contribution teachers make to the lives of our children and young people.\"\n\nScottish Labour's education spokesperson Michael Marra said the progress was welcome but long overdue.\n\nHe added: \"The SNP have wasted months playing petty games while schools were engulfed by strike chaos and teachers were forced to fight for a fair deal.\"\n\nEarlier Stephen Kerr, of the Scottish Conservatives, criticised the role of the education secretary in the dispute.\n\n\"After months of inaction from Shirley-Anne Somerville, which has done untold damage to our kids' education, we can only hope this dispute is finally nearing an end.\"","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/uk-scotland-64841722"}
{"title":"Australia floods: Teenager bitten by crocodile as army sent to help remote areas - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-03","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"The 17-year-old boy was attacked as the army evacuated a remote community following heavy rain.","section":"Australia","content":"A teenager has been bitten by a crocodile in a remote community hit by floods in Australia's Northern Territory (NT).\n\nAuthorities said the 17-year-old boy sustained a \"minor laceration to his leg\" and was treated at a local clinic.\n\nLocal government minister Chansey Paech told ABC News people should remain \"croc wise\", with crocodiles displaced from flooded rivers after heavy rain.\n\nThe Australian Defence Force is in the region helping to evacuate people.\n\nMr Paech said some 700 people, including 35 with medical needs, had been flown out of Kalkarindji, about 770km (478 miles) south of Darwin, after the Victoria River burst its banks.\n\n\"Defence Australia has given us three big planes - two C130s and one C27 - and they're working to fly evacuees to Katherine,\" he tweeted, referring to a town in the NT.\n\nA spokeswoman for Mr Paech said major floods brought added risks from crocodiles.\n\n\"When the river bursts its banks, they're everywhere\", she told the BBC.\n\nEvacuated people will be housed at a former Covid quarantine facility, Howard Springs, and children will be able to attend local schools, officials said.\n\nThe territory declared an emergency for four remote areas this week as the upper Victoria River reached major flood levels.\n\nEmergency Controller Daniel Bacon said roads to a number of remote communities remained cut off and urged people to stay away.\n\n\"We continue to remind everyone that if it's flooded; forget it.\"\n\nThe Bureau of Meteorology said the Victoria River had reached a height of 14m at Kalkarindji, but was now falling.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/world-australia-64832332"}
{"title":"Sacred coronation oil will be animal-cruelty free - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-03","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"A new version of sacred oil to be used at the King's coronation has been consecrated in Jerusalem.","section":"UK","content":"The sacred oil was consecrated in Jerusalem\n\nThe oil used to anoint the King in the coronation is one of the most sacred and mysterious parts of the ceremony - and a new quantity has been prepared.\n\nBut reflecting modern animal-friendly sensitivities, this oil will not include any ingredients from animals.\n\nThe \"chrism oil\" for the coronation was consecrated in a religious ceremony in Jerusalem on Friday.\n\nThis was carried out in one of the city's holiest Christian sites, the Church of the Holy Sepulchre.\n\nPrevious versions have included civet oil, from the glands of the small mammals, and ambergris from the intestines of whales.\n\nThere had been concerns about animal cruelty and the need to protect wildlife and the latest formula for the holy oil for King Charles's coronation will be animal free.\n\nAlthough the coronation is seen as a great moment of national pageantry and historic rituals, there is a strong religious element.\n\nThe anointing of the King has echoes of a christening or the ordination into religious orders, with the monarch being symbolically touched with holy oil on the head, chest and hands.\n\nThe silver urn containing the chrism oil for the coronation\n\nThis was considered such a sacred moment that the television cameras were not allowed to film it in 1953 - and there has been speculation about whether the anointing will be shown on TV during King Charles's coronation on 6 May.\n\nThe new oil includes olive oil scented with a mix of essential oils, sesame, rose, jasmine, cinnamon, neroli and benzoin, with orange blossom also added.\n\nIt also has a royal family significance, partly using olives grown on the Mount of Olives at the Monastery of Mary Magdalene, which is where the King's grandmother, Princess Alice, is buried.\n\nIn his Christmas message, the King had spoken of his own Christian faith and how much he had been moved when he visited biblical sites, such as Jesus' birthplace in Bethlehem.\n\nThe oil was consecrated by the Patriarch of Jerusalem and the Anglican Archbishop in Jerusalem, at the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, built on the site where it is believed Jesus died and was buried.\n\nJustin Welby, the Archbishop of Canterbury, welcomed the use of oil from the Mount of Olives, a site outside Jerusalem with many biblical connections.\n\n\"This demonstrates the deep historic link between the coronation, the Bible and the Holy Land,\" said the archbishop.\n\nHe added: \"From ancient kings through to the present day, monarchs have been anointed with oil from this sacred place.\"\n\nThe implements used for the anointing - including a spoon - are rare survivors of the original medieval coronation regalia, most of which were destroyed on the orders of Oliver Cromwell in 1649.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/uk-64836101"}
{"title":"Dover: Three lifeboats launched after fire breaks out on ferry - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-03","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"A tug tows the Isle of Innisfree with 183 people on board towards Calais after the engine room fire.","section":"Kent","content":"The ferry was sailing from Dover to Calais when the fire broke out\n\nThree lifeboats from Kent and a French salvage tug were launched after a fire broke out on a ferry in the Channel.\n\nThe lifeboats from Dover, Ramsgate and Dungeness were sent to the vessel - the Isle of Innisfree, owned by Irish Ferries - sailing from Dover to Calais.\n\nThe company said the fire, which was in the engine room, had been contained.\n\nThe ship, carrying 94 passengers and 89 crew, has been towed by a tug towards Calais with the priority now to get those on board to shore.\n\nPassengers booked on imminent Isle of Innisfree sailings will be transferred to alternative sailings, Irish Ferries said.\n\nIt sincerely apologised to all of its passengers for the disruption to their journeys.\n\nA statement from the firm said: \"Crews train regularly to deal with incidents at sea, and the company has put its training into action and the fire has been extinguished.\"\n\nIrish Ferries later added that once the boat arrives in Calais, it will launch a \"full investigation into the incident in conjunction with the relevant authorities\".\n\nHM Coastguard said: \"The vessel has confirmed that the fire has been extinguished but it is experiencing technical issues.\n\n\"All passengers and crew are accounted for and no injuries have been reported.\"\n\nFollow BBC South East on Facebook, on Twitter, and on Instagram. Send your story ideas to southeasttoday@bbc.co.uk.\n\nWere you on board the ferry? Share your experiences by emailing haveyoursay@bbc.co.uk.\n\nPlease include a contact number if you are willing to speak to a BBC journalist. You can also get in touch in the following ways:\n\nIf 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 HaveYourSay@bbc.co.uk. Please include your name, age and location with any submission.\n\nThe BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/uk-england-kent-64844048"}
{"title":"Joe Biden had cancerous skin lesion removed, White House says - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-03","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"The US president's doctor says all cancerous tissue was successfully removed in February.","section":"US & Canada","content":"US President Joe Biden had a cancerous skin lesion removed last month during a routine health screening, the White House has said.\n\nAll cancerous tissue was removed and no further treatment is required, Mr Biden's doctor said.\n\nMr Biden will continue dermatologic surveillance as part of his ongoing healthcare, the doctor added.\n\nThe president, 80, had a physical exam in February which the White House said found him healthy and \"fit for duty\".\n\nKevin O'Connor, Mr Biden's doctor, wrote in a note provided to media on Friday that the lesion was removed from Mr Biden's chest on 16 February at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center outside Washington DC.\n\n\"No further treatment is required,\" he said, adding that the area has \"healed nicely\" since the biopsy was taken.\n\nThe note said that the type of cancer found - basal cell carcinoma - does not normally spread, or metastasise.\n\nBasal and squamous cell carcinoma are the two most common forms of skin cancer in the US, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).\n\nDiagnosed in 3.6 million Americans every year, it is the the most frequently occurring form of all cancers, according to the Skin Cancer Foundation. It is slow-growing, curable and causes minimal damage if treated early.\n\nUnlike melanoma - another type of common skin cancer that can spread to other parts of the body - basal and squamous carcinoma \"both can usually be cured, but they can be disfiguring and expensive to treat,\" the CDC says.\n\nIn January, Mr Biden's wife, First Lady Jill Biden, had three lesions removed, with two of them later testing positive for basal cell carcinoma.\n\nMr Biden has had several non-melanoma skin cancers removed in the past, before he became president.\n\nIn a 2021 summary of his health, Dr O'Connor wrote that the president's lesions had been excised and \"there are no areas suspicious for skin cancer at this time\".\n\nDoctors advise that the best way to prevent skin cancer is to cover up and wear sunscreen lotion, even during winter.\n\nThe Bidens have long been strong advocates for fighting and curing cancer. Their adult son, Beau, died in 2015 from brain cancer.\n\nMr Biden is widely expected to announce that he will seek a second term in office.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/world-us-canada-64844276"}
{"title":"David Carrick: Rapist will not have sentence reviewed - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-03","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"The solicitor general says he is satisfied the ex-Met officer's jail term is not unduly lenient.","section":"Beds, Herts & Bucks","content":"Serial rapist and former Metropolitan Police officer David Carrick will not have his sentenced reviewed, the solicitor general said.\n\nThe 48-year-old was sentenced to a minimum term of 32 years in jail.\n\nMichael Tomlinson KC said there had been \"so many\" referrals received through the Unduly Lenient Sentencing (ULS) scheme.\n\nBut after \"full and detailed legal advice\" he said it would not go to the Court of Appeal.\n\nCarrick's crimes included dozens of rape and sexual offences over two decades, and they all took place while he was a serving officer.\n\nDuring his sentencing, Carrick, from Stevenage, Hertfordshire, was told he had taken \"monstrous advantage of women\" as he was handed 36 life terms.\n\nHis sentence of a minimum of 32 years was what he must serve before he can be considered for parole.\n\nTaking into account the time he has already spent in prison on remand, it means he will spend at least another 30 years in jail, when he would be in his late 70s.\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. During his sentencing, Mrs Justice Cheema-Grubb said he former police officer used his occupation to \"entice victims\"\n\nThe prosecution in Carrick's case said it fell short of meriting a whole-life order and sentencing judge Mrs Justice Cheema-Grubb said she agreed.\n\nThe solicitor general said he was satisfied Mrs Cheema-Grubb \"gave careful and detailed consideration to all the features of this case\".\n\nMr Tomlinson said: \"Because of the strong feelings this case evokes, it came as little surprise that I received so many referrals under the Unduly Lenient Sentence scheme to consider the term of 32 years minus time served handed to Carrick.\"\n\nHe said a referral to the Court of Appeal \"can only be made if the legal test is met, irrespective of the seriousness of the offending or the emotions the offending may evoke in all of us\".\n\n\"The threshold for referral is a high one and that was not met in this case,\" he added.\n\nFind BBC News: East of England on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter. If you have a story suggestion email eastofenglandnews@bbc.co.uk\n\nThe BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/uk-england-beds-bucks-herts-64842548"}
{"title":"Greece train crash: 57 people confirmed dead as public anger grows - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-03","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"A coroner tells the BBC that DNA has been collected from 57 bodies, as rail workers strike over the disaster.","section":"Europe","content":"This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser.\n\nThe death toll from Tuesday's train crash in Greece has increased to 57, a coroner has told the BBC.\n\nEleni Zaggelidou, one of ten coroners working on the investigation, said DNA had been taken from 57 intact bodies.\n\nA government minister said austerity during Greece's economic crisis in the 2000s had contributed to a lack of investment in the railways.\n\nRail workers held a one-day strike on Thursday following the disaster, blaming government neglect.\n\nMore than 2,000 people protested for a second day in Athens and Thessaloniki, shocked by the disaster near the city of Larissa.\n\n\"We are angry at the company, at the government and past governments that did nothing to improve conditions in the Greek railway,\" said pensioner Stavros Nantis in Athens.\n\nRescue workers are still going through burned and buckled carriages, searching for victims.\n\nThis was the \"most difficult moment\", rescuer Konstantinos Imanimidis told Reuters news agency, because \"instead of saving lives, we have to recover bodies\".\n\nA passenger service carrying 350 people collided with a freight train just before midnight on Tuesday after they ended up on the same track - causing the front carriages to burst into flames.\n\nThe railway workers' strike began at 06:00 local time (04:00 GMT), hitting national rail services and the subway in Athens.\n\nMany in Greece see the crash as an accident that had been waiting to happen, and the union blamed successive governments' \"disrespect\" towards Greek railways for leading to this \"tragic result\".\n\nDuring a visit to a hospital where relatives of the missing had gathered, Zoe Rapti, Greece's deputy minister of health, told the BBC that investing in the rail network had been made more difficult by the Greek debt crisis around 2010, which led to drastic austerity measures in exchange for a financial rescue by the EU and International Monetary Fund.\n\n\"Of course, things should have been done during these years but, as you remember, Greece faced a big economic crisis for more than 10 years, which means that many things went back,\" she said.\n\nShe said a \"wide investigation\" would take place, which she promised would provide answers.\n\nGovernment spokesman Giannis Oikonomous also said \"chronic delays\" in implementing rail projects were rooted in \"distortions\" in the country's public sector going back decades.\n\nA 59-year-old station master in Larissa has been charged with manslaughter by negligence and is due to appear in court on Thursday. He has admitted to having a share of responsibility in the accident, his lawyer Stefanos Pantzartzidis said outside the courthouse.\n\n\"He is literally devastated. Since the first moment, he has assumed responsibility proportionate to him,\" Mr Pantzartzidis said, hinting that the station master, who has not been publicly named, was not the only one to blame.\n\nTransport Minister Kostas Karamanlis resigned over the crash, saying he would take responsibility for the authorities' \"longstanding failures\" to fix a railway system that was not fit for the 21st Century.\n\nBut Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis's suggestion that \"tragic human error\" was to blame has caused anger.\n\nOn Wednesday night, rioters clashed with police outside the headquarters of Hellenic Train in Athens - the company responsible for maintaining Greece's railways.\n\nTear gas was used to disperse protesters, who threw stones and lit fires in the streets.\n\nAt a silent vigil in Larissa to commemorate the victims of the incident, one demonstrator said he felt the disaster had been long coming.\n\n\"The rail network looked problematic, with worn down, badly paid staff,\" Nikos Savva, a medical student from Cyprus, told AFP news agency.\n\nThe station master arrested should not pay the price \"for a whole ailing system\", he argued.\n\nMany of the passengers on board were students in their 20s returning to Thessaloniki after a long weekend celebrating Greek Orthodox Lent.\n\nFire brigade spokesperson Vassilis Varthakogiannis said temperatures inside the first carriage - which burst into flames - had reached 1,300C (2,370F), making it \"hard to identify the people who were inside\".\n\nLocal media have reported that more than 10 people are still missing, as Greece observes three days of national mourning.\n\nFamilies have given DNA samples to help identification efforts, with the results expected on Thursday.\n\nOne of those, a woman called Katerina searching for her missing brother, a passenger on the train, shouted \"Murderers!\" outside the hospital in Larissa, directing her anger towards the government and the rail company, Reuters reports.\n\nKostas Malizos, a recently retired surgeon and Emeritus Professor at Greece's University of Thessaly, has returned to work to perform surgery on injured passengers.\n\n\"It's a disaster, it's catastrophic,\" he said. \"Families are crying tonight. Unfortunately, the majority of the lost people are young students. They left home, happy after the long weekend, to go for their studies or to see their relatives and never reached them.\"\n\nProtesters rallied outside the HQ of Greek rail operator Hellenic Train in Athens\n\nIn Larissa people queued to donate blood for the many train crash injured\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser.\n\nHow have you been personally affected by this story? Tell us by emailing: haveyoursay@bbc.co.uk\n\nPlease include a contact number if you are willing to speak to a BBC journalist. You can also get in touch in the following ways:\n\nIf 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 HaveYourSay@bbc.co.uk. Please include your name, age and location with any submission.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/world-europe-64820085"}
{"title":"Plaid Cymru must do better, says leader after toxic culture claims - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-03","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"Adam Price says people in the party must feel safe after a number of claims and allegations.","section":"Wales politics","content":"Adam Price spoke at the party's conference in Llanelli\n\nEveryone in Plaid Cymru must feel safe, leader Adam Price has said, following claims of a toxic culture within the party and misconduct allegations.\n\nHe admitted the recent months and years \"haven't come without their challenges\" and the party must do better.\n\nSpeaking on first day of Plaid's spring conference in the Ffwrnes Theatre, Llanelli, he vowed to do \"everything possible to get this right\".\n\nMr Price will ask members to endorse his political strategy on Saturday.\n\nHe said: \"We are challenged to be the change we want to be in society. And it is clear that we have to do better, much better than we have.\n\n\"If we are to become a kinder, fairer independent nation - a Cymru for all where no-one is left behind - we must shine a beacon as a party for all where everyone feels safe, welcomed and valued.\"\n\nIn November, it emerged an allegation of sexual assault had been made against a senior member of staff.\n\nIt was separate to a serious allegation about the conduct of Member of the Senedd Rhys ab Owen, who was suspended from the Plaid Cymru group, but not the party, after the Standards Commissioner Douglas Bain opened an investigation last year.\n\nA working group led by former Senedd politician Nerys Evans is looking at the issue of culture within the party.\n\nPlaid Cymru is in a co-operation agreement with the Welsh Labour government\n\nMr Price's wide-ranging speech described the United Kingdom as a \"failing state\".\n\n\"Nurses and teachers at food banks. Kids dying from breathing mould in their bedrooms. People dying in their thousands on hospitals trollies.\"\n\nHe said only independence would \"inoculate us from Westminster's iniquities\".\n\nHe accused Welsh government ministers of \"absolving themselves of the responsibilities they have\" over pay for NHS workers and teachers.\n\nMr Price said Wales found itself \"in the grip of an economic emergency\", but accused Labour of planning for \"austerity lite, or at least light on detail\".\n\n\"The closer they get to office, the higher they rise in the opinion polls, the more cautious and conservative they become,\" he said.\n\nParty members will vote this weekend on a political strategy that will put independence at the core of the party's mission and endorse entering coalitions, even if as junior partner.\n\nAhead of the special closed session on Saturday, Mr Price said: \"It takes a movement to move a nation. That's the spirit in which the political strategy we will debate tomorrow has been crafted.\n\n\"For the avoidance of doubt, this party and this leader have not given up on the goal of leading our country.\"\n\nAdam Price will hope that the ongoing work to deal with the allegations of a toxic culture can draw a line under these issues because this is the second party conference speech in which he's had to reference such difficulties.\n\nTomorrow is the big day when he'll hope members will back the new political strategy which doubles down on the collaborative approach that he took in agreeing the existing co-operation agreement with the Welsh government.\n\nHe told conference he hadn't given up on being first minister and independence still remains the big goal, but getting there requires working with other parties - though he's ruled out coalition with the Welsh Conservatives.\n\nThe party will give its verdict at a special conference tomorrow.\n\nMr Price told BBC Wales the strategy sets out independence as the \"main aim - that comes first\".\n\n\"To reach independence Plaid Cymru needs to be in government - hopefully leading the government - but certainly to be part of government because that's how we can build the bridge towards an independent Wales.\n\n\"And in order for Plaid Cymru to be in government we need to grow our support across Wales.\"\n\nHowever, Mr Price said there were \"no circumstances\" where Plaid would enter a coalition with the Conservative Party as it had become \"a very reactionary right wing party\".","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/uk-wales-politics-64830092"}
{"title":"Johnson may have misled Parliament over parties, say MPs - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-03","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"Boris Johnson insists he did nothing wrong and will be \"vindicated\" by an inquiry into his conduct.","section":"UK Politics","content":"This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser.\n\nMPs have said Boris Johnson may have misled Parliament multiple times over Partygate - but the former PM insists he will be vindicated by their report.\n\nThe privileges committee said it had seen evidence that \"strongly suggests\" Covid rule breaches would have been \"obvious\" to Mr Johnson.\n\nBut Mr Johnson said he never \"knowingly or recklessly\" misled MPs about lockdown gatherings in Downing Street.\n\nAnd he said he was confident he would be cleared by the committee.\n\nHe is due to give evidence to the committee later this month.\n\nIn an initial report published on Friday, the MPs highlighted ways in which he may have misled Parliament.\n\nThese include a statement on 8 December 2021 no rules or guidance had been broken in Number 10.\n\nMr Johnson told BBC News he did not \"know or suspect\" that events broke the rules when he spoke about them in the Commons.\n\nHe added that \"after 10 months of effort\" the committee had not produced evidence \"to suggest otherwise\".\n\n\"I didn't mislead the House, and I don't believe I'm guilty of a contempt. I think that this process happily will vindicate me,\" he said.\n\nThe committee has published extracts from a series of WhatsApp messages it has received as part of its inquiry.\n\nIn one from 28 April 2021, seven months before press reports about parties first appeared, an unnamed No 10 official noted that another official was \"worried about leaks of PM having a piss up and to be fair I don't think it's unwarranted\".\n\nIn another, from 25 January 2022, Mr Johnson's then director of communications, Jack Doyle, told a No 10 official he hadn't \"heard any explanation\" of how a birthday party for the former PM in the Cabinet Room in June 2020 was within the rules.\n\nIn a separate WhatsApp exchange the same day, an official messaged Mr Doyle, saying: \"I'm trying to do some Q&A [briefing for officials dealing with the media queries], it's not going well\".\n\nMr Doyle replied: \"I'm struggling to come up with a way this one is in the rules in my head\", adding: \"PM was eating his lunch of course\".\n\nThe official responded: \"I meant for the police bit but yeah as ridiculous as the cake thing is it is difficult\".\n\nThe official then suggested they could argue it was \"reasonably necessary for work purposes\".\n\nMr Doyle replied: \"Not sure that one works does it. Also blows another great gaping hole in the PM's account doesn't it?\"\n\nBoris Johnson celebrates his birthday - for which he received a fine - in a previously unseen image released by the committee\n\nIn May last year, an inquiry by senior civil servant Sue Gray found widespread rule-breaking had taken place, and Mr Johnson was among 83 people fined by police for attending law-breaking events.\n\nThe privileges committee said it would take Ms Gray's findings into account.\n\nIt emerged this week that Ms Gray has quit the civil service and is set to become chief of staff to Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer, prompting claims from Tory MPs that she was politically biased.\n\nMr Johnson said it raised questions over the conclusions over her inquiry.\n\n\"I think people may look at it in a different light,\" he told BBC News.\n\nHe added that he \"might have cross-examined her more closely about her independence\" if \"you'd told me all the stuff that I now know\".\n\nHe added it was \"surreal\" that MPs investigating whether he misled Parliament over Partygate were planning to take her inquiry into account.\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Sir Keir Starmer: The evidence of wrongdoing by Mr Johnson is \"already pretty damning\".\n\nIf Mr Johnson is found to have misled Parliament, he could be suspended as MP or expelled, creating a by-election.\n\nBut the committee's findings, and any sanction on Mr Johnson, would have to be approved by a vote in parliament.\n\nLabour leader Sir Keir Starmer said the \"evidence of wrongdoing by Boris Johnson is already pretty damming\".\n\n\"I think Boris Johnson needs to confront the evidence that's there in front of him,\" he said.\n\nSir Keir accused Rishi Sunak \"sitting on his hands\" through the investigation.\n\nLiberal Democrat deputy leader Daisy Cooper accused Mr Johnson of trying to \"wriggle out\" of the \"damning\" questions raised by the committee.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/uk-politics-64836425"}
{"title":"Disgraced ex-lawyer Alex Murdaugh sentenced to life in prison - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-03","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"A judge calls the double murder case \"one of the most troubling\" as he hands down two life sentences.","section":"US & Canada","content":"This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser.\n\nDisgraced ex-lawyer Alex Murdaugh has been sentenced to life in prison for murdering his wife and son in a case that shocked the US.\n\nThe hearing in South Carolina came one day after a jury took less than three hours to convict the 54-year-old.\n\nMurdaugh's wife, Maggie, 52, and son Paul, 22, were shot at close range on their family estate on 7 June 2021.\n\nProsecutors argued he killed his wife and son to divert attention from his financial crimes and gain sympathy.\n\nJudge Clifton Newman called the case \"one of the most troubling\" he had seen and noted Murdaugh's past \"as a well-known member of the legal community\".\n\n\"You've practised law before me, and we've seen each other at various occasions throughout the years,\" he said, calling it \"especially heart-breaking for me\" to learn of Murdaugh's arrest and prosecution, more than a year after the murders were committed.\n\nAlex Murdaugh headed a legal dynasty that for decades had occupied a powerful place - the jurisdiction was described by some as \"Murdaugh Country\".\n\nJudge Newman said he understood the decision by the state not to seek the death penalty, but noted that Murdaugh's own family had had people executed for less.\n\n\"Your family, including you, have been prosecuting people here in this courtroom, and many have received the death penalty, probably for lesser conduct,\" he said.\n\nThe disbarred attorney was convicted of two counts of murder after a six-week trial.\n\nDuring the trial, investigators revealed how Murdaugh stole nearly $9m from clients, to fund an addiction to painkillers and a lavish lifestyle.\n\nAt Friday's sentencing, Murdaugh spoke briefly twice, to maintain his innocence. His lawyers said they would appeal against the life terms within 10 days.\n\nMurdaugh's surviving son, Buster Murdaugh, dressed in a simple navy-blue blazer, sat still and silent throughout the proceedings - even as the judge sentenced his father to two consecutive life sentences.\n\nThe judge also suggested the murders may have been carried out under the influence of the drugs.\n\n\"It might not have been you, but it may have been the monster you became when you took those pills.\"\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Watch: From police interrogations to trial testimony, who is Alex Murdaugh?\n\nLead prosecutor Creighton Waters said the evidence against the South Carolina lawyer was \"overwhelming\" and showed him to be a \"cunning, manipulative man who placed himself above all others, including his family\".\n\nMurdaugh, meanwhile, restated his claim that he was not guilty.\n\n\"I would never hurt my wife and I would never hurt my son,\" he said in brief remarks at the hearing. He stared ahead and did not react as his sentence was read.\n\nA video filmed by Paul Murdaugh just minutes before he was shot featured the voice of his father in the background, dramatically contradicting his claim he was not there at the time.\n\nA juror who convicted him told ABC News that was the moment he began to suspect the defendant was guilty.\n\nA new mugshot released by the South Carolina Department of Corrections (SCDC) shows that Murdaugh's head has now been shaved.\n\nAccording to local media, male prisoners normally undergo some sort of haircut upon arriving in prison.\n\nThe SCDC said in a statement that \"like all inmates\" he will spend the next 45 days in the intake process - during which time his medical and mental health will be assessed, as will his educational level.\n\nAfter the 45-day period, he will be sent to a maximum-security prison.\n\nDuring a news conference after the sentence was handed down, Murdaugh's lawyers said they did not believe it was a mistake for him to take the stand during the trial. They called Judge Newman's decision to allow evidence related to Murdaugh's financial crimes to be included in the murder trial \"erroneous\".\n\nThe state's case \"was about character, not about motive\", defence attorney Dick Harpootlian said. Murdaugh had been cast as a \"despicable human being\", he said.\n\nThe high-profile case has captured national attention and sparked true crime podcasts and documentaries.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/world-us-canada-64828608"}
{"title":"Ales Bialiatski: Nobel Prize-winning activist sentenced to 10 years in jail - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-03","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"Nobel Prize winner Ales Bialiatski was accused of smuggling cash into Belarus to fund protests.","section":"Europe","content":"A court in Belarus has sentenced Nobel Peace Prize winner Ales Bialiatski to 10 years in prison.\n\nHe was convicted of smuggling and financing \"actions grossly violating public order\", the Viasna human rights group said.\n\nSupporters of Mr Bialiatski, 60, say the authoritarian regime of Belarusian leader Alexander Lukashenko is trying to silence him.\n\nMr Bialiatski was one of three winners of the 2022 Nobel Peace Prize.\n\nHe was arrested in 2021 following massive street protests over widely disputed elections the previous year, and accused of smuggling cash into Belarus to fund opposition activity.\n\nDemonstrators were met with police brutality and Lukashenko critics were regularly arrested and jailed during the demonstrations, which started in 2020.\n\nMr Bialiatski was in court alongside two fellow campaigners, Valentin Stefanovich and Vladimir Labkovich.\n\nMr Stefanovich was sentenced to nine years in prison, while Mr Labkovich received seven years, according to Viasna, the group Mr Bialiatski founded in 1996.\n\nAll three had pleaded not guilty.\n\nMr Bialiatski's wife, Natalya Pinchuk, said the trial was \"obviously against human rights defenders for their human rights work\", describing it as a \"cruel\" verdict.\n\nReferring to her husband's letters from prison, where he has been held since arrest, she said: \"He always writes that everything is fine. He doesn't complain about his health - he tries not to upset me.\"\n\nKostya Staradubets, a spokesperson for Viasna, said the sentences imposed on the three activists were \"breaking our hearts\".\n\nSpeaking to the BBC World Service's Newshour programme, he said: \"We knew that our three colleagues would get long prison terms but anyway it's still a shock, it's breaking our hearts, not only the [prison] terms are long but the conditions also very horrific.\n\n\"We call [the conditions] torture actually because they're being held for several months in a 19th Century building, poorly lit cells with no fresh air, no sunlight, poor food, little or no healthcare.\"\n\nBelarus's exiled opposition leader Svetlana Tikhanovskaya said the sentencing was \"simply appalling\".\n\n\"We must do everything to fight against this shameful injustice and free them,\" she said.\n\nBerit Reiss-Andersen, chair of the Norwegian Nobel Committee that awards the Nobel Peace Prize, said the verdict was a \"tragedy\" for Mr Bialiatski and described the charges as \"politically motivated\".\n\nEuropean Union foreign policy chief Josep Borrell condemned what he described as \"sham trials\", adding they were \"yet another appalling example of the Lukashenko regime trying to silence those who stand up in defence of human rights and fundamental freedoms of the people in Belarus\".\n\nThere are currently 1,458 political prisoners in Belarus, according to Viasna. Authorities claim there are none.\n\nIn awarding the 2022 Nobel Peace Prize to Mr Bialiatski, Ms Reiss-Anderson said the Belarusian government had \"for years tried to silence him\".\n\n\"He has been harassed, he has been arrested and jailed, and he has been deprived of employment,\" she said.\n\nMr Bialiatski is a veteran of the human rights movement in Belarus, establishing Viasna in 1996 in response to the brutal crackdown of street protests that year by Mr Lukashenko, who has been president of Belarus since the office was established in 1994.\n\nHe was jailed for three years in 2011 after being convicted on tax evasion charges, which he denied.\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. WATCH: Highlights of the Belarus leader's exclusive interview with the BBC\u2019s Steve Rosenberg from 2021.\n\nMr Lukashenko, a close ally of Russian President Vladimir Putin, has been described as Europe's last dictator.\n\nIncreasingly reliant on Moscow for economic, political and military support, he has hosted Russian forces and allowed them to use Belarus as a staging ground for its invasion of Ukraine.\n\nHe has been sanctioned for his role in the invasion, as well as for political oppression at home.\n\nLast month he told the BBC he was ready to \"wage war\" alongside Russia \"if someone - even a single soldier - enters our territory from there [Ukraine]\".","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/world-europe-64833756"}
{"title":"How Alex Murdaugh hid his dark side - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-03","authors":null,"description":"Behind the courtly air of a country lawyer born to power and privilege, lurked a cold-blooded killer.","section":null,"content":"The heir to a powerful southern legal dynasty has been convicted of murdering his wife and son.\n\nWhat we know about the disgraced lawyer from police body cam footage to courtroom testimony.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/world-us-canada-64832280"}
{"title":"First class stamp price to rise to \u00a31.10 - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-03","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"Royal Mail says it has to balance price rises against higher costs and fewer letters being posted.","section":"Business","content":"Stamps with the image of King Charles are due to be released on 4 April\n\nThe price of a first class stamp is to rise above \u00a31 in April, Royal Mail has announced.\n\nFrom 3 April, first class stamps will increase by 15p to \u00a31.10, while second class stamps will rise by 7p to 75p.\n\nRoyal Mail said the increases were needed to ensure the \"one-price-goes-anywhere Universal Service remains sustainable\".\n\nBut Citizens Advice said nobody should be paying more for a \"subpar service\" and called for the regulator to act.\n\nThe price increases will come in the day before the first stamps with the image of King Charles go on general sale.\n\nRoyal Mail said the changes had been subject to \"careful consideration\" with letter volumes down 25% since the pandemic and with the business facing rising costs.\n\n\"We appreciate that many businesses and households are facing a challenging economic environment and we are committed to keeping our prices affordable,\" said Nick Landon, chief commercial officer at Royal Mail.\n\n\"We have to carefully balance our pricing against a continued decline in letter volumes and the increasing costs of delivering letters six days a week to an ever-growing number of addresses across the country.\"\n\nHowever, the move was sharply criticised by Citizens Advice.\n\n\"These record-breaking prices couldn't be coming at a worse time for consumers, who'll now be paying 64% more for a first class stamp than five years ago,\" said Matthew Upton, director of policy at Citizens Advice.\n\nHe added that with millions missing important letters as result of postal delays, \"nobody should be paying more for this kind of subpar service\".\n\n\"Ofcom should be holding Royal Mail to account, but it's letting the company get away with rocketing prices and over two years of missed delivery targets.\"\n\nThe regulator said it caps the price of second class stamps \"to make sure an affordable option is always available\".\n\nBut it said Royal Mail needed flexibility on pricing first class stamps \"to make sure the universal postal service can continue\".\n\nRoyal Mail said it remained \"committed\" to the Universal Service, which means it is required to deliver letters at a uniform price to UK addresses six days a week.\n\nHowever, it added that the costs of meeting it were increasing, with the number of letters sent having fallen from more than 20 billion in 2004-05, to about eight billion a year now.\n\nIt added that it expected to report a full-year loss of between \u00a3350m and \u00a3450m.\n\nLast year, Royal Mail asked the government if it could drop Saturday letter deliveries, by changing its Universal Service Obligation from six days a week to five.\n\nRoyal Mail has also been hit by strike action in a long-running dispute with the Communication Workers Union over pay and conditions.\n\nThe company has said that the strikes, which included several in the run-up to Christmas, have cost it millions.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/business-64840646"}
{"title":"'I was radicalised by the far right aged 15' - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-03","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"A former right-wing extremist says he was manipulated online after the Manchester Arena bombing.","section":"Manchester","content":"John said he was sharing his experiences in order to help prevent others from making the same mistakes\n\nA former right-wing extremist has described how he was radicalised as a 15-year-old boy in the wake of the Manchester Arena bombing.\n\nJohn said he wanted to speak out as a way of warning other young people, particularly about the dangers posed online.\n\n\"It was unbelievably easy as a young teenager to access propaganda and now it's just as easy - maybe easier,\" John told BBC North West Tonight.\n\nNight after night, he said he would sit in his bedroom, scrolling through far-right forums, watching videos and scouring social media until the early hours.\n\n\"I was just a very sort of angry, lost teenager,\" said John, who comes from a small town in the north-west of England.\n\n\"For me, it took just one click of joining a forum online before I'd been essentially manipulated to hate Islam.\n\n\"It started when I saw a post that said 'If you think British soldiers shouldn't be on the streets, share this'.\n\n\"I connected to that because someone in my family was a soldier and was struggling.\n\n\"I joined a group online and then people started saying it was because we're sending off billions in foreign aid and helping refugees and there's nothing left for the soldiers.\n\n\"And a naive 15-year-old me believed that and didn't think to fact-check it.\"\n\nTwenty-two people died in the Manchester Arena bombing on 22 May 2017\n\nJohn said the Manchester Arena bombing \"changed everything\" in his mind.\n\n\"To see Manchester attacked - a city where I spent a lot of time - really fuelled my anger,\" he said.\n\n\"I stopped caring who knew about my involvement and moved from mainly speaking online to actively trying to recruit people and sharing propaganda.\n\n\"It's also the point where I started attending demos and meeting people face to face.\n\n\"The demos - it was like being behind enemy lines, there was a massive amount of adrenaline.\n\n\"You go into a town or city where you know 95% of the people don't like you - police officers, the far left and the Muslim community.\n\n\"I had a couple of close shaves where things could have gone really wrong. Some of the things I said and did cause massive levels of shame.\n\n\"And what I put my mum, my friends and family through\u2026\"\n\nJohn's mum Sarah thought her son was safe because he was at home in his bedroom.\n\n\"I live in a little town,\" she said. \"I never thought we'd be impacted by extremism.\n\n\"I thought it only went on in big cities. But I was completely wrong.\n\n\"I didn't know the signs enough to recognise them.\n\n\"He'd stay in his room more often but I thought he was being a teenager.\n\n\"As far as I knew he was online with his friends, playing games. But it just got progressively worse and I didn't know what to think.\n\n\"I didn't know if he was being bullied at school, if he had girl trouble\u2026\"\n\nSarah added: \"He started quoting passages from the Quran to me and what he was saying about them didn't make sense.\n\n\"Then he came home and told me he'd been to a demo.\n\n\"He said the only reason he was telling me was because he'd been detained by the police.\"\n\nSarah said she wanted to find out what - and who - her son was getting involved with for herself.\n\nShe said she sat in a bus shelter opposite her son as he took part in one demonstration.\n\n\"Within 10 minutes, my world just fell apart,\" she said.\n\n\"I watched him start marching and singing racial slurs. It hit me like a brick. My whole world came crashing down.\"\n\nIsmael Lea South helps young people to stand up to extremism and radicalisation\n\nJohn's experiences are far from unique.\n\nIn the north-west of England alone, there has been a 27% rise in the number of referrals to the government's counter-terrorism programme, Prevent.\n\nIn the year ending March 2022, 145 referrals were adopted as \"Channel\" cases - meaning the risk of radicalisation was considered serious enough for the individual to require a multi-agency programme of intervention.\n\nJohn, who now works for the charity Exit Hate which helps people leave far-right groups, says referrals to his organisation had increased hugely.\n\nHe said the pandemic lockdowns - with people spending more time at home alone, often online - may provide at least some explanation.\n\nMost referrals for far-right extremism were of males aged 15-20 - people like John.\n\nExtremism comes in many forms, though, inspired by wildly differing ideologies.\n\nIsmael Lea South has helped people, on the verge of travelling to Syria to join the militant group that called itself the Islamic State, escape the clutches of the hate preachers who radicalised them.\n\nThe Manchester-based former rapper delivers workshops in mosques, schools and community centres to help young people stand up to gang crime, extremism and radicalisation.\n\nHe believes that while things have improved since the arena bombing - when a small pocket of neighbourhoods in south Manchester produced more than 20 extremists, including bomber Salman Abedi and his brother Hashem - the rise in cases taken on by Prevent is of real concern.\n\n\"Between 2015 and 2018, Moss Side and Hulme [in south Manchester] were a big hunting ground for extremists and groomers, especially for people trying to recruit for IS and other related groups,\" he said.\n\n\"There was a lot of social deprivation and people felt marginalised and disenfranchised.\n\n\"The recruiters would approach mosques and offer to volunteer for free - but behind closed doors they were trying to target young people.\n\n\"Many of the community leaders had their heads in the sand. But after the arena bombing, those leaders started being proactive.\"\n\nMr Lea South said all the mosques around the Moss Side area were now carrying out youth work and engaging communities.\n\nBut \"the latest figures for the North West are a big concern - it shows there's more work to be done.\"\n\nHe also warned of the growing threat posed by a relatively new form of radicalisation - the \"incel\" movement.\n\nShort for \"involuntary celibate\", Mr Lea South said incels were a \"women-hating group that has intersections with the far right, teaching women are lesser than men, are stupid and have no rights and it's ok to commit violent acts against them.\n\n\"This I see as the biggest and fastest-growing issue online amongst young people.\"\n\nJohn said the communications technology used by extremist groups had advanced - even within the last five years.\n\nHe explained: \"When I was involved, a lot of the activity was on mainstream social media.\n\n\"It was relatively easy for the police to get access, but now there are more obscure sites where far-right members can operate very easily.\n\n\"And with all the virus protection software, it's so hard to crack into these forums.\n\n\"In terms of the possibility of a big-scale terrorist attack in a different setting, the possibility is still very real.\n\n\"The far right and faith-based extremists share bomb-making manuals which are, very scarily, easily available.\n\n\"It's just almost a cat-and-mouse game between the authorities and the extremists.\"\n\nJohn said he was eventually reported to Prevent by someone at college, and that the programme had really helped him to reject far-right extremism.\n\nHe said he was really worried about others though, and this was the reason for him speaking out.\n\n\"I just hope I can play my part in preventing people getting radicalised,\" John said.\n\n\"I know that people can learn from my story. I can help them not make the daft mistakes that I did and stop them getting arrested and potentially ruining their lives.\"\n\nJohn and Sarah's real names have been changed.\n\nWhy not follow BBC North West on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram? You can also send story ideas to northwest.newsonline@bbc.co.uk\n\nThe BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/uk-england-manchester-64761893"}
{"title":"Bubba, Buster, Paw-Paw - who's who in Murdaugh murder trial - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-03","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"Take a look at the main characters in the sprawling Murdaugh murders saga.","section":"US & Canada","content":"Maggie Murdaugh, pictured here with Alex, was said to be a devoted mother\n\nIn the southernmost corner of South Carolina, a balmy, rural stretch known as the Lowcountry, the Murdaugh family enjoyed a rarefied space - masters of the privileged and powerful class that controlled the area.\n\nBut two years ago that life began to unravel when Alex Murdaugh - the fourth generation scion of a local legal dynasty - called police to report his wife Maggie and son Paul had been shot on the grounds of their family estate.\n\nAfter a six-week trial the former lawyer was found guilty of both murders.\n\nMurdaugh's case, a tale of death, deception and drugs, became one of the most closely watched in the country.\n\nHere's a look at the main characters of this story, now a family torn apart.\n\nThe central figure in this saga is a wealthy lawyer who worked at the private litigation firm founded by his great-grandfather.\n\nColleagues have said the 52-year-old was a loud and frenetic presence, always late and always in a rush.\n\nAnd in keeping with the family tradition, Murdaugh was a powerhouse in the local legal circuit, winning his clients lucrative settlements which fed his affluent lifestyle.\n\nBut the patina of success hid a number of seedy secrets - Murdaugh was stealing from his clients and colleagues, as much as $3.7m (\u00a33m) in a single year alone. Testifying at his murder trial, he confessed to the theft, blaming a desperate and expensive addiction to oxycodone.\n\nAt trial, Murdaugh said he spent up to $50,000 each week on his habit. \"I'm not quite sure how I let myself get where I got,\" he said.\n\nMurdaugh now faces life behind bars for both the murders of Maggie and Paul and for nearly 100 additional financial charges.\n\nMaggie grew up in Wilmington, North Carolina, before moving to South Carolina for university, where she met her husband, Alex.\n\nFriends and family testified at trial that before her death in 2021, aged 52, Maggie Murdaugh was sweet and relaxed.\n\nA full-time homemaker, she was described as an adoring mother to her two sons. Her sister, Marian Proctor, said at trial: \"Buster and Paul were her world.\"\n\nThe Murdaugh family once enjoyed an affluent lifestyle\n\nMrs Murdaugh was a \"girl's girl\", her family said, not naturally predisposed to the activities favoured by her husband and sons - hunting and fishing - but she was said to have jumped right in.\n\n\"She just wanted to do what they were doing,\" Mrs Proctor said.\n\nAt the time of his death, \"Paw Paw\", as his father called him on the stand, was an undergraduate student at the University of South Carolina.\n\nFamily and friends described Paul, 22, as inquisitive and kind, taking particular care with his elderly grandparents.\n\n\"He was one hundred percent country boy, he was tough\u2026 but he took care of so many,\" his father said at the trial.\n\nAlex Murdaugh (right) is accused of murdering his wife, Maggie, and his youngest son Paul\n\nBut there were some very troubling moments in Paul's short life.\n\nAt the time of his death, he was facing three charges all related to a 2019 boat wreck, including an accusation that he was driving under the influence during the crash that killed 19-year-old Mallory Beach.\n\nPaul pleaded not guilty but died before he could face trial.\n\nAll of the survivors except for Paul would testify that it had been him behind the wheel at the time of impact. He had been drunk, they said, descending into a cruel and angry alter ego that friends had nick-named \"Timmy\", and who allegedly hit his girlfriend the night of the accident.\n\nThe 26-year-old graduated from Wofford College in Spartanburg, South Carolina, and had plans to follow his father into the family firm, in what would have been the fifth generation of Murdaugh men.\n\nHe has been a constant presence at his father's trial, sitting quietly just a few rows behind Murdaugh every day. But he briefly found himself in hot water after reportedly passing his father a John Grisham novel, which was later deemed contraband.\n\nBuster testified in his father's defence, describing him as as a loving presence who was \"destroyed\" by the murders of Maggie and Paul.\n\nBuster Murdaugh was a fixture at his father's trial\n\nHe features in a particularly bizarre part of the Murdaugh family saga.\n\nMr Smith, a handyman and former logger, frequently did odd jobs for his distant cousin, Alex Murdaugh. One of these jobs, according to Alex Murdaugh and his lawyers, was to act as Murdaugh's \"personal drug dealer\" and regularly supply Murdaugh with pills. Both the men were indicted in June of last year by a state grand jury on drug-trafficking charges. Neither has yet entered a plea in this case.\n\nBut the strangest request came in September 2021, three months after Maggie and Paul's murders, when Murdaugh asked Mr Smith to meet him on the side of a rural road one Saturday, and shoot him in the back of the head.\n\nWhat happened next depends on who you ask - but both men agreed the scheme was originally cooked up by Murdaugh, who wanted to make his death look like a murder, so that his surviving son Buster might be able to collect on his life insurance policy.\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser.\n\nBoth have been charged in the botched scheme.\n\nMr Smith was initially out on bail, but was ordered back to jail when a judge ruled that he had broken the conditions of his bond.\n\nThe 57-year-old worked as the Murdaugh family's housekeeper for more than 20 years, becoming a fixture in the family.\n\nMs Satterfield \"spent more time with the Murdaughs than she probably did with her own kids\", said Eric Bland, a lawyer who represented Ms Satterfield's sons.\n\nIn 2018, she died in what was reported by the Murdaughs as a trip-and-fall on the front steps of their home.\n\nAt her funeral, Murdaugh approached her sons, Tony and Brian, and told them they should file a wrongful death suit against him, and that his home insurance would pay compensation.\n\nTwo of Murdaugh's insurance policies paid out to a tune of $4.3m, but the Satterfields did not receive a dime. Alex Murdaugh, as he admitted in court, had pocketed it.\n\nLast year, after Murdaugh's arrest, South Carolina law enforcement announced they would exhume Ms Satterfield's body. No new findings or arrests have yet been announced.\n\nThe 19-year-old was on the Murdaugh family boat with Paul Murdaugh and four other friends late in the evening on 23 February 2019 when it rammed headlong into a bridge. Mallory was thrown overboard and died, with her body recovered days later in a marsh several miles away.\n\nThe former University of South Carolina student was described by friends and family described as a bright light.\n\nShe was close friends with Paul Murdaugh's former girlfriend, Morgan Doughty.\n\nIn a Netflix documentary about the Murdaugh case, Morgan says Mallory tried to warn her about Paul, saying he would become mean and violent when drunk.\n\nThe Murdaugh's yellow Labrador has been mentioned several times in Alex Murdaugh's murder trial, described as stubborn and as a favourite of Maggie.\n\nBut he's also played a fairly significant role in the prosecution's case.\n\nBubba was beloved by the Murdaugh family.\n\nA mobile phone video taken at the Murdaughs' dog kennels by Paul about five minutes before prosecutors say the killings took place features the voice of Murdaugh talking to Bubba.\n\nThe video contradicted Murdagh's claims that he had not joined his family at the kennels that night, but had stayed home to nap. Mr Murdaugh admitted on the stand he had lied about where he was.\n\nBubba is now living with Blanca Turrubiate-Simpson, a former employee of the Murdaugh family.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/world-us-canada-64794625"}
{"title":"Alex Murdaugh verdict: Disgraced lawyer guilty of killing wife and son - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-03","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"\"The evidence of guilt is overwhelming,\" the judge says after the jury's verdict is read in court.","section":"US & Canada","content":"This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Watch: From police interrogations to trial testimony, who is Alex Murdaugh?\n\nA powerful South Carolina lawyer has been found guilty of murdering his wife and son to distract from his multi-million dollar financial crimes.\n\nThe jury deliberated for less than three hours before convicting Alex Murdaugh, 54, of two counts of murder at the end of a six-week trial.\n\nHe faces a long prison term when he is sentenced on Friday.\n\nMaggie and Paul Murdaugh were shot at close range near the dog kennels on their family estate on 7 June 2021.\n\nAlex Murdaugh stood impassively as he learned his fate during Thursday evening's hearing in Walterboro.\n\n\"Today's verdict proves that no-one, no matter who you are in society, is above the law,\" said South Carolina's top prosecutor, Attorney General Alan Wilson.\n\nThe case - chronicling the downfall of a family born to power and privilege - has captivated the country, inspiring documentaries on Netflix and HBO.\n\nMurdaugh was once an influential personal injury attorney in the state, and for decades until 2006 his family members had served as the leading prosecutors in the area. Such was their influence that the jurisdiction became known as \"Murdaugh Country\".\n\nBut the trial heard that for years he had been stealing from his law partners and clients to feed an addiction to painkillers and an extravagant lifestyle.\n\nMurdaugh had pleaded not guilty to killing his wife and youngest son in an attempt to conceal years of financial corruption - fraud that he himself had acknowledged in court.\n\nAfter the 12-person jury's verdict, dozens of spectators gathered outside the back of the court where officers ushered a handcuffed Murdaugh quickly into a black van.\n\nReporters shouted questions, though he remained silent. As police tucked him inside the vehicle, one man behind the media line shouted that he was praying for him.\n\nMaggie Murdaugh, pictured here with Alex, was said to be a devoted mother\n\nIt took more than a year for investigators to arrest Murdaugh as they untangled the complex case.\n\nIn a risky move for any murder defendant, Murdaugh took to the witness stand, trying to convince the jury that someone angry over a deadly 2019 boating accident involving Paul could have killed his son to seek revenge.\n\n\"I would never hurt Maggie, and I would never hurt Paul - ever - under any circumstances,\" Murdaugh testified.\n\nThe case against him was based entirely on circumstantial evidence. No direct evidence - things like a murder weapon, blood on his clothing or an eyewitness - was presented at trial.\n\nInstead the prosecution focused on an incriminating Snapchat video taken by Murdaugh's son just before the murders.\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser.\n\nPaul and his mother were killed at the kennels on the family's sprawling hunting estate, known as Moselle.\n\nFor 20 months after their murders, Alex Murdaugh told law enforcement repeatedly he had not been at the dog kennels at all that evening, and was at home napping.\n\nBut in the Snapchat video filmed by Paul just minutes before the shootings, the defendant's voice could be heard in the background.\n\nOn the stand at trial, Murdaugh admitted he had lied, saying his years-long addiction to painkillers had put him in a paranoid state.\n\nThe court also heard of Murdaugh's bizarre attempt to stage his own death in an insurance fraud scheme just three months after he murdered his 52-year-old wife and 22-year-old son. The hitman he hired botched the shooting and the bullet only grazed his head.\n\nAlex Murdaugh (right) murdered his wife, Maggie, and his youngest son Paul\n\nLocal resident Jessica Williams, 38, stood outside the court watching the proceedings on the phone with her six-year-old daughter.\n\n\"I am so happy,\" she told BBC News after the verdict was announced, adding: \"I remember where I was when the verdict for OJ Simpson came down [in 1995]. This was the same thing.\"\n\nEarly on in the proceedings, Judge Clifton Newman ruled that prosecutors could bring in evidence of Murdaugh's alleged financial crimes.\n\nInvestigators say he stole nearly $9m from clients and colleagues to fund his addiction and his lavish lifestyle. And at trial, Murdaugh admitted to wide-scale theft.\n\nProsecutors argued it was these crimes that drove him to murder - that he thought the deaths of Maggie and Paul would gain him sympathy and stave off a reckoning over his other misdeeds.\n\nMurdaugh and his defence team had argued in court that this theory was ludicrous and financial problems would never have led him to murder.\n\nSeveral witnesses testified that on the night of the murders Alex Murdaugh had asked Maggie, who had been at the family's other property in nearby Edisto Beach, to return to Moselle.\n\nMaggie much preferred Edisto to Moselle and hadn't planned on leaving, her sister Marion Proctor told the court. But Murdaugh's elderly father was dying, and so Mrs Proctor encouraged her to support him.\n\nAlex Murdaugh and his two sons were fond of hunting, and Moselle was home to a collection of guns.\n\nProsecutors alleged that Murdaugh had used one of these - a .300 Blackout assault-style rifle - to kill Maggie, and another weapon to kill Paul. But they were unable to find either firearm and produce them at trial.\n\nMaggie was shot four or five times with a rifle and their son was shot twice with a shotgun, the trial heard.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/world-us-canada-64832081"}
{"title":"Energy Price Guarantee expected to continue at same level in April - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-03","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"The BBC understands the Energy Price Guarantee is expected to continue at current levels for three months.","section":"Business","content":"The chancellor is expected to extend the Energy Price Guarantee at current levels for a further three months, the BBC understands.\n\nTypical household energy bills were scheduled to rise to \u00a33,000 a year from April, but calls have been made for the government to retain its current level of support with the cap at \u00a32,500.\n\nThe level of help is now expected to be maintained, but energy firms have been asked to prepare for both scenarios.\n\nAt the moment, the government is limiting the typical household bill to \u00a32,500 a year, plus a \u00a3400 winter discount.\n\nFrom 1 April the help is scheduled to be scaled back, and the \u00a3400 discount will come to an end, which could push people's bills up despite the weather getting warmer.\n\nFuel poverty campaigners have said the number of households struggling to afford bills could rise from 6.7 million to 8.4 million as a result of the April rise.\n\nHowever, industry sources told the BBC that some energy companies have already started amending future bills to reflect that energy help will continue at or very near to current levels beyond 1 April.\n\nChancellor Jeremy Hunt to date has declined to extend the support at the current rate, but experts have suggested it is increasingly likely he will change course, probably at the Budget on 15 March.\n\nMr Hunt told the BBC last month that the policy was \"under review\".\n\nThe Treasury was understood to be concerned that an open-ended commitment would leave British public finances significantly exposed to any further unexpected rise in global gas prices.\n\nInstead the decrease in support will kick in in the summer, when it will not be needed, because the separate energy price cap is already anticipated to be lower as a result of declining market gas prices.\n\nHowever, the \u00a3400 winter payment that has led to a \u00a366 per month reduction in monthly payments on many bills does look likely to end next month.\n\nThere have been no talks about extending this element of support.\n\nThe Resolution Foundation think tank, which aims to improve living standards for people on low to middle incomes, and consumer rights champion Martin Lewis have both called on Mr Hunt to cancel the bills rise, as have opposition parties.\n\nLabour's shadow chancellor Rachel Reeves said: \"Families are really worried about prices soaring in April and so it's urgent the government gives them reassurance now, and extends the windfall tax on oil and gas giants to give them support for their energy bills as Labour would.\"\n\nThe Institute for Fiscal Studies (IFS), an economics research institute, has forecast that the Treasury could afford to keep support at current levels until the summer due to wholesale energy prices falling sharply, meaning the cost of the scheme had been cut.\n\nEnergy UK, which represents suppliers, urged the government earlier this week to hold the level of support at \u00a32,500 for a typical household and to \"announce that quickly\" so firms could price it into bills from April.\n\nEnergy Secretary Grant Shapps previously said he is \"very sympathetic\" to suggestions that the planned \u00a3500 rise in bills should be stopped.\n\nHowever, there is an alternative view that money would be better spent by the government by targeting support for those on the lowest incomes - as is the case for cost-of-living payments - and in the winter.\n\n\"Vulnerable groups could benefit substantially from this extra funding if it was used in a more targeted way. And should those groups take precedence over universal payments to multiple homeowners and billionaires?\" said Joe Malinowski, founder of comparison site Energyscanner.\n\nThere has been a drop in wholesale gas and electricity prices in recent weeks that has raised hopes that the worst of the energy crisis could be easing.\n\nBills began rising as Covid lockdowns ended but the war in Ukraine saw them surge further.\n\nWithout the government's Energy Price Guarantee to limit prices, a typical household's gas and electricity bill would have hit \u00a34,279 a year from January under the energy price cap set by Ofgem, the industry regulator.\n\nHow is the rising cost of living changing how you live your life? Share your experiences by emailing haveyoursay@bbc.co.uk.\n\nPlease include a contact number if you are willing to speak to a BBC journalist. You can also get in touch in the following ways:\n\nIf 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 HaveYourSay@bbc.co.uk. Please include your name, age and location with any submission.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/business-64830701"}
{"title":"Constance Marten and Mark Gordon in court over baby Victoria manslaughter charge - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-03","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"Constance Marten, 35, and Mark Gordon, 48, are charged with manslaughter of a baby called Victoria.","section":"UK","content":"Constance Marten and Mark Gordon are due to appear at the Old Bailey on 31 March.\n\nA couple have been remanded in custody charged with the manslaughter of a baby called Victoria.\n\nThe child's remains were found in a plastic bag under nappies in a shed in Brighton, a magistrates' court heard.\n\nConstance Marten and Mark Gordon were also charged with concealing a child's birth and perverting the course of justice.\n\nThe discovery of the baby, who was named in court documents, was made on Wednesday after a major search.\n\nA post-mortem examination held on Friday could not establish a cause of death and further tests will take place, the Metropolitan Police said in a statement.\n\nMs Marten, 35, and Gordon, 48, are due to appear at the Old Bailey on 31 March.\n\nGordon, 48, is led into Crawley Police Station before appearing in court\n\nDuring the short hearing, at Crawley Magistrates' Court on Friday, the couple spoke only to confirm their names, dates of birth and that they were of no fixed abode.\n\nThey were first arrested on Monday following a 53-day missing persons search which led to a wooded area in East Sussex.\n\nHundreds of officers using sniffer dogs, thermal cameras, helicopters and drones were drafted in to look for the child.\n\nPolice had previously said it was \"too early\" to say when the baby had died.\n\nThe Met Police has referred the case to the Independent Office for Police Conduct because the baby died during a missing persons investigation it was leading.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/uk-64833339"}
{"title":"Ros Atkins on... The creeping TikTok bans - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-03","authors":null,"description":"The app is banned from employee phones by various governments amid security concerns.","section":null,"content":"China has accused the US of exaggerating national security fears about TikTok to suppress the Chinese company.\n\nUS government agencies have been ordered to wipe the Chinese app from all staff devices within 30 days.\n\nThere have also been similar steps taken in Canada and the EU.\n\nRos Atkins looks at how we got here.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/technology-64831583"}
{"title":"Half of world on track to be overweight by 2035 - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-03","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"Africa and Asia are expected to see the biggest rises in obesity, the World Obesity Federation says.","section":"World","content":"This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser.\n\nMore than half the world's population will be classed as obese or overweight by 2035 if action is not taken, the World Obesity Federation warns.\n\nMore than four billion people will be affected, with rates rising fastest among children, its report says.\n\nLow or middle-income countries in Africa and Asia are expected to see the greatest rises.\n\nThe report predicts the cost of obesity will amount to more than $4tn (\u00a33.3tn) annually by 2035.\n\nThe president of the federation, Prof Louise Baur, described the report's findings as a clear warning to countries to act now or risk repercussions in the future.\n\nThe report in particular highlights the rising rates of obesity among children and teenagers, with rates expected to double from 2020 levels among both boys and girls.\n\nProf Baur said the trend was \"particularly worrying\", adding that \"governments and policymakers around the world need to do all they can to avoid passing health, social, and economic costs on to the younger generation\" by assessing \"the systems and root factors\" that contribute to obesity.\n\nThe effects of obesity's prevalence on lower-income countries is also highlighted in the report. Nine of the 10 countries with the greatest expected increases in obesity globally are low or lower-middle income states in Africa and Asia.\n\nReasons include trends in dietary preferences towards more highly processed foods, greater levels of sedentary behaviour, weaker policies to control food supply and marketing, and less well-resourced healthcare services to assist in weight management and health education.\n\nLower-income countries are \"often the least able to respond to obesity and its consequences\".\n\nThe findings estimate that rises in obesity rates around the world will have a significant impact on the global economy, equating to 3% of global Gross Domestic Product.\n\nThe report emphasises that its acknowledgement of the economic impact of obesity \"is in no way a reflection of blame on people living with obesity\".\n\nThe data published in the report will be presented to the UN on Monday.\n\nObese is a medical term used to describe a person with a high excess of body fat.\n\nThe report uses body mass index (BMI) to make its assessments. BMI is calculated by dividing an adult's weight by the square of their height.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/world-64831848"}
{"title":"Drive to Survive: Netflix F1 show criticised for lack of women - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-03","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"Research finds women speak for just six minutes in the latest series of the popular F1 documentary.","section":"Newsbeat","content":"F1 Academy boss Susie Wolff says women in F1 need to be visible to encourage interest in the sport\n\nThe new Formula 1 season gets under way this weekend in Bahrain.\n\nAnd to get into the spirit a lot of people are tuning in to the hugely popular Drive to Survive on Netflix.\n\nThe behind-the-scenes F1 show released its fifth series last week and went straight into the streamer's Top 10 charts.\n\nThere are plenty of drama and deals behind closed doors, but one thing's missing - women.\n\nThat's according to research by Females in Motorsport (FIM), a volunteer group that advocates for women's participation.\n\nIt found that women spoke for only six minutes and seven seconds in season five, out of a total run time of over six and a half hours.\n\nThey said that equals 1.54% of the show's 10 episodes.\n\nAcross all five seasons of Drive to Survive, the research said, people who identify as women have spoken for less than an hour out of 32 hours of episodes.\n\nThe research also found that only six women are actually named on screen throughout the season.\n\nThey include BBC journalist Jennie Gow, who speaks in four episodes, and Gertraud Steiner, wife of Haas team manager Guenther, and Michael Schumacher's wife Corinna.\n\nFIM said women mostly feature in the background as fans or are seen providing food or applying make-up to the drivers.\n\nClaire Cottingham is a Formula 1 reporter in Bahrain currently\n\nF1 journalist Claire Cottingham is in Drive to Survive during a press conference scene.\n\nShe's \"the only woman in the room\", and although viewers hear her voice, they don't see her.\n\n\"I ask a question to a driver in the series and they don't show my face, they show a male journalist.\" she tells BBC Newsbeat.\n\nClaire's watched the series and says she's \"definitely noticed there are only a few women\".\n\n\"It's been something that has left a little bit to be desired,\" she says.\n\nAs someone who spends more time than most in the motorsport world, Claire is aware it's male-dominated, but thinks representation can change that.\n\n\"Unless women see that they can get involved, then they don't know they can get involved,\" says Claire.\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Abbi Pulling is regarded as one of the UK's best hopes to find a female F1 driver\n\nF1 bosses are also trying to attract more women to the sport.\n\nThey recently announced the creation of the F1 Academy - a junior-level competition just for female drivers.\n\nSome teams, such as Alpine, have previously launched projects to boost the number of women across all areas, including trackside and engineering jobs.\n\nOne female who's been part of Alpine's team is 19-year-old Abbi Pulling, who's competed in British Formula 4 and has been chosen for the F1 Academy.\n\nShe told Newsbeat she thinks representation is being addressed and F1 is providing opportunities to women that couldn't usually afford to go into the championships.\n\nAcademy director Susie Wolff spoke to BBC Sport this week and said she was aware of the lack of women in Drive to Survive.\n\n\"I saw a terrifying quote that if you look at Drive to Survive, I think it's 1.8% of screen time features a female.\n\n\"How should a young girl, who's eight, and maybe loves F1, how can she visualise herself getting into that paddock if she can't even see participation or women working in the paddock?\"\n\nBut Susie believes the new academy will have the power to boost the profile of women in the sport.\n\n\"We can quite quickly create change that they believe in. They can think maybe there's a chance for me,\" she says.\n\nBBC Newsbeat has approached Box to Box, the production company behind Drive to Survive, for comment.\n\nListen to Newsbeat live at 12:45 and 17:45 weekdays - or listen back here.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/newsbeat-64826799"}
{"title":"Bahrain Grand Prix: Lewis Hamilton given permission to wear nose stud in races - BBC Sport","published_date":"2023-03-03","authors":null,"description":"Lewis Hamilton is given permission to wear a nose stud while racing despite a ban on Formula 1 drivers wearing jewellery in their car.","section":null,"content":"Last updated on .From the section Formula 1\n\nLewis Hamilton has been given permission to wear a nose stud while racing despite a ban on Formula 1 drivers wearing jewellery in their car.\n\nStewards at the season-opening Bahrain Grand Prix gave Hamilton a medical exemption to leave his stud in place.\n\nThe ruling said: \"There are concerns about disfigurement with frequent attempts at removal of the device.\"\n\nIt will be seen as a climbdown from governing body the FIA after it took a hard line on jewellery last season.\n\nHamilton was forced to remove all his jewellery before driving for much of last season, after something of a stand-off with FIA president Mohammed Ben Sulayem in the first part of the season.\n\nAn FIA spokesperson insisted that the move was \"a continuation of the scenario last year\" and said it was \"standard procedure to issue a decision based on the scrutineering submission we received\".\n\nThe FIA added: \"The rule exists for safety reasons and applies to all competitors in all FIA competitions. Formula 1 drivers are the most visible competitors in world motor sport, and it is their responsibility to set the example for other drivers at every age, level and discipline.\"\n\u2022 None What to look out for in the new Formula 1 season\n\u2022 None How to follow Bahrain Grand Prix on BBC radio and online\n\u2022 None Meet the teams and drivers for 2023\n\u2022 None Was it a mistake to sell off British Gas? Find out if the privatisation of the company could have had an impact on today's energy price crisis\n\u2022 None Can she help struggling learners pass their test?","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/sport\/formula1\/64837408"}
{"title":"Horizon: Scientists warn Sunak on EU research programme - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-03","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"PM Rishi Sunak is warned not to go back on his pledge to re-join the EU's science research programme.","section":"Science & Environment","content":"The EU's research and innovation programme is worth \u20ac95bn\n\nPM Rishi Sunak should not go back on his pledge to re-join the EU's science research programme, the President of The Royal Society has warned.\n\nProf Sir Adrian Smith told BBC News that reneging on government promises would be damaging to UK science.\n\nHis comments follow reports that Rishi Sunak was holding back on re-joining the \u20ac95bn programme, known as Horizon.\n\nBBC News understands that he is considering renegotiating a cut-down version of the Horizon programme.\n\nThe Royal Society represents Britain's leading scientists. Prof Smith told BBC News that ministers had consistently said that they were fully supportive of full association with the Horizon programme once the EU gave the green light.\n\n\"There is a great deal of concern and anxiety at the rumours that there is now a desire to renegotiate our association of the Horizon programme.\n\n\"It will mean that the continuing uncertainty will drift on and we will have more of the problems we are already seeing, such as a brain drain and the exclusion of leadership from major programmes,\" he said.\n\nEuropean Commission President Ursula Von der Leyen said talks on Horizon would begin immediately once the Windsor agreement was implemented\n\nThe assumption was that if differences over the Northern Ireland Protocol could be resolved, the UK would fully re-join the Horizon programme under terms similar to those it had before Brexit.\n\nBut BBC News understands that Mr Sunak is keen on an alternative research programme put together by ministers, known as \"Plan B\". This would be a UK-led programme involving collaboration with non-EU as well as European nations. It was developed in case a research agreement could not be reached with the EU.\n\nSources say that while some aspects of the Horizon programme are appealing to the Prime Minister, such as grants to individual scientists, he believes that larger institutional grants favour France and Germany and may not represent good value for money.\n\nProf Sir Adrian Smith: ''anxiety and concern'' among the UK's leading scientists\n\nWhile no decision has yet been taken, one option under consideration is for a complete renegotiation of the terms of the Horizon agreement currently in place with the EU. This would allow the UK government to sign up to those parts of the programme that appealed, then use the remainder of the money that would otherwise have been spent on Horizon on its Plan B.\n\nProf Smith told BBC News that he didn't believe that such a plan would work.\n\n\"There is an assumption that we are in charge of the renegotiation and that we can have the good bits and get out of the not so good bits. All history shows that this kind of cherry-picking and negotiation Is not up for grabs.\n\n''The whole thing is a package and the point is that the entire programme has in the past been good for the UK,\" he said.\n\nProf Sarah Main of the Campaign for Science and Engineering said that the UK's previous fruitful membership of the EU programme had attracted investment from the hi-tech companies her organisation represents and that her members want nothing short of the full association that is currently on the table.\n\n\"We want to see this with all speed. If the Prime Minister has not been close to the discussion, we need to make clear that that is the message from the research community and in the UK's economic interest to secure this deal as quickly as possible,\" she said.\n\nProf James Wilsdon, a specialist in research policy at University College London, said the failure to commit to the current arrangement on offer from the EU showed that the government was not listening to the science community.\n\n\"To keep the whole UK research system hanging on in limbo for two years while we ostensibly seek association; then to walk away when we finally have it in our grasp would, I think, be for many UK scientists, the final straw,\" he said.\n\nHorizon Europe is a collaborative research programme involving Europe's leading research institutes and hi-tech companies. EU member nations each contribute funds which are then allocated to individuals or organisations by expert scientists based on the merit of research proposals.\n\nThe government negotiated associate membership of the programme in the withdrawal agreement following Brexit, because it felt it was important for the UK to be involved. But the EU went back on its part of the deal after disputes emerged over the Northern Ireland Protocol and British involvement in the prestigious programme has been left in limbo ever since.\n\nThe agreement of the Windsor Framework last week paved the way for the UK to re-join.\n\nWhen the European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and Mr Sunak were asked about re-entry to the Horizon programme at a joint press conference, Ms von der Leyen enthusiastically remarked that it was \"good news for scientists and researchers, in the European Union and in the UK,\" but Mr Sunak did not comment.\n\nHe also failed to make a commitment to the programme when asked at Prime Minister's Questions this week and the FT has reported that he was holding back on committing to the programme.\n\nDowning Street has been approached for comment but has not responded.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/science-environment-64840262"}
{"title":"Ken Bruce signs off final Radio 2 show as BBC career comes to an end - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-03","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"Fellow DJs and listeners pay tribute to the presenter as he leaves the BBC after almost 50 years.","section":"Entertainment & Arts","content":"This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Listen: Ken Bruce - \"I have loved being here with you.\"\n\nDJ Ken Bruce paid tribute to his listeners as he signed off from BBC Radio 2 after more than three decades of hosting the mid-morning show.\n\nThe Scottish presenter, 72, is leaving the network to join commercial station Greatest Hits Radio.\n\nBruce closed Friday's programme by playing Golden Slumbers by The Beatles.\n\nQuoting the song, he told listeners: \"And in the end, the love you take is equal to the love you make - and I have loved being here with you.\"\n\nHe added: \"Thank you so much, and may we meet again somewhere.\"\n\nBruce hosted Radio 2's weekday mid-morning programme for more than three decades, and had been on BBC radio in some form for 46 years.\n\nHe said: \"Thank you to everybody who has contributed in any small way to this programme, particularly the listeners.\n\n\"I really couldn't do it without the listeners, who contribute and complete the dialogue. We talk to each other on a daily basis, and I hope sometime in the future we may be able to continue doing that.\"\n\nAfter receiving well wishes throughout the programme, Bruce joked: \"Thanks to all who sent any kind of messages of congratulations - or good riddance.\"\n\nHe will be replaced by Vernon Kay in May, with Gary Davies presenting the 09:30-12:00 programme in the interim.\n\nIn his final message, Bruce also thanked the BBC, commenting: \"I've been here for a long time, and apart from the occasional vagary, it is still the finest broadcasting organisation in the world.\"\n\nHis workmates paid tribute to the long-serving presenter, with Jeremy Vine describing him as \"the most intelligent, generous and talented colleague\" and \"the presenter we all want to be like\".\n\nTravel reporter Richie Anderson said he was the \"kindest, warmest, friendliest person,\" telling him: \"Working with you has been a joy.\"\n\nThis Twitter post cannot be displayed in your browser. Please enable Javascript or try a different browser. View original tweet on Twitter The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Skip twitter post by Lorraine 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\u2019s cookie policy, external and privacy policy, external before accepting. To view this content choose \u2018accept and continue\u2019. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.\n\nThis Twitter post cannot be displayed in your browser. Please enable Javascript or try a different browser. View original tweet on Twitter The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Skip twitter post 2 by Sali Hughes 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\u2019s cookie policy, external and privacy policy, external before accepting. To view this content choose \u2018accept and continue\u2019. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.\n\nThis Twitter post cannot be displayed in your browser. Please enable Javascript or try a different browser. View original tweet on Twitter The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Skip twitter post 3 by Shelagh Fogarty 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\u2019s cookie policy, external and privacy policy, external before accepting. To view this content choose \u2018accept and continue\u2019. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.\n\nFriday's programme also included the last Radio 2 edition of his hugely popular quiz Popmaster, which Bruce is taking with him to his new station.\n\nThe Glaswegian presenter left his Radio 2 show earlier than anticipated, after the BBC asked him not to complete his contract, a decision he said he was disappointed by.\n\nHe told BBC Radio 4's Today programme: \"It's entirely within the BBC's right to ask me to step away a little early. But for the sake of 17 days, which was all that was remaining [on my contract], it seems a shame.\"\n\nBruce was originally due to complete his Radio 2 contract on 24 March, but tweeted last week that the BBC had asked him to host the last edition of his show on Friday instead.\n\nBruce has been a fixture on Radio 2 since the mid-1980s\n\nThe BBC said: \"Ken decided to leave Radio 2 and it's always been known he's leaving in March. Returning to Wogan House [the station's headquarters] for a week after a month of broadcasting the Piano Room sessions at Maida Vale provided a natural break. We wish Ken all the best for the future.\"\n\nThe presenter confirmed it was his own decision to leave the station, and he was not removed by bosses.\n\n\"I've gone at my own accord, I wanted to go at this time,\" Bruce told BBC News. \"I understand the BBC were in the process of preparing an offer for me to continue. But, you know, I'd made my decision before that.\"\n\nBruce's mid-morning show has been the most popular radio programme in the UK since 2019, having overtaken the breakfast show, which lost listeners after Chris Evans's departure.\n\nAsked about walking away from such a successful show, Bruce replied: \"It's become the British the biggest programme on British radio, and I don't want to preside over any decline. I want to walk away while it's the top thing.\"\n\nBruce announced his departure from Radio 2 in January, describing his time at the station as \"tremendously happy\" but adding it was \"time for a change\".\n\nBruce has said his new show would include \"all the great records you know and love from the 70s, 80s and 90s\"\n\nFormer Radio 2 DJ Simon Mayo said Bruce \"might have been out the door sooner\" than Friday if he had been leaving a commercial station.\n\n\"I think what's surprising is that it [the situation with Ken Bruce still on Radio 2] lingered as long as it did,\" he told Roger Bolton's Beeb Watch.\n\n\"If you're on social media, the Greatest Hits Radio Twitter icon is Ken Bruce. Ken is an advert for Greatest Hits Radio now so I can understand why they might have thought, we need to hasten these things. It's unfortunate because it does feel messy.\"\n\nRadio 2 is currently undergoing a period of significant upheaval, with several presenters leaving the station either by force or by choice.\n\nBruce, Vanessa Feltz and Graham Norton have been poached by other networks, while Steve Wright was taken off weekday afternoons and replaced with Scott Mills by Radio 2's controller Helen Thomas.\n\nMeanwhile, Paul O'Grady left the station after being forced to share his Sunday slot with comedian Rob Beckett, while Craig Charles lost his weekend show (but still presents on BBC 6Music).\n\nWith its roster of presenters now including Mills, Kay, Jo Whiley, Trevor Nelson, Zoe Ball and Sara Cox, Radio 2's schedule now resembles that of Radio 1 in the early 2000s.\n\nAlthough it has always been the case that Radio 1 presenters gravitate towards Radio 2 later in their careers, the exit of so many older DJs from Radio 2 in such a short period of time has upset many long-term listeners.\n\nVernon Kay, pictured with breakfast host Zoe Ball, said he was \"over the moon\" to take over from Bruce\n\nBruce arrives at Bauer's Greatest Hits Radio at a time when the commercial station is positioning itself as an alternative to Radio 2, for older listeners who feel the BBC station no longer caters to them.\n\nGreatest Hits Radio is also home to Mark Goodier and Jackie Brambles, while Mayo hosts its drivetime programme.\n\nKay, who has previously fronted Channel 4's youth strand T4 and ITV's All Star Family Fortunes, as well as programmes on BBC Radio 1 and Radio X, said taking over Bruce's Radio 2 show was \"a dream come true\".\n\n\"And what an honour to follow in the footsteps of the mighty Ken Bruce,\" he added in a statement. \"I'm absolutely over the moon to be handed the microphone.\"","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/entertainment-arts-64821817"}
{"title":"Eddie Howe: Newcastle United manager has 'not sought any assurances' after fresh questions over ownership - BBC Sport","published_date":"2023-03-03","authors":null,"description":"Newcastle manager Eddie Howe says he has \"not sought any assurances\" after fresh questions are raised about the club's ownership.","section":null,"content":"Eddie Howe: Newcastle United manager has 'not sought any assurances' after fresh questions over ownership Last updated on .From the section Newcastle\n\nHowe has not sought assurances on Newcastle United owners Newcastle manager Eddie Howe says he has \"not sought any assurances\" after fresh questions were raised about the ownership of the club. The Premier League approved the takeover by Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund (PIF) after receiving \"legally binding assurances\" that the Saudi state would not control the club. But in a US court case this week, Newcastle chairman Yasir Al-Rumayyan has been described as \"a sitting minister of the government\" with \"sovereign immunity\". Human rights group Amnesty International has since urged the Premier League to \"re-examine the assurances\" made in the Newcastle takeover. \"It was always stretching credulity to breaking point to imagine that the Saudi state wasn't directing the buyout of Newcastle with the ultimate aim of using the club as a component in its wider sportswashing efforts,\" said Peter Frankental, the group's UK economic affairs director. The Premier League has declined to comment.\n\u2022 None Newcastle United: Premier League 'comfortable and satisfied' Saudi state will not interfere\n\u2022 None Why is Saudi Arabia's involvement in sport controversial?\n\u2022 None A year on from Newcastle United takeover, what has the impact been? Howe says he has had \"very open communication\" with \"various people connected to the board\" since being appointed in November 2021, a month after the PIF's takeover. \"But my conversations with them are all football-related,\" he added on Friday. \"At no stage has it ever gone political. \"That's not my area, I don't want it to be my area, I want to concentrate on how I can improve the team. \"Now obviously, if I felt there was a time I needed to ask a question, I could. But I haven't done that. \"For me, my job is training the players. The minute I deviate from that is the minute I go into dangerous waters. \"The focus comes on me because I am sat here every week. It's not a conversation for me to brief on these matters because I'm not qualified to do it. \"I've not given it too much time. I'm aware of the headlines, but I haven't really invested in the details behind them.\" The statements have been made by lawyers representing LIV Golf, owned by the PIF, which also has a controlling stake in Newcastle. Why was the PIF's takeover approved? The PIF initially withdrew from its takeover bid for Newcastle in July 2020 as a result of an \"unforeseeably prolonged process\", before the deal was revived. The takeover was only approved in October 2021 after the Premier League received \"legally binding assurances\" that the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia would not have any control over the club. The dispute had centred over who would have controlling influence at Newcastle, and would therefore be subject to the league's owners' and directors' test. Premier League chief executive Richard Masters told the BBC in November 2021 that if his organisation found evidence there was state involvement in the running of Newcastle \"we can remove the consortium as owners of the club\". Premier League CEO Richard Masters talks to BBC sports editor Dan Roan about the Newcastle United takeover However, lawyers representing LIV Golf have said during US court proceedings that Al-Rumayyan is \"a sitting minister of the Saudi government\". A San Francisco court has approved the PGA Tour's request to include Al-Rumayyan and the PIF as defendants in its lawsuit against LIV and ordered them to produce documents in the case. However, the PIF is challenging the order, arguing the fund and its governor Al-Rumayyan \"are not ordinary third parties subject to basic discovery relevance standards\". A court document reads: \"The order is an extraordinary infringement on the sovereignty of a foreign state that is far from justified here. \"They are a sovereign instrumentality of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and a sitting minister of the Saudi government, and they cannot be compelled to provide testimony and documents in a US proceeding unless their conduct - not LIV's or anyone else's - is truly the 'gravamen' of the case.\" The PIF has declined to comment while Newcastle have been contacted.\n\u2022 None Our coverage of Newcastle United is bigger and better than ever before - here's everything you need to know to make sure you never miss a moment\n\u2022 None Everything Newcastle - go straight to all the best content","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/sport\/football\/64836884"}
{"title":"'My Friday prison release led to a disastrous mistake' - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-03","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"Marc Conway is backing a new law that aims to cut reoffending by ending Friday prison releases.","section":"UK Politics","content":"This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. WATCH: Former prisoner Marc Conway says his Friday release left him with no time to sort housing, leaving him in breach of bail\n\nPrisoners vulnerable to addiction, mental health issues or homelessness will no longer be released on Fridays under new plans to cut reoffending. One prisoner who breached parole after being released on a Friday says he felt let down by the system. He told the BBC his story and what it says about prisoners at risk of lapsing back into a life of crime.\n\n\"By the time I got to the housing department, it was a Friday afternoon and there was no-one there to see me. I knew the offices wouldn't be open again until the Monday. I was quite fearful of where I was going to stay that night - I didn't want to stay on the streets.\"\n\nMarc Conway was 17 years old when he was released, on a Friday, after three months in HMP Feltham young offenders' institution in London.\n\nWithout anywhere to go, he made what he describes as a \"disastrous mistake\" and stayed with a \"known associate\".\n\nIn doing so, he broke his licence conditions and was recalled to prison to serve out the remaining three months of his sentence.\n\n\"I felt like I had let people down, first and foremost, that I'd been recalled back to prison so soon,\" he said.\n\n\"I was angry, I was resentful of the system. I felt the system had let me down again and I dread to think what I would have done that night if I didn't have somewhere to stay.\"\n\nMarc has served a number of sentences for a range of serious offences, last leaving prison four-and-a-half years ago.\n\nIn 2019, he was one of the people who pinned down the convicted terrorist Usman Khan on London Bridge after Khan had fatally stabbed two people.\n\nMarc Conway was among those who tackled convicted terrorist Usman Khan on London Bridge\n\nMarc now works with the Prison Reform Trust and says that he still sees people having similar experiences to the one he had, two decades on.\n\n\"This happens time and time and time again. People are being released on a Friday and are not being able to access services,\" he said. \"It's not just housing. It could be mental health services, it could be GP services, all sorts.\n\n\"I have known of people who have committed crime just to have somewhere to sleep that night.\n\n\"There's quite an easy solution. You have to go to probation on the day of release. Why can all the services not be under one roof and just stop Friday releases?\"\n\nAround one in three prisoners are released on a Friday, according to research by the charity Nacro.\n\nThey often have just a few hours before services close to meet their probation officer, register with a GP, get housing and sign up for support like Universal Credit.\n\nNacro has run a long campaign to stop Friday releases, saying they are \"setting people up to fail\".\n\nPrison governors are expected to be given the power to end the practice for vulnerable prisoners in England and Wales later this year, after the government backed a Private Members' Bill from the Conservative MP Simon Fell.\n\nUnder the legislation, governors would be able to release those who have mental health issues, substance misuse problems, or who have a long way to travel home, up to 48 hours early following \"strict security checks\".\n\nA similar law was passed in Scotland in 2015 but questions have been raised about how widely it has been used.\n\nPrisons Minister Damian Hinds said leaving custody was a \"very sensitive moment\" and this was a \"simple but, in a wider sense, landmark reform\" that would cut reoffending.\n\n\"We want to maximise the chance people have when they get out of prison to be able to access those services and that's just harder on a Friday,\" he said.\n\n\"It's quite often a race against the clock, particularly if you've got a long way to travel, so this is just a sensible reform which will mean that you can bring that forward by just one or two days to give that individual more time to do those things.\"\n\nHe said he \"absolutely understood\" that some victims of crime might have concerns about offenders being released earlier than the end of their sentence.\n\n\"The protection of the public must always come first but this is also an aspect of protection of the public. When people do get out of prison, they must be able to have the chance to get on to that better path to be able to put in place those important things which will give that chance,\" Mr Hinds added.\n\nEnding Friday Releases formed part of the government's Prisons Strategy published in 2021. The Ministry of Justice committed to do it last year.\n\nThe Offenders (Day of Release from Detention) Private Members' Bill is expected to pass its final reading in the Commons on Friday before going to the Lords.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/uk-politics-64831235"}
{"title":"King Charles to travel to France and Germany in first state visits - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-03","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"Buckingham Palace says the King will visit European neighbours on his first official visits.","section":"UK","content":"President Emmanuel Macron of France will be the host for the King's first symbolic overseas trip of his reign\n\nThe first state visits of the reign of King Charles are going to be to France and Germany, Buckingham Palace has announced.\n\nKing Charles and Camilla the Queen Consort will travel to the countries on a visit from 26 to 31 March.\n\nPresident Emmanuel Macron of France will host a state banquet for the royal couple at the Palace of Versailles.\n\nIn Germany, the King will be the first British sovereign to address the Bundestag, the German parliament.\n\nThe royal couple will also visit memorials to Allied bombing in Hamburg and to young Jewish refugees who fled the Nazis.\n\nAs head of state, the King's official visits are decided on government advice - and these symbolic first overseas destinations will be seen as prioritising stronger relations with European neighbours.\n\nEarlier this week the King met the president of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen, when she visited the UK to announce a deal on Brexit arrangements for Northern Ireland.\n\nAs well as addressing what a Buckingham Palace spokesperson called the \"sacrifices and challenges of our shared past\", the European trip will focus on modern challenges, such as climate change and Ukraine.\n\nThe royal couple will lay wreaths at St Nikolai in Hamburg, damaged by wartime Allied bombing\n\nBuckingham Palace says the trips will \"celebrate Britain's relationship with France and Germany, marking our shared histories, culture and values\".\n\nIn France, the King and Queen Consort will process along the Champs Elysees in Paris, before meeting President Macron at the Elysee Palace.\n\nKing Charles will address senators and members of the French National Assembly, the first such speech by a member of the British royal family in the French parliamentary chamber.\n\nCamilla, the Queen Consort, with Brigitte Macron, will open a Manet and Degas art exhibition at the Mus\u00e9e d'Orsay art gallery.\n\nThe state visit will also include Bordeaux, where the royal couple will tour an organic vineyard, which uses solar energy and a sustainable approach to wine making. Make-up is produced as a by-product of making the wine.\n\nIn a statement, President Macron said it was an honour France had been chosen for the King's first state visit as monarch and this \"illustrates the depth of the historical links uniting our two countries\".\n\nPresident Macron will host a state banquet at the Palace of Versailles\n\nIn Germany, the King and Queen Consort will visit Berlin and Hamburg. In Hamburg, they will go to the St. Nikolai Memorial, the remains of a church destroyed by Allied bombing during the Second World War.\n\nWreaths will be laid at an event of remembrance and reconciliation, marking the 80th anniversary of bombing raids on the German port city.\n\nThey will also lay flowers at a memorial to the Kindertransport children who were Jewish refugees from the Nazis.\n\nIn Germany, there will be a ceremonial welcome from President Frank-Walter Steinmeier at the Brandenburg Gate in Berlin, which is believed to be the first time that symbolic venue has been used for the start of a state visit.\n\nThe King will meet refugees from the conflict in Ukraine and will hear about the support provided for them when they arrive in Germany.\n\nThe last UK state visit to Germany was carried out in 2015 by Queen Elizabeth II, and she visited France in 2014.\n\nAs Prince of Wales, Charles paid 34 official visits to France and 28 to Germany.\n\nThe visits will take place in the run up to the King's coronation, to be held in Westminster Abbey on 6 May.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/uk-64836097"}
{"title":"Worcester school mirrors replaced with 'provocative' posters - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-03","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"The posters in girls' toilets at a school in Worcester brand make-up a \"harmful drug\".","section":"Hereford & Worcester","content":"Posters were displayed in one bathroom at Christopher Whitehead Language College in Worcester\n\nA school has been criticised after replacing mirrors in a girls' toilets with posters containing \"provocative\" messages.\n\nThe posters were displayed at Christopher Whitehead Language College in Worcester.\n\nAccording to images posted on social media some of the quotes included \"beauty is nothing without brains\" and \"make-up is a harmful drug\".\n\nThe temporary measure was introduced after some \"misuse\" said the school.\n\nThe school's head teacher, Neil Morris, said the bathroom had become a \"congregational social area\" with some older students blocking the path to toilets, while they socialised.\n\n\"One of the English department staff has used this as an opportunity to provide some argumentative discursive letter writing,\" he said.\n\n\"They put some provocative posters up in the one toilet area in their corridor before the lesson.\n\n\"This has produced some 'frenzied' powerful writing and debate. With hindsight, the posters should have been placed in their classroom area, not in one toilet.\"\n\nSpeaking to BBC Hereford and Worcester one parent said images of the posters had \"circulated very quickly\" via social media.\n\nThe wording of the posters had made many parents \"quite angry\", she said.\n\n\"Saying that make-up is a harmful drug, and that it's addictive, saying that boys won't start to like you unless you take make-up off, you'll feel ugly if you don't wear it - I think how they've gone about it is not right and they should have let parents know what they were doing.\"\n\nThe mum said her daughter, who had seen the messages via social media, thought the wording to be \"quite disturbing\".\n\n\"I just don't think they're going about it in the right way, this won't stop young girls putting make-up on,\" she added.\n\nThere had been \"ongoing\" issues about behaviour around toilets at the school, she explained.\n\n\"Apparently there's a lot of bullying going on in there, there are horrible comments being written on the mirrors and it sounds as if the staff have had enough.\"\n\n\"[But] they could have got parents together, called a meeting - for the students as well - and maybe try to get some ideas about how the behaviour can be restored back to how it should be.\"\n\nA \"very productive\" meeting had been held with pupils and two parents on Wednesday said head teacher, Mr Morris.\n\nHe said while the student council was \"being challenged to come up with an action plan\", staff had noticed pupils' behaviour had \"noticeably improved this week\".\n\nFollow BBC West Midlands on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. Send your story ideas to: newsonline.westmidlands@bbc.co.uk\n\nThe BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/uk-england-hereford-worcester-64836291"}
{"title":"Watch: Matt Hancock message row in 83 seconds - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-03","authors":null,"description":"The BBC's Jonathan Blake examines why the former health secretary's Covid communications are in the spotlight.","section":null,"content":"Ex-Health Secretary Matt Hancock has accused a journalist of a \"massive betrayal and breach of trust\" after she leaked texts he sent during Covid.\n\nIsabel Oakeshott defended releasing WhatsApps she obtained when working on Mr Hancock's book, arguing it was in the \"overwhelming national interest\".\n\nBBC political correspondent Jonathan Blake has been looking into the row.\n\nFilming and editing by Alex Smith, Serene Khalifeh and Thomas Mason","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/uk-politics-64831398"}
{"title":"Emotionless Murdaugh learns fate for double murder - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-03","authors":null,"description":"The moment the jury finds Alex Murdaugh guilty of murder and their verdict is read out in court.","section":null,"content":"The moment the jury finds Alex Murdaugh guilty of murder and their verdict is read out in court.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/world-us-canada-64832082"}
{"title":"Lee Anderson says he is sympathetic to asylum hotel protesters - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-03","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"Deputy Tory party chairman Lee Anderson says protesters are \"not far-right extremists\".","section":"UK Politics","content":"This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Lee Anderson explains why he has sympathy with people protesting outside asylum hotels.\n\nConservative Party deputy chairman Lee Anderson has said he has sympathy with people protesting outside hotels providing refuge for asylum seekers.\n\nA spate of protests have been organised at hotels across the country in recent weeks, with some ending in violent clashes with police.\n\nMany have been led by far-right anti-immigrant groups such as Patriotic Alternative.\n\nMr Anderson said protesters were \"just normal family people\" with concerns about the safety of their community.\n\nSpeaking to the BBC's Political Thinking with Nick Robinson, Mr Anderson said: \"When you live in a community, you expect to be safe and you don't like sudden change.\n\n\"That is how humans behave.\"\n\nThe Hope Not Hate campaign group accused Mr Anderson of \"parroting the misinformation used by the far-right to exploit hotels\".\n\n\"This is precisely the same kind of myths that the far-right are peddling to whip up hate around hotels,\" a spokesperson said. \"We can't have a Conservative MP amplifying these messages.\"\n\nOne man was charged and 14 other people were arrested after a police officer and two members of the public were hurt when missiles including lit fireworks were thrown at a protest outside a hotel accommodating asylum seekers in Kirkby on 10 February.\n\nThe initial protest had been triggered by an allegation that a man had made inappropriate advances to a local teenage girl.\n\nPatriotic Alternative, whose policies include deporting non-whites, were present at protests at hotels in Skegness and Newquay.\n\nSeveral hotels in Skegness have since been boarded up ahead of a planned further protest against their use to house asylum seekers.\n\nThe latest Home Office figures show 37,000 asylum seekers and Afghan refugees are living in UK hotels at a cost of \u00a34.7m per day.\n\nA police van was burnt out in the clash in Kirkby\n\nWhen asked if he had sympathy with people protesting outside the hotels Mr Anderson said: \"Of course I do.\n\n\"These are not far-right extremists, they are just normal family people from some of these towns and villages that are upset that overnight 200 to 300 young men have arrived.\n\n\"And then they are saying things to young girls - and I know there have been a few attacks and some horrible incidents.\n\n\"So of course, people are going to be concerned.\"\n\nLast week Home Secretary Suella Braverman said she understood people's \"frustrations\" about hotels housing asylum seekers and that this was \"causing understandable tensions within communities\".\n\nHowever, she told GB News \"violence is never acceptable\".\n\nSome Tories have expressed concern about far-right groups being involved in protests against the use of hotels for asylum seekers.\n\nAhead of a protest in Skegness last week, local MP Matt Warman said the \"shameless use of people's concerns by far-right groups is to be deplored and stands in the way of our having a sensible conversation that will in the long term allow us to move beyond the use of these hotels\".\n\nIn Cornwall, the Conservative leader of the council Linda Taylor condemned a planned protest in Newquay as \"racist and bigoted\".\n\nPolitical opponents of the Tory deputy chairman have tried to use his ability to hit headlines against him\n\nMr Anderson grew up in Ashfield, Nottinghamshire, a former mining area which he now represents as MP. He was appointed deputy Tory chairman by Rishi Sunak last month.\n\nSince becoming an MP he has found himself at the centre of media storms for his outspoken views on issues such as migrant Channel crossings, his support for the death penalty, and the use of food banks.\n\nBefore his appointment, he was branded \"out of touch\" last year for suggesting people needed to learn how to cook and budget \"properly\", rather than use food banks.\n\nHe later defended his comments, saying he was glad to have started a \"debate\" on the issue.\n\nIn his interview with Nick Robinson, he said anyone earning an annual salary of \u00a335,000 \"should not be using a food bank\" when asked about a row over whether nurses had used the resource.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/uk-politics-64823712"}
{"title":"Partygate probe chief Sue Gray offered top job by Labour leader Starmer - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-03","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"The senior civil servant led an investigation into Covid lockdown gatherings in Downing Street.","section":"UK Politics","content":"Senior civil servant Sue Gray, who investigated lockdown gatherings in Downing Street, has been offered a job as Sir Keir Starmer's chief of staff.\n\nA Labour spokesman said Sir Keir was \"delighted\" that \"she hopes to accept the role subject to the normal procedures\".\n\nBut allies of Boris Johnson reacted with anger to the news.\n\nFormer minister Jacob Rees-Mogg said Ms Gray's Partygate conclusions now looked \"like a left-wing stitch up\".\n\n\"So much for an impartial Civil Service, the Gray report now looks like a left-wing stitch up against a Tory prime minister,\" the former business secretary and Brexit opportunities minister tweeted.\n\nA friend of Mr Johnson said Ms Gray's job offer undermined the validity of her investigation into parties held in Downing Street when Covid-19 restrictions were in force.\n\n\"What was supposed to be an investigation by independent civil servants is now revealed to have been carried out by someone who ultimately would go on to work for Keir Starmer,\" they said.\n\nMs Gray herself has yet to comment.\n\nA Cabinet Office spokesperson said: \"We can confirm that Sue Gray has resigned from the post of Second Permanent Secretary in the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities (DLUHC). This was accepted by the department Permanent Secretary and Cabinet Secretary with immediate effect.\n\n\"We will not be commenting further on individual personnel matters. We are reviewing the circumstances under which she resigned.\"\n\nUnder the civil service code, officials of Ms Gray's seniority must wait a minimum of three months before taking up outside employment.\n\nThe move will be scrutinised by the anti-corruption watchdog, the Advisory Committee on Business Appointments (Acoba), which will advise the prime minister on whether the move is \"unsuitable\".\n\nRishi Sunak will make a final ruling, but does not have the power to block an appointment.\n\nMs Gray went from an influential but little-known arbiter of conduct in government to a household name.\n\nHer report on the Partygate scandal last year contributed to Mr Johnson's downfall as prime minister, prompting numerous Conservative MPs to call on him to resign.\n\nShe criticised \"failures of leadership and judgment\" in No 10 and said \"the senior leadership at the centre, both political and official, must bear responsibility\".\n\nSeparately, Mr Johnson received one of 126 fines issued by the Metropolitan Police while it investigated gatherings in Downing Street and Whitehall.\n\nHearings in an inquiry by the Commons Privileges Committee into opposition claims Mr Johnson misled MPs about what he knew about the lockdown gatherings in government buildings are expected to begin in the coming weeks.\n\nOther key allies of Mr Johnson have been quick to comment.\n\nFormer Culture Secretary Nadine Dorries tweeted that Ms Gray's reported move to Sir Keir's office was \"not surprising\".\n\n\"Whilst writing report, she used QC who tweeted out pro Labour anti gov [government] tweets whilst Alistair Campbell heaped praise upon her. Her comms [communications] assistant briefed against Johnson from day 1.\n\n\"The Gray report was a stitch up of PM and CSs [civil servants],\" she said.\n\nVery few civil servants become household names. Sue Gray definitely cleared that bar.\n\nShe was selected to investigate Partygate because of her reputation as an unimpeachable government official.\n\nIt's important to stress that Ms Gray taking a political job with Labour doesn't mean she was ever biased in her role as a civil servant. Everyone working in government will have personal views, but they're trusted and expected to serve the ministers of the day.\n\nBut her proposed career move does provide allies of Boris Johnson with ammunition to question the legitimacy of her Partygate findings (which were very bad for the former prime minister).\n\nWhy are Labour making this appointment? The qualities Sue Gray has largely been associated with - professionalism, propriety and public service - are exactly those they want to project.\n\nAnd it sends a sign about the party's intentions - Keir Starmer wants to work closely with someone who was (until very recently) a senior civil servant, because he intends to make it to 10 Downing Street.\n\nBassetlaw MP Brendan Clarke-Smith said he was \"genuinely shocked\", and accused Sir Keir of having \"scant regard for the public image of the civil service and the damage this will do\".\n\n\"After the events of last year, people will quite understandably be questioning the appropriateness of this appointment, including issues of impartiality,\" he added.\n\nFormer civil servant Alex Thomas, who now works for the Institute for Government think tank, said the move would be \"difficult for the civil service\", giving its \"critics a stick\".\n\n\"Tricky development for those defending impartiality,\" he added.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/uk-politics-64824776"}
{"title":"Michael Vaughan: Yorkshire cricket racism hearing is 'terrible look for game' - BBC Sport","published_date":"2023-03-03","authors":null,"description":"Former England captain Michael Vaughan says the disciplinary hearing into allegations of racism at Yorkshire is a \"terrible look\" for cricket.","section":null,"content":"Last updated on .From the section Cricket\n\nFormer England captain Michael Vaughan says the disciplinary hearing into allegations of racism at Yorkshire is a \"terrible look\" for cricket.\n\nVaughan is accused of saying \"there's too many of you lot, we need to have a word about that\" to Azeem Rafiq and three other Asian players at Yorkshire before a T20 match in 2009.\n\nVaughan has \"completely and categorically\" denied the allegation - and did so again when giving evidence for the first time in the hearing on Friday.\n\nHowever, the former Yorkshire captain, who retired in 2009, did apologise for \"disgusting\" historical tweets which were first brought to his attention in a 2021 BBC interview.\n\nJane Mulcahy KC, the lawyer for the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB), which brought the charges against Vaughan, suggested the \"tweets are remarkably similar in tone to the allegation\" - which Vaughan denied.\n\nVaughan, 48, was critical of the two-and-a-half year process and said he met Rafiq in November 2021 because \"the whole situation was escalating out of control\".\n\u2022 None Yorkshire cricket racism hearing: All you need to know\n\nIn that meeting Vaughan said he apologised to Rafiq for the hurt the former spinner had experienced at Yorkshire - but did not accept he made the alleged comment.\n\nVaughan repeated that denial on Friday, saying: \"I can't apologise for something I don't recollect saying.\"\n\nRafiq said on Thursday that Vaughan's actions after their meeting had left him feeling \"naive\".\n\n\"It's not been easy for anybody,\" said Vaughan, under cross-examination by Mulcahy.\n\n\"This is not the right process to deal with word-against-word comments from 14 years ago.\n\n\"Ex-team-mates fighting it out over hearsay is a terrible look for the game and a really bad look on how cricket has dealt with this situation.\"\n\nBefore this week's hearings took place, Yorkshire had pleaded guilty to four amended charges from the ECB, which also includes the county accepting they failed to address the \"systemic use of racist or discriminatory language\" at the club over a prolonged period, including Rafiq's career.\n\nVaughan's former team-mate, ex-Yorkshire and England bowler Matthew Hoggard has admitted using a racist slur relating to Pakistani heritage and another term that is racially offensive in South Africa while at the club.\n\nVaughan repeatedly denied having heard such racial slurs while at Yorkshire.\n\nWhen asked to confirm details about how many years he had played alongside Hoggard for both Yorkshire and England, Vaughan joked: \"It's like Question of Sport, this.\"\n\nThe former batter, who started work as a BBC pundit after retiring in 2009, said he had a \"very clear mind\" about the match in question against Nottinghamshire at Trent Bridge on 22 June 2009.\n\nHe said he \"knows\" he did not make the alleged comment to Rafiq, Adil Rashid, Ajmal Shahzad and Rana Naved-ul-Hasan because he was \"proud\" of it being the first time four Asian players had been in the same side for Yorkshire and it was a sign of how far the county had come.\n\nEngland spinner Rashid and former Yorkshire and Pakistan bowler Naved-ul-Hasan have corroborated Rafiq's allegation.\n\nThe fourth player in the group, former England bowler Shahzad has said he has no recollection of it happening.\n\nVaughan agreed that the alleged comment was unacceptable and racist, but insisted he did not say it, in part because it would have affected the morale of his team-mates and possibly their performance.\n\nVaughan also denied he had said the alleged comment in jest.\n\nWhen Mulcahy brought up some of the historical tweets sent by Vaughan - some of which include references to foreign call centre workers and the number of English people living in London - he did agree with that they would be offensive to Rafiq.\n\nHe said he took part in an online diversity course while working in Australia covering the 2021-22 Ashes because he \"wanted to be a leader in the game\".\n\nRafiq was accused of having said he was prepared to use the \"race card\" for personal gain by Matthew Wood, who was his personal development manager with the Professional Cricketers' Association (PCA).\n\nIn his witness statement, Wood claimed Rafiq said he would \"hit them with the race card\" if Yorkshire did not offer him a new contract during a meeting in August 2018.\n\nWood also alleged Rafiq \"used being Asian\" to get a place on an ECB coaching course despite missing the deadline.\n\nMulcahy said Wood did not include the 'race card' claim in his initial interview with the original Yorkshire investigation because \"Rafiq didn't play the race card\".\n\nRafiq's witness statement also said Wood's assertion of the coaching course discussion was an \"odd thing to claim\".\n\nWood said he did not mention it because \"it was such a volatile\" situation, but he did subsequently call the law firm to relay the 'race card' points and also told the PCA about the comments.\n\nMulcahy asked why Wood \"went behind\" Rafiq's back and suggested that he was \"at pains\" to support Vaughan in these proceedings \"no matter what\".\n\nWood said he disagreed and that he \"wasn't on anybody's side\".\n\nAmong the witnesses called on Friday was Meena Botros, the ECB's director of legal and integrity, who was in charge of the governing body's investigation into the allegations against Yorkshire.\n\nVaughan's lawyer, Christopher Stoner KC, criticised the ECB's handling of the investigation, questioning why it did not speak to everyone present in and around the Yorkshire team huddle, when Vaughan is alleged to have made the \"you lot\" comment in 2009.\n\nStoner asked why the ECB did not speak to the two umpires, the Sky cameraman recording the huddle and some of the other Yorkshire players in the team that day.\n\nBotros said \"no-one has suggested the umpires were close enough to hear it\" and Sky footage showed they \"weren't close to the huddle\".\n\nHe added there was also \"no suggestion\" the cameraman heard it, and it was \"assumed he would have had headphones on\".\n\nBotros said they \"weren't able\" to get contact details for some players and others either did not want to take part or had made their position \"very clear\".\n\nHe added he was \"not aware\" of Vaughan's legal team chasing up these lines of inquiry, saying: \"If you think it's such an important point then that may have been taken up.\"\n\nThe panel has yet to hear the ECB's cases against former Yorkshire captain Andrew Gale and ex-bowling coach Richard Pyrah, who have both withdrawn from the process.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/sport\/cricket\/64832070"}
{"title":"Ukraine war: Kyiv orders partial evacuation of liberated city - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-03","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"Families with children and the disabled people are told to leave Kupiansk in Ukraine's north-east.","section":"Europe","content":"Ukraine says the partial evacuation from Kupiansk was ordered due to \"constant\" Russian shelling\n\nUkraine has ordered some residents to leave Kupiansk, as Russia seeks to re-take the city it left last year.\n\nKharkiv's regional authorities said families with children and people \"with limited mobility\" must leave due to \"constant\" shelling by Russian forces.\n\nRussia seized the north-eastern city early in the full-scale invasion, with Ukraine recapturing it last September.\n\nMeanwhile, Russian mercenaries say they have \"practically encircled\" the key city of Bakhmut in eastern Ukraine.\n\nThe comments were made by Yevgeniy Prigozhin, who heads the paramilitary Wagner group.\n\nIn its latest news bulletin, Ukraine's military said Russian troops continued their offensive on Bakhmut - but the attacks were \"repelled\".\n\nEarlier this week, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky admitted the situation in Bakhmut - about 130km (80 miles) south-east of Kupiansk - was becoming \"more and more difficult\".\n\nIn Kupiansk, the Kharkiv regional military administration said on Thursday the evacuation order was due to the \"unstable security situation\" caused by Russian shelling.\n\nIt said those evacuated would be provided with assistance, including accommodation, food, humanitarian aid and medical support.\n\nOther citizens were also permitted to leave the region, it added. The city had a pre-war population of around 25,000.\n\nThe military said 812 children are currently registered in Kupiansk and the surrounding district, as well as 724 disabled people.\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser.\n\nThe Institute for the Study of War said this week that Russian forces were continuing \"limited ground attacks\" north-east of Kupiansk, as well as offensive operations around Kreminna, about 80km south-east.\n\nKupiansk - home to an important railway junction - has witnessed fierce fighting since the war began, with Russia taking control in a matter of days, and occupying the city for several months.\n\nHowever, in September Ukrainian forces took back control amid a rapid counter-attack in the country's north-east that saw almost entire of the Kharkiv region brought under Kyiv's control.\n\nThose advances - and the liberation of the southern city of Kherson - were the most significant front-line changes since Russia withdrew from areas around Kyiv in April.\n\nLast month, Ukraine warned that Russia was preparing a major new offensive, with officials saying Moscow has amassed thousands of troops on Ukraine's eastern flank.\n\nAnd Defence Minister Oleksii Reznikov warned a month ago that Russia could \"try something\" to mark the anniversary of the full-scale invasion on 24 February.\n\nBut that apparent escalation has not translated into major successes on the battlefield, despite apparent advances around Kupiansk and Bakhmut.\n\nIn a video posted on Telegram, Mr Prigozhin, head of the paramilitary group Wagner, on Friday said that \"pincers are closing in\" around Bakhmut.\n\nAnd in a direct message to President Zelensky, he said Wagner units had \"practically encircled\" the city, with only one road remaining. He called on the Ukrainian president to abandon the city.\n\nIn a separate development on Friday, Vladimir Putin is chairing a meeting with the country's top security officials.\n\nIt comes a day after the Russian president accused a Ukrainian sabotage group of entering a Russian border region and opening fire on civilians.\n\nThe governor of Bryansk region said \"saboteurs from Ukraine\" had fired at a civilian car in Lyubechane, a border village, killing two men and wounding a 10-year-old boy.\n\nKyiv strongly denied the Russian claim, describing it as Moscow's provocation.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/world-europe-64833750"}
{"title":"Former prime minister Liz Truss: I didn't do everything perfectly - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-03","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"Former UK PM Liz Truss says she \"wants to use experience from inside government\" to help constituents.","section":"Norfolk","content":"Former prime minister Liz Truss has been speaking on a visit to the Queen Elizabeth Hospital (QEH) in King's Lynn\n\nLiz Truss has admitted she \"didn't do everything perfectly\" while UK prime minister for just 45 days last year.\n\nThe South West Norfolk MP has told the BBC she had been trying to \"turn around an economy\" by increasing borrowing in her mini budget.\n\nSpeaking on a visit to the Queen Elizabeth Hospital (QEH) in King's Lynn, she said she now had more time to \"fight for her constituents\".\n\nShe refused to apologise for increasing national borrowing.\n\nMs Truss was UK premier for 45 days in 2022, the shortest serving prime minister in British history.\n\nSpeaking to the BBC, she said she had been \"trying to turn around an economy that wasn't growing\" and deal with serious issues such as those in the NHS and the energy crisis.\n\n\"I didn't do everything perfectly and I fully acknowledge that,\" she said, \"but I think I tried to deal with the real issues we were facing.\"\n\nLiz Truss has been the MP for South West Norfolk since 2010\n\nShe declined to apologise for the increase in national borrowing and interest rates following her mini budget, instead insisting the rates would have gone up anyway.\n\n\"I've said I could have communicated better, but... the general trend internationally has been interest rates rising,\" she said.\n\n\"We've been through a period of very, very, low interest rates since the end of the financial crisis and setting the interest rate policy is a matter for the Bank of England and they have been putting rates up, as has the Federal Reserve in the US.\n\n\"It's easy to point fingers but we were facing a very difficult situation.\n\n\"People were very concerned about the cost of their energy bills and their taxes.\"\n\nMs Truss inspected the supports holding up the hospital's ageing roof\n\nLast week, Ms Truss was reselected by the South West Norfolk Conservative Association (SWNCA) to stand as a candidate at the next general election. She has represented the safe Conservative seat since May 2010.\n\nShe told BBC East she now has \"more time to contribute locally\" and \"fight for constituents\" and the services and infrastructure they need.\n\n\"That's why I'm here at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital,\" she said.\n\n\"We desperately need a new hospital. The fact is, this one is falling apart, we can see there are stilts holding it up... the roof doesn't work.\n\n\"I'm pushing very hard. I'm seeing Jeremy Hunt next week to try and get the commitment to funding this hospital in the budget.\"\n\nThe South West Norfolk MP said she \"wants to use experience from inside government\" to help her constituents\n\nMs Truss also wants to fight for better dental services in Norfolk, to try to broker an agreement with local councillors over devolution and make the argument, within the Conservative party, for lower taxes.\n\n\"I want to use my experience from inside government,\" she said.\n\n\"I know I got some things right and some things wrong, but I do know how it works and I want to contribute to the future of our country.\"\n\nShe also confirmed she has no plans to try to lead the Conservatives again.\n\n\"I've been there I've got the T-shirt,\" she said.\n\n\"I am not interested in running for it again... what I want is a Conservative party that reflects the values of all members across the country.\"\n\nFind BBC News: East of England on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter. If you have a story suggestion email eastofenglandnews@bbc.co.uk\n\nThe BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/uk-england-norfolk-64835179"}
{"title":"Grimsby Town apologises for 'inappropriate' Harvey Price post - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-03","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"The club has since deleted the post which featured disabled TV personality Harvey Price.","section":"Humberside","content":"Harvey Price has Prader-Willi syndrome, which can cause learning difficulties\n\nGrimsby Town has apologised for posting an \"inappropriate\" short video of Harvey Price following its FA Cup win at Southampton.\n\nAccording to reports, the League Two club tweeted a clip showing Mr Price, the disabled son of TV star Katie Price.\n\nIt was said to have been accompanied with the caption: \"Signing off for the night! Enjoy your night, Town fans.\"\n\nIn a statement, the club said it wished to \"wholeheartedly apologise\".\n\nGrimsby Town celebrate their win at Southampton on Wednesday\n\nThe club's full statement reads: \"It has come to our attention that an inappropriate gif was posted on the club's official Twitter account late last night following our game against Southampton in the Emirates FA Cup.\n\n\"The post was removed this morning as soon as we were made aware. We would like to wholeheartedly apologise for any offence it has caused. UTM.\"\n\nMr Price, 20, has septo-optic dysplasia, a rare genetic disorder affecting his eyesight, as well as autism and Prader-Willi syndrome, which can cause learning difficulties and behavioural problems.\n\nThe incident comes two weeks after Ms Price published a letter from the Met Police telling her officers are facing misconduct proceedings over alleged involvement in a WhatsApp group that targeted her son.\n\nGrimsby Town beat their Premier League opponents 2-1, courtesy of a brace from Gavan Holohan at St Mary's.\n\nThe win secures The Mariners a quarter-final fixture with European hopefuls Brighton - the first time the club has reached the last eight in the FA Cup since 1938\/39, a year they went on to reach the semi-finals.\n\nFollow BBC East Yorkshire and Lincolnshire on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. Send your story ideas to yorkslincs.news@bbc.co.uk.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/uk-england-humber-64824120"}
{"title":"Two unions suspend ambulance strikes in England as talks reopen - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-03","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"Unison and GMB suspend strike in England but action from Unite members to go ahead as planned on Monday.","section":"Health","content":"The Unison and GMB unions have called off ambulance strikes in England after what was described as a \"huge shift\" in the government's position.\n\nTens of thousands of staff were expected to walk out on 6 March and 8 March across large parts of England.\n\nThat action has been suspended after ministers agreed to reopen pay talks for both this and next financial year.\n\nThe government welcomed the move, but said it was \"disappointing\" a third union still planned to strike.\n\nUnite, the smallest of the three ambulance unions representing approximately 3,000 workers, said its strike on 6 March would go ahead.\n\nIndustrial action has also been paused in Wales for further talks with the Welsh government.\n\nIn Scotland, all NHS worker strikes are on hold too.\n\nRachel Harrison, GMB National Secretary, said: \"This is a huge shift from the government, who for months have refused to consider negotiations on pay. Now, they are saying they are willing to sit down and talk.\n\n\"The Government has given assurances of additional cash for both years above existing budgets and that any deal will respect the existing Agenda for Change structure.\n\n\"GMB's ambulance workers have agreed to suspend industrial action so talks can begin - however the strike will return with a vengeance should talks break down.\"\n\nIt is understood the negotiations will proceed on the understanding the government will discuss a one-off cost-of-living payment for the current financial year, which ends in April, as well as a brand new pay deal for 2023-24.\n\nIt is thought the Royal College of Nursing will also be brought back into wider pay discussions, instead of holding separate talks with ministers.\n\nAmbulance workers on the picket line in Bournemouth, Dorset\n\nLast week thousands of nurses in England suspended a series of strikes after health secretary Steve Barclay said he would meet leaders of the Royal College of Nursing for \"intensive talks\" over pay.\n\nThat angered members of other health unions who accused ministers of \"playing a dangerous game\" by pursuing a \"divide and rule strategy\".\n\nTens of thousands ambulance workers had vowed to escalate strike action as a result, with members of the GMB union saying they would start to cut back cover for \"category two\" 999 calls, including heart attacks and strokes.\n\nThe government signalled a change in its approach this week when it said it was prepared to negotiate through the NHS staff council - a body made up of representatives from all 14 major health unions, NHS trusts, NHS England and the Department of Health and Social Care itself.\n\nMinisters said negotiations could only start if industrial action was suspended.\n\nThe decision by three unions - the GMB, Unison and the Chartered Society of Physiotherapy - to pause strikes planned for this month now means \"intensive talks\" are expected to start early next week.\n\n\"We're pleased that agenda for change unions representing the majority of ambulance workers, nurses, physiotherapists, porters, cleaners and other non-medical staff have agreed to pause strikes and enter a process of intensive talks,\"\n\nA Department of Health spokesperson said: \"We want to start these talks as soon as possible and are ready to meet over the weekend.\n\n\"We want to find a fair and reasonable settlement that recognises the vital role of NHS workers, the wider economic pressures facing the UK and the prime minister's priority to halve inflation.\n\n\"It is disappointing Unite is going ahead with strikes next week. We urge them to call off strikes and join other unions at the negotiating table.\"\n\nTens of thousands of junior doctors are also expected to strike in England for 72 hours between March 13 and 15.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/health-64839818"}
{"title":"Manchester Arena inquiry: MI5 'profoundly sorry' for not stopping attack - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-03","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"The security service missed a chance that might have stopped the Manchester attack, an inquiry finds.","section":"Manchester","content":"Twenty-two people died in the bombing, which happened at the end of Ariana Grande's concert\n\nThe head of MI5 said he was \"profoundly sorry\" the security service did not prevent the Manchester Arena attack.\n\nA public inquiry found MI5 missed a significant chance to take action that might have stopped the 2017 bombing.\n\nChairman Sir John Saunders said the intelligence could have led to suicide bomber Salman Abedi being followed to a car where he stored his explosives.\n\nMI5 director-general Ken McCallum said he regretted that such intelligence was not obtained.\n\n\"Gathering covert intelligence is difficult,\" he said, \"but had we managed to seize the slim chance we had, those impacted might not have experienced such appalling loss and trauma.\"\n\nTwenty-two people died and hundreds were injured when Abedi detonated his homemade device in the foyer of Manchester Arena as crowds left an Ariana Grande concert on 22 May 2017.\n\nThe inquiry found two pieces of information about Abedi were assessed at the time by the security service as not being terrorism-related.\n\nAn officer admitted they considered a possible pressing national security concern on one of them but did not immediately discuss it with colleagues and did not write up a report that same day.\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. How a schoolboy from south Manchester became a suicide bomber\n\nIn his 207-page report, Sir John said: \"The delay in providing the report led to the missing of an opportunity to take a potentially important investigative action.\n\n\"Based on everything the security service knew or should have known, I am satisfied that such an investigative action would have been a proportionate and justified step to take.\n\n\"This should have happened.\"\n\nBut he added that Abedi \"demonstrated some security consciousness and that this might have affected the efficacy of the investigative action that I have identified\".\n\nSir John said the intelligence could have led to Abedi being followed to the parked Nissan Micra where he stored his explosives and later moved them to a city-centre rented flat to assemble his bomb.\n\nHe said that if MI5 had acted on the intelligence received then Abedi could also have been stopped at Manchester Airport on his return from Libya four days before the attack.\n\nThe public inquiry also found Abedi was probably assisted by someone in Libya but it was not possible, on the available evidence, to say who this might have been.\n\nIt is the first time an official conclusion has been made about the possible involvement of other people from abroad.\n\nIn making this finding, Sir John contradicts an MI5 assessment which said no-one other than Salman Abedi and his brother Hashem were knowingly involved in the plot.\n\nTwenty-two people were killed and hundreds more injured in the explosion\n\nThe report also found that while Didsbury Mosque in south Manchester, where the Abedi family worshipped, was not an active factor in the brothers' radicalisation, politicisation did happen there.\n\nSir John said \"there was a form of wilful blindness\" to some activities, and \"weak leadership\".\n\nDidsbury Mosque chairman Fawzi Haffar told the BBC he disagreed with Sir John and added: \"The chairman can say whatever he wants.\n\n\"The chairman has not been to the mosque, none of the lawyers have been to the mosque, they don't know the workings of the mosque.\n\n\"I would say to him [the chairman] that they are wrong,\" Mr Haffar added.\n\nThe report concluded that the Abedi family held \"significant responsibility\" for the radicalisation of Salman and Hashem Abedi.\n\nThose family members responsible include their father Ramadan Abedi, mother Samia Tabbal and elder brother Ismail Abedi, each of whom has held extremist views, the inquiry found.\n\nBut Sir John said, other than Hashem Abedi, there was insufficient evidence to attribute specific knowledge of the attack to them.\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Watch: Inquiry chairman Sir John Saunders speaks of \"significant missed opportunity\" to stop the attack\n\nSir John's comments were published in the inquiry's third and final report into the atrocity, which dealt with the radicalisation of Abedi and whether the attack could have been prevented.\n\nThe first volume has been made publicly available while the second has only been circulated to a limited readership of people with security clearance.\n\nThis does not include the families of those who died, their legal teams, or the media as its contents would be damaging to national security if made public, the inquiry was told.\n\nThe inquiry process began more than three years ago, and there were 194 days of oral evidence from 267 witnesses.\n\nA minute's silence was held at Manchester Town Hall for the victims before Sir John read out his findings, which included key recommendations.\n\nIt seems a contradiction of the term \"public inquiry\" to keep some findings private, but the chairman says that he had to balance the principle of open justice with the issue of national security.\n\nHe's added that all private evidence has been scrutinised to make sure that restricting it can't be seen as a \"cloak to cover up mistakes\".\n\nGiven that the previous two inquiry reports were highly critical of the private companies and public authorities involved with the arena and the emergency response, this document was also expected to be tough on MI5.\n\nBereaved families and survivors will be pleased that in some areas the report doesn't pull its punches.\n\nThey'll find it upsetting to hear that the security service missed a significant opportunity. But there will also be some frustration that they'll never learn the full detail of exactly what that opportunity involved.\n\nAndrew Roussos, whose eight-year-old daughter Saffie-Rose was killed in the blast, said hearing how this tragedy might have been avoided was \"devastating for us all\".\n\n\"This was a cataclysmic failure... In my view the fact that MI5 failed to stop him despite all of the red flags available demonstrates they are not fit to keep us safe and therefore not fit for purpose.\"\n\nCaroline Curry, whose 19-year-old son Liam was killed in the attack, said: \"From top to bottom, MI5 to the associates of the attacker, we will always believe you all played a part in the murder of our children.\"\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Manchester Arena bombing: 'Forgiveness will never be an option'\n\nFigen Murray, the mother of Martyn Hett, 29, who also died in the blast, said she accepted MI5's apology although \"it didn't surprise me that there's yet another catalogue of errors and failings\".\n\n\"I'm not excusing anybody making mistakes don't get me wrong, but these people are human beings and I'm sure nobody made any mistakes deliberately.\"\n\n\"It is difficult to hear things could have been different, but you know what, we can't turn the clock back,\" she said, adding that it would be a \"disservice\" to her son's \"people-loving\" and \"fun\" nature \"if I became a bitter and angry person\".\n\nRichard Scorer, principal lawyer at Slater and Gordon, who represented 11 of the bereaved families at the inquiry, said the report had been \"deeply painful to read, but also eye-opening\" while providing \"less information than we would have wanted\".\n\nNicola Brook, from Broudie Jackson Canter, which represents five bereaved families, said it was \"disappointing that the families will never know the full truth of what happened\".\n\n\"All of the families signed an undertaking not to reveal confidential information which they have not breached,\" she added.\n\n\"They, above all others, are entitled to know what the security services knew and had the most interest in keeping it confidential.\"\n\nSalman Abedi in the foyer of the Manchester Arena, seconds before he blew himself up\n\nFollowing publication of the report, MI5 said since the attack it had made more than 100 improvements.\n\n\"But we are determined to do more. As the chair now considers his recommendations, we will engage fully,\" said Mr McCallum.\n\n\"Where there are opportunities to strengthen the UK's defences further, MI5 will act.\"\n\nA spokesman for Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said the government would look at the report's findings before responding fully and formally.\n\nAsked if anyone would be held accountable, Downing Street said they could not pre-empt a formal response but added ministers \"will of course learn from this to ensure mistakes are not repeated\".\n\nHome Secretary Suella Braverman said she was \"committed to working with MI5, policing and partners to study the recommendations\".\n\n\"Together we will do everything possible to prevent a repeat of this horrifying attack,\" she added.\n\nBBC reporter Mat Trewern has examined the final report which you can listen to on BBC Sounds.\n\nWhy not follow BBC North West on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram? You can also send story ideas to northwest.newsonline@bbc.co.uk\n\nThe BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/uk-england-manchester-64815723"}
{"title":"Welsh ambulance strikes: Unions call off Monday's action - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-03","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"The GMB and Unite unions pause Monday's action after \"significant\" talks with ministers.","section":"Wales","content":"Strike action expected on Monday has been suspended following talks with the Welsh government\n\nA strike by Welsh Ambulance Service staff, due to take place on Monday, has been called off.\n\nThe GMB and Unite unions said they had paused the industrial action after \"significant progress has been made\".\n\nThe GMB's Nathan Holman said no extra money had been offered, but talks on terms and conditions had been held.\n\nThe Welsh government welcomed the pausing of the strike action, while the GMB added that ministers and unions would resume talks on Monday.\n\nMore than half of Wales' ambulance workers went on strike in a continued dispute over pay and working conditions in February, with Unite and GMB members both walking out.\n\nThe GMB wrote on Twitter that the decision to suspend Monday's action came after \"positive and intensive\" negotiations on Friday.\n\n\"This means that on Monday, members should return to work as normal,\" it said.\n\n\"We did not take the decision to call off strike action lightly and no suspension of future action has been agreed by us or Unite at this stage.\"\n\nAnother strike was previously announced for 10 March.\n\nUnite said there had been \"significant progress\" in talks with the Welsh government and calling off Monday's strike would \"facilitate the continuation of these discussions\".\n\nPrevious action came after ambulance staff rejected a Welsh government pay offer of 3% for 2022-23.\n\nMore than half of Wales' ambulance workers took action in a dispute over pay and working conditions in February\n\nAt the time, Unite's Richard Munn said the offer was \"not good enough\" for workers who were at \"breaking point\".\n\nThe offer was on top of the average 4.5% paid to health workers last autumn.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/uk-wales-64841198"}
{"title":"Stephen Bear jailed for sharing sex video on OnlyFans - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-03","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"The reality TV contestant shared footage of himself and Georgia Harrison on OnlyFans.","section":"Essex","content":"This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Stephen Bear won Celebrity Big Brother in 2016 and also appeared on MTV's Ex on the Beach\n\nReality TV contestant Stephen Bear has been jailed for 21 months for sharing a private video of him having sex with his ex-partner.\n\nBear, 33, shared CCTV footage of himself and Love Island star Georgia Harrison, which was uploaded to OnlyFans.\n\nHe had caused her \"extensive humiliation and embarrassment\", the judge said.\n\nMs Harrison said she had been through \"absolute hell\" since 2020.\n\n\"Today's sentence is a vindication of what I've been put through and sends a clear message that the police and courts take this matter very seriously,\" she told reporters outside Chelmsford Crown Court.\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Georgia Harrison, who has appeared on The Only Way is Essex and Love Island, spoke outside court\n\n\"I want to let all other victims of this crime know that I stand in solidarity with them and I have absolutely no regrets on waiving my anonymity.\n\n\"I hope this puts anyone off committing this sort of crime and I hope for anyone who has been a victim of it, it gives them some sort of justice.\"\n\nBear was found guilty of voyeurism and disclosing private, sexual photographs and films in December.\n\nAhead of his sentencing, he posed for a selfie outside the court building and began to sing Lady In Red to a reporter wearing a red coat.\n\nAs he was led down to the cells, he raised a hand to wave from the secure dock, and said: \"Have a good evening. Enjoy the weekend everyone.\"\n\nThe Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) said he had shown a \"complete lack of remorse\".\n\nGeorgia Harrison hugs a woman outside court after the sentencing of Stephen Bear\n\nBear was given a restraining order to not contact Ms Harrison, who has appeared on The Only Way Is Essex and Olivia Meets Her Match, for five years.\n\nHe was also ordered to sign the sex offenders register and will be subject to notification requirements for 10 years.\n\nJacqueline Carey KC, prosecuting, told an earlier trial that Ms Harrison and Bear had consensual sex at his home in Loughton, Essex, but Ms Harrison did not know they were being recorded.\n\nMs Harrison said that when Bear showed her the footage she told him \"never to send\" it to anyone and \"made it plain how upset she would be if he did\", the prosecutor said.\n\nStephen Bear, pictured arriving at an earlier hearing, posed for selfies outside of court ahead of sentencing\n\nThe victim said she saw Bear send the footage to someone on WhatsApp later that day, and later that year she was made aware it was circulating online.\n\nMs Carey said Bear uploaded the footage \"either himself or had it uploaded to OnlyFans and profited financially\".\n\nJudge Christopher Morgan, sentencing, said the disgraced reality TV personality \"wished to exploit the economic value of the recording\", as Ms Harrison \"would have been known and recognised by many people\".\n\nThis Twitter post cannot be displayed in your browser. Please enable Javascript or try a different browser. View original tweet on Twitter The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Skip twitter post by Essex Police 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\u2019s cookie policy, external and privacy policy, external before accepting. To view this content choose \u2018accept and continue\u2019. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.\n\nFollowing the hearing, Hannah von Dadelszen, deputy chief crown prosecutor for CPS East of England, said: \"I want to commend Georgia Harrison for the bravery and determination she has shown throughout this case.\n\n\"By contrast, Stephen Bear showed a complete lack of remorse by never accepting responsibility for his abusive behaviour, even going so far as to place the blame on Ms Harrison.\n\n\"Although she lives a public life, Georgia Harrison has the right to privacy.\n\n\"But that was taken away by Bear to make money in the most egregious way.\"\n\nBear was arrested at Heathrow Airport in January 2021\n\nHer thoughts were echoed by Det Con Brian Sitch of Essex Police, who praised Ms Harrison for her \"immense bravery and patience\".\n\n\"This young woman stood in a court room, in front of strangers and went over the most personal details of her private life,\" he added.\n\n\"She had to sit her family down and explain to them that this video had been leaked.\n\n\"This was all because Stephen Bear thought he could secretly film his former partner and thought he could get away with appalling crimes.\"\n\nFind BBC News: East of England on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter. If you have a story suggestion email eastofenglandnews@bbc.co.uk\n\nThe BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/uk-england-essex-64836055"}
{"title":"Ken Bruce thanks listeners as he signs off from Radio 2 - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-03","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"The veteran DJ praises \"the finest broadcasting institution in the world\" as he closes his final show.","section":"Entertainment & Arts","content":"Bruce assisting fellow Radio 2 presenter Rylan Clark with his 24-hour Karaoke Challenge in 2019 Image caption: Bruce assisting fellow Radio 2 presenter Rylan Clark with his 24-hour Karaoke Challenge in 2019\n\nSome Radio 2 listeners are unhappy with the station's current playlist, which is increasingly favouring more recent music from the 1990s and 2000s over the 1970s and 1980s.\n\nBut that's due to the station's efforts to attract the next generation of Radio 2 listeners, primarily people in their 30s and 40s who have moved on from Radio 1.\n\nSpeaking to BBC News, Bruce said: \"Any radio station has its policy, and that's only right and proper, and you follow the station policy.\"\n\nBut on his new show on Greatest Hits Radio (GHR), Bruce said: \"I'll be playing the stuff I like. And I'll be trying to introduce the odd track that I like into the playlist for GHR.\"\n\nStations such as GHR and Boom Radio have positioned themselves as alternatives to Radio 2 for older listeners - the baby boomer generation - who feel the station no longer caters to them.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/live\/entertainment-arts-64833986"}
{"title":"Wayne Shorter: Legendary jazz saxophonist dies at 89 - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-03","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"The 12-time Grammy award winner is credited with shaping much of 20th Century jazz music.","section":"US & Canada","content":"Wayne Shorter is credited with shaping much of 20th century jazz music\n\nOne of the greatest jazz saxophonists, Wayne Shorter, has died in Los Angeles at the age of 89.\n\nA well-known figure on the jazz circuit in the late 1950s, Shorter is credited with shaping much of 20th Century jazz music.\n\nThe 12-time Grammy award winner played alongside several greats, including Miles Davis, Carlos Santana and Herbie Hancock.\n\nHe died surrounded by his family on Thursday, his publicist confirmed.\n\nTributes that poured in from social media shared a common sentiment: gone, but not forgotten.\n\nThis Twitter post cannot be displayed in your browser. Please enable Javascript or try a different browser. View original tweet on Twitter The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Skip twitter post by Herbie Hancock 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\u2019s cookie policy, external and privacy policy, external before accepting. To view this content choose \u2018accept and continue\u2019. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.\n\nIn the 1950s, he played with the Jazz Messengers among the likes of Blakey, Lee Morgan and Freddie Hubbard, eventually becoming the group's musical director.\n\nBut in 1964 he was swooped away after several attempts by jazz legend Miles Davis to become part of Davis' Second Great Quintet. It was there he played alongside the prolific pianist Hancock.\n\nShorter had also released solo albums as early as 1959, including the acclaimed Speak No Evil, Night Dreamer and JuJu.\n\nRecording solo albums gave him more creative freedom. He began fusing jazz with rock and Latin music, birthing the sounds admired in his next musical group Weather Report.\n\nAdding funk and R&B grooves, in 1977 Shorter's Heavy Weather album went platinum and reached the US top 30 charts.\n\nBy the late 1970s, Shorter had left the Second Great Quintet and joined Hubbard and Hancock in forming VSOP. The group recorded the 1994 Grammy-winning album A Tribute to Miles, following Davis' death. In 1997, he also played with the Rolling Stones on their album Bridges to Babylon.\n\nWayne Shorter was born in Newark, New Jersey, in 1933, and initially played the clarinet at age 15. Soon after he moved on to tenor and soprano on saxophone and studied music at university before spending two years in the US Army.\n\nAmong the dozen Grammy awards he won, Shorter received a Lifetime Achievement award in 2015.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/world-us-canada-64830949"}
{"title":"Motor neurone disease: Jason Bowen on his MND diagnosis - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-03","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"Jason Bowen describes the pain of telling his wife and three sons he has motor neurone disease.","section":"Wales","content":"This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Ex-Wales footballer Jason Bowen says receiving his MND diagnosis was devastating for him and his family\n\nHeartbreak, tears and lots of talking - these were the reactions of Jason Bowen's family after he told them he had motor neurone disease (MND).\n\nThe former Wales footballer and father of three, 50, is determined not to look too far ahead and to enjoy the present.\n\nA debilitating condition that affects the brain and nerves, there is currently no cure for MND.\n\nIt claimed the life of rugby player Doddie Weir, while rugby league star Rob Burrow is living with the disease.\n\n\"They were heartbroken,\" said Bowen, who played for Swansea City, Cardiff City and Birmingham City.\n\n\"[There were] a lot of tears, a lot of talking and just trying to stay positive.\"\n\nHis voice breaks as he reflects on telling his loved-ones he was living with a condition he knew was incurable and can significantly shorten life expectancy.\n\nBowen's first thoughts turned to his three sons - Jaye, 27, Theo, 14, and Sam, 22, a footballer himself and on the books of Newport County, one of his dad's former clubs.\n\nBowen with grandson Carter, now three, and Sam, on the day his son signed for Cardiff City - Sam has since moved to Newport County\n\n\"We still have a lot of banter and things, they treat me as normal which has been great,\" he said.\n\n\"They're very supportive and help out as much as they can as well.\"\n\nFit and healthy his whole life, Bowen hung up his boots in 2013, aged 40, after a spell with Llanelli Town.\n\nThe Merthyr Tydfil-born 50-year-old, who now lives in Langstone, Newport, then started a new career as a railway engineer.\n\nIt was about two years ago he first noticed something was potentially wrong.\n\nIt is the second time Hayley has seen a close loved-one diagnosed with the condition\n\n\"I was in the house with my wife and had a lot of twitching in my muscles going down my left side, and my hand was getting a little bit weaker,\" he said.\n\n\"So she said 'look, you're off work, go to the doctor's'.\n\n\"Within five weeks I was diagnosed with MND.\"\n\nWhile the speed of the diagnosis may have shocked him and his family, he praised wife Hayley, 49, for her support and how she has helped him stay positive.\n\n\"My wife has been superb from the start, she's on the internet looking up things,\" he said.\n\n\"She's been amazing, she's pushing me all the way.\"\n\nJason Bowen, pictured playing for Cardiff City in 1999, also had spells at Birmingham City and Reading\n\nOne of the first things he thought about before telling her was the fact Hayley's mother had died from MND about 18 years ago.\n\n\"It was a bit of a double whammy for my wife because obviously she cared for her mother,\" he added.\n\n\"I think Beryl only lasted two, two-and-a-half years with the disease and then she passed.\"\n\nWhile it mainly affects people in their 60s and 70s, MND can be diagnosed in people of any age.\n\nFormer Scotland rugby union international Doddie Weir died last November, aged 52, after raising millions of pounds for research into the disease and being appointed OBE.\n\nRob Burrow, 40, a rugby league star for Leeds Rhinos, was diagnosed in 2019 and appointed MBE for raising awareness of the condition.\n\nBowen is still learning to live with the condition and has been attending a rehabilitation clinic\n\nFor Bowen, who won two caps for Wales, he is still learning to live with his new circumstances, and has recently started attending a rehabilitation centre for people with neurological conditions.\n\nJakko Brouwers, from the Morrello Clinic in Newport, has worked with him for a year, and said: \"At first it was more finding out where is Jason in his diagnostic pathway, and how is he in himself.\n\n\"We set out to measure his fitness levels, and to map where he has weakness caused by the condition, but also weakness caused by non-use.\"\n\nMr Brouwers added Bowen was doing well, and that his footballing background meant he was in tune with his body and able to push harder when asked.\n\nThe different exercises have helped him keep on top of his symptoms.\n\nBowen is determined to continue enjoying life and have trips with his family\n\nBowen added: \"The saying they've got [at Morrello] is 'maintain until you lose it'.\n\n\"They've been really positive, mentally as well as physically.\"\n\nFor now, Bowen believes he is dealing with the illness and will keep that focus, saying he does not want to look \"too far into the future\" and instead enjoy living in the present with his family. \"The last couple of years, it's just my hand gradually getting a little bit worse,\" he said.\n\n\"I struggle to do little things like buttons and belts and laces. But I can still do a lot of things.\"I know further down the line things might get a bit more difficult for me, but I'll meet them head-on and give them as best a go as I can.\"\n\nHe believes his professional sports background has also helped him.\n\n\"You've got to be a little bit tough because you get ups and downs with football,\" Bowen added.\n\n\"Apart from the two weeks at the start, I think mentally I've been OK, and just filling my mind with trying to keep as healthy as I can.\"","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/uk-wales-64823856"}
{"title":"Hong Kong 47: UK MPs call for release of ex-lawmaker Claudia Mo - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-03","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"The group of 54 politicians are calling for Claudia Mo's release so she can visit her ill husband.","section":"China","content":"Former Hong Kong pro-democracy lawmaker Claudia Mo has been detained since 2021\n\nA group of 54 British MPs and public figures have called for the release of a former Hong Kong lawmaker so she can visit her critically-ill husband.\n\nClaudia Mo, 66, has been in detention since being arrested in 2021 under a controversial national security law.\n\nHer husband, British journalist Philip Bowring, has pneumonia and is in a Hong Kong intensive care ward.\n\nThe group has urged the UK Foreign Secretary to raise the family's case with Hong Kong authorities.\n\n\"Considering Philip's deteriorating medical condition, we urge you to intercede on Claudia Mo's behalf with the Hong Kong government... so she can be with her husband,\" read the letter, sent on 24 February.\n\nIt also argued the UK's foreign office bore a \"special responsibility\" for Ms Mo's welfare as her husband and two children are UK citizens.\n\nMs Mo had previously also held British citizenship which she gave up after becoming a member of Hong Kong's parliament, the Legislative Council.\n\nThe former lawmaker is one of the so-called Hong Kong 47 group- who are on trial for alleged \"subversion\". She was one of the dozens in the pro-democracy parties arrested for organising and holding an unofficial primary vote in 2020.\n\nThe group includes some of the city's most prominent pro-democracy figures, such as student activist Joshua Wong and law professor Benny Tai. Most of them have been detained the past two years on security grounds.\n\nThe rights group that organised the letter, the UK-based Hong Kong Watch, told the BBC they had received no response yet from Foreign Secretary James Cleverly.\n\nSignatories include Hong Kong's last British governor Chris Patten, former Foreign Secretary Sir Malcolm Rifkind, chairman of the Conservative Party's 1922 Committee Sir Graham Brady and former Liberal Democrat leader Tim Farron.\n\nIt urges the UK government to press Hong Kong authorities and secure the release of the Hong Kong 47 opposition lawmakers and activists.\n\nThe letter also notes that many of the 47 charged possess British National Overseas (BNO) status, which under a special visa scheme enables Hong Kong residents to come to the UK for up to five years and apply for permanent residency.\n\nThe trial of the Hong Kong 47 is currently ongoing - but 31 people including Ms Mo, Mr Wong and Mr Tai have already pleaded guilty and will be sentenced after the trial.\n\nCritics say the national security law is being used as a tool to crush civil dissent, but Chinese and Hong Kong authorities maintain it is needed to curb unrest.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/world-asia-china-64807507"}
{"title":"Complaints about my drunken behaviour saved my life, says MP Neil Coyle - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-03","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"Neil Coyle faces five day suspension from Commons after engaging in \"foul-mouthed and drunken abuse\".","section":"UK Politics","content":"This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Neil Coyle tells the Commons he has not touched alcohol for a year after drunken outbursts\n\nMP Neil Coyle has thanked a parliamentary assistant and journalist for \"possibly saving my life\", after they complained about his behaviour.\n\nMr Coyle - who sits as an independent after being suspended by Labour - is facing a five day ban from the Commons over \"foul-mouthed and drunken abuse\".\n\nApologising for his behaviour, the MP said the complaints forced him to address his relationship with alcohol.\n\nHe said he had since gone a year without drinking.\n\nHis apology to the House of Commons, came after a report found he had breached harassment rules.\n\nThe Independent Expert Panel, which oversees the complaint's process, said Mr Coyle's behaviour towards a parliamentary assistant had been \"shocking and intimidating\".\n\nIt also said he had used \"abusive language with racial overtones\" towards parliamentary journalist Henry Dyer. Both incidents took place in the Strangers' Bar in the House of Commons.\n\nMr Coyle, MP for Bermondsey and Old Southwark since 2015, was suspended from Labour when the allegations first emerged. He was also banned from bars in Parliament for six months.\n\nSir Stephen Irwin, chair of the Independent Expert Panel, said: \"In relation to both episodes, it was clear that very marked abuse of alcohol was at the root of events.\n\n\"Since the incident, the respondent has taken considerable steps to ensure no repetition of the behaviour, including informing us that he has stopped drinking alcohol.\"\n\nMr Coyle accepted the panel's decision and speaking in the House of Commons, he apologised to his constituents, local Labour Party members and his family.\n\nHe said he was \"ashamed\" of his past behaviour but was \"resolute\" in his desire to change adding: \"I need to show them [his family] this was an aberration and ensure they can, once again, be proud of me.\"\n\nHe also expressed gratitude to the two complainants.\n\n\"It forced me to recognise that my drinking had become a dependency and to seek help.\n\n\"On March 1 this week I celebrated a year since I stopped drinking and would not have been able to stop without their effective intervention.\n\n\"In the healthcare received since last February, it's also been made abundantly clear to me that had I not stopped drinking it'd have likely caused a significant stroke or worse.\n\n\"Their intervention has quite possibly saved my life.\"\n\nIn its report, the Independent Expert Panel also criticised one of the complainants, Mr Dyer for speaking publicly about his complaint while the investigation was ongoing.\n\nSir Stephen said it led to \"wide publicity and to reputational damage to the respondent, before there had been any investigation or findings as to what had happened\".\n\nThe panel ruled the breach of confidentiality was \"egregious\" but said it hadn't materially affected the investigation.\n\nMr Dyer wrote about the incident with Mr Coyle on the Insider news website in February 2022, in which he said the MP had made comments about his racial background.\n\nResponding to the panel's report, the journalist, who now works for the Guardian, said: \"Everyone working in Parliament should be able to do so without harassment and abuse.\n\n\"I spoke out to raise awareness of racism, particularly anti-Asian racism, and of inappropriate conduct.\"\n\nHe said he was grateful to the ICGS (Independent Complaints and Grievance Scheme) \"for the way in which they have handled this matter, and to my colleagues and friends for their support and kindness.\n\n\"I am pleased this process has concluded and I can get on with my work as a journalist reporting on Westminster.\"","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/uk-politics-64835939"}
{"title":"As it happened: Alex Murdaugh: Lawyer sentenced to life after murdering wife and son - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-03","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"A judge in South Carolina says the former lawyer will \"spend the rest of his natural life\" in prison for killing his wife and son.","section":"US & Canada","content":"Where did all of this take place?\n\nThe murder trial was set against the backdrop of South Carolina\u2019s sprawling Lowcountry, a rural area where oak trees are dripping with Spanish moss and the coastal waterways lead to the Atlantic Ocean. If you enjoy hunting, oyster roasts, or sipping tea on a wrap around porch, then South Carolina\u2019s low country is the place for you. In a lot of ways, Hampton County seems like it\u2019s frozen in time. It\u2019s a sleepy southern town where generations of the same families have grown up together. And it was once a place where the last name Murdaugh could get you really far. Perhaps that\u2019s why these murders \u2014 and the air of mystery surrounding Alex Murdaugh himself \u2014 has rocked this charming southern village to its core.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/live\/world-us-canada-64831114"}
{"title":"James Cleverly says Falklands are British as Argentina ends deal - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-03","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"Argentina has broken a co-operation deal and is calling for talks over the sovereignty of the Falklands.","section":"UK","content":"The Falkland Islands are a British overseas territory in the south-west Atlantic Ocean\n\nThe UK has insisted the Falkland Islands are British after Argentina broke a co-operation deal and pushed for talks on the islands' sovereignty.\n\nIn 2016, both sides agreed to disagree on the sovereignty of the Falklands in favour of improved relations.\n\nArgentina pulled out of the pact this week and informed UK Foreign Secretary James Cleverly.\n\nThe Falkland Islands were subject to a bloody war in 1982 when Argentina tried to stake a territorial claim.\n\nIn response, Mr Cleverly tweeted: \"The Falkland Islands are British.\n\n\"Islanders have the right to decide their own future - they have chosen to remain a self-governing UK Overseas Territory.\"\n\nThe 2016 agreement between Argentina and the UK pledged to \"improve co-operation on South Atlantic issues of mutual interests\".\n\nMr Cleverly was informed about the decision by his Argentinean counterpart Santiago Cafiero when the pair met at the G20 summit in India earlier this week.\n\nMr Cafier called for talks on the sovereignty of the Falkland Islands, known in Argentina as the Malvinas.\n\nThe UK's minister for the Americas, David Rutley, said it was a \"disappointing decision\" after he had had a \"constructive visit\" to Buenos Aires.\n\n\"Argentina has chosen to step away from an agreement that has brought comfort to the families of those who died in the 1982 conflict,\" he said.\n\nThe Falkland Islands are a British overseas territory in the south-west Atlantic Ocean. Argentina has long claimed sovereignty over the islands.\n\nArgentina invaded in 1982 in a bid to reclaim sovereignty and said it had inherited the Falkland Islands from Spain in the 1800s.\n\nA brief but bitter war lasting 74 days followed - with 655 Argentinian, 255 British and three Falkland deaths - before British forces regained control on 14 June 1982.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/uk-64835605"}
{"title":"Genevieve Lhermitte: Belgian mother who killed her five children euthanised - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-03","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"Genevieve Lhermitte chose to die in Belgium on the anniversary of her children's deaths.","section":"Europe","content":"Lhermitte seen in court before her conviction in 2008\n\nA Belgian woman who murdered her five children has been euthanised at her own request, 16 years after the killings.\n\nGenevieve Lhermitte killed her son and four daughters, aged three to 14, in the town of Nivelles on 28 February 2007, while their father was away.\n\nShe then tried to take her own life but failed, and ended up calling emergency services for help.\n\nThe 56-year-old was sentenced to life in prison in 2008, before being moved to a psychiatric hospital in 2019.\n\nIn Belgium the law allows for people to choose to be euthanised if they are deemed to be suffering from \"unbearable\" psychological, and not just physical, suffering that cannot be healed.\n\nThe person must be conscious of their decision and be able to express their wish in a reasoned and consistent manner.\n\n\"It is this specific procedure that Mrs Lhermitte followed, with the various medical opinions having been collected,\" her lawyer said.\n\nPsychologist Emilie Maroit told the RTL-TVI channel that Lhermitte likely chose to die on 28 February in a \"symbolic gesture in respect for her children\".\n\n\"It may also have been for her to finish what she started, because basically she wanted to end her life when she killed them,\" the psychologist said.\n\nThe quintuple murders in 2007, and the subsequent trial, rocked Belgium.\n\nDuring the trial Lhermitte's lawyers argued she was mentally disturbed and should not be sent to prison. But the jury found her guilty of premeditated murder and sentenced her to life in jail.\n\nIn 2010 Lhermitte filed a civil lawsuit demanding up to three million euros (\u00a32,655,840) from a former psychiatrist, claiming his \"inaction\" failed to prevent the murders, but she ended up abandoning the legal battle after 10 years.\n\nIn 2022, some 2,966 people died via euthanasia in Belgium, an increase of 10% compared to 2021.\n\nCancer remains the most common reason, but officials said in nearly three out of four requests the patient presented \"several types of suffering, both physical and psychological\".\n\nSince 2014, Belgium has allowed children to be helped to die as well as adults, if they are terminally ill and in great pain and if they have parental consent.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/world-europe-64835051"}
{"title":"Airlines sue Dutch government over flight cuts - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-03","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"The government cited noise pollution and climate concerns in its decision to restrict flights.","section":"Science & Environment","content":"Five airlines are suing the Dutch government over plans to cut the number of flights operating from Europe's third-busiest airport.\n\nThe government cited local concerns at Amsterdam Schiphol about the impact of flying on noise pollution and climate in its decision.\n\nAirlines KLM, Easyjet, Delta, Tui and Corenden say the plans are in breach of EU and international law.\n\nThe cap would reduce the annual number of flights from 500,000 to 440,000.\n\nThe government says it wants to strike a balance between the economic benefits of a large airport and a healthy living environment, prioritising tackling noise pollution.\n\nGlobal aviation is responsible for 2.4% of global greenhouse gas emissions. These gases warm the atmosphere, contributing to global warming and climate change.\n\nOn Friday, KLM announced its intention to challenge the government's plans along with the four other airlines.\n\nIn a statement the companies said they are \"confident they can reduce noise levels and CO2 emissions while maintaining a network of destinations for the millions of passengers and tonnes of cargo they carry annually to and from Schiphol.\"\n\nThe International Air Transport Association is supporting the legal action with a separate challenge, claiming \"no meaningful consultation\" with the industry has been undertaken.\n\nIn response, a spokesperson for the Dutch Ministry of Infrastructure said: \"As we are currently facing a potential legal procedure we cannot at this time respond to the arguments shared by KLM and other parties.\"\n\nThey pointed to the ministry's decision to reduce the number of flights, which highlights that residents are concerned about noise pollution and \"the impact of the airport on their health, the natural environment and the climate more generally.\"\n\nThe aviation industry globally is wrestling with the challenge of reducing its carbon footprint, including by investing in the development of greener fuels.\n\n\"The aviation industry is pursuing a net-zero CO2 emissions goal. This will be achieved primarily through sustainable aviation fuels and new technology. Displacing flights from one airport to another is not going to tackle aviation emissions,\" an IATA spokesperson told BBC News.\n\nLast week scientists at the Royal Society warned that climate-friendly flying remains out of reach as there are currently no clear alternatives to jet fuel.\n\nDemand for flights is expected to increase despite the growing threat to the planet from global warming. Some environmentalists say that taxes should be introduced to discourage frequent flying.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/science-environment-64842394"}
{"title":"Putin accuses Ukraine of border 'terrorist act' in Russian village - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-03","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"Kyiv denies Moscow's claim that Ukrainian saboteurs fired at civilians in a Russian village.","section":"Europe","content":"Russian President Vladimir Putin says a Ukrainian sabotage group entered a Russian border region on Thursday and opened fire on civilians in a \"terrorist act\".\n\nThe governor of Bryansk region said \"saboteurs from Ukraine\" had fired at a civilian car in Lyubechane, a border village, killing two men and wounding a 10-year-old boy.\n\nThe alleged incident has not been independently verified.\n\nMykhaylo Podolyak, an adviser to Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky, tweeted that it was \"a classic deliberate provocation\". \"RF [Russia] wants to scare its people to justify the attack on another country,\" he said.\n\nRussia has previously reported some Ukrainian missile and drone strikes on Russian border areas, including Bryansk region. But there have been no confirmed reports of Ukrainian ground forces infiltrating Russia.\n\nRussia's Federal Security Service (FSB) said FSB forces and regular troops on Thursday clashed with \"Ukrainian nationalists\" who had crossed into Russia and taken hostages.\n\nThe FSB said the \"nationalists\" were then hit with a massive Russian artillery strike and pushed back into Ukraine. They left a large cache of explosives in the village, the FSB alleged.\n\nWhen Russia launched its large-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022 President Putin branded the Kyiv government \"nationalists\" and \"neo-Nazis\", arguing that Russia had to act against them.\n\nPresident Zelensky was democratically elected, has Jewish origins and has no far-right politicians in his government.\n\nSpeaking on Russian state TV on Thursday President Putin said \"today they committed another terrorist act, another crime, penetrated the border area and opened fire on civilians\".\n\n\"They saw that it was a civilian car, that civilians and children were sitting there, and opened fire. It is exactly such people who set themselves the task of depriving us of historical memory. They will achieve nothing, we will put the squeeze on them,\" he said.\n\nA video has appeared online claiming to show members of the Ukraine-based Russian Volunteer Corps (RVC) outside a local clinic. One armed man in the video, posted on Telegram, says they crossed into Russia.\n\nThe investigative journalism group Bellingcat Monitoring describes the RVC as \"a unit officially formed last year made up primarily of anti-Putin, anti-Kremlin Russian far-right figures active in Ukraine\".\n\nA Bellingcat expert, Michael Colborne, has identified one of the men in the video as RVC leader Denis Kapustin, who also uses the surname Nikitin.\n\n\"This RVC seems to do very little actual fighting, or at least serious fighting, and Kapustin may have physical combat sports training but he is not from any sort of military background,\" Mr Colborne told the BBC.\n\nIn a text post with the video the RVC said it \"entered Bryansk region to show our compatriots that there is hope, that free Russians carrying arms can fight the regime\".\n\nCommenting on the RVC claim, a Ukrainian military intelligence official, Andriy Yusov, said \"these are people who are fighting with arms against the Putin regime and those who support him... Perhaps Russians are beginning to wake up, realise something and take some concrete steps\".\n\nThis week Mr Putin accused Ukraine and Western spies of intensifying operations inside Russia. Russian officials said a drone crashed in the Kolomna district just 100km (62 miles) from Moscow - though it was not confirmed to be Ukrainian - while two Ukrainian drones were allegedly shot down in southern Russia.\n\nPreviously Russia said drones had attacked an airbase in southern Russia used for launching bomber strikes on Ukraine. Kyiv has not claimed drone attacks inside Russia, accusing the Kremlin of propaganda.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/world-europe-64826028"}
{"title":"Tesco paddleboard: Bereaved family say all boards need quick release leashes - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-03","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"Emma Powell, 24, died after becoming trapped under the water while paddleboarding last July.","section":"Wales","content":"Emma Powell died just hours after buying a paddleboard from Tesco near Llandudno, Conwy county\n\nThe family of a woman who died while paddleboarding has said all paddleboard need quick release leashes.\n\nEmma Powell, 24, died after becoming trapped under the water while paddleboarding on the River Conwy estuary last July.\n\nTesco, who sold Emma the board, has said it will now attach a safety sticker to all its paddleboards.\n\nEmma's brother-in-law Mike Tasker said Tesco's response was \"somewhat good\", but pushed for further change.\n\n\"I think more needs to be done. The ankle leash Emma had on that night supplied with the board was simply the cause of our beloved Emma's passing.\"\n\nHe said he will push for more brands to use \"quick release waist leashes\", which he said if Emma had been using \"she would still have been here, fact\".\n\n\"If we can prevent this from happening in the future, we will do everything we can in our power to prevent this,\" he added.\n\nEmma Powell died just hours after buying a paddleboard from Tesco near Llandudno, Conwy county\n\nA coroner at the inquest into Emma's death, in December, raised concerns over paddleboard safety, including the use of ankle leashes and retailers' responsibilities.\n\nShe died just hours after she and her cousin, Amber Powell, had purchased a paddleboard each from a Tesco store near Llandudno.\n\nThe inquest heard that neither of the pair were wearing life jackets and, while the water was choppy, the weather was not bad.\n\nBut after Emma's board crashed into the side of a jetty the 24-year-old became trapped underneath the water.\n\nThe sticker that Tesco will attach to all its stand-up paddleboards, created by British Canoeing, will show the correct ways to wear a leash in different paddling conditions.\n\nA QR code on the sticker will also link to a webpage offering further safety advice.\n\nBritish Canoeing, which has been promoting the provision of paddleboard safety advice by retailers since the rise in popularity of the activity, said the move by Tesco was a \"crucial step\" and it now expects other major supermarkets to follow suit.\n\nChief executive of British Canoeing, Ashley Metcalfe, said: \"Provision of safety information and resources by retailers, manufacturers, and suppliers at the point of sale is key to raising awareness of safety among new and novice paddlers.\n\n\"Tragically over the past couple of years there have been several fatalities involving new and novice paddlers.\"\n\nMr Tasker added: \"The passing of Emma will never leave us, nobody should have to suffer in the way she did along with her family and friends.\n\n\"It's affected us deeply and will continue on forever. We miss her a lot.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/uk-wales-64834022"}
{"title":"John Caldwell shooting: Four from Protestant backgrounds among arrests - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-03","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"Police still believe the shooting of DCI John Caldwell was carried out and claimed by the New IRA.","section":"Northern Ireland","content":"Det Ch Insp John Caldwell has been involved in a number of major investigations\n\nCriminals from a Protestant background who have links to dissident republicans are among those arrested over the attempted murder of one of Northern Ireland's top detectives.\n\nThe detail emerged at a Policing Board meeting on Thursday.\n\nDet Ch Insp John Caldwell was shot several times in Omagh last week and is still critically ill in hospital.\n\nFour of those held for questioning in recent days are believed to have been from a Protestant background.\n\nBut police still believe the shooting was carried out and claimed by dissident republican group the New IRA.\n\nSpeaking at the meeting, Assistant Chief Constable Mark McEwan said there had been some speculation about the motivation of the shooting because of the background of some of those who had been arrested.\n\n\"The individuals being speculated about are involved in criminality and have quite strong and long associations with dissident republicans, namely the New IRA,\" he said.\n\n\"We are clear that this is still being assessed as an attack carried out by the New IRA and that's where the primary focus of the investigation is at this point.\"\n\nACC McEwan's comments followed a question by Sinn F\u00e9in's Gerry Kelly about the background of those who had been questioned by police.\n\nMr Kelly went on to ask if there was believed to be a \"loyalist connection\" in the investigation.\n\nACC McEwan said people should not get \"confused\" with titles such as loyalism.\n\n\"These are people who are involved in criminality. They have strong links to members of the New IRA - those are long-standing links,\" he said.\n\n\"They have been arrested because we have suspected them of being involved in this.\n\n\"We still assess that this has been an attack carried out by the New IRA, who have very explicitly stated that they wish to carry out attacks on police officers.\n\n\"John has been the target on this occasion.\"\n\nA week after the attempted murder, police stopped cars near the car park where Det Ch Insp John Caldwell was shot\n\nDet Ch Insp John Caldwell was shot several times in front of his young son in the car park of a sports complex in Omagh on 22 February.\n\nOfficers revisited the scene to stop cars and ask drivers if they had any information about the attack on Wednesday, one week on from the attack.\n\nDet Ch Insp Caldwell remains in a critical but stable condition in hospital.\n\nAlso on Wednesday a 33-year-old man was arrested in Omagh, County Tyrone, and a 57-year-old man was detained in Belfast, both under the Terrorism Act.\n\nA 71-year-old man arrested in connection with the attempted murder was released on Wednesday evening and a 47-year-old man was released on Thursday evening.\n\nFour other men were released on Tuesday evening.\n\nThe dissident republican group the New IRA has said it shot Det Ch Insp Caldwell.\n\nThe Police Service of Northern Ireland said two gunmen fired 10 shots at the officer as he was putting footballs into the boot of his car.\n\nAt least two other vehicles were hit by bullets, police said, while children ran away in terror.\n\nOn Monday, police released CCTV footage of the car believed to be used by the gunmen.\n\nA blue Ford Fiesta had been bought in Ballyclare in County Antrim two weeks before the attack and stored in Belfast, where its plates were changed.\n\nIt was then spotted on the M1 driving towards the direction of Coalisland and Omagh the day before the shooting.\n\nPolice have said a blue Ford Fiesta was bought two weeks before the shooting and stored in Belfast\n\nThe car was later found burnt out on the Racolpa Road outside Omagh.\n\nA reward of up to \u00a320,000 is being offered by the Crimestoppers charity.\n\nThe New IRA used a typed statement taped to a wall beside shops in the Creggan estate in Londonderry to claim it was responsible for shooting Det Ch Insp Caldwell.\n\nA forensic team was at the scene on Monday morning and removed the statement for further examination.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/uk-northern-ireland-64817879"}
{"title":"Matt Hancock: More leaked texts mock people in hotel quarantine - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-03","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"The latest messages show Matt Hancock and his aide discussing people \"locked up\" in hotel \"box rooms\".","section":"UK Politics","content":"People in hotel quarantine during lockdown were mocked during exchanges between ministers and officials, leaked texts appear to show.\n\nMessages published by the Telegraph seem to show Matt Hancock and Simon Case discussing travellers being \"locked up\" in \"shoe box\" hotel rooms.\n\nMr Hancock also suggests police should be told to enforce rules more strongly.\n\nOther texts show Boris Johnson describing a \u00a310,000 fine on two people who broke quarantine rules as \"superb\".\n\nThey are the latest in a slew of revelations to come from the leak.\n\nThe messages, which the BBC has not independently verified or seen in their full context, were among some 100,000 sent between ministers and officials during the pandemic, and handed to The Telegraph by journalist Isabel Oakeshott.\n\nMs Oakeshott, a longstanding critic of lockdowns, was given them while helping Mr Hancock write his book, Pandemic Diaries.\n\nHe has described the leak as a \"massive betrayal\" used to produce \"a partial, biased account to suit an anti-lockdown agenda\".\n\nBut the messages do give an insight into the inner workings of the government as it grappled with containing the spread of Covid-19.\n\nIn an exchange on 16 February 2021, Simon Case, who holds the most senior position in the civil service as cabinet secretary, asked Mr Hancock if he knew \"how many people we locked up in hotels yesterday\".\n\nThe message was sent the day after England introduced mandatory quarantine for arrivals from 33 high-risk countries.\n\nMr Hancock replied: \"None. But 149 chose to enter the country and are now in quarantine hotels due to their own free will!\"\n\nMr Hancock also wrote: \"We are giving big families all the suites and putting pop stars in the box rooms.\"\n\nMr Case replied: \"I just want to see some of the faces of people coming out of first class into a Premier Inn shoe box.\"\n\nPeople affected by the policy at the time described the way it was implemented as a \"mess\" and being kept in a hotel as like living in a \"prison\".\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser.\n\nIn an earlier exchange, on 28 August 2020, Mr Case, then the Downing Street permanent secretary, asked Mr Hancock \"who actually is delivering enforcement\", apparently during a discussion about lockdowns.\n\nMr Hancock replied: \"I think we are going to have to get heavy with the police.\"\n\nIn another message in January 2021, Mr Hancock appears to be describing what was talked about at a meeting of senior figures, including the prime minister.\n\nAfter summarising a discussion about the enforcement of lockdown, he says: \"The plod got their marching orders.\"\n\nDuring the pandemic, the police were often criticised for enforcing lockdown rules in a way that many considered over-zealous, with fines issued to dog walkers and protesters.\n\nBut surveys at the time suggested most people supported how the police were enforcing the new rules.\n\nLabour's shadow home secretary Yvette Cooper said the exchanges revealed the \"arrogance and shameful lack of respect\" of ministers towards the police.\n\n\"At the same time as they were flagrantly breaking the law themselves with their lockdown parties, they were demanding stronger enforcement by the police on everyone else.\"\n\nThe Police Federation of England and Wales said Mr Hancock's messages showed a \"total lack of respect\" for officers at the heart of the government.\n\nSteve Hartshorn, national chairman of the organisation which represents more than 130,000 rank-and-file officers said police put \"their lives and the lives of their families on the line\" during the pandemic.\n\n\"So, to discover that then government ministers referred to them as 'plod' who 'got their marching orders' is an absolute disgrace.\"\n\nSimon Case has been cabinet secretary, the most senior position in the civil service, since 2020\n\nMs Oakeshott has defended her decision to share the WhatsApp messages, saying she did so \"in the overwhelming public interest\" because no deadline has been set for the UK's public inquiry and she feared results could \"potentially\" take 10 years.\n\nPressed on whether she was considering sharing information with the public while she was helping Mr Hancock write his book, she said: \"If you're asking me, was I secretly plotting to do something quite different at the end of the project, the answer to that is no.\n\n\"If you're asking me, was I as a journalist intrigued about what else might be lurking in there, the answer is yes\", she told BBC Breakfast.\n\nThe text leak also shows that in March 2021, Mr Hancock also texted then-Prime Minister Boris Johnson a link to a news article about two people who were fined \u00a310,000 each for failing to quarantine after returning from Dubai.\n\nOther leaked messages reported by The Telegraph appear to show:\n\nThe Liberal Democrat deputy leader, Daisy Cooper, said: \"This lifts the lid on the contempt that Boris Johnson and his Conservative cronies had for the British public during the pandemic.\n\n\"They mocked and joked while breaking the rules we were all required to follow.\n\n\"The Covid inquiry must be able to get to the bottom of this sorry saga in our country's history as soon as possible. The public deserves the truth and bereaved families deserve justice.\"","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/uk-politics-64831240"}
{"title":"Sue Gray: Tory MPs angry over Labour job for Partygate probe chief - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-03","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"Top official Sue Gray has been offered a job as chief of staff to Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer.","section":"UK Politics","content":"Conservative MPs have expressed anger that Partygate investigator Sue Gray has been offered a job as Sir Keir Starmer's chief of staff.\n\nThe civil servant produced a highly critical report into lockdown parties under Boris Johnson that contributed to his downfall as PM.\n\nLabour has insisted it did not approach her until after it was published.\n\nBut Mr Johnson said it raised questions over the conclusions over her inquiry, published in May last year.\n\n\"I think people may look at it in a different light,\" he told BBC News.\n\nHe added that he \"might have cross-examined her more closely about her independence\" if \"you'd told me all the stuff that I now know\".\n\nHe added it was \"surreal\" that MPs investigating whether he misled Parliament over Partygate were planning to take her inquiry into account.\n\nIt came after the committee investigating the ex-PM published an update saying it considered her report a \"relevant fact\" in its probe.\n\nHowever, Sir Keir rejected Mr Johnson's criticism, saying he was \"delighted that respected, professional individuals want to be part of what we are doing in the Labour Party\".\n\nHe added that the former prime minister should \"confront the evidence that is there in front of him,\" which he said was \"pretty damning\".\n\nAsked earlier when contact had been made with Ms Gray, shadow chancellor Rachel Reeves said Labour had been looking for a new chief of staff \"for the last two or three months\".\n\nShe added that this was \"well after\" the civil servant's Partygate report was published.\n\nHowever, Conservative MP Alexander Stafford, a former ministerial aide to Mr Johnson, said the appointment \"doesn't pass the sniff test\".\n\n\"It really undermines the work that she's done, undermines the civil service and really puts in question Sir Keir's complete judgement,\" he told BBC Radio 4's Today programme.\n\nFormer minister Jacob Rees-Mogg, a cabinet minister under Mr Johnson, has said Ms Gray's Partygate conclusions now looked \"like a left-wing stitch up\".\n\nMs Reeves defended the appointment, saying Ms Gray commanded \"enormous respect across the political spectrum\" and had shown the \"highest integrity and standards in public life\".\n\n\"It was the parties at Downing Street and Boris Johnson's behaviour that got him into trouble, not the person writing the report,\" she added.\n\nSir Keir's team appeared to be relaxed about the criticism from Tory MPs, with a source close to the Labour leader saying \"it was something we expected\".\n\nThe government confirmed on Thursday that Ms Gray has left her position as a senior official at the levelling up and housing department.\n\nShadow minister Lucy Powell said the Labour would not appoint her until a cooling-off period recommended by the Acoba, the government's appointments watchdog, had passed.\n\nUnder the civil service code, officials of Ms Gray's seniority should wait a minimum of three months before taking up outside employment - a period that can be extended up to two years.\n\nMs Gray, who joined the civil service in the 1970s, became a household name last year when she was appointed to lead an official inquiry into gatherings in government buildings during lockdown.\n\nShe was handed the role after Mr Johnson's initial choice to lead the probe, top UK civil servant Simon Case, had to step back after after it emerged an event was held in his own office.\n\nHer report, published in May last year, found that there had been widespread rule-breaking of Covid rules within government, and criticised \"failures of leadership and judgement\" in Downing Street.\n\nA separate inquiry by the Metropolitan Police led to fines for 83 people, including Mr Johnson himself, for attending law-breaking events.\n\nThe findings of Ms Gray's report were cited by a number of Tory MPs during the wave of resignations that eventually triggered Mr Johnson's decision to quit No 10 in July.\n\nDave Penman, the boss of the FDA union that represents civil servants, said it was \"unforgivable\" for Tory MPs to question Ms Gray's integrity.\n\nHe added that \"minister after minister found it convenient to hide behind Sue and her unimpeachable reputation\" whilst she was conducting her inquiry.\n\nAlex Thomas, a former official who now works at the Institute for Government think tank, said Ms Gray's appointment was \"unusual\" and raised \"tricky questions for the civil service\".\n\nHe pointed out that she would not be the first civil servant to take on a political role, citing former diplomat Jonathan Powell's decision to work for former Labour PM Sir Tony Blair.\n\nBut he added: \"It hasn't happened before with a civil servant who was still serving of this seniority and with the public profile and career history in the deep centre of government that Sue Gray has.\"","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/uk-politics-64834134"}
{"title":"Tears and lies: Dramatic moments from Alex Murdaugh trial - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-03","authors":null,"description":"Taking the stand in his own defence, the former lawyer cried and admitted lying but denied murder.","section":null,"content":"During an eventful day in court, Alex Murdaugh maintained that he didn't kill his wife and son, but admitted lying and faced intense questioning from the prosecution.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/world-us-canada-64753588"}
{"title":"Colombia protests: Seventy-nine police officers freed after being taken hostage - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-03","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"Violence erupted after residents blockaded an oil exploration company's compound.","section":"Latin America & Caribbean","content":"This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser.\n\nA group of police officers and oilfield workers taken hostage during protests in Colombia's southern Caquet\u00e1 province have been freed, President Petro says.\n\nViolence erupted on Thursday after residents blockaded an oil exploration company's compound. They were demanding its help to build roads in the area.\n\nColombian leader Gustavo Petro had called for the 79 officers and nine Emerald Energy employees to be let go.\n\nA police officer and a civilian have already been killed during the unrest.\n\nAnnouncing the release of the hostages, who were filmed sitting in a crowded room on the floor, Mr Petro called on investigators to find those responsible for the two deaths.\n\nInterior Minster Alfonso Prada said earlier on Friday that they were killed by gunfire.\n\nMany of the protesters are rural and indigenous people who want Emerald Energy to build new road infrastructure around the San Vicente del Caguan area.\n\nThe oil company did not respond when approached by Reuters news agency for comment.\n\nColombian police paid tribute on Twitter to the police officer killed in the clash, who they named as Ricardo Monroy.\n\n\"Today we are more united than ever,\" they wrote, adding that Mr Monroy had \"offered his life in the line of duty\".\n\nColombia's human rights ombudsman Carlos Camargo - who was on site to mediate - said he had spoken to protesters and stopped them from throwing petrol bombs at the oil facility.\n\nProtests in areas near energy and mining operations in Colombia are common as communities demand companies build infrastructure, including roads and schools.\n\nPolice said a dissident subgroup of Farc rebels which rejected the 2016 peace deal were present in the region and may have been provoking the unrest.\n\nSeparately, Mr Petro on Thursday unexpectedly published a statement on Twitter asking the country's prosecutor general to conduct a criminal investigation into allegations of corruption involving his own son and brother.\n\nThe statement did not specify the accusations against his eldest son, Nicolas Petro Burgos, and brother, Juan Fernando Petro Urrego, but it did say: \"my government will not give out benefits to criminals in exchange for bribes\".","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/world-latin-america-64834573"}
{"title":"Labour MP Rupa Huq regains whip after Kwasi Kwarteng racism row - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-03","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"The MP was suspended for calling then-Chancellor Kwasi Kwarteng \"superficially black\".","section":"London","content":"Rupa Huq has been reinstated as a Labour MP, five months after she lost the whip for comments she made about Kwasi Kwarteng.\n\nThe Ealing Central and Acton MP described then-chancellor Mr Kwarteng as \"superficially black\", at a Labour Party fringe event in September.\n\nLabour suspended the whip, which meant she had to sit as an independent MP.\n\nMs Huq, who said she fully accepted the sanction, has apologised and completed anti-racism training.\n\nShe made the remarks during a Q&A session at a fringe event called What's Next for Labour's Agenda on Race?\n\nMs Huq said: \"He's superficially, he's, a black man but again he's got more in common... he went to Eton, he went to a very expensive prep school, all the way through top schools in the country.\n\n\"If you hear him on the Today programme you wouldn't know he's black.\"\n\nMr Kwarteng, who had become chancellor earlier that month, was born in east London and has Ghanaian heritage.\n\nAt the Conservative Party conference in October, Kwasi Kwarteng was still chancellor of the exchequer and Liz Truss his prime minister\n\nA recording of those comments was published by the Guido Fawkes website, causing a backlash. Then-Conservative Party chairman Jake Berry described Ms Huq's comments as \"racist\" and \"disgusting\".\n\nLabour's deputy leader Angela Rayner said the remarks were \"unacceptable\", while the party's foreign affairs spokesman David Lammy described the comments as \"unfortunate\" adding: \"I wouldn't have made them myself.\"\n\nMs Huq then tweeted an apology, saying she had offered \"sincere and heartfelt apologies\" to Mr Kwarteng directly for her \"ill-judged\" comments.\n\nRejoining the Labour benches on Friday, she said: \"During my suspension I have reflected on the offence caused by my remarks at last year's Labour Party Conference and I want to offer, once again, my sincere apologies to everyone affected.\n\n\"As I promised at the time, I have undertaken and completed anti-racism and bias training.\n\n\"I want to make clear that I accept fully the conclusion of the party's inquiry and the sanction it has imposed.\"\n\nFollow BBC London on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. Send your story ideas to hellobbclondon@bbc.co.uk","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/uk-england-london-64835061"}
{"title":"Caledonian Sleeper rail service to be nationalised - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-03","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"Scotland's transport minister says an arm's length company will take over the franchise on 25 June.","section":"Scotland business","content":"The Caledonian Sleeper rail service is to be nationalised later this year, the Scottish government has announced.\n\nThe move comes after ministers decided last year to terminate Serco's contract to run the service seven years early.\n\nThe out-sourcing company will stop operating the cross-border rail service when its contract expires in June.\n\nIn a statement to MSPs, Transport Minister Jenny Gilruth said an arm's length company of the government would take over the franchise on 25 June.\n\nShe said the step would \"provide stability and certainty\" for passengers and staff.\n\nThe current franchise was awarded to Serco in a deal worth \u00a3800m. It had been due to run from 2015 to 2030.\n\nThe decision to end Serco's contract came after the company tried to renegotiate the deal through a \"rebase clause\", to put the loss-making service on \"a more sustainable financial footing\".\n\nMs Gilruth said the decision not to rebase was \"in no way a reflection on the quality of the product that has been developed, nor on the commitment of the staff who deliver this service every day\".\n\nShe added: \"Rather, the decision that I had to take on rebasing was a question of the terms of the rebase offer and that, in the government's view, these terms did not represent the best value for money.\"\n\nJohn Whitehurst, managing director of Serco's transport business, said the company was disappointed that the Scottish government \"did not ensure value for money by examining the possibility of a direct contract award to Serco\".\n\nHe argued that the award would have \"allowed Scotland to benefit from the expertise of our Serco Transport senior management team who understand this complex and unique hospitality-focussed train operation like no-one else, while also enabling Scottish ministers to be in complete control of the contract\".\n\nHe added: \"Most importantly, this would have allowed the Scottish government to compare the price of such an award with that of their arm's length operator of last resort company.\"\n\nMr Whitehurst also said that since Serco took over the management of the Caledonian Sleeper in 2015, it had brought about \"massive improvements to every aspect of the service for our employees, our passengers and for Scotland, despite having made significant losses on the contract\".\n\nThe service, which has been operating in various forms since 1873, runs overnight trains between Scotland and London.\n\nThere is a Lowlander route between London and Glasgow and Edinburgh, and a Highlander route to Aberdeen, Inverness and Fort William.\n\nScottish Conservative transport spokesman Graham Simpson said the service had seen its highest revenue since the start of the franchise over the past year, with passenger numbers back to pre-Covid levels and guest and employee satisfaction all going up.\n\nHe added: \"The minister agreed that the sleeper has surpassed any other train company in the UK in its recovery from the pandemic and was thriving and a world class service.\n\n\"Given all that, there can be no conclusion other than that this is an ideological decision. Jenny Gilruth said nothing about how this world class service can be improved under the Scottish government.\"\n\nMr Simpson also said Ms Gilruth had given no idea of how much the nationalisation would cost, or how Scottish taxpayers would receive value for money from the move.\n\nA new fleet of trains was introduced in 2019\n\nThe RMT said it would give the Scottish government \"an opportunity to ensure this sustainable, low carbon route between Scotland and London can be run for passengers' interests, not private profit\".\n\nTrain drivers' union Aslef also backed the move but said it was disappointed that the minister had not taken the opportunity to bring the sleeper service into ScotRail.\n\nIn 2019, Serco put an improvement plan in place after the service was hit by strike action, technical faults and the late delivery of new trains.\n\nThat year, it also unveiled a new fleet of trains, which the company said would \"transform\" the service.\n\nMr Whitehurst said then that the business had inherited an \"unreliable and outdated\" fleet of carriages which dated back to the 1970s.\n\nThe sleeper service will be the second rail operation to be taken into state hands in Scotland in recent times.\n\nLast April, ScotRail officially returned to public ownership for the first time in 25 years, after previous operator Abellio had its franchise ended early amid criticism of the quality of the service.\n\nOther transport-related firms which have been brought into public ownership in recent years include shipbuilder Ferguson Marine in 2019 and Prestwick Airport in 2013 - both of which have proved to be controversial.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/uk-scotland-scotland-business-64802833"}
{"title":"Winnie the Pooh: Original Poohsticks Bridge up for sale - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-03","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"The 11th Earl De La Warr, William Sackville, purchased the bridge at auction in 2021 for \u00a3131,625.","section":"Sussex","content":"The original Poohsticks Bridge from Ashdown Forest featured in AA Milne's Winnie the Pooh books\n\nA bridge made famous by the Winnie the Pooh stories is up for sale.\n\nLocated in the Ashdown Forest in East Sussex, the bridge on which author AA Milne and his son Christopher Robin invented poohsticks was declared unsafe and taken down in 1999.\n\nIt was repaired and sold to the 11th Earl De La Warr, William Sackville, in 2021 for \u00a3131,625, and put up near its original home.\n\nBut less than two years later, the wooden bridge is back on the market.\n\nBuilt in 1907, the original bridge was officially renamed Poohsticks Bridge in 1979.\n\nIn 1999, it was taken apart after being worn out by thousands of tourists, and a replacement was built.\n\nLord De La Warr, who purchased the original at auction, said Christopher Robin and his father used to play in the Five Hundred Acre Wood on their estate, which was the inspiration for AA Milne's Hundred Acre Wood.\n\n\"It has got sentimental value to me,\" he told BBC Radio Sussex.\n\nHe said he paid above the expected price to make sure the bridge stayed near the woods, but he feared it may end up overseas after the sale.\n\n\"The books are very widely read across the world,\" he said, adding: \"There is a rumour that the last owner asked someone for \u00a31m for it. But that's just a rumour.\"\n\nFollow BBC South East on Facebook, on Twitter, and on Instagram. Send your story ideas to southeasttoday@bbc.co.uk.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/uk-england-sussex-64835635"}
{"title":"Alex Murdaugh: Power, privilege, murder and the downfall of a dynasty - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-03","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"Alex Murdaugh's trial for the killing of his wife and son uncovered fraud, drug abuse and a suicide plot.","section":"US & Canada","content":"Alex Murdaugh (right) murdered his wife, Maggie, and his youngest son Paul\n\nFor generations, the Murdaugh family dominated their rural swathe of South Carolina - then Alex Murdaugh was accused of the brutal murders of his wife and son. What followed was the stunning unravelling of a life of power and privilege, exposing embezzlement, drug abuse - ultimately ending in his conviction and a sentence of life imprisonment.\n\nYou may find some language offensive.\n\nIn the fifth week of his murder trial, Alex Murdaugh took the stand.\n\nOver nearly 10 hours testifying in his own defence, the crowded courtroom in Walterboro, South Carolina, would see two versions of Murdaugh. One seemed tired, his voice lilting and thin. His clothes hung loose; months in prison had whittled down his formerly heavy frame. He rocked back and forth, shook his head from side to side, and wept.\n\nThe other seemed much more like the man that other witnesses had described - savvy and charming, once a formidable player in the state's clubby legal circuit. This Murdaugh addressed the jury directly, was relaxed and in control.\n\n\"What a tangled web we weave,\" he told them.\n\nDirectly ahead of him, on the rear wall of the courtroom, there was a rectangular-shaped sun stain where a painting used to be - a portrait of his namesake, his great-grandfather Randolph \"Buster\" Murdaugh, which had been taken down for the trial.\n\nFor nearly a century, the Murdaugh family reigned in this southern corner of South Carolina - a flat expanse of marshlands, palm trees and porch-ringed houses - presiding over the local prosecutor's office and the private law firm that made them rich.\n\nBut since the brutal killings of his wife, Maggie, and son, Paul, in June 2021, a series of bizarre and tragic events helped bring about Murdaugh's spectacular fall from grace. The 54-year-old has denied the murders, which prosecutors allege were a desperate diversion from decades of financial wrongdoing. But on the stand, he admitted to a number of other crimes, including embezzlement, fraud and a faked assassination attempt.\n\nThe trial has become one of the most closely watched in the country. It has exposed what some see as the apparently unchecked power of the Murdaugh family in their small community, and brought about the undoing of a local dynasty.\n\n\"This is what happens when average people have no checks and balances,\" said Bill Nettles, former US attorney for South Carolina.\n\n\"And there were no checks and balances on him.\"\n\nMaggie and Paul Murdaugh were shot at the family's secluded estate in June 2021\n\nTo know South Carolina's Lowcountry is to know the Murdaugh family name. Between 1920 and 2006, three generations of Murdaugh men presided as the chief prosecutor for the state's Fourteenth Judicial Circuit, the longest such stretch of family control in United States history.\n\n\"They were the law,\" Mr Nettles said.\n\nFor even longer, the Murdaughs worked at the family-founded litigation firm - Peters, Murdaugh, Parker, Eltzroth & Detrick (PMPED) - amassing a small fortune and building out their dominance in all corners of the Lowcountry. By all accounts, in a region where personal injury firms thrived, theirs was the best.\n\n\"They could get a verdict that would exceed the norm dramatically,\" said South Carolina lawyer Joe McCulloch.\n\n\"And when I say exceed the norm - they could turn a $100,000 case into a million dollar settlement.\"\n\nTheir judicial circuit became known as a mecca for plaintiffs. Corporations who could avoid it reportedly skipped the area entirely.\n\nTo juries, locals said, the Murdaughs were familiar faces - a reliable advantage at trial.\n\n\"When people graduated high school, they would send gifts; they paid for funerals, sent flowers to people who were in the hospital,\" said Eric Bland, a malpractice attorney based in South Carolina. \"They salted the town with goodwill.\"\n\nFrom their two offices in Hampton, the Murdaughs established themselves as a de facto authority of the Lowcountry. Their influence was not wide - it did not even span the width of the state - but it was deep. In the small, insular community where they lived, residents said, the Murdaugh family ruled.\n\n\"We all knew them,\" said one waitress in town, who also didn't want to give her name, saying she didn't want to \"get in trouble\" for speaking out of turn. She also didn't want to be recorded. \"You're just going to have to remember this,\" she said. \"They had power. And they took it too far.\"\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser.\n\nIn the third week of the trial, the former chief financial officer of PMPED Jeanne Seckinger described Alex Murdaugh's approach as a lawyer. \"The art of bullshit, basically,\" she said.\n\nMurdaugh's success was due \"not from his work ethic\", Ms Seckinger said, \"but his ability to establish relationships and manipulate people into settlements and clients into liking him.\"\n\nThat work made him rich, millions of dollars that fed his family's wealthy lifestyle - a speedboat, a beach house, their sprawling 1,700 acre hunting property called Moselle, and a staff to assist. But the success, seemingly a Murdaugh birthright, belied his secret: a raging addiction to painkillers and years of theft, fraud and embezzlement.\n\nOn the stand in Walterboro, Murdaugh tearfully admitted to taking millions from settlements meant for his clients, stealing $3.7m (\u00a33m) in 2019 alone. It was wrong, he said, but he was desperate: his addiction had drained his bank accounts.\n\nState prosecutors painted a picture of fraud and theft at an almost implausible scale, and of a perpetrator convinced of his impunity. Murdaugh, they allege, stole indiscriminately from colleagues and clients, the young and old, the disabled and sick. He faces nearly 100 separate financial charges.\n\nFor years, Ms Seckinger testified, she had noticed yellow flags, small irregularities in Murdaugh's files. But the firm was a \"brotherhood\", she said. \"They trusted him.\"\n\nTony Satterfield was another person who trusted Murdaugh. When Mr Satterfield's mother, Gloria - the Murdaugh's housekeeper for 20 years - died after a fall at work, Murdaugh told Tony and his brother they should file a wrongful death suit against him, and that his home insurance would pay compensation. He even suggested a lawyer who could help sue him.\n\nTwo of Murdaugh's insurance policies paid out a total of $4.3m, but the Satterfields did not receive a dime. They did not even know the case had been settled. Alex Murdaugh, as he himself admitted in court, had stolen it.\n\n\"I feel like if someone had paid closer attention, they would have figured this out,\" said Eric Bland, the malpractice lawyer who represented the Satterfields against Murdaugh. \"But those kids revered the Murdaughs, they trusted him.\"\n\nThe trial has gripped America, with people travelling long distances to be in court\n\nOne year after Gloria Satterfield died, there was another fatal accident in the Murdaugh family orbit. But this time, prosecutors allege, the tragedy would present a problem that Alex Murdaugh could not contain.\n\nLate in the evening of 24 February 2019, Paul Murdaugh was aboard the family boat when it rammed headlong into a bridge, throwing three of the six passengers - all young adults - into the cold water below. One of them, 19-year-old Mallory Beach, was killed, her body recovered days later in a marsh several miles away.\n\nAt the time of impact, according to all of the other passengers, Paul had been driving. A blood test would find the 19-year-old Murdaugh's blood alcohol level was three times the legal limit.\n\nTaken together, witness testimony from the night renders an image of Murdaugh hellbent on insulating his son. He roamed from room to room, they said, trying to speak to the teenagers. A nurse said he looked like he was trying to \"orchestrate something\". One passenger, Connor Cook, said in a deposition he was told by Murdaugh \"to keep my mouth shut\". He was scared, he said, \"them being who they are\".\n\nAlex Murdaugh's surviving son, Buster, has testified in his father's defence\n\nOn the stand last week, Murdaugh called any claims that he had \"fixed witnesses\" or influenced any part of the boat wreck investigation \"totally false\".\n\nStill, to those in the Lowcountry, the boat crash was seen \"as a test of the system\", said Mandy Mattney, a reporter based in South Carolina who has led coverage of the Murdaughs since 2019. \"Everyone in Hampton really believed that Paul wouldn't be charged.\"\n\nMonths later, however, Paul was charged with three crimes, including boating under the influence resulting in death. He pleaded not guilty to the charges but died before he faced trial.\n\nLooking back now, it may have been the moment Alex Murdaugh's life began to unravel.\n\nThe family of Mallory Beach hired a lawyer named Mark Tinsley to represent them in a wrongful death suit against Murdaugh that could have resulted in millions in damages.\n\nMurdaugh claimed he was broke. \"I didn't believe it,\" Mr Tinsley said during the trial this month.\n\nSo Mr Tinsley filed a motion to compel Murdaugh to disclose his finances. A hearing on the matter was scheduled for 10 June, 2021. The disclosure would reveal his years of corporate fraud.\n\n\"The fuse was lit,\" Mr Tinsley said.\n\nOn 7 June 2021, three days before the hearing on his finances was scheduled, Alex Murdaugh called 911. His wife Maggie and son Paul had been shot, he said.\n\nBy the time the first sheriff's deputy arrived at Moselle, Murdaugh told him his theory: Paul and Maggie had been killed in retaliation for the boat accident.\n\n\"He's getting threats,\" Murdaugh said of his son. \"I know that's what it is.\"\n\nMany in the Lowcountry believed him, and with Paul dead, the wrongful death lawsuit stalled.\n\nBut three months later, Murdaugh called 911 again, this time to report that he had been shot in the head on the side of a rural road. He later admitted to arranging a hit on himself so that his surviving son, Buster, could collect on his life insurance. As the ploy fell apart, his firm disclosed they had pushed him out just the day before the incident over alleged embezzlement.\n\nFor months, the mystery of Maggie and Paul's murders deepened as authorities said little about the case, offering no clues about suspects or motive. Then, in July 2022, Murdaugh was arrested in connection with the killings.\n\nFor more than a month now, Alex Murdaugh's downfall has drawn early morning crowds to the Walterboro courthouse, a line too long to fit inside. Upstairs, in the courtroom's cool air, spectators in suits and sundresses have filled row after row of the dark wooden pews that line the room. At times, the mood has felt strangely like a church reception, Murdaugh's brother and son milling around, offering handshakes and tepid smiles.\n\nThe prosecution and defence will present closing arguments in the coming days before the jury retires to consider its verdict.\n\nHere in the Lowcountry, many said they believed Alex Murdaugh was at the end of the line.\n\nBut for decades, the Murdaugh family has made an ally out of juries, walking out of courtrooms with the judgments that built their fortunes and cemented their influence.\n\nAlex Murdaugh's fate will be decided the same way, perhaps a final test of his influence in a case where all the evidence is circumstantial - there was no murder weapon found, no blood on Murdaugh's t-shirt that night, no eyewitnesses to the killings.\n\nAnd his decision to testify - both an unusual move and a legal risk - was perhaps a testament to an enduring self-belief, a confidence in his ability to sway people, like he has done for years.\n\n\"I can promise you I would hurt myself before I would hurt one of them,\" he said last week. \"Without a doubt.\"","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/world-us-canada-64645725"}
{"title":"Scotland first to ban environmentally harmful anaesthetic - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-03","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"Desflurane gas has a global warming potential 2,500 times greater than carbon dioxide, NHS data suggests.","section":"Health","content":"Scotland has become the first country in the world to stop its hospitals using the anaesthetic desflurane because of the threat it poses to the environment.\n\nNHS data suggests the gas, used to keep people unconscious during surgery, has a global warming potential 2,500 times greater than carbon dioxide.\n\nBanning it in Scotland - from its peak use in 2017 - would cut emissions equal to powering 1,700 homes a year.\n\nUK hospitals have already cut down.\n\nIn the last few years, more than 40 hospital trusts in England and a number of hospitals in Wales have stopped using it.\n\nNHS England will introduce a similar ban from 2024, which - like Scotland - prohibits its use for anything but exceptional circumstances.\n\nBanning it across NHS hospitals in England would cut harmful emissions equivalent to those caused by powering 11,000 homes every year, according to NHS analysis of desflurane use in 2020.\n\nOther countries, including many in Europe, are likely to make similar moves in the next few years.\n\nDr Kenneth Barker, anaesthetist and clinical lead for Scotland's national green theatres programme, said he was shocked to find the anaesthetic drug he had used for more than a decade for many major and routine operations was so harmful to the environment.\n\n\"I realised in 2017 that the amount of desflurane we used in a typical day's work as an anaesthetist resulted in emissions equivalent to me driving 670 miles that day,\" he said.\n\n\"I decided to stop using it straight away and many fellow anaesthetists have got on board.\n\n\"When you are faced with something as obvious as this and with the significance it has to the environment - I am very glad we have got to this stage.\"\n\nMany hospitals have switched to safe and effective anaesthetic gases with less warming potential such as sevoflurane, which has a global warming potential 130 times that of carbon dioxide, or to using alternative non-gaseous anaesthetics and more efficient equipment.\n\nScottish Health and Social Care Secretary, Humza Yousaf, said: \"Programmes like this are key to our transition to become a net-zero health service, whilst ensuring patient safety remains at the heart of every clinical decision.\n\nMeanwhile. Dr Helgi Johannsson, vice president of the Royal College of Anaesthetists, told the BBC: \"More and more anaesthetists across the UK have become aware of the sheer extent of the damage the gas can cause to the environment and have chosen to stop using it - and I am proud of that.\"\n\nBut he warns it is only the start and just \"a drop in the ocean of the NHS carbon footprint\".\n\nHe explained: \"The NHS is a really carbon-intensive industry. We need to concentrate on all the other major things that can make a difference too - such as tackling old hospital buildings that are difficult to heat and reducing the journeys patients take.\"\n\nOverall, anaesthetic gasses make up about 2-5% of the NHS's carbon footprint, and efforts are under way to tackle other medical gases like nitrous oxide.\n\nNHS England's net-zero strategy includes looking at more environmentally friendly heating and lighting systems, greener vehicles and examining the environmental impact of how medicines and equipment are supplied to the NHS.\n\nThe BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/health-64347191"}
{"title":"'Leaning tower of Rotherhithe' sells for \u00a31.5m - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-03","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"The house, four storeys high and 3.5m wide, is the only property on a street by the River Thames.","section":"London","content":"The house met its auction guide price of \u00a31.5m\n\nA house on the Thames in south east London, which has long been the subject of local intrigue, has sold for \u00a31.5m.\n\nThe property, said to be known as the \"leaning tower of Rotherhithe\", is four storeys high and 3.5m wide. It was purchased by a buyer from the area.\n\nSavills lot negotiator Steven Morish said: \"Auction works really well for quirky lots like this.\n\n\"The value in this is an art rather than a science; the buyers will set the value.\"\n\nThe house, which was once part of a row of buildings, has a run-down exterior but still attracted \"a really good level of interest\" from across the globe.\n\nThe row as it looked before World War Two. The house is to the right of \"H. Pocock\"\n\nThe house boasts views of the City\n\nThe building, now 1 Fulford Street, was formerly 41 Rotherhithe Street. Now the only house on the street, it was once surrounded by shipping businesses.\n\nTo the west of the property, the buildings were destroyed during the Blitz in World War Two.\n\nIn the 1960s, London County Council bought the remaining houses on the row but the owners of 41 Rotherhithe Street, barge constructors Braithwaite & Dean, refused to sell.\n\nThe company employed lightermen - workers who used flat-bottomed barges to move goods between ships and quays - and they would pull up to collect their wages from the premises.\n\nSavills said it believed the buyer intended to live in the house. The former owners sold up as they were said to no longer require a London bolthole.\n\nThe four-storey property had been in the same hands for 28 years\n\nThe house has several bedrooms\n\nFollow BBC London on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. Send your story ideas to hellobbclondon@bbc.co.uk\n\nThe BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/uk-england-london-64840625"}
{"title":"Covid messages leak a massive betrayal, says Matt Hancock - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-03","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"Journalist Isabel Oakeshott says it was in the \"national interest\" to publish ex-health secretary's texts.","section":"UK Politics","content":"Matt Hancock collaborated with journalist Isabel Oakeshott on his book Pandemic Diaries\n\nEx-Health Secretary Matt Hancock has accused a journalist of a \"massive betrayal and breach of trust\" after she leaked texts he sent during Covid.\n\nIsabel Oakeshott defended releasing WhatsApps she obtained when working on Mr Hancock's book, arguing it was in the \"overwhelming national interest\".\n\nHowever, Mr Hancock said the messages were released in a \"biased account to suit an anti-lockdown agenda\".\n\nHe also denied her claim he had sent her a \"menacing\" message over the leak.\n\nThe Telegraph has been handed more than 100,000 WhatsApp messages linked to Mr Hancock's time as health secretary at the height of the pandemic. It began publishing the texts earlier this week.\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Watch: Isabel Oakeshott reveals why she leaked the messages\n\nIn a statement released on Thursday morning Mr Hancock said: \"When I heard confused rumours of a publication late on Tuesday night, I called and messaged Isabel to ask her if she had 'any clues' about it, and got no response.\n\n\"When I then saw what she'd done, I messaged to say it was 'a big mistake'. Nothing more.\"\n\nMr Hancock argued the public inquiry into the pandemic was the right place for analysis of what went on - saying he would reply to the \"substance\" of allegations at the inquiry.\n\nHe apologised to those whose messages had been published by the Daily Telegraph, saying: \"I am also sorry for the impact on the very many people - political colleagues, civil servants and friends - who worked hard with me to get through the pandemic and save lives.\"\n\n\"Isabel and I had worked closely together for more than a year on my book, based on legal confidentiality and a process approved by the Cabinet Office. Isabel repeatedly reiterated the importance of trust throughout, and then broke that trust.\"\n\nA collection of more than 100,000 messages sent between former Health Secretary Matt Hancock and other ministers and officials at the height of the Covid-19 pandemic have been obtained by the Telegraph. Here are our stories on the leaks:\n\nThe text messages were passed to the newspaper by Ms Oakeshott, TalkTV's international editor, who has been critical of lockdowns. She was given copies of the texts while helping Mr Hancock write his book, Pandemic Diaries.\n\nThe BBC has not seen or independently verified the WhatsApp messages nor the context in which they were sent.\n\nMs Oakeshott has strongly defended her decision to release the messages saying she was someone \"acting in the overwhelming national interest\". She has not revealed how much she has been paid by the Telegraph.\n\n\"Anyone who thinks I did this for money must be utterly insane,\" she told BBC Radio 4's Today Programme.\n\n\"This is about the millions of people, every one of us in this country, that were adversely affected by the catastrophic decision to lockdown the country repeatedly on the flimsiest of evidence, often for the political reasons.\n\n\"I wanted to get to the truth of it,\" she said.\n\nAsked when she told Mr Hancock she would share the messages, she replied: \"I didn't tell him.\"\n\n\"Not one journalist worth their salt would sit on a cache of information in such an important matter, such a historic matter and cover that up,\" she said.\n\nPressed on the claim that Mr Hancock sent her a menacing message following the leaks, Ms Oakeshott said: \"I'm saying that he sent me a message at 01.20 in the morning. It wasn't a pleasant message.\"\n\nMs Oakeshott had initially told broadcasters she had signed a non-disclosure agreement (NDA) with Mr Hancock during the writing of her book.\n\nHowever, she later told the BBC's political editor Chris Mason that there was not an NDA but rather a \"really standard terms of agreement between us\".\n\nResponding to Mr Hancock's strong criticism, Ms Oakeshott said: \"This isn't about embarrassing individuals or making individual politicians look bad.\n\n\"It's so much bigger than that, it is about the entire country. And if we're going to talk about betrayal, then the way I see it is the betrayal of every one of us, who were let down by the response to the pandemic.\"\n\nAsked if she was worried other politicians would stop trusting her with information, she said \"No, because I'm really good at what I do. I do stories in the public interest, and I make judgments.\"\n\nAn NDA is a legal contract between at least two parties that outlines confidential material that they need or want to share with each other, but also want to restrict access to - similar to doctor-patient confidentiality or lawyer-client privilege.\n\nSometimes known as \"gagging orders\", \"hush agreements\" or \"confidentiality clauses\", NDAs typically prevent people making trade secrets or other specified information public.\n\nThey can also apply to allegations of misbehaviour in the workplace after a settlement has been agreed, or anything likely to damage an organisation's reputation.\n\nBut like any other contract, they can not be enforced if the specified activities are illegal.\n\nIf someone breaches an NDA, they break a contract, leaving them open to being sued.\n\nBut there is a public interest defence - the 1998 Public Interest Disclosure Act protects whistleblowers.\n\nThe publication of the messages has sent shockwaves through the political establishment as the public inquiry into the pandemic picks up pace.\n\nAt Prime Minister's Questions, Rishi Sunak defended the public inquiry as the \"right way\" to scrutinise the handling of the pandemic and urged people not to focus on \"piecemeal bits of information\".\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. PMQs: Rishi Sunak quizzed on claims of leaked Hancock messages by Sir Keir Starmer\n\nSir Keir Starmer called for Mr Sunak to ensure the inquiry had all the support it needed \"to report by the end of this year\".\n\nMr Hancock has already given a partial account of his time as health secretary, with the help of Ms Oakeshott, in his book, Pandemic Diaries.\n\nThe book was widely viewed as an attempt by Mr Hancock to rehabilitate his reputation after he resigned as health secretary over breaching social distancing guidance by kissing a colleague.\n\nLast year, Mr Hancock said he would not be standing as an MP at the next general election, after receiving criticism for joining the reality TV show I'm a Celebrity... Get Me Out of Here!","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/uk-politics-64818969"}
{"title":"Leah Croucher: Mourners line streets for funeral in Milton Keynes - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-03","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"People line a 3.5-mile route through Milton Keynes to pay their respects to the teenager.","section":"Beds, Herts & Bucks","content":"Leah Croucher's coffin was pulled by a horse drawn carriage through the streets of Milton Keynes\n\nMourners cried as they lined the streets to pay their respects to teenager Leah Croucher.\n\nThe 19-year-old's body was found in the loft of a house in Milton Keynes in October. It is thought she was killed by a sex offender who has since died.\n\nHer funeral cortege left Emerson Valley at about 10:50 GMT and headed through Furzton, Shenley Brook End, Shenley Church End and Grange Farm.\n\nA private service has been held at Crownhill Crematorium.\n\nHer family had welcomed people to line the route of the cortege, which was about 3.5 miles (5.6km) long.\n\nFloral tributes featuring her name were laid next to the coffin in the hearse, which was accompanied by a basket with stuffed toys.\n\nMembers of the public have lined the street to pay their respects to the teenager\n\nThe horses that pulled the hearse were draped in flags bearing the crest of Gryffindor House from the Harry Potter franchise.\n\nOther mourners were seen wearing red and gold scarves - the colours of the house in the books and films.\n\nCrowds who lined the route, some in tears, were thanked by the undertaker for turning out despite the rain.\n\nOthers held heart-shaped balloons reading \"fly high\" and \"reach for the skies\".\n\nSome mourners cried and others held balloons as they paid respects to Ms Croucher\n\nLeah Croucher's family will hold a private funeral for the teenager, more than four years after she went missing\n\nThe Church of the Servant King opened its doors for members of the community to remember Ms Croucher.\n\nRev Mike Morris said his \"thoughts and prayers\" were with Ms Croucher's family \"at this heart-breaking time\".\n\nPolice searched a house in Furzton last year following a tip-off and discovered Ms Croucher's remains, a rucksack and other items belonging to her.\n\nNeil Maxwell, a convicted sex offender who was found dead two months after Ms Croucher's disappearance, remains the only suspect in the case.\n\nMs Croucher was last seen walking to work on 15 February 2019.\n\nLeah's parents, Claire and John Croucher, welcomed people to stand along the cortege route\n\nFind BBC News: East of England on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter. If you have a story suggestion email eastofenglandnews@bbc.co.uk\n\nThe BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/uk-england-beds-bucks-herts-64824384"}
{"title":"Pulp bassist Steve Mackey dies aged 56 - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-03","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"The musician, who had been in hospital for the past three months, died on Thursday morning.","section":"Entertainment & Arts","content":"Steve Mackey with Jarvis Cocker at the premiere of Pulp, a documentary about the Sheffield indie band, in 2014\n\nPulp bassist Steve Mackey has died at the age of 56, his family has confirmed.\n\nThe Sheffield musician played on hits including Common People, Disco 2000 and Lipgloss, after joining Pulp in 1989.\n\nHis wife Katie posted a message to social media on Thursday, saying he had been in hospital for the past three months with an undisclosed illness.\n\n\"We are shocked and devastated to have said goodbye to my brilliant, beautiful husband,\" she added.\n\n\"Steve was the most talented man I knew, an exceptional musician, producer, photographer and filmmaker.\n\n\"As in life, he was adored by everyone whose paths he crossed in the multiple creative disciplines he conquered.\n\n\"I would like to express my heartfelt thanks to all the NHS staff who worked tirelessly for Steve. He will be missed beyond words.\"\n\nThis Instagram post cannot be displayed in your browser. Please enable Javascript or try a different browser. View original post on Instagram The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Skip instagram post by steve__mackey This article contains content provided by Instagram. We ask for your permission before anything is loaded, as they may be using cookies and other technologies. You may want to read Meta\u2019s Instagram cookie policy, external and privacy policy, external before accepting. To view this content choose \u2018accept and continue\u2019. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.\n\nPulp posted their own tribute shortly afterwards, informing fans that their \"beloved\" bass player had passed away on Thursday morning.\n\nThey shared a photograph of the musician from their 2012 tour, spending a day off in the snow-capped Andes.\n\n\"We had a day off and Steve suggested we go climbing,\" the band said. \"So we did and it was a completely magical experience.\n\n\"Far more magical than staring at the hotel wall all day (which is probably what we'd have done otherwise).\n\n\"Steve made things happen, in his life and in the band. We'd very much like to think that he's back in those mountains now, on the next stage of his adventure.\"\n\nThis Twitter post cannot be displayed in your browser. Please enable Javascript or try a different browser. View original tweet on Twitter The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Skip twitter post by Pulp 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\u2019s cookie policy, external and privacy policy, external before accepting. To view this content choose \u2018accept and continue\u2019. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.\n\nRock band Arcade Fire also paid tribute, posting: \"Steve you were one of the most beautiful people we've ever met, a true friend. Thank you for letting us spend time in your presence, and for believing in the spirit of music with such ferocity.\"\n\nSinger MIA described him as a \"great mentor\", adding: \"Forever glad to have worked with you and thank you.\"\n\nModel Kate Moss posted: \"Steve. Gone too soon, rest in peace.\" Another friend, actress Patsy Kensit, wrote: \"Such a great man. Devastated.\"\n\nPulp are due to go back on tour this summer for a series of reunion shows.\n\nMackey chose not to take part in the concerts, telling fans he had decided to concentrate on his \"music, filmmaking and photography projects\" instead.\n\nMassive Attack, another British act who enjoyed success in the 1990s, paid tribute by sharing a black and white image of Mackey, while quoting a lyric from his band's track Sorted For E's & Wizz.\n\nThis Twitter post cannot be displayed in your browser. Please enable Javascript or try a different browser. View original tweet on Twitter The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Skip twitter post 2 by Massive Attack 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\u2019s cookie policy, external and privacy policy, external before accepting. To view this content choose \u2018accept and continue\u2019. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.\n\nThe musician was born in Sheffield in 1966, and attended school with another Pulp alumnus, Richard Hawley.\n\nHe joined the band in 1989 - a decade into its career - and first appeared on their third album Separations.\n\nAfter signing to Island Records in the early 1990s, the band hit the big time with classic albums including His 'N' Hers and Different Class, with frontman Jarvis Cocker becoming one of the most beloved characters of the Britpop era.\n\nSpeaking to Pulp's official website in 1996, Mackey said he'd enjoyed the rollercoaster ride of fame.\n\n\"I think if you are in a band that are popular then you might as well enjoy it.\" he said.\n\n\"That's what we always wanted to do and I don't think there is anything wrong with being silly. You'd be throwing away a bit of a golden opportunity - you might as well be a librarian all of your life.\"\n\nThis YouTube post cannot be displayed in your browser. Please enable Javascript or try a different browser. View original video on YouTube The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. YouTube content may contain adverts. Skip youtube video by PulpVEVO 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\u2019s cookie policy, external and privacy policy, external before accepting. To view this content choose \u2018accept and continue\u2019. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. YouTube content may contain adverts.\n\nAfter the band went on hiatus in 2002, Mackey co-wrote and produced songs for artists including MIA (Galang, Sunshowers), Florence + The Machine (Kiss With A Fist) and Arcade Fire (Everything Now).\n\nHe also played a cameo in the 2005 film Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, as one of The Weird Sisters - a rock band that also featured Jarvis Cocker and Radiohead musicians Jonny Greenwood and Phil Selway.\n\nPulp are scheduled to play a string of festivals in summer 2023, including Isle of Wight, Latitude and Trnsmt.\n\nHe also photographed and directed campaign images and motion advertising for many leading brands including Miu Miu, Marc Jacobs and Armani.\n\nMackey teamed up with Pulp again for their 2012 reunion; and also co-curated London's Frieze Art Fair for a number of years in the 2000s.\n\nHe married stylist and magazine founder, Katie Grand, in 2009. Mackey also leaves a son, Marley, who was born in 1996.\n\nFollow us on Facebook or on Twitter @BBCNewsEnts. If you have a story suggestion email entertainment.news@bbc.co.uk.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/entertainment-arts-64827409"}
{"title":"Bus driver helps rescue sheep from busy Sussex road - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-03","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"Martine Patey rescues the animal from a busy road and takes it to the safety of a Brighton farm.","section":"Sussex","content":"Martine Patey took the sheep she found on the busy A27 on board her bus to safety\n\nA bus driver rescued a sheep from a busy dual carriageway on her first day behind the wheel.\n\nMartine Patey, a rail replacement driver, spotted the animal on the A27 near Brighton as she took passengers to Eastbourne.\n\nShe said the animal was \"causing havoc for passing cars\" and \"running all over the road\".\n\nWith the help of two motorists, she managed to get it onto the bus and to safety.\n\n\"It was difficult to catch, but then it slipped just in front of me and I was able to get hold of it and to use my handbag strap like a lasso,\" she said.\n\nThis Twitter post cannot be displayed in your browser. Please enable Javascript or try a different browser. View original tweet on Twitter The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Skip twitter post by BBC South East 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\u2019s cookie policy, external and privacy policy, external before accepting. To view this content choose \u2018accept and continue\u2019. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.\n\n\"Two other motorists had stopped to help and together we were able to hold onto it until the police arrived.\"\n\nThe sheep had a brief trip on the bus, after the police asking Ms Patey to take it back to a local farm.\n\nThe bus then resumed its journey to Eastbourne, arriving only one minute late.\n\nFollow BBC South East on Facebook, on Twitter, and on Instagram. Send your story ideas to southeasttoday@bbc.co.uk\n\nThe BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/uk-england-sussex-64836739"}
{"title":"Florida resident dies from brain-eating amoeba - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-03","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"Officials suspect the victim was infected after rinsing their nasal sinuses with public tap water.","section":"US & Canada","content":"A Florida resident has died after becoming infected with a rare brain-eating amoeba, officials say.\n\nHealth experts in Charlotte County, in southwest Florida, say the victim was probably infected after rinsing their nasal sinuses with tap water.\n\nNaegleria fowleri infects the brain through the nose. Officials say that drinking it is not dangerous.\n\nInfections are almost always fatal, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).\n\nOfficials have not identified the victim.\n\nOn 23 February, the Florida Department of Heath said that a patient had been infected \"possibly as a result of sinus rinse practices\" utilising tap water.\n\nOn Thursday, a spokesman for the state health agency confirmed that the patient had died.\n\nOfficials across multiple government agencies are \"continuing to investigate how this infection occurred,\" spokesman Jae Williams said.\n\nHe added that officials are \"working with the local public utilities to identify any potential links and make any necessary corrective actions\".\n\nThe amoeba typically lives in warm fresh water such as swimming pools, lakes and ponds.\n\nThe person lived in Charlotte County, Florida, but has not been identified by officials\n\nIt can lead to a severe infection if it enters through the nose, but it is normally safe through the mouth because stomach acid kills the single-cell microorganism.\n\nAccording to the CDC, around three Americans get infected each year, often with deadly consequences.\n\nBetween 1962 and 2021, only four of the 154 people infected in the US survived.\n\nOfficials warn that to avoid infections people should not rinse out their nasal passages with untreated tap water.\n\nSterile or distilled water are preferred options. Tap water can also be used if it is boiled for at least one minute and cooled before use.\n\nPeople are also advised to avoid taking on water in their nose while in swimming pools or bathing or showering.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/world-us-canada-64831778"}
{"title":"Silicon Valley Bank: Global bank stocks slump despite Biden reassurances - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-12","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"US authorities have stepped in to protect customers after the collapse of two American banks.","section":"Business","content":"This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Is this the start of a financial crisis?\n\nBank shares in Asia and Europe have slumped, despite reassurances from the US president that America's financial system is safe following the collapse of two US lenders.\n\nThe falls come after authorities moved to protect customer deposits when the US-based Silicon Valley Bank (SVB) and Signature Bank collapsed.\n\nJoe Biden promised to do \"whatever is needed\" to protect the banking system.\n\nBut investors fear other lenders may still be hit by the fallout.\n\nOn Tuesday, Japan's Topix Banks share index fell by more than 7%, putting it on course for its worst day in more than three years.\n\nShares of Mitsubishi UFJ Financial Group, the country's largest lender by assets, were down by 8.1% in mid-day Asian trading.\n\nOn Monday, Spain's Santander and Germany's Commerzbank saw their share prices dive by more than 10% at one point.\n\nA string of smaller US banks suffered even worse losses than European counterparts, despite reassuring customers that they had more than enough liquidity to protect themselves from shocks.\n\nThe volatility has led to speculation that America's Federal Reserve will now pause its plans to keep raising interest rates, designed to tame inflation.\n\nMr Biden said that people and businesses that had deposited money with Silicon Valley Bank would be able to access all their cash from Monday, after the government stepped in to protect their deposits in full.\n\nMany business customers had faced the prospect of not being able to pay staff and suppliers after their funds were frozen.\n\nBBC North America Technology correspondent James Clayton spoke to people queuing up all day outside the SVB branch in Menlo Park, California, to access their funds.\n\nAs the bank was no longer offering wire transfers, they were taking out their money in cashier cheques.\n\nThis Twitter post cannot be displayed in your browser. Please enable Javascript or try a different browser. View original tweet on Twitter The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Skip twitter post by James Clayton 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\u2019s cookie policy, external and privacy policy, external before accepting. To view this content choose \u2018accept and continue\u2019. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.\n\nSilicon Valley Bank - which specialised in lending to technology companies - was shut down by US regulators who seized its assets on Friday. It was the biggest failure of a US bank since the financial crisis in 2008.\n\nIt had been trying to raise money to plug a loss from the sale of assets affected by higher interest rates. Word of the troubles led customers to race to withdraw funds, leading to a cash crisis.\n\nAuthorities on Sunday also took over Signature Bank in New York, which had many clients involved in crypto and was seen as the institution most vulnerable to a similar bank run.\n\nMr Biden promised that covering the deposits would not cost taxpayers anything, and instead be funded by fees regulators charge to banks.\n\nAs part of efforts to restore confidence, US regulators also unveiled a new way for banks to borrow emergency funds in a crisis.\n\nYet there is concern that the failures, which came after the collapse of another US lender, Silvergate Bank, last week, are a sign of troubles at other firms.\n\nPaul Ashworth of Capital Economics said the US authorities had \"acted aggressively to prevent a contagion developing\".\n\n\"But contagion has always been more about irrational fear, so we would stress that there is no guarantee this will work,\" he added.\n\nDanni Hewson, head of financial analysis at the stockbrokers AJ Bell, said: \"The first rush of relief has been replaced by niggling concerns that the era of high rates might be more difficult for some banks to stomach than had been previously thought.\n\n\"In the US, bank stocks slid despite Joe Biden's pledge that 'whatever is needed' will be carried out to prevent more dominos from tumbling.\"\n\nThe failure of SVB has re-ignited debates - similar to those seen following the 2008 financial crisis - about how much the government should do to regulate and protect banks.\n\nThe chair of the US Federal Reserve, Jerome Powell, says there will be a thorough and transparent review of the collapse.\n\nMr Biden called for tougher rules and emphasised that investors and bank leaders would not be spared.\n\n\"They knowingly took a risk... that's how capitalism works,\" he said.\n\nStill, Republican Senator Tim Scott, seen as a potential presidential candidate in 2024, called the rescue \"problematic\".\n\n\"Building a culture of government intervention does nothing to stop future institutions from relying on the government to swoop in after taking excessive risks,\" he said.\n\nOnce again people are worried about banks. Once again there is intense debate about bailouts. But this isn't 2008.\n\nFollowing the global financial crisis, the focus was on reforming banks considered \"too big to fail\". Today's problems are centred around medium- and smaller-sized banks.\n\nBoth of the banks that collapsed - Silicon Valley Bank and Signature Bank - had the same thing in common: their business models were too concentrated in one sector and they were over exposed to assets whose values came under pressure from rising interest rates.\n\nThe criticism is that they should have foreseen this and they didn't. US Federal Reserve chair Jerome Powell has gone to great lengths to signal the Fed's intention to raise interest rates.\n\nSince most banks are well diversified and have plenty of cash on hand, the assumption is that the risk to the rest of the banking sector is low. That won't stop regulators looking into what went wrong and what rules need to change.\n\nAnd the pressure on small- and medium-sized banks hasn't gone away. What happens to the US economy and the fight against inflation also remains to be seen.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/world-us-canada-64935170"}
{"title":"Gary Lineker: Impartiality row leads to fresh calls for BBC chairman to resign - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-12","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"The BBC chairman is under renewed pressure with the broadcaster in the grip of a major impartiality row.","section":"UK","content":"Pressure is growing on BBC chairman Richard Sharp to resign amid the Gary Lineker impartiality row.\n\nLiberal Democrat leader Sir Ed Davey said the presenter's suspension \"has shown failure at the top\".\n\nMr Sharp's appointment is being investigated over his relationship with Boris Johnson. He denies wrongdoing.\n\nBut ex-BBC head Greg Dyke said the Sharp allegations had \"helped fuel the perception\" the corporation bowed to government pressure on Lineker.\n\nFresh questions are being asked about Mr Sharp's position in light of another impartiality row involving Match of the Day host Lineker.\n\nAn ongoing KC-led review into Mr Sharp's appointment as BBC chairman is investigating whether he failed to properly disclose details of his involvement in the facilitation of an \u00a3800,000 loan guarantee for the then PM Boris Johnson. He has denied any involvement in the arrangement of a loan for Mr Johnson.\n\nThe BBC is also conducting its own internal review over any potential conflicts of interest Mr Sharp may have in his current role as BBC chairman.\n\nAn MPs' committee said Mr Sharp made \"significant errors of judgement\" in doing so while applying for the BBC job. He insists he got the job on merit.\n\nMr Sharp has previously admitted the affair had embarrassed the BBC but insisted he had \"acted in good faith to ensure that the rules were followed\".\n\nLineker's suspension for his criticism of the language used around the government's asylum policy and likening its rhetoric to Nazi Germany triggered an impromptu walkout by BBC Sport staff that has taken TV and radio coverage off air.\n\nLib Dem leader Sir Ed said the government had \"systematically attacked and undermined the independence of our BBC\" and that the chairman's position was \"totally untenable\".\n\n\"We need leadership at the BBC that upholds our proud British values and can withstand today's consistently turbulent politics and Conservative bullying tactics,\" he added.\n\nMr Dyke, who led the BBC between 2000 and 2004, said Lineker's suspension was a \"mistake\" and \"undermined its own credibility\".\n\nThe decision to suspend Lineker was signed off by director general Tim Davie who, unlike Mr Sharp, is not appointed by the government.\n\nMr Sharp has previously accepted he set up a meeting between the Cabinet Office and Sam Blyth, a Canadian multi-millionaire and distant cousin of Mr Johnson who had offered to help him financially.\n\nThe Cabinet Secretary Simon Case instructed Mr Sharp to have no further involvement in the loan discussions as it could raise conflict of interest issues in light of his BBC application.\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser.\n\nMr Sharp, who has insisted he got the job on merit, did not disclose his involvement in arranging the meeting when he was vetted ahead of his appointment.\n\nThe process is being investigated by the Commissioner for Public Appointments and the BBC Board has said it will review his conflicts of interest without giving a timeline for when it will be completed.\n\nBBC culture and media editor Katie Razzall makes the point that the organisation has no say in its chairman's appointment and that as a board member, Mr Sharp does not have a say in editorial matters.\n\nThe chairman is in charge of upholding and protecting the BBC's independence and ensuring the BBC fulfils its mission to inform, educate and entertain, among other things.\n\nMr Sharp was named as the government's preferred candidate for the BBC chairmanship in January 2021 and at the time the Commons Digital, Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) Committee backed his appointment.\n\nThe government's choice is ultimately decided by the prime minister - at the time Mr Johnson - on the advice of the culture secretary, who is in turn advised by a panel.\n\nAs he is appointed by the government, Mr Sharp can only be sacked by the secretary of state or resign, he cannot be axed by the BBC.\n\nLabour's shadow culture secretary Lucy Powell said Mr Sharp is \"totally unable\" to handle the Lineker row and has written to Culture Secretary Lucy Frazer asking for his position to be \"urgently clarified\".\n\nShe wrote: \"He is the one who should be giving staff, viewers and complainants the confidence that the organisation has acted proportionately and fairly. He is totally unable to perform this function.\"\n\nMs Powell also called on Ms Frazer to give details on any conversations she had with Mr Sharp, as well as Director General Tim Davie and other BBC executives about Lineker's suspension.\n\nFormer journalist Baroness Wheatcroft, a crossbench peer who sits on the Lords Communications and Digital Committee, added the BBC should \"call for the suspension\" of \"clearly political\" Mr Sharp after the Lineker row.\n\nShe told BBC Radio 4's Today programme: \"The problem is that the BBC has guidelines, but it doesn't apply them fairly. Guidelines only work if they are applied right across the board within the scope of the guidelines, and clearly the BBC has failed on that.\"\n\nFormer head of BBC TV News and director of sport, Roger Mosey, also called for Mr Sharp to go as he said the chairman had \"damaged the BBC's credibility\".\n\nHe wrote on Twitter: \"Ideally, Lineker should stay within clear, agreed guidelines. And the BBC should send out its executives to be interviewed and explain how they intend to resolve this crisis.\"\n\nProf Steven Barnett, professor of communications at the University of Westminster, told BBC News he had supported Mr Sharp's appointment but now thought he should go.\n\n\"It is clear it is now a big question mark over the whole of the BBC's output and commitment to impartiality,\" he says.\n\nDowning Street previously said it was reserving judgement on Mr Sharp's appointment until investigations are completed.\n\nThe BBC has approached Mr Sharp for comment.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/uk-64926923"}
{"title":"England 10-53 France: Hosts slump to record home defeat against Six Nations holders - BBC Sport","published_date":"2023-03-12","authors":null,"description":"France produce a ruthless display to condemn England to their heaviest home defeat and keep their Six Nations title defence alive with a seven-try win.","section":null,"content":"France produced a ruthless display to condemn England to their heaviest home defeat and keep their Six Nations title defence alive with a seven-try win.\n\nThomas Ramos scored the first of France's tries before Thibaud Flament powered over from close range.\n\nCharles Ollivon added a third to hand France a 24-point lead at the break.\n\nFreddie Steward crossed but Flament and Ollivon did so again and Damian Penaud scored twice as England fell to the third biggest defeat in their history.\n\nVictory with the full quota of five points means France will take the title race into the final weekend, regardless of Ireland's result against Scotland on Sunday.\n\nFrance, who had not won in the Six Nations at Twickenham since 2005, showed exactly why they are the number two side in the world and among the favourites to win the World Cup on home soil in six months.\n\nMeanwhile, England's title challenge is over in humiliating fashion and means this is the first Six Nations campaign where they have lost two home matches.\n\nIt is a stark reminder of the work they need to do to catch the best teams in the world - and things could get even worse with a trip to face Grand Slam-chasing world number one side Ireland in Dublin next weekend.\n\nThere was a noticeable buzz as England fans made their way to Twickenham with Marcus Smith given a chance to steer the ship at fly-half following his excellent display for Harlequins over the same blades of grass last weekend.\n\nSmith was given the nod instead of the experienced Owen Farrell, who dropped to the bench, with the hope it would ignite the England attack.\n\nBut you could still feel the heat from the pre-game stadium pyrotechnics when Ramos opened the scoring in the first minute with his third try of the tournament.\n\nFrance sniffed an opportunity and moved the ball wide quickly for the full-back to scamper clear. It was a sign of what was to come.\n\nFlament had a short run-up before bursting on to a flat pass to carry three white shirts over the line for the second, and Ollivon momentarily wore Smith on his back for the third.\n\nThe game was out of sight by the interval and England had barely laid a glove as they trailed by their biggest ever half-time deficit at home.\n\nThe hosts must have had the stern words of Steve Borthwick and his staff ringing in their ears as they emerged for the second half like a different team.\n\nSmith's crossfield kick almost reached Max Malins on the full before Steward used all his might to crash over near the posts.\n\nScrum-half Alex Mitchell had been introduced off the bench and immediately injected pace into the England attack, while Farrell replaced centre Henry Slade.\n\nThe volume went up a level but France showed the clinical edge their hosts were lacking and the influence of the world-class Antoine Dupont began to tell.\n\nThe France captain nudged the ball over the England defence for Romain Ntamack to palm back to Flament for the bonus point, and England's fire was extinguished.\n\nMore boot to ball in the swirling rain and more white shirts running backwards. This time Smith collected the ball deep in English territory before being hauled down as Ollivon claimed the loose ball for try number five.\n\nEngland had thrown in the towel but France were intent on adding to their misery. Gael Fickou's crossfield kick bounced fortuitously for Penaud and then it was a race between the wing and Alex Dombrandt with only one winner.\n\nPenaud was over again moments later after latching on to a flat pass to run England's noses in it for the seventh try.\n\nFormer England scrum-half Matt Dawson on BBC Radio 5 Live: \"There are no excuses. From the off, England have not been at the races. It's miserable for England fans, the players, the management.\n\n\"I'd like to say you write it off as a bad performance but England were exposed. Ireland will be watching this game thinking we can do that. We can play that way. We can manipulate England in that manner.\n\n\"It will put more doubt into the England coaching set-up. We have questioned whether England are playing the right game. They cannot expect to win games against the top teams if they play in that manner.\"\n\u2022 None The A-list movie star sits down for an honest chat with Tony Bellew\n\u2022 None Listen to all-new versions of her greatest hits and a classic cover","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/sport\/rugby-union\/64928055"}
{"title":"Aukus: Sunak in US visit to finalise defence pact - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-12","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"The UK, US and Australian leaders are set to agree plans to supply Canberra with nuclear submarines.","section":"UK","content":"The new defence partnership will initially focus on a fleet of nuclear-powered submarines for the Australian Navy\n\nUK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak is to fly to California later to discuss key details of a new defence agreement with his Australian and US counterparts.\n\nThe 2021 Aukus pact aims to counter what the three nations see as China's threat in the Indo-Pacific region.\n\nAt the time, China condemned the agreement as \"extremely irresponsible\".\n\nThe meeting with US President Joe Biden and Australian PM Anthony Albanese is set to agree the supply of nuclear-powered submarines to Australia.\n\nSpeaking ahead of the talks in San Diego, Mr Sunak said the UK's global alliances were \"our greatest source of strength and security\".\n\nDuring the trip - Mr Sunak's first to the US as PM - he is also set to unveil the UK's new integrated review of defence and foreign policy, which have been updated after Russia's invasion of Ukraine.\n\nMr Sunak said the review will reflect \"the future we want to deliver\" to the UK - \"secure, prosperous and standing shoulder to shoulder with our partners\".\n\nThe plans to finalise the key details of the Aukus (Australia-UK-US) pact come in light of strained diplomatic relations between the West and China.\n\nDowning Street has recently cited \"increasingly concerning behaviour of the Chinese Communist Party\" and just last month the former head of MI6 said the UK must \"wake up\" to the threat posed by China's challenges to global security.\n\nMeanwhile, the US and China continue to clash on issues including Taiwan, China's militarisation of the South China Sea and the origins of Covid-19. And more recently, the spy balloon saga heightened tensions between the superpowers.\n\nBeijing has acknowledged that China-US relations have \"seriously deviated\". Chinese Foreign Minister Qin Gang said the diplomatic crisis caused by the balloon incident could have been averted but the US acted with \"the presumption of guilt\".\n\nThe deal is set to see Australia become just the seventh nation in the world to operate nuclear-powered submarines, after the US, UK, France, China, India and Russia.\n\nThe plan is for nuclear submarines to be built in Adelaide, south Australia, with the UK and US providing consultation on technology for their production.\n\nThe UK is hoping the Aukus pact will result in work for UK shipyards, with reports suggesting Canberra could select to build a modified version of the British Astute-class submarine, while taking delivery of up to five US Virginia-class submarines during the production stage.\n\nIn addition to submarines, the pact is committed to information and technology exchange between the three nations in areas ranging from intelligence and quantum technology to the acquisition of cruise missiles.\n\nBut the signing of the pact sparked a row with France, which lost a deal with Australia to build 12 diesel-powered submarines.\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Why is everyone fighting over the South China Sea?","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/uk-64929819"}
{"title":"UK scrambles to help tech firms after Silicon Valley Bank collapse - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-12","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"Chancellor Jeremy Hunt says government and Bank of England are working to find a solution.","section":"Business","content":"Silicon Valley Bank (SVB) offices in the US were shut as customers sought their funds\n\nThe government says it is working \"at pace\" on a plan to prevent UK tech firms caught in the collapse of Silicon Valley Bank from running out of cash.\n\nThe Treasury said it wanted to \"minimise damage to some of our most promising companies in the UK\" after the US bank's failure on Friday.\n\nFirms could start to run into problems on Monday morning without intervention.\n\nUS regulators shut down the lender on Friday in what is the largest failure of a US bank since 2008.\n\nThe bank's UK subsidiary will be put into insolvency from Sunday evening.\n\nPrime Minister Rishi Sunak, Chancellor Jeremy Hunt and Bank of England Governor Andrew Bailey \"were up late last night\" and have been \"working through the weekend to come up with a solution\" to the collapse of Silicon Valley Bank UK, Mr Hunt told the BBC's Sunday with Laura Kuenssberg programme.\n\nWhile there's no risk to the UK's financial system as a whole, \"there is a serious risk to some of our most promising companies in technology and life sciences\", Mr Hunt said.\n\n\"These are very important companies to the UK, a very important part of our future.\n\n\"We want to find a way that minimises or avoids all losses to those incredibly promising [firms],\" Mr Hunt said, although he said he could not commit to companies recovering all of their money.\n\nHe said the government was \"working at pace\" to bring forward a plan to make sure firms can meet their cashflow needs \"within the next few days\".\n\nThat plan will mean companies can pay their staff, he said. \"That's the big ask we've had in the last 24 hours.\"\n\nBut Rachel Reeves, Labour's shadow chancellor, said firms need to urgently hear how the government planned to help.\n\nShe said start-ups needed to pay wages and suppliers, and some could feel pressure on share prices, or even have investors saying they no longer have confidence.\n\n\"We need, tomorrow morning, to hear from the government, how they are going to protect firms,\" she said, whether that is guarantees, or working with the US government on a rescue for the bank.\n\nAsked whether the government would come up with a solution by the time the markets open on Monday morning, Mr Sunak said: \"The Treasury is working at pace.\"\n\nMore than 200 bosses of UK tech companies signed a letter addressed to Mr Hunt on Saturday calling for government intervention.\n\nThe letter, from Fintech Founders, said many financial technology firms did all of their banking with SVB \"and will therefore go into receivership imminently unless preventative action is taken\".\n\n\"The firms affected by the collapse of SVB serve millions of people in the UK along with businesses that are critical to our economy,\" the letter said.\n\n\"The cost of inaction here means that these firms could fail in the short-term and your technology growth ambitions will fail in the long-term.\"\n\nToby Mather, chief executive and co-founder of Lingumi, an education technology start-up, told the BBC his business was very exposed.\n\n\"85% of our cash is held in Silicon Valley Bank.. [So this] is a really existential threat to us because I've got to pay my employees and they've got kids and mortgages and so on.\"\n\nOne source in a tech firm told the BBC the situation could be \"pretty terminal\" for many UK start-ups.\n\n\"This Monday, at least 200 firms employing tens of thousands of people will find they can't pay their staff or suppliers because the bank they had an account with has gone bust,\" the source said.\n\nBetween 30% and 40% or UK start-ups employing up to 50,000 people could be affected by the collapse, the source added.\n\nMichael Moore, director general of the British Private Equity and Venture Capital Association, said this was an \"urgent matter\" and that \"help is needed by tomorrow [Monday]\" for tech firms and entrepreneurs.\n\nSVB collapsed in the US after failing to raise $2.25bn (\u00a31.9bn) to plug a loss from the sale of assets, mainly US government bonds, that were affected by higher interest rates.\n\nIts troubles prompted a run on the bank in the US and sparked investor fears about the general state of the banking sector.\n\nUS Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen said on Sunday she was working closely with regulators to protect US depositors, but she was not considering a bailout.\n\nSilicon Valley Bank specialised in lending to early-stage businesses, and the company served nearly half of US venture-backed technology and healthcare companies that listed on stock markets last year.\n\nThe firm, which started as a California bank in 1983, expanded rapidly over the last decade. It employs more than 8,500 people globally, with most of its operations in the US.\n\nBut it has been under pressure as higher rates make it harder for start-ups to raise money through private fundraising or share sales. More clients were withdrawing deposits in a trend that snowballed last week.\n\nSilicon Valley Bank UK, which has stopped making payments or accepting deposits, is officially expected to go into insolvency on Sunday evening.\n\nThe move will allow individual depositors to be paid up to \u00a385,000 from the UK's deposit insurance scheme.\n\nHowever, the government committing to protecting any more than this would create a \"serious moral hazard\", Treasury permanent secretary Nick Macpherson tweeted - that is, depositors would lack an incentive to guard against risk if they expected all of their losses to be covered in the event of a bank collapse.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/business-64930944"}
{"title":"Budget 2023: Universal credit claimants to get more childcare cost help - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-12","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"The announcement in next week's Budget is part of government plans to encourage people back to work.","section":"Business","content":"Parents claiming universal credit are to get more help with childcare costs under government's plans to encourage people back into work.\n\nThe chancellor will announce in his Budget on Wednesday that the government will start paying childcare costs up front for those on the benefit.\n\nCharities have warned the current scheme of paying and claiming a refund risks people getting into debt.\n\nJeremy Hunt says the Budget aims to put the country on a path to growth.\n\nAt the moment, people in England, Scotland and Wales who are eligible for the current support pay childcare costs upfront and then claim a refund.\n\nBut the support has also been frozen at \u00a3646-a-month per child for several years, meaning it has not kept up with the rising cost of care.\n\nMr Hunt is also expected to announced that the maximum amount people can claim for childcare on universal credit will be increased by several hundred pounds. An exact figure for the increase has not yet been given.\n\nUnder the plans set to be announced, benefit claimants will be asked to attend more meetings with work coaches and attend skills bootcamps to help them get back to work.\n\nThe government's \"back to work\" plan will also aim to get over-50s in employment, as well as people with disabilities and those on long-term sickness.\n\nSpeaking ahead of the Budget, the chancellor said: \"For many people, there are barriers preventing them from moving into work - lack of skills, a disability or health condition, or having been out of the jobs market for an extended period of time.\n\n\"I want this back-to-work Budget to break down these barriers and help people find jobs that are right for them.\n\n\"We need to plug the skills gaps and give people the qualifications, support and incentives they need to get into work.\"\n\nChancellor Jeremy Hunt will announce plans for childcare payments in the Budget on Wednesday\n\nIt comes after BBC News previously reported unemployment was almost at its lowest rate since the 1970s after official figures showed around 1.3 million people in the UK were unemployed in December 2022 (an unemployment rate of 3.7%).\n\nThe average annual price for full-time nursery childcare in England for a child under-two was more than \u00a314,000 in 2022, according to children's charity Coram.\n\nThis means the cost of childcare in the UK is among the most expensive in the world, according to the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) - taking up nearly 30% of the income of a couple with two young children.\n\nAnd a survey of 24,000 parents, which was published this month by campaign group Pregnant Then Screwed, found 76% of mothers who pay for childcare feel it no longer makes financial sense for them to work, according to Reuters.\n\nLauren Fabianski, head of campaigns and communications at Pregnant Then Screwed, added childcare and early years education should be seen as infrastructure.\n\nShe said: \"Parents cannot work without good quality, affordable childcare. We have to see the government invest in this in order to get more women back into the workplace.\"\n\nLabour's shadow work and pension's secretary Jonathan Ashworth said: \"Over recent months, Labour has outlined welfare reforms to get Britain back to work and now the Tories are following our lead.\"\n\nLast month, the International Monetary Fund (IMF) warned the UK economy will shrink this year, even though every other major economy will grow.\n\nThe Bank of England also predicted a recession in the UK this year - although it is likely to be shorter and not as severe than previously forecast.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/business-64927833"}
{"title":"Hamburg Jehovah's Witnesses in shock after mass shooting - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-12","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"Services have been cancelled across the city as police say they cannot rule out a copycat attack.","section":"Europe","content":"\"We pray together, we cry together,\" says community representative Michael Tsifidaris\n\nIn a brightly lit hall on an industrial estate, rows of empty chairs are arranged in front of a plain wooden lectern.\n\nHamburg's Jehovah's witnesses have cancelled all services following Thursday's deadly shooting in another meeting hall in the city which claimed seven lives, including that of an unborn child.\n\nThe attack took place shortly after worshippers finished their service. Police have told them that they cannot rule out the possibility of a so-called copycat attack, says Michael Tsifidaris, who speaks for the community here.\n\nHe's smartly dressed in a business suit, but looks exhausted. It's clear that he's still deeply shaken. Two of his friends were killed in the attack.\n\nHe tells us he spent Thursday night with survivors in hospital, and at the police station. But he also comforted relatives as they waited in a hastily arranged emergency centre for news of their loved ones.\n\n\"It's hard to imagine - a group of people are sitting together during an evening in the church, reading the Bible, singing, praying together. Then they spend a couple of minutes together to talk to each other after the meeting, Then, all of a sudden, a scene of love becomes a scene of hate and death.\"\n\nThe fact that the killer was a former member of the Jehovah's Witness community here makes the tragedy particularly hard to bear.\n\nThere are about 4,000 Jehovah's Witnesses in and around Hamburg. The community is divided into smaller congregations, each with their own meeting place, known as a Kingdom Hall.\n\nDetectives investigating the mass shooting have said the killer left the Jehovah's Witnesses on terms which were \"not good\".\n\nMr Tsifidaris says he doesn't know why the man left, didn't know him personally, and appears reluctant to talk about him.\n\nThose who leave the Jehovah's Witnesses are often \"disassociated\" or cut off by most members of the community; a practice sometimes referred to as \"shunning\".\n\nThe police have revealed they recently received an anonymous letter, in which the author warned the attacker had a gun, was mentally unstable and harboured anger against religious groups, including the Jehovah's Witnesses.\n\n\"He left the community two years ago and now, all of a sudden, he's showing up and is acting against all the principles we stand for,\" says Mr Tsifidaris.\n\n\"What we know is that in the religious context, there is a community he knows, there is a community he was part of, so this is a community he focused his hate on. He knew the premises, he knew the arrangements.\"\n\nFor now, the community is meeting online. Mr Tsifidaris, who refers to his fellow members as brothers and sisters, speaks often of the comfort to be found in supporting one another. \"We pray together, we cry together.\"\n\nUppermost in their thoughts are those who remain seriously injured in hospital. He's adamant that their treatment is not compromised by a refusal to accept blood transfusions - Jehovah's Witnesses believe that God forbids this.\n\nThey are not yet out of danger, he tells us, but the doctors say there's a fair chance most will survive.\n\nFor now, the focus is on supporting the bereaved and the traumatised. No one, he says, is left alone in their grief.\n\nThis attack has left a city in mourning and a community in shock and horror. It will, says Mr Tsifidaris, take years to heal.\n\nJehovah's Witnesses services were cancelled after the mass shooting","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/world-europe-64932138"}
{"title":"Indian Wells 2023: Andy Murray, Emma Raducanu and Jack Draper win to reach third round - BBC Sport","published_date":"2023-03-12","authors":null,"description":"British trio Andy Murray, Emma Raducanu and Jack Draper all win on Saturday to reach the third round at Indian Wells.","section":null,"content":"Last updated on .From the section Tennis\n\nBritish trio Andy Murray, Emma Raducanu and Jack Draper all won on Saturday to reach the third round at Indian Wells.\n\nRaducanu, the 2021 US Open champion, fought back from 4-1 down in the first set to beat Poland's Magda Linette, the 20th seed, 7-6 (7-3) 6-2.\n\nShe will now face Brazil's Beatriz Haddad Maia, the 13th seed, for a place in the last 16.\n\nMurray beat Moldova's Radu Albot 6-4 6-3 to set up a meeting with Draper, who beat compatriot Dan Evans 6-4 6-2.\n\nRaducanu, 20, continued her return to form after shrugging off illness and a recurring wrist injury to beat Danka Kovinic on Thursday.\n\nThe world number 77 fought back to win the opening set on a tie-break, then eased through the second set for her first back-to-back victories since September.\n\nRaducanu suffered an ankle injury before January's Australian Open and tonsillitis forced her to withdraw from last week's Austin Open, while the wrist injury that cut short her 2022 season required attention from a physiotherapist on Saturday.\n\n\"I feel better, it was still a challenge, I wouldn't say I was 100% but better than the first-round match,\" Raducanu, who earned her biggest win by ranking since landing the major title in New York, told BBC Sport.\n\n\"I had to dig really deep against Magda because her level was really high.\n\n\"The wrist isn't completely pain free. But I gritted my teeth a little bit and it's good to still be able to win matches at this level despite the challenges I've had over the past few weeks.\"\n\nPoland's world number one Iga Swiatek enjoyed a 6-0 6-1 win over Claire Liu, whose fellow American Jessica Pegula, the third seed, fought back to beat Italy's Camila Giorgi 3-6 6-1 6-2.\n\nTunisian fourth seed Ons Jabeur, playing for the first time since losing in the Australian Open second round in January, fought back to beat Poland's Magdalena Frech 4-6 6-4 6-1.\n\u2022 None All the results from Indian Wells and order of play\n\nFormer world number one Murray enjoyed his first straight-set win since last October after his original opponent, the 15th seed Pablo Carreno Busta of Spain, had to withdraw because of a muscle injury.\n\nAfter a number of marathon wins in the opening weeks of the season, Murray said it felt good to beat Albot in one hour and 42 minutes.\n\n\"It has been a long time [since winning a match in straight sets], I've had a lot of brutal matches since then,\" he said.\n\n\"Probably some of them I could have finished sooner and probably a bunch a matches I could have lost as well. It was nice to get through this one.\"\n\nThe 35-year-old Scot now has his first meeting with Draper, 14 years his junior and ranked just one spot below him at 56.\n\nIn his first match against Evans, Draper broke the 32-year-old in his first two service games and his last two to knock out the 24th seed.\n\n\"Playing Dan is a really tough challenge, I think he is one of the best competitors on the tour and he has an awkward style. I knew that coming in and knew he wouldn't want to lose to me,\" said Draper.\n\nSpain's Carlos Alcaraz, who could to the ATP number one ranking by winning the title, started with a sharp 6-3 6-3 victory against Australia's Thanasi Kokkinakis.\n\nDefending champion Taylor Fritz came from a set down to beat fellow American Ben Shelton - the fast-rising 20-year-old who reached the Australian Open quarter-finals - in a 4-6 6-4 6-3 triumph.\n\nFifth seed Daniil Medvedev beat American Brandon Nakashima 6-4 6-3 while his Russian compatriot Andrey Rublev, the sixth seed, won 6-4 6-2 against the Czech Republic's Jiri Lehecka.\n\u2022 None Alerts: Get tennis news sent to your phone","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/sport\/tennis\/64928995"}
{"title":"Fulham 0-3 Arsenal: Gunners restore five-point lead at top of table with convincing win - BBC Sport","published_date":"2023-03-12","authors":null,"description":"Arsenal restore their five-point advantage at the top of the Premier League in outstanding fashion with a ruthless victory at Fulham.","section":null,"content":"Last updated on .From the section Premier League\n\nArsenal restored their five-point advantage at the top of the Premier League in outstanding fashion with a ruthless victory at Fulham.\n\nMikel Arteta's side responded to Manchester City's narrow victory at Crystal Palace on Saturday night by wrapping up this win by half-time as they opened up a 3-0 lead with a devastating attacking display.\n\nGabriel Martinelli had already had a goal narrowly ruled out for offside by the Video Assistant Referee (VAR), before defender Gabriel headed in Leandro Trossard's corner after 21 minutes - the first of a trio of assists for the Belgian.\n\nTrossard then crossed for Martinelli to beat the static Antonee Robinson to head home at the far post five minutes later, before providing the delivery for captain Martin Odegaard's cool finish in first-half stoppage time.\n\nFulham mounted a belated threat after the break as visiting keeper Aaron Ramsdale denied Bobby de Cordova-Reid, while Tosin Adarabioyo headed against the woodwork.\n\nArsenal, however, were always in control and Arteta was able to re-introduce influential striker Gabriel Jesus for the first time since he required knee surgery after being injured playing for Brazil against Cameroon at the World Cup for a 13-minute cameo.\n\u2022 None Team news followed by live text coverage of Sunday's Premier League action\n\u2022 None Go straight to our Arsenal content\n\nTrossard stands out as Gunners pass another test\n\nThis had all the hallmarks of a hazardous fixture for Arsenal given Fulham's impressive campaign and the pressure on after Manchester City reduced their lead to two points.\n\nBut, once again, the steel, character and skill that has characterised their season was on show.\n\nThe \u00a321m capture of Trossard from Brighton in January looks increasingly shrewd by the week and he ran riot down Fulham's right flank, taking on the role of creator-in-chief before being substituted to a standing ovation in the closing stages.\n\nArsenal have been presented with examinations of different types on a regular basis in this impressive attempt to win a first title since 2004 - and they passed this one with flying colours.\n\nThe Gunners dug deep to come from two goals down to beat Bournemouth in the 97th minute in last weekend's game at Emirates Stadium, while here they stamped their authority all over a lacklustre Fulham from the first whistle.\n\nManchester City had asked the question by winning at Selhurst Park. Arsenal provided the answer at Craven Cottage with their fifth successive Premier League win.\n\nMarco Silva's Fulham have been an outstanding addition to the top flight this season - a surprise package given they were rated as relegation favourites by many.\n\nHere, however, they were well short of the standards they have set and this comprehensive defeat capped a disappointing week after losing the west London derby at Brentford on Monday.\n\nThere were mitigating circumstances with two of their most influential performers missing, Willian ruled out with a back muscle injury and Joao Palhinha suspended. The goals have also dried up for main marksman Aleksandar Mitrovic, who has 11 this season, but last scored in January.\n\nAfter a below-par display, Fulham only came to life after the break when the game was effectively over.\n\nCurrently in eighth place, they have done so well to put themselves in contention for European football next season.\n\nSilva's main task now is to ensure the conclusion to this campaign does not drift away into anti-climax.\n\u2022 None Attempt blocked. Aleksandar Mitrovic (Fulham) right footed shot from the centre of the box is blocked.\n\u2022 None Attempt blocked. F\u00e1bio Vieira (Arsenal) left footed shot from the centre of the box is blocked.\n\u2022 None Attempt missed. Martin \u00d8degaard (Arsenal) left footed shot from the centre of the box is too high. Assisted by Reiss Nelson.\n\u2022 None Attempt missed. Harry Wilson (Fulham) left footed shot from the centre of the box is too high. Assisted by Harrison Reed.\n\u2022 None Attempt saved. Gabriel Jesus (Arsenal) right footed shot from the centre of the box is saved in the centre of the goal. Assisted by F\u00e1bio Vieira.\n\u2022 None Offside, Fulham. Tim Ream tries a through ball, but Aleksandar Mitrovic is caught offside.\n\u2022 None Attempt blocked. Reiss Nelson (Arsenal) right footed shot from outside the box is blocked. Navigate to the next page Navigate to the last page\n\u2022 None Our coverage of your Premier League club is bigger and better than ever before - here's everything you need to know to make sure you never miss a moment","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/sport\/football\/64852078"}
{"title":"US accuses Iran of cruel false prisoner swap claims - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-12","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"Iran's claims that an exchange is imminent will cause \"heartache\" for relatives, the US says.","section":"Middle East","content":"US-Iranian Siamak Namazi was arrested in Iran in 2015 and later sentenced to 10 years in prison on spying charges\n\nThe US has accused Iran of making \"cruel\" false claims that a prisoner exchange had been agreed between the two countries.\n\nIranian foreign minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian on Sunday told state media a deal had been struck, which would probably be carried out soon.\n\nBut a White House security spokesperson denied this, saying Iranian officials did not hesitate to \"make things up\".\n\nThe latest claim would cause heartache for affected families, they added.\n\nMr Amir-Abdollahian told state TV that an agreement had been reached in the recent days and \"if everything goes well on the US side, I think we will witness a prisoner exchange in a short period\".\n\nHe added that Iran was ready, while the US was working on \"final technical coordination\".\n\nWhile insisting the claim was false, the US spokesperson said Washington was committed to securing the release of Americans held in Iran - naming Siamak Namazi, Emad Shargi and Morad Tahbaz.\n\nMorad Tahbaz and fellow conservationists were using cameras to track endangered species when they were arrested in Iran\n\nOil executive Siamak Namazi, who has dual US-Iranian citizenship, was jailed for 10 years on charges of spying and cooperating with the US government in 2016.\n\nLast week he conducted an interview with US news network CNN from Tehran's Evin prison, in which he asked President Joe Biden to \"do what's necessary to end this nightmare\".\n\nEmad Shargi is an Iranian-American businessman who was arrested in 2018 while working for a tech investment company.\n\nIranian-American environmentalist Morad Tahbaz, who also holds British citizenship, was given a 10-year sentence on charges of spying for the US and undermining Iranian security in 2019.\n\nHe released on bail last July with an electronic bracelet - with UK officials saying they were working with the US to secure his \"permanent release\".\n\nIran's deputy foreign minister Ali Bagheri Kani, who has previously taken part in nuclear talks with world powers, is in Oman - a country which has long been a mediator between Tehran and Washington.\n\nThere have been tensions between the US and Iran in recent years since President Donald Trump pulled out of a nuclear deal and reimposed sanctions which severely damaged the Islamic republic's economy.\n\nIran has detained a number of US-Iranian dual citizens and Iranians with US permanent residency in recent years, most of them on spying charges.\n\nTehran has sought the release of more than a dozen Iranians in the United States for years, including seven Iranian-American dual nationals, two Iranians with permanent US residency and four Iranian citizens with no legal status in the United States.\n\nIn 2019 the two countries conducted a prisoner swap which saw Chinese-American researcher Xiyue Wang released to the US while stem cell expert Massoud Soleimani went in the other direction.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/world-middle-east-64932810"}
{"title":"Gary Lineker: Why his comments present a problem for the BBC - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-12","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"How the presenter's remarks, comparing UK asylum policy to 1930s Germany, place the BBC in a pickle.","section":"Entertainment & Arts","content":"The BBC is speaking to Lineker over comparing UK asylum policy to 1930s Germany\n\nAs the UK's most scrutinised media organisation in increasingly polarised times, to say Gary Lineker's recent tweets cause difficulty for the BBC is an understatement.\n\nThe director general, Tim Davie, has made impartiality a key platform of his leadership.\n\nTrust in the corporation is at the heart of this. It matters if the public believes its public service broadcaster doesn't represent their views, or that the BBC is shaped by a particular perspective.\n\nDavie has previously said: \"If you want to be an opinionated columnist or a partisan campaigner on social media then that is a valid choice, but you should not be working at the BBC.\"\n\nAll staff and on-air talent are bound by \"due\" impartiality which the BBC is committed to achieving across its output.\n\nDirector general Tim Davie has said people who want to be opinionated columnists should not be working at the BBC\n\nOfcom defines due impartiality, an important distinction from simply impartiality, as \"means adequate or appropriate to the subject and nature of the programme\".\n\nTo use the classic example: If someone says the earth is round, the BBC does not have to give equal weight to someone else who claims the earth is flat.\n\nLineker is a sports presenter. He tweets on his personal Twitter account.\n\nIf a news presenter commented, as he has done, about the government's asylum policies, or about Brexit for example, they would at the very least receive a very serious warning.\n\nLineker, as somebody associated with sport for the BBC, and who argues he is a freelancer, is in a different position.\n\n\"I try to be sensible,\" he told Radio 4's Media Show in 2021, saying that as a freelancer he's \"considerate\" to his employers when it comes to what he tweets.\n\nHe added that the BBC rules \"only apply to people in news and current affairs\".\n\nFrom the outside, it can appear more complicated.\n\nThe BBC's editorial guidelines state: \"Where individuals identify themselves as being linked with the BBC, or are programme makers, editorial staff, reporters or presenters primarily associated with the BBC, their activities on social media have the potential to compromise the BBC's impartiality and to damage its reputation.\"\n\nLineker presents Match of the Day, the BBC's flagship football programme\n\nLineker's Twitter account has 8.7m followers. So he has a huge platform.\n\nAnd, whatever the set up of the BBC as a broadcaster, with sport and news being distinct from one another, for audiences that distinction can be less clear. In many people's minds, if you are on the BBC, you work for it, and Lineker happens to be one of corporation's most high profile presenters.\n\nThat's why the BBC's editorial guidelines also say that people with platforms have a greater responsibility to uphold impartiality.\n\nLast year, a different tweet by Lineker was found to have broken BBC rules. That concerned a post about the then-Foreign Secretary Liz Truss urging a boycott of the Champions League final in Russia.\n\nThe Match of the Day host added: \"And her party will hand back their donations from Russian donors?\"\n\nThe BBC's Executive Complaints Unit ruled that, although the star is not required to uphold the same impartiality standards as BBC journalists, he has an \"additional responsibility\" because of his profile.\n\n\"We expect these individuals to avoid taking sides on party political issues or political controversies and to take care when addressing public policy matters,\" the ruling said.\n\nTo his detractors, Lineker has form. He has made comments before that some have found controversial, including, in 2016, that the government's treatment of asylum seekers was \"hideously racist and utterly heartless\".\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Watch: Suella Braverman says she is \"disappointed\" by Gary Lineker's tweet\n\nBut he is also a much loved and well respected sports broadcaster. Match of the Day is a very popular programme.\n\nHe may be the BBC's highest paid star, but he could probably earn even more if he switched to another broadcaster.\n\nLineker clearly cares deeply about the issue of migrant crossings, and he has taken refugees into his own home in the past.\n\nHe has not removed his original Twitter comments criticising the government's asylum announcements, which he posted on Tuesday.\n\nAfter those tweets caused controversy, he tweeted on Wednesday: \"Great to see the freedom of speech champions out in force this morning demanding silence from those with whom they disagree.\"\n\nThis Twitter post cannot be displayed in your browser. Please enable Javascript or try a different browser. View original tweet on Twitter The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Skip twitter post by Gary Lineker \ud83d\udc99\ud83d\udc9b 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\u2019s cookie policy, external and privacy policy, external before accepting. To view this content choose \u2018accept and continue\u2019. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.\n\nHe also thanked his followers for their \"love and support\", pledging to \"continue to try and speak up for those poor souls that have no voice\".\n\nLineker appears bullish. And he isn't the only sports presenter straying into politics this morning, with BT Sport anchor Jake Humphrey describing the government's \"stop the boats\" pledge as being \"a cruel slogan\".\n\nThis Twitter post cannot be displayed in your browser. Please enable Javascript or try a different browser. View original tweet on Twitter The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Skip twitter post 2 by Jake Humphrey 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\u2019s cookie policy, external and privacy policy, external before accepting. To view this content choose \u2018accept and continue\u2019. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.\n\nThe News Agents presenter and former BBC journalist Emily Maitlis said it was \"curious that Gary Lineker [was] free to raise questions about Qatar's human rights record - with the blessing of the BBC - over the World Cup, but cannot raise questions of human rights in this country if it involves criticism of government policy\".\n\nHowever, this is arguably a false equivalence. Voicing an opinion on a government policy about migrant crossings, a divisive subject, is not the same thing as highlighting well-documented human rights breaches in Qatar, something which is a matter of fact.\n\nThe BBC is in a difficult position. They say a \"frank\" conversation is being had with Lineker. But in the end, what are the options?\n\nWith some Conservative MPs calling for him to be sacked, not for the first time, the pressure is mounting.\n\nPerceptions on impartiality matter, but it's also clear that impartiality can be politicised by people who have an agenda against the BBC.\n\nAs it navigates the demands of its editorial standards, its talent and its audiences, the BBC is walking a tightrope.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/entertainment-arts-64889868"}
{"title":"Hemsby: Two more homes on cliff edge demolished - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-12","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"Officials say the properties needed to be removed before they fell into the sea due to coastal erosion.","section":"Norfolk","content":"This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Mary Withey's home was demolished on Sunday morning, making it the second of three to be removed\n\nTwo more homes close to the cliff edge in Norfolk have been demolished amid fears they would fall into the sea.\n\nResidents left their chalets in The Marrams in Hemsby on Friday after the sandy cliffs beneath them eroded.\n\nSome of the properties were within 1m (3.2ft) of the cliff edge.\n\nA third property was pulled down on Saturday after several outbuildings were lost to the sea during high tide on Friday night.\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. It took just a few hours to bring the first Hemsby property to the ground on Saturday\n\nNicolette, who was passing by as the second of the three homes was being pulled down, described it as \"brutal\" and said it was an \"emotional experience\" watching it.\n\nShe said: \"People lived there, they enjoyed their times there and to see what coastal erosion is doing to not only the nature, the environment, but people's lives is really sad.\"\n\nTrevor, who was with her, added: \"I guess these people have seen it coming slowly for a number of years but it's happened so much quicker than people ever expected.\"\n\nSue, whose property was the first to be taken down, said it was \"soul destroying\".\n\nAlong with her neighbours, she spent Saturday morning hurriedly packing up her belongings before the demolition teams moved in.\n\nSue said she wished more could have been done to save her home of three years.\n\nSue, who did not want to give her surname, said watching her home being demolished was \"soul destroying\"\n\nWatching her house being destroyed with her head in her hands, she said: \"We've got some very happy memories there because it's got lovely energy to it, lovely atmosphere.\"\n\nThe demolition work is taking place on the north side of Hemsby gap in the direction of Winterton-on-Sea. The gap is a break in the dunes used by the lifeboat crew to access the beach.\n\nMs Withey said she felt \"very sad\" about the situation\n\nMary Withey was not there to witness her home being demolished on Sunday morning.\n\nShe said on Saturday that she and her partner \"had got what we can\" before the teams moved in.\n\n\"I'm not OK with it, it's been my home, I don't want to move... it's very sad,\" said Ms Withey, who lived in her house for four years.\n\nRob Eastaff, head of demolition, said other properties were at risk\n\nNow all three homes have been demolished, a clean-up operation will take place on Monday.\n\nAll the materials will be taken to recycling centres, Rob Eastaff, head of demolition at the site, said.\n\nThe 50-year-old said it was \"not pleasant\" demolishing the homes, especially because he remembered going over the dunes to get to the beach as a 10-year-old boy.\n\nHe said to see the erosion that had happened over the past 40 years was a \"terrible\" thing.\n\nOther properties are currently at risk, \"but at the moment we are only engaged in these three\", he added.\n\nThe two homes taken down on Sunday were on the eroded dunes on the north side of the gap\n\nLance Martin's property on the south side of the gap is one of those still at risk.\n\nMr Martin, who has lived there for almost six years, rebuilt what he described as his \"dream home\" after dragging it back further in-land.\n\nAfter this weekend, however, he said there was less than 1m left at the back of his house.\n\nHe had hoped to move it again but there was uncertainty over whether his home could be saved.\n\nLance Martin has already moved his home further in-land\n\nMr Martin's property is teetering on the cliff edge\n\nJane Beck, head of property and asset management at Great Yarmouth Borough Council, said it was \"extremely sad\" for those involved.\n\n\"We're trying to do everything we possibly can to help them through that process,\" Ms Beck said.\n\nThe beach and surrounding area at Hemsby should be avoided, she added, and she urged people to stay away for their own safety.\n\nThe homes are being demolished before they fall into the sea\n\nThe only access road to properties on the Marrams has also been cordoned off and is expected to collapse.\n\nDaniel Hurd, coxswain with the Hemsby lifeboat crew, said measures should have been put in place earlier\n\nGreat Yarmouth Borough Council's chief executive, Sheila Oxtoby, said the authority was looking to bring some rock on to the beach to protect the road access to a number of other properties as a \"temporary solution\".\n\nIt is understood 1,900 tonnes of granite are due to arrive on Wednesday.\n\nHemsby Lifeboat coxswain Daniel Hurd, however, said the current situation could have been resolved earlier.\n\nHe said: \"I just think it's absolutely ridiculous, this has been an emergency for years and it's taken this weekend for them to see it's an emergency to then get a rock berm put on the beach.\"\n\nBut the council said it was a \"real minefield of making sure that what local government and the authorities do is the correct line of procedure\".\n\nHemsby, near Great Yarmouth, is home to about 3,000 people and was once home to a Pontins holiday camp.\n\nSeven bungalows along The Marrams had to be demolished when sandy cliffs washed away in March 2018 and, in December 2013, \"the worst storm surge in 60 years\", destroyed seven homes.\n\nDo you live in the area? How have you been affected by any issues raised here? You can share your experience by emailing haveyoursay@bbc.co.uk.\n\nPlease include a contact number if you are willing to speak to a BBC journalist. You can also get in touch in the following ways:\n\nIf 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 HaveYourSay@bbc.co.uk. Please include your name, age and location with any submission.\n\nFind BBC News: East of England on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter. If you have a story suggestion email eastofenglandnews@bbc.co.uk\n\nThe BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/uk-england-norfolk-64930989"}
{"title":"Bill Tidy: Cartoonist who appeared on Countdown and Countryfile dies aged 89 - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-12","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"Bill Tidy's family has paid tribute to \"the most brilliant cartoonist and the very best dad\".","section":"Entertainment & Arts","content":"Bill Tidy appeared on many television shows including The Chris Stuart Cha Cha Chat Show in 1985\n\nBill Tidy, the cartoonist who was known for his quick artistry on shows including Countdown and Countryfile, has died at the age of 89.\n\nHis family paid tribute to \"the most brilliant cartoonist and the very best dad\" after he died with his children, Sylvia and Rob, by his side.\n\nAmong Tidy's greatest works in a decades long career were The Fosdyke Saga and The Cloggies.\n\nBut his health declined in recent years after he suffered two serious strokes.\n\nIn a statement on his official Facebook page, Tidy's family said: \"It is with huge sadness that I have to share with you the tragic news that we lost our dad, who is not only the most brilliant cartoonist but the very best dad two sons, a son-in-law and a daughter could ever wish for.\"\n\nTidy, who was born in Tranmere on Merseyside in 1933, did not receive any formal artistic training growing up and instead started his working life in the Royal Engineers branch of the Army.\n\nHis cartoonist career began when he sold a sketch to a Japanese newspaper in 1955.\n\nThis Twitter post cannot be displayed in your browser. Please enable Javascript or try a different browser. View original tweet on Twitter The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Skip twitter post by David Quantick 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\u2019s cookie policy, external and privacy policy, external before accepting. To view this content choose \u2018accept and continue\u2019. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.\n\nHe went on to publish cartoon strips in a host of UK national newspapers, including The Fosdyke Saga for the Daily Mirror and The Cloggies for Private Eye.\n\nThe Fosdyke Saga became so popular it eventually became the subject of a 42-part radio series for the BBC from 1983.\n\nOver the years he also appeared on television shows such as Watercolour Challenge, Countdown, Blankety Blank and Countryfile and he illustrated more than 70 books.\n\nTidy was awarded an MBE in 2000 for services to journalism and helped to set up the British Cartoonists' Association.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/entertainment-arts-64932762"}
{"title":"DR Congo's M23 ceasefire: Angola to deploy troops after failed truce - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-12","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"Angola's soldiers are to help secure M23 rebel areas after a ceasefire it brokered failed.","section":"Africa","content":"M23 rebels say they are withdrawing from several captured villages\n\nAngola says it will send a military unit to eastern Democratic Republic of Congo, days after a truce it brokered failed to end fighting.\n\nBoth sides in the conflict - the M23 rebels and government troops - have accused each other of breaking the ceasefire that began on Tuesday.\n\nAn East African force was also recently deployed to the area, which is rich in minerals and has dozens of militias.\n\nThe UN says the conflict forced 300,000 people from their homes last month.\n\nThis happened in North-Kivu province, which borders Rwanda and Uganda, and is a fertile and mountainous area long plundered by rival groups.\n\nThere is increasing concern about the humanitarian crisis caused by the fighting, which was still ongoing on Friday.\n\nThe European Union has just started an operation to fly in aid to the regional capital, Goma, saying humanitarian agencies have become overwhelmed.\n\nA statement from the Angolan president's office said the soldiers would be deployed to help secure areas that have been held by the M23 rebel group and to protect ceasefire monitors.\n\nKenyan soldiers, who are part of the East African Community Regional Force, have deployed to these areas too.\n\nThe rebels, who are widely reported to be backed by Rwanda, had just hours earlier said they would withdraw from several captured villages.\n\nThe Congolese government will welcome the arrival of Angolan troops to help in the fight against the rebels.\n\nBut there is a danger of this becoming a wider international conflict.\n\nMore than 20 years ago the armies of at least eight African countries fought a war in eastern DR Congo, dubbed \"Africa's world war\", that caused immense suffering for the civilian population.\n\nRwanda has for many years criticised the Congolese authorities for failing to disarm Hutu rebels - some of whom are linked to the Rwandan genocide in 1994.\n\nIt denies backing the M23, which has captured vast swathes of territory over the past year and has been advancing towards Goma.\n\nA decade ago, M23 fighters also captured large parts of North Kivu - but were eventually routed by UN and regional troops and as part of a peace deal disarmed.\n\nLargely made up of Congolese army deserters, they first took up arms in 2009 accusing the government of marginalising the country's ethnic Tutsi minority and failing to honour previous peace accords.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/world-africa-64927180"}
{"title":"Mark Drakeford says grief will not stop his work in emotional speech - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-12","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"Welsh first minister says his grief at losing his wife will not stop his work for Labour.","section":"Wales politics","content":"Mark Drakeford has been Welsh Labour leader since 2018\n\nIn an emotional speech to his party First Minister Mark Drakeford has said his grief losing his wife will not stop his work for Labour.\n\nClose to tears, the Welsh party leader thanked those who showed him kindness after his wife Clare died in January.\n\nHe also called for Sir Keir Starmer to ditch first past the post in favour of proportional representation.\n\nBut the UK Labour leader said it was not a priority for an incoming Labour government.\n\nEarlier Sir Keir said he would return control over economic aid to Welsh ministers if he became PM.\n\nMr Drakeford spoke at Welsh Labour conference in Llandudno on Saturday.\n\nHe said in recent weeks he had been given \"words of kindness and sympathy, from people within our party, and also from people I've never met\".\n\n\"That has been a strength to me, personally - a heartfelt thanks to you all.\"\n\nLater he added: \"Even when our hearts are weighed down with the intolerable burden of grief, we know our duty, our moral obligation... that this party has to run towards the dangers that blight so many lives, and never ever run away from them.\"\n\nIn his speech he gave his strongest support yet for major reforms to the Westminster electoral system.\n\nHe called for Sir Keir Starmer to bring an end to the first past the post voting system, which sees MPs elected based on which candidate wins the most votes in a constituency.\n\nKeir Starmer and Mark Drakeford both spoke on the first day of Welsh Labour conference.\n\n\"The next Labour government must lead the task of democratic renewal,\" he said.\n\n\"I do not believe that we can go on simply accepting a system which time and time again produces Conservative majorities on a minority of the votes cast.\"\n\nAppearing to address critics of proportional representation within his own party, Mr Drakeford said: \"To those who continue to fear a change in the electoral system.\n\n\"I say simply look at what we have done here in Wales - 25 years of winning and working within a proportional electoral system.\"\n\nHe accused the Conservatives of hollowing out democracy with a \"dreadful brand of selfish, self-enriching politics, where even a football commentator is expected to toe the Tory line or to find their job at risk\".\n\nResponding to Mr Drakeford's calls for voting reform, Sir Keir said praised Mr Drakeford's \"powerful speech\".\n\n\"I don't think anybody could not be moved by Mark's speech.\" He added: \"It's not a priority for an incoming Labour government.\"\n\nThis was an emotional speech from Mark Drakeford whose enthusiasm for public life is clearly undimmed by his recent tragedy.\n\nWith all eyes at conference on an expected general election in 2024 he gave a rousing endorsement of UK Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer.\n\nBut while Mr Drakeford is passionate about securing a UK Labour victory, it's also the case that the two men have very different views on some policy issues.\n\nSir Keir looked uncomfortable when Mr Drakeford argued for electoral reform at Westminster and the avowed socialist, Mark Drakeford, looked less than enthused by Sir Keir's emphasis on \"sound money\" .\n\nWelsh Labour conference has always loved Mark Drakeford as first minister and his rapturous reception continued this time.\n\nDelegates gave Sir Keir a notably warmer reception than he's had at previous Welsh party conferences, a sign perhaps of the party's increasing confidence ahead of the next election.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/uk-wales-politics-64926567"}
{"title":"Gary Lineker: Football star who became a Saturday TV fixture - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-12","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"The ex-England player is one of the most recognisable figures associated with the BBC.","section":"UK","content":"For many years, Gary Lineker has been one of sport's most famous faces - both on the football pitch and on television screens.\n\nThe last week has seen the Match of the Day host again move from the back pages to the front, after his criticism over the government's asylum plans sparked an impartiality row.\n\nThe 62-year-old is one of the most recognisable figures associated with the broadcaster, and is part of the footballing landscape in the UK.\n\nHe took over as host of the BBC's football highlights programme in 1999 after a stellar career as a striker for England, Leicester City, Everton, Spurs and Barcelona that finished in Japan.\n\nOne of the broadcaster's highest-paid presenters, Lineker is viewed by many as one of the faces of the BBC - and he has not shied from using his high profile to express his political views.\n\nHis outspoken positions on divisive issues have earned him criticism and plaudits in equal measures - and, on occasion, caused BBC bosses a headache.\n\nThe corporation is committed to impartiality, meaning staff and stars are expected to follow guidance on expressing political opinions in the BBC's output and on social media.\n\nBut Lineker, who is technically a freelancer rather than a BBC employee, has not always bitten his tongue.\n\nIn 2022, he posted a story on Twitter about the then-Foreign Secretary Liz Truss urging a boycott of the Champions League final in Russia. He asked: \"And her party will hand back their donations from Russian donors?\"\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. WATCH: How the Match of the Day row played out on Saturday... in 60 seconds\n\nThe incident led to the BBC's Executive Complaints Unit (ECU) upholding a complaint and concluding that, as \"one of the BBC's highest-profile stars\", he did not meet the corporation's editorial standards on impartiality.\n\nIn 2018, Lineker posted a thread of tweets as Conservatives held a no-confidence vote in Theresa May, who was then prime minister, and indirectly criticised Labour's leader at the time, Jeremy Corbyn.\n\nTwo years earlier he blasted some in the media for being \"hideously racist and utterly heartless\" to refugees.\n\nHe has taken refugees into his home and spoken passionately about the need to protect people who come to the country in need.\n\nDespite criticism from politicians, some in the media and colleagues, Lineker has steadfastly defended his right to speak out on issues that matter to him, often to his 8.7 million Twitter followers.\n\nLineker scored more than 300 career goals for club and country\n\nThe presenter is the face of Match of the Day and the FA Cup\n\nA tweet aimed at Jonathan Agnew, a BBC cricket host who had criticised his 2018 political posts, summed up his approach. \"I'll continue to tweet what I like and if folk disagree with me then so be it,\" he wrote.\n\nLineker has now caused a row with a tweet commenting that the government's new Illegal Migration Bill was an \"immeasurably cruel policy directed at the most vulnerable people in language that is not dissimilar to that used by Germany in the 30s\".\n\nResponding to critics of his comments, he said he would \"continue to try and speak up for those poor souls that have no voice\".\n\nFor its part, the BBC said that when it came to leading its football and sports coverage, Lineker was \"second to none\".\n\nBut it said: \"We consider his recent social media activity to be a breach of our guidelines\" - and \"he should keep well away from taking sides on party political issues or political controversies\".\n\nLineker has previously argued he can impart his opinion because he is a freelancer. On top of that, he works on BBC's Sport output, away from the inevitably more sensitive news operation.\n\nBut critics point to the \u00a31.35m he was paid by the BBC in 2021\/22, a sum which makes him the highest paid presenter whose salary must be disclosed (although this does not include famous faces who are employed via private production firms).\n\nThey also argue his platform comes via his BBC work, and so he should follow its rules.\n\nLineker is contracted until 2025, and on top of hosting Match of the Day also fronts the BBC's coverage of major football tournaments and co-presents BBC Sports Personality Of The Year.\n\nHe also works as a presenter on LaLigaTV, which covers football in Spain for viewers in the UK and Ireland.\n\nThe media company he co-founded - Goalhanger Podcasts - produces The Rest Is Politics, a regular political discussion show featuring former Labour aide Alastair Campbell and ex-Tory minister Rory Stewart.\n\nHe has worked for other broadcasters, including a stint presenting the Champions League for BT Sport, and is also widely known as the face of Walker's Crisps, a business founded in his home town of Leicester.\n\nBefore taking to the airwaves, Lineker first made his name with his local team, Leicester City FC, in 1978.\n\nHis goalscoring habit continued after moves to Everton and Tottenham Hotspur, and he topped the scoring charts for both teams in the First Division - the top flight of English football before the Premier League was created.\n\nHe made his England debut in 1984 and played 80 times for his country - the last time in 1992.\n\nHis tally of 48 international goals has been bettered by only three Englishmen.\n\nHe retired from the game in 1994 - having notably never been shown a yellow card - and was inducted into the English Football Hall of Fame.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/uk-64895590"}
{"title":"Gary Lineker: BBC boss Tim Davie 'sorry' after sport disruption in Lineker row - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-12","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"Football coverage was severely impacted by a staff walk-out in support of the Match of the Day host.","section":"UK","content":"This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Watch Nomia Iqbal's interview in full: Tim Davie is asked whether he has lost control of the BBC\n\nBBC director general Tim Davie has apologised to licence fee payers after a day of sports programme disruption.\n\nFootball shows were pulled at the last minute on Saturday after presenters and commentators walked out in support of Match of the Day host Gary Lineker.\n\nMatch of the Day was reduced to a 20-minute edition.\n\nLineker was suspended after criticising the government's controversial asylum policy. But Mr Davie denied the government pressured him into the move.\n\nAs well as having no presenter, Match of the Day on BBC One on Saturday night was broadcast without commentary, and pundits Alan Shearer and Ian Wright did not appear.\n\nThe programme was also without its famous theme tune and opening credits. The show started with a graphic reading \"Premier League Highlights\" before launching straight into clips from the Bournemouth v Liverpool game - the usual commentary replaced by the sound of the crowd.\n\nMr Davie admitted it had been a \"difficult day\" for the corporation but said \"we are working very hard to resolve the situation\".\n\nInterviewed by BBC News, Mr Davie said \"success for me is getting Gary back on air and together we are giving to the audiences that world-class sports coverage which, as I say, I'm sorry we haven't been able to deliver today\".\n\nThe director general said he would \"absolutely not\" be resigning but admitted \"this has been a tough time for the BBC\".\n\nHe said there had been no \"pandering\" to any political party amid accusations from opposition parties that BBC executives had bowed to pressure from Downing Street and ministers over the anti-government tweet.\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. How the row played out on Saturday... in 60 seconds\n\nMr Davie said Lineker had been asked to \"step back\" after getting \"involved in party political matters\". He added he was prepared to review impartiality rules for freelance staff like Lineker.\n\nIn the Sunday Mirror, Lineker's son, George, is quoted as saying he thought his father would return to presenting Match of the Day. However, George said \"he [Lineker] won't ever back down on his word\".\n\nCommenting on the Illegal Migration Bill on Tuesday, Lineker called it an \"immeasurably cruel policy directed at the most vulnerable people in language that is not dissimilar to that used by Germany in the 30s\".\n\nHis suspension on Friday triggered a wider debate about BBC impartiality, the government's asylum policy and the position of the broadcaster's chairman Richard Sharp.\n\nIt also led to an unprecedented day of turmoil for the BBC's sport operation, with staff including some of the most recognisable faces and voices associated with its football coverage downing tools.\n\nOn a day which should have featured morning to evening football programming on TV and radio, the BBC was forced to air re-runs of programmes or play podcasts on Radio 5 Live to plug gaps in the schedule.\n\nFootball Focus was due to air at noon but was pulled when host Alex Scott tweeted it \"doesn't feel right going ahead with the show today\" an hour-and-a-half before it was due to start.\n\nFinal Score was axed from the 16:00 slot when host Jason Mohammad told the BBC he was refusing to present.\n\nRadio 5 Live's regular Saturday morning show Fighting Talk was cancelled when staff boycotted, a decision host Colin Murray said was \"taken by the entire... team and myself\".\n\nFans tuning in to follow the afternoon's action on TV were met with re-runs of Bargain Hunt and The Repair Shop. At one point, 5 Live resorted to replaying old pre-recorded material.\n\nBefore Match of the Day aired on BBC One at 22:20, a continuity presenter told viewers: \"We're sorry we're unable to show our normal Match of the Day, including commentary tonight, but here now is the best action from today's Premier League matches.\"\n\nThere are major questions surrounding Sunday's planned coverage and whether the BBC can get Match of the Day 2 with Mark Chapman onto TV screens. The host was absent from the airwaves on Saturday.\n\nPrime minister Rishi Sunak called Lineker a \"talented presenter\" in a statement on Saturday evening, but added the row was not a matter for the government.\n\nHe said: \"As prime minister, I have to do what I believe is right, respecting that not everyone will always agree. That is why I have been unequivocal in my approach to stopping the boats.\n\n\"Gary Lineker was a great footballer and is a talented presenter. I hope that the current situation between Gary Lineker and the BBC can be resolved in a timely manner, but it is rightly a matter for them, not the government.\"\n\nA Department for Culture, Media and Sport spokesperson said \"individual cases are a matter for the BBC,\" but Downing Street and several senior ministers have been vocally critical in recent days.\n\nHome Secretary Suella Braverman and Culture Secretary Lucy Frazer have both attacked the presenter for implying a comparison between the government's language and Nazi Germany.\n\nMs Braverman said the Nazi comparison used by Lineker was \"lazy and unhelpful\".\n\nSenior Labour politicians have expressed support for Lineker, including leader Sir Keir Starmer. He said the government should focus on fixing the asylum system rather than \"whingeing on\" about Lineker and accused BBC bosses of bowing to pressure from ministers.\n\nLiberal Democrat leader Sir Ed Davey called for BBC chairman Richard Sharp to stand down, saying the row exposed \"failings at the top\" of the corporation.\n\n\"We need leadership at the BBC that upholds our proud British values and can withstand today's consistently turbulent politics and Conservative bullying tactics,\" he added.\n\nEarlier on Saturday, Greg Dyke, who acted as director general between 2000 and 2004, said the BBC had \"undermined its own credibility\" over its handling of the row.\n\nHe pointed to the ongoing controversy surrounding Mr Sharp, adding the Lineker move could create the impression the \"BBC has bowed to government pressure\".\n\nAn ongoing KC-led review into Mr Sharp's appointment as BBC chairman is investigating whether he failed to properly disclose details of his involvement in the facilitation of an \u00a3800,000 loan guarantee for the then PM Boris Johnson. He has denied any involvement in the arrangement of a loan for Mr Johnson.\n\nThe BBC is also conducting its own internal review over any potential conflicts of interest Mr Sharp may have in his current role as BBC chairman.\n\nFormer head of BBC TV News and director of sport, Roger Mosey, also called for Mr Sharp to go and said the chairman had \"damaged the BBC's credibility\".\n\nHowever, others have been more supportive of the BBC's actions. Richard Ayre, former controller of editorial policy at the corporation, said on Friday the BBC had \"no choice\" but to take action against Lineker.\n\nHe said the BBC's director general Tim Davie had \"clearly tried\" to reach an agreement with Lineker but failed, adding: \"It's inevitable now that having in effect not sacked him but removed him temporarily at least, the BBC will now come under a torrent of criticism saying it's acting under the government's behest.\"\n\nLineker has hosted Match of the Day since 1999 and is the BBC's highest paid star, having earned about \u00a31.35m in 2020-21. He is employed by the BBC on a freelance basis.\n\nBBC employees are expected to remain impartial on political matters and must follow strict social media guidelines, but there is significant debate about how they should apply to staff outside of news.\n\nBBC News has been told that the Match of the Day production team were not told in advance about its decision on Lineker.\n\nLineker has not yet publicly commented on the latest developments and was seen attending a Leicester City home game on Saturday.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/uk-64918162"}
{"title":"Cyclone Freddy: Winds and rain lash Mozambique as storm arrives - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-12","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"Freddy, which has caused at least 28 deaths over a month, has hit mainland Africa for a second time.","section":"Africa","content":"Streets are already flooded in some coastal areas\n\nMozambique is being lashed by rain, powerful winds and flooding as Cyclone Freddy makes landfall for the second time in a month.\n\nThe southern African nation has received more than a year's worth of rainfall in the past four weeks.\n\nFreddy may become the longest-lasting storm on record, having formed to the north-west of Australia 34 days ago.\n\nOne person is reported to have died, bringing the death toll to at least 28 since the storm first made landfall.\n\nThe cyclone made its second landfall near the eastern seaport of Quelimane at around 22:00 (20:00 GMT) on Saturday.\n\nPeople have been urged to move into temporary shelters - including schools, churches and warehouses.\n\nMore than half a million people could be at risk of a humanitarian crisis this time around, according to local disaster agencies.\n\nAs the high winds hit the country, one person died when his house collapsed, Reuters news agency quotes state channel TVM as saying.\n\nElectricity has been turned off as a precaution by the power utility firm and all flights have been suspended, according to TVM.\n\nThe cyclone is reported to have stalled offshore and is thought to be making its way on to land soon.\n\n\"I can see some houses with roofs torn apart, broken windows and the streets flooded. It's really scary,\" charity worker Vania Massingue, from the port city of Quelimane in Zambezia province, told Reuters.\n\nExperts says climate change is making tropical storms around the world wetter, windier and more intense.\n\nFreddy had already broken records for the strength it has accumulated over the 8,000-km (5,000-mile) path it travelled across the Indian Ocean from north-western Australia.\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser.\n\nMozambique's national disaster management agency estimates more than 1.5 million people have been affected since the storm first hit last month, with more than 8,000 forced from their homes.\n\nA humanitarian operation is under way in the region, but there are fears that aid efforts may be hampered by new heavy rains from Freddy's return.\n\nNeighbouring Malawi - where health authorities are battling a cholera outbreak - is also set to be affected.\n\nWeather experts predict the cyclone will bring destructive winds and extreme rainfall over large areas, including north-east Zimbabwe as well as south-east Zambia.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/world-africa-64928093"}
{"title":"Oscars 2023: Relive the ceremony, as it happened - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-12","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"All the results and gossip from the ceremony, where Everything Everywhere All At Once dominated.","section":"Entertainment & Arts","content":"As someone covering the Oscars for the first time it was a surreal experience to see so many people you recognise all in one place, out having a good time.\n\nObviously the big story of the night was Everything Everywhere All at Once and Michelle Yeoh winning best actress in a leading role. We were able to speak to her briefly and she said she hoped this was just the beginning for actors like her.\n\nWe also spoke to the guys from An Irish Goodbye and everyone was in pretty good spirits there, and we spoke to the sound designers from Top Gun who were thrilled to have won.\n\nEveryone's been saying over and over again how this year has seen a return to the movies -with many people crediting Top Gun with getting people back into movie theatres.\n\nIt's been a great night, seeing everyone out celebrating their work and having fun together.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/live\/entertainment-arts-64918345"}
{"title":"The Shetland orca spotters who helped David Attenborough - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-12","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"Dozens of local people alerted the Wild Isles documentary film crew when they saw killer whales.","section":"NE Scotland, Orkney & Shetland","content":"An orca next to the film crew's boat near the Shetland coast\n\nShetland wildlife enthusiasts pulled together to help Sir David Attenborough spot orcas for his latest documentary.\n\nDozens of local people used WhatsApp and social media groups to alert the crew when the killer whales appeared, helping them capture the elusive mammals on film.\n\nWild Isles on BBC One will investigate how British and Irish woodland, grassland, freshwater and ocean habitats support local wildlife.\n\nThe series took three years to film. The first episode airs on Sunday.\n\nShetland-based ecologist and wildlife photographer Richard Shucksmith, 49, helped the film crew get to know the local landscape.\n\nOrcas visit the islands in spring to hunt for seals.\n\nAs a member of several wildlife spotting social media group chats for dolphins, orcas, and rare birds, Richard would rally the film crew whenever killer whales were spotted in the area by the community.\n\n\"Everybody tends to pull together,\" he said. \"If you want to see orcas, you need the help of everyone else.\n\n\"There's fishermen involved, all walks of life are involved in the WhatsApp and social media groups.\n\n\"You can't predict when [the orcas] will turn up. But because we have a good network of people, when they're sighted, it gets put out to everyone.\n\n\"So you stand a good chance of seeing them. If it wasn't for the community, it would be a lot harder.\"\n\nRichard told BBC Scotland that the orca pods were well known to the wildlife enthusiasts on the islands.\n\nHe said: \"A lot of the killer whales we see around Shetland, we know the pods, we've known them for years, we know what members there are.\n\n\"We even know all the family's ages and when calves were born.\n\n\"So a lot of good information gets collected from a citizen science point of view too.\"\n\nIn spring, orcas visit the Shetlands to hunt for seals\n\nHe said some shouts attract up to 150 locals racing to see the impressive killer whales, occasionally blocking roads on the islands.\n\n\"Some families come and bring their kids, and you can see the orcas metres from the shoreline,\" he said.\n\nHe and his colleague Nick McCaffrey were contracted to carry out drone work on the new series, alongside the film crew.\n\nThey worked with the documentary crew every day for five-week periods over three years to get the footage of the whales - including some up-close encounters.\n\nThe crew spent up to 12 hours a day filming\n\n\"After filming the orcas all day on a boat, we decided to stay with them through the night,\" said Richard.\n\n\"It was amazing because it got too dark to film and we just turned the engine off and sat there.\n\n\"The orcas spent about an hour and a half just drifting next to the boat.\n\n\"It was nuts, a very cool experience.\"\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser.\n\nSir David Attenborough said that wildlife in the British Isles can be just as \"dramatic and spectacular\" as anything elsewhere.\n\nHe has said that he regrets spending so much time working on overseas natural history programmes rather than focusing on the wildlife on his doorstep.\n\nThe new series, broadcasting on BBC One on Sunday, will examine species and habitats closer to home.\n\nNearly half of British wildlife species have declined since 1970.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/uk-scotland-north-east-orkney-shetland-64906631"}
{"title":"Cheltenham stabbing: Man held under Terrorism Act - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-12","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"The man was first held on suspicion of attempted murder after the attack outside a leisure centre.","section":"Gloucestershire","content":"A woman was stabbed outside the leisure centre in Tommy Taylors Lane, Cheltenham, on Thursday night\n\nA man has been arrested on suspicion of terrorism offences after a woman was stabbed outside a leisure centre.\n\nThe woman was attacked outside the centre in Cheltenham on Thursday night and was taken to hospital where she is now said to be in a stable condition.\n\nThe 29-year-old man was originally arrested on suspicion of attempted murder after the attack.\n\nHowever, Gloucestershire Police said he was re-arrested on Friday night under the Terrorism Act.\n\nThe force said the man was being held on suspicion of the commission, preparation or instigation of terrorism as well as on suspicion of preparing acts of terrorism.\n\nIt said that \"due to some specific details of this incident\" Counter Terrorism Policing South East was leading the investigation, working alongside Counter Terrorism Policing South West and officers from the Gloucestershire force.\n\nPolice believe the attack was an \"isolated incident\"\n\nOfficers urged anyone with information about the attack - outside the Leisure at Cheltenham centre in Tommy Taylors Lane at about 21:15 GMT - to contact them.\n\nAssistant Chief Constable Richard Ocone, of Gloucestershire Police, said: \"I would like to reassure those living locally or visiting the county that we believe this was an isolated incident and we are not aware of any wider threat to members of the public.\n\n\"We are working closely with our partners in Counter Terrorism Policing.\"\n\nOfficers have until 16 March to question the man after obtaining a warrant of further detention.\n\nFollow BBC West on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. Send your story ideas to: bristol@bbc.co.uk\n\nThe BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/uk-england-gloucestershire-64928963"}
{"title":"Lineker row hits BBC Scotland sports output - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-12","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"BBC Scotland says it is only able to bring \"limited sport programming this weekend\".","section":"Scotland","content":"Gary Lineker left his home on Saturday to watch Leicester City's match against Chelsea\n\nBBC Scotland has curtailed its sports coverage amid the ongoing row over Gary Lineker.\n\nThe Match of the Day presenter was taken off air after tweeting about the UK government's new migration law, prompting a row over BBC impartiality.\n\nMany UK-wide sports programme have already been hit by an impromptu staff boycott in support of Lineker.\n\nBBC Scotland said it would only be able to bring \"limited sport programming this weekend\".\n\nIn a statement the corporation said: \"Sportscene will run this evening on BBC One Scotland and BBC Scotland, with an amended format similar to current plans for Match of the Day.\n\n\"Some of the Sportsound slot on Radio Scotland was replaced by pre-recorded material.\n\n\"We are sorry for these changes which we recognise will be disappointing for BBC sport fans.\n\n\"We are working hard to resolve the situation and hope to do so soon.\"\n\nThe statement added schedules would be amended to reflect the changes.\n\nIt is unclear how planned BBC Scotland coverage of major sporting events on Sunday, including the Six Nations and Scottish Cup, will be affected.\n\nThe row began on Tuesday, when controversial plans were unveiled to ban people arriving in the UK illegally from ever claiming asylum.\n\nThe UK government says the tough measures are necessary to address a rise in the number of people crossing the Channel in small boats.\n\nBut Lineker reacted to it on Twitter calling it an \"immeasurably cruel policy directed at the most vulnerable people in language that is not dissimilar to that used by Germany in the 30s\".\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser.\n\nThe ex-England striker, who is employed by the BBC on a freelance basis, has hosted Match of the Day since 1999 and is the corporation's highest paid star, having earned about \u00a31.35m in 2020-21.\n\nBBC employees are expected to be remain impartial on political matters and must follow strict social media guidelines, but there is significant debate about how they should apply to staff outside of news.\n\nAfter Lineker was suspended on Friday several high profile stars, including Ian Wright and Alan Shearer, confirmed they would not be appearing on Match of the Day.\n\nBBC director general Tim Davie, who has said impartiality should be at the heart of the corporation, told a BBC journalist: \"I think we always look to take proportionate action and that's what we've done.\"\n\nBy Saturday several BBC TV and radio sports shows had been pulled at the last minute, including Football Focus, Final Score and Fighting Talk.\n\nFirst Minister Nicola Sturgeon is among those who have criticised the decision to suspend the former footballer.\n\nOn Friday she tweeted: \"As a strong supporter of public service broadcasting, I want to be able to defend the BBC. But the decision to take @GaryLineker off air is indefensible. It is undermining free speech in the face of political pressure - & it does always seem to be rightwing pressure it caves to.\"","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/uk-scotland-64926313"}
{"title":"John Swinney backs Humza Yousaf in SNP leadership race - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-12","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"Deputy First Minister John Swinney is the most senior party figure to endorse the health secretary.","section":"Scotland politics","content":"Humza Yousaf said he was honoured to have the backing of Mr Swinney, whom he described as \"a true giant of the SNP and independence movement\"\n\nDeputy First Minister John Swinney has backed Humza Yousaf in the race to replace Nicola Sturgeon as SNP leader and first minister.\n\nMr Swinney is the most high-profile figure in the party to endorse the Scottish health secretary.\n\nBut Kate Forbes' campaign manager said the announcement suggested the SNP hierarchy were \"absolutely panicking\".\n\nMr Yousaf is standing against the finance secretary and ex-community safety minister Ash Regan.\n\nSNP members will start voting for the new leader on Monday, with the winner to be announced on 27 March.\n\nMr Swinney's endorsement comes after the party's Westminster leader Stephen Flynn confirmed he would be supporting Mr Yousaf.\n\nNicola Sturgeon has previously said she would not be publicly backing any of the three candidates.\n\nLast month John Swinney questioned whether it would be appropriate for someone with Ms Forbes' views to be SNP leader.\n\nHe spoke out after the finance secretary, who is a member of the Free Church of Scotland, made clear she would not have voted for gay marriage if she had been an MSP in 2014.\n\nKate Forbes, Humza Yousaf and Ash Regan will take part in a BBC Scotland debate on Tuesday\n\nIn a statement released on Saturday night he said: \"Humza is best placed to lead our party because he will strengthen the SNP as a force for progressive change in Scottish politics.\n\n\"Humza will govern effectively by using the partnership that we enjoy with the Scottish Green Party - guaranteeing us a pro-independence majority in the Scottish parliament.\n\n\"And crucially, Humza will widen our support in attracting new supporters to Scottish Independence.\"\n\nMr Swinney, who will stand down as deputy first minister later this month, said Mr Yousaf was the candidate who would \"complete our journey to independence\" and praised his track record in power.\n\nThe Perthshire North MSP added: \"Humza is an experienced minister who's done all the tough stuff that you have to do day in day out within government.\n\n\"He's put his heart and soul into all the work he's done within the party to make the SNP an inclusive political party.\"\n\nMr Yousaf said he was honoured to have the backing of a \"true giant of the SNP and independence movement\".\n\nHe added: \"Like Nicola, our party owes so much of our success to John's stewardship.\n\n\"John's backing is a massive boost to my progressive grassroots campaign to stand up for Scottish democracy, protect and advance rights, unite our Yes movement and secure independence for Scotland.\"\n\nIt's the endorsement every candidate wanted, short of that of Nicola Sturgeon herself.\n\nMany waited to see what John Swinney was going to do before deciding on their own leadership campaigns, such is his popularity within the SNP.\n\nSo this is a coup for Humza Yousaf - and an addition to the host of high-profile backers he has already got in the bag.\n\nIt does underline his position as the \"continuity candidate\", given much of the present regime is now backing him.\n\nAnd while Mr Yousaf insists he is very much his own man, he has embraced the idea that continuing the electoral success the party has enjoyed would be no bad thing.\n\nThere is a slight danger for him in appearing too much of an establishment figure, in a movement with a distinctly anti-establishment ethos.\n\nBut he will be hoping that the backing of influential members like Mr Swinney will trickle down to the grassroots and help to deliver victory.\n\nFollowing Mr Swinney's announcement Ms Forbes' campaign manager questioned the timing of the move.\n\nFalkirk East MSP Michelle Thomson said: \"When the current deputy first minister decides to personally intervene in the leadership contest at such a late stage, you get the sense that senior figures in the party have seen the polls and are absolutely panicking.\n\n\"Given how close we are to the vote opening, many party members will look upon this 11th hour intervention rather cynically. They don't need to be told by party HQ what to think or how to vote.\"\n\nMs Thomson said it appeared the SNP hierarchy would prefer \"an establishment transfer of power\" rather than allowing its members the freedom to make \"a healthy democratic choice\".\n\nBBC Scotland has asked Ms Regan's campaign for a response to Mr Swinney's statement.\n\nKate Forbes speaking at an SNP hustings event at Strathclyde University on Saturday\n\nVeteran SNP MSPs Annabelle Ewing and Christine Grahame are among those to have announced they will be voting for Ms Forbes.\n\nOne of the party's best known MPs, Joanna Cherry KC, has given her support to Ms Regan.\n\nThe three leadership candidates will take part in an hour-long Debate Night programme from Edinburgh at 20:00 on Tuesday 14 March on BBC One Scotland.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/uk-scotland-scotland-politics-64926319"}
{"title":"Gary Lineker: BBC talks with presenter 'moving in right direction', sources say - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-12","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"It is hoped there will be a resolution soon but not all issues are \"fully resolved\", BBC News understands.","section":"UK","content":"This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. WATCH: The weekend of BBC football show chaos... in 90 seconds\n\nTalks between the BBC and Gary Lineker are said to be \"moving in the right direction\" after a second day of scheduling disruption.\n\nBBC News understands there are hopes of a resolution soon but not all issues are \"fully resolved\" at this stage.\n\nWeekend football coverage was disrupted due to walkouts triggered by the Match of the Day host's suspension.\n\nDirector General Tim Davie has apologised to licence fee payers for the changes.\n\nPresenters, pundits and commentators pulled out of BBC football coverage in support of Lineker, who was taken off air for criticising government asylum plans.\n\nTV and radio coverage was hit throughout Sunday, with the stand off between the host and the BBC continuing.\n\nIt followed an unprecedented day of turmoil for the BBC's sports operation on Saturday, with some of the most recognisable faces and voices associated with the broadcaster walking out.\n\nBBC Two's Sunday afternoon coverage of the Women's Super League went ahead without studio analysis and had to rely on world feed commentary, while Radio 5 Live was forced to plug gaps in the schedule with pre-recorded programmes for a second straight day.\n\nMatch of the Day 2 followed the main programme's much-reduced format - airing for just 15 minutes - and was without the usual commentators and host Mark Chapman.\n\nThe show started the same as Saturday's Match of the Day, where a continuity presenter apologised for the lack of commentary, which was followed by the opening credits that featured the words: \"Premier League Highlights\" without the usual theme tune and credits.\n\nMatch of the Day was also cut to a 20-minute highlight reel with no punditry, commentary or opening theme, though viewing figures were up by almost half a million at 2.58m.\n\nRadio coverage of Premier League fixtures went ahead but commentator Alistair Bruce-Ball told listeners it had been a \"difficult decision\" to make.\n\nSpeaking ahead of the Fulham v Arsenal match, he said: \"It's been a very difficult decision to make personally - I can assure you it's not been taken lightly - but I'm a BBC staff member, I'm a radio commentator for this station and, just like yesterday, we are here to provide our football service to you, our audience.\"\n\nPaul Armstrong, a former Match of the Day editor, said there was a \"lack of consistency\u2026and clear guidelines\" for how impartiality applies to sports staff.\n\nHe said he \"wasn't in the least bit surprised\" by the collective response from presenters, pundits and commentators, adding: \"I don't know why BBC management didn't realise that these guys are a team\u2026 and that if you attack the captain, the others are going to withdraw their labour.\"\n\nPrime Minister Rishi Sunak said the issue between the BBC and Lineker should be resolved by the BBC itself.\n\nSpeaking to reporters on a plane journey to talks with the US president in San Diego, he did not directly answer a question about whether he had confidence in Mr Davie - and when asked if he would meet Lineker to talk about the issue, he replied that \"it's not about any one person\".\n\nThe BBC has not commented further on behind-the-scenes efforts to resolve the situation.\n\nThe presenter's suspension over his criticism of the government's asylum policy has triggered a wider debate about BBC impartiality, the government's asylum policy and the position of the broadcaster's chairman Richard Sharp.\n\nMark Thompson - who served as BBC director general between 2004 and 2012 - said enforcing impartiality rules for non-news staff was complex, noting that \"the BBC has walked into the 21st Century\".\n\nAppearing on Sunday with Laura Kuenssberg armed with the BBC's latest impartiality rules, he urged everyone to calm down and said in his view that the star's tweet had probably crossed the line, saying there is a \"grey area\" around sports presenters.\n\nBut he said he hoped the presenter would be back on air soon, and that he hoped and believed BBC Director General Tim Davie would survive the row.\n\nHe went on to call the situation an \"unhappy accident\" and urged the BBC to \"ignore the papers\", saying he knew Mr Lineker well enough to \"believe in his good faith\".\n\nOn the same show, Peter Salmon, who was previously the corporation's head of sport, said the BBC's impartiality guidelines were \"opaque\" and urged bosses to \"get this sorted out\".\n\nChancellor Jeremy Hunt - who earlier said he \"profoundly\" disagreed with Lineker's tweet - told the programme that he thought \"making sure the BBC maintains its reputation for independence and impartiality is the outcome that matters most\".\n\nBut he declined to say whether he thought Lineker should remain as Match of the Day presenter.\n\nMr Davie told BBC News on Saturday he was in \"listening mode\" about how to reform impartiality rules for staff outside of the news operation after a \"difficult day\".\n\nHe left the door open for Lineker to return, describing him as the \"best sports broadcaster in the world\" and said he wanted to see him back on-air.\n\nMr Sunak reiterated on Saturday that resolving the row was a matter for the BBC, but Downing Street and several senior ministers have been sharply critical of the 62-year-old presenter in recent days.\n\nHome Secretary Suella Braverman and Culture Secretary Lucy Frazer have both attacked the presenter this week for his comparison between the government's language and Nazi Germany.\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Watch: Looks like Lineker broke rules on a technicality - ex-BBC boss\n\nLabour's Shadow Chancellor Rachael Reeves said the BBC had \"clearly come under immense pressure from the Conservative Party to take Gary Lineker off air\".\n\nShe contrasted Lineker's suspension with the BBC chairman being able to continue in his job while the circumstances of his appointment are investigated, adding: \"I don't remember those same Tory MPs crying about impartiality when those revelations about Richard Sharp came out.\"\n\nAn ongoing KC-led review into Richard Sharp's appointment as BBC chairman is investigating whether he failed to properly disclose details of his involvement in the facilitation of an \u00a3800,000 loan guarantee for the then Prime Minister Boris Johnson. He has denied any involvement in the arrangement of a loan for Mr Johnson.\n\nThe BBC is also conducting its own internal review over any potential conflicts of interest Mr Sharp may have in his current role as BBC chairman.\n\nMr Sharp has resisted calls to quit. He is believed to be waiting for an inquiry into his relationship with Boris Johnson to conclude and has previously denied wrongdoing.\n\nMeanwhile, uncertainty continues to swirl as to whether Lineker will return to the BBC.\n\nQuestioned by reporters on Sunday morning outside his home, Lineker replied only \"I can't say anything at the moment\" when asked if he would return to the BBC or if he had been approached by rival broadcasters.\n\nBut his son, George, told the Sunday Mirror that he thought his father would return to presenting Match of the Day.\n\nHe later tweeted: \"Dad is a good man, a good human, and I'm proud of him for standing by his word. That's why he was pulled off the show - because he wouldn't apologise. But he will always speak up for people who don't have a voice.\"\n\nThe row erupted after Lineker called the so-called Stop The Boats Bill an \"immeasurably cruel policy directed at the most vulnerable people in language that is not dissimilar to that used by Germany in the 30s\".","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/uk-64930957"}
{"title":"Watch: Murder suspect flees US courtroom - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-12","authors":null,"description":"Edi Villalobos escaped from an Oregon courtroom during jury selection for his upcoming trial.","section":null,"content":"Edi Villalobos escaped from an Oregon courtroom during jury selection for his upcoming trial.\n\nIn accordance with Oregon law, all of the suspect\u2019s restraints, such as handcuffs and leg shackles, were removed while in the courtroom for the trial.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/world-us-canada-64929190"}
{"title":"Kuenssberg: The Budget cannot mask big changes to our economy - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-12","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"Both main parties are under pressure to make the country and its people richer, writes Laura Kuenssberg.","section":"UK Politics","content":"In normal times (remember them?) there would be a frenzy this weekend about what's coming up in next week's Budget.\n\nIf it feels a bit muted so far, that isn't just because of a bit of a media frenzy over something else (what could that be?) but because Jeremy Hunt was employed as a \"calm down\" chancellor - called in like a soothing manager of many years' experience in a sensible bank to sort things out after some crazy young guns spent all the loot.\n\nGiven how he got his job and his political character he's not going to wake up on Wednesday morning and spring a red box full of massive shocks on an unsuspecting public.\n\nOne senior Conservative MP is hopeful of a few \"pleasant surprises\" but notes the Downing Street neighbours' priority is to \"hold on to their reputation for caution and prudence\".\n\nExpect headlines about the country being less in the red than expected, a possible giveaway on pension savings and some goodies to help working families with the soaraway costs of childcare - you can read Faisal's primer here.\n\nBut when we sit down on our programme this Sunday with Jeremy Hunt and Labour's Rachel Reeves - who hopes to fill his job - there's so much more than the specifics of what's coming on Wednesday to talk about.\n\nNo one Budget can mask some big shifts in how the economy works - or perhaps doesn't work for many voters. Long-term changes to wealth and wages feed into how we all vote.\n\nStatistics in the last few days suggest the economy is not in such dire straits as predicted a few months ago, but what's happened over the past few years and is possibly coming next isn't pretty.\n\nBluntly, the economy has failed to grow persuasively for a long time, and no strong surge is coming soon. In fact, the Bank of England reckons growth will be measly in the coming years too, only getting back to the levels it was at before Covid in 2026.\n\nPoliticians aren't short of explanations for what's gone wrong - some self-inflicted, some out of their control.\n\nThere has been the Ukraine war, the pandemic and the disruption of Brexit. We've also seen years of political strife, the markets' disastrous reaction to Liz Truss' decisions, the effects of a spending squeeze during the 2010s and even the long-lasting hangover from the 2008 financial crisis. Remember experts brandishing \"L-shaped\" graphs during that time - warning that it would take years for the economy to climb back to anything with vigour?\n\nThose political and economic dramas have had real-life consequences, presenting huge challenges to what, years ago, politicians presented to voters as normal, achievable aspirations - the hope and expectation that each generation would do better than the last. Perhaps that's shaky now.\n\nTake for example this statistic from the Institute for Fiscal Studies: in 1997 more than 60% of people on middle incomes between the ages of 25 and 35 owned their own homes. Twenty years later, that figure had slumped to just over 20%.\n\nThink about that for a moment - it is a profound change. There is a blizzard of statistics of course, and each year, every Budget, there are moves up and down. Think how much impact Kwasi Kwarteng's short time with the No 11 Downing Street red box had.\n\nBut let's look at the big changes that have been in the works over a longer period.\n\nFor years, wages have been sluggish and growing more slowly than wealth. Paul Johnson, economist and director of the IFS, says a \"significant fraction\" of people in their 20s and 30s are earning less than their parents at the same stage of life.\n\nIt's harder to buy a house. It's more expensive to rent one if you can't afford to buy. For decades, what your parents passed on was becoming less important to your chances of prosperity. That seems to have gone into reverse and could have huge consequences for our political choices.\n\nIt's given Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer ammunition to suggest that under the Conservatives that pact - that \"social contract\" with the public that you get back what you put in - has frayed.\n\n\"Hard-working families\" - the nebulous group so beloved by successive generations of politicians whose votes might swing if only the right solutions could be dangled in front of them - are likely to be working harder and feel life's harder too.\n\nYou can add to this the pressures of an ageing population: fewer people in the workforce paying tax, happily living longer but requiring more cash for health and care.\n\nThe two main political parties share a desire to get the economy growing strongly. It's not abstract - if the economy doesn't grow and the government needs more money for health or defence for example, ministers have either to borrow, increase taxes or cut spending. Those aren't ideas parties like to put on the front of leaflets, lecterns or Facebook ads.\n\nRachel Reeves and Sir Keir Starmer have been at pains not to push businesses away\n\nThe trouble for the Conservatives is that even inside the party they disagree over how to do it. Former Prime Minister Liz Truss's verdict was to slash taxes, borrowing to do so, which ended in disaster.\n\nEven though Jeremy Hunt and Rishi Sunak promised radical tax cuts when they were vying to be Tory leader, neither of them says now is the right time. There will probably be hints on Wednesday and promises of tax cuts to come, but they're unlikely to cave to backbench pressure to cut now.\n\nWe'll hear more from Rachel Reeves on Sunday's programme about how Labour would spend billions to try to create thousands of jobs and get growth going through supporting green industries. But there's perhaps a tension too for Labour, promising massive state intervention in industry while vowing to watch every single penny.\n\nRishi Sunak has soothed nervous Tory brows in the last few weeks with a frenzy of activity, fewer leaks from cabinet, and pointers the economy might not be in such dire straits as previously thought. His calm down chancellor, Jeremy Hunt, did reassure the manic financial markets when he took over. But Labour's been solidly ahead in the polls for months and shadow chancellor Rachel Reeves has carefully been building its reputation for credibility and making nice with business.\n\nWhat happens to our wallets makes a huge difference to what happens at the ballot box. There is huge pressure on both main parties to address the big shifts in how we make our livings as individuals and as a country.\n\nThat's not just about what happens this Wednesday but about who wins much bigger arguments that affect us all in the months and years ahead.\n\nWe'll be asking Mr Hunt and Ms Reeves about those big questions in the morning, and perhaps, talking a little about what's going on at the BBC too.\n\nRemember, we love to get your questions - you can email me kuenssberg@bbc.co.uk.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/uk-politics-64926786"}
{"title":"Spring Budget: Prepayment energy meter bills to be cut by \u00a345 - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-12","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"The government is set to reduce prepayment energy bills for more than four million households.","section":"Business","content":"More than four million struggling households are set to save \u00a345 a year on energy bills from 1 July, the government has said.\n\nThis will happen by bringing prepayment energy charges in line with customers who pay by direct debit.\n\nHouseholds which have prepayment meters are typically vulnerable or on low incomes.\n\nBut they pay more because energy firms pass on the costs of managing the meters.\n\nChancellor Jeremy Hunt, who is expected to announce the plan in his Spring Budget on Wednesday, said it was \"clearly unfair that those on prepayment meters pay more than others\".\n\nThe extra charges struggling households would have paid will instead be met under the government-funded Energy Price Guarantee at a cost of \u00a3200m.\n\nRegulator Ofgem will report on how to permanently end the \"prepayment penalty\" when that government support ends in April 2024, the Treasury said.\n\nPrepayment meters have been under the spotlight in recent months.\n\nLast month it emerged that debt agents acting for British Gas had broken into vulnerable people's homes to force-fit meters, and that courts had been waving through energy firm applications to forcibly install meters.\n\nOfgem, which is reviewing prepayment meters, told energy firms at the end of February to start compensating customers whose homes were wrongfully fitted with a prepayment meter.\n\nFirms were banned from installing prepayment energy meters under warrant, but that is due to end at the end of March.\n\nIn November last year it was revealed that a rising number of households are having their smart meters remotely switched to prepayment meters.\n\nEnergy Security Secretary Grant Shapps said: \"Charging prepayment meter customers more to receive their energy is a tax on some of our most vulnerable - this change will stop that.\"\n\nLabour said the government had \"finally listened\" to its calls for \"an end to the unfair prepayment meter penalty\".\n\n\"Their delay will be cold comfort for the millions of prepayment customers who have been paying higher energy bills as a result of the government's indecisiveness,\" said Ed Miliband, Labour's shadow climate and net zero secretary.\n\nIn addition to prepayment help, the government is expected to extend the Energy Price Guarantee at current levels for a further three months.\n\nTypical household energy bills were going to rise to \u00a33,000 a year from April, the government is expected to retain its current level of support with the cap at \u00a32,500.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/business-64930953"}
{"title":"Some Betsi health board executives may go, first minister says - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-12","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"Mark Drakeford says some executives at a troubled health board may not be there in future.","section":"Wales politics","content":"Betsi Cadwaladr governs NHS services for north Wales, including at Ysbyty Gwynedd in Bangor\n\nSome of the executives running Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board may leave in the future, First Minister Mark Drakeford has said.\n\nThe north Wales health board was recently put back into special measures for a second time.\n\nMr Drakeford said there would be a \"proper process\".\n\nMeanwhile the first minister said that the government did not entirely agree with a motion it voted for criticising its roads review.\n\nThe Welsh Health Minister Eluned Morgan was criticised after she forced the independent board of Betsi Cadwaladr to resign.\n\nFormer members of the board questioned the focus on them after a damning audit report called the executive team dysfunctional.\n\nExecutives are responsible for the day-to-day operation of health services, while independent board members are there to scrutinise the executives' decisions.\n\nSpeaking to BBC One's Politics Wales programme from party conference in Llandudno, Mr Drakeford it was not for him to say the executives should be sacked.\n\n\"In the law, those people are employees not of the Welsh government, but the board.\"\n\nAsked if he had confidence in the executives, he said: \"It may be that not everybody who is there today will be part of the future of the board.\n\n\"But there is a proper process, those people have rights. It ought to be worked out in line with the way people are treated respectfully in Wales.\"\n\nMr Drakeford's comments come days after his government supported a Senedd motion that regretted the lack of public engagement in the roads review which saw most big road projects scrapped.\n\nDespite having voted for it the first minister said the government did not agree with everything in the motion.\n\nThe thrust of the motion, which had been amended by Plaid Cymru, \"we felt we could sign up to\", the Welsh Labour leader said.\n\n\"It doesn't mean that every single comma and every single phrase is accepted by the government.\"\n\nHe added: \"There is more engagement there than I think people have recognised.\"\n\nMark Drakeford said there had been more engagement by the roads review than claimed\n\nMr Drakeford said the roads review panel would write to all Senedd members setting out the engagement that did lie behind the report they produced.\n\n\"When it now comes to the specific roads programmes that will flow from the review, that's when the bulk of public consultation takes place.\"\n\nOn Saturday Mr Drakeford said his grief over the loss of his wife will not stop him working for Labour.\n\nHe thanked those who showed him kindness after his wife Clare died in January.\n\nYou can see more of Mr Drakeford's interview on BBC One Wales on Sunday at 10:00, and later on iPlayer.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/uk-wales-politics-64926568"}
{"title":"Israel sees one of its biggest-ever protests - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-12","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"At one of Saturday's rallies, opposition leader Yair Lapid said this was Israel's \"greatest crisis\".","section":"Middle East","content":"About 200,000 are believed to have taken to the streets in Tel Aviv\n\nHundreds of thousands of Israelis rallied against the government's judicial plans on Saturday night, in what organisers said were the biggest street protests in Israel's history.\n\nPrime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu says the changes - which would curb the power of courts - will restore balance between the branches of government.\n\nAt one of Saturday's rallies, opposition leader Yair Lapid said this was Israel's \"greatest crisis\".\n\nIn a separate development, Israeli troops shot dead three armed Palestinians near the West Bank city of Nablus on Sunday, the Israeli army said. It said the gunmen had fired at an Israeli army post.\n\nPalestinian officials have not commented on the incident. There has been a marked surge in violence between Palestinians and Israel in recent months.\n\nOn Saturday, protest organisers said as many as 500,000 demonstrators took to the streets across Israel for the 10th consecutive week, in what the Haaretz newspaper called \"the largest demonstration in the country's history\".\n\nAbout 200,000 people turned up in Tel Aviv - many carrying Israel's national flag - to rally against planned reforms by Mr Netanyahu's hardline government.\n\nA BBC producer in the city described the protests as the busiest yet, with a non-stop flow of demonstrators packing the streets until late into the night.\n\nIn remarkable scenes, crowds applauded Tel Aviv police chief Amichai Eshed as he walked in uniform through the rally.\n\nOn Thursday, National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir had said he was transferring Mr Eshed to head a training division, amid reports the ultra-nationalist politician accused the commander of being too soft on protesters, whom he calls \"anarchists\".\n\nBut Attorney General Gali Baharav-Miara later overruled Mr Ben-Gvir, saying the decision was being frozen, while national police chief Kobi Shabtai on Saturday said he had \"made a mistake\" in dismissing Eshed.\n\nThe clash over the commander's position is significant. It comes amid predictions of a possible constitutional crisis, involving Israel's civil service and security forces being unable to take orders from the government, if no compromise is reached on the planned reforms, says the BBC's Tom Bateman in Jerusalem.\n\nSpeaking at the demonstrations in Tel Aviv, former Israel police chief Moshe Karadi described Mr Ben-Gvir's control of the force as an unprecedented danger.\n\nHe said the minister was \"a convicted felon, enacting a hostile takeover of the police and trying to turn it into a private militia to serve his political purposes\".\n\nMr Ben-Gvir has previous convictions for racist incitement and supporting terrorism over his backing of a Jewish extremist group. He has said police would have \"zero tolerance\" of demonstrators who block roads, with forces using water cannon and stun grenades against protesters last week.\n\nSpeaking in the southern city of Be'er Sheva, Mr Lapid warned that the country was facing an unprecedented crisis.\n\n\"A wave of terrorism is hitting us, our economy is crashing, money is escaping the country. Iran just signed yesterday a new agreement with Saudi Arabia. But the only thing this government cares about is crushing Israeli democracy,\" he said.\n\nIn the northern city of Haifa, a record crowd of 50,000 marched on Saturday.\n\nThe planned reforms have caused deep divides in Israeli society\n\nThe reforms aim to give the elected government decisive influence over the choice of judges, and limit the ability of the Supreme Court to rule against the executive or strike down legislation.\n\nThe issue has caused deep divides in Israeli society and, significantly, has seen reservists - the backbone of Israel's military - threatening to refuse to serve as a way of showing their opposition.\n\nLast Monday, in an unprecedented move, dozens of reserve fighter pilots in an elite Israeli Air Force squadron said they would not report for training. They later reversed course and agreed to attend and hold talks with their commanders.\n\nOn Thursday, protesters blocked roads and attempted to stop Mr Netanyahu flying out of the country. He later took off for Rome.\n\nThe government has stood firm in the face of the uproar, claiming the protests are being fuelled by political opponents.\n\nCritics say the planned reforms, which are already making their way through parliament, will politicise the judiciary and could lead to an authoritarian government.\n\nMr Netanyahu says the reforms are designed to stop the courts overreaching their powers and that they were voted for by the Israeli public at the last election.\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. WATCH: Protesters flood the streets of Tel Aviv this week","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/world-middle-east-64929563"}
{"title":"Why are doctors demanding the biggest pay rise? - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-12","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"How junior medics have reached the brink of their biggest walkout, in a fight for a 35% hike.","section":"Health","content":"On Monday, thousands of junior doctors in England will start a 72-hour strike. They want a 35% pay rise. Yet doctors are among the highest paid in the public sector. So why do they have the biggest pay claim?\n\nThe origins of the walkout by British Medical Association members - the biggest by doctors in the history of the NHS - can be found in a series of discussions on social media platform Reddit in late 2021.\n\nA collection of junior doctors were expressing their dissatisfaction about pay.\n\nThe numbers chatting online grew quickly and by January 2022 it had led to the formation of the campaign group Doctors Vote, with the aim of restoring pay to the pre-austerity days of 2008.\n\nThe group began spreading its message via social media - and, within months, its supporters had won 26 of the 69 voting seats on the BMA ruling council, and 38 of the 68 on its junior doctor committee.\n\nDr Vivek Trivedi and Dr Rob Laurenson stood for BMA election on a Doctors Vote platform\n\nTwo of those who stood on the Doctors Vote platform - Dr Rob Laurenson and Dr Vivek Trivedi - became co-chairs of the committee.\n\n\"It was simply a group of doctors connecting up the dots,\" Dr Laurenson says. \"We reflect the vast majority of doctors,\" he adds, pointing to the mandate from the wider BMA junior doctor membership - 77% voted and of those, 98% backed strike action.\n\nAmong some of the older BMA heads, though, there is a sense of disquiet at the new guard. One senior doctor who has now stood down from a leadership role says: \"They're undoubtedly much more radical than we have seen before. But they haven't read the room - the pay claim makes them look silly.\"\n\nPublicly, the BMA prefers not to talk about wanting a pay rise. Instead, it uses the term \"pay restoration\" - to reverse cuts of 26% since 2008. This is the amount pay has fallen once inflation is taken into account.\n\nTo rectify a cut of 26% requires a bigger percentage increase because the amount is lower. This is why the BMA is actually after a 35% increase - and it is a rise it is calling for to be paid immediately.\n\nThe argument is more complicated than the ones put forward by most other unions - and because of that it has raised eyebrows.\n\nFirstly, no junior doctor has seen pay cut by 26% in that period. There are five core pay points in the junior doctor contract with each a springboard to the next. It means they move up the pay scale over time until they finish their training.\n\nA junior doctor in 2008 may well be a consultant now, perhaps earning four times in cash terms what they were then.\n\nSecondly, the 26% figure uses the retail price index (RPI) measure of inflation, which the Office for National Statistics says is a poor way to look at rising prices. Using the more favoured consumer price index measure, the cut is 16% - although the BMA defends its use of RPI as it takes into account housing costs.\n\n\"The drop in pay is also affected by the start-year chosen,\" Lucina Rolewicz, of the Nuffield Trust think tank, says. A more recent start date will show a smaller decline, as would going further back in the 2000s.\n\nAnother way of looking at pay is comparing it with wages across the economy by looking at where a job sits in terms of the lowest to highest earners.\n\nThe past decade has not been a boom time for wage growth in many fields, as austerity and the lack of economic growth has held back incomes.\n\nLast year, the independent Doctors' and Dentists' Remuneration Body looked at this. It found junior doctors had seen their pay, relative to others, fall slightly during the 2010s, but were still among the highest earners, with doctors fresh out of university immediately finding themselves in the top half of earners, while those at the end of training were just outside the top 10%.\n\nThen, of course, career prospects have to be considered. Consultants earn well more than \u00a3100,000 on average, putting them in the top 2%. GP partners earn even more.\n\nA pension of more than \u00a360,000 a year in today's prices also awaits those reaching such positions.\n\nBut while the scale of the pay claim is new, dissatisfaction with working conditions and pay pre-date the rise of the Doctors Vote movement.\n\nStudying medicine at university takes five years, meaning big debts for most. Dr Trivedi says \u00a380,000 of student loans are often topped up by private debt.\n\nOn top of that, doctors have to pay for ongoing exams and professional membership fees. Their junior doctor training can see them having to make several moves across the country and with little control over the hours they work.\n\nThis lasts many years - junior doctors can commonly spend close to a decade in training.\n\nIt is clearly hard work. And with services getting increasingly stretched, it is a job that doctors say is leaving them \"demoralised, angry and exhausted\", Dr Trivedi says, adding: \"Patient care is being compromised.\"\n\nBut while medicine is undoubtedly tough, it remains hugely attractive.\n\nJunior doctor posts in the early years are nearly always filled - it is not until doctors begin to specialise later in their training that significant gaps emerge in some specialities such as end-of-life care and sexual health.\n\nLooking at all doctor vacancy rates across the NHS around 6% of posts are unfilled - for nurses it is nearly twice that level.\n\nMany argue there is still a shortage - with not enough training places or funded doctor posts in the NHS in the first place.\n\nBut the fact the problems appear more severe in other NHS roles is a key reason why the government does not seem to be in a hurry to prioritise doctors - formal pay talks to avert strikes have begun with unions representing the rest of the workforce\n\n\"If we have some money to give a pay rise to NHS staff,\" a source close to the negotiations says, \"doctors are not at the front of the queue.\"\n\nAre you taking part in the strike action? Has your appointment been cancelled or delayed? Share your experiences by emailing haveyoursay@bbc.co.uk.\n\nPlease include a contact number if you are willing to speak to a BBC journalist. You can also get in touch in the following ways:\n\nIf 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 HaveYourSay@bbc.co.uk. Please include your name, age and location with any submission.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/health-64907379"}
{"title":"Oscars (not red) carpet: The best fashion looks - in pictures - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-12","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"The famous Hollywood red carpet may have changed colour, but the glamour was the same as ever.","section":"Entertainment & Arts","content":"The famous carpet changed colour in Hollywood for this year's Oscars - it was described as champagne, instead of being the traditional red. But the glamour on show was the same as ever.\n\nCate Blanchett had the eighth Oscar nomination of her career. Her elegant blue velvet outfit featured a ribbon made by refugees as part of an initiative from the United Nations refugee agency.\n\nEverything Everywhere All At Once star Michelle Yeoh, who arrived in a white fringe Dior gown accented with diamonds, beat Blanchett to the award for best actress.\n\nMichelle Williams was also nominated for best actress - the fifth Oscar nod of her career - for playing Steven Spielberg's mother in The Fabelmans. She opted for an embellished white Chanel dress with a sheer overlay dotted with crystals.\n\nLady Gaga, who performed her song Hold My Hand from Top Gun: Maverick, arrived in a black Versace dress with a sheer corset bodice - which extended rather low.\n\nRihanna also sang at the ceremony, performing Lift Me Up from Black Panther: Wakanda Forever. Her Alaia outfit had leather straps and train, and more sheer mesh showing off her baby bump.\n\nBritish actress Florence Pugh went for a ruffled statement gown accompanied by black shorts and platform shoes, plus a striking silver necklace and two-tone hair design.\n\nIrish star Paul Mescal pulled off a 1970s vibe with his white Gucci tuxedo and flared trousers. He was nominated for best actor for Aftersun.\n\nJamie Lee Curtis won the first Oscar of her career, and sparkled in a crystal and sequin-embellished Dolce and Gabbana floor-length gown - which could be described as champagne-coloured. After the runway's colour change, she joked: \"Their carpet is going to match my drapes.\"\n\nShe also posted a photo of herself with 16 people who helped make the dress - which she said was just part of the Italian team behind it.\n\nStephanie Hsu is Curtis' co-star in Everything Everywhere All At Once, and was also nominated for best supporting actress. She went for a coral classic Valentino ballgown.\n\nAngela Bassett, who was nominated for best supporting actress for playing Queen Ramonda in Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, was wrapped in a royal shade of purple.\n\nAna de Armas, who was also up for best actress, for playing Marilyn Monroe in Blonde, went for a sparkling, simple bodice, flowing into frilled layers.\n\nDwayne Johnson said his daughters helped pick his outfit - a shiny pale pink tuxedo jacket by Dolce & Gabbana - while Emily Blunt had a minimalist all-white look with detached sleeves, by Valentino.\n\nBrendan Fraser, accompanied by girlfriend Jeanne Moore, was named best actor for his comeback role in The Whale.\n\nCara Delevingne brought some red back to the carpet in a dramatic Elie Saab gown.\n\nHalle Berry, in white satin Tamara Ralph with rose gold decoration, presented an award, 21 years after she won best actress.\n\nAvengers and WandaVision star Elizabeth Olsen's black Givenchy halter neck design added a hint of gothic glamour to the classic black dress.\n\nThe Nobel Peace Prize laureate was at the ceremony as executive producer of Stranger at the Gate, which was nominated for best documentary short.\n\nZoe Saldana was among those representing Avatar: The Way of Water, which was nominated for four awards including best picture.\n\nHer Avatar co-star Sigourney Weaver complemented the Oscars statuettes in her stylish and shining V-neck gold-and-white patterned dress.\n\nM3gan actress Allison Williams' Giambattista Valli outfit included a sheer dress with floral-jewelled design and feathered hem, with a voluminous candy pink gown extension.\n\nTop Gun: Maverick star Jennifer Connelly, who was also among the ceremony's presenters, wore a Louis Vuitton design that added a sparkling neck structure to simple, straight black.\n\nEva Longoria wore an eye-catching and intricately-jewelled Zuhair Murad design with ribbon detail from her neck.\n\nThe decision to change the red carpet after 62 years was made by a creative consultant, who explained that a \"champagne\" coloured carpet would help with \"the change from daytime arrivals to an elegant evening setting\".\n\nIn a reference to Will Smith's slap last year, host Jimmy Kimmel quipped beforehand: \"I think the decision to go with a champagne carpet rather than a red carpet shows how confident we are that no blood will be shed.\"","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/entertainment-arts-64935067"}
{"title":"Rishi Sunak announces \u00a35bn extra defence spending during US trip - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-12","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"The spending boost is outlined in a new UK foreign policy strategy that warns of China's threat.","section":"UK Politics","content":"UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak has vowed to increase defence spending by nearly \u00a35bn over the next two years to counter threats from hostile states.\n\nThe funding was outlined in a new UK foreign and security strategy that cast China as a challenge to world order.\n\nIt comes as talks continue between the prime minister and his US and Australian counterparts in California.\n\nThe trio are set to agree details of a UK-US pact to supply Australia with nuclear-powered submarines.\n\nThe agreement, known as the Aukus pact, was signed in 2021 as part of a joint effort to counter Chinese military power in the Indo-Pacific region.\n\nThe UK government says \u00a33bn from the extra spending would be earmarked to support the pact, along with boosting industrial infrastructure and servicing UK submarines.\n\nThe remaining \u00a31.9bn will be used to replace weapons sent to Ukraine and improve the UK's munitions infrastructure.\n\nOf the new money, \u00a31.98bn will be spent this year and \u00a32.97bn next year, with defence spending then reviewed again after 2025.\n\nMoving forward, the government has an \"aspiration\" to invest 2.5% of national income over time, but has not specified a timeframe.\n\nMr Sunak's predecessor Liz Truss had committed to spend 3% of GDP on defence by 2030 - but the prime minister has stepped back from that pledge.\n\nA new version of the so-called Integrated Review was published on Monday, replacing the first version of the policy document unveiled under former Prime Minister Boris Johnson in 2021.\n\nThe update was ordered by Ms Truss in September last year to take account of Russia's invasion of Ukraine.\n\nIn a foreword to the document, Mr Sunak said the previous review could not have foreseen \"the pace of the geopolitical change and the extent of its impact on the UK\".\n\nThe review's main conclusion, Mr Sunak wrote, \"is that unless democracies like our own do more to build our resilience and out-cooperate and out-compete those that are driving instability, the global security situation will deteriorate further\".\n\nWhile the review identified Russia as \"the most pressing national security and foreign policy priority in the short-to-medium term\", it also described China as posing an \"epoch-defining and systemic challenge\" to the international order.\n\nMaking the announcements in Parliament, Foreign Secretary James Cleverly said \"threats have grown and systematic competition has intensified\" since the last integrated review in 2021.\n\nHe said the UK \"cannot be blind to the increasingly aggressive military and economic behaviour of the Chinese Communist Party\".\n\n\"We will increase our national security protections and ensure alignment with both our core allies and a wider set of international partners,\" he said.\n\nRishi Sunak speaking to the press during his flight to San Diego on Sunday\n\nThe review's emphasis on China has been welcomed by Mr Sunak's MPs, but some would prefer him to take an even tougher position.\n\nAnd there are concerns from others that the promises being made for defence spending don't go far enough.\n\nWhile Defence Secretary Ben Wallace has publicly welcomed the extra \u00a35bn announced by the prime minister, he had been hoping for considerably more.\n\nThe Conservative chairman of the Defence Committee, Tobias Ellwood, said Mr Wallace wanted double that \"just to stay level\" after years of military spending cuts.\n\nMr Ellwood said Russia and China \"will be breathing a sigh of relief that we haven't invested further\".\n\nHe argued the next two years will be \"very dangerous indeed\" and that the UK needed more \"hard power\".\n\nLabour rubbished Mr Sunak's promise, and said defence spending had not hit 2.5% of GDP since it had left power.\n\nJohn Healey, the shadow defence secretary, said the Conservatives were \"failing to secure Britain's national defence for the future\".\n\nHe said the integrated review \"will not address concerns over critical capabilities which weaken our national defence and undermine the UK's Nato obligations\".\n\nLabour, he said, would publish a defence and security review in its first year of government \"to make sure capabilities match the threats we face\".\n\nThe unveiling of the update has been choreographed to coincide with Mr Sunak's visit to California, where he is discussing the Aukus pact with US President Joe Biden and Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese.\n\nReports have suggested Australia could opt to build a modified version of the British Astute-class submarine, while taking delivery of up to five US Virginia-class submarines during the production stage.\n\nMr Sunak also invite Mr Biden to Northern Ireland next month to mark the 25th anniversary of the Good Friday Agreement.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/uk-politics-64932951"}
{"title":"Tattoo artist Jessie Knight celebrated at Amgueddfa Cymru - Museum Wales - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-12","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"Jessie Knight first picked up a tattoo machine 100 years ago and had an illustrious career.","section":"Wales","content":"This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Jessie Knight ran her own tattoo studio in Barry from the age of 18 to become the UK's first woman tattooist\n\nJessie Knight may not be a name familiar to many, but she holds a unique place in the history of tattooing.\n\nIn the early 20th Century the trail-blazing Welsh woman disrupted the male-dominated artform, becoming the UK's first professional female tattoo artist.\n\nNow her legacy is being preserved by Amgueddfa Cymru - Museum Wales.\n\nWhen she first picked up a tattoo machine more than 100 years ago, Jessie Knight had no idea she would be a catalyst for change within the industry.\n\nBut a few years later she was running her own studio in the port of Barry, Vale of Glamorgan, from the age of 18.\n\nJessie Knight was taught how to tattoo by her father\n\nTrained by her dad, Jessie, who was born in 1904 and died in 1992, took over the family shop when he went off to sea as a sailor.\n\nFor the next three decades she would travel the UK inking the skin of thousands of customers and blazing her own trail in an industry almost entirely dominated by men.\n\nNow, her collection of designs and tattoo machines have been taken on by Amgueddfa Cymru - Museum Wales.\n\nFrom the age of 18, Jessie Knight ran her own tattoo studio in Barry\n\nHer great nephew Neil Hopkin-Thomas said: ''Aunt Jessie was quite an eccentric character.\n\n''She was forward-thinking, way ahead of her time but also just a lot of fun to be around with lots of stories and tales to tell.\n\n''Before tattooing she was a horseback stunt woman and a sharpshooter.\n\n''She was very colourful and lived a really exciting life.''\n\nJessie gained respect for her work across the world. In 1955 she came second place in the Champion Tattoo Artist of All England competition.\n\nBut despite her successes she was often challenged by the perception of women at the time.\n\nMr Hopkin-Thomas said: ''Several times the shop was broken into and some designs taken.\n\n''She had this big trunk with all her designs in and whilst tattooing she would be firmly sat on it so no one could get to them.\n\n''It was a man's world at that time but just because she was female she thought why shouldn't she be able to do the job she loved.''\n\nIt was not only the skin of others that she inked during her illustrious career.\n\nJessie Knight first picked up a tattoo machine 100 years ago, going on to have an illustrious career\n\nMr Hopkin-Thomas said: ''On her hands were little dots of colour where she used to test the ink out before she would tattoo somebody. A testing palate almost.''\n\n''She also had the family Coat of Arms on her back, which her father did, as well as a spider's web and a cross.''\n\n''Jessie really made her name on her own and was able to kind of forge out a particular kind of tough femininity within a very male-dominated industry,'' said Dr Lodder.\n\nMany of her bases across the UK were in sea port towns such as Chatham in Kent, Aldershot in Hampshire and also Portsmouth.\n\n''She would've mainly been tattooing sailors who were coming through,'' he said.\n\n''There would have been lots of drunkenness and misbehaviour.\n\n''She was working in a world where she had to be careful but at the same time she did this with a bit of panache and a bit of flair.''\n\nJessie hung signs in her shops that warned customers against any unruliness.\n\nIn one she noted: 'If you've had one over the eight\u2026 you are too late.'\n\n''From the material we have of her life we can see she was a tough woman, with a real sense of humour and a twinkle in her eye,\" said Dr Lodder.\n\nFor years, Mr Hopkin-Thomas had kept her collection of nearly 1,000 pieces including her tattoo designs, family photographs and even the tattoo machines she used throughout her career.\n\nOne tattoo artists says Jessie Knight \"cemented the way for female tattoo artists to be more accepted\"\n\nDr Lodder said: ''It's almost like she finished tattooing one day, put everything into bags and that's it.\n\n''All of it is there and it tells us her story.\"\n\nHe also believes that the collection gives an insight into life beyond the story of Jessie Knight.\n\n''Tattooing is a way of learning about people whose lives aren't usually represented in museums,\" he said.\n\n''Through this extraordinary woman and her work we see this changing time.\n\n''A country that's going through a collapse of empire, a change of status for women, two major world wars and lots of social change.\n\n''All of the things that people feel sufficiently excited and passionate about to record on their bodies, it's all there in these designs.''\n\nFflur Morse, the senior curator overseeing the collection for Amgueddfa Cymru - Museum Wales, said: \"It's really important to preserve the stories of women like Jessie Knight who left their mark on Wales and also made a huge impact in her field in a world that was dominated by men.\"\n\nNowadays, things look very different for women in the industry.\n\nShe said: ''I feel like Jessie Knight's work definitely cemented the way for female tattoo artists to be more accepted in the future.\n\n''I think there is probably more female tattooists in Barry now than there are male. That's massive compared to how it used to be, even when I first started.\n\n''If it weren't for people like Jessie Knight, I don't know where we'd be.''\n\nYou can see more on this story on Wales Live on iPlayer.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/uk-wales-64890659"}
{"title":"Hemsby: Work to demolish at-risk cliff-top homes starts - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-12","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"The owner of the first home to be flattened says her hopes and dreams have been destroyed.","section":"Norfolk","content":"This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. The property is one of three to be demolished from the top of the dunes\n\nWork to demolish three homes close to the cliff edge in Norfolk has started after high tides cut into sandy cliffs.\n\nResidents have left their wooden properties in The Marrams in Hemsby, some of which are within 1m (3.2ft) of the cliff edge and at risk of collapse.\n\nSeveral outbuildings were lost to the sea as high tide hit at about 21:00 GMT on Friday.\n\nSue, whose property was the first to be taken down, said it was \"soul-destroying\".\n\nSue, who did not want to give her surname, said watching her home being demolished was \"soul-destroying\"\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser.\n\nThe demolition of her house is now complete, and the two other properties will be flattened on Sunday, contractors on the site say.\n\nAlong with her neighbours, Sue spent the morning hurriedly packing up her belongings before the demolition teams moved in.\n\nSue, who did not want to give her surname, said she wished more could have been done to save her home of three years.\n\nBy the end of Saturday one home had been demolished - a further two are expected to be torn down on Sunday\n\n\"It's really annoying, it's all your hopes and dreams collapsed into nothingness,\" she said.\n\nThis time last week there was up to 20ft between her property and the cliff edge, and then there was just 3ft.\n\nShe was told she would have to get planning permission for her home to be moved back from the cliff edge but there was not enough time.\n\nWatching her house being destroyed with her head in her hands, she said: \"We've got some very happy memories there because it's got lovely energy to it, lovely atmosphere.\"\n\nAssessment work was carried out before the demolition work started\n\nMary Withey, whose home is due to be demolished, said she had collected what she could of her belongings\n\nMary Withey, whose home is also set to be demolished, said she and her partner \"had got what we can\".\n\n\"I'm not OK with it, it's been my home, I don't want to move... it's very sad,\" said Ms Withey, who has lived in her house for four years,\n\n\"When I first heard I was in shock and today I've just been tearful, it's horrible.\"\n\nAll the homeowners have been packing up any last bits\n\nJane Beck, head of property and asset management at Great Yarmouth Borough Council, had initially planned to demolish all three properties within the day, before the next high tide at 21:38.\n\n\"It's extremely sad for those people and we're trying to do everything we possibly can to help them through that process,\" Ms Beck said.\n\nThe beach and surrounding area at Hemsby should be avoided, she added, and she urged people to stay away for their own safety.\n\nThe properties were on the verge of going into the sea\n\nThe only access road to properties on the Marrams has also been cordoned off and is expected to collapse.\n\nFire crews knocked on doors on Friday and urged anybody still in the affected properties to leave their homes.\n\nDuring the evening, a shed and a playhouse toppled over the cliff but Hemsby Independent Lifeboat crew managed to rescue two chickens from the shed which they said \"put a smile on everyone's face\".\n\nHemsby Independent Lifeboat crew rescued two chickens from a shed just before it toppled into the sea\n\nDaniel Hurd, coxswain with the lifeboat crew, said it had been a \"long old night\".\n\nThe Highways Agency blocked off the road on Friday evening and BT responded to a telegraph pole that was tilting on the edge.\n\n\"Luckily we managed to get that on to the beach and not risk public safety by it falling on top of them,\" he said.\n\nDaniel Hurd, coxswain, with the Hemsby lifeboat crew said Friday had been \"a long old night\"\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser.\n\n\"My concern now is that if [the erosion] gets to the car parks, we possibly may have to shut the doors on the lifeboat station and then you won't have sea cover off Hemsby at all... and that is serious,\" he added.\n\nThe BBC understands that the owner of the property on the edge of the dunes on the south side of gap, has been given the chance to move it across the road\n\nGreat Yarmouth Borough Council's chief executive, Sheila Oxtoby, said the authority was looking to bring some rock on to the beach to protect the road access to a number of other properties as a \"temporary solution\".\n\nIt is understood 1,900 tonnes of granite are due to arrive on Wednesday.\n\nMs Oxtoby said: \"At the same time as dealing with the immediate issue, we're also looking at how we can use our emergency powers to provide a temporary rock berm solution to give us more time for the main scheme.\"\n\nA water main pipe that was buried in the ground has been exposed\n\nMr Hurd, however, said the current situation was \"heart-breaking\" and could have been resolved earlier.\n\nHe said: \"I just think it's absolutely ridiculous, this has been an emergency for years and it's taken this weekend for them to see it's an emergency to then get a rock berm put on the beach.\"\n\nBorough councillor, James Bensley, said he could understand people were frustrated but there had been \"so much bureaucracy\".\n\n\"It's a real minefield of making sure that what local government and the authorities do is the correct line of procedure and I can totally understand people's frustrations,\" he said.\n\nBorough councillor for Hemsby, James Bensley, said he could understand people were frustrated about the time taken to put defences in but local government \"has to do it correctly\"\n\n\"We [also] have to make sure it works, we have to make sure it's cost affordable and doesn't affect further south down the coast.\n\n\"I know the process and the time that has been taken is exhausting and I can fully appreciate and understand that but we have to do it correctly and with the tools that we have got and through the right channels.\"\n\nHemsby, near Great Yarmouth, is home to about 3,000 people and was once home to a Pontins holiday camp.\n\nSeven bungalows along The Marrams had to be demolished when sandy cliffs washed away in March 2018 and, in December 2013, \"the worst storm surge in 60 years\", destroyed seven homes.\n\nLast year, a 1.3km (0.8 mile) rock berm at the base of the cliff was approved in principle, but the council funding for the \u00a315m scheme was challenging to obtain, with just \u00a32.5m available from the government.\n\nFind BBC News: East of England on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter. If you have a story suggestion email eastofenglandnews@bbc.co.uk\n\nThe BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/uk-england-norfolk-64924782"}
{"title":"San Diego: Eight dead after boats, possibly used for people smuggling, capsize - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-12","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"San Diego's lifeguard chief calls it one of the worst maritime smuggling tragedies in California.","section":"US & Canada","content":"A panga boat sits along the Black's Beach, San Diego, following an apparent migrant smuggling operation\n\nAt least eight people have died after two boats capsized off the California coast, emergency services have said.\n\nA search began after the boats got in trouble off Black's Beach, San Diego.\n\nA 911 caller told emergency services she had been on a boat with eight people that made it to shore, but another vessel, carrying eight to 10 people, had capsized.\n\nSan Diego Lifeguard chief James Gartland called it one of the state's worst maritime smuggling tragedies.\n\nOfficials said they did not know the nationalities of the victims but they were all adults.\n\nOne San Diego police officer told local media the 911 caller had said she was Mexican.\n\nCarlos Gonz\u00e1lez Gtez, the Mexican consul general in San Diego, wrote on Twitter that his office \"laments the maritime tragedy\" and is \"working to identify people of Mexican origin and assist their families\".\n\nEmergency responders from several agencies found two overturned boats with bodies spread over an area of 400 yards (366m). The search operation was suspended on Sunday evening.\n\nIt was unclear what caused the incident but Mr Gartland described the area as \"hazardous\" due to sand bars and in-shore rip currents.\n\nRescuers did not find any survivors, but some may have left the beach before the emergency services arrived, he suggested.\n\nJames Spitler, a sector commander for the San Diego Coast Guard, said one small boat which was carrying about 15 passengers \"overturned in the surf,\" while the other carrying about eight people managed to reach the shore.\n\nHe described the incident as a tragedy and said: \"This is not necessarily people trying to find a better life. This is part of a transnational criminal organisation effort to smuggle people into the United States.\n\n\"These people are often labour trafficked and sex trafficked when they arrive.\"\n\nSan Diego is close to the border between the US and Mexico and the US government has constructed a fence into the sea to the south of the city to deter migrants.\n\nEric Lavergne, a US Border Patrol official in San Diego, told Reuters this was one of a few hundred migrant smuggling events recorded in the area over the past five months - which is similar to the rate in recent years.\n\nIt comes as the UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak is due to be in San Diego for the Aukus summit between the US, UK and Australia.\n\nHe has recently announced a policy aimed at stopping people from coming to the UK on small boats across the English Channel.\n\nIn 2021, four people died and two dozen were injured when a boat got into trouble off the coast of San Diego.\n\nCaptain James Spitler, from the U.S. Coast Guard, speaks to members of the media after two fishing boats capsized off the coast of San Diego","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/world-us-canada-64932817"}
{"title":"Aramco: Saudi state-owned oil giant sees record profit of $161bn - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-12","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"After a year when petrol prices soared, the Saudi firm announces a best-ever set of figures.","section":"Middle East","content":"Amin Nasser is the president and CEO of Aramco, the world's second-most valuable company behind Apple\n\nSaudi oil giant Aramco has announced a record profit of $161.1bn (\u00a3134bn) for 2022, helped by soaring energy prices and bigger volumes.\n\nIt represents a 46.5% rise for the state-owned company, compared with last year.\n\nIt is the latest energy firm to report record profits, after energy prices spiked following Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.\n\nAramco also declared a dividend of $19.5bn for the October to December quarter of 2022, to be paid in the first quarter of this year.\n\nMost of that will go to the Saudi government, which owns nearly 95% of the shares in the company.\n\nBrent crude oil, the benchmark oil price, now trades at around $82 a barrel - though prices exceeded $120 a barrel last March, after Russia's invasion, and June.\n\n\"Aramco rode the wave of high energy prices in 2022,\" said Robert Mogielnicki of the Arab Gulf States Institute in Washington. \"It would have been difficult for Aramco not to perform strongly in 2022.\"\n\nIn a statement on Sunday, Aramco said the company results were \"underpinned by stronger crude oil prices, higher volumes sold and improved margins for refined products\".\n\nAramco's president and CEO Amin Nasser said: \"Given that we anticipate oil and gas will remain essential for the foreseeable future, the risks of underinvestment in our industry are real - including contributing to higher energy prices.\"\n\nTo address those challenges, he said, the company would not only focus on expanding oil, gas and chemicals production - but also invest in new lower-carbon technologies.\n\nAramco - the world's second-most valuable company only behind America's Apple - is a major emitter of greenhouse gas emissions that contribute to climate change.\n\nResponding to Aramco's announcement, Amnesty International's secretary general Agn\u00e8s Callamard said: \"It is shocking for a company to make a profit of more than $161bn in a single year through the sale of fossil fuel - the single largest driver of the climate crisis.\"\n\nShe added: \"It is all the more shocking because this surplus was amassed during a global cost-of-living crisis and aided by the increase in energy prices resulting from Russia's war of aggression against Ukraine.\"\n\nSaudi Arabia is the largest producer in the oil cartel Opec (Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries).\n\nThe Gulf kingdom has been condemned for a range of human rights abuses: its involvement in the conflict in neighbouring Yemen, the murder in 2018 of journalist Jamal Khashoggi, for jailing dissidents, and for the widespread use of capital punishment.\n\nIn a separate development on Sunday, Iran said its oil exports had reached their highest level since the re-imposition of US sanctions in 2018.\n\nOil Minister Javad Owji said exports increased by 83 million barrels in 2022 compared with the previous 12 months. In Iran, a new year starts in March.\n\nAnalysts say the rise is due to greater shipments to Iranian allies China and Venezuela.\n\nTehran's export revenues took a significant hit after then-US President Donald Trump pulled out of a landmark nuclear deal five years ago.\n\nThe US sanctions, coupled with economic mismanagement and corruption, have meant that the Iranian economy has not had any substantive growth in the past decade. And by some measures, it is still 4-8% smaller than it was back in 2010.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/world-middle-east-64931074"}
{"title":"Childcare: I'll cut costs to boost workforce, says Chancellor Jeremy Hunt - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-12","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"The chancellor says the government can make a \"big difference\", ahead of Wednesday's Budget.","section":"UK Politics","content":"This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Watch: We can make a big difference to childcare costs, says Jeremy Hunt\n\nThe chancellor has vowed to help reduce the cost of childcare at Wednesday's Budget as part of a wider drive to help people into work.\n\nJeremy Hunt told the BBC that costs were stopping some parents taking a job, and the government could make a \"big difference\" to reduce them.\n\nHe said further support would be part of a package of measures to break down \"barriers\" to entering the workforce.\n\nBut he said public finances meant the room for tax cuts was limited.\n\nMinisters have a lot of heavy lifting to do to make a big impression at the Budget, against the backdrop of an economy that is still wobbly.\n\nConservative backbench MPs are calling for tax cuts they are not going to get, whilst Labour is slamming the government's long-term record.\n\nShadow chancellor Rachel Reeves says her party's plan to secure more investment in green industries could arrest a \"low growth spiral\" in the UK.\n\nUnder Budget plans that have already been announced, the government is expected to pay childcare support to parents on universal credit up front instead in arrears, as now.\n\nThe current UK-wide \u00a3646-a-month per child cap on support for universal credit claimants is also expected to be increased by several hundred pounds. An exact figure has not yet been given.\n\nIt is expected to be part of a package of measures designed to reverse a rise in economic inactivity since Covid, including changes to fitness-to-work tests for those with medical conditions.\n\nThe Budget is also expected to extend the current level of support for energy bills, limiting costs for a typical family to \u00a32,500 a year, for a further three months until June.\n\nOther measures reportedly under consideration, but not yet confirmed, include continuing the 5p cut to fuel duty, changes to tax-free pensions allowances, and bringing forward a rise in the pension age.\n\nMr Hunt has also resisted Tory calls for the planned rise in corporation tax from 19% to 25% to be cancelled or deferred.\n\nDownplaying the prospects of a major tax-cutting Budget, Mr Hunt said it was important to be \"responsible with [the] public finances\".\n\nAdding that any cuts would have to be \"within the bounds of what is responsible,\" he said \"Conservatives cut taxes when they can\".\n\nHe also signalled that he was unlikely to announce further childcare support for families that don't qualify for Universal Credit, describing this as \"expensive\".\n\nAlthough ministers \"would like to help everyone,\" he added that \"you can't always do everything at once\".\n\nCutting childcare costs has emerged as a key political battleground, with prices in the UK among the highest in the world.\n\nCritics say the current level of government support means it is simply not worth large numbers of parents, even those on middle incomes, taking on new or extra work.\n\nEarly Years Alliance, an education charity, has welcomed the changes for families on benefits, but urged a \"wider package of measures\" to bring down costs for parents.\n\nLabour has promised to completely overhaul the system in England if it takes office, saying the current model of free childcare hours is \"broken\".\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Watch: UK risks losing out in green global race, says Rachel Reeves\n\nMs Reeves, the shadow chancellor, hit out at the Conservatives' record in government, which she said had left the UK in a \"low growth, low productivity, low investment spiral\".\n\nShe said Labour would take inspiration from US President Joe Biden's package of green subsidies to attract investment to new industries.\n\nThe party has said that if it wins power at the next election, its promised \u00a38bn \"national wealth fund\" would be tasked with boosting investment into struggling regions.\n\nMs Reeves said the government had failed to \"seize the opportunities\" of investment in green jobs, allowing other countries to \"steal march on us here in Britain\".\n\n\"I feels like we are in the changing room, while other countries are in the global race,\" she added.\n\nHow have you been affected by any issues raised here? You can share your experience by emailing haveyoursay@bbc.co.uk.\n\nPlease include a contact number if you are willing to speak to a BBC journalist. You can also get in touch in the following ways:\n\nIf 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 HaveYourSay@bbc.co.uk. Please include your name, age and location with any submission.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/uk-politics-64931202"}
{"title":"Gary Lineker revolt becomes a test of BBC's values - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-12","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"The broadcaster is facing a test of its fundamental values and mission following a day of tumult.","section":"UK","content":"When the BBC's director general, Tim Davie, took over in 2020, he declared his founding principle to be \"impartiality\".\n\nThree years later, a row over that principle and how it applies across the corporation has created a crisis that has quite clearly caught managers by surprise.\n\nFamiliar, fixed points in the weekly TV schedule unexpectedly falling off air in quick succession is proof of a crisis that has become something much bigger than a row about some tweets.\n\nThe Gary Lineker issue is more than an argument about the opinions of a highly paid sports presenter - it is a test of the BBC's fundamental values and the current director general's core mission.\n\nThe passions provoked by Lineker's political tweets and the decision to keep him off air until he and the BBC resolve this issue has poured petrol on a fire that was already well alight - the debate about the BBC's role in British politics and perceptions of bias both to the left and the right.\n\nBut first, let's look at the immediate issue.\n\nIt's worth noting that complaints about Lineker's politically charged tweets are not new.\n\nIn 2016 and 2018 the BBC defended comments made by the Match of the Day presenter about child migrants and Brexit by saying he was a freelance presenter, it was a private Twitter account and the stringent rules for journalists did not apply equally to sports presenters.\n\nThe guidelines at the time said the risk to compromising the BBC's impartiality \"is lower where an individual is expressing views publicly on an unrelated area, for example, a sports or science presenter expressing views on politics or the arts\".\n\nSince then rules have been tightened. New guidelines on social media demanded an \"extra responsibility\" for presenters with a \"high profile\". Some described the new rule as the \"Lineker clause\".\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Watch: BBC boss Tim Davie asked if he bowed to government pressure\n\nThe question is whether that rule is being fairly applied. Twitter is awash with examples of what some people think are presenters who have gone too far over recent years. Names frequently raised include Alan Sugar, Chris Packham and Andrew Neil.\n\nIn response, Mr Davie said on Saturday evening that he was in \"listening mode\" and suggested there might be an escape route by re-examining those guidelines.\n\nThere is good reason for him to want to bring this to a conclusion. Impartiality is hugely important but so too is providing a service that people pay for through their licence fee.\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. WATCH: How the Match of the Day row played out on Saturday... in 60 seconds\n\nMatch of the Day went ahead on BBC One on Saturday night - but was reduced to a 20-minute edition that did not have a presenter, pundits or any commentary - while other football coverage was dropped.\n\nEvery cancelled programme is a source of further complaint from licence payers who may not care what Lineker says on Twitter but care deeply about their favourite programmes staying on air on a Saturday night.\n\nThere is also the wider context of a government that has in recent years been critical of the BBC and its perceived liberal bias.\n\nGreg Dyke, a former director general, who left the BBC over a clash with the Labour Government in 2004, says the decision to pull Gary Lineker from Match of the Day looks like a corporation bowing to political pressure from a Tory government.\n\nAll of which leads to another issue that asks questions of the BBC's impartiality, the BBC's chairman, Richard Sharp, a former donor to the Conservative party who is the subject of an ongoing inquiry looking in to his appointment and what he did or did not disclose about his part in the arrangement of an \u00a3800,000 loan guarantee to the former prime minister, Boris Johnson. He has denied any involvement in arranging the loan.\n\nLineker has become a lightning rod for a much bigger debate and the BBC would like to resolve the issue as quickly as possible to stop a very public row turning into a monumental crisis. However, with the corporation saying it wants Lineker, with his 8.7 million Twitter followers, to stop the political tweets while he shows no sign of agreeing to be silenced, it's hard to see quite how this will resolve itself.\n\nFor the BBC this is about impartiality but to many others it is about free speech. Indeed, there is a statue outside the BBC's headquarters in London of the author of 1984, George Orwell, a former BBC talks producer. Inscribed on the wall behind the Orwell statue are these words: \"If liberty means anything at all it means the right to tell people what they do not want to hear.\"\n\nEighty years after Orwell left the BBC, the corporation finds itself in a deepening crisis. That thought from Orwell and the questions it raises for the BBC are at the very heart of the Lineker debate.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/uk-64929269"}
{"title":"Yousaf might use snap Holyrood vote to secure independence - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-12","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"The SNP leadership hopeful says he would consider an unscheduled Holyrood vote as part of the strategy.","section":"Scotland politics","content":"This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Humza Yousaf might use snap Holyrood vote to secure independence\n\nHumza Yousaf has said he would consider a snap Holyrood election as part of a strategy to secure independence.\n\nThe SNP leadership contender also dismissed suggestions he was simply the continuity candidate.\n\nAnd he told BBC Scotland's The Sunday Show he would need assurances before serving in a Kate Forbes cabinet if she won the contest.\n\nThe health secretary is running against Ms Forbes, the finance secretary, and ex-community safety minister Ash Regan.\n\nSNP members will start voting for the new leader on Monday, with the winner to be announced on 27 March.\n\nMr Yousaf has been backed by senior party figures including Deputy First Minister John Swinney and the SNP's Westminster leader Stephen Flynn.\n\nOn Sunday Mr Yousaf was asked about a report in The National in which he raised the prospect of an early Scottish election \"to test the popular will, when we believe we have that consistent majority support for independence\".\n\nThe Glasgow Pollok MSP told the BBC: \"To achieve independence we will use any means necessary that is within a legal framework, of course.\"\n\nHowever, he also emphasised that his priority was to build solid support for independence, rather than fixating on \"process\".\n\nQuestioned about what would justify calling a snap election, Mr Yousaf said: \"It would be about demonstrating that we have a consistent majority for independence. We don't have that at the moment.\n\n\"This week is a perfect example. We have seen one poll that puts support for independence below 50% and, literally a day later, support above 50% in another poll. We can't have that fluctuation.\"\n\nHe also pledged to set up regional assemblies in his first week to \"empower our membership\".\n\nKate Forbes, Ash Regan and Humza Yousaf have been taking part in SNP leadership hustings across the country\n\nMr Yousaf defended his record as health secretary after a BBC poll suggested one in five Scots had paid for treatment in last 12 months. He told the programme neither he nor his family had ever used private healthcare.\n\nHe was also asked if he could serve in a Kate Forbes cabinet after she quipped in the STV leadership debate that she would give him a post but \"maybe not in health\".\n\nHe told the programme: \"I would have to have a discussion about whoever the first minister was and understand what their perspective was because collective responsibility is really important.\n\n\"It is a cornerstone of a functioning government so I would want to ensure whoever was the first minister, if they asked me to come into government, that I could give them the assurance around collective responsibility.\"\n\nOn Saturday Mr Yousaf secured the backing of outgoing Deputy First Minister John Swinney and the SNP's Westminster leader Stephen Flynn.\n\nThe endorsement of Mr Swinney, the most high profile party figure to endorse any of the candidates, prompted accusations from Ms Forbes' campaign manager that the SNP hierarchy were \"absolutely panicking\".\n\nBut Mr Yousaf said the support he had secured was a \"sign of strength\" and evidence that his campaign had momentum.\n\nHe also stressed: \"I am my own man and will do things my own way. I will have my own leadership approach.\n\n\"I have a lot of admiration, as you would imagine, for the excellent work Nicola Sturgeon has done as first minister.\n\n\"But she had a certain leadership approach. Mine would be less inner circle and more big tent.\"\n\nFormer community safety minister Ash Regan, meanwhile, insisted she has a serious chance of winning the contest despite being regarded by many as an outsider.\n\nShe told Sophy Ridge on Sunday, on Sky News: \"At the moment we understand that a large amount of the membership are still undecided, it is a very short contest.\n\n\"But I have had many people get in touch with me recently to say that they think I am the only hope for the SNP.\"\n\nScottish Labour said Humza Yousaf should be focusing on the state of the NHS rather than independence.\n\nDeputy leader Jackie Baillie commented: \"His threat to achieve independence 'by any means necessary' will be chilling words for anyone who has already seen the price patients and staff have paid for Mr Yousaf's unearned self-confidence and inexplicable self-promotion.\"\n\nScottish Conservative chairman Craig Hoy said: \"Scotland has had 16 years of SNP governments putting their endless pursuit of independence above the public's real priorities - and all three leadership candidates have made it clear they offer no change.\n\nScottish LibDem leader Alex Cole-Hamilton said Mr Yousaf's interview showed \"come hell or high water he will focus on breaking up the UK\".\n\nThe three leadership candidates will take part in an hour-long Debate Night programme from Edinburgh at 20:00 on Tuesday 14 March on BBC One Scotland.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/uk-scotland-scotland-politics-64931626"}
{"title":"BBC and Gary Lineker: Tweets decision comes at high price for BBC - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-12","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"One of the BBC's best loved presenters has been taken off air due to an impartiality row.","section":"Entertainment & Arts","content":"It can't have been what the BBC intended.\n\nOne of its most famous and best loved presenters has been taken off air - and it appears to be in the midst of a stand-off with no clear exit strategy for either side.\n\nSticking to its guns on impartiality has come at a high price for the corporation and opened up new faultlines in the process.\n\nFirst up, Match of the Day, which saw its star-studded presenting and commentating cast of sport royalty drop out in quick succession or assert that they would not appear on set - in solidarity with Gary Lineker.\n\nIn scenes more reminiscent of the 1960s epic film Spartacus than a football highlights show, presenters and pundits are standing with Gary Lineker, effectively declaring \"I'm Spartacus\".\n\nIan Wright and Alan Shearer began the exodus from the show this weekend, with Jermaine Jenas and Micah Richards also posting that, if they'd been due to be on the show, they too would have said no.\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. WATCH: How the Match of the Day row played out on Saturday... in 60 seconds\n\nAlex Scott has also tweeted, heavily implying she would not present the programme in Gary Lineker's place.\n\nNow, MOTD have said it will broadcast a show focused on highlights - and without the characteristic punditry. It's an unenviable position to be in.\n\nWho could have predicted that the government's asylum policies and the language around them, so robustly criticised by Gary Lineker in his tweets, would end up reducing the BBC's most popular football show to this?\n\nImpartiality is at the heart of Director General Tim Davie's strategy for the corporation, as he has declared many times.\n\nAlan Shearer and Ian Wright began the exodus from the show this weekend\n\nSome argue that was a reaction to pressure from the Conservative government.\n\nBut there is no doubt Mr Davie has always insisted he genuinely believes in impartiality as a way to ensure the BBC, funded by licence fee payers, is for everyone.\n\nStaff and on-air talent are asked to leave their opinions at the front door. But there is some nuance in that.\n\nIn its statement on Friday, the BBC said: \"We've never said Gary should be an opinion free zone.\"\n\nTim Davie has said impartiality should be at the heart of the BBC\n\nGary Lineker is a sports presenter not a political presenter or news journalist. But the BBC's Executive Complaints Unit has previously ruled that, although the star is not required to uphold the same impartiality standards as BBC journalists, he has an \"additional responsibility\" because of his profile.\n\n\"We expect these individuals to avoid taking sides on party political issues or political controversies and to take care when addressing public policy matters,\" the ruling said.\n\nBy deciding Gary Lineker's \"recent social media activity to be a breach of our guidelines\" and deciding to take him off air, the BBC has, though, opened itself up to criticisms that it's on the wrong side of free speech arguments.\n\nSo on top of the fate of Match of the Day, that's another headache.\n\nAre we really saying, argue the critics, that somebody who isn't a news journalist but appears on the BBC in another capacity, can't tweet their views about politics in a personal capacity? Where will it end, they ask?\n\nCan a gameshow host not have an opinion on a government policy? Or an actor who's closely linked to a high profile BBC drama? A comedian?\n\nEven more ominously, they ask is this actually only about people whose views diverge from those of the government of the day?\n\nAnd while the BBC's free speech credentials are under scrutiny, the BBC is also being accused of double standards, of caving in to political pressure at a time when its own Conservative-linked chairman remains in post.\n\nRichard Sharp has been under pressure for his role in facilitating a loan agreement for Boris Johnson when he was prime minister and not declaring it as a potential conflict of interest in the appointment process when he was under consideration to be chairman of the BBC.\n\nMr Sharp has previously admitted the affair had embarrassed the BBC but insisted he had \"acted in good faith to ensure that the rules were followed\".\n\nThe Shadow Culture Secretary Lucy Powell has specifically linked the two cases saying \"the same cries of impartiality were totally absent when the BBC Chair failed to disclose aspects of his close friendship with the then PM\".\n\nThe BBC is justified in arguing that it has no say in the case of the BBC chair. Mr Sharp is a political appointment, and his appointment is now being investigated by the commissioner for public appointments.\n\nBut perceptions matter. And the BBC is accused by one side of coming down heavily on Gary Lineker for his anti-government rhetoric, while apparently having a chair in post who is mired in a row and has given money to the Conservatives in the past.\n\nOne counter argument is that Richard Sharp, as a Board member, isn't involved in editorial matters.\n\nPlenty would say, though, neither is Gary Lineker. He has no editorial say on air about politics. Sport is his thing - and as a sports presenter, the BBC today called him \"second to none\".\n\nBut no longer - this weekend anyway - for the BBC.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/entertainment-arts-64922674"}
{"title":"Eurovision 2023: Loreen wins Melodifestivalen as Liverpool contest line-up is completed - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-12","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"Eleven years after her huge hit Euphoria, Loreen is attempting to win the song contest once more.","section":"Entertainment & Arts","content":"Loreen's Tattoo is now one of the favourites to win Eurovision 2023, according to the bookies\n\nFormer Eurovision winner Loreen, whose song Euphoria won the song contest in 2012, will represent Sweden again this year in Liverpool.\n\nTo represent her country, first she had to win Melodifestivalen (also known as Melfest), one of Sweden's biggest TV shows, which she did on Saturday night.\n\nShe told the BBC Eurovisioncast podcast she needed a lot of convincing to take part again, after initially declining.\n\n\"They popped the question, the answer was 'it's not gonna happen'\", she said.\n\n\"It took me four weeks [to decide]. It was more like, 'what can I say in this? Do I have anything to give again?\n\n\"I think I'm a little bit more chillax now so I'm going to have more fun with it.\"\n\nThis Twitter post cannot be displayed in your browser. Please enable Javascript or try a different browser. View original tweet on Twitter The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Skip twitter post by BBC Sounds 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\u2019s cookie policy, external and privacy policy, external before accepting. To view this content choose \u2018accept and continue\u2019. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.\n\nSweden and Portugal both chose their acts on Saturday, completing this year's line-up. A full list of all 37 participants can be found here.\n\nOn Thursday Mae Muller was announced as the United Kingdom's representative, which she described as a \"dream\".\n\n\"I'm starting to understand the gravity of it,\" Muller told Eurovisioncast. \"Sam Ryder probably made it less of less a scary decision because there's so much positivity around it. But even without that, I think just the experience alone is just so incredible.\"\n\nOne of her favourite things so far in her experience is the fandom that comes with Eurovision.\n\n\"What is really apparent to me is it's such a diverse, inclusive, huge group of people,\" she said. I love that they all have this one one thing in common, and they all are avid music lovers, and it's just really nice to see.\"\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser.\n\nThere will be 37 countries represented in Liverpool this May, after three countries withdrew following an increased entry fee.\n\nChoosing a Eurovision entry is typically done in two ways: an internal selection - an act chosen behind the scenes - or a national selection - a TV show with the winner getting to fly their country's flag at the contest.\n\nA lot of Eurovision fans follow how each country chooses its act with events like Super Saturday gripping devotees across the continent as seven artists were picked.\n\nThe first act for this year's contest was announced in December when Ukraine turned a bomb shelter into a TV studio.\n\nTickets for the nine shows in Liverpool sold out in 90 minutes, with fans being warned that hotels they have booked are being targeted by cyber-attacks putting their data at risk.\n\nAbout 160 million watch the competition annually but seats inside the arena are limited to around 6,000 this year for each show.\n\nAll the build-up, insights and analysis is explored each week on a new BBC podcast called Eurovisioncast.\n\nEurovisioncast is available on BBC Sounds, or search wherever you get your podcasts from.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/entertainment-arts-64905291"}
{"title":"Turkey earthquake: Istanbul residents fear homes will collapse - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-12","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"After quakes in Turkey's south claimed 50,000 lives, the race is on to protect its biggest city.","section":"Europe","content":"Mesut Muttaliboglu's building in Istanbul failed a recent earthquake safety test - and now he has to move out\n\nThe crack in Mesut Muttaliboglu's bedroom wall is so wide, he can fit a car key into it.\n\nHe turns it sideways, and with a flick of his wrist, a large chunk of plaster flies off the wall and crashes to the ground.\n\nIt's why he and his family are moving out of the flat they've lived in for the last 15 years. The whole building has been condemned after failing an earthquake safety test. There's a very high chance that a tremor would bring this whole block crashing to the ground.\n\nHere in Istanbul, fear is growing.\n\nThe two powerful earthquakes in Turkey's south that claimed almost 50,000 lives have brought a new urgency to its biggest city. Home to 15 million people, it sits on the North Anatolian fault line, and experts predict it's due its own major earthquake before 2030.\n\nAround 70% of the city's buildings were built before rule changes that enforced stricter construction standards in 1999, and so are considered potentially unsafe. Just three months ago, a study said a quake here could kill up to 90,000 people. Now, the race is on to get the city ready.\n\nMesut knows all too well the devastation a quake can cause. He's just returned from the epicentre in the southern city of Kahramanmaras, where he lost relatives. As we talked in his now-empty flat, he described the moment he found out.\n\n\"It happened at 04:17, a relative called and we all woke up screaming.\" Mesut's face crumples into tears and he turns away to compose himself. \"It's a horrible situation. We couldn't get [to Kahramanmaras] for three days because of snow, and when we reached the rubble it was so hard. I can't describe it. I hope God doesn't make anyone else experience this.\"\n\nWhen Mesut returned to Istanbul, the authorities had shut off power and water to his flat. \"I asked for them back again just so we could move. They gave me two more days.\"\n\n\"The municipality had sent us written warning about it, but the situation wasn't resolved due to rejections from the neighbours. We knew that our utilities were going to be shut off, and we were ready to leave here, but then the quake happened and it all became a shambles.\"\n\nSince the earthquakes in the south, there've been more than 100,000 new applications to the Istanbul municipality for building safety checks. The waiting list for one shot up to three months, then four, and it keeps rising.\n\nTenants as well as landlords can now apply, but some still don't because of the financial implications. The compensation to help those who need to move out of condemned buildings is low. There are no official numbers showing how many fail the test.\n\nThe city's mayor, Ekrem Imamoglu, has promised more training for rescue teams, and preparation of temporary shelters that could house up to 4.5 million people in the aftermath of a quake. But many fear it still isn't enough.\n\nEngineers like Dr Kurtulus Atasever warn many of Istanbul's buildings have architectural features that weaken their structure\n\nA walk down an average Istanbul street tells you why. Many of the buildings have particular design features that can make them collapse if they're put under pressure during a quake.\n\nDr Kurtulus Atasever, a structural and earthquake engineer, met me to point some of them out. We stood on an empty patch of ground, strewn with rocks, that used to be the foundations of a building. When a magnitude 5.8 quake hit Istanbul in 2019, it was so badly damaged it had to be knocked down. Up and down the street, its neighbours have many of the same flaws.\n\nGood quality concrete is vital, he tells me. And the architecture is crucial. \"We have some overhangs here. In this type of building we have some weak or soft storeys. There are short columns too, they are actually all typical building problems.\"\n\nIn very simple terms, each of them weakens a building at ground level, meaning it struggles to hold up the floors above if there's an earthquake. An overhang makes the rest of the building wider than the footprint. Soft storeys are where the ground floor is taller than the floors above it. Short columns don't have enough length compared to their diameter.\n\nThey can be done safely, Dr Atasever points out, but only if proper thought and planning has gone into the design. In old buildings especially, that's rare.\n\nWe're standing in the shadow of Yasemin Suleymanoglu's house, and I ask if she's concerned about the apartment block it's in. She holds her daughter's hand and looks up at the face of the building. \"I don't feel safe here,\" she says.\n\n\"Our building shook a lot during the 2019 earthquake, and the columns of the one across the street cracked. I've been feeling restless since that sound, and with this latest quake we are really scared. We're losing our sleep because it may hit us any time. And I think we're at risk because our building is old.\"\n\nWe're losing our sleep because [an earthquake] may hit us any time\n\nThe next step is the development of a 50km (31-mile) long fibre-optic based early warning system. But for a city so huge, it's hard to know where people would go to seek shelter, even if they had notice that a quake was coming.\n\nAs pictures of the devastation in the south continue to fill Turkish TV screens, these concerns are now front-of-mind for a huge slice of Istanbul's population. And just two months away from important presidential and parliamentary elections, that really matters.\n\nOvernight, the earthquake and its aftermath have joined Turkey's economic crisis as a key issue for voters. Many aren't happy with the government's handling of either. The aftershocks here aren't just physical, they're political too.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/world-europe-64905649"}
{"title":"Gary Lineker row: BBC sport coverage hit by presenter boycott for second day - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-12","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"The Women's Super League airs without presenters, as staff stand in solidarity with Gary Lineker.","section":"UK Politics","content":"Fans are here at Old Trafford to watch the Manchester United vs Southampton game, and their opinions of last night's Match of the Day has been varied.\n\nSome tuned in just to see what the difference was, while others boycotted the programme in support of Gary Lineker.\n\nOne person told me that he thought it was much better without the pundits\u2019 opinions.\n\nThe people I spoke to were forthcoming about what they thought about Lineker; some thought it was easy to tell the difference between his comments on Twitter and him presenting on Match of the Day.\n\nBut, others felt that as one of the BBC\u2019s most well-known presenters, he shouldn\u2019t have been voicing his opinion at all.\n\nMichael O\u2019Toole told me he is not Lineker's biggest fan but would like to see him back for the sake of the BBC.\n\n\"I think its interesting the way everyone else has stepped away.\n\nQuote Message: It's a bit of a grey area about what he can and cannot say. Also I think it\u2019s a big decision for the BBC - the way they go now in the next 24 hours.\" It's a bit of a grey area about what he can and cannot say. Also I think it\u2019s a big decision for the BBC - the way they go now in the next 24 hours.\"","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/live\/uk-politics-64922187"}
{"title":"LGBTQ rights: Japan PM under fire for same-sex marriage remarks - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-02","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"Fumio Kishida is facing criticism for his remarks, just weeks after apologising over a separate scandal.","section":"Asia","content":"Japan's prime minister has reiterated his stand against same-sex marriage\n\nJapan's Prime Minister Fumio Kishida has been criticised for saying the country's ban on same-sex marriage is not discriminatory.\n\nWeeks ago, he apologised to the LGBTQ community over homophobic comments made by an aide who has since been sacked.\n\nMr Kishida's party is under growing pressure to improve LGBTQ rights, as more Japanese support same-sex marriage.\n\nJapan remains the only G7 country that doesn't recognise such unions.\n\nWhen asked by an opposition lawmaker if the country's existing law constituted discrimination, the PM said on Tuesday: \"I don't think disallowing same-sex couples to marry is unjust discrimination by the state.\"\n\nThe prime minister also reiterated his position on Wednesday that a ban on same-sex marriage is \"not unconstitutional\" but said his stand should not be seen as a form of discrimination.\n\nLocal LGBTQ groups have accused Mr Kishida of backpedalling on commitments made in recent weeks - saying his words contradicted his actions.\n\nHe held a meeting with LGBTQ activists last month after he sacked his Executive Secretary Masayoshi Arai, who said he didn't \"even want to look at\" sexual minorities. He appointed a special aide for LGBTQ issues and also said his party would consider a new bill.\n\nThe activists also said it was inaccurate for Mr Kishida to state that same-sex marriage was \"not unconstitutional\" in Japan, when local courts have ruled otherwise in at least two precedent-setting decisions.\n\nThe public attitude towards same-sex marriage has changed, especially among younger voters, said the Marriage for All Japan group. A recent poll shows two-thirds of voters support making same-sex marriage legal.\n\n\"I think this is one of the reason why the government is estranged from public opinion, as the most in the heart of the government are elderly men,\" said the group's chairperson Makiko Terahara.\n\nSome couples have challenged the ban before the courts, to varying results.\n\nIn November 2022, a Tokyo court upheld the ban on same-sex marriage but said the denial of legal protections to same-sex couples was discriminatory. Rights campaigners hailed the ruling as a win for raising the need to amend current laws.\n\nThe country is also under pressure from its G7 peers to recognise LGBTQ rights as the country prepares to host the bloc's next meeting in May.\n\nThere has been improvement in LGBTQ rights in Asia, but Taiwan remains the only territory that recognises same-sex marriage in the region.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/world-asia-64820191"}
{"title":"Constance Marten and Mark Gordon charged with gross negligence manslaughter - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-02","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"Constance Marten and Mark Gordon have been charged after a baby's remains were found in woodland.","section":"UK","content":"Constance Marten and Mark Gordon have been charged with gross negligence manslaughter after remains of a baby were found in an area of woodland.\n\nThe body of a newborn was found on Wednesday following a massive search operation around Brighton.\n\nProsecutors said they are also accused of concealing the birth of a child and perverting the course of justice.\n\nMs Marten, 35, and Gordon, 48, are due to appear at Crawley Magistrates' Court on Friday.\n\nThey were first arrested on Monday and held in custody for questioning, before being charged by the Crown Prosecution Service on Thursday evening.\n\nPolice said earlier on Thursday it was \"too early\" to say when the infant died or establish its sex.\n\nThe Metropolitan Police said a post-mortem examination would take place on Friday.\n\nBarry Hughes, chief crown prosecutor for CPS London North, said: \"These charges arise from their arrest on Monday as a result of a lengthy police investigation to establish their whereabouts and that of their baby.\n\n\"The Crown Prosecution Service reminds all concerned that criminal proceedings against Constance Marten and Mark Gordon are active and that they have the right to a fair trial.\"\n\nMs Marten and Gordon were detained following a 53-day missing persons search which led to a wooded area in East Sussex.\n\nHundreds of officers using sniffer dogs, thermal cameras, helicopters and drones were drafted in to look for the infant.\n\nThe Metropolitan Police has referred the case to the Independent Office for Police Conduct because the baby died during a missing persons investigation it was leading.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/uk-64830159"}
{"title":"Manchester Arena Inquiry: Chairman makes key recommendations - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-02","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"The inquiry chairman has made a catalogue of suggestions in a bid to help prevent future atrocities.","section":"Manchester","content":"Twenty-two people were killed in the May 2017 bombing\n\nThe Manchester Arena Inquiry has published a catalogue of recommendations in a bid to help avoid similar atrocities in future.\n\nThe inquiry started in September 2020, more than three years after Salman Abedi detonated his homemade bomb at the end of an Ariana Grande concert.\n\nTwenty-two people were killed and hundreds were injured.\n\nHere are some of his key recommendations:\n\nThe report recommends a new scheme designed to prevent extremist prisoners from radicalising those who visit them - after Abedi was known to have been influenced by an extremist he visited behind bars.\n\nSir John said the Home Office should consider introducing a system based on the \"risk a prisoner poses for radicalisation of others\". This system should allow for proportionate restrictions to be applied to visitors to that person.\n\nNo one involved in Abedi's education had \"sufficient\" overview of his character to recognise his radicalisation, the inquiry found.\n\nHowever, Sir John recommends the Department for Education should consider whether schools include notes of any significant behavioural problems - that may suggest violent extremism - or some record which follows a student if they move school.\n\nImages of school pupils or college students handling firearms, explosives or other weapons that come to the attention of staff should also be recorded, unless there is a very clear innocent explanation.\n\nNo recommendation was made in relation to the acquisition of precursor chemicals that could be used in bomb making.\n\nSir John said he was \"satisfied\" the Intelligence and Security Committee of Parliament was \"ensuring that as much as can be done is being done\" in that respect.\n\nSir John said the Ministry of Justice should consider amending the 2005 Act to include being able to require a potential witness to participate in an interview as well as issuing pre-emptive enforcement proceedings for witnesses if there are grounds to believe that they will not co-operate.\n\nHe also wants to prevent a material witness from avoiding to attend witness proceedings.\n\nHe said one useful change, which would have assisted in the cases of Ismail Abedi and Ahmed Taghdi, would be the power to make a short-term restriction on the use of a witness's passport prior to attending to give evidence.\n\nThe inquiry recommends the Home Office should consider and respond to the 2021 Commission for Countering Extremism report \"as a matter of urgency\".\n\nThe report examines whether existing legislation adequately deals with hateful extremism.\n\nBecause some of Sir John's recommendations involve matters of national security, he said he would have to make further recommendations in a closed report.\n\nBut he did say he would publish a \"gist of the areas covered, to the extent that is possible\".\n\nBBC reporter Mat Trewern has examined the final report which you can listen to on BBC Sounds.\n\nWhy not follow BBC North West on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram? You can also send story ideas to northwest.newsonline@bbc.co.uk\n\nThe BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/uk-england-manchester-64824788"}
{"title":"PMQs: Sunak quizzed on claims of leaked Hancock messages - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-02","authors":null,"description":"Sir Keir Starmer says politicians writing books about Covid and leaking messages are \u201cinsulting\u201d and a \u201cghoulish spectacle\u201d.","section":null,"content":"Sir Keir Starmer said politicians writing books about Covid and leaking messages was \u201cinsulting\u201d and a \u201cghoulish spectacle\u201d.\n\nHe was referencing newspaper claims of leaked messages about former Health Secretary Matt Hancock.\n\nRishi Sunak paid tribute to health workers, adding the Covid inquiry should do its work rather than him commenting on \"piecemeal bits of information\".\n\nA spokesman for Mr Hancock has said the messages had been \"doctored\" to create a false story which is \"flat wrong\".","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/uk-politics-64811140"}
{"title":"School face masks worn in England to avoid Covid row with Scotland - claims - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-02","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"Ministers in England came under pressure after Scotland introduced face coverings in schools.","section":"Family & Education","content":"Secondary school children in England were required to wear face coverings to avoid a row with Scotland over Covid, the Daily Telegraph has claimed.\n\nLeaked WhatsApp messages suggest that England's chief medical officer had been ambivalent about the scientific evidence behind the measure.\n\nMinisters in England came under pressure after Scotland introduced it.\n\nA government spokesperson said: \"We have always said there are lessons to be learnt from the pandemic.\"\n\nThey added: \"We are committed to learning from the Covid inquiry's findings, which will play a key role in informing the government's planning and preparations for the future.\"\n\nGuidance was changed to require face coverings in secondary schools in England in areas which were under local lockdown from September 2020.\n\nThe announcement made them mandatory in corridors and communal areas. This later applied to classrooms where distancing was not possible.\n\nThe Telegraph reports that former Prime Minister Boris Johnson had asked for advice about face coverings in schools.\n\nIn a WhatsApp group chat on the morning of 25 August 2020, he asked whether the government needed to make a \"U-turn\" on its stance, the paper says.\n\nLee Cain, then Downing Street's director of communications, is reported to have sent a link to a BBC article announcing face coverings would be mandatory in corridors and communal areas in high schools in Scotland, where the school year starts earlier.\n\nHe asked whether it was worth fighting as Scotland had taken the step, the paper says.\n\nAccording to the leaked messages, Simon Case, who was leading civil service Covid efforts, is said to have warned that \"nervous parents would freak out\" if Scotland's example was not followed.\n\nSir Chris Whitty, England's chief medical officer, is reported to have said there was \"no strong reason against in corridors etc., and no very strong reasons for\", adding that it was \"not worth an argument\".\n\nThe change in guidance in England was announced that night.\n\nIn January 2022, the government admitted the evidence for using masks in schools to reduce spread of Covid was \"not conclusive\".\n\nThe uncertainty was acknowledged in a review used by ministers in England to make their decision to introduce face coverings in classrooms.\n\nThe Telegraph story comes after other WhatsApp messages leaked to the newspaper suggested that the former health secretary, Matt Hancock, rejected expert advice on Covid tests for people going into care homes in England at the start of the pandemic - a claim he has disputed.\n\nThe BBC has not seen or independently verified the WhatsApp messages nor the context in which they were sent.\n\nThe Telegraph has obtained more than 100,000 messages sent between Mr Hancock and other ministers and officials at the height of the pandemic.\n\nThe texts were passed to the newspaper by journalist Isabel Oakeshott, who has been critical of lockdowns. Ms Oakeshott was given copies of the texts while helping Mr Hancock write his book, Pandemic Diaries.\n\nA spokesperson for Mr Johnson said it was \"not appropriate to comment\" on the leaks and that the UK's independent public inquiry into the pandemic \"provides the right process for this\".","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/education-64811382"}
{"title":"New pay offer tabled in bid to end teacher strikes - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-02","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"Teaching unions will discuss the new offer before deciding whether to recommend it to their members.","section":"Scotland","content":"Teachers had been calling for a 10% pay rise this year\n\nScotland's council leaders have agreed to make a new offer to teachers in an attempt to end a dispute over pay.\n\nThe full details have been sent to teaching unions, who will discuss the offer on Friday afternoon.\n\nThe proposal involves a 7% rise backdated to last April, a further 5% this April and another 2% in January.\n\nSchools across Scotland have been closed by a series of strikes during the dispute, with further action planned in the coming weeks.\n\nThe Scottish government has said most teachers would see their salaries rise by \u00a35,200 in April if the new pay offer is accepted.\n\nThe latest strikes targeting the constituencies of some Scottish government ministers, including Nicola Sturgeon, are due to be held next week.\n\nTeachers are also due to hold a 20-day wave of rolling strikes between 13 March and 21 April.\n\nThe new offer follows intensive talks earlier in the week between the EIS union, Education Secretary Shirley-Anne Somerville and Deputy First Minister John Swinney.\n\nThe EIS, the country's biggest teaching union, will now decide whether or not to consult its members on the offer, and whether to call off the scheduled strikes while a ballot is held.\n\nThe union's general secretary, Andrea Bradley, said she believed the recent talks had left the two sides \"within touching distance of a possible settlement\".\n\nThe EIS will hold meetings on Friday afternoon to discuss the new proposal, with Ms Bradley saying she was hopeful that \"we can move very quickly to a position where we can consult members on the offer\".\n\nThe union had been calling for a 10% pay rise this year, but has said a \"credible\" new offer could see strike action being suspended.\n\nAnother teaching union, the SSTA, has already said it will conduct a formal online ballot of its members on the improved offer.\n\nThe reaction of the EIS union to the new pay offer will be crucial as it is by far the largest union in Scottish education.\n\nIf it decides to consult its members and recommends that they accept it, the dispute would appear to be drawing towards its conclusion.\n\nBut if it rejects the offer, it would be a huge blow to hopes of a resolution.\n\nIf the EIS decides to consult its members, it would be wrong to presume how they will vote.\n\nSome may feel the offer is the best which is possible in the current financial climate.\n\nOthers would note that the new offer is still significantly lower than inflation.\n\nCouncil leaders are responsible for making pay offers to teachers as the employer.\n\nCouncillor Katie Hagmann, the resources spokeswoman for council umbrella body Cosla, said the improved offer had been made possible by funding assurances that had been given by the Scottish government.\n\nShe added: \"It is in all of our interests, not least those of children, young people and families, to conclude the teachers' pay negotiations as quickly as possible to bring back stability and certainty in our schools.\"\n\nDeputy First Minister John Swinney had earlier said he was \"very optimistic\" that the dispute would be resolved.\n\nBut he warned there will be \"programmes and projects that will not be going ahead\" because more money has been diverted into the new deal.\n\nSpeaking on BBC Good Morning Scotland earlier on Friday, Mr Swinney said all sides had come to a \"moment of compromise\".\n\nHe added: \"I'm very optimistic that we are in a position that we will be able to resolve the dispute in the course of today and to avoid any further disruption to education.\"\n\nThe EIS and the NASUWT unions recently rejected an offer worth 11.5% over two years. This included a 6% rise for 2022-23, backdated to last April, and a 5.5% increase for 2023-24.\n\nThe dispute has been running for more than a year.\n\nAlmost every state primary and secondary school in Scotland was closed on Tuesday and Wednesday as members of the EIS and NASUWT walked out in the latest national strike action.\n\nPupils in the constituencies of senior politicians have been worst affected, as targeted strike action by members of the EIS last week closed schools for three additional days.\n\nThe same areas, which include those represented by First Minister Nicola Sturgeon and Mr Swinney, face another three days of strikes next week.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/uk-scotland-64830670"}
{"title":"Aboriginal spears taken by Captain James Cook to be returned to Australia - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-02","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"The spears - seized by British explorer James Cook - will be handed back to their traditional owners.","section":"Australia","content":"The spears taken by Captain Cook will be given back to the local Gweagal people\n\nAboriginal spears taken by British explorer Captain James Cook and his landing party when they first arrived in Australia in 1770 will be returned to the local Sydney clan.\n\nThe four spears are believed to be the last remaining of dozens collected by the first colonialists.\n\nThey are being kept at Cambridge University in the UK.\n\nCambridge's Trinity College has agreed to return them after a 20-year campaign by indigenous people.\n\nCaptain Cook first set foot in Australia on a beach at Botany Bay in Sydney's south, where he and his crew's arrival was challenged by two men from the Gweagal clan of the Dharawal peoples, the traditional owners of the land.\n\nMany Australians have long seen Captain Cook's landing story as a foundational event in Australia's modern history. However, this view is increasingly controversial given Aboriginal people lived on the land for tens of thousands of years beforehand and many blame colonisation for ongoing problems.\n\nThe spears will be handed back to the local Aboriginal community and displayed at a new visitor centre.\n\nRay Ingrey, chairman of the community's Gujaga Foundation, said the Gweagal people had a deep, spiritual connection with the wooden, multiple-tipped spears.\n\n\"It's part of a dreaming story that tells us how our people came to be. So not only that they're over 253 years old, and gives us a window into our historic past, but also toward that spiritual connection, which makes it so more important,\" he told the BBC.\n\nThe spears were taken when indigenous people retreated into the bush after a violent encounter with the British landing party in which muskets were fired, Mr Ingrey said.\n\n\"The crew started to go through their campsite, picking up artefacts and anything that they could actually get their hands on... 40 to 50 spears were were bundled up and put on [Cook's ship] Endeavour.\"\n\nThe spears have been in a British museum since 1914\n\nThe spears were carried back to the UK and donated to Trinity College in 1771.\n\nApart from short loans to Australian museums, they have been looked after by Cambridge's Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology (MAA) since 1914.\n\nProf Nicholas Thomas, director of the MAA, said the spears were \"exceptionally significant\".\n\n\"They are the first artefacts collected by any European from any part of Australia ... they reflect the beginnings of a history of misunderstanding and conflict.\n\n\"Their significance will be powerfully enhanced through return to Country.\"\n\nTrinity's master, Dame Sally Davies, told ABC News the college was committed to \"addressing the complex legacies of the British Empire\" and that returning the spears was \"the right decision\".\n\nMr Ingrey said the moment held \"mixed emotions\" for him, but acknowledged the role Trinity College played in preserving the spears in a \"museum-grade facility\".\n\n\"It's been a long time for us. Our elders, over 20 years ago, started a campaign to return cultural objects.\n\n\"A lot of elders, particularly our senior women, are no longer with us. It's a day of happiness, but also sadness because they're not here to celebrate with us.\n\n\"It's also a day for all Australians, and even the British community, to reflect on on our history.\"","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/world-australia-64820618"}
{"title":"Epsom College head and daughter died of shotgun wounds - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-02","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"Emma Pattison's husband George is believed to have killed her and their young daughter Lettie.","section":"Surrey","content":"Ms Pattison and her daughter both died of gunshot wounds\n\nThe head teacher of Epsom College and her daughter died of shotgun wounds at a property in the school grounds, an inquest in Surrey has heard.\n\nEmma Pattison, 45, was found dead alongside her seven-year-old daughter Lettie on 5 February.\n\nMs Pattison's husband George Pattison is believed to have shot them at their home before killing himself.\n\nThe court heard Ms Pattison was shot in the abdomen and chest, and Lettie died of a shotgun wound to the head.\n\nSurrey Coroner's Court heard Ms Pattison, who was originally from Lincolnshire, died of shock, haemorrhage and shotgun wounds.\n\nPost-mortem examinations were carried out three days after the incident by Dr Ashley Fegan-Earle, who also ran toxicology and histology tests at East Surrey hospital, the hearing was told.\n\nCoroner Simon Wickens offered his condolences to the family and friends and all the lives both Ms Pattison and her daughter had touched.\n\nEmma Pattison, 45, her husband George, 39, and their daughter Lettie were found dead at a property on school grounds\n\nA separate inquest for George Pattison heard earlier this week that he died from a shotgun wound to the head.\n\nHis hearing was told toxicology and histology reports had been carried out and the 39-year-old chartered accountant had been identified by his dental records.\n\nThe family were found dead at their home in the grounds of the private school in Surrey after Ms Pattison made a distressed call to her sister.\n\nPolice have previously said a firearm that was legally registered to Mr Pattison was found at the scene.\n\nIn a statement released after the deaths, Ms Pattison's family described her as \"everything one could hope for in a daughter, sister, mother, wife, friend, teacher and so much more\".\n\nThe statement said: \"We are an extremely close family and family was at the centre of Emma and Lettie's universe.\n\n\"Lettie was Emma's pride and joy. An adorable, vibrant little girl with a compelling curiosity, a heart-melting smile and an intellect beyond her years.\n\n\"The two of them were inseparable and we take comfort in that they will remain so.\"\n\nPre-inquest reviews for all three are due to take place on 27 June.\n\nFollow BBC South East on Facebook, on Twitter, and on Instagram. Send your story ideas to southeasttoday@bbc.co.uk.\n\nThe BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/uk-england-surrey-64813551"}
{"title":"Antony Blinken and Sergei Lavrov meet for first time since Ukraine war - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-02","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"America's top diplomat tells his Russian counterpart the war of aggression in Ukraine must end.","section":"India","content":"Sergei Lavrov (left) and Antony Blinken (right) last met in Geneva in January 2022\n\nUS Secretary of State Antony Blinken has told his Russian counterpart Sergei Lavrov to \"end this war of aggression\" against Ukraine.\n\nThe remarks are the first Mr Blinken has made face to face to Mr Lavrov since the start of Russia's full-scale invasion more than a year ago.\n\nThe two met briefly on the sidelines of the G20 summit in India's capital Delhi on Thursday.\n\nMr Blinken also raised the case of Paul Whelan, an American detained in Russia.\n\nA senior State Department official said the discussion in Delhi lasted less than 10 minutes - they spoke \"on the move\" said the Russian foreign ministry, downplaying the exchange.\n\n\"I told the foreign minister [Sergei Lavrov] what I and so many many others said last week at the United Nations, and what so many G20 foreign ministers said today - end this war of aggression, engage in meaningful diplomacy that can produce a just and lasting peace,\" Mr Blinken said at a briefing after the talks.\n\nHe said he also urged Russia to rejoin the New START nuclear arms control treaty, describing as \"irresponsible\" Moscow's recent decision to suspend its participation in the agreement.\n\nRussia Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova confirmed that the meeting took place but gave no further details.\n\nThe last time Mr Blinken and Mr Lavrov met was in Geneva in January 2022.\n\nEarlier on Thursday, Mr Lavrov accused Western countries of trying to influence neutral states to condemn Russia's invasion of Ukraine.\n\n\"The West continues its attempts to push everyone and everything,\" he said.\n\nMr Lavrov didn't say anything about the \"elbow brush\" with his US counterpart - but it was clearly not a diplomatic negotiation.\n\nDuring the G20 meeting he accused the West of encouraging Kyiv to continue the war.\n\nThe failure of foreign ministers to agree on a joint statement showed that differences over the war have hardened in the past year.\n\nMr Blinken reportedly held talks with top diplomats during the Delhi summit to rally support for Ukraine.\n\nHe repeated his condemnation of Russia to the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva later in the day, appearing via video link.\n\nBut he said that Russian President Vladimir Putin had \"demonstrated zero interest in engaging\".\n\nThe G20, which includes the world's 19 wealthiest nations plus the European Union, accounts for 85% of global economic output and two-thirds of its population.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/world-asia-india-64825198"}
{"title":"WH Smith staff data hit by cyber-attack - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-02","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"The High Street retailer says customer accounts and databases are not affected by the incident.","section":"Business","content":"High Street retailer WH Smith has been hit by a cyber-attack, with hackers accessing some of its workers' data.\n\nData that may have been breached includes names, addresses, National Insurance numbers and dates of birth of the firm's current and former UK staff.\n\nHowever, its website, customer accounts and customer databases are not affected, WH Smith said.\n\nThe company said it had launched an investigation and had told the relevant authorities of the incident.\n\n\"WH Smith takes the issue of cyber-security extremely seriously and investigations into the incident are ongoing,\" it said.\n\n\"We are notifying all affected colleagues and have put measures in place to support them.\"\n\nIt added: \"There has been no impact on the trading activities of the group. Our website, customer accounts and underlying customer databases are on separate systems that are unaffected by this incident.\"\n\nWH Smith did not say how many of its current and former employees had been affected by the breach, which took place earlier this week. The company employs about 10,000 people in the UK across its High Street stores and outlets at railway stations and airports.\n\nThe Information Commissioner's Office, a watchdog which investigates data breaches, said it was aware of the incident and was investigating.\n\nLauren Wills-Dixon, an expert in data privacy law at law firm Gordons, said retailers were at a higher risk of cyber-attack because of the large amount of data they hold on their customers and employees.\n\n\"There is also enhanced reputational risk and potential for disruption because retailers are so reliant on public trust and confidence, which cyber incidents threaten to undermine. This makes the retail sector an attractive target.\"\n\nShe added that attacks on employees' data could be more damaging than others because the type of data companies hold about their staff means a leak can lead to a greater risk of identity theft for the affected individuals.\n\nThis year has already seen two cyber-attacks on high-profile UK companies.\n\nIn January, Royal Mail was hit by a Russian linked ransomware attack that caused severe disruption to overseas deliveries for several weeks.\n\nThat same month sportswear chain JD Sports said that it had been targeted by a cyber-attack which could have put data relating to 10 million customers at risk.\n\nIn April last year, online greeting card company Funky Pigeon, which is owned by WH Smith, was hit by a cyber-attack that left it unable to process orders for several days.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/business-64823923"}
{"title":"Manchester attack: Who were the victims? - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-02","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"Family members and friends have described their loved ones and paid tribute to their lives.","section":"UK","content":"Saffie-Rose Roussos was a \"beautiful, sensitive soul with an amazing magnetic personality\", her mother Lisa said.\n\nShe was at the arena with eight-year-old Saffie and was injured in the attack, as was Saffie\u2019s elder sister, Ashlee Bromwich.\n\nShe said she would watch Saffie \u201cwith wonder\u201d, adding that she loved to dance and make people laugh and would \u201cleave little notes of 'I love you' everywhere\u201d.\n\nSaffie\u2019s father Andrew said she was his \u201cperfect, precious beautiful daughter\u201d who \"melted people's hearts\" with \"those big brown eyes\", adding: \"It's like the best artists got together and drew her from top to toe.\"","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/uk-40012738"}
{"title":"M&S: Store sorry for displaying daffodils alongside veg - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-02","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"The flowers, which can be poisonous if eaten, were spotted on display alongside spring onions.","section":"UK","content":"The daffodils were in a display marked \"seasonal favourites\" alongside spring onions\n\nMarks & Spencer has apologised after displaying daffodils alongside spring onions in one of its stores.\n\nThe flowers, which can be poisonous if eaten, were displayed in the fruit and veg aisle under a \"seasonal favourites\" banner.\n\nBotanist and presenter James Wong drew attention to the display on Twitter, warning that eating daffodils \"is like swallowing a box of tiny needles\".\n\nAn M&S spokesperson said it was a \"genuine error in one of our stores\".\n\nDaffodil stems, which are widely sold in supermarkets at this time of year, can bear a resemblance to some vegetables at first glance.\n\nPublic Health England wrote to retailers in 2015 warning about the potentially nasty consequences if there was a mix-up with how they are labelled.\n\nIt said they contain toxic alkaloids which can cause severe vomiting, noting 27 poisoning cases in the previous year.\n\nHealth officials believe daffodil poisoning led to 10 hospitalisations in Bristol in 2012 because of their similarity to a chive used in Chinese cooking.\n\nMr Wong said the error was originally spotted by his mum, who took a picture of the display.\n\nHe said the poisoning caused by accidentally eating them can be \"excruciating\" and urged M&S to improve training for staff.\n\nResponding to him on Twitter, an M&S spokesperson said: \"We have contacted the store and the signage has been updated and onions moved.\n\n\"As a precaution we're reminding all stores to make sure the flowers are displayed properly\", they added.\n\n\"Customer safety is our priority and all daffodils have an on-pack warning that they are not safe to consume.\"","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/uk-64813653"}
{"title":"Woman completes 10-year National Trust scone-eating project - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-02","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"Sarah Merker, from west London, says her mission led her to discover what makes the perfect scone.","section":"London","content":"Sarah Merker has sampled a scone at every possible National Trust location in England, Wales and Northern Ireland\n\nA woman from west London has completed a decade-long project to sample a scone at every possible National Trust location.\n\nSarah Merker, 49, from Isleworth, ate the baked goods at 244 sites across England, Wales and Northern Ireland, and ranked every one on her blog.\n\nHer mission was finally completed on Wednesday when she visited the Giant's Causeway in County Antrim.\n\nMs Merker said the task had been a \"very important\" part of her life.\n\nMs Merker decided to end her decade-long project at the Giant's Causeway in memory of her late husband Peter\n\nThe marketing director said: \"It's all very emotional, it's been a weird experience.\n\n\"I don't know what I'd call it - it's more than a hobby. It's taken up a lot of my time and effort over the past 10 years and I'll really miss it.\"\n\nShe shared part of the experience with her husband, Peter, who was diagnosed with cancer in 2016 and died two years later.\n\nThe couple visited the Giant's Causeway before they both became National Trust members in 2013, with Ms Merker ending the project at the site as a way to remember her late husband.\n\n\"He'd been there for so much of it and obviously I have memories of doing it with him,\" she said.\n\n\"So, for me, it was really important to finish it for him as well - I wanted to make sure I got to the end.\"\n\nMs Merker said the perfect scone has to have been made fresh that day\n\nMs Merker said her 10-year mission had led her to learn the secret to the perfect scone - that \"it has to be fresh\".\n\n\"It takes a lot to ruin a fresh scone,\" she added. \"As long as the scone has been baked that day, you can hardly ever go wrong.\"\n\nShe said that out of the 244 sampled, there were two bad scones, while her favourite was a Christmas pudding scone with brandy butter at Treasurer's House, Yorkshire.\n\nMs Merker's blog which outlines her results has also been turned into a book.\n\nFollow BBC London on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. Send your story ideas to hellobbclondon@bbc.co.uk\n\nThe BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/uk-england-london-64822669"}
{"title":"Boris Johnson says he will find it hard to vote for Rishi Sunak's Brexit deal - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-02","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"Boris Johnson breaks his silence on Rishi Sunak's Northern Ireland Brexit deal with the EU.","section":"UK Politics","content":"This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Boris Johnson says he will \u201cfind it very difficult to vote for\u201d the Windsor Framework\n\nBoris Johnson has said he will find it \"very difficult\" to vote for Rishi Sunak's new Brexit deal for Northern Ireland.\n\nThe former prime minister said the deal was \"not about the UK taking back control\".\n\nIt is the first time he has commented since Mr Sunak unveiled the Windsor agreement on Monday.\n\nThe deal with the EU aims to fix post-Brexit trade problems in Northern Ireland.\n\nA spokesman for Mr Sunak said the prime minister would \"continue to engage with MPs\", but would not confirm when he had last spoken with Mr Johnson.\n\nThe spokesperson said Mr Sunak's deal remained \"the best deal for the people of Northern Ireland and businesses in Northern Ireland\".\n\nBut in his speech, Mr Johnson said it was \"a version of the solution that was being offered\" to Liz Truss when she served as his foreign secretary last year.\n\nIn a speech in Westminster, the former PM said: \"This is the EU graciously unbending to do what we want in our country not by our laws but by theirs.\n\n\"I'm going to find it very difficult to vote for something like this myself, as I believe we should have done something different.\"\n\nThe deal would act as a \"a drag anchor on divergence\" from the EU, he added.\n\n\"Brexit is nothing if we in this country don't do things differently.\"\n\nMr Johnson called for his controversial Northern Ireland Protocol Bill, which the EU argued would breach international law, to be restored if the new deal does not work out.\n\nThe bill was scrapped by Mr Sunak, who told MPs his new deal \"puts beyond all doubt that we've now taken back control\".\n\nMPs are expected to have a vote on Mr Sunak's Windsor framework in the coming weeks.\n\nMr Johnson could decide to abstain, rather than actively voting against it.\n\nHe remains an influential force on the Tory backbenches but it appears the majority of the party's MPs will vote for the new deal.\n\nLabour have also said they will back it, guaranteeing that it will become law.\n\nAsked if he would return to frontline politics, Mr Johnson said it was \"very, very unlikely I will need to do a big in politics again\".\n\nInstead, he said he would focus on writing his memoirs alongside campaigning for Ukraine, Brexit and Levelling Up.\n\nThe Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) - whose support is crucial restoring the power sharing government in Northern Ireland - have yet to deliver their verdict on the deal.\n\nThe Brexiteer European Research (ERG) group of Tory MPs have hired lawyers to study the text in detail before announcing whether they support the deal.\n\nMr Sunak has previously said the new deal is about \"what is best for people in Northern Ireland\" and not \"personalities\".\n\nHe said the deal \"will make a positive difference for all\" in Northern Ireland.\n\nThe prime minister is willing to clarify any \"misunderstandings\" about how the new Brexit deal for Northern Ireland will work, his official spokesman said.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/uk-politics-64823710"}
{"title":"Kaylea Titford: Parents jailed for letting neglected teen die - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-02","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"The parents of a 16-year-old girl who died after \"shocking and prolonged\" neglect have been jailed.","section":"Wales","content":"Alun Titford and Sarah Lloyd-Jones have been jailed\n\nThe parents of a 16-year-old girl who died following \"shocking\" neglect have been jailed.\n\nKaylea Titford's father Alun Titford, from Newtown, Powys, was found guilty of manslaughter by gross negligence and has been jailed for seven years and six months.\n\nKaylea's mother Sarah Lloyd-Jones admitted the same charge and was sentenced to six years.\n\nThe teenager's body was found on soiled sheets at their home in October 2020.\n\nSentencing the pair at Swansea Crown Court on Wednesday, Mr Justice Martin Griffiths said Kaylea's parents were \"both equally responsible and were both equally culpable.\"\n\nThe judge added: \"This was a horrifying case. A case of sustained neglect, leading to the death of a vulnerable, bedridden child at the hands of her own parents.\"\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser.\n\nThe hearing was the first time broadcasters were allowed to film a crown court hearing in Wales, following a major change in the law last year which permitted TV cameras in some courtrooms.\n\nKaylea had spina bifida, which left her with little feeling from the waist down and limited her mobility, and had used a wheelchair from a young age.\n\nThe trial heard that when she was found dead at her home on 10 October 2020 she was morbidly obese, weighing nearly 23 stone (146 kg).\n\nHer hair was dirty and matted and she was unwashed with ulcerated skin.\n\nProsecutor Caroline Rees KC said her parents' \"serious failures were hidden from the world\" because of the coronavirus lockdown, which kept Kaylea at home from March 2020 onwards.\n\nThis left her \"trapped\" in an \"inhumane\" environment where she lay on \"filthy puppy pads\", with maggots and flies on and around her body.\n\nKaylea had been restricted to her bed for more than six months since the start of the UK's Covid lockdown when she died\n\n\"Kaylea lived and died in squalor and degradation\", she added.\n\nBefore the lockdown, Kaylea was described as being \"fiercely independent and a lovely, chatty girl\", but she became less able to move using a wheelchair.\n\nKaylea had not been seen by any medical professional in the nine months prior to her death, the court was told, and the evidence of a doctor was that the \"consequences of neglect\" were the worst he had seen in 30 years of practice.\n\nIn the three months before her death, the household had spent a total of \u00a31,035.76 on takeaway food.\n\n\"As her condition deteriorated, the expenditure on takeaways and fast food increased,\" Ms Rees said.\n\nThe court heard that Kaylea was \"eating, sleeping and defecating\" from her bed.\n\n\"The last months of Kaylea Titford's life must have been horrendous,\" Ms Rees said.\n\nThe court also heard a series of text messages between Kaylea and her mother in August and September 2020, in which she asked for help with \"incontinence needs\".\n\n\"It shows that Sarah Lloyd-Jones was fully aware, and did not do anything about it,\" Ms Rees said.\n\nMs Rees said it was not a \"lapse\" in care, but \"repeated negligent conduct in the face of obvious suffering\".\n\nShe added: \"Both parents had a duty of care, both were equally responsible. The fact that Alun Titford chose to absent himself from the care of Kaylea, does not give him an excuse.\"\n\nKaylea was subjected to \"shocking and prolonged\" neglect at the hands of her parents\n\nIn mitigation for Lloyd-Jones, Lewis Power KC said his client had an \"epiphany of insight into her actions\", leading to her guilty plea.\n\n\"She accepts that she owed her daughter a duty of care, and that she did breach that duty by failing to take reasonable care for her daughter's health and welfare needs.\"\n\nMr Power said that, prior to the pandemic, Lloyd-Jones was \"a lady who tried her best\", and added that she suffered from depression and became \"gradually overwhelmed\", particularly due to the \"pressures of lockdown\".\n\nDavid Elias KC, representing Titford, said his client showed \"genuine remorse\" and that the pair had been \"good parents\" up until the lockdown period.\n\nHe said that Titford suffered from depression and a historic drug addiction, \"lacked confidence\" and was \"overly reliant\" on others.\n\nHowever, the judge said he \"did not accept\" that outside agencies should have been more proactive.\n\n\"They never asked for help they didn't get. They never asked for help at all,\" he said.\n\nIn a statement after the sentencing, Dean Quick of the Crown Prosecution Service said: \"No child should have to endure these types of living conditions or the extensive level of suffering faced by Kaylea.\n\n\"The level of neglect in this case was some of the most extreme that CPS Cymru-Wales has had to deal with.\"\n\nDet Ch Insp Jon Rees, of Dyfed-Powys Police, said the conditions Kaylea lived in were \"incomprehensible\".\n\n\"While we did all we could to ensure we got justice for Kaylea, nothing will take away from the loss of a teenage girl who was so badly let down by the very people who should have been caring for her,\" he added.\n\nNSPCC Cymru said the case was \"incredibly distressing\", adding that the forthcoming safeguarding review \"must leave no stone unturned\" in establishing whether more could have been done to protect Kaylea.\n\nPowys council said a review would be carried out by the mid and west Wales regional safeguarding children board.\n\nA spokesman added: \"The council does not feel able to comment until this process has been completed.\"\n\nIf you have been affected by any of the issues in this story, the BBC Action Line has links to organisations which can offer support and advice","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/uk-wales-64803863"}
{"title":"Greece train crash: 57 people confirmed dead as public anger grows - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-02","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"A coroner tells the BBC that DNA has been collected from 57 bodies, as rail workers strike over the disaster.","section":"Europe","content":"This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser.\n\nThe death toll from Tuesday's train crash in Greece has increased to 57, a coroner has told the BBC.\n\nEleni Zaggelidou, one of ten coroners working on the investigation, said DNA had been taken from 57 intact bodies.\n\nA government minister said austerity during Greece's economic crisis in the 2000s had contributed to a lack of investment in the railways.\n\nRail workers held a one-day strike on Thursday following the disaster, blaming government neglect.\n\nMore than 2,000 people protested for a second day in Athens and Thessaloniki, shocked by the disaster near the city of Larissa.\n\n\"We are angry at the company, at the government and past governments that did nothing to improve conditions in the Greek railway,\" said pensioner Stavros Nantis in Athens.\n\nRescue workers are still going through burned and buckled carriages, searching for victims.\n\nThis was the \"most difficult moment\", rescuer Konstantinos Imanimidis told Reuters news agency, because \"instead of saving lives, we have to recover bodies\".\n\nA passenger service carrying 350 people collided with a freight train just before midnight on Tuesday after they ended up on the same track - causing the front carriages to burst into flames.\n\nThe railway workers' strike began at 06:00 local time (04:00 GMT), hitting national rail services and the subway in Athens.\n\nMany in Greece see the crash as an accident that had been waiting to happen, and the union blamed successive governments' \"disrespect\" towards Greek railways for leading to this \"tragic result\".\n\nDuring a visit to a hospital where relatives of the missing had gathered, Zoe Rapti, Greece's deputy minister of health, told the BBC that investing in the rail network had been made more difficult by the Greek debt crisis around 2010, which led to drastic austerity measures in exchange for a financial rescue by the EU and International Monetary Fund.\n\n\"Of course, things should have been done during these years but, as you remember, Greece faced a big economic crisis for more than 10 years, which means that many things went back,\" she said.\n\nShe said a \"wide investigation\" would take place, which she promised would provide answers.\n\nGovernment spokesman Giannis Oikonomous also said \"chronic delays\" in implementing rail projects were rooted in \"distortions\" in the country's public sector going back decades.\n\nA 59-year-old station master in Larissa has been charged with manslaughter by negligence and is due to appear in court on Thursday. He has admitted to having a share of responsibility in the accident, his lawyer Stefanos Pantzartzidis said outside the courthouse.\n\n\"He is literally devastated. Since the first moment, he has assumed responsibility proportionate to him,\" Mr Pantzartzidis said, hinting that the station master, who has not been publicly named, was not the only one to blame.\n\nTransport Minister Kostas Karamanlis resigned over the crash, saying he would take responsibility for the authorities' \"longstanding failures\" to fix a railway system that was not fit for the 21st Century.\n\nBut Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis's suggestion that \"tragic human error\" was to blame has caused anger.\n\nOn Wednesday night, rioters clashed with police outside the headquarters of Hellenic Train in Athens - the company responsible for maintaining Greece's railways.\n\nTear gas was used to disperse protesters, who threw stones and lit fires in the streets.\n\nAt a silent vigil in Larissa to commemorate the victims of the incident, one demonstrator said he felt the disaster had been long coming.\n\n\"The rail network looked problematic, with worn down, badly paid staff,\" Nikos Savva, a medical student from Cyprus, told AFP news agency.\n\nThe station master arrested should not pay the price \"for a whole ailing system\", he argued.\n\nMany of the passengers on board were students in their 20s returning to Thessaloniki after a long weekend celebrating Greek Orthodox Lent.\n\nFire brigade spokesperson Vassilis Varthakogiannis said temperatures inside the first carriage - which burst into flames - had reached 1,300C (2,370F), making it \"hard to identify the people who were inside\".\n\nLocal media have reported that more than 10 people are still missing, as Greece observes three days of national mourning.\n\nFamilies have given DNA samples to help identification efforts, with the results expected on Thursday.\n\nOne of those, a woman called Katerina searching for her missing brother, a passenger on the train, shouted \"Murderers!\" outside the hospital in Larissa, directing her anger towards the government and the rail company, Reuters reports.\n\nKostas Malizos, a recently retired surgeon and Emeritus Professor at Greece's University of Thessaly, has returned to work to perform surgery on injured passengers.\n\n\"It's a disaster, it's catastrophic,\" he said. \"Families are crying tonight. Unfortunately, the majority of the lost people are young students. They left home, happy after the long weekend, to go for their studies or to see their relatives and never reached them.\"\n\nProtesters rallied outside the HQ of Greek rail operator Hellenic Train in Athens\n\nIn Larissa people queued to donate blood for the many train crash injured\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser.\n\nHow have you been personally affected by this story? Tell us by emailing: haveyoursay@bbc.co.uk\n\nPlease include a contact number if you are willing to speak to a BBC journalist. You can also get in touch in the following ways:\n\nIf 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 HaveYourSay@bbc.co.uk. Please include your name, age and location with any submission.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/world-europe-64820085"}
{"title":"Bafta Games Awards: God of War leads nominations with 14 - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-02","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"PlayStation exclusive God of War has received most nominations for this year's Bafta Games awards","section":"Entertainment & Arts","content":"The return of Kratos and his son Atreus to the PlayStation has received the most nominations for the 2023 Bafta Games Awards.\n\nGod of War: Ragnarok, which sees players battle with Norse gods, is in the running to win 14 of the famous golden masks.\n\nCat simulator and underground success story Stray is nominated eight times.\n\nDark fantasy roleplaying epic Elden Ring, which won big at The Game Awards, is nominated seven times.\n\nThe awards are one of the most prestigious nights in the calendar for the gaming industry.\n\nGod of War: Ragnarok is the follow-up to the Bafta-winning God of War, and has become the most-nominated game since these awards began in 2004.\n\nLeading in the number of nominations doesn't necessarily mean success on the night, however. In 2020 mysterious adventure game Control was nominated 11 times and picked up one solitary golden mask.\n\nStray had a lot of love on social media after its release and is nominated eight times\n\nThe game could win in categories ranging from best animation to best game. The title was praised by critics and fans for the performances of the actors, and many of the title's nominations come in the performer categories.\n\nNominations for the second year running went to Christopher Judge, who plays lead character Kratos, Sunny Suljic who performs as his son Atreus and Danielle Bisutti who plays the goddess Fryea.\n\nA Plague Tale: Requiem is nominated five times, as is PlayStation exclusive Horizon Forbidden West, along with the charming (yet exceedingly difficult) independent game Tunic.\n\nThese awards have often thrown up a surprise or two, like when Zelda was beaten to best game in 2018 by What Remains of Edit Finch.\n\nTitles with unorthodox mechanics, stories or gameplay, and games that many may not have heard of, let alone played, can do well - such as 2020's Untitled Goose Game. It was an experience which centred around a disgruntled goose, and was nominated four times.\n\nElden Ring won big at the Game Awards just before Christmas and is nominated seven times at the BAFTAs\n\nThis year it's Stray, a cat simulator where players work with robots to solve mysteries and puzzles in a dangerous city, which is competing with the big blockbuster releases.\n\nThose who keep up to date with the twist and turns of the games industry on social media won't be too surprised, given the game's release in July 2022 was accompanied with lots of buzz and positive reaction.\n\nSpeaking to the BBC before the nominations were announced, Bafta CEO Jane Millichip said that the awards were an important platform to raise awareness of the industry to the broader public.\n\nShe hopes they can show that working in games is an option for anyone, saying: \"Our charity work, whether focused on talent and skills development, bursaries and scholarships feed into the awards.\n\n\"The awards can elevate all that work, and enable us to provide the inspiration for new people to join the industry and put games in front of more people. Whether it's monster commercial games like God of War or Elden Ring, or all of the games nominated in the debut game category.\"\n\nShe added that they wanted to \"help level the playing field for people who come from backgrounds who might find barriers to entry\", and said: \"It's as important for us to do that in gaming as it is in film and television.\"\n\nHorizon Forbidden West has five nominations including Best Game Design\n\nFor Tara Saunders, Chair of the Bafta Games Committee, the awards help \"validate gaming as a serious career choice.\"\n\n\"The industry has a perception issue when it comes to career advisers in schools, or with parents,\" she said.\n\n\"Not enough is known about it, but the fact that Bafta host the awards, and people who love games can see that then there's a lot of future talent learning that you can have a career in games. They will see that Bafta spotlight and it will bring them through. It has been a historical issue.\"\n\nUK games studio Creative Assembly, famous for making the grand strategy franchise Total War, has earned its 16th nomination for its work on the series. Total War: Warhammer 3 is up for best British game.\n\nThe Evolving Game category often contains some of the industry's biggest names, games that are constantly updated and tweaked. Titles like Apex Legends, Forza Horizons 5, Dreams and No Man's Sky have also been nominated.\n\nOne category that isn't decided by a panel of experts is the EE Game of the Year. First awarded in 2021, it is the only category at the awards to be voted for by members of the public. Some have already made their choice between Elden Ring, God of War: Ragnarok, Horizon: Forbidden West, Immortality, Marvel Snap and Stray.\n\nThe full nomination list can be found here.\n\nFor more gaming content, go to Press X to Continue ,the BBC Sounds gaming Podcast.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/entertainment-arts-64815187"}
{"title":"Iran: Dozens of schoolgirls taken to hospital after new gas poisonings - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-02","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"At least 26 schools in five cities are affected by another wave of apparent toxic gas attacks.","section":"Middle East","content":"Parents rushed to a school in Tehran to pick up their children, as ambulances waited outside\n\nDozens of girls from 26 schools in Iran are reportedly being treated for poisoning at hospitals after another wave of apparent toxic gas attacks.\n\nMore than 1,000 students have been affected since November. They have suffered respiratory problems, nausea, dizziness and fatigue.\n\nMany Iranians suspect the poisonings are a deliberate attempt to force girls' schools to close.\n\nBut the government has not said whether it believes they are premeditated.\n\nInterior Minister Ahmad Vahidi, who has been tasked by the president with finding the \"root cause\" of the poisonings, on Wednesday dismissed as \"false\" a report by Fars news agency that three people had been arrested.\n\nHe also accused foreign-based media and \"mercenary groups\" of taking advantage of the situation to wage psychological war and worry people.\n\nSome pupils and parents suggested that schoolgirls may have been targeted for taking part in recent anti-government protests.\n\nAt least 26 schools in five cities across Iran were affected by the latest gas poisonings, local media and activists said.\n\nBBC Persian verified videos showing ambulances arriving at schools and students being treated in hospitals in the capital Tehran, the north-western city of Ardabil and the western city of Kermanshah.\n\nIn one from Tehransar, in western Tehran, several girls purportedly from 13 Aban School are seen lying on beds in a hospital ward and receiving oxygen.\n\nAnother video from the city's east shows girls sitting on the pavement outside a primary school. A mother is then seen rushing up to the gate and screaming: \"Where is my child?\" A man replies: \"They've poisoned the students with gas.\"\n\nPrimary schools have been among those targeted in the apparent attacks\n\nAuthorities are under increasing pressure from the public to stop the poisonings, which were initially concentrated in the Shia Muslim holy city of Qom, south of Tehran.\n\nResearch by BBC Persian established that at least 830 students, mostly schoolgirls, had been poisoned as of Sunday, while a member of parliament put the figure at 1,200 in Qom and the western city of Borujerd alone as of Tuesday.\n\nThose affected have reported the smell of tangerine or rotten fish before falling ill.\n\nThe chairman of the parliamentary education committee, Alireza Monadi-Sefidan, was quoted by Fars as saying on Tuesday that an investigation had found that the toxic gas contained nitrogen.\n\nHowever, the interior minister told reporters on Wednesday that reports saying a specific chemical substance had been detected were incorrect.\n\nOne parent told the BBC that girls at their daughter's school in the Tehran suburb of Pardis were poisoned on Tuesday.\n\n\"My daughter and two of her friends say they heard something like an explosion and immediately afterwards an unpleasant smell - something like burned plastic filled the air,\" said the parent, who the BBC is not identifying for safety reasons.\n\n\"They were asked to leave the class and go into the yard. Many of the students started collapsing in the yard. There are kids with asthma and heart problems in my daughter's class.\"\n\n\"Ambulances and the police arrived. Kids were given milk by the ambulance staff.\"\n\nOn Sunday, Deputy Health Minister Younes Panahi said it was \"evident that some people wanted all schools, especially girls' schools, to be closed down\", although he later said that his remarks had been misunderstood.\n\nSome people have speculated that the schoolgirls are being targeted as \"payback\" for their role in the mass protests that erupted in September after the death in custody of, Mahsa Amini, a young woman who was detained by morality police for allegedly failing to wear her headscarf \"properly\".\n\nAuthorities have portrayed the protests as \"riots\" and responded with lethal force. Human rights groups have reported that hundreds of protesters have been killed, among them dozens of children.\n\nPoisonings have been reported across the country, including in the north-western city of Ardabil\n\nIn another video posted online on Wednesday, a woman is heard saying that girls at a primary school in Kermanshah had told her that they heard an explosion, and that their headteacher then announced that some students were unwell and ambulances were being called.\n\nThe woman then talks to a young girl, who wonders whether they were \"chosen\" because they had taken part in the protests.\n\nPublic anger at the poisonings and the authorities' response have prompted fresh unrest.\n\nA second video from Tehransar on Wednesday showed a group of girls outside 13 Aban School shouting \"Woman, life, freedom\" - the main slogan of the protest movement - as well as \"Death to the child-killing government.\"\n\nThe parent from Pardis said: \"We arrived at the school, angry and worried. Parents started shouting slogans against [Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali] Khamenei.\"\n\n\"Nobody believes they will investigate these attacks,\" they added. \"I have no hope in the system. But I hope the world will hear our voice and stop supporting these child killers.\"\n\nOfficials reported that 35 students from their daughter's school were taken to hospital after the poisoning. But the parent said the actual number was much higher.\n\n\"From my conversations with parents and the school principal, half of the students were taken to hospitals. That is at least 200 students.\"\n\nOne of those children was in a coma, they said, adding: \"Some parents have also refused to take their children to hospital because they are afraid and don't trust the officials.\"","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/world-middle-east-64816750"}
{"title":"Isabel Oakeshott reveals why she leaked Matt Hancock's WhatsApp messages - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-02","authors":null,"description":"The journalist released WhatsApps she obtained while working on the former health secretary's book.","section":null,"content":"Journalist Isabel Oakeshott said she released messages sent by Matt Hancock during Covid as she believes it is in the \"public interest\".\n\nThe journalist obtained the messages while working on the former health secretary's book.\n\nYou can watch the full interview on iPlayer.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/uk-64822872"}
{"title":"Manchester Arena bombing: MI5 'profoundly sorry' it did not prevent Manchester attack - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-02","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"The head of MI5 says he deeply regrets intelligence was not obtained that could have helped prevent the 2017 attack.","section":"UK","content":"We\u2019re now hearing from Richard Scorer, principal lawyer of law firm Slater and Gordon, who is reading out a statement representing 11 victims' families.\n\nScorer says today's report has been deeply painful, but eye-opening.\n\nThe report provides less information than the families wanted, but they say it is clear there was a failure to assess key intelligence about Salman Abedi, to put it into proper context, and most \"catastrophic of all\", a delay in acting on it.\n\nThe families, through Scorer, go on to say that as a result of these failures, the possibility of preventing an attack was lost.\n\n\"This is a devastating conclusion for us,\" they say.\n\nThey add the failures exposed in the report are unacceptable, and the public is entitled to expect that information of national security importance is acted on quickly.\n\nThey trust Sir John's recommendations will be acted on, they also say.\n\nVictims \"were failed at every level before, during and after this attack\", they say.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/live\/uk-64819062"}
{"title":"Poor families more resourceful in past, says top Tory Lee Anderson - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-02","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"Deputy party chair Lee Anderson says \"our garden was our foodbank\" when he grew up in a mining town.","section":"UK Politics","content":"This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Lee Anderson on the 1970s: \"Our garden was our food bank.\"\n\nPeople struggling with living costs were \"more resourceful\" in previous decades, the Tory deputy chairman has said.\n\nLee Anderson told the BBC there was a \"different culture\" in his youth, and people were more likely to take on extra work.\n\nThe MP - who grew up in a mining town - has faced criticism for previously questioning the need for food banks.\n\nRecalling his childhood, he said \"our garden was our foodbank\".\n\nHe said his parents had \"made do\" in the 1970s, despite growing up in an environment that people today would see as \"very, very, poor\".\n\nBut speaking to the BBC's Political Thinking with Nick Robinson podcast, he said: \"We didn't think we were in poverty.\n\n\"Things were more expensive I think back in the Seventies. Food was definitely more expensive, relatively speaking,\" he told the podcast.\n\n\"We had one holiday a year, which was a caravan in Skegness. We had a garden full of vegetables, [with] chickens at the bottom for the eggs.\n\n\"Perhaps if some people today could go back in a time machine and see how we lived, they'd think we were very, very, poor. But I didn't see that at the time.\"\n\nWhen challenged that people some parts of the country today would not have a garden to grow vegetables in, he replied: \"The point I was making was people were more resourceful when I was growing up as a child.\n\n\"They were more resourceful. My parents were the children of men that had fought in the war, they'd gone through very, very difficult times.\n\n\"So it was a different culture, there was a different outlook on life. And they made do.\n\n\"My dad always said to me - if you need more money, go and work a weekend shift, do a bit of overtime. It wasn't 'complain on Facebook or Twitter or go and do a TikTok video or just complain to government'.\"\n\nPolitical opponents of the Tory deputy chairman have tried to use his ability to hit headlines against him\n\nMr Anderson, who grew up in Ashfield, Nottinghamshire, a former mining area which he now represents as MP, was appointed deputy Tory chairman by Rishi Sunak last month.\n\nSince then he has found himself at the centre of media storms for his outspoken views on issues such as migrant Channel crossings, his support for the death penalty, and the use of food banks.\n\nBefore his appointment, he was branded \"out of touch\" last year for suggesting people needed to learn how to cook and budget \"properly\", rather than use food banks.\n\nHe later defended his comments, saying he was glad to have started a \"debate\" on the issue.\n\nIn his interview with Nick Robinson, he said anyone earning an annual salary of \u00a335,000 \"should not be using a food bank\" when asked about a row over whether nurses had used the resource.\n\nHe said that whenever he talked about the issue, his inbox was flooded with people making supportive comments \"saying 'you know what Lee, thank goodness somebody is speaking out, we actually agree with you'\".\n\nPressed on whether higher housing costs in places like Barking, a London borough, could lead people on this income to use a food bank, he replied: \"Where are they?\"\n\n\"I get pensioners contacting me from southern constituencies who are on peanuts, there's on less than twenty grand a year, they're not using foodbanks.\"\n\nAt a parliamentary debate following his interview, Mr Anderson went on to say food banks were \"being abused,\" with some families treating them \"like a weekly shop\".\n\nHe said there was a need for more education, to help families struggling with food costs to cook cheaper meals.\n\nHis comments earned him a rebuke from Labour MP Fleur Anderson, who accused him of making \"provocative statements completely detached from the facts\".\n\n\"There's a reason for [the] huge increase in needing to go to foodbanks, and that is because the system is entirely broken, and that is after 13 years of the Conservatives breaking that system,\" she added.\n\nThere was also criticism from the SNP's Patricia Gibson, who said food bank use was increasing because of rising prices, and compared Mr Anderson to \"Mr Scrooge without the compassion\".\n\nShe accused him of trying to \"lecture\" people who were struggling with living costs, branding it \"staggeringly insensitive\".","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/uk-politics-64814421"}
{"title":"Invest in Northern Ireland to get single market access, says Andrea Leadsom - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-02","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"Andrea Leadsom defends Rishi Sunak's Brexit deal as the SNP accuse him of \"moonlighting as a Remainer\".","section":"UK Politics","content":"Andrea Leadsom says the PM's Brexit deal is \"fantastic\" for NI\n\nCompanies in Great Britain that want access to the EU single market should invest in Northern Ireland, senior Tory MP Andrea Leadsom has said.\n\nNorthern Ireland firms will continue to be part of the single market under Rishi Sunak's Brexit deal with the EU.\n\nThe PM says it will create \"the world's most exciting economic zone\".\n\nBut the SNP accused him of \"moonlighting as a Remainer\" and putting Scotland at a \"competitive disadvantage\".\n\nMs Leadsom, a leading Brexiteer, said the deal gives Northern Ireland a \"unique opportunity for inward investment\".\n\nBut she acknowledged in an interview with BBC News that it would also lead to questions about why all UK companies should not be able to access the single market, as they were able to do before Brexit.\n\n\"Obviously the sort of rejoinder from someone who didn't want to leave the EU is 'well, we all used to have that',\" she told the BBC's Damian Grammaticas.\n\n\"But the reality is Northern Ireland will be an integral and precious part of the UK, which is a free and sovereign independent nation, but it will also have access to the EU single market.\"\n\nIf businesses on the mainland wanted access to the single market they should \"invest in Northern Ireland\", she said, adding that it would be \"fantastic\" for the region.\n\n\"It'll be a win win for Northern Ireland and for GB businesses,\" added the former business secretary.\n\nOn a visit to a Coca Cola factory in County Antrim, Mr Sunak said that if his deal, known as the Windsor framework, on new post-Brexit trading rules is implemented \"Northern Ireland is in the unbelievably special position - unique position in the entire world, European continent - in having privileged access, not just to the UK home market, which is enormous, but also the European Union single market.\n\n\"Nobody else has that. No-one. Only you guys: only here, and that is the prize.\"\n\nBut SNP Europe and EU accession spokesman Alyn Smith accused Mr Sunak - an ardent and early supporter of Brexit - of hypocrisy.\n\n\"Rishi Sunak is moonlighting as a Remainer as he perfectly outlines how Scotland will be at a competitive disadvantage under Westminster control and outside the European Union,\" he said.\n\n\"Northern Ireland voted to stay within the European Union and it is getting its wishes, however Scotland voted overwhelmingly to reject Brexit but we are living with the economic consequences every single day.\"\n\nPressed on the issue, the prime minister's official spokesman told reporters: \"The British people made a decision in 2016 and we are seeing the benefits of that decision, whether that's in the ability to change our environment laws, some of the tax elements the prime minister talked about just today, in fact.\n\n\"With regards to Northern Ireland, it is simply a fact that because of our respect for the Good Friday Agreement and the central importance: Northern Ireland's unique position means it needs to have access to both markets, not least to avoid a border on the island of Ireland, which nobody wants to see.\n\n\"That puts it in a unique position and what the framework does is finally cement those capabilities.\"","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/uk-politics-64802929"}
{"title":"Human error to blame for train crash - Greek PM - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-02","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"At least 43 people died in the head-on collision between a passenger service and freight train.","section":"Europe","content":"This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. It smells like burning metal and plastic - BBC reporter sends video from scene of fatal crash\n\nOne of Greece's worst-ever rail disasters, which claimed at least 43 lives, was due to \"tragic human error\", the country's prime minister has said.\n\nPM Kyriakos Mitsotakis spoke after visiting the site of Tuesday night's head-on collision between a passenger service and a freight train.\n\nThe local stationmaster has been charged with manslaughter. The Greek transport minister has resigned.\n\nRescue teams are continuing to search for survivors.\n\nThe accident happened just before midnight on Tuesday. The passenger train carrying some 350 people collided with a freight train as it emerged from a tunnel after leaving the town of Larissa.\n\nIt is still unclear why the two services were running on the same track.\n\nThe stationmaster, who is in charge of signalling, denies wrongdoing and has blamed the accident on a possible technical failure.\n\nAfter visiting the site, Mr Mitsotakis said everything pointed to \"a tragic human error\".\n\n\"Justice will do its job,\" he said in a televised address. \"People will be held accountable, while the state will be on the side of the people.\"\n\nAnnouncing his resignation, Transport Minister Kostas Karamanlis stated: \"When something so tragic happens, it is impossible to continue and pretend it didn't happen.\"\n\nTrade unions said collisions have multiple factors and the crash had highlighted chronic deficiencies, including lack of staff, broken signals and outdated facilities.\n\nThe passenger service carrying some 350 people crashed with a freight train\n\nThe first four carriages of the passenger train were derailed and the first two caught fire and were \"almost completely destroyed\", Thessaly regional governor Kostas Agorastos said.\n\nThe train was travelling from Athens to Thessaloniki, which has a sizeable student population, and it is believed many on board were students returning there after a holiday for Greek Orthodox lent.\n\nSurvivors have described the chaotic scenes after the crash, with one shaken passenger telling the BBC: \"People were panicking and screaming.\"\n\nGiannis Antonoglou, who escaped from the fifth compartment of the passenger train, said the windows suddenly smashed and \"we ended up being tilted 45 degrees as if about to tip\".\n\nStergios Minenis, a 28-year-old passenger who jumped to safety from the wreckage, told Reuters news agency: \"The fire was immediate. As we were turning over we were being burned.\"\n\nSome passengers said they were forced to break carriage windows with their bodies or luggage to escape the burning wreckage.\n\nLarissa's mayor said some of those who died would only be identifiable through genetic testing.\n\nRelatives of missing passengers have provided DNA samples to help the identify bodies, a hospital in Larissa said.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/world-europe-64817894"}
{"title":"Jacob Rees-Mogg admits Covid test was couriered to his home during shortage - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-02","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"He accepted it might be seen as special treatment but said it allowed him to get back to work sooner.","section":"UK Politics","content":"The Telegraph says it has published texts that mention former cabinet minister Jacob Rees-Mogg\n\nJacob Rees-Mogg has admitted a Covid-19 test for his son was couriered to his home during a national shortage.\n\nHe accepted it might be deemed \"special treatment\" but defended the arrangement due to his workload as a cabinet minister at the time.\n\nWhatsApp messages leaked to the Telegraph appear to show former Health Secretary Matt Hancock's adviser helped send the test in September 2020.\n\nThe Telegraph has obtained more than 100,000 of Mr Hancock's messages.\n\nThe paper has published messages it says were sent on 10 September, 2020 by Allan Nixon, Mr Hancock's political special adviser at the time.\n\nOne suggests an initial test for one of Mr Rees-Mogg's children had been lost by the laboratory.\n\nIt goes on to say \"we've got a courier going to their family home tonight, child will take the test, and courier will take it straight to the lab. Should have result tomorrow am\".\n\nResponding on his GB News chat show on Wednesday, Mr Rees-Mogg said \"one of my children needed a test and that put everybody into quarantine\".\n\nWhen he was informed his child's initial test had been lost, \"it was raised with the department of health and they decided to send me a test to a member of my family\", he said.\n\n\"So if I received special treatment, it wasn't because I had requested it, but actually it allowed a government minister to get back to work with a child who didn't have Covid in the first place,\" the former business secretary said.\n\nHe said the Covid testing system had not been working but \"I accept it wasn't working for other people too\".\n\nLabour has urged the government to determine whether Mr Rees-Mogg received special treatment and not to \"hide\" behind the Covid inquiry.\n\nA spokesman for Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer said: \"The government is more than capable of answering those questions now and ensuring that we can have clarity and transparency on those issues.\"\n\nThe Liberal Democrats have written to Prime Minister Rishi Sunak to ask him what he knew and when regarding claims that ministers had access to \"priority testing\".\n\nThe party's deputy leader Daisy Cooper said: \"These reports are just more evidence that it's one rule for Conservative ministers and another for everyone else.\n\n\"The government must urgently publish exactly how many Conservative ministers, MPs and their families had access to priority testing when the public faced a national test shortage. The public deserves to know the truth.\"\n\nDuring Prime Minister's Questions on Wednesday, Mr Sunak said the inquiry was \"the right way for these things to be looked at\" and that he would not comment on \"piecemeal bits of information\".\n\nAround the time of the Rees-Mogg messages, Sarah Marsh, director of testing at NHS Test and Trace, tweeted \"heartfelt apologies to anyone who cannot get a Covid test at present\".\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. PMQs: Rishi Sunak quizzed on claims of leaked Hancock messages by Sir Keir Starmer\n\nIn the same month, media reports said government testing laboratories across the UK were facing a backlog of 185,000 Covid tests. At the time, people were asked to self-isolate if they or someone in their household were awaiting a test result.\n\nMr Hancock said it could take weeks to resolve issues around Covid testing and admitted there were \"operational challenges\" related to a surge in demand.\n\nThe Telegraph has been handed more than 100,000 WhatsApp messages linked to Mr Hancock's time as health secretary at the height of the pandemic.\n\nThe text messages were passed to the newspaper by journalist Isabel Oakeshott, who has been critical of lockdowns. Ms Oakeshott was given copies of the texts while helping Mr Hancock write his book, Pandemic Diaries.\n\nThe BBC has not seen or independently verified the WhatsApp messages nor the context in which they were sent.\n\nMr Hancock's spokesperson said the Telegraph had published \"partial leaks\" that presented a \"distorted account of the pandemic\" designed to \"fit an anti-lockdown agenda\".\n\nThe spokesperson said the messages had been made available to the public inquiry into the government's response to the pandemic.\n\n\"Instead of spinning and leaks we need the full, comprehensive inquiry, to ensure we are as well prepared as we can be for the next pandemic, whenever it comes,\" the spokesperson said.\n\nCorrection 30 March 2023: A reference was amended to clarify that people were not required to test negative to leave self-isolation in September 2020.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/uk-politics-64816834"}
{"title":"Scotland's deputy first minister John Swinney to stand down - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-02","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"Mr Swinney says he will leave the Scottish government after nearly 16 years when a successor to Nicola Sturgeon is appointed.","section":"Scotland politics","content":"John Swinney has been deputy first minister since 2014\n\nDeputy First Minister John Swinney has announced he is leaving the Scottish government after almost 16 years.\n\nThe 58-year-old has been Nicola Sturgeon's deputy since she became first minister in 2014.\n\nMr Swinney will stand down once a new first minister is appointed later this month.\n\nIn a letter to Ms Sturgeon, who announced her own departure last month, Mr Swinney said it had been an \"honour to serve Scotland\".\n\nMr Swinney has been an SNP MSP since the beginning of the Scottish Parliament in 1999.\n\nHe was leader of the party for four years from 2000 to 2004 and has held cabinet roles including education secretary and finance secretary as well as serving as the country's deputy first minister since 2014.\n\nMs Sturgeon paid tribute to Mr Swinney's \"deep care and attention to the wellbeing of our nation\" and said she could not have wished for a better \"partner in government\".\n\nWhen Ms Sturgeon announced she was stepping down, Mr Swinney ruled himself out of the running to replace her, saying he wished to \"create the space\" for \"fresh perspective\" within the SNP.\n\nHe has so far not publicly backed any of the three contenders - Ash Regan, Kate Forbes and Humza Yousaf - in the contest, despite speculation he could endorse Mr Yousaf.\n\nHowever, when Ms Forbes said she would not have voted for gay marriage if she had been an MSP at the time, Mr Swinney intervened to say he profoundly disagreed with her despite having \"deep religious faith\" himself.\n\nHe questioned whether it would be appropriate for someone with her views to be SNP leader.\n\nMr Swinney has been Nicola Sturgeon's deputy for more than eight years\n\nMr Swinney was born in Edinburgh and has been an SNP stalwart for decades, having joined the party at the age of 15.\n\nBy the time he was 22 he was national secretary, and served in a series of increasingly senior roles before winning the North Tayside seat at Westminster in 1997.\n\nTwo years later he headed to Holyrood, and allowing for some boundary tweaks has represented the same patch of Perthshire ever since - one of only three MSPs with continuous service of one constituency since 1999.\n\nMr Swinney's rise through the ranks of the SNP was complete in 2000, when he was elected leader following the (first) departure of Alex Salmond.\n\nHowever, his leadership was not a great success for the party and he stood down, saying that the SNP was \"not yet seen as an alternative government in waiting\".\n\nThree years later Alex Salmond took the SNP into power in Scotland and Mr Swinney was handed a key role as finance secretary.\n\nHe kept that role when Nicola Sturgeon became first minister after the 2014 independence referendum defeat, as well as becoming deputy first minister.\n\nAfter the 2016 election Ms Sturgeon reshuffled her team, moving Mr Swinney to education.\n\nIn 2021, he became Cabinet Secretary for Covid Recovery.\n\nIn his resignation letter, Mr Swinney said it had been the privilege of his life to serve in the Scottish Government since 2007.\n\nMs Sturgeon replied: \"Your contribution to our nation, almost 16 years in government is considerable, indeed unique.\n\n\"Therefore, while I - perhaps more than most - completely understand your decision, I still felt a real sense of sadness when you told me of it.\"\n\nJohn Swinney's departure from the front benches was perhaps not unexpected, after he decided against running for the leadership himself.\n\nBut his presence will be sorely missed by whoever gets the job, given his deep knowledge of parliament and government.\n\nJust between John Swinney and Nicola Sturgeon, the SNP will have almost 50 years of front-line experience sitting on the backbenches.\n\nPerhaps old instincts will kick in and the pair will engage in intense competition for the deputy convenership of the local government committee.\n\nBut they will both be keen not to cast a shadow over the new administration - which will be staffed by much fresher, and thus less experienced, faces.\n\nScottish Conservative deputy leader Meghan Gallacher said Mr Swinney had jumped before he was pushed.\n\nShe said: \"He knows that a new first minister will mean a reshuffle, which would have led to his sacking.\n\n\"The fact that the deputy first minister, one of the SNP's most senior figures, felt he had to resign before he was sacked shows how bitter and divided the leadership contest has made this Nationalist government.\"\n\nMeanwhile, the Scottish Greens thanked Mr Swinney for his \"friendship, fortitude and fairness\".","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/uk-scotland-scotland-politics-63914518"}
{"title":"Patagonia: Long-lost hymn to be heard again after 100 years - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-02","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"Bydd Myrdd o Ryfeddodau was sung after three Welsh men looking for gold were killed in 1884.","section":"Wales","content":"Bydd Myrdd o Ryfeddodau will be performed by the London Welsh Male Voice Choir on Thursday\n\nA long-lost hymn linked to the murders of three men killed while searching for Patagonian gold in the 1800s is to be sung in a St David's Day celebration.\n\nAfter more than 100 years of hardly being heard, Bydd Myrdd o Ryfeddodau will be aired on Thursday.\n\nIt was said to have once been Wales' national funeral song.\n\nComposer Robat Arwyn arranged a new version, which will be performed by the London Welsh Male Voice Choir at St Paul's Church, Knightsbridge.\n\nThe hymn, the title of which means \"There will be many wonders\", was sung in Patagonia after Richard Davies, of Llanelli, Carmarthenshire, John Parry, of Denbigh, and John Hughes, of Caernarfon, Gwynedd, were killed by indigenous people on 4 March 1884.\n\nIt was also sung at 1917's National Eisteddfod when poet Hedd Wyn was posthumously awarded the bard's chair after being killed on the first day of World War One's Battle of Passchendaele.\n\nJeremy Wood, who lives in the Patagonian town of Esquel and runs a travel firm called Welsh Patagonia, said the men were looking for gold when they discovered they were being followed.\n\nA fourth man, John Evans, from Mountain Ash, Rhondda Cynon Taf, escaped with his life.\n\nJeremy Wood said it was sung in 1884 after three men hunting gold in Patagonia were killed\n\nMr Wood, 72, said after five months on the road the four suspected they were not safe so made a run for home - more than 400 miles (643km) away in Rawson, the capital of Chubut, Patagonia.\n\nMr Wood said: \"During the first two days and nights, they rode along the centre of a river so that they would leave no tracks to follow, and they had to be tied to their horses when exhaustion overtook them.\n\n\"Once they thought they were out of danger, they relaxed, stowed their weapons and rode alongside the River Chubut, the main river in Welsh Patagonia.\"\n\nThis YouTube post cannot be displayed in your browser. Please enable Javascript or try a different browser. View original video on YouTube The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. YouTube content may contain adverts. Skip youtube video by Jeremy Wood 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\u2019s cookie policy, external and privacy policy, external before accepting. To view this content choose \u2018accept and continue\u2019. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. YouTube content may contain adverts.\n\nBut they were not safe and, Mr Wood said, they were attacked at about noon on 4 March.\n\nMr Evans only escaped as his horse jumped down a steep ravine and, once back at Rawson, a 43-strong posse was rounded up to hunt the killers.\n\nFirst they went to find the bodies of the men which Mr Wood said had been dismembered and scattered.\n\nThe three men were attacked at about noon on 4 March 1884\n\n\"One of the founders of the Welsh colony, Lewis Jones, gathered what the vultures had left and buried the remains of the three men together,\" he said.\n\nAfter failing to find the killers, they returned to the site to find the graves dug up and the bodies strewn about again, said Mr Wood.\n\nOnce again they were buried and Bydd Myrdd o Ryfeddodau was sung.\n\nComposer Mr Arwyn was told the story by Mr Wood when he visited Patagonia in 2018 and agreed to rework the hymn, having never previously heard of it.\n\nMore used to writing from scratch, Mr Arwyn found interpreting someone else's work \"challenging\".\n\n\"I've tried to make it more appealing to a modern audience,\" the 63-year-old said.\n\nComposer Robat Arwyn has reworked the hymn for the performance in London\n\nHe hoped a recording would be made of the hymn being performed but a separate rehearsal in Ruthin, Denbighshire means he cannot make it to London.\n\nBut he said it was an honour to be asked rework the hymn.\n\n\"I have changed it quite a bit,\" he said.\n\n\"I have thoroughly enjoyed it and I am really happy with the way it has turned out.\"\n\nMr Wood said the London event would have extra poignancy for him following the death of his brother Kieron, 73, in Ireland on 25 February.\n\n\"It's going to be dedicated to my brother.\"","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/uk-wales-64813243"}
{"title":"Omagh police shooting: Four men released over John Caldwell attack - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-02","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"Police have been granted more time to question two men over the attack in Omagh on 22 February.","section":"Northern Ireland","content":"John Caldwell remains in a critical but stable condition after the shooting\n\nFour men who had been arrested by police investigating the attempted murder of a senior officer in Northern Ireland last week have been released.\n\nDet Ch Insp John Caldwell remains in a critical but stable condition following the shooting in the car park of a sports complex in Omagh on 22 February.\n\nOn Tuesday, police said an extension had been granted to allow more time to question a 47-year-old man.\n\nThis will last until 22:00 GMT on Thursday.\n\nPreviously a court had also granted more time for officers to detain a 71-year-old man until 22:00 on Wednesday.\n\nThe dissident republican group the New IRA has admitted the shooting in the County Tyrone town as Mr Caldwell attended a youth sports event.\n\nThe Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) have said two gunmen fired 10 shots at the officer as he was putting footballs into the boot of his car.\n\nHis son was among children present at the time and at least two other vehicles were hit by bullets, police said.\n\nThe men released on Tuesday are aged 22, 38, 43 and 45.\n\nIn a statement on Tuesday evening, the PSNI said its investigation continued and it called for witnesses to come forward.\n\nOn Monday, police released CCTV footage of the car believed to be used by the gunmen.\n\nA blue Ford Fiesta had been bought in Ballyclare two weeks prior to the attack and stored in Belfast, where its plates were changed.\n\nIt was then spotted on the M1 driving towards the Coalisland and Omagh direction, the day before the shooting.\n\nPolice have said a blue Ford Fiesta was bought two weeks before the shooting and stored in Belfast\n\nThe car was later found burnt out on the Racolpa Road outside Omagh.\n\nA reward of up to \u00a320,000 is also being offered by the Crimestoppers charity.\n\nThe New IRA claimed responsibility in a typed statement that was taped to a wall beside shops in the Creggan estate on Sunday night.\n\nA forensic team was at the scene on Monday morning and removed it for further examination.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/uk-northern-ireland-64797677"}
{"title":"Energy Price Guarantee expected to continue at same level in April - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-02","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"The BBC understands the Energy Price Guarantee is expected to continue at current levels for three months.","section":"Business","content":"The chancellor is expected to extend the Energy Price Guarantee at current levels for a further three months, the BBC understands.\n\nTypical household energy bills were scheduled to rise to \u00a33,000 a year from April, but calls have been made for the government to retain its current level of support with the cap at \u00a32,500.\n\nThe level of help is now expected to be maintained, but energy firms have been asked to prepare for both scenarios.\n\nAt the moment, the government is limiting the typical household bill to \u00a32,500 a year, plus a \u00a3400 winter discount.\n\nFrom 1 April the help is scheduled to be scaled back, and the \u00a3400 discount will come to an end, which could push people's bills up despite the weather getting warmer.\n\nFuel poverty campaigners have said the number of households struggling to afford bills could rise from 6.7 million to 8.4 million as a result of the April rise.\n\nHowever, industry sources told the BBC that some energy companies have already started amending future bills to reflect that energy help will continue at or very near to current levels beyond 1 April.\n\nChancellor Jeremy Hunt to date has declined to extend the support at the current rate, but experts have suggested it is increasingly likely he will change course, probably at the Budget on 15 March.\n\nMr Hunt told the BBC last month that the policy was \"under review\".\n\nThe Treasury was understood to be concerned that an open-ended commitment would leave British public finances significantly exposed to any further unexpected rise in global gas prices.\n\nInstead the decrease in support will kick in in the summer, when it will not be needed, because the separate energy price cap is already anticipated to be lower as a result of declining market gas prices.\n\nHowever, the \u00a3400 winter payment that has led to a \u00a366 per month reduction in monthly payments on many bills does look likely to end next month.\n\nThere have been no talks about extending this element of support.\n\nThe Resolution Foundation think tank, which aims to improve living standards for people on low to middle incomes, and consumer rights champion Martin Lewis have both called on Mr Hunt to cancel the bills rise, as have opposition parties.\n\nLabour's shadow chancellor Rachel Reeves said: \"Families are really worried about prices soaring in April and so it's urgent the government gives them reassurance now, and extends the windfall tax on oil and gas giants to give them support for their energy bills as Labour would.\"\n\nThe Institute for Fiscal Studies (IFS), an economics research institute, has forecast that the Treasury could afford to keep support at current levels until the summer due to wholesale energy prices falling sharply, meaning the cost of the scheme had been cut.\n\nEnergy UK, which represents suppliers, urged the government earlier this week to hold the level of support at \u00a32,500 for a typical household and to \"announce that quickly\" so firms could price it into bills from April.\n\nEnergy Secretary Grant Shapps previously said he is \"very sympathetic\" to suggestions that the planned \u00a3500 rise in bills should be stopped.\n\nHowever, there is an alternative view that money would be better spent by the government by targeting support for those on the lowest incomes - as is the case for cost-of-living payments - and in the winter.\n\n\"Vulnerable groups could benefit substantially from this extra funding if it was used in a more targeted way. And should those groups take precedence over universal payments to multiple homeowners and billionaires?\" said Joe Malinowski, founder of comparison site Energyscanner.\n\nThere has been a drop in wholesale gas and electricity prices in recent weeks that has raised hopes that the worst of the energy crisis could be easing.\n\nBills began rising as Covid lockdowns ended but the war in Ukraine saw them surge further.\n\nWithout the government's Energy Price Guarantee to limit prices, a typical household's gas and electricity bill would have hit \u00a34,279 a year from January under the energy price cap set by Ofgem, the industry regulator.\n\nHow is the rising cost of living changing how you live your life? Share your experiences by emailing haveyoursay@bbc.co.uk.\n\nPlease include a contact number if you are willing to speak to a BBC journalist. You can also get in touch in the following ways:\n\nIf 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 HaveYourSay@bbc.co.uk. Please include your name, age and location with any submission.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/business-64830701"}
{"title":"Pedestrian Auriol Grey jailed over Huntingdon cyclist death - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-02","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"Auriol Grey gestured and swore at Celia Ward, who fell into the path of a car and died.","section":"Cambridgeshire","content":"Auriol Grey was convicted of manslaughter after a retrial\n\nA \"territorial\" pedestrian whose actions killed a 77-year-old cyclist when she was angered by her being on the pavement has been jailed.\n\nAuriol Grey, 49, shouted an expletive and gestured in an \"aggressive way\" towards Celia Ward, who fell into the path of a car in Huntingdon in 2020.\n\nPeterborough Crown Court heard Grey \"resented\" the presence of the cyclist.\n\nGrey, of Bradbury Place, Huntingdon, was jailed for three years after being convicted of manslaughter.\n\nA trial heard the women passed each other in opposite directions on the pavement of the Cambridgeshire town's ring road, during the afternoon of 20 October.\n\nThe incident was captured on CCTV which included sound, and Grey could be heard shouting at Mrs Ward, a retired midwife, to \"get off the [expletive] pavement\".\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Auriol Grey was filmed shouting an expletive at the cyclist in Huntingdon\n\nProsecutor Simon Spence KC said the defendant was \"angered by the presence of a cyclist on a footpath\" and gestured towards Mrs Ward, from Wyton, who fell into the path of a car.\n\nJurors heard the vehicle had \"no chance to stop or take avoiding action\" and Mrs Ward was pronounced dead at the scene.\n\nGrey left prior to emergency services arriving and went to Sainsbury's where she bought groceries.\n\nThe trial was told that police could not \"categorically\" state whether the pavement was a shared cycleway.\n\nCambridgeshire County Council subsequently reiterated that and said it would review the location, but in his sentencing remarks Judge Sean Enright said it was a shared cycleway.\n\nCelia Ward and her husband David, pictured left, married in 1967\n\nSentencing Grey, Judge Enright said she was \"territorial about the pavement\" and \"resented\" the cyclist being there.\n\nThe trial heard Grey had cerebral palsy and was partially sighted, but the judge said: \"These actions are not explained by disability.\"\n\nHe said that she had given a \"dishonest account in interview\" and there was \"not a word about remorse until today\".\n\nJudge Enright added that \"consideration of other road users is the lesson of this tragic case\".\n\nAuriol Grey was jailed for three years for behaviour that led to the death of an elderly cyclist\n\nHe said the victim impact statements had made for \"painful reading\", with Mrs Ward's husband of 53 years, David, stating \"rarely a day goes by without thinking of her\".\n\nTheir daughter, Gillian Hayter, described her mother's death as \"senseless and needless\", and paid tribute to the police officers who were \"a credit to the uniform they wear\".\n\nThe driver of the car that hit Mrs Ward said there was \"always a piece of me that feels guilty\" and that her whole life had \"turned upside down\" following the incident.\n\nMiranda Moore KC, who said in mitigation for Grey that \"there was no intention to cause harm or an obvious risk of harm\", stated she would be making an appeal against the sentence.\n\nDet Sgt Mark Dollard described it as a \"difficult and tragic case\"\n\nDet Sgt Mark Dollard, of Cambridgeshire Police, described it as a \"difficult and tragic case\".\n\n\"Everyone will have their own views of cyclists on pavements and cycleways, but what is clear is Grey's response to the presence of Celia on a pedal cycle was totally disproportionate and ultimately found to be unlawful, resulting in Celia's untimely and needless death.\n\n\"I hope it is a stark reminder to all road users to take care and be considerate of each other.\"\n\nFind BBC News: East of England on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter. If you have a story suggestion email eastofenglandnews@bbc.co.uk\n\nThe BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/uk-england-cambridgeshire-64824436"}
{"title":"Isabel Oakeshott: Who is the journalist behind Matt Hancock Covid messages leak? - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-02","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"The anti-lockdown, pro-Brexit journalist finds herself at the centre of a political row - not for the first time.","section":"UK Politics","content":"This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Isabel Oakeshott: \"I\u2019m really good at what I do.\"\n\nFollowing her decision to leak messages sent by Matt Hancock at the height of the Covid pandemic, freelance journalist Isabel Oakeshott finds herself at the centre of a political row - and not for the first time.\n\nIn 2015, she co-wrote a biography of David Cameron, Call Me Dave, which included the eye-catching but unsubstantiated claim that the then prime minister had taken part in a lurid initiation ceremony involving a dead pig's head while at university.\n\nShe got another politician in trouble when in 2011 she revealed that Liberal Democrat minister Chris Huhne had persuaded his wife Vicky Pryce to take his speeding points.\n\nMr Huhne was subsequently jailed for eight months for perverting the course of justice.\n\nA vehement supporter of the UK leaving the EU, she helped millionaire and Brexit campaigner Arron Banks write his account of the referendum campaign entitled The Bad Boys of Brexit.\n\nDuring the writing of the book, she was given access to Mr Banks' emails which she later published arguing it was in the public interest to do so.\n\nIn 2019, the UK's ambassador to the United States Sir Kim Darroch was forced to resign after Ms Oakeshott obtained emails in which he was critical of Donald Trump.\n\nIn the secret cables, he labelled the then-American President as \"inept\", \"insecure\" and \"incompetent\".\n\nMs Oakeshott denied that the story was linked to her relationship with Brexit campaigner Richard Tice, who it had been suggested was keen to get the US ambassador job.\n\nMr Tice, now leader of the Reform UK Party, tweeted: \"Conspiracy theorists who think I want US Ambassador job totally wrong. Ridiculous suggestion! But other senior pro Brexit businessperson would do great job promoting U.K. and securing quick trade deal.\"\n\nBefore her relationship with Mr Tice, Ms Oakeshott had three children from a previous marriage.\n\nMatt Hancock collaborated with journalist Isabel Oakeshott on his book Pandemic Diaries\n\nShe started out as a reporter at the East Lothian Courier and rose to become the first female political editor at the Sunday Times, and later editor-at-large at the Daily Mail.\n\nShe has also written several books including three with the Conservative donor and former member of the House of Lords Michael Ashcroft about UK defence, the NHS and the biography of David Cameron.\n\n\"Some love to love her, some love to hate her, everyone has an opinion but she is a damn good journalist - she gets scoops.\"\n\nThe Guardian's Media Editor Jim Waterson said Conservative officials have been \"astonished Matt Hancock decided to give all of his personal messages to someone who very publicly opposed most of his policy platform when it came to lockdown\".\n\nLord Bethell, a health minister during the pandemic, told BBC Radio 4's Today programme: \"I think Isabel is a terrific journalist. She's not a very good friend.\"\n\nDuring the coronavirus pandemic, she became a fierce critic of lockdown rules.\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Watch: Isabel Oakeshott reveals why she leaked the messages\n\nWriting in the Spectator last year she said: \"My blood still boils when I think of the unnecessary suffering: the broken homes and broken businesses; the lost last moments with loved ones; the missed cancers and operations; a generation of children scarred forever.\n\n\"This country paid a catastrophic price for what I see as a reckless overreaction to a disease that was only life-threatening to a small number of people who could have been protected without imprisoning the entire population.\"\n\nShe acknowledged some would be surprised by her decision to work with Mr Hancock on his book, Pandemic Diaries, but said she was driven by a desire to \"get to the truth\".\n\nShe also said she was \"not paid a penny for this work\" but added: \"The time I spent on the project - almost a year - was richly rewarding in other ways.\"\n\nIn the past few days she has strongly defended her decision to publish texts given to her during the writing of the book saying it was in the \"overwhelming national interest\".\n\nMr Hancock, however has accused her of a \"massive betrayal\".\n\nShe has not revealed how much she has been paid by The Telegraph for the \"lockdown files\" stories.\n\nBut she told BBC Radio 4's Today programme: \"Anyone who thinks I did this for money must be utterly insane.\"\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser.\n\nA collection of more than 100,000 messages sent between former Health Secretary Matt Hancock and other ministers and officials at the height of the Covid-19 pandemic have been obtained by the Telegraph. Here are our stories on the leaks:","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/uk-politics-64821983"}
{"title":"Frogmore Cottage: Harry and Meghan 'requested to vacate' property - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-02","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"It was earlier reported that the home, in Windsor, had been offered to Prince Andrew.","section":"UK","content":"The Duke and Duchess of Sussex have been asked to vacate their British base of Frogmore Cottage, the couple's spokesperson has confirmed.\n\nIt was earlier reported that the home, in the grounds of Windsor Castle, had been offered to the Duke of York.\n\nA spokesperson for Prince Harry and Meghan confirmed the news. Buckingham Palace has not commented.\n\nThe duke and duchess now live in California with their two children, Archie and Lilibet.\n\nThey quit life as working royals in 2020 and left the UK shortly afterwards.\n\nFrogmore Cottage, a Grade-II listed property in the grounds of Windsor Castle in Berkshire, was a gift to the royal couple from the late Queen.\n\nPrince Harry and Meghan refurbished the property, owned by the Crown Estate, at an estimated cost of \u00a32.4m in 2018-19. The cost was initially covered by taxpayers through the Sovereign Grant before being repaid in full by the duke.\n\nThey were reportedly told to leave the property by Buckingham Palace in January, days after Harry published his explosive memoir, Spare.\n\nThe book - which was released in January and became the fastest-selling non-fiction book in the UK since records began in 1998 - included claims Prince Harry was physically attacked by his brother, the Prince of Wales. He also wrote that he and his brother, the Prince of Wales, had begged their father not to marry Camilla, now Queen Consort.\n\nPrince Andrew, the late Queen's second son, lives in the nearby Royal Lodge, in Windsor Great Park, Berkshire.\n\nHe stepped down as a working royal in 2019 after a controversial Newsnight interview about allegations that he had sexually assaulted Virginia Giuffre. He has repeatedly denied the allegations.\n\nIn February 2022, he paid an undisclosed sum to settle the civil sexual assault case Ms Giuffre brought against him in the US.\n\nReports in recent weeks, not confirmed by the BBC, suggested the King is to cut Andrew's annual grant which could leave him unable to afford his home's running costs.\n\nThe Duke and Duchess of Sussex now live in the US with their children\n\nThe cottage has a rich and varied history. Queen Charlotte, wife of King George III, had it built in 1792 as a place for her and her daughters to escape the court.\n\nAt the time it was fashionable for the wealthy to build large homes disguised as idyllic rural cottages.\n\nSurviving relatives of Tsar Nicholas II also lived there after fleeing to the UK, following the murder of other family members by Bolsheviks in 1918.\n\nSince World War Two, the cottage is believed to have been used as a home for members of royal household staff, before Prince Harry and Meghan moved in.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/uk-64815383"}
{"title":"Watch: Matt Hancock message row in 83 seconds - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-02","authors":null,"description":"The BBC's Jonathan Blake examines why the former health secretary's Covid communications are in the spotlight.","section":null,"content":"Ex-Health Secretary Matt Hancock has accused a journalist of a \"massive betrayal and breach of trust\" after she leaked texts he sent during Covid.\n\nIsabel Oakeshott defended releasing WhatsApps she obtained when working on Mr Hancock's book, arguing it was in the \"overwhelming national interest\".\n\nBBC political correspondent Jonathan Blake has been looking into the row.\n\nFilming and editing by Alex Smith, Serene Khalifeh and Thomas Mason","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/uk-politics-64831398"}
{"title":"Partygate probe chief Sue Gray offered top job by Labour leader Starmer - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-02","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"The senior civil servant led an investigation into Covid lockdown gatherings in Downing Street.","section":"UK Politics","content":"Senior civil servant Sue Gray, who investigated lockdown gatherings in Downing Street, has been offered a job as Sir Keir Starmer's chief of staff.\n\nA Labour spokesman said Sir Keir was \"delighted\" that \"she hopes to accept the role subject to the normal procedures\".\n\nBut allies of Boris Johnson reacted with anger to the news.\n\nFormer minister Jacob Rees-Mogg said Ms Gray's Partygate conclusions now looked \"like a left-wing stitch up\".\n\n\"So much for an impartial Civil Service, the Gray report now looks like a left-wing stitch up against a Tory prime minister,\" the former business secretary and Brexit opportunities minister tweeted.\n\nA friend of Mr Johnson said Ms Gray's job offer undermined the validity of her investigation into parties held in Downing Street when Covid-19 restrictions were in force.\n\n\"What was supposed to be an investigation by independent civil servants is now revealed to have been carried out by someone who ultimately would go on to work for Keir Starmer,\" they said.\n\nMs Gray herself has yet to comment.\n\nA Cabinet Office spokesperson said: \"We can confirm that Sue Gray has resigned from the post of Second Permanent Secretary in the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities (DLUHC). This was accepted by the department Permanent Secretary and Cabinet Secretary with immediate effect.\n\n\"We will not be commenting further on individual personnel matters. We are reviewing the circumstances under which she resigned.\"\n\nUnder the civil service code, officials of Ms Gray's seniority must wait a minimum of three months before taking up outside employment.\n\nThe move will be scrutinised by the anti-corruption watchdog, the Advisory Committee on Business Appointments (Acoba), which will advise the prime minister on whether the move is \"unsuitable\".\n\nRishi Sunak will make a final ruling, but does not have the power to block an appointment.\n\nMs Gray went from an influential but little-known arbiter of conduct in government to a household name.\n\nHer report on the Partygate scandal last year contributed to Mr Johnson's downfall as prime minister, prompting numerous Conservative MPs to call on him to resign.\n\nShe criticised \"failures of leadership and judgment\" in No 10 and said \"the senior leadership at the centre, both political and official, must bear responsibility\".\n\nSeparately, Mr Johnson received one of 126 fines issued by the Metropolitan Police while it investigated gatherings in Downing Street and Whitehall.\n\nHearings in an inquiry by the Commons Privileges Committee into opposition claims Mr Johnson misled MPs about what he knew about the lockdown gatherings in government buildings are expected to begin in the coming weeks.\n\nOther key allies of Mr Johnson have been quick to comment.\n\nFormer Culture Secretary Nadine Dorries tweeted that Ms Gray's reported move to Sir Keir's office was \"not surprising\".\n\n\"Whilst writing report, she used QC who tweeted out pro Labour anti gov [government] tweets whilst Alistair Campbell heaped praise upon her. Her comms [communications] assistant briefed against Johnson from day 1.\n\n\"The Gray report was a stitch up of PM and CSs [civil servants],\" she said.\n\nVery few civil servants become household names. Sue Gray definitely cleared that bar.\n\nShe was selected to investigate Partygate because of her reputation as an unimpeachable government official.\n\nIt's important to stress that Ms Gray taking a political job with Labour doesn't mean she was ever biased in her role as a civil servant. Everyone working in government will have personal views, but they're trusted and expected to serve the ministers of the day.\n\nBut her proposed career move does provide allies of Boris Johnson with ammunition to question the legitimacy of her Partygate findings (which were very bad for the former prime minister).\n\nWhy are Labour making this appointment? The qualities Sue Gray has largely been associated with - professionalism, propriety and public service - are exactly those they want to project.\n\nAnd it sends a sign about the party's intentions - Keir Starmer wants to work closely with someone who was (until very recently) a senior civil servant, because he intends to make it to 10 Downing Street.\n\nBassetlaw MP Brendan Clarke-Smith said he was \"genuinely shocked\", and accused Sir Keir of having \"scant regard for the public image of the civil service and the damage this will do\".\n\n\"After the events of last year, people will quite understandably be questioning the appropriateness of this appointment, including issues of impartiality,\" he added.\n\nFormer civil servant Alex Thomas, who now works for the Institute for Government think tank, said the move would be \"difficult for the civil service\", giving its \"critics a stick\".\n\n\"Tricky development for those defending impartiality,\" he added.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/uk-politics-64824776"}
{"title":"Egypt: Hidden corridor in Great Pyramid of Giza seen for first time - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-02","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"An endoscope was used to film inside the 9m-long space, whose purpose is still unknown.","section":"Middle East","content":"Video footage from an endoscope showed an empty corridor with a vaulted ceiling\n\nEgyptian antiquities officials say they have confirmed the existence of a hidden internal corridor above the main entrance of the Great Pyramid of Giza.\n\nVideo from an endoscope showed the inside of the corridor, which is 9m (30ft) long and 2.1m (7ft) wide.\n\nThe officials say it could have been created to redistribute the pyramid's weight around the entrance or another as yet undiscovered chamber.\n\nIt was first detected in 2016 using an imaging technique called muography.\n\nA team of scientists from the ScanPyramids Project were able to sense density changes inside the pyramid by analysing how it was penetrated by muons, which are by-products of cosmic rays that are only partially absorbed by stone.\n\nThe non-invasive technique detected an empty space behind the northern face of the Great Pyramid, about 7m above the main entrance, in an area where there is a stone chevron structure.\n\nFurther tests were carried out with radar and ultrasound before a 6mm-wide (0.24in) endoscope was fed through a tiny joint in-between the stones that make up the chevrons.\n\nThe endoscope was pushed into the empty space behind a chevron structure on the pyramid's wall\n\nThe footage from the camera was unveiled at a news conference beside the pyramid on Thursday. It showed an empty corridor with walls made out of roughly-hewn stone blocks and a vaulted stone ceiling.\n\n\"We're going to continue our scanning so we will see what we can do... to figure out what we can find out beneath it, or just by the end of this corridor,\" said Mostafa Waziri, head of Egypt's Supreme Council of Antiquities.\n\nThe Great Pyramid, which is 146m high, was built on the Giza plateau during the fourth dynasty by the pharaoh Khufu, or Cheops, who reigned from around 2609BC to 2584BC.\n\nDespite being one of the oldest and largest monuments on Earth, there is no consensus about how it was built.\n\nThe Great Pyramid, seen in the background, is the largest of the three pyramids located at Giza\n\nEgyptian archaeologist Zahi Hawass said the corridor represented a \"major discovery\" that would \"enter houses and homes of people all over the world for the first time\".\n\nHe also said that it might help reveal whether the burial chamber of King Khufu still existed inside the pyramid.\n\nHe speculated that there might be \"something important\" in the space below the corridor, then added: \"I'm sure in a few months from now we can see if what I'm saying is correct or not.\"\n\nA second, larger void inside the pyramid was detected using muography in 2017. It is estimated to be 30m long and several metres in height and is located directly above the Grand Gallery.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/world-middle-east-64825526"}
{"title":"Met Police: Sir Stephen House's 'regretful sex' rape comment investigated - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-02","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"It is claimed that Sir Stephen House made these comments to a Home Office adviser in January 2022.","section":"London","content":"Sir Stephen House was the first chief constable of Police Scotland\n\nA former Met Police deputy commissioner is being investigated after allegedly saying the \"bulk\" of rape complaints were \"regretful sex\".\n\nIt was claimed Sir Stephen House made the comments to a Home Office adviser in January 2022.\n\nThe force said the comments were \"wholly unacceptable\", and the matter had been referred to the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC).\n\nSir Stephen said: \"I categorically deny using the phrase 'regretful sex'.\"\n\nThe accusation was made on Channel 4 News by Prof Betsy Stanko, a Home Office adviser appointed to conduct Operation Soteria - which is examining the way police forces respond to rape cases.\n\nShe spoke to Sir Stephen when he was deputy commissioner of the Metropolitan Police.\n\nShe said: \"It felt as if he was trying to minimise what the problem was, not taking it seriously.\n\n\"He used terms to describe - or a term to describe - what he thought the bulk of the rape complaints were, which was the term 'regretful sex'.\"\n\nMet Police Deputy Commissioner Dame Lynne Owens said: \"Rape is a horrific offence that has a devastating and lasting impact.\n\n\"The comments included in the Operation Soteria Bluestone report are wholly unacceptable.\n\n\"We recognise that they risk further undermining the confidence of victims to come forward and that is deeply regrettable.\n\n\"Having been made aware of an allegation that the comments were made by a senior Metropolitan Police officer, we have referred the matter to the Independent Office for Police Conduct.\"\n\nFindings from Operation Soteria declared some officers \"displayed a culture of disbelieving victims\".\n\nIn a statement, Sir Stephen House said: \"I have dedicated over four decades of public service to protecting the public from predatory offenders.\n\n\"These are not words I have ever used in relation to rape or sexual assault and the reason I am so certain that I did not say this is because I simply do not believe it; I find the phrase abhorrent.\n\n\"I find this characterisation of me to be deeply upsetting, and colleagues who know me know how untrue it is.\"\n\nAn IOPC spokesperson confirmed the police watchdog had \"received a conduct referral yesterday from the Metropolitan Police Service (MPS) regarding alleged comments made by a former senior MPS officer in January 2022\".\n\n\"We will now carefully assess the referral to decide what further action may be required from us,\" they added.\n\nSir Stephen has held a number of senior positions, including serving as Police Scotland's first chief constable between 2012 and 2015 and being appointed as Acting Commissioner of the Metropolitan Police in April 2022 after Dame Cressida Dick left the position.\n\nFollow BBC London on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. Send your story ideas to hellobbclondon@bbc.co.uk","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/uk-england-london-64815863"}
{"title":"Manchester Arena bomber was feckless and lazy, says head teacher - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-02","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"Salman Abedi's former head teacher recalls how the bomber could \"barely light a Bunsen burner\".","section":"Manchester","content":"Ian Fenn said there was no suggestion Salman Abedi was radicalised while at school\n\nManchester Arena bomber Salman Abedi was a feckless and lazy pupil who was carefully groomed into a terrorist, his former head teacher has said.\n\nAbedi detonated a homemade explosive, killing 22 people, on 22 May 2017 at the end of an Ariana Grande concert.\n\nIan Fenn, who has since retired from Burnage Academy for Boys in Manchester, said Abedi could \"barely light a Bunsen burner\" while a pupil at his school.\n\n\"He did what he did but he wasn't a lone wolf,\" said Mr Fenn.\n\nAbedi studied at the school for about 18 months between 2009 and 2011.\n\nMr Fenn said he could \"surprisingly remember\" a lot about Abedi considering the number of pupils he had come into contact with over the years.\n\nHe said this was because Abedi was the first to be caught \"doing something wrong\" on a new security system after the school relocated to a new building.\n\nHe said Abedi had been captured on CCTV stealing a mobile phone, which he later denied.\n\n\"I showed him the footage,\" said Mr Fenn. \"He wasn't in the slightest bit fazed by it - it was a shrug of the shoulders and no shame.\n\n\"That summed him up as a person - a non-entity.\"\n\nSalman Abedi planned the attack with his younger brother Hashem\n\nMr Fenn said there was no suggestion from anyone at the time that Abedi was being radicalised.\n\n\"He wouldn't have known how to make a bomb -he could barely light a Bunsen burner,\" said Mr Fenn.\n\n\"But with the training, with the tutoring, and with the support around him, he did what he did.\n\n\"But he wasn't a lone wolf - he wasn't on his own.\"\n\nThe retired head teacher said be believed the radicalisation of Abedi happened \"way after he left school\".\n\n\"He was still getting stoned when he was at college,\" he said.\n\n\"You're not much of a jihadist if you're out partying every weekend.\"\n\nMr Fenn's comments were made ahead of the publication of the final Manchester Arena Inquiry report, which will focus on the radicalisation of Abedi as well as whether it could have been prevented.\n\n\"There's no way Salman did this on his own,\" Mr Fenn said.\n\n\"He would have had to be carefully groomed and moulded from being feckless, lacklustre, rather lazy...into being somebody with a purpose of killing himself and as many other people as possible.\n\n\"That just doesn't happen through osmosis. That doesn't happen overnight.\n\n\"That level of ferocity and evil is something that is inculcated and takes time.\"\n\nTwenty-two people died in the bombing on 22 May 2017\n\nMr Fenn said he did not regret accepting Abedi - along with his younger brother Hashem - as pupils as they had to be educated.\n\nBut he added: \"There's kind of a sadness that you feel when all the things that you did that were at the cutting-edge of what people were doing in terms of trying to combat radicalisation didn't work and nor can they.\n\n\"No system is perfect and at the end of the day people make choices.\n\n\"Schools are a big influence but we have them five hours a day for 190 days a year - that's all.\n\n\"The rest of the time they are with other people and those people tend to have a bigger influence.\"\n\nYou can watch more on this story on BBC News at Ten on Wednesday 1 March.\n\nWhy not follow BBC North West on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram? You can also send story ideas to northwest.newsonline@bbc.co.uk\n\nThe BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/uk-england-manchester-64801213"}
{"title":"Douglas Ross apologises for 'industrial language' in Holyrood - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-02","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"A microphone picked up Mr Ross swearing when protestors interrupted First Minister's Questions.","section":"Scotland politics","content":"Douglas Ross included his mother in those he apologised to for swearing\n\nDouglas Ross has apologised for using \"industrial language\" when a protest stopped First Minister's Questions.\n\nThe Scottish Conservatives leader was speaking about the government's planned deposit return scheme when shouts were heard from the public gallery.\n\nJust before proceedings were suspended, a microphone picked up Mr Ross swearing in frustration.\n\nInterruptions by climate change protestors during FMQs have been a regular occurrence this year.\n\nWhen the cameras resumed filming, Mr Ross said people watching the debate were getting \"pretty fed up by that childish behaviour\".\n\nHe said: \"I have to say it is becoming very tiresome these constant interruptions in First Minister's Questions.\"\n\nBefore his next question, Mr Ross offered an apology.\n\nHe said: \"It's been brought to my attention that I perhaps used industrial language in response to the protesters who interrupted the session earlier.\n\n\"And to you and the chamber and everyone listening, including my mother probably, I apologise for that.\"\n\nPresiding Officer Alison Johnstone told BBC Radio Scotland's Drivetime programme that the repeated disruptions from the public gallery during FMQs were a \"new phenomenon\".\n\n\"I'm not entirely sure why it's happening with the frequency that it has over the last few weeks,\" Ms Johnstone said.\n\n\"While I readily support the right to protest in the grounds here, of course, protest within the building is clearly disruptive to members as they go about their work representing their constituents.\"\n\nShe said the Scottish Parliament \"prides itself on being open and accessible\" but they would review visitor policy to see what steps could be taken to tackle the problem.\n\n\"Clearly there is a balance to be struck here,\" Ms Johnstone added.\n\nAnti-oil protestors also smashed the glass surrounding William Wallace's sword at the Wallace Monument in Stirling on Thursday and demanded Scottish government opposition to new fossil fuel projects in Scotland.\n\nStirling Council said it was a \"deplorable act of vandalism\" and visitors would now be unable to see the sword for a number of weeks.\n\nThe SNPs Westminster leader Stephen Flynn was seen saying the same expletive as Mr Ross during Prime Minister's Questions on Wednesday.\n\nHe was responding with confusion to Labour leader Keir Starmer's mention of the TV comedy series Auf Wiedersehen, Pet about a group of British construction workers who left the UK to find work in Germany.\n\nSir Keir referred to predictions suggesting the \"average family in Britain will be poorer than the average family in Poland by 2030\".\n\n\"If the Tories limp on in government we're going to see a generation of young people learning to say 'Auf Wiedersehen, Pet' in Polish, aren't we?\" Sir Keir said.\n\nMr Flynn could be seen on the House of Commons live footage using the swear word in a question to his SNP frontbench colleagues.\n\nSpeaking later to Times Radio, Mr Flynn admitted it was a \"wee mistake\".\n\nHe said: \"I think I maybe spoke for the public at that moment if I'm honest, because I think all of us were thinking 'what is Keir doing?'\"","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/uk-scotland-scotland-politics-64827969"}
{"title":"Grimsby Town apologises for 'inappropriate' Harvey Price post - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-02","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"The club has since deleted the post which featured disabled TV personality Harvey Price.","section":"Humberside","content":"Harvey Price has Prader-Willi syndrome, which can cause learning difficulties\n\nGrimsby Town has apologised for posting an \"inappropriate\" short video of Harvey Price following its FA Cup win at Southampton.\n\nAccording to reports, the League Two club tweeted a clip showing Mr Price, the disabled son of TV star Katie Price.\n\nIt was said to have been accompanied with the caption: \"Signing off for the night! Enjoy your night, Town fans.\"\n\nIn a statement, the club said it wished to \"wholeheartedly apologise\".\n\nGrimsby Town celebrate their win at Southampton on Wednesday\n\nThe club's full statement reads: \"It has come to our attention that an inappropriate gif was posted on the club's official Twitter account late last night following our game against Southampton in the Emirates FA Cup.\n\n\"The post was removed this morning as soon as we were made aware. We would like to wholeheartedly apologise for any offence it has caused. UTM.\"\n\nMr Price, 20, has septo-optic dysplasia, a rare genetic disorder affecting his eyesight, as well as autism and Prader-Willi syndrome, which can cause learning difficulties and behavioural problems.\n\nThe incident comes two weeks after Ms Price published a letter from the Met Police telling her officers are facing misconduct proceedings over alleged involvement in a WhatsApp group that targeted her son.\n\nGrimsby Town beat their Premier League opponents 2-1, courtesy of a brace from Gavan Holohan at St Mary's.\n\nThe win secures The Mariners a quarter-final fixture with European hopefuls Brighton - the first time the club has reached the last eight in the FA Cup since 1938\/39, a year they went on to reach the semi-finals.\n\nFollow BBC East Yorkshire and Lincolnshire on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. Send your story ideas to yorkslincs.news@bbc.co.uk.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/uk-england-humber-64824120"}
{"title":"Manchester Arena inquiry: MI5 'profoundly sorry' for not stopping attack - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-02","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"The security service missed a chance that might have stopped the Manchester attack, an inquiry finds.","section":"Manchester","content":"Twenty-two people died in the bombing, which happened at the end of Ariana Grande's concert\n\nThe head of MI5 said he was \"profoundly sorry\" the security service did not prevent the Manchester Arena attack.\n\nA public inquiry found MI5 missed a significant chance to take action that might have stopped the 2017 bombing.\n\nChairman Sir John Saunders said the intelligence could have led to suicide bomber Salman Abedi being followed to a car where he stored his explosives.\n\nMI5 director-general Ken McCallum said he regretted that such intelligence was not obtained.\n\n\"Gathering covert intelligence is difficult,\" he said, \"but had we managed to seize the slim chance we had, those impacted might not have experienced such appalling loss and trauma.\"\n\nTwenty-two people died and hundreds were injured when Abedi detonated his homemade device in the foyer of Manchester Arena as crowds left an Ariana Grande concert on 22 May 2017.\n\nThe inquiry found two pieces of information about Abedi were assessed at the time by the security service as not being terrorism-related.\n\nAn officer admitted they considered a possible pressing national security concern on one of them but did not immediately discuss it with colleagues and did not write up a report that same day.\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. How a schoolboy from south Manchester became a suicide bomber\n\nIn his 207-page report, Sir John said: \"The delay in providing the report led to the missing of an opportunity to take a potentially important investigative action.\n\n\"Based on everything the security service knew or should have known, I am satisfied that such an investigative action would have been a proportionate and justified step to take.\n\n\"This should have happened.\"\n\nBut he added that Abedi \"demonstrated some security consciousness and that this might have affected the efficacy of the investigative action that I have identified\".\n\nSir John said the intelligence could have led to Abedi being followed to the parked Nissan Micra where he stored his explosives and later moved them to a city-centre rented flat to assemble his bomb.\n\nHe said that if MI5 had acted on the intelligence received then Abedi could also have been stopped at Manchester Airport on his return from Libya four days before the attack.\n\nThe public inquiry also found Abedi was probably assisted by someone in Libya but it was not possible, on the available evidence, to say who this might have been.\n\nIt is the first time an official conclusion has been made about the possible involvement of other people from abroad.\n\nIn making this finding, Sir John contradicts an MI5 assessment which said no-one other than Salman Abedi and his brother Hashem were knowingly involved in the plot.\n\nTwenty-two people were killed and hundreds more injured in the explosion\n\nThe report also found that while Didsbury Mosque in south Manchester, where the Abedi family worshipped, was not an active factor in the brothers' radicalisation, politicisation did happen there.\n\nSir John said \"there was a form of wilful blindness\" to some activities, and \"weak leadership\".\n\nDidsbury Mosque chairman Fawzi Haffar told the BBC he disagreed with Sir John and added: \"The chairman can say whatever he wants.\n\n\"The chairman has not been to the mosque, none of the lawyers have been to the mosque, they don't know the workings of the mosque.\n\n\"I would say to him [the chairman] that they are wrong,\" Mr Haffar added.\n\nThe report concluded that the Abedi family held \"significant responsibility\" for the radicalisation of Salman and Hashem Abedi.\n\nThose family members responsible include their father Ramadan Abedi, mother Samia Tabbal and elder brother Ismail Abedi, each of whom has held extremist views, the inquiry found.\n\nBut Sir John said, other than Hashem Abedi, there was insufficient evidence to attribute specific knowledge of the attack to them.\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Watch: Inquiry chairman Sir John Saunders speaks of \"significant missed opportunity\" to stop the attack\n\nSir John's comments were published in the inquiry's third and final report into the atrocity, which dealt with the radicalisation of Abedi and whether the attack could have been prevented.\n\nThe first volume has been made publicly available while the second has only been circulated to a limited readership of people with security clearance.\n\nThis does not include the families of those who died, their legal teams, or the media as its contents would be damaging to national security if made public, the inquiry was told.\n\nThe inquiry process began more than three years ago, and there were 194 days of oral evidence from 267 witnesses.\n\nA minute's silence was held at Manchester Town Hall for the victims before Sir John read out his findings, which included key recommendations.\n\nIt seems a contradiction of the term \"public inquiry\" to keep some findings private, but the chairman says that he had to balance the principle of open justice with the issue of national security.\n\nHe's added that all private evidence has been scrutinised to make sure that restricting it can't be seen as a \"cloak to cover up mistakes\".\n\nGiven that the previous two inquiry reports were highly critical of the private companies and public authorities involved with the arena and the emergency response, this document was also expected to be tough on MI5.\n\nBereaved families and survivors will be pleased that in some areas the report doesn't pull its punches.\n\nThey'll find it upsetting to hear that the security service missed a significant opportunity. But there will also be some frustration that they'll never learn the full detail of exactly what that opportunity involved.\n\nAndrew Roussos, whose eight-year-old daughter Saffie-Rose was killed in the blast, said hearing how this tragedy might have been avoided was \"devastating for us all\".\n\n\"This was a cataclysmic failure... In my view the fact that MI5 failed to stop him despite all of the red flags available demonstrates they are not fit to keep us safe and therefore not fit for purpose.\"\n\nCaroline Curry, whose 19-year-old son Liam was killed in the attack, said: \"From top to bottom, MI5 to the associates of the attacker, we will always believe you all played a part in the murder of our children.\"\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Manchester Arena bombing: 'Forgiveness will never be an option'\n\nFigen Murray, the mother of Martyn Hett, 29, who also died in the blast, said she accepted MI5's apology although \"it didn't surprise me that there's yet another catalogue of errors and failings\".\n\n\"I'm not excusing anybody making mistakes don't get me wrong, but these people are human beings and I'm sure nobody made any mistakes deliberately.\"\n\n\"It is difficult to hear things could have been different, but you know what, we can't turn the clock back,\" she said, adding that it would be a \"disservice\" to her son's \"people-loving\" and \"fun\" nature \"if I became a bitter and angry person\".\n\nRichard Scorer, principal lawyer at Slater and Gordon, who represented 11 of the bereaved families at the inquiry, said the report had been \"deeply painful to read, but also eye-opening\" while providing \"less information than we would have wanted\".\n\nNicola Brook, from Broudie Jackson Canter, which represents five bereaved families, said it was \"disappointing that the families will never know the full truth of what happened\".\n\n\"All of the families signed an undertaking not to reveal confidential information which they have not breached,\" she added.\n\n\"They, above all others, are entitled to know what the security services knew and had the most interest in keeping it confidential.\"\n\nSalman Abedi in the foyer of the Manchester Arena, seconds before he blew himself up\n\nFollowing publication of the report, MI5 said since the attack it had made more than 100 improvements.\n\n\"But we are determined to do more. As the chair now considers his recommendations, we will engage fully,\" said Mr McCallum.\n\n\"Where there are opportunities to strengthen the UK's defences further, MI5 will act.\"\n\nA spokesman for Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said the government would look at the report's findings before responding fully and formally.\n\nAsked if anyone would be held accountable, Downing Street said they could not pre-empt a formal response but added ministers \"will of course learn from this to ensure mistakes are not repeated\".\n\nHome Secretary Suella Braverman said she was \"committed to working with MI5, policing and partners to study the recommendations\".\n\n\"Together we will do everything possible to prevent a repeat of this horrifying attack,\" she added.\n\nBBC reporter Mat Trewern has examined the final report which you can listen to on BBC Sounds.\n\nWhy not follow BBC North West on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram? You can also send story ideas to northwest.newsonline@bbc.co.uk\n\nThe BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/uk-england-manchester-64815723"}
{"title":"Disabled children denied transport to school by Education Authority - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-02","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"One could not go to school for two years when the Education Authority failed to provide transport.","section":"Northern Ireland","content":"An EA spokesperson said it would take on board learning from these cases\n\nThe Education Authority (EA) breached the human rights of two disabled pupils, according to court declarations agreed during judicial review proceedings.\n\nOne of the pupils was prevented from attending school for long periods and access was hindered for the other.\n\nIt was found both pupils were \"treated differently to other children in the state\" because of their disability.\n\nThe EA said it would \"take on board all learnings from these cases\".\n\nThe legal action was brought by the Children's Law Centre (CLC), acting on behalf of the pupils.\n\nBoth cases were subject to anonymity orders so the children cannot be identified.\n\nHowever, some details of the cases, which both involved clinically vulnerable and profoundly disabled children, can be reported.\n\nBoth were denied transport to school during the Covid-19 pandemic as they had serious respiratory conditions which required ventilation and this was said to pose a risk to drivers.\n\nIn the first case, the child was unable to go to school for two years as their parent had no means of transport to get her there.\n\nAs a result she was unable to enter either primary one or primary two, though she did receive some education at home from the EA from February 2022.\n\nAfter a two-year delay, she was eventually able to start school in September 2022 following the provision of appropriate transport by the EA.\n\nThe parent of the child told BBC News NI that being able to attend school had changed their daughter's life.\n\n\"She would have been up 90% of the night when she couldn't go to school as she wasn't getting physically tired,\" they said.\n\n\"We put her to bed but then she would get up between midnight and 02:00 GMT and that was her awake.\n\n\"As soon as she started school she was like a different child.\n\n\"She loves school and all of the activity she does.\"\n\nIn the second case, the parent had to drive her child to school every day due to the failure of the EA to provide transport\n\nIn the second case, the parent had to drive their child to school each day, with a healthcare assistant and equipment, due to the failure of the EA to provide appropriate transport from 24 February 2021 until June 2022.\n\nThe parent of that pupil said their child was \"made to feel different\".\n\n\"I brought my child's case to the attention of the Children's Law Centre as I felt no person or child should be treated differently due to their disability and medical requirements and excluded from transport and vital education and learning with their peers,\" they said.\n\n\"This declaration will hopefully promote learning from public bodies and understanding that all children should be treated inclusively.\"\n\nThe EA agreed to declarations that in both cases it had breached the human right not to be denied education under Article Two of Protocol One of the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR) for reasons related to the child's disability.\n\nBoth children now have appropriate transport from the EA and are attending school.\n\nIn a statement, a spokesperson for the EA told BBC News NI that: \"Whilst we cannot comment on individual pupils, we will take on board all learnings from these cases and are firmly committed to the principle of equality of opportunity for all pupils.\"\n\n\"Supporting our children and young people to not only access but thrive in education remains our priority,\" they continued.\n\nRachel Hogan said the human rights declarations in both cases were \"landmark decisions\"\n\nRachel Hogan, from the Children's Law Centre, said that the human rights declarations in both cases were \"landmark declarations\".\n\n\"Whilst this case is an education case arising from unmitigated harm to disabled children arising from Covid restrictions, there is a much wider point,\" she said.\n\n\"These barriers to equality represent a system-wide failure of equality for disabled people and their families which is not confined to the education sphere.\n\n\"Disabled children deserve and are entitled to equal treatment and equality of opportunity in all aspects of life.\n\n\"The EA's acknowledgement of human rights breaches in these cases is welcome.\n\n\"It is the mark of a public authority which is willing to be held accountable by acknowledging fundamental failings in order to enable changes to take place to put these right.\"","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/uk-northern-ireland-64803937"}
{"title":"Meeting to avert junior doctors' strike in England fails - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-02","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"This month's planned 72-hour walkout in England remains after \"disappointing\" talks with the government.","section":"Health","content":"Junior doctors say their 72-hour strike in England is set to go ahead after a \"disappointing\" meeting with the government on Thursday.\n\nTalks with Health Secretary Steve Barclay were \"a facade\", said British Medical Association (BMA) reps, who accused him of stalling tactics.\n\nIt comes as other health unions have been invited for formal pay talks and nurses have begun theirs.\n\nThe government says any NHS pay offers must be affordable for taxpayers.\n\nAmbulance workers, nurses, physios and, most recently, junior doctors have organised walkouts over pay.\n\nNurses - and other NHS staff except doctors - were given an average of 4.75% this year.\n\nBut unions say salaries need lifting higher than this to keep up with rising costs of living because of inflation.\n\nThe Treasury has said any increase above 5% would be unaffordable and risk fuelling inflation.\n\nInflation is expected to fall, which will also be a factor in pay negotiations.\n\nThe Royal College of Nursing last month said it was pausing strike action to begin \"intensive talks\" with the government over \"pay, terms and conditions, and productivity enhancing reforms\".\n\nIt is not clear what the final pay offer might be.\n\nSome 14 other health unions in England, including those representing ambulance staff, physios and midwives, have said they may enter formal pay talks with the government, but are waiting for more details first.\n\nThe BMA, meanwhile, says it has not had any meaningful discussions yet.\n\nCo-chairmen of its junior doctors' committee, Dr Robert Laurenson and Dr Vivek Trivedi, called Mr Barclay a \"professional delayer,\" claiming he held the talks at the Department of Health without a mandate to negotiate.\n\nUnless more negotiations happen, junior doctors plan to strike for 72 hours from 13 March, and Dr Laurenson said: \"We will not call off the strike action until there is something meaningful to give to our members to vote on.\"\n\nMatthew Taylor, chief executive of the NHS Confederation, said: \"Healthcare leaders will welcome the news that the government has offered to open talks with all unions involved in the strikes.\n\n\"We have been calling for the government time and again to open negotiations with all unions and this is a very positive step in the right direction.\n\n\"We would hope that all trade unions representing healthcare professionals across the NHS accept this olive branch from the government and are prepared to come to the table with the aim of reaching a compromise with the government as quickly as possible.\"\n\nA Department of Health and Social Care spokesperson said: \"Any deal needs to strike a balance between giving NHS staff a fair deal and delivering on our promise to halve inflation this year.\n\n\"In order for talks to start, all planned strike action must be called off with immediate effect.\"","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/health-64822366"}
{"title":"Twitch streamer Kai Cenat breaks subscriber record - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-02","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"The 21-year-old has amassed 300,000 subscribers, after a month-long 'subathon' to increase viewers.","section":"Technology","content":"Kai Cenat has broken the record for attracting the most Twitch subscribers.\n\nThe 21-year-old US streamer amassed 300,000 subscribers on the Amazon-owned streaming service, following a month-long drive to increase subscriptions.\n\nHis 'subathon' - launched on 1 February - saw Cenat streaming 24 hours a day: chatting, gaming and interviewing guests, as well as sleeping, on camera.\n\nThe popular YouTuber officially overtook former Twitch record holder Ludwig Ahgren on Tuesday.\n\nTwitch is a livestreaming platform, where people typically play video games while chatting to viewers.\n\nLudwig previously held the record for the most Twitch subscribers, hitting a peak of 283,000 viewers during a non-stop stream in April 2021.\n\nTwo years later, Cenat broke Ludwig's record with his own subscription marathon - or 'subathon' - a stream with a countdown timer which is extended every time someone subscribes to the channel.\n\nTwitch offers subscriptions to users as a means of supporting their favourite streamers and creators on the platform.\n\nIn the UK, the basic subscription package costs \u00a33.99 - or $4.99 in the US - with additional tiers costing more.\n\nUsers can also gift subscriptions, so subscriber numbers can increase, in part, thanks to wealthier fans who pay for monthly subscriptions for other viewers.\n\nThis Twitter post cannot be displayed in your browser. Please enable Javascript or try a different browser. View original tweet on Twitter The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Skip twitter post by Ninja 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\u2019s cookie policy, external and privacy policy, external before accepting. To view this content choose \u2018accept and continue\u2019. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.\n\nCenat began his streaming marathon at the start of February to mark the beginning of Black History Month in the US.\n\nOver the month he has entertained viewers with guests including comedian Reggie Brown and a Barack Obama impersonator.\n\nOn 22 February, he became the first African-American streamer to reach 200,000 Twitch subscribers.\n\nAfter it was confirmed he had breached the benchmark of 300,000 subscribers on Tuesday, Cenat told viewers his streaming marathon was the hardest thing he has ever done.\n\n\"Stop saying 'I did it' - we did it,\" he said, as the total subscriber count ticked over 300,000. \"On the last day of Black History Month, we broke 300,000!\n\n\"And I'm so happy I did it with the people around me. I couldn't have chosen anybody else to do this with,\" he added.\n\nCenat's ongoing stream may still gain a few additional subscribers, but his subathon will come to an end imminently, after he vowed it would last no longer than 30 days.\n\nIt is currently unclear whether he plans to take a short break from the platform before returning to regular Twitch streams.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/technology-64811710"}
{"title":"Pret A Manger gives staff third pay rise in a year - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-02","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"The coffee chain follows other retailers in boosting pay during a labour shortage.","section":"Business","content":"Pret A Manger will give staff their third pay rise in 12 months, following other firms in boosting wages during a labour shortage.\n\nThe coffee chain said the rise, to begin in April, amounts to a 19% bump in year-on-year pay for shop staff.\n\nRetailers including Tesco have made similar moves in the past year as firms try to retain staff struggling with near-record high living costs.\n\nOverall inflation, the rate at which prices rise, is at 10.1%.\n\nAround 7,870 Pret A Manger staff were given pay rises in April and December 2022.\n\nBy raising base pay to above the rate of inflation, the chain said its baristas would be among \"the highest paid in the industry\", able to earn up to \u00a311.80-\u00a314.10 an hour based on location and experience.\n\nIt said that by April, for entry level staff, the rise amounts to a 15% pay rise year-on-year.\n\nIn February, Britain's biggest grocer Tesco agreed to increase its workers' wages by 7%, marking their third pay rise in 10 months, whilst Asda said it would raise pay by 10%. Aldi and Lidl also announced higher pay.\n\nThe UK has been suffering a shortage of workers, attributed to long-term sickness after the pandemic and a lack of foreign workers to help fill available roles.\n\nThe rising cost of living has also meant many staff are seeking roles at better paying firms.\n\nRising costs have also led to widespread staff walkouts, leading to strikes in sectors such as rail, nursing and teaching.\n\nHowever, some economists are worried that large pay increases risk making it harder to reduce the rate of inflation.\n\nIn February last year, Bank of England governor Andrew Bailey said workers should not ask for big pay rises in order to prevent prices rises becoming entrenched.\n\nThe Bank has now increased interest rates from 0.1% to 4% since December 2021 - the highest rate since 2008 - and on Wednesday Mr Bailey said another rise might be \"appropriate\".\n\nGuy Meakin, Pret A Manger's interim managing director, said: \"As the cost of living continues to rise, we hope this latest increase in pay, and our expanded benefits package, goes some way in providing further support for our hardworking teams.\"\n\nIn February, the retailer received complaints after it said it would stop making smoothies, frappes and milkshakes, which can be more expensive and take longer to make.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/business-64815332"}
{"title":"Mosque 'would have done anything' to prevent Manchester Arena attack - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-02","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"A mosque attended by the Manchester Arena bomber has been accused of turning a \"blind eye\" to extremism.","section":"Manchester","content":"Fawzi Haffar said the mosque \"did not radicalise anybody\"\n\nThe chair of trustees at a mosque which was accused of turning a \"blind eye\" to extremist views prior to the Manchester Arena attack said he \"would have done anything\" to prevent the 2017 atrocity.\n\nFawzi Haffar said he felt Didsbury Mosque was \"being used as a scapegoat\" after it came under intense scrutiny during the Manchester Arena Inquiry.\n\nArena suicide bomber Salman Abedi and his family worshipped at the centre.\n\nMr Haffar said the mosque had \"no room for radicalisation\".\n\nTwenty-two people were killed and hundreds more injured when Abedi detonated his homemade device at the end of an Ariana Grande concert on 22 May 2017.\n\nJohn Cooper KC, who represents some of the bereaved families, previously told the inquiry that the mosque had \"failed to confront extremism in the run up to 2017\" and \"continues to do so to this day\".\n\nHe said the centre had \"turned a blind eye\" to extremist and violent views amongst parts of its congregation and \"adopted a passive attitude\" towards the dangers of radicalisation.\n\nHowever, Pete Weatherby KC, who represents some of the other families, said there was no evidence that the Abedi family were radicalised at Didsbury Mosque.\n\nSpeaking exclusively to BBC North West Tonight, Mr Haffar said: \"How can people say we have radicalised or are radicalising people?\n\n\"My children could have been at the arena. There were Muslim children at the arena.\n\n\"What Salman Abedi did was evil and he definitely did not become radicalised by listening to a 10-minute sermon here or joining forces with other so-called terrorists or other radicalised people at this centre.\n\n\"If we had known that Salman Abedi was a radical, if we were told by the security services or warned by the police to 'please watch out for this person', I would have done anything to prevent what happened. Anything.\"\n\nSalman Abedi planned the attack with his younger brother Hashem\n\nHis comments were made ahead of the publication of the final Manchester Arena Inquiry report, which will focus on the radicalisation of Abedi as well as whether the attack could have been prevented.\n\nMr Haffar said he felt Didsbury Mosque was being used as a scapegoat and called for a parliamentary investigation into what the security services knew about the Abedi family.\n\nHe said he was never alerted to any concerns by police or counter-terrorism officers.\n\n\"If we are not aware of these radical people who are coming into this centre to pray, I cannot help the police,\" he said.\n\nAbedi is believed to have occasionally attended a Friday prayer session at the mosque.\n\nHis elder brother Ismail taught at the centre and, before he left for Libya in 2011, his father Ramadan Abedi would sometimes offer the call to prayer, or adhan.\n\nThe Abedi family attended Didsbury Mosque while living in the area\n\nMr Haffar said there could be up to 1,100 people at Friday prayers, which are open to all.\n\nOther sessions only typically have 30 to 40 core attendees, he said.\n\nThe arena inquiry has also heard allegations the mosque hosted meetings of supporters of the terrorist groups fighting in the Libyan civil war before the arena bombing.\n\nIn 2018, two Islamic scholars told the BBC that a sermon delivered at the mosque during Friday prayers six months before Abedi detonated his suicide bomb had called for \"armed jihad\". This has been denied by the mosque.\n\nCounter-terrorism officers investigated and later concluded no offences had been committed.\n\nTwenty-two people died in the bombing on 22 May 2017\n\nMr Haffar said that while he did not believe Salman Abedi could have heard anything at the mosque that could have encouraged his views, the centre had made changes including thoroughly vetting those who now give sermons.\n\n\"I can definitely say there is no way he was radicalised at the centre here in Manchester,\" he said.\n\n\"After the sermon took place, we suspended the imam and investigated his sermon.\n\n\"So did the police and the Charity Commission.\"\n\nSalim Al-Astewani, a volunteer imam at the mosque, added: \"Obviously you can't control every individual but the main thing is that there is a proper management system in place and every sermon, every activity, is well-designed, well-prepared.\n\n\"We have received training. And what we do now is address subjects in our sermon related to the local community.\n\n\"I am absolutely sure - clear in my mind - that the way forward is all positive and for the benefit of the wider society as well as the community.\"\n\nSalim Al-Astewani said the subjects addressed are now agreed upon with management\n\nTracey Pook, a community engagement officer at the mosque, said the centre had been targeted following the bombing.\n\n\"It was barbaric what he did - everyone here thinks that,\" she said.\n\n\"We've had letters, we had some far-right activists who came. We had an arson attack.\n\n\"We had one group who thankfully got stopped by the police who were coming to smash the mosque up.\n\n\"So we've had to deal with all these threats as well, and far-right threats. It's been so unpleasant because the congregation of the people who come here and the community doesn't deserve this.\n\n\"I know it's nothing compared to the [victims'] families. All I can say to them is we support you. We feel the pain as a community.\"\n\nTracey Pook said Didsbury Mosque had been targeted by extremists\n\nMr Haffar said he hoped the victims' families would gain some closure from the final inquiry report into the atrocity when it is published later.\n\n\"We want to really put all this behind us but again I cannot put all of what's happened behind me,\" he said.\n\n\"Twenty-two victims have gone. I cannot forget about them.\n\n\"But I would say to their families 'We should work together'.\"\n\nYou can watch more on this story on BBC North West Tonight on Thursday 2 March\n\nWhy not follow BBC North West on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram? You can also send story ideas to northwest.newsonline@bbc.co.uk\n\nThe BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/uk-england-manchester-64801301"}
{"title":"Teachers' strike: Pickets at Senedd and schools in second walkout - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-02","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"From the steps of the Welsh parliament teachers say their pay offer is \"not good enough\".","section":"Wales","content":"The NEU, whose members were picketing outside the Senedd on Thursday, says no progress has been made in talks with the Welsh government\n\nThousands of pupils are staying at home as members of a teaching union in Wales picket the Senedd and schools.\n\nAction was suspended last month while the National Education Union (NEU) considered an improved package, which it then turned down.\n\nThe NEU said the offer was \"not good enough\" but the Welsh government insisted it was a \"strong\" deal.\n\nMinisters offered an additional 1.5% pay increase on top of the 5% already promised this year.\n\nThey then pledged another 1.5% as a one-off payment, as well as bringing in measures to address the workload of teachers.\n\nNEU officials then met and rejected the offer, saying strikes would go ahead on 2, 15 and 16 March.\n\nIt said the offer failed to address the cost of living crisis or the \"damage\" to pay since 2010.\n\nThe Welsh government responded by saying it was working within \"challenging financial constraints\".\n\nPenarth teacher Suzie Tyack says it is sad to see colleagues leave the profession over pay\n\n\"We believe an offer that is the equivalent of an 8% pay rise, with 6.5% consolidated, is a strong one in the context of a reducing Welsh government budget,\" a spokesman said.\n\n\"For teachers to be able to benefit from an additional backdated pay rise for 2022-23, an agreement will be needed by mid-March.\"\n\nThe first NEU walkout on 1 February saw about 40% of Wales' 1,500 schools closed and hundreds more only open to some year groups.\n\nStacey Boucher, a teacher in Ysgol y Deri special school in Penarth, Vale of Glamorgan, said two members of staff had left for better paid jobs since the last strike a month ago.\n\n\"It's a difficult job but it's a job people love to come to, and with the wages people are just leaving and it's really sad,\" she said.\n\nSpelling it out: Unions representing teachers say workload is another major issue in the dispute\n\nJoining her on the picket line, another teacher, Suzie Tyack, said she was not striking for personal gain but for better funding for schools and extra money for support staff.\n\n\"We've had no offer for support staff and they are completely underfunded in our system,\" she added.\n\nAt bilingual school Ysgol Dyffryn Conwy in Llanrwst, Conwy county, the doors will be open for pupils in Year 7, 12 and 13 only - the rest will be asked to stay at home because of staff shortages.\n\nHead teacher Owain Gethin Davies said: \"It will impact on pupils in years 10 to 13 who are losing important days to prepare for assessments and exams.\n\n\"There isn't much time until the exams which obviously puts pressure on us as a school and there are concerns among parents.\"\n\nWith thousands of children asked to stay at home, some parents have had to secure additional children care for them to be able to go to work.\n\nBlue Door out-of-school child care centre in Cardiff was welcoming more children affected by the strike.\n\nParent Rahela Dinu said the strike came at a financial cost to her family.\n\n\"I'm not happy at all,\" she said. \"I get paid \u00a350 a day as a cleaner and I have to spend \u00a370 for my daughter to be here today.\"\n\nRahela Dinu says the strike is costing her family an extra \u00a370 for childcare costs\n\nAnother parent, Eleri Thomas, said she supports the teachers: \"I used to be a teacher myself, so I completely understand why they're doing it.\n\n\"My son has an afternoon session usually here but today we've swapped to the morning and someone will pick him up later so it's worked out OK for us.\"\n\nEleri Thomas says she supports the teachers as was able to find childcare cover for today's strike\n\nBut Paul Jones's son's nursery class was cancelled due to the strike, and he said: \"He was due to be in wrap around out of school provision today anyway, so it's not too much of a problem for us today.\n\n\"Everyone's suffering at the moment. We're all in the same boat and I've got a lot of sympathy for teachers, like a lot of other industries at the moment.\"\n\nPaul Jones says his son's nursery shut because of the strike but he still has \"a lot of sympathy for teachers\"\n\nNEU Wales secretary David Evans told BBC Radio Wales Breakfast its members did not want to go on strike, but \"no progress\" was made in a meeting with the Welsh government on Tuesday.\n\nThere had been \"positive moves\" on the issue of workload, he added, but members were not backing down on pay demands.\n\n\"We go back to 2010 when the austerity measures kicked in,\" he said. \"Teachers have been losing pay ever since then and support staff we estimate have probably lost up to 23 or 24% in pay.\"\n\nThe NEU, whose members were picketing outside the Senedd on Thursday, says no progress has been made in talks with the Welsh government\n\nThe union has pledged pupils will not \"be at a loss\" if further strike days go ahead.\n\nMembers of the National Association of Headteachers are also continuing with action short of a strike, claiming more detail is needed on the deal offered by ministers.\n\nIt postponed a ballot to ask members for views on the revised offer, saying it wanted more clarity on school funding and reducing workload.\n\nThe Welsh government said it had written to unions with a \"comprehensive offer on workload\".","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/uk-wales-64813107"}
{"title":"Inflation still a worry for NI consumer confidence - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-02","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"Despite a slight improvement at the end of 2022, consumer confidence is still lower than in 2021.","section":"Northern Ireland","content":"Consumer confidence still lower than it was in 2021\n\nInflation is still a worry for consumer confidence in Northern Ireland, despite a slight improvement at the end of 2022 according to a Danske Bank report.\n\nThe report found that confidence was slightly higher than the third quarter of last year.\n\nBut it is well below 2021 levels due to higher prices continuing to put pressure on household budgets.\n\nThe survey was carried out in December 2022 with 1,018 people. At that time inflation was 10.5%.\n\nPeople who took part in the survey reported feeling more confident about future finances and spending than they did in the third quarter of 2022.\n\nBut they felt less confident about current finances and job security.\n\nMore than half (58%) thought their finances had deteriorated over the past 12 months, compared to 14% who felt their financial position improved.\n\nAbout half (51%) expect their finances to worsen over the next year.\n\nDanske Bank chief economist Conor Lambe said: \"Despite starting to fall towards the end of last year, inflation in the UK remains at elevated levels and is continuing to exert a squeeze on household spending power as well as weigh down on peoples' confidence levels.\n\n\"While it was encouraging to see a small rise in consumer confidence in the final quarter of 2022, it should be noted that overall confidence levels remain relatively low.\n\n\"As we move through 2023, inflation is expected to continue declining but it will likely take some time for it to return to the 2 percent target. As such, and when combined with relatively low confidence levels, consumer spending is projected to remain under pressure,\" he added.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/uk-northern-ireland-64802731"}
{"title":"Stunning murmuration caught on camera - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-02","authors":null,"description":"Footage shows the moment starlings flocked over a Leicestershire town.","section":null,"content":"Footage has captured the moment a flock of starlings flew in a stunning murmuration above a Leicestershire town.\n\nThe wildlife spectacle was captured over Lutterworth on Wednesday.\n\nFollow BBC East Midlands on Facebook, on Twitter, or on Instagram. Send your story ideas to eastmidsnews@bbc.co.uk.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/uk-england-leicestershire-64825414"}
{"title":"Turkey-Syria earthquake: Dog rescued after 23 days under rubble - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-02","authors":null,"description":"More than 50,000 people died when earthquakes shook southern Turkey and northern Syria last month.","section":null,"content":"A dog has been found by a rescue team in Hatay, Turkey, 23 days after devastating earthquakes shook the region.\n\nMore than 50,000 people were killed in southern Turkey and northern Syria and thousands more remain missing.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/world-europe-64817526"}
{"title":"Manchester Arena attack: Response was all wrong, survivor says - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-02","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"A man who fought to save a victim of the 2017 Manchester bombing says \"big mistakes\" were made.","section":"Manchester","content":"This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. \"It seemed to last forever\" waiting for help to come for John Atkinson, bomb survivor Ron Blake, pictured, says\n\nA man who fought to save a victim of the 2017 Manchester Arena bombing has said \"big mistakes\" were made on the night of the blast.\n\nRon Blake is telling his story for the first time since the attack - ahead of a major report into the bombing.\n\nDespite being injured himself in the suicide attack he battled to save victim John Atkinson, who later died.\n\nMr Atkinson, 28, was not seen by paramedics for 47 minutes, which Mr Blake said \"seemed to last forever\".\n\nHe called 999 less than a minute after the explosion and, despite having no first aid training, tended to Mr Atkinson after seeing he was losing a lot of blood.\n\nMr Blake used his wife's belt as a tourniquet, having only ever seen it done on television, and held it on the care worker's leg for almost an hour.\n\nHe was later praised by Mr Atkinson's family for his \"heroic\" efforts.\n\nThe Manchester Arena Inquiry has heard how Mr Atkinson, from Radcliffe, would have had \"quite a high\" survival chance had he been treated more quickly.\n\nRon Blake said he believed John Atkinson, pictured, would survive the attack\n\nTwenty-two people died in the bombing on 22 May 2017 at the end of an Ariana Grande concert.\n\nThe second of three official reports will be published later. It will consider whether two of the victims, including Mr Atkinson, might have survived had the emergency services responded more quickly.\n\nMr Blake told the BBC he believed \"big mistakes were made that night\" and those in charge had \"got it all wrong\".\n\nThe inquiry has heard about a series of failings in the planning and preparation for such an attack, and the response to the bombing, by emergency and security services, including:\n\nThe ambulance, fire and police services have all apologised but Mr Blake said that did not mean anything to him.\n\nHe told the BBC of the anguish he felt waiting for help to arrive.\n\n\"It just seemed to last forever. It seemed to go on and on and on and no-one was coming so I just kept trying to talk to John.\n\n\"He kept saying 'I'm going to die, aren't I?' I kept saying 'no you are not'.\"\n\nMr Atkinson was carried out of the arena foyer on a metal barrier as a makeshift stretcher via the stairs to the casualty clearing station at the adjoining Manchester Victoria railway station.\n\nMr Blake said he left him with a paramedic, and he was \"still talking\" so he thought he would survive.\n\nHe spoke of his shock at finding out Mr Atkinson had died when he was being treated in hospital for his own injuries the next day.\n\n\"It was on the news in the waiting room,\" he said.\n\n\"I went outside... and just broke down.\"\n\nMr Atkinson's family have previously praised Mr Blake's \"heroic\" efforts to save him.\n\nHe said: \"I hope I did what I could.\n\n\"I did what anybody else would have done.\"\n\nTwenty-two people died in the bombing on 22 May 2017\n\nAbedi also injured hundreds of people when he detonated his homemade device at the arena.\n\nHis younger brother, Hashem Abedi, was jailed for at least 55 years for his involvement in the bombing.\n\nThe public inquiry into the attack ended in March after hearing evidence from 267 witnesses since September 2020.\n\nThe first of three reports, written by inquiry chairman Sir John Saunders, was published in June 2021.\n\nIt highlighted a number of failures, including missed opportunities to avert or minimise the \"devastating impact\" of the blast, and it levelled criticism at British Transport Police (BTP), the arena operators SMG, and their contracted security providers, Showsec.\n\nIt also noted how Salman Abedi should have been identified as a threat by arena security.\n\nThe inquiry is due to publish its findings on the emergency response later.\n\nThe Glade of Light memorial in Manchester bears the names of all those who were killed in the attack\n\nThe Prince and Princess of Wales officially opened a memorial to victims of the attack in May.\n\nThe Glade of Light bears the names of those killed in the attack.\n\nWhy not follow BBC North West on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram? You can also send story ideas to northwest.newsonline@bbc.co.uk\n\nThe BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/uk-england-manchester-63486473"}
{"title":"New special educational needs schools years away, says heads' group - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-02","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"Earlier diagnoses and more special school places are part of reforms to England's system of support.","section":"Family & Education","content":"This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Families feel they have been battling the system for too long, says Education Secretary Gillian Keegan\n\nThe government has unveiled new plans to reform support for children with special educational needs and disabilities (Send) in England.\n\nThe long-awaited Department for Education plans aim to improve what it calls a \"postcode lottery\" system.\n\nPlans for earlier diagnoses are part of the reforms, as well as a commitment to build 33 more special free schools.\n\nSchool leaders welcomed the plans, but said the \"desperately needed\" new schools \"will take years to build\".\n\nIt comes after a BBC report found many special schools are oversubscribed and overcrowded.\n\nParents and campaigners have been waiting since last summer - when a government consultation closed - to see the detailed plans. Their aim is to improve Send support and the alternative provision system, which is for children who cannot attend mainstream schools because of behaviour or other reasons.\n\nTraining for 5,000 early years special educational needs co-ordinators (Sencos) and 400 educational psychologists is a major part of the plan to improve earlier diagnoses.\n\nIt aims to help children like Macey, who was diagnosed as autistic and with ADHD in November 2021.\n\nMacey, 14, has struggled in class and been excluded in the past. She now receives one-to-one support at her mainstream school.\n\nHer mother Lauren said she gave a \"cry of relief\" when Macey was given the diagnosis.\n\n\"It gave us answers - for her and for us as a family - knowing this is what we can work with,\" said Lauren.\n\nMacey (left) and her mum Lauren, who says her daughter's experience of school improved after her autism diagnosis\n\nOther pledges confirmed in the Send and Alternative Provision improvement plan announced on Thursday include:\n\nThe plans say national standards for Send support will be published by the end of 2025, to help make it clear \"what support should be offered at every stage of a child's journey across education, health and care\".\n\nSpecial educational needs schools across the UK are under pressure because of a shortage of places. Families invite the BBC's Elaine Dunkley to see the challenges they face as they fight for a school place.\n\nWatch SEND Help now on BBC iPlayer (UK only)\n\nSpeaking exclusively to the BBC about the plans, Education Secretary Gillian Keegan said it was \"wrong\" that parents feel they need to have a legal document in place for their child to get any support.\n\nThe process to get an Education, Health and Care Plan (EHCP) is often lengthy, and can lead to costly tribunals between parents and local authorities.\n\n\"If your child needs extra support at school, you shouldn't need to get an EHCP to make sure that support is available,\" said Ms Keegan.\n\nShe acknowledged many families have felt they were \"battling the system\" to get support \"for too long\".\n\n\"I want to say to them, 'we're here... to make sure that you get more support and you know what support you should expect',\" she said.\n\n\"We've almost ended up in the worst of all worlds, with a lot more money being spent but the provision not being right - because it's being spent on going to tribunal and very expensive [school] places.\"\n\nMs Keegan acknowledged there were not currently enough places at special schools, with many oversubscribed and overcrowded.\n\n\"What we need to do is work much, much better with providers, people who want to set up new schools as well\u2026 but the reality is you need to build that provision locally. It will take time to build up the capacity, but we are going to improve the system.\"\n\nBut the Local Government Association, which represents local authorities in England, has expressed concern that the measures \"do not go far enough in addressing the fundamental cost and demand issues\" that they say result in councils struggling to meet the needs of children with special educational needs and disabilities.\n\nAn education union welcomed the plans, but expressed concern at the length of time it will take to implement some of the policies.\n\nMargaret Mulholland, Send and inclusion specialist at the Association of School and College Leaders, said: \"More special schools are desperately needed, but will take years to build.\"\n\nShe said the prospect of extra special school places \"will be of no comfort to those missing out right now\", who cannot go to the school they need as a result of it being oversubscribed.\n\nThe charity Disability Rights UK said the government's plans weren't \"radical enough\" and that families would be left \"underwhelmed and disappointed\".\n\nHow have you been affected by any of the issues raised here? Is your family waiting for support? You can get in touch by emailing haveyoursay@bbc.co.uk.\n\nPlease include a contact number if you are willing to speak to a BBC journalist. You can also get in touch in the following ways:\n\nIf 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 HaveYourSay@bbc.co.uk. Please include your name, age and location with any submission.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/education-64804555"}
{"title":"Call to help 'mortgage prisoners' trapped on high interest rates - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-02","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"The founder of the MoneySavingExpert website is calling on the government to do more to help.","section":"Business","content":"The government made \u00a32.4bn by selling mortgages from collapsed lenders to investment firms, a report funded by Martin Lewis has suggested.\n\nSome 200,000 mortgages were sold to firms which cannot offer new deals. Many homeowners are stuck on high rates as other lenders will not accept them.\n\nThe founder of the MoneySavingExpert website is calling on the government to free so-called \"mortgage prisoners\".\n\nThe Treasury said it would consider all proposals put forward.\n\nSamantha has been stuck with her mortgage since the 2008 financial crisis. She told the BBC her payments, which were \u00a3546 a month last year, are due to rise to \u00a3952 next month.\n\n\"I spend my whole time panicking, worrying all the time,\" she said. \"I don't sleep most nights.\"\n\nSamantha is so worried about her mortgage she finds it difficult to sleep\n\nMr Lewis said: \"This report lays out starkly that the state sold these borrowers into poverty, knowing it could cause them harm, and made billions doing it.\n\n\"The result has destroyed lives. People have been left in financial, physical and mental misery, exacerbated by the pandemic and cost of living crisis ripping through their already dire situations.\"\n\nSamantha got a mortgage on her two-bedroom terraced house with her ex-husband in 1998, and re-mortgaged with Northern Rock two decades ago.\n\nWhen the bank collapsed, her loan was one of thousands sold by the government to so-called \"closed book\" lenders.\n\nThese are largely investment firms that are not regulated to offer new mortgages, which means people with loans can't get a cheaper rate through them.\n\nMoving to a different, cheaper mortgage is almost impossible for many because they don't meet strict lending criteria brought in following the crisis.\n\nSamantha, who works as an office manager in Swindon, has an interest-only mortgage on \u00a3150,000.\n\nThe Bank of England has been hiking interest rates, but her lender has also been raising rates independently as well, she said. The rate increased to 8.14% this month, from 7.69% last month, she said.\n\n\"I borrow money all the time off my mum,\" Samantha said. \"I shouldn't have to be like this just for a mortgage.\"\n\nShe said hikes in the cost of living have heaped \"massive\" pressure on her, to the extent where she can't afford to go to the hairdressers, or to spend even small amounts on presents.\n\nPeople ask her why she doesn't just sell her home, but she says that would be to lose everything, and she wouldn't be able to get another mortgage.\n\n\"It's so hard,\" she said. \"It's the bane of my life. It's ruining my life.\"\n\nThe report, which the website's founder Martin Lewis commissioned from the London School of Economics, puts forward costed solutions to the problem.\n\nIt said the government could offer free financial advice and loans to mortgage prisoners. As a fall-back option, it could guarantee loans from other mortgage lenders.\n\nThe report suggested that measures to solve the problem would cost between \u00a350m and \u00a3347m over 10 years.\n\nThe Treasury said that it had \"already taken steps with the Financial Conduct Authority [FCA] to update mortgage lending rules, removing the barrier that prevented some mortgage prisoners from being able to switch\".\n\n\"We are open to further practical and proportionate solutions to help mortgage prisoners, working with the FCA and industry to carefully consider all proposals put forward,\" a spokesperson said.\n\nThe FCA said: \"We recognise the difficult circumstances faced by affected mortgage borrowers, who cannot switch and could benefit from doing so.\n\n\"We removed regulatory barriers to switching and set clear expectations for firms to support borrowers in financial difficulty and the fair treatment of vulnerable customers,\" it said.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/business-64813930"}
{"title":"Matt Hancock: Leaked messages reveal battle over Covid and schools - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-02","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"Messages also show the then-health and education secretaries pouring scorn on teachers' unions.","section":"UK Politics","content":"Matt Hancock was the health secretary from 2018 to 2021\n\nFormer Health Secretary Matt Hancock tried to bypass Education Secretary Gavin Williamson to have schools closed in December 2020, messages published by the Daily Telegraph suggest.\n\nIn other WhatsApp messages released by the paper, Mr Hancock described teaching unions as \"absolute arses\".\n\nNo 10 said it disagreed, adding Rishi Sunak \"hugely values our hardworking teachers who did so much during the pandemic to minimise disruption\".\n\nOther leaked messages reported by the Daily Telegraph appear to show:\n\nThe leaked messages are among more than 100,000 sent by ministers and officials during Mr Hancock's time as health secretary, which journalist Isabel Oakeshott passed to the paper.\n\nA vocal critic of coronavirus lockdowns, Ms Oakeshott obtained them while helping Mr Hancock write his book, Pandemic Diaries. She has said she broke a legal agreement by releasing the messages because this is \"in the public interest\".\n\nIn a statement, the former health secretary said there was \"absolutely no public interest case for this huge breach\" because all the material used for his book had been handed to the Covid-19 public inquiry.\n\nA collection of more than 100,000 messages sent between former Health Secretary Matt Hancock and other ministers and officials at the height of the Covid-19 pandemic have been obtained by the Telegraph. Here are our stories on the leaks:\n\nHe also complained he was the victim of a \"massive betrayal and breach of trust\" by Ms Oakeshott, and said he was sorry for the impact on political colleagues, civil servants and friends \"who worked hard with me to get through the pandemic and save lives\".\n\nEarlier a spokesman for Mr Hancock said the latest leaks were like Tuesday night's, providing \"partial accounts, obviously spun with an agenda\".\n\nSchools minister Nick Gibb told BBC Radio 4's Today programme decisions were taken \"based on what was in the best interests of children\".\n\n\"We were always reliant on and followed the advice of the chief medical officer and the evidence that was emerging. Day by day, new evidence was emerging as the scientists were learning about this virus.\"\n\nIt would be up to the public inquiry to decide whether the government made the right decisions, he added.\n\nThe BBC has not seen or independently verified the WhatsApp messages, nor the context in which they were sent.\n\nOne exchange on 28 December 2020 appears to show Mr Hancock messaging an aide during a video meeting with then-Prime Minister Boris Johnson to discuss the rising number of Covid cases.\n\nAt that point, the plan was for all primary schools in England to return as normal in January, and for the opening of secondary schools to be delayed by two weeks to allow time for mass testing to be set up.\n\nMr Hancock, who wanted to keep school closed, described Sir Gavin as battling \"tooth and nail\" to keep them open and \"going absolutely gangbusters\" over the issue.\n\n\"He's freaking out. You can tell he isn't being wholly rationale [sic]... just by his body language,\" Mr Hancock's aide, Emma Dean, wrote.\n\n\"I'm having to turn the volume down,\" Mr Hancock responded.\n\nSir Gavin Williamson says he considered resigning in protest at school closures in January 2021\n\nIn another message, he wrote: \"I want to find a way, Gavin having won the day, of actually preventing a policy car crash when the kids spread the disease in January. And for that we must now fight a rear-guard action.\"\n\nMr Hancock then contacted Dan Rosenfield, Mr Johnson's chief of staff, to discuss how to \"avoid the car crash we have just set up for January\".\n\nOn 3 January, the prime minister repeatedly insisted that \"schools are safe\" on BBC One's Andrew Marr Show.\n\nBut the next day, hours after pupils returned, he announced the closure of all schools and colleges, as they \"may act as vectors for transmission\".\n\nWriting for the Telegraph, Sir Gavin said he felt the closure decision \"wasn't done for the right reasons\" and he considered resigning in protest. He remained as education secretary until September 2021 when Mr Johnson reshuffled his cabinet.\n\nIn October 2020, Sir Gavin announced that A-level exams would be delayed by several weeks, a shorter period than some unions had called for.\n\n\"Cracking announcement today,\" wrote Mr Hancock to Sir Gavin. \"What a bunch of absolute arses the teaching unions are.\"\n\nSir Gavin replied: \"I know they really really do just hate work.\"\n\nMr Hancock responded with some emojis of a person laughing and another of a dart hitting a bullseye.\n\nGeoff Barton, general secretary of the Association of School and College Leaders, told BBC Breakfast the reported comments made by Sir Gavin were \"contemptible because we have to remind ourselves that this was an age of extraordinary anxiety\".\n\n\"The very people who then brought those young people back into school are being described in those snide terms by the former education secretary,\" he said.\n\nWriting on Twitter following the latest leaks, Sir Gavin said he wanted to \"clarify that these messages were about some unions and not teachers\".\n\n\"I have the utmost respect for teachers who work tirelessly to support students. During the pandemic, teachers went above and beyond during very challenging times,\" he added.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/uk-politics-64819241"}
{"title":"Barn owl numbers on the rise in Northern Ireland - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-02","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"There were six times the number of barn owls born in 2022 than in 2021, according to Ulster Wildlife.","section":"Northern Ireland","content":"It's estimated there are fewer than 30 breeding pairs of barn owls left in Northern Ireland\n\nOne of Northern Ireland's most vulnerable farmland birds saw a huge increase in the number of chicks and breeding pairs last year.\n\nTwenty-four barn owl chicks were born in 2022 from eight breeding pairs - six times the number of chicks born in 2021, according to Ulster Wildlife.\n\nTwo new nest sites were also discovered in County Down last year.\n\nThe conservation charity estimates that there are fewer than 30 breeding pairs left in Northern Ireland.\n\nThe barn owl is one of Northern Ireland's rarest birds and is red-listed on the Irish Birds of Conservation Concern and protected under the Wildlife (NI) Order 1985.\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser.\n\nUlster Wildlife said the barn owl was \"under serious threat\" in Northern Ireland - with the population declining drastically since the 1930s.\n\nBut, according to the charity, there are reasons to be hopeful after a wet spring and hot summer in 2021 resulted in a poor breeding season.\n\nIn 2021, there were only two known broods recorded but that increased to eight in 2022. The same year, four chicks were born.\n\nTwenty-four barn owl chicks were born in Northern Ireland in 2022, compared to four in 2021\n\nThe charity published its 2022 barn owl report on Wednesday.\n\nKaty Bell, a senior conservation officer at Ulster Wildlife, said they were delighted \"to see the fortunes of barn owls changing\" after a troubled 2021.\n\n\"Every time we think the population is increasing we lose some of our breeding pairs so this year's news is very positive,\" Ms Bell said.\n\n\"Barn owls need a number of things to survive. Plenty of wildlife-friendly habitat on farms with enough small mammals to eat, places to nest and roost, as well as climatic stability.\n\n\"All of these factors play a part in their success and a big part of our work to help this species recover is advising landowners and farmers on habitat improvements and putting up artificial nest boxes.\n\n\"It is great to see this paying dividends in 2022, providing a welcome boost for our small and struggling barn owl population.\"\n\nBarn owls struggled to breed in 2021 due to a wet spring and hot summer\n\nBarn owls face a number of pressures including loss of habitat for hunting and nesting, extreme weather, poisoning from rodenticides and road traffic collisions, according to Ulster Wildlife.\n\nThey also struggle to hunt in extreme weather conditions.\n\nTheir soft feathers are not waterproof, so excessive rainy, cold or windy conditions can be disastrous for a breeding pair.\n\nLikewise, a prolonged dry summer can have a major impact on both their prey and the chicks themselves.\n\nUlster wildlife erected 20 man-made nest boxes last year to help boost the bird's fragile population\n\nDuring its survey last year, Ulster Wildlife carried out 34 visits to landowners to advise on ideal barn owl habitat.\n\nThey also erected 20 man-made nest boxes in suitable locations to replace the loss of natural nesting sites in barns, old buildings and tree cavities.\n\nSeventy-six nest-boxes were also checked across the countryside last summer for signs of barn owl activity, as well as surveying 11 potential new breeding sites.\n\nMs Bell said there was the potential in 2023 to build on the success of the barn owl conservation work.\n\n\"We want to find more nest sites, support more landowners and nest-minders, create a network of habitats and nest boxes and ultimately help protect and expand our population of barn owls,\" she said.\n\n\"Sightings of these elusive birds are really important to help target our efforts so we would encourage anyone to get in touch.\"","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/uk-northern-ireland-64797680"}
{"title":"Constance Marten arrest: Police believe 'baby dead for some time' - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-02","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"Police are continuing to question Constance Marten and Mark Gordon, who remain in custody.","section":"UK","content":"This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Constance Marten: 'We know there are many unanswered questions'\n\nPolice questioning Constance Marten and Mark Gordon say they believe the baby whose remains were found in woodland may have been dead \"for some time\".\n\nThey said there are \"many unanswered questions\" and have not yet been able to confirm the baby's sex.\n\nMs Marten, 35, and Gordon, 48, have been arrested on suspicion of gross negligence manslaughter and remain in custody.\n\nThe case has now been referred to the police watchdog.\n\nA post-mortem examination has not yet been carried out and police have not formally established the child's identity.\n\nMs Marten and Gordon - a convicted sex offender - were detained in Brighton on Monday after a 53-day search, which began when their car was found on fire by the side of a motorway near Bolton on 5 January.\n\nThe remains of a baby were found on Wednesday in woodlands near to where the couple was arrested, following a massive search involving hundreds of officers.\n\nDet Supt Lewis Basford from the Metropolitan Police said the case would be looked at by the Independent Office for Police Conduct because the baby had died during the missing persons investigation.\n\nInvestigators need \"time and space to establish more details about the circumstances of this tragic death\", he said.\n\nPolice officers at a set of allotments in Brighton on Thursday, near to where the remains of a baby were found\n\nHe added it was \"too early to provide a specific date\" for when the baby may have died, and said investigators were \"truly devastated by this outcome\".\n\nPolice were granted an extra 36 hours to question the couple on Wednesday afternoon.\n\nThe fingertip search for the baby was conducted in near-freezing temperatures. It extended east of Brighton to Newhaven, north of the town centre into a nature reserve and beyond to the South Downs.\n\nWitnesses told the BBC they had seen teams searching through thick bramble, allotments and bins, while people living in the area were told to look out for anything unusual.\n\nOfficers were seen earlier on Thursday scouring the area close to where the remains were found.\n\nPolice vans and a forensic tent were stationed on a residential street, close to a wooded area popular with dog walkers which was closed off as part of the investigation.\n\nCh Supt James Collis, of Sussex Police, said operations around Brighton would be scaled back as the investigation had reached a \"new phase\".\n\nConstance Marten and Mark Gordon disappeared with a newborn baby more than seven weeks ago\n\nFloral tributes have been left by people living in the area, who police said had \"overwhelmed\" them with support and offers of help.\n\nMs Marten and Gordon's disappearance triggered a national search and there were reported sightings in Liverpool, Essex and London, mostly limited to brief snatches of CCTV footage.\n\nPolice believe they were sleeping outdoors in a tent and living off-grid, which prompted fears for the health of the child in winter temperatures.\n\nThe last confirmed sighting of the couple prior to their arrest was in Newhaven on 8 January. Their baby was with them and alive at that time, police said previously.\n\nMs Marten is from a privileged background and lived in a stately home growing up. She became estranged from her family in 2016 after meeting Gordon at drama school.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/uk-64827386"}
{"title":"Seed sales jump as fruit and veg shortage continues - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-02","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"The Royal Horticultural Society says demand has risen as shops limit sales of some fresh produce.","section":"Business","content":"The RHS said searches for advice on growing your own veg were up 70% on this time last year\n\nDemand for vegetable seeds has \"rocketed\" as supermarkets continue to limit sales of some fresh produce.\n\nThe Royal Horticultural Society (RHS) said seed sales across its retail outlets had risen 20% in February compared to the same month last year.\n\nSeparately Mr Fothergill's Seeds said online sales had jumped by nearly 50% last month.\n\nStores are limiting tomatoes, cucumbers and peppers but the RHS said many potato suppliers had already sold out.\n\nRecent bad weather in Spain and North Africa, along with complex supply chains, have been blamed for empty shelves in UK supermarkets.\n\nWholesalers and importers the BBC has spoken to suggested the UK may also be suffering because of lower domestic production, as well as a price-sensitive market.\n\nFormer environment minister George Eustice claimed the shortages would last three to four weeks but some growers said supply problems could last until May.\n\nMike Burks from the Gardens Group said sales of seeds, compost, trays, propagators and pots had all risen\n\nMike Burks, managing director of the Dorset and Somerset-based Gardens Group, said customers were instead coming to them: \"Over the last couple of weeks sales of veg seeds have rocketed,\" he said.\n\n\"Potatoes, peas, beans. Also tomatoes, cucumbers and peppers as well as lettuce and other salad crops. Brassicas such as cabbage, cauliflower, broccoli and kale have done well too. It's across the board\"\n\nStaff were also being asked for tomato plants but \"it was way too early for that\", Mr Burks said.\n\nSales of compost, seed trays, propagators and pots had also shown double digit increases. With the trend to smaller gardens many people were growing on patios and window boxes, he added.\n\nThe RHS said sales of seeds at its retail outlets were up 20% on last year\n\nRHS director of horticulture, Tim Upson, said since the start of the pandemic there had been a \"big trend\" of people growing their own food.\n\n\"This is likely to increase as a reaction to the national fruit and vegetable shortages as well as people looking for different ways to save money to keep up with the cost of living,\" he said.\n\nBased on sales last year the RHS predicted that chard, salad leaves, tomatoes, garlic, and squash would be among the most popular vegetables to grow in 2023.\n\nNicky Berry tried growing vegetables during Covid but \"it was a bit of a disaster\".\n\nThe mother of five has just spent \u00a3250 on equipment, including a polytunnel, to set up a vegetable garden at her home in Poole, Dorset.\n\nMs Berry is planting a variety of seeds after an earlier attempt during the pandemic was \"a bit of a disaster\"\n\n\"I saw all the empty shelves in the supermarket and thought I'd do it properly this time,\" she said.\n\nThe 44-year-old has bought a variety of seeds and intends to plant them with her youngest son, 12, who has ADHD and autism.\n\n\"It's a nice bit of bonding and it does taste better, so I see it as a bonus,\" she added.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/business-64811491"}
{"title":"Manchester Arena bomb: How a schoolboy became a suicide bomber - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-02","authors":null,"description":"Who and what radicalised Salman Abedi into indiscriminately killing so many people in his home city?","section":null,"content":"The third and final report of the Manchester Arena Inquiry is due to be published at 14:00 GMT.\n\nAmong the key questions being addressed are who and what radicalised suicide bomber Salman Abedi and drove him to murder 22 people and injure hundreds more in his home city on 22 May 2017?\n\nThe Big Cases: Homegrown Terrorist - How was Salman Abedi radicalised? Watch on BBC iPlayer\n\nWhy not follow BBC North West on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram? You can also send story ideas to northwest.newsonline@bbc.co.uk","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/uk-england-manchester-64814766"}
{"title":"Putin accuses Ukraine of border 'terrorist act' in Russian village - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-02","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"Kyiv denies Moscow's claim that Ukrainian saboteurs fired at civilians in a Russian village.","section":"Europe","content":"Russian President Vladimir Putin says a Ukrainian sabotage group entered a Russian border region on Thursday and opened fire on civilians in a \"terrorist act\".\n\nThe governor of Bryansk region said \"saboteurs from Ukraine\" had fired at a civilian car in Lyubechane, a border village, killing two men and wounding a 10-year-old boy.\n\nThe alleged incident has not been independently verified.\n\nMykhaylo Podolyak, an adviser to Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky, tweeted that it was \"a classic deliberate provocation\". \"RF [Russia] wants to scare its people to justify the attack on another country,\" he said.\n\nRussia has previously reported some Ukrainian missile and drone strikes on Russian border areas, including Bryansk region. But there have been no confirmed reports of Ukrainian ground forces infiltrating Russia.\n\nRussia's Federal Security Service (FSB) said FSB forces and regular troops on Thursday clashed with \"Ukrainian nationalists\" who had crossed into Russia and taken hostages.\n\nThe FSB said the \"nationalists\" were then hit with a massive Russian artillery strike and pushed back into Ukraine. They left a large cache of explosives in the village, the FSB alleged.\n\nWhen Russia launched its large-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022 President Putin branded the Kyiv government \"nationalists\" and \"neo-Nazis\", arguing that Russia had to act against them.\n\nPresident Zelensky was democratically elected, has Jewish origins and has no far-right politicians in his government.\n\nSpeaking on Russian state TV on Thursday President Putin said \"today they committed another terrorist act, another crime, penetrated the border area and opened fire on civilians\".\n\n\"They saw that it was a civilian car, that civilians and children were sitting there, and opened fire. It is exactly such people who set themselves the task of depriving us of historical memory. They will achieve nothing, we will put the squeeze on them,\" he said.\n\nA video has appeared online claiming to show members of the Ukraine-based Russian Volunteer Corps (RVC) outside a local clinic. One armed man in the video, posted on Telegram, says they crossed into Russia.\n\nThe investigative journalism group Bellingcat Monitoring describes the RVC as \"a unit officially formed last year made up primarily of anti-Putin, anti-Kremlin Russian far-right figures active in Ukraine\".\n\nA Bellingcat expert, Michael Colborne, has identified one of the men in the video as RVC leader Denis Kapustin, who also uses the surname Nikitin.\n\n\"This RVC seems to do very little actual fighting, or at least serious fighting, and Kapustin may have physical combat sports training but he is not from any sort of military background,\" Mr Colborne told the BBC.\n\nIn a text post with the video the RVC said it \"entered Bryansk region to show our compatriots that there is hope, that free Russians carrying arms can fight the regime\".\n\nCommenting on the RVC claim, a Ukrainian military intelligence official, Andriy Yusov, said \"these are people who are fighting with arms against the Putin regime and those who support him... Perhaps Russians are beginning to wake up, realise something and take some concrete steps\".\n\nThis week Mr Putin accused Ukraine and Western spies of intensifying operations inside Russia. Russian officials said a drone crashed in the Kolomna district just 100km (62 miles) from Moscow - though it was not confirmed to be Ukrainian - while two Ukrainian drones were allegedly shot down in southern Russia.\n\nPreviously Russia said drones had attacked an airbase in southern Russia used for launching bomber strikes on Ukraine. Kyiv has not claimed drone attacks inside Russia, accusing the Kremlin of propaganda.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/world-europe-64826028"}
{"title":"Constance Marten arrest: Police continue questioning after baby found - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-02","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"Constance Marten and Mark Gordon are being held on suspicion of gross negligence manslaughter.","section":"UK","content":"This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser.\n\nA post-mortem examination is to be held after the remains of a baby were found as police continue to question Constance Marten and Mark Gordon.\n\nThe baby's body was discovered after a huge 48-hour search by hundreds of officers and volunteers near Brighton.\n\nThe couple, who had been missing for 53 days, were arrested on suspicion of gross negligence manslaughter.\n\nPolice say they are doing all they can to establish what happened to the baby, whose gender and age are not known.\n\nDetectives began a search for the couple after a car was found on fire by the side of a motorway near Bolton in Greater Manchester in early January.\n\nThey were arrested on Monday after being spotted by a member of the public who alerted police. They were first held on suspicion of child neglect, but were re-arrested on Tuesday on suspicion of gross negligence manslaughter.\n\nPolice officers at a set of allotments in Brighton on Thursday, near to where the remains of a baby were found\n\nDet Supt Lewis Basford from the Metropolitan Police, the force which is leading the investigation, said a baby's body had been discovered close to where the couple were arrested.\n\n\"This is an outcome that myself and that many officers who have been part of this search had hoped would not happen,\" he said.\n\n\"I recognise the impact this news will have on many people who have been following this story closely and can assure them that we will do everything we possibly can to establish what has happened.\"\n\nThe baby was found on Wednesday after an extensive search covering around 90-square miles involving sniffer dogs, drones and thermal cameras.\n\nA heavy police presence has remained close to where Ms Marten and Mr Gordon were arrested, with allotments at the centre of the search cordoned off.\n\nA blue forensic tent was positioned in Golf Drive, Brighton, which leads to the allotments, and uniformed officers have been seen entering the cordoned off areas.\n\nOn Wednesday, police were granted an extra 36 hours to question the couple.\n\nPeople have been laying flowers in memory of the baby\n\nA missing persons investigation surrounding 35-year-old Ms Marten and Gordon - a convicted rapist and registered sex offender - began when their car was found alight near Bolton on 5 January.\n\nIt triggered a national search and there were reported sightings in Liverpool, Essex and London, mostly limited to brief snatches of CCTV footage.\n\nPolice believe they were sleeping outdoors in a tent and living off-grid, prompting fears for the health of the child in winter temperatures.\n\nThe last confirmed sighting of the couple prior to their arrest was in Newhaven on 8 January. Their baby was with them and alive at that time, police said previously.\n\nMs Marten is from a privileged background and lived in a stately home growing up.\n\nShe became estranged from her family in 2016 after meeting 48-year-old Gordon at drama school.\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser.\n\nThey were detained at a convenience store on Monday night after a member of the public recognised them from media appeals and called the police.\n\nOfficers were on the scene within six minutes and every member of police staff available in the region was drafted in to begin the massive search operation.\n\nHundreds of officers and rescue volunteers were seen probing the wide area inch by inch for signs of life or clues about the baby's whereabouts.\n\nIt continued through the night and into Wednesday, with sniffer dogs, helicopters, drones and thermal cameras all in use.\n\nThe fingertip search conducted in near-freezing temperatures extended east of Brighton to Newhaven, north of the town centre into a nature reserve and beyond to the South Downs.\n\nWitnesses told the BBC they had seen teams searching through thick bramble, allotments and bins, while people living in the area were told to look out for anything unusual.\n\nAfter confirming the discovery of a body, Det Supt Basford urged the public not to speculate about the case.\n\nConstance Marten and Mark Gordon disappeared with a newborn baby more than seven weeks ago","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/uk-64815323"}
{"title":"1894 shipwreck confirms survivor tale of treacherous lifeboat - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-02","authors":null,"description":"The Ironton yields a secret, jealously guarded until now by the deep, about the sailors' demise.","section":null,"content":"A \"magnificently preserved\" shipwreck from 1894 has been found hundreds of feet below the icy surface of Lake Huron near the US state of Michigan, say researchers.\n\nThe discovery of the Ironton confirms a tale by the only two survivors about why the other sailors who boarded the vessel's lifeboat still perished.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/world-us-canada-64819156"}
{"title":"John Caldwell shooting: Four from Protestant backgrounds among arrests - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-02","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"Police still believe the shooting of DCI John Caldwell was carried out and claimed by the New IRA.","section":"Northern Ireland","content":"Det Ch Insp John Caldwell has been involved in a number of major investigations\n\nCriminals from a Protestant background who have links to dissident republicans are among those arrested over the attempted murder of one of Northern Ireland's top detectives.\n\nThe detail emerged at a Policing Board meeting on Thursday.\n\nDet Ch Insp John Caldwell was shot several times in Omagh last week and is still critically ill in hospital.\n\nFour of those held for questioning in recent days are believed to have been from a Protestant background.\n\nBut police still believe the shooting was carried out and claimed by dissident republican group the New IRA.\n\nSpeaking at the meeting, Assistant Chief Constable Mark McEwan said there had been some speculation about the motivation of the shooting because of the background of some of those who had been arrested.\n\n\"The individuals being speculated about are involved in criminality and have quite strong and long associations with dissident republicans, namely the New IRA,\" he said.\n\n\"We are clear that this is still being assessed as an attack carried out by the New IRA and that's where the primary focus of the investigation is at this point.\"\n\nACC McEwan's comments followed a question by Sinn F\u00e9in's Gerry Kelly about the background of those who had been questioned by police.\n\nMr Kelly went on to ask if there was believed to be a \"loyalist connection\" in the investigation.\n\nACC McEwan said people should not get \"confused\" with titles such as loyalism.\n\n\"These are people who are involved in criminality. They have strong links to members of the New IRA - those are long-standing links,\" he said.\n\n\"They have been arrested because we have suspected them of being involved in this.\n\n\"We still assess that this has been an attack carried out by the New IRA, who have very explicitly stated that they wish to carry out attacks on police officers.\n\n\"John has been the target on this occasion.\"\n\nA week after the attempted murder, police stopped cars near the car park where Det Ch Insp John Caldwell was shot\n\nDet Ch Insp John Caldwell was shot several times in front of his young son in the car park of a sports complex in Omagh on 22 February.\n\nOfficers revisited the scene to stop cars and ask drivers if they had any information about the attack on Wednesday, one week on from the attack.\n\nDet Ch Insp Caldwell remains in a critical but stable condition in hospital.\n\nAlso on Wednesday a 33-year-old man was arrested in Omagh, County Tyrone, and a 57-year-old man was detained in Belfast, both under the Terrorism Act.\n\nA 71-year-old man arrested in connection with the attempted murder was released on Wednesday evening and a 47-year-old man was released on Thursday evening.\n\nFour other men were released on Tuesday evening.\n\nThe dissident republican group the New IRA has said it shot Det Ch Insp Caldwell.\n\nThe Police Service of Northern Ireland said two gunmen fired 10 shots at the officer as he was putting footballs into the boot of his car.\n\nAt least two other vehicles were hit by bullets, police said, while children ran away in terror.\n\nOn Monday, police released CCTV footage of the car believed to be used by the gunmen.\n\nA blue Ford Fiesta had been bought in Ballyclare in County Antrim two weeks before the attack and stored in Belfast, where its plates were changed.\n\nIt was then spotted on the M1 driving towards the direction of Coalisland and Omagh the day before the shooting.\n\nPolice have said a blue Ford Fiesta was bought two weeks before the shooting and stored in Belfast\n\nThe car was later found burnt out on the Racolpa Road outside Omagh.\n\nA reward of up to \u00a320,000 is being offered by the Crimestoppers charity.\n\nThe New IRA used a typed statement taped to a wall beside shops in the Creggan estate in Londonderry to claim it was responsible for shooting Det Ch Insp Caldwell.\n\nA forensic team was at the scene on Monday morning and removed the statement for further examination.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/uk-northern-ireland-64817879"}
{"title":"Caledonian Sleeper rail service to be nationalised - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-02","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"Scotland's transport minister says an arm's length company will take over the franchise on 25 June.","section":"Scotland business","content":"The Caledonian Sleeper rail service is to be nationalised later this year, the Scottish government has announced.\n\nThe move comes after ministers decided last year to terminate Serco's contract to run the service seven years early.\n\nThe out-sourcing company will stop operating the cross-border rail service when its contract expires in June.\n\nIn a statement to MSPs, Transport Minister Jenny Gilruth said an arm's length company of the government would take over the franchise on 25 June.\n\nShe said the step would \"provide stability and certainty\" for passengers and staff.\n\nThe current franchise was awarded to Serco in a deal worth \u00a3800m. It had been due to run from 2015 to 2030.\n\nThe decision to end Serco's contract came after the company tried to renegotiate the deal through a \"rebase clause\", to put the loss-making service on \"a more sustainable financial footing\".\n\nMs Gilruth said the decision not to rebase was \"in no way a reflection on the quality of the product that has been developed, nor on the commitment of the staff who deliver this service every day\".\n\nShe added: \"Rather, the decision that I had to take on rebasing was a question of the terms of the rebase offer and that, in the government's view, these terms did not represent the best value for money.\"\n\nJohn Whitehurst, managing director of Serco's transport business, said the company was disappointed that the Scottish government \"did not ensure value for money by examining the possibility of a direct contract award to Serco\".\n\nHe argued that the award would have \"allowed Scotland to benefit from the expertise of our Serco Transport senior management team who understand this complex and unique hospitality-focussed train operation like no-one else, while also enabling Scottish ministers to be in complete control of the contract\".\n\nHe added: \"Most importantly, this would have allowed the Scottish government to compare the price of such an award with that of their arm's length operator of last resort company.\"\n\nMr Whitehurst also said that since Serco took over the management of the Caledonian Sleeper in 2015, it had brought about \"massive improvements to every aspect of the service for our employees, our passengers and for Scotland, despite having made significant losses on the contract\".\n\nThe service, which has been operating in various forms since 1873, runs overnight trains between Scotland and London.\n\nThere is a Lowlander route between London and Glasgow and Edinburgh, and a Highlander route to Aberdeen, Inverness and Fort William.\n\nScottish Conservative transport spokesman Graham Simpson said the service had seen its highest revenue since the start of the franchise over the past year, with passenger numbers back to pre-Covid levels and guest and employee satisfaction all going up.\n\nHe added: \"The minister agreed that the sleeper has surpassed any other train company in the UK in its recovery from the pandemic and was thriving and a world class service.\n\n\"Given all that, there can be no conclusion other than that this is an ideological decision. Jenny Gilruth said nothing about how this world class service can be improved under the Scottish government.\"\n\nMr Simpson also said Ms Gilruth had given no idea of how much the nationalisation would cost, or how Scottish taxpayers would receive value for money from the move.\n\nA new fleet of trains was introduced in 2019\n\nThe RMT said it would give the Scottish government \"an opportunity to ensure this sustainable, low carbon route between Scotland and London can be run for passengers' interests, not private profit\".\n\nTrain drivers' union Aslef also backed the move but said it was disappointed that the minister had not taken the opportunity to bring the sleeper service into ScotRail.\n\nIn 2019, Serco put an improvement plan in place after the service was hit by strike action, technical faults and the late delivery of new trains.\n\nThat year, it also unveiled a new fleet of trains, which the company said would \"transform\" the service.\n\nMr Whitehurst said then that the business had inherited an \"unreliable and outdated\" fleet of carriages which dated back to the 1970s.\n\nThe sleeper service will be the second rail operation to be taken into state hands in Scotland in recent times.\n\nLast April, ScotRail officially returned to public ownership for the first time in 25 years, after previous operator Abellio had its franchise ended early amid criticism of the quality of the service.\n\nOther transport-related firms which have been brought into public ownership in recent years include shipbuilder Ferguson Marine in 2019 and Prestwick Airport in 2013 - both of which have proved to be controversial.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/uk-scotland-scotland-business-64802833"}
{"title":"500 Words: BBC Breakfast to relaunch children's writing competition - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-02","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"500 Words is to return this year, with the backing of the Queen Consort Camilla and Sir Lenny Henry.","section":"Entertainment & Arts","content":"Presenter Jon Kay said BBC Breakfast was \"delighted to be championing 500 Words\"\n\nThe children's writing competition 500 Words is to be relaunched by BBC One's Breakfast programme, three years after it was dropped from Radio 2.\n\nFirst launched by Chris Evans on Radio 2's own breakfast show in 2011, the popular UK-wide contest continued with his successor Zoe Ball until 2020.\n\nIt will return in September, again backed by the Queen Consort Camilla.\n\nThe BBC's chief content officer, Charlotte Moore, said the corporation was \"thrilled\" to be bringing it back.\n\nThis Twitter post cannot be displayed in your browser. Please enable Javascript or try a different browser. View original tweet on Twitter The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Skip twitter post by BBC Breakfast 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\u2019s cookie policy, external and privacy policy, external before accepting. To view this content choose \u2018accept and continue\u2019. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.\n\nShe added the scheme, also backed by Sir Lenny Henry, would \"help discover a range of young authors with big imaginations\".\n\n\"It is fantastic that the competition will be supported by the Queen Consort and we do hope teachers and librarians across the UK will get involved in this chance to help find the writers of tomorrow,\" Moore said on Thursday, marking World Book Day.\n\nBBC Breakfast presenter Jon Kay added: \"We are delighted to be championing 500 Words and look forward to the no doubt stellar entries from talented, aspiring young writers up and down the country that are sure to follow in due course.\"\n\nRadio 2 breakfast host Zoe Ball with her predecessor Chris Evans and the Queen Consort Camilla, then Duchess of Cornwell, pictured at the 500 Words final in 2019\n\nComedian and actor Sir Lenny Henry is on this year's judging panel\n\nSpeaking on his Virgin Radio show in the summer of 2020, Evans said it was \"a real shame\" that his former employer had brought the creative, 500-word short story writing competition to a close.\n\nUp until then, it had has received more than one million stories written by children, generating more than 440 million words; and at one stage brought keen reader Camilla to tears.\n\n\"There's no rules - they can sit down and write exactly what they like,\" she said in a recent conversation with current children's laureate Joseph Coelho.\n\nNow that it is returning, the nation's teachers and librarians are being invited to join the 2023 judging panel alongside World Book Day ambassador Sir Lenny - who will also read a CBeebies Bedtime Story for the occasion.\n\nOther judges include best-selling authors Frank Cottrell-Boyce, Francesca Simon, Charlie Higson and the former children's laureate Malorie Blackman.\n\nSpeaking to BBC Breakfast on Thursday, Higson, who wrote a series of five Young Bond novels, aimed at younger readers, said: \"Have fun with it, there are no rules and what we really want is to see inside those kids' minds and get their personalities through the stories.\"\n\n\"And I think anyone judging it,\" he added, \"is going to have huge fun seeing what stories these kids are telling\".\n\nThe grand final, which will feature the 50 best entries from two different age categories - children aged five to seven, and eight to 11 - will take place one year from now, on World Book Day 2024.\n\nPrevious locations for the final have been Windsor Castle, Hampton Court and the Tower of London.\n\nThe winning stories will be read out by star names, with past narrators including Dua Lipa, Benedict Cumberbatch and Jodie Whittaker.\n\nAuthor Benjamin Zephaniah has urged children considering taking part this time around not to be scared, and to just use their imaginations.\n\n\"If you can think of the wildest, craziest thing, that's fine,\" he said. \"But I've also come across children who were a little bit nervous because they said, 'well, I don't want to do dragons and things like that' and I said, 'well, you can write about things that are serious too.'\n\n\"You know, if you've got a problem, if you're being bullied or you want to say something about the environment, you can write a story about that, too.\n\n\"When you're a writer, you've got so much subject matter, the world is your subject. So I would just say free your imagination, and just let your creativity go.\"\n\nElsewhere, Blue Peter's Amazing Authors Competition is giving young writers the chance to get their story brought to life by children's author and McFly member Tom Fletcher.\n\nFor more information on engaging with 500 Words visit BBC Teach.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/entertainment-arts-64808395"}
{"title":"Covid messages leak a massive betrayal, says Matt Hancock - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-02","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"Journalist Isabel Oakeshott says it was in the \"national interest\" to publish ex-health secretary's texts.","section":"UK Politics","content":"Matt Hancock collaborated with journalist Isabel Oakeshott on his book Pandemic Diaries\n\nEx-Health Secretary Matt Hancock has accused a journalist of a \"massive betrayal and breach of trust\" after she leaked texts he sent during Covid.\n\nIsabel Oakeshott defended releasing WhatsApps she obtained when working on Mr Hancock's book, arguing it was in the \"overwhelming national interest\".\n\nHowever, Mr Hancock said the messages were released in a \"biased account to suit an anti-lockdown agenda\".\n\nHe also denied her claim he had sent her a \"menacing\" message over the leak.\n\nThe Telegraph has been handed more than 100,000 WhatsApp messages linked to Mr Hancock's time as health secretary at the height of the pandemic. It began publishing the texts earlier this week.\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Watch: Isabel Oakeshott reveals why she leaked the messages\n\nIn a statement released on Thursday morning Mr Hancock said: \"When I heard confused rumours of a publication late on Tuesday night, I called and messaged Isabel to ask her if she had 'any clues' about it, and got no response.\n\n\"When I then saw what she'd done, I messaged to say it was 'a big mistake'. Nothing more.\"\n\nMr Hancock argued the public inquiry into the pandemic was the right place for analysis of what went on - saying he would reply to the \"substance\" of allegations at the inquiry.\n\nHe apologised to those whose messages had been published by the Daily Telegraph, saying: \"I am also sorry for the impact on the very many people - political colleagues, civil servants and friends - who worked hard with me to get through the pandemic and save lives.\"\n\n\"Isabel and I had worked closely together for more than a year on my book, based on legal confidentiality and a process approved by the Cabinet Office. Isabel repeatedly reiterated the importance of trust throughout, and then broke that trust.\"\n\nA collection of more than 100,000 messages sent between former Health Secretary Matt Hancock and other ministers and officials at the height of the Covid-19 pandemic have been obtained by the Telegraph. Here are our stories on the leaks:\n\nThe text messages were passed to the newspaper by Ms Oakeshott, TalkTV's international editor, who has been critical of lockdowns. She was given copies of the texts while helping Mr Hancock write his book, Pandemic Diaries.\n\nThe BBC has not seen or independently verified the WhatsApp messages nor the context in which they were sent.\n\nMs Oakeshott has strongly defended her decision to release the messages saying she was someone \"acting in the overwhelming national interest\". She has not revealed how much she has been paid by the Telegraph.\n\n\"Anyone who thinks I did this for money must be utterly insane,\" she told BBC Radio 4's Today Programme.\n\n\"This is about the millions of people, every one of us in this country, that were adversely affected by the catastrophic decision to lockdown the country repeatedly on the flimsiest of evidence, often for the political reasons.\n\n\"I wanted to get to the truth of it,\" she said.\n\nAsked when she told Mr Hancock she would share the messages, she replied: \"I didn't tell him.\"\n\n\"Not one journalist worth their salt would sit on a cache of information in such an important matter, such a historic matter and cover that up,\" she said.\n\nPressed on the claim that Mr Hancock sent her a menacing message following the leaks, Ms Oakeshott said: \"I'm saying that he sent me a message at 01.20 in the morning. It wasn't a pleasant message.\"\n\nMs Oakeshott had initially told broadcasters she had signed a non-disclosure agreement (NDA) with Mr Hancock during the writing of her book.\n\nHowever, she later told the BBC's political editor Chris Mason that there was not an NDA but rather a \"really standard terms of agreement between us\".\n\nResponding to Mr Hancock's strong criticism, Ms Oakeshott said: \"This isn't about embarrassing individuals or making individual politicians look bad.\n\n\"It's so much bigger than that, it is about the entire country. And if we're going to talk about betrayal, then the way I see it is the betrayal of every one of us, who were let down by the response to the pandemic.\"\n\nAsked if she was worried other politicians would stop trusting her with information, she said \"No, because I'm really good at what I do. I do stories in the public interest, and I make judgments.\"\n\nAn NDA is a legal contract between at least two parties that outlines confidential material that they need or want to share with each other, but also want to restrict access to - similar to doctor-patient confidentiality or lawyer-client privilege.\n\nSometimes known as \"gagging orders\", \"hush agreements\" or \"confidentiality clauses\", NDAs typically prevent people making trade secrets or other specified information public.\n\nThey can also apply to allegations of misbehaviour in the workplace after a settlement has been agreed, or anything likely to damage an organisation's reputation.\n\nBut like any other contract, they can not be enforced if the specified activities are illegal.\n\nIf someone breaches an NDA, they break a contract, leaving them open to being sued.\n\nBut there is a public interest defence - the 1998 Public Interest Disclosure Act protects whistleblowers.\n\nThe publication of the messages has sent shockwaves through the political establishment as the public inquiry into the pandemic picks up pace.\n\nAt Prime Minister's Questions, Rishi Sunak defended the public inquiry as the \"right way\" to scrutinise the handling of the pandemic and urged people not to focus on \"piecemeal bits of information\".\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. PMQs: Rishi Sunak quizzed on claims of leaked Hancock messages by Sir Keir Starmer\n\nSir Keir Starmer called for Mr Sunak to ensure the inquiry had all the support it needed \"to report by the end of this year\".\n\nMr Hancock has already given a partial account of his time as health secretary, with the help of Ms Oakeshott, in his book, Pandemic Diaries.\n\nThe book was widely viewed as an attempt by Mr Hancock to rehabilitate his reputation after he resigned as health secretary over breaching social distancing guidance by kissing a colleague.\n\nLast year, Mr Hancock said he would not be standing as an MP at the next general election, after receiving criticism for joining the reality TV show I'm a Celebrity... Get Me Out of Here!","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/uk-politics-64818969"}
{"title":"Too late to save environment, says Green Party co-founder - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-02","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"Michael Benfield says the situation is very dire, and mitigating disaster is now the best hope.","section":"UK Politics","content":"This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. WATCH: Green Party co-founder Michael Benfield tells the BBC that the battle for the world's environmental survival is now lost.\n\nOne of the founders of what would become the Green Party of England and Wales has declared \"it's too late\" to save the environment.\n\nMichael Benfield, who helped set up the new political movement in the 1970s, said he believed the \"battle for the world's environmental survival\" was \"at this moment, lost\".\n\nSpeaking at an event to mark the party's 50th anniversary, Mr Benfield told the BBC he had become \"somewhat of a doomsayer\" about efforts to protect the environment.\n\n\"I think we have succeeded in helping to educate... but we have failed in dealing with the battle for environmental survival.\n\n\"I'll say to you now that it's too late. The battle for the world's environmental survival is, at this moment, lost,\" he said.\n\nThe scale of the solutions which he believed were necessary would be simply too unpalatable for any political party to propose, he argues.\n\nThe focus now, he thought, would have to be on mitigation.\n\n\"It doesn't mean to say that we can't perhaps do other things to put things right, but it's a very dire situation that we have,\" Mr Benfield said.\n\nHe was speaking 50 years since the first public meeting of PEOPLE, which would become the Ecology Party in 1975 and the Green Party in 1985.\n\nThe group was formed in a Coventry pub by Mr Benfield, fellow estate agent Freda Sanders and solicitors Lesley Whittaker and her late husband Tony.\n\nThe three surviving founders of what would turn out to be Europe's first green political party were among those who gathered at the London School of Economics to mark the milestone.\n\nIn a speech to the gathering, Green MP Caroline Lucas, warned: \"We don't have another 50 years.\"\n\nShe said: \"We are living through maybe one of the most consequential decades of human history, which I appreciate is a very big thing to say.\n\n\"The climate and nature crises are more critical than ever, and it feels to me that what falls upon the shoulders of the Green Party is a most extraordinary responsibility but an awesome opportunity as well.\"\n\nDeputy leader of the Green Party of England and Wales Zack Polanski said it was \"vital\" to be \"honest about the urgency of the situation\", but cautioned against underestimating \"the importance of hope alongside practical action\".\n\n\"I think that's the vital space the party occupies today, which is both that vision for a hopeful future and tangible real-life examples of where we're making change,\" he said.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/uk-politics-64815875"}
{"title":"Pulp bassist Steve Mackey dies aged 56 - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-02","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"The musician, who had been in hospital for the past three months, died on Thursday morning.","section":"Entertainment & Arts","content":"Steve Mackey with Jarvis Cocker at the premiere of Pulp, a documentary about the Sheffield indie band, in 2014\n\nPulp bassist Steve Mackey has died at the age of 56, his family has confirmed.\n\nThe Sheffield musician played on hits including Common People, Disco 2000 and Lipgloss, after joining Pulp in 1989.\n\nHis wife Katie posted a message to social media on Thursday, saying he had been in hospital for the past three months with an undisclosed illness.\n\n\"We are shocked and devastated to have said goodbye to my brilliant, beautiful husband,\" she added.\n\n\"Steve was the most talented man I knew, an exceptional musician, producer, photographer and filmmaker.\n\n\"As in life, he was adored by everyone whose paths he crossed in the multiple creative disciplines he conquered.\n\n\"I would like to express my heartfelt thanks to all the NHS staff who worked tirelessly for Steve. He will be missed beyond words.\"\n\nThis Instagram post cannot be displayed in your browser. Please enable Javascript or try a different browser. View original post on Instagram The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Skip instagram post by steve__mackey This article contains content provided by Instagram. We ask for your permission before anything is loaded, as they may be using cookies and other technologies. You may want to read Meta\u2019s Instagram cookie policy, external and privacy policy, external before accepting. To view this content choose \u2018accept and continue\u2019. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.\n\nPulp posted their own tribute shortly afterwards, informing fans that their \"beloved\" bass player had passed away on Thursday morning.\n\nThey shared a photograph of the musician from their 2012 tour, spending a day off in the snow-capped Andes.\n\n\"We had a day off and Steve suggested we go climbing,\" the band said. \"So we did and it was a completely magical experience.\n\n\"Far more magical than staring at the hotel wall all day (which is probably what we'd have done otherwise).\n\n\"Steve made things happen, in his life and in the band. We'd very much like to think that he's back in those mountains now, on the next stage of his adventure.\"\n\nThis Twitter post cannot be displayed in your browser. Please enable Javascript or try a different browser. View original tweet on Twitter The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Skip twitter post by Pulp 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\u2019s cookie policy, external and privacy policy, external before accepting. To view this content choose \u2018accept and continue\u2019. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.\n\nRock band Arcade Fire also paid tribute, posting: \"Steve you were one of the most beautiful people we've ever met, a true friend. Thank you for letting us spend time in your presence, and for believing in the spirit of music with such ferocity.\"\n\nSinger MIA described him as a \"great mentor\", adding: \"Forever glad to have worked with you and thank you.\"\n\nModel Kate Moss posted: \"Steve. Gone too soon, rest in peace.\" Another friend, actress Patsy Kensit, wrote: \"Such a great man. Devastated.\"\n\nPulp are due to go back on tour this summer for a series of reunion shows.\n\nMackey chose not to take part in the concerts, telling fans he had decided to concentrate on his \"music, filmmaking and photography projects\" instead.\n\nMassive Attack, another British act who enjoyed success in the 1990s, paid tribute by sharing a black and white image of Mackey, while quoting a lyric from his band's track Sorted For E's & Wizz.\n\nThis Twitter post cannot be displayed in your browser. Please enable Javascript or try a different browser. View original tweet on Twitter The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Skip twitter post 2 by Massive Attack 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\u2019s cookie policy, external and privacy policy, external before accepting. To view this content choose \u2018accept and continue\u2019. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.\n\nThe musician was born in Sheffield in 1966, and attended school with another Pulp alumnus, Richard Hawley.\n\nHe joined the band in 1989 - a decade into its career - and first appeared on their third album Separations.\n\nAfter signing to Island Records in the early 1990s, the band hit the big time with classic albums including His 'N' Hers and Different Class, with frontman Jarvis Cocker becoming one of the most beloved characters of the Britpop era.\n\nSpeaking to Pulp's official website in 1996, Mackey said he'd enjoyed the rollercoaster ride of fame.\n\n\"I think if you are in a band that are popular then you might as well enjoy it.\" he said.\n\n\"That's what we always wanted to do and I don't think there is anything wrong with being silly. You'd be throwing away a bit of a golden opportunity - you might as well be a librarian all of your life.\"\n\nThis YouTube post cannot be displayed in your browser. Please enable Javascript or try a different browser. View original video on YouTube The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. YouTube content may contain adverts. Skip youtube video by PulpVEVO 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\u2019s cookie policy, external and privacy policy, external before accepting. To view this content choose \u2018accept and continue\u2019. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. YouTube content may contain adverts.\n\nAfter the band went on hiatus in 2002, Mackey co-wrote and produced songs for artists including MIA (Galang, Sunshowers), Florence + The Machine (Kiss With A Fist) and Arcade Fire (Everything Now).\n\nHe also played a cameo in the 2005 film Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, as one of The Weird Sisters - a rock band that also featured Jarvis Cocker and Radiohead musicians Jonny Greenwood and Phil Selway.\n\nPulp are scheduled to play a string of festivals in summer 2023, including Isle of Wight, Latitude and Trnsmt.\n\nHe also photographed and directed campaign images and motion advertising for many leading brands including Miu Miu, Marc Jacobs and Armani.\n\nMackey teamed up with Pulp again for their 2012 reunion; and also co-curated London's Frieze Art Fair for a number of years in the 2000s.\n\nHe married stylist and magazine founder, Katie Grand, in 2009. Mackey also leaves a son, Marley, who was born in 1996.\n\nFollow us on Facebook or on Twitter @BBCNewsEnts. If you have a story suggestion email entertainment.news@bbc.co.uk.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/entertainment-arts-64827409"}
{"title":"Beer firm hits out at bottle deposit scheme - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-02","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"Innis and Gunn is among hundreds of producers which have not yet signed up to the recycling scheme.","section":"Scotland","content":"The founder of Innis and Gunn has questioned the legality of the deposit return scheme\n\nOne of Scotland's most recognisable drinks brands is among hundreds which have not signed up to a controversial new bottle recycling scheme.\n\nDougal Sharp, the founder of Innis and Gunn, questioned the legality of the scheme and raised concerns about its costs to businesses and consumers.\n\nA total of 664 producers had signed up to the deposit return scheme by the Tuesday deadline.\n\nIt was initially estimated that about 4,500 producers would need to register.\n\nHowever First Minister Nicola Sturgeon told MSPs that number had now been revised to \"below 2,000\".\n\nShe said the companies that have registered are responsible for 95% of drinks sold in single-use containers in Scotland.\n\nThe scheme is designed to boost recycling via a 20p deposit on single-use bottles and cans.\n\nRegistration will now be open until the scheme's launch on 16 August.\n\nMr Sharp told BBC Radio Scotland's Good Morning Scotland programme that there were too many unanswered questions about the scheme, including whether or not it was legal.\n\nThe brewer said he had taken advice from lawyers before deciding not to sign up before a deadline on Tuesday.\n\nHe said that many companies \"felt they had no choice\" around joining the scheme as it would affect their ability to trade in Scotland from 16 August.\n\nBut he feared the scheme would drive \"enormous price pressure on to consumers\".\n\n\"A four-pack of our lager might go from \u00a35 to \u00a37 - I think that's a scandal in the middle of the biggest cost of living crisis we can remember,\" he said.\n\nUnder the scheme, a 20p deposit will be added to all single-use drinks containers made of PET plastic, metal or glass.\n\nConsumers can claim their money back by returning the container to retailers and hospitality premises that sell such single-use products to take away.\n\n\"You'll get some of that money back, but you won't get all of it back,\" said Mr Sharp.\n\n\"My great fear is that there aren't enough reverse vending machines for people to return their cans and bottles to, and if there isn't, how do you get money back?\"\n\nAll three SNP leadership contenders have said that the scheme will not go ahead in its present form.\n\nKate Forbes and Ash Regan want to pause the scheme, while Humza Yousaf said he would exempt smaller firms for a year.\n\nBut Mr Sharp said he wants it to be ditched.\n\n\"The scheme is going to destroy the existing [recycling] infrastructure and create new infrastructure,\" he said.\n\n\"If that isn't wasteful I don't know what is. I think there are better ways to do it.\"\n\nHe said some money from drink sales should be ringfenced to invest more in the existing recycling industry in Scotland instead of the new scheme.\n\nCircular Economy Minister Lorna Slater said the scheme would still launch as planned on 16 August and registration for producers will be open until then.\n\nThe Scottish Greens co-leader said the industry had been challenged to \"do their part to tackle the climate emergency\" but she understood that there were concerns for small producers that the government was \"systematically working to resolve\".\n\nSpeaking in Holyrood on Thursday, Scottish Conservatives leader Douglas Ross called the scheme a \"complete disaster\".\n\nHe said the voices of businesses across Scotland had been ignored.\n\nDuring First Minister's Questions, he asked Nicola Sturgeon to clarify how many businesses should have signed up by the Tuesday deadline.\n\nMs Sturgeon said: \"At the outset of introducing this scheme, it was estimated that there were around 4,500.\n\n\"However, significantly less than that will have to register because once groups of companies registering under one registration are identified, the estimated number of individual producers\/importers will be below 2,000.\"\n\nShe added: \"The vast majority of product is actually produced by a relatively small number of producers.\n\n\"As of yesterday, more than 90% of product and of the market is covered and that is the crucial point. If it was the reverse, that would be a problem.\"\n\nDavid Harris, Circularity Scotland chief executive, told BBC Scotland there had been \"misinformation\" and \"misunderstandings\" over Scotland's scheme.\n\nHe urge anybody who feels that their business is going to be impacted by these regulations to contact Circularity Scotland.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/uk-scotland-64823432"}
{"title":"Florida resident dies from brain-eating amoeba - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-02","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"Officials suspect the victim was infected after rinsing their nasal sinuses with public tap water.","section":"US & Canada","content":"A Florida resident has died after becoming infected with a rare brain-eating amoeba, officials say.\n\nHealth experts in Charlotte County, in southwest Florida, say the victim was probably infected after rinsing their nasal sinuses with tap water.\n\nNaegleria fowleri infects the brain through the nose. Officials say that drinking it is not dangerous.\n\nInfections are almost always fatal, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).\n\nOfficials have not identified the victim.\n\nOn 23 February, the Florida Department of Heath said that a patient had been infected \"possibly as a result of sinus rinse practices\" utilising tap water.\n\nOn Thursday, a spokesman for the state health agency confirmed that the patient had died.\n\nOfficials across multiple government agencies are \"continuing to investigate how this infection occurred,\" spokesman Jae Williams said.\n\nHe added that officials are \"working with the local public utilities to identify any potential links and make any necessary corrective actions\".\n\nThe amoeba typically lives in warm fresh water such as swimming pools, lakes and ponds.\n\nThe person lived in Charlotte County, Florida, but has not been identified by officials\n\nIt can lead to a severe infection if it enters through the nose, but it is normally safe through the mouth because stomach acid kills the single-cell microorganism.\n\nAccording to the CDC, around three Americans get infected each year, often with deadly consequences.\n\nBetween 1962 and 2021, only four of the 154 people infected in the US survived.\n\nOfficials warn that to avoid infections people should not rinse out their nasal passages with untreated tap water.\n\nSterile or distilled water are preferred options. Tap water can also be used if it is boiled for at least one minute and cooled before use.\n\nPeople are also advised to avoid taking on water in their nose while in swimming pools or bathing or showering.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/world-us-canada-64831778"}
{"title":"Silicon Valley Bank: Global bank stocks slump despite Biden reassurances - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-13","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"US authorities have stepped in to protect customers after the collapse of two American banks.","section":"Business","content":"This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Is this the start of a financial crisis?\n\nBank shares in Asia and Europe have slumped, despite reassurances from the US president that America's financial system is safe following the collapse of two US lenders.\n\nThe falls come after authorities moved to protect customer deposits when the US-based Silicon Valley Bank (SVB) and Signature Bank collapsed.\n\nJoe Biden promised to do \"whatever is needed\" to protect the banking system.\n\nBut investors fear other lenders may still be hit by the fallout.\n\nOn Tuesday, Japan's Topix Banks share index fell by more than 7%, putting it on course for its worst day in more than three years.\n\nShares of Mitsubishi UFJ Financial Group, the country's largest lender by assets, were down by 8.1% in mid-day Asian trading.\n\nOn Monday, Spain's Santander and Germany's Commerzbank saw their share prices dive by more than 10% at one point.\n\nA string of smaller US banks suffered even worse losses than European counterparts, despite reassuring customers that they had more than enough liquidity to protect themselves from shocks.\n\nThe volatility has led to speculation that America's Federal Reserve will now pause its plans to keep raising interest rates, designed to tame inflation.\n\nMr Biden said that people and businesses that had deposited money with Silicon Valley Bank would be able to access all their cash from Monday, after the government stepped in to protect their deposits in full.\n\nMany business customers had faced the prospect of not being able to pay staff and suppliers after their funds were frozen.\n\nBBC North America Technology correspondent James Clayton spoke to people queuing up all day outside the SVB branch in Menlo Park, California, to access their funds.\n\nAs the bank was no longer offering wire transfers, they were taking out their money in cashier cheques.\n\nThis Twitter post cannot be displayed in your browser. Please enable Javascript or try a different browser. View original tweet on Twitter The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Skip twitter post by James Clayton 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\u2019s cookie policy, external and privacy policy, external before accepting. To view this content choose \u2018accept and continue\u2019. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.\n\nSilicon Valley Bank - which specialised in lending to technology companies - was shut down by US regulators who seized its assets on Friday. It was the biggest failure of a US bank since the financial crisis in 2008.\n\nIt had been trying to raise money to plug a loss from the sale of assets affected by higher interest rates. Word of the troubles led customers to race to withdraw funds, leading to a cash crisis.\n\nAuthorities on Sunday also took over Signature Bank in New York, which had many clients involved in crypto and was seen as the institution most vulnerable to a similar bank run.\n\nMr Biden promised that covering the deposits would not cost taxpayers anything, and instead be funded by fees regulators charge to banks.\n\nAs part of efforts to restore confidence, US regulators also unveiled a new way for banks to borrow emergency funds in a crisis.\n\nYet there is concern that the failures, which came after the collapse of another US lender, Silvergate Bank, last week, are a sign of troubles at other firms.\n\nPaul Ashworth of Capital Economics said the US authorities had \"acted aggressively to prevent a contagion developing\".\n\n\"But contagion has always been more about irrational fear, so we would stress that there is no guarantee this will work,\" he added.\n\nDanni Hewson, head of financial analysis at the stockbrokers AJ Bell, said: \"The first rush of relief has been replaced by niggling concerns that the era of high rates might be more difficult for some banks to stomach than had been previously thought.\n\n\"In the US, bank stocks slid despite Joe Biden's pledge that 'whatever is needed' will be carried out to prevent more dominos from tumbling.\"\n\nThe failure of SVB has re-ignited debates - similar to those seen following the 2008 financial crisis - about how much the government should do to regulate and protect banks.\n\nThe chair of the US Federal Reserve, Jerome Powell, says there will be a thorough and transparent review of the collapse.\n\nMr Biden called for tougher rules and emphasised that investors and bank leaders would not be spared.\n\n\"They knowingly took a risk... that's how capitalism works,\" he said.\n\nStill, Republican Senator Tim Scott, seen as a potential presidential candidate in 2024, called the rescue \"problematic\".\n\n\"Building a culture of government intervention does nothing to stop future institutions from relying on the government to swoop in after taking excessive risks,\" he said.\n\nOnce again people are worried about banks. Once again there is intense debate about bailouts. But this isn't 2008.\n\nFollowing the global financial crisis, the focus was on reforming banks considered \"too big to fail\". Today's problems are centred around medium- and smaller-sized banks.\n\nBoth of the banks that collapsed - Silicon Valley Bank and Signature Bank - had the same thing in common: their business models were too concentrated in one sector and they were over exposed to assets whose values came under pressure from rising interest rates.\n\nThe criticism is that they should have foreseen this and they didn't. US Federal Reserve chair Jerome Powell has gone to great lengths to signal the Fed's intention to raise interest rates.\n\nSince most banks are well diversified and have plenty of cash on hand, the assumption is that the risk to the rest of the banking sector is low. That won't stop regulators looking into what went wrong and what rules need to change.\n\nAnd the pressure on small- and medium-sized banks hasn't gone away. What happens to the US economy and the fight against inflation also remains to be seen.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/world-us-canada-64935170"}
{"title":"Ukraine war: Heavy losses reported as battle for Bakhmut rages - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-13","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"Both Ukraine and Russia have reported inflicting significant losses in the eastern city.","section":"Europe","content":"Ukraine and Russia have reported inflicting heavy losses as the battle for Bakhmut rages on.\n\nMoscow has been trying to take the eastern Ukrainian city for months in a grinding war of attrition.\n\nUkrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said Russian forces had suffered more than 1,100 deaths in the past few days, with many more seriously injured.\n\nRussia said it had killed more than 220 Ukrainian service members over the past 24 hours.\n\nThe BBC is unable to verify the numbers given by either side.\n\nAnalysts say Bakhmut has little strategic value, but has become a focal point for Russian commanders who have struggled to deliver any positive news to the Kremlin.\n\nCapture of the city would bring Russia slightly closer to its goal of controlling the whole of Donetsk region, one of four regions in eastern and southern Ukraine annexed by Russia last September following referendums widely condemned outside Russia as a sham.\n\nUkrainian commanders, who have committed significant resources to defending the city, say their strategy aims to tie Russia's forces down and prevent Moscow from launching any further offensives in the coming months.\n\n\"In less than a week, starting from 6 March, we managed to kill more than 1,100 enemy soldiers in the Bakhmut sector alone, Russia's irreversible loss, right there, near Bakhmut,\" Mr Zelensky said in his nightly video address.\n\nHe added that 1,500 Russian soldiers were wounded badly enough to keep them out of further action.\n\nRussia's defence ministry said Russian forces had killed \"more than 220 Ukrainian servicemen\".\n\nThe commander of Ukraine's ground forces, Col Gen Oleksandr Syrskyi, said the Russian mercenary Wagner Group was attacking his troops from several directions in a bid to break through defences and advance to the central districts of the town.\n\nThe paramilitary organisation is at the heart of the Russian assault on Bakhmut. Its leader, Yevgeny Prigozhin, has staked his reputation, and that of his private army, on seizing Bakhmut.\n\nHe said on Sunday that the situation in the city was \"difficult, very difficult, the enemy is fighting for every metre\".\n\n\"And the closer to the city centre, the fiercer the fighting,\" he said in a voice recording published on Telegram.\n\nAfter his envisioned capture of Bakhmut, \"we will begin to reboot\" and \"will start recruiting new people from the regions\", he said.\n\nAnd on Saturday, the Institute for the Study of War - a US think tank - reported that Moscow's offence was stalling.\n\n\"Wagner Group fighters are likely becoming increasingly pinned in urban areas... and are therefore finding it difficult to make significant advances,\" it said.\n\nThere were about 70,000 people living in Bakhmut before the invasion, but only a few thousand remain. The city was once best known for its salt and gypsum mines and huge winery.\n\nThose who remain in the city risk a hazardous existence, with four people injured in Bakhmut on Monday, Donetsk regional governor Pavlo Kyrylenko said.\n\nLike Russia, Ukraine has also given Bakhmut political significance, with President Zelensky making the city an emblem of resistance.\n\nWhen he visited Washington in December, he called it \"the fortress of our morale\" and gave a Bakhmut flag to the US Congress.\n\nWestern officials estimate between 20,000 and 30,000 Russian troops have been killed or injured so far in and around Bakhmut.\n\nA draft law introduced in the Russian parliament on Monday aims to push back the age bracket for compulsory military service, from the current 18-27 years to 21-30.\n\nReuters reported that, due to the transition period between the old legislation and the new, 2024 and 2025 would see the conscription age span 10 or 11 years rather than the usual nine - meaning more men would be eligible to fight.\n\nRussia's previous attempt to draft thousands of new recruits into the Ukraine war met with some resistance. In September the announcement of a partial military mobilisation saw long queues form at border crossings as men of draft age sought to flee the call-up.\n\nThe Kremlin said reports of fighting-age men fleeing had been exaggerated.\n\nBesides the Bakhmut fighting, seven residents were injured elsewhere in Donetsk region on Monday, governor Pavlo Kyrylenko said.\n\nFurther east in Luhansk, regional governor Serhiy Haidai said the Russians had \"significantly intensified shelling\" on the front line. He added that Russia was bringing more and more equipment and troops to the area.\n\nElsewhere in eastern Ukraine, there were 47 attacks on Ukrainian troops in Zaporizhzhia, according to the regional administration.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/world-europe-64935449"}
{"title":"Gulnara Karimova: How Uzbek president\u2019s daughter built a \u00a3200m property empire - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-13","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"Gulnara Karimova bought homes and a jet with funds obtained via bribery and corruption, a report says.","section":"World","content":"Gulnara Karimova and some of her portfolio in London\n\nA dictator's daughter who moonlighted as a pop star and diplomat spent $240m (\u00a3200m) on properties from London to Hong Kong, a report has found.\n\nGulnara Karimova used UK companies to buy homes and a jet with funds obtained through bribery and corruption, the Freedom For Eurasia study says.\n\nIt adds that accounting firms in London and the British Virgin Islands acted for UK companies involved in the deals.\n\nThe story raises fresh doubts about the UK's efforts to tackle illegal wealth.\n\nBritish authorities have long been accused of not doing enough to prevent criminals from overseas using UK property to launder money.\n\nThe report says the ease with which Karimova obtained UK property was \"concerning\".\n\nThere is no suggestion that those acting for the companies linked to her were aware of any connection to her nor that the source of funds could have been suspicious. No-one who provided those services in the UK has been investigated or fined.\n\nFor a time Gulnara Karimova was tipped to succeed her father, Islam Karimov, who ruled Uzbekistan as president of the central Asian state from 1989 until his death in 2016. She appeared in pop videos under the stage name \"Googoosha\", ran a jewellery company and served as ambassador to Spain.\n\nBut then in 2014 she disappeared from public view. It later emerged she had been detained on corruption charges while her father was still in power and she was sentenced in December 2017. In 2019 she was sent to prison for breaching the terms of her house arrest.\n\nProsecutors accused her of being part of a criminal group that controlled assets of more than $1bn (\u00a3760m) in 12 countries, including the UK, Russia and United Arab Emirates. \"The Karimova case is one of the largest bribery and corruption cases of all time,\" says Tom Mayne, one of the researchers on the Freedom For Eurasia report and a research fellow at the University of Oxford.\n\nHowever, Karimova and her associates had already sold some of the property allegedly acquired with corrupt funds.\n\nFreedom For Eurasia researched property and land registry records to identify at least 14 properties it says were purchased before she was arrested, with allegedly suspicious funds, in various countries, including the UK, Switzerland, France, Dubai and Hong Kong.\n\nThe report to be published on Tuesday 14 March, titled Who Enabled the Uzbek Princess?, focuses on five properties bought in and around London, now worth an estimated \u00a350m - including three flats in Belgravia, just west of Buckingham Palace, a house in Mayfair and an \u00a318m Surrey manor house with a private boating lake.\n\nTwo of the Belgravia flats were sold in 2013 before Karimova was detained. In 2017, the house in Mayfair, the Surrey mansion and a third flat in Belgravia were frozen by the Serious Fraud Office.\n\nFreedom For Eurasia's report also names firms in London and the British Virgin Islands that it claims were used by Karimova or associates to enable them to spend the proceeds of crime on the properties as well as on a private jetliner.\n\nKarimova's boyfriend, Rustam Madumarov, and others now alleged to be associates of hers were listed in official documents as the \"beneficial owners\" - a legal term for the person who ultimately is in control - of companies based in the UK, Gibraltar and the British Virgin Islands. But the report says they were just proxies for Karimova, who used the firms to launder hundreds of millions of dollars.\n\nAccountancy services for two UK companies linked to Karimova - Panally Ltd and Odenton Management Ltd - were provided by SH Landes LLP, a firm formerly located on New Oxford Street in London.\n\nIn late July 2010, SH Landes sought to register or acquire another company. The aim was to purchase a private jet for around $40m (\u00a333m), with Madumarov named as the beneficial owner. In fact, according to the report, Karimova was really behind the purchase.\n\nKarimova's former property in Mayfair, London, was seized by the Serious Fraud Office\n\nWhen asked at the time about the source of his funds, SH Landes replied: \"We believe that the question regarding his personal wealth is not relevant in this situation.\" This was seemingly because the money to buy the jet was not being provided by Madumarov out of his personal funds.\n\nThe London-based firm later said Madumarov's wealth came partly from a mobile phone company based in Uzbekistan, Uzdonrobita. Questions had already been raised about the company's possible links to Karimova. As far back as 2004, an article for the Moscow Times had alleged that Karimova siphoned some $20m out of Uzdunrobita using fraudulent invoices. A former adviser had also accused Karimova of \"racketeering\".\n\nBecause it was a high-value transaction linked to a high-risk jurisdiction, Uzbekistan, the report argues that SH Landes should have conducted \"enhanced due diligence\" - thorough background checks to ensure the source of funds was legitimate and not derived from criminal activity.\n\nSH Landes also submitted the 2012 financial statements for Panally Ltd. The report says in September 2013 they were signed off by a close associate of Karimova's: Gayane Avakyan, then aged 30.\n\nThe previous year, the BBC had published allegations that Avakyan was the registered beneficial owner of Takilant, a Gibraltar-registered company at the centre of \"a high-level multi-million dollar fraud and corruption scandal in Uzbekistan\".\n\nIn a statement to the BBC, Steven Landes said: \"SH Landes LLP was never engaged by Gulnara Karimova. SH Landes LLP did act on behalf of Rustam Madumarov.\n\n\"SH Landes LLP obtained due diligence on all its clients and relevant regulatory authorities were notified and kept appraised.\"\n\nTom Mayne of Freedom For Eurasia said the apparent ease with which Karimova managed to buy so much UK property was concerning.\n\n\"It took the authorities until 2017 to do anything, years after other countries had already frozen bank accounts and properties that belonged to her,\" he added.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/world-64915348"}
{"title":"Oscars 2023: Everything Everywhere All At Once cleans up with seven awards - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-13","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"The sci-fi drama gets seven awards, with Michelle Yeoh the first Asian woman to win best actress.","section":"Entertainment & Arts","content":"Michelle Yeoh became the first Asian woman to win best actress, as Everything Everywhere All at Once dominated at the Oscars.\n\nThe dazzling multiverse adventure won seven awards including best picture, director and original screenplay.\n\nAccepting her statuette, Yeoh said: \"For all the little boys and girls who look like me watching tonight, this is a beacon of hope and possibilities.\n\n\"And ladies, don't let anybody tell you that you are ever past your prime.\"\n\nYeoh's co-stars Ke Huy Quan and Jamie Lee Curtis triumphed in the supporting actor and actress categories. In the history of the Oscars, no other film has ever won best picture, best director and three acting prizes.\n\nIn Everything Everywhere All at Once, Yeoh plays a Chinese-American laundrette owner who is mired in a tax audit, stuck in a crumbling marriage and struggling to connect with her daughter Joy.\n\nBut when she discovers different versions of herself in the multiverse, she must tap into their skills in order to save the world.\n\n\"This is proof that dreams do come true,\" Yeoh said in her speech. \"I have to dedicate this to all the moms in the world because they are the superheroes, and without them, none of us would be here tonight.\"\n\nEverything Everywhere All At Once directors Daniel Scheinert (left), Daniel Kwan (right) and producer Jonathan Wang (centre)\n\nThe 60-year-old enjoyed a late surge in momentum in this year's Oscars race, ultimately overtaking the early frontrunner Cate Blanchett.\n\nYeoh is only the second woman of colour to win best leading actress, following Halle Berry for Monster's Ball more than two decades ago.\n\nBest leading actress has historically been far less diverse than the supporting actress category, where Ariana DeBose, Yuh-jung Youn, Regina King, Viola Davis, Lupita Nyong'o and Octavia Spencer have won in the past decade.\n\nElsewhere, Brendan Fraser capped his extraordinary comeback after years away from the Hollywood spotlight by winning best actor for his performance in The Whale.\n\nThanking the film's director, the 54-year-old said: \"I'm grateful to Darren Aronofsky for throwing me a creative lifeline.\"\n\n\"I just wanted to say thank you for this acknowledgement,\" he said.\n\nAddressing his fellow nominees, he said: \"You laid your whale-sized hearts so we could see into your souls, like no-one else could do, and it is my honour to be named alongside you in this category.\"\n\nFraser was a huge film star at the turn of the millennium, starring in films such as George of the Jungle and The Mummy.\n\nBut he spent years out of the spotlight as he struggled to recapture his earlier success, mostly taking on smaller roles.\n\nThat changed when he was cast in The Whale as an overweight professor trying to repair his relationship with his estranged daughter.\n\nFraser transformed his appearance for the film, which also won best make-up and hairstyling.\n\nMuch like Fraser, best supporting actor winner Quan has enjoyed a comeback narrative this awards season. The actor catapulted back into the spotlight thanks to his role in Everything Everywhere All at Once.\n\nHe told the audience: \"Dreams are something you have to believe in - I almost gave up on mine.\"\n\nThe 51-year-old took an extended break from acting after rising to fame as a child star in films such as The Goonies and Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom.\n\nIn an emotional speech, the Vietnamese-American actor said: \"They say stories like this only happen in the movies - I cannot believe it is happening to me. This is the American dream.\n\n\"My journey started on a boat, I spent a year in a refugee camp, and somehow I ended up here, on Hollywood's biggest stage... Thank you so much for welcoming me back.\"\n\nJamie Lee Curtis' victory in best supporting actor marks her first Oscar in a 45-year acting career\n\nCurtis won the first Oscar of her 45-year acting career by scoring best supporting actress - one of the tightest categories of the night.\n\n\"I know it looks like I'm standing up here by myself but I am not, I am hundreds of people,\" Curtis said in her acceptance speech. \"The entire group of artists who made this movie - we just won an Oscar.\"\n\nEverything Everywhere also won best editing, best original screenplay and best directing for Daniel Kwan and Daniel Scheinert - jointly known as Daniels.\n\nAccepting best picture, Kwan said \"I realised growing up that one of the things we can do for each other is shelter each other from the chaos of this crazy world that we live in. Thank you to the storytellers who did that for me.\"\n\nAll Quiet on the Western Front, Netflix's German-language World War One epic, finished the night in second place with four awards - best international feature, original score, production design and cinematography.\n\nIts success at the Oscars follows a string of technical wins at the Baftas, but the film failed to replicate its British victory in the top category.\n\nGuillermo del Toro's Pinocchio was named best animated feature. The Mexican filmmaker said: \"Animation is cinema, animation is not a genre and animation is ready to be taken to the next step.\"\n\nWakanda Forever's Ruth E Carter repeated the best costume design victory she scored with the original Black Panther. She dedicated the prize to her mother, who died aged 101 last week.\n\nWakanda Forever's Ruth E Carter dedicated her award for best costume design for her late mother\n\nThere was a British win for The Boy, The Mole, The Fox and The Horse. The adaptation of the illustrated Charlie Mackesy book, which aired on BBC One over Christmas, won best animated short.\n\nThe award for best documentary feature went to Navalny, about Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny and the events related to his 2020 poisoning.\n\nIn his speech, director Daniel Roher dedicated the award to Navalny, who has been imprisoned for two years, saying: \"Alexei, the world has not forgotten your vital message to the world.\"\n\nNavalny's wife, Yulia Navalnaya, added: \"Alexei, I am dreaming of the day you will be free and our country will be free, stay strong my love.\"\n\nThere was a win in the best sound category for Top Gun: Maverick - one of the biggest box office hits of the past year - while Naatu Naatu from RRR won best original song.\n\nElsewhere at the ceremony, a dressed-down Lady Gaga sang a stripped-back rendition of Hold My Hand (from Top Gun: Maverick) while Rihanna sang Lift Me Up (from Wakanda Forever).\n\nKimmel joked that dancers from Indian film RRR would appear behind any winners whose speeches went on too long\n\nThe 95th Academy Awards ceremony was hosted by US chat show host Jimmy Kimmel, who opened with a monologue which reflected on the past 12 months in the film industry.\n\n\"They say Hollywood is running out of ideas. I mean, poor Steven Spielberg had to make a movie about Steven Spielberg,\" he joked, referring to the director's autobiographical best picture nominee The Fabelmans.\n\nHe also made jokes about the cancelled Batgirl film - commenting that the character was \"the first superhero to be defeated by the accounting department\".\n\nThe US comic described Avatar: The Way of Water as \"another opportunity for James Cameron to do what he loves doing more than anything else - drowning Kate Winslet\" (the actress also appeared in Cameron's Titanic).\n\nJimmy Kimmel brought a donkey on stage - a reference to the Banshees of Inisherin\n\n\"It was a big year for diversity and inclusion,\" Kimmel continued, \"we have nominees from every corner of Dublin.\" The Banshees of Inisherin had four acting nominations, including Colin Farrell and Kerry Condon.\n\n\"Five Irish actors are nominated tonight which means the odds of another fight on stage just went way up.\"\n\nFinally, Kimmel referenced the event that overshadowed last year's ceremony: Will Smith slapping Chris Rock.\n\n\"If anyone here commits an act of violence during the show, you will be awarded best actor,\" Kimmel said, to much laughter, \"and permitted to give a 19-minute speech\".","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/entertainment-arts-64935289"}
{"title":"Mother of Caroline Flack does not accept Met Police apology - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-13","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"Christine Flack says her daughter would still be alive if she had not been charged with assault.","section":"UK","content":"Caroline's mum told the BBC she thinks about her daughter \"every day, every hour, the whole time\"\n\nThe mother of Caroline Flack has said she rejects an apology given by the Metropolitan Police about how her daughter's case was handled.\n\nThe TV star was facing prosecution for assaulting her boyfriend when she killed herself in February 2020.\n\nThe Met last month apologised to her mum, Christine Flack, for not recording the reason why she had been charged.\n\nChristine told the BBC she rejects that apology, while the force said her arrest had been handled appropriately.\n\nIt is three years since The X Factor and Love Island host took her own life. She had been due to appear in court over the alleged assault of her then-boyfriend, Lewis Burton, in the weeks before her death, in 2020.\n\nFollowing her arrest, the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) initially decided Caroline only receive a caution - a decision that was appealed by a senior Met officer and resulted in her instead facing a charge of assault by beating.\n\nA coroner later ruled the presenter killed herself because she knew she was facing prosecution and feared the publicity a trial would attract.\n\nFollowing her death, the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) carried out a review of the Met's decision to charge her. The review \"did not identify any misconduct\" by the Met.\n\nHowever, the IOPC did ask the Met to apologise to Caroline's family about not recording its reason to appeal the original CPS decision. Last month, the force apologised for not officially recording why the presenter had been charged.\n\nChristine has previously said her daughter had been treated differently because of her fame.\n\nSpeaking to BBC Newsnight's Victoria Derbyshire, she said she does not accept that apology, adding: \"It just seems wrong. They haven't said why there were no notes taken, why nothing was recorded. I don't know whether they're covering something.\"\n\nChristine Flack believes her daughter would still be alive if she had not been charged with assault\n\nWhen asked if she thought her daughter would still be alive if the caution had remained and Caroline had not been charged, Christine told Newsnight: \"I do, I really do.\"\n\n\"Once all the pictures came out in the newspapers and things were written about her on social media - they just picked up the bad,\" she said. \"There was a lot of good, but Caroline wasn't reading the good - she was only reading the bad.\"\n\nShe added: \"She lost her job straight away, without even being found guilty or going to court. She had another series axed.\"\n\nChristine says she will not stop campaigning for a more comprehensive apology from the Met for the way it dealt with her daughter in the hours before she died.\n\nFollowing her arrest, Caroline was taken by ambulance to hospital because she had self-harmed. She was later locked in a cell for 24 hours, which her mother believes was unnecessary.\n\nThe Met told the BBC the arrest had been handled appropriately. A spokesman said: \"Our thoughts and sympathies remain with Ms Flack's family for their loss and we are sorry for the impact this has had on them.\n\n\"When a person is arrested they can be held in custody for a period of up to 24 hours to allow officers time to gather evidence and investigate the alleged offence.\n\n\"A review by the Independent Office for Police Conduct did not identify any misconduct in relation to the handling of Ms Flack's arrest, however, it concluded that an officer involved in the investigation should receive reflective practice.\"\n\nChristine told Newsnight her biggest regret is not speaking out publicly in the hours after her daughter's arrest to correct what she describes as \"lies'\" printed by the press.\n\n\"Things that went into the press that she hit someone with a lamp or a fan - that was just totally untrue,\" she says. \"And nobody ever came out and said, 'No, that didn't happen.'\"\n\nWatch the Newsnight interview in full at 22:30 on BBC Two or on BBC iPlayer\n\nIf you, or someone you know, have been affected by mental health issues or self-harm, help and support is available via BBC Action Line.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/uk-64909550"}
{"title":"Why am I the only male Scottish footballer to come out? - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-13","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"Zander Murray asks why he is the only male senior Scottish footballer to reveal publicly that he is gay.","section":"Scotland","content":"This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. 'I want to inspire young men to be themselves' - Zander Murray\n\nIs football homophobic and what can we do if it is? Those were the questions I wanted to answer when the BBC Scotland Disclosure team approached me about making a documentary.\n\nMy decision last September to become the first male Scottish senior footballer to come out publicly as gay was not an easy or quick one. It took a lot of hard work.\n\nI had told my family and close friends 18 months before but it had actually taken 20 years to get to the stage where I was able to be my true authentic self and continue to play football.\n\nI'm now 31 and football is the game I have loved from the moment I started kicking a ball as a small child.\n\nI was obsessed. I played all the time and I was better than most other kids.\n\nBy my teens I was I playing for Motherwell's youth team but I was also beginning to realise I was different from my friends.\n\nI knew I was gay and I fought against it.\n\nI fought it because of the kind of conversations I was having in the changing room.\n\nZander Murray scores against Sauchie Juniors in the Scottish Cup\n\nThese were the sorts of conversations young lads have - about girls, being tough, playing hard, and the language used to describe gay men was not what you would call inclusive.\n\nWe were just boys and didn't know any better but it did set me apart from my team-mates.\n\nWhile going out on the pitch was my relief, I slowly turned away from the game and gave up on my dream of playing football professionally.\n\nIn my 20s I started playing seriously again, building up through smaller teams.\n\nIt was only after I joined Gala Fairydean Rovers, and became their top goal scorer, that I gained the confidence to be honest about who I am, and felt ready to tell the world.\n\nThe overwhelming majority of people were positive. I was looked after by my club, and treated as just the same old Zander by my team-mates.\n\nI'm not completely alone. Other players in Australia, England, and the Czech Republic have also come out publicly. Things are changing.\n\nBut there is a long way to go. Nearly 3.5% of the UK male population identifies as gay or bisexual.\n\nSo with more than 1,000 professional male footballers in Scotland you'd expect about 35 of them to be gay. Yet I'm the only one who's publicly out.\n\nWhy am I the only one who has felt able to do this?\n\nIn the course of filming the documentary I've heard first-hand testimony from fans, amateur players, and my friend the referee Lloyd Wilson, about how homophobic language makes them feel. About how it excludes and hurts people. About how it damages them.\n\nOne player with the LGBTQ+ friendly team Saltire Thistle told me he had tried to come out to his football friends at 18 but he was left shunned and isolated.\n\nIt took him another 12 years to tell the world who he really was.\n\nThat broke my heart, but seeing him kicking about and chatting freely to his new team-mates gave me huge hope.\n\nThere is a lot of work to do. A survey last year showed only 6% of gay men take part in team sports. And many say it's homophobia that's stopping them joining in.\n\nThere is a problem here, so how do we tackle it?\n\nThis season, the Scottish Football Association introduced Disciplinary Rule 81, which results in a 10-match ban for any player or club official who engages in homophobic abuse, or any other form of discriminatory behaviour in and around football.\n\nThis has been used 22 times this season. And 17 of these have been because of a homophobic slur or a homophobic action on or around the field of play.\n\nThat accounts for 77% of all such cases. That number shocked me.\n\nBut I agree when the SFA told me that it shows officials and clubs are feeling empowered to take a stand and report such behaviour.\n\nI believe education is also important. The SFA and the charity LEAP have a \"Football vs Homophobia\" strategy, which I support.\n\nI also join the charity \"Time for Inclusive Education\" in going out and meeting youth teams, talking to the next generation of players about being respectful, kind, and welcoming.\n\nI feel very lucky. I'm now signed to Bonnyrigg Rose, fulfilling my dream of playing in the professional leagues.\n\nIt has been an amazing six months for me, but I'm not calling on other gay male players to come out. That's their business and their decision.\n\nI just hope my story can help empower others to accept themselves.\n\nAs one of the fans I met said: \"Football is the beautiful game and it deserves to be beautiful for everyone.\"","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/uk-scotland-64888400"}
{"title":"Gary Glitter: Paedophile former pop star recalled to prison - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-13","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"The singer, whose real name is Paul Gadd, was jailed in 2015 for sexually abusing three schoolgirls.","section":"UK","content":"Gary Glitter was one of the biggest music stars of the 1970s\n\nDisgraced former pop star Gary Glitter has been recalled to prison after breaching his licence conditions, the Probation Service has said.\n\nThe singer, whose real name is Paul Gadd, was freed in February after serving half his 16-year jail term for sexually abusing three schoolgirls.\n\nHis recall comes just over a month since being freed.\n\nUpon release, he was subject to licence conditions including having a GPS tag.\n\nThe pop star, 79, was one of the biggest music stars of the 1970s.\n\nHe was jailed in 2015 for attempted rape, four counts of indecent assault and one of having sex with a girl under 13.\n\nA Probation Service spokesperson said protecting the public was their \"number one priority\", adding: \"That's why we set tough licence conditions and when offenders breach them, we don't hesitate to return them to custody.\"\n\nGadd had been held at HMP The Verne, a low security category C jail in Portland, Dorset.\n\nWhen he was released he was also subject to close monitoring by the police and probation officers, with the Ministry of Justice saying at the time sex offenders \"face some of the strictest licence conditions\".\n\nGadd was not added to the sex offenders register for these crimes, because they were committed before the register was introduced. However, he was already ordered to sign the register for life when he returned to the UK after he was found guilty of sexually abusing two young girls in Vietnam in 2006.\n\nGadd had been at the height of his fame when he attacked two girls aged 12 and 13 after inviting them backstage to his dressing room.\n\nHis youngest victim had been less than 10 years old when he crept into her bed and tried to rape her in 1975.\n\nGadd had denied allegations against him but was found guilty after a trial lasting three weeks.\n\nIn 2015 at the time of sentencing, Judge McCreath said he could find \"no real evidence that\" Gadd had atoned for his crimes and described his abuse of a girl under 10 as \"appalling\".\n\nThe allegations that led to Gadd's imprisonment came to light when he became the first person to be arrested under Operation Yewtree - the investigation launched by the Met in 2012 in the wake of the Jimmy Savile scandal.\n\nGadd, who performed as Gary Glitter, had three UK number ones including I'm the Leader of the Gang (I am!).\n\nHis fall from grace began decades later in 1999 after he admitted possessing thousands of images that showed child sex abuse and was jailed for four months.\n\nUpon being freed he went abroad and in 2002 was expelled from Cambodia amid sex crime allegations.\n\nHe was later convicted of sexually abusing two young girls in neighbouring Vietnam in March 2006 and spent two-and-a-half years in jail.\n\nOn returning to the UK in 2008, he was forced to sign the sex offenders register. In 2012, he was arrested at his London home following an investigation by detectives, before the case that led to his latest conviction came to trial in January 2015.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/uk-64946392"}
{"title":"Still time to save Our Wild Isles, say UK conservation charities - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-13","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"Three of the biggest conservation charities team up to try and halt the destruction of nature in UK.","section":"Science & Environment","content":"Three of Britain's biggest conservation charities are joining forces to try to halt the destruction of UK nature.\n\nThey say they want to use their collective voice to call on everyone to act now to protect the natural world.\n\nBetween them, The National Trust, WWF and RSPB have 8.5 million members.\n\n\"We've come together because whilst we have spectacular nature here in the UK, it is in crisis,\" said Tanya Steele, the chief executive of WWF, which has 1.5m members.\n\nThe \"Save Our Wild Isles\" campaign aims to use Sir David Attenborough's new five-part series focusing on UK nature to help catalyse action.\n\nThe first episode of Wild Isles was broadcast on BBC1 last night and highlighted some of the stunning wildlife that still exists in the UK.\n\nBut Sir David warned viewers \"how fragile and fragmented our nature is\". He said the UK is one of the most nature depleted countries in the world.\n\n\"Never has there been a more important time to invest in our own wildlife,\" the 96-year-old told viewers, as he sat surrounded by puffins on the island of Skomer off the Welsh coast in the final scene of the first episode.\n\nThe RSPB and WWF are credited as co-producers of the series, but the BBC says they had no editorial input on the programme.\n\n\"We need to use the love which people have for nature and amplify it to make sure everyone plays a part to make a difference,\" said Hilary McGrady, the director general of the National Trust, which has 5.8m members.\n\nThe charities want individuals, businesses, public bodies and our politicians to participate.\n\n\"It will take every single one of us to play our part,\" said Rebecca Munro, the executive director of the RSPB, which has 1.2m members.\n\nCharities can't do this on their own, she told the BBC. \"It needs to be individuals. It needs to be communities coming together. It needs to be businesses, and it needs to be our leaders.\"\n\nThe charities say there is just enough of the UK's natural world still left to save\n\nThe campaign urges us all to \"Go Wild Once a Week\". That could mean making space for nature in our local neighbourhood by planting wildflowers in a window box or green space, eating less meat or getting involved in a community project or urging our leaders to take action for nature's recovery.\n\nA YouGov poll commissioned for the new campaign found that 76% of people are worried about the condition of nature in the UK.\n\nBut the poll also reveals we have no idea how bad things are. Just 5% of people rated the UK as one of the worst countries for protecting nature, while 55% said they thought the UK was doing as well as the rest of the world or better.\n\nThe truth is the UK is in the bottom 10% of countries globally for protecting nature, according to the Living Planet Index produced by the Natural History Museum.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/science-environment-64903069"}
{"title":"Ukraine war: Life in Mariupol under Russian occupation - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-13","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"Russia captured Mariupol in May after a brutal siege. Now, it's trying to win hearts and minds.","section":"Europe","content":"The invading Russian forces damaged some 90% of residential buildings in Mariupol\n\nFinding people willing to speak to me from Mariupol was never going to be easy.\n\nAfter 10 months of Russian occupation, fear and distrust are the two most frequent responses I encountered when looking for someone who could tell me how things really are in Mariupol, in Ukraine's south-east.\n\n\"I think you are a Russian journalist. You won't like what I've got to say. People like you kill if you tell them the truth,\" said one social media user who claimed to be from the port city.\n\nRussian forces put the people of Mariupol through a horrific months-long siege, before finally capturing it last May.\n\nI eventually found three residents willing to speak to me at length: a local city councillor, a retired pensioner and an engineer. All spoke on condition of anonymity, fearing reprisals from the local authorities installed by Russia (who block access to occupied Ukraine by Western journalists).\n\nThey paint a picture of a massively expensive campaign conducted by Russia to win over the hearts and minds of the people of Mariupol, and rebuild a city damaged beyond recognition by Russia's own troops.\n\nThe purpose of this campaign is to assimilate Mariupol and make it Russia's own.\n\nTheir accounts corroborate each other, and are confirmed by social media posts about recent developments in Mariupol.\n\nBefore this war began about half a million people lived in the city.\n\nAccording to UN estimates, 90% of residential buildings were damaged or destroyed, and 350,000 people were forced to leave after Russia attacked in February 2022.\n\nYour device may not support this visualisation\n\nIt is difficult to estimate the exact number of people killed as a result of the relentless shelling of Mariupol, but Ukrainian authorities say more than 20,000 died there.\n\nRussian-installed authorities in Mariupol say some 300,000 people are now living there.\n\nThe people who spoke to me from Mariupol said their city had been inundated with labourers from across Russia, as well as from Central Asia.\n\nOleg Morgun, the Russia-installed \"mayor\" of Mariupol, says some 70,000 of those currently in the city are construction workers and members of the Russian military.\n\nNew buildings have appeared and many buildings damaged during the bombardment have gone.\n\nFor example, the Russian military has built a whole new district comprised of a dozen apartment blocks in the western part of Mariupol. It is called Nevsky, after the River Neva, on which President Vladimir Putin's home city of St Petersburg stands. According to Russian state media, St Petersburg is the main sponsor of the reconstruction of Mariupol.\n\nRussia is building new housing to replace what it destroyed\n\n\"It says on the bus: St Petersburg and Mariupol are twinned cities. There are slogans everywhere telling us that we're part of Russia now,\" pensioner Maria (not her real name) told me.\n\n\"I liked things the way they used to be. Now we live in fear. We have no idea what to expect.\"\n\nIn the houses that escaped relatively unscathed after months of fierce fighting, the Russians are replacing windows, radiators and sometimes heating and sewage pipes.\n\nHeating, running water and electricity supplies have largely been restored. Buses are running and full of passengers again, although the electric trolley bus and tram networks are still out of action.\n\nMany schools, hospitals and shops have reopened as well, although numerous traders are selling their wares straight from the pavement.\n\nMaria was particularly impressed with one school rebuilt under Russian rule: \"It's so beautiful, covered in multi-coloured squares.\" According to her, the number of children in Mariupol now is greater than schools can currently accommodate, so they have classes in two shifts: one in the morning, and another in the afternoon.\n\nRussia has imposed its own Russian-language curriculum in occupied areas - complicating efforts to get children back to school.\n\nShops have reopened and power is back, but many traders are selling their wares on the pavement\n\nThe fast-paced rebuilding of Mariupol has provoked envy in Donetsk, the regional capital occupied by pro-Russian forces since 2014, which has been neglected by comparison.\n\nThe Russia-installed head of the so-called Donetsk People's Republic, Denis Pushilin, has even had to deny rumours that the capital will be moved to Mariupol.\n\nThere are other important ways in which Russia is putting its stamp on Mariupol.\n\nFor example, local residents are under pressure to obtain Russian passports.\n\nIvan, the Mariupol city councillor I spoke to (not his real name), said locals often formed \"huge queues\" trying to get Russian passports.\n\nThey were required if you want to find formal employment, especially with government agencies or in the public sector, he explained.\n\nAlso, they made it possible to travel to Russia without additional stringent checks known as \"filtration\", he added.\n\nUkraine believes 20,000 people died during the siege of Mariupol\n\n\"So they have deliberately created a situation where you get problems if you have Ukrainian papers, you have to deal with red tape, you have to wait. On the other hand, if you get a Russian passport, that's where your problems end: 'You're one of us now'. Things get simpler if you receive a Russian passport,\" Ivan said.\n\nMariupol is also becoming part of Russia's financial system. The Ukrainian currency, the hryvnya, has been phased out, and now the Russian rouble is the only currency accepted in shops.\n\nRussia is channelling huge amounts of money into pension payments for residents of Mariupol, raising them in many cases compared with what they received from the Ukrainian authorities before the war. So residents of Mariupol are able to draw two pensions - one from Russia, another from Ukraine. Naturally, it is a situation many local pensioners are happy with.\n\nRussian pensions are another reason why elderly residents are queuing up to get Russian passports - many pensioners believe the documents will be required in the future to continue receiving payments from Russia.\n\nThe media currently operating in Mariupol are also hard at work promoting a uniformly pro-Russian agenda.\n\nMany current residents of Mariupol are there because they were unable to leave the city when the Russians attacked, due to illness or old age, or because they welcome Russia's presence.\n\n\"We've suffered enough under Ukraine. Now we can breathe again,\" one social media user told me, before breaking off all contact.\n\nNew signs for the city are decked out in the colours of the Russian flag\n\nThe fast-paced campaign of reconstruction and the resulting sense of restored normality, the generous pension payments and the intensive media campaign targeting the people of Mariupol, all stimulate the spread of pro-Russian sentiment in the city.\n\n\"I'm sick of all the propaganda in the papers. They started publishing it from day one, telling us how well things are going,\" said Yuri, the engineer (not his real name). \"I feel out of place in my own city now. People are different, my city feels different now.\"\n\nCity councillor Ivan said: \"It's become difficult for me to say pro-Ukrainian things to my voters. It's tough being pro-Ukrainian in a pro-Russian environment. Unfortunately, Ukraine is losing the hearts and minds of people in Mariupol.\"\n\nThose who are still in Mariupol may be happy to see a degree of normality return to their city, but there are those who suspect Russia of pursuing ulterior motives.\n\nPopular Ukrainian journalist Denys Kazansky argues that Russia uses the new houses it has been building in Mariupol to distract attention from all the destruction it caused in the city and elsewhere in his native Donetsk region.\n\n\"If they destroyed 10 hospitals and then rebuilt one - this isn't reconstruction. It's not something they can be thanked for,\" he said.\n\n\"You can be happy as much as you like about a school being rebuilt, but what do you do with the thousands of people Russia has killed?\" he said.\n\n\"You can't rebuild them. You can't bring them back.\"","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/world-europe-64887890"}
{"title":"Hamburg Jehovah's Witnesses in shock after mass shooting - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-13","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"Services have been cancelled across the city as police say they cannot rule out a copycat attack.","section":"Europe","content":"\"We pray together, we cry together,\" says community representative Michael Tsifidaris\n\nIn a brightly lit hall on an industrial estate, rows of empty chairs are arranged in front of a plain wooden lectern.\n\nHamburg's Jehovah's witnesses have cancelled all services following Thursday's deadly shooting in another meeting hall in the city which claimed seven lives, including that of an unborn child.\n\nThe attack took place shortly after worshippers finished their service. Police have told them that they cannot rule out the possibility of a so-called copycat attack, says Michael Tsifidaris, who speaks for the community here.\n\nHe's smartly dressed in a business suit, but looks exhausted. It's clear that he's still deeply shaken. Two of his friends were killed in the attack.\n\nHe tells us he spent Thursday night with survivors in hospital, and at the police station. But he also comforted relatives as they waited in a hastily arranged emergency centre for news of their loved ones.\n\n\"It's hard to imagine - a group of people are sitting together during an evening in the church, reading the Bible, singing, praying together. Then they spend a couple of minutes together to talk to each other after the meeting, Then, all of a sudden, a scene of love becomes a scene of hate and death.\"\n\nThe fact that the killer was a former member of the Jehovah's Witness community here makes the tragedy particularly hard to bear.\n\nThere are about 4,000 Jehovah's Witnesses in and around Hamburg. The community is divided into smaller congregations, each with their own meeting place, known as a Kingdom Hall.\n\nDetectives investigating the mass shooting have said the killer left the Jehovah's Witnesses on terms which were \"not good\".\n\nMr Tsifidaris says he doesn't know why the man left, didn't know him personally, and appears reluctant to talk about him.\n\nThose who leave the Jehovah's Witnesses are often \"disassociated\" or cut off by most members of the community; a practice sometimes referred to as \"shunning\".\n\nThe police have revealed they recently received an anonymous letter, in which the author warned the attacker had a gun, was mentally unstable and harboured anger against religious groups, including the Jehovah's Witnesses.\n\n\"He left the community two years ago and now, all of a sudden, he's showing up and is acting against all the principles we stand for,\" says Mr Tsifidaris.\n\n\"What we know is that in the religious context, there is a community he knows, there is a community he was part of, so this is a community he focused his hate on. He knew the premises, he knew the arrangements.\"\n\nFor now, the community is meeting online. Mr Tsifidaris, who refers to his fellow members as brothers and sisters, speaks often of the comfort to be found in supporting one another. \"We pray together, we cry together.\"\n\nUppermost in their thoughts are those who remain seriously injured in hospital. He's adamant that their treatment is not compromised by a refusal to accept blood transfusions - Jehovah's Witnesses believe that God forbids this.\n\nThey are not yet out of danger, he tells us, but the doctors say there's a fair chance most will survive.\n\nFor now, the focus is on supporting the bereaved and the traumatised. No one, he says, is left alone in their grief.\n\nThis attack has left a city in mourning and a community in shock and horror. It will, says Mr Tsifidaris, take years to heal.\n\nJehovah's Witnesses services were cancelled after the mass shooting","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/world-europe-64932138"}
{"title":"Scientists track iceberg the size of London - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-13","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"Two bergs the size of Greater London and Cornwall are drifting towards an area where they could affect shipping and nature.","section":"Science & Environment","content":"A76a: The ice extends to great depth below the waterline\n\nBritish scientists are tracking two of the world's biggest icebergs as they drift towards areas where they could affect shipping, fishing and wildlife.\n\nThese city-sized frozen blocks which have broken away from Antarctica can take decades to melt and wither away.\n\nA group of researchers photographed one named A81 as they were flying off the UK's Halley base for the season. This berg is as large as Greater London.\n\nAnother team sailed around A76a, an even bigger one the size of Cornwall.\n\nThis behemoth is not just similar to the English county in size - at over 3,000 sq km - but also in shape: it's long and thin.\n\nSome have likened its appearance to a giant ironing board.\n\nProf Geraint Tarling was on board the Royal Research Ship Discovery which took the opportunity to inspect the berg as it drifted out of Antarctica's Weddell Sea into the South Atlantic.\n\n\"It was directly in our path as we sailed home so we took 24 hours out to go around it,\" the biological oceanographer told BBC News.\n\n\"We got in quite close in some places, and had a really good view of it. We collected water from around the berg using special non-contaminated pipes under the ship, so we've got lots of samples to study.\"\n\nThe British Antarctic Survey scientist said the huge flat-topped, or tabular, icebergs had a considerable influence on their environment - both disruptive and productive.\n\nIceberg A81 is as big as Greater London\n\nAs they melt, they put prodigious volumes of fresh water into the sea, which can make it hard for some organisms to function. On the other hand, the melt also releases the mineral dust that was incorporated into the ice when it was part of a glacier scraping along the rock bed of Antarctica. This dust is a source of nutrients that will spur life in the open ocean.\n\nA76a originated far to the south of its present position, having calved from the Filchner-Ronne Ice Shelf in May 2021.\n\nIt's now heading north, carried by currents and winds towards the gap between the British overseas territories of the Falklands and South Georgia.\n\nThere is some concern that it could swing east towards South Georgia and get stuck in the shallow waters of its continental shelf - or possibly at the series of nearby islets known as Shag Rocks.\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser.\n\nIn either location, it would be a complication for local wildlife and people.\n\n\"If it does become grounded, our major concern is break-up and the impact of (smaller) icebergs on vessel movements in the area,\" explained Dr Mark Belchier, the director of fisheries and environment with the government for South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands.\n\n\"Although the tourist season is coming to an end, our fisheries operate during the winter months so it may impact on their operations. It does have the potential to cause localised issues for some of our wildlife, although that's likely to be less of an issue if it breaks up over winter when most animals can forage over greater distances and don't have to keep returning to land to feed young - or have moved away from the island completely.\"\n\nA81 broke away from the Brunt Ice Shelf at the end of January.\n\nIt had been expected to calve several years ago, but somehow managed to hang on to the continent by the slimmest of icy threads, defying scientists' predictions. Its eventual destiny is to follow A76a out into the shipping lanes of the South Atlantic.\n\nA BAS team had the opportunity to fly over the berg when they closed up and left the Halley research station at the end of the Southern Hemisphere summer season.\n\nIt's often hard to gauge the size of icebergs when viewing their white mass in pictures.\n\nBut for both A81 and A76a, it's worth remembering that what you see is only a fraction of the objects' bulk.\n\nThe visible cliffs rise above the waterline by tens of metres, which means the ice extends down from the water surface by hundreds of metres.\n\nA block of ice known as A23a is currently the world's largest berg. It measures some 4,000 sq km in area. Like A76a, it calved from the Filchner-Ronne Ice Shelf, but a very long time ago - in 1986. The block has spent the decades since as an \"ice island\", grounded in the south-central Weddell Sea.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/science-environment-64919341"}
{"title":"Masatoshi Ito, billionaire who made 7-Eleven a global giant, dies at 98 - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-13","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"Masatoshi Ito's company brought 7-Eleven to Japan - where a quarter of stores are now located.","section":"Business","content":"Japanese billionaire Masatoshi Ito, who helped turn 7-Eleven convenience stores into a global business empire, has died aged 98.\n\nHe died last Friday from old age, operator Seven & i Holdings said in a statement.\n\n\"We would like to express our sincere gratitude to him for his kindness during his lifetime,\" the firm said.\n\nThere are more than 83,000 7-Eleven stores around the world, with a quarter of them located in Japan.\n\nIn 1956, Mr Ito took over a small Tokyo apparel store business that had been run by his uncle then half-brother.\n\nMr Ito later renamed it Ito-Yokado and turned the business into a chain of one-stop stores that sold everything from groceries to clothes. It went public in 1972.\n\nAround the same time, an executive at Ito-Yokado, Toshifumi Suzuki, spotted a 7-Eleven store during a visit to the US.\n\nIto-Yokado later forged a deal with 7-Eleven's owner - the US-based Southland Corporation - and opened Japan's first 7-Eleven in 1974. Mr Ito's firm moved to acquire a controlling stake in Southland Corporation in March 1990.\n\n\"I am frequently asked if I succeeded because of hard work or because I was just lucky. Actually the answer is some of both,\" Mr Ito said in an interview.\n\n\"I was fortunate to have started out in business right after the war - the same time that a broad-based consumer society was beginning to develop in Japan.\"\n\nIn 1992, Mr Ito resigned from his position at Ito-Yokado over alleged illegal payments made by three executives to yakuza gangsters to keep order at a shareholders' meeting.\n\nIto-Yokado was renamed Seven & i Holdings in 2005. The \"i\" in its name is a nod to Ito-Yokado and Mr Ito, who was the company's honorary chairman.\n\nMr Ito was also influenced by his friendship with Austrian-American management guru Peter Drucker.\n\n\"In the early years of his relationship with Dr Drucker, the two would connect in America or Japan and spend long evenings discussing the world economy, the Japanese economy, and the direction in which Mr Ito should be planning,\" according to the Drucker School of Management, that counts Mr Ito as a major donor.\n\nProf Drucker called Mr Ito \"one of the world's outstanding entrepreneurs and business builders.\"","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/business-64935490"}
{"title":"Roman burial unearthed at hidden Garforth cemetery - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-13","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"The remains are described by archaeologists as a \"once-in-a-lifetime find\".","section":"Leeds & West Yorkshire","content":"Multiple burials in the same grave are among those found at the ancient cemetery in Garforth\n\nSkeletal remains of a high-status Roman woman encased in a lead coffin have been unearthed at a hidden cemetery dating back 1,600 years.\n\nDescribed as a \"once-in-a-lifetime find\", the female remains were discovered along with 60 other bodies at the site in Garforth, Leeds.\n\nThe skeletons are believed to include both late Roman and early Saxon men, women and children.\n\nIt is thought to be the first Anglo-Saxon cemetery found in West Yorkshire.\n\nA process known as carbon-14 dating will help determine a precise age of the remains\n\nSeveral archaeologists worked for weeks excavating the site and removing the lead coffin\n\nThe cemetery was discovered as part of a standard archaeological survey on the site, which had been earmarked for development.\n\nExperts said the fact the coffin had been made out of lead signified the skeleton was someone of importance.\n\nDavid Hunter, principal archaeologist for West Yorkshire Archaeology Advisory Service, said: \"Lead coffins were expensive. The fact the family gave this person the expense of getting sheets of lead and the expertise to make the coffin, then it tells us a lot.\"\n\nOther burial practices found in the cemetery indicate early Christian beliefs as well as Saxon burials, which were accompanied by personal possessions such as knives and pottery.\n\nMr Hunter said: \"At Garforth we've got the Roman graves which are roughly east west in alignment and the Saxon graves which are north south in alignment, so the differences stand out like a sore thumb.\"\n\nArchaeologists who worked on the excavation hope the site can help chart the largely undocumented and historically-important transition between the fall of the Roman Empire in about 400AD and the establishment of the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms that followed.\n\nMr Hunter said the discovery would also help fill in historical gaps about the Kingdom of Elmet - the huge swathe of land before it was broken down into Yorkshire subdivisions.\n\nIt is hoped the lead coffin will be displayed in a future exhibition at Leeds City Museum\n\nDescribing the unearthing of the cemetery as a highlight of his career, he said: \"This has the potential to be a find of massive significance for what we understand about the development of ancient Britain and Yorkshire.\n\n\"The presence of two communities using the same burial site is highly unusual and whether their use of this graveyard overlapped or not will determine just how significant the find is.\"\n\nAlthough the exact location has been kept confidential at the developer's request, the excavation was in part prompted by the previous nearby discovery of late Roman stone buildings and a small number of Anglo-Saxon style structures.\n\nOther artefacts giving clues to the age of the site were unearthed\n\nNow the dig is complete, expert analysis of the remains will take place, including carbon dating to establish the precise dates as well as chemical tests that can determine details such as individual diets and ancestry.\n\nBecause about half of the skeletons were younger than full adult age and consisted of some multiple burials, they will also be examined for signs of disease or injury.\n\nBut knowing exactly who these people were is something that will never be established.\n\nMr Hunter said: \"We can find out through archaeological means and by scientific techniques a lot about their lives and where they came from but unfortunately we will never know their names.\"\n\nFollow BBC Yorkshire on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. Send your story ideas to yorkslincs.news@bbc.co.uk.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/uk-england-leeds-64917979"}
{"title":"BBC boss Tim Davie denies climbdown over Lineker impartiality row - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-13","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"\"We have had lots of discussion\" with Gary Lineker, Tim Davie says, as social media review announced.","section":"UK","content":"This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser.\n\nBBC director general Tim Davie insists he has not backed down in the face of an uproar over the suspension of Gary Lineker.\n\nHe said he took \"proportionate action\" after a row erupted over impartiality when Lineker criticised the government's asylum policy in a tweet.\n\nHe added: \"We believe we did the right thing. I think I did the right thing.\"\n\nThe suspension brought chaos to schedules as pundits and commentators walked out in solidarity.\n\nAfter a compromise was reached to bring Lineker back on air, he tweeted his thanks to Davie and acknowledged he has an \"impossible job keeping everyone happy\".\n\nOn Monday Davie also announced an independent review which will be carried out on social media guidelines - a move Lineker has agreed with.\n\nIn an interview with the BBC the director general told me: \"What we've agreed and I've spent time talking to Gary and we've had lots of discussion is that between now and when the review report is out, Gary will abide by the editorial guidelines, and that's where we are.\"\n\nI asked Davie how was he so out of touch with his own corporation, staff and programmes that he did not foresee the chaos that would happen.\n\nDavie replied: \"They obviously were put in a very difficult situation.\n\n\"I think people across the BBC, if you talk to them, are all very passionate about our standing as an impartial broadcaster.\n\n\"I want to fight for a BBC where we can have proper calm debate, facilitate free speech.\"\n\nDavie said the decision to pull Lineker off air was always about buying some time until the two sides could come to an agreement over his political tweets - and said that was exactly what had happened.\n\nLineker has \"agreed to abide by the guidance whilst the independent review takes place,\" he added.\n\nThe word \"guidance\" indicates this is about the BBC's social media guidance introduced by Davie in 2020.\n\nBack then it outlined \"high-profile presenters\" - even those not directly involved in news and current affairs - have an \"added responsibility\" to avoid being seen taking sides on matters of political controversy.\n\nAs with all guidance, the challenge will be how that is interpreted.\n\nBut, there seems to be an agreement on both sides to try to calm things down while an independent reviewer examines the rules.\n\nIn a series of tweets Lineker said he was overwhelmed by support and was pleased he and the BBC \"have navigated a way through this\".\n\nLineker added: \"I'd like to thank Tim Davie for his understanding during this difficult period.\n\n\"He has an almost impossible job keeping everybody happy, particularly in the area of impartiality.\n\n\"I am delighted that we'll continue to fight the good fight, together.\"\n\nThe disruption to programmes has also clearly surprised the BBC's top managers.\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. WATCH: The weekend of BBC football show chaos... in 90 seconds\n\nThey were probably expecting that Match of the Day might look a bit different - in the end it went on air but was cut to a 20-minute highlight reel with no punditry, commentary or opening theme, though viewing figures were up by almost half a million at 2.58m.\n\nBut, other radio and television programmes dropping off the schedules and being radically truncated is a pretty clear sign there are many within the BBC who feel Lineker has been treated unfairly.\n\nBBC Two's Sunday afternoon coverage of the Women's Super League went ahead without studio analysis and had to rely on world feed commentary, while Radio 5 Live was forced to plug gaps in the schedule with pre-recorded programmes for a second straight day.\n\nMatch of the Day 2 followed the main programme's much-reduced format - airing for just 15 minutes - and was without the usual commentators and host Mark Chapman.\n\nThe show started the same as Saturday's Match of the Day, where a continuity presenter apologised for the lack of commentary, which was followed by the opening credits that featured the words: \"Premier League Highlights\" without the usual theme tune and credits.\n\nThere are also those who are furious that such a highly-paid star of the BBC has not been punished for describing a statement by the home secretary on a key matter of public policy as \"beyond awful\" and comparing the language used to set out the government's asylum plan to \"that used by Germany in the 30s\".\n\nNor has there been an apology from Lineker for tweets that the BBC says broke its guidelines.\n\nIt has bought the BBC some time but as soon as the review findings are announced millions will be watching Gary Lineker's tweets very carefully.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/uk-64940114"}
{"title":"Royal Ascot 2023 style guide looks to recycled and rental outfits - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-13","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"The racecourse's 2023 style guide encourages racegoers to embrace pre-loved and rental outfits.","section":"Berkshire","content":"Ascot has published its latest style guide, encouraging racegoers to \"raid grandma's hat boxes\" and scour charity shops.\n\nRenamed The Royal Ascot Look Book, the racecourse is embracing sustainable fashion for 2023.\n\nThe guide urges racegoers to \"dream up an outfit that is authentic to their personal style and approach to sartorial shopping\".\n\nFelicity Barnard, the racecourse's commercial director, said there were very few events that allow people to \"embrace dressing for a special occasion on such a global scale\".\n\nShe continued: \"Each year Royal Ascot becomes the most followed display of sartorial elegance and individual flair - a true celebration of style that is woven into the very fabric of Ascot's DNA.\n\n\"This year sees an exciting evolution for what has been known as the Royal Ascot Style Guide for more than a decade.\n\n\"For 2023 Ascot is proud to unveil the Royal Ascot Look Book where, for the first time, we look to inspire people through six new fashion edits that draw from current styling trends.\n\n\"Responsible style remains a key part of Royal Ascot as we continue to find ways to dress, whether that is renting occasion wear or investing in forever pieces.\"\n\nAnnouncing the new fashion direction in a statement, the racecourse said it was inspired by fashion magazine editorials and hoped it would entice racegoers to \"get lost in the magical world of occasion wear\".\n\n\"From retro-inspired vintage looks evocative of the 1970s to exquisite tailoring and avant garde millinery, the Look Book is a fashion feast with inspiration to suit all budgets,\" it added.\n\nLook Book photographer Damian Foxe said it had been a joy to be part of its evolution as it moves away from a means to communicate the dress code towards becoming a source of fashion inspiration.\n\n\"For 2023, we have decided to completely move away from creating a Look Book dictated by enclosure, in favour of one which puts style centre stage,\" he explained.\n\n\"In many ways, I think this reflects what we are seeing as the evolution of style at Royal Ascot and the myriad of looks on show from racegoers.\"\n\nFollow BBC South on Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram. Send your story ideas to south.newsonline@bbc.co.uk.\n\nThe BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/uk-england-berkshire-64937552"}
{"title":"Hemsby: Two more homes on cliff edge demolished - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-13","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"Officials say the properties needed to be removed before they fell into the sea due to coastal erosion.","section":"Norfolk","content":"This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Mary Withey's home was demolished on Sunday morning, making it the second of three to be removed\n\nTwo more homes close to the cliff edge in Norfolk have been demolished amid fears they would fall into the sea.\n\nResidents left their chalets in The Marrams in Hemsby on Friday after the sandy cliffs beneath them eroded.\n\nSome of the properties were within 1m (3.2ft) of the cliff edge.\n\nA third property was pulled down on Saturday after several outbuildings were lost to the sea during high tide on Friday night.\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. It took just a few hours to bring the first Hemsby property to the ground on Saturday\n\nNicolette, who was passing by as the second of the three homes was being pulled down, described it as \"brutal\" and said it was an \"emotional experience\" watching it.\n\nShe said: \"People lived there, they enjoyed their times there and to see what coastal erosion is doing to not only the nature, the environment, but people's lives is really sad.\"\n\nTrevor, who was with her, added: \"I guess these people have seen it coming slowly for a number of years but it's happened so much quicker than people ever expected.\"\n\nSue, whose property was the first to be taken down, said it was \"soul destroying\".\n\nAlong with her neighbours, she spent Saturday morning hurriedly packing up her belongings before the demolition teams moved in.\n\nSue said she wished more could have been done to save her home of three years.\n\nSue, who did not want to give her surname, said watching her home being demolished was \"soul destroying\"\n\nWatching her house being destroyed with her head in her hands, she said: \"We've got some very happy memories there because it's got lovely energy to it, lovely atmosphere.\"\n\nThe demolition work is taking place on the north side of Hemsby gap in the direction of Winterton-on-Sea. The gap is a break in the dunes used by the lifeboat crew to access the beach.\n\nMs Withey said she felt \"very sad\" about the situation\n\nMary Withey was not there to witness her home being demolished on Sunday morning.\n\nShe said on Saturday that she and her partner \"had got what we can\" before the teams moved in.\n\n\"I'm not OK with it, it's been my home, I don't want to move... it's very sad,\" said Ms Withey, who lived in her house for four years.\n\nRob Eastaff, head of demolition, said other properties were at risk\n\nNow all three homes have been demolished, a clean-up operation will take place on Monday.\n\nAll the materials will be taken to recycling centres, Rob Eastaff, head of demolition at the site, said.\n\nThe 50-year-old said it was \"not pleasant\" demolishing the homes, especially because he remembered going over the dunes to get to the beach as a 10-year-old boy.\n\nHe said to see the erosion that had happened over the past 40 years was a \"terrible\" thing.\n\nOther properties are currently at risk, \"but at the moment we are only engaged in these three\", he added.\n\nThe two homes taken down on Sunday were on the eroded dunes on the north side of the gap\n\nLance Martin's property on the south side of the gap is one of those still at risk.\n\nMr Martin, who has lived there for almost six years, rebuilt what he described as his \"dream home\" after dragging it back further in-land.\n\nAfter this weekend, however, he said there was less than 1m left at the back of his house.\n\nHe had hoped to move it again but there was uncertainty over whether his home could be saved.\n\nLance Martin has already moved his home further in-land\n\nMr Martin's property is teetering on the cliff edge\n\nJane Beck, head of property and asset management at Great Yarmouth Borough Council, said it was \"extremely sad\" for those involved.\n\n\"We're trying to do everything we possibly can to help them through that process,\" Ms Beck said.\n\nThe beach and surrounding area at Hemsby should be avoided, she added, and she urged people to stay away for their own safety.\n\nThe homes are being demolished before they fall into the sea\n\nThe only access road to properties on the Marrams has also been cordoned off and is expected to collapse.\n\nDaniel Hurd, coxswain with the Hemsby lifeboat crew, said measures should have been put in place earlier\n\nGreat Yarmouth Borough Council's chief executive, Sheila Oxtoby, said the authority was looking to bring some rock on to the beach to protect the road access to a number of other properties as a \"temporary solution\".\n\nIt is understood 1,900 tonnes of granite are due to arrive on Wednesday.\n\nHemsby Lifeboat coxswain Daniel Hurd, however, said the current situation could have been resolved earlier.\n\nHe said: \"I just think it's absolutely ridiculous, this has been an emergency for years and it's taken this weekend for them to see it's an emergency to then get a rock berm put on the beach.\"\n\nBut the council said it was a \"real minefield of making sure that what local government and the authorities do is the correct line of procedure\".\n\nHemsby, near Great Yarmouth, is home to about 3,000 people and was once home to a Pontins holiday camp.\n\nSeven bungalows along The Marrams had to be demolished when sandy cliffs washed away in March 2018 and, in December 2013, \"the worst storm surge in 60 years\", destroyed seven homes.\n\nDo you live in the area? How have you been affected by any issues raised here? You can share your experience by emailing haveyoursay@bbc.co.uk.\n\nPlease include a contact number if you are willing to speak to a BBC journalist. You can also get in touch in the following ways:\n\nIf 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 HaveYourSay@bbc.co.uk. Please include your name, age and location with any submission.\n\nFind BBC News: East of England on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter. If you have a story suggestion email eastofenglandnews@bbc.co.uk\n\nThe BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/uk-england-norfolk-64930989"}
{"title":"Bill Tidy: Cartoonist who appeared on Countdown and Countryfile dies aged 89 - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-13","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"Bill Tidy's family has paid tribute to \"the most brilliant cartoonist and the very best dad\".","section":"Entertainment & Arts","content":"Bill Tidy appeared on many television shows including The Chris Stuart Cha Cha Chat Show in 1985\n\nBill Tidy, the cartoonist who was known for his quick artistry on shows including Countdown and Countryfile, has died at the age of 89.\n\nHis family paid tribute to \"the most brilliant cartoonist and the very best dad\" after he died with his children, Sylvia and Rob, by his side.\n\nAmong Tidy's greatest works in a decades long career were The Fosdyke Saga and The Cloggies.\n\nBut his health declined in recent years after he suffered two serious strokes.\n\nIn a statement on his official Facebook page, Tidy's family said: \"It is with huge sadness that I have to share with you the tragic news that we lost our dad, who is not only the most brilliant cartoonist but the very best dad two sons, a son-in-law and a daughter could ever wish for.\"\n\nTidy, who was born in Tranmere on Merseyside in 1933, did not receive any formal artistic training growing up and instead started his working life in the Royal Engineers branch of the Army.\n\nHis cartoonist career began when he sold a sketch to a Japanese newspaper in 1955.\n\nThis Twitter post cannot be displayed in your browser. Please enable Javascript or try a different browser. View original tweet on Twitter The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Skip twitter post by David Quantick 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\u2019s cookie policy, external and privacy policy, external before accepting. To view this content choose \u2018accept and continue\u2019. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.\n\nHe went on to publish cartoon strips in a host of UK national newspapers, including The Fosdyke Saga for the Daily Mirror and The Cloggies for Private Eye.\n\nThe Fosdyke Saga became so popular it eventually became the subject of a 42-part radio series for the BBC from 1983.\n\nOver the years he also appeared on television shows such as Watercolour Challenge, Countdown, Blankety Blank and Countryfile and he illustrated more than 70 books.\n\nTidy was awarded an MBE in 2000 for services to journalism and helped to set up the British Cartoonists' Association.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/entertainment-arts-64932762"}
{"title":"Inflation: Alcopops out and frozen berries in for cost of living measure - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-13","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"Healthier shopping habits are reflected in the basket of goods used to calculate rising prices.","section":"Business","content":"The shopping habits of clean-living consumers are reflected in changes to the basket of goods and services used to calculate the rising cost of living.\n\nAlcopops have been removed and frozen berries, used to make fruit smoothies, are included, the Office for National Statistics (ONS) has said.\n\nElectric bikes have also been put into the virtual basket and digital compact cameras taken out.\n\nThousands of prices are collected to calculate the rising cost of living.\n\nThe so-called inflation basket contains more than 700 goods and services. The cost of these items in many different outlets are gathered by the ONS to give the monthly inflation figures.\n\nIn itself, the rate of inflation is an important measure used during decisions about uprating benefits and pensions, and quoted during pay negotiations.\n\nThe rate recently hit a 40-year high but is expected to slow as the year goes on.\n\nAs well as reflecting consumer trends and technology, the weighting of different sectors of retail and services is important for an accurate calculation.\n\nThe ONS said the removal of alcopops was, in part, the result of restaurants, cafes and pubs being over-represented.\n\nSome items are changed owing to how representative they are of consumer spending, and overall levels of expenditure. That is the reason cited by the ONS for tampons being replaced with sanitary towels in the basket.\n\nMike Hardie, from the ONS, said: \"The impact of mobile phone technology continues to resonate with the removal of CDs and digital cameras from our basket, reflecting how most of us listen to music and take pictures straight from our phones these days.\n\n\"With many people looking to reduce their impact on the environment, we have also introduced e-bikes, whose popularity has risen significantly in recent years.\"\n\nThe ONS reviews the basket once a year, and the changes it makes are only a small percentage of the items sampled.\n\nThis time, 26 items have been added, 16 removed and 717 left unchanged.\n\nThe ONS said it would massively expand the number of rail fares it checks to calculate average price rises. In future it will use an industry database with 30 million price points rather than an index calculated by a regulator.\n\nElectricity, gas and other fuels take up nearly 4.9% of the ONS's new inflation basket, the highest share for over a decade. Last year, the ONS believed that households spent 3.6% of their consumption on fuels, but as prices have soared, that share has increased.\n\nThis will have an effect on the speed the inflation rate comes down: as fuel takes a bigger share of the basket, changes in fuel prices become more important.\n\nMyron Jobson, personal finance analyst at Interactive Investor, said: \"The ONS basket of goods become ever more diverse, with the inclusion of products that some of us wouldn't even dream of buying.\n\n\"It is not an exact science, and its variety should remind us that the experiences of the rising cost of living is unique to each individual.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/business-64938661"}
{"title":"UK must wake up to China threat, says ex-MI6 chief Sir Alex Younger - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-13","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"Western nations are \"under full press of Chinese espionage\", Sir Alex Younger tells the BBC.","section":"UK Politics","content":"The UK must \"wake up\" to the threat posed by China's challenges to global security, the ex-head of MI6 has said.\n\nSir Alex Younger, who led the UK's Intelligence Service between 2014 and 2020, said Western nations are \"under full press of Chinese espionage\".\n\nUS military have shot down four objects - including a suspected Chinese spy balloon - in the past week.\n\nSir Alex told the BBC the UK must place limits on tolerating countries \"who behave in an unacceptable way\",\n\nOn 4 February, the US military shot down a Chinese spy balloon after it travelled over sensitive military sites across North America. China has claimed the object was a weather balloon gone astray.\n\nSince then, the three other \"unidentified objects\" have been downed across North America.\n\nSir Alex Younger was head of MI6 between 2014 and 2020\n\nSpeaking on BBC Radio 4's Today programme, Sir Alex said \"this balloon scenario demonstrates there is no trust\" between China and western nations.\n\n\"This is a gross and really visibly transgression of the sovereignty of many nations.\"\n\nThe UK must recognise \"we're in a competition\" with China, Sir Alex said.\n\nHe said: \"We need to wake up to this.\n\n\"We need to double down on the strengths that we possess to face this systemic competition that's going on.\"\n\nThe Ministry of Defence is conducting a security review following the incursions into North American airspace.\n\nDefence Secretary Ben Wallace said: \"The UK and her allies will review what these airspace intrusions mean for our security.\n\n\"This development is another sign of how the global threat picture is changing for the worse.\"\n\nPrime Minister Rishi Sunak has said the government will do \"whatever it takes\" to keep the UK safe from spy balloons.\n\nOn Monday the prime minister said a \"quick reaction alert force\" of RAF Typhoon jets was on stand-by 24\/7 to police UK airspace.\n\nIn November, Mr Sunak declared the so-called \"golden era\" of UK relations with China over after seven years of closer economic ties promoted by David Cameron's administration.\n\nThe UK's mobile providers are banned from buying new 5G equipment from Huawei, over fears the technology can be accessed by the Chinese state.\n\nCompanies must also remove all the firm's 5G kit from their networks by 2027.\n\nHuawei has denied being controlled by the Chinese government or posing a security threat.\n\nA cross-party group of MPs, including former Tory leader Sir Iain Duncan Smith, are calling for Chinese governor Erkin Tuniyaz to be arrested during a potential visit to the UK this week.\n\nMr Tuniyaz is head of the Xinjiang province, where the UN has said crimes against humanity may be taking place against Uyghurs.\n\nSir Iain was sanctioned by the Chinese government in 2021 along with dozens of MPs over their criticism of human rights abuses in Xinjiang.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/uk-politics-64635179"}
{"title":"Insulate Britain protester jailed for stopping traffic on M4 - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-13","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"Stephen Pritchard and his co-defendants glued themselves to the tarmac, causing huge disruption.","section":"London","content":"Stephen Pritchard has said he will not stop taking part in disruptive action, as a matter of \"conscience\"\n\nAn Insulate Britain protester has been jailed for five weeks for obstructing the motorway, causing huge disruption.\n\nAbout 10,000 drivers were affected by the actions of Stephen Pritchard, from Bath, and three others on the M4 near Heathrow, west London, in October 2021.\n\nThe defendants glued themselves to the tarmac near Junction 3 stopping traffic flow in both directions for two hours.\n\nAt Inner London Crown Court, 63-year-old Pritchard was convicted by a jury of causing a nuisance to the public.\n\nHis co-defendants, former probation officer Ruth Cook, 71, gardener Roman Paluch-Machnik, 29, and carpenter Oliver Rock, 42, were each given six-week sentences, suspended for 18 months.\n\nThe three were also ordered to do 100 hours of community service.\n\nJudge Silas Reid told Pritchard, a former parish councillor, he was being jailed because he previously told the court he would not stop taking part in disruptive action, as a matter of \"conscience\".\n\nThe other defendants previously said they had been deterred from future disruptive protest action.\n\nDrivers were left stuck in long queues as a result of the protest\n\nJudge Reid told Pritchard: \"It is not appropriate for me to suspend the inevitable sentence... you will serve up to half of your sentence in prison.\"\n\nSpeaking to all four defendants, he said: \"None of you have shown any remorse for your actions and in fact wear them with pride.\"\n\nHowever he added the \"appropriate sentence\" would normally be \"in the region of 12 months imprisonment\", but this was reduced by the protesters' aim of bringing attention to the climate crisis.\n\nHe previously banned the defendants from mentioning this motive in front of the jurors but allowed them to mention it during sentencing because \"motivation is relevant to sentence\" but not to whether they committed the crime of public nuisance.\n\nJudge Reid acknowledged that \"protest has an important history in this country\" but \"the right to protest does not give you the right to disrupt the lives of thousands of people\".\n\nInsulate Britain said this was the first time climate activists in the UK had been found guilty of the common law offence.\n\nSpeaking to the PA news agency afterwards, Cook, Rock and Paluch-Machnik said it had been difficult for them to promise not to take part in future disruption.\n\nCook, a grandmother from Frome, Somerset, said it had been \"one of the most difficult decisions I have ever had to make\" but she questioned \"what it would achieve for me to be in prison\".\n\nThe trio suggested they would modify their protest tactics in response to accumulating court action against other Insulate Britain and Just Stop Oil members.\n\nLast month, Pritchard received a short jail sentence for defying a court order that prevented him and four others from protesting on the M25.\n\nHigh Court injunctions were put in place after Insulate Britain's road blockades last year.\n\nThe BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/uk-england-london-64940392"}
{"title":"Ros Atkins on\u2026 Gary Lineker and the BBC\u2019s impartiality crisis - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-13","authors":null,"description":"The BBC\u2019s analysis editor examines the BBC's impartiality guidance, after the corporation struck a deal with Gary Lineker over his controversial tweets.","section":null,"content":"The BBC\u2019s analysis editor Ros Atkins examines what the BBC has called \u2018grey areas\u2019 in its impartiality guidance, after the corporation struck a deal with Gary Lineker over his controversial tweets.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/uk-64946486"}
{"title":"Junior doctors strike: A&E departments very busy, says NHS chief - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-13","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"A senior manager says people are using hospitals as they would normally, putting pressure on casualty units.","section":"Health","content":"'A thank you from the government isn\u2019t enough'\n\nShe has helped saved hundreds of lives, attended more than 100 cardiac arrest calls, and works around 70 hours a week. Dr Amanda Baird earns \u00a323 an hour and started working towards becoming a doctor at the age of 14. Now 27, she has completed five years at medical school and nearly five years as a doctor on the front line. She\u2019s worked through Covid. She\u2019s worked in Intensive care, and is now working towards becoming a consultant in Accident and Emergency. This is why she joined around 100 others outside Newcastle\u2019s Royal Victoria Infirmary today, leaving behind her patients and senior doctors \u2013 consultants - to do the work of their striking juniors. The hardest part of Dr Baird\u2019s job is when she and her colleagues can\u2019t save the life of critically ill patients, especially when they are children. Working all through Covid too was tough. But she says the best part is when you bring a life back and the patient says \u201cthank you\u201d \u2013 it can \u201csave our soul\u201d. The government says the doctors' pay demand is unaffordable but could more recognition for the work they do help? \u201cNo\u201d says Dr Baird, \u201ca thank you from government isn\u2019t enough.\u201d","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/live\/health-64934752"}
{"title":"Best Oscars acceptance speeches... in 61 seconds - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-13","authors":null,"description":"This video has been removed for rights reasons.","section":null,"content":"This video can not be played\n\nTo play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/entertainment-arts-64935382"}
{"title":"I've never seen the NHS this bad - junior doctor - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-13","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"Birmingham doctor Shivam Sharma says he is worried for the future of the healthcare system.","section":"Birmingham & Black Country","content":"Dr Shivam Sharma said many junior doctors had struggled to pay rent and make ends meet\n\nA junior doctor said NHS workers who had taken strike action for a pay rise had struggled with \"enormous\" workplace pressures and financial difficulties.\n\nDr Shivam Sharma, from Birmingham, said he was worried for the future of the healthcare system after seeing an increase in patient waiting times.\n\nIt comes as thousands of junior doctors across England took to picket lines for three days of industrial action.\n\nMore than 36,000 NHS workers are striking from Monday until Thursday.\n\nMembers of British Medical Association (BMA) in England has asked for a pay rise of 35% however the government said the union's demands were \"completely unaffordable\".\n\nThe BMA called it \"pay restoration\" and claimed staff had seen pay cuts of 26% since 2008.\n\nAbout 100 people, junior doctors, union members and students, stood outside the doors of Birmingham's Queen Elizabeth hospital on Monday\n\nDr Sharma, who is in his fourth year working as a doctor after graduating from the University of Birmingham, is a member of BMA Junior Doctor committee.\n\nCurrently working on a geriatric ward, he said he had seen many patients tended to in the corridors of the hospital.\n\n\"I think it's really becoming more and more tough, I've never seen it this bad,\" he said, adding the doctors work on average about 48 hours a week but sometimes as many as 72.\n\nHe was worried for the future of the healthcare system, he said, adding the average waiting time for patients to be seen was now 12 hours.\n\nMore pay and better working conditions would allow doctors to retain a work-life balance and would allow them to deliver the care they wanted to deliver, he said, adding taking industrial action was a \"last resort\" for doctors.\n\nThe term junior doctor covers a huge variety of roles, from those just graduating from university, to others with years of front-line experience.\n\nThe BMA's campaign focuses on the \u00a314 per hour starting salary, although that quickly rises for anyone entering the profession.\n\nThere are five core pay points in the junior doctor contract. By the end of training they will be earning around \u00a328 an hour in basic salary - although this can take 10 years to get to.\n\nJunior doctors, including those fresh out of university, also receive an additional 30% more in extra payments, on average, for things like working unsociable hours.\n\nHealth Secretary Steve Barclay said he valued the hard work of junior doctors and that he wanted unions to \"come to the negotiating table\" to enter formal talks.\n\nOne doctor said the last few years have been full of burnout\n\nOutside the Queen Elizabeth Hospital in Birmingham Naomi Collier, a junior doctor with four years' experience, said she was moving to Australia on Wednesday.\n\nDoctors like her are choosing to work elsewhere for better pay, and ultimately, a better work-life balance, she said.\n\n\"I've always wanted to visit Australia, but because we have a structured training programme in the NHS, I'm at a point where it's the only natural break I can really see, before going on to train for eight years to become a consultant.\n\n\"I think I would be speaking for quite a few people if I say the last few years have been full of burnout.\"\n\nAn NHS spokesperson said patients should not be put off from seeking emergency care during strike action.\n\nPatients have also been told to continue to attend appointments unless advised otherwise.\n\nFollow BBC West Midlands on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. Send your story ideas to: newsonline.westmidlands@bbc.co.uk\n\nThe BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/uk-england-birmingham-64938278"}
{"title":"Windsor Framework: Questions over deal await DUP leader on US trip - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-13","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"Stormont politicians are making their way to the US for a week of St Patrick's Day celebrations.","section":"Northern Ireland","content":"Stormont parties are travelling to the US this week for St Patrick's Day festivities\n\nWhen travelling to the United States for a short stay, you have two choices.\n\nDo what former Northern Ireland Secretary Brandon Lewis used to do and keep your body clock on Belfast time.\n\nManage through early morning gym sessions, and early to bed in the evening.\n\nJet lag, he said, was never a problem.\n\nOr do what the rest of us do: reset our body clock to Washington time and battle through the jet lag.\n\nBut be it in Belfast or Washington this week for the St Patrick's Day festivities, we are all working to DUP time whether we like it or not.\n\nWaiting for the party to deliver its verdict on the Windsor Framework, and then waiting on what that judgements means, for a return of Stormont.\n\nAre we likely to see a reset in power sharing in time for the Good Friday Agreement 25th anniversary next month?\n\nThat is the question which will loom large over the many political gatherings in Washington this week.\n\nThe man with the answer will be here, but don't expect him to give much away.\n\nDUP leader Sir Jeffrey Donaldson announced the party had set up an eight-member panel to gauge opinion on the new deal\n\nSir Jeffrey Donaldson has set a consultation process in motion led by former party leader Peter Robinson to canvass opinion on the Windsor Framework.\n\nThat will allow him to dodge the big question during his US trip.\n\nTime and space are being afforded to the party to make the right call.\n\nHowever, according to some DUP sources, we may end up with two calls: the party rejecting the Windsor Framework because it falls short of some of its well-flagged seven tests; but the party agreeing to return to Stormont at some point after listening to the many views it plans to canvass.\n\nThat would involve breaking the link between the revised protocol arrangements and the party's return to the institutions.\n\nSome in the party might argue they were never formally linked at the outset as the seven tests were set seven months before the DUP collapsed the executive.\n\nThat scenario of rejecting the deal but resetting Stormont was supported in the weekend Lucid Talk poll.\n\nIt showed support among unionist voters for the DUP to say no to the new framework, but growing support for the party to return to Stormont.\n\nThough they won't admit it, polls have played a part in DUP decision making in the past.\n\nThere is another big question which will also loom large in Washington this week and it is a question which will likely be answered come Friday.\n\nIs President Biden going to visit Northern Ireland next month to join in the Good Friday Agreement anniversary celebrations?\n\nThe answer is likely to be yes, with 19 April being suggested as a possible date.\n\nUS officials have already been spotted in Northern Ireland preparing for the trip.\n\nThe formal invitation from Prime Minister Rishi Sunak is also a big indicator.\n\nIf he does come, President Biden is likely to travel north during a wider visit to the Republic of Ireland and his ancestral roots in Mayo.\n\nExpect confirmation later this week when he meets Taoiseach (Irish Prime Minister) Leo Varadkar in the White House.\n\nA possible date for US President Joe Biden's visit is 19 April\n\nIt was rumoured President Biden was hoping to address assembly members at a sitting session in Stormont - but only if it had been fully restored.\n\nThat seems unlikely as Sir Jeffrey has made it clear he is not working to that timeline.\n\nThat could leave us with the spectacle once more of marking a Good Friday Agreement milestone with the institutions it created in lockdown.\n\nIt didn't dampen the celebrations for the 20th anniversary and is unlikely to do so again, especially if the DUP jury is still out.\n\nIt's going to be a hectic run-in, beginning this week in Washington, and all our body clocks may need to be reset when it's over.\n\nDeclan Harvey and Tara Mills explore the text of the Good Friday Agreement - the deal which heralded the end of the Troubles in Northern Ireland.\n\nThey look at what the Agreement actually said and hear from some of the people who helped get the deal across the line.\n\nClick here to listen to the full box set on BBC Sounds.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/uk-northern-ireland-64937089"}
{"title":"Swansea: Man dies after gas explosion in Morriston - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-13","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"Police say the body of a man was recovered from the site of a reported gas explosion.","section":"Wales","content":"This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser.\n\nA man has died after a gas explosion at a house in Swansea.\n\nThree others were taken to hospital after the blast in the Morriston area of the city, which shook houses miles away.\n\nA major incident was declared and emergency services were called to the junction of Field Close and Clydach Road at about 11:20 GMT.\n\nOne property was completely flattened with Wales & West Utilities describing the structural damage as \"severe\".\n\nSouth Wales Police said the body of the previously missing man was found during a search of Clydach Road.\n\nThe force said his family has been informed and an investigation was under way.\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. WATCH: The aftermath of a gas explosion in Swansea was captured by a bystander\n\nMorriston Hospital said two adults and a child were brought to A&E after neighbours said they saw a boy being pulled from the rubble.\n\nA spokeswoman said: \"The child and one of the adults were treated and discharged.\n\n\"The second adult was admitted with trauma injuries, and is in a stable condition.\"\n\nThe National Grid's website said 212 properties were without electricity but that was restored by 18:40 on Monday.\n\nSwansea council leader Rob Stewart said about 100 people had been displaced.\n\nDebris was strewn across the street\n\nThe British Red Cross has sent a team of three to help and the council has set up a rest centre at Morriston Memorial Hall.\n\nSupport is being provided there for about 50 people until they are able to go home. Others have gathered in the Red Lion pub.\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. WATCH: BBC reporter near the scene of where a reported gas explosion destroyed a house\n\nPeople living on the street said they heard a loud bang which sounded like a car crash, with roofs and doors being blown off houses.\n\nDonn and Donna Fernandez said they and other neighbours rescued a teenage occupant of the house before they were taken to hospital.\n\nMr Fernandez said: \"I came out of my house and saw the young teenager who lives next door in the wreckage of the house near the roof.\n\n\"Me and our neighbours got him out, he's only about 13.\"\n\nNeighbour Pamela Evans said the blast felt like a bomb.\n\n\"It's like a warzone, it's unbelievable down there,\" she said.\n\n\"Windows have been smashed, doors have been blown out.\"\n\nPamela Evans said the blast felt like a bomb\n\nAlan Huxtable, who lives about 150 yards away on Field Close, said he was stunned by what he saw.\n\nHe said: \"The pressure of the blast - you could feel that. The house was shaking.\n\n\"I just looked out of the window and I couldn't believe it. It took two or three seconds to realise what happened.\n\n\"I said to my wife, 'the end terrace house is gone, it's disappeared'.\"\n\nThere were tiles in his back garden, he said.\n\nFellow resident Marjorie Lewis said: \"The roof was all on the floor and there was a boy in the rubble.\"\n\nThe boy was pulled from the wreckage and she called police: \"They were here in two or three minutes. It sounded horrendous - it shook all the houses.\"\n\nMs Lewis said about four or five houses had been damaged in the blast.\n\nWales & West Utilities said the cause of the blast was not yet known\n\nShe said: \"I thought it was inside the house. I just took my youngest son and ran.\n\n\"I went out the house and and saw the damage. It's terrible.\"\n\nMirain Owen was at school when she heard about what had happened\n\nMirain Owen, who lives about five minutes away from Clydach Road, was in school when she started getting messages on Snapchat about the blast.\n\nShe said her family had been unable to return home to collect anything.\n\nThe 17-year-old said: \"The roads are closed and we aren't able to get in there by car.\"\n\nHayley Brown, of Field Close, said: \"To see that house, the way that it was, was absolutely heartbreaking.\n\nKakuli Khatun was making tea for her husband when her window smashed\n\nSwansea councillor Ceri Evans said he lives less than a mile away and was working from home at the time of the explosion.\n\n\"The whole house shook. All the windows shook, it was really noticeable. You could hear it and I ran out in the street,\" he said.\n\nSwansea University researcher Ioan Humphreys lives eight miles away in Rhos, Pontardawe, and said: \"The house next door to me is having lots of building work done, so initially I thought it was a massive skip being delivered and dropped on their drive - it felt that close.\"\n\nSouth Wales Police asked people to avoid the area and said Clydach Road was still closed on Monday evening.\n\n\"A cordon remains in place and people are asked to avoid the area,\" the force said.\n\n\"It is necessary to keep the cordon in place due to the ongoing risk to the public and the amount of debris which is blocking access roads.\"\n\nWales & West Utilities said: \"We do not yet know the cause of the explosion and our engineers will continue to support the emergency services as they carry out their work.\"\n\nWelsh Ambulance Service and Mid and West Wales Fire Service also attended.\n\nThe fire service said crews were still working at the site on Monday evening.\n\nMorriston Town AFC football club said it was \"devastated\" to hear the news and said locals should not hesitate to contact the club and come in to keep warm.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/uk-wales-64941189"}
{"title":"Oscars 2023: Relive the ceremony, as it happened - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-13","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"All the results and gossip from the ceremony, where Everything Everywhere All At Once dominated.","section":"Entertainment & Arts","content":"As someone covering the Oscars for the first time it was a surreal experience to see so many people you recognise all in one place, out having a good time.\n\nObviously the big story of the night was Everything Everywhere All at Once and Michelle Yeoh winning best actress in a leading role. We were able to speak to her briefly and she said she hoped this was just the beginning for actors like her.\n\nWe also spoke to the guys from An Irish Goodbye and everyone was in pretty good spirits there, and we spoke to the sound designers from Top Gun who were thrilled to have won.\n\nEveryone's been saying over and over again how this year has seen a return to the movies -with many people crediting Top Gun with getting people back into movie theatres.\n\nIt's been a great night, seeing everyone out celebrating their work and having fun together.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/live\/entertainment-arts-64918345"}
{"title":"PC who struck footballer Dalian Atkinson acted 'bravely' - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-13","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"Mary Ellen Bettley-Smith is accused of gross misconduct over blows to the ex-footballer before his death.","section":"Shropshire","content":"A PC who repeatedly struck ex-footballer Dalian Atkinson with a baton on the night he was killed by her colleague \"showed bravery under extreme pressure\", a disciplinary panel heard.\n\nIt emerged in a separate criminal trial that Mary Ellen Bettley-Smith had used the weapon on Mr Atkinson in Telford in August 2016.\n\nBut having been acquitted of related charges, she faces a disciplinary hearing via West Mercia Police.\n\nHer legal team told the inquiry she did \"as she was trained to do\", while the case against her maintained the force she used was unreasonable.\n\nPC Bettley-Smith could face immediate dismissal from the police if the panel rules against her in the hearing, brought at the recommendation of the Independent Office for Police Conduct.\n\nSpeaking at the opening of the disciplinary process, Patrick Gibbs KC, who is representing her, said: \"She does not accept she misconducted herself grossly - or at all.\n\n\"She denies her conduct breached standards of professional behaviour, on a fair view of this sad but terrifying incident.\n\n\"Quite the contrary is true; she showed bravery under extreme pressure and was in no way responsible for the tragic outcome.\"\n\nHe added Bettley-Smith \"did her probationary best in unusually challenging circumstances to contain, control and detain Dalian Atkinson - a normally peaceful man, who, because he was in the grip of florid psychosis, presented that night as a serious, immediate danger to his father, the public, responding officers and himself\".\n\nMr Atkinson started his career at Ipswich Town, before moving to Sheffield Wednesday, Real Sociedad, Aston Villa and Fenerbah\u00e7e in the 1990s.\n\nHe died after being tasered by PC Bettley-Smith's partner and colleague, Benjamin Monk, who was jailed for manslaughter in 2021.\n\nDalian Atkinson died after being tasered by PC Bettley-Smith's partner, Benjamin Monk\n\nCriminal proceedings brought against the pair heard how Mr Atkinson had been acting out of character outside his father's house due to ongoing health issues when police attended.\n\nMr Atkinson died in hospital about an hour after Monk tasered him and kicked him in the head with enough force to leave imprints of his bootlaces.\n\nPC Bettley-Smith, the court case heard, struck Mr Atkinson three times with her baton while he was lying on the ground after the final taser discharge.\n\nShe was acquitted of causing him actual bodily harm at retrial in September 2022.\n\nAt the disciplinary hearing on Monday, Dijen Basu KC, bringing the case against PC Bettley-Smith, said her actions \"did not in any way contribute to the death of Mr Atkinson\".\n\nBut he argued there was \"gross misconduct being so serious it amounts to a breach of standards of professional behaviour so serious, that dismissal will be justified\".\n\nHe added: \"We say the force she used was unreasonable.\"\n\nFollow BBC West Midlands on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. Send your story ideas to: newsonline.westmidlands@bbc.co.uk","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/uk-england-shropshire-64943305"}
{"title":"Oscar nominations 2023: The full list - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-13","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"Find out which films, actors and directors are vying for a golden statuette.","section":"Entertainment & Arts","content":"This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Oscars 2023: The best picture contenders in 40 seconds\n\nThe race is on for this year's Oscars, honouring the film industry's finest from the past 12 months.\n\nHere is the full list of the nominees of the 95th Academy Awards, which will be handed out at the ceremony in Los Angeles on 12 March.\n\nAngela Bassett is nominated as best supporting actress for Black Panther: Wakanda Forever\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser.\n\nThe Banshees of Inisherin is up for nine awards\n\nAvatar: The Way of Water has been a huge box office success","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/entertainment-arts-64386176"}
{"title":"Gary Lineker: BBC talks with presenter 'moving in right direction', sources say - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-13","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"It is hoped there will be a resolution soon but not all issues are \"fully resolved\", BBC News understands.","section":"UK","content":"This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. WATCH: The weekend of BBC football show chaos... in 90 seconds\n\nTalks between the BBC and Gary Lineker are said to be \"moving in the right direction\" after a second day of scheduling disruption.\n\nBBC News understands there are hopes of a resolution soon but not all issues are \"fully resolved\" at this stage.\n\nWeekend football coverage was disrupted due to walkouts triggered by the Match of the Day host's suspension.\n\nDirector General Tim Davie has apologised to licence fee payers for the changes.\n\nPresenters, pundits and commentators pulled out of BBC football coverage in support of Lineker, who was taken off air for criticising government asylum plans.\n\nTV and radio coverage was hit throughout Sunday, with the stand off between the host and the BBC continuing.\n\nIt followed an unprecedented day of turmoil for the BBC's sports operation on Saturday, with some of the most recognisable faces and voices associated with the broadcaster walking out.\n\nBBC Two's Sunday afternoon coverage of the Women's Super League went ahead without studio analysis and had to rely on world feed commentary, while Radio 5 Live was forced to plug gaps in the schedule with pre-recorded programmes for a second straight day.\n\nMatch of the Day 2 followed the main programme's much-reduced format - airing for just 15 minutes - and was without the usual commentators and host Mark Chapman.\n\nThe show started the same as Saturday's Match of the Day, where a continuity presenter apologised for the lack of commentary, which was followed by the opening credits that featured the words: \"Premier League Highlights\" without the usual theme tune and credits.\n\nMatch of the Day was also cut to a 20-minute highlight reel with no punditry, commentary or opening theme, though viewing figures were up by almost half a million at 2.58m.\n\nRadio coverage of Premier League fixtures went ahead but commentator Alistair Bruce-Ball told listeners it had been a \"difficult decision\" to make.\n\nSpeaking ahead of the Fulham v Arsenal match, he said: \"It's been a very difficult decision to make personally - I can assure you it's not been taken lightly - but I'm a BBC staff member, I'm a radio commentator for this station and, just like yesterday, we are here to provide our football service to you, our audience.\"\n\nPaul Armstrong, a former Match of the Day editor, said there was a \"lack of consistency\u2026and clear guidelines\" for how impartiality applies to sports staff.\n\nHe said he \"wasn't in the least bit surprised\" by the collective response from presenters, pundits and commentators, adding: \"I don't know why BBC management didn't realise that these guys are a team\u2026 and that if you attack the captain, the others are going to withdraw their labour.\"\n\nPrime Minister Rishi Sunak said the issue between the BBC and Lineker should be resolved by the BBC itself.\n\nSpeaking to reporters on a plane journey to talks with the US president in San Diego, he did not directly answer a question about whether he had confidence in Mr Davie - and when asked if he would meet Lineker to talk about the issue, he replied that \"it's not about any one person\".\n\nThe BBC has not commented further on behind-the-scenes efforts to resolve the situation.\n\nThe presenter's suspension over his criticism of the government's asylum policy has triggered a wider debate about BBC impartiality, the government's asylum policy and the position of the broadcaster's chairman Richard Sharp.\n\nMark Thompson - who served as BBC director general between 2004 and 2012 - said enforcing impartiality rules for non-news staff was complex, noting that \"the BBC has walked into the 21st Century\".\n\nAppearing on Sunday with Laura Kuenssberg armed with the BBC's latest impartiality rules, he urged everyone to calm down and said in his view that the star's tweet had probably crossed the line, saying there is a \"grey area\" around sports presenters.\n\nBut he said he hoped the presenter would be back on air soon, and that he hoped and believed BBC Director General Tim Davie would survive the row.\n\nHe went on to call the situation an \"unhappy accident\" and urged the BBC to \"ignore the papers\", saying he knew Mr Lineker well enough to \"believe in his good faith\".\n\nOn the same show, Peter Salmon, who was previously the corporation's head of sport, said the BBC's impartiality guidelines were \"opaque\" and urged bosses to \"get this sorted out\".\n\nChancellor Jeremy Hunt - who earlier said he \"profoundly\" disagreed with Lineker's tweet - told the programme that he thought \"making sure the BBC maintains its reputation for independence and impartiality is the outcome that matters most\".\n\nBut he declined to say whether he thought Lineker should remain as Match of the Day presenter.\n\nMr Davie told BBC News on Saturday he was in \"listening mode\" about how to reform impartiality rules for staff outside of the news operation after a \"difficult day\".\n\nHe left the door open for Lineker to return, describing him as the \"best sports broadcaster in the world\" and said he wanted to see him back on-air.\n\nMr Sunak reiterated on Saturday that resolving the row was a matter for the BBC, but Downing Street and several senior ministers have been sharply critical of the 62-year-old presenter in recent days.\n\nHome Secretary Suella Braverman and Culture Secretary Lucy Frazer have both attacked the presenter this week for his comparison between the government's language and Nazi Germany.\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Watch: Looks like Lineker broke rules on a technicality - ex-BBC boss\n\nLabour's Shadow Chancellor Rachael Reeves said the BBC had \"clearly come under immense pressure from the Conservative Party to take Gary Lineker off air\".\n\nShe contrasted Lineker's suspension with the BBC chairman being able to continue in his job while the circumstances of his appointment are investigated, adding: \"I don't remember those same Tory MPs crying about impartiality when those revelations about Richard Sharp came out.\"\n\nAn ongoing KC-led review into Richard Sharp's appointment as BBC chairman is investigating whether he failed to properly disclose details of his involvement in the facilitation of an \u00a3800,000 loan guarantee for the then Prime Minister Boris Johnson. He has denied any involvement in the arrangement of a loan for Mr Johnson.\n\nThe BBC is also conducting its own internal review over any potential conflicts of interest Mr Sharp may have in his current role as BBC chairman.\n\nMr Sharp has resisted calls to quit. He is believed to be waiting for an inquiry into his relationship with Boris Johnson to conclude and has previously denied wrongdoing.\n\nMeanwhile, uncertainty continues to swirl as to whether Lineker will return to the BBC.\n\nQuestioned by reporters on Sunday morning outside his home, Lineker replied only \"I can't say anything at the moment\" when asked if he would return to the BBC or if he had been approached by rival broadcasters.\n\nBut his son, George, told the Sunday Mirror that he thought his father would return to presenting Match of the Day.\n\nHe later tweeted: \"Dad is a good man, a good human, and I'm proud of him for standing by his word. That's why he was pulled off the show - because he wouldn't apologise. But he will always speak up for people who don't have a voice.\"\n\nThe row erupted after Lineker called the so-called Stop The Boats Bill an \"immeasurably cruel policy directed at the most vulnerable people in language that is not dissimilar to that used by Germany in the 30s\".","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/uk-64930957"}
{"title":"Gary Lineker to return to Match of the Day as BBC announces review of social media rules - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-13","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"The Match of the Day host tweeted to say the past few difficult days don't compare to \"having to flee your home from persecution or war.\"","section":"Entertainment & Arts","content":"You might think that finding out exactly which BBC \u201cguidelines\u201d and \u201cguidance\u201d on impartiality are relevant to the Gary Lineker controversy would be straightforward.\n\nI can confirm that, after several of us spent the weekend poring through the details, that's not necessarily the case.\n\nThe BBC has its Editorial Guidelines. There is also additional guidance on \u201cindividual use of social media\u201d and impartiality is mentioned in the Royal Charter. And some individuals have particular arrangements in their contracts too (which, needless to say, we can't read).\n\nThis paragraph, from the social media guidance brought in by Tim Davie in 2020, feels most relevant:\n\nQuote Message: There are also others who are not journalists or involved in factual programming who nevertheless have an additional responsibility to the BBC because of their profile on the BBC. We expect these individuals to avoid taking sides on party political issues or political controversies and to take care when addressing public policy matters.\u201d from BBC Editorial Guidelines There are also others who are not journalists or involved in factual programming who nevertheless have an additional responsibility to the BBC because of their profile on the BBC. We expect these individuals to avoid taking sides on party political issues or political controversies and to take care when addressing public policy matters.\u201d\n\nHowever, it is far from clear if Gary Lineker ever accepted that this applied to him. He told me on The Media Show in 2021 that Davie had \u201cnever called me up and said you can\u2019t tweet about that.\u201d He went on: \u201cI don\u2019t think he could do that anyway. I\u2019m my own person.\"\n\nCombine that with what Davie himself said under questioning from MPs in September 2022 about Lineker\u2019s use of social media: \u201cIt\u2019s a work in progress in terms of where he draws the line\".\n\nFor all the new guidance of 2020, what Gary Lineker could or couldn't do on Twitter looked far from settled two years later. And so, it all came to a head last week.\n\nToday, in his statement, Tim Davie recognised there were \u201cgrey areas\u201d in the 2020 guidance that could cause confusion.\n\nThis is the same guidance that, on Friday, the BBC said Gary Lineker had breached.\n\nTrawling through the BBC website this week, I found a definition of impartiality shortly followed by a caveat that \u201cputting impartiality in practice is more difficult\u201d.\n\nThat's always been true. What's remarkable is that the BBC's own decision-making and its own guidance appears to have contributed to making it even more difficult in the last few days.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/live\/entertainment-arts-64938252"}
{"title":"Oscars winners at the 95th Academy Awards - full list - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-13","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"Everything Everywhere All at Once scoops the best picture Oscar - as Michelle Yeoh wins best actress.","section":"Entertainment & Arts","content":"This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser.\n\nHollywood royalty gathered to find out who had won a coveted Oscars statuette on Sunday. Here is the list of winners and all the nominees announced at the 95th Academy Awards in Los Angeles.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/entertainment-arts-64935479"}
{"title":"Silicon Valley Bank: Rising interest rates will uncover more ticking bombs - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-13","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"Rapid rate rises were always likely to lead to unintended consequences in the financial system.","section":"Business","content":"\"We have the coolest clients of any bank, anywhere\u2026\"\n\nThat was the claim made by Silicon Valley Bank UK last autumn as it celebrated becoming a fully UK-run subsidiary with a promotional video featuring cycle-in branches, ping-pong tables and dogs in the office.\n\nAt around the same time during the UK mini-Budget shock, there was a private fear whispered from regulators. Away from the political blame game, the unpublished Office for Budget Responsibility forecasts and reasonable regulatory questions about an obscure corner of the pension fund market, there was a really big picture concern for the global financial system.\n\nAfter a decade and a half of near zero interest rates, the rapid rise in rates was going to lead to at best unforeseen, unintended consequences in hitherto stable corners of the system. At worst, the pensions \"Liability Driven Investment\" crisis was just the first of a series of ticking timebombs in debt markets that had become rather accustomed to borrowing almost for free.\n\nSilicon Valley Bank (SVB) has proved to be one of those ticking timebombs. Rising interest rates on government-backed borrowing contributed directly to the problems in the bank's balance sheet. Its key asset - concentrating entirely on the high tech sector - contributed to the herd-like flight of its US deposits last week.\n\nThere is no systemic risk to UK financial stability from the direct fall of Silicon Valley Bank's UK arm, authorities say. That is because it is very small. Authorities won't say how many customers it had, but it only reached \u00a3100m in deposits covered by the protection scheme last August. So we are talking thousands of customers rather than tens of thousands, and it is believed to have had several billion in deposits.\n\nThe UK arm is too small to impact UK financial stability directly. As a result of its establishment as a full UK subsidiary there should also be plenty of assets there to help mitigate the outflow of deposits. But it is considered economically important to many potentially high growth companies. Its customers' business model means they typically have low profits and revenues, and draw down funds from the bank.\n\nWho are those customers? There are two types in the UK - start-up tech companies, and their funders in venture capital and private equity. The government thinks there is a serious risk to the tech sector. Others, such as former top Treasury boss Nick Macpherson fear that offering help beyond the normal \u00a385,000 deposit protection limit could create serious \"moral hazard\", in other words reward risky behaviour.\n\nCould the start-up business customers be treated differently to the big investors? The government is in talks to get other banks to take on the ailing UK arm of SVB or to offer some sort of guarantees to allow clients to pay wages and suppliers. All this comes as the chancellor is planning to make the UK's tech future a centrepiece of his Budget on Wednesday.\n\nOrdinary UK depositors at other banks should be reassured. This is a very specialist bank, only serving customers in a specific sector. However, what is happening in the US is another matter. US regulators do not want to bail out sophisticated tech investors who take financial risks with the promise of fabulous returns.\n\nBut they will be keen to provide enough reassurance to avoid a run on deposits spreading to smaller banks. If that happened it could cast a shadow over other stock markets and the world economy too. So this does matter for UK economic policy and US financial stability. It could also be a canary in the coalmine for other unknown risks as the financial system is upended by the recent end of nearly free money.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/business-64934344"}
{"title":"Oscars (not red) carpet: The best fashion looks - in pictures - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-13","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"The famous Hollywood red carpet may have changed colour, but the glamour was the same as ever.","section":"Entertainment & Arts","content":"The famous carpet changed colour in Hollywood for this year's Oscars - it was described as champagne, instead of being the traditional red. But the glamour on show was the same as ever.\n\nCate Blanchett had the eighth Oscar nomination of her career. Her elegant blue velvet outfit featured a ribbon made by refugees as part of an initiative from the United Nations refugee agency.\n\nEverything Everywhere All At Once star Michelle Yeoh, who arrived in a white fringe Dior gown accented with diamonds, beat Blanchett to the award for best actress.\n\nMichelle Williams was also nominated for best actress - the fifth Oscar nod of her career - for playing Steven Spielberg's mother in The Fabelmans. She opted for an embellished white Chanel dress with a sheer overlay dotted with crystals.\n\nLady Gaga, who performed her song Hold My Hand from Top Gun: Maverick, arrived in a black Versace dress with a sheer corset bodice - which extended rather low.\n\nRihanna also sang at the ceremony, performing Lift Me Up from Black Panther: Wakanda Forever. Her Alaia outfit had leather straps and train, and more sheer mesh showing off her baby bump.\n\nBritish actress Florence Pugh went for a ruffled statement gown accompanied by black shorts and platform shoes, plus a striking silver necklace and two-tone hair design.\n\nIrish star Paul Mescal pulled off a 1970s vibe with his white Gucci tuxedo and flared trousers. He was nominated for best actor for Aftersun.\n\nJamie Lee Curtis won the first Oscar of her career, and sparkled in a crystal and sequin-embellished Dolce and Gabbana floor-length gown - which could be described as champagne-coloured. After the runway's colour change, she joked: \"Their carpet is going to match my drapes.\"\n\nShe also posted a photo of herself with 16 people who helped make the dress - which she said was just part of the Italian team behind it.\n\nStephanie Hsu is Curtis' co-star in Everything Everywhere All At Once, and was also nominated for best supporting actress. She went for a coral classic Valentino ballgown.\n\nAngela Bassett, who was nominated for best supporting actress for playing Queen Ramonda in Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, was wrapped in a royal shade of purple.\n\nAna de Armas, who was also up for best actress, for playing Marilyn Monroe in Blonde, went for a sparkling, simple bodice, flowing into frilled layers.\n\nDwayne Johnson said his daughters helped pick his outfit - a shiny pale pink tuxedo jacket by Dolce & Gabbana - while Emily Blunt had a minimalist all-white look with detached sleeves, by Valentino.\n\nBrendan Fraser, accompanied by girlfriend Jeanne Moore, was named best actor for his comeback role in The Whale.\n\nCara Delevingne brought some red back to the carpet in a dramatic Elie Saab gown.\n\nHalle Berry, in white satin Tamara Ralph with rose gold decoration, presented an award, 21 years after she won best actress.\n\nAvengers and WandaVision star Elizabeth Olsen's black Givenchy halter neck design added a hint of gothic glamour to the classic black dress.\n\nThe Nobel Peace Prize laureate was at the ceremony as executive producer of Stranger at the Gate, which was nominated for best documentary short.\n\nZoe Saldana was among those representing Avatar: The Way of Water, which was nominated for four awards including best picture.\n\nHer Avatar co-star Sigourney Weaver complemented the Oscars statuettes in her stylish and shining V-neck gold-and-white patterned dress.\n\nM3gan actress Allison Williams' Giambattista Valli outfit included a sheer dress with floral-jewelled design and feathered hem, with a voluminous candy pink gown extension.\n\nTop Gun: Maverick star Jennifer Connelly, who was also among the ceremony's presenters, wore a Louis Vuitton design that added a sparkling neck structure to simple, straight black.\n\nEva Longoria wore an eye-catching and intricately-jewelled Zuhair Murad design with ribbon detail from her neck.\n\nThe decision to change the red carpet after 62 years was made by a creative consultant, who explained that a \"champagne\" coloured carpet would help with \"the change from daytime arrivals to an elegant evening setting\".\n\nIn a reference to Will Smith's slap last year, host Jimmy Kimmel quipped beforehand: \"I think the decision to go with a champagne carpet rather than a red carpet shows how confident we are that no blood will be shed.\"","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/entertainment-arts-64935067"}
{"title":"Norfolk deer herd crossing road holds up coastguard patrol - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-13","authors":null,"description":"A coastguard patrol team pulls over to let a few deer cross the road - and they keep on coming.","section":null,"content":"A coastguard patrol team that pulled over to let a few deer cross was taken by surprise when the animals just kept coming in what turned out to be a very large herd.\n\nNearly a hundred deer took more than 30 seconds to cross the road on the outskirts of Sea Palling on the North Norfolk coast.\n\nThe crossing was filmed by HM Coastguard Bacton and has had more than 2.8 million views on its Facebook page.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/uk-england-norfolk-64939626"}
{"title":"Rishi Sunak announces \u00a35bn extra defence spending during US trip - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-13","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"The spending boost is outlined in a new UK foreign policy strategy that warns of China's threat.","section":"UK Politics","content":"UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak has vowed to increase defence spending by nearly \u00a35bn over the next two years to counter threats from hostile states.\n\nThe funding was outlined in a new UK foreign and security strategy that cast China as a challenge to world order.\n\nIt comes as talks continue between the prime minister and his US and Australian counterparts in California.\n\nThe trio are set to agree details of a UK-US pact to supply Australia with nuclear-powered submarines.\n\nThe agreement, known as the Aukus pact, was signed in 2021 as part of a joint effort to counter Chinese military power in the Indo-Pacific region.\n\nThe UK government says \u00a33bn from the extra spending would be earmarked to support the pact, along with boosting industrial infrastructure and servicing UK submarines.\n\nThe remaining \u00a31.9bn will be used to replace weapons sent to Ukraine and improve the UK's munitions infrastructure.\n\nOf the new money, \u00a31.98bn will be spent this year and \u00a32.97bn next year, with defence spending then reviewed again after 2025.\n\nMoving forward, the government has an \"aspiration\" to invest 2.5% of national income over time, but has not specified a timeframe.\n\nMr Sunak's predecessor Liz Truss had committed to spend 3% of GDP on defence by 2030 - but the prime minister has stepped back from that pledge.\n\nA new version of the so-called Integrated Review was published on Monday, replacing the first version of the policy document unveiled under former Prime Minister Boris Johnson in 2021.\n\nThe update was ordered by Ms Truss in September last year to take account of Russia's invasion of Ukraine.\n\nIn a foreword to the document, Mr Sunak said the previous review could not have foreseen \"the pace of the geopolitical change and the extent of its impact on the UK\".\n\nThe review's main conclusion, Mr Sunak wrote, \"is that unless democracies like our own do more to build our resilience and out-cooperate and out-compete those that are driving instability, the global security situation will deteriorate further\".\n\nWhile the review identified Russia as \"the most pressing national security and foreign policy priority in the short-to-medium term\", it also described China as posing an \"epoch-defining and systemic challenge\" to the international order.\n\nMaking the announcements in Parliament, Foreign Secretary James Cleverly said \"threats have grown and systematic competition has intensified\" since the last integrated review in 2021.\n\nHe said the UK \"cannot be blind to the increasingly aggressive military and economic behaviour of the Chinese Communist Party\".\n\n\"We will increase our national security protections and ensure alignment with both our core allies and a wider set of international partners,\" he said.\n\nRishi Sunak speaking to the press during his flight to San Diego on Sunday\n\nThe review's emphasis on China has been welcomed by Mr Sunak's MPs, but some would prefer him to take an even tougher position.\n\nAnd there are concerns from others that the promises being made for defence spending don't go far enough.\n\nWhile Defence Secretary Ben Wallace has publicly welcomed the extra \u00a35bn announced by the prime minister, he had been hoping for considerably more.\n\nThe Conservative chairman of the Defence Committee, Tobias Ellwood, said Mr Wallace wanted double that \"just to stay level\" after years of military spending cuts.\n\nMr Ellwood said Russia and China \"will be breathing a sigh of relief that we haven't invested further\".\n\nHe argued the next two years will be \"very dangerous indeed\" and that the UK needed more \"hard power\".\n\nLabour rubbished Mr Sunak's promise, and said defence spending had not hit 2.5% of GDP since it had left power.\n\nJohn Healey, the shadow defence secretary, said the Conservatives were \"failing to secure Britain's national defence for the future\".\n\nHe said the integrated review \"will not address concerns over critical capabilities which weaken our national defence and undermine the UK's Nato obligations\".\n\nLabour, he said, would publish a defence and security review in its first year of government \"to make sure capabilities match the threats we face\".\n\nThe unveiling of the update has been choreographed to coincide with Mr Sunak's visit to California, where he is discussing the Aukus pact with US President Joe Biden and Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese.\n\nReports have suggested Australia could opt to build a modified version of the British Astute-class submarine, while taking delivery of up to five US Virginia-class submarines during the production stage.\n\nMr Sunak also invite Mr Biden to Northern Ireland next month to mark the 25th anniversary of the Good Friday Agreement.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/uk-politics-64932951"}
{"title":"Oscars 2023: An Irish Goodbye wins best short film Oscar - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-13","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"An Irish Goodbye wins the Academy Award for best short film on actor James Martin's 31st brithday.","section":"Northern Ireland","content":"Actor James Martin (centre) was joined by Tom Berkeley, Ross White and Seamus O'Hara to accept the award\n\nActor James Martin was serenaded by the audience at the Academy Awards on his 31st birthday as the film he starred in picked up an Oscar.\n\nNorthern Ireland film An Irish Goodbye won best live action short film at Sunday night's ceremony.\n\nMartin, who has Down's syndrome, said he planned to bring the award home to his drama group in Belfast.\n\nThe film's directors Tom Berkeley and Ross White described the win as the best night of their lives.\n\nThey took to Twitter to thank their supporters in Northern Ireland after a whirlwind 24 hours.\n\nThis Twitter post cannot be displayed in your browser. Please enable Javascript or try a different browser. View original tweet on Twitter The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Skip twitter post by An Irish Goodbye 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\u2019s cookie policy, external and privacy policy, external before accepting. To view this content choose \u2018accept and continue\u2019. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. End of twitter post by An Irish Goodbye\n\nMartin is the first person with Down's syndrome to win an Academy Award.\n\n\"It doesn't matter if you have Down's syndrome, as long as you're doing what you do,\" he told the BBC after collecting his Oscar.\n\n\"I do what I can to be funny.\"\n\nHis fellow winners used their acceptance speech to sing him Happy Birthday, with help from the star-studded crowd at the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles.\n\nMartin said he planned to take his Oscar statuette to his drama club in Belvoir in Belfast.\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. 'Holding this Oscar is just fantastic'\n\nA Irish Goodbye was shot on location in Londonderry, Templepatrick and Saintfield.\n\nDirected and written by White and Berkeley, it tells the story of two estranged brothers who come together after their mother's death.\n\nThe black comedy, set on a rural farm, stars Martin as Lorcan, alongside fellow Northern Ireland actor Seamus O'Hara, who plays his older brother Turlough.\n\nWhite, who is from Belfast, described winning the Oscar as completely overwhelming.\n\nThis Twitter post cannot be displayed in your browser. Please enable Javascript or try a different browser. View original tweet on Twitter The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Skip twitter post 2 by NowThis 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\u2019s cookie policy, external and privacy policy, external before accepting. To view this content choose \u2018accept and continue\u2019. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.\n\n\"We're just so proud to be representing Northern Ireland,\" he told BBC News.\n\n\"To be on that stage in front of all of our cinematic heroes - it was a special moment.\"\n\nActor Paddy Jenkins, who plays Fr O'Shea in the film, told BBC Radio Foyle's Mark Patterson Show that \"you don't get many Mondays like this\".\n\n\"Last night I have to say, was pretty special, it really was,\" he said.\n\nThe actor - well known to a Northern Ireland audience through his role in BBC comedy Give My Head Peace - wasn't in Los Angeles due to prior work commitments.\n\n\"I was there (at the Oscars) in spirit. I got to the Baftas, but this is another level.\"\n\nCelebrations are being held on both sides of the Atlantic as actor Paddy Jenkins raises a glass for An Irish Goodbye\n\nOther nominations in Sunday's ceremony in the best live action short film category, were Ivalu, Le Pupille, Night Ride and the Red Suitcase.\n\nGuillermo del Toro's Pinocchio, which has a Belfast link, was successful in the best animated feature category.\n\nThe body of the puppet which featured in the animation was constructed by a 3D printing firm in east Belfast.\n\nThe big winner of the night was Everything Everywhere All At Once, which won seven awards.\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Ivan Martin says there were tears of joy when he watched his son collect an Oscar\n\nThere was a record number of nominations for Irish talent, with 14 prizes up for grabs.\n\nMartin McDonagh's tragicomedy, The Banshees of Inisherin was nominated in nine categories but did not take home any statuettes.\n\nColin Farrell lost out in the best actor category, while his co-stars Brendan Gleeson and Barry Keoghan were unsuccessful in the best supporting actor category.\n\nIrish actor Paul Mescal also missed out, as did An Cail\u00edn Ci\u00fain (The Quiet Girl).\n\nKerry Condon was also nominated for best supporting actress for her role, but that award went to Jamie Lee Curtis.\n\nSet on a remote island off the west coast of Ireland, The Banshees of Inisherin tells the story of two friends who fall out after one decides to abruptly end their relationship.\n\nAn Cail\u00edn Ci\u00fain (The Quiet Girl) was the first Irish language film to be nominated for best international feature film, a category formerly named best foreign language film.\n\nColm Bair\u00e9ad's An Cail\u00edn Ci\u00fain has already received critical acclaim and surpassed box office records\n\nDirected and written by Colm Bair\u00e9ad, the film is adapted from Claire Keegan's 2010 book Foster.\n\nPaul Mescal, who rose to fame with the BBC drama Normal People, was also in the running for a best actor prize for his role in Aftersun.\n\nBrendan Fraser was victorious in that category for his role in The Whale.\n\nIrish President Michael D Higgins said it was a remarkable year for the Irish film industry.\n\nHe said the success was \"a testament to the hard work of so many people over recent decades\".\n\nAn Irish Goodbye is available to watch on BBC iPlayer .","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/uk-northern-ireland-64903140"}
{"title":"San Diego: Eight dead after boats, possibly used for people smuggling, capsize - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-13","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"San Diego's lifeguard chief calls it one of the worst maritime smuggling tragedies in California.","section":"US & Canada","content":"A panga boat sits along the Black's Beach, San Diego, following an apparent migrant smuggling operation\n\nAt least eight people have died after two boats capsized off the California coast, emergency services have said.\n\nA search began after the boats got in trouble off Black's Beach, San Diego.\n\nA 911 caller told emergency services she had been on a boat with eight people that made it to shore, but another vessel, carrying eight to 10 people, had capsized.\n\nSan Diego Lifeguard chief James Gartland called it one of the state's worst maritime smuggling tragedies.\n\nOfficials said they did not know the nationalities of the victims but they were all adults.\n\nOne San Diego police officer told local media the 911 caller had said she was Mexican.\n\nCarlos Gonz\u00e1lez Gtez, the Mexican consul general in San Diego, wrote on Twitter that his office \"laments the maritime tragedy\" and is \"working to identify people of Mexican origin and assist their families\".\n\nEmergency responders from several agencies found two overturned boats with bodies spread over an area of 400 yards (366m). The search operation was suspended on Sunday evening.\n\nIt was unclear what caused the incident but Mr Gartland described the area as \"hazardous\" due to sand bars and in-shore rip currents.\n\nRescuers did not find any survivors, but some may have left the beach before the emergency services arrived, he suggested.\n\nJames Spitler, a sector commander for the San Diego Coast Guard, said one small boat which was carrying about 15 passengers \"overturned in the surf,\" while the other carrying about eight people managed to reach the shore.\n\nHe described the incident as a tragedy and said: \"This is not necessarily people trying to find a better life. This is part of a transnational criminal organisation effort to smuggle people into the United States.\n\n\"These people are often labour trafficked and sex trafficked when they arrive.\"\n\nSan Diego is close to the border between the US and Mexico and the US government has constructed a fence into the sea to the south of the city to deter migrants.\n\nEric Lavergne, a US Border Patrol official in San Diego, told Reuters this was one of a few hundred migrant smuggling events recorded in the area over the past five months - which is similar to the rate in recent years.\n\nIt comes as the UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak is due to be in San Diego for the Aukus summit between the US, UK and Australia.\n\nHe has recently announced a policy aimed at stopping people from coming to the UK on small boats across the English Channel.\n\nIn 2021, four people died and two dozen were injured when a boat got into trouble off the coast of San Diego.\n\nCaptain James Spitler, from the U.S. Coast Guard, speaks to members of the media after two fishing boats capsized off the coast of San Diego","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/world-us-canada-64932817"}
{"title":"Aramco: Saudi state-owned oil giant sees record profit of $161bn - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-13","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"After a year when petrol prices soared, the Saudi firm announces a best-ever set of figures.","section":"Middle East","content":"Amin Nasser is the president and CEO of Aramco, the world's second-most valuable company behind Apple\n\nSaudi oil giant Aramco has announced a record profit of $161.1bn (\u00a3134bn) for 2022, helped by soaring energy prices and bigger volumes.\n\nIt represents a 46.5% rise for the state-owned company, compared with last year.\n\nIt is the latest energy firm to report record profits, after energy prices spiked following Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.\n\nAramco also declared a dividend of $19.5bn for the October to December quarter of 2022, to be paid in the first quarter of this year.\n\nMost of that will go to the Saudi government, which owns nearly 95% of the shares in the company.\n\nBrent crude oil, the benchmark oil price, now trades at around $82 a barrel - though prices exceeded $120 a barrel last March, after Russia's invasion, and June.\n\n\"Aramco rode the wave of high energy prices in 2022,\" said Robert Mogielnicki of the Arab Gulf States Institute in Washington. \"It would have been difficult for Aramco not to perform strongly in 2022.\"\n\nIn a statement on Sunday, Aramco said the company results were \"underpinned by stronger crude oil prices, higher volumes sold and improved margins for refined products\".\n\nAramco's president and CEO Amin Nasser said: \"Given that we anticipate oil and gas will remain essential for the foreseeable future, the risks of underinvestment in our industry are real - including contributing to higher energy prices.\"\n\nTo address those challenges, he said, the company would not only focus on expanding oil, gas and chemicals production - but also invest in new lower-carbon technologies.\n\nAramco - the world's second-most valuable company only behind America's Apple - is a major emitter of greenhouse gas emissions that contribute to climate change.\n\nResponding to Aramco's announcement, Amnesty International's secretary general Agn\u00e8s Callamard said: \"It is shocking for a company to make a profit of more than $161bn in a single year through the sale of fossil fuel - the single largest driver of the climate crisis.\"\n\nShe added: \"It is all the more shocking because this surplus was amassed during a global cost-of-living crisis and aided by the increase in energy prices resulting from Russia's war of aggression against Ukraine.\"\n\nSaudi Arabia is the largest producer in the oil cartel Opec (Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries).\n\nThe Gulf kingdom has been condemned for a range of human rights abuses: its involvement in the conflict in neighbouring Yemen, the murder in 2018 of journalist Jamal Khashoggi, for jailing dissidents, and for the widespread use of capital punishment.\n\nIn a separate development on Sunday, Iran said its oil exports had reached their highest level since the re-imposition of US sanctions in 2018.\n\nOil Minister Javad Owji said exports increased by 83 million barrels in 2022 compared with the previous 12 months. In Iran, a new year starts in March.\n\nAnalysts say the rise is due to greater shipments to Iranian allies China and Venezuela.\n\nTehran's export revenues took a significant hit after then-US President Donald Trump pulled out of a landmark nuclear deal five years ago.\n\nThe US sanctions, coupled with economic mismanagement and corruption, have meant that the Iranian economy has not had any substantive growth in the past decade. And by some measures, it is still 4-8% smaller than it was back in 2010.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/world-middle-east-64931074"}
{"title":"Dick Fosbury: The athlete who developed the 'Fosbury Flop' dies aged 76 - BBC Sport","published_date":"2023-03-13","authors":null,"description":"Dick Fosbury - the man who revolutionised the high jump in athletics - has died at the age of 76.","section":null,"content":"Last updated on .From the section Athletics\n\nDick Fosbury - the man who revolutionised the high jump in athletics - has died at the age of 76.\n\nThe American leapt backwards over the bar to win gold at the 1968 Mexico Olympics in a technique which became known as the 'Fosbury Flop' and is used by high jumpers today.\n\nAt the Games Fosbury set a then record of 2.24 metres using his method.\n\nWriting on Instagram, Fosbury's agent Ray Schulte said his client had died on Sunday.\n\n\"It is with a very heavy heart I have to release the news that long-time friend and client Dick Fosbury passed away peacefully in his sleep early Sunday morning after a short bout with a recurrence of lymphoma,\" wrote Schulte.\n\n\"Dick will be greatly missed by friends and fans from around the world. A true legend, and friend of all.\"\n\nFosbury began experimenting with the 'flop' at school and, encouraged by his coaches, he had all-but perfected it by the time he was in higher education.\n\nIn the Olympic high jump final of 1968, the 6ft 5in athlete cleared 2.24m on his third attempt to win the gold.\n\n\"He changed an entire event forever with a technique that looked crazy at the time but the result made it the standard,\" said American four-time Olympic champion and BBC pundit Michael Johnson.\n\nFosbury is survived by his wife Robin Tomasi, son Erich and stepdaughters Stephanie Thomas-Phipps and Kristin Thompson.\n\n\"Our sport lost a true legend and innovator with the passing of Dick Fosbury,\" said the USA Track and Field (USATF).\n\n\"He invented the 'Fosbury Flop', was a gold medallist at the 1968 Games, and remained an advocate for athletes his entire life. Fosbury's legacy will live on for generations to come.\"\n\nUSATF chief executive Max Siegel said he was \"deeply saddened\" by Fosbury's passing and called him a \"true legend and pioneer in the world of track and field\".\n\nHe added: \"We will always be grateful for his contributions to the sport and his impact on generations of athletes who followed in his footsteps.\n\n\"Dick will be deeply missed but his legacy will live on as an inspiration to all.\"\n\u2022 None High jump legend Fosbury on the pressures of Olympic fame\n\u2022 None Find out how the new owner is transforming the company\n\u2022 None Are eco laundry products better for the environment? Greg Foot investigates how such claims come out in the wash...","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/sport\/athletics\/64945985"}
{"title":"Childcare: I'll cut costs to boost workforce, says Chancellor Jeremy Hunt - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-13","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"The chancellor says the government can make a \"big difference\", ahead of Wednesday's Budget.","section":"UK Politics","content":"This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Watch: We can make a big difference to childcare costs, says Jeremy Hunt\n\nThe chancellor has vowed to help reduce the cost of childcare at Wednesday's Budget as part of a wider drive to help people into work.\n\nJeremy Hunt told the BBC that costs were stopping some parents taking a job, and the government could make a \"big difference\" to reduce them.\n\nHe said further support would be part of a package of measures to break down \"barriers\" to entering the workforce.\n\nBut he said public finances meant the room for tax cuts was limited.\n\nMinisters have a lot of heavy lifting to do to make a big impression at the Budget, against the backdrop of an economy that is still wobbly.\n\nConservative backbench MPs are calling for tax cuts they are not going to get, whilst Labour is slamming the government's long-term record.\n\nShadow chancellor Rachel Reeves says her party's plan to secure more investment in green industries could arrest a \"low growth spiral\" in the UK.\n\nUnder Budget plans that have already been announced, the government is expected to pay childcare support to parents on universal credit up front instead in arrears, as now.\n\nThe current UK-wide \u00a3646-a-month per child cap on support for universal credit claimants is also expected to be increased by several hundred pounds. An exact figure has not yet been given.\n\nIt is expected to be part of a package of measures designed to reverse a rise in economic inactivity since Covid, including changes to fitness-to-work tests for those with medical conditions.\n\nThe Budget is also expected to extend the current level of support for energy bills, limiting costs for a typical family to \u00a32,500 a year, for a further three months until June.\n\nOther measures reportedly under consideration, but not yet confirmed, include continuing the 5p cut to fuel duty, changes to tax-free pensions allowances, and bringing forward a rise in the pension age.\n\nMr Hunt has also resisted Tory calls for the planned rise in corporation tax from 19% to 25% to be cancelled or deferred.\n\nDownplaying the prospects of a major tax-cutting Budget, Mr Hunt said it was important to be \"responsible with [the] public finances\".\n\nAdding that any cuts would have to be \"within the bounds of what is responsible,\" he said \"Conservatives cut taxes when they can\".\n\nHe also signalled that he was unlikely to announce further childcare support for families that don't qualify for Universal Credit, describing this as \"expensive\".\n\nAlthough ministers \"would like to help everyone,\" he added that \"you can't always do everything at once\".\n\nCutting childcare costs has emerged as a key political battleground, with prices in the UK among the highest in the world.\n\nCritics say the current level of government support means it is simply not worth large numbers of parents, even those on middle incomes, taking on new or extra work.\n\nEarly Years Alliance, an education charity, has welcomed the changes for families on benefits, but urged a \"wider package of measures\" to bring down costs for parents.\n\nLabour has promised to completely overhaul the system in England if it takes office, saying the current model of free childcare hours is \"broken\".\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Watch: UK risks losing out in green global race, says Rachel Reeves\n\nMs Reeves, the shadow chancellor, hit out at the Conservatives' record in government, which she said had left the UK in a \"low growth, low productivity, low investment spiral\".\n\nShe said Labour would take inspiration from US President Joe Biden's package of green subsidies to attract investment to new industries.\n\nThe party has said that if it wins power at the next election, its promised \u00a38bn \"national wealth fund\" would be tasked with boosting investment into struggling regions.\n\nMs Reeves said the government had failed to \"seize the opportunities\" of investment in green jobs, allowing other countries to \"steal march on us here in Britain\".\n\n\"I feels like we are in the changing room, while other countries are in the global race,\" she added.\n\nHow have you been affected by any issues raised here? You can share your experience by emailing haveyoursay@bbc.co.uk.\n\nPlease include a contact number if you are willing to speak to a BBC journalist. You can also get in touch in the following ways:\n\nIf 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 HaveYourSay@bbc.co.uk. Please include your name, age and location with any submission.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/uk-politics-64931202"}
{"title":"Scottish Cup coverage goes ahead after Lineker row - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-13","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"The quarter-final was broadcast as planned on TV, radio and online after the boycott by pundits.","section":"Scotland","content":"Falkirk will play for a place in the semi final\n\nFull BBC Scotland coverage of Falkirk's Scottish Cup quarter-final against Ayr United went ahead following weekend sport disruption.\n\nProgramming was limited amid the row over presenter Gary Lineker, who was taken off air after tweeting about UK government migration policy.\n\nFollowing talks with the BBC, the Match of the Day host will resume his role.\n\nBBC Scotland coverage of Monday's Scottish Cup tie was broadcast on TV, radio and online.\n\nFalkirk beat Ayr United to take a place in the semi-final where they will play Inverness CT. In the other semi-final there will be an Old Firm clash as Rangers take on Celtic.\n\nThe quarter final coverage on the BBC Scotland channel was hosted by Steven Thompson with Leanne Crichton and Richard Foster.\n\nIt was followed by the live draw for the semi-final, presented by Jane Lewis.\n\nOver the weekend, many BBC sports programmes were hit by an impromptu boycott by presenters in support of Lineker.\n\nGary Lineker will resume his role as Match of the Day presenter following talks with the BBC\n\nSportscene was broadcast on TV with an amended format, while some Sportsound coverage on Radio Scotland was replaced with pre-recorded material.\n\nBBC Scotland provided live Sportsound commentary of Rangers' quarter-final victory over Raith Rovers and Scotland's Six Nations clash against Ireland.\n\nOther BBC sports programmes aired as normal, with Gabby Logan presenting TV coverage of the rugby alongside studio analysts.\n\nAnnouncing Lineker would return, BBC director general Tim Davie said an independent review would be carried out on social media guidelines.\n\nLineker said he backed the review and was looking forward to getting back on air.\n\nHe said the last few days had been \"surreal\" and thanked people for their \"incredible support\".\n\nIn a statement, Mr Davie said: \"Everyone recognises this has been a difficult period for staff, contributors, presenters and, most importantly, our audiences. I apologise for this.\"\n\nWe'll now never know what disruption would have been caused to BBC Scotland's live coverage of the Scottish Cup quarter-final at Falkirk, but given key Scottish presenters and pundits decided to stay off-air at the weekend, one could take a guess.\n\nThe speed and spread of what happened was incredible. Gary Lineker tweeted about the government's immigration policy and a few days later, BBC Scotland couldn't provide its full coverage of Scotland versus Ireland in the Six Nations, from Murrayfield.\n\nThis was clearly a crisis the BBC didn't see coming, despite many warning signs. The big question is how the corporation now future-proofs itself against similar happening again, while simultaneously safeguarding its commitment to impartiality.\n\nThat question won't be answered until after the independent inquiry. Some say that is simply kicking the can down the road. In this aspect, the BBC had little choice.\n\nDoing what it could do get pundits and programmes back on air was the priority. Next comes the tricky part.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/uk-scotland-64940956"}
{"title":"Gary Lineker revolt becomes a test of BBC's values - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-13","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"The broadcaster is facing a test of its fundamental values and mission following a day of tumult.","section":"UK","content":"When the BBC's director general, Tim Davie, took over in 2020, he declared his founding principle to be \"impartiality\".\n\nThree years later, a row over that principle and how it applies across the corporation has created a crisis that has quite clearly caught managers by surprise.\n\nFamiliar, fixed points in the weekly TV schedule unexpectedly falling off air in quick succession is proof of a crisis that has become something much bigger than a row about some tweets.\n\nThe Gary Lineker issue is more than an argument about the opinions of a highly paid sports presenter - it is a test of the BBC's fundamental values and the current director general's core mission.\n\nThe passions provoked by Lineker's political tweets and the decision to keep him off air until he and the BBC resolve this issue has poured petrol on a fire that was already well alight - the debate about the BBC's role in British politics and perceptions of bias both to the left and the right.\n\nBut first, let's look at the immediate issue.\n\nIt's worth noting that complaints about Lineker's politically charged tweets are not new.\n\nIn 2016 and 2018 the BBC defended comments made by the Match of the Day presenter about child migrants and Brexit by saying he was a freelance presenter, it was a private Twitter account and the stringent rules for journalists did not apply equally to sports presenters.\n\nThe guidelines at the time said the risk to compromising the BBC's impartiality \"is lower where an individual is expressing views publicly on an unrelated area, for example, a sports or science presenter expressing views on politics or the arts\".\n\nSince then rules have been tightened. New guidelines on social media demanded an \"extra responsibility\" for presenters with a \"high profile\". Some described the new rule as the \"Lineker clause\".\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Watch: BBC boss Tim Davie asked if he bowed to government pressure\n\nThe question is whether that rule is being fairly applied. Twitter is awash with examples of what some people think are presenters who have gone too far over recent years. Names frequently raised include Alan Sugar, Chris Packham and Andrew Neil.\n\nIn response, Mr Davie said on Saturday evening that he was in \"listening mode\" and suggested there might be an escape route by re-examining those guidelines.\n\nThere is good reason for him to want to bring this to a conclusion. Impartiality is hugely important but so too is providing a service that people pay for through their licence fee.\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. WATCH: How the Match of the Day row played out on Saturday... in 60 seconds\n\nMatch of the Day went ahead on BBC One on Saturday night - but was reduced to a 20-minute edition that did not have a presenter, pundits or any commentary - while other football coverage was dropped.\n\nEvery cancelled programme is a source of further complaint from licence payers who may not care what Lineker says on Twitter but care deeply about their favourite programmes staying on air on a Saturday night.\n\nThere is also the wider context of a government that has in recent years been critical of the BBC and its perceived liberal bias.\n\nGreg Dyke, a former director general, who left the BBC over a clash with the Labour Government in 2004, says the decision to pull Gary Lineker from Match of the Day looks like a corporation bowing to political pressure from a Tory government.\n\nAll of which leads to another issue that asks questions of the BBC's impartiality, the BBC's chairman, Richard Sharp, a former donor to the Conservative party who is the subject of an ongoing inquiry looking in to his appointment and what he did or did not disclose about his part in the arrangement of an \u00a3800,000 loan guarantee to the former prime minister, Boris Johnson. He has denied any involvement in arranging the loan.\n\nLineker has become a lightning rod for a much bigger debate and the BBC would like to resolve the issue as quickly as possible to stop a very public row turning into a monumental crisis. However, with the corporation saying it wants Lineker, with his 8.7 million Twitter followers, to stop the political tweets while he shows no sign of agreeing to be silenced, it's hard to see quite how this will resolve itself.\n\nFor the BBC this is about impartiality but to many others it is about free speech. Indeed, there is a statue outside the BBC's headquarters in London of the author of 1984, George Orwell, a former BBC talks producer. Inscribed on the wall behind the Orwell statue are these words: \"If liberty means anything at all it means the right to tell people what they do not want to hear.\"\n\nEighty years after Orwell left the BBC, the corporation finds itself in a deepening crisis. That thought from Orwell and the questions it raises for the BBC are at the very heart of the Lineker debate.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/uk-64929269"}
{"title":"Theresa May says asylum plan won't solve illegal migration issue - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-13","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"The former PM says modern slavery victims will be \"collateral damage\" under new government proposals.","section":"UK Politics","content":"Theresa May was among those to raise concerns about the bill in the Commons\n\nGovernment plans to tackle small boat crossings will not solve the issue of illegal migration, former Prime Minister Theresa May has warned.\n\nUnder the proposals, modern slavery victims would be \"collateral damage\" and denied support, she told MPs.\n\nSeveral other Tories also called for changes to the Illegal Migration Bill.\n\nHowever it passed its first Commons hurdle, with the home secretary saying it was \"a humane attempt\" to break the incentive for people-smuggling gangs.\n\nSuella Braverman said the number of people crossing the Channel had \"overwhelmed our asylum system\" and \"our capacity to help people is not unlimited\".\n\nThe new legislation, announced last week, aims to stop migrants making the dangerous journey to the UK in small boats - which Prime Minister Rishi Sunak made one of his five key priorities.\n\nUnder the plans, anyone found to have entered the country illegally would be removed from the UK within 28 days, and also be blocked from returning or claiming British citizenship in future. They would either be returned to their home country, or another \"safe third country\" like Rwanda.\n\nThe bill passed its second reading in the Commons by 312 votes to 250, with the majority of Tory MPs voting for the plans.\n\nNo Conservatives voted against, although Mrs May and former ministers Chris Skidmore and Caroline Nokes, who have been publicly critical of the bill, were among those who did not register a vote, according to the Parliament website.\n\nCritics say the proposals break international law and they are likely to face opposition in the House of Lords, as well as legal challenges in the courts.\n\nDuring a debate on the bill in the Commons, Mrs May told MPs that \"whenever you close a route, the migrants and the people smugglers find another way, and anybody who thinks that this bill will deal with the issue of illegal migration once and for all is wrong\".\n\nShe raised several concerns about the proposed legislation, including that anyone fleeing persecution who came to the UK via an illegal route would face a \"blanket dismissal\".\n\n\"By definition, someone fleeing for their life will more often than not be unable to access a legal route,\" she said.\n\nMrs May also highlighted the potential impact of the bill on victims of modern slavery, saying \"as it currently stands we are shutting the door on victims while being trafficked into slavery here in the UK\".\n\n\"If they come here illegally they will not be supported to escape their slavery,\" she added.\n\nThe former home secretary said No 10 had offered to discuss her concerns about the bill and she hoped \"we can find some resolution\".\n\nHundreds of people gathered in Parliament Square to protest against the bill as it was debated in the Commons\n\nAnother senior Conservative MP, Sir Robert Buckland, said he had \"great concern\" about a clause of the bill which could allow children to be detained.\n\nThe former justice secretary also warned that the \"tone\" used by some members of his party was \"not appropriate\" and \"we have to do better\".\n\nWhile he said he would vote for the bill, Tory MP Simon Hoare said he wanted to see changes in relation to women who are trafficked and children.\n\nOther Tories, including Mr Skidmore, said they could not support the bill.\n\nThe former minister wrote on Twitter: \"I am not prepared to break international law or the human rights conventions that the UK has had a proud history of playing a leading role in establishing.\"\n\nAnd Ms Nokes, the Conservative chairwoman of the Commons women and equalities committee, said she had \"absolute horror\" at the prospect of the bill.\n\n\"I am deeply troubled at the prospect of a policy which seeks to criminalise children, pregnant women, families and remove them to Rwanda,\" the former immigration minister told Times Radio.\n\nHowever, other Conservative MPs were supportive of the government's approach.\n\nFormer minister Sir John Hayes said people wanted \"tough action\" on illegal immigration.\n\n\"Of course Britain should provide a safe haven for people in need, in genuine need,\" he said. \"But it is a deceit to pretend the asylum system is not being gamed and the British people taken for a ride.\"\n\nMarco Longhi, who represents Dudley North, said the bill would act as a deterrent for people undertaking \"very perilous journeys\".\n\nLabour voted against the bill, describing it as \"a con that makes the chaos worse\".\n\nShadow home secretary Yvette Cooper said \"it won't stop the criminal gangs or dangerous crossings\" but \"it will rip up our long-standing commitment to international law\", as well as \"lock up children\" and \"remove support and safe refuges from women who have been trafficked\".\n\nThe SNP also opposed the bill, saying there was no proof it would work and it would \"create an underclass of people stuck in immigration limbo indefinitely\".\n\nDefending the plans, Ms Braverman said unaccompanied children would only be removed from the UK under limited circumstances, such as for the purposes of family reunion.\n\n\"Otherwise, they will be provided with the necessary support in the UK until they reach 18,\" she told MPs.\n\nResponding to concerns about families and pregnant women, she said \"we must not create incentives for the smugglers to focus on people with particular characteristics by signposting exemptions for removal\".\n\nClosing the debate, Immigration Minister Robert Jenrick said the government was \"committed to tackling the heinous crime of modern slavery and supporting victims\".\n\n\"It's for that reason that we want to prevent abuse [of the system],\" he added.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/uk-politics-64943444"}
{"title":"Eleanor Williams sentencing: Men tried to take own lives over rape lies - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-13","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"Eleanor Williams lied to police and posted on Facebook she had been trafficked by an Asian gang.","section":"Cumbria","content":"Eleanor Williams was found guilty of eight counts of perverting the course of justice\n\nThree men tried to take their own lives after being falsely accused of rape and trafficking, a court has heard.\n\nEleanor Williams accused the men of attacking her and posted on Facebook in May 2020 that she was the victim of an Asian grooming gang.\n\nThe 22-year-old of Barrow-in-Furness was found guilty of perverting the course of justice in January.\n\nDuring a sentencing hearing at Preston Crown Court, Mohammed Ramzan, said the lies had made his life \"hell on earth\".\n\nMr Ramzan said two weeks after he was arrested following Williams' claims, he attempted to take his own life.\n\nHe said: \"I still bear the scars to this day.\"\n\nMr Ramzan said his property had been damaged and his businesses had been \"ruined\" after he and his family were targeted \"in the most horrendous way\".\n\n\"I have had countless death threats made over social media from people all over the world because of what they thought I was involved in,\" he said.\n\nOne of the men she falsely accused, Jordan Trengove, spent 73 days in custody\n\nIn a statement read to the court, Jordan Trengove said the word \"rapist\" had been spray painted across his house.\n\nHe said he spent 73 days in prison, sharing a cell with a convicted sex offender, after he was charged as a result of Williams' claims.\n\nHe said: \"Things had calmed down a bit until the Facebook post in 2020.\n\n\"This made things even worse for me. There were big protests and marches in Barrow.\n\n\"The lowest point was when I tried to end my life in August 2020.\"\n\nOliver Gardner said his chance encounter with Williams in Preston led to him being sectioned under the Mental Health Act.\n\nMr Gardner, who was accused of rape, said it was a \"real shock\" when he was contacted by Cumbria Police and told of her claims.\n\nHe said: \"It was just a case of being in the wrong place at the wrong time.\"\n\nIn his statement, he said he tried to end his life before being sectioned.\n\nCameron Bibby, who was the first man accused of rape by Williams in 2017, said he had to remove himself from most social media because of abuse and was scared to pick his son up from nursery because of the way people looked at him.\n\nWilliams' trial heard that police believed she inflicted the injuries on herself with a hammer\n\nHe said after Williams posted her account on Facebook, his neighbours displayed \"Justice for Ellie\" stickers in their windows, which \"intimidated\" him.\n\nThe court was shown videos of English Defence League founder Tommy Robinson attending protests at Hollywood Retail Park in Barrow in May 2020.\n\nIn a statement, Supt Matthew Pearman said there was \"unprecedented outcry on social media within the town of Barrow\" after Williams posted about her injuries.\n\nHe said: \"Barrow had not seen such public displays of mass anger for over 30 years.\"\n\nLouise Blackwell KC, defending Williams, said she \"continues in her allegations against the various people in pretty much the same circumstances\".\n\nWilliams is due to be sentenced on Tuesday.\n\nFollow BBC North East & Cumbria on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram. Send your story ideas to northeastandcumbria@bbc.co.uk.\n\nThe BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/uk-england-cumbria-64943465"}
{"title":"King gives Commonwealth speech of 'tolerance and respect' - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-13","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"King Charles receives a traditional Maori greeting, in a Commonwealth service emphasising diversity.","section":"UK","content":"King Charles received a traditional Maori greeting on his arrival at Westminster Abbey\n\nThe Commonwealth can be a force for good, promoting values of \"tolerance, respect and solidarity\", the King has told a service at Westminster Abbey.\n\nKing Charles was speaking at the annual Commonwealth Day service in London, the first since the beginning of his reign.\n\nThe King also recalled how much the Commonwealth had meant to his mother, Queen Elizabeth II.\n\nWhen he arrived at the service, he received a traditional New Zealand Maori greeting of touching noses.\n\nThe Royal Family gathered for the annual Commonwealth Day service\n\nKing Charles highlighted the 56 Commonwealth countries had a combined population of 2.6 billion, about a third of the world's total.\n\nIts collective efforts could advance its defining values, he said, \"peace and justice; tolerance, respect and solidarity; care for our environment and for the most vulnerable among us\".\n\nThe King addressed about 2,000 guests from the UK and Commonwealth, including Camilla, the Queen Consort, the Prince of Wales, Catherine, Princess of Wales, politicians, faith leaders and athletes who had competed in the Commonwealth Games.\n\nThe service put a strong emphasis on diversity, with a version of a Bob Marley song, readings from Muslim, Sikh and Jewish representatives, as well as Christian denominations, and performers from Rwanda literally dancing in the aisles.\n\nBut the King's new era as Commonwealth head is likely to see challenges, including over issues such as colonialism, the legacy of slavery and human rights within member countries.\n\nOutside the Westminster Abbey service, Peter Tatchell held a protest criticising the lack of rights for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people in many Commonwealth countries, while anti-monarchy campaigners also demonstrated as the Royal Family arrived.\n\nIn a speech to Commonwealth leaders in Rwanda last year, King Charles spoke of the importance of acknowledging the past and his \"personal sorrow\" at the suffering caused by the slave trade. It was up to individual states to decide whether to remain monarchies or became republics, he added.\n\nThere will be questions about whether the Commonwealth will remain a diplomatic priority for the UK.\n\nThe King's symbolic first state visits will be to build relationships with France and Germany, with the European destinations decided by the government.\n\nBut his message at the Commonwealth Day service argued for the strength of bringing together different cultures within the Commonwealth, saying: \"By listening to each other, we will find so many of the solutions that we seek.\"","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/uk-64940533"}
{"title":"Aukus pact delivers France some hard truths - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-13","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"The BBC's Hugh Schofield assesses the harsh realities for France after Australia's US-UK deal.","section":"Europe","content":"When they have picked themselves up from their humiliation, the French will need to gather their sangfroid and confront some cruel verities.\n\nNumber one: there is no sentiment in geostrategy.\n\nThe French must see there is no point in wailing about having been shoddily treated. They were.\n\nBut who ever heard of a nation short-changing its defence priorities out of not wanting to give offence? The fact is that the Australians calculated they had underestimated the Chinese threat and so needed to boost their level of deterrence.\n\nThey acted with steely disregard for French concerns but, when it comes to the crunch, that is what nations do. It is almost the definition of a nation: a group of people who have come together to defend their own interests. Their own, not others'.\n\nOf course, sometimes nations decide their interests are best served by joining alliances. That's what the US did in suppressing its isolationist instincts in the last century.\n\nBut the second painful truth exposed by the Aukus affair is that the US no longer has any great interest in the outdated behemoth that is Nato. Nor does it harbour any particular loyalty to those who have stood by its side.\n\nGaullists in France - and President Emmanuel Macron is one of them - dream of their country as a fully independent power, exercising its force for good thanks to a global presence and nuclear-backed military strength. In practice, and not without considerable reserve, France has bound itself to the US-led alliance because that seemed both moral and expedient.\n\nBut now the questions echo around Paris: Why did we bother? What was in it for us?\n\n\"This blow came completely out of the blue,\" says Renaud Girard, senior foreign affairs analyst at Le Figaro newspaper.\n\n\"Macron made so much effort to help the Anglo-Saxons. With the Americans in Afghanistan; with the British on military co-operation; with the Australians in the Indo-Pacific. Look, he kept saying, we're following you - we are genuine allies.\n\n\"And he made the effort not just with Biden - but with Trump too! All that, and then this. No reward at all. Treated like dogs.\"\n\nThe French will now be re-evaluating their role in Nato. Their military participation in the organisation was suspended by De Gaulle in 1966 and only restored by Nicolas Sarkozy in 2009. There is no talk, yet, of a second withdrawal. But remember, Emmanuel Macron is the man who described Nato two years ago as \"brain-dead\". He will not have changed his mind.\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Australia\u2019s \u2018risky bet\u2019 to side with US over China\n\nBut the third harsh truth is that there is no obvious other way for France to fulfil its global ambitions.\n\nThe lesson of the last week is that France by itself is too small to make much of a dent in strategic affairs. Every four years the Chinese build as many ships as there are in the entire French fleet. When it came to the crunch, the Australians preferred to be close to a superpower, not a minipower.\n\nThe conventional way out of the conundrum has been for the French to say their military future lies in Europe. The EU - with its vast population and technological resources - would be the springboard for France's global mission.\n\nBut 30 years has given nothing beyond a few joint brigades, a bit of procurement planning and minor contingents from Estonia and the Czech Republic in Mali. For Renaud Girard, the idea of the EU as a military force is a \"complete joke\".\n\nAccept realities. Try to form ad hoc alliances (like Macron was indeed trying to do in the Indo-Pacific). Keep pushing the Germans to get over their 20th Century complexes and act like the power they really are.\n\nAnd keep open a doorway to the British. It may not be the easiest of suggestions at the moment. Relations between Paris and London are at their worst level for many years. The French find it hard to conceal their contempt for Boris Johnson, and many in London appear to feel the same way back.\n\nIn the short term, it is quite possible that France will seek to punish the UK for its role in the Aukus affair, says Girard, possibly by scaling back the secret nuclear co-operation that forms part of the 2010 Lancaster Accords. There could be fall-out in other areas too, like the control of cross-Channel migrants.\n\nBut the UK's is Europe's only other serious army. The two countries have similar histories and world experiences. Their soldiers respect each other. In the long term, Franco-British defence co-operation is too logical to ignore. That may be the last of Macron's painful truths.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/world-europe-58614229"}
{"title":"Rishi Sunak: China represents challenge to world order - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-13","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"The PM says the UK will increase defence spending because \"the world has become more volatile\".","section":"UK Politics","content":"This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. China \"represents a challenge to the world order\", the PM says.\n\nChina \"represents a challenge to the world order\" which the UK must take seriously, Rishi Sunak has said.\n\nThe prime minister told the BBC he was increasing funding for the armed forces because \"the world has become more volatile\" and \"threats to our security have increased\".\n\nDefence spending will rise by nearly \u00a35bn over the next two years.\n\nBut No 10 has given no timeframe for a longer term ambition to boost spending to 2.5% of national income.\n\nMr Sunak was speaking in California, where he held talks with his US and Australian counterparts to agree details of a UK-US pact to supply Australia with nuclear-powered submarines.\n\nThe agreement, known as the Aukus pact, was signed in 2021 as part of a joint effort to counter Chinese military power in the Indo-Pacific region.\n\nMr Sunak said in a press conference to mark the pact that the Aukus partnership would deliver \"one of the most advanced\" submarines \"the world has ever known\", creating thousands of jobs in British shipyards.\n\nThe new SSN-Aukus submarines will also be used by the UK, and will be in operation for the Royal Navy by the late 2030s under the plan.\n\nThe boats will replace the UK's seven Astute-class subs.\n\nThe UK's submarines will mainly be built by BAE Systems at Barrow-in-Furness, Cumbria, and Rolls-Royce, with the US sharing sensitive technology for the project.\n\nAustralia's boats will be built in South Australia, using some components manufactured in the UK, and will be in service in the early 2040s.\n\nMr Sunak said: \"The Aukus partnership, and the submarines we are building in British shipyards, are a tangible demonstration of our commitment to global security.\n\n\"This partnership was founded on the bedrock of our shared values and resolute focus on upholding stability in the Indo-Pacific and beyond.\"\n\nEarlier, in an interview with the BBC's Chris Mason, Mr Sunak said: \"China is a country with fundamentally different values to ours and it represents a challenge to the world order.\n\n\"And that's why it's right that we are alert to that and take steps to protect ourselves\u2026 stand up for our values and protect our interests.\"\n\nHe said the government took the \"challenge\" posed by China seriously, adding that the UK had taken action including blocking Chinese investment in sensitive sectors like semiconductors.\n\nPressed on whether the ambition to increase defence spending to 2.5% of national income was meaningless without a timeframe, the prime minister said the government should be judged \"on our actions\".\n\nAs chancellor, Mr Sunak said he had overseen the largest uplift in defence spending since the end of the Cold War and the government had increased spending every year since then.\n\n\"We're one of the largest spenders on defence anywhere in the world, the largest in Europe, and that will continue to remain the case,\" he added.\n\nHowever, Labour pointed out that defence spending had not hit 2.5% of GDP since it left government in 2010. The UK currently aims to spend 2% of GDP on defence each year, latest figures show.\n\nShadow foreign secretary David Lammy described the ambition as \"another hollow promise\", with \"no plan and no timetable\".\n\nSome Tory MPs have also expressed concern about the level of investment in the armed forces.\n\nTobias Ellwood, who is chairman of the Commons Defence Committee, said the UK was on a \"peacetime budget\" as the world was \"sliding towards a new Cold War\".\n\nWhile Defence Secretary Ben Wallace has publicly welcomed the extra \u00a35bn announced by the prime minister, he had been hoping for considerably more.\n\nThere had been reports - denied by Mr Wallace - that he had threatened to resign if he did not get a commitment to increase defence spending to 3% of GDP by 2030.\n\nMr Wallace told the Commons he was \"not interested\" in resigning, although he added that he was worried about the increased threats facing the UK and long-term investment was needed.\n\nHulking floating airports, aircraft carriers, dominate the shoreline on the Pacific Coast of the United States, where there is a gathering of what's known as the Aukus pact: Australia, the United States and the United Kingdom, keeping a collectively nervous eye on an increasingly muscular China.\n\nPrivately, the government is stark in its assessments.\n\nWestern democracies are comparatively and collectively weaker economically as China grows; Beijing can use every instrument of the state as a tool of foreign policy in a way that's impossible in an open democracy.\n\nAll the data make us more concerned, not less, as one senior figure put it. The review of foreign and defence policy, which has just been published, says the UK is committed to \"swift and robust action\" to counter any threat to UK national interests from China.\n\nMr Sunak was also asked whether Chinese-owned social media app TikTok should be banned on all government phones.\n\nIt comes after the Sunday Times reported experts at GCHQ's National Cyber Security Centre had identified risks to sensitive information from the app and could issue advice to ministers and civil servants.\n\nThe prime minister refused to comment directly but said \"we take the security of devices seriously and we look also at what our allies are doing\".\n\nThe US government and the European Commission have already taken steps to ban TikTok on the phones of staff members.\n\nThe government has set out its plans for foreign and defence policy in an new version of the so-called Integrated Review.\n\nThe update was ordered by then-Prime Minister Liz Truss in September last year to take account of Russia's invasion of Ukraine.\n\nThe review identified Russia as \"the most pressing national security and foreign policy priority in the short-to-medium term\".\n\nBut it also describes China under Communist Party rule as an \"epoch-defining and systemic challenge... across almost every aspect of national life and government policy\".\n\nIt says the government will engage \"constructively\" with Beijing on shared priorities but where the Chinese government's actions threaten the UK's interests \"we will take swift and robust action to protect them\".\n\nFormer Conservative leader Sir Iain Duncan Smith, who is among the Tory MPs calling for the government to take a tougher line on China, said he was \"confused\" about what the government's position was.\n\n\"Does that now mean that China is a threat or an epoch-defining challenge or a challenging government epoch or none of that?\" he asked in the Commons.\n\nMr Lammy said the updated review was \"overdue\" but welcome.\n\n\"The initiative to improve understanding of China in government is vital, particularly given the Foreign Office has only been training 14 people a year to speak fluent Mandarin,\" he added.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/uk-politics-64943445"}
{"title":"Aukus deal: US, UK and Australia agree on nuclear submarine project - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-13","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"The US, UK and Australia say new nuclear-powered submarines will help ensure stability in the Pacific.","section":"Australia","content":"This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser.\n\nThe US, UK and Australia have unveiled details of their plan to create a new fleet of nuclear-powered submarines, aimed at countering China's influence in the Indo-Pacific region.\n\nUnder the Aukus pact Australia is to get its first nuclear-powered subs - at least three - from the US.\n\nThe allies will also work to create a new fleet using cutting-edge tech, including UK-made Rolls-Royce reactors.\n\nIts foreign ministry on Tuesday accused the three nations of \"walking further and further down the path of error and danger\".\n\nChina's UN mission had earlier also accused the Western allies of setting back nuclear non-proliferation efforts.\n\nBut US President Joe Biden said the deal was aimed at bolstering peace in the region and stressed the submarines would be \"nuclear-powered, not nuclear-armed\".\n\nSpeaking alongside the UK and Australian prime ministers - Rishi Sunak and Anthony Albanese - in San Diego, California, Mr Biden said the deal would not jeopardise Australia's commitment to being a nuclear-free country.\n\nFor Australia, it is a major upgrade to the US ally's military capabilities. The country becomes just the second after the UK to receive Washington's elite nuclear propulsion technology.\n\nThe submarines will be able to operate further and faster than the country's existing diesel-engine fleet and Australia will also be able to carry out long-range strikes against enemies for the first time.\n\nUnder the deal, Australian navy sailors will be sent to US and UK submarine bases from this year to learn how to use the nuclear-powered submarines.\n\nFrom 2027, the US and UK will also base a small number of nuclear submarines in Perth, Western Australia, before Canberra will buy three US-model Virginia-class submarines in the early 2030s - with options to purchase two more.\n\nAfter that, the plan is to design and build an entirely new nuclear-powered submarine for the UK and Australian navies - a model that is being called SSN-AUKUS.\n\nThis attack craft will be built in Britain and Australia to a British design, but use technology from all three countries.\n\nThe US, Australia and UK will jointly build a new class of submarines\n\nPresident Biden said all three countries were committed to ensuring the Indo-Pacific region would remain free and open.\n\n\"Forging this new partnership, we're showing again how democracies can deliver our own security and prosperity... not just for us but for the entire world,\" he said.\n\nHe also pledged of $4.6bn (\u00a33.7bn) to expanding the US' submarine construction capacity and improving maintenance of its current nuclear-powered Virginia-class submarines.\n\nAustralia's PM said the plan - which will cost Canberra up to A$368bn (\u00a3201bn) over 30 years - marked the \"biggest single investment in Australia's defence capability in all of its history\".\n\nAnthony Albanese said building the submarines in Australian shipyards would also create thousands of local jobs. The UK PM also said thousands of jobs would be created in Derby and Barrow-in-Furness, where some of the construction would take place.\n\nMr Sunak said that in the 18 months since the Aukus alliance was unveiled, the challenges to global stability had only grown.\n\n\"Russia's illegal invasion of Ukraine, China's growing assertiveness, the destabilising behaviour of Iran and North Korea - all threaten to create a world codefined by danger, disorder and division,\" Mr Sunak said.\n\nAs part of his visit to the US, Mr Sunak has also pledged to increase defence spending by nearly \u00a35bn ($6bn) over the next two years to counter threats from hostile states.\n\nThe Aukus security alliance - announced in September 2021 - has repeatedly drawn criticism from China. Beijing's foreign ministry last week reiterated its position that the pact risked creating an arms race.\n\nBut the three Western countries say the security deal is aimed at shoring up stability in the Indo-Pacific.\n\nWhile all three leaders have stressed how the deal will strengthen their co-operation, it hasn't been without its political fallout.\n\nIn 2021, Australia scrapped a multi-million dollar diesel-powered submarine agreement with France in favour of the trilateral agreement - causing a political rift with Paris.\n\nAustralia also faces a delicate diplomatic situation with China - its largest trading partner. Analysts say the question will be whether it can continue to strengthen its military ties with US, while fostering commercial ties with Beijing.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/world-australia-64945819"}
{"title":"Swansea: Morriston gas explosion destroys homes - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-13","authors":null,"description":"Pictures from the scene appear to show a number of terraced houses damaged.","section":null,"content":"A number of terraced houses have been badly damaged after a gas explosion.\n\nEmergency services are responding to the incident on the junction of Field Close and Clydach Road in Morriston.\n\nSouth Wales Police has asked people to avoid the area.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/uk-wales-64939658"}
{"title":"Ben Wallace: We need to invest in defence properly - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-13","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"The defence secretary says the Ukraine war has exposed \"vulnerabilities\" as he seeks more money.","section":"UK Politics","content":"Defence Secretary Ben Wallace has said the country has to start \"investing in defence properly\" as he defended the UK military's readiness for war.\n\nHe said the army had been \"hollowed out\" over 30 years and the Ukraine war had \"exposed our vulnerabilities\".\n\nMr Wallace said he wanted a bigger budget, amid reports he is asking for a \u00a310bn rise.\n\nUK and European officials have raised concerns over the state of the British armed forces.\n\nMalcolm Chalmers, a British defence expert who advises MPs on national security, told the BBC the UK military \"would run out of ammunition in days if we faced a war, such as the ones the Ukrainians are facing right now\".\n\nWhen asked his reaction to those concerns, Mr Wallace said the UK government was going to spend \u00a334bn on modernising the army.\n\nThe defence secretary said the UK military was \"not any less ready than others\", but added: \"We just need to make sure we get back to spending on our defence properly.\"\n\nMr Wallace spoke to the BBC from Brussels, where he is meeting Nato defence ministers for a summit at which Ukraine will top the agenda.\n\nCalls for increased spending on defence have been growing ahead of an expected spring offensive by Russia in Ukraine, and warnings about the threat from China after a suspected spy balloon was shot down over the US.\n\nWhen asked if he was requesting \u00a310bn more in the upcoming budget, Mr Wallace said the Ministry of Defence - like all other departments - had been affected by rising costs.\n\nBut he said he would \"make the case to the Treasury that I will need some money to insulate myself\".\n\nDespite inflation and military budget cuts in the past, the UK has been one of the biggest supplier of arms to Ukraine in its war against President Vladimir Putin's invading forces.\n\nThe UK is set to become the first nation to start training Ukrainian pilots on Nato-standard aircraft, but the government has indicated that lending jets to Kyiv is a long-term prospect.\n\nAt the end of this year, the UK will be taking over the leadership of Nato's Response Force (NRF) from Germany.\n\nMr Wallace rubbished reports about Nato chiefs asking Germany to stay in charge of the organisation's rapid-reaction force.\n\nThe defence secretary said: \"I mean, to be honest, the simple reality is Nato leadership did not approach anybody. We are taking over the NRF as scheduled and it's interesting that story is based on a source on a German website I've never heard of.\"\n\nDowning Street has confirmed that Prime Minister Rishi Sunak will travel to Munich this weekend, joining fellow world leaders for a conference on international security.\n\nLast year's conference, held just before Russia invaded Ukraine, was dominated by concerns over the prospect of conflict in the region.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/uk-politics-64648159"}
{"title":"SNP leadership: Voting opens as race enters final fortnight - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-13","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"Humza Yousaf, Kate Forbes and Ash Regan are bidding to succeed Nicola Sturgeon as first minister.","section":"Scotland politics","content":"Humza Yousaf, Ash Regan and Kate Forbes have been taking part in SNP leadership hustings across the country\n\nVoting in the SNP leadership election will open later as the race to replace Nicola Sturgeon enters its final fortnight.\n\nHealth Secretary Humza Yousaf, Finance Secretary Kate Forbes and ex-minister Ash Regan are in the running to become Scotland's next first minister.\n\nParty members will be able to vote online from noon using the Single Transferable Vote system.\n\nThe result will be announced after the ballot closes on Monday 27 March.\n\nParty members will be asked to rank the three candidates in order of preference, and if no single candidate secures more than 50% of votes on first preferences, the person in third place will be eliminated.\n\nMs Sturgeon, who announced her resignation last month, has indicated she would not be publicly backing any of the three candidates.\n\nOn Saturday Deputy First Minister John Swinney and SNP Westminster leader Stephen Flynn both endorsed Mr Yousaf.\n\nHowever, polling expert Sir John Curtice, Professor of Politics at Strathclyde University said there was a \"marked contrast\" between the preferences of the public and SNP leadership.\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. \u2018A very interesting debate\u2019 - Meet the SNP members choosing Scotland\u2019s next leader\n\nHe told BBC Radio's Good Morning Scotland: \"Nearly all polling has been of the public and SNP voters, rather than SNP members.\n\n\"If this election was being decided by the general public in Scotland, it seems pretty clear Kate Forbes would win.\n\n\"For clues as to what SNP members might think, we have been looking at the views of those who have voted for the SNP recently, or would vote for the SNP now.\n\n\"All of that polling points to SNP supporters being pretty much evenly divided between Humza Yousaf and Kate Forbes.\"\n\nThe SNP membership once stood at more than 125,000, but that figure is believed to have declined.\n\nThe Mail on Sunday reported that the polling firm running the leadership ballot had received the names of 78,000 individuals from party headquarters.\n\nOn Sunday, Mr Yousaf told the BBC he would consider a snap Holyrood election and \"any means necessary\" so long as it was legal in order to secure independence.\n\nAsked whether he would serve in a Kate Forbes cabinet if she was victorious, he said he would need assurances on policy.\n\nHumza Yousaf has attracted the support of several high profile figures in the party, including John Swinney and Stephen Flynn\n\nLast week Ms Forbes criticised his record in government during the STV leadership debate.\n\nShe also said there was room for Mr Yousaf on her ministerial team before quipping \"maybe not in health\".\n\nThe health secretary, who is campaigning in Stirling on Monday, is expected to pledge to stand up to any attempt to \"trample over our democracy\".\n\nHe is expected to say: \"Inclusivity, equality and respect for everyone were key pillars on which the Yes movement was built in the lead up to 2014.\n\n\"As a party, we cannot afford to have a leader who pulls us off that progressive path that will deliver us the independence for Scotland that we crave.\n\n\"It is so important that any SNP leader and first minister stands up to Westminster attacks and attempts to undermine Scotland's Parliament and its democratic will.\"\n\nKate Forbes met supporters before taking part in a SNP leadership debate at Strathclyde University on Saturday\n\nOn Sunday Ms Forbes launched a \"mini manifesto\" for the leadership election which set out her stance on issues ranging from the economy, the NHS and tackling poverty.\n\nMaking a pitch to SNP members, she said: \"We need a first minister who will lead us to independence, and it's coming sooner than people think.\n\n\"I believe I've got what it takes to be the next first minister of Scotland, the first minister who will lead Scotland to independence.\"\n\nMs Forbes came under fire early in the campaign after she revealed she would not have voted for same-sex marriage if she had been an MSP at the time, although she has also promised to uphold the rights of every Scot.\n\n\"We need a first minister who the people of Scotland can trust - a first minister who commands confidence,\" she said.\n\n\"No-one can accuse me of not delivering, of bending under pressure or being unprincipled.\"\n\nAsh Regan said on Sunday that many SNP voters are still undecided\n\nElsewhere, ex-community safety minister Ash Regan insisted she was in the SNP leadership contest to win it - despite being regarded as an outsider.\n\nMs Regan, who quit the Scottish government last year so she could vote against gender recognition reforms, accepted she was \"probably the least well-known\" of the candidates.\n\nBut she told the Sophy Ridge on Sunday programme on Sky News: \"At the moment we understand that a large amount of the membership are still undecided, it is a very short contest.\n\n\"But I have had many people get in touch with me recently to say that they think I am the only hope for the SNP.\"\n\nMs Regan said the country was at a crossroads but she would use any future Scottish or Westminster election as a means of establishing a majority for independence.\n\nShe added: \"I believe I am the candidate setting out a credible, democratic means for Scotland to express its will at the ballot box and to give Scotland that choice over their own future.\"\n\nAmong those who have confirmed their support for Mr Yousaf are the Scottish Constitution Secretary Angus Robertson and SNP Westminster deputy leader Mhairi Black.\n\nMs Forbes' backers include veteran SNP MSPs Fergus Ewing, Annabelle Ewing and Christine Grahame as well as her campaign manager, Falkirk East MSP Michelle Thomson.\n\nOne of the party's best known MPs, Joanna Cherry KC, has given her support to Ms Regan.\n\nThe three leadership candidates will take part in an hour-long Debate Night programme from Edinburgh at 20:00 on Tuesday 14 March on BBC One Scotland.\n\nSNP members have been tasked with selecting a new leader - and thus a new first minister for the country at large.\n\nAnd the three candidates to replace Nicola Sturgeon seem to have a rather different idea of who those party members actually are.\n\nHumza Yousaf is betting that they are big fans of Ms Sturgeon and her legacy, and are chiefly interested in a continued focus on social justice issues.\n\nKate Forbes believes they are hungry for change from the current regime, are prepared to accept a more socially conservative leader and want more done for the economy.\n\nAnd Ash Regan is basing her campaign on the thing that unites them all - independence. She is counting on their votes being guided by the impatience for action which was sometimes brought to bear on Nicola Sturgeon.\n\nThe fact the membership appears to have dropped from six figures to something closer to 78,000 - still a huge number amid Scotland's population - underlines that nobody outside of SNP HQ is actually clear on what the core makeup of the party is any more.\n\nIs the membership broadly young or old? Is it progressive or more traditional? Did hardcore independence supporters leave with Alex Salmond - or did others walk out amid the row over gender reform?\n\nThe outcome of the current contest may go some way towards answering those questions - but the three candidates seem to have drawn different conclusions already.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/uk-scotland-scotland-politics-64933540"}
{"title":"Phyllida Barlow: Renowned British sculptor dies aged 78 - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-13","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"The Newcastle-born artist had a long career teaching art before her breakthrough.","section":"England","content":"Phyllida Barlow, pictured in her studio in 2018, had a long career teaching art before gaining international recognition with her sculptures\n\nThe Newcastle-born artist, known for her large installations, had a long career teaching art before she got her major breakthrough.\n\nBarlow often developed her colossal sculptural projects using everyday DIY materials such as plywood, cardboard, plaster, cement, fabric and paint.\n\nThe artist's gallery, Hauser & Wirth, described her as a \"guiding light and inspiration to so many\".\n\nShe is survived by her husband Fabian Peake and their five children, the gallery said.\n\nBorn in 1944, her family moved to Richmond in London after the Second World War, with the bomb damage and the rebuilding of the capital said to be life-long sources of inspiration for her art.\n\nHer body of work, which also includes drawing, installation and writing, has been presented in solo exhibitions around the world.\n\nBarlow enrolled at the Chelsea School of Art in London in 1960 and initially studied painting before switching to sculpture.\n\nShe later transferred to the Slade School of Art, where she experimented with materials such as plaster, resin, fibreglass and wood.\n\nBarlow later taught at several art colleges before returning to Slade in 1988, where she spent 20 years as a professor.\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Phyllida Barlow will represent the UK at the Venice Biennale.\n\nHauser & Wirth said a London solo show led to her being invited to exhibit at the Serpentine Gallery in 2010, bringing her work to a wide international audience.\n\nAt the age of 65, Barlow entered a period of global recognition, the gallery said, with her work the subject of numerous high profile solo exhibitions across Europe and the US.\n\nBarlow, who was accepted as a member of the Royal Academy of Arts in 2011, was awarded a CBE for her services to the arts in 2015 and a damehood in 2021.\n\nIn 2017 she was selected to represent Britain at the Venice International Art Biennale, recognised as the most important contemporary art festival in the world.\n\nThis huge 2020 'untitled undercover ii' piece was made from steel, timber, plywood, fabric, paint, foam, polystyrene, plaster and cement\n\nFrances Morris, Director Tate Modern, said: \"Barlow's practice implicitly acknowledges that in a world saturated with objects, the role of sculpture and the job of the sculptor might be less about making things than generating a particular type of experience of the work, and of the world in which it temporarily resides.\"\n\nFormer BBC arts editor Will Gompertz previously described her work as \"using the destroyed and the discarded, the fragile and the overlooked, to make works that are often displayed in the marbled halls of the art establishment\".\n\nIwan Wirth, president of Hauser & Wirth, said Barlow was a \"cherished friend as well as a visionary artist\".\n\n\"Her generosity of spirit extended through her art, her writings, and her many years of teaching and mentorship,\" he said.\n\n\"A truly thoughtful and companionable human being, Phyllida was a guiding light and inspiration to so many.\"\n\nThe BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/uk-england-64946354"}
{"title":"Oscars 2023: Tackling family grief with gallows humour in An Irish Goodbye - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-13","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"The short film contender sees two brothers reunite as they try to come to terms with their mum's death.","section":"Entertainment & Arts","content":"It's safe to say that actor James Martin is looking forward to his upcoming trip to Hollywood.\n\nThe star of An Irish Goodbye, the short film that has already won a Bafta and is now gunning for an Oscar, has an extra reason to celebrate. Sunday's ceremony falls on his birthday.\n\n\"The leopard-skin jacket is coming out!\" he says.\n\n\"I would love to meet Tom Cruise. His movie Top Gun was fantastic. I would love to meet Robert De Niro as we have something in common. My name is actually Robert James so it would be nice to meet someone who has the same name. We're both actors and we can both be grumpy on set, so maybe it's a family thing!\"\n\nMartin, who has also starred in BBC One film Ups and Downs and ITV's Marcella, plays Lorcan in Ross White and Tom Berkeley's film about two estranged brothers thrown together again after their mother's untimely death.\n\nYounger brother Lorcan lives and works on the family farm in Northern Ireland but with their mother (Michelle Fairley) gone, older brother Turlough (Seamus O'Hara) returns from London to announce that Lorcan - who has Down's syndrome - will have to move in with their aunt. Lorcan is distinctly unimpressed with the idea.\n\n\"Everyone wants to be independent, I'm very independent of my folks,\" Martin says.\n\n\"It's very important [to show what people with learning disabilities can do]. It's not often you get your own part on a show if you have Down's syndrome. But never judge a book by its cover.\n\n\"Lorcan's very independent but the love and the hate and the emotion towards his brother is fantastic. It's good to have that special bond. If it wasn't for that special bond\u2026 he'd just look at him (Turlough) as a carer.\"\n\n(Left to right) Tom Berkeley, Seamus O'Hara, James Martin and Ross White celebrated their Bafta win last month\n\nWhite says the idea about a homecoming first began to germinate after he and Berkeley made a big life decision a few years ago.\n\n\"Tom and I met about 10 years ago when we trained as actors, we were living in London and writing plays as well acting.\n\n\"As our careers went on, we were writing more and more and acting less. In 2019, we made this big decision to leave London, to go back to our respective home towns, Belfast for myself and Gloucester for Tom, and just write full-time and move from writing for theatre into writing for screen.\n\n\"At that time we were thinking a lot about the idea of having left home, and then returning back home and it feeling a little bit like, 'Are you from that place again?'\"\n\nBut they needed a narrative, which came by chance when Berkeley attended a football match.\n\n\"I just happened to see a couple of brothers who were sat a few rows ahead of me watching the game, and the younger brother, much like in our story, had Down's syndrome,\" he tells me.\n\n\"There was an interesting juxtaposition between what was a very typically ferocious, brotherly kind of relationship, quite combative, as they were watching the game. They were hurling abuse at each other! And then... there was this other added layer of responsibility that was there between them as well, which I found quite compelling. There was just something really poignant about the relationship.\"\n\nBerkeley explains that it got them thinking about how people deal with grief in different ways.\n\n\"It was the idea of two people who see the world very differently and processed emotions very differently. The older brother - stoic, a bit repressed, slightly cynical. And then the younger brother, who wears his heart on his sleeve and has this superhuman capacity for empathy.\n\n\"We thought it would be really interesting to see those two opposites go through the process of grief together.\"\n\nWhile part of the storyline is linked to Lorcan having a learning disability and needing support after the death of his mum, White and Berkeley were keen not to make that the sole focus.\n\n\"We spoke about the idea of the character having Down's syndrome... once, and then we just didn't really speak about it that much, because there were so many other factors of that character that were more interesting,\" says White.\n\n\"It wasn't at the forefront for us... and meeting James as an actor, you see the the multi-faceted sides of his personality, and actually the Down's syndrome is way down the list of interesting things about James. He's a natural comedian. He's charismatic.\n\n\"With representation, it's not enough just to slap somebody in the thing and say we've done our job. The role has to be meaningful.\"\n\nBerkeley adds: \"Lorcan has the agency of his own story, he's not orbiting around the other characters. He drives the plot.\"\n\nThe black comedy has generally been given a warm reception, with Amano Miura from Dublin's EPIC: The Irish Emigration Museum, writing: \"The dynamic, hilarious, and heart-warming relationship between brothers confronts the audience with existential questions about what really matters to us and where we really call home.\"\n\nRukayat Moibi from MySohoTimes wrote: \"An Irish Goodbye is an ambitious picture that, in a satisfying and heart-warming sense, almost feels as if it could be outside of the short film genre.\"\n\nA rollercoaster of emotion, the film sends you lurching from tears of sadness one minute to tears of laughter the next.\n\nWhite explains: \"There's the kind of space between the tragedy and the comedy that feels like the truth in the middle.\n\n\"Coming from Belfast obviously there's this kind of gallows humour we've got with coping with adversity, and that felt like a very specifically Northern Irish thing in that way.\n\n\"It's also quite a male thing as well,\" adds Berkeley.\n\nTheir previous short film Roy starred David Bradley as an elderly widower suffering from loneliness.\n\n\"Both films are about men struggling or badly coping with with grief. And I suppose that's something maybe we recognise in our own experience and from the chaps in our lives as well.\"\n\nAn Irish Goodbye is available on Mubi.\n\u2022 None 'It's not every day that you pick up a Bafta'","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/entertainment-arts-64784388"}
{"title":"US shares rebound after Silicon Valley Bank turmoil - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-13","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"Markets climbed off the back of new inflation data, easing concerns about the impact of interest rate rises.","section":"Business","content":"We're going to close this live page shortly but before then, here's a look at what's happened in the world of US banking today:\n\nUS stock markets... opened higher at the start of trading on Tuesday, after consumer prices in the US grew in line with expectations\n\nInflation figures... released today showed consumer prices in the US rose 6% over the 12 months to February - the slowest annual increase since September 2021\n\nShares in US banks... have recovered some of the steep losses they suffered following the collapse of Silicon Valley Bank (SVB) - the second biggest bank failure in US history\n\nThe International Monetary Fund... says the US bank's collapse does not appear to be causing a global shock - at least for now\n\nAn investigation... is reportedly under way into what went wrong at SVB. Officials at the US Department of Justice and Securities and Exchange Commission are looking at moves by executives to sell shares in the weeks ahead of the failure, as well as potential fraud, US media reports say\n\nMeanwhile at Meta, the parent company of Instagram, Facebook and WhatsApp... 10,000 jobs have been axed as part of a second round of major job cuts in six months","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/live\/business-64940883"}
{"title":"Cost of living crisis sees some people considering suicide - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-13","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"Charities warn people living with chronic disabilities or diseases are contemplating suicide.","section":"Wales","content":"Multiple charities supporting vulnerable people in Wales say they have seen an increase in people reporting suicidal thoughts due to money worries\n\nMore people are contemplating suicide as they \"cannot cope\" as a result of rising costs, charities have said.\n\nCharities supporting those with chronic diseases or disabilities have called for an overhaul of the benefits system.\n\nOne woman who has multiple sclerosis (MS) said her costs had almost trebled.\n\nThe UK government said it was committed to protecting the most vulnerable and is increasing benefits in line with inflation.\n\nA chronic illness is a long-term health condition that may not have a cure, such as MS, arthritis or diabetes.\n\nSioned Williams, who has MS, said she struggled to pay the bills and could not do anything when she was cold due to her symptoms.\n\nMs Williams, from Anglesey, has a 15-year-old son who has additional learning needs. She said she sacrificed her own health by not switching on the heating in order to pay for petrol to take him to activities and appointments.\n\n\"My costs have almost trebled with just the price of gas and electric, and I wear more clothes and blankets to keep warm, as well as carrying a hot water bottle around, anything not to put the heating on,\" she said.\n\n\"There are costs when it comes to living with disabilities, to get things like scooters, the different aids we need to walk, they all cost a lot of money.\"\n\nMs Williams said meeting up with other people who have MS helped her cope\n\nMs Williams said she had to change her habits overnight and could not go out as often, which was having an impact on her mental health.\n\n\"They say stress is one of the worst things for MS, the stress to do with living costs is making me worse,\" she explained.\n\n\"I just don't know how we're going to cope if things are going as fast as they are.\"\n\nCat Shorney-Jones, from MS Society Wales, said many who come to them were \"at the end of their tether\", with the stress often affecting their condition and exacerbating their symptoms.\n\nCat Shorney-Jones says people living with illnesses like MS may not be able to work and have to rely on benefits\n\n\"People are incredibly desperate, they're having to choose between heating the house or eating, or putting fuel in cars to go to appointments,\" said Ms Shorney-Jones.\n\n\"There are people who are considering taking their own life because they just can't cope anymore, and there has to be a change, so people aren't suffering in this same way.\"\n\nMs Williams added that a highlight for her was meeting up with other people with MS once a month in a local caf\u00e9 in Caernarfon, which she said was \"so important\".\n\nBeryl Jones, from Llanfairpwll, who goes to the same caf\u00e9 meet-up, said she has had to change the way she eats and spends money.\n\n\"I've decided not to put the heating on in certain rooms if I'm not there, I just put more clothes on,\" said the 80-year-old.\n\n\"That's what we did in wartime - I never thought I'd have to go through this again.\"\n\nRather than putting the heating on, Beryl Jones, 80, puts on more clothes in order to cut down on costs\n\nDisability Wales said it had also seen an increase in mental health issues resulting from the cost of living crisis.\n\nA spokesperson said: \"Rising fuel and the cost of transport are leaving disabled people lonely and isolated as they can't get to family and friends.\n\n\"Multiple people have told us they have considered suicide.\"\n\nMany people with illnesses such as MS, or a disability, can claim Personal Independence Payment (PIP) to help cover their extra costs.\n\nIt is claimed by around three million people who have disabilities and mental health conditions in the UK and is set to rise by 10.1% from April 2023.\n\nPIP claimants are also expected to be among those entitled to a \u00a3150 disability cost of living payment this year.\n\nPeople living with chronic disabilties or diseases say the cost of living is having a negative impact\n\nBut Ms Shorney-Jones wanted to see an \"overhaul of the benefit system\" to make it easier for claimants if they are suffering with chronic conditions.\n\n\"We'd like to see, if somebody has their diagnosis, they have the benefits automatically, that they don't have to go through this laborious, traumatic system to try and prove that they need that money.\"\n\nThe UK government said it recognised those with long-term health conditions faced extra costs and was committed to protecting the most vulnerable.\n\nA spokesman added: \"That is why we're increasing benefits in line with inflation at 10.1% from April, and providing a further \u00a31,350 of direct payments to the most vulnerable households in 2023-34.\n\n\"Our Energy Price Guarantee is also saving the typical household another \u00a3900 this winter, and we're extending additional funding to the Welsh government to help people in Wales with essential costs, by another \u00a350m in the next financial year.\"\n\nIf you've been affected by any of the issues mentioned in this article, please go to BBC Action Line where you can find support","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/uk-wales-64918787"}
{"title":"Israeli teachers' racist WhatsApp chat caught by pupils - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-13","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"The education minister apologises after Ethiopian Israeli girls film teachers mocking them on a trip.","section":"Middle East","content":"Ethiopian Jews in Israel have long integrated but many still suffer discrimination\n\nIsrael's education minister has apologised to Ethiopian Israeli schoolgirls whose teachers mocked them in a WhatsApp group on a school trip.\n\nThe girls spotted the teachers messaging each other in a chat group they created called Black School Trip.\n\nOne of the girls filmed the chat over a teacher's shoulder, then shared it on social media, calling the teachers \"a disgrace\".\n\nThe teachers involved were suspended and the incident is being investigated.\n\nThere are about 150,000 citizens of Ethiopian origin in Israel, the first of whom arrived in sizeable numbers in a series of top secret Mossad-led operations in the 1980s.\n\nThe Ethiopian Jews' integration in Israel has been challenging, with the community suffering disproportionately high levels of unemployment and poverty as well as discrimination, although their situation has shown signs of improvement in recent years.\n\nLast Monday, teachers and pupils from a religious high school in Netivot, southern Israel, set off on a three-day trip.\n\nGirls sitting behind one of the teachers saw her messaging in the group chat, which contained disparaging comments towards the Ethiopian Israeli pupils.\n\nOne of the pupils took a video of the chat in action without the teacher realising. A pupil then shared a message to the perpetrators on social media, attaching pictures of the offensive messages.\n\n\"Good morning to all the 'educators' of this school,\" she wrote. \"It saddens me as a member of the [Ethiopian] community to see the level you sank to today. Instead of being our teachers and setting an example and making us feel like we're in our safest place, you did the exact opposite.\n\n\"Opening a group called 'Black School Trip' without even realising that there were students behind you and mocking your students? I see the photos, and I just don't believe that they come from our teachers.\n\n\"You are a disgrace, I'm ashamed that you're our teachers and that you're teaching the future generation.\"\n\nThe teachers involved were suspended and have apologised.\n\nThe school's headmaster issued a statement, speaking of his \"shock and devastation to miserable and extremely offensive comments from teachers about Ethiopian students who study in the school\".\n\n\"The school management looks at these comments severely. There is no place for racist comments, and we won't allow them in our school.\"\n\n\"The incident will be dealt with severely with all the tools at our disposal,\" he said. \"I'm sorry for the distress that was caused for the students. There will be zero tolerance for these sorts of incidents on my watch.\"\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Former Ethiopian Israeli minister: 'We have a common struggle against racism'","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/world-middle-east-64919768"}
{"title":"'World's oldest' Humboldt penguin dies at Yorkshire zoo - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-13","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"Staff are \"devastated\" following the death of Rosie, who lived in Yorkshire for more than 30 years.","section":"Humberside","content":"This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Rosie had lived at Sewerby Hall in East Yorkshire since 1990 when she was brought from a bird park in Surrey\n\nZoo staff are mourning the loss of what was believed to be the world's oldest Humboldt penguin after her death at 32.\n\nRosie had lived at Sewerby Hall in East Yorkshire since 1990, when she was brought from a bird park in Surrey.\n\nNative to South America, Humboldts can live up to 20 years in the wild and are classed as \"vulnerable to extinction\".\n\nStaff at the Bridlington zoo said Rosie, who was just a few weeks short of her 33rd birthday, died in her sleep on Friday.\n\nHead zookeeper John Pickering said: \"We are all devastated by the loss of Rosie.\n\n\"I myself have been with her since she was four months old, and we have spent 32 years of our lives together in one way or another through all of life's trials and tribulations.\"\n\nRosie also had \"a very special place in their hearts\" of the other staff and visitors to the zoo, he added.\n\nThe team at the zoo will be holding a special tribute, and are inviting the public to share their memories and photos of Rosie\n\nIn recent years, Rosie had become a star of media and social media across the world, with her 30th birthday celebrations being featured on news channels in the US, Australia, New Zealand, Turkey, and Saudi Arabia.\n\nRosie, described by staff as \"the grand old lady\", was also featured in Hello! magazine and on TV shows across the UK.\n\nTo honour Rosie's memory, the team at the zoo will be holding a special tribute, and are inviting the public to share their memories and photos of Rosie on social media using the hashtag #RememberingRosie.\n\nPart of the reason Rosie was thought to have lived for so long was because of her comfortable life at the zoo, staff said\n\nFollow BBC East Yorkshire and Lincolnshire on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. Send your story ideas to yorkslincs.news@bbc.co.uk.\n\nThe BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/uk-england-humber-64919280"}
{"title":"Gary Lineker to return to Match of the Day as BBC's Tim Davie denies climbdown - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-13","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"Director general Tim Davie says the BBC will carry out an independent review into its social media rules.","section":"UK","content":"This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser.\n\nGary Lineker will return to present Match of the Day after he was taken off air amid an impartiality row following his criticism of the government's new asylum policy.\n\nBBC director general Tim Davie said an independent review of BBC social media guidelines would be carried out - and denied the BBC had backed down.\n\nPrime Minister Rishi Sunak said \"it was right\" the matter had been resolved.\n\nBut on Monday the BBC continued to face criticism from a range of sides.\n\nLineker said he supported the review and looked forward to getting back on air, describing the last few days as \"surreal\" and thanking people for their \"incredible support\".\n\nBut Tory backbench MP Philip Davies told the Mail Online the BBC's decision was a \"pathetic capitulation\" to Lineker and the \"start of the end for the licence fee\", while ex-cabinet minister Jacob Rees-Mogg also warned the \"licence fee has passed its sell-by date\".\n\nLabour's shadow culture secretary Lucy Powell, meanwhile, said the return of Lineker was welcome, but \"much bigger questions remain about the impartiality and independence of the BBC from government pressures\".\n\nFormer BBC director-general Greg Dyke compared the row to \"like a 5-0\" win for Lineker and said he thought there was a public perception the government had bullied the broadcaster into removing the TV star, which was \"very bad news\" for the BBC.\n\nEx-BBC News executive Sir Craig Oliver, who went on to be a Downing Street communications chief under then-Prime Minister David Cameron, described the situation as \"a total mess\" and said it was the \"wrong choice\" to have asked Lineker to step back in the first place.\n\n\"The reality is the BBC today has announced it will have a review of its social media guidelines,\" he told the BBC. \"In fact, it needs a review of how it handles crisis like these.\"\n\nSir Michael Lyons, a former BBC chairman under Labour, told BBC Newsnight: \"It simply isn't possible for the BBC to be a champion of dissent in Russia and Hong Kong, and at the same time not leave space for dissent in this country.\"\n\nHe added there was \"a big question about consistency in the way rules are applied\" saying some BBC stars have been allowed to say things about the Labour Party, referring to a tweet by Lord Alan Sugar advising people not to vote for Jeremy Corbyn.\n\nFormer controller of BBC editorial policy Richard Ayre said rewriting guidelines was not straightforward and was \"going to be a nightmare\".\n\n\"Whatever emerges will be unsatisfactory to a significant number of people. It's inevitable.\"\n\nEarlier, Davie insisted the decision to pull Lineker off air was about buying some time until the two sides could come to an agreement over his political tweets - and said that was exactly what had happened.\n\nHe said he took \"proportionate action\", adding: \"We believe we did the right thing. I think I did the right thing.\"\n\nWhen challenged by BBC media correspondent David Sillito on whether it was a climbdown by the BBC, he said: \"I don't think so.\n\n\"I've always said, we needed to take proportionate action. For some people, by the way, we've taken too severe action... others think we're being too lenient.\"\n\nIn a separate statement on Monday, Davie apologised, saying: \"Everyone recognises this has been a difficult period for staff, contributors, presenters and, most importantly, our audiences. I apologise for this.\"\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. WATCH: The weekend of BBC football show chaos... in 90 seconds\n\nThe row began last week when, in a tweet, Lineker said the government's new Illegal Migration Bill was an \"immeasurably cruel policy\" and said the language used around it was \"not dissimilar to that used by Germany in the 30s\".\n\nHis words were criticised by Conservative ministers, including the home secretary.\n\nLineker was told on Friday to step back from presenting Match of the Day until an agreement was reached. It triggered an unprecedented wave of walkouts from fellow pundits and commentators in solidarity with Lineker, which disrupted weekend football coverage across the BBC.\n\nSports presenter Mark Chapman - who did not present BBC Radio 5 Live's Saturday Coverage or Match of the Day 2 on Sunday on TV - returned to football radio show The Monday Night Club and apologised for the lack of service over the weekend.\n\nHe said it had been \"miserable and difficult\" for the staff involved and it was \"disgusting and unfair\" that the staff who did work on the weekend received abuse.\n\nHe added: \"It is ironic in a row over impartiality we have all been seen to be taking sides, and I feel there are lessons to be learned by all involved.\"\n\nBBC Scotland also had full coverage of Monday evening's Scottish cup tie between Falkirk and Ayr United after its programming was also limited over the weekend.\n\nAfter his return to BBC TV was announced, Lineker tweeted: \"However difficult the last few days have been, it simply doesn't compare to having to flee your home from persecution or war to seek refuge in a land far away.\n\n\"It's heartwarming to have seen the empathy towards their plight from so many of you. We remain a country of predominantly tolerant, welcoming and generous people.\"\n\nThe government's Illegal Migration Bill passed its first hurdle in the Commons by 312 votes to 250 on Monday night, with the majority of Tory MPs voting for the plans.\n\nLineker has hosted Match of the Day since 1999 and is the BBC's highest paid star, having earned about \u00a31.35m in 2020-21. He is employed by the BBC on a freelance basis.\n\nBBC employees are expected to remain impartial on political matters and must follow strict social media guidelines, but there is significant debate about how they should apply to staff outside of news.\n\nLineker said he backed the independent social media review which Davie said will have a \"particular focus\" on how the guidelines apply to freelancers outside news and current affairs.\n\n\"Shortly, the BBC will announce who will conduct that review,\" Davie said. \"Between now and when the review reports Gary will abide by the editorial guidelines, that's where we are.\"\n\nLineker is expected to return to host Match of the Day's live coverage of the FA Cup quarter-final between Manchester City and Burnley on Saturday evening.\n\nHe is then set to front Sunday's live coverage of Grimsby Town at Brighton & Hove Albion on BBC One.\n\nThe row over Lineker's tweets also renewed questions over BBC chairman Richard Sharp. A review into Mr Sharp's appointment as BBC chairman is investigating whether he failed to properly disclose details of his involvement in the facilitation of an \u00a3800,000 loan guarantee for the then-prime minister Boris Johnson. He has denied any involvement in the arrangement of a loan for Mr Johnson.\n\nAsked about Mr Sharp, Mr Sunak told the BBC: \"He was appointed before I was prime minister through an independent process. And that process is also now being reviewed independently. It's right that we let that review complete.\"\n\nLiberal Democrat leader Sir Ed Davey tweeted: \"The BBC has made the right decision on Gary Lineker - now it's time for Rishi Sunak to do the right thing and sack Richard Sharp. The BBC needs a proper independent chair not a Johnson acolyte.\"\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/uk-64936917"}
{"title":"Aukus: Sunak meets Biden and Albanese to finalise defence pact details - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-13","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"The PM and his US and Australian counterparts agree supplies of nuclear-powered submarines to Australia.","section":"UK Politics","content":"There are compelling reasons why the UK should want to forge a deeper strategic partnership with its two biggest Pacific Ocean allies, the US and Australia. In an increasingly bipolar world where China and Russia are drawing closer together on one side, pro-Western democracies like Japan, South Korea, Taiwan and the Philippines are drawing closer to the US on the other.\n\nThe Aukus pact between Australia, the UK and US is designed to confront China\u2019s expansion in the western Pacific.\n\nBut, beyond helping Australia build its new fleet of nuclear submarines, does Britain have the capacity to project military power 10,000km (6,000 miles) away on the other side of the planet, when its armed forces are already stretched and much of its arsenal has been committed to Ukraine?\n\n\u201cIf China invades Taiwan\u201d, I asked then-Foreign Secretary Liz Truss last June, \u201cwill Britain go to her defence?\u201d She declined to answer.\n\nA senior British army officer was a little more forthcoming. \u201cLook\u201d, he said, \u201cwe\u2019re struggling to keep up with one war on our doorstep (Ukraine). We certainly couldn\u2019t cope with a war in the Pacific as well.\"","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/live\/uk-politics-64945036"}
{"title":"Bakhmut: Fighting in the street but Russia not in control - deputy mayor - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-05","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"The city has seen months of intense fighting - despite its strategic value being questioned.","section":"Europe","content":"Bakhmut has lost 95% of its pre-war population since the start of the Russian invasion\n\nRussian and Ukrainian forces are fighting in the streets of Bakhmut - but Russia does not control the eastern city, its deputy mayor has said.\n\nOleksandr Marchenko also told the BBC the remaining 4,000 civilians are living in shelters without access to gas, electricity or water.\n\nMr Marchenko said \"not a single building\" had remained untouched and that the city is \"almost destroyed\".\n\nBakhmut has seen months of fighting, as Russia tries to take charge.\n\n\"There is fighting near the city and there are also street fights,\" Mr Marchenko said.\n\nTaking the city would be a rare battlefield success in recent months for Russia. But despite that, the city's strategic value has been questioned.\n\nSome experts say any Russian victory could be pyrrhic - that is, not worth the cost.\n\nThousands of Russian troops have died trying to take Bakhmut, which had a pre-war population of around 75,000. Ukrainian commanders estimate that Russia has lost seven times as many soldiers as they have.\n\nOn Saturday, UK military intelligence said Russian advances in the northern suburbs had left the Ukraine-held sections vulnerable to Russian attacks on three sides.\n\nMr Marchenko accused the Russians of having \"no goal\" to save the city and that it wanted to commit \"genocide of the Ukrainian people\".\n\n\"Currently there is no communication in the city so the city is cut out, the bridges are destroyed and the tactics the Russians are using is the tactic of parched land,\" Mr Marchenko told the Today programme.\n\nThe fall of Bakhmut has long been predicted, but for more than six months it hasn't happened. So any reports of potential Ukrainian withdrawal should be treated with caution.\n\nIt is hard to know what is going on without independent sources. Both sides have a greater incentive to confuse their enemy than provide accurate information.\n\nBut it may be that Ukrainian commanders are beginning to calculate that the cost of defending Bakhmut - in terms of blood and treasure - is now too great, despite the grievous losses being inflicted on Russian troops.\n\nAnd if so, then they might want what Western analysts call \"a controlled fighting withdrawal\" to protect the remaining Ukrainian forces so they can be redeployed.\n\nBut any withdrawal may be hard fought and could take some time.\n\nEarlier this week, Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky said that the situation in the area was becoming \"more and more difficult\" - although the Ukrainian military said it had repelled numerous attacks since Friday.\n\n\"I believe we shouldn't give any inch of our land to the enemy,\" Mr Marchenko said. \"We should protect our land, we should protect our people and we should protect the businesses that are on this land.\"\n\nThe city was \"almost destroyed\", with bridges ruined and communication cut off, Mr Marchenko added.\n\n\"They want to destroy Bakhmut, they want to destroy the city like they did with Mariupol and Popasna,\" he said, referring to two cities in the east of Ukraine now under Russian control.\n\nThe Russian military laid siege to the south-eastern port city of Mariupol at the outset of the invasion and took control after three months of artillery bombardment that killed thousands.\n\nA maternity and children's hospital in Mariupol was hit by a Russian air strike in March 2022\n\nRussia claimed the Donbas town of Soledar, about 10km (6.2 miles) from Bakhmut, in January following a long battle with the Ukrainian forces.\n\nSoledar, too, was reportedly reduced to a wasteland of flattened buildings and rubble by the time the Ukrainian army retreated.\n\nOn Friday, President Zelensky stressed that artillery and shells were needed to \"stop Russia\".\n\nUS Secretary of State Antony Blinken said the country's latest package included high-precision Himars artillery rockets and howitzers \"which Ukraine is using so effectively\".\n\u2022 None Bakhmut attacks still being repelled, says Ukraine","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/world-europe-64846666"}
{"title":"Two Sessions: China looks at reforms to deepen Xi Jinping control - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-05","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"Lawmakers are set to pass far-reaching measures restructuring the government and the financial sector.","section":"China","content":"Mr Xi will be elected president of China and head of the armed forces\n\nXi Jinping is set to deepen his control of China's government and economy, as lawmakers meet in Beijing to pass far-reaching reforms.\n\nThe National People's Congress (NPC), a rubber-stamp parliament, will confirm Mr Xi's third term as president, and the appointments of his top team.\n\nThey will also name a new premier, the second-in-command after Mr Xi, as the incumbent Li Keqiang departs.\n\nThe Two Sessions, as the meetings are known, are an annual affair.\n\nBut this year's sessions are particularly significant as delegates are expected to reshape several key Communist Party and state institutions.\n\nThey will also tighten control over bodies overseeing the finance sector and scientific and technology work, while \"strengthening party-building work\" in private businesses, according to state media.\n\nThe moves will likely further blur the lines between the Chinese Communist Party and the government, and consolidate the party's control of the private sector.\n\nThis comes amid an ongoing corruption crackdown which has seen a string of high-profile businessmen disappear in recent years. The latest person to go missing was one of China's top dealmakers in the tech sector.\n\nThis week's NPC meeting will also formalise Mr Xi's leadership of the country, as he will be elected president of China and head of the armed forces.\n\nHe secured his position in the echelons of Chinese power in October last year, when the Communist Party re-elected him as their leader for a third term.\n\nIt was a break from decades-long tradition, as no other party leader besides Communist China's first leader, Mao Zedong, will have served for this long. In the 2018 NPC meeting, lawmakers had approved the removal of term limits on the presidency, effectively allowing Mr Xi to remain leader for life.\n\nMr Xi's appointment comes as he faces domestic pressure to turn around an economy battered by his zero-Covid strategy and crackdowns in various business sectors.\n\nAt the start of the meeting, it was announced that China will pursue a reduced economic growth target of about 5% this year, while defence spending is to rise by more than 7%.\n\nAbroad, Mr Xi is navigating worsening ties with the US over the Ukraine war and the recent spy balloon saga, even as he warms his embrace of Russian leader Vladimir Putin.\n\nThe NPC will also unveil the new Premier, China's equivalent of a prime minister who traditionally oversees the economy and administrative aspects of governance.\n\nLi Qiang, one of Mr Xi's most trusted colleagues, is expected to assume the role. As the Shanghai party secretary, he oversaw a prolonged and painful Covid lockdown that angered locals and made international headlines.\n\nOutgoing premier Li Keqiang, who was ousted in the leadership reshuffle at October's party congress, will deliver his last work report speech.\n\nThe political appointments for the rest of the Politburo Standing Committee, the equivalent of Mr Xi's cabinet, will also be announced.\n\nMany will be watching to see who fills several key positions, such as the commerce minister, head of the national development and reform commission, propaganda chief, and head of state security.\n\nObservers say the team was picked more for their loyalty to Mr Xi and the party, rather than for their expertise.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/world-asia-china-64819857"}
{"title":"Rafael Vi\u00f1oly: Uruguayan architect of London's 'Walkie Talkie' dies aged 78 - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-05","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"The Uruguayan also worked on Tokyo's International Forum and Manchester City's training ground.","section":"Latin America & Caribbean","content":"Rafael Vi\u00f1oly died in New York City on Thursday\n\nRafael Vi\u00f1oly, the world-renowned Uruguayan architect who designed buildings including London's so-called Walkie Talkie, has died aged 78.\n\nVi\u00f1oly's death was announced by his son, Rom\u00e1n, who described him as a \"visionary\" who leaves \"a rich legacy of distinctive and timeless designs\".\n\nHe established Rafael Vi\u00f1oly Architects in 1983 and his work features in more than 600 structures around the world.\n\nHe died in hospital, reportedly from an aneurysm, in New York City on Thursday.\n\nRom\u00e1n Vi\u00f1oly said his father's designs \"manifested in some of the world's most recognisable\" structures and that he would be missed \"by all those whose lives he touched through his work\".\n\nBorn in Montevideo in 1944, Vi\u00f1oly moved to Buenos Aires at the age of five with his mother, a maths teacher, and theatre director father.\n\nHe studied architecture at the University of Buenos Aires and while he was still a student, was a founding member in the successful firm Estudio de Arquitectura.\n\nThe military junta in Argentina prompted him and his family to emigrate to the United States. He secured a teaching position at Harvard University before establishing his eponymous practice in New York.\n\nThe skyscraper at 20 Fenchurch Street is known as the Walkie Talkie due to its apparent likeness to the communication device\n\nHis designs spanned office and residential buildings, hotels, concert halls, stadiums and airports across the world.\n\nThe \"Walkie Talkie\" skyscraper attracted controversy in 2013 when sunlight reflected off its mirrored concave side and melted various parts on a luxury car parked nearby.\n\nVi\u00f1oly also faced complaints from residents in 432 Park Avenue, a residential building he designed in New York, who reported banging and creaking noises coming from the 85-floor tower.\n\nThe Tokyo International Forum, the Kimmel Center for Performing Arts in Philadelphia and the Cleveland Museum of Art are among the other landmark projects completed by his firm.\n\nAnd Manchester City Football Club - whose training ground Vi\u00f1oly designed - paid tribute to their \"cherished friend\".\n\nJay Bargmann, the vice president of Rafael Vi\u00f1oly Architects said: \"I'm incredibly proud of the integrity of the work our team has produced over many decades and on very complex projects, and I am honoured and humbled by our team's unwavering commitment during this profound time of loss.\"\n\nVi\u00f1oly is survived by his wife, Diana, an interior designer, his son, Rom\u00e1n, and stepsons Nicol\u00e1s and Lucas.\n\nPerhaps his firm's most renowned work is the Tokyo International Forum, the long building seen here","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/world-latin-america-64848302"}
{"title":"Bahrain Grand Prix: Max Verstappen leads Red Bull one-two as Fernando Alonso finishes superb third - BBC Sport","published_date":"2023-03-05","authors":null,"description":"Red Bull's Max Verstappen starts the new Formula 1 season as he ended the last, with a dominant victory in the Middle East.","section":null,"content":"Last updated on .From the section Formula 1\n\nRed Bull's Max Verstappen started the new season as he ended the last, with a dominant victory in the Middle East.\n\nThe two-time champion led the Bahrain Grand Prix almost from start to finish, initially lapping at a pace beyond his rivals and then controlling the race.\n\nThe drive, Verstappen's 36th victory, underlined his status as favourite for a third consecutive world title.\n\nSergio Perez made it a Red Bull one-two ahead of an inspired drive by Aston Martin's Fernando Alonso in third.\n\n\"It was very, very good first stint where I made my gap,\" said Verstappen. \"From there, it was all about looking after tyres. You never know what's going to happen later on the race. We just wanted to make sure we have the right tyres and in good condition as well.\n\n\"We have a good race package. We can definitely fight with this car and also big thank you to the team, over the winter, to get us a quick race car again.\"\n\nPerez had won a fight with Charles Leclerc over second place before the Ferrari driver retired from third with 16 laps to go when he lost drive.\n\nBut the big excitement in the race was created by Alonso, who dropped from fifth on the grid to seventh behind the two Mercedes drivers Lewis Hamilton and George Russell on the opening lap, but fought back to take the final podium place.\n\nAlonso passed Russell before the first pit stops, then caught and passed Hamilton after their second stops, before closing on Sainz.\n\nThe moves on Hamilton and Sainz were of the highest quality.\n\nAlonso and Hamilton battled for a couple of laps, with the Spaniard passing the Briton into Turn Four before a snap from the rear allowed the Mercedes back past.\n\nThen Alonso came back at Hamilton and overtook down the inside of Turn 10, an extremely rare place for a move.\n\u2022 None Red Bull dominate but Alonso the star in Bahrain\n\u2022 None Meet the teams and drivers for 2023\n\nWith Sainz, the two touched as Alonso tried to pass out of Turn Four. Sainz was then wise to the same move at Turn 10, but Alonso got better drive down the following straight and passed into the fast Turn 11.\n\n\"To finish on the podium first race of the year is just amazing,\" said Alonso. \"What Aston Martin did over the winter, to have the second best car on race one, is just unreal.\n\n\"We had not the best start and had to pass on track - it made it more exciting but we enjoyed it.\"\n\nAlonso's pass left Sainz holding off Hamilton for fourth. The seven-time champion initially looked as if he might also pass the Ferrari, but he was unable to close in, as both suffered with tyres and had to settle for fifth.\n\nThe second Aston Martin of Lance Stroll took sixth place, despite hitting Alonso at Turn Four on the first lap, costing the Spaniard a place to Russell, who finished seventh.\n\nStroll was driving with fractures in both wrists and a broken toe after a cycling accident two weeks before the race.\n\nIn terms of a spectacle, the race needed the fight between Ferrari, Aston Martin and Mercedes, because Verstappen was in a league of his own out front.\n\nThe world champion converted his pole position into a lead at the first corner, as Leclerc used the superior grip of the new tyres he had saved for the race to pass Perez for second.\n\nBut Leclerc had no answer to the man who he briefly challenged for the title last year.\n\nVerstappen was more than a second clear after the first lap, four seconds clear after five and seven seconds in front after 10. It was clear the Dutchman would face no threat unless he ran into trouble and the Red Bull ran faultlessly, apart from some complaints from its driver about slow gearshifts.\n\nBehind him, Perez's challenge was to re-pass Leclerc.\n\nHe did so by using a second set of soft tyres for his second stint, while Ferrari chose hard tyres for Leclerc. The Mexican soon closed in and passed into Turn One on lap 26, and eased away.\n\nLeclerc looked set fair for a podium, in the region of 10 seconds clear of Sainz, until his car lost power on lap 41 and he pulled off on the straight down to the final corner.\n\nDespondent, and aware Ferrari are not in a position to challenge Red Bull, he said: \"We are very far behind Red Bull. The first stint was as expected after the choice we made with tyres. We were second but we couldn't bring the car to the end and that is what is most important.\"\n\nAlfa Romeo's Valtteri Bottas took eighth place, ahead of Pierre Gasly, who put in a strong drive from the back of the grid after as difficult qualifying. Alex Albon took the final point for Williams in 10th.\n\nThe second Alpine of Esteban Ocon had a nightmare day, hit with three time penalties.\n\nThe first was for overshooting his grid slot, the second for failing to correctly serve that penalty at his pit stop, and a third for speeding in the pit lane. Ocon eventually retired.\n\nLando Norris finished last for McLaren, hampered by a problem that required his car to be refilled with compressed air at regular intervals.\n\nHis team-mate Oscar Piastri retired with an electronics problem early on his debut.\n\u2022 None What has Duncan Ferguson learnt from his angry moments?:","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/sport\/formula1\/64856125"}
{"title":"Gladiator fights were staged in Roman Britain, evidence suggests - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-05","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"Research into a vase in Colchester reportedly provides the \"only evidence\" of such fights staged in Britain.","section":"Essex","content":"The Colchester Vase depicts a pair of gladiators named Memnon and Valentinus\n\nGladiator fights were once staged in Roman-occupied Britain, new research suggests.\n\nTests have proven that the Colchester Vase - an ancient artefact which depicts a fight between combatants - was locally made and decorated.\n\nWith no written information, this was the \"only evidence\" of such duels in Britain, the head of Colchester and Ipswich Museums told The Observer.\n\nThe findings have led to \"startling new conclusions\", Frank Hargrave added.\n\nThe vase in question, which is nearly two millennia old, was used as a cremation vessel and discovered in a Roman grave in Colchester in the mid-1800s.\n\nThe 23cm-high (9in) vessel, made around AD 160-200, is described as \"one of the most important, and perhaps famous, pots from Roman Britain\" by Colchester Museums.\n\nIt depicts scenes which may have been witnessed in a Roman arena - namely animal hunts and a duel between a pair of gladiators.\n\nMr Hargrave told The Observer that the vase was of \"such high quality that there's been a bit of snobbery, an assumption that it couldn't possibly have come from Britain.\"\n\nBut, he said, the fresh research had \"put that to bed.\"\n\nAs well as confirming that the artefact was made from local clay, the analysis crucially showed the names of gladiators Memnon and Valentinus were written into the clay while the pot was being made.\n\nIt was previously believed that the inscriptions had been added after the vase had been fired - suggesting less of a link between the decoration and local events.\n\nAnalysis of the human remains inside the pot suggested the deceased person was aged over 40, and may have come from overseas.\n\nGlynn Davis, a senior curator of Colchester and Ipswich Museums, told The Observer that the vase may have belonged to a sponsor of the gladiatorial fight depicted.\n\nThe item is due to go on display at Colchester Castle from 15 July, along with other significant Roman finds.\n\nColchester is one of England's most historic cities, having become the capital of Roman Britain soon after the conquest of AD 43, and known as Camulodunum.\n\nPrevious discoveries have indicated the presence of Roman-era gladiators in Britain, even if the evidence of arena combat here has been more thin.\n\nSkeletons from an ancient \"gladiator cemetery\" went on display in York in 2011, although archaeologists said they could not be certain the men were fighters.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/uk-england-essex-64855991"}
{"title":"Ocean treaty: Historic agreement reached after decade of talks - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-05","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"Countries have reached a landmark agreement to help put 30% of the world's oceans into protection.","section":"Science & Environment","content":"Nations have reached a historic agreement to protect the world's oceans following 10 years of negotiations.\n\nThe High Seas Treaty aims to help place 30% of the seas into protected areas by 2030, to safeguard and recuperate marine nature.\n\nThe agreement was reached on Saturday evening, after 38 hours of talks, at UN headquarters in New York.\n\nThe negotiations had been held up for years over disagreements on funding and fishing rights.\n\nThe last international agreement on ocean protection was signed 40 years ago in 1982 - the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea.\n\nThat agreement established an area called the high seas - international waters where all countries have a right to fish, ship and do research - but only 1.2% of these waters are protected.\n\nMarine life living outside these protected areas has been at risk from climate change, overfishing and shipping traffic.\n\nIn the latest assessment of global marine species, nearly 10% were found to be at risk of extinction, according to the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN).\n\nThe High Seas Treaty establishes marine protected areas in these high seas which will help achieve the global goal of protecting 30% of the world's oceans - made at the UN biodiversity conference last year.\n\nThese areas will put limits on how much fishing can take place, the routes of shipping lanes and exploration activities like deep sea mining - when minerals are taken from a sea bed 200m or more below the surface.\n\nEnvironmental groups have been concerned that mining processes could disturb animal breeding grounds, create noise pollution and be toxic for marine life.\n\nThe International Seabed Authority that oversees licensing told the BBC that \"any future activity in the deep seabed will be subject to strict environmental regulations and oversight to ensure that they are carried out sustainably and responsibly\".\n\nRena Lee, UN Ambassador for Oceans, brought down the gavel after two weeks of negotiations that at times threatened to unravel.\n\nMinna Epps, director of the IUCN Ocean team, said the main issue was over the sharing of marine genetic resources.\n\nMarine genetic resources are biological material from plants and animals in the ocean that can have benefits for society, such as pharmaceuticals, industrial processes and food.\n\nRicher nations currently have the resources and funding to explore the deep ocean but poorer nations wanted to ensure any benefits they find are shared equally.\n\nSea sponges have yielded key ingredients for HIV and cancer treatments\n\nDr Robert Blasiak, ocean researcher at Stockholm University, said the challenge was that no one knows how much ocean resources are worth and therefore how they could be split.\n\nHe said: \"If you imagine a big, high-definition, widescreen TV, and if only like three or four of the pixels on that giant screen are working, that's our knowledge of the deep ocean. So we've recorded about 230,000 species in the ocean, but it's estimated that there are over two million.\"\n\nLaura Meller, an oceans campaigner for Greenpeace Nordic, commended countries for \"putting aside differences and delivering a treaty that will let us protect the oceans, build our resilience to climate change and safeguard the lives and livelihoods of billions of people\".\n\n\"This is a historic day for conservation and a sign that in a divided world, protecting nature and people can triumph over geopolitics,\" she added.\n\nMarine protected areas could help endangered species like the whale shark - the largest living fish - recover\n\nCountries will need to meet again to formally adopt the agreement and then have plenty of work to do before the treaty can be implemented.\n\nLiz Karan, director of Pews Trust ocean governance team, told the BBC: \"It will take some time to take effect. Countries have to ratify it [legally adopt it] for it to enter force. Then there are a lot of institutional bodies like the Science and Technical Committee that have to get set up.\"","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/science-environment-64815782"}
{"title":"Scottish bakery Morton's Rolls 'ceases trading' - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-05","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"Companies House said it could strike off the bakery after it missed a deadline to file accounts.","section":"Scotland business","content":"Scottish bakery Morton's Rolls is understood to have ceased trading after missing a deadline to file accounts.\n\nIn a letter to staff on Friday, the firm wrote that employees would be \"laid off with immediate effect\".\n\nThe Glasgow-based bakery, which employs about 250 people, said that \"no final decision\" had been taken on redundancies but all jobs were at risk.\n\nCompanies House states on its website that there is an \"active proposal to strike off\" the firm.\n\nMorton's Rolls accounts for the year to 31 March 2022 were required to be filed by 31 December and are now overdue.\n\nLast month, compulsory strike-off action was suspended on 9 February, two days after it was announced by Companies House.\n\nBut in the letter to staff on Friday, the firm wrote: \"The company is ceasing to trade with immediate effect.\n\n\"The directors have taken steps to ensure that the business can continue in some form.\n\n\"But it is likely that this will be with a reduced workforce across the business.\"\n\nBill Kidd, SNP MSP for Glasgow Anniesland, told BBC Scotland he was \"taken aback\" by the letter and had arranged a meeting with the company's management.\n\nHe said: \"There has been issues in the past but we've got good relations with Morton's Rolls, they are terrific company and are a very important employer in Drumchapel.\n\n\"Morton's Rolls is a famous name and we want to ensure that is maintained and even developed into the future\n\n\"Everything that can be done to save this business will be done.\"\n\nMorton's Rolls was originally founded by Bob Morton and Jim Clarke in 1965 at their bakery near Drumchapel, in the west of Glasgow.\n\nOver the years, Morton's expanded its product range to include cakes and savouries.\n\nThe company's flagship product is its traditional crispy roll.\n\nFor the year to the end of March 2021, the company reported a loss of \u00a3262,00 on turnover of more than \u00a311.8m.\n\nMorton's Rolls has been approached for comment.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/uk-scotland-scotland-business-64834929"}
{"title":"Harry and Meghan weigh up coronation invitation - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-05","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"Duke and Duchess of Sussex will not say if they plan to attend after receiving an email from the Palace.","section":"UK","content":"Prince Harry and Meghan, the Duchess of Sussex, will be invited to King Charles III's coronation, a statement from the couple suggests.\n\nThey say they have been emailed about the coronation, on 6 May, but will not confirm whether they plan to attend.\n\nIt is understood that some prospective guests are being asked to save the date ahead of official invitations that will be sent later.\n\nBuckingham Palace has declined to comment on invitations.\n\nThere has been speculation about whether the US-based couple would be invited, and whether they would attend the coronation of King Charles and Camilla, the Queen Consort.\n\nA statement from Prince Harry and Meghan said they had been contacted about the coronation.\n\n\"I can confirm the Duke has recently received email correspondence from His Majesty's office regarding the coronation,\" a spokesperson for the couple said.\n\n\"An immediate decision on whether the Duke and Duchess will attend will not be disclosed by us at this time.\"\n\nWestminster Abbey, where the coronation will take place, has capacity for about 2,200 guests. Many public figures, politicians and international dignitaries are expected to attend, as well as the King's family and friends.\n\nFormal printed invitations are expected to be sent closer to the time, but it is believed that some groups of guests are being approached in advance, advising them to save the date.\n\nThe focus on whether Prince Harry and Meghan will come to the coronation follows revelations in his memoir about tensions with his family.\n\nThis included an account of an altercation with his brother Prince William, who as Prince of Wales is likely to have a role in the coronation ceremony.\n\nIn a previous interview about his memoir, Prince Harry had declined to say whether he would attend his father's coronation, saying: \"The door is always open. The ball is in their court.\"\n\nIf Prince Harry does return for the coronation, it is not known what part he might play, as he is no longer a \"working royal\".\n\nDuring the Queen's Platinum Jubilee, Prince Harry and Meghan were not part of the appearances on the Buckingham Palace balcony. These traditional appearances for the crowds will also be part of the coronation celebrations.\n\nIn an online interview on Saturday, Prince Harry said he had always \"felt slightly different\" to other members of his family - and that his late mother, Diana, had felt the same.\n\nIt also emerged last week that Prince Harry and Meghan had been asked to vacate Frogmore Cottage, the couple's UK base in Windsor.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/uk-64854803"}
{"title":"Sonic boom heard as RAF jets escort aircraft to Stansted Airport - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-05","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"The flight from Iceland to Kenya was diverted to Stansted Airport after communications went down, police said.","section":"Leicester","content":"This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Watch: Loud bang heard in areas across the UK\n\nRAF jets scrambled to escort an aircraft which lost communications caused a sonic boom, police have said.\n\nThe Ministry of Defence (MoD) said Typhoon jets from RAF Coningsby in Lincolnshire were authorised to fly supersonic to assist a civilian plane.\n\nEssex Police said the aircraft - flying from Iceland to Kenya - was diverted to Stansted Airport, landing at 12:50 GMT.\n\nIt comes after people heard a \"loud bang\" in Leicestershire, Northamptonshire and Oxfordshire.\n\nTwo people - a pilot and co-pilot - were on board, Essex Police said.\n\nThe force said officers carried out enquiries and were satisfied there was a loss of contact due to \"equipment malfunction and nothing of any concern\".\n\nThe plane and those on board have now been released to continue their journey.\n\nA sonic boom is caused when planes fly faster than the speed of sound.\n\nEssex Police said two jets were scrambled to escort an aircraft that lost communications\n\nLee Shellard, from Syston, Leicester, said he was watching TV when he heard the bang.\n\n\"It shook ornaments and bits around the house,\" he told the BBC.\n\n\"But it wasn't like an earthquake, more like a big lorry had gone past. So we nipped outside to see what had happened and other people were looking out of their windows as well\n\n\"That's when I went back and checked the CCTV footage.\"\n\nDepartures from Gatwick airport were reportedly suspended for 15 minutes earlier.\n\nBBC journalist Phil Mercer tweeted he had been sitting on a plane at the airport after passengers were told \"all airspace over London is closed as an aircraft has stopped communicating with air traffic control\".\n\nBBC East Midlands reporter Will Jefford in Daventry, said he thought his boiler had exploded.\n\n\"The whole house shook and we jumped out of the sofa to check if everything was okay,\" he said.\n\n\"You could feel the noise through the floorboards. It almost hit you in the chest - I managed to drop half my cup of tea.\n\n\"We initially thought the boiler had blown up, but I could hear a jet overhead so realised it was probably a sonic boom.\"\n\nA sonic boom is caused when planes fly faster than the speed of sound, which at ground level is around 761mph.\n\nWhen travelling at this speed, also known as Mach 1, the aircraft displaces the air and creates pressure waves that become compressed and are then released in a shock wave.\n\nAs long as the aircraft is flying at Mach 1 it will generate continuous sound waves, known as a boom carpet and an aircraft flying at 20,000 feet would create a sonic boom cone 20 miles wide.\n\nLouise Gourlay in Bicester, Oxfordshire, said her military training kicked in and hit the floor when she heard the bang.\n\n\"I'm ex-military, so I immediately 'jumped on my belt buckle' that's a move where I jumped straight down stomach to the floor,\" she said.\n\n\"I didn't know if it was an explosion or something, the house shook violently.\"\n\nAnne Marie Oostveen near Chipping Norton in Oxfordshire, told the BBC her \"whole house shook\".\n\n\"I was watching TV with my cat Jones and I heard a loud boom sound.\n\n\"There is some building work going on nearby so at first I just thought there was a skip being delivered to the yard next door.\n\n\"But the videos online make it sound like an explosion, to me it sounded like a low boom.\n\n\"My cat just looked up and then went back to sleep.\"\n\nRebecca Cockroft added: \"Going to assume I didn't imagine the sonic boom over #Northampton a few moments ago judging by the car alarms going off and birds scattering?\"\n\nA spokesman for Leicestershire Police, said: \"We have received numerous calls in relation to a large explosion sound heard from various parts of the city and county.\n\n\"We like to reassure you that there is no concern however thank you for your immediate response to us.\"\n\nFollow BBC East Midlands on Facebook, on Twitter, or on Instagram. Send your story ideas to eastmidsnews@bbc.co.uk.\n\nThe BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/uk-england-leicestershire-64847214"}
{"title":"Ambulance strikes: Unite union suspends action in England - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-05","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"The Unite union suspends strikes in England to enter pay talks, following the Unison and GMB unions.","section":"Business","content":"Ambulance strikes due to take place in England on Monday and Wednesday have been called off.\n\nThe Unite union suspended the industrial action to enter pay talks with the government, it said.\n\nIt followed the Unison and GMB unions earlier suspending walkouts after what they called a \"huge shift\" in the government's position.\n\nUnite is the smallest of the three ambulance unions, representing about 3,000 workers.\n\nTens of thousands of staff had been expected to walk out across large parts of England. Unite members at ambulance trusts in the West Midlands, North West, South East and East Midlands had planned to strike on Monday. Staff in Yorkshire had planned to join them on Wednesday.\n\nUnite head of operations Gail Cartmail said: \"Following further assurances from the government over the weekend Unite has in good faith agreed to pause the strike action.\"\n\nThese assurances related to \"a confirmation that any deal will include new money, rather than placing further pressure on NHS budgets\", the union said, as well as an \"indication that discussions about 'efficiencies' and 'productivity savings' will not result in attacks on the conditions of NHS staff\".\n\nIf the government did not meet those assurances, \"strike action will resume\", Ms Cartmail said.\n\nThe union is expected to hold talks with the government this week.\n\nA Department of Health and Social Care spokesperson said: \"We're pleased that unions representing the majority of ambulance workers, nurses, physiotherapists, porters, cleaners and other non-medical staff have agreed to pause strikes and enter a process of intensive talks.\n\n\"We want to find a fair and reasonable settlement that recognises the vital role of NHS workers, the wider economic pressures facing the UK and the prime minister's priority to halve inflation.\"\n\nOn Friday the GMB union said the government had given it assurances of extra cash \"above existing budgets\".\n\nWhen Unison and the GMB called off their planned action, it was understood that talks with the government would discuss a one-off cost-of-living payment for the current financial year, which ends in April, as well as a new pay deal for 2023-24.\n\nIndustrial action by Unite and GMB had already been paused in Wales for further talks with the Welsh government.\n\nLast month, thousands of nurses in England suspended a series of strikes after Health Secretary Steve Barclay said he would meet the Royal College of Nursing for \"intensive talks\" over pay.\n\nHowever, tens of thousands of junior doctors are still scheduled to strike in England on 13, 14 and 15 March.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/health-64857174"}
{"title":"Australia's 'biggest drug bust' nets $700m of cocaine - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-05","authors":null,"description":"Police reveal details of an undercover operation that began off the coast of South America.","section":null,"content":"Police in Australia have revealed details of an undercover operation that stopped nearly $700m worth of cocaine (around 1bn AUD, \u00a3570m) linked to a Mexican drug cartel from reaching the country.\n\nIt is reported to be the biggest drug bust in Australia's history.\n\nOperation Beech began in November when narcotics officers seized 2.4 tonnes of the drug off the coast of South America.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/world-australia-64847242"}
{"title":"Camilla features in Antiques Roadshow episode at Eden Project - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-05","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"The Queen Consort filmed the episode of the BBC One show at the Eden Project in Cornwall in September.","section":"Cornwall","content":"Books expert Justin Croft admires Camilla's copy of Elegy in A Country Churchyard by poet Thomas Gray\n\nCamilla, the Queen Consort, will feature in an episode of the Antiques Roadshow which was filmed in Cornwall.\n\nThe Queen Consort filmed at the Eden Project near St Austell last summer.\n\nCamilla brought two of her own personal items for the BBC One show's experts to appraise.\n\nPeter Stewart, the chief purpose officer at the Eden Project, said it was a \"total privilege\" to welcome Camilla.\n\nViewers will see The Queen Consort present a rare snuffbox from the Royal Collection made from Cornish silver, and a copy of Elegy in A Country Churchyard by poet Thomas Gray.\n\nDuncan Campbell, an expert and silver specialist on the show, said the snuffbox was the first all-English silver he had seen in his career.\n\nCamilla said she was interested in the poetry book's binding, which was done in 1899 by the Guild of Women Binders.\n\nPresenter Fiona Bruce said Camilla had been \"terrific fun\" during the filming\n\nFiona Bruce, who has presented Antiques Roadshow since 2008, said the Queen Consort was \"just terrific fun\".\n\n\"She put everyone at ease and was keen to take part in the programme and chat to everyone.\"\n\nLater in the episode, the Queen Consort and Bruce attempt to guess the true purpose of three unusual items offered up by jewellery specialist Geoffrey Munn.\n\nThe presenter also discussed with Camilla her close connection to the Eden Project and her support for The Big Lunch, a charity based at the Cornish site encouraging people to come together with their local community to share a meal.\n\nAfter the broadcast on BBC One on Sunday, the episode will also be available on BBC iPlayer.\n\nFollow BBC News South West on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram. Send your story ideas to spotlight@bbc.co.uk.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/uk-england-cornwall-64853915"}
{"title":"Ukraine war: Russian reservists fighting with shovels - UK defence ministry - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-05","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"Troops could be engaging in hand-to-hand combat in Ukraine, Britain's defence ministry says.","section":"Europe","content":"The MPL-50 is particularly mythologised in Russia, the UK defence ministry said (stock photo)\n\nRussian reservists could be using \"shovels\" for \"hand-to-hand\" combat in Ukraine due to a shortage of ammunition, the UK's Ministry of Defence says.\n\nIn late February, reservists described being ordered to assault a Ukrainian position \"armed with only 'firearms and shovels'\", the ministry said in its latest intelligence update.\n\nIt mentioned a shovel known as MPL-50.\n\nThe tool was designed in 1869 and had changed little, the ministry said.\n\nIt has been part of the Russian reservist army kit for decades.\n\n\"The lethality of the standard-issue MPL-50 entrenching tool is particularly mythologised in Russia,\" the ministry said.\n\nThe continued use of the shovel \"as a weapon highlights the brutal and low-tech fighting which has come to characterise much of the war\", it said.\n\nOne of the reservists described being \"neither physically nor psychologically\" prepared for the action, the update added.\n\n\"Recent evidence suggests an increase in close combat in Ukraine,\" it said.\n\n\"This is probably a result of the Russian command continuing to insist on offensive action largely consisting of dismounted infantry, with less support from artillery fire because Russia is short of munitions.\"\n\nThe BBC has been unable to independently verify these reports. The ministry did not give information on where such battles were taking place.\n\nAnalysts say that although there is indeed an ammunition shortage, the situation is more complex than the intelligence update suggests, with Russian forces still using twice as much ammunition as the Ukrainian side.\n\nMeanwhile Russian forces appear to have secured a sufficient positional advantage in the besieged city of Bakhmut, the Institute for the Study of War (ISW) said.\n\nBakhmut has seen months of fighting, as Russia tries to take control of the small city, where around 4,000 civilians remain.\n\nTaking the city would be a rare battlefield success in recent months for Russia, but the city's strategic value has been questioned.\n\nThe ISW said Russia's positional advantage could allow a \"turning movement\" in the city.\n\nThe purpose of a turning movement is to force the enemy to abandon prepared defensive positions, and is different from the aim of an encirclement, which is to trap and destroy enemy forces, the ISW says.\n\n\"The Russians may have intended to encircle Ukrainian forces in Bakhmut, but the Ukrainian command has signalled that it will likely withdraw rather than risk an encirclement,\" the ISW said.\n\nHowever, the Ukrainian military said on Sunday that it had no intention of withdrawing from Bakhmut.\n\nA statement by the Armed Forces General Staff acknowledged that Russian forces were still trying to surround the city, but said more than 100 attacks had been repelled in the eastern Donbas region in the past 24 hours.\n\nThousands of Russian troops have died trying to take Bakhmut, which had a pre-war population of around 75,000.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/world-europe-64855760"}
{"title":"Laura Kuenssberg: Rishi Sunak struggles to escape Tories' horror show past - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-05","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"Old problems have resurfaced, and none of them were in the prime minister's carefully designed script.","section":"UK Politics","content":"\"There are still shockwaves from seismic events,\" says a former cabinet minister - \"that's what we're living through now.\" Boris Johnson might not have stitched prawns into the hems of his expensive curtains in No 10, but as we've seen over the past couple of days, the leftovers from his time in office can still cause a nasty stink.\n\nWe've been reminded of the early scramble over Covid, illustrated by former Health Secretary Matt Hancock's trove of WhatsApp chats - distressing for those who lost relatives, no doubt, and deeply embarrassing for those who pressed send.\n\nThere has also been more evidence of how No 10 struggled to get its story straight as the public reeled from revelations that there was booze and get-togethers in Downing Street during lockdown.\n\nAnd there have been fresh conversations in the Conservative Party about the manner of Mr Johnson's exit. Labour's decision to hire the Whitehall sleaze-buster, Sue Gray, is catnip for his old allies who want to claim that he was stitched up.\n\nReminders of the pandemic, Partygate, and more howls of protest about how the former PM was treated. None of that was in Prime Minister Rishi Sunak's carefully designed script.\n\nFirst off, the spectacle - for that truly is what it is - of the former health secretary's WhatsApp messages being carefully dropped day by day in the Telegraph newspaper. His colleagues are less than impressed.\n\n\"It's an eyeroll,\" says one Tory MP. \"How much of a moron was he?\" asks another. \"Spectacularly bad judgement,\" remarks one of his former cabinet colleagues.\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Watch: Isabel Oakeshott reveals why she leaked the messages\n\nMuch of the media has done what it does best - talk feverishly to itself about the rights and wrongs of the way the story emerged after Isabel Oakeshott, the journalist who co-wrote Mr Hancock's book, passed thousands of his messages to a newspaper without his permission.\n\nThe chats have illustrated, in sometimes toe-curling levels of detail, the way in which government figures communicate - described as \"teenage with LOLS\" by one Tory MP. They include sweary messages about Dominic Cummings, who was Mr Johnson's chief adviser, and reveal a love-hate relationship between Mr Hancock and his then-Cabinet colleague Michael Gove.\n\nAnd it's given colour and context to the arguments that were raging at the top of government in 2020, during the first few scrambled months of the pandemic.\n\nThere is intriguing and seemingly perplexing detail in Saturday's information dump, where Mr Hancock seems to suggest the government was covering up rises in Covid cases as a result of then-Chancellor Mr Sunak's \"Eat Out To Help Out\" scheme. It was reported in October 2020 - after the scheme was up and running - that it could have contributed to the second wave.\n\nAs Health Secretary, Matt Hancock gave regular Downing St media briefings during the pandemic\n\nThe opposition is already asking pointedly what the government knew at the time.\n\nGiven that the scheme had Mr Sunak's signature on it, those questions could prove awkward for the current administration - even though broadly, so far, the Telegraph's set of stories has not sparked a huge reckoning over whether lockdown was the right thing to do.\n\nBut the effects of the pandemic are still being felt in so many profound ways - these stories, the lasting effect on the economy, and the Covid inquiry that is likely to run for many, many months and is only just getting off the ground.\n\nThe latest findings from officialdom on Partygate have \"revived the embers\" too, according to a former cabinet minister. A committee of MPs has pinpointed several occasions when they believe Mr Johnson might not have told the truth in Parliament.\n\nIn Westminster, that's the sin of all sins - one that's punishable with an MP potentially having to fight for their seat again.\n\nLet's spell this out. If this committee concludes the former prime minister knew he was not being straight, he might be suspended as an MP - and then possibly face a by-election.\n\nThe midway report from the Privileges Committee also contains gobbets of exasperation from Mr Johnson's staff as they struggled to contain the Partygate story that was crashing down all around them.\n\nMr Johnson used the publication of yesterday's report to claim it vindicated what he has said all along, that he never held Parliament in contempt, and that he never knowingly misled anyone.\n\nTo be crystal clear - that is not, not yet, what the committee of MPs says. This report does not provide that or any conclusions, as committee members have not yet finished their work. They will question Mr Johnson himself in a couple of weeks.\n\nEven some Conservatives reckon the committee is likely to take a very dim view of what the PM did. \"If he thinks he'll get a clean bill of health, he can think again,\" one says.\n\nReviving memories of Partygate, and the public upset and outrage that came alongside it, is hardly helpful for the Conservatives.\n\nMr Sunak was never painted as one of the dastardly villains of the saga - but having also received a fine for attending Mr Johnson's birthday in the Cabinet room, it's easy for the opposition to paint him as part of the mess too.\n\nOne Tory MP says that \"the danger is that Partygate and privileges and everything - it just all damages us\".\n\nAnd there's been an unexpected and fraught added dimension to all this too.\n\nThe government, and Whitehall, were shocked when news broke that civil service enforcer, Sue Gray, was leaving government to work for the Labour Party. There was genuine shock, even among some of her former colleagues, that she would take that step. That's because it is vital that civil servants are, and are seen to be, totally fair and neutral.\n\nLabour reckon it's a coup to have a \"grown up person preparing for a grown up government\", according to one source. There is no doubt Ms Gray is a hugely experienced operator.\n\nOver the years, I've spoken to many people who have worked with her and I've heard almost universal praise. Nor is it unheard of for officials to leave, then go on to work for politicians. Both Tony Blair and David Cameron's chiefs of staff were both employed in Whitehall before moving into politics.\n\nBut the manner of Ms Gray's departure, and her reputation for holding all SW1's secrets, has caused uproar. Not just because, as one Conservative MP says simply, \"it seems unfair\" to many of their colleagues - but also because you might know Ms Gray's name, because she is the person who investigated Partygate.\n\nConservative MPs have expressed anger that Sue Gray has been offered a job as Sir Keir Starmer's chief of staff\n\nThe fact that she carried out the Whitehall investigation into what happened in No 10, and now is leaving for opposition, gave immediate ammunition to Mr Johnson's supporters to cry foul, to claim that he was the victim of some kind of stitch up after all.\n\nIt is worth noting that Ms Gray's report did not, in fact, throw the book at the former PM personally. Mr Johnson's eventual resignation came some months later.\n\nBut - as another Tory MP, no fan of Mr Johnson, suggests - Ms Gray's decision fuels a sense of conspiracy heard among some constituents. \"It makes Boris a victim, and fuels some of the stuff about Westminster stitch ups we see online.\"\n\nThere is a risk here for Labour, that they are presented as part of some kind of establishment plot. And by preparing for government like this, are they, as one former minister snipes, \"measuring the bloody curtains\"?\n\nWhether it's the spat over the hiring of Ms Gray or the furore over his views on the new Northern Ireland deal, \"the shadow of Boris Johnson looms\", says the MP. It \"defies logic\", they claim, that a \"disgraced former PM\" still occupies so much of his party's bandwidth.\n\nBut the hangover from a once in a generation politician does not fade fast, even though there have been not just one, but two people who have moved into No 10 since he left. We've seen again this week - there are parts of the Conservative Party still preoccupied with his legacy, who still relish an argument about what went on.\n\nThe events of the past few years have been so intense, shaken things so fundamentally, that a clean break is extremely hard to achieve.\n\nMr Sunak wants to mark progress on Brexit, crack on with trying to solve the problem of small boats that cross the Channel (expect a tricky debate on that this week with the likely publication of more draft laws), pull off a smooth meeting with the French president, and look ahead to the Budget in 10 days' time.\n\nThe Brexit deal, which still hasn't been approved by the DUP, does show that his head-down, no-drama approach can bear fruit.\n\nOne Tory MP says that while \"we won't get electoral credit, it does show he's competent, you can't see the foundations of a house, but you have to build them\".\n\nBut the past few days have shown that the forces that have been at work in recent years still have the power to disrupt.\n\nOne Whitehall insider jokes, \"who had 'strong and stable' in the sweepstake under Rishi?\" - with the massive events of the recent past, that doesn't look like a safe bet.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/uk-politics-64835929"}
{"title":"Chris Rock jokes about Will Smith's Oscars slap in Netflix show - 'Did it hurt? It still hurts!' - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-05","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"\"Anybody that say words hurt has never been punched in the face,\" the comedian said about Will Smith's slap.","section":"Entertainment & Arts","content":"Comedian Chris Rock is tired of talking about Will Smith's infamous Oscars slap, but he wants to make one thing clear: It hurt.\n\nRock, 58, spoke at length about the 2022 Academy Awards incident during a live Netflix comedy special.\n\n\"You know what people say, they say, 'words hurt,'\" Rock said. \"Anybody that say words hurt has never been punched in the face.\"\n\nWill Smith has since said \"bottled\" rage led to his actions.\n\nThe confrontation became a cultural lightning rod for conversations around America's appetite for casual violence, as Mr Smith was allowed to remain at the ceremony and later accepted his first-ever Oscar for Best Actor.\n\nRock was praised for maintaining his composure following the incident.\n\nIn the streaming service's first live comedy show, Chris Rock: Selective Outrage, the performer tackled a wide range of issues, including woke culture, Meghan Markle and politics.\n\n\"I'm going to try to do the show without offending anyone,\" Rock said, in a nod to the Smith altercation. \"Because you never know who might get triggered.\"\n\nLater he added, America \"is so screwed up right now if the Russians came here right now, half the country would go 'let's hear them out'.\"\n\nBut he saved the best for last and used the final moments of the show to address the incident with Will Smith.\n\n\"People are like, 'Did it hurt?' It still hurts! I got Summertime ringing in my ears,\" Rock said, referring to Smith's 1991 single.\n\n\"I took that hit like (Manny) Pacquiao,\" Rock boasted to cheers from the crowd.\n\nIn a nod to the show's title, Rock said he believes Smith practises \"selective outrage\" and that the slap had more to do with Smith and his wife, Jada's, relationship struggles, than his Oscars joke.\n\nThe couple have been candid about the ups and downs of their relationship and even publicly addressed their struggles on Jada's Facebook Watch show, Red Table Talk.\n\n\"We've all been cheated on, everybody in here been cheated on, none of us have ever been interviewed by the person that cheated on us on television,\" Rock joked. \"She hurt him way more than he hurt me.\"\n\nSocial media lit up with reactions to Rock finally addressing the incident, with many noting how artists like Rock often laugh through their pain.\n\nOthers felt the comedian's jokes about rooting for the slave owners in Will Smith's latest film, Emancipation, were a step too far.\n\nIn a mic drop moment, Rock ended the special by addressing why he chose not to fight back.\n\n\"I got parents! Because I was raised!\" Rock said. \"And you know what my parents taught me? Don't fight in front of white people.\"","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/entertainment-arts-64852406"}
{"title":"Sergei Lavrov: Russian foreign minister laughed at for Ukraine war claims - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-05","authors":null,"description":"Sergei Lavrov is laughed at in Delhi after saying the Ukraine war was \"launched against us\".","section":null,"content":"Russian foreign minister, Sergei Lavrov, was laughed at in Delhi after saying the Ukraine war was \"launched against us\".\n\nLavrov claimed Russia was trying to stop the Ukraine war, which began after its own full-scale invasion in February 2022.\n\nHe was speaking to a conference audience in Delhi on Friday, after a G20 foreign ministers' meeting.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/world-europe-64848508"}
{"title":"Manchester Arena attack: Saffie Roussos' father plans to sue MI5 - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-05","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"Saffie Roussos' father says the agency has \"most of the blame\" for not preventing the attack.","section":"Manchester","content":"Saffie Roussos was described as a \"human magnet full of love\"\n\nThe father of the youngest victim in the Manchester Arena attack has said he intends to sue MI5.\n\nThe head of the security agency said it was \"profoundly sorry\" that it did not prevent the suicide bombing which killed 22 people in 2017.\n\nThe apology followed a public inquiry which found MI5 missed opportunities to stop the attacker Salman Abedi.\n\nAndrew Roussos, whose daughter Saffie was killed, told Times Radio that \"MI5 have, for me, most of the blame\".\n\nHe said families of some of the other victims had indicated they might join him in legal action.\n\nTwenty-two people were killed and hundreds were injured when Abedi detonated his device after an Ariana Grande concert on 22 May 2017.\n\nLisa Roussos, seen with her husband Andrew, underwent months of treatment after being injured in the attack\n\nSpeaking about the plan to sue MI5, Mr Roussos told Times Radio: \"It's the only way to learn, everybody learns by hitting them hard in the pocket, I am sorry to say.\n\n\"At 2017 we were at the highest alert and everybody was warned of an attack in this country and MI5 who their sole job - they are well-funded and well-equipped - had 22 pieces of information about Salman Abedi.\n\n\"So if they would have learnt lessons they wouldn't have allowed Abedi to walk into that arena.\n\n\"So yes MI5 have, for me, most of the blame.\"\n\nOn Thursday, inquiry chairman Sir John Saunders said intelligence could have led to Manchester-born Abedi being followed to the car where he stored explosives, which were then moved to a flat to assemble the bomb.\n\nHe said that, if MI5 had acted on the intelligence received, the 22-year-old could also have been stopped at Manchester Airport on his return from Libya four days before the attack.\n\nIn a rare public statement, MI5 director-general Ken McCallum said: \"I am profoundly sorry that MI5 did not prevent the attack.\"\n\nHe added \"had we managed to seize the slim chance we had, those impacted might not have experienced such appalling loss and trauma\".\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser.\n\nMr Roussos said Abedi \"should not have made it to that arena that night, there were too many missed opportunities\".\n\nHe described his eight-year-old daughter as a \"human magnet full of love\", adding that he \"can't accept apologies for losing Saffie, I want Saffie back in my life and I can't have that.\n\n\"If you want to make an apology something meaningful, apologise from day one - that would mean a lot more than waiting for an inquiry to see if you are - in any way, shape or form - to blame for this attack.\"\n\nHis solicitors at Broudie Jackson Canter are looking at a possible High Court claim based on the Human Rights Act, which protects the right to life.\n\nFollowing Thursday's publication of the third and final report from the inquiry, MI5 said it had made more than 100 improvements since the attack.\n\nIt followed two reports, published in 2021 and 2022, which were highly critical of the private companies and public authorities involved with the arena and the emergency response.\n\nWhy not follow BBC North West on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram? You can also send story ideas to northwest.newsonline@bbc.co.uk\n\nThe BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/uk-england-manchester-64854146"}
{"title":"Bangladesh fire: Thousands shelterless after blaze at Rohingya camp - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-05","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"The crowded refugee camp in Bangladesh was home to thousands who had fled violence in neighbouring Myanmar.","section":"Asia","content":"This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Video shows fire engulfing part of the camp, destroying shelters made from bamboo and tarpaulin\n\nThousands of people have been left without shelter after a massive fire broke out in a crowded Rohingya refugee camp in southeastern Bangladesh.\n\nThe blaze, which broke out on Sunday, engulfed some 2,000 shelters at a camp known as Cox's Bazar.\n\nHundreds of people have now returned to the area to see what they can salvage from the ruins.\n\nIt is estimated around 12,000 people, most of whom escaped violence in neighbouring Myanmar, are now homeless.\n\nThe cause of the fire is not yet known and no casualties have been reported.\n\nThe blaze started at about 14:45 local time (08: 45 GMT) and quickly tore through the bamboo-and-tarpaulin shelters, an official said.\n\n\"Some 2,000 shelters have been burnt, leaving about 12,000 forcibly displaced Myanmar nationals shelterless,\" Mijanur Rahman, Bangladesh's refugee commissioner, told AFP news agency.\n\nThe blaze was brought under control within three hours but at least 35 mosques and 21 learning centres for the refugees were also destroyed, he added.\n\nPhotos are now emerging that show the extent of the devastation.\n\nMany of those who lived there can be seen picking through the charred area, where only metal struts and singed corrugated roofing remains.\n\nHrusikesh Harichandan, from the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies, told the BBC there had been \"massive damage\" to the camp.\n\nHe said basic services such as water centres and testing facilities had also been affected.\n\n\"My shelter was gutted. [My shop] was also burnt,\" Mamun Johar, a 30-year-old Rohingya man, told AFP.\n\n\"The fire took everything from me, everything.\"\n\nThick black clouds were seen rising above Camp 11, one of many in the border district where more than a million Rohingya refugees live.\n\nThe camps, overcrowded and squalid, are vulnerable to fires.\n\nBetween January 2021 and December 2022, there were 222 fire incidents in the Rohingya camps including 60 cases of arson, according to a Bangladesh defence ministry report released last month.\n\nIn March 2021, at least 15 people were killed and some 50,000 were displaced after a huge fire tore through a camp in the settlement.\n\nThe refugee camp, said to be the world's largest, houses people who fled from Myanmar following a military crackdown against the Rohingya ethnic minority.\n\nThe Rohingya are Muslims in largely Buddhist Myanmar, where they have faced persecution for generations.\n\nThe latest exodus of Rohingya escaping to Bangladesh began in August 2017, after Myanmar's military brutally retaliated when a Rohingya insurgent group launched attacks on several police posts.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/world-asia-64854843"}
{"title":"Train tickets go up in England and Wales by 5.9% - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-05","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"The rise is below the rate of inflation but campaigners want reforms due to unreliable services.","section":"Business","content":"Regulated rail fares in England and Wales are rising by up to 5.9% as campaigners call for reforms due to unreliable services.\n\nThe increase is above last year's 4.8% hike but far below the rate of inflation.\n\nThe government said that it did not want to add to pressures on households.\n\nHowever, some groups said that after months of poor services and strikes, passengers are not getting value for money.\n\nAbout 45% of fares are regulated - they are directly influenced by the government. These include most season tickets, travelcards, and some off-peak returns.\n\nTrain operators said fares needed to be set at an appropriate level for the rail industry and its customers.\n\nHowever, campaign group Transport Focus said \"too many passengers are not getting a value-for-money service\" and called for a fundamental reform of fares.\n\nAnother campaign group, Railfuture, said higher fares were likely to push more people to work from home and called for rail fares to be frozen, or even dropped, as fuel duty has been.\n\nThe Scottish government is yet to make a decision on general fare increases and a proposed suspension of peak fares, while in Northern Ireland, public transport fares will rise by 7% from Monday.\n\nAccording to the Office of Rail and Road, the official rail regulator for Britain, train reliability is getting worse.\n\nIt said 4.5% of all planned trains were cancelled between October and December 2022 - the highest since records began in 2014.\n\nStrikes and severe weather hit performance, it said.\n\nIn England, the annual hike in rail fares is normally pegged to how quickly prices are rising, as measured by the Retail Prices Index the previous July, which stood at 12.3%.\n\nThe government said the 5.9% rise was a \"fair balance\" between passengers and taxpayers who help pay for trains.\n\nThe Welsh government has also capped the increase at the same level. Deputy transport minister Lee Waters said he understood the rise was \"significant\", but added it had been kept \"as low as possible\".\n\nThe Rail Delivery Group, which represents train operators, said the government's decision to hold fares below inflation was \"understandable\".\n\nIt said fares should \"appropriate\" for the industry and passengers.\n\nRail fares are \"extortionate\" for a poor service, according to commuter Mimi Kihumulendi\n\nBut passenger Mimi Kihumulendi described prices as \"extortionate\" compared with Europe.\n\nTo commute from Reading to London for a year is nearly \u00a36,000, she said.\n\n\"Based on the service, they're not always on time, most of the time they're cancelled, delayed, you have to find other means to go there, and [fares] keep going up every year,\" she said.\n\nShe said train firms need to explain how fare rises are improving the service.\n\n\"It doesn't make sense,\" she said. \"Most of the time you can't even get a seat on the train, so you're standing up, or missing that train to wait for the next one.\n\n\"How is it working so well around Europe where the fares are quite low and the service is quite good? What's so different here in the UK?\"","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/business-64824072"}
{"title":"Toblerone: Swiss rules mean chocolate bar to drop Matterhorn from packaging - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-05","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"Production of some of the chocolate is moving outside Switzerland so the Alpine peak can no longer be used.","section":"Business","content":"Rules about \"Swissness\" dictate some products cannot use national symbols if not exclusively made in the country\n\nToblerone is to remove the Matterhorn mountain peak from its packaging when some of the chocolate's production is moved from Switzerland to Slovakia.\n\nThe pyramid-shaped bar, which mirrors the Alpine peak, will undergo a labelling revamp and include its founder's signature, its maker said.\n\nUS firm Mondelez said the image of the 4,478m (14,692 ft) mountain will be replaced by a more generic summit.\n\nStrict rules have applied about \"Swissness\" since 2017.\n\nThey state that national symbols are not allowed to be used to promote milk-based products that are not made exclusively in Switzerland. For other raw foodstuffs the threshold is at least 80%.\n\nThe Matterhorn's jagged silhouette was first used on the chocolate's packaging in 1970\n\nIn a statement to the BBC, Mondelez said it was moving some production outside of the country to \"respond to increased demand worldwide and to grow our Toblerone brand for the future\".\n\nIt said its new packaging would include a \"distinctive new Toblerone typeface and logo that draw further inspiration from the Toblerone archives and the inclusion of our founder, Tobler's, signature\".\n\nToblerone, the mountain-shaped chocolate made from Swiss milk with honey and almond nougat, first went on sale in 1908 in Bern, the capital city of Switzerland.\n\nBut it was not until 1970 that the Matterhorn's jagged silhouette debuted on its packaging, with the Bernese bear and eagle featuring before then, according to the Toblerone website.\n\nMondelez said Bern was an \"important part of our history and will continue to be so for the future\".\n\nIn 2016 Toblerone courted controversy by changing the design of the chocolate bar to space out the distinctive triangular chunks in a bid to keep down costs.\n\nAfter much criticism the company reverted to the original shape two years later.\n\nFeta cheese is designated as a protected product in the EU\n\nIn both the UK and EU, food and drink products can be granted speciality status based on where they are made, the method of composition or their ingredients. There's also evidence that being awarded this status can mean better prices for producers. Here are some examples:\n\nOnly cheeses originating Greece that are soaked in brine and strained without pressure can be called Feta, the European Court of Justice has ruled. This is despite opposition from Germany and Denmark who produce a similar cheese. The Danes are still exporting their version under the name Feta to markets outside the EU.\n\nJam\u00f3n Ib\u00e9rico is also protected in the EU. The ham must come from Iberian blackfoot pigs that spend the last months of their lives eating acorns on the \"dehesa\", a Spanish or Portuguese pasture with old oak trees. It must also be hung and dry cured for at least 36 months.\n\nBut some US firms are now importing blackfoots to make their own ham which will be marketed as jam\u00f3n ib\u00e9rico armericano or Ibericus meat. They are allowed to because they are not beholden to EU law.\n\nThe US also makes it's own champagne as it never ratified the 1919 Treaty of Versailles, under which the drink became a protected brand.\n\nIndia's government forbids tea not made in Darjeeling from being labelled as such, and all producers must enter into a license agreement with the Tea Board of India. The tea can't be blended with teas of other origin and must be exported with certificates showing this. India's Tea Board went to the World Trade Organisation over what they called the unauthorised use and registration of 'Darjeeling' by Japanese companies in Japan.\n\nDespite opposition from some Belgian and Swiss firms, the EU officially recognised Cambodia's Kampong Speu palm sugar as a protected product. It's made from the sap of the palm sugar tree and is characterised by a rich aroma.\n\nThe protected status of the fruit cake is currently under consideration. Proponents say it must always be decorated with whole almonds and has to be prepared, decorated and baked at locations within Dundee postcodes. But the application has led to objections from bakers outside Dundee including an Edinburgh baker who supplies the 300-year old London department store Fortnum and Mason.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/business-64854720"}
{"title":"King's Coronation: Pubs to stay open longer in England and Wales - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-05","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"People in England and Wales will get served for an extra two hours to mark King Charles III's coronation.","section":"UK","content":"The Coronation will also mark Camilla's role as Queen Consort\n\nPubs, clubs and bars will stay open into the early hours over the weekend of King Charles III's coronation.\n\nVenues across England and Wales will serve customers for an extra two hours between Friday 5 May and Sunday 7 May.\n\nHome Secretary Suella Braverman will extend licensing hours from the normal 23:00 BST to 01:00 to allow people to \"enjoy an extra pint or two\".\n\nShe said it was \"a momentous occasion deserving of special celebration\".\n\nSection 172 of the Licensing Act 2003 allows Ms Braverman, the home secretary, to lay the order before Parliament on Monday to give permission for premises to stay open longer to mark occasions of exceptional significance.\n\nEmma McClarkin, chief executive officer of the British Beer and Pub Association, said the move - which was also done for the Queen's Platinum Jubilee last year - was \"a timely boost for the pub industry\".\n\n\"In the midst of an acutely challenging period, I am sure our pubs will look to mark this joyous occasion by hosting special events and parties as part of national celebrations.\n\n\"The announcement of extended opening hours will help us all to mark this important event.\"\n\nMs Braverman said: \"His Majesty The King's coronation will be a momentous occasion deserving of special celebration.\n\n\"That is why I am extending the licensing hours over this historic coronation weekend.\n\n\"Up and down the country, people can enjoy an extra pint or two in the evening while families and friends can come together to wish His Majesty The King a long and happy reign.\"\n\nAs plans for the coronation ramp up, people are also encouraged to share how they will celebrate on a digital map set up by the government.\n\nThe public will be able to share events they are hosting over the weekend so others in the local community can find out what is happening and get involved.\n\nThis could include lunches, street parties and volunteering.\n\nKing Charles III's coronation itself will take place on Saturday 6 May 2023 at Westminster Abbey in London. During the ceremony, the King will be crowned alongside Camilla, the Queen Consort.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/uk-64846894"}
{"title":"Greek train crash: PM Mitsotakis seeks forgiveness from families - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-05","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"His plea comes as protesters angry over the deadly disaster clash with police in the capital Athens.","section":"Europe","content":"Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis has asked for forgiveness from the families of the 57 victims of this week's train crash.\n\nIn a Facebook message, Mr Mitsotakis said that \"in the Greece of 2023... two trains heading in different directions cannot run on the same line and no-one notice\".\n\nClashes with police were reported on Sunday as thousands joined a demonstration in the capital Athens.\n\nThey said seven officers were hurt and five arrests were made, the AFP news agency reports.\n\nSome demonstrators set fire to rubbish bins and threw petrol bombs. Police responded by firing tear gas and stun grenades, clearing the central Syntagma Square of the protesters within a few minutes.\n\nThe protesters also reportedly released hundreds of black balloons into the sky in memory of the dead, with some holding signs reading \"Down with killer governments\".\n\nOn the night of 28 February, a passenger train and a freight train that were travelling in opposite directions ended up on the same track.\n\nThe first four carriages of the passenger train were derailed, and the first two caught fire and were almost completely destroyed.\n\nThe train crash has been widely attributed to human error.\n\nA 59-year-old station master in Larissa, who was charged with manslaughter by negligence, appeared in court on Sunday and has been taken into custody.\n\nHis lawyer Stefanos Pantzartzidis said the station master had admitted to having a share of responsibility in the accident. He faces between 10 years and life in jail if convicted.\n\nBut many in Greece see the crash as an accident that had been waiting to happen, and the railway workers' union blamed successive governments' \"disrespect\" towards Greek railways for leading to this \"tragic result\".\n\nA government minister told the BBC that the lack of funding was the direct result of the strict terms of international bailouts imposed after the 2010 debt crisis.\n\nThe scene of the crash near Larissa\n\nUnion members were joined by residents of Athens and Thessaloniki in taking to the streets throughout the past week, shocked by the scale of the disaster. The protests were also attended by many students - several of the passengers on board one of the trains were students in their 20s returning to Thessaloniki after a long weekend celebrating Greek Orthodox Lent.\n\n\"The rail network looked problematic, with worn down, badly paid staff,\" Nikos Savva, a medical student from Cyprus, told AFP news agency.\n\nTrain drivers in Greece have said there have been long-running problems with the electronic systems that are supposed to warn them of danger ahead.\n\nThe transport minister, Kostas Karamanlis, also resigned as a \"sign of respect\" for the people who had died. Mr Karamanlis he was taking responsibility for the government's failure to modernise the country's railways in the three-and-a-half years it had been in power.\n\nImmediately after the accident, the Greek government declared three days of national mourning and said the cost of the victims' funerals would be paid for from the public purse.\n\nBBC Europe correspondent Nick Beake says the crash seems to be becoming a defining political issue for Greece as it prepares to face a general election in the spring.\n\nMedia reports have given 9 April as a possible date, but analysts say that date may now be pushed back.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/world-europe-64853213"}
{"title":"Wayne Couzens: Did indecent exposure warn of murder? - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-05","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"The murderer will be sentenced for exposing himself - could those crimes have identified a future killer?","section":"UK","content":"CCTV footage played in court showed Couzens, using his position as a police officer, to stop Sarah Everard\n\nWayne Couzens, the ex-police officer who used his position to trick his way to raping and murdering Sarah Everard in March 2021, is returning to court this week to be sentenced for indecent exposure.\n\nCouzens will never leave prison. That means the real questions now are whether these earlier offences should have identified him as a violent threat to women - and what his case tells us about so-called flashers going on to commit far more serious sexual offences.\n\nBefore Couzens killed Ms Everard, detectives have identified six incidents of indecent exposure linked to him - he has pleaded guilty to three, while the others will lie on his file.\n\nThe first of those was in June 2015, when Kent Police received a report of a man in a car in Dover exposing himself. A witness gave officers the car registration plate, which was registered to Couzens, then at the Civil Nuclear Constabulary. Yet officers took no further action.\n\nThen, in November 2020, four months before the murder, a woman was cycling along a country lane in Deal, Kent, when a totally naked man stepped out of a wooded bank and looked straight at her.\n\nShe cycled away, but spotted a number plate of a parked car. That car belonged to Couzens, by now a Met Police officer. A later analysis of mobile phone data placed his phone in the area at the right time. This is one of the three incidents Couzens has admitted.\n\nThe two other admissions are part of four virtually identical allegations of escalating concern in the weeks before the murder.\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser.\n\nCouzens repeatedly visited a drive-thru restaurant and exposed himself to staff while sitting in his car, on one occasion while he was paying for food. The last incident was less than a week before Ms Everard disappeared.\n\nSo are these incidents relevant to Ms Everard's murder? Jennifer Grant is a criminologist who studies sex offenders, having worked with them previously as a probation officer.\n\nThe Portsmouth University academic says \"it's a really complicated question to answer\", but there is evidence that some men graduate from indecent exposure to serious sexual assaults and rape.\n\n\"There's long been a suggestion that indecent exposure is connected to anti-social behaviour more generally rather than a sexual motivation. And not everyone who exposes themselves is doing it to get sexual pleasure.\"\n\nThere is a group of offenders who are potentially violent because the way they expose themselves involves anger, and an apparent desire to frighten and control women they approach, she says.\n\nThe most reliable evidence comes from a 2014 United States study analysing data going back 30 years. It concluded that between 5% and 10% of men who commit \"exhibitionist\" crimes escalate to sexual assaults.\n\nWithout getting into the distressing details of what Couzens did, each of his exposure incidents places him in the category of a man seeking sexual control over his target.\n\n\"Couzens is clearly a worst-case,\" says Mrs Grant. \"But there is a clear pattern of him gaining confidence and an increasing frequency of incidents. I saw this with some offenders who [over time] would be getting closer to victim.\"\n\nSo despite Kent Police having actionable evidence in 2015 - a car registration plate - why was the suspect not pursued?\n\nPart of the answer to that lies in the disciplinary proceedings now taking place.\n\nBut the fact is that indecent exposure has historically, and culturally, been regarded by many as a \"nuisance\" offence rather than a sexual crime.\n\nThat's because its origins lie in the Vagrancy Act of 1824 - a law aimed at cleaning squalid Georgian streets of \"rogues and vagabonds\".\n\nThat law was in place until 2003 - when Parliament finally recognised indecent exposure as a sexual offence. The maximum penalty went from three months in jail to two years.\n\nPolice in England and Wales recorded more than 13,000 incidents of indecent exposure and voyeurism in the year to September 2022. But the trend of annual charging and conviction rates is very low.\n\nThe most recent data shows that just 457 men were convicted and sentenced for exposure in 2021. Just 120 of them were jailed - and most were locked up for less than six months.\n\n\"If we don't charge and convict, then we cannot manage the sex offender,\" says Mrs Grant. \"If we convict, then they're on the sex offenders register. There is an offender manager assigned to them in prison and a probation officer providing oversight on the outside.\n\n\"Even if they receive a minor sentence, the experience can have a huge deterrent effect.\"\n\nWhich brings us back to the question of what any of this would have meant for Wayne Couzens.\n\nA Kent police sergeant is facing a misconduct hearing over the handling of the 2015 indecent exposure allegation - while a former Metropolitan Police officer faces a gross misconduct hearing over how the February 2021 reports were dealt with.\n\nA Home Office inquiry is also looking at whether there was a wider failure.\n\nMy straw poll of leading criminal barristers found that they all think Couzens would have been jailed or received a suspended sentence had he been convicted over the 2015 allegation - although the sentence would probably have been short.\n\nBut more importantly, his police career would have been over. He would never have made it into uniform in the Met Police.\n\nEven if he had only been identified in 2020 or early 2021, the suspicion that he was offending would have enough to have him suspended.\n\nThe awful truth is we can't say that Couzens would not have gone on to rape and murder a woman because the crime he was committing would not have led to a sentence longer enough to control him forever.\n\nBut had he been caught and sacked, it would have meant that it would have been far harder for him to trick Sarah Everard into his car - ending her life in awful circumstances and causing untold damage to society's confidence in the police.\n\nHave you been affected by the issues raised in this story? Tell us by emailing: haveyoursay@bbc.co.uk\n\nPlease include a contact number if you are willing to speak to a BBC journalist. You can also get in touch in the following ways:\n\nIf 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 HaveYourSay@bbc.co.uk. Please include your name, age and location with any submission.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/uk-64827593"}
{"title":"Prince Harry: I always felt different to rest of family - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-05","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"In a conversation about grief, the Duke of Sussex says he and his mother Diana felt a disconnect from other royals.","section":"UK","content":"This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Watch: Prince Harry says how he feels since publishing his book\n\nPrince Harry has said he \"always felt slightly different\" to his family, and that his late mother felt the same.\n\nIn an online conversation about grief, the Duke of Sussex said he feared losing memories of his mother Diana when he started therapy.\n\nHe also said he made sure to \"smother\" his children with affection to avoid passing on any \"traumas\" or \"negative experiences\" from his own upbringing.\n\nHis discussion was with Dr Gabor Mat\u00e9, an author on trauma and addiction.\n\nTheir fireside conversation in California followed up themes of \"living with loss\" from his bombshell memoir, Spare.\n\nReflecting on the public response to the work, the Duke of Sussex insisted that he was not a \"victim\" or seeking sympathy.\n\nHe revealed that his own reaction to the controversial book's publication was to feel \"incredibly free\".\n\nPrince Harry spoke about the racism experienced by his wife Meghan, the Duchess of Sussex\n\n\"I felt a huge weight off my shoulders,\" he told Dr Mat\u00e9, describing the book as an \"act of service\" to help others break the taboo about speaking about mental health problems.\n\nSaturday's discussion focused on the prince's emotions, therapy and thoughts on mental health.\n\nBut it did not go into recent royal revelations, such as request for Harry and his wife Meghan to vacate Frogmore Cottage - or whether or not he would attend his father's coronation.\n\nThere were also no mentions of how the Royal Family, including his brother, had felt about his tell-all memoir.\n\nPrince Harry described growing up \"feeling slightly different to the rest of my family\" - and had a sense of living in a disconnected \"bubble\", which therapy had helped him burst.\n\nIn front of an international online audience, he was asked about experiencing an emotionally distant childhood, with a lack of hugs and demonstrations of affection.\n\nHe said that with his own children, he was \"making sure that I smother them with love and affection\".\n\n\"As a father I feel a huge responsibility to ensure that I don't pass on any traumas or... negative experiences that I've had as a kid,\" he said.\n\nHe spoke repeatedly about the importance of therapy, even though it could drive a wedge between him and other relations.\n\nBut he said that he wrongly feared that it would erode his feelings about his mother, Diana, who died in a car crash in Paris in 1997 when Harry was aged 12.\n\n\"One of the things I was most scared about was losing the feeling that I had of my mum... whatever I had managed to hold onto of my mother,\" said Prince Harry.\n\nBut he hadn't lost those feelings and had come to realise \"that actually she just wanted me to be happy\", he told Dr Mat\u00e9.\n\nPrince Harry's memoir has been an international best seller\n\nThe prince spoke about being \"eternally grateful\" for his wife Meghan in changing his perspective, calling her an \"exceptional human being\".\n\nBut he said meeting Meghan had given him a \"crash course\" in the experience of racism, which he described as \"pretty shocking\".\n\nPrince Harry also defended the use of psychedelic medicine, saying it had helped him \"deal with the traumas and pains of the past\" and was like the \"cleaning of the windscreen\".\n\nHe said taking cocaine \"didn't do anything for me\" but that \"marijuana is different, that actually really did help me\".\n\nAnd he spoke about Afghanistan, where he served for two tours of duty, saying not all British soldiers agreed with the war.\n\n\"One of the reasons why so many people in the United Kingdom were not supportive of our troops was because they assumed that everybody who was serving was for the war. But no, once you sign up, you do what you're told to do.\n\n\"So there was a lot of us who didn't necessarily agree or disagree but you were doing what you were trained to. You were doing what you were sent to do.\"\n\nTo watch the online interview, the audience had to buy a copy of Prince Harry's best-selling memoir, which had made headlines with its unprecedented account of tensions between the royals and personal revelations.\n\nIt included claims of a physical altercation with his brother Prince William, and recorded his experiences of taking drugs and losing his virginity.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/uk-64850024"}
{"title":"Conversion therapy ban will be hard to police, says victim - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-05","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"John Sam Jones was subjected to electric shock aversion therapy in the 1970s to stop him being gay.","section":"Wales","content":"This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. John Sam Jones says electric shock aversion therapy closed down his sexual response rather than changing it\n\nA man subjected to electric shock aversion therapy in the 1970s to stop him being gay has welcomed plans to ban conversion therapy.\n\nBut John Sam Jones, 67, who grew up in a Christian home in Barmouth, Gwynedd, cautioned that it would be \"a nightmare\" to police.\n\nThe UK government has announced plans to outlaw all forms of conversion therapy in England and Wales.\n\nSeveral religious groups have defended the practice.\n\nThe UK government said it would publish more details of how the ban will protect those at risk in due course.\n\nMr Jones said attitudes to homosexuality were still incredibly negative during his youth in the 1960s, despite it being decriminalised in 1967.\n\nHe said: \"Homosexuals were imprisoned, it was said they were a danger to children. By the time I was 18, I had absorbed all that negativity and I thought I was mad, bad and sad.\"\n\nThis story contains details some readers may find distressing.\n\nJohn Sam Jones said at 18 he was \"terrified of being what I was\", and did not want to be gay\n\nMr Jones started having suicidal thoughts and sought help from a psychiatrist who claimed he could \"cure\" his sexuality using electric shock aversion therapy.\n\n\"I agreed to it because I was terrified of being what I was. I didn't want to be gay,\" he said.\n\nThe therapy meant hooking him up to electrodes and showing him gay porn - if he got an erection, he was electrocuted.\n\nHe said he was meant to have been fitted with a device on his penis to measure his reaction, but the hospital he was at in Denbigh did not have one so he was naked from the waist down.\n\nMr Jones said this treatment at the former North Wales Hospital, which has since closed, left him with no sex drive.\n\nAfter the treatment, Mr Jones said he was \"rewarded\" by doctors with straight porn.\n\n\"There was not much dignity there, but I was encouraged to think this was a bona fide treatment and I should participate in it as well as I could,\" he said.\n\n\"The idea was that I would link the negative shock with the homosexual pornography and the freedom from shock with heterosexual pornography.\"\n\nMr Jones' recent prostate cancer diagnosis has made him think about how he has never been given an apology for what he suffered\n\nHe said he was given electric shock aversion therapy for one hour a day for several weeks, and was only released from hospital after he \"tried to play along\".\n\nBut after leaving he tried to kill himself because the treatment had failed, before being taken back to hospital.\n\nThere he said he was tranquilised and drugged rather than being given the shock therapy.\n\n\"For years, if I had any sense of sexual arousal I would have flashbacks of the therapy I received,\" he said.\n\nFor a decade, until he was 28, Mr Jones suffered symptoms similar to post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and he said he was unable to have a healthy sexual relationship.\n\nBut going to California for university in 1984 helped him.\n\nHe said: \"I put all of my energy into academic study and whilst there I had the opportunity to have therapy that was gay-positive, which allowed me to unlearn a lot of the negativity I had learned or absorbed as a child, and I was able to regain a sense of myself.\n\n\"The damage the aversion therapy did to me for around seven years completely destroyed my ability to have any kind of fulfilling relationship.\n\n\"Had it not been for the therapy in America, I don't know where I would have ended up.\"\n\nMr Jones, pictured with his husband Jupp Korsten, says he was able to regain a sense of himself through counselling in California\n\nNow living in Germany with his husband Jupp Korsten, who's been his partner for 37 years, Mr Jones said it was important to ban the \"dreadful\" practice.\n\nBut he said he had doubts about being able to stop therapies aimed at \"praying the gay away\" as they are carried out \"in private back rooms, often linked with religion and faith\".\n\n\"How do you police quiet conversations which try and influence change in family homes and religious establishments? It would be a nightmare,\" he said.\n\nHaving recently being diagnosed with prostate cancer, Mr Jones said he had reflected on how he was never given an apology for what he was put through.\n\n\"An apology would be powerful for those that have lived with the psychological consequences of conversion therapy,\" he added.\n\nNeither the NHS in England nor the NHS in Wales responded to a request to comment or offer an apology.\n\nMental health groups have warned all types of conversion therapy are \"unethical and potentially harmful\".\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. \"My sexuality is not a sickness\": A gay man and a lesbian's experiences of \"gay conversion therapy\" in Jordan\n\nAlia Ramna, 22, a transgender woman from Cardiff, has also been put through conversion therapy.\n\nShe said: \"I knew I was different and it was a gradual realisation, but it got to a breaking point when I was 16 and I couldn't conform anymore.\n\n\"I realised if I didn't come out I would die because I couldn't see myself as a man anymore.\n\n\"I saw no other option, it was either death or transition.\"\n\nAlia Ramna went through conversion therapy in an effort to try and suppress her gender identity\n\nMs Ramna said when her family found out, they made her recite religious verses to \"pray the gay away\".\n\n\"For conversion therapy to still be happening in 2023 is awful - it is still happening in homes and behind closed doors,\" she said.\n\nMs Ramna said there needed to be safe spaces for trans and non-binary people and discreet ways for people to seek help.\n\nAndrea Williams, chief executive of Christian Concern, said the ban would \"end up criminalising consensual conversations with those who genuinely want help and support\".\n\nChristian Concern is preparing legal action against any proposed legislation in this area.\n\nThe Evangelical Alliance, which said it represented 3,500 churches, argued a ban could jeopardise religious freedoms.\n\nThe Muslim Council of Wales said it had deep reservations, adding the ban could undermine religious freedoms.\n\nA spokesman added: \"To protect minorities from harmful and abusive treatment is a worthy goal, however legislation is a blunt tool and often produces unintended consequences.\"\n\nThe planned ban will outlaw attempts to change someone's sexuality or gender identity\n\nHowever, the Church of England said the practice had \"no place in the modern world\".\n\nThe UK government said it would be publishing a draft bill to ban conversion practices.\n\nA spokesperson added: \"The police are experienced at dealing with crimes in private settings, and we will publish more details of how the ban will protect those at risk in due course.\"\n\nIf you have been affected by any of the issues in this story, the BBC Action Line has links to organisations which can offer support and advice.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/uk-wales-64761202"}
{"title":"Mother of Frankie Thomas wants answers from tech firms over daughter's death - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-05","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"Judy Thomas tells the BBC she struggled to get information from tech firms after her teenage daughter died.","section":"UK","content":"This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Judy Thomas: \"We were absolutely in the wilderness...we just wanted someone to come alongside\"\n\nA mother said she was left \"in the wilderness\" trying to find out information from tech companies after her daughter took her own life.\n\nThe family repeatedly tried to get information and were left \"absolutely at a loss,\" she told the Sunday with Laura Kuenssberg programme.\n\nShe and other bereaved families are campaigning for a change in the law.\n\nThey want an amendment to the Online Safety Bill, which is going through Parliament, that would allow families and coroners to enlist the support of the regulator Ofcom in helping them legally obtain information from tech companies about the material their children were accessing before they died.\n\nFrankie, who had autism, was found dead at her home in Witley in Surrey in September 2018.\n\nAn inquest heard she had taken her own life after spending months viewing graphic content about suicide and self-harm on school laptops and iPads.\n\nMs Thomas told the programme the family had \"no idea why Frankie had taken her own life\".\n\n\"We wrote online to Instagram. This went on for about a year with no answers.\"\n\nIn an emotional interview she recalled: \"We wanted to speak to somebody and just say, would you help us? We were devastated... we just wanted to know.\"\n\nMs Thomas added: \"We would have really appreciated the platforms coming to the inquest as they were requested to.\"\n\nBaroness Kidron, the online safety campaigner, is working with the bereaved families in calling for the amendment.\n\nThe group - which also includes the father of Molly Russell, who died after viewing suicide content online - has written to the prime minister, justice secretary, and secretary of state for science and technology calling for the law to be changed.\n\nBaroness Kidron said there needed to be \"a proper formal route for parents and for coroners to get the kind of information we need to see.\"\n\nShe told the programme the inquest into Frankie's death \"opened and closed\" without all the information the family needed from the tech firms.\n\n\"My inbox is full of bereaved families who want access to data.\n\n\"The coroner service has not managed to get that information, families have not managed to get that information.\n\n\"It is inhuman, and the sort of distress that is happening all of these years later is unacceptable.\"\n\nShe said the amendment had support across the Lords and the Commons.\n\nThe letter sent to the government - and seen by the BBC - says: \"We have each lost a child in circumstances relating to the digital world, and we have each struggled to gain information we needed to understand more about their deaths. Sadly, each year, there are hundreds of families who find themselves in similarly distressing circumstances.\n\n\"The process of attempting to access data has been inhumane. In some cases, it has taken years, and we have been left in automated loops, speaking to online bots, as though we were contacting lost property.\"\n\nLawyers for Molly Russell's father Ian have also written to the government saying there is still, even five years later, information Meta has not provided to them relating to her death.\n\nThey say: \"Meta for example, never disclosed records of what content was promoted to Molly on Instagram; they disclosed some of the harmful content Molly saved or liked only weeks before the final inquest; and the initial disclosure was provided in a manner wholly inaccessible to Molly's family.\"\n\nThe families will be in Parliament this week pressing their case.\n\nMs Thomas said in some respects she did \"despair\" over the situation but added it would be brilliant if the government now took the opportunity to act.\n\nMeta, who owns Instagram - one of the sites accessed by Frankie - apologised to her family for the experience they had when they first contacted them.\n\nA spokesperson for Meta said: \"What the Thomas family have been through is devastating and our deepest sympathies are with them and anyone affected by suicide.\n\n\"This is a challenging and complex issue, and we must comply with our privacy and data protection obligations. We've been in touch with the family and want to be as helpful as we can during this time.\"\n\nThe inquest in Frankie's death heard she went on a platform called Wattpad where users can write and share stories, with the last piece she read mirroring the method she used to take her own life that afternoon.\n\nWattpad said it sent a statement to the coroner.\n\n\"We were deeply saddened to learn of the heartbreaking case of Frankie Thomas. Our sympathies continue to be with Frankie's family and loved ones,\" it said.\n\n\"Wattpad participated in the coroner's inquest, sending a robust witness statement to the Surrey Coroner's Office on July 7th 2021 as part of the proceeding. Wattpad's focus has been, and continues to be, to create a safe, inclusive, and respectful space for readers and writers online.\"","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/uk-64854204"}
{"title":"Ukraine latest: Numerous Bakhmut attacks still being repelled, says Kyiv - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-05","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"Moscow's lengthy assault in eastern Donetsk continues to be met with force, Ukraine's military says.","section":"Europe","content":"Ukraine's military has not commented on US media reports that Kyiv may be now running dangerously low on its artillery stockpile\n\nNumerous attacks have been repelled in the area of eastern Donetsk over the last 24 hours, Ukraine's military says.\n\nRussian forces claim they are about to take the eastern city of Bakhmut - the focus of intense fighting for many months.\n\nThe head of Russia's Wagner private army claims it is \"practically encircled\" with limited routes out.\n\nThe deputy mayor of the city told the BBC there was street fighting between Russian and Ukrainian forces.\n\nBut Oleksandr Marchenko said Russia was not yet in control, despite constant shelling.\n\n\"They have no goal to save the city... their only goal is killing people and the genocide of the Ukrainian people,\" Mr Marchenko told the Today programme.\n\nThe UK Ministry of Defence said Bakhmut is under \"increasingly severe\" pressure.\n\nAccording to the UK intelligence, Russian forces and Wagner troops have made further advances into northern suburbs, making the Ukraine-held section of the city vulnerable to Russian attacks on three sides.\n\nThe commander of Ukraine's ground forces, Col Gen Oleksandr Syrskyi, visited Bakhmut on Friday for meetings with local commanders on how to bolster front-line forces.\n\nMeanwhile on Saturday, Russian defence minister Sergei Shoigu made a rare visit to Russian-held Ukrainian territory in southern Donetsk.\n\nRussian troops have been trying to take Bakhmut for over six months.\n\nUkraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky warned this week that the situation on the eastern front line was becoming \"more and more difficult\".\n\nA key concern for Ukraine is its ever-decreasing ammunition stocks as the high-intensity war with Russia shows no sign of slowing.\n\nThe US has announced a further $400m (\u00a3333m) in military aid to boost Kyiv's depleted ammunition stocks.\n\nUS Secretary of State Antony Blinken said the country's latest package included high-precision Himars artillery rockets and howitzers \"which Ukraine is using so effectively\".\n\nPresident Zelensky earlier stressed that artillery and shells were needed to \"stop Russia\". The US is also sending tactical bridges ahead of Ukraine's expected offensive.\n\nThe delivery of such equipment - allowing armoured vehicles to cross rivers and ditches - comes as Ukrainian military officials and experts have suggested the offensive could begin in the coming weeks.\n\nIn a statement on Friday, Mr Blinken said: \"This military assistance package includes more ammunition for US-provided Himars and howitzers, which Ukraine is using so effectively to defend itself\".\n\nHe added that Washington would also be sending \"ammunition for Bradley Infantry Fighting Vehicles, Armoured Vehicle Launched Bridges, demolitions munitions and equipment, and other maintenance, training and support\".\n\nHimars proved to be extremely effective during Ukraine's lightning counter-offensive late last year that saw almost the whole of the Kharkiv region brought back under Kyiv's control.\n\nThose advances - and the liberation of the southern city of Kherson - were the most significant front-line changes since Russia withdrew from areas around Kyiv in April.\n\nIn his statement, America's top diplomat stressed that \"the United States also continues to rally the world to support Ukraine\" in defending its sovereignty and territorial integrity.\n\nThe new US military aid package was announced amid reports in US media that Ukraine may now be running dangerously low on artillery stocks after more than a year since Russia launched its full-scale invasion.\n\nBoth Ukraine and Russia are believed to be firing tens of thousands of artillery shells every day in what is seen as a high-intensity war of attrition in recent months.\n\nUkraine's military have not publicly commented on the reported shortage of ammunition. However, President Zelensky on Thursday said that \"artillery is number one that we need\".\n\nHe added that Kyiv also needed \"a large quantity of shells\" and war planes to \"expel\" Russian troops from Ukraine's territory.\n\nMilitary assistance to Ukraine was expected to dominate the agenda as US President Joe Biden met German Chancellor Olaf Scholz in Washington on Friday.\n\nMr Biden thanked the German leader for his country's \"profound\" support of Ukraine.\n\nA number of Ukraine's Western allies have pledged to deliver tanks and artillery - but Kyiv says this must be done much faster to deter further Russian aggression.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/world-europe-64837699"}
{"title":"Tryweryn: The stories behind drowned village Capel Celyn - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-05","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"The complexities of the story of Tryweryn, which was destroyed to create a reservoir for Liverpool.","section":"Wales","content":"Mr Jones Parry, the postmaster, outside his post office at Capel Celyn on 10 December 1956 which was submerged when the valley was flooded\n\nBetsan Powys grew up with the story of how the Welsh-speaking village of Capel Celyn was drowned to provide drinking water for Liverpool.\n\nFrom her decades-long career as a journalist she thought she knew the story. But making a podcast about the drowning and the protests that followed gave her an opportunity to look beyond the passion and the myth.\n\nThe drowning of Capel Celyn is an emotive topic in Wales - the passion some feel almost 60 years on should come as no surprise and has been well documented.\n\nWhen speaking to people whose homes were bulldozed and flooded and hearing the stories of those directly involved in the decades of political protest that followed, what struck me most were the nuances and complexities that came to light.\n\nIt's by listening carefully to these that you get to see beyond the story I thought I knew.\n\nIn my podcast Drowned - The Flooding of a Village, I wanted to explore not just what happened but why it happened from many perspectives, and was keen that the story was told by those who had lived it.\n\nMy aim was to find facts not myths.\n\nA couple at their home in Capel Celyn on 27 February 1957\n\nIn 1965 - the same year as I was born - the nine-year battle to save Capel Celyn was finally lost and the village was flooded.\n\nGrowing up, it was talked about at my school in Cardiff, but I would also have heard the story at home.\n\nMy mother grew up on a farm near the famous graffitied Cofiwch Dryweryn (Remember Tryweryn) wall near Llanrhystud, Ceredigion, and whenever we went to visit my grandparents, we would pass it.\n\nThe graffiti appeared in the 60s and the wall has become a bit of a Welsh landmark, iconic in itself, inspiring similar graffiti works across Wales.\n\nAuthor Meic Stephens painted the Cofiwch Dryweryn mural on the wall of a ruined cottage in the early 1960s\n\nHoodies and other merchandise bearing the words are also worn by some in Wales as a symbol of national pride and defiance.\n\nGrowing up, the conversations around Tryweryn were emotionally charged - and the context of the story was clear, that a Welsh-speaking community had been destroyed at a time when the language was under threat, all protest swept aside by the authorities in Westminster and in Liverpool who would benefit from a new supply of water.\n\nBut it was more than that.\n\nIt was proof of Wales' political impotence, always out-voted and out-muscled by its more powerful neighbour.\n\nIn the summer of 1955, the people of Capel Celyn learnt their homes had been earmarked as the site of a new reservoir to provide water for Liverpool.\n\nThis would mean destroying houses in the village near Bala, Gwynedd, and rehousing the villagers elsewhere.\n\nFor almost a decade after the announcement, the villagers fought to save their homes, with protests and marches through the streets of Liverpool.\n\nSchoolchildren from Capel Celyn protesting against the drowning on 18 December 1956\n\nThe village could not be saved and in 1965 Capel Celyn was flooded, with 75 people having to leave their homes.\n\nIts 12 farms, school, chapel and post office disappeared under water.\n\nBetsan visited the Liverpool Record Office as she researched the history\n\nVisiting the Liverpool Record Office, it struck me that this is Liverpool's story too of course.\n\nBut it is a very different story.\n\nBefore Tryweryn, Liverpool was already getting its water from Wales - but the city's council argued there wasn't enough of it.\n\nThe demand for water in Liverpool had been growing, and as local politicians strove to clear poor housing and improve conditions, they saw a need for a bigger, better water supply.\n\nBuilding the Tryweryn reservoir by drowning Capel Celyn was seen as serving a vital and greater good.\n\nThousands of families in Liverpool would benefit while the handful of people who lived in Capel Celyn would be rehoused.\n\nI spoke to the songwriter and broadcaster Sir Richard Stilgoe, whose father, John Stilgoe, was Liverpool's chief water engineer.\n\nHe designed the Tryweryn reservoir, and Sir Richard remembers spending many Saturdays as a teenager visiting the site.\n\nWhile there, he described seeing a mutual respect growing between his father and the people of the valley.\n\nIt's the fact that Liverpool is in England and Capel Celyn in Wales that turned an honourable attempt to serve \"a greater good\" into \"perceived bullying,\" he believes.\n\nWelsh nationalist demonstrators were confronted by police on 21 October 1965 at the opening of Tryweryn reservoir\n\nI also spoke to the son of the village school's head teacher Martha Roberts.\n\nGwyn Roberts recalled his mother talking about travelling with other villagers on the bus to protest in Liverpool.\n\nShe was, he says, extremely proud of her professional status as a teacher and wasn't sure how she felt about being seen on the streets with a placard in her hands.\n\nYet, she wanted to support her pupils and their families and so joined the protest.\n\nElwyn Edwards was a schoolboy who lived nearby and truanted so that he could join the protest.\n\nHe shared his parents' fury at the plans to flood Capel Celyn and wanted to do something to support the village.\n\nBack in class the next day, his headmaster was equally furious that he'd missed a day's school.\n\nThe tiny village of Capel Celyn wasn't, in his view, worth it.\n\nAnd an honest telling of the story reminds us that not everyone in the area saw injustice.\n\nSome saw jobs and opportunity.\n\nMartha and Elwyn's stories are just two that go to the heart of the little complexities that are sometimes drowned out by big headlines.\n\nAuthor and historian Dr Wyn Thomas has delved deep into the history of Tryweryn and has meticulously unravelled the story behind it.\n\nHe sees beyond the emotion and yet, as I learned, is deeply touched by it.\n\nHis father was a police officer at a time when a Welsh paramilitary group was responsible for blowing up pipelines carrying water to England.\n\nHe had to go out late at night with his flashlight to check the water pipes in case explosives had been attached.\n\nWyn saw his mum worry about his dad being placed in danger.\n\nTo this day, his interest in documenting an event that many see as a turning point in Welsh history is influenced by that experience.\n\nIt's the effect history has on ordinary people that matters to him.\n\nI also met Emyr Llywelyn, one of three men who bombed the site of the planned reservoir in a bid to save the village.\n\nHe too is aware that as time goes by, it's all too easy for myth to take over from fact.\n\n\"We mustn't mythologise, we must tell the story as it was,\" he told me.\n\nAs a child Aeron Prysor Jones was moved out of Capel Celyn for it to be flooded.\n\nHe lived in a caravan through the freezing cold winter that followed while work was carried out on the farmhouse where he and his family live to this day.\n\nIt sits above the Tryweryn waterline with a view out over the water.\n\nGwern and the roof tile he found at Tryweryn during the drought\n\nHis young grandson Gwern visited the reservoir during the drought last year and found a roof tile from one of the demolished buildings.\n\nHe took it home to show his grandfather, proud of this reminder of his family's story.\n\nAeron firmly believes that Wales wouldn't have its own national government or a Senedd now in Cardiff Bay, had Capel Celyn not been drowned.\n\n\"It was the spark,\" he says. \"The village name should be there in huge letters for all to see.\"\n\nThe challenge for Gwern and his generation is not just to know their own history, but to make their own decisions about what comes next for Wales.\n\nDrowned - The Flooding of a Village is available on BBC Sounds","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/uk-wales-64799911"}
{"title":"Paris St-Germain 4-2 Nantes: Kylian Mbappe scores club record goal as Ligue 1 leaders win - BBC Sport","published_date":"2023-03-05","authors":null,"description":"Kylian Mbappe scores a club record 201st goal for Paris St-Germain in an entertaining win over Nantes in Ligue 1.","section":null,"content":"Last updated on .From the section European Football\n\nKylian Mbappe scored a club record 201st goal for Paris St-Germain in an entertaining 4-2 win over Nantes.\n\nHe had to wait until the 92nd minute but was clinical as he turned to finish left-footed and go clear of Edinson Cavani at the top of the PSG goal list.\n\nThe France forward, who turned 24 in December, has established himself as a footballing superstar.\n\n\"I play to make history,\" said Mbappe, who joined in 2017 initially on loan from Monaco before a 180m euros move.\n\n\"I have always said I wanted to make history in France, in the capital of my country, in my city, and I am doing that. It's magnificent, but there is still a lot to be done.\"\n\nMbappe finished the game as captain and told Canal Plus: \"For me, as a native Parisian, this is special. If someone had said to me I would score the goal to beat the record while wearing the captain's armband, I would not have believed it.\"\n\nThe Frenchman has played at two World Cup finals, winning the trophy in 2018 and earning the Golden Boot as top scorer in 2022.\n\nMbappe, who also won the 2021 Nations League with his country, scored a hat-trick in December's World Cup final against Argentina, which France lost on penalties after a 3-3 draw.\n\nSince joining PSG from Monaco in 2017 for a world-record fee for a teenager, Mbappe has won four Ligue 1 titles and topped the division's scoring charts for each of the past four seasons.\n\nThis season, the forward has now scored 30 goals and made eight assists - taking his total to 85 for the club in 247 games.\n\nPSG went 2-0 up at the Parc des Princes with Lionel Messi opening the scoring before Jaouen Hadjam's own goal.\n\nHowever, Nantes came back to level before half-time thanks to goals from Ludovic Blas and Ignatius Ganago, with PSG goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma caught out at his near post for the first and making a fumble that led to the second.\n\nMbappe crossed for Danilo Pereira to head the home side back in front on the hour mark before his crowning moment came late in the game.\n\u2022 None Attempt saved. Mostafa Mohamed (Nantes) right footed shot from outside the box is saved in the top centre of the goal. Assisted by Fabien Centonze.\n\u2022 None Goal! Paris Saint Germain 4, Nantes 2. Kylian Mbapp\u00e9 (Paris Saint Germain) left footed shot from the centre of the box to the bottom left corner. Assisted by Timoth\u00e9e Pemb\u00e9l\u00e9.\n\u2022 None Attempt blocked. Lionel Messi (Paris Saint Germain) left footed shot from outside the box is blocked.\n\u2022 None Attempt blocked. Kylian Mbapp\u00e9 (Paris Saint Germain) right footed shot from outside the box is blocked. Assisted by Carlos Soler.\n\u2022 None Attempt saved. Kylian Mbapp\u00e9 (Paris Saint Germain) right footed shot from the left side of the box is saved in the bottom right corner. Assisted by Vitinha.\n\u2022 None Attempt saved. Kylian Mbapp\u00e9 (Paris Saint Germain) right footed shot from outside the box is saved in the top right corner.\n\u2022 None Attempt missed. Ignatius Ganago (Nantes) left footed shot from the centre of the box is close, but misses to the left. Assisted by Fabien Centonze with a cross. Navigate to the next page Navigate to the last page","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/sport\/football\/64851286"}
{"title":"Food shortages due to 'supermarket culture', says Leon co-founder - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-05","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"Henry Dimbleby, co-founder of Leon, says UK vegetable shortages are a result of \"market failure\".","section":"Business","content":"The government's food tsar has blamed Britain's \"weird supermarket culture\" for shortages of certain vegetables.\n\nHenry Dimbleby said \"fixed-price contracts\" between supermarkets and suppliers meant that when food is scarce, some producers sell less to the UK and more elsewhere in Europe.\n\nBut the body that represents supermarkets denied that business was hampered by such contracts.\n\nSeveral supermarkets have limited sales of fresh produce in recent weeks.\n\nTomatoes, peppers and cucumbers are among those vegetables in scarce supply, largely because of extreme weather affecting harvests in Spain and North Africa.\n\nShortages are said to have been compounded by high energy prices impacting UK growers, as well as issues with supply chains.\n\nThey also come as households are being hit by rising prices, with food inflation at a 45-year high.\n\nAs an example of \"market failure\", Mr Dimbleby, who advises the government on food strategy in England, said UK lettuce prices in supermarkets were kept stable, regardless of whether there was a shortage or over supply.\n\nHe said this meant farmers could not sell all their produce when they had too much - or be incentivised to grow more.\n\n\"If there's bad weather across Europe, because there's a scarcity, supermarkets put their prices up - but not in the UK. And therefore at the margin, the suppliers will supply to France, Germany, Ukraine,\" he told the Guardian newspaper.\n\nBut Andrew Opie, director of food and sustainability at the British Retail Consortium (BRC), which represents UK supermarkets, said retailers were \"pragmatists and recognise they need to pay more when costs are high and product is short\".\n\n\"They're working with growers every day,\" he added.\n\nMr Opie said regulation for supermarkets in many European countries meant retailers there were \"able to, and actually required\" to pass on extra costs to customers.\n\n\"Whereas UK retailers are doing everything they can to insulate consumers from rapidly rising prices meaning cutting their margins and negotiating on behalf of customers to keep prices as low as possible,\" he added.\n\nHe said importing tomatoes and lettuces from abroad during the winter allowed supermarkets to offer customers \"best value for money\".\n\nMr Dimbleby, however, said he found the current situation \"frustrating\" because \"everyone is suddenly worried about a gap of vegetables in February, when there are much bigger structural issues\".\n\n\"There's just this weird supermarket culture,\" he said. \"A weird competitive dynamic that's emerged in the UK, and nowhere else in the world has it, and I don't know why that is.\"\n\nHe added it was a \"very difficult one for the government to solve\".\n\nMinette Batters, president of the National Farmers' Union (NFU), told the BBC that some producers were on contracts that could be renegotiated to factor in higher production costs - but not all of them.\n\nMinette Batters, president of the NFU, said the government's approach to home-grown food was \"na\u00efve\"\n\n\"The fact that these contracts in many cases are not fit for purpose and if you're not getting a fair return for what it is costing you, you're going to contract your business,\" she said.\n\n\"It's why we are seeing many of the glasshouses across the country mothballed. They should be producing high quality food, peppers, tomatoes, cucumbers, to deal with this shortage.\"\n\nThe NFU president said the war in Ukraine had changed the outlook for food security, but added she had been told previously by ministers and officials that \"food grown on our land is really not important at all, we are a wealthy nation and we can afford to import it\".\n\n\"I think that is now looking na\u00efve in the extreme,\" she said. \"We've got huge capability here to be producing more of our fruit and vegetables.\"\n\nThe government said that while there were some issues with fresh vegetable supplies, the UK \"has a highly resilient food chain and is well equipped to deal with disruption\".\n\n\"We meet regularly with representatives from the entire food system - from farm to fork - to discuss how we can respond to emerging situations impacting the supply chain quickly and effectively,\" a spokesperson said.\n\nMr Dimbleby criticised the government last year and said ministers had only taken on half of his recommendations from a landmark review of Britain's food system.\n\nHe told the Guardian that food shortages would not be resolved until ministers looked at what he outlined in his food strategy.\n\nLast year, the UK faced a shortage of eggs, with supermarkets limiting how many customers could buy.\n\nThe BRC said at the time that a variety of factors including avian flu and the cost of production had hit supplies - but some farmers blamed retailers for not paying a fair price.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/business-64853683"}
{"title":"Sue Gray to tell government watchdog when job talks with Labour began - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-05","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"The ex-civil servant looks set to join Sir Keir Starmer's office in a move that has angered some Tories","section":"UK Politics","content":"Sue Gray quit her senior government role on Thursday, after reports she was intending to take a job with Labour first emerged\n\nEx-senior civil servant Sue Gray will tell the government appointments watchdog when she first had talks about becoming Sir Keir Starmer's chief of staff, following Tory anger over the proposed move, the BBC has been told.\n\nMs Gray will approach the watchdog about her new role on Monday.\n\nLabour's Jonathan Ashworth told the BBC the job offer proved his party was serious about being in government.\n\nBut some Tories have argued the move undermines civil service impartiality.\n\nMs Gray quit her position at the levelling up department on Thursday, after reports first emerged that she could take the job with Labour.\n\nQuestions will persist for Labour - not because there are any doubts about Ms Gray's ability, but because the civil service is meant to be completely neutral.\n\nNaturally, the rules stipulate that means not talking to the opposition without permission from secretaries of state.\n\nSpeaking to the Sunday with Laura Kuenssberg programme, shadow work and pensions secretary, Jonathan Ashworth, was repeatedly asked when Ms Gray was offered the job.\n\nHe declined to answer directly, but said Sir Keir had been looking for a new chief of staff for \"several weeks\" and Ms Gray was \"always going to be on the list.\" A Labour source said \"'on the list' didn't mean 'in talks'.\"\n\nAn adviser to Sir Keir added, \"although they [Ms Gray and Sir Keir] had crossed paths professionally, they're not friends or part of the same social circles.\n\n\"However when Keir started thinking of possible candidates, Sue was on that list because he thought her experience and integrity would be great assets for the team as we prepare to hit the ground running in government.\"\n\nUntil the 'hows' and 'whens' of the contacts are clarified, Labour's opponents will continue to poke at the issue.\n\nLast year, Ms Gray produced a highly-critical report into lockdown gatherings held in Downing Street while Boris Johnson was prime minister.\n\nEarlier this week, Mr Johnson said people may now look at her report \"in a different light\".\n\nLabour have said Ms Gray was not approached about the job until after her Partygate report was published.\n\nMr Johnson is currently facing a different inquiry, run by a cross-party group of MPs, into whether he misled Parliament, when he said Covid rules had not been broken in Downing Street.\n\nIn an initial report published on Friday, the MPs said the evidence they had seen \"strongly suggests\" Covid rule breaches would have been \"obvious\" to Mr Johnson.\n\nHowever, Northern Ireland Secretary Chris Heaton-Harris - and a close ally of the former prime minister - said Mr Johnson was \"generally an honest man\".\n\nHe told the BBC's Laura Kuenssberg he did not believe that Mr Johnson had \"knowingly misled Parliament\".\n\nAsked if this was the government's line, he replied: \"I don't think there's a government official position. There's a parliamentary process going on. And I think we would wait to see what came out of that parliamentary process.\"\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Watch: ''Generally he (Boris Johnson) is an honest man'' - NI Secretary Chris Heaton-Harris\n\nSpeaking on Sky News earlier, Mr Heaton-Harris praised Ms Gray as someone of \"integrity\" but urged the Labour leader to publish all his messages with the former civil servant.\n\n\"I think Keir can clear this up in seconds by saying this is what we talked about at that time, there's nothing to see here.\"\n\nSenior civil servants, as well as ministers, are expected to check with the government watchdog - the Advisory Committee on Business Appointments (Acoba) - about any employment they wish to take within two years of leaving government.\n\nThe body can provide advice, for example recommending a waiting period before taking on a new role - however it has no power to block new appointments.\n\nLabour have already said they would abide by any recommendation Acoba makes.\n\nOn Saturday, Conservative peer Lord Francis Maude, who worked with Ms Gray when he was a minister, wrote to the Times to defend the proposed appointment.\n\n\"I never had the slightest reason to question either her integrity or her political impartiality,\" he said.\n\n\"She is not the first civil servant to move into a political role, and will not be the last. We should be as relaxed about this as we should be about people who have had previous political involvement coming into the civil service.\"\n\nMs Gray joined the civil service in the 1970s and has held a number of senior positions, including head of the government's propriety and ethics team.\n\nPolly Mackenzie - who worked as a special adviser in the Cabinet Office - previously told the BBC in 2017: \"Sue has been there for so long, she knows everything that anybody has ever done wrong.\"\n\nWriting in his memoirs, former Liberal Democrat minister David Laws recalls being told that the country \"is actually entirely run by a lady called Sue Gray... unless she agrees, things just don't happen\".","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/uk-politics-64853573"}
{"title":"Laura Kuenssberg: Chris Heaton-Harris says Boris Johnson honest over Partygate probe - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-05","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"Laura Kuenssberg quizzes Northern Ireland Secretary Chris Heaton-Harris over Hancock's WhatsApp messages and Partygate.","section":"UK Politics","content":"And it wasn\u2019t clear this morning that our politicians are very comfortable poring over the recent past.\n\nThe cabinet minister, Chris Heaton-Harris wanted to suggest that the messages from Matt Hancock published by The Telegraph in the last few days are little more than glimpses of what was on Hancock\u2019s mind at any one time during the pandemic.\n\nThe tricky thing is that the newspaper, the opposition, and some of the public may reach different conclusions, looking at a group of senior politicians and officials talking glibly and politically brutally about what was going on.\n\nFraser Nelson, one of the few people to have seen the whole cache of messages told us that there were days more of material to come.\n\nMuch as the Conservatives might wish it, it's not going away.\n\nBut the bigger practical problem for ministers in the next few days may be explaining practically how their new plans for laws to cut the number of small boats crossing the channel will actually make a difference.\n\nThere clearly is real public concern and demand for action, but as allies of the former Home Secretary, Priti Patel point out, very similar laws are there on the statute books.\n\nIt\u2019s making them work that is perhaps the real challenge.\n\nFrom a political point of view though for Number 10, the legislation that is likely to be published in the next few days will, they hope, illustrate that Sunak is doing something, whether that \"something\" makes a difference is a test that he\u2019s set himself.\n\nQuestions will persist for Labour too about the hiring of Sue Gray, the well respected Whitehall enforcer. Jonathan Ashworth, the shadow work and pension secretary, told us he didn\u2019t know when conversations between Gray and Keir Starmer had begun.\n\nThis all matters, not because there are any doubts about her ability, but because the civil service is meant to be completely neutral.\n\nNaturally, the rules stipulate that means not talking to the opposition without permission from Secretaries of State.\n\nUntil the \"hows\" and \"whens\" of their contacts are clarified, the party\u2019s opponents will continue to poke.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/live\/uk-politics-64840356"}
{"title":"WATCH: Huge fire burns after Indonesia depot explosion - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-05","authors":null,"description":"Hundreds living nearby are evacuated after the fire and explosion at a fuel depot in Jakarta.","section":null,"content":"At least 15 people have died in a huge fire at a state-run fuel depot in the Indonesian capital, Jakarta.\n\nSixty people were injured in the blaze on Friday night, with many people severely burned. People living nearby were evacuated.\n\nIndonesian officials are calling for an audit of \"all fuel facilities and infrastructures\".","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/world-asia-64847062"}
{"title":"Liverpool v Manchester United: Jurgen Klopp & Erik ten Hag call for end to 'tragedy chanting' - BBC Sport","published_date":"2023-03-05","authors":null,"description":"Liverpool and Manchester United managers Jurgen Klopp and Erik ten Hag call for an end to '\"tragedy chanting\" in a joint statement.","section":null,"content":"Last updated on .From the section Premier League","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/sport\/football\/64846694"}
{"title":"Everything Everywhere sweeps Independent Spirit Awards - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-05","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"The absurdist sci-fi won nearly every major award at an event honouring independent film and television.","section":"Entertainment & Arts","content":"Daniel Kwan collected the award and told the audience it was time to \"dream really big\"\n\nEverything Everywhere All at Once swept the Independent Spirit Awards on Saturday, taking home wins in nearly every major category and solidifying its Oscar frontrunner status.\n\nThe kinetic, multiverse-spanning, family opus won numerous awards, including Best Film, Best Director and Best Editing.\n\nComedian Hasan Minhaj hosted the star-studded event live from Santa Monica Beach, California. The annual award show honours the best in independent film and television.\n\nThis year, for the first time in the award's 37-year history, the best actor categories were all gender neutral.\n\nMinhaj began the night with an at times barbed roast of the nominees and the film industry. At one point, he embarrassed actress Cate Blanchett so much she crawled under the table.\n\nThis Twitter post cannot be displayed in your browser. Please enable Javascript or try a different browser. View original tweet on Twitter The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Skip twitter post by Sam Meltzer 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\u2019s cookie policy, external and privacy policy, external before accepting. To view this content choose \u2018accept and continue\u2019. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.\n\nActor Ke Huy Quan took home the first award of the night for Best Supporting Actor for his performance in Everything Everywhere.\n\nQuan, who has spent much of his career working behind the scenes, used his speech to praise the often-unsung crewmembers, from the boom operators to stunt coordinators, who make films possible.\n\nLater, Michelle Yeoh won for Best Lead Performance in the film and Stephanie Hsu took off her shoes to run onstage and accept the award for Best Breakthrough Performance.\n\nIt was also a big night for first-time nominees. Ayo Edebiri won Best Supporting Performance in a New Scripted Series for her role in The Bear.\n\nActor Sheryl Lee Ralph, who was also nominated in the same category, later reflected on her how she spent much of her early career begging Hollywood to diversify.\n\n\"I stand here tonight having lost best supporting actress in television to Ayo,\" Ms Ralph said. \"I have to honestly say that's what change looks like.\"\n\nFilmmaker Reid Davenport urged Hollywood to allow disabled artists to tell their stories.\n\nBy far one of the most compelling moments of the night was when filmmaker Reid Davenport won the \"Truer than Fiction\" Award. Davenport's film, I Didn't See You There, charts his everyday life as someone who navigates the world in a wheelchair due to his disability.\n\n\"There are so many disabled artists trying to get into this industry who are not given a chance,\" Mr Davenport said. \"I ask you humbly to let them in. It's time.\" Davenport said.\n\nBest feature - Everything Everywhere All at Once\n\nBest lead performance - Michelle Yeoh, Everything Everywhere All at Once\n\nBest Supporting performance - Ke Huy Quan, Everything Everywhere All at Once\n\nBest Director - Daniel Kwan and Daniel Scheinert, Everything Everywhere All at Once\n\nBest Screenplay - Daniel Kwan and Daniel Scheinert, Everything Everywhere All at Once\n\nBest Documentary feature - All the Beauty and the Bloodshed\n\nBest First Screenplay - John Patton Ford, Emily the Criminal","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/entertainment-arts-64852206"}
{"title":"Eilish McColgan sets new British 10,000m record, beating Paula Radcliffe's 2002 time - BBC Sport","published_date":"2023-03-05","authors":null,"description":"Eilish McColgan sets a new British 10,000m record in California, beating Paula Radcliffe's time from 2002.","section":null,"content":"Last updated on .From the section Athletics\n\nEilish McColgan set a new British 10,000m record in California as she continued preparations for next month's London Marathon.\n\nThe 32-year-old Scot ran 30 minutes 00.86 seconds in her first track race of the year, beating Paula Radcliffe's time of 30:01.09 set in Munich in 2002.\n\nMcColgan has been training at altitude in Colorado and made a late decision to race at the Soundrunning Ten event.\n\n\"Two years ago I ran a big PB [personal best] here so it's nice to be back with the crowds. I knew I was in really good shape but to have it all come together on the day doesn't always happen.\"\n\nMcColgan, who has been dealing with some knee problems in the build-up to her debut marathon on Sunday, 23 April, now holds British records for 5,000m and 10,000m on the track, plus 5km, 10km and the half-marathon in road races.\n\nMeanwhile, fellow Briton Emile Cairess, who will also be making his marathon debut in London, has broken the European 10-mile record.\n\nThe 25-year-old clocked 45:57 at an event in Barrowford, Lancashire, beating Richard Nerurkar's long-standing mark of 46:02 set in 1993.\n\nLast year Cairess equalled Mo Farah's UK 10km record before running a half-marathon PB and then finishing second in the European Cross Country Championships in Turin in December behind Norway's Jakob Ingebrigtsen.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/sport\/athletics\/64853509"}
{"title":"Matt Hancock: Leaked messages suggest plan to frighten public - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-05","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"The former health secretary discussed when to reveal the existence of the Kent variant.","section":"UK","content":"Matt Hancock suggested to an aide that they \"frighten the pants off everyone\" about Covid, messages published by the Sunday Telegraph show.\n\nIt appears the former health secretary discussed when to reveal the existence of the Kent variant of Covid to ensure people complied with lockdown rules.\n\nIn another exchange, the head of the Civil Service, Simon Case, suggested the \"fear\/guilt factor\" was vital to the government's messaging.\n\nThe BBC has not verified the messages.\n\nMore than 100,000 WhatsApp messages were leaked to the Telegraph by the journalist Isabel Oakeshott, who has been a vocal critic of lockdowns.\n\nThe former health secretary has repeatedly criticised the leaks, referring to the published messages as a \"partial, biased account to suit an anti-lockdown agenda.\"\n\nIn an exchange between Mr Hancock and an aide from 13th December 2020 - five days before the government scrapped plans to relax rules for many over Christmas - the former health secretary discusses when to \"deploy\" the announcement of the new variant.\n\nThey are talking about the possibility of the London Mayor Sadiq Khan resisting a possible lockdown for London.\n\nThe Department of Health adviser suggests: \"Rather than doing too much forward signalling, we can roll pitch with the new strain.\"\n\nMr Hancock says: \"We frighten the pants of everyone with the new strain.\"\n\nThe adviser responds: \"Yep, that's what will get proper behaviour change.\"\n\nThe minister then asks: \"When do we deploy the new variant.\"\n\nMr Hancock announced the new variant the following day.\n\nIn a separate WhatsApp conversation from January 2021, when lockdown measures were in place, Mr Hancock is seen discussing possible changes with Mr Case.\n\nMr Case warns against making small changes to the rules as looking \"ridiculous\". He talks about \"ramping up messaging\" adding the \"fear\/guilt factor\" was \"vital\".\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser.\n\nOther messages from October 2020 appear to show Mr Case suggesting coronavirus guidance should be delivered by \"trusted local figures, not nationally distrusted figures like the PM, sadly\". Boris Johnson was prime minister at the time.\n\nIn a statement responding to the leaks, Mr Hancock said: \"There is absolutely no public interest case for this huge breach. All the materials for the book have already been made available to the Inquiry, which is the right, and only, place for everything to be considered properly and the right lessons to be learned.\n\n\"As we have seen, releasing them in this way gives a partial, biased account to suit an anti-lockdown agenda.\"\n\nChris Heaton-Harris, the government's Northern Ireland secretary, told BBC's Sunday with Laura Kuenssberg the messages give \"almost a view into the psyche of Mr Hancock rather than into the actual decision-making\".\n\n\"I think viewers would expect that politicians being human beings would express things in a human way.\"\n\nFormer Conservative MP Ann Widdecombe told the BBC's Stephen Nolan on Radio 5 Live that she had been \"just as much against lockdown as Isabel Oakeshott\", but found the leaks \"profoundly unhelpful\".\n\nLabour's Jonathan Ashworth - who was shadow health secretary during the pandemic - said there were always \"two sides to a story\" but many people will be \"deeply troubled\" by the messages.\n\nHe called for the public inquiry to \"report in some preliminary way by the end of the year\", and added: \"I also think Rishi Sunak needs to get a grip of this situation and insist that all ministers hand over everything, that no WhatsApps are deleted.\"\n\nIn other newly-released leaked messages, Mr Johnson spoke of the need to get \"absolutely militant\" on social distancing in Covid hotspots, saying there had been a \"general collapse\" in rule following.\n\nIn a WhatsApp conversation with Mr Case from July 2020, he wrote: \"We need to tell people that if they want to save the economy and protect the NHS then they need to follow the rules.\n\n\"And we may need to tighten the rules. You can now have six people from different households indoors. Do people really understand that and are they observing it?\" he asked.\n\nThe exchange came one month after the prime minister broke the rules himself.\n\nMr Johnson, his wife Carrie, and the then-chancellor, Rishi Sunak, all received one fine each for attending a birthday party thrown in the ex-PM's honour in June 2020.\n\nA spokesman for Mr Johnson said it was not appropriate to comment on these leaks, and added that the public inquiry provided the right process for these issues to be examined.\n\nA collection of more than 100,000 messages sent between former Health Secretary Matt Hancock and other ministers and officials at the height of the Covid-19 pandemic have been obtained by the Telegraph. Here are some of our stories on the leaks:","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/uk-64848106"}
{"title":"UK Weather: Snow and ice warnings extended to more parts of UK - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-05","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"Met Office yellow weather warnings are in force, with disruption to travel and other activities possible.","section":"UK","content":"This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser.\n\nWarnings of snow and ice have been extended to many parts of the UK over the coming days.\n\nYellow weather warnings remain in place for parts of north-east Scotland and England until Wednesday morning.\n\nThe Met Office issued a slew of further yellow warnings on Monday which cover much of the UK during the next five days.\n\nHeavy snow could bring \"significant disruption\" to northern and central parts on Thursday and Friday, it said.\n\nForecasters say a \"major change\" is under way as Arctic air sweeps in from the north, bringing snow, ice and plunging temperatures for many.\n\nA fresh warning of ice and some snow across areas of the Midlands, East, south of England and Wales comes into force between 21:00 GMT tonight and 10:00 on Tuesday.\n\nThis could lead to \"difficult travel conditions\" in some parts, the Met Office said.\n\nSome roads and railways were likely to be affected in these areas, it said, and people should expect longer journey times.\n\nA similar warning covering much of Northern Ireland is also in place overnight.\n\nSnow is likely to cause some travel disruption across parts of southern England and Wales throughout Wednesday, according to another warning.\n\nFurther warnings for heavy snow are in place for Thursday and Friday in much of Scotland, northern England, parts of the Midlands, north Wales and Northern Ireland.\n\nWeather conditions may disrupt travel and other day-to-day activities, with more alerts likely to be issued.\n\nThe first Met Office warning began on Sunday evening for parts of Scotland, covering places including Aberdeen and Dundee, the Highlands, Orkney and Shetland.\n\nThe warning in place on Monday encompasses more of Scotland and a corridor of north-east England that extends to Newcastle upon Tyne and Yorkshire.\n\nFor Tuesday, the area grows further to cover Strathclyde, more of Yorkshire and the Humber, and the East Midlands.\n\nFrequent snow is expected, with northern Scotland experiencing frequent and often heavy snow showers on Monday afternoon.\n\nThe Met Office said snow could cause delays on roads in these places, as well as rail and plane cancellations. It also warned of the risk of slips and falls on icy surfaces.\n\nThere was \"slight chance\" that rural communities could be cut off, it said, adding that cuts to power and phone services were possible.\n\nTuesday night may prove to be the coldest of the year so far, when the temperatures could fall as low as -15C in some sheltered Scottish glens.\n\nSome uncertainty surrounds Wednesday, when a \"battleground\" is expected to be set up as milder Atlantic air from the south meets colder Arctic air from the north.\n\nBBC forecaster John Hutchinson said it would be \"a very cold start to March\", with many areas likely to see snow at some point.\n\nIn some areas, this may only but a small amount, with the heaviest snowfall likely to be in northern Scotland over the next few days, he added.\n\nOn Thursday and Friday, he said snow may become \"a bit more widespread in central and northern Britain\" and flurries may be \"fairly persistent\".\n\nThere could be drifting and some disruption to travel and power, he added.\n\nThe UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) has extended its level three cold weather alert to all of England, with the warning in place from 01:00 on Monday to midnight on Thursday.\n\nThis means there is a 90% chance of severe cold weather, icy conditions or heavy snow.\n\nThe agency said this could have a \"serious impact\" on the health of those who are vulnerable to cold weather, and urged people to check on relatives.\n\nIt advised over-65s, or those with pre-existing medical conditions, to heat their homes to at least 18C.\n\nHow is the cold weather affecting you? Share your experiences by emailing haveyoursay@bbc.co.uk.\n\nPlease include a contact number if you are willing to speak to a BBC journalist. You can also get in touch in the following ways:\n\nIf 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 HaveYourSay@bbc.co.uk. Please include your name, age and location with any submission.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/uk-64848688"}
{"title":"Ukraine war: The Moldovan enclave surrounded by pro-Russian forces - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-05","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"Residents in the tiny Moldovan enclave of Molovata Noua fear the Ukraine war spilling over.","section":"Europe","content":"The ferry that transports people across from Molovata Noua to the rest of Moldova - the only link the enclave has with the rest of the country\n\nA short drive from Ukraine's southern border, hundreds of Russian troops guard a vast Soviet-era ammunition depot in Moldova's breakaway region of Transnistria.\n\nThis depot, these soldiers and this pro-Russian separatist region are under increasing global scrutiny.\n\nIn the past few weeks, accusations have flown between Russia, Ukraine and Moldova over alleged plots to destabilise Moldova, and warnings about the potential for conflict to erupt here again.\n\nMoldova's prime minister, Dorin Recean, has said Russian troops should be expelled from the region, amid warnings from President Maia Sandu that Moscow is planning to topple her pro-western government.\n\nRussia, meanwhile, has been talking up the threat of a \"false flag\" attack by Ukrainian forces - and warned that any attack on its troops in Transnistria would be seen as an attack on Russia itself.\n\nMany western analysts point out that Transnistria could provide Russia with another entry point into Ukraine, forcing Ukrainian troops away from other areas of fighting.\n\nSo Transnistria - controlled by pro-Russian separatists since Moldova's civil war in 1992 - is being closely watched globally, but also by those much closer to home.\n\nThe warnings and threats about fresh conflict here hang heavy over the village of Molovata Noua.\n\nThis is a tiny Moldovan enclave, jammed up against Transnistrian territory and separated from the rest of Moldova by the River Dneister.\n\nIf residents of Chisinau feel vulnerable, residents of Molovata Noua feel completely exposed.\n\nMany of the older men here fought pro-Russian separatists for this land 30 years ago. They're wondering now if they'll have to fight here again.\n\nOn Friday, veterans of that conflict gathered in Molovata Noua for an annual pilgrimage across the line of control into Transnistria, to honour those who died.\n\nTwo dozen men in military fatigues, bright medals on their chests and darkness behind their eyes. Among them, 62-year-old Vlad Untila.\n\nVlad Untila says he's ready should Molovata Noua need to defend itself against Russia\n\n\"We're lucky that Ukraine is defending us at the moment,\" he said, \"but if it kicks off in Moldova, we're ready to defend this territory again.\"\n\nTheir convoy of cars makes its way down the deserted dirt road from Molovata Noua into the breakaway pro-Russian territory - crossing into enemy territory as they did three decades ago.\n\n\"See how they look at us,\" Vlad growls, as his car approaches the Russian checkpoint.\n\nA gaggle of armed soldiers eye the convoy, as it carries men in Moldovan military fatigues into separatist territory, turning a blind eye to this eye-catching annual ritual.\n\n\"Look around you,\" Vlad says, \"this is where we fought - it was all a battlefield.\"\n\nNow the narrow dirt road cuts through the silent countryside, flanked by brown fields and broken winter trees.\n\n\"It's hard because I feel I'm in my own country,\" his friend Constantin joins in. \"It's my own land, and yet I can't walk freely here.\"\n\nA short drive beyond the checkpoint, hidden in brambles by the side of the road, is the first stop on the pilgrimage - a simple blue cross made from metal poles.\n\nIt marks the spot, 31 years ago, where a local mayor was killed. The veterans gather round with a garland of flowers and a plastic bottle full of wine, to toast their fallen comrades.\n\nThey follow the trail of pale blue monuments dotted through this territory, repeating the ritual at every stop, honouring their comrades, siblings, and friends.\n\n\"We were both snipers,\" Vlad remembers, at the spot his friend Vasea was killed. \"They were shooting at us from that hill over there, from a tank. One of the shrapnel fragments hit him in the neck. He fell to the ground and died in my arms.\"\n\nAs the veterans pass a local Moldovan school, pupils come out to greet them, led by their headmistress Tatiana Rosca.\n\n\"There were big battles here in 1992,\" Tatiana says. \"And there are still deep wounds in the souls of the people. We're very afraid: we know what war means and we don't wish it on anyone.\"\n\nOne of her pupils says she's ready to take up arms if conflict erupts again, as her father and grandfather did 30 years ago.\n\nBut loyalties here - as in the rest of Moldova - are complicated by history, geography and economics.\n\nHere on the other side of the River Dniester, the pull of Moldovan identity is set against the pull of subsidised Russian gas from Transnistria.\n\nThe economic gulf with the rest of the country has widened since the start of the war in Ukraine, after Moscow cut gas supplies to Moldova last year.\n\n\"I'll be honest,\" the mayor of Molovata Noua, Oleg Gazea, told me. \"It's very difficult to convince people that life is better in Moldova when they pay a fraction of the price for gas here.\"\n\n\"We can't talk about freedom and a better life, and at the same time tell them to go across the river and pay 30 times more for their bills - they'll tell us: are you crazy? But there's a hidden price [to the cheap gas] - it buys their support.\"\n\nSome people here firmly believe that Moscow is not a military threat, but an economic ally - and that president Maia Sandu is the one provoking a war by moving closer to the West.\n\n\"Transnistria is really sticking up for us,\" 59 year old Maria Ursachi tells me.\n\n\"But Moldova is a disappointment. People are afraid to come over the river to talk to us: they have a border control post there and they check our bags. Chisinau doesn't see us.\"\n\nArriving back in Molovata Noua, the veterans end their pilgrimage in the village square by laying red carnations at a memorial to the frozen conflict here.\n\nIn the years since they fought the pro-Russian separatists, their children have grown up alongside Russian soldiers, Russian language and Russian economic support.\n\n\"We older men will still form the heart of any resistance\", Vlad tells me, \"even with the involvement of younger men.\"\n\nMemories of the past, that linger in this tiny Moldovan enclave, are being sharpened by growing fears for the future.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/world-europe-64824517"}
{"title":"Liverpool 7-0 Manchester United: Reds thrash old rivals in Anfield rout - BBC Sport","published_date":"2023-03-05","authors":null,"description":"Liverpool hit seven goals past old rivals Manchester United in a rout as Mohamed Salah becomes their leading Premier League goalscorer.","section":null,"content":"Last updated on .From the section Premier League\n\nLiverpool delivered the complete performance and Mohamed Salah became the club's record Premier League goalscorer as Manchester United were overwhelmed at a joyous Anfield. United's renaissance under manager Erik ten Hag already has the tangible reward of the Carabao Cup but Liverpool unleashed a brutal reality check on their progress with a severe thrashing. Liverpool took control of what had been a tight game, with Bruno Fernandes and Marcus Rashford missing presentable chances, when former Old Trafford target Cody Gakpo applied a smooth finish to Andy Robertson's perfect pass two minutes before the break. The second half was a tale of sheer joy for Liverpool and unrelenting misery for United, starting after 47 minutes when Darwin Nunez's header diverted Harvey Elliott's driven cross past goalkeeper David de Gea. Salah bamboozled Lisandro Martinez to play in Gakpo for another classy finish three minutes later before the Egyptian resumed his long-time role of United tormentor by getting on the scoresheet himself. Salah ended a swift counter-attack by lashing a finish high past De Gea and the rout continued as Nunez flashed another header in from Jordan Henderson's cross. Salah then scrambled in the sixth to become Liverpool's highest Premier League goalscorer with 129, passing Robbie Fowler. He is also Liverpool's highest marksman against Manchester United with 12 - and 10 of those have come in his past five encounters. And in a fitting finish, Roberto Firmino - who has announced he is leaving Anfield at the end of the season - completed a remarkable game by making it 7-0 from close range. This is the biggest win in the history of the fixture, passing Liverpool's 7-1 victory in the 1895-96 Second Division. Liverpool are now an ominous presence in the chase for the Champions League places, standing only three points behind Tottenham with a game in hand.\n\u2022 None How did you rate Liverpool's performance? Have your say here\n\u2022 None What did you make of Manchester United's display? Send us your views here Liverpool have resembled a shadow of their real selves this season. The old guarantees, such as intensity and firepower, have been missing far too often. They all returned here - and how - in the most spectacular manner as Manchester United, who have been undergoing a revival this season, were blown away by a team in full cry. Once Jurgen Klopp's side took control of a tightly contested game just before half-time, they were ruthless. They scored seven, and missed chances to get more. Klopp wanted this to be a pivotal week in the race for the top four as his team look to salvage something from a season that has, to this point, been below par. His players responded. Wolverhampton Wanderers were beaten at Anfield and United, to put it mildly, outclassed. Liverpool won 5-0 at Old Trafford and 4-0 at Anfield in the Premier League last season while United had a 2-1 win at home early in this campaign to get the Ten Hag era going - and this was another remarkable game to add to that catalogue. Gakpo was on United's wanted list before he moved to Liverpool in January and his two cool finishes showed why Ten Hag was a fan. Nunez demonstrated his growing threat with a double while Salah always rises to the occasion against United and punished them once more. There was even the perfect finale of a goal in front of the Kop for Firmino, who announced on Friday he would end a great Liverpool career at the conclusion of this season. Liverpool manager Klopp resisted a fist pump celebration in front of the Kop - but for him, this day could not have gone any better. In seven days, Manchester United have gone from the high of their first trophy since 2017 with the Carabao Cup win against Newcastle United at Wembley to the pain of abject humiliation at Anfield. Bizarrely, United were right in this game for 43 minutes, with Fernandes and Rashford missing arguably the game's two best chances before Gakpo scored and the sky fell in on Ten Hag's team. United have had a heavy programme of fixtures but the manner in which they capitulated must be an embarrassment for manager, players and fans. There can be no excuses. Argentine defender Martinez, normally so reliable and combative, was taken apart, especially when Salah led him a merry dance to set up Gakpo to settle the game with Liverpool's third five minutes after half-time. To lose against Liverpool is a painful business at any time but to be on the receiving end of what was a record defeat in this fixture will send shock waves through Old Trafford. They must have thought it could not get worse than the 5-0 home thrashing last season - but this was and was inflicted in front of an ecstatic Anfield. Manchester United must now lick their wounds and return to Europa League action at home to Real Betis on Thursday - and those wounds will hurt after this beating at the home of their arch-rivals.\n\u2022 None Delay over. They are ready to continue.\n\u2022 None Delay in match because of an injury Diogo Jota (Liverpool).\n\u2022 None Delay over. They are ready to continue.\n\u2022 None Goal! Liverpool 7, Manchester United 0. Roberto Firmino (Liverpool) right footed shot from the right side of the six yard box to the centre of the goal. Assisted by Mohamed Salah with a through ball.\n\u2022 None Offside, Manchester United. Rapha\u00ebl Varane tries a through ball, but Alejandro Garnacho is caught offside.\n\u2022 None Mohamed Salah (Liverpool) is shown the yellow card for excessive celebration. Navigate to the next page Navigate to the last page\n\u2022 None Our coverage of your Premier League club is bigger and better than ever before - here's everything you need to know to make sure you never miss a moment","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/sport\/football\/64775037"}
{"title":"US drone crash: A moment fraught with danger - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-14","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"The encounter between a Russian jet and a US drone raises some difficult questions for President Biden.","section":"Europe","content":"Reaper drones are full-size aircraft designed for reconnaissance and surveillance\n\nThe encounter between Russian jets and a US drone, which resulted in the drone crashing into the Black Sea, appears to be the most significant publicly acknowledged US-Russia confrontation since Russia's all-out invasion of Ukraine more than a year ago.\n\nAs such, it raises a lot of questions and represents a moment fraught with danger.\n\nThe United States' National Security Council's (NSC) John Kirby says there have been other intercepts \"even in recent weeks\", but that this one was different.\n\nCould it have been an accident?\n\n\"Based on the actions of the Russian pilots, it's clear that it was unsafe, unprofessional,\" was the verdict of the Pentagon's Press Secretary, Air Force Brigadier General Pat Ryder.\n\n\"I think the actions speak for themselves.\"\n\nDoes the behaviour of Russia's pilots - allegedly dumping fuel in the path of the drone and then colliding with it - represent a significant escalation?\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser.\n\nAccording to the Pentagon, the whole incident lasted about 30-40 minutes.\n\nDuring that time, Gen Ryder said there was no direct communication between the Russian and American militaries.\n\nUS officials say they believe the Russian Su-27 jets involved \"likely\" suffered some damage, indicating that a collision was not deliberate.\n\n\"I do know that the state department is raising our concerns about the incident directly with the Russian government,\" he added.\n\nWhat, if anything, does the episode mean for the future of American drone operations over the Black Sea, and for the vital surveillance such operations provide to Ukraine?\n\n\"If the message is that they want to deter or dissuade us from flying or operating in international airspace over the Black Sea,\" Mr Kirby told broadcaster VOA, \"then that message will fail because that is not going to happen\".\n\nNot surprisingly, Russia would like to make it as hard as possible for Ukraine's allies to carry out such work.\n\nWashington is being tight lipped about what has happened to the drone.\n\nAfter the collision, US remote pilots were forced to bring it down in the Black Sea.\n\nGen Ryder would not say where it landed or whether the Russian navy was trying to recover it.\n\nAudio recordings circulating on social media seem to indicate some kind of Russian recovery operation was under way. But this has not been confirmed.\n\nClearly, Washington would not be happy if such sensitive surveillance technology fell into Russian hands.\n\nFor Joe Biden, determined to support Ukraine for \"as long as it takes\", this is a delicate moment.\n\nIt's not just Western weaponry that's helping Ukraine to withstand Russia's invasion.\n\nIt's also a vast quantity of real-time intelligence on every aspect of Russia's military operations, including the movement of vessels in the Black Sea and the launch of missiles aimed at targets across Ukraine.\n\nFrom defending Ukraine's critical national infrastructure to planning its own offensive operations, Kyiv depends heavily on the steady flow of information.\n\nFor obvious reasons, US officials won't be drawn into what, if any, additional precautions its surveillance operations will now involve.\n\nWashington wants to keep them going, but is anxious to avoid using force, and risk getting drawn into a more direct confrontation with Moscow.\n\u2022 None US drone crashes after encounter with Russian jet","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/world-europe-64959498"}
{"title":"Cladding: Michael Gove names firms yet to sign post-Grenfell fire safety contract - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-14","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"The Levelling Up secretary urges developers to pay for repairs to homes with post-Grenfell fire risks.","section":"UK Politics","content":"Michael Gove has named 11 firms who have so far refused to sign a contract to repair homes with safety risks exposed by the Grenfell Tower fire.\n\nHe said 39 firms had signed the contract, which would see them spending \u00a32bn to pay for repairs to buildings with unsafe cladding and other issues.\n\nBut, the levelling up secretary told MPs: \"Some regrettably have not.\"\n\nHe said they had a week to do so or face being banned from building new homes in England.\n\n\"Those companies will be out of the housebuilding business in England entirely unless and until they change their course. Next week I will publish key features of our new 'responsible actors' scheme,\" he said in a Commons statement.\n\nHe said this scheme was a way of \"ensuring that only those committed to building safety will be allowed to build in the future\".\n\n\"Those developers that we've invited to sign the remediation contract who have not agreed to live up to their responsibilities will not be eligible to join the responsible actors' scheme.\n\n\"They will not be able to commence new developments in England or receive building control approval for work that is already under way.\n\n\"The companies invited to sign the remediation contract who have not yet lived up to their responsibilities are: Abbey Developments, Avant, Ballymore, Dandara, Emerson Group - Jones Homes, Galliard Homes, Inland Homes, Lendlease, London Square, Rydon Homes and Telford Homes.\"\n\nThe government has also published a list of the companies that have signed the contract and those who have not so far agreed.\n\nMr Gove claimed this was a \"significant intervention in the market\" but added: \"The magnitude of the crisis that we face and the depth of the suffering for all those affected has clearly justified a radical approach\".\n\nMr Gove had given developers until 13 March to sign up to the agreement - but he hoped more would come on board over the next week.\n\nHis officials were in talks with several of the companies \"who are making progress towards signing\", he told MPs.\n\nThe scheme is aimed at helping leaseholders who live in buildings between 11m (36ft) and 18.5m high, who are facing large bills for the removal of dangerous cladding. It means those leaseholders will not have to pay for the cladding's removal.\n\nMichael Gove says several firms are close to signing the contract\n\nLabour's shadow levelling up secretary Lisa Nandy backed the government action - but said it only covered a \"fraction of the problem\".\n\n\"We want to see every developer sign the remediation contract and urgently move to fix the unsafe buildings and free leaseholders who've been trapped for too long.\"\n\nBut she said the government's contract only covered 1,100 buildings, when Mr Gove's own department had said there are \"between 6,000 and 9,000 unsafe 11-18m buildings alone\".\n\nShe also asked Mr Gove how he planned to help leaseholders in buildings with defects outside of the scope of the contract.\n\nMr Gove replied: \"It is the case with buildings under 11m there are some fire safety issues but we have to look at these on a case-by-case basis.\"\n\nOnce signed, the contract makes commitments signed by developers in a public pledge last year legally binding.\n\nInland Homes, which previously signed the pledge, has requested an extension due to recent changes to its board of directors, a spokeswoman said.\n\nThe BBC understands that one of the companies, Avant, is hoping to be able to sign the contract soon.\n\nIt is understood that Ballymore is finalising remaining details and will sign soon.\n\nA spokesman for Telford Homes said it had completed its review of the contract \"and expects to sign soon\".\n\nMeanwhile, Lendlease said it was continuing to work through the detail of the contract and \"expect our governance processes will allow us to confirm our position by early April\".\n\n\"As a responsible global developer and investor, we firmly believe companies should only be held accountable when they've acted irresponsibly; and we've been in frequent conversations with the UK government on these issues both through the Home Builders Federation and directly,\" it added.\n\nLondon Square said it supported the government's response to building safety, saying that it signed the pledge letter last year.\n\nIt added: \"We remain committed to the pledge. We are disappointed to have been included in the list when we had not received a draft contract that was relevant to London Square to reflect the fact that we have no historic fire safety issues.\n\n\"Our lawyers are working to reach an agreement with the government lawyers and we understand they are close to achieving this. We are happy to sign when agreed.\"\n\nGalliard Homes said it had been remediating its buildings in line with government guidance for \"some time\".\n\nA spokesman said: \"We are working through the procedural matters with the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities (DLUHC) with the intention of signing this contract.\"\n\nA spokesman for Rydon Homes said it believed it fell into the category of a small and medium-sized enterprises (SME) house-builder, and has informed the government but received no response.\n\nHe added: \"When the DLUHC wishes to extend the contractual scheme to all SME developers, Rydon Homes Ltd will engage with that process, with a view to agreeing to enter into a fair and reasonable agreement with the government.\"\n\nDandara said it expected to sign the contract \"imminently\", and said it had not been invited to original consultations which had delayed the process.\n\nIt said it had signed the previous pledge, and proactively engaged with owners and management companies to undertake any enhancements needed in respect of fire safety matters.\n\nThe remaining companies have been approached for comment.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/uk-politics-64957057"}
{"title":"Gary Glitter: Paedophile former pop star recalled to prison - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-14","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"The singer, whose real name is Paul Gadd, was jailed in 2015 for sexually abusing three schoolgirls.","section":"UK","content":"Gary Glitter was one of the biggest music stars of the 1970s\n\nDisgraced former pop star Gary Glitter has been recalled to prison after breaching his licence conditions, the Probation Service has said.\n\nThe singer, whose real name is Paul Gadd, was freed in February after serving half his 16-year jail term for sexually abusing three schoolgirls.\n\nHis recall comes just over a month since being freed.\n\nUpon release, he was subject to licence conditions including having a GPS tag.\n\nThe pop star, 79, was one of the biggest music stars of the 1970s.\n\nHe was jailed in 2015 for attempted rape, four counts of indecent assault and one of having sex with a girl under 13.\n\nA Probation Service spokesperson said protecting the public was their \"number one priority\", adding: \"That's why we set tough licence conditions and when offenders breach them, we don't hesitate to return them to custody.\"\n\nGadd had been held at HMP The Verne, a low security category C jail in Portland, Dorset.\n\nWhen he was released he was also subject to close monitoring by the police and probation officers, with the Ministry of Justice saying at the time sex offenders \"face some of the strictest licence conditions\".\n\nGadd was not added to the sex offenders register for these crimes, because they were committed before the register was introduced. However, he was already ordered to sign the register for life when he returned to the UK after he was found guilty of sexually abusing two young girls in Vietnam in 2006.\n\nGadd had been at the height of his fame when he attacked two girls aged 12 and 13 after inviting them backstage to his dressing room.\n\nHis youngest victim had been less than 10 years old when he crept into her bed and tried to rape her in 1975.\n\nGadd had denied allegations against him but was found guilty after a trial lasting three weeks.\n\nIn 2015 at the time of sentencing, Judge McCreath said he could find \"no real evidence that\" Gadd had atoned for his crimes and described his abuse of a girl under 10 as \"appalling\".\n\nThe allegations that led to Gadd's imprisonment came to light when he became the first person to be arrested under Operation Yewtree - the investigation launched by the Met in 2012 in the wake of the Jimmy Savile scandal.\n\nGadd, who performed as Gary Glitter, had three UK number ones including I'm the Leader of the Gang (I am!).\n\nHis fall from grace began decades later in 1999 after he admitted possessing thousands of images that showed child sex abuse and was jailed for four months.\n\nUpon being freed he went abroad and in 2002 was expelled from Cambodia amid sex crime allegations.\n\nHe was later convicted of sexually abusing two young girls in neighbouring Vietnam in March 2006 and spent two-and-a-half years in jail.\n\nOn returning to the UK in 2008, he was forced to sign the sex offenders register. In 2012, he was arrested at his London home following an investigation by detectives, before the case that led to his latest conviction came to trial in January 2015.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/uk-64946392"}
{"title":"Swansea: Man dies after gas explosion in Morriston - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-14","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"Police say the body of a man was recovered from the site of a reported gas explosion.","section":"Wales","content":"This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser.\n\nA man has died after a gas explosion at a house in Swansea.\n\nThree others were taken to hospital after the blast in the Morriston area of the city, which shook houses miles away.\n\nA major incident was declared and emergency services were called to the junction of Field Close and Clydach Road at about 11:20 GMT.\n\nOne property was completely flattened with Wales & West Utilities describing the structural damage as \"severe\".\n\nSouth Wales Police said the body of the previously missing man was found during a search of Clydach Road.\n\nThe force said his family has been informed and an investigation was under way.\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. WATCH: The aftermath of a gas explosion in Swansea was captured by a bystander\n\nMorriston Hospital said two adults and a child were brought to A&E after neighbours said they saw a boy being pulled from the rubble.\n\nA spokeswoman said: \"The child and one of the adults were treated and discharged.\n\n\"The second adult was admitted with trauma injuries, and is in a stable condition.\"\n\nThe National Grid's website said 212 properties were without electricity but that was restored by 18:40 on Monday.\n\nSwansea council leader Rob Stewart said about 100 people had been displaced.\n\nDebris was strewn across the street\n\nThe British Red Cross has sent a team of three to help and the council has set up a rest centre at Morriston Memorial Hall.\n\nSupport is being provided there for about 50 people until they are able to go home. Others have gathered in the Red Lion pub.\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. WATCH: BBC reporter near the scene of where a reported gas explosion destroyed a house\n\nPeople living on the street said they heard a loud bang which sounded like a car crash, with roofs and doors being blown off houses.\n\nDonn and Donna Fernandez said they and other neighbours rescued a teenage occupant of the house before they were taken to hospital.\n\nMr Fernandez said: \"I came out of my house and saw the young teenager who lives next door in the wreckage of the house near the roof.\n\n\"Me and our neighbours got him out, he's only about 13.\"\n\nNeighbour Pamela Evans said the blast felt like a bomb.\n\n\"It's like a warzone, it's unbelievable down there,\" she said.\n\n\"Windows have been smashed, doors have been blown out.\"\n\nPamela Evans said the blast felt like a bomb\n\nAlan Huxtable, who lives about 150 yards away on Field Close, said he was stunned by what he saw.\n\nHe said: \"The pressure of the blast - you could feel that. The house was shaking.\n\n\"I just looked out of the window and I couldn't believe it. It took two or three seconds to realise what happened.\n\n\"I said to my wife, 'the end terrace house is gone, it's disappeared'.\"\n\nThere were tiles in his back garden, he said.\n\nFellow resident Marjorie Lewis said: \"The roof was all on the floor and there was a boy in the rubble.\"\n\nThe boy was pulled from the wreckage and she called police: \"They were here in two or three minutes. It sounded horrendous - it shook all the houses.\"\n\nMs Lewis said about four or five houses had been damaged in the blast.\n\nWales & West Utilities said the cause of the blast was not yet known\n\nShe said: \"I thought it was inside the house. I just took my youngest son and ran.\n\n\"I went out the house and and saw the damage. It's terrible.\"\n\nMirain Owen was at school when she heard about what had happened\n\nMirain Owen, who lives about five minutes away from Clydach Road, was in school when she started getting messages on Snapchat about the blast.\n\nShe said her family had been unable to return home to collect anything.\n\nThe 17-year-old said: \"The roads are closed and we aren't able to get in there by car.\"\n\nHayley Brown, of Field Close, said: \"To see that house, the way that it was, was absolutely heartbreaking.\n\nKakuli Khatun was making tea for her husband when her window smashed\n\nSwansea councillor Ceri Evans said he lives less than a mile away and was working from home at the time of the explosion.\n\n\"The whole house shook. All the windows shook, it was really noticeable. You could hear it and I ran out in the street,\" he said.\n\nSwansea University researcher Ioan Humphreys lives eight miles away in Rhos, Pontardawe, and said: \"The house next door to me is having lots of building work done, so initially I thought it was a massive skip being delivered and dropped on their drive - it felt that close.\"\n\nSouth Wales Police asked people to avoid the area and said Clydach Road was still closed on Monday evening.\n\n\"A cordon remains in place and people are asked to avoid the area,\" the force said.\n\n\"It is necessary to keep the cordon in place due to the ongoing risk to the public and the amount of debris which is blocking access roads.\"\n\nWales & West Utilities said: \"We do not yet know the cause of the explosion and our engineers will continue to support the emergency services as they carry out their work.\"\n\nWelsh Ambulance Service and Mid and West Wales Fire Service also attended.\n\nThe fire service said crews were still working at the site on Monday evening.\n\nMorriston Town AFC football club said it was \"devastated\" to hear the news and said locals should not hesitate to contact the club and come in to keep warm.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/uk-wales-64941189"}
{"title":"Morton's Rolls bakery workers made redundant - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-14","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"BBC Scotland has learned that 230 staff at the Scottish bakery have been sent redundancy notices.","section":"Scotland business","content":"A total of 230 employees have been made redundant at collapsed Scottish bakery Morton's Rolls, BBC Scotland has learned.\n\nRedundancy notices were sent out on Monday by a provisional liquidator from FRP Advisory.\n\nThe liquidator was appointed last week after the the firm ceased trading.\n\nBBC Scotland also understands that talks between potential investors and the liquidator are at an advanced stage.\n\nFurther details are expected to emerge within the next few days.\n\nFRP Advisory and Morton's Rolls have been approached for comment.\n\nThe Scottish government has said its Pace initiative for handling redundancy situations has contacted the company and the liquidator to offer support to affected employees.\n\nScotland's first minister recently vowed to do \"everything possible\" to try to save the troubled bakery.\n\nFor the year to the end of March 2021, the company reported a loss of \u00a3262,00 on turnover of more than \u00a311.8m.\n\nMorton's Rolls was originally founded by Bob Morton and Jim Clarke in 1965 at their bakery near Drumchapel, in the west of Glasgow.\n\nOver the years, Morton's expanded its product range to include savoury products such as pies and bridies, and sweet offerings including apple turnovers and doughnuts.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/uk-scotland-scotland-business-64950451"}
{"title":"French bin strike: Paris holds its nose as waste piles up - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-14","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"Refuse collectors joined the strike a week ago in protest at plans to raise the pension age to 64.","section":"Europe","content":"Half of the districts of Paris have been hit by the refuse collectors' strike\n\nThe bins are overflowing in large areas of Paris a week into a strike by waste collectors, with thousands of tonnes of rubbish sitting abandoned on the streets of the French capital.\n\n\"It's dirty, it attracts rats and cockroaches,\" one Parisian complained on French radio.\n\nThe workers are striking over the Macron government's proposals to raise the pension age from 62 to 64.\n\nOther cities including Nantes, Rennes and Le Havre are also affected.\n\nRefuse collectors joined the pension strikes a week ago and the Paris authority says half of the city's districts, which are covered by council workers, have been hit by the action. Three waste treatment sites have been blockaded and a fourth partially closed.\n\nOn Monday, the Paris authority said 5,600 tonnes of waste had yet to be collected.\n\nOne commentator on Europe1 radio described the situation as an all-you-can-eat buffet for the six million rats of Paris, double the human population.\n\nIn the 10 districts covered by private companies the service was running almost normally, Paris council said. Some reports indicated activists were trying to prevent collections from going ahead.\n\nAnd one private company was also seen on Monday night by news channel BFMTV picking up waste in one of the big central districts, the sixth, which is normally covered by council workers. Similar bin collections were going on in two other districts on the western fringe of the city.\n\nLeading council official Emmanuel Gr\u00e9goire said the situation was complicated but the authority was prioritising intervention for public safety, with a focus on clearing food markets, bin bags lying on the ground and ensuring pedestrian safety.\n\n\"The strike triggers a change in rat behaviour,\" specialist Romain Lasseur told Le Parisien newspaper. \"They'll rummage around in bins, reproduce there, and leave their urine and droppings. We have a worrying health risk for refuse collectors and the general population.\"\n\nParisians are concerned that the strike will lead to the spread of rat-borne disease\n\nThe capital's bin workers are due to meet on Wednesday to decide whether to continue their action. Refuse collectors currently retire at the age of 57 because of difficult working conditions and under the reforms they would have to work for two more years.\n\nOpponents of the Socialist mayor of Paris have seized on the strike as only adding to an existing crisis.\n\n\"Anne Hidalgo promised to double the clean-up budget and Parisians clearly see Paris becoming dirtier and dirtier,\" complained Rachida Dati who runs the seventh district for the right-wing Republicans.\n\nFrance's unions have stepped up action against the government's unpopular retirement reforms which are currently going through parliament.\n\nSeveral operators at French refineries were on strike on Tuesday for a seventh day in a row, but only a small proportion of French petrol stations have had to close.\n\nThe measures were backed by the upper house or Senate on Saturday and will next go to a joint committee of MPs from both houses on Wednesday to decide on the final text. A final vote could reach the National Assembly and Senate on Thursday.\n\nPresident Emmanuel Macron's party lacks a majority in the lower house so victory on the bill is by no means secure.\n\nThe government needs 287 votes, and even if it can persuade all its 250 MPs to back the reforms it will still need to find another 37 lawmakers from other parties to back the higher pension age.\n\nMany of those extra votes are likely to be Republicans and the government is keen to avoid forcing through the legislation without a vote, which it could do by triggering a 49:3 article of the constitution.\n\u2022 None French plan to raise pension age by two years to 64","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/world-europe-64950503"}
{"title":"Eleanor Williams appeals against her false rape conviction - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-14","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"Eleanor Williams lied to police and posted on Facebook she had been trafficked by an Asian gang.","section":"Cumbria","content":"Eleanor Williams is awaiting sentence for eight counts of perverting the course of justice.\n\nA woman who falsely claimed she was raped and trafficked by an Asian grooming gang has launched an appeal against her conviction.\n\nEleanor Williams, 22, of Barrow-in-Furness, was found guilty of perverting the course of justice in January.\n\nShe posted photos on social media of injuries she said were from beatings but had inflicted them on herself.\n\nWilliams is yet to be sentenced and the Ministry of Justice said the appeal process is in \"the early stages\".\n\nHer Facebook post in May 2020 was shared more than 100,000 times and sparked demonstrations in her home town in Cumbria.\n\nThe 10-week trial at Preston Crown Court was told the post was the \"finale\" to her story and she had accused a number of men of rape, going back to 2017.\n\nShe had told police she was consistently groomed and trafficked by Asian men.\n\nOn May 19 2020 she was found by officers near her home on Walney Island with injuries which she claimed were inflicted by a gang after she was taken to a house in the town and raped.\n\nBut the prosecution claimed Williams caused the injuries to herself with a hammer, which was found with her blood on close by.\n\nThe photos of her injuries went viral on social media\n\nThe trial heard Williams went online to \"effectively find random names\" to present as either victims or perpetrators of trafficking.\n\nSome of the people she made allegations about were real while others did not exist, the jury heard.\n\nShe had sent some messages to herself, and in other cases manipulated real people to send messages she then claimed were from abusers.\n\nA Snapchat account Williams claimed belonged to an Asian trafficker was found to belong of a young white man from Essex who believed she was his friend.\n\nAnother Snapchat account of an alleged abuser was created at her mother's address, police found.\n\nThe court heard she fabricated text messages from her so-called abusers\n\nWilliams had falsely claimed a local business owner had groomed her from the age of 12 and made her work in brothels in Amsterdam and sold her at an auction there.\n\nHowever the court heard that at the time of her allegations, his bank card was being used in at B&Q in Barrow.\n\nDuring her evidence, Williams denied telling a \"pack of lies\".\n\nAsked about her 2020 Facebook post, she said: \"I wanted people to know what was going on in Barrow, still is going on.\"\n\nThe jury took three and a half hours to find Williams guilty of eight counts of doing acts tending and intended to pervert the course of justice.\n\nFollow BBC North East & Cumbria on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram. Send your story ideas to northeastandcumbria@bbc.co.uk.\n\nThe BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/uk-england-cumbria-64792802"}
{"title":"Budget: Pensions to get boost as tax-free limit to rise - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-14","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"Persuading workers to work longer is part of plans to boost growth, but critics say very few will benefit.","section":"Business","content":"The total amount that workers can accumulate in their pension savings before paying extra tax is expected to be increased in Wednesday's Budget.\n\nThe final figure has not been confirmed, but people are expected to be able to save up to \u00a31.8m over a lifetime, up from \u00a31.07m currently.\n\nThe policy aims to stop people - particularly doctors - from reducing hours or retiring early owing to tax.\n\nCritics say the move will only benefit a small fraction of the workforce.\n\nUK economic growth has flatlined in recent months and the Bank of England expects the UK to enter a recession this year. About a quarter of people of working-age - around 10 million people - do not have jobs.\n\nPersuading workers to work for longer is part of UK plans to boost growth, with Chancellor Jeremy Hunt's Wednesday announcement on tax and spending being dubbed the \"Back to work Budget\".\n\nMr Hunt is also expected to detail other measures to increase the workforce on Wednesday including:\n\nConsultancy LCP told the BBC the government's plans to raise pension tax allowances would benefit relatively few workers.\n\nThe number of people who have already breached the lifetime limit on pensions before paying tax and those who risk breaching it is 1.3 million, less than 4% per cent of the UK's current workforce, it says.\n\nThe lifetime allowance is the total amount of money you can build up in a workplace defined benefit pension scheme and savings in a defined contribution pension before you face a further tax charge. The tax is levied on the excess over the allowance. The state pension is not included in the calculation.\n\nAnyone drawing their pension is still liable to income tax as normal.\n\nBeneficiaries from an increase in the allowance will include those who have worked in the public sector for many years. There has been a particular focus on doctors and consultants - some of whom have retired early or reduced hours for pension tax reasons as the NHS has become increasingly stretched.\n\nDean Butler, managing director for customers at insurance firm Standard Life, said middle earners had been increasingly affected by the cap.\n\nAny increase in the annual allowance, he said, would be of specific help to those with irregular earnings who were relying on making larger pension contributions later in their careers.\n\nIn the medical profession, some doctors and consultants have reduced their hours or retired early from the NHS because they were in danger of breaching the tax-free pensions lifetime allowance, and they calculated that continuing to work was counterproductive for their finances.\n\nThe annual tax-free pension allowance - which is also expected to increase from \u00a340,000 to \u00a360,000 each year - has been subject to much of the same debate.\n\nMany industries are struggling to recruit workers, though job vacancies are falling. Earlier this year, Mr Hunt pledged to consider changes to encourage the over-50s who had taken early retirement during or after Covid to return to work, saying he \"would look at the conditions necessary to make work worth your while\".\n\nNot everyone believes that boosting pension allowances is the best policy to meet this goal.\n\n\"High earners with big pension pots do benefit from inappropriately generous tax treatment of pensions, but there are much better ways of restricting this than these crude limits.\" said Carl Emmerson, from the Institute for Fiscal Studies, a leading independent think tank.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/business-64949083"}
{"title":"OpenAI announces ChatGPT successor GPT-4 - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-14","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"The fourth version of the AI chatbot can process both images and text.","section":"Technology","content":"OpenAI has released GPT-4, the latest version of its hugely popular artificial intelligence chatbot ChatGPT.\n\nThe new model can respond to images - providing recipe suggestions from photos of ingredients, for example, as well as writing captions and descriptions.\n\nIt can also process up to 25,000 words, about eight times as many as ChatGPT.\n\nMillions of people have used ChatGPT since it launched in November 2022.\n\nPopular requests for it include writing songs, poems, marketing copy, computer code, and helping with homework - although teachers say students shouldn't use it.\n\nChatGPT answers questions using natural human-like language, and it can also mimic other writing styles such as songwriters and authors, using the internet as it was in 2021 as its knowledge database.\n\nThere are concerns that it could one day take over many jobs currently done by humans.\n\nOpenAI said it had spent six months on safety features for GPT-4, and had trained it on human feedback. However it warned that it may still be prone to sharing disinformation.\n\nGPT-4 will initially be available to ChatGPT Plus subscribers, who pay $20 per month for premium access to the service.\n\nIt's already powering Microsoft's Bing search engine platform. The tech giant has invested $10b into OpenAI.\n\nIn a live demo it generated an answer to a complicated tax query - although there was no way to verify its answer.\n\nGPT-4, like ChatGPT, is a type of generative artificial intelligence. Generative AI uses algorithms and predictive text to create new content based on prompts.\n\nGPT-4 has \"more advanced reasoning skills\" than ChatGPT, OpenAI said. The model can, for example, find available meeting times for three schedules.\n\nOpenAI also announced new partnerships with language learning app Duolingo and Be My Eyes, an application for the visually impaired, to create AI Chatbots which can assist their users using natural language.\n\nHowever, like its predecessors, OpenAI has warned that GPT-4 is still not fully reliable and may \"hallucinate\" - a phenomenon where AI invents facts or makes reasoning errors.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/technology-64959346"}
{"title":"Ivan Toney: Man given 'landmark' stadium ban for racially abusing Brentford striker - BBC Sport","published_date":"2023-03-14","authors":null,"description":"A man who racially abused Brentford striker Ivan Toney on social media is banned from every football ground in the United Kingdom for three years.","section":null,"content":"Last updated on .From the section Brentford\n\nIvan Toney received the abusive message after scoring in Brentford's win over Brighton on 14 October last year A man who racially abused Brentford striker Ivan Toney on social media has been banned from every football ground in the United Kingdom for three years. It is the first banning order issued under the Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts Act 2022. Antonio Neill, 24, admitted sending an offensive message at Newcastle Magistrates' Court in January. Neill, of Blyth, Northumberland, was also handed a four-month jail sentence, suspended for two years. As well as all matches in the UK, the banning order prevents Neill from travelling abroad to watch international friendlies, qualification matches and tournaments. New legislation was brought in last year to widen the scope of banning orders for online hate crimes. \"Discrimination has absolutely no place in any society, whether out in our communities or online,\" said Supt Scott Cowie, hate crime lead for Northumbria Police. \"I hope this reinforces our commitment to taking action against anybody who commits a hate crime - it will not be tolerated and we will do all we can to put perpetrators before the courts.\" Brentford manager Thomas Frank said he hopes the ruling shows social media companies that they can do \"even more\" to prevent abuse. \"It's a very strong message,\" said Frank. \"Personally I'm very pleased that racial abuse is getting into court. \"I think the sentence is not hard enough, it could be harder - it's a suspended sentence. But I think it's a good step in the right direction to hopefully show the world that there's no room for racial abuse. \"Hopefully it's also a reminder to the social media companies that they can do even more. Also the situation with [Southampton's Kyle] Walker-Peters, what he experienced also, it's very sad. It's a constant development area for society. We need to be very aware of that.\" Antonio Neill pleaded guilty to sending an offensive message and apologised to Ivan Toney at Newcastle Magistrates' Court in January Toney posted a screenshot of a direct message he received on Instagram in a Twitter post in October, with police treating the incident as a hate crime. Neill apologised to Toney in court in January for sending the message, which was described by a judge as \"exceptionally offensive\" and with \"racial overtones\". Toney also received racist and abusive messages to his Instagram account after scoring the equaliser against Arsenal at Emirates Stadium in January. Brentford described the ban issued to Neill as a \"landmark ruling\". \"Ivan Toney has been subject to sickening racist abuse on a regular basis, and we want to see tough action taken against anyone found guilty of such abuse,\" a Brentford statement said. \"The club firmly believes there is no place for racial abuse in football and we continue to support and implement a zero-tolerance policy towards discriminatory behaviour of any kind.\" Kick It Out, an organisation fighting discrimination in football, said: \"Kick It Out welcomes the sentence handed to Antonio Neill today. This is a landmark decision which we hope will set the standard for similar cases going forward. \"As footballers continue to experience racism and discrimination on social media, we hope this can be an important step towards understanding that online behaviour has real-life consequences, both for the abusers and their victims. \"We would like to thank Northumbria Police and Brentford FC for their work in this case and for highlighting that online abuse has no place in our society. \"It is imperative that social media companies and the government now play their part by stepping up to introduce meaningful reforms and legislation that protects people from online abuse.\"\n\u2022 None Listen to the latest The Far Post podcast\n\u2022 None Our coverage of Brentford is bigger and better than ever before - here's everything you need to know to make sure you never miss a moment\n\u2022 None Everything Brentford - go straight to all the best content","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/sport\/football\/64949252"}
{"title":"Bali plans tourist motorbike ban over misbehaviour - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-14","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"The local Indonesian governor says some tourists \"roam about the island\" breaking road laws.","section":"Asia","content":"Bali's governor wants to ban foreign tourists from renting and riding motorbikes\n\nThe Indonesian island of Bali is planning to ban foreign tourists from using motorbikes after a spate of cases involving people breaking traffic laws.\n\n\"You [should] not roam about the island using motorbikes, without wearing shirts or clothes, no helmet, and even without a licence,\" Governor I Wayan Koster said.\n\nUnder the proposals tourists would use cars provided by travel agents instead.\n\nThe plan has been divisive as tourism continues to recover from Covid losses.\n\nMore than 171 foreign nationals have violated traffic orders from late February to early March, according to local police records. Some tourists also use fake licence plates.\n\n\"If you are a tourist, then act like a tourist,\" said the governor.\n\nForeign tourists in Bali often prefer renting motorbikes to get around the island, which does not have a well-developed public transport system. The two-wheelers make for a good option for weaving in and out of traffic, as well as travelling through scenic back alleys.\n\nThe proposed ban will be implemented via a regional law sometime this year, but how it will be enforced is unclear.\n\nOne Ukrainian tourist - who asked not to be named - said foreigners should be \"given the freedom\" to ride motorbikes as long as they provide valid licences.\n\n\"We don't use the services of a travel agent because we want to be independent and like to do things ourselves so we can feel the atmosphere,\" she told BBC Indonesian.\n\nFinnish tourist Kristo, on the other hand, supports the proposed ban. \"Many riders behave like they are drunk and do not wear helmets. That is very dangerous,\" he told Indonesian news website detik.\n\nBut some operators have raised concerns over its effect on business.\n\nDedek Warjana, who chairs Bali's motorbike rental association, said the proposal was hasty and authorities should act on specific violations instead of imposing a blanket ban.\n\nAllowing foreign tourists to only rent cars may exacerbate congestion, he said.\n\nA ban could tarnish Indonesia's reputation in the eyes of other countries, said Nyoman Sukma Arida, a lecturer in tourism at Bali's University of Udayana.\n\nThe growing number of traffic violations also points to weak enforcement of existing rules by the local authorities, he said.\n\nHe suggested strengthening the vehicle rental system, such as by making sure those who rent have valid driver's licences, requiring security deposits, and taking action on riders who violate rules.\n\nAfter all, not every traveller behaves badly, he said.\n\nThe governor also announced a plan to revoke visa-on-arrival permits for tourists from Russia and Ukraine because of misconduct. Many people from the two countries have \"flocked to Bali\" amid the war but are not abiding by local regulations, he said.\n\nIn the past week, for instance, authorities arrested several Russian citizens for violating their residence permits. Some also misused visitors' visas to set up businesses.\n\nTourism contributed some 60% to Bali's annual GDP before the pandemic. According to the province's statistics bureau, Australia was the largest contributor of foreign tourists to Bali in January 2023 - with more than 91,000 Australians arriving in the province. Russia took the second spot, with about 22,000 of its citizens visiting the province that month.\n\u2022 None Indonesia's new sex laws and what they could mean for tourism","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/world-asia-64947871"}
{"title":"Matthew Selby: Risks posed by sister killer were missed - report - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-14","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"Social services underestimated the risk Matthew Selby posed to his sister, a report has found.","section":"Wales","content":"Amanda Selby was killed by her brother while they were on holiday in north Wales with their father\n\nAuthorities underestimated the risks posed by a man who killed his sister at a holiday park, a report has found.\n\nMatthew Selby, 20, choked 15-year-old Amanda Selby to death in north Wales in July 2021.\n\nHe admitted manslaughter due to diminished responsibility and in March his sentence was increased to life.\n\nA Tameside Safeguarding Children Partnership spokesperson said it had taken \"learning on board\" and \"put action plans in place\".\n\nThe Department for Health and Social Care said it was putting more money into mental health services.\n\nSelby, of Windermere Crescent, Ashton-under-Lyne, Greater Manchester, was originally jailed for five years in December 2022.\n\nThe Court of Appeal later ruled that he should serve life with a minimum term of three years and four months.\n\nMold Crown Court was told Selby had autism and mental health conditions that triggered the incident.\n\nAmanda was killed while they were at Ty Mawr holiday park in Conwy, on holiday with their father Anthony.\n\nA serious case review into Amanda's death commissioned by Tameside's Safeguarding Children Partnership revealed that social services knew about Selby's \"escalating violent and aggressive behaviours\", but underestimated the risk he posed to his sister.\n\nThe report said the family was known to various agencies since 2008, 13 years before Amanda was killed.\n\nIt said Selby was known to be regularly attacking members of his family, with a GP told in 2020 that he was hitting his father \"five to six times a day\".\n\nHe stabbed his sister with scissors in 2015, but the review said the risk of physical harm to Amanda did \"not appear to have been fully assessed\" by health and social care professionals.\n\nMatthew Selby was initially sentenced to five years, which was later increased to life in prison\n\nThe report stated that the family separated in 2017 due to Selby's increasing violence, from which point Amanda lived with her mother while her brother lived with his father.\n\nA year later in 2018, Matthew Selby's case was closed by social services.\n\nThe review raised concerns that the case had ended too soon. It said authorities relied too much on the family reporting improvements and found there was a \"complacency among agencies\".\n\nIn addition, the report authors identified a number of \"missed opportunities\" for further investigation, as well as a \"considerable delay in getting help for Matthew with his autism\".\n\nIt said that even after being diagnosed, there appeared to be very little care and support provision available for people of his age.\n\nClare Hughes, criminal justice manager at the National Autistic Society, said the issue was not uncommon.\n\nShe said: \"We can't comment on the individual circumstances of this tragic case. However, we know while the vast majority of the UK's more than 700,000 autistic people are completely law abiding, not getting the right support can all too often lead young people and their families into total crisis.\"\n\nMs Hughes said waiting times for a diagnosis assessment were \"critical\" with \"more than 125,000 children, young people and adults currently waiting for an assessment\".\n\n\"On top of this, years of social care crisis, lack of mandatory autism teacher training, and huge struggles to get mental health support can all contribute to young people and their families finding it harder and harder to manage,\" she added.\n\nAmanda Selby was killed by her brother at a holiday park\n\nA Tameside Safeguarding Children Partnership spokesperson said: \"This is an extremely tragic case and our thoughts are with everyone affected. We have met extensively with the family to support them and are aware of their requests for privacy following significant media interest.\n\n\"The partnership commissioned the review as part of our usual statutory process to identify any learning required and to be open and transparent about the circumstances. Where learning has been identified we have taken this on board and put action plans in place to address.\n\n\"The review was shared with the National Child Safeguarding Practice Review Panel who considered it a good, focussed and succinct review which clearly set out the relevant learning. It was also shared with the coroner at the inquest, who made no further findings.\"\n\nThe Department of Health and Social Care said it was investing \u00a32.5m to improve autism diagnosis and the speed at which people are seen and assessed.\n\nIt added that it would be increasing investment into mental health services by at least \u00a32.3bn a year by 2023\/24 so that an additional two million people could get the support they needed.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/uk-wales-64941938"}
{"title":"Eleanor Williams: CCTV shows false rape claim woman's movements - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-14","authors":null,"description":"Eleanor Williams is seen buying a hammer she claimed she was beaten with but she inflicted the injuries herself.","section":null,"content":"CCTV shows the movements of a woman who falsely claimed she was raped and trafficked by an Asian grooming gang.\n\nEleanor Williams sparked protests in her home town of Barrow after posting photos on social media of injuries she said were from beatings. But Preston Crown Court heard she inflicted the wounds herself using a hammer.\n\nCCTV shown to the court showed her buying the tool in Tesco.\n\nThe court was also shown footage of Williams arriving at a hotel in Blackpool. She claimed she had been groomed and forced there but when police made inquiries, they found she had travelled to the seaside town alone and stayed in a hotel.\n\nFootage showed her buying a Pot Noodle from a nearby shop and then stayed in her room watching YouTube on her phone.\n\nWilliams, 22, was found guilty of perverting the course of justice and jailed for eight-and-a-half years.\n\nFollow BBC North East & Cumbria on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram. Send your story ideas to northeastandcumbria@bbc.co.uk.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/uk-england-cumbria-64957687"}
{"title":"World Cup 2026: Fifa switches back to four-team group format - BBC Sport","published_date":"2023-03-14","authors":null,"description":"Fifa switches the format for the 2026 World Cup in the United States, Mexico and Canada back to four-team groups.","section":null,"content":"Last updated on .From the section World Cup\n\nFifa has switched the format for the expanded 2026 World Cup back to four-team groups.\n\nThe competition in the United States, Mexico and Canada was due to feature 16 groups of three because the number of teams is increasing from 32 to 48.\n\nBut the success of the four-team format at the 2022 World Cup in Qatar caused the governing body to reconsider.\n\nThe move expands the competition from its projected 80 matches to 104, including a new round-of-32 stage.\n\nFifa said the top two and eight best third-placed teams would progress to the last 32.\n\n\"The revised format mitigates the risk of collusion and ensures that all the teams play a minimum of three matches, while providing balanced rest time between competing teams,\" said world football's governing body.\n\nThe move was approved at Fifa's council meeting in Rwanda.\n\nFifa president Gianni Infantino said in December that the governing body was considering a format change after the group stages in Qatar included some exciting final games.\n\nThe four-team group format, with the top two going through to the knockout stages, has been used since the men's World Cup expanded to 32 teams in 1998.\n\nThe new round-of-32 stage means teams will have to play eight matches to win the tournament, compared to seven at the 2022 World Cup.\n\nFifa approved a men's international match calendar from 2025-2030 and said that \"based on the new calendar, the Fifa World Cup 2026 final will be played on Sunday, 19 July 2026\".\n\nIt added that the \"mandatory\" date for which clubs must release players for the tournament will start \"on 25 May 2026, following the last official club match on 24 May 2026\" and that \"exemptions may apply to the final matches of confederation club competitions until 30 May 2026 subject to Fifa approval\".\n\nThe women's international match calendar keeps its six international windows per year and includes the women's Olympic football tournament, which will take place from 25 July to 10 August 2024.\n\nFifa also approved the access list for the 32-team Fifa Club World Cup, which will take place every four years from June 2025.\n\nTeams who win their confederation's top tournament in \"the four-year period of the seasons ending in 2021 and 2024\" will qualify where they have enough places.\n\nEurope has 12 places in the new tournament and Chelsea and Real Madrid, who won the Champions League in 2021 and 2022 respectively, have already secured their spots.\n\nThe other qualifying teams from each continent will be determined \"by a club ranking based on the same four-year period\".\n\nThere will be a cap of two clubs per country with the exception being if more than two teams from the same country win their confederation's premier tournament over the qualification period.\n\nFifa also wants to keep a yearly club competition and this will be \"between the winner of the Uefa Champions League and the winner of intercontinental play-offs between the other confederations\".\n\nWhat about the players?\n\nPlayer organisations and club managers have regularly voiced concerns about the demands on players, and Fifa is to set up a task force to look at player welfare and \"principles such as mandatory rest periods\".\n\n\"Our fundamental objective is to have clarity on this topic, and to have meaningful football matches while protecting the wellbeing of the players and recognising that many regions need more competitive football,\" said Infantino.\n\nHowever, the general secretary of players' union Fifpro Jonas Baer-Hoffmann reiterated that \"ongoing research provides new evidence of the excessive demands on elite players\".\n\n\"We are now observing a growing awareness among players about the harmful effects these pressures have on their performance, careers, and personal lives,\" he added.\n\n\"They realise that their match calendar is not sustainable, affects their mental and physical health, and leaves them exposed, and without any protection, to an accelerated cycle of poorly coordinated competitions.\"\n\nProfessional Footballers' Association (PFA) chief executive Maheta Molango said: \"Fundamentally, the football calendar needs a complete reset.\n\n\"The expanded World Cup format being announced for 2026 means that, yet again, more games are being forced into an already overcrowded schedule.\n\n\"It is right that Fifa have listened to players' concerns and announced a working group to address the critical issues surrounding fixture congestion and player welfare.\n\n\"It is also encouraging to see that key concerns raised with Fifa by the PFA, such as the need for a minimum of 72 hours between games, a mandatory day off each week, and an annual rest period, are being prioritised.\n\n\"When Gianni Infantino came to Manchester to meet with us last year, these were the changes that our Premier League and Women's Super League members said they wanted to see.\n\n\"However, it's very difficult to see how that aligns with the constant expansion of the domestic and international calendar.\n\n\"We know that the current workload players face is having an ongoing impact on their wellbeing, both on and off the pitch. We can't simply push them until they break.\"\n\u2022 None Our coverage of your Premier League club is bigger and better than ever before - follow your team and sign up for notifications in the BBC Sport app to make sure you never miss a moment","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/sport\/football\/64952428"}
{"title":"Eleanor Williams sentencing: Men tried to take own lives over rape lies - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-14","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"Eleanor Williams lied to police and posted on Facebook she had been trafficked by an Asian gang.","section":"Cumbria","content":"Eleanor Williams was found guilty of eight counts of perverting the course of justice\n\nThree men tried to take their own lives after being falsely accused of rape and trafficking, a court has heard.\n\nEleanor Williams accused the men of attacking her and posted on Facebook in May 2020 that she was the victim of an Asian grooming gang.\n\nThe 22-year-old of Barrow-in-Furness was found guilty of perverting the course of justice in January.\n\nDuring a sentencing hearing at Preston Crown Court, Mohammed Ramzan, said the lies had made his life \"hell on earth\".\n\nMr Ramzan said two weeks after he was arrested following Williams' claims, he attempted to take his own life.\n\nHe said: \"I still bear the scars to this day.\"\n\nMr Ramzan said his property had been damaged and his businesses had been \"ruined\" after he and his family were targeted \"in the most horrendous way\".\n\n\"I have had countless death threats made over social media from people all over the world because of what they thought I was involved in,\" he said.\n\nOne of the men she falsely accused, Jordan Trengove, spent 73 days in custody\n\nIn a statement read to the court, Jordan Trengove said the word \"rapist\" had been spray painted across his house.\n\nHe said he spent 73 days in prison, sharing a cell with a convicted sex offender, after he was charged as a result of Williams' claims.\n\nHe said: \"Things had calmed down a bit until the Facebook post in 2020.\n\n\"This made things even worse for me. There were big protests and marches in Barrow.\n\n\"The lowest point was when I tried to end my life in August 2020.\"\n\nOliver Gardner said his chance encounter with Williams in Preston led to him being sectioned under the Mental Health Act.\n\nMr Gardner, who was accused of rape, said it was a \"real shock\" when he was contacted by Cumbria Police and told of her claims.\n\nHe said: \"It was just a case of being in the wrong place at the wrong time.\"\n\nIn his statement, he said he tried to end his life before being sectioned.\n\nCameron Bibby, who was the first man accused of rape by Williams in 2017, said he had to remove himself from most social media because of abuse and was scared to pick his son up from nursery because of the way people looked at him.\n\nWilliams' trial heard that police believed she inflicted the injuries on herself with a hammer\n\nHe said after Williams posted her account on Facebook, his neighbours displayed \"Justice for Ellie\" stickers in their windows, which \"intimidated\" him.\n\nThe court was shown videos of English Defence League founder Tommy Robinson attending protests at Hollywood Retail Park in Barrow in May 2020.\n\nIn a statement, Supt Matthew Pearman said there was \"unprecedented outcry on social media within the town of Barrow\" after Williams posted about her injuries.\n\nHe said: \"Barrow had not seen such public displays of mass anger for over 30 years.\"\n\nLouise Blackwell KC, defending Williams, said she \"continues in her allegations against the various people in pretty much the same circumstances\".\n\nWilliams is due to be sentenced on Tuesday.\n\nFollow BBC North East & Cumbria on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram. Send your story ideas to northeastandcumbria@bbc.co.uk.\n\nThe BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/uk-england-cumbria-64943465"}
{"title":"Tube strike: TfL warns passengers of 'little or no service' - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-14","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"Union members are due to walk out on Wednesday in a dispute over job cuts, pensions and conditions.","section":"London","content":"TfL said there would be \"little or no\" Tube service on Wednesday, and other services would be \"busier than usual\"\n\nTransport for London (TfL) is warning Tube passengers there will be \"little or no service\" during Wednesday's strike action by RMT and Aslef.\n\nMembers of both unions are due to walk out in a dispute over job cuts, pensions and conditions. The RMT said cuts were a \"political decision\".\n\nThe operator said the Elizabeth Line, Overground, DLR, trams and buses would be \"busier than normal\".\n\nThe Department for Transport said funding was the Mayor's decision.\n\nTfL has advised passengers travelling on Wednesday to allow more time for their journeys and to check the latest information before they travel.\n\nIt warned that the closure of Tube stations may mean some services would be unable to stop at all stations or run to their normal destinations.\n\nA spokesperson said: \"On Thursday 16 March, Tube services will start later than normal following strike action the previous day.\"\n\nTfL also said national rail strike action would also have an impact on transport in the capital on Thursday and into Friday morning, with the Overground, Elizabeth Line and some parts of the Bakerloo and District lines being \"disrupted by national rail strike action\".\n\nThe RMT said the deadline for the government and TfL to agree details of pension reforms for staff had been pushed back until Friday.\n\nMick Lynch, the RMT's general secretary, said: \"Our members will never accept job losses, attacks on their pensions or changes to working conditions in order to pay for a funding cut which is the government's political decision.\n\n\"Tube workers provide an essential service to the capital, making sure the city can keep moving and work long hours in demanding roles.\n\n\"In return they deserve decent pensions, job security and good working conditions, and RMT will fight tooth and nail to make sure that's what they get.\"\n\nIn a statement, Aslef said: \"Instead of providing the finances that London needs to operate a safe, affordable and efficient public transport system, the UK government is insisting that the gap is filled by huge reductions in staff numbers and cuts to the pensions and working conditions of those who remain.\n\n\"We want London Underground management to accept that change has to come by agreement not just be imposed. They refuse to do that, leaving us no other option but taking strike action,\" the statement continued.\n\nA Department for Transport spokesperson said: \"Transport in London is devolved to the Mayor of London and TfL.\n\n\"This government has committed over \u00a36bn since the start of the pandemic to support London's transport network - how that money is spent is a decision for the Mayor\".\n\nFollow BBC London on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. Send your story ideas to hellobbclondon@bbc.co.uk\n\nThe BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/uk-england-london-64940312"}
{"title":"NYC bike path killer Sayfullo Saipov spared death penalty - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-14","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"Sayfullo Saipov will spend life in prison for the city's deadliest terrorist attack since 9\/11.","section":"US & Canada","content":"This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. New York truck attack: Who is Sayfullo Saipov?\n\nAn Islamist extremist who killed eight people when he intentionally drove a truck down a New York City bike path in 2017 has been spared the death penalty.\n\nSayfullo Saipov faced the death penalty for what was the city's deadliest terrorist attack since 9\/11.\n\nThe same jury that convicted him in January was deadlocked over how he should be punished.\n\nSaipov will spend life in prison at the supermax facility in Colorado, the most secure prison in the US.\n\nA unanimous decision by the jury is required to impose a death penalty. Saipov's life sentence does not allow for parole.\n\nSaipov shouted \"God is great\" in Arabic as he emerged from the truck after the rampage in Manhattan.\n\nThe Uzbekistan native was shot by police, and asked to hang an Islamic State group flag over his hospital bed.\n\nSix people died at the scene of the Halloween attack and two more in hospital. Twelve others were injured.\n\nFive of those killed were from a group of nine Argentine friends visiting the city.\n\nA 31-year-old woman from Belgium who was visiting the city also died.\n\nTwo Americans, a 32-year-old financial worker and a 23-year-old software engineer, were killed.\n\n\"He turned a bike path into his battlefield,\" said prosecutor Jason Richman. \"He was happy about the terrorist attack he unleashed.\"\n\nIn court, the jury heard how Saipov had spent a year planning the attack. He chose Halloween because more people were likely to be out.\n\nHis defence attorney said his client had expected to die and become a martyr.\n\nShortly after the attack, then-President Donald Trump called for Saipov's execution, and reinstated federal executions after a 17-year moratorium in 2020.\n\nUnder President Joe Biden, federal executions were once again halted. But last autumn the Justice Department said it would seek the death penalty for Saipov.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/world-us-canada-64945630"}
{"title":"Who will replace Nicola Sturgeon as next SNP leader? - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-14","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"Ms Sturgeon refused to back anyone as a successor, insisting there was a wealth of talent within the SNP.","section":"Scotland politics","content":"Nicola Sturgeon is resigning as SNP leader and first minister of Scotland\n\nThree candidates have put themselves forward to replace Nicola Sturgeon as first minister of Scotland.\n\nKate Forbes, Ash Regan and Humza Yousaf are competing to become the next SNP leader.\n\nWhat do we know about them and the contest so far?\n\nThe finance secretary has had a meteoric rise through the ranks of government. She was dropped into the job following the surprise resignation of Derek Mackay and was left to deliver the 2020 Scottish Budget with just a few hours' notice.\n\nHer steady performance since then has belied her relatively young age (32) and short parliamentary career.\n\nShe was first elected to the seat of Skye, Lochaber and Badenoch in 2016, but has been talked about as a future leadership contender for some time.\n\nAnnouncing her campaign, she said the nation and the Yes movement were at \"a crossroads\" and that she had \"the vision, experience and competence to inspire voters\".\n\nAs finance secretary she has pushed for a \"reset\" of the public sector in the wake of the Covid pandemic, having set out plans which would have seen the workforce cut.\n\nMs Forbes is a member of the Free Church of Scotland, which follows a strict interpretation of the Bible, and has described how she has often had to \"tiptoe around\" her faith.\n\nShe has been on maternity leave since last summer, meaning she has not participated in some key debates within the SNP about gender reform and independence strategy.\n\nOn day one of her campaign, she said she would not have voted for the gender reform bill.\n\nMs Forbes also said she believed that having a child outside of marriage was \"wrong\" according to her religious beliefs.\n\nAnd she sparked a storm after saying she would not have voted for gay marriage legislation, as a matter of conscience, had she been in parliament at the time.\n\nA number of prominent supporters withdrew their endorsements and Deputy First Minister John Swinney questioned whether her stance on gay marriage made her \"appropriate\" to be SNP leader.\n\nIn reply, a spokesman for Ms Forbes said people would wonder why Mr Swinney believes a woman holding Christian views should be disqualified from holding high office.\n\nMs Forbes then took to social media in a bid to reset her campaign.\n\nShe said she had never intended to cause \"hurt\", and that she would \"defend to the hilt the right of everybody in Scotland, particularly minorities, to live and to live without fear or harassment in a pluralistic and tolerant society\".\n\nAnd she added: \"It is possible to be a person of faith, and to defend others' rights to have no faith or a different faith.\"\n\nThe former community safety minister is best known for quitting her government post in protest over gender reform legislation.\n\nBut the 48-year-old has also gained some prominent supporters in the legal industry thanks to her engagement with them during the Covid pandemic.\n\nMs Regan, who has been MSP for Edinburgh Eastern since 2016, says she would ditch the Gender Recognition Reform (Scotland) Bill.\n\nAnd she has called for an independence convention to \"create a new vision of an independent Scotland\".\n\nShe has also thrown her support behind the idea of using a future election as a \"de facto referendum\", saying that pro-independence parties winning over 50% of the vote would be \"a clear instruction that Scotland wishes to be an independent nation\".\n\nThis is a harder position on independence campaigning than either of the other candidates, who favour a more cautious approach, and Ms Regan may be targeting the hearts of party members impatient for action on the constitutional question.\n\nThe MSP has also called for members who quit the SNP over the gender reform row to be allowed back in to vote in the leadership contest - an idea laughed off as \"preposterous\" by the deputy first minister.\n\nMs Regan has also indicated support for the North Sea oil and gas industry and pledged to speed up the dualling of the A9 and A96.\n\nAt the launch of her campaign, Ms Regan said the SNP had \"effectively dismantled the Yes campaign\".\n\nShe said: \"In recent years, the wider Yes movement has become marginalised in the fight for independence. If elected, I intend to change that.\"\n\nShe also said it was a \"conflict of interest\" for Ms Sturgeon's husband - SNP chief executive Peter Murrell - to be running the contest to select her replacement.\n\nThe health secretary is part of a newer generation of SNP figures, having become a Glasgow MSP in 2011.\n\nHe is also the most experienced of the three candidates, having held a number of senior posts in government, including as transport minister, Europe minister and justice secretary.\n\nAt the launch of his campaign, the 37-year-old said he wanted to \"reenergise the campaign for independence\".\n\nHe said he had the experience to take on the job of first minister, but would have a \"a different approach\" to Nicola Sturgeon.\n\nShe had faced calls to sack Mr Yousaf over his running of the NHS in Scotland this winter, as waiting times hit record highs and doctors issued safety warnings.\n\nBut he has pointed to the pay offer made to NHS staff, which he says is likely to avoid strike action for the next financial year.\n\nHe has pitched himself as a candidate who would continue the work of Ms Sturgeon's administration and maintain the SNP's partnership arrangement with the Greens.\n\nHe is also the only candidate who has pledged to pursue legal action to defend Holyrood's gender reforms, which were blocked by the UK government. This is seen as a red line in terms of the Greens continuing support for the government.\n\nMr Yousaf says politics has grown too divisive, and that he has \"the skills to reach across the divide and bring people together\" across Scotland.\n\nOn independence, he says he wants to talk about policy rather than process, and to \"grow our movement from the grassroots upwards\".\n\nMr Yousaf, who is Muslim, missed the 2014 equal marriages vote at Holyrood as he was at a meeting, but supported the passage of the bill during its earlier stages in the parliament.\n\nOne former SNP minister, Alex Neil, told the Herald newspaper on Friday that Mr Yousaf had contrived to \"skip\" the vote by arranging this meeting 19 days in advance, and that it could have been rescheduled.\n\nMr Yousaf has vigorously denied such suggestions, and said the episode was being used by opponents to undermine his campaign.\n\nProminent supporters: Neil Gray, international development minister; Maree Todd, public health minister; Michael Matheson, net zero, energy and transport secretary; Kevin Stewart, mental wellbeing and social care minister.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/uk-scotland-scotland-politics-64648987"}
{"title":"Turkey earthquake: UK team to assess building damage - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-14","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"They are carrying out detailed assessments of why so many buildings collapsed.","section":"Science & Environment","content":"The team will be trying to understand why some buildings survived but others collapsed\n\nStructural and civil engineers from the UK have travelled to Turkey to help to investigate the damage caused by last month's powerful earthquake.\n\nThey are collecting geological data and carrying out detailed assessments of why so many buildings collapsed.\n\nWork with their Turkish colleagues has revealed examples of poor construction, including large pebbles mixed in concrete, which weakens its strength.\n\nBut the sheer power of the quake also caused some of the devastation.\n\nThe ground movement was so great in some areas that it exceeded what buildings had been designed to withstand.\n\nTurkey is also carrying out its own extensive investigations into the quake.\n\nSamples from fallen buildings show that large pebbles have been mixed into concrete\n\nThe research is being carried out by the Earthquake Engineering Field Investigation Team (EEFIT).\n\nThe group includes experts from industry as well as leading academics and has carried out assessments of major earthquakes over the last three decades.\n\nThey will combine their findings with research being carried out by Turkish teams and other structural engineers with the aim of learning lessons from the earthquake and finding ways to improve the construction of buildings to make them more resilient.\n\n\"It's important to get the full picture rather than just looking at a snapshot of a single asset or a single building,\" explains Professor Emily So, director of the Cambridge University Centre for Risk in the Built Environment, who is co-leader of the investigation.\n\n\"The successes of the buildings that are still intact and perform perfectly well are as important as the neighbouring buildings that have collapsed.\n\n\"And actually having that distribution, having that overview, is really key to what we can learn from this earthquake.\"\n\nEmily So (pictured) is leading the EEFIT investigation with Yasemin Didem Aktas from UCL\n\nThe Magnitude 7.8 earthquake struck on 6 February in southern Turkey close to the Syrian border and was followed by powerful aftershocks.\n\nMore than 50,000 people lost their lives in the region as buildings collapsed.\n\nIn the wake of the devastation, there has been scrutiny of building regulations and construction practices in Turkey. Now the EEFIT team is carrying out technical evaluations of the performance of buildings in the area.\n\nStructural engineers from Turkey, who are working with the team, have already found some problems.\n\nSamples of concrete taken from a collapsed building in Adiyaman have revealed that it contains 6cm-long stones. They have come from a nearby river and have been used to bulk out the concrete.\n\n\"That has some serious implications on the strength of the concrete,\" says Prof So.\n\nSteel reinforcements were smooth not ridged, which weakens the concrete\n\nAnd steel bars inside the concrete, which should reinforce it, have been found to be smooth instead of ridged.\n\nThis means the concrete doesn't cling to them, again weakening the structure.\n\nIn Turkey, many older buildings collapsed during the quake, but some modern ones also failed.\n\nNew building codes were brought in after a major earthquake in Iznit in 1999, and Prof So says newer buildings should have fared better.\n\n\"I think it's really important that we recognise those and actually do the testing, to find out why these new buildings, which would have been built to code, have failed in such a way,\" she told BBC News.\n\nThe EEFIT team is also analysing the nature of the quake.\n\nDr Yasemin Didem Aktas, co-leader of the expedition, from UCL in London, said that the earthquake was extremely powerful.\n\n\"Even the aftershocks were as large in magnitude as a decent-sized earthquake,\" she said.\n\n\"In an earthquake, the ground shakes in a horizontal and vertical fashion. Often the vertical component is much lower and negligible compared to the horizontal movement. However, this event recorded very high vertical accelerations as well.\"\n\nSome areas saw a process called liquefaction. It turns the solid ground into a heavy fluid - like very wet sand - a tell-tale sign of this is a building that has toppled over or has sunk.\n\n\"I think the characteristics of the events also played a very important role in the devastation that we are seeing,\" Dr Aktas added.\n\nZiggy Lubkowski tells the BBC how buildings can be constructed to withstand earthquakes\n\nBut buildings can be designed to be earthquake resilient.\n\nZiggy Lubkowski, who leads the seismic team at design and engineering company Arup, which has sent engineers to Turkey for the investigation, said: \"What we try and do when we design buildings is to prevent life loss.\n\n\"The basic design principle is to allow some form of damage within the building. That damage absorbs the energy of the earthquake, and ensures that the building still stays upright, but doesn't collapse.\"\n\nComponents such as dampers, which act like shock absorbers as the building sways to and fro, and rubber bearings, which are fitted underneath a building and absorb the energy of a quake, can be added.\n\nBut all of this costs money.\n\nRebuilding in the area will cost more than $100bn the UN says\n\n\"Those increases, in terms of the structural cost of the building, may be in the order of 10 to 15%, depending on the nature of the building,\" Ziggy Lubkowski says.\n\n\"But actually, if you think about it, the fit-out costs of a building often outweigh the structural costs of a building. So at the end of the day, the additional structural costs are not that much more.\"\n\nThe United Nations has estimated that the cost of clearing and rebuilding in the earthquake in Turkey could exceed $100 billion.\n\nThe EEFIT team says the findings, which will be published in the coming weeks, could help in setting new building codes to stop the devastation caused by this earthquake from happening again,\n\nThe BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/science-environment-64920236"}
{"title":"As it happened: US drone crashes after incident with Russian fighter jet over Black Sea - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-14","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"The US military says the encounter happened as the drone flew in international airspace over the Black Sea.","section":"Europe","content":"We're now ending our live coverage following the US drone crash after an incident with a Russian fighter jet over the Black Sea.\n\nHere is a recap of what we know:\n\u2022 The American military has accused a Russian Su-27 fighter jet of colliding with a US unmanned drone, causing it to crash into the Black Sea\n\u2022 Russia denies that its jet had any contact with drone during the incident\n\u2022 The US says two Russian fighter jets tried to intercept the drone and dumped fuel on it, before one struck the propeller of the MQ-9 drone in international airspace during a \"unprofessional act\"\n\u2022 The drone, used for aerial surveillance, was involved in routine operations, according to the US\n\u2022 The Russian defence ministry says it scrambled its jets after it detected the drone flying over the black sea, near the Crimean Peninsula, before the drone crashed after a \"sharp manoeuvre\"\n\u2022 The US has summoned the Russian ambassador over the incident\n\u2022 Anatoly Antonov, Russia's ambassador to the US, said the meeting between him and US officials was \"constructive\", but that differences remain on how each country views the incident\n\nThis page has been brought to you by Andre Rhoden-Paul, Nadine Yousif, and Max Matza. It was edited by Alexandra Fouch\u00e9, Marianna Brady, and Jessica Murphy.\n\nYou can read our latest story here:\n\u2022 US drone crashes after encounter with Russian jet","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/live\/world-europe-64958547"}
{"title":"Meta lay-offs: Facebook owner to cut 10,000 staff - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-14","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"In addition to the culling of 10,000 jobs, 5,000 vacancies at the company will be left unfilled.","section":"Technology","content":"Meta chief executive Mark Zuckerberg announced the plans in a memo to staff\n\nMeta, which owns Facebook, Instagram and WhatsApp, has announced plans to cut 10,000 jobs.\n\nIt will be the second wave of mass redundancies from the tech giant, which laid off 11,000 employees last November.\n\nMeta chief executive Mark Zuckerberg said the cuts - part of a \"year of efficiency\" - would be \"tough\".\n\nIn addition to the 10,000 jobs cut, 5,000 vacancies at the firm will be left unfilled, he told staff.\n\nIn a memo, Mr Zuckerberg told employees he believed the company had suffered \"a humbling wake-up call\" in 2022 when it experienced a dramatic slowdown in revenue.\n\nMeta previously announced that in the three months to December 2022, earnings were down 4% year-on-year - though it still managed to make a profit of more than $23bn over the course of 2022.\n\nMr Zuckerberg cited higher interest rates in the US, global geopolitical instability and increased regulation as some of the factors affecting Meta, and contributing to the slowdown.\n\n\"I think we should prepare ourselves for the possibility that this new economic reality will continue for many years,\" he said.\n\nThe latest job cuts come as companies, including Google and Amazon, have been grappling with how to balance cost-cutting measures with the need to remain competitive.\n\nAt the start of this year, Amazon announced it planned to close more than 18,000 jobs because of \"the uncertain economy\" and rapid hiring during the pandemic, while Google's parent company Alphabet made 12,000 cuts.\n\nAccording to layoffs.fyi, which tracks job losses in the tech sector, there have been more than 128,000 job cuts in the tech industry so far in 2023.\n\nMr Zuckerberg said the recruitment team would be the first to be told whether they were affected by the cuts, and would find out on Wednesday.\n\nHe also outlined when other teams would be informed: \"We expect to announce restructurings and lay-offs in our tech groups in late April 2023, and then our business groups in late May 2023,\" he wrote in the memo to staff on Tuesday.\n\n\"In a small number of cases, it may take through to the end of the year to complete these changes.\n\n\"Our timelines for international teams will also look different, and local leaders will follow up with more details.\"\n\nSadly, we're getting used to hearing about big tech lay-offs, as the giants of the sector continue to tighten their belts.\n\nMany like Meta make most of their money from advertising. Now they're faced with a perfect storm: of falling ad revenues from companies with their own bills to pay, and a user base which has less money to spend, making existing ad space less valuable.\n\nIt's interesting to note that Meta is looking to its recruitment team in the latest round of cuts.\n\nI often hear that Silicon Valley firms have a tendency to over-recruit, for two reasons. Firstly, so they have staff ready to handle sudden growth, which can happen (just look at TikTok). And, secondly, to retain those people perceived to be \"top tech talent\", whom they don't want working for their rivals.\n\nBoth are luxuries, it seems, that are no longer affordable.\n\nMeta has the added risk of Mark Zuckerberg's enormous gamble on the metaverse being The Next Big Thing. If he's right, his firm will regain its crown, but if he's wrong, the $15bn+ dollars he has spent on it so far could disappear in a puff of mixed reality smoke.\n\nMr Zuckerberg said there would be no new hires until the restructuring was complete, adding that he aimed to make the company \"flatter\" by \"removing multiple layers of management\".\n\nHe also dedicated a section of his correspondence to hybrid work. His claims that software engineers who joined Meta in person performed better than those who joined remotely, suggest hybrid working will come under scrutiny during the current \"year of efficiency\".\n\n\"Engineers earlier in their career perform better on average when they work in person with teammates at least three days a week,\" wrote Mr Zuckerberg.\n\n\"We're focusing on understanding this further, and finding ways to make sure people build the necessary connections to work effectively.\n\n\"In the meantime, I encourage all of you to find more opportunities to work with your colleagues in person.\"","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/technology-64954124"}
{"title":"Surge in gonorrhoea cases recorded across Scotland - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-14","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"Diagnoses of the sexually transmitted infection have jumped by 49% compared to pre-pandemic.","section":"Scotland","content":"The number of cases of gonorrhoea recorded in Scotland has soared since the end of Covid lockdown restrictions.\n\nNew figures from Public Health Scotland (PHS) show there were 5,641 diagnoses of the sexually transmitted infection last year, a 49% increase on 2019.\n\nThe end of social distancing restrictions and more people being checked at sexual health clinics is partly to blame for the rise.\n\nThe majority of those diagnosed with the disease were younger men.\n\nRates of the infection have increased rapidly since May 2021, from three positive diagnoses per 100,000 people to a \"historical high\" of 17.2 per 100,000 in November 2022.\n\nIn its report PHS describes the increase as \"concerning\" and suggests it may \"reflect both recovery of testing and diagnosis of infection which was undiagnosed during the Covid pandemic and an increase in incident infection which may be, in part, a consequence of transmission from undiagnosed individuals\".\n\nThe increase is not linked to increasing resistance to antibiotic treatment, said PHS which also warns that dealing with the surge in cases will be \"challenging\" due to reduced capacity at sexual health clinics across Scotland.\n\nThe health quango said it may require targeted testing of \"higher risk, symptomatic individuals\".\n\nGonorrhoea cases dropped in 2020 when the number of people being tested fell dramatically as result of the Covid pandemic.\n\nThe low numbers of cases in 2021 was partly attributed to social distancing measures in place in that year.\n\nIn 2022, three NHS Boards (NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde, Lothian and Grampian) reported 63% of all gonorrhoea diagnoses.\n\nThe disease is caused by the bacterium Neisseria gonorrhoeae.\n\nThe infection is spread by unprotected vaginal, oral and anal sex.\n\nSymptoms can include a thick green or yellow discharge from sexual organs, pain when urinating and bleeding between periods.\n\nHowever, vaginal and rectal infections often have no symptoms.\n\nAn untreated infection can lead to infertility, pelvic inflammatory disease and can be passed on to a child during pregnancy.\n\nThe BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/uk-scotland-64951927"}
{"title":"Periods in sport: Ireland team to wear navy shorts for Six Nations - BBC Sport","published_date":"2023-03-14","authors":null,"description":"The Ireland women's rugby team changes their traditional white shorts to navy for the Six Nations because of concerns over playing during their periods.","section":null,"content":"The Ireland women's rugby team has chosen to swap their traditional white shorts and make a permanent switch to navy because of period concerns.\n\nThe move comes as a response to feedback from players about playing in white rugby kit during their period.\n\nThe new Ireland kit will be seen for the first time at the Women's Six Nations launch in London on Wednesday and throughout the tournament.\n\nIreland will begin their campaign against Wales on Saturday 25 March.\n\nSpeaking to BBC Radio Ulster in January, Gillian McDarby, the head of Women's Performance at IRFU, said the organisation were in talks about the change with kit supplier Canterbury of New Zeland after consulting the players.\n\nThey say they will give other rugby players and teams at all levels who have purchased white women's Canterbury shorts the opportunity to claim a free pair in a different colour.\n\nIreland International Enya Breen, said: \"The top way to ensure we perform to our best on the field is by removing any unnecessary distractions. Wearing navy shorts instead of white is such a small thing, but for us it's a big step.\n\n\"Our hope is that it will help women at all levels of rugby feel more comfortable on the field so they can get on with performing at their best in the game that they love.\"","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/sport\/rugby-union\/64950587"}
{"title":"Silicon Valley Bank: Global bank stocks slump despite Biden reassurances - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-14","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"US authorities have stepped in to protect customers after the collapse of two American banks.","section":"Business","content":"This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Is this the start of a financial crisis?\n\nBank shares in Asia and Europe have slumped, despite reassurances from the US president that America's financial system is safe following the collapse of two US lenders.\n\nThe falls come after authorities moved to protect customer deposits when the US-based Silicon Valley Bank (SVB) and Signature Bank collapsed.\n\nJoe Biden promised to do \"whatever is needed\" to protect the banking system.\n\nBut investors fear other lenders may still be hit by the fallout.\n\nOn Tuesday, Japan's Topix Banks share index fell by more than 7%, putting it on course for its worst day in more than three years.\n\nShares of Mitsubishi UFJ Financial Group, the country's largest lender by assets, were down by 8.1% in mid-day Asian trading.\n\nOn Monday, Spain's Santander and Germany's Commerzbank saw their share prices dive by more than 10% at one point.\n\nA string of smaller US banks suffered even worse losses than European counterparts, despite reassuring customers that they had more than enough liquidity to protect themselves from shocks.\n\nThe volatility has led to speculation that America's Federal Reserve will now pause its plans to keep raising interest rates, designed to tame inflation.\n\nMr Biden said that people and businesses that had deposited money with Silicon Valley Bank would be able to access all their cash from Monday, after the government stepped in to protect their deposits in full.\n\nMany business customers had faced the prospect of not being able to pay staff and suppliers after their funds were frozen.\n\nBBC North America Technology correspondent James Clayton spoke to people queuing up all day outside the SVB branch in Menlo Park, California, to access their funds.\n\nAs the bank was no longer offering wire transfers, they were taking out their money in cashier cheques.\n\nThis Twitter post cannot be displayed in your browser. Please enable Javascript or try a different browser. View original tweet on Twitter The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Skip twitter post by James Clayton 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\u2019s cookie policy, external and privacy policy, external before accepting. To view this content choose \u2018accept and continue\u2019. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.\n\nSilicon Valley Bank - which specialised in lending to technology companies - was shut down by US regulators who seized its assets on Friday. It was the biggest failure of a US bank since the financial crisis in 2008.\n\nIt had been trying to raise money to plug a loss from the sale of assets affected by higher interest rates. Word of the troubles led customers to race to withdraw funds, leading to a cash crisis.\n\nAuthorities on Sunday also took over Signature Bank in New York, which had many clients involved in crypto and was seen as the institution most vulnerable to a similar bank run.\n\nMr Biden promised that covering the deposits would not cost taxpayers anything, and instead be funded by fees regulators charge to banks.\n\nAs part of efforts to restore confidence, US regulators also unveiled a new way for banks to borrow emergency funds in a crisis.\n\nYet there is concern that the failures, which came after the collapse of another US lender, Silvergate Bank, last week, are a sign of troubles at other firms.\n\nPaul Ashworth of Capital Economics said the US authorities had \"acted aggressively to prevent a contagion developing\".\n\n\"But contagion has always been more about irrational fear, so we would stress that there is no guarantee this will work,\" he added.\n\nDanni Hewson, head of financial analysis at the stockbrokers AJ Bell, said: \"The first rush of relief has been replaced by niggling concerns that the era of high rates might be more difficult for some banks to stomach than had been previously thought.\n\n\"In the US, bank stocks slid despite Joe Biden's pledge that 'whatever is needed' will be carried out to prevent more dominos from tumbling.\"\n\nThe failure of SVB has re-ignited debates - similar to those seen following the 2008 financial crisis - about how much the government should do to regulate and protect banks.\n\nThe chair of the US Federal Reserve, Jerome Powell, says there will be a thorough and transparent review of the collapse.\n\nMr Biden called for tougher rules and emphasised that investors and bank leaders would not be spared.\n\n\"They knowingly took a risk... that's how capitalism works,\" he said.\n\nStill, Republican Senator Tim Scott, seen as a potential presidential candidate in 2024, called the rescue \"problematic\".\n\n\"Building a culture of government intervention does nothing to stop future institutions from relying on the government to swoop in after taking excessive risks,\" he said.\n\nOnce again people are worried about banks. Once again there is intense debate about bailouts. But this isn't 2008.\n\nFollowing the global financial crisis, the focus was on reforming banks considered \"too big to fail\". Today's problems are centred around medium- and smaller-sized banks.\n\nBoth of the banks that collapsed - Silicon Valley Bank and Signature Bank - had the same thing in common: their business models were too concentrated in one sector and they were over exposed to assets whose values came under pressure from rising interest rates.\n\nThe criticism is that they should have foreseen this and they didn't. US Federal Reserve chair Jerome Powell has gone to great lengths to signal the Fed's intention to raise interest rates.\n\nSince most banks are well diversified and have plenty of cash on hand, the assumption is that the risk to the rest of the banking sector is low. That won't stop regulators looking into what went wrong and what rules need to change.\n\nAnd the pressure on small- and medium-sized banks hasn't gone away. What happens to the US economy and the fight against inflation also remains to be seen.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/world-us-canada-64935170"}
{"title":"Amir Khan: Armed robbery was scarier than any of my fights - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-14","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"Three men are accused of conspiracy to rob the former world champion boxer at gunpoint.","section":"London","content":"Amir Khan was with his wife when a gun was pointed in his face and his \u00a372,000 watch was taken, a jury heard\n\nFormer world boxing champion Amir Khan has told a court how looking down the barrel of a gun as he was robbed was scarier than any of his fights.\n\nMr Khan, 36, said he was with his wife when a gun was pointed in his face and his \u00a372,000 watch was taken in Leyton, east London, in April last year.\n\nSnaresbrook Crown Court has heard he was forced to hand over his bespoke Franck Muller watch by gunman Dante Campbell, 20.\n\n\"[I was] really scared,\" Mr Khan said.\n\n\"I'm a sportsman, I'm a fighter. I have always been put in the toughest situations when I go into the ring and fight someone, but this was totally different; very, very scary.\"\n\nIsmail Mohamed, 24, from Edmonton; Ahmed Bana, 25, from Tottenham; and Nurul Amin, 25, from Harringay; all north London, all deny conspiracy to rob.\n\nCampbell, from Hornsey in north London, has pleaded guilty to the charges, the jury has been told.\n\nMr Khan told the jury that he had been shopping in the Knightsbridge area while his influencer wife was doing a photoshoot, before the couple ate dinner with his friend Omar Khalid on 18 April.\n\nHe recounted the robbery and told of having a gun pointed at his face, adding that his wife was \"screaming and crying\".\n\nProsecutor Philip Evans KC said the \"carefully planned and executed robbery\", which was captured on CCTV and played to jurors, was \"over in seconds\".\n\nMr Khan admitted telling the media shortly after the robbery he believed \"the hit\" had been orchestrated by a member of his inner circle but said he had been mistaken.\n\nMr Bana is alleged to have been the driver of the silver Mercedes coupe, which dropped Campbell and another unknown robber at the scene before serving as the getaway vehicle.\n\nMr Amin and Mr Mohamed, along with another man who is not on trial, are said to have acted as \"spotters\" \u2014 dining in the restaurant to keep track of Mr Khan's movements and relay them by phone to Mr Bana.\n\nFollow BBC London on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. Send your story ideas to hellobbclondon@bbc.co.uk\n\nThe BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/uk-england-london-64950069"}
{"title":"Barmouth murder accused told partner he didn't mean to kill - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-14","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"Jury sees CCTV footage of last moments of woman who died after mistaking couple's house for hotel.","section":"Wales","content":"Margaret Barnes was heard to say \"I'm sorry\" on the CCTV recording\n\nThe partner of a man accused of killing a woman who mistook his home for a hotel told him he could have escorted her outside, a court has heard.\n\nThe prosecution said Margaret Barnes, 71, from Birmingham, was dragged out of the house in Barmouth, Gwynedd, before being kicked and stamped on.\n\nDavid Redfern, 46, who denies murder or manslaughter, told his partner: \"I didn't mean to kill her\", jurors heard.\n\nHis partner said: \"You could have just escorted her out. It's an old lady.\"\n\nMs Barnes was also heard apologising to Mr Redfern on CCTV, which was shown to Caernarfon Crown Court on Tuesday.\n\nThe trial heard Mr Redfern had been recorded by a camera near to the front door of his home in which he stated there was \"nothing wrong with her\".\n\n\"All I have done is eject her from my house,\" he declared.\n\nMrs Barnes, a retired factory worker from Birmingham, had, after drinking, mistaken the seaside house for a B&B, the prosecution has claimed.\n\nProsecuting KC, Michael Jones, said Mr Redfern, of Marine Parade, who had self-confessed anger issues, had forcibly removed Mrs Barnes from the bedroom and pulled her downstairs by the ankles last July.\n\nHe said Mr Redfern and his partner, Nicola Learoyd-Lewis, would not have expected to find her sleeping in their bed.\n\nMargaret Barnes died at the scene on Marine Parade last July\n\nMr Redfern had phoned the police but \"what the defendant did next to Mrs Barnes was out of all proportion\".\n\nIt was \"totally unjustified, utterly gratuitous and completely unlawful\", said Mr Jones.\n\nHe said Mr Redfern kicked or stamped on the \"defenceless\" woman in a \"cruel\" attack which caused major liver damage.\n\nShe had also suffered a number of broken ribs.\n\nMrs Barnes, who had been drinking during a social trip to the area, died at the scene, the jury heard.\n\nOn the CCTV recordings, Mr Redfern declared: \"I'm sorry for kicking her in the ribs and dragging her down the stairs.\"\n\nHe said he was \"angry\" after finding Mrs Barnes in his bed and called her a \"scumbag\".\n\nAs Mrs Barnes' condition worsened outside the property, the jury heard an ambulance operator instruct those at the scene to perform CPR.\n\nMiss Learoyd-Lewis had begged the woman: \"Please don't die. Please don't die.\"\n\nBut later she said: \"It's too late.\"\n\nMrs Barnes had also been heard to say \"I'm sorry\" on the CCTV footage.\n\nThe jury heard Mr Redfern claimed Mrs Barnes had been \"angry and aggressive\" towards his partner and he had behaved \"passively\".\n\nThe prosecution said Mr Redfern would suggest there had been an \"accidental trip over Mrs Barnes\".","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/uk-wales-64956260"}
{"title":"'Customers freaked': Silicon Valley Bank saga in 80 seconds - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-14","authors":null,"description":"Has the collapse of two US banks sparked another financial crisis?","section":null,"content":"Has the collapse of two US banks sparked another financial crisis? The BBC's Samira Hussain in New York explains what happened and why the rest of the world is watching.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/world-us-canada-64952039"}
{"title":"Eleanor Williams: The lasting impact of fake rape claims - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-14","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"Eleanor Williams lied about being a victim of an Asian grooming gang in her home town.","section":"Cumbria","content":"Eleanor Williams was jailed for eight-and-a-half years on Tuesday for perverting the course of justice\n\nWhen Eleanor Williams' Facebook post claiming she was the victim of an Asian rape gang went viral in 2020, it sparked a bitter backlash against Asian-owned businesses in her home town of Barrow, Cumbria.\n\nAfter she was jailed for perverting the course of justice, some of those affected have spoken to the BBC about the lasting impact of her lies. Their names have been changed because they're still concerned for their safety.\n\nSajid has lived for most of his life in Barrow and as a schoolboy 30 years ago had got used to being the only non-white face in his class.\n\nThe town still has a very small Asian population - just 1.4% of the borough's total - but Sajid is part of an even smaller section of Barrow's Asian community - those who run Indian restaurants.\n\nThe small, shipbuilding town on the southern tip of Cumbria is home to fewer than 10 of them.\n\nOver the years, Sajid's restaurant had become successful and well established amongst Barrow's population, which is 97% white.\n\nBut in May 2020 things took a dark and menacing twist.\n\nOne night Sajid got a call from a friend telling him to look at Facebook. There he saw Eleanor Williams' post, which was eventually shared more than 100,000 times.\n\nIn it she claimed to have been taken to an address in Barrow and raped by numerous Asian men. Included were graphic images of injuries to her face and body she claimed the gang had inflicted on her - in fact, she had done them to herself.\n\nWilliams posted images of injuries she had inflicted on herself on Facebook\n\nShortly after Sajid began getting phone calls. Many of them were silent, some were entirely sinister.\n\n\"Some of the threats were so severe, saying 'We're gonna kill you', I had to contact the police,\" he told the BBC.\n\nInitially, Sajid could not understand why the anger and suspicion was being directed at him and his fellow restaurant owners, but then another friend directed him to Snapchat.\n\nOn the messaging app, a post was circulating which named Indian restaurants in Barrow - it seemed to accuse all of them of being involved in the rape and abuse of Williams.\n\n\"I had calls saying that they were going to rape my wife in front my children, then kill me, and kill my kids,\" he said, adding: \"I got quite a few calls, saying that we're going to shoot everyone within the shop.\n\n\"Some of the stuff that was coming out was just horrible. And a lot of racist remarks as well.\"\n\nThe windows of his business were smashed three times, people spat at his shop and regularly shouted abuse at the staff or at Sajid in the street.\n\nDoug Marshall was \"shocked and dismayed by the level of racism\" in the aftermath of Williams' lies\n\nCumbria Police said they had to deal with more than 150 extra crimes in the aftermath of Williams' Facebook post - 83 of which were classed as hate crimes.\n\nDoug Marshall, the senior investigating officer on the case, describes the fallout from the Facebook post as \"a disgusting state of affairs\".\n\nHe said: \"People were getting accused who had nothing to do with the case whatsoever.\n\n\"I was shocked and dismayed by the level of racism, and that people seemed to think they knew more about the case than the investigators and the police.\"\n\nThe anger in Barrow felt more concentrated to those it was focused on because of how small and close-knit the shipbuilding town is.\n\nBarrow's MP Simon Fell describes the town as \"isolated\" and, as a consequence, \"it's a really strong and tight-knit community\".\n\nHe said: \"So when the story like this breaks, everybody's not just got an opinion on it. Everybody knows someone involved in it.\n\n\"It was like a bomb dropping. It really upset people.\"\n\nDuring the summer of 2020 people frequently walked into Barrow's takeaways to abuse staff\n\nSupt Matt Pearman, responsible for day-to-day policing in Barrow, submitted a statement to Preston Crown Court ahead of Williams' sentencing in which he said the town had \"never seen such public displays of mass anger in over 30 years\" - tracing all the way back to the Vickers shipyard strike of 1988 which saw clashes at picket lines.\n\nThose levying the threats and abuse may have been a minority of Barrow's population, but to Sajid it seemed like the town had turned against him.\n\nAfter the Facebook post went viral Sajid's trade dropped by 95% \"overnight\".\n\nIt was a similar story a few streets away at Adil's restaurant.\n\nHe calculated his business dropped by 75% off the back of William's viral post.\n\nHe had his windows smashed too after one of a handful of local protests held in the misguided cause of \"Justice for Ellie Williams\".\n\nIndian restaurants were vandalised over several months in a wave of unwarranted reprisals\n\nAdil estimated his losses totalled about \u00a330,000. He had to take out a loan and borrow money from family and friends just to survive.\n\nEven the customers who still chose to eat in his restaurant harboured suspicions.\n\nWhen restaurants were eventually permitted to reopen after lockdown people would ring and ask if it was safe to bring their children, telling him: \"We've seen you're involved with the Ellie Williams case.\"\n\nHe overheard diners discussing among themselves whether they thought he had been involved \"but they didn't ask me\", Adil said.\n\nAdil also noticed something less tangible but maybe more profound, \"People looked at me in the face differently\".\n\nHe reckoned his business has now recovered to about 80% of where it was before Williams went public with her lies about grooming gangs.\n\n\"Barrow now is good,\" he said, adding: \"Nice and quiet.\"\n\nReflecting on the past three years, Sajid said there had always been \"an element of racism\" in his town, but in the summer of 2020 it was \"the racists that were shouting the loudest and causing most upset\".\n\nHe said: \"The good part of the community were scared to raise their voice, afraid of the backlash they may receive.\n\n\"The bad side of the community had taken over the town.\n\n\"We were tried and found guilty by social media. We were branded guilty before any real evidence had come out.\"\n\nThe Big Cases: The Lie That Destroyed A Town will be available on BBC iPlayer from Wednesday\n\nFollow BBC North East & Cumbria on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram. Send your story ideas to northeastandcumbria@bbc.co.uk.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/uk-england-cumbria-64950299"}
{"title":"GaaSyy: Japan YouTuber MP expelled for never going to work - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-14","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"The senator and YouTube blogger has not attended parliament even once since he was elected.","section":"Asia","content":"Yoshikazu Higashitani, known as GaaSyy on YouTube, hasn't attended a day of parliament sessions\n\nA celebrity gossip YouTuber turned MP will become Japan's first lawmaker to be kicked out of parliament without ever actually entering it.\n\nYoshikazu Higashitani was expelled on Tuesday by his Senate colleagues for never coming to work.\n\nHe has not attended a single day of parliament sessions since being elected to office seven months ago.\n\nThe parliament's discipline committee stripped him of his status because of the continued absence.\n\nVoters had elected Mr Higashitani to the upper house last July. He is better known as GaaSyy on YouTube where he is famous for his celebrity gossip videos.\n\nExpulsion is the most severe punishment a lawmaker can receive. It has happened only two times since 1950 and this is the first time an MP has been expelled due to continued absence.\n\nThe chamber is set to formalise the decision later this week.\n\nThe lawmaker - who has been nicknamed 'No-show MP'- is believed to be living in the United Arab Emirates.\n\nHe has so far refused to attend parliament because he fears being arrested over fraud allegations, and defamation claims from celebrities, Japanese media reported.\n\nHe is one of two members elected from the Seijika-joshi-48 opposition party. The single-issue party - formerly known as the NHK Party - only calls for reforms to Japan's public broadcaster.\n\nThe party regularly changes its name for publicity reasons, the Asahi Shimbun newspaper has reported.\n\nLast week, parliament had demanded Mr Higashitani fly to Tokyo to deliver an in-person apology in the chamber for his absence. Lawmakers had said this would be a last chance for redemption.\n\nBut Mr Higashitani failed to show up at the plenary session.\n\nInstead, he announced on his YouTube channel that he was going to Turkey - and that he was planning to donate his salary to the Turkish earthquake relief.\n\nHis absence angered the Senate - whose members voted for his expulsion this week.\n\nHis sole other party colleague, Hamada Satoshi, argued that it was illegal to expel Mr Higashitani because of his absence from sessions. However the committee voted unanimously to expel him.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/world-asia-64950117"}
{"title":"Ros Atkins on\u2026 Gary Lineker and the BBC\u2019s impartiality crisis - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-14","authors":null,"description":"The BBC\u2019s analysis editor examines the BBC's impartiality guidance, after the corporation struck a deal with Gary Lineker over his controversial tweets.","section":null,"content":"The BBC\u2019s analysis editor Ros Atkins examines what the BBC has called \u2018grey areas\u2019 in its impartiality guidance, after the corporation struck a deal with Gary Lineker over his controversial tweets.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/uk-64946486"}
{"title":"Who is Kate Forbes, defeated SNP leadership candidate? - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-14","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"Ms Forbes was at the centre of a political storm over her religious beliefs at the start of the contest.","section":"Scotland politics","content":"Kate Forbes, who finished second to Humza Yousaf in the SNP leadership race, has announced that she is leaving the Scottish government.\n\nScotland's finance secretary was on maternity leave after the birth of her daughter when Nicola Sturgeon suddenly announced that she was quitting as SNP leader and Scotland's first minister.\n\nWithin a couple of days of confirming she would be standing in the contest to succeed her, Ms Forbes found herself at the centre of a political storm.\n\nHer views on issues such as gay marriage, abortion, trans rights and having children outside of marriage were savaged by Deputy First Minister John Swinney, who had been standing in for the deeply religious Ms Forbes since last July.\n\nMs Sturgeon herself also made thinly-veiled barbs at the woman she had appointed finance secretary at the age of 29, just hours before she had to deliver a budget speech.\n\nScotland is a progressive country, Ms Sturgeon stated, and the views of the next first minister therefore matter.\n\nMs Forbes saw several supporters desert her campaign in response to the furore, which was ignited when she told journalists that she would not have voted for gay marriage had she been an MSP at the time.\n\nShe subsequently told Sky News that she believed that having children outside of marriage is \"wrong\" according to her faith as a member of the evangelical Free Church of Scotland, while stressing that: \"In a free society you can do what you want.\"\n\nMs Forbes has never hidden her religious beliefs, leaving pundits wondering why they had appeared to come as a shock to some of her supporters.\n\nThe Free Church, of which she is a devout follower, has strongly opposed gay marriage since it was legalised in Scotland in 2014.\n\nMs Forbes and her husband Ali celebrated the birth of daughter Naomi last year\n\nIn 2018, Ms Forbes spoke at the National Prayer Breakfast for Scotland a day after a Westminster debate on abortion, when she called on politicians to \"recognise that the way we treat the most vulnerable - whether the unborn or the terminally ill - is a measure of true progress\".\n\nShe was among the 15 SNP politicians who wrote an open letter to Ms Sturgeon the following year asking for a delay to gender recognition reforms that would allow people in Scotland to self-identify their sex.\n\nThe final vote on the proposals was held when Ms Forbes was on maternity leave, but when she launched her leadership campaign she made clear that she still had significant concerns about self-identification and would not have been able to vote for the legislation in its current form.\n\nSeveral senior figures within the Scottish government reacted with fury to her comments, with Mr Swinney saying he profoundly disagreed with her views despite also having deep Christian faith.\n\nHumza Yousaf warned that independence could only be won if the SNP sticks to \"progressive values\" and avoids a \"lurch to the right\".\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser.\n\nThe bubbling tensions boiled over in a televised STV debate, when Ms Forbes launched an attack on Mr Yousaf in which she slated his performance as a government minister.\n\nMs Forbes told Mr Yousaf: \"You were transport minister and the trains were never on time, when you were justice secretary the police were stretched to breaking point, and now as health minister we've got record high waiting times.\n\n\"What makes you think you can do a better job as first minister?\"\n\nMs Forbes presumably did little to endear herself to the SNP hierarchy watching at home - although Ms Sturgeon says she didn't tune in for the debate - when she declared that it was time for a new generation to lead the party and that \"more of the same is not a manifesto - it is an acceptance of mediocrity\".\n\nThe remark could be read as a dig at Mr Yousaf, who to some extent pitched himself as the \"continuity candidate\", and the record of Ms Sturgeon herself.\n\nShe later doubled down by saying she would potentially have space for Mr Yousaf in her cabinet if she won the contest - but not as health secretary.\n\nMs Forbes was born in Dingwall in the Highlands, but was partly raised in India as her parents travelled there twice as missionaries, the first time when she was four years old.\n\nHer parents are reported to have been members of the more liberal Church of Scotland, with Ms Forbes claiming that she had chosen to join the Free Church after returning from India as it was \"just down the road\".\n\nMs Forbes (centre) had two spells in India during her childhood\n\nShe went to a Gaelic school while in Scotland and became a fluent speaker of the language as a child.\n\nWhen she returned to India at the age of 10, she studied at Woodstock School - an international residential school in the foothills of the Himalayas.\n\nShe went on to complete degrees at Cambridge University and Edinburgh University and became a chartered accountant for Barclays in London.\n\nShe worked as an assistant to the SNP MSP for Skye, Lochaber and Badenoch, Dave Thompson, for two years before being selected to replace him when he stood down.\n\nOn the backbenches, the then 26-year-old campaigned to ban plastic straws and delivered a speech in the Holyrood chamber entirely in Gaelic.\n\nIn 2018 she entered government as public finance minister working alongside Derek Mackay, who she would go on to succeed as finance secretary when he was forced to stand down just hours before delivering his budget speech after it emerged he had sent inappropriate text messages to a 16-year-old schoolboy.\n\nMs Forbes became Scotland's first female finance secretary and was widely praised for delivering the budget speech with just a few hours' notice, having only received the call from Ms Sturgeon at 7am that morning.\n\nShe has said the SNP needs to win over No voters by using the Scottish Parliament's existing powers to show that Scotland can flourish if it is to secure independence.\n\nMs Forbes had only a few hours to prepare for a budget speech after being appointed to the finance brief\n\nMs Forbes told the Guardian: \"We keep holding ourselves as hostages to fortune by setting a timetable rather than by focusing on what is really going to shift the dial.\n\n\"So day one, I would start the campaign for independence. But I would do that through gentle persuasion, making the economic case and earning people's trust back. The more successful and effective we are at that, the shorter the timetable becomes.\"\n\nShe has said she would not raise income tax for higher earners and would instead focus on growing the economy and expanding the tax base by cutting red tape for businesses, improving transport infrastructure and having a \"cautious\" transition away from North Sea oil and gas.\n\nMs Forbes has also described the government's bottle return scheme as well-intentioned but \"badly executed\".\n\nDuring a Channel 4 debate, presenter Krishnan Guru-Murthy told Ms Forbes that her views on taxation and economic growth sounded \"a bit like Liz Truss\".\n\nThe three candidates were Ash Regan, Humza Yousaf and Kate Forbes\n\nLittle of this would be popular with the Scottish Greens, whose power-sharing deal with the SNP would have been very unlikely to survive under Ms Forbes - particularly because of her views on social issues.\n\nThe SNP's social justice secretary, Shona Robison, said she would have to think long and hard about whether she would serve in government under Ms Forbes, while the party's deputy leader at Westminster, Mhairi Black, warned of a possible split if the finance secretary had won the leadership.\n\nSeveral of her colleagues were said to have been furious over her attack on Mr Yousaf's record, which they believe will be quoted repeatedly by opposition parties as they seek to attack the SNP's record in government.\n\nThe Scottish Conservatives have already said they want to use Ms Forbes' remarks in their next party political broadcast.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/uk-scotland-scotland-politics-64886840"}
{"title":"UK job vacancies fall for eighth time in a row - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-14","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"The number of jobs on offer drops as the chancellor prepares to set out plans to get people back to work.","section":"Business","content":"Job vacancies in the UK have fallen for the eighth time in a row as companies blamed economic pressures for holding back on hiring new staff.\n\nThe official figures come a day ahead of Wednesday's Budget when the chancellor is expected to set out plans to encourage people back into work.\n\nThe number of jobs on offer between December and February fell by 51,000 compared with the three months before.\n\nDespite the drop, the number of job vacancies remains high at 1.1 million.\n\nThere are also 328,000 more vacancies compared to the pre-pandemic period of between January and March 2020.\n\nThe rate of economic inactivity - people aged between 16 to 64 who are not in work and not seeking a job - dipped to 21.3% between November and January.\n\nThis was driven by younger people aged between 16 to 24 either getting jobs or looking for work.\n\nHowever, there are still nine million economically inactive Britons who are not part of the workforce either because they are students, have retired or are suffering from long-term illness.\n\nOn Wednesday, it is anticipated that Chancellor Jeremy Hunt will detail how the government intends to entice people back into work. One measure expected to be announced is a boost to the amount that people can save for their pensions before it is taxed.\n\nDanni Hewson, head of financial analysis at AJ Bell said this move was \"an incredibly welcome start\", but added: \"It does little to address labour issues at the lower end of end of the scale.\"\n\nJames Reed, chairman of recruitment firm Reed, said that while there was a fall in new jobs \"it's not cause to panic\".\n\nHe told the BBC's Today programme: \"Actually there are over 300,000 more vacancies than there were this time pre-pandemic, three years ago, so the labour market is pretty buoyant still which is surprising many people.\"\n\nRobin Clevett, a self-employed carpenter and joiner who manages up to 10 subcontractors on construction projects, said that he was having to turn down work because there are not enough skilled workers available.\n\nCarpenter Robin Clevett is inundated with work but skilled people are hard to find\n\n\"Business is really buoyant at the moment,\" he told the BBC. \"Everyone needs trades - they need people to do insulation work, they need people to do new builds, refurbish old builds, replace cladding. There's so much work but there's not enough labour to go around so that's what has driven this massive demand and adverts everywhere for all kinds of trades.\"\n\nHe added: \"I personally won't take on work now knowing I'm not going to find the staff. So I'm turning down opportunities.\"\n\nOn the eve of the chancellor's so-called \"back to work\" Budget, the official numbers show that is already beginning to happen.\n\nEmployment has risen again, but this time driven by part-time and the self-employed. While vacancies have fallen they still remain very high. Wages are growing in cash terms versus last year but by still well below the inflation rate. On a month-to-month basis though, there is some evidence that pay growth is starting to stall.\n\nWith unemployment still very low by international standards, and employment high, the jobs market remains a bright spot in the figures. This has underpinned a consumer more resilient than might be expected to the massive energy price shock.\n\nWith the global financial system exhibiting some fragility after bank collapses in the US, the Bank of England could decide to hold off on further rate rises next week.\n\nMeanwhile, pay growth appeared to be stalling, according to the data from Office for National Statistics.\n\nThe average weekly salary in the UK, excluding bonuses, in January stood at \u00a3589, up by \u00a31 on a month before.\n\nThroughout 2022, the average salary rose by nearly \u00a33 a month.\n\nThat was not enough to keep up with the cost of living. The average salary fell by 2.4% in the three months to January compared to the same period last year after taking account rising prices, or inflation.\n\nWhile the rate of inflation is falling, it remains high at 10.1%.\n\nDarren Morgan, director of economic statistics at the ONS, said: \"Although the inflation rate has come down a little, it's still outstripping earnings growth, meaning real pay continues to fall.\"\n\nThe ONS also detailed that there were 220,000 working days lost to strike action in January. However, this was far lower than 822,000 recorded in December when widespread industrial action hit areas such as postal deliveries and train services.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/business-64939336"}
{"title":"Windsor Framework: Questions over deal await DUP leader on US trip - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-14","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"Stormont politicians are making their way to the US for a week of St Patrick's Day celebrations.","section":"Northern Ireland","content":"Stormont parties are travelling to the US this week for St Patrick's Day festivities\n\nWhen travelling to the United States for a short stay, you have two choices.\n\nDo what former Northern Ireland Secretary Brandon Lewis used to do and keep your body clock on Belfast time.\n\nManage through early morning gym sessions, and early to bed in the evening.\n\nJet lag, he said, was never a problem.\n\nOr do what the rest of us do: reset our body clock to Washington time and battle through the jet lag.\n\nBut be it in Belfast or Washington this week for the St Patrick's Day festivities, we are all working to DUP time whether we like it or not.\n\nWaiting for the party to deliver its verdict on the Windsor Framework, and then waiting on what that judgements means, for a return of Stormont.\n\nAre we likely to see a reset in power sharing in time for the Good Friday Agreement 25th anniversary next month?\n\nThat is the question which will loom large over the many political gatherings in Washington this week.\n\nThe man with the answer will be here, but don't expect him to give much away.\n\nDUP leader Sir Jeffrey Donaldson announced the party had set up an eight-member panel to gauge opinion on the new deal\n\nSir Jeffrey Donaldson has set a consultation process in motion led by former party leader Peter Robinson to canvass opinion on the Windsor Framework.\n\nThat will allow him to dodge the big question during his US trip.\n\nTime and space are being afforded to the party to make the right call.\n\nHowever, according to some DUP sources, we may end up with two calls: the party rejecting the Windsor Framework because it falls short of some of its well-flagged seven tests; but the party agreeing to return to Stormont at some point after listening to the many views it plans to canvass.\n\nThat would involve breaking the link between the revised protocol arrangements and the party's return to the institutions.\n\nSome in the party might argue they were never formally linked at the outset as the seven tests were set seven months before the DUP collapsed the executive.\n\nThat scenario of rejecting the deal but resetting Stormont was supported in the weekend Lucid Talk poll.\n\nIt showed support among unionist voters for the DUP to say no to the new framework, but growing support for the party to return to Stormont.\n\nThough they won't admit it, polls have played a part in DUP decision making in the past.\n\nThere is another big question which will also loom large in Washington this week and it is a question which will likely be answered come Friday.\n\nIs President Biden going to visit Northern Ireland next month to join in the Good Friday Agreement anniversary celebrations?\n\nThe answer is likely to be yes, with 19 April being suggested as a possible date.\n\nUS officials have already been spotted in Northern Ireland preparing for the trip.\n\nThe formal invitation from Prime Minister Rishi Sunak is also a big indicator.\n\nIf he does come, President Biden is likely to travel north during a wider visit to the Republic of Ireland and his ancestral roots in Mayo.\n\nExpect confirmation later this week when he meets Taoiseach (Irish Prime Minister) Leo Varadkar in the White House.\n\nA possible date for US President Joe Biden's visit is 19 April\n\nIt was rumoured President Biden was hoping to address assembly members at a sitting session in Stormont - but only if it had been fully restored.\n\nThat seems unlikely as Sir Jeffrey has made it clear he is not working to that timeline.\n\nThat could leave us with the spectacle once more of marking a Good Friday Agreement milestone with the institutions it created in lockdown.\n\nIt didn't dampen the celebrations for the 20th anniversary and is unlikely to do so again, especially if the DUP jury is still out.\n\nIt's going to be a hectic run-in, beginning this week in Washington, and all our body clocks may need to be reset when it's over.\n\nDeclan Harvey and Tara Mills explore the text of the Good Friday Agreement - the deal which heralded the end of the Troubles in Northern Ireland.\n\nThey look at what the Agreement actually said and hear from some of the people who helped get the deal across the line.\n\nClick here to listen to the full box set on BBC Sounds.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/uk-northern-ireland-64937089"}
{"title":"Curtice: All to play for in SNP leadership contest - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-14","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"Prof Sir John Curtice on what the polls tell us about the race to succeed Nicola Sturgeon.","section":"Scotland politics","content":"This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. \u2018A very interesting debate\u2019 - Meet the SNP members choosing Scotland\u2019s next leader\n\nSince Nicola Sturgeon announced on 16 February that she was to stand down as SNP leader and Scotland's first minister, there have been numerous polls of how voters in Scotland would vote if they had a say in who should take over.\n\nThese have suggested that Kate Forbes is most popular among the Scottish public as a whole.\n\nOn average, four polls conducted over the last week or so have found that 30% would prefer Kate Forbes, 20% Humza Yousaf, and 10% Ash Regan. That said, as many as 40% have either said that they don't know or that they do not have a preference for any of the candidates.\n\nHowever, the battle to become Scotland's next first minister will not be decided by voters as a whole.\n\nRather, it will be determined by the choice made by members of the SNP, who, according to one recent estimate, now number just under 80,000 people.\n\nTheir views may not necessarily reflect the views of Scots in general. Indeed, the polls have shown that, even among those who would currently or have recently voted SNP, the picture is rather different, with Mr Yousaf seemingly neck and neck with Ms Forbes.\n\nMeanwhile, the one poll to date of SNP members themselves has painted a different picture again.\n\nAccording to Savanta, 31% were minded to vote for Humza Yousaf, 25% for Kate Forbes, and 11% for Ash Regan.\n\nHowever, the sample was relatively small (just over 500 people), the poll was conducted a fortnight ago long before any of the televised debates, while at that stage nearly one in three (32%) did not know how they would vote.\n\nIt looks as though there is plenty to play for; that perhaps SNP members may be somewhat more inclined than SNP voters to back Mr Yousaf rather than Ms Forbes; but that maybe everything could turn on the unknown second preferences of Ms Regan's supporters.\n\nBut what otherwise do we know about members of the SNP? The most recent detailed information comes from an academic survey of the membership conducted just after the last UK general election by Prof Tim Bale of Queen Mary University and Prof Paul Webb of Sussex University.\n\nKate Forbes, Ash Regan and Humza Yousaf have been taking part in a series of party hustings and televised debates\n\nThis suggests that, as is true of most political parties, SNP members are older and more male than either the general public or SNP supporters.\n\nMen represent 58% of the SNP membership, compared with half of SNP supporters and a little less than half of the adult population.\n\nAs many as 71% of SNP members are over 50. In contrast only around a half of all Scots fall into that age bracket, while, according to the Scottish Social Attitudes survey, the proportion of SNP supporters who do so is just 40%.\n\nThis might be thought to be Ms Forbes' advantage, as older voters are less likely to back the Gender Recognition Bill that has been the subject of much recent controversy, and are somewhat more likely to share her doubts about gay marriage.\n\nHowever, the views of older members of the SNP may not be the same as those of voters in general. Indeed, an earlier academic survey by Prof James Mitchell of Edinburgh University and colleagues found that only 14% agreed that same sex couples should not be allowed to adopt children.\n\nMeanwhile, the Queen Mary\/Sussex University study found that SNP members were more liberal on social issues, both as compared with Scots in general and SNP supporters in particular.\n\nFor example, only 24% agree that \"censorship of films and magazines is necessary to uphold moral standards\", compared with (according to the Scottish Social Attitudes survey), 47% of SNP supporters and 50% of the general public.\n\nSNP members are also markedly left wing. As many as 89% agree that \"the government should redistribute income from the better off to the less well off\", but only 59% of SNP supporters and 55% of all Scots take that view.\n\nIt is therefore, perhaps, not surprising that all of the candidates have been keen to indicate their support for greater economic equality, albeit with different ideas about how to achieve it.\n\nStill, perhaps for SNP members what will matter most of all is which of the candidates they think is most likely to deliver independence. And their views on that are, so far at least, largely unknown.\n\nSir John Curtice is Professor of Politics, Strathclyde University, and Senior Research Fellow, ScotCen Social Research and 'The UK in a Changing Europe'","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/uk-scotland-scotland-politics-64940798"}
{"title":"Budget summary: Key points from Jeremy Hunt\u2019s 2023 Budget - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-14","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"Chancellor Jeremy Hunt is announcing new economic measures - here's what you need to know.","section":"UK Politics","content":"This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser.\n\nChancellor Jeremy Hunt has unveiled the contents of his first Budget in the House of Commons.\n\nIt had a focus on prompting those who have left their jobs to return to the workforce, and boosting business investment.\n\nHere is a summary of the main announcements.\n\u2022 None Free childcare plan: 'Why do we have to wait?'","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/business-64789405"}
{"title":"Cough medicines containing pholcodine withdrawn over safety fears - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-14","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"Products containing pholcodine to be recalled over the risk of a very rare, but serious allergic reaction.","section":"Health","content":"Certain cough medicines sold behind the counter at pharmacies are being withdrawn over safety concerns.\n\nHealth experts say there is a very rare chance that some people could experience an allergic reaction linked to an ingredient called pholcodine.\n\nPeople should check the packaging of any cough tablets or syrups they have at home to see if pholcodine is listed among the ingredients.\n\nIf it is, talk to your pharmacist about taking a different medicine.\n\nProducts containing pholcodine do not need a prescription, but cannot be bought without consultation with the pharmacist as they are kept behind the counter.\n\nThe Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency described removing the products from sale as a precautionary measure.\n\nPholcodine has been used as a cough suppressant since the 1950s, but evidence now suggests there is a very small risk or chance - less than one in 10,000 - that some users may have a bad allergic reaction if they later go for surgery and need a general anaesthetic which involves the use of a muscle relaxant or \"neuromuscular blocking agent\".\n\nEurope's medicines regulator has already made the same recommendations to recall cough products containing pholcodine.\n\nDr Leyla Hannbeck, from the Association of Independent Multiple Pharmacies, said it was a \"big operation\" to remove the products from pharmacy shelves, but stressed alternative cough and cold medicines were available.\n\n\"Pharmacies across the UK take patient safety very seriously and will be assisting with the recall of these products.\n\n\"Patients with coughs and colds should contact their local pharmacy for the best advice about the range of alternative products available,\" she said.\n\nProf Claire Anderson, from the Royal Pharmaceutical Society, said: \"The risk to patients who have used pholcodine is very small. If you are due to have surgery, please speak to your pharmacist or medical team for advice.\n\n\"A cough usually clears up within 3-4 weeks. You can treat it with other cough medicines or hot lemon and honey\" - although not for babies under the age of one, she cautioned\n\n\"Rest up, if possible - and you can try paracetamol or ibuprofen, if suitable, to treat any pain.\n\n\"If your cough persists for longer, seek advice from a healthcare professional,\" said Prof Anderson.\n\nDr Alison Cave from the MHRA said: \"Safety is our top priority, and we keep the safety of medicines under continual review.\n\n\"Following a thorough scientific safety review of all the available evidence on pholcodine, together with advice from the independent Commission on Human Medicines, it has been recommended, as a precautionary measure, that these products should no longer be used.\"\n\nThe BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/health-64951267"}
{"title":"Norfolk deer herd crossing road holds up coastguard patrol - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-14","authors":null,"description":"A coastguard patrol team pulls over to let a few deer cross the road - and they keep on coming.","section":null,"content":"A coastguard patrol team that pulled over to let a few deer cross was taken by surprise when the animals just kept coming in what turned out to be a very large herd.\n\nNearly a hundred deer took more than 30 seconds to cross the road on the outskirts of Sea Palling on the North Norfolk coast.\n\nThe crossing was filmed by HM Coastguard Bacton and has had more than 2.8 million views on its Facebook page.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/uk-england-norfolk-64939626"}
{"title":"Oscars 2023: An Irish Goodbye wins best short film Oscar - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-14","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"An Irish Goodbye wins the Academy Award for best short film on actor James Martin's 31st brithday.","section":"Northern Ireland","content":"Actor James Martin (centre) was joined by Tom Berkeley, Ross White and Seamus O'Hara to accept the award\n\nActor James Martin was serenaded by the audience at the Academy Awards on his 31st birthday as the film he starred in picked up an Oscar.\n\nNorthern Ireland film An Irish Goodbye won best live action short film at Sunday night's ceremony.\n\nMartin, who has Down's syndrome, said he planned to bring the award home to his drama group in Belfast.\n\nThe film's directors Tom Berkeley and Ross White described the win as the best night of their lives.\n\nThey took to Twitter to thank their supporters in Northern Ireland after a whirlwind 24 hours.\n\nThis Twitter post cannot be displayed in your browser. Please enable Javascript or try a different browser. View original tweet on Twitter The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Skip twitter post by An Irish Goodbye 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\u2019s cookie policy, external and privacy policy, external before accepting. To view this content choose \u2018accept and continue\u2019. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. End of twitter post by An Irish Goodbye\n\nMartin is the first person with Down's syndrome to win an Academy Award.\n\n\"It doesn't matter if you have Down's syndrome, as long as you're doing what you do,\" he told the BBC after collecting his Oscar.\n\n\"I do what I can to be funny.\"\n\nHis fellow winners used their acceptance speech to sing him Happy Birthday, with help from the star-studded crowd at the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles.\n\nMartin said he planned to take his Oscar statuette to his drama club in Belvoir in Belfast.\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. 'Holding this Oscar is just fantastic'\n\nA Irish Goodbye was shot on location in Londonderry, Templepatrick and Saintfield.\n\nDirected and written by White and Berkeley, it tells the story of two estranged brothers who come together after their mother's death.\n\nThe black comedy, set on a rural farm, stars Martin as Lorcan, alongside fellow Northern Ireland actor Seamus O'Hara, who plays his older brother Turlough.\n\nWhite, who is from Belfast, described winning the Oscar as completely overwhelming.\n\nThis Twitter post cannot be displayed in your browser. Please enable Javascript or try a different browser. View original tweet on Twitter The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Skip twitter post 2 by NowThis 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\u2019s cookie policy, external and privacy policy, external before accepting. To view this content choose \u2018accept and continue\u2019. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.\n\n\"We're just so proud to be representing Northern Ireland,\" he told BBC News.\n\n\"To be on that stage in front of all of our cinematic heroes - it was a special moment.\"\n\nActor Paddy Jenkins, who plays Fr O'Shea in the film, told BBC Radio Foyle's Mark Patterson Show that \"you don't get many Mondays like this\".\n\n\"Last night I have to say, was pretty special, it really was,\" he said.\n\nThe actor - well known to a Northern Ireland audience through his role in BBC comedy Give My Head Peace - wasn't in Los Angeles due to prior work commitments.\n\n\"I was there (at the Oscars) in spirit. I got to the Baftas, but this is another level.\"\n\nCelebrations are being held on both sides of the Atlantic as actor Paddy Jenkins raises a glass for An Irish Goodbye\n\nOther nominations in Sunday's ceremony in the best live action short film category, were Ivalu, Le Pupille, Night Ride and the Red Suitcase.\n\nGuillermo del Toro's Pinocchio, which has a Belfast link, was successful in the best animated feature category.\n\nThe body of the puppet which featured in the animation was constructed by a 3D printing firm in east Belfast.\n\nThe big winner of the night was Everything Everywhere All At Once, which won seven awards.\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Ivan Martin says there were tears of joy when he watched his son collect an Oscar\n\nThere was a record number of nominations for Irish talent, with 14 prizes up for grabs.\n\nMartin McDonagh's tragicomedy, The Banshees of Inisherin was nominated in nine categories but did not take home any statuettes.\n\nColin Farrell lost out in the best actor category, while his co-stars Brendan Gleeson and Barry Keoghan were unsuccessful in the best supporting actor category.\n\nIrish actor Paul Mescal also missed out, as did An Cail\u00edn Ci\u00fain (The Quiet Girl).\n\nKerry Condon was also nominated for best supporting actress for her role, but that award went to Jamie Lee Curtis.\n\nSet on a remote island off the west coast of Ireland, The Banshees of Inisherin tells the story of two friends who fall out after one decides to abruptly end their relationship.\n\nAn Cail\u00edn Ci\u00fain (The Quiet Girl) was the first Irish language film to be nominated for best international feature film, a category formerly named best foreign language film.\n\nColm Bair\u00e9ad's An Cail\u00edn Ci\u00fain has already received critical acclaim and surpassed box office records\n\nDirected and written by Colm Bair\u00e9ad, the film is adapted from Claire Keegan's 2010 book Foster.\n\nPaul Mescal, who rose to fame with the BBC drama Normal People, was also in the running for a best actor prize for his role in Aftersun.\n\nBrendan Fraser was victorious in that category for his role in The Whale.\n\nIrish President Michael D Higgins said it was a remarkable year for the Irish film industry.\n\nHe said the success was \"a testament to the hard work of so many people over recent decades\".\n\nAn Irish Goodbye is available to watch on BBC iPlayer .","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/uk-northern-ireland-64903140"}
{"title":"Dick Fosbury: The athlete who developed the 'Fosbury Flop' dies aged 76 - BBC Sport","published_date":"2023-03-14","authors":null,"description":"Dick Fosbury - the man who revolutionised the high jump in athletics - has died at the age of 76.","section":null,"content":"Last updated on .From the section Athletics\n\nDick Fosbury - the man who revolutionised the high jump in athletics - has died at the age of 76.\n\nThe American leapt backwards over the bar to win gold at the 1968 Mexico Olympics in a technique which became known as the 'Fosbury Flop' and is used by high jumpers today.\n\nAt the Games Fosbury set a then record of 2.24 metres using his method.\n\nWriting on Instagram, Fosbury's agent Ray Schulte said his client had died on Sunday.\n\n\"It is with a very heavy heart I have to release the news that long-time friend and client Dick Fosbury passed away peacefully in his sleep early Sunday morning after a short bout with a recurrence of lymphoma,\" wrote Schulte.\n\n\"Dick will be greatly missed by friends and fans from around the world. A true legend, and friend of all.\"\n\nFosbury began experimenting with the 'flop' at school and, encouraged by his coaches, he had all-but perfected it by the time he was in higher education.\n\nIn the Olympic high jump final of 1968, the 6ft 5in athlete cleared 2.24m on his third attempt to win the gold.\n\n\"He changed an entire event forever with a technique that looked crazy at the time but the result made it the standard,\" said American four-time Olympic champion and BBC pundit Michael Johnson.\n\nFosbury is survived by his wife Robin Tomasi, son Erich and stepdaughters Stephanie Thomas-Phipps and Kristin Thompson.\n\n\"Our sport lost a true legend and innovator with the passing of Dick Fosbury,\" said the USA Track and Field (USATF).\n\n\"He invented the 'Fosbury Flop', was a gold medallist at the 1968 Games, and remained an advocate for athletes his entire life. Fosbury's legacy will live on for generations to come.\"\n\nUSATF chief executive Max Siegel said he was \"deeply saddened\" by Fosbury's passing and called him a \"true legend and pioneer in the world of track and field\".\n\nHe added: \"We will always be grateful for his contributions to the sport and his impact on generations of athletes who followed in his footsteps.\n\n\"Dick will be deeply missed but his legacy will live on as an inspiration to all.\"\n\u2022 None High jump legend Fosbury on the pressures of Olympic fame\n\u2022 None Find out how the new owner is transforming the company\n\u2022 None Are eco laundry products better for the environment? Greg Foot investigates how such claims come out in the wash...","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/sport\/athletics\/64945985"}
{"title":"Aukus pact delivers France some hard truths - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-14","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"The BBC's Hugh Schofield assesses the harsh realities for France after Australia's US-UK deal.","section":"Europe","content":"When they have picked themselves up from their humiliation, the French will need to gather their sangfroid and confront some cruel verities.\n\nNumber one: there is no sentiment in geostrategy.\n\nThe French must see there is no point in wailing about having been shoddily treated. They were.\n\nBut who ever heard of a nation short-changing its defence priorities out of not wanting to give offence? The fact is that the Australians calculated they had underestimated the Chinese threat and so needed to boost their level of deterrence.\n\nThey acted with steely disregard for French concerns but, when it comes to the crunch, that is what nations do. It is almost the definition of a nation: a group of people who have come together to defend their own interests. Their own, not others'.\n\nOf course, sometimes nations decide their interests are best served by joining alliances. That's what the US did in suppressing its isolationist instincts in the last century.\n\nBut the second painful truth exposed by the Aukus affair is that the US no longer has any great interest in the outdated behemoth that is Nato. Nor does it harbour any particular loyalty to those who have stood by its side.\n\nGaullists in France - and President Emmanuel Macron is one of them - dream of their country as a fully independent power, exercising its force for good thanks to a global presence and nuclear-backed military strength. In practice, and not without considerable reserve, France has bound itself to the US-led alliance because that seemed both moral and expedient.\n\nBut now the questions echo around Paris: Why did we bother? What was in it for us?\n\n\"This blow came completely out of the blue,\" says Renaud Girard, senior foreign affairs analyst at Le Figaro newspaper.\n\n\"Macron made so much effort to help the Anglo-Saxons. With the Americans in Afghanistan; with the British on military co-operation; with the Australians in the Indo-Pacific. Look, he kept saying, we're following you - we are genuine allies.\n\n\"And he made the effort not just with Biden - but with Trump too! All that, and then this. No reward at all. Treated like dogs.\"\n\nThe French will now be re-evaluating their role in Nato. Their military participation in the organisation was suspended by De Gaulle in 1966 and only restored by Nicolas Sarkozy in 2009. There is no talk, yet, of a second withdrawal. But remember, Emmanuel Macron is the man who described Nato two years ago as \"brain-dead\". He will not have changed his mind.\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Australia\u2019s \u2018risky bet\u2019 to side with US over China\n\nBut the third harsh truth is that there is no obvious other way for France to fulfil its global ambitions.\n\nThe lesson of the last week is that France by itself is too small to make much of a dent in strategic affairs. Every four years the Chinese build as many ships as there are in the entire French fleet. When it came to the crunch, the Australians preferred to be close to a superpower, not a minipower.\n\nThe conventional way out of the conundrum has been for the French to say their military future lies in Europe. The EU - with its vast population and technological resources - would be the springboard for France's global mission.\n\nBut 30 years has given nothing beyond a few joint brigades, a bit of procurement planning and minor contingents from Estonia and the Czech Republic in Mali. For Renaud Girard, the idea of the EU as a military force is a \"complete joke\".\n\nAccept realities. Try to form ad hoc alliances (like Macron was indeed trying to do in the Indo-Pacific). Keep pushing the Germans to get over their 20th Century complexes and act like the power they really are.\n\nAnd keep open a doorway to the British. It may not be the easiest of suggestions at the moment. Relations between Paris and London are at their worst level for many years. The French find it hard to conceal their contempt for Boris Johnson, and many in London appear to feel the same way back.\n\nIn the short term, it is quite possible that France will seek to punish the UK for its role in the Aukus affair, says Girard, possibly by scaling back the secret nuclear co-operation that forms part of the 2010 Lancaster Accords. There could be fall-out in other areas too, like the control of cross-Channel migrants.\n\nBut the UK's is Europe's only other serious army. The two countries have similar histories and world experiences. Their soldiers respect each other. In the long term, Franco-British defence co-operation is too logical to ignore. That may be the last of Macron's painful truths.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/world-europe-58614229"}
{"title":"Aukus deal: US, UK and Australia agree on nuclear submarine project - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-14","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"The US, UK and Australia say new nuclear-powered submarines will help ensure stability in the Pacific.","section":"Australia","content":"This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser.\n\nThe US, UK and Australia have unveiled details of their plan to create a new fleet of nuclear-powered submarines, aimed at countering China's influence in the Indo-Pacific region.\n\nUnder the Aukus pact Australia is to get its first nuclear-powered subs - at least three - from the US.\n\nThe allies will also work to create a new fleet using cutting-edge tech, including UK-made Rolls-Royce reactors.\n\nIts foreign ministry on Tuesday accused the three nations of \"walking further and further down the path of error and danger\".\n\nChina's UN mission had earlier also accused the Western allies of setting back nuclear non-proliferation efforts.\n\nBut US President Joe Biden said the deal was aimed at bolstering peace in the region and stressed the submarines would be \"nuclear-powered, not nuclear-armed\".\n\nSpeaking alongside the UK and Australian prime ministers - Rishi Sunak and Anthony Albanese - in San Diego, California, Mr Biden said the deal would not jeopardise Australia's commitment to being a nuclear-free country.\n\nFor Australia, it is a major upgrade to the US ally's military capabilities. The country becomes just the second after the UK to receive Washington's elite nuclear propulsion technology.\n\nThe submarines will be able to operate further and faster than the country's existing diesel-engine fleet and Australia will also be able to carry out long-range strikes against enemies for the first time.\n\nUnder the deal, Australian navy sailors will be sent to US and UK submarine bases from this year to learn how to use the nuclear-powered submarines.\n\nFrom 2027, the US and UK will also base a small number of nuclear submarines in Perth, Western Australia, before Canberra will buy three US-model Virginia-class submarines in the early 2030s - with options to purchase two more.\n\nAfter that, the plan is to design and build an entirely new nuclear-powered submarine for the UK and Australian navies - a model that is being called SSN-AUKUS.\n\nThis attack craft will be built in Britain and Australia to a British design, but use technology from all three countries.\n\nThe US, Australia and UK will jointly build a new class of submarines\n\nPresident Biden said all three countries were committed to ensuring the Indo-Pacific region would remain free and open.\n\n\"Forging this new partnership, we're showing again how democracies can deliver our own security and prosperity... not just for us but for the entire world,\" he said.\n\nHe also pledged of $4.6bn (\u00a33.7bn) to expanding the US' submarine construction capacity and improving maintenance of its current nuclear-powered Virginia-class submarines.\n\nAustralia's PM said the plan - which will cost Canberra up to A$368bn (\u00a3201bn) over 30 years - marked the \"biggest single investment in Australia's defence capability in all of its history\".\n\nAnthony Albanese said building the submarines in Australian shipyards would also create thousands of local jobs. The UK PM also said thousands of jobs would be created in Derby and Barrow-in-Furness, where some of the construction would take place.\n\nMr Sunak said that in the 18 months since the Aukus alliance was unveiled, the challenges to global stability had only grown.\n\n\"Russia's illegal invasion of Ukraine, China's growing assertiveness, the destabilising behaviour of Iran and North Korea - all threaten to create a world codefined by danger, disorder and division,\" Mr Sunak said.\n\nAs part of his visit to the US, Mr Sunak has also pledged to increase defence spending by nearly \u00a35bn ($6bn) over the next two years to counter threats from hostile states.\n\nThe Aukus security alliance - announced in September 2021 - has repeatedly drawn criticism from China. Beijing's foreign ministry last week reiterated its position that the pact risked creating an arms race.\n\nBut the three Western countries say the security deal is aimed at shoring up stability in the Indo-Pacific.\n\nWhile all three leaders have stressed how the deal will strengthen their co-operation, it hasn't been without its political fallout.\n\nIn 2021, Australia scrapped a multi-million dollar diesel-powered submarine agreement with France in favour of the trilateral agreement - causing a political rift with Paris.\n\nAustralia also faces a delicate diplomatic situation with China - its largest trading partner. Analysts say the question will be whether it can continue to strengthen its military ties with US, while fostering commercial ties with Beijing.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/world-australia-64945819"}
{"title":"Swansea: Morriston gas explosion destroys homes - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-14","authors":null,"description":"Pictures from the scene appear to show a number of terraced houses damaged.","section":null,"content":"A number of terraced houses have been badly damaged after a gas explosion.\n\nEmergency services are responding to the incident on the junction of Field Close and Clydach Road in Morriston.\n\nSouth Wales Police has asked people to avoid the area.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/uk-wales-64939658"}
{"title":"Strikes Update: How Wednesday 15 March's strikes affect you - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-14","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"What you need to know about the teachers' strike in England and other planned industrial action.","section":"Business","content":"When Chancellor Jeremy Hunt stands up in parliament to deliver his Budget at lunchtime on Wednesday, he might well hear a crowd of protesters heading in his direction.\n\nMaking their way down Whitehall are likely to be thousands of teachers and other public sector workers all calling for pay rises.\n\nJust over the river from the House of Commons, junior doctors will be standing on picket lines.\n\nTeachers are striking on Wednesday and Thursday in England - their action in Wales was called off following a revised offer from the Welsh government. University staff are walking out on those days too.\n\nWednesday also sees industrial action by London Underground drivers and the biggest strike by civil servants so far with as many as 150,000 taking part.\n\nIt is not likely to affect the delivery of the Budget though as it doesn't involve some of the higher paid mandarins at the Treasury.\n\nBut pick up the phone to an HMRC call centre and it might take them a while to answer. In all, over 400,000 public sector employees are taking action.\n\nQuite the backdrop for the chancellor's big day.\n\nWednesday sees the beginning of a two-day strike by teachers in England who are members of the National Education Union (NEU). Teachers have been on strike several times since February, in an ongoing dispute over pay and funding.\n\nIt is expected to affect all schools in England and includes NEU teachers in sixth-form colleges.\n\nNo disruption is expected in Wales, where industrial action has been called off following government talks.\n\nDuring previous strikes on 28 February and 2 March, more than half of schools closed or restricted attendance.\n\nThe Department for Education advises parents to send their children to school unless school leaders have informed you otherwise.\n\nYou can read more here about why teachers are striking.\n\nWednesday will be the final full day of strike action this week by junior doctors in England, who are walking out over pay and and conditions.\n\nDuring Monday and Tuesday, NHS managers reported that A&E units were busy as senior staff covered for striking doctors.\n\nJunior doctors make up about 45% of the medical workforce, and two-thirds of them are members of the British Medical Association and Hospital Consultants and Specialists Association unions which are organising the strike.\n\nThey are planning on continuing walking out of emergency as well as planned care.\n\nConsultants and other senior doctors are being drafted in to provide cover.\n\nPlanned appointments have been postponed, although how many is as yet unclear.\n\nIndustrial action by nurses over the winter caused some trusts to cancel 20% of routine treatments. It is likely the impact of the junior doctor strike will be greater, according to the BBC's health correspondent, Nick Triggle.\n\nYou can read more here about why junior doctors are taking strike action.\n\nUp to 150,000 civil servants, working across more than 100 government departments and agencies, will be on strike.\n\nMembers of the Public and Commercial Services and Prospect unions are taking action in a dispute with the government over pay, pensions, job security and redundancy terms.\n\nThe union said its members from 123 government departments would take part in the industrial action, which includes staff at the Department for Transport, the Department for Health and Social Care and the Home Office.\n\nThe PCS union represents thousands of people who work in government departments as well as those at organisations such as Ofsted, the Maritime and Coastguard Agency and Border Force.\n\nYou can read more here about why civil servants are striking.\n\nTransport for London (TfL) is warning Tube passengers there will be \"little or no service\" during Wednesday's strike action by RMT and Aslef members.\n\nMembers of both unions are due to walk out in a dispute over job cuts, pensions and conditions.\n\nTfL said the Elizabeth Line, Overground, DLR, trams and buses would be \"busier than normal\".\n\nIt has advised passengers travelling on Wednesday to allow more time for their journeys and to check the latest information before they travel.\n\nTfL also warned that the closure of Tube stations might mean some services would be unable to stop at all stations or run to their normal destinations.\n\nTube services on Thursday 16 March are expected to start later than normal.\n\nYou can read more here about why some TfL staff are striking.\n\nBBC local radio, regional television and digital services in England are being disrupted today because of strike action.\n\nThe 24-hour action from 11:00 this morning by members of the National Union of Journalists is over plans to merge some local radio programmes.\n\nThe 13.30, 18.30 and late regional programmes across England are not expected to be broadcast.\n\u2022 University staff who are members of the University and College Union and Unison are on strike\n\u2022 Union members at 150 universities have been taking part in industrial action Read more: Will my lecture be cancelled? There are currently no national strikes planned for this date There are currently no national strikes planned for this date There are currently no national strikes planned for this date There are currently no national strikes planned for this date There are currently no national strikes planned for this date There are currently no national strikes planned for this date There are currently no national strikes planned for this date There are currently no national strikes planned for this date There are currently no national strikes planned for this date There are currently no national strikes planned for this date There are currently no national strikes planned for this date\n\u2022 More than 1,000 Passport Office workers are on strike in a dispute about jobs, pay and conditions\n\u2022 Members of the Public and Commercial Services union have warned of delays to applications and the delivery of passports in the run-up to summer\n\u2022 More than 1,000 Passport Office workers are on strike in a dispute about jobs, pay and conditions\n\u2022 Members of the Public and Commercial Services union have warned of delays to applications and the delivery of passports in the run-up to summer\n\u2022 More than 1,000 Passport Office workers are on strike in a dispute about jobs, pay and conditions\n\u2022 Members of the Public and Commercial Services union have warned of delays to applications and the delivery of passports in the run-up to summer\n\u2022 More than 1,000 Passport Office workers are on strike in a dispute about jobs, pay and conditions\n\u2022 Members of the Public and Commercial Services union have warned of delays to applications and the delivery of passports in the run-up to summer\n\u2022 More than 1,000 Passport Office workers are on strike in a dispute about jobs, pay and conditions\n\u2022 Members of the Public and Commercial Services union have warned of delays to applications and the delivery of passports in the run-up to summer\n\u2022 More than 1,000 Passport Office workers are on strike in a dispute about jobs, pay and conditions\n\u2022 Members of the Public and Commercial Services union have warned of delays to applications and the delivery of passports in the run-up to summer There are currently no national strikes planned for this date\n\nHow are you affected by the strikes? Are you taking part in strike action? You can email: haveyoursay@bbc.co.uk.\n\nPlease include a contact number if you are willing to speak to a BBC journalist. You can also get in touch in the following ways:\n\nIf 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 HaveYourSay@bbc.co.uk. Please include your name, age and location with any submission.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/business-64951613"}
{"title":"SNP candidates predict independence in five years - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-14","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"Ash Regan, Humza Yousaf and Kate Forbes were speaking as they faced each other in a BBC Scotland TV debate.","section":"Scotland politics","content":"This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Humza Yousaf, Kate Forbes and Ash Regan believe it is possible to achieve independence for Scotland within five years\n\nAll three SNP leadership candidates have predicted that Scotland can be an independent country within five years if they win the contest.\n\nAsh Regan, Humza Yousaf and Kate Forbes were speaking as they faced each other in a BBC Scotland TV debate.\n\nMr Yousaf said he believed the country \"can and will be\" independent by 2028 in response to a question from an audience member.\n\nMs Regan and Ms Forbes both said they believed the same.\n\nThe leadership contest was sparked by Nicola Sturgeon's surprise announcement that she was quitting as both SNP leader and Scotland's first minister after eight years in the roles.\n\nRecent polls have put support for independence at broadly the same level as it was when Ms Sturgeon succeeded Alex Salmond after the referendum in 2014, which saw Scottish voters reject independence by 55% to 45%.\n\nThat is despite the turbulence in UK politics in recent years that saw the country leave the EU despite Scotland voting overwhelmingly in favour of remaining and Boris Johnson's often chaotic time as prime minister.\n\nThe Supreme Court has also ruled that the Scottish Parliament does not have the power to hold a referendum without the agreement of the UK government - which has repeatedly made clear that it has no intention of granting formal consent through a Section 30 order.\n\nMr Yousaf, the health secretary who is the bookies favourite to win the contest and is widely viewed as being Ms Sturgeon's preferred candidate, told the Debate Night Special that he believed he could build sustained majority support for independence that would see those political obstacles disappear.\n\nHe added: \"I would want to be the one who delivers independence, but to do that you've got to stop talking about process and talk about policy.\n\n\"We have got to inspire people with a vision for independence. We have to make sure that we're not obsessing about Section 30s and de facto referendums because people just don't get inspired by that.\"\n\nWho are the SNP candidates?\n\nMs Forbes, the finance secretary who is currently seen as being Mr Yousaf's closest challenger for the leadership, said she believed the dial could be shifted in favour of independence by building a case on the issues that people were concerned about.\n\nUsing the example of the cost of living crisis, she said: \"People can't afford next month's energy bill in a country that is rich in energy in terms of oil and gas and in terms of our renewables. It doesn't stack up because the decisions are being made far, far away from those that are most affected.\n\n\"I think we should be using all democratic opportunities to campaign for and make the case for independence but in a way that is respectful of the reasons why people may not be persuaded\".\n\nMeanwhile, Ms Regan outlined her plans for what she calls a Voter Empowerment Mechanism that \"just uses the ballot box to allow the people of Scotland to say when they are ready to be independent\".\n\nShe added: \"You can use each and every election. So you could start with the next election and then the Scottish election after that. And it's there in the background and then the people of Scotland decide when they're ready to become independent.\"\n\nMs Regan quit as the country's community safety minister over the government's controversial gender recognition plans, and is seen as being the outsider in the contest.\n\nShe clashed with Mr Yousaf - who is the only one of the three to say he would launch a legal challenge to the UK government's block on legislation - over the case of trans rapist Isla Bryson, who was initially sent to a women's prison.\n\nWhen asked by Ms Regan why he had not listened to concerns about cases such as Bryson's ahead of the reforms being passed, and whether he regarded Bryson as a man or as woman, Mr Yousaf said: \"Isla Bryson should not be in a woman's prison.\n\n\"Isla Bryson is a rapist who's completely at it, I don't think they're a genuine trans woman, I think they're trying to play the system.\"\n\nThe three candidates are seeking to succeed Nicola Sturgeon as SNP leader and Scotland's first minister\n\nThe candidates also faced questions on topics including NHS waiting lists - with one audience member saying her husband has chronic health problems and is facing a six-year waiting list - as well as the state of Scotland's education system and the government's controversial Deposit Return Scheme.\n\nMs Regan and Ms Forbes have both said they would pause the scheme, which has faced criticism over its implementation, while Mr Yousaf has pledged to create an exemption for small businesses such as craft brewers.\n\nMs Regan said: \"We can't be putting too many burdens on small businesses. We need to look again at this, we need to involve small business, to come and talk to us about where it needs changed, get it right and then implement it.\"\n\nMs Forbes also said small businesses needed a \"bit of breathing space\".\n\nMr Yousaf said he would not \"slag off\" Lorna Slater, the Scottish Green minister responsible for bringing in the initiative which is designed to boost the recycling of single-use drinks containers by adding 20p to the price which is then refunded when the consumer returns it.\n\nHe said small firms should be excluded from it for its first year but added: \"I can't see any point in pausing the scheme when the big boys, the Coca Colas, the Pepsis of this world, they are already taking part in about 40 DRS schemes across the world. We can't let them off the hook\".\n\nThere was less trashing of one another in this debate and some consensus between the candidates on what the SNP in government has got wrong.\n\nNone of them are happy with the current plans for a deposit return scheme and all three promised to change it in the face of strong criticism from some businesses.\n\nKate Forbes objected to the proposed ban on alcohol advertising and described long waits in the NHS as \"unacceptable\".\n\nHumza Yousaf - the current health secretary - found himself apologising for one patient's experience and offered a \"hands up\" over failures to deliver new ferries on time and on budget.\n\nAsh Regan, who resigned from the Scottish government over gender reform, also called for a review of the SNP's power sharing deal with the Greens.\n\nThe trouble with all this criticism is that all three candidates have served for years in the Scottish government and although Ash Regan has now quit and Kate Forbes has been on maternity leave, they all bear some collective responsibility for its performance.\n\nFor me, one of the stand out moments in this debate was when an audience member called them out on that, arguing that it was \"ridiculous\" that they had not done more before now to challenge mistakes.\n\nVoting in the SNP leadership election, which is using the single transferable vote system, opened on Monday with the winner to be announced on 27 March.\n\nThe SNP has refused to confirm exactly how many party members will be able to take part in the vote, with its Westminster leader Stephen Flynn telling BBC Scotland earlier on Tuesday that he had \"no idea\" and that \"I think the last time I heard it was about 100,000.\"\n\nThe SNP said its membership had reached 125,000 by 2019, but the Electoral Commission put the figure at 104,000 two years later.\n\nThe Mail on Sunday has reported that Southampton-based polling firm Mi-Voice, which is overseeing the leadership vote, has been given the names of just 78,000 members by the SNP.\n\nIf this is correct, it would suggest that the party may have lost nearly 50,000 members over the past four years. The newspaper also reported that Mi-Voice expected about 54,000 members to actually submit a vote.\n\nPolling expert Prof Sir John Curtice has said Mr Yousaf currently appears to be the most popular of the three candidates among the SNP members who will be picking the new leader, with Ms Forbes second and Ms Regan third.\n\nBut Ms Forbes seems to be more popular than her rivals with both SNP voters and the public as a whole, Sir John said.\n\nHe added that it \"looks as though there is plenty to play for\" and that \"maybe everything could turn on the unknown second preferences of Ms Regan's supporters\".\n\nWhoever wins the SNP leadership contest will face a Scottish Parliament vote on 28 March to confirm them as the new first minister, before being sworn into office the following day.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/uk-scotland-scotland-politics-64956321"}
{"title":"China reopening borders to foreign tourists for first time since Covid erupted - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-14","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"The move marks a major easing of travel curbs in place since the start of the Covid pandemic.","section":"China","content":"China is hoping to revive tourism and the economy by lifting border restrictions.\n\nChina is to resume issuing visas to foreign tourists for the first time since the Covid pandemic broke out three years ago.\n\nThe major easing of restrictions comes after Beijing declared victory over the virus and retreated from a zero-Covid strategy that has hurt its economy.\n\nFrom 15 March, foreign offices can process applications for Chinese visas.\n\nVisa-free entry will also resume in Hainan Island and Shanghai for cruise ships.\n\nTour groups from Hong Kong and Macau will also regain their visa-free privilege.\n\nIn addition, valid visas issued before China closed to the world on 28 March 2020 will be honoured again.\n\nThe removal of the last cross-border restrictions imposed to tackle Covid marks a major step towards the resumption of normal life in post-pandemic China.\n\nTens of millions of international visitors came to China each year prior to the pandemic, and its tourism industry has been hard hit by strict anti-Covid measures.\n\nBut the country can expect a significant increase in international arrivals, after it reopens its borders, analysts say.\n\nChinese citizens will also be allowed to travel on tour groups to 60 countries, up from 20 previously.\n\nChina said its gross domestic product grew just 3% in 2022, the worst in nearly half a century.\n\nFor the current year, Beijing has set a 5% target with new Premier Li Qiang saying that the world's second largest economy is stabilising and picking up again.\n\nThe zero-Covid policy that was lifted in December sparked rare protests against China's leader, Xi Jinping.\n\nAre you planning to travel to China? Share your experiences by emailing haveyoursay@bbc.co.uk.\n\nPlease include a contact number if you are willing to speak to a BBC journalist. You can also get in touch in the following ways:\n\nIf 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 HaveYourSay@bbc.co.uk. Please include your name, age and location with any submission.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/world-asia-china-64948594"}
{"title":"Swansea: Man named as Morriston explosion victim - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-14","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"A man who died after a suspected gas explosion at a house in Swansea is named as Brian Davies, 68.","section":"Wales","content":"A major incident was declared following the explosion at 11:20 GMT on Monday\n\nA man who died after a suspected gas explosion at a house in Swansea has been named as Brian Davies.\n\nThe body of the 68-year-old was found in the rubble during a search following the blast on Clydach Road in the Morriston area of the city.\n\nEmergency services were called to the scene at about 11:20 GMT on Monday and a major incident was declared.\n\nMr Davies was described as \"friendly and very well liked\" and known by many residents in the area.\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Anthony Bennett's son was hurt in the blast\n\nThree others, including a 14-year-old boy were taken to hospital with injuries, but two have since been discharged.\n\nMost householders have since been allowed to return to their homes, but access to 12 properties has been restricted as the repair and recovery operation continues, according to Swansea Council.\n\nDet Insp Carl Price, of South Wales Police, said: \"Our thoughts remain with Brian's family and friends, at what is a very difficult time for them, and those who have been injured following the explosion.\n\n\"Our inquiries are ongoing to establish the cause of the incident, and these inquiries are being carried out in partnership with relevant agencies including the Health and Safety Executive.\n\n\"The patience and understanding of local residents on Clydach Road, and the wider community in Morriston, is very much appreciated while this work remains ongoing.\"\n\nSioned Williams, Member of the Senedd (MS) for the South Wales West region, said residents had told her Mr Davies was \"friendly and very well liked\".\n\n\"He apparently used to sit outside on the step and talk to people in the street. A lot of people knew him and liked him,\" she said.\n\nThe damage was extensive and about 100 people were unable to return to their homes until Tuesday\n\nOne property was completely flattened with Wales & West Utilities describing the structural damage as \"severe\".\n\nIts Chief Operating Officer Rob Long said the cause of the explosion was not yet known.\n\nHe added Wales & West Utilities remained at the scene on Tuesday to make sure the area was safe, as well as carrying out checks to rule out damage to the network.\n\nHe said: \"We would like to reassure local residents that every safety precaution is being taken. As part of this, we are joined by other utilities in turning off gas and power to the immediate surrounding properties - however, there will be no impact on gas supplies to the wider area.\"\n\nThe National Grid's website said 212 properties were without electricity in the aftermath of the explosion, but power was restored by 18:40 on Monday.\n\nSwansea council leader Rob Stewart said about 100 people had initially been displaced.\n\nThe British Red Cross sent a team to help and the council set up a rest centre at Morriston Memorial Hall.\n\nThe community has rallied around to help those affected, with Morriston Town Football Club taking donations of clothes and providing hot drinks.\n\nSpeaking at the site on Tuesday morning, councillor Ceri Evans said the thoughts and prayers of the community were with the family of the man who died.\n\n\"I am sure there will be a full and robust investigation and the council will support it but the community will want answers,\" he said.\n\nResident Pam Evans said it was \"very worrying\" that people had not been able to return to their homes.\n\nShe added that there was \"ongoing trauma\" for residents still unable to access their properties to get clothes, medication and other belongings.\n\n\"People are very distressed and we have vulnerable members of the community here also, so it's a difficult situation,\" she said.\n\nBrian Davies has been named as the man who died following the explosion\n\nAnthony Bennett's son Ethan was the child pulled from the rubble, along with his mother Claire, who remains in hospital with six broken ribs.\n\nHe said: \"[Ethan] just remembers the explosion going and him being thrown up against the ceiling.\n\n\"Then next thing he knew he was coming round, he seemed to be outside or in the open air.\n\n\"But apparently part of the roof was under him and half was on top of him and the guy who lived a couple of doors down, he ran across to check on Claire and then he ran up and dragged Ethan out and he carried Ethan off the roof to get him out.\n\n\"They are so lucky to come out of it.\"\n\nEthan and his mother were two of three people taken to hospital after the explosion, with a second adult - a postman - since being discharged.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/uk-wales-64950915"}
{"title":"King Charles makes first appearance on special stamps - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-14","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"The first new stamps bearing the King's head likely to be seen by the public are revealed by Royal Mail.","section":"UK","content":"Back to the fuchsia: The King's silhouette will appear for the first time\n\nThe first special stamps bearing the head of King Charles are being released by the Royal Mail, with his silhouette appearing on a set showing popular garden flowers.\n\nThese are likely to be the first stamps showing the King's profile that will be widely seen by the public.\n\nThis replaces a design showing the Queen's head used continuously on commemorative stamps since 1968.\n\nLast month saw the final issue of a new set of stamps with the Queen's head.\n\nDavid Gold, of Royal Mail, said using pictures of flowers for this landmark set of stamps reflected the fact that the King was a \"passionate gardener\".\n\nThe Royal Mail had previously revealed the design for new regular first and second class stamps showing King Charles.\n\nThe stamps use pictures of popular back garden flowers\n\nBut those new stamps will not begin to appear regularly on letters until stocks run out of existing stamps showing the late Queen's head.\n\nIt is not expected that the new King Charles versions of ordinary first and class stamps will start to be seen until next month.\n\nThat means that the first visible change in stamps for the new reign will be these 10 flower stamps, showing back garden favourites such as rose, dahlia, sunflower and fuchsia.\n\nThese flower stamps can be ordered from Tuesday, and will go on general release next week.\n\nThis ends the use of the late Queen's head for commemorative stamps.\n\nIt had appeared on stamps marking hundreds of events and themes, from Concorde to Christmas and Doctor Who to Thomas the Tank Engine.\n\nThe long-term planning for such special stamps meant that the Royal Mail had continued with plans in the pipeline made before the Queen's death last September.\n\nBut the last planned set, marking the centenary of the Flying Scotsman, was revealed in February. The silhouette of Charles will now appear on all such special issues.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/uk-64940530"}
{"title":"Manchester City 7-0 RB Leipzig (8-1 agg): Erling Haaland scores five as City cruise into quarter-finals - BBC Sport","published_date":"2023-03-14","authors":null,"description":"Erling Haaland scores five as Manchester City thrash RB Leipzig to reach the quarter-finals of the Champions League.","section":null,"content":"Last updated on .From the section European Football\n\nErling Haaland rewrote the record books by scoring an incredible five times as Manchester City swept RB Leipzig aside to reach the Champions League quarter-finals.\n\nHaaland becomes the fastest and youngest player to reach 30 goals in Europe's elite club competition.\n\nHe is also the youngest player to score five times in a single Champions League game, joining Argentina great Lionel Messi and Brazil forward Luiz Adriano as the only players to do so.\n\nThe 22-year-old is now on 39 goals for the season in all competitions, the first City player to reach that figure in a single campaign. His five hat-tricks are three more than any other player in the big five leagues.\n\nOn any normal day, Ilkay Gundogan's precise low shot into the bottom corner would have merited praise. On this historic night, which matched City's 7-0 triumph over Schalke in 2019, it was nothing more than a footnote.\n\nOn this evidence, no-one, not even Real Madrid, will want to be paired with Pep Guardiola's side in Friday's last-eight draw.\n\nLegendary former club captain Vincent Kompany can only hope his old club have got this calibre of performance out of their system when he brings his Burnley side to Etihad Stadium in the FA Cup on Saturday.\n\u2022 None Man City news and fan views in one place\n\nLeipzig coach Marco Rose was Haaland's boss at Dortmund last season. Little wonder he reacted with incredulity on the eve of the game when it was pointed out to him that some feel City are a lesser team with the Norwegian in it.\n\n\"It could get really, really, really good for him with Pep and Man City,\" was Rose's response.\n\nHe would have preferred his words not to be proved quite so perceptive, quite so soon.\n\nLeipzig were given a very early warning about the difficulties that lay ahead when Nathan Ake dropped a long pass over their defence and in the space of half a dozen strides Haaland had sprinted clear of their defence and bore down on goal.\n\nGoalkeeper Janis Blaswich managed to deny Haaland the opener - but it was to be his last success of the night in that personal duel.\n\nRose may argue City should not have been awarded the penalty that gave Haaland the chance to open the scoring.\n\nTrue, Benjamin Henrichs was very close to Rodri - but once VAR intervened it was also obvious the defender had his arms out when the City man headed the ball against his hand.\n\nHaaland kept his cool, buried the penalty and, as the visiting bench were still grumbling at the unfairness of it all, made it 2-0 when he reacted quickest after De Bruyne's thunderous shot came back off the crossbar and headed into an empty net.\n\nAnd when Amadou Haidara's clearance off the line, after Blaswich had turned away Ruben Dias' header, bounced straight into the advancing Haaland to give him his hat-trick in first-half stoppage time, Leipzig might have been tempted to concede.\n\nBut there was more punishment to come for the hapless visitors.\n\nGundogan's well-taken strike was followed by Haaland's fourth, which came when Blaswich saved a Manuel Akanji effort and again it fell just right for the Norwegian.\n\nWhen he turned home a fifth for the first time in his career, Haaland had effectively scored five times in 35 minutes.\n\nHs dad Alfie, watching from an executive box high in the stadium, was on his feet leading the applause.\n\nProbably wisely, Guardiola decided there was not much point in Haaland staying on the pitch. He left to a standing ovation from a crowd both appreciative and incredulous at what they had just seen.\n\nCity eased off with the job emphatically done before De Bruyne scored with virtually the last kick as Leipzig were condemned to their heaviest European defeat.\n\u2022 None Goal! Manchester City 7, RB Leipzig 0. Kevin De Bruyne (Manchester City) right footed shot from outside the box to the top right corner. Assisted by Riyad Mahrez.\n\u2022 None Delay over. They are ready to continue.\n\u2022 None Delay in match because of an injury David Raum (RB Leipzig).\n\u2022 None Attempt saved. Manuel Akanji (Manchester City) header from the centre of the box is saved in the bottom left corner. Assisted by Bernardo Silva with a cross.\n\u2022 None Attempt blocked. Juli\u00e1n \u00c1lvarez (Manchester City) right footed shot from the right side of the box is blocked.\n\u2022 None Attempt missed. Andr\u00e9 Silva (RB Leipzig) left footed shot from outside the box is close, but misses to the left. Assisted by Willi Orb\u00e1n with a headed pass.\n\u2022 None Manuel Akanji (Manchester City) is shown the yellow card for a bad foul. Navigate to the next page Navigate to the last page\n\u2022 None Find out how the new owner is transforming the company\n\u2022 None Are eco laundry products better for the environment? Greg Foot investigates how such claims come out in the wash...","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/sport\/football\/64943666"}
{"title":"Boris Johnson to give evidence to Partygate inquiry next week - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-14","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"A committee of MPs is investigating whether the former PM misled Parliament over the scandal.","section":"UK Politics","content":"Boris Johnson will give public evidence about whether he misled MPs over Partygate on 22 March, the Privileges Committee has confirmed.\n\nThe former prime minister will be questioned by the cross-party committee from 14:00 GMT in a televised session.\n\nIn an initial report published earlier this month it said Mr Johnson may have misled Parliament multiple times.\n\nBut Mr Johnson has rejected this and said he believes the process will \"vindicate\" him.\n\nReports of gatherings in government buildings during Covid lockdowns first emerged in late 2021.\n\nOn several occasions, Mr Johnson, who was then prime minister, told the Commons the rules had been followed.\n\nHe later admitted his original statements had since proved incorrect. However, he has insisted he believed them to be true at the time and has denied deliberately misleading Parliament.\n\nAn investigation by senior civil servant Sue Gray found widespread rule-breaking had taken place and a police inquiry led to 83 people, including Mr Johnson himself, being fined for attending events.\n\nThe Privileges Committee's initial report said it had seen evidence that \"strongly suggests\" Covid rule breaches would have been \"obvious\" to Mr Johnson.\n\nIt has already received written submissions from witnesses, as well as being provided with WhatsApp messages, documents and photos of gatherings.\n\nBoris Johnson celebrates his birthday - for which he received a fine - in a photo released by the committee\n\nThe committee, which is chaired by Labour's Harriet Harman, is made up of four Conservative MPs, two Labour MPs and one SNP MP.\n\nIf Mr Johnson is found to have misled Parliament, the committee will recommend how he should be punished, with the House of Commons voting on this.\n\nPotential punishments range from ordering him to apologise to suspension from the Commons. If he is suspended for more than 10 days, this could trigger a by-election in his constituency.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/uk-politics-64954751"}
{"title":"Wild swan conservation success gives cause for hope - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-14","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"Numbers of migratory swans are on the rise, giving hope that declines in nature can be reversed.","section":"Science & Environment","content":"The large white swan is a winter visitor to the UK\n\nNumbers of whooper swans are predicted to double in the UK by 2030, thanks to efforts to protect the wetlands where they spend the winter.\n\nThe wild bird, known for its trumpet-like call, flies in from Iceland to overwinter across the country.\n\nScientists say the swan is benefitting from special protection in nature reserves.\n\nAnd this offers hope that setting aside 30% of the planet for nature can help reverse decades of biodiversity loss.\n\n\"The big message is that nature reserves can operate as very good protectors of wildlife,\" Prof Stuart Bearhop of the University of Exeter told BBC News.\n\n\"If we could get 30% of the world protected - and protected in the right way - we are going absolutely in the right direction.\"\n\nWhooper swans are tagged, making it possible to monitor their movement and survival rates\n\nThe researchers - led by the universities of Exeter and Helsinki - analysed 30 years of data on more than 10,000 wild swans.\n\nThey found survival rates were significantly higher at nature reserves and population growth was so strong that it boosted numbers elsewhere.\n\nThe study found that nature reserves in low-lying coastal areas were key to the survival of whooper swans.\n\nWhooper swans can be seen between October and March in Scotland, Northern Ireland, northern England and parts of East Anglia.\n\nThree nature reserves at Welney in Norfolk, Martin Mere in Lancashire and Caerlaverock in southwest Scotland give special protection to wild swans.\n\n\"Our findings provide strong evidence that nature reserves are hugely beneficial for whooper swans, and could dramatically increase their numbers in the UK,\" said study researcher, Dr \u202aAndrea Soriano-Redondo.\n\nProviding the highest possible protection for the swan was key - such as fencing out foxes and other predators, avoiding farming methods that disturb the land and sighting the reserves away from hazards such as power lines.\n\nHumanity relies on healthy global ecosystems for clean air and water, as well as food. But species of plants and animals are disappearing at a rate unprecedented in human history.\n\nIn December nearly 200 countries signed up to a plan to protect 30% of lands and seas for nature by 2030 in an attempt to halt and reverse biodiversity decline.\n\nHighly-protected areas that allow nature to recover are at the heart of this global effort.\n\nThe research is published in the journal, Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/science-environment-64944172"}
{"title":"Over 1,500 police accused of violence against women and girls - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-14","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"Of the resolved cases, only 13 officers were sacked, National Police Chiefs' Council data shows.","section":"UK","content":"More than 1,500 police officers were accused of violence against women and girls in a six-month period, figures for England and Wales suggest.\n\nBut of the resolved cases, only 13 were sacked, according to data from the National Police Chiefs' Council.\n\nReported offences ranged from sexual attacks to complaints of excessive force by officers during arrest.\n\nDeputy Chief Constable Maggie Blyth, NPCC lead on violence against women and girls, called the data \"disturbing\".\n\nSpeaking to BBC Breakfast, she said a large proportion of the investigations had yet to be completed, but added it did show \"we cannot be complacent\".\n\n\"We need really robust investigations to take forward and dismiss anyone who we think is working in our organisation who shouldn't be and has been found guilty of allegations that are relating to violence against women and girls,\" she said.\n\nThe report follows the cases of:\n\nDuring the six months to March 2022, members of the public made 524 complaints relating to violence against 867 officers.\n\nOf these, 290 cases have been resolved, with nine in 10 ending in no further action.\n\nDuring the same period, 672 police officers and other staff were reported by colleagues. So far, 167 cases have been dealt with - and, of these, seven in 10 ended in no further action.\n\nThe report said the true figures were likely to be far higher because of under-reporting by police staff, and inaccuracies and inconsistencies in data collection across forces.\n\nThe figures - for all police forces in England and Wales including the British Transport Police - equate to 0.7% of the total police workforce employed in March 2022, the NPCC said.\n\nOne woman who did report her case was Alice, not her real name, who was married to a West Yorkshire Police firearms officer.\n\nShe said the force failed to fully investigate her allegations of domestic violence and the whole experience had destroyed her trust in the police.\n\n\"I think it's scary, the fact that he's had little control of himself and then been able to go to work and get a loaded gun out and be walking the streets,\" she told BBC News.\n\nAlice said her former husband claimed her word would never be believed against his - a police officer.\n\nShe described West Yorkshire Police's response as an \"intentional overlooking of his behaviour\".\n\n\"I have cited to them extreme controlling and coercive behaviour and no investigation was opened,\" she told BBC News.\n\n\"The reality is, in my case, that it's not taken seriously and it feels as though they cover up for one another.\n\n\"It's quite unbelievable that the people that are meant to protect you are the ones that are helping the person who's abused you, and poses a threat to you.\n\n\"It's just an exhausting and frightening place to be in.\"\n\nAfter speaking to Alice, the BBC contacted West Yorkshire Police. An officer has been suspended and the matter referred to the police watchdog, the Independent Office for Police Conduct.\n\n\"While we cannot comment further on this specific matter, we encourage anyone who is a victim of domestic abuse to contact us,\" said a spokesperson for the force.\n\n\"Allegations are taken seriously, including allegations involving West Yorkshire Police officers and staff, and will always be fully investigated.\"\n\nThe NPCC also looked at violence against women and girls generally during the six months to March 2022.\n\nThese figures show 447,431 recorded domestic abuse crimes and, overall, at least 507,827 crimes of violence against women and girls.\n\nSimilar to other crimes, only 6% of these resulted in charges, and domestic abuse survivors have told BBC News that support from police too often falls short.\n\nYour device may not support this visualisation\n\nIn Barnsley, a survivor support group, Resolute, helps women who have suffered domestic abuse.\n\nIts founder, Deborah Jones, told BBC News: \"Domestic abuse is destroying women and children's lives on a daily basis.\"\n\nThe BBC spoke to women at a Resolute meeting. All were anonymous for their own safety.\n\nOne young woman said she had been covered in bruises on the chest and neck after her abuser tried to strangle her in the street.\n\nA member of the public called the police, but support from officers was \"very minimal\", she said.\n\n\"They didn't even take me back home.\"\n\nAn older woman complained of lack of compassion: \"They make you feel like it's your fault for going with this person in the first place.\"\n\nA shortage of trained officers is a big problem, according to another who said the first police officer she spoke to admitted she had not been trained in dealing with domestic violence, but in firearms. The woman said it was \"just horrendous\".\n\nIn another case, even contacting the investigating officer was a struggle.\n\n\"I found out in October who the officer was. I didn't get any more contact from her until January. She didn't respond to any of my messages.\"\n\nA spokesperson for South Yorkshire Police said the force was \"continuously working\" to improve its response to domestic abuse, listening to the views of victims and delivering specialist training to staff in direct contact with victims and perpetrators.\n\n\"Often victims live in fear behind closed doors and may find it difficult to come forward, which is why we're committed to bringing those responsible to justice and supporting those affected,\" said the statement.\n\nDeputy Chief Constable Maggie Blyth says police forces need to rebuild trust\n\nResponding to the overall figures on police investigations, Ms Blyth said forces should focus investigations \"consistently on the behaviour of suspects\" and improve the treatment of victims.\n\n\"We will only rebuild trust when the public and our staff see results and feel the impact of our actions,\" she added.\n\nIf you or someone you know is experiencing abuse, you can call the freephone, 24-hour National Domestic Abuse Helpline, run by Refuge, on 0808 2000 247. A directory of other women's support services is also available on the End Violence Against Women website.\n\nHave you been affected by the issues in this story? Share your experiences by emailing haveyoursay@bbc.co.uk.\n\nPlease include a contact number if you are willing to speak to a BBC journalist. You can also get in touch in the following ways:\n\nIf 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 HaveYourSay@bbc.co.uk. Please include your name, age and location with any submission.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/uk-64915126"}
{"title":"Cheltenham Festival 2023: Preview as Constitution Hill seeks Champion Hurdle win - BBC Sport","published_date":"2023-03-14","authors":null,"description":"The four-day Cheltenham Festival starts on Tuesday with Nicky Henderson's Constitution Hill hot favourite to win the Champion Hurdle.","section":null,"content":"Last updated on .From the section Horse Racing\n\nCoverage: Commentaries on BBC Radio 5 Sports Extra, with feature races on BBC Radio 5 Live. Racecards, live text, results & reports on the BBC Sport website & app\n\nAbout 280,000 spectators are expected at the meeting where the unbeaten Constitution Hill tops the opening-day bill in the Champion Hurdle.\n\nLast year's winner Honeysuckle goes instead this time in the Mares' Hurdle in what might be her swansong.\n\nRunners face disqualification if jockeys seriously breach contentious new rules on use of the whip.\n\nMuch of the talk in the build-up has centred on how riders will adapt to the regulations in the heat of top-level competition.\n\nThere is also unpredictability around the weather with a mixed forecast raising the prospect of soft going and throwing the form book with drier conditions into doubt.\n\nOn the opening day the focus will be on Nicky Henderson's exciting Constitution Hill, who has won his five previous races by a total of 77 lengths, including last year's opening Supreme Novices' Hurdle.\n\nThe cheering sound of the crowd as the first contest gets under way has become so iconic that course owners, the Jockey Club, have turned it into a techno dance track called 'Roar Remix' featuring DJ Cuddles.\n\nIt is the first of 28 races at a meeting which is worth an estimated \u00a3274m to the local economy, according to a report by the University of Gloucestershire.\n\nThe meeting concludes on Friday where Gold Cup runners will include the winners of the Irish Gold Cup, King George VI Chase and Grand National in Galopin Des Champs, Bravemansgame and Noble Yeats.\n\nVery, very good. The six-year-old has been breathtaking in his five previous runs under jockey Nico de Boinville.\n\nLikely to go off the hottest favourite of the week, bookmaker William Hill has even changed the branding on its Cheltenham shops to Constitution Hill.\n\nIrish Champion Hurdle winner State Man and stablemate Vauban are next in the betting for the Festival's leading trainer Willie Mullins.\n\nConstitution Hill is one of few English-trained favourites in a week which has been dominated by the Irish in recent years.\n\nTrainer Henderson, seeking a record-extending ninth win in the Champion Hurdle, is trying to keep a lid on the expectation.\n\n\"Constitution Hill is doing freakish things, but he's only had five runs in his life and you have to remember it is very early days in his career,\" he said.\n\u2022 None How will you get on in our Cheltenham quiz?\n\nWhat are the new whip rules?\n\u2022 None Explainer: All you need to know about the new whip rules\n\nRules introduced last month reduce the number of times the whip is permitted by one, to seven in jumps races and six in flat races.\n\nJockeys face suspension for going above that limit and their horse disqualified if they go four or more over the threshold.\n\nBans are doubled if the offence takes place in Class 1 and 2 races.\n\nSome riders have struggled to adapt and believe policing of the changes has been draconian, while Irish jockeys who also compete in Britain have a different set of rules in their homeland.\n\nPotential offences are now referred to the Whip Review Committee, rather than dealt with by racecourse stewards on the day.\n\nThe committee also looks at other matters including the force used, whether it was used from above shoulder height, and the time given for a horse to respond.\n\nAll bets by punters will stand on the day, with any breaches - and potential disqualifications - not dealt with until the following week.\n\nRachael Blackmore has been clocking up the landmarks, becoming the first woman to ride the Gold Cup winner when triumphant on A Plus Tard 12 months ago.\n\nA year earlier, she was the first female to be the week's leading rider before going on to claim another historic triumph on Minella Times in the Grand National.\n\nBlackmore is set to be aboard A Plus Tard again in Friday's Gold Cup, while trainer Henry de Bromhead will also saddle 2021 winner Minella Indo.\n\nIt will be a poignant week for De Bromhead with Thursday's mares' novices hurdle named in honour of his 13-year-old son Jack, who died in a riding accident last year.\n\nDe Bromhead and Blackmore will hope Honeysuckle, who has won 16 of her 18 races, can claim her third Festival triumph on Tuesday.\n\nOne jockey who did not expect to be competing again at Cheltenham is 43-year-old Davy Russell, who retired in December but has returned to the saddle to help trainer Gordon Elliott after Jack Kennedy suffered a broken leg.\n\nChampion Chase, Wednesday: Last year's winner Energumene runs in the blue-and-white colours of owner Tony Bloom, chairman of Brighton and Hove Albion, while Editeur Du Gite carries the red, white and blue favoured by the Crystal Palace-supporting Preston family. The 2022 Arkle Chase victor Edwardstone is another leading contender.\n\nRyanair Chase, Thursday: Favourite Shishkin was diagnosed with a rare bone condition after he was pulled up in last year's Champion Chase, when a 10-race unbeaten run came to an end, but he bounced back to form with victory at Ascot last month for Henderson.\n\nStayers' Hurdle, Thursday: Flooring Porter and his boisterous band of supporters are seeking a hat-trick after victories in 2021 and 2022. The 2019 winner Paisley Park, who runs for blind owner Andrew Gemmell, looks to regain his title after twice finishing third in the race.\n\nGold Cup, Friday: Along with last year's first two, the third-placed Protektorat is also expected to line up. Ahoy Senor would be the first Scottish-trained winner, while John 'Shark Hanlon' seeks victory with \u00a3800 bargain buy Hewick. \"It'd be a great story to win it, wouldn't it?\" he said.\n\u2022 None Find out how the new owner is transforming the company\n\u2022 None Are eco laundry products better for the environment? Greg Foot investigates how such claims come out in the wash...","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/sport\/horse-racing\/64875351"}
{"title":"Australia floods: Baby kangaroo rescued from crocodile-infested waters - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-14","authors":null,"description":"A baby kangaroo was spotted swimming near two large crocodiles by a pilot who notified police.","section":null,"content":"Police in Australia have rescued a baby kangaroo from crocodile infested floodwaters over the weekend in Burketown.\n\nThe kangaroo joey was spotted swimming near two large crocodiles by a helicopter pilot, who alerted Queensland Police.\n\nHeavy rains caused record-breaking flood in the region, with local authorities saying residents had to be airlifted out to safety.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/world-australia-64952199"}
{"title":"I've never seen the NHS this bad - junior doctor - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-14","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"Birmingham doctor Shivam Sharma says he is worried for the future of the healthcare system.","section":"Birmingham & Black Country","content":"Dr Shivam Sharma said many junior doctors had struggled to pay rent and make ends meet\n\nA junior doctor said NHS workers who had taken strike action for a pay rise had struggled with \"enormous\" workplace pressures and financial difficulties.\n\nDr Shivam Sharma, from Birmingham, said he was worried for the future of the healthcare system after seeing an increase in patient waiting times.\n\nIt comes as thousands of junior doctors across England took to picket lines for three days of industrial action.\n\nMore than 36,000 NHS workers are striking from Monday until Thursday.\n\nMembers of British Medical Association (BMA) in England has asked for a pay rise of 35% however the government said the union's demands were \"completely unaffordable\".\n\nThe BMA called it \"pay restoration\" and claimed staff had seen pay cuts of 26% since 2008.\n\nAbout 100 people, junior doctors, union members and students, stood outside the doors of Birmingham's Queen Elizabeth hospital on Monday\n\nDr Sharma, who is in his fourth year working as a doctor after graduating from the University of Birmingham, is a member of BMA Junior Doctor committee.\n\nCurrently working on a geriatric ward, he said he had seen many patients tended to in the corridors of the hospital.\n\n\"I think it's really becoming more and more tough, I've never seen it this bad,\" he said, adding the doctors work on average about 48 hours a week but sometimes as many as 72.\n\nHe was worried for the future of the healthcare system, he said, adding the average waiting time for patients to be seen was now 12 hours.\n\nMore pay and better working conditions would allow doctors to retain a work-life balance and would allow them to deliver the care they wanted to deliver, he said, adding taking industrial action was a \"last resort\" for doctors.\n\nThe term junior doctor covers a huge variety of roles, from those just graduating from university, to others with years of front-line experience.\n\nThe BMA's campaign focuses on the \u00a314 per hour starting salary, although that quickly rises for anyone entering the profession.\n\nThere are five core pay points in the junior doctor contract. By the end of training they will be earning around \u00a328 an hour in basic salary - although this can take 10 years to get to.\n\nJunior doctors, including those fresh out of university, also receive an additional 30% more in extra payments, on average, for things like working unsociable hours.\n\nHealth Secretary Steve Barclay said he valued the hard work of junior doctors and that he wanted unions to \"come to the negotiating table\" to enter formal talks.\n\nOne doctor said the last few years have been full of burnout\n\nOutside the Queen Elizabeth Hospital in Birmingham Naomi Collier, a junior doctor with four years' experience, said she was moving to Australia on Wednesday.\n\nDoctors like her are choosing to work elsewhere for better pay, and ultimately, a better work-life balance, she said.\n\n\"I've always wanted to visit Australia, but because we have a structured training programme in the NHS, I'm at a point where it's the only natural break I can really see, before going on to train for eight years to become a consultant.\n\n\"I think I would be speaking for quite a few people if I say the last few years have been full of burnout.\"\n\nAn NHS spokesperson said patients should not be put off from seeking emergency care during strike action.\n\nPatients have also been told to continue to attend appointments unless advised otherwise.\n\nFollow BBC West Midlands on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. Send your story ideas to: newsonline.westmidlands@bbc.co.uk\n\nThe BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/uk-england-birmingham-64938278"}
{"title":"Gary Lineker row goes to heart of BBC reputation - Ofcom boss - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-14","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"The regulator's boss says it is right the BBC is reviewing its social media guidelines after the row.","section":"UK","content":"The BBC impartiality row with Gary Lineker goes \"straight to the heart\" of the broadcaster's wider reputation, Ofcom's chief executive has said.\n\nDame Melanie Dawes told MPs it \"hasn't been a great weekend\" for BBC Sport fans after coverage was pulled off air.\n\nShe told a committee she hoped the BBC could move beyond this episode.\n\nLineker will return to Match of the Day after he was taken off air over a tweet criticising the government's new asylum policy.\n\nBBC director general Tim Davie said an independent review of social media guidelines would be carried out and he denied accusations that the BBC had backed down.\n\nSpeaking to the Digital, Culture, Media and Sport Committee on Tuesday, Dame Melanie said: \"Clearly an episode like this goes straight to the heart of that wider reputation beyond their news and current affairs coverage.\"\n\nShe told MPs it was right the BBC was reviewing its social media guidelines, adding: \"There is ambiguity in there, I think that was probably designed to give a degree of flexibility\u2026 but it didn't achieve what they wanted.\"\n\nShe said there needed to be \"very strict rules\" for news presenters, but said it was a \"slightly different question\" when it comes to other contributors, including freelancers and actors.\n\n\"I think they need to be weighing freedom of expression alongside the wider reputation they have for impartiality,\" she said.\n\n\"It is for the BBC board to safeguard the reputation of the BBC, including for impartiality, and to weigh all that in the balance.\"\n\nShe added that she didn't think it would be \"straightforward\" and that Ofcom, which is the BBC's regulator, has no role in setting internal guidelines but can offer advice.\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. WATCH: The weekend of BBC football show chaos... in 90 seconds\n\nThe row began last week when, in a tweet, Lineker said the government's new Illegal Migration Bill was an \"immeasurably cruel policy\" and said the language used around it was \"not dissimilar to that used by Germany in the 30s\".\n\nHis words were criticised by Conservative ministers, including the home secretary.\n\nLineker was told on Friday to step back from presenting Match of the Day until an agreement was reached, triggering an unprecedented wave of walkouts from fellow pundits and commentators in solidarity.\n\nOn Monday it was announced Lineker will return to present Match of the Day. The BBC said it would carry out an independent review of its social media guidelines - and in the meantime Lineker would abide by the current guidelines.\n\nThe BBC faced criticism from a range of sides over the row, with some Tory MPs questioning whether the licence fee model should come to an end.\n\nBut senior Conservative Michael Gove defended the BBC and said he was a \"big fan\" of the licence fee.\n\n\"I wish the BBC well, I respect its independence,\" he added.\n\nAsking an urgent question on the row in the House of Commons on Tuesday, Labour's shadow culture secretary Lucy Powell said the events of the past week \"exposed how susceptible the BBC leadership is to government pressure\".\n\n\"This week's sorry saga has raised serious questions about the government's role in upholding BBC impartiality,\" she said. \"They've got their fingerprints all over it.\"\n\nShe added that Lineker being taken off air for tweeting something \"the government doesn't like\" sounds like \"Putin's Russia\" - a comparison culture minister Julia Lopez described as \"disgraceful\".\n\nMs Lopez told the Commons the government had \"consistently made clear\" the matter was for the BBC to resolve internally, adding that at \"no time have ministers sought to influence BBC decisions\".\n\nIn the wake of the row, Lineker contacted Twitter owner Elon Musk after a threatening message was sent to his eldest son, George, who had tweeted in support of his father.\n\nThe Match of the Day presenter has also changed his Twitter profile image, now showing Lineker next to a quote from George Orwell which is engraved on the wall of the BBC's New Broadcasting House.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/uk-64953421"}
{"title":"Police and CPS in rape case blame game - report - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-14","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"An urgent shift in the way rape cases are investigated and prosecuted is needed, say watchdogs.","section":"UK","content":"Police and the Crown Prosecution Service are involved in a blame game over a drop in rape prosecutions, a watchdogs' report has said.\n\nCPS figures for 2019-20 show 1,439 suspects were convicted of rape or lesser offences in England and Wales, the lowest level since records began.\n\nThis is down from 1,925 the previous year despite a rise in reports of rape.\n\nThe review by the police and CPS watchdogs calls for an urgent shift in the way rape cases are investigated.\n\nIn particular, it identified \"finger pointing\" and a \"deep division\" between agencies over dismal conviction rates.\n\n\"At a national level, there is a lot of activity to improve the response to rape,\" the report said.\n\n\"But beneath the surface of these joint structures, we were told of continuing underlying tensions between the police and the CPS, and a desire on both sides to blame the other for low charge and conviction rates.\"\n\nThe report by the HM Inspectorate of Constabulary and HM Crown Prosecution Service Inspectorate said that until this blame culture was eradicated a real shift in attitudes seemed unachievable.\n\nIn response to the review, the CPS and the National Police Chiefs Council (NPCC) have announced that they will be strengthening their collaboration, operating more closely from the outset of cases.\n\nWendy Williams, from the Inspectorate of Constabulary, welcomed the commitment from the top but said more needed to be done on the ground to break what she described as this vicious cycle.\n\nSue Hemming, CPS director of legal services, said the service accepted that far too few victims were currently seeing their cases reach court and insisted they were \"working hard\" to turn this around.\n\n\"We agree closer collaboration and communication with police from the outset of a rape complaint is essential to driving up the number of strong prosecutions and that a blame culture serves no one,\" she said.\n\nKatie Russell, of Rape Crisis England and Wales, said: \"We could not agree more that both police and the Crown Prosecution Service must begin to take responsibility for their own roles in the catastrophic failure of criminal justice for victims and survivors of sexual offences if we stand a chance of successfully tackling this unacceptable and urgent situation.\"\n\nTemporary Chief Constable Sarah Crew, who is the NPCC lead for rape, said the new agreement to work more closely with the CPS in the early days of the investigation should mean stronger cases and faster charging decisions.\n\nThis should reduce the chance of a victim withdrawing their support, she added.\n\nThe report follows the government's rape review, published last month, in which it apologised for \"failing\" rape victims and set out plans for a \"system and culture change\".","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/uk-57856719"}
{"title":"John Caldwell : Tenth arrest over Omagh police shooting - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-14","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"A 45-year-old man is arrested in connection with the attempted murder of John Caldwell.","section":"Northern Ireland","content":"Det Ch Insp John Caldwell has been involved in a number of major investigations\n\nA tenth man has been arrested in connection with the shooting of Det Ch Insp John Caldwell.\n\nThe man, aged 45, was detained in Belfast under the Terrorism Act on Tuesday evening.\n\nDet Ch Insp John Caldwell suffered life-changing injuries in the attack in Omagh last month.\n\nInvestigators said their main line of enquiry into the attempted murder was dissident republican group the New IRA.\n\nEight other men, aged 72, 57, 47, 45, 43, 33, 38 and 22, arrested in connection with the attempted murder have since been released.\n\nA 25-year-old man, detained over a claim of responsibility made for the shooting was also released following questioning.\n\nLast week, the independent charity Crimestoppers announced a new reward for information about the attack.\n\nIt had previously offered \u00a320,000 but said anonymous donors had helped to increase that to \u00a3150,000.\n\nDet Ch Supt Eamonn Corrigan said the Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) was \"working relentlessly to bring those responsible to justice\".\n\nDet Ch Insp Caldwell, 48, was left critically ill after he was shot while putting footballs into his car after coaching young people at football.\n\nThe shooting, which occurred in front of school children, has been widely condemned by political figures across Northern Ireland.\n\nHe is one of the best-known detectives in the PSNI, often fronting press conferences on major inquiries during his 26-year career.\n\nMr Caldwell had coached a Beragh Swifts training session at Youth Sport Omagh when the gunmen approached and shot him at about 20:00 GMT on 22 February.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/uk-northern-ireland-64959728"}
{"title":"Theresa May says asylum plan won't solve illegal migration issue - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-14","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"The former PM says modern slavery victims will be \"collateral damage\" under new government proposals.","section":"UK Politics","content":"Theresa May was among those to raise concerns about the bill in the Commons\n\nGovernment plans to tackle small boat crossings will not solve the issue of illegal migration, former Prime Minister Theresa May has warned.\n\nUnder the proposals, modern slavery victims would be \"collateral damage\" and denied support, she told MPs.\n\nSeveral other Tories also called for changes to the Illegal Migration Bill.\n\nHowever it passed its first Commons hurdle, with the home secretary saying it was \"a humane attempt\" to break the incentive for people-smuggling gangs.\n\nSuella Braverman said the number of people crossing the Channel had \"overwhelmed our asylum system\" and \"our capacity to help people is not unlimited\".\n\nThe new legislation, announced last week, aims to stop migrants making the dangerous journey to the UK in small boats - which Prime Minister Rishi Sunak made one of his five key priorities.\n\nUnder the plans, anyone found to have entered the country illegally would be removed from the UK within 28 days, and also be blocked from returning or claiming British citizenship in future. They would either be returned to their home country, or another \"safe third country\" like Rwanda.\n\nThe bill passed its second reading in the Commons by 312 votes to 250, with the majority of Tory MPs voting for the plans.\n\nNo Conservatives voted against, although Mrs May and former ministers Chris Skidmore and Caroline Nokes, who have been publicly critical of the bill, were among those who did not register a vote, according to the Parliament website.\n\nCritics say the proposals break international law and they are likely to face opposition in the House of Lords, as well as legal challenges in the courts.\n\nDuring a debate on the bill in the Commons, Mrs May told MPs that \"whenever you close a route, the migrants and the people smugglers find another way, and anybody who thinks that this bill will deal with the issue of illegal migration once and for all is wrong\".\n\nShe raised several concerns about the proposed legislation, including that anyone fleeing persecution who came to the UK via an illegal route would face a \"blanket dismissal\".\n\n\"By definition, someone fleeing for their life will more often than not be unable to access a legal route,\" she said.\n\nMrs May also highlighted the potential impact of the bill on victims of modern slavery, saying \"as it currently stands we are shutting the door on victims while being trafficked into slavery here in the UK\".\n\n\"If they come here illegally they will not be supported to escape their slavery,\" she added.\n\nThe former home secretary said No 10 had offered to discuss her concerns about the bill and she hoped \"we can find some resolution\".\n\nHundreds of people gathered in Parliament Square to protest against the bill as it was debated in the Commons\n\nAnother senior Conservative MP, Sir Robert Buckland, said he had \"great concern\" about a clause of the bill which could allow children to be detained.\n\nThe former justice secretary also warned that the \"tone\" used by some members of his party was \"not appropriate\" and \"we have to do better\".\n\nWhile he said he would vote for the bill, Tory MP Simon Hoare said he wanted to see changes in relation to women who are trafficked and children.\n\nOther Tories, including Mr Skidmore, said they could not support the bill.\n\nThe former minister wrote on Twitter: \"I am not prepared to break international law or the human rights conventions that the UK has had a proud history of playing a leading role in establishing.\"\n\nAnd Ms Nokes, the Conservative chairwoman of the Commons women and equalities committee, said she had \"absolute horror\" at the prospect of the bill.\n\n\"I am deeply troubled at the prospect of a policy which seeks to criminalise children, pregnant women, families and remove them to Rwanda,\" the former immigration minister told Times Radio.\n\nHowever, other Conservative MPs were supportive of the government's approach.\n\nFormer minister Sir John Hayes said people wanted \"tough action\" on illegal immigration.\n\n\"Of course Britain should provide a safe haven for people in need, in genuine need,\" he said. \"But it is a deceit to pretend the asylum system is not being gamed and the British people taken for a ride.\"\n\nMarco Longhi, who represents Dudley North, said the bill would act as a deterrent for people undertaking \"very perilous journeys\".\n\nLabour voted against the bill, describing it as \"a con that makes the chaos worse\".\n\nShadow home secretary Yvette Cooper said \"it won't stop the criminal gangs or dangerous crossings\" but \"it will rip up our long-standing commitment to international law\", as well as \"lock up children\" and \"remove support and safe refuges from women who have been trafficked\".\n\nThe SNP also opposed the bill, saying there was no proof it would work and it would \"create an underclass of people stuck in immigration limbo indefinitely\".\n\nDefending the plans, Ms Braverman said unaccompanied children would only be removed from the UK under limited circumstances, such as for the purposes of family reunion.\n\n\"Otherwise, they will be provided with the necessary support in the UK until they reach 18,\" she told MPs.\n\nResponding to concerns about families and pregnant women, she said \"we must not create incentives for the smugglers to focus on people with particular characteristics by signposting exemptions for removal\".\n\nClosing the debate, Immigration Minister Robert Jenrick said the government was \"committed to tackling the heinous crime of modern slavery and supporting victims\".\n\n\"It's for that reason that we want to prevent abuse [of the system],\" he added.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/uk-politics-64943444"}
{"title":"Can the next SNP leader unite the party? - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-14","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"The candidates aspire to be unifying figures, but the leadership contest has seen bitter infighting.","section":"Scotland politics","content":"The three candidates to replace Nicola Sturgeon as SNP leader and first minister have at least one thing in common - they each aspire to be unifying figures.\n\nWhen Kate Forbes entered the contest she highlighted her desire to \"unite the party and the Yes movement\".\n\nAsh Regan said she would \"bring back unity\" and would \"take the SNP forward together\".\n\nHumza Yousaf offered to \"reach across the divisions\u2026 and bring people together\".\n\nWorthy aspirations for anyone seeking to takeover the leadership of an increasingly fractious party.\n\nHow any of the three candidates would actually deliver the promised unity is much harder to see, especially at the end of a week of sometimes bitter infighting.\n\nKate Forbes fractured her own campaign support by making clear that while she has no plans to unpick the law enabling gay marriage, she would not have voted for it.\n\nFive senior politicians who were either in her camp or heading that way have since deserted her. They include ministers Tom Arthur, Clare Haughey and Richard Lochhead, backbench MSP Gillian Martin and MP Drew Hendry.\n\nKate Forbes has tried to reset her leadership campaign\n\nThere was then a spat between the Forbes campaign and the deputy first minister, John Swinney, who questioned the suitability of someone with Kate Forbes' views for the highest office.\n\nShe has since tried to reset her campaign by committing to protect the rights of everyone to live and love without fear or harassment, describing herself as \"heartsore\" at the hurt some of her comments have caused.\n\nMs Forbes has also said that she would be \"loath\" to challenge the UK government's section 35 order blocking the gender recognition reform bill becoming law.\n\nThat has antagonised the SNP's power-sharing partners in the Scottish Greens who issued a statement insisting that the UK's intervention \"must be challenged robustly\".\n\nIt is hard to imagine the SNP\/Green arrangement continuing in its current form if Ms Forbes becomes first minister. Her strong emphasis on economic growth could place further strain on relations.\n\nThe power-sharing deal is probably even less likely to survive if Ash Regan wins the contest.\n\nShe has committed to dropping the gender recognition reform bill, over which she resigned from the Scottish government as community safety minister.\n\nShe has also prioritised the dualling of the A9 and the A96 and promised to stand up for oil workers rather than support an accelerated path to net zero carbon emissions if that threatens North Sea jobs.\n\nBy contrast, Humza Yousaf has declared himself a \"wholehearted\" supporter of the SNP\/Green tie-up which gives the Scottish government a stable majority in parliament.\n\nLike Nicola Sturgeon he is committed to going to court to defend Holyrood's gender reforms - one reason he is seen as something of a continuity candidate.\n\nLegal action would no doubt be welcomed by Greens and SNP supporters of the legislation, but does little to reassure those in the SNP who opposed it, that their concerns have been heard.\n\nWhile Humza Yousaf is a socially-liberal politician compared to the socially-conservative Kate Forbes, it is a matter of record that he did not take part in the final Holyrood vote on gay marriage.\n\nHumza Yousaf says he is \"not wedded\" to the idea of using a general election as a de-facto referendum.\n\nHis explanation is that he had an important meeting with a Pakistani diplomat about the case of a Scot facing the death penalty.\n\nHowever, the minister responsible for the same sex marriage legislation, Alex Neil - who is a Forbes supporter - tells a different story.\n\nHe claims Mr Yousaf timed the appointment to avoid the vote because he was under pressure from some in the Muslim community not to back reform.\n\nPerhaps the biggest threat to Mr Yousaf's campaign is his record in government. As health secretary he is in charge of the NHS at a time of enormous strain.\n\nThis week's report from the finance watchdog, Audit Scotland, suggested Mr Yousaf's recovery plan after the pandemic was not on track and that NHS waiting had got worse since it was published.\n\nAt Holyrood question time, Nicola Sturgeon highlighted record spending on the NHS and that Mr Yousaf has managed to avert strike action in the service. But that did not stop opposition leaders renewing calls for his resignation.\n\nIndependence is likely to emerge as an even bigger dividing line in this contest.\n\nThis is where Humza Yousaf breaks with the current first minister. He has said he is \"not wedded\" to the idea of using a general election as a substitute referendum.\n\nMy understanding is that he is very unlikely to back that approach. Instead, his emphasis is on building sustained majority support for independence to persuade the UK government to agree to indyref2.\n\nKate Forbes has also talked of the need to build \"unstoppable\" levels of support for independence. She told the BBC the strategy needed a \"reset\" and that it was not as simple as targeting a majority at an election.\n\nBefore Brexit, the SNP took a similar approach - that another referendum should happen if and when independence appeared to be the settled will of the Scottish public.\n\nMeanwhile, Ash Regan has doubled down on the election route to Scottish statehood, arguing that achieving more than 50% of the vote should trigger negotiations on Scotland's withdrawal from the UK.\n\nShe is also proposing to bring together all independence-minded organisations under the umbrella of an independence convention.\n\nThe end of the Nicola Sturgeon era is approaching\n\nHer position on this and some other key policies is very similar to the platform of the Alba party, led by Alex Salmond.\n\nThere will be much to discuss in the three-way leadership debates being organised by the SNP and by broadcasters.\n\nWhoever emerges as the winner when voting ends on Monday 27 March, this is the end of an era in the SNP and Scottish politics.\n\nThe end of the Sturgeon era, certainly. The end of the Salmond\/Sturgeon era too - the pair having taken control of their party and then the Scottish government together.\n\nThat was nearly two decades ago and this is the first time since 2004 there has been a contest to decide who takes over the party and what direction it should take.\n\nThe three candidates represent a generational shift away from those who have built and run the SNP for more than 30 years.\n\nAlex Salmond's gone. Nicola Sturgeon's going. John Swinney's stepping back too. Ian Blackford has already done so. As has Mike Russell, who now has the honorary post of party president.\n\nAll three potential leaders have only established themselves in elected politics since the SNP took power at Holyrood.\n\nKate Forbes and Humza Yousaf were still at school when the Scottish Parliament first opened in 1999.\n\nInterestingly, those two candidates were once named by Nicola Sturgeon as potential successors - not that succession planning has been an obvious feature during her time in charge.\n\nThe next SNP leader and first minister will either be the second woman to hold these offices or the first to do so from a black or Asian minority ethnic background.\n\nThey will face huge challenges in rebuilding the NHS, managing the public finances in a cost of living crisis, and trying to break the deadlock over independence.\n\nTrying to unify their party in the process could be one of the biggest challenges of all.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/uk-scotland-scotland-politics-64758718"}
{"title":"US shares rebound after Silicon Valley Bank turmoil - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-14","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"Markets climbed off the back of new inflation data, easing concerns about the impact of interest rate rises.","section":"Business","content":"We're going to close this live page shortly but before then, here's a look at what's happened in the world of US banking today:\n\nUS stock markets... opened higher at the start of trading on Tuesday, after consumer prices in the US grew in line with expectations\n\nInflation figures... released today showed consumer prices in the US rose 6% over the 12 months to February - the slowest annual increase since September 2021\n\nShares in US banks... have recovered some of the steep losses they suffered following the collapse of Silicon Valley Bank (SVB) - the second biggest bank failure in US history\n\nThe International Monetary Fund... says the US bank's collapse does not appear to be causing a global shock - at least for now\n\nAn investigation... is reportedly under way into what went wrong at SVB. Officials at the US Department of Justice and Securities and Exchange Commission are looking at moves by executives to sell shares in the weeks ahead of the failure, as well as potential fraud, US media reports say\n\nMeanwhile at Meta, the parent company of Instagram, Facebook and WhatsApp... 10,000 jobs have been axed as part of a second round of major job cuts in six months","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/live\/business-64940883"}
{"title":"Tiny data centre used to heat public swimming pool - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-14","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"The heat generated by the small box of powerful computers is enough to heat the pool about 60% of the time.","section":"Technology","content":"Mark Bjornsgaard says his scheme can save public swimming pools thousands of pounds\n\nThe heat generated by a washing-machine-sized data centre is being used to heat a Devon public swimming pool.\n\nThe computers inside the white box are surrounded by oil to capture the heat - enough to heat the pool to about 30C 60% of the time, saving Exmouth Leisure Centre thousands of pounds.\n\nThe data centre is provided to the council-run centre free of charge.\n\nStart-up Deep Green charges clients to use its computing power for artificial intelligence and machine learning.\n\nFounder Mark Bjornsgaard said the company would also refund the leisure centre's electricity costs for running the \"digital boiler\" - and seven other England pools had signed up to the scheme.\n\nThe concept, developed over five years, is relatively straight forward - the hot oil is pumped into a heat exchanger to warm the water in the pool.\n\nSean Day, who runs the leisure centre, said he had been expecting its energy bills to rise by \u00a3100,000 this year.\n\n\"The partnership has really helped us reduce the costs of what has been astronomical over the last 12 months - our energy prices and gas prices have gone through the roof,\" he said.\n\n\"Looking at different ways of how we can save money as an organisation has been awesome.\"\n\nSwim England chief executive Jane Nickerson said it was good to see pools \"embracing innovative solutions\".\n\nLast summer, BBC News revealed 65 swimming pools had closed since 2019, with rising energy costs cited as a significant reason.\n\nCambridge University professor of engineering and the environment Dr Julian Allwood said: \"If it's a sensible idea and it saves the leisure centre some money, then why not?\" adding data centres on the whole used less energy than previously reported.\n\nBut large ones can require billions of gallons of water and millions of pounds to keep cool.\n\nSome are even built under water - or in caves or very cold parts of the world.\n\nAnd in Danish and Swedish cities, huge data centres power thousands of homes.\n\n\"Data centres have got a huge problem with heat,\" Mr Bjornsgaard said.\n\n\"A lot of the money that it costs to run a data centre is taken up in getting rid of the heat.\n\n\"And so what we've done is taken a very small bit of a data centre to where the heat is useful and required.\"","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/technology-64939558"}
{"title":"Tram runs on Edinburgh's Leith Walk for first time in 67 years - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-14","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"It travelled at walking pace along the Edinburgh street as part of testing for a new route.","section":"Edinburgh, Fife & East Scotland","content":"The test tram was photographed on Leith Walk, near Stead's Place.\n\nA tram has travelled along Edinburgh's Leith Walk for the first time in more than six decades.\n\nTrials began on Monday night, with the vehicle travelling at walking pace along the new route, as part of the first stage of testing.\n\nTesting will continue overnight throughout the week, with some bus diversions in place as a result.\n\nThe new route, which extends Edinburgh's existing tram network to Newhaven, is set to open in the spring.\n\nIt the first time a tram has run along Leith Walk since November 1956.\n\nCouncillor Scott Arthur, transport and environment convener for the City of Edinburgh Council said: \"This is a huge milestone for Trams to Newhaven as we see the first trams on Leith Walk in my lifetime.\"\n\nHe said the route was set to be transformative for the area, as well as the city as a whole.\n\n\"We're fast approaching the start of passenger services this spring, and that the project is set to be delivered on time and within budget, despite the challenges of recent years, is testament to the hard work of all those involved,\" he added.\n\nThe trams travelled at a walking pace during the trial\n\nOn the first night of testing, a tram travelled slowly along small sections of the route, beginning at Picardy Place.\n\nThis will continue through the week, taking place during the night to minimise traffic disruption.\n\nInformation on bus diversions is available on the Lothian Buses website.\n\nOnce the first stage is completed, the frequency and speed of tram testing will increase, and trams will start running to a timetable.\n\nThe managing director of Edinburgh Trams, Lea Harrison, described the trial as a \"proud moment\" for all involved.\n\nLeith Walk has a long history as a key area on the city's tramways.\n\nHorse-drawn trams first travelled on the street in 1871, as part of Edinburgh's first tram route. This route saw trams travel three-and-a-half miles from Haymarket to Bernard Street. Cable trams were introduced shortly after.\n\nIn 1905, the newly created Leith Corporation Tramways brought in a rival electric tram service.\n\nLeith Walk's position on the boundary between Edinburgh and Leith meant that passengers travelling along the street would have to disembark at the boundary line, to swap between the Edinburgh service, and Leith Service.\n\nThe final tram of this era travelled on Leith Walk on 16 November 1956 as the city made a move towards bus travel.\n\nThe BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/uk-scotland-edinburgh-east-fife-64951633"}
{"title":"Moody's warns of more pain for US banks as downgrades sector - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-14","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"The ratings giant warns of a 'rapid deterioration in the operating environment' for US banks.","section":"Business","content":"This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Is this the start of a financial crisis?\n\nRatings giant Moody's has warned of more pain ahead for the US banking system after a run on deposits led to the collapse of Silicon Valley Bank.\n\nMoody's cut its outlook for the sector to \"negative\" from stable, warning of \"a rapid deterioration in the operating environment\".\n\nThe downgrade came as banking shares in the US and Europe rebounded following earlier losses.\n\nBut Moody's said some other banks faced risks of customer withdrawals.\n\nIt said rising interest rates also pose a challenge, exposing banks that bought assets such as government bonds when interest rates were low, to potential losses.\n\n\"Banks with substantial unrealized securities losses and with non-retail and uninsured US depositors may still be more sensitive to depositor competition or ultimate flight,\" Moody's said in the report.\n\n\"We expect pressures to persist and be exacerbated by ongoing monetary policy tightening, with interest rates likely to remain higher for longer until inflation returns to within the Fed's target range.\"\n\nAuthorities have acted quickly to try to contain fallout after the shock collapse of Silicon Valley Bank (SVB), the 16th largest in the US.\n\nThe firm, a key lender to technology firms, failed last week after a rush of customer withdrawals, sparked by the bank's disclosure that it needed to raise money and had been forced to sell a portfolio of assets, mostly government bonds, at a loss.\n\nUS regulators took over the bank and said they would guarantee deposits beyond the $250,000 level typically insured by the government. They took similar steps at smaller Signature Bank.\n\nOfficials from the Department of Justice and Securities and Exchange Commission are now investigating the collapse, US media reported.\n\nReports have suggested that some customers of smaller US banks have been trying to put their money into bigger institutions.\n\nHowever, ratings agency S&P Global said it hadn't seen evidence of runs on banks other than at those that had collapsed.\n\nIt said emergency measures brought in by the Federal Reserve should lower the risk of bank customers losing confidence.\n\nHowever, it added that \"conditions remain fluid\" and \"some banks are showing greater signs of stress than others\", including First Republic bank.\n\nAnalysts expect the turmoil in the financial system sparked by the failures to lead the Fed to slow or pause its rate rises when it meets next week.\n\nThat view gained traction on Tuesday after the latest inflation report showed prices in the US up 6% in the 12 months to February, in line with expectations, helping to boost shares.\n\nAs trading began on Tuesday, San Francisco-based First Republic Bank - which had seen its share price tank by 62% on Monday - jumped more than 50%, one of a number of firms whose shares were staging a recovery. It ultimately closed roughly 30% higher.\n\nThe three main stock indexes also climbed, with the Dow up 1%, the S&P 500 climbing 1.7% and the Nasdaq ending the day more than 2% higher.\n\nIn the UK, bank shares - which saw sharp falls on Monday - were all mostly higher by Tuesday afternoon. The FTSE 100 ended up roughly 1.2%.\n\nThe European Stoxx banking index also opened lower on Tuesday but then recovered to end nearly 3% higher.\n\nBut shares in HSBC, which rescued SVB's UK business for \u00a31, closed down 1%, and there were steep losses overnight in Japan, where major lenders such as the country's largest bank MUFG, saw their share prices tumble by more than 8%.\n\nAn index of Japanese banking stocks, known as the Topix Banks Index, plunged by 7.4%, despite reassurances from the Bank of Japan (BoJ).\n\n\"Japanese financial institutions' direct exposure to Silicon Valley Bank is small, and thus the impact is likely limited,\" said a BoJ official.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/business-64949786"}
{"title":"SNP leadership: The battle raging for the party's soul - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-14","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"The leadership contest has opened up a heated debate about economics, independence and social issues.","section":"Scotland politics","content":"BBC Scotland is set to host the latest debate between the three candidates to lead the SNP. Kate Forbes, Ash Regan and Humza Yousaf will answer audience questions in Edinburgh, in a race which has exposed old divisions.\n\nIt was an occasion of real political drama, a moment when it seemed the Scottish National Party might tear itself apart.\n\n\"Those of us who put Scotland and the party above narrow personal or political obsessions cannot and will not tolerate behaviour which is divisive and harmful,\" thundered the SNP leader in a fiery speech.\n\nImmediately, a group of rebel SNP members strode out of the hall in protest; raucous jeers, cheers and applause ringing in their ears.\n\nThis is not a description of the latest leadership hustings but of the SNP's 1982 conference in Ayr.\n\nThe leader was Gordon Wilson; the rebels subsequently expelled from the party included a young Alex Salmond; and their demand was for the SNP to embrace a vision of Scotland as a socialist republic.\n\nNow, four decades later, old fissures are opening up again, with heated debate about the party's direction of travel on economics, independence and social issues.\n\nAll this is unfolding in a very different political landscape.\n\nHaving run Scotland's devolved government since 2007, the SNP of today is vastly bigger, slicker, and more successful than it was when it had only two MPs in the early '80s.\n\nThe group of rebel SNP members strode out of the party's 1982 conference in Ayr\n\nA new generation of nationalist politicians - Kate Forbes, Ash Regan and Humza Yousaf - are not only competing for the party crown, but also to become the sixth first minister of Scotland since powers over health, education and other domestic issues were devolved from London to Edinburgh in 1999.\n\nNeither Ms Forbes nor Mr Yousaf were born at the time of the Ayr affair. Ms Regan was at primary school.\n\nFor much of their adult lives, their party has been known for its extraordinary public unity and iron political discipline, first under Mr Salmond and then, following Scotland's rejection of independence in the 2014 referendum, under Nicola Sturgeon.\n\nBut trouble was brewing well before Ms Sturgeon announced her shock resignation last month, triggering the leadership contest.\n\nHer ministry had been under pressure on economics from both left and right; on independence from frustrated members of both the SNP and Mr Salmond's breakaway Alba Party; and on gender reform from critics led by the Harry Potter author JK Rowling.\n\nThe SNP has been known for its public unity and political discipline\n\nFirst, the economics. Since bringing the Scottish Green Party into government two years ago to support her minority administration, the first minister had been accused of indulging an anti-growth agenda.\n\nThis was allegedly exemplified by her rejection of new drilling for oil and gas, the imposition on business of an unpopular bottle recycling scheme, and plans to curb alcohol advertising.\n\nDespite raising taxes on the richest Scots, the SNP leader was also accused by the left of cosying up to capitalists.\n\nJonathon Shafi, the author of a pro-independence newsletter called Independence Captured, argues that the SNP has been \"captured by corporate lobbyists\".\n\nHe accuses the Scottish government of embracing neoliberal economic policies which prioritise capital over labour by, for example, flogging off national green energy resources on the cheap, and forming an alliance with the Conservatives to create freeports, which he derides as \"tax havens\".\n\nMs Sturgeon rejects such criticism but economic issues have been a key part of the campaign so far.\n\nA special edition of the Debate Night programme will air at 20:00 on BBC One Scotland. The candidates will face questions from an audience of voters from across the political spectrum in Edinburgh.\n\nThe debate, hosted Stephen Jardine, will also be streamed live on the BBC News website and on BBC iPlayer.\n\nKate Forbes, currently on maternity leave from her role as finance secretary, is often described as the most business-friendly contender, although she stresses that she champions growth for a purpose: to secure independence and end poverty.\n\nMs Forbes has described the bottle return scheme as having the potential to cause \"economic carnage\". She argues that after Covid, Brexit, and energy price hikes, firms should be given \"a bit of breathing space\".\n\nMr Yousaf and Ms Regan have also expressed reservations about the scheme, and all three candidates have raised concerns about the potential impact of a proposed advertising ban on Scotland's \u00a35.5bn whisky industry.\n\nIf either Ms Forbes or Ms Regan is victorious, the power-sharing deal with the Greens would appear to be in jeopardy while Mr Yousaf is generally seen as the continuity candidate, a position which has opened him up to the kind of attacks rarely seen since the intra-party warfare of the 1980s.\n\nWhen Ms Forbes used a debate televised by STV to trash Mr Yousaf's record as transport minister, justice secretary and health secretary, it felt like a lid had blown off a simmering pot.\n\n\"More of the same is not a manifesto,\" said Ms Forbes, \"it's an acceptance of mediocrity.\"\n\nIn the next debate, hosted by Channel 4 News, Mr Yousaf hit back, accusing his rival of being the Conservatives' favoured candidate.\n\nThe Scottish Tories, he claimed, were \"rooting for you to win\".\n\nLabour senses an opportunity here, both for Sir Keir Starmer's attempts to win the keys to 10 Downing Street in London and for Anas Sarwar's ambition to one day move into the first minister's official residence, Bute House in Edinburgh.\n\nIn Monday's Sky News debate all three candidates said that in the event of a hung parliament at Westminster they would, in theory, prop up a minority Labour government in return for the formal transfer to Holyrood of the power to hold a second referendum on independence, a deal which Sir Keir has repeatedly insisted he would not strike under any circumstances.\n\nAnd in an attempt to win back voters Labour have lost to the SNP, the party's sole MP in Scotland, Ian Murray, who represents Edinburgh South, has resurrected the old \"Tartan Tory\" label which was often applied to the SNP under Gordon Wilson.\n\nSir Keir Starmer with Anas Sarwar on a visit to Glasgow last week\n\nHe has accused Ms Forbes of right-wing economics, even though her plan to grow the economy to invest in public services has distinct echoes of New Labour.\n\nWhat, though, of the national question? Here too there is division and discord, as well as potential opportunity.\n\n\"As Albert Camus said: 'Freedom is nothing but a chance to do better',\" said Steve Norris, convener of the SNP's Kirkcudbright and District branch in the south west of Scotland.\n\nHe regards this leadership election as probably the most important in the party's history.\n\nHe is impressed with Ms Forbes, describing her as \"honest, straight, true and brimful of integrity\".\n\nMr Norris is also complimentary about Ms Regan, saying: \"She's got her own ideas about how we achieve our march towards independence and that has attracted a lot of members...to her side.\"\n\nSteve Norris is convener of the SNP's Kirkcudbright and District branch\n\nCrucially, those ideas do not involve holding another referendum on leaving the UK.\n\nInstead Ms Regan would treat all future Westminster and Holyrood elections as referendums in all but name. If at any point pro-independence parties polled more than 50% of the vote, Ms Regan says this would constitute a mandate to open negotiations with London.\n\n\"The ballot box is the gold standard of democracy,\" she says - insisting that if the UK government at first refused to enter talks, international outrage would force it to climb down, a claim rejected by both Labour and the Tories.\n\nIn the meantime, the MSP for Edinburgh Eastern says that as first minister she would focus on running the Scottish government, with work on preparing for secession devolved to an Independence Convention and an Independence Commission.\n\nAt a hustings in Fife, Ms Regan suggested that voters could be alerted to the moment \"we've solved\" all of the problems standing in the way of independence by means of a public installation in Glasgow or Edinburgh to be known as a Readiness Thermometer.\n\nThe current temperature of the thermometer is unclear, although by Ms Regan's own logic it is presumably not yet hot enough for independence.\n\nAsh Regan resigned as community safety minister over the gender reforms\n\nMs Forbes' approach to the issue is at once fast and slow.\n\nFast because she has pledged to, somehow, obtain the power from Westminster to hold a referendum within three months of winning a majority at the next Westminster election.\n\nSlow because she says independence will only be secured by winning over undecided voters through a strategy of patient competence.\n\n\"We maximise that support through good governance; a growing, thriving economy; a mission to eradicate poverty; and demonstrating that Scotland's better days are ahead with independence,\" says the MSP for Skye, Lochaber and Badenoch.\n\nMr Yousaf's message is not dissimilar. \"Don't get bogged down in process,\" he argues. Focus on making the case for independence, and the path will become clear.\n\nHe has distanced himself from the controversial policy, which appears to have contributed to Ms Sturgeon's downfall, of turning the next general election into a de facto referendum on independence, stating over and over that he's \"not wedded to it\".\n\nHumza Yousaf has been portrayed as the continuity candidate\n\nThe MSP for Glasgow Pollok is dismissive of the notion that Westminster would agree to begin independence negotiations in the event of pro-independence parties winning more than 50% of the vote in a general election.\n\n\"When we need to get them on a phone call they don't even bloody come on the phone, right, let alone telling them to come up the road and demanding that they take part in negotiations,\" he said.\n\nMr Yousaf has a similarly blunt assessment of Westminster on the other big issue which has split the SNP - gender.\n\n\"There's a fundamental principle here about our democracy which is under attack,\" he told me on the day of his campaign launch.\n\nTo recap, briefly: in December, after a lengthy and fractious process, the Scottish Parliament approved legislation which would have lowered from 18 to 16 the age at which someone could change the sex on their birth certificate, as well as removing medical and administrative hurdles to doing so.\n\nMs Regan had resigned on principle as community safety minister rather than vote for the law, which she opposed.\n\nKate Forbes said she would have voted against gay marriage\n\nThen, arguing that the Scottish bill contravened Britain's Equality Act by making it harder to exclude people born biologically male from women-only spaces, the UK government took the unprecedented step of blocking it from receiving royal assent.\n\nMs Forbes - who told me that she too would have voted against the law, had she not been on maternity leave at the time - said she was \"loath\" to challenge Rishi Sunak's government on the matter in court, instead suggesting that the conflict could be solved by Holyrood amending the legislation.\n\nMs Regan is not convinced that is possible. She proposes dropping the bill and sending the issue of gender to a citizens' assembly for consideration.\n\nMr Yousaf diverges dramatically from the other two candidates on this point though, insisting it is vital to take the case to court.\n\n\"There's a fundamental principle here about our democracy which is under attack,\" he told me. This argument is rejected by the UK government, which insists it is acting entirely properly within the structures of the Scotland Act which established devolution.\n\nThis is not the only social issue roiling the campaign.\n\nMs Forbes, a member of the Calvinist Free Church of Scotland, has attracted strong criticism for saying she would have voted against gay marriage had she been a politician at the time it became law in 2014.\n\nHer stance has also attracted some praise.\n\n\"I actually really commend her for her honesty,\" says Alec Ross, an SNP member who owns an agricultural business in Stranraer.\n\nMr Yousaf, who is a Muslim, has denied that he dodged the final vote on the subject in 2014 for religious reasons.\n\nDespite Kate Forbes insisting that she would defend the hard-won rights of any minority, including gay people, a slew of SNP parliamentarians deserted her campaign, leaving Mr Yousaf heavily favoured by the party establishment, including the key figure of Deputy First Minister John Swinney.\n\nThis has led supporters of the two women in the race to cry foul, claiming that the hierarchy is doing all it can to stitch up the contest for Mr Yousaf.\n\nThey point to the case of South of Scotland MSP Emma Harper, who broke the rules by using her party email address to campaign for the health secretary.\n\nM\u00e0iri McAllan, the environment, biodiversity and land reform minister who is often tipped as a future SNP leader herself, and who is backing Mr Yousaf, denies any foul play, pointing out that Ms Harper's email privileges were suspended as a result.\n\n\"I think the fact that the parliamentary group has largely supported Humza is much more about his record and what his vision is for the party and for Scotland than anything to do with any conspiracies,\" she told me.\n\nTo distinguish the party from Labour and the Conservatives, she adds: \"It's more important than ever that the SNP is that centre-left, socially democratic progressive party.\"\n\nForty-one years after the stushie in Ayr the battle continues to rage for the SNP's cultural, political, and economic soul.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/uk-scotland-scotland-politics-64939777"}
{"title":"Eleanor Williams: The grooming gang lies that sparked outrage - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-14","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"Eleanor Williams said she was the victim of a grooming gang and many in her home town believed her.","section":"Cumbria","content":"Eleanor Williams was found guilty of perverting the course of justice\n\nEleanor Williams said she was the victim of a grooming gang and had been raped multiple times, sparking outrage and protests in her home town. But as she is convicted of multiple counts of perverting the course of justice for inventing the whole story, the BBC looks at the impact her lies had.\n\nThe horrific story Eleanor Williams told on social media quickly went viral.\n\nThe then 19-year-old claimed she had been passed around for sex \"for years\" across the North of England by an Asian gang who drugged her, beat her, blackmailed her and threatened her with weapons.\n\nIt captivated her home town of Barrow, Cumbria, heaped pressure on the police, led to abuse for local journalists and excited the far right.\n\nNow, a jury has decided her tales of being trafficked abroad and the photos of her injuries were all lies.\n\nThe bruises that hundreds of thousands saw in her Facebook photos were real, but they were caused by Williams' own hand after she attacked herself with a hammer.\n\nMonths before she posted her lies, she had been relating an even more elaborate story to the police, claiming a string of innocent men were rapists, sex traffickers and armed murderers.\n\nOne man, she said, had trafficked her to Amsterdam, forced her to work in a brothel and sold her in a slave auction.\n\nBut his phone and bank records showed he had been shopping in B&Q in Barrow at the time.\n\nAnother, she said, was an Asian drug dealer who had threatened to kill her and dump her in the sea unless she had sex with multiple men.\n\nThe court heard she inflicted these injuries on herself\n\nHe was actually a young white Tesco worker from Essex who she had been speaking to on a dating site.\n\nShe claimed she was forced to have sex with multiple men in one night in Blackpool, but CCTV footage proved she had been shopping and spent the night alone in her hotel room.\n\nSome of the men she accused were arrested - one was charged and spent 10 weeks on remand in prison - all said their lives had been ruined by her baseless allegations.\n\nNow, nearly three years after her claims were made public, a jury has convicted Williams, 22, of eight counts of perverting the course of justice.\n\nIf you've been affected by issues in this report there is help and advice at BBC Action Line.\n\nThis was an unusual case. In Cumbria in 2020-21, there were 46 reported offences of perverting the course of justice. In comparison, there were 1,177 reports of rape, sexual assault and trafficking.\n\nIn March 2020, Barrow, on the southern tip of Cumbria, was trying to make sense of the life under the first Coronavirus lockdown.\n\nLargely confined indoors, many people were focused on social media.\n\nWilliams' posts horrified those who saw them - and made many people angry.\n\nHer trial heard from numerous witnesses who recounted how \"everyone\" in Barrow knew her story.\n\nShe said her abuse was being perpetrated by \"evil yet clever men\" who were \"mostly Pakistani\".\n\nBut Williams went further - she wrote: \"I am not the only girl in Barrow who has gone through this or is going through this.\"\n\nHer lies aroused interest from the far right.\n\nThere were protests where people met up for socially-distanced rallies on retail parks where they would sit in their cars and beep their horns in unison.\n\nSome took things further and staged protests outside Barrow's police station and the offices of the local paper, The Mail, claiming not enough was being done about the town's supposed grooming problem.\n\nFar right bloggers promoted the protests and, in some cases, attended them, though not necessarily at the invitation of the organisers.\n\nThe best known was Stephen Yaxley Lennon, better known by his pseudonym Tommy Robinson.\n\nWilliams' family wrote on Facebook that they did \"not want him involved\", but he spoke to some of those she accused and in a video report at the time he said he had discovered \"conflicting accounts\" that he \"didn't expect\".\n\nMohammed Ramzan said his life had been ruined\n\nMohammed Ramzan, a well-known Barrow businessman, was one of those Williams accused.\n\nHe described how in the months after her viral Facebook posts, their town was \"a step away from anarchy\".\n\nHe was arrested in 2019 after Williams told police he was one of her principal abusers who had sexually abused her since she was 12 or 13.\n\nAs the rumours spread, windows at his home were smashed, his businesses premises and his ice cream vans were attacked and he was frequently verbally abused in the street.\n\nAs tensions rose, Mr Ramzan himself received a community order for non-violent harassment of some of Williams' family. He says it was due to online comments where he was defending himself.\n\nJordan Trengove said his name was tarnished by Williams' false accusations against him\n\nJordan Trengove was another of Williams' victims, but unlike the others he was charged on the basis of her allegations and spent 10 weeks on remand in prison, before being cleared.\n\nHe described spending time in a cell with \"an actual paedophile\" who admitted to his crime.\n\n\"Once something's said in Barrow, because it's such a small town, that's it, it's stuck with you for the rest of your life,\" he said.\n\nIn April 2020, after a month of fever-pitch protests, Cumbria Police announced that Williams had been charged with perverting the course of justice.\n\nThe following month, the force revealed that, after a year-long investigation, claims of a grooming gang operating in Barrow had \"not been corroborated\".\n\nIt seemed to run completely contrary to the vivid and detailed story that Williams had told on Facebook.\n\nShe listed how her abusers had broken her ribs, broken bones in her face, split her ear, cut her throat, attempted to cut off her breasts, carved words into her skin, branded her, used her as an ashtray, dislocated her elbow and \"beaten me black\".\n\nShe said they had given her drugs to the point she was \"nearly addicted to heroin\" and had \"stripped me naked, beaten me and dumped me in the middle of nowhere\".\n\nMore than 1,100 people donated to an online appeal to \"get justice\" for Williams\n\nThe police announcements appeared to strengthen the resolve of Williams' supporters in Barrow and further afield.\n\nHashtags dedicated to her trended, supportive videos appeared online, posters popped up in windows across Barrow and money was raised. One online fundraising campaign to \"Get Justice for Ellie\" raised more than \u00a322,000.\n\nThe protests continued, including one outside Preston Crown Court when she appeared to enter a not guilty plea.\n\nBy the time her trial eventually began in October (having been delayed since 2021) those she had accused had waited more than three years since their arrests.\n\nWilliams had also spent more than a year in prison after she breached her bail conditions.\n\nWilliams claimed she had been trafficked to Amsterdam\n\nAs the case opened, the questions about how all of Williams' claims, seemingly supported by photos, could have been made-up were addressed from the start.\n\nProsecution counsel Jonathan Sandiford KC described the defendant as \"a serial liar\".\n\nHer defence was that most of her allegations were true, except some which she had been forced to fabricate by her abusers.\n\nShe had used two phones to text herself messages from her \"abusers\", and she had changed the names of her Snapchat contacts to make it appear she was conversing with people traffickers.\n\nMostly she had relied on the good nature of police officers and people in Barrow who took her distressing claims at face value.\n\nMany of her allegations were disproved easily with evidence from CCTV, bank records, phone records and social media searches.\n\nThe jury learned she had admitted in a police interview that she lied about being trafficked to Ibiza and raped when the officers pointed out they could simply check flight records to corroborate her story.\n\nPossibly the most shocking for those in her home town was the revelation that she was responsible for the painful injuries they had seen on her Facebook posts.\n\nDetectives had recovered a hammer stained with her blood, identical to one she had bought days earlier, and a pathologist concluded her injuries were consistent with self-inflicted blows.\n\nThe question of her motivation was one that eluded the trial - a transcript from one police interview showed an officer asking her whether she simply liked getting the force's attention.\n\nBut speculation over the inspiration for her stories has been rife - in court Mr Sandiford pointed out the similarities between some of her claims and the plots of the Liam Neeson film Taken and the BBC drama Three Girls.\n\nMr Ramzan suggested his accuser had lifted part of the plot for her story from the Hollywood thriller Gone Girl.\n\n\"It's so many movies put together and you've just thrown my name in the mix and for what reason? It just baffles me. It's horrendous,\" he said.\n\nFor Mr Ramzan, Mr Trengove and the string of other innocent men Williams accused, it is the end of a nightmarish chapter of their lives.\n\nAfter three years of being haunted by a dark and entirely fictitious past, Mr Ramzan told me he is looking to the future.\n\n\"I'm getting my life back now,\" he said.\n\nFollow BBC North East & Cumbria on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram. Send your story ideas to northeastandcumbria@bbc.co.uk.\n\nThe BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/uk-england-cumbria-64150026"}
{"title":"SNP leader candidates make final TV debate pitches - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-14","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"The three vying to become SNP leader and Scotland's next first minister faced questions from a live studio audience.","section":"Scotland","content":"This has, broadly, been a debate focused on policy rather than personality - something summed up when Humza Yousaf said he was \"not going to sit here and slag off colleagues in government\".\n\nHe did clash with Kate Forbes over her approach to business, but that was teed up by the audience more than the candidates themselves.\n\nWhen given the chance, the trio have not sought to land punches on each other. The cross-examination portion of the debate was notably less fiery than in previous events.\n\nThat may be in part because yellow-on-yellow attacks are greeted with glee by opposition parties, but it is also a mark of how the candidates have developed their approach.\n\nRather than seeking to savage Humza Yousaf in the cross-examination section, this time Kate Forbes asked policy-laden questions which promoted her own strengths on economic issues.\n\nAsh Regan brought up gender reform - again, something she sees as a strength of her own campaign.\n\nHumza Yousaf was actually ticked off by Stephen Jardine for talking about his own policies at length when he was meant to be questioning Kate Forbes.\n\nThis may be because of the fear that mud thrown now could still be stuck when future elections roll around.\n\nBut it may also be because this race uses a single transferable vote system \u2013 and in a tight contest, second-preference votes could turn out to be crucial.\n\nIt may be more profitable to make friends than to try to knock out opponents entirely.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/live\/uk-scotland-64939906"}
{"title":"Eleanor Williams jailed over false rape claims - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-14","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"The judge said Eleanor Williams' claims she was trafficked by an Asian gang were \"complete fiction\".","section":"Cumbria","content":"This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Williams claimed traffickers attacked her with a hammer, but CCTV footage showed her buying the tool herself\n\nA woman who falsely claimed she was raped by multiple men and trafficked by an Asian grooming gang has been jailed for eight-and-a-half years.\n\nEleanor Williams sparked protests in her Cumbrian home town of Barrow after posting photos on social media of injuries she said were from beatings.\n\nBut Preston Crown Court heard she inflicted the wounds herself using a hammer.\n\nWilliams, 22, was found guilty of perverting the course of justice.\n\nA two-day sentencing hearing was told three men Williams falsely accused over a three-year period tried to take their own lives after being targeted and suffering \"hell on earth\".\n\nOne of them - Jordan Trengove - spent 73 days in prison, sharing a cell with a convicted sex offender after he was charged as a result of Williams' claims.\n\nThey had been on a night out in March 2019 when she was taken home after becoming intoxicated.\n\nWilliams later alleged Mr Trengove had raped her that night, and then on two more occasions, claiming he attacked her and threatened her with a knife.\n\nThe court heard he had the word \"rapist\" spray painted across his house.\n\nEleanor Williams' trial was told she inflicted injuries on herself with the hammer\n\nBarrow businessman Mohammed Ramzan, who Williams claimed to have worked for, was accused of grooming her from the age of 12 and putting her to work in brothels in Amsterdam. He said he had received \"countless death threats\" on social media.\n\nWilliams had given police an account of being taken to Blackpool by Mr Ramzan where she said she was taken to different addresses and forced to have sex with several men.\n\nWhen police made inquiries, they found she had travelled to the seaside town alone and stayed in a hotel, where she bought a Pot Noodle from a nearby shop and then stayed in her room watching YouTube.\n\nMeanwhile, Oliver Gardner said a chance encounter with Williams in Preston one night led to him being accused of being a rapist who had trafficked her and sold her to two Asian men.\n\nAs a result of the accusations he was sectioned under the Mental Health Act.\n\nHonorary Recorder of Preston Judge Robert Altham said Williams had experienced difficulties since childhood and had a history of self-harm.\n\nHowever, he said her allegations were of the utmost severity and it was troubling there had been \"no significant sign of remorse\" and \"no explanation why the defendant would commit these offences\".\n\nDescribing her claims as \"complete fiction\", he said: \"Unless and until the defendant chooses to say why she has told these lies we will not know.\"\n\nThe judge added: \"She's gone to extraordinary lengths to create false accusations including causing herself significant injury.\"\n\nThe claims had created a \"state of heightened tension\" in Barrow for about four months, he said, with police describing the turbulence as being like nothing seen in the town for decades.\n\nSocial media threats were made against the local force, the court heard, with a caravan of demonstrators travelling in vehicles from Barrow to Ulverston and back after Williams posted the pictures on Facebook in May 2020.\n\nProtests were held outside the police station and on a retail park. Videos of an appearance in the town by English Defence League founder Tommy Robinson were shown in court.\n\nJudge Altham said: \"Police were under pressure from those who believed they were complicit in a cover-up on one hand and those who felt unsafe at the hands of vigilantes on the other.\"\n\nBefore Judge Altham began his sentencing remarks, the defence read a letter from Williams in which she said she knew she had \"done wrong over some of this\" and was \"sorry\" but added she did not accept she was guilty.\n\nShe said she was \"devastated\" by the \"trouble caused\" by her Facebook post and added \"if I knew what consequences would come from the status I would never have wrote it\".\n\nShe said \"anything that happened in the community was not instigated by me and my family did not want Tommy Robinson in town\".\n\nMohammed Ramzan (second right) told the court his family had been targeted \"in the most horrendous way\"\n\nMr Trengove told reporters he did not think the sentence was long enough and that he planned to take action against the police.\n\nMeanwhile, Mr Ramzan said he felt \"no sense of triumph, only sadness\", adding: \"I'm not sure how the family and I are going to recover from this. Mud sticks and I fear it may take some time.\"\n\nWilliams was found guilty in January of eight counts of doing acts tending and intended to pervert the course of justice. She had earlier pleaded guilty to one further count.\n\nHowever, last month she announced she had launched an appeal against her conviction.\n\nSupt Matthew Pearman, of Cumbria Police, said Williams' allegations \"could not have been taken any more seriously when she initially came forward\" as a \"large-scale investigation\" was started.\n\n\"This has been a lengthy, complex and ultimately tragic case, as well as a dark period for Barrow,\" he said.\n\n\"I hope that the full story, now it is in the public domain, will demonstrate that the police take allegations of sexual and physical abuse extremely seriously and will investigate thoroughly.\n\n\"I urge anyone who has been the victim of sexual or physical abuse to report it today. You will be listened to and supported.\"\n\nFollow BBC North East & Cumbria on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram. Send your story ideas to northeastandcumbria@bbc.co.uk.\n\nThe BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/uk-england-cumbria-64950862"}
{"title":"US drone crashes after encounter with Russian jet - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-14","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"The US says the two aircraft collided over the Black Sea, but Russia says there was no contact.","section":"Europe","content":"Reaper drones are full-size aircraft designed for reconnaissance and surveillance\n\nA Russian fighter jet has collided with a US drone, causing the unmanned US aircraft to crash into the Black Sea, the American military says.\n\nThe incident highlights the increasing risk of direct confrontation between Russia and the US over the Ukraine war.\n\nThe US says the drone was on a routine mission in international airspace when two Russian jets tried to intercept it.\n\nRussia said the drone crashed after a \"sharp manoeuvre\", and denied that the two aircraft made direct contact.\n\nThe Russian defence ministry also said the MQ-9 Reaper drone was flying with its transponders turned off. Transponders are communications devices that allow the aircraft to be tracked.\n\nThe incident happened at about 07:03 Central European Time (06:03 GMT) on Tuesday, according to the US military.\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser.\n\n\"Our MQ-9 aircraft was conducting routine operations in international airspace when it was intercepted and hit by a Russian aircraft, resulting in a crash and complete loss of the MQ-9,\" the statement said.\n\nSeveral times before the collision the Su-27 fighter jets dumped fuel on the drone in a \"reckless, environmentally unsound and unprofessional manner\", it said.\n\nThe US summoned the Russian ambassador in Washington, Anatoly Antonov, to protest against the move.\n\nFollowing the meeting, Russian state media quoted Antonov as saying that Moscow saw the drone incident as \"a provocation\".\n\nTensions have risen over the Black Sea ever since Russia's annexation of Crimea in 2014.\n\nSince Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine the US and the UK have stepped up reconnaissance and surveillance flights, though always operating in international airspace.\n\nThe key question is whether Tuesday's encounter was an attempt by Russia to disrupt the US drone and its work, or whether it was a deliberate attempt to bring it down.\n\nAccording to the US, there has been a \"pattern of dangerous actions by Russian pilots\" interacting with allied aircraft in the region.\n\nSo this could simply have been a mistake by a Russian pilot who got too close as they \"buzzed\" the drone. But if this was a deliberate attack on a US aircraft by a Russian warplane, then that would amount to a huge provocation and a substantial escalation.\n\nIn that case, the attack would be seen as an attempt by the Kremlin to test the response of the United States.\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser.\n\nWestern allies have worked hard to stop the war in Ukraine escalating into a direct confrontation with Russia. But this incident over the Black Sea is just that. The US will now have to evaluate its response.\n\nAs US military commanders warned in their statement, this was a dangerous act that \"could lead to miscalculation and unintended escalation\".","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/world-europe-64957792"}
{"title":"Juno Awards 2023: Avril Lavigne confronts topless protester onstage while The Weeknd wins big - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-14","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"The protester interrupted the opening of the Juno Awards, Canada's equivalent of the Brits.","section":"Entertainment & Arts","content":"Avril Lavigne confronted a topless environmental protester onstage at the Juno Awards, the Canadian equivalent of the Brits.\n\nAs the singer introduced a performance at the start of Monday's ceremony, a woman ran onto the stage behind her.\n\nA message on her back read \"save the green belt\", apparently in reference to a controversial housing development plan by the Ontario government.\n\nLavigne tried to finish her speech before confronting the woman.\n\n\"Get the [expletive] off,\" she said and swatted at her breast, reported Canada's CBC News. The woman was then escorted off stage by a security guard.\n\nThe pop-rocker alluded to the intruder in her later acceptance speech.\n\n\"Now, nobody try anything this time. I'll [mess a woman] up,\" joked Lavigne, while collecting the TikTok Juno fan choice award.\n\nAvril Lavigne had to deal with a topless environmental protester while onstage at Monday's Juno Awards\n\nThe ceremony's host, Shang-Chi actor Simu Liu praised Lavigne, who is from Ontario, for \"handling that topless lady like a champion\".\n\nIn November, the Ontario government issued new regulations to remove 7,400 acres of protected Greenbelt land and open it up for housing, with 50,000 new homes set to be built by 2025.\n\nThe move, which has been criticised by environmental groups, is under investigation by the province's auditor general and integrity commissioner.\n\nThe Weeknd's hits include I Can't Feel My Face, Starboy and Blinding Lights\n\nElsewhere on the night, Toronto singer The Weeknd became the Juno's second most-honoured artist of all time.\n\nThe star won album of the year for Dawn FM - a concept record set in purgatory - earning him his 22nd Juno award, overtaking Celine Dion and Bryan Adams.\n\nOnly country-pop singer Anne Murray has more, with 24.\n\nThe musician, whose real name is Abel Tesfaye, did not attend the event, and his absence reportedly prompted jeers from the crowd at the Rogers Place venue in Edmonton, Alberta.\n\nMeanwhile, rock band Nickelback, whose lead singer Chad Kroeger used to be married to Lavigne, were inducted into the Canadian Music Hall of Fame at the event.\n\nNickelback performing onstage after being inducted into the Canadian Music Hall of Fame\n\n\"Twenty seven years, blood sweat and tears, started off 300 kilometres southeast of here in a little town called Hanna,\" said Kroeger, referencing the band's hometown.\n\n\"We had no idea what we were doing and most of the time still don't,\" he added. \"But everything we did wound up leading us to this moment right here. But we didn't make it here without a lot of help.\"\n\nThey then closed the show by performing their hits Rockstar, How You Remind Me and Animals.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/entertainment-arts-64949073"}
{"title":"Free childcare expanded to try to help parents back to work - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-14","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"Once a child is nine-months-old parents in England will be able to access up to 30-hours of free childcare.","section":"UK Politics","content":"Free childcare for working parents in England will be expanded to cover all children under five by September 2025, as the chancellor looks to get more parents back to work.\n\nThe move could allow 60,000 more parents of young children to enter the workforce, according to the government's independent forecaster.\n\nSome 1.3 million people in the UK were unemployed in December 2022.\n\nThe new help for parents will be introduced in stages.\n\nThe plans are part of a government drive to boost economic growth.\n\nChildcare in the UK is among the most expensive in the world and the government has been under pressure, including from some of its own MPs, to provide more help for parents.\n\nThe rising cost of childcare has been widely seen as a deterrent for some parents to go back to work or work full time.\n\nThe extension of free childcare has been lobbied for by business group the CBI, which calculates that while it will cost several billion pounds, it could raise up to \u00a310bn in further revenue by increasing the number of parents able to work.\n\nHowever, Paul Johnson, director of the Institute of Fiscal Studies (IFS), doubted it would make \"a big difference\".\n\n\"The childcare package is expected to only get a few tens of thousands more mothers, mostly, back into work,\" he told the BBC.\n\n\"We know a lot of people don't even take up what they're entitled to among the three and four-year-olds.\"\n\nWhile the chancellor has increased the amount of free childcare available for pre-school children, nurseries have been calling for more money to pay for those children who already get government-funded provision.\n\nJeremy Hunt said he would increase that funding \"by \u00a3204m from this September rising to \u00a3288m next year. This is an average of a 30% increase in the two-year-old rate this year\".\n\nWe got in touch with the Treasury to ask for more details and they told us that the amount paid for two-year-olds is going up from \u00a36 to \u00a38 an hour, which is what the chancellor was referring to.\n\nBut funding for three and four-year-olds is going up from \u00a35.29 to \u00a35.50 an hour, which is only about 4%.\n\nThe IFS estimated this afternoon that the extra \u00a3288m is about a 7.5% increase in the current budget.\n\nThe government will also introduce changes to the staff-to-child ratios - moving from one carer for every four children to 1:5 to align with Scotland.\n\nSupporters of the idea say it could help cut costs for parents.\n\nHowever, the Early Years Alliance, which represents around 14,000 childcare providers in England, said relaxing ratios was a \"shameful decision\" which risked compromising safety and quality of care, as well as putting more pressure on the workforce during \"a severe staffing crisis\".\n\nThe organisation's chief executive, Neil Leitch, also raised concerns about whether there would be enough childcare places to meet increased demand.\n\n\"At a time when settings are closing at record levels and early educators are leaving the sector in their droves, unless the proper infrastructure is put in place by the time the extended offers are rolled out, many parents of younger children expecting funded places to be readily available to them are likely to be left sorely disappointed,\" he said.\n\nHow will you be affected by the issues in this story? Share your experiences by emailing haveyoursay@bbc.co.uk.\n\nPlease include a contact number if you are willing to speak to a BBC journalist. You can also get in touch in the following ways:\n\nIf 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 HaveYourSay@bbc.co.uk. Please include your name, age and location with any submission.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/uk-politics-64959611"}
{"title":"Clinton, Bush and Obama: US president visits that brought NI to a standstill - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-14","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"Look back on the previous visits of US presidents as Joe Biden confirms his visit later this year.","section":"Northern Ireland","content":"US President Joe Biden has said he intends to visit Northern Ireland after being invited to mark the 25th anniversary of the Good Friday Agreement.\n\nMr Biden said he wants to visit both Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland.\n\nMore details of the visit are expected to be revealed in the coming days, but the arrival of a US president has traditionally been a massive occasion in Northern Ireland.\n\nFrom Bill Clinton to George Bush and Barack Obama, we take a look at the visits of presidents past.\n\nBill Clinton made history by becoming the first sitting US President to visit Northern Ireland when he and First Lady Hillary Clinton touched down at Belfast International Airport on 30 November 1995.\n\nMr Clinton visited Northern Ireland to voice his support for an end to the Troubles and to encourage a peace agreement.\n\nDuring the trip, the president visited a number of areas in Belfast and also visited Londonderry, Armagh and Omagh.\n\nAfter arriving in Belfast, the Clinton family toured Mackies factory on the Springfield Road, where they were introduced by two local primary schoolchildren, David Sterrit and Catherine Hamill.\n\nMr Clinton also visited the Shankill Road and the Falls Road, where he shook hands with Sinn F\u00e9in President Gerry Adams.\n\nAfter the handshake, Mr Clinton visited an Enterprise Park in east Belfast while Mrs Clinton met a group of women on the Ormeau Road.\n\nThe Clintons then made a trip by helicopter to Londonderry, where the president spoke in front of a packed crowd at Guildhall Square - a moment that years later featured prominently in the second season of hit comedy Derry Girls.\n\nThe evening was rounded off when Bill and Hillary Clinton switched on the Christmas lights outside Belfast City Hall.\n\nBill Clinton, Hillary Clinton, Tony Blair and his wife Cherie attended the site of the Omagh bombing in September 1998\n\nMr Clinton would return to Northern Ireland again on 3 September 1998, five months after the signing of the Good Friday Agreement and just a month after the Omagh bombing.\n\nA Real IRA bomb killed 29 people in the County Tyrone town on 15 August 1998, the biggest single atrocity of the Troubles.\n\nWhilst there, Mr Clinton gave an address he gave his sympathies to the bereaved families and called for a new peace to be built following the agreement.\n\nThe president also met with Prime Minister Tony Blair and addressed the Northern Ireland Assembly.\n\nHe also visited Armagh for a special Gathering for Peace on the Mall, where thousands turned out to hear them speak.\n\nHe shared the stage at that time with Mr Blair, former Northern Ireland Secretary, the late Mo Mowlam, and Northern Ireland's newly-appointed first and deputy first ministers, David Trimble and Seamus Mallon.\n\nMr Clinton addressed people in a key note speech at the Odyssey Arena on 13 December 2000 during his third visit\n\nNearing the end of his time as President, Bill Clinton once more returned to Northern Ireland as part of his farewell tour.\n\nThis was at a time when the peace process is struggling and sectarian murder had returned to the streets.\n\nDuring the visit, Mr Clinton held talks in which he urged all sides not to give up trying to overcome the deadlock on decommissioning and demilitarisation.\n\nHe also delivered a keynote speech at the Odyssey in Belfast, in which he encouraged the implementation and progression of the Good Friday Agreement.\n\nBill Clinton given a jersey by the Belfast Giants hockey team\n\nMr Clinton's visit to Belfast culminated with a celebration outside City Hall.\n\nThe president switched on the city's festive lights in front of a huge Christmas tree donated to Belfast by the city of Nashville, Tennessee.\n\nThousands of people crammed into the city streets and cheered as the president wished them a peaceful Christmas.\n\nGeorg Bush met with Taoiseach Bertie Ahern and then prime minister Tony Blair at Hillsborough Castle\n\nUS President George Bush visited Northern Ireland in April 2003 to hold talks over the political process in the country and the war in Iraq.\n\nThe visit began with a summit in Hillsborough Castle with then Prime Minster Tony Blair to discuss gains on the battlefield and plans for the leadership post-conflict in Iraq.\n\nAt the time the IRA leadership was under intense pressure to fully disarm and disband.\n\nNorthern Ireland's devolved institutions had been suspended since 14 October 2002 following a row over allegations of IRA activity, including alleged spying within the Northern Ireland Office.\n\nPresident Bush, Mr Blair and the Taoiseach (Irish Prime Minister) Bertie Ahern met with Ulster Unionist leader David Trimble, Sinn F\u00e9in President Gerry Adams and Mark Durkan of the SDLP - the leaders of the pro-Agreement parties who had remained in talks aimed at resurrecting the Northern Ireland Assembly.\n\nGeorge W Bush was welcomed at Stormont Castle by Peter Robinson and by Martin McGuinness\n\nOn 16 June 2008, Mr Bush made a one-day stop in Northern Ireland during his European farewell trip as his presidency came to an end.\n\nThe president was welcomed at Stormont Castle by then first and deputy first ministers Peter Robinson and Martin McGuinness.\n\nHe was later joined by Prime Minister Gordon Brown and Taoiseach Brian Cowen.\n\nSpeaking after meeting with Mr Robinson and Mr McGuinness, the president said the progress made in Northern Ireland over the past 10 years was unimaginable.\n\nHe discussed investment issues and the devolution of policing and justice.\n\nHe then made visits to Lough View Integrated Primary School in Castlereagh - taking some time to hit the basketball court - and a community project in the city centre.\n\nSeveral hundred people demonstrated in Belfast city centre against his visit, with some climbing onto the roof of the City Hall with an Iraqi flag erected.\n\nThe protest at Belfast City Hall was organised by the Belfast Anti-War Movement representing trade unions and student and women's groups.\n\nU.S. President Barack Obama delivers a keynote address at the Waterfront Hall ahead of the G8 Summit on June 17, 2013\n\nUS President Barack Obama arrived in Northern Ireland on 17 June 2013 to attended the G8 summit, which was being held County Fermanagh.\n\nFollowing his arrival, the president spoke to an audience at the Waterfront Hall in Belfast.\n\nDuring this he said the road to a lasting peace in Northern Ireland was \"as urgent now as it has ever been\".\n\nProtesters near the site of G8 summit in County Fermanagh\n\nThousands of police officers are involved in security during the G8 event and Mr Obama's visit in Belfast, with disruptions to transport, roads and schools.\n\nAnti-hunger activists wore giant heads of the G8 leaders, including Mr Obama, to call for them to eliminate the causes of hunger. They sailed near the G8 media centre in Enniskillen.\n\nThe president also visited Enniskillen Integrated Primary School, where he joined UK Prime Minister David Cameron","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/uk-northern-ireland-64949360"}
{"title":"Rishi Sunak: China represents challenge to world order - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-14","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"The PM says the UK will increase defence spending because \"the world has become more volatile\".","section":"UK Politics","content":"This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. China \"represents a challenge to the world order\", the PM says.\n\nChina \"represents a challenge to the world order\" which the UK must take seriously, Rishi Sunak has said.\n\nThe prime minister told the BBC he was increasing funding for the armed forces because \"the world has become more volatile\" and \"threats to our security have increased\".\n\nDefence spending will rise by nearly \u00a35bn over the next two years.\n\nBut No 10 has given no timeframe for a longer term ambition to boost spending to 2.5% of national income.\n\nMr Sunak was speaking in California, where he held talks with his US and Australian counterparts to agree details of a UK-US pact to supply Australia with nuclear-powered submarines.\n\nThe agreement, known as the Aukus pact, was signed in 2021 as part of a joint effort to counter Chinese military power in the Indo-Pacific region.\n\nMr Sunak said in a press conference to mark the pact that the Aukus partnership would deliver \"one of the most advanced\" submarines \"the world has ever known\", creating thousands of jobs in British shipyards.\n\nThe new SSN-Aukus submarines will also be used by the UK, and will be in operation for the Royal Navy by the late 2030s under the plan.\n\nThe boats will replace the UK's seven Astute-class subs.\n\nThe UK's submarines will mainly be built by BAE Systems at Barrow-in-Furness, Cumbria, and Rolls-Royce, with the US sharing sensitive technology for the project.\n\nAustralia's boats will be built in South Australia, using some components manufactured in the UK, and will be in service in the early 2040s.\n\nMr Sunak said: \"The Aukus partnership, and the submarines we are building in British shipyards, are a tangible demonstration of our commitment to global security.\n\n\"This partnership was founded on the bedrock of our shared values and resolute focus on upholding stability in the Indo-Pacific and beyond.\"\n\nEarlier, in an interview with the BBC's Chris Mason, Mr Sunak said: \"China is a country with fundamentally different values to ours and it represents a challenge to the world order.\n\n\"And that's why it's right that we are alert to that and take steps to protect ourselves\u2026 stand up for our values and protect our interests.\"\n\nHe said the government took the \"challenge\" posed by China seriously, adding that the UK had taken action including blocking Chinese investment in sensitive sectors like semiconductors.\n\nPressed on whether the ambition to increase defence spending to 2.5% of national income was meaningless without a timeframe, the prime minister said the government should be judged \"on our actions\".\n\nAs chancellor, Mr Sunak said he had overseen the largest uplift in defence spending since the end of the Cold War and the government had increased spending every year since then.\n\n\"We're one of the largest spenders on defence anywhere in the world, the largest in Europe, and that will continue to remain the case,\" he added.\n\nHowever, Labour pointed out that defence spending had not hit 2.5% of GDP since it left government in 2010. The UK currently aims to spend 2% of GDP on defence each year, latest figures show.\n\nShadow foreign secretary David Lammy described the ambition as \"another hollow promise\", with \"no plan and no timetable\".\n\nSome Tory MPs have also expressed concern about the level of investment in the armed forces.\n\nTobias Ellwood, who is chairman of the Commons Defence Committee, said the UK was on a \"peacetime budget\" as the world was \"sliding towards a new Cold War\".\n\nWhile Defence Secretary Ben Wallace has publicly welcomed the extra \u00a35bn announced by the prime minister, he had been hoping for considerably more.\n\nThere had been reports - denied by Mr Wallace - that he had threatened to resign if he did not get a commitment to increase defence spending to 3% of GDP by 2030.\n\nMr Wallace told the Commons he was \"not interested\" in resigning, although he added that he was worried about the increased threats facing the UK and long-term investment was needed.\n\nHulking floating airports, aircraft carriers, dominate the shoreline on the Pacific Coast of the United States, where there is a gathering of what's known as the Aukus pact: Australia, the United States and the United Kingdom, keeping a collectively nervous eye on an increasingly muscular China.\n\nPrivately, the government is stark in its assessments.\n\nWestern democracies are comparatively and collectively weaker economically as China grows; Beijing can use every instrument of the state as a tool of foreign policy in a way that's impossible in an open democracy.\n\nAll the data make us more concerned, not less, as one senior figure put it. The review of foreign and defence policy, which has just been published, says the UK is committed to \"swift and robust action\" to counter any threat to UK national interests from China.\n\nMr Sunak was also asked whether Chinese-owned social media app TikTok should be banned on all government phones.\n\nIt comes after the Sunday Times reported experts at GCHQ's National Cyber Security Centre had identified risks to sensitive information from the app and could issue advice to ministers and civil servants.\n\nThe prime minister refused to comment directly but said \"we take the security of devices seriously and we look also at what our allies are doing\".\n\nThe US government and the European Commission have already taken steps to ban TikTok on the phones of staff members.\n\nThe government has set out its plans for foreign and defence policy in an new version of the so-called Integrated Review.\n\nThe update was ordered by then-Prime Minister Liz Truss in September last year to take account of Russia's invasion of Ukraine.\n\nThe review identified Russia as \"the most pressing national security and foreign policy priority in the short-to-medium term\".\n\nBut it also describes China under Communist Party rule as an \"epoch-defining and systemic challenge... across almost every aspect of national life and government policy\".\n\nIt says the government will engage \"constructively\" with Beijing on shared priorities but where the Chinese government's actions threaten the UK's interests \"we will take swift and robust action to protect them\".\n\nFormer Conservative leader Sir Iain Duncan Smith, who is among the Tory MPs calling for the government to take a tougher line on China, said he was \"confused\" about what the government's position was.\n\n\"Does that now mean that China is a threat or an epoch-defining challenge or a challenging government epoch or none of that?\" he asked in the Commons.\n\nMr Lammy said the updated review was \"overdue\" but welcome.\n\n\"The initiative to improve understanding of China in government is vital, particularly given the Foreign Office has only been training 14 people a year to speak fluent Mandarin,\" he added.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/uk-politics-64943445"}
{"title":"Lucy Letby: Doctor asked for nurse to be taken off shift - court - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-14","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"A doctor raised concerns about nurse Lucy Letby's presence and the deaths of babies, her trial hears.","section":"Liverpool","content":"Dr Stephen Brearey says he escalated concerns to senior management about nurse Lucy Letby\n\nA doctor asked for nurse Lucy Letby to be taken off shift after raising repeated concerns about her presence and the deaths of babies - but was told \"no\", a court has heard.\n\nThe nurse denies murdering seven babies and the attempted murder of 10 others at Countess of Chester Hospital.\n\nDr Stephen Brearey told Manchester Crown Court he \"didn't want nurse Letby to come back to work\" until concerns had been \"investigated properly\".\n\nDr Brearey, who was head of the hospital's neonatal unit, asked for Ms Letby to be stood down after the deaths of two baby boys, who were part of a set of triplets, in June 2016.\n\nThe court has previously heard that the first boy, referred to as Child O, was in good condition and stable up until the afternoon of 23 June when he suffered a \"remarkable deterioration\" and died.\n\nHis brother, Child P, died just over 24 hours later after also being attacked by Ms Letby, it is alleged.\n\nThe prosecution claims Ms Letby murdered the boys by injecting air into their bloodstreams.\n\nDr Brearey told the court that the death of the brothers was \"distressing for those involved and deeply so with me\".\n\nHe said: \"All three triplets were born in such good condition, they were following a healthy path to growing and developing and hopefully going home.\"\n\nDr Brearey told jurors that Child O's collapse had come \"out of the blue\" and observed that in the hours before his death there had been an \"unusual\" rash on his chest. He said this was something he had not \"seen before or since\".\n\nLucy Letby is accused of carrying out the attacks at Countess of Chester Hospital\n\nFollowing Child P's death on 24 June, there was a debrief for the medical team on the neonatal unit.\n\n\"Ms Letby was present in that debrief. I asked her how she was feeling and I can remember suggesting to her she needed the weekend off to recover,\" the doctor said.\n\n\"She didn't seem overly upset to me in the debrief and told me at the time she was on shift next day, which was a Saturday.\"\n\nThe doctor said he had been \"concerned\" about Ms Letby going back on shift because he had \"already expressed concerns to senior management over the association between nurse Letby and the deaths we'd seen on the unit\".\n\nDr Brearey said he had called Karen Rees, the duty executive senior nurse, to report his concerns, explaining that he \"didn't want nurse Letby to come back to work the following day or until all this was investigated properly\".\n\nDr Brearey said Ms Rees had \"said no\", telling him \"there was no evidence\" for his claims.\n\nHe told the court he had asked Ms Rees if she was \"happy to take responsibility for the decision, in view of the fact myself and consultant colleagues wouldn't be happy with nurse Letby going to work the following day\".\n\nMs Rees responded \"yes\", the medic said.\n\nDr Brearey told the court that \"further conversations\" had taken place the following week and the decision had been taken to remove Ms Letby from frontline nursing duties - placing her in a clerical role instead.\n\nBen Myers KC, defending, noted that Dr Brearey had first \"identified\" Ms Letby as someone of interest as early as June 2015 after the death of the first three babies in the case.\n\nDr Brearey had noted, with colleagues, that Ms Letby was present when those three children died in 2015.\n\nMr Myers put it to the doctor that he was guilty of \"confirmation bias\" towards Ms Letby and had failed to look at \"suboptimal care\" given to the children in this case.\n\nMr Myers put it to Dr Brearey that if there had been a basis for his suspicions he would have gone to the police.\n\nDr Brearey said he and his colleagues had been trying to \"escalate appropriately\" and had needed \"executive support\" to decide the \"correct plan of action going forward\".\n\nThe doctor added: \"It's not something anyone wanted to consider, that a member of staff is harming babies.\n\n\"The senior nursing staff on the unit didn't believe this could be true.\"\n\nHe said with every \"unusual\" episode of baby collapse between June 2015 and June 2016 there had been \"increasing suspicion\" about Ms Letby, which led him to eventually escalate his concerns and request she be taken off shift.\n\nWhy not follow BBC North West on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram? You can also send story ideas to northwest.newsonline@bbc.co.uk\n\nThe BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/uk-england-merseyside-64953681"}
{"title":"Phyllida Barlow: Renowned British sculptor dies aged 78 - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-14","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"The Newcastle-born artist had a long career teaching art before her breakthrough.","section":"England","content":"Phyllida Barlow, pictured in her studio in 2018, had a long career teaching art before gaining international recognition with her sculptures\n\nThe Newcastle-born artist, known for her large installations, had a long career teaching art before she got her major breakthrough.\n\nBarlow often developed her colossal sculptural projects using everyday DIY materials such as plywood, cardboard, plaster, cement, fabric and paint.\n\nThe artist's gallery, Hauser & Wirth, described her as a \"guiding light and inspiration to so many\".\n\nShe is survived by her husband Fabian Peake and their five children, the gallery said.\n\nBorn in 1944, her family moved to Richmond in London after the Second World War, with the bomb damage and the rebuilding of the capital said to be life-long sources of inspiration for her art.\n\nHer body of work, which also includes drawing, installation and writing, has been presented in solo exhibitions around the world.\n\nBarlow enrolled at the Chelsea School of Art in London in 1960 and initially studied painting before switching to sculpture.\n\nShe later transferred to the Slade School of Art, where she experimented with materials such as plaster, resin, fibreglass and wood.\n\nBarlow later taught at several art colleges before returning to Slade in 1988, where she spent 20 years as a professor.\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Phyllida Barlow will represent the UK at the Venice Biennale.\n\nHauser & Wirth said a London solo show led to her being invited to exhibit at the Serpentine Gallery in 2010, bringing her work to a wide international audience.\n\nAt the age of 65, Barlow entered a period of global recognition, the gallery said, with her work the subject of numerous high profile solo exhibitions across Europe and the US.\n\nBarlow, who was accepted as a member of the Royal Academy of Arts in 2011, was awarded a CBE for her services to the arts in 2015 and a damehood in 2021.\n\nIn 2017 she was selected to represent Britain at the Venice International Art Biennale, recognised as the most important contemporary art festival in the world.\n\nThis huge 2020 'untitled undercover ii' piece was made from steel, timber, plywood, fabric, paint, foam, polystyrene, plaster and cement\n\nFrances Morris, Director Tate Modern, said: \"Barlow's practice implicitly acknowledges that in a world saturated with objects, the role of sculpture and the job of the sculptor might be less about making things than generating a particular type of experience of the work, and of the world in which it temporarily resides.\"\n\nFormer BBC arts editor Will Gompertz previously described her work as \"using the destroyed and the discarded, the fragile and the overlooked, to make works that are often displayed in the marbled halls of the art establishment\".\n\nIwan Wirth, president of Hauser & Wirth, said Barlow was a \"cherished friend as well as a visionary artist\".\n\n\"Her generosity of spirit extended through her art, her writings, and her many years of teaching and mentorship,\" he said.\n\n\"A truly thoughtful and companionable human being, Phyllida was a guiding light and inspiration to so many.\"\n\nThe BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/uk-england-64946354"}
{"title":"Baroness Masham, Paralympian and longest-serving female peer, dies aged 87 - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-14","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"Baroness Masham competed at three Paralympic games and campaigned for disability rights.","section":"UK Politics","content":"Baroness Masham, a Paralympian and the longest-serving female member of the House of Lords ever, has died aged 87.\n\nLady Masham won medals in swimming and table tennis at the 1960, 1964 and 1968 games and was created a life peer in 1970.\n\nShe spent much of her career campaigning for disability rights.\n\nThe Spinal Injuries Association, which she founded in 1974, said it was \"devastated to have lost our greatest champion\".\n\nShe died peacefully in hospital in Northallerton, Yorkshire, on Sunday, it said.\n\nLady Masham, born Susan Sinclair, became a wheelchair user after suffering an injury to her spinal cord in a riding accident in 1958.\n\nTwo years later, she won a gold medal in the 25m breaststroke at the Paralympic games in Rome, and in 1964 won another in the women's doubles table tennis in Tokyo.\n\nShe won a further six silver medals and two bronze across both sports in the three games at which she competed.\n\nIn 1976, she was the subject of an episode of This Is Your Life.\n\nShe sat as a crossbencher and spent a total of 53 years in the House of Lords, more than any other female peer in history.\n\nShe set up the Spinal Injuries Association to address a lack of specialist care or advice available to newly injured people and served as its president until her death.\n\nThe association described Lady Masham as \"the reason we have been able to champion, fight, serve and support thousands of spinal cord injured people ever since\".\n\n\"Our condolences go to her family at this sad time,\" it said.\n\nLady Masham also sat on a number of all party parliamentary groups (APPGs), including those on global tuberculosis, HIV and Aids, and malaria.\n\nThe APPG on global tuberculosis said she had been \"one of parliament's most vociferous champions for disability rights and has worked tirelessly to advocate on behalf of people around the world living with TB and HIV\".\n\n\"Baroness Masham's remarkable life serves as a testament of her compassion and dedication. She will be greatly missed by all,\" it said.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/uk-politics-64947909"}
{"title":"Gary Lineker to return to Match of the Day as BBC's Tim Davie denies climbdown - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-14","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"Director general Tim Davie says the BBC will carry out an independent review into its social media rules.","section":"UK","content":"This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser.\n\nGary Lineker will return to present Match of the Day after he was taken off air amid an impartiality row following his criticism of the government's new asylum policy.\n\nBBC director general Tim Davie said an independent review of BBC social media guidelines would be carried out - and denied the BBC had backed down.\n\nPrime Minister Rishi Sunak said \"it was right\" the matter had been resolved.\n\nBut on Monday the BBC continued to face criticism from a range of sides.\n\nLineker said he supported the review and looked forward to getting back on air, describing the last few days as \"surreal\" and thanking people for their \"incredible support\".\n\nBut Tory backbench MP Philip Davies told the Mail Online the BBC's decision was a \"pathetic capitulation\" to Lineker and the \"start of the end for the licence fee\", while ex-cabinet minister Jacob Rees-Mogg also warned the \"licence fee has passed its sell-by date\".\n\nLabour's shadow culture secretary Lucy Powell, meanwhile, said the return of Lineker was welcome, but \"much bigger questions remain about the impartiality and independence of the BBC from government pressures\".\n\nFormer BBC director-general Greg Dyke compared the row to \"like a 5-0\" win for Lineker and said he thought there was a public perception the government had bullied the broadcaster into removing the TV star, which was \"very bad news\" for the BBC.\n\nEx-BBC News executive Sir Craig Oliver, who went on to be a Downing Street communications chief under then-Prime Minister David Cameron, described the situation as \"a total mess\" and said it was the \"wrong choice\" to have asked Lineker to step back in the first place.\n\n\"The reality is the BBC today has announced it will have a review of its social media guidelines,\" he told the BBC. \"In fact, it needs a review of how it handles crisis like these.\"\n\nSir Michael Lyons, a former BBC chairman under Labour, told BBC Newsnight: \"It simply isn't possible for the BBC to be a champion of dissent in Russia and Hong Kong, and at the same time not leave space for dissent in this country.\"\n\nHe added there was \"a big question about consistency in the way rules are applied\" saying some BBC stars have been allowed to say things about the Labour Party, referring to a tweet by Lord Alan Sugar advising people not to vote for Jeremy Corbyn.\n\nFormer controller of BBC editorial policy Richard Ayre said rewriting guidelines was not straightforward and was \"going to be a nightmare\".\n\n\"Whatever emerges will be unsatisfactory to a significant number of people. It's inevitable.\"\n\nEarlier, Davie insisted the decision to pull Lineker off air was about buying some time until the two sides could come to an agreement over his political tweets - and said that was exactly what had happened.\n\nHe said he took \"proportionate action\", adding: \"We believe we did the right thing. I think I did the right thing.\"\n\nWhen challenged by BBC media correspondent David Sillito on whether it was a climbdown by the BBC, he said: \"I don't think so.\n\n\"I've always said, we needed to take proportionate action. For some people, by the way, we've taken too severe action... others think we're being too lenient.\"\n\nIn a separate statement on Monday, Davie apologised, saying: \"Everyone recognises this has been a difficult period for staff, contributors, presenters and, most importantly, our audiences. I apologise for this.\"\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. WATCH: The weekend of BBC football show chaos... in 90 seconds\n\nThe row began last week when, in a tweet, Lineker said the government's new Illegal Migration Bill was an \"immeasurably cruel policy\" and said the language used around it was \"not dissimilar to that used by Germany in the 30s\".\n\nHis words were criticised by Conservative ministers, including the home secretary.\n\nLineker was told on Friday to step back from presenting Match of the Day until an agreement was reached. It triggered an unprecedented wave of walkouts from fellow pundits and commentators in solidarity with Lineker, which disrupted weekend football coverage across the BBC.\n\nSports presenter Mark Chapman - who did not present BBC Radio 5 Live's Saturday Coverage or Match of the Day 2 on Sunday on TV - returned to football radio show The Monday Night Club and apologised for the lack of service over the weekend.\n\nHe said it had been \"miserable and difficult\" for the staff involved and it was \"disgusting and unfair\" that the staff who did work on the weekend received abuse.\n\nHe added: \"It is ironic in a row over impartiality we have all been seen to be taking sides, and I feel there are lessons to be learned by all involved.\"\n\nBBC Scotland also had full coverage of Monday evening's Scottish cup tie between Falkirk and Ayr United after its programming was also limited over the weekend.\n\nAfter his return to BBC TV was announced, Lineker tweeted: \"However difficult the last few days have been, it simply doesn't compare to having to flee your home from persecution or war to seek refuge in a land far away.\n\n\"It's heartwarming to have seen the empathy towards their plight from so many of you. We remain a country of predominantly tolerant, welcoming and generous people.\"\n\nThe government's Illegal Migration Bill passed its first hurdle in the Commons by 312 votes to 250 on Monday night, with the majority of Tory MPs voting for the plans.\n\nLineker has hosted Match of the Day since 1999 and is the BBC's highest paid star, having earned about \u00a31.35m in 2020-21. He is employed by the BBC on a freelance basis.\n\nBBC employees are expected to remain impartial on political matters and must follow strict social media guidelines, but there is significant debate about how they should apply to staff outside of news.\n\nLineker said he backed the independent social media review which Davie said will have a \"particular focus\" on how the guidelines apply to freelancers outside news and current affairs.\n\n\"Shortly, the BBC will announce who will conduct that review,\" Davie said. \"Between now and when the review reports Gary will abide by the editorial guidelines, that's where we are.\"\n\nLineker is expected to return to host Match of the Day's live coverage of the FA Cup quarter-final between Manchester City and Burnley on Saturday evening.\n\nHe is then set to front Sunday's live coverage of Grimsby Town at Brighton & Hove Albion on BBC One.\n\nThe row over Lineker's tweets also renewed questions over BBC chairman Richard Sharp. A review into Mr Sharp's appointment as BBC chairman is investigating whether he failed to properly disclose details of his involvement in the facilitation of an \u00a3800,000 loan guarantee for the then-prime minister Boris Johnson. He has denied any involvement in the arrangement of a loan for Mr Johnson.\n\nAsked about Mr Sharp, Mr Sunak told the BBC: \"He was appointed before I was prime minister through an independent process. And that process is also now being reviewed independently. It's right that we let that review complete.\"\n\nLiberal Democrat leader Sir Ed Davey tweeted: \"The BBC has made the right decision on Gary Lineker - now it's time for Rishi Sunak to do the right thing and sack Richard Sharp. The BBC needs a proper independent chair not a Johnson acolyte.\"\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/uk-64936917"}
{"title":"Olivia Pratt-Korbel murder-accused was 'high-level' drug dealer - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-22","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"Thomas Cashman tells a jury he was making between \u00a33,000 and \u00a35,000 a week selling cannabis.","section":"Liverpool","content":"The man accused of murdering Olivia Pratt-Korbel was a \"high-level cannabis dealer\", he has told a court.\n\nThomas Cashman is accused of killing the nine-year-old and injuring her mother after chasing Joseph Nee into their house in Liverpool on 22 August.\n\nHe has started giving evidence at the trial at Manchester Crown Court.\n\nThe 34-year-old told the jury he was making between \u00a33,000 and \u00a35,000 a week selling 5kg - 10kg (11 - 22lb) of cannabis.\n\nHe said: \"I would buy cars, bikes, save some, go on holidays and just spend it on stuff that I enjoyed basically.\"\n\nHe said he left school at the age of 13 or 14 and by the time he was about 16 and working at a fair in Wales he was smoking cannabis every day.\n\nMr Cashman, who has two children with \"childhood sweetheart\" Kaylee Sweeney, said he started selling cannabis when he was about 18 on a \"small scale\".\n\nHe said: \"I was basically smoking my profit.\"\n\nBut by 2021, when he and the family moved to a home in Grenadier Drive, Liverpool, he was selling at a \"high level\", he told the court.\n\nHe said: \"I only ever sold it in my area where I've been brought up, so everyone I sold it to was everyone I knew.\"\n\nOlivia was shot when a man burst into her house and opened fire\n\nJohn Cooper KC, defending, said: \"You became a cannabis dealer, didn't you?\"\n\nMr Cooper then asked: \"Were you a high-level cannabis dealer?\"\n\nTo which the defendant answered: \"Yes.\"\n\nHe said his \"catchment area\" was around the Finch Lane area of Dovecot in Liverpool and he would often get the drugs dropped at his sister's house in Mab Lane.\n\nFrom there he said he would take them to whoever had asked for them, or to his friend's house, which he said was used as a \"stash house\".\n\nBut there were issues with him using his sister's house, he told the court.\n\nHe said: \"My sister's boyfriend is an ex-police officer.\n\n\"He didn't like it and he got on [at] my sister over it and they were having arguments between each other about me always being there.\"\n\nHe said on the day of the shooting his sister had told him to stop having people round to the house because of the arguments.\n\nThe defendant told the jury he knew Mr Nee, who he is alleged to have targeted in the shooting, and never had any problems with him or his brothers.\n\nHe claimed the day before Olivia was shot he was at the Nee family home to look at his brother's new Audi A6 car.\n\nAsked about the suggestion he was \"scoping things out\" the day before the shooting, he said: \"That is untrue, I wasn't.\"\n\nThomas Cashman told the jury he was making between \u00a33,000 and \u00a35,000 a week selling cannabis\n\nHe denied making any \"confession\" after the shooting to a key prosecution witness, a woman Mr Cashman was said to be having a \"fling\" with.\n\nThe woman, who cannot be named for legal reasons, claims Mr Cashman came to her house after the shooting where he changed his clothing and she overheard him say he had \"done Joey\".\n\nMr Cashman said he dealt drugs to the woman's boyfriend, who owed him \u00a325,000, and said she threatened to tell his partner they were having a relationship because he refused to go to Marbella to start a new life with her.\n\nEarlier the court heard the intended target of the shooting that killed Olivia was a convicted drug dealer with \"enemies\".\n\nThe jury was told the shooting was not the first Mr Nee had been involved in with David McLachlan KC, prosecuting, saying he and members of his immediate family \"had their enemies\".\n\nHe said Mr Nee was shot at by someone in March 2018, though the prosecution did not suggest Mr Cashman was responsible for or involved in the incident.\n\nThe jury was also told Mr Nee had convictions for conspiracy to supply controlled drugs, possession with intent to supply controlled drugs, possession of controlled drugs, burglary and theft, aggravated vehicle taking, theft of or from vehicles, associated motoring offences and a public order offence.\n\nMr Cashman denies the murder of Olivia, the attempted murder of Mr Nee, wounding with intent to do grievous bodily harm to Olivia's mother Cheryl Korbel, and two counts of possession of a firearm with intent to endanger life.\n\nWhy not follow BBC North West on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram? You can also send story ideas to northwest.newsonline@bbc.co.uk\n\nThe BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/uk-england-merseyside-65025221"}
{"title":"Bath: Car wedged against historic hotel lifted away - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-22","authors":null,"description":"The vehicle is manoeuvred out of the gap between the pavement and the hotel.","section":null,"content":"A car which became wedged against the basement windows of a historic hotel has been lifted away.\n\nAvon Fire and Rescue Service was called to the Francis Hotel in Queen Square, Bath, at about 04:45 GMT on Sunday after a Kia Picanto fell down into a gap between the pavement and building.\n\nA rescue crew freed one of the occupants, while the second managed to get out on their own.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/uk-england-somerset-65033865"}
{"title":"Johnson's questionable comments on Partygate scandal - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-22","authors":null,"description":"The former PM is to face questions from parliament's Privileges Committee on Wednesday.","section":null,"content":"The Commons Privileges Committee will quiz former prime minister Boris Johnson on Wednesday. They'll ask if when he made these comments, he inadvertently, recklessly or intentionally misled Parliament.\n\nMr Johnson accepts that some of his statements about lockdown parties at Downing Street turned out to be incorrect, but insists that he did not mislead MPs on purpose.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/uk-politics-65030319"}
{"title":"Tyson Fury v Oleksandr Usyk: Promoter Frank Warren says fight is off - BBC Sport","published_date":"2023-03-22","authors":null,"description":"Tyson Fury's heavyweight fight with Oleksandr Usyk is off and Fury's promoter Frank Warren \"does not think\" it will happen in the near future.","section":null,"content":"Tyson Fury v Oleksandr Usyk: Promoter Frank Warren says fight is off Last updated on .From the section Boxing\n\nTyson Fury is undefeated and holds the WBC heavyweight title Promoter Frank Warren says Tyson Fury's heavyweight fight with Oleksandr Usyk is off - and he \"does not think\" it will happen in the near future. Talks over a bout at Wembley Stadium on 29 April have broken down, despite a late bid to salvage the situation. Usyk had agreed a 70\/30 purse split in Fury's favour with terms for a rematch the only outstanding issue. But Warren said the fight is now a \"dead duck\" and suggested Usyk had looked \"for a way to get out\". \"They said the fight must take place before 29 April and if it goes later they want different splits,\" Warren said. \"The reason they did that was they didn't think Tyson would be ready for the 29th and suddenly Tyson was ready for it. \"He has been in training camp for two and a half weeks, got trainers in from America and they looked for a way to get out.\" Fury currently holds the WBC heavyweight belt while Ukraine's Usyk, who beat Britain's Anthony Joshua for a second time last year, has the others in the division. Warren said Fury had agreed to the principle of a rematch but terms around the deal, and whether it would again be for all of the belts, had not been finalised. He said Usyk's camp have also been \"turned\" by potential earnings by fighting in Saudi Arabia later this year by which time Usyk would have to fight other mandatory challengers. \"There is an established rota of who Usyk has to defend against,\" Warren said. \"That's why after the 29th it goes away.\" Both parties have until 1 April to agree a deal after the WBA said it would wait until that date before ordering Usyk to fight mandatory challenger Daniel Dubois. A breakthrough in talks, followed by another obstacle When Fury, 34, beat Derek Chisora in December to retain his WBC title, he said agreeing a deal with Usyk and his team for an undisputed fight would be easy - but that has not proven to be the case. After months of back and forth, Fury publicly declared 12 days ago he would not accept anything less than a 70\/30 purse split in his favour. Usyk surprised everyone by accepting that offer, despite holding three of the four world titles, and subsequently informed governing body the WBA that terms had been reached.\n\u2022 None Are Prince Naseem Hamed's sons coming for his crown?\n\u2022 None Is Ricky Gorman the next Tyson Fury? However, Fury then said he would not sign any deal that included a rematch clause - leading to a conference call on Sunday morning between all parties. Warren said \"six or seven\" outstanding issues were ironed out and he had managed to convince Fury to accept a rematch. The WBC champion agreed and the call ended with Team Fury optimistically preparing an official statement to announce the fight. Warren teased on Twitter on Sunday that news was imminent, but the two sides again clashed over the proposed terms of a rematch. According to Warren, Fury was against an immediate rematch in part as he did not want to be tied into two fights against Usyk as he was with Deontay Wilder, which meant he could not fight British rival Anthony Joshua. The purse splits for a proposed rematch appear, however, to be the key unresolved issue to unlocking Fury v Usyk. 'Why are we even talking about rematches?' Usyk, the WBA (Super), IBF, WBO and Ring magazine champion, would like a proposed rematch to happen in November or December, but there are fears among Team Fury that the four belts would have fractured by then. WBC president Mauricio Sulaiman contacted the Fury camp on Wednesday to say the governing body could not guarantee its support for an immediate rematch. Usyk, 36, wants a rematch clause like the one Joshua activated when they fought in 2021. The Briton was given the chance to immediately regain the titles and Usyk would want the same opportunity if he was beaten by Fury. But if the Ukrainian overcame Fury in their first fight, he would also expect an improved purse split in a rematch. There has not been an undisputed heavyweight champion since 1999 when Lennox Lewis beat Evander Holyfield - and never been one in the four-belt era.\n\u2022 None Enter the world of the social media personality\u2019s multi-level marketing scheme and webcam business\n\u2022 None The rise and fall of the jeweller-turned-criminal: Listen to Gangster: The Story of John Palmer","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/sport\/boxing\/65037833"}
{"title":"Ukraine war: UK defends sending depleted uranium shells after Putin warning - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-22","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"The UK says the depleted uranium shells, which it is sending to Ukraine, are \"standard\".","section":"Europe","content":"The UK is sending 14 Challenger 2 tanks to Kyiv to aid Ukrainians in the fight against Russia\n\nPresident Vladimir Putin has said Russia would be \"forced to react\" if the UK sent shells made with depleted uranium to Ukraine.\n\nHe accused the West of deploying weapons with a \"nuclear component\".\n\nThe UK Ministry of Defence confirmed it would provide Kyiv the armour-piercing rounds alongside Challenger 2 tanks but insisted they had a low radiation risk.\n\nDepleted uranium \"is a standard component and has nothing to do with nuclear weapons\", the MoD said.\n\n\"The British Army has used depleted uranium in its armour piercing shells for decades,\" the statement added.\n\n\"Russia knows this, but is deliberately trying to disinform. Independent research by scientists from groups such as the Royal Society has assessed that any impact to personal health and the environment from the use of depleted uranium munitions is likely to be low.\"\n\nFormer British Army tank commander - and chemical weapons expert - Col Hamish de Breton-Gordon, said Mr Putin's comments were \"classic disinformation\".\n\nHe said depleted uranium rounds used by Challenger 2 tanks contained only trace elements of depleted uranium.\n\nHe added it was \"laughable\" to suggest depleted uranium rounds were in any way linked to nuclear weapons, which uses enriched uranium.\n\nDepleted uranium is what is left over after natural uranium has been enriched, either for weapons-making or for reactor fuel.\n\nIt is mildly radioactive in its solid form. But it is a very heavy substance, 1.7 times denser than lead, and it is used to harden rounds so that they can penetrate armour and steel.\n\nWhen a weapon made with a depleted uranium tip or core strikes a solid object, like the side of a tank, it goes straight through it and then erupts in a burning cloud of vapour.\n\nThe vapour settles as dust, which is poisonous and also weakly radioactive.\n\nRussian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said sending depleted uranium ammunition to Ukraine would mean the UK was \"ready to violate international humanitarian law as in 1999 in Yugoslavia\".\n\n\"There is no doubt this will end badly for London,\" Mr Lavrov added.\n\nOn Tuesday evening, a spokesman for the Pentagon said the US would not be sending any munitions with depleted uranium to Ukraine.\n\nShells with depleted uranium were used in Iraq and the Balkans, where some claim it was linked to birth defects.\n\nA 2022 UN Environment Programme (UNEP) report said depleted uranium was an environmental concern in Ukraine.\n\n\"Depleted uranium and toxic substances in common explosives can cause skin irritation, kidney failure and increase the risks of cancer,\" it said.\n\n\"The chemical toxicity of depleted uranium is considered a more significant issue than the possible impacts of its radioactivity,\" it added.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/world-europe-65032671"}
{"title":"Man Utd takeover: Sir Jim Ratcliffe & Sheikh Jassim to submit new bids as deadline extended amid confusion - BBC Sport","published_date":"2023-03-22","authors":null,"description":"Ineos owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe and Qatari banker Sheikh Jassim are set to submit new bids to buy Manchester United after the deadline was extended.","section":null,"content":"Man Utd takeover: Sir Jim Ratcliffe & Sheikh Jassim to submit new bids as deadline extended amid confusion Last updated on .From the section Man Utd\n\nIneos owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe and Qatari banker Sheikh Jassim are set to submit new bids to buy Manchester United after a deadline was extended at their request amid confusion on Wednesday night. Bidders were told they had until 21:00 GMT to submit second, revised bids. BBC Sport has been told several other proposed investors made their submissions by that time. It is unclear when the new deadline will be. Ratcliffe and Sheikh Jassim are the only publicly declared bidders. It is understood US investment company Elliott has made an offer to purchase a minority stake, irrespective of who ends up owning the club. Initially on Wednesday evening there had been strong indications from sources close to the pair that they had submitted fresh bids. But it then emerged over the past 48 hours first the Qatari team and then Ineos had submitted requests to Raine - the investment bank conducting the sale - for more time to make their second offers, which was granted. The situation is described as \"live and fast moving\" by someone close to the talks but sources insist that both Sheikh Jassim and Ineos are committed to making second bids. However, the twist in the sale process will only reinforce concerns among some fans that American owners the Glazer family may decide not to sell the club. Ineos wants to buy the combined Glazer shareholding of about 69%, but the Qataris are targeting 100% of the club. Both sides met with United officials earlier in March.\n\u2022 None Listen to the latest The Devils' Advocate podcast BBC Sport has learned that United officials met eight different potential investors over a 10-day period of high-level meetings recently, including Ratcliffe and representatives of Sheikh Jassim. The size of their initial bids has not been disclosed - with reports both are in the region of \u00a34.5bn - but they were clearly far below the \u00a35-6bn valuation that the Glazers have established. Whether they - or any other prospective bidders - are able to submit an offer that persuades the Glazers to sell is the next key question. If not, and with United's fortunes improving significantly in recent months under manager Erik ten Hag, the Americans may well yet decide to retain the club and perhaps instead look to sell a minority stake to the likes of US hedge fund Elliott Investment Management. The Glazer family said in November they were considering selling United. Announcing its initial bid Sheikh Jassim's Qatari consortium said the offer \"plans to return the club to its former glories\". Described as a life-long Manchester United fan, Sheikh Jassim is chairman of Qatari bank QIB and the son of a former prime minister of Qatar. The Ineos group, owned by 70-year-old British billionaire Ratcliffe, has a history of investment in sport and owns French Ligue 1 club Nice and Swiss club Lausanne. Its sporting portfolio also includes high-profile sailing team Ineos Britannia - led by Sir Ben Ainslie - and a five-year partnership with Formula 1 team Mercedes, while it took over the British-based Team Sky in cycling in 2019. At the time of the first bid it was understood its proposal would emphasise Manchester-born Ratcliffe would be \"a British custodian for the club\" and would aim to \"put the Manchester back into Manchester United\".\n\u2022 None Our coverage of Manchester United is bigger and better than ever before - here's everything you need to know to make sure you never miss a moment\n\u2022 None Everything United - go straight to all the best content","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/sport\/football\/65043304"}
{"title":"Friend who inspired Shamima Begum to join IS mocks her as non-believer - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-22","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"Ex-schoolmate Sharmeena Begum, no relation, quit the UK two months before Shamima and friends followed.","section":"UK","content":"Sharmeena Begum, who fled from the UK to Syria two months before Shamima Begum\n\nShamima Begum's best friend, who she says inspired her to join IS, has been tracked down by the BBC having escaped from a detention camp in Syria.\n\nSharmeena Begum, no relation, dismissed her former friend, who wants to return to the UK, for \"living off benefits\" and mocked her as a non-believer.\n\nThe BBC also found Sharmeena was fundraising online for members of the IS terror group, which is illegal.\n\nA top Syrian commander fears money like this is helping IS to regroup.\n\nPosing as an Islamic State (IS) sympathiser, a journalist from the Shamima Begum Story podcast contacted Sharmeena online after she escaped from Syria's Camp Hol prison for women who were with IS, and their children.\n\nSharmeena is still in Syria, in hiding and using a different identity.\n\nShe was a schoolmate of Shamima Begum, in Bethnal Green, east London, when, in December 2014, Sharmeena suddenly went missing. She had run away to join the self-styled Islamic State terror group in Syria.\n\nTwo months later Shamima and two other friends followed their ex-schoolmate to the so-called caliphate that had been set up by IS.\n\nShamima went on to marry an IS fighter and have three children, all of whom died. After the collapse of IS in 2019 she was found living in a camp in Syria, and stripped of her British citizenship.\n\nShamima maintains it was Sharmeena who convinced her to join IS and follow in her footsteps.\n\nThe BBC tracked Sharmeena Begum down having been given a tip-off about a social media account she was using.\n\nDuring our exchanges with her, Sharmeena claimed her one-time friend was \"just another individual, living off the benefits\" who did not contribute at all.\n\nShe says Shamima only came to Syria because \"she just followed her friends into what became the biggest misery of her life\".\n\nDespite speculation that Shamima Begum had worked in Hisba - the IS religious police - and made suicide belts, Sharmeena says such theories were \"such an insult\".\n\nShe says Shamima did not leave her house unless her husband was away because he would not allow her out.\n\nShamima Begum, 15 when she joined the self-styled Islamic State, followed her friend Sharmeena\n\nIn her exchanges with the BBC, she mocked Shamima as a failure and a non-believer, saying she had ruined the image of the women who had joined IS.\n\nA former IS member has told the BBC Sharmeena is fanatical even by the standards of IS. When asked if she regretted joining IS, Sharmeena skirted over the question, saying only she didn't want to come back to Britain and go to jail.\n\nIt's difficult to know how seriously to take Sharmeena's description of her former schoolfriend's activities, given Shamima's legal attempts to return to the UK.\n\nFor her part, Shamima said her one-time friend played a big role in convincing her to travel to Syria in the first place.\n\n\"Sharmeena was, you know, talking to us face-to-face about, you know, coming to ISIS.\n\n\"I was being manipulated into thinking this was the right thing to do and I was being manipulated with lies about where I would be going and what I would be doing.\n\n\"I mean, in my opinion, even though Sharmeena probably is still radical. I will say she was also a victim of ISIS.\"\n\nShamima herself has previously accepted she joined a terror group when she fled Britain and she understands the public anger towards her.\n\nWhile living in hiding, Sharmeena Begum has been fundraising with the proceeds getting into the hands of IS. She has been posting stories on social media and messaging platforms, about conditions in detention camps, and appealing for Bitcoin. She has cultivated followers around the world as she asks people to send her cash for the women held in the camps.\n\nIt's not clear how much she has raised in total, but one account revealed 29 transactions with deposits totalling $3,000 (\u00a32,450). She is also using other accounts and other cryptocurrencies.\n\nWhen asked why she was raising money for a terror group, Sharmeena claimed she was \"simply feeding and clothing women and children who are poor\".\n\nThe commander of the Syrian Democratic Forces which guards detainees at Camp Hol, said IS is regrouping and is smuggling money into the camps, which can be used to buy weapons, and plan escapes and attacks.\n\n\"If we... look at the camps, there are little children who are a few years old and are being raised on the ideology of how to kill,\" said Gen Newroz Ahmed. She says her people are among those being targeted and killed.\n\nThe camp is home to more than 65,000 people and 57 nationalities, and guards there say they have found grenades, guns and explosive belts that have been smuggled in. They say 50 people have been murdered there in a six-month period.\n\nIn January, the United States and Turkey announced joint action to disrupt the transfer of money to the Islamic State group.\n\nThe Shamima Begum Story podcast is available on BBC Sounds and a feature length documentary of the same name, is on BBC iPlayer (UK only).","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/uk-65031943"}
{"title":"Man set alight near Birmingham mosque has life-changing injuries - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-22","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"Mohammed Rayaz remains in hospital where he has undergone a skin-graft after being attacked on Monday.","section":"Birmingham & Black Country","content":"Mohammed Rayaz was set alight as he walked home from a mosque\n\nA man set alight as he left a mosque on Monday has suffered life-changing injuries, his family said.\n\nMohammed Rayaz, in his 70s, was sprayed with a substance before his jacket was set on fire.\n\nDetectives, supported by counter-terror police, are questioning a man arrested on suspicion of attempted murder after the attack in Edgbaston, Birmingham.\n\nMr Rayaz remains in a serious but stable condition in hospital following a skin graft operation.\n\nMP Shabana Mahmood, who has spoken to him on a video call, said he was \"touched at the outpouring of love and support\".\n\n\"His hands are bandaged up and he's obviously had some very deep, serious injuries to his face, and he couldn't see anything, but he was able to talk,\" she said.\n\nMP Shabana Mahmood said police had responded swiftly to community information\n\nThe attack happened just after 19:00 GMT on Shenstone Road, near the Dudley Road mosque Mr Rayaz had left.\n\nThe member for Birmingham Ladywood organised a community walkabout on Wednesday with police to reassure Muslim communities on the eve of Ramadan.\n\n\"The arrest would not have been made so early were it not for the community,\" she said. \"It's a special time for people of the Muslim faith, and of course as anybody would expect there is going to be a sense of apprehension as worshippers go to mosque.\"\n\nStreetWatch member Shahbon Hussain helped organise the community response to the incident\n\nLocal solicitor Shahbon Hussain, who is a StreetWatch member, said it would take a while for residents to feel safe as Ramadan got under way.\n\n\"I think we need to take preventative action inside the mosques, just to make sure something like this doesn't happen, and try to work closely with the police and Birmingham City Council,\" he said.\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Counter terror police help investigation as man set alight near Birmingham mosque\n\nNearby resident Mohammed Abbasim said he was shocked to find someone he knew had been targeted.\n\n\"This gentleman, who is a victim, our family knows him - we know who it is,\" he told BBC Radio WM.\n\nMr Abbasim said he had been sent a video on WhatsApp at about 19:30 GMT and had walked out on to the road where he had seen police tape.\n\nMr Rayaz was set alight just after he left this mosque in Dudley Road, Edgbaston, Birmingham.\n\nThe incident had made him feel \"concerned\" for his own family, friends and neighbours, he said.\n\n\"It's shocking to see that someone that you know has been targeted in this way.\"\n\nHe said the incident was concerning.\n\n\"I could sense that there were things locally over the past few years, where certain communities had kind of started dividing more,\" he said.\n\n\"When things like this happen, it's an opportunity for the local people to come together rather than divide further,\" he added.\n\nWest Midlands Police were \"actively\" working with the Met to see if there are links to an attack in Ealing\n\nNeighbours previously told how they helped to put flames out and carry the victim to his home after the attack, where he was treated by paramedics.\n\nHe was taken to hospital with serious burns to his face and on Tuesday remained in a stable condition.\n\nHis son said his father was \"very badly burned\" and added the family was praying for his recovery.\n\nThe suspect had been arrested in Dudley Road, where the mosque is, on Tuesday, after being identified by officers who had been carrying out inquiries.\n\nScorch marks are on the pavement in Edgbaston where the attack happened\n\nThe West Midlands and Metropolitan police forces are looking into whether there is a link to a similar attack that took place in Ealing, west London last month.\n\nCh Supt Richard North, commander at the West Midlands force, said: \"We are aware of the incident that happened in London.\n\n\"Our investigation continues with support from Counter Terrorism Policing West Midlands, who have access to specialist capabilities to help establish the full circumstances surrounding the incident.\n\n\"We are actively working with the Metropolitan Police to see if those two incidents are connected, that's a major part of our inquiry,\" he added.\n\nFollow BBC West Midlands on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. Send your story ideas to: newsonline.westmidlands@bbc.co.uk\n\nThe BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/uk-england-birmingham-65036283"}
{"title":"Ofsted and Ruth Perry: The dam has burst on strength of feeling - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-22","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"Head teacher Ruth Perry's death has led to a seismic shift in perception of the schools' regulator.","section":"Family & Education","content":"A small, red-brick primary school in Reading is an unlikely starting place for a seismic shift. But the death of Caversham Primary School's head teacher, Ruth Perry, feels like one of those rare moments when something fundamental has altered in public perception.\n\nMs Perry took her own life in January, weeks after an Ofsted inspection. The Ofsted report, published after her death, downgraded her school's rating from Outstanding to Inadequate - going from the top to the bottom of the scale.\n\nIt's as though a dam has burst, with her family blaming her death on the pressure of the inspection and head teachers and teachers coming forward to talk about their own experiences of the Ofsted process.\n\nFor some, the prospect of another inspection leads them to leave teaching altogether. Others describe the mental and physical toll of knowing your career is on the line.\n\nThere has always been background grumbling in schools about inspection, which has been a feature of our school system for more than 100 years.\n\nIn recent years though, there has been a more negative edge to conversations I have had in schools. Even a passing mention of Ofsted has led to spontaneous booing at a couple of professional gatherings of head teachers and teachers.\n\nIt's fair to describe the system as having high accountability and high stakes. A damning Ofsted report can have a domino effect in which the head teacher loses their job and teaching posts remain vacant, as few want to work in a school that has been labelled as failing. That, in turn, makes improvement harder.\n\nThis is at the heart of the question of whether Ofsted inspections improves schools or simply points out where they are struggling. Some argue the external scrutiny is vital to hold schools to account and maintain standards.\n\nEngland's schools have improved their ranking in some international league tables in recent years, but there is no way of being sure how Ofsted has contributed to that. Other things that might have boosted performance include the introduction of phonics to help primary school children learn to read, and making GCSEs more academically demanding.\n\nHead teachers of schools in deprived and challenged communities complain vociferously about Ofsted, which some feel is weighted against them. A report published in 2022 found schools that were stuck in a cycle of repeatedly weak Ofsted performances tended to have higher numbers of disadvantaged pupils.\n\nThe former chief inspector of schools, Sir Michael Wilshaw, is among Ofsted supporters who say the one-word rating system helps to give clear guidance to parents as they try to choose the best school for their child. But the events around Ms Perry's death have intensified the debate about whether one rating can fully describe a school.\n\nFor more than a decade, schools graded Outstanding became exempt from inspection. But since 2020, re-inspections have led to hundreds of previously Outstanding schools being downgraded.\n\nMs Perry's school in Reading, which hadn't been inspected for 13 years, is one of only five out of 359 schools to be moved to the bottom grade since September.\n\nConservative backbenchers have questioned in Parliament whether all these judgements are fair.\n\nMs Perry's school was rated as inadequate overall, despite providing a good education and a welcoming and vibrant community for children. The inadequate rating was driven by failings in training, record-keeping and checks on staff.\n\nPerhaps it's no surprise that in some of these inspections of previously Outstanding schools, one focus has been what measures are in place to keep children safe: Ofsted has been facing pressure to do more about preventing sexual assault in schools, and in October, the Independent Inquiry into Child Sex Abuse found the regulator \"did not do enough\" to identify serious child weaknesses in some educational settings.\n\nRuth Perry was the head teacher at Caversham Primary School in Reading\n\nSo where does this debate leave parents who simply want to know what to take from an Ofsted grade, as one part of deciding where to send their children to school?\n\nOne recent piece of research shows how difficult it is to be sure. The academics looked at 10 years of Ofsted inspections of secondary schools and how that related to GCSE results five years later.\n\nOnce they had taken account of children's backgrounds, and how well they had done already at school, there was \"no detectable difference\" between Good, Requires Improvement and Inadequate.\n\nWhether or not the huge reaction to Ruth Perry's death influences how Ofsted operates, change is certainly on the way for the regulator - chief inspector Amanda Spielman, is standing down at the end of the year.\n\nAnd while the government strongly supports the current system, the Labour Party has recently said it wants to move from a single-grade system to a report card system for each school, which would replace grades with more detailed information about school performance.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/education-65028962"}
{"title":"'I thought I was dead': Virginia teacher shot by 6-year-old speaks out - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-22","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"Abigail Zwerner tells NBC she will never forget the look on the boy's face as he pointed the gun.","section":"US & Canada","content":"A US teacher shot by a six-year-old student has said she will never forget the look on the boy's face when he pointed the gun at her.\n\nAbigail Zwerner is speaking publicly for the first time after being shot by a primary school student on 6 January.\n\nThe 25-year-old teacher detailed the horrific day at Richneck Elementary School in the city of Newport News, Virginia.\n\n\"I thought I had died,\" she told NBC's Today show this week.\n\nIn the interview that aired on Tuesday, journalist Savannah Guthrie asked Ms Zwerner what she remembers about the day.\n\n\"The morning it felt like just a regular school day, but I started hearing things and things started happening that made my fear grow,\" Ms Zwerner said.\n\nPolice have said the child brought the gun in his backpack to the school.\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Watch: Police updates on school shooting with six year old\n\nMs Zwerner plans to sue the school district after she was shot through her hand and upper chest following what police described as an \"altercation\" with the first-grader.\n\nAn intent-to-sue notice sent by the teacher's lawyer alleges that school leaders had been warned multiple times that the student had a firearm, and that the school failed to adequately respond.\n\nMs Zwerner said she clearly recalls seeing the gun being pointed at her.\n\n\"I remember the look on his face. I remember feeling something. It was a pretty scary day.\"\n\nMs Guthrie asked Ms Zwerner about her left hand, which appeared on camera wrapped in medical gauze.\n\n\"The initial gunshot went through my left hand and ruptured the middle bone as well as the index finger and the thumb. The gunshot then went into my chest up here where it actually still remains,\" she said, while pointing just above her heart. \"So, I have a scar up here, and I still have some bullet fragments up here.\"\n\nMs Zwerner said doctors at the hospital told her the gunshot wound \"could've been fatal\" but since the bullet went through her hand it \"most likely saved my life\".\n\nIn the initial moments after she was shot, Ms Zwerner said her first thoughts were about the safety of her students. She ushered them out of the classroom despite her wounds before she was sent to the hospital in an ambulance.\n\nEarlier this month Newport News Commonwealth's Attorney Howard Gwynn said that his office would not seek charges against the boy. He said the \"prospect that a six-year-old can stand trial is problematic\" because the child is too young to understand the legal system, he told NBC News.\n\nThe family of the young boy, who have also not been charged, has said he suffered from an \"acute disability\" and rarely attended school without one of his parents being present. However, the day of the shooting he had attended school alone.\n\nThe firearm was legally purchased and belonged to the child's mother, police have said.\n\nIn the wake of the incident, the school's superintendent was fired and the assistant principal resigned. Richneck Elementary School has since installed full-time security and metal detectors.\n\nIn the NBC interview, Ms Zwerner said she sometimes has nightmares about the shooting, and can struggle to get out of bed some days due to the difficult recovery.\n\n\"I'm not sure when the shock will ever go away\u2026 I think about it daily.\"","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/world-us-canada-64981972"}
{"title":"Partygate: MPs share evidence ahead of Boris Johnson TV grilling - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-22","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"The ex-prime minister is fighting accusations he misled Parliament over lockdown parties in No 10.","section":"UK Politics","content":"This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Watch: Johnson's comments in the Commons on Partygate scandal\n\nA bundle of evidence including photos and statements has been released by the MPs investigating Boris Johnson over Partygate, ahead of a hearing crucial to his political future.\n\nIncluded is evidence from the UK's top civil servant saying he did not give the former PM assurances about whether Covid rules were followed in No 10.\n\nMr Johnson has admitted he did mislead MPs over Partygate but not on purpose.\n\nHe says Wednesday's televised hearing will vindicate him.\n\nThe former PM, who was ousted from office last year after a string of scandals, faces being a potential suspension if MPs decide he deliberately misled them.\n\nThe seven-member Commons privileges committee is investigating whether what Mr Johnson told Parliament stopped it from properly holding him to account.\n\nAt 14.00 GMT on Wednesday, the committee will get its chance to question Mr Johnson live on TV, in a hearing that could last several hours.\n\nHe is expected to be flanked by members of his taxpayer-funded legal team, with whom he will be able to confer during the session.\n\nHowever, he will have to answer questions himself, and will take an oath on the King James Bible before the hearing begins.\n\nThe committee is expected to focus on statements Mr Johnson made about Downing Street gatherings on 1 December and 8 December 2021, and subsequently.\n\nBefore the hearing, the committee has published what it calls a \"core bundle\" of evidence that is expected to be referred to during the hearing.\n\nA written submission from Simon Case, the most senior civil servant in the UK, is part of the 110-page bundle of documents published on the committee's website.\n\nIt is a Q&A form, dated 6 February 2023, which asks Mr Case whether he gave Mr Johnson any assurance that \"Covid rules were followed at all times in No 10 and specifically in relation to gatherings covered in the Sue Gray report\".\n\nIn his response, Mr Case answered: \"No.\"\n\nBut evidence submitted by Conservative MP Sarah Dines appears to contradict Mr Case's answer.\n\nIn her written submission, Ms Dines said she recalled a meeting with Mr Johnson in the cabinet room, during which the former PM was advised Covid rules were followed \"at all times\".\n\nMs Dines said she was \"sure\" civil servants were present and she was \"90% sure one of them was Simon Case\".\n\nEvidence from other Number 10 officials, as well as emails, messages and details of Mr Johnson's diary have been published, alongside extracts of official advice for the public at the time of the pandemic.\n\nIn written evidence Martin Reynolds, the former principal private secretary to the then prime minister, questioned Mr Johnson's plan to say Covid guidance had been followed at all times in Downing Street.\n\nHe said he queried a line proposed for Mr Johnson to say at Prime Minister's Questions on 8 December.\n\nMr Reynolds said: \"He did not welcome the interruption but told me that he had received reassurances that the comms event was within the rules.\n\n\"I accepted this but questioned whether it was realistic to argue that all guidance had been followed at all times, given the nature of the working environment in No 10.\"\n\nThe committee also published exchanges about a drinks party in Downing Street's garden in May 2020.\n\nIn written evidence, Lee Cain, who was then the No 10 communications director, said he raised concerns that the garden party would be a \"communications risk\".\n\nHe said he and Mr Reynolds then discussed whether to go ahead with the event. Mr Cain said Mr Reynolds said he would speak to the prime minister but \"he was sure it was okay\".\n\nMr Cain said Dominic Cummings, Mr Johnson's chief adviser at the time, agreed the gathering \"should not take place\" and said he would \"raise the issue with Martin and the prime minister\".\n\nMr Cain said Mr Cummings later confirmed that he had \"informed the PM\", but they had argued about other issues and \"he was clearly very frustrated\".\n\nAnother submission from a No 10 official said Mr Johnson often \"saw and joined gatherings\" in Downing Street. \"He had the opportunity to shut them down, but joined in, made speeches, had a drink with staff,\" the official wrote. \"He could see what was happening and allowed the culture to continue.\"\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Watch: Johnson's comments in the Commons on Partygate scandal\n\nAll the evidence amassed by the committee, including written statements from 23 witnesses, official diaries, and emails between officials, has already been handed over to Mr Johnson's legal team.\n\nHis lawyers have given the committee 46 WhatsApp messages between the former prime minister and five unnamed people.\n\nMedia stories about staff parties in Downing Street when Covid rules banned socialising indoors began to emerge in late 2021, later becoming known as the Partygate scandal.\n\nOn a number of occasions, Mr Johnson told the House of Commons that Covid rules and guidance had been followed in Downing Street.\n\nBut an inquiry by senior official Sue Gray later found rule-breaking had taken place at multiple events, and police issued fines to 83 people, including Mr Johnson himself, for breaching Covid laws.\n\nThe committee, chaired by veteran Labour MP Harriet Harman, but with a Conservative majority, said earlier this month that breaches of pandemic guidance would have been \"obvious\" to him at the time.\n\nBut that was rejected by Mr Johnson on Tuesday, in a 52-page document setting out his defence ahead of the TV hearing.\n\nHe said he did not \"intentionally or recklessly\" mislead MPs and his assurances to MPs that lockdown rules had been followed were made in \"good faith\".","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/uk-politics-65033842"}
{"title":"Partygate: I misled MPs but not intentionally, says Boris Johnson - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-22","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"The ex-PM says his Partygate denials were made in good faith, ahead of a grilling from MPs on Wednesday.","section":"UK Politics","content":"This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Watch: Johnson's comments in the Commons on Partygate scandal\n\nBoris Johnson has accepted he misled Parliament over Covid rule-breaking parties in Downing Street, but denied he did it on purpose.\n\nThe former prime minister has published a 52-page defence of his actions ahead of a grilling by MPs on Wednesday.\n\nIn it, he says his assurances to MPs that lockdown rules had been followed were made in \"good faith\".\n\nMr Johnson faces being suspended or even expelled from Parliament, if MPs decide he deliberately misled them.\n\nA group representing families of Covid victims said his claim to have acted in good faith was \"sickening\", and it was \"obvious\" he deliberately misled MPs.\n\nSince April last year, the Commons Privileges Committee has been investigating whether Mr Johnson initially misled Parliament over what he knew about parties in No 10 during lockdown.\n\nAfter media stories about what would become known as the Partygate scandal emerged in late 2021, Mr Johnson denied to MPs that Covid rules banning socialising indoors had been broken.\n\nBut an inquiry by senior official Sue Gray later found rule-breaking had taken place across multiple events, and police issued fines to 83 people, including Mr Johnson himself, for breaching Covid laws.\n\nThe committee, chaired by veteran Labour MP Harriet Harman, but with a Tory majority, has previously said Mr Johnson may have misled Parliament on multiple occasions, and evidence suggests rule breaches would have been \"obvious\" to him at the time.\n\nIn his defence document, prepared by his taxpayer-funded legal team, headed by top barrister Lord Pannick KC, Mr Johnson says he had not \"intentionally or recklessly\" misled MPs, and would \"never have dreamed of doing so\".\n\nHe said he believed at the time that events he attended in No 10, including to bid farewell to departing staff, abided by restrictions because they were \"essential for work purposes\".\n\nHe added that it \"remains unclear to me\" why he was fined for attending a gathering in No 10 for his birthday in June 2020.\n\nMr Johnson said he relied on officials to advise him about other events in the building he did not attend, and they did not tell him rules were broken.\n\nHe said that he had \"corrected the record\" in May 2022, on the day Ms Gray's report was published. On that day, he told MPs it was \"not the case\" that rules had always been followed.\n\n\"I believed - and I still believe - that this was the earliest opportunity at which I could make the necessary correction,\" he added.\n\n\"It was not fair or appropriate to give a half-baked account, before the facts had been fully and properly established.\"\n\nBoris Johnson was fined for attending a birthday gathering in the Cabinet Room in 2020\n\nThe committee is expected to publish its verdict on Mr Johnson by the summer.\n\nIt has assembled evidence including written statements from 23 witnesses, official diaries, emails between officials, and WhatsApp messages handed over by the former prime minister's legal team.\n\nIt will publish a \"core bundle\" of documents on Wednesday morning, ahead of Mr Johnson's hearing later in the day.\n\nIn his defence document, Mr Johnson claimed the committee had not found evidence he intentionally misled MPs.\n\nHe said the \"only exception\" were assertions made by his former top aide Dominic Cummings, whom he said was \"discredited\" and was motivated by personal animosity.\n\nMr Cummings hit back on Twitter, saying a drinks party in the No 10 garden attended by Mr Johnson had been deemed to have broken the rules by police, with officials fined for attending.\n\nThe committee has published photos of Boris Johnson attending events - including this one in January 2021\n\nIn an interim report published earlier this month, the committee said Mr Johnson's statements to MPs, as well as his performance at Covid press conferences, show that he understood what the rules were.\n\nIn a statement on Tuesday, the committee said Mr Johnson's written submission contained \"no new documentary evidence\".\n\nIn his document, Mr Johnson attacked the conduct of the inquiry, accusing the committee of being \"highly partisan\" and going against precedents set by previous similar inquiries.\n\nThe committee has decided that whether he intended to mislead MPs is not relevant to what it has been charged with investigating: whether it was stopped from doing its job by his statements to MPs.\n\nBut if they find that it was, then his intentions will be considered when deciding any punishment they recommend.\n\nA finding that he deliberately misled MPs is likely to attract the strongest sanction. Another option is they conclude he misled Parliament \"recklessly\".\n\nIn his submission, the former prime minister hit out at this reasoning, saying the idea of misleading MPs recklessly was an \"entirely novel concept\".\n\nThe full House of Commons will have to approve the committee's final recommendations, as well as any sanctions. Conservative MPs will be given a free vote, meaning they will not be told how to vote by party managers.\n\nThe possible punishments range from ordering him to apologise to suspending him from the Commons.\n\nIf he is suspended for more than 10 days, this could trigger a by-election in his constituency - although suspensions of this length have been rare in the past.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/uk-politics-65012965"}
{"title":"Dick Van Dyke crashes his car into a gate in Malibu - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-22","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"The film and television icon is said to have sustained minor injuries but avoided going to hospital.","section":"US & Canada","content":"Hollywood legend Dick Van Dyke reportedly lost control of his car and crashed into a gate on Wednesday morning, TMZ first reported.\n\nThe 97-year-old is said to have lost control of the wheel of his Lexus over wet streets in Malibu, California, recently drenched by rain.\n\nBruised and bloodied, the Mary Poppins star appears to have only suffered \"minor injuries\", police said.\n\nHe was treated at the scene by medics and then brought home by a friend.\n\nPolice officers have said drugs and alcohol are not suspected to be involved in the accident.\n\nHowever, it has been reported that police submitted documents to the Department of Motor Vehicles for him to retake his driving test, due to his near-centenarian status.\n\nVan Dyke's Hollywood career spans over seven decades between film, television and theatre. His accolades include Golden Globe, Tony and Grammy awards.\n\nAlthough the peak of his career climaxed in the 1960s - when he starred in Bye Bye Birdie, Mary Poppins, and Chitty Chitty Bang Bang - last month Van Dyke appeared on TV screens yet again as the oldest contestant ever to perform on Fox's singing contest, The Masked Singer.\n\nThis is not the actor's first close call. In 2013, he was rescued from a burning car on the California freeway. He did not sustain any serious injuries.\n\nHe later humorously tweeted a picture of the burned-out car with the caption: \"Used Jag for sale REAL CHEAP!!\"\n\nIn 2010, in an interview with Craig Ferguson, the then-84-year-old recalled an incident where he drifted out to sea after he fell asleep atop his surfboard. In an incident that could have been a scene cut from Mary Poppins: Beach Vacation, he said a group of friendly porpoises helped push his board closer to shore.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/world-us-canada-65038802"}
{"title":"'Reckless' Gwyneth Paltrow caused Utah ski crash, lawyer says - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-22","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"The Oscar winner denies claims she caused serious injuries to a man on the slopes in Utah.","section":"Entertainment & Arts","content":"This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser.\n\nGwyneth Paltrow was \"distracted\" when she crashed into a retired eye doctor on a ski slope, inflicting brain damage and breaking his ribs, a court heard.\n\nA lawyer for Terry Sanderson told the jury in Utah that the Hollywood actress's \"reckless\" actions had caused the collision on a slope in 2016.\n\nMs Paltrow has countersued. Her lawyer said the crash was Mr Sanderson's fault and his claims are \"utter BS\".\n\nThe 50-year-old Oscar winner's counterclaim seeks $1 in damages, plus legal fees.\n\nThe actress-turned-lifestyle-influencer sat impassively in court during opening statements on the first day of the trial in a Park City court on Tuesday.\n\nThe incident occurred in February 2016 on the beginners' slope at the Deer Valley resort where Ms Paltrow was skiing with her family.\n\nShe and her children are expected to testify.\n\n\"She knew that skiing that way, blindly skiing down a mountain while looking up and to the side, was reckless; she knew that continuing to ski that way... she would crash into somebody below her.\"\n\nMr Buhler said Ms Paltrow crashed into his client and then quickly skied away, leaving him prone and unconscious without calling for help or checking to make sure he was OK.\n\n\"Before this crash Terry was a charming, outgoing, gregarious person,\" Mr Sanderson's lawyer said.\n\n\"He was living a full life, travelling the world - doing everything possible to enjoy his life and guard his health. But after the crash, he's no longer charming.\"\n\nHe told the jury his client had just begun descending the slope when a pair of skis suddenly appeared between her legs and a man collided into her back.\n\nTerry Sanderson accuses Ms Paltrow of being distracted while skiing\n\nMs Paltrow's lawyer argued that Mr Sanderson, who suffers from vision and hearing loss as a result of a previous stroke, may not have seen the actress before he collided with her.\n\nMr Owens said his client initially suspected she was being assaulted and was so shaken by the incident she chose not to ski for the rest of the day.\n\n\"She may have sworn at him. It rattled her and it physically hurt her,\" he said.\n\nThe case appears to hinge on which skier - Ms Paltrow or Mr Sanderson - was uphill at the time of the accident. According to Deer Valley safety policies, skiers \"ahead or downhill of you have the right of way. You must avoid them.\"\n\nCraig Ramon, who is a friend of Mr Sanderson, was the first witness to take the stand in the case.\n\nAt times Ms Paltrow attempted to hide from the cameras in court\n\nHe testified that he heard a scream and turned his head to see Ms Paltrow crash into Mr Sanderson.\n\nBut on cross-examination, Ms Paltrow's lawyers noted that Mr Ramon is colour-blind, arguing he could not have distinguished which skier caused the crash from his or her clothing alone.\n\nMs Paltrow's lawyers allege that GoPro footage and a social media post that corroborate her version of events have \"disappeared\".\n\nThe original claim, filed in 2019, said: \"This case involves a hit-and-run ski crash at Deer Valley, Utah, where defendant Gwyneth Paltrow skied out of control and hit the back of Terry Sanderson, another skier, who was downhill, knocking him down hard, knocking him out, and causing a brain injury, four broken ribs and other serious injuries.\"\n\nThe proceedings are scheduled to last for eight days.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/entertainment-arts-65027945"}
{"title":"Sturgeon issues apology over forced adoption - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-22","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"Thousands of unmarried women in Scotland were forced to give their children up in the last century.","section":"Scotland","content":"This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser.\n\nNicola Sturgeon has issued a \"sincere, heartfelt and unreserved\" apology to people affected by the practice of forced adoption.\n\nThousands of unmarried women in Scotland were forced to give up their babies for adoption in the 1950s, 60s and 70s.\n\nThe first minister told Holyrood it was time to \"acknowledge the terrible wrongs that have been done\".\n\nShe said: \"What happened to these women is almost impossible to comprehend.\"\n\nIt is estimated 60,000 women in Scotland had babies adopted simply because they were unmarried.\n\nMany women were coerced into handing over their babies and some were denied access to housing and social benefits which may have allowed them to have kept them.\n\nSome children forcibly removed from their parents as a result of forced adoption were abused, Ms Sturgeon told MSPs.\n\nShe added: \"It is important to say very clearly that many of them went to loving homes - acknowledging these injustices should never be seen as a rejection of the deep bonds that people share with adopted families.\n\n\"Nothing can ever invalidate the love that these families have for one another. But it is also clear that many of those affected - far too many - had a very, very different experience.\n\n\"We know some will always have lacked a sense of belonging, some may have suffered mistreatment or abuse.\"\n\nAddressing MSPs in the Holyrood chamber as victims and campaigners watched on from the public gallery, Ms Sturgeon said forced adoption was \"a level of injustice which is hard now for us to comprehend\".\n\nShe said it was caused by a society that treated women as \"second class citizens\".\n\nMarion McMillan, seated in the centre, was in Holyrood to hear the apology along with fellow campaigners and MSPs\n\nMarion McMillan, from Paisley, was 17-years-old when she had her son taken from her after she gave birth in a Christian mother and baby home.\n\nSpeaking on BBC Radio's Good Morning Scotland, she said: \"I was just a wee lassie and I left this country called Scotland, to go to this country England I only knew in the geography books.\n\n\"We were absolutely thrown to the wolves - you couldn't even go to the church. You were stuck in the darkest of providences.\n\n\"Not only did your family reject you, the whole of society rejected you. You couldn't tell anyone you had this baby.\"\n\nMs McMillan, now in her seventies, said the formal apology will bring a \"great measure of healing\" to thousands of mothers and adoptees.\n\nThe first minister made the apology in the Scottish Parliament\n\nFiona Aitken, director of the Adoption UK Scotland charity, said: \"We wholeheartedly support the apology for those who had their children removed and are particularly pleased to see this extend to the individuals who were adopted through this practice, whose lifelong needs have gone unacknowledged and unsupported.\n\n\"Adoption UK now calls on other UK governments to follow Scotland's lead in issuing a formal apology to all those who have been affected by forced adoptions, and to meet the needs of all adopted individuals who would benefit from support.\"\n\nThe apology in Scotland follows others around the world.\n\nIn 2013, Australia issued the world's first government formal apology for forced adoption, taking responsibility for the practice.\n\nThen in 2021 the Irish government apologised to former residents of mother and baby homes in Ireland for the way they were treated over several decades.\n\nThe Scottish government has committed funding of about \u00a3145,000 to provide specialist support and counselling for those affected by forced adoption and research is also under way to identify how existing support services can be improved.\n\nScottish Conservative deputy leader Meghan Gallacher, said: \"Although a national apology cannot right the wrongs of the past, I hope that it will be the start of a healing process for those suffering lifelong trauma.\n\n\"My only regret is that some campaigners have sadly died before this apology was made.\"\n\nScottish Labour deputy leader Jackie Baillie, said: \"These appalling cruelties are perhaps among the most heinous of injustices that our society has inflicted on women and their children.\"","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/uk-scotland-65043159"}
{"title":"Ex-spy says MI5 did not want Real IRA leader arrested - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-22","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"US trucker David Rupert infiltrated the innermost circles of the group behind the 1998 Omagh bomb attack.","section":"Northern Ireland","content":"This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. David Rupert said the Real IRA's leader Michael McKevitt wanted an American on its army council.\n\nA US trucker who spied on a dissident Irish republican group says the security service MI5 did not want its leader arrested.\n\nDavid Rupert infiltrated the Real IRA, the group behind the 1998 Omagh bomb atrocity, for the FBI and MI5.\n\nHis undercover evidence was used in 2003 to prosecute Michael McKevitt, the leader of the Real IRA, for directing terrorism.\n\nMr Rupert told BBC Spotlight that MI5 wanted to keep gathering intelligence.\n\nThe programme put this to MI5 but they did not respond.\n\nThe recent shooting of a top police officer in Northern Ireland shows the threat from dissident republicans has not gone away.\n\nDissident republicans have not signed up to the peace process and remain committed to using violence to try to bring about a united Ireland.\n\nMr Rupert, who ran a trucking company in Chicago, first visited Ireland in 1992.\n\nHis ongoing trips and friendship with Joe O'Neill, a hard-line Irish republican who ran a pub in Bundoran, County Donegal, coincided with a critical point in Northern Ireland's peace process.\n\nWhen an FBI agent arrived at his Chicago office in the summer of 1994, Rupert at first thought he had come to talk about the trucking business, but the agent raised the subject of Ireland and O'Neill.\n\n\"I wouldn't have done anything really illegal but the grey area was my specialty. So we went back and forth.\n\n\"'Would you come to work for us?' he asked. I said, 'No man, I don't need to get on the bad side of a foreign terrorist organisation'.\"\n\nThe first IRA ceasefire of 1994 meant someone like Rupert would be a valuable asset to the FBI.\n\nWith US President Bill Clinton heavily invested in the peace process, the White House needed to know from their own spies on the ground if breakaway republicans, like Joe O'Neill who was aligned to a group known as the Continuity IRA, would fill the vacuum.\n\nThe FBI agent returned to Rupert's office with a new proposition - the FBI would pay for his trips to Ireland in return for information.\n\nThe flights-for-information agreement worked out and eventually led to the US trucker and his wife Maureen moving to Ireland to run a pub in County Leitrim, financed by the FBI.\n\n\"The value was it allowed me to become ingrained in the IRA population and to become accepted,\" said Rupert.\n\nWatch Spotlight - I Spy on iPlayer or on BBC One Northern Ireland on Tuesday 21 March at 22.40 GMT.\n\nBy early 1997, the couple was no longer running the pub but the FBI's investment in the trucker turned spy had paid off.\n\nHe had become trusted by O'Neill's Continuity IRA group, and he had also positioned himself as the bagman for their US fundraising effort, regularly delivering thousands of dollars from Chicago to O'Neill's group in Ireland.\n\nIn the wake of a second IRA ceasefire in 1997, the danger posed by dissident republicans was even higher.\n\nThe FBI already had a US spy embedded within the Continuity IRA.\n\nMI5 then made their move and by the summer of 1997, Rupert was working for the FBI and MI5.\n\n\"We used an encryption system when I sent an email it went to both handlers,\" he said.\n\nThat year, a dangerous split within the republican movement would radically change Rupert's spy operations against dissident republicans opposed to the peace process.\n\nThe Real IRA was formed in 1997 by Michael McKevitt, who left the Provisional IRA in fury over the direction of the peace process.\n\nDavid Rupert gave his first television interview to BBC NI Spotlight reporter Jennifer O'Leary\n\nMcKevitt, the man who had been in charge of the Provisional IRA's arsenal for decades, saw peace talks as a sell-out and was determined to continue the war against the British.\n\nIn 1999, McKevitt not only brought Rupert into his secret army to help him fund his terror, he spoke in detail during what was only their second meeting about his plans to bomb Britain.\n\n\"Their first hit is going to be directed specifically at something like troops or London centre financial district,\" Rupert wrote as part of an email to his MI5 handler.\n\n\"To make a big enough splash to overshadow anything that could have happened at Omagh.\"\n\nThe 1998 Omagh bomb atrocity killed 29 people including a woman pregnant with twins, which the Real IRA claimed responsibility for.\n\nRupert's infiltration of the Real IRA put him in a different league of danger - McKevitt lived by a militant Irish republican code that demanded spies be executed.\n\nYet, despite the risks Rupert maintained his facade and was appointed to the top table of the Real IRA, its army council.\n\nThe development prompted elation from his MI5 handler, said Rupert.\n\n\"MI5 were wonderful to work with,\" he said.\n\n\"I would call them on my way to a meeting with McKevitt and they would tell me that he's probably going to ask you this or that and when he does, here's what we want you to tell him, and they were pretty accurate.\"\n\nHowever, Rupert's spy masters seemingly had different priorities.\n\nThe FBI is primarily an evidence-gathering organisation, versus MI5 whose focus is on intelligence gathering.\n\n\"MI5 wanted to keep it going forever,\" said Rupert.\n\n\"The FBI won. I mean they won the argument. It was more important to MI5 to have a thumb on the pulse than it is to go arrest a couple of people and prosecute them.\"\n\nIn early 2001, in a top-secret meeting in Dublin, Rupert made a detailed statement to Irish police who were building a case to prosecute McKevitt, who lived in the Irish Republic.\n\nHis day of reckoning came on 29 March 2001, when police knocked on his door.\n\nRupert went on to face the Real IRA leader in a Dublin court and in August 2003, McKevitt was sentenced to 20 years in prison for directing the activities of the Real IRA.\n\n\"I was just doing a job,\" said Rupert.\n\n\"And doing a job that I viewed as doing for good to stop them from killing people.\"","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/uk-northern-ireland-65013703"}
{"title":"Bill Gates: AI is most important tech advance in decades - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-22","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"The former Microsoft boss says AI is the second revolutionary technology he's seen in his lifetime.","section":"Technology","content":"Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates says the development of artificial intelligence (AI) is the most important technological advance in decades.\n\nIn a blog post on Tuesday, he called it as fundamental as the creation of the microprocessor, the personal computer, the Internet, and the mobile phone.\n\n\"It will change the way people work, learn, travel, get health care, and communicate with each other,\" he said.\n\nHe was writing about the technology used by tools such as chatbot ChatGPT.\n\nDeveloped by OpenAI, ChatGPT is an AI chatbot which is programmed to answer questions online using natural, human-like language.\n\nThe team behind it in January 2023 received a multibillion dollar investment from Microsoft - where Mr Gates still serves as an advisor.\n\nBut it is not the only AI-powered chatbot available, with Google recently introducing rival Bard.\n\nI was one of the first people to get access to Bard and my colleagues and I are trying to put it through its paces.\n\nSo far it's given me a philosophical answer to the meaning of life.\n\nIt gave a competent potted history of Russia-China relations to a colleague covering the meeting between President Putin and Xi Jinping - unlike ChatGPT, Bard can access current affairs.\n\nA programme editor asked it for a good running order for her news show. Start with the biggest story of the day, Bard suggested, and end with a musician or comedian. It also did a decent if generic job of a poem about trees and blossom.\n\nI haven't yet started trying to get it to be rude to me, or about others. I'll report back on that\u2026\n\nYou can read more about it here.\n\nMr Gates said he had been meeting with OpenAI - the team behind the artificial intelligence that powers chatbot ChatGPT - since 2016.\n\nIn his blog, Mr Gates said he challenged the OpenAI team in 2022 to train an AI that can pass an Advanced Placement (AP) Biology exam - roughly equivalent to an A-level exam - with the strict rule that the AI could not be specifically trained to answer Biology questions.\n\nA few months later they revealed the results - a near perfect score, he said, missing only one mark out of 50.\n\nAfter the exam, Mr Gates said he asked the AI to write a response to a father with a sick child.\n\n\"It wrote a thoughtful answer that was probably better than most of us in the room would have given,\" he said.\n\n\"I knew I had just seen the most important advance in technology since the graphical user interface (GUI).\"\n\nA GUI is a visual display - allowing a person to interact with images and icons, rather than a display that shows only text and requires typed commands.\n\nIts development led to the Windows and Mac OS operating systems in the 1980s, and remains a key part of computing.\n\nAnd Mr Gates says he believes AI tech will lead to similar advancements.\n\nMr Gates, who co-chairs the charitable Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, called on governments to work with industry to \"limit the risks\" of AI, but said the technology could be used to save lives.\n\n\"AI-driven improvements will be especially important for poor countries, where the vast majority of under-5 deaths happen,\" he wrote.\n\n\"Many people in those countries never get to see a doctor, and AIs will help the health workers they do see be more productive.\"\n\nSome examples of this he gave include completing repetitive tasks such as insurance claims, paperwork, and note-taking.\n\nBut in order for this to happen, Mr Gates called on a targeted approach to AI technology in the future.\n\n\"Market forces won't naturally produce AI products and service that help the poorest,\" he said. \"The opposite is more likely.\n\n\"With reliable funding and the right policies, governments and philanthropy can ensure that AIs are used to reduce inequity.\n\n\"Just as the world needs its brightest people focused on its biggest problems, we will need to focus the world's best AIs on its biggest problems.\"","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/technology-65032848"}
{"title":"Counter-terror police help investigation as man set alight near Birmingham mosque - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-22","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"The attack in Birmingham which left a man seriously injured could be linked to one in west London.","section":"Birmingham & Black Country","content":"Ch Supt Richard North said they are \"using all resources available to us\" to investigate the attack\n\nCounter-terror police are involved in an investigation into a man being set alight as he walked home from a mosque.\n\nA man has been held on suspicion of attempted murder after the attack in Edgbaston, Birmingham, on Monday.\n\nThe West Midlands and Metropolitan forces are looking into whether there is a link to a similar attack in Ealing, west London last month.\n\nThe Birmingham victim, in his 70s, was approached, sprayed with a substance and had his jacket set on fire.\n\nNeighbours told the BBC they helped to put the flames out and carry the victim to his home where he was treated by paramedics.\n\nHis son said his father was \"very badly burned\" and they were praying for his recovery.\n\nHe was taken to hospital with burns to his face which are serious but not thought to be life-threatening. Police said he remained in a stable condition.\n\nTayyab Riaz, the victim's nephew, said everyone was \"very upset\" at the \"shocking news\".\n\n\"For 35 years he's been going to that mosque to pray and there's never been a problem,\" he said.\n\n\"Suddenly this happens. His hair, beard and eyebrows are badly burnt. We're praying he's OK.\"\n\nA video of an attack shared on social media which shows a man being set alight is under investigation by police.\n\nDowning Street described the incident as a \"concerning case\".\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Residents filmed the moment police arrived in the street\n\nThe suspect was arrested in Dudley Road, the street where the Birmingham mosque is, on Tuesday after being identified by officers carrying out inquiries. The attack happened just after 19:00 GMT in nearby Shenstone Road.\n\nMembers of the mosque told Channel 4 news they had spotted a man in the congregation on Monday who stood out because \"he wasn't praying and was sitting in the wrong direction\".\n\nSahir Aziz Adam said he approached him and said the traditional Arabic greeting to him - \"as-salamu alaykum\", which means peace be upon you, but the man didn't respond, which set alarm bells ringing.\n\nHe left the building and Mr Adam said he called the police.\n\nIn Ealing, an 82-year-old man was set on fire as he left the West London Islamic Centre on Singapore Road, at about 20:00 on 27 February.\n\nCh Supt Richard North, commander at Birmingham police, said: \"We are aware of the incident that happened in London.\n\n\"We are actively working with the Metropolitan Police to see if those two incidents are connected. That's a major part of our inquiry.\n\n\"I have had meetings today with colleagues from the Metropolitan Police and they are engaged in the inquiry. We are working very much closely together.\"\n\nHe said officers had been \"working through the night to establish what happened and who is responsible\".\n\n\"We are taking this matter extremely seriously and are using all resources available to us,\" he said.\n\n\"We are keeping an open mind to the motive of the attacker and we won't speculate further at this stage.\"\n\nHe added: \"Our investigation continues with support from Counter Terrorism Policing West Midlands who have access to specialist capabilities to help establish the full circumstances surrounding the incident.\"\n\nMonsur Alam said the attack was \"very scary\"\n\nOfficers are aware of a video posted on social media \"showing a man being set alight, and we're examining it as part of our investigations\", the force said.\n\nFather of four Monsur Alam, aged 60, has lived in the road where the attack happened for the past five years.\n\n\"I heard screaming and my daughter was screaming as well,\" he said. \"My wife ran outside with a bucket of water and a man poured over him (the victim).\"\n\n\"It was very scary,\" he added.\n\nMohammed Abbasim, from Dudley Road Mosque, said: \"It's shocking to see that someone that you know has been targeted in this way.\"\n\n\"When things like this happen, it's an opportunity for the local people to come together rather than divide further,\" he said.\n\nScorch marks are on the pavement in Edgbaston where the attack happened\n\nResidents said a lot of doorbell footage in the area had been handed in to police.\n\nExtra officers will be in the area to speak to the community and provide reassurance.\n\nIn a joint statement, the city council's leader Ian Ward, cabinet member for community safety John Cotton and ward councillors Sharon Thompson and Marcus Bernasconi called it a \"horrific attack\".\n\nThey also said they would be talking with community groups and local mosques \"to offer support to the wider community\".\n\n\"We would urge the community to work with the police and to avoid any speculation at this stage,\" they added.\n\nFollow BBC West Midlands on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. Send your story ideas to: newsonline.westmidlands@bbc.co.uk\n\u2022 None Image issued after man set on fire outside mosque\n\nThe BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/uk-england-birmingham-65030005"}
{"title":"The Trump arrest saga in 70 seconds - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-22","authors":null,"description":"How will it play out now that the former president has been indicted? Our correspondent explains.","section":null,"content":"Donald Trump will be charged with a crime over an alleged hush money payment to former porn star Stormy Daniels. The former US President posted about his arrest and kicked off a political and legal firestorm.\n\nThe BBC's New York Correspondent Nada Tawfik explains what may happen now that the unprecedented has happened - a former president being arrested in a criminal case.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/world-us-canada-65018198"}
{"title":"Ukraine war: Zelensky visits front line near Bakhmut as Russia targets cities - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-22","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"The Ukrainian leader's visit near Bakhmut coincides with two deadly Russian attacks.","section":"Europe","content":"Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has returned to the front line near Bakhmut where fighting has raged for months.\n\nThe devastated city has long been a focal point of the war as Russian forces try to revive their military campaign in the east.\n\nHis visit came as Russian forces launched a series of strikes on Ukrainian cities.\n\nAt least eight people were killed near Kyiv and in Zaporizhzhia.\n\nUkraine's military said it shot down 16 drones, but another five got through.\n\nSeven people died in an attack on student dormitories near the capital in Rzhyschiv. Then a rocket slammed into a block of flats in the south-eastern city of Zaporizhzhia, leaving one dead and 25 wounded. Local leaders said the number of victims could rise.\n\nWhile President Zelensky condemned Russia's \"bestial\" attacks on civilians, he also visited the eastern front line, where Ukrainian forces have held Russia at bay for more than seven months. He last visited the area in December.\n\nFootage released by the President's office showed him in an old industrial warehouse giving medals to battle-weary soldiers. \"I am honoured to be here today,\" he told servicemen, \"in the east of our country, in Donbas, and to award our heroes, to thank you, to shake your hands.\"\n\nUK military intelligence said on Wednesday that a Ukrainian counter-attack to the west of Bakhmut was likely to relieve pressure on the main supply route to the city, and that Russia's attack on the city could be losing the \"limited momentum\" it had.\n\n\"Fighting continues around the town centre and the Ukrainian defence remains at risk from envelopment from the north and south,\" the statement added.\n\nMeanwhile, Russian occupation officials in Crimea said that a drone attack on the port city of Sevastopol had been repelled, days after President Vladimir Putin visited the city.\n\nExplosions were reported by residents, but the Russian-installed governor said three \"objects\" targeting the Black Sea Fleet had been destroyed and Russian warships were not damaged.\n\nThere was no comment from Ukraine's military, which said earlier this week it had destroyed missiles destined for the fleet at a rail hub in Dzhankoi in northern Crimea.\n\nUkraine's cities were hit by drones in the early hours of Wednesday and later by rockets.\n\nRescue services searched for survivors after the upper floors of two student dormitories were hit in the city of Rzhyshchiv in Kyiv region. At least seven people were killed, including an ambulance driver, police said. Among the nine wounded was an 11-year-old boy.\n\nHours later, two missiles crashed into nine-storey blocks of flats in Zaporizhzhia, setting two buildings on fire. Officials said one person died in hospital and another 25 people were wounded.\n\nA number of flats were destroyed by the blasts and an air force spokesman indicated they might have been hit by Tornado-S rockets, which have a maximum range of 120km (75 miles).\n\nIn a tweet, Mr Zelensky said residential areas in Zaporizhzhia were being targeted and it could not become \"just another day\" in Ukraine or the rest of the world.\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser.\n\nThe Russian attacks came a day after Chinese President Xi Jinping completed a two-day visit to Moscow, promoting a 12-point peace plan.\n\nThe Ukrainian president noted that every time \"someone tries to hear the word 'peace' in Moscow\", another order was given to launch attacks.\n\nPresident Putin said earlier that many of the Chinese proposals \"can be taken as the basis for [the] settling of the conflict in Ukraine, whenever the West and Kyiv are ready for it\".\n\nThe plan makes no specific proposals and does not call explicitly for Russian forces to leave Ukraine's sovereign territory.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/world-europe-65036208"}
{"title":"Mosque fire suspect arrested over second attack - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-22","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"A man accused of setting a pensioner on fire as he left a Birmingham mosque is held over an attack in west London.","section":"Birmingham & Black Country","content":"Mr Rayaz has undergone a skin graft in hospital, his family said.\n\nA man held after a pensioner was set alight as he left a Birmingham mosque has been arrested over a similar attack in west London last month.\n\nAn 82-year-old man was set alight outside a mosque in Ealing on 27 February. Mohammed Rayaz was set on fire in Edgbaston on Monday.\n\nMr Rayaz, 70, suffered severe burns to his face and arms.\n\nDetectives, supported by counter-terror police, are questioning the suspect on suspicion of attempted murder.\n\nIn a statement, the Metropolitan Police said both incidents were now being linked and the man had been arrested over the Ealing attack on Wednesday.\n\nDetectives from the Met and West Midlands Police were working closely together to establish the full circumstances.\n\nWhile counter-terror police were involved, officers were keeping an open mind as to any potential motivation.\n\n\"At this stage we cannot speculate around the motive for the attacks, this is a live investigation and our main aim is to make sure communities are safe and that we bring justice for the victims,\" the West Midlands force said.\n\nMr Rayaz was set alight just after he left this mosque in Dudley Road, Edgbaston, Birmingham.\n\nThe victim in Ealing received hospital treatment for severe burns to his face and arms in the attack.\n\nWest Midlands Police said the suspect engaged the man in conversation as they both left the West London Islamic Centre.\n\nThey spoke for a few minutes before the victim was doused in a liquid, believed to be petrol, and then set on fire.\n\nIn a statement on Wednesday, members of the mosque described the incidents as \"abhorrent and malicious attacks on two elders within our community\" and thanked police for their efforts.\n\n\"As we commence the blessed month of Ramadan, our thoughts and prayers are with the victims and their families,\" a spokesperson said.\n\nThe victim, whom they named as Mr Hashi, had been recuperating from his injuries following his release from hospital the next day.\n\nHe was lucky to have had a friend waiting nearby in his car at the time of the attack who reacted quickly by putting out the flames and calling the emergency services, the centre added.\n\nMr Rayaz remains in a serious but stable condition in hospital following a skin graft operation.\n\nThe retired factory worker was sprayed with a substance before his jacket was set on fire near his home on Shenstone Road, a short distance from the Dudley Road mosque he had left.\n\nScorch marks are on the pavement in Edgbaston where the attack happened\n\nMP Shabana Mahmood, who has spoken to him on a video call, said he was \"touched at the outpouring of love and support\" since the attack.\n\nFamily lawyer Shahbon Hussain said he got a text message from Mr Rayaz's son moments afterwards.\n\n\"He heard his dad screaming, the family had gone out the house and seen him on fire,\" he said. \"I immediately went over and the police, ambulance and fire brigade were already there.\"\n\nNeighbours, who said they were concerned by the attack, also helped to put flames out and carry Mr Rayaz to his home.\n\nMs Mahmood, member for Birmingham Ladywood, organised a community walkabout on Wednesday with police to reassure Muslim communities on the eve of Ramadan.\n\nMr Hussain, who also chairs the local StreetWatch group, said he collated CCTV and doorbell footage for police via a WhatsApp group of 160 residents.\n\nHe added it would take a while for residents to feel safe as Ramadan got under way.\n\nMP Shabana Mahmood said Mr Rayaz was \"touched at the outpouring of love and support\" he had received since the attack\n\nRegarding the Ealing attack, Ch Supt Sean Wilson, of the Met's West Area Command, said: \"We completely understand the shock that resonated throughout the community following this incident.\n\n\"Despite a man having been arrested, we continue to be vigilant and urge local people to do the same.\n\n\"Highly visible patrols around Singapore Road will continue in the coming days to provide reassurance to local people and I urge anyone who is concerned to approach officers.\"\n\nFollow BBC West Midlands on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. Send your story ideas to: newsonline.westmidlands@bbc.co.uk","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/uk-england-65045660"}
{"title":"Lindsay Lohan and Jake Paul hit with SEC charges over crypto scheme - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-22","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"Eight stars including Soulja Boy did not disclose payments for touting cryptocurrencies, the SEC says.","section":"US & Canada","content":"Actress Lindsay Lohan is among eight celebrities who US regulators say failed to disclose they were being paid to promote cryptocurrencies\n\nEight celebrities, including Lindsay Lohan and Jake Paul, have been charged by US regulators with participating in an illegal crypto scheme.\n\nThe stars allegedly used their social platforms to boost two crypto tokens without disclosing they were paid to promote them.\n\nThe charges were announced by the US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) in a news release on Wednesday.\n\nLohan and Paul have paid to settle the charges without admitting guilt.\n\nThe other celebs charged are:\n\nThe group is accused of illegally promoting TRX and BTT crypto assets \"without disclosing that they were compensated for doing so and the amount of their compensation\", the SEC said.\n\nJustin Sun, a crypto investor and diplomat for the Caribbean island nation of Grenada, is also accused of fraud by manipulating the trading activity of the two tokens to make it appear as if they were actively being traded in a crime known as \"wash trading\".\n\nMr Sun, a Chinese-born prot\u00e9g\u00e9 of Alibaba founder Jack Ma, is known for having once paid $4.6m (\u00a33.7m) to have dinner with investor Warren Buffett.\n\nHe is accused of \"orchestrating a promotional campaign in which he and his celebrity promoters hid the fact that the celebrities were paid for their tweet\", the SEC added in their news release.\n\nHis companies - Tron Foundation Limited, BitTorrent Foundation Ltd and Rainberry Inc (formerly BitTorrent) - are also charged as part of the scheme.\n\n\"This case demonstrates again the high risk investors face when crypto asset securities are offered and sold without proper disclosure,\" said SEC Chair Gary Gensler.\n\n\"Sun and his companies not only targeted US investors in their unregistered offers and sales, generating millions in illegal proceeds at the expense of investors, but they also coordinated wash trading on an unregistered trading platform to create the misleading appearance of active trading.\"\n\nAll of the celebrities, apart from Soulja Boy and Mahone, have paid a combined total of more than $400,000 to settle the charges.\n\nLohan, who is best known for her role in the 2004 film Mean Girls, had 8.4 million Twitter followers when she posted a message calling for her followers to invest.\n\nThe 36-year-old actress, who charging documents say is a resident of Dubai in the United Arab Emirates, paid $10,000 to the SEC and another $30,000 in penalties.\n\nPaul, a YouTuber, boxer and resident of Puerto Rico, was ordered to pay more than $100,000.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/world-us-canada-65046882"}
{"title":"Chris Mason: 'Box set Boris Johnson' is pure political theatre - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-22","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"The PM before last was never likely to gently fade out and disappear, writes the BBC's political editor.","section":"UK Politics","content":"Boris Johnson is walking, talking political theatre. It has always been his great political knack: compelling to some, infuriating to others.\n\nA headline-generating, column-filling, attention-grabbing, outsized personality. He attracts loyalty from some, opprobrium from others.\n\nAnd, yet again, he is back.\n\nThe prime minister before last was never likely to dissolve into the ether, gently fade away and disappear. And he hasn't. This return to the fray isn't voluntary or even welcome from his perspective, relitigating as it does his character, his judgment, his believability.\n\nHere is a sense of the specifics the questioning is likely to get into.\n\nIs what we will hear from him likely to change your mind about Mr Johnson? That will ultimately be your call.\n\nBut my hunch is for most people beyond Westminster - and most people here too - it won't.\n\nSo why does it matter? It matters because it has the potential to finish him politically. But, as my colleague Helen Catt puts it here: \"there are a lot of ifs in this process.\"\n\nJust one of them is proving to a cross-party committee of seven MPs, which includes four Conservatives, that he intentionally misled parliament.\n\nProving intent, on the basis of what we have seen, so far at least, seems difficult. Arguing he was \"reckless\" in his testimony to the Commons is an arguably more subjective call - and so, potentially, a more plausible case around which the committee could unite.\n\nBut it is possible that MPs in general, and Conservative MPs in particular, may one day have to decide if they want to try to finish off Mr Johnson, or not.\n\nWhat, then, are the wider political consequences of all of this?\n\nThere's a good reason why Rishi Sunak picked Tuesday morning to sit down for a long interview with BBC Breakfast. The chance to scrutinise a prime minister at length is a journalistic opportunity few news programmes would turn down.\n\nBut leaders pick their moments carefully before subjecting themselves to these encounters. And Mr Sunak and his team feel he has had a good few weeks:\n\nA deal with the EU over Brexit. A deal with France over migrants in small boats. A deal with America and Australia over defence.\n\nA prime minister, as they would see it, who is serious and business-like, gets his head down and gets stuff done.\n\nWho on earth could they be drawing a contrast with? And better to say all this stuff before the guy before last is back on stage again.\n\nIn my job I get brief glimpses into how our prime ministers operate: their quirks and traits, as well as their beliefs and policies. When it comes to character, the contrast between Boris Johnson and Rishi Sunak could barely be more stark.\n\nThe instinctive flamboyance of Mr Johnson, the quotable camera-magnet, the colourful private life, the never-ending questions about his integrity. The instinctive caution of Mr Sunak, scrupulously careful on camera, a disciplined, teetotal, man of faith.\n\nAnd Mr Sunak, early polling evidence suggests, may be slowly resuscitating his party's image. He, some polls indicate, is more popular than his party - but both are, very steadily, ticking up, albeit still miles behind Labour.\n\nEnter next, thumping onto the table, this scrapbook of a chaotic Conservative past. The country reminded of the catalyst that brought a landslide-winning prime minister crashing down to earth - and the backbenches - in just a handful of years.\n\nConservative MPs, witnessing these contrasting characters, reminded again of what they did, bringing Mr Johnson down.\n\nA first name-terms leader who fired up the party and assembled an improbable coalition, taking in Workington, Wokingham and West Bromwich. Did they make a terrible mistake getting rid of him?\n\nSome think they did. Others think all this proves it was the right call.\n\nOne minister tells me he reckons Mr Johnson's supporters are down to a \"Taliban of ten, maybe twenty. He no longer commands the Conservative plains like he did.\"\n\nBut he has been apparently down and out before, only to manage a revival. However unlikely a return to the leadership, this week is a reminder to his party and the country, that Mr Johnson has never quite gone away.\n\nAnd he is not likely to just yet. The latest of many episodes in the Boris Johnson box set drama is starting.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/uk-politics-65034673"}
{"title":"The shops dealing with the long shadow of Covid - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-22","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"Perthshire shop owners reflect on the changes they have faced since the pandemic hit three years ago.","section":"Scotland business","content":"Morgwn Preston-Jones says people were \"ready to engage again\" after the lockdowns\n\nExactly three years on from the first pandemic lockdown, Dunkeld's high street is vibrant and busy.\n\nIt's a place where tourists and day-trippers stop and shop, attracted by a host of small, independent outlets.\n\nRedwood Wines is a new arrival, conceived during the pandemic, and born as the lockdown lifted.\n\nCo-owner Morgwn Preston-Jones has come here from California, via Sussex and London. But the pandemic helped him put down roots in Big Tree Country, as Perthshire is known, close to the family of his Scottish wife Roseanna.\n\nHe took the shop space during the lockdown of March 2021 and found he had plenty of time to focus on building up the business.\n\n\"We had some help from tradespeople and goodwill from locals but we did a lot ourselves,\" he recalls.\n\n\"Fitting it out was challenging. I basically learned how to be a carpenter. I built the bar, rebuilt the walls a little bit - as much DIY as I could possibly do.\"\n\nBy the summer they were ready to open. As lockdown measures lifted, they found a ready market for their wine and food: people who had been bored and frustrated during the lockdown, and who wanted to live their lives again.\n\n\"I think for us, it was a perfect time to open. People were ready to engage again, ready to experience.\n\n\"People wanted the tactile nature of taking the bottle off the rack, reading about it, talking to someone who knew about it. Sometimes people would just come in to have a chat.\"\n\nFor so many Scots, lockdown was a tough and lonely experience. And when it eased, many wanted to get back in town, to meet and break bread with friends.\n\nDunkeld has fared relatively well in the aftermath of the pandemic\n\nDunkeld is popular with the tourists, but home-working locals are now a mainstay for many local retailers.\n\n\"We held a wine and cheese tasting last night,\" says Morgwn. \"Almost 100% of the people who came were locals. It's totally reinforced that we were right to open here.\"\n\nFifteen miles down the River Tay lies the city of Perth. Here too, there are stories of lockdown survival. But with footfall down since the pandemic, Perth faces far greater challenges than Dunkeld.\n\nDarren Slater started repairing shoes as a 16-year-old trainee. Thirty five years later, he was running Sole Savers, an independent store just off the city centre.\n\n\"It was horrendous. It was a nightmare. Landlords were still looking for rent every month, staff screaming for wages. I didn't pay myself and hung on by my fingernails.\n\n\"We had to close. During lockdown we were shut. Then I started taking on more and more car key remotes as an essential service. That kept me open and trading.\"\n\nDarren's business shed all four of its staff, and it's only started to pick up in the last couple of months, because of the cost-of-living crisis.\n\n\"What's helped my industry and me is the hike in gas and electricity bills. People are repairing, rather than buying new. So it's given us a big boost to allow us to stay here.\n\n\"We're not back to the level of staff we had before Covid, but we're getting there.\n\n\"I'm finding there's more work being posted in, from right across the UK.\n\n\"I even had pairs of shoes posted in from Africa and Canada to be repaired and then posted back.\"\n\nDarren worries for the future of Perth city centre, which has seen its biggest department stores, Debenhams and McEwens, close in recent years.\n\nIn its pedestrian areas, To Let signs are now in abundance.\n\nThis city, like so many others, is suffering from its own version of long Covid.\n\nThere are plenty of To Let signs in Perth city centre\n\nThe pandemic forced many of us to work from home. Last month, the Office for National Statistics revealed that 41% of Scots are still home, or hybrid, workers. That lack of footfall is a long-term blow to towns and cities.\n\nLori McGaffney runs two shops in Perth's high street - Evalucia and Petit Pas. She's also president of Perthshire Chambers of Commerce.\n\nShe says the lockdown forced change on Perth town centre at an alarming rate.\n\n\"There's been a change in how people live their lives.\"\n\nNo longer, she says, can the health of high streets be taken for granted. Problems need to be solved, and fast.\n\n\"Lots of shop fronts are owned by pension funds which don't have a stake in the local area,\" she says.\n\n\"Bigger shop units tend to be empty. How do we attract businesses which fit them? I'd like to see a repurposing within Perth city centre, and where it's viable - subdivision. \"\n\nShe sees Perth changing in the years ahead, \"with a bit of a mix, with key multinationals which will drive footfall, blended in with more independents - smaller, repurposed stores - and higher-end urban housing\".\n\nIt may seem a futuristic mix, but it's the way many towns and cities looked in decades past - long before the pandemic came along to change our lives.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/uk-scotland-scotland-business-65031339"}
{"title":"Culture Club to pay 'expelled' ex-drummer Jon Moss \u00a31.75m - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-22","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"Jon Moss had been due to take his ex-bandmates to court in a dispute over the group's earnings.","section":"Entertainment & Arts","content":"Culture Club reunited in 2014, but Jon Moss (second right) said he was fired in 2018\n\nCulture Club will pay former drummer Jon Moss \u00a31.75m to end a legal battle after he claimed they \"expelled\" him.\n\nMr Moss had been due to take his ex-bandmates to court in a dispute over the group's earnings next week.\n\nThe case will not go ahead after singer Boy George, guitarist Roy Hay and bassist Mikey Craig agreed a judgement should be made in favour of Mr Moss.\n\nThe quartet found fame in the 1980s with pop hits such as Karma Chameleon and Do You Really Want To Hurt Me?\n\nMr Moss took legal action after allegedly being \"expelled\" by the group's manager in September 2018.\n\nA six-day High Court trial in London had been due to determine the value of the Culture Club name, the profits made by the band since Moss's alleged expulsion, and the amount he might be entitled to receive.\n\nBoy George, whose real name is George O'Dowd, Mr Craig and Mr Hay were all previously defending against Mr Moss's claims.\n\nBut a court order published on Tuesday said the band had agreed to end the dispute, and are required to pay Mr Moss \u00a31.75m immediately.\n\nIt also said the drummer had agreed to relinquish any right to the Culture Club name and its use, including in connection with concerts and merchandise.\n\nMr Moss and Boy George were romantic, as well as musical partners in the band's early days, but later fell out.\n\nThe group reunited in 2014 but Mr Moss has said he was fired during the Life tour in 2018.\n\nThe High Court trial had also been due to cover Mr Moss's additional claim that he was owed an \"outstanding balance\" of $246,000 (\u00a3201,000) under the terms of a band agreement for the tour.\n\nHe claimed Boy George \"conspired to defraud\" him over the tour money and that funds were released to a US company which he stated was controlled by the singer. The company, You Give Me Life, and another, Other Places Drama, were also named as defendants in the case.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/entertainment-arts-65038883"}
{"title":"Afghan unlawful killings inquiry \u2018critical to restoring reputation of armed forces\u2019 - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-22","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"The inquiry is critical to restoring the reputation of the military and the country, says its chair.","section":"UK","content":"Lord Justice Haddon-Cave has stepped down from his role as a judge to lead the inquiry\n\nThe inquiry into allegations of unlawful killings by UK special forces in Afghanistan is critical to \"restoring the reputation of the military and the country\", its chair has said.\n\nThe inquiry will look into night raids carried out by UK special forces between mid-2010 and mid-2013.\n\nIt will examine both allegations of killings and of subsequent cover-ups.\n\nThe inquiry will look specifically at night raids known as Deliberate Detention Operations (DDOs), which were carried out by special-forces units.\n\nIt comes after what the judge described as \"significant reporting\" by the BBC's Panorama programme last year, which revealed that one British SAS squadron may have unlawfully killed at least 54 Afghans during one six-month tour.\n\nThe inquiry also follows legal challenges brought by two families of people killed by British forces in DDOs.\n\nLaunching the inquiry on Wednesday, Lord Justice Haddon-Cave called for anyone with relevant information to come forward.\n\n\"It is clearly important that anyone who has broken the law is referred to the relevant authorities for investigation, and equally, those who have done nothing wrong should rightly have the cloud of suspicion lifted from them,\" he said.\n\nLord Justice Haddon-Cave said many of the inquiry's hearings would have to be held in private because of the \"highly sensitive\" nature of the testimony.\n\nAbdul Aziz Uzbakzai, an Afghan farmer whose son and daughter-in-law were killed by British special forces during a night raid in 2012 and whose grandsons Imran and Bilal were gravely wounded in the operation, told the BBC the inquiry \"cannot bring back my son and daughter-in-law, nor can it bring Imran and Bilal's parents back to them\".\n\n\"But after 11 long years, I still want the British soldiers and other officials to come forward and reveal the truth,\" Mr Uzbakzai said.\n\n\"We are still unaware of why we were targeted, and we long to know why.\"\n\nDo you have information about this story that you want to share?\n\nGet in touch using SecureDrop, a highly anonymous and secure way of whistleblowing to the BBC which uses the TOR network.\n\nOr by using the Signal messaging app, an end-to-end encrypted message service designed to protect your data.\n\nPlease note that the SecureDrop link will only work in a Tor browser. For information on keeping secure and anonymous, here's some advice on how to use SecureDrop.\n\nTessa Gregory, a partner at law firm Leigh Day, which has represented some of the family members of those killed on DDOs, said the firm's clients welcomed the launch of the inquiry.\n\n\"Throughout years of secrecy and cover-ups our clients have fought tirelessly for justice for their loved ones' deaths and they hope that a bright light will now be shone on the practices and command of UK special forces in Afghanistan,\" Ms Gregory said.\n\nIn 2014, the Royal Military Police launched Operation Northmoor, an investigation into the allegations of unlawful killings, but it was formally closed in 2019 with no charges.\n\nThe Ministry of Defence (MoD) said at the time that no evidence of criminality had been found, despite Operation Northmoor having more than 600 alleged offences in its scope.\n\nRoyal Military Police investigators told the BBC last year their efforts to gather evidence during Operation Northmoor had been obstructed by the British military, and they disputed the MoD's statement that no evidence of criminality had been found.\n\nAs well as the underlying allegations of unlawful killings, the inquiry will examine whether the actions of the MoD and investigations by the Royal Military Police were adequate.\n\nThe MoD told the BBC on Wednesday it was also encouraging anyone with information to come forward to the inquiry. A spokesperson said it was not appropriate for the MoD to comment further \"on cases which are within the scope of the Statutory Inquiry\", adding that it was \"up to the Statutory Inquiry Team, led by Lord Justice Haddon-Cave, to determine which allegations are investigated\".\n\nLabour's shadow defence secretary, John Healey, said: \"This special inquiry is welcome and must succeed.\"\n\nHe added: \"This cannot be swept under the carpet.\"","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/uk-65027239"}
{"title":"Putin: China plan could end war, but Ukraine and West not ready for peace - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-22","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"Mr Putin says China's plan could end the war - but he claims Ukraine and the West are not ready for peace.","section":"Europe","content":"This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser.\n\nChina's peace plan for Ukraine could be used as a basis to end the war, Vladimir Putin has said.\n\nBut Mr Putin said the plan could be put forward only when they are ready \"in the West and Kyiv\".\n\nThe Russian leader met Chinese President Xi Jinping on Tuesday in Moscow to discuss the conflict, and relations between the two countries.\n\nChina's plan, published last month, does not explicitly call for Russia to leave Ukraine.\n\nListing 12 points, it calls for peace talks and respect for national sovereignty, without specific proposals.\n\nBut Ukraine has insisted on Russia withdrawing from its territory as a condition for any talks - and there is no sign that Russia is ready to do that.\n\nOn Wednesday the Moscow-backed authorities in annexed Crimea said an attack by three waterborne drones on the Black Sea Fleet in the Bay of Sevastopol had been repelled with no damage to the fleet. The report could not be independently confirmed.\n\nOn Monday, explosions in another part of Crimea were said by Ukraine to have destroyed Russian missiles being transported by rail.\n\nThe US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said on Monday that calling for a ceasefire before Russia withdrew \"would effectively be supporting the ratification of Russian conquest\".\n\nIn a joint news conference after talks with Mr Xi ended, Mr Putin said: \"Many provisions of the Chinese peace plan can be taken as the basis for settling of the conflict in Ukraine, whenever the West and Kyiv are ready for it.\"\n\nBut Russia had yet to see such \"readiness\" from the other side, he added.\n\nStanding alongside the Russian leader, Mr Xi said his government was in favour of peace and dialogue and that China was on the \"right side of history\".\n\nHe again claimed that China had an \"impartial position\" on the conflict in Ukraine, seeking to cast Beijing as the potential peace-maker.\n\nThe pair also discussed growing trade, energy and political ties between the two nations.\n\n\"China is the leading foreign trade partner of Russia,\" President Putin said, pledging to keep up and surpass the \"high level\" of trade achieved last year.\n\nMr Xi left Russia on Wednesday, his plane departing from a Moscow airport.\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. China 'not impartial in any way', White House says\n\nAccording to Russian state media, the two leaders also:\n\nThere are growing concerns in the West that China might provide military support for Russia.\n\nSpeaking in Brussels, Nato chief Jens Stoltenberg said his alliance had not \"seen any proof that China is delivering lethal weapons to Russia\".\n\nBut he added there were \"signs\" that Russia had requested weapons, and that the request was being considered in Beijing.\n\nA joint statement released by China and Russia after the meeting between the two leaders said the close partnership between the two countries did not constitute a \"military-political alliance\".\n\nRelations \"do not constitute a bloc, do not have a confrontational nature and are not directed against third countries\", they added.\n\nMr Putin also used the press conference to accuse the West of deploying weapons with a \"nuclear component\" and said Russia would be \"forced to react\" if the UK sent shells made with depleted uranium to Ukraine. .\n\nThe UK's Ministry of Defence said depleted uranium was a \"standard component\" which had \"nothing to do with nuclear weapons\".\n\nMr Xi was given a fanfare welcome when he arrived at the Kremlin for a second day of talks on Tuesday.\n\nHe said he was \"very happy\" to be in Moscow and described talks with President Putin as \"frank, open and friendly\".\n\nHis visit to Russia came days after the International Criminal Court issued an arrest warrant for President Putin on war crimes allegations.\n\nThe state visit was mirrored by Japan Prime Minister Fumio Kishida's surprise visit to Kyiv - making him the first leader of Japan to visit a country in conflict since World War Two.\n\nPresident Zelensky said he will join the G7 summit in Japan in May via video link at the invitation of Mr Kishida.\n\nHe told a press conference on Tuesday afternoon that he had also asked China to get involved in talks but was waiting for an answer.\n\n\"We offered China to become a partner in the implementation of the peace formula,\" he said. \"We invite you to the dialogue; we are waiting for your answer.\"","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/world-asia-65030929"}
{"title":"James Webb telescope detects dust storm on distant world - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-22","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"The new super space telescope makes unprecedented observations of a far-off planet's atmosphere.","section":"Science & Environment","content":"Artwork of VHS 1256b: The planet takes about 10,000 years to go around its two parent stars\n\nA raging dust storm has been observed on a planet outside our Solar System for the first time.\n\nIt was detected on the exoplanet known as VHS 1256b, which is about 40 light-years from Earth.\n\nIt took the remarkable capabilities of the new James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) to make the discovery.\n\nThe dust particles are silicates - small grains comprising silicon and oxygen, which form the basis of most rocky minerals.\n\nBut the storm detected by Webb isn't quite the same phenomenon you would get in an arid, desert region on our planet. It's more of a rocky mist.\n\n\"It's kind of like if you took sand grains, but much finer. We're talking silicate grains the size of smoke particles,\" explained Prof Beth Biller from the University of Edinburgh and the Royal Observatory Edinburgh, UK.\n\n\"That's what the clouds on VHS 1256b would be like, but a lot hotter. This planet is a hot, young object. The cloud-top temperature is maybe similar to the temperature of a candle flame,\" she told BBC News.\n\nVHS 1256b was first identified by the UK-developed Vista telescope in Chile in 2015.\n\nIt's what's termed a \"super Jupiter\" - a planet similar to the gas giant in our own Solar System, but a lot bigger, perhaps 12 to 18 times the mass.\n\nIt circles a couple of stars at great distance - about four times the distance that Pluto is from our Sun.\n\nEarlier observations of VHS 1256b showed it to be red-looking, hinting that it might have dust in its atmosphere. The Webb study confirms it.\n\n\"It's fascinating because it illustrates how different clouds on another planet can be from the water vapour clouds we are familiar with on the Earth,\" said Prof Biller.\n\n\"We see carbon monoxide (CO) and methane in the atmosphere, which is indicative of it being hot and turbulent, with material being drawn up from deep.\n\n\"There are probably multiple layers of silicate grains. The ones that we're seeing are some of the very, very fine grains that are higher up in the atmosphere, but there may be bigger grains deeper down in the atmosphere.\"\n\nTelescopes have previously detected silicates in so-called brown dwarfs. These are essentially star-like objects that have failed to ignite properly. But this is a first for a planet-sized object.\n\nTo make the detection, Webb used its Mid-Infrared Instrument (Miri), part-built in the UK, and its Near-Infrared Spectrometer (NirSpec).\n\nThey didn't take pretty pictures of the planet, at least not in this instance. What they did was tease apart the light coming from VHS 1256b into its component colours as a way to discern the composition of the atmosphere.\n\n\"JWST is the only telescope that can measure all these molecular and dust features together,\" said Miri co-principal investigator Prof Gillian Wright, who directs the STFC UK Astronomy Technology Centre, also in Edinburgh.\n\n\"The dynamic picture of the atmosphere of VHS 1256b provided by this study is a prime example of the discoveries enabled by using the advanced capabilities of Miri and NirSpec together.\"\n\nJWST's primary mission is to observe the pioneer stars and galaxies that first shone just a few hundred million years after the Big Bang. But a key objective is to investigate exoplanets. In Miri and NirSpec it has the tools to study their atmospheres in unprecedented detail.\n\nScientists hope they might even be able to tell whether some exoplanets have conditions suitable to host life.\n\nAstronomers are reporting Webb's observations of VHS 1256b in The Astrophysical Journal Letters.\n\nJames Webb is a collaborative project of the US, European and Canadian space agencies. It was launched in December 2021 and is regarded as the successor to the Hubble Space Telescope.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/science-environment-65040983"}
{"title":"Bafta TV Awards 2023: This is Going to Hurt and The Responder lead nominations - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-22","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"Ben Whishaw's This Is Going To Hurt and Martin Freeman's The Responder have six TV nominations each.","section":"Entertainment & Arts","content":"Ben Whishaw's This Is Going To Hurt and Martin Freeman's The Responder lead the field at his year's Bafta TV Awards, with six nominations each.\n\nWhishaw is up for best actor for playing a doctor in the adaptation of Adam Kay's best-selling memoir.\n\nHe will go up against Freeman, who is shortlisted for playing a police officer in his Liverpool-set drama.\n\nSarah Lancashire, Kate Winslet, Cillian Murphy and Daniel Radcliffe are among the other acting nominees.\n\nBut author and former Pointless co-host Richard Osman criticised the daytime category, which sees just three shows nominated, including one - The Repair Shop's royal special - which aired at 20:00.\n\nOsman, pictured with wife Ingrid Oliver at last year's TV Baftas, criticised the sparseness of the daytime category\n\n\"Daytime TV punches far above its weight in terms of ratings, cost and popularity,\" Osman wrote on Twitter. \"To have only two daytime shows on this list is a bit of a kick in the teeth for producers.\n\n\"If I made Bridge Of Lies, Homes Under The Hammer, Come Dine With Me, Lingo etc. I think I'd feel robbed. Why bother having the category?\"\n\nOsman said TV can be a \"snobbish industry sometimes\", adding: \"I love all three of those nominated shows (but the brilliant Repair Shop was on at 8pm).\"\n\nA Bafta spokesman told BBC News having three nomination slots is the norm for categories with fewer than 20 submissions, adding The Repair Shop: A Royal Visit \"was deemed eligible by Bafta's TV committee because it was originally commissioned by Daytime and for its volume of output as a series\".\n\nOther leading shows include Bad Sisters, The Crown, The English and Slow Horses, which have five nominations each.\n\nThere are four nominations apiece for Daisy May Cooper's comedy-thriller Am I Being Unreasonable?, as well as three boy-based dramas - Top Boy, Somewhere Boy and Big Boys.\n\nSarah Lancashire is recognised for her portrayal of US TV chef Julia Child\n\nIn the acting categories, Lancashire is nominated for her portrayal of US TV chef Julia Child in the HBO drama Julia.\n\nLancashire also recently starred in Happy Valley, but the latest series of that show was broadcast too recently to be eligible at this year's Baftas.\n\nImelda Staunton is nominated for her portrayal of the late Queen Elizabeth II in Netflix's The Crown\n\nShe is up against Winslet (I Am Ruth), Imelda Staunton (The Crown), Billie Piper (I Hate Suzie Too), Maxine Peake (Anne) and Vicky McClure (Without Sin).\n\nIn the leading actor category, Freeman and Whishaw face competition from Murphy (Peaky Blinders), Gary Oldman (Slow Horses), Taron Egerton (Black Bird) and Chaske Spencer (The English).\n\nThis Is Going To Hurt author Kay said he was \"thrilled\" that the screen adaptation had been recognised by Bafta, adding: \"This show is a love letter to the NHS and the staff who work there.\"\n\nMartin Freeman is recognised for his performance as a front-line police officer in The Responder\n\nTony Schumacher, the former police officer who wrote The Responder, told BBC Radio 4's Today programme it was \"amazing\" to be nominated.\n\n\"I grew up in one of the worst areas in the country in terms of deprivation,\" he said. \"I got a U in my O-level English. I'd always wanted to be a writer but I thought, I haven't got an O-level so I can't be a writer, and it took me 40 years to realise that I could.\"\n\nElsewhere, the live event category sees nominations for both the Queen's Platinum Jubilee last June and her state funeral in September.\n\nThe first series of the hit BBC reality show The Traitors has scored nominations for best reality show, as well as best entertainment performance for host Claudia Winkleman.\n\nThe Traitors is up for best reality series while host Claudia Winkleman is nominated for entertainment performance\n\nWinkleman is up against comedian Rosie Jones, who is recognised for her programme Trip Hazard. Jones tweeted: \"Erm, so I've just woken up to the BEST NEWS EVER. I'm a Bafta nominee, baby! I'm ringing my mum.\"\n\nAnother nominee in the category, Sue Perkins, tweeted: \"Beyond delighted to be nominated for this year's Bafta Awards. Huge congrats to all my fellow nominees. Off to dance around the garden for a bit.\"\n\nIn the scripted comedy category, Am I Being Unreasonable? faces competition from the final series of Derry Girls as well as Big Boys and Ghosts.\n\nRead more about the nominated shows\n\nRadcliffe is nominated for best male comedy performance for his portrayal of Weird Al Yankovic in the biopic of the US musical comedian.\n\nOther nominees in that category include Lenny Rush (Am I Being Unreasonable?) and Stephen Merchant (The Outlaws).\n\nThe best female comedy performance shortlist sees nods for Cooper (Am I Being Unreasonable?), Diane Morgan (Cunk on Earth) and Lucy Beaumont (Meet The Richardsons).\n\nBritish actor Will Sharpe, pictured last month, is nominated for best supporting performance for The White Lotus\n\nSome of the biggest TV hits of the year can be found in the international category, with nominations for Wednesday, The White Lotus, The Bear and Dahmer - Monster: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story.\n\nJoe Lycett vs Beckham: Got Your Back At Xmas - which saw the comedian criticise the former footballer for his links with Qatar - is nominated in the features category.\n\nThere are some notable omissions in this year's list. Murphy is the sole nominee for the final season of Peaky Blinders, while ITV's Trigger Point - which won the National Television Award for best new drama in September - has been shut out entirely.\n\nLast year's Bafta best soap winner Coronation Street has not even been shortlisted this time.\n\nElsewhere, Netflix hit Heartstopper, about a teenage boy who falls in love with his classmate, and The Tourist, starring Jamie Dornan as a man who wakes up with amnesia following a car crash, only have one craft nomination each.\n\nThe winners in the main categories will be announced at a ceremony on 14 May, with the Bafta Craft Awards handed out on 23 April.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/entertainment-arts-65026718"}
{"title":"Mesut Ozil: Former Arsenal, Real Madrid and Germany midfielder retires - BBC Sport","published_date":"2023-03-22","authors":null,"description":"Former Arsenal, Real Madrid and Germany midfielder Mesut Ozil retires from football at the age of 34.","section":null,"content":"Last updated on .From the section European Football\n\nFormer Arsenal, Real Madrid and Germany midfielder Mesut Ozil has retired from football at the age of 34.\n\nOzil won nine trophies during his club career including four FA Cups and the Spanish La Liga title in 2012.\n\nHe also won 92 caps for Germany and was part of the team that lifted the 2014 World Cup in Brazil.\n\n\"It has been an amazing journey filled with unforgettable moments and emotions,\" Ozil said in a statement on social media.\n\n\"I've had the privilege to be a professional football player for almost 17 years now and I feel incredibly thankful for the opportunity.\n\n\"But in recent weeks and months, having also suffered some injuries, it's become more and more clear that it's time to leave the big stage of football.\"\n\nOzil began his career at Schalke and Werder Bremen before moving to Real Madrid in the summer of 2010, winning La Liga, the Copa del Rey and the Spanish Super Cup.\n\nHe joined Arsenal for a then club record fee of \u00a342.4m in September 2013, winning back-to-back FA Cups in his first two seasons before being named player of the season in his third, and then winning the cup again in 2017.\n\nThe playmaker became the highest-paid player in the club's history in January 2018, signing a three-and-a-half-year deal on about \u00a3350,000 a week before tax, but fell out of favour under new Arsenal boss Unai Emery.\n\nAfter Emery's dismissal in December 2019 Ozil returned to the side under interim boss Freddie Ljungberg and kept his place under new permanent manager Mikel Arteta, before the coronavirus pandemic forced a three-month suspension of the top flight in March 2020.\n\nOzil did not play for the club when football resumed in June, although he would claim a fourth FA Cup winners' medal when the Gunners beat Chelsea in the 2020 final.\n\nHe joined Fenerbahce on a free transfer in January 2021 but had his contract cancelled by mutual consent in July 2022 when he joined Istanbul Basaksehir, where injuries limited him to just eight appearances.\n\nOzil could have played for Germany or Turkey at international level but chose to play for the country of his birth.\n\nHe was named man of the match as Germany Under-21s beat England in the European U21 Championship final in June 2009, having already made his debut for the senior side aged 20 earlier that year.\n\nOzil was named Germany player of the year five times and was part of the side that reached the semi-finals of the 2010 World Cup and Euro 2012, as well as winning the 2014 World Cup.\n\nHowever, he retired from international football in 2018, citing the \"racism and disrespect\" he faced in Germany over his Turkish roots after he was criticised for being photographed with Turkish president Recep Tayyip Erdogan.\n\u2022 None Our coverage of your Premier League club is bigger and better than ever before - follow your team and sign up for notifications in the BBC Sport app to make sure you never miss a moment","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/sport\/football\/65037573"}
{"title":"MPs back Rishi Sunak's new Brexit Northern Ireland deal - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-22","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"But former PMs Boris Johnson and Liz Truss joined 20 other Tory MPs and the DUP to vote against the agreement.","section":"UK Politics","content":"Rishi Sunak's new Brexit deal for Northern Ireland has been passed by MPs, despite a rebellion from 22 of his backbenchers.\n\nEx-PMs Boris Johnson and Liz Truss were among Tories joining Northern Ireland's DUP in voting against the agreement.\n\nBut it passed by 515 to 29 overall, with the backing of other Tories, Labour and the SNP.\n\nThe deal, unveiled last month, rewrites the Brexit accord agreed by Mr Johnson in 2019.\n\nNorthern Ireland Minister Steve Baker denounced the two former PMs for opposing it, saying he thought \"they're both better than this\".\n\nMr Johnson risks \"looking like a pound shop Nigel Farage\" by voting against the deal, added Mr Baker, who supported the UK's EU exit in 2016.\n\nFormer Brexit leader Nigel Farage fired back on Twitter, saying Mr Baker had betrayed his Brexiteer credentials and was a \"weasel\" for supporting the deal.\n\nMark Francois, the chair of the ERG group of Eurosceptic Tories, confirmed earlier its \"strong recommendation\" was for Tory MPs to defy orders from party managers and reject the deal.\n\nAs well as Mr Johnson and Ms Truss, Tory MPs voting against the deal included former party leader Sir Iain Duncan Smith and former Business Secretary Jacob Rees-Mogg.\n\nPriti Patel, who was home secretary under Mr Johnson, also voted against, writing in the Telegraph before the vote that Mr Sunak should \"negotiate a better deal\".\n\nThe vote is on a key part of the deal, known as the Stormont brake, that would give a future Northern Ireland Assembly a way to challenge new EU goods legislation.\n\nThe vote is likely to be the only vote MPs get on Mr Sunak's renegotiated deal, known as the Windsor Framework.\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser.\n\nAround 100 MPs didn't take part in the vote. This number will include those who abstained, along with those who did not vote for another reason or were given permission not to.\n\nThe original Brexit withdrawal deal negotiated by Mr Johnson introduced a series of checks on goods sent from Great Britain to Northern Ireland, in order to avoid a border with the Irish Republic.\n\nDespite originally billing the agreement as a \"great deal for our country,\" Mr Johnson went on to join Tory Brexiters in bemoaning the economic impact of the checks it introduced.\n\nThe changes negotiated by Mr Sunak aim to streamline the checks process, which have also proved highly unpopular among unionists in Northern Ireland.\n\nSpeaking in the Commons, Northern Ireland Secretary Chris Heaton-Harris said the Stormont brake would give assembly members in Northern Ireland \"robust\" powers to challenge EU laws.\n\nBut in a statement issued before the vote, Mr Johnson said it was \"unacceptable\".\n\n\"The proposed arrangements would mean either that Northern Ireland remained captured by the EU legal order - and was increasingly divergent from the rest of the UK - or they would mean that the whole of the U.K. was unable properly to diverge and take advantage of Brexit,\" he added.\n\nHe said it would be better to proceed with controversial legislation giving British ministers the power to override the original deal, which Mr Sunak has shelved due to his new agreement.\n\nMs Truss is also said to believe the new framework \"fatally impinges\" on the UK's ability to diverge from EU rules.\n\nDemocratic Unionist Party (DUP) leader Sir Jeffrey Donaldson said he will continue to work with the government on \"outstanding issues\" - even though Downing Street said there are no plans for any substantial change to the deal.\n\nThe European Research Group (ERG) of Eurosceptic Tory MPs has criticised the Stormont brake, with legal experts advising them it was \"practically useless\".","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/uk-politics-65034260"}
{"title":"Partygate live: Boris Johnson 'insists Partygate events were necessary at heated hearing - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-22","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"Raising a toast at a leaving do \"was essential for work purposes\", the former prime minister tells a panel investigating him.","section":"UK Politics","content":"It was tense, uncomfortable, and not just because the room was swelteringly warm.\n\nThe committee\u2019s grilling didn\u2019t last the full five hours some anticipated, but it was still extensive - and long.\n\nSo how did Johnson do? Well, we won\u2019t know just yet whether or not his evidence was enough to convince MPs that when - as he\u2019s admitted - he misled Parliament, he did not do so intentionally or recklessly, and corrected the record at the earliest opportunity.\n\nJohnson seemed at his most confident when he was able to draw on facts that suggest rule breaking wouldn\u2019t have been obvious to him - like that official photographers were present at times and that his birthday gathering was briefed to the Times newspaper. He looked more at ease here.\n\nIt got trickier for him when he started having his own social distancing guidance cited back at him.\n\nThe photographic evidence here became difficult for him as he was forced to explain how drinks gatherings demonstrated social distancing being followed \u201cwherever possible.\u201d\n\nHere he relied mostly on his belief these gatherings were \u201cessential\u201d for work. Will that wash with the committee? We\u2019ll need to wait and see.\n\nHe was most visibly rattled - as were some of the supportive Tory MPs sat behind him - when they grilled him on whether he had adequate assurances that rules were followed, as he claimed to Parliament.\n\nMany watching at home may have made up their minds already about whether or not they back his defence.\n\nBut it could be a while still before we know how all this has landed with the people who really matter now - the MPs who have his fate in their hands.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/live\/uk-politics-65033262"}
{"title":"Brexit: MPs back Stormont Brake as part of Sunak's new NI deal - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-22","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"MPs vote in favour of regulations to implement the Stormont Brake section of the Windsor Framework.","section":"UK Politics","content":"If you have your ear to the ground you'll know that all the action is going on in one of Westminster's committee rooms, where Boris Johnson is being grilled about whether he intentionally misled Parliament over lockdown parties.\n\nOur colleagues have been following all the action live - you can join them here as they unravel the evidence that's being presented.\n\nOn this page, now that we know who voted against the Stormont Brake element of the Windsor Framework deal, we're going to wrap things up.\n\nIf you want a quick take on what happened in the Commons today, read this.\n\nAnd if you want to read about the Brexit deal for Northern Ireland in more depth, there's much more detail and analysis from our experts on our Brexit topic page and our Northern Ireland page.\n\nThanks for joining us, have a great afternoon.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/live\/uk-politics-65032440"}
{"title":"Boris Johnson challenged in hearing: Key moments - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-22","authors":null,"description":"The former prime minister faces a committee of MPs on whether he intentionally misled parliament.","section":null,"content":"Former Prime Minister Boris Johnson has faced a committee of MPs looking at whether he intentionally misled parliament over lockdown-era parties.\n\nHere are the key moments from Johnson's Partygate grilling.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/uk-politics-65043513"}
{"title":"Two held after mob rushes Sydney LGBT protesters - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-22","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"Two men have been arrested after a mob clashed with LGBT activists outside a Sydney church, police say.","section":"Australia","content":"Two men have been arrested after a mob clashed with LGBT activists outside a Sydney church, Australian police say.\n\nThe LGBT group said \"hundreds of far-right thugs\" punched protesters outside the church event attended by right-wing politician Mark Latham.\n\nMr Latham said the meeting was being held to discuss \"religious freedom and parental rights\".\n\nThe incident comes days after clashes between pro- and anti-transgender groups in Melbourne.\n\nNew South Wales Police Superintendent Sheridan Waldau said peaceful protesters were set upon by a \"mob\" of about 250 people outside the church in Belfield, south-west Sydney on Tuesday evening.\n\nGlass bottles and other projectiles were thrown at officers, and a 38-year-old man was pushed to the ground and assaulted, police said.\n\nRiot police were called in to disperse the crowd, and two men, aged 34 and 41, were arrested and charged with encouraging the commission of crimes and common assault respectively, they said.\n\nSupt Waldau told reporters she expected further arrests on Wednesday as police reviewed footage of the incident.\n\nVideo posted on Facebook showed a crowd of men confronting the LGBT activists and appearing to throw punches.\n\nMr Latham, a member of the right-wing populist One Nation party, is an outspoken critic of the teaching of \"gender diversity\" in schools.\n\nHe said the event had not been organised by One Nation or himself.\n\nIn a tweet, LGBT group Community Action for Rainbow Rights (CARR) said several activists were \"punched in the face multiple times as they were surrounded by a mob 30 times their size\".\n\nChannel 9 reporter Ruth Wynn-Williams told Sydney's 2GB radio the incident had \"a very small beginning\", with some 15 LGBT protesters set upon by \"a huge group of [Latham] supporters who came out of that church\".\n\n\"It wasn't a minor incident\u2026 they were quite riled up when they took these protesters on,\" she said.\n\nMark Latham is currently campaigning in the New South Wales state election\n\nMark Latham said police had advised him not to speak at the event, and said this was \"a denial of democracy\".\n\nHe tweeted that he was speaking about \"important election issues\", including \"religious freedom, parental rights, school education and protecting non-Govt schools from Alphabet Activism\", and \"thoroughly condemned\" the violence outside.\n\nMr Latham began his political career with the Australian Labor Party and served as its leader from 2003 \u2013 2005. He then retired from politics and became an outspoken political commentator, known for his generally right-wing, socially conservative views.\n\nHe returned to politics in 2017 and is currently standing for One Nation in the NSW state election, which takes place this Saturday.\n\nTuesday's incident follows last Saturday's clashes outside the Victorian state parliament in Melbourne between rival protest groups at a \"Let Women Speak\" event being staged by British activist Kellie-Jay Keen-Minshull.\n\nThe presence of neo-Nazis at that event, in apparent support of Ms Keen-Minshull, has triggered a huge backlash, with calls for Victoria to tighten up state laws on the display of hate symbols, including Nazi salutes.\n\nThe Australian Liberal Party is also attempting to expel its MP Moira Deeming, who attended the event and was photographed alongside Ms Keen-Minshull.\n\nIn a statement, Ms Deeming said neo-Nazis had \"gate-crashed\" the rally and most attendees did not realise who they were.\n\n\"None of those organising the event had any involvement with these men, as has been confirmed by Victoria Police, the Australian Jewish Association and all the organisers themselves,\" she said.\n\nUPDATE 11 April 2023: The description of an organiser of one of the protest groups has been amended in this article.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/world-australia-65034603"}
{"title":"Ending sewage dumping will mean higher water bills - report - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-22","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"The House of Lords report blames government, regulator and water companies for pollution.","section":"Science & Environment","content":"Water companies are allowed to release raw sewage to prevent treatment plants being overwhelmed during heavy rain.\n\nStopping the dumping of sewage into rivers and the sea will require huge infrastructure spending and will probably push up water bills, according to a new House of Lords report.\n\nRaw sewage discharge through storm overflows is meant to be an emergency last resort during heavy rain but the government says it happens too often.\n\nThe system \"relies on releasing polluted water\", says the report.\n\nThe root cause of the UK's sewage problem is not contested: the system was designed and built by the Victorians and there simply hasn't been enough investment in the drains and treatment plants needed to cope with a growing population and more intense storms.\n\nThat means raw sewage regularly being discharged with rainwater into rivers and onto beaches.\n\n\"For decades the focus has always been on supplying cheap good quality water to the population. The environmental objectives have not been focused on,\" says Lord Cromwell, a member of the House of Lords Industry and Regulators Committee, which published the report.\n\n\"It is going to be hugely expensive to put this right.\"\n\nMost see the solution as building a waste water system that manages rainwater and waste water separately, so they no longer go to the same place to be treated.\n\nBut estimates for how much this updated sewage network might cost vary widely. The Lords report says they had heard estimates that range from tens of billions to hundreds of billions of pounds over decades.\n\nLast year the government published its Storm Overflows Discharge Reduction Plan, which will it says compel water companies to invest \u00a356bn over the next 25 years.\n\nThat cost will almost certainly will be passed on to customers, with the Lords report saying there will need to be a \"social tariff\" for those unable to pay the higher rates. It did not say how much it expected bills to rise.\n\nResponding to the report the Department for Environment Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) called the \u00a356bn plan the \"largest infrastructure programme\" in the water companies' history.\n\n\"We know that more needs to be done, which is why we will go further and faster to hold companies to account in delivering for customers and our environment,\" a Defra spokesperson said.\n\nJust 14% of rivers in England can currently claim to have good ecological status in part due to sewage discharges\n\nThe Lords report also called for the water regulator Ofwat to push for greater transparency from water companies. Despite rising public awareness, companies still don't have to provide comprehensive information on what, when and how much they release.\n\nAt present they release data on how many hours their storm overflows are open each year. In 2021 that came to a grand total of more than 2.6 million hours in England. There is no routine monitoring of the volume of the outflow, its contents or the quality of most of the UK's waterways.\n\nIn a statement Ofwat welcomed the Lords report calling it \"helpful and detailed\". The regulator says it intends to do more to hold water companies to account, pointing out that it is currently investigating six companies.\n\nHigher bills are likely to focus more attention on how much profit water companies make and how much their executives are paid.\n\nEarlier this week Ofwat said water companies should \"take account\" of environmental performance when deciding whether to pay dividends. The peers are clearer, saying water company bosses should not receive large bonuses while their companies pollute and calling for \"greater individual accountability (at water companies) and sanctions for egregious environmental crimes\".\n\nIn response to a BBC request for comment, trade body Water UK said it welcomed the committee's recommendation that the government provide Ofwat with guidance on the increased level of investment needed to further improve environment and water security. It made no comment on the peers' call for executive pay to be linked to environmental pollution.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/science-environment-65028971"}
{"title":"Andrew Tate: Brothers' custody in Romania extended by another month - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-22","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"The controversial social media influencer and his brother have both been detained since December.","section":"Europe","content":"Under Romanian law Andrew and Tristan Tate can be held for up to six months in detention\n\nControversial influencer Andrew Tate and his brother Tristan will remain in custody in Romania for a fourth consecutive month, a court has ruled.\n\nThe brothers have been detained since December and are being investigated on allegations of rape, people trafficking and forming an organised crime group. Both have denied wrongdoing.\n\nMr Tate's lawyers say he will be held until the end of April.\n\nBritish investigators are also helping Romanian police with information from the UK side, the BBC has learned.\n\nThe brothers' lawyers said that prosecutors had brought no new evidence to Wednesday's hearing.\n\nThey also suggested their clients' notoriety was contributing to the decision to keep them in custody.\n\nMateea Petrescu, spokeswoman for the Tates, said that - for the first time - the judge had asked the brothers to respond directly to prosecution arguments that they were a flight risk and a risk to public order.\n\nAndrew Tate, 36 and his brother Tristan, 34, were arrested in late December 2022.\n\nDespite what was described as a \"dynamic exchange\", the judge eventually ruled the two men should be kept in preventative custody for another 30 days, until the end of April.\n\nMs Petrescu said the team was \"speechless\" at the court's decision.\n\nShe said the continued detention had \"irreparably harmed\" the brothers' image and that it would \"take years to rebuild their reputation\".\n\nA lawyer acting for the Tates in the US recently contacted one of the alleged victims in the case, threatening to sue her and her family for $300m (\u00a3244m) for defamation unless she retracted her claims.\n\nJudges have consistently justified their decision to keep them in custody, on grounds that they might pressure witnesses or interfere with evidence.\n\nAt previous hearings, investigators have reportedly presented evidence from phone calls recorded during the brothers' detention.\n\nUnder Romanian law, suspects can be kept in detention for up to six months without trial, with the agreement of the courts.\n\nAnother lawyer, Eugen Vidineac, told the BBC: \"In all the volumes of the file, you never find one piece of paper with pornographic content to sustain the theory that [the women] were obliged to post pornographic content\".\n\nBut leaked court documents, seen by the BBC last month, outlined testimony from alleged victims claiming to be forced to earn \u20ac10,000 (\u00a38,800) a month on social media platforms, under the alleged threat of physical violence.\n\nCourt papers also described debts being used as \"a form of psychological coercion\".\n\nSince investigations began here last April, six women have been identified by prosecutors as victims.\n\nFour of them are believed to have given testimony against the Tates.\n\nTwo others have said they do not consider themselves as victims, but are reportedly still being treated as such by investigators, on the grounds some victims retain a strong emotional bond to their traffickers.\n\nOne expert in human trafficking law said, in any future trial, it is crucial prosecutors present hard evidence rather than rely solely on victim testimony.\n\nRomanian-American University's Silvia Tabusca told the BBC: \"What's different [in the Tate investigation] is the way the prosecutor has started to build the case.\"\n\nSilvia Tabusca is a Romanian organised crime expert from the European Center for Legal Education and Research\n\n\"Usually, most of the cases in Romania are built on the testimony of the victim, but in this case, I see that a lot is based on other types of evidence, mainly wire-tapping and information from their computers and programmes.\"\n\nShe says there is a legal overlap in Romania between human trafficking - which implies force or coercion; and pimping - which implies a victim's consent.\n\n\"There is huge public pressure on victims,\" she said.\n\n\"We've learned that after two or three years, victims are not willing to cooperate with the court. So if the trial is built mainly on the testimony of the victim, the [defence] lawyers can easily change the charge from human trafficking to pimping.\"\n\nThere are also legal loopholes around online exploitation - something the European Union is currently trying to tighten.\n\n\"The means and tools that traffickers use have changed,\" said Malin Bj\u00f6rk, the European Parliament's rapporteur on the issue.\n\nShe's heading discussions on a new EU directive which \"makes clear that crimes conducted online are just as criminal as those off-line\".\n\nIt is expected to be voted on by the European Parliament this summer.\n\nInvestigators in Romania have now begun looking into financial records, with a new focus on possible money-laundering.\n\nDaniel Ticau, a former prosecutor with the organised crime unit leading the Tate investigation, said this case could shine a spotlight on Romania's capacity to carry out these kinds of probes.\n\n\"From my point of view, there is a serious lack of political will to develop this capacity to properly handle the parallel financial investigations in organised crime, and in particular in human trafficking, drug trafficking and other serious crimes,\" he said.\n\nMs Tabusca added that Romania faces a striking lack of resources more generally.\n\n\"At present, there are more than 800 ongoing cases of human trafficking, many of them international cases and very complicated cases,\" she explained.\n\n\"For these 800 cases, we have seven prosecutors and 48 police officers.\"\n\nAs well as investigating ongoing cases of alleged human trafficking, she said, they also have to constantly monitor the phenomenon among a population of more than 20 million people.\n\nIt can take months or years to put together an indictment in a human trafficking case.\n\nWith three months left before Andrew and Tristan Tate must be either released from custody or brought to trial, the spotlight is on Romania to show it can handle the pressure.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/world-europe-65041668"}
{"title":"Ed Sheeran 'didn't want to live' after his friends Jamal Edwards and Shane Warne died - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-22","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"The star says he reached a low point after the deaths of his friends Jamal Edwards and Shane Warne.","section":"Entertainment & Arts","content":"Sheeran says the trauma he experienced at the start of 2022 left him at his lowest ebb\n\nEd Sheeran says he \"didn't want to live any more\" after the deaths of his friends SBTV founder Jamal Edwards and cricketer Shane Warne in 2022.\n\nSpeaking to Rolling Stone magazine, the star said he had dealt with depression \"throughout my life\" and felt the feelings resurface last year.\n\n\"You're under the waves drowning. You're just sort of in this thing. And you can't get out of it.\"\n\nHe worried his thoughts were \"selfish\", given that he is a parent to two girls.\n\n\"Especially as a father, I feel really embarrassed about it,\" the 32-year-old said.\n\nSheeran credited his wife, Cherry Seaborn, with encouraging him to seek help.\n\n\"No one really talks about their feelings where I come from,\" he said. \"People think it's weird getting a therapist in England.\u2026 I think it's very helpful to be able to speak with someone and just vent and not feel guilty about venting.\n\n\"Obviously, like, I've lived a very privileged life. So my friends would always look at me like, 'Oh, it's not that bad.'\n\n\"The help isn't a button that is pressed, where you're automatically OK,\" he continued. \"It is something that will always be there and just has to be managed.\"\n\nJamal Edwards gave Ed Sheeran his first big break in 2010\n\nEdwards, who gave Sheeran his first big break, died suddenly from a heart attack in February 2022 after taking cocaine and drinking alcohol, a coroner concluded.\n\nSheeran said the tragedy convinced him to kick a drug habit he had developed in his 20s.\n\n\"I remember just being at a festival and being like, 'Well, if all of my friends do it, it can't be that bad,'\" he said. \"And then it just turns into a habit that you do once a week and then once a day and then, like, twice a day and then, like, without booze. It just became bad vibes.\n\n\"I would never, ever, ever touch anything again, because that's how Jamal died,\" he added. \"And that's just disrespectful to his memory to even, like, go near.\"\n\nShortly after Edwards' death, Sheeran's wife was diagnosed with a tumour which could not be operated on until after she had given birth to their second daughter, Jupiter.\n\n\"You feel so powerless,\" Sheeran recalled. \"There's nothing you can do about it.\"\n\nSeaborn ultimately carried the baby to term and had successful surgery in June 2022, the morning that Sheeran headlined Wembley Stadium, Rolling Stone said.\n\nThe emotional toll of those events can be seen in a trailer for Sheeran's forthcoming Disney+ documentary, The Sum Of It All.\n\nIn one scene, the star is pictured crying on stage, as he grapples with Edwards' death and Seaborn's health condition, while simultaneously facing a lengthy copyright trial.\n\n\"I've never seen him cry on stage,\" Seaborn observes in the clip. \"He hasn't had the time to process and be at peace with his thoughts.\"\n\nThis YouTube post cannot be displayed in your browser. Please enable Javascript or try a different browser. View original video on YouTube The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. YouTube content may contain adverts. Skip youtube video by Disney Plus 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\u2019s cookie policy, external and privacy policy, external before accepting. To view this content choose \u2018accept and continue\u2019. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. YouTube content may contain adverts. End of youtube video by Disney Plus\n\nSheeran has previously revealed that his new album, Subtract, was completely re-written against the \"backdrop of grief and hope\" he experienced last year.\n\nOriginally intended to be a collection of acoustic songs recorded over a 10-year period, he scrapped the project and started again, using songwriting to \"make sense\" of his feelings.\n\nHe made the record with The National's Aaron Dessner, who previously co-produced Taylor Swift's lockdown albums Folklore and Evermore.\n\nDessner told Rolling Stone he'd encouraged the star to show \"a more vulnerable\" and \"elemental\" side to his music.\n\nAs he had done with Swift, the musician started sending Sheeran instrumental tracks to craft into finished songs.\n\n\"I had these instrumentals, and I would write to them in the backs of cars or planes or whatever,\" Sheeran said.\n\n\"And then it got done. And that was the record. It was all very, very, very fast.\"\n\nThe star added that he recorded a second, entirely separate, album with Dessner which has no firm release date at present.\n\nHe also revealed the existence of a collaborative album with reggaeton star J Balvin, as well as forthcoming music with Pharrell, Shakira, David Guetta and Justin Bieber.\n\nIn fact, he told Rolling Stone he has five more albums in mind using another category of symbols.\n\nHe plans to work on the last one in that series on and off for the rest of his life, \"adding songs here and there. And just have it in my will that after I die, it comes out\".","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/entertainment-arts-65031622"}
{"title":"US raises interest rates despite banking turmoil - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-22","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"The Federal Reserve moves borrowing costs higher as it focuses on efforts to stabilise prices.","section":"Business","content":"The US central bank has raised interest rates again, despite fears that the move could add to financial turmoil after a string of bank failures.\n\nThe Federal Reserve increased its key rate by 0.25 percentage points, calling the banking system \"sound and resilient\".\n\nBut it also warned that fallout from the bank failures may hurt economic growth in the months ahead.\n\nThe Fed has been raising borrowing costs in a bid to stabilise prices.\n\nBut the sharp increase in interest rates since last year has led to strains in the banking system.\n\nTwo US banks - Silicon Valley Bank and Signature Bank - collapsed this month, buckling in part due to problems caused by higher interest rates.\n\nThere are concerns about the value of bonds held by banks as rising interest rates may make those bonds less valuable.\n\nBanks tend to hold large portfolios of bonds and as a result are sitting on significant potential losses. Falls in the value of bonds held by banks are not necessarily a problem unless they are forced to sell them.\n\nAuthorities around the world have said they do not think the failures threaten widespread financial stability and need to distract from efforts to bring inflation under control.\n\nLast week, the European Central Bank raised its key interest rate by 0.5 percentage points.\n\nThe Bank of England is due to make its own interest rate decision on Thursday, a day after official figures showed that inflation unexpectedly shot up in February to 10.4%.\n\nFederal Reserve chairman Jerome Powell said the Fed remained focused on its inflation fight. He described Silicon Valley bank as an \"outlier\" in an otherwise strong financial system.\n\nBut he acknowledged that the recent turmoil was likely to drag on growth, with the full impact still unclear.\n\nForecasts released by the bank show officials expect the economy to grow just 0.4% this year and 1.2% in 2024, a sharp slowdown from the norm - and less than officials projected in December.\n\nThe announcement from the Fed also toned down earlier statements which had said \"ongoing\" increases in interest rates would be needed in the months ahead.\n\nInstead, the Fed said: \"Some additional policy firming may be appropriate\".\n\nThe moves \"signal clearly that the Fed is nervous\", said Ian Shepherdson, chief economist at Pantheon Macroeconomics.\n\nWednesday's rate rise is the ninth in a row by the Fed. It lifts its key interest rate to 4.75%-5%, up from near zero a year ago - the highest level since 2007.\n\nHigher interest rates mean the cost to buy a home, borrow to expand a business or take on other debt goes up.\n\nBy making such activity more expensive, the Fed expects demand to fall, cooling prices.\n\nThat has started to happen in the US housing market, where purchases have slowed sharply over the last year and the median sales price in February was lower than it was a year ago - the first such decline in more than a decade.\n\nBut overall the economy has held up better than expected and prices continue to climb faster than the 2% rate considered healthy.\n\nInflation, the rate at which prices climb, jumped 6% in the 12 months to February. The cost of some items, including food and airfare, is surging even faster.\n\nBefore the bank failures, Mr Powell had warned that officials might need to push interest rates higher than expected to bring the situation under control.\n\nThe bank projections show policymakers expect inflation to fall this year - but less than expected a few months ago.\n\nStill, they forecast interest rates of roughly 5.1% at the end of 2023 - unchanged since December - implying the Fed is poised to stop raising rates soon.\n\nMr Powell described the effect of the recent turmoil as the \"equivalent of a rate hike\".\n\nHe said the Fed may be able raise its key rate less aggressively, if the turmoil in the financial system prompts banks to limit lending, and the economy to slow more quickly.\n\nBut he repeated that the Fed would not shy away from its inflation fight.\n\n\"We have to bring down inflation down to 2%,\" he said. \"There are real costs to bringing it down to 2% but the costs of failing are much higher.\"","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/business-65041649"}
{"title":"Ramadan: London's West End lit up for Islamic festival for first time - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-22","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"Some 30,000 lights are aglow in central London to celebrate the start of the holy month of Ramadan.","section":"London","content":"The lights are in London's theatre district\n\nFor the first time, London's West End has been lit up with 30,000 lights to mark the holy month of Ramadan.\n\nCoventry Street, which links Leicester Square with Piccadilly, is illuminated with \"Happy Ramadan\".\n\nThe lights were switched on by the Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, who is one of the 1.3 million Muslims in London celebrating Ramadan.\n\nThe display was organised by Aisha Desai, who was inspired by her fondness for Christmas lights.\n\nAbout 30,000 sustainable lights are on display\n\nShe said: \"I just had the ambition to do it like the Christmas lights.\n\n\"I remembered going to visit the Christmas lights with my sister when I was growing up and I also had an opportunity to live in the Middle East and I wanted to bring that joy and magic to London, the city that I'm from.\"\n\nThis year, Ramadan will begin on Thursday\n\n\"It looks incredible, I'm so overwhelmed with the response,\" she said.\n\nAbout 1.3 million Londoners will be marking Ramadan\n\n\"It's such an important month for Muslims.\n\n\"I wanted to raise that awareness as well to let our neighbours know that this is a really important month for us, it's my favourite month of the year and I'm just grateful that we're here today.\"\n\nEvents are being held throughout the month across London\n\nElsewhere in London, an open Iftar - breaking of the fast - will be held at the Victoria and Albert Museum in south Kensington which has also erected a pop-up mosque and Ramadan pavilion for Muslims and non-Muslims.\n\nLondon's mayor Sadiq Khan, a Muslim, will also be fasting\n\nChelsea football club will also hold an open Iftar at the side of the pitch at Stamford Bridge, in what will be a first for the club and a Premier League stadium.\n\nWembley stadium will do the same later in the month.\n\nFollow BBC London on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. Send your story ideas to hellobbclondon@bbc.co.uk\n\nThe BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/uk-england-london-65030988"}
{"title":"Ukraine to clinch first IMF loan to nation at war - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-22","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"The $15.6bn financing package is expected to be approved in the coming weeks.","section":"Business","content":"The International Monetary Fund (IMF) says it has reached an agreement with Ukraine on funding worth $15.6bn (\u00a312.8bn).\n\nThe organisation's first loan to a country at war is expected to be approved in the coming weeks.\n\nIt would also be one of the largest financing packages Ukraine has received since Russia's invasion.\n\nThe IMF recently changed a rule to allow loans to countries facing \"exceptionally high uncertainty\".\n\n\"Russia's invasion of Ukraine continues to have a devastating impact on the economy: activity contracted by 30 percent in 2022, a large share of the capital stock has been destroyed, and poverty levels have climbed,\" IMF official Gavin Gray said in a statement.\n\n\"The programme has been designed in line with the new fund's policy on lending under exceptionally high uncertainty, and strong financing assurances are expected from donors, including the G7 and EU.\"\n\nMr Gray also said the agreement would \"mobilise large-scale concessional financing\" for Ukraine from international donors and partners, without giving further details. The funding still needs to be approved by the IMF's executive board.\n\nThe IMF expects Ukraine's economy to record a slight contraction or growth this year.\n\nUkrainian Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal said the funding would help the country \"finance all critical expenditure and ensure macroeconomic stability and strengthen our interaction with other international partners\".\n\nUS Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen, who made a surprise visit to Ukraine last month, said: \"An ambitious and appropriately conditioned IMF programme is critical to underpin Ukraine's reform efforts.\"\n\nThe US is the IMF's largest shareholder and the biggest contributor to Ukraine in terms of money spent.\n\nEarlier this year, President Joe Biden announced nearly half a billion more dollars of US military aid to Ukraine. This was on top of the $112bn spent by Congress in 2022 alone.\n\nMilitary aid, which accounts for more than half of US spending on Ukraine, pays for drones, tanks, missiles and other munitions systems as well as training, logistics and intelligence support.\n\nMoney has continued to pour into the conflict from all over the world since Russia's invasion of Ukraine last February.\n\nLast week, the IMF said its executive board had approved a rule change to allow funding for countries facing \"exceptionally high uncertainty\".\n\nWithout mentioning Ukraine, it said the measure applied to countries experiencing \"exogenous shocks that are beyond the control of country authorities and the reach of their economic policies\".","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/business-65034765"}
{"title":"Sofia Coppola's daughter becomes film family's latest star, with viral TikTok clip - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-22","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"The next generation in the famous film-making dynasty inadvertently becomes a social media star.","section":"Entertainment & Arts","content":"Romy Coppola Mars with her mother, Sofia, in 2020\n\nHer mother is an Oscar-winning film-maker. Her grandfather shot one of the greatest movies, The Godfather.\n\nNow, Romy Coppola Mars has joined the family dynasty - with a TikTok that has inadvertently made her a viral star.\n\nIn the clip, the 16-year-old daughter of Sofia Coppola and granddaughter of Francis Ford Coppola said she had been grounded for trying to charter a helicopter with her dad's credit card.\n\n\"The Coppola dynasty continues to produce greatness,\" joked one new fan.\n\nThe teenager seemingly did not intend to announce herself as the latest sensation in the family line, saying she was going against her parents' rule not to have a public social media account only because she was already grounded.\n\n\"They don't want me to be a nepotism kid,\" she told her followers. \"But TikTok is not going to make me famous, so it doesn't really matter.\"\n\nHowever, she was wrong about it not making her famous and her account was short-lived, apparently being deleted.\n\nThis Twitter post cannot be displayed in your browser. Please enable Javascript or try a different browser. View original tweet on Twitter The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Skip twitter post by savannah ~* 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\u2019s cookie policy, external and privacy policy, external before accepting. To view this content choose \u2018accept and continue\u2019. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.\n\nWhile the video may have disappeared from TikTok, it was captured before it did and has been viewed 10 million times on Twitter.\n\nIt begins with her in the kitchen inviting viewers to \"make vodka pasta sauce with me because I'm grounded\".\n\nShe then reveals she had been punished by her parents \"because I tried to charter a helicopter from New York to Maryland on my dad's credit card because I wanted to have dinner with my camp friend\".\n\nHer father, Thomas Mars, is in French indie band Phoenix. At one point in the video, Romy holds up the Grammy Award he won in 2010.\n\nReturning to the recipe, she says she does not know the difference between a garlic bulb and an onion, before making an innocent face and holding up a kitchen knife.\n\nShe then introduces her babysitter's boyfriend, explaining \"my parents are never home, so these are my replacement parents\".\n\nOne Twitter user wrote: \"A perfect short film. We have a third generation of Coppola directors.\"\n\nAnother replied: \"It has dramatic tension, excellent scene-setting, good evocative props that indicate emotions (onions = tears), shocking family revelations, slapstick comedy, great dialogue... you're right.\"\n\nAnother user added: \"This is cinema\u2026 she'll be the greatest Coppola.\"\n\nAt the end of her video, Romy promises to return with \"part two, where I actually make the pasta\".\n\n\"Can't wait - it will be the best part two a Coppola will have ever made,\" another Twitter user joked - a reference to her grandfather's The Godfather Part II, which is regarded by some as better than the original film.\n\nA representative for her mother, who won an Oscar for Lost in Translation and made The Virgin Suicides and The Beguiled, declined to comment.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/entertainment-arts-65038887"}
{"title":"The struggle to find a home in a picture-postcard village - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-22","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"Some people have spent years trying to find an affordable property in part of the Scottish Highlands.","section":"Highlands & Islands","content":"Sitting on the shores of Loch Broom, Ullapool is one of the most popular tourist spots in the Highlands.\n\nThe fishing village and surrounding area, which is set among picture-postcard hills, lochs and coastline, has a population of just 2,200.\n\nBut for people who want to live and work in the community, it is a huge challenge to find somewhere affordable to call home.\n\nHigh costs, a booming tourism industry and issues affecting the building industry have been blamed for the problem.\n\nLochbroom and Ullapool Community Trust, which has been examining the housing challenges, describes the lack of homes as a \"very real and present crisis\".\n\nSome families have spent years trying to find a suitable property.\n\nAilsa McLellan has been trying to find a home for her and her two sons\n\nMarine scientist and mum-of-two Ailsa McLellan said it felt like she had been living on property websites for the past five years.\n\nAilsa has been trying to find a home after her marriage broke down, but has so far been unable to find somewhere to buy or rent due to a lack of long-term lets.\n\nShe has been living at a friend's house while she searches for a home.\n\n\"Even the very few houses that come up in the area that I can almost afford are just terrible,\" she said.\n\n\"The energy rates are really low. Most of them are oil-fired so I would be moving into a property I could not afford to heat.\n\n\"There is no good housing stock.\"\n\nShe said there were also issues when plots of land where someone could build their own home became available.\n\n\"The expense of the plot is generally quite high and you're likely to have to put in a private septic, your own access on often steep, rocky ground, and a connection to the electricity supply.\n\n\"The cost of a transformer for the electricity can be over \u00a310,000.\"\n\nHairdresser Georgie McIntosh and her music tutor husband David John moved to Ullapool from Edinburgh in 2017 with their young sons Archie and Isaac.\n\nThey were initially able to rent privately before securing a modern two-bedroom council property in 2020.\n\nLast summer, David John's teenage cousin Jacqueline moved in following a family bereavement.\n\nGeorgie McIntosh and her family are also hunting for a home in Ullapool\n\nThe family is on a waiting list for a larger property while they pursue their dream of owning their own home. They have looked into solutions such as a house swap.\n\nBut Georgie said: \"Ideally, we would love to buy.\n\n\"We've secured a mortgage but the likelihood of us being able to buy with what we can get and what we have saved is slim. Housing to buy is pretty crazy - our budget is pretty much the asking price.\"\n\nShe said they had recently managed to make a bid on a property 3% over the asking price, but it went for 10% over.\n\nGeorgie said they were determined to keep looking.\n\nShe said: \"Ullapool is home for us now. We have made friends here and for us to move away we would lose so much.\"\n\nLochbroom and Ullapool Community Trust (LUCT) and the Communities Housing Trust (CHT) have been investigating the housing issues.\n\nTheir research found between July 2020 and June 2022 the average house price in the area was \u00a3256,000, while the most popular budget among people they spoke to was \u00a3150,000 or below.\n\nThe study also suggested the average income in the area was likely to be about \u00a325,000 per annum, limiting people's spending power.\n\nUllapool is a popular tourist spot and a stop on the scenic North Coast 500 route.\n\nLUCT and CHT's study found almost 13% of the housing stock in the local area consisted of second homes or holiday accommodation, compared to a figure of about 6% for the Highland Council area in total.\n\nThe trusts said the number of second homes and holiday lets would undoubtedly have increased since those figures were gathered as part of the 2011 Census.\n\nBrendan O'Hanrahan, of LUCT, said at least 70 new households were looking for homes within the next five years.\n\nHe said: \"That's quite significant in somewhere as small as Ullapool and Lochbroom.\n\n\"The vast majority would be school leavers and people in their early 20s, who want to form independent households.\n\n\"At the moment, unfortunately, the prospects for them are pretty bleak.\"\n\nCHT's Ronnie Macrae said Brexit and Covid had hit the construction industry hard in terms of labour and materials and this had increased the already high cost of building rural housing.\n\nBut he added that community-led housing offered a potential solution having \"come on leaps and bounds over recent years\".\n\nMr Macrae said transformational projects had already been completed in Wester Ross, including in Applecross, Lochcarron, Gairloch and Achiltibuie.\n\nHe said: \"These have been enabled in a large part by the introduction of the Scottish Land Fund and importantly the Rural and Island Housing Fund.\n\n\"We are currently working with many communities in Wester Ross on proposals for more community-led development.\"\n\nAvailability of land is a major issue, according to Community Land Scotland.\n\nMuch of the rocky and hilly terrain is unsuitable for housing plots and large areas of Wester Ross are in the hands of a small number of landowners.\n\nCommunity Land Scotland chairwoman Ailsa Raeburn said communities needed help in persuading landowners to release land for homes.\n\nShe said: \"There is good Scottish government support for communities that want to build housing, but the final piece is land reform to give communities more power to bring forward suitable sites.\"\n\nUllapool is a popular destination with visitors to the Highlands\n\nThe local authority, Highland Council, has an aim to deliver 60 new affordable homes in the area by 2028 - with 50 in Ullapool and 10 more about 24 miles (37km) away in Achiltibuie.\n\nBut a spokeswoman said: \"The developments depend on securing land and finance.\n\n\"The final tenure mix is yet to be agreed but will include opportunity for low-cost home ownership as well as mid-market rent as well as social rent by the council or housing partner.\"\n\nThe Scottish government also said good quality housing was essential to attracting and retaining people in rural communities.\n\nA spokesman said: \"We have committed to delivering 110,000 affordable homes across Scotland by 2032 - with at least 10% in our remote, rural and island areas.\"\n\nHe said \u00a33.5bn funding was being made available in this parliamentary term towards the delivery of affordable homes in Scotland.\n\nThe spokesman added the government was also developing a Remote, Rural and Islands Housing Action Plan, which would be published this spring.\n\nBBC Radio 4's Rental Health series will examine how housing has posed challenges to Ullapool's business community on Monday 27 March.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/uk-scotland-highlands-islands-64785851"}
{"title":"Sidemen manager: 'I cut out alcohol to succeed' - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-22","authors":null,"description":"Jordan Schwarzenberger talks about his attitude to alcohol in the workplace for our CEO Secrets series.","section":null,"content":"Jordan Schwarzenberger, co-founder of Arcade Media and manager of the group of YouTubers known as The Sidemen, talks about his attitude to alcohol in the workplace.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/business-65029392"}
{"title":"Multiple injuries after ship tips over at Edinburgh dockyard - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-22","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"Twenty three people were treated to hospital and another 12 at the scene of the incident in Leith.","section":"Edinburgh, Fife & East Scotland","content":"This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Petrel began to tip to one side at Imperial Dock\n\nThirty-five people have been injured after a ship tipped over at an Edinburgh dockyard.\n\nNHS Lothian said 23 people had been treated in hospital and 12 people at the scene of the incident at Imperial Dock, Leith.\n\nA major incident was declared after the research vessel Petrel became dislodged from its holding on a dry dock.\n\nPeople have been asked not to attend A&E at Edinburgh Royal Infirmary (ERI) unless it is an emergency.\n\nPictures posted on social media showed the 3,000-tonne vessel, which is owned by the US Navy, leaning at a 45-degree angle.\n\nThe US Consulate in Edinburgh said it was monitoring the situation and offering support to US citizens who were involved.\n\n\"We thank the emergency services for their prompt response. Our thoughts are with all those affected by this incident,\" it added.\n\nImages on social media showed the vessel at a 45-degree angle\n\nThe Scottish Ambulance Service said it was called at 08:30.\n\nFive ambulances, an air ambulance, three trauma teams, a special operations team, three paramedic response units and a patient transport vehicle were sent to the scene.\n\nNHS Lothian said 15 patients were taken to Edinburgh Royal Infirmary by ambulance with another two attending themselves, four to Western General Hospital and two to Victoria Hospital in Kirkcaldy.\n\nAnother 12 people were treated and discharged at the scene.\n\nA spokesperson for NHS Lothian said eight were still in the Royal Infirmary, some with \"serious injuries\", and outpatient appointments, endoscopies and planned surgeries had been cancelled to \"free-up our surgical staff\".\n\nJacquie Campbell, chief officer of acute services at NHS Lothian, said: \"There are no plans at this time to postpone appointments or elective procedures tomorrow, but assessments continue and patients will be contacted directly if the situation changes.\"\n\nNHS Lothian has advised other people who require urgent care to contact their GP or call NHS 24.\n\nPolice Scotland urged the public to avoid the area to allow access for emergency services.\n\nSupt Mark Rennie said all casualties had been accounted for by 13:20.\n\nHe explained: \"There is no risk to the wider public and inquiries are ongoing to establish the full circumstances of what has happened.\n\n\"I would also like to thank the public for their patience while the emergency services undertook a very difficult job aiding casualties.\"\n\nHM coastguard sent teams from Fisherrow, South Queensferry and Kinghorn to the scene as part of the multi-agency response.\n\nScottish Fire and Rescue Service said it had sent four fire engines and \"a number of specialist resources\".\n\nThe Health and Safety Executive said it was aware of the incident and was making inquiries.\n\nSailors' Society Chaplain Pauline Robertson told BBC Radio Scotland's Drivetime she had been listening to port staff who had witnessed the incident or were dealing with the aftermath.\n\nShe said: \"I think like everybody that has witnessed it or heard about it today, we're all just in shock and horror at the tragedy that just unfolded in front of us.\n\n\"There is shock, horror, pain - every emotion you can imagine is being shown by staff. \"\n\nThe Sailors' Society also said it was supporting people affected by the incident.\n\n\"Our thoughts and prayers are with everyone affected by this morning's accident in Leith. Sadly many are seriously injured. We are supporting those we can.\"\n\nJames Welsh hear a loud noise as the ship fell in the dry dock\n\nJames Welsh, 39, a scaffold foreman at Leith docks who was working near the Petrel as it fell, said he heard a loud noise but \"not as noisy as you would think\".\n\nHe said one worker he sees every morning had put down his bag to \"nip to the toilet\", and when he came back the ship was over and he didn't know where his work mates were.\n\n\"It's very scary - it just makes you evaluate everything,\" he said. \"No one goes to work to be involved in any kind of accident.\n\n\"We all want to go home for our mince and tatties to our wife and kids so I feel for anyone who is injured, and their family.\"\n\nCammy Day, the leader of City of Edinburgh Council, said he was \"deeply concerned\" to hear of the incident, adding that emergency services were being supported to carry out their work.\n\nLeith councillor Adam McVey described the incident as \"terrifying\" for those on board.\n\nHe said on Twitter: \"Emergency services are responding to a major incident at Leith docks - a ship has been dislodged from its holding in strong winds.\n\n\"My thoughts are with those who've been injured and hope everyone recovers quickly. Please avoid area.\"\n\nA spokesperson from Forth Ports said the incident happened at the facility of its tenant, Dales Marine Services.\n\nThey said: \"We are providing Dales with any support we can today. We cannot comment any further as the incident response is being led by the emergency services.\n\n\"Our thoughts are with everyone involved in this incident.\"\n\nDales Marine Services, which runs the dry dock, said the incident with the Petrel began at about 08:00 and the emergency services were called shortly after.\n\nA spokesperson said: \"We can confirm that all those on board and at the facility have been accounted for and our priority is to ensure the wellbeing of all who have been affected.\"\n\nA US Navy spokeswoman said: \"We continue to communicate with our contacts at the scene in order to understand what occurred, the actions being taken, and the long-term impacts.\n\n\"Our thoughts and prayers are with those injured and their families, with hopes for a quick and full recovery.\"\n\nThe weather was windy overnight with gusts of up to 38mph (61km\/h) recorded inland at Gogarbank at 08:00, according to Met Office data.\n\nIraklis Lazakis, from the department of marine architecture and engineering at the University of Strathclyde, said it was a \"very, very unusual\" incident.\n\nHe told BBC Scotland's The Nine he believed the strong winds were unlikely to be the root cause of the incident.\n\nThe Petrel was pictured in an neighbouring berth in January, before being moved into the dry dock\n\nLeith dock, in the north east of Edinburgh, has a maritime history going back many centuries and is now home to the decommissioned Royal Yacht Britannia.\n\nThe privatised Forth Ports has the largest enclosed deep water port in Scotland and has been selected to develop one of Scotland's first green freeports.\n\nThe 76m (250ft) ship has been owned by the United States Naval Facilities Engineering and Expeditionary Warfare Center since October 2022, and operated by Oceaneering International.\n\nThe vessel was previously owned by the estate of Microsoft co-founder Paul Allen.\n\nIt was placed into long-term moorage in 2020 as a result of \"operation challenges\" during the Covid pandemic, and has not been used since.\n\nBefore this, it had been used for deep water searches for shipwrecks and war graves at sea, including the lost World War Two heavy cruiser USS Indianapolis, which was discovered 18,000 feet (5.5km) beneath the surface.\n\nThe RV Petrel was fitted out for the specialist searches before billionaire Mr Allen died in 2018, having already pledged to commit most of his fortune to philanthropy and non-profit scientific research.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/technology-65038617"}
{"title":"Alexis Green: BBC South presenter speaks out over harassment ordeal - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-22","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"The South Today weather presenter was sent 150 explicit messages and videos.","section":"Hampshire & Isle of Wight","content":"This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Alexis Green told BBC Breakfast's Sally Nugent she felt sick going into work\n\nThe face of the weather for millions, Alexis Green has long been a familiar and friendly companion to people in the south of England.\n\nBut as BBC South Today's lead weather presenter, Ms Green ended up being bombarded with scores of sexual messages, photos and videos which had a huge impact on her life.\n\nIt started as a message sent to her personal Facebook profile by a man she did not know, following a shift at work.\n\nMs Green was unable to sleep and had to take time off work after being sent the messages via Facebook messenger.\n\nSpeaking on BBC Breakfast to Sally Nugent, Alexis describes the impact such harassment can have on someone and how she hopes speaking out will help other people seek assistance if they are experiencing the same.\n\nAlexis Green has been presenting the weather on BBC South Today for more than a decade\n\n\"I had a few messages from this guy and they were inappropriate, saying something like, 'You are warming up my house tonight',\" she says.\n\nMs Green blocked the sender but a month later he created a new Facebook profile and started messaging her again, about two to three times each day.\n\nThis time though, as well as messages to her inbox, he also started sending her explicit videos about his own sexual desires.\n\nThe harassment preyed on her mind while she was at work, leaving her feeling \"physically sick\" thinking about how the man sending her these messages was watching her on the programme.\n\n\"My legs were shaking, my hands were shaking, I was trying to hold it together on air,\" she says.\n\n\"Obviously you've got a job to do, you have to present something to the public.\n\n\"I felt I had a job to do but I also felt very anxious and scared at the same time.\"\n\nMs Green went to the police after showing one of the video messages to her partner. Within 24 hours officers had made an arrest.\n\nOver the course of two or three months, Alexis was sent more than 30 videos and a further 120 messages.\n\nSpeaking on BBC Breakfast to Sally Nugent, Alexis describes the impact the harassment continues to have on her life\n\nThe distress also had a huge impact on her personal life, away from the studio.\n\n\"I am a keen runner so I'd go out and pound the streets on my own but I found myself looking over my shoulder, really scared to see if he'd been lurking in the bush,\" she says.\n\n\"It got to the point where I'd go to bed at night and I wouldn't sleep at all.\n\n\"The dog would bark downstairs and I'd be instantly opening the curtains, thinking there was someone out there or he was out there.\"\n\nOn 15 March, after admitting harassment against Ms Green, a 55-year-old man was jailed for 17 weeks and given a restraining order.\n\n\"I had to sit in a room with him in court,\" she says.\n\n\"Obviously the court case was horrendous for me... I sat there in the dock shaking.\n\n\"It was really, really hard but at the end of it I had a result.\"\n\nBeing a figure on the nightly news across Southern England, Alexis is well known to millions of people\n\nDespite now being able to look ahead, with the legal process complete, Ms Green is aware that the impact of her harassment will linger.\n\n\"It has made me afraid, I am scared to do certain things - I won't go for a run on my own anymore, I take the dog,\" she says.\n\n\"I feel that there is that protection in place but it is not going to help me, it is not going to help my personal feelings, my anxiety, I'll always have that with me.\"\n\nFor anyone else being subjected to similar harassment, Ms Green hopes her ordeal will at least show an example of how it can be dealt with.\n\n\"I felt that being on the television, I was the voice of the people out there who are going through exactly the same thing,\" she says.\n\n\"I wonder if sometimes there's an element of acceptance - a certain level of harassment that goes on online - a lot of the time to women.\n\n\"Maybe we just accept it but maybe we shouldn't.\n\n\"I think I can focus on the future - I just have to take it a day at a time. Hopefully, with time, things will get better.\"\n\nFollow BBC South on Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram. Send your story ideas to south.newsonline@bbc.co.uk.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/uk-england-hampshire-65031843"}
{"title":"Into the \u2018lion\u2019s den\u2019: Questions the TikTok CEO will face from Congress today over a possible ban - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-22","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"The video-sharing app's chief executive will testify to US lawmakers in a much-anticipated grilling.","section":"US & Canada","content":"This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Watch: The fight over TikTok explained in 60 seconds\n\nOn Thursday, TikTok's CEO, Shou Zi Chew, will be opening a lion's mouth and placing his own head into it.\n\nHe's giving testimony in the US Congress for the first time, a scary thing to do.\n\nAnd at stake is the future of the phenomenally popular video-sharing app in the US.\n\n\"I think that there is a real risk that if this hearing doesn't go well\u2026 that could have a massive impact on the future of TikTok,\" said Chris Stokel-Walker, author of TikTok Boom.\n\nMr Chew is likely to face a barrage of questions on TikTok's relationship with China, what data it collects, and what it does with it.\n\nHe'll also be quizzed on why several journalists were spied on by ByteDance employees - something TikTok has already admitted.\n\nMr Chew will say user data is safe - away from the reach of the Chinese government.\n\nHe knows politicians from all sides want to see the platform either sold - or outright banned in the US.\n\n\"He's going into the lion's den,\" said Mr Stokel-Walker.\n\nMr Chew is going to need to give the performance of a lifetime. And already, close observers have seen a change of tactic from the Singaporean.\n\nTikTok's boss, who has had a range of senior positions in the world of finance, generally sports a suit jacket and tie.\n\nBut on Tuesday, he posted a TikTok with a very different look.\n\nInstead of a suit, he was wearing a white T-shirt and hoodie - the uniform of the nonchalant tech founder.\n\nThe 40-year-old was suddenly speaking like a teenager too - talking of being \"super excited\".\n\n\"I think he's trying to give off a sort of the casual tech bro,\" said Caitlin Chin from the Center for Strategic and International Studies, a bipartisan think tank.\n\n\"He's actually been starting to gain a bit more of a public profile, especially leading up to this hearing.\"\n\nThe Singaporean has generally kept a low profile since taking over at TikTok in 2021.\n\nHowever, that approach appears to have changed. TikTok is fighting for its life, and Mr Chew knows it.\n\nThe big problem TikTok has in the US and Europe is that it is owned by a Chinese company, ByteDance.\n\nAnd in China, there are specific laws that require companies to hand over information to the Chinese Communist Party if requested.\n\nShou Zi Chew and his wife, Vivian Kao, attend the 2022 Met Gala in New York City\n\nTikTok holds reams of data about its users, including location information and biometric data.\n\nFor years TikTok has argued that it would never hand over user information.\n\nIt has spent tens of millions of dollars on lobbying efforts and strategies to appease governments.\n\nAt the heart of its attempt to convince US lawmakers is \"Project Texas\".\n\nThis is the company's commitment to store US data in the US - on servers run by a US company - Oracle.\n\nThe company says so far it has spent $1.5bn on this project - and describes it as a \"firewall\" that protects data from foreign governments.\n\nTikTok had hoped it would satisfy politicians on all sides.\n\nLast year Mr Chew wrote to politicians saying he believed the project would \"safeguard user data and US national security interests\".\n\nBut sadly for TikTok, Project Texas has been looked at sceptically by both Republicans and Democrats.\n\nFor many US politicians, for as long as TikTok has a Chinese owner, it will be considered suspicious.\n\nLast month FBI director Christopher Wray didn't mince his words about the platform.\n\n\"This is a tool that is ultimately within the control of the Chinese Government. And to me, it screams out with national security concerns,\" he said.\n\nFor most US lawmakers, TikTok would be a far more palatable platform if it were not owned by a Chinese company.\n\nLast week it was reported by the Wall Street Journal that the Biden administration had requested the company be sold for this reason.\n\nThis is not what ByteDance wants. TikTok has enormous potential. And besides, the Chinese company doesn't wish to sell its greatest asset simply because US politicians want them to.\n\nThis is the backdrop to Thursday's congressional hearing.\n\nWe already have a fair idea of what Mr Chew is going to say from TikTok briefings.\n\nHe'll argue that 150 million American users will lose out if the platform is banned - and that thousands of small businesses rely on the platform.\n\nHe'll push back on the idea that ByteDance is Chinese-owned - saying the company has many international investors.\n\nAnd he'll also argue that Chinese laws cannot compel ByteDance to share American data - because TikTok is a US-based company, with its data stored in the US.\n\nBut often these hearings make headlines for one or perhaps two specific exchanges.\n\nMark Zuckerberg's famous Senate hearing in 2018 is often remembered for one brilliant question from Senator Richard Durbin.\n\n\"Mr Zuckerberg, would you be comfortable sharing with us which hotel you stayed in last night?\" he said.\n\nThe Facebook boss looked visibly uncomfortable before saying \"no\".\n\n\"I think that might be what this is all about\u2026your right to privacy,\" the senator said.\n\nIt's these curveball questions that Shou Zi Chew should fear most.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/world-us-canada-65045804"}
{"title":"Usain Bolt's surprise visit to Blackburn under-15s match - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-22","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"The Olympic champion dropped in at the under-15s game between Blackburn Rovers and Burnley.","section":"Lancashire","content":"Usain Bolt turned up on the touchline of the Blackburn Rovers under-15s team\n\nJunior footballers received a surprise at their latest match when the world's fastest man turned up to cheer them on.\n\nEight-time Olympic champion Usain Bolt called into the under-15s derby between rivals Blackburn Rovers and Burnley on Monday.\n\nThe retired sprinter made the trip to Lancashire to visit a friend whose son is currently on trial with Blackburn.\n\nRovers tweeted a picture of the star with the team after the game, which has been viewed thousands of times.\n\nThis Twitter post cannot be displayed in your browser. Please enable Javascript or try a different browser. View original tweet on Twitter The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Skip twitter post by Blackburn Rovers 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\u2019s cookie policy, external and privacy policy, external before accepting. To view this content choose \u2018accept and continue\u2019. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.\n\nBolt, 36, retired from athletics in 2017 after winning eight Olympic titles and 11 World Championship gold medals.\n\nDuring the 2008 Beijing Olympics, he set new world records for the 100m and 200m.\n\nHis 100m time of 9.58 seconds, set during the 2009 World Championships in Berlin, remains the world record.\n\nUsain Bolt sat in the directors' box for the FA Cup quarter-final at Old Trafford\n\nBolt had earlier watched Manchester United defeat Fulham 3-1 in the FA Cup quarter-final at Old Trafford on Sunday.\n\nA football lover who has described it as his \"dream\" to play professional football, Bolt landed a trial with Australian side Central Coast Mariners in 2018 but did not end up signing for the team.\n\nWhy not follow BBC North West on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram? You can also send story ideas to northwest.newsonline@bbc.co.uk\n\nThe BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/uk-england-lancashire-65036493"}
{"title":"Khayri Mclean: Teenager guilty of murdering 15-year-old schoolboy - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-22","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"Khayri Mclean was ambushed and stabbed twice as he walked home from school in Huddersfield.","section":"Leeds & West Yorkshire","content":"Khayri Mclean died after he was stabbed near North Huddersfield Trust School in September 2022\n\nA teenager has been found guilty of murdering a 15-year-old boy who was stabbed to death as he walked home from school in West Yorkshire.\n\nKhayri Mclean was stabbed twice after being ambushed by the teen and another boy outside North Huddersfield Trust School on 21 September.\n\nThe 17-year-old was found guilty of murder after a trial at Leeds Crown Court. His 15-year-old accomplice had previously admitted murder.\n\nThey will be sentenced at a later date.\n\nThe boy showed no emotion as the jury of eight women and four men returned a unanimous guilty verdict after nearly five hours of deliberation.\n\nIn a statement, Andrew Fell, headteacher at North Huddersfield Trust School, said the trial and conviction had \"brought back the shock and distress felt by all members of the school community at the time the attack happened\".\n\nHe said Khayri would be \"remembered fondly by all those who knew him\" and his thoughts were with his family.\n\nAndrew Fell, headteacher at North Huddersfield Trust School, said Khayri would be \"remembered fondly\"\n\nDuring the week-long trial, the court heard the two boys, who cannot be named due to their age, had been lying in wait for Khayri in an alleyway before launching their fatal attack.\n\nProsecutor Jonathan Sandiford KC said the younger of the two shouted \"Oi Khayri\" or \"Yo Khayri\" before jumping in the air, swinging a knife with a 30cm blade and stabbing Khayri in the chest.\n\nThis proved to be the fatal blow as it went through his ribs and penetrated one of his lungs and heart, jurors heard.\n\nMr Sandiford said Khayri fell to the floor and was \"defenceless on his back\" when the 17-year-old, who was 16 at the time, went after him, knife in hand, and stabbed him in the leg.\n\nKhayri was taken to hospital but died later the same day.\n\nThis was a killing that caused revulsion in Huddersfield, leaving schoolchildren traumatised and parents fearful. How could a 15-year-old boy be murdered on his way home from school on a Wednesday afternoon?\n\nDuring a seven-day trial, the evidence was devastating for Khayri's family and friends to listen to and watch.\n\nCCTV cameras captured the killing, which was over in a few seconds before the killers were seen running away across school fields.\n\nKhayri was seen being helped to his feet by a friend and trying to run away before collapsing further down the road.\n\nToday the spot where he fell on Woodhouse Hill remains covered in balloons, flowers and school ties. A constant reminder of the unthinkable tragedy that took place.\n\nThose who loved Khayri have seen justice today after a harrowing court ordeal, but a child has died in the most horrifying way.\n\nIn Huddersfield they will keep asking the questions, 'why are children carrying knives? why are children being stabbed in the street?'.\n\nThe two teenagers will be sentenced at a later date\n\nThe 17-year-old denied targeting the teenager and claimed he had gone to the scene outside school for a \"fist fight\" with another youth.\n\nBut prosecutors said while he did not inflict the fatal blow he was guilty of murder because he acted with his co-accused and they \"encouraged and supported each other to carry out the attack\".\n\nJurors were told the two defendants were dressed in black clothes with black balaclavas and their eyes covered, possibly by sunglasses.\n\nAfter attacking Khayri, they ran away together back down the footpath from which they emerged, before stopping to remove their balaclavas and the clothing worn for the attack.\n\nThe judge, Mrs Justice Farbey, told the defendant there would be a hearing on Thursday to discuss the next steps in the case but sentencing would take place on a date to be fixed.\n\nDet Supt Marc Bowes, who led the investigation, said he welcomed the verdict.\n\nHe added: \"Our thoughts are with Khayri's relatives as they process the news from today and we continue to support them.\"\n\nPolicing Minister Chris Philp said: \"Every life lost to knife crime is one too many. Our thoughts are with Khayri's loved ones.\n\n\"We continue to take a hard stance against those who carry knives, removing 90,000 knives and offensive weapons since 2019 from our streets through stop and search, surrender initiatives and other targeted police action.\n\n\"We have also invested \u00a316m since 2019 into the development of the West Yorkshire Violence Reduction Unit, alongside a further \u00a310.6m to fund additional, targeted West Yorkshire Police patrols in the areas worst affected by serious violence.\"\n\nFollow BBC Yorkshire on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. Send your story ideas to yorkslincs.news@bbc.co.uk.\n\nThe BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/uk-england-leeds-64993056"}
{"title":"Prince William makes surprise visit to troops near Ukraine border in Poland - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-22","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"The Prince of Wales meets troops in Poland an hour's drive from the border with Ukraine.","section":"UK","content":"The Prince of Wales has thanked British troops for \"defending our freedoms\" in a secret visit to a military base in Poland near to the Ukraine border.\n\nPrince William's visit to Rzeszow in south-eastern Poland was kept under wraps over security concerns until he left and arrived in the capital Warsaw.\n\nHe told British soldiers: \"Thank you for all you are doing out here.\"\n\nHe said he wanted to thank them in person for \"keeping everyone safe\" and \"keeping an eye on what's going on\".\n\n\"So, just a big thank you for what you do on a day-to-day basis.\"\n\nHe added: \"You're doing a really important job out here and defending our freedoms is really important, and everyone back home thoroughly supports you.\"\n\nRzeszow is just over an hour's drive from the Ukrainian border. The British Army have a base there to deliver support to Ukraine.\n\nPrince William's visit to Poland is at the request of the UK government, but the prince has been clear about his support for Ukraine from the start, tweeting his support to Ukraine just days after Russia's invasion.\n\nHis trip to Poland marks him renewing that support.\n\nThe prince is visiting Poland as part of a two-day visit to the country\n\nBritish troops are in Poland to help support Ukraine\n\nThe heir to the throne also visited a Polish territorial army base in Rzeszow, before flying back to Warsaw where he visited a Ukrainian refugee centre and met some of the 300 women and children housed there.\n\nOn landing in Warsaw, the prince said: \"It's fantastic to be back in Poland.\n\n\"Our nations have strong ties. Through our co-operation in support of the people of Ukraine and their freedom, which are also our freedoms and yours, these ties are further strengthened.\n\n\"I'm here because I want to personally thank the Polish and British troops working in close and crucial partnership.\n\n\"I also want to pay tribute to the inspiring humanity of the Polish people. You have opened your hearts as much as your homes.\"\n\nAs part of his two-day trip, on Thursday the prince will meet the Polish President Andrzej Duda at the Presidential Palace.\n\nHe will also lay a wreath at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, a monument dedicated to Polish soldiers who lost their lives in conflict.\n\nBack in Warsaw, the prince posed for photos with Ukrainian children\n\nHe played a table tennis match during his visit to a centre for refugees\n\nIt is William's first trip to Poland since he visited in 2017 with his wife the Princess of Wales.\n\nLast May, before he was king, King Charles III travelled to Romania to meet Ukrainian refugees - the first visit from a senior royal to the region since the start of the Russian invasion of Ukraine.\n\nPoland is a strong ally of Ukraine one of the largest suppliers of military equipment.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/uk-65043528"}
{"title":"Met Police: Where next for the force after Casey review? - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-22","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"This is a merciless report, writes the BBC's home editor Mark Easton. But what does the Met do now?","section":"UK","content":"Policing in this country is in a state of emergency. The warning lights are flashing. The alarms are wailing.\n\nBaroness Casey says the Metropolitan Police was expecting a report highlighting the things it needed to look at - but that, overall, the force thought she would say it's doing a good job.\n\n\"It's the exact opposite,\" she says.\n\nBaroness Casey has a reputation for no-nonsense reports. When Dame Cressida Dick, the former Scotland Yard Commissioner, asked her to review the Met, she must have known what she would get.\n\nNot the measured, dispassionate and legalistic volumes most institutional inquiries deliver.\n\nHer language is often emotional and uncompromising, a style that appeals to journalists and politicians looking for a headline.\n\nThis report is so ferocious in its criticism that, in the short term, it is almost certain that trust and confidence levels in the police in London - already down - will plummet further.\n\nWith forces across England and Wales, like the Met, re-vetting all their officers, more scandals will emerge.\n\nEvery misconduct hearing, every court case, is going to damage public confidence.\n\nAccused of institutional prejudice, it seems unlikely that, in the short term at least, this report is going to make it easier to recruit women, or those from the LGBTQ+ community and ethnic minorities.\n\nMorale is not going to be improved by a report that is so merciless in its criticism of the Met and its culture.\n\nA generation after the Macpherson report found the Metropolitan Police to be institutionally racist, here we are again. Only worse. Sexism and homophobia are added to the list.\n\nThe report notes that in 1972, on his appointment as commissioner of the force, Sir Robert Mark said he had \"never experienced\u2026blindness, arrogance and prejudice on anything like the scale accepted as routine in the Met\".\n\nThe report immediately adds that the Met is a very different organisation today. But five decades on, Louise Casey says: \"We have found those cultures alive and well\".\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Watch: Baroness Casey on her blistering report of the Met police\n\nThe question is really about whether police forces turn things around quickly enough.\n\nThe report talks about reviewing progress against various measures after two and five years. Politicians are suggesting they will want to see results within two years.\n\nBut with a general election likely next year, and manifestos being written even sooner, will politicians show the patience Sir Mark Rowley, the current incumbent in Scotland Yard, says he requires? Especially if more bad headlines see public anxiety increase still further.\n\nBaroness Casey hints at breaking up the Met, if things don't improve. But that kind of major reform of policing feels some way off.\n\nAs things stand, there is no blueprint for a reorganised system in England and Wales - and politicians of all stripes seem content to give Sir Mark the benefit of the doubt for the moment.\n\nHome Secretary Suella Braverman has said she will be \"holding the Metropolitan Police and the Mayor of London to account by measuring progress\", but adds that she currently has \"every confidence that Sir Mark Rowley and his team will deliver\".\n\nSuella Braverman delivering a statement on the Casey report to the Commons on Tuesday\n\nThe Labour leader, Sir Keir Starmer, has pointed out that a collapse in trust in the Royal Ulster Constabulary among some communities in Northern Ireland resulted in the successful creation of a new police service, the PSNI.\n\nIs that a hint that a Labour government might institute more radical reform?\n\nParty insiders suggest they will be more hands-on than the current government has been in demanding progress, but there are no plans for systemic change - for now.\n\nWhat does progress look like? Public confidence figures must improve. Recruitment from minorities must increase. Corrupt officers must be identified and booted out. Vetting must be more effective. Whistleblowers must be supported. Morale must rise.\n\nSir Mark has already instituted measures he believes will move the dials. But that will take time. Changing culture and rebuilding trust cannot be done overnight.\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser.\n\nIt is hard to overstate the perilous state of British policing right now.\n\nThe tradition of policing by consent - the idea that officers serve as members of the public in uniform, exercising powers with the approval of the people they serve - relies on trust.\n\nBut as Baroness Casey baldly states: \"The Met has become disconnected from Londoners - their consent can no longer be assumed.\"\n\nTrust is formed at the point where the police meet the public. But the report finds bobbies who should be on the beat are behind desks, backfilling for civilian support staff who have been stripped out.\n\n\"The closer the Met get to Londoners, the more beleaguered the service\", is her damning conclusion.\n\nPerhaps the only way to sort out the Met was a nuclear option, a report so damning it takes the force back to ground zero.\n\nBut a huge question remains: Can a new police service emerge from the ashes with the clock ticking?","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/uk-65032325"}
{"title":"British Gas boss takes \u00a33.7m bonus despite criticism - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-22","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"Chris O'Shea will still take a bonus after the firm's debt agents broke into vulnerable people's homes to fit meters.","section":"Business","content":"The Centrica boss has refused bonuses for the past three years\n\nThe boss of British Gas-owner Centrica will receive bonuses worth \u00a33.7m after the firm posted record profits in 2022.\n\nChris O'Shea, who has refused bonuses for the past three years, will also get a \u00a3790,000 salary.\n\nIt comes as millions struggle to pay energy bills and after debt agents for the firm broke into vulnerable people's homes to fit prepayment meters.\n\nThe firm said Mr O'Shea had delivered \"shareholder value\" and navigated \"regulatory and political issues\".\n\nCentrica's profits for 2022 hit \u00a33.3bn after oil and gas prices jumped following Russia's invasion of Ukraine.\n\nThe figures, published in February, have sparked calls for energy firms to pay more tax as people are hit by surging bills.\n\nAt the time Mr O'Shea said it was \"too early to have a conversation\" about any potential bonus.\n\nBut in its annual report published on Wednesday, Centrica said it needed to pay bonuses to attract and retain leaders.\n\nBoard member Carol Arrowsmith said: \"Like most public companies we hire our senior executives on employment contracts that have a significant proportion of pay which is performance-related.\"\n\nMr O'Shea turned down a \u00a31.1m bonus in 2021 due to \"hardships\" faced by customers. He also refused bonuses in 2020 and 2019 because of the pandemic.\n\nThe energy giant has come under fire in recent months after an investigation by the Times newspaper revealed debt agents working for British Gas had broken into the homes of vulnerable people to force-fit prepayment meters.\n\nIt has resulted in many more similar incidents emerging.\n\nIn response, the energy regulator Ofgem has asked all suppliers to suspend forced prepayment meter installations. Courts in England and Wales also halted applications from firms to install them.\n\nCentrica has previously said it was \"extremely disappointed by the allegations\" surrounding one of its contractors, Avarto Financial Solutions, and added it was conducting its own investigation.\n\nMost of Centrica's bumper profits in 2022 came from its nuclear and oil and gas business, rather than its British Gas retails arm.\n\nDue to competition rules, Centrica cannot sell its own gas at a discount to British Gas customers.\n\nCentrica paid \u00a31bn in tax on its profits and of that, \u00a354m was a result of the windfall tax - called the Energy Profits Levy - which was introduced by the government last year. The tax is designed to recoup some of the \"extraordinary\" earnings made by firms recently and help lower energy bills for households.\n\nThe government's windfall tax only applies to profits made from extracting UK oil and gas. The current rate is 35%, but energy firms pay an additional 30% in corporation tax and a supplementary 10% rate, taking the total to 75%.\n\nHowever, companies can reduce the amount of tax paid by factoring in losses or investments. It has meant in recent years, the likes of BP and Shell have paid little or no UK tax.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/65042314"}
{"title":"Olivia Pratt-Korbel: I'm a dad not a killer, murder-accused says - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-22","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"Thomas Cashman denies being the gunman, saying a witness is \"trying to ruin his life\".","section":"Liverpool","content":"Thomas Cashman previously told the jury he was making between \u00a33,000 and \u00a35,000 a week selling cannabis\n\nThe man accused of killing Olivia Pratt-Korbel told a court \"I'm a dad, I'm not a killer\".\n\nA gunman shot nine-year-old Olivia and injured her mother, Cheryl Korbel, after chasing a convicted drug dealer into their Liverpool home in August.\n\nThomas Cashman, 34, who denies the charges, appeared emotional as he gave evidence at his murder trial.\n\nHe told a court he was counting \u00a310,000 in cash and smoking drugs around the time of the shooting.\n\nJurors at Manchester Crown Court have heard Olivia and her 46-year-old mother were shot after a gunman chased Joseph Nee into their house in the Dovecot area of the city at about 22:00 BST on 22 August.\n\nAsked by John Cooper KC, defending, if he had committed any of the offences he was accused of, he said: \"No, I did not.\"\n\nHis voice broke as he added: \"I am getting the blame for something I haven't done.\n\n\"I didn't do it and I'm getting the blame for it.\n\n\"I'm getting blamed for killing a child and I have got my own children.\n\n\"I'm getting blamed for something I haven't done.\"\n\nMr Cashman, who on Tuesday admitted being a \"high-level cannabis dealer\", said at about 21:15 on the night of the shooting he had been picked up by a friend called Craig Byrne.\n\nHe said they went to Mr Byrne's house to count out \u00a310,000 in cash.\n\n\"We counted money then went downstairs, I done myself a spliff in the kitchen, went in the back garden and was having just a general chit-chat with Craig,\" he told the court.\n\nMr Cashman said when he later went into the front garden of the house in Snowberry Road, he could hear sirens and was told by someone there were \"police everywhere\".\n\nOlivia was shot when a gunman burst into her house and opened fire\n\nJurors have previously heard from a woman, who cannot be named for legal reasons, who had a brief relationship with father-of-two Mr Cashman.\n\nShe alleged he went to her house after the shooting, where she said he changed his clothes and she heard him saying he had \"done Joey\".\n\nAsked whether at any stage he had confessed, Mr Cashman said: \"No, I did not, she's trying to ruin my life.\n\n\"She is trying to ruin my life because, for one thing, I won't leave my partner for her. There's loads of reasons.\"\n\nMr Cashman also claimed the woman's boyfriend owed him a \u00a325,000 drug debt so she wanted him \"out of the way\".\n\nUnder cross-examination, the defendant, wearing a blue V-neck jumper with shirt and tie, accepted he made up to \u00a3250,000 a year from selling cannabis but refused to reveal who he bought it from or sold it to.\n\nHe said: \"I'm getting stitched up for murder of a child that I did not commit. I didn't do it.\"\n\nDefending, John Cooper KC went through Mr Cashman's movements, caught on CCTV and doorbell cameras, on the day of Olivia's murder.\n\nProsecutors allege he walked and travelled in his van around the area ahead of a plan to find Nee and execute a \"hit\".\n\nBut Mr Cashman denied this, saying his movements were instead to do with his cannabis dealing - dropping off drugs and collecting money at various addresses in Dovecot and sometimes \"socialising\" by having a spliff with friends.\n\nMr Cooper asked him: \"It's suggested that the purpose of your movements was not for the reason you say, but either for the reason of executing a hit or planning a hit?\"\n\nMr Cashman replied: \"No, that's not true whatsoever. What you see here is typical of a local lad who sells cannabis in the area.\"\n\nThe defendant, of Grenadier Drive, denies the murder of Olivia, the attempted murder of Nee, wounding with intent to do grievous bodily harm to Ms Korbel, and two counts of possession of a firearm with intent to endanger life.\n\nWhy not follow BBC North West on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram? You can also send story ideas to northwest.newsonline@bbc.co.uk\n\nThe BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/uk-england-merseyside-65042977"}
{"title":"Rishi Sunak paid over \u00a31m in UK tax since 2019, records show - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-22","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"The UK tax was paid on earnings of more than \u00a34.7m from income and a US-based investment fund.","section":"UK Politics","content":"Prime Minister Rishi Sunak has faced calls to be more open about his financial affairs\n\nRishi Sunak paid more than \u00a31m in UK tax over the last three years, details of the prime minister's financial affairs show.\n\nThe UK tax was paid on earnings of more than \u00a34.7m from income and a US-based investment fund.\n\nMr Sunak first said he would publish a tax return during his unsuccessful campaign to be Tory leader last year.\n\nHe faced calls to be transparent about his finances after it emerged his wife, Akshata Murty, had non-dom status.\n\nThe tax details came as MPs questioned former Prime Minister Boris Johnson over whether he misled Parliament over Partygate.\n\nMr Sunak is thought to be one of the richest MPs in Parliament and his personal wealth is something opposition parties have often used as a political attack line.\n\nThe PM worked in finance before entering politics and he and his family are thought to own several properties, including a Grade II-listed manor house in his North Yorkshire constituency.\n\nIn the last financial year alone, 2021-2022, the prime minister earned more than \u00a31.9m in income and capital gains, according to the records.\n\nCapital gains are taxed at 20% in the UK, while the highest income tax band is 45% on earnings over \u00a3150,000.\n\nThe records show the total UK tax he paid was:\n\nNimesh Shah, chief executive of tax advisory firm Blick Rothenberg, pointed out that Mr Sunak only released a summary of his income and gains, rather than a traditional tax return filed with HM Revenue & Customs.\n\n\"Whilst the public knows more now than it did before the release, it doesn't show the full picture,\" he said.\n\nMr Shah said the supporting notes from Mr Sunak's accountants \"give an explanation of how his tax position is made, rather than it being left to interpretation of his tax returns\".\n\n\"The release is a fairly controlled way of publishing his tax information.\"\n\nEarlier this month, during a trip to Paris for talks with French President Emmanuel Macron, Mr Sunak said he had been too \"busy\" to publish sooner.\n\nLabour said it was right Mr Sunak had published his tax returns \"after much delay\".\n\nThe party's deputy leader Angela Rayner said: \"They reveal a tax system designed by successive Tory governments in which the prime minister pays a far lower tax rate than working people who face the highest tax burden in 70 years.\"\n\nLabour leader Sir Keir Starmer has said he hoped to be able to publish his tax returns on Thursday.\n\nThe Liberal Democrats said Mr Sunak \"snuck\" the records out \"whilst the world is distracted with Boris Johnson's Partygate grilling\".\n\n\"People will be much more concerned today about the staggering tax hikes Rishi Sunak has imposed on them,\" the party's Cabinet Office spokesperson Christine Jardine said.\n\nMr Sunak said he was glad to publish his tax return \"in the interests of transparency\".\n\nAsked on a visit to north Wales if, given his wealth, he could understand what it is like for people struggling to heat their homes, Mr Sunak said: \"Ultimately what people are interested in is what I'm going to do for them.\"\n\nPointing to government support with energy bills, he said tackling the cost of living was his \"number one priority\".\n\nWhile there is not a long tradition of prime ministers publishing their tax returns, some of Mr Sunak's predecessors have chosen to do so in recent years.\n\nFormer Conservative Prime Minister David Cameron published his tax return in 2016 after revelations about his late father's offshore fund were revealed in the Panama Papers.\n\nTheresa May released her tax return during her campaign to be Tory leader in 2016, but did not do so when she was prime minister.\n\nThe two previous prime ministers, Boris Johnson and Liz Truss, did not publish their tax returns.\n\nThe financial affairs of Mr Sunak and his family were thrust into the media spotlight when he was chancellor in 2022.\n\nMr Sunak's wife, Ms Murty, revealed she had non-dom status, which meant she did not pay UK tax on her overseas earnings.\n\nMs Murty is the daughter the billionaire founder of Indian IT giant Infosys and owns a share of the company, entitling her to dividend payments.\n\nAs Mr Sunak came under political pressure, Ms Murty released a statement saying she would pay UK tax on her overseas income but retain her non-dom status.\n\nAt about the same time, Mr Sunak admitted he had held a US green card - allowing permanent residence in that country - while he was chancellor.\n\nHe returned the green card in October 2021, ahead of his first trip to the US as a UK government minister.\n\nFollowing these revelations, Mr Sunak referred himself to the prime minister's ethics adviser, who cleared him of breaching ministerial rules over the declaration of his financial arrangements.\n\nThe document released by the government includes an explanation of the prime minister's tax affairs from 2019.\n\nThe document says all of Mr Sunak's investment income and capital gains \"relate to a single US-based investment fund\", which is listed as a \"blind management arrangement\" on the register of ministers' interests.\n\nPoliticians with share portfolios and investments routinely set up blind trusts when they get government jobs. This allows them to continue earning income from their investments without knowing where the money is invested to avoid any conflicts of interest.\n\nThe document says \"some of the income of the US-based investment fund is also subject to tax in other jurisdictions (including the USA)\".\n\nMr Sunak is thought to be one of the richest MPs in Parliament\n\nMr Sunak - who has previously worked as an analyst for the investment bank, Goldman Sachs - has acknowledged that his investments are kept in a financial arrangement known as a blind trust.\n\nIn February, in an interview with TalkTV presenter Piers Morgan, he was asked whether it was right for prime ministers to have blind trusts.\n\nMr Sunak said: \"I think that's better than them having control over them.\"\n\nMr Sunak's records also show that the prime minister paid tax in the US on dividends in the country. A dividend is a sum of money paid by a company to its shareholders out of its profits.\n\n\"These US dividends were also subject to tax in the UK,\" the document says.\n\nThe document says Mr Sunak's previously held green card status did not impact his tax liability in either the UK or the US during the three financial years reported.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/uk-politics-65040300"}
{"title":"Boris Johnson clashes with MPs over Partygate denials - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-22","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"The former PM repeatedly insists he did not deliberately lie to Parliament in a marathon grilling.","section":"UK Politics","content":"This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser.\n\nBoris Johnson has repeatedly insisted he did not intentionally mislead Parliament over Partygate in a heated grilling by MPs.\n\nThe former prime minister began the marathon three-hour session with a Bible in his hands, as he swore: \"Hand on heart, I did not lie to the House.\"\n\nHe admitted social distancing had not been \"perfect\" at gatherings in Downing Street during Covid lockdowns.\n\nBut he said they were \"essential\" work events, which he claimed were allowed.\n\nHe insisted the guidelines - as he understood them - were followed at all times.\n\nBut MPs challenged his assertions, with the committee head, Labour's Harriet Harman, at one point describing them as \"flimsy\", and saying they \"did not amount to much at all\".\n\nHe also clashed repeatedly with Conservative MP Sir Bernard Jenkin, angrily telling the senior Tory he was talking \"complete nonsense\" by suggesting he had relied too much on what political advisers were telling him.\n\nThe Privileges Committee is investigating statements Mr Johnson made to Parliament, after details of booze-fuelled parties and other gatherings in Downing Street emerged in the media from the end of 2021 onwards.\n\nIf he is found by MPs to have deliberately or recklessly misled Parliament, he faces suspension from the Commons - a move that might trigger a by-election in his Uxbridge and South Ruislip constituency.\n\nMr Johnson, with a legal adviser at his side, and supporters including former cabinet minister Jacob Rees-Mogg sat behind him, was in a combative mood as he took MPs' questions for the long-awaited session.\n\nThe main thrust of his argument was that boozy gatherings in Downing Street and staff leaving dos had been \"essential\" work events, which he believed had been in line with the Covid guidelines in place at the time.\n\nHe insisted statements he gave to the Commons - including when he told MPs in December 2021 that Covid rules and guidance were followed \"at all times\" - were made \"on the basis of what I honestly knew and believed at the time\".\n\nShown a picture of himself surrounded by colleagues and drinks during a leaving do, Mr Johnson argued No 10 staff cannot have an \"invisible electrified fence around them\".\n\n\"They will occasionally drift into each other's orbit,\" he said, accepting that \"perfect social distancing is not being observed\" in the image but denying it was in breach of the guidance.\n\n\"I believe it was absolutely essential for work purposes,\" he said of the event for outgoing communications director Lee Cain in November 2020.\n\n\"We were following the guidance to the best of our ability - which was what the guidance provided.\"\n\nHe said when he told MPs on 1 December 2021 that the guidance had been followed at all times, he was recalling the \"huge\" amount of effort to try and stop Covid spreading within No 10.\n\nHe gave examples of measures in place such as keeping windows open, working outdoors where possible, limiting the number of people in rooms and testing, which \"helped mitigate the difficulties we had in maintaining perfect social distancing\".\n\nSir Bernard replied: \"I'm bound to say that if you said all that at the time to the House of Commons, we probably wouldn't be sitting here. But you didn't.\"\n\nAsked later in the session by Conservative MP Andy Carter if he should have made these arguments at the time, he said: \"Perhaps if I had elucidated more clearly what I meant - and what I felt and believed about following the guidance - that would have helped.\"\n\nQuestioned on what he would have told other organisations, if asked at a government pandemic press conference, whether they could hold \"unsocially distanced farewell gatherings\", Mr Johnson said: \"I would have said it is up to organisations, as the guidance says, to decide how they are going to implement the guidance amongst them.\"\n\nBoris Johnson says gatherings at Downing Street - including this leaving do on 13 November 2020 for a special adviser - were work events\n\nHe also insisted his birthday gathering, in June 2020 at the height of the pandemic, for which he was fined by police, had been \"reasonably necessary for work purposes\".\n\nAnd he defended the presence of luxury interior designer Lulu Lytle - who was revamping the Johnsons' Downing Street flat - because she was a \"contractor\" working in No 10.\n\nHe said then Chancellor Rishi Sunak, who was also present, would have been \"just as surprised as I was\" about the fines they received.\n\n\"I thought it was a completely innocent event,\" Mr Johnson said. \"It did not strike me as anything other than an ordinary common or garden workplace event.\"\n\nIn another tetchy exchange with Sir Bernard, Mr Johnson was asked about his comments that it was \"no great vice\" to rely on political advisers for assurances before making statements to the House of Commons.\n\nSir Bernard expressed surprise that Mr Johnson, if there was even \"the thinnest scintilla of doubt\" about whether rules were followed, would not have sought advice from civil servants or government lawyers.\n\n\"If I was accused of law-breaking and I had to give undertakings to Parliament... I would want the advice of a lawyer,\" Sir Bernard told him.\n\nA clearly annoyed Mr Johnson told the senior Tory: \"This is complete nonsense, I mean, complete nonsense.\n\n\"I asked the relevant people. They were senior people. They had been working very hard.\"\n\nThe committee will deliver its verdict on Mr Johnson by the summer.\n\nThe full House of Commons would vote on any sanction it recommends. Mr Sunak has agreed to give Tory MPs a free vote on their conscience over Mr Johnson's fate.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/uk-politics-65039661"}
{"title":"Train strikes planned in March and April suspended - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-22","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"Rail workers across 14 train companies were due to walk out on 30 March and 1 April.","section":"Business","content":"Planned rail strikes in March and April have been called off.\n\nRMT union members, including train guards, who work at 14 train companies were set to walk out on 30 March and 1 April.\n\nThe Rail Delivery Group (RDG) - which represents train companies - said it was now focused on \"working constructively towards a settlement to this dispute.\"\n\nIt comes after RMT members at Network Rail voted to accept a pay deal.\n\nThe RDG said it was a \"welcome step\" by the RMT union leaders to call off the planned action.\n\n\"We are now jointly focused on working constructively towards a settlement to this dispute, which will mean we can do what we have always wanted to do - give our people a pay rise and help secure the long-term future of the railway\", a RDG spokesperson said.\n\nThe RMT, the country's largest rail union, said the proposal tabled by the RDG could lead to a resolution to the national rail dispute.\n\nThe RDG has not yet made a new or updated offer.\n\nBut the RMT said the two sides would now hold further talks \"with a view to securing a new offer on pay, job security and working conditions\".\n\nThe RMT made clear that the dispute between the train companies and union members had not ended.\n\nIt said it would continue to prepare to re-ballot members when the current mandates runs out in mid-May.\n\nA Department for Transport spokesperson said the \"positive step\" brought both sides closer to ending the dispute.\n\n\"After Network Rail employees overwhelmingly voted to accept a similar pay offer earlier this week, we're once again asking the RMT executive to do the right thing and put this fair and reasonable offer to its members, giving them the pay rise they deserve and helping us end this dispute,\" the spokesperson added.\n\nThe last rail strike on 18 March saw workers across 14 train operators walk out. It meant that only 40-50% of trains were running, with travellers taking to social media to complain about disruption to their journeys.\n\nThe ongoing dispute between workers and rail bosses has led to several walkouts since June last year.\n\nThe UK has seen strikes across several industries over the last twelve months, with workers largely concerned about pay - which has not increased in line with rising prices. Inflation - the rate at which prices rise - is at its highest in nearly four decades.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/business-64896128"}
{"title":"Massive asteroid passes between Earth and Moon - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-25","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"The unusually large space object harmlessly bypasses the planet, as predicted by scientists.","section":"Science & Environment","content":"The asteroid will be visible from Earth through binoculars\n\nAn asteroid large enough to destroy a city has passed between the orbits of the Earth and the Moon - luckily for us, missing both.\n\nAs predicted by scientists, it passed within 175,000km of the Earth on Saturday after flying past the Moon.\n\nIt is rare for such a huge asteroid - estimated to be between 40 and 90m in diameter - to come so close to the planet.\n\nAstronomers described it as a once-in-a decade event.\n\nAccording to Nasa, it was an important opportunity for astronomers to increase their knowledge of asteroids, in the event that a dangerous object were discovered with the potential to hit Earth.\n\n\"There is no chance of this 'city killer' striking Earth, but its close approach offers a great opportunity for observations,\" said the European Space Agency's planetary defence chief, Richard Moissl.\n\nBut he added that more data was needed to determine the asteroid's composition.\n\nWith such a close pass of the Earth, the asteroid was visible through binoculars and small telescopes across the globe.\n\nA live web broadcast of its approach was provided by The Virtual Telescope Project.\n\nThe object looks set to return towards Earth's orbit in 2026, but scientists have ruled it out as a threat to the planet on that occasion, too.\n\nEarlier this month, a similarly sized asteroid, 2023 DW, was briefly given a one-in-432 chance of hitting Earth on Valentine's Day 2046.\n\nMoissl said 2023 DW was now expected to miss Earth by some 4.3 million km.\n\nEven if such an asteroid was determined to be heading our way, Earth is no longer defenceless.\n\nLast year, NASA's Dart (Double Asteroid Redirection Test) spacecraft deliberately slammed into the pyramid-sized asteroid Dimorphos.\n\nBefore Dart's impact, it took Dimorphos 11 hours and 55 minutes to orbit its larger parent asteroid, Didymos.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/science-environment-65061818"}
{"title":"Deutsche Bank share slide reignites worries among investors - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-25","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"Worries over the financial strength of the sector persist, with Deutsche Bank down 14% at one point.","section":"Business","content":"Sharp declines in banking shares in Europe have renewed concerns the panic triggered by the collapse of two US banks and rushed takeover of Swiss giant Credit Suisse may not be easily contained.\n\nShares in Germany's Deutsche Bank fell by 14% at one point on Friday, with other lenders also seeing big losses.\n\nLondon's FTSE 100 ended the day down 1.3%, while stock markets in Germany and France dropped even more sharply.\n\nBut US fears did not materialise.\n\nAfter falling early in the day, the Dow Jones Industrial Average gained 0.4% and the S&P 500 rose almost 0.6%, while the Nasdaq ended 0.3% higher.\n\nThe rise came despite declines in shares of big banks such as JPMorgan Chase and Morgan Stanley.\n\nIn Europe, the banks hit by a sell-off from worried investors included Germany's Commerzbank, which saw shares fall about 5%. France's Societe Generale ended down about 6% while in the UK, Standard Chartered was the biggest faller, down more than 6%.\n\nDeutsche recovered from its steepest losses but still closed more than 8% lower.\n\nRuss Mould, investment director at AJ Bell, told the BBC the drop in Deutsche Bank's share price, and a sharp jump in the cost of insuring against a possible default by the bank, was \"indicative of a wider loss of confidence in the banking sector\".\n\n\"There's a gathering fear that central banks may have overdone it with interest rate increases, having left them too low for too long,\" he said.\n\nCentral banks slashed interest rates during the 2008 global financial crisis and again when the pandemic hit in 2020 as part of efforts to encourage economic growth.\n\nBut over the past year or so authorities have been raising rates sharply to try to tame soaring price increases.\n\nThese rate rises have hit the value of investments that banks keep some of their money in, and contributed to the bank failures in the US.\n\nShare prices have fallen across the sector, as high-profile investors warn the collapses are symptoms of deeper problems in the system, with other pockets of distress yet to emerge.\n\nHigher interest rates have also raised the possibility of recession, Mr Mould said, and if that happens, \"banks will generally find it pretty hard going\".\n\nThe collapse of Silicon Valley Bank helped to trigger the recent loss of confidence\n\nCentral banks and governments have been trying to calm market worries.\n\nGerman Chancellor Olaf Scholz defended Deutsche Bank at a news conference on Friday, noting that it had \"thoroughly reorganised and modernised its business model\" and was \"very profitable\".\n\nBank of England governor Andrew Bailey also told the BBC that the UK banking system was \"safe and sound\".\n\nBut mixed messages from US authorities as to whether they were prepared to guarantee all bank deposits have led to confusion and hopes that calm had been restored to the sector appear to be have been premature.\n\nUS Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen convened an unexpected Friday meeting with regulators on financial stability, while use of an emergency lending programme for banks that the US central bank created this month has increased over the past week, the Federal Reserve reported.\n\nBloomberg News also reported that UBS and Credit Suisse were being investigated by the US Department of Justice into whether they had helped Russian oligarchs avoid sanctions.\n\nMeanwhile, the financial turmoil sparked by the failures has raised uncertainty about how much higher interest rates might go.\n\nFederal Reserve chairman Jerome Powell said this week the bank may not lift borrowing costs much more, if the banking panic continues to weigh on lending and slows economic growth.\n\nBut on Friday St. Louis Fed president James Bullard, who is not currently on the rate-setting committee, said he thought the panic would subside, leading to higher rates than the roughly 5% currently expected.\n\nJoachim Nagel, president of Germany's Bundesbank, said still rampant inflation meant central banks should continue to raise rates.\n\nHe declined to comment on Deutsche Bank, but said market turmoil was to be expected after the failures of Silicon Valley Bank and Signature Bank in the US and the UBS takeover of Credit Suisse.\n\n\"In the weeks after such interesting events, it is often a bumpy road,\" he said.\n\u2022 None Is this a banking crisis - how worried should I be?","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/business-65064378"}
{"title":"Trucks piled on buildings as tornado hits Mississippi - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-25","authors":null,"description":"Drone footage captures the devastation after a tornado hits Rolling Fork, Mississippi.","section":null,"content":"Drone footage has captured the devastation after a tornado hit Rolling Fork, Mississippi.\n\nThere is widespread destruction in the southern US state, with dozens of people killed, injured or missing.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/world-us-canada-65077137"}
{"title":"Ukraine war: Battle for Bakhmut 'stabilising', says commander - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-25","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"Despite Russia spending months trying to take the city, Ukrainian officials say they are holding on.","section":"Europe","content":"The eastern Ukrainian city of Bakhmut has been devastated after months of fighting\n\nThe battle for Bakhmut, the Ukrainian city which Russia has spent months trying to capture, is \"stabilising\", says Ukraine's commander-in-chief.\n\nEarlier this month, Western officials estimated between 20,000 and 30,000 Russian troops had been killed or injured in Bakhmut since last summer.\n\nMoscow is eager for a victory after failing to make major recent gains.\n\nDespite this, military analysts believe Bakhmut has little strategic value, with the city's importance now symbolic.\n\nThe high number of Russian casualties may be the main reason Ukraine has not withdrawn from the city, analysts say.\n\nOn Facebook, Lt Gen Zaluzhnyi said that while the situation on Ukraine's frontlines \"is the toughest in the Bakhmut direction... due to the tremendous efforts of the defence forces, we are managing to stabilise the situation\".\n\nLt Gen Zaluzhnyi posted after speaking to the UK's Chief of Defence Staff, Admiral Sir Tony Radakin, about the situation in Ukraine.\n\nHis comments are the latest positive signal from Ukrainian officials about the long battle for Bakhmut.\n\nThe UK's Ministry of Defence said on Saturday that Russia's assault on Bakhmut had \"largely stalled\", citing \"extreme attrition\" of the Russian force as a cause, and added that Russia had probably shifted its operational focus to the south and north of Bakhmut.\n\nSuch moves might suggest an \"overall return to a more defensive operational design\" after Russia failed to achieve significant results from its attempts to conduct a general offensive since January, the UK said.\n\nEarlier this week, Oleksandr Syrsky, commander of the country's ground forces, said that Russian troops near Bakhmut were \"exhausted\".\n\nMr Syrsky added that while Russia had \"not given up hope of taking Bakhmut at all costs despite losses in manpower and equipment... they are losing significant strength\".\n\nAnd Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky recently visited the frontline near Bakhmut, where he last visited in December.\n\nFootage showed him in an old warehouse giving medals to soldiers, whom he called \"heroes\".\n\nThe Institute for the Study of War, a think tank, said on Thursday that although Ukraine was still outnumbered by the Wagner group, Ukrainian forces \"continue to exhaust the mercenaries, which will enable Ukrainian forces to pursue unspecified future offensive operations\".\n\nWagner, a private, mercenary organisation, is at the heart of the Russian assault on Bakhmut. Its leader, Yevgeny Prigozhin, has staked his reputation on seizing the city.\n\nThe MoD said Russia's difficulties in Bakhmut were likely to have been exacerbated by tensions between Wagner and the Russian Ministry of Defence.\n\nAbout 70,000 people lived in Bakhmut before the invasion, but only a few thousand remain.\n\nFor those left behind, including elderly and disabled people, conditions are difficult. Civilians spend almost the whole day in underground shelters because of intense shelling, said the ICRC's Umar Khan, who has been providing them with aid.\n\nMr Khan said people were being pushed to the very \"limits of their existence and survival\".\n\nThe capture of Bakhmut would bring Russia slightly closer to controlling the whole of Donetsk region, one of four regions in eastern and southern Ukraine illegally annexed by Russia last September.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/world-europe-65072173"}
{"title":"Northern Ireland March weather has made for month of contrasts - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-25","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"The saying \"mad as a March hare\" has certainly rung true about our weather, writes Cee Daly.","section":"Northern Ireland","content":"You have probably heard the saying \"mad as a March hare\".\n\nThis month the saying has rung especially true as the weather has been all over the place - to put it mildly.\n\nIt has always been a month of contrasts and by halfway into March we had warnings of ice, snow and heavy rain.\n\nThere has been significant snowfall in some areas - enough to build a whole snow family - and temperatures fell to -9C in Castlederg, County Tyrone.\n\nThat was on 8 March, making it the coldest March night since 2010.\n\nThen the rains came, with a warning of heavy downpours from the Met Office in the middle of the month.\n\nOver a 24-hour period, Derrylin in County Fermanagh recorded 35.4mm of rainfall, Killowen in County Down measured 29mm and Killylane, in the Glens of Antrim, recorded 26mm.\n\nThis was followed by a dramatic leap in temperature just ahead of St Patrick's Day.\n\nHelen's Bay recorded 16.1C on 16 March, making it the warmest day of the year so far and the highest temp in Northern Ireland since 13 November.\n\nJust more than seven days earlier was that icy -9C night in Castlederg - what a difference a week makes.\n\nIt is not unusual for the fair-skinned to get sunburn on St Patrick's Day as the mid-March sun is of a similar strength to September.\n\nThis year the spring equinox was the following day, 20 March, when the sun sits directly over the Earth's equator as it heads northward.\n\nBoth hemispheres share the sun's rays equally at the equinox, and night and day are roughly the same length.\n\nSpring is said to be a transitional season and wide variations in weather can occur, from wintry conditions in the first half of the season to warm, almost summer like conditions any time from late April onwards.\n\nThe sun is strengthening significantly, the oceans are slowly warming and the jet stream is usually further north, which influences where our air is coming from.\n\nAir coming in from a southerly direction will always be warmer.\n\nWith the fierce changes in weather, there is often some truth in a saying often used in reference to March: \"In like a lion, out like a lamb.\"\n\nIt is likely our recent snow, towards the beginning of the month, is down to SSW - or sudden stratospheric warming - which five years ago helped bring about the infamous Beast from the East.\n\nJohn Wylie, a former colleague who works with the Met Office in Northern Ireland, said that cold and wintery conditions, including significant snowfall, are not uncommon in March.\n\nIn 2010, 2013 and 2018, each March had highly disruptive snowfall events.\n\nNature has a habit of redressing the balance and the exceptional mildness of February (2.5C above average) has been countered by much colder conditions during the first half of March, with average temperatures around 2.5C below average.\n\nAt present, it is possible March could end up colder than February which, although unusual, is certainly not without precedent.\n\nThe latter part of this month has been quite mild, windy at times and wet - a wetter than average month right across Northern Ireland.\n\nUp to 23 March, Aldergrove will have had its fourth wettest March on record - with still a week of weather to go.\n\nThis weekend the clocks spring forward just as a northerly Arctic wind sets in to bring Sunday temperatures back down to single digits.\n\nSo after a roaring start to spring lets hope we skip through April like a newborn lamb with plenty of sunshine and not as many showers.\n\nThere were a couple of well-worn weather phrases in the article above, but what about some of the other sayings and pieces of traditional wisdom that we use to predict, describe or decry the weather?\n\nHere's a look at a few more.\n\nHow about \"too cold to snow\"? This is a saying backed up by science.\n\nThe colder it gets, the less water vapour it can hold, which reduces the likelihood of snow.\n\nBut there are many other factors to consider when it comes to whether or not it will snow and it's unlikely that across the island of Ireland we would experience temperatures low enough.\n\nSo true, but unlikely to happen here.\n\nAs pet owners and friends of four-legged creatures everywhere can attest, animals can often be predictors of thunderously stormy weather.\n\nCats and dogs are more sensitive than humans to sounds, smells and changes in atmospheric pressure.\n\nTheir heightened senses can allow them to pick up hints that a storm is coming well before their owners catch wind of it.\n\nJust before a storm, your cat's inner ears may detect the sudden fall in atmospheric pressure and it may have learned to associate this with an impending storm.\n\nIf a storm is already raging in the distance, it may be able to perceive the faint rumble of thunder.\n\nLikewise, your dog may be able to smell the incoming rain or the characteristic whiff of ozone gas, often created by lightning which has a sharp, metallic odour.\n\nAnd finally what about this old (sort of) chestnut.\n\n\"Pinecones open up when good weather is coming\" is another with a kernel of truth.\n\nIn dry weather, pinecones dry out, causing their scales to open out.\n\nIn damp conditions, they become more flexible and return to a more closed shape.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/uk-northern-ireland-64974874"}
{"title":"Bangor: Nantporth Stadium football complex \u00a363k dispute - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-25","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"The future of community football complex could be in doubt due to a dispute over an unpaid bill.","section":"Wales","content":"Defender Catrin Hughes: \"It wouldn't be nice to be denied promotion because of the uncertainty about the stadium\"\n\nThe future of a community football complex could be in doubt due to a dispute over \u00a363,000 in rent and insurance arrears.\n\nAbout 25 teams use the pitches at Nantporth Stadium in Bangor, Gwynedd.\n\nBut the community interest company (CIC) that runs it has asked for more time to repay Bangor City Council, which has threatened legal action.\n\nThe council said it had to \"act in the best interest of Bangor's tax payers\".\n\nNantporth CIC said some of the sum derives from unpaid rent by the former sub-tenants, Bangor City FC.\n\nThe club - which no longer has an active team - surrendered its lease last year in an agreement that meant the CIC would shoulder the debt.\n\nThe CIC now wants to negotiate repayment plans with the council, and is asking it to refrain from taking action for 12 months to give assurances to the clubs that use Nantporth.\n\nHowever, the council has asked for payment within 21 days, citing \"ongoing breaches of the terms of the lease\".\n\nBangor City FC owner Domenico Serafino confirmed it had cleared their debts to the CIC when it left the stadium.\n\nAbout 25 teams use the facilities at Nantporth on a regular basis, including Bangor 1876 Ladies FC\n\nAmong the teams now using the facilities are Bangor 1876 Ladies FC, who are close to winning their division this year.\n\nBut to get promoted they need a guarantee they can use the stadium - or another one of the same quality - in future.\n\n\"We've come a long way in the last few years, this year especially,\" said defender Catrin Hughes.\n\n\"It wouldn't be nice to be denied promotion because of the uncertainty about the stadium.\"\n\nThe club's youth sides boast about 150 members, and they use the all-weather 3G pitch next to the stadium, which hosts the 2023 Welsh Cup final between Bala Town and The New Saints next month.\n\nFfion Thomas, club treasurer and a mother of two girls who use the facilities, said football was a \"big deal in our house\".\n\n\"My girls are out all the time playing football, we train during the week, we have games on Saturdays.\"\n\nParents Nicola Davies and Ffion Thomas both have daughters who use the facilities\n\nNicola Davies, whose three daughters train at the ground, said they could \"miss out on making friends, and miss out on playing football and socialising\".\n\nNantporth CIC manage both the stadium - which it rents from Bangor City Council - and the 3G pitch, which it owns.\n\nOn 8 March, one CIC director, Dilwyn Jones, received an undated solicitor's letter asking for full payment of the debt to the council within 21 days.\n\nAbout \u00a344,000 is owed in back rent, and \u00a319,000 in insurance arrears, but Mr Jones said they \"thought there would be some manoeuvring room for negotiation and our initial discussion with the council was that there would be\".\n\nBut he said discussions had \"frozen\" and he encouraged the council to reopen negotiations on debt repayment and refrain from taking action for 12 months to give assurances to clubs.\n\nHe added that the CIC was now in a position to start paying back the debt, having recently got the complex back up and running after Bangor City FC surrendered their lease in summer 2022 having stopped playing football after years of financial difficulties.\n\nMr Serafino said that the site has been returned to the CIC \"under an agreement signed by the parties and that we therefore have no debts to... [the] CIC\".\n\nBangor City Council says it \"has taken this action in order to ensure a stable long-term future for the stadium\"\n\nBut Mr Jones believes that \"around 90%\" of the rent due to the council would have been covered by the football club under the previous sub-letting agreement.\n\nHe added that the CIC knew when the club left that they would need to pay this debt to the council, which was itself \"fully aware\" of the situation.\n\nBangor City Council said its dispute with the CIC \"relates to ongoing breaches of the terms of the lease\".\n\nIn a statement the council added: \"The city council has a statutory responsibility to manage public finances to the best of its ability and act in the best interest of Bangor's taxpayers.\n\n\"The city council will not comment further on details of this matter as it does not want to influence any potential legal action.\n\n\"However, it would like to assure the citizens of Bangor that it has taken this action in order to ensure a stable long-term future for the stadium, and which will support the teams and clubs that use the Bangor City stadium.\"","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/uk-wales-65074604"}
{"title":"Vatican returns Parthenon sculptures to Greece - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-25","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"The Greek culture minister said she hopes their return will set an example for other institutions to follow.","section":"Europe","content":"The Vatican has returned three fragments of the Parthenon sculptures to Greece in a move that has been described as a \"gesture of friendship\".\n\nThe decision to return the 2,500-year-old marbles was announced by Pope Francis last year.\n\nOne is a chunk of a horses head, the other a bearded man and the third a head of a boy.\n\nGreece hopes the move will spur other overseas institutions that hold Parthenon sculptures to return them.\n\nAbout 50% of the Parthenon's original sculptures have survived and almost half of them are in the British Museum.\n\n\"The ceremony today... similar to the gesture by the government of Sicily and the Republic of Italy a few months ago, shows the road that we could follow, that everyone could follow, in order for the unity of the Parthenon to be restored,\" Greece's culture minister Lina Mendoni said on Friday.\n\nAs the marbles were returned, dignitaries exchanged hand shakes and smiled in front of the cameras, including the leader of the Greek Orthodox Church, Archbishop Ieronymos.\n\n\"My personal heartfelt wish is that this initiative is mimicked by others. Pope Francis showed that this is possible and significant,\" he said.\n\nThe sculptures were originally created as part of the iconic Parthenon temple in Athens\n\nThe marbles had been in the papal collection and Vatican Museums for centuries.\n\nBut Greece has been trying to recover them from the Vatican and other European collections since the beginning of the 20th century.\n\nIn the early 1800s dozens of marbles were taken from Greece's Parthenon on the orders of Scottish nobleman Thomas Bruce, known as Lord Elgin.\n\nHe then sold the marbles to the British government, who then displayed them in the British Museum.\n\nReports have suggested the British Museum's chairman, George Osborne, is close to agreeing a deal with Greece.\n\nIn January, the then UK culture secretary Michele Donelan said that the sculptures \"belong here\" in Britain.\n\nThe British Museum is prevented by law from permanently returning the artworks to Greece.\n\nBut there was speculation that a deal could involve the sculptures heading to Athens on loan in rotation, in return for classical objects that have never been seen outside Greece before.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/world-europe-65071987"}
{"title":"Greens: New FM must have 'progressive values' - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-25","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"Scottish Greens says they will quit government if the new first minister does not back climate justice and trans rights.","section":"Scotland politics","content":"This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Patrick Harvie and Lorna Slater spoke at the Scottish Greens' party conference\n\nThe Scottish Greens say they will quit the government if the new first minister does not share their \"progressive values\".\n\nCo-leader Patrick Harvie said they were a \"necessity\" if the power-sharing agreement with the SNP was to continue.\n\nLorna Slater said a commitment to climate justice and trans rights were \"non-negotiable\".\n\nHumza Yousaf is the only one of the three SNP leadership candidates who has committed to continue the agreement.\n\nThe Green politicians' comments are seen as the clearest signal yet that they would not work with Kate Forbes or Ash Regan, who are also standing to replace Nicola Sturgeon.\n\nThey spoke at their party conference in Clydebank, West Dunabrtonshire, as voting continues in the contest to succeed Ms Sturgeon. The result of that ballot will be announced on Monday.\n\nMs Slater, who is also co-leader of the party, said she wanted the Greens to stay in government and continue their work.\n\n\"But not at any cost,\" she added.\n\n\"We will only vote for the SNP's new leader to become first minister if they are committed to the politics of cooperation,\" she said.\n\n\"If they respect and share our values of equality and environmentalism. If they will prioritise climate justice. And if they agree that trans rights are human rights and that our trans siblings cannot be used as political fodder by Westminster.\n\n\"These are fundamental issues for us. They are non-negotiable. If the next first minister shares these values then we would not just remain in government. We should redouble our efforts to build a fairer, greener, and independent Scotland.\"\n\nShe said the party would put itself in the best position it could to \"deliver change\".\n\n\"If that is in opposition to an SNP government that has lost its way and abandoned its commitments to cooperation, equality and environmental progress then so be it,\" she added.\n\n\"With regret, that is where we would go. Because Scottish Greens will always work for people and for planet, and you can't do that in partnership with a first minister who has already set themselves in opposition to both.\"\n\nAt the Greens' conference hotel in Clydebank, there's a lot of coming and going - walkers, ice hockey players and GPs here for a conference.\n\nThat sense of movement and checking-in and checking-out chimes in with the mood.\n\nThey're at a crossroads, indeed the co-leader Patrick Harvie said the party was standing at a \"major junction\".\n\nThey know they could suddenly be \"checking-out\" out of the Scottish government; the Bute House agreement ripped up if Humza Yousaf is not first minister.\n\nThey're being very polite and not naming names on the record until voting in the SNP leadership race closes - but they've set out what they call their \"progressive values\" and have made it clear that Kate Forbes and Ash Regan don't share them.\n\nOn Monday, the new SNP leader will call the Green co-leaders to set out his or her plans for government shortly after being elected.\n\nThe Greens' National Council will then decide whether to continue in partnership.\n\nUltimately, the Greens' future in the Scottish government rests with a decision by SNP members.\n\nMr Yousaf is the only candidate committed to challenging Westminster's veto of gender recognition reforms passed by Holyrood.\n\nSpeaking on Saturday, he said any move away from the Bute House agreement would \"destabilise\" the Scottish government and maintaining the deal would be one of his first priorities as first minister.\n\nMs Forbes has said she is willing to work with the party, but her drive to put economic prosperity \"front and centre\" was \"non-negotiable\".\n\nShe has also said she would not have voted for the Gender Recognition Reform Bill, and has suggested she may not go to court to defend it.\n\nMeanwhile Ash Regan has claimed the SNP is being \"held hostage\" by the Greens, warning about the \"tail wagging the dog\" on social policy - in particular the gender reforms which saw her quit government.\n\nMr Harvie said he wanted to be able to co-operate with the new leader.\n\n\"We need to be clear that a sincere commitment to progressive values cannot be an optional extra in a choice of a first minister; it is a necessity,\" he told the conference.\n\n\"And it's not just the policies and the values. It's also about the constructive way of working that's written into the Bute House Agreement - genuinely both sides seeking common ground.\n\n\"Yesterday I'm told that Kate Forbes said that she wanted to keep working with us\u2026 even though she has made it clear in a televised debate that working together simply meant us accepting her agenda\u2026 that's hardly the spirit of cooperation.\n\n\"But conference, there is so much more to what we can deliver if, and only if, we see a first minister who shares our commitment to the progressive values, the genuine spirit of cooperation, and the bold policy programme that runs through the agreement you approved.\"\n\u2022 None Will the Greens stay in government with the SNP?","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/uk-scotland-scotland-politics-65075733"}
{"title":"'God, guns and Trump': Thousands turn out for Texas rally - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-25","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"As Donald Trump stares down a potential arrest, it is business as usual at his campaign rally.","section":"US & Canada","content":"A Donald Trump fan dresses up as the former president at the rally\n\nIn his first public appearance since speculating a week ago that he would soon be arrested, Donald Trump lashed out against the multiple criminal inquiries that have bedevilled him since he left office in January 2021.\n\nAt an airfield rally in Waco, Texas, in front of thousands of supporters, the former president called the New York City investigation into hush-money payments to adult film star Stormy Daniels an expletive.\n\n\"The district attorney of New York under the auspices and direction of the 'department of injustice' in Washington, DC, is investigating me for something that is not a crime, not a misdemeanour, not an affair,\" he said, before belittling Ms Daniels' personal appearance.\n\nEvery piece of his personal, financial and business life, he said, has been \"turned upside down and dissected\" - but professed that he was \"the most innocent man in the history of our country\".\n\nFor the past week, Mr Trump has been posting increasingly menacing statements about \"death and destruction\" if he were to be indicted on his social media website, but he avoided any such dire warnings during his speech. And earlier on a sunny afternoon in Waco, Texas, the gathering felt more like the carnival-atmosphere campaign rallies of Mr Trump's 2016 presidential bid.\n\nThousands of the former president's supporters wandered through Trump merchandise tents, where they bought t-shirts emblazoned with \"God, guns and Trump\" and \"Trump won\". Then they packed onto the asphalt tarmac of the local airport hours before Mr Trump's private jet was scheduled to land.\n\nThousands of supporters wore the shirts emblazoned with 'God, Guns, Trump'\n\nThey waited in the heat as songs by Abba, Frank Sinatra and Bon Jovi blared on the loudspeakers and cheered as a litany of familiar Trump supporters took turns warming-up the crowd.\n\nRock star Ted Nugent played what was billed as a \"fire-breathing\" rendition of the US national anthem on his electric guitar, interrupted by an obscenity-laced diatribe that included attacks on the \"jack-booted thugs\" in the federal government who he said have been wrongfully imprisoning Trump supporters who stormed the US Capitol on 6 January, 2021.\n\nCongressman Matt Gaetz of Florida and Congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene of Georgia also had their moment on the stage, lobbing pointed attacks on New York City District Attorney Alvin Bragg, who will decide in the days ahead whether to indict Mr Trump.\n\n\"This attack is an egregious weaponisation of our justice system designed to influence the 2024 presidential race,\" Greene said. \"This is nothing but a witch hunt against President Trump, and he is completely innocent.\"\n\nCongresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene had a moment on stage, using it to attack New York City District Attorney Alvin Bragg\n\nThe crowd - which the Trump campaign estimated will reach 15,000 - offered some boos when Mr Bragg's name was mentioned, but few seemed all that concerned by the New York investigation.\n\n\"I don't listen to the negative stuff,\" said Debbie Harvey of Midlothian, Texas, a town near Dallas. \"I'm praying that he doesn't get indicted. God still answers prayers.\"\n\n\"There doesn't seem to be much to it,\" said Brian Novie, who lives in nearby Copperas Cove. \"And now they seem to be struggling with whether prosecute at all.\"\n\nNovie and his friend Richard Tarner, who like Harvey were attending their first Trump rally, bought commemorative t-shirts that read \"Trump in Texas: I was there - where were you?\" They said that, even with what is likely to be a range of choices in the 2024 Republican primaries, they were sticking with Mr Trump.\n\n\"He's proven he can get things done,\" Tarner said, noting that Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, Mr Trump's most formidable rival, had yet to demonstrate that he could perform on the national stage.\n\nIn the run-up to the Waco rally, a number of media outlets and Trump critics had questioned why the former president was holding his first mega-rally of the 2024 campaign in Waco, where 30 years earlier federal and state authorities engaged in an armed standoff with the Branch Davidian religious cult that ended with the death of 86 people.\n\nIt was an incident that helped fuel an anti-government movement in the US, as terms like Nugent's \"jack-booted thugs\" were frequently used to describe federal law officers.\n\nTexas Lieutenant Governor Dan Patrick told the crowd that such connections were an expletive and \"fake news\".\n\n\"I picked Waco,\" he said. \"The president called me several weeks ago and said: 'I'm coming to Texas. I want you to pick a great town.'\n\nThe former president's plane arrived early evening in the kind of dramatic airfield landing he made a signature of his campaigns in 2016 and 2020. The new \"Trump Force One\" circled the airfield as the song Danger Zone, made popular by the film Top Gun, blared on the loudspeakers. Meanwhile, a speed-artist painted a scowling portrait of the former president on the stage.\n\nThe work turned out to be an accurately foreshadowing of the mood the embattled former president brought to his appearance. While he would eventually tout his record and make promises about a bright future for America if he is elected, it was clear that his legal troubles - and possible impending arrest - were foremost in his mind.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/world-us-canada-65078418"}
{"title":"Ukraine war: How a Russian child's drawing sparked a police investigation - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-25","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"Masha, now 13, is in a children\u2019s home after Russian authorities placed her father under house arrest.","section":"Europe","content":"Masha Moskaleva has not been seen in public since 1 March\n\nIn the centre of the Russian town of Yefremov is a wall covered in pictures of war. Giant photographs of masked Russian soldiers with guns and supersized letters Z and V - symbols of the country's so-called special military operation in Ukraine.\n\nTo tear the skin from those\n\nThis is the official, patriotic picture of Russia's invasion of Ukraine.\n\nBut in this town, 320km (200 miles) south of Moscow, you'll find another image of the Ukraine war. A very different one.\n\nTown councillor Olga Podolskaya shows me a photo on her mobile phone. It's of a child's drawing. To the left is a Ukrainian flag with the words \"Glory to Ukraine\", on the right, the Russian tricolour and the inscription \"No to war!\". As missiles fly in from the direction of Russia, a mother and her child stand defiantly in their path.\n\nMasha's school contacted the police after the 12-year-old drew this picture\n\nThe picture was drawn in April 2022 by then 12-year-old Masha Moskaleva. Her father Alexei, a single parent, had contacted the town councillor for advice. He told her that after seeing Masha's drawing, her school had called the police.\n\n\"The police started investigating Alexei's social media,\" Olga tells me. \"And they told him that he was bringing up his daughter in a bad way.\"\n\nCharges followed. For an anti-war post on social media, Alexei was fined 32,000 roubles (around $415 or \u00a3338 at the time) for discrediting the Russian armed forces. A few weeks ago, a criminal case was opened against him. Again, anti-war posts formed the basis for discreditation charges.\n\nAlexei is currently under house arrest in Yefremov. His daughter Masha has - for now - been sent to a children's home. Alexei has not even been allowed to speak to her on the phone.\n\n\"No-one has seen Masha since 1 March,\" Olga Podolskaya tells me, \"despite our attempts to get access to the children's home and to find out how she is.\n\n\"The Russian authorities want everyone to toe the line. No-one is allowed to have their own opinion. If you disagree with what someone thinks, then don't read their social media posts. But don't put that person under house arrest and their child in a children's home.\"\n\nWe are standing outside an apartment block in Yefremov. A window opens and a man looks out. It's Alexei. We're not allowed to communicate with him. Under the rules of his house arrest Alexei is only permitted contact with his lawyer, the investigator and the penitentiary service.\n\nAlexei Moskalev is being held under house arrest and faces a possible prison sentence over his social media posts\n\nThe lawyer, Vladimir Biliyenko, has just arrived. He's come to deliver food and drink which local activists have bought for Alexei.\n\n\"He is very worried because his daughter is not with him,\" Vladimir tells me after visiting Alexei Moskalev. \"Everything in the flat reminds him of her. He's worried about what may be happening to her.\"\n\nI ask the lawyer why he thinks the authorities have taken Masha away.\n\n\"If they had real questions for the father, they should have invited him to give a statement. They should have invited Masha, too, and spoken to her,\" Vladimir says.\n\n\"None of this was done. They just decided to send her off [to the children's home]. In my opinion, if it wasn't for the kind of administrative and criminal charges Alexei has received, this wouldn't be happening. The social services seem obsessed with this family. I think it's purely for political reasons. The family's problems only began after the girl drew that picture.\"\n\nThe Russian authorities want everyone to toe the line. No one is allowed to have their own opinion\n\nOn the street, I ask Alexei's neighbours what they think of the situation.\n\n\"She's a good girl, and I've never had a problem with the dad,\" says pensioner Angelina Ivanovna. \"But I'm scared to say anything. I'm frightened to.\"\n\n\"Perhaps we could collect signatures in [Alexei's] support,\" a younger woman suggests. But when asked for her opinion on what is happening, she replies: \"Sorry, I can't tell you.\"\n\nI ask if she is frightened about possible consequences.\n\nIt's a short walk from Alexei Moskalev's apartment block to School No 9, where Masha had studied and that her father says called the police over Masha's anti-war drawing. The school has yet to respond to our written request for comment. When we tried to visit, we were told we couldn't come in. Our telephone calls went unanswered.\n\nBut I have visited School No 9's website. The images there remind me of the patriotic wall I saw in the centre of town.\n\nThe home page features Heroes of the Special Military Operation - two dozen portraits of Russian soldiers who fought in Ukraine.\n\nThere are patriotic slogans, too: \"Everything for Victory. Let's support our lads on the front line!\"\n\nSoldiers back from Ukraine visited School No 9 last October. In \u0430 speech that day school director Larisa Trofimova declared: \"We believe in ourselves and in our Motherland, which can never make a mistake.\"\n\nAcross town, supporters of the Moskalev family and journalists are gathering at the local courthouse. The Yefremov Juvenile Affairs Commission is taking legal action to officially restrict Alexei's parental rights.\n\nA supporter of Alexei Moskalev raises a sign at the local court that reads: \"Return Masha to her father!\"\n\nIt's an initial hearing known as \"a conversation\" with the judge. Lawyer Vladimir Biliyenko says Alexei had wanted to be here in person. However he hasn't been allowed to interrupt his house arrest to come to court, even though what's at stake is access to his child.\n\nIn the courthouse corridor an activist unfurls a poster.\n\n\"Return Masha to her father!\" it declares. A police officer tells her to take it down.\n\nThe Juvenile Affairs Commission has yet to respond to our request to comment on the case of Alexei Moskalev and his daughter Masha.\n\nOne of Alexei's supporters, Natalya Filatova, believes the story of the Moskalev family reflects the crackdown on dissent in Russia.\n\n\"Our constitution proclaims freedom of speech, freedom of conscience, total freedom for citizens to express their opinions,\" Natalya tells me. \"But now we're forbidden from doing that.\"","link":"https:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/world-europe-65015289"}
{"title":"Plans to house migrants on ferries to be announced - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-25","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"The government has previously signalled it wants to end the practice of housing people in hotels.","section":"UK","content":"Over 45,000 people reached the UK via the dangerous route last year - up from around 300 in 2018\n\nThe government is preparing to announce alternatives to hotel accommodation for migrants as early as next week.\n\nThe use of ferries will be confirmed, but their exact location may not be announced for another few weeks.\n\nTwo military sites in England will also be confirmed, and the first migrants are expected to move in within weeks.\n\nSources say each site will house 1,500-2,000 migrants and will initially be used for new arrivals, rather than to rehouse people currently in hotels.\n\nThe BBC understands more than 51,000 people are being housed in 395 hotels.\n\nHome Secretary Suella Braverman has signalled the government wants to end the practice of housing migrants in hotels, which she says costs around \u00a36m a day.\n\nFormer airbases in Lincolnshire and Essex are among sites being looked at.\n\nPrivate hotels are currently used to house asylum seekers as part of the government's legal obligation to provide people seeking help with a basic level of accommodation.\n\nThe government says private accommodation options are at maximum capacity and argue they do not represent good value for money for the taxpayer.\n\nIt has made reducing illegal migration a key priority and has unveiled measures it says will deter people crossing the English Channel in small boats.\n\nMore than 45,000 reached the UK via the dangerous route last year, up from around 300 in 2018.\n\nThe government's Illegal Migration Bill would ban anyone who enters the country illegally from claiming asylum on arrival - or in the future.\n\nIt would also create an annual cap on the number of refugees the UK will settle through \"safe and legal routes\", and impose a legal duty on the Home Secretary to swiftly detain and remove anyone who arrives illegally.\n\nThe government's policy to deport migrants to Rwanda has been ruled to be legal by the High Court, but is facing further challenges in the courts.\n\nThe home secretary has said there is no limit to how many migrants Rwanda would be able to take - however no flights have taken off.\n\nA Home Office spokesperson said: \"We have always been upfront about the unprecedented pressure being placed on our asylum system, brought about by a significant increase in dangerous and illegal journeys into the country. We continue to work across government and with local authorities to identify a range of accommodation options.\n\n\"The government remains committed to engaging with local authorities and key stakeholders as part of this process.\"","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/uk-65074419"}
{"title":"Death sentence man Liam Holden: 'I was tortured into a false confession' - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-25","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"Liam Holden says soldiers used waterboarding torture techniques and put a gun to his head to make him confess to a murder that he did not commit.","section":"Northern Ireland","content":"Liam Holden was 19 when he was arrested and convicted of a soldier's murder\n\nIt happened almost 40 years ago, but Liam Holden can still recall the sensation of gasping for breath as water was slowly poured on to a towel covering his face.\n\n\"That feeling will never leave me,\" he says.\n\n\"Even talking about it now, I get a gagging sensation in my throat.\"\n\nHe was 19 at the time and was being questioned by members of the Parachute Regiment about the murder of a soldier, Private Frank Bell.\n\nHe died three days after being shot in the head as he patrolled in the Springfield Avenue area of west Belfast in September 1972.\n\nThe teenage chef was taken from his home and brought to an army post at Blackmountain school, where he was held for almost five hours.\n\nBy the end of his time in military custody, he had agreed to sign a statement admitting he had shot the soldier.\n\n\"By the time they were finished with me I would have admitted to killing JFK,\" he says.\n\nSo what did the Army do during that time? Liam Holden says he was subjected to sustained torture and then threatened that he would be shot if he did not confess to the killing.\n\n\"I was beaten and they told me to admit I had shot the soldier, but I said that wasn't true because I didn't.\n\n\"Then six soldiers came into the cubicle where I was being held and grabbed me. They held me down on the floor and one of them placed a towel over my face, and they got water and they started pouring the water through the towel all round my face, very slowly,\" he says.\n\n\"After a while you can't get your breath but you still try to get your breath, so when you were trying to breathe in through your mouth you are sucking the water in, and if you try to breathe in through your nose, you are sniffing the water in.\n\nLiam Holden says those who forced him to sign the confession knew he was innocent\n\n\"It was continual, a slow process, and at the end of it you basically feel like you are suffocating. They did not stop until I passed out, or was close to passing out.\n\n\"They repeated that three or four times, but were still getting the same answer. I told them I had not shot the soldier.\"\n\nMr Holden, now a father of two, said the soldiers then changed tactics and put a hood over his head and told him he was going to be shot.\n\n\"They put me into a car and took me for a drive and said they were bringing me to a loyalist area,\" he said.\n\n\"I couldn't see where I was but I was in a field somewhere. One of the soldiers put a gun to my head and said that if I didn't admit to killing the soldier that they were going to shoot me and just leave me there.\n\n\"I had a hood over my head and a gun at my head in the middle of a field and was told I would be killed if I didn't admit it. There were no ifs or buts, I just said I did it.\n\n\"I didn't think about going to prison or anything like that, I just confessed to make them stop.\"\n\nThe term \"waterboarding\" was not in use at the time, but Mr Holden's description of what happened to him, which he outlined in court at the time, are remarkably similar to the accounts of others who claim to have been subjected to the same form of torture by the CIA in recent years.\n\nAlthough Mr Holden had an alibi for the time of the shooting, and the only evidence against him was the confession he said he had been forced to sign, he was convicted.\n\n\"They knew I did not shoot that soldier, they knew. There was no evidence whatsoever apart from that statement that I signed,\" he says.\n\nHe was released from prison in 1989 after serving 17 years. Since then, he has campaigned to clear his name and the Criminal Cases Review Commission, which was established to investigate possible miscarriages of justice, referred his case to the Court of Appeal.\n\nThe commission took the decision based on new evidence and doubts about \"the admissibility of reliability\" of his confession.\n\nSome of the new material included evidence discovered by a Guardian journalist, Ian Cobain, that water torture was used by the British military at the time, despite repeated denials. The journalist was an expert witness for Mr Holden's legal team.\n\nLast month, Mr Holden was granted permission to appeal after the Public Prosecution Service said it would not oppose the move. A spokesman for the PPS said its decision was based on confidential evidence compiled by the Criminal Cases Review Commission which had not been available to prosecutors at the time of the trial.\n\n\"The court of trial was therefore deprived of relevant material that might have led to a different outcome on the question of the admissibility of the incriminating statements, which were the sole basis of the conviction,\" the spokesman added.\n\n\"In those circumstances the director concluded that it would not be appropriate to oppose the appeal.\"\n\nLiam Holden said he lost his family as well as his liberty during those 17 years in jail.\n\n\"I have five brothers and five sisters, but I don't really know them. The older ones moved on, got married and had their own families while I was in jail. The ones who were younger than me when I was sent to prison didn't get the chance to get to know me.\"\n\nHis mother died a year after he was released, and his father a short time later.\n\n\"I'm just sorry they aren't around to see the outcome of this appeal, to see the stigma removed from my name. That is what this is about. I have never mentioned money at any stage. This is just about being found not guilty and that's all it is, that is more important than any compensation they could ever think of offering me.\"\n\nWhat about the soldiers who tortured him and forced him to sign the confession that led to his conviction?\n\n\"I would just like one of them to admit it, to acknowledge that they subjected me to what I have said they did. I think that would be almost as good, in my own mind, as the judge saying 'Sorry Mr Holden but you were not guilty,\" he said.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/uk-northern-ireland-18525630"}
{"title":"Mississippi tornado kills 26 and brings devastation to US state - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-25","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"The storms have killed 26 and devastated rural towns, with Rolling Fork almost completely wiped out.","section":"US & Canada","content":"This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser.\n\nSearch and rescue efforts are continuing in Mississippi after a deadly tornado hit the US state.\n\nAt least 25 people have died in the state, and one in Alabama, with dozens more left injured by Friday's tornado.\n\nThe storms devastated several rural towns, with Rolling Fork in western Sharkey County almost completely wiped out.\n\nMississippi state governor Tate Reeves has declared a state of emergency to help respond to the damage.\n\nUS President Joe Biden also described the images coming out of Mississippi as \"heartbreaking\", and said the federal government would \"do everything we can to help\".\n\n\"We will be there as long as it takes. We will work together to deliver the support you need to recover,\" he said in a statement.\n\nMore storms are predicted to hit parts of Alabama and Georgia early on Sunday and potentially bring large hail.\n\nThe storm system which ripped through Mississippi produced a tornado that has caused catastrophic damage to communities across the state. The biggest twister obliterated dozens of buildings in several small towns, flipping cars on their sides and toppling power lines.\n\nThe small town of Rolling Fork, located in Sharkey County in western Mississippi, has essentially been wiped out, according to its mayor.\n\n\"My city is gone,\" Mayor Eldridge Walker told CNN. \"But we're resilient and we're going to come back.\"\n\nHe added that lots of families in his community were \"affected and hurting\", and all he could see was \"devastation\".\n\nRolling Fork residents said windows were blown out of the back of their homes.\n\nLocal resident Brandy Showah told CNN: \"I've never seen anything like this... This was a very great small town, and now it's gone.\"\n\nDrone footage of Rolling Fork, shared with the BBC, shows the devastation inflicted on the town. Trucks and trees are shown piled on top of buildings, with detritus scattered over large areas.\n\nCornel Knight told the Associated Press that he, his wife and their three-year-old daughter were at a relative's home in Rolling Fork and that it was \"eerily quiet\" just before the tornado struck. He said the sky was dark but \"you could see the direction from every transformer that blew\".\n\nHe said the tornado struck another relative's house, where a wall collapsed and trapped several people inside.\n\nMississippi state governor Tate Reeves has visited Silver City and Winona to meet with affected residents who had been hit by the tornado's fury.\n\nSharing an update on Twitter, Mr Reeves described the situation as a \"tragedy\", writing: \"We are blessed with brave, capable responders and loving neighbours. Please continue to pray.\"\n\nIt is not yet clear whether one or several tornadoes hit the area on Friday night. Although yesterday the National Weather Service warned that several tornadoes were forecast, it is possible the devastation was caused by a \"skipping tornado\" - a single twister that lifts from the surface only to touch down again.\n\nSam Emmerson from the School of Meteorology at the University of Oklahoma said that the \"extremely high-calibre\" tornado lofted debris above 30,000ft (9144m).\n\nOne local weather forecaster, concerned at the strength of a tornado about to hit the town of Amory, momentarily paused his TV forecast to offer a prayer for the residents of the town.\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Watch: Devastation after Tornadoes roll across Mississippi and Alabama\n\nHave you been affected by the tornado or the storms? Only if it is safe to do so, share your experiences by emailing haveyoursay@bbc.co.uk.\n\nPlease include a contact number if you are willing to speak to a BBC journalist. You can also get in touch in the following ways:\n\nIf 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 HaveYourSay@bbc.co.uk. Please include your name, age and location with any submission.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/world-us-canada-65075276"}
{"title":"MI5 spy reveals secret 'unauthorised' IRA talks - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-25","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"The officer who helped bring peace to Northern Ireland tells the BBC he defied orders from the government.","section":"UK","content":"The BBC's Peter Taylor, pictured here, tracked down the MI5 agent\n\nAn MI5 spy who helped bring peace to Northern Ireland by defying orders, has broken his silence to the BBC.\n\nHe has revealed he met IRA leaders in March 1993, despite talks being called off by the British government after IRA bombs killed two young boys in England.\n\nWhat he said in that meeting encouraged them to declare the ceasefire and move towards the process that eventually led to the 1998 Good Friday Agreement.\n\nThe BBC's Peter Taylor has been trying to find the spy for almost 30 years.\n\nHe has discovered that what the spy said during the talks was not authorised by the British government.\n\nThe minutes of the meeting had been published by Sinn Fein - the IRA's political wing - in 1994. They allege that the spy said: \"The final solution is union\u2026 this island will be as one.\"\n\n\"Those words are so controversial and so important,\" says Taylor in a BBC documentary The MI5 Spy and the IRA: Operation Chiffon.\n\n\"To Unionists such words would be seen as the ultimate betrayal.\"\n\nThe journalist says he wanted to hear what was actually said from the spy's own lips, but to do that he would have to track him down.\n\nIt is extremely rare to hear an MI5 officer talk about a top-secret operation like this. Its codename was \"Chiffon\" and it was designed to get the IRA to call a ceasefire and embrace the political process.\n\n\"It was a seminal meeting that I believe in the long term culminated in the Good Friday Agreement 25 years ago,\" the veteran reporter says in the documentary.\n\nSet up in 1991, Operation Chiffon worked as a secret back channel of communication between the leaders of the IRA and the British government. By then the conflict had caused more than 3,000 deaths.\n\nTaylor discovers that the spy was known to the IRA as \"Fred\" but his real name is Robert.\n\nIn the documentary, Robert reveals to Taylor that his face-to-face talks with the IRA on 23 March 1993 had not been authorised by the British government.\n\n\"I was... on my own, dealing at one remove with the IRA's leadership in the most crucial matter affecting Irish and probably British politics. I knew I had to succeed, and only consistency and patience would achieve this.\" He said that for years, he felt guilty for doing what he did.\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Watch: \"Robert\" talks to Peter Taylor about his 1993 meeting with IRA leaders\n\n\"Yes, I misled the prime minister so I misled the Queen as well. It was a hard and really very unpleasant thing to have on your conscience. I felt very alone.\"\n\nThe IRA had just carried out a bomb attack in Warrington, injuring 50 people and killing two children aged three and 12. It put an end to the British government's willingness to engage with the IRA, and the secret meeting was called off at the last minute by then-prime minister John Major.\n\nTalks were called off after the Warrington bombs\n\nBut Robert had received a previous message from the IRA indicating they were shifting towards a political rather than military way forward and was worried that by not turning up for the meeting, the embryonic peace process would be put in jeopardy.\n\n\"I had all sorts of thoughts going through [my mind]. A concern that I was going against my own government and the Queen,\" Robert tells Taylor in the documentary.\n\nAfter hours spent soul-searching in the countryside south of Stormont, the spy resolved to go ahead, defying his boss John Deverell, the head of MI5 in Northern Ireland who had ordered him not to go.\n\nSenior republicans Martin McGuinness and Gerry Kelly were at the meeting, representing the leadership of the IRA and Sinn Fein. It lasted around three hours and took place in Londonderry at the home of Brendan Duddy, a nationalist businessman passionate about peace. The republicans had expected Robert to be accompanied by his boss, and were suspicious that he had turned up alone.\n\n\"McGuinness did most of the talking. It was not a friendly interrogation,\" says Robert.\n\nDuring the meeting, Martin McGuinness asked what the intentions of the 'Brits' were, believing that Robert was speaking as he had presented himself - \"the British Government Representative\".\n\nRobert said that the goal was ultimately to unify Ireland.\n\nHis exact words were noted down in minutes written by Gerry Kelly:\n\n\"The final solution is union. It is going to happen anyway. The historical train - Europe - determines that. Unionists will have to change. This island will be as one.\"\n\nRobert admits to Taylor that he had no authority to make such a claim and that it flew directly in the face of British government policy.\n\n\"Those words are so incendiary and so important because they appeared to indicate that, behind the scenes, the British government had a policy - that it wasn't divulging at this stage - to work towards Irish unity,\" explains Taylor.\n\nHis words appeared to have resonated with the Republicans.\n\nSpeaking to Taylor in February, Gerry Kelly described the meeting as a \"seminal moment\".\n\n\"We were told he was a British government representative. We just took him at his word - that's what he was there for, he would represent the British government and therefore we were talking to the British government,\" says Mr Kelly.\n\n\"It gave hope there was a possibility of a peace process through meaningful talks. I think he [Robert] did the right thing and he can claim to have been part of history,\" he said.\n\nDuring a break in the meeting, the host Brendan Duddy said to Robert, \"I think you've got them, I think they're going to call a ceasefire.\"\n\nRobert did not come clean with the British government about the meeting but the secret came out later in the year [28 Nov 1993], when The Observer ran a front page scoop revealing that a British official had secretly met the IRA three days after the Warrington bomb.\n\n\"This is hugely embarrassing because the government had repeatedly denied that there had been any face to face meetings with the IRA,\" Taylor explains in the documentary.\n\nTaylor tracked him down more than 20 years ago. The trail to Robert was triggered by a signed inscription in a book the spy presented to Brendan Duddy. The inscription - a quote in Latin from Virgil's Aeneid - translated, read: \"Perhaps one day it will be good to remember these things,\" and was signed \"Robert\".\n\nThe letter Robert sent to Peter Taylor\n\nBut, following MI5's rules, he lied to Taylor, and said he wasn't the man he was looking for. But in 2021, the journalist received a letter.\n\n\"Dear Mr Taylor: You will no doubt be surprised to hear from me after so many years. For a variety of reasons I could now give you some background which might fill in some gaps - were you so interested. Two of the leading figures from my involvement have died [Martin McGuinness and Brendan Duddy] the third, crucially for me, is my wife. It is her death, which puts me in a position to contact you. Yours sincerely Robert [surname withheld]\"\n\n\"I'd like what I did to be remembered,\" he tells Taylor in the documentary.\n\nThe MI5 Spy and the IRA: Operation Chiffon is broadcast on BBC Two at 19:00 (21:50 in Northern Ireland) and on BBC iPlayer at 19:00.\n\u2022 None What is the Good Friday Agreement?","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/uk-65038587"}
{"title":"Welsh Lib Dem leader Jane Dodds calls for more generous society - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-25","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"Leader Jane Dodds said the party offers a \"generous vision for our country\" at a conference.","section":"Wales politics","content":"Jane Dodds will tell her party's conference that Liberal Democrats understand the value of community\n\nA more generous society is needed for the challenges facing Wales and the UK today, the leader of the Welsh Liberal Democrats told party members.\n\nJane Dodds said the Lib Dems offer a \"generous vision for our country\".\n\nThey are the alternative to Tory \"mindless destruction\", Labour \"managerialism\" and nationalist \"empty, populist solutions\", Ms Dodds said.\n\nShe spoke on Saturday, day one of the two-day Welsh Lib Dem conference taking place in Swansea.\n\nPromising the Lib Dems will play their part in removing every Conservative MP from Wales at the UK general election expected next year, Ms Dodds said she is proud her party is \"making the case for stronger ties with Europe, rejoining the single market and customs union\".\n\nThis is needed to \"resuscitate our economy and protect our freedoms\" and help build a \"generous welfare state as an essential part of creating a fairer future for all of us,\" she argued.\n\nUK Conservative ministers are \"driving our country into the ground\", \"demonising the most vulnerable, smashing our public services, and trashing our economy\", Ms Dodds told the conference.\n\nBut she also attacked the politics in Cardiff Bay, saying she gets \"so frustrated when it feels like we're content in Wales with simply shuffling along bit by bit\".\n\n\"Shuffling along and playing games when people are waiting years for health treatment, children and young people are languishing on mental health waiting lists, and NHS dentistry is in crisis.\"\n\nJane Dodds is the only Lib Dem in the 60-member Senedd and the party has no Welsh MPs\n\nDebates at the conference include motions on creating a \"Celtic Sea powerhouse\", on establishing a powerful independent NHS executive to lead the health service in Wales and on moving to a four-day working week.\n\nThe Lib Dems made significant gains in Powys at last year's local elections, becoming the largest party there and leading the previously independent-led council by joining together with Labour councillors to form a cabinet.\n\nIn the 2019 general election the Lib Dems came second to Conservatives in the Powys seats of Brecon and Radnorshire and Montgomeryshire, constituencies they have previously held.\n\nUK Lib Dem leader Sir Ed Davey will also address the conference on Saturday.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/uk-wales-politics-65055887"}
{"title":"Person dies in listeria outbreak linked to cheese - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-25","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"Three people are affected by the outbreak linked to a Wiltshire firm's Baronet cheese.","section":"Wiltshire","content":"Listeria has been linked to batches of the soft cheese Baronet\n\nOne person has died in a listeria outbreak and people have been warned to avoid Baronet semi-soft cheeses which were recalled as they were contaminated with a related strain of the bacteria.\n\nThe Food Standards Agency (FSA) warned people not to eat the cheeses as they contained high levels of the bacteria.\n\nThe FSA has not confirmed The Old Cheese Room, in Wiltshire, which makes the cheeses, was the source.\n\nThe firm said it was working \"closely\" with the FSA.\n\nThere have been three cases of listeria linked to the outbreak, resulting in the death of one person, the FSA confirmed.\n\nSeveral batches of Baronet, Baby Baronet and Mini Baronet soft cheeses made by the Old Cheese Room have been recalled.\n\nThe agency is continuing to investigate whether the person who died had eaten Baronet cheese.\n\nCases were identified in the south of England and London, but the product is distributed nationally.\n\nListeria bacteria can cause mild symptoms like stomach ache but can cause more serious complications\n\nTina Potter, the FSA's head of incidents, said: \"A closely genetically related strain of listeria monocytogenes found in samples of Baronet cheese, was found in all three cases in this outbreak.\n\n\"However, that does not necessarily mean that all those involved in the outbreak contracted listeriosis as a result of eating Baronet cheese.\n\n\"Although a source of listeria has been found in cheese products, work to ascertain the cause of the outbreak is continuing.\"\n\nThe agency said the outbreak strain has also been found in some food products and samples taken from other places where the cheese has been sold, supplied and served from.\n\nThe bacteria can cause listeriosis, a rare infection that usually goes away on its own, but can have serious complications including causing meningitis.\n\nSymptoms can be similar to flu and include a high temperature, muscle ache or pain, chills, feeling or being sick and diarrhoea.\n\nThe Old Cheese Room said that none of its other cheeses have been affected by the outbreak.\n\n\"As a responsible cheesemaker we carry out regular cleaning, disinfecting and swab testing of our making and ripening rooms,\" they said in a statement.\n\n\"Since the test that showed a trace of listeria monocytogenes in a single batch of Baronet, we have changed our monthly testing regime to positive release - this means that we test every batch of cheese before it leaves us.\n\n\"None of our other cheeses have been affected by this.\"\n\nMs Potter said vulnerable people should be particularly concerned with following the product recall advice, including pregnant women and the elderly.\n\nGuidance issued by the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) said Baronet cheese is sold in both small individual rounds and as 1kg wheels.\n\n\"The cheeses are sometimes served sliced from a deli counter, so it may not always be clear whether you have purchased an affected product.\n\n\"If in doubt, consumers are advised to contact the retailer they bought their cheese from to find out if the Baronet cheese they have purchased is from the batches affected and in the meantime to not eat the product,\" the guidance states.\n\nRichard Elson, UKHSA head of incidents and response, said: \"Listeriosis is a rare infection and most people will only experience mild symptoms such as abdominal pain or diarrhoea, which usually pass within a few days without the need for treatment.\n\n\"But people with weakened immune systems, who are pregnant, or are infants or elderly are at greater risk of developing severe symptoms.\"\n\nFollow BBC West on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. Send your story ideas to: bristol@bbc.co.uk\n\nThe BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/uk-england-wiltshire-65069415"}
{"title":"Rent rise: Sara Lewis's daily Aberllefenni bench protest - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-25","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"Sara Lewis, 55, who has to use an oxygen bottle, spends six hours a day on the bench in her village.","section":"Wales","content":"\"It's just a horrible situation to be in,\" says Sara Lewis\n\nA woman has been sitting on a bench for hours a day in protest over rising rent costs on her home.\n\nSara Lewis, 55, who has a lung disease, has to use her oxygen bottle on the bench at Aberllefenni, Gwynedd.\n\nHer rent has increased from \u00a3435 to \u00a3550 after her new landlord bought the property and 15 others in the village.\n\nWalsh Investment Properties said the original rental amount - under a previous landlord - was \"not sustainable\".\n\n\"My home is my haven,\" said Ms Lewis, who has lived in the property, Glanyrafon, for 22 years.\n\n\"The furthest I'm going is the bench. If I belong anywhere, it's Glanyrafon.\n\nSara Lewis has lived in her home for 22 years\n\nMs Lewis receives \u00a3300 as part of her Universal Credit payment towards her monthly rent, and has recently heard that Gwynedd council will provide \u00a3100 of discretionary funding, which leaves her to find an extra \u00a3150 each month.\n\n\"I'm protesting about the [UK] government to begin with for this standard \u00a3300 a month rent, which is ridiculous, and against Gwynedd council.\n\n\"It's so stressful. It's just a horrible situation to be in.\"\n\nMs Lewis, who cannot work because of her emphysema, has spent six hours each day sitting on the bench between last Monday and Friday.\n\nShe said that being out in the wind and the rain is affecting her health but she is prepared to continue next week.\n\nWalsh Investment Properties bought 16 homes in the village last year\n\nWalsh Investment Properties director Chris Walsh has previously said that most of the properties had been paying \"a low rent for a number of years\", adding that was \"not sustainable in the current economy [and] we feel it is fair and reasonable to charge a market rent\".\n\nLocal Member of the Senedd [MS] Mabon ap Gwynfor, who is supporting Ms Lewis, said \"benefit payments haven't kept pace with rent increases\".\n\n\"We need to see a change in the local housing allowance and ensure that the UK government pays people properly to be able to live in their communities,\" he said.\n\nGwynedd council said it was \"committed to supporting any individual who is facing difficulties as a result of the housing crisis\".\n\n\"All applications for discretionary housing payments submitted to us are assessed by our benefits team as a matter of urgency.\"\n\nThe Department for Work and Pensions has declined to comment.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/uk-wales-65074607"}
{"title":"French police clash with water reservoir protesters - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-25","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"The unrest follows weeks of protests against President Emmanuel Macron's pension reforms.","section":"Europe","content":"French police have fired tear gas at protesters at a large demonstration in the west of the country.\n\nThousands of people had gathered in Sainte-Soline to protest against plans for a new water reservoir.\n\nSeveral police cars were set on fire after clashes broke out at the construction site.\n\nThe unrest follows weeks of anti-government demonstrations in Paris and other cities over President Emmanuel Macron's pension reforms.\n\nThough unrelated to the protests over plans to raise the state pension age, the latest demonstration adds to the growing sense of public anger within France.\n\nOpponents of the irrigation project in Sainte-Soline, near Poitiers, marched in large numbers on Saturday despite a ban on gatherings in the district.\n\nThe procession set off late morning, with at least 6,000 people taking part, according to local authorities, although organisers claim the group numbered 25,000.\n\nThey are protesting against one of the reservoirs being built in the Deux-S\u00e8vres department - developed by a group of 400 farmers to reduce mains water usage in the summer.\n\nFrance's worst drought on record last year intensified discussions over water resources. Supporters of artificial reservoirs say they could provide the solution to shortages during future dry spells.\n\nBut opponents say the project favours large agricultural producers for crop irrigation in the summer and would not directly help the local community.\n\n\"While the country is rising up to defend pensions, we will simultaneously stand up to defend water,\" said the organisers, gathering under the banner of \"Bassines non merci\" - \"No to reservoirs, thank you\".\n\nMore than 3,000 police officers were deployed to Sainte-Soline, while officials said at least 1,000 potentially violent activists had joined the demonstration.\n\nSecurity forces fired tear gas to stop some who reportedly threw fireworks and projectiles as they approached the fenced-off construction area.\n\nOfficials say several people have been arrested and police have seized weapons, including p\u00e9tanque balls and meat knives.\n\nPresident Macron said: \"We will never give in to this violence. In a democracy, we do not have the right to use violence.\"\n\nInterior Minister G\u00e9rald Darmanin said violence displayed against officers in Sainte-Soline was \"unspeakable\" and \"unbearable\".\n\nThe large procession is calling for an end to the development\n\nSome of the demonstrators in Sainte-Soline saw this struggle as linked to the nationwide protests against President Macron and his decision to force through a rise in the pension age.\n\n\"What is happening today, this convergence of struggles - this struggle for water is similar to the one for pensions,\" said Benoit Jaunet, a spokesperson for the Deux-S\u00e8vres Peasant Confederation.\n\n\"We are facing the same violence. Our work, our water are being stolen for a few people. And that's not right.\"\n\nWidespread protests have gripped France in recent weeks. The situation in Paris and other cities was calmer overnight, but security forces have remained on high alert following days of clashes with protesters.\n\nDemonstrations have largely been peaceful, but several French cities have witnessed episodes of violence this week. In Bordeaux, the entrance to the town hall was set alight. In Paris, tear gas was fired and hundreds of fires were lit.\n\nBut the Council of Europe - the continent's leading human rights group - has warned that sporadic acts of violence \"cannot justify excessive use of force by agents of the state\" or \"deprive peaceful protesters of their right to freedom of assembly\".\n\nProtesters have been emboldened by the government's use of constitutional power to ram through reforms without a vote in the National Assembly.\n\nKing Charles III's state visit to France was postponed at the request of President Macron. The trip to Paris and Bordeaux was due to begin on Sunday.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/world-europe-65076537"}
{"title":"In pictures: Rubbish and fires in French protests - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-25","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"King Charles has postponed a state visit to France after protests over pension reform turned violent.","section":"In Pictures","content":"King Charles has postponed his first state visit to France after protests over pension reform turned violent.\n\nHuge numbers of people have taken part in demonstrations across France over legislation to raise the retirement age from 62 to 64.\n\nRefuse collectors have been on strike for over two weeks in several cities, with Paris seeing thousands of tonnes of uncollected rubbish on the streets.\n\nSome protesters set fire to the piles of rubbish on Thursday - the clean up began early Friday morning.\n\nDemonstrations in central Paris were peaceful, but some groups smashed shop windows, burnt rubbish and clashed with riot police.\n\nIn the city of Bordeaux, people gathered against the reform and chanted: \"Macron, resign!\"\n\nA fire engulfed the front door of the Bordeaux town hall on Thursday evening.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/in-pictures-65062962"}
{"title":"Greater Manchester mayor Andy Burnham to pay almost \u00a32k speeding fine - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-25","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"The Greater Manchester mayor admits driving at 78mph on a motorway with a temporary limit of 40mph.","section":"Manchester","content":"Andy Burnham said he accepted the court's decision as he was \"going too fast\"\n\nGreater Manchester mayor Andy Burnham has been fined for speeding after admitting driving at 78mph on a motorway where there was a reduced 40mph limit.\n\nMr Burnham was ordered by a court to pay nearly \u00a32,000 in fines, charges and costs and given six penalty points.\n\nAs first reported by Wigan Today, he was travelling on the M62 towards Liverpool last July.\n\nIn a statement, Mr Burnham accepted he was \"going too fast\".\n\nHe said: \"On the night in question, I was travelling home on the M62 westbound in normal motorway conditions intending to come off at Junction 10 for the M6.\n\n\"When I got close to the junction, it became clear it had recently been closed and I had to re-route quickly back onto the main motorway.\"\n\nMr Burnham said he was \"not aware of any variable speed limit in place on the smart motorway at the time\" and only found out about it when the letter notifying him arrived in the post.\n\n\"If I had been aware, I would not have been travelling at that speed,\" he added.\n\n\"That said, I acknowledge that, at 78 mph, I was going too fast and accept the court's decision.\"\n\nAndy Burnham was elected Mayor of Greater Manchester in May 2017 before being re-elected for a second term in May 2021.\n\nThe mayor has responsibilities around the governance and budgets relating to Greater Manchester Police.\n\nAccording to the website for the Greater Manchester Combined Authority, the mayor is the public's voice on policing matters, taking on the responsibilities of the police and crime commissioner.\n\nWhy not follow BBC North West on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram? You can also send story ideas to northwest.newsonline@bbc.co.uk\n\nThe BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/uk-england-manchester-65075890"}
{"title":"Derbyshire PC to keep job after using database to find woman on Instagram - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-25","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"The panel rules sacking the PC was \"not a proportional or appropriate outcome\" for his actions.","section":"Derby","content":"The misconduct panel heard evidence at the force's headquarters in Ripley\n\nAn officer will keep his job after it was found he used the Police National Computer (PNC) to find a woman on Instagram.\n\nDerbyshire PC Jack Harrison followed a woman's car at a Co-op supermarket before checking the database on the car's registration in September 2021.\n\nAfter getting the details of the vehicle's owner, he followed her on the app.\n\nThe panel chair said dismissal was \"not a proportional or appropriate outcome\".\n\nThe officer, who joined the force in January 2019 after being a special constable for three years, burst into tears at the outcome.\n\nThe officer is said to have followed the woman in his patrol car from a Co-op store in Wirksworth\n\nAt a misconduct hearing, PC Harrison was given a final written warning, which will be on record for five years, the Local Democracy Reporting Service said.\n\nThe officer denied the allegations and said he believed his actions \"were within policing standards\".\n\nHowever, the panel said it concluded that he did carry out the PNC check for a non-policing purpose and that he searched for the woman's name on Instagram minutes later after the check. This was based on evidence seen on a screenshot of the woman's phone.\n\nThe hearing heard evidence that after the officer followed the woman at the Co-op in Wirksworth, Derbyshire, he sent flame and heart eyes emojis to the same woman's Instagram.\n\nPanel chair Jayne Salt said PC Harrison had acted with \"naivety not cynicism\" and - partly because of that - a final written warning was appropriate for his actions.\n\nThe woman said PC Harrison had reacted to some of her Instagram posts\n\nMs Salt said the panel had considered the fact that PC Harrison had not followed up his Instagram \"follow\" by messaging her directly. However, it was heard that he had sent her another emoji to her in December 2021 before deciding to block her.\n\nThe misconduct hearing previously heard PC Harrison followed the car because he felt it was \"involved with criminality\" and claimed the speed was \"too fast\" when exiting the store.\n\nBut the woman, who cannot be named, told the hearing the \"weird\" events on that day had made her feel uncomfortable and \"worried\" about her security.\n\nFollow BBC East Midlands on Facebook, on Twitter, or on Instagram. Send your story ideas to eastmidsnews@bbc.co.uk.\n\nThe BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/uk-england-derbyshire-65071673"}
{"title":"Alison Hammond: Man arrested over blackmail claims - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-25","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"Police say they arrested a 36-year-old man at an address in Warwickshire on Saturday evening.","section":"Birmingham & Black Country","content":"A man has been arrested on suspicion of blackmailing TV presenter Alison Hammond.\n\nWest Midlands police said the 36-year-old was arrested at an address in Warwickshire on Saturday evening.\n\nAccording to a report in The Sun, the This Morning presenter, 48, has paid out large sums after falling victim.\n\nIt is alleged the Birmingham-born celebrity had been threatened that lies would be spread about her if she did not co-operate with demands.\n\nOn Sunday evening, police said the man had been released on conditional bail.\n\nThe presenter has been announced as the new co-host of The Great British Bake Off\n\nThe presenter came to prominence as a contestant on the third series of Big Brother in 2002.\n\nShe was promoted to co-presenter of This Morning in 2020, appearing alongside Dermot O'Leary on Fridays.\n\nThere have also been appearances on I'm a Celebrity... Get Me Out of Here! in 2010 and Strictly Come Dancing in 2014.\n\nLast week she was announced as the new co-host of The Great British Bake Off, replacing Matt Lucas.\n\nShe also appeared alongside actor Richard E Grant to host the 2023 Baftas.\n\nFollow BBC West Midlands on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. Send your story ideas to: newsonline.westmidlands@bbc.co.uk\n\u2022 None Alison Hammond to be new Bake Off co-host\n\nThe BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/uk-england-birmingham-65077545"}
{"title":"Liz Truss resignation honours list criticised by ex-aides - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-25","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"The former PM, who spent 49 days in office, has reportedly nominated four people for peerages.","section":"UK","content":"Former Prime Minister Liz Truss has been criticised by two former aides for choosing to submit a list of resignation honours.\n\nMs Truss, who spent only 49 days in office, has put forward four people, the Sun and i reported.\n\nTory party donor Jon Moynihan, aide Ruth Porter, ex-Vote Leave's Matthew Elliott and think tank boss Mark Littlewood are said to be on the list.\n\nA spokesman for Ms Truss said it would not be \"appropriate\" to comment.\n\nBoth Labour and the Liberal Democrats have called on Prime Minister Rishi Sunak to block the move.\n\nAny outgoing prime minister is able to recommend people for honours after they've resigned, although not all have chosen to.\n\nAllies say Ms Truss's list is \"modest\" but former aides are among those expressing anger that she is making any nominations at all.\n\nTwo former advisers told the BBC they did not think she should be putting anybody forward, given her short time in office.\n\nOne said they were \"relieved to no longer be working for her and having to defend the indefensible\".\n\nLabour's deputy leader Angela Rayner called it a \"list of shame\", saying the former PM and her supporters \"took a wrecking ball to the economy in a disastrous six-week premiership that has left millions facing mortgage misery\".\n\nWendy Chamberlain MP, the Lib Dems' chief whip, described the move as \"truly remarkable\", adding: \"Rishi Sunak must block these honours immediately as allowing Truss to dish out positions of influence shows a stunning lack of humility.\"\n\nThe BBC has not confirmed the names of those reported to be on the list.\n\nMr Littlewood is director of the Institute of Economic Affairs, a free-market supporting think tank that was associated with Ms Truss and her former chancellor Kwasi Kwarteng.\n\nMr Elliott, who helped found the Taxpayers Alliance group, which campaigns for lower taxes, was chief executive of the main pro-Brexit campaign during the 2016 referendum.\n\nMs Porter ran Ms Truss' Tory election leadership campaign and briefly served as her deputy chief of staff in No 10.\n\nThe register of MPs' financial interests shows that Mr Moynihan donated \u00a350,000 in two separate transactions to her Tory leadership campaign.\n\nIt's unclear when Ms Truss' nominations would be assessed by the Cabinet Office, which is already considering nominations from Boris Johnson.\n\nKing Charles is also expected to hand out honours to mark his coronation.\n\nOutgoing prime ministers can ask the monarch to bestow peerages, knighthoods, and other honours on any number of people of their choosing.\n\nMr Cameron nominated 59 people for honours when he resigned, while Ms May nominated 51.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/uk-65075328"}
{"title":"Northampton: Teenagers charged with murder of 16-year-old - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-25","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"The boys, 16 and 14, appear in court over the stabbing of Northamptonshire school pupil Rohan Shand.","section":"Northampton","content":"Two teenage boys, aged 14 and 16, have appeared in court charged with the murder of a 16-year-old who was stabbed to death in Northampton.\n\nRohan Shand, known to his family and friends as Fred, died in Kingsthorpe, at about 15:35 GMT on Wednesday.\n\nThe two teenagers, who cannot be named for legal reasons appeared at Northampton Magistrates' Court.\n\nThey were remanded in youth detention accommodation and will next appear at Northampton Crown Court on Monday.\n\nA 49-year-old man and a 21-year-old man who were arrested in connection with Rohan's death have both been released with no further action, Northamptonshire Police said.\n\nThe boy's family were said to be \"devastated\" at his death, which happened on Harborough Road, close to the junction with The Cock Hotel.\n\nA post-mortem examination indicated the teenager died from a single stab wound to the chest.\n\nNorthamptonshire Police said specially trained officers were supporting the boy's family.\n\nThe 16-year-old died following an incident on Harborough Road, close to the junction with The Cock Hotel\n\nOfficers have said they would still like to speak to witnesses, anyone with information, or anyone with CCTV, doorbell, or dashcam footage of the area at the time.\n\nHelen Freeman, who lives in Kingsthorpe, said her son had been friends with Mr Shand and described him as \"funny\" and very popular.\n\n\"It's devastating to see your child so upset. I don't think I've seen my son cry as much as he did last night, but his mates have been there for him,\" she said.\n\nAn online appeal to raise money towards the funeral has already collected more that \u00a319,000.\n\nFind BBC News: East of England on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter. If you have a story suggestion email eastofenglandnews@bbc.co.uk\n\nThe BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/uk-england-northamptonshire-65073463"}
{"title":"Nelson Piquet fined for racist and homophobic comments about Lewis Hamilton - BBC Sport","published_date":"2023-03-25","authors":null,"description":"Three-time Formula 1 world champion Nelson Piquet is fined for using racist and homophobic language about British Mercedes driver Lewis Hamilton.","section":null,"content":"Last updated on .From the section Formula 1\n\nThree-time Formula 1 world champion Nelson Piquet has been ordered to pay five million Brazilian Reals (\u00a3780,000) for making racist and homophobic comments about Lewis Hamilton.\n\nThe 70-year-old Brazilian used a racially offensive term in referring to Hamilton in an interview in 2021.\n\nHamilton called for \"archaic mindsets\" to change after the footage surfaced.\n\nPiquet later apologised for his \"ill-thought-out\" racially abusive remark about the British Mercedes driver.\n\nFormula 1, Hamilton's Mercedes team and world motorsport governing body the FIA condemned Piquet's comments where he discussed the accident between Hamilton and Red Bull driver Max Verstappen, who is the partner of Piquet's daughter, on the first lap of the 2021 British Grand Prix.\n\nPiquet said he \"made no defence\" of the remarks, but added the term he used \"is one that has widely and historically been used colloquially in Brazilian Portuguese as a synonym for 'guy' or 'person' and was never intended to offend\".\n\nIn another interview that surfaced later, Piquet used racist and homophobic language when describing how Hamilton missed out on the 2016 championship to Nico Rosberg.\n\nSeven-time world champion Hamilton is the sport's only black driver.\n\nThe charges against Piquet were brought by four human rights groups, including Brazil's National LGBT+ Alliance, which wanted Piquet to pay 10 million Brazilian Reals for alleged moral damages.\n\nA Brazilian court ruled on Friday he must pay five million Brazilian Reals ($953,000), with Judge Pedro Matos de Arrudo saying the amount of compensation was given \"so that, as a society, we can someday be free from the pernicious acts that are racism and homophobia\".\n\u2022 None Watch the nail-biting final of The Apprentice\n\u2022 None An access-all-areas podcast follows the footballer as he decides","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/sport\/formula1\/65074698"}
{"title":"Gwyneth Paltrow trial: Actress denies hit-and-run in ski crash - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-25","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"The actress testifies she felt \"hurt and violated\" when she says a man crashed into her on the slope.","section":"US & Canada","content":"This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Watch: Jaw-dropping moments from the courtroom as Gwyneth Paltrow testifies\n\nGwyneth Paltrow has denied in court that she caused a 2016 ski collision in Utah that the man suing her says has left him with life-changing injuries.\n\nTerry Sanderson, 76, says the Hollywood actress caused the crash. He is seeking damages of $300,000 (\u00a3244,000).\n\nMs Paltrow, 50, has countersued. She testified that he collided with her and left her feeling \"hurt and violated\".\n\nLawyers for Mr Sanderson say Ms Paltrow was distracted by her children on the slope, and fled the crash.\n\nAccording to his civil lawsuit, Mr Sanderson suffered a lasting brain injury and four fractured ribs.\n\nMs Paltrow testified in court on Friday, day four of the trial, that the crash left her with a sore knee and she got a massage afterwards.\n\n\"There was a body pressing against me and a very strange grunting noise,\" she said, describing how Mr Sanderson, a retired eye doctor, allegedly crashed into her from behind on a beginners' slope at Deer Valley in February 2016.\n\n\"Is this a practical joke. Is someone doing something perverted?\" she told the court she recalled thinking in that moment.\n\n\"He was groaning and grunting in a very disturbing way,\" she added.\n\nThey fell on the ground together, and were almost \"spooning\", she said.\n\nShe later clarified that she was not accusing Mr Sanderson of sexual assault.\n\nTerry Sanderson was in court on Friday\n\nThe Oscar winner also apologised for screaming a profanity at him after the crash.\n\n\"After an incident like that when you feel hurt and violated, unfortunately adrenaline can take over, and emotion as well,\" she said, explaining her anger at the time.\n\nLawyers for Mr Sanderson asked if she remembered her nine-year-old son, Moses, shouting \"mommy, mommy, watch me.\" She said she did not recall that.\n\nThe Goop lifestyle brand founder also denied her children had been a distraction as she skied at the upmarket Park City resort.\n\n\"I was skiing and looking downhill as you do,\" she said. \"And I was skied directly into by Mr Sanderson.\"\n\nMr Sanderon's legal team sought to undermine her credibility, suggesting it was misleading to say she was suing for a symbolic $1 when she is also seeking reimbursement of legal fees, which could amount to hundreds of thousands of dollars.\n\nThroughout her testimony Ms Paltrow remained calm, sipping regularly on water, and even complimenting the shoes of the plaintiff's lawyer during cross-examination.\n\nOn Thursday, a doctor testified that Mr Sanderson had previously been a \"high-energy person\", but \"deteriorated abruptly\" after the crash.\n\nOn Friday, his daughter Shae Herath took the stand to tell the court: \"This is not my dad. This is an alternate version of my dad.\"\n\nLawyers for Mr Sanderson on Friday grilled Ms Paltrow on why she did not personally inquire if he was OK.\n\nShe said she was too angry about the crash to do so herself, but her ski instructor had checked on Mr Sanderson. Mr Sanderson, she said, had mumbled that he was OK.\n\n\"I did not cause the accident, so I cannot be at fault for anything that subsequently happened to him,\" Ms Paltrow said.\n\nThe day's skiing - including lessons for her, her now-husband, Brad Falchuk, and four children - cost over $9,000, lawyers for Mr Sanderson noted.\n\nMs Paltrow's lawyers argue Mr Sanderson is to blame for the accident and that he had several medical conditions before the collision, including vision and hearing loss from a stroke; a brain disorder that caused excessive fluid build-up; and occasional depression.\n\nThe trial, before a jury of eight people, will continue on Monday.\n\nThis case hinges on skiing etiquette with both parties claiming that they were the downhill skier and therefore had right of way.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/world-us-canada-65072367"}
{"title":"Patriotic Alternative: The town fighting the far-right with Welsh cakes - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-25","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"When Patriotic Alternative started targeting a Welsh town, the community found a way to push back.","section":"UK","content":"Annie had never heard of Patriotic Alternative before it started leafleting her town\n\nFar-right groups have been stoking tensions in UK towns by posting inflammatory leaflets through people's doors and staging anti-migrant rallies. In one town in south Wales, a local community has banded together and is planning a peaceful counter-protest.\n\nAnnie, 73, has lived in Llantwit Major on the south coast of Wales for more than 50 years. She lives in an old church building, loves guerrilla gardening and co-ordinates a seed-swap with other gardening enthusiasts in her community.\n\nShe has seen her children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren grow up in the town.\n\nAnd now, she is one of the unlikely ringleaders of a local pushback against a national far-right group that is targeting Llantwit Major.\n\nIt is not a fight Annie pictured herself taking on.\n\nPatriotic Alternative has been staging anti-migrant protests across the UK, and leafleting communities where there are existing tensions about the provision of accommodation for asylum seekers.\n\nIt started leafleting Llantwit Major in February, soon after Vale of Glamorgan Council announced that temporary houses for refugees were going to be built on the site of a closed-down primary school. The leaflets promoted a protest against the development on 25 March, and read: \"Llantwit says no to a migrant camp\" and: \"No more migrants - Wales is full\".\n\nLike many in the town, Annie had never heard of Patriotic Alternative. But she started to feel their influence.\n\nDebates on the local Facebook group became increasingly heated. Friendly small talk in cafes and on the street quickly turned into anxious conversations.\n\nOn 21 February, the town's football club posted a statement on social media saying: \"Racism, xenophobia and discrimination have no place in Llantwit\".\n\nShortly afterwards, the Cardiff branch of a national anti-racism organisation came to Llantwit Major, meeting people who were worried and promising to co-ordinate a response.\n\nThen there was radio silence.\n\n\"I just thought, 'this is ridiculous, let's just get on with it, what's stopping us?'\" another Llantwit resident - Rhian, whose name we've changed - told BBC News.\n\nRhian created a new WhatsApp group chat made up of anyone she thought might be worried - including the head of the knitting club, the football club's matchday DJ and the town's punk-turned-priest, Father Edwin Counsell.\n\nLike most people in the group, Jack, the football club DJ who also works at his family's cafe, told BBC News that he doesn't have a background in political activism. But he felt protective of his community and the \"misfits\" that live there: \"Llantwit is overwhelmingly a very positive, friendly town\u2026 where weirdos and eccentrics are welcome.\"\n\nThe group said the idea of a full-blown counter-protest felt intimidating - they didn't want to inadvertently invite agitators of any political background.\n\nIn the end, they felt the best way to challenge the group was with non-violent resistance - \"the spirit of welcome\", Fr Counsell told BBC News.\n\nThe day will kick off with an overnight vigil at the church the night before, he said, followed by a Welsh cake giveaway during the day. Another church will also open a space during the day for anyone feeling anxious about Patriotic Alternative.\n\n\"Welsh cakes are a symbol of hospitality,\" Fr Counsell said. \"So if you meet a far-right, neo-fascist bonehead who looks out of place here, the critical question you must ask that person is: 'Would you like a Welsh cake?'\"\n\nIt has been branded a \"day of kindness\".\n\n\"Do I want to welcome these people to Llantwit?\" Fr Counsell said. \"To tell you the truth, I don't, I want them to go away and let us get on with sorting out a local issue. But if they are going to come, then I hope they see something in our welcome.\"\n\nThere is, however, undeniable tension in the town - Annie said she has occasionally been challenged while handing out leaflets for the \"day of kindness\". One man spoke to her at length about \"how much he hated Muslims\", she said.\n\nAnother woman told her she'd just bought and renovated a house near the site of the development, and that while she was happy for Ukrainians to be housed there, \"if anyone else comes, I'm moving\".\n\nBut the issue is not black and white - and for many in the town, their opinions sit in a grey area. Some generally approve of the rehousing of asylum seekers, but disagree with how the plans are being carried out. Annie, for example, said she agrees with the principle but worries that those in the new houses will be segregated from the rest of the town.\n\nOthers worry that a sudden increase in population could put a strain on local services. One woman, responding to the council's announcement on Facebook, wrote that Llantwit is \"a small town which is already growing too fast for it to cope\u2026 Now we have this\".\n\nIn particular, a number of people hoped the site was going to be used to build a new health centre, which those behind the day of kindness said they understood and sympathised with. But this is also something Patriotic Alternative has directly seized on in its posts targeting the town, with slogans such as: \"Where's the medical centre?\".\n\nLlantwit Major is not a single case. Patriotic Alternative has targeted other towns in the UK, often where there are hotels used as temporary accommodation for asylum seekers.\n\nIn north Rotherham, leaflets warned residents of \"white genocide\". The group has made several visits to Skegness, where tensions are already high around the occupation of hotels, which some residents feel would otherwise be used by holidaymakers. A demonstration outside a hotel in Kirkby, Merseyside, in February, made news headlines when it descended into disorder.\n\nPatriotic Alternative has a significant reach online, the Centre for Countering Digital Hate (CCDH) told BBC News. Analysis from CCDH found that tweets posted by Patriotic Alternative's founder, Mark Collett, were collectively viewed more than 10.6 million times before he - and the group - were suspended from Twitter on 23 February.\n\nNow, the group primarily shares content on less mainstream platforms.\n\n\"Smaller social media platforms, out of the glare of intense scrutiny, are incredibly dangerous breeding grounds for extremism,\" Callum Hood, head of research at the CCDH, told BBC News.\n\nLeaflets, photos of which were shared with BBC News, that were posted to residents in Rotherham, repeated a white supremacist conspiracy theory\n\nCouncillors, community leaders and groups which work with refugees in the affected areas have told BBC News that hotels are often in inappropriate locations, and local communities and councils are only involved at the last minute, if at all.\n\nIn Knowsley, the council said it had been given 48 hours' notice before the hotel was used to house asylum seekers.\n\nAnd in Llantwit, even those who are positive about the housing development believe it was \"sprung\" upon the community without much notice. Vale of Glamorgan Council has said it only got permission to build the houses in December.\n\nThe Home Office told BBC News it will \"continue to engage with local authorities as early as possible, whenever sites are used for asylum accommodation and work to ensure arrangements are safe for hotel residents and local people\".\n\nTim Squirrell, from the Institute for Strategic Dialogue (ISD), told BBC News that it is exactly these kind of \"wedge issues in local areas\" that are exploited by the group, to \"boost their profile and gain recruits\".\n\nPatriotic Alternative sees concerns around immigration and asylum as \"'winning issues' that will gain them local support and allow them to introduce people to their more overtly extreme beliefs\", he said.\n\nOn its website, Patriotic Alternative describes itself as a \"community building and activism group\", and campaigns about what it claims are \"issues such as the demographic decline of native Britons in the United Kingdom, the environmental impact of mass immigration and the indoctrination and political bias taking place in British schools\".\n\nFor Annie, thinking about the prospect of a far-right group coming to her town makes her feel \"scared, anxious and horrified\" - but at the same time, she says she is \"amazed at how solidly everyone is behind us\".\n\nJack agreed. Despite the flyers, he said most people didn't want the protest to happen: \"What you generally find is how diplomatic it is here. People actually listen to each other, consider things and find compromises.\"\n\nEven for most of those who are concerned about the housing development, he said, \"they're like - 'yeah, but we don't want neo-Nazis here'\".","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/uk-65057093"}
{"title":"Ukraine war: Why Bakhmut matters for Russia and Ukraine - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-25","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"Tens of thousands have died fighting for a city with little strategic value. Why?","section":"Europe","content":"Russia has virtually destroyed Bakhmut in its attempts to seize the city\n\nFor more than seven long months, this small industrial city in eastern Ukraine has been pounded by Russian forces.\n\nAccording to its deputy mayor, Oleksandr Marchenko, there are just a few thousand civilians left living in underground shelters with no water, gas or power. \"The city is almost destroyed,\" he told the BBC. \"There is not a single building that has remained untouched in this war.\"\n\nSo why are Russia and Ukraine fighting so hard over this pile of rubble? Why are both sides laying down the lives of so many of soldiers to attack and defend this city in a battle that has lasted longer than any other in this war?\n\nMilitary analysts say Bakhmut has little strategic value. It is not a garrison town or a transport hub or a major centre of population. Before the invasion, there were about 70,000 people living there. The city was best known for its salt and gypsum mines and huge winery. It holds no particular geographic importance. As one Western official put it, Bakhmut is \"one small tactical event on a 1,200-kilometre front line\".\n\nAnd yet Russia is deploying huge military resources into taking the city. Western officials estimate between 20,000 and 30,000 Russian troops have been killed or injured so far in and around Bakhmut.\n\nUkraine has suffered many casualties - such as this soldier being buried in Lviv - in its defence of Bakhmut\n\nThe Kremlin needs a victory, however symbolic. It has been a long time since the summer when Russian forces seized cities like Severodonetsk and Lysychansk. Since then what territorial gains they have made have been incremental and slow.\n\nSo Russia needs a success to sell to pro-Kremlin propagandists back home. Serhii Kuzan, chairman of the Ukrainian Security and Co-operation Centre, told the BBC: \"They are fighting a political mission, not a purely military one. Russians will continue to sacrifice thousands of lives to achieve their political goals.\"\n\nRussian commanders also want to take Bakhmut for military reasons. They hope it might give them a springboard for further territorial gains. As the UK Ministry of Defence noted in December, capturing the city \"would potentially allow Russia to threaten the larger urban areas of Kramatorsk and Sloviansk\".\n\nAnd then there is question of the Wagner mercenary group that is at the heart of the assault.\n\nIts leader Yevgeny Prigozhin has staked his reputation, and that of his private army, on seizing Bakhmut. He hoped to show his fighters could do better than the regular Russian army. He has recruited thousands of convicts and is throwing waves of them at Ukrainian defences, many to their deaths.\n\nIf he cannot succeed here, then his political influence in Moscow will diminish. Mr Prigozhin is at odds with Russia's defence minister, Sergei Shoigu, criticising his tactics and now complaining about not getting enough ammunition. There is, Mr Kuzan said, a political struggle between both men for influence in the Kremlin \"and the place for this struggle is in Bakhmut and its surroundings\".\n\nFew civilians remain in Bakhmut, which was once home to about 70,000 people\n\nSo why has Ukraine been defending Bakhmut so doggedly, losing thousands of troops in the process?\n\nThe main strategic purpose is to use the battle to weaken Russia's army. One Western official put it bluntly: \"Bakhmut, because of the Russian tactics, is giving Ukraine a unique opportunity to kill a lot of Russians.\"\n\nNato sources estimate five Russians are dying for every one Ukrainian in Bakhmut. Ukraine's national security secretary, Oleksiy Danilov, says the ratio is even higher at seven to one.\n\nThese numbers are impossible to verify. Serhii Kuzan told the BBC: \"As long as Bakhmut fulfils its function, allowing us to grind down the enemy's forces, to destroy much more of them proportionately than the enemy inflicts losses on us, until then we will of course keep on holding Bakhmut.\" By defending the city, Ukraine also ties up Russian forces that could be deployed elsewhere on the front line.\n\nLike Russia, Ukraine has also given Bakhmut political significance. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has made the city an emblem of resistance. When he visited Washington in December, he called it \"the fortress of our morale\" and gave a Bakhmut flag to the US Congress. \"The fight for Bakhmut will change the trajectory of our war for independence and for freedom,\" he said.\n\nThe battle for Bakhmut has raged for months\n\nSo what if Bakhmut falls? Russia would claim a victory, a rare piece of good news to bolster morale. Ukraine would suffer a political, symbolic loss. No longer would Ukrainians be able to cry \"Bakhmut holds!\" on social media. But few believe there would be a huge military impact. The US Defence Secretary Lloyd Austin said: \"The fall of Bakhmut won't necessarily mean that the Russians have changed the tide of this fight.\"\n\nMick Ryan, a strategist and former Australian general, believes there would be no fast Russian advance: \"The Ukrainians\u2026 will be withdrawing into defensive zones in the Kramatorsk areas that they have had eight years to prepare. And the city sits on higher, more defensible ground than Bakhmut. Any advance on the Kramatorsk region is likely to be every bit as bloody for the Russians as its campaign for Bakhmut.\"\n\nSo perhaps what matters most in the battle for Bakhmut are how many losses each side has incurred and what that might mean for the next phase in this war. Will Russia have suffered so many casualties that its capacity to mount further offensives will have been weakened? Or will Ukraine have lost so many soldiers that its army would be less able to launch a counter-offensive later in the spring?","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/world-europe-64877991"}
{"title":"Putin: Russia to station nuclear weapons in Belarus - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-25","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"The US Defense Department says it does not believe Russia is preparing to use the nuclear weapons.","section":"Europe","content":"The Iskander - seen here in an archive photo - has a range of up to 500km (310 miles)\n\nRussia will station tactical nuclear weapons in Belarus, President Vladimir Putin has said.\n\nPresident Putin said the move would not violate nuclear non-proliferation agreements and compared it to the US stationing its weapons in Europe, according to Russian state media.\n\nMoscow would not be transferring control of its arms to Minsk, he added.\n\nThe US said it did not believe Russia was preparing to use the nuclear weapons after the announcement.\n\n\"We have not seen any reason to adjust our own strategic nuclear posture,\" the US Defense Department said in a statement.\n\n\"We remain committed to the collective defence of the Nato alliance.\"\n\nBelarus shares a long border with Ukraine, and with Nato members Poland, Lithuania and Latvia.\n\nThis will be the first time since the mid-1990s that Moscow will have based nuclear arms outside the country.\n\nThe Soviet Union's collapse in 1991 meant weapons became based in four newly-independent states - Russia, Ukraine, Belarus and Kazakhstan - with the transfer of all warheads to Russia completed in 1996.\n\nThe Belarusian regime is a firm Kremlin ally and supporter of the invasion of Ukraine.\n\nPresident Putin told Russian state television on Saturday that Belarusian leader Alexander Lukashenko had long raised the issue of stationing tactical nuclear weapons in Belarus.\n\n\"There is nothing unusual here either,\" he said. \"Firstly, the United States has been doing this for decades. They have long deployed their tactical nuclear weapons on the territory of their allied countries.\"\n\nRussia will start training crews to operate the weapons from next week. The construction of a storage facility for tactical nuclear weapons in Belarus will be completed by 1 July, President Putin added.\n\nA small number of Iskander tactical missile systems, which can be used to launch nuclear weapons, have already been transferred to Belarus, President Putin said.\n\nHe did not specify when the weapons themselves would be sent.\n\nThe announcement to station weapons in Belarus comes only days after Chinese President Xi Jinping's visit to Moscow, during which Russia and China issued a joint statement saying \"all nuclear powers must not deploy their nuclear weapons beyond their national territories, and they must withdraw all nuclear weapons deployed abroad.\"\n\nOn Sunday, a top security adviser to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said that Russia's plans are a \"step towards internal destabilisation\" of Belarus and predicted anti-Russian sentiment in the country would grow. \"The Kremlin took Belarus as a nuclear hostage,\" Oleksiy Danilov wrote on Twitter.\n\nAnd exiled Belarusian opposition leader Svetlana Tikhanovskaya said that Russia's deployment of tactical nuclear weapons \"grossly contradicts the will of the Belarusian people\".\n\nPresident Putin's comments come after President Zelensky renewed his plea for more military support from his Western allies.\n\nEarlier this week, some 18 countries signed an agreement to supply the war-torn country with at least one million artillery shells over the next year.\n\nBut in an interview with a Japanese newspaper, President Zelensky said Ukraine could not launch a potential counter-offensive in the east of the country until further ammunition arrived.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/world-europe-65077687"}
{"title":"King Charles's France visit postponed after pension protests - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-25","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"Emmanuel Macron says the trip could not go ahead because of pension protests during the trip.","section":"UK","content":"This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser.\n\nKing Charles III's state visit to France has been postponed after a request by President Emmanuel Macron, Downing Street says.\n\nThe president said \"we would not be sensible and would lack common sense\" to go ahead after unions called a day of pension protests during the visit.\n\nThe trip to Paris and Bordeaux had been due to begin on Sunday.\n\nBut both cities were caught up in violence on Thursday, some of the worst since demonstrations began in January.\n\nBuckingham Palace said the decision to postpone the three-day visit by Charles III and Camilla, the Queen Consort, was due to the \"situation in France\".\n\n\"Their Majesties greatly look forward to the opportunity to visit France as soon as dates can be found,\" the statement added.\n\nPresident Macron said that from the moment on Thursday night when unions announced a 10th national day of action for Tuesday, two days into the state visit, he felt it would be inappropriate for the King and Camilla to travel.\n\n\"As we have considerable friendship, respect and esteem for His Majesty and the Queen Consort and the British people, I took the initiative this morning to call [the King] and explain the situation... Common sense and friendship led us to suggest a postponement.\"\n\nThe UK government added the decision had been \"taken with the consent of all parties\". Mr Macron said France had proposed moving the trip to early summer, \"when things calm down again\".\n\nThe King and Queen Consort, pictured in Bolton in January\n\nThe decision is a significant loss of face for France and for President Macron. This was supposed to have been a showcase for France, introducing the new monarch to the best of French life and cementing a newly awakened friendship.\n\nThe president's opponents on the left and right reacted fast.\n\nEric Ciotti of the Republicans said the cancellation brought \"shame on our country\" while Jean-Luc M\u00e9lenchon on the far left was delighted the \"meeting of kings at Versailles\" had been broken up, adding that \"the English\" knew that France's interior minister was \"pathetic on security\".\n\nThe protests had made the trip impossible. Several French cities saw violence on the sidelines of Thursday's largely peaceful demonstrations that attracted more than a million people.\n\nThe entrance to the town hall in Bordeaux was set alight. In Paris, tear gas was fired and Interior Minister G\u00e9rald Darmanin said 903 fires were lit, in a city where refuse has been left uncollected since 6 March.\n\nHundreds of police officers were hurt across France, but protesters were injured by stun grenades and the Council of Europe said there was no justification for \"excessive force\" by authorities.\n\nFor much of Friday morning, French officials had sought to reassure the public that the state visit, from 26 to 29 March, would go ahead and that security was in place. Some UK journalists had already travelled to Paris to cover the event.\n\nThis was a hugely important trip for the King: a first state visit, and to one of the UK's closest and oldest allies. The King and Camilla were due to ride along the Champs-Elys\u00e9es in the heart of Paris and have a banquet at Versailles with President Macron.\n\nCamilla was expected to open an art exhibition at one of the main Paris attractions, the Mus\u00e9e d'Orsay. They were then expected to head to Bordeaux.\n\nBut every step of the visit was at risk of being targeted by protests and eventually it was cancelled. Even the people who roll out the red carpets were planning strike action.\n\nInterior Minister Mr Darmanin said earlier on Friday that there were \"no known threats\" to the King. Bordeaux Mayor Pierre Hurmic said the trip to his city had been adapted so it \"can go ahead under the best security, so as not to expose the King to the slightest difficulty\".\n\nHowever, facing the prospect of showing the King through rubbish and graffiti-strewn streets, with every public appearance smothered in security, and every movement threatened by strikes, the French president made the obvious choice.\n\nIt may have been a joint decision with the UK government, but he was the one under pressure.\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Watch: Rubbish and e-scooters set on fire in France pension protests\n\nThe trip to Bordeaux, originally intended to focus on organic vineyards, went up in flames. The town hall, its front door set alight on Thursday, was due to be part of the visit.\n\nDomestically, the image would have played badly for the president. Dining with a king in Versailles would have been jarringly inappropriate and could have played rather too directly into the hands of his detractors.\n\nA TV interview that President Macron gave on the eve of Thursday's national action appeared to galvanise protesters, when he described the government's reforms as an economic necessity, saying he was prepared to accept the resulting unpopularity.\n\nHis government decided on Monday to force through the reforms, which raise the pension age from 62 to 64 and extend contributions by workers to 43 years.\n\nAs the president and prime minister realised they would struggle to pass the law in the National Assembly, they resorted to a constitutional power to bypass a vote.\n\n\"I listened to Macron yesterday and it was as if someone was spitting in our face,\" said Ad\u00e8le, a 19-year-old law student in Nanterre. \"For this pension reform, there is another way and if he doesn't do that, it's because he's not listening to the people. There's a clear lack of democracy,\" she told the BBC.\n\nWhile the postponement will be highly embarrassing for President Macron, it will also be disappointing for King Charles.\n\nState visits are made on the advice of the government. All the background briefing had been that this was an important diplomatic statement about rebuilding relationships with European neighbours.\n\nThe King and Camilla were due to travel from France to Germany on Wednesday. Charles's first state visit will instead begin in Berlin.\n\u2022 None In pictures: Rubbish and fires in French protests","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/uk-65064510"}
{"title":"Alesia Nazarova: Man charged with murder of Portadown mother - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-25","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"There is a \"familial connection\" between the accused and Alesia Nazarova, the court hears.","section":"Northern Ireland","content":"Alesia Nazarova was 37 and a mother of one\n\nA 25-year-old man has been charged with the murder of Alesia Nazarova in Portadown.\n\nThe 37-year-old mother was found dead at her Church Street home on Tuesday.\n\nKornelijus Bracas, originally from Lithuania but with an address at Church Street in Portadown, is accused of murdering Ms Nazarova and attempting to murder her daughter.\n\nThe court was told there was a \"familial connection\" between the accused and the victims.\n\nMs Nazarova's body was discovered after a fire at the property.\n\nHer 12-year-old daughter was home at the time.\n\nShe was rescued from the fire and taken to hospital for treatment, but she has since been discharged.\n\nMr Bracas is also charged with arson and stealing a bank card belonging to Ms Nazarova.\n\nHe appeared via video link before Lisburn Magistrates' Court on Saturday morning.\n\nA detective told the court he could connect the accused to the charges.\n\nNo application for bail was made and no further details emerged during the hearing.\n\nMr Bracas was remanded into custody and will appear again on 21 April before Craigavon Magistrates' Court.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/uk-northern-ireland-65074202"}
{"title":"France protests: Macron takes off watch during TV interview - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-25","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"The French president removed his watch during an interview, drawing criticism from left-wing politicians.","section":"Europe","content":"This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser.\n\nFrench President Emmanuel Macron has been criticised after he removed his watch during an interview about pension changes.\n\nFrance is gripped by protests and strikes over Mr Macron's decision to raise the retirement age from 62 to 64.\n\nMr Macron's representatives said the president took off the watch because it was \"clinking on the table\".\n\nBut his critics have claimed the watch shows he is out of touch with the public.\n\nSome wrongly claimed it was worth up to \u20ac80,000 ($86,000; \u00a370,000), but the \u00c9lys\u00e9e Palace said this was not correct.\n\nThe incident happened part way through an interview on Wednesday, when Mr Macron was justifying his reasons for lifting the pension age.\n\nAs he rested his forearms on the table, a thud could be heard.\n\nThe president then placed his hands under the table as he continued talking. When he brought them back up, the watch had been removed.\n\nHis team insisted the removal was entirely innocent. But the missing timepiece quickly drew his critics' attention.\n\nNow you see it... French President Emmanuel Macron removed his watch during an interview about his controversial pension changes\n\nCl\u00e9mence Guett\u00e9, an MP for the opposition left-wing La France Insoumise party, has been taking part in the protests against the pension reform.\n\nShe tweeted that as the president was claiming minimum wage earners had unprecedented purchasing power, \"the final image\" was him \"removing his pretty luxury watch\".\n\n\"The president of the rich has never worn his name so well,\" said her colleague, Farida Amrani.\n\nThe exact cost of the watch was debated online, with some of Mr Macron's critics suggesting it was worth \u20ac80,000.\n\nBut the \u00c9lys\u00e9e Palace told French media the president was wearing a Bell & Ross BR V1-92 model, which is personalised with a coat of arms.\n\nPrices online for this watch, without the personalisation, are between \u20ac1,660 and \u20ac3,300 (\u00a31,460 and \u00a32,900).\n\n\"He has been wearing it very regularly for more than a year and a half,\" the palace added in a statement.\n\nMr Macron has long been criticised by his political rivals for supporting the wealthy.\n\nIn February, he came under attack for giving Jeff Bezos, one of the richest men in the world, France's highest honour, while people were on the streets protesting about their financial futures.\n\nHe has argued the changes to the retirement age are a \"necessity\" to keep the pension budget from running into deficit.\n\nHis government decided last week to use a special constitutional power to force through the reform without a vote, after realising they would struggle to pass in the National Assembly. The move triggered two no-confidence votes, which the government survived.\n\nThe controversy has renewed unrest across the country, which began in January when the plans were unveiled.\n\nA visit by King Charles III this weekend has had to be postponed as a result.\n\nAlongside the protests, there have been widespread strikes that have involved transport workers, teachers, rubbish collectors and oil refinery workers.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/world-europe-65069823"}
{"title":"No Ukraine offensive without more weapons \u2013 Zelensky - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-25","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"There has been talk for some weeks of Ukraine launching a spring offensive against Russian forces.","section":"Europe","content":"President Zelensky said he would not send his troops to the front lines without more tanks, artillery and Himars rocket launchers\n\nPresident Volodymyr Zelensky has said Ukraine's counter-offensive against Russia cannot start until Western allies send more military support.\n\nHe told a Japanese newspaper he would not send his troops to the front lines without more tanks, artillery and Himars rocket launchers.\n\nIn an interview with Yomiuri Shimbun, he said the situation in eastern Ukraine was \"not good\".\n\n\"We are waiting for ammunition to arrive from our partners,\" he said.\n\nAnd when asked about the expected counter-offensive, he said: \"We can't start yet, we can't send our brave soldiers to the front line without tanks, artillery and long-range rockets.\"\n\nHe added: \"If you have the political will, you can find a way to help us. We are at war and can't wait.\"\n\nThere has been talk for some weeks of Ukraine launching a spring offensive against Russian forces. Ukrainian commanders have hinted it might be imminent. Oleksandr Syrskyi, commander of Ukraine's ground forces, said this week it might come \"very soon\".\n\nSome analysts say Ukraine's military is talking up the idea of a counter-offensive to discomfit their Russian counterparts. They want Russian commanders to spread their forces thinly along the front lines, ready for any attack, rather than concentrate them in particular places, such as the eastern city of Bakhmut.\n\nOther analysts believe a counter-offensive is possible soon. A US-based think tank, the Institute for the Study of War, last week suggested that Russia's own offensive was potentially losing momentum and concluded: \"Ukraine is therefore well positioned to regain the initiative and launch counter-offensives in critical sectors of the current front line.\"\n\nBut President Zelensky is more pessimistic. He has often warned that the war could drag on for years unless Western allies speeded up the delivery of weapons. But this is the first time he has actually said the counter-offensive itself might be delayed by the lack of Western equipment.\n\nHis remarks reflect not only his desire to encourage more speed, but also his frustration at what he sees as the lack of haste.\n\nUkraine's allies have promised more tanks, artillery and longer-range missile systems. But some countries are struggling to deliver what they pledged, while others are taking more time than expected to get the equipment to Ukraine.\n\nWestern officials say military support is arriving, but admit training and planning is taking time. They also point to other factors such as muddy terrain making it hard for any army to start manoeuvring easily and break through front lines.\n\nSuch is the speculation about Ukraine's counter-offensive - in particular, when and where it might come - that the defence ministry has urged people to stop discussing potential plans.\n\nUkraine's Deputy Defence Minister Hanna Malyar claimed on social media that only three people had the right to disclose military plans publicly - the president, the minister of defence, and the commander in chief.\n\n\"All others can only quote them,\" she wrote. \"Please stop asking experts questions about a counter-offensive on the air, please stop writing blogs and posts on this topic, please stop publicly discussing the military plans of our army.\"\n\u2022 None The front line where Russian eyes are always watching","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/world-europe-65075952"}
{"title":"Principal resigns after Florida students shown Michelangelo statue - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-25","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"One Florida parent complained Michelangelo's iconic statue amounted to pornography.","section":"US & Canada","content":"A principal of a Florida school has been forced to resign after a parent complained that sixth-grade students were exposed to pornography.\n\nThe complaint arose from a Renaissance art lesson where students were shown Michelangelo's statue of David.\n\nThe iconic statue is one of the most famous in Western history.\n\nBut one parent complained the material was pornographic and two others said they wanted to know about the class before it was taught.\n\nThe 5.17m (17ft) statue depicts an entirely naked David, the Biblical figure who kills the giant Goliath.\n\nThe lesson, given to 11 and 12-year-olds, also included references to Michelangelo's \"Creation of Adam\" painting and Botticelli's \"Birth of Venus\".\n\nPrincipal Hope Carrasquilla of Tallahassee Classical School said she resigned after she was given an ultimatum by the school board to resign or be fired.\n\nLocal media reported that Ms Carrasquilla did not know the reason she was asked to resign, but believed it was related to the complaints over the lesson.\n\nThey also said Ms Carrasquilla had been principal for less than one year.\n\nIn an interview with US outlet Slate, the chair of the school's board, Barney Bishop III, said that last year the principal sent a notice to parents warning them that students were going to see Michelangelo's David - but that this wasn't done this year. He called it an \"egregious mistake\" and said that \"parents are entitled to know anytime their child is being taught a controversial topic and picture\".\n\n\"We're not going to show the full statue of David to kindergartners. We're not going to show him to second graders. Showing the entire statue of David is appropriate at some age. We're going to figure out when that is,\" Mr Bishop said.\n\nOn Thursday, Florida's governor, Ron DeSantis, moved to expand a law that banned public schools from teaching sexual education and gender identity.\n\nTeachers who violate the law face being suspended or losing their teaching licences.\n\nThe David was completed by Michelangelo between 1501 and 1504. It was instantly hailed as a masterpiece, with Renaissance artist Giorgio Vasari saying the David \"surpassed\" any statue that had ever existed before.\n\nQueen Victoria gifted a copy of the David to the South Kensington museum - later the V&A - in 1857. When she first saw the cast, she was apparently so shocked by the nudity that a fig leaf was commissioned to cover up the genitalia.\n\nThe V&A's website says that the leaf was kept \"in readiness for any royal visits, when it was hung on the figure using two strategically placed hooks.\"","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/world-us-canada-65071989"}
{"title":"Funeral for WW2 veteran Flt Sgt Peter Brown moved as crowds expected - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-25","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"Too many mourners were expected at Flt Sgt Peter Brown's funeral which was planned for Wednesday.","section":"London","content":"It is thought Flt Sgt Brown travelled to the UK from Jamaica and falsified his age in order to serve in World War Two\n\nThe funeral of one of the last black RAF World War Two veterans has had to be moved as too many people were expected to attend the service.\n\nOrganisers were inundated with requests to join the service for Flt Sgt Peter Brown, who died alone aged 96 in Maida Vale, west London.\n\nThe funeral had been due to take place in a 140-capacity chapel in Mortlake on Wednesday.\n\nBut Westminster City Council said a new date and venue were being arranged.\n\nIt follows a recent appeal for people to attend Flt Sgt Brown's funeral.\n\nCouncil officials are working with the RAF and Ministry of Defence to ensure Flt Sgt Brown is given the \"send-off he deserves\".\n\nThe RAF said Flt Sgt Brown was \"an example of the selfless contribution of all Commonwealth personnel\"\n\nBorn in Jamaica in 1926, Flt Sgt Brown enlisted in the RAF Volunteer Reserve in September 1943.\n\nHe trained as a wireless operator\/air gunner and was posted to RAF Scampton. After the war ended, he re-enlisted in the RAF, working as a signaller.\n\nA Westminster City Council spokesperson said: \"Details of the future date and venue are still being finalised but will be announced as soon as possible.\n\n\"We are looking to secure a venue closer to Mr Brown's home in Westminster.\"\n\nThe council said it believes the chapel would not hold the large number of people expected to turn up.\n\nLord Mayor of Westminster Hamza Taouzzale said he would be among those to attend the service.\n\n\"We owe him - and the many others like him - a huge debt of gratitude,\" he explained.\n\n\"His obvious modesty meant that we did not know of his actions until after his passing.\"\n\nHe added that \"despite extensive efforts, no family members have been traced\".\n\nFollow BBC London on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. Send your story ideas to hellobbclondon@bbc.co.uk\n\nThe BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/uk-england-london-65076119"}
{"title":"Last ever UK death sentence conviction quashed - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-25","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"Liam Holden, the last person to be sentenced to death in the United Kingdom, is cleared by the Court of Appeal of murdering a soldier in west Belfast in 1972.","section":"Northern Ireland","content":"A Belfast man, who was the last person to be sentenced to death in the United Kingdom, has been cleared of murdering a soldier in 1972.\n\nLiam Holden spent 17 years in jail after being convicted. His death sentence was commuted to a life term.\n\nAt the time, he told the court he was forced to sign a confession after soldiers threatened to kill him and used water torture on him.\n\nOn Thursday, the Court of Appeal in Belfast overturned his conviction.\n\nThe Crown had previously said it would not object to the holding of an appeal after assessing evidence contained in a confidential annexe of material.\n\nThis showed that by interrogating Mr Holden for more than three hours, the military was in breach of clear government guidelines that suspects arrested by soldiers should be handed over immediately to the RUC for questioning.\n\nThe Lord Chief Justice Sir Declan Morgan, sitting with two other appeal court judges, said on Thursday that as evidence of the Army guidelines had not been made known to either the defence or prosecution teams during his trial, the appeal was being allowed and the conviction quashed.\n\nSpeaking outside court, Mr Holden said: \"I'm delighted that after 40 years its over. But it's a pity my parents weren't alive to get this result.\"\n\nAlthough the death penalty was abolished in Britain in 1969, it remained in Northern Ireland until 1973.\n\nMr Holden was 19 and working as a chef when he was taken from his home and brought to an Army post at Blackmountain school, where he was held for almost five hours.\n\nBy the end of his time in military custody he had agreed to sign a statement admitting he had killed Private Frank Bell, who died three days after being shot in the head as he patrolled Springfield Avenue, west Belfast, in September 1972.\n\n\"By the time they were finished with me I would have admitted to killing JFK,\" he said in an interview earlier this week.\n\nMr Holden said he was subjected to sustained torture and then threatened that he would be shot if he did not confess to the killing.\n\n\"I was beaten and they told me to admit I had shot the soldier, but I said that wasn't true because I didn't,\" he said.\n\n\"Then six soldiers came into the cubicle where I was being held and grabbed me.\n\n\"They held me down on the floor and one of them placed a towel over my face, and they got water and they started pouring the water through the towel all round my face, very slowly.\n\n\"After a while you can't get your breath but you still try to get your breath, so when you were trying to breathe in through your mouth you are sucking the water in, and if you try to breathe in through your nose, you are sniffing the water in.\n\n\"It was continual, a slow process, and at the end of it you basically feel like you are suffocating.\"\n\nMr Holden said he eventually confessed after he was threatened with being shot.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/uk-northern-ireland-18525631"}
{"title":"UK economy: When are you going to feel better off? - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-25","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"How politicians answer that will set the terms for the next election, writes Laura Kuenssberg.","section":"UK Politics","content":"When are you going to feel better off?\n\nHow politicians answer that big question sets the terms for the next election. The response is certainly not this week.\n\nPrime Minister Rishi Sunak might have told MPs \"we are halving inflation\" but repeating that political slogan in the Commons doesn't make it true. In fact he was wrong - just as economic sages were mistaken.\n\nPrices went up faster in February than in January - which came as a surprise to the experts. Interest rates edged up too and will make rent, mortgages and credit more expensive.\n\nThe message to workers, firms and families this week is bleak - your costs are going up but don't ask for a pay rise and don't put your prices up if you're a business.\n\nThere is no shortage of evidence of how hard it is for millions of families to pay the bills. By the Treasury's admission inflation \"strangles growth and erodes family budgets\".\n\nAnd its effects can be long-lasting. As one German economist said: \"Inflation is like toothpaste. Once it's out, you can hardly get it back in again.\"\n\nAs an aside, even that essential item has gone up significantly, with one famous brand hiking prices of a tube from \u00a33 to \u00a34.\n\nWhat the government hopes is that next month, and the month after that, and the month after that, the number crunchers are correct and inflation will drop pretty sharply by the end of the year and the toothpaste does, after all, go back in the tube.\n\nBut inflation slowing down doesn't mean prices will drop. What politicians and the public have to confront is that there could be many years where voters feel hard up.\n\nFor this week's show we asked Richard Hughes - the country's number cruncher in chief who runs the independent Office for Budget Responsibility - how he would answer that big question. If you're squeamish about your finances you might want to look away now.\n\nHe told me we're in the middle of \"the biggest squeeze on living standards we've faced in this country on record\" - but also it might be five or even six years before people start feeling more prosperous again.\n\nAs he put it: \"People's real spending power doesn't get back to the level it was before the pandemic even after five years, even by the time we get to the late 2020s.\" Gulp.\n\nThere is also a separate and tricky conversation to be had about the influence of his organisation, the OBR.\n\nTheir work, famously ignored by Liz Truss and Kwasi Kwarteng when they were in charge, tells governments how much they can spend and borrow if they want to stick to their own rules about when they will balance the country's books.\n\nThe idea is that with an independent body publicly checking ministers' arithmetic the public can have confidence in what's being done.\n\nBut their forecasts, as Mr Hughes happily admits, often turn out to be wrong, and change every six months. Yet they can have enormous influence over what politicians decide.\n\nFor example, several sources told me the government only decided to expand childcare in the recent Budget because the OBR told them more than half of the cost would be covered by the benefit of getting some parents back to work.\n\nYou can, as many politicians do, believe in the merits of having an independent expert cast their eye over the figures, but also have quiet concerns about how the OBR can draw the limits of political conversations when its forecasts - through no fault of its own - change dramatically.\n\nWhether you are asking an economist, a politician, or just looking at your own bank balance, the broad assessment is not likely to shift - times are tough for the foreseeable future.\n\nInflation - the politicians' nightmare - is likely to drop by the end of the year, but Rishi Sunak and Keir Starmer are going to have to tempt you to the ballot box in 2024 when the country still feels hard up.\n\nWe can already see the outlines of the Conservatives' script. With inflation (they fervently hope) down and the economy (fingers crossed) avoiding recession there will, ministers believe, be signs the country's fortunes have turned and they can persuade hard-up voters to stick with them.\n\nAs one minister says: \"The argument we want to make is 'I'm just starting to feel better off, don't risk it'.\"\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Watch: So we just have to accept life will be even harder, chancellor?\n\nWe've lived through unprecedented hard times, they'll argue, and things are getting better so don't take a chance on something new.\n\nThe aspiration is also that ministers will be able to start cutting taxes again - perhaps in the autumn of this year or more likely next spring.\n\nOne former cabinet minister says voters will start to feel better off once a Conservative government is re-elected because they hope they'll be able to say during the campaign that \"inflation is lower, wages outstripping inflation\" and they have a \"clear plan for the economy\".\n\nEven if Rishi Sunak becomes an expert in political gymnastics it's unlikely the Conservatives will avoid taking any flak for the hammering incomes have taken while they've been in charge.\n\nBut you can expect in the next few months for ministers to emphasise more regularly the help that's already on offer - whether that's cheaper bus fares or the hugely expensive energy price guarantee.\n\nIf you ask Labour politicians when the country will feel better off the answer is also far in the future.\n\nOne shadow minister says the decline in living standards has been \"brutal\" while another says \"people are not going to feel better off for a very long time\".\n\nEven if inflation does start to slow, if you believe the polls that show Labour way ahead the tough economic reality for many families gives them a political advantage.\n\nHowever strongly the Conservatives argue they've had to deal with unprecedented pressures, hard-up voters do not tend to reward those in charge. But wise Labour heads are all too aware that successful oppositions don't just say \"we're not the other guys\".\n\nThat's why we're seeing the leadership put so much time and effort into trying to create a sense they would spend taxpayers' money wisely and talk repeatedly about how they would get the economy to grow.\n\nThe shadow minister believes Labour tends to win when it offers \"hope after years when the Tories look a bit clapped out\".\n\nSo when we ask \"when are you going to start feeling better off?\" the answer is \"not much, if at all, before the next election\".\n\nIt's likely that vote will happen when there is not much cash in our own pockets or the public purse.\n\nAnd we face a conversation where the Conservatives seize on any signs of progress to claim a change is not worth the risk while Labour highlights the hard times we have been living through and says it's time for something else.\n\nJust like economic forecasts, political predictions can turn out to be miles off. And of course, how we make a living and how the country pays its way is not the only factor determining how people vote.\n\nBut after years of hardship you'll be asked in the general election who you believe will help you be better off.\n\nThe answer millions of voters give will likely determine who takes No 10.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/uk-politics-65075966"}
{"title":"Liam Holden: Army torture forced murder confession, court rules - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-25","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"Parachute Regiment troops tortured Liam Holden into saying he killed a soldier in 1972, a judge rules.","section":"Northern Ireland","content":"Parachute Regiment troops tortured Liam Holden, pictured in 2012, into saying he killed a soldier, the judge ruled\n\nThe family of a Belfast man has been awarded \u00a3350,000 in damages after he was tortured into admitting killing a British soldier in 1972.\n\nLiam Holden was subjected to waterboarding techniques while in military custody and his treatment led to a confession, the High Court ruled.\n\nHis conviction for murdering Private Frank Bell was quashed a decade ago.\n\nThe last man in the UK sentenced to hang, Mr Holden died last September, aged 68.\n\nHis death penalty was commuted and he was released 17 years into a 40-year sentence, the rest of which he spent on licence.\n\nHe always maintained he was hooded, waterboarded and had a gun pointed at his head before wrongly admitting to shooting Private Bell.\n\nMr Holden's murder conviction was finally quashed in 2012, and he was then awarded \u00a31m for losses suffered due to the miscarriage of justice.\n\nDelivering Friday's ruling in the damages case against the Ministry of Defence (MoD), the judge said Mr Holden genuinely believed he was going to be killed.\n\nWith paratroopers having wrongly and unlawfully induced him to make the admission, the MoD was held liable for his malicious prosecution and misfeasance in public office.\n\n\"The plaintiff was subjected to waterboarding; he was hooded; he was driven in a car flanked by soldiers to a location where he thought he would be assassinated,\" said the judge.\n\n\"A gun was put to his head and he was threatened that he would be shot dead.\n\nLiam Holden, aged 18, was taken into police custody in 1972\n\n\"Hooding of the plaintiff, in the circumstances as alleged, constitutes inhuman and degrading treatment in breach of Article 3 of the [European Convention on Human Rights],\" he said.\n\nThe judge said that while the soldiers had an \"honest belief\" they were acting lawfully they knew their actions would injure Mr Holden and \"unquestionably acted in bad faith\".\n\nTheir actions left Mr Holden with significant psychological effects, said the judge.\n\nAccording to the Holden family and their solicitor, this was the first time a court had found waterboarding took place during The Troubles.\n\nAfter the ruling, the family expressed sadness and relief.\n\n\"My father is not here to see this finished,\" his son Samuel Bowden told BBC Radio Ulster's Talkback programme.\n\n\"What he went through should never have happened... today it's all clear that he was innocent.\"\n\nAt a previous court hearing, Mr Holden gave his account of his treatment by soldiers after his arrest.\n\nHe said he was pinned to the floor while a towel was placed over his face.\n\n\"They started pouring a bucket of water slowly through the towel,\" he said.\n\n\"The first thing I felt was the cold, then trying to breathe and then sucking water in through my mouth and up my nose.\n\n\"It was like you were just drowning.\"\n\nSamuel Bowden (right) said the ruling left the family with a sense of sadness and relief\n\nHe said that up to four sessions of questioning and waterboarding were carried out.\n\nMr Holden was then hooded, dragged out of a chair and taken to a loyalist area of Belfast.\n\n\"While we were driving one of the soldiers was tapping my knee with a gun, saying: 'This is for you',\" he told the court.\n\n\"They took me out of the car and brought me into a field, put a gun to my head and said if I didn't admit to shooting the soldier they would shoot me.\"\n\nAsked by his barrister how he had responded to the alleged threat, Mr Holden replied: \"I just said: 'I shot the soldier.'\n\n\"[I] made a cock-and-bull story about where I shot him from, where I got the weapon, where I dumped the weapon and how I got away.\"\n\nA forensic psychiatrist who examined Mr Holden in 2016 said he described being plagued by nightmares more frightening than any real-life experience.\n\nHis son Samuel said his criminal record made it difficult to get work, leave the country or just \"get a normal life going\".","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/uk-northern-ireland-65063511"}
{"title":"Scotland 3-0 Cyprus: Scott McTominay's late double secures win in Euro 2024 Group A opener - BBC Sport","published_date":"2023-03-25","authors":null,"description":"Scott McTominay's late double secures a comfortable win for Scotland over Cyprus in their European Championship qualifying Group A opener.","section":null,"content":"Last updated on .From the section Football\n\nScott McTominay's late double secured Scotland a comfortable winning start to their Euro 2024 qualifying campaign at home to Cyprus.\n\nJohn McGinn's close-range finish - the Aston Villa midfielder's 16th goal for his country - was reward for a dominant first-half display.\n\nAnd the Manchester United midfielder added his second moments later.\n\nSteve Clarke had billed it as a must-win game against Group A's lowest seeds, who ended the game with 10 men after a late red card for Nicholas Ioannou, and it was job done in that sense.\n\nBut the Scotland head coach will know that, despite their first winning start to a Euro qualifying campaign since 2006, improvement will be needed as top seeds Spain visit on Tuesday.\n\u2022 None Lessons as Scots and Spain start with 3-0 wins\n\u2022 None Reaction and as it happened\n\nThe dawn of new qualifying campaign brought the Tartan Army to Hampden full of optimism.\n\nThey were rewarded with a dominant first-half performance during which they were rarely under threat and probed at the Cypriot defensive wall with consistency and determination.\n\nAll that was lacking was a little more cutting edge in the vital area - directly in front of goal. That was a theme until late on, with the result still uncertain until McTominay stepped up.\n\nScotland's intent was clear. Get at Cyprus down the flanks, particularly the left. That pattern was fairly consistent, but the first real threat came down the other side when Aaron Hickey danced into the box and, from the tightest of angles, forced goalkeeper Demetris Demetriou into a low save at his post.\n\nClarke's side were cruising, comfortable on the ball and showing an impressive level of composure.\n\nThe left flank proved the route to the crucial opening goal as Stuart Armstrong fed Andy Robertson, who timed his run perfectly to stay marginally onside and cross first time. The ball deflected perfectly into McGinn's path as he instinctively raced to meet it and finish from close range to take his Scotland tally to one more than the talismanic James McFadden.\n\nChe Adams came close after super interplay with McGinn, but his shot was tipped over and the unfortunate striker left the field early in the second half with a worrying looking injury.\n\nThe second half show dipped significantly and the creeping doubt began to emerge that Cyprus might just nick something.\n\nFinally, though, Scotland got there - thanks to three of their own substitutes. Ryan Christie did superbly to win possession and fire in a cross ,Lyndon Dykes nodded it on and McTominay raced onto it to half-volley home.\n\nAn enormous cheer and accompanying sigh of relief engulfed Hampden before McTominay capitalised again when Robertson laid the ball into his path and he calmly dispatched it home with ease.\n\nThe 3-0 scoreline adds significant and welcome gloss to the occasion. Clarke will be delighted with that but equally happy to get through this unscathed.\n\nIt became something of a struggle until very late on, but the players stayed calm and avoided a calamity.\n\nThe initial signs were very positive in the first period, with Scotland in complete control.\n\nThey were perhaps a touch cautious in getting into dangerous areas directly in front of goal, but the performance was strong and promised more as the game wore on.\n\nThat said, Cyprus were very well organised and proved sticky opposition.\n\nThe concern will be how standards seemed to slip. There was little composure in the final pass or deliveries from wide areas, but the substitutes made a significant impact to get Scotland over the line.\n\nWhat they said\n\nScotland head coach Steve Clarke: \"We spoke a lot about getting off to a good start and I thought we started the game really well. The movement, the rotation of the players, the creation of space was good. We deserved the lead at that time.\n\n\"I thought up until 30 minutes we were good and I don't know whether we went a bit casual, we switched off a little bit and Cyprus made it difficult for us. Second-half was a slightly difficult game and we slowed the game too much, but it is nice to look at the bench and bring on Scott McTominay and Ryan Christie.\"\n\nCyprus head coach Temuri Ketsbaia: \"I believe we lost to the better team. Scotland deserved to win the game, well done to them. Congratulations.\n\n\"I'm disappointed that we didn't give our best. We tried to change our formation, we tried to put more offensive players. It cost us because we conceded two easy goals.\"\n\nHampden will be rocking now as Spain visit Hampden on Tuesday (19:45 GMT), while Cyprus visit Armenia in a friendly.\n\u2022 None Offside, Cyprus. Kostakis Artymatas tries a through ball, but Andronikos Kakoullis is caught offside.\n\u2022 None Goal! Scotland 3, Cyprus 0. Scott McTominay (Scotland) right footed shot from the centre of the box to the bottom right corner. Assisted by Andrew Robertson.\n\u2022 None Attempt missed. Minas Antoniou (Cyprus) right footed shot from outside the box is high and wide to the right. Assisted by Charalampos Charalampous.\n\u2022 None Ryan Porteous (Scotland) wins a free kick on the right wing.\n\u2022 None Attempt missed. Andrew Robertson (Scotland) left footed shot from the left side of the box is too high. Assisted by Lyndon Dykes.\n\u2022 None Goal! Scotland 2, Cyprus 0. Scott McTominay (Scotland) left footed shot from the left side of the six yard box to the top left corner. Assisted by Lyndon Dykes with a headed pass.\n\u2022 None Attempt saved. Andronikos Kakoullis (Cyprus) right footed shot from outside the box is saved in the centre of the goal. Assisted by Charalampos Charalampous. Navigate to the next page Navigate to the last page","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/sport\/football\/64997970"}
{"title":"Man Utd takeover latest: Sheikh Jassim also submits second bid after Sir Jim Ratcliffe - BBC Sport","published_date":"2023-03-25","authors":null,"description":"Qatari banker Sheikh Jassim joins Ineos owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe in submitting a second bid to buy Manchester United.","section":null,"content":"Man Utd takeover latest: Sheikh Jassim also submits second bid after Sir Jim Ratcliffe Last updated on .From the section Man Utd","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/sport\/football\/65054294"}
{"title":"Halt Israel legal reform, urges defence minister - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-25","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"Yoav Gallant's call comes as Israelis opposed to the changes hold further nationwide mass rallies.","section":"Middle East","content":"Israeli Defence Minister Yoav Gallant has called on Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to halt controversial plans for an overhaul of the justice system.\n\nHis intervention came as Israelis opposed to the changes held mass rallies across the country for the twelfth week in a row.\n\nMr Gallant added his voice to warnings the crisis is causing social upheaval and could harm Israel's security.\n\nSo far, however, Mr Netanyahu has defied calls to scrap the shake-up.\n\nIn a brief televised statement, Mr Gallant described the reform plan as a \"clear, immediate and tangible danger to the security of the State\".\n\nHe said members of the Israeli Defence Forces were angry and disappointed, with an intensity he had never encountered before.\n\nThe law is part of the right-wing government's contentious plan to limit the powers of the judiciary, which has led to months of protests.\n\nIt includes enabling parliament to overrule decisions made by the Supreme Court - a move that critics say will undermine the independence of the judiciary and could be used for political ends.\n\nBut Mr Netanyahu says the reforms are designed to stop the courts overreaching their powers and that they were voted for by the public at the last election.\n\nMr Gallant's remarks were welcomed by opposition leader Yair Lapid, who praised the minister's \"brave step\".\n\nBut far-right police minister Itamar Ben-Gvir urged Mr Netanyahu to sack the defence minister, saying he had caved in to opposition pressure.\n\nSeparately, a new Incapacitation Law, which passed by 61 votes to 47 in the 120-seat Knesset on Thursday following a heated all-night debate, prevents a prime minister from being declared unfit to hold office by the attorney general.\n\nIt stipulates that only the prime minister or three-quarters of their cabinet can declare them unfit to hold office on physical or psychological grounds.\n\nMr Netanyahu is standing trial on charges of bribery, fraud and breach of trust in three cases. He denies any wrongdoing and says he is the victim of a \"witch hunt\".","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/world-middle-east-65076682"}
{"title":"Andrew Lloyd Webber's son Nicholas dies aged 43 - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-25","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"The composer says his family is \"totally bereft\" by the loss of his Grammy-nominated son.","section":"Entertainment & Arts","content":"Andrew Lloyd Webber pictured with his son Nicholas in 2010\n\nThe Grammy-nominated eldest son of Andrew Lloyd Webber has died aged 43, the composer has announced.\n\nNicholas Lloyd Webber, a composer and record producer, had been having treatment for gastric cancer and died at Basingstoke Hospital, Hampshire.\n\n\"His whole family is gathered together and we are all totally bereft,\" Lord Webber, 75, wrote on Twitter.\n\nLord Lloyd Webber, whose hit musicals include Cats, said on Thursday that Nick had been moved to a hospice.\n\nIn a post on Twitter on Saturday evening he wrote: \"I am shattered to have to announce that my beloved elder son Nick died a few hours ago\".\n\nHis son was nominated for a Grammy for musical theatre alongside his father as well as David Wells and David Zippel for Lord Lloyd Webber's Cinderella.\n\nHe also scored the music for an adaptation of The Little Prince.\n\nThe news followed a video posted by Lord Lloyd Webber on Instagram on Thursday, where he said his son was recovering from \"this first bout of pneumonia\" caught as a result of his \"ghastly\" cancer.\n\nIn the video the composer, who also wrote the music for The Phantom of the Opera and Jesus Christ Superstar, thanked the people of Ukraine who sent him a Cats t-shirt following the announcement that his son was critically ill.\n\nHe said: \"It's incredibly moving... everything they're going through they have been so incredibly thoughtful about dearest Nick.\n\n\"I'm going to go and see Nick in a minute, and I'm going to pass on all of the fantastic wishes that I've had for him all the way from everywhere all around the world.\"","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/entertainment-arts-65078024"}
{"title":"England v Ukraine: Reece James withdraws from squad for 'assessment of ongoing issue' - BBC Sport","published_date":"2023-03-25","authors":null,"description":"Chelsea defender Reece James will miss England's Euro 2024 qualifier against Ukraine at Wembley on Sunday.","section":null,"content":"Last updated on .From the section England\n\nChelsea defender Reece James will miss England's Euro 2024 qualifier against Ukraine at Wembley on Sunday through injury.\n\nThe 23-year-old has returned to the Premier League club for what the Football Association says is \"assessment of an ongoing issue\".\n\nJames came on for Arsenal's Bukayo Saka after 85 minutes of Thursday's 2-1 win over Italy in Naples.\n\nManager Gareth Southgate has decided not to call up any replacements.\n\nJames missed last year's World Cup with a knee injury and picked up another knee problem in December which kept him out for another month.\n\nThe remainder of the England squad, including the suspended Luke Shaw, will continue their preparations at the Tottenham Hotspur training ground on Saturday.\n\u2022 None Watch the nail-biting final of The Apprentice\n\u2022 None An access-all-areas podcast follows the footballer as he decides","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/sport\/football\/65074856"}
{"title":"Gandhi says disqualification 'politically motivated' - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-25","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"Indian opposition leader Rahul Gandhi says he \"will not stop\" after being stripped of his MP status.","section":"India","content":"Rahul Gandhi speaks to the media in Delhi on Saturday, a day after being disqualified from parliament\n\nThe leader of Indian's opposition Congress party Rahul Gandhi has said his disqualification by parliament was politically motivated.\n\nOn Friday, India's parliament stripped Mr Gandhi of his MP status a day after he was sentenced to two years in prison in a defamation case.\n\nHe was convicted by the court for 2019 comments about PM Narendra Modi's surname at an election rally.\n\nThe governing BJP says his expulsion conformed with parliamentary rules.\n\nA 2013 Supreme Court order says that a lawmaker convicted in a crime and sentenced to two or more years in jail stands disqualified from the parliament with immediate effect.\n\nSpeaking at a news briefing on Saturday, Mr Gandhi said: \"It makes me no difference if I'm disqualified... Disqualify me for life.... I will keep going, I will not stop.\"\n\nAlthough India's opposition parties don't always agree on political issues, many of them have supported Mr Gandhi over his disqualification. On Friday, 14 parties approached the Supreme Court, alleging that the federal government was misusing investigative agencies to target BJP's opponents.\n\nCongress president Mallikarjun Kharge alleged that the action against Mr Gandhi was a consequence of his demand for a parliamentary investigation to probe allegations against the Adani Group.\n\nThe huge conglomerate was accused of decades of \"brazen\" stock manipulation and accounting fraud by US-based short-seller Hindenburg Research earlier this year. The Adani Group has denied allegations of financial fraud.\n\n\"My job as I see it is to defend the democratic nature of this country,\" Mr Gandhi said after his disqualification.\n\n\"That means defending the institutions of this country, that means defending the voice of the poor people of this country, that means telling the people of this country the truth about people like Mr Adani, who are basically exploiting the relationship they have with the prime minister,\" he said.\n\n\"I was disqualified because Prime Minister Narendra Modi is scared of my next speech on Adani... I can see it in his eyes.\"\n\nMr Gandhi's supporters say his disqualification is a sign that India's democratic system is weakening, and more protests against the government are planned in the coming days.\n\nHe will not be allowed to take part in national elections due next year, unless his sentence is suspended or he is acquitted in the case.\n\nThe ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), however, said the decision to disqualify Mr Gandhi was in accordance with parliamentary laws, and criticised his party for questioning the verdict.\n\nFederal Labour Minister Bhupender Yadav said Mr Gandhi had insulted members of the caste grouping known as Other Backward Classes (OBC) under which the name \"Modi\" falls.\n\n\"Insulting any surname is not freedom of speech,\" he said.\n\nBut some experts have questioned the severity of Mr Gandhi's sentence.\n\nJoyojeet Pal, an associate professor of information at the University of Michigan, said that it was \"highly unusual\" for a first-time offender like Mr Gandhi to be given the maximum possible punishment of two years' imprisonment.\n\n\"Both low-level politicians and parliamentarians in India are known to engage in extreme speech on social media and in their public meetings. A conviction of this scale, with the consequence of removing the primary challenger to Modi, is practically unheard of,\" Prof Pal added.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/world-asia-india-65074804"}
{"title":"Pallbearers of late Queen's coffin recognised in special honours list - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-25","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"King Charles formally recognises the roles played by scores of royal aides and military personnel.","section":"UK","content":"Eight Grenadier Guards carried the coffin of the late Queen during her state funeral\n\nEight pallbearers who carried Queen Elizabeth II's coffin at her funeral are among those to be recognised in a special honours list.\n\nKing Charles has honoured scores of royal aides and military personnel for the roles they played during the period of national mourning.\n\nAngela Kelly, the Queen's dresser, has also received recognition.\n\nQueen Elizabeth II, Britain's longest-serving monarch, died at Balmoral in September last year, aged 96.\n\nIn some of the most poignant moments of the late Queen's funeral, eight Grenadier Guards in uniform carried her coffin, draped in the Royal Standard, into London's Westminster Abbey and her final resting place at St George's Chapel in Windsor.\n\nMillions of people around the world watched as Lance Sergeant Alex Turner, Lance Corporal Tony Flynn, Lance Sergeant Elias Orlowski, Guardsman Fletcher Cox, Guardsman James Patterson, Lance Sergeant Ryan Griffiths, Guardsman Luke Simpson, and Guardsman David Sanderson carried out their duty.\n\nNotably they carried the lead-lined coffin with the Imperial State Crown, sceptre and orb on top up the steep steps of the chapel in Windsor Castle's grounds.\n\nConservative MP Tom Hunt said at the time: \"I can't imagine how hard and emotionally challenging it must have been to have carried her late Majesty's coffin just once.\n\n\"With billions watching, they've done her late Majesty and the country proud.\"\n\nThe soldiers, from the 1st Battalion Grenadier Guards, have been recognised with the Royal Victorian Medal (Silver).\n\nRoyal Regiment of Scotland pallbearers who brought the Queen from Balmoral to her lying-in-state at St Giles' Cathedral in Edinburgh received the same honour.\n\nThe Royal Air Force flight crew who transported the Queen's coffin from Scotland to London, other coffin bearers, and senior government officials are also included in the Demise Honours list.\n\nThe late Queen with Vogue editor-in-chief Anna Wintour and the monarch's dresser Angela Kelly (on right in black)\n\nMs Kelly, who worked for the Queen for more than 25 years, has been made a Commander of the Royal Victorian Order (RVO).\n\nThe pair are understood to have had a close relationship, and the Queen gave Ms Kelly permission to write a behind-the-scenes account of her years as her official dressmaker and friend.\n\nMs Kelly helped to keep the Queen's style modern and relevant - the late monarch once wore a pair of glasses personalised with Swarovski crystals in the shape of the letter Q at a 2010 film screening in Canada.\n\nDuring the height of the Covid pandemic, Ms Kelly is thought to have isolated with the Queen at Windsor Castle as part of a small group of royal household staff.\n\nThe late monarch's stud groom, Terence Pendry, with her pony Emma\n\nThe late Queen's page, Paul Whybrew, who appeared in the monarch's 2012 London Olympics skit with James Bond actor Daniel Craig, was awarded Commander of the RVO.\n\nTerence Pendry, who worked as the Queen's stud groom and held the reins of her pony, Emma, as the funeral cortege travelled through Windsor, received the same honour.\n\nFormer ladies-in-waiting Philippa de Pass and Jennifer Gordon Lennox were made Dame Commanders of the RVO.\n\nThe RVO is bestowed by the King - and not on the advice of the prime minister - to people who have served the monarch and the Royal Family.\n\nThe honour was founded by Queen Victoria in 1896.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/uk-65069857"}
{"title":"Daniel White strangled and slit wife's throat in their home - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-25","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"Daniel White kicked open his wife's locked door, strangled her and then cut her throat.","section":"Wales","content":"Angie White was strangled and her throat was slit\n\nAlexa recordings were used to piece together how a domestic abuser murdered his wife.\n\nDaniel White, 36, kicked open Angie White's locked bedroom door, strangled her and cut her throat.\n\nHe then fled the house in Swansea in his wife's car before phoning police to confess in October 2022.\n\nWhite, from Idris Terrace, Plasmarl, was given a life sentence of at least 20 years and 10 months at Swansea Crown Court after admitting murder.\n\nOfficers went to their home where they found the front door unlocked and the body of Mrs White, 45, in her bedroom.\n\nSwansea Crown Court heard labourer White had a long history of domestic violence, including against Mrs White.\n\nAt the time of the murder, he was on licence from prison after receiving a 10-year extended sentence for rape and assault.\n\nFearful of her husband, Mrs White had installed a mortice lock on her bedroom door, which White kicked in after an argument started on WhatsApp.\n\nNeighbours heard banging, shouting and screaming at about 03:00 GMT on 22 October last year before hearing a car drive away.\n\nShortly before 06:00, White called police, telling a call handler: \"I've strangled her and cut her throat. She's dead.\n\n\"We argued and she locked the door and said she wanted me out.\n\n\"All I wanted to do was take my stuff and leave. I just shut her up.\n\n\"I strangled her, I ran downstairs, and I cut her throat to make sure she was dead.\"\n\nThe court heard the couple had an Amazon Alexa, which can control household electrical items when activated by a voice prompt.\n\nDetectives discovered voice commands made by White and his wife at the time of the murder had been saved.\n\nProsecutor William Hughes said: \"Police have been able to discover that at 3.03am Angie in her bedroom said, 'Alexa, volume three'.\n\n\"At 3.16am Daniel White's voice can be heard saying, 'Alexa stop'.\n\n\"He then goes back downstairs into the living room and says, 'Turn on - Alexa' but what can also be heard is that he is out of breath and these appear to be the moments when, the Crown say, he has gone to get the knife.\n\n\"He then returns to the bedroom at 3.18am when he says 'Alexa, turn on the electric light', and at 3.19am he says, 'Alexa, turn off the TV'.\n\n\"So, the Crown's reasonable interpretation is after 3.03am and before 3.16am Daniel White had burst through the door and initially strangled Angie, then went downstairs to get the knife, and thereafter cut her throat.\"\n\nThe court heard the couple had begun arguing on WhatsApp. The last message they exchanged was at 03:11.\n\nA pathologist found Mrs White died from knife wounds to her neck. But there was also evidence she had been strangled.\n\nMrs White's family said nothing would be able to bring her back\n\nWhite previously admitted murder but refused to attend court for sentencing.\n\nDefence barrister Peter Rouch said the marriage was effectively over and what happened was \"a spontaneous act of violence\".\n\nHe said: \"I am not suggesting that is justification, but Your Honour has asked what led to it, and it would seem by putting the picture together as best one can, from the messages and the timings, that seems (to be) what has taken place.\"\n\n\"He does not have the courage to face the family and friends of the woman whose life he so brutally ended,\" he said.\n\n\"You have a disgraceful history of assaulting women who have had the great misfortune to be in a relationship with you.\"\n\nHe said: \"When you entered the bedroom you strangled her, probably rendering her unconscious.\n\n\"When she was face to face with you, with your hands around her throat, she must have been absolutely terrified.\n\n\"After she probably lost consciousness, you didn't seek help for her, you went downstairs and got a knife.\n\n\"You took it into her bedroom in order to kill her, to finish her off.\"\n\nThe judge said he had a \"cowardly desire to dominate her\".\n\nHe added: \"You did just that - you savagely slit her throat knowing that would kill her.\"\n\nSpeaking afterwards, Mrs White's family said: \"Angie was a much-loved daughter, sister, mother, grandmother, and auntie.\n\n\"Nothing can bring our beloved Angie back. We shall miss that silly giggle for evermore.\n\n\"Daniel White admitted his guilt but continued to use his manipulative behaviour to delay the outcome.\n\n\"He deliberately absences himself in what we see as his continuing attempts to control this situation and his cowardliness in avoiding facing us and justice for what he did to Angie.\"\n\nA Ministry of Justice spokesman said a review was underway.\n\n\"This was a horrific crime and our sympathies are with the family and friends of Angie White. As with all serious further offences a review is now underway and it would be inappropriate for us to comment further at this stage,\" he said.\n\n\"Serious further offences are rare but we are investing \u00a3155m more every year into the Probation Service to improve the supervision of offenders and recruit thousands more staff to keep the public safe.\"","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/uk-wales-65067194"}
{"title":"Plymouth tree felling 'really good' for city, council official says - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-25","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"The felling of over 100 trees in Plymouth will lead to a \"fabulous result\", the official says.","section":"Devon","content":"Trees in Plymouth city centre were felled at night after an executive order was signed by council leader Richard Bingley\n\nA senior council official has insisted a redevelopment scheme behind the felling of 110 trees in Plymouth will be \"really good\" for the city.\n\nGiles Perritt, the council's assistant chief executive, was speaking after campaigners succeeded in getting the High Court to extend an injunction on Friday preventing further felling.\n\nCouncil leader Richard Bingley, who faced a no confidence vote over the felling, intends to resign on Monday.\n\nSpeaking to BBC Radio 4's Today programme, Mr Perritt added that felling the trees \"will be really good for Plymouth in the short and medium term\".\n\n\"We are really anxious to work with people who are unhappy with what we're doing and make sure we deliver a fabulous result for the city centre,\" he added.\n\nGiles Perritt, the council's assistant chief executive, said of the tree-felling that \"change is difficult\"\n\nThe redevelopment scheme would replace a \"tired 1980s\" shopping precinct which, once the shops shut, became a \"dangerous and unhappy place\" with a modern area which could be enjoyed all year round, he said.\n\n\"We are very pleased we are able to continue removing the trees that have already been felled and making our city centre a little more habitable for pedestrians, shoppers and businesses who work there.\"\n\nChallenged about the loss of the trees, he said 169 new trees would be planted and insisted the council had changed the plans after previous consultations with residents showed support for the existing mature trees.\n\n\"There are going to be more trees and more biodiversity,\" he said.\n\nMr Perritt also responded to criticisms that the tree felling had taken place late at night, saying the council \"always does tree works in busy places at night\".\n\nHe added it was \"normal practice for any sensible council\".\n\nAsked about the imminent departure of council leader Mr Bingley, Mr Perritt said he could not comment on politicians' motivations, but stressed previous administrations had also given major support to the redevelopment programme.\n\nAt the High Court in London on Friday, Sir Ross Cranston backed protesters' bid to keep the injunction stopping felling in place pending a full legal challenge over the council's actions.\n\n\"The injunction will continue. The remaining trees cannot be felled at least for the time being,\" he said.\n\nHe added: \"Once they are gone they are gone\", adding there was a \"serious issue to be tried\" over the lawfulness of the council's decision-making process.\n\nTrees which had already been toppled, as well as fallen branches and stumps, can be removed subject to an expert report.\n\nPlymouth City Council argued the felling had to be done before the pre-election period, noting it was not a legal requirement, but a preferable one.\n\nCouncil boss Richard Bingley signed an executive order allowing the scheme and soon after, the trees were felled after dark on 14 March.\n\nIn response, campaigners obtained an injunction which was served in the early hours.\n\nCampaigner Alison White said her group was \"really happy with the decision\" made by the High Court to pause the felling\n\nIn a statement released after the hearing, the council said it aimed to \"transform a tired and run-down part of the city centre\".\n\n\"High Streets up and down the country are struggling. Our decision to transform Armada Way was a mandated, democratic decision, agreed by Plymouth City Council's elected members,\" it said.\n\nThe council said it acknowledged people's concerns, but said others were \"very clear they want this change\".\n\nOn Friday, Alison White, head of campaign group Save the Trees of Armada Way, said her group was \"really happy with the decision\" made by the High Court.\n\n\"The decision to completely destroy our urban forest against overwhelming public opposition in a way that avoided public scrutiny is indefensible.\"\n\nFollow BBC News South West on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram. Send your story ideas to spotlight@bbc.co.uk.\n\nThe BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/uk-england-devon-65074972"}
{"title":"John Lewis: Mary Portas warns retailer it has 'let go' of its soul - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-25","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"In an open letter the retail consultant says the store is \"part of our collective cultural identity\".","section":"Business","content":"Mary Portas said John Lewis and its supermarket chain, Waitrose, were part of the \"fabric of everyday British life\"\n\nRetail consultant Mary Portas has written an open letter to John Lewis warning that the department store had \"let go\" of its soul.\n\nThe brand expert described the UK retail giant as part of \"our collective cultural identity\".\n\nHer comments come after John Lewis revealed it was considering a change to its employee-owned business structure, so altering decades of tradition.\n\nChair Sharon White said she wanted the brand to thrive for generations.\n\nMs Portas' intervention is via an open letter on the networking website Linkedin, addressed to Ms White and John Lewis' new chief executive Nish Kankiwala.\n\n\"You are custodians of one of the most valued, loved, and trusted retail brands this country has,\" the retail consultant wrote.\n\nShe said John Lewis and its supermarket chain, Waitrose, were part of the \"fabric of everyday British life\".\n\nEarlier this month the department store signalled job cuts were in the pipeline after it cancelled its staff bonus and reported pre-tax losses of \u00a3234m in what it said was a \"very tough year\".\n\nIf the group pursues the idea of selling a minority stake in the business, it will end it being exclusively owned by its employees.\n\nBut Ms Portas said: \"Your task isn't to turn around just another mediocre retailer under threat of going under. You're fighting to save part of our collective cultural identity.\n\n\"But what's worrying me is that you might think your fight is purely financial. It's not.\"\n\nDescribing the battle as more nuanced, Ms Portas said what laid ahead was about \"the soul of your brand.\"\n\n\"Somehow, in recent years, you've let go of the soul.\"\n\nMary Portas said British brand history was littered with firms who tampered with the crown jewels of their identity\n\nHer letter said: \"What we want is to come to you when we're expecting our first baby and panicking about buying a cot... when we've finally made it onto the property ladder and want curtains and a sofa bed that'll last\".\n\nBut she warned that was \"being slowly chipped away. From loud headlines to daily whispers\".\n\nMs Portas said she appreciated the partnership needed \"money men\" but added: \"Never forget to balance all that with the commercially instinctive, reactive, creative, retail-born folk in the business.\n\n\"It's an art. Not a science.\"\n\nShe urged the group to recommit to the principles it was founded on - common ownership.\n\n\"We know British brand history is littered with those who tampered with the crown jewels of their identity.\n\n\"But failure for John Lewis and Waitrose is not an option. We can't lose you too.\"\n\nJohn Lewis chair Sharon White said \"we've always been open to new partnerships\"\n\nIn response, John Lewis chair Sharon White said it was the \"biggest privilege of my life to be custodian of the Partnership\".\n\n\"I am here to ensure that it not only survives, but thrives for generations.\"\n\nMs White said 100 million customers visited its department stores last year, a third up on the previous year and half a billion customers visited the App and website.\n\n\"We want our brands to continue to grow,\" she said. \"We've always been open to new partnerships with investors or likeminded companies to share in our growth.\n\n\"I will not rest until the partnership is restored to full health,\" she added.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/business-65070604"}
{"title":"Record revenue for staff agencies supplying NHS - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-25","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"Companies thrive as the health service struggles with staffing gaps and increased patient demand.","section":"Health","content":"The NHS relies on agency staff to fill gaps\n\nCompanies providing freelance staff to the NHS to cover for big shortages of doctors and nurses have seen their income rise by tens of millions of pounds since 2019.\n\nTwo companies, amongst the largest providing workers to the NHS, saw their turnover rise by 80% and 77.5%.\n\nBBC News looked at the financial records of about 20 agency businesses providing services in the UK.\n\nHealth leaders say staff shortages mean they have to spend on freelance cover.\n\nIn November, BBC News revealed total spending on agency staff in England had been \u00a33bn in 2021, up 20%.\n\nAnd the following month, a Freedom of Information request by Labour revealed one hospital had paid \u00a35,200 for a single shift by a freelance doctor.\n\nIn the latest financial records seen by BBC News, Medacs Healthcare, \"the largest supplier of locum doctors to the NHS\", reported an 80% increase in sales, to \u00a3160.9m, between 2019 and 2021.\n\n\"We're proud to partner with the NHS to provide them with a round-the-clock supply of flexible healthcare workers,\" the company said.\n\n\"Our fees are fixed and capped by the NHS and government-approved frameworks we work through.\"\n\nID Medical, which says it is the largest UK provider of healthcare professionals to the NHS, reported a turnover of \u00a3145.4m in 2022, up 15% on 2019. It paid one director more than \u00a3800,000 last year.\n\nThe company said it worked within NHS agreements, adding: \"We continue our commitment to driving costs down further In partnership with the NHS, through our broad range of long-term sustainable solutions.\"\n\nBoth Medacs Healthcare and ID Medical refused to reveal what proportion of their business was with the NHS.\n\nIndependent Clinical Services, which trades as Thornbury Nursing Group and Scottish Nursing Guild, reported a turnover of nearly \u00a3273m in the 2021 financial year, up 77.5% on 2019, of which, it says, the NHS accounts for less than half.\n\n\"We recognise the strain the NHS and other care providers are under and proactively work with customers to support strategic, longer-term workforce provision,\" ICS said.\n\nAnd it had \"played a crucial role in supporting care providers during the pandemic\".\n\nICS is controlled by Acacium Group, registered in Jersey, which, in turn, is controlled, through an investment-fund structure, by a Canadian-headquartered investment company, the group's ultimate parent.\n\nHospitals need freelance doctors and nurses to fill gaps in rotas - but demand for patient care is now outstripping the supply of staff, health leaders say, which is why agency bills have increased.\n\nSir Julian said trusts were desperate to reduce spend on agency staff\n\nSir Julian Hartley, chief executive of NHS Providers, representing trusts, and a former hospital boss himself, said: \"These figures underline the current challenge in terms of the cost of agency staff for trusts.\n\n\"All trusts are desperate to reduce those costs and indeed reduce the reliance on agency staff.\"\n\nSir Julian said the NHS was facing major challenges:\n\nThe cost of agency staff was a \"major factor for NHS organisations who want to see a much more sustainable approach\". Less should be spent on agency provision and more converted into permanent staff.\n\nIn England, trust leaders are allowed to pay a maximum of 155% of normal staff rates for any agency replacements - unless paying more is the only way to maintain safe staffing levels\n\nThere are also official NHS flexible staff banks which place health workers with employers who need to fill temporary gaps.\n\nA Department of Health and Social Care spokesperson said: \"While temporary staffing allows the NHS to meet fluctuations in demand, we are controlling spending by capping hourly pay, prioritising NHS staff when shifts need filling and hiring agency staff through approved NHS frameworks to ensure value for money.\n\n\"We will soon publish a long-term workforce plan to ensure we have the right numbers of staff, with the right skills to deliver high quality services fit for the future.\"","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/health-65042658"}
{"title":"Energy firms call for windfall tax to fall with prices - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-25","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"It comes ahead of a package of measures on energy security, which the BBC understands will be announced on Thursday.","section":"Business","content":"Energy firms have called on ministers to reduce the windfall tax as oil and gas prices fall, ahead of a package of measures on energy security expected to be announced on Thursday.\n\nTrade body Offshore Energies UK said that \"when prices drop, it is fair that the windfall tax should fall away\".\n\nIt came as the Financial Times reported that ministers are set to offer energy firms relief on windfall taxes.\n\nThe Treasury insists it keeps all taxes under review.\n\nLast year, the government introduced a windfall tax on oil and gas firms, to help fund its scheme to lower energy bills for households and businesses.\n\nA windfall tax is used to target firms which benefit from something they were not responsible for. Energy firm profits have soared recently, initially due to rising demand after Covid restrictions were lifted, and then because Russia's invasion of Ukraine raised energy prices.\n\nOil and gas prices have now come down from their highs.\n\nDavid Whitehouse, chief executive of Offshore Energies UK, said the windfall tax has \"damaged the confidence\" of companies to invest in the long-term energy security of the UK.\n\n\"If this tax is changed, as conditions and prices have changed, that would be a positive move that would go some way to start rebuilding confidence,\" he said.\n\nHe added it would also spur companies to invest in the UK energy industry and in new technologies such as offshore wind, hydrogen and carbon capture, as well as in jobs.\n\nIt comes as the government is expected to set out measures to boost the UK's energy security on Thursday.\n\nA Whitehall source confirmed the plans, which will be set out by the Energy Security Secretary Grant Shapps, will focus on bringing down wholesale electricity prices in the UK and reducing energy bills for consumers and businesses.\n\nThe Financial Times reported that ahead of this, ministers have been holding talks with energy firms about adjusting the windfall tax if oil and gas prices dropped below a certain level.\n\nShadow climate secretary, Ed Miliband said the report was more evidence that next week's announcements would be \"Fossil Fuel Thursday\".\n\nHe said it would see \"giveaways to companies already making record profits, for a policy that will make no difference to energy bills or security, fleecing the public whilst trashing the climate.\"\n\nThe Treasury insists it does not comment on speculation.\n\nBut said the windfall tax \"strikes a balance between funding cost of living support from excess profits while encouraging investment\".\n\nIt added that \"the more investment a firm makes into the UK, the less tax they will pay\".","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/business-65077495"}
{"title":"Rishi Sunak promises anti-social behaviour crackdown - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-25","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"Offenders could be made to pick up litter or wash police cars within 48 hours of being given an order.","section":"UK","content":"Those caught engaging in anti-social behaviour could have to carry out their punishment in hi-vis clothing\n\nPeople who vandalise public spaces will have to repair the damage they cause within 48 hours of being given an order, under new government plans.\n\nCommunities will also have a say on how offenders are punished, No 10 said.\n\nThe pilot, covering 10 areas, aims to show the public such acts are \"quickly and visibly\" punished.\n\nBut Labour accused the government of \"slashing\" neighbourhood policing and trying to copy their plan on \"tough community payback\".\n\nThe pilot forms part of a crackdown on anti-social behaviour, which Prime Minister Rishi Sunak will announce on Monday.\n\nMr Sunak hopes the measures will stamp out the scourge of anti-social behaviour \"once and for all\".\n\nThe new plans will see police and crime commissioners (PCCs) given funding to ensure people responsible for offences such as graffiti and vandalism start repair work as soon as possible.\n\nOffenders will be made to wear jumpsuits or hi-vis jackets and work under supervision so that they are visible to members of the public, to assure them \"justice is being done\".\n\nIn cases where damage has already been cleaned up, they will be assigned other tasks which benefit their local area, such as litter picking or volunteering in shops.\n\nThere are also plans to tackle homelessness and begging within the new measures.\n\nPolice and local authorities will be granted new powers to address people who are judged to be causing a \"nuisance on the street\" - including obstructing shop doorways or begging at cash machines.\n\nCouncil workers and law enforcement officers will also be given the \"tools\" to direct people who are deemed to be causing a \"nuisance on the street\" to health and social services.\n\nFurther detail on where the pilots will take place and how much it will cost is expected to be set out in the coming days.\n\nIt will be rolled out across England and Wales in 2024.\n\nCommunities Secretary Michael Gove separately confirmed the government will ban the sale of nitrous oxide, telling the BBC's Laura Kuenssberg its recreational use is having an \"unacceptable\" effect on people's perception of safety in public spaces.\n\nHe added: \"We are doing this because if you walk through any urban park you will see these little silver cannister which are the evidence of people regarding public spaces as arenas for drug taking.\"\n\nThe plans to crack down on anti-social behaviour comes after a highly critical report into the Metropolitan Police by Baroness Casey, which cited austerity as a factor behind the erosion of the London force's frontline policing.\n\nThe report, published earlier this week, said London no longer has a functioning neighbourhood policing service as teams have been \"decimated\" and the force has become \"less connected and less accountable\".\n\nAhead of the plan being published, Mr Sunak said: \"For too long, people have put up with the scourge of anti-social behaviour in their neighbourhoods.\n\n\"These are not minor crimes. They disrupt people's daily lives, hold businesses back and erode the sense of safety and community that brings people together.\n\n\"That's why I'm bringing forward a new plan to crack down on this behaviour once and for all - so that everyone can feel proud of where they live.\"\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser.\n\nThe plan sets out how the government's \"community payback\" scheme - where offenders are sentenced by courts to do unpaid work, such as cleaning up public places - will be expanded.\n\nThe government has already said it will increase the number of hours of unpaid work offenders are given from five million to up to eight million a year.\n\nUnder a new pilot, delivered by the Probation Service working with some local authorities, teams of offenders will be rapidly deployed to clean up more urgent incidents of anti-social behaviour.\n\nIt said it will also extend offenders' involvement in campaigns such as Keep Britain Tidy's annual Great British Spring Clean.\n\nLast year 1,500 offenders spent almost 10,000 hours on 300 community clean-up projects across the campaign.\n\nThe government aims to double this in 2023.\n\nLast month, Labour said its plans to tackle anti-social behaviour included fly-tippers being forced to remove litter as part of \"clean-up squads\", and councils being able to make offenders remove graffiti or rubbish they had dumped.\n\nResponding to the government's latest plans, shadow justice secretary Steve Reed said: \"The Conservatives have let anti-social behaviour make people's lives a misery by slashing neighbourhood police and letting offenders get away without punishment.\n\n\"They have been content to oversee crumbling frontline services meaning these crimes are now plaguing communities, blighting town centres and leaving people feeling unsafe.\"\n\nMr Reed said the government was \"once again following where Labour has led by trying to copy our plan on tough community payback\", and that it was \"embarrassing\" that all the Conservatives could come up with was a pilot covering only 10 areas.\n\nThe remarks follow a speech earlier this week by Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer accusing the Tories of being \"soft\" on anti-social behaviour - \"the crime that most affects working class communities\".","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/uk-65077271"}
{"title":"SDLP: Eastwood says his party is 'here to stay' - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-25","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"Colum Eastwood tells the SDLP's annual conference in Derry his party had a \"bruising\" election in May.","section":"Northern Ireland","content":"This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Colum Eastwood says the SDLP is \"here to stay\" despite last year's \"bruising\" election\n\nThe Social Democratic and Labour Party (SDLP) leader has dismissed political \"naysayers\" and insisted his party is \"here to stay\".\n\nAddressing his party's annual conference, Colum Eastwood acknowledged the party had been through a \"bruising electoral contest\" last May.\n\nHe told SDLP members in Londonderry that \"the adversity we face now is nothing compared to the adversity this party has shouldered in the past\".\n\n\"We are a party that is ready to get back to work and we will win again,\" he said.\n\nThe SDLP leader and MP for Foyle said last year's assembly election had \"exacted a high price\".\n\nHe told members that those who had written off the party before should be ignored.\n\n\"The people in this hall today, and the many friends and colleagues outside, the values they represent and the vision we set for this island can never be written off,\" he added.\n\n\"We're going to embark on a long-term political strategy with the goal of reimagining our country,\" Mr Eastwood said, acknowledging his party's commission for a new Ireland, which he said was \"shifting gear\".\n\n\"This is when we are at our best - when we bring together an unstoppable coalition.\"\n\nHe also called for an end to the \"poisonous politics of veto\" at Stormont and accused the Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) of being \"wreckers\" of the institutions.\n\n\"The DUP need to get back to work or get out of the way,\" Mr Eastwood said.\n\nHe added sharing power was the \"engine\" of Stormont and not an \"optional extra\".\n\nThe DUP has boycotted devolved government at Stormont over Northern Ireland Protocol concerns\n\nThe party's conference came days after MPs including those in the SDLP voted to back the Windsor Framework agreed by the UK and EU.\n\nThe framework is designed to make trade between Northern Ireland and the rest of the UK easier.\n\nIt gives the Stormont assembly more say over EU rules and has been welcomed by most Northern Ireland parties.\n\nMr Eastwood said the DUP, which voted against the deal, was \"digging its heels in\".\n\nAnd he added that if the party held out on returning to power sharing at Stormont, the \"only alternative\" would be a new settlement between London and Dublin.\n\n\"If we are unable to secure lasting reform of the institutions then the only alternative is a new settlement that retains power with the Irish and British traditions that share this island.\n\n\"And if political parties will not work together, then there must be a new model of shared stewardship between the British and Irish governments.\"\n\nHe told SDLP members that the choice facing the DUP is not about the Northern Ireland Protocol or framework, but whether they \"can share power with their neighbours\".\n\nIt makes sense that the SDLP would choose its heartland of Foyle to bring its members together.\n\nThere is no shying away from how hard a time the party has had recently.\n\nIt lost four seats last year in May's assembly election and recent polls haven't proved any more positive.\n\nThat said, the party's south Belfast MP Claire Hanna has said that since then, the SDLP has been doing some serious thinking and reflection.\n\nIn other words: they may be down but they're not out, if Colum Eastwood can help it.\n\nHe believes in the message he's selling but it's not the audience in Derry he needs to persuade.\n\nThe next electoral test for the SDLP is just eight weeks away.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/uk-northern-ireland-65070878"}
{"title":"Gordon Moore, Intel co-founder and creator of Moore's Law, dies aged 94 - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-25","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"Mr Moore famously predicted that computer processing power would double every two years.","section":"US & Canada","content":"Silicon Valley pioneer and philanthropist Gordon Moore has died aged 94 in Hawaii.\n\nMr Moore started working on semiconductors in the 1950s and co-founded the Intel Corporation.\n\nHe famously predicted that computer processing powers would double every year - later revised to every two - an insight known as Moore's Law.\n\nThat \"law\" became the bedrock for the computer processor industry and influenced the PC revolution.\n\nTwo decades before the computer revolution began, Moore wrote in a paper that integrated circuits would lead \"to such wonders as home computers - or at least terminals connected to a central computer - automatic controls for automobiles, and personal portable communications equipment\".\n\nHe observed, in the 1965 article, that thanks to technological improvements the number of transistors on microchips had roughly doubled every year since integrated circuits were invented a few years earlier.\n\nHis prediction that this would continue became known as Moore's Law, and it helped push chipmakers to target their research to make this come true.\n\nAfter Moore's article was published, memory chips became more efficient and less expensive at an exponential rate.\n\nMr Moore's article contained this cartoon, predicting a time when computers would be sold alongside other consumer goods\n\nAfter earning his PhD, Moore joined the Fairchild Semiconductor laboratory which manufactured commercially viable transistors and integrated circuits.\n\nThe expansion of that company lay the groundwork for the transformation of the peninsula of land south of San Francisco into what is now known as Silicon Valley.\n\nIn 1968 Moore and Robert Noyce left Fairchild to start Intel.\n\nMoore's work helped drive significant technological progress around the world and allowed for the advent of personal computers and Apple, Facebook and Google.\n\n\"All I was trying to do was get that message across, that by putting more and more stuff on a chip we were going to make all electronics cheaper,\" Moore said in a 2008 interview.\n\nThe Intel Corporation paid tribute to its co-founder, saying in a tweet: \"we lost a visionary\".\n\nThis Twitter post cannot be displayed in your browser. Please enable Javascript or try a different browser. View original tweet on Twitter The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Skip twitter post by Intel 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\u2019s cookie policy, external and privacy policy, external before accepting. To view this content choose \u2018accept and continue\u2019. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.\n\nIntel's current CEO Pat Gelsinger said Gordon Moore had defined the technology industry through his insight and vision, and inspired technologists and entrepreneurs across the decades.\n\n\"He leaves behind a legacy that changed the lives of every person on the planet. His memory will live on.\n\n\"I am humbled to have known him,\" Mr Gelsinger said in a tweet.\n\nMoore dedicated his later life to philanthropy, after starting a foundation with his wife Betty that focussed on environmental causes, known as the Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation.\n\nAmong those causes included protecting the Amazon River basin and salmon streams in the US, Canada and Russia.\n\n\"Those of us who have met and worked with Gordon will forever be inspired by his wisdom, humility and generosity,\" the foundation's president Harvey Fineberg said.\n\nIn 2002, Moore received the Medal of Freedom - the highest civilian honour in the US - from President George W Bush.\n\u2022 None Beyond the first law of computing","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/world-us-canada-65073812"}
{"title":"TikTok banned on all London City Hall devices amid security concerns - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-25","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"The firm behind the app offers to meet Sadiq Khan to address what it calls \"misconceptions\".","section":"London","content":"The Greater London Authority said the rule would apply to 1,200 staff at City Hall\n\nLondon City Hall staff will no longer be allowed to use TikTok on official devices amid security concerns.\n\nThe Greater London Authority (GLA) said the rule would apply to 1,200 staff.\n\nIt mirrors a similar decision by the UK government to ban ministers from using the app on their work phones following a security review.\n\nTikTok strongly denied claims it gave users' data to China's government and offered to meet Sadiq Khan to address what it called \"misconceptions\".\n\nThe app, which has exploded in popularity in recent years, gathers a lot of information on users - including their age, location, device and even their typing rhythms.\n\nIts cookies also track user activity elsewhere on the internet.\n\nUS-based social media sites also do this, but TikTok's Chinese parent company, ByteDance, has faced claims of being influenced by Beijing.\n\nThe UK Parliament made its decision on Thursday to ban the app from its network over security concerns and it is a move the GLA wants to adopt too.\n\n\"In line with the government's decision, TikTok will no longer be available on GLA devices.\"\n\nThe Scottish government also announced on Thursday it would join the Welsh government in banning the app from official devices.\n\nIn response to City Hall's announcement, TikTok said it believed the bans were based on \"fundamental misconceptions and driven by wider geopolitics\".\n\nA spokesman for the app added: \"We are readily available to meet with the Mayor to address any concerns, but should be judged on facts and treated equally to our competitors.\n\n\"We have begun implementing a comprehensive plan to further protect our European user data, which includes storing UK user data in our European data centres and tightening data access controls, including third-party independent oversight of our approach.\"\n\nFollow BBC London on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. Send your story ideas to hellobbclondon@bbc.co.uk\n\nThe BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/uk-england-london-65068651"}
{"title":"At least 23 killed as tornado rips through Mississippi - BBC News","published_date":"2023-03-25","authors":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bbcnews","description":"The US state is waking up to devastation after storms brought high winds and golf ball-sized hailstones.","section":"US and Canada","content":"Local Mississippi TV station WAPT spoke to Rolling Fork resident Shanta Howard who said it was a fight for life.\n\n\u201cWe had to help dead bodies out of the house, so that is very disturbing,\u201d she told WAPT.\n\nAnother resident Andy Anderson said he and his wife ran to take shelter.\n\n\u201cRan down to the tub in the bathroom with my wife (and) threw pillows on top of us,\u201d he said.\n\nMeanwhile, local news station WTVA 9 News is reporting that the Mayor of Amory, Corey Glenn has announced a temporary curfew for residents and told them to boil their water after the city water department was struck by the twister.\n\nThe curfew will be in effect from 8pm until 6am.","link":"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/live\/65074954"}